There are those born with gifts. They awaken their powers later in life, but by that point, their minds have been melded by arrogance and their ego, among many things. The young, impressionable minds believe the work of huntsmen are all noble with nothing but glory, fame, and recognition. It's all false. Laughably so.
You're aware of this, are you not?
The monsters that plague Remnant. They tear apart whatever this world has left to offer. They cause discord, tearing humanity apart. You've heard of the villages burning because of them. Men, women, children... slaughtered, mauled, raped, used as playthings...
And I'm not referring to the Grimm.
There are the lies. They abandon morals with only themselves in mind. What they're willing to sacrifice for their own sake is boundless. How many lives will they ruin, abandon, or feed to the issues of humanity just to save themselves?
Those monsters make us look like the enemy. If anyone, we are the ones that know true justice. The proper way of life. Only us. And it's our job to show everyone what they're either ignorant about or denying. Show them. You have seen it all. Now deliver enlightenment.
You wield the power to strip them down and reveal their true colors. It's about time you decide your own future. For it will determine the fates as others as well. Free them. Save them. Remember your resolve. Our resolve.
Jaune watched Yang as she kept checking her scroll. It was beginning to catch his attention, with how she reacted to various messages with a variety of expressions. He wondered what they were about and who they were from. Yang only changed the subject whenever he tried questioning her about it. At other times, she remained silent.
She was going to be difficult by the looks of it. His words were lingering in her mind if she couldn't look at him in the eye, which was good. His point was getting through to her, but the tradeoff was the cold shoulder. Sadly, even the most energetic of the bunch have the most difficult time crawling out of the depths of their voids. He'd have to snap her out of it, or rather, give some more somber, wholesome words.
He'd have to get back to the scroll issue later. He could tell there was some significance to it, but he had other pressing concerns. There was his plan for Goodwitch's class, which was proceeding smoothly. Velvet Scarlatina, a person with high priority on his list. His brief spar with her suggested she was a better fighter than him as well. He knew she even had the potential to challenge Pyrrha.
Which made him wonder why she refused to fight back, when it came to her tormenters at least. She actively avoided the attention of other people despite her strengths. It was nice to see she wasn't like most people gifted with semblances; cocky and smug with a hint of inadequacy. Yet she was another peculiar case. Unlike Pyrrha, she refused to use her skills at all. She wanted to act more submissive than assertive. Then there was her semblance... She only revealed it because she got too excited when she showed her weapon. He never expected a camera and hard light dust to be used like that. She had to be one of the most dangerous of those he's ever met.
His longed for the opportunity to focus on her.
Worry about the rabbit girl later, focus on the witch with malicious intention. His plan worked, sort of. He'd managed to get Cardin to surrender for the day, but he was sure he'd get his confidence back soon. It wasn't enough for the arrogant kid. He needed a bit more assistance for his awakening. The main goal he had was to establish his reputation as a resourceful one to get out of fights, or the one that stole Pyrrha Niko's chastity, not that anyone had a chance to be with her. Nor did they deserve it. He would be labeled as a coward. Then, the next phase of his main plan would begin.
He recalled how Professor Goodwitch wasn't pleased with his tactics. She lectured him and the class every now and then how his behavior wasn't tolerated by her. Whenever he tried to defend himself, she'd shut him up. Wherever his right of free speech went, he wanted it back. She even warned him how the next farce like that would come with dire consequences. Not that it'd matter, he had an idea what she'd do.
That was the whole point of provoking her traditional means. He'd have to make her enforce it, then strip it down to nothing but its flaws.
"Now what do you have to say for yourself, Mister Arc?"
"He should've called in his own backup?"
The rest of the conversation continued without his thoughts. He recalled how he spotted Weiss' face in her hands and could tell how she was groaning. Yang looked like she had discovered a mythical creature, with how surprised she looked. Blake on the other hand eyed him oddly. Something told him he'd have to keep an eye on her. She moved up a few places on his list. For different reasons...
Now though, he was with his team in their dorm. Classes were over for the day, so they had some free time. Jaune tried to adjust to how his bed felt. It was nice to have plenty of space, with how the three girls moved his bed away from theirs. As he pondered his next few moves, Weiss continued doing some homework, Blake was reading to herself and glancing his way every now and then, and Yang was still on her scroll.
There wasn't a word shared between any of them. The silence lingered for another few minutes before Yang got off her bed and dug through her bag, still packed with her clothes. She took out a rather eye-catching outfit which Blake felt the need to comment on.
