𝐈𝐧 𝐘𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐖𝐢𝐥𝐝𝐞𝐬𝐭 𝐃𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐦𝐬 (English)

Chapter 88

Team RWBY and JNPR, plus Cinder, fled through the halls of Beacon in the opposite direction to so many others, who were being called to the inner parts of the school; the cafeteria, library, tower and classrooms. The outer wings where the dormitories and training rooms lay would be abandoned as it would spread everyone too thin. Headmistress Goodwitch and the other teachers would hold the Grimm there until help could arrive.

The alarm blared throughout the school and students rushed to respond. A similar alarm would have been raised in the city of Vale by now, signalling them to lock the gates and hunker down, and signalling to huntsmen both active and retired to gear up and prepare for combat. Though, given the lack of gunshots, it didn't sound like battle had begin just yet.

As they reached the outside lawns and training fields, they spied the Nevermore in the distance. A vast swarm rising high above the forest like locusts, with a single Bullhead flying toward it. Jaune felt his stomach drop at the thought of what so many Grimm could do to Beacon, or to Vale if they wanted to. The city had survived assaults like it in the past, but each was marked with thousands of dead and recorded as days of national tragedy.

And that was just the Grimm who could fly. There would be more on foot.

All this for me, Jaune thought, despair and guilt welling up inside him. All because of this stupid Semblance of mine. If I didn't unlock it, this would have never happened.

The sensation was bitter, and even telling himself that it probably wasn't true didn't help. Salem had existed before his Semblance, and Cinder had infiltrated Beacon before it as well. That hadn't all been so they could twiddle their thumbs. Even if his Semblance hadn't been unlocked, they would have had their plans, and there was no telling if they were worse than this. Still, Jaune felt guilty, if only because he was running away from the battle.

"Don't look back," Pyrrha said, pulling Jaune and his attention away from the Grimm. "We're not abandoning them. We're luring the Grimm away."

"Pyrrha is right," Weiss said. "The best way we can help them is to not be here."

"Assuming they realise we're gone," Yang said. "What if they don't figure it out until everyone is dead?"

He wished she hadn't asked that because none of them had an answer. Should they signal to the Grimm where they were? Give themselves away? That sounded like suicide. Their only advantage was the element of surprise in slipping away. Giving that up might as well mean handing him over to Salem.

"Just go!" Ren said, pushing Jaune to get him moving. "You really think the Grimm won't notice us at some point? The forest is full of them."

"True. It's— oh, shit." Yang cursed as Grimm appeared in the trees. Not ahead of them, thankfully, but in the distance in the direction of Beacon, on the same side as the swarm of Nevermore. "Looks like the advance party has arrived. Time for us to go."

"Wait. There are people among them. Is that—?"

"The White Fang," Blake hissed.

Yang curled an arm around her partner's neck. "No. Hell no. You're running with us."

"But—"

"No buts. They've made their choice. Time for us to make ours."

Blake surrendering the point and turning away only made the situation feel even more desperate, because she'd have never let the White Fang get away with anything otherwise. The eight of them – nine including Cinder, who had been silent throughout – jogged into the forest. Temping as it was to run, they needed to pace themselves. The journey would be a long one.