Steel & Speed
RWBY / Redline (themes)
Thirteen years ago, while en route to a mission in the wilds of Mistral; the bullhead on which Summer Rose was being transported picked up a distress beacon. Directing the crew to take a detour from the registered flight plan, Summer came upon the crash site. Using her semblance, she decimated the swarming lancers. Amidst the wreckage, she found two survivors. A brother and sister. Abandoning her mission, Summer took the two back to Mistral, and after finding through the resources of Beacon and Haven that the pair's entire family had perished in the crash, she made the only decision a mother could make. At the age of 9 and 4, Saphron and Jaune Arc became members of the Xiao Long/Rose family.
(This is a partial re-imagining of my story "DK Fury")
/==/
Summer Rose's leg was bouncing wildly as she watched the news feed. Beside her, with his arm around her, was her husband Tai Xiao Long. He gave her a soft, comforting squeeze.
"He'll be okay." Tai whispered into her ear, trying to reassure his worried wife. "He's been trained, he's armed, and you know as well as I do… nothing will stop that beast of his."
"I can't help it."
"I know you can't, but he's not a little boy anymore…"
"He'll always be my little boy." Summer snapped, giving the love of her life a glare, "just like Yang and Ruby will always be my baby girls."
"I know Summer, but this isn't the ISE… it's five laps around Vale's walls… walls that you know are manned."
"But the sighting…"
"Was a sighting, and there is no way the huntsman on the walls wouldn't act. He'll be fine."
"I still…" she stopped from repeating herself as the feed showed a vehicle she was intimately familiar with. The black matte finished car, with yellow highlights, flew past the stationary camera.
"In fifth, Vale local Sweet JP."
"I hate that nickname." Summer moaned as the announcer continued to announce the drivers of each car as they passed the checkpoint camera.
"It fits him." Tai chuckled.
"It makes him sound like a… gigolo or something, and that's not who he is." Summer moaned.
"Shall we go down and meet him?" Tai asked as he gave Summer another quick one-armed hug. "He's on his last lap, you know the girls are down there already."
"They never left since the rally started." Summer countered. "But yes, we should be there, maybe take them all out for something after… it'll be one of the last…"
"Honey, Ruby will still be at home. Yang is only going to Beacon, and Jaune is just moving to Vale. They are close enough for us to visit every day…"
"But they won't be home, and that's the point! Saphron is already gone" Summer pouted as she rose from her seat. "My babies are all leaving me… soon they'll be married and have families of their own, and, and we'll only get to see them on special occasions!"
"I seriously doubt that is going to happen the instant they move from home." Tai chuckled as he gave the light of his life a kiss to her forehead, "Come on, let's get down there, so you can smother and guilt them."
"I don't smother them!" Summer replied with indignation.
"No, you baby them, and have since the day you came home with Jaune and Saphron." Tai retorted with a chuckle, before adding at the sight of his wife's pout, "which is perfectly fine, considering… what you promised."
"Did I… we do the right thing? I know Ozpin stepped in to make it official, but still we could have…"
"Jaune and Saphron are loving and caring individuals who love their family; and we tried. Ozpin put a lot of resources into trying to locate more of their family… we did the right thing, Summer. We gave them a home, and a loving and supportive family. We made the right choice… the only reasonable choice."
"Sometimes I still…"
"So do I, but then I look at what we have done, and what all four of our children have accomplished." Tai's finger intertwined with Summer's as the pair moved from the viewing area, towards the finish line and pits. "As for them leaving the nest, that's not happening for a few more months, and a couple of years for Ruby. You have plenty of time to make sure they know how much you love them."
"I guess you're right. We should get down there…" the sound of sirens going off downed out what she was going to say. Tai saw the look of dread cross his wife's face, and squeezed her hand tightly.
"Don't jump to…" Tai started to speak in an attempt to comfort and clam Summer's obvious rising panic, only to be drawn to the displays as the words of the commentator's filtered into his mind.
"... emergency service vehicles are one route, and we will inform everyone of JP's condition once the crash site has been secured." Tai nearly crushed Summer's delicate digits as an over head view of the crash was shown, "A caution warning has been issued to the other drivers as they approach turn six. Again, emergency vehicles are on route, and we will update everyone once we have news of Sweet JP's condition."
"Jaune, please…" Both Summer and Tai whispered in unison.
/=/
Jaune crawled out from under this over turned car. Pulling off his helmet, he tossed it aside as he spit and then wiped his mouth with the back of his gloved hand. Slowly, he stood up and turned to look at his cherished ride.
