The Temptation 021 (Patreon)

Jaune heard him long before he saw him.

As they walked down the sterile colorless hallway, they passed several empty containment cells. Each cell was made up of three reinforced steel walls and a thick, opaque glass panel from floor to ceiling that could withstand high caliber dust rounds without breaking. There was no furniture of any kind; no bed, no chairs, not even a toilet in any of the rooms. When they arrived in front of the only occupied cell, it was to the sight of Tyrian Callows ranting and raving to no one but himself. It was a disturbing sight and he heard Ruby inhale sharply while Yang’s fist tightened by her side.

The man looked strange without his tail, the prosthetic having been removed after his capture. He was no less dangerous without it, however. It may have been a deadly weapon but Jaune knew that was far from the only way he could hurt you.

“So this is the guy, then,” Yang stated with a scowl. Coming face to face with the person who had tried to kidnap or maim your sister can’t have been easy, not for someone as mothering and protective as Yang was. “Looks like a real piece of work.”

“You can say that again,” Nora said, approaching the glass. While they could see him, Tyrian couldn’t see out. He was boxed in on all sides with nothing but the walls as company. “Guy is a lunatic.”

“Of course he is,” Weiss huffed. “Only a lunatic would willingly work with the Grimm.”

Jaune thought of Cinder then. Even with her being long dead, a hot rage bubbled in his stomach in remembrance. She had caused so much pain and loss, all because she wanted magic; all because she wanted to be a maiden. And then there was Hazel – out for revenge, all for a dead sister who had wanted to be a huntress and died trying. For these things, they allied themselves with the Grimm and their Queen, the ultimate enemy of mankind.

Weiss was right – they were all lunatics. None showed it quite like Tyrian, though.

Jaune turned to Winter.

“What are you going to do with him?”

“He will remain contained here for the time being,” she said, eyes locked on the prisoner. “Questioning has been ineffective. When things calm down and we are able to identify and capture his accomplices, he will be moved to a more remote, secure facility. Due to the nature of their considerable knowledge of our technology, however – we cannot risk moving him now. They were able to hack our military network when we were stationed in Vale, and now, again, they were able to upload false footage to a live feed here in Atlas. They have intimate knowledge of our systems. Transporting him now would only make it all too easy for an attempted rescue.”

Salem didn’t just draw talented fighters to her side, then. Someone with that level of expertise was rare. How many other people did Salem have working for her? It was hard to fathom, sometimes. Where did she find all these creeps? Did they just fall into her hands? Disillusioned people fed up with society that just wanted to watch it burn? Selfish psychopaths that wanted power and didn’t care who suffered for them to attain it?

And each one of them were so deadly and skilled, so competent in what they did. How long has this been going on? Decades, centuries – millennia? They’d never asked that question. They only knew it was a very long time. Salem was immortal, unable to die and Ozpin had lived countless lives; how many people had she recruited to her cause in that time? Thousands, potentially. It was insane.

Thousands of people capable of working with the Grimm.

“Any word on Robyn Hill?” Ren asked.

“The General has... invited her to a meeting, though there has been no response as of yet,” Winter looked pensive. “There is no guarantee she will be open to such dialogue. People are already blaming us for not capturing Tyrian sooner – for allowing him to escape custody in the first place. She may hold similar views.”

“It’s a start,” Jaune said, shooting her a smile. He was surprised when she returned it, albeit if you blinked, you would miss it. “I know it won’t be easy but we need to come together if we are to stand a chance. We can’t let Salem get what she wants.”

“I... agree,” she answered slowly. “You are much wiser than my sister led me to believe.”

Weiss rolled her eyes. “This is a new development. Trust me.”

Jaune grinned. “You are very kind.”

“Yes, well,” she flicked her braid aside haughtily. “I’m glad you think so.”

“What about Jacques?” Blake cut through the levity. “It has been two days and we haven’t heard a peep. I may be biased but doesn’t that seem a little odd for him?”

“No,” Weiss said quietly. “You’re right. It is odd. Winter, have you heard anything?”

Winter shook her head. “Things have been quiet on that front. Too quiet. He isn’t officially on the council until he is sworn in next week but it isn’t like him not to take advantage of the situation at hand. He was all too willing to run his mouth before he got elected. I am... suspicious of his silence.”

