"Well, the kid's in for it now," Roman said with a shrug, casually ignoring the theater's "NO SMOKING ALOUD" sign as he lit himself a cigar. "Lagartodiles are no joke. When I was fifteen, there was a news report about an entire team of Huntsmen that were sent out to kill a pair of them. They'd been attacking boats from a fishing village or something."
"I remember that story as well," Ms. Goodwitch announced, a grave expression on her face. "Only one of the Huntsmen came back alive, and they had only been able to slay one of the Lagartodiles."
These are sounding less like swamp monsters, and more like dragons, Neo commented via her Scroll.
"Well, there's not much of a difference between them, really," Tai admitted. "Dragon Grimm have a breath weapon, and Lagartodiles don't. That's pretty much it." At this statement, most of the students began to grow nervous, but none more than Ruby and Pyrrha. The Jaune onscreen had achieved victory against all odds more times than they could count, but they still couldn't help but see the same goofy blonde that locked himself out of his own dorm room on a regular basis.
"Oh, Jaune," Pyrrha whispered, as the lights dimmed, "Please be careful..."
The episode began with Jaune still standing at the edge of the cliff, staring out over the lake. More specifically, he was staring at the opposite shore off in the distance, where he could see another dock and cabin.
"The key to freeing Summer is on the other side of this lake," the Huntsman murmured to himself. "So of course it also has to be home to one of the worst Grimm to inhabit Mistral." He took another look out at the lake, searching for any sign of the Lagartodile, but the beast was nowhere to be seen. "Man, for such a big creature, it sure is stealthy."
"As if getting past this thing wasn't going to be hard enough already," Yang groaned. "How's he supposed to avoid it if he doesn't even know where it is?!"
"Do Lagartodiles have any weaknesses?" Blake asked anxiously.
"Well, they're not very fast on dry land," Qrow stated. "But I highly doubt this one will leave the water."
Jaune looked around the lake's perimeter, trying to see if he could simply walk around the shore to the other side. Unfortunately, much like the hill he was standing on, the large body of water was almost completely surrounded by high, rocky cliffs.
"Well, I'm not going around," the Huntsman said with a sigh, before starting down the trail leading to the docks below him. "But there's no way I'm going to be able to swim across the lake. That thing would be onto me as soon as I entered the water."
"Whoa, whoa, why would he leap straight to swimming across?!" Mercury demanded. "He's heading for the docks, right? Why not just take one of their boats?"
"That would be the more intelligent choice," Penny agreed, before lowering her head. "Unfortunately, there is no boat to be found at the dock."
"Oh yeah, that's right," Nora whined. "There was a cabin on the beach, but no sign of a boat. Now what is our Fearless Leader going to do?"
Slowly but surely, Jaune followed the path down the hill leading to the beach. As he approached the docks, he was pleasantly surprised to see the same motorboat he had seen out on the water heading for the boardwalk as well.
"Huh. That'll work," the Huntsman declared.
"Perfect timing," Ren commented, impressed.
"I know, right!" Ruby said excitedly. "It looks like Jaune's luck is finally turning around~"
The boat's two occupants -the same villagers that had fed the other cop to the Lagartodile last episode- stood up, preparing to get onto the dock. Jaune took that as his cue to make his appearance known, and so he took a few steps forward, the sound his boots made on the boardwalk's planks catching the two men's attention. Their faces quickly contorted into glares as they realized who the man in front of them was.
"Hello boys," the Huntsman greeted them. "Mind if I borrow your boat?" Snarling, one of the villagers stooped down and retrieved something from the bottom of the boat. When he stood back, the object he grabbed was revealed to be a large harpoon. This he lobbed at Jaune, who quickly sidestepped the attack, before grabbing the fishing spear by its shaft. A quick twist of his wrist turned the harpoon around, allowing him to throw it back at its surprised owner. The barbed spearhead pierced through the man's neck, burying itself in his throat up the wood.
"Ah," Sun grunted, rubbing his own neck uncomfortably. "That looked so painful!"
The villager gurgled, then toppled off the dock and into the lake. Not even before his legs disappeared beneath the water, the other man had charged across the dock, slashing at Jaune's neck with a fishing knife. The Huntsman took a step backwards, avoiding the serrated blade, then lifted an elbow to block a haymaker thrown at his face. He retaliated with a punch of his own, the force of which caused the villager to turn around. Jaune used the opportunity to grab the man by the head, and with a quick twist of the wrists, snapped his neck like a twig.
