Chapter Text
Ruby Rose-Pine closed her eyes and smiled, letting out a content sigh as she leaned against her husband on the sofa inside the living room of their family's living quarters in Beacon Academy, a sitcom playing on the television.
"Dinner good?" Oscar asked her, a smile on his face.
"You bet. Your cooking skills are one of the main reasons I married you…apart from you being so dang sweet and cute." Ruby told him, listening to the sound of their children, their daughters Hope and Autumn and their son Cody playing a video game down the hall, getting really into it as always.
"Thank my aunt and Ren for that, without their lessons I'd be as bad as Yang." Oscar joked.
Ruby laughed, but noticed a flash of remembrance in Oscar's eyes. "Speaking of Ren, you'll never guess what we found while we were sorting out the archives earlier today."
"Okay, if I'll never guess then you might as well tell me." Ruby said, sitting up.
Oscar reached over to the coffee table in front of the sofa, where a plain folder had been left. He opened it up and revealed a photograph of Teams RWBY and JNPR, taken shortly after their successful initiation.
Ruby's eyes lit up as she took the photo into her hands and held it up. "I remember this. Velvet took it for us," She said, recalling that day, over three decades ago. Back in the days when something like a Nevermore was a challenge and Roman Torchwick was the biggest villain she had ever faced. Teams RWBY and JNPR, all eight of them in their original outfits, looking so young and…pure.
Her younger self was looking straight ahead, a bright and very optimistic smile on her young face, flashing double v's with her fingers at the camera, v for victory. Weiss still had that elitist haughtiness about her, but put on a smile for the camera and still managed to look elegant. Blake, her cat ears hidden by her bow, put on a simple smile as she stood next to Yang, who was flexing her muscles and puffing out her chest, flashing a wink and her fingers on the hand she would lose to Adam Taurus forming a v of their own. Nora stood on the hammer of Magnhild for extra height, holding onto the hilt with one hand and fist pumping into the air with the other while Ren simply stood to her left, arms behind his back, a pleasant, calm smile on his face. Between Ren and standing next to Ruby herself was Jaune and Pyrrha, the blond had his arm wrapped around the Champion of Mistral's shoulders and the redhead was lightly blushing at her partner's casual affection. Jaune himself was beaming in the picture, having made it as a Huntsman-in-training against all odds. It was so different now, Team RWBY was still alive, but Jaune was the sole survivor of Team JNPR.
Seeing them all together like that, so young and innocent, made some tears form in Ruby's eyes. Especially seeing Jaune and Pyrrha together. It made her wish she could see into some alternate world where nothing bad happened, where there was no Salem, no Ozpin, no Cinder, and she and her friends got to live happily ever after as heroes.
"We think she must have turned it in for the yearbook committee before the Fall. It must have gotten lost in all the chaos and overlooked when we finally took back Beacon," Oscar surmised, "It's just…strange looking at that picture, it's hard for me to imagine Jaune looking that happy."
"Not for me. Jaune had a wonderful smile, and he was so happy to finally make it to Beacon…and he loved his team like a family." Ruby said as she focused on Pyrrha. Despite the long years that had passed, Ruby still thought back to that terrible night Beacon fell, and never stopped wondering how different things would have been if she had been faster.
Oscar placed his hand atop her comfortingly. "It wasn't your fault."
"I know. I've accepted that there was nothing I could have done, that it wasn't my fault. It was Cinder and Ozpin." She said, practically spitting those two names.
Oscar nodded as he wrapped his arms around his wife, "Want to make a copy for Jaune, Weiss, Yang and Blake?" He asked her.
She nodded, "Yeah, maybe that will cheer Jaune up a little." She said, it had been a couple months since she had called him.
Oscar sighed and said "I'll be honest Ruby, I don't want to become like Jaune. Sure, he's an amazing fighter and healer but he's just so miserable because he lost them. I don't know what I'd do if I lost you or Hope or Cody or Autumn…you're my whole world. I'd become exactly like him if anything ever happened to any of you."
"I feel the same way." Ruby said as she leaned into her husband, "Maybe…maybe we should pay Jaune a visit this weekend."
Oscar nodded, "I guess it wouldn't hurt, heck, he always cheers up a bit when he's around the kids."
Ruby smiled, it was true that while Jaune was typically gloomy, he did tend to brighten up, even if just a bit, around children, such as his various nieces and nephews and their own children.
"Okay, sounds like a plan. Thanks for finding this sweetie, I'll get copies made tomorrow." Ruby told her beloved before both their scrolls went off at once. Oscar looked at his and read the message, "Bad storms tonight, not tornadoes thankfully, but still looks bad. We better send out a message to the students and kids to let them know to keep their windows closed."
Ruby nodded and quickly sent out a message to Beacon's main computer system, which had a fairly good A.I. designed by the S.D.C., named after her late friend, Penny Polendina. This system would send out the message to the orphaned children who lived at Beacon now.
Ever since Salem's defeat, there were no more new Grimm, the spawning pools had been sealed and as the years went by the vile creatures were hunted down more and more, and were now considered a critically endangered species. It was getting to the point where there was no longer a need for Hunters, and this year's batch of students, all seniors, would be the last Beacon would ever see.
Ruby, having taken up the mantle of Beacon's Headmistress years ago, had decided to also turn the school into an orphanage for children who had lost their families to Grimm attacks, so the school wouldn't be entirely empty. Indeed, they were planning on making it a regular academy.
She stood up and said "I'll tell the kids…and maybe join their game."
Oscar savored looking at the beautiful smile of the woman he loved. As she went off, Oscar looked down at the photo and sighed, silently mourning Ren and Nora, and even Pyrrha, though he had never met her. He hoped that they could help Jaune.
He looked out the window, towards the capital of Vale and beyond, into the kingdom's beautiful countryside, and in the distance, dark clouds could just barely be glimpsed on the horizon. "I hope he's doing okay." He said to himself.
Twilight had fallen upon the countryside of Vale and the stars were beginning to shine on that warm summer's night. In the distance, dark clouds loomed, angry clouds full of rain and thunder.
A lonely house stood at the end of a medium-length driveway leading off from the lonely road that led into the cozy small town of Rowansberg. A Wolf Faunus of about 13 years of age looked out at the coming storm.
"I better get home, Mr. Arc." He said to the man who sat behind him, sitting on the porch.
Jaune Arc said nothing at first, he merely nodded before finally looking up and speaking "Yep. Better be off, Nyx, and be careful. Doesn't look like you'll get caught up in the storm if you move as quickly as you have all day."
