I know what I said: that this will be updated in September. However, work got busy, and I've been more tired than normal. Also, I am working on an old Avatar: The Last Airbender fiction I put on hiatus, and I got a self-study book on Japanese, and both have been taking up some of my time.
In regards to this chapter, just as I was beginning to do the outline for it, I remembered a review I got a while back from For'Sleep about how if I ever did My Hero Academia, I should expose the hypocrisy, or at least the problems, of the Hero System set up by governments. And since I don't have a lot of villainous Jaunes, I figured I would satisfy those who like a more villainous blonde. So I restarted the chapter from scratch.
Casting was a pain, but I like how it turned out.
Oh, and I hope you all had a Happy Birthdayween! Enjoy the Chapter.
Disclaimer: I do not own RWBY. It is the intellectual property of the late Monty Oum, and his team and friends at Rooster Teeth. My Hero Academia is the property of Kohei Hirokoshi, and published by Shueisha.
Chapter 44 – You'll Need a Hero – Reviewer Request from For'Sleep
"Now then, are you ready for the next viewing?" asked Archie.
"Is it better than the last one? It was weird seeing Jaune sooo…" trailed off Yang.
"Pathetic?" threw in Ghira.
"Yeah, that's the word," said Ruby.
"Ruby!" protested Pyrrha, Yang, and Velvet.
"What? He was! Then he got all weird with thinking me, and Yang…" shivered Ruby.
Yang's eye twitched at the thought.
"Yeah… That version of Jaune was…" trailed off Yang.
"We get it," said Weiss.
"So, what kind of Jaune are we dealing with this time?" asked Coco.
Archie picked up the volume in the bin.
"A villainous one," said Archie quietly as he slipped it into the VHS.
Almost everyone shuddered. Only Raven, Cinder, and Cinder's cronies did not.
A tall blonde man in red and black with his face wrapped it numerous bandages went down the stairs to a bar. He had cold blue eyes, two swords on his back, and had a lot of knives and other sharp implements on his person.
"That's Jaune?" asked Ruby.
"Talk about trying too hard," snorted Qrow, who eyed all the blades the blonde had on his person.
"Looks like he's gearing up for a war," commented Ironwood.
"Funny you should mention that," began Archie, "Jaune is actually at war with all of society."
"Sounds like someone didn't grow out of puberty," snickered Mercury.
"Hi pot, meet kettle," muttered Emerald under her breath.
"He's actually a terrorist," said Archie.
"A terrorist?" gasped Saffron.
Blake, and Ilia tensed at the classification given to Jaune.
"Oh yes. Complete with a manifesto, and everything. You see, in this universe, people do not possess aura in the traditional sense, but almost everyone on the planet possesses a 'Quirk.' Think of it as a semblance," explained Archie.
"Everyone has a semblance?!" gasped Ironwood, Ozpin, and Glynda.
"Almost everyone," reiterated Archie.
"That has to be chaotic. Our own governments took centuries of kings, queens, and now councils to come up with a workable system for the very few in society that had aura and semblances," said Glynda.
"Well, in this universe, comic books served as a template, actually," said Archie.
"Comics?" gasped Winter, and Weiss in disbelief.
"You see Quirks, are a very recent phenomenon. Before, people used to make believe they had special abilities, and that was only when they were children. With almost everyone gaining superpowers now, governments turned to once-fictional comics for some idea on how to deal with the influx of superhuman individuals," said Archie, "Part of that was devising special education centers where young people can learn to use their powers for the greater good of society."
"A superhero school!" cheered Ruby.
"Ruby, we already go to one," said Blake.
"Yeah, sis, we've been in one before that too. Signal, remember?" reminded Yang with mirth in her eyes.
"Oh, yeah," chuckled Ruby.
"Actually, Ms. Rose is not too far off," said Archie, "In these academies, you come up with super hero names, wear costumes, and get an early start in learning how to be Heroes in accordance with government regulations..."
Archie saw the surprised looks on everyone.
"You did say 'hero,' right?" asked Ruby, almost hopeful.
"Yes. 'Hero' is the official, government-sanctioned, designation of an individual who uses their powers for the good of all."
Almost everyone looked at Archie with a look that just screamed "Seriously?" However, Ruby's eyes sparkled, as did…
"Costumes?" repeated Coco, whose sunglasses seemed shinier.
"Seriously, Coco?" asked Velvet in disbelief.
"Hush, Bunbun. Momma wants to see some fashion," dismissed Coco.
"Official superhero titles?" gasped Nora in excitement.
"Nora…" warned Ren.
"Look out world. Here comes… Thunder Thighs!"
"…Isn't that unflattering?" ventured Emerald.
Nora immediately got in front of the bubble that housed the villains, and squatted. Her foot made an audible boom as her muscles became more defined, and sparks of electicity arced around her hair, giving it a static-affected appearance.
"You tell me!" challenged Nora.
Ren and Emerald groaned as Mercury snorted, and Cinder sighed.
"A superhero school!" cheered Ruby.
"Sensational!" followed-up Penny, "It should be fun to learn all the government manuals and regulations that make such a society possible!"
"Umm… Sure, Penny. Sounds… neat!" said Ruby, a little deflated.
"So, if this has heroes, I shall assume that Jaune is a villain in the literal sense?" asked Weiss.
"Yes," said Archie, "He goes by the name Stain."
"Stain…? Sounds retarded," said Mercury.
"The outfit certainly is a stain to my eyes," said Coco in distaste, "What's with all the bandages on his face?"
"He's better known as the Hero Killer," added Archie, "He targets heroes to push his agenda, and since they count as government workers, his crimes are considered acts of terrorism."
"What drove him to terrorism? There's usually a reason," said Terra, out of concern for her wife's increasingly shocked expression.
"He's a hero school dropout, actually."
"A drop out?" asked Saffron.
"You'll learn the reasons later on," said Archie as he waved a hand, and continued the video.
Jaune stared at the two people in the bar. One was a girl with black hair, and blue eyes. She wore snow gear, and a ski mask over her face.
"What's with the getup?" asked Coco, "Jaune's dressed for temperate weather, and she looks like she should be heading to a Solitas ski resort."
"If everyone has a semblance, err… I mean a quirk, maybe it could be related," pointed out Tai Yang.
"If it's affecting her to the point she's feeling cold, she probably doesn't have much control over it," stated Glynda.
"Quirks are different from semblances," pointed out Archie, "Some quirks, are like Miss Nikos' and Mister Ren's: activated abilities. Others are like Qrow's: passive effects that can't be controlled. Others are conditional, like Raven's and Yang's. And some can even alter the bearer's biological, and, or physical makeup."
"Biological, and physical makeup?" asked Ilia, a little confused.
"Like a mutant superhero?" asked Ruby.
"Sort of… We'll see one later in the viewing. It will be easier to understand.
"Alright," said Ruby.
Another was a tall woman with raven hair and red eyes.
"Raven? Huh… I can see that," said Qrow as he squinted.
"The villain role? Really?" snorted Raven.
"No, the bartender. If you ever quit being a bandit, you'd be a great bartender," said Qrow.
Raven squinted at her brother.
"Right…." said Raven,
Jaune arrived at the bar to see who it was who sought him out.
"I see. You were the ones who attacked Beacon," said Jaune, "And you want to add me to your numbers."
"Raven, and this girl attacked Beacon?" gasped Glynda.
"The top hero school in all of Sanus. Some of best heroes on the continent are graduates," said Archie.
"That sounds stupid. The two of us must have some insane power to even try something like that," scoffed Raven.
"You have maiden powers in our universe," pointed out Amber.
"That doesn't mean I'm going to take on an old wizard, and fortress of wannabe heroes single-handed," said Raven
Cinder coughed to herself.
"Actually, your quirk is portals," said Archie.
"So my alternate self's superpower is my actual semblance? That's unimaginative," said Raven.
"Well, if you want the technical details, your body turns to gas, and with that gas, you can create a kind of dimensional anomaly that enables you to teleport yourself, and others. You can even close the portal around threats, and dismember them," said Archie.
"Huh…" said Raven appreciatively, "And you know this because…?"
