HELLLLOOOOOOOO!
My it has been awhile, hasn't it? Believe it or not I'm not dead (I think). Life has just been... interesting lately, for a number of reasons (some of which we are all familiar with I am sure). I'm not going to go on a long winded thing about my absence here. I'll save that for my next chapter of Gryphon Knight and Errant Questor, which, yes, are still ongoing! They aren't dead, just in hibernation.
Quick scene setting for this one shot before we get into it however. This takes place back in Volume seven, specifically during the time skip which contained the infamous thirsty moms scene. Back when joy was still a possibility and I didn't have my soul ripped out of my chest by the Volume eight finale ;-;
*whimpers*
Well with my eternal pain over those events out of the way, ON WITH THE STORY!
Jaune Arc's day began with his scroll's alarm going off. His azure eyes blinked open and he yawned, stretching in his bed. He picked up his scroll and checked the time. five thirty. He quickly turned off the ringer before it woke up Ren and Nora. It would be an hour before they'd need to wake up.
He hopped out of his bunk, pretended he didn't notice his two teammates sharing a bed, and got dressed in work out clothes. He set out at a steady jog to the gym where he wasted no time hitting the weights. He worked out for an hour, got a quick shower and changed into his normal attire and armor before making his way to the briefing room, making a stop in the break room for two cups of coffee. He was one of the last ones to make it in, but he still had a few minutes to spare before he was actually late.
Jaune slid into the vacant seat next to Marrow and passed him one of the coffee cups. The Ace operative in turn passed him a doughnut. It had become something of a ritual between them. Jaune brought the coffee, Marrow brought the doughnuts, and all was right with the world.
The girls of team RWBY looked like they could use some coffee themselves. Well, three of them did at any rate. Ruby was as energetic as she had been the first day after they'd gotten their licenses. But Jaune wasn't about to play the coffee mule for everyone else. Marrow only got a cup because he reciprocated with sweet doughy ambrosia. That and the man had mastered the 'sad puppy dog' look to a point that even Ruby would have found it difficult to match him.
Clover strolled into the room a few minutes later with his characteristic smile on his face. At this point the assigning of tasks has become a steady routine. The Ace Ops would be handling security for Amity stadium and the supply convoys going to and from the worksite. Team RWBY would be assisting them and team JNPR would be working within Mantle to patrol for Grimm and protect the people.
Jaune volunteered for the same job he always took in the morning: escorting kids to school.
At first he'd chafed at the idea of his first job as a registered huntsman was effectively being a babysitter, but he'd quickly grown fond of the role. And no, it wasn't because of their mothers'... interest in him, whatever jokes Nora wanted to make. They were sweet kids. It was a genuine joy to be around them. That and it was a good way to start the day. There was nothing like a nice relaxing walk to start the day off right. He had other jobs of course. He only had to watch the kids in the morning and in the afternoon when they were out of school. That left plenty of time in between for patrolling the streets and wall of the lower city.
A wave goodbye to team RWBY and a bullhead ride down to Mantle, followed by a short walk from the landing zone, led Jaune to where he would meet with the kids and their parents. He got there first, as he always did. He leaned casually against the building behind him, one hand resting comfortably on the pommel of Crocea Mors and his mighty stop sign by his side as he gazed out across the street. People were out and about going about their business for the day. It had surprised Jaune that people would still be going about their lives when the Grimm could invade at any time, but what else could they do? If people just hid their homes and boarded their doors then the fear would just draw more Grimm in, putting more people in danger then it saved. Life had to go on. Besides, it wasn't like they were unprotected. Atlas soldiers and mechs patrolled the city, as well as huntsmen and Penny. For the most part the people of Mantle were safe. For now, at least.
"Oh Jaune~"
Despite himself the blonde huntsman smiled at the familiar voice. The flirtation from multiple older women had become a strangely regular part of his day. Had it been a year ago back when he'd first joined Beacon Jaune would have happily basked in their adoration. Had it been a year ago he doubted any of the mothers would have given him a second glance. It was funny how things changed.
"Morning ladies," he said with a smile as he pushed off the wall. "Hey kids, ready for school?"
