Feels like Jekyll and Hyde
Standing with his wife in the hospital bed, Jameson Arc had a proud smile as he held his first son in his arms as his wife, Joanna laid on the hospital bed with haggard breath, smiling weakly as her son was held to her hands, softly hugging the crying infant of Jaune Arc with Jameson kneeling beside the bed with a smile the two looked to the calming infant, not seeing a strange birthmark forming on the babies back, looking like a skull before it faded into its skin.
With the parents none the wiser
Eight years later
In the last years, Jaune Arc had grown to be the middle child of eight children, his seven sisters being a handful as he was to their parents, the oldest being more protective of him and his twin, Alissa.
It was at this moment the two were sitting on a tree on their property, with the smiling duo laughing as Jaune hung upside down, the strange mark on his back near none existant, dropping from the tree, Alissa giggling as Jaune fell onto his hands and feet, standing up while brushing himself off the two ran to the house in a friendly race, with Alissa speeding ahead with jaune trying in vain to catch up, seeing her male twin's struggle Alissa slowed down with a pant, letting Jaune catch up with their mother standing on the porch of their farm house watching in worry at her only son.
The family may be happy, but when not even an hour after the birth of Jaune a doctor came by with an autopsy of Jaune's health, he may be healthy enough to live a farm life, but with the hindrance of his bones being partially brittle.
It was that information that the mother nearly cried for one of her children's losing a chance to be like her grandfather, a huntsmen. And seeing Jaune's lowering self-esteem the mother turned to see the youngest of her children walking out with a small ball of circuitry in hand, with a pair of welding goggles on her forehead the youngest sister called Katli, setting her pet project.
"What are you working on honey?" Joanna questioned her youngest for the girl to look up with a smile.
"Building something to help Jaune" was her simple answer with Joanna smiling sadly at the love and care Jaune had from his family.
Looking to the twins she smiled happily at seeing Jaune carrying a tired Alissa towards them, seeing the protective look Jaune had he was equally protective of his family, seeing her son's determination Joanna's eyes drifted to the black shadow on the ground following beside her son.
Making the mother worry at seeing it grow outward before flickering into his shadow, as it did that Jaune began to show strain until Alissa dropped off of him with a small laugh, making Jaune laugh with her as they stepped onto the porch.
It was at this moment their father returned with their oldest beside him, Alta Arc smiling at her brother who smiled back, with a wave.
Later that night
Lying within his bed in slumber, Jaune let out soft snores as his room sat in silence with a being standing in a dark corner with his head covered by a hood, turning to the child the being showed to have a human head with his exposed mouth a row of teeth letting out a soft laugh, startling Jaune awake with his eyes blinking at seeing the rising sun from his window. Looking to the corner of his room he saw no one, not even his door open, standing up from his bed the blonde let out a yawn before hearing his father in the kitchen down stairs.
Standing from his bed Jaune felt… odd, looking at himself Jaune looked no different, walking to his door he stopped at feeling his eyes sting slightly with his left eye focusing beyond anything, and his right eye following suit of its fellow organ.
Blinking to ese the stinging it faded with the Boy moving out his room in worry.
"Dad, Dad!" Jaune said frantically as he moved own the stairs, running to the kitchen he had a look of fear as his father turned to him with a worried expression, placing a frying pan on the ground the man kneeled beside Jaune to look at his eyes.
"Jaune, what happened to your eyes?" Jameson questioned with Jaune failing to answer.
"I don't know they just starting hurting slightly, my left eye though made everything look clearer, Dad, what's wrong with my eyes?" Jaune questioned in fear before Jameson found a mirror one of his daughters left on the kitchen table, holding it to jaune the boy stared into eyes that were once normal, his left eye blood red and his right a sky blue that glowed.
"My… my eyes" Jaune said softly before everything slowed down around him with body sized shadows shimmered into his sight, flickering wildly before with one blink they vanished.
Replaced by his father carrying him to the car with Joanna standing on the porch in tired morning confusion.
But what Jaune saw in the doorway was the silhouette of a man shimmering into nothingness.
The only thing Jaune focused on were the same eyes he now had.
Three hours later
Sitting beside his father in worry within the hospital room, Jaune had a look of worry as his father kept a blank stare with fear stricken eyes as they waited, waited for the doctor to return with the results of Jaune's change of eyes.
It was after a minute that a doctor returned with anuncertain look.
"Mr Arc?" looking to the doctor Jameson stood up in fear.
"Yes?"
"Your son… he had a fragile body before correct?" the man questioned with the father blinking as he turned to Jaune who had a look of worry.
Turning to the doctor he nodded with a sad gaze.
"Yes, his bones were fragile, why do you ask?"
"Well… the results of your sons cat scan, show something had changed your sons genetics and fixed anything life threatening" the doctor said with Jameson frowning.
"What do you mean by something?"
"We found traces of an unknown energy flowing through your son, its similar to the energy we pick up from Grimm but, more refined and controlled" the doctor said with Jameson blinking eyes of shock.
Leaning against a wall the doctor held him the results, what he read made him gape in awe.
"Sir… your son has been given great potential from whatever it was that helped him, but I believe it hasn't left him yet" the doctor said with Jameson looking to him.
"We've found brain scans, some are not ones of a child, something as we speak is doing whatever it can to improve your son, and I believe it needs to be studied" the doctor said with Jaune freezing, but not of his own will as his father stood up with a glare.
"What do you mean by studied, he's a boy not a lab rat!" Jameson questioned with the doctor raising his hands.
"I didn't mean it like that, your son is host to something that instead of eats the body, instead improves it, I'm just suggesting…"
"Your suggesting on sending the kid to Atlas to be dissected" a voice said with the two turning to see the silhouette of a man standing there with eyes of anger, though Jameson recognised those eyes that his son now held.