Weiss clucked her tongue. “I think it all stinks. Winter – do you really think father could have earned so many votes on his own? Robyn Hill was meant to be the champion of the people, wasn’t she? It doesn’t matter what I think of that, the people of Mantle love her. How could she have lost?”

“You think he earned those votes some other way?” Ruby asked seriously.

“I think my father would do anything to win,” Weiss replied grimly. “He doesn’t care about anything else.”

It was rather telling that this opinion was coming from his daughter.

Winter hesitated. “If there was voter manipulation, it would require—”

“—intimate knowledge of your systems,” Ruby finished for her. “Do you really think your father would work with Salem?”

The white haired sisters didn’t have an answer to that. Not an encouraging sign. The idea that Jacques Schnee could be working with their enemy was a sobering one but it would explain the sudden swing in votes. It also made a lot of sense – the Schnee Dust Company was a considerable asset to anyone. In the hands of Salem, it could do immeasurable damage.

“I will bring this up with the General,” Winter concluded. “We weren’t able to find anything amiss during the recount but if these people are as skilled as we know they are then they are good enough to hide their tracks. In the meantime, I have assignments for all of you.”

Tapping on her scroll, several files were sent to each of them.

“The unrest in Mantle has stabilized but with Robyn Hill silent, we are worried that she may do something drastic. We already know that in the past, she attempted to stop and take cargo destined for Amity, so we are heightening security on each run. There aren’t many people that can be trusted with this information and the Ace-Op’s are busy with other operations.”

“Great, babysitting cargo,” Yang said sarcastically before sighing. “When do we start?”

They split up into teams of two, a team for each truck. Only one of them was truly bound for Amity, the rest were decoys set up to confuse anyone who attempted to interfere. Since it was easiest, they simply went with their partners; Ruby with Weiss, Blake with Yang, and Ren with Nora.

It meant that Jaune was flying solo. Oscar wasn’t a huntsman, and Penny was being kept close to home considering the attempt at framing her. It was an unfortunate situation but keeping her hidden was for the best at this time. Only in the most drastic circumstances would they let her loose.

Since he was alone, it meant that he would be in one of the decoy transports. If the real cargo did come under attack, it needed to be defended. They could not allow them to be taken, not if they wanted Ironwood’s plan to succeed in a timely fashion. Two fighters were better than one. Jaune just hoped it wouldn’t come to that.

“Are you sure you’ll be fine all on your own?” Ruby asked in concern when their airship landed in Mantle. They would be traveling to separate manufacturing facilities to further confuse any would be hijackers.

“Escorting kids, escorting boxes, not much difference,” he joked with a shrug. “At least the boxes won’t run off on their own when I’m not looking.”

“If something does happen, call us immediately,” Weiss demanded.

“Right back at you,” he returned. “Just because you guys are in pairs doesn’t mean you can take on everything they might throw at you. Let us know. At the very least, I can leave my post to help since I’m not watching anything important.”

“You got it,” Yang pumped her fist.

Blake touched his arm, fingers curling around his wrist and thumb.

“Stay safe,” she said. He gave them all a smile.

“I will,” he promised. “You too.”

Fist bumping Ren and giving Nora a quick hug, he set off. The facilities were scattered all across the city but the one he was going to wasn’t very far from the airship dock. As per the strict curfew guidelines, there were very few people out on the streets. Things had been tightened even further because of the attack but Ironwood had made sure to continue sending aid. They hadn’t even needed to press on him to do so. Only essential workers were permitted out after a certain time and large gatherings for people were prohibited without a permit, at all hours. School was canceled, meaning no more escort missions. That made Jaune a little sad.

He had grown to enjoy the little tykes.

When he arrived at his destination, there was a large armored truck waiting for him. Greeting the drivers, he identified himself and got everything in order. Alongside the driver, there were two soldiers that would be riding up front while Jaune would hide in the back amongst the goods. Large steel crates were being loaded into the back and Jaune watched as the final piece of cargo was strapped down and secured.

Hopping up into the vehicle, he moved into a more comfortable space and sat, resting his back against one of the crates as the door was closed with a bang, shrouding him in darkness. If needed, the door could be unlocked and opened from the inside with a quick swipe of his scroll. He needed to be able to act quickly if they were set upon.

