Author's Note: I'll start off by addressing some worries that keep coming up. Some folks have said that they haven't watched Hokuto no Ken, and have no idea about Kenshiro (Jaune's master). This is perfectly fine! Anything and everything you need to know about him, and Jaune's fighting skills, will all be explained in the fic itself. I reiterate: the only series you need to have watched to understand the story is RWBY. I'd go so far as to say that you'll be able to understand it without even that! There are certainly some allusions and appearances of elements and people from other shows, but as I've said, these will all be explained in-fic, so you don't need to have seen any of those series. BTW writing convincing and likeable OCs is hard, you know? In the first place because people reading a fanfic just don't Chapter 9: Reunion
"Yes. Humanoid. His internal organs, nervous and circulatory systems, skeleton and musculature were identical to a human's as far as Grimm biology permits."
"This is… worrying. Grimm whose forms mimic animals and even plants are well known… but in my experience, this is the first fully humanoid one I have heard of."
"Not only his body. His skills were very much human too. Marksmanship, movement and strategy commonly seen in concealed attackers. Had precise aim, targeting vitals, and even took measures to ensure he couldn't be tracked. For all intents and purposes, I may as well have been fighting a human. And… he had a strange psychic ability. One that most Hunters will not survive."
Jaune paused, carefully regarding Ozpin with an observant eye, examining his reaction. The existence of a new, dangerous kind of Grimm was information Beacon needed to have. If they were sending Hunters into the field, they needed to be armed with as much knowledge as possible, and equipped to face the threats that lay there.
The headmaster's gaze remained strong, but Jaune could sense a hint of weariness, and even resignation in it. How long had he been fighting the Grimm? Ozpin looked young, but his words and mannerisms bespoke countless years of age and experience, making him an anomaly that even the young Shinken had a hard time deciphering. He had no idea what he was thinking. No idea what his intentions were. The man was shrouded in mystery, and that made Jaune wary. The opponent whose attributes are unknown is dangerous, and Jaune felt he would do well to learn more about this potential opponent.
Still, for the moment, they were allies.
Truth be told, this was the first time Jaune was encountering such creatures too. In the first case, the Nevermore during the Initiation, which specifically countered gunfire, something it would need training to do. This was the first sign that Grimm were capable of higher intelligence than previously thought, and also learning.
The next was the Archer Grimm, proof that Grimm were physically evolving too, and could possess much higher levels of intelligence and skill, as well as powers they had never shown before.
Jaune had discovered early during his training with Kenshiro, that Grimm had Ki, or Aura, making them living beings. That had first led him to acknowledge that there had to be more to them than the mindless beasts Hunters made them out to be. In all his conversations with Hunters, he had never once met one who was aware of this facet of them.
Putting that together with his new findings, and Jaune was certain he was on the right track.
The Grimm were evolving. They were living beings, and growing stronger and smarter, with an emphasis on combat. They were either training by themselves, or, more likely, being trained by someone.
However, he did not speak any of this aloud to Ozpin. Not that it was a hard conclusion to come to logically, and he was sure the wizard had followed a similar train of logic. However, he still wanted to keep this whole vista of possibilities to himself. There was a lot more information to be gathered, and conclusive proof was needed.
He stared Ozpin in the eye.
"That's two favours you owe me. One for getting rid of the Anti-Faunus trash, and another for informing you about these new, improved Grimm. You remember our deal, don't you?"
Ozpin exhaled and nodded.
"Indeed. A favour for a favour. That means you've earned two questions, Mr Souther."
Finally.
He was sure Ozpin wouldn't answer the biggest questions at this stage. Better to go with something he would. No point trying for too much too early.
"Why do you fight the Grimm?"
"For survival, of course," answered Ozpin, stating the obvious.
Jaune shook his head.
"You misunderstand. You can fight for survival by yourself, or in a small group too. Why create this army, lead organized efforts? And I know survival isn't the goal. You hide things from your Hunters. So I'll ask again: why do you fight the Grimm?"
Ozpin regarded him with a seemingly blank stare for a moment, eyes sharp. Ultimately, he answered.
"They are representatives. The means to an end. Consider them a force, Mr Souther. And I am the one who must oppose that force. For personal reasons."
The young fighter could barely stop a smirk from making its way onto his face. Well, well. It seemed the ever pragmatic leader of the Huntsman had surprisingly base and emotional reasons for his actions.
Ozpin very rarely lied outright. No, his method was more along the lines of speaking a part of the truth, which often ended up confusing the listener. So, Jaune carefully noted his words. He would analyse them at ease later. For now though…
"You said 'a' means. Not 'the' means. Implying there are others. So: who else is on this other side you speak of?"
Ozpin blinked once, and clenched his jaw for a second, the only sign he gave of irritation at this boy's inconvenient sharpness. He had wondered before what it might be like to have someone who had Qrow's wits and Ironwood's single-minded focus. The answer… was someone nearly impossible to control or deal with. Still, he had made a deal. Keeping it would be to his advantage. In any case, Jaune's creed involved protecting those who couldn't protect themselves. So far, that was a goal that did not clash with Ozpin's. On the other hand, it had a shared path. So, he could make use of the boy's considerable combat strength for his own purposes.