"Fuck! Fuck! Fuck!" he stared to swear, before taking a deep breath and calming down. He had made a stupid mistake, but then again, all mistakes while behind the wheel of almost two metric tonnes of carbon steel, and Kevlar impregnated poly ceramic; travelling at 105 kph are stupid. "Sorry baby girl."
Stepping forward, he could hear the sirens of the closing emergency vehicles, and sighed again. He was pissed at himself. The Vale wall run was a qualifier for the Mistrallian Open Rally, and if he didn't finish, he'd completely lose a chance to really test himself and Christine. Closing his eyes for a moment, he centred himself. Remembering the teachings and instruction of his mom and dad, he stepped forward and pushed his aura into his muscles. It would cause him some strain, but he knew he could do it.
Christine groaned and creaked as Jaune grit his teeth and started to lift and push. He only had to get her past the point of balance, and her own weight would take care of the rest. As the emergency crews arrived, Jaune had almost gotten his baby girl tipped. He gritted his teeth and did his best to force even more aura into his straining body. In the back of his mind, he cursed himself for skipping so many gym sessions with Yang. But he powered forward and to the absolute astonishment of the gathered crews, and medical personnel, he tipped Christine over. She bounced on her shocks and springs as she landed back on all four of her tires.
"Hey, you need to be checked out!" shouted one of the EMT's as Jaune grabbed his helmet from the ground, and climbed back into his car.
"No time!" Jaune yelled back, as he mentally prayed that Christine's engine wasn't damaged and would turn over. "I have a race to finish!"
Her V8 roared to life, and Jaune smiled as his feet moved, as his right hand grabbed the gearshift. The emergency crews stepped back as the all four wheels dug into the soft ground on the side of the track. It took a second for Christine to get a solid purchase before she lurched forward, and chewed her way up the short incline and back onto the track. Manipulating the pedals and shifter, Jaune and his baby quickly took off down the track.
He had heard several other racers pass by while he was indisposed, and he knew he was well below his original placing; and while the urge was there, he also knew that he couldn't. He had to baby his girl, and until he got her back into his shop and hooked up to his diagnostic systems, to tell if there was any serious damage to the internals. Keeping her in second, he moved at a decent clip, staying well to the side, to make sure anyone still behind him, could pass without issue. He wasn't going to place well, but he'd be damned if he wasn't going to see the finish line. He felt a little nauseous, as he followed the worn track. Likewise, he would have to get himself checked out as well. You didn't take tumbles like that at speed, and not take some damage; even with aura.
/=/
"I'm going to tan his hide!" Summer exclaimed as she watched her baby boy's ride roll over the finish line. "I don't care how old he is, he knows better than to keep pushing after…"
"Easy now." Tai tried to calm his wife, as he noticed Yang and Ruby taking steps away.
"He's going to give me grey hair with stunts like this." Summer whined as she tried to break Tai's hold on her hand, so she could rush forward. Tai knew Summer was more inclined to scoop the taller boy up and crush him in a hug, over putting him over her knee; but still, Jaune wasn't officially done his race, and having Summer rush into the pits would cause his son issues. Even though he was sorely tempted to let it happen.
However, it was Yang who made the first move, jumping the barricade separating the spectators from the racers. Jaune was barely out of his car when Yang grabbed him. She wrapped her arms around him and lifted him from his feet, before he could even get his helmet off. Tai chuckled at the sight before releasing his hold on Summer's hand. Freed of her restraints, Summer vanished in a burst of rose petals.
"You might as well, too." Tai spoke, giving permission to his youngest as she held back. Like her mother, Ruby vanished into a flurry of rose petals, only to appear next to the rest of her family and latching onto her older brother.
"Are you okay?" all three women asked the squirming young man, in unison.
"Fine." Jaune gasped out.
"What were you thinking?" Summer asked.
"What happened?" Yang asked at the same time.
"I made a mistake." Jaune wheezed, answering Yang, before also addressing the concern of his mom. "I had to finish."
"Let's go." Summer declared, as she and her daughters released the brother that had scared them. "Medical tent, now."
Jaune didn't even get a chance to dispute the command as Yang hooked his arm and started to drag him forward. With his free hand, he was finally able to remove his helmet, which he dropped to the ground, only for Ruby to pick it up. She took a minute to look it over as her mom and older sister escorted her reluctant brother towards the medical station. Her silver eyes narrowed, when she noticed the fine spider web of cracks that decorated the back of it. Easily missed if you weren't really looking. She had spent enough time around Jaune, and racing in general, to know he was hurt. His sudden weaving and stumble, which caused Yang to grab him by the font of his racing suit to keep him from completely falling, confirmed it. She quickly caught up and showed her mom what she found, as her dad closed in, a concerned look in his eyes.
