Capítulo 13: Forever Fail
Forever Fall was a beautiful place. Untouched by humans and unspoiled by industry, the land had been allowed to grow unhindered. And it had flourished.
Named so for its appearance, the trees crowned with dark red and orange leaves, as though trapped in perpetual autumn. Loose petals and leaves rained around them, drifting through the air before they would come to settle on the ground, crunching beneath their feet as they marched between the trees.
Perhaps it was the presence of the Grimm themselves which had created this beauty. An unusual thought to have, but there was no denying that without humans interfering, nature had been able to fully claim this land.
"Make no mistake students," Glynda said from the front of their procession, "Forever Fall is as dangerous as it is beautiful." Jaune rolled his eyes from the back of the group, where he had been assigned to make sure none of the students lagged behind or got lost. The Grimm pretty much owned all of Remnant that was not within the walled cities of the four Kingdoms, so claiming the area was dangerous? That really should have gone without saying…
That said, they had landed via Bullhead over twenty minutes ago and still had yet to actually see any Grimm. Of course there were signs; trees knocked over, tracks – the usual. But no news was good news as far as he was concerned.
If only the entire day could go that smoothly.
And here I forgot to check my horoscope.
"Right then students," Glynda stopped the group, letting the teenagers fan out before her as they listened to her instructions, "our task here today is to gather sap from the trees here. The sap has various purposes, from medicine to food – and is needed by Professor Peach. Any questions?"
"Yes." Jaune said with a raised eyebrow, holding one hand up to the muffled laughter of the students.
"Professor Arc?" The blonde woman acknowledged, nodding to him.
"Who on Remnant is Professor Peach?" And what hadn't he met this teacher if they apparently worked at Beacon too? In fact, how did what amounted to three teachers and their boss run an entire school?
That really explained why he was so overworked as a support teacher…
"Any other questions?" The Deputy said without answering him. "Good, off with you then – and be careful." The students began to meander away from them, sticking to their respective teams as they carried numerous empty glass bottles. After a minute or two, the two of them were left alone.
"So are you going to tell me who Peach is?"
"We do not speak that name." The woman said, looking around in a manner that if he didn't know her better… he might think it was nervousness. "To have already said it once… but we are far enough away from Beacon."
"I… don't understand."
"Perhaps it is best that way."
"Seriously though… who is Professor Peach?"
"There is no Professor by that name." Glynda said firmly, glancing at him from the corner of her eyes.
"But you just sai-"
"There is no Professor, by that name." She said once more, turning to face him as her green eyes bored into his own. Her glasses seemed to flash in the low light.
"Who was I talking about again?" Jaune said nervously, stepping back and holding his hands before his face in surrender. Glynda nodded once, before looking away. "A-anyway, what should we be doing about the students?"
"I will wait here." The stern woman frowned as she found an uncomfortable looking rock to sit on. "In the event that something goes wrong it would be best to have a clear area the students know they can retreat to. If I move around, we run the risk of them not being able to find help if they are in danger."
"And me?" He doubted his job would be as easy, otherwise what was the point of him coming with her in the first place?
"I was hoping you would keep an eye on some of the groups." She said, pushing a stray lock of blonde hair from before her face. She looked tired and he felt an immediate wave of sympathy for her. He had been up at five to prepare for this, and yet chances were she had been awake even earlier – handling the paperwork she would miss out on for the day. As Peter had said, handling all the incoming transfer students was putting a strain on them all. "Just make sure they don't do anything too stupid and shout for me if any Grimm appear."
Well. That couldn't be too hard, could it?
"Ruby, you need to be more responsible." Jaune watched from afar as Weiss berated the smaller leader, with his back pressed up against a tree. He'd already done some rounds of the other groups, but this one was by far the largest, and also had the people he was most familiar with in it.
"Now, now Weiss," Pyrrha said, playing the mediator between the two girls, "Ruby didn't mean to spill sap on you, right?"
"Of course I didn't!"
Jaune watched it all with a vague smile on his lips, glad to see Pyrrha was getting on with the two of them. He hadn't really had the chance to speak with her privately since she came to him for help, but clearly that was a good thing in this case. Ruby and Weiss seemed more than happy to accept the third unofficial member of their partnership, and Yang and Blake seemed cool with it too.
Idly his eyes slipped over to Team RVNN, who weren't able to show the same solidarity.
The two childhood friends; Ren and Nora, were together of course. But with all the other groups huddled in fours or fives, they made for a lonely little duo – or would have were it not for the beaming grin the ginger-haired girl sported.