"You going somewhere?" she asked. Yang didn't look at her, but nodded. Weiss didn't seem interested and continued doing her work. Blake closed her book and set it aside. "You realize we have classes tomorrow, right?" Yang nodded again, but didn't offer anything else after that.
Yang took her outfit into the bathroom. She emerged a few minutes later and took her scroll and wallet. She also fished for some keys from her bag before heading to the door. She didn't utter another word as she left.
"You're not concerned about where she's going?" he asked. Blake shot him an unreadable look. "By the looks of it, she was going out for the night. As in, not coming back until tomorrow."
"What gave you that idea?" Weiss wondered. "Or rather, why would you care about what she does? Considering the way you acted the other night."
"You seem to misunderstand, Weiss." Weiss flinched when Jaune stood behind her and slammed a hand on the desk. He flashed a smile. "I do care. If I hadn't shared my opinion on initiation, she wouldn't have learned anything. The point of tough love is to make them think for themselves. I'd rather see her toughen up than have her buried six feet under."
"You have a funny way of showing your treasured generosity, Arc." Weiss looked up at him indignantly. "There were plenty of ways to handle that situation. All Yang did was say hello to you and you felt the need to grill her about a touchy subject. Forgive me for having some tact, Arc."
"And what else have you done for her?" He leaned in and gave no regards to her personal space. "Besides ridiculing me for helping Yang my own way, what have you done for her? I want you to really think about that. All you care about is maintaining some image, Ice Queen. That was the whole point of befriending Pyrrha, wasn't it? To begin your conquest of Beacon; to use her to help paint yourself as some masterpiece? Mark the most prestigious academy in all of Vale for the sake of the SDC?"
Her eyes narrowed. "Where is this coming from?" She crossed her arms and adapted the pristine posture she always displayed.
"Plenty of things, Ice Queen." Jaune leaned against the desk and looked up. "I've been making Yang think. You, on the other hand, have been a constant thorn in my side. I simply don't like you. And you haven't done anything to make me feel otherwise. Now tell me, what're you going to do about it?"
She scoffed. "Why should I be concerned with how you view me? You seem to be convinced you know me so well."
"Because at this point, I wouldn't care whether or not you'll die." Weiss slammed her hand down on the desk and looked up at him, eyes wide. She didn't bother to maintain composure. "Surprised? Funny, I didn't expect my opinion to matter. There are plenty of things that could happen out there, and I'm fairly sure cooperating with me will help. Because Ice Queen, unlike you, I've handled myself out there. I've endured what Remnant has to offer."
Jaune noted some signs and tried to decide which route was more effective. He had Weiss in a good position, but one wrong step may make Weiss less genuine. He provoked her to act honestly, and her guard might come back if he doesn't get what he needs soon. He'd press the right buttons to bring out Weiss, not the Schnee.
"I think you couldn't care less about what happens to anyone besides yourself." Weiss' knuckles tightened. He got another strong reaction out of her. Perfect. "You should care because you're convincing me I should leave you behind. Heck, you were more concerned about the image Team Abyss has to uphold rather than how I was a wreck this morning. I could've been mugged for all you knew."
Weiss was going to burst soon. One last push...
"Then again, that's to be expected of a Schnee."
Attacking her precious family name. It was bound to yield the expected results. Weiss stood up but didn't meet his eyes. He could tell she was on the verge of breaking down and possibly assaulting him. Nothing new, but he was ready for it anyway. Here it comes... the barrage of words and scorn. She'd defend her family and give another half-assed response to any situation that put the Schnees in hot water.
It didn't come though. Only a few tears leaked as Weiss spoke, voice strained.
"I am quite familiar with the reputation my family has. I may be a Schnee, Jaune, but I am not one of them." Weiss gripped his collar. "You know nothing about me. All the people I've lost because of the enemies my father has made... I am not some heartless ice sculpture, unlike you! I care for this team, and not just the image. I give a damn about Yang! All you've done since we've met was antagonize me before even introducing yourself properly!" She kept tugging on his collar as she continued to let a few tears fall. "Your twisted sense of compassion should not frame me as some heartless witch. Instead of generating discord by manipulating us, why don't you fix problems instead of causing them?"
She shoved him away from her. He stepped back, only for her to keep drilling her finger against his chest, forcing him to the other side of the room until his back hit the wall. His prediction was wrong...?
"You want to how I'm really like?" she laughed. "Fine. Fine, just perfect! You want to help us as our leader? Why don't you have some fucking decency and have a proper conversation with me instead of provoking me to be the Weiss you've envisioned?" She eyed him. "Or did you already have a biased opinion on me? What makes you think you've got an accurate idea of me if you're only drawing out what you want to see?"