"Tai!" Summer yelled, getting an instant reaction. The tall blonde moved in. With the help of Yang, who also hooked one of Jaune's arms over her shoulders, the pair assisted the young man to the medical tents.
The three ladies waited just outside and to the side of the medical tent's entrance as Tai and Jaune vanished inside. Less than twenty minutes later, Tai emerged.
"He has a concussion." Tai informed his gathered family, "He's resting right now, and they want to transfer him to Vale Memorial for overnight observation."
"So he'll be okay?" Ruby asked.
"He'll be okay, he just needs to take it easy for the next few weeks, which means no more racing, practice runs, or sparring." Tai gave Yang a knowing look. His daughter gave him a nod, showing she understood what he was implying; seeing as her and Jaune were thick as thieves when it came to pushing themselves.
"I'll call Saphron." Summer offered, and when Tai gave her a questioning look, she explained. "She was watching online, and knows he crashed. She called just after you took Jaune into get examined."
"Are they sure?" Ruby asked as her mother stepped away to make her scroll call to Jaune's biological sister.
"He's going to be fine, Ruby." Tai replied, "He's just going to have to take it easy for the next little while."
"Did he say what happened?" Yang asked.
"No he didn't."
/=/
Two months later, after being cleared by doctors, and his mom. Jaune was behind the wheel of Christine once again. He was in the just in the middle of his trip, after making a milk run to a semi nearby settlement. It had been a specialist weapons order for a huntress, that couldn't wait for the next scheduled bullhead. It was a simple job for Jaune, and offered him opportunities to do what he loved, driving Christine; and testing out her tuning. Of course, he had declined to inform his parents or sisters of his new job. The sudden change in weather, drew his attention, spurring him to let up on the gas, dropping his speed until he rolled to a stop. Stepping out of Christine, he looked up into the sky, trying to puzzle out the strangeness of the sudden change, when he heard it. Even over the low idling rumble of his baby.
"Gun shots?" Jaune wasted no time sliding back behind the wheel. Someone was in trouble, and maybe he could help. He might not be a huntsman, but he had always been taught, out in between the settlements; outside the kingdom walls, you helped those in need; to the best of your ability. Putting Christine into gear, he pressed in on the throttle, feeding the modified V8 engine. He had no idea how far away the sounds of those shots came from, or if they were even near the road, but he still felt the need to try.
Christine chewed up the distance and in a very short span of time, he saw a sight that made his teeth grit, and his knuckle go white. Gunning the engine and shifting up, he used the best
Tool he had at his disposal. Two metric tones of steel intimidation. The trio bailed to the side as Jaune ripped past, only to scatter even further as Jaune used the parking brake, and well tune reflexes to pull a 180 and rip back towards them. Jaune could tell, by how they were evading him, that they were trained, possibly rogue huntsmen and huntresses. But he didn't let that deter him. He had to do what he could, and with that he flipped the cover-up and squeezed the trigger embedded in his steering wheel.
The twin bonnet mounted mini-guns ripped to life. They were Jaune's anti-grimm armament, and at 3000 rounds per minute of 7.62x51mm rounds tore into the ground. Jaune stomped on the brake, while gunning Christine's engine, causing her to sway left and right, allowing him to literally spray the area in front of him. The trio of figures dodged and jumped, as Jaune watched his ammo counter drop. Christine's internal magazine held 1000 rounds, evenly split between both guns. That gave him 10 seconds of continuous fire; which just ended.
Letting off the trigger, Jaune focused on the trio. He gunned his engine, making Christine's V8 beast of an engine roar. They were fast, and he was doubtful if he could do much now that his guns were empty, but still he had Christine. Near 1000 horsepower, mounted on 2 metric tons. Zero to 100 in 3.85 seconds. He knew his baby could do some damage. Reaching over to his shifter, he hit the switch for the electric actuation clutch, allowing Christine's supercharger to spin up. As he continued to watch the trio's movements, seeing weapons being brought up, he reached from the shifter down to the centre console. With the flick of a toggle switch, he opened Christine's NOS line.
Grabbing the shifter, he worked the gas and clutch as the thumb on his left hand pressed a simple red button on Christine's steering wheel. She jumped forward, her front wheels lifting from the road, as the NOS injected twin charged engine literally screamed. The yellow highlighted black beast of a machine chewed up the packed dirt road as she purged forward. Jaune knew the trio had jumped out of the way, as soon as Christine pulled the wheelstand. Grabbing the emergency brake, he pulled as he twisted the wheel, causing his baby to spin, further tearing up the road surface as she made a 180. Her rear tires dug in, and once again her engine screamed like an enraged beast. The trio of figures once again scattered as Christine carried Jaune past them.