"Jaune is the Hero Killer. If there is one thing Jaune can do, it's figure out how his enemies use their quirks, and coming up with on the fly strategies on how to deal with them," said Archie.
"Jaune is good at those kinds of strategies," said Pyrrha.
"So that also means he fought me?" asked Raven.
"Well, you actually invited him to this meeting at the behest of your superior. Via portal," said Archie.
'Superior?' thought Raven as Archie resumed the video.
"Yeah. Come on, you've got so much more experience as a villain, sir," said the black haired girl.
"It seems as though they want Jaune to help them with another attack," said Ren.
"Who better to assist in destroying a school of superheroes than one who has experience," remarked Ironwood.
"Why do so many people want to attack Beacon?! We never did anything to anybody!" declared Nora.
"You never had to," said Cinder, "Beacon symbolizes a lot of things. And some people want to see such symbols torn down for no other reason than to simply see it fall."
"Revealing your reasons, are you?" snorted Ozpin, "Perhaps you'll tell me your plans next."
"This isn't that kind of movie, Ozpin. Though, I will say it involves you dead," said Cinder.
"How original," said Ozpin.
Jaune considered.
"What are you after?" asked Jaune.
"For now, I just want to kill Red Rose. I want to break everything I don't like," said the girl before she held up a picture of a girl with ginger hair and freckles "Damn kids like this, too… Everything…"
"That's Penny!"
"I'm in superhero school?" asked Penny, "Sensational! It's just like in real life! Father wanted me to experience school too!"
"They're targeting you!" clarified Ruby.
"So? Superheroes are often targeted," pointed out Penny.
"That's… true," admitted Ruby.
"Red Rose… That sounds like some name Ruby would come up with," said Weiss in an attempt to lighten the mood.
"That's because Red Rose is Ruby. The world's 'Number One Hero,' as she is often called," said Archie.
"It is?! I'm the number one hero?!" gasped Ruby, excited.
"Yes, the very symbol of what it means to be a hero, and the only hero Jaune respects," said Archie.
Ruby's gushing stopped, and she and the rest of her team as well as Jaune's teammates, Saffron and Terra looked to Archie in confusion.
Jaune scowled.
"Tch… I was foolish to be interested," spat Jaune, "You're the type of person I hate the most."
"Huh?" asked the girl.
"You want me to go along with your childish tantrum?" asked Jaune before he gripped his swords, "What meaning is there in killing without conviction?"
Jaune drew out his blades.
"Whoa, aren't they on the same side?" asked Weiss.
"You've clearly never read comic books," said Yang, "Just cause two people hate the same hero, or group of heroes, doesn't mean they get along."
"Yeah. The weirdo in the ski outfit seems like she just wants to destroy everything. Jaune's motivated by a… higher purpose," said Blake.
"A higher purpose…?" asked Weiss with a quirked eyebrow.
"Y-Yeah…" said Blake awkwardly.
Blake's parents shifted a little uncomfortably, as Ilia saw something "interesting" on the wall.
The bartender, Raven, looked to a television screen with the words "Sound Only" displayed.
"Master, is it all right to let this continue?" asked Raven, worried.
"This is fine!" said the voice, "There's no point if we tell her the answer. She should think about where she still needs to mature. Spur on her growth! That is what it means to educate."
"I work for Salem? Sellout…" muttered Raven in disappointment.
"Salem… Why am I not surprised?" sighed Ozpin.
"Your evil ex-wife?" asked Terra, who remembered the crazy explanation Archie had given them.
"Yes…" sighed Ozpin.
The screen fizzled…
"Whoa, what happened?" asked Sun.
"Huh, strange," remarked Archie, who stopped the VHS, and took a look at the universe case, "Some mild damage… Nothing too serious, but I need to have a word with other archivists who borrow my universes for reference purposes."
Archie put the case back in the VHS, and resumed from a safer point to avoid further damage.
The girl was on the ground, clothes tattered, and her body bruised. Above her, Jaune knelt down with his knee to her chest, and with his two swords stabbed into the ground. One was just an inch off from her head, while the other was stabbed into her shoulder.
"So, you want to add me to your numbers?" scoffed Jaune, "No matter what you want to accomplish, it is necessary to have conviction and desire. Those without it and those who are weak will be weeded out. It's only natural. That's why it turns out like this."
"Looks like Jaune came out on top!" declared Nora, who then did a low five with Yang.
"He is called the Hero Killer. I guess this also applies to villains," said Penny.
"Oww… That's too hard," complained the girl painfully, "Raven, take this guy back."
Raven though had a nasty gash on her arm, and her face was in deep pain.
"I – I can't move my body…" wheezed Raven, "It must be the Hero Killer's quirk…"
"I thought I could turn my body to gas," said Raven, a little irritated at the sight of her counterpart being a pushover.
"Jaune was faster," said Archie.
"Hmph…" grunted Raven.
"Yeesh, I guess that fancy title isn't just for show," said Qrow.
"Yeah," nodded Tai Yang in agreement.
Both of them had sparred with Raven more than enough times to know that even with armor, and that dumb mask she liked to wear, Raven was one of the fastest huntresses of her generation. Both men knew that only Summer outclassed her in speed, but Qrow knew that if anyone else could come close it was probably Winter…
'And Cinder,' thought Qrow idly.
Jaune looked the girl in the eye.
"This society overgrown with fake heroes, where the word itself has lost its true meaning, and the criminals who wave their powers around idly, should all be purged."
"Higher purpose?" Weiss questioned Blake again in a flat tone.
"He's going after the bad guy too!" stated Blake.
"Well, at least he's killing people equally. How fair of him," remarked Winter in a dry tone.
"That girl in the ski outfit want to destroy everything! Jaune just wants to… destroy some things," said Blake.
"So… Adam?" suggested Ghira.
"Her ex?" asked Sun.
"Of course…" muttered Ilia.
"The colors do match. No wonder she's defending him," sighed Kali.
"I'm not defending Jaune because he's wearing same colors as Adam! I'm not defending him period! It was just to illustrate that villains have individual motives that don't make sense to anyone but the villains themselves!" protested Blake.
"Sure, dear. Whatever you say," said Kali, who patted her daughter in a consoling fashion.
Blake hissed like a cat in disgust.
Jaune casually angled the blade toward the girl's face…
"Hey!" barked the girl before she grabbed the blade with her free hand, "Not the face."
Instantly, the blade froze. Ice formed around the slender, but strong, hand, and blade cracked rapidly at that point.
Jaune tensed, ready to move.
"You sure talk a lot," said the girl, "Conviction? I don't have anything grand like that."
The blade shattered, as she squeezed.
"Whoa! She just froze metal, and broke it apart with her bare hands," said Sun.
"It seems her power is to freeze objects she touches," said Winter.
"That's still pretty dangerous. I'm amazed she didn't cut herself that way," said Weiss.
"Would the metal just crumble like that? In order to freeze metal to the point it starts to become brittle, it would need to be at least -4 degrees Fahrenheit or lower. The contact of warm flesh with metal would usually make the metal stick," said Penny.
"Maybe it doesn't affect her because it's her power," said Pyrrha, "If my semblance affected me, I wouldn't be able to fight very well."
"Could be," remarked Qrow, "Then again, your semblance is activated. Mine's passive, and affects even me."
"Keep in mind that even we haven't discovered everything there is to know about semblances and aura, Miss Nikos," said Glynda.
"Keeping that in mind, maybe the reason she wears all that skiwear is so she doesn't freeze herself by accident. It's just like Professor Eis," said Saffron.
"Professor Eis from Ratman?" asked Ruby, "Ooh, I remember him! Especially in issue 47 when he trapped Ratman in a block of ice dust!"
"Will Ratman escape the tragic villain's trap? Or is Ratman iced over!" declared Saffron dramatically, "Find out next time on…"
Ruby, and Saffron trailed off when they saw they were being stared at.
"…Sorry," said the two.
"She didn't groan at her pun…" muttered Yang.
Archie chuckled at the two, and hit play.
"If I had to say…" mused the girl, "Yeah, it'd be Red Rose. I feel like I really want to completely crush this society where trash like her gets worshipped."
"Excuse me?!" demanded Ruby, "Take her down, Jaune!"
