G.N. Chapter 53 (Patreon)

Chapter 53 Glory Burns

The thrill of discovering something new on a familiar trail is a curious phenomenon akin to finding gold in an already-emptied vein. This was how Jaune could describe the scavenging runs he took from time to time.

Jaune did many such runs. Runs where he walked a path travelled repeatedly with fresh eyes. Such runs between Lanterns were often never without reward, whether that be the discovery of some unseen treasure, the acquisition of much-needed Blood Echoes or the refinement of some helpful technique.

But such runs… they distract.

Jaune would not be distracted.

So, he only performed two, done merely around the first half of Yharnam, to avoid dealing with the Gunman before he set his mind to work and began considering his plan for proceeding.

He studied his most curious discoveries in the Workshop, including his new weapon and the Charred Hunter Set. He turned to Gehrman, whose reaction to the armour was… odd. The old man seemed drawn foremost to the attire, his bony fingers glossing over the fabric with what Jaune perceived as fondness.

“The Hunters of Valley Hamlet… when the Scourge worsened, and the town abandoned and put to the torch, it fell to them to do what must be done. Those chosen for the task were a… unique few,” Gherman recalled.

Jaune watched all this silently, making sure to drill the man's words into his mind as he observed how that familiar spark of life returned to Gehrman just as it did when he was discussing the practice of caring for his weapons and further discussing the art of Blood Alchemy.

“It was there that things… changed,” Gherman declared, pain flittering across his features as he pulled the blackened cape up to his nose and inhaled. “Hmm, it still feels damp to the touch, but the Blood has left it marred.”

Gehrman next moved to observe the gloves, flicking at the armoured plates that ran over the fingers. “The Valley Hamlet was our greatest failure. The Scourge became known to the masses, and we did what had to be done to prevent an outbreak. Never mind that the town was already being quarantined thanks to the Ashen Blood; the bell had been rung.”

Gehrman moved to the boots, pulling one into his lap and scratching at the old leather footwear, seeming to test its durability. “The fires raged so furiously they were visible across Yharnam; we did what we could to prepare them, giving as much thought to the fire as we did the Beasts…” Gehrman’s features lightened as fondness bled into a slight smirk.

“The ones sent were amongst our best, truly remarkable as they were capable but also utter fools… they were capable of bouts of brilliance that astounded us with their innovations but… but they were such fools… those that survived that night were still fools but… just foolish.”

Jaune saw the sorrow now, the pain, the regret and chose this as his moment to strike.

“Are we left no other choice than to burn it all to cinders…” Jaune quoted, remembering what he had read.

Gherman flinched, his head turning slowly as his grey-ashen eyes came to lay on Jaune, who was still standing over his shoulder.

Slowly, Gehrman nodded. “They did what they had to, did what we demanded of them… what they demanded of them… the events of that night… what came next all can be traced back to that bloody evening… and this is the gear of those chosen few.”

Jaune moved now, picking up the gloves, which had garnered his attention the most when he came across the attire. He slid them on one of his hands and felt the additional armour on the piece as he maneuvered his fingers.

It felt good. The weight difference did not hinder his range of motion, and the protection on his fingers felt reassuring. As he removed the glove, he noticed that Gehrman was eyeing him with an unreadable expression, the old man seeming to judge him.

Jaune bit down on the irritation that swelled in response and directed Gherman’s attention to the weapon he had procured. “What of this… it seems different from the other weapons of my arsenal.”

Gherman reached out and plucked the spear up with little ceremony, and Jaune noticed that this time, Gehrman seemed to be going out of his way to control his expressions. With the spear on his lap, Gherman ran his hand up the haft, stopping at the latch before continuing to the section where the spearhead could manoeuvre.

It was when he transformed the weapon that an amused huff slipped out from his upturned lips.

“… As I said, brilliant fools, they never did get over that damn sword… kept trying to recreate it, but this was closest they could get,” Gehrman spoke with a smile. “They used to bother everyone, needling them for information and ideas. But they were especially aggravating to Mar-“

Gehrman stopped talking, cut himself off and just froze. Jaune saw all this; he watched as the mysterious old Hunter’s grip tightened on the new trick weapon until his bony hands became somehow even paler.

Gehrman took a breath, his grip slackening as he slumped back in his chair.

Then slowly, purposefully, he turned to Jaune and handed the weapon to him, “This is the Rifle Spear, a weapon designed to function as both firearm and spear… in truth, it is a prototype crafted by a group considered… they were known by the moniker of the Powder Kegs,” Gherman explained handing the weapon to Jaune.

“… So it’s a spear that shoots?” Jaune clarified, now understanding the opening at the head of the weapon. “That certainly makes it a curiosity… but now is not the time for me to become acquainted with a new weapon.”

Gherman shrugged, “Do as you will, as you tend to do.”

Jaune didn’t deign to respond to Gherman as he departed; instead, he moved to the workbench and got to work.

In his exploration, Jaune had covered all there was in Old Yharnam before the Gunman and the bearded Hunter, and despite his thoroughness, he had not yet found the damnable Chalice. Jaune was now sure that if it existed, it was deeper into the old town, hidden somewhere beyond his reach, protected by them.

His time in Old Yharnam had done nothing to stem the creeping fear that now festered in his mind, the fear of the Scourge, of the Blood… of himself.

He needed that Chalice.

He needed to find the Paleblood.

He needed to end the madness… before it ended him.

