Final Fantasy RWBY

Summary: Jaune Arc, former Huntsman first class, is a mercenary hired by eco-terrorist organization AVAL led by Blake Belladonna. AVAL is determined to topple the reign of world destroying megacorporation, the Schnee Dust Power Company, and save the world of Remnant from the ruthlessness of the Schnee Family. Arriving by train, their mission is simple: blow up Dust Reactor 1.

Disclaimer: I do not own RWBY or Final Fantasy 7. Please do not sue me. I also used the FF7 novelization by M. J. Gallgher for reference.


Jaune Arc huddled in a corner, doing his best to sleep through the ceaseless whistles of the train. The AVAL strike team had boarded the trains hours earlier to avoid tightening security at checkpoints while hoping the inspectors would remain lax as always. Jaune didn't have the foresight to bring a blanket. Velvet Scarlatina, a faunus girl with bunny ears, was kind enough to share hers with Jaune as they continued the hours long ride towards their destination. Velvet was snoozing gently on Jaune's shoulder. Across from him was Yatsuhashi, a giant man nicknamed Yats who slept with arms crossed. His blanket barely covered his knee. Beside him was Coco, who held her bandolier bag like a teddy bear and slept on a bundled blanket like a pillow.

Perched on top of the crates, like a cat resting in a tree, was Blake Belladonna, leader of AVAL. Her slender form blended perfectly in the shadows aided by the black blanket she had brought. Her eyes were closed by Jaune doubted if she was really sleeping. Her black twitched at every noise but her face made no expression.

The money for this job was good. Enough to get by for a few more months on a single night of work. Jaune peeked through the cracks of the rail freight walls. It was their target: Dust Reactor 1, owned by the Schnee Dust Power Company.

"I should have been a farmer," Jaune lamented. He checked his blade. It was a simple blade passed down from his great-great-great grandfather. The sheath could be transformed into a shield, capable of stopping a direct blow from a raging Ursa. Not that Jaune ever tried it of course. He was a Huntsman, an elite warrior formerly of the Schnee Huntsman Corp… a failed Huntsman. A drop out.

He didn't tell Blake that. Jaune needed the job, and the money.

The train had passed through the second to last security checkpoint. There was one more left before they would arrive within the Dust Reactor itself. From there on it would be a quick raid into the reactor core, plant the bomb, and beat a retreat.

Sounding its piercing whistle, the train slowly grinded to a halt. Velvet yawned.

"Are we there yet?"

"No," Jaune answered. With a gasp of surprise, Velvet jumped away from Jaune. She was taken aback by how close she was. She apologized for her ill manners, which Jaune assured was alright. "We're at the last checkpoint."

"We are?" Coco began stirring. Yats cracked his back.

Blake was wide awake.

"Quiet."

A pair of footsteps approached the freight. Peeking through the cracks, Jaune could see two guards patrolling down the platform.

"We're checking this freight. This one hasn't had an inspection for the past fourteen checkpoints!" A guard pounded loudly on the walls of the freight AVAL was hiding in. Another guard replied with an affirmative, grunting something about these stupid overly cautious inspections. Afterall, who would dare challenge the Schnee Dust Power Company?

The rusted doors of the freight were pried open by the lowly guard.

Blake moved first. The moment the doors had opened, the guard's neck was snapped with a swift movement. Her whip shot out from her hand and bound itself around the throat of the second guard. He couldn't find the air to scream. Two dead.

Taking in a deep breath and staring upon the menacing shadow of the Dust Reactor, Blake gave her orders.

"Change of plans, we're moving. Regroup at the main gate," Blake commanded and sped into the shadows. A woman of few words, she gestured the team to follow. Coco followed, her eyes darting around at her surroundings. Yats went after second, quickly grabbing the bodies and tossing them into an alley. Velvet and Jaune exited last, the night air cold on their skin.

"We need to get moving," Velvet urged as she hurried off after her team. "Jaune?"

Jaune looked up at the Dust Reactor. This was what made him… him.

"Coming."

The pair passed through grimy cobblestone streets and old-style buildings. This was the residential area of the sector, an old part of time made for administrators and soldiers in their downtime. In the darkness of night, it was quiet. Security having grown complacent from the lack of attacks.

Keeping against the building walls and alleyways, Velvet led Jaune to their rally point. The young girl had memorized the map of the entire sector. Carefully avoiding the light from lampposts, Jaune and Velvet arrived at the gate. There was the large shadow of Yats and beside him was Blake who leaned against the wall, eyes scanning the deserted streets. Velvet ran over and knelt by Coco who was busy working hacking the codes.

"Velvet!" Coco exclaimed in a hush whisper. "I got the program booted up, but this one's taking me a tough time to crack," she admitted. A small screen connected with various wires was attached to the gate showing a flow of numbers, letters, and codes.

