Chapter 41: Chapter-41
They had no way of knowing just how well informed Cinder was of their movements and so in the following days, everything was business as usual. For their plan to work, she needed to believe that everything was going according to her designs. Arthur Watts had shown that their systems weren't impenetrable and Neo's ability to come and go as she pleased, right in the middle of Atlas Academy? It meant that everything had to be played by the book.
By the book took time.
It wasn't like General Ironwood hadn't already laid the groundwork but Atlas was a kingdom of procedure. There were rules upon rules about what could and couldn't be done, what order in which things needed to be processed and who could ultimately enact certain protocols. Orders needed to be sent out, huntsman missions needed to be assigned, soldiers positioned and the correct people notified, and all of this without alerting her that anything was out of the ordinary. That this was just another run of the mill prisoner exchange. Even though Arthur and Tyrian wouldn't be moved in truth, the warden of the prison they were meant to be going to still needed to be alerted as if they were coming, guards needed to be prepared and pilots briefed and a flight plan secured.
If Cinder did have eyes in their system, then it was imperative that everything was done correctly. One mistake could bring the whole thing down. Things couldn't be rushed.
But by the same token, there needed to be just the right level of secrecy that the situation demanded. The prisoners they were moving weren't just any criminals. They were agents of Salem. They required a special touch. It was a fine line, finding that balance.
They didn't speak of the true plan unless absolutely necessary and never over any device, or in public, or in any place that hadn't already been swept several times by Penny's advanced systems. Only then did they discuss just what would be happening when Ironwood pulled the trigger.
"You'll be assigned missions across Mantle and Atlas, and the transportation of prisoners will occur in the evening, coinciding with the completion of your assignments," Winter Schnee informed them. It was Jaune's first time being in her office and it was just as utilitarian as he expected. Other than a picture frame upon her desk that showed a much younger Weiss beaming at the camera, there was nothing of Winter in this office other than her cold professionalism. "You will be in transit when the call goes out that the prisoners have escaped and will be rerouted to help join the search. In reality, you will be kept airborne until we know that Cinder has taken the bait. Once she has, Penny will send out a signal to your scrolls and they will bring you to sector twelve under the cover of an extraction. If she does not, then you will be forced to join the search until such a time as she makes a move. We are hoping that her patience has run thin and it will not come to that."
"Sector twelve," Ruby spoke up. "What is that?"
Penny stepped forward with a tablet, highlighting the screen. "Here – this facility was used extensively by my father in the past. You could say that this is my childhood home. Much of the equipment here was designed with the transfer and capture of aura in mind. It is the perfect place to house a dying Maiden."
"Another bait, then." The location only added to the legitimacy of their trap. It made sense to keep the Winter Maiden somewhere that they could easily access such equipment. Much like the machine beneath Beacon. Then he thought of something else. Jaune frowned. "Are we hoping to capture the Fall Maiden's powers here or...?"
Winter shook her head. "No. Cinder is to be eliminated. That is our first and only priority. We will worry about the Fall Maiden's powers afterwards." She looked over their gathered teams. "It is hoped that with so many eligible candidates involved in this operation that the powers will fall to one of you. It is highly likely that someone here will be in her thoughts. Remember that."
They'd all known that was a possibility but that didn't stop the somber mood from developing among them. They understood that gaining the powers of a Maiden was not something to take lightly, or even seek. They'd all witnessed the lengths people would go to just to harness such power for themselves. It would forever place a target on your back, one that would never go away until your death. None of them were the type of person to relish such a thing. They had already lost Pyrrha to this folly, through no fault of her own. They didn't want to lose anyone else.
They all received their assignments for the next day. Jaune was paired with Blake and Ren, and they were being sent down to Mantle to help oversee the last stages of the clean up effort. Weiss and Yang were being sent to the wall. Grimm activity had been slow since the assault on Mantle but reports suggested that they were beginning to recover their numbers. Ruby and Nora were going to be helping with security.