So, Jaune got to work. He had done so many times before, repairing his gear, sorting through his inventory, enhancing his weapons and finally restocking on equipment.

But this time, he was not readying his gear to fight against the Beasts.

It was time for the Hunter… to become the Hunted.

YVYVYVYVY

“Sir, we are en route, but the lead is reporting extreme Grimm numbers,” a Chimera from the front of Adam’s transport reported, his professional tone carrying a hint of concern.

Adam, who had been silently listening to the world outside the transport, looked at his subordinate with a quirked brow that was hidden by his mask. “That was expected… how are they fairing?” Adam asked, rising from his seat to lean into the driver's space, looking out at the hazard-filled road.  

It was indeed fraught with danger, with Grimm corpses disappearing beneath their armoured transport as the lead vehicles in the convoy operated at the tip of the spear. Each vehicle was now equipped with a mounted gun that was being used to devastating effect, shredding any Grimm that hindered their escape from Bastion.  

Adam watched as a Boarbatusk slammed into the side of the transport ahead of them, its bone spikes grinding against the metal ineffectively. The transport retaliated, slamming into the rolling Grimm, sending it careening off the freeway’s edge to plummet below.

Adam was pleased by the sight and glad that the many expensive and difficult upgrades they had performed on these particular vehicles had been worth it. Upon his arrival in Vale, the first thing he saw too was procuring a secure form of transport for his Chimera units. These armoured transports resulted from months of effort, including scouting, procurement, and enhancement, all culminating in what they are today.

Best of all, it was all done under his command and to his specifications, resulting in them being something only he and his people could claim credit for. They were fine-tuned to be armoured as possible while boasting a speed that would outclass most heavy transports in the wilds.

They were perfect for pursuing rich targets as well as less-than-optimal evacuations, as was the case now.

“Reporting nothing outside the norm, and we seem to be on schedule, sir. At this rate, we are on track to- “

Whatever the driver was going to say was forgotten as a colossal shadow flew overhead, sparks erupting from the vehicle in front of them as something scraped along the top of the transport. Adam quickly grabbed onto the back of the driver's seat as the vehicle swerved wildly, trying to right itself against the buffeting winds and avoid colliding with the transport in front of them.

The Chimera in the passenger seat began to shout, “Alpha Nevermore! Guns up! All transports focus fire!”

Immediately, Adam watched as his Faunus began spraying streams of concentrated fire into the Grimm-infested skies. However, the narrow window at the front inhibited him from seeing if their efforts were effective.

This was rectified when the same Grimm or perhaps another Alpha Nevermore swooped past again, but this time slammed its talons into the side of the Armoured Transport ahead of Adam’s own. The vehicle, despite its increased weight courtesy of its armoured nature, was thrown off its wheels and onto its side.

But the Nevermore wasn’t done yet; its talons snagged under the chassis and dragged it across the freeway, slamming it into the barriers on the edge where it released its hold. As it flew off, Adam could only watch as they drove past the upturned vehicle. Grimm were already descending upon it like the wounded prey it was.

One of his prized armoured transports and all its precious cargo, his Chimera, was lost beneath a tide of inky dark bodies and bone-white masks.

But they couldn’t stop.

If the convoy came to a halt, the Grimm would swarm them wholly and utterly; even slowing down was incredibly hazardous. Everyone in the convoy knew this; they only needed to look in the rearview to see the truth. To stop now would mean a violent and bloody death.

Adam knew he couldn’t afford to abandon the convoy to rush out there and save his people from the ravenous horde swarming them. He knew it would be folly to try, even he would be at risk with the number of Grimm out there.

But still, he wanted to.

“Sir-“

“Tell the convoy to tighten up and then pop the rear doors,” Adam ordered, cutting off his Chimera as he marched to the truck's rear, snatching Wilt and Blush as he passed.

Adam reached the doors just as they popped open, revealing the transport behind them and exposing him to the warm, rushing air of the evening. The two Chimeras in the driver’s and passenger seats of the rear transport glanced at each other, confused, but Adam paid them no mind and instead latched onto the roof's edge before flipping up on top.

He swiftly made his way to the mounted gun, tapping the Chimera, who was currently using it to alert them to his presence. After a swift exchange of thumbs up, Adam went to work.

He set his mind to protecting his people… those he still had.  

Adam was a roaming blender as he turned any Grimm that entered his space into hunks of inky flesh left scattered to the wind. Eventually, remaining atop his own transport was insufficient, so he moved along the convoy to where he was most needed. With the balance and grace his training had imparted to him, he leapt from transport to transport, Wilt a blur of red in his wake.

But all the while, his eyes roamed the sky, trying to pierce through the smoke and obscuring darkness, trying to locate the Alpha Nevermore.

Eventually, he was joined by Gekko, who climbed atop another one of the transports, hoping to provide aid. Gekko was far from fully recovered, but the endurance he boasted was paying dividends. While he may not have regained his full potential, he had recuperated enough Aura to prove capable.

However, instead of wielding his modified chainsaw, he was equipped with a heavy machine gun that he began to fire into any Grimm that came too close. Together, the two managed to create a comfortable buffer between the convoy and the Grimm approaching from the ground.

The Nevermore and the Griffon in the air above were primarily left to the mounted guns. The dual-barrelled automatic guns were mounted atop the armoured transports and accessible from within. They offered a great range of motion, with the only hindrance being the body of the transport they were situated in.

