ACT 1: Resolution
"There is no chance, no destiny, no fate that can circumvent or hinder or control the firm resolve of a determined soul."
- Ella Wheeler Wilcox
It's been two days, two days since the night the part in his head in charge of common sense suffered a temporary meltdown, letting his self-conscience and self-pity drive a wedge between him and the only person he could consider a friend. Said girl still refused to acknowledge him, while her sister still glowered at him. Complemented by all the scorning looks and whispered mocking he received, it was a fair bet to say that his life was en route to reaching the rock bottom. Which wasn't anything new for him - he's been on the receiving end of prodding remarks and sharp barbs on multiple occasions in his life.
The day wasn't looking up to be any better either, judging by how the morning was kick-started with yet another combat class, and with him as the first on the chopping block, no less.
"Now, to find you a suitable opponent…" The deputy headmistress trailed off, scrolling down the roster on her scroll.
'Good luck with that,' Jaune thought acidly, feeling rather self-conscious as he always did whenever he stood on the spotlight. 'Goddamnit, couldn't you have just picked someone and call us both at the same time so I don't have to stand here like an idiot? Or maybe not picking me at all?'
"I'll do it." A hand rose among the crowds, the deep baritone preceding the speaker marching down the aisle, not even waiting for Glynda's approval.
"Mr. Winchester, though it's good to see you voluntarily participating in class for once, I'm afraid you and Mr. Arc's skill levels are far too different to be suitable as a sparring partner." The air rippled with snickers, and Jaune wasn't sure who they were laughing at, though his intuition told him the answer was anything but good.
"So I'll go easy on him, it's not like we're fighting to the death, right?" Cardin waved his hand dismissively. Hefting his gigantic mace onto his shoulders, Cardin wore an arrogant smirk, completely relaxed. In contrast, Jaune tensed as his insides clenched in dread, already fully aware how this duel – if it could even be called that – would end.
"Begin!" Glynda signalled.
Neither of them moved. Jaune cautiously kept his distance, while Cardin simply waited for him to make the first move. "What's the matter, Jauney-boy? Did you suddenly forget how to fight? Oh wait, except you don't."
Jaune scowled, but didn't react. "Fine, whatever." With a growl Cardin charged at him, his mace raised. Jaune side-stepped the first strike, and tried to block the follow-up hit when he was too slow to dodge it.
The red Dust crystal embedded on the tip of the black mace glowed, and a literal explosive force sent Jaune flying off his feet into the air, and landed painfully on his back. With a groan he picked himself up off the floor, just in time for a boot to slam into his face.
"C'mon, seriously? That's it?" Cardin taunted, toeing Jaune as he curled up in pain. "Come on, fight back or something. My old granny can hit harder."
More snickers. Jaune could barely hear them over the loud ringing in his ears. "Leave me alone!" He managed to wheeze.
"What, you scared? Boo-fucking-hoo, cry me a bloody river." Cardin grabbed a fistful of Jaune's hoodie, lifting him up in the air. "This is the part where you cry like a little bitch. Looking forward to it."
With a grunt Cardin drew his fist back, before ramming it against Jaune's face, over and over and over again.
Jaune tried to fight back, but Cardin's punches were too savage and relentless. His Aura, though it protected him from damage, didn't lessen the pain of the blows. It wasn't long before he felt his Aura giving up on him, and a sour metallic taste flooded his mouth.
The pain grew numb, and his vision flickered, growing dimmer and dimmer. Vaguely he heard someone screaming, but before he could discern who, he blacked out from the abuse.
"Mr. Arc, how do you feel?"
Jaune heard the chair within close proximity creak as the headmaster – judging by his voice – claimed it for his perusal. He could barely see anything past the layers of bandages that snaked around his face. Or the infirmary in all its pristine, sterile glory for that matter. At least the bed was comfortable enough.
"I'm hearing bells, professor. Is that normal?" Jaune groaned.
Ozpin chuckled. "Concussion, tinnitus. I shall have Aurora check up on you later, Mr. Arc. Fortunately she's a great nurse, and your Aura is working in tandem on your recovery. Expect a clean bill of health by tomorrow morning."
Clearing his throat, Ozpin continued, his voice growing serious. "This morning's incidence is currently being reviewed by the staff, and Mr. Winchester will be disciplined for his actions."
"Really, that's good," Jaune absently replied, void of all cheer.
Ozpin raised a brow, before he decided to try from another angle. "Is there anything you wish to add to the incident report, Mr. Arc? Mr. Winchester's deeds, atrocious as it is, did not seem to be a product of mere whim. Has anything happened between the two of you prior to the incident today?"
"I-I don't think so, sir. Well, that is, he sort of… attacked me on my way back to my dorm room a few days ago. I never found out why, though."
Ozpin took it in, his face unreadable. "I see. Perhaps I should have another talk with Mr. Winchester-"
"No sir, that-that won't be necessary."
"On that contrary, Mr. Arc, I believe it is. Training between two students is one thing, assaulting and deliberately injuring another student out of malice warrants a disciplinary action."
"'Another student', huh…" Jaune turned his head to match Ozpin's gaze. "Sir, tell me, do you really see me as one of your students?" 'Do I really belong here?'
The headmaster took a moment to consider his words, reading what went unspoken. "It was your choice, Mr. Arc. I assumed you were prepared to deal with the consequences."
"Guess I wasn't." Something clicked in his head, and Jaune couldn't help but ask, "But you already knew that, right? You probably already had my background checked, so you knew I wasn't cut out to be a Beacon material."
"What are you getting at?"
"I want to know why."
"Why I decided to offer you a place here?"
"Even when I never belonged here," Jaune added. "You made a mistake in letting me stay here."
"I never said that," Ozpin calmly said.
Jaune clenched his fist. "I already know too well how much I suck at pretty much everything, so can you please drop the polite bullshit?"
