So sleepy. Need rest.
Individual System
"A field trip?"
Jaune Arc stood in front of General Ironwood's imposing desk, his shoulders squared and back straight. He had been summoned to the general's office that morning to receive his next mission.
It wasn't quite what Jaune was expecting.
"In a manner of speaking," Ironwood replied, his hands steepled over his desk. "Combat schools usually have their students start fighting Grimm during their last two years. This all happens under controlled circumstances. The area is scouted ahead of time to make sure the Grimm there aren't too strong, and the teachers will be keeping watch the entire time. All in all, it is a fairly safe endeavor."
Jaune nodded as he absorbed the information. In a way, it wasn't too dissimilar from his own first encounter with Grimm. He had gone to a previously scouted area where he should have fought low-level Grimm. Winter had been with him in case things went wrong, which they had. Things had gone very wrong.
However, he doubted something like that would repeat itself.
"Wait," Jaune said, as a question popped into his mind. "Combat school students only start fighting Grimm two years before graduating? That doesn't seem… much."
If anything, it seemed way too little. It meant they'd only have two years of experience against Grimm by the time they applied to one of the four academies.
"It doesn't seem much because it isn't much, but consider this: How many families do you think would be willing to let their twelve to fourteen-year-olds fight Grimm?"
"Oh."
"Indeed." Ironwood nodded, seeing the look on Jaune's face. "Ideally, it would be better if combat schools offered more in the way of practical experience against the creatures of Grimm. However, there is only so much that can be done. Huntsmen families like yours are a minority. Even in Atlas, most families are comprised of civilians who naturally balk at the prospect of their children facing Grimm while so young. These concerns are completely understandable and not at all unfounded. Thus, the curriculum must be adapted to address them."
General Ironwood's words made sense. Even in Jaune's family, things weren't quite so simple. His parents were huntsmen, but they hadn't exactly been keen on him following their footsteps. While his sisters had received training, his parents hadn't been sad or disappointed when Saphron told them she didn't want to be a huntress. If anything, they had seemed relieved to hear it.
It was almost funny. Jaune had never gone to combat school, yet he already knew what it was like to fight Grimm. The slight feeling of superiority that came with that knowledge was not something Jaune was used to.
"Outside the kingdoms, it is a different story," Ironwood continued. "There, even young children end up having to fight Grimm. However, inside the kingdoms, certain standards must be kept. This holds particularly true for school likes Pleiades, Hyades, and Hesperides."
The top three combat schools of Atlas. It was said that about 80% of the students of Atlas Academy came from those three schools. Many students applied each year, but few entered. The three schools had stringent admission standards, something Jaune knew for a fact.
After all, he had tried and failed to get into Hyades.
"You have to understand that not everyone who goes to combat school intends on becoming a huntsman. Pleiades, Hyades, and Hesperides don't just teach combat. Their educational programs are among the best in the kingdom."
"I guess I never thought about stuff like that, sir," Jaune admitted, a thoughtful look on his face. "I thought everyone who went to combat school did it because they wanted to be huntsmen."
"If that were the case, the world would have many more huntsmen to call upon," Ironwood pointed out. "Reality is not so kind, I am afraid. Did you know some people graduate from huntsman academy without any intention of becoming huntsmen?"
"What?!"
Jaune couldn't stop himself from raising his voice. Luckily, Ironwood didn't seem to mind. The man chuckled.
"I understand how unconventional it must seem to you, but being able to say you have graduated from a huntsmen academy opens quite a few doors. It is not something many can put on their resume."
Put on their resume?
Put on their resume!
Jaune stood stock-still, stunned by Ironwood's words.
Becoming a huntsman is all Jaune has ever wanted. He went through a lot of hardships just trying to enter combat school. Time and time again, he was rejected. If it hadn't been for the IXA Project, he'd still be running around trying to find a way to get his foot in the door.
Or worse, he may have given up already.
The idea of there being people out there who had graduated from Atlas Academy just for the notoriety of it offended Jaune in a way he hadn't realized he could be offended.
"But I digress. We have strayed too far from the subject. Pleiades Academy will take a group of its students to their first combat practice against Grimm. Since there are several important persons among the student body, the security around the area will be more than adequate. IXA's presence is not truly necessary."
Then why was he being sent there?
Ironwood answered the question before Jaune could voice it.
"IXA is being sent there purely for publicity purposes. After the Grimm are exterminated, there will be a photo op. It may not seem as crucial as fighting the White Fang, but things like these are also an important part of the job. News of IXA helping protect the next generation of huntsmen will help keep the kingdom's morale up. Do you understand, Arc?"
