Destiny - Part III

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His hand snapped up and swept to the side, hurling one Beowolf into another and then both into the wall of the hallway beyond, crushing them both. A third leapt for him and he turned, his partner shooting by in a streak of red and bronze to bury her spear in its chest, holding it high like a character in a movie, watching it writhe and die on her spear-point before flicking it to the side. A fourth and final, the largest and slowest of the group, reached them as she did and the woman stepped back while Jaune surged forward, saber hissing through the air and bisecting the creature.

Leaving the dead creatures to vaporise, they moved on, marching through the administrative building.

While they walked he could feel Pyrrha's agitation and anxiety rolling off of her in veritable waves. He didn't need the Force to see how his partner felt, though. Anxiety, fear and anger were written across every fiber of her being, from her long, stalking strides to her squared shoulders and grim, determined face. He understood how she felt, and understood the look too. They both knew what they were walking into, what they had fought through a dozen skirmishes with the Grimm to get to.

This could be where Pyrrha died, and she knew that more surely than most people could be sure about a lot of things.

"We're almost there, Pyr." He said quietly as they rounded the final corner and stepped into the wide, main hallway that stretched around Beacon Tower's base.

"I know." She nearly snapped at him, flinching at the tension and anger in her voice and turning a small, apologetic smile on him. "Jaune, I didn't mean to-"

"I know you didn't, Pyr, you never snap at people." Not intentionally, at least. It wasn't in her nature to snark and snap unless something was wrong. "I understand how you're feeling, Pyr. I can feel it. It's kind of distracting, honestly."

"Oh is it now?" She asked in faux-annoyance, cocking her head at his words and raising both brows. She didn't look at him, of course, eyes ahead and wary in case more Grimm or invading Faunus appeared.

"You, uh, you feel very loudly." He answered. Pyrrha nodded and, with a wave of her hand, prompted him for more in an obvious attempt to distract herself. "I can't super get into it-"

"Obviously, don't have an abundance of time."

"-but people tend to have specific emotions they exude particularly strongly." Why, he wasn't sure, he'd not been taught the more purely theoretical Force ideas. It didn't really matter for what he was learning overall, so why bother? Regardless, and somewhat more seriously than she'd probably hoped, he went on, "You exude anxiety and similar emotions more strongly than normal. Sometimes, it makes it hard to feel what's around us."

"Oh." She blinked, guilt echoing from her and drawing a pang of it from Jaune himself. "I didn't know that…"

"Don't get lost in your own head, Pyr." He murmured as they finally reached the elevator down. Eyes locked on it, and spiking in her anxiety, she only grunted and nodded. She reached for the button to call it up and he grabbed her forearm, stepping between her and it and forcing her to meet his eyes. She flinched at the contact but he ignored it, holding her arm and speaking clearly, "Close your eyes."

"Jaune, we don't-"

"Going into a fight anxious, antsy and afraid is dangerous." He cut her off, releasing her arm so he could grab each of her shoulders and hold her in front of him. "First lesson of the Way of Revan, never let your emotions run loose and wild. Force Warrior or not, it doesn't matter, if you let your emotions break you then you've already lost the fight. So, trust me, and close your eyes."

"...Fine." She nodded, frowning but trusting him enough to do as he asked. Eyes closed, she asked, "What now?"

"Just breathe, in and out slowly, and think about something that makes you happy. That calms you down." He told her, "It can be an idea, like your duty as a Huntress. A memory, maybe. A place or a thing, even a story if you have one you like, or-"

"A person?"

"O-Or a person, if it works, yeah." She nodded and stepped closer, into him. He let her and after a second she leaned into him, resting her forehead against his familiarly. "Now just breathe, for a second. And focus on that person."

"Alright." She nodded, hands resting on his armored chest for support.

After a moment, he felt her anxiety start to ebb away slowly. It was still there of course, echoing distantly, but it was smaller now. More contained, like the difference between a stiff sea breeze and a hurricane gale.

Hands on her sides he asked, quietly, "Better?"

"Mhm." She nodded, blinking open emerald green eyes and then flushing at their proximity and the way she'd leaned against him, their faces scant inches apart. Pulling away she laughed awkwardly, flinching when the elevator dinged open behind him. "This is, uh, not the place or time for this, though."

"If it works it-" He blinked and leapt back and away, hand snapping up to Push her away from him.