Ozpin said nothing, and for some reason that just made him angrier. Was it like some kind of sick joke? Dangle hope in front of the desperate, talentless kid and pull the string just before he could grab it? "So what do I do now?"
"That remains to be seen. Rather, that depends on where you choose to go from here."
"Enough with the cryptic bullshit!" In the recess of his mind his rational side cringed at the blatant display of disrespect, but he was too agitated, too fed up to really care. "Is it funny, headmaster? Everyone's already having a blast laughing at Jaune the village idiot, what's one more person to the crowd?!"
Ozpin's neutral expression never faltered, and instantly Jaune regretted the outburst. "Sir, I… I didn't mean… I'm sorry."
"Your outburst is quite understandable, given your circumstances. Isolated and rejected by your peers, with no one to lean for support. Anyone would crack under the pressure, Mr. Arc," Ozpin calmly stated, as if he was discussing the weather.
Jaune sank further into himself. "Where do I go now? What do I do now?" He whispered resignedly.
"As I've said earlier, all I offered you was a chance. What you do after that, where you go from there, is your choice, Mr. Arc." Ozpin stood up and headed for the door, but paused at the doorway. "Do stop by my office when you have your answer. But for what it's worth, I don't think giving you the chance back then was a mistake."
The door gently clicked shut, and Jaune wrapped his hand over his eyes, a weary sigh escaping his lips as multitude of thoughts bounced around his head.
He couldn't sleep that night. Tossing and turning, far too many thoughts ran rampant in his head, the peace of sleep slipping through his fingers. Whether he deserved to be here, where to go once he stepped off the airship that took him away from Beacon, what to do with his life from there on.
Someone once told him, that nothing was impossible. Short and simple, yet it was powerful enough to have an impact on him as a young child, who dreamed of being a strong Huntsman befitting of a name of Arc, yet falling short no matter how hard he tried. Failures after failures, rejections upon rejections gradually wore him down, but he never once truly gave up, clinging on to that dim hope that nothing really was impossible, that he could one day achieve his dream.
'Pfft. Yeah right.'
Reality hit him hard, and truth hurt like salt on the wound. But wasn't it better in the long run? Better to swallow the bitter pill and accept the fact that he just wasn't cut out to be a Huntsman, than to continue drowning in his own delusions. Better to face the reality, than to continuously run from it.
Jaune Arc was nothing if not pragmatic, and already he mulled over his options. Where was he to go now? What was he going to do with his life? Could he go back to his gig in the bakery, or maybe try taking a crack at a career in culinary profession? Cooking was one of the few things he was good at, after all.
His musings were cut short when the door opened with a muted creak, and Jaune shut his eyes in reflex, feigning sleep. The curtain around his bed rustled, and heard the sound of the chair sliding closer to the bedside. He almost jumped when a cool sensation prodded him on his cheek, and he vaguely realised that someone was poking him with a finger.
'Ruby?'
"…Hi." She muttered, her voice lacking the usual chirpiness. "…How are you holding up?"
Ruby wasn't expecting a reply, save for Jaune's quiet snoring. "I was getting worried, and here you are, snoozing away. Jerk."
Her eyes landed on Jaune's bandaged face, and she flared up in anger. Back in that stage, it was painful to watch as the brute Winchester continued to pummel her partner unconscious, made worse when some of the less considerate members of the student populace cheered on in twisted amusement.
Everything fell quiet when Jaune's Aura cracked under relentless assault, coughing blood when Cardin threw him to the ground. Ruby screamed, and Glynda snapped into action, sending the Winchester bully away from Jaune's still body.
Everything after that passed by in a blur – paramedics taking Jaune away on a stretcher, Glynda dragging Winchester out forcefully, while the students whispered amongst themselves, still absorbing the brutal display they witnessed.
Everything fell into clarity when, some hours later, Ruby ran into Cardin and his team. Almost on reflex Ruby reached for her Crescent Rose, eyes burning in anger. Rules be damned, seeing the one who injured her friend was walking around as if he owned the place, that set her off. She was prepared to fight, even draw blood, if that came to be, only for Glynda to step in and intervene. Though her sharp lectures were addressed to both sides, Ruby never took her eyes off the hulking brute, anger simmering, but not fading.
The night back in their room was a tense one, neither Yang nor Ren uttering a word. Ruby wanted to know if they visited him in the infirmary, or if they even cared to. But courage failed her, and so the elephant was left to remain in the room.
It was barely past midnight when Ruby decided she wasn't going to get any sleep tonight – at least, not until she saw Jaune. She just hoped that he was asleep when she visited him, it would be a lot less awkward if that was the case.
And it was. With Jaune dead to the world and to her presence, inputs in the conversation – albeit one-sided – was a lot more sincere and heartfelt.
"I just wanted to say, I'm sorry, you know, for slapping you back then. I guess. I just, I didn't like hearing you putting yourself down like that."
With a sigh Ruby leaned back, fidgeting with the hem of her cloak. It was a cold night, and she only had a tank top underneath. "I know what people say about you, but I know better. You train and study hard, just to fit in. You could've given up, but you still get up and face the day, all because you try your best to get better.
"Truth is, the day when that airship crashed and stranded us in that forest? I was terrified. That Beowolf was going to kill me, and you ran away. I thought that was it for me. But you came back, you saved me. Then again with the spider, and with the Death Stalker. And you did all that with zero skills and training."
Ruby lightly gripped his hand with hers, taking comfort in his warmth. "You were there with me since day one. Not Yang or anyone else, but you. Don't you get it? That's not you being a dead weight, that's you being brave, being a good person. I just, I just wish you could see it."
With a slight shiver Ruby drew her cloak closer and stood up. "Well, gotta head back to my room. Wouldn't want professor Goodwitch to yell at me for staying up past curfew, right?" Leaning closer to his face, Ruby mustered her courage and left a quick, chaste kiss on his forehead.
"Get better soon, okay?"
