"Should we wake them?"
Jaune stirred slightly, brought ever so slightly to consciousness by someone talking nearby.
Deciding to ignore it, he grabbed the pillow near him and held it closer.
"No! They look so cute, we can't wake them."
Jaune scrunched up his eyes and burrowed his head further into the pillow. Something tickled his nose and he could faintly smell something fruity.
"But what about the professor? He said to get Jaune."
Unable to fall back asleep, he was starting to become more aware of his surroundings.
Was that Ruby talking?
"Let's at least take some photos first."
Jaune immediately forced his eyes open, wincing at the exposure to bright light. It was still daytime, in fact by the looks of things it was still morning.
The next thing he registered was a bright flash of light and a shutter sound.
Jaune tried to turn and look at who was taking pictures of him sleeping. He swiftly found his arm trapped under something.
Oh. Oh yeah.
Another photo was taken.
Craning his neck, Yang was there with her scroll at the ready. She was hard at work acquiring as much blackmail material as she could. Behind her was the rest of team RWBY, and Nora, and Ren. Though Ren looked like he was just along for the ride, less thoroughly amused, and more exhausted. He was probably jealous that Jaune got to have a nap when he didn't.
Jaune tried once more to pull his arm free so that he could take that scroll and delete all the evidence. Sadly, his efforts only served to roust the girl by his side.
Pyrrha rolled into Jaune, burying her face into his chest and gripping his shirt.
"Five more minutes." She mumbled.
Jaune almost forgot about the audience. Pyrrha never had issues waking up. Since when did she ask for "five more minutes'. That was something he expected from Nora, or himself if he was honest.
"Ooh, that's a good one. Smile for the camera lover-boy." Yang said, taking the third photo.
"I'll get you for this Yang." Jaune threatened as he slid a pillow between Pyrrha and him. He hoped that the fluffy substitute would distract her long enough to get away from her embrace.
Pyrrha wrapped her arms around the replacement Jaune and pulled it into a crushing hug. Jaune in the meanwhile finally pulled his arm free and lashed out to snatch the scroll.
Yang was too quick and immediately slipped the scroll down her bra.
"Too slow! Although you can try to get it back if you're brave enough." Yang taunted.
Jaune growled. "Dirty fighter. That's cheating."
"If you two could stop flirting." Blake interrupted. "Professor Ozpin wanted to talk to you. He said your scroll was off."
Jaune didn't realize that. He reached over and grabbed the scroll from the bedside table. It wasn't just off, it was busted.
"Ah... Must have broken it during the fight." Jaune explained. "I'll go see him now. Any clue what it's about."
"He probably wants your report. We had to give ours when we got back." Weiss answered.
Jaune nodded. "Right, well, thanks for telling me. If anyone can get those photos deleted off Yang's phone I'll owe you double."
Collectively all six of his onlookers gave him a look that told him it wasn't going to happen.
"Jaune..." Pyrrha mumbled in her sleep.
/-/
"Hey, Oz," Jaune said upon entering his office. "Oh, and General Ironwood. Thanks for the backup out there. Those robots of yours are pretty cool."
"From what I've been told, you're the one who deserves some gratitude, not my mechs." The general responded.
"Sir?" Jaune asked.
"Sit down Jaune." The professor said, gesturing to the seat in front of him. "We received the reports from members of team RWBY as well as several others who were involved in the breach. Do you know what they said?"
Jaune took his seat and scratched his neck awkwardly.
"Yang probably wasn't happy. I took their team leader away to try something I wasn't a hundred percent certain would work. Plus she had to save my butt from an Ursa." Jaune stated.
"That's true, she did have some complaints. But at the same time, you received quite a bit of positive feedback." Oz responded.
I did?
"Miss Belladonna mentioned how you took charge quite proficiently. Your leadership left little room for indecision or argument. Miss Rose was very impressed by your decision making on the field. Even Miss Schnee had words to share on your fight with a Guardian Deathstalker. I'm told you managed to defeat one single-handedly. Right before destroying not just one, but two nightmare stones. All while maintaining effective communication between both your team and team RWBY." Oz explained.
"It wasn't as impressive as you're making it sound. The Guardian Grimm was a series of lucky breaks and the two stones only got dealt with because of Ruby. It was Nora and Ren who brought me the dust too." Jaune countered.
"There's no such thing as luck Jaune." The general firmly stated. "You may have been playing the odds, but you made consistent correct decisions. That's how you killed that Deathstalker. That's why you ordered your team to bring you the dust. That's why you ordered Miss Rose away from her team as you did."
"Indeed. From what I've been told, your actions may well have saved the life of Dr. Oobleck."
