Oh. My. Gods.
This was going to kill her. This was actually going to kill her.
Forget the White Fang. Forget Roman Torchwick. Forget a dust bomb being planted in Junior's club and nearly blowing her into a million little pieces. This, right here. This place. This man. This was going to be the death of her.
"...the faint musk of turnips now, rather than cabbages..."
Why had she agreed to come here again?
Miltia sat behind a desk for the first time in forever. She and her sister had not attended an actual school in years. Back when she had a regular life with a regular family she had gone to school like any other child had. But then once Mountain Glenn fell, once Junior took her in, schooling became less important. The things she learned there were inconsequential in comparison to actual real world experience. She could learn so much more being a bouncer and enforcer than in a classroom. In this twisted world they lived in, experience on the streets mattered far more than being about to vomit out memorized information. Information that would be forgotten in only a few months anyway.
"...said to me, 'Peter, my lad, you'll remember this day for the rest of your life'..."
This right here epitomized why she hated school. Why she had dropped out of high school.
A short, portly man with a sickeningly appropriate surname paced back and forth as he went on and on about his exploits as a huntsman. Apparently this was supposed to be a class about the creatures of Grimm. What kinds there were. Their behavior. And most importantly, how to kill them.
But that was stupid. They lived in a walled city in the kingdom of Vale. There were no Grimm here. There were defenses to stop them from getting in. There were huntsman there to protect them. Supposedly. After all, the huntsmen were supposed to protect Mountain Glenn too, and Miltia had seen firsthand just how successful they were at that.
With a hand propping her head up, Miltia glanced over to her sister, who shared a similar pose. Normally bright green eyes looked dull, and her sister's eyelids fluttered as she was in real danger of falling asleep. The sight of this was both amusing and frightening to the younger twin. On one hand it was funny that the man was almost literally putting someone to sleep with his constant droning. On the other, Miltia did not want to ever imagine a world where she and Melanie could be considered the same. She loved her sister, she truly did. However, Miltia would never want to be compared to Melanie. That kind of behavior may have worked for the older girl, but Miltia would never want to be such a crude, lewd and reckless person.
Luckily as her eyes continued to wander the room, Miltia saw that nearly every other student had fallen into the same lethargic trance. A few of the students actually were sleeping, their heads resting on makeshift arm pillows. If the professor noticed he did not seem to care, probably being too enthralled with tales of his own, and for some reason, his grandfather's questionable accomplishments.
Miltia heard a whispered voice next to her. "Pretty boring, isn't it?"
Where Melanie sat to her right, a blue-haired boy sat on her left. He had a soft and knowing smile on his face, as if his question had an obvious answer even before asking it.
Miltia merely hummed in agreement. She wasn't interested in talking to him, and luckily the boy seemed to get the hint before he turned his head back toward the front of the classroom.
He wasn't the boy she wanted to talk to right now. One boy was conspicuous in his absence. Despite the fact that all three of them had come to Beacon, Jaune was not present in this classroom. She had learned that he had another one on one meeting scheduled with that woman Glynda Goodwitch. A private lesson of some sort. A darker part of Miltia's mind went to where movies, TV shows and pop culture in general went when there was a student and a teacher in a private setting. She banished the thought immediately. As if Jaune would ever want a taste of that old woman after experiencing Miltia herself.
What a lucky boy he was, for more reasons than just that. He did not have to sit through this stupid and boring lecture. Miltia wondered if this was going to be what every class was like here at Beacon. Where was the fun? The fighting? Dare she say even the drinking and parties? She would never say those last two aloud for fear of being compared to Melanie, but at this point anything would be better than lectures.
Thankfully, and mercifully, the bell rang. With class over, the professor stopped in mid-sentence before switching gears entirely. "Alright, class. You're dismissed."
Never mind the fact that students had already begun exiting the class before he had been able to utter the words. Clearly they were just as eager to escape this place as she was.
"And remember your assignment on the anatomy of Ursai. It will be due tomorrow."
Yeah right. Like she was going to do any of that. What was he going to do? Fail her?
A look to her right revealed that Melanie had only barely begun to stir with the commotion of exiting students around her. Miltia gave her sister a soft nudge with her elbow to try and hasten her revival. "You still alive, Mel?"
The girl in white gave a soft and frankly pitiful moan as she rubbed her eyes with a hand. "Fuck..." she said softly.
Alive, yes. But aware of her surroundings? Probably not. For once Miltia could not blame her sister for her behavior.
"Come on, we have to go to like, history class next or whatever."
Melanie moaned again. "I don't wanna goooo. This is so stupid."
