So I've been getting some reviews that argue Jaune is useless now and he should have his own solo adventures. And not just the Crown; a solo adventure that doesn't involve team RWBY or the Maiden thing all cause right now he feels like a side-character. He does have big roles to play in the White Fang and Council arcs at least, but that still involves team RWBY. Kinda hard not to when the entire premise of the fic is a normal dude attached to a team of demigods.
On a lighter note, I have an idea for a humor fic. Rabbit Faunus Jaune, a low level and somewhat incompetent member of the White Fang with a fluffy tail, is sent to Beacon to spy on the school. It's mostly done to get rid of him since Huntsmen academies fall outside of the White Fang's purview and if he fails they don't lose anything or anyone critical.
So of course on the first day he ends up partnered with Blake Belladonna, the prodigal daughter of the founders and recent White Fang traitor. Cue him desperately trying to keep his identity secret and juggling loyalties. This could be a good comedy Knightshade fic of these two trying and failing to keep their super secret Faunus identities hidden from each other.
Finding out his Semblance could (maybe) make magic stronger gave him mixed feelings. On the one hand it made him feel useful. Even if he couldn't fight, even if he couldn't do anything else, he could at least help them. On the other hand, was he really being useful? It wasn't like team RWBY needed a boost at this point. They were strong enough to save Vale near-singlehandedly and that was before they learned to truly use their powers. If Ozpin was right, then the four of them would be literal forces of nature when everything was said and done.
Jaune shook his head. No, he shouldn't think like that. Yang was right; thinking on what-if's and what he could do wouldn't help anyone, least of all him. The point was that he had a tangible benefit to the team now and that was good. Anything else was just white noise.
"Something wrong, dear?"
"Nothing, mom." He smiled slightly. He woke up early and decided to help her out with breakfast. He didn't want to tell her, but it felt weird being back in his old room again. In just three months he'd gotten used to all his team's eccentricites. The sounds coming from the scroll games Ruby played, the smell of coffee from Weiss' study sessions, the turning of pages from the latest filth Blake was reading, and even Yang's gods forsaken snoring. Going back to the quiet actually made it harder to stay asleep.
Hence why he was awake just a little after six in the morning without even an alarm.
"You're all going all going to deal with that awful Grimm today, right?"
"Yeah." He stirred the eggs and let the routine calm him. Back at Beacon he never really had any need to cook outside of baking cookies or making coffee. He never got any complaints, and Ruby really appreciated when he looked up that recipe on strawberry snickerdoodles for her after a particularly grueling study session the entire team had to prepare for the midterms.
"Well, just...be careful," mom said softly.
"It'll be fine, mom. I've got the Defenders of Vale with me." He smiled and tried not to think about the fact that he'd been more in danger from them than anything else before the Breach. Even hunting down Grimm with Peter didn't feel as heart-racing.
"I know, but I'm your mom. I'm always going to worry even after you become a big, bad Huntsman."
"Heh..." She'd probably faint if she heard even a bit of what he went through with team RWBY...or saw some of the things Professor Branwen taught him. Something told him she wouldn't be happy to see him grabbing nuts.
"So...your team, what do you think about them?"
"Oh, they're great." He smiled. It wasn't a lie. Despite everything they put him through, he wouldn't change them for anyone in the world...well, except maybe Mercury, but only for Blake. Everyone else was a no-go.
"Hmm..." Mom hummed in that knowing way of hers. He already saw the second question coming, "So...which one are you dating? I mean actually dating, not...whatever it is you're doing with that Blake girl."
"No one." A memory of Ruby's confession and his 'date' with Penny popped to mind before he shook them off. He didn't want to think about that till they were back at Beacon.
"Oh. That Yang girl seemed nice."
"Yang?" Jaune laughed. Sure she flirted, but it was all in good fun, "Yeah, no, that's not happening."
"Hmm." There was that humming again. Jaune gave her a sideways glance, "I saw you two walking on the walls last night all by yourselves." Her look was knowing, "Is there something you wanna tell me?"
"We were just talking about stuff." Stuff that he in no way wanted his family to know about. He still kept a tight lid on where exactly he was during the Breach, "Trust me, mom, there's nothing there."
"What about Weiss or Ruby then? You seemed close to them."
"I'm close to all of them, mom; they're my team."
"You know that's not what I-"
She was cut off by padding footsteps and a loud bark that suddenly pierced the air. Jaune looked back and blinked when an all too familiar Corgi zipped into the kitchen, "Zwei?" He set the eggs on the plate and rubbed his furry head, "What are you doing here? Did you follow us?" That sounded like a stupid question, but with Zwei you could never tell. The dog was absurdly smart. He went to the bathroom (and flushed!) whenever the call of nature came, opened his dog food with a can opener somehow, and always found a way to get at Blake no matter where she was.
Seriously, it was uncannny. He somehow followed her up the highest tree in the Emerald Forest. Jaune could totally believe he'd track them all across Sanus to Domremy.
"Oh, who's this little guy?" Mom crouched down besides him cooed, rubbing Zwei's belly cause he was a good boy and deserved it.