As the infirmary door quietly clicked shut, Jaune slowly sat up, all pretence of sleep gone. He lightly touched his forehead where Ruby left her kiss, and it was with a heavy heart that he laid back down.
"Goddamnit Ruby, you just had to make this more difficult than it should've been, huh?"
Both Emerald Forest and Forever Fall rested on the northern part of Valean Kingdom, though both landscapes were divided not by a clean border, but a small stretch of badlands devoid of life, running through the land like a scar. On the other end lied the world bathed in red, the crimson leaves billowing about in the wind.
"Fascinating, isn't it? Two geographical landmarks within such close proximity, yet differ greatly from one another." Peach commented. Standing at a modest height of five feet four, with a youthful face and vibrant shade of pink for hair, he wasn't exactly an imposing figure. At the very least he didn't spend every minute stroking his own ego, like a certain Grimm Studies professor was wont to do, Ruby mused.
The Hercules-class airship was of similar design as VTOL Bullheads, though with larger, wider build for the purpose of cargo transportation, or in this case, personnel. Whereas standard Bullheads could only carry a limited number of passengers and hardware, Hercules airship, or 'Herc' as pilots called, could house several times that limit. Those claims were true, as there was enough space for all First years and their equipment, but it only felt claustrophobic to Ruby. Every occasional jolts and lurches reminded her of the disastrous airship crash, and by the time they landed – safely – on land, Yang had to pry her sister off her arm.
A surreptitious glance to the side showed Jaune leaning against a tree, a sheen of sweat wetting his pale and clammy face. Whether it was out of motion sickness or the horrible reminder of the accident she didn't know.
A gust of wind passed by, and in its wake left trail of a pleasant, sweet scent. Drawn by the aroma she took a deep sniff, the ambrosial fragrance tickling her olfactory nerves.
"Quite a scent, isn't it?" Professor Peach spoke, noticing some of the students taking in the scents. "What you smell now is the red sap that's found mainly in these trees, Eucalyptus tereticornis if you want the technical term. Of all places Remnant, these trees can only be found in Forever Fall, making them a valuable national commodity."
"Are they edible?" One of the students asked.
"They are," Peach affirmed, "In fact, I'm sure some of you have had them as part of your breakfast this morning. Ever wondered where red syrups came from?"
"So that's what they were," Nora exclaimed in wonder, drool streaking down the corner of her mouth.
"I would, however, advise against consuming them straight from the trees. In their unrefined form they can cause minor gastrointestinal irritation, especially if consumed in large quantities." Peach lectured as he set down his bag, before withdrawing a jar. As if on cue the students rummaged through their own bags and took out their own containers.
"Where do we get the sap from? I don't see any fruits or flowers, sir."
Peach merely grinned as he drew what appeared to be a rapier, until the blade rotated with a loud whir, and struck the nearest tree hard enough to punch through the trunk and exit the other end. As the professor pulled out his weapon, viscous red substance coated its surface, leaking down the gaping hole and pooling on the ground.
"That's where you find them. Just a word of caution, the scent travels far, and many Grimm that resides within are drawn to it. I'd advise against wandering too far, lest you be cut off and lose your way." Peach concluded.
Soon the students separated into their own teams, and thuds of steel against wood with occasional chatter filled the air. Some broke into curses as the barks proved thicker and more resilient than their appearance belied, only scoring a thin scratch or a hole.
"I wonder why no one knew about this place. I mean, think about all the tasty syrup we can eat, any day, every day!"
"It's one of Vale's national treasure. Professor Peach did say these trees only grew here in Vale, after all. On that note, I think it'd be a good idea to let us handle this, Nora." Blake held Nora back when her Magnhild came out to play, fully aware of the possible collateral damage that would ensue from Nora's quest for sap. She unsheathed her Gambol Shroud just as Miló shifted into its javelin form in Pyrrha's grip. The two Huntresses-in-training targeted a lone tree, and Blake slashed at its bark as Pyrrha hurled her spear with all her might. The feline Faunus was dismayed to find that her efforts only netted small rivulets of sap leaking. Pyrrha seemed to fare better, if only by a small margin.
"What were you expecting? It's not just the red sap that makes these trees valuable, but also their incredibly tough timber. You won't get anywhere like that."
"And I suppose you can do better?" Blake sneered as Weiss crossed her arm.
Favouring action in lieu of words, the Schnee heiress flourished her Myrtenaster, ice Dust particles gathering and consolidating into a spike at the tip of the rapier. A circle of Glyph flashed to life, and the ice spike rocketed forward, piercing through the ironbark, drilling a narrow but deep hole.
Blake felt the urge to rip the smug look from the heiress' face, though decided against it, sheathing her weapon and walking away. With mixed sadness and disapproval Nora went after her partner, though changed her course straight to Ren when the teen came into her view.
Pyrrha sighed as she saw her bubbly teammate knocking the black-haired teen to the ground with her hugs. The Mistralian knew that they were childhood friends, but to think that Nora preferred his company over her teammates just showed how divided Winterbournes were. What really ate up her insides was that there was little she could do to change that.
Her eyes slid over to the rest of the Regalities and watched as both sisters pelted the thick trees with bullets, crimson fluids spilling out of the numerous holes. With a cheer Yang collected the saps, filling her jar to the brim. Closing it, she turned to her sister with a bright smile, though that soon turned to a frown when Ruby looked away with a distant look. From where she stood Pyrrha couldn't hear what the sisters were saying, though by the looks of it it wasn't anything pleasant.
'Guess they weren't all barrels of laughter, after all.'
It was then she realised that there was one Regality short. Looking around, she saw no sign of Jaune anywhere, and for some reason that perturbed her.
"Pyrrha?" Weiss called out, cradling a filled jar in her arms. "There's still some left. You should get yours sorted out soon. The sooner we're done, the sooner we can get back."
"Right." Pyrrha replied back, her eyes still roaming the vicinity.
"Pyrrha? Did you even hear me?"
