An Arc to the Past
Warning: Chapter contains a number of fighting scenes. This and the next chapter were once just one whole chapter. Next one also contains a number of fight sequences. Probably the reason why it took so damn long to update.
Enjoy.
Chapter 8: Test Run!
Jaune and Ruby made it to the dorms, still holding hands throughout the entire walk back. Once making it to the doors of their dorms, they stayed still and silent.
They looked to the side staring at their dorms. Ruby had a blush on her cheeks, while Jaune remained calm.
"So, uh… is this the part where we let go?" Ruby asked.
"I guess, but…"
"But~?" Ruby looked up to Jaune
"… I really don't want to." Jaune said looking down to Ruby, causing her cheeks to heat up more.
Suddenly Team RWBY's dorm slammed open.
"Hello~!" Yang called out as she, Weiss and Blake popped out of the dorm. "Need her for a moment." Yang said as she grabbed her sister by the arm, pulled her into the dorm and out of Jaune's grasp, and then closed the door. Jaune blinked his eyes as he stared at the door for a moment. He sighed, shaking his head, but remained with a smile. Jaune turned around and opened the door of his dorm room and walked right in, closing the door.
"Is she okay?" Pyrrha asked.
"She said she was sworn to secretly, when really she wasn't." Jaune said walking over to his bed.
"That's rather odd."
"She's like a kid sometimes, but one with pride. It's just how she is." Jaune said as he took a seat onto his bed.
"So how is it like on the dating scene?" Nora asked as she was hopping on her bed, while Liversnap occupied the floor next to it.
"Curious on what to expect in the near future?" Jaune asked with a smirk.
"What? No~. Why would you think something like that?" Nora questioned with her eyes looking to the side with her cheeks pink. Ren, sitting lotus style on his bed, had pink cheeks as well as he looked anywhere, but Nora and Jaune.
"Well either way, I can't give much. It's only been a few hours and all we did was walk back here holding hands." Jaune said.
"Aw~, cute! Anything else juicy~?" Nora asked.
"Pervert says what." Jaune muttered.
"What?" Nora questioned, making Jaune laugh. "What? What did you just say? Tell me!"
"That's three whats." Jaune said as he continued laughing.
"I'm confused. What's so funny?" Nora asked with genuine confusion as she stopped bouncing on her bed.
"Four times." Jaune said as he finished with a chuckle.
"He's hurting my brain. Somebody do something." Nora said with a frown.
"Just ignore it, Nora." Ren said with a soft smile.
"Well, we're going to be called out to get a mission soon anyway." Jaune said as he got up, grabbed Excalibur from leaning against a chair, changing it into shotgun mode before attaching it to his holster then did the same with Silver Eye and Arc Gold.
"You know Jaune you should leave those weapons in your locker." Pyrrha said.
"Give me a good reason why it's better and safer in there instead of with me in here." Jaune said.
"The time you forgot to bring it when we needed it in the forest. You do remember you can have it come to you with just a push of a few buttons on your scroll, correct?" Ren said reminding Jaune of the time he forgot his great sword when they needed it back when they encountered the Hunter.
Jaune gave Ren a deep frown with a pair of half lidded eyes.
"I'll think about it." Jaune said as he walked over to the door and opened it only for the group to hear the screams of Team RWBY. Jaune narrowed his eyes, grabbed the bud of his shotgun.
Team JNPR hurried over and bust right through the door to help their friends.
"What happened?!" Nora exclaimed.
"Zwei~!" Ruby cheered hopping into the air.
"Huh?" Nora questioned, but then she and the others noticed a corgi hop into Ruby's arms. "Aw~."
'Oh yeah. Zwei. Almost forgot about him.' Jaune thought with a small smile as he put away his shotgun.
"He sent a dog?!" Blake raised her voice.
"In the mail?!" Weiss questioned, as the corgi licked Ruby's face making the petite reaper giggle.
"Oh he does stuff like this all the time." Yang said.
"Your father or the dog?" Blake asked as she was suddenly on the top bunk bed, staying away from the dog.
"Aw~, he's so cute." Nora said with a bright smile as Jaune walked over and petted Ruby and Yang's dog.
"Are you telling me that this mangy…" Zwei looked to Weiss as she leaned in closer. "Drooling." Zwei panted with his tongue out. "Mutt… is going to live with us forever? Oh yes he is, yes he is." Weiss said with a smile and baby voice.
Nora, Ren and Pyrrha blinked their eyes in surprise at Weiss' sudden change in behavior as she scratched the corgi's belly.
"Please keep it away from my belongings." Blake said.
"I'm still confused on everything." Ren said.
"Ruby and Yang's father mailed him here." Blake answered.
"How?" Ren asked looking up to Blake on the bunkbed. She pointed down at the cylindrical tube on the floor. Ren knelt down, grabbing it and standing up. "In this?" Ren asked looking back up to her, earning a nod. "How is that even possible?"
"As if I know." Blake responded in monotone.
"Aw~, you are just so cute! Who's a cutie puppy? Who's a cutie puppy? You are! Yes you are! Oh he's so adorable I could just eat him up!" Nora said as she joined Weiss in coddling Zwei.
They all suddenly heard rapid stomping making them turn to see a charging Liversnap. Pyrrha and Ren quickly dodged in time as the Ursa ran up to Ruby. Jaune and Yang quickly got in front of Ruby ready to defend her as Liversnap then roared.
Zwei hopped out of Ruby's grasp, now standing on all fours in front of the Ursa barking at it. Liversnap narrowed its eyes down at Zwei who narrowed his own eyes back.
They were officially in a standoff.
Nobody knew what was going to happen.
Liversnap immediately moved away only to press his head against Nora.
"Oh…" Jaune noticed the door to their room was wide open with Saber standing at the doorway. "I guess he was just jealous." Jaune said.
"Aw~ Liversnap, you know you'll always be mommy's special beast." Nora said with a big smile as she hugged Liversnap's head, scratching his cheek and behind his right ear, making him pant with a tongue out indicating he was very happy to gain his master's attention again.
"Aw~, so sweet." Ruby said with a smile.
"I don't believe it… I've prepared for anything weird I might come across to have an occupation of a huntress, but this… I think this would even leave my sister speechless." Weiss said with a gaped mouth and her arms slumped.
Jaune smiled. He had to agree with Weiss. He's now living two life times and he has never seen a sight like this. Then again he still died pretty young back in his old timeline… shaking off the dark thoughts, Jaune turned to notice Saber staring at them stoically.
"You want in on this?" Jaune asked with a smile. Saber just moved back behind the door and kicked it closed. Jaune stared at the door with a deadpan expression, while Yang, Weiss, Ruby, Ren and Pyrrha stared with surprised expressions. "That cat." Jaune said shaking his head.
"Well he has a bit of an attitude problem." Weiss said.
"He's just a little prideful. Actually in a way, he's kind of like you, but without the mean comments from time to time." Jaune said, earning a glare from Weiss. "I said 'from time to time'. You really stepped up from doing it constantly." Jaune said with a thumbs up.
"I do not know how you can at times be one of the nicest men around and yet at the same time be the biggest jer-"
"Sh." Jaune shushed Weiss as he turned his head to the side.
"Don't you shush me! That's extremely rude." Weiss scolded Jaune.
Jaune remained silent as he listened out for something.
"Footsteps. Hurrying this way. Hide the bear." Jaune said, causing everyone's eyes to widen.
Coming down the hall were a pair of students not from around Beacon.
They found a door opened and rushed in.
"What happened?!" A tall dark skinned green haired teen with a tattoo of a black wing on his left pectoral said as he held a giant sword in his hands. His companion has red hair that comes down over his right eye, with a complete undercut, several red markings around his left eye and a red military pelisse-like jacket draped over his left side; he also had a cutlass in hand.
Teams RWBY and JNPR looked to them.
"Nothing. My teammate Nora here was giving us her best impression of an Ursa." Jaune said.
"… Well that was insanely realistic." The tall green haired of the two said.
"Aren't you two part of Sun's team?" Jaune asked.
"Yeah. I'm Sage, and this is Scarlet." The tall dark skinned green haired teen introduced himself as Sage and his scarlet haired teammate was… Scarlet.
"What is that?" Scarlet asked pointing his cutlass at a blue tarp that was tall and bumpy.
"Oh, Weiss here said that it was supposed to be a new coatrack for her team's dorm, but since Yang called dibs on building it… let's just say she needs to take some lessons." Jaune lied, but that earned him a punch in the arm from his fellow blonde. "Ow!" Jaune rubbed his arm to sooth the pain.
"Weiss is right. You can be a jerk." Yang said with half lidded eyes and her arms crossed.
"Thank you." Weiss said with a small smile and head held high as she had her fists to her hips.
"So why are you guys here anyway? Shouldn't you be in the exchange students' dorms with Neptune and Sun?" Ruby asked.
"That's the problem. That blond hellraising idiot dragged Neptune to Monty knows where and we can't find them before the mission selections."
'They're probably over at the amphitheater waiting it out to get the good missions straight from the beginning, like that Junior Detective one they bragged about. They just probably brushed that idea aside because it doesn't sound like something Sun would do.' Jaune thought with a thin mouth.
"Even though he's strong, that blonde monkey moron likes to stray from the rest of us to do God knows what with a devil may care attitude, getting into trouble like it's a hobby." Sage continued to complain.
"Sounds like someone we know." Weiss said with her arms crossed looking to Jaune with half lidded eyes.
"Please don't compare me to him like that." Jaune said with a dull expression.
"Sun isn't really that bad of a guy." Blake said, defending Sun, as she hopped off of the top bed, only to notice a happily barking Zwei in front of her, causing her to give out a cry and hop back onto the top bunk.
"Yeah, but to me it kind of sounds like comparing myself to someone like Yang." Jaune said pointing a thumb at Yang, only to get slugged harder in the arm by said blonde. "Ow!"
"You know the more you take a jab at me, the more painful those are going to get." Yang said with a frown, half lidded eyes and her arms crossed, not caring that Jaune was now glaring at her as he rubbed his sore arm. "Huh. Look at that. This guy has a bigger sword than you." Yang pointed out, as a way to take a jab at Jaune for his small insults to her.
"It's bigger in girth actually. Other than that similar in size." Weiss pointed out cupping her chin in between her thumb and folded index finger.
"Still bigger." Yang simply said.
"It's never the size that counts. It's how you use it." Jaune said as he instinctively grabbed his belt and pulled up his pants a bit.
"Plus Jaune's 'second sword' is probably still bigger."
"Nora!" Jaune shouted, making his teammate flinch with fear.
"I was just trying to help." Nora said, feeling fear from the prospect of angering Jaune. Ruby gasped.
"What second sword?! Let me see! Let me see!" Ruby said with excitement and sparkles in her eyes as she grabbed Jaune's arm, hopping in anticipation. Poor girl was too innocent to get the innuendo like all the others, while the entire female population of the group blushing red.
Jaune was no better, as his cheeks were as red hot as a glowing red pipe. He turned his head and gave Nora a disapproving glare, causing the Valkyrie to take a step back as she had a scared, nervous grin on her face.
"Wait… are we talking about Crocea Mors? Because it's not… that big." Ruby said, stopping her bouncing.
"I think Nora actually meant Jaune having a 'third' sword." Yang said.
"Yang!" Weiss shouted with a disapproving glare.
"Sorry, sorry, it was a reflex!" Yang quickly said with her hands up in defense.
Ruby all the while was very confused.
"Would all first year students please report to the Amphitheater?" Glynda's voice was heard through the speakers throughout the school.
"That's us. Sun and Neptune better meet us over there." Sage said as he turned and left with Scarlet in tow.
"… I bet the shorter one plays for the other team." Yang said as they two were out of hearing range.
"I'm sure he just looks 'funny'." Jaune said, bring up his fingers to do air quotes for the word 'funny', with Ruby being lifted up from the ground as she was still hanging on to her boyfriend's arm. 'Then again how would I know? The most I remember of that guy is the time he faced off against Hyena Blots and said 'I'm gonna send you flying pass the edge of Neverland'. What the hell did that even mean? Oh also I remember the good ol' nut meeting nuts in the tournament.'
Nora pulled off the blue tarp to reveal Liversnap standing still on one leg with his arms out.
"A~~nd unfreeze!" Nora said as she poked Liversnap's nose, allowing the Grimm to return to all fours. "Who's a good Liversnap? You are! Yes you are!" Nora said with a grin and baby voice as she coddled Liversnap, who was licking her face. Nora then took out Liversnap's collar and tied it on allowing him to be disguised as a regular bear again. Nora then hopped onto Liversnap's back. "Now off! To the big place with the stage!" Nora exclaimed, pointing ahead. "Away~~!" Nora cheered as Liversnap ran out the door and ran down the hall.
"Hey wait, since Nora can take Liversnap, I can take Zwei with us!" Ruby cheered.
"I don't think that's smart." Blake said.
"Aw~. Why not~?" Ruby whined with her bottom lip out.
"Well one, I think it's obvious that after the dance, Miss Goodwitch has limited patience when it comes to having pets at school."
"If her constantly glaring at Liversnap was anything to go by it." Jaune added.
"And two… that dog doesn't look right for the field." Blake said pointing to Zwei as the pup stared up at her with his tongue out, making the cat Faunus feel uncomfortable by the way he is looking at her.
"What are you talking about?" Ruby asked with a stern expression and fists to the hips.
"Ruby, your pet… is a simple dog. Nora and Jaune are allowed to keep Liversnap and Saber around because not only are they more dominating than they are, but because the two are creatures built for battle." Weiss explained.
"Technically it's to dispose all source of life just because it's what they want." Jaune interjected.
"Regardless, they are meant to fight in fields of danger. He isn't." Weiss said pointing to Zwei, who turned his head to her, panting with his tongue out.
"Then you don't know Zwei." Yang said.
"Well this is our first meeting." Weiss countered.
"Regardless, our family kicks ass." Yang said, referring to herself and Ruby. "So of course a kick ass family needs a kick ass dog. Zwei can be a Grimm's worst nightmare."
"Jaune is actually more of a Grimm's worse nightmare." Blake said, referring to Jaune's unique semblance to destroy all Grimm with a simple touch of his aura.
Jaune walked over to the panting Zwei, knelt down and started petting his head.
"I don't mind sharing the privilege." Jaune said with a smile as he continued to pet a very happy Zwei. 'It's really good to see you again, buddy.' Jaune thought as his smile widened.
"I don't mean to be rude, but shouldn't we get a move on. I believe all the missions are first come first serve." Pyrrha said.
"Agreed." Weiss said with a nod. She then looked to Zwei. "Although, with him, we can't exactly leave him here while we're gone for a week."
"There's a letter in here." Ren said, noticing a letter within the cylindrical package that Zwei supposedly was mailed within (I don't know, he's still skeptical on the whole thing, with it being a middle finger to physics), took it out and handed it to Yang.
"Dear girls, I've got to leave the island for a few days, so I'm sending Zwei to you to take care of. Enclosed is all the food you should need. Love you both, Taiyang." Yang read the letter aloud.
"Hmm?" Ren was confused. What food? Ren looked within to find nothing, but when he turned the cylinder package over, lots of cans of food came out. Okay, that is an even bigger middle finger to physics. Ren was genuinely confused.
