A/N I like how in my last chapter I complained that it had taken me a month to get it out, now this one took even longer.
Never-the-less, I (finally) managed to get it done, so I hope you enjoy it. :)
Chapter 7: Day-trip
Alex found himself sat at a table outside on the Beacon campus under the midday sun. The blazing heat was beginning to get to Alex as he wiped the sweat from his brow. He stared down at his combat gear, leather was a bad choice. The atmosphere of dozens of students hanging around, chatting or just passing by on their way to their next class filled his ears. He looked up to the sky, the blazing sun beat down on his face, and he wished just once it would rain. He loved the feeling of rain on his skin and the sound of droplets hitting the ground.
He shook himself from his daydream and wrote a few more notes in his scroll. Two weeks had passed since his arrival and he felt now was as good a time as any to fulfill one of his duties as representative of Foresight, which was to look for potential candidates for new Foresight members. The first part wasn't hard, once word had spread that he was in search of new members (Thanks Yang), dozens of students had approached him, each asking to be considered. However there was more to it than simply asking.
First, they must complete their training at Beacon, whist this stage was optional, it was necessary to get an unconditional acceptance into Foresight's ranks. It also meant that they wouldn't need to complete the brutal three month initiation trial offered to any that wished to join but had not trained at any of the combat schools. The trial that had almost claimed his life a dozen times over and it was so harsh and unforgiving that there were nights where Alex was tempted to take his own life just to escape it all. The same initiation, which had claimed the lives of so many others.
"Lucky S.O.B's"
Second, and this was what Alex was currently in the middle of, was that their combat skills would have to be evaluated by a team leader of Foresight. He attended dozens of tournament style duels over the past week, each containing a candidate for Foresight. He was now finishing up his report for the 11th candidate.
He was snapped out of his work by a young man with a persistent sneeze sat across the table from him, he looked up at the young blonde haired knight.
"You'd think that the medical center would have something for my allergies" the young man complained.
"Jaune, I don't think many people have allergies anymore" Alex explained.
"Look, all I'm saying is that Hay fever is far more common than people think." He sneezed again, "Urgh, kill me now"
One of the first things Yang and Ruby were insistent on was that Alex met their friends. This led to the inevitable introduction to Team JNPR. An odd group of people that somehow formed a very effective combat team.
There were the two inseparable childhood friends, Li Ren and Nora Valkyrie. Ren reminded Alex of Blake, He was always very calm and Alex could see a hidden intelligence behind his magenta eyes. Alex immediately complimented him on his choice of attire as Ren, much like Alex, wore dark green clothes though Ren's style of clothing was very different from his own. Nora however was the polar opposite of Ren, energetic, hyper active and boundless enthusiasm were just a few words Alex would use to describe her. When he was first introduced to Team JNPR, Nora was the first to meet him, after over enthusiastically shaking his hand she introduced him to the rest of the team before immediately telling him all about this recurring dream she had been having. Once finished she began asking questions; where is Foresight? Where was the rest of his team? Did he really break someone's legs? Does he prefer hot chocolate or coffee?
"I think if we give this little firecracker some coffee she will either explode or travel through time"
She was only calmed down after Ren gently placed a hand on her shoulder and asked that she not 'scare the nice man'.
Then there was Pyrrah Nikos, a very composed and collected woman, who despite her apparent celebrity status;
"Remember, she's won the Mystral regional tournaments four years in a row AND finished top of her class at Sanctum"
Was very modest and patient around her friends, she was also a formidable warrior having witnessing her in a duel against an entire team and coming out the victor. Why oh why was she not a candidate?
However the young blonde haired knight, the team leader of JNPR, was by far the most intriguing of the bunch, while he was very polite and seemed nice enough, a friendly hello and a hand shake, it was his Aura that got Alex's attention.
"So what would you say if I told you about a guy whose Aura is so powerful it nearly rivals our combined Aura's? Because he's stood right in front of us."
An Aura that powerful, Jaune could one day become one of Remnants greatest hunters. However Jaune would need help along the way, as Ruby had told him that Jaune wasn't the strongest or nimblest of fighters. As such Pyrrah had taken it upon herself to train Jaune during their free time, a good first step but Alex felt that something more should be done, though at the moment he was at a loss for ideas, never-the-less he had been slowly building trust with the young knight. A hunter this powerful should have every opportunity to improve his abilities.
Alex stretched and ran his fingers through his messy brown hair, he watched as Jaune was overcome by another barrage of sneezes. A small blue light appeared over Jaune's head before expanding into a large circle, Alex watched as the glyph lowered itself over Jaune's body. Jaune, spotting the glyph froze in fear; it lowered itself to his feet before rising back up, once at Jaune's head, the glyph vanished.
"What was that?" Jaune asked out of confusion.
"That was a healing ward" they heard an Icy tone off to their side. Both Alex and Jaune snapped their head to spot Weiss, who sat herself down next to Alex. "It will stop your infuriating sneezes"
"Well…erm…thanks Weiss" Jaune stammered out, "Wait, did you just say you cured my allergies?" he asked with a mix of surprise and wonder.