"Yes, sir!"
"Good." Ironwood nodded, pleased. "Now, do you think you'll have any trouble performing this mission?"
"Sir?"
"Your records show you consistently failed to gain admission into combat school. This mission will put you in close proximity to those who succeeded where you failed. I am asking if that will cause you to experience any feelings of resentment towards the people you are supposed to guard."
Ironwood's bluntly delivered words cause Jaune to wince. Was that why Ironwood went into so much detail about the way combat school students see their prospects? So he wouldn't be shocked if he happened to hear them talking like that?
That was... kind of considerate, actually.
"Sir, it is true that I felt pretty bad whenever I got a rejection letter," Jaune admitted before his face settled into a determined expression. "But that doesn't matter. Maybe if I had nothing, I'd feel jealous of them, but that's not the case anymore."
He had IXA now.
By entering the IXA Project, Jaune was closer to his dream than ever before. By entering the IXA project, Jaune had met Winter, Red and Blue, Penny, Dr. Polendina, Dr. Onyx. Even Weiss.
It felt like his world had been growing bit by bit ever since the day he accepted General Ironwood's offer, and Jaune could honestly say he wouldn't have it any other way
"I promise I'll do my best on the mission, sir!"
Ironwood smiled.
"That's what I like to hear, soldier."
Besides, how bad could kids his age be?
xXx
"They are the absolute worst!"
Jaune laughed nervously. He had just been trying to start a conversation while he and Dr. Onyx went through his pre-mission check-up. Dr. Onyx was usually a calm person, so this reaction was the last thing Jaune had been expecting out of the man.
"Isn't that a little too harsh?"
"Not at all," the faunus doctor said, shaking his head. "The only reason teenagers aren't the worst thing on Remnant is that the Grimm exist."
Jaune pointed to himself. "I am a teenager."
"And due to my Hippocratic Oath, I am willing to look past that," Dr. Onyx replied without missing a beat. His fingers typed at the keyboard before moving on to the next test. Drones floated around Jaune, taking his vitals.
"I am not merely stating an opinion. This is a non-negotiable, scientifically proven fact," the doctor continued in a tone of voice that would have better suited Dr. Polendina. "Teenagers are creatures that desperately seek independence, yet the teenage years are those in which the brain is least-suited for making important choices. Instead of a nicely developed frontal lobe, teenagers have hormones, puberty, and narcissistic levels of self-importance. Do you understand what a dangerous combination that is? Consider yourself, for example."
"Me!? What did I do?"
"You signed up for a secret government program on the vague chance of becoming a huntsman and have since almost died more than once. Despite that, you have shown no signs of wanting to change course."
Jaune shuffled awkwardly in place.
When he put it that way...
"And yet, you might just be one of the most well-behaved teenagers I have met," Dr. Onyx said, an amused look on his face. "Certainly better than I was at your age. I caused a lot of trouble for my family. It's embarrassing just to remember it."
Jaune hid a wince at the mention of family. Dr. Onyx didn't seem to notice, too busy with his work.
"Anyway, trust me when I say you're in for a hard time. Regular teenagers are already horrible, but you're going to be dealing with students from one of Atlas' top academies. Pleiades' students mostly come from the upper districts. In other words, they're mostly rich kids, rich kids with combat training."
Jaune bit his lip. "And that's a problem?"
"It very much is. They aren't the sort who fantasize about buying the latest sports car. Instead, they buy it and take it out for a joy ride. If they get into trouble, their parents will shield them from it, meaning they don't have much of an incentive to learn from their mistakes. This is further compounded by their combat training. Trust me, it's a recipe for disaster."
"You sound like you're speaking from experience," Jaune couldn't help but point out. There was too much emotion in Dr. Onyx's voice for it to be anything else.
"I went to school in the lower districts, but there was a group of Hesperides students who came down every now and then." Dr. Onyx clicked his tongue, a dark look crossed his face. "They used to throw money around to see what they could make us do."
Jaune frowned. "Make you do?"
"They'd do things like offer a hundred lien to whoever was willing to eat something from the floor or stand upside down or run through the streets naked. Whatever they thought was funny that particular day," Dr. Onyx explained. "I had a bit too much pride for that, but not everyone did."
"Those guys sound like jerks!"
"They were. I'm not telling you everyone in this field trip of yours is going to be like that, but some people will. That could be hard for you since you aren't going to be wearing that suit all the time."
