"It is forbidden to kill; therefore all murderers are punished unless they kill in large numbers and to the sound of trumpets."
― Voltaire

Chapter One: Kicked Out, Depression, Profit?

Jaune Arc didn't know what to think going up to the headmaster's office.

His hand nervously tapped his thigh. This surely couldn't be about his transcripts, Cardin couldn't be so callous that he would betray him after he had saved his life. Could he?

Still, these thoughts whirled through his head.

The elevator door opened, and his breath caught when he saw the expressions on Mrs. Goodwitch's and Ozpin's face. Furious and sad respectively.

"Come sit down Mr. Arc, you might want to," sighed Ozpin.

With the look of a man on death row, Jaune glumly shuffled forward towards the chair presented to him.

Ozpin put his hands in front of himself, clasped onto each other, "I'll get to the point Mr. Arc, we've been told… about a discrepancy in your transcripts."

Jaune remained silent, looking down at his lap. He could feel their gazes boring into him, accusing him somehow, and Jaune knew all that he had done wrong. Faking his transcripts? He tried to be angry at Cardin, but was he wrong to report him? Maybe, but he could have very well gotten himself or someone else killed.

"After further investigation by Ms. Goodwitch here," he nodded to the disciplinarian, "we found that you have no prior schooling, and that your transcript is fake."

Still, Jaune remained silent.

"Unfortunately, we can't keep you here, in truth I wanted you to stay here, but my hands are tied in this case."

This time Jaune looked up sharply. Ozpin wanted to keep him?

"We have to kick you out, from now, you are no longer a student of Beacon Mr. Arc. I'm sorry, truly."

"Yeah..." Jaune mumbled, his former confidence turned to mush in front of them.

"I'll have Glynda here organize your transport back to Ansel," Ozpin nodded to Goodwitch.

Goodwitch motioned for him to follow her. Jaune complied and got up from his chair. He made his way to the elevator, head in his hands. He was a failure, he didn't know what he would do after Beacon. He had placed all his hopes and dreams into becoming a Huntsman, running away from home, stealing Crocea Mors. What would there be for him back home? He didn't know.

"One last thing Mr. Arc," said Ozpin. Jaune turned back to look at him. "I wish you all the best in all your endeavours, I hope you find something beyond becoming a Huntsman."

Jaune made an effort to straighten his back and look confident, "Thank you, sir."

Ozpin nodded.

He then stepped into the elevator with Goodwitch, ready disappointment from her.

/ - /

The bar he was in was certainly one of the seedier ones, filled with rough men finishing their day of work. By his side was Crocea Mors, only a reminder of his failure, his short bout as a pretender.

His flight back to Ansel was later that day, Goodwitch had escorted him around to say goodbye to his friends. His team tried to support him, Team RWBY was half and half. Weiss saying good riddance, Yang getting angry for sneaking in. Ruby had been nice at least, Blake didn't really care. His parents responded to his messages that they'd accept him back home, so he had that.

They all were blowing up his Scroll with messages, asking him about if he was okay. He ignored it all, preferring to block out everything and drown in his misery.

Goodwitch had put him on the first Bullhead down to Vale, and told him he could spend his time however he liked until the flight to Ansel arrived. So he decided to spend it at a bar, his first time drinking. Perhaps a bit seedier than he would have liked, but he couldn't pick and choose, considering he wasn't of age yet.

Nursing his third beer, he discovered he could hold his alcohol surprisingly well. He checked the time, three hours left. He supposed it might be time to catch a ride to the airport.

To his surprise, someone came and sat down besides him. The man had a military crewcut and hard, piercing eyes. He was adorned in all sorts of military-type clothing, on his shoulder a patch with crossed lightning bolts on it. Jaune looked up surprised, what did he want?

"Hey kid," the older man grunted, "noticed you sitting all alone over here." he motioned to the bartender, "Two beers! On me!"

Jaune shifted uncomfortably, who was this guy? "Um, can I help you?"

The man stared at him for a second, then burst out laughing, "Kid, I'm here to help you. Noticed the sword by your side, figured you might be one of those Huntsman hopefuls up in Beacon. Heard from some of my contacts that someone got kicked out."

Jaune started tapping the table, "Yeah? What if I am?"

He pulled out a card, "Well, I'm part of a Private Military Company, Striker Group, and we're always looking for some extra guys. Maybe being a Huntsman wasn't your cup of tea eh?" the man tossed him the card, Jaune clumsily caught it. "We don't judge, so don't feel shy coming to the recruiting office."

