Author's Notes:
Yo, back at it. New chapter here and stuff. Last chapter seemed relatively well-received, so thanks to all of you for sticking with me through this process. I sort of regret adding the whole XXX time to Beacon stuff I sometimes did to the flashbacks - mostly because I think it would have been more interesting to have the reader come up with the timeline themselves through exposition through internal and external dialogue/thoughts. Oh well.
From now on, there won't be anything like that - just as an explanation.
Last time, we had Jaune completely decimate an evolved Grimm that I made up on the spot in order to make the scene seem a little more action-packed in addition to adding to my own little version of Remnant. There may or may not be more additions to the world in the future, you'll just have to see.
Without further ado, enjoy the chapter.
There was no other choice. Nobody could have blamed him for reacting in this way. Jaune pulled the trigger of the gun he held, eyes closed and praying.
The bullet tore through the head of a Grimm mid-pounce. What kind – there wasn't enough time to tell; its dust already fuelling the raging fires around him. His hand was trembling, finger stiff and legs unwilling to work. Sat on his useless ass pathetically trying to defend himself from the inevitability of death surrounding him – the revolting stench of it not a metre away.
Luck. That was the only real reason he made the shot. He had never held a gun before, let alone received any training with it. Words like grip, safety and sights were words that he once before heard but now bounce without purpose around in his head. Just aim and pull. Aim, pull, pray.
As the bullet left the chamber, Jaune swore he saw the vibrations the motion created, rippling the ever building smoke that seemed to strangle him. The sound was loud too. Very loud. Louder than Jaune would have expected. It made him jump as well as he could without use of his legs. Thankfully, after he shot and not during it. If he had missed…
Ripping its head towards the sound, another Grimm's eyes locked onto the sight of the fearful boy. Jaune's fear was undoubtedly seeping through the air like a thick, pungent scent that would attract countless Grimm in the area in due time. Fear, doubt, guilt, sorrow, rage. All of it probably created an irresistible pull for any Grimm that caught a whiff.
An irresistible pull with Jaune at the centre.
While his body was unwilling, the embers of Jaune's resolve powered his movement. The Grimm, a black silhouette with no discernible features to the boy – only a pressure that weighed on his shoulders – began to stalk its way over to his position. In futile response, an arm was raised – the arm holding the gun – and the bloody finger that pulled the trigger once was prepared to do the same once more. What was another corpse to add to the count?
Pray, aim, fire. Jaune's finger squeezed the metal protrusion in an attempt to let rip another bullet into the skull of another victim. Within the burning landscape, only a click was audible for the fraction of a second it was present. The handgun had jammed. How, Jaune didn't even know. All he knew was that he was now defenceless in Death's face.
In that moment, Jaune felt his entire existence be for naught. His life, the head for a fruitless crown. His dreams, shattered. Reality, crashing. Sure, he could reach for his sword and try to retaliate… but what would be the point? Perhaps the gods were trying to tell him something.
That everything had been for nothing.
He swore the Grimm was laughing at him, despite only being a moving shadow. Laughing at his plight. At how useless he was in the end, despite the hell that he had endured time and time again.
The walking shadow floated towards him yet another step. All of the time that Vul had spent in his training. Hell, Jaune still didn't even know why the madman tried. But he was still thankful. And sorry. He didn't think a single of his lessons would help him now.
Bearing its teeth, the shadow's ivory fangs made themselves known. A dozen or so more Grimm, from all angles, caught the scent of Jaune's negative emotions. He couldn't care less. He failed the woman he gave his word to, costing the life of two others – whose bodies lay in pools of commingled blood. He was sorry.
To his family – his father, mother and every single one of his sisters – he was sorry. Maybe this was the end. Maybe this was where the book to his life had the pages ripped out. He was sorry for not ever telling them he was leaving. Sorry for stealing Crocea Mors. Sorry for losing the family heirloom, despite it holding such significance to their family.
God, he was such a fucking asshole. A sorry piece of shit.
Gun jammed, will shattered, and drowned in blood; there was no other choice. Nobody could have blamed him for reacting this way. Eyes closed, arm lowered, smile present – a twisted, ugly and forced thing; Jaune did the only thing he could. Jaune gave up.
A flash of silver and red was all it took for his eyes to open once more.
Fading into ash with a single slice, the shadow was cut through like it was simply air. The other Grimm who had been attracted to his unbridled fear were similarly and swiftly taken care of by a blur of grey, followed by a streak of scarlet. Each one didn't even have the chance to howl in pain or anguish – the parts of their body required to do so blowing through the wind as another one of its brethren befell the same fate.
The reaper came to a half in front of the broken boy, holstering its weapon onto its shoulder – leaving Jaune to fear for his own life for a second. It was its voice that gave him a semblance of recognition within the figure.
"Fucking A, kid, what the hell are you doing?"
"V-Vul…?"
Vul holstered his weapon for real, making his scythe collapse (something that brought Jaune ease for whatever reason) and knelt down to place a hand on his shoulder. He recoiled slightly, most likely due to the feeling of blood seeping through the fabric of his pants, but spoke anyway. "Yeah, yeah – it's me, kid." Crimson eyes followed the crimson trail, leading him to discover the two bodies behind the teen he took under his wing. He whispered under his breath, "Ah, shit…"
Though, in spite of his vocalisation, Vul didn't seem too broken up about it. As the huntsman scratched the back of his head with his free hand, Jaune didn't feel any anger or sadness. If anything, Jaune would have said he felt pity. Towards him.
"I was tried, Vul, I tried so hard…" Jaune hiccupped, feeling like scum of the earth underneath him. Normally, he would rather be caught dead then cry in front of the man who essentially kidnapped him but he didn't care anymore. The blond boy couldn't even muster the strength to slam his fist into the pool of blood he sat in. "But I just wasn't strong enough…"
The caped man was definitely taken aback by the sight, which Jaune couldn't blame him for. He probably looked a sorry sight. Vul didn't really look like he knew what to do. His hand scratching the back of his head trailed down to his neck before he spoke hesitantly and to the side. "Strength, huh? Someone I used to be real close with always talked about strength, always sought it. And once upon a time, I was the same."
Kneeling down, Vul closed his hand into a fist and shoved it towards the boy's chest – who was visibly weeping and buckled very slightly at the force. "But… someone else told me that there was a different kind of strength. The kind of strength I never thought existed."
Through his tears, through the pain, Jaune rose his head. "What are you talking about?"
"The strength of the soul." Vul lightly punched the younger boy once more. "The strength of your will. Your resolve, kid; I can see it." His crimson orbs pierced into Jaune's own, staring into his essence. "Your resolve is strong – stronger than my own."
Once again, tears welled up at the corners of his eyes. Jaune ignored the sounds of the fires raging and the Grimm howling, choosing to lower his head and ask, "How? How can you know? I'm so weak. I'm not like my dad or you… I'm just a damn kid!" Like Vul would always refer to him as. A stupid kid who knew nothing.
Vul retracted his hand and slapped it onto his shoulder instead, giving it a solid shake. An action of solidarity in the hell surrounding them. "You're a lot more similar to your old man than you give credit for." It took a second for Jaune to process what was said. He shook his head, attempted to speak, but was ultimately unable to. "A lot more similar to others with that type of strength I know, too. So don't give up, and don't wish for death. Because there's no way for you to save those you care about when you're dead in a ditch."
Once again, questions were thrown into the air. Questions about Vul and his father, why he was being trained, strength of the soul and what the point of it all was. Well, the last was answered quite clearly. The point was to survive. To survive and live to protect and save. However, everything within Jaune was drained, leaving with barely enough strength to cry – let alone think.
So cry he did. He lowered his head, cradled it and cried. And Vul just let him. The huntsman stay knelt, staring pityingly at the boy he had trained and let him indulge in the agonies that were sure to accompany him yet again. Truthfully, the man thought that there were no such things as heroes.
