8,877One thing I won't miss when I'm done with my current job is the commute. Got stuck in two hours of traffic this morning as someone skidded off the road, hit the safety barrier between one lane and the other, and skidded back right into the centre of the motorway, basically closing the whole thing during morning rush hour. Pain. I'd feel worse if anyone were hurt, but the people got out and started screaming at one another that it was the other's fault.
Just sat in my car watching youtube videos about what it'd be like if I was born as different animals in the wild.
Which is to say today was productive, lol
Cover Art: Curbizzle
Chapter 77
Heading out for a dinner date with one of the most popular girls in school was nerve wracking. Heading out for a dinner date with one of the most popular girls in school, who was also your girlfriend, was more so.
What, then, was heading out with one of the most popular girls in school, who was also your girlfriend, who also never really acted like she was your girlfriend, while her overprotective uncle watched from a safe distance, all while a veritable serial killer in the city wanted you, and some quasi-immortal and quasi-possessed queen of all evil was hunting around as well?
Jaune wished the answer could be "a good time". He really did. In truth, distracting was probably the most accurate response. At a time when he really ought to have been lost in Yang's eyes (or her cleavage) and making stupid faces as he stroked her hand over a fancy dinner table at an upmarket restaurant, Jaune was instead scoping the exits and thinking up the best ways to react if things took a turn for the worse.
Naturally, Yang noticed. "Geez. I'm not about to turn into a feral animal on you. Calm down."
"It's less you that I'm worried about and more the psychopath in Vale who might have reason to want to kill me."
"Oh. Okay, that tracks. I thought for a second there you were thinking something unfair about me." Yang laughed. "But you know, it's considered bad manners to think about another woman when you're on a date with someone."
"Is it excusable if my thoughts about said woman are how I hope I never have to see her?"
"Eh, it's better than the alternative. Is that why Uncle Qrow has been shadowing us?"
Jaune glanced back. Yang had come out with a sparkling black dress that hugged her curves and really did make her look fantastic, but it was so hard to be turned on by that when he was aware of things like Salem, the Grimm, immortality, Gods, and the potential end of the world. That, and worrying on how Emerald was still a very dangerous enemy with her Semblance, and how badly things could turn in an instant.
"You noticed?"
"Tch. Puh-lease. He's not even trying to be subtle." Yang rolled her eyes and leaned an elbow on the table. "Which is probably the point if this is to convince that bitch to not make a move. Though I'm a little peeved you've turned our date into a ruse to snatch her."
"That's not it at all. I wanted to come out on this and letting Qrow tail us was the only way I could convince Oz— Miss Goodwitch to let it happen."
"Hmm. Fair." Yang didn't catch his misstep or, if she did, she probably wrote it off as him not yet being used to Glynda being the teacher in charge. Ozpin had only officially retired a few weeks ago at this point. "I'll let it slide, then. At least you tried to make it happen."
At least you tried.
Jaune hadn't had a girlfriend before Yang, but he couldn't help but think those words must have been some of the most cutting someone in a relationship could receive. They basically boiled down to saying he'd failed in some way, and that his failed effort might recoup some of what he hadn't delivered.
"I'm sorry." The words tumbled out. "It's just sort of the way things are. I can't control what Cinder does and the teachers don't want a repeat of me being abducted. I'm sorry that's getting in the way of us hanging out—"
"No. No, it's fine." Yang sighed. "Putting it like that, I'm the one sounding unreasonable."
"You're not. You should want us to do more. It's not fair you have to sit back and not be able to do anything because of me. A good relationship should have us hanging out more."
"Hmm. And do we have a good relationship...?"
Jaune tensed.
Yang swore. "Shit. Forget I said that."
"Forget? Would ignoring what you just said make the problem go away?"
"I didn't... Argh." Yang leaned back and planted a hand on her face. "I promised our date wouldn't be like this, and I don't want it to be," she added, more to herself than him. "I'm not actually upset with how we're going, you know? I like our arrangement."
"Arrangement? Not relationship?"
