Patriot-112: Hey everyone, as you can see, this is my (Originally) second RWBY idea, with the plot somewhat the same as 'Warning from the Future', but instead, it's more of a Jaune Arc centric fic. And like Ruby from 'Warning from the Future', Jaune is a deeply wounded person, considering in this story, which some authors on this site have done, I'm sure, he witnesses Pyrrha get shot in the chest. I won't spoil the rest, so let's get on with it!
Disclaimer: RWBY belongs to Rooster Teeth, not to me. If it were, Pyrrha's death wouldn't have been so rushed and meaningless.
'The worst and most stupid thing anyone can do to a wolf? ...Killing the things they love most'
Prologue
A Wounded Wolf
Beacon Academy
Elevator
Professor Ozpin, Headmaster of Beacon Academy, mentor to many strong Huntsmen and Huntresses, leader of a secret order of light against the dark queen that he and a few others know as Salem, and currently the oldest-ish man alive, was on the elevator that was now taking him below the school, where he and his group were hiding a secret. One, that if found, could spell disaster for not just the Kingdom of Vale, but for all of Remnant. He sighed, knowing that he ignored many of his friends' advice to have Amber properly guarded while she was on the road outside the city, but unfortunately he didn't listen, giving the excuse that the Maidens need their privacy and help the world in what they saw fit, and in the end, the current Fall Maiden was attacked. Half of the Powers were stolen, and the girl was now in a coma, with the possibility of never waking up.
Her assailants were only able to get half of the Fall Maiden powers before Qrow intervened. Unfortunately, the said Branwen sibling couldn't see their faces due to some kind of illusionary semblance.
And now, to protect her, as well as to keep the other half of the powers from being taken, he had Qrow bring Amber here, to Beacon, and kept in a stasis tube built by the best of Atlas' medical scientists, in the academy's vault. No one except himself, Qrow, Glynda, and the other headmasters of the other major Hunter academies, know about this place.
One of those headmasters, and General of the Atlas military, James Ironwood, suggested to Ozpin to have an elite squad of Specialists, with a picked list of the best soldiers of the Atlas military to guard Amber, but Ozpin shot him down. His reasoning is that too many people knowing would be too much of a risk of a leak getting out, saying he and Glynda will be able to handle anything that Salem would send after her, if they find her.
In the meantime he had been on the lookout for a replacement for Amber, and found one in the young Mistralian Champion from Sanctum Academy, Pyrrha Nikos. She was the 4 time champion of the Mistral Regional Tournament, wielder of a powerful semblance of polarity, though doesn't use it as much, all the while being kind to many people around her. Although, despite her fame, he could tell the girl was lonely, due to the pedestal she was forced on by her peers, and being unable to befriend anyone.
That is, until she partnered with Jaune Arc, the son of one of his old students, who upon meeting her, actually treated her like a normal girl. And it wasn't long till she made friends with others, such as her and Jaune's teammates, Nora Valkyrie and Lie Ren, and Team RWBY, composed of Ruby Rose, another young prodigal girl who he kept an eye on, Weiss Schnee, Blake Belladonna, and Yang Xiao Long. He was actually happy for the girl, considering she needed the bonds, especially since he noticed her growing feelings for the Arc boy, who despite having gotten into Beacon via fake transcripts, he allowed him to stay due to seeing potential in the young Arc.
He had been keeping an eye on both teens, and he was not wrong in picking Pyrrha. She was a good teacher to Jaune, and even helped him train in order to improve his skills. After the whole fiasco in the Forever Fall forest just last week of course.
Now how does Ozpin keep track of this. Well, with the exception of bathrooms of course, he had hidden cameras all over the school, in order to keep a better eye on his students. Hey, better to make sure they don't do anything TOO reckless, right?
He then sighed sadly, knowing he was going to put a lot of responsibility on the poor girl. But unfortunately, he knew Salem will not rest, and is no doubt preparing for the eventual war that might happen. Something he didn't want any of his students to experience, considering his own past.
The elevator dinged at his destination, knocking him from his thoughts and he proceeded to walk out, as soon as the doors opened, into the dark cavernous halls of the Vault. He headed to the back of the room where he knew Amber was. He came down here out of habit, in order to make sure she was still among the living.
However as he approached the pod, he suddenly noticed something. Aside from himself, Amber was not alone...
From where he stood, he saw a figure standing in front of the pod looking directly at the comatosed young woman inside. He noticed he was wearing a steel helmet on his head, with strands of slightly graying blonde hair poking slightly past the rim, and saw the individual wearing a black sleeveless trench coat which stopped just at his calves. His hands were behind his back, showing a pair of black steel gauntlets.
Ozpin immediately went on guard, his cane at the ready since nobody else, apart from Glynda, was supposed to be down here.
"Who are you?" he demanded, his tone a razor edge, "And how did you get down here?"
It was quiet for a few moments, and before Ozpin could speak again, the figure beat him to it.
"Professor Ozpin...," was the said response, the voice sounded slightly synthesized.
