A/N: Why did this take so long? Two words; Dark Souls. Good news; I am now a relative pro at the game. Bad news; I now absolutely despise anything relative to snakes or crystals *cough* Duke's Archives *cough*.

Regardless, enough complaining from me. Last chapter here and I hope it lives up to your expectations.

(Long A/N at the bottom, just a heads up!)

I DO NOT OWN RWBY

Night 7

'Last day of the week...'

That foreboding thought was the sole thing that rattled around in his head as the large metal doors creaked open in front of him. The ominous howling of the wind behind him didn't help either. He stood in the doorway silently, trying and failing to draw up even dredges of courage. After a few anxious minutes, he released a deep sigh and walked inside, feeling as if he was making the dumbest decision of his life. Still, he shoved down the anxiety as best he could. Now wasn't the time to get scared, not with so much on the line.

His life being one of them.

He paused when he reached the middle of the lobby, a frown working it's way onto his face as he glanced around. Should he go to the tunnel now and try the box? The 'animatronics' didn't usually activate for at least half a minute, so he had a small window of time. After pondering on it for a few moments, he shook his head, reluctantly turning away from Hall B and walking towards his office. The chance of getting caught by Penny was none too appealing.

Upon reaching his office he gingerly sat down into his chair, leaning back and preparing himself for the undoubtedly chaotic night ahead. He waited in silence for a few moments, listening to the muffled howls of the wind outside the building before slowly bringing his tablet up to view. The lobby was clear, as were all the hallways. After waiting a few more moments of silence the smallest of frowns crossed his face, the silence weighing on him more than he'd like to admit. Swapping to Nora's camera, his whole form tensed up as he saw the problem.

Or rather; the lack of the problem.

Nora was missing. He didn't hear her slam the door open like all the other nights. He swiftly flicked through as many camera's as possible, starting from the ones close to him and spreading out. It was during the search he noticed another frightening fact.

All of them were missing.

Not a single one of the girls were present. Ruby, Weiss, Blake, Yang, Coco, Velvet, Pyrrha, Nora, Penny, they were all gone. The only ones that potentially could still be present were Neo and Glynda, the former could be anywhere - literally - while Glynda was possibly still behind the closed elevator doors. Regardless, the others only had two rooms where they could possibly be hiding; bathroom and the library. They were the only rooms without cameras after all.

'Something's going on...' He grimaced, but nevertheless got to his feet. No choice but to investigate.

Creeping along the hallway was more daunting than before, mainly because he had no idea where the others were. He didn't bother hiding behind the boxes, instead moving as fast as he could get away with towards the bathroom. The door was completely still and after listening for any breathing or noise on the other side, he reluctantly pushed it open, flashlight flickering around the room. It was the same as it had been all the other nights, not a single sign anybody had been in here.

Slowly he crept inside, pushing each and every stall door open, a relieved sigh escaping him when he found nothing. He wasn't sure if all of them would be able to fit in there, but after seeing the things he had seen, he wouldn't be surprised. Once the barely illuminated room was cleared he hesitantly left back into the stuffy hallway, only getting unpleasantly warmer as he walked back into the lobby. He paused briefly by the elevator door to see if he could hear Glynda behind it, but heard nothing, so continued onwards to the library.

The wooden doors were frigid cold, yet he pushed on, an uneasy feeling building in his stomach at the memory of what happened last time. Only this time it didn't look like Coco would be able to help him. Steadying himself for the inevitable encounter, he strolled into the room, casting his gaze around him. Nobody, though that didn't mean they weren't hiding behind the bookshelves. Still there was something at the other end of the room that caught his eye, undoubtedly a trap but he didn't have an alternative.

The ethereal chill in the room was a stark comparison to the lobby, even though the source of the cold wasn't apparent. The silence present was more ominous than deafening, with the soft jingling of the chandelier overhead and the creaking of the floor beneath him the only sounds to disturb the stillness. He came to a stop in front of the table where he found the photo, although this time it was something more... normal, if still strange.

A chess board, with all thirty-two chess pieces perfectly lined up.

But it was the colours that caught his attention; murky green and dark red.

The colours, while unusual, were not the strangest combo he had seen. What was the strange thing was that they weren't even. The red side was completely full, whilst the green side only had a green King, a sole Knight and two Pawns. All the others that were supposedly green pieces were dyed red, the faintest hints of green buried beneath the baleful crimson. He knew it must be symbolic for something, but any guesses came up short.

He was drawn from his thoughts as the horrific, ear-shattering wail suddenly pierced through the silence like nails on a chalkboard, startling him. It was far from a bestial roar or a childish scream, but a hoarse throat wail of sorrow. He could practically feel the sadness in the voice. To his further surprise the whole building trembled, shuddering as the unearthly wail reverberated throughout the structure with such unrivalled intensity. The sound of rattling chains echoed throughout the room, barley audible over the sorrowful cries, before the wail reached a crescendo and the deafening snap of chains shattering echoed... then silence.

A silence that was quickly broken by the awful tearing of metal, eerily similar to that of the elevator doors being prised asunder. He stood like a deer in the headlights as he heard movement in the lobby, almost instantly bursting through the wooden doors of the library, landing on three limbs and facing towards him. The lighting was poor, but even without his flashlight he could make out it's features with startling clarity.

Yet that terrified him all the more.

She was human, or at least used to be. The off-white blouse was worn and the brown vest she wore had several tears and cuts in it. The brown pants she had were in slightly better shape but still had a few holes, revealing her dark skin underneath. It was her face that was the most eye-catching, yet terrifying. Her round face held facial scarring, possibly from fire, but half of it was hidden behind a monstrous mask of bone that covered half of her face. The ivory mask held a crimson eye within it, glowing and glaring at him with a malicious, ravenous hunger. Her other eye was a gentle caramel brown, yet even that still held evil intent, her straight-brushed brown hair doing nothing to hide her frightening eyes.

Her lips pulled back into an animalistic snarl, maddened glee in her eyes as she spoke in a hoarse voice, ''Finally...!''

A low, deranged chuckle escaped her lips, ''NOw... DIE!''