Jaune was speechless. He was expecting her to berate him, sure but... His methods to reveal one's true colors were effective, but were they really causing issues? And were these issues only bringing out the negative aspects of one's personality?
No... it was a way to see how one would handle a situation. Weiss is... simply immature.
He refused to answer her. He didn't even look at Blake as he headed for the door.
"The nerve..." Weiss snarled. "What makes him think he can act like that?" She wiped her face with her sleeves and tried to immerse herself in the work she had before her again. She couldn't shake the look Jaune had on his face though.
"Aren't you curious?" Blake asked. "Why he's even like that?"
"Don't tell me you're taking his side..." Weiss said. She rubbed her temples and tried to keep her hands from shaking. "If I'm seriously alone again, I'll... I'll..." Weiss broke down. She didn't hold back at this point.
Blake no motion to comfort her. Weiss was herself before a Schnee, but... Why couldn't she bring herself to comfort the poor girl? She helped Yang no problem. Yet, she couldn't shake her own opinion of Weiss Schnee the heiress. Perhaps she was no better than Jaune...
"Weiss, I..."
"Don't." Her tone was heavier. It went unsaid, but it was clear anything else from her would only make her snap. Blake wasn't like Jaune. It wouldn't be fair to pester Weiss while she's stressed like this. Blake really didn't know Weiss. She was skeptical when she learned she would be on the same team as Weiss Schnee of all people, but this showed there was much more to her than she initially believed.
"I'll give you some space."
Blake made her way to the door and gently closed it behind her. She sighed to herself as her headache grew worse. Again, this was meant to be a fresh start after the White Fang. Why did there have to be so much drama already? She didn't exactly sign up for this.
She didn't really have anywhere else to go. There was Team Ruin right next door, but she didn't know them very well. Nor was she in the mood to explain the situation. This was more Jaune and Weiss' issue. It affected the whole team, but the two of them needed to sort things out. Conflicting ideologies had that affect, sadly. Especially when both sides were correct to some degree. It reminded her a bit about the White Fang.
She shook her head as she walked down the hall. No need to dwell on the past when there's issues she needs to address now. Jaune had a warped view on other people. He cares about the team, in a brutal way, but his actions don't make sense. Back in the Emerald Forest, he seemed content of letting Yang and Ruby meet their end at the hands of the Grimm. Yet he tries to enforce a harsh lesson on Yang that's clearly dug too deep. And there was that fiasco at the cafeteria earlier today. He helped that faunus, but did so in a kind way. Nothing like the way he approached Yang's situation.
Did he just care for the faunus then? Blake's eyes widened. He's been biased about his opinion on Weiss, that much is true. Is it possible he'd had a grudge not just against Weiss before he even met her, but the SDC as a whole? His disdain towards her has been clear, and he cares for faunus, evident by his actions towards the rabbit girl.
Maybe he had family or another loved one, only to be destroyed by the SDC? It'd explain his behavior. It may even be why he has such a cynical mindset. He's lost someone to the SDC, a faunus perhaps, and that's why he takes it out on Weiss...
Blake's mind whirled. No, that'd be a bit of a stretch. He was like that with Yang as well. She didn't exactly have concrete proof, and she didn't have any leads to go on like family. She doubted he'd just open up about his past, considering how cold he's been.
Has he been different to anyone else?
Blake stopped in her tracks and turned around before sprinting back towards her room. She stood outside Ruin's dorm and braced herself as she knocked. Perhaps Pyrrha could offer some insight on the situation? She was Jaune's friend after all, right?
Eventually, the door opened to reveal a familiar face. Not the one she was looking for, sadly.
"Hey, Blake." Ruby appeared to be in a good mood. It was so much different here at Ruin's dorm compared to her own. "Uh, you need something?"
Blake blinked. "Oh, yeah... Is Pyrrha here, by any chance?"
Ruby looked back and rolled her head, signaling for Pyrrha to come. Ruby backed up and let Pyrrha by her. Blake never had a proper conversation with Pyrrha before, but she'd heard of how she's a renowned fighter with a heart that Jaune has allegedly wormed his way into. Still, rumors were still rumors. She doubted someone as elite as her would be that close with someone like Jaune, but she was a start.
"Blake, right?" She nodded. "What is it you seek?"
She gestured for her to come out into the hall. "There's something I'd like to discuss, but I'd prefer to keep it private. It's about Jaune." Pyrrha's curiosity grew. She nodded to her team before stepping out and closing the door behind her. "You know how he doesn't get along with Weiss, right?"