"It wasn't-"
"It was. I don't even know what you were planning on saying, but I can assure you, you're wrong. Good deeds deserve recognition. It's time you got some." The professor interrupted.
Jaune knew it wasn't worth trying to fight the professor on this issue. He wasn't happy with his performance. But if it is important enough for Oz to take a stand like he was, he could accept the false praise.
"Okay... So what then? A medal or something?" Jaune asked.
"Not quite." The general responded. "Perhaps if you had of prevented this incident before it even occurred you would be getting a medal. Unfortunately, the loss of life is too great for that level of celebration."
"It is expected that Beacon gives a... response, to address the concerns of the public. After events like this, normally I would meet with a reporter and answer a few questions. Instead, I'm giving you the opportunity." The professor proudly explained.
"So let me get this right. My reward for doing well and saving lives, is that I get to do your work for you?" Jaune asked.
"Well..." the professor mumbled.
The general laughed out loud. "He sure has your number now Oz."
"There is more to it than just 'doing my work for me'. This is a chance to get your name out there. It's experience with public speaking too. I won't be there to tell you what to say." Said Oz.
"What if I say something wrong? Is there anything I shouldn't say?" asked Jaune.
"If you say something truly horrendous we will contact them ourselves. But beyond that, you can say what you want."
Jaune sighed. "Well, I guess I can just consider this training. What time is the interview?"
"11 o'clock, in the courtyard." The general responded.
Hang on...
Jaune checked the clock on the wall. It was 10:54.
"You'd best hurry. Wouldn't want to be late." The general advised.
Jaune turned and rushed out of his office.
"Oh, and you can blame your friends for taking too long! I sent them an hour ago and called an hour before that!" The professor shouted out after him.
/-/
It wasn't hard to find the people he was looking for. A white-haired woman in a business suit accompanied by two guys carting around boom mikes and a huge camera.
"You guys here for the interview with Professor Ozpin?" Jaune called out.
"No, actually I was told we wouldn't be speaking with the professor, though if that's an option-" she responded.
"Nah I didn't mean to imply it was, he's uhh busy. Who are you expecting?"
"We were told that we would be meeting a 'Jaune Arc'."
At least one of us knew this was a thing.
"I am he... him... I'm Jaune. Nice to meet you..." Jaune offered his hand.
The lady took it. "Lisa Lavender, Anchorwoman of the Vale News Network. It's a pleasure to meet you."
With basic introductions out of the way, Lisa dove right into business.
She opened with a question he hadn't had to answer in a long time.
"Your class is Novice. I may just be misinformed, but that's not a class that is seen very often. I haven't ever come across a Novice in my years of reporting on huntsman. Would you mind telling us a few details?"
Jaune elaborated on the strengths of his class. His ability to learn any skill that he puts dedicated time toward. He also felt happy sharing the weakness which was that he gained no benefits from leveling. Others knowing this couldn't hurt him. What he did keep secret was the limitation on how he learned skills. He hadn't come here with this planned. But if other competitors are worried about having their skills stolen, they may not use them in the fight.
Next Lisa had asked him to provide some details about what happened.
Jaune pointed out that his team and team RWBY had been the first to respond. He discussed the fact that the attack had been orchestrated by the White Fang. Jaune wasn't the most educated on the topic. He was going off pieces that he had put together. Ruby had said they were just outside the kingdom. He also remembered vaguely that the train came from the South-West. He pointed out that they had used stolen dust and military supplies to perform the attack. But with no other information on how or why he finished by explaining how the issue had been resolved. Team RWBY's efforts to hold their ground and slow the outpour of Grimm. His team's efforts to cull the Grimm in the streets. Reluctantly he pointed out his efforts, even if he still wasn't happy with his performance in the end.
"You're telling me a bunch of first-year students managed to fight through a horde of Grimm, and one even slew a guardian? Even with assistance, that's quite the accomplishment for a so-called Novice." Lisa said. She no doubt would be using that joke in some way in her story.
"I had some great teachers. My team has been there every step of the way. It wasn't just me; it was everyone working together that got it done." Jaune replied.
"Would we be correct to assume Nicholas Arc is one of those teachers?" she asked.
Jaune paused for a second in shock.
"You know my dad? I didn't think he was that well known considering he isn't from around here." Lisa nodded. "Well, yeah. He was my very first teacher. Taught me how to use a sword and shield. I'd have to say I learned a lot more in my time at Beacon, but I won't deny that he laid the foundations for my growth. He was... a good dad."
And I haven't even tried to contact them once since I left home.
