Hello readers it has been a friggen while! Man, I'll be honest its been a ride for me these long months. I've had someone try to steal my work (why on earth they'd bother I have no clue) and my own chapters deleted due to technical difficulties and my own stupidity. Honestly these events killed my mood for writing. They occurred a long time ago, but it had curbed my urge to write. Everything I wrote was admittedly half assed. I'm still unsure on this chapter but decided that you guys have waited long enough. So here it is! Now ANNOUCEMENT TIME!
My story Journey will be going on Hiatus for the time being. I had written the Old Man Jaune Arc (A whopping fifty thousand words!) To be a summer treat for my readers…until it got deleted numerous times due to technical and personal errors. After the third time it was deleted, I was…drained. I don't feel it proper to return to the story until this drained feeling has passed a feeling, I'm hoping goes away with the new Witcher series as inspiration! However due to this The Ultimate Weapon is now the number one priority while a new project replaces it as the secondary! This new project is inspired by a combination of Couer Al' Alran's story "Forged Destiny" and a Korean Manga (a Manwha I believe, correct me if I'm wrong) roughly translated as "Solo Leveling". It will follow the adventures of a Prestige Labor caste Jaune who is recruited by Ozpin due to his unusual class, an Arcane Craftsman. In a world where magical armaments are grinded through "Dungeons" and are necessary for high level adventurers, the arrival of a class that can create weapons and armor on par with "Dungeon" drops makes Jaune a high commodity. He must survive the political atmosphere of Kingdom politics as he steadily levels up and achieves newer and more powerful skills. Who is friend? Who is foe? And what does this all have to do with the S Rank dungeons that no one seemingly wants to close? Follow Jaune has he discovers the secret behind these terrible dungeons and the political and physical enemies he will encounter along the way. Can Jaune level up fast enough to survive? Or will he be discarded…like any other labor caste? Due to how it is inspired by Couer's story it will be taken down immediately should they feel it is an infringement on their work. But until than, please enjoy when it is released. NOW ON TO THE STORY!
P.S: I have now referred to my Arcs within this story as "Events" much like comics would refer to them.
Chapter 8
Event 1: The Claws that Fangs have Born (Part 2)
"and that students is how I defeated a Libre with nothing but a stick and my own two hands!...well and some dynamite, but schematics!"
Jaune sat at his teams desk, listening intently to the lessons that professor Peter Port was trying to impart. Well…rather he was trying to decipher if there was a lesson in the first place.
"This man talks a lot" muttered Jaune.
Ren grunted in response; his eyes still heavy from his "meditation". Jaune looked at his desk and rose an eyebrow, wondering how Ren was still on top of all the notes while he was obviously sleeping.
"We all have our talents" thought Jaune.
Unfortunately, Pyrrha was still busy writing notes, the diligent student that she was, while Nora stared into space shaking her head to the beat of her own drum. Much like his own team he noticed that RWBY was lost in their own world, with Weiss taking the place of Pyrrha and Ren as their studious member.
Jaune tuned out Port and let his mind wander. He deserved a break anyway. As he let his thoughts run free Jaune stared at his hands and chuckled. He looked around the classroom and still almost couldn't believe that this was his life now. Two weeks. That was how long it has been since Jaune was taken from prison. It was absurd just how fast his life had changed. Some days he simply thought he was dreaming, waiting to wake up in the underground cell that was his home for years.
Jaune took a deep breath and closed his eyes. His smile grew as the sound of Port's voice acted as excellent background noise to lull his mind. Suddenly the image of his family appeared. Jaune felt his small smirk grow, even if only slightly. His mind usually focused on his family incessantly, almost as if he was reaffirming their presence back in his life. His team also appeared as they have been slowly growing on him as well. They had become something Jaune had thought existed only in few numbers for him.
Friends.
Oh, there was still of course some friction, they had only known each other for just over two weeks after all. But Jaune had grown to at least welcome their presence. Oddly enough it was Nora that had come the furthest of his entire team with regards to friendship.
"I'm sooooo bored" whispered Nora. Jaune looked at Nora and just shook his head.
"Then why stay here at all? Ren just gives you his notes anyway."
Nora looked at Jaune as if he just offered her the world.
"…. why didn't I think of that before?" whispered Nora.
Suddenly Nora scooted closer to Jaune, the look of a conspirator in her eyes.
Ever since Jaune had revealed his mutant nature to team RWBY Nora had bombarded Jaune's space, annoyed him, made him cringed, and irritated him to a small degree. Against every bit of logic that ran through Jaune's mind Nora, much like fungus, grew on him. She made him laugh, she made him smile (however small) and irked him into more conversations than anyone else he knew in his age group…
It reminded him of his sisters.
