Standing atop a cliff overlooking the Emerald forest, the Beacon headmaster is calm, externally. Internally, his mind was brimming with several colorful emotions. At the head of his current mood was one he was quite familiar with; regret. Of all the times he chose not to, this one time he decided to accept one of the General's ideas and had the initiation of this year's incoming freshman broadcasted. Why? The champion of Mistral, the heiress of the Schnee Corporation, these were simply to name a few of the well-known individuals currently aiming for a shot at Beacon. The broadcast was simply publicity, a means to inspire, and encourage youths to consider a life as a hunter. But nothing, nothing could've prepared him for this. How we managed to skim past the surname of one student eluded him, but he recognized the boy in an instant. How couldn't he? The boy's mother might've detested him, but the grandfather of the lad would not stop bragging about his little cub preparing for his own path to glory.
Still, of all the children of the people who held grudges towards, it had to be him. The son of the infamous-
"Professor Ozpin?" The headmaster's eyes calmly opened, glancing to his right-hand, and perhaps the only sane member of his staff by society's standards. Once she was within his sight, he noticed Glynda eyeing her scroll with a concerned expression. Judging by the constant vibrations, she was receiving a flurry of messages, and he could guess from whom they originated. And to his credit, he was partially correct. Some were from the Schnee corps, apparently 'requesting' their heiress receive more screen time, a few from Mistral kindly suggesting more focus on their champion, and a very winded response from Menagerie's chieftain, but the one he feared most came from one of his staff, a new addition he took in after her discharge from the Atlesian Military. Oh, and one very important piece of information that he, and she on many occasions, dared not allow to be forgotten; she was the boy's godmother.
Knowing full well what hell he'd unleash by not responding to her first, he pulled up her message first, her name and photo appearing on his call screen.
She had a fair complexion, long locks of deep violet hair tied nicely into a bun, similarly colored shade of lipstick and eyeliner as her hair, and a pair of beautiful yet hauntingly bright golden eyes peering deep into his soul. Her appearance alone struck admiration, but her name was what caught the eye of many.
A. Lacroix
While knowing what would come next, he still chose to answer her message first. Opening the screen up, it only had two letters. But, that's all it took for her, right before the shot between the eyes came. Now that he thought of it; that's possibly why Ironwood had to let her go.
You Knew
As calmly as he could, he began typing, only to suddenly feel himself being stared down the scope of a rifle. Steeling his nerves, he continued typing, choosing his words extremely carefully.
I don't handle admissions papers
He responds, though the feeling of a red dot on him does not go away, the woman does not reply. Instead, Glynda receives a call from the aforementioned godmother, and proceeds to make the mistake of answering. Now, Ozpin can stand comfortably from his spot and watch the first years as his new combat instructor gives his second a piece of her mind. He felt for Glynda, he truly did, but he also had high hopes the theory of hereditary semblances applied to the boy, he would be a great asset in the fight against the Grimm. If his family didn't intervene.
-Meanwhile-
A beowulf with a twisted neck falls unceremoniously unto the ground, disintegrating into nothing within seconds, like the rest of its ilk. The student responsible for the creature's demise currently hunches, breathing heavily as he just faced off a wave of Grimm on his own. His armor and weapon were still operational, as were his limbs, but just barely. Jaune didn't expect to have to engage in a fight so quickly after landing, however, he was indeed glad his training wasn't for nothing. With a proud grin, he readied himself to venture forward, until he saw an Ursa spring from the bushes, its claws aiming right for him. He barely had enough time to raise his shield, but at the speed it was approaching him, it would take a chunk of his face with it. Thankfully, before the creature could lay a claw on him, the Grimm's body was suddenly floored, the cause being a rather large Warhammer crushing the creature into bits and pieces all over the ground. Said gruesome remains disintegrated within seconds as the wielder of the hammer rose up and met his ocean blue eyes with her turquoise orbs.
She was grinning, wolfishly, at him. In a way, it really creeped him out, but she saved his life so he wasn't exactly going to wander away, or make a snide remark. Though, he wondered when exactly she arrived to perfectly strike the Grimm coming towards him directly on its head.
"Uh…thanks?" His gratitude came off more skeptical than he would've wanted, but oddly enough, she didn't seem to mind much. Rather, she just stood there, smiling. Ok, this was not what he wanted right now…and worse yet, he just remembered a very important detail about eye contact during this assignment. "Ummm…where's your partner?" He prayed, oh did he pray for her partner to just suddenly show up out of nowhere. Her answer was a faint shake of her head. Her grin had eased, but her eyes were still locked on him. He prayed again. "So, this means we're partners then?" He waited with baited breath, only to see her nod, and the feeling of his prayers being thrown right at his face.