"You're cheering for a bad guy," pointed out Weiss.
"No one calls my sister trash. Break her legs!" added Yang.
"That's my line!" protested Nora.
"That's what you're upset about?" asked Ren.
Jaune leapt off of her as soon as she saw her shoulder twitch. He narrowly missed being grabbed, and held up his remaining sword in a guard position.
"My last injury was finally about to finish healing," muttered the girl as she got up and gestured to her bleeding arm, "We don't have a healer in our party, you know. Will you take responsibility for this?"
"So, that's who you are…?" asked Jaune.
"Huh?" asked the girl.
"Huh?" asked everyone.
"It seems our goals oppose each other," began Jaune, "However, we do agree on one thing – to destroy the present."
"Quit messin' around," muttered the girl, "Go home. Die. I'm the kind of person you hate the most, right?"
"I was testing your true motives," said Jaune, before he sheathed his sword, "People show their true colors when they're on the verge of death. It's different, but there is "desire" – a warped sprout of conviction living inside you. How will you bud?"
"Sooo… Jaune wasn't trying to kill her, but to feel her out?" asked Velvet.
"Ugh… This is turning into one of those Mistrali political dramas with all the plots woven within plots," grumbled Mercury.
"The cool ones with the great actors, and writing, or the old ones where there was betrayal and plot-twist every five or ten minutes?" asked Sun.
"Hmm… I'll see how this plays out, and get back to you on that," said Mercury."
"No, he won't," said Cinder, "Mercury, do not fraternize with the enemy."
"You too. Bad Sun!" declared Coco.
"OW!" griped the two boys as the two girls whupped them on the back of their heads.
A pause… Jaune shrugged.
"It might not be too late to wait until after I've seen that to dispose of you…"
"You're going to dispose of me?" scoffed the girl as she massaged her injured shoulder.
"Old one," muttered Mercury.
Mercury saw Cinder looked…
"Shutting up," said Mercury.
…back at the screen.
Raven moved as well, and looked at her injury before he looked to the girl.
"We can move…" she stated.
"Raven, I don't want someone this crazy as a party member," stated the girl with finality.
"But Young Miss, he will be a great asset if he joins us…"
Jaune looked between the girl, and the woman, Raven.
"My business is done. Return me to Vale," said Jaune before he licked his lips, "I've got some unfinished business there."
"Creepy…" said Pyrrha.
"Yep," said Yang.
"Definitely," added Velvet.
"Not going to 'defend your man' as Yang puts it?" asked Weiss.
"I don't say stuff like that!" protested Yang.
Raven, and Glynda, surprisingly, snorted.
"Nah… not his time," answered Pyrrha as everyone ignored Yang's protest.
"…Right," said Raven, who then raised her hand. The hand morphed into a cloud of gas that swirled into a portal. Through it, Jaune saw a dark alleyway.
"Thanks," said Jaune, who then moved through the portal.
He then found himself in one of downtown Vale's many alleyways, and moved.
The scene changed to a young James Ironwood in his Ingenium outfit. He patrolled the streets of Vale with the hero named Manual, who wore a scuba suit, white boots, and a finned helmet.
Who's that guy?" asked Nora.
"That is James Ironwood, on his hero internships," said Archie.
"That's me? Well, I can see why no one would recognize me. The outfit does hide my face," said Ironwood.
"Are those engines on your legs, sir?" asked Penny.
"Nah, Penny," scoffed Ruby playfully, "That's obviously part of the suit."
"No, those are actual engines in the legs," said Archie.
"They are?" gasped Ruby.
"The general is a cyborg?" asked Winter, before she hastily added, "There also?"
"No, well, sort of…?" said Archied, "Remember I said earlier that some quicks can alter biology? Well some quirks turn people into part machine naturally… Which is a bit of an oxymoron."
"Natural transformation into a machine does sound contradictory," mused Ironwood.
"Any other strange transformations we should know about?" asked Qrow.
"Well, some quirks do transform people into the equivalent of faunus," said Archie.
"Get out of here!" barked Ilia, "Seriously?"
"One of Jaune's old hero classmates was part born part alligator, and in a more extreme case, he had an internship with a cat woman," said Archie.
"Like a cat faunus?" asked Ghira.
"No. A cat. With fur, and an anthropomorphic body… An actual cat woman," said Archie.
"…This universe is weird," said Kali.
Ironwood nodded in agreement.
"We'll be patrolling this part of Vale today. Sorry it's so monotonous," said Manual.
Ironwood looked at the peaceful streets…
"It's fine. It's actually better this way," said Ironwood.
Manual shot him a look, but Ironwood stared straight ahead through his helmet.
"Hey," began Manual, "This is kind of hard to ask, but you're chasing after the Hero Killer, aren't you?"
Ironwood gasped, and stopped in his tracks.
"You're chasing after a dangerous killer, while you're just an intern? Why am I not surprised?" asked Glynda.
"That's not me!" protested Ironwood.
Glynda looked at Ironwood with a mildly bemused tone.
"Okay, that is me. When I was younger," added Ironwood.
"The real question is why you were surprised to find you weren't surprised?" asked Qrow.
"Huh?" asked Glynda, and Ironwood.
"The alcohol he binged this morning has finally caught up to his brain," said Raven, off in the corner.
"No it hasn't – hic!" squeaked Qrow defensively.
"How did Uncle Qrow get this drunk?" gasped Ruby.
"M'not!"
"You already forget your dear Professor Ozpin's sad story?" mocked Cinder.
Ozpin looked down guiltily.
"Oh, quiet you," said Nora, before pointing at Raven, "No one makes fun of Ruby and Yang's drunk uncle but Birdgirl!"
"Yeah!" agreed Qrow, "…Wait, what?"
"Birdgirl?" asked Raven.
"Well it is a superhero universe," shrugged Nora, "Besides, it's true. It's not like Ruby, or Yang make fun of their uncle. And the other blonde is totally his bro!"
"I have a name!" protested Tai.
"Hmm… You do have a point," said Ren.
"That's…" he began.
"I couldn't' think of any other reason why you'd come to my agency," said Manual with a chuckle, "Oh, but I'm really glad you came!"
Manual's face then turned serious.
"It' just, you shouldn't act on a personal grudge," he said, "We are heroes, but we don't have the authority to arrest or punish lawbreakers. The use of our quirks has been allowed through government regulation. That's why, no matter the reason, heroes must not use quirks for themselves. If we were to use them for our own selfish reasons, it would be a serious crime."
"Why am I after the Hero Killer?" asked Ironwood.
"In this universe, you come from a lineage of Heroes. It's something of a family business. Jaune targeted your elder brother, and you took up your post in a city near his agency," said Archie.
"So, I'm after revenge?" asked Ironwood.
"You looked up to your brother as a hero, in both a literal and professional sense. Jaune's attack on him injured your brother's spine to the point he's paralyzed from the waist down. Effectively, his career is over," said Archie.
Ironwood took in the information in thought. All of Jaune's friends, and family were shocked. Granted, they had been told early on that there were universes where Jaune would possibly be their enemy. They had seen a part of this reality of the Archive when they saw Jaune as the police officer that went after Ruby. In that one, it had been port of plot by Ozpin to fight Cinder. Now it seemed they were going to see a more villainous version of their blonde.
Ironwood lowered his head in thought.
"Oh, it's not that I'm saying the Hero Killer isn't guilty. It's just you're so earnest, like you'd focus on one thing and ignore everything else, so I was worried," cut in Manual quickly.
"Thank you for the warning," said Ironwood in a grateful voice.
"Oh, it's fine as long as you understand. Now, shall we go?" asked Manual who continued on his patrol.
Ironwood followed, but his fists were clenched.
'But… But then… what am I supposed to do… about these feelings?' thought Ironwood.
Ironwood understood. A part of him was angry, but in the end, it was another universe. He had no brother in this life, but it was clear the young man on the screen was him. If he had a brother, he would certainly harbor conflicting feelings.
Jaune looked at the city from atop a water tower when a portal opened up behind him.
"Vale looks nicer than I expected," said a voice, "So, what are you going to do?"