Nora began to tap her skull against the desk as she stared at Jaune, she bit her lip as she giggled and nudged him. Slowly a small smile grew on Nora's face.
"…do the thing."
Jaune rolled his eyes and clenched his fists under the desk. With a SHINK and Nora leaning back to better look at his claws.
"So cool!"
This was in fact a large reason for why Nora had grown on Jaune the way that she had. She was like a little kid, full of energy and positivity. Ordinarily that would just endear Jaune to her and nothing more. However, Nora had her scars much like himself. While the two looked fine, there was always an open wound deep within. That shared pain, as different as it was, connected them. He smiled as his claws slowly withdrew into his skin. Quietly as to avoid excess noise and reduce the attention they already had.
Jaune looked to his left and noticed Pyrrha slyly looking at him from the side. She blushed as she looked away. Jaune rubbed his chin in confusion at Pyrrha's odd behavior. He could smell her attraction to him, but at the same time knew there was more to this. Jaune shrugged as he returned his focus to deciphering the puzzle that was Port. He had six more minutes of class to kill and Nora, against logic once more, just went back to sleep.
It was odd. The entire Port thing was just plain odd. Jaune noticed how the man was built firstly. Much like his name would imply Peter Port had a portly physique….yet the man's arms were muscled beyond any individual Jaune had ever witnessed. The clothe of his jacket may have covered his musculature, much like it would anyone, but even under such layers of clothe Jaune could see a hint of definition to his muscles. To see such a thing through such thick clothes shows an incredible physique, signifying strength and depending on the individual, experience. As such Jaune couldn't tell what the truth was regarding the stories Port was telling. Were they simply an overexaggerating…or him regaling students with his tales of Valor and strength?
"A puzzle indeed" muttered Jaune.
Jaune took off his jacket, the heat getting to him, and placed it over his left arm, preparing to leave class as the seconds ticked away. He leaned back and rubbed his chin, trying to see how he felt about it. Suddenly Jaune smelled an influx of pheromones but ignored it. Jaune didn't know what was up with people today but he would ignore it as best he could. Jaune's serious expression caused a few people to blush, especially Pyrrha who was doodling in her book, unable to concentrate.
Jaune noticed that Ruby was also staring at him, a curious look in her eye. But instead of the hungry look some of the students shot him, hers were focused on his hands, again. She blushed fiercely as she noticed that he noticed her. She turned away quickly and hunched her shoulders into herself.
Jaune smiled and shook his head. Out of her entire team Ruby was the one that showed the most interest. Weiss was….well Weiss. Jaune chuckled as Weiss looked like she was turning green just looking at him. Not that Jaune blamed her. Blood dripping to the floor tended to turn off the average person. Hell even his own team looked a little disturbed when he had first shown his claws. Blake was indifferent which was actually a pleasant thing and Yang.
….well she still had some trouble believing his claws were real. Again Jaune was understanding…to a point. Its been a few days since he revealed his nature and things have only gotten better amidst the awkwardness.
RING RING.
Jaune blinked and narrowed his eyes. Class was finally over.
"Remember what I told you children! For it will be on our tests!"
…
"Shit" muttered Jaune.
Suddenly Jaune saw some papers fall in front of him. He looked up and noticed Ren smiling.
"Here's some notes for you to study off of Jaune. If you work hard you should be able to pass with a decent grade."
Jaune smiled as he took the papers, hiding them in the textbook that Port assigned him but never seemed to refer to during lessons.
"Thank you. I didn't mean to lose focus but Port is….a mystery."
Ren nodded in understanding. Suddenly the sleeping giant known as Nora awoke.
"Who cares about that!" yelled Nora "LETS EAT!"
Pyrrha giggled as the team rose up. In the corner of Jaune's eyes he noticed Cardin seemed to be smirking. The man seemed to be up to something but for the life of him Jaune couldn't find himself to care. His complete dismissal of the young man just seemed to irk the poor boy. But honestly there was nothing Cardin could do. Jaune was happy and admittedly the machinations of a jealous idiot with little resources meant little to Jaune.
Speaking of resources.
"I'll be with you guys in a minute" said Jaune "I just need to talk to Ruby for a second."
"Is this about all those weapons your mother brought in yesterday?"
Jaune smiled at Pyrrha.
"Part of it. Thanks again for helping me select a few things from her collection. I don't have much experience with weaponry in general, so the assistance was appreciated."