Without further warning she abruptly launched towards him with all the speed of a frenzied cheetah, covering half of the room in a single second. He did the only thing he could and threw himself to the side, feeling the half-masked woman go flying past and crashing into the table and kicking up a cloud of dust. He scrambled to his feet, stumbling away from the cloud as he heard her growl in irritation, a chair leg going flying out of the dust and smacking against a bookshelf, knocking it over with the force.

He didn't wait for the bestial woman to show herself, instead turning and bolting out of the library as fast as his legs could carry him. As he sprinted towards his office he heard the woman stop for a moment, before a feral growl escaped her and her fast footfalls quickly came after him. He didn't bother sitting down when he reached his office, instead slamming the door button and grinning weakly when he heard her slam into it. That grin fell as she began slamming her fists into the metal, each hit leaving noticeable dents in the door.

He yelped in fright as her fist came through the door, a scant foot away from striking him in the knee. The fist quickly retracted, a crimson eye appearing in the hole as it glared at him darkly, sending shivers up his spine. The moment the eye left he bolted out the right door, closing it behind him just to be sure and running for the cafeteria. He had barely gotten through Hall B when he heard the thunderous footsteps chasing him.

''I can hear you~!'' Came the sickly-sweet maniacal call.

He quickly ducked inside the kitchen, stilling the door with his hand before ducking low, hiding behind the counters. The unnamed woman came barrelling into the cafeteria, her frenzied and aggressive searching clearly audible as she smashed tables. He flinched as she let out an angry, bestial cry followed by more smashing.

He couldn't stay here, that much was clear.

Pulling up his tablet, he hastily glanced at the cafeteria camera, finding her near the other end of the hall smashing tables furiously, her back turned to Hall B and giving him a clear, if temporary escape route. Without delay he carefully got to his feet and pushed the door open as quickly as he dared, keeping her prior words in mind about her hearing him. The sounds of shattering wood was clearly audible as he crept over to the hallway, fighting the urge to look at what the she-devil was doing lest he panic at the sight.

For once luck was on his side, as the she-devil gave no indication she heard him creeping away down the hallway. He briefly contemplated going into the bathroom or utility tunnel, but dismissed it immediately; there was little places to hide and no way out. After a moment of deliberation he moved towards the office, faint curiosity building within him at the state of the room. When he reached it, he stilled at the sight of the doors, a large hole in the centre of them, not unlike a cannonball had penetrated through both of them. Considering the damage that the rampaging beast was doing in the cafeteria, it wasn't far off.

Swiftly turning on his heel he moved as fast as he dared back into the lobby.

Only to freeze.

The lobby felt unnaturally cold, a stark contrast to the unusual hot and stuffy atmosphere that stuck to the room like a plague. Standing in a perfectly spaced-out circle was the others. Ruby, Weiss, Blake, Yang, Pyrrha, Nora, Coco, Velvet, Glynda, Neo all stood rigidly still, completely unmoving like statues as they stared straight ahead, with Ruby being the closest to him and Nora by the elevator. What chilled him to the bone was the white bone masks that were situated on their faces, the horizontal slits for eyes filled with nothing but black emptiness.

Each of them had a different design, he noted dimly as he approached the group warily. Ruby's had a rose head over one eye, the stem curling down the side of the mask and ending at the chin. Weiss had two snowflakes over each eye, a teal curve where her mouth should be. Blake had twin streams of purple leaking from the eyes, running down like tear tracks. Yang had a flame where her mouth should be, dull orange in colour. Pyrrha had streaks of crimson coming from the corners of her eyes like eyeliner, a broken spear where her mouth should be, like a frown. Nora had a storm cloud on the forehead, something akin to lightning bolts dotted across her mask in a dim yellow colour.

Coco had a targeting reticule over the right eye, gold in colour. Velvet had a brown heart on the middle of the mask, torn into pieces. Glynda had a broken purple crown on the forehead, fragments falling past the eyes. Neo, oddly enough, had half of her mask pink and the other half brown, divided down the middle by a thin streak of creamy white. All of them were motionless, and even after hesitantly poking them they didn't react. It was... discomforting.

''Hey... you guys there...?'' He whispered lowly to Ruby, wincing as he heard another echoing smash from the cafeteria. Those tables weren't infinite.

He got no response. Tentatively, he reached out to touch her mask, an uncomfortable sensation settling in his gut when his fingers grazed the very bone-like material. He gently tried to pull it off, but to his distress found that the mask didn't budge, nor did her frame. She was like a statue, unmoving and unmovable.

'Is this what they feared...?' He wondered, the dreadful thought entering his mind. Was this why they were hesitant to speak of certain topics? Was this the punishment for such a thing? What... what even was it?!

The echoing smash of another table, joined by an angry wail, snapped him from his frazzled thoughts, the jolt of fear that shot up his spine kicking him into action. With a last glance at Ruby he turned and moved swiftly towards the bedrooms, tracking up the right staircase as he heard it's thunderous footfalls echo before the sound of a door being kicked open reached his ears, either the bathroom or kitchen. He ignored it though, walking down the length of the hall and ducking inside the first door on the left, B2-2 if he recalled.

The moment he opened the door, he recognised it instantly. It was the room he had entered in on the second day here. The tally marks were the same as he recalled, the faint grooves in the walls, ceiling and floor identical. The stacks of boxes were unmoved, doing little to hide the numerous marks engraved on the room. Even now he didn't understand them, but he could make a few good guesses. It clearly wasn't the amount of days or how many guards, since there didn't seem to be any more tally marks. It couldn't be how many had... died either, as he hadn't died yet.

The only thing that came to mind was whatever... it was.

Perhaps it was whatever was going on in the lobby? How many times they'd adorned the bone masks? The more he thought about it, the more he realised how vague the tally's were, and the insurmountable amount of possibilities that they presented. With a reluctant sigh he pushed them from his mind, only for his breath to hitch as he heard another furious wailing roar, this time from the lobby. Without preamble he ducked behind a stack of boxes, hastily pulling nearby stacks of boxes to cover him on all sides.