"What is he supposed to do with that?" Weiss questioned, gesturing to the food as Zwei walked over.
Suddenly a can opener fell out of the package as well.
Ren looked to Jaune with confusion, desiring answers to this. All he got was a shrug. Apparently there are some family secrets even Jaune Arc does not know.
"Well, that settles it. Come on girls, and others-" Jaune and Ren looked to Yang with dull expressions. "Zwei will be here when we get back." Yang said as she walked away.
"Oh I'm going to miss you so much! We're going to be best friends. I can't wait to see you again. You're so cute." Weiss said coddling Zwei a bit with a baby voice, while Blake carefully hopped off of Ruby's top bunk, landed atop of a desk only to immediately hop off, causing only a lamp on the table to wobble a bit.
"He does look to be a very sweet dog." Pyrrha said as she knelt down and scratched Zwei's chin, earning her a lick on the cheek, making her the Mistral Champion giggle.
"I uh…" Ren looked to the package in hand. "I better go make sure Nora and Liversnap don't cause a stir." Ren said, placing the cylindrical package onto the desk Blake hopped off of and headed out the door with Pyrrha following, who gave one last wave to Zwei.
Ruby and Jaune looked down to Zwei, who in turn looked up to them with his tongue out to the side as he panted.
"Sit." Jaune ordered pointing down. Zwei obeyed and sat. "Paws up." Jaune said kneeling down with a wave of his hand, causing Zwei to bring up his front paws. "Shake." Jaune ordered, extending his hand. Zwei gave him one of his paws into his hand. "Good dog." Jaune said with a smile as he shook Zwei's hand and petted the top of his head with his other hand, earning a bark from Zwei.
"Whoa. I never thought he could be so obedient. Then again dad did send him to obedience school." Ruby said. "You know this might sound weird, but… I swear I thought I once saw him on a type writer making a novel."
Jaune turned his head to his girlfriend with wide eyes and a moment of silence.
"What kind of obedience school can teach a dog to do that?" Jaune asked with genuine curiosity.
"Eh. I don't know. I lost the brochure a long time ago." Ruby said with a shrug.
"Well… either way, I'm guessing you won't be leaving him by himself." Jaune said.
"You know me so well." Ruby said with a smile. "Oh! Idea!" Ruby walked over to the closet door, opened it and pulled out a Beacon Academy book bag. "Do not tell anyone about this. As my boyfriend I am telling you not to tell anyone this under any circumstance." Ruby said pointing to Jaune.
"… Okay." Jaune just shrugged.
"Here Zwei. Into the nice bag. We're going for a ride." Ruby said with a smile, kneeling down with the top of the book bag open. Zwei gave a cute bark and hopped right in. "Good boy!" Ruby cheered in a bit of a baby voice as she stood up. "Oof. Dad's definitely been feeding him since we left." Ruby said as she put on the book bag.
"I'm gonna go get Saber." Jaune said.
"You sure he'll come with you?"
"I'm not leaving him alone. Not after that close call a few moments ago." Jaune said as he exited the dorm, with Ruby following. Jaune opened his dorm door again, while Ruby closed her own. "Come on Saber, we've got to go." Jaune said to the Grimm kitten, currently laying on Jaune's bed. Saber gave an annoyed cat groan. "I know, I know that you don't like going to places where there is no food or guaranteed battles, but after that close call with monkey boy's teammates, I don't want to take the chance of anyone coming in and finding you as the way you are." Jaune said grabbing Saber's collar. "Come on." Jaune said kneeling in front of his bed.
Saber rolled his eyes, before standing up and allowing Jaune to put on his collar, turning him into a regular black kitten with stripes.
"Thanks buddy." Jaune said as Saber then hopped onto his shoulder.
Jaune walked out the dorm and closed the door behind himself. He and Ruby started walking down the hallway. Ruby's cheeks started to heat up.
"Uh… so are we… supposed to hold hands again?" Ruby asked with a sense of nervousness.
"We don't have to do it all the time. Just when it feels right." Jaune said with a smile.
"Okay. Cool!" Ruby said with a smile, feeling relieved as her cheeks returned to their normal coloring.
Right now the two just enjoyed walking beside on another. That was more than enough for them.
!
!
Teams RWBY and JNPR arrived at the amphitheater where everyone was lined up. The whole place was filled with sounds of talking.
"Quiet. Quiet everyone." Glynda said through the microphone.
Ruby walked over to where the bags of other students were and placed her book bag with Zwei in it, with the others. Jaune was tapped her shoulder making her look to him to see him pointing somewhere with a smile. Ruby looked over to see Nora trying to keep Liversnap by the bags.
"Stay." Nora said with a hand up. Liversnap moan, leaning forward. "No, stay." Nora said leaning her hand forward. Liversnap moaned. "Stay~." Nora said. Once it looked like Liversnap got it, she started walking away, but noticed Liversnap take a step forward. "Stay!" Nora shouted, causing Liversnap to cease. She narrowed her eyes and puckered her lips, not convinced he understood.
Ruby couldn't help, but giggle, while Jaune smiled, but a small bark from Zwei was heard, causing Ruby to quickly clam him down with a shush.
Nora slowly turned around and started walking away, but Liversnap took a few steps forward.
"Force field~!" Nora suddenly said, turning around with a hop and waving her hands in front of herself in a mime fashion, as if there was an invisible wall between her and her pet. Liversnap tilted his head to the side with confusion, then took a step forward. "Freeze!" Nora shouted pointing at Liversnap, causing him to freeze during mid-step. Nora walked over and laid a kiss atop his head, before turning and walking away.
"What was that about? I thought you would want him to join the line." Jaune said as he and Ruby were walking with Nora to meet their teams.
"I did, but Miss Goodwitch said that he has to stay a good distance from the crowd so as not to frighten anyone, because having a pet bear might 'intimidate' people or 'draw too much attention'. So what? He's a bear and I trained him in just three days! But no~. She had to use that scary glare of hers that makes yours look like that of an annoyed grandpa." Nora complained with her bottom lip out and her arms crossed.
"Well I can't fault you on that. To this day, there has never been anyone more intimidating and scary as Glynda Goodwitch." Jaune said.
"And there never will be." Nora added.
"Y~up." Both Ruby and Jaune said in unison.
Saber hopped off of Jaune's shoulder and walked over to Liversnap, deciding to keep him company.
Teams RWBY and JNPR were lined up, ready to hear out their headmasters.
"Professor Ozpin would like to share a few words before we begin." Glynda said, before handing things over to the headmaster.
'I'm gonna tune this out.' Jaune thought.
'Are you sure that's a smart move?' C Ozpin questioned mentally.
'I'm a veteran huntsman. I may have never graduated from Beacon the proper way, but I've faced enough terrors and achieved a higher plain of strength, power, intelligence and mental fortitude. Plus fifteen years of experience under your belt helps.' Jaune thought with a proud smile, but then he frowned. 'Wow… fifteen years… a long time when you say it out loud, but feels so short… especially upon realizing that's how close the end of life was.' Jaune thought with a frown.
Suddenly he was nudged by two people, bringing him back to reality.
"Pay attention." Pyrrha and Ruby said in unison.
C Ozpin mentally laughed.
'I told you it wasn't a smart idea to tune things out.' C Ozpin thought with a mental smile.
'Always them.' Jaune thought as he made a horse lips noise with his lips.
'Take this as another lesson, Jaune. It is always important to remember your past, but it is especially important to pay attention to your present.' C Ozpin lectured, causing Jaune to sigh.
'And here I thought I was done with lessons after that day.' Jaune thought with a small frown.
'Well… you're never too old to learn something new.' C Ozpin responded.
Once again Jaune sighed.
"Bored, huh?" Yang asked with a smirk.
"More tired than bored." Jaune responded, scratching his cheek. Jaune decided to listen to the rest of Ozpin's speech.
"On this day, nearly eighty years ago, the largest war in recorded history came to an end." Ozpin spoke.
"The largest in your time maybe." Jaune muttered in a low tone.
"What was that?" Nora spoke up, being the only one who heard him.
"Pay attention Nora." Jaune said, resuming his attention to Ozpin, ignoring Nora's narrowed glare.
"You're one to talk." Nora said with a pout and arms crossed.
"It was a war of ignorance, greed and of oppression. A war that was about much more than where borders fell and who traded with whom, but about the very idea of individualism itself. We fought for countless reasons. One of which being the destruction of all forms of art and self-expression. And as you are all aware that is something many could not stand for. As a result, those who oppose this tyranny began naming their children after one of the core aspects of art itself. Color. It was their way of to demonstrate that not only would they refuse to tolerate this oppression, but neither would the generations to come."
Jaune closed his eyes as he remembered… his last day with his kids. The last time he saw them… even with amateur weapons… they refused to go down without a fight; even when surrounded by countless Grimm. He had never been more proud. He just wished he could have had the chance to tell them so.
A lone tear escaped his eye.
"And it was a trend that is held to this very day." Jaune opened his eyes. "We encourage individuality, expressionism, and unity. Through diversity. As I have said, today we stand together, united. But this bond cannot exist without effort." Jaune looked to his open hand. "Which is why today while the rest of the world celebrates peace, Huntsman and Huntresses will work to uphold it." Jaune tightened his hand into a fist. "As first year students, you will be tasked with shadowing a professional huntsman or huntress, on a mission. Some of you may be taken out of the kingdom for several days. Others may work within the walls for the rest of the week. But no matter which path you choose, remember to be safe, remember your training, and remember to do your very best." Ozpin finished with a smile as he walked off followed by the audience clapping.
Jaune sighed with his eyes closed.
'Easy and inspiring in words. Hell of a different thing in life, but that's what everyone is prepared for.' Jaune thought as he started making his way over to the missions lists. Jaune walked over and looked to all of them with bored expressions. 'Boy this is all underwhelming.' Jaune thought.
"WE'RE GOING TO BE DEPUTIES!" Nora popped next to Jaune, riding atop of Liversnap again, screaming with glee and excitement. Liversnap had more control than his master to just give a simple small roar.
Jaune's eyes were wide, with his left eye twitching.
"Nora, please don't do that again. I need a left eardrum." Jaune calmly said.
"Ren found a mission where we go to a village and help a sheriff tomorrow. He seemed very excited about it." Nora said with a grin as Jaune rubbed his eardrum. He noticed Ren and Pyrrha walk right over.
"Sorry about not discussing things with you, but I thought you wouldn't mind." Ren said.
"Nah, its fine. Any mission is alright." Jaune said, crossing his arms with a shrug. Suddenly someone bumped his shoulder. Of course it would be none other than Vlad. Jaune calmly glared at him, while his greatest enemy paid him no mind and just selected a mission. Once done, he walked away with a calm smile. Jaune noticed what he chose. "Excavation?" Jaune questioned to himself.
"Huh. Your mortal enemy looks more like the search and destroy kind of guy." Nora said.
"Yeah, you're not really wrong there." Jaune said, looking to Vlad's retreating form.
"Liversnap?" Everyone turned to see Nora looking down to her pet disguised Ursa, staring at Vlad, but in a sense, looking hypnotized. "Liversnap, what's wrong? You're not usually like this." Nora said shaking Liversnap, starting to get worried. "Something's wrong with Liversnap." Nora said. "And Saber!" Nora exclaimed pointing at Saber, who was next to Jaune's feet staring at Vlad's retreating form.
'They're responding to Vlad's semblance. Nothing new to me, but to Nora and Pyrrha… can't take any chance, even if it does expose that bastard.' Jaune thought as he brought his hand up and then suddenly a flash of golden light flashed from his hand for a moment, causing Liversnap to stand up on his hind legs and shake his head of dizziness, while Saber screeched with his hair standing up and ran off. Liversnap stomped his front legs back onto the ground and gave a bellowing roar at Jaune. "Enough!" Jaune shouted pointing at Liversnap with a stern expression, causing the disguised Grimm to silence with a far off expression as if nothing happened.
"Don't do that to Liversnap! I don't care if you are our leader, if you dare do that to him again, I'll-"
"Cease!" Jaune exclaimed, now pointing his finger at Nora, causing her to now be silent with a far off expression. "Wow, I have a lot of power with this thing." Jaune said looking to his finger.
"Then please use it responsibly… and try not to do so with Nora." Ren said.
"I'll try. Although no promises with the last one." Jaune said. He noticed Nora and Liversnap were still, still and silent. Looking to his hand with a raised eyebrow, he snapped his fingers, causing the two to jerk their heads up and blink their eyes.
"And another thing! I… where have I been for the last few seconds?" Nora wondered with wide blinking eyes.
"Is this yours?" Yang's voice was heard, causing the team to turn to see Team RWBY walking over, with Yang pointing her thumb to Saber, who was in Blake's arms.
"Yeah. Sorry about the flash buddy, but you were kind of in a creepy trance." Jaune said with an apologetic smile, rubbing the back of his head.
Saber was not feeling forgivable, as one could tell by his narrowed glare. He hopped out of Blake's arms, walked right over to Jaune's right sneaker, lifted his leg and went number one on it, causing Jaune to hop back with a shout of protest, while the others looked surprised, then Ruby, Yang and Nora laughed, while Blake and Weiss giggled.
"I love that cat of yours." Yang said with a grin as Saber finished, kicking up his hind legs after done.
"Yeah, he's a real keeper." Jaune said through gritted teeth and an annoyed expression, while Saber raised his head and tail up high and trotted away, lying next to Ruby.
"I never knew cats hate flashes." Nora said, as Ruby knelt down and gently scratched Saber's head. "Wait… do they?" Nora asked. All eyes looked to Blake, who glanced side to side.
"Seriously? Just because I'm… THAT, you all expect me to answer a question like that?" Blake questioned, unamused with her hands to her hips and eyes narrowed. Everyone just continued to stare. Blake sighed. "Yeah. Pretty much. Especially when we don't see it coming." Blake just answered.
"Ah~." Nora said with an understanding nod.
"What was the flash?" Ruby asked.
"Jaune's hand." Nora answered.
"Took a nice picture with that?" Yang joked with a smirk.
"We're getting off topic. We're looking for Search & Destroy." Weiss said.
"Oh~, why didn't we pick that one?" Nora asked with a grin.
"Being deputies is fine." Jaune said with a shrug. "Besides, sometimes it's easier to kill Grimm than to take down notorious criminals."
"I heard that." Yang said, with Blake nodding in agreement.
Ruby walked over to the Search & Destroy listing, which was coincidentally right in front of them.
"Here we go. Quadrant 5 needs clearing out." Ruby said.
"That's Mountain Glenn." Jaune said.
"You know it?" Ruby asked, turning to her boyfriend.
"Not a nice story. Originally supposed to be an expansion of Vale that should have thrived, but turned into a Grimm nesting ground. It was the first attempt to expand, complete with an elaborate underground metro system for people to use to go to and from both the main city and the expansion." Jaune said, catching Team RWBY's attention when mentioning the underground metro system. "It was a nice idea, but the downside was is that it never had the natural barriers that Vale did, so Grimm just came waltzing in daily attacking the masses until it was completely overwhelmed. People tried hiding in the tunnels originally meant for their subway system, turning it into a settlement, but one explosion later and they were overwhelmed again by subterranean Grimm, like Creeps. Vale had to permanently close off the tunnels, creating the world's largest tomb." Jaune finished his explanation, making both teams feel saddened by what had transgressed in the past.
