Jaune was walking towards the bustling city known as Vale. It had been a few weeks since he agreed to attend Ozpin's academy in exchange for his aid in whatever he was needed for. To say he was apprehensive staying in one place for so long was an understatement. Even now, as he approached the city walls, he couldn't help but eye the traffic going to or from the city itself. Most were Huntsman going out on a mission, or people from nearby settlements looking to trade their goods with businesses within the city. Even so, he made sure to keep an eye on everyone, looking out for anyone that had a resemblance to those that had tried attacking him before.
"Calm yourself. No one knows who you are. Don't look suspicious and no one will bat an eye." He said to himself. He was currently wearing his usual clothing, with the only add on being a harmless looking cloak. It only covered his torso and the hood was down. Nothing that would look out of place on someone that traveled often. He only had two bags on his person. One held his training equipment, all of which should have weighed more than he could handle at once, but with the help of Gravity Dust he could lift with ease. The bag also held something else. Something that he wouldn't want these security guards finding. His other bag that he held in hand contained all of his other personal belongings. Which is to say, he didn't own many things, so the bag was considerably smaller than the one on his back. His sword rested at his hip in a leather scabbard. One he made himself.
Jaune briefly thought about what life would be like within the walls of Beacon as he waited his turn to be inspected. From what Ozpin promised, he'd have his own bed and access to the cafeteria. A suitable place for defense, seeing as Beacon resided on top of a plateau only accessible by flight. All things considered; it was a great place to hold a base of operations. The only thing he didn't like was that being a student here was going to entail being part of a team. He didn't like that. Being part of a team would mean that he'd have to spend time with people he didn't intend to befriend and less time training to face the man that took him from his home.
"Next." A man called out, making him break from his train of thought. He didn't like people in general, but he'd tolerate them if he had to. Either way, he wasn't happy with having to work with others. He'd suck it up, though. So long as it allowed him access to Ozpin's famed database and a warm bed to sleep in. No matter how many times he's slept on the hard forest floor or the cold concrete of a ruined building, he was going to prefer an actual bed. A sleeping bag was the best he'd gotten to one, as he never liked sleeping in an Inn. Not safe enough.
"State your name, business and present your ID along with a Passport." The guard asked as he looked at the young man in front of him. Jaune dug a hand into his pocket before taking out a paper for the guard to take.
"Name's Jaune Arc. I'm here on official business with headmaster Ozpin." He stated, shifting the bag in his hand away from one of the other guards that were ready to look through his belongings. He understood that it was just their job, but he didn't like people rummaging through his shit. The guard in front of him took the paper, looking it over before gesturing for someone else to take it from him. He whispered something or other to them before turning back to him.
"Please step to the side until we can confirm." He spoke. Jaune nodded before walking to an empty area. He once again scanned the crowd of people going about their business. Because he was so attentive to his surroundings, he didn't fail to notice a Huntress approach him with a cheery demeaner. He let out a small breath before turning to her.
"Hi! Sorry for bothering you, but I just wanted to introduce myself. I'm Coral, A Huntress coming back from a mission. What's your name, cutie?" She asked with a playful wink. He had to restrain himself from letting out a groan. This wouldn't be the first time someone would try hitting on him, and he knew it wouldn't be the last. Of course, it didn't help that because of what happened to him all those years ago, his body was forced through a modified puberty, giving him the body of an adult male in his prime. It was so that he could handle the energy within him. With his height of six feet and five inches, he was bound to attract some unwanted attention. Regardless, he didn't want to deal with this woman. Not when he had things to do.
"Lady, I'm just trying to get through here. Leave me alone." He stated with no small amount of apathy. The woman seemed surprised at his attitude, given his looks, but seemed to become more interested than before.
He hated it here.
"Well, aren't you a feisty one? Got any plans for tonight? If not, I could change that." She said with a suggestive tone. He really was resisting the urge to punch this woman right now. She didn't even know his age and she was propositioning him for something of a sexual nature. He was still seventeen for crying out loud! His birthday was a few months from now, nearing the end of the year. Even if he physically looked to be approaching his mid-twenties, she should still ask for his age. What a creep.