"Coming." With a resigned sigh she reluctantly turned away.
Jaune sneezed again, his nose red and itchy. He didn't know he was allergic to the substance, considering he never had any reactions when he ingested the commercialised sap. He guessed that there was something 'natural' that was removed from the raw substance, which accounted for why he never showed any adverse reactions to it until the moment he took a deep sniff from his hand coated with the stuff.
Deeper into the woods he went, intent on finding a body of water to rinse off the gooey substance from his hand. It wasn't until much later that he realised he couldn't hear the chatters of his team anymore, let alone anyone else.
Jaune knew he was never good with directions, though it wasn't much of a problem back then, the worst case scenario being him late for something, which wasn't new as he tended to oversleep every now and then.
That was back in the city, within the nigh impenetrable layers of walls that kept the bloodthirsty Grimm at bay. Now, he was lost in a foreign hostile land that was most likely their hunting ground, with no one else in sight. He couldn't even hear the others, only the silence that threatened to choke him with tension. His heart thumped loudly, as if it was beating outside his ribcage, broadcasting his location to the predators hidden within the shadow of the crimson forest surrounding him.
Something flickered from the edge of his peripherals, and Jaune jumped in fright, his Crocea Mors drawn. "W-who's there?"
A crunch of leaves from behind saw to him quickly twisting around, sword shaking in his grasp. A clump of bush shuffled to his side, and backpedalled. In his fright, he tripped over a rock and landed on his rear. "Oww…"
Four outlines stepped into the clearing, and Jaune brightened up, though that quickly died down to horror when recognition flooded in.
Cardin chuckled darkly. "Surprised?"
"It was you?" Jaune asked, "W-what do you want?"
The hulking brute cracked his knuckles. Dove drew his sword as Sky readied his halberd. Russel had his daggers out, though unlike his teammates he looked uncertain. "Yo bro, you sure you want to do this? We could get into some serious shit for this, you know?"
Jaune quickly shuffled to his feet, slowly inching back. His breath sped up, and his hand couldn't stop shaking.
Cardin smirked, though there was neither humour nor mockery in his eyes. Only an intense determination, or was it hatred?
"Wait, what're you…" Jaune swallowed, his voice hoarse, "Why?!"
"'Why'?" Dove sneered. "Do you even hear yourself talk?"
"What the hell does that mean?"
"Robyn Winchester." Sky crouched next to Jaune, the tip of his spear buried on the ground. "That ring a bell?"
"'Winchester'?" Jaune said as he glanced at Cardin, whose countenance grew darker. "Is that…?"
"My twin sister. You met her once already, since you looted her corpse for the chess piece."
Jaune's eyes widened as realisation struck him. "Wait… the girl back in the forest, with the Death Stalker…? Hang on, how did you-"
"How did we know? One of the seniors who was running the perimeters saw you. He told us what he saw, you fuck." Cardin's lips curled back in a snarl. "You just sat on your ass when my sis died, and that wasn't enough for you, so you took something that was rightfully hers? And now you think you're some hot-shot to strut around like you belong in Beacon? Fuck you! My sister and I trained for years, risking our lives just for the chance to get into Beacon! It should've been you that kicked the bucket back in that goddamn forest, not her!"
Jaune tried to run, only to fall flat on his back, grunting in pain. Cardin's armoured boots came crashing down, pinning Jaune on to the grass underneath. The other Cardinals moved to surround the blonde, like carrions circling a dying prey.
"Where the hell is it?" Cardin spat as he slugged the Arc scion. "WHERE?!"
"I… can't…" Jaune managed to wheeze out, staggering on his knee when Sky struck him with the blunt side of his spear.
"Like hell you can't. It wasn't yours to begin with, we're only taking back what's ours." Jaune cried out when Cardin punched him again. "Get it? You're the bad guy here, Jauney boy. You're the spineless coward who stole what was never yours, all we're doing is dealing out some justice, in the good ol' fashioned way. Now, where the hell is the chess piece, huh?"
"I don't know!" Jaune lied.
"Hey, maybe he ate it. He's a fucking dumbass, so I can definitely see him eating shits like that," Russel sneered. That earned a round of chuckles from the other Cardinals.
"That right? Maybe we should check, just in case." Turning to his team, Cardin gave his orders. "Only way to find out, and that's to beat it out of him."
"No, wait!" Jaune yelled, to no avail. Cardin swung his mace just as Jaune whipped out his borrowed shield. True to its other mass-produced counterparts, the standard shield issued by the Academy was no match for custom-designed weapons, like Cardin's mace, Vajra. And true to its namesake, the wooden shield shattered from the impact of his mace, further infused with the explosive Dust crystal embedded on the tip.
Jaune screamed as he clutched his hand, pain receptors on his hand lighting up like fireworks. His Aura sluggishly worked to restore his hand, though Cardin brutally stomped on it, grinding it beneath his sole.
His head snapped to the side as a boot connected with his cheek, and the world exploded in sparks. His nose was next, when something pulled him up by his collar, a fist striking him hard and breaking his nose. That same fist slammed his head back on the ground.
These guys were serious. They weren't just pushing him around; they were seriously going to maim him for life, something that was just as bad as outright killing him, if they weren't already planning on killing him.
Jaune was no stranger to life-death situations, thanks to recent rollercoasters of dangers he's gone through with the Grimm. But that was that, Grimm. This was different, being targeted by other human beings. It was vastly different.
Sure, news of murder and homicide was nothing new, portrayed by the media in ways as they saw fit. But that was just news, misfortune befalling on strangers, people he's never met and heard of, and so in the grand scheme of things within one's microcosmic perspectives, inconsequential. It was an eye-opening experience, then, when that same misfortune befell on him, and the threat of having his life ended by another human being suddenly became a lot more personal.
Cardin bent down, seizing him by his hair. "This is the part where I should say it's nothing personal, but then I'd be lying. Don't worry, though. You're just a warm-up; we'll be moving on to your friends soon enough."