"How awful." Weiss said with a deeply saddened frown.
"Very true." A voice spoke, causing most to flinch to see Ozpin. "But that's why it is always important to learn from such dark experience, so it can never happen again."
"I'm guessing that means there are no other expansions for Vale." Nora said, earning a shake of the head from Ozpin, verified as a 'no'. "Okay."
Ruby selected the mission and typed in her team's name, but the computer rejected them since apparently it was a mission reserved for teams who weren't first years.
"Aw~." Ruby whined.
"What the heck?!" Nora exclaimed.
"Unfortunately we determined that the concentration of Grimm was too extreme for first year students. It seems that particular region is rather popular." Ozpin explained.
"To the huntsman and trainees or the Grimm?" Jaune asked.
"Rather both it seems." Ozpin said. "In fact, I have the sneaking suspicion that the four of you…" Ozpin pointed to Team RWBY. "Will make your way there no matter which job you choose." Yang, Blake and Weiss looked to Ruby, who rubbed the back of her head with a nervous smile, remembering she told Ozpin about how she 'heard' the night guy from last night about a hideout in the Southeast.
"Whatever makes you say that?" Ruby asked, acting innocently.
"I'm still rather curious as to how you all found yourselves at the docks last semester, and also about over a week ago." Ozpin said, taking a glance at Team JNPR, who acted casual and innocent like their sister team right now. "I'm interested to know how you really learned about a "hideout" in the Southeast, and I certainly wonder why witnesses reported seeing robots and rose petals in a dance club some time ago."
"Uhhmm… uh-well…" Ruby was in a pickle.
'Man you really enjoy milking things like this.' Jaune thought, speaking with C Ozpin, making him chuckle.
'Just a small sense of joy from years of life filled with some boredom and grief.' C Ozpin responded mentally.
"I doubt I'll ever find the exact answers I'm looking for." Ozpin said with a coy smile. "So… how about this. Instead of waiting for you all to break the rules, why don't we just bend them?" Ozpin pressed a few buttons on his scroll pad, causing the mission to be override so Team RWBY could take up the mission.
"Whoa… best headmaster ever." Nora whispered.
"We won't let you down." Ruby said, turning to Ozpin with an appreciative smile. "Thank you, Professor."
"Do not thank me for this. Teamwork and persistence have carried you far, but you must understand, the things that await you beyond the protection of the kingdom will not care. Stay close to your huntsman at all times, and do exactly as he says. He will be leading you on this mission, and he can have you sent back to Beacon, if he finds your skills to be unsatisfactory." Ozpin warned as he started walking away, bumming out not only Team RWBY, but also JNPR. "Good luck. Oh, and Mr. Arc, please come with me."
"Hmm?" Jaune looked to Ozpin with a raised eyebrow.
"Young Alexander would like to give the project you two have been working on a test run and would like your assistance to see if it is truly ready." Ozpin explained. Jaune blinked his eyes, surprised by the prospect to see if 'that' is ready. He nodded and followed Ozpin, but stopped and turned to see Saber still lying on the ground next to Ruby's feet.
"You coming?" Jaune asked. Saber remained silent with his eyes closed. "You know Reebok. He always makes really powerful weapons and tools. Certainly not boring." Jaune said with a smile. Saber opened one eyes looking at Jaune, before opening the other and rolling his eyes. Saber stood up and followed Jaune and Ozpin.
"I know he's obviously different from all cats, but he is pretty…" Weiss tapped her chin.
"Catty?" Nora questioned, causing Weiss to sigh.
"Not only would that make a terrible pun, but the word you used is also inaccurate to describe him… completely." Weiss said with her arms crossed.
"Oh, well someone is a smarty pants." Nora said, earning a glare from Weiss.
"Saber is… well… prideful. You tend to know a creature the longer you are with it and so far from what we can tell, Saber is like that of a warrior always on the prowl for a hunt. By no means lazy, but just bored when battle or a risky situation does not present itself. That is why he always tends to stay in the dorm at all times, except when to feed. In a way, he hunts. Not just to find food, but to feel the thrill of the hunt with risks and dangers. Which explains why he infiltrates the kitchen so often, despite there being people who will try and attack him when he tries to steal their supplies." Pyrrha explained.
"But he's still reliable, right?" Ruby asked.
"Oh of course. Despite his stoic and slightly rude demeanor, he is a loyal friend like any other, and rather much a bit of a sweetheart." Pyrrha said.
"True… but Liversnap is a bigger sweetheart!" Nora said hopping off of Liversnap and hugging his head, earning happy licks from her disguised Ursa, making her laugh with glee and a grin.
"… I… that Ursa is still an enigma to me." Weiss said, still not understanding how an Ursa, a soulless beast could understand and show genuine love and compassion, especially to someone as eccentric and kind of violent like Nora.
!
!
Jaune followed Ozpin into the elevator, where he, the headmaster and Saber took it down to… the Vault. Not to be confused with the one that held the relic of Vale, but one that contained something, or shall we say someone, equally important.
The elevator door opened. The three walked in.
Jaune remembered this place. He hated this place. This is where one of his greatest failures occurred. His greatest one in his actual youth. Jaune sighed shaking his head.
"Something wrong?" Ozpin asked.
"You're not the only one who made major mistakes in his past." Jaune said with his hands in his pockets. Ozpin closed his eyes and nodded with sympathy.
The two continued on. Jaune saw the same machine from what felt like ages ago.
There resided two containers and a control pad in the middle. One was vacant and the other contained Amber, the Fall Maiden, or at least half.
Jaune felt bad for her. Cinder deserved the worst of it all, along with that douchebag Vlad. If there was ever a way to help her, he wished he could think of it now.
C Ozpin still felt the lingering sense of guilt when it came to Amber… and Pyrrha. He actually was thinking up a plan that could be very beneficial to the future.
Ozpin walked passed the machinery, causing Jaune's eyebrow to raise, before he continued to follow, with Saber staying close by Jaune.
"I'm guessing you've never been farther in here than this." Ozpin said.
"Good guess." Jaune said.
"Well you see, before our unity between the four kingdoms, the underground was not originally meant for this, as you could see. Originally this part of the tower was a shelter in my heyday as the Warrior King. Well, before I officially inherited the crown. And yet there is still a level deeper than this. One I thought I never be able to see again." Ozpin said.
"How deep is this tower?" Jaune questioned with surprise.
"There are a few more levels." Ozpin answered, causing Jaune's now wide eyes to blink. "Luckily we are just going down by one more."
"How much do you trust Reebok?" Jaune asked.
"Well I will admit I did not see that question coming next."
"You said we were going to meet him to test the Arc Knight some more. You have to trust him a lot to actually allow him to see and know all this." Jaune said.
"How could I not trust him so well? He is putting much effort into all this. It amazes me on how much he can do in such a limited amount of time."
"Never a truer sentence has been uttered about a young student. Kid can make a device that could have a thousand uses in this world in just ten seconds. He can go far if…"
"If he was in Atlas, correct?" Ozpin finished. Jaune sighed.
"Not that I am not happy he's around, hell I've been extremely grateful to whatever God is out there listening to my hopes and prayers that he's around, but… I just don't understand how he could just be here and not in Atlas where they can benefit from him. I mean he could do anything." Jaune said.
"True. However there are those of Atlas who would glance him over as they care about a balance of both brain and might. Some would see him as ineffective when push comes to shove." Ozpin said.
"Who the hell would think that?! Ironwood never would!" Jaune complained.
"And you are correct. However it was not Ironwood who felt he could not benefit Atlas with just brain." Ozpin said.
"Who is the rat ba-"
"Hold your tongue. I am afraid this is one person you have no right to insult, not when it comes to young Alexander." Ozpin said as they stopped in front of another elevator all the way in the back.
"No right to insult?" Jaune questioned as Ozpin pressed the button. Jaune thought it over for a bit, as the answer came almost immediately. "His father?" Jaune asked. Ozpin remained silent. Once the elevator doors opened, he pushed up his glasses and walked right in. "That's it, isn't it?" Jaune said as he and Saber walked right in before the doors closed. "Why would Reebok's father be like that?" Jaune questioned as Ozpin pressed a button.
"The Willard family is known for both might and brains. As you can see, Alexander only possess the latter." Ozpin said.
"But was there ever a Willard more intelligent than Reebok?" Jaune asked.
"I don't think so. A Stein however, there is one who I have learned taught him all he knows and trusted him very well before his passing." Ozpin answered.
"Stein?"
"Alexander's mother's maiden name is Stein. Tell me Jaune, have you ever heard of a man named Ivan Neo Stein?"
"Hmm?" Jaune raised an eyebrow.
The elevator doors opened.
"Great! You're here!" Reebok cheered with a smile.
Jaune walked in to greet his friend, but he stopped to marvel at where they were.
"Oh my Monty." Jaune said. The whole level was a giant arena. And when I mean giant, I mean colossal! Large enough to fit a whole army! Probably ten thousand men! "What the hell? Why is this under the school?!"
"This is the Ground Zero Colosseum." Ozpin said as he walked forward, stopping beside Jaune who was leaning against a railing.
"Ground Zero?" Jaune questioned.
"Back before the four kingdoms united together, this is where all of Vale's future warriors and veterans all came to take part in battle. The size of it is to represent an actual battlefield. Think of it as the father of the Vytal Tournament battle grounds, but instead of coming together to face off out of a sign of unity, growth and comradery, it was to prepare people for the harsh nature of war and the dangers residing out of the kingdom walls. Here, young ones around your ages, even younger, would come to battle either one on one, as a team or as an entire battalion, even an army. In other words, this is where we did our combat classes. Everything started here, which is why the name Ground Zero was considered appropriate." Ozpin explained.
"Holy… damn." Jaune said with a look of pure shock.
"Of course this was made obsolete once the four kingdoms were untied. I never thought I'd step back here again." Ozpin said.
"So… I'm guessing I'm here to test out the Arc Knight." Jaune said.
"Not just the knight, but each of the five classes. I've brought one of each to see how well they can stack up against the likes of someone of your level." Reebok said.
"I'm fighting them all at once?!" Jaune exclaimed with shock.
"Oh Monty, no! I'm not sadistic or unmerciful! You're just going to spar one on one with them. I can test their teamwork another time." Reebok explained.
"How are you going to test out their teamwork?" Jaune asked.
"Simple. I will convince Port to hunt down some Grimm for me." Ozpin answered. Jaune and Reebok looked to one another with wide eyes.
"Uh~… you sure about that? I mean the Emerald Forest and no doubt the Forever Falls both have a whole new selection of terrifying Grimm." Reebok said.
"Then it is obvious you two do not pay attention to Port's stories." Ozpin said.
"Well… uh…" Reebok looked down scratching the back of his head.
"The guy talks too much." Jaune bluntly said.
"I wouldn't put it like that. It's just he puts… too many details in each story that it's kind of hard to follow along when you can get confused and disinterested rather quickly." Reebok said.
"Yes. That's always been his problem with storytelling. Trust me though, Port has faced a number of powerful Grimm on his own that he rightfully deserves to brag about." Ozpin said.
"Name a tough one." Jaune said.
"A Brutus for one." Ozpin said, causing Jaune and Reebok's eyes to bulge.
"… Damn." Jaune said breathlessly.
"I have nothing to worry about." Reebok said, amazed that old, stout professor Port had actually taken on a Brutus on his own.
"There is much about being a huntsman, even beyond graduation. There are even things that you can still learn Jaune. You are never too old to learn something new." Ozpin said.
"Well, only a man who has lived numerous life times can justly say that." Jaune said. "So to the arena, huh?" Jaune said, looking to Reebok.
"Whenever you're ready. I got each bot prepared." Reebok said with a smile. Jaune nodded. He knelt down, grew a pair of golden aura wings and shot into the air, flew back, doing a back roll and finished by landing in the center of the arena. "Show off." Reebok said. He then noticed Ozpin was gone. He looked around to see him already far off across the arena, nearing an imperial box where a throne laid. "Hey! How'd you do that so quickly?!" Reebok called out as he started to sprint around the arena, through the stands, with Saber following.
It's going to be a long run.
Ozpin slowly walked into the imperial box. He almost lost his breath as entered a room he hadn't been in, in what felt like ages.
It was a room with black stone walls, silk velvet cloths and curtains lining the walls. There was furniture with red cushions and gold lining and accessories on them. There near the sole long window was a large throne. Unlike all the other furniture, it was silver with black cushioning.
Ozpin remembered the reason why it looked less appealing than the rest.
'The King is always the second most important person. The most important is the citizens he relies on.' Ozpin thought with a soft smile as his fingers brushed against the top of the thrown where the emblem of Vale was engraved in the silver of the throne. Ozpin slowly sat down onto the throne. He closed his eyes as memories flushed through his mind. He took a simple drink of his coffee. The one thing he wish he could have changed about his time as the Warrior King, besides the war and countless deaths, he wished he could have had been drinking a chalice filled with coffee instead of wine.
Jaune, standing in the middle of the arena, Jaune did a three sixty walk in place as he got a quick view of the place. It didn't look like anything special. It was a normal arena with a flat arena, except it had rocks and boulders here and there with some patches of grass. There were also large metal bar doors at the walls of within the arena, probably to contain animals and Grimm for people to face like in those gladiator movies his elder sister, Dana, loved to watch.
"Not bad I guess." Jaune said as he turned to look at Ozpin who was sitting in the throne. "Got a good view of the action?" Jaune called out.
"As always." Ozpin said with a small smile.
Reebok was close to the imperial box. He stopped a moment, panting with his hands on his knees. He stood up, trying to breathe in through his nose and out his mouth. It took a few moments, but he managed to compose himself properly, with Saber standing next to him. Reebok then resumed sprinting over to meet Ozpin.
After a minute and a half, Reebok was about to burst through the door, but stopped, standing up straight, taking in a deep breath through his nose and knocked on the door.
"You may come in." Ozpin said.
Reebok opened the door and went inside with Saber following in, closed the door and jogged over to Ozpin's side near the window, where he hunched over with his hands on his knees and panted. Reebok reached into his vest and pulled out a steel rectangular container in hand, which was probably in his dress shirt's shirt pocket, opened it up and ate three small blue pellets, bit down on them and swallowed, not sighing feeling refreshed.
"Good old refresher pellets." Reebok said with a smile on his face as he stood up straight, closed the container and put it back in his shirt pocket, under his vest. "Okay! Time to unleash class type 1! The Arc Knight!" Reebok shouted.
Suddenly landing in the arena in front of Jaune, causing a strong shockwave, capable of moving Jaune back a bit, granted because he did not see it coming, was the Arc Knight robot, standing tall and proud.
Jaune gave an impressed whistle at the entrance of the bot.
"Not bad." Jaune complimented.
"The Arc Knight is the all-around fighter. Skilled in strength, power, agility, speed, durability, and is very adept in hand-to-hand combat. Also like all the other models is very skilled in using the Arc Light power." Reebok explained.
"Alright then." Jaune cracked his knuckled with a smile. "Time for some quality father-son time." Jaune said, smirking with excitement as he brought his fists up, with the Arc Knight mirroring Jaune's stance.
Ozpin smirked as he stared down at the pair in the arena.
