G.N. Chapter 44 (Patreon)

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Thank you for joining me by the fire.

Chapter 44 Caustic Concern

The acrid tang of the smoke made the back of his throat irritable even through the layer of protection that was his cowl. The heat from pervasive grey smoke was oppressive and made the many layers he was adorned in sweltering. His shirt clung to his skin, and for once, it was not for the sake of an injury or ungodly filth coating his frame.

It was almost amusing how awareness of such an odd, little coincidence sneaked into his forethoughts through the haze of battle.

The heat and clamminess of his skin were pushed out of his thoughts as he backstepped, avoiding a wild swipe from a beastly Yharnamite. He took a moment to examine them, this new prey, this denizen of Old Yharnam. He brought his Saw Cleaver up as he did so, batting aside another swipe, the serrated edge biting flesh as he did so.

Its appearance was, in a way, pitiful. It was not large and powerful nor swift and vicious. At the most, Jaune would be willing to call it savage, but that is all. Scraggly, feral, unkempt, wiry… these were the better adjectives for the thing trying to maul him at present.

Jaune caught a swipe and examined the beastly hand that had gone for his throat. Cracked bloody claws sat in sickly foul discoloured flesh, splotchy and rough. What once were nails were now curved weapons ready to part flesh with predatory ease.

Jaune pulled the sickly-looking thing and threw it to the floor. The creature let out a whimper as it scraped across the stones. It was not quick to rise, its thin limbs seemingly struggling to pick themselves up, its nostrils flaring as it panted.

Jaune ignored the snorting and dribble that left its snout lashing out with a booted kick to the jaw as it attempted to maul his leg. Blood, spittle and teeth rained in the wake of his brutal blow, the lanky thing falling back stunned.

Jaune’s last blow also had the advantage of throwing it into the radius of a pyre's flickering glow, casting light over its ragged shape.

It did not make the creature appear any less foul.

Fur and hair, splotched and tangled, littered its body. But the frayed mess of its coat was nothing compared to the scabs and torn patches that littered its hide. The poor attempt to conceal its nature or actually treat the many wounds it was covered in was also farcical.

What use were bandages on a Beast?

Jaune, now confident that the thing, the Beast, was now nothing more than what its appearance showed it to be moved to finish things.

There was no showmanship, no dramatics.

The beast was laid out as it was swiped at him, but Jaune was too well-versed in the savage perseverance of the Beasts of Yharnam. His boot stomped down punishingly atop the creature’s wrist, the crunch audible and once upon a time would have been sickening to hear… but no longer.

Now, the crack of bones was commonplace.

Jaune pivoted, the broken wrist beneath his foot suffering further as he transformed his Saw Cleaver, the blade unfolding to reveal its enlengthened shape.

Flesh and bone separated, and the Beast’s face was split, a chasm of gore appearing in the wake of his weapon path as it stilled and perished.

Jaune spared a moment to ensure the creature was dead and to allow the sensation of power that flowed into his body to settle. He was still very much in need of Blood Echoes, and though the pittance the creature gave felt like barely a drop in the ocean…

It was a drop sorely needed.

He had not even been still a second when the scraping of claws alerted him to another attacker rapidly approaching. Jaune swiped out with his saw cleaver, breaking the charge; another sickly-looking beast wrapped in bandages lunged back to avoid his attack.

Jaune did not relent.

He shifted his stance, his right arm holding his saw cleaver, fell downward as he twisted. From behind his back, he drew his Threaded Cane and slammed the butt into the stone. At once, it shifted, the length opening up into jagged segments like the thorns along the stem of some plant.

Jaune drew back, the now rope-like nature of his weapon flowing as he did. His wrist twisted before he thrust his arm forward with a violent lash.

The beast screeched as the Threaded Cane dragged across its gut, emaciated as it was, and spilt its innards across the filthy stone. Jaune pulled his arm back, and the Cane followed; like a conductor, he jerked his arm down and out, and the beast cried, following his direction as it quietened.

Though likely because Jaune had just opened its throat and sheered off an ear.

It fell to the stones. Jaune let his threaded cane go still, and the length lay across the floor like some kind of barbed eel, ready to lash out.

But nothing came.

Jaune twirled his wrist, bringing the weapon back to rest by his feet; a flick had it shaped like a walking stick once more. Then he was moving again, his eyes scanning carefully as he strode through the grey, his body alert and ready for wherever the next attack might perhaps come from.

He stepped, twisting a weapon in each hand when he spotted them.

A pair of reflective eyes peering out from a dark corner.

But they were gone just as swiftly, the smoke moving in the dark to conceal and cover the threats that might be.

Jaune stalked forward, a burning pyre to his back, the smell of charred meat sneaking past his defences to assault his nostrils. But he remained steady; it had been many, many deaths since he had last allowed something as pungent as burnt flesh to distract him.

He spotted the danger as the wind made the smoke shift and found a new foe presented to him, hunched and hiding.

It rose to stand, and Jaune drew both arms up as he perceived something more threatening than the sickly things he had faced so far. Unlike its compatriots, this one stood tall, easily over two meters in height, and though it was thin… it did not appear near as sickly.

Long limbs of corded muscle wrapped tightly to the bone appeared from beneath a long draping shawl. All five of the beast's fingers were tipped with long curved claws that Jaune thought were comparable to those of the Scourge Beasts.

It stepped forward warily, its face concealed, yet Jaune knew it was tracking him, its head centred on his position perfectly. Jaune did not dare to waste any more time and made ready to lash out with his Threaded Cane.

He never got the chance.

Another sickly beast, much like the two he had slain before, pounced on his back, trapping his left arm and clawing at his chest.

The other saw its chance and rushed forward.

Jaune let out a snarl of pain and frustration and swung his unrestrained arm up. The Saw Cleaver Was still open and sharp, nearly biting into an outstretched claw as he struggled.

