20

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General James Ironwood was no fool, even if his so-called friends seemed to think it often enough. He didn't need that boy's Semblance to tell him that, he could see it every time Glynda looked at him... But he wasn't one, in the end, and he knew to follow his gut, especially with new and potentially hostile people.

And that's why he was so uneasy, reading the report one of his agents had given him. A Huntress - one in training based on her corpse's Aura levels and her apparent age, yes, but still a Huntress - with her throat slit in an alley, stripped to her underwear and left to lie, her hair burnt off presumably to hide her identity.

Her Aura should have prevented an attack like that, likely why she'd gone into the alley at all, its presence on her body even as it atrophied attested to what she was, but he'd had her dental records run anyways.

A visiting Huntress-in-training, here for the Vytal Festival, and dead before her Aura could react. It screamed of an assassin, but who would go out of their way to kill one random girl? And how did they ignore her Aura entirely? Something was wrong here… and James had no idea what.

But he had an idea who might be at the center of it, and what that might mean for what he'd been charged to protect. He turned to the sergeant abruptly, the slightly smaller man flinching under the old General's withering look, "Get me transport to Beacon Academy immediately, and have the fleet move to a level one alert status."

"Yes, sir!" The Atlesian snapped off, saluting crisply and marching away to do as told. James truly did prefer it when people just… listened to him.

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Neo grinned as the redhead slumped against the wall, eyes glaring at her as much in fear as anger, and she held up the small red needle for second and showed her her Scroll, 'Special metal from Vacuo, pierces Aura. Great for someone like me, I like my playmates alive.'

She saw the girl's frightened expression, and slid the needle back into a protective case on her Scroll, tossing the larger girl over her shoulder and carrying her into a nearby classroom to wait, and maybe have a little fun….

Why stage photos to bait the trap when it would be far more entertaining to do it herself?

It took a second to get the girl into the chair, the limp body heavy in her hands, but Neo was more than used to the challenge of moving people larger than her. She tied her arms behind her, secured to the back of the chair and wrapping under the seat, effectively hog tying her to the wood, and leaned her up, so she was staring at the ceiling.

Neo didn't have much time before the drug started wearing off, nothing could get rid of the problem Aura posed there unfortunately, so she quickly gagged the girl and looked over her work, contemplating how to take the pictures.

Smiling, she stepped forward and ripped open the dress, leaving the bra, and fished out her knife. Slicing into the paralyzed woman's chest with it, Neo carved the room number in and stepped back, taking the pictures she needed.

Much more fun than just sending the room number along with the message. She sent the same picture to Cinder, her way of reporting her progress to the overbearing woman, and in exchange received a message with a picture of Roman, safe and sound and organizing crates with a bored expression.

Then she sent a message to her two 'allies' telling them to blow their top.

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Jaune once again checked his reflection, nervously fiddling with his rent-a-suit and grimacing, Nora watching his back with an amused expression, an eyebrow raised at his back, "You look fiiiiine, Jauney." "Never thought I'd have to convince a guy he looked alright…." "Besides, Pyr isn't gonna be all that worried about how you look."

"I doubt she'll care either." Ren added, leaning against the wall, "She isn't the type to worry about an outfit, I feel." "Except for taking it off you, I'd wager." "You just need to relax, and have a good night."

"I know." He said quietly, smiling sadly at just how he knew that for a second and turning to hide the blush at the other man's thoughts, "I just… this is supposed to be a good night for her, you know? She's got so much on her shoulders, so I…."

"You don't want to mess it up." Nora finished for him, smiling at him warmly before tilting her head to the side and letting the grin grow more manic, exposing far too many teeth to be seen by a normal man as friendly, "And you won't. Trust me, I'll break your legs if you do." "She wouldn't have said yes to going out if she didn't know you enough to not care about an outfit."

"What she means is that we all know you'll do fine." "Not that he fetish for breaking legs is of little concern." Ren said quickly, shaking his head at the girl for a second before sighing and looking at him, "Just have fun, alright? She will too." "And for Oum's sake, remember to put a sock on the handle if you leave early."

Jaune opened his mouth to say something when they felt the building shake, the lights flickering slightly and the trio grabbing onto beds and dressers to stay standing, and Jaune felt his Scroll go off. Before he looked at it, he looked at the other two, "Go, find out what that was, see if you need to help. I'll find Pyrrha and come after you." "And then report to Ozpin, I guess…."

The duo left, running out the door and to the side towards the training room where Miss Goodwitch held her classes - and where their arms and armor would be. Jaune was just glad they didn't question his orders when he gave them anymore, and he went out the door himself, flicking open his Scroll to send Pyrrha a message.