Before they had left the Bastion Headquarters, Adam had requisitioned their entire stock of ammunition to ensure his transports didn’t run dry during their race through the city. A malicious part of him was tempted to empty the entirety of their stocks of anything valuable, but he was stopped by the limited amount of space remaining in his transports.

Instead, he settled on taking an excessive amount of weapons and ammo. He reasoned that if anything, he was securing resources that would otherwise be lost because he was far from confident in the Bastion Cell’s ability to endure what was coming for them.

‘There will be a reckoning in this city, and as always, it is us, the Faunus, who will suffer.’

Adam’s and Gekko’s efforts were halted by the piercing sound of the Alpha Nevermore crying out as it fired a volley of spear-sized feathers downward. The impaling plumage lanced into the freeway and several Transports to varying effects.

Adam watched as most of the feathers bounced off their speeding armoured convoy, but those that didn’t hit with a ringing effect and stuck upward as they successfully pierced the armoured vehicles' outer layers. One even successfully speared into the operator of one of the mounted guns, the Chimera going down, screaming his body pinned by the colossal black feather.

He wasn’t left trapped for long as Adam darted over, slashing the feather in two. Gekko, right on his heels, was there to remove the rest of the sharpened plumage, roaring orders to those inside to cart the Chimera in and see to his wounds.

No sooner were they safely secured inside than another Chimera slid into the mounted turret to continue where his comrade had left off. Despite the Alpha Nevermore being the focus of the turrets, the large Grimm was too fast and resilient, and most of the rounds proved ineffective. Adam felt his frustrations multiply as the Nevermore ascended back into the sky with raging gunfire chasing it all the way.

“Gekko! We need explosives!” Adam roared toward his second. Gekko nodded, stomping to the nearest mounted gun and passing on his orders.

Thunk, thunk, thunk.

Adam turned to a Chimera sticking out the front window of the transport he was standing atop, banging on the roof to get his attention. Adam hurried over, sidestepping a smaller Nevermore’s volley without a thought.

“Sir! Contact to the rear, it's an emergency vehicle, it looks like a fire truck! They’re right on our tail!” The Chimera reported.

Adam had not been expecting such news, but a random fire truck seemed the least of their current issues. But before Adam could speak, the Chimera received another radio transmission, holding up a hand to stall him while he listened. “Sir… there seems to be a Huntsman on the truck!”

Adam was moving in an instant.

He raced down the transports, leaping across the different vehicles as he made his way to the rear of the convoy. As soon as he reached the back of their line, he spotted the fire truck and began looking for signs of this Huntsman.

Adam watched as the fire truck sped behind them, following in their wake as a trio of people atop the racing emergency vehicle fought desperately to keep the chasing horde away. Adam would have tried to learn more, but before he could, the Alpha Nevermore returned, causing the convoy to swerve erratically and forcing Adam to throw himself prone.

The massive avian monster slammed into the roof of one of the transports, the one second from the rear. Its claws hooked into the armoured vehicle but failed to find purchase this time. Its massive talons raked down the side of the vehicle, creating a screeching sound that left Adam cringing.

Fighting through the pain, Adam fired Blush at the flying Grimm's blood-red eyes, causing the Nevermore to hiss as it disengaged.

With a massive flap, it darted away, its bulky frame bouncing off a building, causing two whole floors to collapse as it gained elevation.

Adam hurried back to his feet, his face a rigour of fury as he watched the Alpha Nevermore fly away again. When it vanished, Adam turned back to the fire truck to see that it was faring far worse than his vehicles. The fire truck might be keeping up with them, but it was in such a poor state that Adam wondered about how long it could keep going.

The truck's body featured numerous dents and massive scrapes along its sides, where, if he had to guess, it had suffered a near collision. The front of the truck was coated in a film of Grimm essence, and Adam could see a piece of some Grimm still lodged just under the windshield. The truck's Bumper was gone entirely, with the face of the cabin now enduring the abuse instead.

The windshield was heavily cracked, with a hole on the passenger side where something had managed to punch through. Adam was sure that if there hadn’t been the people fending off the Grimm, the truck would have ended up totalled by now.

Adam changed his attention to the top of the vehicle, where he could see a handful of people clinging to the roof of the beaten-up emergency vehicle. But amongst the clumped group of passengers on top, three were upright and fighting for their lives.

Of the three, it was relatively easy to spot who he assumed to be the Huntsman amongst their ranks, his night vision allowing him to see the blue-haired Faunus wielding the pickaxe that had no apparent signs of injury on their person aside from some blood near their face.

Adam wondered whether their Aura had broken, leading to an injury, or if some blood had come from another Grimm victim.

Then there were the other two.

One of them had some tool in his hands and was using it to swat at a Beowolf that had taken a swipe at his ankles. They were clearly struggling to stay upright, and even as he managed to dislodge the Grimm, it was apparent they were not a Huntsman.

However, Adam didn’t fail to notice that this person was also a Faunus. Their arms were fur-covered and prominent enough for him to see despite their distance. He also noted that they seemed to possess impressive strength as Adam watched the Faunus pierce through the Grimm’s mask.

They were also faring worse than the Faunus, whose trait was her legs. The man had what looked like a feather sticking out of it, and his shirt was bloody red near his hip.

The other one, however…

Adam was almost positive that the blue-haired cat Faunus was the Huntsman his people had been alerting him to. But he began to worry as he watched the tallest of the three pick up a Creep with one hand and slam a rotary saw into its guts.