A fireball, first sized and red hot, hurtled through the space he'd made and slammed into the wall further on. A flick of his hand called his saber back to his grip as he turned, spinning the weapon beside him as the blades came to life. Pyrrha was back in a moment, pushing him behind her and raising her shield as a burst of fire sparked across her armor, Aura and the shield itself. A practiced flick of her spear gave her her rifle and she raised it, resting it on the rim of her shield.

Beyond his Mistralian partner were four people, two women, a Human man and a Faunus with an obvious, if different, White Fang mask.

"Very, very good reaction." The first woman, dressed in scarlet and oozing a kind of sexual, predatory and eerily familiar confidence that set him on edge, practically purred. Watching the fire flicker and die in her hand she turned a narrow eyed, almost amused gaze on them, "As expected of the great Pyrrha Nikos and her rather mysterious partner, Jaune Arc."

"There's only one mystery here, and that is who you are." Pyrrha called in return, taking a step to the side, to put herself in a better position to block them from the elevator. "I see the White Fang mask. Are you to blame for this tragedy, then?"

"I-"

"Yes in a way, and no in a handful of others." The woman answered, earning a somehow deeper frown from the Faunus for interrupting him. She ignored him, though, and went on with a demure little smile. "In truth, Ozpin and his dogs are as much to blame for this as I am. And those who so cruelly oppress my Faunus allies, of course. Without their invaluable help, I would have had a far more difficult time making this particular party happen."

"Party…? People are dying!" Pyrrha argued, turning her attention on the Faunus and ignoring the woman. "You aren't in uniform, I'm presuming you're a lieutenant? Their leader, maybe? Your people are dying out there, you know."

"They knew the risks when they signed on with the White Fang." The man answered simply, turning a sidelong glance on the scarlet woman and scowling. Looking at her rather than either of them, he added, "The White Fang's business is not something Humans should feel any concern over."

"What dear Adam means," The woman countered, turning a threatening smile on the man with the words, "I am sure, is that it is none of your concern."

The man's only answer was a frown and a 'tsk'.

"How very eloquent of you, Adam. Truly, the greatest of Faunus poets." The woman smiled, laughing when he still said nothing. Where Pyrrha's laugh was bright and light, this woman's was cold and cruel. Turning her gaze on them once more she sighed, and asked in the single most dismissive tone he had ever heard, "I don't suppose either of you know whether I should go up the elevator or down?"

"Why would we tell you?"

"Because it's polite to answer a nicely asked question." The woman answered simply, shrugging as though it were obvious. Blinking owlishly she cocked her head to the side and, clearly mocking, asked, "Would you prefer if I said please?"

"Polite?" Pyrrha scoffed, "What would you know about-"

"If you want to be polite, then maybe you should introduce yourself." Jaune tried, stepping forward and laying his free hand on Pyrrha's left shoulder. To them, hopefully, it would look like he was trying to tell her to be quiet.

To Pyrrha, he hoped, his warning was obvious.

"I suppose it would be polite, and you did go so far as to lead us right here and call the elevator for us…" The woman smiled, so confident of her victory that she'd given in to arrogance.

"Why would we waste our time on introductions?" Adam snapped, finally, whatever font of patience he'd been drawing on apparently running thin now. "We should kill them and be done with it!"

"Oh, you impatient little man… But fine, I suppose a compromise is in order." Adam snarled but Cinder ignored him, gesturing to the two with her and smiling. "My name, for as short a time as you will know it, is Cinder. These are Emerald and Mercury. Now, up or down?"

"Up." Jaune lied simply, thrusting his hand up and Pushing them away with all the force he could muster, taking them by surprise and actually managing to bowl Cinder over outright.

A moment later he felt his armor, as if coming alive and acting of its own accord, yank him to the side. His back slammed into Pyrrha's shield hard enough to sting, but he didn't mind that or the way she shoved him off and to the side, slamming a hand on the 'down' button and stepping in front of him as a living shield. Rounds from the angry green-haired woman's twin pistols sparked off of her in the brief moment before the door shut.

"Hold on, we need some speed." She warned, grunting in effort as the elevator rapidly accelerated.

A few seconds later the elevator slammed into the bottom of the shaft with enough force to crush the bottom of the elevator ever so slightly. Rising, Jaune blew the elevator door off and then leapt through the gap with Pyrrha on his heels. They made it ten feet before the elevator detonated behind them, fire and shrapnel chasing them. Too close to escape it, they instead stepped into each other, Pyrrha raising her shield and using her body as one while Jaune batted aside the chunks of brick and metal too large for them to withstand being struck by.