Again, Miltia was hard-pressed to disagree. They were however stuck on this campus for the foreseeable future. Not only was it in the list of conditions that Glynda had given to them all when she agreed to harbor them, but it was Junior's orders as well. He did not want them in downtown Vale where they could easily become targets. They had already been hit once by the White Fang. If they had targets painted on their backs, staying here in school was the safest place they could be.
"I know, but we have to. Otherwise we'll get expelled or something."
Her sister finally lifted her head from its resting place, blinking hard as if to shake the weariness from her eyes. "Gods, I hope that the next teacher won't be as boring as this guy."
"Oh don't worry, he's completely different," that voice from her left said again. "He's energetic and talks really fast. Kinda cool."
Miltia looked over to see the blue-haired boy once more. For some reason he had stood up as if to leave, but had not quite moved from his spot yet.
"I haven't seen you two before," he continued. "Judging by the lack of uniforms, I'm going to guess you're from Shade?"
That was something Miltia had noticed as well. Most of the students here wore uniforms of some sort, while others did not. Miltia herself was clad in tight fitting jeans and dark red tank top. After the explosion her favorite dress had once more been ruined. It was once more in need of a tailor's touch. She really hoped she would be getting it back sooner rather than later.
The boy's bright smile matched bright eyes that looked at her and Melanie with seemingly genuine warmness. It did not take long for her sister to snuff out any such sentiment with her response.
"The fuck is Shade?" Melanie asked.
"Oh," he said suddenly. Eyes darted off to the side briefly before returning to the girls. "Haha, guess not. But you are new here, right?"
"Yeah," Miltia confirmed.
"Same here, well sort of. I'm a transfer student from Mistral, so this place seems kinda big if you don't know where you're going. I got lost just the other day."
Ugh. Small talk. Miltia could appreciate the fact that this guy was trying to be friendly and all, but she hated small talk. Melanie did as well. Her sister just happened to be a lot less diplomatic about it.
"Uh huh," Melanie answered uninterestedly.
The girl's response did not seem to dim the boy's hopes for conversation. "So I was thinking, maybe you'd want to get lost together? We'd probably have a better chance finding our way around like that. You know what they say, three heads are better than one."
That award-winning smile was still plastered on his face. Now it made sense. Miltia understood his game. This guy, whoever he was, was a typical playboy. Both she and Melanie had dealt with his type before many times.
"Oh my gods, Miltia," the elder twin asked. There was an incredulity to her voice that indicated she was fully awake now. "Is this guy for real?"
"I think he is, Melanie."
"So, Miltia and Melanie, is it? Nice to meet you. My name's Neptune."
Neptune. At first glance he wasn't bad looking at all. On the contrary, he was actually quite good looking. If she were to be objective, he was cuter than Jaune. But he was also trying way too hard. Looks weren't everything, after all.
This was the kind of guy Miltia was confident would feel at home in Junior's club. All style and no substance. Chatting up the ladies at the bar with his compliments and one liners to see which would net him the attention he was seeking. Admittedly, Miltia did not know him beyond what appeared to be his attempts to pick up both herself and Melanie, but in her mind those actions spoke for themselves. In her mind he was looking for a hookup. A conquest. He would find none of that here.
"Yeah, gonna stop you right there blue boy," Miltia said sternly. "I'm taken."
Neptune seemed to be briefly thrown off his game once more, but quickly collected himself. "Oh, haha. No problem. Sorry to bother you then." His eyes turned to give his attention solely to Melanie now. "What about you, Miltia?"
Green eyes narrowed dangerously at the question. "She's Miltia," Melanie said pointing to her sister. "Fucking idiot."
Miltia did not think she had ever actually seen someone physically cringe before. However, after witnessing Neptune utterly dash any hopes he had of impressing Melanie, not that she would have given this boy a second look to begin with, it was hard not to notice his reaction.
That smile of his had turned from earnest to utterly embarrassed. His hand rubbed the back of his neck nervously. "Right, right. I'm sorry. It's just you two look so much alike."
"Uh huh," Melanie said. Her focus turned to her sister. "Hey, Mil?"
"Hmm?"
"When's the last time you neutered a guy with your claws?"
Never. But a little acting wouldn't hurt right now.
"I don't know, Melanie. But it's been like, way too long."
Judging by Neptune's eyes suddenly widening, the exchange had its desired effect. His body language seemed to indicate that he no longer thought of himself as the hunter, and they his prey. He now wanted to escape this conversation after both it and the girls had turned on him.
"You think the carpet matches the drapes?"
Miltia sincerely hoped not. She really hoped that his hair was a dye job. But then again, what kind of guy would want to try and pull off blue hair?
"I dunno. Guess there's only one way to find out."
