Okay, so here's chapter two since I had nothing better to do. Just remember, this story was inspired by A Light in the D'Arc by Omniknyght.

I don't own RWBY otherwise Pyrrha would still be alive.

How many times has he been up here? Sitting on this roof, contemplating the very worth of his existence. Jaune sighed as he rubbed a bruise that was forming on his side. Everything started on this roof. Everything. Sometimes, he wondered if it was a mistake to save Cardin from that Ursa.

Should I go back to my room? Jaune contemplated. He shook his head. He needed this time alone.

He stared back up at the moon. The sight brought him some semblance of comfort.

A small creak alerted him as his sapphire eyes darted to the single entrance to the roof. The door was slightly ajar but there was no one in sight. I could have sworn that I closed that door. Maybe it's just my nerves, he thought.

Sighing, Jaune continued to gaze out into the distance. The nightly breeze offered no comfort as it gently stroked his face and hair.

"Maybe they're all right…," Jaune muttered as his shoulder sagged. The defeat weighed heavily upon the young Knight. "Maybe I'm not cut out for this. Cheating my way into the most prestigious fighting school this side of Vale wasn't exactly the best idea. Ozpin clearly made a mistake when he chose me to lead."

"Is that so Mr. Arc?" a voice called out.

Jaune jumped and whirled his head around so fast, he might as well have broken it. There standing behind him was an irate Glynda Goodwitch. Her blonde hair was shining in the light of the moon while her piercing green eyes sent waves of fear into the poor Knight.

"P-Professor G-Goodwitch!? What brings you here?" he asked, cursing himself for stuttering.

"I should be asking you the same thing. Curfew ended hours ago. What are you doing up here?" she asked.

"I- um, uh, was just appreciating the Moon?" Jaune said.

"If you're going to lie, you'll have to do a lot better than that. The truth, Mr. Arc. The truth," Glynda said, her withering glare forcing Jaune into submission. "And no, the old 'I was sleepwalking' excuse won't cut it this time."

Her eyes trailed down and saw the bruises on his arm. His tense body language. His bloodshot eyes. The clenched fists. Her eyes softened at the sight.

"Mr- Jaune, you know you can ask me and the other staff for help right?" Glynda said, taking a seat next to him. Despite how she is viewed by students and staff, a strict, overbearing, drill sergeant of a professor, Glynda did possess a motherly demeanor, under the right circumstances of course.

Jaune looked away from her. A month of nothing but physical and emotional abuse had taken its toll on him. Nearly the entire student body had turned their backs on him. Bullies and others who had not taken kindly to his entrance had relished in his suffering. And he was alone. Well, almost alone. The staff, Mikael bless them, had gone out of their way to try and help him. His partner, as well, had been his only light in this dark time.

The others had turned their backs on him. Team RWBY had gone out of their way to either avoid him or otherwise. Nora and Ren were impassive about the whole thing. They neither helped him nor contributed to the abuse but Jaune couldn't help but feel abandoned.

He wasn't blind to what the staff and Pyrrha were trying to do. They were trying to get him back on track. But he couldn't accept it. He didn't deserve it. Everyone else worked their whole lives to be granted entrance to the very gates of the great Beacon Academy. He didn't. His very presence was a stain on the school's reputation.

I should just go home to Domremy. Become a tavern owner like Mom and Dad or a programmer like Saphron, Jaune thought to himself, I'm clearly not meant to be here.

"Even though the other students have all but abandoned you, we, the staff of Beacon, have not. We choose who gets in and who doesn't. It's not about some piece of paper. It's all about potential. It's how Ms. Rose got in. It's how you got in," Glynda said in an attempt to reassure him of his place here.

Jaune smiled but Glynda saw right through it. It was like seeing him as a child once more. He had a tendency to hide any abuse that had been inflicted upon him. As his babysitter, it was her job to tell his parents but she never did.

Jaune made sure of that. His puppy dog eyes were top-notch even for a child.

But she never liked keeping it a secret. She never liked how Jaune came home covered in cuts and bruises. She never liked seeing the tear streaks on his face. It's been eleven years since then and she still doesn't like it.

Glynda reached over and ruffled Jaune's hair, causing the Knight to swat her hand away reflexively. She smiled internally. So he was still there after all.