Nyx Okami smiled at the blond cyborg, "Thanks, Mr. Arc. Don't worry about today's money, you can give it to me after tomorrow."
Jaune looked out at the well cut yard, the huge piles of culled weeds, "Not much more work to do, Nyx."
"Well…" Nyx began, his wolf ears twitching a little, "You could teach me how to use a sword, just a little bit of training, I mean I know the basics but you're the mas-"
He looked up and quickly fell silent when he saw Jaune's neutral face staring back at him with heavy, sad eyes. Jaune stood up and simply said "Goodbye, Nyx."
He walked into his house and closed the door without saying anything else.
Nyx walked down the path, glancing back at the house, a frustrated expression on his face.
Another day of working for Mr. Arc, trying to get to know him, trying to get him to talk about his past that wasn't from the stories told about his adventures with Team RWBY. What was it really like fighting terrifying Alpha Grimm like the Nuckelavee? How did he lose two of his limbs? What did it feel like to avenge his team and kill the monster known as Cinder Fall?
He wanted to know, just as badly as he wanted to be a hero just like Jaune Arc, to learn the ways of the Huntsman. Instead Jaune only told him vague details, told him the memories weren't very pleasant, and the mere idea of training the boy caused Arc to retreat into his house.
His mother had told him to leave Mr. Arc be, that he had obviously been through enough in his life and wished to be left alone. He obviously didn't take on students for a reason.
Well, if anyone would convince Jaune Arc to take on an apprentice, it would be Nyx Okami. He glanced up at the dark clouds in the distance, and something in his gut told him tonight would be a bad storm. He began to run off, knowing his mother would be worried by now and he didn't need another scolding.
Jaune Arc watched the boy run off down the road, away from the small place he had called home for over twenty years now.
'Stupid kid,' He thought to himself, 'He doesn't know what he's asking for. He doesn't know what kind of hell he wants to put himself through. Just like I didn't.'
He flexed his robotic left arm, glancing down at the mechanical limbs with his cybernetic eye. A battle with Cinder Fall at the Atlesian capital had left him with his right leg, left arm and right eye all burned out. Ironwood had managed to pull some string to get him mechanical replacements, just like he had for Yang, but the ghostly pain still lingered and flared up on rare occasions. It had been so long, but he still had nightmares where he could still feel the fires burning through his flesh, muscles and bones. Smell the skin burning. See Cinder's face, smiling as he screamed in absolute agony. Hear himself screaming…and hear the sorrowful sobs of the Invincible Girl.
He snapped out of it and turned, making sure the door was locked before he went back into his living room. One wall was covered with photos of his family, his team and his friends but the others were lined with shelves, filled with books and films, the things that allowed him a brief escape from his miserable past that haunted his present.
He stopped in front of the fireplace mantle where Crocea Mors was mounted, with the shield directly behind it. The blade had been used in many battles since it had been forged by his ancestors centuries ago, had slain many men and annihilated many Grimm. With the Grimm being driven to near extinction now, it had been a while since he had used it.
Maybe it was time he used it on one last pathetic creature.
Taking off his shirt to reveal his body, covered with dozens of old deep cuts that had faded into scars and old burn marks and bullet holes, Jaune unmounted the blade, he absently ran his robotic hand along the steel of the weapon that ended in two gold points, made out of the melted down gold from Pyrrha's circlet. He still wondered if he had been right to make that little addition.
He looked around at the pictures on the wall, looking at the familiar, smiling faces of friends long gone; Pyrrha, Nora, Ren, Velvet, Penny, Sun, Neptune, Yatsuhashi, Coco, Fox, Sage, Scarlet, Dew, Bronze, Glynda, Port, Oobleck, Arslan, Reese, Nadir, Gwen, May, the Happy Huntresses, Ace Ops…all killed in the great war against Salem and the Grimm. He focused on a picture of himself and his team, taken shortly after initiation. The team he had failed.
It was time to join them.
He walked into the kitchen room, and glanced down at the note he had toiled over all throughout the previous night, which he would leave to whoever found his body; his apologies to his remaining family like his surviving sisters, his nieces and nephews, especially Adien. To Ruby, Weiss, Blake, Yang, Oscar…for failing as hard as he had.
He walked out the back door and walked into his back garden, filled with various plants from Remnant like a Sakura Tree from eastern Mistral. A garden full of vegetables he shared with the wild rabbits. He knelt down in the center of his garden and held out Crocea Mors, pointing it towards the colorful dusk sky.
"Pyrrha, Nora, Ren, Penny, Velvet, Sun, Neptune, mom, dad…everyone…I don't know if I'm about to join you or not, but at the very least I'm getting what I deserve." He said out loud. He noticed that his arms were subtly shaking. He planted his head against Crocea Mors, his breath heavy and shuddering.
Was he afraid? Why? Pain was something he had grown accustomed to. He had lost his partner, had been stranded in the badlands desert of Vacuo for two weeks, his limbs burned off by Cinder, and the various scars his body had collected throughout the war, earned in violent combat that had been just as glorious and awful as the stories had said.
Pain was all he deserved. Death was what he deserved. It would finally release him from the loneliness he had condemned himself to.
He twirled the sword downwards, holding it out and getting ready to plunge it into his body. It wasn't like it would hurt for long. A simple stab into his gut, a hard jerk to the left, the right and then upwards to his chest and a fierce plunge into his heart, and it would all be over.
What would happen once he was dead? Would he finally be reunited with his team? See Pyrrha's beautiful face, hear Nora's cheerful voice and see Ren's content smile? Feel the arms of his parents embracing him? Get welcomes from Velvet, Sun and the rest?
Would it be hell and eternal suffering? He couldn't deny he deserved it.
Or would there be just nothing? Would there just be total oblivion? Nothing but eternal blackness or a void of indescribable colors with no conscience at all, just utter nothingness.
Or perhaps he'd be damned to wander Remnant as a lonely ghost? It would be a fitting punishment for him.
Why was he hesitating? It would be so easy, he just had to impale himself and get it over with. It wasn't like he had much to love for, he barely contacted his remaining family and friends, only brief and token scroll calls that rarely lasted more than five minutes. After he had discovered the depth of Pyrrha's feelings for him, the shame had been so much that he had taken a vow to never get involved with another woman, so there was no romantic partner he had to worry about.
Did he subconsciously want to train Nyx? Why? The Grimm were nearly extinct, the Huntsman Academies would be teaching their last years once the summer was over, with only senior students left. They had been mostly turned into orphanages for children orphaned by Grimm attacks, but thankfully those kids were increasingly rare due to how few Grimm there were nowadays. There'd be no point in training the boy.