The man then turned around, and the old man felt a chill run down his spine as he saw the front of the intruder. He couldn't see the face of the person in front of him, due to the wolf-like respirator mask he was wearing, the eye lenses of the said mask, glowing a burning red. He also saw the rest of the attire being armor which was pretty much wolf themed, but not too overly decorative. Overall, the person looked intimidating.
"...it's been far too long,"
Ozpin was on edge as he heard the stressed tone of the voice...which despite the mask, sounded eerily familiar. He then noticed the sheathed longsword barely concealed under the trench coat, the hilt of the blade having a wolf head. However it was the sheath itself that got his attention since it was painted mostly white with two gold lines at the top, however he also saw another symbol below them, but couldn't make it out because the coat was mostly covering it.
"I said, who are you?," the Headmaster demanded again, and he heard chuckling from the man which sounded bitter, as he began to walk slowly toward him.
"Who am I?" the man said, "Well, that is probably the number one question you have for me, isn't it? Or is it how I got down here? Either way, who I am, or how I got in, at the moment is of no great import. But what I can tell you, is my story..."
Ozpin blinked at that, as the man continued.
"...I was a student here at Beacon Academy. Of course, I got in through some...unorthodox ways. I was not exactly bright, nor was I the strongest, a little whiny, having a stupid crush on a Ice Queen who didn't even want to know me, until she was set straight and became a more nice person, and I was also lacking in self-confidence. I always wondered to myself if I had made a mistake in coming here..."
The armored man then stopped a few feet away from Ozpin, and his voice took on a somber tone.
"...Until...I met her. Of course, like the idiot I was back then, I didn't know who she was, until I was told she was on the box cover of a CEREAL brand of all things. From what I saw during our first meeting, she was...a little introverted, but still had that kindness, strength, and intelligence that made her unique. During initiation, we became partners in our four man team, and she helped me get by during my first semester, training me to become better, helped me study, but of course...like the dense stupid fool, I was blind to the growing feelings she had for me. But, she had the patience of a saint to put up with an idiot like myself."
The Professor then saw the armored hands of the masked man clenched tightly in anger, as he growled out, "But then...that day happened. The day where everything WENT TO HELL!"
Ozpin was taken aback by the raw anger in the man's voice, which he also noticed was mixed with a pained sorrow.
"A cult of Grimm worshipers, manipulated events during the Vytal Tournament, making sure that specific individuals were knocked out of the matches, and with the girl who actually helped me, being the puppet of manipulation in which she was forced to use her semblance to unwittingly kill another participant!" he then took a breath, "Then the bitch who masterminded the whole thing, took it a step further, as she broadcasted the match across the four kingdoms...calling her a monster, a murderer, sullying her image, and the result was the crowd growing fearful of Her. It attracted a horde of Grimm who attacked the lightly defended city of Vale, and the Academy, along with a certain Faunus Supremacy extremist group, and it caused many deaths."
Ozpin showed signs of shock, but for the life of him, he couldn't remember such an incident. However the man's tone of voice told him he was telling the truth.
"Then the situation was made worse...when they used a computer virus to turn Atlas' robot soldiers against us, causing more mayhem and carnage, and to sow distrust between the kingdoms." he then chuckled bitterly, "But...the worst, and best, part of that day for me, was learning of Her feelings for me... she loved me. And when I realized it, I then began to understand my feelings for her as well...but, it didn't last long."
The man looked up at the headmaster, and the professor could actually feel the glare behind the mask.
"In a case of a deluded sense of duty and some bullcrap about destiny, she sacrificed herself, while I arrived just in time to see a FUCKING ARROW shot into her chest by that BITCH, RIGHT IN FRONT OF ME!" He roared, "And then, in that moment, in my anger, my hate, and ALL of my sorrow, a forgotten power chose me...an entity that only comes when it feels great pain and sorrow from a person who has lost something, or someone, dear to their heart. With this power, I gave that cunt who shot her, a punishment she so rightfully deserved...and like a raging wolf, I returned the pain she had given to my maiden... no, my angel, tenfold. After I drove the witch away, I held her in my arms, begging her to stay with me...to LIVE! But it was no use, she spoke her last words to me, saying that even if she would be reincarnated she would always, love me... She then died in my arms,"
Ozpin saw the man's shoulders begin to shake, as his voice cracked.
"My heart was crushed as I sat there holding her, screaming her name, over, and over, and over, until my vocal chords wore out, and I had no choice but to stop, but just sit there holding her, weeping," he croaked, "That was how the rescue team found us..."
The old man saw him, reach into his trench coat, showing what looked to be a satchel.
"In this, I carry a specific item that she wore, in order not to forget," he said, "I have carried it, protected it, cared for it, and in my most vulnerable times, I actually talked to it, hoping...just hoping that she would hear me somehow, but I know that will never happen. But, just having it close to me, reminds me of what I'm fighting for, and what I could've had with her."
He then gently lowers the satchel back down, before looking at Ozpin.
"But, that was only the beginning of the nightmare." he said, "Months later, an evil, which you know very well, declared war upon the world, and during that war, I lost EVERYTHING and EVERYONE else I knew...friends, family, everyone...all gone, turned to ash. Them and the world. The war ended when I and one other, killed this evil and I finally dealt the death blow to that BITCH who took EVERYTHING from me! ...And when it was all over, I was unfortunately the last one left. At first, I had thoughts of committing suicide, but then... I found my salvation"
Ozpin blinked as he heard the pained-filled tone turn hopeful.
