A Personal Favor

Chapter 3

-Jaune-

"Alright boys, welcome to the Arena." Jaune's new soon to be Principal, Major Payne, grinned as he led Jaune and Conrad into Atlas Prep Academy arena. All around him in the bleachers he could see the various students who chose to come watch, faculty members curious if they'd be getting a new student, and even those allowed to come from the Boot camp to observe. "Since neither of you have weapons or gear of your own the school is providing." With a wave of his hand, a table began to rise up out of the floor "That table provides a varied of selection of gear that you'll each be allowed to select one from. As for weapons, you'll be using these." The man handed each of them a collapsible baton. No fancy dust or blades or hidden guns, just a standard beating stick.

"What the hell old man?!" Conrad sneered in disgust at the tool he was handed "Where are the friggin knives and guns?!"

"Neither of you has active aura." The Principal deadpans at the vulgar teenager "I'm not allowing either of you to have something that could cause serious permanent damage. Furthermore, I'll be the one officiating this fight so if I tell you to stop, you'd better damn well listen before I make you. Are we clear?"

"Yes sir!" Jaune nodded, eyes flitting over the table of gear, trying to determine what would be best.

"Yeah, yeah, old man. Whatever." Conrad waved the principal off and walked over to the table without consent. Jaune following only after getting a nod from the Principal. Getting to the table laden with various pieces of gear and equipment, Jaune recognized that all of them were ones that had been discussed in various classes back at bootcamp. Classes he knew Conrad paid next to no attention to.

"This one." Jaune nodded, selecting a piece of gear he knew would be very effective and didn't need contact with Conrad to use.

"That?!" Conrad snorted, "Some dumb little stick? I'm going with this!" he held up a Taser, one of the pole like ones that could also act as a second baton if needed.

"If you've both made your choices then go to your starting positions." Getting to his point on the floor, he overheard a lot of the students muttering, debating who would win. Most seemed to put their money on Conrad if just for the age difference than anything else.

"Ready to get creamed whelp?" Conrad grinned, sparking the taser to try and be intimidating.

"You know, intimidation tactics might work if I wasn't so distracted by your teeth. Do you ever brush?" Jaune tilted his head with an innocent smirk that fooled absolutely no one.

"You little shit!" Conrad snarled, charging the moment the Principal called for the fight to begin, swinging his baton in a large, telegraphed arc.

"You'd know all about little shits, wouldn't you?" Jaune kept up his innocent smile as he dodged, bobbing and weaving around the swings "Don't your parents still have to send you diapers in case you run out?"

"SHUT UP!" Conrad snarled, grabbing his taser as he began swinging both wildly, Jaune still having no chances to dodge as he worked to not get hit by the older, and therefore faster, teenager.

"Was I not supposed to let everyone know that?" Jaune let out a mock horrified gasp "I'm so sorry if you can't find a boyfriend now." As Jaune snickered, Conrad finally landed a blow, a heavy punch to his gut.

"Got anything to say now 'funny man'?" Conrad snarled, Jaune able to hear the other hand prime the taser even as he asked.

"Yeah…" Jaune coughed as he prepped his piece if side equipment "you still hit like a bitch." With that, he raised his hand above his bent over head and triggered the rechargeable flash bang.

"Aaaaaaargh!" Conrad reeled back, dropping his baton to clap a hand to his eyes. Not pausing, Jaune surged forward, catching the dropped Baton as he swung at his temporarily blinded opponent, using smaller swifter strikes to dodge around the flailing sixteen-year-old.

"Fucking die!" Conard swung the taser, not even turned on, in a massive downward arc as Jaune raised his batons, blocking it before quickly grabbing the taser, trapping Conrad's thumb between the rods right at the joint where it meets the hand.

And then he squeezed.

Conrad dropped to his knees with a pained scream, the pressure point catching him off guard as he used his free hand to try and pry Jaune off him. "Let's finish this, Conrad." Jaune grit his teeth, his gut still hurting from the punch he took despite what he said. Lashing out with his knee, he caught Conrad with the cheek, the pain from that and the pressure point enough to make his opponent lose their grip on the taser, leaving him weaponless and Jaune with all the gear "Nighty night!" Jaune smirked before jabbing him in the gut with the active electric weapon.

"Enough!" Principal Payne shouted as Jaune shut off the taser, stepping back as Conrad gasped and jerked around "I've seen enough. I'm surprised at those tactics young man, especially from one so young." The unspoken question was easy to hear.

