Arc Training Ground
"Whoa!" Jaune shouted as he was tripped with a leg sweep. Falling on his back, he glared back up at his chuckling sister Oliva Arc.
"You need to keep focused Jaune. Otherwise I'll just keep catching you off guard." Smiling, she offered a hand to her 14-year old brother.
Accepting it, Jaune was soon pulled into a standing position, where he could finally catch his breath. "I know, I know." He replied. "I guess I have to try harder."
It was the boy's 14th birthday, and he was training after a whole day of celebrating. It was honestly the thing he was most looking forward to.
Not to dis the cool scarf his sister Janette made for him, but Jaune believed that he was finally getting the hang of his training.
It started when he turned 13. He got many presents, including his favorite white hoodie. But the thing he wanted most was to learn how to fight.
So he asked his older sister for help. You might think that it's a bit odd she didn't immediately agree.
After all, they were a family of Hunters; more than that, they were Arcs! Considered to be one of the greatest Hunters around.
And it's true that the Arc family was comprised of Hunters. All but Jaune. That's not to say he had no interest in becoming a Huntsman. Quite the opposite actually.
His dream was to become a great hero and continue the Arc legacy. His family had other ideas. They wanted to make sure Jaune was safe, and the most important thing they objected to was Jaune becoming a Huntsman.
To Jaune, this was completely unfair. Every member of his family was a Hunter. From his father, to his mother, even all seven of his sisters. But not Jaune.
It's not that his family resented him or anything. On the contrary, they loved him to pieces. And he loved them back just as much. They just had a tendency to be… overprotective.
The reasons varied for why he shouldn't become a warrior like them. It's too dangerous. You're too young. There's so much better things in life than fighting.
The list went on and on. It's what caused most of the tension between Jaune and the rest of his family.
Of course, Jaune wasn't completely skill less. His mother and sisters made sure that he had a decent respect for being clean. He was also taught to cook as well as dance.
But it was on his 8th birthday that Jaune's father gave him something that changed his life. A book labeled "Sherlock Holmes".
It might not seem like much, but it led to the passion of his life: solving mysteries. At first, it was a mere fascination. A few stories here and there to entertain him.
It wasn't until he began being able to predict the ending of the story, knowing exactly who did it and how it was done, did he begin to think of making actual mystery-solving a hobby. He decided that he needed other skills to go along with his new passion.
Which is why he developed slightly illegal skills, such as hacking and lock picking. He correctly figured that they would be essential for him in the future.
He didn't do anything bad with these skills, just a few harmless pranks here and there.
Turning his father's scroll background into a picture of puppies in a basket, changing his sister's ringtone to the phenomenon known as Nyan cat, and even managing to change a few contact numbers from his mom's scroll.
He also used them to help around town, solving "mysteries" for his neighbors. His favorite case was the mysteriously disappearing cat, Mr. Tibbles.
But despite all of this, Jaune still plotted out ways to become a Huntsman. And the first step towards achieving that dream was to learn how to fight.
Convincing his sister Olivia was surprisingly simple. All he had to do was ask how would he defend himself if something happened. Like a robbery, or gods forbid, a White Fang attack.
She came around to his side fairly quickly. After finally getting his Aura unlocked, his training began.
"Hey, pay attention." Olivia reprimanded him, bringing Jaune out of his daydream. "We're starting again." Shaking his head, Jaune got into his battle stance.
With a yell, both siblings charged at one another with their practice swords drawn.
One Year Later
"Are you sure you want to do this?" the Arc patriarch asked his son.
"For the thousandth time, yes I'm sure." Replied his son, voice tinged with annoyance.
Jaune was leaving to become a Huntsman today. He had finally convinced his parents to allow him to at least try.
With tears, his mother told him, "Be careful sweetie, and remember that we love you."
"Yeah," Jaune sighed. "I will. Sheesh you guys are acting like such crybabies. It's not like we'll never see each other again."
His entire family had come to see him off.
Turning around, Jaune shot them all a smile. "C'mon, you should be happy. I'm about to start my journey. I give my word on this: the next time you see me, I'll be a Huntsman." Seeing his family give him slight variations of a smile, he turned around and prepared to board the Bullhead to Vale.
"Just remember," his father said. "There's no shame in coming back."
Jaune stiffened slightly before he waved goodbye and boarded the Bullhead.
Asshole. Doesn't think I can do it. Whatever, I'll show him. What's the worst that can happen?
City of Vale
"Damnit! I can't believe they didn't let me in!" Jaune ranted as he laid huddled against a wall.
It was just as he said. When he arrived in Vale he immediately took the Signal entrance exam. To put it simply, he failed.