"I'm seventeen. Even if I was old enough, I wouldn't be interested. Now for the last time, leave me alone." He said with finality, giving her a cold glare. At last, she backed off with a disappointed look on her face.
"Oh poo, too young. Just when I thought I was going to nab a good one." She said as she walked away. Jaune watched her go with a roll of his eyes.
It wasn't like he hadn't entertained the idea of a relationship, but with everything going on in his life, he wasn't going to take the idea very seriously. Not to mention the woman wasn't exactly…pretty? She was just plain wherever he looked at her. Nothing of note really. Almost like she was some background character of a dream.
Admittedly, there were nights where he wished for the touch of another person. Perhaps not always sexually, but the feeling was still there. Even so, he let the idea slip from his mind as the same guard from earlier approach him.
"Alright, so we've been able to contact the headmaster and confirm your statement. He has instructed me to say that you must go to this address where you will be instructed further." The guard spoke as he handed Jaune both the paper from before and another one with the address mentioned written down.
"Good. Now move aside." Jaune stated as he walked past the man and through the city gates. He cared little for wasting time. If he could get to his objective quicker, then move out of the way and let him.
The man moved to the side, letting out a huff, saying something about how youth were all the same. Jaune didn't care, he was already following street signs and brushing past the various townsfolk walking the streets. He idly smacked a hand away trying to pickpocket him, ignoring the curse thrown his way.
"It's not the best, but it'll do for now." Jaune said to himself as she approached the small building in front of him. It was unassuming, with the other buildings around him looking to be no different. A mass-produced house to combat some problem or other. If gave him a home for the time being, so he wasn't going to complain. He walked in, finding the door unlocked. He'd have to change that soon if he was going to be staying here for any amount of time.
Of course, that would have to come after he dealt with his 'guest'.
"I take it Ozpin sent you?" Jaune asked as he looked to a blonde woman in the barren seeming kitchen. There was only a single chair in the room, with the furniture itself having seen better days. The woman cleared her throat before introducing herself.
"You would be correct. I am Glynda Goodwitch. Ozpin wished for me to explain to you that as of today, this place will be yours. He also wished for me to tell you that your first mission will not be any time soon. He wishes for you to familiarize yourself with the city. You have two weeks before classes start." She explained, to which the young man looked around the place. It wasn't exactly luxury, but he supposed that it would do. The place was inconspicuous enough, so he didn't have to worry about anyone coming in here looking for him. He'd have to board up the entrances either way, no point in being reckless.
"Right. If that will be all, leave." He said in a curt fashion, turning away from her and going to see which room would be the smartest place to stay in. Goodwitch stared after him as he left the room, finding that he was as abrasive as Ozpin said he was. At the very least, he didn't threaten her outright as he did with the headmaster. Still, she knew that he was going to be a bit of a problem in class. Why Ozpin thought bringing this kid to his school was a good idea, she had no clue. From what she'd been able to gather, Jaune Arc was a simple teenager that had been on the run since his family was murdered by The Queen's forces. Like many others, he was just a kid filled with hatred and would work through them eventually.
"Until then, I'm going to have to deal with him in class. Wonderful." She said to herself as she made to leave. For a moment, she could have sworn that she heard him speaking, but chalked it up to her imagination. She still had a few things to take care of today. She was running low on tea after all.
"I wouldn't worry about it, bud. I know it's scary, but I promise you we'll get through this." Jaune seemingly said to himself as he placed his bags down and was going through his equipment. There was silence for a moment, but he still turned his head as if listening to someone.
"Hey, have I ever brought us somewhere I couldn't get us out of? I need you to trust me on this. I don't like it either, but this is going to get us one step closer to our goal. No bad man is going to hurt you." He continued. No one answered, but he responded regardless.
"Pinky promise. And an Arc never goes back on his word. Now get some rest, you're going to come with me to scope out the city later. We'll be in our costumes, like always. You excited?" He asked, bringing out said 'costume'.
Silence.
