Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

This was absolute bullshit. A lot of horrible stuff had happened in the past two days, but this was a pretty strong contender for the top spot.

At least, Yang thought, glancing at the stiff way Mercury Black was sitting, Oscar still unconscious in his arms, she wasn’t the only one who thought so.

The bunker was small for three people. With five it was cramped, but at least that meant it was warmer. Ren was behind Yang, StormFlower drawn and ready to fire. Ember Celica was ready as well, stiff in Yang’s lap. Jaune was sitting on Mercury’s other side but his sword wasn’t drawn. Instead he was calling his Aura to his hands, eyes on Oscar.

He was in bad shape. He’d been in bad shape when that- that thing had taken him, but now… He was covered in bruises and scrapes, there was blood in his hair and he wouldn’t wake up.

Yang’s stomach twisted. She felt hot and cold all at once. There was a roaring in her ears. 

He looked like he was dead.

As Yang kept staring at Oscar’s limp form, finding more and more injuries to catalogue it got warmer still, as her rage and her Semblance started to creep up her skin and hair, lighting up the room more than the furnace ever could have. That made it easier to find injuries (there were so many injuries, and he was so small. He wasn’t even old enough to start Beacon yet) and so her Aura flared even more. It was a cycle Yang wasn’t sure she was strong enough to break. She wasn’t sure she even wanted to.

“If I knew it was going to be this warm, I wouldn’t have bothered with the new jacket,” Mercury said at last, still staring sullenly into the fire.

“What did you do to him?”

The words came out as a growl. Her hands were trembling in her lap, but it wasn’t because of Adam this time. It wasn’t fear.

Yang knew anger. She knew it better than most people, better than her family wished she did, better than she knew how to get a handle on it. She wasn’t sure she could remember ever feeling this angry, with Oscar lying there not waking up.

Mercury scoffed. “I told you that already. I saved him.” His lips twisted into some facsimile of a smile. “You’re welcome, Blondie.” And he had the absolute gall to look outraged that they didn’t trust him.

The reason Mercury was still there, and not currently in the middle of a smoking crater via Ember Celica, was that Oscar was draped over him like the world’s limpest human shield, and his fingers were twisted in the fabric of Mercury’s coat so tightly that none of them could pry them off without aggravating his injuries.

The number of unsuccessful attempts to dislodge him included Mercury’s, and the fact that he was just as displeased with the situation did not help Yang’s mood.

“How did you find us?”

“I followed the sound of idiots who don’t have any idea what they’re getting into,” he said with syrupy-sweet false cheer, “It led me straight to you.”

Jaune reached over carefully, because Mercury’s weapons were in his greaves but he seemed to know his way around the knife in his hand too, and none of them wanted to try their luck while Oscar was still clinging to him.

Jaune hissed. “He’s in really bad shape,” he murmured to Yang, “This place has a med kit; I’ll get it.”

Yang glared at Mercury.

“Don’t look at me,” Mercury said, lifting his hands as much as he could around the tangle of Oscar’s limbs, “I didn’t touch him except to get him out, and I don’t think he’s too mad about that part.”

“Well someone did!” she snapped, and StormFlower cocked in Ren’s hands.

Mercury’s expression twitched, going from angry to something cold and dark. He looked away.

“That was Hazel,” he said stonily, and didn’t say anything more on the subject.

There was something there but Yang was too angry to care about it. Who was Hazel, anyway? That huge crazy guy from Haven? 

“And why would you help him?”

Again with that awful smile. “Maybe I just figured that someone should, Blondie.”

Yang’s Semblance spiked, but it was Ren who shouted, “Shut up!” Yang twisted to look at him. Ren’s composure was shattered far past the point he’d been at yelling at her and Jaune. He was trembling with emotion, eyes locked on Oscar and full of helpless fury.

Even Mercury looked taken aback at him. Then his expression turned cool. He glanced back at Yang. “It isn’t your business why I did it. I don’t answer to you or to anyone else. So say thank you and then shut up about it. Gods know I didn’t do it for you.”

“Who did you do it for then?”

Yang’s eyes fell to Oscar, who for whatever Stockholm syndrome-like reason still clinging to her least favorite person and Mercury, still clearly half-braced for a fight, followed her gaze instinctively.

“Oh no. I did not do it for Oz’s newest meat-puppet. Just fucking take him and I’ll be out of here-” He shoved Oscar towards Yang as far as he could with the kid’s grip blocking his arms, hard enough that it nearly dislodged him when nothing else had, and for the first time Oscar groaned, eyes shooting open.

The first thing he saw was Mercury, trying to push him away, and he shrieked.