Melanie nodded before looking to Neptune once more, her trademark predatory grin gracing her lips. "So, Neptune was it? You wanna like, go to the locker room for a little while? We totally have something we wanna show you in private..."
The boy may have been a wannabe lady's man, but he wasn't stupid. He could put two and two together. And he was not interested in subtracting two very precious things of his own from his body.
"No, no, I just realized I gotta get to my next class," he said hurriedly as he began walking up the classroom's steps and toward the door. "I guess I'll see you two around."
He didn't give them a chance to respond before exiting the room in a rush. Well, that was one problem solved at least.
"Fucking idiot..." Melanie repeated under her breath.
Miltia nodded wordlessly. She really hoped that Beacon wouldn't be full of guys who wanted to hit on them. Normally at the club she and Melanie would have every right to kick the crap out of those kinds of guys who tried to make a move on them. However, a violent reaction would probably not be tolerated here where they were guests.
As the twins made their way out of the classroom, Melanie spoke once more. "Come on, Mil. Can't we just skip the rest of the classes today?"
As much as she wanted to, Miltia knew they couldn't. "It's the first day, Melanie. I don't think they'd like it very much if we did."
"Yeah? Well fuck them. We're not like, actual students here."
No, but they had to follow their rules if they wanted the safety that this school offered. Junior would be furious if they got kicked out of Beacon. Especially on their first day.
"I know. But we have to try. Try thinking about making it through the day until we're free or something."
"Fucking easy for you to say when you've got Jaune waiting for you after school," Melanie countered. "What do I have? They don't serve alcohol here. There's no fucking fun. This might as well be prison."
Miltia frowned. She did indeed have Jaune. Something, or someone, to look forward to at the day's end. Someone to hold her. Someone to cuddle with at night. Someone to chase away the nightmares of her past.
Melanie on the other hand did not have her primary coping mechanism. She could not get wasted every night and fall asleep to dreamless nights. In that regard, Miltia felt sorry for her sister.
She placed an arm around Melanie's shoulders as they walked. "Aw, it's okay," she said gently. "You've still got me."
"Ugh. Don't remind me." Actions betrayed those words, however, and Melanie did nothing to remove the offending arm of her twin.
Encouraged by this, and to try and further lighten the mood, Miltia went on. "I mean, you could totally have Neptune. He seems... nice."
This time Melanie did move her sister's arm from her shoulders. "Bitch, please. Like he'd even know what to do with a girl like me, even if I was interested."
"Are you saying you wouldn't totally hit that?"
"As if."
The younger twin shrugged as they walked. "I dunno then," she said honestly. "Maybe we could like, try making friends?"
With a scoff and a roll of her eyes, Melanie went with the idea. "Oh yeah. Who do we know here? There's rich bitch. Terrorist bitch. Blonde bitch." Her sarcasm reached its peak when she got to the last name on their list of acquaintances. "Or do you really expect me to become friends with Ruby fucking Rose?"
As far as any of them went, Ruby was the best option of the people they knew. Since arriving at Beacon they had seen each other a few times, but as far as Miltia knew, nothing had really developed between them. Still, she was a kind-hearted and genuine girl who seemingly wanted what was best for her friends. Could she really become their friend?
Yang was out of the question. Both girls hated her with a passion after what she had done. Despite being related to Ruby, the blonde couldn't have been any more different from her sister. Then again that was not surprising to Miltia. After all, she and Melanie weren't exactly mirror images of one another.
Weiss would probably never care to associate with girls like them. She was a rich, pampered little brat who came from money and looked down on those who were lower than herself.
Finally there was Blake. The supposed ex White Fang terrorist. Miltia didn't know the whole story there, or why the girl was still allowed to attend Beacon. In any case, she didn't want anything to do with the girl. Not when she had ties to the people who had attacked Junior's club on one night, and then later bombed them.
Unless they managed to meet some more people here at Beacon, their list of potential friends was a short one. An undesirable one.
"I dunno," Miltia admitted. "But, like, maybe we'll meet someone cool. It's only the first day."
"Cool like blue balls boy?"
Miltia grimaced. No, if everyone was as cringey as Neptune, this would be a very long stay indeed.
"Fuck, I don't know," she breathed.
"Whatever. Let's just get this stupid shit over with then."
The younger girl sighed. Yeah. They would just have to get this last class over with. At least it was their last one of the day. Then they would have tomorrow to look forward to. And then the day after that.
At least there was a dance coming up. That should be fun, right?
"Very good, Mr. Arc."
Jaune felt calm. At peace. Like there was nothing in the world that could bother him. It was quite a contrast from the first time he had done this.
The last time Jaune had activated his Semblance, he had been in a state of panic. There was chaos around him. His own mind and emotions had been thrown into turmoil. He did not know what he had been doing. Or at least at the very start he had not.