Adam tried to make out more defining features, but he could discern none through the layer of Grimm essence that painted them nearly entirely.

Or at least that was the case until they turned around.

Adam watched as they tossed the deceased Grimm at another of its ilk, the corpse splattering over another member of its soulless race, sending it tumbling to a gruesome fate on the speeding asphalt. He watched them swipe away the viscera covering their face and then run their hand through the thick sludge-like substance, pushing it back and through their filthy hair, slicking it back.

Then he saw their eyes.

And Adam felt fear.

YVYVYVYVY

Jaune wished he had known that the fire truck had such valuable equipment on board much earlier.

He blocked a Beowolf’s swipe with his recently acquired rotary saw, the blade coming to life with a roar as he turned it on, slicing through the Grimm's fingers. The wolf-Grimm reared away, trying to avoid the lethal weapon, but Jaune slammed a kick into its chest instead of following up with his whirring machine.

The Grimm vanished off the side of the truck, but others were waiting to take its place; it was just a matter of picking out his next prey.

“Oi!” Arrastra shouted, halting his pursuit, “Don’t block! You don’t have Aura, and as tough as that machine might be, it will not hold up to the Grimm!” Arrastra warned, swiping another Grimm off their ride.

Jaune nodded but made sure he was looking away before he frowned.

As soon as he felt the strain it put on his arms, he knew blocking that blow had been a mistake, but he had forgotten to consider the durability of the rotary saw. The weapons of Yharnahm were enhanced with Blood Alchemy so that the many mechanisms they consisted of were supernaturally resilient.  

Remnant had Aura and Dust-manufactured items that allowed for materials to go beyond their base durability. But Jaune didn’t have Aura and, as such, relied wholly on the construction of whatever he was wielding. While modern material refinement was indeed something to behold with current technology and Dust-enhanced manufacturing processes, Jaune was still unwilling to put all of his faith into the construction of this machinery.

With the reminder firmly taken into account, Jaune pounced atop another clawed hand that latched onto the roof of their getaway vehicle and swiftly amputated it. Its owner was sent rolling back under the stampede of murderous things that pursued them ravenously.

“Oi! You two!” Salmon hollered from the front.

“A little busy here!” Arrastra snapped, backhanding a Nevermore away in a snap of feathers.

“The Convoy has a Huntsman!”

That got Arrastra’s attention.

“The fuck they do!” Arrastra yelled back, a feather slamming into her hand, causing her temper to worsen further as she felt the strain on her Aura. “The only reason my furry ass is here is because of that fucking Nevermore!”

As if summoned by Arrastra’s words, the Alpha Nevermore made another appearance, a booming shriek leaving its maw as it swooped in from behind. With its claws outstretched, it was clear it was intent on grabbing the fire truck, but Tara was ready for it.

The mother shouted a curt warning to “Hold on!” as she hit the gas and jerked the wheel to the left.

Swerving to the side and accelerating to the point that their front was nearly perpendicular to the rear of the last vehicle in the Convoy ahead of them, the Alpha Nevermore missed them completely. Its claws slashed through the road, picking up a hunk of asphalt as it flailed momentarily, trying to right itself against its own momentum.

But this distraction cost it.

The massive flying Grimm tried to ascend rapidly following its failed dive, crashing headfirst into an overpass. Everyone watched as the section of elevated road rained down, crushing countless Grimm and pummelling the Nevermore.

For a moment, those not knowledgeable about how resilient an Alpha class Grimm could be dared hope that it had perished, but they were quickly made aware of the contrary when it cleared the dust cloud. Perhaps it was harmed, but it was definitely enraged as it let out a vile hissing noise banking around buildings and once more blending into the chaotic night sky.

Jaune quickly checked on his sisters with the breathing room gained by the Alpha Nevermore’s crash collision. Jade was holding Sky, and the two were fearfully looking upward as they tried to spot any signs of the colossal Nevermore.

Jaune decided right then that if the opportunity arose, he would ensure the flying Grimm perished.

“Are you both alright,” Jaune asked, kneeling beside his sisters, his free hand coming to wrap around Jade’s own, which was clutching onto a ladder rung for dear life.

“T-That’s a really big Grimm,” Jade stuttered nervously.

Sky swallowed so loudly that Jaune heard it over the rushing wind, “What do we do against that?” She uttered, afraid.

Jaune smiled, though unknown to him; it was far from being as comforting as it usually was courtesy of the gore he was coated in. “I have a plan ready to deal with it. Don’t fret, sweet sisters,” Jaune comforted, getting close so he wouldn’t have to raise his voice too loud.

Jaune saw both his sisters seemed to feel at least a modicum better before the moment was ruined by the addition of another voice.

“C-care to share?” Teak asked as he and Ayame looked towards him, fear stirring in their eyes as they were also very much disturbed by the giant flying Grimm. Mr Keppel, for his part, had crawled forward to check on Salmon, who was kneeling shakily, looking upward with fear.

Jaune let a flash of his annoyance at them show for a moment causing the scent of fear on both of them to multiply before he reigned in his temper. “Neither of you need be aware of it. I recommend you continue to do as you have and stay low, though,” Jaune commented plainly.

“Same for you two, stay low, stay safe,” Jaune instructed in a far more caring tone as he rose back up, his attention coming to rest on the next matter he had to deal with.

The Convoy.