And it wasn't that he didn't want her as a partner, he knew next to nothing about this red-head. But what he did know was how over-energetic she was in the morning, if her unyielding vocal chords in the cafeteria were anything to go by. His morning self would not be able to handle her, he could already feel the headaches. And judging by how she handled the Ursa, he really did not like the idea of being on the receiving end of her hammer should his moodiness tick her off.
With his own awkward smile, he offers his left hand. "Nice to meet you then, partner." He swore he saw her gleeful expression falter, if only for a second before her grin widened. When she took his hand, she shook vigorously, nearly lifting the boy up in the process.
"Back at 'cha." Her tone was near the level of bolstering, proud, and gleeful. Oh if he wasn't reminded of a certain someone just by her outward demeanor, he had a feeling she was going to send him down many nostalgic lanes. And no doubt, if his opa ever found him, the blond had a feeling the two would probably get along swimmingly, depending on her personality of course.
"I'm Jaune." He greeted, again with a nervous smile.
"Nora." She replied with her first name as well.
Another awkward silence prevailed, that is, until the blond gathered himself, and gestured towards the forest. "Alright then, let's get moving." As he was passing her, he felt her hand grab his collar, keeping him in place. And he thought Ruby was uncharacteristically strong for her size, this girl just brought him to a full stop, and she didn't even appear to be using much of her strength either. Unbelievably strong women manhandling him without any effort, especially the ones shorter than him; Beacon really does feel like home now with every second.
His eyes glance to her, her grin remains as does her grip. "Where ya going, fearless partner?"
"Fearless?"
She nodded, a proud gleam in her eyes shone. "You fought all those Grimm by yourself, pretty fearless to me." She responded, answering more than she probably expected to.
"Well, I- wait…you saw that?" A rather irritated tone seeped into his voice as he watched her, again, blissfully nod. "And it didn't occur to you to help?"
"Nah." She waved it off, playfully. "You had it under control."
"That last Grimm begged to differ." He leveled a cold glare towards her, though she showed no reaction to it.
"And that's where I come in, to watch your back from here on out." She spoke as if her logic was valid.
Oh how he was starting to regret coming here, but the feeling did not last. Instead, he took a deep breath and tried to move, only for his partner to keep him in place.
"Hey, Nora, mind letting go?"
"Where ya going, fearless partner?" There came that question again.
"To find the artifacts." He responded, curtly.
"Where?" She asked, innocently. Though, given how she handled the Ursa, the image was not sitting well.
"I don't know, somewhere in the forest I suppose."
"Oh. Did ya see anything on the way down?"
Before he responded with some sarcastic remark, an image flashed. He did. He saw something just before landing in the woods; structures, riddled with vines and clear signs of weathering, but sticking out like a sore thumb. Given a moment to think on it, Jaune ponders, aloud. "Ruins, in the north of the forest. If the headmaster hid the relics, that's one place he could've hidden them. In that case…" He walked towards a nearby tree, eyeing where the moss had been growing. After determining where, he gestures north, only to find his partner had let go of him and was already standing in the direction they were heading with her weapon in hand, now mecha shifted into a grenade launcher.
"Ready when you are." She announced. "But it's my turn to have some fun!" Nora held her weapon in the air, smiling devilishly at the prospect of the Grimm she and her new partner would be facing.
For a moment, the blond was stunned. This girl was already a few steps ahead of him. Granted, he wished she stepped in to help him when she saw him under attack. Looking back at it; she was perhaps the only one that saw him enter a fight and only intervened when she saw it necessary. He wasn't the support, and he wasn't in the back of the fight anymore; he was leading the attack. It was an intoxicating feeling, to have someone believe in your abilities, even a complete stranger. But then, she wouldn't be much of a stranger now would she. With a heavy sigh, he jogged behind his suddenly overly hyper partner as they made their way north to the ruins.
But then, she stopped, her arm held up. She turned to him, giving him a sideways glance. "How long would you say it would take us to get there?"
Jaune stuttered, for a moment, before calculating an answer. "Judging by the terrain, and the stream in our path, I'd say a good hour, two if we take stops."
Upon hearing his answer she smiles, and he suddenly starts to fear for his life.
"Then let's hitch a ride." Hitch a ride? He was going to ask, until she pointed into the treelines, attempting to sneak away, poorly, was an Ursa that had seen the carnage earlier and tried fleeing. Only to suddenly realize it had been caught. Jaune's eyes darted back and forth between his partner and the Grimm. It took him precisely ten seconds to realize what she meant, as he tried walking away, she caught his collar again and without any effort threw him over her shoulder. While he wanted to comment on her inhuman strength, her waltzing towards the Grimm took precedent.