Jaune did not look at the black haired girl that had frozen his sword earlier, he did acknowledge the question though.
"I will reform this city," answered Jaune, "In order to do so, I need more victims."
The portal closed the moment Raven exited to join the young girl.
"Is this what you meant when you said you had business to take care of?" asked Raven.
"I see you're someone who understands," said Jaune.
"Hey, what are you trying to say about me?" demanded the girl.
Jaune stood up, ignored her, and spread his arms in gesture to the city.
"Hero' is a title given only to those who have accomplished great deeds! There are too many… Too many who act like heroes, but are really money worshippers. Until this world realizes its mistake, I will continue to appear," declared Jaune.
He drew his serrated sword, and leapt down into the city.
"What did he mean by money worshippers?" asked Winter.
"As I stated earlier, Jaune is a hero school dropout," began Archie, "He was once an idealist. Someone who wanted to use his quirk for the good of society in some way. However, Jaune noticed that many of his classmates, and the heroes he studied under were petty, and selfish individuals. They did not take the idea of being a hero seriously, and instead became heroes in the hopes of being famous celebrities. In fact many heroes use the profession as a stepping stone to eventually become famous actors, models, singers, or are just in it for the money."
"I see," said Weiss, "When you look at it that way the word 'hero' would feel cheap."
"…Yeah," said Ruby who seemed to deflate as well, "So much for hero school."
"Part of it would make sense though," said Sun, "I mean, when you think about it. In a lot of superhero comics, there's the big heroes like the Revengers, and in that same comic book universe, there are sub-groups, and B-Heroes. They'll sometimes make appearances with the big guys, but it's mostly in a supporting role."
"In that case, if you treated being a superhero as an actual job that pays, then certain gigs pay more than others. It'd make sense to get a side hustle to help make ends meet," said Tai.
"Indeed," acknowledged Archie, "Furthermore, Jaune noticed that in the hero schools, there was still bullying and cliques with a pecking order. Instead of seeing each other as potential partners in helping keep order against villains, students with less 'heroic' quirks such as Mind Control, or even just looked scary as a result of a body-altering quirk, were often discriminated by people whose quirks were deemed more heroic in nature. This applied to heroes who graduated, and formed agencies of their own. Many hero agencies rise and fall, depending on their popularity. Jaune's own quirk never quite fit the idea of 'heroic' either, so he had first-hand knowledge of this as well."
"I guess people will always find some way to make themselves out to be better than others, and then try to justify it somehow," sighed Ghira.
"Rich, and poor. Powerful and weak. It's all the same in the end, it seems," said Cinder.
"You forgot good, and evil," said Amber with a pointed look.
"Of course. My apologies," said Cinder mockingly, "Though, I suppose those terms depend on which side of the struggle you're on."
"So Jaune's plan is to reform society by going after it's heroes?" asked Blake, before the two half-maidens could get into a fight.
"For the most part," confirmed Archie.
"Dummy," muttered Saffron, "You could have taken their bullying, and shoved it in their faces by working hard and being successful enough to prove them wrong."
Jaune's friend looked to her with some sympathy.
"Tch… He talks all high and mighty like that, but basically he's trying to start a grassroots movement, huh?" said the girl, who chuckled, "He's so noble I could cry."
"You can't make fun of him too much," scolded Raven, "The reality is that in all the cities where Stain has appeared, the crime rate has fallen. Some critics attribute this to a rise in heroes' consciousness, and shoot him down, though."
"Well, it seems to work a bit," pointed out Ilia, "Him showing up would probably scare the daylights out of petty heroes, and make them shape up."
"My counterpart's brother… Or my counterpart's family. Are they such heroes?" asked Ironwood.
"No. They are actually some of the better heroes in society," said Archie, "However, your counterpart's family's agency is quite large with many sidekicks, or understudies, to support. As a result, the agency is often forced ignore smaller requests that don't compensate as much. A boss needs to pay their workers after all."
"The hero business… I see," said Ironwood sadly.
"But if they're some of the good ones why go after them?" protested Pyrrha.
"It's probably because they're popular, recognizable, and a successful model of the current system," said Winter, "If you're goal is to rebuild the foundations of society 'for the better' as Arc's counterpart believes he's doing, you target any institution that is indicative of the old order. Regardless, if they're good people, or not."
"Or you go after the people who support them," added Terra darkly.
"Terra…?" gasped Saffron in surprise, before her eyes shifted to one of concern, "Has there been another threat to the CCT tower in – back home, I mean?"
"Nah… the Atlas military base near us has stepped up security. Still, it's not easy working with having to look over your shoulder to and from work," said Terra.
"That's wonderful! Heroes are working hard to bring down the cost of food, huh? So the Hero Killer is also a Hero Breeder!" laughed the girl, before she drooped a little, "It's too roundabout. We just can't agree at a basic level. And he annoys me… Raven, bring out the Nomus."
"No honor among thieves," said Amber.
"Whoever came up with that saying was probably as drunk as my brother," sighed Raven as she pinched the bridge of her nose.
"M'not drunk!" protested Qrow.
Raven opened up a portal, and three hideous humanoid creatures with their brains exposed walked out and joined the duo. One was wearing a gasmask with wings, one was hulking figure with black skin, and the other was crouched like a frog and had four eyes. All three however had their brains exposed, and were extremely muscular. The black one was missing the top half of his head, and the other two had their eyes bulge out menacingly.
"Um, were those the hero students that were picked on for looking villainous, or…" began Velvet.
"No. Those are bioweapons," said Archie.
"You think you can get away with stabbing me? I'll crush your honor and your pride, sir," cackled the girl.
The three beings leapt into the city just as the sun began to set. As the moon began rise, explosions rocked the city.
"Heh heh-he, Hahahahaha!" cackled the girl, "This is good! Let's make this flashy!"
The creatures let out an inhuman howl before they leapt into the city.
The scene then shifted to Ironwood. The young hero stopped patrolling when Manual held a hand to his finned helmet.
"What did you say? A villain has appeared?!" gasped Manual, "All right. We'll head over right away! Ironwood, let's move!"
Ironwood followed his supervisor's lead.
'Don't tell me…' began Ironwood's thoughts.
BOOOM!
The explosion reverberated, the resulting fires lit up the night sky, and Ironwood shook his head.
'No this is different. The Hero Killer wouldn't be so flashy,' thought Ironwood as he continued to follow the hero he chose to intern under.
"Get your head in the game, boy," said Ironwood, "The people are in trouble. Focus on that."
Something caught his attention in an alley though, and Ironwood stopped running.
His eyes widened.
He ignored his orders, and went down the alley.
"God damn it!" snapped Ironwood.
"James…" began Glynda.
"There's a literal explosion, and people screaming! What could be…?" James stopped when he saw his own personal audience, "…Sorry you had to see that."
Jaune sighed dramatically.
"So noisy. The idiots have come out, huh?" Jaune clicked his tongue, "I'll dispose of them later."
He turned his attention back to the hero he pinned to the wall.
"Right now… I will do what I should be doing," said Jaune.
The hero went by the moniker "Native." Native was wearing fur clothes, and he had a feather in his hair. Jaune held him up by his bloody face with one hand, while the other readied the sword.
"You bastard…" growled Native, "Die…!"
Jauen frowned.
"If you call yourself a hero, you should choose your last words carefully," said Jaune.
"Tch, you're no saint yourself, buddy," said Mercury.
"You're getting into this," said Emerald.
"This is way better than looking at still pictures," said Mercury, "Say, if I were in this universe, what do you think my name would be?"
"Chickenhead?" asked Emerald, who remembered one of the unflattering nicknames given to her partner earlier on in the viewings.
"How about Quick Silver?" suggested Mercury.
"That's way too cool a name for you," said Emerald.
As he raised his blade, Jaune tensed and swung the blade backward. He caught a glimpse of a moving figure, and Jaune followed through to his defensive swing. The assailant's helmet flew off, and Jaune was greeted by the sight of a teenage boy in costume.
"A child wearing a suit… Who is he?" Jaune asked confusedly.
The boy tried to get up.
"Go away. This is not a place for children," said Jaune authoritatively.