Heroes were meant to be untouchable and undefeated, bringing victory and peace. Nonsense, Vul thought. A construct told to impressionable children to give them hope of a better future. To ward away the Grimm and inspire a new generation.
But there were those who existed closer to the concept than others. Those people were also closer to death than others. Their own deaths, deaths of those around them, it didn't really matter. And as the worn huntsman stared down at the crying boy – engulfed in the blood that wasn't his own – he was reminded of people past and present who were closer to heroism than anybody else.
He might not have been the best person to cultivate it but he was going to be the one to try.
For now, he would ignore the fact that a two-story tall Grimm was on its way towards the burning village on hellish horseback. For now, he would try his best to not let this kid die due to his naivety. For now, he would stay here and reveal to Jaune what truly awaited him in the life of a huntsman.
It was all he could do.
The fires around them burned just a little bit brighter.
A beautiful outward pattern of bone and blood, of which melded with the orange cascade prettily. An explosion of magnificent proportions, considering it was contained within a classroom, that had had the majority of the audience reel back and squint just to take in the sight.
Trigger pulled, arm raised, Jaune let loose a wilder smile. It wasn't everyday he could prove to himself just how far he had come. To think, one year ago, he probably would have probably been slumped into the chair of his room playing the latest edition of the Grimm Girls series on his setup; look where he was now.
Well, actually, that lifestyle sounded pretty attractive even to this day but that was beside the point.
Raining down onto the wooden floor, hard pitter-patters of ivory chunks that once made up the armoured carapace of the Emportusk created a melodic tune that currently filled the void of stunned silence. It made sense, really, seeing as Jaune seemed so reluctant to fight back for a majority of the fight – only to completely decimate the foe that held control of the field for over nine tenths of the encounter.
The silence was actually starting to get uncomfortable and no Aura sense was needed to confirm the fact. Jaune's smile dropped nervously. He was actually beginning to wonder if it was a bit too much. And while the answer was a resounding yes, surely a school full of hopeful huntsmen would have expected a display akin to a Grimm and dust-fuelled firework show. Surely. Again, the answered seemed obvious to Jaune – the lack of words or reaction from the crowd being quite telling.
No. The answer was no; they weren't expecting it.
At least until the clapping started. Jaune turned on a foot, handgun held at his side to meet the gaze of Professor Port, clapping rhythmically and proudly. Other claps came from Ruby – soon followed by Pyrrha and Yang, who began cheering in his favour. Eventually, the crowd that had been shocked to silence not seconds prior followed suite. In the matter of, what seemed to be, a mere moment – the whole class was clapping and shouting cheers. It left Jaune in disbelief.
A disbelief that brought his smile back in full force. A dopier and embarrassed smile as he scratched the back of his head in a nervous habit. The applause came to a point where the Jaune even felt the need to wave at the crowd for no particular reason.
Shouts and cries of disbelief were evident. Many people still seemed skeptical of the whole ordeal, but took the surprise in stride. Through the cheers and yells, the voices of RASB and PYRN seemed to cut through.
"Nice one, Jauney!" Nora specifically. Both of her hands were cupped around her mouth as she whooped with her eyes shut. Considering that Ren didn't bother stopping her, Jaune took the ginger girl's hurrah with a raise of the fist. However, another quick look to Ren showed him to be in a state of distress.
Not like Jaune could do much from this distance about it anyway.
The mouths of the others also appeared to move, however, the ever rising volume made it hard to tell exactly what was said. He could see Ruby shaking Weiss animatedly while Blake seemed to just stare at him.
Oh, well, Jaune thought, basking in the praise. I guess I'll enjoy it while I can.
Because while the atmosphere was on fire, all fires burnt on something. And Jaune hoped that the something in this moment wouldn't come to bite him later.
/-/
"Oh my gosh, he actually did it!" Ruby yelled from her perch on the desk. She brought her knee down form the heightened surface and grabbed Weiss' shoulders. "He did it, Weiss, did you see?! I thought that he might not do it, but look at him! Jaune did it!"
For the most part, the white-haired girl was just staring at the bashful blond with lost eyes – as if she didn't know what to think. "Yes…" She muttered. "He did, didn't he?"
"Wow, sis," Yang said from the row behind, still sat down with her chin in her hand. "You look like proud mom."
"Psshh," the younger girl replied, letting go of her partner and waving a hand on front of her face dismissively. "Can you blame me? That's our team leader!"
At her sister's comment, Yang slowly rose an eyebrow – one side of her mouth higher than the other as she spoke. "Rubes," she started, "aren't you the leader of Team RASB?"
It was as if the word around Ruby froze – the voices of everyone else seemingly drowned out around her. "What?"
"I said that you're the leader of RASB, Ruby. You're a little forgetful sometimes but you can't just forget something like that." Yang lifted her head from her palm. "You good, sis?"
Laughing, Ruby brought forth a smile and laughed weakly before dropping into her seat next to Weiss. "Yeah, yeah, ha. 'Course. I was just kidding, you know?"
"Yeah…" Her sister couldn't have had a more suspicious expression on her face – born of pure concern. "Sure, Rubes."
Arms folded, the raven-haired girl to the right of Ruby narrowed her eyes slightly. "That was…"
"Unexpected?" The sudden intrusion of an elegant and full voice behind her was revealed to be from a certain redhead who smiled good naturedly at the more reserved girl of the two teams. "Yes, I do feel the same way. Though, I also feel slightly ashamed for not believing in him more."
Blake hummed thoughtfully. "It just seemed to come out of nowhere."
"Perhaps it was adrenaline. There have been many a time where I have-" Pyrrha stopped herself mid-sentence, stuttering slightly before struggling to finish her line of thought. "Also… been in dire situations… and… pushed through?"
With a raised eyebrow, the amber-eyed girl was curious, "Was there any reason that sounded more like a question?"
"…No?" Pyrrha asked once again.
"I see…" Blake half shrugged. She guessed it wasn't her place to dig. Changing the topic (to which Pyrrha seemingly appreciated), the girl continued, "I just think it was too sudden. Almost as if he changed his mind."
It was Pyrrha's turn to hum. "Well," she concluded, "I think we should just be happy that he did."
Spinning back to face the boy – still looking embarrassed and awkward – Blake tightened the arms across her chest and let the class continue with its roaring approval. "Sure."
Everything seemed to end there between the two teams before – unsurprisingly – Nora broke through the inter-team silence with a word of concern. "Ren?" She asked. "What's wrong?"
Both Team RASB and PYRN turned to face the boy in question. He had been quite silent, more so than expected given the current state of the entire class. Lower half of his face shoved into the palm of his hand, sweat beaded down his forehead and pink pupils were narrowed into hard slits.
"Yo, Ren," Yang called out from across the row. "You good, dude? You look like you've been Ren-dered speechless."
Ignoring the blonde girl's horrible play on words, the obviously troubled boy spoke through his hand – muffling his voice. "I sense… a dangerous presence. It's imminent. It's powerful. It's…"
Pyrrha urged him to finish, highly confused but intrigued by the teen's perturbed state of being. "It's… what?"
His eyes snapped forward. "It's here."
The door, for all intents and purposes, came off of its hinges as someone or something barged through it will all the force of a fully-grown Goliath. Though what force it was opened by was a mysterious one, it was suffice to say that it most definitely was not in a good mood.
"What on Remnant is going on here?!"
Ruby shrunk down in her seat slightly. "Oh, no…"
"Oh, my-" Professor Port jumped halfway across the classroom, back against the wall – hands feeling across the surface behind him as if to look for an escape. "G-Glynda! What a surprise, lass, I didn't expect to see you here!"
The identified 'Glynda' - who Ruby knew as none other than Glynda Goodwitch from the sheer amount of Huntress Primetime magazine covers she had been on (and also the woman who had scolded her for running through the corridors earlier today) – looked as deadly as a King Taijitu while she surveyed the room.
