Howdy! So I'm alive obviously. Anyways this was something I wanted to do for a long time! Another thing is, there is a really cute piece of art that goes along with it, though it's in on my ao3 account instead cause FF hates images and Links. Done by the wonderful Rubyfunkey!
You know, Jaune had always wanted to be a hero. To be the person who saved the day, you know that one who would save everyone in their time of need. For the longest time he held the belief that he could help people. He remembered the days he spent, regaling his mother with stories. The hubris he had behind them, as if they could become real. To his surprise his mother never dissuaded him, she never told him he couldn't never put his dreams down. She always believed in him, always told him that he could so long as his heart was into it.
"Mama?" A six year old Jaune asked his mother. His chest beat with joy as her gorgeous red eyes stared back into his.
"Yes my little Knight?" Oh how he adored his mother's voice, always the one to soothe him in his time of needs and worries.
"Do you think I could be a hero?" He stared at her, though as a young lad he missed the conflicted look that briefed her features. After a mite second she responded, nodding her head as she did so.
"Yes my precious little Knight, I do believe you could become a hero. In fact!" She took a moment to rise from his bedside. Her flowing gown of pure darkness shuddered in the air. "I believe that you will be the one to truly rescue our people in their time of need." Even as a child he could feel the warmth and truth in her words. His mother really did believe that he could be a hero, a hero to their people. And those words had set him on the path that he would follow till the rest of his life.
Even as he grew up he felt blessed, surrounded by those that believed in him. By people who pushed him towards the path he believed he wanted. But then he got older and realization dawned on him. Even though he continued forward, pushed by those close thim, he started to feel as if something was wrong. He had dearly wanted to be a hero, wanted to be the person to save the day.
So if he had wanted to be a hero, then why was he here in the middle of a park handing out pamphlets for minion recruitment? His thoughts were disrupted by a loud clashing sound resonating through the park, Jaune's attention was ripped from his flashback as he suddenly jumped off the ground. "What the heck!? Nora!" He just knew it had to be her!
"It wasn't me!"
The voice came from behind him, as his friend slash sister slash minion, came running from behind one of the many park rides. Her frilly gown flowed behind her as her odd… jester hat? He would have to ask Uncle Tyrian about that design later… she of course was accompanied by another of his friends slash brother slash minion Lie Ren. Or just Ren as he would prefer to be called, the young man was dressed in full armor that looked… almost alive with sharp armor plating throughout it. 'Seriously I need to talk to Tyrian about his armor designs…'
Right fashion later, exploding park now, "Uh huh, just like you didn't blow up that last base, right…" He smiled beneath his mask, keeping his little snicker to a minimum he needed to be serious on duty… even if he didn't want to be.
"I'm serious! It really wasn't me!" He was about to retort when he heard ANOTHER loud crash. He sighed, welp he owed her a few pancakes it seemed.
"Right… I suppose it wasn't you af…"
"There you are, evil doers!" Oh crud.
He paused when he heard that shrill voice rip through his eardrums. He dared not turn around, even as Ren cocked his left eyebrow a hint of a smile on his face as he jerked his head past Jaune.
"I do believe the cause is them sir." He was thankful for Ren's ever calm nature.
"See! SEE! It wasn't me! It was just those jerks!" He followed Nora's finger.
"Oh no… and today was going so well..." Jaune slammed his palm into his face, or he WOULD HAVE if not for the fact that he was currently wearing a specially made mask that helped distort his voice and prevented identity recognition. So it ended with him simply slamming his hand into the hard mask causing him to wince in pain. Turning around he was greeted with his worst nightmare, coughing into his palm he turned towards the newcomers giving his best smile, which was hidden behind his mask. "Good Afternoon ladies, I hope you're doing well!"
Before the trio stood or floated four suited individuals , all dressed in various colors of some combat armor, that he SWORE was stolen from their own shock trooper suits. The eternal pain in his posterior that stood in his way for NO reason were known as the Power Huntresses RWBY. He wasn't quite sure what the deal with the name was about, but he'd unfortunately come across them far too many times for his own liking.
"What WE want is for you to surrender yourself for your devil doings, you… doer of evil!" The White one pointed at him, invigored with some sense of justice he was sure. She was usually the loud one of the group.
'Oh no she's going to monologue...' He couldn't help but try to blot out the following monologue. Instead he felt Nora and Ren come to his side, his two commanders, close friends, family in all but blood.
Taking a breath he took the moment to look back on his life.
