A/N: Hiya everyone! This is your author speaking, the motha-flippin Red Ducky! So off the rip letting you guys know this is my first story, you know how that goes. This is a Jaune leaves Beacon story of own volition not by expulsion. There will be some characters from other Fandoms in this but they will follow the laws and nature of the RWBY universe, if there is something that seems a little over the top I will provide some explanation on how it works in A/N. With that out of the way, do give reviews, please give actually detailed reviews so I CAN get better for you readers sake and mine. I hope you enjoy the first ever story.

Oh btw Team RWBY & JNPR are second years at the start of this prologue :3

Prologue: Coward

Four years ago


-Beacon-

"Ugh, It seems we'll have to cut the budget again this year, damn council" Ozpin states to himself, growling out the last part. "Every year it seems those greedy vultures find ways to screw with me and my academy" gleaming over the damnable piece of paperwork that is the annual budget.

Sigh, taking off his glasses he rubs his eyes from the strain. He tries to take a sip from his ever present mug, but finds it empty getting up. He heads over to another table in his office; he pours himself a cup of brown ambrosia, coffee. Ah "Whatever shall I ever do without you, even I don't know the answer and I'm so glad I will never know." He shudders to himself the absolute horror of coffee not existing, what a scary reality that would be.

DING

Hmm, I don't have any scheduled visits at this time of day. I wonder who could be? Ozpin looks over his desk to see that it's a mess so he decides to straighten it up real quick before his visitor gets here.

THUMP

After a few moments there is a neatly stacked pile of paper on the now cleaned desk and not any second sooner the old wizard sees the newly named visitor, Jaune Arc.

Hmm, Jaune huh, I wonder what he could need at this hour, "Hello Mr. Arc it's good to see you, please, take a seat" Gesturing to the chair. "Would you like anything to drink?" Ozpin offers.

"Coffee if you don't mind" Jaune states evenly.

"Of course" He hands the boy a fresh cup and the boy takes a long sip, calming his nerves it seems. Now that he's getting a good look at the state of Mr. Arc after establishing pleasantries, the boy exudes an aura of weariness, resignation and strangely enough acceptance.

Hmm, what could be the problem, is this about his transcripts or the mission last week, he could not possibly think that child's death was his fault, no one could have predicted an ancient class grim would decide to attack that village. Ozpin thinks to himself trying to theorize what is wrong with the team leader of team JNPR.

They sit there in silence for a good minute neither ready to speak. Jaune trying to calm his nerves trying to muster the courage to get out his request, and Ozpin letting him do so; after a brief few moments Jaune looks like ready to speak.

Ozpin puts a small smile and asks "What could I do for you Mr. Arc? It seems whatever is on your mind is important, and I'm here to assist with anything you need". Ozpin states with a friendly tone to try to ease the boy's nerves.

Now the headmaster theorized a multitude of responses and scenarios on what Jaune was going to respond, none of them were necessarily right, but he was close.

Jaune looks at Ozpin with as much confidence and resolution he possibly mustered and states brokenly, "I-I-I quit," To most, the owl-eyed and worried expression that the headmaster gave Jaune would have been entertaining, but not to the Arc knight. He just felt guilty.

"Excuse me, Mr. Arc did you say, 'you quit'" Jaune just nods "Mr. Ar- no Jaune, what's wrong?" Ozpin looks directly at Jaune with a gentle expression and tone to hopefully get the full reason why one of his most aspiring young students is wanting to leave and hopefully try to get him to reconsider.

With a shaky voice, "I-I'm done headmaster, this life here at Beacon is all of a lie that I have been telling myself since day one, no maybe even earlier. My dream of becoming a hero is nothing more than a pipe-dream" Jaune looks down, eyes almost brimming with tears, he balls his fist and screams "I'M NOTHING BUT A FAKER AND FRAUD!"

Ozpin is a little a taken back by the level of vehemence the young man expresses, but quickly recovers himself, "Jaune is this about your transcripts, if so don-"

"No headmaster, it's only part of it. That mission to Grindelwald finally opened my eyes to how useless I really am. I had a hunch you already knew about my transcripts and I wish you chose someone else to be here instead of me. If it was anyone else they wouldn't have failed those villagers." Jaune confesses. He lifts up his head and looks Ozpin dead in the eyes with a broken visage.