"When I was traveling aimlessly through what was once Solitas, I came upon an abandoned Atlas military base near the city of Mantle, which was the home of a top secret project they were building, but in which the idiots abandoned in favor of providing more funding to their damn robot troops. Wanna know what it is, Ozpin?" which peaked Ozpin's interest, despite the ludicrousy the story was now going, however the man's answer startled him, "A time machine... The man behind the project, found out the answer to time travel, and with help from Atlas managed to get it half done, but the shit bird council interfered and ordered it terminated. Well, their loss is my gain, and yes, Professor if you guessed it, I'm from the future, which is why the events I've just told you have not happened...yet. After I completed what they started, I used it to go back 30 years before the tragedy happened,"
Ozpin felt a chill go down his spine as he saw the armored man grasp the grip of his sword.
"Do you want to know, who I am?" the man asked, as he reached behind his head, "Then allow me to...reintroduce myself...,"
With that, the sound of a strap being loosened was heard, as the mask came off and hung around his neck, showing his mouth and nose, the former in a grim line. He took note of the vertical scar going across his mouth, and the slight stubble. Then, the man reached up as he removed the helmet, showing all of his greying blonde shaggy hair, however, once he fully saw his face, Ozpin's heart dropped into his stomach, as he saw a pair of familiar but tired, sullen looking, sapphire blue eyes staring back at him. And when he spoke, the voice was more clearer, more recognizable, if a little more mature.
"I am...Jaune Arc of House Arc. Former student of Beacon, and leader of Team JNPR...," The man now claiming to be the team leader of JNPR said, "...And I have come back to change everything,"
Ozpin's face was obvious as he looked at the man, his eyes wide, his mouth wide open in shock. He tried to speak, trying to deny his claims, before the man in front of him cut him off.
"I don't want to hear your denials, old man." Jaune said, the scowl on his face unnerving, like a predator waiting to pounce, "I don't give a shit if you believe me or not, so just shut up and listen: For the past three decades since I arrived back in the past, I hadn't exactly been slacking off waiting. I knew that on my own, I could achieve much, but they say wolves work better in a pack, and that's what I did. I recruited, I built, I trained, and as a result I have built my own private army in order to deal with the likes of the Grimm, the White Fang, and every other piece of scum on this world. By helping those whose potential was thrown aside, I gained followers, I gained allies, and WE became strong. But, I also understood that discretion is the better part of valor, so I took my time, gathering and establishing all over Remnant, even building a corporation you know of for a long time, Höllewulf Consumer Products, or HCP for short."
Ozpin blinked at the name, he was well aware of the company that sprung up over two decades ago, and how their cheap but effective weapons caused the militaries of Vacuo and Mistral to make their business deals with them instead of the Schnee Dust Company, making them bitter rivals of said Atlesian company. They had branches everywhere in Remnant, with the exception of Atlas, and are considered more morally sound when it comes to Faunus workers: better wages, better conditions, better work hours, better...well, everything!
Needless to say every Faunus Rights Group actually called them the saints of the business world. And he was staring at the apparent founder in the face.
Jaune's scowl then turned even more dark.
"I know who it is you are fighting, and the one who attacked the girl who is now stuck in that damn tube," he said, pointing to Amber in the Atlas pod, and Ozpin's eyes widened again, "You already know the Puppeteer, but I know the puppet who lead that operation that caused Beacon to fall, and stole the life of the girl I could've loved, the same girl YOU planned to have made into the next Fall Maiden!"
Ozpin was shocked, and even more so as Jaune's eyes turn a wild yellow, just like a wolf's, the scowl increasing ten fold.
"When I found out you were the one who had a part into thinking that she had little to no choice, but accept the 'destiny' you laid out for her, I was FUCKING pissed!" he yelled, "Because of you, she went up there to face Cinder Fall alone! Because of you, I had to watch helplessly as she was shot in the chest by an arrow! Because of you, I watched PYRRHA DIE!"
Ozpin took a step back at the outburst, while Jaune took a step forward.
"And now, along with Salem, and her little witch, Cinder Fall," Jaune growled ferally, "I'm gonna make you pay for your part in it! By feeling the pain I felt that day! But I won't kill you. No, oh no, death is too merciful for you. I'm going to make you suffer because of your arrogance, blindness, and your damn egotism, you manipulative bastard!"
Ozpin then knew that this man-...Jaune, was not screwing around. He raised up his hand in order to placate him.
"W-Wait...Jaune! Listen to me-" he began to say before the blonde knight cut him off.
"I DON'T WANT TO HEAR ANOTHER DAMN WORD FROM YOU!" He shouted before raising his hand and snapping his fingers.
The sound of boots clanking, armor rattling, and guns being cocked, got the Headmaster's attention, as appearing from the shadows were multiple figures. All of them were wearing simple versions of the armor that Jaune wore, the same type of mask, with the red glowing eyes, and the helmet to boot. All of them were armed with an assortment of firearms, but were also armed with close quarters weapons, such as swords, axes, maces, and others. To say Ozpin was surprised was an understatement.