The beast atop of him was hissing, its fangs gnashing closer to his throat, and Jaunes chest was bleeding from where its nails found purchase.

Jaune wanted it off.

He flung himself back into a dead tree. It was as dead as a tree could be, bare of leaves and with bark missing in massive patches, but it was still sturdy.

Jaune drove the smaller beast into the trunk; the crunch of its body pinned between him and dead foliage was satisfying but not enough. The other Beast, the cowled one, rushed forward once more at Jaune’s perceived retreat, and Jaune swiped with his Cleaver to deter it.

Then, the smaller one bit his shoulder, its fangs managing to stab through his outermost layers. The pinch of teeth through his leather was enough of a sting to pressure Jaune into action before it managed to bite into his flesh truly.

And so he acted.

Jaune flung his cleaver at the Cowled Beast, the weapon missing entirely, but it forced the more significant threat back and freed Jaune’s hand.

A hand Jaune needed.

Jaune pulled away from the tree to gain distance before thrusting himself back with all his strength. Such an impact definitely wounded the smaller monster, its slighter frame taking the crushing blow in full.

But it remained latched on.

Jaune would not have it.

With his free hand, he reached back, his thumb finding purchase in the clinging Beast’s eye socket.

Jaune clenched.

The Beast screamed.

Jaune felt something burst through his glove, and the Beast's grip slackened. He needed no further invitation and wrenched the little biter from off his back by its skull. No sooner did he do so than the Cowled Beast launched forward, barrelling toward Jaune with a screech of rage.

Jaune, with his hand still clutched about the now bloodied face of the Beast, hurled its writhing form into its larger ally. The two went down in a tumble of limbs and screeching, the Cowled Beast losing the fabric that concealed it.

Jaune noted the longer neck, short, clean fur, and healthier frame as he leapt away from the tree and the Beast to give himself some space.

When he stood again, his Threaded Cane was extended, and his arm was drawn over his head.

He didn’t hesitate.

The air became filled with the sound of swiping metal and parting flesh, of grinding metal and pain-born screeches. Red splattered across the stones as Jaune moved carefully around, his breathing somewhat laboured as he continued his frenzied attack.

Eventually, he ceased. Arm burning, he let it whip out, safely dragging the sharp body of the cane away from his person.

The Beasts were still… nearly.

The larger one was panting shallowly; the smaller one was dead still, its lesser frame a mess of bloodied lacerations and creeping red that dribbled over the larger Beast it laid atop.

To say the area around them was a mess would be an understatement.

Jaune had left crimson streaks and splatter on the floor, walls, tree, and even the area around the pyre in his barrage. He spared a glance at his Threaded Cane and saw blood and strips of flesh, fur, and bandages clinging to its many teeth.

Jaune sniffed, sending a swift snapping jerk through the elongated Cane, causing the filth clinging to it to launch into the nearby pyre. The hiss of blood and wet meat soaring into its still crackling blaze was loud in his ears as his heart settled.

Jaune returned to his Saw Cleaver, never taking his eyes off the still-panting Beast.

With his other weapon back in his grasp, he slammed the butt of his cane on the ground once more, returning it to its base form. The Threaded Cane was a dangerous weapon, but its whip-like form could become rather unwieldy if Jaune did not practice care with its use.

He marched back over to the heavily bleeding Beast, its dark, wild eyes following him all the while, searching and waiting.

Jaune would not make it wait long.

He returned the Cane to its place on the small of his back and gripped the shaft of his Saw Cleaver with both hands.

It raised a hand to shield its face.

Jaune cut through it to reach the Beast’s throat, severing its head from its shoulders.

Jaune sighed, shoulders slumping, a bit of fatigue creeping into his body as he rolled his left arm. Had things gone worse in that fight, he could have been in severe trouble, as an injury this early would surely hamper his designs to explore further.

… Though he could return to the Lamp.

“No… can’t… need to press on… just a little further,” Jaune reprimanded himself.

He knew he couldn’t afford lethargy; there was no time to linger.

He needed answers, strength… he needed… something… a win.

He checked his arm over, looking for any injury that might have made it past his leathers, but his arm was safe and whole.

The red of the few Blood Vials he had was visible in his peripheral and made something stir in his gut.

Jaune ignores the feeling, not having the time or inclination to sort it out. He remembers the thing that presently resided within the Grand Cathedral. He remembers well how that woman, slight and small as she had appeared kneeling on the floor, had transformed into the abominable monster he failed to slay.

… He remembered Gascoigne.

The fear of such a fate stayed with him, and he knew that when his journey here was finished and he made his return, he would need to enquire with those in the know about…

“Symptoms are as fitting for poison as a disease,” Jaune hissed, running a thumb over a Blood Vial.

Beastly Scourge… the plague of Yharnam… The Old Blood.

Jaune would have his answers… but first, the Chalice.

Perhaps ‘communion’ would grant him some knowledge.

After all… he still knew nothing of Yharnam’s gods.

YVYVYVYVY

Jaune slammed the door to their hotel room shut behind him as he strode inside, face set in a furious scowl.

He didn’t care.

He was furious.

The White Fang’s attack had stirred up even the blackest of his emotions and roused his bloodlust in ways only a few others had to date.

And that had been before the Grimm.

A Breach was never good. For smaller settlements, it could be death sentences that resulted in another piece of civilisation falling into ruins. For larger settlements, it was never a good thing, but it could be managed, assuming it was not so severe and occurred in a time of stability.

Jaune knew damn well they were not in such a time.

The attack that had happened earlier that night, the sound of sirens, the deaths, the fear… it would have whipped any nearby Grimm into a frenzy and drawn those further about closer. The Breach was unlikely to be small; Jaune remembered the shaking and roar of the distant explosion.

He doubted that the Home Guard and automated defences in the area of the Breach had been left in any state to put up a suitable defence. This meant that any response to the Breach would have been delayed, dramatically worsening the situation.