Still, that team was not the team it should be. And he idly wondered if that was his fault.
When Pyrrha had come to him with her problems, the issues she had been having with Velvet Scarlatina, it had seemed the obvious solution to try and find the girl a friend outside of her team. And it had worked, sort of. Sure, Pyrrha had found two new friends – and that was good. But the problem hadn't actually been solved – or even mitigated in any way.
All they had effectively done was to ignore it. Let it fester and grow.
Counselling was hard…
He supposed they should have identified the problem and worked to fix that, rather than come up with a roundabout solution. In fact, maybe the situation would have been better had he not gotten involved at all. Pyrrha's bitterness might have built up until she actually said or did something, maybe fixing the team that way.
Instead everyone had given up.
Pyrrha Nikos had given up on her team. Instead choosing to spend as much time as possible with a different team. Ironically much like Velvet did with her old one. And Ren and Nora seemed to have done the same, content to spend time with each other rather than try and heal the cracks in Team Raven.
What a messed up team. He sighed, rubbing one hand over his tired eyes.
Speaking of... where was the problem girl? He was sure he'd seen all eight of them heading over this way initially, but once he'd caught up with them the number had already fallen to seven. Her old team wasn't in the area, so there was no way she could be off spending time with them.
"Hey teach!" Yang appeared before him, pink bottle in hand. Her grin was as wide as ever, though she looked a little more energetic than usual. It looked like the lot of them were pleased to have a chance to be out of classes. "Wanna take a load off and share some sap?"
"Yang." He said evenly as he nodded a greeting to her. Standard Operating Procedure when she was grinning at him was to stay calm and speak in a bored voice. Eyes always above the shoulders, below lay tantalising madness. "I think taking a load off suggests you were doing any work in the first place."
"Something we all know you won't be doing." Blake strolled up to the two of them, another two jars in her hand – both filled with pink sap.
"Ugh," Yang grunted, "both my teacher and my partner are such bores. We've already got four between the two of us. We only need two, so let's crack some open and have a break. I've heard good things about this stuff."
"It's supposed to be delicious," Blake agreed, "and we do have more than enough I suppose."
Was it a bad sign that he didn't even consider agreeing until Blake agreed? Probably so… she was like his… mini-Glynda or something. So while normally he'd have just said no to everything Yang suggested, just to be safe – if Blake said the stuff was safe to drink then it probably was.
Also, he'd seen Nora drinking it without too many side effects.
"I guess it couldn't hurt…" He said as he pushed himself off the tree trunk. The blonde girl whooped loudly while the faunus simply rolled her eyes in good humour. Yang grabbed one of his hands, pulling him towards the other three. He tried to ignore how warm and surprisingly soft her hand was on his, or the temptation to curl his fingers around her own.
She'd definitely notice, the little minx.
"I've got him girls!" Yang boasted as they reached the rest of Team RWBY plus one. Ruby waved at him cutely while Weiss nodded a polite greeting.
"You're going to be joining us Professor, that's wonderful." Pyrrha said warmly as she settled onto the ground, folding her knees beneath herself. Even though he knew he'd probably made a mistake in the counselling, he still couldn't feel any remorse for the happiness she visibly showed. She really was more comfortable in Team RWBY.
"Only if you've collected enough." He tried to keep his expression stern, but couldn't help the small smile that broke out when the girls all held out their completed bottles, with a few extras. Looked like they'd been prepared – and honestly, where was the harm really? It was a glorious day, and their first trip outside of Beacon. There was no reason to ruin it all by being a complete disciplinarian.
He wondered if that was another reason Glynda had chosen not to actively watch over any of them. Give them a chance to stretch their legs without having to feel like it was a lesson.
The five girls started sharing the jars between them, with Weiss bringing out a few metal mugs from their bags. But of course, Team RWBY had only brought four.
"Eh, it's fine," Yang waved her hand dismissively, letting the fourth mug go to Pyrrha, "Bottoms up." She tipped the glass jar towards her mouth before taking a short sip. "Hmm… it's so good~"
"This is incredible…" Weiss said in surprise, holding the mug away from her and giving it another sniff before helping herself to more. "And to think this comes straight from the tree…"
"So good…" Ruby echoed wistfully, wiping some pink droplets from her chin. All five girls made sounds of appreciation as they drank, leaving him feeling somewhat out of place. He dreaded to imagine what someone might think if they heard - but didn't see - what was happening.
