Well this is embarrassing...

I took way too long to write down ONE chapter. I blame work a little bit, anime more... and a whole shit load on not having enough soda. But most of all, I blame myself. If you want to know where the inspiration for this story came from, I was actually doing a bit of reading on Youtube. If you love gory comics AND The Mask, then you might be surprised to learn that the Jim Carrey movie is actually a retelling of a comic series of the same name. The comics, however, are not nice. Nope, I recommend you ditch all sense of love for Stanley when you read the comics. Why, you might be asking?

Because Stanley in the comics is an asshole.

I won't spoil the comic for you, but if you find it, I recommend you read The Origin of the Mask and the Return of the Mask. Both are great comics that deserve more attention. Who knows, you might be able to pull off a cross over involving them!

So, after reading the series, I got to thinking about Jaune being a bit like the Movie version of Stanley. A hopeless romantic who wants to be a hero. That led to the idea of doing a one shot where Jaune finds the mask and becomes "The Mask" himself. It would have been a one chapter story where we see him find the mask and use it in a battle against Grimm, then vow to use the power to become a hero.

It never spawned because I can't do one shots without wanting to add too much detail.

So, I got to playing games to pass the time while thought up great stories for you guys... and what came to mind? Why, the idea of Parasyte: The Maxim! A good anime, if you can stomach the... transformations. But that wasn't all that came into my head, dear viewers! No no, for it was soon joined by Splatterhouse, [Prototype], and even Hellsing Ultimate!

But how do those things come together, I hear going through your head.

My answer... read on, my friends. Read on.


Chapter 3:

New Mission, New Power

Jaune Arc stood in front of the mirror of his bathroom (until his team came back, he referred to it as "his") with a sigh. Stroking a hand over his chin, the blonde knight knew he had an issue. It had been coming up for a while now, but he'd been avoiding the issue by simply not going outside of his room. The calls about him helping out Velvet in his way had led to the rumor that he was dating Velvet. He dared not leave his room, sure that people would tease him about it. He would venture out only when he was sure he had a chance to avoid people and grab a quick meal to eat in his room. But the problem became apparent when he realized that the mission with Team CFVY was today.

The tuff of dark hair growing from his chin was going to be scraggly, which was why he took time every day to shave it off. The reason was, his mother told him about always keeping his face baby smooth, "so the right girls will come chasing after you!" Then came the horror stories, about the girls who would find his facial hair cute, then ruin him financially to the point that he would become a burden to himself. He would be so deep in debt that no one, not even the seven sisters who loved and adored their brother to death, could save. So, spurred on by the words of his (A/N: HIGHLY OVER)protective mother, Jaune spent every morning, the first hour he awoke, shaving away the fur that seemed to grow faster and faster on his chin. However, the problem came up this morning, four hours from his mission, with the discovery that he had made.

He had no razors left, and the student shop would not open until he and Team CFVY were gone for the mission.

'Man... I hate this... my chin is gonna look so gross, covered in this hair. I look like a bad cartoon character...' The knight thought to himself. However, his fingers did not stroke a massive, horrible looking beard, but a thin, distinguished goatee that grew from his chin and spread along the edge of his face slightly.. He had the bad luck of growing facial hair in only his chin, and it grew out quickly. It had gotten so bad, after constant shaving, he HAD to shave every day or else the next day would bring the hair.

Resigned to his facial fate, Jaune brushed his hands over his eyes, trying to rub the sleep out.. and pulled out more than just the sandy grit of eye scum. With a small pop, the knight lost one eye contact.. and it fell into his toilet.

"NO! Damn it all!" The blonde mourned the loss of his temporary contact, before looking into the box. Sadly, the one he dropped... was the last one. The remaining eye contact was set to be used only once, and knowing that he would rather suffer humility than one eye looking fine, and seeing nothing out the other, he sighed and pulled the contact out as well.