Ripping past the downed woman the trio had been assaulting, he pulled the same manoeuvre again, only this time he slowed to a stop next to the woman. He kept his eyes on the trio as they regrouped in the distance. The thump of something landing on the roof, caused Jaune to let up on the gas and pop the clutch in surprise, causing Christine to lurch forward and stall. The sudden movement, did nothing to whomever had landed on Christine's roof, and Jaune growled as mud caked boots landed on her bonnet, before dashing forward.
As the figure moved towards the quickly retreating trio, Jaune climbed out of Christine and quickly rushed over to the prone woman, he had been trying to defend. He saw the arrow embedded in her back, and as he got closer, the rich crimson flowing across her dusky skin. Dropping to his knees, he forgot about the trio and fourth figure, instead concentrating on putting pressure on the wound.
"Jaune?" came a voice that the young man was very familiar with.
"Uncle Qrow?"
/=/
The bullhead had arrived and left. Qrow had called it in as Jaune used the First Aid kit from inside the passenger door of Christine to slow the bleeding. The medical team had stabilized the young woman, and taken off shortly after, leaving Qrow to climb in the car. Jaune knew he was in for a question period as he drove his Uncle back to Vale.
"Does your mom know you're making Milk runs?" Qrow asked his nephew from the passenger seat. "Or that you've added a weapon system?"
"Ah no." Jaune replied, a nervous tone in his voice as he guided Christine at speed along the road. "You're not?"
"I haven't decided yet." Qrow replied. "Though, if she found out that I KNEW about this…"
"Please don't."
"Then tell me why?"
"I… I needed the money to help tune Christine, and…"
"And?"
"It's practice for the SMR"
"Jaune, Summer is going to freak. How do you plan to hide this from her, or Tai?"
"I…"
"Listen, I get it." Qrow pulled out his flask and took a sip. "You want to test yourself, and your creation. Ever since you were ten, you've been fascinated with cars and racing. I can even remember the day you declared that huntsman were, I think you said lame"
"I…"
"Rubes and Firecracker, both want to be Huntresses. Those are their dreams. Your sister, Saphron, just wants a simple life; and I can't blame her… and you want to run the roads." Qrow took another sip, "Far be it from me to interfere, but you need to be honest with your family. Tai, Summer, Saphron, Yang and Ruby all have a right to know."
"But…"
"Your family can't support you if we don't know."
"I guess." Jaune replied as he down shifted, to take a lazy corner. "But I know they'll overreact. Did you know that Ruby and Yang tried to force me to have all my meals in bed after my accident."
"Sounds like them." Qrow chuckled, before getting serious, "I'm glad you were around, if you hadn't been…"
"She's safe now."
"More or less."
"What's that supposed to mean?" Jaune asked as he up shifted.
"It's best if you don't get too involved in this Jaune." Qrow took another sip from his flask as the countryside rolled past the window. "Is there a chance those three saw your face?"
"Doubt it. I never got out of Christine."
"Good."
"You're really making me wonder."
"Well, I can't stop you from doing that."
"So what now?"
"Now, you take up the role of being my taxi driver and get me back to Beacon."
"I think I can manage that."
"As much as I like the scenery, can you pick up the pace? The sooner I get to Beacon, the better." Qrow took one final swig before putting his flask away. "I thought you said this bucket of bolts was fast. I can jog…"
Jaune said nothing, but just growled, before up shifting and hitting the switch. No one insulted his baby, even if they were family. Qrow braced himself, hiding his knowing smirk as the sound of the blower engaging heralded the sudden burst of speed. The world outside started to blur slightly, and Qrow prepared to get more comfortable when he noticed the movement of Jaune's right hand. A small capsule appearing at the tips of his fingers.
"Jaune?" Qrow asked with a swallow as the young blond haired man popped open a small plunger like contraption and flicked the small capsule into the opening, before slapping it closed.
"The sooner, the better… right?" Jaune asked, Qrow could see the smirk on Jaune's face, even as he focused on the road before him. "Hold on. Gold Nitro Dust… has a little bit of a kick."
Qrow thrust his hands forward, bracing himself against the dash as Jaune's left thumb pressed down on a small button. A little bit of a kick was the understatement of the year in Qrow's mind as he was physically shoved back into his seat. He gasped and wheezed, as he felt like his chest was being compacted. His eyes watered as the world around them became a blur.