The children responded with the grumbling that could be expected of children in grade school. Jaune was sure he hadn't been any better at their age. They were sweet kids, though. Marle and Lucy held hands on the way to school. He wasn't sure if it was simply a playground crush or just them comforting each other so they wouldn't be scared. He didn't want to ask and make them feel awkward.
"And how are you today Mr. Arc," asked one of the women, a blonde haired lady wearing a red jacket. Miss Scarlett didn't have a casserole today, a small blessing. It wasn't that they were bad, it was just that you could only eat the same thing every day before it got tiresome. And he always felt guilty if he didn't eat at least some of it.
"I'm doing fine Miss Scarlett," he responded politely.
"Fine indeed," purred Miss Opal. The coffee skinned mother of twins wiggled her eyebrows at him, a mischievous grin curling her lips.
"Moooom," groaned one of her daughters, face flushed from embarrassment.
Jaune chuckled nervously, cheeks turning pink. "Er, thanks." Eager to change the subject before the others piled on he glanced around. "If that's everyone then let's get moving. We don't want the kids to be late."
The blonde huntsman led the way down the street. The kids followed behind single file, except for Marle and Lucy who were walking hand in hand like usual. The mothers followed behind them. Jaune didn't flatter himself by thinking it was so they could ogle him. Or rather, it wasn't just so they could ogle him. Even with a huntsman around they wanted to keep an eye on their kids in case something happened. This deep into Mantle a Grimm incursion wasn't likely, but it was far from impossible. No parent wanted their child away from them even if the likelihood of danger was very low. The kids would be safe at the school itself. It was guarded by Atlas soldiers and could go into lockdown at a moment's notice if necessary.
At the first crosswalk Jaune stepped out into the road and held up his sign, ensuring any oncoming traffic would see him and his charges. He ushered them across and waited until everyone was clear before stepping out of the road and retaking his place at the front of the line. The children chattered to one another, talking superheroes comics, video games, or anything else that came to their little minds. He caught mention of X-Ray and Vav and made a mental note to check out a comic shop sometime soon. It had been awhile since he'd last read the series. He was sure to have some catching up to do.
Jaune's scroll began to go off, a rhythmic monotone alarm chime. The mothers' scrolls went off with the same alert tone.
He snatched his scroll out of his pocket and checked the message he knew would be there.
Minor Grimm presence reported in Sector 11. All Mantle citizens in area find cover and remain indoors until the threat has passed. All huntsmen in the area be on alert for a pack of 5 Sabyrs.
Sector eleven. That was his sector.
He pocketed his scroll and spun around. The moms were grabbing their kids and pulling them close to them, their easy going humor vanishing in the face of danger for themselves and their children. "Stay calm," Jaune said immediately, hand falling to his sword as his eyes scanned the area. People were already getting off the streets, hurrying into buildings and barring the doors. "Follow me and stay together. Everything's going to be okay." Jaune led them to the nearest building, a small cafe. He flashed his huntsman license at the proprietor of the establishment before the portly faunus man could lock the door and pushed it open, ushering the women and children inside. "Stay here until I come and get you."
The door locked shut behind him as the Huntsman stepped out into the middle of the street. He drew Crocea Mors, deployed the shield on his arm.
And waited.
He had been bad at that, once. Always eager, always rushing into things without really thinking about them first. It had been especially bad after Pyrrha died, and he'd only gotten worse after they had come across the ruins of Shion, a place that had held good memories from his childhood. He'd been emotionally unstable and afraid of losing anyone else, and that had made him angry and reckless. He'd charged in headlong, not caring if he lived or died so long as he didn't lose anyone else.
But he'd gotten the closure he'd needed. He'd come to terms with what happened. He still missed his partner and always would, but he wasn't going to let it hold him back anymore. He wouldn't charge in. He'd be there for his friends. He would be their shield. He would be everyone's shield.
He heard the Sabyrs before he saw them. Snarls and growls accompanied by the heavy tread of running paws echoed through the empty street as the Grimm rounded the corner and charged straight at him. Had the Grimm been smarter they might have spread out and tried to encircle him, like a pack of predator animals attacking more dangerous prey. They didn't. Most Grimm weren't that smart. They attacked in the most direct fashion available, trading subtlety or instinct for raw aggression.
It was exactly what Jaune specialized in countering.
