16

Chapter 16 – Final Jaunesternation

"This is now a really bad idea!"

"I won't argue with that," Blake slipped between the shadows formed by various metallic containers of dust, amber eyes flashing left and right. "But it's the right decision, we need to stop the White Fang from getting away with all this dust."

"Arghhh… damn it…" the bear cursed angrily as it gripped onto her arms, "can't we just contact the police?"

"The police haven't done anything about this so far," she hoisted him up before her eyes as she spoke, "and even if they decided to - what would they be able to do against a trained and armed force like this? We'd be signing their death warrants."

"But why us?"

"Me because I'm personally involved in all of this. You? It's not fair but... there's nothing I can do about you being trapped with me Jaune. At least we can rest assured you won't be killed."

"Ha. Ha." The bear said slowly, folding its stubby arms. "There's no other option?"

She shook her head, a small smile coming to her lips despite his words. She could hear his anxiety, the same fear that was within herself. Yet beyond that, she could also sense a small amount of resolve. And perhaps even a tiny bit of excitement. Jaune had always wanted to be a Hunter in life… and in some ways she couldn't fix that for him. But at least in death he could protect people.

"We're being real Hunters now," she whispered softly as she held him before her, "that's what you always wanted, right?"

"Yeah, I guess…" His furry face looked away, and for a moment she almost imagined him blushing. "Just… be careful. You can't take as many risks as I can."

"Says the man who entered Beacon without so much as his aura unlocked."

"Yeah and I paid for that. Let's not you go the same way."

Indeed, she thought to herself as she slipped down between some containers, making her way to the area they were taking the dust from. It would be better to sabotage the whole lot in one go, rather than wait for them to load it onto the trucks. Who knew if the containers they were hiding behind would be moved at some point.

If there was one thing Blake Belladonna had learned from her time in the White Fang, it was how to pull off industrial sabotage. And she'd never been caught doing any of that either.

"Clear," Jaune said as he floated a metre in front of her, peeking round the corner before she had to. The two sprinted down the next aisle as Blake pressed her back into the edge, waiting for the ghost to float ahead and give the all clear. He held one arm out for a few seconds, before nodding – and again they were off.

"How are we going to set off the dust anyway?" He asked as he phased back into the stuffed toy once more, hanging from her arm as they pushed deeper into the warehouse.

"All dust is a bomb if you know how to use it," she hissed back amber eyes flashing, "I'll just set it off and let the dust do the rest."

"And the people here?"

Something within her moved.

"We won't kill them," she promised, "…we'll wait til they move away before setting it off, they'll get plenty of warning from the noise." She wouldn't become another Adam, not if she could help it. Of course there was still the chance of someone being killed, but if they were stupid enough to approach dust that was literally exploding, or to run into a burning warehouse? Then she really couldn't help them. "I'll do everything I can to make sure no one is hurt."

"Okay… I guess this needs to be done."

More than you perhaps realise…

She didn't like it any more than he did, but no one knew the White Fang like she did. No one knew what they were truly capable of, now that the moderates had all either fled or been removed.

There was a flash of movement ahead of her, a figure dressed in grey and white who seemed to move lazily in an opening ahead of them, a sack of dust balanced in her arms. Almost in slow motion Blake saw the female faunus' head turn in their direction. For a comical moment she seemed to notice them, then look away – before the head snapped back and her mouth opened.

Blake didn't hesitate, though the moment after she struck she wanted to slap herself in the face.

"Arghhhh!" The woman screeched as the dust fell to the floor.

"Rarghhh!" Jaune Arc roared as he flailed at her mask, his small body pressed against her face, stubby little legs kicking away. "Take this, and this, and this!"

The woman must have had some training, but Blake could only assume the shock of being attacked by a small yellow bear had thrown logic out the window, for all she did was continue to scream and try to pry him from her head.

The noise cut off as the handle of Gambol Shroud smashed into her temple, dropping her instantly.

"Hey, I had her…"

"You can have the next one," Blake dragged him off the unconscious woman, stuffing him under one arm as she withdrew into the shadows. Heavy footfalls were already sounding nearby. "Do it."

"Crystal? Crystal, what is it?" Someone shouted as three other faunus came up to the woman, helping her as she stumbled to her feet. "Intruders?" Hands instantly reached for weapons, until the woman shook her head.

"N-no," she chuckled uncertainly, one hand coming up to rub the back of her hair, "it was… it was a spider."

