Chapter 10: Acquaintances and Dilemmas III
"Well. This is my stop." After 'rescuing' Daisy from the thugs, Jaune had escorted her to her shop in town. "Welcome to the Pride Lair. Take a seat."
Jaune took a seat inside the coffee café, admiring the design when Daisy came out again, after a while. She had freshened up and had two cups of coffee in a tray with her.
"Have a drink with me. On the house."
"Thank you, Miss." As Jaune drank the surprisingly good coffee, he took the chance to admire the lady in front of him.
Daisy August was a Lion faunus with leaf green eyes and long wild blonde hair which ended in green tips. She had on a barista uniform which hugged her voluptuous form quite nicely. Jaune had just moved his gaze from her pantyhose clad legs to see her smirking at him, letting Jaune know that she was quite aware of him checking her out.
"No need to worry." Daisy's smirk grew even larger at Jaune's sheepish expression, looking more like a Cheshire than a lioness. "How old are you, Jaune?"
"Um, I'm 17."
"Ah. Too bad." Daisy said to Jaune. "A year older and I would have given a nice 'reward' upstairs."
Jaune choked on his coffee as unbidden images came to mind. Daisy burst out laughing as Jaune wiped his chin clean.
"As it is, all I can legally do at the moment," Daisy got up to move around the table, then plopped herself on Jaune's laps. "is invite you and whoever you wish to my café for half off coffee for the rest of the year. And if I'm still single by next year..." She bent down to playfully bite Jaune's earlobe, causing him to shiver in arousal.
"Give me a call." She stood up to take her cup back to the kitchen, her hips moving with more sway than normal. Jaune idly stared at her ass until it disappeared, then looked to see what she had put in his jacket pocket.
Daisy August XXX-XXXX Call me, Jauney!
He saved the number immediately.
It was a beautiful sunny day as Professor Goodwitch led the First Year class through a forest bustling with red leaves and grey trunks.
"Yes, students, the forest of Forever Fall is indeed beautiful." Goodwitch said to the class. "But we are not here to sight-see. Professor Peach has asked all of you to collect samples from the trees deep inside this forest, and I'm here to make sure none of you die while doing so."
Jaune nodded as he remembered their Professor of Plant Science, Thumbelina Peach, one of the teachers who didn't teach a subject related to Hunters or Grimm.
"Each of you is to gather one jar's worth of red sap." Goodwitch continued as she hold up a full jar of their objective as an example. "However, this forest is full of the creatures of Grimm, so be sure to stay by your teammates. We will rendezvous back here at 4 o'clock. Have fun!"
Everyone stared at the professor with her last words ringing in their minds.
'D-Did someone dare her to say that part?' For a brief moment, all twelve teenagers thought as one.
It had been quite a workout, dealing with the sap collection. Jaune was sitting on the ground, cross-eyed and dizzy. "I think I'm allergic to this stuff..."
"Judging by your confusion, this is your first time exposed to it, I believe?" Ren kneeled down to collect some sap from a tree, then passed the full jar to Nora. But by the time filled another one and turned to Nora, the girl had red sap over her mouth and an empty jar in her hands.
After they were done, the teams reunited with each other and Professor Goodwitch, who just finished a call from her Scroll.
"Mr. Arc." Goodwitch called. The aforementioned student looked at her in response. "See me after the class. You will follow me to the Beacon Tower. The Headmaster would like a word with you."
Jaune gulped in dread.
"The Headmaster wants to see you?!" Ruby said in shock. "What did you do?"
"What did you do, Fearless Leader?" Nora exclaimed, looking excited instead of worried for him.
"I-I don't know..."
As Jaune ascended up the elevator to Headmaster Ozpin's office, his mind was haywire with possible scenarios.
'Was it those thugs? I mean, I know that as students of Beacon, our actions reflect on it's reputation... But I'm sure if I was falsely testified against, I could call Daisy to help... No, that's a last resort, calling her in for my convenience...'
'No.' Jaune clenched his hands, trying in vain to ignore how sweaty his palms felt. 'I'll just have to deal with whatever happens.'
The door to the Headmaster's office opened too soon in Jaune's opinion.
"Welcome, Mr. Arc." Ozpin spoke from his glass wall. "Please take seat."
Jaune sat down, nervously keeping an eye on Goodwitch; who stood behind Ozpin's desk, and Ozpin; who finished whatever he was drinking from his coffee mug and sat down as well.
"Mr. Arc, do you know why you are here?" Ozpin said while tapping away on his computer.