"Who then could have taught you more than a professional huntsman like your father?" Lisa prompted, eager for more details. It was as if she could smell the story that Jaune had yet to reveal to her.
"Well... My partner for one. You don't train every day with a huntress like Pyrrha Nikos without-"
"Your partner is Pyrrha Nikos? The Invincible Girl?" Lisa suddenly asked.
"Yeah. Practically plucked me out of the sky in initiation and we've been together ever since. We've trained together daily almost all year, although we haven't trained together lately." Jaune let slip that last part without really thinking about the potential consequences.
"Oh? Trouble in paradise?" Lisa teased.
"Nothing that serious. She and I both want to win the tournament in two weeks. If I train with her prior, how am I supposed to develop a trump card to beat her with."
"That's quite the claim. You're saying you can beat the four year running Mistral Regional Tournament winner?"
"I'm not saying I can or will. But I am saying that when Pyrrha and I make it to the singles rounds, I'm going to give her the fight of her life. She might win, but I'm going to make her work for it."
"'When we make it to the singles rounds'. This is great stuff. So if you haven't been training with her, what have you been doing?" Lisa prompted.
"Training with professor Ozpin, he's taken me as his apprentice," Jaune said, fully ready for the coming reaction.
"What? Wait, is that why you're here today instead of someone else?" She asked. Jaune swore he could see Lien signs in her eyes.
"Pretty much. 'Chance to make a name for myself' he said, but it's also to help him handle the workload after what happened. He's been training me personally for a few weeks in total, though our... 'relationship' has been a thing since the start of the second semester. He has given me a few tools already which I think will be useful, though his training is unorthodox."
"Alright, one final question. Would you be willing to take another interview with me in the future? A live one perhaps? I've already got more than enough for what I came for today, so I'd love to do a second piece during the tournament itself." Lisa asked.
Jaune nodded. "I'm sure I can make time for that. But I was serious about what I said earlier, I'm aiming to win. So you might have to work with me for timing."
"I can do that. Thanks for your time today. It's been an enjoyable experience. Keep your eyes open this afternoon at 7." Lisa advised.
Jaune said his farewells to the woman who would likely be chasing him down in the coming days. She had taken his scroll number and shared her own. All under the pretense of wanting to schedule a future appointment, of course.
With the meeting out of the way, Jaune realized it would be prudent to try and get a replacement for his scroll.
He headed for the training grounds and checked how much he had earned from his kills during the breach.
The guardian alone had been enough money to get him a replacement, an entire teams pay all for him. But with the miscellaneous Grimm he had dealt with on top, he would be sitting comfortably for a while.
Jaune boarded the first bullhead back into town. He was hoping to find a store that was still open after everything that had happened. He wasn't likely to be the only person who had broken a scroll. There were likely many who needed to tell their family that they were okay. The odds that there would be a shop somewhere open for that were good.
Eventually, after an hour of asking around, he found a place that was still running.
It was a general-purpose huntsman store. The kind that had a bit of everything you might need before or after a mission. A large cache of medical supplies had been dragged out the front of the store with a sign saying 'take what you need'.
"Hey, I need a replacement scroll. Mine got busted up today." Jaune said as he approached the man who was rushing about the store.
The man took one look at Jaune before tossing him a box.
"For a huntsman, 700 Lien. Did you help out this morning?" Jaune nodded. "500 Lien then."
"Are you sure? I don't mind paying, it looks like you've been helping out in your own way." Jaune asked.
"Nonsense boy, you save lives, I'm giving away bandages for a scraped knee. 500 Lien, just leave it on the counter." The owner firmly stated.
Jaune respected the man's attitude. Perhaps almost as much as the owner respected huntsmen. He left the 500 Lien on the counter as requested. It would be rude to force more money on him when he was being as honorable as he was.
Jaune decided he would use the cash he'd saved as productively as possible, to honor the man's decision. Jaune had enough leftover that he could probably afford a small piece of armor, maybe two if they came as a set.
So many buildings were still in a state of disrepair in the city as Jaune walked to his next destination. Ms. Goodwitch had repaired a lot, and he was sure there were other forces in play doing the same. But it would be some time before Vale was back to its former glory.
No amount of damage to the city could have prepared him for what he saw next though.
The entrance to the blacksmith had been torn clean off the hinges. Large scratch marks had been carved into the doorway.
"Hey, old man! You alive in here?" Jaune suddenly shouted out, running inside.
The shop was a mess. The displays of polished weapons and suits of armor were scattered all over the floor. The counter had been crushed by a large and heavy object, now nothing more than splinters. Glass covered the floor, crunching under Jaune's feet as he entered.