The engine rumbled to life and soon enough, they were pulling out and into Mantle proper. Now it was just a waiting game. Since there was a curfew in place, there was practically zero traffic. They even had someone controlling the traffic lights meaning there should be very little reason to ever stop. If you were stationary, it just made you an easier target, so for twenty minutes Jaune was comforted by the gentle sway as they moved about without pause.

“You aren’t terribly impressive, are you?” a voice suddenly said. “I don’t know what Robyn sees in you.”

Jaune jolted in fright, his heart rate spiking. Crocea Mors was unsheathed in an instant, the rasp of steel loud in the enclosed space. The light on his scroll flared to life and it took a second for his eyes to adjust.

There was no one there. Not that he could see, anyway.

“Show yourself,” he demanded.

A sigh came from his left, on the other side of the crate he had been leaning against.

“As you wish.”

One moment the space was empty and then the next, there was a woman. She was fair skinned with short blue hair – no, it only looked short, Jaune spying a long ponytail wrapped tightly in white bandages that ran the entire length of her back. She was dressed in a long dusty brown coat over a gray waistcoat and a dark brown top. Her weapon was strapped to her back, the strange mecha-shift staff-crossbow hybrids favored by the Happy Huntresses.

She was one of Robyn Hill’s girls.

“That’s a handy semblance,” he quipped as his hand tightened around the grip of his sword. While she didn’t look to be in a position to attack, the expression on her face was far from welcoming.

“It has its uses,” she replied dryly, sizing him up. “If I was going to attack you, I wouldn’t have announced myself. So can you put that sword of yours away before someone gets hurt?”

“How about you tell me what you are doing here before I start swinging?” Jaune countered. “I was hoping that Robyn wouldn’t do something stupid just because she lost the election but you being here doesn’t fill me with much confidence.”

The Happy Huntress rolled her eyes. “I’m here to talk – or you could say, I’m here to offer you something.”

“Offer me something?” Jaune repeated blandly. “And what is it that you are offering me?”

“A meeting with Robyn Hill.”

Jaune paused.

“General Ironwood has already extended an invitation to her,” he said, confused. “So why are you coming to me?”

“Because for some reason, she trusts you,” she scoffed. “Trusts you enough to meet with you, at any rate – though I’m not sure why.”

“How the hell did you even find me?” he asked before remembering something Robyn Hill had said, that day he had been handing out aid. “Oh – you’ve been tailing me.”

The woman smirked. “Since you landed. We had a feeling it would only be a matter of time before you and your friends were sent down here.”

“And then you snuck in while they loaded in the cargo,” he concluded, shaking his head. “Well – this was a waste of time, wasn’t it?”

Lowering his sword, he sheathed it and removed his hand from the pommel. Then he offered his hand.

“I’m Jaune,” he supplied at her wary look. “Jaune Arc.”

She hesitated.

“May. May Marigold.”

Her grip was strong, powerful. Jaune did his best not to squeeze back.

“So when does she want to meet?”

“Now, if possible.”

Seeing as he was only watching a bunch of empty containers, he didn’t think his presence was needed any longer. The transport was safe and it carried nothing of worth. They wouldn’t even know he was gone until they pulled up at their final destination, hours from now. More than enough time to go meet Robyn Hill and find out what she wanted.

This was important.

“Lead the way,” he said.

Jumping from a moving vehicle was always a bit of a challenge. Jaune wasn’t the most graceful of souls, though he managed to not face plant as his boots met the hard surface of the road. Jumping from airships was a lot more nerve wracking, so he had practice. The truck continued on obliviously, the back door swinging shut automatically. For a moment, he wondered if he should contact his friends but thought against it. What he did do, however, was turn on the tracking app they had all installed on their scrolls. If this was some type of trap and he was being kidnapped, then they would be able to find his location easy enough.

He didn’t think he was being kidnapped, though. Why would they even bother with someone like him? If they had targeted someone like Weiss, that would be understandable. She might have been disinherited but she was still a Schnee. It would make much more of a statement and carry significant weight.