"With hearts of gold, stronger than all metal, and souls that resonate and cannot be bent, let these two warriors show all their might. In times of darkness, our visions are hazy, in times of duress, we feel a sense of fear for ourselves or others, in times of fear, we can lose hope… but let all that dignified here, standing alone, or together, let us learn from battle, support and experience, strengthen our souls and hearts, that will make our being shine with a luster more powerful than the Sun itself all in the battle and experience that is life." Ozpin spoke a special creed. "Begin!"
The Arc Knight shot forward, charging at Jaune and sent a right jab, where Jaune dodged to the left, but the punch was a feint as the Arc Knight sent a right knee to Jaune's torso, sending Jaune flying back.
Jaune rolled against the ground a bit, but he managed to skid on his hands and feet.
"Okay." Jaune panted as he got to his feet. "Hand-to-hand combat and speed seem fine now."
"Feel free to use any weapon! The bots should be prepared for any type of situation, especially when combat is required!" Reebok called out.
"Alright. Let's work on agility." Jaune took out Silver Eye and shot at the Arc Knight.
The Arc Knight was easily dodging the fast paced bullets, moving side to side as it got closer to Jaune.
Jaune decided to mix things up and take out Arc Gold and did twin rapid fire shots, but the Arc Knight was still fast in its speed and agility. Jaune held the triggers of his guns, shooting a charged shot, but as he did the Arc Knight burst forward, ready to strike.
Jaune quickly sent aura to his legs and hopped up high and fired below himself. The Arc Knight hopped to the side, avoiding the blast and managed to fight back the shockwave, not skidding away.
Jaune took this opportunity to fire a Spirit Lance.
The Arc Knight sensed an Arc Light incoming attack and slid away in time as the Spirit Lance stabbed into the ground. The Arc Knight made some noises as he stared at the Spirit Lance.
Jaune roared as he dived down with Excalibur pointed down at the Arc Knight. The Arc Knight crossed its arms up to block and then suddenly golden energy of light burst from its arms right before Excalibur made contact, which suddenly caused a parry, as Jaune was sent back a bit.
Jaune skidded against the ground to a halt in a crouched position.
Jaune looked up to see that the Arc Knight's arms were surrounded in golden energy that formed into blades.
"Hmm…" Jaune got up to his feet.
The Arc Knight bent its knees and brought it aura bladed arms up.
The two rushed over and clashed blades. Jaune was actually feeling pressured just from the clash of blades.
The Arc Knight spun in the air, clashing its aura blades twice against Excalibur, causing Jaune to step back from being pushed back.
The Arc Knight charged Jaune with both aura bladed arms back. Jaune managed to quickly clash Excalibur. The two clashed blades at high speed. The Arc Knight sent a left hook to the side of Jaune's head. Jaune went for a duck and leaning his head to the left side for added measure to avoid the force, but his eyes suddenly widened with shock as the Arc Knight's left hand was wide open as a spirit lance was protruding out of its hand with the pointed end right next to Jaune's head.
"Hmm. It has learned." Ozpin said with a smile, then drinking his coffee.
"Copying my move, huh? Then try doing this." Jaune said as he grew a pair of aura wings and shot into the air.
The Arc Knight made a few beeping noises, before it crouched down, grew a pair of golden aura wings, otherwise known as Arc Wings, and shot into the air after Jaune.
Jaune smirked.
Jaune and the Arc Knight clashed their blades together, then both entered a clash of blades faster than sound.
He hadn't had a flying battle in a while, but this time it's with an ally and it seems have its own merit of fun.
Jaune went for a kick, but the Arc Knight blocked it with a knee. Jaune immediately kicked off of the knee and sent multiple blades of aura from Excalibur at the bot.
The Arc Knight slashed at the blades of energy, cancelling them out, but noticed something in between some. Faster than the eye could see, the Arc Knight snapped its arms into a cross, destroying a hidden and thin Spirit Lance that tried to nail it in its own head. Finishing off the other aura blades, it noticed Jaune going for a charge.
Jaune expected the Arc Knight to defend itself, or at least dodge, but instead of attacking, he planned on swerving around the robot, then attacking it from behind, but surprisingly, the Arc Knight charged forward as well to meet Jaune halfway. Taken back, Jaune continued on ahead to see what may come. He already planned ahead. Jaune sent a horizontal slash that the Arc Knight flew over and spun to face Jaune. Jaune had anticipated this, allowing himself to move with the momentum of his sword swing and already having Silver Eye in hand as he now faced the Arc Knight above him, ready to fire, but Jaune's eyes widened with pure shock.
The Arc Knight was a step ahead as it had brought the bottom of its hands together with its palms revealed and fingers bent, Kamehameha Style, with golden light illuminated brightly from its palms.
"Oh shit!" Jaune exclaimed as he retracted his Arc Wings, changed Excalibur into shotgun mode and aimed it and Silver Eye above him, firing sending him rocketing down right at the split second the Arc Knight fired its attack, a beam of pure golden energy that was five meters long and wide, forming a perfect circular beam.
The blast came down to the ground at light speed, creating a hole within the ground, and once down, revealed a now gaping hole in the ground with no chare marks at all.
'Holy shit!' Jaune thought with shock.
"Now that's something I never saw around here." Ozpin said with a smile.
The Arc Knight air dashed down to Jaune with a fist cocked back.
Jaune changed Excalibur into its longsword form again, pumping aura into it to amplify its defense, along with his own aura surrounding his body, and brought it up in front of himself, blocking the punch, but when the fist met the sword, Jaune felt like he was only an inch from the ground this whole time as he had met it instantly after the hit.
'Amazing. It had fired a complete concentrated and obviously powerful beam of pure aura, and yet still had the strength and power to delivered such an intense blow. And to think it's still holding back a great deal.' Ozpin thought, still smiling before taking a sip from his cup of coffee again. 'Then again, so is Jaune.'
Jaune bounced off of the ground and slid against the ground on his feet until he came to a stop.
The Arc Knight did a flip and dived to the ground, but picked up and now flew straight at Jaune.
Jaune had spun Excalibur in hand, surrounded it in aura and then immediately stabbed it into the ground, causing a shockwave of golden aura that struck the Arc Knight at the last second, sending it flying back.
The Arc Knight retracted its Arc Wings, flipped in the air and landed on its hands and knees. When it stood up Jaune was immediately in front of it and sent a downward diagonal slash, but it took a step back, twisting its body a bit to dodge the attack and sent a horizontal kick.
Jaune managed to bot dodge the kick and attack by stabbing his longsword into the ground, hopped up off his feet and balanced on it, sending a kick of his own to the Arc Knight's head, but it brought an arm up and blocked the attack, but it was force to skid away a bit from the amplified force of the attack as it was surrounded in potent aura.
Once Jaune was on his feet, he put Excalibur on his back, amplified aura to his legs and dashed forward at the Arc Knight. Jaune sent a right jab, which was a feint, and sent a left uppercut, but the Arc Knight saw right through the feint, fooling Jaune by moving its head to the side to 'dodge' the 'jab' and when Jaune sent the left uppercut, it brought its left arm up and twist it down, managing to grab the uppercut punch.
Jaune quickly grabbed the Arc Knight's right arm and brought it closer, where he delivered an aura amplified head-butt.
The two stared at one another intensively for a minute, then kicked the other off from the stomach. The two started sending a barrage of punches at one another that collided with one another's. They sent horizontal kicks that slammed into the others side, causing them to slide to the side a bit, getting some distance. The two cocked their fists back as they quickly started amplifying aura into their fists, causing them to glow gold and then they slammed their fists into one another, causing a shockwave that created a large crater underneath their feet.
Before they could continue, Ozpin's can repeatedly tapped onto the floor a few times.
"That's enough." Ozpin spoke up.
Jaune and the Arc Knight got out of their fighting positions and just stood up straight.
"Not bad." Jaune said with a smile, extending his hand. The Arc Knight looked to it for a moment, then grabbed it as it and Jaune shook hands.
Up in the imperial booth, Ozpin and Reebok were smiling down at the two.
"I've noticed that it allowed Jaune to escape the blast." Ozpin said.
"Jaune is their progenitor. All the members of what will be the Arc Army respect Jaune highly and have a soft spot for him. To them, there are no people higher than Jaune and myself, seeing as we both gave them life." Reebok explained.
"Arc Army? Is that what they will officially be called?" Ozpin asked.
"Eh… I'm not that good with names. I'm good at building, but coming up with cool names isn't my strong suit." Reebok said.
"Hmm… how about this. Seeing as they are a part of Jaune, his will and power within them all, with the young Arc being a knight, how about the name The Order of Arc."
"That's way better than anything I could come up with." Reebok said.
"Yo! So what's next?" Jaune called out as the Arc Knight headed out the arena.
"Okay, this one is a quick type that loves to go for the fast kills. They're basically ninja assassins. I called them… actually you guys name them, I suck at names."
"Come on man, have a little more confidence. They're your inventions." Jaune said.
"Well, I call them Quick Flashes, but it doesn't sound too good." Reebok said.
"So that'll be their names." Jaune said with a smile. Jaune suddenly felt a hand on his shoulder, making him turn to see a skinnier bot of, but it had no protrusions out of its head like the Arc Knight. In fact it looked like a slimmer version of the Arc Knight, but the clear differences was shown as a spike blade protruding out the back of each of its hands, similar to a Razor Grimm, also on its screen-like face was a gold circle outline at the center of it. 'Holy crap. I didn't even sense him. This might actually be pretty tough. I was never one for fighting assassins like this.' Jaune thought as he moved away from the Quick Flash. 'To be honest, I think the Blake I knew was even able to kick my ass, so long as I never spotted her.' Jaune thought as he rubbed his chin.
The Quick Flash hung its arms down, letting the hang in front of itself as it was hunched a bit and had it legs bent and spread in a horse stance.
Jaune grabbed the hilt of Crocea Mors, instead of Excalibur.
'In a battle of speed it's better to use the family heirloom instead of Excalibur. It's better to stick with a thinner, faster weapon when it comes to assassin opponents.' Jaune thought as he pulled out his family sword from his hilt/shield.
"And… begin!" Ozpin announced.
Suddenly the Quick Flash was already in front of Jaune with its right arm and body twisted a bit.
Jaune's eyes were wide as he felt intense pain. He quickly hopped back, but his footing stumbled a bit before he stopped.
"Hmm." Ozpin blinked his eyes, surprised by the development that had just transpired.
Jaune panted as he put his hand on his chest plate.
'Not a scratch. Not on my armor, or clothes, hell I don't think even my skin got cut!' Jaune gulped as his chest tightened, only for it to hurt. 'No… no, he went deeper.' Jaune thought, tightly pressed his hand and fingertips against his armor chest plate. 'My muscles. I think it used aura to connect deeper into my body. Probably by increasing it at the last minute. Working like some sort of invisible scalpel, but just lets aura pass through the skin layer instead of cutting into it. I'm not sure if it's because it has my own aura within itself or it's just that incredible, but nonetheless, this thing is more deadly than the Arc Knight by a mile; relying on more precise and fatal strikes than just powering through.'
The Quick Flash was suddenly in front of Jaune.
Jaune gritted his teeth, expecting the bot to do so, he sent aura to his legs and quickly hopped over to the side, but the Quick Flash quickly sent three slashes at Jaune's legs, in a perfect Z formation.
Jaune skidded against the ground, but he pushed off with his arm, ready to land. The Quick Flash appeared in front of him while in mid-air. Jaune predicted its timing and managed to swing Crocea Mors at the same time the Quick Flash swung its arm at Jaune, with a tint of gold layered over it.
What happened next was truly shocking.
The Quick Flash's arm bent all the back so far the forearm was pressed against its triceps and shoulder. When Crocea Mors passed by, the forearm and hand retracted back to its normal position and sliced Jaune across the chest, causing Jaune to cough up blood.
'Shit! What the hell?!' Jaune thought with pure shock, right before the Quickly Flash sent an uppercut with its arm, sending him up more.
The Quick Flash landed onto the ground and quickly burst into the air, appearing above Jaune, flipped and slammed an axe kick into Jaune's stomach, sending him rocketing to the floor, slamming against it.
Jaune gave grunt of pain. Jaune glared up as the Quick Flash was descending towards him. Jaune growled with rage. He gave a roar as he burst with a shockwave of golden aura, sending a shockwave strong enough to strike the bot in midair and send it flying back.
The Quick Flash landed on its feet with its legs bent. It stared ahead at Jaune as the blonde started to rise to his feet, saying F you to gravity as he just picked himself up with no support from his arms, hands and body, but just rising, kind of like a vampire, to his feet.
Jaune hunched over panting with his mouth open. Jaune growled with annoyance with gritting teeth before roaring once more as a pair Arc Wings flashed from his back for a moment, but then dissipated. Jaune stared ahead with a serious expression as his body was covered in a layer of golden aura.
"Alright then… let's test that speed of yours properly." Jaune said.
The Quick Flash made some beeping noises, as if acknowledging Jaune's challenge.
Jaune bent his legs as he took the hilt of Crocea Mors in both hands.
The Quick Flash flexed its fingers with anticipation.
Saber, looking down at the two was getting bored, so he decided to help things get rolling. Literally, as he hopped out of the window of the imperial box, rolled up into a speeding blue ball and shot down to the ground, slamming into it.
Once Saber slammed into the ground, Jaune and the Quick Flash dashed at one another and slammed against the other with their weapons pressed against one another; Crocea Mors and the Quick Flashes arms itself.
Jaune felt his sword vibrate from the force. Once jumping back, Jaune put Crocea Mors into his sheathe, and took it out altogether to be a blunt weapon. It might not have been upgraded like in his previous timeline to turn into the two handler double bladed sword, but it would still be sturdy enough to take the next few hits.
Jaune and the Quick Flash dashed and met one another again and again, making shockwaves with each collision.
Jaune sent a horizontal swipe, but the Quick Flash bent back in a ninety degree angle and came back up in normal erect position with both its arms ready for a cross arm slash attack, but Jaune had brought up a finger and fire a small beam at the Quick Flash's face.
The Quick Flash was fast enough to perceive the threat and lean its head to the side quick enough to only earn a graze across the side of its screen face. Now knowing Jaune had the advantage in close quarters combat, it jumped back to think things through, but Jaune didn't allow it.
Growing a pair of Arc Wings, Jaune shot forward. Jaune roared as he headed to the Quick Flash at top speed with his sheathed Crocea Mors engulfed with golden flame-like aura. Jaune was immediately in front of it, ready for the final blow, but suddenly, the midsection of the Quick Flash separated with the torso flying up.
However this was not Jaune's doing.
Jaune's eyes were wide as his mind perceived that the bot split apart before Crocea Mors could make contact. Jaune felt a string of aura pass by him as he went through where the Quick Flash's upper body was. Jaune turned his head and skidded against the ground on his front to see the upper body of the Quick Flash spinning clockwise up into the air with a string of aura connecting it to its lower half.
'Like an elongated spine.' Jaune thought as the Quick Flash's body descended down while spinning counter-clockwise, looking as if to be re-screwed back in place. The Quick Flash turned to Jaune and sped forward. "I forfeit!" Jaune shouted with his hands up. The Quick Flash stopped in front of Jaune. "I don't think I could beat you, not like this. Not unless I go all out, but I'm not here to do that. Plus, assassin types have usually had the advantage on me, but with your speed this takes a whole brand new league of its own. I'll say it again, I forfeit." Jaune said with his hands still up to show submission.