Whoever had given the order for the evacuation had been wise to do so.

With so many negative factors stacked atop one another… the only reasonable choice was to focus on salvaging as many lives as possible, rescuing as much of the population as possible while preparing to wait out the coming storm.

This was likely the only area Jaune had managed to come up positively.

They were in Bastion.

The home of modern Grimm response and a city that was no stranger to dealing with the ravages of a Grimm Incursion. The response would be swift and likely sufficient enough to deal with the fallout.

Jaune was well aware of such, having learned about it from the only doctor he found tolerable.

Dr Kaiser had played a critical role in implementing many of the resources and strategies that Bastion had at its disposal. He had frequently talked about how the city was reconstructed to be more akin to the capital in that it had segmented itself into districts.

But of course, things had to go as poorly as possible again, and the Breach had occurred in their district. Jaune had no clue where their district's evacuation points were, which left him frustratingly lost.

Were he alone, he would have followed the crowd. Armed as he was, he was more than confident that no matter the situation, he could see himself to safety. He was confident he could scale the district walls and evacuate that way if need be.

But he wasn’t alone.

Jaune turned to see his sister, Sky, sitting in a chair. Her hands were still shaky as she looked around nervously for a threat that wasn’t there. Jade was by the curtains, not peeking out the window but ensuring they were securely closed.

The two they had managed to pick up outside their room were another matter entirely; Jaune was not pleased with how swiftly Jade had taken them on. Jaune was already trying to devise a plan to see his sisters to safety, and he did not need more issues to pile on top of their already poor situation.

The original plan had been to leave for the hotel and learn the location that would best suit them to evacuate. While there, he would arm himself further by retrieving his and Jade’s weapons from the Hotel security and set out.

An axe was more than enough to protect himself.

There were not enough weapons in this entire world for him to ever feel that his sisters were sufficiently safe.

Jaune felt his scowl grow as he eyed the axe resting on his shoulder.

It was all too easy for him to replace it with another axe in his mind’s eye, one with greater heft and far more suitable for despatching threats.

For the first time in quite some time, Jaune found himself longing for one of his weapons to fill his hand. The sight of the Caryll Rune etched into the back of his right hand settled such longing.

He was by far the most lethal thing to come out of Yharnam; he would have to suffice.

Jaune took a breath, calmed himself, and refocused on the matter at hand: learning their evacuation route and arming himself and Jade.

When they arrived at the Hotel, their plan ran into a rather sizeable roadblock in the form of a panicked crowd clogging the entrance and rapidly approaching Grimm. With the front entrance not being an option, Jaune needed to find another way into the Hotel.

He had settled on a window cleaner’s lift.

Turning away from the site of the future massacre, he raced to the lift, which was, luckily for them, grounded and equipped with controls that Jaune found relatively intuitive. From there, riding the lift up to their floor had been a simple matter. But they were on the wrong side of the building.

Jaune did not enjoy having to force his way past evacuating people and discarded luggage to reach their room. At one point, he had bodily lifted a man who barrelled into his side and hurled him back into his room.

Jade even dared to admonish him.

He was still unhappy about that.

“Right…” Jaune said, leaning his axe by the TV and turning on the device, knowing the emergency broadcast would be live.

“W-what are you doing?” the young Faunus woman, Ayame Jaune recalled, asked.

“We're Working out our best evacuation route. Have both of you lived here long?” Jaune asked, turning to the two Faunus.

Both women flinched as his eyes passed over them.

“Y-yes, over a decade,” the other woman, who, judging by their resemblance, was likely related to Ayame, answered.

“Good, then tell me which evacuation point you would pick,” Jaune ordered.

“You could say please,” Jade reprimanded.

Jaune turned to his sister, his expression stony. He gave her a look that expressed his displeasure. Jade’s eyes widened as she realised her big brother wasn’t happy with her.

Jaune chewed on his words, deciding to save any admonishment for later, as now was the time for action. “We will leave as soon as I have a plan; get Sky changed into suitable clothes and prepare… grab your birthday gift; I know you brought it along.”

Jade snorted, “Like I was going to leave it at home,” Jade said with a smile that didn’t reach her eyes as she guided Sky off to their shared room.

“Hm,” Jaune hummed as Jade went off. He returned his focus to the two Faunus and looked them both over. His eyes immediately settled on the blood covering them, most noticeably the lacerations on Ayame’s arm. That would be an issue… but first, he needed an evacuation route.

“Now then… which evacuation point would you two move towards… please,” Jaune finished, though the word came out as clinically as the rest.

Ayame was the first to move, slowly working her way out from under the other woman’s arm and turning towards the TV. Giving it a quick glance, she rapidly pointed to a point to the west—the one closest to the Hotel.

“That one, it's closest, so it’s the one we would have probably gone for,” Ayame explained, looking back at Jaune and not flinching this time.

“…”

“And you would have died trying to reach it,” Jade spoke from the doorway. Jaune turned once more, frowning at his younger sister.

“I thought I told you to help Sky,” Jaune spoke crisply.

Jade held her hands up in surrender. " She is washing off… she needed to, and then she is going to get changed.”

Jaune understood his sister's words and knew that, after all this, he would have to do everything in his power to make Sky happy.

“What do you mean ‘we would have died’?” the older Faunus woman asked, her voice stressed, as she looked between Jaune and Jade.

“… The Breach is clearly proximal to the Hotel; the Grimm arrived here very swiftly… that means that the Breach is also proximal to the evacuation point you just chose,” Jaune answered.

Both Faunus paled.

Jaune turned back to the screen. He already had a good idea of which evacuation point he wanted to go to, the one furthest from the hotel. It was likely the one furthest from the Breach, situated to the north. This would allow them to head vaguely in the direction of two other evacuation points, giving them options.