"Jaune, just know that even if the rest of the school hates the staff for aiding you, we don't regret a single second of it. Remember, that's what heroes do. Make the right choice even if we're hated for it. Trust me on this. If not as your Deputy Headmistress, then as your surrogate big sister," Glynda said, wrapping Jaune in a hug. She began to rub soothing circles on his back all while whispering comforting words in his ear.

It was then that Jaune broke down and began to cry. He returned the hug at full force and cried into her shoulder.

"It'll be okay Jaune. Everything's going to be okay," Glynda said, trying with all her effort to reassure him.

Jaune walked silently back to his room. He felt embarrassed. Even after eleven years, Glynda still had to look after him. Using his scroll and entering his team's dorm, he noticed that they were all asleep.

Pyrrha was sleeping fitfully as if she was having a nightmare. Her face was scrunched up in fear and worry as she tossed and turned on her bed.

Jaune walked over and placed a hand on her forehead.

"Jaune…," she muttered as she calmed down and slept peacefully. He sighed. Why did he have to be paired up with her? She was the strongest student in their year and he was just a burden, riding on the coattails of her success. Was she helping him merely out of pity? Was their friendship even real? Jaune shook his head

Stop thinking like that Arc! Pyrrha… Pyrrha always promised she'd be there for you, Jaune thought.

Jaune changed into his sleepwear and tried to get some sleep. After a few tries, his mind finally drifted off into a dream.

"You two have no idea what you have done down there!"

Jaune blinked as he found himself staring at a beautiful woman with silver hair and red eyes. She wore a white dress that shimmered like the stars and a white crown atop her head. Jaune retracted his earlier statement. This woman wasn't beautiful. She was beyond such a word. To call her beautiful would be an insult. On top of that, she embodied the very definition of power and fear.

"We did what we thought was right at the time!" a woman with blonde hair and golden eyes said. She looked eerily familiar but her identity escaped him due to his lack of lucidity.

"Wiping out mankind was a bit extreme was it not?" a man with midnight black hair said, his eyes shimmering like gems.

Jaune found himself speaking.

"What were we supposed to do? Let them attack us? That woman violated the laws of nature! She deserved to be punished!" he yelled.

"Well, the others might not see it that way," a woman with blonde hair and violet eyes said.

"Well, Jaune?" another woman said.

He looked at her confused as she kept saying the name.

"Jaune!"

"Jaune!"

"JAUNE!"

Jaune woke up to see worried emerald green eyes staring into his own. His face was slowly starting to turn red as Pyrrha's face hovered inches from his own.

"Um, morning, Pyr," he said.

"Jaune, where were you last night?" Pyrrha said, moving away from his face and plopping down onto his bed.

"I needed some air," he lied.

Pyrrha narrowed her eyes but didn't push. Jaune would open up on his own to her and she didn't want to push him.

"Look, I'll cover for you for the rest of the morning. How about you take the morning off?" Pyrrha said.

"Pyrrha, I'm-"

"Jaune, you're not fine. You're breaking down. You need some time to collect yourself," she insisted.

Jaune sighed. Only a few months and she could already read him like an open book. I guess that's why we're partners, after all, Jaune thought. He nodded and she left the room, locking the door behind her.

"A whole morning to myself. Might as well call home," Jaune said, grabbing his scroll. He swiped down through his contacts list until he saw it.

Dad.

Clicking on the contact, Jaune waited as his scroll rang. On the second ring, a man with a slender-yet-hardy build wearing a white shirt, a black waistcoat, and black slacks and dark hair and ruby red eyes answered the call.

"Oh, Jaune. It's great to see you," the man said, a bright smile making its way onto his stoic face.

"Hey Dad, how's the tavern and Mom?" Jaune asked. Jaune's parents were retired hunters. His dad had said that they retired to raise their family. To raise eight children was no easy task. As the third oldest, Jaune made it his duty to lighten the load his parents had when dealing with their children and after Vert and Saph left, it was all up to Jaune to look after the rest of them.

"Well, why don't you ask her yourself?" his father said.

"JAUNE!~" a voice full of love and happiness called from the scroll.