He waited with baited breath as he heard the she-devil storm towards him, her feet stomping against the wooden stairs as she walked up towards him. There was a brief moment of silence, before the door was abruptly slammed open and into the connecting wall, a quiet cracking sound coming from both the door and the wall. He didn't dare to even breathe as he heard her surprisingly gentle footsteps carry her into the room, the only sound being her heavy animalistic breathing... before a frustrated growl escaped her lips and she left with much heavier, angry steps.

The sound of another slamming door indicated she was checking the door across the hall, B2-4 if he recalled correctly. He remained completely still even as she went down the hallway, checking the other two rooms and evidentially finding nothing. Another angry snarl echoed down the hall as she stormed past, her audible footfalls passing into the lobby before going up the other staircase. Only then did he trust himself to move, gently pushing the boxes away and creeping out into the hall. He hesitated however, uncertain on his next course of action. With the she-devil having cleared out all the rooms on this side, and about to clear out the left side, the amount of places he had the potential to hide was limited.

It was only so long until she narrowed down his hiding spots. If she didn't outright destroy them, that is.

After a moment of deliberation he ducked into the room across the hall, B2-4, just to make sure he hadn't missed anything. All he was met with was darkness, boxes and a few dusty old beds. When he checked the far left room, B2-1, he found it the same; desolate and lacking anything notable. When he crossed the hall into B2-3, the same room where RWBY usually resides, he did find something... interesting, yet distressing.

A note.

Though the question came to mind; who the hell wrote it?

Swallowing his nerves, he gingerly picked up the thin piece of A4 paper, elegant writing scrawled across it.

Wake up, Jaune

His brows furrowed at the message. Wake up? Wake up from what? This certainly wasn't a dream, as he vividly remembered going to bed and waking up. Even if it was a lucid dream then he would've woken up when he fell asleep, not continue to be in a dream. Could the notes be lying to him, trying to throw him off or confuse him? The possibility wasn't that farfetched, he had to admit.

He was abruptly broken from his thoughts as he heard another frustrated growl echo through the building, courtesy of the she-devil that was hunting him. Quickly stuffing the note in his pocket he stormed out into the hall, only to freeze up in instinctual terror as his cobalt eyes met caramel and glowing red. The she-devil stood at the stairs, an inordinately gleeful grin plastered across the revealed half of her face, the mask half seemingly curving upwards in a sickening grin.

He barely had any time to react before she had impossibly covered the distance in a heartbeat, her fist swinging towards him as if to knock his head from his shoulders. The fist only missed him by a hairs length, an invisible 'pull' dragging him to the side just in time. The moment the fist collided with the wall behind him a very large, imposing crack split across the length of it, one which he swore glowed crimson for the briefest of moments. The bestial woman reared her fist back, clearly intending to throw another terrifyingly strong punch.

So he did the only thing he could think of; he threw the tablet at her.

She seemed more surprised than anything, not reacting until the tablet struck her, stumbling back. It didn't hurt in the slightest, her mask unchipped and her sole brown eye blinking owlishly. He didn't delay, rushing past her at full speed, hearing her seemingly fumble in place for a moment before a very loud, very angry snarl rumbled throughout the entire building, petrifying him with the sheer intensity of it. He didn't linger however, a flimsy plan forming in his mind as he sprinted towards the office.

By the time he reached the broken doors the monstrous woman had reached the lobby, less than a few seconds behind him. He didn't look back as he ducked inside without losing much momentum, hopping out the left door with a strange sense of fluidity. Shaking his head to dispel the thought, he carried on, running down the left hall as he heard the beast following him. The moment he reached the lobby he pulled a hard left, all but diving into the left corner of the room behind one of the small piles of boxes, turning his flashlight off at the same time.

The she-devil came rushing in, barely stopping to glance around for him before charging wantonly into the library, the angry snarl on her half-masked face nothing short of terrifying. He waited a moment, just to make sure she wouldn't come bursting out immediately, before he sighed in relief and checked at his watch. He froze in shock at the time displayed.

Twelve o'clock... for once time hadn't gone as fast as normal.

And just when he needed it most!

Sighing deeply and with a hint of bitter frustration, he leaned back against the wall, only to blink in surprise at the hollow thud he got from it. Glancing behind him, his eyes widened as he took in the sight of a tall brown-wood door, slightly dusty and worn but still present nonetheless. A door he was certain was not there before.

'This is just getting ridiculous...' He couldn't help but think exasperatedly, feeling tired by the mere presence of the door, or all the events that had led up to meeting said door.

Likely the latter.

Pushing his disgruntled thoughts aside, he pushed himself to his feet, gently nudging aside the boxes so he could open it fully should it open towards him. It was rendered moot as the door slid open inwards, slowly revealing the room within. It was large, he noted as the door creaked open, something akin to a chalkboard present, dozens of old papers pinned to it with haphazard lines scattered across it, connecting them like some master plan. As the door opened fully, however, something entirely unexpected happened.

The world shifted.

Colours blurred together, twisted and turned in a nauseating display of chaos, making him dizzy within microseconds. He stumbled, uncertain whether he was even still on solid ground as the oddly new carpet twisted like it was flushed down a toilet. His vision abruptly snapped to black, blissfully saving him from the disturbing breakage of physics. However while his vision was gone, his hearing and sense of smell remained, evident as he heard the faint howls of the wind and the dust-soaked carpet drifting into his nose uncomfortably.

''This better work, you damn fool...''

He froze up at the voice, grizzled and aged yet with a sharp tone. It struck a chord within him, like a distant memory struggling to resurface, a word on the tip of his tongue.

''It's the only choice we've got.''

A second voice, quieter and more subdued; morose and despaired yet with a tinge of hope in it.

''If this doesn't work though...''

''Then we're all dead?''

''Likely... potentially... fuck it, as sure as the sky is blue.''

''Well to be fair it's not always-''

''You know what I meant, Tai.''

That name... he swore he heard it somewhere before.

''Anyway, let's give it our best, eh you dusty old crow?''

''I'm tempted to punch you right now.''

No name... yet it still felt familiar, a nickname almost.

''Heh, you got nothing on your sister, even Sum had a better hit than your pansy ass.''

