Mind Games by Twisted Fate MK 2

(Jaune Arc's awakened Semblance comes with a greater gift as well. The ability to not only read minds, but intent as well. Now what, pray tell, should he do with such a potent ability?) 

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"I release your soul and, by my shoulder, protect thee." Pyrrha almost sighs quietly, collapsing towards him with a gasp and hanging onto him for a moment before her legs could hold her, " Our Aura strengthens and protects us, Jaune, and now your own power protects you." "And were we to be wholly honest…. You need the help, in spades."

She took a few steps away, turning and breathing deeply while Jaune absorbed her words quietly. He wasn't about to call her a liar, even if her comment had felt a tad more insulting than he thought was entirely needed, since she was completely correct…. But her voice had bothered him. Not her tone, but the actual sound of her voice making the words. It had warbled, almost like… an echo underwater. Distorted almost beyond recognition, even if he had understood her perfectly.

It was odd, so much so that he opened his mouth to ask her to repeat herself, when they heard several branches snapping nearby and both jumped, literally in Pyrrha's case. Jaune turned, shield snapping out in time with Pyrrha's own, who stood in front of him. A large Ursa stood by a tree at the far end of the narrow clearing, leering at them with vicious, red eyes.

"Jaune, stay behind me. I can handle one Ursa Major, just stay back until I can teach you how to use your Aura as a shield," Jaune took a step back, hesitantly lifting his shield and looking at Pyrrha's back. "If more show, however, you must withdraw. I can lure them to a more open area, and eliminate them far more easily." "Damn, Aura's still low from awakening him, and Jaune can't help me against Majors without us knowing his Semblance… Have to buy time to-"

Then those emerald eyes turned from him to the beast in front of them, and the warbled voice dropped to a low murmur, almost a whisper, and Jaune understood what was happening- assuming his sanity was intact of course. His Semblance.… He could hear others' thoughts, reach into the one place no one was ever meant to go, and pluck intent and motive from their very brains.

But in that same instance, he realize something else. He was in a stance, sword back at an angle, shield firm in his grasp and pressed almost against his shoulder, his lead foot forward. It wasn't his stance, he always led with his sword, shield back and off to the side, so he could hit with it faster. It wasn't until Pyrrha stepped fully in front of him that he realised it. It was her stance, not his. He'd mirrored it entirely on instinct.

And a third realisation, as he stared into the massive Grimm's hate filled eyes…. More whispers, much like his new partner's, only more muted. More guttural and base, echoing in the spaces between his thoughts, his body and the Ursa. He realised it a moment later, lowering his shield slightly and looking at the beast as it quirked its head to the side in curiosity. They weren't thoughts that he was feeling, or hearing, they were orders. Mandates. Right now, it was to wait while several other Ursai came to its aid, to intimidate them into waiting for its support.

"Pyrrha, it's waiting on its friends to back it up. If we stand here and wait until it makes a move, we'll be surrounded." Jaune said quietly, stepping around her slightly and standing beside her.

"What?" She squeaked quietly in surprise, lowering her guard slightly and giving her new partner a surprised look, "That's quite a plan to attribute to the Grimm, is it not?" "Grimm don't make plans like that, they just run onto our spears until the weight of their mass presses us back…." "What gives you that idea?"

"Long story, Pyrrha. Just…." he sighed quietly, turning and smiling at her lightly, "We're partners now, Pyr, we have to trust each other. I'm asking you to trust me on this, we have to attack it now. Then we run for it."

Pyrrha smiled at him, stepping back slightly and falling into a defensive position behind him, that odd voice falling to a whisper again. "As you say, Jaune. I shall follow your lead then, just tell me what you want of me and it shall be done- so long as I am able." "Though I don't believe you can fight it…."

"You're the stronger fighter, can you take it out quickly?" He smiled at her nod, stepping to the side slightly, "Then do it, and then we'll try to run."

She nods, locking her shield against her arm and striding forward confidently, sword held back, elbow almost parallel to her waist and blade pointed forward, ready to thrust into an unwary belly or face. The Ursa, sensing the time of fighting drawing close, lumbered forward, spikes along its back scratching the wood of the trees as it lumbered and chest rumbling lowly in anger. Red eyes filled with hate swapped between the duo a few times, before finally deciding the redhead to be the larger threat. Lifting its head high, it roared defiantly at the Spartan woman's approach.

She shot forward when she got close enough, blade slashing across the creature's left arm, and leaping away when it snarled and smashed an arm through the air where she'd been. It lumbered after her and, with a casual flick and a few steps back, she extended her sword into a moderately long spear. The Ursa lumbered, angry over the painful wound, its instincts demanding human blood greedily. She took a step back, measuring the distance and its steps as it came, the numbers and ease flowing through her and into Jaune like water from a river.

And he drank it up greedily, though he didn't see another choice without understanding more of his newly found Semblance, since he was certain that's what this was. It had to be, there wasn't a better explanation.

Pyrrha's spear lashed out, flicking up and into the Ursa's jaw easily, and she grunted as she jerked it free and let the beast fall. She turned to him with a smile, shifting her blade back into sword form and relaxing slightly, "There, now shall we go, Jaune?" "Even if he's wrong about more coming from prior to our fight, they would likely had heard the roars. Best to retreat now."

He nodded and ran after her when she turned and took off at a light jog, wondering what he should do next. And thinking of a few avenues of research he needed to go into to figure out just how his Semblance worked.

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