'Why, Oum? Why must you make this day the worst one for me? I had to volunteer for the mission... I just had to do something to make it up to Ozpin. Stupid...' Mentally berating himself, the knight pulled out the other contact and threw it in the trash, before flushing his toilet. With a sigh, the young knight walked to his nightstand and opened the second drawer up. Inside were a rather slim, handsome pair of glasses. With a groan of disappointment, the teen slipped the glasses over his eyes and rubbed his chin.

"...I feel like a hipster..."


Velvet, Coco, Yatsu, and Fox all sat on the Bullhead, either talking about the day's events, or in the case of the Faunus, thinking about what to say to Jaune to try and invigorate him on the mission. They last saw him after the meeting with Professor Port. By the time they had left, all the students were giving cat calls and laughing at the poor boy. It wasn't like that, however! Velvet knew he was just trying to be a good friend. He was only trying to stand up for her.

Now he was being called her boyfriend.

"Hey, Vel. You can stop sulking any time now. That's usually Fox's thing, being the lone wolf." Coco's voice broke through the wall of depressive shadows that the Faunus girl had put around herself. With a blush, she shook her head and woke up from her thoughts.

"Sorry about that... Just.. I was thinking about Jaune. S-stop it! (At this point, Yatsu, Fox, and Coco began 'Oooh'ing at her) I... I was thinking how I basically messed up his year here... Everyone thinks he and I are dating, but we aren't! We aren't... because I am sure he's interested in someone else. Besides, who would want me? I'm a Faunus... only another Faunus could even look at me in such a way. I'm happy with you and the others being my friends... So don't worry, ok?"

Coco and the others stared at Velvet, before Yatsu frowned and reached over to give her a rub on her hair. The muscle of their team always cared about the shy, sweet hearted girl ever since they joined up as partners. On their first day, when she had come in and was picked on for being a Faunus, the huge teen had walked over and picked her up, then wiped her tears off. Giant as he was, he was a sweet heart, and liked Velvet's smile more than anything. Course, he thought of the girl fondly for a reason: Yatsu had a crush on the girl. He liked how she always would hide her cute face into her hands. She looked so adorable whenever she walked, making her ears bob. But he didn't tell her because... well, she was his team mate, and a Faunus and a human could never be accepted as romantic partners. So, he would remain her friend.

"Sorry I am late, everyone! Had to fix myself up... but uh, things happened..." Slowly, Jaune appeared and walked about the bullhead. Coco, looking over, began to give a dismissal of his excuse... and froze, save for Fox. However, those who COULD see were stunned by the new look of the teenager, Velvet, in particular, was unable to keep her jaw from dropping down in utter shock, as Yatsu seemed to be completely thrown by his new looks. But of course, no one could voice what they thought.

No one, except for Coco.

"...Jaune?! Holy shit, you look..." The girl had lowered her sunglasses, her eyes wide with shock and slight fangirl syndrome. The blonde knight sighed and took a seat across from the others, as he checked his sword and shield. For a moment, he seemed to be debating something, before shrugging as he slid it onto his hip.

"I know, I know... I missed the shaving I should have done, and it looks awful. Plus, my eyes are kind of bad, so I have to wear contacts... but then I lost them, so now I need my glasses. I only hope that I don't lose em, because I really like these pair. Actually, I like my contacts better, because then I don't look like a nerd... but life goes on!" With that, the blonde knight gave a small, nervous chuckle.

As he settled in, Fox nudged Velvet's side. The faunus girl immediately jumped and looked at him, as the blind teen gave a "go on" gesture toward the source of his voice. With a huge blush, she remained seated, as Coco grinned slightly. She knew a good way to get Velvet to try and hang out with "her knight", and it was very simple:

"Hey Jaune? Would you let Velvet sit next to you? I think she's feeling off about the whole thing, and I trust you to take care of her. Consider it a favor from her leader."

The Faunus girl turned dark red in her face, stuttering horribly as the other two began trying to (gently) push her over to the blonde knight. Jaune, ever the obliviously sweet guy, gave a smile and nodded. Soon enough, the rabbit Faunus and the knight were seated together, As the teams sat there, Professor Port walked aboard the ship with his axe musket in hand and a twinkle in his eyes.