Ruby also knew she was renowned for her discipline and strictness as much as, if not more than, her looks. And from the ripped up floorboards, guilty-looking professor and the tiniest specks of Grimm dust floating through the air, it wasn't exactly hard to tell that something had gone down here.
Something that required her immediate attention.
Rambunctious echoes and been strangled to nothing above a still hush at the mere presence of the furious woman. Suddenly, the riding crop she carried under her arm seemed less like a warning and more like a very real punishment that could very really happen to anyone here.
"Peter." Professor Peter Port squeaked like a mouse. Not really the sound you expect from a man of his stature. "Report to Headmaster Ozpin's office immediately. You will explain yourself."
"B-but, Glynda-"
"Did I ask you to speak?" The vice-principal of Beacon Academy reprimanded harshly.
"No, Miss Goodwitch…" Their once jovial and full of life teacher had the fight sucked right of him. From this distance, Ruby would have said that his moustache drooped along with his posture as he slunk his way out of the door. Part of the caped-girl couldn't help but feel bad for the man.
With similar intensity, the woman brought her fiery gaze to the rest of the class – making the entire remainder of the class reel back in fear of getting a similar treatment. "On that note, children, classes are over for today. You will have the remainder of the afternoon off due to… disciplinary action being required on certain members of our faculty." Somebody in the addressed crowd around Ruby swallowed hard. "You will have Combat with me tomorrow in the afternoon – so make sure to come to the duelling mats equipped with the appropriate gear for the class."
That had Ruby brighten up slightly from her generally disjointed mood. If today wasn't her day, then perhaps tomorrow would. She and Crescent Rose would tear through the competition and strut their stuff there for sure.
Miss Goodwitch averted her eyes from the majority of the class, instead choosing to focus on the lonesome boy stood at the front of the hall. "Speaking off the appropriate gear – Mister Arc, to Headmaster Ozpin's office as well, if you will. You look like you need to explain yourself in tandem with your professor."
"Y-yes, Ma'am." Jaune said, no doubt as frightened as everyone else, trying to slide his way out of the class.
"Miss Goodwitch is preferable, though Professor works fine too." She crossed her arms and looked to the side slightly, "Never much liked being called something that sounded so… uptight."
Maybe you should take a good look at how you carry yourself then! Ruby internally deadpanned as her blond friend muttered his apologies and made his way to the described location.
Turning back to the class, Miss Goodwitch ended, "And to the rest of you – dismissed."
She slammed the door on her way out.
…
Hustling and bustling, life within the class started to pick up like nothing had ever happened in the first place. Students began to chatter amongst one another while others chose to leave with their teams – heading towards their dorms to change and get ready for the night. The clock above the wide chalkboard at the other end of the lecture hall read it to be later in the afternoon: four-ish despite class starting at nine in the morning.
Professor Port's stories sure were engaging, huh? To the point where they had missed lunch. Even if right now, Ruby wasn't exactly feeling hungry.
Taking a read of the atmosphere, Yang stretched her arms behind her heads and released a satisfied sigh before leading back on the desk in front of her. "So, you homedogs wanna blow this joint and head back to the pad?"
Both PYRN and the remainder of RASB just turned to her, meeting her satisfied grin as the blonde leant her cheek against the leather of her gloved fist.
Blake inclined her head forward just the slightest bit. "…What?"
To her inquiry, Yang wiggled her eyebrows.
"…I think what my partner is trying to say," Pyrrha said desperately, attempting to amend the situation, "is that perhaps you would like to head back to our room, seeing as though class is over."
The mouth of Yang Xiao-Long slowly imitated the words of her team leader, eyebrows narrowing slightly. "Pyrrha, that's a great idea!" She hung an arm over the now confused looking red-head as she let out an 'oop' in surprise. "Why don't you guys come over to our room for a sleepover? I mean, we had one not two nights ago – but where's the harm, ey? We're essentially sister teams." She gave a wink to Ruby, who groaned loudly and obviously.
"Wait, I think I misspoke," Pyrrha tried, within the grasps of the yellow-maned dragon. "I meant we go to our rooms and they go to-"
"We all go to our room? See, I knew you were a party girl at heart, Pyr."
Before the poor girl tried once more to fix the situation that Yang had dragged them all into, her emerald eyes caught the sight of Ruby cutting at her throat, as if to say to just roll with it. I'm sorry, Pyrrha. Once she's like this, you might as well just go along with it, the caped girl conveyed through eye contact alone.
Did the other understand the message? Ruby wasn't sure, but her answer fit her request quite snuggly. "Sure, why not, I guess…" Pyrrha sighed, dropping her head. She raised it a moment later with a compromise. "If we're doing this, can we at least have some time to prepare? Our room is a mess after this morning when you-"
Her words were cut short when Yang slapped her palm against her team leader's mouth. "Haha! Yeah…" Coughing into the free hand not currently wrapped around Pyrrha's shoulder and dragging her across the bench and out of the room, the golden-haired girl waved over her shoulder, "We'll see you guys at eight, cool?"
"No problem, bye, Yang!" Ruby waved back.
Similar goodbyes were said to Ren and Nora as one happily skipped along and the other was dragged to his feet, leaving R_SB sat at their row with the last of the class trickling out.
"I'll be in our room." Blake noted quite bluntly, closing her book with a thick thump and leaving with a small wave.
Weiss was the next to stand and leave in the opposite direction. "I think that I'll walk around the grounds for a while, if you need me." With a curt nod, she too stood and trotted off with the rhythmic click of her shoes.
"Alright, bye!" Ruby shouted at the back of the retreating girl, back straightening and arms waving. "I'll see you at our room later! Because we're teammates! And I'm…" The life in her faded as she slumped backwards into her crimson hood. "I'm the team leader…"
For a while, Ruby just seemed content like that. In a state of tranquillity, comforted by the surrounding presence of her familiar red cloak, until she was the last remaining person in the class room. The words of her sister continuously bounced around in the back of her head. 'Aren't you the leader of Team RASB?'
Well, yeah. She was. There was a whole ceremony and everything. Professor Ozpin bestowed the title to her like a king or queen would do to a brave and noble knight in front of loads of students and teachers alike! Even Jaune… even Jaune congratulated her, telling her she deserved it.
So why did she forget?
Just like that, in the heat of the moment, she relinquished her duty and put the tag onto someone else. Why? Being the leader of her own team was amazing, yet – so easily – she gave it to her friend in a heartbeat.
"Gahhh!" Ruby shot up in her seat, ruffling her own head of red-tipped hair with her own two hands and kicking her legs underneath the desk.
Until she hit her knee on the underside of the wooden contraption.
"Owch! Ahh…" The girl rubbed the fabric-covered skin vigorously to ease the pain, regretting letting her more childish emotions get the better of her. Itty-bitty tears started to build at the sides of her silver eyes. "Dumb desk, dumb Yang, dumb knee…" Muttering underneath her breath until the tingling of her joint was gone, Ruby decided to get some fresh air of her own.
She pushed herself upwards with her own two hands, using the desk that had wronged her poor knee for leverage, accompanied by a burst of rose petals coming up with her ascension. A newfound expression of determination decorated her face.
"Yeah," Ruby encouraged (herself). "Fresh air sounds pretty good."
Wiggling her way out of the bench that her entire team had once been sat on, the girl wondered if the dorm rooftops were open right now.
/-/
That had been an experience.
Jaune stumbled down the corridors of Beacon Academy, haphazardly remembering the way to his dorms as he tried to recall the past hour or so of his time. Firstly, Professor Ozpin's office could only be accessed via a very long elevator. He was only drawing attention to that fact because, under normal circumstances that would have been a pretty sweet feature.
The boy slammed against a nearby wall, catching himself before he fell. That elevator ride had not been under normal circumstances.