"A scarf as read as blood, carrying blades all over your body… You must be the Hero Killer: Stain!" growled the boy, "You are, aren't you? I have been chasing you! I did not think I would find you so soon! I am…"
Jaune cut the boy off when he thrusted his blade mere inches from the kid's face.
"Ugh... Was I this dramatic when I was younger?" groaned Ironwood.
"Quite so," said Ozpin.
"Ozpin!" protested Glynda.
"Let him vent, Glynda," waved off Ozpin.
"At least he's cutting off the monologue," said Qrow.
"I do not monologue," said Ironwood.
"Your eyes… Are you here for vengeance?" asked Jaune.
The boy just gulped.
"Be careful of what you say. Depending on the situation, even children may become my targets," warned Jaune.
Almost everyone gasped.
Cinder, Qrow, and Raven were silent. Emerald shifted a little uncomfortably, and Mercury shrugged.
"He's better than my old man. He'd kill a witness, regardless of age, no question," said Mercury.
"Adam was like that on a few missions. Especially when he got more popular," said Blake.
Ilia nodded in agreement.
Jaune saw the boy become angry again.
"Are you saying that I am… not even a target?" growled the boy, "Then listen, criminal! I am the younger brother of a hero you attacked. The younger brother of the greatest older brother in the world! I have come to stop you in his place! Remember my name for as long as you live! Ingenium. It is the name of the hero who will defeat you!"
A flash of recognition flickered in Jaune's eyes.
"I see," said Jaune, "Die."
"Jaune, no," said gasped Pyrrha.
"That's not my brother," said Saffron, "That's an unfortunate soul beyond redemption."
That seemed to calm Jaune's friends a little, but it was also sad in a way.
The engines in Ironwood's legs fired up.
"Like I would!" he roared.
The engines flew up to deliver a swift blow, but Jaune dodged it effortlessly.
"Ingenium… So Ingenium's your brother, huh?" remarked Jaune as he landed, "In order to let news of me spread, I let him live."
Before the kid reacted, Jaune leapt forward, and kicked the spikes on his boots into a gap in the boy's armor. Then, using the momentum, he quickly raised his other foot, and kicked him face down into the concrete floor.
"You're weak," said Jaune before he stabbed the boy in the arm.
"GAH!" cried the boy in pain.
"I felt that," remarked Ironwood as he winced.
"I knew he was still in school, but the difference between them is so great," remarked Kali.
"A less experienced enemy can overcome a greater enemy. If his mind is focused," said Raven, "As you can see, it isn't."
"Thanks for the assessment, big sis," said Qrow dryly.
"Do you need to lie down, Qrow?" asked Tai in concern.
"Maybe… But I can make it through this one," said Qrow.
"You and your brother are both weak," said Jaune in a bored tone, "Because you're fakes."
"Shut up, villain!" said Ironwood, "You paralyzed him from the waist down when you damaged his spine. He can never be a hero again. He saved so many lives, and led his sidekicks well in all kinds of disasters. There was no need for you to go after him!"
The boy looked up and growled, fury in his eyes.
"He was my hero… He gave me my dream… I won't forgive you! I'll kill you!"
"He wouldn't want you to do this. There are people dying all around you," said Ironwood.
"Oh, don't be so high and mighty," scoffed Cinder.
"Excuse me?" growled Ironwood.
"If your enemy were before you, if you had the opportunity to end the fight, you'd take it. Even if that meant sacrificing your men," said Cinder.
"I would never!" protested Ironwood.
"We've studied you, and with Leo and Watts' input, we know you're the type of person who would do whatever it takes to stop someone. That boy is you, no matter how much you think you've grown, he's always there," said Cinder.
"And who are you?" challenged Ruby, in defense of the general.
"Why, I'm an angry girl who wants the world that abandoned her to burn. Isn't it obvious?" answered Cinder mockingly.
The tone caught Ruby off guard, and oddly enough, it didn't seem like a lie.
Jaune just scoffed.
"Save that guy first," said Jaune as he pointed over the bloodied and injured hero, Native.
The boy paused in his rant and fury.
"Reflect on yourself and save others. Don't use your power for yourself," Jaune seemed to recite, "Being taken in by the hatred before you and trying to fulfill your own desires… That is the furthest from what a hero should be."
Jaune pulled the blade out of the boy's shoulder, and brought the bloodied tip to his mouth.
"That's why you'll die," said Jaune before he licked the blood.
"Whoa," gagged Emerald.
Ironwood grew pale, and his stomach unsettled.
"Seriously, what is it with crazy people, and blood," said Yang.
The boy under his boot froze, and Jaune pointed the blade directly over the boy's spine.
"Why isn't he moving?" gasped Glynda.
"It's probably Jaune's superpower," said Ren.
"It is?" asked Coco.
"Remember how Archie explained how some people were discriminated for the powers if they seemed less heroic?" reminded Ren.
"So, if he licks someone's blood, they become paralyzed?" asked Weiss, "That's… a disgusting ability."
"And you prove evil Jaune's point," said Terra, "I'm not saying you're wrong, but to an extent, you prove him right."
"I'm curious as to how Jaune might have discovered his power," thought Penny aloud.
"Goodbye. You're an offering to a more just world," said Jaune.
"Shut up… Shut up…! No matter what you say, you are the criminal who hurt my brother!"
Before Jaune could plunge the blade, a flicker of green caught his eye.
He turned, and saw a ginger girl with freckles in a green track suit with khaki and grey accents and black boots leap at him.
"Penny to the rescue!" cheered Penny.
"I wonder what your super powers are," gushed Ruby in excitement.
"SMASH!" she roared as she delivered a powerful punch to his face.
Jaune was sent flying, but he reoriented himself and skidded to a stop on his feet.
"Looks like super strength," said Blake.
"Aww yeah! Best power ever," said Yang and Tai at the same time.
"Meatheads," muttered Raven and Qrow quietly.
"P-Penny?" Jaune ears heard.
"I came to save you, James!" declared the newcomer.
He got a look at the attacker, and his eyes widened for a bit.
"That kid… She's the one from the picture…" grumbled Jaune as he saw the two kids having a back and forth.
"Get out of here Penny, this has nothing to do with you!" growled the boy who called himself Ingenium.
"…What are you saying?" gasped the girl, shock in her voice.
"Well, it seems she's right. That boy is as stubborn as me," said Ironwood bitterly.
Cinder smiled in triumph, then the bubble rattled.
"Miss Goodwitch…?" began Archie, as the occupants winced and covered their ears a little.
"Yes, Archie?" asked Glynda innocently.
"…Hmm, never mind. I must have seen something… this time," said Archie with a shrug.
Glynda nodded.
"Glynda…?" asked Ironwood.
"Did you need something, James?" asked Glynda.
"…No, nothing," said Ironwood, feeling good that Glynda had his back.
"Your friend came to save you," said Jaune.
His words got the two kids' attention.
"That's a great line, isn't it? But I have a duty to kill him," said Jaune "If we clash, of course, the weaker will be culled. Now, what will you do?"
"Then we fight, of course," said Penny.
"That was fast," said Winter.
"It's a hero's duty to fight against those who would bring harm to people. It's what I programmed to do, but it's also what I chose to do as well," said Penny.
"Did she say 'programmed?' Like a robot?" asked Saffron.
"It's a long story," threw in Sun.
The girl looked scared, but to Jaune's surprise, she didn't back down. In fact, she got into a stance…
"Don't…" called out the injured boy, "Run away! I told you, didn't I? This has nothing to do with you!"
"If you say that, then heroes can't do anything!" cut off the girl, "T-There's a lot of things I'd like to say, but I'll say them later. It's like what Red Rose said: Meddling when you don't need to is the essence of being a hero.
"That's definitely something you would say," said Weiss.
"You have learned well, Penny!" declared Ruby.
"Thanks, Ruby. Even in other universes, I seem to look up to you!" thanked Penny.
"Oh, stop," gushed Ruby.
"Is it possible to get diabetes looking at those two?" muttered Emerald.
"Nah, that's Pinkie and Green over there," responded Mercury in a whisper.
"Achoo!" sneezed Nora, "Ren, I think someone's talking about me."