''Then we better hope they keep that. Team STRQ ain't going down easy.''

''Technically...''

''Technically, shut it.''

As the final words was said, the speakers devolved into petty bickering, their voices getting further and further away as he strained his ears to listen, but no matter what the voices faded away, before disappearing entirely. He was left in darkness for a few moments before his vision slowly returned to him. Blinking the dust from his eyes, he gently pushed himself up, swaying slightly before steadying himself with a hand on the wall. Despite his vision being fine, his head felt like it was going to implode.

What the hell had that been?

He shook his head, trying and failing to dispel the onslaught of questions that battered inside his skull, instead dragging himself over to the board. It displayed various worn and old pictures, many of which were indistinguishable. However several of them, to his mild worry, held photos of the others in the main room. Ruby, Weiss, Blake and Pyrrha to name a few of them. All of them had an 'X' over them in grim black marker, while several other indistinguishable photos had a circle instead, and one near the top of the board had an odd black question mark over it.

Several red lines connected them in seemingly random ways, no visible connection between the pictures. Reluctantly turning his gaze away from the worn photos and scrawls of faded writing, his eyes roamed over the room in it's entirety. It looked like a classroom, all things considered, probably a college one. Several rows with seats were present, all faded and worn but surprisingly lacking dust, as if it had been swept clean the moment he entered. Aside from that, the room was completely empty, though something that did catch his eye was the old and worn carpets. Strange.

The abrupt snarl that cut through the air jolted him back to reality, head snapping towards the door as he listened closely. The distant but resounding metallic smashes and chinking cracks came from the kitchen, no doubt assaulting the place like it was her archenemy. Swallowing his nerves he hastily exited the room, only to freeze at the sight before him. The lobby now lacked a carpet, revealing the rotten wood beneath it's formerly clean carpet. Engraved upon the rotten wood was a large circle, intricate designs forming a vertical eye across it.

What also caught his eye was the multiple notes that lay before each of the girls. Slowly walking around, he picked each of them up, hesitating to stay long in the open lobby with the creepy symbol. It felt like the eye was watching him, and he wasn't willing to take the chance that it was. Without delay he fled up the left staircase and hid in the room Nora started in, crouching behind a bed as he glanced at the notes.

''Crimson stains the heart, and blinds thy eyes.'' Ruby.

''Cold like snow, and bitten by thy own frost.'' Weiss.

''Shadows of deceit lie deep, and words penetrate the grave.'' Blake.

''One who burns bright, does not burn for long.'' Yang.

''To protect is to fall, and to shield is to die.'' Pyrrha.

''Quick like thunder, swift comes the light.'' Nora.

''To defy is to suffer, and to surrender is to die.'' Coco.

''Broken bones will heal, but broken hearts can't mend.'' Velvet.

''Shattered crowns hold no authority, and queens fall from grace.'' Glynda.

''Silent words hold no weight, while light bodies are easy to bury.'' Neo.

Fantastic, more cryptic crap.

Though there was one more.

''Wake up Jaune, we need you.''

He found that last one with Ruby's, though the handwriting was different from the one on her and the other's pages. That meant that there was at least two people doing these pages, aside from Weiss or whoever did the old yellow notes. He doubted the she-devil was the one doing it, which only left... Penny. Where was she anyway? Still in the tunnel? It seemed odd for her to be separated from the others, unless it had something to do with that box.

However therein laid another problem; the utility tunnel was closed unless the power cut out, or he manually unlocked it from his tablet. The same tablet he threw at the she-devil. Holding back a sigh, he folded up the notes and shoved them in his pockets before creeping out of the room, finding the entire building to be oddly silent. Taking care to keep his footsteps as quiet as humanly possible he made his way to the lobby, finding discomfort in the eye-symbol seemingly glowing with the ashen smell of fire before continuing on.

Turns out, his tablet hadn't been taken or destroyed, thankfully. It was lying near the back of the hall, around the area where he threw it at the woman. Pausing to make sure he wasn't about to get sneaked up on, he knelt down and picked up the tablet-

-only for the door next to him to slam wide open.

He stumbled back in shock, narrowly avoiding getting a fist in the face. He barely managed to pull himself to his feet and take a step back, dilated eyes watching as the she-devil emerged from RWBY's room, grinning madly. His feet thudded against the ground as he turned and bolted away, crossing the length of the lobby towards the office. Ducking inside the right door, he didn't waste any time ducking through the left door to run into the hall.

Only to find the she-devil waiting for him.

'Crap!' He cursed in his head, ducking back inside the office, only to pause as he heard no footsteps.

His unasked question was answered a moment later, ''Which wAy wIll you go?''

Cobalt eyes glanced up to the vent, but he grimaced as he noticed it was still screwed closed, and he doubted he had the time to unscrew it properly. How Blake had done it was a mystery. His eyes drifted to the two doors and the holes within them, a frown crossing his face as a stupid - very stupid - plan came to mind. Keeping a tight grip on his tablet and flashlight, he poked his head out of the right door, glaring at the she-devil that waited at the end of the hall. For a few moments she seemed content to wait for him to try and run, then she started twitching, nails beginning to dig into the carpet as if restraining herself.

Then all hell broke loose as she abruptly began sprinting towards him. Taking a few steps back in the room until he was halfway out the left door, he waited for her to come charging in, and he didn't even have to wait more than two seconds. He could see the twisted glee in her eyes as she caught sight of him, an animalistic hunger in her glowing red eye. As she leapt through the threshold of the door however, that hunger turned to surprise as she found herself being lifted up, before being slammed into the roof.

It had been perfect timing, retracting the door just as she leapt through, and a second late would've rendered the attempt moot and his life forfeit. Now she was stuck up there like a pinned piñata, and he actually felt a little bad for her, given the metal was jagged and she had been slammed into the roof, it probably hurt like hell. If she felt any pain, the she-devil didn't show it, instead angrily snarling at him and waving her arms in a futile attempt to hit him.

''I'm sorry.'' He murmured to her before fleeing out the door. This was his only chance, and he had a feeling that the door wouldn't hold her for long.