Another kick. "Ruby, was that her name? That little girlfriend of yours is gonna be next."
Something inside him snapped. At that moment, he never felt like he truly hated anyone like he did with Cardin and his thugs. For the first time he felt the irresistible urge to run his sword through those who hurt him, relieve their head off their shoulders with a simple swing of his sword, to watch them bleed to death, slowly, painfully…
"Don't…"
"Huh, what was that?" Cardin leaned closer to Jaune with a mocking sneer. "Can't hear you, Jauney boy. Care to speak the fuck up?"
Jaune spat at cardin, saliva mixed with blood trailing down the Winchester scion's stunned face. "Don't you bloody dare touch Ruby!"
Cardin roared and raised his Vajra, aiming for Jaune's head.
Several things happened at that moment. Sudden bright glow enveloped Jaune, and his assailants winced in pain. That soon turned to scream of horror when many pairs of glowing red eyes peered from the darkness, lunging at them with snapping jaws and claws.
The next minutes – or was it hours? – of his life passed by in a blur. He could vaguely recall fending off the Grimm, fighting back-to-back with the Cardinals, the guttural growls and shrieks of Grimm drowning out the battle cries of the cornered Huntsmen-in-training.
Jaune…
Russel fell, clutching the bleeding claw mark running across his scalp and down his face. Dove was quick to cover his fallen partner, though he himself looked ready to pass out.
Jaune…
A large Grimm resembling a porcupine pawed the ground, before it shuddered and jerked. Multiple jagged quills struck Sky, turning him into a pincushion. It was just him and Cardin now.
Jaune…!
An Ursa Major knocked Cardin's mace out of his grip when he tried to block the strike. Disarmed, Cardin could only cross his arms and wait for his inevitable end, were it not for Jaune to sneak under its trunk-thick arm and stab upward through its armpit. It roared in pain, giving Cardin the time he needed to pick up his weapon and for Jaune to deliver the killing blow through its neck.
"JAUNE!"
A sharp crack, and the oversized porcupine Grimm faltered as it was about to curl up into a ball and roll into him, several shots that followed soon after stopping it in its track permanently.
"Heads up!" Jaune heard someone yell, and a Beowolf sunk into the ground, Yang standing over its still form with steam rising from her gauntlets. Another was sent flying, courtesy of Ren.
"Jaune!" Someone shook him, and the world slowly regained its focus. Twin silver pools was the first thing he saw, then a crushing embrace with muted sobs.
"Ruby," He breathed. "Ruby."
"Oh my god, oh my god..." She cried in his chest. "You're okay…"
A shaky laugh escaped his lips. "'Course I am. Didn't think you were going to get rid of me that easy, did you?"
Ruby laughed and cried, though that was as far as she got when the ground shook violently. The skirmish around them ceased to a halt, both human and Grimm alike freezing when the sky suddenly darkened, a thunderous roar preceding the winged monstrosity before it landed, crushing several Beowolves and Boarbatusks under its feet.
The remaining Grimm fled, something that they've never seen before, considering their feral instincts and lack of self-preservation. Their attention soon returned to the draconic Grimm as it roared once more, revealing its forked tongue and rows upon rows of jagged, razor-sharp teeth. It stood on its hind legs, its long tail swishing like a giant whip.
"Fuck me running, that a dragon?!" Russel coughed.
"That thing's only got two legs, dragons have four. That's a Wyvern Grimm, a Viverna." Ren answered, shaking his head in disbelief.
"Scatter!" Jaune yelled when the winged serpent charged, snapping its jaws. They all leapt out of its way, though some were slower than others due to injuries. Russel and dove barely managed to roll out of the way while Cardin's legs buckled in fatigue, Sky's limp form dragging him down.
Jaune bit back a curse. Of the eight present, half of them were incapacitated and in no shape to fight. He himself didn't feel stellar either, and the Viverna was bigger than any Grimm he ran into in the past.
Something whistled above, and grew louder as something or someone pitched through the air. "Death from above!" came the jovial shout as Nora flipped in mid-air, nailing the lesser dragon on the head.
"Holy shit!"
Shards of ice sailed through the air and struck the winged Grimm, though failed to inflict significant damage, most of the impact mitigated by its leathery hide. Weiss entered the fray with Pyrrha by her side, Blake jumping out of a tree and landing next to them. Their combined, albeit disjointed and uncoordinated, attacks drove the Wyvern back, little by little. Ren and Yang joined in, Ruby sniping the Grimm from the back.
Jaune allowed himself a moment to sigh in relief. Reinforcement was reinforcement, regardless of the number. "What about other students? Where's Professor Peach?"
"They ran into a problem! Some serious Grimm infestation, by the looks of it!" Pyrrha went down on one knee, her aim trained on the large Grimm. "They'll be fine! Let's worry about this problem first!"
Cardin grunted as he struggled to stand on his feet, red hot pain shooting from his legs. "Goddamnit."
"Cardin?" Jaune turned to see as the leader of the Cardinals limped towards his downed teammates.
Jaune sized him up and down, noticing the numerous cuts he sported, both on his person and armour. He shifted his weight on one leg, and one of his eyes was swollen.
His eyes then fell on the rest of the Cardinals, as they moaned and groaned, mainly by Sky as Russel tried to pull out the spikes lodged in his body.
Jaune felt no sympathy for them. "Karma's a bitch, huh?"
Cardin fumed, though couldn't physically intimidate him, having sunk to his knees from pain. The sole Winchester scion glared up as Jaune stepped closer, and his gaze fell to the sword clutched in his undamaged hand.
It felt alien, having control of the situation over someone else. All his life, it has been others who held the leash around his throat. Now, he had the power over someone else's life.
Jaune resisted the urge to shudder, though whether out of excitement or terror, he couldn't tell.
Resignation flooded the brute's eyes, and he bowed his head, gnashing his teeth. "…Do it already, coward."