The Quick Flash registered the act of surrender. It offered Jaune its hand, which the blonde knight gladly accepted, and the bot helped one half of its creators up to his feet.
Ozpin smiled.
"Definitely a deadly creation. No doubt can even give veteran huntsman like myself trouble. Even if Jaune's body isn't in its prime, the impact this has had should not be taken lightly. Especially since it was holding back and making sure to avoid Jaune's vitals." Ozpin said.
"Alright! Time for the next bot!" Reebok proclaimed proudly.
"Already? I just got my butt handed to me by this one." Jaune said pointing to the now retreating Quick Flash.
"Don't worry, this one is an exception. Trust me." Reebok snapped his fingers.
A bot glided down to the arena grounds. Once landing, it rushed over to Jaune and knelt down, took off Jaune's armor and placed its hands on Jaune's chest.
Jaune looked to the new bot.
It was slim, just like the Quick Flash, but it had a cube shaped head with rectangular protrusions off the sides of the head, an iron mask that only covered its mouth and it had its glowing gold eyes revealed, making it look to have been wearing a helmet, but it also had the medical symbol, a cross/plus, on its head, over its eyes. It had pauldrons on its shoulders, a bit of a bulky torso armor, vambraces and a pair of greaves. It had a utility belt around its waist with multiple packs on it that held numerous medical supplies within them, in fact it had a large box shaped one on its right side, and it also had a medical bag with the strap wrapped around its torso.
"This is the M.P. short for Medical Professional. It knows how to fight, but most of its capabilities are within the range of medical expertise and a large focus on defense. Once he heals you, try sending some attacks his way; he will defend himself." Reebok explained.
"Seems rather odd way to show gratitude. 'Thanks for healing my wounds, now I'm going to wail on you'." Jaune said with a raised eyebrow.
"Trust me, they all know why they are here." Reebok said.
Jaune felt his chest feel so much better. Placing a hand on his chest, he felt no pain at all; it was now gone. In the meantime the M.P. worked on his legs.
Once done, Jaune stood up to his feet.
"Thanks." Jaune said with a smile. He turned his head to see Saber still in the arena. "Saber, you fight him." Jaune said, pointing to the M.P., as Saber tilted his head with a raised eyebrow. "Well I can't fight him. He healed me! It wouldn't feel right." Jaune said, rubbing the back of his neck feeling uncomfortable with the thought of fighting someone who just helped him.
"He's actually sending his pet to fight in his place?" Seymour questioned.
"Well… Jaune has been around unorthodox people for half his life. I mean he was married to Ruby, had Yang as a sister-in-law and was taught by Qrow. Those three had to have rubbed off on him." Reebok said.
Ozpin couldn't help, but chuckle with a smile.
'No wonder he survived this long. Though it still begs the question how he survived in the first place.' Ozpin thought as he took a sip from his mug of coffee.
Jaune walked over to Saber, with the disguised Grimm cat meeting him halfway. Jaune brought a hand up, as Saber hopped up into the air and actually high fived Jaune into a tag in with one of his paws.
"Damn smart Grimm." Reebok said.
"He will at least be fine even if he heads in very brashly." Seymour said.
"True. Luckily Saber is part of the only Grimm species that has a soul. Unless there might be more." Reebok said.
"Perhaps." Ozpin said with a shrug. Reebok couldn't tell if Ozpin genuinely did not know or perhaps he really has come across other Grimm with souls.
Saber stopped across the M.P. with his legs spread apart, putting him in a battle stance.
The M.P. just kept standing erect, staring at Saber. It had scanned the kitten to find that it is actually a disguised Grimm, but in its data banks it is identified as an ally named 'Saber'.
Saber slowly trekked around the M.P. to find an opening. The M.P. is just standing in place, while its head was turning around to stare at Saber. Saber narrowed his eyes to find anything that could result in a perfect opportunity, but the bot had nothing. Its eyes were on him.
Once stopping across from the front of the M.P.
Saber narrowed his eyes. If he couldn't find an opportunity, make one.
Saber suddenly starting rolling in place as a blue aura surrounded him, turning him into a blue spinning wheel that was revving as super speed, picking up dirt in place.
Jaune leaped high up at the edge of the ring with help from his Arc Wings and landed on the ledge of the imperial box, now sitting on it with his legs hanging off. Jaune turned his head to see Ozpin standing up from his throne.
"Blocking your way?" Jaune asked as Ozpin walked over next to him to get a better view.
"Honestly I want to get a closer view of this." Ozpin said with a smile.
Reebok leaned his head forward in anticipation. He believed wholeheartedly in his bot, but Saber is not like any enemy that normal beings can encounter. He's a Grimm, but one with a soul, able to use aura and possesses a semblance. Whether this rolling ability is his semblance or just a unique way of using aura is still for debate. It doesn't take a genius to know that Saber is truly an opponent to fear. He may not look as imposing as many other, and admittedly weaker, Grimm, but that doesn't mean he isn't a force to be reckon with.
Skills, power, intelligence and a clever mind, Saber is a competent opponent.
And to think he can still grow to be stronger.
Suddenly Saber shot into the air, shocking everyone. Once he was up high in the air, he shot down back to the ground and slammed into the ground, causing the ground to break apart, but more importantly, causing a cloud of dust to cover the area, including the M.P.
'Nice!' Jaune thought with a smirk, knowing what Saber was planning.
'Smart creature, but does he really expect that to be enough to fool such an inorganic being of high intelligence, or is there more to his plan?' Ozpin thought.
The M.P. tried to follow Saber within the dust cloud, but Saber was sliding from one space to another within the cloud of dirt. The M.P. tried following the best it could. Saber managed to get behind it, causing it to turn its head 180 degrees, but Saber quickly rocketed pass between the M.P.'s legs, then rocketed up in a spiraling motion, ready to attack, but the M.P. brought its hands up lightning fast and as Saber got between them, he immediately stopped and was floating in the air, shocking everyone as the M.P. turned its head to face Saber.
"Whoa! What?" Jaune questioned with pure shock.
"With its hands in can distort gravity, whether using it to push someone back, reducing or enhancing the gravity around the target, or even emit a shield of gravity to protect them from attacks. Although their hands have to be facing the direction to utilize it on its intended target. It can use it on two targets at the most." Reebok explained.
The M.P. aimed its arms out and fired Saber away from itself. Saber was flying through the air, but spinning his body around, he managed to land on his feet, skidding back, but when he came to a halt, he quickly spun in place into his blue spinning pinball form and fired forward.
The M.P.'s eyes glowed for a second, then it brought its hands up as a gold, hexagon pattern force field appeared in front of the M.P., managing to cause Saber to bounce off of the force field as it withstood the blunt and grinding force behind the spinning ball attack.
Blue Ball Saber landed upon the ground, but bounced back at the force field. With the same result of Saber being bounced back, this continued as Saber continued to ricochet from the ground, to the force field that sent him back to the ground to the repeat the process.
Saber tried again, but this time as he struck the force field, he grinded against it and shot up. The M.P. looked up to see Saber up above it, now back to normal, but then quickly rolled into a ball and fired downward to the M.P.
The M.P. quickly bent backwards and then suddenly it was shot back, only leaving behind its feet and calves, managing to dodge Saber's attack.
Saber stopped his ball attack. He blinked his eyes and shook his head as he felt a bit dizzy.
The M.P.'s severed legs shot back to its original body, connecting as if nothing happened.
"And I see it can easily detach and reattach its body." Ozpin said.
"That's right. Since its capabilities are more along the lines of defense and medical assist, I was able to modify it a bit more than the others, allowing it to easily avoid attacks better than the rest of its kin." Reebok explained.
Jaune crossed his arms as he looked down to Saber, to see the Grimm kitten stalk carefully to the M.P.
'It looks like even Saber has his limits when it comes to his ball attack. Constant and repeated use really messes with his motor skills from the looks of it.' Jaune thought.
Saber narrowed his eyes at the M.P.
Saber started to hop side to side, confusing the M.P. and the spectators. Saber surrounded his feet in aura, and then burst forward. The M.P. prepared for its force field, but suddenly Saber leaped and sent a slash which sent three blue blades of aura in the shape of claw marks sent flying at the M.P.
The M.P. was forced to dodge, so it aimed its palms down to the floor and fired a compacted burst of gravity from its hands, sending the bot rocketing into the air, but Saber was one step ahead, as after he sent his aura claw blades, he quickly rolled and revved into his aura ball and shot into the air at the bot.
The M.P. suddenly split apart a bit, then it's being as a whole spun rapidly in place as golden aura came out from its body parts and surrounded itself whole, creating a golden sphere around it spinning rapidly in place.
Saber's rolling attack collided with the golden spiraling sphere, causing sparks to appear as both techniques grinded against one another. After a few intense moments, Saber was sent rocketing off to the side and slammed into the wall of the arena, breaking the wall apart and creating a dust cloud.
"Whoa~! What?!" Jaune exclaimed with pure shock.
Ozpin stared with wide eyes, then took a sip of his mug of coffee.
The M.P. stopped spiraling, causing the golden aura sphere to dissipate. It put itself back together, before it landed onto the ground on its feet. It turned its head to the dust cloud and scanned for Saber.
Saber came out of the debris wobbling. Saber was moving side to side in a dizzy manner.
"Guess it was a very large gamble for him. He seems much disorientated from his initial attack. Didn't very much help when dealing with the counterattack." Ozpin said.
"You don't believe he'll be using the ball attack again, do you?" Seymour asked.
"No. It seems one more use and he might not be able to continue at all, be too wrapped with vertigo. Definitely leaving a drastic effect on his mental health. He's smart enough to know that was his last shot, at least for a while." Ozpin said.
Saber shook his head free of dizziness, then glared at the M.P., who was now reassembled and staring at him. Saber gave a mighty roar, well for kitten standards, as blue aura surrounded his claws. Saber narrowed his eyes, ready to charge.
The M.P. anticipated what he was planning, so it reached into its box tied to it side and took out a disk with a gold glowing circle center.
Saber charged forward at the M.P., but the bot put a disk against its chest, attaching it, then pressed the golden center on it as it suddenly shined brighter and a cone shaped light illuminated out of it and expanded until a large, transparent golden dome with a hexagonal pattern all over it surrounded the M.P.
Saber skidded to a halt and stared at the sphere with wide eyes.
The M.P. pressed its fists against its hips, feeling triumphant.
Saber narrowed his eyes and in a strong, swift motion, sent three blades of blue aura in the shape of claw marks at the M.P.'s dome force field, only for a light to shine upon contact and the claw blades shot back at Saber, causing the Grimm kitten to screech with his fur up, before dodging.
The claw mark aura blades flew by and struck the wall, going through and leaving three clean scars to the wall.
Saber stared at the wall with wide eyes, then turned his head only to see the M.P. sprinting towards him. Saber flinched, then started to run away with the M.P. giving chase, looking comparative to a giant hamster in a ball giving chase to a smaller animal.
"Well it's safe to say the M.P. really knows how defend itself." Jaune said as he, Ozpin, Reebok and Seymour watched the M.P. chase after Saber, attempting to run him over like a bowling ball.
"Okay, that's enough." Reebok called out as Jaune jumped back into the arena.
The M.P. heard its creator give the order, and stopped. The M.P. pressed the golden center of the disk on its chest, causing the force field around it to be sucked back in like a whirlpool back into the disk, before the bot took it off its chest.
Saber turned and pounced, only for Jaune to grab him before he made contact with the M.P.
"Calm down, buddy. Battle's over. Remember this is a spar." Jaune said with a smile as he held and petted Saber. Saber gave an annoyed sigh that became a grown as he looked to the side with half-lidded annoyed eyes.
"Powerful shield to be able to reflect an attack of such magnitude." Ozpin said with a smile.
"Yeah. It'll take an immense amount of force to destroy that thing. Hopefully if my calculations are correct, even a Goliath charging won't do damage. However I'm still not sure if the effect would be the Goliath actually being pushed back, or the force field being sent flying with the person or people it's defending, or even both being sent back from impact." Reebok explained.
"Well, we can't test that out just yet. I highly doubt sooner than later." Ozpin said before taking a sip of his coffee from his mug.
"Alright then, my turn to face the next one. I think you need the rest." Jaune said to Saber, getting a groan of annoyance, but nonetheless the disguised Grimm kitten brought up his paw and down low fived Jaune's hand, tagging him in.
Saber hopped out of Jaune's arms and started walking away. He noticed the M.P. walking as well, so he quickly roared at the bot, making it flinch upon instinct, before walking away.
"Saber's a bit of a sore loser." Reebok commented.
"He does seem to be a very prideful kitten, like the rest of his type." Ozpin said.
"You mean other Sabers, right?" Reebok asked looking to Ozpin.
"Yes. It's amazing how they act."
"I heard from Jaune that the Timberwolfe is kind of prideful too. As if showing respect to the strong, like a warrior." Reebok said.
"Understandable. Sabers and Timberwolves are very similar in certain aspects, but still very different." Ozpin said.
"Kind of like cats and dogs… but perhaps with less of a heated feud?"
"Sounds about right, I suppose." Ozpin said.
"So which is the next one?" Jaune asked to the folks in the Imperial Box.
"I call them Aerial Busters." Reebok said with a smile as he pointed up at the air.
Jaune blinked his eyes and looked up to see something flying in the air.
It was bot with a long torso, a screen for a face looking forward and it had the golden wings and golden tail plane of a jet, with rocket jets on its underbelly.
Jaune blinked his eyes.
"Uh… so I'm guessing he's going to-"
"Fire!" Reebok shouted, followed by the Aerial Buster firing thing golden shots of ammo, which looked to be made of light, at Jaune.
Jaune screamed as he ran off, but the thin ammo of light caught up easily, forcing the blonde to generate aura wings and take to the skies.
"Hmm." Ozpin hummed to himself with intrigue.
Jaune was flying in the air and tried his best to dodge the bullets of light, but they were easily grazing him.
"Ah!" Jaune screamed as he looked to a graze on his bicep only to notice his skin freezing around the wound, but not on it, followed by frost burn felt around the wound and also within it, as if ice shards were in his blood. Jaune groaned with pain and his teeth grit as he held his arm. 'Dust ammo, mixed with Arc Light. Dammit! Guess I actually got to try.' Jaune thought as he unsheathe Crocea Mors and took out Silver Eye, now sending blades of aura off his sword and firing bullets from Silver Eyes, both attacks flying straight at the Aerial Buster, but it took evasive maneuvers, avoiding the attacks with skill.
Suddenly hidden hatches in its torso opened up as then three small paper plane shaped metal crafts came out and started rapid firing at Jaune.
"Holy Shit!" Jaune cried as he quickly opened up his scabbard into shield mode and blocked the light bullets from all four aircrafts.
The Aerial Buster increased speed forward while its three small helpers continued firing while avoiding hitting its superior. Once the Aerial Buster got close enough, it glowed golden and then quickly decreased a good amount of speed, as then a force of golden transparent energy mixed with wind struck Jaune, sending him farther ahead, which messed with his flying, losing control of his Arc Wings.
As Jaune spun to try and reposition himself, a small thin blue beam shot out of the screen face of the Aerial Buster, striking Jaune in the neck.
Jaune's eyes widened as he suddenly felt stunned. He started losing altitude and immediately crashed into the floor, causing him to roll against it.