Unlocking the door from the maintenance panel on his tablet, he was about to run inside the gaping maw that led to the utility tunnel only to pause at the note laying in wait for him. After a moments deliberation he snatched the note from it's place on the floor and ducked inside, closing the large door behind him and leaving him in the tunnel alone. Using his flashlight, he barely managed to read the words faintly inscribed on the paper.

Light up the dark, Jaune

...odd, but just as cryptic and unhelpful as the others. Stuffing it in his pocket with the rest of them, he crept down the length of the hall, a figure quickly becoming apparent even in the dim light, illuminated only by the red lights on the walls. Penny laid at the end of the hall, hovering above the ground and suspended by short of a dozen wires, each attached to a sword that impaled the walls. Several wires crossed over her body, one wrapped around her neck like a noose while two crossed over her torso, tightly wrapped around her. Her arms were also bound, her body held in a 'Y' position, not unlike a cross.

''Penny?'' He called out tentatively, only to gain silence. She didn't have a mask on like the others, but her eyes were wide open and void of life. It was then he saw another note at her feet, and didn't hesitate to pick it up.

The Jailer, imprisoned from the start.

So she was the 'Jailer' then? Well there's one of his many questions answered at least. Shaking that off, he crouched down to where the box was, finding it exactly the same as it had always been, awaiting a code to open it. This time he knew it though. 4547-2826-2623-2115-80, the ages of his family when they died. With the softest of click the box unlocked, allowing him to pull open the small box to reveal-

-a note.

It was old and worn, much more so than the other, as if handled without the utmost care it would crumble to dust. It was because of that he did use the utmost care, placing it atop the box and shining the flashlight on it to read the words within.

Command Sequence; Jailer

Cease Queen Override; confirmation code 4319

Commence Enlightening Procedure; confirmation code 1015

Codes? He assumed they were for Penny... but why codes of all things? He was far from a computer wizard; hell he could barely work a regular computer, but this seemed... unusual. Regardless, it was the only lead he had left, and there was only so long before the she-devil would be kicking the door down.

Reaching up, he gently began to untangle Penny from her wires, being extra careful with the ones around her neck and arms. The sword slid out of the wall surprisingly easy, but each time he pulled them out more of that tar-like liquid began to drip into the room, something he knew almost instinctively was simply wrong. Still he paid it no attention, instead laying the almost robotic girl on the ground.

Taking a deep breath, he began.

''Command Sequence; Jailer.''

Green eyes snapped open, focusing on him with startling intensity yet lacking any emotion. Despite the gaze, she made no move to hurt him, so he continued.

''Cease Queen Override-'' He paused as her green eyes dilated, a hint of red in them, ''Confirmation code 4319.''

Penny shuddered, her body seemingly closing in on itself for a worrying moment before returning to normal, blinking slowly as she looked towards him.

Then a genuine smile crossed her face, ''Hello Jaune!''

''Hey Penny.'' He smiled hesitantly, ''You feel alright?''

''Perfectly Perfect!'' Penny beamed happily.

A sharp, resounding thud drew their attention, followed by another, and another. He pulled up the camera and paled as he saw the she-devil outside in Hall B, wailing against the door with ferocious might, and actually making dents in the metal. Lowering the tablet he glanced at Penny, finding her troubled expression staring back at him.

Sighing, he spoke up, ''I need to try something, Penny.''

''What is it Jaune?'' The ginger-haired girl cocked her head to the side.

''Commence Enlightening Procedure; confirmation code 1015.'' He stated, watching as Penny stiffened slightly before nodding resolutely. She abruptly shot to her feet and silently gestured for him to follow, which he reluctantly did. With almost graceful gentleness she laid one hand on his shoulder and the other over his heart, completely ignoring the sound of groaning and snapping metal in the background. Then, she began speaking.

''For it is in passing that we achieve immortality.''

The metal door groaned weakly, much to his unease.

''Through this, we become a paragon of virtue and glory to rise above.''

With an echoing crash a hole was punched through the door, followed by the almost frantic she-devil that charged towards them.

''Infinite in distance and unbound by death.''

The half-masked woman covered half the length of the room in a heartbeat, her face a mix of fury and desperation.

''I release your soul.''

She leapt towards them, fist outstretched.

''And by my shoulder.''

Less than a foot away.

''I protect thee.''

Then everything was engulfed in white.

''All I'm saying is motion sickness is a much more common than people let on!''

''Look I'm sorry, vomit-boy was the first thing that came to mind.''

''Oh yeah? What if I called you crater-face?''

''Hey that explosion was an accident!''

''Well, the name's Jaune Arc. Short, sweet, rolls off the tongue, ladies love it!''

''...Do they?''

''They will! Well, I hope they will... I mean my mom always says that... never mind.''

...

''You know what else is great? Me, Jaune Arc, nice to meet you.''

''You again?''

''Yeah, yeah. So, Weiss! Couldn't help but overhear your fondness of me the other day there.''

''Oh you've got to be kidding me.''

''Don't worry, no need to be embarrassed.''

''So, been hearin' rumours about teams! I was thinking you and me would make a good one. What do you say?''

...

''Hey wait! Come back! Who's gonna get me down from here?''

''Jaune? Do you... have any spots left on your team?''

''Very funny.''

...

''Jaune? Are you okay?''

''Uh? Oh yeah! Why?''

''It's just that you seem a little... not okay.''

''Eh, guys, I'm fine... seriously, look!''

''Jaune, Cardin's been picking on you since the first week of school.''

''Who? Cardin Winchester? Nah, he just likes to mess around, you know? Practical jokes!''

''He's a bully.''

...

''You know that wasn't very smart, Jaune-y boy. I'm gonna make sure they send you back to mommy in teeny, tiny, pieces.''

''I don't care what you do to me. But you are not messing with my team.''

''What? You think talk like that makes you tough? You think you're a big strong man now?''

''Let's see how much of a man you really are...''

...

''Don't ever mess with my team, my... friends, ever again.''

''You hear the plan, kid?''

''...yeah.''

''Don't sound too enthusiastic, do you?''

''It's just... the others...''