"N-No, Sir." Jaune really tried to keep his thoughts and words coherent. "Is this perhaps about the thugs I attacked last week?"
"Oh no. I actually commend you on that. Luckily for you, that incident happened in public view and Ms. August was more than willing to speak up in your defense."
'Phew. Wait...' "In that case, Sir, why am I here?"
"Because of this." Ozpin halted his typing and turned the monitor to face the knight, causing him to turn unnaturally pale. "Mr. Arc, We would like to talk to you about these forged transcripts of yours."
Jaune just stared silently at his transcripts on screen, before dropping his head into his hands with a muttered "Oh crap."
"I wouldn't exactly say your situation is that dire, ." Jaune peeked at Ozpin through his fingers. "But it is quite unusual."
"You see, I only found out about your transcripts by accident when I looked through your info for personal reasons. One would think that someone with forged transcripts would be an inadequate student, constantly getting by with barely passable grades and so forth. However, not only are you one of the hardworking students, with enough skill and character to pass for a suitable Huntsman, we called the number of the Huntress who recommended you."
"Bianca Arc is one of our Alumni." Ozpin continued as Jaune slowly raised his head to face him. "It was a simple issue to just contact her to ensure that we weren't dealing with a case of identity theft. Imagine my surprise when Ms. Arc not only confirmed her recommendation, but sent pictures and videos of her actually training you."
"And after all this, I'm confused." Ozpin leaned forward, performing the Gendo Pose. "If the student was sufficiently trained and the Huntress was genuine in her recommendation, why were the forged transcripts needed in the first place?"
Jaune gulped. "T-There was an incident."
"Your next words will determine your continued education in Beacon, Mr. Arc." Goodwitch spoke for the first time in the conversation. "Speak truthfully and concisely."
Flashback Scene
Jaune was currently on a train to Vale, clutching his stomach as he felt his motion sickness in action against his medicine.
'I shouldn't have taken a seat right next to a window.'
"Pardon me, Sir. Is this seat opposite you occupied?"
Jaune looked away from the window to face the speaker.
It was a boy, richly dressed with pale skin, pale blue eyes and snow white hair.
"Go ahead. No one's there." 'since it looks I might upchuck in that direction.'
The Snowette took the seat and brought out a tablet and started to tap away on it. Jaune, in need of a distraction till he reached his destination, proceeded to strike up a conversation.
"Hi, my name's Jaune, Jaune Arc. I just wanted to say that hair of your's looks well done for a dye-job."
"Whitley Schnee." The Snowette sneered. "And it's not a dye-job. My hair all natural white. It is the same for my family as well."
"Ah. Thinking back. He might have been related to Weiss."
"Mr. Arc, your testimony?"
"R-Right."
"All natural? For your whole family? That's amazing."
"That was a rather tame response..." Whitley stared at Jaune, confused for a reason Jaune was unable to decipher. "Why are you talking to me so casually?" He said with a suspicious glare at Jaune.
"Ah. Sorry." Jaune waved his arms frantically. "The truth is that I'm motion sick and I wanted to a conversation which would distract me..."
Whitley stared silently for a bit. Then, he relaxed into his seat and put away his Tablet. "Well in that case, I'll humor you. Your attire and that sword" He gestured to Crocea Mors, which Jaune had kept under his legs. "tells me that you're an aspiring Huntsman headed for Beacon."
"Correct. And from what I see about you, You're... about to go for an exam into a school in Vale, aren't you?"
Whitley burst into a strange laugh which made Jaune almost believe that the boy in front of him might not have genuinely laughed at anything in years. "That was so logical yet so incorrect. I am not really applying to any school here. I am rather attending to private business. Far from Father's eyes."
"Ah. You're a businessman's kid, aren't you? Trying some-"
That was as far as he got before his Observation Haki went off and he reacted on instinct.
"GET DOWN!" He dived and tackled Whitley, shielding him with his body as the carriage wall next to them exploded.
A figure dressed in black and white stepped through the smoke and into the moving carriage, his features covered by the Grimm mask he sported. The terrorist's very appearance caused the passengers to whip themselves into a frenzied panic.
"White Fang..." Jaune heard Whitley whisper from underneath him.
"Stay down." Jaune whispered back and stood forth to gain the terrorist's attention. "What's your business here, terrorist?" He had deliberately kept his hands free to try out a peaceful method, considering the White Fang member had a rifle on him right now.
