Silence. Aside from the metallic tinkering of the architect adjusting a new prosthetic arm and the occasional awkward breathing from those present, the med bay remained eerily silent. The blond leader of the newly formed team JNPR remained obediently still, though his eyes wandered to the three guests constantly reminding him of the hot water he was in with each passing minute. No words were necessary; their presence alone sent a pretty strong message. The one with the rancher hat, his uncle, held a neutral and occasional grin; nothing new there. He was mad, no doubt of that, but his anger was reserved. Lacroix was more or less calm, judging by the way she kept her focus on the woman currently reconnecting a new prosthetic to the boy. On that note, it was no question this woman was the reason for the prolonged silence. It was for the best, had anyone spoken; there was a chance she would've blown up. Their arrival came as no surprise; Jaune was warned beforehand these two were the closest to Vale. He had hoped there would be more time before having to see these two again, but he didn't anticipate the initiation to be broadcast live.
If his scroll was still intact, he was guessing he'd receive a text from Olivia, she was the only one from the family that had his number. But, as with whatever bits of his arm recovered; it was probably junk now.
*click*
He felt a slight sliver of pain, and it showed each time he winced with each gear locked in place. Normally, his mechanic would be the one to reattach his arm, or he'd sometimes do it himself. However, his mechanic was still in his hometown, maybe on her way to also give him a good lecture, and the woman currently working on it didn't even let him reach for the equipment. Rather, the moment he reached for the arm, all she had to do was stare him down, no words necessary.
*click*
And so, none of the four had spoken a word.
"So…" Until the boy's uncle cleared his throat and spoke up. "You're a student now." His shit-eating grin returned. The icy tension grew thicker, more so from the woman working on his arm. The other bit came from his godmother glaring down at him, clearly irritated being reminded of what her godson had gotten into. "Leader of your own team, partnered with an interesting red-head. I swear she reminds me of someone I know…Ol' Rein?" That last bit came out lightly hushed, but it was easily heard. But with each word he spoke, every event recounted only reinforced these women's resolve to deliver divine punishment. "And all of this happened with you runnin away with no note for your dear ol' family."
"For the love of Oum, why?!" The blond hissed again, feeling a certain connection to his nervous system that sent jolts of pain coursing through his body. A small stream of tears ran down his cheeks as he glared at his aunt. "I told you to warn me when connecting that part." He groaned out, the woman responded with her own faint glare before turning her attention back to her work, apparently set on giving him the silent treatment for who knows how long.
"That reminds me, how is the old crusader's other protégé been?" Amelie recounted, "Brigitte, was it?"
"Moved to Zurich a few months back, said she wanted to be closer to Rein and her best customer." His eyes fell on the blond for a moment. "Last I remember you two were as thick as thieves." Jesse chimed in. "Satis' still got some baby pics of you kids in those little Hallows eve outf-" The aforementioned woman elbowed the cowboy hard enough to silence whatever piece he wished to speak. All the while maintaining her calm composure, but failing to contain a faint blush.
"So does Lacroix." She murmured, the two men's eyes snapped to the aforementioned sniper. Though, the woman showed no visibly recoil to this revelation. Rather, she reached for her scroll from Oum knows where and showed them her background photo. There, in all their baby fat selves, were three of the youngest of their family. The blond was the youngest of the three, dressed in a light blue bunny costume and chewing on a plastic pumpkin. He sat on the lap of the eldest of the three; the girl was dressed as a crusader, holding the blond while her free hand was desperately clinging to the second eldest as she seemingly struggled to scurry away. The second eldest of the three, the little diva as she was known, was dressed as what she called a mecha suit. Though, when looking at her attire, it was a crudely adjusted set of boxes with makeshift tubes to act as turret-arms.
Jaune blushed, covering the embarrassed expression on his face as he remembered the many photos this woman took and saved throughout the year. All of which were enough to break any person down.
Jesse's grin grew as he leaned in. "Well, look at that; Jauney's first Hallows eve…heh, I remember the look on Angela's face when we came home that night…she was pissed." He shuddered remembering a less than pleasant end to the night.
"Because you took her two year old son out to gather sweets, came home two hours after curfew, and not once responded to her messages." Sati listed off, if one listened closely, there might've been an ounce of amusement in her tone.
"If I recall correctly you were with him the whole night. Shouldn't you have informed Angela if Jesse did not, Satya?" Amelie dryly added, her eyes glued to her scroll as she walked down a nostalgic lane with her photographs. Most of which were of her with who the blond remembered to be her late husband; his godfather. Some of a few of his other siblings and him, and some of Amelie and her old team.
Sati shrugged, her eyes narrowed at Jaune once more. "I was busy watching over three other infants, and an overgrown man-child. This little one was easier to deal with as a baby. Now, he's still a baby, but with unbelievable stupidity."
"I love you too, auntie Sati." Jaune mumbled, half annoyed and half exhausted. At the very least he felt relieved after the connection that sent a shivering pain coursing through his body signified the end of any other excruciating moments.
She gave no response, instead choosing to continue her work. Though, her attitude was less harsh than when she first arrived. She was still mad at him, he knew that much, but seeing her with a less murderous intent gave him peace of mind.
McCree leaned back, his eyes wandering first around the medbay, then towards a window overlooking a section of the campus courtyard. The sounds of students going about their day, chatting with one another and the occasional brawl; it brought back many memories for the aging cowboy. "Man, been too long since I first walked these halls myself. Twenty years; flies in the blink of an eye." He commented, earning a faint warning from both Lacroix and Sati, all the while gaining the curiosity of the blond. And yet, regardless of the threatening glares from the two women, he continued on with his attention focused on the students in the courtyard. "Things were simpler then; we knew who the bad guys were, we fought 'em, and we did what was right." A smile graced his lips as he eyed the many students passing by; their only worries were not failing classes, maybe getting a date, and staying conscious in Port's class.