"That's just a superstition, Nora," responded Ren.
Jaune gasped, stunned by the girl's declaration. Granted, she still looked scared out of her wits, but still…
Jaune smiled, impressed with the girl in front of him. Penny… That's what the boy called her. He decided to commit the name to memory
Penny lunged, and Jaune swung his blade.
"Good…" remarked Jaune as she entered his space, 'To shorten the distance between him and an opponent with a long reach. Her lunge was a good decision.'
"Jaune's acting like a teacher now?" asked Kali, a little confused.
"He does have warped logic," said Ghira, "I mean we saw that in that one future-"
"Dad! Don't remind me! Especially since I'm looking at villainous Jaune right now!" whined Blake.
"I thought you liked bad boys," muttered Ilia.
As he finished his thoughts, Jaune's free hand pulled a dagger from one of his sheathes on his belt.
"No! If you get cut—"
Jaune blinked as Penny suddenly went down, and slid between his legs. Instinctively, he swung his sword to cut her as he pivoted on his feet, but it cut nothing. He quickly looked up, and saw the ginger girl above him and ready to deliver another blow.
"Five percent… Sanus Smash!" roared Penny as her arm glowed.
Jaune was punched in the head, and he crashed headfirst into the floor.
"Yeah! Take him down!" cheered Pyrrha.
"Wow. Never thought I'd hear you say that," said Nora.
"Like Miss Saffron said, that's not Jaune," said Pyrrha.
"Oh, you don't have to call me that," tittered Saffron.
'Bitch!' thought Yang and Velvet as they saw Pyrrha kiss up to Saffron.
He pushed himself up, and saw the girl land. He noticed that seemed more confident, and determined. However, she wasn't as fast as she thought.
He smiled as he brought up the small dagger that he drew out before the girl slid beneath him, and licked the tiny drop of blood that clung to a serrated tip. Instantly, the girl froze, and her confidence crumbled into confusion. Jaune stood to full height, and he looked at the girl. Her eyes were still on the dagger, but they instantly widened and she looked up.
"It wasn't powerful enough," said Jaune.
Jaune walked away from the girl.
"People who are all talk are a dime a dozen, but you are worth letting live," said Jaune, "You're different from these guys."
"Guess Penny's earned his respect," said Yang.
"I am not sure how I feel about that," said Penny.
Jaune stopped in front of the boy, and prepared to finish him off.
"Stop it…! STOP IT!" cried out Penny.
Suddenly the alley lit up, and blast of fire was heading straight at him. Jaune dodged it at the last moment, and landed further back. He looked up, and saw a figure with the left side of their body wreathed in flames.
"One after another… There are a lot of people getting in my way today," grumbled Jaune.
"Penny, you need to give me better details than this," said a brown skinned girl with a grim face. She held up a scroll held up showing just a map and a location tag, "You made me late."
"Amber…?" gasped the boy, "You too?"
"Me?" asked Amber.
"Well, looks like you're in hero school too," said Raven.
"Back in Beacon… Huh," muttered Amber.
"Oh? And here I thought you liked your Beacon years," said Raven.
"I did. But that was our universe. I don't know what this universe's Beacon is like. If I see any of my friends, and boyfriend, sure," said Amber.
"Why are you here?" asked Penny, "And you're using your left side…"
"Why? That's my line," said the new girl, "It took me a few seconds to figure out what you meant since you just sent your location info. You're not really one to send that for no reason."
The girl stepped forward and ice shot out and blanketed the area. Jaune quickly leapt out of the way. He couldn't help but be impressed by how much the ice grew in a short amount of time. It moved around Native, Penny, and the boy and curled around them slightly as though to protect them.
"It's like the Maiden powers. Our control over the four elements is similar, but to master it at a young age," remarked Amber.
"She was born with those powers, we got ours later in life," said Raven.
"True," said Amber, "Yet another match between quirks and semblances."
"The only thing wrong is Jaune's semblance. It doesn't match up with his quirk," said Pyrrha.
"Mine doesn't match either. I don't have super strength," said Penny.
"You meant that you were in trouble, and to call for help, right?" asked the new girl, who then charged at him, "Don't worry. The pros will also get here in a few minutes."
Jaune saw the new girl launch fire from her left hand, and leapt to the side to dodge. Jaune saw the ice melt from the heat, and that Native and Penny were sliding down toward the newcomer to safety.
'Someone's time will be up soon, huh?' thought Jaune as he readied his blade.
"This is just like the information about him implies," spoke up the new girl, "I won't let you kill these guys, Hero Killer."
"Amber, you can't let this guy see your blood! I think he controls his opponents' actions by ingesting their blood orally. That's how he got all of us!" cried out Penny in worry.
"He sucks blood to keep people from moving. That's why he uses blades, huh? I'll just keep my dist-"
Jaune cut off the new comer by throwing a knife in her direction, and tossed his sword in the air as he crouched. Jaune smiled when he saw the blade slice across her cheek, and he leapt forward as he drew out another dagger on his person.
"Yeesh, Jaune has no chill here," said Sun.
"That's kind of important for an assassin. Take 'em out quick, and move on to the next guy," said Mercury.
"You thinking of joining the fan club too?" asked Emerald.
"No. There are things I wouldn't have done. He's not that good. Besides, while his power is pretty cool, it's wierd," said Mercury.
"You have good friends, Ingenium!" shouted Jaune as he swung.
Amber was her name, right?
Amber blocked his blow with a pillar of ice, then Jaune looked up to his falling sword. Sure enough the girl looked up too, and Jaune let go of his jammed knife, and grabbed the girl by the shirt she wore. He saw the look of terror in her eyes as he now moved to lick the bloody cheek.
"Gross!" yelped Amber.
Before he could though, fire erupted from the left side of the Amber's body, and Jaune backed off. Jaune clicked his tongue, and jumped forward. He dodged a spike of ice, and grabbed his sword. Jaune could vaguely hear voices, but he didn't pay attention to the conversation. He was way too focused dodging barrages of fire and ice to care. He then noticed an opportunity, and charged.
"To block you own view against an opponent faster than you…" said Jaune as he began to swung violently to slice up the hardened ice, "What a foolish plan!"
"I wonder about that," shouted Amber, as her arm was wreathed in fire.
Jaune threw a series of shuriken, and they dug into the girl's left arm and the fire died down immediately.
"You're pretty good too," said Jaune.
The girl readied herself, but Jaune aimed for Native. However, before his blade could connect, Penny had come and grabbed him by the shirt, and dragged him across the wall.
"Penny!" cried out Amber.
"I can move normally for some reason now," said Penny.
"Penny can move now?" asked Ruby in relief.
"His power must have a time limit of some kind then," said Ilia.
"Now that they know something new, they can plan strategies to try and counter him," said Coco.
"Seems like the tide is about to shift now," said Ozpin.
"Damnit," growled Jaune as he landed.
Jaune delivered a swift elbow to Penny, and she let him go. As he landed he saw ice heading his way.
"Out of the way, Penny!" shouted Amber.
Penny ran back to her friends, and Jaune leapt further back. He noticed Penny approach Amber and the two talked. Jaune focused his hearing a little.
"He takes in a person's blood to keep them from moving. Since I got free first, I can think of three possible reasons," began Penny, "It could be less effective with more people, the amount he ingests affects how long it works, or there could be a difference in effectiveness based on a person's blood type."
"Blood type?" smiled Jaune, "Not bad, kid. That's correct."
"Seriously?" called out Mercury.
"Something wrong, Mercury?" asked Cinder, amused by her minion's apparent investment.
"What kind of villain reveals how a part of their power works? What is this? A TV show from thirty years ago?" groused Mercury.
"Would you like an explanation on how the power works?" asked Archie.
"Sure. Seems like it's been revealed to us already," said Winter.
"Jaune's quirk is known as Bloodcurdle. By tasting someone's blood, he can stop their movements for up to 8 minutes. The amount of time he can stop them goes in that order from least to most is Type O, A, AB, and B.
"I guess my blood type in this universe is O… Ooh, do you suppose it is right now, Mr. Archie?" asked Penny.
"I'm not sure. I don't exactly have the equipment to check," said Archie.