Jaune winced at the sound and a woman who liked the exact near spitting image of him appeared on the call. She had long blonde hair and amethyst colored eyes that shimmered with kindness. The woman didn't possess the seductive beauty of Yang or the cuteness of Ruby. No, her beauty was wondrous and was one that scarcely felt real.

"Hey, mom," Jaune greeted as his smile grew. His family always made him happy.

"My sweet little Moon. How are you?" she asked.

"I'm good! How's Domremy and the Tavern holding up?" he asked.

"Everything's fine. Your sisters are preparing for the Festival of Israfil," she said.

"I remember that festival. I wish I could come home and join you guys," he said.

"You always can," his father said. "Your mother and I can have a nice conversation with Ozzy."

"Define nice, Dad," Jaune said, deadpanning at the screen.

"Err…"

Jaune's mother smacked his head. "Sieg! Be nice!"

"C'mon, Jeanne! It's not like you weren't thinking the same thing," Sieg complained, rubbing the back of his head. The two began to bicker lightly about how they should treat Ozpin if he doesn't let their son come home for Israfil when Jaune spoke.

"Mom, Dad, tell Alice I said hi," he said, catching their attention.

"Of course, my Moon. Is there anything else we can do for you?" Jeanne asked.

Jaune bit his lip. Should he tell them? He was in a powerful position right now. He could tell them everything. Jaune shook his head internally and smiled at his parents.

"No, nothing else. I just wanted to see you guys," Jaune said.

Jeanne's eyes dimmed for a second before brightening up once more. "Of course, sweetie. You can call us anytime," she said.

"Thanks, mom. I love you guys," he said.

"We love you too, son," Sieg replied.

Jaune cut the call and heard his stomach growl. He checked the time on his scroll.

11:35 AM

Perhaps he should head down for lunch? No. He'll be spotted and he didn't want to get beat up today, pranked, or mentally beat down. Jaune swiped through his contacts for Pyrrha and sent her a message.

|Can you get me some food, Pyrrha?|

{Sure. Is meatloaf alright with you?}

|Yeah. Meatloaf's good. Thanks, Pyr!|

{:)}

Jaune collapsed onto his bed and wondered what to do while Pyrrha brought him his food. Deciding to just wait, Jaune pulled out his scroll and began to play some games.

Pyrrha put her scroll away as Nora was finishing her story.

"So there we were, trapped in a massive ruin dedicated to the God of Darkness, Lucifer! Treasures lined every room and every inch of the temple but that wasn't what me and Renny were looking for no. We were after a more elusive prize. The Crown of Keter! The very one told in legends to summon the Goddess of Knowledge, Metatron, herself and she will grant you ten wishes! Finding a secret entrance, we entered it and noticed something. An abomination of sorts. Perhaps something the Old God left to guard the temple. It was after Renny and I entered the room, that we figured out what the abomination was. There in the pits was… A LEVIATHAN!" Nora yelled, causing Ruby to yelp and drop her cookie.

"Wow, Nora, what happened next?" Ruby asked. She always did like Nora's tales of adventure and discovery. Even if they did seem completely outlandish at times.

"Ruby, please don't egg her on," Weiss said, rubbing her temples. She already felt a headache building inside her head. Actually, she's had a headache all month. Ever since the debacle with that fraud began, the entire group had been arguing on what to do with him. Well, it was more Pyrrha vs the rest of them. The girl seemed adamant that Jaune could be somehow redeemed.

"But, Weiiiissss," Ruby said, pouting.

"Hey, Pyrrha, who was that just now?" Ren asked. Pyrrha stiffened for a moment.

"It was Jaune wasn't it?"

At his words, nearly everyone at the table's mood dropped. Yang's lilac eyes flickered red while her hair glowed momentarily. Weiss narrowed her eyes. Ruby looked down, face devoid of emotion. Nora stopped smiling and Blake looked on impassively.

"Yes, it was," Pyrrha said with an edge in her voice. "What about it?"

"I don't understand why you keep him on your team," Weiss said, her ice-blue eyes zeroing in on Pyrrha.

"He's our leader," she said.

"Even still, leader or not, Arc is a fraud. He was never meant to be here," Weiss said.