"Fuck." Yang put her hand down and stared at him. "Okay, let me explain what I'm saying. It's not that I'm saying I don't like you or this isn't real – that's not what I meant." Yang waited for him to respond; Jaune hummed back. He didn't know what she was saying, so it was all he could do. "What I meant was... Ugh. How do I say this?" Yang leaned forward, elbows on the table, voice low. Barely a whisper. "Am I being a bad girlfriend?"
That... That hadn't been what he expected. "Huh...?"
"I know I'm not affectionate or hanging off you, and I'm cool with that. I like to go out and party but I never invite you, and we kiss every now and then but we're not all over one another like a lot of other people are." Other couples in Beacon. "And I'm happy with that, but the others – my team – keep asking if we're going through a rough period or if we're really together, and Ruby has been dropping hints that she thinks I'm leading you on or something."
"Really...? I haven't thought that."
"That's good." Yang sighed. "I'm just not the kind of person who likes being all over someone. Just, you know, draped over a guy with my lips fastened to his."
He had noticed that. It'd be a lie to say he preferred her this way because a part of him would have enjoyed the constant physical affection but, at the same time, it wasn't like he was starving for it. I've been too busy as well with my Semblance. If Yang wanted that kind of commitment from me, I wouldn't even be capable of providing it. To expect the same of her would be hypocritical.
"It's fine. I've not exactly been the model boyfriend either. I haven't bought you flowers or taken you out or arranged any dates—"
"I'm cool with that."
"And I'm cool with the way you do things," he replied. "So... are we cool?"
Yang snorted. It was an unladylike sound, but far more natural coming from her. Though she didn't look it from an aesthetic sense, she was an absolute tomboy – a lot of huntresses were, though not all. Weiss and Pyrrha certainly fit more feminine typing, but Ruby, Yang and Nora...? Yeah, they were tomboys. And he was more than fine with that.
"Yeah, I think we're cool. Thanks for not being a freak about it."
"No worries. So... is that what this was all about?"
Yang's smile fell. "No. That's not the main reason I wanted us to talk."
"Ouch."
"Oh relax, it's not you that's the issue this time. It's Ruby."
Jaune sucked in a breath. "Ah..."
"Yeah, ah," she replied. "Because I know you and Blake have something going on – not in the cheating sense, either. You've both been keeping an eye on my sister and ending up in the doghouse because of it. Then there was you shacking us with those tickets to a spa – which was great of you, love you lots, but I can't help but think a guy wouldn't do that unless they wanted something or were apologising."
"Harsh."
"But true," she grinned. "And since you haven't asked me for anything, and you didn't upset me to the point you needed to grovel out an apology, I started to think it was maybe Ruby you were giving them to. Either because you upset her – entirely possible – or you wanted to help her out. You two are close, but she's been pissy with you of late. That's not like her."
"Hmmm."
"And you're being evasive," she threw out, with a roll of her eyes. "And I'm guessing that's out of loyalty to Ruby, which I love, I really do, but I'm her sister and she's been acting weird. Not to mention how she reacted to that weird dream I had—"
Jaune flinched.
Yang's eyes narrowed. "You too, apparently."
"H—How do you know I shared that dream!?"
And, suddenly, they widened. "You shared it as well!?"
F—uuuuck...
"Is... Is that not what you meant...?"
"No!" Yang threw her hands in the air. "I meant you too as in you were also reacting weirdly to the dream I had, not that you were sharing it with us!" She leaned over the table. "You mean to say you saw it as well? You were there!?"
Fuckity fuck. Talk about foot in mouth disease. Jaune blamed his hormones, but it was probably more a mistake born of panic at thinking she'd connected the dots. Except that she hadn't, and she'd only meant how he tensed up, but now he had to explain this nonsense.
Do I lie? It's the easiest way out if I just frame is a freak occurrence, but she's going to go tell everyone else about this freak occurrence if I do that. And if Blake or Weiss start to realise how I've appeared in their dreams as well, it's not going to take them long to put the pieces together.