So why? Why did he hesitate?
He looked out to the setting sun that vanished behind the distant mountains, and his sapphire eyes widened when a leaf as red as his late partner's hair landed in front of him. He didn't understand it, there were no trees with the color of that leaf for miles and fall was still a month and a half away. As if on cue, another leaf landed near him, this one orange like Nora's hair. Finally, a single leaf from his Sakura Tree landed, it was as pink as Ren's eyes had been.
Was he hallucinating this? Were the spirits of his dead teammates trying to stop him?
With a roar of fury, he threw the sword with all his might and it stabbed into a boulder he had in his garden. He smashed his fists onto the grass over and over again, his aura flaring up with each violent impact.
Why? If anyone deserved death it was him, not Nora, or Ren, and definitely not Pyrrha. Not Penny or Velvet or Sun. Just him. He had nothing much to live for anymore, so why couldn't he just put himself out of his misery?
Maybe he still had more to do. Gods could only guess as to what it was.
"Okay…okay…I won't do it. No dying today. Not yet." He said to himself, or whatever spirit happened to be listening. He stood up and looked at Crocea Mors, still embedded inside the boulder.
Jaune turned around and headed inside, leaving his family's ancestral blade in the stone.
Ruby was rudely awakened by her scroll beeping loudly. Shaking the sleep out of her head, she quickly realized that her scroll was receiving an emergency transmission. Oscar's arm was wrapped around her, and he did not appreciate being woken up about half-an hour earlier than usual.
"Ergh…" He groaned as he turned away, covering his ears, "Way too early for this…"
Ruby couldn't argue with that, she took up her scroll and answered, "This is Beacon Headmistress Ruby Rose-Pine, what's the emergency?"
"Headmistress…ther-there's been an…incident…a Grimm attack!" Said a nervous, shaken voice on the other end of the call, which belonged to the night shift supervisor of Vale City's C.C.T.
"Where?" She asked, her voice turning serious. "How bad?"
"Gevaudan, Ma'am! A small town in the countryside, reports say it got hit by two of them-"
"Two Grimm? I know Grimm attacks are very rare now, but the Hunters stationed there should have been more than enough to take them out." She said, confused as well as concerned.
"Well, most of them are dead, ma'am," The supervisor said, "From what I was told…these Grimm weren't normal, they were Alphas…Elders…something like that! Numerous people are dead, we don't know how many are missing or hurt! They need you there right away!"
"Understood, send a transport to Beacon right away." She ordered him before hanging up. She stood up and headed for her closet to get dressed.
Oscar sat up, "How bad is the situation?" He asked.
"Bad, two Elder Grimm, maybe Alphas attacked a town," Ruby told him, "They're sending a ship as we speak."
"Want me to come with you?" He asked, standing up.
Ruby shook her head, "No, you stay here and if anything happens while I'm gone, just cover for me until I get back…and assure the kids I'll be okay."
"I don't think I need to, as far as they're concerned you're the greatest Huntress to ever live, you look at a Grimm and they die." Oscar told his wife with a smile. He hugged her and kissed her, which she returned, "Still, be careful." He added.
"Hey, it's me. When do I take any risks?" She asked.
"Shall we go over the list? Weiss and Yang helped me compile it." Oscar told her, grinning.
Ruby lightly slapped his shoulder, trying not to laugh. She quickly got dressed and walked into the family's living room area, and quickly collected Crescent Rose. She doubted she see much action, it wouldn't look 'proper' for the Headmistress of Beacon Academy to go hunting when there were dozens of Hunters out in the field, but that didn't mean she couldn't do something to help.
Oscar walked towards her, his face now concerned, "Please, be careful. If we lost you…we'd fall apart."
Ruby remembered what her husband had said last night, so she nodded, "I promise I won't throw myself into dange-" She paused when she saw the photo of RWBY and JNPR, still laid out on the coffee table. Her silver eyes focused on the young, smiling Jaune in the picture
An idea sparked in her head.
Jaune was roused awake by a relentless knocking on his door. He groaned tiredly as he pushed himself up with his remaining flesh and blood arm and grabbed his mechanical one off the nightstand and plugged it back into the socket grafted onto his elbow. He then grabbed his mechanical leg, left lying on the floor after last night, and attached into his knee socket. Both limbs hummed and subtly lit up to signal they were perfectly functional.
He got off the bed, grabbed a shit and put it on as he made his way to the front door. "Okay, Nyx, I know you want me to train you but-" Jaune stopped as he opened the door and saw his best friend standing before him.
"Hey, Jaune."
Jaune was surprised, "Ruby? Hey!" He said, putting on a not-entirely-fake happy face and hugged the silver eyed woman, who gleefully returned the affection. Jaune looked out the doorway and saw a small airship had landed on his lawn, he must have been tired if he had slept through that. He noticed the grim expressions on the Valean Guards' faces and right away he knew something must have happened to bring Ruby out here.
"Not that I'm unhappy to see you, but I can't help but get the feeling this isn't exactly a casual visit." He said, gesturing to the ship.
Ruby sighed, but managed to give him a smile, "Nothing gets past you anymore, huh? Well, you're right, Jaune. You know the town of Gevaudan?"
"Course I do, it's only twenty-two miles from here. Something bad has happened." He surmised.
Ruby nodded, "Right again, sadly. Last night, during the storm, two Grimm attacked the town. According to witnesses, it was a Beowolf and a Boarbatusk."
"Just two? There are Hunters living there, you're telling me they couldn't deal with two common types of Grimm? Sure they're probably out of practice but-"
"Jaune, I think we're dealing with Elder Grimm, perhaps Elder Alphas." Ruby told him.
Jaune fell silent, taking in that information. "We killed all the Alphas."
"That's what I thought too," Ruby replied with a sad sigh, "I just came from the town, about a third of it was totaled, twenty-seven people are confirmed dead, two are missing, dozens more injured."
Jaune turned away, "Did you put out a call for Hunters?" He asked.
"Of course I did…but I want you to help." She told him.
"Me?!" He asked, whirling around to face her again, "Ruby, I'm retired!"
"Nothing lasts forever, not even retirement," She retorted, "Sure, there are other Hunters, but I doubt any of them are as skilled as you. I don't trust anyone else in this kingdom to do it, Jaune."
"Then get Yang." He said.
"I tried, she's tied down on Menagerie because the Bullhead there is under repair," Ruby told him. "Please Jaune. Let's go on one last hunt."
Jaune looked at her, surprised. "You don't intend to go after them, do you?"