"What happened?" A common question to ask under the circumstance, but judging by the glares his aunts were sending his uncle's way, the man would be treading dangerous waters should he continue his reminiscing. Which only made Jaune all the more curious as to what exactly they were intent on hiding.
Jesse sighed heavily; his shoulders sagged for a moment before stiffening. His eyes refocused on the statue, the figures depicted were long since deceased, but their stories continued being told, inspiring the countless generations that heard their tales. However, only a fair few have ever heard the stories in their entirety; the true story. None of the 'heroes' were ever truly saints, but they did what needed to be done, knowing full well the costs. That's what made them heroes…or, that's how it should be. "Life, son. Life threw reality straight at us with the force of a freight train. People we thought we could trust turned their backs on us, our friends dying left and right with no end in sight…" His voice hardened as a plethora of faces flashed before his eyes.
"McCree." Lacroix snarled her last warning for him to stop, if her hand snaking towards her sidearm was of any indication.
"…And you do everything in your power to save everyone; to be the hero. What does it get you?"
"Jesse." Satya's warning was less threatening, and more a mix of anger, but with fear as well as she noticed Lacroix's wandering hands.
"Well, I'll tell you what, play the perfect boy scout and it'll get ya right on the Valen council. Don't? There'll always be someone willing to put you six feet under for not playing the same beat." Without warning McCree was spun faster than he had time to register the nails digging into his shoulder, Lacroix griped the collar of his cloth with a free, seething with rage. Her self-control kept her physical anger in check, but only for so long. McCree was treading on a subject their family agreed to leave alone, never to be brought up, especially amongst the young ones. "Ain't that right, Am? Just do your job, protect your own, and fuck the rest of the world. Ain't that what you told me? How's Mondatta by the way?" His smug grin only served to further infuriate the markswoman.
It only took the woman one second to draw her firearm, aiming it directly beneath the man's jaw. And while Jaune nearly jumped from his cot, Satya kept a forceful hand on his chest. While she did appear worried at the sudden turn of events, she made no effort to intervene. Even when she noticed Jesse's revolver barrel nudged comfortably against Lacroix's stomach.
Amelie scoffed, smirking back at the cowboy. "Funny you should ask, how's Ashir Kahn? I hear his daughter is very much like him. Think she'll follow in his footsteps?"
Those names were recognizable, almost instantly; one, a prominent White Fang supporter found dead in his home; an assassination. Messy, done with as much malice as one would expect towards a backer of a terrorist group. And the other, a Faunus monk promoting the ideals of peaceful coexistence, sniped while giving a speech at a rally in Atlas. Many say the attack was done by extremist Fang members unwilling to accept a Remnant with humans, the Atlesian military had kept details to a minimum. The only key element was the sighting of a possible sniper dangling off the side of a building, similarly to a spider. Suffice to say, the implications were quite clear, and Jaune was having a hard time being in the room with two family members aiming their firearms at one another while the only sane one of the three was more focused on his prosthetic than the two adults before her.
These stories were nothing new to the blond; he knew the line of work these two partook in. But, if there was one constant in his family, it was the divide in what one half felt was morally right, whilst the other believed in the best logical outcome. He fell on neither spectrum, but he understood their arguments too. However, no back-n-forth had ever reached the point where weapons were drawn. Usually there was a stare down or a small brawl to get it out of their system, but nothing like this.
There was a lasting silence between the two before, simultaneously, they lowered their pistols, glared at one another once more before their expressions anger softened, McCree chuckling dryly as Amelie's glare dissipated rather quickly. It was only for a few seconds before they holstered their weapons, with Lacroix fixing McCree's collar.
Jaune released a sigh he didn't know he'd been holding. This went farther than he'd ever seen before, but for them it seemed so natural. The blond knew full well most of his family had done jobs they weren't particularly proud of, Amelie and Jesse were two such individuals who almost always came out swinging, neither side winning, but they sure as hell got a kick out of it once the dust settled. Still, this situation was almost always a rarity considering his family knew better than to press buttons intentionally, unless you were looking for a brawl. And those stories are for another day. Instead, Jaune decided to switch up the conversation before the two had a chance to actually test each other's patience. Again.
"So, uncle Jesse, you were a student here? How'd that happen, 'nd why now mention it?"
McCree's smile felt whole-hearted this time around, no longer with malice or contempt. Reaching into his armor and retrieving a folded piece of paper. Ignoring the curious glint from Satya, he unfolded the piece of parchment and handed it over to the boy. "Just don't let your mom know I was the one who showed you this, m'kay?" When Jaune nodded, he received the item, his eyes widening when his eyes landed on the folded photograph. In it was a slightly younger version of his uncle, still with that ridiculous hat too. Beside him was another of his uncles, one that her rarely saw, but remembered clear as day. His katana strapped to his back, jet black hair, and near entire mechanical body was a dead giveaway. Moving on, he saw a woman with white hair and bright crimson eyes, bearing a western getup similar to Jesse, and wearing a ridiculous rancher hat as well. The kicker was the last member, he recognized her instantly; his mother. At the bottom of the photograph was what he assumed to be their team name; MSZC. (Music)
"That brings back memories." To Jaune's surprise, Amelie leaned in to get a better view of the photograph. Her expression was neutral, thankfully. However, Satya kept her attention focused on the last steps of the arm, the last few whirls indicating the completion of her work. "Where is Genji nowadays?"
"Shambali Monastery, in Mistral." McCree responded, sitting at the foot of the cot. "Talked to 'em recently, said he'd keep his eye open for our little runaway." Jaune winced again, not for any gear adjusting, rather at the triggering of a memory of this particular individual training him in the art of stealth. Safe to say; Jaune was not the best of students. And the few sessions they had left a few scars, most of which was the boy never being able to take surprises all that well anymore.