Pyrrha smiled, her nervousness gone.
"Of course Jaune. We're partners after all. So you'll catch us at the café?"
Jaune nodded.
With that his helpful partner went on ahead with Ren and Nora following close with their own small goodbyes. Jaune smiled as he caught eyes with Ruby, hoping such an action would keep her attention long enough for him to make it over to her. Granted it was a stiff and stoic smile but Jaune felt he got his point across.
Although the poor girl went a little pale she still smiled and waved, forcing down her obvious nervousness. Such an action endeared Ruby to Jaune somewhat, giving him enough pause to shut up any sarcastic comments.
"Ruby."
"Hey Jaune what's up."
Jaune, as usual, kept it straight.
"I was wondering if you knew where I could obtain some custom weapons? Most of the people I met up with wouldn't build what I wanted."
Ruby rose an eyebrow, her nervousness now a thing of the past as her favorite subject was brought up.
"Why do you even need a custom weapon? Didn't you get a bunch of stuff from your family?"
Jaune nodded. He noticed that Yang was trying to interject but kept her mouth shut. Even though Jaune barely knew Ruby, her social awkwardness was fairly obvious. The fact Ruby was keeping such a straight conversation with him going was good practice for the girl.
"What I received was all well and good, but only the handgun my mother personally sent me is something I'm seriously considering to carry at all times. I don't really need a sword outside of matches."
Jaune's idea of having received "some" weaponry was severely underplayed. He had received well over fifty different forms of melee, ranged, and modern mech shift weapons. Each item required a disciplined mind to truly focus on and master them. Jaune and his team had spent the better part of a day sorting through them. It had been unexpectedly fun. Nora had even found this large axe she seemed overly attached to. As per Pyrrha's recommendation Jaune had picked the hand cannon his mother once wielded due to its ease of use and how it could be used in all manner of situations. Jaune's own claws were the best melee weapon that he could use outside of competitions. As such a mech shift weapon was one he had no use for. Instead, Jaune found he needed something that would allow him to cover the gap in both his own and his team's offensive and defensive abilities. While he did receive the bow of Orion, the thing was extremely circumstantial and designed for colossal opponents that Jaune would rarely, if ever, encounter. Crocea Mors was a perfect tool for school sanctioned matches but wouldn't be something he'd carry into missions.
In short, he needed a mid to long range gun. A good one. Something that had more power than Ren's sub machine guns and more range than Pyrrha's rifle. He needed an assault weapon. Unfortunately for Jaune such a weapon was not amongst the more popular model. He didn't want the mech shift rifles that were available on the market. He needed something stronger, more powerful.
There was no way that any rifle Jaune wanted would be stronger than Nora's grenade launcher. The damn thing shot grenades, full auto. As immortal as Jaune was he refused to 'test his healing' as Nora put it against her weapon. Grenades hurt like a bitch and that….THING was too powerful to be legal. He watched a single heart shaped shot (why the actual hell it shot straight AS A HEART, was still being researched) blow apart numerous trees in the forest that were a fair distance away. No what he was after was not overall power, but an increased puncturing factor that would allow him to kill Grimm that were too bulky for his claws to truly injure.
Jaune noticed that Ruby seemed to have an epiphany while his mind was running away from him.
"I really need to get a handle on that" thought Jaune.
"My buddy Forge can help you!"
Jaune paused as he processed her statement. He looked at Yang and noticed that the fiery haired woman seemed to be going ballistic.
"Your….friend?"
Ruby chuckled.
"Yea! Forge is the absolute best weaponsmith I know! I mean he always mumbles and turns red when I try talking to him but the guy knows his stuff! He helped me improve Crescent Rose in ways I never even thought of! He'll definitely help you!"
Jaune rubbed his chin in thought while Ruby titled her head.
"What?" asked Jaune.
"So that's what you look like without a beard! You look normal!"
Jaune rose an eyebrow while Ruby began sputtering at her own words.
"I mean you look great! I mean good! I MEAN YOU LOOK FANTASTIC! GAH!"
Ruby threw her hood over her face as steam escaped from her face. Jaune blinked and looked at Yang for answers. The girl sighed as she rubbed her head.
"She gets like that ignore her. But still I'm surprised you shaved, you seemed pretty attached to that mangy beard."
Jaune rolled his eyes.
"Any self-respecting man would be attached to the beard he grew for six years. But…I felt like it was time for a change."
"….that's it?" asked Yang.
"That's it. I'll be getting my hair cut shortly as well."