"Don't worry Prof," Yang said, purple eyes catching his above the rim of the jar, "I'll share." She pulled away from the jar slowly, dragging her lips against the rim before giving it a final lick. With a devilish smirk she rotated the glass jar and handed it to him, so that the spot where she had just drank from was facing him. "Enjoy~"
"Thanks." He croaked, throat suddenly uncomfortably dry. Challenge or not, he still made sure to rotate the glass a little so that he wouldn't fall for her less-than-subtle trap. No matter how much he wished to, and oh Gods, he really did.
Ask her if you can taste it from her lips.
Rather than face those errant thoughts he tipped the bottle back, closing his eyes to savour the promised nectar within.
Grbblll…..
A stray droplet of pink slid down his petrified chin, dangling there for a moment before falling to the grass. More followed soon after, dribbling down his chin as his entire body locked up.
"Jaune?" Pyrrha seemed to ask from a great distance. One blue eye twitched weakly. With a long shudder he removed the jar from his lips, placing it gently on the grass. One deep breath. And then another.
Calm… He thought to himself, releasing a long sigh. I am calm; I am a tiny island of relaxation in an ocean of calm… with little peace-fishes swimming around…
"Hey, you've got some on your lips." Yang said with a leer, leaning forwards to give a tantalising view down her top. "Want me to lick it off?"
"Grbl." He managed to say, one hand reaching up to plug his mouth before he could really embarrass himself. With stifled movements he pushed himself to his feet, slumping to a nearby bush before vomiting out his breakfast in loud retching noises.
Back at the group Yang could only blink, even as their teacher continued to projectile vomit into the shrubbery.
"Blurghhh!" He said. Sort of.
"Well," Blake said with a small grin, twisting one lock of black hair around her finger, "I guess we know what he thinks of a kiss from you Yang."
"Oh bugger off!" Yang groused as the others burst into laughter.
~~~~~Professor Arc~~~~~
Jaune lost himself in the woods after emptying his stomach. Certainly he wasn't going to head back to that team after nearly throwing up on them. Would it be possible for maybe one second, to not do something to completely turn girls off him? No? Well fuck you fate.
"Bah," he said, wiping his tongue on one sleeve in an effort to rid himself of the taste, "throw me a bone here life… seriously."
Seemed he could add an allergy to red tree sap to the list of things that made him violently ill. How nice.
I'll just wander around a little before meeting back up with Glynda. He mused as he spat out a little more foul-tasting saliva. Then they could get back to Beacon and he could start the arduous task of forgetting such an embarrassing event had ever happened.
He didn't even have any sessions with Blake planned. The evening, for all intents and purposes, was to be a lazy one. A gloriously lazy evening where he would catch up on all the sleep he had been missing. Because the following day was going to suck. Royally.
Damn Roman and his boss or whatever. In his mind he could already imagine some hugely overweight woman, dressed in a pinstripe suit as she smoked from one of those long cigarette holders. A bunch of suited goons at her side.
His heart told him he should reject whatever she said.
His brain told him his heart would stop if he did.
Damned if I do, damned if I don't.
That pretty much summed up the last month or so really.
Maybe it would be better if he left? It wasn't the first time he had thought of it, as an employee he could quit at any time without anyone being the wiser. Move back home and find another job, his parents likely wouldn't even mind. Staying at Beacon was becoming increasingly dangerous for him, and with the introductions of a criminal underworld as well – he was just drifting along, almost waiting for disaster to strike.
Something he couldn't dodge his way out of, Neo's training or not.
Letting out a deep sigh he trudged on, pushing through red leaves and branches. It was as he parted the next ones that he paused, letting them come back across to hide his face.
His little problem child; Velvet Scarlatina. Alone, as she so often was, though dutifully drilling into the tree and filling her glass jar with sap. She worked with muted determination, so focused on the tree that even with her advanced hearing she wasn't able to sense him.
She didn't look upset. Nor bored, nor lost or confused. Instead she simply toiled away, eyes vacant.
It was an unbelievably sad image.
I could have helped her… why won't she come see me? He thought to himself, settling down to watch her. Thoughts of what others might say if they saw a teacher stalking a student like he was flashed briefly through his mind, before he dismissed them.
Ozpin had told him before that those who needed help the most rarely accepted it. But this was surely beyond a joke. Wasn't there a point at which he could force someone to take it?
"What do we have here?" A male voice cajoled, as four figures strolled into the clearing. Jaune tensed slightly, before letting out a breath. Team Cardinal, the very ones who bullied her the worst. Or at least, those who bullied her with the least subtlety. They were open with their cruelty, though he couldn't decide if that was better or worse than those who simply whispered insults and rumours behind her back.