"And Calcedonia?" Now that was dangerous territory, if Satya's grip on her tool and Jaune's pained hissing was anything to go by. Though, Lacroix didn't seem to care what waters she was treading. Now there was a hint of a challenge here, but towards who was perhaps the more interesting idea.
The old cowboy brought a finger to his chin, scratching the base of his beard before replying. "Dunno, haven't seen or heard from her since the Dawn job."
"You mean when she abandoned her team." The architect murmured, snapping the last piece into place before the blond's arm lit up. He flexed the fingers, slowly moving his arm about. "This arm is outfitted for day-to-day activities." She leaned closer, her eyes narrowing at the blond. "That means; no combat." Her voice was calm, but with a promise of pain should he not heed her words.
As Jaune nodded, his aunt began gathering her supplies, knowing full well the man heard her comments. And when the blond expected the old gruff to respond in defense of his old teammate; McCree didn't. "Yea, when she abandoned us." Oddly enough, he started rubbing his own prosthetic, almost like the memory of the woman was related to his lost limb.
Jaune looked over the design of his prosthetic, similar to Satya's, but with a few minor adjustments made; the slot for a scroll to be attached to his wrist was lovely addition, as was the holographic projector in his arm's palm.
"Will there ever be a time or place you guys don't try to kill each other?" He had to ask, he'd done so before, and each time he received the same answer.
"Maybe, just not today." The two responded before Satya sighed, rubbing the bridge of her nose as her eyes wandered to the screen. She winced; they were showing footage of the initiation, in particular; the part where Jaune took a hit for his partner. His partner. The very image of the girl unnerved the architect. While she didn't expect the boy to ever enter a hunter program, she at least wanted him to be assigned to a more…stable partner. The red-head was unorthodox, unpredictable, not to mention she waited till the last possible minute to intervene in her nephew's first fight against the Grimm, a moment she was indeed immensely proud of him for. But, if she had a choice in the matter, she would've chosen the Nikos girl, a famous and powerful champion from Mistral. Her achievements spoke for themselves, there wasn't much that needed to be said. The Schnee girl would've been an excellent choice as well; being the partner to an heiress of the largest dust corporation would indeed have its advantages in the long run. Then there was the Chieftain of Menagerie's daughter, recognizable from a mile away, if one had met her prior to the girl hiding away her faunus traits with a ribbon. Faunus-human relations were spiraling; with the rise of the White Fang as of recently, their partnership would've been a great advantage at campaigning for coexistence. And lastly, the silver-eyed one, the prodigy that someone managed to earn a place in Beacon. It was no surprise why she was there, but having Jaune as her partner meant they'd be able to keep an eye on her and on Ozpin should he try anything on another silver-eyed warrior.
"Umm, excuse me…" Speak of the devil. All eyes turned to the doorway where a young silver-eyed girl stood awkwardly with six other students behind her. The majority of which were the primary focuses of Satya's current thought process. Within seconds after registering they had new arrivals, Jaune sat up, a grin spread across his lips as he saw his first friend in Beacon under the doorway one second, and suddenly at his bedside after gesturing her to come in. The three adults blinked owlishly at the girl's impressive speed, two of which were silently making bets as to who they thought was faster; this one, or their little Brit in Argus.
"Jaune, you're awake!" Ruby exclaimed, a little too loud for both Satya and Jaune, but both seemed not too bothered by it.
Jaune glanced to his body for a moment before smiling smugly at his friend. "It's gonna take a lot more than a major to keep me down, Rubes." His nickname for her earned a widened grin, and a faint sight of a blush on her cheeks. The adults definitely noticed, as did the others who entered with her. Speaking of which, upon seeing one specific red-head, Satya used all her willpower to not simply tell the miniature Reinhardt off for being so reckless. However, for now, she withheld herself in the interest of not making too much of a scene. Last thing anyone needed was another increase in tensions.
Speaking of which, said red-head approached Jaune's cot, the gloom expression on her face sent a flood of guilt washing over the blond. Remembering the state he was in, seeing the frantic state Nora was when she probably assumed he'd bitten the dust. As she stopped, just beside him, he shifted himself, moving his legs, against the many protests of those present. His legs dangled off the side of his cot as he faced his partner.
They said nothing, not yet at least. Their eyes fixed on anything but their own partner, each biting back on their own words, wondering what to say first.
"I'm sorry." Spoken in perfect sync, neither knew who apologized first. Taking his stunned silence to her advantage, Nora spoke her piece first.
"I'm sorry for not having your back when we met. And…in the last fight, I should've been paying attention…" Her eyes fell on his new prosthetic, she saw beforehand that the boy was missing an arm already, but seeing him without it, lying unconscious before her as his aura levels plummeted to almost zero; it was a haunting experience. More so with having the new combat professor glaring at her all throughout the return back to Beacon.
"Don't apologize; you did your best out there. Besides, there wasn't a chance in hell I was just gonna stand there and watch you get mauled by the major." The blond's response earned a less than assuring expression from his partner.
"What you did was incredibly foolish." Oh great, just what he needed; a lecture from the ice queen. Who knew it was so hard to resist rolling his eyes.
"I made my choice." Jaune reaffirmed, his words aimed mostly towards his partner and his godmother. "I knew the risks, and I decided the risk was worth it." His words caught many off guard, especially his next choice of words. "But, I understand what you mean; Nora, we're partners, we watch each other's backs. We don't die on each other for something so small."
"I'd prefer you not dying, period." Ruby mumbled.