"So, you can dissolve people's weapons, but you can't do a blood test?" asked Ilia.
"Are you a licensed medical practitioner?" asked Archie.
"No…?" said Ilia uncertainly.
"Well, there you have it," said Archie.
"I can't really do anything just by knowing his Quirk, though," said Penny.
"I wanted to hurry up, and carry those two out of here, but he can react so fast he can avoid my ice and fire. I can't leave myself open like that," said Amber, "I think our best option is to hold on by avoiding close combat until the pros get here."
"Amber, you've already lost a lot blood," said Penny with a look of determination, as green lightning began to spark from her body, "I'll distract him, so you support me from behind."
"That's a pretty big risk," pointed out Amber after a moment's consideration "…But, yeah. The two of us will protect them!"
Jaune looked at the two teens before him.
"Two against one, huh? It won't be easy," said Jaune.
"It won't be, but Jaune's been doing this for some time. They will have to be very cautious," said Ren.
"You've seen how good they are though? Even Evil Jaune knows it won't be easy. Evil, or not, Jauney is still our team strategist," said Nora.
"Youth verses experience. A classic setup," chuckled Ghira.
Penny lunged at him, and Amber shot pillars of ice in support. Jaune would dodge the attacks, and make lunges of his own at Penny. However, Amber would get in his way with blasts of fire, or ice. Jaune knew that if could take out Amber, Penny would be much more cautious. However that would mean exposing his back to the ginger girl, and he still felt the pain from her earlier kick.
'Long range support for a close range fighter, and vice versa. Pretty good,' thought Jaune.
"Jaune's impressed. Think they can put that in their superhero resume?" asked Yang.
"I'm sure an agency would acknowledge 'notorious villain considered us a threat,' and beg them to join up," said Weiss.
"It would be something to look at," acknowledged Ironwood.
"Damn straight it would," said Qrow.
'I guess this means I'll have to step up my game,' thought Jaune.
"He's been holding back?" gasped Kali.
"It'd make sense. Who goes all out against children?" remarked Winter.
"My dad," answered Mercury.
"That was… a rhetorical question," said Winter awkwardly.
"Well, I gave you a literal answer," said Mercury.
With a quick burst of speed, he lunged directly at Penny instead of dodging. The sudden move caught the ginger girl off guard, and Jaune nicked her ankle with a knife. The smell of blood stirred something in him, and his smile widened as he felt a surge of adrenaline pumping in his veins.
'This guy's movements are completely different from before!' thought Penny.
"Penny!" shouted Amber.
Before he could close the distance Jaune felt a rush of heat, and leapt away to avoid the fire.
"If you want us to stop, stand up!" shouted Amber randomly.
Jaune glanced in the direction of Amber, and saw that she was talking to Ingenium. He quickly licked the fresh blood off his blade, and froze Penny. Then he focused on Amber, who shot ice at him. However, Jaune had observed Amber, and figured out some of her attack patterns, and how the ice would flow. He quickly cut through them all.
"Looks like the girls aren't the only ones who are observant. Jaune has been studying them as well," said Ozpin.
"In war, intelligence gathering goes both ways," said Cinder.
"Too true, it seems," said Ironwood.
"…Look at what you want to be!" declared Amber as her left side was ignited by flames.
Jaune quickly leapt back as he landed, and jumped about to avoid getting hit by fire and ice. He had to admit, two girls from the hero academies were doing much better at fending him off than seasoned pro heroes. Then again, most professional heroes were a dime a dozen. These two seemed to be the real deal. Still…
"Ice and fire!" called out Jaune as he charged directly at Amber, "It seems no one's ever told you, but you're too focused on your Quirk. You're being too careless!"
Ice shot at him, but Jaune was working overtime now. He easily sidestepped the rising pillars of ice, and just before Amber could shoot a fist of fire, Jaune tapped into himself and sped up even more. He dodged the flame by ducking, and angled the sword in his hand. He would sidestep the girl, but his blade would cut off her irritating left arm and its fire.
"Amber!" cried out a frozen Penny in terror.
"Oh no. He's going to cut her arm off!" gasped Penny.
Amber gulped, dreading to see herself dismembered on screen…
Jaune's satisfied smile broke though when he saw Ingenium charging.
"RECIPRO BURST!" roared Ingenium
A kick from Ingenium's steel boots snapped his sword in half before it could connect with Amber's flesh. Jaune saw the momentum of his attackers kick result in a back flip before a second boot struck him hard, and sent him flying. Jaune managed to land on his feet, and skid to slow down.
"Looks like I'm up now," said Ironwood.
"His eyes seem clearer too," said Ozpin.
"Hmm… I guess so," said Ironwood.
"Based on Jaune's observations, it seems you were given a good talking-to by Amber," said Glynda with a smile.
"Amber, Penny, this has nothing to do with you two, and I apologize," said Ingenium.
"You're saying that again?" asked Penny, baffled.
"That's why I can't allow you two to bleed more than this!" declared Ingenium.
"Rematch time!" cheered Nora.
"Hopefully, he'll do better now that he seems calmer," said Ironwood.
"I'm sure he will, sir," said Winter.
"It's no use trying to be reformed for appearance's sake," scoffed Jaune, "A person's essence does not change that easily. You will never be anything but a fake who prioritizes his own selfish desires. You are a cancer to society that warps the idea of 'heroes.' Someone must set you straight."
"You're an anachronistic fundamentalist," rebuked Amber, "James, don't listen to the logic of a murderer."
"No, he's right," said Ingenium, "I have no right to call myself a hero. Even so. I cannot give in. If I do, Ingenium will die."
James Ironwood nodded in approval.
"Out of the question!" roared Jaune as he charged.
Amber got in front of Ingenium, and launched a wave of fire.
Jaune dodged, and leapt from place to place to avoid the attacks. The best strategy now would be to tire them out, and then finish them off. A shame really. Those two girls had the potential to be real heroes.
"Amber, can you regulate temperature?" asked Ingenium.
"I'm not used to it with my left yet, why?" asked Amber.
"Freeze my legs! Without plugging up the exhausts!" said Ingenium.
"Why would… Ooh, I see. That earlier save from the general must have overheated the engine," said Ruby.
"Wouldn't the ice give him frostbite?" asked Weiss.
"I don't think so," said Ironwood, "Since my ability altered my biology, the fact that the leg can move is proof the engine is still running."
"You're in the way!" shouted Jaune, as he threw a knife at Amber.
However, Ingenium blocked the attack with his shoulder before the knife could take out Amber.
"You stop too!" shouted Jaune before he threw a knife at Ingenium's hand.
The force, and added pain dropped Ingenium to the ground.
"James!" cried out Amber, who stopped shooting fire.
"Just do it! Hurry!" begged Ingenium.
Jaune didn't know what was going on, but he had intention of letting these kids carry out their plans. He charged, and noted Amber froze up part of Ingenium's leg. He moved, and saw that engines in Ingenium's legs reignite and he charged.
'So, he's going to fight?' thought Jaune, 'Saves me the trouble!'
Jaune readied his knife to meet the charge, however, he caught sight of something in the corner of his eye.
Penny with her fist cocked, and heading straight for him.
THWAK
Jaune felt pain, and he glanced over his shoulder to see Ingenium had buried a leg into his back.
WHAM
Jaune felt himself spin and twist unnaturally as he felt a fist connect with his jaw.
"Oh yeah! Knock him down!" cheered most of the audience!
Ironwood, and most of the adults nodded in approval.
Raven, Amber, and Cinder and her crew merely looked impressed by the pincer maneuver.
However, the fist seemed to lose power quickly, and Jaune blinked his eyes open. He grabbed his broken sword, and swung at Ingenium while the two were in midair. Ingenium dodged, getting only his hair cut.
"I will defeat you! This time, you, as a criminal-" roared Ingenium as one of his leg's engine lit up.
Jaune saw Ingenium spin fast, and deliver another kick, this time to his stomach.
"And I, as a hero!"
The last thing Jaune saw was a flurry of fire.
Then, in the darkness, sudden cold.
"Evil Jaune is down!" cheered Nora, "Now back to Good Jaune, please!"