''Look, it's the only shot we've got, and unless you want us all to be trapped here in hell, you've gotta do it, nobody else can besides you two.''

''...fine.''

''That's the spirit, now get ready, it's almost time.''

He didn't bother replying.

He remembered.

He remembered it all. Beacon, the Grimm, Cardin, the dance, the breach, the Vytal festival, the fall of Beacon and Vale, the death of Pyrrha, the journey to Mistral, and his escape from this prison. He recalled every last detail with startling clarity. Idle thoughts and lost dreams all made sense, forgotten faces had names attached to them, and his understanding bloomed. There was still unanswered questions, many in fact, but dozens had been answered in an instant.

He looked slowly around him, finding Penny panting lightly in front of him, sitting on the ground. Looking behind him, his eyes widened a fraction at the sight of the woman - Amber, he recalled - laying on the ground unconscious, but lacking the half-mask that had previously nested on her face, no trace of it left behind.

As if re-awakening his Aura had erased it.

Shaking his head, he helped Penny back to her feet before picking up Amber, carefully holding her bridal style and walking towards the exit of the room. While it was still only illuminated by the dim red lights, the shadows no longer seemed alive, no longer ominous and looming. Maybe they were Grimm in disguise, though that seemed unlikely, given how useless they had been aside from making him nervous. Shaking that thought off, he ducked through the hole in the large door, being greeted by a lukewarm breeze.

''Jaune!''

Had he not been carrying Amber he was sure Ruby would've bowled him over in a hug, but that didn't stop her from wrapping her arms around him to an almost painful degree, utter joy in her eyes. The others were all also free, lacking the Grimm masks that clung to their faces and all bearing a smiles of varying sizes. Even Glynda was smiling, something he hadn't seen often, past and present. The floor was still bare with the rotten wood, but now lacked the creeping red symbol, which he only now realised had been made from Dust, probably Fire Dust.

His eyes drifted to Weiss as she stood before him, a small but beautiful smile on her face, ''I see you kept your promise.''

He couldn't stop the slight grin that came to his face, ''Of course, an Arc never goes back on their word.''

Weiss huffed and looked away, but the smile remained.

''If you're quite done...'' Coco cut in with an amused smile, ''We do still have to deal with one little problem before we've home-free.''

He wasn't sure what she meant initially, but then he remembered.

Cinder.

As if the thought was the trigger he heard faint footsteps, sharp like heels against ground and coming from outside. Wordlessly Ruby and Weiss rushed into the bathroom, Blake and Yang ran up the right staircase, Nora and Pyrrha hid within the library, Velvet and Coco hid up the left staircase, Glynda swiftly walked down towards the office while Penny casually snatched Amber from his arms and ran into the cafeteria, hiding around the corner and beckoning for him to follow. Obeying, he jogged around the corner before pressing his back against the wall, straining his ears to listen.

There was silence for a few moments, before the metallic groan of the front doors echoed through the building. The sharp tapping of heels resounded through the walls, followed by two pair of softer footsteps. That was until the sound of something cutting flesh reached his ears, a choked gasp and a muffled scream. He remained perfectly still as he heard several thuds, slashes, metallic grinding and the sound of splintering wood. It carried on for just over a minute before everything fell silent once more.

Penny gestured to go ahead, nonchalantly skipping into Hall B with Amber in her arms. He followed after her, the others crawling out of their hiding spots, Neo being the only one still out in the open, splashes of red on her outfit. He ignored it though, instead taking in her smiling face, a few specks of crimson on her cheeks.

''It seems the problem has been resolved!'' Penny cheerfully beamed, getting a few dark chuckles.

'Maybe being trapped here has messed with them a little...' He sweat-dropped at the evil smirk Yang wore, before she was bonked on the head by an exasperated Glynda that is.

''Well, let's leave this dingy old place, shall we?'' Glynda asked rhetorically, getting a cheer from Nora and Ruby as they ran outside like a pair of little kids. Chuckles spread throughout the group as they all walked outside into the morning sun, a gentle glow upon the horizon joined by a cool breeze that swept aside his fatigue. As they walked he found himself pondering, a multitude of questions coming to mind that he now, presumably, had a chance to ask.

''You have a question.''

He jumped lightly at Blake's voice, the black-haired girl walking next to him with her trademark stoic expression.

''Y-Yeah.'' He nodded, thinking over it for a moment before responding, ''How've you guys been? It's been... what? Two years since I got out?''

Blake nodded, ''Yeah. We've been... alright, for the most part...''

She hesitated, as did the others when he glanced around. As he did however, he noticed something amiss, something he hadn't noticed before. Namely, they were short a few people. Namely Qrow Branwen, Taiyang Xiao Long, Raven Branwen and the general James Ironwood. Frowning at Blake's uneasy expression, a knot formed in his stomach. He had never spoken with James Ironwood often, only once in fact, and even only held a few conversations with Qrow and Taiyang, but the lack of them was immensely worrying. He had never even seen Raven, only heard the others talking about her from time to time, but he couldn't help but worry about their pseudo-companion.

''What happened?'' He crossed his arms, putting on a stern face, or as stern as he could manage at least.

Glynda was the one to respond, sighing deeply, ''James, Qrow and Taiyang were, unfortunately, killed shortly after your departure, likely as a punishment of sorts.''

''What about Raven?''

''She ran.'' Yang's chilly response surprised him, ''She managed to access her Semblance and create a portal, and ran. We haven't heard from her since.''

His frown deepened, but he said nothing, walking with them in silence before he found words for his other question.

''What happened when I was gone? Cinder had said you guys were animatronics, which you clearly aren't... right?'' He asked slowly. He remembered waking up in that place with the others, being trapped within and unable to get out. Their Semblances even seemed to be blocked, with Neo being the only exception. However, when he was trapped with them there was no 'programming' or 'animatronics' or anything, not that he could remember at least.

''She was half-correct in that regard.'' Weiss cut in, a bitter look in her eyes, ''We hadn't realised it until a while after you left, mainly through coincidental experimentation and connecting the dots, but our bodies are not the same ones we had back... home, at Beacon. From what I can tell they're similar to the body Penny used to, and currently has.''