Weiss however ignored him and was trying to catch a glimpse of what was on Alex's scroll. Alex pulled his scroll away.
"What do you want Weiss?" he asked. Weiss pulled back before sitting up straight.
"I was wondering how your search was going, found anyone of import?"
Alex eyed her suspiciously before pulling his scroll back out and flicking though the holo-pad, "There are good candidates here, Ozpin should be proud, a lot of capable hunters here." Weiss smiled to herself as if taking the compliment personally. "But I suspect you're here for more than to just check up on me, out with it." Weiss looked at a loss for words, it was clear to her that beating around the bush was a waste of time for him, so instead she tried the blunt approach.
"I want to be considered for Foresight"
Alex stared at Weiss with a look of surprise, he knew from the moment he saw her she was after something, but he never expected this. He turned to Jaune who was not paying attention; the young knight was absorbed in his new life without allergies, a smile of relief across his face. Alex smiled at Jaune's blissful ignorance before turning back to Weiss.
"Why?" was his first of many queries.
"I had heard of Foresight before, my father would tell me about it the few times I would get to talk to him." She lowered her voice in an attempt to imitate her father;
"Foresight is considered to be one of the greatest academies in all of Remnant, and to be accepted into their elite ranks should be a life goal worth pursuing."
Weiss looked away, "All my life I've strived to be the best at everything I do, best daughter, best student, best teammate, but the one thing I've wanted more than ever was to be the best huntress, and if going to Foresight helps me achieve that, then that is where I want to go" she finished turning back to Alex.
It was clear that this was something Weiss had been thinking about for a long time.
"Have you told the others of your plan?"
Weiss knew exactly who he meant; she stared down at her lap. "Not yet, I'm not exactly sure what to say." Alex placed a hand on her shoulder; she flinched but did not pull away.
"You'll have to tell them sooner or later, especially Ruby, I imagine she'll take the news the hardest."
"I know" Weiss was looking a little depressed and it was beginning to put Alex off, the usual icy voice and sharp tones gone.
"Look" he said flicking through his scroll, "I'll add you to the list, but I'll hold you in reserve until after you speak to your team, then decide if you really want to go" he gave Weiss a nod, who nodded back.
Flicking through his Scroll Weiss watched as he began scouring through Beacons student roster.
"You have access to our records?" Weiss asked with a little sense of worry.
"Not ALL of your records, just the important parts, name, age, build, weapon of choice, known abilities and Ozpin's personal review of your entrance exam." That last one caught Weiss' attention.
"The review of our entrance Exam?" she asked hesitantly. Alex nodded.
"Weiss Schnee's combat abilities far exceed that of most entrance students." He began. "She shows complete control over her abilities and emotions amidst overwhelming odds and she demonstrates exceptional use of glyphs making her a formidable huntress to even the most fearsome of Grimm"
Weiss was beaming, listening to the praise from the headmaster, "However…" and the smile was gone. "…Miss Schnee's combat prowess leaves little room for outside help, citing that she may prefer to handle combat on her own; this is further established by her personality. Whilst Miss Schnee is respectful to elders her attitude towards others her age is not, often snapping at them for the slightest of mistakes. If Miss Schnee can learn to respect others and learn to form bonds she will be a tremendous asset to any team." Alex finished turning to Weiss, who stared at him with a look of shock.
"That is not true!" she snapped, "You have seen me with Team RWBY, we're friends, granted, there was…some trouble at first, but we grew passed it, and I do not snap, and, and…" Alex raised his hands defensively.
"Hey, they're not my words, don't shoot the messenger." Weiss crossed her arms and pouted. "Besides, this was written during your entrance exam, I'm sure Ozpin has a very different opinion now"
She uncrossed her arms and sighed in resignation, she glanced at Alex's scroll seeing a list of his candidates. Some pretty standard names, some she would have never guessed and one that outright shocked her, her eyes widened seeing the name, she looked at Alex then back at the scroll, clear as day, halfway down the list; Jaune Arc. Weiss was about to question Alex about it when he raised a finger to his lips, signalling her to keep quiet.
"I'll tell you later" Alex whispered to her. She put her curiosity aside and nodded to Alex.
"So," Alex began, turning to Jaune and snapping him out of his blissful ignorance, "How is training going with Pyrrah?" Jaune fidgeted slightly.
"They're going good, great even. Pyrrah says my sword play has improved immensely, all thanks to her I guess." Alex and Weiss looked at each other, both sensing Jaune's lacklustre tone and his timid body language.
"What's wrong?" Weiss asked. Again Jaune fidgeted refusing to make eye contact with both of them. Reaching down by his side, Jaune withdrew his sword and placed it onto the table. Alex and Weiss stared at the blade, it gleamed under the midday sun, clearly Jaune was taking excellent care of the weapon, and Alex smiled slightly at this.