Silence prevailed once more within the medbay, however, it would not last long. Within the awkward silence came wandering eyes, and with it came revelations. The first of which came from the young heiress when upon getting a better look at the woman sitting at the blond's bedside, her eyes bulged at the sight of such a legend sitting before her. And what greatly confused her was the fact that the woman was apparently working on the uncultured blond's arm, replacing it actually. Without thinking the heiress walked forward, grasping the prosthetic in her hands, marveling at the pristine state, the symmetrical design, and the tech worked into the arm to give its user an edge. This piece alone would be worth at least half a million lien, if speaking solely on the arm itself.
*ahem*
The heiress blinked, head slowly ascending to meet the gaze of the still bedridden blond. Her cheeks shone a bright pink hue as she unceremoniously released her grasp on his new arm. Weiss knew what possessed her to just suddenly grab the boy's hand; she was curious and wished to see the piece of art closer. However, only know did she realize her sudden invasion of his personal space would've come off as uncomfortable. Though, when she peeked at the blond, she saw no teasing grin or uncomfortable squirming. Instead, he calmly inspected his arm a moment before turning to the architect.
"Anything else I should know about?" Jaune flexed his arm a few times before punching the air a few times.
"Aside from; no combat." Those words dripped with as much ice as an Atlesian winter. Enough to cause the boy to freeze in place, laughing awkwardly whilst rubbing the back of his head. She sighed, smiling faintly at him while packing up her tools. "You're all set. I will send an arm fit for combat as soon as I can."
"Right, thanks again auntie Sati." And that was the sentence that broke the heiress. It was one thing if the blond knew who this woman was through some form of connections; however he might've obtained them. She had a hard enough time rejecting the notion that this blond was in any way related to the infamous Angela Ziegler, one of Beacon's most prominent alumni, and Atlas' highly renowned doctor. The surname was simply a coincidence, that's what she kept telling herself. But with this new revelation, she found her resolve crumbling with each passing second.
The woman nodded, gathering the last of her things before narrowing a neutral stare at him. "After you've had a decent rest, you will pack your belongings and board a bullhead with us; we will be returning home immediately." The blond's eyes had never shown more fear that what the woman saw in him with her sudden declaration. The two adults showed more confusion than anything, whilst the students present were bulge-eyed, the boy's partner in particular was immensely confused at this sudden turn of events.
Though, for Jaune, this demand was what he feared the most. With Satya's resources and influence, she could pull enough strings to get him removed from Beacon. That was one thing he feared about the members of his family; some had money, others possessed power, few had both. Satya was one of the few to possess both. He knew he wouldn't be able to hide forever, but he held on to the hope that he'd be able to find a way to convince his family to allow him to remain in Beacon. All he wanted was time, but it appears that Oum did not favor him this time around. But, he already had his goal; his determination to press forward was what kept him from buckling under and giving in. Childish it would appear, but he wasn't planning to go home without a fight. No, not a home, that place he grew up in. It wasn't a home to him, it was a prison, and if his mother had her way; she would keep him there, trapped in that pseudo-town for the rest of his life. His brows furrowed, the fear in his eyes had dissipated completely, replaced with fury and determination.
Satya, once seeing the effects of her words settle in, chose to relent. She knew as well how the boy lived, his limited interactions with the people in his hometown, the constant eyes following him and reporting back to his mother should there be any indication of trouble. Of course, the architect also understood why her old friend chose to behave in such a way, the information and power the good doctor held would place both her and her son in constant danger. But even so…
"…is what I would've said had I found you before you passed initiation. However…I cannot remove you from this academy, regardless of my influence. In the interest of not stirring problems with Ozpin and after getting an earful from your mother…" She groaned, gently caressing her ear after having a rather long conversation with the good doctor regarding the inability to pull the boy from Beacon. Amelie smirked, faintly, thankful she wasn't on the receiving end this time around. Jesse chuckled, as he did when he was beside Satya as she told Angela she couldn't bring her son home. "…we've agreed to postpone your punishment for a later day."
"Punishment?" The collective thought of the students around the cot, yet only Ruby found it in her to voice her thoughts. And like those around her; she was worried over what Jaune had done to be warranted a punishment from his own family.
Satya's eyes spared the young leader a faint acknowledgement before returning to her nephew. She said nothing, primarily because this was none of their business. This was a family matter, and it would be resolved amongst their kin. Jaune seemingly agreed, given he gave no response to her question, rather, he gestured her not to interfere. Or, that was what Satya interpreted.
"Don't worry about it Rubes, it's nothing." Then again, it seems the two were of the same mind. Granted, Satya would've phrased it to sound harsher, to get the point across. But given her nephew would have to spend the majority of four years around these children, it made sense to cease their curiosity gently…however tedious it may have sounded to the woman.
"The hell it is!" Nora nearly shouted, her emotions shifting between anger and a small tangent of fear. To why she felt the latter was unknown to the architect, but the former was completely unwarranted. What occurred in her family was none of these children's concerns.
She remained silent, watching her nephew to see how he would handle his partner and his team. "Nora, i told you; it's nothing, leave it alone." His tone was firm, with enough authority to indicate this conversation would not go farther, no matter how hard she pushed. The red-head's current emotions indicated she was conflicted over whether to interrogate her teammate or relent. After a moment of debating, she did the former; though she was not intending to leave the conversation as it is.
"Well, this is nice and all…" Attention turned to the cowboy as he took a few steps towards the cot. "But we've got a bullhead to catch, gotta meet with a certain doctor before she decides to hijack a ride over here." The man stopped in front of his nephew, ruffling the top of the boy's hair with a widened grin. "I'm still mad, don't get me wrong. And once the fires settled down; your mother mostly, you and I are gonna have a long sit down." With Jaune's small whining and his swatting of the man's hand off his head, McCree's smile shifted. Still there, only more somber. "The way you carried yourself in the initiation was everything I expected from you, and when you pulled that little stunt even when you knew the risks…not gonna lie, I would've done the same in your shoes." Jesse ignored the irritated stares coming from the two women standing beside the cot with him. "My point being; I'm proud of you." His praise earned a tint of pink across the boy's cheeks.