"Nora, no!" he struggled, in vain.
His partner, while he couldn't see, smiled innocently. "Nora, yes!"
-Beacon Cliffs-
Oh how Ozpin was glad he wasn't in Glynda's shoes, after the blond's partner decided on how to move about during their test the voice on Glynda's line rose to the point that she had to hold her phone a distance from her ears.
Lacroix, a woman many knew to be cold, logical, and above all else; emotionless. Right now, however, the infamous sniper was practically seething, and if he could see her now, he expected her to have her finger itching to trigger a rifle aimed directly at him. What was stopping her? He couldn't say, not for sure. All he knew, so long as the boy was breathing, so was he. This family of hers, the mother of the boy, Ozpin knew the bitterness the majority of the family held towards him. To have the sniper join his staff was a stretch, no doubt she had her reserves about working for him. Though, the headmaster had doubts that there were any legal jobs outside the military for a sniper that apparently never misses. Why Ironwood allowed her to leave his charge was still a mystery, but the headmaster of Beacon seized the opportunity, by her conditions, mostly.
Diverting his attention back to his students, it seemed a decent size was flocking to the ruins, the smart bunch at least. He noticed a fair share of the incoming students wandering off to who knows where. As for the last paired team, he had a moment of fear for his school's lien budget as he watched the two mount the Ursa and force the thing forward, like watching a Matador fight in Vacuo. An interesting pair the two was showing to be; Nora Valkyrie and Jaune-
"Headmaster Ozpin." The sound of that thick Mistrilian accent made his past lives pass before his very eyes in that one moment. Outwardly, he remains stoic and calm, inside; he's pleading for salvation. He turns to the newcomer, only to see his newest staff member glaring at him. Judging by her current gear she had not come to scold or chew him out. Worse; she appeared in her old combat attire, and her rifle slung across her back. "Lovely day for a walk, wouldn't you agree?" Ozin peeked to where Glynda in hopes of finding support, instead he sees his second with a narrowed glare at him, just before she averts her eyes to her scroll to monitor the students.
"Now, Lacroix, I do hope you aren't thinking of doing something drastic." He noticed how close she was to a launch pad, though, only the headmaster held the controls to the pad. "This event is currently being broadcasted, no need to make a scene."
The woman's glare was nothing if not piercing; indicating whatever he said next would determine whether he would sleep safely that night. She averted her eyes from the eyesore that was the headmaster, keeping her attention focused on the forest where her godson was currently engaging in the initiation with a rather…eccentric individual. Although, if given a choice in the matter, the sniper would've preferred a more grounded partner, granted the girl was smart, to a degree. Strong? There was no denying that. But, considering they'd be living under the same roof had her uneasy, for a variety of reasons. The biggest of which was soon being on the receiving end of an overly worried mother demanding her son be sent back. And the backlash she'd receive for refusing.
"No." Her response was hesitant, but she made no attempt to dash into the forest to retrieve the runaway. "I am here to assist as Oobleck, Peach, and the round one in my duties as a professor here."
Well, that wasn't suspicious in the slightest. Regardless, Ozpin chose to humor her. "While that is not necessary, additional help is always welcomed. However, I must ask that you not intervene in this. The freshman must complete this task on their own, professors only step in when the number of Grimm are too much for mere first years."
She did not respond, rather, she kept her eyes focused on the ruins ahead. When she finally did give her response to the headmaster, she made no effort to be subtle. "I don't intend to, however, I will warn you, should you get any ideas regarding the boy you'd best forget them now. You may have the silver-eyed brat in your mitts, but you will not take any more of my family on your forlorn vendetta."
There was no fear in the man at that moment, it shifted to solemn regret and moderately contained anger. He had lost many allies in his life, many friends who lost hope and chose to diverge from salvation, and live out their days doing whatever they pleased, never seeing the bigger picture. The departure that hurt the most; was the boy's mother. Her power could've been put to such greater use in their fight against the Grimm, rather than whatever mundane lifestyle she does now.
Ozpin says nothing the sniper, instead watching as she prepares to descend into the forest to take position near the forest borders. As with every initiation, the staff oversees the number of Grimm within the forest to prevent a horde from overrunning the freshman. It was supposed to be simple, watch the border and radio back in if there was trouble. Luckily enough, no such incident had ever occurred; the protocol was simply installed in the rare instance such an event does occur. Although, he justifiably had concerns as to the true intentions of his school's new combat instructor. As she descends into the forest, Ozpin keeps an eye on his scroll. With the live broadcasting of this event, no doubt the mother of the blond had seen him in one of the feeds.