Despite the dark, Jaune did not need to strain his vision to spot the figure standing atop the rear vehicle in the convoy. His vision was such that he had once managed to find Tami in a game of pitch-black hide-and-seek, utterly terrifying the poor woman, who had not been expecting that to happen, given her spot on the ceiling.

Jaune would have felt worse about it, but shortly after he found her in the dark, Jade, Sky, Lapis, and Lazuli had dog-piled the Faunus while bellowing accusations of cheating.

The night was far from the pitch-black room they had played in. Light was bleeding in from countless sources around the area, most prominently the vehicles they were atop of in the form of their headlights. Perhaps this was why Jaune could easily spot the white and red mask covering the figures' eyes.

“That’s not a Huntsman,” Jaune declared, looking back to Arrastra. The Huntress, managing to hear his words over the wind, looked closer at the convoy with narrowed eyes.

“Is that a- The hell is the White Fang doing here?” Arrastra asked, looking back toward Jaune.

The hellish screaming roar of the Alpha Nevermore was like a thunderclap as it flew overhead, reminding the world of its presence.

“… Not important,” Jaune snarled, “Salmon, make sure Tara knows not to get too close!”

“Ah, yeah, okay!” Salmon called back, clearly feeling bothered by the situation.

“We need them to get off the freeway, but we should try to get clear of them as soon as possible!” Jaune shouted across to Arrastra.

“Agreed!” the cat Faunus shouted back, “I don’t know how you Valeans get along with your White Fang, but the Mistrali Branch is not a group you would want to be associated with.”

“Believe me, we are not on good terms,” Jaune admitted, earning a quirked brow from the blue-haired Faunus.

Arrastra could not respond as the pursuing Grimm managed to catch up to the fleeing fire truck again. Rather than speak further, Jaune revved his rotary saw as he readied himself for whichever monster would try to clamber onto the roof first.

They came murderous and unthinking. Beowolfs, Creeps, and Nevermore, each beelining for Arrastra and Jaune, the two a more tantalising lure than the rest of the truck.

Jaune embraced it.

Each swing of the rotary saw took him back to some of his darkest moments, the buzzing of the machinery bringing back memories of one of his more brutal weapons. He lost himself to the carnage as his heart thundered in his chest, and he moved to its rhythm. Each swing of his weapon opened gaping wounds in flesh and severed whole limbs.

On through the district, they moved, their fire truck racing behind a convoy of armed terrorists, their transports firing blazing bursts of gunfire into the murderous flocks above. The back of their beaten-up ride dribbled a slew of disintegrating Grimm essence as Jaune kept the encroaching tide at bay.

They were a mobile island in a sea of teeth and claws, pursued by certain death and pushed into the threatening unknown.

The night was illuminated momentarily as the White Fang Convoy fired a rocket into the air. The explosive projectile slammed into the chest of an Alpha Nevermore, erupting flame and noise from the point of impact, and for a second, the world was illuminated by fire.

They were numerous.

Jaune saw their numbers, the countless red eyes set in fixtures of bone white… and felt only rage.

These things that dare threaten his sisters… he would kill them all.

The Alpha Nevermore up above let out a cry so loud that it sent a stabbing pain through Jaune's head, but he ignored it as he stomped down on Grimm's joint, shattering it. The large avian banked away, fire and smoke billowing from its maimed chest as it tried to put distance between itself and that which hurt it.

Jaune watched it from his periphery, aware of it, but focused more on keeping the truck as Grimm-free as possible.

He was only brought out of his state of pure focus by the sound of Arrastra’s announcement.

“It’s happening; they’re getting ready to turn off!” The Huntress shouted, pointing her dripping pickaxe toward the convoy. Jaune turned to witness that she was correct; the lead vehicles in the line moved across a sign above reading ‘exit’ as the lanes shifted.

“Tara!” Jaune roared out, not willing to lose this opportunity.

“On it!” The Faunus screamed, the fire truck moving closer to the convoy. “Brace yourselves! This could get rough!”

Jaune was already aware of that as he moved to the middle of the truck, trusting Arrastra to handle the back. He wanted to be ready to react to anything, whether it be Grimm from above or the convoy to the front.

Everyone could easily hear the sound of metal crunching as the transport at the front of the White Fang’s convoy speared through an abandoned car blocking the way. The vehicle was lifted wholly from the road and tossed off the side of the freeway to crash into the district's streets below.

What they might have missed was the sound of wings beating above.

But this was far from the first time Jaune had to strain his ears to hear of a threat from above while being aware of his surroundings.

“Get down!” Jaune yelled with everything he had.

A breath later, it was like a house exploded above them, and what appeared to be half of a living room, including the walls, rained down on them.

The Nevermore was doing bombing runs.

Salmon and the others screamed in fear as debris crashed around them, Jade and Sky tucking themselves impossibly tighter beneath the ladder as they covered their face. Arrastra smashed through a half-crumpled bookcase with a single swing of Windlass, reducing it to splinters.

In an odd twist, Jaune only got pelted by a couch cushion.

“It's dropping stuff on us!” Teak screamed, “What the fuck!”

Salmon came up, rubbing his arm, “Is that normal?”

Jaune turned to Arrastra, “Your friend seems pretty smart.”

Arrastra did not miss Jaune's inflection on the word, her expression becoming warry as she traced the Grimm with her eyes, “That would track; this is just the night that keeps on giving.”