Jaune turned back to Ayame. “This one,” he said, pointing to the one he had in mind. “Do you know any existing issues with it?”

Ayame looked at it, then at Jaune with a concerned, confused look. “None aside from the fact that it is quite literally the furthest one from us…”

“Good,” Jaune nodded, rising out of the chair again and towering over everyone in the room. It was a fact that the two Faunus noticed instantly, the older one’s ears flattening as she watched Jaune rise out of his seat.

“G-good?” Ayame stuttered.

“That is the one we are going to move towards; it is the best option for the time being, and should the situation change, we will divert to one of the others along the same route,” Jaune explained, earning a nod from Jade.

Ayame had more questions.

“What about the issue that it is the furthest from us?” Ayame sputtered, her voice laced with worry.

Jaune frowned; that would not do.

“I am confident that I can maintain a fast enough pace-“

“Jaune,” Jade spoke up warningly, her face stern.

Jaune turned to his sister, matching her challenging gaze with his own. A single brow rose as he waited for her to press the issue.

His sister did not disappoint.

“We are helping them… add them into your plans,” Jade ordered.

Jaune growled audibly and did not miss how the two Faunus backed off from him. Jade, however, just crossed her arms and cocked her hip, silently daring him to say something.

“You and Sky are my priority… my only priority.”

Jade was unimpressed with his response, “We are helping them… I am helping them, so if you want to keep me safe, you will keep them safe.”

Jaune swallowed another growl. He stared at Jade, giving her a fierce look that had brought others to tears.

Jade matched him, not looking away for a moment.

“… Fine, go see to Sky, she is out of the shower… remember-“

“I know, dress to move, sturdy clothes, enclosed shoes and shit loads of deodorant or perfume,” Jade listed off as she moved back towards the bedroom.

As soon as she was gone, Jaune turned back towards the Faunus, his face still showing his displeasure.

“… To answer your worries concerning distance… we will locate a sturdy vehicle capable of carrying us all,” Jaune answered after a moment of thought.

“Won't the Grimm be lured to the noise?” The older Faunus asked, worried.

Jaune didn’t answer with words. Instead, he moved over to the window and threw the curtain open to show the city below. Already, there were pillars of smoke beginning to rise above the cityscape, and Jaune could see the flash of gunfire from the inner district walls as they gunned down any Nevermore foolish enough to get too close.

Though the noise was dull, it was still audible, and Jaune knew that the older Faunus could hear it as well as he could from the couch. It was the sound of chaos and panic, the screech of vehicles, and the bellowing roars of Grimm as they began to take to the streets.

And this was only the beginning.

“Sound is not the sense I am concerned with for the time being,” Jaune responded, closing the curtain once more, ceasing the dialogue.

Talk on hold for the time being, he moved to the bedroom door and knocked, “Jade, Sky, how are we doing?”

The door opened to reveal Sky, now dressed in Jeans and sneakers. Her top was actually one of Jade’s T-shirts, and her hair was hidden under a cap. She spread her arms, her Arc-blue eyes meeting his own expectantly.

Jaune smiled; it was as good an outfit as any, “looking good.”

Sky smiled; it was slight and still tainted by her fear, but it was an improvement, “thanks.”

“Get a bag ready. We need to head down to the lobby soon so I can grab mine and Jade’s guns, and then we need to hurry to safety,” Jaune explained to his younger sister, resting a hand on her shoulder and doing his best to comfort her.

The fear came back, but Jaune noticed that though still shaken, Sky seemed at least marginally better, at least to the point where she wasn’t shaking all over. The more petite girl nodded before hurrying to her luggage and pulling out a plain blue backpack covered in clouds.

It was a gift from their father, who thought it was ‘perfect’.

Sky unceremoniously dumped out its contents before rapidly grabbing the bare necessities. Though Jaune noted some hesitation in her action, he also spotted the learned habits every Arc child had ingrained into them from a young age.

No child of Cloud and Hellebore Arc would be unprepared during a Breach.

Jaune turned his gaze to Jade, who was loading one of her sketchbooks into her bag. Jaune knew it was technically not an essential, but he wasn’t going to kick that particular landmine. Instead, he moved over to Jade's luggage and began feeling along the edges, hoping to help his sister prepare.

Jade’s luggage had been a gift from their Aunt Hinata, one that all the girls got, though only Scarlett and Jade had found a use for them to date.

Jaune found the hidden latch and popped it, opening a secret compartment in which Jade kept a set of throwing knives at the ready.

Of all Jaune’s sisters, it was Jade who excelled with a knife in hand, so much so that she now outclassed even Saphron when it came to throwing competitions. However, it was worth noting that Saphron would still trounce Jade when it came to firearms.

The set and the belt were a gift from their grandmother, and they were all the best Mistral had to offer: sharp and sturdy with perfect balance.

Jaune pulled out the belt and quickly passed it to a thankful Jade, who hung it over her shoulder before returning to her bag.

“Where is your birthday gift?” Jaune asked, looking back at the now empty secret compartment.

“Had to smuggle it,” Jade replied.

Jaune frowned, “why?”

“Because Atlas is filled with assholes, and the Valean government is still salty that they are hogging the technology for Hard-Light dust,” Jade complained.

Jaune merely quirked a brow before turning and going to the girl's bathroom. He quickly spotted the extra toothbrush, which was a dull white and the only one still in the room. He retrieved it before tossing it onto Jade’s bed.

Jade, seeing it, smiled, “How’d you guess?”

“It's what I would have used,” Jaune answered, proud of his younger siblings' ingenuity.

Jade quickly took the ‘toothbrush’ in hand and began bashing it against the bed frame, snapping off the brush head. Jaune watched as she broke off the fake outer case of the ‘toothbrush’ and revealed the hidden treasure inside.

With a flick of the switch a Hard-Light knife formed from inside, blazing light blue and with impeccable cutting power. Jade looked it over with satisfaction before deactivating the hilt, causing the blade to disappear.