"Ice Queen is right, Pyrrha. Jaune. He cheated his way into here while the rest of us worked our asses off. Why are you defending him?" Yang asked.

"Because he's my friend, Xiao Long," Pyrrha growled.

"..." Yang went silent at her words. Yes, Jaune had been her friend. But all that went out the window when they found out what he did. Why does he get a free ride into Beacon? She had to work blood, sweat, and tears to get into this school and that blonde ponce thinks he can just waltz in for free!?

"He's a fraud Pyrrha. When are you going to see that? He's just dead weight," Yang said, coldly.

Pyrrha growled at Yang's words.

"Yang," Ruby said, glaring slightly at her sister. Yang shrugged and continued to sip her juice.

"What about you Ruby? You've never said anything since we found out," Weiss asked.

Ruby looked down at her food. At first, when the revelation came out, she didn't want to believe it. Jaune was her best friend. There was no way in all of Remnant that he could do something like this. But all the facts were there. Cardin was right. Jaune confirmed it with his actions.

He was a fraud. A liar. A cheat. But he was still her friend, at least, Ruby tried to tell herself that.

"I… I'm sorry Pyrrha but Weiss and Yang are right," she said.

"Ruby…," Pyrrha said, her eyes wide and shaking her head in disbelief. "I can't believe this! You're his best friend!" Pyrrha said, standing up and slamming her hands on the table. Every metallic object within a 50-foot radius began to crumble under the power of Pyrrha's semblance.

Yang immediately stood and got between Pyrrha and Ruby.

"Watch it, P-money," Yang said, her red eyes looking straight into Pyrrha's emerald ones. Pyrrha stared back, unwaveringly, matching Yang's glare with the same intensity.

"Pyrrha, stop this. You have to see the facts. You're letting your feelings for that cheat cloud your better judgment," Weiss said.

"Ruby, why?" Pyrrha asked, begging the young reaper for an answer.

Ruby looked away from her. "Pyrrha, I admire the lengths Jaune will go to help other people but what he's doing… he's just making himself a danger to you and your team. He can't fight as well as the rest of us, hell, he can't even beat Cardin of all people," she said.

"That's why I'm training him! To help him at least get to a level where he can help us!" she said.

"And how long will that take?" Ruby said, snapping her silver eyes and staring into the redhead's own.

"Days, weeks, months even? Are you just going to wait until someone on your team gets injured or dies to finally realize that everyone was right?" Ruby said. Pyrrha winced at Ruby's words. Ruby's stare softened.

"Pyrrha, as much as I want him to stay, for his own safety, you have to tell Jaune that he's not cut out for this. It's for his own good," Ruby said.

"What about you Blake? You've been quiet this whole time," Pyrrha asked.

"I don't care how Jaune got in," she said. "I'm siding with Pyrrha. If Jaune wants to help others, it's our job as his friends to help him get better so he won't be a weak link."

"Blake…," Yang said. Blake glared at her.

"You were willing to accept me despite the fact that I was a Faunus and a former member of the White Fang, why won't you accept Jaune, whose only mistake was getting into Beacon through false documents?"

They all went silent at her words. Pyrrha sent Blake a smile of appreciation and the Cat Faunus merely nodded in return.

"Look, we can talk about this later. I need to bring Jaune some food," Pyrrha said, storming off.

A knock on his door alerted Jaune to the arrival of someone. "Who is it?"

"It's me!"

Opening the door immediately, Jaune took the tray from Pyrrha and let her in. She sat down on her bed and looked at her partner. Jaune noticing her stare, looked at her.

"What?"

"Nothing," Pyrrha said, smiling. Jaune shrugged and began to eat. Her eyes stared fondly at the blonde knight before her. What right did they have to judge him? Jaune had potential. She could feel it. And she would help him reach that potential.

"Hey Jaune, come to class," Pyrrha said.

"Weren't you the one who told me to stay in the room?"

"Yes, but we have Goodwitch after this," she replied. Jaune's eyes widened as he ran to get changed, all while eating his food.

Jaune sat next to Pyrrha, trying to ignore the hateful stares of the entire classroom. He glanced around and saw Yang glaring at him.