And froze, staring at the picture he'd received of Pyrrha, numbers carved into her stomach and tied to a chair. Along with it read a message not to come with any help at all, or the girl would be dead before they could do anything. Growling loudly, he turned and started to walk towards the classroom, pushing past students and reaching past their panic, curiosity, and worry to find a familiar pain, echoing from far below him.

"Jaune?" Amber started quietly, her voice weaker than normal telling him she'd been asleep and he'd woken her.

'Yeah. Is Ozpin there?' He asked quietly, hoping she'd be able to manage his request.

"No. He spoke with a doctor down here and left. He said I would be getting better medication soon." Jaune smiled, even if he was upset by the news as well. He hadn't thought the old man would get going on it so fast, especially after he'd refused him before.

'Alright, I'm glad you got some help, Amber.' He said quietly, shaking his head and taking a turn down the last hallway before he would reach his destination, sensing Pyrrha's presence in the room that the picture had indicated, 'I have to go, okay?'

"Be safe." She said quietly as the connection receded.

Jaune sent a quick message to Nora with the room number and an order to tell Glynda, Ozpin, or Qrow to go there, and turned it off just as he was pushing the door open. Inside, Pyrrha was tied to the chair, and turned to him groggily, her eyes widening when she recognized him. The small girl sitting on the desk beside her hopped down and he flinched slightly when she smiled and put an arm around Pyrrha, holding her Scroll out to him with one hand and pressing the knife to the redhead with the other.

He took a step towards her, enough to read the device's display, "Glad you could make it, blondie, we need to have a conversation." "Was beginning to think I should just kill her and come get you the fun way."

"About?" He asked shortly, looking at Pyrrha worriedly, noting that her wounds had already healed from the picture. So her Aura was still active, but how had she been captured then?

The diminutive girl thumped him on the head, shoving the device at him again. "About the fact that as of today, you're coming with me and joining up with us." it said, the girl taking it back to type some more - digging the knife into Pyrrha's throat when he apparently spoke out of turn - before showing it to him again, "My boss's boss wants you on her side, and my boss and I want you on our side, so you get the honor of becoming my first ever minion." "And don't interrupt, or I kill the bloody red-haired girl… Shame to waste a body like that though."

"Why would I even consider doing that?" He hissed, taking a step forward and trying to get a read on the girl's thoughts, anger flickering across him at her thoughts, trying to figure out what she actually wanted. She tapped the knife against Pyrrha's throat again, the girl starting to come to and glaring at her arm weakly, her normally bright eyes dull, almost greyed out, just barely visible over her chin before those same eyes fell on Jaune.

"Jaune, my semblance isn't working, I can't do anything yet." She 'said' quickly, calming ever so mildly when he nodded at her slightly, "Just… stall for a while, and I can help. She has weapons that pierce Aura, so be careful. She got me with a needle, so watch for that in particular."

"Because not doing what I say means I'll just have to give the redhead here a permanent smile." She looked at Pyrrha's torn dress and heaving chest almost appreciatively, with a note of envy in her eye and typed more to the message, "And a breast reduction too, while I'm working on her."

"And you think I'll just stand here and let you?" He asked dryly, gesturing at the door to the empty, dusty classroom with a wave, "There are probably people walking around right now, all I really need to do is yell and tackle you."

She grinned widely, only taking a second to type, "Then try it." "I'll slit her throat and drug you, take you to Roman by force. Harder, but fun enough for me." She waited a few seconds before rolling her eyes and giggling mutely, showing him the Scroll a second later, "That's what I figured. Now, we can leave right now, or you can play tough guy and go for help while I play with your friend. Pick one."

He grimaced quietly, looking at Pyrrha as she looked between the two of them, clearly confused without being able to read the Scroll, and the girl pressed the knife into her skin after a second, drawing blood.

"Fine." He snapped, irritated, and sighed, "I'll go with you, alright? But we have to head by the armory first, get my-" She pointed behind him, and Jaune turned, looking at a small box about three feet wide in every direction. Opening it, he blinked when he saw his armor and Crocea Mors before turning to the girl. "How did you-" He stopped when she dug the knife in a little more, Pyrrha pulling away from it futilely as another thin line of red traced down from her throat and across her chest, and raised his hands in surrender, "Hey, hey! Just… let me get my armor on, and we'll go, okay?"

She nodded, fishing out a red tipped needle and stabbing Pyrrha's neck before she could react, holding up her Scroll when he grabbed his blade and stood, "Just something to knock her out for a while, same way I got her here."

Pyrrha's green eyes fluttered and he closed his eyes, nodding and turning around to start strapping his armor on. It only took a few minutes, and to his disappointment no one showed up to help him. Finally he stood, refusing to look at her, "I'm ready."

She hopped off the desk and grabbed his hand as she leaned against his shoulder, pressing her head against him almost affectionately, "Hey, what are you-" he felt a needle press against his skin and sighed, "Got it."

