Sanctuary
By Andrew Joshua Talon
DISCLAIMER: This is a fan based work of prose. RWBY is the property of Rooster Teeth and ViZ Publishing. Please support the official release.
First half of the day everything went to hell...
It was a tight fit in the rocket locker, but Jaune was all too familiar with making calls when trapped in them (thanks Cardin). He got his Scroll out and dialed the first people on his call list even as he was jostled and slammed around. Still, he got his message out:
"Ruby! Weiss! You need to go help Pyrrha out! She's fighting Cinder alone! And Cinder's got-She's got some kind of power boost! They're at the top of Beacon Tower, help her! Please!"
Thankfully, Ruby answered-Apparently for both herself and Weiss.
"We're on it, Jaune! Just hold on, we'll-!"
The rocket locker landed hard on the ground. Jaune barely stayed on his feet and was slammed around. He cradled his Scroll in his arms, trying to protect it. The locker shuddered to a halt, and Jaune sucked in a deep breath. He summoned up his Aura and punched through the door. He stumbled out into the light. He winced against the light, but his vision soon cleared.
He had landed in Hell: Grimm were rampaging all over the outer courtyard. Civilians were running and screaming. The smell of blood and smoke filled the air. Jaune looked around, taking a few deep breaths.
He was squeezing his Scroll tightly. A few Grimm Beowulves turned their red eyes and snarled at him. Fear filled him, and all of his old fears and insecurities reared their heads.
"I can't lose you… I love you. Goodbye…"
He shouldn't be here. He was never supposed to be here. Even Pyrrha didn't think he would. Why else would she send him away?
He was useless.
The weak link.
Nothing had changed, had it?
Nothing at all
He saw a familiar Huntress-in-Training sitting against a nearby wall. Her head was bowed. She held onto a sniper rifle but she wasn't using it. A pack of Beowulves were advancing on her, yet she didn't seem to care.
Jaune took one last deep breath. He tucked his Scroll away and pulled his weapons out. He charged for the nearest Beowulf. It lunged for him, but he stunned it with his shield and slashed its head off. The rest of the Beowulves tried to flank Jaune, but he swung his blade hard and fast, his anger fueling him as Pyrrha's training guided him through every step and strike.
One two three… Four five six… Six three one…
In moments, the Grimm were all dusted. Jaune turned to the girl. She looked up, revealing her red hair and single visible blue-gray eye under her bulky hoodie.
"May, right?" Jaune asked quietly. She stared at him.
"Come on," he said, "We gotta get out there."
"I…" May trembled. "M-My team… They're all…"
Jaune looked around. He saw some remains in a pile some distance away. He covered his mouth and tried to focus on staying calm. He could recognize the clothes through the blood.
He took another deep breath. He turned back to May.
"I know," he said quietly, "I-I'm sorry. We can't change that. But we can save other people. Someone I really care about is fighting for her life-For all of us. We need to help her. I-I can't do it alone."
He held out his hand. May stared at it like it was something utterly alien.
"Come on," he said, "We can't… We can't let anyone else lose what you have."
May shivered for a moment. She took a deep breath. She took Jaune's hand. He yanked her up to her feet. Her eyes glowed gently and she gasped.
"DUCK!"
Jaune dropped instinctively as May pulled her sniper rifle and opened fire. Jaune looked over his shoulder: Two Grimm Ursas were falling apart. Jaune stood up, and looked back at May. She was panting hard, but stared at him intently. Jaune smiled.
"Good job," he said.
"I…" She nodded. "Y-Yes…"
She still couldn't look at what was left of her comrades. Jaune couldn't blame her… But he couldn't let her focus back on that.
"Come on, let's go," he said, pulling out his Scroll with one hand, while taking her hand with the other. He dialed his friends as he led her away to some pillars for cover.
"Nora, Ren! Pyrrha's fighting against Cinder at the top of Beacon Tower! We gotta back her up!" Static blared at him, before Nora's voice came through.
"Jaune-Jaune?! You're okay?!"
"Yes," Jaune said, "We're near the outer dorms! We'll meet you at the library!" "Gotcha! We'll see you there!" Nora cheered. "Don't worry, we've got this!" Jaune nodded. He turned to May and held his sword and shield up.
"Can you make it to the library?"
May trembled, but managed a nod. Jaune nodded back and smiled even as it seemed like the world was falling down around them. His father had always met every battle with a big, bright smile.
A warrior never lets anyone see how scared he is. If he looks like he has no worries and they can win? Then victory is always possible.
He wasn't going to let the chance of victory slip out of his fingers. No matter how slim it seemed.
"All right. Let's go!"
"That's…" Yang gaped at Jaune before turning to May with a heartbroken expression. "May… I can't even…"
May slowly nodded, her eyes still down on the table. Arslan squeezed her hand tightly. Jaune for his part was able to reach over to squeeze May's other hand. May didn't look up but she seemed a little less tense.
Neptune cleared his throat significantly.
"We can stop at any-"
"No," May murmured. "We… We keep going… I'm sorry."
Jaune looked over at Ren and Nora. Nora had tears in her eyes but she nodded.
"Renny and I were at the cafeteria," she said, "So we headed off to go and help Jaune-Jaune. We headed off and fought through a lot of Grimm and some White Fang jerks."
Ren nodded. He glanced over at Cardin, who was holding Velvet. The tall redheaded boy took a deep breath. He tightened his grip around the rabbit Faunus girl.
"At the same time…"
Velvet grimaced deeply.
"We… Well…"
"We came back to see the finals," Cardin said quietly, "My team I mean. When the attack happened, we were trying to defend people in the arena." He paused, his expression very dark. Velvet squeezed his hand tightly.
"We were trapped. We had two options: Hole up and hold out, or try to break through. So…"
Cardin growled as he held up the Executioner, crouched down behind some seats in the bottom row. Dove was at his right, Sky to his left, and Russel was behind them in support. A large crowd of civilians were behind them, as Grimm, Atlas drones and White Fang troops fired on them from all around the arena. Griffin Grimm were flying overhead.
"We gotta get out of here," Dove suggested, "We're pinned here."
"We could hole up, wait for reinforcements," Sky suggested, adjusting his goggles. Cardin shook his head, slapping his mace against his palm.
"We can't! Atlas' fleet has left, we're on our own!"
"Yeah!" Russel growled. Cardin nodded.
"Besides! We can take 'em! What are a bunch of Grimm, tin cans and animals gonna do to us?" He smirked. "We're gonna smash through!"
Russel slammed his weapons together and grinned.
"Let's do it!"
Dove sucked in a deep breath and nodded.
"All right. It's better to not stay here."
"Russel!" Cardin ordered, "Let's open up a hole! Dove! Sky! Get 'em moving! On three! One! Two! THREE!"
Cardin and Russel stood up and unleashed Blast Dust shots at the nearest concentration of Grimm and White Fang. The resulting explosions blew a lot of chairs and bodies up into the air.
"COME ON! LET'S GO!" Sky shouted, and the civilians, with some encouragement, got up. Cardin and Russel charged ahead, as Dove and Sky opened fire on any other Grimm or White Fang who popped out of the smoke. They raced up the stairs of the arena, and made it out the gate into the concourse. Cardin swung Executioner and unleashed another Fire Blast, blowing through several drones. Dove unleashed several precise shots, leaping up into the air to fire several shots through drones.
Cardin looked around. He spotted a food stand with reinforced concrete walls around it. He swung his hand forward towards it.
"That way!" He shouted, over the cries of the civilians, "We'll use it for cover! RUSSEL! COVER!"
"ON IT!" Russel unleashed Ice Dust blasts, sending ice shrapnel ahead. He wiped out several Grimm in quick succession. Sky fired to the left, as Cardin led them towards the food counter.
"More incoming!" Sky shouted. Cardin looked behind them: Multiple drones and Grimm were charging from behind. The wide concourse meant they were out in the open.
"KEEP FIGHTING!" Cardin shouted. He ran ahead, as several drones charged at them. He swung Executioner and smashed through the first, then slammed his elbow into the next's head. He grabbed a third and threw it with a grunt at another group of Grimm.