'I didn't even notice them 'til now!" he thought as the armored soldiers all aimed their weapons at him.
"I'm just itching to have you mowed down into a fucking bloody puddle," Jaune ground out, "But I'm not Salem or Cinder. I will NOT fall to their level. Not now, not ever, not for the entire world,"
He then signaled for the soldiers to lower their weapons, and then marches up toward Ozpin before he slams a fist into the old man's gut.
Before he could fall to the ground, the scruff of his coat was grabbed to prevent him from falling to the floor.
"I'm going to show you a little trick I learned, Ozpin," Jaune said, as his free hand glowed white with aura, "This is a technique I actually learned by accident, but it definitely helped me out. With enough concentration, and a great deal of stamina, one can share one's memories with another, and the recipient on the other end sees ALL of their memories, good and bad, they even feel their pain. The men and women you see now in this room? They know who I am. They saw my memories, and they FELT my pain. And for that, I gained their loyalty, and also because I don't hide ANYTHING from my subordinates...,"
Jaune then raised his hand up.
"...and now professor. You get to see them as well,"
With that, he thrust his arm forward and latched it to Ozpin's head, whose mouth opened in a silent scream...
In Ozpin's mind
The headmaster could only watch as images entered his mind.
Thoughts, feelings, moments, memories, these were what he saw. And it showed the life of the man claiming to be Jaune Arc, as if it were a movie, but in this case, he was watching from the point of view of the said man in general.
The first memory being that of his father, Lumen, who despite being a proud Huntsman, loved his family, including his son, very much. Then he saw memories of Jaune's mother Verte, who was always extremely very protective of Jaune.
Memories of Jaune's seven sisters also appeared, in which showed they all adored him, even if they teased him a little...okay, a lot, but that's beside the point.
Then the memories skipped to when Jaune first arrived at Beacon, his meeting with Ruby Rose, his crush on Weiss Schnee, and finally, meeting Pyrrha for the first time.
It then switched to the Emerald Forest, where Jaune, stuck in a tree was found by Pyrrha, who looked up at him, a kind smile on her face.
"Do you have any spots left on your team?" the red headed amazon said, attempting to make a joke, all the while, Ozpin saw the hope in her eyes. The memory then skipped where Pyrrha was teaching Jaune about Aura.
"Aura is the manifestation of our souls," he heard her say, "It bears our burdens, and shields our hearts,"
The Headmaster of Beacon then watched as Pyrrha unlocked Jaune's aura, while hearing the incantation.
"For it is in passing, that we achieve immortality. Through this we become a paragon of virtue and glory to rise above all. Infinite in distance and unbound by death, I release your soul, and by my shoulder, protect thee."
The scene switched again, this time, where Jaune confessed his transcripts to Pyrrha, and the minor strain in their friendship, which was made worse as Cardin overheard them and blackmailed the Arc into being his dog.
Then came the recent incident at Forever Fall, where Jaune stood up to Cardin, when the said bully attempted to coerce into throwing a jar of tree sap at Pyrrha, but instead the blonde threw it at him. Of course, that resulted in the whole of Team CRDL jumping him and beat him black and blue. But, during the beatdown, Jaune never begged. And when Cardin was about to give him another punch, Jaune's aura manifested and shielded him from the blow.
Then the Ursa attacked, a Major type at that. While Jaune was initially unnerved at seeing the bear like Grimm, but when he saw Cardin in trouble, he immediately went to help, and slaying the monster in the process, though Ozpin did see a black aura on his shield, which could mean he had help.
The images continued one, as it showed Jaune apologizing to Pyrrha, with her accepting, and the Arc accepting the Champion's earlier offer to train him. Then it switched, first to a rather extreme food fight between Team JNPR and Team RWBY, to the planned dance which will take place during the early weeks before the Festival.
He saw Jaune's reaction when he realized Pyrrha's loneliness due to being placed on a pedestal, and his rising guilt of what he said to her before. And remembering the promise he made that he would wear a dress if no one asked her out, he did exactly that. Ozpin had to admit, that it was very brave of the boy, sacrificing his humility just to make the Mistralian happy. Which made him feel positive in his choice to keep him in Beacon rather than expel the Arc.
Then came the tournament during the Vytal Festival, where his team won their first matches. But then he felt Jaune's concerns as he noticed Pyrrha's troubled expression. His attempt to comfort her near the cafeteria, which turned into a romantic scene, before suddenly...
"Jaune?" he heard Pyrrha say as her face regained that troubled expression, as they started a new conversation.
"Hm?"
"I don't know what to do...,"
"Wh...What do you mean?"
"Do you believe in Destiny?"
"Um...I don't know. It depends on you view it?"
"When I think of Destiny, I don't think of a predetermined fate you can't escape. But rather... some sort of final goal. Something you work towards your entire life."
"Okay, uh, yeah! I can see that, sure,"
"Well, what would you do if something came along that you... never expected? Something that had the potential to stand between you and your destiny?"