"He''s Ruby and Yang's pet. He was supposed to be at Beacon with our sister team." You would've thought Taiyang would take him back to Patch - Blake certainly did - but he'd decided to leave the little guy to Beacon, probably figuring Ruby and Yang needed any friend they could. Any complaints Miss. Goodwitch had that weren't silenced by Ozpin's reassurances were swiftly cut down by puppy dog eyes that put Ruby's to shame. It was a destructive force no power on Remnant could stop.
Another pair of footsteps came and Ruby trudged inside mid-yawn, "Morning..." She rubbed her eyes.
"Hey, Rubes. Zwei's here."
"Yeah, I took him with us." Jaune raised a brow but decideed not to ask just how exactly she did that considering how stuffed her backpack was. If Yang's stories were any indication, apparently the dog was used to being sent around by mail. Benefits of having a dog with awakened Aura. Also probably explained how he was about the same age as Ruby and showed no signs of aging.
Maybe it was his Semblance? Could dogs have Semblances?
"I hope he didn't leave a mess up there in the guest room."
"Trust me, mom, Zwei doesn't leave messes...tough that might explain the flushing we heard last night."
"Don't worry, Mrs. Arc, Zwei's really smart. He even helped mom and dad change our diapers." It was too early for him in the morning to point out that she'd just told his mom about getting her diapers changed. Hopefully she'd be too tired to even notice she did it. And no, he wasn't gonna question a dog helping take care of a baby. He absolutely believed the little guy could do it.
Apparently mom didn't see the need to question it either, "Hmm, we're almost done preparing breakfast. You can take a seat."
"I can-"
"Uh-uh, nope, we're not gonna have another incident of Mystery Food Z." Last semester she'd insisted on cooking up something for them as thanks for end of term exams. That was the day they'd found out that, as good as Ruby was with baking, that skill did not translate to cooking. Yang hadn't even warned them, the coward. She ran off as soon as Ruby went to the kitchen and was MIA the next couple of days.
"Oh, come on. It was one time."
"Not from what Yang told me."
"Yang is a lying liar. I just had some bad luck, that's all."
"No, Ruby. Weiss has bad luck, you created a biological weapon."
"Jerk." She punched his shoulder lightly.
"So, Ruby, how would you feel about Jaune being your brother-in-law?" Mom said suddenly.
Jaune's eyes widened while Ruby went stock-still, "Mom?! What the hell?!"
"I still think something happened between you and Yang on your walk last night." Ruby had the same look of utter betrayal from last night. Gods damn it, "And even if you didn't, it never hurts to leave your options open. I'm always open to adding another blonde to our family."
"Please don't make this-"
"Yang?!" Ruby grabbed his shoulders and shook him frantically, all trace of exhaustion gone. Zwei whined in response to his owner's distress, "I could take you going to the dance with Penny cause she asked first, but this?! First you decide to date Blake-"
"Fake dating! Without my consent, by the way!"
"-and now you're having secret meetings with Yang?!" she continued, completely ignoring his rebuttal and the fact that she was there when the two decided to split off from the group for their 'secret' rendezvous, "Are you torturing me, Jaune? Is this cause I made fun of your gun for not being a big enough caliber? Cause I didn't mean it like that!" In any other situation he would've laughed. Of course she'd think that was worth holding a grudge over."
"You seem...oddly worried," mom said, a gleam in her eyes. Uh-oh.
"Well, I..." Ruby let go of him and brought a hand through her windswept hair. She'd let it grow longer over the last semester and after the Breach the style stuck around. He liked it, though right now that was the last thing on his mind, "I like-like him, and I told him that."
"Jaune, what did you say to that?" Mom turned all her attention back to him with the focus of a hawk.
"That's a bit private, isn't it?" he asked, already knowing it was futile.
"Not while you're still my son, it isn't."
"I-"
"He said we'd been busy with so much stuff that he wasn't even thinking about a relationship," Ruby replied with surprising calmness and maturity, "He's right about that. We went through a bunch of stuff last semester. It took me a whole three months to even tell him I liked him so it totally makes sense that he needs time to think about d-dating." The stutter at the end was heralded by a dust of light pink on her pale cheeks.
"And what exactly is it that you like-like about my son?" mom asked.
"Mom, seriously!" He groaned.
"A lot of things!" Ruby answered, silver eyes brimming with determination, "I like that he's really nice, that he never gives up and works for what he wants. I like that he's with us no matter what trouble we cause and I like that he never doubted me." Jaune stayed quiet as Ruby rattled off more and more things she liked about him. By the time she was praising his baking skills and his bunny onesie he felt like his soul was leaving his body.
"Jaune...?"
"Yeah, mom?" he asked back weakly.
"If you don't date this girl then I'm adopting her into our family." Ruby squawked and flailed her arms as mom suddenly wrapped her in a tight hug. Zwei barked happily at his owner's antics.
Thankfully the rest of the house woke up soon after and saved him from any further torment. Ruby's face was red for a while after that, though her lips were quirked up in a slight smile and she kept bumping her leg to his all throughout breakfast. He didn't mind.
It was a little past eight when they finally headed out, leaving Zwei with his sisters for company. Peter told them he was staying at the Sunrise hotel and after that they'd track the Goliath down. Good thing they had the school's expert on Grimm there.
The sight that greeted them left everyone on the team but him gaping.