"Alright, that's most of the slums scouted. That should be all we need for now. Are you tired, or do you want to continue for a bit longer?" Jaune asked the empty air next to him. He was wearing a deep marine blue armor with gold highlights, his helmet only having a single visor, with only his two azure eyes piercing though the shaded darkness. On his back was a dark cape going down to his knees. Whoever he was talking to seemed to tell him something, as he perked up and turned his head to down below. His current perch atop a building giving him a top view of the street below just in time to see a man be thrown through a window. He turned his head up and down the street, seeing that it was completely void of life.
Rather convenient, if you ask him.
"You know the drill, bud. Stay behind while I take care of this. Stay safe." Jaune said aloud as he quietly made his way down the building, using the fire escape to do so. He stayed in the alleyway, looking on as some sort of scuffle was happening within the Dust Shop this was happening in. He couldn't see what was happening too well, as the people inside were moving between shelf to shelf in their fight. He was able to get glimpses of black and red, though that didn't tell him very much about what was going on. It wasn't until another two men were thrown through the broken window that the fight was taken to the street.
"Hah! You're not getting away with stealing Dust that easy!" A young woman shouted as she jumped after the before mentioned men. Jaune inspected her, first noting how she seemed to be going for a sort of gothic Red Riding Hood look. What with her predominantly black color scheme with red highlights and red hood. Her scythe was rather interesting, what with the obvious care put into it. Not to mention the shifting mechanic that allowed it to change from a scythe to a sniper in a near instant.
He watched as she fought what remained of the darkly dressed men, seeing her zip from one target to the next. He was almost impressed, as she showed clear training on a level he didn't see in most people his age. He assumed she was around his age at least, though what with his condition he might miss the mark on that by a year or two.
"I didn't think tonight was going to end up like this, but that was almost fun! Just one more year and I'll be able to apply to Beacon, just like my sister!" The young woman proclaimed as the last of the henchmen had been downed.
'She wants to go to Beacon? Interesting.' Jaune thought to himself, idly filing that information away as he noticed another person enter the open street. However, this was someone that he knew all too well. Ran into him a few times in his search for information, along with stealing a number of resources as well. Considering the man was able to afford that custom white coat, bowler hat, Guchi pants and copious amounts of guyliner, he figured he had enough to go around.
"Well well well, I guess it's true. If you want something done right, you have to do it yourself. I have to hand it to you, Little Red. You did such a splendid job taking out those low-level goons all by yourself. You must be so proud of yourself, huh?" The man applauded with a slow sarcastic clap. A cane hanging off of his wrist as he did so, the woman he was talking to stood tall with a smug grin on her face.
"Yes, I am! Now, are you going to turn yourself in, or are you going to make this difficult for yourself?" She asked, either not catching on to the sarcasm of his statement, or ignoring it to try and get under his skin. The man only shook his head before reaching into his coat for a cigar, placing it into his mouth and lighting it to smoke.
"Isn't it past your bedtime? I'd hate to have to send you home to mommy and daddy in a body bag. So how about you turn around and leave, like a good little girl?" He taunted, giving the woman a sharp glare. In return, the woman seemed to get serious before getting into a battle stance.
"I'll have you know I just turned sixteen! I'm a grown woman!" She countered. The man rolled his eyes before fixing one of his cuffs and answering her.
"Right. I'm sure stumbling through life holding mommy's hand for sixteen years was such an accomplishment, wasn't it?" He asked with a bored tone. He didn't like dealing with children. Always gave him more trouble than it was worth. Then, when he deals with them in a way any sane criminal would, the public gets all uppity about how he was a 'monster' for killing them. Obviously, they didn't know that when it came to being a professional, you don't let someone go just because they're kids.
"M-mom?" She asked, suddenly caught off guard. She seemed to get absorbed with whatever Roman's comment implied of her. The thief, being the opportunist he was, took the opening as soon as he could. Ruby heard the bang of a gun and tried to get her head back in the game. However, as she went to turn her attention back to the thief, the man had already raised his cane to point at her and fired off a flair, revealing the cane to be a weapon as well. The woman was only able to raise her weapon before the flair exploded upon contact and sent her sprawling to the floor. She was dazed and her vision was blurry from the explosion.
