AN: Alright, pairings for this story are undecided right now but Jaune will be with either Marion Hawke, Bethany Hawke, Isabella, or Merrill.
AN2: In this remnant Cinder and her 'team' are attending Beacon instead of sneaking in during the Vytal festival.
AN3: I know this first bit is kinda slow but it's necessary to move into the full part of the story.
Of a Champion and a Bulwark
Chapter 1
-Jaune-
Grunting, Jaune held up his Darius shield that Professor Ozpin had given him, the pincers of the ancient Deathstalker that woken up by the explosions of initiation screeching in anger at having not skewered him. "Don't just block you dolt!" the crabby girl dressed in white sneered at him, the heiress of Atlas's big family knowing of his 'situation' "Actually attack!"
"Go deal with the bird Ice Queen!" he snapped back at her, using the scoop on the side of his shield to line up his spear as he advanced on the Grimm, hoping to get close enough to stab out some of its eyes. "Nora!" he called to the girl he figured would be one of his teammates, given the chess pieces, "I want you and Ren to play keep away with range. Get it to focus on you in turns, make it mad!"
"You got it Jauney!" the bubbly girl said eagerly as he chuckled, he didn't know her well but he could tell that they'd be good friends.
"Pyrrah." He looked at his partner who was standing next to him and shooting with her riffle "Is your shield sturdy enough for you to do what I am?"
"It's a little small but it should work." The red-haired champion frowned, likely not liking the idea of him being on point given that she had just unlocked his aura barely an hour ago.
"Then do it!" he grunted as another jab was blocked "We need to get close enough to take out its eyes!"
"They eyes?" she asked surprised at his chosen target "Why would you focus-"
"NOW PYRRAH!" Jaune yelled, digging in his feet as he began pushing forward, jabbing at what exposed parts of the scorpion Grimm that he could, screeches of pain resulting from it. Quickly his partner rushed to his side, adopting the same stance as him as they made a miniature shield wall. Behind him he could hear the sounds of battle as his friends Ruby and Yang led a group to fight a giant Nevermore while a second group, led by someone named Cinder fought another alpha.
The battle continued, the Scorpion attacking in every direction, unable to pick a target from the four attacking it as the battle move onto the stone rampart leading to the tower ruin. Then the battle took a bad turn. Nora lost her footing on some loose rubble, staggering as the Death Stalker took the opening, swinging and using its tail as a club that sent the two flying back off the bridge. "Pyrrah, cover them!" he yelled, stabbing his spear into the Death Stalkers unprotected back.
"But Jaune-" Pyrrah tried to protest only to take a step back at the commanding gaze he sent her.
"Now!" he yelled, ducking under the Death Stalker's spinning jab with its pincer, stabbing up and taking out an eye, limiting the Grimm's functionality. Quickly Pyrrah slid under the Grimm, scraping its underbelly with her spear as she did so before getting to their unconscious teammates and defending them while the Grimm focused on him.
"Need a hand?" a new, and he would swear purposefully seductive, voice asked as Cinder landed next to him, having been thrown by her teammate Mercury.
"Please and thank you." He grunted as he covered them while Cinder used her glass bow to attack the Grimm. Seeing the ancient Grimm completely on the bridge on the first section he got an idea he yelled to his partner "Pyrrah! Blow the bridge under the Stalker!" Quickly figuring out why Pyrrah Grabbed Nora's grenade Launcher and blew the support pillar under the Death Stalker, the stone shattering as the bridge under the monster fell into the abyss, the beast screeching in anger as it fell into the mists. Hearing another angry screech, he looked up to see Ruby, her scythe buried into the Giant Nevermore, as it was falling towards the tower, dissolving as it did so. The part of the bridge connected immediately to the other side of the canyon gone as well.
"Go on ahead!" Pyrrah yelled to him as Nora and Ren began to come to "We'll go around and meet you at the cliffs!" nodding and giving a salute with his spear he turned to Cinder.
"Come on, let's go." He told her as they ran to the tower where Ruby fell in through an open archway, the Grimm having dissolved. "Hey Rubes," he grinned, as he walked forward to help his friend up "nice work there with that scythe."
"Thanks Jau-LOOK OUT!" his friend screamed the last bit as he spun around, putting his shield in front just in time to barley catch a glass Arrow from Cinder who smirked.
"WHAT THE HELL?!" he demanded furiously as he adopted the only stance he knew with the weapons Ozpin had given him "Why are you attacking us?"
"I really only need her life," Cinder smirked at him, moving forward with the deadly grace of a predator "she did stop one of my plans already and it would be better to simply remove the problem now before it could grow worse. It's a shame you have to die too; you are rather cute."
"Well aren't you just a ray of sunshine." He groused, knowing that Cinder was far stronger than him, maybe even him and Ruby, but he'd go down swinging.