He Jaune Arc had at one point wanted to be a hero, but as it turned out his life wouldn't allow for such things. He was told, heralded even, that he would be the hero that saved his people. Well, that was amazing and everything till he got older and realized that his 'People' were a not so secret World Domination Organization. And by hero, he would one day become the Grand Commander in his Mother's place. And by herald, he was trained and nearly brainwashed into believing everything they said! Though brainwashed was probably too strong a word.
Now don't get him wrong, he loved his mother, he loved his sisters all seven of them! Heck he even adored the crazy ass generals, and he felt strongly for his adopted brother and sister who were standing by his side now.
BUT THIS WAS NOT WHAT HE HAD MEANT! He wanted to save people! Not to conquer the world!
Apparently the White themed hero was done when Ren so kindly prodded him in the gut. His attention was dragged back to them again as she was now looking at him with what he could only assume as a furious glare. Not that he could see them, they always wore those really hot looking outfits… 'And now I'm being a hypocrite!' He glanced at his own outfit, a gold and white themed coat with a hood to hide his hair. Lined with a special material created by their grand head scientist Arthur Watts, the title was his own idea…
"HEY! ARE YOU EVEN LISTENING!?" It was the White one again, he could literally feel her pouting. And he was sure that if she had not been wearing a helmet she would bea absolutely crimson.
"Huh wha? Sorry I wasn't paying attention." He probably shouldn't have said that...
"You…. you! YOU INSUFFERABLE VILLAIN! PREPARE TO BE DEFEATED!" Right he REALLY shouldn't have said that!
'Oh crap she's mad.' Jaune rolled his eyes behind his mask as he turned towards Red, the only bearable member of this group of oddballs, yes he knew he was being a hypocrite but still! "Heya Red, you doing well?"
As he drowned out the following rant from White she responded with a sudden fluster. "Oh! Oh Uhm!" She fiddled with the hem of her red cape, why did she have one of those even? "Yes! I'm doing fine! Thank you for asking." He wasn't sure what she looked like but he could almost tell she was giving him an awkward smile. Red was the apparent leader of the group? He wasn't sure, but he knew she must have had a hard time wrangling these wild girls together.
"Ruby don't respond to the bad guys!" He knew that Yellow had referred to her by her name, but there was this odd crunching sound that prevented him from hearing it, probably some failsafe or something like that. THOUGH it was REALLY annoying to listen to… Speaking of which, Yellow was the most rambunctious of the group, he was SURE she was only a hero so she could legally beat people up.
He shook his head as Nora hip bumped him, "Hey… are we going to fight them? I wanna punch Yellow again!" She had apparently said that a little too loudly. He really hoped Nora and her didn't fight again.
"Oh? What's this you Pink little Menace? You wanna have a go?" Yellow's confidence was apparent the moment she took on a fighting pose. Almost instantly the Black one followed, and then the White one.
"Whoa hold on now, why exactly are we looking for a fight?!" Red spoke out trying to defuse the situation.
"I'm with Red, what exactly have we been doing to warrant this sudden abuse of power?" He couldn't help but let a little smugness come out of his voice.
"You know what you did!" White pointed at him, bloodlust oozing out of her.
"I uhm…" He turned towards Ren, "Ren what did we do?"
Ren ever the calm one shook his head, "We have done nothing wrong as far as I know. There have been no illegal ongoings, we have simply been passing out pamphlets."
"Wha?! But uh!" White seemed to be trying to find the right things. Lucky for her Black came to her rescue.
"Passing of documents for any organization must be passed by the Local Official Office, lacking a permit is considered illegal." She kept her back straight as she stared at them. Though she appeared calm, Jaune could SWEAR she was eyeing them with vindication. He wasn't really sure about Black, she was awfully quiet but he was sure she hated them.
"Do you ever get the feeling Black really hates us?"
Ren nodded in response, while Nora was basically shaking for a fight, just waiting for one thing to go wrong.
"It seems so…"
"See! You guys are going against the law! Which means we can apprehend you!" Yellow really just wanted to fight.
Jaune tried to rub his temples but once again clashed against his mask, "Every single time with you all." He eyed Nora behind his mask, making sure to include her in that little statement.
"We can hear you!" White yelled at him.
"I know you can! It was on purpose! Now hold on and give me a moment." Seeing as this was about to go south REAL quick, he slipped his hand inside of his coat. Apparently Yellow had taken this as a threat as she jumped forward. Her fist reared back as her suit basically erupted in flames. "Oh come on!" Jaune prepared to jump back to avoid the incoming assault, but thankfully he didn't have to as Nora got in the way.