"Do you really have to go...?" The owner's daughter, one Camille Vermillion, was draped around Peter's arm and rubbing circles at his chest with her right pointer finger. she was pretty. Thirty years old with bright chestnut hair and a bosom that, quite frankly, gave Yang's a run for her money. She was popular around the men in town for her looks and motherly demeanor.
And she wasn't the only woman around. A few more women, all between the ages of thirty to fifty, milled around and looked at him like he was the Gods' gift to Remnant.
"I'm afraid I must, my lady," Peter sighed, mustache bristling. Yang made gagging noises while Weiss shuddered, "That Grimm won't slay itself and I'd never forgive myself if it would cause harm to this village and you."
"He's not even the one who's gonna kill it." Blake hissed.
"You'll come back, won't you?" Camille asked, sighing like a maiden seeing her lover off to war.
"Of course. Nothing, not even the oldest Grimm on Remnant, will keep me from seeing you again." He held her right hand and kissed the knuckle. She smiled a pretty pink and tittered while a few of the other women sighed jealously.
"Am I still dreaming?" Ruby asked, "If so where's my naked Jaune riding on on a pony and carrying an anti-materiel rifle?"
Okay, he was just gonna ignore that, "Hey, Peter." Jaune called him over. Peter exchanged a few more words with the - very single and looking to change that - woman before walking to where their team was. A few of the women glared at team RWBY, silently warning them to stay away from the object of their affection. Yang's face turned green and she looked like she was gonna heave her breakfast at the closest shrub.
"Jaune, my boy! So good to see you all up so bright and early."
"Had an...eventful night?" Jaune asked, looking to the crowd of women.
"No more than usual, though I admit that woman is something else." He rubbed his mustache and chuckled. It took everything Blake had to not turn around and run all the way back to Vale on foot, "She promised to come visit me in Vale when she has the chance. I look forward to it. Why, I think I've finally found The One, though I'll admit I expected it would've come earlier-"
"Professor, could we please focus on the hunt?" Weiss said desperately, barely managing to keep her composure.
"Quite right, Ms. Schnee! Come, it shan't take long with my help."
He was right about that, at least. With Peter leading the way it only took them an hour to find the Goliath, though it probably helped that it was a giant freaking elephant that made no attempt to be subtle. They six of them were crouched on a nearby small cliff and watched the grazing Elephant Grimm. Just like the reports said it was away from its horde, though there were some Beowolves milling around. From what Peter told them in class, larger and older Grimm tended to attract smaller ones like a siren.
"Are you all ready for this?" Peter asked.
"Actually, professor, we're going to be trying something." Weiss stood up first, "We have reason to believe that Jaune's Semblance could enhance both our own Semblances and our magical capabilities. If so this would be the perfect time to test such a theory."
"Are you certain about this?" Peter asked.
"All I know is after Grimm Slayer poured his warm, white stuff all over me I felt like a million Lien." Jaune groaned while the rest of the team's reactions varied from from exasperation to embarassment at her crude reply, "Definitely felt stronger, at least. Even when I was holding back I put a crater in the ground."
"Hmm, fascinating." Peter nodded, "Alright then, let's go with Miss. Schnee's plan. Jaune?"
"Got it."
It took them four minutes - one minute each - finish setting everything up. By the time he was done his Aura was just a little over halfway full while team RWBY practically glowed with power, "Remember to stick to the plan, everyone," Ruby said, "Don't use your full power. We just wanna test to see how much stronger the magic is and we don't wanna leave sinkholes around."
"We got it." Yang swung her arm and whistled, "Man, this feels great! Seriously, Jaune, I'll pay you for massages when we get back to Beacon. Especially after Ice Queen's sister puts us through the wringer."
"Agreed," Blake, surprisingly, said.
"Are you sure you're okay, Jaune? It doesn't hurt?" Ruby asked.
"It's fine, see?" He showed his his scroll and the half-filled Aura bar, "Me and Peter are gonna stay at the edges and pick of the Beowolves anyway. You guys are the ones who should be careful."
"Okay..." She shifted from one foot to another before she suddenly leaned forward and planted a feather light kiss on his right cheek, "Kiss for good luck!" she said, not sounding nearly as confident as she wanted to look, before she jumped down ahead of the others.
"Honestly, that dolt." Weiss sighed good-naturedly and followed her partner down, a grinning Yang and stoic Blake following soon after. Peter clapped his back and laughed heartily before jumping down as well, leaving Jaune for last. Thank the Gods the drop wasn't more than ten feet. The last time he'd fallen into the Emerald Forest his 'landing strategy' consisted of smashing face-first into the tallest tree he could find. Even with Aura it was a miracle his skull hadn't cracked open like an egg.
Team RWBY cut through where the horde was the thinnest and beelined for the Goliath. Jaune unholstered his pistol and fired at the closest Beowolves, the fire rounds scorching their blackened skin. Peter did the same, hefting Blowhard (what a name!) and shooting a blast big enough to instantly kill three Beowolves at once. Contrary to what people might have expected, the axe blades had folded into the handle so he'd avoid cutting himself while firing.
It also somehow fired more than once despite being a blunderbuss. He didn't ask.
"Here they come, lad!" Peter flipped the gun around and extended the axe blades forward.