From behind them, Ozpin called, "Mister Arc, what is-"

As if to answer his question, Mercury emerged from the smoke and dust like a shot from a gun, slamming both feet into Pyrrha's shield hard enough to launch them both back. Using them like a springboard, he flipped back and through the air while his partner took his place, chasing the staggered duo with her two blades and forcing them back further and further. Pyrrha tried to counter, but her thrust went nowhere near the woman and then Mercury joined her, rocketing in and slamming a knee into her stomach that hurled her away from Jaune.

Next they set upon him, kicking, slashing and hacking to force him further back, closer and closer to the transfer pods. Facing two of them in such a close encounter, he didn't dare use the Force and leave himself exposed. Instead, even off-balanced and being forced back as he was, he cut and thrust in return, managing to score at least one slash with his saber that left a burn on Emerald's arm.

Finally, Ozpin intervened, rapid cane thrusts punching into Emerald by the dozens until Mercury leapt in and took her place.

Ozpin danced back and away from the man's rapid kicks and wind blasts but Mercury didn't seem to mind. On the contrary, he only kept up his attacks, perfectly content to simply take whatever ground they'd give.

Finally, after they'd been pushed back nearly to the hospital beds Yang and Blake lay on, Cinder snapped her fingers, "Emerald, Mercury, I believe that is enough."

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"Headmaster Ozpin." Cinder smiled, feeling the familiar burning ache burning in her breast flare as if in response to his presence. The burn had only increased as they made their way through Beacon's battle-stricken halls, like a guiding beacon directing her to what was hers. To her destiny, as much as Ozpin's little bird thought he'd taken it away from her. "So good to finally meet you, after all this time."

"I'd like to say I feel the same, but I make a habit not to lie." Ozpin countered, watching her closely. Staring her down but speaking to the students behind him he warned, "I suggest you spread out rather than clump up behind me. Poorly trained, misled Maidens tend to have rather lacking control of their fledgling powers."

"Right."

"Got it."

"Baiting me won't accomplish anything, Ozpin, I'm a very patient woman." Cinder laughed, watching the two children flank out to either side. The slightest nod and wave and her own pawns matched them, pacing away from them while Adam glowered behind her. She ignored him, though, speaking to Ozpin directly, "So, one wounded General, judging from how he's leaning against that wall, one wounded girl from the hospital, an unconscious Faunus-"

"Blake." Adam, interrupted helpfully, "My wayward partner."

"The fuck she is!" The blonde snapped, trying to rise and nearly falling off the bed until her sister turned to catch her and help her lean against the bed. Legs trembling pathetically, the blonde leaned on her smaller sibling and put her body between the unconscious Faunus and them, "Blake is my partner, Sir Edgelord. You can fuck right off!"

"Adam's partner,��� the blonde bristled intently at her words and she smiled, moving on, "and three students. Is this all you've mustered to defend whichever of your pawns you forced to take my power?"

"I didn't force anyone to do anything, and I would thank you not to confuse me with your so-called queen." Ozpin answered quietly, face and body rigid and tense, but otherwise a mask of pure calm. Giving Adam a small, sidelong glance he smiled, "Blake chose to accept the power of her own volition. And I won't allow you to kill her for the power."

"I don't need to kill her to take the power from her, Ozpin." Cinder lied when Adam's gaze snapped around to her, mouth open to say something. Flexing her parasite-laden hand she smiled, "There are a great many things about might and magic that even you don't know about or understand, old man."

"Lying to me about this, knowing who I am?" He laughed, shaking his head and looking to her glowering Faunus companion, "Mister Taurus, I haven't the time for details, but rest assured that a Maiden's power can only be separated by death. The machine behind me is the culmination of years of study, and even it killed Amber."

"Amber was already dead, you just wouldn't let her realize it." Cinder argued, before Adam could consider what Ozpin had said. On their own she could deal with either of them, but Ozpin and Adam together were too much even for her. "I was not nearly so careful with her, and the process was interrupted by your little bird."

"The trauma inflicted on her-"

An arrow whistling towards his chest forced the old man to turn aside and cut him off, Cinder sighing and lowering the summoned weapon with a predatory grin, "I think I am done talking now, though. Adam, seize your lost kitten and then-"

The feeling of goosebumps breaking out across her body was the only warning she received before she was hurled back and away. She hit the ground and rolled, pushing off the ground with one hand to dodge the next bolt of lightning that cracked from Ozpin's curled fingers. Sighing, the man pitched his cane into the air and caught it, held like a baton. Then, he rocketed towards her, trailing lightning that arced across the ground behind him.