A girl held back a year didn't have many friends, and there were certainly enough people to make her life miserable for having apparently failed so badly. The nail that stuck out…
Should he go out there and disperse them? Or would that just serve to antagonise her further. She already refused to meet his eye and otherwise ignored his presence in lessons. He didn't want to make the situation worse.
To his shame he didn't move. Instead watching as the four males gather around the faunus, whispering things to her even as she steadfastly focused on the tree. Whatever they were saying continued for a while, before with a shrug at her lack of response – they seemed to back off.
Ignore the bully and they go away? He thought to himself, before shaking his head. That advice from his mother had been a bit of a white lie as well, she was good at those. He'd been bullied enough to know they didn't really feed off just your attention. Ignoring what was happening just made you an easier target.
True to those prophetic words, the four hovered behind her smirking and grinning. When Velvet finished filling her first jar she placed it on the floor beside her feet, and took her second. Jaune shook his head when one of the boys, Sky he believed, walked up and took the filled jar, leaving his own empty one in its place.
He made a note to remember the boy's face. Even if he couldn't intervene, he could report it to Glynda.
Velvet chose to ignore it again. Not removing her gaze from the bark in front of her as she filled another jar and deposited it. He knew she was aware of what was happening, for she reached down and took the same jar Sky had placed a moment ago. Her body visibly flinched when another of the teens reached down and took her second jar of sap, muffled laughter echoed between the trees.
"Do something…" He whispered, shaking his head sadly. "If you won't let me interfere, then prove them wrong."
Her third jar disappeared as soon as she had filled it. This time bodily taken from her hand as an empty one was placed in it. The girl seemed to shake, perhaps in fear, but after a moment calmed herself. Filling the final jar.
Jaune watched as Cardin coughed loudly, stepping in front of her with one hand held out. His grin was taunting as he looked down on the smaller girl.
~~~~~Professor Arc~~~~~
"Well?" The taller man said, stood before her with one hand held out as though to accept his due. Velvet's brown eyes remained firmly fixed to the floor, though she could make out the pink sap oozing lazily in the bottle she held.
"Well what…?" She whispered, shaking slightly. Her team… her real team, CFVY. Her injury, taking the exams again, a new team, reluctance, anger. Helplessness.
And now this?
"Well give it over." The bully said, letting out a booming laugh as stood there. "You've got my sap, I'd like it back so we can hand it in."
"Your sap?" She asked quietly, fingers clenching around the hard glass. She could see her own reflection in it. Frightened, uncertain.
She hated it.
"Yeah, mine. So give it."
"Okay." She smiled, face finally lifting to meet his own. If he seemed off-put by her sudden change in attitude then he hid it well. "You want it? Here you go!"
For the record. Velvet Scarlatina would remember the look on his face before the sap hit him until the end of her days. The glass shattered loudly on his armour, tinkling to the ground as pink stained his armour.
It only took a few seconds however for the realisation of what she had done to sink in, even as the grin sank from her own face. And fury dawned on his.
"Not the right move freak." He hissed, throwing a punch towards her face.
Perhaps if she were a lesser student she might have been knocked down. Cruelly beaten and humiliated before them. But Velvet Scarlatina was no lesser student. She was a proud member of Team CFVY, or what had once been…
Gritting her teeth she ducked beneath the clumsy strike, frustration boiling up within her as she pushed her way into his guard. This racist, cruel, barbaric… asshole! How dare he do that to her? How dare he!?
"Enough!" She shrieked, pushing him back with both hands before performing an acrobatic backflip, catching him below the chin with one foot. The teen sailed up and away from her, crashing loudly to the ground in a cloud of dust. She continued her own flip, landing crouched with one hand planted to support herself. "I have had more than enough of your… of your… shit!"
The one with the Mohawk, she'd never bothered to remember the names of her tormentors, he reacted fastest – reaching down to draw a set of daggers from his cargo pants. He hesitated, clearly uncertain what he was meant to do, perhaps reluctant to use them on another student. She used that brief moment to cross the distance between them, kicking off from the ground and delivering a devastating drop-kick to his chest, using all of her prestigious leg strength from her faunus heritage. He flew back, slamming into a tree with a loud gasp before slumping at the base. Still conscious, but unwilling to face her.
"Every day," she said, whipping around to regard the last two – who backed away with their hands held before them, "it's the same stuff. Freak, idiot, failure. Well I'm not willing to put up with it anymore!"