Changing the camera view, the screens turned to the students by the ruin, apparently already engaged in battle with a handful of Grimm. Though, he quickly took notice of an anomaly with this herd of Grimm. Not the size, or their makeup bothered him, it was how this small herd seemingly sprung up without prior detection.
-Emerald Forest, Ruins-
Three beowulfs were tossed across a field, their bodies disintegrating as a small gathering of freshman hold their position by the ruins where the 'relics' were kept. The few with shields stationed themselves at the front with long-ranged weapons providing support, and close range combatants faced-off against a plethora of Grimm. From beowulves, to ursa, borbatusks, and even an alpha beowulf to top it all off. The latter was being distracted, kept away from the main group, whilst those within the shield circle were nursing their injuries. Aura could only do so much, and many of the injured were ones that had just depleted a good chunk of theirs fighting off the first wave.
An irritated red-haired mace wielder growls as his slow-paced aura barely heals his wounds. "Remind me who's dumb idea was it to wander into some random fucking cave and piss off a sleeping herd of Grimm?!" he yelled out as one of the aforementioned guilty parties was busy tending to the wounded. The other was with the shield formation holding back the Grimm with her rifle.
"I'm sorry." The red-headed champion called out, only to miss one of her shots, giving a beowulf a chance to press forward. It would not get far as a shotgun blast to its head knocked the creature back a few pegs before it too disintegrated.
"Pyrrha, focus!" Yang shouted as her and a few fellow freshman kept going at it against the creatures of darkness.
From atop the pillars, three snipers are gunning down whatever came into their sights. The highest held the silver-eyed prodigy as she carefully reserved her shots for targets she was assured would be hit. She aligned another ursa into her scope, adjusted trajectory, and pulled.
*click*
She cursed, reaching into her ammo bag, only to pale at the realization. She broke from her stupor when she realized her fellow marksman had as well ceased fire. When she glanced their way, she noticed the similar state they were in; hands deep in their ammo bag, but not munition.
"Out of ammo!" Ruby shouted out, jumping down from the pillars with the others as their rifles mecha shifted to melee weapons. From the shield wall, those with fire-arms as well began finding themselves with no ammunition. They had spent most of their stock to get to the ruins, and now they were mostly empty at this point.
"There's too many!" One student shouted.
"The hell are all these bastards coming from!?" Another threw in. The students holding back the deathstalker were showing more signs of being physically exhausted than the overgrown scorpion. The short range fighters were starting to run on empty as a majority had their aura well below the thirty percent mark. And the shield line would only hold the Grimm back for so long. They could've just gotten their relics and ran, that's what they should've done from the beginning. Why didn't they? The injured. Some of the students who made it to the ruins had gotten injured along the way, stopping to rest, they intended to only stay for a short time before moving on. But, the Grimm started to appear in droves, those who fought back were doing so under the pretense that they were dealing with stragglers. And yet, more came. And more, there was no end to them. The stragglers became a pack, and the pack became a herd, and there was no end in sight.
They couldn't leave now, they had too many injured, and their exhausted were spent up as is. If it kept up the way it was, they wouldn't last for much longer. This was what they were trained for; to fight the Grimm, but they were not yet ready for this level of numbered enemy.
A large explosion rocked the earth beneath them, all eyes, even the Grimm, turned to a section of the forest where the herd was emerging from. As the Grimm turned their heads back, many were suddenly engulfed in flames from an explosion as an already disintegrating Ursa emerged from the flames, a red-head sat atop the creature's back laughing maniacally. When the beast did hit the ground, it did so with the red-head's hammer cementing its head to the ground. Bouncing off her kill, Nora took a moment to inspect her handiwork before nodding in approval.
"That wasn't so bad." She commented.
"Nora!" The red-head's eyes shone for a moment as she searched for the source to the voice that called her. Her eyes landed on her companion early on. With blinding speed she rushed over towards the boy, nearly tackling him to the ground as she dove in for an embrace.
"Ren!" She called out just before impact. As the boy reeled from the sudden attack, the girl was smothering her face against his chest. "You made it!"
"Nora…can't…breathe." The boy was suffocating under her tight embrace. She only relented after seeing his face go pale.
Her bright and cheery smile remained as she, nonchalantly mind you, retrieved her hammer from the still disintegrating Grimm's head. The sickening crunching noises that followed caused her fellow first years to flinch as she absentmindedly shook off the oozing black blood and stood proud with her hammer at the ready.