"I knew I don't have a lot of fighting experience." Jaune nodded, handing the weapons over to the principal "So I spoke to my unit. Some wanted me to win and get in, others just wanted to see Conrad to lose. One knew about the pressure point I used. Others suggested ways to get him riled up and unable to think. There were more suggestions I didn't get to use, such as pocket sand, pressure point 'frogging' his arm so he couldn't move it, and so on."

"You little…bastard." Conrad snarled out, getting to his feet "This isn't over!"

"If you were listening, you'd know it is. The fight was called." Jaune met his gaze evenly.

"I must say Mr. Arc, I'm impressed." The principal admitted to him, "I planned to let you into the school regardless of who won so long as you showed at least some combat talent-"

"Fucking what?!" Conrad looked like an enraged bull even as he still jerked around from being tased.

"He was the one who was recommended to me and showed he was willing to put in the effort. Not to mention your behavioral issues would have never given you the chance to join my academy." Principal Payne scoffed before looking back at Jaune "As I was saying young man, I expected a decent showing but not for you to win. It would seem I would be wise not to underestimate you in the future. Follow me and I'll show you the facilities and where you'll be staying."

"Yes sir." Jaune couldn't keep the huge grin from his face at his dream finally being within reach.

"Heh, have fun before you get tossed little bitch." Conrad was being pulled to his feet by the employees of the Boot camp "Everyone knows your daddy doesn't want you to be a huntsman. Good luck getting a weapon or money for the school!"

"That won't be an issue actually." Sergeant Slaughter approached with a deep belly laugh, "I've been trying to get one of my brats inducted into Atlas Prep Academy for years! Thanks to the recommendation Jaune's tuition is covered in a scholarship."

"It is?" Jaune blinked, having been trying to make plans on looking up scholarship offers or ways he could work to pay his way.

"Of course, Soldier." The Sergeant grinned, Jaune realizing that the man wasn't talking down to him anymore "I expect you back at Bootcamp tomorrow though for your 'graduation'."

"He'll be there." Principal Payne nodded, shaking hands with the Sergeant "For now though I have to show him his room and introduce him to a few people."

"Whatever." Conrad, still being a sore loser snarled, glaring daggers into Jaune's eyes "I'll be out of this pit soon enough, so you'd best watch your back if you ever go to Vacuo."

"Ignore him and come with me." his new principal ordered as Jaune nodded, obeying the command as they left the arena, other students filling out bit by bit from the bleachers. "To start with, I'll be showing you the basic facilities." The man explained "Then your dormitory. The Dorms are co-ed housing, but everyone has their own room. Two of the girls with rooms by yours will have your same schedule and will be showing you to your classes when it's time and have already been informed of this. You'll meet them once I finish this part of the tour."

"Yes, Principal Payne." Jaune nodded as they walked through the Campus, letting him see the cafeteria, the gym, the forge, and every other non-classroom facility he'd have access to. Finally, they walked into the dorm buildings where he saw two girls his age waiting, as well as a much older teenager.

"Ah good, you're all here." Principal Payne nodded pleased "Jaune, meet your classmates Penny Polendina and Ciel Soleil. These young ladies will be in your classes for the next few years till you graduate so I hope you work well with them."

Jaune nodded to them with a smile "Good to meet you both." He smiled, shaking their hands, noting Penny was the far more bubbly and open of the two.

"And this here is Marrow Amin." The principal gestured to the older teenager, Jaune noting the dog tail for the first time "He's in his final year at the primary Atlas Academy and is part of the 'mentor program', so for the rest of this school year he'll be visiting to help you adjust and improve."

"I look forward to working with you." Jaune gave him a big grin, the teenager returning it, apparently satisfied that Jaune wasn't making a big deal of the tail.

"Same here kid." Marrow ruffled Jaunes hair with a grin "I'll also be the one to unlock your aura so step forward if you would." Jaune nodded and did so, Marrow placing one hand on his forehead and the other on his chest, taking a deep breath as the rest of their audience watched curious. "For it is in perseverance that we attain our ambition. Through this we attain freedom, shattering the shackles society would place upon us. Infinite in spirit, I release your soul, and by my hand, release thee." With the last word, Jaune felt an explosion of power surge out from within him, a harsh white blinding glow shining from his skin.

"This…" Jaune let out an awed breath as he looked at his shining hands "it feels amazing."

"Damn kid," Marrow panted "you sure got a hell of a lot of aura."

"Indeed." Principal Payne nodded, "I expect big things from you Mr. Arc, big things indeed."