It was true. While they were transported to the combat zone, Jaune would be posing as one of the mechanics working on IXA. Just as he'd done for the Argonaut.
"Since you'll be posing as a mechanic, you can bet they'll look down on you. People tend to show their worst side to those they think are below them. Trust me on that. You better hope they just ignore you. If not..."
"I'll try not to let it get to me," Jaune promised. Between General Ironwood and now Dr. Onyx, Jaune was starting to get worried about this mission.
"Good. Never let them see you sweat," the doctor said as he finished typing. "You seem to be in good health. No after-effects from your little episode of Aura Burn. I do recommend taking some headaches pills for your mission, though."
Of course, he did.
"You're free to go. Try not to get hurt this time."
"Will do," Jaune promised. He began heading for the door but stopped, his hand frozen on the door frame. Slowly, Jaune turned back, hesitant. "Doctor Onyx, can I ask you a question?"
Dr. Onyx, who had already gone back to looking at his terminal, looked up. "Fire away."
"What… what do you think about the White Fang?"
Dr. Onyx stayed silent for a moment, his lips pressed together. "Are you asking because I'm a faunus?"
"No!" Jaune yelled, his hands waving in front of him. "I mean, yes, but… It's just… I…"
Jaune forced himself to stop. He took a deep breath.
"The guy I fought in the Argonaut, Adam Taurus, he said a lot of things. Winter talked to me, but…"
He had kept thinking, and thinking had led to action. Jaune had looked up stuff online, trying to understand what everything was about. What he found had been…
A lot.
There were multiple essays on faunus rights floating around, videos of faunus being violent, forums for humans who hated faunus, and forums for faunus who hated humans. It had been way too much information for someone as new to the issue as Jaune.
"I came from Mantle," Jaune told Dr. Onyx. "Things between humans and faunus are pretty alright there."
A consequence of the Great War and the subsequent founding of Atlas. It had created the right circumstances for the human and faunus populations of Mantle to cooperate. While it had been out of necessity, the bond that had formed between the communities there could not be denied.
"I hear it's worse in the mines that surround the city, but I've never gone there."
His parents had said it was better if he didn't go to places like that. While Jaune now understood why they had tried so hard to keep him safe, he couldn't help but resent his sheltered upbringing a little.
"That's why I thought it would help me understand things a little better if I asked a faunus. Is that insensitive? It is, isn't it?" Jaune looked away, hands clenched into fists. "I'll just let myself out and-"
"Sit down, kid." Dr. Onyx sighed. He waited until Jaune had taken a seat to continue. "Have you ever wondered how a faunus got enough money to pay for medical school?"
"Not really," Jaune admitted. "Should I have?"
"It should have been one of the first things to come to your mind. Medical school is not cheap, and it's not like there are many rich faunus out there. Most of us are on the lower end of middle class. We don't earn much, and that affects our opportunities in life… and the opportunities we can give our children."
It was something Jaune never had to think about. His parents had eight children, yet they never had to worry about money. Being a huntsman paid well, and the Arc family had accumulated a moderate amount of wealth over the generations.
"That is the reason why so many faunus end up working in the mines. Contrary to what many will tell you, the SDC pays well. Mining jobs offer quite a bit of hazard pay, and you don't need a fancy degree to get them. For many faunus, mining jobs are the best alternative for giving their kids a better life than the one they had."
"Is that what your family did, doctor?" Jaune asked with no small amount of hesitation. This was a sensitive topic, after all. "Work at mines?"
"No." Dr. Onyx chuckled at Jaune's surprised expression. "My father is a cautious man. The mines are dangerous places, and he didn't want to burden the family in the event of an accident. He chose a different career path from most faunus. He joined the military."
Jaune stared.
The full implication of that statement was not lost on him. If his father had been part of the military when Dr. Onyx had been a kid, then that meant that…
"Yes, he joined just in time for the Faunus Rights Revolution." Dr. Onyx chuckled as he ran a hand through his pale hair. "He was never deployed to Mistral, but he was part of the army through those years and beyond. Talk about bad timing, huh?."
A faunus joining the army just in time for Atlas to become involved in the Faunus Rights Revolution. Awkward didn't begin to cover it. Jaune couldn't begin to imagine how the man had managed to stay in the army all those years.