Yang smiled as she ran her fingers through her beautiful mane of golden locks.
"If you want I can give you my guy's number. He does great work!"
Jaune gave a small smile.
"I have my older sister Joy taking me to her own stylist. I'll be meeting her later today. Thanks again for telling me how to store vehicles here. I didn't realize the absurd amount of paperwork."
Yang scowled.
"Tell me about it! I mean its just a damn bike! Speaking of bikes hurry up and show me yours damnit! I showed you my bumblebee yesterday!"
Jaune smiled, one that was a bit larger than normal.
"You really love bikes don't you?"
Yang wiggled her eyebrows. She looked around and nodded at the lack of people within the room. She than narrowed her eyes at Jaune. Jaune rolled his eyes, annoyed that such a nice conversation was being ended this way.
"Again?" asked Jaune.
Yang slowly nodded.
Weiss finally interjected, regretting the fact she hadn't already left like Blake.
"Oh no! Before you even think about it I'm leaving! I'm sorry but that's…its still too gross!"
Jaune's stoic face nodded at Weiss.
"I appreciate the honesty, I'll wait."
"Thank you!" said Weiss.
Weiss scowled as she turned to Yang.
"Funny how the criminal has better manners than you."
Yang crossed her arms and stuck out her tongue to her sisters' partner. When Weiss's back was turned to them and near the door, Jaune slowly unsheathed his claws to Yang. Yang's eyes slowly widened as his claws inched out of his clutched fists.
"No matter how many times I see it I'm still having problems believing its real…but its been days so I guess I gotta get used to it" muttered Yang. Suddenly she became contemplative as she watched Jaune quickly sheathe them back in.
"Doesn't' that hurt?"
"Every time. But my particular mutation gives me a higher tolerance for pain than the usual person. Makes it more bearable than you think. Like an intense but brief burning sensation."
Yang nodded.
"Huh. By the way what Ruby forgot to mention was that Forge is really only free during his lunch time. During school hours he's knee deep in his projects or flirting with Ruby."
Ruby seemed flabbergasted that Yang would even make such an accusation and let Jaune and Yang know with extreme force (read cuteness).
"What!? No Forge does not flirt with me! He just lets me watch him work and we talk sometimes! He's really smart and loves talking about weapons with me!"
Jaune looked at Yang.
"So this Man just…talks with Ruby?"
Yang sighed.
"Don't misunderstand. Forge is actually closer to Ruby's age than we are. Apparently, he's here on some kind of scholarship with Beacon. Something about tech? Anyways according to Ruby he outsmarted his teacher so badly they just give him the lab to fool around with. He'd be cool if he wasn't such a weapons dork."
Jaune's eyes widened.
"I've heard our classmates have nothing but praise for Ruby's designing capabilities…and you're saying there is someone more skilled than Ruby."
Jaune's eyes widened in surprise as Ruby took on a resolved look. Her smile grew bigger as she giggled.
"A lot more! I learn so much from him! It feels like he gets better every time I stop by! Oooooh I'm so excited! Come on lets go together!"
Yang noticed some petals falling around her and sighed.
"Have fun" muttered Yang.
Jaune looked confused as he locked eyes with the older sister.
"No thanks Ruby you can just give me dire-"
FWOOSH!
With that Ruby had grabbed Jaune and disappeared in a flutter of petals. Yang just blew a couple of said petals off her face and sighed.
"Ruby really needs to stop doing that. I wonder what's in the café today?"
With that the golden brawler set off in search of food and company. Resigning herself to having to explain to Jaune's team what happened to the poor boy.
-On the other side of the school in approximately 2.9 seconds-
"ctions and just…did you just superspeed me?"
Ruby looked at Jaune and smiled.
"Yea! How was it?"
Jaune looked around and blinked.
"Quite…odd….and also rude to do so without permission."
Ruby turned bright red as she bowed her head.
"I'm so sorry! It's just I was so excited to bring you here and I just."
Jaune held his hand up.
"I was being sarcastic."
Ruby felt her jaw drop and just stared ludicrously at Jaune.
"HOW CAN ANYONE TELL WITH THAT TONE!" demanded Ruby.
Jaune shrugged.
"I've been practicing. Blake mentioned my lack of skill and I seek to remedy that."
Ruby sighed and just turned to the large door that stood before them. Jaune's sarcasm was obvious, considering he became like a robot in terms of wording and tone. The issue was it just sucked. Badly.
"Welcome to the science wing in Beacon Academy" smiled Ruby "Forge should be free right now for you to make your request. Be warned though he's going to ask a lot of questions."