Jaune blanched. "What?"
"You know what I mean." And he did. Just moments ago this thug and his sidekicks were seriously going to permanently scar him for life, and would've done it if it wasn't for the Grimm. Who knew what would've happened if they really did carry out the deed? A shell of a life entirely dependent on crutches, never able to stand on his own ever again, assuming they were ever going to let him leave the beating alive. Then he had the gall to threaten the only person he could call a friend with absolute certainty.
But it felt… wrong. The way how Cardin phrased it, almost as if there was no other alternative, as if this could only end in blood and scars.
It was sick.
"After everything you and your gang tried to pull, it would only be right for me to return the favour, right here, right now." Jaune trembled in rage.
He bent down, and his hand shot forward, grabbing a fistful of the downed brute's shirt and pulled him to his eye level, "But you know what? I won't. Not because you don't deserve it, but because I refuse to be dragged down to your level."
"But know this; fuck with me and my friends again, and the next time, I really will consider it." Cardin could only gape as he was roughly shoved aside, stunned at the sudden change in his demeanour.
The earth shook once more, punctuated with a mighty roar. Gunshots echoed in the distance, followed by a scream that brought him back to the present. "Get your team out of here. You'll just drag us down."
That was when Cardin finally regained his voice. "Fuck you. You don't tell me what to do!"
Jaune looked as if he wanted to argue, but growled in frustration, "Do whatever the fuck you want, then. Run, stay and die, I don't care."
Cardin looked as if he wanted to argue. The monstrous roar of the Viverna made his choices painfully obvious, and it was with reluctance that he picked up his team, away from the heat.
"This isn't over, Arc!" Cardin shouted as Jaune sprinted back into the battle, not sparing a backward glance. He had more important problems to deal with.
The Wyvern was on the offensive this time, sending both Winterbournes and the Regalities in full retreat. Ren was carrying Nora who clutched her arm soaked in red, while Ruby, Pyrrha, Blake and Yang resorted to ranged means of offense to slow it down, though it seemed to only anger it further. Snorting, it flapped its great wings and took to the air, the wind from the flapping wings buffeting them.
"What's it doing?" Blake shouted over the harsh wind.
They had their answer soon as the airborne Grimm paused in mid-flight, before angling its maw downward and dive bombed, toppling the trees in its path with its hulking form. It headed straight for Blake, who planned on vaulting over its head, when its jaw opened, letting out a scalding mist that covered the Faunus.
"Blake!" Nora and Pyrrha shouted in warning, though too far to reach her in time. In horror they could only watch as the Viverna's open maw closed in around the fog and clamped it shut. When dust and fog settled, Blake was gone. "Blake!"
"She's fine!" A shout echoed from above, and they looked up to see Weiss hanging off a sturdy branch with Blake holding fast to her hand. Not for long, however, as Weiss' grip slackened, and the two landed on the ground in a heap. Groaning, Blake lightly pushed Weiss off, though abruptly drew her hand back when it was coated with blood.
"What-?"
Weiss chuckled, her face paler than usual. "Guess I wasn't quick enough. Damn that thing, clipped me on the arm before I could-" the heiress hissed, rolling off of Blake and clutching her arm, her life fluid flowing at an alarming rate.
"Hold on, there should be something I can use to patch that up-"
Weiss shook her head as she worked on the tip of her rapier's hilt, and out slid a thin metal tube. "I'm always prepared," she scoffed as the lid popped open, and sprinkled its content on her laceration. Silvery Dust with faint traces of green coated the ugly wound. "There. That'll stop the bleeding, and my Aura will do the rest."
Blake rolled her eyes, though didn't hesitate as she held out her hand. Weiss took a moment to gauge her, before taking it and allowed Blake to help her up. A wordless nod and the two rejoined the skirmish, just in time to see the Wyvern pushing back the Regalities and the Winterbournes with the same breath attack as before.
"The fuck do we do now?" Yang shouted.
Jaune took a moment to study the creature, "We flank it." His voice overlapped with a feminine one, and turned to see Weiss with an identical expression of surprise.
"Its breath makes the head-on assault difficult. Better we surround it and attack from all sides. That thing might have a tough skin, but it won't be able to fight off all of us, especially if we strike from multiple directions." Jaune continued, and Weiss nodded in agreement.
"Pyrrha, with me! Nora, distract it! Blake, from above!" Weiss commanded as she broke off to the right, while Nora shifted her Magnhild to its grenade launcher form, firing rounds after rounds at the draconic Grimm. Blake fluidly ran up the nearest tree, kicking off at the apex of her climb and vaulted backward, her blade poised for strike as she landed on the Wyvern.
"Yang, up front, with Nora!" Jaune ordered. "Ren, left! Ruby, cover him!"
The blonde looked as if she wanted to argue, though chose to follow the command and rushed at the Wyvern, fiery bolts sizzling towards its head courtesy of her Ember Celica. Ren wasted no time in following the order, using the wind-and-fire blades of his StormFlower as hooks to leverage himself up the tree.
"Jaune, here!" Something hissed through the air, and he reflexively caught it, eyes widening in wonder at the familiar sight of his old shield. "How-? When?"
"You can thank me later!" Ruby yelled over her shoulder, before she slid on the ground, firing upwards at the Viverna's exposed underside. The thing gave a roar as it thrashed wildly, buckling Blake off its back.
His shield snapped open, though hissed when he tried to grip its handle. He forgot about his mangled hand, too preoccupied with the immediate Grimm problem. Ren, from seemingly out of nowhere, lightly grasped his damaged hand.
"What happened?" The adept asked.
"Bit of a tumble." Jaune hissed through his teeth. Ren didn't buy it, but now wasn't the time to point out the obvious. Instead, his hand glowed in a deep shade of green, and a sudden sensation of heat and cold rushed up his arm, disappearing as quickly as it came.
"What- what did you do?" Jaune flexed his hand, amazed when no pain coursed through his limb.