"Who are you?" the doctor questioned with the being letting out a soft chuckle that promised great agony, suddenly standing in front of the doctor the being's right hand was plunged through his head, making the doctor choke and gurgle as his eyes glowed.
"Who I am is unimportant, scum, the minute I looked into your eyes, I saw all the Faunus you sent to the Schnee family, all the lives that could have had wonderful lives wasted by your own greed" the being said before yanking its hand from the doctor whose eyes rolled in the back of his head while falling to the ground, twitching as foam began to form over his mouth.
"And the minute you deemed my host a freak I was forced to manifest early" the being said before turning back to the sleeping Jaune, looking to Jameson the man paled as they made eye contact until the beings eyes softened.
"You have a good heart Mr Arc, teach your son to respect all life as equal, like the doctor said, he has the potential, the reason I am staying with the boy is because the situation deems it, for the both of us" the being said before fading away, leaving the father he got over his shock to pick his son up and leave, looking to the doctor he quickly checked for a pulse, he had none.
Calling for a doctor the father and son left, never looking back.
one years later
Walking to home from school Jaune and a friend of his walked side by side Jaune had a smile as he moved his bag more comfortably, looking to his friend the girl had the cutest smile as she giggled at seeing Jaune make a face, ruffling her hair the girl gave a yelp as he softly rubbed her rabbit ears.
"Jaune, you said you wouldn't do that anymore?" the Faunus girl said with jaune smiling.
"Sorry Velvet, but your ears are too cute to ignore" Jaune said with a bright smile as the rabbit Faunus hid her face which was a bright shade of red.
"Thank you" She softly said as Jaune smiled warmly, bringing the small girl into a hug the two shared a laugh as Jaune saw a silhouette of a man ahead of them scoff happily as his features slowly became seeable, instead of the monstrous face Jaune had expected, the man had a mostly human face minus his mouth which was that of a skull like grin, that and the wild hair made him look like someone who cared less of his look.
Giving Jaune a slight wave the man faded away with Jaune still trying to summon him when he was alone.
Shaking the thought from his mind Jaune and Velvet stopped in front of a small home.
"Thank you for walking home with me Jaune" the girl said with the mismatch eyed boy shrugging with a smile.
"Not a problem Velvet, what are friends for" Jaune said as the two shared a smile, moving to walk to his home he was stopped as Velvet stopped him to peck his cheek before running inside, leaving Jaune blinking before he had a sheepish blush on his cheeks he continued home with a skip in his step.
Making it to his home Jaune sooner left with his mother for the daily grocery shopping trip to the city Vale.
Walking beside his mother in silence, the two walking among the crowd of people Jaune took notice to the many few people looking surprised by their empty pockets, making the small blonde frown before he caught sight of a mint haired girl openly searching through a man's pocket. Making Jaune call to her.
"Hey!" hearing his voice the girl looked up at him in fear before rushing off, making Jaune run after her with his mother turning to her son running after the girl.
"Jaune!" Alissa yelled as she gave chase for her running son.
Chasing the scared girl Jaune skidded to a halt at losing sight of her, making him look around before he winced as his left eye began to sting as the being formed in front of him, kneeling down he spoke.
"Focus on the girl" hearing those words, Jaune began to focus his eyes, the boy suddenly saw a shimmering image of the girl running past him before turning down an alleyway.
Seeing the being vanish into air, allowing Jaune to run after the ghostly image of the girl Jaune found her hiding behind dumpster.
Walking to the girl she looked up with a jump as she tried to crawl away, making Jaune move after her.
"Hey, it's okay, I'm not here to hurt you" Jaune said with the girl stopping, looking to Jaune with fear stricken eyes the boy kneeled down with a small smile as he held his hand out for her.
"You promise?" the girl questioned with Juane smiling as he nodded, making the girl grab his hand he helped her off the ground, holding her close to him it was that point Alissa ran to the alleyway.
"Jaune, do you know how worried i-" seeing her son holding the girl hiding in his arms the mother's gaze softened as she kneeled down to the duo.
"She's hungry mom" Jaune said as the girl began to cry as Alissa smiled.
"What's your name sweety?" Alissa questioned with the mint green haired girl looking to her.
"Emerald… Emerald Sustrai" the girl said with the woman taking notice to her ragged and torn clothing.
"Come on, we're taking you home to get you fed" Alissa said as she grabbed the girls hand and led them out of the Alleyway, with Emerald holding Jaune's hand.
With only him seeing the smiling being defying gravity on the brick wall.
Six years later
Sitting within his room with a book on the desk before him, a now sixteen year old Jaune Arc read in silence, flipping through a page Jaune was suddenly pulled away by an invisible force, feeling weight on his lap and lips Jaune let out a chuckle as his hands instinctively moved onto a set of hips, getting a giggle as Emerald appeared from thin air with her lips on his, making the two let out a small laugh.
"How you get in my room I'll never know" Jaune said as the two stared into each others eyes, Emerald's forehead against his own.
"It's my charm Jaune, you should know this the day you brought me home" Emerald said as Jaune let out a small laugh, giving the girl a kiss on her lips the two after spending half a year with each other the two were inseparable, and to make it more interesting Velvet had begun to spend more time with the two, with Emerald and her gaining a rivalry with Jaune being oblivious to his involvement with it.
Spinning around on his computer chair, the two smiled.
"Only two more years till Beacon" Emerald said with Jaune smiling as the two shared another kiss as the door to his room opened to show Atla, making the two turn to her in embarrassment.
"Dinners almost ready" Atla said before closing the door as she left, making the two look to each other with a blush, with Emerald standing up with Jaune rubbing the back of his head awkwardly as they moved to the door.
Not noticing the being sitting on the chair with a leg over his right knee with a playful grin.
"Just two more years indeed"