Jaune continued to ignore the fact that there was a dude whose name was LITERALLY Forge and smiled in thanks to his…friend. He noticed that this particular hallway lacked the gothic architecture of Beacon proper. Instead it seemed to be incredibly plain if metallic walls with ceramic flooring.
"What would require stronger material in only one area of the school?" thought Jaune.
Deciding to shelve that line of thought for later Jaune turned his attention back to his…friend.
"Thanks again Ruby. While I would have liked to be warned about the speed rush, it was still better than simply walking."
Ruby smiled and nodded. Jaune let a breath escape him. His mother asked him to be more polite to people and Jaune decided to abide by her request.
It was far more difficult than Jaune anticipated but so far the results spoke for themselves. Suddenly the door burst open as a young man came rushing out the doors on fire. Forge screamed as he waved his arms around. The young man was seventeen years old, his copper toned skin and strong facial features led Jaune to believe that the young man was descended from Vacou rather than Vale. He was a lithe figure with little muscle, but he was far from underweight. Like the body of someone who worked out regularly but not for muscle gain. He wore a bright yellow shirt with jeans and a scientist lab coat which was unfortunately on fire.
"Not again! Damn it!"
Forge threw off his burning jacket and stomped the fires out. He sighed as he noticed Ruby, a small blush coming to his face.
"Oh Ruby its you! Spending your lunch here again?"
Jaune looked at Forge and spoke before Ruby could find her words.
"I'm afraid she's here for business. I'm looking for a custom weapon and I've been told you're the best person for the job considering my circumstances."
While Jaune had copious amounts of money, finding someone that actually would forge the weapon he wanted to his specifications was absurdly difficult. Most weaponsmith were stubborn and refused to do what Jaune wanted, instead wishing for their work to remain a mech shift weapon. It was by the far the stupidest thing Jaune had ever witnessed. It led Jaune to believe that it was mostly due to the fact these craftsmen could only do Mechshift weapons, rather than something like pride.
It was sad either way and Jaune was still annoyed regardless. Not a great outcome for anyone.
Forge rose an eyebrow but smiled as he held his hand out.
"I see. Name's Forge my guy, what's yours?"
"Jaune."
Forge gave a beaming smile and gestured towards the lab behind him.
"Well in that case lets get started! I've been running low on projects lately so something new will be fun!"
Jaune's eyes damn near bugged out of his skull as he beheld the absolute mess that was his lab. It wasn't dirty by any means but it was heavily disorganized.
"How are you able to function in here?" asked Jaune.
Ruby giggled along with Forge as he smirked.
"Its an organized mess my friend! I know where everything is have no fear!"
Forge took a brisk pace as he fell into an admittedly comfortable looking swivel chair. Ruby hopped onto the young man's desk and began to swing her legs in anticipation. Jaune couldn't believe that someone so young was in charge of this entire lab. While Jaune wasn't a scientist by any means his experiences had lent him a second sense for machinery and technology and it was quite obvious that this boy had more funding and resources than the White Fang had for their project with him.
Forge took out a pen and paper from somewhere in the mess. Jaune scoffed as he couldn't even tell what was in the room due to the mess. Machines were covered, items displaced, tools lain about and only a single table with loads of tools surrounding it was even remotely clear. Forge smiled embarrassingly as he scratched his cheek.
"I'm usually not this messy, believe me. I just had a lot of people come in and sign off for their weapons and stuff. When you make things off the budget given to you by the school, most people jump at the chance for free stuff, so I'm usually doing as much paper work as I am doing actual work."
Jaune nodded and leaned against the counter near Forge.
"I see. Thank you for answering my curiosity. Now, what information do you need?"
Forge suddenly shifted into a more somber attitude.
"Well first off what exactly are you after?"
"An assault rifle. But not a mech shift one. It is to my understanding that while mech weapons are without a doubt versatile, the many revolving pieces hamper the overall impact and power of the gun components. While aure infusion mitigates this difference I myself have been told such a practice is impossible for me, no matter the training I undergo."
Forge blinked, surprised by the business like tone, and nodded as he began to write down specifics.
"That's true for the most part. Weapon's like Ruby's here that are large enough lose nothing in overall capability and so will benefit the most from her aura in the future. But for a weapon like what you want…a solid rifle is definitely want you want if power is your game…why do you need such a gun though, a mech shift weapon offers more versatility as you said and honestly while the impact difference can be immense, with or without aura, it's not something that's worth that trade off."