“NO!” he scrabbled closer to Mercury, who jumped so hard he dropped his knife and didn’t fight it. Oscar’s voice was hoarse and broken, and if Yang started to think about why she was going to start breaking down. “You can’t leave, you can’t- no, pleasethey’llcomeback and I can’t-” his voice cracked. His face was hidden in the fabric of Mercury’s coat but his shoulders were shaking, hitching just as much as his breath, “I can’t-”

“Shit, alright!” Mercury snapped, but a glance at his face told Yang he was just as spooked as she was. He looked at her like he thought she should be able to fix it. “Just calm the fuck down and let go-”

But Oscar was hyperventilating and when Jaune tried to put a hand on his shoulder he screamed and jerked away from the touch. Before they had a chance to do anything else his eyes rolled up and he was out again. His body went slack. His grip didn’t.

The sudden silence was even worse than the screaming. Yang looked at the blood and dirt ground into Oscar’s coat. “What,” she whispered, “did you do?”

“I… I was there when Salem and Hazel weren’t,” he said, “I let him rest. I…” He hesitated, then gestured vaguely at the garrison they were in, at the three of them, circled around him.

Jaune hesitated, then put down the med kit. His Aura levels were dangerously low but he still reached over and put his hand gently on Oscar’s shoulder. The white-gold glow of his Aura shimmered over Oscar. The light danced over Mercury’s face.

“Salem said he’s Ozpin’s new body,” he said finally, looking down at Oscar’s bruised face. “But he’s just a kid, isn’t he.” It wasn’t phrased as a question. Mercury shook his head once. “I don’t fuck with kids.”

Yang looked at him. There was a story there she didn’t know. She didn’t care about it, she would never forgive Mercury for what he’d done, but…but if he’d really saved Oscar, maybe that could be enough.

Oscar shifted slightly, his expression smoothing out of the pained grimace as Jaune’s Semblance worked to replenish his Aura. He was so young. The worst of the bruises yellowed as if after several days of healing; the sluggish bleeding on his temple slowed. The tension holding his body rigid relaxed.

His grip on Mercury’s coat did not relax at all.

Mercury Black sighed, sharp and annoyed. “Absolute bullshit,” he muttered to himself, glaring back at the fire. Finally, it was something he and Yang could agree on.

Chapter Text

Yang and Ren ended up sleeping, though they did it under protest. They all had to get some rest, recover enough of their Aura for what was coming, and if they did need to fight Mercury they’d need it even more. Jaune needed to stay up to help Oscar heal as it was; he could keep watch.

“Wake me up if there’s trouble,” Yang ordered, glaring at Mercury for good measure. Mercury sneered elegantly.

For his part, Mercury spent a good hour staring at Jaune in silence before shrugging. He settled more comfortably- more defensibly- as much as he could. Oscar was still clinging to him, so his movements were pretty hampered.

“For fuckssake,” Mercury muttered as he tried to maneuver Oscar, “Unbelievable, stupid-” Jaune watched carefully, palm sweaty where it held tight to Crocea Mors, but for all his cursing Mercury didn’t move Oscar roughly, only shifted him enough that he could cross his arms and lean against the wall. He closed his eyes, but Jaune wasn’t fooled into thinking he was asleep. Probably he was just conserving his energy.

Oscar was still under his hand, his skin awash in Jaune’s Aura. If Jaune’s hand wasn’t on his arm, if his thumb wasn’t pressed up against his pulse, he would be very worried about how still he was being.

As it was, Oscar was breathing more easily now, in a way that suggested breathing had been quite painful a few minutes ago, and the bruises on his face had faded. Jaune’s fingers itched to wash the blood off his face, make sure that the cuts had healed as well, but the memory of how Oscar had shrieked and cringed away kept him from reaching for the kid’s face.

So he kept letting his Semblance flow out of his hands and into Oscar, kept watching the pain in his expression slacken into natural sleep, monitored his Aura.

And kept an eye on Mercury.

Mercury didn’t move. Yang was tucked against Ren, their argument temporarily abandoned until the threat was gone. Ren’s hand was open next to his side. Jaune wondered if Nora, wherever she was, was doing the same. He wondered what Ruby and everyone else were doing. If they were safe.

Oscar gasped sharply and his entire upper body snapped up. His eyes flew open. Jaune’s heart stopped.

The first thing he saw was Mercury, and it was really, really weird to see the tension trickle out of Oscar like that when he looked at someone Jaune had last seen trying to hurt his friends. Oscar pushed a hand through his hair, then brought it down to his chest, taking a couple of deep, experimental breaths. He looked surprised that it didn’t hurt.

It was only then that he looked around and saw Jaune.

The hurt from when he’d pulled away before was nothing to now, when he clearly saw Jaune and scooted back into Mercury’s side.

“Oscar, it’s alright.”

“No,” Oscar moaned softly, and then shriller when Jaune reached for him, “No, don’t touch me! Leave me alone!”