It was only probably a minute or two but it certainly did not feel like it. Have you ever been in a situation where you just wanted it to end? You're constantly uncomfortable, feeling like at any moment your name could just be uttered and you would have no idea what to say – even if your life depended on it. Heat rising under your collar and sweat pooling in your palms as the tension rises to heights you thought the skies could never reach.
That was what he felt like for the duration of the minute-long elevator ride.
Miss Goodwitch, who he now knew as the vice-principal of Beacon and not the secretary (hoo boy, was he sure relieved nobody ever found out that was his first impression of the terrifying lady), had stared down the two other people in the confined space with high amounts of raw prejudice. Thankfully, most of it was aimed at his poor professor – who on more than one occasion attempted to, not so subtly, hide behind the younger man – but you could say Jaune was caught in the crossfire.
And was there fire. He might not have been able to see it but it was certainly there. Thankfully, Professor Ozpin had been the saving grace to the two other men in his office – calming down his stern vice-principal with promises of discipline on Port's part and an explanation from himself.
Once again, the silver-haired headmaster had a way with words that seemed to wrap the whole ordeal with a neat little bow, ending the entire meeting in an hour after Miss Goodwitch screamed at Professor Port for over three quarters of it. Jaune had an inkling he wasn't supposed to be there for that, however was understandably too scared at the time to excuse himself. Ozpin himself seemed quite amused at the whole matter before excusing himself – something about wanting to go on a walk.
What a strange guy.
"I'm back…" Jaune moaned, leaning against the door frame for support as he waved his scroll across the door lock to the entrance to RASB's room.
"Welcome back," replied the one and only person inside the room. Her voice was flat and almost sarcastic as she laid on the top bunk – her bunk – of the joint venture they called a bunk bed. In her hands was a book with two fireball-looking objects trying to chase the other's trail.
Looking around the room, there was no sign of Weiss or Ruby – despite it being past five at this point. "You know where Weiss and Ruby are?" Jaune asked, deciding to put his thoughts into words.
A second of silence, followed by the flick of a page. Amber eyes peaked over the hardback cover of her book as Blake addressed his question. "Weiss said something about going around the grounds, as for Ruby… I don't know."
"Ah, okay," he replied, clicking his tongue.
"And Yang said PYRN's hosting a sleepover tonight. Eight o'clock."
A sleepover? "A sleepover? Huh." Huh. Another one so soon? For whatever reason, Jaune wasn't exactly buzzing at the idea of having to do take part in such an activity.
Blake returned to her book, content with leaving the conversation as that. Despite the fact that she and Jaune had seemingly settled their differences during Initiation, he just couldn't feel comfortable around her. When they were with Ruby – or at least Weiss – it was more bearable but, right now, with the two of them alone?
Jaune coughed awkwardly.
Awkward was an understatement.
The blond boy, still clad in his combat gear, pointed a thumb outside their room. "I'mma just go find them…"
"…Yeah." Was Blake's brief and apt response.
Inching his way out of the room, Jaune slowly pulled back the door, "Are you good to just – you know."
"…Yeah."
"Cool. See you later?"
"Yeah."
The door shut with a light click, leaving Jaune to slump against the other side of the white surface – breathing out a single heavy sigh. Cerulean eyes drifted onto the door opposite to their own – where he'd be sleeping tonight – Team PYRN's room. He really had to sort things out with Blake, though he knew inside that it wasn't going to be as easy as when he did the same with Yang.
Jaune shook his head and continued down the hallways of Beacon Academy, looking for his other teammates in a vain attempt to rid his mind of the thought.
/-/
"Woah…" The sight was breath taking.
On top the dormitory roof, looking out into Vale proper as the sun gradually lowered herself below the horizon to give way to the shattered visage of the moon. Stepping through the double doorway, led up to by a spiral staircase that had Ruby feeling as tired as was enraptured by the vast landscape beyond the academy, it felt as though the winds had suddenly picked up – causing her red cloak to flutter like a crimson wing behind her.
Moving forward, Ruby put an arm above her face to stop the winds from harassing her eyes too much and ended up at the very end of the building, where there was a steel handrail that prevented her from going any further. As the winds subsided, the ability to truly take in the view finally gave itself to the girl.
Beacon's pathway, mighty pillars planted at both sides to pave the way for future generations of huntsmen. The statue of unnamed huntsmen and huntress – pillars in their own right – standing atop the corpse of a Grimm as inspiring as it was awesome. The docks ended at a huge drop off, leaving the sight of the city of Vale in the far distance but still a feature of the sight that drew her attention.
With the sun slowly leaving her post, a magnificent shade of golden orange came – not built to last, but Ruby's silver eyes would make it linger for as long as they could.
"Enjoying the view, I see?"
"Eep!" Thank the gods that there was a metal railing at the edge of the building because, if not, Ruby would have splatted down at the bottom in a bed of rose-petals that were red for the wrong reasons. She put both palms on the cold steel and span around, closing her eyes and craning her head away. "I'm sorry, I didn't know you weren't allowed to be here, please don't give me detention – it's my first day!"
The voice chuckled softly, the sort of chuckle that made you feel at ease – like a wise, old grandpa. "Well, if you weren't allowed to be here, then the door wouldn't have been unlocked now – would it, Miss Rose?"
"Actually, yeah, that makes sense…" Ruby whispered to herself, opening her eyes. Her head came forward gingerly to meet the hazel gaze of a silver-haired man – cane in one hand, mug in the other. "P-Professor Ozpin? What are you doing here?"
Tapping his cane once, the headmaster inclined his head forward slightly with a raised eyebrow. "Last time I checked, Miss Rose, this was my school. What kind of headmaster would I be if I didn't… make the rounds – as they say – every now and again?"
"Yeah, that makes sense too… I think?" Ruby closed one eye, thinking about it. Unfortunately, the once guilty-looking girl didn't have too much time to as she jumped back slightly. No-one could really blame her for being surprised at the sudden presence next to her after looking away for a singular moment. "Wh- how did you just-"
Ozpin looked out onto the horizon – the view that had Ruby star-struck moments before – and said quietly. "Beautiful, isn't it?"
Calming herself down, letting the sudden unnatural peacefulness wash over her, Ruby swivelled on her boot and let herself enjoy the sight of Beacon and Vale once more. "Yeah," she whispered, confirming something to herself. "It is."
A low and brief hum came from the tall man next to her. The wind picked back up slightly, making his silver strands of hair bristle. Ruby wondered idly how old Ozpin actually was, because parts of him – like his stature and skin – made the man seem quite young, however, his hair and overall aura exuded something ancient.
Was that rude? Ruby didn't think it was rude.
"Is there something on my face, Miss Rose?"
Crap! "Gah-! Nope. Nope. Nothing, sir." Ruby shifted her gaze back immediately. Her dad always taught her that staring was rude, yet here she was – making a fool out of herself in front of the headmaster of Beacon Academy. She really was out of it today.
"Then, perhaps, is there something on your mind?"
Something in Ruby tightened. It felt like it was her heart, but she thought it was her soul. "No, sir," Ruby said slowly, a smile coming onto her face as a weak mask. "Nothing at all."
"Miss Rose, if you're going to lie to me – I'd ask you to at least make it convincing. Then again, if I had the time to ask you that, I would prefer to ask you not to at all." Ozpin held a soft smile, trying to keep the girl from avoiding the situation any longer.
Ruby chuckled awkwardly, scratching the back of her neck. "Ehehe… Guess it's pretty obvious, huh?"
"Perhaps," the man conceded, "but I have retained my position as headmaster for as long as I can remember. You have not been the first to try shun the problems looming over you." Ozpin, still not looking at his student, urged further, "What is on your mind, Miss Rose?"
A sharp intake of air came through her teeth as Ruby grabbed the railing and let herself fall back, balancing on the back of her black boot heels. "It's about my team."
"Your team?"
"Well, actually, no," Ruby corrected herself. That made it sound as though she was blaming her teammates. No, that wasn't the problem at all. The problem was about- "Me. It's about me."