In the middle of a near empty classroom at Beacon Academy, Jaune's hands and forearms were glowing a brilliant white. That was all he needed to do. All he was expected to do. Perfection could not be achieved in a day, after all.
"It feels strange," the boy said. "But natural."
"It should," Glynda Goodwitch agreed. "This is your Aura. A manifestation of your soul. What you are doing right now is a part of you just as much as the color of your hair and eyes."
He now understood what Miltia had meant the other night when she said that she felt close to him. When she had said that she felt his Aura touch hers. The night she had been so unusually aggressive. When she could not get enough of him.
Jaune's initial discussion with Glynda had given him some insight into what he had done. He had suspected it at first, but was now confident in the answer. His Aura had indeed touched Miltia's. Or at least what was left of it. The explosion had depleted it entirely and caused her severe injuries in one fell swoop. However, Jaune had come in an allowed it to rapidly recharge. He had amplified it, according to Glynda. It wasn't so much as him using his own Aura pool to refill Miltia's as it was giving hers a jump start and allowing it to regenerate. The Beacon professor suspected that he could even push a person's Aura past its normal limits for a short time.
That was what he was attempting to do here in Glynda's classroom now. With no other students present, and the woman's class not set to begin for a little while longer, he had time to practice. Under the guidance of not only a trained huntress, but a trained combat instructor, he wondered if he would be able prove her theories correct.
"Now, focus on your right hand," she told him. "Will your Aura to concentrate itself there. To strengthen and harden itself beyond its normal limits."
He tried to do just that. He wasn't sure how he was supposed to will his Aura to obey his silent commands, but he gave it his best effort. Closing his eyes, Jaune imagined his the light flowing to his right hand. He imagined it glowing in a shimmering light like it had when he healed Miltia. His breathing steadied. His hand felt warm. It felt powerful.
"Good." The praise caused his eyes to open again, and Jaune looked down to see his hand being enveloped in a light so bright that he had to squint to stare directly at it. "Now, strike."
His head turned to the unmoving practice dummy which Glynda had brought out and set in the middle of the small combat arena. Jaune was hardly trained in unarmed combat, but throwing a punch was easy enough. Pivoting his feet and his torso, Jaune lashed out with his fist, striking the dummy with as much strength as he could muster.
The result shocked him. Despite his lack of training, the dummy all but exploded on impact. Where Jaune's fist struck, a chest caved in. Ripples from the strike were sent out from the crater in all directions causing the dummy to tear in half. Soon enough what used to resemble a human torso was nothing more than several pieces of hard rubber.
The result of his strike caused Jaune to lose his focus, and the glow of Aura in his fist retreated back into his body. However, the evidence would remain on the floor. Jaune had just turned his fist into a deadly weapon with nothing more than his Aura.
"As I suspected," Glynda said as she approached him. "Your Semblance allows you to amplify Aura. Not just to heal somebody, like you did before. If you focus on a certain part of your body, you can turn it into a weapon. Or a shield. Without proper testing we will not know the limits. It is, however, fascinating to wonder what those limits may be."
Testing. Jaune knew that was exactly what they were doing right now. In the setting of a classroom with a teacher, it seemed innocent enough. He wasn't some lab rat being experimented upon. A part of him wondered if that would eventually happen, however.
The truth was that Glynda had become surprisingly interested in his Semblance during their initial meeting on his return to Beacon. When he had told her that he had saved Miltia's life, there was no hiding the curiosity behind those glasses of hers. She had asked many questions that morning, and most of them were not ones he could answer. He simply did not know about his Semblance enough yet to know what he did or how he did it. He did not know his limits.
He did not know if he should be gracious or suspicious that she seemed so adamant about seeing exactly what he was capable of.
"Yeah," he agreed. Jaune looked down at the mess that used to resemble a human body. He imagined what it might look like had it been a living human being. Or a living faunus. One in White Fang attire. One whose chest was burst apart. Broken ribs protruding from flesh. Blood everywhere. "Fascinating," he echoed.
"Mr. Arc?"
Jaune shook his head to clear those thoughts from it. He wasn't at the docks. He hadn't killed another man. "Huh?"
Glynda gave him a long and hard stare. "Nothing. How do you feel?"
Physically? Just fine. Mentally... not so much. "I'm fine," he said simply. He imagined that Glynda was indeed asking how his body felt after using his Aura in such an unfamiliar way. So he told the truth.
"Very good. I have a proposal for you. One which I would like you to consider very carefully."
Glynda's tone had taken a serious turn. While the woman always seemed to be serious and stern, she sounded even more so in this moment.
"Okay?"
"Mr. Arc, I wish to offer you a position at Beacon Academy."