"The White Fang… and certain other rogue elements. That is all I can say for now. However, keep my warning in mind, Mr Souther. Do not draw unnecessary attention to yourself, or to the war raging in the shadows. I do not need to remind you what the result of mass hysteria will be."
Of course. They just happened to live in a world where panic meant instant Grimm apocalypse.
"Interesting. I've run into White Fang operatives before. Didn't know they were connected to the Grimm problem though, no matter how obtusely. Well, I guess that's all. Not much more I had to discuss."
Jaune began to leave, when he heard Ozpin's voice.
"Mr Souther. Will you be participating in the Vytal Festival?"
Without turning around, he answered.
"... It's a possibility. Is there a solo tournament?"
Ozpin laughed lightly.
"You're far too harsh on your teammates."
"I'm pretty lenient though. I wouldn't mind a chance to cut loose. Well, I'll think about it."
With that, the meeting ended.
Jaune stepped into the elevator, which carried him down to the ground floor in seconds. He looked up at the sky. It was a beautiful day. Just enough cloud cover for it to not be too hot, but no fear of immediate rain. It was still bright, and a slight breeze was blowing.
Hmm. Haven't really got anything to do right now.
It was true. It was a Sunday, so there were no classes, and Jaune was already done with all his assignments. He had taken his analysis of the unusual Grimm as far as he could with the data he currently had, so there was nothing to do on that front either. He could have gone to the library and gathered some more research material on the more mysterious parts of Remnant's history… but he simply didn't feel like it at the moment.
The weather was amazing, and he felt energetic.
Hit the weights, then?
Beacon had a state of the art gym that used a gravity-simulation system, enabling one to train with free weights far greater than the mass of the plates and bars would normally entail. While with Kenshiro, his resistance training had consisted of calisthenics and lifting up natural weights, such as boulders or trees. There were a few occasions when they'd gone really heavy, but that had involved nearly rearranging the landscape, so these sessions were few and far in between.
As a result, he loved the equipment available at the school, since he could push himself further without fear of damaging the environment. He'd actually gained muscle since coming here, a natural consequence of heavy training, better rest, and improved diet.
He still couldn't go anywhere close to all out, but a combination of slow, controlled reps and numerous sets were doing wonders.
I still think Master was stronger, though. There was that time he dropped a building on himself and walked through it like nothing.
He allowed a slight smile to make its way onto his face. Despite how seemingly stoic Kenshiro had been, he'd had a sense of humour, and even liked showing off a little. One just had to know him well enough to spot those moments. Although he never acknowledged it, Jaune knew he loved doing ridiculously over-the-top things, especially if it would score points off someone with bad intentions. There had been a particularly memorable time when they had foiled a Dust robbery. Kenshiro's preferred method had been to stop the electrified train with two fingers, then make Jaune unhook the carriages containing the cargo, and lug them back to base, as a training exercise.
Good times.
Jaune decided to head to the Dining Hall and grab a pre-workout snack before getting changed and going to the gym. As he entered the Hall, he was promptly called by a familiar voice.
"Yo!"
He looked at the source of it, and walked over to him.
"What's up, man?"
Cardin held out a hand, which Jaune clasped in a kind of handshake he'd picked up from him. Since the second incident, the two of them had began regularly interacting. Jaune quickly learned that there was more to the former bully than he had thought at first.
Many people who have the potential to be good go down wrong paths in life. Sometimes, having someone pull them out of those paths gives them the opportunity to redeem themselves. Be better. Be the people they can be.
Cardin and his team were crude, and baudy about their jokes. They were loud, blunt, and direct. And they had been the sort to use their strength to push others around. But that was because they had lived in a world where that was what everyone was doing. A world where you were either the one doing the beating up, or the one getting beaten up.
Beacon was their first taste of learning that just because you had power, didn't mean you had to use it to step on others. It was their first taste of humility, and a reminder of what it was like to be weak. Cardin's humiliation could have left them broken.
After all, it would have only confirmed what they already knew: if you're weak, you get destroyed and cast aside.
But when Jaune stood up to the third years to defend him, it showed them something they had never imagined possible.
That someone might still care about them. That even now, there was hope.
And that had brought out the sides of them that had before been buried, only to peek through at times.
Yes, they were crude, rough, and baudy. But they stuck together, as brothers, something that showed loyalty. That same loyalty was now extended to Jaune, and that showed that they knew gratitude too. And now, they'd learnt to respect others. There was a long road to go, and it wouldn't be easy, but they'd taken their first steps.
Jaune found he enjoyed spending time with them. As someone who had mostly lived his growing-up years in the wilds, he was fascinated by all the things they shared with him about urban life. Different kinds of gloriously unhealthy (and tasty) junk food. Video games, manga, music, and popular culture in general. And an overall sense of the life and struggles of those in the cities.
"You listen to that album I gave you?" Cardin asked.
"Peace Sells… But Who's Buying? I have to admit… that's a pretty cool album."
"I know, right? Those guitar parts, man!"