"Well, I'd say it was nice meeting you, Red. But I make it a point not to lie to someone on their deathbed. I know, I'm too courteous. Really, I don't know why other guys don't try to emulate me more. Oh, and hey, when you meet the big man in the sky, tell him Roman sent ya." The thief now identified as Roman said as he aimed at her head, intent on making her a smear on the pavement. 'Red' had gone still, staring down the barrel of his weapon. Her wide eyes beginning to tear up from fear.
"Alright, fine. Only because you want me to." Jaune said, presumably to this invisible person he'd been conversing with before. He had seen the notorious thief, Roman Torchwick, deal with the young woman as he always does those that are too green for their own good. With underhanded tactics and condescending words. Jaune's 'friend' had implored him to go help her. He tried to argue that he didn't need to, that she had this handled. However, with her now on the ground and Roman about to blow her head off, he couldn't exactly argue against his friend now.
"Hey, Roman!" He shouted, making the thief quickly turn his weapon towards whoever had called out to him. It was too late though, as Jaune had already been able to reach him and shoulder charge the man. The impact sent Roman flying through the air and back into the store he was trying to rob. Jaune only stared after him for a moment before turning back to the young woman. She was just now getting over the fact that she almost died, and was staring up at him.
"W-who are you?" She asked. Though, she didn't get an immediate response. The figure stayed silent for a moment, just staring at her with those piercing blue eyes.
Jaune had stayed silent as she tried to ask him this question. Mostly because he was mesmerized by her stunningly vibrant silver eyes. They were beautiful. Looking her over, she was beautiful all around.
'Gah, focus! Get Roman.' He told himself as he turned from her back to the Dust shop. He didn't particularly care for getting Roman, but if in the confusion Jaune was able to take the Dust off his hands while taking none of the blame, then he wasn't against putting in the effort.
"We need to move. Roman's probably getting away." He said, already moving towards the shop. This seemed to knock the woman out of her trance as she too got up and took hold of her weapon. Jaune was already within the store, looking around while advancing to the back rooms when the woman from earlier suddenly appeared next to him.
"Hey! What's your name? I'm Ruby Rose. And um, thank you. For saving me." She said, giving him an awkward smile. He only gave her a side glance, still keeping aware of his surroundings. It was then that the tall shelf that they stood next to started to fall on them. Ruby tried to raise her hands to try and shield herself from the impact, but Jaune was able to get in front of her and make sure most of the falling objects didn't land on her. He only hesitated for a moment before shoving the shelf off of him and looking around to see who tried to crush them in the first place.
"There!" Ruby cried, pointing to a door that was now closing, as if someone had used it just now. Jaune narrowed his eyes before charging forward in a flash, bursting through the door and catching a glimpse of Roman climbing over the edge of a nearby building. He was a nimble little rat; he'd give him that.
"Up here." He grunted, digging his fingers into the bricks of the building before clawing his way up. Ruby was close behind him, somewhat surprised at what he was doing before using her Semblance to rocket her way up the wall.
They were both able to make it to the roof at the same time when they saw that Roman was standing on the opposite side of the rooftop.
"You know, I didn't think I'd run into you again. And as much as I would love to stay and chat with you, I do have places to be. So, if you would kindly-" Roman tried to start, but was interrupted by Jaune as he charged forward and kicked him off the edge of the building. Roman's eyes widened in shock, as did Ruby's. The young woman was appalled that he would do something so dangerous that could kill the thief. They were supposed to apprehend him, not murder him! Roman himself only had one thing to say.
"Smart." He commented, falling and going out of sight for a moment. Jaune stood there for a few seconds, going to see whether or not Roman survived the fall, but took a step back when he heard the whirring engines of a Bullhead.
"But not smart enough, I'm afraid!" Roman continued as he reappeared, standing on top of the Bullhead. He then quickly swung into the aircraft, to which he gave them one last wave.