The first Sabyr leapt for him and met the Huntsman's raised shield as Jaune drove it into the beast and flung it over his head to crash to the ground behind him. The second fell to a swing of his blade, the third caught the back swing, and the fourth opened its mouth to bite down on him just in time for Jaune to drive the point of Crocea Mors into its open maw and out the back of its head. He turned as the first beast got to its feet and lunged for him. He simply held his blade out and let it impale itself through the chest. He pushed it off Crocea Mors as the body dissolved into black smoke.
He lowered his shield and sword and looked around, taking in his handy work. Four Sabyrs lay dead around him, bodies dissolving into nothing. He smiled and sheathed his blade. A job well-
Wait. Four Sabyrs? Where was-
Something slammed into his back and drove him to the ground. Fangs bit down on his shoulder and tried to pierce his flesh, but armor and aura held and he pushed himself to his feet with a growl. Jaune reached back with his free arm and grabbed at the thing on his back, scrabbling for purchase. He grabbed something solid and heaved, throwing his whole body behind the throw. The thing was sent flying and hit the ground several feet away.
The Sabyr rolled to its feet and snarled, saliva drooling from its open maw. It was larger then the ones Jaune had killed, with longer canines and heavier bone plates covering more of its body. An Alpha.
That explained why it hadn't been with the rest of its pack. It must have used them as a distraction while it circled around to attack from behind. Clever.
Jaune gripped the hilt of Crocea Mors tightly, but didn't draw the ancestral blade. Instead he separated it, sheathe and all, from the magnetic lock on his vambrace and triggered its secondary form.
The sharpened edge of the shield expanded out and slid upward, locking in place and forming two sharp edges jutting from the base of the weapon. Jaune took Crocea Mors in a two handed grip and eyed the Sabyr Alpha warily, sword up in a guard as he and the alpha circled ones another.
The Grimm snarled and snapped its fangs at him, but didn't attack. It glared at him with hateful red eyes as they paced around another. Jaune eyed it in return, weighing his options.
The Sabyr Alpha had been smart enough to use its pack as a distraction. If it was smart enough to use subtle tactics like that, then it was possible that it was smart enough to run if it thought itself outmatched. Jaune couldn't let that happen. If it ran then he doubted he'd be able to catch it before it found easier prey.
Crocea Mors drooped down, the edge lowering to point at the floor.
The Alpha sprinted forward to take advantage of the blonde huntsman's lowered guard and leapt at him, maw open and front claws extended towards his face. Just as he'd planned.
Jaune pushed down on the pommel of his blade as he swung up, putting as much force behind the blow as possible. It caught the creature mid leap in the abdomen, the sharp edge cutting through snow white bone plate and into midnight black flesh. With a roar he drove the blade up and over his head, taking the Sabyr Alpha with it as he spun around. With a titanic slam that shattered concrete Jaune drove sword and beast into the ground. The monster let out a final gurgling shriek as it died, its body falling limp. Jaune braced his foot on its body and wrenched Crocea Mors free with a sucking wet squelch.
He looked around before disengaging great sword mode, ensuring there wouldn't be any more surprises before hooking Crocea Mors to his belt. Satisfied the coast was clear Jaune pulled out his scroll and contacted Atlas control.
"Control, this is Huntsman Jaune Arc. Reported Grimm presence in Sector eleven has been dealt with. Repeat, Grimm presence in Sector eleven has been neutralized. No casualties."
"Good to hear Huntsman, thanks for the update. And... thanks from me personally. My sister and her little girl live in that area."
"No kidding? What's her name? I may know them."
"Sara Scarlett and Lucy Scarlett."
Jaune laughed. "I walk Lucy and her friends to school every morning. Miss Scarlett and the other moms usually accompany us."
"Small world," the man on the other end of the line chuckled. "Well tell them Charlie says hi. They've been running us ragged up here and I haven't had time to go see them."
"Will do control. Jaune Arc out." He ended the call and made his way back to the cafe. "Its safe! The Grimm are dead," he called out.
The door opened and the mothers and children poured out of the little cafe. "That was awesome," screamed Thomas Rosemary, waving his arms over his messy dark hair. "The Grimm were all 'grr, raar!' and you were all 'swish stab, take that Grimm!'" He pantomimed cutting with a sword, waving his arm wildly in the air.