His heart skipped a beat. His head whipped around to look the woman in the eyes. "What?"
She softly cleared her throat, and her eyes narrowed slightly before speaking again. Clearly she was not the type who enjoyed repeating herself. "I said I wish to offer you a chance to attend Beacon. For four years, just like every other student. An opportunity to become a huntsman, just as you once wanted."
Become a huntsman. Just like that. Like he had always wanted to.
Why? Why now of all times?
Had this been only a few months prior, Jaune would have leapt at the opportunity. He had been crushed by his expulsion from Beacon Academy. It had been his dream. The only thing he had wanted out of life. And it had been cruelly torn away by the very woman standing before him.
Now, however, that very same woman was offering him a chance to return. A chance to live out his dream. To make something of himself. To become the man he had always wanted to be. To become what his family never wanted him to be. To become a huntsman. To use his sword and shield to protect humanity.
To become a hero.
So why was it that he did not jump on such a chance?
"Why?" he asked.
The question shocked him as it left his mouth. If it surprised Glynda, she did not show it. "Your first time attending this school may have been under false pretenses, but it is clear that there is potential within you to make something of yourself. To become more than you currently are. As I have told you before, I am concerned about the path you are walking. I am concerned for your safety and your future."
Jaune wasn't buying it. "Then why didn't you offer me the spot the morning we first talked about all that?"
It was a valid question. One that only made his suspicions rise. He was thankful when Glynda had more to offer him than just that as an explanation.
"As I said, you have potential. With a Semblance such as yours, you have the ability to not just become a powerful huntsman. You can save lives, Mr. Arc. You have already done so once. As someone charged with not only protecting this kingdom, but protecting humanity as a whole, I would be remiss to pass on such an opportunity that has presented itself right in front of my eyes." She took a step toward him, and those green eyes of hers burned with surprising intensity the likes of which he had never before seen from the woman. "You can do more good here than you know. You can do it as a huntsman."
So that was it. She found out about his Semblance, and now everything had changed. He could help people. He could save lives. He could become Beacon's own personal medic and run around amplifying Auras. In all honesty it wasn't a bad thing. If he could save a life, he would do so in a heartbeat. However...
Glynda spoke of huntsmen like it was some title to be honored. Jaune didn't exactly think it was anymore. Maybe it was the Malachites rubbing off on him. Or maybe he was merely jaded by his own experiences. He didn't know. All he knew was what he had seen.
Jaune had never seen his father in action. He never saw the man on a mission. Back in his childhood, he looked up to the man for more than just being his father, but for also being a huntsman. Since leaving home, however, his experiences had been broadened. Things weren't so black and white anymore. Things were just as Junior said they were all those months ago.
Junior himself was a former huntsman. One who had abandoned his once noble calling to become a criminal boss. If he was supposed to exemplify what it meant to be a huntsman, then it did not paint the prettiest of pictures. Then again, he had his reasons. But as Glynda had said, the man hadn't been squeaky clean even before adopting the Malachite sisters.
Then there was Yang. A girl who wanted to become a huntress herself. A girl with a hot head who recklessly put countless lives in danger. Someone who had nearly beaten his girlfriend and her sister to death. All for a little bit of fun. Or to vent her anger. Or whatever her reasoning may have been at the time. Did she represent the ideals of a huntress? Did people with her power and abilities hold that much power over the average citizens of Vale? Of the entire world?
Then Jaune looked back on everything that he had done. The men he had hurt. The man he had killed. And the girl he had saved. He had done all of that as a civilian. As just a private citizen of Vale.
In the end there was no difference. Huntsman or civilian. People could do good and people could do bad. A fancy title meant nothing. The education of a huntsman academy meant nothing. It was the person who made the impact. It was they who made the decision to help or harm others. There was more than one way to be a hero. Or a villain.
Jaune shook his head softly, and could scarcely believe the words that were forming on his lips. "I can't."
Green eyes widened slightly at those words. This time Glynda was clearly shocked in her reaction. "Excuse me?"
That was not the answer she had been expecting. After Jaune's initial reaction to being kicked out of Beacon, Glynda probably expected him to take her up on her offer in a heartbeat. Not this.
"I can't," he repeated. "I... I don't want to be a huntsman. Not after everything I've seen. Everything I've done."
"If you are referring to the incident at the docks-"
"It's more than that," he interrupted. "I just... I don't know."
He wasn't lying. He did not know. Jaune's mind was a confused mess right now. Everything he had ever wanted was being handed to him upon a silver platter, and he was turning it down. A part of him wondered if he was making a hasty decision. He wondered if he should sit down and talk about it with the people who knew him best. Then again he already knew what they would say.