"Cardin!" Dove shouted over the gunfire and shouts, "We're out in the open! We gotta go back!"
"NO! KEEP GOING!" Cardin barked, as Russel unleashed more Fire Dust blasts into a pack of Grimm. "WE GOTTA KEEP GOING!"
He looked out from the concourse railing to the grounds below. He smiled broadly: There weren't a lot of Grimm or other enemies down there. It would be tough, but they could make it! They just had to get down, find some shelter
A massive metallic shape stomped through the grounds. Its huge rocket boosters ignited, and the form flew up through the air. Cardin's eyes widened as he scrambled back.
"FALL BACK! GET OUT OF THE WAY!" He shouted.
The gigantic Paladin mech landed on the concourse with an earthshaking thud. Concrete rained from above as the giant robot stomped and turned towards them, its huge guns coming to bear.
The civilians screamed and panicked, running back. Sky tried to keep control but they fell into a chaotic rabble. He had to jump up over them to stay out of the way, landing with the rest of the team.
"TAKE IT DOWN!" Cardin shouted, charging in. The Paladin's gatling gun opened up, and he held up his arms and Executioner while powering up his Aura to protect himself. The shots bounced off him at first, but the giant robot unleashed a cannon blast next and Cardin was sent flying.
"CARDIN!" Russel shouted. He swung his revolvers and sent Ice Dust sheets against the Paladin. The ice crawled up the legs as Sky and Dove fired on it repeatedly. The Paladin struggled, the ice slowing its movement, but not the gun which continued to fire a stream of lead.
Cardin got up, shook his head free of his daze, and charged again. Dove and Sky fired repeatedly as they flanked the Paladin, while Russel unleashed more Dust blasts. Cardin rammed the Executioner into the side of the mech's leg and unleashed Blast Dust at point blank range.
BOOM!
The metallic knee of the Paladin exploded. Cardin unleashed another blast, and another. The Paladin turned and opened fire. Cardin ducked and dashed between the robot's legs, running behind it and pointing the Executioner at the small of its back while Russel unleashed another Blast Dust shot at the chest of the Paladin.
BOOM!
The Paladin shuddered.
"RUSSEL! LIGHTNING DUST!" Cardin shouted.
Russel unleashed a blast of Lightning Dust at the Paladin. It shuddered again before collapsing. Cardin grinned. Sky cheered. Russel whooped.
"YEAH!" Cardin cheered. "We did it!"
"We have the tools, we have the talent!" Russel whooped.
"OH YEAH!" Sky laughed.
Dove frowned.
"Guys? I think this is very bad."
The Paladin began to shake and shudder. The Dust reactor began to glow and heat up. Cardin's eyes widened.
"RUN!" Cardin shouted. Dove, Sky and Russel turned, rushing back towards the civilians who had been hiding in the gate. Cardin tried to run around the Paladin… When its right arm cannons fired off a leftover round.
The blast erupted right under Cardin's feet and sent him flying off of the concourse. He fell from the balcony down to the ground. He slammed in hard, breaking the concrete underneath him, face first.
KABOOM!
Cardin groaned. His ears were ringing, and despite his Aura, he ached all over. He was covered in rubble. He surged his Aura, pushing himself back up, shoving the concrete aside. He looked back up at the arena. His jaw dropped.
The entire side of the arena facing him was on fire, with a massive hole in multiple levels. Debris fell like rain while the levels sagged and shuddered.
"Guys! GUYS-!"
He pulled out his Scroll and hit the radio mode.
"DOVE! SKY! RUSSEL!"
Static was his only answer. Cardin grit his teeth.
"GUYS!"
His Scroll stuttered and he heard Dove's voice.
"Cardin… Get out… We'll-!"
The transmission cut out. Cardin shook it furiously.
"Dove?! DOVE?! ANYONE?!"
He stared at the rubble. It was like there was just nothing. All he could see was flames and wreckage.
Then bullets whizzed by his head.
"Shit, shit!"
He looked over to see White Fang troops and Grimm advancing on his position. He turned and ran for it as the rounds whizzed over his head. He clenched his free fist as he sprinted away.
"Damnit, damnit, damnit…!"
These animals had… Had killed his team… His team…!
They were working with the Grimm! How in the hell could someone work with the Grimm?! What the hell was going on?!
He just kept running. An Ursa charged in front of him, but he slammed Executioner down on its skull and it fell apart as it died. He kept running, as fast as he could, until he came to a stop near the Elpaba courtyard. He could see people running and screaming, fires burning, Grimm snarling and attacking while Hunters and Huntresses and even police fought White Fang terrorists. He panted for breath.
Which was when a Grimm Ursa roared. He looked to the right and saw the Ursa charging him. He stared, his entire body feeling numb.
A stream of red Dust bullets tore through the Grimm and it evaporated. Cardin looked over at one of the stone fountains. Coco Adel glared at him over her gatling gun.
"WINCHESTER!" She barked, as the rest of her team fought furiously nearby, "MAKE YOURSELF USEFUL!"
Yatsuhachi swung his sword furiously, taking out several Grimm with every blow. Fox dashed about, taking out Grimm with punches. Velvet was treating an injured civilian woman behind the fountain.
"M-My team is at the Arena!" Cardin tried, "They need help-!"
"So do we!" Coco shouted. "BEHIND YOU!"
Cardin turned and swung Executioner. He unleashed a Dust blast at point blank range, blowing apart two Beowulves. He panted hard. Coco let loose with more Gatling gun fire, tearing apart numerous Grimm and Atlas drones as they kept advancing on the evacuation route.
Cardin ran up, swinging hard to take out any enemies he could see. He made it to where Velvet was treating the old woman, providing her cover. The rest of Team CFVY advanced away from the fountain near some of the marble pillars, keeping Grimm and drones at bay.
Cardin looked up and saw several White Fang troops advancing on the courtyard. They weren't carrying rifles or swords alone though: They were hefting up rocket launchers.
"GET DOWN-!" He shouted. It was too late: They fired a massive barrage of rockets right at Team CVFY.
Coco tried to shoot them down, but they slammed into the ground nearby. Massive explosions went off, consuming Coco, Fox and Yatsuhashi. Cardin threw himself in front of Velvet, covering her with his body. Rubble and debris flew through the air and rained down on him.
"Guh…" Cardin groaned. Velvet pushed away and stood up. She looked behind him in horror. Cardin looked back. His face fell.
"GUYS!" Velvet screamed. The pillars had fallen, reduced into a pile of burning rubble.
"FOX! COCO! YATSU!" She shrieked. She tried to charge in, but Cardin pulled her back. "LET ME GO! LET ME-!"
Bullets whizzed over their heads. Cardin shoved her down behind the fountain. He grimaced as he peeked up over the fountain: The White Fang were coming through, targeting the civilians. The old woman nearby was gasping in desperation.
Cardin couldn't see anything beyond flames, smoke and rubble.
Just like my team… Just like…!
Velvet broke free of his arms and charged again. She ran up to the rubble, screaming the names of her teammates.
"COCO! FOX! YAT-UGH!"
A Dust round hit her, and she was slammed down to the ground. A White Fang soldier, leading a full troop, advanced on her. She struggled back onto her elbows. The White Fang trooper held up his rifle and pointed it at Velvet's head. As did the rest of them.
Do something, Cardin's mind screamed, even as his body remained frozen, Do something…!
Velvet looked up shakily, and gaped in horror at the soldier.
DO SOMETHING!
"RAWRRR!"
His yell got their attention. He slammed Executioner down and unleashed a Fire Dust blast at the ground underneath their feet. The tiled ground bucked and shattered from the force, sending debris up like shrapnel. Several of the White Fang troops fell screaming, while others opened fire. Cardin charged through, his Aura flaring, as he swung Executioner around. He unleashed more Fire Dust blasts, flinging White Fang troops back through the air.
One wielding a large chainsaw sword dodged around the blasts, and swung for Cardin. He hefted Executioner up and blocked the hit, but they had been running with enough force that it shoved him back. The chainsword came at him again and again, and each time he barely managed to block or parry, small sparks spraying into his face as their weapons clashed. The chainsaw wielding Faunus was fast, and had full Aura. Cardin couldn't keep up, and another hit to his gut slammed him back into the rubble. Cardin grit his teeth and struggled back up. The White Fang Faunus held his chainsaw sword up overhead, a smug, bloody smirk on his face.