"Everyone here has really cool weapons. Sniper scythes, shotgun gauntlets, hammers that turn into grenade launchers, and you!" he spoke looking at Alex, "You have these really cool swords, I don't know what else they can do but I bet you it's awesome!" Alex smiled awkwardly at the unusual compliment. "All I have is this, a sword, it doesn't transform, and it's not a gun or a fire blade"
Alex immediately perked up, a fire blade; he knew how he could help Jaune. Alex reached over and picked up the blade and was surprised at how light the weapon was as he twisted it around eyeing it up from every angle. Holding out his index finger he balanced the blade on top of it, his finger at the joint where the blade met the hilt, the sword balanced perfectly. This wasn't your run of the mill sword; this weapon had been specially crafted by a weapon specialist. He flicked the blade up and caught it in his other hand.
"How often do you maintain the weapon?" he asked. Jaune looked at Alex in confusion. "Maintain it; sharpen, clean, oil..."
"Oh," Jaune interrupted finally getting what Alex meant, "I never do that, never had to." Alex looked at the blade again.
"Is this sword, HIS sword, made out of the same composite as Athena?" Arras chipped in; his curiosity piqued enough to add to the conversation.
"It looks that way" Alex replied aloud, his tone flat as he was too busy working out a plan in his mind. Jaune stared at Alex with a mix of confusion; Weiss however merely rolled her eyes at Alex's random answer.
Alex placed the blade back on the table, "I have an idea, Weiss could you please do me a favour?"
"Depends, what is it?"
"I need you to get your rapier, also you may want to change into some street clothes" he commented looking at Weiss' school uniform. Weiss hesitated for a moment.
"I need to change? Fine, but when I get back I want to hear this idea of yours" she spoke as she rose to her feet. Alex nodded to her and watched as she strode back into Beacon.
"Wait here Jaune, I'm going to get changed and collect my weapons" he informed the young knight, Jaune nodded his response and with that Alex headed for his room.
Twenty minutes later and Alex returned to the table to find Weiss already there.
"Nice outfit" he remarked staring at the white haired girls street clothes. Weiss was wearing a pure white dress with black edging and two columns of black buttons running down her chest. The inside of her knee high skirt contained black frills. She also wore thigh-high white high-heel boots with frilly black thigh-high stockings that come up slightly above the top of her boots. There was a print of a snowflake on her back.
Weiss smiled ever so slightly at the comment, "Your outfit is also….nice" Alex laughed at her awkwardness.
"Please, you don't need to compliment me in return"
"No!" Weiss snapped "I like your outfit, it suits you"
Alex stared down at his clothes; he was wearing a dark green leather jacket that was unzipped, with a plain black T-shirt underneath. He wore dark blue denim jeans with black skate shoes with white laces. His jeans had a dark brown belt, with a green fire emblem for his buckle.
"Well the all leather outfit wasn't working well under the sun, gets too hot" he looked at his outfit once more, "Not bad considering it was a gift from Ozpin" Both Weiss and Jaune shared a look of surprise.
"Wait, Ozpin, Ozpin, bought you those clothes?" Jaune asked in surprise, "Why?"
"It's a long story, one that I will tell another time. For now, let's focus on this idea of mine." Alex picked up Jaune's sword which was still laid out on the table. "You wish your weapon was capable of more?" Jaune nodded. "And you are willing to do whatever it takes to accomplish this?" Jaune hesitated this time, and then nodded. "Right, then I want to teach you the art of ABBE" he turned to Weiss with a smile, who stared back at him in disbelief.
"You can't be serious!" she cried.
"But I am. Weiss, a competent hunter can have the basics down in a matter of weeks, give them a month and they're able to push their limits, and we know what they can accomplish in a few years" he gestured to Weiss' rapier.
She withdrew the thin steel blade and held it in front of her, the rotating dust chamber held firmly at the base of the blade which contained six different types of dust, when powered with Weiss' aura she was able to wield the elements through the use of the rapier or power them into glyphs. Weiss turned to Jaune.
"If you're going to learn ABBE then you need to give it 110%, this isn't something you can just slack your way though." She held a menacing finger at him.
"Whoa, I don't even know what ABBE is?" Jaune shot back defensively.
"ABBE" Alex began "Stands for Aura Based Blade Enhancements; it's essentially the art of combining dust with your aura to power your weapon or create glyphs, simple." He finished. Jaune nodded slowly as he wrapped his head around the idea.
"I don't think you know what simple means" Jaune added jokingly.
"It's what I learned to power Myrtenaster. It took years of training for me to get where I am and even then I was told I was a natural, it will require much more from you." Weiss added.
"But" Alex intervened, "I only want to train you in two elements, and only to power your weapon, no glyphs, that's far too advanced and you'll need a Scribe to teach you how to create and wield glyphs. For now, we'll stick with the basics."
Weiss turned to Alex. "Well, that seems much more manageable."