"This bot possesses bullets that possess dust within them that are surrounded by Arc Light, which both disguise them and enhance their effects to a great degree. Those little helpers he produced within himself are remote controlled by him through mental commands transmitted as they all are connected to its mind. He also possesses five of each in his three slots, making a total of fifteen within him. What he did to Jaune earlier was build up force around himself, in conjunction with the Arc Gold semblance, which I've discovered also has the added bonus of amplifying aura, and when he immediately lessened his speed, the force built up was unleashed and fired forward for a burst that lasted for a good second or two, then finished things with a thin beam that is equivalent to a shot from a Taser, and possessed enough accuracy in his mentality to strike Jaune in the appropriate spot to both stun and down him." Reebok explained to Ozpin.
Ozpin stared at Reebok with wide eyes; actually surprised by his work on just one bot.
"Well you've clearly thought of everything. Excellent work, Alexander." Ozpin said with a smile, before sipping his coffee.
"Thank you, Headmaster." Reebok said with a smile and bow.
Jaune moaned as he got to his hands and knees.
The Aerial Buster dived down as its wings started to change and form, bending at certain joints, looking more like bird wings descending as it brought its body vertically erect and its tail plane splitting in half with the protrusions at the end of it now acting like feet, of that of a bird as it landed.
Jaune turned to see the Aerial Buster with its head now poke up from its normal position, now looking like a combo between a human and a pteranodon… if it had a pair of M61 Vulcan Mini-guns where its hands should be at the ends of its wings.
"Oh shit!" Jaune cursed as he quickly brought up his shield, right before the Aerial Buster started firing on him, striking his shield. Jaune was on one knee, but he was skidding back from the force of the gunfire. 'Holy Shit! Are the bullets mini torpedoes, because my arms it hurting from the vibrations of each impact! It's going numb!' Jaune mentally screamed.
"Okay that's enough!" Reebok called out.
The Aerial Buster stopped its attack.
Jaune sighed with relief, glad it was over. He didn't think he would last any longer. He got up to his feet, but when he turned his head he noticed the three small planes from earlier were actually behind him, ready to fire this whole time.
'A pincer attack. They were raring for a pincer attack to finish me off.' Jaune thought with wide eyes.
"Okay so far the Aerial Buster is the most powerful of the units so far from the looks of it, but truth be told just because it's the most relentless of the bunch, doesn't mean it's the most durable. He can still get hurt and be left severely damaged if not careful. So it goes all out in order to make up for its low durability." Reebok explained as the small planes went back into the Aerial Buster's hidden hatches and then it flew back into the sky, transforming back into its 'plane mode' as it gained altitude.
"Okay, okay… that was the most intense thirty seconds of my life, and I've had enough thirty second encounters to know how far I can be pushed." Jaune said. "What's next?"
"Well, good news, it's the last bot of the day. Bad news… it's the one who is the biggest heavy hitter of the bunch." Reebok said.
"Oh perfect. This should definitely justify the hot bath I plan on having tonight." Jaune said grabbing his trapezius muscle and shoulder as he rolled his shoulder and arm. "So what's the last one?" Jaune asked. Jaune suddenly noticed a shadow quickly forming over himself. Jaune quickly looked up. "Oh shit." Jaune said before hopping back, managing to dodge a giant Warhammer, but a spherical shockwave made of golden energy boomed out from impact, which grew in mass, reaching a far radius. Jaune screamed as he was sent flying farther away.
Jaune was sent impacting against the wall, gasping upon impact as he felt a great deal of pain. A second later Jaune impacted against the ground, groaning in pain as he held his stomach. He looked up with a pained face and blinking eyes, only for a look of shock to appear with wide eyes.
"Oh you have got to be kidding me." Jaune said with a worried and shocked expression.
"Behold! The final bot of the day! The Magnhild!" Reebok announced like an emperor of a kingdom.
The Magnhild was a large ten foot tall robot that was in a word, massive!
It was a heavily armored bot that had large arms, massive shoulder guards, studs on the knuckles of the gauntlets, an emblem of a lion's face on its left forearm and the emblem of the Arc family on the right forearm, a large Arc emblem on its chest, a pair of boots with spiked protrusions coming of the top of the toes of them, a helmet with five pointed crown top with one long spike off the top of its head, two shorter spikes, one by each side of the longest one, and then two more spikes next to the outer sides of the medium sized ones, and lastly the helmet had a upward capital T shaped viewer with the cracks in between glowing gold meaning those are its eyes. It also had rocket jets scatter along its backside and even some on its sides, no doubt to increase speed for the bot.
Its Warhammer was massive. It looks like it would take twelve people to lift it; only lift it, not use it as it was still too massive for proper use of humans, but for the Magnhild, it can easily carry it in one of its massive hands. The Warhammer had rocket jets at the butt of the Warhammer, apparently to increase striking speed and force.
(Think of Reinhardt from Overwatch. That's the Magnhild, but with some tweaks.)
"The Magnhild?! You named a bot after Nora's own weapon?!" Jaune exclaimed with pure shock.
"Well yeah. When I looked at him, I thought of Nora, so I named the models after her weapon. I wasn't going to call them Valkyries. The name doesn't fit the look." Reebok responded. He then had a thinking look upon his face. "Hey, maybe I can make a sub-class next called that after I finish the Gunslinger."
"Gunslinger? You're making another model?" Ozpin asked.
"Well yeah. I thought about if there was any type of bot to make next to compliment the rest, making them a more sufficient unit. That's when I realized that we don't have a long range type. I mean people may say Aerial Buster is more of a long range type, but-"
"It's an airborne defense type. It's not made for primarily long range since its specialty is in the skies." Ozpin said.
"Exactly! They can't just keep coming down to help, that could leave them defenseless, even if it summoned all fifteen smaller units to assist, its chances on the ground still aren't as well off as one would expect."
"Um, Sir Alexander, I believe we should begin the match. It looks to be the Magnhild is getting very antsy for battle." Seymour said, catching Reebok and Ozpin's attention. "I don't think it can contain its excitement much longer."
And as Seymour said, the Magnhild was squatting at a rapid excited pace. It gave a strong test swing and continued with its excited squats.
Jaune stared at the Magnhild with a gaped mouth.
"Oh my God, I'm facing a ten foot tall Nora." Jaune said.
Safe to say Reebok chose the perfect name for this bot.
"Well he is the biggest bot which means he has the most energy out of all the models. Makes sense he acts like a hyperactive child." Reebok said lightly patting his right cheeks. "You good Jaune?" Reebok called out. Jaune did not respond. "Jaune!"
"Huh? Oh, yeah, yeah, I'm good man." Jaune said as he started getting to his feet.
He moaned with pain. This whole test run was taking a real toll on him. Jaune dusted his pants off, grabbed his weapons and readied for battle, but he was actually starting to get worried. This thing was like a giant armored Nora and facing a normal Nora Valkyrie in battle was dangerous enough. A very scary thought. Now he is in front of Nora 2.0, which might be leagues more dangerous the real one. An extremely scary thought.
"Lord Monty Oum, who has lived and died a great man of creation, please see me through this." Jaune said as if giving a small prayer, putting Crocea Mors back in its sheathe and grabbed the hilt of Excalibur. This time, he was going to need the big guns indefinitely.
"Ready?" Reebok brought a hand up, looking at both participants, getting a nod from Jaune and thumbs up from the Magnhild. "Fight!"
The Magnhild immediately rocketed forward at a blurring pace.
"Holy!" Jaune screamed before he rolled out of the way. Jaune got up, only to be struck by the Magnhild's Warhammer, sending him flying across the arena. Jaune skidded against the ground, reaching pass the center of the ring, until he came to a halt. "Ow… feels like the old days whenever I accidentally cut Yang's hair in a spar." Jaune said with a bit of a raspy voice.
He noticed that the Magnhild rocketed into the sky with its hammer raised. Jaune screamed before rolling back, hopped and surrounded himself in a mass of golden aura as he brought his shield up, but then suddenly Jaune grew Arc Wings for good measure to cover himself in the front as another layer of defense.
The Magnhild slammed its Warhammer down onto the ground, missing Jaune since he dodged in time, but created another large dome shaped shockwave of golden energy to boom out from impact, sending Jaune flying and smashing into the wall.
Jaune gritted his teeth, still feeling the painful vibrations of the shockwave all over his body. Jaune shot forward, ready to send a slash at the Magnhild, but suddenly its Warhammer morphed into a large grenade launcher with dust ammo in it.
'Oh Are You Kidding Me?! He Copied That Too?!' Jaune thought with shock and annoyance that it turns out the Magnhild's weapon is just like Nora's own Warhammer of the same name as the bot.
'Sorry Jaune.' Reebok thought with an expression of remorse.
The Magnhild fired at Jaune. Jaune was speeding too fast to dodge, so he had to bring up his shield to block, lessening the pain and impact.
It was a nice attempt… the word being attempt.
Despite taking the explosive force of the dust ammo, it was still so powerful that it sent Jaune flying right back to square one back into the wall.
Jaune groaned with pain and gritted teeth.
'It hurts. Everything hurts. I need to stop the bullshit and go all-out, or else-' suddenly Jaune's body was struck by something hard, crushing him deeper into the wall and his aura along with his Arc Wing to diminish. Jaune gave a silent scream of pain with his mouth wide open. He looked down to see that it was the Magnhild's massive hand that had slammed into him; open palmed. 'Oh you're kidding me.' Jaune thought with gritting teeth.
The Magnhild's hand closed up, crushing part of the wall and no is squeezing Jaune tightly, causing him to groan in pain, before the massive hand shot back to the Magnhild. The Magnhild raised Jaune up with triumph as its grip tightened.
Jaune growled with pain.
'Dammit, what's next?' Jaune thought with his teeth tightly gritting.
The Magnhild aimed its hand to another part of the wall and fired its hand forward, sending both it and Jaune in its grasp into the wall. The hand opening up before contact, letting Jaune feel the brunt force of the wall crushed against his body, causing the blonde to scream.
Reebok had enough. He had a look of horror. It's one thing to test you inventions, but it's a whole other thing to let your own friends, including your best one, get tormented in the name of science and progress.
"That's it. End the-"
"Wait." Ozpin said with a hand up.
"Wait?!" Reebok screamed with an incredulous look directed to Ozpin. The Magnhild's hand tightened up its hold on Jaune, flew back into its original position on the model, only for the process to start repeating. "You can't be serious?! This isn't a spar anymore! It's a torture session!" Reebok shouted.
"Just wait. Trust me on this." Ozpin said. Reebok looked to Ozpin with wide eyes, but his face scrunched up as he flinched when he heard Jaune continue screaming.
"I'm sorry Headmaster, but… I can't stand by this! I trust you, but I care for Jaune more than that! I can't let this go on!" Reebok shouted, while Ozpin remained stoic. Reebok turned and started to shout "Pea-"
But suddenly a blue ball slammed into the crick of the Magnhild's neck, causing it to lose focus as Jaune was plastered against a wall. The Magnhild turned its head to find the culprit, only to be surprise to find a kitten glaring at him, but through its advanced vision scans it was able to tell the kitten was really a disguised Grimm with an actual soul.
Jaune's body shook as he opened one of his eyes to find Saber in a stare down against the Magnhild.
The Magnhild roared with might, while Saber roared with rage. The Magnhild ran forward, but after a few steps threw his Warhammer. Saber quickly dodged to the side, but suddenly after it passed him, it made a U-turn, shocking Saber. Saber quickly hopped into the air, but as it passed under him, the Magnhild raised its sole hand at the moment, which caused the Warhammer to rise, meaning it was being controlled by the bot itself. Once the weapon rose in altitude, it rocketed at Saber, shocked the kitten, before it was struck by the Warhammer, sending him slamming against the wall, bouncing off it and landing onto the floor unconscious.
Jaune's eyes widened with horror and his jaw dropped.
"That's… you don't hurt my… CAT!" Jaune screamed as his entire being exploded with golden energy, causing the Magnhild's detached hand to be sent flying off.
The Magnhild detected the danger as Jaune fired straight at the bot with a pair of Arc Wings coming out his back.
Quickly releasing its control on its Warhammer, it brought its hand towards Jaune and projected a large rectangular shield of golden light in a hexagonal pattern in front of its large frame, perfectly shielding it, but as Jaune slammed into the shield, it cracked while the Magnhild was being forced back, actually skidding back in the process.
The Magnhild shot into the air thanks to rocket jets at the soles of its feet. Jaune looked up only to notice the Magnhild starting to glow gold as it ascended.
Jaune, out of instinct, rocketed over to Saber.
As the Magnhild made it to its maximum altitude, it started to rocket down thanks to gravity.
Jaune managed to grab Saber and hug him close to his own body as he focused much of his aura to his wings, causing them to grow and surround them both in a shield, right before the Magnhild, which looks to have travelled back down faster than sound, slammed down into the ground, creating a massive shockwave dome that even forced Reebok, Seymour and Ozpin to take cover as the entire ground of the arena broke apart and the force from the attack itself even caused things in the Imperial Box to move around and even break.
After about two seconds, the force diminished.
Reebok, Seymour and Ozpin poked their heads out to find that the entire arena floor had completely broken apart.
Reebok started to pant out of fear and anxiety as he looked around for his best friend and pet Grimm. He heard rumbling of debris making him look to a certain new hole in the wall, to find Jaune crawling out of the rubble with Saber in his arm.
"Oh thank God." Reebok sighed with relief.
The Magnhild however was not finished. Its detached hand rocketed back to its own, reattaching and then the Magnhild used a magnetic force to bring its Warhammer back to its hands.
The Magnhild rocketed towards Jaune.
"No, No!" Reebok shouted.
Jaune narrowed his eyes as his golden aura surround himself. He got up to his knees and aimed his hand at the Magnhild with a golden spike protruding from his hand, ready to fire a Spirit Lance.
The Magnhild raised its Warhammer up high, ready to end things, while Jaune was ready for one final gamble; his goal to shoot the Spirit Lance into the Magnhild's face.
"Peas and Carrots! Peas and Carrots!" Reebok screamed, causing the Magnhild's glowing T shaped face to lessen in luster. The Magnhild lowered its Warhammer to the side, no longer in battle mode. Jaune knew this so he brought his own hand down. "Oh thank God." Reebok sighed with relief as he hung against the edge of the Imperial Box.
"Peas and Carrots?" Ozpin questioned.
"It's the failsafe to keep them from continuing with their endeavors with eliminating a target." Reebok said.
Jaune sighed as he got up to his feet.
The Magnhild pressed its fist against its chest and bowed to Jaune, before turning and taking its leave.
Jaune looked down to the unconscious disguised Grimm kitten in his arms and sighed. Jaune smiled as he petted the unconscious kitten.
"Thanks, pal." Jaune said with a soft and grateful smile.
"Oh my Gosh, Jaune! I did not mean for this to happen! I'm sorry!" Reebok called out as he tried climbing out of the Imperial Box to go down to the now damaged arena to help out Jaune, but Ozpin grabbed him by the collar to keep him from falling from a great height.
"Don't be." Jaune called out with a smile. "I wasn't going all out, but I didn't need to. Today, now I know we have a major advantage. The bots are just what we need. Amazing work Reebok!" Jaune called out with a proud grin and thumbs up directed to his best friend.