"NORA!" All eyes snapped to where she first emerged from the forest, the alpha beowulf landed heavily upon the ground, the chain of a mail was quick to wrap itself against its neck, and with an armored boot pressed against its back; a blond knight heaved with such force, the creature's head was torn clean off. The chain retracted as the flail reverted to a mace once again.
Standing beside the alpha's disintegrating body was a blond knight, carrying an unconscious heiress in one arm, behind him was Blake and a few other freshmen who were tasked with distracting the alpha.
He was huffing as he and his group calmly walked up to the rest of the group. The Grimm around them still gathering their bearings after that sudden entrance. "I *huff* have been chasing you *huff* for forty minutes!"
"I told you to hold on." Nora replied as if it were a normal thing, smirking proudly as her partner approached the ruins.
Feeling that arguing with her at this point was useless, Jaune chose instead to place the heiress down. He placed a hand on forehead, and within seconds, a golden aura encompassed his body, dimming only when it seemingly shone over the heiress as well. What the spectators noticed almost immediately was the rapid healing process she was going through. From small scratches to gashes were healing with a great amount of speed. For many, this was indeed a sight to see, a healing semblance was a rarity in its own right, very few in history were ever recorded to possess such a power, the most recent one was an Atlesian doctor who just up and walked out of her huntress, and no soul knew whether she was still alive or not. What was currently a hot topic over her departure were certain allegations over stolen research. In any case, Jaune's display caught many eyes, including those watching from the broadcast.
After the light faded, and the blond stood up, Weiss stirred. Groggily, she rose up, her muscles slightly sore, but feeling oddly rejuvenated. When her vision returned she glanced around, noticing eyes partially on her, and others focused on the eyesore she knew as the brute with little to no manners. Though, while these people would be gawking at his presence, more pressing matters were of concern.
A collection of growls and snarls brought the students back to reality as they saw the Grimm regrouping, cutting off perhaps their only window of escape.
"Fuck, there goes that window." One of the students cursed, the majority realizing they could've escaped instead of listening to useless banter, and gawking at a student with possible healing abilities. Although, the later was more a benefit to know, but no one was naïve enough to think he could heal them all forever.
"Don't suppose anyone's got an exit strategy?" Blake groaned as she could barely hold her weapon up for much longer.
"No…" He muttered. "But, we'll make one. Everyone group up on me! Shields to the front, anyone with ammo cover the flanks." he started barking out orders, a few were reluctant to follow, while a majority quickly got into positions after Nikos and Xiao Long burst into action. Those who were reluctant, upon seeing the rest form up, decided to group up as well, seeing the advantage of surviving in larger numbers.
As the Grimm grew closer, the blond reached into his pack, a small vial was dispensed upon pressing on a section of the pack. A stolen cocktail of bio-enhancement, a weapon designed by his grandmother, it was perhaps their only chance at breaking through the lines. For a moment, he hesitated; knowing full well he only had one and needed to make it count. His first thought was Yang, her strength and power would most likely deal more damage, but there was the risk of her attacks causing an accidental friendly fire, or burn the forest down with them in it. Pyrrha was a close second, though her style relied on precision and coordination, she wouldn't be able to create the gap they needed. Which left only one candidate…
'I'm sorry, Nana.' The blonde loaded the vial to a launcher in his wrist. "Nora!"
"Yes Jaun-eeee!" The hammer-wielder yelped as her head snapped to where she felt a sudden stinging pain. She found a vial, with an impressively elongated needle embedded in her left back bumper. A blue liquid within disappeared in seconds, presumably injecting her with the contents. There was a brief silence, and without warning, a golden aura washed over the girl with sparks of lightening emitting from all points of her body.
"You're powered up! Get in there!"
She didn't need to be told twice, she felt it; power. Raw, seemingly limitless power surging through her veins. Her own semblance was practically flaring around her. Breaking her partner's legs for firing at her ass would have to wait, she felt invincible, and judging from the Grimm around her. All of which biting and scratching and yet not leaving so much as a scratch on her. She grinned, hoisted her hammer with ease, as if it were lighter than air, and swung effortlessly at the horde around her, sending many of them flying through the air. The sudden invincibility of their new foe stunted the Grimm, allowing the first years to regroup into a tight formation. As Nora tore through the beasts, the first years had collected their wounded and huddled together, waiting on the blond's next order.