Abandoning her bow she summoned her curved swords, stepping back and catching his cane slash on one. It shattered and he stepped into her guard, slamming the base of his handle into her forehead and then snapping a leg up to kick her away. She staggered away, parasite hand spewing a gout of fire to buy her a moment to recover.

Ozpin's cane snapped through the fire as he followed, stepping confidently towards her with his weapon held out to the side and his other hand in a fist at the small of his back. Turning, he held the weapon tip down, like a rapier, while his other hand stayed behind him.

"I should warn you," he smiled, "that I was trained very well by my master. And though it may have been so long ago as to be hard to believe, I remember the lesson very well."

She hurled a fireball and leapt, summoning a replacement sword and bringing both back to cut across the man's chest.

A flick of his cane dispersed the fire as though it were nothing and, in the same movement, he stepped in and turned, shoulder angle to receive the coming hit. One sword slammed into his shoulder and skated off harmlessly, barely drawing any sparks of shed Aura, while his cane snapped up in a perfect vertical line along his sternum to catch the other. Then, his free arm finally moved, wrapping around and clutching at the small of her back. Looming over her he smiled, almost holding her like a lover would.

A heartbeat passed and he sighed, flicking the sword forward to open one side of her guard and stepping back, forcing her other arm open as well. Turning, he shoved her forward and then slammed a foot into the back of a knee, forcing her down on it. Keeping a foot on her calf he snapped a rapid flurry of thrusts into her shoulders and the back of her head before she could react and then brought his foot up and kicked her down, onto her stomach.

"Please tell me you didn't rain at any of the Academies, lesser or greater." The ancient man sighed, walking over her back and turning to look down on her face as she came up on her hands and knees. "I would hate to be responsible for the schools that taught someone so… Well, weak."

Snarling, she pushed herself up with twin gouts of flame, then cut the flow to one to set her spinning.

Her foot cracked against his cane and then she brought her hands forward, using a point blank blast of fire to hurl herself away and burn the man in one move. So close, even he couldn't react, and as she flew back so too did Ozpin. Both hit the ground and rolled onto their feet, the man dusting himself off and smiling almost pleasedly.

"Better." He complimented, once more raising the cane vertically across his sternum again. "A few more attacks like that and maybe you'll make me feel it."

Thinking quickly she drew two more swords, this time suffused with more Dust and Aura for durability, and snarled, loudly enough it carried throughout the wide hall, "I won't let you trick me, you snake!"

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The Faunus shot towards her once again, drawing his sword in a powerful slash that she caught on her shield. Even so, and with her heels dug in and Semblance anchoring her, it forced her back a step. He frowned at that but a thrust from her spear forced him back, the Mistralian flipping back and away from him in turn, flicking her weapon to draw forth its rifle form as she landed. Snapping it up she hammered one, two, three shots out as the man pursued her.

The first he dodged, ducking his head to the side just as it cracked by. The second and third he caught on his blade, though, leaping and hurling it at her. She dodged to the side, leaping and rolling as rifle became sword and the red blade slammed into, and through, the concrete she'd stood on. Her shield snapped up on instinct just in time to catch another strike as the man, almost faster than lightning, pursued her still.

She swept her sword up in front of her shield to force the blade up and away and spun on her heel, snapping out a kick that caught the man on the stomach and winded him. Using the impact to spin her further she knelt, armor scraping on the concrete, and hurled her shield into his forehead. It struck his Aura and sailed up and into the air as he snarled and backpedaled, trying to regain his balance.

Pursuing him, now, she reached up and called the shield back to her arm with her Semblance. Using it and her sword she assaulted him as fast as she could, a flurry of blows that came as fast as she could deliver them. Few sparked off his Aura or missed outright, but most he took on his blade, snapping up from his drawing position to defend him while they circled and fought. Finally, it was enough for her and she was forced to back away lest she run out of breath and be left at a disadvantage.

"You're a monster." She panted, smiling as they circled.

"Not the first Human to call me that…"

"What-" She blinked, ducking back as he surged towards her with another slash. Her shield came up to force his blade back. She countered with a thrust he caught on his blade, backing away and slamming the red weapon home once more. While she had the moment, she rushed to explain, "Not because you are a Faunus. I didn't mean that context of 'monster', I'm sorry if my wording was wrong."