The headmaster nodded silently, slowly taking a sip from his mug before asking, "You, Miss Rose?" He sounded curious, but Ruby could tell it was an act. For some reason, she felt as though the words that had yet to leave her mouth had already been heard by the suited man next her.
In spite of it, Ruby shook her head slowly and pulled herself forward, asking not only Professor Ozpin – but also herself. "Why?"
"Hm?"
"Why did you make me team leader?" She let go of the steel bar in front of her and turned around, eyebrows drooping but a smile still present on her face. "Why make me the leader of RASB? I'm not the strongest," Images of Jaune taking down the Emportusk with masterful ease. "I'm not the smartest," she wasn't even the one to come up with the plan to defeat the Giant Nevermore at Initiation; that was… Jaune. "Gosh darn it, I'm not even the shortest!" Ruby's expression turned to one of almost pitiful desperation. "So, why me, Professor Ozpin? Why did you choose me?"
Silence. No more words from either party were said at her plea for reason. There had been many moments of silence today, but this one was the only one that hurt Ruby. It was as if Professor Ozpin didn't know himself – his decision being on a whim, maybe even a mistake. The thought alone made Ruby's heart ache.
All this time, she had been overjoyed at the fact she was made team leader – never really questioning if she actually deserved it. A distant voice told her in the back of her mindscape, 'You deserve it, Ruby.' It was Jaune's voice. A genuine voice. He truly thought she was the right pick – but why? Why did she deserve it more than him? Why now did she question herself? Why did it bother her so much?
"Why?" Ruby sounded on the verge of tears, her quiet voice accompanying the whispers of the wind atop the roof.
Finally, Professor Ozpin spoke, "To you, Miss Rose," he said after a breath, "what makes a leader?"
"W-what?" The man had answered her question with a question; forgive her for being taken off guard.
"Qualities, Miss Rose, qualities. Aspects. Talents. Traits." The silver-haired man refused to look at Ruby's confused expression, still choosing to admire the sight of his school and the city as he emphasised once more, "What do you think a leader is?"
Thinking that she might as well go along with it, seeing as though Ozpin probably knew what he was doing and she was in a complete state right now, Ruby twiddled her thumbs and rolled her head around as she thought of what to say. "Um… A leader is someone who can lead…?" Ozpin raised an eyebrow, which Ruby caught despite the man still not turned to face her. "I-I mean, they're someone strong! Dependable." She began to nod her head as the list began to form itself in her mind. "People can rely on them to do the right thing. Someone who can make decisions and can think ahead…"
Ruby raised her head abruptly, "I think?"
"I see." Professor Ozpin finally took his gaze away from over the balcony to Ruby herself. Mug in hand, he nodded wisely. "In many ways, I understand why you would say some of those things. But." The 't' was heavy. "Would you like to know what I think of a leader?" The caped girl nodded, any other action just seeming inappropriate or disrespectful to the headmaster's line of thought. "A leader can be strong. They can be intelligent. They can also be dependable. These aspects can be part of a leader but – to me – they do not make one."
"To me," standing up straight, the silver-haired man let the winds whistle behind him – carrying his words further. "A leader is someone who can sacrifice themselves. They put themselves after those who they lead. They are willing to do whatever it takes, no matter the cost. Tell me, Miss Rose, what do you see in Mister Arc?"
"W-what? He's just a friend!" Ruby defended quickly, waving her arms in front of her face – ignoring the heat under her cloak.
Once again, Ozpin raised an eyebrow with a look of – one might have said – amusement. "I meant as a leader."
"Oh. Right. Of course you meant that, haha…" Ruby began to rub the back of her neck yet another time. "I mean – I dunno…"
"Don't you?" Questioned Ozpin, voice taking on a slightly higher register. "He is the cause of your troubles, is he not?"
"Huh? Noooo…" In response to Ozpin's lack of response, Ruby acknowledged her defeat, "Yeahh…" Sighing, she pressed her arms flat on the metal railing and slouched. "He just seems like he would do way better than me as the leader of RASB, you know? He's powerful, smart, cool, calm and collected, cu- cool."
"You already said that."
"Yep," Ruby agreed, popping the 'p'. "He's just real cool."
"I see." Ozpin didn't sound very convinced but didn't press any further on the matter.
"I just don't see why you would pick," standing up, the girl gestured very vaguely to herself – making an 'ehhhh' sound as if to emphasise. "Over someone like him."
"You say these things, Miss Rose, but it appears as though you fail to see my point," Ozpin said, tapping his cane onto the ground once more. "I want you to ask yourself if Mister Arc has ever fit my definition of a leader. Mister Arc has very rarely shown the want to put himself into the jaws of danger for the sake of others."
Ruby seemed lost, words coming out but barely. "But in class, with the Emportusk-"
Easily interrupting the girl's flow, Ozpin continued, "I ask again – did Mister Arc willingly put himself in that position? And, in any case, I doubt he was ever in any real danger; while not exactly the brightest fellow, Professor Port isn't as much as a pushover as he may seem. That man would never let harm come to any student under his watch."
"What about in Initiation where-"
The conversation was a Grimm hide and Ozpin's words were like Crescent Rose as the man cut through once more to drive his point forward, "Where, when he had the ability to, Mister Arc sat back and devised a plan – handing you the most precarious role, to which you accepted without hesitation?"
Her words died on her tongue. Strictly speaking, Ruby knew that was true. Even when given the most important and most dangerous part of the plan, the girl bore the weight on her shoulders and risked her own life to do what had to be done. But Jaune wasn't like that. It's not like he was a coward, not at all – Ruby thought. If push came to shove, she was sure that the boy would throw himself into the midst of things to get the job done.
But, then again, that was different to how Ruby would do things. If Jaune would do so when push came to shove, Ruby would have done so before the push even happened. That was just who she was. It was the Ruby who came in to defend Yang at school for the smallest of things despite being two years younger and a whole lot weaker at the time. It was the Ruby who wasn't afraid to speak her opinion and do something about the wrongs in the world.
It was the Ruby who would shout in front of the entire class, despite her crippling social fears, to help encourage her friend who only seemed like he was in trouble.
"And I'm not doubting Mister Arc's capabilities," Ozpin added, seemingly satisfied with the changing facial expressions he could see as Ruby unravelled her own problems. "I'm sure that, if things had turned out differently, you two would make wonderful team leaders in your own rights. However, as it stands, I believe that you are the correct choice of a leader for Team RASB. One, because you are a fearless young lady with a soul of self-sacrifice and two…"
A softer glint glossed over his hazel eyes. "Because it would mean I would have to come up with another name for the team."
Funnily enough, Ruby found herself giggling at that. "Thanks, Professor Ozpin." She truly was thankful. If she was the leader, that didn't mean Jaune still couldn't have a cool title too. Something like: 'Chief Advisor' or 'The Strategist'. Gods Jaune really was right… the girl thought to herself, cringing. So dorky…
"It was my pleasure, Miss Rose. In the future, please do try not to hold yourself in such a low regard, I don't believe it to fit your profile." Ozpin span around, making his way back to where he came up from. "Have a good night, Miss Rose."
Ruby pulled a funny face, mouthing the words to herself, "Good night?" She turned back to the sight of Vale proper, the city that was once basking in an evening glow. "But it's only…" The caped girl was met with the sight of a city – not encased in orange, but a dark blue. "It's night?" That's weird. Maybe it was a little more than that, seeing as it was early evening by the time she even got up here and now it was early night.
Taking her scroll out of her skirt pocket, the in-built clock read a quarter past seven. Two hours had gone by like it was mere minutes. Not only that, but Ruby had only realised that moments after Professor Ozpin had left. She would have said that Professor Ozpin was an engaging individual – and that wasn't to say that she didn't think that; the headmaster of Beacon was actually really awesome – but it just seemed like it was more than that.