Jaune was glad to see that Jade would have a weapon should she lose all her throwing knives. Best of all, it was a weapon that could easily prove lethal even to Grimm.

“What about you, Jaune? Don’t you need to pack?” Sky asked, looking her brother over.

Jaune looked over his attire and his arms and frowned.

“No would waste time,” Jaune replied, shaking his head. “You nearly done?”

“Yep,” Sky nodded, “Do we need water?”

Jaune thought it over but shook his head, “Unnecessary. There will be water at the trauma zones behind the evacuation point. Be sure to drink now, however… and eat something light.”

Sky nodded and hurried off to the kitchen; Jade made to follow her, but Jaune put his hand out, halting her.

“Huh?”

“You’re bringing them, which means you get to help me educate them,” Jaune remarked, gesturing back to the two Faunus women.

“Oh, umm, k.”

Jaune guided Jade into the living room and found Ayame and the other woman situated on the same couch they had been since Jade invited them in. As he sat before them, Jaune called out, “Sky, grab some food for your sister.”

“Okay!”

Ayame looked confused, “Do we have time to eat?”

“We do as we need to sort this out,” Jade answered, standing beside her brother.

“Sort out what?” The older Faunus asked.

Jaune wasted no time, “Firstly, names… I am Jaune, this is Jade, and the other girl is Sky; they are my sisters.”

Jaune’s clipped, no-nonsense tone seemed to bring a harsh clarity to the room as both women hurried to reply. “I’m Ayame-“

“Tara-“

“She’s my mother,” Ayame finished, gesturing to her mother, who went silent after she managed to eke out her own name.

Jaune nodded, giving both Faunus a calculating look. “My sister has decided she would like to help see you both to safety. Are you amicable to such a thing?”

Jade looked between her brother and the woman but said nothing.

“Umm, yes… thank you,” Tara nodded.

“Hmm… what do you both know about Grimm?” Jaune asked.

“Enough.”

Jaune frowned deeply, eyeing Ayame, who seemed unrepentant about her answer.

“We aren’t city-born… we used to be in a caravan,” Tara said after seeing Jaune’s reaction. “We know how dangerous the Grimm are… this isn’t our first brush with them.”

Jaune said nothing and looked at Jade.

Jade fidgeted but began to speak, “Look, just humour us- oh, thanks, sis.”

Sky smiled, offering Jaune a plate of bread and butter, who waved it away. The youngest of the present Arcs was quickly digging in, sitting on the floor, her feet resting atop Jaune’s.

Jade held the bread but didn’t bite into it yet. Instead, she looked expectantly at the two Faunus women, “What do you know about Grimm? Help me help you here.”

Ayame’s face scrunched up, but seeing that the two blonds were dead serious, she let out a frustrated sigh. “Fine, Grimm. They are big, strong, fast, attracted to negativity, and excel at killing Faunus and Humans.”

Jade nodded, “That it?”

“Does anything else really matter?” Ayame huffed.

Jade looked to her brother, whose face was practically frozen, only his eyes moving to meet his sister’s gaze with a look only Jade seemed to understand.

“What… about like specifics, you know about like individual types of Grimm and stuff to be careful about and-“

“Look, don’t we need to be like you know, fleeing-“

“Yes, which is why you wasting time is foolish,” Jaune cut through his voice soft but piercing.

Ayame looked at the only male in the room, but this was a mistake. As soon as she met his gaze, her words seemed to get trapped in her throat.

“We know to avoid them… that’s about all. We know that there are some to avoid more than others, but…”

“…Fuck.”

Both women looked at Jade, who was grimacing.

“… I guess this is what you meant?” She asked her brother.

Jaune nodded before waving for her to handle the two women as he looked to Sky, who was nibbling on her bread.

Jade, however, turned back to face the two Faunus with a somewhat constipated look. “Right… so um, look, time’s a factor, so here is how we will have to play this. You need to do everything we say and trust we know what we are doing…”

“We kinda already gathered that,” Ayame shrugged, looking at her mother, who nodded.

“… Cool, so first thing’s first: You need to bandage that arm, and we need to find something to cover the scent,” Jade said, rising to stand and darting back into the bedroom.

“It's really not that bad, I’d rather we head-“

“The blood will attract Grimm,” Jaune said, cutting Jade off succinctly. He did not look away from Sky as he encouraged his younger sibling to drink some water.

Ayame seemed to freeze in place, looking at nothing and no one. Tara, however, went nearly stark white as all the blood left her face, and she managed to utter a quiet “What?”

“This is why we asked what you know,” Jaune said. Everyone knows that negativity attracts the Grimm; it's common knowledge even among 'city-born' people,” Jaune explained, using air quotes for the last part.

Jade returned at this point with a still-folded pillowcase and some bottles. “Yeah, us Valean kind of got fucked over in terms of Grimm type… at least in regards to hiding from them.”

“… What do you mean,” Ayame muttered.

“Well, like, a ton of our Grimm have all got excellent senses of smell,” Jade shrugged, nearly handing the pillowcase to her brother before stopping and looking at his hands. “Jaune, you need to fix that so you can help me.”

Jaune looked at his hands and hummed, “Just use your knife.”

“Oh right,” Jade pulled out one of her throwing knives and began separating the pillowcase into strips.

“Wait, go back, what do you mean-“

“Beowolves, Ursai, Boarbatusk, Creeps-“

“And those are just the common ones,” Jaune cut in, stopping Jade from listing the numerous Grimm that called the continent of Sanus home and excelled in tracking prey.