"Are you okay," Thomas's mother asked as she eyed the shoulder the Sabyr had bit down on. "It looked like that last one almost had you."
"It got the drop on me," Jaune admitted, "but between my armor and aura it couldn't hurt me. I was never in any danger Miss Rosemary."
"Are you suuuure~," cooed Miss Scarlett as she rested her hands on his other shoulder. "We could always check to be safe."
"Ooh good idea," chimed in Miss Opal with an impish grin. "We should check. Just to be safe."
Miss Viridian brushed a lock of her blonde hair out of her eyes and wiggled her eyebrows suggestively. "We could just take off that silly shoulder armor and roll up your sleeve to make sure it didn't injure your big bulky biceps. Just to be safe."
"Leave him alone," Miss Hazelnut scolded, the taller woman wagging her finger at the others. "He just fought off one ravenous pack of animals. He doesn't need to deal with another!"
Jaune's face flushed beat red as the women squealed with laughter at themselves. They normally weren't this forward with him, but then they normally weren't coming down from a fear and adrenaline high after hiding from Grimm, so it wasn't like it was really any of their faults. Eager to move on before one of them said something that would make him try to vanish into his armor, he spoke up. "Well let's get moving," he squeaked. "Don't want the kids to be late to school!"
It was strange to think that he'd been more comfortable with the Sabyrs trying to eat him alive then he was with this gaggle of admittedly attractive older women trying to do the same, albeit in a less literal way. Though he wouldn't pretend there wasn't a part of him that quietly enjoyed it. A part that was going to stay well under lock and key.
People were pouring back into the streets from their hiding places as Jaune led his little troupe down the sidewalk. Many of them waved to him or cheered, some snapped pictures of him with their scrolls. Jaune did his best to smile and wave back without provoking a more vigorous response, his blush growing deeper under the attention.
There had been a time when he would have loved this, or at least thought he'd love it. Jaune had gone to Beacon to be a hero, a huntsman. He'd wanted the accolades and the praise. He wanted to be Jaune Arc the Hero and have people know his name all across Remnant.
Now... he didn't care.
He cared about the people, he cared about keeping them safe. He just didn't care about fame or notoriety anymore. Most of the people cheering for him most likely didn't know his name and never would, and that was okay. They were alive, they were safe. That was what mattered. If no one ever knew his name, if his life came to an end as not even a footnote in the annals of history, then Jaune would be content with that so long as his actions saved lives. It was his mission, his purpose. To be their shield, to heal their hurts.
It was a good purpose to have.
The last ten minutes of the walk to school passed without incident. The kids were still talking excitedly about his fight with the Sabyrs, and Jaune didn't doubt the story would be spread around the school before the day was out.
As the little ones joined the crowd of kids making their way into the guarded school Jaune looked at the mothers. "Are you sure you don't want me to walk you home? It wouldn't be any trouble."
Miss Scarlett's eyes sparkled and she made to speak, but Miss Hazelnut clamped her hand over the blonde woman's mouth. "We'll be fine dear," she said kindly. "I'm sure you've got things you need to do other than escort us around."
Miss Opal's lips spread in her characteristic mischievous grin. "Though if you want to play escort- rmph!"
Miss Hazelnut's other hand shot out and pinched her lips shut. "Ignore her sweetie. You go save the day." She beamed at him.
Jaune smiled shyly and scratched the back of his head. "Heh, thanks. I'll do my best. Be safe out there." He made to walk away, but a hand caught his arm before he could.
It was Miss Hazelnut. "Oh, just one more thing though."
Usually out of all of them Miss Hazelnut was the most shy and reserved of the bunch, rarely joining in on her friends' teasing, but stepping in to scold them into leaving him alone when she felt he'd had enough. That was why Jaune was stunned when she leaned in to kiss him on the cheek, then stepped back with her face turning crimson.
The others descended upon him before he could even think to move. One after another they planted a kiss on one cheek or the other (or both cheeks in Miss Scarlett's case), having to stand on their tip toes to reach his face. They left him standing there, wide eyed and blushing from head to toe. "I- uh..." he stammered dumbly. "Duuuh..."
"Bye Jaune," called Miss Scarlett as she and the others walked away. She waved to him. "We'll see you this afternoon! I'll bring you a casserole!"