Alex nodded, "Though if we do this we're gonna need a few things. First things first, we'll need a weapon specialist to modify the sword so it can hold the dust."
Weiss waved her hand, "Not an issue, the Schnee Dust Company has a Weapon Specialist in every city across Remnant and I know where to find one in Vale."
They both turned to Jaune, "So, you ready to take another step to becoming a hunter?" Alex asked the young knight. Jaune stood from the table, his blade held in his hands, he sheathed his weapon.
"When do we leave?"
The group boarded a shuttle bus that was used to ferry students to and from the city of Vale, Alex was glad that he didn't have to hike the distance like he did when he first arrived. Weiss insisted that he let her arrange private transport, perks of the rich and famous he assumed, but Alex shot the idea down.
"Leave Beacon in a limo? This girl knows nothing of subtlety"
The ride was largely uneventful, Jaune sat on his own, his blade held in his hands, lost in his thoughts. He sat on his own whilst Alex and Weiss were seated across from him.
"Are you sure this is a good idea?" Weiss asked, her eyes on Jaune, she turned back to Alex.
"This isn't about what's good; it's about what is best." He turned to Weiss, "And this is for the best"
Weiss looked back to Jaune, "There are dangers learning this technique, what if something goes wrong?" she was adamant to point a flaw in Alex' plan, whether it was out of jealousy that Jaune, someone that Weiss clearly thought was beneath her, would be learning the same technique as her, or out of actual concern, Alex was unsure.
"Then the consequences will be on me. Look, if you honestly believe that Jaune doesn't need the help then we'll get off this bus right now and head back to Beacon" he countered. Weiss stared at him for a moment; he could see the wheels spinning in her head, trying to think of a response. She eventually gave up and looked away.
"I'm just concerned, Okay."
"I get that, but sometimes we have to put our own fears aside and do what's best for others." He assured her. Weiss snorted to herself.
"What made you so wise?" she joked.
"Foresight may be gruelling but co-operation is important as I'm sure it is here, a team that can't work together is no team at all, and you need a team that has your back to face some of the monsters out there." Weiss nodded her understanding. "For today though, let's focus on our knight." They both tuned to Jaune, who was still lost in his thoughts, clutching his blade.
The trio walked the streets of Vale; Alex admired the city, as he never got to appreciate it during his late night arrival two weeks ago. The city bustled with people going about their everyday lives, the city's buildings had a more modern feel, many buildings were built from grey stone and white marble, the tall buildings loomed overhead grazing the sky. Cars drove passed along the narrow roads which broke off into dozens of directions.
"Good thing Weiss is leading the way, you'd have us lost in minutes" Arras teased.
"Shut it you, I'm not that bad with directions." Alex shot back.
"Didn't you lead us into a Deathstalkers Lair?"
"You know that was a mistake, and that had nothing to do with my sense of direction, thank you very much." Alex scoffed. He caught up to Jaune who was still clutching his blade.
"Talk to me Jaune, what's up?" he asked. Jaune sighed and looked up at Alex.
"Do you think I can do this?" Alex blinked for a moment taken back by the question.
"That's something only you can answer Jaune."
"No" Jaune shook his head, "You know me, and you know what needs to be done. Do you think I can do this?" he repeated. Alex stared at the young knight.
"Before I answer, can I ask, what's got you this way?" Jaune looked at Weiss who was a good few paces ahead.
"I heard what she said on the bus, she doesn't think I can do it. So many people treat me like a child, they doubt me. I just want the chance to prove myself, you know?"
"She's concerned, as am I. Learning ABBE is difficult and challenging. It requires concentration, stamina and most importantly self-control. I know you, and I know what is required, you can do this Jaune, I know this." Alex finished placing his hand on the young man's shoulder. Jaune smiled before looking back at his blade.
"Will my sword change much? After the enhancements, I mean?" Jaune asked.
Alex shook his head, "Not likely, he'll most likely add internal valleys on the inside of the metal, to hold the dust." Alex dragged his finger in a wavy line along the blade illustrating where the valleys would be located.
Jaune smiled at this, "Good, my great, great grandfather used this sword in the Great War. I'd hate to see it change too much." Jaune sheathed his blade.
"Sounds like a family heirloom, a lot of sentimental value in that blade then?" Alex asked. Jaune nodded.
"We're here!" Weiss exclaimed as she held her hand out to a small building inset between two larger ones. Alex eyed up the small store, unlike the other buildings in the city, this one was made from what appeared to be wood or oak. The classic veneer of the store seemed misplaced among the more modern constructs that flanked its sides. Alex stared up at the sign above the door.
"Might and Magic" he raised an eyebrow. "There's no such thing as magic."
"I imagine it's a reference to dust." Weiss added.
"Then why not just name it so?"
"Because Might and Dust doesn't have the same ring to it" Weiss countered.
"These stores and their 'catchy names'" Alex made little air quotations with his hands, "From Dust Till Dawn for a Dust shop. Gym and Tonic for a training facility. Stupid names if you ask me." He complained.