Everyone has a breaking point babe. Coco had once said to her while laughing. One day I want to see yours.
I should still be with you guys…
"A-alright we get it!" One of them stammered. Dove, Sky? Who even cared? "Just let us get Cardin and we'll g-g-" He went silent, eyes wide as he stared at her.
"Behind you!" The one by the tree shouted urgently, giving her just the warning she needed to fling herself to the left. Her ears twitched towards the growling behind her, even as she caught the Ursa's large paw directly to the chest, sending her slamming back into some bushes.
"Ursa!" One of the boys screamed. Pandemonium erupted, shouting, stamping feet and clanging metal – all from out of her sight as she lay on her back, feet propped up against a tree. A quick glance at her scroll, ingrained into her from training with Yatsu, showed that her aura was still good – just skirting on the edge of yellow.
But damn if that hadn't hurt.
Letting out a frustrated grunt she pushed herself back to her feet, before staggering back towards the Grimm that had caught her so off-guard. Fox would have had her head for that lapse in awareness. Perhaps he still would when she made it back to Beacon and retold the story. Yatsu would shake his head, wise words and a small smile. While Coco would just sit there, watching them all with that fond expression that said this was her team, and that no one could interfere.
That CFVY was family. No matter their race.
"Get back!" A lone male voice shouted, before another sound of metal clanging against bone was heard. Brows drawing together she forced herself into action. She cleared the treeline in a single bound, just in time to see the Ursa – large even for Grimm standards – knock Cardin's mace aside, leering over him with murderous intent. Her brown eyes scanned the scene, before landing on the boy's sap-stained chest.
It's attracted to the sap! She realised, even as a more haunting notion came to her. The sap I threw on him… he's going to die.
Because of me.
He was a bully. A cruel man who had made her life miserable from the start, first through racism – and then through the - oh so crueller method of taunting her over her failures. She knew she was a failure, if she had been better then she'd still be with her real team. But it hurt to have that rubbed in your face every day.
She hated him. Truly hated him.
You care about every little thing, little rabbit. Yatsu had once said, as the two of them sought to heal an injured bird. Despite their efforts, it had died two days later. It is not in the results that your worth is measured little rabbit, but in what you seek to achieve.
She hated him. Yet she was Velvet Scarlatina, and that knowledge was what had her feet driving into the beast's monstrous face.
"Your prey's here monster." She said, grinding her heels into its cheek as it reared back from the blow. She landed agilely, skipping to the side of its retaliatory blow before using the beast's own elbow as a platform, leaping back up towards its face. "But watch out. This prey kicks." The Ursa roared in pain as her aura-enhanced blow pushed it off balance, sending it tumbling to the ground in an explosion of leaves.
"Y-you saved me?" The boy behind her said, still laying on the floor with a terrified expression on his features. "Why?"
"Because I wouldn't be who I am if I didn't try to help an injured little bird." She said back, grinning as she thought of Yatsu. Of crying in his arms when the poor chick hadn't survived. Of promising she would never again try if all that resulted was pain.
Of him convincing her otherwise.
"Now get out of here." She said quickly, shooing the boy away as he climbed to his feet and fled after his friends.
She shook her head, racing towards the recovering Ursa. Though downed it was still strong, its giant paws tearing up great chunks of soil and mast as it dragged itself ponderously to its feet. The spines on its back seemed to shimmer in the midday sun.
That looked promising…
The Grimm spotted her approach, swiping one poor horizontally across the ground. She skipped up onto it, balancing perfectly on the limb even as it was in motion. Once the swing had brought her nearly full-circle she hopped from the arm onto the beast's shoulder, almost casually walking across its back towards those great spikes of bone.
Her melee combat tended to be fine against most Grimm, but this one was bigger than usual, not to mention armoured. It was the kind of thing Yatsu would handle, or if mass destruction was called for – Coco. Without them she'd need to improvise.
Easy enough.
"Raghh!" She shouted, slamming her leg into the bone spike with all her strength. Pain lanced up her weakened leg, her teeth gritting in pain – but she pushed onwards, delivering a second and third solid strike to its base. On the third strike the bone cracked, the spike coming loose. The Ursa roared in rage, rearing back so powerfully that she lost her footing, though she still had the presence of mind to catch the bone spear on the way down.
She didn't need to be Pyrrha sodding Nikos to know how to use one.
The beast roared once, the sound echoing off the trees, before it readied itself and rushed towards her. She lowered her stance, holding the bone spear with the point towards it. Like a spear wall composed of a single person, standing up to a cavalry charge she waited. Until, at the final moment, she leapt to one side, feet hitting the hard ground even as she forced her aching calves to propel herself forwards.