"Then what did you mean?" The man asked, pacing in a slow circle to match her and taking the second to catch his breath.

"Your speed, your strength, your precision- You're a splendid fighter, Adam." She smiled, bittersweet as her enjoyment was. "Circumstances aside, I have not enjoyed a fight as much as this one in… Gods, it feels like years."

"Hmph." The man sighed, one hand on his sheath and the other on his sword, ready should she make a move against him. "You are… Impressive as well. For a Human.��

"Thank you."

"Mhm." He nodded, finally stopping his circling and crouching low, in the same stance she'd seen him take many times now. "A shame that it won't last much longer, then. It's rare to meet someone skilled enough to keep up with me. Even if you don't compete with me."

"Indeed." She sighed, raising her guard and letting her smile dip as the man shot towards her again, hair seeming to glint somehow in the light of the Vault.

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The silver-haired young man spun in the air like a top, kick angling down towards his head. Stepping back, Jaune brought his saber up to catch the kick and scald his leg. But Mercury curled it in at the last second, sailing by and slamming into the ground right in front of him hard enough that the concrete cracked. He brought the bottom blade up towards his head but the man ducked back, leaping away from him with a burst of air.

His hand snapped up on instinct to Pull him back to him, but the crack and sting of bursting gunfire sparking along his back.

A moment later and the distinct, louder punch of Ruby's rifle answered. Turning, he watched Emerald duck and dodge back, towards Cinder and Ozpin's fiery battle and away from the source. Kneeling, Ruby traded out one magazine for another and pulled its bolt, giving him a little nod. Beside her, Ironwood sat, right arm sagging and leg seemingly stiff and useless, but a grim expression on his face and a large handgun in his off hand.

"You're welcome!" Ruby called when she saw him looking. "We need to deal with them so we can help Pyrrha!"

"Assuming we can…" He murmured, shaking his head and turning back as he heard the heavy, now familiar 'whump' of Mercury's boots.

He dodged to the side and the man punched down hard enough to crack the ground behind where Jaune had been standing. His saber hummed through the air as he turned, lashing out at the back of the man's head. Mercury ducked under the slash, face pressed against the ground. The blade passed by and the man rolled onto his back and spun, sweeping Jaune's legs in a move he'd seen in a dance video once.

Jaune's back slammed into the ground but didn't stay there, the blonde rolling away as Mercury pushed off the ground with his hands. His heavy boots slammed into the ground where his head had been a moment later as Jaune came up. He leapt for the man and Mercury leapt away, Jaune's saber carving a glowing trough in the ground as the man turned to run away from him.

And towards Ruby and the hospital beds behind her.

She rose to meet him but Jaune's hand came up first, Pulling the man back towards him with all the Force he could muster in spite of the risk. Mercury shouted in surprise and sailed high through the air, but Emerald didn't come to help him this time. Instead, as he reached Jaune, the blonde stepped aside and slammed him into the ground with concrete cracking force. Mercury hissed in pain and Jaune seized the moment, cutting down and carving an attack across his stomach.

His Aura flickered and sparked madly as it went, burning clothing and searing flesh alike even beyond the Aura's protection. But Mercury stated in one piece, snarling in pain and rolling away. Jaune's hand came up as the man rose, though, yanking him off balance and towards him before the silver-haired young man could recover. His lightsaber hummed as Jaune followed, grippin it in both hands and snapping the bottom blade up, into the back of his neck.

His Aura sparked and Mercury cried out, slamming an elbow back and echoing pure terror now. The blow caught Jaune in the side of his head but that sort of pain was nothing more than a mild annoyance. Gritting his teeth, Jaune turned as the man stepped away, bringing the fore blade back and thrusting for the center of the retreating man's back.

Mercury howled as it punched into and through his shoulder-blade, but the pain, intense as it was, was short-lived. Jaune yanked it to the side, carving a neat, glowing wound from one shoulder to the other as the man pulled away.

"Mother… fucker…" The man wheezed, sinking to his knees and then collapsing in a heap inside the same moment.

"Jaune, Pyrrha!" Ruby called out, terror written in every breaking syllable of her words. On instinct he turned to where his partner had fought the Faunus, hand snapping up to help her.