Jaune found himself agreeing with that sentiment, “It's not there yet…”

“But it's too damn close,” Arrastra agreed with a nod.

“It's coming back!” Sky shouted, pointing at the Nevermore.

Jaune quickly realised why she was able to spot it. “Arrastra!”

She was already moving, sprinting to the front of the truck. Her eyes widened as she beheld the Alpha Nevermore soaring towards them, clutching a blazing wreck.

It released it with a cry, the makeshift bomb soaring down with damning precision toward the front of the White Fang convoy.

Suddenly, there was a red flash.

The flaming wreck was split in two, the different halves crashing to the sides of the convoy, where they rolled back, one crashing into the barriers and stopping.

The other continued to crash and tumble… right into their fire truck's path.

Arrastra was ready.

She leapt from the truck and slammed her bunched legs into the half that was on a collision course with them. Her feline legs kicked out and sent the cleaved, flaming wreckage shooting off to the side while she landed safely back atop the truck’s cabin.

She had only been back on the truck for a few seconds when Tara shouted from inside, “Off ramp ahead!”

Salmon was the one to respond, “About bloody time!”

A screech tore through the air, and Jaune looked up in time to watch as the Alpha Nevermore flew over his head, its talons outstretched.

It slammed bodily into a truck more toward the centre of the convoy. Its mass was so great that the armoured transport was forced down into the road, sparks shooting out where it scraped along the asphalt. It flapped its wings twice, and the back of the vehicle clutched in its claws was lifted upward, its tyres spinning futilely.

The Alpha Nevermore flapped again, and the heavily armoured transport was sent slamming back down into the road with the sound of protesting metal. The Alpha Nevermore took off once more but became a mere afterthought for those behind the transport it grabbed.

The last two trucks in the convoy swerved around it, though one scrapped its side along the nearly totalled vehicle.

“Brace!” Tara screamed as she, too, swerved, but the crashed transport rolled, leaving her with no choice but to plough into it partially.

The fire truck shuddered violently from the collision, the sound of glass shattering done in tandem with screams of primal fear as the fire truck swerved wildly, going up on two tyres. Metal and glass filled the air, and Jaune was forced to cover his face lest he jeopardise his eyes.

He never saw the blow that took his feet out and sent him crashing onto his back, his rotary saw impaling into the truck next to Arrastra’s foot.

Opening his eyes, he saw Sky reaching out, screaming as Jade was pulled away by the ladder that had come loose and swung out to the side.

His breath became chilled as it felt like lightning rushed through his veins.

Jaune exploded off his back and landed on his feet. He saw Arrastra moving toward the front of the truck but ignored her.

He only saw Jade.

Jaune leapt and flew off the side of the truck, through the open air, and over the lethal road that rushed by below.

Jade was dangling from the ladder, which was shaking precariously as the vibrations from the collision continued to make it bounce violently.

Jaune’s hand clutched about the ladder, uncaring for the rapid motion, with a grip so tight that he would not have been surprised to find the metal warped.

He swung down, the bottoms of his feet sliding across the road as he went. Following the momentum, he came up again as his other arm stretched out and scooped up Jade, pulling her with him. He landed atop the ladder on his back with Jade held to his side, his head already turned toward the truck and the safety it offered.

But when he tried to move, something stopped him.

He looked back and saw someone clutching onto his sister's ankle, screaming something utterly incoherent to Jaune’s ears.

He heard Jade, though, as she screamed in a mad panic, “Let go! Let go! Let me go!”

Jaune pulled Jade to his chest as he loomed forward, his arm drawn back as his fingers became like claws. He stared down at this thing that dared to endanger his sister.

A maddened drowning man… trying to drag another down.

But before Jaune could solve the issue, a light post beat him to it. The ladder sticking out was in the direct path of one of the light posts alongside the offramp, and Tara was in no position to slow down.

They crashed into it, the ladder twisting and warping terribly as Jaune watched the man holding onto his sister's ankle slam into the unyielding metal, his lower anatomy breaking on impact. His gut burst from the force of the collision, and his whole upper body twisted around violently.

Jaune was thrown back as the ladder was reshaped beneath him. His body was flung backward uncontrollably, his arms securing Jade to his front as he flew wildly into the air.

He hit something, a hand lashing out to latch on, desperately hoping it was the truck.

He felt his fingers slide until he managed to snag a ledge with his bare fingertips, and though his arm screamed in protest, he was pulled to a stop. Gravity then took control, and Jaune felt his body swing downward.

When he got his bearings, he was half hanging over the fire truck with only his left arm keeping him and Jade on board. He powered through the insignificant pain and pulled himself and his sister back onto the emergency vehicle via the most awkward pullup he had done in a long while.

Only when he was securely on top did he take a breath, looking down at a shaking Jade who was as pale as a sheet.

“Jade, are yo-“

Jaws nearly snapped shut around his head, but Jaune was as wired as he had been all night, and his hand enclosed around the wolf-like throat of the Beowolf that had managed to clamber up the side of the fire truck in time to save his life.

“Jade, go!” Jaune roared as he took his other arm from around her and slammed it back to help push the Grimm’s snapping Jaws away.

Jade crawled away, and the sight of the Grimm’s eyes following her was enough to re-energise Jaune as he drove his fist into the Beowolf's unarmoured jaw. The clack of its fangs was musical as it stumbled away in a daze.

Jaune went to stand, pushing himself up with his hands as he kicked off with his legs-

His right one gave out under him, a pain flaring to life from it as Jaune cracked his jaw on the fire truck's roof.