Now all they could do was wait.
"What do you guys wanna do?" Jaune asked when they shuffled out of Winter's office. Weiss stayed behind to speak with her sister, and Jaune saw the two young women speaking in low tones as the door snapped shut.
"I was going to work on Crescent Rose," Ruby said, tapping her fingers against the collapsed form of her weapon. "We should make sure all our gear is in order, right?"
Jaune nodded. "Right, good idea."
He couldn't remember the last time he had done maintenance on his weapons other than cleaning them off. Jaune was lucky. His sword was just a sword. While his shield was a piece of mecha-shift technology, it was very simple compared to Ruby's scythe or Yang's gauntlets. With the addition of dust, it was a little more complicated than it used to be but not by much. The mechanisms inside his shield were rather straightforward.
The academy had workshops dedicated to the maintenance and upkeep of huntsmen equipment and so they found the nearest one. It was well stocked with anything you would ever need; dust steel bolts and screws, ammunition casings, soldering irons and welding equipment, and any type of tool found under the sun from hammers to wrenches, screwdrivers and more. There were containers to store or dispose of unstable dust, paint and polish for those finishing touches, and grease or other lubricating liquid to keep those hinges and shifting pieces well protected. It was a place straight out of Ruby's dreams and the excited glint in her silver eyes was noticeable as she skipped over to a workbench and unfurled her pride and joy, the curved blade of Crescent Rose gleaming beneath the lighting.
Yang followed her sister and removed Ember Celica, placing the gauntlet down on the bench.
"Help me with this?" Yang gestured at her prosthetic before giving it a twist, removing her arm. Ruby beamed.
"Of course," the younger girl said.
Nora opened up her grenade launcher and ejected the canisters before deploying its hammer form. She had already gone over her weapon recently but there was no harm in doing it again. Ren's weapons were simple like Jaune's own, a pair of bladed automatic handguns that had minor shifting tech. Ren removed the cartridges before beginning to disassemble his guns, his hands working with practiced precision.
Crocea Mors rasped as Jaune pulled it from its sheath and he held it up to admire the razor sharp blade before carefully placing it on the bench. Unclipping his shield-sheath, he shifted it into its shield form before placing it upright in a vice to keep it steady. Plucking a screwdriver from a nearby tool rack, he tilted his head in question as Blake sidled up beside him and placed Gambol Shroud down next to his sword.
"Need a hand?" she asked, giving him a small pretty smile.
Jaune returned the smile with one of his own.
"Sure."
Blake's fingers were much more slender and nimble, and would find their way inside the cramped parts much easier than his own. Deftly unscrewing a small plate from the center panel, it revealed a small channel where familiar dust cartridges sat. Pressing down on the top, they popped out one by one, slim containers containing several types of dust in powdered form. Blake handled them with care as she set them aside. With the dust removed, they delved deeper, removing several more panels until the inner workings of his shield were revealed.
Because of the collapsible nature of his shield, the moving parts were quite small and compact, almost delicate. Not the type of machinery you would expect inside something that was used to tank vicious blows. It was all made possible by the simple yet highly effective shock absorbers protecting them from harm.
Their arms bumped as they got to work, checking each screw and nut, and reapplying a layer of lubricant to each moving joint. Her warmth next to him aroused a spark of desire in his stomach and when he snuck a glance her way, it was to be met with lidded amber eyes hyper focused on his hands. Cleaning out the dust exhaust chambers of any build up to ensure no blockage, they were finished in no time at all. Reassembling everything was easy.
Jaune felt her fingers slip between his own and give his hands a firm squeeze.
"Help me with mine?"
He sensed Yang and Ruby looking their way. When he looked in their direction, Yang rolled her eyes in amusement while Ruby simply grinned cheekily.
"Yeah," he said after a moment. "Show me how?"