"I did what I could. It's not a complete recovery though, so you'll have to get it checked when we get back." Ren panted, fatigue evident in his face.
"You alright?"
The gunslinger nodded, "Had to tend to Nora before yours, so I'm a bit worn out."
"Didn't know you could do that." Jaune pointed out.
Ren chuckled wearily. "Yeah, neither did I."
The Wyvern Grimm roared, though with less force than before. "Wanna sit out for a while?" Jaune offered, shield and blade ready.
"No, let's finish this."
With a savage grin Jaune roared, Ren matching his stride as the two sprinted to the Viverna's left, just as the Winterbournes regrouped and re-applied their earlier tactics. Ruby barely managed to avoid being flattened beneath its hind feet, putting her AP rounds to good use as she aimed at its neck.
Suddenly it gave off a chilling shriek, a stark contrast to its deep roars before, flapping its wing and shot upward into the air. Before they had the time to register what occurred, the Wyvern flew back down and slammed the earth with all its might. The ensuing shockwave threw all eight off their feet, as well as tilting even the thickest of the trees off the ground.
"Shit, what the hell was that?!"
"Whatever the hell that was, if it pulls that same move again, we're screwed!" Jaune grunted as he gingerly got up on his feet, the rest of the Regalities mimicking his movement. From the other end, he saw the Winterbournes do the same.
"Then we should clip its wings!" Ruby pointed out.
"How do we do that?"
Ruby thought hard, and suddenly something clicked. A blink of an eye later she gripped Weiss by the shoulder, shaking the girl. "Your Glyphs! You can control the gravity, can't you?"
"What? No! But I can influence it," Weiss narrowed her eyes. "If you're going to tell me to keep that thing from taking to the air, then forget it. My Glyphs aren't that powerful to keep something that big and heavy down."
Ruby shook her head, "I wasn't going to. But you should be able to handle at least its wings, right?"
Weiss gulped. Maintaining two separate planes of Glyph field required a certain level of concentration and discipline, something which she still lacked.
"So? Think you can take the shot?" Ruby asked.
"Hmph, can I?" Weiss sneered, though it was half-hearted.
"Can you? Really?"
"Of course I can! Who do you think I am?"
Ruby smiled. "Alright, then let's do this!"
"You heard her. Now go!" Weiss yelled as she twirled her Myrtenaster. Two runic circles of white expanded above the Wyvern's wings, exponentially increasing the gravitational force within its boundaries. Beads of sweat rolled down her face, and she felt something tugging, jerking at her being, threatening to pull it out. It was all she could do to keep herself from being crushed under the pressure. "Hurry up!"
Not needing the further prompting, the remaining Winterbournes scattered, Pyrrha shouldering her shield just as Nora blasted off the surface into the air, bringing her hammer down as she descended from above, just as Yang's savage uppercut struck its lower jaw, fuelled by her partially activated Semblance. Their combined dealt a serious blow, as the Grimm's howls became weaker, its erratic struggles slowly easing up. It reared its head as if it was its last act of struggle, preparing for one last scalding mist breath.
Blake tossed her Gambol Shroud in its chain sickle form just as Ren climbed on the draconic Grimm's neck, who caught it and looped it around its neck like a garrotte, squeezing its airway and interrupting its attack.
"Now!" Ruby and Jaune charged, their battle cries joined as one as the duo struck, Crocea Mors and Crescent Rose glinted in the light, their sharp blades drawing tar-like blood from the creature's neck. Looping the scythe around its neck, Ruby pulled the trigger, using the momentum of the gunshot to slice through the leathery hide. Jaune was quick to step in to finish the job, once again proving the Crocea Mors' famed sharp edge.
There was a light tremor as the lesser dragon Grimm collapsed with a final shudder, black tar-like blood pooling out of its sliced open jugular.
"Is it… dead?" Pyrrha asked after a while.
Weiss nodded, before her knees buckled. Pyrrha looped her arm around her shoulder in support. "You did really well there, Weiss."
"'Course. I said I could do it." she gave a tired smirk.
"I know." Pyrrha smiled back.
Ren dropped to his knees, only Yang and Blake holding him up prevented him from falling face-first into the dirt. "Whoa, careful there, pretty guy. Not the best place for a beauty sleep."
"You'd know all about that, wouldn't you?" Ren retorted.
"Dick." Yang lightly punched him on the shoulder.
Jaune sprawled on his back, his entire body still hot and tense. The cool earth, however filthy, was a welcoming sensation. He looked up as Ruby dropped on her back next to him, face flushed and hair clinging to her face.
"Well…" Jaune managed between pants, "That was a thing."
"No, really? I didn't notice."
Jaune shook his head with a chuckle, "Good to know you haven't lost your non-existent sense of humour."
"Good to know you're still a jerk," Ruby retorted, though there was no trace of malice in her voice.
They both smiled, their hands intertwining without their conscious input, though was too tired to pull away. Instead she squeezed his hand, and he returned the gesture a heartbeat later.
Ozpin set down his scroll with a sigh, "In any case, I'm glad that there were no casualties."
"That we can agree on. This year's batch is quite something, otherwise that Grimm outbreak could've ended a lot worse than just cuts and broken bones." Peach snorted as he downed a shot of whiskey.
"Another Grimm infestation, and so close to Beacon. Something doesn't match up." Oobleck piped in.
"Peter's continuing to look into the Emerald Forest. As for Forever Fall, I've sent Glynda to dig around some time ago. She should be back soon with her reports." The headmaster steepled his fingers.
"I'd like to hear what she finds about the Viverna," Oobleck spoke. "If I remember correctly, they usually reside in mountains and never really venture beyond their territory. Especially one so ancient. Why Forever Falls, so far from its habitat?"
"Grimmkind are the very definition of unpredictability, you already know that."
"Speaking of unpredictable, you said a handful of students slew this Wyvern Grimm?" Ozpin asked. Few gasped in disbelief.