"Damn it!" Jaune shouted when there was no immediate response.
"Quit your yelling!" A familiar voice called out from a back room. "I've got enough of a headache as it is."
Jaune wasn't particularly close to this man, little more than a client. But the relief he felt when he heard the blacksmith's response was almost overwhelming.
Of course, when he saw him, that relief disappeared.
The blacksmith had a bloody bandage covering half of his face. His left arm was bound up in an equally bloodied sling.
"What the hell happened to you?" Jaune asked in a hurry.
"Beowolf got inside. Tore the damn door right off its hinges. I managed to clobber the thing with my hammer, but not before it tried to take an arm and a leg... Or an arm and one of my eyes in this instance." He explained.
"How bad is it?" Jaune asked. It certainly looked bad.
"It could have been worse, I'll be able to work again in a few months. I reckon a blacksmith who fought off a Grimm with his merchandise will pull a few more customers too. What do you think?" The man joked.
"Yeah, probably. So you won't be able to work for a while, huh?" The man nodded. "Good thing you had that suit fixed up for me already huh?"
The smith smiled and immediately began pulling out a few pieces to show Jaune. A helmet from the set had been crushed underfoot of the Grimm in the attack. Otherwise, the pieces made it out okay.
"How much for the gloves and the forearm guards?" Jaune asked.
The gloves were leather mostly. They had strips of steel that protected the backs of his fingers, knuckles, and the back of his hand. An observation revealed they would increase the damage fist-based attacks. They would also reduce damage like his breastplate.
The forearm guards were a little more special. The vambraces were a series of slideable plates that interlocked with each other. At maximum extension, they would cover up to the back of his hand down to his elbow. If desired, the plates could slide back behind the wrist to allow more flexibility for those who need it.
"400 each for the forearm guards and another 200 for the gloves." The smith stated.
Jaune immediately withdrew the requested sum and handed it over straight away.
"No need for haggling here. You've earned it today I think." Jaune said as a half-joke half-compliment.
"I appreciate that." The man gave Jaune a longer than usual stare. "Tell me, lad, what's your name again?"
Jaune thought for a few seconds.
I don't think I ever gave him my name...
"It's Jaune. Jaune Arc." He finally responded.
"An Arc is it? I thought as much. I knew that symbol was familiar. You can call me Ashley, or Ashe for short." He loudly declared. "
Jaune glanced at his sheathe. Even in this form, the Arc double crescent was visible.
"You've seen it before?" Jaune asked.
"Aye, that I have. Just didn't realize it until now."
"Right..." Jaune looked around at the mess in the man's store. "Listen, do you want a hand cleaning all this up?"
The smith looked genuinely shocked at the offer.
"Don't you have a big tournament to be preparing for?" He asked.
"I do... But it can't be easy trying to cart all of this around and set it back up with one arm. Not to mention your depth perception is shot. It's a huntsman's job to help people, so I mean... I'm sure you could get all this done yourself, but if you want a hand?"
"You're a good lad. To tell the truth, it has been difficult trying to operate a broom and a pan to get all of this cleared up. It's not huntsman work but-"
"I'll do it." Jaune interrupted.
Jaune swept up the remains of his wooden counter and the shattered glass up off the floor. Then, without being asked he started setting up the displays as he remembered seeing them. Eventually, the smith informed Jaune that there were a few things that needed to be picked up. Jaune was more than happy to help.
He spent the afternoon racing around the city picking up a variety of objects. A new door and a reinforced steel frame to put it in, a flat-packed counter, even some supplies for the man's work. If Ashe thought he was going to be carrying all this back himself with one arm, he was more tired than he looked. Even for Jaune, the task was slow going and hardly comfortable.
When he returned, he got a crash course in repairs from the man. Interestingly, the tutorial unlocked a new skill.
[Construction: Level 0]
You know your way around a hammer and saw.
Reduced mistakes when performing construction or repair jobs.
An innate understanding of structures comes with skill level.
It was the second non-combat skill he had ever learned, and the first that wasn't also used by huntsmen. For situations like this, Jaune was happy he learned it. It wouldn't save lives, but all work was good work if it helped people.
Jaune put together the new counter, moving it where the man wanted it. He installed the reinforced door too and finished a dozen other miscellaneous tasks. By the time he was finished, it was sundown. With curfew approaching, it was time for Jaune to leave.
"Hopefully that should cover things for a while. I won't be able to come back and check on you for a while, so don't go fighting anymore Grimm." Jaune teased. He got on well with the man. A simple, honest, and hardworking guy with a great sense of humor.