He didn't need to read minds to get that hint.

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Winter flicked her rapier, ice flowing out to block some of the fire that had been spreading, and addressed one of the Atlesian droids, "Get more of the retardant out here and smother this damn fire!"

Multiple bombs had detonated just outside the dance hall, causing all the balconies to collapse, and igniting the lower floor. Four people had been confirmed dead from having been on the balconies and blown up, then fallen a dozen or more feet into jagged rubble, and finally burned. She sincerely hoped the bomb or the fall had killed them. The robot obeyed quickly, turning and jogging away stiffly while another ten sprayed the white foam onto the fire, Beacon students and staff standing back and watching from a safe distance while the machines stood against the blaze heedless of the heat from it. She sincerely wished for more Ice Dust, but she hadn't packed for a combat deployment.

Part of the structure fell in on itself, throwing embers into the night air, and she swore, grabbing a droid's arm, "Go into the building and stop the spread of the fire, by whatever means you can!"

"Miss Schnee, what happened here?" She turned to Professor Goodwitch, the woman flicking her riding crop to lift debris and use it to smother some of the fire, as the older blonder stalked towards her with a furious expression, "What exploded?"

"We're unsure about what detonated, ma'am, but we suspect terrorists. At least officially we're unsure, rather." She gestured behind her, a dead soldier lying on the ground where the explosion had tossed him, "Slit throat, and he's missing his grenades, so unofficially, I'd put my bets there. And the method here is similar to a string of attacks in Atlas a while back, which confirms my suspicions further."

"The White Fang?" She asked, the Schnee nodding in answer, "Dust damn it!" Goodwitch snarled, turning to the fire and then back to her after a few seconds of thought, "Find Jaune, Winter. I'll coordinate with your blasted machines and try to get the fires under control, but I have very little doubt that he is the target of this."

"Arc? A target? Ludicrous, and surely you have better things for an officer of the Atlesian-"

"Go, Winter. Now, please, I can't explain the importance of you locating him. If he is missing…" She shook her head, glaring hotly at her, "If he is missing, contact James and arrange a search for him immediately. Prioritize it over anything short of a breach in the Wall of Vale, you understand?"

"Why?" Winter asked quietly, shaking her head in confusion, "There's been a terror attack, they have better things for the Atlesian Armada to do than look for one lost boy, if he even is actually missing."

"Because your ally has asked you to. Officially, at least. Unofficially…. I suppose if you recover him, I can coerce James into letting you know why we needed you to." Goodwitch snapped, turning and making it clear that the conversation was over entirely. Winter sighed, turning and walking away.

She hated civilians most days.

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"There you are, about damn time." Emerald muttered, watching Neo walk up to the small cargo craft they'd 'borrowed' with a blonde man, probably the 'package' they'd been ordered to collect. "Everything go alright?" The blonde glared at her for a second like he wanted to say something, before he shook his head and shoved past her roughly, his armor clinking slightly as he moved, "Who shit in his cereal?"

Neo shrugged, walking past the green haired woman and sitting next to the boy on the small craft, Emerald closing the door behind them and watching out the back while Mercury lifted the craft, yelling back at them from the raised cockpit, "You sure we should leave without Cinder?"

"For the last time, she said she had things handled and we needed to do this." She snapped, shaking her green head and sighing, "If you could just do your job once without whining, that'd be just great."

"What? Can't hear you!" Mercury yelled back, almost certainly a true statement.

"That's good, because I was whispering!" She snapped back, plopping into a seat and looking the blonde up and down, "So your sword turn into a shotgun or something?" He glared at her for a second then ignored her, and she rolled her eyes before relaxing into her seat, "Fine, be that way, dickhead."

"What?" Mercury called back again.

"Not yo, the other dickhead!" She snapped, watching the mute leaning against him giggle mutely, "And you shut up, or I'll have Cinder cauterize Roman's cock."

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Cinder smiled to herself, sliding her glasse blade across the guard's throat and letting him collapse, white armor stained a pale pink and ground turning red around him. She looked around her, a half dozen more corpses arrayed around the communications room, and then out the window at the blaze.

She had instructed her pets to cause a diversion, and while bombing Beacon wasn't quite what she meant, she had to applaud their success. Hearing her Scroll chime and fishing it out of her costume's chest, she smiled and checked the picture. A self-taken photo of Neo, leaning on a very angry looking blonde's chest. She wasn't quite sure, or concerned, with why her mistress had become so obsessed with the boy lately. But she had him, and that was certain to draw a metric tonne of jealousy and ire from Watts, the stubborn, conceited bastard.

Standing, she left the communications tower, stepping over the two unconscious guards in the atrium and heading away from Beacon, into the forest. The Grimm wouldn't be a challenge for her, really.

No one was. Not for a very, very long time.

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