“Oscar it’s me,” Jaune’s voice cracked. He needed to be strong, with Ren cracking around the edges and Yang pulled two ways at once and Nora gone, he needed to be strong for everyone else but Oscar was- “You’re safe now-”

“Stay back!” Oscar’s fingers were tangled in his hair, arms up to cover his face as he cowered. Jaune’s heart was in his throat. He almost missed Oscar’s next words, mumbled into the fabric of his sleeves. “You’re not real. You’re not real, you’re that crazy lady you’re not-”

“If Neo came after us we’d already be dead,” Mercury mumbled, leaning away from the body pressed into his side, “Now shut up, I’m trying…” he trailed off, eyes blinking open, to stare at Oscar, frowning thoughtfully.

Slowly, Oscar brought his arms down to stare at Jaune. Tears were streaking his face.

“Jaune?” he whispered, the word cracking.

His arm was still outstretched. Oscar swallowed and then reached for it, hand shaking.

No sooner did their fingers touch than Oscar was throwing himself at Jaune and it felt right, it felt like a joint slotting back into place after walking a mile with it displaced. Oscar was back. It hadn’t ended like last time. For the first time in hours, Jaune could breathe without it feeling like a punishment. Oscar was crying still, and Jaune’s eyes were burning too.

Mercury was watching Oscar intently. “You…have a healing Semblance,” he said to Jaune slowly, still staring, and every single thing he’d ever done to them crashed into Jaune with the force of a train.

His arms tightened around Oscar instinctively. “No offense but that’s none of your business,” Jaune told him shortly, hoping very much that Mercury took full offense.

Mercury looked away. “Whatever,” he scoffed, but after a glance at the sleeping Yang and Ren he stood. Jaune had let go of the sword when Oscar had woken up, but Mercury didn’t make a move for any of them. “Sounds like my cue to leave anyway.”

Jaune would have liked nothing better, but Oscar’s head popped back up, pulling away from Jaune slightly. He looked alarmed.

“Where are you going?”

“Not back to Salem, that’s for sure.”

“You could-” Oscar began and then hesitated, looking back at Jaune.

“I already told you, kid. I’m not one of you guys. It wouldn’t work out.” Oscar’s mouth tucked down unhappily, and Mercury’s expression veered more towards annoyed. He gestured towards Yang and Ren. “Look, ask your friends how that would go. I’m not fighting Salem. There’s no winning against her. You kids have fun throwing your lives aw-” he trailed off, staring hard out the window.

Foreboding started trickling down Jaune’s spine. Around Oscar, he groped for Crocea Mors.

There was someone walking through the snow, the icy wind tugging on their clothes. Jaune saw a flash of green hair pulled up by the wind and Mercury straightened.

“Is that the crazy lady?” Oscar said, peeking out the window. He’d found the knife Mercury had dropped before and was holding it in shaking hands.

Mercury squinted at the window. “I don’t think so.” He glanced at Yang and Ren, still asleep, and his nose wrinkled in derision. But he didn’t say anything as he pulled himself up. “Only one way to find out. If it is Neo, remember that I just saved your friend’s life so you owe me one,” he told Jaune.

“And if it isn’t?”

“I’ll handle it.” Like Jaune would trust Mercury Black with a pet rock, let alone his friends’ lives. He must have read that in Jaune’s expression because he tacked on, visibly irritated, “Wake up your fucking friends if you have to, but I’ll handle her.”

 “You’ll handle me?” shrieked a voice from much too close outside.

Disturbingly, at least to Jaune, Mercury grinned. “It’s not Neo,” he said to Oscar, and sauntered out the door, saying, “That totally means you still owe me one.”

Jaune glanced at Yang and Ren again but getting them awake would mean either alerting the new attacker or leaving Oscar, who was staring out the window with a hardened look Jaune was horrified to discover he didn’t recognize.

Mercury walked to the edge of the step and paused there, arms crossed over his chest. He didn’t make a move to ready himself for a fight from where the figure was stomping up.

“You come here often?” he called.

A shot just to the right of the door nearly took Mercury’s head off. His expression didn’t so much as twitch.

“You rat bastard!” Emerald snarled, so loud that Yang jerked awake, Ember Celica whirring instinctively. At her side, Ren jumped, his eyes flying open. “I cannot believe you!”

“Oscar?” Ren whispered, Yang staring at the boy too, and he turned around and grinned at them. It probably would have been more reassuring if Jaune had actually gotten around to cleaning that blood off his face.

“I’m alright,” he said, then added, “So is Oz,” like that was a priority to any of them right now. But then he turned back to the window, and the others joined them, weapons at the ready. Jaune instantly felt his nerves recede to a dull hum.

Emerald was still yelling at Mercury, who was standing there with his arms crossed like she wasn’t threatening to dismember him.

“I spend weeks trying to talk you into leaving and I turn my back for five godsdamned seconds and you’re gone with the one thing that would make Salem come after you!” Oscar flinched. Jaune tucked him against his side protectively; Yang’s gauntlets started powering up. “What is wrong with you?”

