Hello, A Silver Dolphin here. Thanks for reading on. It means a lot you know? I can't believe how much love this story is getting… Over one hundred followers and seventy favourites in one chapter. I feel the pressure. I'll do my best not to disappoint.
Disclaimer: I hereby declare that I do not own RWBY. It is owned by Rooster Teeth Productions, LLC. I can however, declare that I have a RWBY tee shirt. The only thing that I can declare about Kingsman: The Secret Service, is that it is an awesome movie and I sadly, do not own it.
Chapter 2: Of Weapons and Onesies
It was love at first sight. Ruby Rose was hopelessly and senselessly in love…
With his weapon.
"Oh my God, the craftsmanship is amazing!" She squeaked, arms flailing about wildly.
"Can I hold it? Please Jaune? Pretty please?" Ruby gave her best puppy eyes.
As he willed himself to endure the girl's potent stare, Jaune idly wondered if approaching her was a good decision…
He was taught to be a gentleman. So when the young knight saw her lying down, tears threatening to fall and abandoned in the middle of an empty pathway, there was only one thing to do.
Straitening his tie and tidying up his suit, he stepped forward and prepared to introduce himself. Alright Jaune, ignore dad's advice and remember the lines from that spy movie!
The young knight offered the maiden a helping hand and proceeded to rip off his favourite spy flick. "The name's Arc. Jaune Arc."
Well, you couldn't really blame him. For some strange reason, Arthur forbad him from taking the seduction classes.
Seriously. They said he was too young.
They tossed him off a bullhead without a parachute, taught him seventy different ways to kill a man, armed him to the teeth with incredible gadgets, had him infiltrate the White Fang and the Atlesian Military, but didn't teach him how to talk to women.
Weird.
Thankfully for him, the girl didn't know how to talk to men…or people in general.
"The name's Rose," she stated unsurely. "Ruby Rose." Jaune stifled a laugh, leaving Ruby pouting. Her response had killed off any nervous feelings. He grasped her hand, and pulled her up.
He couldn't help but notice that the girl was rather cute.
Endearing silver eyes that shone with innocence. Black hair, coloured by the slightest tint of crimson. A petite, feminine figure clothed in a black blouse and a red laced corset, made even lovelier with a red hooded cloak held up by silver crossed-shape pins which matched her eyes.
"You know, they say imitation is the greatest form of flattery. Are you perhaps a fan of spy movies too?" Jaune remarked.
"Yeah! The fight scenes are awesome, they're all like Bang! Bang! whampoh! Woocha!" Ruby declared, punching and slicing the air. Cute.
He started walking towards the auditorium with Ruby naturally following suit. He seemed to know where he was going. She didn't want to get lost and miss the initiation ceremony after all.
The atmosphere they had going for them was quite comfortable. But curiosity was capable of killing more than just a cat.
"So…Why were you lying down in the middle of the path?" Crap. That was a terrible question to ask. Goddamnit Jaune, stick to your lines!
"Err… I was cloud watching?" She attempted, her face cycling through a number of expressions, before ending up with an embarrassed grin and one eyebrow raised. Double crap. See what you've done Jaune! Why couldn't they just let me take those classes?
"Shall we just ignore what I said?" Jaune tried to recoup.
"Yes. Please." Ruby smiled back at him, a little grateful.
The awkwardness was back. In full force. They walked side by side in silence for a few minutes. Please Remnant… Throw me a bone here!
"So….uh…I've got this weapon." Ruby attempted to break the silence, the only way she knew how.
By breaking out her gigantic sniper-scythe.
Let it be said that taking out an enormous scythe was a terrible way to start a conversation.
Thankfully, after being on the business end of Qrow's scythe a thousand times over, Jaune merely batted an eyelid. Finally, weapons! Something I can talk about. Thank you Oum!
"Its name is Crescent Rose, I made it myself, back at Signal." She started, obviously proud.
"A semi-automatic 50 Calibre sniper rifle which transforms into a-"
"Scythe." Jaune finished.
"Truly impressive. A sniper rifle to take care of threats from a distance and a scythe for close range combat. Versatile and powerful." Well, it wasn't as good as his Aegis, but definitely a notch better than most other weapons.
The red hooded girl beamed with pride. Of course! Nothing beats Crescent Rose! Who said I didn't have people skills? She mentally pat herself on the back, clueless that her introduction would have scared off anyone else.