Ruby looked away, examining Jaune's well kept garden, smiling when she saw a little rabbit scampering among the flowers. She answered him, "If you don't, I'll have to. These things need to be eliminated."
Jaune shook his head, "You're trying to manipulate me…and it's working."
"I'm a mother of three, it comes with the territory." She said with a smile and a shrug.
"Speaking of which, how are they? Having a good summer? How's Oscar doing?" He inquired, trying to change the subject.
"They're all fine, couldn't ask for better children, or a better man to love," Ruby answered, "But back on topic, will you help or not?"
Jaune sighed and remained silent for a brief moment, "All right. I'll do it. On one condition."
"Name it."
"I don't want you coming with me." He said.
"I had a feeling you'd say that," Ruby muttered, "But it's understandable, I have a husband, three kids, a whole school-"
"And I have nothing that close," Jaune finished, "I'm expendable, Ruby. I always have been. You're not."
Ruby looked at Jaune, an offended expression on her face. "Jaune, never say that. You're anything but. If it wasn't for your healing Semblance, Weiss, Oscar, Yang, Blake and I would all be dead."
"A lot of good it did Ren, Nora, Sun, Penny and the others. Let's face it Ruby, I'm better at killing and fighting than I ever was at healing." Jaune told her.
Ruby looked at him sadly, remembering a time when he wasn't a skilled warrior. How she longed for those days of innocence, those days when Jaune Arc was an awkward, but positive young man who never gave up.
"Okay, okay. I won't go with you. Hell, I haven't had to use these eyes of mine in over twenty years. They might not even work anymore." She remarked.
"I don't know about that, but still, better my hide on the line than yours." He replied.
"Some wandering Hunters in the area have already gone into the forest, but the storm last night wiped away any prints, so tracking them won't be easy." Ruby told him.
"Then they're smart beasts, they attacked during the storm knowing it'd cover their trail," Jaune muttered to her, "Okay, let me get dressed and get Crocea Mors and I'll be ready to go."
Ruby nodded and Jaune went inside to prepare.
He moved swiftly through the house, briefly glancing at his clock to see it was almost noon, and walked barefoot out into his back garden, just now noticing that the wind had blown branches and copious amounts of leaves into his yard. He ignored that for now and approached the boulder that he had stabbed Crocea Mors into last night. He reached down with his organic hand and with a firm yank, pulled it out of the sword almost as smoothly as though it were a natural sheath.
"Well, old friend, let's see if we still got it."
As Ruby waited for Jaune to get dressed, she noticed someone approaching the lonely house. A Wolf Faunus boy, who seemed to only now be entering his teens, walked up the path, looking at the landed airship with a confused look on his face. He stopped dead in his tracks when he saw her.
Ruby smiled, she had grown used to this over the years and walked over to meet him.
"Hi there, who might you be?" She asked, taking him in, getting the feeling Autumn and Hope might find him to be cute if they met him.
He didn't say anything at first, just staring at her with wide eyes. "Y-y-y-y-you're R-Ruby Rose!" He cried.
"Ruby Rose-Pine actually, and the one and only, as far as I'm aware." She said.
"I-I-I'm Nyx Ok-Okami…" He introduced, "I've been helping Mr. A-Arc out lately, as thanks for him saving my butt from some punks."
Ruby smiled, "As much as he wants to deny it, he can't help but be the hero."
"Yeah. Soooo…what're you doing here? Mr. Arc doesn't get many visitors." Nyx told her.
"There's a Grimm situation, Gevaudan was attacked last night and I want Jaune to help kill them," Ruby told him, "I gotta admit, it's nice to see Jaune has made some friends out here, since we can't visit as much as we'd like. We worry about him, you know?"
Jaune then exited his house, locking the door behind him. Crocea Mors was placed in its shield sheath and armor strapped to his chest and back, a powerful looking gun was placed inside a holster attached to his belt along with some ammo pouches.
"Okay, I'm all ready," He told her before he noticed Nyx, "Sorry, Nyx, no work today."
"Yeah, I kinda figured after Mrs. Rose-Pine told about some kinda Grimm attack…hey, hey about I come with you?" He asked.
"Absolutely not!" Jaune snapped, utterly outraged, his tone of voice was fierce enough to make Nyx step back.
"Jaune, calm down. It's only natural he'd be curious." Ruby defended.
"The last thing the world needs is another dumb kid throwing himself into dangerous situations he doesn't understand." Jaune said.
"Do you mean Nyx, or yourself?" Ruby asked.
Jaune looked at the young Faunus, pausing when he realized the hurt expression on Nyx's face, with tears forming at the edges of his dark blue eyes.
He let out a heavy sigh and admitted "Both, I guess," He placed a hand on Nyx's shoulder and said "I'm sorry, Nyx, I really am. I've lost a lot of friends to the Grimm and I don't want to lose anyone else, especially not a kid like you. If you hate me, I can't say I blame you."
Nyx wiped his eyes and nodded, "It's okay, I understand…"
"Hey," Ruby spoke up, looking at Nyx with a kind look on her face, "Gevaudan got messed up pretty bad by the attack and we need all the volunteers we can get. Would you like to help out?"
Nyx's face lightened up, "S-sure! I'd be honored!" He said, "Though, could you get permission from my mom? I think she should probably know about this."
Ruby nodded, "Of course," She said and gestured for him to get on the airship.
Nyx got in like a flash, surprising the guard by how quickly he moved.
Jaune shook his head, "I'm not sure this is a good idea. He's a little shy, but he really wants to learn how to fight, how to be a hero…reminds me a lot of-"
"Yourself?" Ruby finished. Jaune nodded.
"Despite what you might think, Jaune, you are not a failure and you are not to blame for what happened to Pyrrha, Nora and Ren." Ruby told him firmly.
"Yeah, that's what the psychiatrists said, what Pyrrha's mom said, what my family said…everyone keeps telling me that, but deep down Ruby, I just feel like I didn't save enough people." Jaune confessed.
"Well, if you kill these Grimm, you'll be saving a whole lot of lives." Ruby told him.
He nodded before taking out a set of keys and giving them to her, "This is for the case with the item in it," He told her, referring to the special thing she had given him to guard many years ago."
She nodded, it was smart for her to have the keys, just in case something happened on this mission.
Ruby made her way to the airship and Jaune took one last look at his house before he turned to climb aboard the airship, which quickly lifted off.
On the way to Gevaudan, Ruby and Jaune contacted Nyx's mother, Hana Okami, to get her permission. Once they explained the situation to her, they allowed her to think about her decision.
"Well…I did see it on the news, those poor people do need all the help they can get. You're sure you won't let him out of the town?" Hana asked.