"Well, then, it seems our intrepid adventurers are all ready to go, yes? Hmm hmm! Mr Jaune, since this will be your first mission, you would do well to be paired. Usually on a mission, the team must split apart somewhat for the mission to be a success, but for now, you and miss Scarlatina shall be paired up together. I only ask that you two refrain from any... amourous activity. Not that I would be angry if you felt the call of your hormone driven bodies! Haha, the days of youth! I remember how, as a teenager myself, I once pursued my own teammate! Her hair was..."

And off the portly professor went on, as the others gave Jaune and Velvet a small snicker over the idea of the two of them going off together as partners... and more. Poor Velvet covered her face with her hands, humiliation flooding her face with heat, while Jaune groaned and rubbed his face.

"This is the worst thing that has happened to me today."


Jaune and Velvet walked through the forest, his hand on his sword and his shield attached to his wrist. The training with Pyrrha had been a godsend, letting him handle the weapon with ease now, but in the wake of his newfound strength, he had to admit: It had gone from being a hefty, strong hero weapon to suddenly feeling like it was merely a sheet of metal and a stick with a sharp metal end. Yes, it was a family artifact, but it felt so... useless suddenly, like he would do better without the weapon.

"So what are we hunting right now? Professor Port was, erm... not too keen on explaining that so much as details of his life. I mean, not that it bugs me that he talks so much, but... I mean, we are training to become Hunters, not hear about the exploits of others. It's... I just... Ah, sorry Velvet, I am sure you put up with it more than me..." The blonde knight ducked his head down, rubbing his hair, as the Faunus girl couldn't help but giggle.

"No, it's quite alright. Sorry about my team mates making jokes about you sitting with me. Coco got into her head that you would be like some sort of-"

"Knight in Shining Armor?"

The two of them, having spoken at the same time, stared at each other, before giving small giggles and chuckles, before the tension slowly oozed from the air.

"Eh, I can't really say I fault her... my whole life, I've wanted to be a hero, some one who would be liked by everyone. I wanted to be the kind of guy who could walk into a place and immediately brought the attention of all the girls and be super cool... But, I've never really had the confidence or the ability to... well, actually get girls to like me. Grew up with just my sisters and my parents, so it wasn't a stretch to say I was sheltered. When we would go shopping, my elder sister Calia and I, she would make sure I was 'so handsome' and what not. Heh... But when I actually met girls, I would stutter and get all worried... so then my other sisters told me ways to impress girls, and I took em to heart... but..."

Jaune sighed and looked at the ground, kicking his feet as he walked. So focused on his two feet was he, that he didn't notice when Velvet frowned and moved slightly closer. She knew all about being shy, since she was a Faunus and not very much liked. While she found friends in his team and Team RWBY, as well as her own team, she had always been picked on for being so quiet. She had begun to shut down, terrified of everyone in the world, until her team pulled her from that darkness.

"I know that feeling... B... but I have see you around Miss Schnee all the time, and you seem to really like her... Heh, you make a girl like me wish she had someone to care for her. All I am, however, is just a Faunus... just a freak with Rabbit ears." Slowly, the girl felt her eyes lower, a small amount of moisture fill her eyes as she sniffed. No matter what she tried, she knew it was true: She was just a Faunus to so many, not worth being around without the fear of-

"Hey, that's not true," Jaune said, before his arm slid over her shoulder. "You are Velvet Scarlatina, one of the sweetest people I have ever met. Ruby told me how you always are worried about offending people, but I think you have real strength. And you are super kind and say that the sweetest fruit is often found on the hardest... wait, no, that doesn't work here. Uhh, the path less traveled... No, that's not it." Soon enough, the blonde knight was puzzled over what phrase was going to work here.

Velvet stared at him, more than a little shocked over his arm around her in a comforting way, before she gave a little giggle. Soon, the giggles were stronger, growing in power and volume until she was bent over, laughing out with all her might. Never had she been able to laugh like this, and it felt incredible. Tears flowed out of her eyes, but they were from the strong, bouncy laughs, the ones once held back by so much fear and sadness. Soon enough, Jaune joined in, laughing as he held his gut. There was no real reason to laugh, but it felt nice to finally do so.