"As you can imagine, the choice was not a popular one. His fellow soldiers weren't exactly feeling all that friendly towards the faunus. The revolution might have taken place in Mistral, but there was a lot of fear going around back then. People were afraid of a faunus uprising in Atlas. Having my father in the army was like having a potential enemy in their midst. You can bet they did everything in their power to try to make my father quit. Then there the faunus."
"The faunus?" Jaune blinked. "Shouldn't they have supported him?"
Dr. Onyx laughed and shook his head, his long horns somehow managing to not bump into anything. "Picture this. Your brethren are fighting against human oppression in another continent. Then one day, troops from your own kingdom are sent to help out the kingdom that is suppressing your fellow faunus. How do you think the faunus felt?"
"I guess they weren't happy with the military," Jaune said, remembering Red and Blue had told him a bit about this.
"Damn right, they weren't happy. As far as the faunus community was concerned, my father had signed up with the enemy. To them, he was nothing more than a traitor. He got called all sorts of names. Kept faunus. Pet. Traitor. Herbivore."
"Herbivore?"
"A faunus insult," Dr. Onyx explained. "My father is a wolf faunus, a carnivore. Saying he prefers vegetables over meat, well, it implies all sorts of things. None of them good."
Jaune made a mental note of that for future interactions with faunus.
"One time, we woke up to find someone had spray-painted our house, and trust me, it wasn't the humans who did it. Those were hard days for our family, and I didn't exactly make them any easier," Dr. Onyx admitted, his gaze distant as if lost in his memories.
"My mother always supported my father, but I allowed the resentment the community felt towards him to get to me. I said lots of things I shouldn't have." A tired sigh left his lips. He shrugged. "Like I said, teenagers are stupid. Still, my father never let all that pressure get to him. He did his job and ignored all the people trying to bring him down. Humans or faunus. Didn't matter. He did what he did for one reason. Putting food on the table and paying for my education. Atlas isn't perfect, but it takes care of its soldiers and their families. There are lots of scholarships out there for military kids."
"And that's how you were able to pay for medical school?"
Dr. Onyx nodded. "It's not a bad deal, but unfortunately, there's lots of stigma in faunus communities about joining the army. Even without it, not everyone is in a hurry to sign up to fight Grimm. I cannot say for sure whether those who choose the mines over the army are entirely wrong. I just know I got my degree thanks to my father. General Ironwood recruited me shortly after graduating, and well, the rest is history."
"And your father? Is he okay?" Jaune asked. Dr. Onyx smiled.
"Dad's retired now. With benefits. I visit my parents every week. I was planning on sending them on a cruise for their anniversary, but recent events have shown me that might not be the safest thing. Anyway, you're probably wondering why I told you all this first, right?"
He kind of was.
"I told you this, so you could understand where I'm coming from," Dr. Onyx said as his face grew serious. "The White Fang will tell you faunus need to rise up. That violence is the only way for faunus to get anywhere in life. I think that's a pile of crap. My father managed to claw his way up, fair and square. He earned the respect of his squadmates the hard way. Some still visit him to this day. I'm not going to tell you everything is hunky-dory between humans and faunus, but I will say that we can succeed in this world and make things better."
Dr. Onyx pressed his hands together.
"But then the White Fang shows up. Anytime they act out, the people who were on the fence about us, suddenly have less of a reason to give us the benefit of the doubt. Meanwhile, all the bigots can point and say, 'Look at those filthy faunus. I knew they were no good.' Emboldened by their sense of righteousness, they become more open about their prejudice, which leads the White Fang to escalate, and the process repeats itself. And you know who is more likely to be lured by the White Fang's promises?"
The answer came to Jaune right away. "Teenagers."
"Exactly. Dumb. Stupid. Teenagers. People who lack the necessary judgment to make anything resembling an important choice. They eat up all the stuff the White Fang is saying. Lured by promises of power, they join, and before they know it, they're in jail for stealing Dust or burning down stores. That's what all that talk of revolution gets them."
Dr. Onyx sounds almost resigned to this fact.
"You asked me how I feel about the White Fang as a faunus? I hate them. With all my heart."
xXx
Pleiades Academy was as Weiss had left it.
"Miss Schnee, it is so great to see you."
"Wonderful concert last week, Miss Schnee. My father got us balcony seats."
"It is so good to see you, Miss Schnee. It would please us if you accompanied us for tea next Thursday."
Weiss replied to the greetings on automatic, barely paying attention to the people who desperately sought to talk to her.
It was always the same.
There was a reason why Weiss was barely present at the school. Dealing with sycophants was not something she cared for. That wasn't to say Weiss neglected her studies in any way. Perish the thought. Weiss was at the top of her year by a wide margin. She was the best, and everyone knew it.