"You have my word. We have many Hunters who came to help out, many are staying out of the Hoia forest in case the Grimm try to attack again," Ruby assured her, "The relief effort will need all the help they can get, so we appreciate Nyx volunteering. Of course, if you say no then I'll bring him right back after Jaune takes off." Ruby assured the female Faunus, who was a pretty woman in her early thirties with well-groomed black hair and tall wolf ears.
"Well, I suppose…if you can assure he'll be all right, he can help out and even stay overnight, as long as you promise me nothing bad will happen to my son." Hana said.
"I promise you, Mrs.-"
"Miss Okami." Hana corrected.
Ruby nodded, quickly coming to understand that Nyx's father was no longer in the picture. "Okay Miss Okami, you have my word, he won't set foot into Hoia forest. I have three kids of my own, I"
Hana sighed and looked at Jaune, who glanced at the woman on the screen. "May I speak to Mr. Arc?" She asked.
Ruby nodded and handed her scroll over to Jaune, "Hello, Hana. I didn't want to bring him, but Ruby has this way of softening me up. Hell, maybe if he sees some of the carnage left behind, it will scare some sense into him."
Hana nodded, "Okay. I trust you, Mr. Arc. Please…don't let anything happen to my son. He's all I have left, he's everything to me."
"I swear, nothing will happen to him," Jaune promised, "You have my word."
"Okay…let me talk to him." She said.
Jaune handed the scroll over to Nyx, and Ruby couldn't help but smile as she saw Nyx blush in embarrassment as he accepted the device.
"Nyx, if you see anything resembling Grimm, do not try to be a hero, just run and get to safety. Do you understand me?" She asked him.
"Yeah, yeah, I know mom. I promise I won't try anything stupid or dangerous." He vowed as he looked at his mom on the scroll's screen.
"Okay, sweetie. Stay safe…and if you come home hurt, you're grounded for a year. I love you." She said.
Nyx smiled nervously, knowing that was not a hollow threat, "Love you too." He said, blushing hard, hoping the guards weren't silently laughing at him as they looked away. He handed Ruby's scroll back to her and looked down at the floor of the airship.
"Okay, it was nice to meet you, Miss Okami. Excuse me, but we'll be landing soon, so I have to go." Ruby told her.
"And I swear, if these Grimm try to attack the town again, I'll be there to protect him." Jaune swore to her.
"I'll hold you to that, sir. Goodbye." She said before hanging up.
Ruby put her scroll away as the airship landed. The guard opened up the door and the group undid their seatbelts to disembark from the ship.
Jaune froze up as he set foot outside the ship, looking around at the devastated town.
Several buildings had massive holes in their sides, going all the way through to another hole, windows were shattered, the old watch tower had been totally knocked over, trees, signs and lamp posts had been totally ripped out of the ground, homes were demolished or had noticeable portions smashed through, gates and fences had been flattened.
There were numerous, hastily erected medical tents and large Bullheads refitted to be emergency relief vehicles.
"Oum wept…" Jaune muttered as he looked around the devastated small town.
"Whoa…just two Grimm did this?" Nyx asked.
Ruby nodded, "They weren't ordinary Grimm. There hasn't been a confirmed Grimm sighting in Vale for over a year now, so these must be old beasts. The older a Grimm is, the more intelligent and dangerous it gets" She told him as she led the way. "By the way Jaune, there's a few people I'd like you to meet before you go off into the forest."
"Sure thing." Jaune agreed.
She led them to one of the side tents, where a woman who appeared to be in her early twenties with long braided light blue hair was examining a huge, four feet long tusk with a high-tech pair of goggles around her eyes. She was quite the attractive young woman, with a good, athletic figure and pretty face. She was easily the kind of girl Jaune could see himself making a complete ass out of himself trying to impress when he was a young man.
Just like with Weiss…and how he neglected Pyrrha…
"Cammy, I'm back." Ruby announced.
"Ruby, I think I've-" Cammy stopped when she turned around, her jaw dropping at the sight of the man standing beside Ruby. "T-th-that's J-J-Jaune Arc!" She stammered in her Atlesian accent.
Ruby smiled and nodded while Jaune tried not to roll his eyes. Cammy took off the goggles, revealing sparkling blue eyes and a rather pretty face, she offered her hand out to him. "It's an honor to meet you sir! I've heard so much about you, ever since I was a little girl! My uncle was one of the men you led during the Siege of Salem's Keep, he said you were the greatest warrior he ever knew."
Jaune shook her hand as Ruby introduced him, "Jaune, Nyx, this is Cammy Crystal, one of my top students, she graduated a couple of years ago and is one of the leading Huntresses, and a bright mind in the field of Grimm research. What did you find out while I was gone?"
"Oh, yes! Well, uh, you see, during the attack someone tried ramming the Boarbatusk with a large truck…it was totaled and the driver killed, but he did manage to rip off one of the Grimm's tusks in the process. Using the tusk, I've been able to date exactly how old this Boarbatusk is," Cammy said, "If my instruments are correct, this Grimm is over forty years old!"
Ruby and Jaune looked at one another, "Damn," Jaune muttered.
"Can Grimm really live to be that old?" Nyx asked, "I mean, how did one this big go unnoticed for so long?"
"It probably stuck to the deepest part of Hoia Forest, feeding off of lost hikers and campers," Cammy explained, "Many people have gone missing in there over the years, we might have learned why."
"And now we need to find out where these Grimm have gone and wipe them out. Any idea where they might be hiding in that forest?" Jaune asked the young woman.
"Well, scout ships have been flying over the forest since dawn, no sight of any Grimm or trail of them. However, we have spotted some caves by the mountains and plateaus, we believe they could be taking shelter inside one of those." Cammy informed Jaune, taking out a map on the table where her equipment was set up, showing him several marked areas.
Jaune took them in, and noticed something else on the map, atop one of the forested plateaus, "What's that? Looks like a small town." He asked, pointing to it.
"That was a Schnee Dust Company mine and refinery site which was shut down decades ago. Apparently some smugglers were using it as a hide out about five or six years ago before they were busted." Cammy elaborated.
"I'll need a copy of this map, if you don't mind." Jaune told her.
"We can take this one, Mr. Arc. I want to come with you!" Cammy announced, fearlessly.
Jaune looked at Ruby, "Ruby, you know how I feel-"
"I know and I totally understand, Jaune, but you can trust her. Cammy has fought more Grimm than most of this generation of Hunters. If you can trust anyone to have your back here, it can be her." The silver-eyed woman told him.