The Grimm missed her, sliding by her with barely eight inches distance between them. But as she propelled herself back towards its unprotected flank. She did not miss.
The spear drove home, cutting into flesh and muscle before being torn from her hands through sheer momentum alone. Her entire body was spun, before the hind muscles of the beast – still running – clipped her, sending her flying to the dirt.
Though her leg screamed in agony, she pushed herself up onto her hands and knees, watching with a satisfied smile as the Ursa's charge came to a grinding halt. The beast toppled forward, before with billowing smoke, it began to dissolve.
"Warned you." She said, a desperate laugh bubbling from her lips.
It died a moment later, as six more Ursa came from the trees. Smaller, but in her injured state, far more threatening.
This… looks bad. Which was perhaps an understatement, since as Coco might have put it, the situation looked completely fucked. She pushed herself to her feet, before stumbling with a sharp cry back to her knees. Not again! It couldn't be happening again – she'd healed, they'd told her she would be better…
They'd also told her to be easy on it…
Damn it! Damn it! I'm sorry Yatsu, Fox… Coco. Looks like I messed up this time.
At least the bird had survived this time… that was good, right?
"Glynda!" A voice shouted, even as a figure appeared before her, as if by magic. She couldn't see his face, from how he had his back to her. But she could recognise that blue coat and blonde hair anywhere.
The Professor though? How had he found her so quickly… he was always watching her, judging eyes, offering help – but damn it, she didn't want his help. He thought she was weak, they all did. But at that moment she was able to swallow her distrust, simply pleased that a teacher was there to protect her.
"Can you get out of here?" He asked, turning his head a few inches to regard her with one blue eye. She shook her head, already starting to lose all feeling in her left leg. "This is bad."
"Can't you beat them?" Surely he could. He was a teacher at Beacon for crying out loud, one of the best! He beat Cardin without ever drawing a weapon, even the best among them had been impressed. Surely he could handle some lousy Ursa?
"I can't!" He said loudly, his voice strained with guilt. And in a moment of clarity, she understood. He could beat them… could kill all of them. But he couldn't protect her at the same time. He would need to attack some, give ground, dodge and block – and none of that could be achieved if he was trying to stand guard over her body.
"Oh…" She said simply, voice drifting off as her heart beat seemed to slow down. What else was there to say? This was it. "Do…" she hesitated, voice choking. "- Do what you must… then."
"Glynda!" He screamed out, ignoring her words as he took a defensive position before her. "Glynda!" He continued, voice going hoarse from the volume.
The Ursa weren't willing to wait for his help to arrive. Roaring loudly, one of them charged forwards, paws crashing into the ground as it moved, the sheer noise of it almost deafening. With a brief look back towards her, the teacher hesitated, before charging the beast himself.
The two rushed towards one another, the Grimm slowing to a stop as its prey approached. He had charged the Grimm to ensure the skirmish happened away from her injured form, she realised. He dodged the first blow, slipping past the Ursa's claws with subtle grace before ducking beneath its other swing. Much like when he was facing Cardin he dodged blows wherever he could, slipping through attacks with a grace that belied his size and armour.
She watched it all through lidded eyes, as he wore the beast down. Already it was angry, frustrated with the loss of blood as its swings became wilder. The teacher's sword had struck a few times, never seeming to be enough to slay the beast, but cutting small wounds into its side. She had to assume they were to slow it down, bleed it out – because why else would he delay just killing it?
Was that his style? To bleed an opponent out while he used his superior evasive abilities to avoid harm? If so it was a brutally efficient method, if a little cruel almost. Letting the enemy kill themselves like that…
"Velvet!" He shouted, voice equal parts warning and fear. Her brown orbs slid closed, knowing what he was no doubt referring to. She could feel the beast's approach through the vibrating ground. Slowly getting closer to her. She didn't want to see it. "Glynda!"
Sorry guys. Looks like I won't be able to make movie night. She giggled to herself. Look after the boys Coco.
"No!" A man shouted, before there was the noise of something solid striking the Ursa. "I won't let it happen."
A shadow seemed to fall across her as she cracked one eye open, uncertain as to how the Professor had managed to cross such distance. How he had saved her…
Professor Arc still stood some fifteen metres away, locked in combat with an Ursa – though she could see that he was staring at her in concern. Her eyes flicked back before her, noticing a single Ursa dissolving before her.