Lying here was also something that couldn't be taken back. So far, he always had the option of saying "I didn't lie; I simply didn't tell the truth" when people eventually found out and asked why he hadn't told them sooner. He'd been evasive, but he'd never outright lied to their faces about it. This would be him lying to Yang's face.
There would come a time, maybe next month or maybe next year, where he'd have enough control to feel safe telling them about his Semblance. And, come that time, Yang would surely think back on this moment where she'd asked him to his face if him being in her dream was an accident or not.
And she would remember he smiled at her and lied.
"I was there..." he said, buying himself some time.
"Whoah." Yang sat back. "Crazy. What the hell. It's weird enough Ruby and I shared a dream but at least we're sisters. I figured maybe it was genetic. Stupid, I know, but that was the only logical reason I could think up. But now you? That's an outlier."
"Yeah. It sure is. So, the topic of the dream? Want to talk on it."
It was evasive once more, but if he could get her focused on talking about the dream then he could argue later that she hadn't specifically asked him if he was responsible for it. That he'd never claimed he wasn't the cause.
But Yang wouldn't have it. "Why didn't you mention this before...?" Why didn't you say you were there when I was talking about the dream the next day?"
"W—Well, I... I thought it would be an invasion of privacy. The things I saw in there weren't for my eyes, and not for everyone else's ears either."
"You could have come and told me in private after."
I certainly could have. What's my genius excuse for not doing that?
Yang met his gaze head on. "Do you know why or how this happened?"
Fuck.
Trust Yang to get straight to the heart of the matter. Tomboy, she may have been. Party-animal, she may have been. Stupid blonde bimbo, she was not. Yang was one of the smartest girls in class and curious to boot, so of course she'd want to dig deeper and find out why. Jaune took a deep, shuddering breath, and glanced to the kitchen area.
It'd be reaaaal convenient for Cinder to start her attack already.
No such luck.
"I... I may know why," he hedged. "But it's something I've been advised to keep to myself outside of extreme circumstances. Which this may count as." Yang's face was filled with curiosity. "I don't want to lie to you," he whispered. "I don't want to lie to anyone."
"I'm not going to like this. Am I?"
"No. No, I don't think you are."
/-/
It was like watching Raven and Taiyang all over again.
Qrow couldn't help the thought, even as it felt more than a little in bad taste. Taiyang and Raven had failed, and he didn't want to imagine it happening here again, or that his niece would take up her mother's bad habits. Yang was different, better, her upbringing being one of the few things Raven did right, and that was by vacating it. Yang had been raised by Taiyang and Summer and had become a better person for it.
But watching her standing up shouting furiously at a blonde boy who was shrinking into his seat and looking like he wanted to shrivel up and die brought back far too many memories. Taiyang had always been like that, always withering away pathetically whenever he upset Raven – and since his sister had been possessed of a temper best compared to a grenade with the pin pulled out, that was often. Often and explosive.
Yang had inherited that, apparently.
"Damn kid," Qrow said, wincing in sympathy. "Not sure what you said but it was the wrong thing by the looks of it."
Arc looked miserable, not that Qrow could blame him. He'd always been a bachelor himself, but that didn't mean he'd been spared from tellings-off. Summer had made him feel two inches tall more than once. Most of the time, he'd deserved it. Well, all the time really, but that didn't mean she hadn't been particularly vicious about it when she was in a bad mood.
"Come on, kid. Push back a little. Stand up for yourself."
As if psychic, Arc stood and tried to speak.
Only for Yang to drive him back down into the chair and press her finger between his eyes.
"Oops." Qrow winced as if it were his advice that had screwed the kid. " Should have kept my mouth shut. To be fair, you shouldn't ever take my advice on women. Sorry, kid."
Was it worth him having a word with Yang later to sort this out? Probably not. Harsh as it sounded, this wasn't any of his business, and he really didn't have any room to butt in and offer up his opinion. He liked the kid, he really did, but with Cinder and Salem after him, he was a bit of a hot potato, and Yang would be safer without him.
"Speaking of, I should probably be paying more attention to scouting the area and not watching those two have a domestic—"
Qrow trailed off.