Jaune sighed and glanced skyward before saying "Look, Miss Crystal, I mean no offense but I…I don't exactly like taking on partners."
"I know, sir. I know about your past and why you don't like to take on partners, but from what we can tell, this is an Alpha Elder. Not even you managed to take down one of those alone." Cammy pointed out.
Jaune nodded, "Granted… How many Grimm have you taken out?"
"Twenty-nine, sir. I even managed to take out a Nokken in a west Mistral swamp." Cammy told him, grabbing her weapon, a Naginata with a small lantern-like Dust chamber in the center and a hole at the bottom that would expel the Dust.
"A Nokken, huh? A swamp demon's not an easy thing to kill," Jaune noted, he looked at Ruby again.
"I can vouch for her, Jaune. You might have to work with others, a lot of Hunters are already here and have headed out to track them down," Ruby said, "Please, just give her a chance."
The blond knight sighed, he looked at Cammy for a moment before finally saying "All right, it's better than you going out there alone, but I want to get a closer look at some of the carnage before we set out, see how strong and vicious this beast is,"
Cammy brightened up, her eyes lighting up brilliantly as she grinned, "Thank you, sir! I promise you won't regret bringing me along! I can pull my own weight, I swear."
"I hope so, if you're as good as Ruby says you are, then I might not have to worry that hard. Get ready." He told her before he looked at the tusk, its deadly pointed tip and the subtle scratches on it. "Was this one of the bigger tusks?" He asked.
Cammy shook her head, "According to the witnesses, this one was from the top of the jaws, so it's smaller than the ones on the bottom."
Jaune nodded, "This won't be easy, Miss Crystal. An Alpha Elder Grimm is no joke; it's a vicious monster that only thinks about killing and eating, and unlike the typical Grimm it's a smart bastard. You go into that forest with me, there's no guarantee you're coming out." He told her. It was more for Nyx than Cammy, he really wanted to pound it into the boy just how dangerous this situation was.
"I know that, sir. I knew that the moment I made it through Beacon's initiation," Cammy told him, her soft voice growing serious, "I've seen what that monster can do, and I want to help kill it and prevent it from killing anyone else."
Jaune looked into her eyes, and she didn't flinch away.
"Okay, good." He nodded, giving her a slight smile. He looked to Ruby, "Okay, who are the others you want me to speak to?"
Ruby took Jaune and Nyx to another tent some distance away where the survivors who were wounded trying to fight the Grimm were being kept. Most of them were sleeping or clearly high off painkillers, but one of them was still wide awake and alert; a dark-skinned man who was slightly older than Jaune himself, with shaved down black hair, his dark green eyes looked quite haunted and his broken leg was placed in a cast.
"Mr. Wyngarde? I'm back," Said Ruby as she carefully approached him.
"Hello, Headmistress Rose-Pine…is that Arc you have with you?" Wyngarde asked as he looked up.
"It is indeed. Jaune, this is Gordon Wyngarde. He was a Beacon student like us, a senior when we were freshmen." Ruby introduced. Jaune leaned down and shook Wyngarde's hand.
"Never really interacted with you guys, sorry," Wynarde said, "We seniors were on missions mostly at the time."
"So, what happened to you?" Jaune asked him.
"I live here," He explained, "My family's always been in the area. I was woken up during the middle of the storm by the sound of a house being demolished and people screaming."
"Do we know what lured the Grimm here?" Nyx asked, "I mean, why this place?"
"Investigators believe it was a really bad domestic dispute," Ruby explained, "The first house they attacked was owned by a couple known for having a very troubled marriage. They're both dead now."
Wyngarde nodded, "It was hard to see in all the rain and wind, but when I saw it…I froze up," he admitted, "The Beowolf was slightly larger than average, more spikes, but the Boarbatusk…I've killed over two hundred Grimm in my life, and I have never seen anything like that Grimm. It was like something straight out of hell. It was bigger than any Boarbatusk I've ever seen, over half the size of a Goliath."
"That big?" Jaune asked, surprised.
"The thing was like the size of two rhinos!" Gordon told him.
Jaune took this information in, "Did you and the others here manage to do any real damage to it?" He asked.
"We shot it, stabbed it, used Fire Dust and explosives, even hit it with a damn truck. That thing just kept going, wouldn't stop no matter what. Trampled a lot of people to death, devoured others… I got in front of it, fired .50 caliber bullets loaded with explosive Dust, the bastard just stormed into me. I was fortunate enough to get away with a broken leg, most weren't so lucky." Wyngarde said, gesturing to others sleeping in the medical cots next to him, many of whom had far more serious injuries, "I'm just happy none of my family didn't end up among the dead."
"We have evidence that leads us to believe that Boarbatusk is just a bit younger than we are," Ruby told him, a reassuring expression on her face, "Against a Grimm that old and experienced there's little you could have done since you were taken by surprise."
"Still, we could have done something…" Wyngarde muttered before he looked at Jaune, "You're going to go after it, aren't you?"
Jaune nodded, "It won't be easy, but I'm going to try to hunt this thing down and take it out."
Wyngarde eyed him and finally said "You couldn't pay me enough to try and fight that thing. Going after it would be suicide, Arc."
Jaune shrugged. "Maybe, but this thing can't be worse than Cinder Fall or her cronies." He said as he stood up, "I'm sorry about what happened to you, I hope you recover quickly."
"Good luck, and may the Brother of Light be with you." Said Wyngarde. Ruby bid him goodbye and Nix nodded in respect as they followed Jaune out of the tent.
"I'm gonna need Dust to pull this off, Ruby." Jaune told her.
"That can be arranged, some traders and an S.D.C. ship showed up early this morning to hand out supplies." Ruby told him.
"Good old Weiss." Jaune said with a slight smile.
Ruby took Jaune to show him the carnage left behind by the attack. Splotches of blood were left on the grass and road, spent bullets were left all about the place, houses were left in burned down ruins… It would take the town months to fully recover from this.
Jaune watched as some workmen were securing a brick house that had a large section torn away from it and there was a huge hole about twelve feet away were a large tree had been ripped right out of the ground. The tree was a few dozen meters away, leaves and branches had been scattered everywhere and a large pile of bricks were left not far from the tree, a trail of the bricks were leading away from the house and to the heap.
"What happened here?" Jaune asked a police officer who was helping out.
The young officer, who's tag read 'Estabrook' on it, turned around and said "Me and some of the others tried to stop that Boarbatusk last night. Took some old chains the emergency crane uses to lift up cars that fall off the roads or lift up trees, tied 'em to this house and the tree that was there. We managed to lure the Boarbatusk into the trap and for a moment we thought we had the big son of a bitch, but he managed to rip that tree right out of the ground and tore that whole corner of the house out! It was a hell of a sight, unforgettable. Wish I could, though. Lost a few buddies of mine last night."