Her arms were raised high as the air shook around them, suddenly a powerful wall of air pressure, smashed into Yellow. Nora's hand struck forward allowing for their blows to come to pass, but even with this show of power Yellow didn't back down.
White and Black took to her sides instantly as Red tried to again calm the situation, "Guys! I don't think that he was tryin…"
"RUBY GET INTO GEAR!" Red sighed in defeat as she also dashed forward.
Jaune took a leap back as White was upon him. He could feel her bloodlust as the air around her shivered. He hated dealing with these super powered monsters, how could anyone think that his people were the problem! Thankfully before she was about to lay the hurt on him, which he knew she would!
He pulled out what he was looking for, in an instant he flashed her a piece of paper and her attack came to a sudden halt. Though not sudden enough as she ended up smashing into him and the two of them tumbled backwards and into the jungle gym!
With a loud crash he groaned in pain, "Ow my back!" he was currently hanging off one of the higher bars, his body bent in ways that a human body should not be bent!
"NO! You have to be kidding me!" White was practically screeching as she grabbed the document from his hand. "Why do you have a permit?!" The soon to be fight suddenly came to a halt as the other three backed down. Though Yellow and Black seemed ALL but ready to start that up again. And Nora, Nora REALLY wanted to fight still.
'Damn it Nora.' Really that girl, she just wanted to fight all the time.
"Cause we got one before coming out here." He responded, tapping his mask with his index finger.
"Okay but why would anyone give Criminals a Permit!?"
Jaune simply shrugged, "I filled out all the documents, it took about an hour but we went through all the proper procedures in the Town Hall." He stood dusting himself off, snatching the documentation from her. "So there you have it! We're legally allowed to be here."
"That… that… that!"
"That's really dumb." The black one finished for her.
"It is." Ren agreed with her, though apparently she didn't exactly like him agreeing with her. Jaune could practically feel her glaring at them.
"Okay…" The yellow one spoke again, "Why are you even here then? Shouldn't you be holding some kind of huge rally for recruitment."
Jaune turned to his left as Nora stared at him and shrugged, turning to his right Ren chose to look away. "We need money…" He whispered every so quietly.
"Come again?" The White one spoke.
He let out a loud sigh, "We need money okay! Times are hard, jeez." He couldn't help but rub the back of his neck. For a moment there was absolute silence, at least that was till the White and Yellow ones began to laugh. The Yellow one was practically bellowing! He could also make out the Black one holding in a snicker.
"Wow you guys suck!" The Yellow one couldn't just keep her mouth shut.
"Pffft, the Great Crescent Empire can't… can't even afford proper recruitment!" The white one was talking out of her bottom now!
And then the Black one had the gall to look away, "Suppose the great General Amp isn't all he was cracked up to be." Okay that one caught his attention, he could never in their long history of running into one another, ever remember giving them his name. Then again maybe they had him on some kind of listing.
"Great General SUUUUUUURE." And there went the yellow one running her mouth again!
At least the red one wasn't doing anything even saying a little, "Sorry."
Though getting pity from his enemies didn't exactly sit well with him. If his mother had been here, she would have smitten them for dare making a mockery of the great Crescent Empire. And well… he didn't quite like the way they were laughing. Why did things always turn out like this? He was SURE there was going to be a fight now.
"Oh now I'm going to have to hurt you!" Nora cried out loud, her body shook violently as the air pressure around her tensed.
Both him and Ren looked at one another as they decided to take a step back, this was not going to end well.
"How dare you laugh at the Great General Amp!" Yeah they DEFINITELY had to take a few steps back as the very space around her trembled. Of course none of the heroes seemed to catch that, except for the Red one.
"Uh guys…" She tried to warn them, but they didn't listen instead their boisterous laughter continued.
Things were about to hit the fan, until another voice ran out.
"Oh uhm, Hello again."
Today was JUST not Jaune's day, though as he turned towards the newcomer he couldn't help but smile under his mask. Another one of his 'foes' one of the newer heroes had shown up. BUT unlike the rest of these fools who always joked about. She had a moral compass! And the dignity NOT to laugh at them in their faces.
Everyone stopped, thankfully, as they turned towards her. "Hello Polaris." He waved in her direction.
The newcomer was the newly christened magical girl Polaris. Who, unfortunately…
"Oh great! It's the dress up princess!" And it was the Yellow one again, also right… this… this happened a lot.
"Can't you see we're trying to work here, you know like ACTUAL heroes." The white one shot her mouth again…
"Guys that's rude." Again the Red one was the only one with common sense, or at least she was smart enough to know not to piss off Polaris…
To her credit though, Polaris chose to ignore them, at least as best as she could. "Right well… uhm I heard there was a disturbance in Central park so I came to take a look." She turned to him and nodded her head, "Good Evening Amp, it's good to see you well."