He couldn't see Velvet anywhere.
I've gone fucking insane, he thought, I'm dying to save an animal… After failing my team… Failing everyone…
Cardin summoned up some saliva, and spat it at the White Fang trooper as he swung down on him.
Well, he thought grimly, At least… I saved someone. At least… I did one thing right in my-
"AAUUUGHH!"
A hail of bullets tore the White Fang trooper apart. Cardin stared at the mangled corpse unable to process what had happened for several seconds. A noise to his right pulled his attention as Velvet jogged up, holding a Hardlight Dust version of Coco's gatling gun by her waist. She was trembling, but her face was set. She reached down to Cardin. He took her hand as she pulled him up.
"Th-Thanks," he managed between labored breaths.
Velvet nodded back shakily. Her eyes were hard despite the tears in her eyes. They both looked and saw more White Fang troops and Grimm advancing.
"We'll fight them here," Cardin decided, looking around. "Can't let them get any further."
"And we won't leave a single bloody fuck alive," Velvet snarled, tightening her grip on her hardlight weapon.
As strange as it sounded… Cardin's heart skipped a beat and his cheeks turned red when he heard her accent come out. He shook his head.
"Not a single one," he agreed.
Fuck, I really am going insane, he thought, reloading Executioner and getting ready for the next wave of enemies.
Velvet was softly crying into Cardin's shoulder as Yang stared at them. She looked back down at her hands. She again clenched her fists and unclenched them. She shut her eyes tightly.
All the while… I was unconscious, she thought, her guilt stabbing deeply into her chest.
"Maybe," Yang tried, "Maybe they survived? Mister Arc said they-they weren't listed as dead, right?"
Cardin sucked in a breath. He tried to speak, but Velvet turned her head from his chest and glared at her.
"No," she stated angrily. "No… I know. They were murdered."
A taut, awkward silence fell over the living room. Ruby bowed her head again. Ren was stoic as always, but his sorrow was evident in his body language. Cardin exhaled through his nostrils.
"But we couldn't hold them," he admitted, "Not alone. We had to run when they broke through. They weren't able to get to the landing pads. We got cut off and went in deeper into the campus to try and regroup. But…"
Cardin trailed off. He squeezed Velvet again, who sniffled.
Nora cleared her throat softly, getting the attention off Velvet. Cardin nodded in appreciation.
"After that," Nora said quickly, though in a very quiet tone, "Renny and I fought our way towards the library…"
Nora and Ren had fled Amity Stadium when the attack began, calling their rocket lockers to get their gear. After that? They had charged into the fight. There was no shortage of enemies to engage, after all.
The library already had several small fires,
"YEE-HAH!" Nora cried, bringing Magnhild down on the head of a small Ursa. Ren, as always, covered her, firing Stormflower to take out a few Beowulves flanking them. Several civilians ran by, and Nora cheerfully waved them towards the evacuation route with her hammer.
"That way! No, THAT way! You got it!"
Nora sighed and shook her head and scanned around as the civilians ran. Ren slowly nodded. He reached out to pat her forearm. She smiled and reached out to pat his back. It was reassuring. He didn't need to say anything at times like this.
"Think the VDF will help?" Nora asked, her eyes scanning the skies overhead. Ren shook his head.
"I don't know. The Atlas fleet left." His eyes widened slightly as he saw a Nevermore fly towards them. Beacon's autoguns were supposed to be firing, but there was no cannon fire to keep the airborne Grimm at bay.
Ren held up his guns and opened fire on it. Nora quickly dashed forward and swung her hammer to deflect a feather it launched. She hit the feather away, as Ren's Dust rounds tore through the Grimm. It fell, dissolving into smoke and dust before it hit the ground.
"KEEP GOING!" Nora shouted at the civilians, who ran as hard as they could.
A platoon of Atlasian drones walked around a corner, their guns raised. They pointed their weapons at the fleeing civilians. Ren scowled.
They're intentionally targeting civilians. Not Hunters, he thought.
"NORA!"
Nora swung around and unleashed a series of grenades at the drones. She aimed them to explode just ahead and above them, targeting their heads. Multiple drones fell back, their sensors and fronts damaged, but the ones behind began to open fire. Nora charged in with the smoke as cover, breaking some Lightning Dust in her fist to charge her Semblance. She swung her hammer down and unleashed her grenades on the first Drone she could hit. The grenades went off and propelled her up into the air. With great practice, she flipped and twisted around as she flew over the heads of the drones.
In unison, the robots pointed their weapons upwards and opened fire. Dust Rounds shot all around her as Nora unleashed another barrage of grenades at the top of her arc. Several drones went up in the explosions as Nora landed behind them. She charged into them, swinging her hammer as hard as she could. Drones went flying as wrecked chunks of metal.
She heard a Grimm snarl behind her. She glanced back over her shoulder to see a charging Beowulf.
Ren's Stormflower was going off nearby. She could imagine him charging to try and get a shot off on the Beowulf. Trying to save her, as he always did. She grinned.
Nora knew death. She knew it all too well. She knew it could come at any time and life was cruel. It was why she tried to make the most of life, to have fun and spread joy.
To grin in the face of death, because tears had never done anything for her or Ren. Whether she lived or died, she would refuse to yield to Death and cry in the face of it.
"YEEHAAAAAA!" Nora cheered, pulling up her hammer to fight on!
Ren's rounds hit home and the Beowulf was staggered. She swung her hammer and sent it flying, the beast dissolving into smoke as it flew.
She felt Ren's hand on her shoulder. She felt her emotions diminish and she became as calm and cool as a mountain lake.
"We need to find some cover, so Jaune can find us," Ren decided. Nora slowly nodded. "Works for me," she said softly.
Everyone stared at Nora. She sniffled softly, but smiled like the sun.
"Geez Nora," Yang murmured. Nora nodded.
"We were pretty close to getting overwhelmed. So we hid out and hoped Jaune-Jaune would catch up."
"And we did," Jaune said, "Eventually."
Jaune and May moved quickly through a Beacon Academy that had fallen into complete chaos. Buildings were blowing up, Grimm roared and snarled as they prowled around, smoke choked the air around them, and their expressions twisted further whenever they heard a civilian or student's scream in the distance.
The blonde swordsman hissed when he heard familiar clanking footfalls, grabbing May's arm and quickly pulling her over to hide behind a collapsed support pillar that looked like it had been blown off from what had once been the entrance to a dorm for the upper years. Once hidden, Jaune carefully peered over the stone and gulped when he saw seven of Atlas's rogue mechanical soldiers pass through the ruined corridor.
"Even hacked, they still keep in formation." Jaune noted quietly, trying his hardest to keep the hysteria from his voice as the robots passed their position.
One leading from the front with the remaining six trailing behind in pairs side by side. With the baleful red glow emitting from the lights behind their visors, the mechanical soldiers looked like they'd walked straight out of a Grimminator movie. And Jaune didn't fancy their chances of taking down seven mechs between the two of them. Their patterns were relatively simplistic but the firepower of the rifles they carried would chew up their aura if they concentrated fire, and while Jaune was often praised for his above average aura reserves, it wasn't worth the risk of drawing their attention.
"…Alright, they're gone." Jaune confirmed when he watched the Knight units turn around the corner. He glanced at the shivering girl next to him. "May, can you see anything that I can't?"
The girl jolted slightly at being addressed directly, but swallowed and gave a stiff nod. Jaune watched as the girl's dark cobalt eyes began to shimmer, the pupils and irises taking on a more cerulean hue as they gave off a soft luminance. It wasn't significant enough to draw any attention to them, but Jaune was able to distract himself from what was going on around them for a brief moment as he watched the girl.
Jaune couldn't tell if the screams he heard in the distance were from civilians, students, or members of the White Fang. He hoped that most of the screams came from the attacking terrorists getting their just desserts, but that was mostly angry wishful thinking. Everything was a mess, and despite all the time he had spent at Beacon, things had gotten very chaotic with all the damage.