''It is indeed very human-like, but is in-fact 30% metal!'' Penny chirped.

''The programming we spoke of frequently is not programming per say, but instead we assume it's some kind of Grimm, perhaps the building itself.'' Weiss added, ''The main reason we were never able to speak is, if we did say something that would trigger it... the night itself would restart. The same happens if we were to damage the building.''

So that's what 'it' was. He could see why they had been unwelcome of it happening, even if he didn't understand how it would happen. Time Manipulation was ridiculous, even for a Semblance.

''How'd you and Coco stay... unpossessed for so long though?'' He asked.

''Willpower.'' Coco said with a touch of smugness, getting the stink eye from Blake and Yang.

He shook his head in amusement. That answered more than a few questions, not counting the realisation that abruptly dawned on him.

''Er... how did we get here, again?''

He stood behind an alcove, watching as the group continued onward.

They would be fine, that he was certain of. Jaune would take care of them, should anything threaten them. Still, his heart hurt to see them from afar, and not among them.

But his job was not fulfilled, and the fate of the world took precedence over his selfish whims.

So with a steeled heart, he turned and walked away.

Yang was the one to shrug, ''Eh, I don't know.''

''It is assumed that the witch Salem is behind it.'' Glynda cut in, ''You are not aware of her, Jaune, due to myself and the other not revealing it at the time, but Salem is the presumed source of the Grimm, and also the reason why we were trapped within the boundaries of the building Grimm.''

...building Grimm? Wait, did that mean...

''Yeah... the building was a Grimm...'' Ruby awkwardly poked her fingers together, tilting her head to the side sheepishly, ''Surprise?''

''Well that explains a lot...'' He deadpanned. If nothing else, at least he wasn't eaten alive the moment he entered. ''By the way, who was the one leaving the notes, aside from Weiss that is.''

To his surprise, all of them showed confusion, the sole exception being Neo who poked a finger towards Amber with a flat expression. That... make some sense, he supposed. When he had been trapped with the others, Amber had been a quiet but kind individual but with a stubborn streak that put even Blake to shame. For it to have taken an active possession to break her stubborn will, he couldn't imagine what hell she felt inside her own mind. The fact that she might've, no, was the one who left those old yellow notes... it was a true testament to her will.

Then something else occurred to him, as he withdrew the notes from earlier, the cryptic notes that he had found in front of everyone when they were in the lobby. ''What about these ones?''

The group all looked at them, though it was Glynda who spoke up, ''I... am unfamiliar with the writing style, so I can safely say it wasn't any of us who did it.''

That made him frown, ''So it was an outsider then?''

Glynda nodded silently, a thoughtful frown marring her own face.

''Eh, I'm sure it's nothing.'' Ruby smiled cheerfully, a smile he returned until another question came to mind.

''What about that weird eye thing on the floor earlier?''

''Oh that? That was Salem's symbol. Not sure what it did though.''

He walked down the street, the cool morning breeze releasing a hollow echo through the nigh-empty road. His thoughts occupied him heavily, consistently drifting back to the others as they so often did. It was for naught though, as he had a duty to complete.

He came to a stop outside of the building, the large factory-like building almost on the other end of Vale to the ruins of Beacon. The large snowflake on the side of it identified it as what it was.

The SDC; Schnee Development Company.

Wordlessly, he walked inside.

''Who was the one creeping in the vents, aside from Blake?'' He queried as they walked, the exit to the industrial district within sight.

''That would be Amber.'' Weiss replied crisply, sending the unconscious girl a glance, ''She didn't hurt you, did she?''

''Weiss!'' Ruby admonished, crossing her arms and pouting at the former heiress, ''Don't talk about her as if she isn't here.''

''She's unconscious, Ruby.'' Weiss said flatly.

He chuckled at their little argument, ''I'm fine. Scared half to death, but fine.''

''That's good.'' The heiress smiled lightly, before immediately looking away and glaring at a sniggering Yang.

''Now that I think about it, time didn't move forward at all...'' He murmured, looking to the others for answers.

Yang shrugged, ''Probably Salem's doing, if you ask me.''

''What about the tally marks in room B2-2? What were they supposed to be for?''

Pyrrha spoke up, ''Weiss was the one responsible for those, as a means to keep track of how many 'resets' had occurred.''

...now he felt like a bit of a dick for leaving them all back then.

''Um... guys...'' Velvet's shy voice cut in, brown eyes glancing at them all, ''What do we do now?''

''It's obvious, isn't it?'' Weiss responded crisply, ''We find out who gave us these bodies, and if they have any potential connection to Salem. Whatever she did, she managed to move us into an entirely new world and carry our memories... our souls over. There's no telling what she could be planning.''

''Without our weapons we won't be able to do much fighting, especially since most of us still have our Semblances locked.'' Coco cut in irritably, before smirking, ''Though I do like a challenge.''

Glynda chuckled, murmuring something under her breath, so soft he almost missed it.

''This will be an interesting time, won't it... Ozpin?''

The stainless grey walls were equal parts ominous and uncaring. They reminded him of the machine in Atlas, pure efficiency over décor. The way his footsteps created distant echoes led him to believe the facility was much more expansive than he initially believed. He wasn't sure if that was a good thing or not.

Soon he reached his destination that the accountant had pointed him to. A rather easily missable door with the nameplate of the owner, the office door metal and a perfect white. He paused for a moment, gathering his wits before entering.

He would save them all, each and every one of them.

''Which one of you is the Warden, by the way?'' He asked, retrieving and showing them the note when asked. He found it slightly amusing none of them questioned why he was carrying a pocket full of notes, but he didn't point it out.

''That'd be Neo.'' Ruby chirped.

''And Amber the Prisoner?'' He guessed, getting a nod in return. He frowned lightly in thought, recalling the wails she had released when hunting him. So much sorrow and pain it was almost palpable, he pitied the young woman for having to endure what she did.

A thought occurred to him, ''Where was Amber anyway? Last I remember, she was in one of the other rooms like the rest of you.''

''In the basement, chained up.'' Blake stated with no small amount of distaste.

No doubt due to the whole Faunus deal. Slavery was a terrible thing.