Reebok's eyes were wide. He started forming a big opened mouth smiled with his eyes sparkling.
Ozpin smiled, happy to see the progress the two made.
Now the group of five (Jaune, Reebok, Ozpin, Seymour and Saber in Jaune's arms) started heading their way to the elevators, with Jaune and Saber all healed up thanks to the M.P. bot.
"So that last attack was thanks to gravity dust. Inside the Magnhild are dust crystals to enhance its combat. It used gravity dust to increase its body weight to create a stronger force through increase weight and speed." Reebok explained as they made it to the elevator.
"Talk about a tank type. Even with me holding back, these things sure pack a wallop. Especially since even they were holding back on me. I'd hate to be our enemies now." Jaune said with a smile.
"Off to work on the Gunslingers, I presume." Ozpin stated more than asked already knowing the answer as he pressed the elevator button.
"You know it sir!" Reebok said with a grin, but then his face faltered as he remembered what he said to Ozpin a few minutes ago. "Uh… Headmaster… about what I said."
"Do not feel regret for your words." Ozpin said, causing Reebok to look to him with a surprised expression. "You were not in the wrong. Granted I do believe one's trust in another is important, I am proud that you were prepared to push everything aside to protect your closest friend. Even if your trust in me isn't as much as your own trust and care in Jaune, I am still happy because of it." Ozpin said sipping from his mug of coffee, causing Jaune and Reebok's eyes to blink in surprise. "Besides… after all this time… I don't find it hard to believe someone would trust Jaune more than myself. In fact… perhaps I'd welcome it." Ozpin said with a soft smile.
"Man… talk about a speech that both lifts and drops your spirits. That's the most optimistic and pessimistic thing I've heard in a while." Jaune said.
"True, but all words are garnered in truth." Ozpin said with a smile as the elevator doors opened. "So Alexander, are there any special idea you hope to accomplish in the future? Something very personal and precious?" Ozpin asked as the group of five went into the elevator.
"Well, there is a rumor that there are dust crystals that can magnetize with material, be it organic or inorganic and I hope to harvest them for a kickass invention I want to create in the future." Reebok said with a smile.
"Hope you got a good name for it." Jaune said with a smirk.
"Oh I have! I've thought of this name in my waking hours for ages! A mode of transportation I'm gonna call… The Silver Dragon!" Reebok announced with pride and his hand up. "What do you think?" Reebok asked with a grin.
Jaune laughed at Reebok's enthusiasm with a warm grin and thumbs up, Saber, being awake, rolled his eyes, Seymour created a hologram of a thumbs up icon and Ozpin chuckled with a nod before sipping his coffee once more before the elevator doors closed.
!
!
Jaune was sprinting through the courtyard with Saber in his arms.
"Wait, wait! Wait up!" Reebok called out as he tried keeping up with Jaune with Seymour floating by his side. Reebok stopped and panted, but he took out his little steel rectangular container from earlier and popped a blue pellet into his mouth, bit down and sigh with relief, before sprinting once more.
Jaune made it to the bullhead docking bay and panted looking around for Team RWBY.
"Aw man, did I miss them?" Jaune wondered. He looked around to find Team CFVY heading to a bullhead. "Hey, Velvet, have you seen Ruby? Did she leave yet?" Jaune asked.
"Surprise!" Ruby exclaimed hopping onto Jaune's back, covering his eyes.
"No, I think she's right there." Velvet said with a smile.
Jaune sighed with a smile.
They heard wheezing making them all turn to see Reebok hunched over wheezing with his hands on his knees. He took his small container back out from his vest and popped two more pellets into his mouth, bit down and sighed with relief.
"What are those?" Ruby asked.
"Refresher pills. An invention of mine. They're pellets filled with Nitrogen, Oxygen, Argon, Carbon Dioxide, Neon, Helium, Krypton, Hydrogen and Xenon." Reebok explained. Ruby and Velvet looked to him with raised eyebrows and very confused expressions, while Jaune and Saber stared at him stoically, with the cat of the two blinking his eyes. Even Zwei, carefully hidden in Ruby backpack popped his eyes out for a second to look at Reebok. "It's all the gases that make up the air we breathe." Reebok simplified.
"Oh~." Ruby and Velvet said as they along with Jaune nodded their heads.
"Astounding." Weiss spoke up as she, Blake and Yang walked over. "I'm shocked you actually made something so very useful." Weiss said with a smile.
"Are you really?" Jaune questioned with a raised eyebrow.
"Well, sort of. He's obviously proven to possess such an incredible mind with an equally incredible talent to back it up, but I honestly never expected him to create something like this. It's actually a solution to not only regain one's breathing after an exercise and after a chase, but to also revolutionize the world of medicine, especially for those who have asthma! How can I not be impressed?" Weiss explained.
"Oh… well… thank you, Weiss." Reebok said looking to the side, rubbing the back of his head bashfully as he had and embarrassed, but happy blush on his cheeks.
"Aw~, the Ice Queen is playing nice." Jaune joked with a smile.
"Watch it, Arc." Weiss said with narrowed eyes and her hands on her hips.
"Whoa~, you've seen better days." Yang said looking to Jaune, noticing his hoodie got rough up. "Looks like you might need a new one soon."
"Don't need to. Reebok made a device earlier this month that copies clothes and can manufacture a perfect copy. Now I don't need to constantly eat Pumpkin Pete's cereal to get a new one." Jaune said with a smirk.
"What can you not build, short stack?" Cardin asked as he and his team walked up to them.
"Well I can't clone an entire being." Reebok said with a grin, turning to Cardin. "Well, not with the tools I have now anyway." Reebok said with a shrug and roll of is eyes. Everyone just stared at him with raised eyebrows. "Oh that's not a joke. I don't have the tools to manipulate genetics properly here." Reebok said looking to the side.
Everyone stared at him with wide eyes.
"Well… this is awkward." Russel said.
"In a nice way." Dove said.
"Oh my God, he can talk." Jaune said with wide eyes, causing everyone to laugh. Dove sighed shaking his head. "I'm sorry, that really surprised me." Jaune said with a small chuckle.
Dove actually chuckled with a smile as Sky gave him a light punch on the arm.
"So where are you guys off to?" Jaune asked.
"Off to do some heavy lifting. Some miners need extra hands to excavate some dust crystals, but they said there might be dangerous Grimm inside the mines and outside to try and ambush them for a feast. Figured it might be good to build up some muscle and experience." Cardin said with a confident smirk and rolling his right arm.
"Goodie~." Russel said with slightly gritted teeth formed into a frown.
"What's with you? Don't you want to get stronger?" Cardin questioned, still smirking as he flicked the side of Russel's head.
"Well, yeah, but these scrawny arms doing manual labor?" Russel said flexing his small biceps to emphasis his point. "I'm not packing something like you or that big guy there with your body mass." Russel said gesturing over to Yatsuhashi of Team CFVY as the 'big guy'.
"It is a distinctive advantage." Yatsuhashi acknowledged.
"Says you." Yang said with her arm crossed. "I bet I can lift both you and bird boy over there-"
"Bird boy?" Cardin questioned, not seeing how he got that name. Even though there is a bird named a Cardinal… and perhaps it's his family's symbol, but still… not a good nick name.
"Over my head with ease." Yang said with her head held high as she flexed her biceps.
Russel sighed with self-disappointment at seeing how even Yang has bigger biceps than him.
"Especially if they pluck a strand of your hair." Jaune said with a smirk.
"No. That happens, I'm sending them both to the stratosphere." Yang said with narrowed red eyes.
"We are four minutes behind girls!" Oobleck's voice was heard, making them all turn to see Oobleck at a bullhead. "Ah Mr. Arc! Remember you have an appointment on Thursday right after class!" Oobleck called out, before zipping back into the bullhead.
"Oh joy." Jaune said with a frown and slumped arms as Ruby got off of him.
"Oobleck's your huntsman?" Velvet asked.
"Harsh." Coco said readjusting her sunglasses. "Then again, we've got Professor Port. Again." Coco said with her arms crossed.
"Imagine those two together on the field." Jaune said. "One breaks the minds of Grimm by talking too fast-"
"And the other puts even Nevermores to sleep with stories while they fly." Cardin finished.
"That's what I'm saying." Jaune said with a smile as he extended his fist to Cardin who happily bumped it with his own.
"Whoa… this is weird. You two are actually being buddy-buddy." Yang said looking between the two as she and the rest of Team RWBY were a bit weirded out by the exchange.
"Yeah, it's…" Jaune and Cardin looked to one another. "It's still new." Jaune said with a shrug with Cardin nodding in response.
"Five… minutes… behind… schedule!" Oobleck called out.
"There's nothing waiting for you at Mount Glenn! Calm your sugar levels!" Jaune called out.
"That's still no excuse!" Oobleck called out before zipping back into the bullhead.
"Well… guess we need to go." Weiss said.
"Good luck." Coco said.
"We might need it." Blake said.
"Because of the Grimm or Oobleck?" Yang questioned.
"He's not that bad." Reebok said.
"Yeah! Reebok's right." Ruby said being optimistic. "Chin up, Team RWBY! We're off to save the world with Doctor Oobleck- I'm sorry I tried, but I just couldn't do it. When you say it out loud it sounds worse."
"Save the World?!" They all turned to see the rest of Team JNPR making their way over. "You're going on world saving missions without us?!" Nora cried as she was riding on Liversnap. "I'm sad! Hurt! Maybe a little hungry. That last one's not your fault though. Ren." Nora turned to her partner in question as the culprit of her hunger, who just turned his back to her with his head held high and arms crossed.
"By the way, Jauney Boy, where's your team heading?" Cardin asked JNPR's leader.
"We're heading-"
"We're Going to Be Deputies!" Nora screamed as she and Liversnap appeared next to Jaune's right side, with Nora screaming into his ear again out of excitement.
"… Nora I still need the right eardrum as much as the left." Jaune said with wide eyes referring to when she did the same to his left ear earlier.
"Ren and I want to shadow a sheriff in a nearby village tomorrow." Nora finished explaining with a smile. Cardin suddenly started to laugh. "What's so funny?" Nora asked with narrowed eyes.
"I'm just imagining Jaune wearing a ten gallon hat as he spins those gold and silver pistols in the air at high noon. Watch out bandits, someone's going to go wild in the west." Cardin said with a grin, actually making everyone laugh and giggle, while Jaune looked with a dull, flat look, but had hints of a smirk on his lips.
"Clever, very clever." Jaune said in monotone.
"Hey, what's the joke?" Sun said as he and Neptune joined in.
"Cardin actually made a funny about Jaune being a gunslinger on our way to a nearby village to be deputies. You know since he has his gold and silver guns and all." Nora said.
"Nice. All you need is a ten gallon hat and ass-less chaps." Sun added with a laugh.
The girls didn't laugh at the last part. Weiss pressed her hand against her head and shook her head, while Blake sighed and Ruby and Pyrrha's faces turned red. And poor Nora didn't get it.
Jaune turned his head to look at Yang. Yang noticed Jaune looking to her.
"What?" Yang asked.
"I'm just waiting." Jaune said. Yang raised an eyebrow, until she understood what he is talking about.
"Nuh uh. Not going there." Yang said.
"You know you want to~." Jaune chimed with a smirk.
"Don't even think I'll give in and say it." Yang said with narrowed eyes.
"What?" Neptune asked. "Wait, do you mean picturing Jaune wearing chaps without pants?"
"You said it, not her." Jaune said with a frown, causing Yang to laugh her butt off.
"Huh?" Neptune was confused.
"You might want to say no ho-"
"Students!" Oobleck spoke up, interrupting Cardin, as they all turned to see him. "I'm sorry to break up the social gathering, but we are already ten minutes late!" Oobleck said to Team RWBY pointing to his watch. "Ms. Rose."
"Uh, yes?" Ruby responded standing straight into attention.
"You realize as the team leader you must display the most responsibility." Oobleck said leaning closer to Ruby causing her to lean back with some worry.
"Uh, yes."
"Then tell me why do you find it so appropriate to keep you superior waiting for ten minutes. You do realize in the world of Remnant the penalty would be death on a mission, correct?" Oobleck questioned.
"Um, yes Professor-"
"Doctor."
"Doctor Oobleck, we, um-"
"Were a bit worried." Jaune said as he figuratively and literally got in between the two.
"Worried for what?" Oobleck questioned.
"Well you see Doctor Oobleck, they were making sure that they had the proper essentials." Jaune said.
"I have all the required essentials in my custody. They do not require any bags of their own for we will not be planting a base of operation, but traversing a whole wasteland, so anything they need I can provide within my possession." Oobleck informed adjusted his glasses.
"Really?" Jaune asked.
"Yes." Oobleck answered.
"A compass?"
"Yes."
"A map of the location you'll be staying?"
"Yes."
"A map of the entire kingdom Vale resides in?"
"Correct."
"Bug repellent?"
"Hmm." Oobleck nodded in confirmation.
"Matches?"
"Yes."
"Flashlights?"
"Yes."
"Fresh water? Food? Cook books? Guide books? Lotion for itches? Nail clippers? Hairbrushes? Toothbrushes? Toothpaste? Floss? Condiments? Spices? Flares? Toilet Paper? Baby wipes for those special users?"
"All indubitably in my possession."
"Mm. Good. Then what about… lady things?" Jaune asked.
Everyone was silent for a good while after this.
"Excuse me?" Oobleck questioned.
"You see, this is why the delay occurred. Seeing as Team RWBY, the team you will be leading, cannot take their bags with them, they feel rather uncomfortable to go on this trip without the 'necessary previsions' if you understand. So feeling unconfident of a certain situation at hand." Jaune then leaned in and said in a low voice. "Between you and me, Weiss does seem to be feeling a bit more 'irritable', if you catch my drift." Weiss gasped with her jaw dropped, while Blake had her hand over her mouth with her cheeks red, Ruby's face all red and Yang snickering. Even the other girls, along with the guys in the massive group blushed at this. "They just feel a bit worried that perhaps you might not possess 'those' essentials for the trip and they did not know how to approach you on this matter without feeling a bit… self-conscious. And between you and me, this would not look good on your record if left unchecked. I mean, granted this mission does grade on the performance of the team who will be shadowing you, but you are still their guardian and leader for the time being, and I have the feeling that not possessing the proper necessities to diffuse a situation which will undoubtedly effect the whole team would not look good on the record of veteran huntsman, Doctor Bartholomew Oobleck, for not possessing what was needed, especially since he ordered the team to leave the 'needs' they prepared in advance. Tsk, tsk, tsk, not good at all." Jaune finished shaking his head.
Oobleck stared at Jaune. He leaned forward closer to his face.
"I see what you did there, Mister Arc." Oobleck said in a stern voice.
"Mm~. Well… it all depends on your next course of action." Jaune said with a confident smile.
The two stared at one another.
"Nevertheless, your point is valid and completely logical. One moment girls, I shall acquire the necessities you will need on this trip." Oobleck said, before disappearing in a blur.
"… I honestly am shocked that worked. I just came up with all that stuff off the top of my head." Jaune said. Suddenly he was slapped in the face by Weiss. "Ow!"
"You deserved that indefinitely." Weiss said with a narrowed eyed glare.