Pyrrha lay unconscious on the ground, her shield broken beside her and her legs a few feet away. The Faunus stood over her, sword held high to thrust down and end her, and Jaune's blood ran cold and then very, very hot. The taste of copper invaded his mouth and he shot forward, slamming shoulder first into the Faunus and catapulting him away and into the wall a few feet away. Adam made to rise but Jaune's hands snapped up, hurling him into the wall once, twice, and then a third time before he was satisfied.

Turning, he knelt by the woman and laid a hand over her mouth to see if she was breathing. A shadow loomed over him and he looked up, snarling and ready to strike.

"I've got her." Ironwood grunted, kneeling as much as falling for his leg and pulling the bleeding woman onto his shoulder. "I've dealt with amputations like these before," he reassured him, "deal with- Faunus!"

The man's warning did not come late and Jaune turned, catching a flash of red before his hand snapped up, Pushing the man away just enough to stop his lunge. The Faunus snarled and Jaune matched him, worry washing away in favor of raw fury as his hand came back up. The man flew back again, slamming into the wall so hard his Aura sparked and flickered before he hit the ground.

Jaune pursued, feeling the Force crackle around him as he laid into the man. The Faunus, even winded and low on Aura, managed to keep away from his wild hacking, slashing and thrusting, stumbling away as often as he managed to catch the long grip of his weapon with his sword and turn the attacks aside.

"Enough!" Jaune screamed, the Force and his rage rushing through him as his hand snapped up.

Lightning arced from his fingertips, slamming into his blade as it came up and then arcing along and around it, into him. Adam's mouth opened but he didn't scream, instead letting out a long keening sound before he was hurled to the side and into the wall. Smoking, the man staggered forward a step, still holding onto consciousness until Jaune snapped a hand up and slammed him back into the wall.

And then he did it again, and again, and again a third time, until Adam's sword fell from his fingers and the man collapsed.

"Well, that was all suitably dramatic." A voice called from further up the now silent Vault. Turning, Jaune watched Cinder drop Ozpin's still form at her feet. A few feet behind her, Emerald lay, spread eagle and apparently unconscious, bloodied sickles beside her. "Don't worry about her," Cinder laughed, "she's simply tired. Her Semblance can be draining on those with strong minds."

"Now then, let's all reconsider our positions, shall we?" Cinder smiled even wider, clapping her hands together and then spreading them like a salesperson. "All of you are exhausted or unable to fight, Ozpin is dead, and I am still standing. A wounded soldier, a little girl and her equally broken sister, half a Mistralian… What have you got that you would like to put in between me and what is rightfully mine?"

For a long moment, all was quiet, until Ironwood finally spoke, "And what happens if we do give her to you?"

"I bury an arrow in her heart, take what's mine, and leave." She laughed, shrugging as though it were obvious. As though they should have known and accepted her answer already. "No one else needs to die, and I've already lost one valuable pawn. I'd rather not risk my other if I don't need to."

An arrow… This was the woman who had attacked Amber, and she would use an arrow to end Blake for her power. This was the woman from his vision, except, Pyrrha wasn't able to fight anymore. She'd lost her legs, had her shield broken, and lay unconscious on the ground behind Ironwood and Ruby, bandages stained with the slightest red where her legs had once been.

But she was safe...

Jaune couldn't help himself, at the realization. He threw his head back and laughed, as if he'd heard the greatest joke in his lifetime. "Cinder!" He called as his laughing died down, turning narrow eyes on her, "Would you mind answering a question?"

"I… Suppose so."

"Good, good." He smiled, cocking his head and setting his saber spinning beside him. "Do you believe in destiny?"

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A day late, sorry, this one had a lot of pieces to move at once. However, I like this chapter. Built the villains up a good bit, and built how they act towards one another. And set up plenty of details showing why events occurred to characters in-chapter, if people look closely.

Also, yep, Jaune is finally truly snapping under the pressure. I know you've all been waiting, anticipating a final snap, and, well, it's happening.

Lastly, I tried very hard to use this chapter to briefly build up the villains just a bit more, without wasting this update. And I put a good deal of effort into making each fight feel a bit different afterwards. I hope all went well, and I hope that even if you disagree with choices, you enjoyed the ride!

Stay twisted, and safe, my friends.

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Argus :

She does! It's called 'Author Doesn't Wanna Manage a New Haircut'! Top of the line stuff I tells ya.

The Sly Sage :

I confirm and deny nothing~

Nick Kane :

Yeah that… That is gonna be a *thiiiiiiiiiiiiing* if/when I get to it in this series.