Until a low hissing filled the air. Followed by clacks and a second, higher pitched hiss.

The two hunters turned and pressed their backs toward each other, weapons in hand, as the two sources approached the massive clearing of the forest they had found themselves in. However, those sources turned out to be the worst types of Grimm Jaune had ever seen / heard about:

A massive Death Stalker climbed from the forest, its large, talon like feet stomping the ground with each step. Each inch of its claws clacked and snapped with hunger, as the tail swayed back and forth. As it stepped toward Velvet, the other Grimm slithered toward Jaune; A monstrous King Taijitsu, its many teethed maw spread wide for a bite of the knight, was approaching the knight. The two huntsman were worried, but prepared their weapons.

"Jaune, please find cover! I will attempt t-"

"No way! I am not gonna leave you to get hurt! I promised to always protect my comrades, and that includes you, Velvet! Arcs never go back on their word, so we need to find a place to get to cover. Right now, the King Taijitsu is our bigger threat, if Ren told me the truth. The Death Stalker might seem fast, but it's too heavy and we'd always know where it is. That snake, however, is the bigger issue! So, let's deal with that one first!"

Velvet looked back at him, both shocked and amazed that he could come up with a plan so quickly. However, her only response was a nod, before she undid her box from her shoulder. Opening it up, she released the Light Copy of Coco's weapon, taking aim at the King Taijitsu with a frown. But as she pulled the spool trigger to rev it, the grimm slammed forward and sent her into a tree. Immediately, the girl hit the ground with a grunt and passed out from the impact.

"VELVET!" Jaune's eyes went wide with horror, as he stared at the girl. However, in no time, the King Taijitsu was upon her, ready to attack with brute force-!

"NO! LEAVE HER ALONE!"

Jaune felt a blast of energy fill his whole body as he screamed, rushing forward with his weapons crashing to the ground. His fist pulled back, he jumped high, higher than he ever though he could jump, higher than even pole vaulters could reach. His fist tingled, before he slammed it down on the beast's head... and with a horrible squelching noise, his whole arm sunk into the brain of the black half of the beast.

For a moment, Jaune was confused by that. How could his fist, strong as it was, punch through the bone covering of a beast like that? And then he realized... his fist was no longer just a fist:

The first thing he saw was that his whole arm had changed into a black, thick creation, with dark red runes covering the whole thing. On his shoulder were massive, curving spikes, reaching very close to his face. His elbow had grown a giant pair of new blades, and that was horrible to know. Slowly, he pulled his fist out... and nearly screamed. For his fingers were gone, replaced with huge, armored like claws that were as thick as a soda can and three times as long. His other arm was the same, but this arm-

He barely saw it coming, but when he saw the other head of the creature lift up, Jaune threw his hand to cover his face. Immediately, the claws reformed into a massive blade, the elbow blades connecting with it to form a sort of giant scythe knife. The Scythe Knife blocked the whole force of the beast, causing it to scream with pain. Looking it over, Jaune blinked in horrified shock.

"...I... what... what the hell...?!"

The second head of the beast, hissing in rage, stared at him. Jaune knew he had to fight back, so he pulled his arm back.

"Life gives you a giant arm blade, make Grimm stew I guess!" With that metaphor in mind, the knight rushed forward and began to slash away. Each attack he landed on the Grimm (Which surprised him with the number. For as big as the blade was, easily as big as his body, he moved with no drop in speed or agility) was causing it to screech in agony. There was no defense for it, and when Jaune pulled the blade behind him, the creature had no time to react when he rushed forward and cut through it's neck with ease.

Huffing, the knight looked at the beast, then his arm. The blade shivered and slowly changed into the previous claw form, but the Death Stalker was not taking chances. It slowly stepped side to side, studying the knight with caution. And Jaune, feeling as though he should do the same, slowly picked his sword up, slipping the shield onto his back with a flourish. The two slowly stepped around, watching each other, like two cats stalking the same mouse, or two humans in a duel.