Not because of Yang and Jaune shouting. Not because of the serving team standing awkwardly a distance away, unsure if they should approach with the food or not, nor even from the one or two pedestrians outside staring into the restaurant at the theatre show going on.
No.
It was because of the Nevermore that had come down to land on the rooftop below him, which was staring down at the restaurant with glowing red eyes. The Nevermore that sat perfectly still, and which made no attempt to attack the civilians below. The Nevermore which should have had no chance of flying over the city walls without being shot down, and so must therefore have been created inside the city.
"Fuck a duck," Qrow wheezed. "What are the odds she'd find him this quickly—" The answer came to him. "Odds. My Semblance! Fuuuuck!"
Qrow's first leap carried him to the rooftop, his second to the bird, which half-turned before he cut through it with Harbinger, causing the thing to explode into blood, feathers and smoke. His third leap took him off the building and sent him smashing down to the street below, causing people to scatter in panic at the suicidal landing of a man which didn't end in a shower of blood and gore.
It was his fourth leap that carried him through the restaurant's door.
Somewhere along the way (probably at the screaming from outside) it had caught their attention and interrupted their fight. Yang was red in the face, panting hard, but she still had the sense to ask, "Uncle Qrow? What are you—"
"The date is over! It's time to go!"
Yang looked confused.
The kid caught on sooner. "Cinder!?"
Thankfully, that was enough to fill in Yang, who swore under her breath. "Shit."
"Worse..." Qrow replied.
"Shit!" the kid cursed this time. "Fuck me. Yang, we..."
"Yeah, I get it. We finish this later." Yang, thankfully, had inherited Summer's sense of timing, and was prepared to shelve the epic fight. "But we will be finishing this conversation." She turned to Qrow. "How much time do we have?"
"Potentially hours. I only know she knows where the kid is. We might have enough time to—"
There were fresh screams as a Beowolf burst through the full-length window, showering the restaurant in broken glass. Serving staff screamed in absolute terror because, to them, a Grimm inside the city was good reason for it.
"Or we might have no time at all!" Qrow wheezed. "—because fuck me, I guess."
Panic and anger at his Semblance aside, one Grimm was still one Grimm, and it manged exactly two bounding steps before it collapsed with Qrow's weapon lodged in the back of its neck. He wrenched it down before freeing it, decapitating the beast to be certain. His first instinct was to check for casualties, but the civilians outside had already fled.
The fact the beast had ignored them and come for the restaurant told him all he needed to know, because if this were a normal Grimm then they'd have a lot more blood on their hands right now.
"What the fuck!?" Yang shrieked. "How is a Grimm inside the walls?"
"They're after my Semblance," the kid groaned.
"I'm sorry, the fuck? How are the Grimm after your privacy-invading Semblance?"
"Flee now," Qrow snapped. "Have a domestic later!"
"Run? Why? Shouldn't we secure the area so the Grimm don't go after the civilians? If we leave, who is going to—"
Glass crunched as a foot stepped in over the edge and into the restaurant. The figure was hooded, its face concealed in thick satin black. Two hands reached up and tilted it back to reveal a face Qrow had never actually seen, and yet which somehow ticked all the boxes for how he'd imagined Salem to look. Monstrous, Grimm-like, evil red eyes. The bloody veins were new and startling, but pretty much par for the course.
"I have so many questions," Yang whispered, shocked and horrified.
Qrow wasn't sure what she'd assume – the closest he could imagine was that there was some new Grimm that infected humans and took over their bodies, causing this kind of transformation. It'd be a bad assumption, but probably the most reasonable given the situation. It might be a tragic one, however, as if Yang imagined this was an innocent victim that should be handled gently, she just might die. With a mental apology, Qrow ignored all of Ozpin's advice and went with what would keep her safe.
"This is the creature responsible for killing Summer."
Yang's eyes flashed red. "I no longer have any questions."
"Summer...?" Salem asked, her voice more human than Qrow honestly expected it to be. Her hands fell to her sides and dripped black ichor to the floor, which ballooned and morphed into two grimm – a Beringel and a Deathstalker. Yang hissed under her breath. "You'll have to be more specific if you want me to remember who it is I've killed."