''Well, she's free now.'' Ruby, ever the optimist, smiled widely, ''All of us are.''

''You know what that means~'' Nora sang brightly, a massive grin on her face.

''Pancakes and Syrup~!''

''Strawberries and Cookies~!''

He didn't have the heart to deny them.

Weiss did though.

He sat down in the chair opposite the figure, making sure to keep his movements calm and relaxed, but with a hint of nervousness like many hopefuls in an interview. His mask was a perfect mix of stoicism and slight nervousness, his body shifting slightly as he sat just to be sure.

''Welcome, I'm glad you could make it.'' The figure greeted.

''Of course, I wouldn't dare be late.''

The figure nodded, ''Good. I like that in my employees.''

They folded their hands in front of them, leaning forwards slightly as graceful black hair fell forth. Her form-fitting red dress showed off her toned body, like a tempting seductress rather than an employer. He wasn't phased though, even as her cloth-covered arms moved with delicate slowness to present him with a small sheet of paper.

''This is a simple confirmation, due to you having already signed the necessary papers prior to arriving.'' She assured, to which he nodded and took the offered pen, writing down his agreement and the other legal nonsense. Once he was done she retrieved the paper, looking over it before nodding to herself, offering him a smile.

''Welcome aboard, Lie Ren.'' She smiled, sole golden eye glowing like molten magma, the other hidden beneath an eyepatch.

''Thank you, Cinder Fall.''

Far above the ruins of Beacon Academy, two transparent figures stood on thin air, watching the small group of survivors nonchalantly leave the grounds of the industrial district, as if they hadn't escaped a very literal hell. One was clad in a dark green suit, with aging grey hair and light brown eyes, whilst the other wore an inky black robe with the palest pallor of skin possible, so close to snow it was ludicrous.

The woman clad in the robe hummed, watching the group go, ''So it seems your pawn did indeed escape, along with some of your other pieces.''

The man nodded slowly, ''Indeed, they will not give up easily, Salem.''

Salem smirked, ''They will fall in the end, you know this well, Ozpin.''

''I am doubtful.'' Ozpin replied stoically, ''They are more stubborn than even I.''

''And look where that got you.'' She shot back, causing his lips to turn downwards in displeasure.

''It matters not, they will put an end to your reign before it has begun.'' He declared, causing her smirk to lessen.

''Then it seems I must take a more active role in their undoing, hm?'' Salem asked rhetorically, waving her hand dismissively as a chess board appeared in front of her. One side was entirely made of red-pieces, whilst the other side was a mix of several.

A green King; Ozpin.

A green Queen; Glynda.

Two green Bishops; Velvet and Coco.

Two red Rooks; Taiyang and Ironwood.

One red Knight; Qrow.

One green Knight; Raven.

Eight green Pawns; Ruby, Weiss, Blake, Yang, Jaune, Nora, Pyrrha... and Ren.

''You may have regained your pieces, but do not forget I can easily eliminate them, permanently.'' Salem smirked once more, gesturing lazily to the Rooks and sole red Knight.

Ozpin's lips thinned, eyes sharpening into a glare, but said nothing.

''It is ironic, in a way. He has regained the ones he treasured in the old world, but has lost the last vestige of his loved ones in this world.'' She continued, ''Alone, and he won't even realise. Geist's are truly one of the more useful ones.''

''You speak as if you have already won, despite making moves.'' Ozpin cut in, ''I do recall that many of your own pieces are now gone.''

Salem lost her smirk entirely, a snarl taking it's place, ''Silence, you old fool. Do not get arrogant simply because of this little victory.''

''Perhaps I have the right to, given I freed two of your own pawns.'' He replied, pointing to her side of the board where two formerly red pawns now stood a dark green colour. Amber and Penny.

''Then I will be sure to take them back, and this time you will not be using that infuriating Semblance of yours to hasten their freedom, nor to display events of time gone past.'' She growled.

He stared back at her, silent.

Salem glared, ''Mark my words Ozpin, I shall see your precious subordinates fall, in this life or the next.''

Ozpin said nothing.

Unbeknownst to the two spectres in the sky, a third figure watched from a distance, standing atop a chimney.

The morning air was bitter, a feeling she hadn't had the pleasure of feeling in a while, the pleasant chill something she had longed for. Still, now was not the time to admire her new body, she had work to do, much like the others.

'Stay safe and lead them well, Jaune Arc.' The figure smiled enigmatically.

Turning on her heel she left, white petals floating where she had stood.

Thus kindly she scattered.

A/N: I'm so evil.

There, ladies and gentlemen, is the ending. I hope it satisfied you, even though we're both aware I left loose threads there just to tease. This took a while to get down, with the latter half of the chapter all done today and the day prior.

Lot's of little hints and hopefully surprising twists. So many of you were going with the coma deal or he died in the fire, but he didn't! The 'wake up' was referring to waking up his old self... though to be fair who the hell guesses that sort of thing. Symbolism and all that. Not many people actually guessed the code for the box, that being the ages of his family on the gravestones. Congrats to those who guessed it. Amber was also the one with caramel eyes, something I don't think anyone guessed (I think there was 1-2 reviewers who guessed it). Nobody at all though guessed that Jaune's grandfather's quote (the canon chant for unlocking Aura) would be used in future. A little twist I hope was a surprise!

Funnily enough this is the first ending to a story I've done, all others I've either lost inspiration/motivation for or had complications that caused me to stop writing it. The fact my updates slowed to a crawl though for only a 12 chapter story is somewhat depressing, but it is complete nonetheless!

This chapter was the longest so far, clocking in at just over 10k, which is a pleasing number.

The romance in the story had been shoved aside a bit early, something not many seemed to mind and hopefully wasn't much of a downer. I kinda tripped on one of the earlier scenes with Ruby, the whole kiss thing a bit sudden and awkward in my opinion.

Also, did any of you catch the sneaking little pun in there? EnLIGHTening procedure? Eh? Eh?

I think that's all I have to say.

Thank you to all who reviewed and supported the story, it does genuinely mean a lot both as a creative individual and as a person.

Until next time~