Jaune stood there in utter silence for a good two minutes before he came to his senses. It took him another five to regain full control of his motor functions. By the time he'd left his fugue state he was walking down his regular patrol route, his body having defaulted to automatic mode while his brain rebooted. When he returned to full consciousness he spent the next hour of his patrol a blushing mess as his mind played the ambush of kisses on repeat. He had to stop at a fountain and dunk his head into it to bring himself fully back to reality. Shaking the water from his short blonde hair Jaune continued on his route, ignoring the odd looks people gave the strange man with the soaking wet head.
The rest of his day went by normally. There were a couple encounters with Grimm, but they were in areas closer to the breach in the wall that had long since been abandoned by anyone not huntsman or military. He saw Penny flying overhead a couple times, responding to crises faster than anyone else could. Even taking the kids home was simple. The ladies teased him more than ever, but he couldn't bring himself to mind it. No sane man attracted to women could truly complain about the attention of several attractive older women. When they were returned home safely the huntsman made his way back to the Bullhead pads to hitch a ride back to the academy, humming a tune under his breath as he strolled through the streets.
Jaune liked this. He liked helping Mantle. He liked being a huntsman. Strangely enough it felt like a vacation. It shouldn't have, considering that just about every day consisted of working and fighting from early morning to late in the afternoon, but compared to the battle of Beacon or the trip through Mistral patrolling routes and escorting people was a cake walk. He could practically do it in his sleep. Not that he'd try that, of course.
But he knew it would come to an end. This was just the calm before the storm, the eye of the hurricane. Salem was still out there, still planning the destruction of the world. Cinder was too, he was sure of it. He couldn't explain it, but he knew she was still out there. You couldn't trust that someone like that was dead unless you saw the body for yourself, then incinerated it for good measure. He would see her again, and the next time they fought Jaune would be in control of himself. He couldn't beat Cinder, not alone. But he didn't have to. He had friends who had his back just as much as he had theirs. The odds stacked against them were high, but team JNPR and team RWBY weren't the same teams or people they had been at Beacon. They'd grown since then, become stronger and wiser. Maybe they would be ready when the enemy made their presence known, or maybe they wouldn't be, but so long as they fought together they could bloody Salem's nose. That he knew for a fact.
With a smile Jaune stepped into the Bullhead waiting to take off duty huntsmen back to Atlas Academy and leaned back in his seat as it lifted off. He'd gotten a lot better at managing his airsickness, but he had to be careful to avoid it sneaking up on him from time to time. It was still a relief to step off the airship and onto solid ground. Atlas was technically in mid air, but it wasn't rocking and it wasn't like he could really tell unless he walked to the edge and looked down, so he could easily pretend he was on solid grounded earth.
The others were already back by the time he got to the academy. Team RWBY had gotten back earlier then JNPR, but escorting the convoys and protecting the Amity site tended to be more strenuous than patrolling Mantle, so it all balanced out. They were hanging out in the cafeteria when he arrived, plates piled high with food in front of them as they talked amiably to one another. The scene was so similar to what it had been like back at Beacon that caught himself looking for Pyrrha. It made his heart ache that she wasn't here for this, but he knew she'd be happy to see them all together like this, just like he was. He got his own plate and eased into the open seat next to Weiss. The two teams were intermingled instead one sitting across from one another, which made sense. The boundaries between JNPR and RWBY had largely been broken down by shared hardships and a united cause, and while they still identified as two separate teams they were in reality more or less one big team. Heck, he and Weiss could even sit by each other without it being incredibly awkward like it would have been at Beacon. Something that had largely been his fault, he'd readily admit. They'd even had an actual conversation during the party to celebrate their new huntsman and huntress statuses. "Evening everyone. Did I miss anything interesting?"
Nora gasped. "Jaune! You should have seen it! The biggest Grimm I have ever seen attacked the walls of Mantle today! It was twenty stories tall at least, with four massive arms that ended in spiky clubs that could have crushed a Paladin!"
"Impressive," he said as he dug into his plate. "Did it have two giant bat wings and breathe fire from its mouth?"
"How did you know?!"
"Lucky guess." He grinned.
Jaune listened indulgently as Nora spun a story of daring and adventure that would have put Professor Port's tall tales to shame as he ate his dinner.