"Got it!" He emptied the magazine then unsheathed Crocea Mors, the shield coming out just in time to let him block a Beowolf's charging bite. Jaune held his ground and brought the sword up to stab it in the gut. A Beowolf's weakspots were its unprotected bottom, neck, and the base of its back. Most Huntsman were strong enough that they could crush through defense easily enough, but it was better to get every advantage he could.
Jaune shoved the disappearing body away and tossed a grenade at another three charging Beowolves. He crouched down behind his shield in a practiced stance that hid most of his body behind the barrier. The explosion sent a stream of hot air wooshing past the edge of the shield, along with a Beowolf that flew overhead before dissipating. Fire dust grenades didn't have shrapnel, at least. Expensive, though.
A fair distance away, team RWBY was wailing on the Goliath. Goliaths were well-known for being some of the oldest and strongest Grimm, especially since they usually came in herds. Even a single one could cause significant damage to a place as big as Argus, which was why he was glad that it hadn't really paid attention to Domremy. Ruby fired on its hide with Crescent Rose but the bullets only barely pierced skin. Blake's and Weiss' attempts to stab through with their weapons weren't any better.
"Weapons aren't working!" Yang yelled, smacking its thick leg in frustration with a shotgun-powered punch.
"I think that test is concluded!" Weiss dodged back to avoid its swiping trunk and knelt down, "I'll go on ahead!"
Go ahead she did. Using a glyph, she propelled herself through the air, eyes lighting up with Maiden power. The Goliath barely had time to roar before a thick barrier of ice covered it from head to toe, freezing it in place, "Bumblebee!" Ruby shouted. Yang and Blake nodded to one another before the latter tossed Gambol Shroud at her, which Yang easily caught. Blake spun her around, Yang firing Ember Celica to add momentum, then let her go so she shot like a bullet to the frozen elephant Grimm.
Yang shattered it in one punch. The momentum was strong enough that she shot clean through it towards another group of Beowolves, "Cannonball!" She grinned and aimed at the center of the small horde. Just like last night, the impact killed those closest on impact and everything else was burned to cinders as she expelled fire in a circle all around her.
Mopping up the rest of the Grimm was easy after that. Jaune was proud to say he killed close to ten of the wolf Grimm when everything was said and done. Not bad for a routine mission.
"That was awesome!" Yang pumped her fists, still thrumming with power.
"Easy for you to say." Ruby pouted slightly, "I didn't even really do anything!"
"Are you surprised? We were facing one Goliath, not an entire herd," Blake said, "This is our first official mission as Maidens. Headmaster Ozpin wasn't going to send us out on something like the Breach."
"I know, but still..."
"It was still a good gauge on our capabilities." Weiss put a hand on her chin, "While I've no doubt I could freeze it in place normally, the boost I received from Jaune's Semblance made it far quicker and easier. That combination of Semblances and Magic is giving me ideas, actually. If I could combine Dust with my Semblance then who's to say that I can't do the same with Magic? The properties seem similar, at any rate."
"An intriguing idea, Miss. Schnee." Peter nodded, "Brute force alone won't be enough. More experienced Huntsmen know to aim at where the Goliath's hide is the thinnest. Ah, that would make a good lesson for our next class."
"Does this mean we're done?" Blake asked.
"There's still some Beowolves around, and I heard from the village militia that there's even Ursa around. We could clear them out, make things easier for everyone," Ruby said, just a little too eager.
"Hmm..." Peter looked up at the bright sun overhead, "I suppose there's no harm in that. I'll head back to the village to report on our success and you can all catch up after."
"Are you sure that's safe? Aren't you supposed to be keeping an eye on us?" Jaune asked.
"My lad, I daresay that they can handle themselves just fine." Peter laughed, "Besides, you won't be alone. Remember what the headmaster said? Professor Qrow is nearby."
Right, he almost forgot about that little detail. Man, the guy must've been a stealth master if he could hide even here. The place they were at had nothing but grass, a few trees, and a particularly stubborn crow perched nearby that hadn't left despite all the fighting. Must've been really eager to scavenge what it could.
"Alright, you heard the man! Team RWBY-J, let's make this place safe!" Ruby cheered, hefting Crescent Rose up eagerly.
They spent the next hour mopping up whatever Grimm they could find...well, mostly Ruby and Yang. The rest of them pitched in when they could, but clean-up duty was hardly the most exciting thing. There were more Grimm around cause of the Goliath and now that it was dead they were spready around again. Even if they all split - which was never a good idea - they couldn't really do much at this point.
Ruby was about to call it quits when Blake stopped, "... Wait." She stopped at a large tree and looked at the bark with narrowed eyes.
"What's wrong?" Jaune asked.
"Blood here." She looked closer, "It's dried, but I can't tell for how long. Judging by the shape I'm guessing someone pressed a hand against a wound and smeared on the bark."
"We should investigate then. Someone could need our help," Weiss said.
"Agreed. Follow me." They followed Blake in silence, the slight boredom replaced by a quiet determination. Jaune already had a bad feeling. Dried blood was old blood, and the forest was packed with Grimm not too long ago. While the Goliath was far enough from the roads, that meant anyone who went off the beaten path was out of luck. If Blake wasn't here they wouldn't have even noticed it.