"Oh well," Ruby shrugged, stuffing the metallic device back into the dark depths within her lady pockets and smiling to herself. "Guess I'll just get ready for the sleepover." And while she said that, the girl was actually quite content with looking up at the peaceful stars above that surrounded the broken beauty of the moon, letting the fading winds brush up her cloak just a little.
/-/
She brushed back her skirt from underneath her as she sat on one of the many, many benches in the Beacon courtyards. The night sky above had proved her walk to have taken much… longer than she initially expected.
Weiss Schnee was a very picky person. She hated to admit it, but the matter of fact was that it was just a true fact. From a young age, she would always make it hard for the people around her to please her. Whether it was due to nurture or nature, it didn't change the fact that – looking back on it – she felt bad for the people who always tried to keep up with her demands. Her butler, Klein and the various colleagues of his would try their best the please her. Picky with clothes, picky with food, picky with toys; Weiss Schnee was a picky person.
But recently, she's started to pick at herself.
In her hand was a drink, bought from one of the nearby vending machines for a feeble price. Weiss Schnee was a picky person, but she liked to think she had grown out of that phase of her life – even if, in reality, she hadn't.
A soft cshhik as she pulled back the lid of the beverage and daintily put her lips at the edge, taking the warm liquid down her throat. Pulling back with a raised eyebrow, she examined the container label – reading "Red-E Coffee!" – with fascination and said to nobody in particular, "Hm. I never knew they now sold warm drinks in vending machines."
"That's the magic of dust for you – you know, if it existed." Someone said from next to her. "But I would have thought that you of all people would have understood that the most."
Sighing lightly, Weiss closed her eyes in an exasperated manner. "So you know of my heritage, then? Here I thought you had no idea who I was."
The voice laughed awkwardly, the sort of forced and nervous kind of way, if Weiss had to describe it. "Honestly, it's kind of embarrassing but, I didn't at first. After initiation though, when I saw you use all that dust in your weapon – namely that special black type of gravity dust – and the emblem at the back of your outfit, it wasn't hard to piece together after a while. They don't sell that kind in the stores, you know."
She did know. It was made specially for her by the best of the best and would be shipped to her monthly at Beacon, at least that's what they told her back at the estate. Weiss opened her eyes to roll them, their light blue shine piercing the dim night air.
"Didn't your mother ever teach you not to sneak up on someone, Arc?"
"She did," Jaune Arc admitted quite tensely, chuckling all the while. "This kinda feels familiar, huh? At least this time I did actually sneak up on you. Sorry about that." Weiss knew that the boy was referring to just before Initiation, within the locker rooms, where he had done much the same while she was conversing with Pyrrha. "Mind if I sit here?" Quite fiercely, Weiss debated with herself internally – much to the dismay of the standing teen, who complained, "Come on, really?"
"I suppose that this is a public space and that nobody is currently occupying the area next to me."
Jaune followed through on her offer, whispering under his breath. "Sure is a fancy way of saying yes, isn't it…" It came out more as a statement than a question and unfortunately was loud enough for the heiress to hear.
With intensity, Weiss dared, "What was that?"
"Nothing!" The blond boy next to her straightened in his seat for a brief second, very real fear exuding from his general presence. Jaune was still in his combat gear, and her in her school uniform – yet, here he was, showing a completely different side of him. Without a backbone, awkward and dopey in, dare she say it, an endearing kind of way. And despite it, he was still making her feel so…
Weiss sighed again, pushing her back against the cool bench – letting the sensation seep through her school blazer. Her eyes found themselves behind her eyelids once more as she questioned the blond, "Is there a certain reason you're here, Arc?"
A second passed. After it, Jaune answered her softly, a question to a question. "Is there a reason you keep calling me 'Arc?'"
The question stunned Weiss, the warmth of the coffee in her hands the only thing that reminded her that she had to reply. Honestly, it never really occurred to her why; it just felt natural. Right. That in itself brought on questions of its own. Was it a negative stigma? A sort of bias? If that was the case, then based on what? Sex? Heritage? Class? Was Weiss being discriminatory?
Being compared to her father in that way scared Weiss much more than she would have liked to admit.
Her feelings were worn on her sleeve – or rather, her actual face – as Jaune laughed it off. "I don't really mind," he cemented, "I was just wondering."
Weiss took a sip of her drink. It was half to collect herself, half to hide the how thrown off she was thanks to his line of inquiry. As she finished, the white-haired girl replied to the best of her ability. "There's no real reason," she said, putting one leg over the other, "I apologise if that's not the answer you were really looking for."
"Like I said, it's fine, so don't worry about it." Jaune seemed content with that being the end of that line of conversation, letting the two sit in a not so comfortable silence. There was nothing wrong with him, at least not that Weiss had yet experienced, it just seemed tense. Perhaps it was her own feelings, or something on his own part but like this, Weiss felt the urge to just leave. She almost did too, uncrossing her legs to stand until Jaune's voice filled the silence once more. "It's your turn."
Weiss blinked once. Another time. Her head turned slowly next to her to meet the expectant, somewhat brazen, look on the other's face. She replied with what she that was appropriate, "What?"
Seeing her confusion, Jaune thankfully decided to expand on his sudden statement, "I shared something that was bothering me. It's your turn."
"You said that you didn't mind," answered Weiss, who raised an eyebrow.
Jaune shook his head, hazy blue eyes seemingly hiding beneath the lack of light in the courtyard. "I said that I didn't really mind. A part of me still found it offensive," he said almost proudly.
"Erk." As he should, really. The stiffness in Weiss's muscles left, leaving her to slump back into the bench. "I see…" she admitted, not exactly apologising for it. Though part of her was curious. "Was I truly that easy to read?"
"I mean it was just a shot in the dark, really," the other shrugged casually. "Looks like I was right on the money, though."
That he was. And while Weiss wouldn't verbal confirm it, Jaune truly did manage to catch her at an awful time. Her gaze drifted to the drink that she cradled in her own to hands, taking comfort in its heat as the night continued to dive deeper. In truth, Weiss felt very complicated.
More complicated than when she decided to prove herself to her father and leave the Schnee estate. Weiss Schnee was a picky person and recently, there have been parts of her that have been put into question. She had once thought that she would have made a fine team leader, though such a spot was taken by her partner Ruby Rose – a girl with a powerful and strong moral center with the ability to pull people together, much more so than herself. It was of no consequence, Weiss told herself, perhaps she would get her chance later.
Said chance appeared later in the form of Professor Port's class. She had the stage to put forth her skills, like a talented singer who had spent many an hour practising on her lonesome finally getting the chance to perform. Yet that too was taken from right under her nose by none other than the boy that was now showing concern for her.
What even was this chance? Weiss liked to think it was the chance to prove herself to… well, herself. Just as all her life she was picky, all her life she had been told what she could and couldn't do. Becoming a huntress was too dangerous, they said. Becoming a huntress was not the 'Schnee way', whatever on Remnant that even meant. And while she had proven herself against the Arma Geist – the possessed suit of armour she beat to convince her father to send her to Beacon – the lingering need to prove herself again remained.
Perhaps it was a fluke, the back of her mind told her. It was childish, she knew, but the feeling persisted.
Weiss thought herself intelligent, yet relied on the plan of another to defeat the Giant Nevermore. She thought herself strong, but didn't have the will to immediately volunteer herself to fight the Emportusk from earlier in the day. She doubted herself and let that doubt manifest into something larger. Perhaps her father was right.
And… "I'm scared," she confessed.
Internally, she was screaming at herself. Why reveal something like this to someone she barely knew? The answer, as illogical as it sounded, was that a semblance of her thought that he of all people would understand. "I'm… afraid that I'm not good enough. And that certain people were right about… certain things. About me." Her speech was in fragments and her mind was a mess. Weiss felt the need to clutch her face but was prevented from doing so thanks to the beverage taking refuge in her palms.
It looked though Jaune wasn't expecting her answer. Weiss didn't really blame him; it was much more personal then what it probably should have been. To his credit, though, the boy shifted in his seat and spoke with caution – most likely afraid of stepping into territory that he wasn't supposed to.
