Relic of the Future: Chapter 9

His job was just to watch the door and make sure no Grimm snuck up on Delta and Echo. He glanced towards them to see how far along they were in priming the strange explosive device.

There was a machine behind them with several tubes of liquid in, and behind that – an odd, shadowy shape. It waved from side to side ominously, and then twisted through the tubes.

"Get down!" Jaune leapt over to them in an instant and tore Echo away from the charge, throwing him flat on his back. Delta yelped and fell too, and that might have saved his life as the object burst through the tubes, showing them in glass and water as it hooked forward with a wicked barb. Jaune was able to block it with his sword, but it bounced off and hooked around – scraping along his inner arm.

It was a tail, a scorpion's tale. But this was no Deathstalker, he knew.

The machine was blown aside as the figure behind it hurtled through, catching Crocea Mors in its tail and swinging twin blades for his chest. Unable to get his sword in the way, and with no time to draw his shield, he held up his left arm and took the pain there, forcing as much aura as he could to the limb so it wouldn't draw blood. The aggressor cackled and planted a foot in his stomach, then twisted his body so that his back was to the man's chest, their cheeks touching.

"My, oh my, what do we have here? Hm, you smell – familiar."

He'd recognise the voice anywhere, even if the stinger didn't give it away. Jaune drove an elbow back into the man's gut, not even surprised when instead of pain it earned a hysterical giggle. He pulled out and away, spinning and deflecting the tail with the back of one hand. Tyrian Callows stood before him, younger, with his tail once more, and no less dangerous for the difference.

Shit, shit, shit, why was he here? This research wouldn't go anywhere, he knew. But, then again, did Salem know that? Even if he knew this would be a failure for Tyrian in the long run, it didn't preclude them trying, whether it was on Salem's orders or an idea from Watts. The latter sounded likely. Either way, Tyrian was right here.

The faunus ducked into the shadows and vanished.

"Shoot him!" Jaune howled. Team November opened fire, spreading out and crossing their torches to try and track Tyrian as he darted behind some machinery. They fired in tight bursts but the rapid movement threw off their aim. Tyrian was a faunus, which meant in the pitch dark of the room, he had a natural advantage.

In the long run, whether or not this place was blown up might not matter – but that was a might. It could be that the only reason they hadn't faced augmented Grimm in the future was specifically because this team blew the place up, even if they died in the process. There was no way he could let Tyrian escape with this information.

Jaune charged in.

There was a curse from Charlie as he did and a barked command to hold fire, not that it had done much good either way. The three instead acted as spotters, flashing their lights about the room and giving Jaune the briefest glimpses of his opponent. More than that, it was Tyrian's voice that helped him.

"While the cat is away, the mice will play. Just because this place is abandoned does not mean it belongs to you, my friends. It's rather rude of you to think so." He descended into wild giggling as he dodged Jaune's thrust. "Ooh, the marked one is angry. I like that. I think I like you."

A click was his only warning before Tyrian returned fire, and this time Jaune brought his shield up in time to block it. He crouched low and dipped Crocea Mors beneath, using the reflection of the muzzle flash on his sword to get a rough idea of where his opponent was before he rushed in once more. Tyrian tsked and ran left, and this time Jaune was quick enough to follow.

Tyrian caught his sword on both of his blades, locking them before his face. "The three little sheep don't normally travel with the big bad wolf. What is the innocent scorpion to do?"

"Tch." Tyrian had always been a talker, though he'd grow even more insane in time. Jaune stepped into him and broke the guard, driving an elbow into the faunus' stomach and ducking as the tail swept over him. Though his aura would protect him from the stinger, the poison still worried him, especially out here in the middle of nowhere. He swept up to try and cut it off like Ruby had, but Tyrian was prepared for it and forced the sword away.

"Ah, ah, ah, that's not for you to take."

He supposed not. Tyrian's tail belonged to Ruby. "Delta, Echo, get the charge back up," Jaune called, his first words since the fight began.