Jaune however, was hesitating, mainly; he had never done this on a mass scale. What you may ask? His semblance; his limit was five people at a time, six being a stretch. But a little over two dozen was more than what he could handle. However, from what he could see, no one here was in any condition to press forward and assist his partner in clearing a path for an escape. And healing five would only further limit their offensive options. But, a single moment where his unreasonably high aura reserves had come; he would pour all he could into his pack, the device would amplify his semblance to affect a broader range, and with any luck, with all the aura he'll be pumping into his classmates, he might still be conscious after this. So, steeling his nerves, he lifted his mace into the air.
"RALLY TO ME!"
On cue with his call, the nails on the pack hissed as three pillars emerged. His aura encompassed his body while yellow mist was being sprayed from the pillars, his mace seemingly shone as well. His pupils had completely disappeared amongst a bright flashing white glow. His fellow classmates felt the immediate effects of the mist; their auras were being replenished. Slowly, but visibly as well; evident by the rapidly healing wounds of the injured and the ones currently standing finding themselves with resupplied vigor.
"Advance!" As well, not needing to be told twice the ones with shields advanced into the confused lines of the Grimm, the majority of them doing as they were told; making a break for the school. Their assignment was to retrieve the relics, not clear out the forest. So, the shields cleared a path, and those still with low aura were quick to make it through the Grimm lines. It was a good thirty seconds in before Jaune suddenly spat out blood, his aura flickered, and the pillars on his pack shut the emission of the mist off. He staggered a bit before falling to his knees; his breathing became ragged with each passing second. The world was spinning in his eyes, the worried shouts of Ruby and Pyrrha were muffled, drowned out by an unsettling ringing in his ears. His eyes wandered, he looked around as the group of students were now replenished and much more active fighting off the Grimm as the lesser healed ones were swiftly escorted through.
His eyes kept wandering, stopping only when locked onto his partner. Fear began to encompass his mind as he noticed the golden glow dye down, and her movements slowing down. The Grimm were kept at bay for the most part, but there was one that got ballsy. It approached from behind, seemingly waiting for the perfect moment to pounce.
Jaune ignored the pain flowing through his body, sprinting with what little energy he had past Ruby and Pyrrha to get to Nora. Knowing he was already overdoing it, he took another risk, activating a small feature added to his armor; jet thrust. It was momentary, only enough to cover a short distance, but it brought him closer to his partner. As if time slowed with each step he took, he watched the Ursa major open its jaw, a claw raised high into the air. With just enough time to spare, he held up his shield, parrying the Grimm's claw attack even while deactivated. What he didn't see coming was the creature, bringing its head down without warning, and snapping tightly onto his arm, ripping it from his connected joint with ease.
It was as if the world had come to a grinding halt for the red-head. One minute she felt herself brimming with unlimited power, and the next moment she feels powerless as she watches her partner take a hit that was meant for her, and a sight that would haunt her for years to come. She saw the metal bits, even some blood mixed in, but seeing her partner lose his arm, a prosthetic albeit, she felt anger boiling in her blood.
She rushed forward, her hammer swung with such ferocity; as the blond's hit the ground he still watched as his partner's swing took the major's head clean off in a single swipe. But at this point fatigue had caught up to him, as did the slowly decreasing aura level. Not to mention the side effect of overusing his semblance. It hurt, to lose conscious so slowly, left in a near vegetative state as his body shut down to recover the insane amount of aura he had just lost. What hurt the most, in this case, was seeing his partner rush to his side frantically trying to get him to respond. He wasn't going to die, thus was something normal for him, but he knew he'd have hell to pay once he awoke. The world grew darker, sounds muted to eerie nothingness. Within seconds, there was nothing but darkness.
-Medbay-
Pain, that was the only feeling coursing through the blond's body as he began to stir. Jaune felt relieved, realizing if he felt nothing after pulling a stunt like that, then he must've bit the dust. Still, it was good to know that his machine worked, the amplifier worked like a goddamned charm. Though, it would need some repairs after his group amplification. He knew the risks, but he took them. The idea of those entire freshmen, his classmates, helpless and with no energy left to fight back; he had to take the risk. And it worked out in the end.
"You'd like to think that, wouldn't you?" That cold question caused his eyes to bulge and made his blood run cold. He turned his head, greeting the familiar face of one of the few people he did not want to see after running away. She had her arms crossed and her eyes narrowed, aiming directly at him, as if she were planning to shot him herself.
"Uh…hey, auntie Am." He greeted with a meek tone. Her gaze on him grew as thin as her patience. He had hoped the old nickname he gave her would ease the tension. It did not. No surprise there, he knew it was a long shot.