"Look, do you want to go through with this grand plan of yours or do you want to stand out here and complain about the name some more?" Weiss was becoming agitated by Alex. He shrugged and entered the store, Weiss and Jaune following close behind.
A small bell above the door jingled as the trio entered. They stared at the wide open area in front of them. The shop appeared to be much larger than it seemed, though Alex attributed that to the fact that all the weapons were stacked on the walls either side leaving the floor open, giving it the illusion of being large. Alex scanned the weapons that adorned the walls. Almost every part of it was covered with all manner of weaponry. Swords, maces, axes, even bows and crossbows. As well as dozens of weapons that looked foreign to Alex. The store was made from the same material as the storefront and it smelled of beautifully rich mahogany. On the far side of the store was a large counter with what appeared to be a door leading to another room, the door was slightly ajar, a voice bellowed out from it.
"I'll be right with ya, just give me a minute. Feel free to peruse the wares while you wait." came the heavily accented voice of the clerk.
The group exchanged glances before walking to separate parts of the shop. Weiss instinctively walked over to a large glass cabinet set into the right wall. She admired the dozens of small glass jars, each of them containing different forms of Dust. Whilst she was here she may as well stock up on supplies, she wasn't exactly running low but it never hurt to be prepared. She glanced over a bright red jar, the fine powder held within.
"Alex!" she called out. Alex, who was inspecting the arrows, came to her side.
"What is it?"
"You said you were planning on teaching Jaune in two elements. Which two did you have in mind?" she asked. Alex looked thoughtful for a moment.
"What would you choose?"
Weiss blinked for a moment, "Well, Fire and Ice are the easiest to manipulate, those would be my starting points." Alex nodded his agreement.
"Fire was my first option, I wasn't sure on the other one" he looked at the brightly coloured dust contained within the jars. "Thought it best I ask an experts opinion."
The clerk emerged from the back room, he was a large man, easily towering at 7 foot tall, with arms the size of a bears. Whilst the clerk had the figure of someone intimidating his features were kind and welcoming, the clerk reminded Alex of a friendly giant. Alex also noticed his heavily tanned skin, meaning that he wasn't local and most likely moved here from a hotter climate.
"Welcome to Might and Magic, the name's Baranabus and I…" the large man spoke with a thick accent and his voice trailed off when his eyes fell upon Weiss.
"Dove?" was all he managed to say. Both Jaune and Alex looked confusingly at Weiss whose face had come over with shock, then slowly turned into one of pure delight.
"Barney!" the white haired girl screamed, before bounding towards the large man who picked her up in his behemoth arms. Alex and Jaune stared in a mix of surprise and horror at Weiss' sudden outburst of emotion.
"I've never been so afraid in my life" Jaune whispered to Alex.
"Make it stop" he quickly whispered back. They watched as Baranabus set Weiss back on the ground.
"By the Gods girl, you sure did grow up fast" he spoke staring down at the young woman. Weiss smiled awkwardly. "Well then, aren't ya gonna introduce me to yer mates?" he asked signalling to the two men.
"Right, this is Jaune and Alex. This is Baranabus, our old weapons master at the Weiss estate." Baranabus walked over holding out his hand and Alex took it in a handshake. The shake was firm but Alex could feel the strength in his hand, he didn't doubt that the man could crush his hand with the simplest of ease. Baranabus then shook Jaune's hand.
"It's a bloody pleasure to meet ye's. Are you's fellow huntsman at Beacon?" he quizzed the young men.
"He is." Alex spoke nodding to Jaune, "I'm not from Beacon."
"Oh and where are you from then?"
"Foresight."
Baranabus stroked the stubble on his chin. "Aye, I been there once, nasty place it is." He added. Alex merely nodded not wanting for this particular road in the conversation to carry on. Baranabus noticed the lack of response and quickly moved on. He turned his attention back to Weiss.
"I was wondering when you were gonna visit me, took yer bleedin' time with it though." He chided. Weiss looked at him with a mix of confusion.
"I…didn't know you were in Vale, the last I heard you were in Vacuo." Baranabus stared at the young woman.
"You mean, your father didn't tell you?" he shook his head.
"Tell me what?" she asked, a hint of anticipation and dread at what was about to be said.
"The store in Vacuo, the one I was at, it was razed to the ground. A fire consumed it all; they think it was those bleeding bastards of the White Fang!" Baranabus was growing angry, no doubt the memories returning to him. Weiss closed her eyes and clenched her fists, a ball of anger boiling at the pit of her stomach.
"Afterwards I was offered the position here, and when I heard the beautiful Dove would be attending Beacon, how could I refuse" he added with a smile. This seemed to slightly ease Weiss and a small smile could be seen at the corner of her lips. Alex seized the moment to change the subject to something lighter.
"Weiss said you stayed at the estate? No offence, but you don't strike me as the kind of man they'd hire" Alex queried. Baranabus laughed a loud hearty laugh.