"Thanks, uncle Jesse." Jaune mumbled, knowing full well the man was probably smiling wolfishly at his embarrassment. A pair of hands grasped the blond's cheeks, turning him to face his aunt as she placed a gentle kiss on his forehead.
"We won't interfere with your education…" Satya's gentle expression hardened. "But I expect a call, twice a week. No less." Before Jaune could remind her of the state of his scroll his uncle reaches his clothing, retrieving an interestingly designed scroll. "A Vaswani scroll, the latest design. I've placed Jesse and my numbers on it, so there's no excuse for you not to call."
"You're spoiling him, Sati." McCree teased. "Thought you were mad."
The architect shrugged. "I am." A rare smirk graced her lips as she teasingly pinched her nephew's cheeks. "But I still want the best for my little bun-bun." The second that nickname resurface, the blond's mind nearly shut down entirely, grinding to a complete halt as his godmother had a smug grin on her lips and McCree was chuckling to himself.
The students around him were attempting their hardest to subdue their giggles, especially when the blond boy was shining a shade of red that would put Ruby's cape to shame. "Auntie, why?" He mumbled, attempting to hide away beneath the covers of his cot. The woman was never this openly affectionate, especially around other people. This was either her simply ignoring that the other Beacon students in the room existed or this was her version of a punishment for him. Regardless, it was damn well effective, as he noticed Yang mirroring his uncle's wolfish grin. Nora was grinning, ear to ear, that in itself was off-putting already. Blake was stifling whatever amusement she found in this back and forth, though the light shade of pink across her cheeks gave much away.
Wasting no further time, Satya and Jesse bid their runaway nephew farewell before making their way out with Lacroix guiding them. All the while, the young heiress watched the entire exchange silently. She felt conflicted that it took her a bit to recognize the woman who literally designed and built most of modern Atlas. But, to hear that the woman's nephew was attending her school and the same rude blonde from the locker room as well left her with a whirlpool of emotions. On top of that little piece of information, now knowing his surname, she felt a pulsating pain in her head growing as her mind was slowly giving in to the idea of him being doctor Ziegler's flesh and blood.
"So, Jaune…" It was Pyrrha who broke the silence. "I'm assuming you're surname gives us an idea as to who your mother is, correct?" Her tone was, oddly enough, bashful and with childish curiosity. Yes, his name should've been a dead giveaway as to who his mother is. But, he wasn't naïve to assume only the two of them bared the name Ziegler in all of Remnant.
Jaune sighed, realizing almost instantly he still held on to his uncle's photograph. Carefully, he folded the parchment and hid it away. This did not go unnoticed, as two pairs of eyes noticed, but chose to say nothing for the time being. "Yea." He responded, almost hastily. "My mother is Angela Ziegler; the merciful angel to the people and a bane to Atlas' 'stick-up-his-arse' General Ironwood." Jaune didn't miss the slight twitch in the heiress' brow when he described her kingdom's military head in such a way.
Almost as if a switch had been hit, Pyrrha's eyes widened, thinking back to stories her own mother once told her. Years ago, before her birth, there was a huntress from Beacon with a healing semblance, a rarity in itself, but the woman herself was something else. When soldiers and hunters pushed forward, she was there alongside them, fighting on equal grounds. And when the dust settled, she would scatter across the battlefield, healing any and all who needed her. But these were not entirely what made her famous, there was a rumor the old soldiers spoke of that garnered her the name 'Angel', and caught the attention of the ever opportunistic Ironwood; dead men coming back to life. It was a rumor to be sure, and no one had ever been able to confirm whether or not Ziegler could actually resurrect the dead considering she had never attempted it openly. Of course, that could've been because the eyes of the world's governments were hovering over her shoulders, expecting her to prove the rumors either correct or exaggerated. If proven the latter, she would've still been kept close as a healing semblance gave quite the advantage in a battle. Though, if the former was proven true, the woman would've disappeared a long time ago.
However, even throughout the many monikers she'd been given throughout the years, the majority of those who remember the doctor still referred to her by her Beacon call sign.
"Mercy." Blake blinked owlishly when she realized she had spoken aloud.
"Yea…" Jaune confirmed. "That was my mom's call sign…"
An awkward silence befell the small group, until Ruby tried her hand at breaking the tension.
"So, your uncle seems nice…but why does he wear a blanket around his neck? Seems kinda extra, don't you think?" At this, Jaune chuckled, though; this only received a pout from the curious prodigy.
"This coming from the girl who wears capes?" He teased, increasing the young one's pout and added a tint of pink across her cheeks.
Ignoring her adorably angry expression, Jaune turned his attention to his new scroll. It had the emblem of his aunt's company, and it came with a detachable earpiece. And to top it off; the scroll was able to snuggly attach to his prosthetic's wrist, much like his previous ensemble.
But before he could explore his new device, a small breeze made it unbearable clear that he was wearing only a hospital gown. A massive blush painted itself across his face as he avoided any eye contact, mumbling quietly to himself.
"Jaune, you ok?" Ruby leaned in, wondering why it was her friend had suddenly become so bashful. And when seeing his beet red face, it made her worry even more.
He murmured again, with few words being picked up.
"Gotta speak up fearless leader."
Again, he muttered, though, no words were decipherable. Having little patience for such nonsense, the heiress pushed Ruby aside and leaned closer to the boy. "For goodness sakes, what are you a child? Speak up." She demanded outright. And where she expected a snide remark, or an irritated expression from him, she instead received an even redder blush, somehow possible, and his eyes barely able to meet hers.
"Can you guys get me some cloths, I'm kinda of…bare here."