“Right, and well, as you said, Grimm excel at killing… so if they catch a whiff of your blood, then they will pursue,” Jade shrugged. “Scent is a big one for a lot of our Grimm, so it just makes sense not to risk it,” Jade finished, handing the hastily made bandages to Ayame. “Bind it up quickly because then we must handle the scent side of things…”

“Alcohol… in fact,” Jaune trailed off. He moved over to said fridge and rummaged for a moment before tossing a bottle to the two Faunus. “It’s… not the best, but it will dilute the scent, and it is hopefully strong enough to stave off infection… for now,” Jaune explained.

Tara looked at the bottle, seeing that Jaune was correct. While it wasn’t the most potent alcohol, it was likely the best the hotel offered. She wasted no more time uncapping it and upending the bottle of ‘Ash’ onto her daughter's cut arm.

Ayame, not expecting the sudden burn, hissed and tried to pull away, but Tara’s grip was like iron.

“So then… what do we do when we get out of the Hotel?” Tara asked, gratefully accepting Jade's makeshift bandages and beginning to tend to her daughter's arm.

“After I have retrieved mine and Jade's guns, we will seek out a vehicle large enough to hold us all and sturdy enough to handle the likely rough path we will have to take… then we make for an evacuation point,” Jaune explained.

“Time is a factor, so… we best move out soon?” Jade asked, looking to Jaune, who, rather than answer, glanced at Sky.

“How are you feeling?” Jaune asked gently.

Sky, who had been happily playing observer, seemed to shuffle on her spot on the floor where she had shifted to sitting cross-legged while she ate. “… I’m scared,” Sky admitted after a pause, her words so soft they were nearly inaudible.

Jaune nodded.

“That’s okay,” Jaune stated, earning a startled look from the younger sister.

“Huh?”

“You can be scared, Sky. This is a scary situation,” Jaune calmly said. “It's perfectly normal to be scared.”

“Are you?” Jade quickly pounced, her eyes wide and searching as she eyed her older brother. She crawled forward and rested her hands on his knee.

Jaune smiled and nodded, “Not of the Grimm, but yes, I am quite worried.”

Sky looked at Jaune, startled, “Really?” She almost yelled.

“Oh yes… I will be much happier when we are all safe,” Jaune admitted.

“… What… what if they catch us?”

“Then I will keep you safe,” Jaune spoke, an edge appearing in his voice.

“From all of them?”

“Sky, I promise, no Grimm will reach you while I am around… not a single one,” Jaune uttered his oath, his hand resting atop his younger sister's head, his thumb playing with the hint of her hair beneath the cap.

At this point, Jade added her own two cents: “Honestly, I pity the Grimm who tries.”

Jaune snorted as he rose out of the chair and marched over to his used fire axe. “Alright… it's been quiet outside the door for a while now,” Jaune observed before turning back to face Ayame and her mother. “As soon as those bandages are tight, you are going to need to douse them in something to hide the smell even more.”

Jade, who knew this was coming, reached into her bag and removed several bottles, smirking satisfied at her brother. “Don’t worry, bro. I can handle this part.”

“Wait, won't they just smell this stuff then?” Ayame interrupted.

Jade gave her a judging side eye, “So not a ‘city-born’ huh?”

“Hey-“

“It's just blood, isn’t it…” Tara spoke up, tightening the last of her daughter's bandages.

“Yeah… well, any scent of a Faunus or Human, really, but blood and… well, you should also empty your bladders before we head out because that would have pretty much the same effect,” Jade warned.

Ayame blushed, “Oh.”

“We will find you a change of pants as we proceed,” Jaune spoke, not looking at any of the girls. He moved to stand by the door, resting his ear on the wood.

Ayame reddened further.

“Ah… well, then it seems you get a whole bottle of this,” Jade said as she passed Ayme a perfume bottle. Upend that bottle on your lower half, down your pants if you feel up to it. Use the body wash for the bandages; soap can only help keep the germs out, right?”

“We need to avoid drawing numbers to us,” Sky added, speaking to the two Faunus softly. “If enough get drawn our way, it could direct the flow towards us… and then we will have to deal with the ones that aren’t following our scent.”

Tara and Ayame looked at each other and then back at the girl. Then, with no further prompting, they began to do everything in their power to bury their scent beneath a combination of perfume, body wash, and deodorant belonging to both Jade and Sky.

“Jaune, do you need some?” Jade enquired, offering her brother his own deodorant.

Jaune smiled at his sister, taking the bottle and dousing himself until the bottle was empty.

Soon, the room was nearly suffocating, and almost everyone coughed or covered their faces with their shirts.

Well, everyone except Jaune, who had endured worse.

The only male in the group gave each person in the room a searching look, his eyes remaining longer on his siblings than the two Faunus women. Eventually, he spoke in a severe tone, “When we are out this door, you follow my lead, do what I say, and most importantly, stay safe.”

“Right,” Tara said as she tossed the empty deodorant bottle over her shoulder.

“Okay,” Ayame followed suit.

Both Arc girls nodded.

Jaune took a breath.

“Right, I will be in front,” Jaune explained, pulling his axe up to rest on his shoulder once more. “Sky, you will be behind me… Jade, you will be behind your sister. Your first job is to keep both her and yourself safe; that is your first priority. Do you understand?” Jaune pressed, looking for a straight answer.

“Of course… if anything slips by you, I can handle it,” Jade half-smiled at her brother, but Jaune didn’t miss how she gripped one of her throwing knives.

The action wasn’t enough to hide the tremble.

“… Good. Tara, Ayame… I can keep you safe, but only so long as you don’t jeopardise the group, so stick close, stay quiet and do everything in your power to keep my sisters safe,” Jaune ordered the last part of his command, carrying an unspoke ‘or else’ that both women detected.

Both women nodded. Jaune let his gaze rest on them for a moment longer before he turned to the door.

Jaune rested his hand on the handle.

He took a breath.

Inhale.

…

Exhale.

“… Let’s go!”

YVYVYVYVY

The door flew open. Jaune marched out, his eyes dipping to the side to observe the nearly entirely disintegrated corpse of the Beowolf. His eyes came back up as he looked around for any signs of danger.