"You know, I have a father…" The blond paused to weigh his words.
Weiss took advantage of the situation, most likely to ease the discomfort on her own part. "Really?" She said with completely sarcastic disbelief.
Dark blue eyes widened, before they understood that it was a joke and that – believe it or not – Weiss was capable of jokes, as proven to Ruby earlier in class. Jaune chuckled, putting a hand to the back of his head, "Hard to believe, I know." The same hand placed itself in front of his face, open wide and inviting his gaze. "But he never thought that I could be a huntsman. Maybe he was scared on my behalf, I realise that now, but back then it always made me mad. "
His eyes narrowed, their hazy blue surfaces obscured even further as Jaune squeezed his hand into a fist. "I thought to myself: 'What am I going to do to prove him wrong?' and I ended up doing something really stupid." The intensity in his stare dissipated, something more melancholy overcoming the boy's features. Interestingly, the sheathed blade on his forearm seemed to reflect the moonlight quite prettily while he spoke.
"I don't think I regret what I did, and I don't think I've proven my old man wrong yet but…" Jaune turned to face Weiss, eyes meeting and something of a mutual understanding coming over the two, "I'm not going to stop just yet. As far as it takes, I'll walk the distance. I didn't let the weight of other's words burden me to getting where I am now and – from what I can tell – you didn't either. So why let it start now, right? Doesn't really make sense."
Time passed and a recognisable goofy grin came across the blond boy's face. The previous seriousness overwhelmed by a blanket of uneasy teenage emotion. "I don't even know why I'm telling you this. I just feel like you would get it better than anyone else."
"Believe me," Weiss let free a small breath of air. "I do." She understood much more than the feeling, that was to be sure. It was almost frightening how well she understood.
But Jaune was right. Such trivial worries coming over her now of all times was simply – for lack of a better term – stupid. And if the boy next to her had experienced something even remotely similar to her, yet still powered through and got to Beacon and thrived, who was to say that she couldn't do the same?
The girl brought the metal can in her hands to her mouth and pushed her head back, downing the entire drink in a single motion. Jaune was startled by the powerful action and voiced his concern once more, "Weiss, you alright?"
Another breath of relief, for much more than just drinking an entire can of coffee. It was relief of a weight being taken from her shoulders. "I've never been better." Weiss stood, placed her finished can in the bin and began to walk back in the direction she came. However, before she left, she turned and smiled to the boy still sat on the bench – looking a mix of confused and surprised, "Thank you for the pleasant conversation, Jaune."
As she left the way she came, heading back to Team RASB's dorm room to prepare for the sleepover, Weiss heard mumbles of bewilderment behind her, to which she could only smile smugly at. Because Weiss Schnee was a picky person.
But that coffee wasn't half bad.
/-/
The forest life was still. Save for the occasional bush bristling or the odd bird jumping from the branch, the system seemed lacked movement. It was mid-day, the sun was shining above the canopy of the Mistrali trees and bursting through the scarce openings it had to offer.
It wasn't the first time Nicholas was walking through the forest by himself, and it certainly wouldn't be his last.
At least, that would have been the case if he was actually alone. This was the part of the forest where birds regularly roosted. Very rarely would they be taking off from trees at this time as mothers would have left for food a while ago. Additionally, the lack of winds certainly made it weird for bushes to be quivering in the dry air. Really, there was only one answer to this.
He didn't really have to say it. It was pretty obvious. But honestly, as his worn and used laced leather boots came to a halt, he felt the need to say, "Make it easy for all of us and come on out, will you? It's quite rude to spy on someone that's just trying to make his way through the forest." No response. Nicholas shook his head, sighing a rough sort that came from the throat. "Seriously? I'm not just saying that because I'm paranoid." Instantly, his voice took a hardened edge, feeling his eyebrows come further down his face.
"I'm saying it because I know you're there."
Eventually, a figure came out of the green covers surrounding the forest path. Then another. And another. Until there were at least a dozen people who had unveiled themselves from their posts. Decades of experience told him that he was being followed, but Nicholas would be a lying man if he said he knew there were this many people on his trail.
A mix of builds, genders and races stood imposingly from all angles. They appeared on the paved path in front and behind him while others slowly grew closer, circling him until there was no way the older man could escape. Each one was clad in assortments of ripped gear and equipment. Some wore belts completely covered in ammunition to fuel the devices they gripped in their hands while others seemed content with a blunt or sharp weapon of their choice.
Bandits, Nicholas knew – no real emotion gracing his features. It was strange, he thought, seeing as though the most he had on him was a well-kept sword and a dusty old rucksack filled with the bare essentials. Was business that bad these days?
"Impressive, old man," a young woman seemingly at the head of the rag tag group noted – somewhere in the middle of both genuine recognition and sarcasm. Her auburn hair was cut short and messy but still retaining a sharpness while her outfit was ripped and torn, dark red pants rolled up to the thigh on one of her legs.
She really just screamed edgy.
Thankfully though, none of Nicholas' daughters ever really went through that sort of phase so the woman greeting him was just a nice reminder of the little things in his life.
His inattentiveness didn't go unnoticed as the woman narrowed her pale teal eyes in offence. "Hey, you haven't croaked have you? You still with us, right?" Poor girl probably had her pride hurt at the fact he wasn't really paying attention. Back in his prime, Nicholas wouldn't have let anything distract him from the matters at hand but having eight children to take care of did do things to person. Sadly, it didn't stop the other dozen or so bandits from laughing at the girl's jab.
"Not yet," The ragged blond man said, hand coming onto his hip – just above where the hilt to his blade lie. "Not yet. This old man still has a job to do. That job needs me to get to the West Mistrali Port by sundown so if you'll excuse me – I'll be on my way." Other hand to the strap of his rucksack, Nicholas made the attempt to do just that, only to be stopped once more by the very same woman.
"Sorry, but it looks like you're going to have to call in a sick day…" She began to walk forward, stepping over shrubbery and inadvertently giving every one of her colleagues the courage to do the same. Nicholas felt his blood burn slightly hotter at the sight of her hands coming to her belt, retrieving a device that slowly shifted into a circular, blade-like weapon. "Because, you ain't going anywhere."
Cautiously, Nicholas turned his head left and right to examine the bandits, grasping at their weapons and muttering to each other cockily. He met the teal gaze of the woman in front of him, their height difference just now coming into clear comparison. "Are you the boss here?" His hand crept downwards towards his own hip.
"Nah," she denied, smirking loosely. "I don't even think I'd wish to be. But our actual boss wants you – dead or alive – so, try not to take this too personally."
"Trust me," Nicholas replied, leather gloved hand grasping onto the hilt of his weapon – Avalon – with a solid chink of steel. "I won't."
"Hyyaah!" The brown-haired woman lunged forward with her weapon, extending her right arm in an attempt to catch his armoured torso.
Silently, Nicholas had yet to draw his sword, instead using his left palm to push the offending limb away and to his right – leaving the man to sidestep onto her outside and drive a hard knee into her exposed gut. The reaction was a natural splutter, her mouth setting free a violent wheeze as the air was ripped from her lungs. Even so, the blond man couldn't help but be slightly relieved at the sight of a grey-ish swathe came up moments after his attack.
Too late to actually lessen the immediate effects, of course, but the woman did seem to possess Aura.
At the same time, the darker implications also seemed to dawn themselves onto him. The regular, run of the mill bandits wouldn't have their Aura unlocked. Doing such would require high amounts of mental strain, naturally, and only someone who had fully mastered the ins and outs of the mystical energy actually had the potential to unlock it for another.
With a furrowed brow and a low growl, Nicholas set free Avalon from her cage and tossed it in the air with the singular motion of the draw as he grabbed the girl by the collar and tossed her with all of his own strength into an unexpecting couple of bandits. They fell like dominos to a finger, collapsing underneath the force of the speeding human projectile.