It had been quite a lucky thing, him saving May Zedong. Apparently the girl had a semblance that allowed her to see the aura signatures of others around her, as well as Grimm since their complete absence of aura made them stand out like little black holes in reality itself when her semblance was active. It was the reason they'd managed to avoid running into any White Fang
patrol groups or packs of Grimm. Sure, he needed to act as a spotter for the rogue mechs, but between the two of them they only had to deal with the occasional stray Grimm and terrorist. Much more manageable than trying to fight through the combined attack force that was tearing up Beacon. It was the one positive thing that had worked out in Jaune's favor since Pyrrha had stuffed him in that rocket locker.
"It's just a shame you were too late to save her teammates." An insidious voice whispered in his mind. "And you still can't do anything to help the girl that matters most to you."
Jaune forcibly shoved those thoughts to the back of his mind and focused on the present. It wouldn't do to let his own worry and guilt drag him down.
He couldn't think of that right now.
"Well? See anything?" Jaune asked.
"There's no one-" May's voice cut off with a gasp and she shut her eyes just as a woman's scream sounded somewhere in the distance. After a moment, she let out a shuddering breath. "T-There's no one close to us. No White Fang nearby."
Jaune didn't call her out for her pause or point out how white her knuckles were as she clenched her rifle close to her chest. Instead, he simply nodded and tugged her to her feet.
"Then let's keep moving. We're almost out of the dorm area. The library is just one or two wings over." Jaune said, glad that his voice wasn't wavering as he spoke and hoping that he sounded at least somewhat reassuring. "We'll find my friends and take shelter there."
"O-Okay…" May nodded. "W-What will we do after?"
"We'll go rescue my partner." Jaune declared in his mind.
The words that left his mouth were different.
"We'll worry about that after we get to the library." Jaune told the Shade huntress.
"R-Right." May nodded and hurried after Jaune when he darted through the ruined corridor. "T-This isn't at all what I expected when my team was selected to compete in the Vytal Festival."
"I'll bet. Sorry for being such terrible hosts."
"Hey, it's… it's not like any of this is your fault. I d-doubt Beacon planned any of this."
"Grimm attacks? White Fang terrorists? Atlas machines running rampant?" Jaune scowled. "Nope. Those definitely weren't on the itinerary as far as I know."
"Y-Yeah. I don't think we would've come if we'd known." May murmured, her voice ending in a broken little laugh that had Jaune grinding his teeth.
The attempt at banter felt like little knives stabbing into his head, but the duo couldn't help themselves. Both Jaune and May knew that they were trying to distract themselves and trying to cope with what was happening. Silence would only result in them listening to all the screams, gunfire, and roaring Grimm. Listening to all of that would just make them breakdown, and the two students were barely holding it together as it was.
"I'm really lucky I found you." Jaune said. "Going at it alone would've been terrible. It's only thanks to your semblance we've been able to avoid the White Fang and Grimm."
"N-No problem. We're in this together now. So we'll help each other." May replied. "J-Just as long as you're leading the way. This isn't my school. I don't really know my way around here."
"Yeah, you got it. Just follow my lead. I'll get us out of here safely." Jaune promised, hoping that saying the words out loud would help him actually believe it.
"Y-Yes, p-please. Please, d-do that…"
Jaune didn't think for a second that she actually trusted him to follow through, but he wasn't going to say anything that would break the tentative trust that had been established between them.
"Jaune, I see something!" May said sharply, her eyes glowing softly. "Aura signatures! Four, no… five! And they're coming this way!"
Jaune clicked his tongue in irritation and glanced around. May's expression was panicked as she watched the aura signatures approach their location.
"W-What do we do? D-Do we run? Hide?" May asked desperately. "They'll be here any minute!"
"We can't run." Jaune scowled as he recognized where they were. "Past this hallway is the west courtyard and cutting through the garden there will get us to the library. It's a straight shot. If we go back or try looping around, we'll need to go around the entire south wing to get to the library."
That would take at least twenty minutes, and Jaune found himself wishing he could slap the architect who designed Beacon's layout and for bordering in the library with so many walls and buildings. It was what would make it a defensible position in a crisis, but getting there any other way would take longer than they could afford.
"S-So what do we do then?" May asked, yelping when a gunshot echoed from further down the hall.
"We fight." Jaune declared as he drew Crocea Mors from its sheath. "Take position behind that utility wall that juts out.. I'm gonna draw these guys to me and you'll snipe them while they're focused on me."
"B-But-!"
"Just do it, and don't worry about me!" Jaune said forcefully, feeling awful that he was speaking so harshly but it couldn't be helped. This was their only option. "Thanks to you my aura is nearly untouched. Whether their grunts or White Fang elites, I can distract them long enough for you to line up some headshots."
"Jaune…!"
"This is the plan, May. I need you to do your part. Please."
May stared before hiccupping a sob and darting toward the cover he'd indicated. Jaune sighed, feeling both tired and grateful as he deployed his shield.
Listening to the hurried footfalls of the five terrorists approaching their position, Jaune felt his lips curl into a snarl as he readied his family's treasured blade.
"Between the two of us, we've already taken out half a dozen of you mooks making it this far." Jaune thought to himself as he growled in the back of his throat. "And I've still got a ton of aggression to work out on you. You bombed our school, you dropped Grimm on our heads, and because of your boss my partner went off and…!"
Jaune took a deep breath as he steadied himself. He could hear shouts and gunfire just around the corner. His hands clenched tightly around the pommel of his blade.
"Hurry, around the corner!"
Jaune flinched at the frenzied voice he heard, eyes widening when he also realized that he recognized it.
Sprinting forward, Jaune passed between Cardin Winchester and Velvet Scarlatina as they turned the corner and thrusted his sword into the chest of a pursuing White Fang member.
Jaune let out a frustrated growl when his sword sparked off of the terrorist's chest. While his aim was dead on, this White Fang must've been more than just a mook since he actually had aura. Sweeping around him, Jaune confirmed that his ally had no aura since a swing of his blade opened up the White Fang soldier's neck with a spray of blood. The militant's hands went up to his neck with a wet scream that quickly morphed into a gurgle, and even as he hit the floor the first target- the one with aura- was already turning towards the third who- shit!
Juan raised his shield and tanked half a mag of automatic fire, while the elite pivoted in Jaune's direction while raising an axe in the air. Juane barely had time to panic, unable to block both the axe and gunfire, but watched the axe sail out of his attacker's hands past his face as a bullet punched into the man's shoulder from outside his line of sight. A second took him in the back which caused his aura to shatter. Jaune didn't pause to confirm May's kill shot as he rushed down the remaining terrorist, his trust vindicated as the scream abruptly cut off following another gunshot.
Jaune slammed into the last attacker in a shield tackle, knocking the man to the floor. Before he could retaliate, Jaune gripped Crocea Mors in both hands and struck in a downward thrust, driving his sword into and through the White Fang soldier's chest. The man gasped and wheezed, struggling for a half second before falling limp. A pool of blood began to expand underneath him as Jaune withdrew his blade and flicked the blood off. The blonde let out a sigh as the adrenaline of the quick fight began to wear off.
Three men dead, two of which he'd killed himself, and Jaune couldn't feel anything but deep satisfaction at the deed. It had been the same when he and May had to defend themselves against White Fang they couldn't avoid during their trek to the library.
"Maybe the horror will hit me later." Jaune thought numbly to himself. As things stood now, he couldn't be bothered to feel guilty about killing the terrorists attacking their school.
He wondered if Ruby or Blake would give him flak about it later.
"Jauney-boy…?"
Turning around, Jaune took a moment to scan over Cardin's appearance. There was no ironic humor or malicious enjoyment to be taken from seeing the poor state of his former tormentor. His face was dirty and scratched, and his usually neat and combed back hairdo was messy and fell over his eyes. His once pristine silver armor was blemished and covered in soot, and Jaune actually could spot several indents where the armor had blocked bullets and a long gash on the right breastplate was wide enough that Jaune could see Cardin's vest underneath.
"Cardin… are you okay?" Jaune heard himself asking, speaking on autopilot as he registered the odd sensation of relief he felt at seeing a familiar face. Even if it was Cardin.