He looked up, but the Beowolf had recovered its arm drawn back, ready to swipe down and crack open his head like an oyster.

Jaune raised his arm, intending to lessen the blow as much as he could, to sacrifice his arm so that he might survive and tear this abomination's head off.

The Grimm never swung.

Someone ran screaming into its side, the Beowolf letting out a bark as something stabbed between its ribs. It looked back snarling, jaw spread wide, ready to slam shut on its attacker when the roar of something more mechanical joined the screaming of the individual who stabbed it in the side.

The rotary saw that had been stabbed in between the Beowolf’s ribs spun to life, and the Grimm gave out a breathless gag as its essence spewed out of its mouth, hosing the person attacking it. The man who had been screaming gave a grunt of exertion as he pushed with all he had, sending the violently bleeding monster off the back of the truck, the rotary saw still lodged inside it as it fell.

Jaune looked towards his gore-splattered saviour and found himself struggling to believe what he saw.

“… Good work, Mr Keppel,” Jaune praised.

The man was breathing heavily, panting as his chest moved up and down, but all the same, he managed to give a shaky smile at Jaune’s words.

Jaune forced himself onto his knees just as the truck left the large off-ramp and the towering freeways behind and entered the district proper with all the tall, covering buildings that came with it.

“We made it!” Tara shouted gleefully from within, likely unaware of the scene up top.

Arrastra was over an unmoving Salmon, who was laid out on the roof of the Cabin with Ayame by her side. The younger Faunus looked utterly panicked.

Jaune finally found Sky, but only because she was pulling Jade into her arms, tugging her sister away from the truck's ledge.

She was shouting at him as well.

“You too, Jaune! Get away from the damn ledge!” Sky shrieked.

Jaune began to crawl forward when the same pain from before flared once again.

It only took a glance back for him to realise why.

“Kos, give me strength. Will this night ever end,” Jaune hissed as he moved away from the edge of the truck without using his right leg, which now sported a broken ankle.

“You all good back there?” Arrastra called from the front.

“We’re good!” Jaune answered, examining his ankle more closely.

It was definitely broken and hung at an odd angle, which made Sky gag as she realised what her brother was checking.

“Salmons down, he’s breathing but unconscious!” Arrastra reported.

“Head wound?” Jaune asked.

“Maybe.”

That wasn't good, but Jaune admitted that that seemed to be the norm as things were.

“Who’d we lose?” Arrastra asked from the front before saying something to Ayame that Jaune couldn’t make out from where he was.

“Pardon?”

“We’re missing one, who’s that?” Arrastra asked as she picked up Salmon and moved him away from the front of the truck, Ayame crawling behind her.

“Keppel, the hotel manager!” Jaune answered.

“The other human? Means we lost the other Faunus guy,” Arrastra deduced as she laid Salmon out carefully.

Jaune thought of the person on the ladder, though truthfully, he was struggling to recall their features as he had been a little more focused on how to remove them.

“He must have been on the ladder,” Jaune stated. “He’s dead.”

“Shit…” Arrastra breathed, looking very tired.

Jaune looked back to the front of the Fire Truck and saw that they were still following the convoy. He was about to shout out and scold Tara, but then he saw she was still heading toward the Breach.

“They’re going our way,” Jaune pointed out, the wind now far less oppressive as they drove through the streets bordered by buildings.

“Yeah… problem for later, I suppose,” Arrastra agreed, looking around as they drove past a pack of Beowolves. “I’m nearly empty… and that ankle of yours looks fucked.”

Jaune ignored her assessment of his ankle and gestured toward the truck cabin instead. “Go ask them if they have anything with Dust. At this point, our best bet is to pile a whole bunch together to give you what we can.”

Arrastra glanced at his ankle again but, in the end, nodded, heading off to do as Jaune suggested.

Jaune moved towards the side of the fire truck where he had found the rotary saw, hoping to find another item powered by Dust. Jaune ignored the fact that there were Grimm behind them as he searched quickly for something to help empower Arrastra.

Eventually, his eye caught something resembling an emergency raft like one might find on a ship, all wrapped up tight but with the symbol used to indicate the presence of Earth Dust stamped on it.

With his bounty in hand, Jaune crawled back, with the item in hand at the same time as Arrastra clambered back onto the fire truck’s roof with a red cylinder under her arm. “I asked, and they had this extinguisher, which actually is comprised of a surprisingly high percentage of refined Dust.”

“I found this; it's got the earth symbol on it,” Jaune announced, passing the bundle to Arrastra.

“Huh, ‘emergency dome’…” Arrastra read as she turned the bundle over to read the back. “Oh shit, this is nearly completely made out of Earth Dust.”

“Together, are those enough to get you back to full?” Jaune asked.

“Damn close, my fatigue is starting to wear on me, and unfortunately, I still need sleep, but with this, I can hopefully- Dive!”

Arrastra was a blue blur as she crashed into Jaune, slamming him flat on the fire truck’s roof just in time. The whole vehicle went wild, swerving and bouncing on the road.

Jaune saw the colossal black mass that flew over them and realised what had happened as he shoved Arrastra back. He saw Jade and Sky screaming but safe as they latched onto the edges where the ladder once rested. Both girls were even holding down Salmon, the older Faunus, still very much unconscious.