Due to her singing career and her status as a Schnee, the school understood she sometimes needed to be absent, and Weiss may have taken advantage of this more than was strictly necessary. If she could be at the top of her class while also not having to deal with her annoying classmates, why not do so?
Her father, of course, thought differently. Mingle, the man had said. Make beneficial relationships.
Weiss didn't see any point to it. Her classmates were shallow and uninteresting. The girls hung on to her every word. The guys tried to get closer to her just for her last name. There was nothing more to them. Her father may be the head of the SDC, but on this, he was clearly mistaken.
How could she possibly gain anything from being closer to people like them?
"Weissy!"
The voice was loud, shrill, and echoed through the halls of the esteemed institution. Immediately upon hearing it, Weiss' expression changed from stoic to annoyed.
"Neon."
The girl blurred into view the moment Weiss said her name, her body propelled by a rainbow before coming to a stop in front of her.
Neon was a green-eyed girl with a slim build. Her skin was light, and her hair was a dark shade of pink. She wore the standard black uniform of Pleiades Academy, but her skirt was an inch or so shorter than everyone else's. The number of accessories the girl was wearing was definitely not according to code, though thankfully, she wasn't wearing roller skates this time.
She had a tail.
"Weissy!" Neon repeated, going for a hug. A black glyph appeared between the two, repelling her.
"We are not allowed to be loud in the hallways."
"Come on, Weissy-"
Weiss' eye twitched. "That's not my name."
"Don't be such a square. Here I came to greet you the moment I heard you had finally shown your face around here."
Why?
That was what Weiss wanted to know. It wasn't as if the girl and she were friends. At best, they qualified as acquaintances.
Neon was a faunus, born and raised in the lower districts. Her parents were miners that worked in one of the SDC's mines. Usually, someone like Neon would never be qualified to enter a place like Pleiades Academy. Putting skill and knowledge aside, the tuition was simply too expensive for most families. A working-class family would never be able to afford it.
However, working for the SDC was not without its benefits. The company gave scholarships to the children of some of its employees. Those who distinguished themselves with hard work.
Neon was the proud recipient of the Nicholas Schnee Scholarship.
The original idea had come from Weiss' grandfather, but now her father used it as a simple PR tool. A faunus being granted a scholarship by the SDC to one of the top schools in Atlas quelled the murmurs of the company's so-called 'discriminatory policies.' It also boosted the morale of the workers.
Personally, Weiss didn't understand why they needed to give a faunus combat education.
Well, Weiss mused. It wasn't like Neon Katt would ever join the White Fang. The girl was as far removed from the image of a terrorist as possible. Neon was… Neon. More interested in parties, roller skating, and the noise she called music than anything else.
"You're here for the field trip, right?" Neon asked, leaning closer. "Came to kill some Grimm with the rest of us?"
Weiss brushed a strand of her hair back into place. "Naturally."
It was the only reason she had returned to Atlas instead of staying in Mistral for longer. Unlike the rest of the students in the school, Weiss had fought Grimm before thanks to Winter. However, she wasn't about to miss an opportunity to test her skills.
"Have you seen the groups?" Neon asked, a big grin on her face. "Have you seen them?"
Since there were over a hundred students per year, it would be unthinkable to move them all at once. That was why the students had been randomly assigned groups for this exercise.
"As a matter of fact, I was just on my way to... " Weiss stopped. Her heart sank. "No."
"Yes!" Neon was jumping in place. "We're going to be group buddies! Isn't that great, Weissy!"
No. It wasn't.
It wasn't great at all.
AN:
Canonically, Neon and Weiss don't seem to have met before Vol 3. I'm changing it here since Neon's character fits my purposes. Also, I'll note that Weiss' scene is very much colored by her perspective. Weiss has lots of opinions on things. Those opinions are not necessarily accurate.
Dr. Onyx's backstory is one I've wanted to touch on for some time now, and this seemed like a good place to do so. Jaune hasn't forgotten about all the stuff Adam said. Discrimination is a relatively new topic for him, so he's trying to get different perspectives. Also, I had already shown things through White Fang-aligned characters the last arc, so I wanted to show things through someone completely opposed to them this time. I must stress none of these perspectives is a "definitive" perspective. Each perspective is just that, a perspective.
Anyway, I'm not entirely happy with this chapter. It's better than my first draft, but that's about all I can say.
Till next time!