A grin spread across his face as he responded to his rival? Yeah sure rival, though he was more of a… he supposed they were friends. "Good to see you too Polaris."
"Evening." Ren's ever apt reply.
"So I see that everything is under control?" She tilted her head to the side. Jaune knew there was something oddly familiar about that. He couldn't put a finger on it, but there was definitely distorting his perception of her.
"Of cou-"
"No it's not! Can't you see that there are Villains in front of us!?" Ah yes the White one spoke up again.
"But they haven't done anything Villainous?" She tilted her head to the other side clearly confused, "I don't see why there should be any problem, besides I"m sure I saw them grab their papers earlier so…"
"You saw them?!" She was about to go on again when suddenly-
"POLARIS!" Poor girl was suddenly hit by a fully charged Nora, who simply tackled the magical girl out of the sky and onto the floor below. Her rather frilly outfit fluttered as she hit the ground.
"Hello Volt!" Oh right, and then there was this. Her and Nora got along, she was truly an angel and a hero he had wanted to be like. Also she was scary… he could NOT stress that enough. He still had nightmares from the first time they met, and it was not an exaggeration to say that… well yeah he'd really rather not talk about it anymore than he had to.
He wouldn't admit it to her face, mostly due to embarrassment, but out of all the heroes they've dealt with she actually holds the most respect from their little empire. Though… sometimes his mother's respect went a little too far and more into the territory of grandchild crazy mother.
"Great, now she's fraternizing with the enemy." He could practically feel the sass rolling off the Black ones tongue.
"What do you expect from a fake hero." Oooh the White one should not have said that.
Even Nora stilled at this, if there was one thing that the Trio had learned it was that Polaris DID NOT like it when people questioned her credentials. She already had a few issues with being a magical girl, and making fun of it well…
"What did you say?" Jaune and Ren started to back off slowly.
"I don't like where this is going." Jaune turned towards his adopted brother who simply nodded. However, their third member didn't seem to agree as she was practically beaming.
"I called you a fake Hero, no self respecting heroine dresses like... that." White pointed at Pyrrha's rather frilly outfit. Jaune gulped when he saw Polaris' eye twitch.
"I vote we should leave." Ren nodded, it was Jaune's firm belief that run away and live another day was a valid strategy and well… that was… yeah they needed to run like right now.
"You… You…." Polaris was practically trembling now. Everyone noticed when she looked to her right and started whispering to herself.
The black one shook her head, "She's talking to herself now…"
"Look Princess, why don't you leave this to the real heroes and go home." Okay that one did it.
"VOLT WE ARE LEAVING NOW!" Jaune tried to get his associates attention but well she was too stoked. The air around her was practically warped!
"HECK NO! I WANT IN ON THIS!" She jumped up and down excitedly.
"You better not run! We have business to take care of!" Yellow turned back to her practically growling from within her suit.
"Jaune?" Red tried to get their attention again, but no one was paying her any attention.
"Ren?" Jaune whispered to his friend.
"We should leave."
"Yes… yes we should." Both boys decided it was a good idea to take off.
"I did like this park."
"Me too…" Jaune followed up as they turned around and scurried off.
What followed was a massive explosion and the screams and cries of battle echoed throughout the once silent park.
Jaune could only watch in horror as the same events that always happened, happened again.
"Evil Doers beware!" Both boys turned their attention to a duo of newcomers. It was Monkey King and his partner er… sidekick? Seaking. The two in spandex with domino masks on their faces.
"Hey Monkey King… sidekick…" Jaune called out to the duo.
"I told you I'm not a sidekick!" The trident wielding blue haired sidekick screamed out.
Jaune simply waved him off, "Now's not a good time."
"Oh yeah and why no-!" The following explosion answered that question.
"Oh… we were late again huh?" Ren and Jaune nodded in response to the Monkey King's question. "Oh… we should leave before we get fined."
"Agreed!" His cowardly sidekick rapidly nodded his head. The duo turned around and began to make haste, though not like Jaune could blame them.
Jaune turned back to the carnage going in front of them. Nora had gone out of her way and was using a metal pole from the jungle gym as a weapon. "Ouch!" It was a good thing that those suits added extra protection, because with the amount of force that Nora just swatted the yellow one with he was absolutely sure that it would have caused some serious damage… And then there was Polaris, the very world around her turned into a charred purple as she literally vaporized her very surroundings. "Magical girls are terrifying…"
"They are…" Ren's sage like words didn't help but cause ease. Jaune tried not to remember the first time he'd met this specific one, as it was the first time he'd ever actually felt fear. And that was saying something considering how terrifying his mom got sometimes!