Ayame, however, was holding on for dear life, screaming just as loudly as the truck continued to move chaotically with her dangling precariously over the edge.

Jaune turned to examine the rear of the truck and saw that Mr Keppel and the back section of the fire truck were just gone. The Nevermore had tried to pick up the whole truck but tore off the rear of the body, leaving the chassis and a warped frame in its wake.

There was no sign of Mr Keppel, the hotel manager, who was just gone without a trace.

Arrastra sprung into action upon realising the situation Ayame was in. She lunged toward the girl and dived to latch onto her wrist as her grip finally slipped. In an instant, Windlass was in her other hand, and with a swift swing, she punched it into the vehicle's roof to keep from sliding off the side.

Tara regained control of the vehicle, but as she did, the skies above were filled with another deafening screech that bounced off the tall buildings discombobulatingly. Jaune looked around wildly for any sign of where the Nevermore might be coming from, hoping to give some warning to Tara.

But it was Arrastra who knew what was coming before anyone else as she felt the coming threat’s eyes glare down from above. There wasn’t time for her to react, not with Ayame in her grasp and Windlass punched into the roof.

So she turned to Jaune desperately, the words leaving her mouth so quickly they were nearly unintelligible, “Jaune! Help!”

The blond looked towards the blue-haired Huntress, his eyes meeting hers, and immediately, he saw the panic in them. That was enough as he reached out and took hold of Windlass, his hands wrapping about the transforming weapon and pulling with everything he had.

Both women were pulled back to the centre of the truck just as an Alpha Nevermore crashed onto their ride. One of its talons pierced the side of the truck while the other clenched around what remained of the ladder.

The girls erupted into screams. They were so close they could have reached out and touched the giant flying killer as it snapped its beak triumphantly and flapped its wings.

Their wheels left the road.

Jaune looked around for something he could use, his eyes glossing over the convoy in front where he saw them driving off, their mounted guns no longer firing.

He saw the masked figure standing atop the rear vehicle turn away.

His hatred for the White Fang grew to new heights.

Luckily, Arrastra was more prepared, and with Ayame secured, she snatched up Windlass and swung at the talons that were impaled where she and the younger Faunus had been moments before. Her weapon smashed through the claw and mutilated the toe it was connected to, causing a spray of black ichor to spew out and the Nevermore to screech horribly.

It released its hold with its bleeding foot, and its weight shifted, tearing the remains of the ladder from the truck. It barely retained its elevation as the truck got loose of its hold.

They hit the road again, the truck making some worrying noises as they raced forward as fast as the large vehicle could.

The Nevermore wasn’t done yet; having righted itself, it was now pursuing them with a vengeance, its eyes blazing as it chased them down. Jade crawled toward the cabin and screamed, “Faster, you have to drive faster!”

Sky stared petrified at the flying monster as it grew closer and closer. The youngest of the Arcs present reached out for Jaune, her small hand reaching out for her big brother in her time of need.

But he wasn’t there.

Jaune was crawling down the fire truck as fast as his limbs would let him, uncaring of his broken ankle, as he raced towards their only salvation.

The extinguisher, it was was rolling towards the edge of the truck, and Jaune barely managed to pounce on top of it, his bad foot hooking on an upturned piece of metal as he did, causing his ankle to flair painfully enough that Jaune’s breath hitched. He looked around for the ‘emergency dome’ but saw that Arrastra was already holding it, her Aura glowing as light flowed from the pack into her.

Jaune felt hope.

“Arrastra!” Jaune warned as he tossed the extinguisher towards her, the red cylinder flying through the air.

Arrastra triumphantly snatched the item out of the air, the glow of her Aura shifting to cover it as a far more pale light began to glow around the extinguisher. The light slowly built, and everyone on the truck watched as Arrastra’s Aura became more and more solid.

Then she was gone.

A moment later, the whole truck tilted to the side, wind rushing past them as the vehicle threatened to tip over.

Jaune did not need to struggle to find Arrastra when the wind passed. The Huntress was already so high up, but her Aura was flaring brightly, making it easy for him to spot her. He watched his eyes wide as she was taken higher, as the light around her grew even brighter until it stung to look at her directly.

Arrastra, clutched in the claws of the colossal, monstrous bird, wreathed in a blazing mirage of colours, roared so loud that Jaune heard her despite the elevation.

“I’M READY FOR THIS NIGHT TO BE OVER, HOW ABOUT Y-“

Whatever else she was going to say was lost as the sky was split in half by an explosion of swirling light and concussive force that shattered numerous windows. The shockwave smacked into Jaune, and he felt it deep in his bones. The world seemed almost silent in the wake of the booming shockwave. Ice, rock, and fizzling smoke rained down from where the explosion occurred, and buildings that caught some elemental debris suffered even more damage.

Finally, from the cloud of fizzling smoke and fading light, the Nevermore, or more accurately, pieces of it began to appear. The smoke clung to its disintegrating mass as it careened downwards, the Grimm clearly dead or at the very least about to be.

But despite how intensely all of them looked, none of them would spot what they were really looking for.

Jaune turned away from the scene and saw his sister’s faces filled with devastation as they looked up in horror at the dissipating cloud that lingered.

He saw Ayame gasping as she violently sobbed, a hand over her mouth trying to muffle her own cries as she, too, continued to stare up at the site of the explosion.

But Jaune knew it wouldn’t matter how long or how hard they looked.

Arrastra Skye was gone.

And with her… their best bet at surviving the night.