"Your welcome." Jaune said with a frown, rubbing his cheek. Suddenly he was bopped on the back of the head by Yang, causing him to flinch with pain and accidentally release Saber, who easily landed upon the ground. "Ow! What the?"
"I felt you deserved that too." Yang said with dull eyes, yet possessed a smirk.
"Got the message." Jaune said with a dull look and rubbing the back of his head. Suddenly he was smacked in the face again. "Ah! The Hell?! Pyrrha?!" Jaune was shocked that it was his own partner who smacked him.
"Sorry, but… that was inappropriate Jaune. Even if it did help." Pyrrha said.
"Jeez, well excuse me for helping our sister team." Jaune said rubbing his cheek, only to have the other immediately smacked. "Ow! What the crap?!"
"I just didn't want to be left out." Nora said, not really finding anything to get angry at what Jaune said.
"Can I get smack in too?" Coco asked raising her hand.
"Hell no! I'm not everybody's punching bag." Jaune said with annoyance.
"Aw~, but you used to fit it so well." Coco teased with a smirk tilting her glasses down to reveal sly eyes.
"… You get one of those, Coco. Just one." Jaune said with narrowed eyes.
Sun laughed placing a hand on Jaune's shoulder.
"Holy crap! I can't believe you did that! You both lied to a teacher and talked about… girls stuff without even a stutter or blush. Damn, man, you are my hero! That was awesome!" Sun said with a laugh and grin as he leaned back, but suddenly was smacked in the face by Blake. "Ow! What?" Sun held his cheek turning to Blake.
"That's not the proper reaction." Blake said with her arms crossed. "Good lie though Jaune."
"Thanks. At least it's nice that someone complimented my quick thinking." Jaune said.
"Thanks for having my back, Jaune. Oobleck was really getting to me there." Ruby said.
"I'll always have your back no matter what, Ruby. I promise." Jaune said with a smile. Ruby suddenly hugged him, surprising him for a moment, but he smiled and returned the hug back.
'Of course he jumped in to protect Ruby.' Weiss thought, but then she looked to Neptune who was just checking his nails. She sighed, honestly not seeing how he would do the same for her. She then noticed something extended to her. A white steel container from Reebok that looked like the one had used a moment ago, but in a different color. "Is that…"
"A Refresher capsule, yes. I got loads of these, so I figured that you and the rest of Team RWBY will need these." Reebok said.
"Oh. Why thank you." Weiss said with a smile as she took the Refresher Capsule.
"Here you two go." Reebok said to Blake and Yang as he then handed them a pair of Refresher Capsules, with one being black and the yellow. Ironically, Blake to the yellow and Yang took the black. "Only take one to three at a time and make sure not to take them constantly, best to have a five minute interval between each ingestion." Reebok said with a small smile as he handed a red one to Ruby.
"Interval? That means break, right?" Ruby asked.
"Yep." Reebok said with a nod.
"You got one in mocha color?" Coco asked.
"Yep. Along with seventy eight different colors." Reebok said opening his vest up to reveal he had tons of Refresher Capsules inside, tied to the vest by string. Everyone looked to him with surprise. "How do you guys think I last so well in P.E.?" Reebok rhetorically asked with a big smile.
"Alex!" a voice called out.
They all turned to see a tall teen with crimson hair that was spiked up, kind of in a similar style of Sage's, a red shirt with a design of a battle axe on the shirt, army green cargo pants, black and laced boots, red fingerless gloves that also covered the forearms and had black X designs on the back of the hands, a single headphone over her left ear and a pair of red visor sunglasses.
"We're about to shove off. Come on." The person in red spoke up.
"Who's that?" Russel asked.
"My team leader, Red." Reebok said.
"He looks like he belongs on a live action kid's show." Cardin joked with a smirk.
"Guess I can't blame you there. My other teammates are the color of blue and yellow… *sigh* and I'm the green." Reebok said hanging his head.
Cardin suddenly laughed, making everyone looked to him.
"Sorry, it's… that's just funny." Cardin said with an amused grin.
Reebok sighed.
"I know." Reebok said with a frown.
Reebok then handed everyone Refresher Capsules.
"Hey if you ever need a pink, I'm sure Nora wouldn't mind a transfer." Jaune joked with a smirk.
"Oh, yeah!" Nora said with a grin and hand raised.
"I was joking." Jaune said.
"I know. You think I'd actually leave JNPR? I'm hurt! And still hungry… Ren." Nora's glare went back to Ren, who just closed his eyes and held his head high.
Reebok started to hand everyone Refresher Capsules for their missions.
"Well, I'll see you guys. Wish me luck on my mission." Reebok said, sounding unenthusiastic with a dull thumbs up.
"At least you might not be stuck with someone like Oobleck with more than a day." Yang said.
"Professor… and Doctor Oobleck isn't that bad. He's actually pretty well off in combat. I mean he was able to hold his own against Jaune with his unique weapon in one hand while writing in his notepad with the other. Granted Jaune was using an umbrella while he was hypnotized, but still a good feat in my opinion." Reebok said with a shrug.
"Wha…? You spied on my therapy session?" Jaune questioned.
Reebok glanced side to side as everyone was looking to him with surprised expression.
"… I get concerned." Reebok said tapping his index fingers together. "Bye!" Reebok waved goodbye with a grin before running off to meet his team leader. "Good luck on your missions!" Reebok called out with a smile, continuing to wave goodbye.
"Heh. Man that kid is a weirdo." Coco said readjusting her glasses as she shook her head.
"Yeah… but I wouldn't trade him." Jaune said with a warm smile.
Suddenly Team CFVY's scrolls rang. They checked only to moan in disappointment.
"Dammit. Our flight just got cancelled. Guess we're stuck here tonight." Coco said.
"Then you can party with us tonight." Neptune said with a smile.
Coco looked to both him and the grinning Sun with a dull look.
"In your dreams." Coco said.
"Careful. Saying it once is enough to make it true." Jaune said with a smirk.
Coco looked to Neptune who had a thinking look on his face with a smile.
"You even dare and it's over." Coco said with a glare as she raised her weapon, which was in the form of a handbag.
"Careful. That things loaded." Jaune said to Neptune. "I'm not even kidding. It turns into a mini-gun, so it's carrying a few pounds." Jaune said, causing Neptune to step back in fear.
Team CRDL took out their own scrolls as they rang to check things out.
"Well, our flight's here." Cardin said. "Let's move." Cardin ordered. He then turned to Jaune. "Later, Jauney Boy." Cardin said with a smile as he and Jaune fist bumped with smiles on their faces. He then turned to Ruby. "Do your best to come back without a scratch, Red. You come back with so much as a finger cut and you just might give this guy a heart attack." Cardin said with a smirk.
"Oh very funny." Jaune said rolling his eyes.
"Ruby, when did you get a cut on your chin?" Yang questioned with wide eyes.
"Wait, What?!" Jaune exclaimed with shock as he quickly, and gently, grabbed Ruby's chin to look closely only to see nothing.
Yang and Cardin laughed as they actually high fived, while Jaune had an annoyed and dull look on his face.
"See you all whenever." Cardin said as he and his team headed out.
"Good luck you guys." Velvet called out with a smile and wave.
Cardin actually paused with wide eyes at what he heard from who spoke it. He actually smiled.
"Thanks Hops. Don't get too bored tonight." Cardin said turning with a smile and wave before continuing on with his teen.
Velvet actually smiled more at this.
"Hops?" Yang questioned.
"Huh? Oh yeah… that's new." Velvet said cupping her chin, now realizing Cardin just called her something new.
"Aw~, he gave you a pet name." Yang said with a smile, causing Velvet to flinch with a red blush. Suddenly Yang was smacked on the back of the head by Blake. "Ow! What the-?"
"Don't say that to a Faunus again. Trust me." Blake said with her usual stoic face and arms crossed.
"Fine. I won't. So long as you promise never to touch the hair again!" Yang exclaimed leaning closer to her partner with red glowing eyes.
"I have returned." Oobleck suddenly appeared between Yang and Blake, causing the two to yelp and hop back. "I have acquired all the essentials that you ladies may need for the trip."
"Where in the heck did you get those so fast?" Jaune asked with surprise.
"Professor Peach assisted me in quite a hurry." Oobleck said.
Jaune just stared at him for a few silent moments.
"Okay, I am made of questions right now." Jaune said.
"They'll have to be answered later. Forgive me girls, for because of my incompetence, we are way behind! Let's get a move on!" Oobleck said before blurring away, making it to the bullhead in the next second.
"Well… can't keep him waiting any longer. I'd dread to find out what Jaune would say this time to save our skins." Weiss said as she turned and left to get to the bullhead.
"That's pretty rude, leaving without a proper goodbye." Jaune said with a smirk.
'Heaven help me, I'm about to smack his smart mouth right off.' Weiss thought biting her bottom lip with a glare and shaking fist, but she managed to compose herself to appear calm, before she turned and gave a curtsy. "Until we meet again, friends." Weiss said, sounding polite before turning and walk away with a miffed huff.
"… She wants to punch." Yang said with a smirk.
"I'm aware." Jaune said with a smile.
"Well, so long Vomit Boy. And don't worry, I'll make sure your 'special girl' makes it without a scratch." Yang said, still smirking as she walked, gesturing over to Ruby when she said 'special girl'.
"Yang~." Ruby whined with embarrassment as she and Jaune had blushes on their cheeks. Ruby's was redder and spread out than Jaune's, whose was pink.
Jaune then turned to Ruby with a smile.
"You better come back without a scratch." Jaune said with a smirk, placing a hand on Ruby's shoulder.
"No promises." Ruby said with a shrug and smile, making Jaune smile.
Zwei's immediately gave a small ruff, catching everyone's attention.
"What the heck was that?" Coco questioned, tilting her glasses down and looking around for anything out of the ordinary.
"Go to go! Hugs!" Ruby quickly hugged Jaune, then ran off at top speed.
Jaune blinked his eyes, before smiling at Ruby's behavior.
"Mount Glenn is very dangerous." Blake spoke up, causing Jaune to turn to her. "From what you described that is. However it seems like the perfect place for anyone to hide out, depending if there is someplace special to put a base of operations. I wonder where." Blake said.
Jaune blinked his eyes with a raised eyebrow.
"Well… the metro systems. They may be home to one of the… largest tombs there are, but with a group who have effective ammunition and rations, they can survive down there, even if there are lingering Grimm." Jaune said.
"… Interesting." Blake said. Blake knelt down with a smile and scratched Saber behind the ears, getting a purr from the disguised Grimm cat. She got up and turned her head to Jaune. "Just like Yang, I'll make sure Ruby comes back to you in one piece." Blake said. Jaune blinked his eyes which became a bit wide.
"Thanks, Blake." Jaune said.
Blake gave a nod before heading off to join the rest of her party.
Jaune looked to her retreating form. He stared at her for some moments.
Sun leaned over next to Jaune, looking to him. His eyes looked to Blake's back side for a moment, then looked to Jaune.
"Are you… checking out the rear view?" Sun asked. Jaune immediately gained a dull look. A moment later he smacked Sun in the back of the head.
"Get your mind out of the gutter, man." Jaune said as he turned and starting walking away with his team.
"Hey, you're the guy who mentioned 'that' stuff just moments ago." Sun said following Jaune.
"I only said that because Oobleck was pressuring, Ruby. Didn't like that so I did something." Jaune said.
"Aw~, you're like a knight from a fairytale going to his princess' rescue." Sun teased with a grin and hands interlocked and pressed against his cheek.
Jaune groaned with annoyance and was ready to smack Sun again, but when he thought about; it didn't sound too bad. In fact… he rather likes it.
"Yeah… well said. I'm a perfect knight in shining armor." Jaune said with a smile and feeling pride.
"Huh. Was actually expecting to get smacked." Sun said with a light smile and rubbing the back of his head.
"Well that was the plan, but now thinking about it, I rather like being a heroic knight straight out of a fairytale." Jaune said with a proud smile and his head raised up high. 'Especially for you, Ruby.' Jaune thought with a calm, yet loving smile.
A loud, bellowing moan from a large beast was heard causing everyone to flinch with shock.
"So~~ Hungry~~~." Nora whined as she slumped onto her back atop of Liversnap's back. "Ren~~… help~." Nora whined.
"If you need food, then I know this nice noodle hut." Sun said with a grin.
"Mm~. I don't know. My taste buds aren't watering for noodles." Nora said rubbing her chin, but then her eyes widened as she hopped to her feet atop of Liversnap's back. "Oh! Oh! But I know this place that cooks big things! One of them being the biggest banana split sundae you'd ever see. With bananas as long as my forearm!" Nora said with a big smile on her face, pointing to her right forearm.
"… Don't you say that… don't you say that unless it's true!" Sun said, getting very serious at the mention of big forearm long bananas.
"Oh you got to see them!" Nora exclaimed with a grin as she hopped on one foot atop of Liversnap. "They even have great carrot cakes~." Nora chimed with a grin looking to Velvet, whose nose crinkled when she heard the mention of carrot cake. She started to lightly hop over, following them.
Coco sighed as she decided to follow Velvet to make sure didn't overstuff herself, or worse, eat enough to expand her waist line.
Yatsuhashi and Fox looked at one another and shrugged. Getting something to eat was at least better than doing nothing, but standing around and getting bored.
Ren started falling back to walk beside Jaune to talk about something.
"Kind of convenient that Blake asked such a question." Ren more stated than said.
"Yeah. Now I got some questions." Jaune said with a bit of a more serious expression.
"We both do." Ren said, earning a nod from Jaune.
"Ren! Hurry up, you slowpoke!" Nora called out.
Ren sighed shaking his head, while Jaune chuckled.
"I'm still surprised I just might be spending the rest of my life with Nora." Ren said.
"Would you want it any other way?" Jaune rhetorically asked with a smirk.
"Hmph." Ren closed his eyes and smiled. "No. I suppose I wouldn't."
Jaune smiled to Ren. He turned his head back to see Team RWBY's bullhead fly off to Mt. Glenn. His eyes softened and his smile faltered into a thin lip.
'Be careful out there, Ruby. Girls.'
End of Chapter 8
Damn! Finally finished. Oh and I know that might sound lazy considering this chapter is seventy three pages long, but what if I were to tell you this chapter and the next which were originally one whole chapter was a total of two hundred ninety two pages long, with ninety five thousand seven hundred sixty nine words and was a total of two hundred sixty three KB in data?
Damn long, huh? Good thing I showed mercy to you guys. However that doesn't mean the next chapter isn't long either. It's still a total of two hundred nineteen to two hundred twenty long, story wise. Sorry about that.
Anyway, I'd like to thank you all for being so patient. I had work, plus I have a bad attention span when I am not interested, but luckily I put my time into watching videos of RWBY fans who point out not only the flaws of characters and stories in the series, but also gives you a general idea on how to make it better. They really helped me out with ideas for future chapters thanks to their content.
So I'd like to thank Mediaocrity4, Unicorn of War – Thomas Vaccaro, and Vexed Viewer for their content that not only help me get a grasp on the story of RWBY, but also how to improve my story with your insight. Thank you for your opinion.
In case anyone is wondering why the first name sounds so dang familiar, it's because he is a fellow Fanfictioneer like yours truly (and yes, he is a major Lancaster Fan like myself).
Lancaster Forever!
Anyway, once again thanks for being patient and I hope you enjoyed.
Takeshi1225, Out!