His technical skills were top notch, as were his written tests. He just couldn't keep up with the other candidates in combat. It turns out that only two years of combat training wasn't enough to match years of training.
This left him with no options. He could return home, but Jaune promised himself that he wouldn't go back until he became a Huntsman.
So he went into Vale, figuring that he could just find a job to support himself until he could apply to a different school. But apparently no one wanted to hire some kid without a resume or references.
Jaune soon ran out of funds, landing him where he is now. Tired, homeless, cold, hungry, and hiding away in an alleyway.
His stomach groaned in protest. "I know buddy, I'll feed you just as soon I can find some food." As he was wallowing in his bad luck, a well-dressed man with a bowler hat and a cane walked through the alleyway.
"Out my way, hobo." the man said, kicking Jaune as he walked past.
Growling in pain, Jaune pulled out his scroll while glaring at the man. "If you're going to be a dick…" he muttered as he typed in some codes. "Then you better be prepared for the consequences!"
Ha, now I have all his stuff! Jaune let out a gleeful smile as he prepared to take revenge.
Let's see, change a few passwords here, mess up a few accounts there, take over his bank account and… wait what?! Eyes going wide, a shocked look replaced his smile.
Whoa, whoa, whoa! This is taking it too far! Messing with his stuff is one thing, but this is incredibly illegal. I should just leave well enough alone and- HOW THE HELL DOES HE HAVE THIS MUCH MONEY?! Indeed, the account that the blonde was looking at contained millions of lien.
Who the hell is this guy anyway? Reading the account even further, he soon found the name. And immediately he was conflicted.
That asshole was Roman Torchwick. The guy who has been stealing all the dust lately. Damnit, on one hand, this is still incredibly illegal.
On the other, the guy is a thief, so I doubt that any of it was gathered legally. What do I do?
The growling of his stomach solved the issue for him. …I'm sure he wouldn't miss some lien going missing. And it's going to a great cause! The charity case that is my tummy. Plus, he's a douche.
Nodding to himself, Jaune transferred 20,000 lien to his own separate account. Heading over to an ATM, he took out the money and went on his way.
Several Hours Later
I can't believe that worked. Jaune was walking down Downtown Vale with his hands behind his head.
The boy was both shocked and pleased that he had managed to get away with the theft. He had managed to get some food as well as cheap apartment. One with hot water even! The only problem was trying to find more money.
Obviously he could steal from people. It would be incredibly simple. Too few people had the security to tell if anything was wrong.
He wouldn't, of course. No matter how desperate he was, Jaune would never turn aside his ideals like that.
It went against his code as a (amateur) detective, as well as a Huntsman (not that he was one, but hey.)
He was interrupted from his musings by a piece of paper smacking him in the face. Grumbling, he prepared to crumple it up before something on it caught his eye.
"Help wanted," he read aloud. "Stolen books. If interested, please contact Tukson at Tukson's Book Trade. Payment: 500 lien.
This… this is perfect! I can add to the funds as well as get a potential reference! Smiling to himself, Jaune whistled joyfully as he made his way to the library to apply for the job.
Even MORE Hours Later
With the setting sun illuminating Vale, Jaune walked back to his apartment, tired but content. Well, that was easy. All I had to do was ask around for some assholes in the area, beat them up, reclaim the books and get paid.
Maybe I should just open up my own business. He could totally pull it off too. A few forged papers here and there, and then boom. His own personalized detective agency.
While the legality of it all was morally grey at best, Jaune figured that it was for the greater good. He would be helping far more people this way.
Seeing a building for sale, Jaune smiled. He took out his scroll and prepared to type in the necessary code. I may not be a Huntsman yet, but that doesn't mean I can't be a hero.
Two Years Later
"Just give up, Tony. You lost." A now 17 Jaune Arc said to the fallen gangster.
"Not just yet!" said the big man, slowly reaching for his gun. "I still have a few tricks!" Pulling it out, he shot the blond square in the chest.
Or he would have if Jaune hadn't shot the gun out of Tony's hand with one of his own.
"Like I said," Jaune smiled as police officers swarmed into the warehouse. "It's over."
One of the officers came over to handcuff the criminal, the rest doing the same with the other goons. "Great work detective."
"Thanks. Feels good that we can finally put this guy away." Jaune turned away and began heading to the door.
"Have a good night, Mr. Arc." A cop said while lugging a goon into a police car.
Waving his hand in recognition, Jaune headed home.
Lunar Detective Agency
It's already been two years huh? Jaune thought to himself as he made dinner.
Indeed, it has been two years since Jaune left his home. Two years since he started his new business.