"I'm…" Cardin seemed to struggle with himself for a moment before suddenly heaving a breath and dropping down to one knee, using his mace to support himself. "Not… I mean, okay isn't the word I'd use but I'm… I'm really glad we ran into you."
Jaune actually managed a small chuckle at those words, feeling his own posture slacken as the adrenaline he'd been feeling was starting to peter out.
"Gotta say, against all expectations? I'm really happy to see you too." Jaune smiled before he shifted his gaze toward the other familiar face and nodded in greeting. "Velvet."
"J-Jaune…" Velvet whispered, sounding like she almost couldn't believe what she was seeing as she stared at him with wide eyes while shaking like a leaf. "Y-You…"
Jaune felt his heart clench as he took in her appearance. The friendly upperclassman's vest and spandex bodysuit was torn and burnt in several places. Her eyes were red and bruised, and bloodstains were visible on her arm sleeves.
"Are you okay?" Jaune asked, knowing what was likely the answer but was hoping she'd respond instead of just standing there in shock.
His question prompted the rabbit faunus to take a sharp breath before she suddenly rushed toward him. Jaune barely had time to get his sword and shield out of the way before Velvet slammed into him and wrapped her arms around him.
"Jaune…!" Velvet sobbed into his shoulder. "Y-You're okay! Y-You saved…!" Her voice trailed off as she broke down.
"Yeah, don't worry about it. You'd have done the same for me." Jaune said gently, patting the girl's back as he half returned the hug. Looking past her, Jaune saw May hurrying over to them. The girl looked shaken, but Jaune could see the slight smile on her face as well. "Where did you guys come from…?"
"South landing docks." Cardin answered from where he was still kneeling. "White Fang were attacking evacuation shuttles there. Definitely putting all that dust they stole to use since they were really liberal with the fire dust and trying to set the whole platform ablaze. We tried defending the shuttles and civilians while they were escaping, but eventually…"
Cardin's voice trailed off, and Jaune felt an intense sense of empathy with his former bully when he saw the expression on his face. Feeling Velvet shudder against his chest, Jaune could very well guess what had sent them running.
"W-We fought as many as we could." Velvet rasped, and Jaune blinked at the undercurrent a fury in her tone. "Killed as many of those terrorists as we could. But they just kept coming. There were too many. I ran out of hard light dust. Then our fight started to get noticed by Grimm and me and Cardin just… we had to run."
"I see…" Jaune muttered.
"Velvet's aura is gone. Once she ran out of dust we were out of ways to reliably deal with the long range White Fang troopers. The shooter managed to break her aura a minute ago before we ducked into the hallway." Cardin reported as he pushed himself back to his feet. "Mine's almost depleted. Had to keep tanking shots to make sure that they couldn't hit Velvet."
Velvet pulled away from Jaune and approached Cardin, biting her lip with a guilty look on her face. "I-I'm sorry."
"Don't you dare apologize for that." Cardin told Velvet harshly, causing the girl to duck her head. "You're safe, right? No stray shots got you?"
Velvet spread her arms a bit as presented herself with a small smile. "Still in one piece…" Cardin let out a relieved breath. "Good…"
"I-I'm just glad it was three terrorists instead of the five like I assumed." May asked, speaking up for the first time since the brief fight had ended. "I-I'm glad you're both okay."
"Thanks for the covering fire, May." Jaune called, causing the girl's smile to grow a little bit wider. Jaune returned the smile before his expression evened out again. "We can't stay here any longer. Are you two okay to move?"
"Yeah, I'm good." Cardin nodded, waving Velvet off when she moved to try and support him. "My knees are a little scratched, but luckily I can still run." Velvet said.
"Good. May and I are headed toward the library to take shelter and meet up with my teammates." Jaune informed them. "You two should come with us."
"Yes… yes, we'll do that." Velvet nodded, looking relieved that Jaune had a destination in mind. "Cardin?"
Jaune frowned as he turned to Cardin. Given their history, he expected that the other team leader would argue and try to decide how they should-
"Yeah, just tell us what to do, Jaune." Cardin said with the most intense expression the blonde had ever seen on him. "We'll follow your lead, no matter what."
While Jaune was a bit floored by Cardin's willingness to cede control of the group so willingly, he wasn't about to question it. He simply nodded and gestured for the three other students to follow him.
"W-Wait, shouldn't we wait for a bit?" May questioned, eyes alight with her semblance as she glanced around. "I don't see their-"
"May, we'll talk about things more when we're someplace safe." Jaune cut off, giving the sniper a significant look. After a second, the sniper gasped and turned to Cardin and Velvet with a remorseful look on her face. Cardin's expression was tight and a few tears began to trail down Velvet's cheeks.
"R-Right. I'm not seeing any White Fang or Grimm nearby." May stuttered, hurrying ahead to stand next to Jaune while Velvet followed after them and Cardin brought up the rear. "Show us the way."
"Yeah. This way. And make sure to keep Velvet between us while her aura recovers." Jaune ordered, trying to pretend he hadn't known what May had been going to say.
There was a reason he hadn't asked where the rest of Team CRDL or Team CFVY were. They could address that once they made it to safety.
"Never thought I'd be so happy to see my former bully." Jaune mused idly with a small smile and he took a pause in his story.
"And I never thought I'd be happy to see you either, Jauney-boy." Cardin replied, his tone having none of the scorning mockery that had once accompanied the nickname. The leader of CRDL sighed and leaned back in his seat, pulling Velvet closer to him as he did so. "Seriously, I thought our goose was cooked for a minute there. I was running on fumes, Velvet was out of dust and aura, then you came in swinging that sword of yours and May took shots that'd make Rose jealous."
"Hey!" Ruby cried in protest, causing everyone to break out in light chuckles.
Cardin sobered after a moment. "Seriously though, that's twice you've saved me. First from my own stupidity, and then against terrorists. I can't even begin to think of how to repay you for that."
"You don't owe me anything, Cardin." Jaune said sincerely.
"That doesn't stop us from being grateful. You saved us. Both of you." Velvet spoke up, nodding to May with a smile.
May shyly returned the smile, giggling to herself as she watched Velvet snuggle deeper into Cardin's side.
"Not for nothing, but maybe you should think about getting a gun or something." Neptune suggested, pointing a finger at Cardin. "Props to you both for taking down all those White Fang pricks, but even if your primary weapon is close range it helps to have long range options."
"I know, I know." Cardin sighed. "It's just… I didn't usually have to worry about that sort of thing when I had my team backing me up…"
"Oh shit, Cardin, I didn't-" Neptune started to apologize but the taller boy shook his head.
"Nah, you're not wrong. It's something I'm looking into." Cardin responded before shooting Ruby a smirk. "Maybe Rose can help make it. You're apparently a geek when it comes to designing weapons."
"I absolutely am!" Ruby chirped. "If you want, we can talk about how-"
"Sorry to interrupt, but weapon talk can happen later. Let's refocus on how Beacon got sacked and how we all ended up here squatting at Jaune's place." Yang interrupted, snapping her fingers to get everyone's attention before turning back to Jaune. "So, you and May rescued Cardin and Velvet. And you murked some White Fang mooks while doing it."
Jaune stared at Yang for a few moments before nodding slowly. "I did."
After an uncomfortable few seconds, Yang gave a satisfied nod. There was no judgement or condemnation on her face. Just acceptance and approval.
"…Wish I'd been able to get some of my own back." Yang muttered, lifting her prosthetic and giving it a disdainful look. "Never even got a chance…"
Everyone grimaced at Yang's words, and Jaune heard Ruby let out a small whine of distress. Not wanting to get stuck on this subject, Jaune cleared his throat to get everyone's attention as he decided to resume the story.
"…So, after May and I met up with Cardin and Velvet, we headed toward the library to hopefully find Ren and Nora. I was really worried the whole time we were making our way there. I kept thinking what if they'd been killed by White Fang or Grimm-"
"C'mon, Jaune-Jaune! You know me and Renny better than that!" Nora piped up with a bright grin.