"Yikes! Where did Vomit Boy learn to do that?!" Emerald demanded, surprised that Jaune was capable of breaking a person's neck.
"He definitely did not learn it at Beacon, that much is certain," Willow replied, equally as shocked.
Jaune laid the villager down on the docks, then stepped over him to get into the motorboat. Three more large harpoons lay at the boat's stern, which the Huntsman spared a passing glance as he pulled up the anchor, and placed it upon the bow.
"Okay, now we're in business," he said to himself. "Let's do this." He took hold of the motorboat's steering rod, and with a rev of the motor, set off across the great gray lake.
"Um, are we sure Jaune is going to fight that Lagartodile?" Velvet asked timidly. "That Grimm only went after the corpse in the water. It never attacked the motorboat. Maybe it's been trained to leave boats alone?"
"It could be," Adam conceded. "But even if it has, it's still going to attack Jaune. His scent will be different than the usual passengers."
Now that he was out on the water himself, Jaune was able to notice some details about the lake that he hadn't been able to before. Specifically, the floating trees and jagged rock spires sticking up out of the water that he had to swerve to avoid. Shaking his head at this frustrating development, the Huntsman refocused his attention on getting to the other shoreline.
Jaune was about halfway across the lake before he noticed it: the water beneath his boat was beginning to ripple and churn faster than it had been before. Then, a large, dark shape began to sift through the water beneath him. The Huntsman's eyes narrowed as he realized what was about to happen. And then the same massive jaws that had snapped up the policeman burst from out of the water in front of his boat.
"AAAHH!" Ruby screamed. Then, noticing everyone looking at her, she blushed. "That scared me," she admitted sheepishly.
"There's no need to be embarrassed, sweetie," Kali told her. "We were all caught off-guard by that."
The Lagartodile's red eyes glared at Jaune as it swam towards him, the crocodile Grimm's mouth open wide enough to swallow the entire boat. The Huntsman quickly swerved the small ship out of the way, but not in time to prevent the side of the Lagartodile's head bump against the bow, knocking the anchor into the water. The heavy metal weight began to sink into the lake, only for one of its arms to snag on one of the crocodile Grimm's back spikes. The boat lurched, throwing Jaune onto his back, as his ride was tugged across body of water.
"That isn't good," Ghira said with a frown.
"No, it is not," Winter agreed, clasping her hands together nervously. "Fighting this creature is going to be even more difficult, now."
Jaune sat back up, watching as the boat jostled and bounced across the surface of the lake. He quickly pieced together what was going on, following the anchor rope with his eyes to the center of the Lagartodile's back, as it towed him around. Then, the crocodile Grimm swam beneath one of the floating logs, dragging the boat straight towards the debris. Jaune grabbed the motorboat's steering rod and jerked it to one side, narrowly avoiding the tree as he swerved past it.
"Sorry, but I don't want to take the scenic route!" the Huntsman quipped, unholstering Ivory and aiming at the anchor rope. Unfortunately, with how much the boat was shaking, he was unable to line up a clear shot, and the few bullets he did fire whizzed way off course. "Damn!" Jaune cursed. "I guess I'm not getting loose until this thing's dead..."
"Good luck with that, kid," Qrow grunted. "There's no way you'll be able to shoot that thing with how bumpy your ride is. And a Lagartodile's plating is as hard as rock!"
"Hey, come on Uncle Qrow," Yang chided. "A Death Stalker has tough armor, too, but it still has weak points. So should a Lagartodile, right?"
"They do," Ozpin confirmed. "Unfortunately, Mr. Arc will not be able to attack any of them while the Lagartodile is underwater. He will have to wait for it to surface."
The Lagartodile tugged Jaune's boat straight toward a rock sticking out of the lake, forcing the Huntsman to steer the ship hard left to avoid capsizing. Then, the crocodile Grimm's back spikes disappeared beneath the lake, as the boat gently ground to a stop. Jaune grit his teeth, putting away his pistol to take a harpoon in his hand instead. The Huntsman stood, holding the fishing spear aloft, ready to throw it. His eyes swept across the lake, waiting for the Lagartodile to reveal itself.
"Here comes another jump scare," Sun groaned. "Get ready, everybody..."