Nicholas honestly doubted that she was out for the count, but sending a message during battle was one of the key paths to achieving victory.
He sighed, putting forward his palm and letting the leather hilt of his light-blue blade meet his leather glove with a soft and easy plap. Turning over his shoulder, his cold eyes revealed themselves like a deep sapphire sea. "Anybody else want to try?"
The next few roared in response, charging in like wild dogs.
This is going to take a while. Nicholas thought idly. He also wondered if he was going to miss his boat.
/-/
"Guh… you bastard… she's gonna… get you…"
Nicholas nodded silently – half rolling his eyes - not really feeling the need to reply with words as the pommel of his sword left the solar plexus of the short-haired woman that had once challenged him with such fiery determination and confidence. To her credit, she was much more of a formidable opponent than her compatriots in crime. A combination of ferocious power and agility made her hard to catch and hard to dodge. When she was finally caught, however…
She slumped down on the ground, kicking up dust and dirt alike as the man stepped back to process what just happened.
Around him lay bodies adorning random bits of gear that scattered like dead leaves. They were all unconscious, of course. There had been many carefully placed elbows, punches and pommel strikes that had gone into place to ensure that as Nicholas wasn't about to commit mass murder on account of both being a graduated huntsman and a moral human being. Decades had taught him a thing or two about knocking a person out, who would have thought?
Nicholas thought he was probably going to miss boat if he didn't get moving.
Under normal circumstances, the man would have handed these people in to the local authorities to serve their sentence and experience retribution for their crimes but taking into consideration the sheer amount of people he would have to carry and the nearest establishment being at least a mile away – it just wasn't possible.
The twittering of the birds in the branches were the only real sounds that echoed in the now still forest. Content with scratching his short and unkempt beard, Nicholas conceded the fact that he was just going to have to leave these people here in hopes of them waking up and learning their lesson. He didn't need an overly-sarcastic and overly-caring wife to tell him that wasn't going to be the case, though.
However, just as he stepped up and over the breathing but out-cold body of the woman he had just put to sleep, the sound of the very fabric of reality breaking at the seams behind him made him stop dead in his tracks. His eyes drifted downwards to his feet, the young woman's words coming back to him: 'Our actual boss wants you – dead or alive…'
He stepped back, turning sideways-on and letting his heavy, navy and white-furred blue overcoat sway in the motion – hand still gripped firm onto the hilt of his sword. He hoped he didn't have to use it, but to sheathe it at a time like this would be a fool's choice.
A rift, black and red whirled to life. It was rippling the space it occupied like a finger-tip would to a body of water, except the water was reality itself. "I can't believe this…" He whispered under his breath, in complete and authentic disbelief.
"I can," a voice replied from beyond the void. The voice echoed and drew closer, attributing itself to a monstrous white mask with vibrant red markings – the mask of a beast, a Grimm, yet not truly. Outfit as black and red as the rip in reality, the figure emerged from the portal and stood to face him as the way of transport warped shut, restoring the space to how it originally was.
"Hello, Nicholas," the feminine tone that greeted him was a sickly sweet. In ways that it was a sweet that made him sick. The figure brought a hand to its face and removed its mask with a click, creating a clash of bright crimson and dark cerulean as two different souls met.
"It's been a while, hasn't it?"
/-/
Oh… how did it all come to this.
Well, in truth, Jaune knew exactly how the situation ended up the way it did but wanted to express his distaste for what could or may happen in the following moments.
Yang called them all to the room's carpet, just in front of the door and ordered them to sit in a circle. To the two teams' confused mumblings, she waved off any sort of concern under the pretence of: 'Just trust me, guys.' Jaune should have known that meant trouble when even Ruby looked at him and shrugged helplessly.
Of course, her sister was willing to go along with her strangely ominous demands who was swiftly followed by Pyrrha – prompting the more… suspicious members of the 'sleepover' to comply with Yang's instructions.
Jaune fell with a silent groan, nodding to Ren respectfully who sat next to him in a way that made him question if his knees ever got hurt or tired like that. To his other side, down came Blake – book still in hand and clad in the dark nightgown that similarly made Jaune question if he had something for legs. Shaking his head, the boy refocussed on something that didn't make him any closer to the man who had taught him.
He himself wore a Pumpkin Pete's t-shirt, not the limited edition one he always wore with his combat outfit, and adorned black shorts with two yellow stripes vertical down the side. Legs crossed, Jaune's hands intertwined in the center of his lap, patiently awaiting whatever maniacal plot a certain other blonde had concocted and wished to subject them to.
Opposite of the circle, Yang fell with a wicked grin on her face as she outstretched one of her legs and brought the other to her chest – pushing up her substantial bust lopsidedly, making Jaune feel a deadly, deadly gravitational pull. Especially since they were all wearing their pyjamas… Jaune shook his head yet again in disbelief at how much of a teenager he was being, instead choosing to focus on the girl sat next to the yellow-maned schemer.
Hair down and bronze tiara absent, Pyrrha's hair fell down like a crimson waterfall as she sat elegantly, legs together and to the side as she seemed to put more weight on her thighs. Ruby, who was on Yang's other side, had both knees to her chest that held the dog-shaped pillow she had at pre-Initiation instead of anything more… distracting.
Weiss and Nora sat by their respective partners, forming a complete ring of pyjama-clad teenagers that were in turn surrounded by various crinkled cans and packets that scattered the floor of the Team PYRN's room. Jaune blamed Nora but, really, she was only responsible for 'borrowing' the snacks from the cafeteria when no-one was looking.
Really, it was amazing how she even managed to pull it off – making it twice at this point where she's managed to swipe something she probably shouldn't have had for the benefit of the two teams. And considering that, for some reason, most of RASB didn't even have lunch – what a benefit it was.
"So… what are we doing?" Nora asked the blond girl, intensely curious. The ginger had pink, frilly shorts that were dotted with hearts and a simple black t-shirt that was similar to his own but had the word 'Boop' designed fashionably across the chest.
Yang's grin seemed to get wider as she reached behind her back.
It was in that moment that Jaune's darkest fears were realised.
"Truth or dare, baby!" She roared, the object behind her back revealed to be a glass bottle that she slammed into the centre of the circle.
Jaune's face grew horrified. Tonight was going to suck.
Ending Notes:
New faces, old games.
At the start of the chapter, hopefully you're beginning to see Jaune's true struggles and where some of his mentality ultimately stems from. Qrow's whole speech about strength of the soul can be interpreted how you wish. To add to that, there was a very big theme throughout the majority of the chapter - that being self-doubt. I didn't want to outwardly say it but I think it would be beneficial for a reader who didn't exactly understand my intention (if so, apologies on my part).
Ruby, while arguably the most optimistic and the last person you would think to doubt themselves finally has their trigger. Many people were confused with why she was chosen as team leader (or at least, that was what was vocalised to me) and there certainly was a reason she was picked over Jaune. And even with Ozpin's reasoning sounding so grand...
I'll leave that interpretation to you.
Weiss is also a character I would feel to doubt herself often. She had to prove herself to her father and constantly seems like she has something to prove, in how high and mighty she regularly acts. Jaune and Weiss actually are quite similar in their origins, the main difference being that one seemingly has succeeded in proving themselves to others and themselves (even if they feel like they haven't) while the other hasn't felt like that at all despite all the hardships they had faced.
Jaune wants to be a huntsman, not a hero. He learnt very well what that means from a certain person. It was a desire brought about by his self-doubt in becoming a flawless concept. On multiple occasions, he has paralleled Qrow's line of thinking in that regard - both in manner and actual speech. Perhaps this will be exposed in future interactions, but - again - you're just going to have to wait and see.
Pretty long intention note, but I felt like I had to write it for whatever reason. Next chapter, we have filler (but not really, trust me) and other tidbits that I'm sure you'll be excited for.
As always...
Thank you for reading this chapter!