"Are you ignoring me? That's awfully rude!"

He wasn't, of course. Jaune grit his teeth as Tyrian slammed into him with the force of a Beowolf, lifting the two of them up and sending them crashing back through some heavy machinery. Steel flashed and what he couldn't block with his sword and shield, he took on his shoulder, and upper arms, keeping the blades away from vital areas. Only an idiot would ignore Tyrian Callows; the man was that dangerous, and quite possibly stronger here than Jaune was, especially given the lack of light and the Grimm that might come on them at any second.

He just wasn't sure if he could fight Tyrian even without that. Come the end, teamwork had been more important than individual skill, and the notion of honourable duels didn't mean much when all of Remnant was on the line. They'd ganged up to take Tyrian down and Jaune wished he had Yang, Ruby and Ren at his back to do it here, too.

"You're rather strong," Tyrian said conversationally, locking the sword in place and stabbing three times to try and pierce Jaune's head with his tail. He managed to dodge each, barely, but had to roll away along the wall to escape. "It's strange, really. I tend to hear about the really strong ones, like the one who gave me this." He ran a hand over a cross-shaped scar on his chest. "So very close, but I had the last laugh and left her to die." He giggled. "But to face two strong people in such a short time, ah, I must be blessed by my Goddess."

"Your Goddess is a bitch," Jaune hissed. "She'll die like any other."

The words had the desired effect. Tyrian's eyes widened and his lips peeled back. He snarled like a wild animal and went into a frenzy, lashing out with both weapons and his tail with little regard for defence. Jaune backtracked, blocking just as quickly as he put space between himself and Team November. He just had to keep Tyrian busy. He just had to keep him awa- "Argh!"

Jaune slumped and caught his arm, his left – right on the forearm. There was a red line there where Tyrian's stinger had drawn blood. He could already feel it burning.

"You'll pay, oh yes, you'll pay," Tyrian laughed. "For daring to speak ill of the Queen – my Goddess – you'll suffer the most unimaginable agony." His smile grew. "You know it, though, don't you? Yes, I can see it in your eyes. You know who I am, what I am, what I can do. You know you're already dead!" He cackled.

He knew about the poison, yes. Even as Tyrian said it, Jaune's vision swam. It felt like liquid fire in his blood and he finally understood what Qrow must have been going through. Unlike Qrow, however, he had a trick in store and flooded his body with aura, activating his Semblance at the same time. The burning receded, though it didn't fade entirely. His muscles spasmed and his eyes watered, making it harder and harder to keep track of his foe.

"Jaune, get down!"

The shout came with no explanation but Jaune hit the deck – too used to working alongside his team and instantly trusting Ren had a reason. It wasn't Ren, he recalled at the last second, but instincts drilled into him had him down regardless, even as Charlie fired a grenade from his rifle over Jaune's head. It hit Tyrian's chest and exploded.

Hands caught Jaune under the shoulder and dragged him back. Echo was behind him, a handgun in his other hand as he fired into the smoke. "Come on," he hissed. "Charge is set. We're getting out of here."

Jaune saw the shadow before the Specialist did and shoved him aside. "Move!" He rolled too, and Tyrian's stinger slammed down where he'd been a second before. The man leapt through the smoke and tried to go for Echo, only for a hail of accurate fire to force him back. Tyrian scowled and drew out his guns.

"Banging!" Delta yelled.

It was a code Jaune didn't recognise, but that Charlie and Echo did, both turning away. A white flash followed, blinding Jaune, but no doubt doing worse to Tyrian's sensitive faunus eyes. The man howled. Through bright dots that threatened to dazzle him, Jaune saw Tyrian stagger back, one hand and his tail drawn protectively up over his face.

Charlie reached him a second later and hauled him up with one hand. "Job's done and we've got to go," he said.

—Relic of the Future: Chapter 9