Without warning Jaune's claws ejected from his hands.
"My claws are my main weapon, as such any mech shift weapon is just plain wasted on someone like me."
To Jaune's utter amazement Forge took it in stride.
"Cool. In that case answer the question, why do you need an assault rifle?"
Jaune realized that he might have jumped the gun on Forge and smiled as he receded his claws.
"I seek to fill in the gaps in my teams offensive and defensive abilities. My partner has a long range rifle, my teammate also has a pair of submachine guns, while my final teammate has a hammer that doubles as a rocket launcher. I feel like it would be better to have something mid-range that carried more impact and power should we need it."
Forge tapped his pen against his notebook. His eyes widened as he looked at Jaune.
"Say…would you hear me out for a mech shift weapon that might suit you?"
Jaune rose an eyebrow. He was irritated that his order was being subsided….but the look Ruby was giving him made Jaune reconsider his opinion. It didn't hurt anything to hear him out.
"Alright."
"Great!" said Forge "Now this mech shift weapon isn't…a normal one. It's a design that I was perfecting for the Valisien Military. It can basically shift from various rifle forms while maintaining the high impact that's the norm for solid gun forms. It can shift from an assault rifle, to a pulse rifle, and finally a miniature form of a sniper rifle. I have a…prototype here so to speak that you can take with you. It may break down, I'll be honest. I need someone that can field test it and get me some necessary data. In return as more prototypes are made, I'll hand them off to you to practice and perfect. Once I have the final product designed and ready, I'll make you a personalized custom one with the best materials, just for you."
Jaune contemplated this. Apparently Forge went from offering him a different weapon to offering him a trade so to speak. The gun itself sounded useful, a mid to long range option that would suit him perfectly. The different modes would just alter how he aimed and what tactics would be available to him.
It seemed like a good deal and if the weapon turned out to be bogus it made no difference for Jaune in terms of combat ability.
"Very well."
Forge smiled brightly.
"FINALLY! No one would take it and test it. Every time someone said they would they'd ditch it and the teachers normally don't have time to help. You're doing me a huge favor. One second I'll grab it for you."
Jaune sighed and rolled his neck. The metallic bones gave a hollow crack sound as they meshed together. Ruby blinked as she looked at Jaune. She bit her lip as something burned at the tip of her tongue but that she didn't want to say.
"Ruby, I am not what you can consider an average person in terms of social ques or ability. If you are curious about something I will answer if I am comfortable. So don't worry about annoying me or anything."
"There" thought Jaune "That should do it. Now she won't-"
"Is your entire skeleton metal?"
"…Yes" answered Jaune.
"Oh! I thought it was just your claws."
"No" said Jaune "my entire skeletal structure has been coated in a metallic substance referred to as Adamantium."
Ruby smiled.
"Cool…and thanks Jaune."
The overly bearded man rose an eyebrow in confusion.
"Whatever for?"
Ruby chuckled, but not in a nice way.
"I'm always so awkward with people. I just feel more comfortable talking about weapons and stuff but…but I know not a lot of people share that passion. I just wanted to say thanks for not…I don't know….judging me for what I like and stuff."
Jaune shrugged.
"What am I supposed to do? You are who you are Ruby, just as anyone else is. It's not my business what you're into and its not my right to judge you for it. I….I apologize if I've made you uncomfortable the last few days. I know how difficult it can be to talk to someone that just got out of prison."
That was a total lie. Jaune didn't care where someone was from when he talked to them. But it sounded nice at least.
"Thanks Jaune. You know…you're not as bad as everyone says you are."
"I've been meaning to ask about that who has been say-"
"HERE IT IS! FINALLY!"
Jaune turned to Forge as the man erupted from a pile of paper. He smirked as he gave Jaune a black…rectangular brick. Jaune took it in one hand and measured it. A good three feet long and half a foot wide this black rectangular…thing was obviously a mechshift gun.
"How do i?"
Forge pointed to a slight indent on the top of the brick. Jaune pushed it and the entire thing almost transformed right out of his hands. It was a quick and revolving transformation. Jaune managed to grip what seemed like the handle of the gun as it transformed.
"I know the transformation sequence is a little…well honestly it sucks, but I didn't think someone would actually use it!"
The gun itself was uninspiring. It was obvious that it was half finished, as part of the gun was visible in certain places. However, it had a dark sheen across its form that Jaune enjoyed. But that was all Jaune could rate this gun on.
For the entire thing was shaped like a rectangle with a trigger grip.
"…..this is a gun?"