"I have intel that that Whitley Schnee is currently boarding this train carriage. Give him up and-"
The terrorist choked as Jaune's thrown weapon impacted his neck and forced him to clutch his throat, causing him to look away from his attacker. A fatal mistake as it prevented him from defending against Jaune's uppercut properly.
Jaune idly shook his hand as the defeated terrorist flew back against the wall and slid down, blood tricking down his cracked mask from where Jaune had slugged him. He had been willing to peacefully negotiate if the terrorist had come for just a theft or vandalism, however letting the terrorist leave with a potential kidnappee was completely unacceptable. After a wary look, he turned to face the targeted Schnee and slid down to face the shaking boy.
"It's all right now, Whitley. You're now-"
Jaune's Observation Haki rang out a second time. He turned his face to just in time to catch the terrorist conscious with a crack in his mask showing a deranged expression from the viewable parts and pointing his rifle at Whitley.
"Die! You vile Schnee!" The rifle fired, shooting bullets which would have punched Whitley full for bloody holes, had Jaune not shielded Whitley once more with his body.
"Armament: Hardening."
It was a long twenty seconds as the terrorist proceeded to empty his rifle's entire clip onto Jaune's Full Hardened body. When the the rifle clicked empty, the entire carriage stared in awe at Jaune's entire black visage.
The terrorist snarled in rage at his last-ditch plan being foiled. "You damn humans! I'll kill you-"
KRAK!
Jaune gawked as the terrorist was suddenly bludgeoned by a blonde nun, holding a pipe in her hands. A pig tailed Cat faunus next to her, dressed in the same nun robes but missing her habit, kicked the terrorist forward so that he landed face first on the floor.
"Thank you for saving us, Sir Huntsman." The blonde nun bowed in gratitude, which would have been a heartwarming sight was Jaune not very aware of the bloody stain on the pipe still in her hands.
"N-No problem. I was doing my duty to protect the masses." He turned to face Whitley and helped him to up to his feet. "I don't know why he wanted you, but I wasn't going to let you get taken for any reason."
Whitley looked shaken but grateful. "Thank you, Jaune for- He's getting up!"
Jaune turned around to see the White Fang member get up to his knees. "You damn humans... You think this is enough to stop-"
The two nuns, Blonde Nun still holding her bloody steel pipe, proceeded to wreck the terrorist into submission until he stopped struggling.
"Is he dead?" Jaune asked when the terrorist had become dangerously still. He was instantly proven wrong.
"I WON'T BE DONE IN SO EASILY-"
This time, apart from Jaune and Whitley, all of the carriage passengers joined the nuns in beating the terrorist into deat- submission. By the time the crowd dispersed and the police (finally) arrived, the White Fang terrorist looked he might be at Death's Door, that is, if he hadn't already crossed over.
The two nuns (after Blonde Nun discarded the murder weapo- metal pipe) put their hands together in a symbol of prayer.
"Látom."
After the train reached it's destination, Jaune and Whitley exchanged contacts, with Whitley warning Jaune not to call him anytime soon, as his family would be examining any suspicious leads on the attempt on his life.
"I still do not see how this connects to the forged transcripts, Mr. Arc." Ozpin spoke up after a while.
"Actually, it really does, Sir." Jaune frowned at the depressing memory. "The thing is Armament Haki is a skill I'm still trying to master. While I was capable for Hardening my whole body to save Whitley, my clothes on the other hand, in which I had kept my real transcripts, weren't so lucky."
"What of your Aura?" Goodwitch asked in suspicion.
"It's immensely difficult to project Haki and Aura in the same region of your body." Ozpin answered Goodwitch's question, unknowingly saving Jaune from that predicament. "As a Haki wielder myself, I know this myself from experience." He then faced Jaune again. "For a novice like Mr. Arc, that would be outright impossible."
Professor Goodwitch rubbed her temple in frustration, causing Jaune to mentally promise her a fruit basket later.
"So what now?"
Ozpin was silent for a bit. "Mr. Arc, I am capable of giving you a fresh set of transcripts if I wish to, since leaving these false ones would soon bring both of us unneeded trouble."
"However, before I do so, I'd like to ask you a question." Ozpin then raised his hand into Jaune's view, before coating it in emerald energy which Jaune easily identified as Magic. A small smirk came onto Ozpin's stoic expression as Jaune's shock was blatant.
"What's your favorite Fairytale?"
KingVessel: Did anyone catch that Shout Out? Readers, I need help in creating fusion names for the characters, especially for Jaune and Sun and I would be really grateful if you place your suggestions along with the reviews.