"Yep! So what do you have?" She asked, eager to see what her new friend (she hoped) had to offer. It wouldn't be as awesome as her multi-form 50 Calibre high impact sniper-scythe, but nothing came close anyway. Except for Uncle Qrow's scythe. It was the base design for her baby. Anyhow, she'd try her best to compliment his choice of weaponry.
Jaune smoothly unhooked his umbrella from his wrist. Ruby watched with barely veiled anticipation.
"I call it the Aegis," He teased, grinning slyly. He twirled the parasol and tossed it high in the air.
"It has many functions, two different forms," He continued. He caught the umbrella by the hook, with his wrist and finished with a flourish. Ruby leaned in closer, eyes sparkling.
"And that's all you need to know." He finished.
Ruby pouted. Oh come on! I'd let you hold Crescent Ro- oh wait never mind.
Let it be known that Ruby had no sense of personal space. She leaned in even closer.
And started fangirling.
"Oh my God, the craftsmanship is amazing!"
Jaune mentally sighed.
It was gonna be a long day.
Idly, he wondered why Arthur had summoned him to Beacon. A call on his scroll was the modus operandi for any new mission. No matter. After seeing off Ruby, he'd stop by the kitchen first. He knew how much Arthur enjoyed his special brew.
One advantage experienced fighters enjoyed was acute senses. After all, you couldn't dodge bullets or deflect blows without a keen sense of awareness. This meant that a certain headmaster could smell the aroma of his favourite brew riding one of the elevators up to his office.
In one fell swoop, he drained the remaining coffee from his mug. Now, how do I get Glynda out of here?
"Glynda, would you mind checking the launch pads? It has just occurred to me that we have not done maintenance on them in the longest time." He asked, in a gentle tone.
Safety was a paramount concern for the headmaster of Beacon. Truly. Left unsaid was that flinging potential students off a cliff was one of his small pleasures in life.
"Right away, Ozpin." She replied. Also left unsaid was that she too loved seeing ruffians and hooligans thrown off a cliff.
As one elevator door closed, the other opened. The scent of freshly brewed coffee filled the air.
Both men were dressed in suits. One wore his unfastened, adorned by an emerald coloured scarf with a small purple cross. A cane clutched by his left hand. A coffee mug embellished with the Beacon insignia gripped tightly in anticipation on his right. His appearance seemed to give an impression of quiet nobility.
The other wore his suit fully buttoned, with a black and red striped tie. The suit was bespoke, fitting him perfectly, and accentuated his masculine figure. Signet rings worn on both hands. A jet black umbrella hooked to his left arm, with a white mug in his palm and a pot of fresh coffee held in his right hand.
Auburn eyes met ocean blue. Both men wore slight grins on their faces.
"Arthur." The younger man greeted.
"Lancelot." The older one replied.
"Coffee?" He raised the pot, and poised to pour.
"Do you even have to ask?" He replied. The young man chuckled.
The beverage swelled within his mug. The two clicked their mugs. The older man took a sip. The younger one followed suit. All was right with the world. They settled into a comfortable silence, the sound of a clock ticking steadily in the background.
The two sat down by the desk which overlooked all of Beacon.
"Jaune, it's good to see you again." He paused to take a sip.
"How was your time in the Atlesian military? I trust the mission went well?" Ozpin finished.
"Well, our scrolls still work don't they? Atlas's CCTS (Cross Continental Transmit System) tower is still standing. The threat's been taken care of." Jaune smiled. "I've also been given a promotion to the rank of Captain, and a standing offer to take command of a unit."
Ozpin beamed for the first time that week. Lancelot hadn't failed him yet.
"That is good to hear. Congratulations are in order, it seems." He said, tone slightly upbeat.
He took another sip. Jaune freshened his drink.
"So, why I am here?"
"Tell me, Jaune." He paused. "Have you kept up with the events concerning Vale lately?" The tone he spoke in was solemn and serious.
"Err…no."
An audible sigh was heard.
"It is vital to keep up to date, Jaune. Bits of arbitrary information that may seem useless can prove to be invaluable when the times comes. Take heed of your surroundings." He spoke sagely.
Jaune nodded and pushed the tip to the back of his mind.
"Regardless, there is something troubling happening." Another sip of coffee. "The theft of Dust has always been a problem for the policemen of Vale. Dust shops are primary targets for many a criminal. Typically, a single Huntsman as a guard has been enough to deter any potential robbery. Thieves had but a one in a hundred chance of succeeding."
The Kingsman liege retrieved a scroll from his coat, and set it on the desk. Connecting to the mainframe, the scroll activated. A holographic map covering the city spread across the face of the desk. The location of every Dust shop was highlighted by a blue dot.