"It certainly wasn't the first time we've found ourselves in a dire situation while surrounded on all sides by creatures of darkness." Ren intoned from where he sat. The young man closed his eyes. "Not that I ever wanted to experience such a thing again…"
"May, do you see them?"
"I-I don't." May reported as she gazed at the library with her semblance. "At least, there aren't any aura signatures that I'm detecting."
Crouching in the bushes next to a tree, Jaune rapped his fist against the bark in frustration. They'd managed to avoid roaming Grimm, White Fang, and Atlas Knights the rest of the way to the wing where the library was located. Their sprint across the one open courtyard before ducking into the garden area that would lead to the library hadn't gotten them spotted by any enemies. Now, the four of them were crouched in the shrubbery that bordered the library building.
"Maybe they just haven't arrived yet?" Velvet suggested. "Should we wait out here?"
"…No. We can't just sit out here. If a Nevermore flies overhead we'll be spotted immediately." Jaune muttered. Pulling out his scroll, Jaune scowled when he saw that he wasn't getting any service at the moment. Trying to call his teammates to confirm their whereabouts would be a futile effort. Service had been spotty ever since the attack started and he'd been extremely lucky to manage his two prior calls given that the CCT was down. Pocketing his scroll, Jaune nodded toward the building. "Let's just hurry inside."
The other three students nodded at his words, and Jaune was the first to emerge from the bushes and dart toward the library entrance, with May, Velvet and Cardin hot on his heels. Twisting the handle, Jaune growled when he found the door was locked.
"Cardin, how much fire dust do you have left in your mace?"
"Not as much as I'd like."
"Is there enough to bust the handle off this door so we can get inside?"
Cardin hefted Executioner with a smirk. "Jaune, I don't need any dust for that."
Stepping forward, Cardin swung his mace and punched through the center of the double doors, knocking the handles and lock clean off and pushing the two large wooden doors in. As the four quickly hurried inside, the sound of guns cocking echoed in front of them as the doors swung shut behind them.
The group tensed as they faced forward but soon found themselves relieved at the duo who were aiming at them.
"Nora! Ren!" Jaune smiled, tears stinging the edges of his eyes as he saw his two teammates standing in the center of the library hall just in front of the checkout counter.
Nora's face was emotionless as she leveled her grenade launcher at the group, but after two second her expression cheered and she tossed her weapon aside and leaped into her leader's arms.
"JAUNE! YOU'RE OKAY!" Nora exclaimed joyfully, wrapping both her arms and legs around the blonde as she hugged him for all he was worth.
"Volume, Nora." Ren advised his childhood friend stoically before he lowered his two pistols and gave Jaune a relieved smile. "Jaune… I'm so glad to see you're alright. And… I see you brought company."
Ren nodded to Velvet who smiled in response, while Cardin managed a small wave which the stoic young man returned even though his expression was slightly surprised at seeing Team CRDL's leader. He paused as his eyes fell upon the rose haired girl wearing the beanie.
"You are… May, correct? I believe we fought your team in the tournament."
"May Zedong, y-yes." May nodded, and Jaune was gratified she'd fully introduced herself so he didn't have to get awkward about asking her last name at a later date. The sniper for her part looked extremely confused. "I… I don't get it. You both were in here this whole time?"
"Why do you sound so puzzled by that?" Nora asked, still clinging to Jaune. "If you're with fearless leader he should've told you where we were!"
"B-But I couldn't see you! There was no aura anywhere in-"
"It's Ren's semblance." Jaune answered, recognizing Nora's initial flat expression had been because Ren had been using his abilities on both of them. "It lets him mute emotions and hide his aura, and anyone else who is in close proximity to him, from Grimm. I guess it also lets him hide from your Aura Sight."
May's eyes widened in surprise. "O-Oh. That makes sense…"
"Huh. In a situation like this, that might actually be the best kind of semblance to have." Cardin mused as he arched an eyebrow at Ren.
The pink eyed young man shrugged his shoulders. "It has its uses."
"Nora, off now please." Jaune ordered, letting out a breath when the orangette released him. "I'm… I'm so glad you two are okay."
"Relatively. But we're better now that you're here." Nora beamed before looking around. "But… where's Pyrrha?"
Jaune's heart sank at the mention of his partner. "I told you where she was when I called you. Didn't you hear me?"
"We heard you say to meet at the library. Not what you said before, and most everything came out as static." Ren told him.
"Plus it was a little hard to hear when we were fighting off Grimm, terrorists, and killer robots." Nora added. "We did hear you say her name, so we assumed she was with you."
"N-No. Pyrrha isn't… I mean, I was with her for a while until she…" Jaune choked as he remembered her face… her words before she sent him away.
"Jaune…?"
"It's…" Jaune pulled out his scroll again, glancing down at the screen and checking the time. Service was still out. "Has it really only been forty minutes since the attack started? It feels like it's been hours…"
"Jaune, what happened to Pyrrha?" Ren asked, anxiety overcoming his usual monotone.
"She…"
"I… told Ren and Nora… everyone who was there, what Pyrrha had gone to do. How she'd left to go and fight the one responsible for all this." Jaune sighed.
"Cinder fucking Fall." Cardin snarled.
"Fake Haven student." Neptune mumbled, face in his hands as he thought about that. "Dammit, how did any of us not notice that girl suddenly showing up? How out of nowhere her team was? Especially when they were competing…!"
"They didn't just appear out of nowhere." Arslan corrected from where she was leaning. "I can confirm that Cinder Fall and Mercury Black were two of the top ranked first years at Haven. Not the best fighters, but enough to be nominated and selected to attend the Vytal Festival. The team played their part well until the need for deception was no longer required."
"But we seriously didn't notice anything? Nobody figured out that they were plotting the destruction of Vale under everyone's noses? That they were calling shots for the White Fang?!"
"Do not borrow guilt, Neptune. There wasn't any reasonable way for us to know. It's not as though any of us assembled here were close to them."
"We were…" Ruby objected. "We… my team hung out with Mercury and Emerald sometimes. I mean, we weren't super close, not like RWBY and JNPR were, but we-"
"You know the reason they associated with your team was likely to keep tabs on you all since you were all actively trying to thwart the White Fang." Ren pointed out.
Ruby slammed her fists down on the armrests of her chair. "Which makes it even worse that we didn't see any of this coming!"
"Spent all our time chasing after Torchwick and the White Fang, only to miss the masterminds who were right in front of us the whole time." Yang seethed. "What a fucking joke. All those late nights, all that time spent hunting them down, letting Blake get us involved in those White Fang raids… and Beacon still got sacked. Vale still got destroyed."
Silence fell over the group as they ruminated on the fall of Beacon and the individuals responsible for the attack.
"…So you told everyone about where Pyrrha had gone to." Yang prompted. "Yeah. I also told everyone about how I asked Ruby and Weiss to help Pyrrha." "Right. What then?"
"Well, we were all taking a moment to catch our breath when… we found you." Yang tensed in her seat.
Jaune sighed. "Or rather, I should say that's when Blake found us. And you were with her, and…"
"Velvet, how's your aura?" Cardin asked.
"Still in the red. But at least I have some now." Velvet smiled. "Won't be a complete liability."
"Know what'll help top up that aura right quick? Snacks!" Nora grinned, holding out some bags of chips to the two brunettes. "I raided the librarian's snack cabinet that she kept behind the counter! Pick your favorites!"
Velvet eagerly popped open a bag and began devouring the crisps. "Oh my gosh, chips have never tasted so good before."
"And to help turn you into an asset, I've cracked open one of my dust grenades to donate to your camera!" Nora chirped. "It is lightning dust though. Does the dust for your weapon need to be light dust?"
"No, lightning dust is the next best thing. Only type that doesn't work is water dust." Velvet said as she pulled out her camera. "I'll just have to fiddle with the settings so the dust doesn't short me out when I use it…"
"Your weapon is insane." Cardin said as he looked over the girl's shoulder as she tinkered with the internals of her camera.
"Well, it uses experimental technology developed in Atlas. My dad works at a major weapons development company there and he got me to test it."
"Your dad sounds like he's made of good things. He need anyone else to help him test stuff? Maybe things that can explode?" Nora asked with a grin, causing Velvet to giggle and Cardin to roll his eyes.