"Come on damn it…" Someone said, as hands settled beneath her armpits, dragging her away from the dying beast. She looked down at the hands hooked beneath her shoulders, seeing the silvery gauntlets.
"Cardin?" She whispered. Shocked, hopeful…
"This isn't good enough." The racist said, kneeling down and lifting her bodily into his arms. Her leg complained at the jostling but she bit down on the pain, even as her cheek pressed into metal armour. A brass bird emblazoned next to her face.
"Get her out of here!" The Professor yelled to them, even as the boy nodded.
"I'll get help!" He promised, lumbering away with her jostling painfully in his arms.
"Y-you saved me." She said, eyes feeling heavy from fatigue and the loss of adrenaline. "Why?"
"I don't know," he said briskly, "do I need a reason?"
"Yes."
"Then how about; because I wouldn't be Cardin Fucking Winchester if I left someone to die."
That… sounded like a good reason, she thought to herself as her eyes drifted closed.
~~~~~Professor Arc~~~~~
Jaune watched the two flee, letting out a sigh of relief at the knowledge that at least they would be okay. Now all he had to do was break off and flee as well, and let Glynda handle the Grimm. He could just say he didn't want to stay and fight while there was an injured student being escorted by another… that would cover him.
Thank you Neo, I'll never call you a bitch again. He thought to himself as he dodged another blow that would surely have eviscerated him. He lashed out experimentally with Crocea Mors, but grunted in annoyance when it simply cut another small groove into the Grimm's flesh. Roman was right, he really was hopeless when it came to offence. Somehow he doubted this monster could be forced to surrender by threatening its genitals either.
And there were five others… no wait, four. The Winchester boy had killed one in a single strike.
Talk about unfair…
The Grimm before him roared, rearing up before attempting to crash down on top of him. He backpedalled quickly, dodging the blow. A grunt behind him warned him of the next danger, as he ducked low rolled to one side, narrowly avoiding having his head torn off. With a brief stumble he landed on one knee, eyes widening as he blocked a strike from a third Ursa with his shield. The force of it still sent him reeling, flying back as his spine struck hard dirt and pointy rocks.
Too many… there were just too damn many. If it were just a single Ursa then he'd be fine, able to dodge it for as long as he needed to. Or just run away. But they had surrounded him already, their hot breath splashing into his face as he fought for space.
"Glynda!" He cried, one last time, praying for the help he needed. If she heard him, she was too far. The entire fight had lasted no longer than three minutes. No doubt she was on her way, but even she could not fly by her own power.
No. He was on his own.
"Come on then." He struck at the first Grimm, driving his blade home with all the strength he could muster. Crocea Mors, ancestral blade of the Arc family slammed uselessly from its armoured snout, seeming to do little more than antagonise it as the beast roared. "Your breath stinks." He offered as a final piece of rebellion, right before the monster's paw slashed at him.
He ducked beneath it, only to be hit by a different Ursa's attack, one that came from behind. His body spiralled into the chest of another, which seemed almost surprised as it looked down at the dazed knight. Before with a mighty slam, it pressed him into the hard ground.
"D-Damn it…" He tried to push himself up, but the Grimm's massive weight kept him pinned, even as its face descended towards his. Mouth open in preparation to rip and tear.
Before, with a single gurgle, a silvery thin blade slide from its eye socket. Jaune blinked, even as the Grimm seemed to – one eye managing it, but the other obstructed by solid steel. With a sickening sloshing sound the blade drew free, before being driven back in once more, this time erupting from its forehead.
Again. Again. The blade pierced it six times in a matter of milliseconds. A small hand clamped down atop the remains of the creature's head, pulling it backwards so that it didn't fall on the downed man. A figure stood where it once had, covered in blood.
"N-… Neo?" He managed, eyes focusing on the small girl who looked furious. She blinked rapidly, eyes switching colours at a pace that made it impossible to keep up with. Her lips twitched, but not in her usual almost-smiling manner. Instead her face a rictus of calm that he could only describe as furious. "Neo?"
Like a switch her face changed, a silent snarl bursting onto her face as she leapt above him, lunging towards another Grimm with such speed that all he could see was a blur of white and pink. The Ursa roared angrily, but stood no chance against the tiny girl. The blade sank into its throat, before with a move he could barely understand, the girl was able to withdraw her blade, swing her legs up for purchase and somehow flip herself to a standing position above its head. With a victorious but silent snarl, she drove her weapon down into its skull. Killing it instantly.
The remaining three Ursa roared their defiance. And to his horror, others seemed to answer. Six more came from the trees. That made eleven. No wait, another two, and then four more. So many.
