NF3/4

Blue eyes widened. "Oh…" he glanced down. Angry red trails burned across his stomach. Four furrows digging through his flesh as the Beowolf's claw fell limply to the floor. It almost seemed to be smiling at him as it finally gave in, snout twisted in a bestial grin - slick with blood. The pipe descended to end it; breaking through bone and muscle in a gory explosion that sent blood flying across the room.

The iron pipe clattered to the ground.

He followed it.

[...]

"We're here!" Juniper half-shouted, half-sobbed, finally reaching Jaune's side as he sunk onto his rear against the wall. He could feel something slip around inside of him – a great gush of blood spilling from the wounds across his abdomen.

Damn thing had nearly disembowelled him… it would have been kinder if it had. Now he was going to bleed to death.

He hated bleeding to death… it was so prolonged.

"Stay with me baby, stay with me," hands touched his face as he was lowered to the floor. No doubt she was trying to limit the blood loss by making sure there was no part of his body above the wound. He tried to tell her it was useless, but the words wouldn't form.

[...]

"He's dying…" she sobbed.

"He won't," Nicholas said, "I won't allow it."

Through the dull haze Jaune felt something heavy press down on his chest, words barely reaching his ears as he slipped away. I wonder what will happen… when I die here? I just wish… I just wish I could have had a little more time with them.

"For it is in our passing that we achieve immortality," Pyrrha? "-by our example we become a martyr for the glory of others." No… it was… different. "Selfless in sacrifice, bound by duty, I release your soul," a pause, "and by my hand… place this burden upon thee."

And like an old motor stirring to life… Jaune's aura flickered.

—NF3

[...]


Jaune's first instinct upon waking was to remain silent. Perhaps that said something about how he'd developed as a person, or maybe the experiences he'd been through. Either way, paranoid caution had saved his life on numerous occasions and it didn't cost him anything if there was nothing wrong. With eyes held shut, he strained his ears. He was just about able to pick out the muffled conversation of his parents - and then the rhythmic beeping of hospital equipment.

He was alive, then... that was good.

He could vaguely remember the final words before darkness had taken him. An incantation that was altogether too familiar, yet also new. His father had never unlocked his aura before… the first time it had been Pyrrha. After that, whoever he could pay to unlock it. Usually some wandering Hunter he might cross in the wilderness. It didn't matter when and where he unlocked it… he just always made sure it was active before he reached Beacon.

After all, he hadn't needed to fake his way into the school for a long time.

"- said might still sleep, but that he's stable now. There shouldn't be any risks, not unless something goes wrong."

[...]

Things settled down for the next few days. Jaune was to be kept in the hospital a little longer than strictly necessary, just to make sure there weren't any complications. His aura had been unlocked in time to heal most of the damage – a miracle, some of the doctors claimed. Jaune knew from Pyrrha though that his aura had always been much larger than average.

It hadn't been able to repair everything however, not as it

—NF4