"Don't you worry, my friend. We'll meet again soon. But only after I'm done stacking the deck in my favor! Until then!" He called out before disappearing into the aircraft. He went up to the cockpit and gestured for the person piloting the ship to swap places with him.
"Terribly sorry to inconvenience you, but I think this is one you want to take care of." He stated. The pilot only rolled their eyes before letting him take the controls. They then went out to see what exactly was giving Roman so much trouble, taking a peek down at the rooftop, at first seeing the silver eyes girl and believing that she was the one Roman had mentioned. However, the one in the azure armor had garnered her attention as well. From the glare she was receiving, she figured he recognized her as well.
"You." Jaune growled out, clenching his fist. His energy was now starting to encompass him once again, with that same white aura starting to thrash around. He knew this woman, yes. She often appeared with her two underlings to try and bring him back. They would come close time and time again, but he always found a way to fend them off or get away. It had been a while since they last crossed paths, and he had gotten significantly stronger since then. Even so, she didn't seem all that phased by his spike in energy.
"Me." She stated simply. She almost looked amused. It pissed him off more, seeing the clear look of ego in her eyes. Even within the veiled darkness of the night and the aircraft, he would never forget the amber eyes of this woman.
With no words needed, he thrust a hand forward and let loose a ball of energy, the projectile flying at high speeds, aiming to hit her directly. However, it exploded before it could come close, a whiff of crimson flame telling him that she stopped it somehow. She hadn't been able to do that so easily before. He narrowed his eyes before using both of his arms to throw even more of those energy blasts. All of which were intercepted by her own fire blasts.
"What in the…" Ruby trailed off as she saw the exchange happen. She had never seen anyone able to make energy blasts like this. She'd only seen similar things in movies and TV shows. As far as she knew, the only thing on Remnant that could do that in real life were the Atlas Spider Droids with their laser canons. Just what in the world did she stumble into!?
"Ha!" Jaune yelled, pulling back his before thrusting it forward and unleashing a powerful beam of energy. The woman in the aircraft hadn't anticipated this and the attack was able to collide with the Bullhead, causing it to be pushed back a considerable distance while sustaining major damage. The woman had to hold on to one of the aircraft doors to steady herself, but was otherwise fine. Roman was quick to tell her that they needed to leave, however.
"Hey! What are you doing back there!? I know you wanted to take him back, but we still need to bring that Dust back to the warehouse! This thing is going to go down if we take another hit like that!" Roman yelled over her earpiece. The woman scowled before turning her attention to Jaune once more. She only stared at him for a moment before letting out a sigh. She noticed that he was gathering more energy in his hand again. More than she had ever seen him have before. She narrowed her eyes before charging up an attack of her own. One to give them time to escape than to overpower him. That would come another day. At least they knew that he was here. For whatever reason, she didn't know. They could figure that out when they returned to their base.
"Riot Javelin!" Jaune exclaimed as energy exploded off his hand and towards the Bullhead. The woman also threw her attack forward, with the two energies colliding and creating a massive shockwave that threw Ruby off her feet and nearly off the edge of the building. Jaune was nearly toppled over, but managed to stay standing. When the smoke cleared and he looked up to see if he had been able to take the aircraft down, he saw nothing. He didn't even see if it was flying away.
"How did they…" He trailed off, not knowing how they were able to escape without leaving any trace. Even so, he cursed under his breath and turned towards the young woman that was getting back on her feet.
"Ruby, was it?" He asked, watching as she dusted herself off and made sure her weapon was still functional. She turned her attention to him soon enough, with her eyes once again staring into his own. A peculiar feeling washed over his body as she did, but he ignored it, figuring that it was just his power becoming restless. A side effect when he starts using his power, only to let it die out a moment later. In truth, he wasn't going all out when he attempted to bring down the Bullhead. Only enough to try and bring that Witch out and fight face to face.
"Y-yeah. You still haven't told me your name, and what was that you just did?" She questioned, vaguely reenacting the motions he made in trying to shoot down the Bullhead. He brought up a hand, letting it be engulphed in that same energy from before and clenching it.