"I got it," Velvet assured with a smile as she worked the program. Coco stood up and cracked her back. "It'll be done shortly."

Coco cast a glance towards Jaune. "Good call bringing in this Huntsman. All he did was slow down our lead hacker," Coco commented. Yats made no response while Blake sighed. "Told you we shouldn't have brought him along."

"We need the manpower," Yats stated as-a-matter-of-fact.

"Just an expensive bullet magnet if you ask me," Coco snipped.

"Enough." The sharp voice of their leader caused Coco to become silent in a heartbeat. "We can discuss this later but right now all we have is each other. We have a job to do… for faunus… for humanity… for Remnant. Do not forget that."

Coco and Yats nodded. Jaune shrugged. "Listen, I'm just here to get paid and go. You tell me what to do and I'll do it. I got on your train. I'm coming along on your little 'mission'. Want me to beat up some guys? Sure. I'll steal candy from babies if the price is right."

Before Coco could retort, Velvet began clapping happily at her breakthrough.

"Ah ha! Got it!" Velvet had ignored the conversation, too absorbed in her work. The mechanism began to hum gently. Parting away, the gate opened. Blake gave the order: split up and meet in the reactor. Swiftly Coco and Yats followed the orders and made their way in. Jaune walked slowly in slowly. Velvet looked at Jaune and extended a hand. "Let's go."

Jaune nodded, ignoring the hand. Velvet's ears dropped slightly. "You take the lead."

Velvet and Jaune worked their way through. Prior to the mission, Blake had assigned Jaune to guard Velvet who was the lead hacker, while she took point with Coco and Yats as her support. Most of the grunt work would fall to the vanguard team while Jaune protected Velvet. A simple enough job. Truly, Jaune was meant to be an expensive bullet magnet.

"I can take care of myself you know," Velvet smiled as she hopped through security barriers and dismantled checkpoints. "I just have a habit of getting too engrossed in my work…"

"Happens."

The reactor was devoid of scientists at the time of night. Most of the machinery and mechanisms in place were highly efficient and well automated. The security was light. The first sign of resistance was a lone security guard sleeping in his chair at an outdoor checkpoint.

Velvet tugged on Jaune's shirt. "Think we can sneak past without waking him?" Jaune sighed. He was getting a good idea of what kind of person Velvet was: idealist in image but pacifist in practice.

"We'll try."

Jaune and Velvet crouched down, sticking to the shadows and avoided the light. Creeping along, careful to make no sound. The guard did not stir but continued his loud snoring. Jaune looked in. The guard was still asleep. Drawing his sword, he gestured Velvet to make a sprint to the gate and begin working the codes to get into the cargo elevator.

Velvet made the run and began working. The guard did not move. Jaune had no idea what to do if the guard had awoken. He'd probably jump into the office and start stabbing wildly.

"You got lucky," Jaune muttered as he sheathed his blade. He made his way over to Velvet who waved him to come. Entering the elevator, the two began their descent down to the reactor core.

The elevator moved methodically slow.

Velvet sat in a corner and amused herself by checking the security logs of the reactor. Jaune sat in the opposite corner, closer to the elevator entrance. Jaune rested his hand on his sword handle, ready to cut down some unfortunate guard who would open it.

"So."

Jaune jumped, startled by the sudden voice. He turned to Velvet who giggled at the display.

"Yes?" Jaune took in deep breaths, trying to remain calm.

"You're an ex-Huntsman?"

"Yeah," Jaune replied.

"What kind-"

"First class."

"Ah…" Velvet's ears bent slightly lower before her eyes glowed with a spark. "It's nice of you to help us out with our mission you know. The Schnee Dust Power Company has been ruling this world through money and guns for too long… it's great we're finally getting a chance to fight back. Their dust mining through faunus slave labor and taking Remnant's life energy… it's despicable."

"Look, I'm just here for the money. Blake told me to protect you so I am. Once I'm paid, I'm out."

Velvet's eyes became downcast at the reply. There was a silence as the elevator continued making its way down to the lower level before Velvet could muster up a second round of courage.

"Is it true all Huntsmen have a semblance? Like, a super special ability?"

"Yeah."

"What's yours?"

Jaune felt a chill crawl down his spine. It was the reason for his failure in the Huntsman Academy and how he couldn't pass selection. His curse… his lack of semblance.

"Not telling."

"Aw," Velvet laughed. "Guess it's something most people would want to keep secret huh?"

When the elevator doors opened, Jaune couldn't wait. Popping out and seeing the area was once again deserted, he had Velvet guide him through. Arriving at the reactor core, they found Blake and Coco working the final security door.

"This is the last damned door and it's the most frustrating one to open," Coco cursed. Velvet knelt beside her, ready to help. "Velvet, you're here. Good. Did that idiot slow you down?"

"Ah… not at all… I'm just a slow runner is all. Where's Yats?"