"But as of last month, that statistic has changed."
A button was pressed, and half the blue dots changed into shades of red.
"All of those shops have been successfully hit. Any and all traces of Dust vanished."
Jaune's eyes widened, but before he could open his mouth, Ozpin continued.
"This is no mere glitch in the system, Lancelot. This is carefully organized, well-orchestrated crime. Someone is stealing and stockpiling vast amounts of Dust and their identity remains a mystery to us.
He paused for a moment. "We believe it to be our elusive Queen, and from what we've seen, she has managed to enlist the help of the White Fang."
Crap.
"I have a hunch that tells me, somewhere in the near future, Vale and Beacon will be in great danger. In the coming fight Jaune, I need an ace up my sleeve. A secret weapon, so to speak. It is for this reason, among many others that I have summoned you here."
"So, I ask you, Lancelot, how would you like the opportunity to fulfil your childhood dream?"
"Ruby, right here!" She yelled, hands waving her sister over. "I saved you a spot!"
Ruby was relieved to hear a familiar voice. She was about to waltz on over before she remembered something. Yang ditched her. She crossed her arms, and walked over to Yang, attempting to look as angry as possible. But as if her face was incapable of showing anger, she ended up pouting.
"Yang! How could you leave me?" She complained, voice raised a timbre higher.
"Jeez, Sis. Chill out." Yang lightly pat her on the back, grinning all the while. "Melt down already?"
"Just when you left I met this really crabby girl and tripped over her…"
Hearing the beginnings of a long protracted rant, Yang tuned out her sister in favour of getting rid of a split end in her hair. Maintaining such beautiful hair was an arduous task, you know.
"You!" a haughty voice resounded.
She nearly yelped and lost her balance when Ruby dived into her arms.
"Oh God! It's happening again!" Ruby shrilled in horror.
Choosing to pay attention this time, Yang noted that this was the crabby girl Ruby was referring to. As her little sister climbed out of her arms, she pre-emptively primed her gauntlets as the bitch decided to start lecturing her little sister! Only she could do that.
"The Schnee Dust Company is not responsib-"
Weiss was not exactly in Yang's good books right now. But the golden haired beauty didn't want to make a bad first impression before she had even fully enrolled in Beacon. Also, Ruby did need some friends…
Maybe she'd try that approach she vaguely recalled learning about. What was it called again? Diplomacy?
"Maybe you two just started off on the wrong foot?" She tried, sounding slightly off. "Why don't you start over and try and be friends, okay?"
"That's a great idea Yang!" Ruby cheered. Heh. Still got it.
Ruby perked herself up and flashed a quick smile.
"Hello Weiss," she stuck her hand out, going for the traditional handshake. "I'm Ruby. Wanna hang out? We could go shopping for school supplies-"
"Sure!" She replied, brushing off the handshake, sarcasm ever so prominent. "And we could talk about cute boys," She looked around for a second, before pointing at some random schmuck. "Like tall, blonde and scraggly."
"Sure I'm a bit thin, but insulting someone you've never met before is definitely rude." The schmuck replied with a slight edge in his voice as he approached. He did not like conceited bigots.
Yang liked what she was seeing. Scraggly was not a word she'd use to describe this hunk. The first thing she looked for were, of course, the abs. They looked as if they had been sculpted from marble. By Monty, even when hidden by the suit she could tell they were well-defined. He also had a great fashion sense, if his suit and tie was anything to go by. She questioned why he brought an umbrella indoors though.
Damn. She could imagine him replacing that old boy band poster she had in her room. She licked her lips at the thought of him shirtless.
As Weiss struggled to deliver a proper comeback, Ruby welcomed her newest friend.
"Jaune!" Ruby said smiling. "You're back."
"Ah, Ruby. How's it going?" He replied amiably. What?! How'd Ruby score a hunk like that without me knowing?!
"Hey, sis! You never told me you had such a hunk for a friend." Yang playfully elbowed her sister with a Cheshire grin on her face. "Introduce me!"
"Sure thing. Yang, this is Jaune Arc." She gestured towards the gentlemen with her right hand.
"A pleasure." He replied suavely. Yes! That was perfect. Just keep quoting…
"Jaune, this is Yang Xiao Long, my sister." Wait. What?
He took a closer look at her. He'd recognize those gauntlets anywhere. It's her.
"Hi!" Yang replied.
"Thank you." He said sincerely.
