67

Chapter 67 – The Arcicus Institute

It was Jaune… and yet it wasn't. His body was there, his face, his weapon and his way of moving. In so many ways it was him, and yet in the one way that mattered – it wasn't.

"I really don't get what's going on here," Yang whispered, a note of wary concern in her voice. Blake spared a glance for her but had no idea what to say. Adam stood before them still, calmly regarding all three opponents with the air of a man confident the situation was still under control.

"He's on our side," she whispered back, "That's all you need to know."

"He's dead."

"He's a robot, actually. And technically a she."

Yang gave her a dirty look but it really was all that could be said.

Penny strode forward and away from them, Crocea Mors in hand. "Father always said what separates machines from humans is their capability to feel," she – he – said. "Happiness, sympathy, joy… father said they made me human." Penny – and she would call her Penny – came to a stop. "Father is dead now…" Blake's eyes drifted shut, a silent farewell sent for the eccentric but kind man.

"Is this going somewhere?" Adam asked, flicking his blade to the side.

"I feel that I am more human than machine right now," Penny said, staring at her hand. "Because I am experiencing some very ugly emotions."

Blake felt wind blast back from where the robot stood, her hands coming up to shield her eyes as she watched Penny propel herself forward. It wasn't just strength, there actually were small vents on the back of her legs – giving her extra speed.

Adam crouched with his blade beside him, prepared for the assault. Red flashed as they crashed into one another and for a moment all that could be heard was the ringing of steel on steel. Adam turned Crocea Mors to the side, stepping into the girl's guard and driving his hilt into her chest. Any normal human would have been winded but Penny took it with ease, not losing a single breath as she slammed the pommel of Jaune's weapon into her old friend's mask.

There was a crack as he staggered back, gripping it with one hand. "You are not human." It looked as though he finally understood Penny's cryptic words.

"I feel rage and the desire to kill you." The words, coming from Jaune's mouth and in his voice, had never sounded so sinister. "Only humans feel such base emotions…"

"Tch, one of Atlas' toys… I knew Torchwick couldn't be trusted."

Torchwick-? Blake's eyes widened, the robots outside, all under the control of the enemy. That must have been Torchwick's actions! The others were still fighting them and needed their help. If they could defeat Adam quickly then they could save them. She pushed herself up with a grunt, reaching for Gambol Shroud only to grit her teeth and shiver as agony coursed through her.

"Hey," Yang was at her side in an instant, "Take it easy – you're injured."

"Yang is correct friend-Blake," Penny called without looking back. "You should leave this to me and fall back to help others."

"I can't! I need to stop Adam."

It was her responsibility, her-

Penny looked back over her shoulder, "You need to find Jaune."

Jaune! Her eyes widened, panic racing through her as she realised just what his absence meant. The fact that it was his face looking back at her only made it worse. Where was he? What was he going through? If he was still on the airship, then what happened if the distance between them became too great? Adam may have been her responsibility but Jaune was so much more. She had taken a step away the moment his name was mentioned, but turned back at the last second. "I… Can you…?"

"I shall be fine," Penny said. "Find him."

Blake wasn't so sure… Adam was in a league far beyond her own. In a way, maybe it was for the best that Penny was here instead of Jaune. She knew how to use his body, how to fight as a robot. Jaune would have been destroyed far too easily.

Yang took hold of her arm, wrapping it around the blonde's shoulder to offer support. "You're going to explain this to me in a way that makes sense, right?"

Oh gods… that was a conversation she didn't relish.

"Do you think I'll let you leave?" Adam strode forward, sheathing his blade in one elegant motion. "Are you truly intending to run away again, my love? I won't let you… not this time."

"Tch, creepy ex much?" Yang prepared herself to fight but was interrupted by Penny, who appeared before Adam.

"You will not have a choice," she said. "I am combat ready and you contributed to the death of my father. It is you who shall not be allowed to leave."

"Planning to bring me in?" Adam laughed.

"No. This body is new to me… there is a chance I might misjudge my strength and kill you." Penny's face was utterly deadpan. "It would be an unfortunate accident but I am sure the General would understand. Go, Blake. Go and find him."

She wanted to stay, knew she should. But the thought of him out there in that swirl of death and Grimm. Frustration burned within but she nodded regardless. "Be careful of his semblance," she shouted, "When he sheathed his weapon he's preparing for a powerful attack."

Yang took hold of her and started to help her away, Blake's eyes watched backwards as they did.

Adam screamed in rage, dashing forward and intent on cutting the robot down. Penny, still in Jaune's body, stood before the oncoming monster, Crocea Mors held loosely at her side. It could have been you… it should have been you.

But then he would surely have died.

Silver streaked through the air, an ancestral blade screeching as it took the full brunt of Adam's. The two fighters shot across the floor, sliding from sheer force alone. But it held… Penny held. She would have to trust in that… trust in it while she found Jaune.

"Where do we go from here?" Yang asked as they staggered out of the cafeteria.

"Back to the others." Jaune would know to find his way there if he could. He had to still be on Beacon, otherwise her aura would have been trying to kill her already. He wasn't an idiot, no matter how much he tried to act it.

"Penny… that was Penny, right?" Yang waited for Blake's nod before she continued, "She said to find someone…"

"Jaune."

"The guy that died in initiation?"

"The same." Blake gritted, eyes flashing as she strove for a sight of him – any movement that might be his. Grimm flew overhead, screams and the sound of combat came from every direction. It played havoc on her senses, making identifying him all but impossible. "Don't think too hard on it… this isn't the time for explanations and I doubt you'll understand."

"I… don't." Yang growled and shook her head. "Fine, I guess you'll tell me after all this is done with. I'll help you find him. What does he look like?"