Jaune studied the card. On it was a phone number, and address, and the insignia of a Wolf. What did he have to come home to? A loving family, parents he knew that would accept him back. The text messages between them said so. But what after? Life as a normal person, never to be a hero?

The Striker turned to leave, "Think about it Jaune, you'll be trained, sent out to a detachment, and paid a shitton of money. We don't care where you come from, only what you do now."

Before the man left, Jaune asked him a question, "Hey, never did catch your name?"

The Striker Group man tossed a couple of lien on the table, "Alabaster, name's Alabaster. When you drop by the office tell them I sent you." then he walked out.

Jaune noted Alabaster said when, not if. Jaune didn't see why not give it a shot. Maybe his family, his friends, that the life of a contractor wasn't as glamourous as a Huntsman. He didn't really care. Maybe it was the sliver of hope of becoming a hero, the prospects back in his tiny village of Ansel. Maybe it was his urge to prove everyone wrong.

So Jaune decided to give going to their office a shot.

/ - /

Two hours left until his flight back to Ansel, Jaune stepped into the Striker Group's office.

Inside was a desk and a man in a military uniform. Behind him was draped a flag with the same patch that he saw on Alabaster's shoulder. On the sides were photos of men and women posing with captured Faunus, famous CEOs, and destroyed Grimm lairs. Along with a large amount of guns hung up on the walls.

"Hello? Can I help you?"

Jaune came back to reality, and replied, "Hi, I uh, was looking to join the Striker Group?"

The man reached over for some paperwork, "Well you came to the right place son, sit down would ya?"

So Jaune took a seat, and added quickly, "Also, Alabaster sent me."

The man behind the desk paused, "Oh that bastard? Man, he probably saw something in you then, not often he sends young kids to get recruited."

Jaune shifted around in his seat, "Wait, who is Alabaster?"

The man looked up from his papers, "Only the most badass dude around. Legend has it he stormed a Grimm nest all by himself and took out everything within, then the old bastard held off a Grimm assault on a town for something like five hours," he shook his head. "Crazy asshole."

"Anyways, so just fill out this form here, and we'll get you to training as soon a possible," said the recruiter.

Jaune picked up the pen and started filling it out line by line, "So, what jobs are there?"

The recruiter shrugged, "Not much, you're becoming a contractor kid. You get posted to a detachment, then you get sent to do things other people don't want to do. Though we are trying to stand up a new unit."

The recruiter leaned down to grab some stuff, "So, we're trying to get an armoured reconnaissance unit stood up, so we're eager to get some more personnel to put into these roles."

The recruiter gave Jaune a picture, it was of a 4x4 armoured car, it had sloping armour and a low profile, it gave an imposing figure. Ontop was a pintle machine gun that looked remote controlled.

"The only changes to your training you get will be that you'll be shipped off to an extra school so you know how to operate these things," said the recruiter. "You'll also get a pay bump, mostly because you'll be doing more dangerous stuff as I'm told. You want to do it? I'll just attach a note to it and it'll be put in your packet."

"Yeah," Jaune paused before signing his name at the bottom. "When will I be sent for training?"

The recruiter checked is watch. "Bus actually leaves in an hour, but we go-"

Jaune signed the page and handed it back.

The recruiter took it, "You sure about this kid? It might not be the military but the things we do are no jo-"

"I'm sure," he said. "Not like there's much to go back to for me."

Only his loving family, his village, and most likely a safe, new career at home.

"Well kid, if that's what you say..."

The recruiter looked at the page, "Former student at Beacon eh? Damn, kicked out. Not judging, but that means you passed their physical at least. Should mean I can just kick you off to the bus."

Jaune was feeling the regret of his decision already, had he made the right choice? It was bit late now either way.

The recruiter gave him directions to get to the bus, and told him to get out of here. Not giving him a second glance. Jaune was already outside and hailing a taxi.

When Jaune made it to the pickup point, he found sixty other young men waiting there also. Some of them looked like they had worked out their entire life, with muscles bigger than his head, they were walking around joking around and acting like the top of the world.

His eyes passed over another lanky teen like him. There was nothing memorable about him, small, wiry, he probably would forget about him if he was just passing by. Before he could approach and try and make friends, a man dressed in an olive drab uniform stepped out and called for everyone to board.

Before he knew it he was on the bus, on his way to wherever the hell he was headed, sitting next to people he didn't know.

He had made this decision on a whim, spurred on by a random man in a bar, desperation, and hope. Jaune didn't know what laid ahead, he just knew that he would try his best.

So this is my first story, guess we'll see where this goes.

Thanks for reading, please leave a review. Thanks.