Gambol Shroud was light as a feather as he handled it and Blake showed him how to remove the various pieces. Removing the blade required tools to loosen the bolts, and Jaune admired the golden line that passed through the black dust steel. It was where her weapon had once broken, now good as new. Passing his finger over it, he felt no variation in the material.
Blake's finger joined his in caressing the flat side of the blade, her expression sad.
Jaune knew the story behind it but he knew little of the man that had inflicted such damage, the man Blake had once admired so much, she was willing to forsake her parents for. She didn't speak of him. He knew it was complicated. Sometimes he wished he spoke of Pyrrha more and even with all of the baggage he had with his partner, it didn't come close to what Blake had with Adam.
Once the blade was completely detached, they moved onto the pistol. Ejecting the magazine, he watched as she removed each round of ammunition before taking the magazine itself apart. Using a pointed tool, she pressed in a small hole on the underside and slid the bottom plate off before allowing the spring to press out a secondary plate. At the end of the spring was something called a follower which the bullets rested against and helped push them into position whenever the gun was fired.
Next she removed the slider, pressing down on a button and flicking a switch to detach it. Pulling the separate pieces apart, she focused on the upper piece first, pressing in and then out to remove the guide rod and recoil spring. The barrel followed shortly after, a simple press and pull removing it completely.
She made it look so simple.
"Following so far?" she teased.
"Er," Jaune scratched his neck. "I think so."
Blake giggled. "It looks more complicated than it is. Once you get the hang of it, it becomes second nature to pull it apart."
Stripping down the bottom piece took a little more effort. A screwdriver was used to remove the grip, and then an allen wrench was used to punch out several pins that held key components in place. Many of the springs were under tension and required careful removal but Blake's fingers moved with practiced ease. When it was completely stripped down, they got to work on cleaning each piece before slowly reassembling it.
They were just putting the slide back into place when Weiss finally joined them. She looked extraordinarily pleased with herself, almost skipping as she waltzed her way across the room.
"You're certainly happy," Blake commented, eyeing her teammate suspiciously.
"I am," Weiss preened. "I have never been happier."
The former heiress peered at their work and hummed. Then she caught Jaune's eyes with her own.
"Do you need help polishing your sword?"
Blake choked, fumbling with her gun as Yang snorted loudly from the next bench over. Ruby glanced between them with a dirty little smirk but the completely earnest expression on Weiss' face told Jaune that she hadn't meant any sort of innuendo. At least, he didn't think she had. Weiss had a brilliant poker face, after all. Growing up among the sea of sharks wishing to sink their teeth into the Schnee Dust Company would do that.
"Uh, yeah," Jaune replied. "Sure, that would be great."
There were a wide range of oils to choose from for different types of metal. Crocea Mors was basic dust steel and so he watched as Weiss selected the correct one, lightly dusting off any loose lint or debris from the blade. The oil came in a small spray bottle for easy use, making the action of application very simple.
Removing his shield from the vice, he replaced it with his sword, tightening it around the pommel and guard so the blade was tilted upwards at an angle. Weiss popped off the cap and began lightly spraying across the flat, applying a light coating from the base all the way to the pointed tip. Jaune then turned the sword over so she could spray the other side.
If there were any spots or imperfections, he could use sandpaper at this stage to help remove them but there were none. Grabbing a clean cloth, Jaune began wiping it down, spreading the oil evenly and removing any excess. While he did this, Weiss grabbed some metal polish and another clean cloth.
When he was done with the oil, he removed it from the vice and lay it flat on the bench. Weiss applied the polish in an even line straight down the middle of the flat, and then began spreading it with the new cloth, careful not to cut herself on the keen edge. She did this on both sides before finally using a final cloth to really shine it up, rubbing it down to a fine shine.
"She's really good at that," Yang quipped.
Jaune peered over and Yang winked at him. Ruby was currently concentrating on opening up Yang's prosthetic, removing the outer protective plating before digging into the intricate pieces inside.