He still hasn't achieved his dream of being a Hunter. The latest reason was that he lost in the entrance fight.
He received letters from his family frequently, asking him to come home. He would respond the same way he always responded. "I can't".
The boy simply refused to go back on his word. He was determined to see this through to the end.
At least I have the business to think about. Lunar Detective Agency. Jaune's baby.
While the Lunar Detective Agency wasn't all that impressive, being a measly two stories in comparison to the skyscrapers in downtown Vale, it was still home for Jaune.
The bottom floor served as Jaune's office, while the top was where he kept his room. When he wasn't around, his secretary Patricia screened all his calls to him.
The first year was rough. There was no business coming in, nothing that people wanted him to solve. That is, until there a was a robbery from a bookstore.
Tukson, the man who owned Tukson's Book Trade, had come to Jaune after the police failed to look into his case. This was the first of apparently many more requests, leading up to the point where even the police would come to him for help.
When Jaune discovered his Semblance, his cases were getting even easier. This was perfect, until he discovered something Remnant-shattering.
He, the great detective Jaune Arc, was bored. He almost couldn't believe it. The drug busts, the mysteries, the crime fighting. All of it. It all bored him. It had become too easy.
Sighing, Jaune ate his leftover microwaved pizza, and contemplated his problem.
Much like his agency, Jaune changed in the two years. He found some trainers to teach him how to fight. His sword skills grew immensely, and he learned how to use a gun.
He even changed his wardrobe to match his job. Gone was the white hoodie and jeans of his childhood. His new black duster splayed with the Arc symbol on its back combined with his brown pants and white dress shirt replaced them, with two medium sized gray bracelets completing the look.
"Maybe a walk will clear my head." said Jaune as he got off the couch, cracking his bones when he did.
Telling Patricia to close up shop, Jaune left the building and began walking in a random direction.
Maybe I should consider giving up. I failed both times when I tried to get into a combat school, and there's no way Beacon of all places will accept me. Maybe it's time to admit defeat and fully dedicate myself to the business.
As he was strolling down the street with hands in his pockets, sounds of explosions broke Jaune out of his reverie. Startled, he looked up to see what the commotion was about.
Isn't that From Dust Till Dawn? Did they have a Dust accident or something?
Jaune put his musings on hold as he saw a young girl in red wielding a scythe shoot out from the window, with guys in suits falling after her.
Aren't those guys the goons from Junior's? What are they doing here? Oh there's another guy coming out after them. Let's see… oh.
Roman Torchwick stepped out of the shop with an annoyed expression on his face.
"Well Red, it's been fun. But now it's time for playtime to end." He pulled out his cane and aimed it like a gun.
"Say goodbye, kid!" he shouted gleefully, only to be taken by surprise as his cane was shot out of his hand. "What the?!" He looked up to see a blonde holding a smoking gun.
"You know, it's really rude to point things at people." Jaune said with a smirk. "Didn't your mother teach you any manners?"
Narrowing his eyes, Roman let out an aggravated sigh. "What is with you kids and playing hero today?"
Whistling at his henchmen, Roman nodded at the newcomer and said, "Take care of him for me. I'm late enough as it is."
Several more goons came out as Roman picked up his cane. Jaune went to stand by the red-hooded girl with his hands in his pockets.
"So, are you a Huntsman? Cause that'd be sooo cool! Maybe you can give me your autograph?! Oh this is so exciting!" the kid squealed.
Caught off guard, Jaune could only laugh a bit. "Slow down kid. Give me some time to answer."
This seemed to make her angry. "I am not a kid!" she shouted. "My name is Ruby Rose, and I drink milk!" She finished with a smug smile, as if expecting that sentence to impress him.
Trying to stifle his chuckles, he turned to face the very confused criminals.
"My apologies." Jaune said with a grin. "Nice to meet you. Now to answer your question, no I'm not a Huntsman. What I am is a bit simpler. Allow me to introduce myself."
Pointing his finger dramatically at Roman, Jaune smirked. "Roman Torchwick. One of the most infamous thieves in Vale. The number of times you have escaped the police is almost baffling."
Leveling the blonde with a smirk of his own, Roman tipped his hat mockingly. "It's nice to see that I'm well-known to even a kid like you. Seriously though, isn't past your bedtime?"
Jaune smiled. "I admit, I'm young. But that shouldn't matter, as you were getting your ass handed to you by her." Roman's smug smirk turned to a scowl as Jaune pointed at Ruby, who began smiling at the recognition.
"Now to answer the question that may or may not be on your minds: who am I? It's quite simple. My name is detective Jaune Arc! And I'm the one who's bringing you down."