"Like what-"
Jaune was immediately cut off, when Pyrrha raised her voice, the tone showing she was distraught, scared, and confused.
"Or what if you can suddenly fulfill your Destiny in an instant!? But at the cost of who you were?"
Ozpin felt Jaune's worry grow as he reached out to her. The Headmaster then realized that he must've told Pyrrha about Amber, and the Maidens being real.
"Pyrrha, you're not making any sense...,"
The Champion stood up and walked away from him.
"None of it makes sense! This isn't how things are suppose to happen!"
"I'm sorry!" Jaune apologized, hoping to calm her down, "P-Please, I-I'm just trying to understand what's wrong."
"I've always felt that I was always destined to become a Huntress. To protect the World... And it's become increasingly clear to me that my feelings were right. But... I don't know if I can do it."
"Of course you can. The Pyrrha Nikos I know, would never back down from a challenge. And if you really believe it's your destiny to save the world, you can't let anything stand in your way,"
Ozpin watched as Pyrrha's face went into shock, gasping as as tears of sadness formed in her eyes, while her hands covered her mouth in a vain attempt to muffle the sobs. He couldn't help but mentally facepalm as he thought:
'Worst. Comforting. Words. Ever... Of all time,'
His attention went back to the memory, as the Champion began to weep. This caused Jaune to become worried and concerned for his partner.
"Pyrrha?"
"Stop..."
He felt Jaune begin to panic as he approached her.
"Did I say something wrong?-"
Ozpin then watched as she raised her hand, while a black light surrounding it.
"STOP!"
He felt Jaune slam into the wall behind him, as Pyrrha accidentally used her semblance on him, due to his cuirass. He saw him look at Pyrrha, and felt the pain filled grimace on his face. When Pyrrha opened her eyes and saw what she had done, she was horrified.
"Jaune!" she shouted, as she deactivated her semblance, and the White Paladin fell to the ground. Jaune looked up at Pyrrha as the tears fell from her eyes, that were now filled with horror and guilt. "I-I'm...I'm sorry..."
With that, she turned away from him, and ran away, as Jaune reached out for her.
"Pyrrha, wait!" he shouted, hoping she would stop, but she kept on running, leaving him alone, as feelings of confusion, and regret filled his heart. "What did I say?"
Outside, Jaune gritted his teeth as he remembered that specific memory, as tears formed in his eyes. While Ozpin was seeing these memories for the first time, using this technique also had it's drawbacks as it forced Jaune to relive these memories as well. He knew that the Headmaster was the one who may've set Pyrrha onto her path to her death... but, he also felt that this small incident, which he admits he caused, helped it along. And for that, he will always hate himself for it, for the rest of his life.
His hand reached down into the satchel, where he kept the one thing he had left of her, and carefully grasped onto it.
'I'm so sorry Pyrrha... ,' he wept mentally, 'I'm so, so sorry.'
He didn't see the red glow inside the satchel, nor did he hear the sounds of a young woman crying mournfully, her voice trying to call out to him, trying to comfort him.
But to no avail...
Back in Ozpin's mind, the said professor watches as the next memory showed Pyrrha fighting against Penny Poliedonia, the Atlas Android built by Atlas, and the first non-biological person to use Aura. The duel went as normal, until suddenly, things began to go wrong as the champion used her semblance to, much to Ozpin's horror, tear Penny to pieces.
Then the sound of the vid screen turned on as he heard the the woman, who he assumed was Cinder Fall, but couldn't see her face due to it being blocked. It happened just as Jaune told him, though it also added how the Headmasters had deceived their students and the people that they could protect them.
But he noticed that Jaune's main concern was on Pyrrha as she stood in absolute shock at what she had just done. The memories then went by fast, as he watched the Atlesian Knights turn on them. And then showed them from Jaune's point of view as he watched Pyrrha head toward Ozpin standing at the entrance to the tower. He watched as Jaune followed them in, eventually ending up in the vault, he then watched himself as he instructed Jaune to keep guard while he got the machine ready.
However, Jaune's focus was averted as he heard his partner's pained cry, causing him to shift his focus to her out of worry. The sound of glass breaking got his attention and as soon as Jaune turned his head, Ozpin's eyes widen in horror as he saw the arrow embedded directly in Amber's chest.
Jaune turned back and saw a woman in a red dress marching toward them, a smirk of victory on her face. The white knight charged toward her, only to be batted away like he was nothing.
Ozpin continued to watch, as his future counterpart rushed to protect the young arc from being killed while Pyrrha managed to break out of the capsule, and rushed to her partner's side.
The professor continued to observe as his future self then ordered the two to leave the tower, much to the reluctance of Pyrrha, but the two eventually left, leaving the Green Wizard with Cinder.
The scene then changed to just outside the tower, as the two partners managed to make it outside.
"I think I have Glynda's number here... oh where is it!?" Jaune said in urgency before looking at his partner with a confused and troubled expression, "Pyrrha? What was all that?"
The said Mistralian didn't say anything at first, as her own expression showed reluctance.
"I-I...- ," She began only to be cut off, as they both felt a rumbling coming from the tower, until moments later they saw a bright orange coming the elevator shaft which then shot straight up to the tower.