"No, I don't suppose I am." He added.
"My mother hired him" began Weiss "though my father didn't much like Barney."
"Aye, yer father is a bit of a tit." Baranabus joked, Weiss frowned at him but you could clearly see that even she was slightly amused.
"My mother though adored Barney, she took a liking to him the minute they met" continued Weiss. Alex raised a questioning eyebrow at Baranabus who quickly raised his hands.
"Hey there now, not THAT kind of liking" he leaned a little closer to Alex, "Though I'm not saying I didn't think about it." He whispered, though loud enough for everyone to hear. Weiss' frown now turned into a punch to the man's stomach, once again Baranabus laughed, Alex was sure that the large man probably didn't even feel the tiny fist of Weiss connecting with him.
"Alright, alright, nough joking around. Seeing as you weren't here to visit me…" he looked disapprovingly at Weiss who gave him a look of guilt, "That means yer here for some weaponry perhaps?" the large man queried, clasping his hands together.
Jaune stepped forward, "Hi there, the names Jaune Arc, I just want you to know that I'm not the most ablest of fighters, I'm clumsy, I'm prone to mistakes, I once thought a Deathstalker was a relic, yet these two think that somehow giving me the element of fire to play with is a smart idea" Jaune joked.
"Aye, it means they believe in you wee man, an if Dove here believes in you, then you got nothin to worry about." Baranabus assured the young knight. "So tell me what yer wantin?"
Jaune unsheathed his blade and handed it to Baranabus; the large man took the sword and immediately began examining the blade. He walked behind the counter and removed a small monocle device and held it to his right eye as he did the trio gathered in front of the counter watching Baranabus closely.
"We were hoping you could modify the weapon to hold two different types of dust?" asked Alex. Baranabus however seemed lost in his thought. A few moments passed in silence.
"Barney?" Weiss spoke. Baranabus leaned away from the blade.
"Do you know what material this is?" the large man asked as he held up the blade. Jaune looked at the others before shaking his head. "This ere is a rare material called Emmarian steel. It's strong, resilient, can be re-forged and altered without sacrificing the quality of the metal. It has a sister metal called Avarian steel. Now Avarian is lighter and can be worked into sharper blades however it cannot be altered, the metal it prone to splintering and the quality turns shite if you try to rework the metal. You chose wisely with Emmarian steel, I should have no problem making the modifications." Baranabus finished.
"Erm, I didn't actually make the weapon, it's a hand-me-down. My great, great grandfather used it in the Great War." Jaune added. Baranabus stared at the blonde knight.
"Then your great, great granddaddy planned on this blade being reworked, otherwise he would have gone with Avarian for a deadlier blade."
"Is Avarian really that good" Jaune asked. Baranabus turned his attention to Alex.
"Why don't you ask yer mate, he uses it" Alex stared back with a small mix of confusion. On instinct he reached behind his back and withdrew one of his blades. The curved, transparent blade gleamed in the light.
"Deadly as fuck it is, but you won't be able to change the weapon without destroying it. Yer arrows on the other hand..." Baranabus looked over Alex' shoulder at the arrow fletching's protruding over his shoulder. He held out his hand to Alex, who sheathed his blade and removed an arrow from his right quiver, he placed it in the large man's hand. Baranabus set to work examining the arrow, after a few seconds he held the arrow in both hands, applying pressure to its centre the arrow gave way under the man's strength. With a loud cracking noise the arrow snapped in half.
"What are you doing?!" Alex shouted. Baranabus merely held up his hand silencing Alex. The large man walked over to a large glass cabinet to his right, within it was all manner of archery accessories; from stabilizers to modified sights, Baranabus however removed one of the black arrows hooked at the top of the cabinet.
"Yer arrows, carbon fibre, correct?" the man asked. Alex nodded with a small look of anger on his face, still displeased that he snapped one of his arrows.
"He better replace it"
"Tell me" the clerk continued, "Have you noticed yer arrows cannae punch through the Grimm's armour?" he asked. Alex' thoughts immediately turned to his first fight with a Deathstalker, his arrows bounced off of the massive scorpion's armour; he may as well have been using spit balls.
"Now this" he spoke as he held up the black arrow, "Is an aluminium-carbon composite arrow" the man began to apply pressure to the centre of the arrow, to snap it like he did to Alex's. However, this time the arrow wouldn't break.
"Strong as hell but light as fuck, this arrow won't only pierce through a Grimm's armour but it'll bloody come out the other side and hit his mate behind him." Baranabus finished with a grin. Alex blinked in disbelief, he could already think of dozens of situations in his life where arrows like that would have been useful. Alex stared at the large man.
"How much are they?" he asked. Baranabus turned to Weiss who gave a small nod.
"They're on the house, courtesy of the Schnee Dust Company." The man boomed. Alex turned to Weiss.
"You're buying me a gift?"
"Both of you, actually." She added. "See to it that Jaune's request is taking care of." She spoke to Baranabus.