And just like that, with only a second of response time, the entirety of the group grew red bushes of their own, to different degrees and for several reasons. Ren sighed, having stayed quiet the entire time, stood forward after reaching into his bag. He pulled out a Beacon Uniform that appeared a little too small for the blond.
"Here, it's a spare I carry around in case Nora gets…ideas with syrup again." He spoke from experience, and Jaune knew he'd be relating to his teammate in their next four years together. Peachy. "It's a little small for someone with your build, sorry." His words held in them genuine sympathy.
Even so, it was better than what he currently had now. The blond accepted the clothing, thanking his teammate before sitting in silence. The others looked at him confusingly, some with blushes still apparent on their faces. It didn't take long for Jaune to grow visibly with each passing second. Taking a deep breath, he calmed himself and kept his eyes on his cloths. "I'd like to get changed now."
There was no need to repeat himself, Weiss was quick to remove herself from the room, her pale skin had become a deep shade of crimson as she trailed off. Ruby following closely behind while her and Blake dragged the blonde brawler who was insisting on assisting the injured boy get dressed, all of which spoken with a playfully sultry tone. This only garnered incoherent sputtering from her sister, and an even harder tug from her current partner. Pyrrha seemingly hesitated a bit before reluctantly leaving with Ren behind her. Though, when he turned to greet Nora who should've been close behind, instead the bubbly bomber had taken a seat at Jaune's bedside.
She gave Ren a widened smile, though only he knew there was something behind that grin of hers that would mean a rough time for his team leader. "Nora?" He hoped whatever she had planned could be postponed until their leader was decent, but she appeared cemented in her decision to stay.
"Go on ahead; I wanna have a little talk with my partner." That did not go unnoticed; the way she spoke through gritted teeth was a foreshadowing that whatever came next would be personal. And while Ren wanted to stay for this bit, he instead chose to trust in his childhood friend, nodded, and proceeded to close the door on his way out.
Jaune also picked up in her change of tone. Suffice to say, not only did he feel vulnerable due to the lack of clothing and a non-combat prosthetic, the blond also felt a rather long dive into certain subjects he'd rather not divulge just yet.
Once the two were alone, Jaune could feel his partner's cold stare aimed his way. Their conversation earlier might've been interrupted by Ruby, but the exchange between him and his family, with the promise of some form of punishment, left the two with much to discuss. Or not, Jaune didn't feel as though he needed to explain his actions any more than what he conveyed earlier.
Knowing this was one lecture he wouldn't be able to escape, Jaune rose from his cot, gestured his hand towards her; a small plead for assistance. Without hesitation, Nora grasped his arm, gently helping him rise from his cot; slowly and carefully. For a moment, the red-head froze, her eyes fixed on her partner's arms; scars, old and new riddling his arms, extending up to his shoulders and possibly further into his body.
"Mind turning around?" He asked, just as his hands were untying the string that kept his gown from exposing anymore skin. Reddened by her partner not even waiting before beginning to undress, she turned away in an instant. When she heard the gown flop to the floor, the bubbly bomber felt a tinging curiosity nudging her to take a peak. But it wasn't for what most would think, rather, she wanted to see to what degree his scars made up the surface of his body.
However, she had more self-control than that, she remained firm and kept her eyes forward. Only after a few minutes of shuffling and a tired groan did she receive the OK to turn around. When she did, Nora was met with a sight that greatly amused her. Jaune had managed to fit into the pants; it was a one size fits all, though that depended on certain students of course. Although, from what she could see, the white shirt was tightly hugging his frame, with a few of the upper buttons open as he was unable to close them. The blazer was left on the cot, the blond showed no intention of using it.
She smirked; a faint chortle escaped her lips as she turned her head away.
"It's not funny." Jaune growled, moving his arm, causing a tearing sound to echo in the medbay. The tear wasn't noticeable, just under the shirt's left arm, but it did not stop Nora from grinning at him from ear to ear. "Not a word."
She sat on the cot, regaining her composure. Her arms crossed as her eyes once again narrowed at her partner. A plethora of questions were swarming in her head, at the top of the list was finding out why Jaune's family had some punishment for him. It bothered, and immensely worried her, that her partner was probably involved in something dangerous. But, judging by his earlier attitude she felt as though trying to open up that can of worms would only force the blond to close doors again. Instead, she decided to save that topic for later, choosing instead to earn his trust rather than force it. So, she quickly switched the discuss to their first topic.
"Ice queen is right; you're an idiot." She commented, leaving no room for subtlety.
"Thanks partner." He mimicked the accent of an old western, probably got it from his uncle, she assumed.
"We were almost out; you didn't need to take a hit for me."
"No, I didn't. But if I hadn't; you'd be on this cot instead of me. Given by the way that major attacked me; you'd be the one being fitted for a prosthetic, not me." That was a memory she didn't need to be reminded of. "And lemme tell ya, the surgery ain't exactly a picnic. It's hell, every gear and wire being attached to your body...it's not an easy thing to go through for anyone."
"Why are you so calm about it?" She referred to his arm, the way he seemed so at ease with talking about losing his prosthetic in a fight recently and making jokes about it.
"I lost my arm long ago; I've come to terms with it already. Can't say it was easy, rehabilitation was a bitch, not to mention modifying the arm and socket to match those of a growing boy's body meant constant maintenance. The surgeries were brutal, but I got used to it as time went on." He was infuriating her, the nonchalant way he described his life. But then, maybe there was something she was missing. "My point is, Nora, I'm no stranger to pain. I can take the hits." That right there was a major red flag, especially with the exchange between him and his family earlier. So many ideas were swarming in her brain, all threatening to burst at any second. Although, a feeling within that mass of emotions was one particular sentiment that was rising above all others; a maternal instinct, if you will.