There was a car waiting for them not far off. The windshield had a small sticker in the top right hand corner, marking it as a vehicle belonging to an essential worker. It certainly hadn’t taken them long to get their hands on that. It meant that they could move around in the open unopposed, so long as they didn’t draw any unnecessary attention to themselves. The driver was someone familiar – Fiona Thyme smiled at him as they approached.

She had a very pretty smile.

“Get in,” May said, pulling open the door behind the driver. Jaune complied, arching an eyebrow as the door was slammed shut behind him. Fiona saw this through the mirror and giggled. When May got in on the passenger side, Fiona turned the key. The engine rumbled to life and soon enough, they were on the move.

Their destination was an old factory in the abandoned section of the industrial district. From what Jaune knew of the area, it was once the heart of Mantle back during the Great War. The speed of their production had been unmatched and was what had given them the most well equipped army on Remnant, back in their heyday. It had driven their successful expansion into the world, allowing them to treat with Mistral and take on the might of Vacuo and Vale combined. Unfortunately for them, that had meant little in the face of Vale’s King when he had taken to the field – or so the legends told. That had been the beginning of Mantle’s decline and subsequent rise of Atlas, the new power of Solitas. Now this once bustling center of production felt like a graveyard, the towering smoke stacks like monolithic spires signaling past glory. The silence here was filled with sorrow.

“We’ve arrived,” May announced as they pulled up beside one of the many decrepit buildings. Further down, Jaune spotted a group of people huddled around a fire burning brightly within a barrel. Homeless, no doubt – they didn’t fear being caught out after curfew. Not only did they have nowhere else to go but Atlas cared little for this area. There was nothing of value here, not to them.

The great big metal doors groaned in protest as they were pushed open. Inside was a large room lined end to end with outdated machinery, covered in layers of grime and frost. Rusted walkways hung above them, the skeletal remains of a once state of the art facility. They walked to the center of the room and then stopped. Jaune thought idly that this was the perfect spot for an ambush.

He was surprised they hadn’t asked for his weapon.

“Jaune Arc,” Robyn Hill appeared from the shadows alongside another one of her followers. This woman was tall, taller than he was by a couple of inches and built powerfully. She reminded him of Elm. Like the rest of the Happy Huntresses, she wore their signature brown coat.

“Miss Hill,” he answered politely. She grinned.

“I think we are past that, don’t you? Robyn is fine.”

“Robyn, then,” he conceded. “I was told you wanted to meet with me.”

“You were told right,” she stared at him for a moment. “I don’t know how you did it, kid, but your boss wishes to talk with me. Imagine my surprise when I was invited to meet with the head honcho himself – well, I never thought I’d see the day. Of course, if I’d been elected to the council, none of this would have been necessary but here we are.”

“Yet you’ve not replied,” Jaune said. “Why?”

“Let’s just say I’m a little wary after being targeted by a known psychopath. You can understand, right?”

Jaune frowned. “You don’t honestly blame General Ironwood for what happened, do you?”

“No,” Robyn sighed, beginning to pace. “No. My opinion of Atlas and its General isn’t the greatest, but even I wouldn’t believe that. It was awfully convenient timing, though. Right on the cusp of the election; there is no way you can convince me that this was just a coincidence. An opportunistic kill. This was a planned hit and I want to find out who is behind it.”

There were a lot of things Jaune couldn’t share with her, things that would make this conversation much easier to navigate. Then there were certain truths that no matter how he phrased them, no matter how convincing he tried to be, she would simply never believe. There was one thing, though, that Jaune felt he could share that may help. He was taking a chance telling her this and he knew if General Ironwood knew what he was about to do, he would be furious. But sometimes you needed to take a chance and show a little faith to receive any in return.

“We don’t think your death was the main objective.”

She paused, turning to look at him sharply.

“Explain.”

“Someone tried to run false footage over the live broadcast, in an attempt to cast doubt on a certain figure in attendance. It was caught and stopped at the last minute but it gives us reason to believe that their ultimate goal was to tarnish their reputation and cause outrage among Mantle.”

Robyn frowned. “They were trying to frame someone for what happened?”

She had pieced that together remarkably well.

“Yeah.”

Then came the all important question.

“Who?”

He really hoped he didn’t regret this.

“Penny.”