The hall was clear, luggage and refuse littered about, but no corpses… not yet.

Jaune began to move toward the elevator, his whole body feeling like one giant, coiled spring as he was as alert as possible, trying to feel out any danger. Behind him, his sisters moved one behind the other, and behind them, the Faunus women walked as a pair, holding each other’s hands tightly.

When Jaune reached the door to the stairwell, he saw it was closed. He looked over his shoulder at the Faunus women, both of whom were eyeing the door as if it were a gate to hell. Jaune leaned in, his ear pressed to the door as he listened.

He heard the rush of flapping wings.

Jaune frowned and moved back from the door, his eyes instead going to the elevator. He could hear faint cries and screaming all around, but not the elevators. They were likely unused, given that this most certainly qualified as an emergency situation.

That was perfect.

“We are taking the elevator,” Jaune ordered, moving over and pressing the down button.

Ayame squeaked, “That might not be the best-“

“There are Grimm in the stairwell,” Jaune stated, cutting her off and giving her a sharp look.

“The Grimm you saved us from came from the elevator,” Tara explained.

Jade looked back at the two Faunus. “Then you have utterly shit luck because Grimm can’t use technology, no matter what cartoons might have you think.”

The elevator dinged.

The doors opened, and Jaune peered inside. There was no Grimm, just an eviscerated corpse and all the gore that came with such a thing. Jaune hummed, displeased at the sight.

“… Sky, come here,” Jaune ordered.

Sky shuffled forward, and the moment she was within arms' reach, Jaune scooped her up and pressed her to his chest. “Keep your eyes closed on the elevator,” Jaune instructed, his tone not as harsh as he did so.

“W-why?” Sky stuttered.

“There is something bad I don’t want you to see because it's gross and might make you sick,” Jaune answered honestly.

“O-oh… okay, I will.”

The doors began to close, and Jaune stopped them with his axe. “You promise?”

“Promise.”

“Good girl,” Jaune smiled and moved her so she could rest her chin on his shoulder. Sky might be nearly a teenager, but the fact remained that she was still tiny compared to Jaune, so carrying her was no issue whatsoever.

“Well, now I’m jealous,” Jade remarked, smiling.

“Careful, that’s a negative emotion, apparently,” Jaune quipped, smiling at his sister before entering the elevator. The sound of viscera squishing beneath his shoes was enough to wipe out his smile.

“Jokes! From you! Worlds ending…” Jade trailed off, finally getting to see the state of the elevator.

“In,” Jaune guided his sister to the back corner, the one that wasn’t occupied by a gutted corpse.

Jade moved back, as did Ayame and Tara; all of them were pale and silent.

Jaune wasted no more time pressing ‘lobby’ on the elevator with the back of his fire axe.

There was no music; Jaune looked up and saw that something had pierced the speaker.

“Hm… when the door opens, stay close… and prepare for the smell.”

“What smell,” Ayame gagged.

“More of this,” Jade answered, looking queasy and doing everything she could to keep her eyes locked on the ceiling.

Sky, still keeping her eyes closed, whispered in the quiet of the elevator, “It smells like the studio.”

Jade grimaced, “… yeah.”

“Nearly there; prepare yourselves,” Jaune warned, watching the digital numbers decline.

3…2…1…Lobby.

The elevator dinged.

Even before the doors fully opened, the sounds of screams and gunfire cut into the elevator's silence like a jagged blade. Nearly everyone in the elevator flinched at the sudden onslaught of noise—everyone but Jaune, that is, who instead took a singular step out, his head on a swivel and his axe primed to cleave.

The lobby was a small slice of what Jaune imagined the rest of the city was quickly declining into—that is, chaos manifest. Jaune looked toward the sound of the gunfire and spotted a trio of security guards and one man dressed casually firing on the point where Grimm were entering the building.

Jaune followed the path of the bullets, his eyes settling on the makeshift barricade. Obviously, it had been hastily constructed, and the Grimm were clambering in regardless. Already, he spotted a few throughout the lobby area.

Such a barricade was only marginally effective because these were only the first Grimm to slip through the Breach. This was only the beginning, and already, Jaune could see many dead in the lobby.

A bone-white face looked up at him, red eyes matching the blood smeared across the sharp angular juts of its face plates.

Jaune placed Sky behind him, “Stay low, watch for gunfire!”

“What do we do? The entrance is blocked!” Tara shouted, still half hiding in the elevator with her daughter.

“We make for security, then find another exit!” Jaune barked over the din of the Lobby.

“Watch out!” Jade screamed.

Sky screamed as she spotted what Jade had.

Jaune was already well aware, having spotted the approaching threat the moment it had spotted them.

The black-and-white blur crashed into the wall next to the elevator, continuing to spin and grind against the wall, chipping at the structure. Jaune raised his axe and waited, his face a mask of cold fury.

Hearing Jade and Sky scream like that…

The Boarbatusk stopped its rolling attack, body unfurling as it tried to observe its immediate surroundings.

Jaune cleaved off its back left leg the moment it was exposed.

The Boarbatusk squealed as it tilted to the side, Jaune helping it with a harsh kick to the side, his axe burying in its throat shortly after, silencing the painful noise.

“Let’s go,” Jaune ordered, stepping off the Grimm, yanking his axe free and making for the front desk. The girls were nearly glued to his back, and Ayame and Tara were not far behind.

A voice called out, “You five! Over here!”

Ayame was the first to respond, “Mr Keppel!” She shouted back, her voice tinged with a hint of relief.

Jaune looked to the finely dressed manager, noting the way he was cradling his arm and the panic on his face as he waved them towards the front desk.

Jaune noticed that one of the security guards looked over and directed them.

This was a mistake as a black feather soared through the air, impaling his gut and sending the man to the ground with a thump, the air forced from his lungs nearly silently.