"You saw it with your own eyes? How big was it?" Jaune asked.
"Uh, seven feet tall, I'd say, maybe ten feet long." Estabrook said, "Say, you're Jaune Arc, ain't ya? When I saw Mrs. Rose-Pine here, I knew she'd bring in some big guns! You going after it?"
"Seems that way." Jaune answered.
"Well…if anyone can kill that mothe-" Estabrook stopped when he noticed Nyx's presence and the disapproving look from Ruby, "Monster, it's you sir."
He offered his hand out to Jaune, who shook it. "Gotta say, it's an honor to shake hands with the man who killed Cinder Fall and her crew. Good luck out there, sir."
Jaune nodded, "And to you, Estabrook."
Jaune turned to Ruby and began to walk as she gained a very dour expression on her face.
"One last witness I'd like you to see," Ruby said, before looking at Nyx and adding "First we should probably get you to the head of the relief group."
"Okay. Um, Ruby, this Boarbatusk can't be that hard to kill, right? I mean, it's just a big pig." Nyx said, sounding very nervous.
"Never underestimate a Grimm, no matter what animal it takes the shape of," Ruby told him firmly.
Jaune growled an agreement, "Listen to Ruby, boy, she knows what she's talking about. Grimm only have two states of being; dangerous or dead. Never forget that, Nyx."
"I understand, Mr. Arc." The young Faunus said with a nervous nod as a large armored truck drove by, only to come to a screeching halt. The driver door opened and a face Jaune somewhat recognized came out of it.
"Arc? That you?" Said the man, with dark gray hair going down to his shoulders and a scar going down the side of his cheek.
The realization of who the man was suddenly hit Jaune, "Sky Lark. Been a very long time."
The rear of the armored vehicle opened up and two other familiar figures came out, the aged forms of Russel Thrush and Dove Bronzewing. Dove looked like a respectable man, his face and eyes far friendlier than the bully Jaune had known, but still weary from many battles. Russel, however, looked like the type who frequented seedy bars and worked as a criminal enforcer, with many old tattoos decorating his arms and a scar going down one eye and several others on his bare arms.
"I'll be damned, it really is him," Dove said, "Ruby Rose-Pine too!"
"Hey guys," Ruby said, deciding to be friendly rather than vindictive, since their days of bullying the other freshmen of Beacon were long behind them, "Guess you here to help us deal with the situation?"
"That's right, we're here to kill the big bad wolf and the little piggy." Russel remarked, sneering at Jaune a bit.
"Where's Cardin?" Ruby inquired.
"We, uh…we're not exactly on good terms with him anymore," Dove answered, "Not after he started doing mercenary work. Some of us have families now, and we don't go for that kind of stuff."
"Figures he'd resort to that." Jaune said with a grunt, eyeing them suspiciously
"Last we heard he might have been doing some dirty work for your old partner's little brother." Sky said to Ruby.
"Whitley and Cardin? Not a good pairing," Ruby muttered, "I'll ask Weiss about it."
"So, you're gonna try to take on these Grimm, Jauney?" Russel asked.
Jaune nodded, "With any luck, they'll be black smoke by dawn."
"Sooner, once we get to them," Russel boasted before he noticed Nyx, "Who's the kid? You take on an apprentice, Jauney?"
"Wouldn't say that," Jaune denied, "He's a kid who's been helping me out after I saved him from some punks," He paused to look at his old tormentors before continuing, "And he volunteered to help out around here."
"And maybe prove that I'm a worthy apprentice…" Nyx added, before shrinking under Jaune's annoyed glare, "I just want to learn how to fight like you."
"Trust me kid, it's better not knowing how to wield a blade, it brings nothing but trouble," Jaune said, "Come on Ruby, let's go."
Ruby led them away, leaving the three members of what had been Team CRDL to watch them depart.
"Arc still thinks he's too good for us," Russel muttered, "Not like we just sat on our asses doing nothing during the war. We took out Elders and Alphas, why aren't we legends?"
"I mean, he did lose his whole team in that war, maybe that's part of it." Dove pointed out.
"Plus he was the one leading an army at Salem's Keep alongside Team RWBY and was the once who figured out what Ozpin was really doing." Sky pointed out.
"So he got his revenge and managed to take down a few terrorists by surprise, big deal and happened to be at the front of the line for the big battle. The fact that he lost his team makes him a failure in my eyes, all he really has going for him is that he killed Fall and helped expose Ozpin. Still…I think this might be our chance to make a real name for ourselves boys." Russel said.
"What are you talking about?" Sky asked.
"Let's face it boys, the Grimm are nearly extinct, less and less every month. Sooner or later we'll be out of a steady job. If we get to these beasts and kill 'em before Arc does, we'll be heroes." Russel said, smirking confidently as he watched Jaune, Ruby and Nyx walk away, "And I think I might have a way to pull that off…"
Dove looked at him, clearly annoyed, "Russel, please tell me you're not thinking about using the Faunus kid as bait."
"Arc's clearly rejecting the pup, why not take him under our wings, show him the ropes, let him help us out?" Russel said.
"He might have a point," Sky remarked, "A kid with us, out in the middle of nowhere, with those Grimm lurking around? It would be enough to draw them in…"
"Exactly. Plus, we won't let him down like Arc has. He wants to learn to be a Huntsman, why not show him?" Russel said, grinning a bit.
"Who were these guys?" Nyx asked.
"They were classmates of ours, used to be bullies back in the day but they did their part in the war. Their leader isn't with them, but its kind of nice to see they managed to stick together after all the times." Ruby said.
"They're bastards," Jaune said simply, "No different from those kids who chased after you."
"I take it that's how you two met?" Ruby asked Jaune.
"Yeah, I had…kinda ticked off this gang of punks, I stood up to them when they were trying to push these some kids from my school around and they chased me over a mile before I ran into Mr. Arc when he was on his way home from the grocery," Nyx explained, "He got between me and them…next thing I knew he was kicking their butts without even breaking a sweat!"
Ruby smiled at Jaune, "Once a hero, always a hero. Hope you didn't go too hard on them."
"A few bruises, some torn clothes and a lot of humiliation and shattered pride, that's all. Give me some credit, Ruby, I know how to restrain myself." Jaune remarked as they approached a dark skinned man, who was giving orders to the various volunteers.
"Mr. Mishra, I have another volunteer for you." Ruby announced.