His suspicions were confirmed when they saw the dead body face down on the ground.
Ruby gasped, Yang cursed and Weiss looked away with a grim expression. Keeping a stoic facade, Blake knelt down next to the body while Jaune did the same. He wasn't any better at it, but the man's clothes were a little too familiar for him to stay away. Blake slowly reached a hand out and faced him the other way. Jaune felt like throwing up when the smell hit him, and that only got worse when he saw the decomposed but still familiar face.
Blake met his eyes, "You know him?" she asked, looking at the deep gashes on his chest. Clawed by a Beowolf and left to bled out. Horrible.
"Yeah, he's Mr. Cooke. Gabriel. He's a hunter from Domremy." One of the oldest ones, actually. Stubborn as a mule too. Jaune knew his family. Mrs. Cooke was a fisherman and they had two little girls the same age was Lily. The girls were friends.
"Is...is he...?" Ruby asked, though she already knew the answer.
"Yes. Has been for a while now," Blake said.
"Oh no. Oh no, no, no." Ruby grabbed her head with both hands and shivered, "We should've gone to hunt the Goliath sooner. Then we could've-"
"Hey!" Yang grabbed both of Ruby's shoulders and kept her still, "Don't go there!"
"But-"
"Yang's right. Thinking on what-ifs won't help anyone," Jaune said. Was it hypocritical for him to say that? He'd lingered on those kinds of thoughts for months and now here he was trying to tell Ruby not to do the same. No, it didn't matter if it was hypocritical. Ruby shouldn't torment herself like that.
"I doubt it would've helped anyway," Blake stood up with Jaune following, "Judging by the lack of rigor mortis and his state of decomposition, he's been dead for at least a couple of days. Even if we rushed over here as soon as we arrived he would've been already dead."
Ruby only looked slightly more comforted by that fact, "There's no need to put the responsibility of the world on your shoulders, Ru-"
"Why not?" Ruby asked, cutting Weiss off, "Aren't we supposed to help save the world? That feels like I should carry that responsibility."
"Because you're not a god, Ruby!" Jaune said, surprisingly loud. And angry, "You're strong - probably one of the strongest Huntresses in Remnant - but you can't be everywhere at once. We all would've loved if we could have saved him - hell, I knew the guy - but it was the Grimm that did this, not us. You didn't know he was out here and by the time we got our mission he was already gone. There's...nothing we could've done."
A heavy silence settled over the group again. Jaune wished there was something else he could say, but there was nothing else that needed to be said. He was right. As strong as Ruby was, she was still human. No amount of Magic or Silver Eyes would change that.
"...So what do we do now?" Weiss asked softly.
"We gotta take the body back." It was a miracle that the Grimm hadn't eaten it. Then again he had no idea why Grimm sometimes chose to eat corpses and at other times left them to rot. If Peter were here he could probably clarify, but he wasn't in the mood for stories, "Mrs. Cooke and his daughters...they deserve to bury him." Ruby flinched at the sudden knowledge that the man did have family that would mourn him.
"Alright, so how do we do this?" Yang asked.
"Let's carry him. You take his torso, I'll take his legs." Not an easy prospect since, judging by the smell, he voided his bowels when he died, but it was a small price to pay to give the Cookes some measure of closure. Yang and Ruby understood. They didn't even have a body to bury for their own mom.
None of them said a word the entire trip back. Weiss was nice enough to hand them both handkerchiefs to use as makeshift bandanas, but it didn't help with the sight of the decaying body they were forced to look at. Jaune desperately wished they had some bigger cloth to wrap his body and make it look just a bit more respectful.
He didn't know how long it took until they eventually made it to Domremy. The militia were on them immediately, offering to take the body to the morgue. The five of them were so exhausted that they agreed without another word. He and Yang smelled like death, but a shower was the last thing on his mind.
"We need to tell the family," he said.
Weiss winced and did her best to keep the words level, "Wouldn't that be better suited to the militia?" she asked slowly.
"We were the ones who found him, and...I know the family. Might be easier to hear it from a family friend, at least."
"Jaune's right." Ruby nodded, "Besides, we're Huntsmen. We have to do things like this." Death Notifications. A grim part of the job that no one liked to dwell on. Some Huntsmen chose to skip out altogether, unable to be the one giving such horrible news. Professor Branwen had told him stories. Many people just shut down, others were angry and blamed the Huntsmen for not being fast enough to save them. He told him to never take it personally. Grief broke people.
"I don't think it'll be a good idea if all five of us go," Blake murmured, bow twitching anxiously, "I could do it. I...I have experience with this kind of thing." Back when she was with the White Fang, she didn't say.
"No. Jaune and I will go."
"Rubes-"
"No, Yang." Ruby looked at her older sister with hard, determined eyes, "You three go on ahead. Trust me."
Yang looked like she wanted to argue, but eventually she bit her lip and nodded. Ruby asked him where the address was and he led the way after Weiss insistenly sprayed some perfume on him. At least then he wouldn't smell of rot, she said.
Jaune's hand felt heavy as he knocked on the door. Mrs. Cooke opened the door and smiled when she saw him, "Jaune? I didn't know you'd come back to town." The heavyset woman greeted happily. He felt like he'd been stabbed, "Is something wrong? I heard that Lily was going to have a sleepover with Anya and Delilah, was there something-"
"Mrs. Cooke, may we please come inside? There's something we need to tell you," Ruby said, her expression set in stone.