Unfortunately for all involved sirens began to ring throughout the city. "Oh crap!" Jaune wasted no time as he ran into the carnage nearly avoiding a beam of pure purple energy. In the heat of the moment he did all he could to get the heck out of there. "VOLT WE GOTTA GO!" He reached his hand out and grasped at Nora, her figure small enough in the distance that he was able to hold onto her stopping her from knocking Yellow across the head with a that Metal pole of hers..
"OH COME ON!" She screamed and wiggled out of his grasp. In an instant he pulled back appearing next to him and Ren.
"Police!"
"Oh!" That was all it took for her to get the notice!
However, the heroes didn't apparently, except for Lil Red and Polaris.
"Oh no!" Polaris obviously looked conflicted but something grabbed her and began to drag her away even as she had the White and Black heroes beneath her heels. "I'm sorry!" She yelled as she herself was pulled away by some unknown force.
And with that the Magical Girl left the field, only to be followed by the Evil Trio who also made their way out. Thankfully no one saw them go as a small black portal appeared beneath them.
"Those cowards!" Yelled out Yang Xiaolong the Yellow Power Huntress vented, not exactly realizing WHY they had left. Weiss the White one, and Blake the black dusted themselves off joining her.
"We almost had them." Reasoned Weiss, obviously not wanting her ego to be damaged by the very real beat down they just experienced.
Blake didn't say anything, despite realizing they had been completely defeated, she herself didn't want to admit to a loss to THEM, or the Magical girl either.
Ruby the Red leader, though she didn't always feel that way, however had to disagree with that assessment. "Guys…" She tried to get their attention again!
"What Rubes?" Her older sister turned towards her only stopping when she saw what Ruby was looking at. "Oh shit…"
"What is i…" Weiss tried to follow up only to realize what was happening. Several police cars surrounded them, and one single Black Car joined with them a symbol of two axes on it. "Oh…"
"We're in trouble aren't we?" Ruby really hoped they weren't.
"In a lot of trouble Ms. Red." Everyone stiffened at the blonde woman in glasses in front of them.
Jaune's alarm blared loudly into his ear, the numbers 7:15 AM Flashed over and over even as he slammed his palm against the silence button. Unfortunately for him it was made specifically so that wouldn't work, nor would he have been able to destroy it. "I'm up, I'm up!" He groaned as he woke up groggy and tired. The young villainous heir opened his eyes as his morning ritual began. Turning his attention to the dark room he fumbled around for the light till he got it on. Grabbing his clothes he headed into the equally dark hallway, "Why do we have to live here!?" He grunted as he entered the surprisingly stale looking hallway.
Passing a door as he made his way towards one of the many showers. "Nora, Ren we gotta get up." His fist hit the door a few times getting a few non committal groans.
Thirty minutes later and the trio were up, food prepared and devoured by this point. As they made their way out the door Jaune lamented as he pressed a few buttons on the door as an elevator appeared in front of the trio. As they got in they all braced themselves, the elevator shot upwards and then a few other directions, only stopping once they heard a ding. The once dark hallways were now filled with light as they entered a far more normal looking house.
"Hate that so much." Nora rubbed her head, she was not a morning person!
The trio entered their 'home'. Or rather the fake facility that the Arc family used as a cover for their real home, the HQ of the Crescent Empire!
Jaune let out a Yawn as they opened the door, only to be greeted by two shining smiles. Jaune's heart swelled as he looked at two of his favorite people. The only non family members that could compete with… well his family! "Morning!"
"Morning Rubes, Morning Pyr."
"Morning you three!" Ruby bounced up and down as she stared at her childhood friends.
Pyrrha nodded in their direction, "I can see Nora is still a bit groggy."
"Nnn." Nora only gave a small non committal grunt. This had the effect of causing Pyr to release an angelic giggle. Which in turn caused Ruby to bounce up and down on her heels.
"Come on guys! We don't wanna be late! It's another new year and I'm excited to see classes."
"Right right." Jaune nodded as the five of them made their way towards Beacon Highschool.
"I wonder what our new day will bring." Pyrrha commented with a smile on his face. Jaune wasn't sure, but he knew one thing, with friends like these nothing could go bad. Even if he had to keep his other self a secret, thankfully that wouldn't be a road he'd ever have to cross.