Both students came to the same horrifying conclusion... Ozpin had lost.
"But... Ozpin," Jaune managed to mutter out in disbelief, while Pyrrha only looked more despondent as she shook her head.
"There's no time," Pyrrha said, and Ozpin noticed her face formed a determined frown, and immediately understood. His eyes actually wide in horror.
"No...No don't...," Ozpin pleaded hoping she would hear him, but she didn't as she turned to Jaune.
"Go! Go to Vale, and call for help!" she ordered, making Jaune look up at her with a look of surprise.
"W-What?" Jaune said, bewildered as he looked at her, "What are you gonna do?"
Pyrrha then turned in the direction of the tower, and Jaune, after looking in the same direction she was, figured out what she had planned.
"Don't do it, Pyrrha!" Ozpin called out again, but again Pyrrha didn't hear him.
"No...No, Pyrrha you can't," Jaune said, his tone full of fearful concern, "You saw how powerful she is! Pyrrha I won't let you do th-"
He was suddenly cut off as Pyrrha suddenly and unexpectedly grabbed him...and kissed him.
On the lips.
Ozpin was also surprised by this, as he watched as Jaune returned it as he wrapped his arms around her... before the kiss ended and Pyrrha spoke only two words.
"I'm sorry,"
With that, the Mistralian pushed Jaune into one of the many Rocket Lockers, the force making the door slam shut.
"No. No wait!" Jaune cried out as he looked through the grates at Pyrrha, "Please Pyrrha! Don't do this!"
Pyrrha didn't respond as she looked back at him, eyes full of sadness at what she was about to do.
And Ozpin could only watch helplessly as Jaune felt the rocket ignite and send the locker flying, and leaving Pyrrha behind, and resulting in a horrified scream.
"PYRRHA NOOOOO!"
Back outside, Jaune actually winced, as he gripped his chest in pain, prompting the soldiers to grow concerned, with two of them trying to approach him, but the Arc held his hand up, stopping them.
"No! Stay there!" he ordered, "I...I'm almost done, just... just a little more,"
The soldiers didn't feel convinced, but when they looked at Jaune's expression and the warning in his eyes, they backed off, though with reluctance.
Jaune breathed in and out, before continuing with his task.
Ozpin felt Jaune's desperation as he banged against the sides of the Locker, trying to make stop.
"This can't be happening! This can't be happening!" Jaune shouted in panic, "LET ME OUT!"
With that shout and with one final kick against the floor of the locker...He felt the engines, shut off and the door open.
"Ha! Alright!" he shouted in victory, with a cocky smile on his face before it quickly morphed into an expression of realization and horror, as he remembered he was still in the air, "Oh no...,"
With that said the locker began to fall like a rock.
"OOOOOHHHH MAN, BIG MISTAKE!"
The following resulted in the crash of the locker as it skip across the ground a few times, before Jaune was forcefully ejected and slammed against a wall, with his Aura thankfully protecting him.
"...Okay... that hurt... a lot," he managed to grunt as he slowly stood up, his aura healing him quickly. He managed to shake himself out of his thoughts, before he remembered about his partner.
"Pyrrha...," he said, and looked at Beacon Tower. With the thought of getting to Pyrrha on his mind, Jaune immediately began running towards it, while he scooped out his Scroll and looked the speed dial list for anyone he could call up to come help, "Come on, come on, please!"
He then saw Weiss' number and immediately hit the call button. The scroll rang as he kept running toward the tower, the fresh memory of Pyrrha kissing him still on his mind, before hearing those two words.
'Dammit Pyrrha, why did you do that!?' he shouted mentally, as the Schnee heiress' voice came up.
"Jaune! Is that you!? Where are you!?" said the Schnee Heiress, obvious concern in her voice.
"I'm heading back towards the Tower! Pyrrha's trying to face that woman that's behind all this, alone!" Jaune informed, his voice still panicked, "If you guys could, I can use some help!"
"We'll be there!" Weiss said, "Just don't do anything reckless!"
"Just...Please hurry!"
With that he ended the call and continued running toward the tower until he ran into the lobby and toward the elevator, only to find it inoperable.
"Dammit!" he shouted, before hearing an explosion and looked up, "I gotta get up there!"
The next set of the memory showed Jaune making his way up the long way, via the rather unsafe, and rather unstable stairwell, though it was not going to stop him. He was determined to get up there and save Pyrrha, he HAD to!
After a very serious tremor, as if something rammed into the Tower, he finally arrived at the door to Ozpin's office. Not wanting to waste anymore time, he just proceeded to slam himself against the said door.
What he saw, made the memory of Jaune, and Ozpin froze in horror and shock. For there, kneeling on the ground, and injured, was Pyrrha, and the same woman who had killed Amber.
However, Jaune's focus was on Pyrrha as she spoke...
"Do you believe in Destiny?" the Champion asked, as she glared defiantly at the Fallen Maiden, who gave a frown.
"...Yes,"
With that said, Cinder stood up before forming her bow and an arrow, before aiming it at the wounded Huntress student.