Glynda looked over the crowd and sighed. It was going to be another one of those days then. She tightened her grip on her riding crop and looked on her scroll.

"Russel Thrush and Ruby Rose, please come down to the arena," Glynda said.

The entire match was a joke. Ruby had defeated Russel in less than five minutes.

Glynda selected the next set of fighters and her heart nearly stopped upon seeing them.

Yang Xiao Long vs Jaune Arc

"W-would Miss Xiao Long and Mr. Arc please come down from the stands?" Glynda said.

Jaune gulped as he stood up. However before he could get down, Pyrrha stood up.

"Professor Goodwitch, would it be alright for me to volunteer in Jaune's place?" she said. Glynda thanked the gods for the girl's quick thinking.

"Very well, Ms. Nikos," Glynda said, pressing a few buttons. The screen changed from Jaune to Pyrrha as many began to protest with some calling her out for favoritism.

The fight went exactly as expected. Yang and Pyrrha fought each other, neither giving the other any room to breathe.

Yang threw flipped back as Pyrrha swung Milo. Using Ember Celica, Yang propelled herself in the air and delivered a devastating punch to Pyrrha's torso, sending the girl back a few feet.

Pyrrha fixed Yang a glare, who returned one of her own. Activating her Semblance, Yang's eyes turned red while her hair glowing with a bright golden color. Yang propelled herself forward, ready to knock Pyrrha out of the ring, when her hands were launched to the side, throwing off her trajectory allowing Pyrrha to win with a ring out.

"Winner of this match is Pyrrha Nikos," Glynda said. "That will be all for today's matches. Class is ending early today as the Headmaster has called me and the other professors for a staff meeting. If I hear that one person has so much as laid a finger on Mr. Arc, whoever it is shall serve detention with me," she said, sending the class one last withering glare.

Leaving that threat to hang in the air, Glynda dismissed them. As Jaune was about to walk out the door, she called out to him.

"Jaune. Stay for a minute," she said. He froze and timidly walked over to her.

"Why are you allowing this to happen Jaune?" she asked.

Jaune stayed silent.

Seeing that he wasn't answering, Glynda continued. "Jaune, if you keep downplaying your situation, if you let yourself be pushed around by your classmates, your supposed friends, and teammates, then yo-

"I know. But I can't fight back, I have to endure this. Maybe then, just maybe, I'll be treated fairly again. And besides, even if I tried, they can still beat me anyway and it'll get worse," he said.

"Jaune, I for one know that what you are doing is complete and utter bullshit. You're letting others define you!" she argued.

"But they are! If it weren't for them, I'd be nothing. If it weren't for them, then this life woul-"

"Don't you dare finish that sentence! And what you say is not true. Relationships are only one aspect of what defines us. In the end, it is you who decides who you truly are. Not Team CRDL. Not Mr. Winchester. Not Ms. Xiao Long. Not Ms. Schnee. You. No one else but you," Glynda said.

Jaune's eyes grew wide as he stood their frozen in shock of his normally strict professor's sisterly attitude. Oh, who am I kidding? Of course, she's like this. She was my baby sitter. Gods, she can be worse than Vert sometimes, Jaune thought.

"Thanks, Big Sis Glyn," Jaune said.

"You are very welcome. Now, if you don't mind, my boss is calling me and the others for a meeting," Glynda said as she walked out the door. Jaune smiled before following her.

Outside the door, Pyrrha stood there waiting for Jaune to arrive. She smiled when she saw him and ran over.

"Jaune," she said.

"Let's head back to the room," Jaune said. Pyrrha nodded and the two walked off back to their room. Upon entering, Jaune noticed that Ren and Nora were there but they ignored him as if he didn't exist.

Pyrrha put a hand on his shoulder and squeezed it. The two sat down on Jaune's bed silently basking in each other's company.

A beeping noise on his scroll alerted him and he picked it up.

Alice? He thought.

{Mom and Dad got off the phone with Ozpin. He said you can take a few days off and come back to Domremy for the Festival of Israfil}

Jaune's mood lifted for the first time since the month started. He would finally get to go home after a while and just forget about the whole transcript thing. It would give him a chance to think.

Noticing his smile, Pyrrha looked down at Jaune's scroll and saw a message. Curious at what it was, she decided to ask.

