Relic of the Future: Chapter 66

Either way, Raven didn't have the emotional ties with Blake, but she had a host of memories suggesting she did. It was almost like brainwashing, except the exact opposite. Hypnosis, maybe? Unless she concentrated on parsing his memories from hers, she would remember people like Ren, Nora and Pyrrha as friends. People he – or she – had bonds to. Blake was included in that list, for all that they weren't as close as others.

It was enough for Raven to open a portal to Blake, and straight into the middle of Sienna's camp.

[...]

In Blake's bags, there were plenty of spare uniforms and changes. They weren't much use for him for obvious reasons, but the masks were one size fits all. He took one and strapped it in place. The Atlas coat, blond hair and fact he was over six feet tall of male coming out of Blake's tents wasn't going to sell the disguise, but it was the best he had.

He strode out of the tent as if he absolutely was supposed to be there.

—Relic of the Future: Chapter 65



A procession made their way out the gates of the camp and stood before it. Some ten strong, one walked ahead and came to a stop. He could only just make out her dark skin, but Sienna's robes and cloak stood out for her. In a horde of people wearing grey uniforms with white masks, she stood out. Forcing his hands out from under his coat, Jaune strode toward her.

He hadn't realised just what his reputation was to the faunus before he spoke with the White Fang grunt earlier. Now armed with that knowledge, he could see how they stiffened as he came near, how hands strayed to weapons and people's jaws tightened.

Is my reputation really that bad?

He stopped twenty or so metres away and made it clear he wouldn't come closer.

[...]

Sienna was in for an unwelcome surprise if she expected to find Blake, however. Jaune checked his scroll, acting like he was checking the time.

1:15

1:14

1:13

"You're as much a part of Atlas as General Ironwood," Sienna said. "For all that you've tried to escape to a new life in Vale. We can't change what we are. We can try, but sooner or later our mistakes catch up with us."

"Hm." Jaune chuckled. "That's something I've realised recently. It's why I'm here."

"To make up for the mistake of leaving your fiancée alone?"

"No. To fix a different mistake."

"Say what you will, but this is our day. Today will be the day faunus tell their children about." Sienna said. "People will look back on it and tell the future generation that this moment was where everything changed."

Jaune's lips curled up.

"You're not wrong about that."

0:02

0:01

0:00

Flame tore through the camp, hurtling timber and ash up into the air.

Sienna and her guards staggered under the force of the shockwave, turning with wide-eyed expressions to look back as a second, third and fourth explosion ripped through the tents, great blasts that rent the landscape and snuffed out lives.

[...]

Jaune ran past them all. He dropped another flash en route, letting it fall behind him as he approached the absolute chaos ripping through the camp. Fire and ash and screams greeted him. The lucky had died instantly. There were many who were badly hurt, burned or dying. The bombs had been placed anywhere he felt he could, so long as Winter was nowhere nearby. They'd been as indiscriminate as the White Fang themselves could be. It was just designed to sow terror and chaos.

Time was limited. He had to find Winter, contact Raven and get them out. The Grimm would be en route soon, and unless Salem came in person to stop them – unlikely – the White Fang would have enough on their hands to deal with. He ran toward Blake's tent, the epicentre of the explosions.

[...]

They weren't done yet and a couple of explosions on a camp that had mostly been emptied out to surround him wasn't going to cripple her. He pushed on, following his mental map of the camp until he reached the tent that had once been Blake's. It was a visceral ruin of fire and ash now, smouldering and belching smoke.

—Relic of the Future: Chapter 66