Nailed it! Jaune thought to himself as he awaited the response to his declaration.
"So cool!" Ruby whispered. Roman was less impressed. He began laughing.
"Oh, that's rich." He said, wiping a tear from his eye. "Okay, enough playtime. Boys, take 'em down."
As the thugs began to rush them, both Jaune and Ruby got into fighting positions.
Crossing his arms, Jaune swiftly brought them down to his sides, releasing two folded up blades from his sleeves. They both unfolded in his hands, revealing twin short swords.
Ruby readied her scythe (Unusual weapon. Folds in on itself. Combined with a High Caliber Sniper Rifle.) and raced right at the goons using her incredible speed. (Semblance: speed. Leaves rose petals in her wake. Impressive.)
Raising his swords, Jaune prepared his counterattack as the thugs readied their guns.
(Checking trajectory. Checking wind resistance. Checking reaction time.)
As the bullets came flying, Jaune ran towards them, cutting any bullets that came near him into pieces.
Leaping towards his opponents, he began to take them down in a methodical fashion.
Ending up standing next to Ruby, he said, "Careful with these guys. They don't have Aura, so we can't do too much damage to them."
Nodding in agreement, Ruby zipped around the thugs, knocking them all out.
Seeing where this was going, Roman pointed his cane upwards.
(Interesting choice for a weapon. Combination of a stylish cane, a gun and a… grappling hook?)
"Well, it's been fun." Said the thief. "But I'm running late as it is."
Pushing a button on his cane, a grappling hook shot out of the end. Cheerfully saluting the two, Roman ascended to the rooftops.
"Oh no you don't" Ruby shouted. Using her impressive speed, she dashed up to follow Roman.
Jaune could only blink. "Huh." he muttered. "Don't see that every day." Folding up his swords and sending them back into his sleeves, Jaune pointed his wrist toward the roof, activating his right bracelet and firing off a grappling hook of his own.
As he landed on the roof, he saw Torchwick making his escape in a Bullhead. Activating his bracelet's, Jaune's guns flew into his hands, with Ruby activating her scythe's rifle mode.
They began firing on the airship until Jaune noticed something. A hand. (Female, well-manicured, and connected to a red dress.) A hand that had a giant fireball flying straight at Ruby.
He didn't even hesitate. Dashing forward, Jaune knocked Ruby to the ground and braced himself the fiery pain he was about to receive.
Only, it didn't happen.
Opening his eyes, Jaune saw an energy shield in front of him. A shield that presumably protected him from the fireball.
(Dust-shield. Very powerful. Only those that have complete Dust mastery can produce one at that level.)
Turning around, he saw his savior. A fellow blonde woman wielding a riding crop. Swiping her crop at the Bullhead, she managed to send it flying away.
(Huntress. Uses a riding crop as a weapon. Presumably a master level Dust user. Semblance appears to be telekinesis. Threat Level: High.)
"Wow." That was all Jaune was able to manage. Ruby was far more eloquent.
"Ohmygosh that was so cool! You were like 'BAM!' and they were like 'WAH!'" she said excitedly, doing actions with her arm to illustrate her point. "Sooo… can I have your autograph?"
The older blonde fixed Ruby with a glare. "Do think this is a game? What on Remnant did you think you were doing?!"
Getting fed up with how the young girl was interrogated, Jaune spoke up. "Hey, lay off her."
This only seemed to gain the woman's ire.
"You." She started. "Your even worse. Instead of calling for the proper authorities, you just jumped into the fray! What do think you were doing?"
"What was I doing?" Jaune repeated, growing increasingly annoyed. "Let me lay it down for you. My name is detective Jaune Arc. Private Investigations. And according to this license I got from the city, I was doing my damn job."
This halted the angry woman, before she began to gather momentum again. "Then why would you have this girl fight those thugs?"
"Like I said, I'm a detective. I found an ongoing robbery with her in the vicinity. It was quite obvious that she trained at Signal with the way she used her scythe, so I hired her to help take those criminals down. Which by the way," he said to Ruby, pulling out his wallet and some lien. "Here you go." He winked to let her know to play along.
"As you can see, we had it handled." Jaune finished with a smile. That soon turned into a frown as he continued. "Except for the fireworks bit. That was unexpected. So you know, thanks for saving me."
"Nonetheless, that still doesn't excuse the needlessly destroyed surrounding area."
Jaune shrugged. "I'm pretty sure their insurance will cover it, but if it doesn't, send me the bill." Pulling out a business card, he handed it to the woman before jumping off the building, using his grappling hook to slow his descent.
There was a silence between the remaining two when Ruby decided to break it.