"We're partners." She forced through her grinding teeth, eyes locked on to the blond as her hand shot forward, gripping his shirt with a vice grip. "And I ain't letting you die on me so easily." Her emotions were conflicting again, Nora's expression softened, and her optimistic nature pushing past her stern attitude. It was rare for the latter to be above the former, but her partner's careless attitude over his reckless nature was eating at her. And so, she opted for to change the mood of the current atmosphere to something more light-hearted. Oum knows her leader didn't need another person mad at him…openly. "We still have stories to make, you know? So don't go anything like that again…or I'll break your legs."
A pregnant silence followed, which was ended by both sharing in a fond laughter, all the while Nora held back her need to reply to his sudden dismissal of her maybe/maybe-not threat. 'Bold of you to assume I won't do it, fearless leader.' She bit back the words, managing this once to not speak out her little remark.
Like that, his expression softened as well. He wasn't naïve to assume this discussion was over, but the fact she attempted to simmer things down meant she rightly assumed things might've gotten out of hand between them. An interesting partner he found himself; hyperactive and unpredictable when in the field. Yet, when under circumstances like now, she shows complete control of both her emotions, and clear understanding of the current mood.
'Also, we gotta catch you up; you missed three days of school."
Jaune's eyes bulged, his head snapped back and forth between the screen and his partner. Seeing his confused expression and his incoherent rambling whilst pointing to the screen gave her a clear idea as to what was confusing him.
"Oh that, the news has been replaying this year's initiation test since that little stunt you pulled…everyone's still talking about it too, not every day we get a healer for a hunter."
After soaking in the realization that he'd been out for three days, Jaune managed to find it in himself to chuckle at the idea that folks were beginning to see him as the 'healer'. Something about that reminded him of a particular phrase he heard growing up, one that easily triggered his mother into a seemingly unrestrained state of rage. Funny enough, it was his uncle Genji who received the worst reaction. "My mom's semblance is closer to healing, mine's a little different." He commented, rolling up the sleeve for his left arm, attaching his new scroll to his prosthetic's slot.
*ding*
The chime to Jaune's scroll rang just as he was finished setting it up to his wrist's holographic projection. Opening his scroll, the boy flinches upon seeing from who the text came from. Curiosity piqued by her partner's reaction to receiving a text, Nora leans in to peak at the caller id.
Reinhardt
An Atlesian name, possibly from the northern sects of the kingdom, and one Nora could've sworn she had heard before. Just then, more and more messages started pouring in, and with each message the boy grew pale. The red-head could not fathom why all these sudden messages were putting the boy on edge. Seeing him so distressed made her uneasy, the maternal side of her was kicking in again. Whoever it was putting her fearless leader in such a state, she silently swore painful, leg-breaking, justice.
-5 Minutes Earlier-
As their walk towards a Vacuon styled bullhead at the Beacon docks drew to an end, both Lacroix and the architect noticed the mischievous glint on the cowboy. Neither seemed interested in delving into whatever mischief the man had concocted to keep himself entertained. The two women chose to leave him be, instead focusing on what exactly to say to the good doctor once she decides to come retrieve her son on her own. Both knew Angela well enough to know that the doctor wouldn't wait too long.
*ding*
Both their scrolls went off at the exact same time. Taking a glance at the caller id, both turned their heads to the source of the text; McCree. With both their expressions demanding an answer, to which the cowboy showed off his scroll to the women.
Group chat:
McCree; Hey ya'll, now I'm sure some of you have seen Beacon's recent initiation. Now, our little bun-bun is safe n sound, no worries there. But if anyone wants…(Jaune's new scroll number), ask him yourself.
Without missing a beat, the chat was suddenly swarmed by texts from their family. Many were thanking McCree for this little update, others asking if the boy was with him. Regardless of whatever the recent texts detailed, the man's intent was done.
"Wonder who'll be the first to contact the little rascal." Jesse mumbled, ignoring the gaping expression from Satya and Amelie, both now fearing for the boy's sanity as they knew he'd be bombarded with calls from his family soon enough.
-Nighttime, JNPR room-
And indeed he did, for the whole damned day. Jaune spent almost every waking moment with either a chime or a vibration in his pocket indicating another message from his family. Another issue he had to deal with, aside from the persistent messaging from his kin was the onlookers who locked on to him as he traversed the campus. Some of those watching appeared, for lack of a better term, hungry when they eyed him. Others appeared annoyed with him, and he had yet to do anything notably irritating so far, or at least, nothing to irritate them.
To make matters worse, Ruby's team and Pyrrha were eyeing him every once in a while. Stealing quick glances before eventually looking away. Well, most of them averted eyes; Yang was not one to simply ignore an opportune moment to tease someone. Although, he had begun wondering if she really was winking after the third wink.
In any case, after being discharged from the medbay the head nurse was adamant about him resting for the day before attending classes the following day. And so, while his team was currently off in their 'sister' team's dorm; which was right across the hall from theirs, the blond sat idly whilst having changed out of the skin-hugging uniform and into his sleeping garments. With his scroll resting comfortably on his bed, finally silent, he had detached his prosthetic and chose to run a quick maintenance check. Also, he took the alone time he had to poke around his aunt's designs, hopefully to identify what makes this prosthetic different from a standard Atlesian design without causing any permanent damage to the tech.
"Hello, fearless leader!" Nora announced, kicking in their door with a widened grin on her face.
Though, rather than react the way a normal person usually would, Jaune instead turned his head towards his partner. "Not sure I'm feeling the whole 'fearless leader' thing Nora."
Her smile didn't falter, not even when she pressed a finger to her lips. "Well, I wouldn't mind calling you bun-bun."
"Fearless leader it is." He responded all too quickly and with enough authority to make it known that name was off-limits. And yet, something nudging at the back of his head kept gnawing at him with the implications that Nora would continue using that name regardless of whether he approved of her saying it or not. So, bracing himself for what's to come, he tries to redirect their conversation. "So what's got you all hyped up…I mean, aside from how hyped up you normally are."