"Jaune? What's the Festival of Israfil?" Pyrrha asked.

"It's a special event that happens every year back in my hometown of Domremy," he said. "It celebrates the patron deity of my town, Israfil. She's the Goddess of Life and Healing. When the town was first built long ago, people prayed to her for protection from the Grimm and for good life and health. It's a fun festival with lots of food, games, events, even a mini theme park. My sister just told me that Ozpin said I can go. It's during the break. Care to join me?"

Oh, my Gods! Is he asking me out!? Pyrrha thought as her cheeks slowly turned red.

"Pyr?"

"YES!"

Jaune jumped at her response. Pyrrha, noticing that she just screamed yes, immediately looked away sheepishly.

"I'm sorry," she said.

"It's alright," Jaune said.

The next day, Jaune decided to suck it up. He had gotten dressed and went with his team to all their classes. After Port's was class with Pro- Doctor Oobleck. Feeling the call of nature, Jaune left the group and went off to use the restroom.

Looking at his scroll and seeing that he would be late, Jaune began to run as fast he could. As he ran, he noticed the entire student body whispering about him. Perhaps they were probably planning out another way to make his life miserable. Even though the presence of the staff was enough to keep most of the student body from inflicting bodily harm upon him, there were still those idiots who ignored the very threat.

Jaune felt flat on his but as he collided with another student. Snickers were heard as they saw Jaune fall.

"What-"

"Well, if it isn't good old Jauney boy!" an all too familiar voice that Jaune had grown to despise made itself known.

"Cardin," Jaune said as he tried to get up. Before he could, a foot planted itself on his chest and pushed him back down.

"How is our good old master transcript forger?" Cardin said, twisting his heel. By now, a small crowd had begun to form around them, most likely to watch Cardin beat the ever-living shit out of Jaune. "How about we hang out? For old time's sake."

"Not like I have much of a choice," he mumbled.

"What was that, Jauney-boy?" Cardin said as he lifted his foot and brought it down hard where Jaune's liver was. The boy grunted in pain as the crowd began to jeer and taunt. Sending insults about how liars and cheats should die. About how he wasn't welcome. Even after a month, the insults still managed to cut but not as deeply as it did when it first started.

"Maybe I should teach you a little lesson about good manners, huh?" Cardin said, lifting his foot. Jaune tried to crawl away but Cardin grabbed him by the back of his uniform's collar and slammed him into a wall.

Jaune looked back at him defiantly. Looking over the crowd, he saw Weiss standing among them. She looked on with a frown as Cardin raised his arm and reared his fist.

"I'm guessing Mommy never taught you about manners so I'll have to teach you," Cardin said, grinning maliciously. The crowd roared on with approval, any threat of retaliation from the staff be damned. In their minds, this boy got what he deserved. How dare he spit on their efforts!

"Here's lesson one!" Cardin said, throwing his fist at full force.

Jaune closed his eyes in anticipation of something to impact his face. Only it never did. Instead, every hair on the back of his neck stood on end. His instincts screamed at him to run. To flee from this monster.

He opened his eyes and saw Cardin's fist wrapped in a violet aura.

A cold descended upon the hallway as the students, Cardin, and Jaune all froze in terror.

"WHAT IS GOING ON HERE!?"

The students all recognized that voice. They all turned to see Glynda, her eyes full of fury and her aura flaring around her leaking ominous intent. The intent to kill. She took one step and all the students began to flee in fear of her. Cardin dropped Jaune and began to back away only to find himself unable to move.

"Mr. Winchester. What have I told you and the rest of the student body about harassing your fellow students?" Glynda said in a calm voice that betrayed the emotions dancing in her eyes like ominous flames.

Cardin tried to formulate an excuse. A reason that he was doing this.

"Professor. Jaune and I! We wer-" a familiar violet glow surrounded Cardin's head. Glynda glared and Cardin's jaw snapped shut with a sickening crack.

"Leave. We will be having words later in my office. You, me, Professor Ozpin, and your parents clearly have much to talk about regarding your behavior, Mr. Winchester," Glynda said.