"Soooo, is that a no to the autograph?"
The older woman could only sigh. It was going to be one of those days.
Lunar Detective Agency
Well, that was exciting. Hopefully the next time we meet, I can actually catch Torchwick. Hang on…
(Disturbed air. Book slightly moved from original position. Someone else is here. Not Patricia, she left earlier.)
Suddenly turning around with his gun drawn, Jaune met face to face with the intruder. Who turned out to be… a middle-aged man with a cane sitting in one of Jaune's chairs.
(Expert Huntsman. Threat Level: Extremely high. Avoid fight at all costs.)
"You know," the man said. "Some might consider it rude to point a gun at someone else."
"And others," Jaune replied. "Might say it's equally rude to break into someone else's home."
"Fair enough. My name is Ozpin, and I'm the headmaster of Beacon. I would like to discuss something with you."
Jaune's eyes widened in shock. Beacon Academy. One of the most prestigious Combat Schools in all of Remnant. A place that Jaune can only dream of going to. And its headmaster was there in his home.
Sighing, Jaune put away the gun. "Would you like something to drink? Water? Tea? I would offer coffee, but I ran out this morning."
Ozpin looked slightly disappointed at that. "No, thank you. Onto business. My deputy Glynda Goodwitch told me of your exploits earlier at From Dust till Dawn."
"Glynda Good… oh you mean the mean lady. Listen, if this is about damages, then I think that I have some…"
"That would not be necessary." Ozpin interrupted. "I did not come to discuss what you did. I came to discuss why you did it."
"Well," Jaune said, confused. "Like I said. It's my job."
"Yes." the older man smiled. "Jaune Arc, one the youngest detectives Vale has ever known. If you don't mind my asking Mr. Arc, why did you become a detective?"
Jaune took his time to consider his answer. "Honestly? I didn't start out with dreams of becoming one. At first, I wanted to become a Huntsman like my family."
"Oh?" Ozpin replied with a raised eyebrow. "And what led you astray from that dream?"
"Oh I don't know. Maybe it was the fact that I didn't train enough. I thought it would be fine at first. But it turns out that I wasn't as good as everyone who trained for years and years. So, I turned to this. My own detective agency. At least until I could get into a school."
"And what would you have done with your agency if you were accepted?"
"I don't know. Sell it, maybe? But now I know I can't. I'm thinking of just giving up on trying to be a Huntsman and just devote myself to the agency."
"Well, you might not have to." Ozpin said with a friendly smile.
"What do mean?"
"I saw you fight. I saw that you had something that was too good to waste."
"And what's that?"
"Potential." Ozpin stood up from the chair he was sitting in. "You see, Mr. Arc, Beacon Academy needs people with potential."
Jaune's widened, a gasp leaving his throat. Is this going where I think it's going?
"Mr. Arc. I would like to offer you a chance to become a student of Beacon. I'm willing to offer you a chance to become a Huntsman."
Jaune was understandably shocked. "S-sir, I would be honored. But what about my agency? I can't just up and leave it."
"You can still have it. I know someone who may not be as good as you, but can handle most cases while you attend the school. Any case deemed too difficult for him can be sent to you."
"Then I guess I have no choice. I accept." Jaune walked over to the headmaster and shook his hand.
"I thought you might. Very well Mr. Arc. I will see you at Beacon." He handed Jaune some information regarding when the semester starts as well as a ticket for a Bullhead.
"Now if you'll excuse me, I have other business that needs taking care of. Have a nice night."
"You as well sir." Their business concluded, Ozpin walked out the door.
Holy Dust. I did it. I actually did. My family won't believe this!
Jaune went off to send them a message. A very simple message. It said: "I made it. I'm going to Beacon. I told you I could do it!"
Later That Night
"I'm disappointed in you Roman. You couldn't even get a single Dust crystal."
"Look it's not my fault. I was interrupted by Red Riding Hood and the Scooby Doo detective."
In a warehouse filled with equipment and goons, stood Roman Torchwick and his boss, Cinder Fall.
"He came out of nowhere. Shot my cane out my hands as I was about to take Little Red down."
"Oh?" Cinder asked, her eyebrow raised. "And did you manage to get his name?"
"Yeah. Called himself detective Jaune Arc." he said, saying detective in the most mocking way possible.
"Detective Jaune Arc, hmm? Emerald, Mercury."
Two people came out from the shadows.
"I want you to find out as much as you can about this person. I have a feeling that he will be… interesting."
AN: Done. Proof that I'm not dead. As you can see, I was bitten by the RWBY writing bug. So here's my contribution to the fandom. Remember, if you guys have any questions or comments, be sure to leave a review.