"Of course I am," Weiss said haughtily. "I'm good at everything."
Blake shot Jaune a look above Weiss' head, face locked in an expression of suppressed laughter.
Jaune felt his lips twitch.
"Polish that sword nice and good, Weiss," Yang continued to bait. "Pump those hands. Make sure to get all of it ."
"You don't need to tell me how to do this."
"I'm just giving you some encouragement."
Nora covered her mouth, snickering as Ren shook his head. Though he tried not to show it, Jaune could see the humor in his eyes as he finished reassembling his weapons. Though his teammate and unofficial brother was surely still coming to grips with Jaune's thing as Nora liked to put it.
"I do not require it," Weiss preened. "Do I, Jaune?"
"Uh – no, you're doing a good job. Thanks for the help, Weiss."
"Anytime," she said, gifting him with a brilliant smile. "Now you can help me with Myrtenaster."
At its core, Myrtenaster was a very straight forward weapon. Despite its elegant design and versatile nature, there wasn't much to it. It was a sword like Crocea Mors, a rapier designed primarily for stabbing attacks and was equipped with a revolving dust chamber. On the underside, there was a small trigger to activate the selected dust, an even smaller switch to rotate the dust chamber to the correct element, a hammer like that of a gun and a series of exhaust ports that vented forward, ejecting the desired attack.
It had even less moving parts than his shield and Jaune watched as she took it apart effortlessly with only basic tools, unlatching the revolving chamber and ejecting the dust cartridges onto the table. She then handed him the blade.
"Your turn," she said while she gestured at the chamber in her hand. "I'll clean this while you polish my sword now."
Nora and Ren were done first and left in search of food, leaving the five of them alone. Blake had wandered over to help Ruby and Yang, acting as a tool mule as Ruby ordered her around, making her fetch anything she needed. The technology in Yang's prosthetic was much more advanced than any of their weaponry combined but Ruby was undaunted, stripping it right down to the bare skeleton and rebuilding it from the ground up.
This was her territory.
Weiss hummed a merry tune as she finished cleaning out the chambers and lubricated the rotating shaft. He was just finishing off with the polish, the blade like a gleaming needle when she leaned in.
"I was thinking that maybe we could have dinner together tonight," she whispered and he met her gaze. "All of us, I mean," she gestured to her teammates. "It's a big day tomorrow and… I was hoping we could all spend some time together before then."
Jaune found himself sinking into her eyes and took a few seconds to respond.
"That sounds great. Do you want me to ask Ren and Nora, or did you mean just us ?"
Weiss bit her lip, the moist pink flesh looking delectable.
"Just us," she said. "And then after… Winter has an apartment in the city. She said we could use it. We can stay there. If you want."
Was this what Weiss had stayed behind to speak to her sister about? The implication was clear and Jaune felt that heady mixture of desire, lust and affection fill him. She must have noticed something different in him because her expression changed, her pupils dilating as she leaned in and kissed his chin.
"So?" she asked.
"Hey," Yang's voice cut between them. "Just what do you think you're doing?"
Weiss leaned back and took her alluring scent with her.
"I was just asking if Jaune would like to have dinner with us tonight," Weiss said without missing a beat. Ruby perked up, looking excited. "He was just about to answer when you so rudely interrupted."
Yang scoffed but looked interested. "Jaune?"
He nodded. "Yeah, I'd love to."
"So it's a date?" Blake asked coyly.
Jaune cleared his throat. "Yeah, I suppose it is."
"Awesome," Ruby grinned widely. "Where are we going?"
"I hadn't quite gotten that far yet," Weiss admitted. "But afterwards, we can stay at Winter's apartment in the city. She has given her permission."
It didn't take them long to catch on.
Blake exchanged looks with Yang, a devilish smirk crossing her face. Ruby beamed at Weiss and then at him, looking extremely pleased with the idea. Any doubts he may have been harboring lately were completely blown away as they each eyed him, and his mind went places that contained nothing but bliss.