He could not consult his family on the issue. They all believed he was attending a school for the arts. That left a only a handful of others. Miltia and Melanie would tell him to reject the offer. They hated huntsmen with a passion. They blamed huntsmen for failing to protect Mountain Glenn. Their opinions had been further shaped by Junior who told them about the true nature of huntsmen. They were far more and far less than the romanticized defenders of humanity. They were hired guns. They would take on missions if and when they felt like it. They could potentially work for anybody, good or bad, so long as it lined their pockets.
Then there was Ruby. That bright-eyed, optimistic girl who believed in the virtues of being a huntress. One who only wanted the best for those around her. A girl who wanted to help people. To defend humanity. To make the world a better place. She would tell him to attend Beacon once more. She would talk about how much fun they would have together. She would attempt to squash his doubts. To show him that he could be a good man, and a good huntsman. Together they could make the world change for the better through being huntsmen. And maybe she was right.
That's what made it all so confusing. That's what made it so difficult.
"It is of course your decision, Mr. Arc," Glynda said. "And you need not make a decision today. However, this is an opportunity that few people are ever given. You have the potential to do so much good in the world. All I'm asking is that you think it over."
Again, the intensity from that woman shocked Jaune. It seemed as if she truly desired for him to attend Beacon Academy. Why though, he could not say. Was it really because he could make a difference? Was it because of the sudden reveal of his Semblance? Was there more to the situation than met the eye?
Despite what he had said, and despite everything he had gone through, there was still a part of Jaune which wanted to say yes. A part of him that wanted to be a huntsman, only so that he could squash all of his doubts. So he could show that everything he had done had not been for nothing. So that he could justify all of the bad he had done by finally achieving his dream, and then make up for all he had done through his good actions.
Some part of him wanted someone to convince him to change his mind. That person just happened to be Glynda Goodwitch. "Even if I were to come to Beacon, I wouldn't even have a team, right? Can't be here on my own."
He was looking for something. Anything. If Glynda told him that he was correct on the matter, that would make staying away a far easier decision. Then again, if she said that it didn't matter, that would make the siren call of attending Beacon all the easier to follow. Right now he just needed somebody to help him make a decision.
"True," Glynda agreed, and in turn pushing Jaune firmly toward the 'no' camp. "However, you have with you two potential candidates for teammates in those sisters. They are already trained fighters, and if they were to agree to attempt to reform and cut all ties with Hei Xiong, they would have the potential to make fine huntresses."
Jaune wanted to laugh, but doing so in Glynda's face would have been rude. This woman clearly did not know the twins at all if she thought they would ever want to become huntresses. Or if she believed they would ever abandon the man who saved their lives. Then again, Glynda did not know the truth. She truly believed that Junior had picked them up off the street in order to raise them as his hired muscle. That he was just using them. What Glynda did not know was that he had rescued them from death at Mountain Glenn, and viewed them as his own daughters. And that they in turn viewed them as a father figure.
He remembered some of Junior's words from before which only proved the point. And if you ever hurt them, then I will hurt you. And nobody will find your body.
If Junior knew that he was sleeping with Miltia, how would he react? Jaune didn't know. All he knew was that he was very happy that the man did not know.
"I... don't think they'd take you up on your offer," he told her truthfully. He wasn't about to go into detail and all but insult Glynda's profession. "They're not exactly the defenders of humanity types."
"Not surprising," the woman said flatly. "Regardless, I would advise you to use your time here at Beacon wisely. Think about it as if you were a student here. Look over the opportunities you would be given. You also already have friends here in Miss Rose and Miss Xiao Long, if I remember correctly."
"Yeah," he agreed. Though at this point he did not know what to think of Yang anymore. Sure, she had admitted some fault in what she had done to the twins. However, the fact that she had done it in the first place to people he was now intimately close with did not sit well with him.
Glynda looked up to the clock mounted on the wall and sighed softly. "I have a class which is set to start in a few minutes. If you are free for tomorrow at the same time, I wish to continue learning more about your Semblance."
So did he. "Sure. Sounds good."
"Very good. And if you wish to sit in on my class, please feel free to do so. It is a combat class between students. While you will not be able to participate, perhaps you would like to see what prospective huntsmen are capable of. What you may be capable of as well. It may prove to be quite a learning experience."
The idea did pique his interest. If this was some sort of trick to try and get him to change his mind on attending Beacon Academy, then it was a good one. He wanted to see what other students were capable of. People like Ruby and Yang. He hadn't exactly gotten a good look at them down at the docks. He was too concerned about fighting for his own life.
Jaune nodded, and moved to take a seat at one of the back rows of desks. The less focus he had on himself from the other students the better.