"A spider?" One of the men said, shaking his head as a few others bit off their laughter. Weapons were sheathed as some began to move back to work, a low hum of conversation sounding around them.

"A really big spider," the woman laughed as she looked back into the darkness between the crates. Yellow eyes narrowed at the flickering blue orbs looking back towards her. "A really stubborn, annoying, bitchy spider."

Blake made sure to show what she thought of that by raising her middle finger towards the possessed faunus.

"Right, well then can I leave you here or do you need a guard in case any more harmless creatures come by?"

"Heh – I'll be good." The last male faunus walked away, sighing the sigh of one who wasn't being paid enough to put up with this.

"You know?" Jaune said as he slowly waltzed back into the alley between the containers, "it's the little things in life you miss the most. Like the breeze on your skin, or the smell of fresh air. There's something very different about being alive."

"Good job by the way," Blake sighed as she pushed past him, looking around the corner to make sure all the Fang guards had left. Now there was just the two of them, and a huge pile of dust. Perfect. "Anyway let-… Jaune…"

"What?" The woman looked up, away from the hands that were cupping the underside of her small breasts. "What!? Any man would in this situation – you can't tell me you'd do different if this was the other way round."

"I have no idea what you're talking about," Blake lied as she slapped his hands away, "we've got a job to do though so don't get distracted."

"Okay mum…"

Rolling her eyes, the girl snuck out into the open, amber eyes flicking left and right to make sure she was truly alone. Jaune, for all his quirks, quickly followed behind her – taking a position where he'd be able to warn her if anyone else came by.

The dust had already been filled into various sacks, no doubt how they were trying to hide it if they were questioned by the police. Judging from the logos they were laundering it as bags of laundry, in similarly marked trucks. She made a mental note of the company name, to see if it was part of a larger ring – before tearing open a few nearby bags and pouring the dust out onto the ground.

Gambol Shroud flashed as a few more bags started to leak dust, the volatile material spreading across the floor like water from a leaky tap.

"The others are still far away?" She quirked a brow in his, her… his direction. The masked female leaned back as she looked round the corner before nodding. "Then we might as well set this off now."

And without further warning she flipped Gambol Shroud round and fired three loud shots into the dust, smirking as it sparked and crackled angrily. Sometimes it was small flames, or cracks of ice – even small bolts of lightning. But either way it raced back towards the main stock of dust, which they both knew would have an altogether more… interesting reaction.

"Run now?" Jaune asked, right as she sprinted past him. "Blake, you suck!" He called as he pushed the woman's body as hard as he could, half-stumbling as he kept pace with her.

One thing you never really got used to was how different explosions could be. Some were great big fiery blasts that erupted with scorching heat that threatened to burn the retinas of those who dared even look upon it. Others just went up in one great explosion, with little else to it.

With dust, you could add any number of crazy effects.

The one behind them went off like a bomb, and yet there were no flames or roaring noise, it was more like a dull thwump – followed by the very air bursting around them, shattering windows, lights – even denting the sides of metal containers as it threatened to tear them from their feet.

Then there was the second explosion. And this one was more typical, a great rush of heat followed by billowing tendrils of flame bursting from within the building. Licking hungrily at the roof as it grew.

People cried out and screamed from nearby, White Fang rushing by without really perceiving them as they tried to figure out what had happened. It was chaos and pandemonium on a giant scale, and the two interlopers took their chance to slip away into the dark crevices between abandoned warehouses.

"Ca- can we stop…" Jaune panted as he placed one hand on a nearby wall, "she's… not as fit as she thinks she is… holy shit… do some cardio girl."

"You brought her with us?" Blake asked as she looked back outside their alleyway, grinning at the distant sounds of sirens. Whatever was left, if any dust did survive, would soon be seized by the police. It might even be enough to prompt to them just how serious this matter was.

"Yeah, I wasn't going to leave her there… she couldn't exactly run away from the blast."

"Good point. Well just leave her here, maybe the police will find her – maybe her friends, either way, good job part-"

"Honk!" The woman said with a smirk, one hand squeezing her left breast. Blake sighed dramatically, before lashing out and delivering a solid blow to the side of his head. The woman tumbled to the left, sliding against the wall – even as Jaune remained standing, his spectral hand now effectively lodged in his… considerably smaller pecs.

His blue eyes looked at her, as though disappointed.

"You are literally the anti-fun."

"Come on partner," Blake shook her head as she turned away with a smile, "let's go home."