His blood thrummed, heating up at the thought of what was to come. They didn't say anything more but they didn't have to. The idea had been planted and now his imagination ran wild. He'd already had his way with Blake and Yang together and it had been the experience of a life time, fucking two beautiful, gorgeous women at the same time, sampling their flesh, taking them roughly as he vented his lust inside their youthful bodies. These were his girlfriends, as impossible as that may have sounded. Were they going to take him together or split into pairs? Maybe this time it would be Blake and Ruby, taking turns riding him. Yang and Weiss, keening cries echoing off the walls as he plowed them into the bed, fucking them until his hips gave out.
They'd all look so fucking good, stuffed with his cum, leaking with the proof of his desire. Fucking them full of his semen until they bloated and swelled, leaving no doubt that they were his and he was theirs.
He'd take them right here and now, if they so wanted it. Hadn't they each told him that their feelings were true? That they had harbored these thoughts for so long now, that he was the man they desired to be with? Why shouldn't he give each of them what they wanted?
"I see that look, mister," Weiss wagged a finger. Some of his thoughts must have played out on his face. "Later."
It was a promise he would hold her to.
After they finished with Ember Celica, only Crescent Rose remained. Ruby lovingly disassembled her pride and joy, and they all helped her with it. Jaune and Weiss cleaned the curved blade, oiled and polished, while Blake assisted Ruby with greasing the mecha-shifting components. Yang worked on taking apart the rifle, separating and cleaning each part before putting it all back together again.
She looked brand new by the end of it – well, almost. Some of the paint had been chipped and scratched away, and this wouldn't do for a weapon perfectionist like Ruby. So finding the correct red hue, she sanded those areas down, cleaned them, polished and painted until she gleamed.
"There," she said happily, silver eyes running up and down the length of her weapon. "Perfect."
Weapon maintenance complete, they made their way back to their rooms.
"Meet us at five," Weiss said. "Dress casually."
He watched as she then herded the rest of her team into their room, giving him a small wave before shutting the door tight.
Ren and Nora were still out somewhere so his room was empty. The fake relic still sat on the table, looking indistinguishable from the real thing and Jaune walked over, picking it up. Carrying it over to his bed, he sat with it, holding it up.
"Jinn," he said – and as expected, nothing happened.
Setting it aside, he lay back.
Five o'clock felt a lifetime away and Jaune had nothing to do but stew in his thoughts. As much as it would be enjoyable to think about Team RWBY and their coming night together, it would only work him up more than he already was. Inevitably, his mind went to the plan.
He felt… anxious.
Jaune was confident that they would succeed but dealing with a Maiden was no easy feat. All this effort, painstakingly put together, leaving no room for error. Misdirection, subterfuge, betrayal – it would take all this and more to put her down for good. It made him feel sick, knowing that without Neo, Cinder would have remained hidden, among them, awaiting her opportunity without opposition.
She would have succeeded again.
Jaune wanted to crush her. He wanted to ensure that she could harm no one else. That there wouldn't be another Pyrrha.
He wanted it so bad it hurt.
Jaune often tried not to think about it. He'd come to terms with Pyrrha's decision in Argus, finally accepting and letting go of any resentment he felt, any feelings of inadequacies. Meeting her mother – for surely, that woman couldn't have been anyone else – had healed him in a way that he thought impossible. But while he wasn't consumed with ideas of revenge, of avenging his fallen partner, teammate and friend, he still wished fervently for the downfall of the wicked woman who caused it.
When he'd thought Cinder was dead, it had been strange. There had been no sense of happiness, only relief. It hadn't been until he stood before the stone visage of the greatest woman he would ever know that he'd finally felt the burden lift from his shoulders, a weight removed that he hadn't even known.