Forge nodded.
"It looks like something a monkey carved from a tree."
Forge gave a sheepish smile.
"I know. Like I said I need ballistic data but not all the students here like to use it. Not to mention how attached any student is to their weapon."
"What?"
BANNNG.
Jaune jumped as he accidentally pulled the trigger. The stupid gun roared like thunder as it unleashed its first bullet. Said bullet tore into the floor, ricocheting into a flask of chemicals that Forge had laying around.
"Ah that's nothing don't worry about it" said Forge.
Jaune stared at the gun.
"….uh….is it that bad?"
Jaune looked at forge and for the first time in Ruby life…she witnessed a blood thirsty grin.
"Oh….I love it."
Forge grinned right back, undeterred by Jaune's warriors grin. Than his smile disappeared as Jaune's did.
"But fix the appearance. This thing looks like a brick."
Forge nodded.
"Fair enough. How was the first shot btw?"
"The recoil was….immense. My experience is limited, but perhaps keep in mind the recoil such guns can bring?"
Forge nodded.
"Ok. I can reprogram this gun to resemble a normal Valish assault rifle if you'd like."
Jaune nodded.
"That would be excellent. When it is done, just contact me. My name is Jaune Arc."
Forge nodded and waved Jaune goodbye as they left. Jaune took out his scroll, one of the two that he owned. He noticed that he only had a good twenty minutes till lunch was done.
"Ruby, mind running me back to the cafeteria with you?"
Ruby smiled. As she grabbed the back of Jaune's neck, ready to run, Forge turned around and lost all the color in his face.
"WAIT!"
Too late. Ruby disappeared and a large volume of air rushed to the empty space. Forge's papers exploded off the desk along with the wind. Forge whimpered as he fell to his knees.
"Not again."
Forge sighed as he started to pick up his papers. But while he was certainly annoyed, a smile crept up to his face. Finally! His project may finally be complete.
The rest of the day for Jaune had fallen into his new routine. He ate lunch with his team and friends. Slowly becoming more accustomed to their presence. He payed attention in class and was looking forward to the rest of the day off…
It was so…normal.
So serene.
Jaune grimaced as he hopped on his bike. Things had become so normal that Jaune was convinced that something bad was going to happen. The calm before the storm so to speak. Jaune rubbed his forearm and looked out at the distance.
"No" muttered Jaune "this isn't like before. You have a place now. No need to start looking for trouble."
Jaune turned the key and shot off on his bike. Like many students with their own vehicles Jaune ignored the normal speed limitations and just revved his vehicle for as fast as it could carry him. He zoomed onto the roads and began his thirty minute drive to Vale proper. The entire time his mind kept replaying the same thoughts again and again.
This was all just temporary. The White Fang. The Friends of Humanity. The Military. Something was coming. Something was going to destroy it all over again. Jaune's grip on the handle bars was intense. His knuckles turning white. Thankfully he was still fully aware of his surroundings as he merged with Vale traffic. He looked above the speedometer and noticed the time.
4:30. His sister Joy and her wife was waiting for him.
"Better hurry up" thought Jaune.
As he continued to drive Jaune hoped that his time with Joy may relieve him of his thoughts. Logically he knew that he was free. But even so years of constantly fighting against shadows had left him uncomfortable in the light. Did he really achieve some normalcy?
Or was this all some fucked up trap. A fake. Something.
HONK HONK.
Jaune rolled his eyes as he flipped the car behind him the bird. Wasn't his fault the damn lights were red.
HONK HONK HONK.
Jaune's face settled into a bit of a grimace. Too bad he promised Glynda he wouldn't cause any trouble.
"Breathe" muttered Jaune "You're almost there."
Sure enough the lights motioned for him to go forward, allowing him to turn left. Just to spite the idiot behind him Jaune slowly moved through left light, preventing the only vehicle behind him from following suit. Perhaps it was a little immature of him.
But fuck it felt good.
Jaune noticed a fair way in front of him was his sister, talking to her wife and holding their adopted daughter, all laughing and enjoying a meal together in a burger joint beside the hair salon. The siblings locked eyes and Jaune was, for a few brief moments, greeted to a beautiful smile. His heart warmed slightly; his thoughts that once thundered in his mind fell silent.
This was real.
This…was HOME.
Never in his life was Jaune so eager to park his bike. Usually he was reluctant to get off it. But now….
"Things are changing" thought Jaune "for the better…and it's time I got used to it."