Ozpin's and the Memory Jaune's eyes widened in horror, before Jaune began to run forward...only to see Cinder release the arrow. The world slowed down, as the Paladin watched the projectile fly toward his partner...until it pierced her in the chest.
Jaune stopped cold right there, as he watched Pyrrha's head fly back, letting out a pained gasp.
'No...,' he thought, as Pyrrha lowered her head back down as she reached her hand up to her chest, struggling to breathe, 'No...No, no, no, no, nonononononoNONONONONO NOOOO!'
He then heard the sound of glass clinking, as Cinder began to saunter arrogantly toward the dying girl, before stopping in front of her and began raising her hand to her head.
Everything slowed to a crawl at that moment, and everything went quiet...until a heavy breathing was heard... and it was Jaune, as the tears began to leak out of his eyes, as he just witnessed his partner, and the girl who had begun to truly capture his heart, be shot a possible fatal blow...
And then the bitch who did it, with an arrogant smirk on her face, was about to rub it in...
The temperature decreased further, and Ozpin could actually see the breathe in front of him, but Jaune didn't notice, nor did he care as his only focus was on the woman who had dared harmed Pyrrha, as a cold and hard feeling entered his very soul.
"Don't let her get away with it, Pup!" Ozpin suddenly heard, blinking at the sudden voice, "If you want to protect your mate from further humiliation, THEN ATTACK! SHOW THIS BITCH WHAT HAPPENS WHEN YOU TAKE THE LIFE OF THE ONE YOU LOVE! USE YOUR ANGER! USE YOUR SORROW! UNLEASH THE FURY OF A WOLF!"
With the mysterious voice's words convincing him, Jaune's vision suddenly turned red, before suddenly a pained scream of rage escaped from his mouth, as his Aura exploded in a white light, along with a sound Ozpin recognized as a Wolf's howl, accompanied by another's scream of anguish... in a voice he recognized.
"PYRRHAAAAAAA!"
The whole area turned white, but Ozpin could still see, even through Jaune's vision, as he saw the familiar power of the Silver Eyes, meaning that Ruby Rose had also witnessed what had happened, which had an immediate effect on Cinder as the power covered her left eye, left arm, and a bit on her throat, leaving serious burns, and completely destroying her arm and eye, ruining the beauty she once was.
He was then shocked as Jaune charged straight at her, Crocea Mors drawn, before in a speed he never seen the Arc used before swung the ancestral blade, cutting across Cinder's waste, causing a grunt to escape her lips.
But Jaune wasn't done yet as he continued to slash her across her body. All the while, his aura was changing from a pure white to a dark grey.
Soon enough, he saw Jaune drop his sword, before attacking with his hands, which the spectral forms of claws now covered, as he delivered a devastating scratch to Cinder's face, her shoulder, and finally across her chest. He then changed his strategy to just punching her over and over again, until finally having enough, Jaune proceeded to kick the Fallen Maiden off the tower.
After managing to calm down, and looking toward Pyrrha who was somehow still alive, but now laying down on her back, the arrow gone, and still gasping for breath, while a pool of blood began to form. Jaune immediately rushed over to her and knelt down next to her before gently picking her up and cradling her in his arms. Tears of sorrow still flowing from his eyes.
"Pyrrha!? Pyrrha!" Jaune called desperately as he gently shook her, prompting the said Spartan to open her eyes and look at the boy who she sent away to protect.
"J...J-Jaune?" she manage to gasp out, "Ho...how did you...?"
She couldn't finish the question as she coughed violently, with blood dripping her mouth, causing the Paladin to panic.
"No, Pyrrha don't try to talk!" Jaune pleadingly said, as his hand reached for his scroll pouch, "I'm gonna call for help! Get you to a hospital and all fixed up, okay? Just...j-just hang in there!"
"Jaune, don't...," Pyrrha said again, grabbing his hand that held the the scroll, stopping him cold "...it's...it's already too late for me,"
Ozpin felt Jaune's heart drop like a stone at that.
"I can feel it Jaune...I'm finished," Pyrrha stated, as a sorrowful smile formed on her face.
"No...No, NO NOO! Not like this, please!" he begged, the tears in his eyes coming more and more, "Please don't go! I...I still didn't get the chance to tell you! Please stay with me!"
"Jaune...," Pyrrha said, as she, with great effort raised her left hand, and placed it on his tear stained face, which he then grabbed, giving a strong squeeze, "...i-it's okay Jaune...this, was my choice,"
"Don't give me that!" Jaune shouted, now more desperate, "I...I didn't want this to happen to you! Pyrrha don't go, please!"
"I love you, Jaune Arc," he heard, making him gasp in shock, as he looked at her, as tears of her own leaked from her emerald eyes which were beginning to cloud over. "No matter what happens, even if we're reincarnated in another life... I... will always...l-love you...,"
With that said, Pyrrha's head limply tilted back, as her eyes closed for the last time, and her hand fell from Jaune's hand and landed on the ground with a soft thump. And then the Circlet slid off her head, and landed with a loud clang.
Jaune's heart stopped for a moment, his face now twisting in horror, as he felt the last of Pyrrha's life slip away.
"Pyrrha?" he said softly, but got no response "Pyr?"