Finding out the Fall Maiden still lived had made him angry. He'd wanted to strike her down in that room but knew it was fruitless. He was stronger now. A lot stronger. Stronger than he'd ever thought, capable of fighting against Grimm only found in nightmares. But he couldn't beat a Maiden – not alone.
Once upon a time, he'd have tried anyway. It would have ended up in failure but he would have given it a shot, consequences be damned. It showed that he was no longer blinded by the hate but it was still there. Waiting for a chance.
A chance that was coming...
Now he felt worked up in a whole different way.
Sitting up, he returned the fake relic to its spot on the table. He had time to burn and a restless mind to quell.
He found himself at the gym in short order.
A sense of deja vu assaulted him as he entered, the place quiet. The source of that feeling quickly became apparent as he saw a familiar colorful figure by the squat rack. Her slim body was just as he remembered it, clad in those blindingly pink spats and baby blue tank top. Her sports bra was visible through the material of her top, her skin glistening with sweat. Jaune felt that hunger rise up, feeling that pull to touch her, to manipulate that tiny body and pleasure it until it shattered in his arms. Instead, he watched quietly as she dipped and rose with perfect form, the weight on the bar far heavier than her small size would suggest she was capable of lifting.
Huntresses were just built different.
He waited until she completed her set, Neon stepping back to set the bar back into the saddles before speaking up.
"Hey."
She spun around in surprise, her face lighting up as she saw him.
"Jaune!" she exclaimed.
It had been… far too long since they'd seen each other properly. They'd talked through texts a little after her apology, and she'd resumed sending him racy pictures of her tight, youthful body but they hadn't met face-to-face like this in what felt like forever.
He knew things had been patched up, she'd even winked at him when he'd been watching the Atlesian students go through their drills but he was pleased that she seemed so excited to talk to him.
He smiled at her warmly. "Hey Neon. How are you?"
She returned his smile with one of her own, her cheeks dimpling. "Oh, you know – getting on. I thought I'd better get some work in, keep the body sharp, you know? We've been on so many missions lately, just standing around, keeping watch that I was starting to feel a little soft."
Her cute face was flushed with exertion, cheeks a warm pink. Strands of hair had come loose from her twin buns, sticking to her forehead in a messy but attractive way. Her scent was strong, a mixture of cheap deodorant and sweat, the musk of a woman. Jaune's lust stirred and he saw her eyes run up and down his body in a quick sweep.
"Here to train?"
The air felt charged but a small piece of him hesitated, perhaps for the first time ever. A twinge of pain pricked at him, a dull throb behind his eyes and he pinched the bridge of his nose, attempting to chase it away. A sliver of reason wormed its way through, a reminder that he was a taken man now.
He couldn't do this… right?
"Yeah," he answered after a moment. "I've got time to burn."
"Maybe we could…" she trailed off suggestively.
It was clear as day what she wanted. She wanted to fuck.
"Ey – Jaune, what's up?" a voice called and the moment was broken.
Neon looked surprised, and annoyed. "Flynt? What are you doing here?"
Neon's partner clapped Jaune on the shoulder and he'd never been more pleased to see him than he was now.
"Thought I'd come join ya. You're always bugging me to hit the gym more."
Jaune saw the frustration she tried to hide, a long, drawn out sigh escaping her.
"Your timing is great, as always," she deadpanned.
Flynt shot Jaune a look as if to say, 'Women, amirite?'
Jaune grinned. "More the merrier."
Neon pouted. "Whatever."
Having another guy there cooled whatever had been developing but Jaune knew that this was something he was going to have to address sooner rather than later. It should be fine, though, right? Neon had made it clear that things between them were just physical; a little bit of fun.
Now that he was with Yang, and Weiss, and Ruby and Blake, they couldn't mess around anymore. She'd even told him she didn't want to be that girl .
He just needed to tell her.
When he got the chance.
Weekly Power Status
-- Power
Ranking 
-- Power
stone