"Oh, thank you, Mrs. Rose-Pine, we need all the help we can ge-is that Jaune Arc?" Mishra asked.
"Yes it is, but he's not the one I mean. This is Nyx Okami, and he's volunteered to help out." Ruby introduced, clapping Nyx on the shoulder.
Nyx stepped forward, "I'll try my best to help out with whatever you need, sir."
He glanced at the boy and then back to Ruby, "Okay, if Mrs. Rose-Pine vouches for you, then I suppose you'll be a big help. Another supply ship just landed so we need some help moving medical supplies into the tents," He turned to his assistant, a dark-skinned Cat Faunus, "Take Nyx and show him the ropes."
She nodded and gave the younger Faunus a pleasant smile and said "Come on."
She left him off and Nyx looked back at Jaune and Ruby and waved, a gesture which they returned. Ruby then led Jaune away, moving towards a tent where people who were now homeless due to the attack.
"This is where the victim I want you to see is. I didn't want Nyx to hear this." Ruby told Jaune, her voice and expression grave.
Jaune nodded solemnly as he followed her inside of the tent, where various people with minor injuries or those who had only lost their homes and possessions were inside laying or sitting on cots. Some cried, others just looked to be in a state of numb shock, it was a sight Jaune always hated seeing.
Ruby approached a rather beautiful woman with long black hair and dusky skin, sitting on a cot with a sling around her arm. Her eyes, a pretty brown, were empty and hollow, just staring off into space. A similar-looking woman who appeared slightly older than her sat next to her, a comforting arm wrapped around her shoulders while a pale man next to the haunted-looking woman held her hand tightly, looking down to the ground with a similar expression on his own face.
"Mr. and Mrs. Ayad? I'm back," Ruby announced as she knelt down to speak with them.
"Hey, Mrs. Rose-Pine." Said Mr. Ayad, his voice hoarse and tired.
"This is Jaune Arc," Ruby said, gesturing to her friend, "I brought him here to kill the Grimm. Jaune, this is Iyad Ayad and his wife Risha. Their baby was…taken by the Boarbatusk last night."
Jaune looked at them, horrified and sympathetic. "Oh gods, I'm sorry. I have a bunch of nieces and nephews, I'd lose my mind if anything happened to them. I can't imagine what it's like to lose a child."
Risha suddenly looked up at Jaune with that haunted look in her eyes, "Th-that beast…that demon smashed through our house, broke my arm…and took my Sami. It took my baby boy…there was nothing left. Not even a piece of his pajamas or a drop of blood," She told him, "I could hear him screaming for me and then…it bit down…oh gods!"
Jaune clenched his fist, inwardly furious that such abominations still lived, still inflicted pain on innocent people.
"We tried to go into the forest and get him back…we just kept screaming his name and begging him to come to us," Said Iyad, "Our sorrow made us a perfect target for that Beowolf, if it hadn't been for one of the local Huntresses fending it off, we'd be dead by now."
"I'm Risha's sister," Said the other woman, "I'm taking them to stay with me and my family in Vale until the town is rebuilt. They…they don't need to stay here, not after what happened."
Jaune nodded in agreement as he knelt down to look at the couple. "I'm so sorry about what happened."
Risha looked into Jaune's eyes, and he didn't look away. "Mr. Arc, I've heard stories about you…how you killed Sea Feilongs, Nuckelavees, even a Wyvern once. All on your own. How you killed Cinder Fall with your bare hands…please, I want you to stalk those monsters…and kill them." She said.
Jaune took hold of her hand and said "You have my word, I will kill them. Your son's life, and the lives of everyone else they've killed, will be avenged."
Risha kept looking into Jaune's eyes and slowly nodded as fresh tears began to fall from her tired eyes. "Thank you, Mr. Arc. Thank you…"
Iyad shook Jaune's hand and said "Thank you. Don't just do it for us, do it for everyone in this Gevaudan."
Again, Jaune nodded, "It will be done. I'm very sorry for what's happened to you, and it's not something you'll ever truly be over, but I will do everything in my power to avenge your boy." He told them before standing up and walking out. Ruby bowed to them, giving them her best wishes before following Jaune.
Jaune went over to the S.D.C. ship and took some of the Dust packs they were giving out, free as per Weiss' orders, so that the beasts would be easy. However, Cammy was already there, getting every type of Dust she felt would be useful.
"Mr. Arc! I've got Fire, Ice, Electricity, Combustion, Gravity, Rock, every type we could need!" She told him, presenting a backpack filled with various Dust canisters.
Jaune nodded in approval, "Good job, these will come in handy."
Cammy's bright eyes seemed to sparkle at the casual compliment. He looked at her and said "You sure you're ready for this?"
"Sir, ever since I was a little girl, I wanted to fight alongside the heroes who saved Remnant. It's a dream come true to go on this mission with you." Cammy told him.
Jaune nodded again, "All right, let go."
Suddenly Ruby's scroll went off and she quickly answered it, "Hello? Ah, Mr. Upton, yes I'm still here, doing everything I can to help out and provide moral support- Excuse me? What?! Urgh, I know they're doing this on purpose! Fine, I'll be there as soon as I can. Thank you." She hung up, not bothering in the slightest to disguise her annoyance.
"What's up?" Jaune inquired.
"The damn Vale council wants me there to report the damages and body count, and I have to dance to their tune if I'm going to get them to go along with my plans to turn Beacon into a normal school," Ruby informed him, her voice dripping with disdain.
"Just put up with them for a little longer," Cammy told her old mentor, "You're such a popular and revered person, they'd be voted out if they didn't cooperate with you."
"I think that's why they resent me," Ruby remarked, "You two take care, I want you both back in one piece. Understood?"
"We'll do our best, but no guarantees." Jaune said before smiling slightly and saying "And give 'em, crater face."
Cammy gave him a confused look as Ruby grinned and winked at him, "Take care of Cammy, and Cammy, you look after Jaune, okay?"
"You got it, ma'am!" Cammy said, saluting Ruby.
Ruby turned around and walked away, heading towards her airship.
Jaune and Cammy approached the forest, going past the hastily erected security wall that would project Hard Light Dust shields to prevent the Grimm from getting into the village, and were guarded by the various Hunters who had come from miles around.
Cammy looked into the forest, into the seemingly endless array of thick trees.
"Last chance to turn back, girl. We go in, we don't come out until those things are dead." Jaune told her.
Cammy smiled at him, "Mr. Arc, as long as I'm working with you, I feel like I could take out a thousand of those monsters."
"Okay, then let's get moving." Jaune said, leading the way into the dark forest.