Hearing water bubbling behind him, Jaune turned in time to see the Lagartodile rise out of the lake, speeding towards him like a torpedo. The Huntsman quickly hurled the harpoon at the crocodile Grimm's masked head. But to his dismay, the fishing spear simply bounced harmlessly off the Lagartodile's bony white snout, just before the Grimm rammed his boat, capsizing it and hurling him into the water.
"Oh shit!" Coco yelped.
"Get out of the water!" Ms. Goodwitch hollered. "Quickly, Mr. Arc!"
Jaune's eyes widened as he found himself submerged in the deep, murky water, and they widened even further when he noticed the Lagartodile's spiked back rushing past underneath him. The Huntsman quickly started to swim towards the surface of the lake, aiming for his overturned boat, as the crocodile Grimm swiftly turned around and began to follow him. As Jaune continued to swim upwards, the Lagartodile got closer and closer, its mouth opening to swallow him whole.
"This is gonna be close," Mercury said, his face contorted in a grimace.
"I can't look!" Velvet cried, using her ears to help cover her eyes.
Jaune reached the boat, using his momentum to flip it back upright as he pulled himself inside, narrowly avoiding the Lagartodile as its bony snout snapped shut on where he had just been a moment prior. The large crocodile Grimm rose out of the water, its large plated belly briefly towering over the Huntsman and his boat, before the beast pitched forward, threatening to smash both him and his ride flat. Jaune quickly accelerated out of the way, though he was still bathed in the large spray of water that flew into the air as the Lagartodile splashed back into the lake. Then, the ship's anchor rope was pulled taut, and the Huntsman found himself being towed along by the crocodile Grimm a second time.
"Oh, you've got to be joking!" the Huntsman groaned, as he steered his ship around another floating tree. "If jumping out and swimming to shore was an option, I'd gladly take it over this!"
"Yeah, no kidding." Tai shook his head. "That thing's got him hooked like a fish. Unless Jaune finds a way to kill it, both he and his boat will be dashed to pieces on the debris, if the Lagartodile doesn't eat him first."
The Lagartodile dragged Jaune towards a rock, forcing him to swing hard to the left to avoid it. Unfortunately, his trajectory was sending the boat sailing straight towards a log, causing him to force its steering rod in the completely opposite direction. Then, the crocodile Grimm disappeared beneath the surface, causing the lake to grow still once more. Jaune sighed, then reached for one of the two remaining harpoons, hefting it and scanning the lake for any sign of the Lagartodile.
"Make this throw count, Mr. Arc," Ozpin said gravely. "You do not have much room for error."
Out of the corner of his eye, Jaune saw the water begin to grow agitated. He turned towards the steady stream of bubbles that was rushing toward the boat, preparing to throw his harpoon. When the Lagartodile's posted head burst into view, the Huntsman hurled the fishing spear, watching as it flew forth to strike the oncoming beast in the snout, next to one of its nostrils. Again, the harpoon harmlessly bounced off its snout, but this time, the crocodile Grimm let out a snarl, and dove under the water. Then, the boat jerked, and was dragged behind the Lagartodile yet again.
"Okay, this is getting old," Jaune grumbled. "I've only got one harpoon left, and even the softer parts of its body are too thick for it to pierce through." He paused his musing to steer his boat between a pair of logs that were quickly coming up on him. "Think, Jaune! Where's the one place I can hit this beast that a harpoon won't just harmlessly bounce off of?" The Huntsman suddenly smiled as realization set in. "I think I have just the place. Of course, getting a clear shot will be the hard part..."
"It sounds like Vomit Boy has an idea," Emerald noticed.
Well, it better be a good one, Neo stated flatly. He's only got one harpoon left.
"Third time's the charm," Cinder pointed out.
Unexpectedly the Lagartodile's tail rose out of the water and slammed into the side of the boat. It wasn't enough to shatter the ship, but it was enough to hurl Jaune overboard. As he sank beneath the surface of the lake, the crocodile continued to swim away, dragging the boat behind it. The Huntsman immediately began to swim after his ride, using Aura to enhance his limbs and increase his speed. After almost a minute of chasing after the Lagartodile, the crocodile Grimm finally changed directions, causing the boat to stop as it slowly circled back around to get behind Jaune, and chase after him instead.
"This Lagartodile has been the most tedious of Jaune's adversaries presently," Penny commented, a frown on her face.
"Indeed. This beast is giving him just as much trouble as Tyrian and Griffith did," Ren grunted.