"And then with a mighty swing of my hammer I thumped its head down into its chest like a game of whack-a-Grimm!" Nora pantomimed swinging down her hammer using a knife with an apple stuck on the end of it. Jaune had the good sense to deploy Crocea Mors and shield himself and Weiss from the the splatter as the apple met the metal table and exploded on impact. "Proving once and for all that I am queen of the castle!"
The heiress shot him a grateful look as he put his shield away after wiping apple off of it. Ruby had possessed the good sense to bolt the second Nora had speared the apple. Blake had ducked under the table when she realized what was coming. Ren and Yang hadn't been so fortunate, but at least none had gotten in his fellow blonde's hair. Jaune wanted the cafeteria in one piece, thank you very much. "Well that was certainly interesting," he said with a grin. "What about the rest of you?"
"Nothing much. Went out, killed some Grimm, came home," Yang said with a shrug. She looked at Jaune with a grin that immediately put him in mind of Miss Opal. He instinctively leaned away from her, wary. "Though I hear you've become the friendly neighborhood Jauney Boy." She wiggled her eyebrows at him. "Especially with one particular group o' thirsty moms."
How had Yang- no, it was better not to ask. When it came to finding new ways to tease someone, the blonde brawler had her ways.
"W-well I- I mean... they're just-"
Nora slammed her hands down on the table. "Jaune! You went and got a harem and didn't tell me?!"
Jaune somehow managed to both turn beet red and snow white at the same time as the eyes of all his friends, and everyone else in the cafeteria, fell upon him after Nora's declaration. With a groan his head thumped down on the table. "End my suffering... please..."
A hand rested itself on the back of his head and patted it gently. "There there," Weiss said. "At least you're better with women then you were at Beacon."
Huh. Coming from Weiss that was actually a rather considerable compliment. He peeked at her sidelong without raising his head. He didn't know if she realized it, but she was stroking her fingers through his short blonde locks. He wasn't going to comment on it. "Really?"
"Really," she confirmed. The once-heiress smirked. "Though that's not saying much, considering just how low you set the bar."
Ouch. A classic Weiss Schnee back handed compliment. It was still more than what he would have received or deserved from her back at Beacon.
"I suppose I'll take it," he sighed.
They spent the rest of the evening engaging in their own leisure activities. For Jaune, that meant training. He'd improved in leaps and bounds since leaving Beacon, but he knew he was still behind the others. Odds were he'd never really catch up. They had years of training on him after all. Despite that, he could still work to close the gap as much as possible.
It wasn't like the training he'd done on the road in Mistral, where he'd gone off alone in the dead of night and worked himself half to death. He made sure his body got the rest it needed to be ready for the next day. Atlas's training rooms could facilitate nearly any kind of training, from aura mastery to sparring matches with hard light copies of Grimm or human and Faunus foes. It was the latter two he was training against now. He got plenty of combat experience with Grimm just from patrolling Mantle, but he needed to be better versus his fellow man for when Cinder reared her ugly head again, or if they encountered another agent of Salem like Tyrian.
The huntsman angled his shield up to deflect the hard light hologram of a White Fang grunt's blade as it cut down at his head and parried its companion's strike with his sword from the other side. He stepped back, disengaging from them and watching them warily behind his shield. There were multiple levels you could set the combat sims at. Jaune had opted for one of the higher levels, so while they looked like White Fang grunts, they certainly didn't fight like it.
The left one dashed in, cutting sideways at his head. Jaune brought his shield up and blocked it, then cursed as the second attacker slipped under his guard while his shield was cutting off his vision and cut a line across his thigh, aura crackling as it deflected the strike. He had to learn to stop doing that. You couldn't protect against what you couldn't see.
Rather than try to disengage again Jaune stepped towards them, pushing his shield against the Fang member on his right and triggering his shield's repulser. There was a flash of purple light and the holo Faunus was sent flying. The second combat sim lashed out with its sword again cutting him across the arm before trying to disengage. Jaune didn't let it. He followed as it retreated, striking out with his sword in a downward cut towards its head. The simulation lifted its blade to deflect, playing right into his feint.
Jaune twisted his blade as he cut down, spinning it over his head from a cut towards the left side of his opponent's head into a cut down into and through his right shoulder, the blade carving down into its chest before coming to a stop. Had it been alive, there would have been a gush of blood. Instead it simply dissolved away. One left.