There was a brief shattering of glass, the noise echoing around them before Neo vanished. He barely had time to consider that she had abandoned him, not even the time for it to cross his mind, before blurs of white were appearing between the Grimm. The briefest flashes of a familiar figure, and a lightning slash of silver, before it would vanish. Monsters roared, Ursa toppled, blood flowed.
And smoke billowed.
Until, in less than twenty seconds, she had killed just as many Grimm, and stood before him once more. Her visage frozen with blood dripping down her cheek. None of it her own.
"Neo?" He said once more, unsure what else to say. The girl seemed to blink, looking down at him for a long moment as though unsure what she was looking at. He didn't move, unsure if it would startle her.
"…" The girl grinned, reaching one hand down to him and with shocking strength dragging him to his feet. She looked him up and down, brows drawing together. And for once, he knew what she was saying.
"I'm okay." He said, breathing out a long sigh of relief. "Thanks to you. I owe you." A brief flash of Roman in his memory. "No, wait – I mean- erk…" The girl silenced him by pressing a finger to his lips. She held two fingers up.
"Ugh… fine, I owe you two favours now." He surrendered, unable to deny her for having protected his life like that. Also, it somehow felt easier owing her a favour than Roman. He was about to say more, but for voices calling his name coming from the woods. With a crack of shattering glass Neo vanished from before him, keen to protect her identity as the students piled into the clearing.
He saw them all. Team RWBY, RVNN, CRDL and all the rest of the first years. Weapons drawn and ready. And at the front of them all, Glynda Goodwitch, her normally meticulously styled hair peppered with red leaves and twigs.
"Professor Arc!" She called out, rushing towards him as the others fanned out, most putting their weapons away once it was clear the area was safe. "I heard you, I heard about what happened. Are you okay?" She stopped before him, green eyes scanning up and down his form before sighing in relief, her entire body seeming to relax. "When I heard there were so many Ursa I feared the… no, well… it's fine now."
"Yeah, I'm alive. Somehow." He said, his arms suddenly feeling tired. He looked over the woman's shoulder as some of the teams inspected the rapidly decaying Ursa littered about the clearing. Neo was an absolute monster to have killed so many with so little effort.
"Somehow?" The woman laughed, it sounded desperate but also filled with relief. "I'd say skill played a large part in it, given the bodies."
"That was… it was…"
"Nothing?" She said with a smile. He nodded, though for all the wrong reasons. What else was he supposed to say when they'd found him in a field of dead Grimm? The Deputy looked about them for a moment, green eyes glancing left and right. He was about to ask what was wrong, before she reached forward and enclosed her arms around him for a moment. Eyes wide, he barely had the time to let his own hands settle near her before she had ended it, coughing and stepping back.
"I'm glad to see you're okay." She said, apparently all business once more. He might have thought he had imagined it, were it not for the way she fidgeted with her glasses – pushing them up her nose and not quite meeting his eyes.
"Me too," he said with a smile, "how about the others – did Velvet make it out okay?"
"She did," Glynda smiled, "and it seems she's better for it, though I must confess the results have surprised me a little." She nodded in one direction, and he turned to look. Velvet was there, apparently unhurt though with an expression of almost suffering patience on her face. She was propped up by two people, as a third knelt down to wrap a bandage around her leg.
The scene might have warmed his heart, had it been her own team, Raven. Instead he could only let out a small sigh, still pleased – but knowing the matter wasn't truly fixed. For it was Team Cardinal who supported her, helping her stay upright as they bantered and wrapped her leg. She winced in pain, before Cardin shouted something at the one bandaging her. To his surprise the girl laughed, saying something in return.
"I get the feeling I've really messed up somewhere." He sighed, rubbing the back of his head.
"Sometimes things play out in ways we don't expect." Glynda said, shrugging elegantly as she flicked a few leaves from her blonde hair. "That doesn't mean they are bad, or can't still be fixed. It's just another direction we take in life. There are plenty of roads available to us."
"Does one of them lead back to Beacon," he asked with a sigh, "because I'm shattered."
"It does." The blonde woman laughed, patting him on the arm. "Let's go home Jaune."
PENSAMENTOS DOS CRIADORES 
FakeWriterDaoist
FakeWriterDaoist This story is written by Coeur Al'Aran. I am simply reposting it on this site to spread its glory. I take no credit for this story. All credit go to Coeur Al'Aran. If you want to support him, then check him out on “https:// fanfiction. net /u/ 6272865” (remove the spaces)
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