"Oh! You must be one of the Huntresses that's the talk of the town. Please, come in." She stepped aside to let them inside. The place was small but cozy. Compared to the luxury goods, hunting and fishing wasn't exactly what made a fortune, but it did allow the family of four to live comfortably.
Family of three now...
Jaune waived away her offers of tea and waited till she was sitting down at the table. He desperately recalled every single story Professor Branwen told him. Quick and to the point; there was no reason to drag it along. Don't use words like 'passed' or 'went away'. That gave them false hope. Also, never tell them you knew exactly how they felt. Even if you did, it was a cold comfort.
You just had to rip that band aid off.
"Mrs. Cooke, Brigitte...we found Gabriel out while we were hunting some Grimm." He had to force himself to say the next words, "He's dead. I'm sorry."
She blinked, the smile fading as her face slackened, "...What did you say?"
He couldn't say it again. Ruby took over for him, "Your husband...he's dead." Her hands balled into shaky fists and she fought every urge to break down, "I'm so sorry for your loss, ma'am."
"That..." Mrs. Cooke looked at anything but them, eyes lingering to pair of worn boots close to the door, "But...he was just..." He was just here, she didn't say. Hunters often spent days out in the wilds and knew how to avoid the Grimm. She wouldn't have thought anything amiss with him not coming home yet.
"I know that this is a huge shock, but Ruby and I are here to answer any questions you have. Please, take your time." Jaune said.
"How...How did he die?"
"We can't be sure yet, but judging by his wounds it seems like a Grimm got him," Ruby said.
"And...he was just out there?" Dead, again she didn't say. She took a deep, shuddering breath and asked again, "How long has he been...gone?"
It would've given some small comfort if they said it was recent. At least then she wouldn't have to live with the knowledge that she'd lost her husband days ago and only found out now. If they said two days, it'd be etched in her mind forever. Ruby looked like she was about to answer with the white lie, and possibly even put the responsibility of it all on her shoulders, when he said ahead of her.
"Two days, I think. We can't be sure."
She finally broke down crying. Jaune handed her the handkerchief Weiss loaned him. She'd understand not getting it back, "Wh-What am I supposed to do now?" she asked, voice hoarse and shaky, "Th-The girls, they have no idea. They're in school. Should...I call them now? Tell them to..."
"No, just...please take a day to gather your thoughts. If Anya and Delilah are having a sleepover, we promise we'll take care of them. Please use that time to...prepare." Another lesson Professor Branwen taught him.
"Y-Yes, I see..." Mrs. Cooke looked down at her lap, "Wh-Where is he now?"
"The militia took him to the morgue. We could come with you, if you need it." Ruby looked like she wanted to reach out and hold the older woman's hands, but something - guilt, anger, maybe a combination of the two - kept her rooted to the spot next to him.
"No, no. I...I'll visit him when I can." She stood up shakily, "Could I please have some time alone now?"
"Of course." He didn't say he was sorry again; it'd only make her feel worse.
He and Ruby stepped back outside and closed to door behind them. They waited till they were far enough away from prying eyes before Ruby finally crouched down the barrier wall and sniffled, still refusing to let any tears fall. He hated this. Ruby cared too much and he knew she'd replay this day in her head for a while even though she knew there was nothing they could've done.
"That poor woman..." she mumbled.
"Yeah..." Jaune sat down next to her, "I'm sorry we couldn't do anything more."
"There must be something else we can do to help her."
"Ruby...her husband's dead. She just has to live with it." It sounded callous, but it was the truth, "It'll hurt. There's nothing we can do to change that."
"I know!" she shouted, turning to him with a glare. The harsh expression was immediately replaced with a guilty one, "Sorry, it's not your fault, I just..." She groaned and sat down next to him, "I knew stuff like this would happen. Huntsmen can't be everywhere and saeve everyone. I know that. The heroes who save everyone and never have to kill anyone just exist in comic books."
"But it doesn't stop it from hurting."
"Mm-hm..." She leaned sideways and rested her head against his shoulder, "Those poor kids. When mom died I was too young to really understand it. One day she was there and the next she was gone. Yang was there to take care of me, fill in the hole mom left, but they don't have anyone like that."
"The rest of the town will help. Good thing about places like this is that the community's pretty tight-knit. We might not all get along, but we're there for each other when it counts." Not all of them would help, of course, but enough would. His own family definitely would.
"I guess that's the best we can hope for." She held his right hand tightly, "I don't care if stopping this Salem won't make the Grimm go away, if it helps make things even a bit better I'll give everything I have."
"Ha, I don't doubt it."
They stayed that way for a while, just taking comfort in each other's presence. Eventually they went back to his home after informing Peter about what happened. The mood in the house felt different now. They only told mom and dad about Mr. Cooke's death and kept it from everyone else; especially Lily and the twins. Rebecca didn't come back for dinner, so she probably knew. She helped in the morgue as part of her studies.