Jaune turned and angled his shield, the charging White Fang's sword scraping off to the side and slamming bodily into him. The muscular man stood his ground and the Faunus bounced off, stumbling back off balance. He cut once. His last foe vanished in a puff of deactivating hard light dust.
The huntsman sheathed his blade, breathing hard. He'd started the combat against four holographic opponents, and they'd worn him out. He leaned against the wall of the training room and wiped the sweat off his brow. "Phew."
"Not bad," a familiar voice said from behind him.
Jaune turned and smiled at Ruby. "How long were you standing there?"
"Not long," she said as she made her way over to him and leaned against the wall next to him. "I saw the last couple minutes. You did really good!"
"I aim to please," he said with a grin.
Ruby giggled and leaned into his side. Not for the first time it struck him just how small she was. It was hard to believe that she could take apart whole hoards of Grimm on her own, or wield a scythe bigger than she was. But Ruby Rose was nothing if not exceptional, and not just because of her eyes. Ruby could make people feel better just by being near them. She could brighten a room just by walking into it. If she had your back in a fight then you felt like you could take on the world.
"How are you doing?" She asked, concern evident in her voice. They hadn't really had time to talk one on one for awhile, not since his outburst in Argus after learning the truth about Salem.
"I'm okay," he said, and he meant it. "I was in a rough place for awhile, but thanks to you and the others I'm right where I need to be." He put an arm around her shoulder and pulled her in for a side hug. "What about you? I know a lot's been riding on your shoulders. If you need to talk I'll listen, leader to leader."
She was quiet for a few moments. "It's... hard, sometimes. Back when we were starting at Beacon Weiss and I butted heads a lot at first. She thought I was too young to lead a team and I thought she was right, even if I didn't want to agree with her because she was being mean. We got better of course. It's hard to imagine we used to argue over every little thing. We still argue sometimes, but usually we just tease each other for fun. She trusts me and I trust her."
"But," Jaune prompted gently.
"But... sometimes I still wonder why Ozpin made me a team leader, now more than ever. Was it just because of my eyes? Did I ever really earn being the leader of Team Ruby? What if..." she clutched her arms tightly around her body. "What if I fail them? I already did once. I lost my whole team Jaune, and it was sheer luck that we were all reunited. What if something happens and I can't keep everyone together? What if next time team RWBY splits up there's no way to pull us back together?"
"Hm..." Jaune rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "Nope."
Ruby looked at him in confusion. "Wha-"
"Nope."
"Jaune, you can't just-"
"Nope." He grinned down at her. Ruby tried to glare at him, but intimidation factor had never been one of her strengths. It made her look like a grumpy puppy.
"You can't just use my own word against me," she mumbled petulantly as she slid down the wall, sitting against it.
"Sure I can," he responded as he sat down next to her. "It worked on me after all."
"But this is different! We're not dealing with a school bully. We're dealing with someone who wants to end the world!"
"True," he agreed. "But that doesn't make me wrong. Do you remember what you told me that night in the hallway? You said we couldn't be failures because we're leaders now, because if we were failures then we would let our teams down. And you were right." He placed a hand on her shoulder. "We can't afford to be failures, but that doesn't mean we can't fail. We failed at Beacon Ruby. Yang lost her arm and your team split up, and I lost my partner. Beacon was a loss for us, but that didn't make us failures. What would have made us failures would be giving up."
"Ren, Nora, and I followed you across Anima because we didn't want to stop fighting, and neither did you. I won't pretend it hasn't been hard at times, and I think it's only going to get harder from here on out, but we're all together now. That's how we're going to win this. Together."
Ruby smiled up at him and nodded. "Together."
Jaune stood up and offered his friend a hand. She took it and leveraged herself up. She threw her arms around his torso and pulled him in for a hug. "Thanks," she said. "I needed to hear that, I think."
Jaune hugged back, his large arms wrapping around her small form and pressing her gently against his breastplate. "Anytime Ruby. If you ever need to talk I'll be here."
"I know. The same goes for you." She thumped a small fist ineffectively against his armored back and pouted up at him. "Don't go keeping it all inside like before. We don't want to lose you Jaune. We all care about you."
"Even Weiss," he asked jokingly.