Grabbing his scroll, Jaune began typing out a message to Miltia so that she and Melanie would know where he was. He wondered what the two of them would think about seeing the other students in action. If maybe somehow, someway, they might become interested in joining Beacon Academy as well. Even if it wasn't with the goal of becoming huntresses.
Jaune once thought he knew what he wanted. Then after the docks he was sure he knew what he did not want. Now, however, he did not know what to think.
Things had been quiet since getting back to their dorm. Too quiet.
Melanie wondered if she should look at this peace as a good thing. Her sister wasn't all but assaulting Jaune with a passion that she did not realize Miltia was capable of. Melanie thought that she was the more outgoing and lewd one. But if what she was feeling from Miltia the other day was any indication of things...
Just what had Jaune done to her. Both in the bedroom and with that Aura thingy of his?
Even now they didn't seem to have a care in the world. Sharing a bed as they always did. Jaune lying back with his head propped up against a pillow. Miltia lying with her back to his chest and using him as a pillow in turn. His hands were wrapped around her stomach holding her close to him. It was sickening. Disgusting. Stupid. Couldn't those two get a room? Never mind the fact that they did in fact have a room, and Melanie herself was all but playing the role of the third wheel right now.
It seemed as if they were content to simply watch TV right now after a long and boring day at school. It wasn't as if they had any homework. And it wasn't as if they could do anything else in this lame little school. Melanie was tempted to go and take an air ship to Vale if for nothing else than to go and buy some liquor. Surely she wouldn't be at risk for just a short trip into the city. Her personal stash which she brought with her from the club wouldn't last forever. And with a big party coming up... it needed some booze to liven things up.
Still, that required getting up. And doing shit. Melanie was not in the mood to do shit. She was in a foul mood as it was because of everything going on around her. She wanted to stew in her anger. She wanted those around her to suffer along with her.
With a heavy sigh she closed her eyes and looked away from the TV screen. "I'm bored," she stated.
Jaune said nothing. Miltia merely hummed an acknowledgement.
A low growl grumbled in the back of her throat. "Come on. Let's do something."
At least this time Miltia had the decency to speak. "Like what?"
Melanie did not know what to do either. All she did know was that the status quo could not remain. Those two were probably just itching for the opportunity to go at it again. They could only do that if Melanie left the room. It was young love. Two teenagers discovering sex for the first time. She had been there once too. She could imagine that all the two wanted to do now was screw each other. Especially after Jaune had saved Miltia's life. Melanie could not imagine the emotional bond that the two might have shared now. Well, she could imagine, but only in the vaguest of terms. Her own shared Semblance with Miltia made sure of that.
"I dunno. Let's go out. It's not even nine yet."
"Go where?"
"Fuck if I know. Let's just get out of this room."
It wasn't that Melanie wished for her sister to be unhappy. She was glad that she found someone to be there for her. Someone kind and trustworthy. However, Melanie knew that if she went out to do something right now that the two of them would not follow. They would be more than happy to continue to lay there and enjoy each other's company. And that meant Melanie would be left alone to wander the campus of Beacon with nothing to do.
"That sounds totes thrilling and all, Melanie," her sister said sardonically. "But... nah."
"So you'd rather sit here and watch this?" she asked pointing to the screen.
It was some stupid romantic comedy movie. Maybe it was more enjoyable when you were watching it in the arms of your significant other. Not that Melanie would know what that felt like to begin with. She didn't exactly do relationships. People just ruined the experience. Relationships ruined the experience. They made you vulnerable. Caring about people made you vulnerable. It allowed them to leave you. It allowed them to die.
Just as their parents had.
"Guess so," Miltia answered bluntly.
Melanie smacked her head back down against her own pillow in frustration. "Whatever," she whispered harshly.
Let them have their stupid little teenage romance. She was happy for them. She was thrilled for them. And she was thrilled to be trapped in the same room with them as they basked in said stupid little teenage romance.
She needed a drink right now. Really, really needed one. Anything to escape this nightmare of boredom. Even going to sleep this early would be a sweet release from the tedium of being imprisoned to Beacon Academy's grounds. Unfortunately she could not even do that so long as Miltia and Jaune were enjoying their stupid movie.
As she lay there with her eyes closed, the sounds of the movie suddenly cut out, and were replaced with some simplistic and generic musical melody.
Lifting her head back up to view the screen, Melanie saw the words "VNN Special Report" in place of the picture. A voice soon accompanied those words. "This is a VNN Special Report. Here's Lisa Lavender."
An appropriately lavender-haired woman appeared on the screen shortly after. Melanie recognized her as the regular talking head who anchored the nightly news.