Cardin nodded and sprinted off. Despite what his academic aptitude implies, Cardin was by no means stupid. Just arrogant. Extremely so. He was made the leader of his team for a reason after all. And if there was one thing he knew not to do, it was to not mess with Beacon's staff. Which is why, despite the fact that this left him with a bitter taste, Cardin ran off, planning to catch Jaune alone later to pay him back for what he did.

Jaune stood to his feet and made to leave when Glynda called his name.

"Jaune," she said, her voice full of worry and concern.

"I'm fine Professor. Just a small bruise is all," he said. She narrowed her eyes and walked over to him. She raised her hand and flicked him on the forehead.

Jaune immediately brought his hands up to his forehead.

"What did I say about downplaying your abuse?" Glynda asked him.

"To not do it?" he said.

"Exactly, now off to class with you," Glynda said. Jaune's eyes grew wide at her words.

"Crap! I gotta go! Thanks for helping me Professor!" he said, running off.

"Thank Miss Belladonna when you see her. She's the one who got me," she said. As he rounded the corner, Glynda looked at him and pulled a bottle out of her pocket. Anti-depressants. She needed to tell Jeanne and Sieg about what was happening to their son. Before it was too late. Before Jaune did something drastic.

Oobleck's class wasn't as bad as Jaune expected it to be. The very clear threat of one Glynda Goodwitch still hung in the air like the smell of rotten food on a hot day. That didn't stop the students however from resorting to less physical means and through the use of psychological ones.

"Hey, Weiss, looks like Jaune had a bit of punch on his way over here," Yang said. Everyone in the room laughed not at her pun but more at her insult. The only ones who didn't laugh were Pyrrha, Blake, Ruby, Nora, Ren, and Oobleck. Ruby shot Yang a slight glare before turning her attention back to the Professor.

"Okay, okay, settle down. Mr. Arc. Please stay behind. We shall discuss your tardy later," Oobleck said, starting the lecture. His gaze settled upon the entirety of the student body and his eyes morphed into a harsh glare shutting them up.

Throughout the entirety of the lecture, Oobleck noticed how the other students, except for Ms. Nikos, were all isolating Mr. Arc. He needed to tell Ozpin about this. It was going too far. Jaune needs help and he needed it now.

As he finished his lecture and dismissed the class, he called Jaune over to him. He pushed his glasses up and looked at the young knight.

"Mr. Arc. Are you alright?" he asked.

"Y-" Jaune remembered Glynda's words from earlier.

"N- No. I'm not," he said.

Oobleck sighed. The boy looked so defeated. Like he was about to give up on life. They needed to fix this.

"Jaune. Tell me what happened," he said.

Atop the great Tower of Beacon sat one man. The gears of clocks could be heard ticking throughout the entire room as a silver-haired man stared at the mountain of work on his desk. He sifted through mission requests and found one.

One that would test their skill.

A dinging sound signified the arrival of the elevator. The doors opened revealing the Deputy Headmistress. She walked forward, concern and worry filling her eyes.

"Ozpin," she said.

Ozpin looked up and saw Glynda place a bottle of pills on his desk. Raising an eyebrow, he grabbed the bottle and his eyes widened upon seeing what it was.

"I assume this was in Mr. Arc's room," he said, daring not to look away from the bottle.

She nodded.

Ozpin leaned back in his chair and sighed.

"Ozpin, we need to inform the Arcs of what's happening to their son," Glynda said.

Ozpin turned his brown eyes to Glynda and stood. Walking over to the clock window and looked out.

"After he gets back," he said.

"After?"

"James has told me that one of his generals needs an assist. Unfortunately, the general's location is close to Vale and the presence of the Atlas Military that close to the Valean Border will cause issues. As such, I have assured him that I will send three of the best fresh teams in Beacon. A simple search and destroy. Nothing more," Ozpin said. "And with this, we can tell Mr. Arc's parents when they come here to retrieve him for the Festival of Israfil," Ozpin said.

"I see," she said.

"You will accompany them. If only to ensure the success of this mission," Ozpin said. Glynda nodded.

"Shall I call them?"

He nodded.

A few minutes later, the elevator opened revealing Teams RWBY and JNPR along with Team CRDL.