Jaune rolled his eyes slightly, but nodded in agreement. The guitars were indeed, very impressive. He'd had an old acoustic back home in the Arc household, but he'd never gotten around to actually learning how to play.
Can I imagine being one of those guys who carries that around and tries to serenade girls?
He laughed at the mental imagery.
Yeah, I don't see that working out for me. But if it were an electric…
He pictured a different version of himself, standing on a truck, playing a guitar hooked up to a massive amp and cabinet, while the truck itself screamed down a desert road.
Oh, what a day. What a lovely day that would be.
"Hey, you OK, man?"
He came out of his little daydream to see CRDL staring at him.
"Yeah. Just thought of something cool, is all. Sadly, I don't think it's going to happen anytime soon. Don't have the money to buy all that equipment."
The team nodded in commiseration. Not having the money to buy what one wanted was a pain they had all felt.
"Anyway, scratch that. We're heading to town. You want to join us?"
Jaune raised an eyebrow.
"To town? What for?"
Cardin stared at him as if he'd just said he didn't know what kingdom they were in.
"To check out the new arrivals, duh! You haven't heard? The folks from the other kingdoms are starting to arrive for the Vytal Festival. It is a pretty big event. A lot of people want to see it live. But they aren't the only ones coming. You see, there are participants from the other schools too. And they are going to be arriving too."
Jaune nodded in understanding.
"So you want to go scope out the competition, see if you can learn something about them and get an advantage before the tournament begins."
They flinched slightly at how blunty Jaune had stated their intentions.
"You could have said it less harshly, dude…"
"I don't mind. I think it's a good idea," Jaune said, surprising them. Noticing that their mouths were hanging open slightly, he clarified himself.
"There's nothing wrong with scouting out an opponent beforehand. In fact, it's what a smart warrior would always do. Injuring them or attempting to eliminate them or weaken them? Now that's unfair. Simply observing them is fine, though."
"Oooooh…" they chorused, reacting to his words as though they were gospel. Soon enough, however, they returned to normal.
"So, you coming with or not?"
"Hmm…."
Jaune hadn't particularly been planning on checking out the new visitors. He'd observe them anyway in time. But now that he thought about it, it wasn't a bad idea. Learning about the people around you was always useful, and if there were any notable warriors among them, Jaune wanted to know.
Besides, the weather was great. Going into town didn't seem like a bad idea at all.
"Sure, why not?"
Jaune was already in his leather gear, and ready to head out.
They arrived at the docks soon, and sure enough, several ships had already come into port, and passengers were getting off board and onto land.
Jaune recognized the attire of people from the other kingdoms, which he had already been to, Atlas, Vacuo, Mistral.
As he watched the visitors, many of whom were recognizable as Hunters-in-training from their gear and attire, Jaune's eyes fell on a certain figure.
She was taller than most women, standing close to six feet, meaning she was almost Jaune's height. She wore a metal breastplate and armour that covered her torso, along with a metal groin guard-plate, thigh plates, greaves and gauntlets, meaning she was in full body-armour. The design was that of an older age, and did not use the lighter carbon fibre material or sleeker structure that was common in modern times. It looked incredibly heavy, which made the easy with which she walked extremely impressive. Every step she took sounded almost like a hammer striking the pavement. A massive blade hung at her back. Long, thick, it was far too big to be called a sword. It was more like a heap of metal. But a sword it was, indeed, it's double edged blade gracefully curving outwards past the middle before tapering again to a point, like a leaf. It's handle had enough space to accommodate two hands and still have space left over, which was an ideal construction for a spaced-out grip needed to properly wield a weapon of that size and weight. The blade was black and grey, and along with the hilt and pommel, showed impressive craftsmanship in the details that adorned it. An elaborate leather wrapping covered the handle. This was a weapon that was deadly, near-impossible to wield, and beautiful.
Must be quite a swordswoman if she uses that effectively, Jaune noted.
As he watched, she took off her helmet, which had only a horizontal slit in it to see through.
As it came off, her face was revealed. Her features were finely chiselled, but still had plenty of smooth curves to them, the balance of the two contrasts creating an impression that set her apart from most girls. Large, expressive eyes that were a deep, ocean blue looked at the world around her, taking in the sights. Lips that were pale but still soft parted slightly as she looked on at Vale in wonder. Long golden locks framed her face, trailing all the way to her middle back when not held in by her helmet.
Jaune stepped forward instinctively, forgetting that he was supposed to be standing at a distance near an ice cream stall with CRDL, watching.
"H-hey, dude, what are you…"
He didn't hear what they were saying, only walking towards her in a daze.
As he approached, she turned, and their gazes met.
Both pairs of blue eyes, almost perfectly identical, widened.
They stood, eight feet apart, simply staring at each other.
Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, the girl spoke, cautiously, as if she was afraid of discovering she was mistaken.
"Bro…?"
"Lily…"
And so it was, that four years since Jaune had set out with Kenshiro to change himself and his life, he was once more reunited with his twin, Lily Arc.
"It really is you…" she muttered. "You look so different… for a while I thought I must be seeing things."
"I could say the same thing," he replied, likewise in a soft voice. "It's been a long time, hasn't it?"
She nodded.
"Yeah. It has."