Peach nodded, "Didn't see how they pulled it off, but by the time I got there, it was already dead."
"Who were they?"
"Team RALY and WNBN."
"Team RALY…?" One of the professors mused, "Weren't they the ones that faced off the giant Death Stalker during the Initiation?"
"The very same," Ozpin took a sip from his mug. "Seems like they have a knack for drawing trouble wherever they go."
"Or Grimm," Peach smiled. "Seriously, seems like we've got quite a handful this year. Can't wait how they might turn out in the future. First the Death Stalker, now a Wyvern? Unbelievable."
Oobleck cleared his throat, "Putting that aside in the interim, what of the Council?"
"They sent their 'representative' to look over the matter," Ozpin sighed.
Peach quirked his brow, before his lips thinned. "Ironwood? But why would he-?"
"By that, we can assume that the Councilmen wants to undermine my authority by appointing Ironwood on the higher seat, if not outright replacing me," Ozpin calmly said.
"I doubt our esteemed deputy headmistress would've been pleased with that," Peach sniffed, before eyeing the headmaster in suspicion. "Strange how she left just moments before Ironwood's arrival. Strange coincidence, don't you think?"
Ozpin's lips quirked upwards. "Quite the coincidence, indeed."
Sharp knocks directed their gazes to the door, and it slowly creaked open. Through the gap Jaune peered nervously, his eyes darting from the various staff gathered around the office. "Uh, is this a bad time?"
"No, it's quite alright, Mr. Arc. We were just about done." Turning to his associates, he gave them a curt nod. "We shall continue on the matter later. You may return to your offices."
Jaune stood with his back glued to the wall as the professors filed out, giving a weak smile to few who he recognised. "Professors."
Oobleck and Peach smiled back, the latter ruffling his hair on the way out. Confused, he cocked his head as he closed the door behind him.
"Do sit," Ozpin gestured at the chair across his desk, and Jaune slid in, his gaze uneasily sliding across the unusual décor. Opaque glass walls did little to hide the grinding gears and wheels, and gentle clicks of the intricate yet archaic machines unnerved him, for reasons he couldn't quite place.
"So, what brought you to my office at such late hour? You and your team have already given reports about today's incident." Ozpin began in a tone that implied he already knew the answer.
"You told me to come and see you when I have my answer," Jaune sat up straighter, his eyes firm.
Ozpin eyed him in curiosity. "I did. However I didn't expect you to come this early."
"I had my answer. I just thought leaving it off wouldn't change anything," Jaune shrugged.
Ozpin said nothing, silently regarding the young Arc with his usual piercing gaze. Taking that as a sign, Jaune reached into his shirt, before drawing out an object. A golden pawn rested on the table, giving off dim reflection of the moonlight.
"I pried this relic off of a hand of a dead Initiate. I was never comfortable with the idea of holding on to what wasn't mine, and I still don't."
Jaune shuddered, but braved on. "It's heavy, and every time I wear it, it feels like there's a millstone hanging around my neck.
"People still mock me for being weak. They say I shouldn't be here, that I'm useless, a loser.
"And in a way, I think they're right. I basically took the easy way in here, made everyone else's efforts seem like a joke."
There was a pause, before Jaune continued, "Actually, just this morning I was prepared to pack up and leave. Ask you to book me the first airship out of here and drop me off wherever.
"But… I don't know why, somehow, something changed. Maybe it was to do with Cardin and his lackeys, or maybe it was the Grimm." 'Or Ruby.' "I don't know."
Ozpin silently listened as the young Arc spoke, showing neither sympathy nor judgement. It was impossible to see through his impenetrable, impassive mien, though Jaune decided to push on nonetheless.
"My answer, headmaster, is that I don't have one. I'm staying here, fully knowing that I don't belong here, but I still want to. I don't know why, but I feel like that if I stick around long enough, try harder, then maybe, just maybe, I'll be able to find my reason to be here."
Silence stretched for seconds. Then minutes. Jaune felt uncomfortable, and wondered if he said the right thing, when Ozpin chuckled. "I'll admit, Mr. Arc. I too, expected you to choose the option of leaving. And yet, you came here to tell me that you still wish to stay, regardless of the hardships you'll no doubt face."
"It's either I find what I'm looking for here, or just signing my death warrant." Jaune smiled uneasily. "But I think I'll take the risk, just one more time."
"It's not everyday people act against my expectations, Mr. Arc." Ozpin drummed his fingers on the desk. "Still, it is your choice. Whether you can stand up to the consequences or not remains to be seen."
"I'll try my best, sir," Jaune replied, his fingers curling around the golden relic.
A/N: Been a while, huh? Work + general fatigue + lack of sleep = ? I'll let you figure this one out.
This chapter is probably going to be the end of Act 1, and the next chapter will kick-start the second Act, where I'll be getting to the main parts of the story. Act - or Arc, if that's your cuppa - 1 was mainly to lay the foundation for the main plot to stand on, as well as start fleshing out the characters. Hopefully I did a decent job, but we all have our opinions, so regardless of how you view this story, thanks for faving, following, and/or reviewing! That being said, Act 2 and onwards will be just as dark (or darker) so consider this a friendly(?) reminder!
This is also the part where I offer you the invitation to PM me about whatever, or express your honest opinions regarding my story, but hey, you knew that already.
Edited: Victory3114 pointed out the bit about Jaune telling Cardin to pretty much screw off, so I made some changes to make it a bit more realistic. Thanks again for the heads up!
Also a couple of things; yes, I'm now finally aware that Team CFVY is actually second years, not third, and yes, Crocea Mors, according to wiki pages, refers to both the sword and the shield. But for the sake of plot, I just decided to roll with CFVY being third years and Crocea Mors being just the sword, not the shield. Hope that clears up a few things. Still, do feel free to point things out, since the discrepancies from canon could either be intentional or a mistake on my part.
As usual, thanks for reading!