"And those Grimm needed magic powers in order to fight on par with our Fearless Leader!" Nora reminded everyone. "But, I guess this thing does have the home field advantage, so it's basically the same?"
"In a sense," Weiss admitted.
Jaune's Aura flared around his arms and legs as he swam desperately towards the boat, reaching it only a second before the Lagartodile caught up to him. This time, the crocodile Grimm leapt fully out of the water, letting out a loud hiss as it sailed over both the Huntsman and his ship, before diving back down into lake on the other side. After the huge splash that followed, though, the lake went still. Jaune swallowed, then picked up his last harpoon, mentally preparing himself.
"Come on, you overgrown gecko," he growled. "Show yourself..."
"Be careful, Jaune," Pyrrha whispered, beginning to sweat nervously. Most of the audience braced themselves, knowing that this was the Huntsman's last chance.
"You've got this, man," Adam declared, confident Jaune would pull the victory off but uncertain of how he would exactly.
This time, the water began to grow agitated a great distance directly in front of Jaune, as though the Lagartodile was aware he had only one harpoon left, and was taunting him about it. The crocodile Grimm's head appeared out of the lake, maw open wide and red eyes blazing as it rushed towards him. The Huntsman, however, simply glared back at the beast, calmly watching as it rapidly approached, harpoon at the ready.
"Closer... closer..." Just as the tip of the Lagartodile's mouth stretched above and below the boat, Jaune's eyes flashed. "NOW!" The boat sped off to one side, and as the crocodile Grimm rushed by, he hurled the fishing spear, augmenting his arm with Aura to give his throw even more power behind it. The harpoon flew straight and true, jamming into the Lagartodile's eye, completely obliterating it, before disappearing entirely into the now empty socket, undoubtedly tearing through the beast's brain as well.
"Bam!" Roman whooped, laughing loudly as he pounded his armrest. "THAT'S the way you do it!"
"He's done it!" Ironwood laughed, as the audience cheered around him. "He killed that sucker like a pro!"
"S-Sir?" Winter stuttered, surprised at her superior's lack of grace.
The Lagartodile shrieked and thrashed, but it was obvious that the blow had been fatal. Finally, the crocodile Grimm's death throes came to an end, as its entire body calcified, essentially becoming a giant white statue. Then with a shudder, the Lagartodile's body sank beneath the surface of the lake, cracking and crumbling as it disappeared into the murky depths below. Unfortunately, this also caused the anchor to be pulled down with the crocodile Grimm's, and as the anchor's rope rapidly slipped into the lake after it, some of the length got tangled around Jaune's leg. The Huntsman gasped in pain as it tightened around his limb, causing his Aura to flash, before he started to be pulled out of the boat.
"Oh, come on!" Sun groaned. "Even dead, that thing is causing Jaune trouble!"
"Relax, son," Ghira told the monkey Faunus, wrapping an arm around his nervous wife. "This has a simple fix. See?"
Jaune grabbed onto the motorboat's steering rod, preventing himself from being yanked overboard, then with his other hand, unsheathes Crocea Mors. The Huntsman pulled his ensnared leg up, and with one swing of his sword, sliced the rope off.
"Huh." Willow blinked. "That was pretty simple."
The scene changed to show Jaune coming to shore on the other side of the lake, looking noticeably pale. He got out of the boat and shambled across the docks, heavy bags under the Huntsman's eyes. Shaking at every step, he made his way into a house near the shoreline, throwing open the door and almost tripping over his own feet as he stumbled inside. With a groan, Jaune collapsed to the ground, his Aura briefly flashing as it cushioned his fall, before the slipped into unconsciousness. The episode ended.
"What's wrong with Jaune?" Ruby demanded, concern evident in her voice.
"Overdoing it, most likely," Ozpin told her. "Remember, Mr. Arc had been knocked unconscious a few episodes prior. All this physical activity he has been doing since then has been making it difficult for him to completely recover from that."
"Not to mention, he fell into that lake a couple times," Ms. Goodwitch added. "Getting soaked with cold water will sap your energy faster than you could possibly imagine."
"Well, I hope he recovers soon," Weiss said anxiously. "Right now, he is completely vulnerable."
"Don't worry your pretty little head, Ice Queen," Cinder assured her, looking at Roman. "I think our blonde blockhead still has someone looking out for him..."