He then began to shake her, hoping to wake her. But she didn't respond
"Pyrrha...Pyrrha please stop. Please, wake up. Pyrrha Please!" he received no response, and thus grew desperate as his sobs began to mix with his growing screams, "Pyrrha! Pyrrha! ...Pyrrha! PYRRHAAAA!"
Ozpin gasped, as he collapsed to his knees, while Jaune wobbled slightly before he was held up by two of the soldiers.
"Now do you understand, Ozpin?" he said, and Ozpin looked up at him. His hair shadowed his eyes, while two streams of tears came down his face, "Do you see what your continued complacency and over reliance on discreet did? Though I do understand the motive in keeping the people ignorant of what's happening in order to keep them keep them calm and not draw in the Grimm, the whole point of the matter is that Salem doesn't give a shit, and she used your complacency and docile approach against you! And because of that arrogance, PYRRHA DIED!"
Jaune stopped in order to catch his breath, before raising his head in order to look Ozpin dead in the eye.
"So, tell me Professor. Are you satisfied, now!? Well, ARE YOU!?"
Ozpin bowed his head, unable to look him in the eye...but he knew Jaune was not wrong, he had seen enough. He was satisfied.
Jaune, after seeing Ozpin bow his head, took that as a yes. He then turned his head toward the pod that Amber was in, and then looked toward two of the soldiers before signaling with his head.
Nodding in affirm, they then began to walk toward the pod. However this didn't go unnoticed to Ozpin, as he looked and saw them heading toward the machine, with one head to the control panel, and the other to the pod itself. And this caused his eyes to widen in alarm.
"No, wait! Jaune, what are they doing!? Don't!" He said in panic as he began to stand, though the memory viewing had left him exhausted, and thus was not aware of one of the other soldiers moving behind him, and cracking the butt of his rifle against the back of his head. Ozpin was stunned, before the world around turned black.
"...O...Oz...Ozpin...Ozpin? Ozpin! Ozpin wake up!"
The headmaster snapped his eyes open, and bolted up, only to regret it as he felt a sharp pain in the back of his head.
"Easy there," the familiar voice of his Deputy Headmistress, Glynda Goodwitch said, as she placed her hands on his shoulders to calm him down "You got yourself a bad konk on the head, so you might have concussion"
Ozpin only grunted before speaking, "Glynda? Wha...?" he said.
"You've been down here for hours so I came here to check on you, only to find you on the floor," Glynda said, before the blonde haired teacher's face became grave, "Oz, what happened down here? And where is Amber?"
Ozpin's eyes snapped open, remembering what happened, before he snapped in the direction of Amber's pod, only for his heart to sink as he discovers that the pod is empty.
"No...," he said, as he began to stand up with Glynda's help as they walked over to it.
"Ozpin, what happened down here?" Glynda said in worry, "Who took her!?"
The Headmaster didn't say as he just placed his hand on the pod and leaned against it, bowing his head while cursing himself for letting his guard down. However, when he opened his eyes, he then spotted the pure white Scroll, with a black wolf's head emblazoned on the front, placed at the foot of the pod.
He reached down and picked up the device before opening it. The screen turned on and the first thing he sees is a message icon that said: "Play me".
Seeing no other choice he did that, and his heart once sank, as Jaune's older looking face appeared on the screen.
"That was a stupid move, you foolish old man," the man admonished, "You should've known better than to try to stop my men. And don't worry about Amber, she will be safe where we're taking her, than she is with you. Trust me it's better this way, since with her not there, Cinder will not be able to get the other half, and not attack Beacon. Though the Relic will still be a problem, I know that if I keep the other half of the key away, again, like you should've, Salem won't be able to get it."
Jaune's face then turned into a scowl.
"Also, don't you ever use Pyrrha as a Pawn in your stupid chess game with that Grimm Bitch, ever again, or my friends! If you do...I will finish what I started," he emphasized the point as his eyes glowed yellow again. "And from now on, I will deal with Cinder and Salem in my own way. Adieu, Ozpin. I'll be in touch."
The message soon ended as Glynda looked between the scroll and Ozpin, confusion and worry written all over her face.
"Ozpin...what is going on!?"
The immortal headmaster didn't say anything, as he only looked at the now blank scroll, Jaune's words and the memories of the young Arc still fresh in his mind.
All his precautions...
All his strategies...
All his plans...
They have all come crashing down, because he was too docile...too ignorant.
And his students have...or rather will, pay the price.
Patriot-112: Oh finally! Months, and months, and months, of planning this fic, and FINALLY I now post it! Sorry it took so long everyone.
For those who want to know the appearance of the soldiers (AKA the Wolfwatch), they're based on the very popular Kerberos Panzer Cops. I always liked the look of them, very intimidating, and very deadly with those MG-42 machine guns. Of course, the weapons the Wolfwatch use in the fic are based on the Helghast weapons of Killzone 2 to Shadowfall. Again, not owned by me, so buzz off lawyers.
Anyway, please leave a review, and for those waiting on Naruto and the Kyuubi Child...yes, I know you want me to continue, but unfortunately I'm still stuck, so until then please be patient, okay?
Until then, later!