Some distance away from where the trio were sitting, Jaune leaned against the wall as he stared out of one of the library windows. In the seat behind him May sat silently as she fiddled with her scroll. Jaune didn't comment on her proximity, understanding that she wasn't feeling up to converse with the others but didn't want to be alone. Jaune had caught a glimpse of what she was looking at on her scroll before he'd turned to gaze out the window.
Jaune tried to ignore May's quiet sobs as she scrolled through pictures she'd taken with her team. Part of him wished he could comfort her, but he didn't trust himself to be capable of that at the moment. He was extremely grateful and impressed by Nora's capacity to offer comfort to Cardin and Velvet by distracting them with her usual cheer. Though knowing her like he did, Jaune could tell it was forced. Nonetheless, he was glad she was making the effort.
"We can't stay here."
Jaune glanced to the side where Ren was standing by the adjacent window to his. He'd also been peering out the window, but had turned to face his leader.
"Eventually someone is bound to come here. And odds are it won't be a rescue team." Ren told him.
"I know." Jaune muttered, expression frustrated as he started at his scroll. Still no signal, which meant he couldn't call Weiss or Ruby and find out if they'd managed to get to Pyrrha. "The longer we stay here the more likely something that will want to kill us will show up. We've got to get moving."
Ren nodded, seeming placated by Jaune's words. "The question is where we can go. With my semblance and May's combined, we should be able to avoid everything but the Atlas knights. May should also be able to determine where there aren't as many Grimm and White Fang."
"You're talking like we're going to escape."
"Aren't we?" Ren asked.
"It… it would be the smart thing to do." Jaune said as he peered out the window.
Nevermore and Griffons flew through the night sky, screeching and cawing as they dove down. Some bullheads could be seen fighting them, but they were growing fewer and fewer in number while the flying Grimm continued to increase in number. The Atlas battleships were idle in the air. Apparently whatever virus that had caused the knight units to go rogue had also shut down the bigger ships. The Grimm had complete aerial superiority and the Atlas fleet were sitting ducks. Jaune grimaced as one such battleship exploded into flame and began to fall back to earth in a cloud of its own debris.
Past all the chaos and the flocks of flying Grimm, Jaune could view Beacon's tower. The large spire where Ozpin's office was located.
"Pyrrha could be up there right now. Ruby and Weiss too. Fighting Cinder and the Grimm together." Jaune thought.
He wanted to help them. He wanted to be there with them. He wanted to fight with them. He should have BEEN there already! He would've chosen to fight Cinder with Pyrrha.
But his beloved partner had taken that choice from him.
"…What are the chances that we could make it to Beacon's main tower?" Jaune asked. "…Jaune."
JNPR's team leader shook his head at Ren's tone, turning to him with a desperate look on his face. "We… we can't just abandon her, Ren. Or Ruby and Weiss."
Ren's expression was agonized. "I… I don't want to either, but we-"
Whatever objection Ren would have voiced was stopped when May suddenly shot to her feet with wide eyes.
"Two people are approaching!" She whispered. "They're coming into the nearby reading room!"
The sound of a window shattering in the back of the library echoed like a gunshot. Immediately everyone had their hands on their weapons and formed up. Ren abruptly kicked a desk over and huddled behind it with May, both pointing their firearms in the direction of where the breaking glass had come from. Nora had switched Maghild back into its hammer form and took a stance, flanked by both Cardin and Velvet. The former had his mace held in front of him while
Velvet held a sparking, electric hard light version of Executioner in her hand. Jaune found himself standing at the front of the pack, his sword drawn and his shield up.
"May, you said two?" Jaune asked.
"Yes, two!" May nodded frantically while squinting her eyes. "Though… there are more far away heading this direction. Much, much more! Dozens! Grimm and White Fang both!"
"Are… are we making a stand here?" Cardin asked, a tremor in his voice. Glancing back, Jaune was shocked to find everyone looking at him for an answer.
Though before he could reply, two figures stepped out from behind the bookcases. Rather, one person was carrying another over her shoulder at a frantic pace. Everyone recognized them.
"YOU!"
Velvet was the one to shout at the duo who revealed themselves, and Blake froze when she heard the girl scream. Freezing in place, Blake frantically grasped for her weapon before she fumbled upon realizing who exactly were pointing their weapons at her.
"J-Jaune?" Blake whispered, eyes wide with shock as she focused on the one standing in front of everyone else. Peering past him, her eyes swept over the assembled group. "Ren, Nora? C-Cardin?"
Blake was clearly flabbergasted by what she was seeing, but her surprise was nothing compared to the horror the rest of them felt when they saw the condition of the person she was carrying was in.
"YANG!" Nora cried, being the most vocal as she pointed at the blonde slumped over Blake's back.
Jaune and Nora immediately rushed forward, easing Blake down and gently lifting Yang off of the faunus's back. Placing her on the floor, Jaune felt bile gather in the back of his throat as he saw Yang's state.
Blake stared like a cat startled by a bright light. Jaune shook his head and held up his hands in front of the cautious May and angry Velvet.
"She's friendly! It's okay!" He insisted. He quickly turned back to Yang and Blake. Blake shakily set Yang down, and Jaune walked up to her side and knelt down. He ran through the standard checks, drilled into him by his mother.
Pulse… It's weak but there… She's breathing normally… Elevate her feet to keep her from going into shock… He shoved some stray books under her legs and pushed them up.
"No, she isn't!" Velvet snarled, pointing her weapon at Blake. "You're Blake Belladonna! You're part of the White Fang!"
"She's what?!" Cardin asked in disbelief. May gaped. Jaune shook his head as Blake winced. "I-I was," she admitted hollowly, "I wasn't-This isn't-!"
Cardin held up his mace and took a step forward.
"Jauney, get out of the way," he growled. "Get out of the way-"
"We're not going to fight her!" Jaune barked, and Cardin scowled. "Not while Yang's hurt!"
He scrounged around in his belt pouches and pulled out a first aid kit. "What happened? What-?"
"You need to get out of here! He'll be back soon," Blake whispered, as Jaune redid the bandages around… Around Yang's stump. Oh Gods, he was-No! FOCUS!
"Guys! Any Healing Dust?" Jaune demanded. Nora shook her head.
"Fresh out, Captain!"
"Nothing," Ren confirmed.
"N-Nothing," May contributed.
"You caused this," Velvet snarled, "You did this-!"
"I didn't! No! I-I swear!" Blake insisted frantically. "Please! You need to get out of here!"
"Not before we get some payback!" Cardin growled, taking a step forward. Nora stepped in front of him, holding up her hammer.
"Get out of the way Valkyrie! She needs to-!"
"If Jaune-Jaune says no fighting, then no fighting," Nora growled, tightening her grip ominously.
Jaune did what he could. Nora's antics had necessitated him to keep a very well stocked first aid kit. He used spray disinfectant to disinfect the wound. He sprayed some clotting foam on the
wound to keep her from bleeding out. Her Aura was very weak, so he prayed it would help as he wrapped new bandages around the stump.
"Can you find her… Can you find her arm?" Jaune demanded of Blake. She was silent. "Blake! Blake, look at me! Do you know where it is?!"
Blake remained silent, staring listlessly at Yang. Jaune reached out and shook her shoulder. "BLAKE!" Jaune shouted. Blake started and stared at him. She shook her head frantically. "N-No! You have to get out of here, all of you! Take her with you! Get out of here!" "We need to get to the tower to help Pyrrha!" Jaune insisted, "Ruby, Weiss, they need our help!" Blake shook her head, her eyes wide.
"We need to get out of here-Get her out of here!"
Jaune sucked in a deep breath and shook his head back.
"No, no, we need to-"
The ground shook and rumbled so hard Jaune held onto Yang to keep her from shaking. Nora, Ren, Cardin, Velvet and May could barely stay on their feet as the world seemed to jump. Jaune looked up and saw a massive shadow fall over the ground outside the windows. The sun seemed to have dissapeared.
Nora knelt down and looked up through the windows, craning her head at an uncomfortable angle.
"I can see something big on the tower!" Nora reported.