"Good evening, we're coming on the air to inform the citizens of Vale of a major incident occurring right now in downtown Vale. Minutes ago a major accident took place on Highway 51. Reports from the scene indicate that the accident was the result of an altercation between what is believed to be one of Atlas' newly announced Paladin combat suits, and students of Beacon Academy. The incident is still ongoing, and we urge all citizens to avoid taking the city's major highways if possible until the situation is resolved. We're going to cut to footage from one of VNN's Bullheads on the scene right now."
Melanie saw as the picture shifted to show the highway. Bathed in dust lamps to illuminate the darkness, it was difficult to see too much detail from the altitude that the air ship sat at. However... she would recognize some of those colors from anywhere. A person in black and red. Another in white. Other moving figures whose colors were more obscured, but she could guess who they were. She could guess what they were doing.
It was Ruby fucking Rose and her friends. She hated to admit it, but some of these people were incredible.
Melanie had only a handful of experience with people who were on or above her level when it came to fighting. Most of the time she fought lowlife gang members or some other kind of criminal scum in the alleys and warehouses of Vale. They were easy prey. Easy for her to dominate. When fighting side by side with Miltia, they did not provide much of a threat. She reveled in her superiority over them. It was control in an otherwise chaotic life.
Then she had met Yang Xiao Long on that fateful night all those months ago. Though she and her sister had gotten some good hits in against the blonde, in the end Yang ended up wiping the floor with both of them. Miltia had been left bloody and Auraless. Melanie herself was badly hurt, especially in her right shoulder which had had been twisted around before being sent to the floor one final time.
After that she had gone toe to toe with the entirety of Team RWBY briefly before the fight was broken up. Still, she had taken a few more hits. Even if it hadn't been as bad before, the outcome was painfully apparent. She and her sister simply were not on the level of these huntsmen students. Some of them at least.
Sitting in on Glynda Goodwitch's class had shown that not all of these students were beyond her level. That scrawny little green-haired punk and his friends for example seemed simple enough. Melanie was confident that if she were given the opportunity to fight in one of those sparring classes that she could win against him. But the others? Yang or Ruby? That rich Schnee bitch or that stupid little terrorist? Not a chance. They were out of her league. Miltia and Jaune too. They would be at the mercy of all of them if it ever came to a fight.
The idea of being so powerless was a sickening one.
"There is no word yet on the cause of the incident or the motives of its participants," Lisa continued as the footage continued to roll. "Information is still coming in live as I speak. Stay tuned for further announcements as the situation continues to unfold."
Lisa's face faded out to be replaced with the special report screen once more for a few seconds, before abruptly returning to the movie.
Melanie turned to look at the other two in the room. Miltia looked at the screen with a frown, before her eyes glanced over to meet her sister's. Jaune on the other hand...
Jaune looked as if he had just seen a ghost.
Melanie gave him a strange look, which in turn caused Miltia to turn her head to get a look at the boy. As soon as she did, she shifted to loosen the grip his arms had around her.
"Jaune?" Miltia asked. She trailed a finger gently across his cheek to get his attention. "Jaune, what's wrong?"
The boy shook his head slightly before his eyes seemed to return to normal. "Nothing," he said softly. "I'm okay."
No he wasn't. Melanie had dealt with more than her fair share of PTSD. That's what the drinking was for. That's what the fucking was for. Even then it still wasn't enough to make her okay with what had happened back at Mountain Glenn.
She had a good idea of what it was that Jaune couldn't forget.
There was genuine concern in Miltia's eyes, but to her credit she did not press the issue. Trying to get people to talk when they weren't ready was a terrible idea. Melanie knew that all too well.
"Okay..." she said reluctantly. Melanie knew her sister didn't believe him either.
Maybe she should leave. Maybe she should let them fuck.
At least then he'd be happy for a little while.
Author's Note: So as you can see I'm taking a bit of a step into the unknown concerning Jaune's Semblance. Based on what we saw all the way back in Volume 1 in Forever Fall, Jaune used his Semblance to pretty much turn his face into an impenetrable wall when Cardin punched him. Since the RWBY crew has confirmed his Semblance to be Aura Amplification, I don't feel it's too much of a stretch to think he can focus that Aura in certain places (like his face) to boost his strength or resilience. Almost like an Iron Fist type character, but with a lot more options.
As always I want to thank everyone for your continued support with this story. I truly appreciate it all.
I also want to plug an ongoing story right now by Aetheling called: The Legacy of Bleiss: A Discord Anthology. It's a collection of stories by a ton of talented authors about a color-inverted and personality-inverted Weiss, and it's really awesome. So if you're into Weiss, White Knight, crack, or all of the above, check it out. I've contributed a couple chapters to it myself.
Anyway, thanks for reading. I hope you enjoyed the chapter.