Staying any longer wasn't in the cards after that. He said his goodbyes to his parents and promised to visit and talk more in the future. Ruby looked better, or at least she pretended to be, and even smiled as she said her goodbyes to everyone and promised to come back soon. On the bright side they could skip classes till Friday as a reward for getting their mission done early. Peter even made sure to commend them for exemplary behavior.
They didn't go to Beacon. Since they had some time to kill the entire team decided to head over to Vale. Yang, Ruby and Weiss went their separate ways and the other blonde had waved off his offer to come with, "We need some girl time," Yang said, "Don't worry, we won't blow anything up." Blake decided to to go with him to Tuskon's so he wouldn't be alone. They all needed to decompress, and that meant books whether that was novels or comics.
"I hope Ruby's going to be alright," she said as they left Tuskon's bookstore. At least this time the book she wanted was there.
"She's strong. I don't doubt she'll use it as a motivation to train harder," Jaune replied.
"I can definitely see that." Her small smile was cut off when she saw a crowd of people marching the next street over. Jaune followed her gaze. People walked in tandem and raised signs with various slogans. A protest of some kind. A second glance showed him something unnatural: almost the entire crowd consisted of Faunus. There were a few humans here and there, but the vast majority had obvious animal traits of some kind.
"What's going on?" Jaune asked.
"A protest."
"I know that, more curious on why."
"Why do you think?" she asked back harshly, "Faunus have been treated even worse since the Breach happened. They get harassed on the streets, barred from getting services, and I've heard of a couple that were attacked and left for dead in alleys. From what I've seen the police aren't exactly rushing to make those cases a priority. It's like we're in Mistral.
"There are some humans there."
"At least not all of them are blind. The Breach would've hurt everyone, Human and Faunus, but too many people don't see that. Or they don't want to and just want an excuse to indulge in their prejudices."
"...Should we go in there?" He'd never been in a protest before, but Blake was right about innocent people being targeted. He expected an instant agreement. Instead she looked down at the ground and touched a hand to the bow covering her ears, "You don't have to reveal your ears. I'm human and I'm willing to walk."
"But do I really deserve to stand alongside them if I'm lying to everyone? I-"
"Get the hell outta here!" A voice shouted through a megaphone. Both their attentions were drawn to an opposite crowd marching down the street. Unlike the previous protestors, these ones were all human. And they were armed. Not with guns, thank the gods, but there were more than a few carrying bats, pipes and a bunch of other makeshift weapons. Without Aura one good hit to the head with those could kill.
"This is a peaceful protest!" The head, who Jaune recognized as the owner of the restaurant they went to, shouted back, "We simply wish to be heard!"
"Get the hell out, you fucking animals!" The opposite leader shouted again. This one was younger, maybe thirty years old, with a bulky frame and short cut that reminded him of Cardin, "You all don't deserve to be here, not after what you've done!"
"The Breach had nothing to do with us! We were at risk just as much as you!" Another voice shouted, "Look, there are humans with us! They understand that-"
"They're animal lovers, what they think ain't worth dirt!"
The shouting got louder and louder. No one threw a punch just yet, but it was only a matter of time, "Should we call the cops?" Jaune asked.
"It won't help. That group has been harassing Faunus for a while and the cops just look the other way. Idiots blame them for the Breach just as much as anyone." She grit her teeth, "We need to do something. It's going to-"
One of the counter protestors carrying a bat swung it at a rabbit Faunus. The powder keg exploded, both sides rushing at each other in a rage, but the all-human group obviously had an advantage with their weapons. Jaune rushed in grabbed one that had a crowbar who was about to bludgeon an injured woman, "Back off!" He tossed him aside and used his shield to block another that swung a pipe at his head. He refused to bring out his gun or sword, as tempting as it was. That would only make things worse.
"ENOUGH!"
Both sides froze, all attention focused on Blake. She used a wave of wind to knock aside all the counter protestors - bigots, his mind added in - back to their 'side' and stood in front of the group, silently daring any of them to attack. A few looked like they were tempted to try anyway before they saw the purple flames around her eyes and the way the sunny sky overhead was replaced with dark stormclouds.
"Blake!" the restaurant owner shouted, both surprised and relieved.
"What's a Huntress doing here?" The opposite leader spat, voice narrowing in recognition, "Hang on, you were one of them who stopped the Breach! You should be on our side!"
"These people did nothing wrong! Their only 'crime' is being a Faunus and believing they don't deserve to be blamed for the actions of a few fanatics!"
"They were trying to kill us!" the leader shouted again, riling up his followers, "It was humans that stopped the Breach while they waited for us to die!"
Blake didn't say anything and just tugged off her bow, exposing her Faunus features to both crowds. The leader's face went pale then turned an angry shade of red as he processed what he was seeing, "I'm a Faunus and I did more to help stop the Breach than you." Blake growled. A clap of thunder roared overhead, "You're just a small-minded bigot looking for an excuse. Well go ahead, I'm a Faunus and I was there. What do you say to that?"
Whatever he was about to say was cut off when the cops finally arrived. No one got charged, even though the other side threw the first hit and left more than a couple of protestors injured. To add insult to injury, the head - who he later learned was one Mr. Turner - was warned to 'keep his crowd in check' while Blake was told they'd send an official letter to Beacon for a couple of Huntsmen involving themselves and 'escalating the situation'.