He felt as if he owed her. If they had never sparred, he would never have been noticed and would not have met Galahad and the rest of the Kingsmen.
"Huh?"
"Don't worry about it."
"Okay?"
A slightly irate, yet composed voice interrupted their conversion.
"I'll keep this brief. Today, three hundred and sixty-seven candidates have come…"
Ozpin's mind wasn't on the speech. To anyone who knew him, it was obvious he was just going through the motions, and was clearly agitated by something. Why the hell did the damned launch pads choose today of all days to fail? How the hell am I supposed to fling them of a cliff now?
Jaune was alarmed. If Arthur was restless, that meant that something terrible was happening. He'd best look for him as soon as the speech finishes.
"…So, it is up to you to take the first step."
God damn it. I was worried for nothing.
"So…The only reason you were troubled was that the launch pads don't work?" Jaune asked.
"Launching potential students off into the Emerald forest is a time-honoured Beacon tradition." He replied, before sighing. "It appears that we'll have to prepare something different this year. The problem is that it's on such short notice."
He took yet another sip of coffee.
"I'm sure you'll figure it out somehow. You always seem to have a plan." Jaune complimented.
"Fair enough. By the way Jaune, your personal equipment has been placed in the locker room. I will show you the armoury another time." Ozpin said, with a smirk forming.
"Great. Which locker?"
"Tell me Jaune, do you remember what I said about arbitrary information?"
"Yeah…" The blonde did not like where this was going.
Ozpin took one more sip and started the journey back to his office.
"Your locker number is the total number of times you've seen me sipping coffee today. The combination for it is the total numbers candidates here tonight for initiation, yourself included."
Damn it...
Locker 007. He should've known. Arthur always enjoyed making subtle allusions.
He spun the dial on the locker, according to the combination code.
3. 6. 7.
Click.
The first thing he saw was a onesie. A light blue full body onesie. He shivered slightly. The last time he was discovered wearing that Qrow used it to blackmail him into doing all his taxes for him. Seriously. Did no Huntsman know how to work a calculator?
Regardless, he swore never to wear it again. He promised to burn it at a later date…or rather wear it when no one was looking. It was just so comfy.
Jaune placed it in the far end of his locker. Leaving his Aegis inside, he looked to see what else he could wear to sleep.
Oh yes. That would do nicely.
"It's like a big slumber party!" Yang celebrated, taking the sleeping bag next to Ruby.
"I'm not sure Dad would approve of all the boys though." Her sister idly replied, busy writing a letter to her friends at Signal. She felt that a letter was a little more personal than a scroll message and she didn't want her friends to forget her.
"I know I do!" Yang replied, a lecherous expression covering her face as her eyes swept across the floor, taking in the sight of several shirtless teens 'working out' in an attempt to beguile their female counterparts. Sadly for them, their actions only slightly amused Yang and got a similar reaction from the rest of the crowd. Sheesh. The girl at the back didn't even put her book down for a second.
"Anyways, what's that?" Yang asked
"A letter to the gang back at Signal."
"Aww that's so cut-"
A pillow throw, followed by a 'shut up!' from Ruby interrupted her.
"I didn't get to take my friends with me to school," Ruby grumbled miserably, arms crossed. "It's so weird not knowing anyone here."
"What about Jaune? He's -"
The sound of the doors opening could be heard. Yang's eyes shifted.
"Oh. My. God." She wowed.
A man walked in to the auditorium, confidence in his every step. Unlike the shirtless teens, this man had class. Black and silver trimmings. A perfect blend of silk and cotton. A single-breasted two button jacket. A pair of unplaited trousers. A simple white undershirt. It was a suit meant for sleeping in and still look classy. It was legendary.
If there was one person that had Yang's attention now, it was him.
"Err…speaking of friends Ruby, Jaune's back. Wanna go say hi?"
"Sure!" She said, finishing up her letter.
Jaune was preparing to sleep. He picked a spot near the wall so he could lean back and read some X-ray and Vav before turning in for the night. He'd been so busy with missions that this was the first time he'd had in weeks to just relax. As he searched for the page where he left off, he took stock of his surroundings.
He found himself sitting next to quite the beauty. No wonder Ozpin told him to pay more attention to his surroundings.
A hair bow as black as shadow, and stunning ravenette hair. The girl had the most remarkable slitted amber eyes, which were looking straight at him. Crap. Quit staring Jaune!
"Do you need something?" She asked, lowering her book for a second. Quick Jaune, think of an excuse! Ugh…The book!