"Course" The large man retrieved a dozen arrows from the cabinet, Alex removed his right quiver and handed it to the clerk. Baranabus removed his old arrows and nocked the new ones, handing Alex back the quiver.
"Now the other one." Baranabus held out his hand to Alex. Alex turned to the fletching's sticking out from the left quiver.
"That won't be necessary; I don't want to replace these arrows"
The large man raised an eyebrow. Alex removed one of the arrows, it was similar to the other arrows, yet instead of an arrowhead, there was a small pyramid like tip holding what appeared to be a dark blue powder. Everyone leaned in for a closer inspection. Weiss immediately pulled away.
"Is that…?" she stammered.
"That's bloody Arc dust. What are you doing with that on yer arrow?!" Baranabus bellowed.
"What do you think I use it for, fireworks? I charge it with my Aura and unleash at my foes." He answered.
Weiss looked at him with a look of horror; "You charge it with your Aura?! Do you have any idea how unstable Arc dust is? You could kill yourself; the smallest amount of Aura could cause it to explode. How reckless are you?!" Weiss' Icy tone was back in full force.
"I'm not a child Weiss; I know what I'm doing. This is my last resort arrow; it's the only Arc one I have, the rest are other dust-tips as well as a few of my own invention." Alex retorted. Baranabus leaned away.
"That's a bloody good idea these, using dust on yer arrows, those'll ruin anyone's day, but the wee girls right, you've gotta be careful with Arc, you don't wanna blow yourself up before ye even start the fight." The large man chided.
Alex nocked the arrow back in its quiver, "A guy with my history, dying because he electrocuted himself, pretty silly way to go."
"Aye, but it'd make me laugh." Baranabus added with a grin.
"Now wasn't I supposed to make some modifications, leave me be while I do this, come back in a couple of hours and I'll show you what old Baranabus can do" The large clerk hurried the trio out of the door, and in an instant the three found themselves outside under the blazing sun.
"That is one strange man." Jaune finally spoke.
"A funny guy in my opinion, you were lucky to have a friend like him growing up." Alex added, turning to Weiss.
"I didn't have time for friends growing up, but you're right, he was as close as one came. I'm glad to have seen him again." Weiss smiled ever so slightly.
"Right" she added, the smile fading, "We have a few hours to spare, what should we do?"
"I say we show Alex around town, oh, we should take him bowling!" Jaune added with a grin.
"Maybe another time, for now let's just show him the sights." Weiss finished spinning on her heels and walking down the street. Being left little choice, the men followed her.
The sights were a little lacklustre if Alex was to tell them the truth; they showed him theatres, shops, the bowling alley, and some landmarks. They trio stopped just shy of a large warehouse looking building.
"That is the nightclub, if you're a seedy, bloodthirsty brute looking to get drunk and start a fight, that's where you go." Weiss spoke with a disgusted tone; clearly she held no love for these types of places.
"Doesn't Yang go here?" Jaune queried.
"My point exactly" she added.
"Yang goes here?" Alex asked.
"That's what I heard; apparently she busted the place up a while back, now the owner fears her and gives her anything she wants." Jaune answered. Alex gave a satisfied look, clearly this was a story he needed to hear. Weiss withdrew her scroll.
"Well it's been over three hours, I say we head back and see if Barney is done with the modifications." The two young men nodded their agreement and they set off towards the small store.
The small bell above the door jingled as the trio entered the small store, Baranabus seemed to be polishing Jaune's sword at the counter.
"I said a couple of hours, did ye's get lost or something?" The large man mocked.
"Taking a stroll through town, seeing the sights and all that." Alex replied.
"Is that…?" Jaune spoke as he approached the counter.
"Aye, it is." Baranabus spoke as he held the sword up for them to see. As Alex had predicted, not much had changed in the blade, however, the edges of the blade were a slightly lighter colour, as if hollowed out.
"Let me show you how it works." The man spoke as he walked over to one of the glass cabinets set into the wall, he unlocked the door. "Which dusts were ye's thinking?"
"Fire and Ice." Weiss replied. Baranabus nodded, removing two glass vials from the cabinet, one containing red dust, the other containing a light blue. The man held the blade with the tip pointing down.
"Now, you see here on the handle, there's a small switch." Baranabus flicked the switch, and the blade spun ninety degrees at the hilt. Two holes were now visible at the base of the blade; Baranabus began emptying the contents of the dust into the blade, a vial for each side. Once full he flicked the switch and the blade snapped back into position. He held the weapon upright, and the lighter hollowed out parts of the weapon were now coloured appropriately, one side a deep red, the other a light blue.
The large man handed Jaune back his weapon, "You'll also need these" he said as he handed Jaune another two vials of dust. "For when you inevitably run out."
Jaune stared in disbelief at his new weapon, "I can't believe I get to wield fire. I apologise in advance if I set something on fire." Jaune joked, "Or someone" he added in a much quieter tone.