Jaune parked the bike and rubbed his neck in an unusual sign of nervousness. His face as always remained unreadable but for those that knew how to read it, his body language spoke volumes. Jaune pulled at the collar of his school uniform. He ditched the jacket and instead just wore the white dress shirt and pants. The tie was forgotten as well. In his pocket was his scroll that Junior had provided for him, installed with all the school programs necessary for a tool of Beacon.
Jaune walked to the door, ignoring everything in his way. His heart pounded in his ears and he felt oddly thirsty. He opened the door and smiled. His sister Joy smirked at her brother, while her wife's eyes widened. The entire store might as well have been empty as Jaune locked eyes with his family.
"Jaune!"
Joy got up and wrapped her-self around her brother. He was slightly taller than her, so she rested her head on his shoulder. She squeezed harder than was perhaps necessary.
But Jaune was doing the same.
"I can't believe I'm holding you like this."
Jaune smiled. It was small, but the emotion it carried was vast.
"I'm of the same opinion" chuckled Jaune.
As Jaune went to move and take a seat beside his Sister's wife, Joy placed a hand on his chest.
"None of that" chuckled Joy "There's someone you have to meet. Korra, come here."
Jaune felt his throat constrict as he noticed a small child hop off her chair. She struggled with her shirt and eventually came behind her mother's leg.
"This is my daughter Korra" said Joy.
"…Hello…Little one."
Korra's cheeks expanded as she pouted at him. Suddenly her shy attitude vanished as she stepped out from behind her mother.
"I AM Not…..little".
The poor child gulped. Her mother, while tall was also slender. Jaune was easily a few inches taller than her and had muscle as well. His serious expression made the poor girl blush in embarrassment.
"Nya!"
The little girl hid her face in her arms. Jaune, in an unpredicted moment of tenderness, knelt in front of her. He smiled as instinct directed him, making himself seem less threatening and more open. He tapped her arms and Korra peaked out. It was obvious that Korra was not biologically related to him. Her skin was a rich cocoa and she was a Faunus unlike his sister. But even adopted this child was an Arc, his niece. Already Jaune felt the stirring of a bond for this child…
For his family. The child was certainly exotic though. She had tiger markings all over her body and a pair of tigress ears and tail to accompany those markings. Her black hair was a stark contrast to the Arcs own. She was a beautiful child and already Jaune could tell that his sister and her wife loved Korra immeasurably. Jaune held out his hand to her.
"My name is Jaune, Korra. And I am your Uncle…it is a pleasure to meet you."
Korra slowly took his hand. He closed his hand around hers softly and for the first time since he got out, smiled widely. Korra returned the smile in a way only a child could. As Jaune got up Korra quickly returned to her seat. He locked eyes with his sister and smiled.
"She's adorable" chuckled Jaune.
Joy smiled in return.
"I know."
"Sassy though…much like her mother."
Joy gave a devilish smrik.
"Oh I know, now this is my wife C-"
Jaune felt a sharp ping of killing intent and quickly turned around. He locked eyes with a goon in a mask. The poor stalker was shocked and bolted…but not before Jaune noticed his white mask…and the markings that were hidden by their hoodie.
The White Fang was watching…but what terrified Jaune was that it was obvious it wasn't him they were watching. Him and his sister were enough of a distance from the chairs that the White Fang goon could have only been staring at one place at the angle there head was pointing to. Jaune turned to see Korra smiling innocently,
Unaware of the beasts that now stalked her movements. Jaune swallowed and looked at his sister, ignoring how her wife and daughter were innocently eating away. Joy looked at him, pure anger and seething rage burning within her eyes.
"It would seem" said Jaune "That our…meet up has been interrupted."
Joy clasped her brothers arm.
"Not now. Wait till later, did you catch his scent."
Jaune nodded. Joy breathed a sigh of relief.
"Good. This isn't the first time this has happened…but this is the first time they've gotten so close."
"I'll hunt them down…the White Fang won't have a presence here when I'm done."
Joy grimaced.
"They're after my daughter"
"I guessed that was the case."
Jaune noticed that his sister's wife was now becoming concerned…apparently this truly was not the first time this has occurred.
"Any idea why?" asked Jaune.
"They're after her…or rather SHE is after her."
"Who?"
"Sienna Khan…Leader of the White Fang."
"…..Well Shit."
END
Sorry to end it on a cliff hanger (I detest them) but due to my horrible luck with technology lately I decided not to press on. Instead my next chapter will be back to its usual length and chock full of action right from the get go! Jaune, The Ultimate Weapon V.S The White Fang in this action packed event! Find out what happens next time in Part 3!