"True, I'll try to avoid that next time." Ashe sarcastically responded. "Listen, lad, you were a big help today. I want you to take this."
The man tossed him a bag which when opened, Jaune saw it contained the greaves and boot plates for his armor set.
"I didn't help you for a reward or anything, it's fine," Jaune said as he tried to hand back the package.
The smith firmly pushed it back into his chest.
"I know you didn't. Take it anyway. There wasn't much for me to do while you rebuilt my store for me. So I watched a bit of TV to pass the time. You know what I saw?" he asked.
Jaune nodded. He had missed the deadline for his part while he was working, so it had been on his mind to try and see if it was online.
"You're a tenacious little brat, you know that? Acting all concerned for me taking out one little Beowolf and offering to help me because of it. Meanwhile, you were out there all morning. You've come a long way from the scrawny lad that walked into my shop one year ago. That news lady called you a hero, and I'm inclined to agree. So take the damn armor, you've earned it."
His tone was one of frustration like he was scolding Jaune. But his words were anything but.
Jaune stopped trying to hand back the bag and just nodded.
"Now get out of here, I want to see you win that tournament so the whole world knows how good my armor is," Ashe said with a smile, pushing Jaune out the door with his one good arm.
Jaune silently pledged that he would try to do just that.
/-/
Back at Beacon Jaune realized just how separate it was from Vale.
The city was just a short five-minute flight away. It was recovering from the worst attack it had had in who knows how long. Back here though, the gardens were still flawless. The tower still glowed green, illuminating the courtyard. The threat of Grimm felt so far away.
Jaune had forgotten what it meant to be normal. Or rather, this was his normal now.
He had superpowers, like in the comics he used to read as a kid. Explosions were a second thought, giant monsters were just 'part of the job'.
For the rest of the world though, that wasn't the case. Flimsy doors and a hammer was all that stood between the average citizen and certain death.
That, and him. He and the other huntsman and huntresses that fight the good fight.
An afternoon with Ashe had reminded him of how fragile life could be. It reminded him of how two thugs in an alleyway had been considered a very real threat.
Jaune had the power to do more now. Perhaps it was time he started doing more with it.
Whipping out his new scroll, he gave Oz a call.
"Yes, Jaune?" the professor asked. He sounded distant, he was probably fielding phone calls on speaker so he could keep his hands free.
"Do you have time to talk?" Jaune asked.
"I can make some time. Why don't you come up now?" Oz offered.
"Sounds good," Jaune responded before hanging up.
He sent Pyrrha a quick text to let her know where he'd be and made his way over to the professor's office.
"Hey, Oz," Jaune said as he entered. "I wanted to ask about missions."
The professor was speed-reading his way through a tall pile of reports, and requests. He stamped it and moved onto another.
"What about them?"
"When's the next chance for our teams to go on one? Our mission is canceled as far as I'm aware, with all the huntsmen being recalled or sent out."
The professor hummed, stamped, and grabbed a new document.
"Why the sudden interest? Not that I disapprove, but you've always been more focused on your training." Oz explained.
"I spent some time out in the city today. I guess I just feel like I should be doing more."
"You can't save everyone Jaune-"
"I know! I know... and I'm not trying to. I just want to do something more. I want to help people who can't help themselves."
The professor nodded and put down the form he was looking at to address Jaune directly.
"In a little over a month, you'll be starting the first semester of your second year. Second-year students are allowed to take away missions, real ones, as long as they have permission. If you'd like, I can get your team as many missions as you can handle without sacrificing your grades."
"I'd appreciate that sir. So basically, I should focus on the tournament for now, and I can take on as much as I need to after. That works perfectly." Jaune responded.
"How about we talk about something else now? Your little segment of the news was great, did you see it?" the professor asked, taking up the form once more.
"No, apparently I'm being called a hero or something. Hardly seems fair to everyone else though."
The professor chuckled. "Humility is good and well, but you shouldn't undersell yourself too much. The other's of your team and team RWBY are heroes too, they're just not in the news about it. It's okay to enjoy your five minutes of-"
An alarm blared from beside Ozpin's desk.
"What's that?" Jaune asked.
"That... means we have an intruder on campus grounds." The professor calmly explained. The elevator began to descend to the ground floor. "And it seems they're here to see me. How very interesting. Jaune please do stand over this side of the desk."
Jaune watched as the elevator floor changed from ground, to 1st and upwards.
Ding!
"Ozpin you bastard! You tell me where my son is this instant!" A tall blonde man shouted as he brandished his sword in his direction. He was stopped dead in his tracks three steps into the room.
"H-hey, dad... Long time no see?"