The letter went nowhere, of course. Ozpin wasn't about to punish them for involving themselves in a powder keg that had already blown. It didn't make Blake feel any better, especially since her actions were recorded and now everyone at Beacon knew that Blake Belladonna was a Faunus. The next couple of days were filled with stares and whispers sent at their team and Blake in particular.
Yang was pissed, as expected, and neither Ruby or Weiss were happy either, but there wasn't much they could do about it. They couldn't stop people from talking about Blake and no one was dumb enough to pick a fight with her after knowing what she could do.
Jaune sighed angrily as he trudged his way back to their dorm room that Friday afternoon. A quick search on his scroll about Blake led him to numerous pages. To some she was the new face of the protests, especially since she was one of Vales' Defenders, to others someone to revile. Others still asked questions. Why did she hide her Faunus traits? Was she possibly even involved in the Breach just because she wasn't human? It made him sick.
Blake was sitting alone in the room, a letter held with both hands. Judging by her shocked expression, it wasn't anything good, "You okay?" he asked softly.
"No, I'm not." She handed him the letter and a quick scan through showed it was illegible, "That's a cipher the White Fang uses. We used it to keep communications hidden."
"...And what did they say?"
"Not they. She. Sienna Khan." He dropped the letter. Even someone like him knew who that was: the leader of the White Fang, "She saw my powers, what I did a couple of days ago, and she wants to meet face to face. Talk."
"Blake, this screams trap."
"I considered that, but why would she? Sienna's a lot of things, but spiteful isn't one of them. I doubt she'd come all the way over to Vale herself just to attack me. It means she wants something."
"We could tell Ozpin."
"We could..." she said, "Or I could meet her like she asked."
"Blake-"
"As much as I have my doubts on the White Fang, Sienna is different from Adam. She would never agree to an attack on Vale and she publicly disavowed his actions." She chewed on her lower lip, "If Adam is here in Vale then he needs to be stopped. Sienna said I could help stop him and she's willing to give me information I can't pass that up. I can't."
"Blake..." Jaune groaned, already seeing where this was going.
"You don't have to come with me-"
"Of course I have to come with you." Jaune pinched the bridge of his nose and ignored the growing migraine. He couldn't just let her go alone, could he? That wasn't what a friend would do.
Blake's at it again, this time exposing herself publicly and drawing even more attention to the group. She truly is the Worst Girl on this team. Now she has a meeting with Sienna Khan about White Fang stuff and you just know that won't go over well.
Not a lot of comedy this chapter, but at least it helps explain why Blake had the silliest segments before. Her arc is probably the most uncomfortable considering it deals with social issues and a problem where there's no right solution.
Next chapter might be the alternative Maiden team omake, though I'm still torn on team Chaos or team MILF. Seems like both teams got equal amounts of attention.
Questions:
1. I'm of two minds on the next chapter. The first one is that only Blake and Jaune go to the meeting and the other is that all of team RWBY-J goes. The former gives Jaune more focus since Adam targets him alongside Blake and the meeting is relatively drama-free. On the other hand, I could also definitely see some plot potential of a Schnee going to a White Fang meeting hosted by Sienna Khan, even if it'd undoubtedly make things far more tense.
What do you guys think?
2. So I've gotten some reviews that argue Jaune and Yang have better chemistry than the other RWBY girls, Ruby included, and that their interactions are more romantic and intimate than the ones he has with the others. Do you guys agree? Cause these reviews seem to just come during Yang's solo chapters and not when Jaune has segments with Weiss or Blake.
Review Answers:
LMAOLoveThis - To be fair, team RWBY has improved a lot recently.
Robbeey - Two if you count Penny.
Master T-Rex - Dunno who names it. Anyway, Jaune and Yang are definitely the mom and dad of the group, as shown in this chapter. They carry the body and Jaune helps Ruby go through her first Death Notification. Yang would've been there as well if Ruby hadn't insisted on doing it with just Jaune.
Randomhamm - Jaune truly is the team's boytoy. And yes, Port is absolutely the ladies man he claims he is, much to team RWBY's shock and Jaune's absolute non-surprise. Thanks for the idea :P
AnimeFan0216 - I'm not sure if Grimm Eclipse is accurate since Jaune isn't nearly that strong in the show. I can see him being a tank, but there's no proof that Aura Amp buffs physical strength in addition to protection.
sos read - That's kind of difficult since the entire premise of the fic is that Jaune is a normal guy attached to a team of overpowered Maidens. I could give him solo adventures, but if you're asking for a completely separate arcs that have nothing to do with team RWBY or the Maidens at all that feels like a different fic altogether. Like grinding the main plot to a halt to do an unrelated side-quest.
Jaune does still want to be a hero, but right now the best way to do that is by helping team RWBY. They're the best chance Remnant has in over a thousand years of stopping Salem. Jaune by himself can never even come close to doing something as important as that even if he went solo or joined another team. Being a hero doesn't mean being the leading man in saving the world.
Also, while I agree with a lot of your criticisms, I contest the idea that I put in romance just for the sake of keeping Jaune relevant. The No Romance vote wa massively leading for a while and I was fine with it. Hell, if I really wanted him stuck that way I could've just caved and made it a harem like a bunch of people wanted.