Chapter 1
"Well so much for that idea" a blonde young man said with a sigh as he walked the streets of Vale. It was a rather quiet night, very unusual for the bustling city of Vale. The whole street seems to be vacant as the blonde sluggishly walked on the sidewalk. He wore a pair of jeans with a few small cuts on them and a black hoodie. Several pieces of armor covered his arms and parts of his chest that were painted pure white. The young man also wore brown fingerless gloves. At his side laid an empty magnetic clamp that was to hold a weapon in place. In this man's case, it was his family's most treasured weapon: Crocea Mors. This weapon was taken from him alongside his family name, position at Beacon Academy, and his trust in others.
This outcome all started after Jaune stood up to Cardin during the trip to Forever Fall. Even after he saved the bully from the Ursa, he still went and told Goodwitch immediately after the altercation. Then it was off to Ozpin's office for a reprimand, or at least that's what he thought. Instead of a reprimand he received an apology. The old headmaster was apparently already aware of his transcripts and only allowed him to stay due to the potential he saw within him. Despite his 'potential', the headmaster now had no other choice other than expelling him from the school. If the shame of having to walk out of that prestigious school wasn't bad enough, Cardin decided to spread the word and even tell his friends about his dark secret.
"Right, such great friends they turned out to be" Jaune growled as he thought of his friend's betrayal back at Beacon. Team RWBY had varied reactions, starting with the rather obvious snarky comment from Weiss and the silent disapproval from Blake. Yang almost beat him into a pul, until she deemed him 'unworthy of her wrath' and walked off. Ruby's reaction hurt him the most, as she was actually angry with him. He never saw her so angry before, and it really tore a hole into his heart. For his own team, he had a rather lukewarm reaction from them. Nora was her usual bubbly self and kept saying that he deserved to be here anyways. Ren said the same, but Jaune could see the doubt in his eyes and his slight agitation whenever he talked to him. Pyrrha was the same as Ren, but he could see an extreme amount of guilt within her. She couldn't even bring up any courage to talk to him, so he just left after Ren and Nora said their goodbyes. That was several hours ago, and right now Jaune is just wandering the streets of Vale looking for a new purpose, and a place to crash for the night.
Eventually, he wandered into a rather shady nightclub in the seedier side of Vale. It had everything stereotypical of a club with illegal operations going on. From the several mobsters out front to the shady businessmen walking in and out, this club may just hold what Jaune was looking for. Perhaps a fresh start in the underworld might do him good. He was already thrown out of the land of hero's, and he did not have the mindset for becoming a villain, so perhaps he could settle for being a middleman of sorts. Mercenaries were usually looked down upon by today's society, but at least he could still hang on to his morals.
As the ex-hunter in training walked into the club, he was assaulted by a myriad of bright lights and several different sounds. His nostrils were also assaulted by the grotesque mixture of body odor, alcohol, and tobacco products. Jaune was disoriented for several seconds before he regained his posture and managed to move through the club. It was rather busy Dozens of people seemed to party the night away with little care for anything around them. He even saw several questionable moments involving the patron to be escorted out by a few mobsters. It was almost surreal, and he felt as though this was all a dream. Of course that's what Jaune wanted this whole day to be, just one bad dream. Despite his wishes, this was real life and no matter how hard he would try he could never go back. There was nothing for him to return to, so why should he come back? Better move forward with his life.
Jaune made his way to the bar and sat himself down. Several people gave him an odd look, but soon ignored him and continued their previous discussions or activities. Looking around, Jaune a rather suspicious man sitting in one of the booths. He had dark skin and he seemed to be trying to hide his conversation that was occurring on a scroll. The blonde wondered what was going on, but then decided against it as he was no longer responsible for these kinds of things anymore. Right after his conclusion, a rather large man came up to him from behind the bar and spoke to him.
"Little young to be in here blondie. Shouldn't you be in school?" The man was a caucasian male who was leaning forward on the counter and narrowed his eyes at him.
Jaune fearfully gulped before replying "N-n-no sir. I'm actually… well I got kicked out of my school."
The man's gaze softened a bit as he stood up and developed an inquisitive gaze. "How'd that happen?" he questioned.
"It's kinda a long story…" Jaune replied.
"I got time. No one seems to want any drinks right now."
Jaune shook his head before saying "No it's alright. I don't want to be a trouble to anyone anymore."
"Relax kid. I've been hearing these kinds of stories for a while. You ain't no bother." The man then leaned back on the shelves of liquor as Jaune reluctantly explained his story.
After several minutes of explaining his story, the bartender spoke up. "So let me get this straight. You're an ex-huntsman in training who faked his way into Beacon, and the headmaster and let you in AND tried to help you stay in. Finally, all of your friends turned their backs on you, is this correct?"
Jaune sighed and looked at the bar table. "Yeah that's it. Now I'm trying to figure out what to do."
"Have you considered mercenary work?" questioned the bartender.
"Yeah I considered it… but I don't know where to start."
"I believe I can help with that" said a new voice. Jaune turned around to see the dark skinned man from before standing behind him. He seemed to stand over six feet with an intimidating build. The man wore a black military jacket with grey pants that seemed to have a digital pattern. He also wore black combat boots and a gray military cap. On the man's right shoulder rested a symbol of a hawk holding a skull in front of what appeared to be fire. "You said that you were a team leader correct?" the new man questioned Jaune.
"Y-yeah. Yeah I was a team leader." responded the blonde.
"Well, my boss is looking for someone who could possibly lead a group of men. The pay is good, but you need to pass several tests first. If you do pass the tests, you'll have more money than you know what to do with." the man said.
"Yeah but, mercs don't exactly have the best rep. I don't want to become a cold hearted killer." The man then started laughing. "What's so funny?" Jaune asked with a scowl.
"Just seems funny how you think that my group is full of heartless bastards." He then regained his posture and looked Jaune dead in the eye. "Listen kid, my group is guided by our moral code: Stay your blade from the flesh of the innocent. We don't harm civies, and we try our hardest to save everyone we can. We are the closest thing there is to Huntsmen and the nation's soldiers. We can give you purpose, a sense of brotherhood, and we can guide you to a better future." He then hands me a business card and says "When you make up your mind, call this number. You seem like a good kid, so I know you'll do the right thing." With that he turns around and walks out the door. Jaune looks down at the business card and saw a name and a number below the same symbol he saw on that man's shoulder.
As the blonde was examining the card, the bartender came back and saw the card in his hand. "He's right you know." he said and Jaune turned to face him. "He's part of the Warhawks, and they are apparently the most moral merc group and arguably the most powerful."
"Is that so" Jaune as he looked back at the card. The blonde then started going through the pros and cons of the whole idea of becoming a merc. They are usually frowned upon in today's society, but this army be his only chance to become a hero. The Warhawks may also be far more reliable allies then his 'friends' back at Beacon. Maybe, he may just go down this path.
"Now either buy a drink or get out blondie. You moping isn't helping me attract customers." the bartender said interrupting Jaune's train of thought. Jaune nodded to himself and walked towards the club's exit. He has a call to make, but first he has to find a payphone… if they even still exist.
AN: Here is the first chapter of the Dropout Commander. This'll be a little side project of mine, but I will try to update it on a semi regular basis. My other story, The Day Remnant Stood Still has priority though. Anyways, please review and leave any constructive criticism you have on the story. Until next time.