Ozpin looks at Jaune confused, not understanding why he thinks he has failed. "Jaune, you saved that village. That village stands another day, because of your quick planning and masterful strategy. You are a hero to those people, how can you believe you failed them. You even unlocked your semblance(canon) on that mission. You saved the lives of your friends and team"

Lifting up his head with a distant look. Jaune just sees the broken image of a young girl, no older than seven, broken and bloody with glassy eyes devoid of any life staring right at him. "But I did fail those people I couldn't save because I wasn't strong enough. Even after a year I'm still quite a ways behind everyone of my year, I know that if another more qualified was there leading they could have saved more or even all of them."

"That's not even the end of my failures Nora and Blake were critically injured under my leadership. I failed to lead my team and my friends. I almost got them killed, because of my incompetence"

"I'm done, please find someone more worthy to take up the mantle of leader, t-they deserve better" Nora laying on the ground with a large gash, bleeding profusely, going down her navel. Jaune gets up. He then sees Blake with a claw going out her chest, quite barely missing her heart by centimeters. He takes off his armor and unclips his Crocea Mors from his belt and gently lays both on Ozpin's desk.

His fingers linger on the sheath of Crocea for a brief moment, knowing this will be the last time he will see her for a long time. He gives a deep bow to the headmaster thanking him for everything. He turns around and prepares to leave.

"Wait, Jaune, what about your team? Your friends? Are you really going to just leave them? Are you really just going to give up?" Standing up quickly, Ozpin tries to plead to the young man to think about what he's about to do and how it would affect his friends by him leaving.

Without looking back, "I'm sorry, headmaster".

Ozpin sits back down with a weary sigh, "I see, I'm sorry to hear that. I will respect your decision. I will let your friends and family know of your decision; also, I will send your weapon and armor home." Jaune just nods still not turning around. "It has been a pleasure to have you at my academy".

After the headmaster finishes Jaune just walks toward the elevator, "Oh before you go, here." He hands the boy a simple long sword and some lien. "I can't in good conscience send you out with nothing".

Ozpin pats the young man's shoulder "They will miss you, all of them, especially Glynda, she we'll be heartbroken you ar- were her favorite student." "Don't worry I'll let them know in the morning of your departure so you better get a move on. It is quite late and you don't want to miss the last bullhead." A clock on the wall shows that it's already 8:30.

Jaune responds with a quiet thank you and heads to the elevator. As the doors close the headmaster just shakes his head in sadness losing one of, if not the most promising student he has ever had.


-Docks-

Jaune arrived at the docks where there were only a few people about.

He steps up to the only running bullhead for the last flight into the city. Taking a seat he puts in the lien he received from the headmaster in his wallet.

Swoosh

Hmm. A small card stock piece of paper falls to the ground, picking up the paper he lets out a small smile. A picture of team RWBY and JNPR, there was even professor Glynda and Ozpin in it.

It was to commemorate their first ever successful first mission as first years.

Ruby and Nora are seen giving him a bone crushing hug; He gives a very very pained smile in the middle; Weiss giving a true smile instead of one her haughty smirks; Blake at the edge without her bow has a soft smile free of any burden; Yang has a megawatt smile with her arms wrapped around Pyrrha and Ren; while the both of them have seem content to let it happen; lastly the two professors hold very proud expressions for their students achievement. Suddenly the image became a little blurred.

Drip Drip

"I'm such a coward"

A/N: Well there you have it folks, first chapter of the Pilgrim and very first ever publish :). Now with how I'm going to proceed from here on out. I'm going to go slowly and try to update as best as I can. It seems like I'm writing as my imagination goes and not a schedule. Since I do have college that will take priority.

My writing is pretty stiff, I haven't done anything in real length and in any creative writing standpoint in a long time. I write and calculate algorithms not write papers so it may bleed into how I write so sorry about that. Drop a review it will help.

Cya guys on the flip-side :3