“No, Grant!” Someone cried out.

Jaune didn’t stop moving.

“Quickly, you need to- “

“Get down!”

Keppel ducked just in time to avoid being impaled, but Jaune found his frustration peaking.

“Jade, knife.”

His sister said nothing, merely silently passing him one of her knives, her lips a thin, pale line. Jaune followed the path of the feathers and found a Nevermore fluttering around a chandelier, using it as cover from the gunfire of the remaining shooters.

It did not, however, give it cover from Jaune.

With more strength than was likely necessary for such a small Nevermore, Jaune hurled the knife and felt satisfaction as it was plucked from the air. It crashed into the barrier blocking the front entrance and spasmed briefly before stilling.

Jaune continued to move.

Reaching the front desk, Jaune quickly guided the girls in before him. Keppel looked at him, stunned, likely having just witnessed Jaune’s ability.

Jaune capitalised on his silence.

“Where is the security room where you lock up firearms?” Jaune all but demanded.

This snapped Keppel out of his stupor, the smaller man looking up at Jaune blinking wildly, “W-we need to evacuate the-“

Jaune slammed his axe into the desk, the wedged head digging deep, the still disintegrating Grimm blood now wafting up before Mr Keppel’s eyes.

“The room, now.”

Mr Keppel gulped loud enough for Jaune to hear it, even over the gunfire, but still, the man didn’t budge, instead looking to the staircase on the opposite side of the room.

It was not the one Jaune had come from; that stairwell door was also barricaded. It would have been quite troublesome had they taken the stairs instead of the elevator; such a barricade would have wasted more time.

Jaune observed as the evacuation was taking place, observing the flow of residents as they hurried out from the opposite side of the room, the security and staff guiding them.

They were all moving too slowly, and Jaune’s patience disappeared quicker than the security guards' ammunition as yet another shooter threw down his gun and began dragging the one named Grant away.

“Mr Keppel!” Jaune shouted angrily, regaining the manager's attention.

“It's behind the kitchens, in the basement!” Mr Keppel was startled, looking back to Jaune fearfully.

“Passcode.”

“Wha-“

Jaune growled, “The passcode to get the weapons.”

“Oh, it- you need a- need a key card-“

“Yours. Now.” Jaune held out his hand, casting a sideways glance as the barricade shuddered. Something big had finally arrived.

“I can’t, I’m not-“

“You can give it to me, or I can take it. Choose now,” Jaune calmly explained, not taking his eyes off the barricade.

Jade followed his gaze and paled as she saw what her brother was staring at.

“EVERYONE GET BACK!” Jade screamed, pointing at the barricade.

Many reacted to her words; a handful of people even managed to retreat toward the front desk or bolted past toward the exit the guests were using.

Jaune watched as one person was killed retreating; a Creep charged into the side of his leg, snapping it off entirely. The man died screaming as a Beowolf pounced on his back and wrapped its jaws around the back of their head.

The makeshift barricade shattered in the centre, and an Ursa barreled into the room.

Jaune’s patience for people disappeared in the exact same instant.

He picked Mr Keppel up by his throat, lifting the man above his own head, and snarled, “Key card now!”

The man all but tore his ID from the front of his shirt, Jaune catching it in his teeth. He dropped Mr Keppel and began to walk briskly towards the doors he smelt food from, Sky clinging to his side.

“Mr Keppel!” Tara cried.

“We need to go!” Jade bellowed, grabbing Tara and tugging her away from the stunned man, Jaune pausing to glare back at them all.

“What is wrong with-“

“Duck!” Jaune roared.

Jade obeyed, throwing herself down and dragging Tara as she went.

Just in time to avoid a swipe from a Beowolf.

Jade didn’t stop there, though, pulling a knife from her belt and launching it into the glowing, blood-red eye.

The beast reared away, clawing at the destroyed eye.

Jaune used the opportunity to rip out its throat with a single swing of his axe, causing the sizeable wolf-like monster to slump on the desk and spasm. Thick, oily blood pooled out of the wound, specks wafting off as the Grimm’s blood showed signs of already beginning to evaporate.

Jaune wasn’t done, though, hauling his sister up.

“Don’t you dare do that again,” he warned Jade, putting her back on her feet and turning to continue heading for the kitchens.

“But-“

“You do not put yourself in danger, Jade!” Jaune shouted whipping around to glare at his sister angrily before his gaze turned to the three people that weren’t his blood.

“You two, either get in line or stay behind,” Jaune snapped, looking out to the lobby where the Ursa had finally reached the remaining gunmen.

It was over in a single swipe as the Ursa’s paw came down catching the huddled men and sending them flying.

Jaune heard the wet cracks of bodies breaking, and judging by how Tara looked sick, she did as well.

“Hurry, we aren’t safe here!” Jaune ordered, urging the group to move quickly.

Jaune hurried towards the back door, his nose guiding him as he could still smell the traces of the evening's dinner. Behind him, he heard screams as the Grimm reached the second stairwell, the ferocious roars merging with the screams of the numerous people likely about to die.

The noise made Jaune long for a gun.

It made him long for his guns even more.

As they cleared the reception area and began to move for the back of the room, away from the massacre at the stairwell, Jaune took a moment to ensure his sisters were close. They were Sky clutching to Jade, both girls crying at the horrid noise that was the Grimm ripping into the evacuating guests.

Ayame, Tara, and Mr Keppel were all following behind and looked shaken by the slaughter. Mr Keppel even had to pause to throw up.

Before they could reach the doors leading to the kitchen, Jaune was forced to halt the group as a Creep charged past, slamming itself bodily into the back of the room next to their exit.

Jaune didn’t even look as he hamstrung the Grimm, causing it to collapse and flail. He left it to suffer, not wanting to waste his time killing a downed Grimm.

He had more pressing concerns.

Like the fact that their group had gained yet another member.