The two remained silent, as the only sound within the medbay was the ticking clock. Feeling the weight of the tension, and in no mood to spark up a conversation with her, Jaune chose to keep his eyes elsewhere. There was something on a desk beside his bed, pieces of shredded metal lying idly before him. Instinctively, he tried moving his left arm, it felt lighter than usual. He slowly reached over, hoping to grasp a cold prosthetic; he grasped nothing. A flood of memories suddenly hit him all at once, from his overuse of his semblance amplifier, to taking a limb for his partner. All the decisions he made, he knew there were probably other options he could've taken. But in the heat of the moment, his focus was on getting everyone out alive, the price he paid was, in his opinion; miniscule when taking into account the outcome.
"I asked you a question." His hairs stood on end as he felt the anger in his godmother's tone. With whatever willpower he had, he turned to face her. He was greeted with the exact expression he expected; a piercing glare. He zoned out again, apparently ignoring whatever she had asked. Seeing his confused expression, she eased her currently simmering anger, only ever so. "What compelled you to take such reckless actions? Do you have any idea how many messages your has mother left on my scroll since you pulled that little stunt?" As if on cue, a vibrating scroll buzzed in her hand, to which the blond only then realized she was holding the communication device in her palms the entire time. "Speak of the devil." She muttered, closing her scroll with a tired sigh. As her eyes locked on him again, her glare returned, awaiting an answer to her previous question.
He hesitated, though at this point and in his condition he doubted any chance at avoiding having this conversation. Reluctantly, he responded. "I…the people around me were almost out of aura, my semblance restores and amplifies their aura. I don't think an explanation is needed for what I did."
She pinched him, hard, on his good arm. He recoiled, hissing at the way her fingernails dug into his skin. "Wrong, try again."
Though, much like his parents; he doubled down. "I did what needed to be done, we got everyone out. That's what matters."
This time, she tugged on his ear, earning a whimper from the boy. She'd done this before; this was nothing new to him. But now, he felt her tugging harder than usual. "Foolish child." She snarled, releasing her hold on his ear, allowing him to nurse the stinging pain. "You think you're some hero because you chose to endanger your life? And for what? To defend a rabble of children who couldn't even hold back a herd of beowulves and ursi. What you did was bravery to you, but logically, you took a risk that could've been avoided." Her expression softened, if only for that moment. She reached to the tray beside the cot and held out the boy's torn prosthetic. Or rather, at this point it was junk now. "You're of no use to anyone dead."
"…I'm not a hero." Jaune muttered, and perhaps to Lacroix's surprise, with a touch of disdain as he uttered that word. "I saw the opportunity to save people, and I took it. My arm is replaceable, my partner is not. I know it was reckless, but I don't regret it. In fact; I'd do it again."
His act of defiance did not go unchallenged. The two were locked in an exchange of silent glaring, neither willing to back down.
*crash*
*thud*
The sounds of items being broken, and the slamming of metal against gravel echoed throughout the medbay's many rooms. The two turned their attention towards the door, there were muffled voices heard. At first they appeared rushed and borderline antsy. Not even two seconds later came more broken noises, the tone of the voices become hostile with one gruff voice attempting to simmer the heat down. What came next proved their efforts in vain.
"FUCK THE DEEP BREATHING!" Muffled, but distinguishable. The blond felt his skin crawl for some strange reason, as if danger was looming just down the hallway. Amelie, however, groaned upon hearing the angered voice. Her scroll vibrated, prompting her to spare a quick glance before sighing and standing up.
"I am needed elsewhere." As she reached the door, she gave him a sideways glance. "Do not try to run away. I will find you this time." He flinched, especially when she caressed the sidearm strapped to her hip. When the door clicked shut, he relaxed back into his cot. Eyeing a remote by his bedside and the screen above his bed, he flicked to the first channel. His eyes bugled as he watched those who passed the initiation be formed into teams of four, the entirety of the ceremony was being broadcasted. Oh, that could only mean he was now on a borrowed time. Knowing his family's resources and his mother's overprotectiveness; punishment for the consequences of his little stunt would come to him soon enough. That was something to look forward to, though, as the current team was announced, he felt a hint of pride as his first friend was named team leader, at the obvious dismay of her white haired partner. Yang appeared proud, that wasn't a surprise, her sister was made the leader of their team. As for Blake, she was vaguely uncomfortable; he'd be too if he was told he'd have to spend four years sharing a room with a walking doll with attitude. While the newly formed team RWBY descended from the stage, his partner and two others stepped into the spotlight.
"Unfortunately, one member of this next group is still in recovery. Traditionally, we would have the four standing before you, however, for today; we shall name the team in his absence."
Geez, they almost made it sound like he had died.