"Ha" the large man boomed, "There is nothing more satisfying than setting the Grimm on fire"
"That's….a little dark." Jaune added.
"Dark?" the man bellowed in disbelief, "When the Grimm kill someone close to your heart, not only will you enjoy setting them in flames; you'll bloody laugh at them as you do it."
Jaune stared at his weapon, clearly such a dark trait was something the heart of gold knight couldn't fathom.
"In some sense, some of these hunters are still just kids" Arras pointed out, "They have a lot of growing up to do"
"And a lot of lessons to learn" added Alex.
"Now, if that's all I'll be closing up shortly" the man spoke clasping his hands together.
"We should be heading back anyway, I imagine the others will be wondering where we are." Weiss added. Baranabus pulled Weiss into a hug.
"Now that you know where I am, don't hesitate to visit me"
"I won't, I promise" Weiss released herself from the embrace.
"Now get out of here, I'm sick of looking at your faces" the man boomed in a jolly tone. The trio bid their farewells and set off towards the shuttle bus for their trip back. On the bus Jaune couldn't help but admire the newly modified weapon.
"Could you both do me a favour; if possible, could you not let anyone know about the modifications to Jaune's weapon. I think it would be best to show them when the time is right." Alex asked. Jaune and Weiss looked at one another, before agreeing to Alex' strange request.
"When do we begin training?" Jaune asked turning to Alex who was sat across from him.
"As early as possible, when are you next free?" Alex queried.
"Tomorrows Saturday, so I've got no classes."
"Then tomorrow it is. Meet me at the training centre at 10am sharp, we'll go from there." Alex finished.
"Will you be joining us?" Jaune looked at Weiss.
"I'm afraid I'll have to pass on tomorrow, I have other plans, but seeing as Alex uses his Aura to charge his dust arrows, he should be more than capable of training you."
Alex turned to Jaune with a smug grin, "Weiss just gave me a compliment."
"Yeah yeah, don't let it go to your head." Jaune quickly retorted.
The trio disembarked from the bus just outside the Beacon campus. It was getting late in the day and the sun was beginning its slow decent into the horizon, the clouds lazily trailed the sky as the sun burned the skyline a beautiful orange. The campus was a lot quieter than when they had departed, few students lounged around on the campus greens or at the tables. The group were about to head their separate ways.
"Where have you been?" The group spun to see the rest of team RWBY behind them.
"I left you dozens of messages." Complained Ruby, the young dark haired girl held a frown.
"I took a trip into town. I apologize for not letting you know where I was going, but it was a secret errand." Ruby's face immediately changed from a frown to one of joy and curiosity.
"Oh, what were you doing?" Ruby was now getting giddy.
"None of your business, and it wouldn't be a secret if I told you now, you dunce." Ruby pouted.
"There's the Ice queen we all know and love" Yang added sarcastically.
"Hey!"
"Ice queen? That's her nickname?" Alex asked.
"Oh please don't you get started to." Weiss added in frustration.
"I'm just saying, given Yang's love for puns I'm surprised she doesn't call you the 'Weiss' queen." he joked. Yang over enthusiastically slapped her thigh.
"'Weiss' queen. I love it!" The tall blonde exclaimed.
"Urgh" Weiss sighed in frustration. "You're not supposed to encourage her!"
"Why not?" added Alex, "It seemed like a 'Weiss' idea to me" Alex stifled his laugh upon seeing Weiss' face at his terrible pun. If looks could kill. Yang, Ruby and Jaune however couldn't help but laugh. Blake merely stared at Alex.
"Come on Blake, it was pretty funny." Alex pointed out.
"What's the matter Blake, cat got your tongue." Yang joked. Blake rolled her eyes at her teammate and began walking towards Beacons main hall.
"Come on Blake, Yang was only 'kitten' around" Alex called out. Yang, Ruby and Jaune now began laughing hysterically. Weiss gave Alex an Icy glare.
"After today you resort to childish behavior, I expected better from you Alex." The Ice queen sneered.
"Oh come on Weiss, my parents were killed when I was young I trained at one of the most unforgiving academies all my life and you're saying I'm not entitled to a bit of fun. Blake knows we're joking, lighten up a little." He finished.
"Oh" Yang butted in, "Get wrecked Weiss" Weiss stomped her foot in frustration, and followed after Blake. Still laughing from the bad puns, Ruby and Jaune followed.
Yang put her arm around Alex' shoulder, "Those were some good puns, I'm impressed." She began leading the young man towards Beacon. "But you have a long way to go young grasshopper."
"A long way to go."
A/N Not a very exciting chapter but it was necessary for future plots, also it was a test to see how I do with some characters personalities, so feel free to let me know if I nailed it or failed it.
Also anyone seen new episodes of RWBY? Cinders weapon perhaps? Seriously Monty you're killing me here :P
Anyway I've already started on the next chapter, got a good fight scene coming up, really excited.
Anyway thanks for reading this, see you next month (probably, most likely) Ciao :)