"I prefer the shadows myself." Cinder grinned before sending an arrow as he ducked behind his shield, the projectile shattering.
"What do you have Rubes?" he hissed, being forced backwards by the force of the arrows.
"I'm out of bullets Jaune." Ruby said, fear in her voice as she knew how tough Cinder was as well given what they had already seen.
"Fu-whoa!" his curse was cut off as the tower shook dangerously, Cinder's shot going wide as she worked to regain her balance while rubble rained down on them. From the ravine below them a scream of anger echoed up from the Death Stalker that had apparently survived the fall. Glancing up to see a loose stone wobbling he got an idea. "Ruby, run to the others now, get help!" he ordered, rushing forward to the still recovering Cinder, yelling a battle cry as he kept his shield up and spear out.
"Fool," Cinder smirked as she simply jumped back a step to avoid jab "courage amounts to no-URK!" her taunt was silenced as the stone he saw fell on her head. Glancing back, he saw Ruby get scooped up by the others, using Blake's weapon to swing Yang over to grab her.
Before he could run to join them another massive attack shakes the tower, the central column beginning to crack as light starts shining from within it. "Damn it." He groaned, moving to run only to yell in pain when a glass arrow hit his back, shattering on his aura even if the pain got through.
"Did I say you could leave?" Cinder hissed, hatred oozing from her voice as she got shakily to her feet, rushing towards him, fire coming from her hands to speed her along while blood dripped from her head. Readying his shield, he wasn't prepared for the force she used to slam into him as they flew back, slamming into a bricked up crevice as stone shifted around him. "You ruined my-" her rage was cut off as the wind was driven from her lungs and his spear shoved up through her chest. Looking down Cinder placed her fingers on the blood slicked shaft before coughing up blood, her grip trying to force herself off the spear.
Face set, he put his foot on her stomach and shoved, sending her flying off the spear as he struggled not to hurl at the fact he had just killed another human being. He had seen death before, nearly everyone on Remnant had if they lived long enough, but…to have killed another human himself. His thoughts were cut off as the next blow from the still screaming Death Stalker breaks the support for the tower, as it, and him, begin falling into the ravine.
Falling back, the loosened stones behind him flying up as he went into the blocked off crevice he saw a golden light fly from Cinder's corpse and go towards Beacon then his vision was filled with blue and everything went white. It was impossible to keep track of everything he saw as he fell, flashes of different sights and different worlds. As he drifted through this endless cyclone of images he saw a glowing form that seemed to study him before it flew into his body and everything began to grow solid around him. The final image he saw was one of endless space full of giant rippling blue mirrors, before he fell through another and into a solid world once again.
Gasping he rolled to his feet, looking behind himself to see a shattered mirror where he had come from, shards of blue glass falling from him as he stood up. Gripping his spear Jaune looked around, trying to figure out where he was when he heard a furious roar from bellow him. rushing to the ledge ahead he looked down to see a massive monster, looking humanoid apart from its height, rotted looking skin, and horns. The beast was reaching for someone, a young girl, with its intent clear. What had just happened, someone trying to kill someone he cared for, he saw red. Cocking his arm back he threw the spear with a yell, his aim made true through luck and pure anger as it imbeds in the back of the creature's head as it stagers, turning towards him to roar angrily while the girl scrambled backwards in pain.
"Oh shit." He gulped, eyes wide as the giant monster began charging up the hill towards him. looking around he saw a boulder held up by several smaller rocks and run over, using his shield to bash and pry the support rocks out of the way as the giant kept charging up faster and closer. Finally, the boulder began to slowly lean forward as he scrambled back before the boulder broke way and began rolling down the hill, bouncing on dips as the charging beast wasn't able to stop in time and was hit in the face carried down by the force of the boulder as its head was crushed by the massive weight.
"HAHA!" he crowed before a chittering sound caused him to gulp and turn to see what looked like armored corpses shambling towards him, weapons in hand. "Oh come on!" he groaned to the universe before taking the only option he had to get away, running to the ledge and jumping off, using his shield as a sled as he bounced and shot down the steep hill. "Heeeeeeeelp!" he yelled out at the people at the bottom, gaping up at him and still shocked at the dead monster as he shot down faster and faster, knowing he wouldn't be able to stop. Shooting onto the flat surface his speed was still fast as he was heading towards the cliff only to be grabbed around the collar by a strong woman with orange hair, letting out a strangled choking noise at the sudden stop while the shield kept going and shot off into the void.
"Um…hi." He waved nervously at the group of seven.
AN: I know there are questions you have but they will be explained over the next few chapters and there are reasons for the weapons Jaune used and other certain factors of the chapter.
AN2: I know I said seven, I'm having both Garret and Marion Hawke in this story, you'll meet everyone more next chapter.