"Summer Rose," Yang hissed.
"More specific."
"Yang!" Qrow hissed. "Take Arc and get out of here. I'll buy time."
"It's just two Grimm—"
"She killed Summer!" he snapped. "Summer was a professional; you're not. Don't underestimate her or your father will be mourning another loved one." It was cruel, but it was enough to make Yang flinch and take a step back. He'd guilt her out of this fight if he had to. Whatever kept her safe. "It's Arc she wants, so get him the fuck out of here. The sooner he's gone, the safer everyone will be."
"Tch. R—Right. Okay. I'm getting an explanation for this later, right?"
"La—"
Sounds behind them had Qrow pausing. There were crashes from the kitchen area, sounds of plates and cutlery being knock about and smashed. Salem clicked her tongue as if annoyed at the noise but had the gall to smile patronisingly at them.
"Please," she said, "by all means finish your conversation. Don't mind me."
Salem had let them talk because she was manoeuvring Grimm around to try and cut them off, and because the more time they wasted, the tighter she could close the noose. Qrow snarled and pointed Harbinger at her, squeezing the trigger. Salem's head snapped back, blood flying from the back of her skull as the round perforated her grey matter.
"GO!"
/-/
Yang dashed for the kitchen with Jaune's arm held in tow. He wanted to ask why they were going that way when they knew Grimm were there, but there wasn't any time. Behind, Salem rocked her head forward and pointed at Qrow, throwing her Grimm forward. Yang shouldered the door to the kitchen open and straight into a Beowolf.
It reached out for Jaune with its meaty paws.
Unarmed as he was, there was very little he could do – and any one of his friends would have been in much the same situation. Anyone but Yang. Dressed in an expensive black dress, Yang had nothing but her fists, but that was all she ever needed. A quick one-two stopped and then broke the arm, and then Yang stepped in and punched the thing in its chest, knocking it back over a metal counter in the kitchen.
There were at least six other Grimm in the room.
"Grab a weapon!" Yang shouted, revealing the other reason she'd chosen this route. "Arm yourself!"
Shoving him toward a counter, Yang kicked off her stiletto heels and dashed in barefoot, finding that safer than trying to fight in high heels. She kept two Grimm off his back while Jaune scrambled for anything he could use. It was a professional kitchen, not a weapons shop, so the best he could find was a big meat-cutting knife about six inches long and thick enough to not snap on bone.
His other hand reached for a shield and came up with a wok.
He felt ridiculous.
Ridiculous, but armed. With a shout, he rushed the first Grimm and deflected its claws on the wok, causing metal to spark. It was a thick enough cooking implement that the claws cut grooves but didn't penetrate, and that was all he needed to get in under its guard and stab the knife into its neck. The Grimm was trying to capture him rather than kill, and it showed in how they approached him. Normal Grimm would have just barrelled him down and started to rip and tear, but these ones kept trying to reach out and grab him in a bearhug, likely so they could run away with him.
Small as it was, it gave him an edge. Letting him get in close with a kitchen knife and accomplish what he'd normally have needed sixteen inches of tempered steel to accomplish. Jaune kicked the dying Grimm away and looked over to see how Yang was doing. His girlfriend (if that survived) had jumped up onto the counters where she could use the advantage of height to deliver crushing punches down onto the Grimm's faces. Ember Celica was still a weapon that helped her out, but she capable of fighting without it. She was doing fine. It was Qrow they had to be worried about.
"We need to get out!" he shouted. "Before Qrow gets in trouble!"
"Right!"
Yang roared and threw herself off the counter, grabbed a frying pan hanging from a hook and brought it down two-handed and edge-first on a Beowolf's head. The metal wasn't meant for such force and bent horribly. Luckily, a skull wasn't meant for such force either, so it did its job and the Beowolf fell like a cut tree. It gave them just enough time to slip out the back door while the Grimm scrambled over their fallen comrade. Given the lack of human bodies, the people working at the restaurant had escaped. They must have been counting their lucky stars that the Grimm let them do so.