"Lie Ren, Pyrrha Nikos, Nora Valkyrie, Jaune…"
Jaune shut his eyes, blocking out the headmaster's words. So, that was his team huh? A part of him was thankful the Schnee was not in his group, though, he did feel for Ruby and Blake. The two didn't deserve that form of punishment. Still, he wouldn't deny that it was going to be fun teasing the heiress as much as possible. That Lie Ren boy, Nora was awfully close to him; hell her reaction to seeing him again warranted a rather forceful embrace upon their reunion. The Nikos girl was talented; she proved that much in their last final push against the Grimm.
In any case, this was what he wanted; entry into Beacon, a nice little team to call his own, and with Nikos as the team leader he wouldn't have to worry about having to see Ozpin any more than he needed to. Life seemed to finally be giving him a break.
"Led by…Jaune Ziegler."
….
Well, that certainly was quite the slap in the face. That came not even a second after he was beginning to settle in.
"…any more surprises?" He mumbles to himself, clearly not expecting a response.
*ahem*
His eyes snapped to the now opened door, Amelie standing under the doorframe, arms crossed and her ever unchanging glare. Beside her were two visitors he least expected to see right now. One was currently sporting a shit-eating grin, surprisingly enough he wasn't smoking his usual cigar. But then, they were in an infirmary so there's that. He still wore that ridiculous rancher's hat, made only slightly less of an eyesore thanks to his red and gold serape. Why he was smiling was his own reason, but beside him was a walking nightmare.
The woman was wearing bright blue tinted glasses, a similarly colored dress that generously exposed her legs, and was visible clenching her right arm's prosthetic fingers to the point that the blond could see the fingers denting themselves. Her glare, however, was what set her apart from Amelie. The latter had one of two common expressions, an annoyed glare or a stoic demeanor. This woman, however, rarely ever expressed her outrage as she was now. It was, and this was quoting the woman herself 'unsightly'.
At times like this, there was a phrase his mother had that would best fit the current situation.
"…Gottverdammt."
Had these two just waiting to be published, though I noticed I didn't leave enough clues as to who Jaune's mother would be in the first one. Interesting though, the thought of him as a Lindholm…now that I think of it; that would've made for some interesting hijinks. Still, I'm firm with Angela as the mother. Also, for those who guessed, and it should've been obvious for any who've played the game; (Her call will either haunt you or inspire you) Jaune's armor and gear were based off Brigitte's. Now, does that mean he's supposed to be her? No, she will appear in the story. Would she and Jaune be mirrored versions thanks to similar armor? Interesting thought, let's ponder that for a moment. But for a more obvious note to make; will they have the same abilities? No, but I'm working my way around that. Oh, and if anyone is wondering why I had Jaune shout Brigitte's ultimate, it will be explained…later…
P.s. More family will appear as the days go on, who comes next? Well readers, it won't be mom just yet, soon though. Very soon. Also I'm kinda surprised no one got the Ninja's of love reference, the second season of that reference came out not too long ago.
Response time:
Deathcornfive; yea, normally it would be four, but I decided to change it up. Just a little.
Tgokmuch; there you are, giving me more ideas. The Linholm route would've been a good one to write, but I had this one already five chapters in advance, kinda hard to rework the entire thing at this point. But I'm glad you love it so far…hmm, Lindholm…now there's an idea.
Justjustin3099: If you're referring to Reinhardt, yea I see what you mean, the whole knight theme. But, we've already got one hammer-wielder. And while he still has that theme of a knight, I figured a hybrid of a support and tank was better suited, hence; Brigitte.
Josh Spicer: Indeed he is, though, I think the phrase 'Hammer Down' was best suited for Nora. Hence, I based his character off Brigitte. Well, you got bits of it right, most will try, some subtle, others not so much. I do plan to keep him as close to the original as I can. Hell, I only changed his family and a little something that's coming in later a chapter.
Thereichfulgerman: I know what you mean, hell I enjoy reading a story like that from time to time, but it does get stale after the seventh story where Jaune's sisters are just too strong to be believable. There won't be any OP characters I assure you…the overprotectiveness, yes, that'll be here. But NO godly powers here.
Dark White Fang; I'm sure there is, actually I'm sure I've read a few with Jaune using Crocea Mors, but for the life of me I can't recall them. Kinda lost track after reading so many fics where he uses a variety of weapons.
Iron-slayer-dragon; I suppose you can look at it that way, the squires of the same crusader, alike in almost every aspect save for the obvious , and some other personality traits I plan to throw in. Hmm, could've made 'em fraternal twins, but a little late now.
Cool anon (guest): thanks, glad you find it interesting.