"Yes!" agreed Ruby, Yang, Pyrrha, and Velvet.
"Ooh, has another challenger come up to the plate. Has Ruby discovered Jaune, too?" teased Yang.
"N-No! I just don't like watching my male bestie as a bad guy," protest Ruby.
"It's still going," said Weiss.
"It is?" asked the four girls.
'Blood…'
'I smell blood…'
It was the wind that woke him up.
Jaune looked up to see his arms tied with rope, and heroes around him looking up at some strange monstrosity. It was a creature with wings, a gas mask, an exposed brain, and a bleeding eye socket.
"It's one of those monsters with the crazy freezer girl!" exclaimed Pyrrha.
"And he was in the middle of being apprehended," said Saffron.
"You think she's going to rescue him to get him indebted, and have him join?" asked Velvet.
"I doubt it," said Weiss, "She doesn't like him."
Jaune saw the creature grab Penny, and fly off sending some blood down on the heroes around him.
"See? What did I tell you?" nodded Weiss.
'That must be one of the creatures that was causing a ruckus earlier,' thought Jaune.
"For now, I just want to kill Red Rose. I want to break everything I don't like. Damn kids like this, too… Everything…"
'So, that's it,' thought Jaune as he pulled a hidden knife from his sleeve.
"Somehow, him having another hidden knife doesn't surprise me," said Ren.
"They should have put him in metal chains," said Glynda.
"Or at least handcuffs… Then again, given what Mr. Arc can do, chains would be the better option," thought Ironwood.
He cut the ropes, charged, and licked the creature's blood off the cheek of a female hero present, and ran after the creature. He saw the creature freeze, and Jaune picked up speed in response.
"This society overgrown with fake heroes, and the criminals who wave their power idly…" cried out Jaune as leapt up high and plunged the dagger into the brain of the monster.
"Weird creeper is going down!" cheered Nora.
"You're cheering Evil Jaune," said Ren.
"Who is conveniently rescuing Penny," said Nora.
"She's falling," said Ren.
"It doesn't seem to be from a height that result in terminal velocity," said Penny.
"See, she's cool. Now arrest him again! Your queen commands it," declared Nora.
The creature fell, and crashed into the ground whwere it skidded to a halt.
"…should all be purged," finished Jaune.
Jaune gasped for air.
"This is all…" Jaune began as he pulled the dagger out, "…to create a more just society."
"Well, he's certainly devoted to his cause," said Terra.
"Most terrorists are," snorted Ironwood.
"I agree. Don't you, Miss Belladonna?" sneered Cinder.
"Shut up. You know nothing!" snapped Blake.
Jaune noticed Penny, and the look of fear on her face. He grabbed her by the hair.
"Not cool, Evil Jaune!" cried out almost everyone.
"Let… go…!" begged Penny.
Jaune felt a presence, and looked over his shoulder. He saw the number two hero of Sanus.
"Elektron," said Jaune.
"Dad?" gasped Amber.
Elektron was a tall, burly man with tan skin, brown hair, and he wore a body suit with yellow with sparks of electricity coursing around his body.
"I haven't seen him since… Heh, even his power is the same," said Amber, as tears began to fall.
"He looks pretty cocky. He like that too?" asked Raven.
"Only when talking about me…" sniffled Amber.
Amber suddenly leaned onto Raven, but her head went through her shoulder a bit. The action, and the sensation she felt when Amber phased through her, began to freak Raven out a little. She jolted straight up with a yelp, which got a snicker from Tai, Yang, and Qrow.
"Do NOT do that," snapped Raven, "Talking to me is fine, but i draw the line at... Ugh, emotional support."
"S-Sorry," stammered Amber.
'Damnit. I had to bring out the waterworks,' thought Raven.
"Hero Killer!" shouted Elektron, who balled a thunderbolt in his hand.
Jaune let go of Penny and faced the Number Two Hero. The speed with which Jaune turned to face the high profile newcomer made Jaune's burnt bandages fall off.
"Well, suddenly the bandages make sense," shuddered Coco.
"Look at his face…" gasped Ruby.
Saffron's face was covered by her hands as she saw the mauled face that was on her brother's counterpart. His nose was gone, and the area around his face was heavily scarred. Upon closer inspection, it looked as though it had been sawed off.
"Those injuries did not heal well," said Kali.
"I think they're self-inflicted," said Ghira.
"How do you figure?" asked Tai.
"I worked with veterans from the Faunus Rights Revolution. Some of them… Well, I recognized the signs," sighed Ghira.
'It's not him… It's not him…' Saffron thought to herself as Terra's hand curled around hers.
Suddenly, a frightening expression was donned on Jaune's face.
"You fake…!" roared Jaune in a bloodcurdling tone.
Everyone jolted at the scream Jaune had made.
"Whoa, I can see his aura," said Amber.
"You can?" asked Pyrrha.
"Yes, it's like an inferno," said Raven.
"How come we can't?" asked Ruby.
"The maiden powers make one more in tune with energies such as aura," said Ozpin, "As aura, and semblances are echoes of old magic, I can see it as well. Miss Fall should be able to as well."
"…Ma'am?" asked Emerald.
Cinder ignored her, in awe of the dark, malevolent aura she saw before her. The raw darkness she saw was almost as potent as Salem's.
He emitted a powerful aura of sheer terror that froze up even Elektron
"I must make things right…" wheezed Jaune as he hobbled toward Elektron, "Someone must be dyed red with blood. I must take back what it means to be a hero! Come! Try, and get me, you fakes! The only one I'll let kill me is the true hero… RED ROSE!"
Darkness came…
The lights went up…
"It just ends?" gasped Ruby.
"What happened?" asked Winter.
"Jaune fell unconscious," said Archie.
"That's an anticlimactic end," said Emerald.
"Well, at least it's over. I think I'm going to lie down now," said Qrow.
"How much did you drink this morning?" asked Ruby sternly.
"Too much, I guess. Don't worry, firecracker. A quick nap, and I'll be right as rain," said Qrow.
"Alright," said Tai, who suddenly yanked up his friend and teammate to his feet, "Let's get you to the room."
"Ow! Not cool, Tai. I can walk myself," grumbled Qrow.
"No, you can't. Besides, it will be a great way for me to learn if what Raven told me is true," said Tai jokingly.
Raven snorted.
"Crap… What'd Raven tell you?" slurred Qrow.
The two disappeared into the hall.
"The truth about Salem must have really bummed him out," said Yang.
"Ozpin says Salem is unkillable, and you don't expect him to drink?" questioned Raven.
"But we said there was a chance we could beat her!" protested Ruby.
"After he drank," said Raven, who then sighed, "Besides, he's a Branwen. Idealism isn't really our way of thinking, no matter how far he runs from his upbringing. I'd keep an eye on him."
"Why don't you? Too much work?" scoffed Yang.
"I have my ways of keep track of him, but I'm no Summer Rose. I can't do all the 'Family Stuff' you do for him," said Raven, "Can you imagine me making him a beer-batter, triple chocolate cake.
"How do you know about that?" gasoed Yang in shock.
It was what they did for Uncle Qrow six years ago.
"Like I said. I have my ways," said Raven.
…
Concerned Raven? OOC? Probably. I did start this with an old head canon of Raven I had in my head. So, Jaune as Stain. What did you think? Good. Bad. Meh… Let me know.
And yes, there are a bunch of Avengers references here. What was going to use? DC?
A/N:
I did the casting with the Maidens in mind. Penny, and Amber filled in for Deku and Shoto. I had Cinder in mind for Bakugo, and Winter in mind for Nana, All Might's mentor. Red Rose is Ruby, because I do think she might be a Maiden in some series finale, defeating Salem type of plot twist. Those are my thoughts. As for Shigaraki, I actually cast Bleiss, an internet Palette-Swap-Weiss creation. The only thing about Bless that's different from the original is that she had blue eyes here, and not red.
Ingenium is latin for "engineer." I thought it would be a good fit for Ironwood, so I didn't change it like I did with All Might's hero name.
Red Rose: imagine Ruby in the Wonder Woman outfit with the color palette being akin to her season 4 outfit, and a mask shaped like matching rose petals. That's how i picture it, anyway.