Outside, people had long since gotten the message and run for their lives. Nearby shopfronts had their metal grills coming down, those inside furiously mashing buttons to make it go quicker. The thin metal grates meant for keeping out thieves wouldn't stop a Grimm. What kept Vale safe was the walls that kept Grimm outside in the first place. The city wasn't designed to withstand an attack from within.
Just like Mountain Glenn hadn't been.
"I'll call Beacon," Yang said, as they both broke into a run. Yang's bare fleet slapped down on the sidewalk. "Get Ruby to tell the teachers – they'll send help. Where do we run?"
"Anywhere that isn't here, I reckon—"
Jaune caught sight of Oswald waving an arm. "Over here!" he shouted, pointing at an alleyway. "Hurry!"
"There!" Jaune pointed. "It's Oswald, come on."
"Huh?" Yang, scroll to her ear, looked over where he was pointing. "I don't see anyone. What are you—"
Jaune slammed his shoulder into Yang, knocking her completely off her feet. It was a good thing, too, because it meant the arrow hit his shoulder instead of her chest. It hurt, but he'd slammed his aura up the second Yang's words filtered into his head.
Him seeing something that wasn't there meant one thing.
Emerald.
Which meant another thing, Cinder. Two things, then. Jaune groaned as he rubbed his shoulder. His aura had held, but the hit had been sudden and he hadn't been ready for it. Yang scrambled to her feet, aura and fists at the ready.
And Cinder strode out onto the road with her bow in hand.
Beside her, Emerald had a small child in hold, her blade to the frightened girl's chin. It might have been an illusion, but the way Yang snarled but didn't dare attack suggested she was seeing it as well. And, really, it wouldn't have been hard for Cinder to take someone hostage. There wasn't much point using illusions to accomplish what she could with the barest effort. There would have been people running away from the chaos, and it'd have been simple to lure one over with an illusion and then take them hostage.
"How!?" Jaune groaned. "How in the hell did you react so quickly? We've been out for not even two hours. I refuse to believe you tracked us so easily."
"Oh, I didn't," Cinder admitted, with a pleased smile. "I had no idea and wouldn't have found out normally. It's not like I watch you at every moment. But it is in my best interests to keep an eye on the one who is here for me, and when I saw her suddenly scramble to run out here, despite the risks in revealing herself, I knew I should follow and see if an opportunity presented itself. And would you look at this. Opportunity comes knocking."
Jaune swore. Cinder had found Salem or had been tracking her because it was better to know where your enemy was than not, and Salem had led them here. Damn it all.
"Now, then," Cinder remarked. "I do believe we're both on the clock." With a sly smile, she gestured to Emerald, who drew blood from the whimpering child. "Some of us more than others. Shall we make a deal...?"
"It's a fucking dream Semblance," Yang hissed. "How is a fucking dream semblance this important?"
"It can effect permanent changes on the world," Jaune groaned.
"Wait, for real!?" Yang didn't take her eyes off Cinder but the shock was clear. "What the fuck. Why didn't you mention that before?"
"You were busy screaming at me for invading your and Team RWBY's privacy."
"Well... yeah but... Are you saying I could eat whatever I wanted, put on as much weight as I wanted, and you could just dream me thin again?"
Jaune sighed. "Is this really the conversation we should be having right now?"
"Guess not. But damn, I might reconsider the dumping you deal if that's a thing."
"Focus, Yang. Focus."
"Could you dream Ruby tall?"
"FOCUS!"
"Right. Right. But, like—" An arrow flew, which Yang deflected with her fist. "Okay, bitch. We're listening. Sheesh. Talk about impatient."
Cinder's eye twitched. "You do realise who is currently in Vale, don't you? Neither of want to be caught by her. And, right now, I'm Arc's best bet at escaping with his life."
"Kinda hard to believe this is in our best interests when you have a knife to a child's throat."
"It's in his, too."
"Fuck me." Yang hissed. "No weapons, no shoes, no idea what is going on. I swear, Jaune, this is the worst date I've ever been on."
He could well believe it.
Next Chapter: 21st November
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