Slowly, the Death Stalker clicked its claws, hissing softly as if it were considering a move, then rapidly dodged to the side and attacked with its tail. Jaune, gaining confidence in his new found power, lifted his new arm up and caught the stinger. Immediately, the Death stalker tried to pull back, but Jaune could easily hold it with one hand. He wasn't going to get flung, not this time!

"...You know what? Fuck weapons, fuck Grimm, and FUCK YOU!" Jaune had never felt so much rage in his life, as he pulled back this time, causing the giant scorpion to go flying toward him. His claws slammed forward, but this time they changed into something new: Now the spikes on his shoulders slid over his whole arm, which became incredibly long and coiled, forming a sort of whip. At the end of his arm, with the blade flashing, came a smaller blade. But as he punched, the blade slid forward, faster than even he was, and cut through the center of the beast, before Jaune slipped his fist upward and whipped it back on instinct.

In moments, the Death Stalker slowly fell apart, one weak hiss escaping its body as it did so. And with that, Jaune felt his energy drained. Collapsing on the ground, he panted and huffed, confused and yet somewhat happy by this new discovery. However, he then realized how he would have to find a way to restore his arm if he could. Horror began to fill his mind once more, as he thought- and then he felt the tingle in his arm again.

Looking back down, he saw the spikes receed into his shoulder, the blades slide away, and the dark color vanished, leaving his arm bare once more. His eyes, covered by those still holding glasses, were wide with shock, before he touched his finger to the skin. It was his arm, back and whole again.

"...This is insane."


Coco, Fox, Yatsuhashi, and Professor Port were worried.

A full hour had passed since Velvet and Jaune were supposed to report in, and they began to think something terrible had happened. Even if the two had been amourous (Not that they believed it would happen, she was too shy and Jaune was too much of a dork.) they would have sent a few words or something via message. However, with nothing to know of, they were now scared.

"We need to go find them!" Coco was staring at the professor with a look of fierce determination, ready to punch someone out if she could not go out to save her team mate and Jaune. However, as Professor Port began to respond, Fox suddenly snapped up.

"I think I hear Jaune coming this way!" While he was blind, the teen could easily pick out the sounds of footsteps, voices, etc, from anywhere. And sure enough, from the dense forest, came the blonde knight. In his arms, completely knocked out (if the large and painful mark on her waist was any indication) Velvet. His eyes were cast on her, full of worry, as he stepped onto the bullhead and laid her down on a few chairs.

"Jaune?! Oh my Dust, what happened t-"

"She got hit. Death Stalker and King Taijitsu... I took care of them, though... is she gonna be alright?"

Coco and Yatsu stared in shock, as Fox stepped over and placed a hand on her chest. After a moment, he nodded at the blonde.

"Yea. She took a nasty hit to the spine, but its nothing her own Aura can't heal up. She just needs time to sit back and rest. Thanks for protecting her Jaune. I owe you one big time." The dark skinned teen lifted his fist up, and Jaune recognized the sign of the Brofist. The two bumped together and nodded, a small smile on their faces as they both took seats. Coco, sitting by Velvet, smiled at Jaune and kissed his cheek.

"Thanks, hero..."


Jaune felt like he was flying on Cloud Nine.

He not only protected a girl, but he got kissed by the fashionista herself, the powerfully charming and charmingly powerful Coco Adel, Professor Port called him a hero AND gave him extra credit for the next two months, AND he remained the nice guy! He'd even made a friend out of Fox!

Walking to his room, the Teen felt nothing could bring him down. And with the click of his electronic lock, he walked into his room for a cool shower and some sleep before dinner.

Only to discover a being standing in the center of his room, it's arms covered. It's face was covered by the same Mask Jaune had found so long ago, and it's body was surrounded by a massive billowing black cloak.

"Jaune Arc... I have come for you."


DONE! HOLY SHIT, THIS TOOK ME WAY TOO LONG!

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