"Oh, apologies. The book you're reading just looked familiar. Goethe's Faust, I believe it was called. About a man who makes a deal with the devil, and whose soul ends up entwined with a demon." Yes. Awesome deflection!
"You've read this?" She replied with an impressed expression colouring her face and a rather strange twitch of the bow.
"It's one of the classics. Let's just say I'm very widely read." Did her bow just twitch?
She looked at his hands to see him holding a comic book. She didn't seem to approve.
"Widely read indeed…"
"Hello!" An excited voice sounded. "I believe you may know each other?" The blonde said, gesturing to Ruby.
"Yang. Ruby." Jaune greeted.
"Aren't you the girl that exploded?"
"Sorry. Exploded?" Jaune questioned, eyebrows raised.
"Err…" Ruby rubbed the back of her head sheepishly. "I kinda sneezed and accidently blew up a suitcase of Dust." She clarified, tensing up.
"But it wasn't my fault! This crabby girl had been waving her Dust in my face and didn't tighten the cap and, and!" Words shot out of her mouth faster than a machine gun on full auto.
"Relax, Ruby." Jaune waved dismissively. "I was just curious. It's not an interrogation." He gave a kind smile.
"…Thanks." She said, visibly more relaxed.
"Well anyway," Yang grinned. "Nice suit, but don't you think it's a bit warm though?" She wagered.
"I suppose it's a little warm…" He replied, a little bit hesitant.
"How about taking it off, and using me as a blanket?"
A cat Faunus and two humans suffered together in silence before a shrill scream shook the auditorium.
"God damn it Yang!" Ruby shrilled, a heavy blush forming on her cheeks as she landed a series of light punches on her sister for flirting with her only friend here. She didn't want to lose him so quickly! Yang, ever the fighter, of course retaliated.
Their fight drew the attention of a certain white-haired heiress.
"Can't you see people are trying to sleep here?" She declared, teeth gritted.
Jaune watched as the auditorium descended into chaos, before Blake blew out the candles, killing off any chance of reading his X-ray and Vav comics.
He also noted that the three girls continued arguing. He mentally sighed.
It was gonna be a long night.
Canon has begun. Jaune Arc is the new Lancelot. We'll see snippets of his experience in flashbacks soon. Ozpin leads the Kingsman. Did anyone expect someone else to be Arthur? So, Ozpin leads two separate secret cabals. With the exception of Qrow, both do not know each other exist. That'll be interesting won't it?
I always wondered what a gentleman would wear to sleep. It should be tasteful and classy. Hence I took a page from a legendary sitcom. Suitjamas. Enough said.
For action fans, worry not, Beacon's initiation will hopefully sate your appetite. For Kingsman fans, I'll explain how the Kingsman lore fits into Remnant within the next few chapters. With any luck, it'll be satisfactory.
What did you think of this chapter? Does it flow? How's the writing style? Do you have any ideas to share, or a scene you desperately want to see written? Write a quick review. I won't bite.
A Silver Dolphin,
Signing out.
Omake: Actual reasons.
Not many knew much about Beacon's headmaster. The consuls knew him as a veteran Huntsman, of skill without equal. Qrow and Jaune knew him as Arthur, the one who led the Kingsman, and entrusted him with their lives and deciding the path of their organization. Glynda and the staff of Beacon knew him as a wise headmaster, one who always had a plan.
But despite all this, none knew who he truly was. But some came close…
"Galahad, while I trust your judgement, I have some reservations about training a child so young. He is but a child, so why not let him play the part? I am sure more… experienced candidates could be found." He spoke, tone slightly admonishing.
Ozpin did not like the idea of child soldiers. He wanted them to be sure of the path they wished to walk in life before guiding them, to experience the joys of life before seeing its many sorrows.
Harry knew that, but he knew something else about the mysterious headmaster. Something that would make Arthur see things his way.
"He's an Arc."
Ozpin dropped his coffee mug onto the table, dying the table a shade of brown.
"Does he have it?" Ozpin urged.
"The temptress herself confirmed it." Harry smiled.
"He has it." Ozpin whispered, awe resonant in his voice. "The fabled Arc charm."
"She said that anything she taught would only counter his natural ability."
"With the right guidance, Arthur, it is possible to achieve it. When he's of age, when the charm is strongest, you can send him to Beacon and… continue your shipping hobby."
"The legendary harem route." Ozpin understood. "All my life, I've searched for the perfect candidate."
Ozpin patted his friend on the shoulder. "You have my full support. Train him well. Do not fail me."