Pyrrha smiled, surprisingly. "Oh dear... how'd he push her buttons this time? Allow me to clarify that he doesn't actually believe Weiss swings that way. He just enjoys getting under her skin."
Okay then...?
"It's sort of like that..." Blake tried to piece together a way to put this lightly. "The two of them got in a fight, and I was wondering if you could tell me about Jaune."
"First day as a team and its gotten bad, hm?" Pyrrha adopted a more neutral look like before. Perhaps her prying for details about Jaune rose her guard? "I'm afraid there's a lot I still don't know about Jaune, but I'd be more than happy to tell you what I can if it'll help. May I ask why you've come to me for this?"
"Jaune isn't exactly the most open of individuals, and I've heard he's rather fond of you, so I figured you could tell me more about him."
"Fond of me...?" Pyrrha grew a small smile. "Well, we met on our first day here. If I had to describe him with one word, I'd say he's unorthodox. He doesn't seem to care about what others think of him, and he isn't afraid to speak his mind, not matter how crude or asinine it may be. Well, I offer my disapproval over some things, but he knows whenever I'm teasing. He has no boundaries and lacks tact, but he hasn't gone out of his way to intrude on sensitive territory. He's teased me about some... lewd things, but he means it in good nature. They're simply jests."
Pyrrha hasn't seen this side of Jaune? Then again, she hasn't acquainted herself with the Jaune Pyrrha's familiar with. He did display some of this bizarre behavior when she and Yang first properly met him, but it soon shattered into his other self. He had a polite tone and mannerisms, but his words cut through them like a knife through hot butter. Was he intentionally showing different aspects of his personality to different people? Why though?
"I see..." Blake didn't know what else to offer. She wasn't getting much out of this. "Has he ever mentioned his past? Like, family, friends, or his life at all before Beacon?"
Pyrrha held her hands together and pressed her fingers against her lips. "I don't think so. We usually just talk to each other about random things. It's tiring, but fun to take him on in a battle of wits."
"And what's your opinion on him?"
"Eh?" Pyrrha's face froze. "W-Well, as odd as he may be, I enjoy his company, despite what others might say. Why do you ask?"
Because the rumors of how Pyrrha's his puppet have been bothering her...
Am I wrong...?
No, of course not. He's managed to get an accurate description of one's innate self through his methods. In order to bring out one's sincere form, he'd have to provoke them into answering certain situations honestly. Then he'd act accordingly. Anyone arrogant needed to mellow out, and the source of that was usually their delusions of being invincible thanks to aura, or almighty because of their semblance.
Someone with gifts needed to utilize them, but not become one of the egotistic ones. They just needed that encouragement. Like Velvet, based on what he's gathered so far.
And Weiss was just... a brat! She was among the worst of them, that's all. Damn her! He has caught plenty of criminals before. All sorts of them. He's judged plenty of people and determined who they really are without fail. He's saved plenty of people from certain doom by helping them realize how flawed their ways of life were. How dare she just... question everything he's done! What defines what he is!
If people didn't learn now, then they'd ought as well kill themselves and get it over with.
He shook his head. No, she didn't directly aim that at him. She was merely defending herself...
He just needed to find something to focus on. He's come too far from the beginning to question everything he's done until now. Velvet, Pyrrha, even Yang. Any would do. He wasn't in the mood to talk to Pyrrha though, and he wouldn't want to hunt Velvet down now, he needed to wait when it came to her. Yang then. She couldn't have gotten too far. She's most definitely gone to Vale and locating her would be easy so long as she kept her scroll on.
Being the leader of the team granted him access to an app that allowed him to view his team's location and aura meters. There were a few perks at least.
He caught the next airship heading to Vale and conjured up different ways he could approach this. He needed to gather his thoughts after that moment with Weiss. He wanted to purge it from his mind.
Yang has been on her scroll often today, and she's been messaging someone unpleasant if her expressions were anything to go by. It's possible she's meeting with this person, much to her dismay. Why she would go out of her way to see someone like that during her time at Beacon was the question though.
He wanted to find her and observe. An odd presence enveloped him though. Part of him was familiar with the vibes he was getting, yet the majority of him wanted to find a way around this situation. Because there was no possible way he could take on the devil herself.
Jaune smiled to himself. "Calling in the favor already, hm?" He turned to the girl that materialized out of thin air. "Hello, Neo."
Neo flashed a devilish smile as she curtsied.