"My name is…Vengeance Bleue. I wouldn't worry too much about what just happened. You leave that to me. You have more pressing matters to deal with, after all." He said, turning away and beginning to walk towards the edge of the building. Ruby was going to try and ask him what he was talking about, but was stopped when she heard someone else clear their throat behind her. She turned quickly, only to see another woman with a riding crop standing there.
Now Ruby had done her research on the illustrious Beacon academy and its staff. Done not only to prepare her for when she inevitably applied to attend, but also for a school project based on what each kid would want to go and do once they graduate from their school. There were many based on Beacon, but she can confidently say that hers was the best.
Getting a bit off topic, the point being that she knew who this woman was. This was the right hand of Ozpin, Glynda Goodwitch.
"Y-y-you're-" She stuttered, suddenly unable to find words. She didn't know what to say! What was she doing here!? Was she also on the tail of that guy!?
"Ruby Rose. Normally, I would have to bring you to the local police station where they will question you about this incident before giving you a fine for taking action without a Hunter's License." She began, adjusting her glasses and giving Ruby a cold glare. The look only served to freeze the reaper further in place. She was going to get in trouble for that!? What about the other guy!?
"B-b-but he-" She began, turning her head to point to the 'Vengeance Bleue' as he referred to himself. Only to realize that he was no longer there. Gone with the wind, as some might say.
"However, for whatever reason, Ozpin would like to speak to you personally. Now come, the headmaster does not like to be kept waiting." She continued, ignoring the young woman's attempt to speak about the only remaining Arc. While she wouldn't have known that it was him just by the one glimpse she was given, she had been informed by the headmaster that the young man partook in things such as this. Why he decides to play dress up instead of doing this normally, she hadn't a clue. However, she did still need to bring miss Rose to her boss. As aggravating as it is to know that she is more than likely going to be enrolled a year early, she could understand why Ozpin would want her within his care.
"Y-yes ma'am!" Ruby exclaimed, not wanting to waste this opportunity to get out of a potential punishment. Uncle Tai was already stressed enough with Yang leaving the house, so he didn't need to hear that his favorite adorable niece had gotten into trouble. Especially not when you consider she just turned sixteen. Or that this was the first time either Tai, Yang or her father had allowed her to go out on the town by herself. If word of this reached any of their ears, they'd never let her leave her room until she was twenty!
Or she ran away. She very well could do that…nah, they'd find her in a heartbeat. If she didn't come home crying and spewing endless apologies for leaving in the first place, that is.
"Alright, we're home. What do you think of the city?" Jaune asked as he climbed through a latch that was once a window. He had replaced the glass panels with a single sheet of thick metal. Though it was hinged and could be opened like any normal latch, the metal was dense and heavy. With a hundred pounds of material, you'd be hard pressed to try and get in that way. It was the only way into this house, as he had placed similar sheets of metal over the other windows, though they were not secured as well as he would like. He only had so much time in the day before nightfall, so he had to cut a few corners. He'd set everything up properly when he had the time.
"Yeah, it's a big place. Didn't think I'd run into Roman on the first night here, but what can you do?" He asked, still receiving nothing but silence. After a few seconds, with Jaune carefully taking off his armor, he stilled for a moment and cleared his throat.
"What about her?" He questioned, knowing who they were talking about. Whoever 'they' were, anyway.
"I mean…sure, if you think so. She handled herself well enough against those guys. Far too green, though. If I hadn't-" He began, going to list off the things he noticed about her fighting style. However, he stopped as if interrupted. He stayed quiet for a moment, listening to whoever he had been talking to.
"I don't know about that. For all we know, that could be the last time we see her. This is a big city, after all." He reasoned, not wanting to get his friend's hopes up. He was just about done getting his armor off when he paused one last time. He seemed to contemplate on whatever had been told to him before he sighed.
"Maybe. We'll have to see. Now come on, let's get some rest. Got a full day of training tomorrow." Jaune said as he put away the rest of his equipment. Once he was done, he quickly laid out two sets of comforters before laying in one of them. As he got comfortable, he turned to face the other blanket before smiling at it.
"Goodnight to you too, Adrian."