Ruby giggled. "Especially Weiss."
"Hm?" He cocked his head to the side. "What do you mean?"
Ruby laughed and shook her head. "Don't worry about it. Come on, Yang was going to put on a movie in our room. Wanna join?"
"Lead the way," he said with a smile as he followed after her.
It was late when the movie ended, nearly midnight. Fortunately tomorrow was their day off, so they could sleep in.
The girls of RWBY had been preparing for bed when he'd left their dorm, and he could feel the need to sleep coming upon him, but there was one last thing Jaune had wanted to do before heading off to bed.
He sat on the edge of Atlas Academy's roof, legs dangling over the drop below, Crocea Mors sheathed across his lap. From up here he could look out across the city of Atlas and even Mantle below. In the darkness of the surrounding snow covered tundra the lights of Mantle were not unlike the stars in the night sky that gleamed overhead.
Jaune didn't come to the roof to train like he had at Beacon. Back then it had been a convenient location for him and Pyrrha to train away from prying eyes or anyone who might see his lacking skills and get suspicious. He'd come to realize that it had also been a way for Pyrrha to be alone with him.
Now however the roof was a place for him to be alone with his thoughts and look out on the world. It was a place for introspection and peace, something a dorm room with teammates would always lack. Even if one of them was Ren.
Jaune leaned back on his arms and watched the world go on below him, wondering what life was like in the rest of the world. How was Vale faring now? The city itself had been evacuated and its population scattered among the the three other cities along its coastline. Last he'd heard Miss Goodwitch and the third and fourth year students had been fighting to reclaim Beacon, but the number of Grimm had only grown larger with each passing day. He didn't know where they were now, but he guessed they'd most likely decided to cut their losses and leave Vale after the civilians had all evacuated. He wondered if Miss Goodwitch had set up a new academy. He'd have to look into it when he returned to Vale.
The huntsman knew without a shadow of a doubt that one way or another he would return to Vale. There was still a relic at the school so they'd have to go back for that if for no other reason, and there were plenty of other reasons, like clearing the Grimm out and retaking Beacon. When that day came Jaune intended to be at the head of the charge. Pyrrha had died trying to save Beacon. He would make that sacrifice worthwhile.
His hand drifted to the red sash about his waist. "You'd like it out here. It's similar to the view from Beacon. Just bigger." He chuckled. "A lot bigger."
"I killed some Sabyrs today. It was a pack of five. Not a big deal, but I made sure no one got hurt or worse. I think you would have been impressed, though I did let one get the drop on me." He rubbed the back of his head, slightly embarrassed.
It was probably very strange to talk as though a dead person were sitting behind you. But it was also strange that wind blown fallen leaves would just so happen to lead Jaune to the memorial of his fallen partner, that just so happened to be in the same city as his older sister and where he and the others had needed to cross into Atlas from. They knew gods were real after all. Who was to say there weren't other kinds of powers out there? Even if it had all been one big coincidence, Jaune knew that Pyrrha was with them, if only in their hearts. It did him good to talk like she was there beside him, still guiding him on his journey.
"I couldn't save you." His hand shimmered with aura for a brief moment. "But I can save them. I'm not the best fighter in our group by a long shot, but I can still shield them from harm. I will shield them with every ounce of strength I have. It's... my purpose. The one I chose for myself. It's why I fight for them, for everyone. Not because they're more important than me, but because they're important to me, just like you are."
Jaune Arc, huntsman, team leader, brother, and son smiled out across the cities of Atlas and Mantle. This respite would come to an end. Their enemies would strike at them again, or Amity would go up and the truth of Salem would be revealed to the world. Either way, things would come to a head and his friends would plunge headlong into danger. When they did he would be right beside them to fufil his purpose in life.
To be their shield.
It feels good to be writing RWBY content again. I just really enjoy it. And of course I couldn't help but sprinkle some White Knight into the fic, because I am basically incapable of not doing so if an opportunity presents itself. And lets just say I watched some of the little interactions between Weiss and Jaune with great interest in this last volume. Great interest indeed...
And I just want to say that I really like what they were doing with Jaune in volumes seven and eight. He really came into his own, being a calming influence and a strong voice of reason. I'm so proud, my baby boy is all grown up and off to destroy people...
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