"May?" Jaune asked the sniper.
May's eyes glowed as she stared through the wall. Her jaw dropped and she trembled.
"May! May, what is it?!" Jaune barked. "MAY!" He glanced at Ren. The green clad man nodded and rested a hand on May. Her colors faded just a bit as he used his Semblance to calm her, and she slowly stood back up. She wasn't calm, exactly, but she was neutral. She took a deep breath.
"It's a Grimm Dragon. It's landed on the Tower," she spoke dully, her eyes still glowing, "And it's producing more Grimm."
Jaune licked his lips and shut his eyes for a moment.
"How many?" Jaune asked.
"A lot more," May monotone, "With the reinforcements I saw before. All coming this way."
The sounds of battle became very loud outside. Jaune crawled over to the windows and risked a peek.
He saw a team of upperclass students from Beacon-Team FLRE, or "Flare". Their thing was that they all wore the same long white coats, which made them look pretty cool. He could recall Yang commenting on it once or twice.
Their leader, a headstrong woman with red hair charged through the enemy lines, swinging a large sword as she unleashed Dust blasts to clear the way. A blue haired young man fired a machine gun in support, while a blonde cat Faunus boy threw throwing knives and a purple haired snake Faunus girl fired grenades. They tried to fight through the lines and were making good progress. Jaune sucked in a breath.
"We gotta get out there, support them and-!"
Nevermore dove upon them. The redhaired girl screamed and swung her mace, unleashing blasts. The blue haired boy called out to her, firing frantically at the gigantic bird-like monsters. Several Atlasian drones regrouped, turned as one, and opened fire on them. The snake Faunus girl shrieked as she fell. The cat Faunus boy was torn apart. The blue haired boy and the redhead woman vanished as the Grimm closed in. Jaune shuddered, and held a hand over his mouth to hold in his horrified cry.
They didn't.. They didn't even…
The drones, upon seeing the team was down, turned towards the windows. Jaune's eyes widened and he got down.
Oh shit-!
Gunfire erupted from the drones, blasting through the windows. Everyone else got down, and Jaune crawled back over to Yang. He held up his shield, putting himself between the gunfire, Yang and Blake. His Scroll vibrated against his leg, and he pulled it out as May, Cardin, Ren and Nora returned fire from what cover they could find. Velvet hid by Cardin, slamming her Dust into her weapon and creating a minigun. She spun it up and shakily stood up to return fire, but the shots that came through the windows forced her back down.
Jaune opened his Scroll and held it up to his ear.
"Jaune!"
"Ruby?!" Jaune shouted. "Ruby, where are you?! Have you seen Pyrrha?!"
"We're at the tower!" Ruby shouted, "Weiss and me and we're going up! We think Pyrrha's still fighting with the dragon! Have you seen Yang or Blake?!"
"We found them! They're hurt!" Jaune shouted back. "We're pinned down! We gotta go around-!"
"Hurt? Are they okay?!" Ruby shouted. Jaune sucked in a breath. He looked back at the chaos outside.
White Fang troops were advancing, with Atlasian Drones in support. Grimm were charging towards them, ignoring the White Fang troops entirely.
Jaune wasn't the best with directions, but he knew this was the most direct way to the tower on campus. Every other route would be longer, more dangerous.
And if the Grimm are on their side…? He looked over at his team.
May, her colors restored, was still wide eyed in terror but she was firing methodically, taking out larger Grimm with one shot to their heads each. Her ammo belts were getting low though, and she was meek and scared as it was. Ren was ducking and firing between pieces of cover, but barely making a dent in the enemy and his Semblance wouldn't protect him from the terrorists. Nora was firing grenades, which did cut big holes in the enemy lines as drones exploded and White Fang troops fell screaming, but without mobility she couldn't hit as hard. And the moment she got out in the open, she'd be torn to shreds. Velvet might have been able to summon up some heavy firepower, but they were too outnumbered for her to make any use of it for long. And Cardin was tough, but he wasn't invulnerable and his Fire Dust blasts wouldn't take out enough of them.
Yang was easily the best fighter they had, and she was down, unconscious, with one arm. Blake may as well have been catatonic. And him…?
Pathetic failure. You're not enough. You're never enough, the nasty voice spoke in his head again.
Jaune sucked in a deep breath.
"Yang's alive but she's in bad shape, Blake too," Jaune stated. "We can't get to you. We have to pull back and regroup, it's too dangerous!"
There was a horrible silence, and Jaune prayed Ruby was okay. Then:
"Understood. Get my sis and Blake to safety. Help us when you can. We're gonna help Pyrrha, I promise!"
Ruby's determination shone through. Her voice almost wavered, but the conviction in her voice was strong. Strong enough he believed her.
Like he always had.
"Roger!" He looked around at his team. Everyone looked over to him. "We're falling back to regroup! NORA! CARDIN! VELVET! Covering fire! May! Find us a way out with Ren!"
"ON IT!" Nora shouted. She unleashed several Dust grenades in front of the enemy forces, blowing up massive clouds of dust and debris. Cardin stood up and covered Velvet, who spun up her recreation minigun and unleashed a barrage that put several enemies' heads down.
May scanned around and pointed out the window towards a nearby building. "Th-There's only a few Grimm in there!" She shouted. "We can go through there!"
Ren smashed the windows with his elbow, and turned back to fire back at the troops through the other side of the building. May climbed out and ran to a bush, taking a knee to fire on some Grimm before she ran for some debris. Ren followed, guns akimbo to fire on any Grimm coming out of their escape route and to give Nora some more cover. Velvet kept firing, Cardin practically holding her up, shielding her with his mace as he pulled them both back and through the window.
Jaune checked over Yang carefully.
No other injuries, he thought. He pulled her into his arms and set her on his back. He tied her limbs together with some bandages to keep her arms together, and tucked her legs into his belt straps. He looked at Blake.
"Come on Blake, we gotta get out of here," he said, "We gotta regroup, we gotta-" Blake shook her head, almost frantically. She stared out the windows. Jaune followed her gaze.
A tall man in black with red hair and a white mask was standing on a building rooftop. He waved his red sword and shouted things he couldn't make out over the gunfire and roars. He looked back at the pale Blake.
"Blake?"
She shook her head. She stared at Yang for a moment, before taking a deep breath.
"I have to go... I'll make it right. Somehow, I'll make up for all of this!"
Jaune gaped.
"Blake, what the hell are you-?!"
"Tell her… Tell her I'm sorry! Tell them all!"
She threw down a Dust capsule, and smoke exploded from it, quickly filling the reading room. Jaune hacked and coughed, waving his hand in front of his face. He felt Nora grab his hand and yank him away. He bumped into a wall, and reached out. He felt a windowsill and vaulted over it. The smoke kept going, flooding the area. Nora kept running alongside, and he held her hand.
The air managed to clear as they reached the admin building. May, Cardin, Velvet, and Ren were waiting anxiously near the entrance as Nora, Jaune, and the unconscious Yang barreled in, coughing hard.
"May!" Jaune barked. "May, can you-Where is she?"
May scanned with her Semblance, her eyes glowing gently. She slowly shook her head. "I… I can't see her anymore," she said, "There's too much… Too many…" She shrugged helplessly.
Jaune sighed. He felt Yang's weak heartbeat against his back. He nodded, and held up Crocea Mors.
"Come on," he ordered, and everyone else stood up, "We gotta get going."
He glanced back at the tower. From the door, he could see the massive dragon atop it, seeing Grimm spawning from it and flying or falling to cause more havoc. He grit his teeth and forced himself to turn away and run, his team following.
Hold on Pyrrha, hold on! We'll be back! I swear it!
Jaune sipped his hot chocolate grimly. He looked up into Yang's eyes as he gripped the mug so tightly that for a moment, Yang was afraid he would break it.
Ruby bit back a sob. Yang tightened her grip on her little sister to try and reassure her.
Jaune opened his mouth, closed it… Then forced himself to say it. It was obvious, but he felt the need to get the words out.
"... We didn't make it back."
And here is the full first half of the flashback, written with UnknownAnon's incalculable help. Second part will be available in full on my Pat reon first in the next month.