“Well, you’ve been pretty quiet about that since Cinder showed back up,” he said and she went quiet. Yang was vibrating with tension beside Jaune.

“Salem sent me to bring you back,” Emerald spit out eventually, and Yang shoved herself up more, ready to fight, but her tone made Jaune pause. They’d fought Emerald in Haven, and they’d seen her when she thought Cinder was dead. But even there, she hadn’t sounded this scared.

Finally, Mercury’s expression shifted, going sharper. “Why would she send you?”

“Oh fuck you-”

“Tyrian is a much better tracker and fighter than you,” Mercury talked over her, and Emerald stopped and let him. She didn’t look so good, Jaune realized. Her eyes were fixed on Mercury’s impassive expression, unblinking. There was wild fear bleeding across her face. “And so am I, for that matter. We both know it. Why did she send you to fight me?” Emerald’s weapon was shaking in her hands. “Is it to prove your loyalty or is it to punish you?”

Emerald flinched, caught.

Mercury didn’t move, even though she was pointing a gun directly at his heart. “Are you going to do it?” he asked softly, and Jaune didn’t have a single doubt that he would fight her if she made a move, but he wasn’t fighting right now. Only waiting, with the wind and snow in between them.

She hesitated for a long time. Then Emerald’s shoulders slumped. Her weapon went down, then dropped into the snow.

“Tch.” Mercury grunted, but he finally moved forward, coming to rest just in front of her. From the way her shoulders hunched, maybe Jaune wasn’t the only one that half-thought Mercury was going to attack her anyway. “So girls night out didn’t go so well?”

“You-” she started and stopped, looking away. When she spoke again, she did it in such a low voice Jaune was sure they weren’t meant to overhear, but the wind had finally died down and the words carried across easily. “You know how you said that Cinder didn’t really care about us?”

She tried to say it casually, but her voice was strained with hurt.

Mercury’s arms didn’t uncross. “I might have mentioned it a time or ten.”

She ducked her head more, mouth screwing up. “So, are you just- just working for Oz now? Or going off on your own?” He hummed noncommittally. Emerald wouldn’t look at him. Instead she swallowed hard, fingers curling and uncurling at her sides. “So you’ll- you’ll need someone to watch your back,” she went on, high-pitched and uneven. “Won’t you?”

He shrugged. “It’d be less boring at least,” he said carelessly, as if the answer didn’t matter one way or another, but he uncrossed his arms, hooking his thumbs into his pockets. It just barely didn’t hide the way Emerald’s fingers curled into the hem of his jacket. Her forehead ended up against the breast of his jacket.

“Fine,” she muttered thickly, as if he’d asked her and not the other way around. Mercury’s gaze was fixed up on the sky and not on the girl having a breakdown in front of him. “-can’t believe you ran off with Ozpin and not me, you’re so fucking stupid. I hate you.”

“Yeah, I’m really feeling the hate right now.” Emerald hit him on the shoulder halfheartedly with one hand and deliberately didn’t let go of his jacket with the other.

“Oscar,” Yang said, and Jaune tore his eyes away from the potential threat- not that it looked particularly threatening at this point- and over to Oscar. Oscar was currently staring at Yang and employing what was known as the Ruby Puppy Eyes. Yang looked horrified. “Oscar I really don’t want to have to work with Mercury Black. I don’t even want to work with Emerald, and I’d still take her over him.”

“But he saved me,” Oscar said plaintively, “He didn’t have to but he did anyway. He tried to stop Hazel hurting me even. And she didn’t hurt me either.”

“So they’re not as bad as they could have been,” hissed Yang, “Give them a medal! That doesn’t mean I want to work with them!”

Oscar made the Eyes bigger. Yang groaned and buried her face in her hands.

Ren was looking at Jaune. Jaune could only shrug helplessly. He wasn’t really in the emotional headspace to deny Oscar anything just now.

Ren sighed. “The most important thing is that you’re safe,” he told Oscar. After a pause, he reached out and awkwardly brushed Oscar’s hair out of his face. Oscar leaned into the touch. “We were so worried about you.”

Outside the window, Emerald had regained her composure again. She was scowling as Mercury poked her exposed stomach.

“I told you the jacket was a bad idea. Figures, I’m even better at defecting than you.”

“’Oh look at me, I’m so good at everything.’” Emerald mocked, then threw a cloth-wrapped bundle at his head. “You just spent like an hour shoving snow up the barrel of your guns walking here, and you left your toolkit behind,” she snarled wrathfully, “Don’t talk to me about bad decisions, you stupid bitch.”

“Huh. I think I like Emerald more than I remembered,” Yang said thoughtfully, tilting her head as she watched, “Maybe I can make this work after all.”