Her smug grin had not ceased one iota; instead, she leaned towards him and gestured to the room across the hall. "We're all having a little get together, Yang's idea. Getting to know each other n all that." She waved her hand dismissively, obviously not interested in the whole idea of it. So what exactly had her excited over the hangout? "Let's go fearless leader."
Jaune stared blankly at his partner with the severed middle finger of his prosthetic arm. "I'm not decent." He stated, waving the finger to emphasize his point. Nora only chuckled and stood proud with her arms crossed. Even when Jaune returned his attention back to his meddling, Nora remained silently waiting. "You're not gonna take 'no' for an answer, are you?" She shook her head. "Heh, and I'm supposed to be the leader here." The blond mumbled, earning a shit-eating grin from his partner.
Just then, as Jaune placed the bits of his arm aside, intending on attending this little get together with only his good arm, a different sort of chime echoed in the room. While the blond knew it came from his phone he chose to ignore it. What he didn't take into account was the vibrant curiosity of his partner.
Nora reached towards his scroll, before he could react. And upon touching the device, the scroll came to life. "A voice message?" She asked no one in particular, without warning, or any prior action to indicate she accidentally opened the message, the device played the recording on speaker.
Nana (Ana):
My child, I cannot tell you how relieved I am to know you are safe. When Angela called, I had feared the worst; that her overprotectiveness had finally run its course and drove you away. I understand why you did it; I saw how Angela's insistence to keep you safe had affected your childhood. But I am a mother as well, I know why she acted the way she did. I was there when they took you the first time, your mother was so frightened of it happening again; she chose to disappear from the world, to remain incognito to protect her only son.
I do not blame you, nor do I blame Angela. She is a mother, willing to do anything to protect her little one. In her shoes I would've done the same. But you are a growing child, a soon to be man, you must be allowed to venture from home, see the world, make mistakes; to learn from life.
Sometimes I wish I had intervened, said something to ease her fears. I wish I could've freed you from that lifestyle, to be trapped in one place all your life, never being allowed to spread your wings and attempt to fly. But nothing could have said would've alleviated her distress. She lost your father not too long after you were born, and if she had lost you as well…I cannot fathom what would become of her. She loves you, little one, more than she shows, and more than you can ever hope to understand.
*Silence, followed by a small shift, clanking of ceramic, and a soft sniffle*
So please, do not hold ill will towards her, she misses you. We all do. If it is not too much to ask, for your Nana, call her. Let her know you are alright, that you are safe. She knows that already, but I feel her heart will rest easier knowing her son still loves her.
*Silence follows once more, short, but with a slightly more noticeable sniffled heard in the background*
Oh, and make as many friends as you can. Do not waste this opportunity, go and make memories, return to us with stories of your own. And maybe, just maybe, bring home a special someone.
And feel free to call me as well, anytime you want. I will answer if I can.
Farewell habibatan, I hope you visit soon, I'm not getting any younger you know.
Message end
Nora was unnervingly quiet; she opened something she wasn't meant to hear. She didn't mean to open the message, but when it played her leader made no attempt to snatch the device away or demand the message be cut off. Instead, her fearless leader remained silent, and it worried her. Slowly, she glanced upwards, hoping not to find a pair of angered eyes fixed on her. What she saw only broke her heart further; she saw her partner with an endless river of tears cascading down his cheeks, and he seemed unaware of it too. At one point, his right palm reached up and wiped away the tears from his eyes, but they kept on falling. No matter how much he wiped, he could not stop crying. So instead, he stared at his partner, his eyes pleading for her to stop the aching pain that caused these tears.
That same maternal instinct finally took the reign, pushing Nora to comfort her partner. Overwhelmed with grief at seeing her partner like this, she embraced him. he was sitting on his bed, though the size of his body allowed him to rest his head on her shoulder. So he did, burying himself in his partner's embrace, he sobbed quietly, yearning for the first time; for home.
And here's the third, more family seen, and even more incoming now that the cats out of the bag. What will happen next, well, time will tell. I will say this; Jaune's mom will appear around the time of the Vytal Festival, so there's that to look forward to. As for anyone who follows my other stories, a few new chapters will be coming soon; I just need to finish up a few more details before publishing them. Thank you all for reading, hope you enjoyed this little chapter. Until next time!
Response time:
Zenith Tempest; I see your argument, and while I agree with Ruby and Blake being better suited partners, I also see them as too easy to write. Especially with the way I have Jaune's story arc planned out. Weiss would've actually been an interesting write, given similarities that will be revealed later on. As for Nora being Jaune's partner, I intend to still have her hyperactive and unbelievably optimistic half the time, but I don't intend to have her be like that all the time, especially in moments where the plot calls for sobriety and maturity. While I don't intend to reshuffle the partners, I will keep in mind the team switching notion. And the last bit of your review; where the family uses leverage. Little spoiler; that is coming in later chapters. But for whole different reasons, i assure you.
Chendong2698: It is pretty fun to write so far, but there have been other stories where Jaune and Nora were partnered up. I'm hoping they're still on the site, haven't checked on them in a while. And yes, what caused Jaune to decide to be a field medic will be explained further in the story.
Roger9481: hmm, maybe, maybe not. Olivia's role in this isn't over, not by a long shot, I can guarantee you that.
Cool Anon: Yea, I wanted to switch things up, but I'm not exactly all that creative when it comes to color acronyms. Stay tuned though, I might just surprise you with a little twist.
Guest: You're right, but in my defense and given this community I did assume at least one person would've recognized the reference and pointed it out. I mean, I wasn't entirely subtle about it. But I do see your point. I don't intend to leave anyone in that dark when i use a reference anymore.