"Small, yellow fur and button eyes."

Yang stared at her. "What!?"

Blake sighed and was about to explain but for an ear-splitting roar behind them. It was a masculine voice filled with fury and rage – all of it aimed at her. He didn't crash from the building, however. Nor did he bear down on and kill them. But she knew he would be coming… chasing after her until the day he died.

Yang sighed, "You really attract the weirdest guys, kitty-kat."

"You don't know the half of it."

/-/

Jaune pulled himself from the bush with more than a little difficulty. The thorns alone were huge compared to his small body and where they might have torn flesh on a person, they tended to snag and hold him back. "Victory!" he snarled, flopping free from the tangled confines and slamming onto had pavement. "Okay… bush defeated, now what?"

Grimm and students fought to the death, along with Atlas soldiers firing against their own robots.

"And suddenly the perils of the mighty bush seem more appealing… sheesh."

No amount of snark could make the sight any less frustrating, however. Nor could it do anything about the doubt gnawing where his stomach would have been. He had to find Blake… had to get back to her before something happened and they got separated once more. The last time that happened he hadn't felt even the slightest discomfort, yet she had been paralysed with pain. She could be going through that right now and he wouldn't know about it.

If it happens while we're being invaded…

It didn't bear thinking about. The only thing keeping him going was the suspicion – nay, the desperate hope – that if she had died, he would have vanished with her.

"No time for thinking, I've got to find her!"

He pushed himself up and waddled away, throwing aside caution as he moved openly across the gardens of Beacon. Everyone was too busy and failed to notice him, focused on their own opponents and defending themselves. Even if they had seen him, what did it matter by this point? "The Academy is my best bet," he said, dodging past the stomping foot of a Beowolf. It paid no attention to him, charging towards some other prey. "Maybe if I can find her locker and get launched with it? No, she must have summoned it by now…"

The best bet would be to find a member of Team RWBY, since they all knew how important his bear form was and would get him back to Blake. Maybe Zwei? The dog would still be in their room and could probably sniff his way to Ruby or Yang.

It was worth a shot… it wasn't like either of the sisters was going to leave their dog behind. Plan made, he made his way towards the main building, pausing for one second as a huge robot stomped by, firing off into the distance. That must have been what the Doctor was trying to prevent. It burned inside to even think about him… how his creations had been turned against him like that.

It was as he approached the main building that a flash of colour caught his eye, one that shouldn't have been out of place in a battlefield but somehow was. "Pyrrha?"

It was. Her red hair, so shockingly vibrant, stood out against the drab surroundings as she followed Ozpin into the main building, the two moving with some haste. It wasn't Zwei but it was someone who knew about Blake's condition. Surely if he got himself picked up by her it would be enough to get him back to his partner. There was also no telling if Zwei was still alive or even in their room.

With a quick sigh, he turned away from his current path, toddling wildly after the duo who moved with much longer gait than he did. They stepped into an elevator, turning to face the door as the Headmaster pushed a button. For a second he thought Pyrrha saw him, her eyes widening – but the closing door soon cut them apart, leaving him padding his stubby hands against the door uselessly. "Damn it…" he cursed, slapping one hand on metal for good measure.

If he'd been in ghost form he could have phased through, but the blood provided by the vial in his chest was too limited for that. Besides, he wouldn't be able to carry the bear along. Instead he stepped back and looked around, eyes narrowing as he saw an opening nearby – far too small for any human to fit through. Perhaps it was some kind of access hatch, an emergency in case the elevator was stuck. Or maybe it was just for ventilation.

Now it was for a bear, and as he struggled through he sent a quick thanks for the fact his body didn't technically have a spine or skeletal system. It let him crush himself to squeeze in, his body giving way and folding in on itself as he shimmied through.

The completely empty air on the other side was less than welcome, however.

"Arghhhh!" He screamed as he fell, his body plummeting down towards the elevator. "Argh- oh right, I can't be hurt…" He coughed awkwardly, holding one paw before his face as the air whistled past. Well, he was definitely on track to catch up with Pyrrha, but he still wasn't quite sure how to actually catch her attention.

"Argh!" Pyrrha jumped in fright as his body hit the top of the elevator, actually managing to hit the repair hatch and slam it open. He fell through, bouncing on the floor as the red-headed girl pushed her body against the wall. The Headmaster flinched too, drawing his weapon for a second.

"I'm just an innocent bear!" Jaune called, as he lay perfectly still on the floor.

"Well," Ozpin chuckled, "That was a bit of a surprise." He sheathed his cane, shaking his head as he looked up and through the hatch, no doubt to see if anyone was following him down.

"It's Blake's bear," Pyrrha said as she knelt down and picked him up.

"Good girl, Pyrrha." Jaune cheered. "Now, take me to Blake."

"Keep in mind what we're here for," the older man warned. Pyrrha nodded but didn't put him down, instead holding him between her breasts.

"I know," she said, "But I can bring this back to her afterwards, can't I? She needs it."

Bring him back after what? And why did Pyrrha sound so nervous about it?

"I don't see why not, Miss Nikos. Rest assured, if you cannot then I shall deliver it myself."

"Thank you…"

"Why is everyone acting like you're about to die?" Jaune growled. "Why are we even taking an elevator when the school is under attack? One would think the bloody headmaster would be strong enough to fight off some flipping robots."

The elevator door whispered open, a long corridor filled with green light appearing before them. The architecture, the machines, the sheer emptiness of it all. He perceived it for only the briefest second. Because at the end of it all, what they moved slowly towards, stood something that caused his senses to tingle.

"The Fall Maiden," Ozpin announced, leading them towards the woman trapped in a glass tube.