"Keeping lookout for our escape route as planned. Get the door opened," Blake ordered. "We're getting out of here after the bomb's been set."

Within moments the door was opened. The reactor core was a giant pillar that pumped millions upon millions of gallons of liquid dust through its pipes each day. Great cylindrical tanks held enough dust to power the nation for days. Heading in, Coco took off her bag and withdrew a small package, a cocktail of plastics and chemical explosives, and laughed maniacally.

"Oh boy, this is my best mix yet," Coco smiled. Quickly setting the bond on an empty place at the control panel, Coco armed the bomb. "We've got ten minutes, let's get out of here!"

Blake nodded and turned before pausing. She closed her eyes in concentration. Seeing her leader pause, Velvet paused as well, closing her eyes and went quiet.

"Hey… uh… what's wrong?" Jaune asked as the two faunus members of the strike team stopped dead in their tracks. Coco came up beside Jaune. "What's up with them?"

"Beats me," Coco shrugged. "Might be a faunus thing."

"Silent alarm," Blake muttered. "High frequency. There's a lot of guards coming this way. We've been compromised. Get to the exit. Go go go!"

A barrage of bullets came from overhead as a company of guards began firing from the upper levels of the reactor core. The strike team began to scatter into cover as Jaune grabbed Velvet and tumbled with her behind a control panel. Blake and Coco had already made it to the exit.

"Get behind me!" Jaune raised his shield as Velvet crouched behind him. Drawing the guardsmen fire and deflecting it with his shield, Jaune stepped back slowly. Velvet was pressed against Jaune's back. the ex-Huntsman laughed at the situation as the bullets chipped and clanged on his shield. He really was nothing more than an expensive bullet magnet.

Making their way to the reactor entrance, Velvet quickly rolled to the control panel and closed the door. Jaune dropped to his knees. He had a few cuts from bullets grazing his legs but other than that he was fine. Velvet crawled over to him and quickly applied from disinfectant spray.

"This is all I can do for now," Velvet apologized as Jaune brushed her off. Their raid was exposed and this girl was worrying over a few scratches?

"Come on," Jaune said grabbing Velvet's hand as they made their way. Cutting corners and hiding behind Jaune's shield, they worked their way through the guards that began to trickle into the area. Blake and Coco seemed to have drawn away most of the guards as Velvet directed Jaune through the corridors of the Dust Reactor.

"Not this way," Velvet cautioned. "There's a squad of guards there," she advised. The girl's faunus ears were more than just decoration, Jaune noted.

Before long, they found the sewer entrance where Yats was waiting. Stepping into the slime and muck, Velvet and Jaune greeted the giant. Coco and Blake arrived soon after, bullets following in their wake. Coco clutched her arm as Velvet hurried with her first aid kit to disinfect.

"Not now, Velvet!" Coco scolded. "We've got to get out of here!"

There was only a minute left.

When the explosion came, it was like a great fireball into the night. As if the old era was burning away and giving way to the new. There was the whizzing of dust tanks shot into the air. The magical energies of the dust were alit by the fire blossomed in colorful displays against the night sky.

"Damn… that's one sexy explosion," Coco said licking her lips.

The strike team were resting at the sewer exit where it emptied into an artificial river. Seated on concrete slabs and abandoned cars dumped into the waterway, the team watched their work from a distant. Sirens and alarms were sounding all around them as helicopters and ambulances rushed towards the scene.

"It'll be hours before they can establish a perimeter," Blake noted. "Everyone, meet up back at the hideout. Yang will have victory drinks."

With a cheer from Coco and Velvet, the group began to split off to make their way back. They blended easily into the crowd of civilians who had exited their homes and businesses to see what was the fuss about and watch the fiery display of the dust reactor explosion.

Before Blake departed into the shadows, Jaune grabbed her shoulder.

"Hey about my-"

"If it's about the money, it can wait until we get back to the hideout." With that, Blake brushed off Jaune and walked into the crowd of onlookers pointing and staring at the burning wreckage of the dust reactor.

Jaune was left alone. Deciding to take the long way back, as Jaune was in no rush to deal with pay negotiations with Blake. He was almost certain the woman would try to skimp out on paying him in full, or at all for that matter.

The lampposts began flickering. Almost certainly due to the massive loss in power from a destruction of the dust reactor. People were crowded on the sidewalks with some spilling over into the streets yelling in frustration for answers or staring blankly.

It was then, that she came.

In the murkiness of the slums, a girl in red approached Jaune. She was young, couldn't have been more than fifteen but still beautiful with an angelic face that stood out against the harsh surroundings. Each step with a click of her boots was confident and she hummed to match her pace. There was a basket of lilies and lilacs in hand.

"Hey! My name's Ruby. Want to buy a flower?"


Final Fantasy RWBY Fin