The Y and W of RWBY alongside the members of CRDL all glared at Jaune as the boy looked away and Pyrrha all glared at each of them.

"You three have been selected to go on a Search and Destroy to Aurbis Base located several miles from the Valean-Atlas border," Ozpin said. "Professor Goodwitch will be accompanying you."

"Wait? You're making us go on a mission with Vomit Boy!?" Yang said incredulously.

"I am not going on a mission with him!" Cardin said.

"Are you trying to get us killed!?" Weiss said. A loud series of protests began to form at Ozpin's decision to allow Jaune to go.

As they moved to say no, Ozpin slammed his cane onto the floor, producing a large web-like pattern. The very action caused them to go silent.

"Team RWBY. Team CRDL. Team JNPR. I did not call you here to belittle Mr. Arc. Understood," he said.

"Headmaster, if I may, Jaune is not suited for a mission. His lack of skill will only serve to endanger us and hamper the progress of our mission," Ren said. Jaune broke at his words. During the entire month, Ren and Nora did nothing, they didn't insult him. Beat him. Anything. They just were. But to hear Ren actually say something like that, broke him.

"I assure you that Mr. Arc's presence on this mission will not be an issue. In fact, the reason I'm sending Glynda is for his protection. Specifically from all of you. Now if you don't mind, I shall continue the briefing," Ozpin said.

They all nodded. As Ozpin briefed them, Jaune's mind ran through what his role in the mission was.

Ozpin said that I can go but as what? What use am I other than live bait? Jaune thought. And that part about protection for me. That doesn't make me feel better.

"That is your mission. Understood," Ozpin asked.

"Yes, Professor!" they all chorused.

"Good, you leave at 0600 tomorrow."

The sounds of rotor blades spinning were all that was keeping the group silent as they waited for their last member. For some, this member was nothing more than a handicap.

At long last, Jaune arrived dressed in his standard battle gear. Crocea Mors hung proudly at his waist.

Nora and Ren watched Jaune walk up and stand next to Pyrrha. When it was revealed that Jaune forged his way into Beacon, the two remained impassive. Neither siding with the students nor did they side with Jaune. For one, they didn't see a point in beating Jaune down.

On the other, they felt disappointed and angry. And it was a sentiment they shared with the rest of the student body. Jaune's very presence was a spit in their face. A spit on their hard work. All the hardships they had to endure.

But at the same time, they understood. Jaune just wanted to make the world a better place. He wanted to help people. To make sure no one suffered ever again. But surely there were better ways to do that. Why be a hunter?

Ren looked at his leader as he sat down, looking at the floor. They had been in the air for fifteen minutes now and Ren spent the entire time analyzing Jaune alongside Nora. He wasn't a fool. Ozpin sent Jaune on this mission for a reason. A mission that required all three teams working in unison to achieve the goal.

As they sat, Glynda spoke.

"I assume all the team leaders have read the briefing summary Ozpin sent to your scrolls," she said.

"Um," Cardin looked away.

"Professor. Some of the things Professor Ozpin mentioned aren't on here," Ruby said.

"The full briefing will be provided once more once we reach Aurbis. For now, read over that and formulate any plans and strategies you might come up with while we're on our way," Glynda said.

"Don't mess this up Arc," Cardin said as he began reading through the briefing.

Jaune ignored him and began to read through the briefing of the mission. The mission that would mark the beginning of a change that would alter the course of his life and the destiny of Remnant.

Yes, I added more Gods. And gave them all names. Anyway, this chapter and the chapter that will come after this will show why Jaune was in Atlas, to begin with. One more thing. I'm not using the ever-popular Arcadia as Jaune's hometown. That's inaccurate to have Jaune be from Arcadia. Arcadia is a Greek Region, not French. It would make more sense for Pyrrha to be from Arcadia since she's Greek Themed. Jaune is based on Jeanne D'Arc. In this fic, I'm using Jeanne's hometown Domremy as Jaune's hometown to give more credit to his real-life inspiration. But I get why people use it. Arc. Arcadia. Anyway, review so I know what you think and how to make it better or just say hi. Follow. Fav. All that good stuff. Remember. Have a great day or not! The choice is yours!~

PS: After this, the fic will slowly update. Expect one once every week or two.