Jaune took a breath of Mantle's crisp morning air as he listened to the rhythmic march of schoolchildren following him. He held up his stop sign as they approached a crosswalk and gave a blast of his whistle for emphasis. The long line of children behind him stopped obediently as he waited for traffic to clear. Stepping out into the crosswalk he held his stop signal up for any passing cars. He signaled for the children to walk with two blasts of his whistle and they did remaining in their single file line awaiting him to take the lead once more. He performed a quick head count on the kids seeing that indeed everyone was accounted for.
Simple and uneventful as this job was Jaune could hardly complain now that he was back to working as a huntsman. He took another breath of the crisp air and savored it. It tasted like freedom.
"Looking sharp Mr. huntsman!" One of the moms teased from behind him crossing the street after their kids. They gave him teasing smirks and grins as they passed by him carrying tupperware containers of home cooked meals they gifted him. He'd gotten pretty sick of all the casseroles and meatloaf dishes they'd been giving him, but after the last week of Atlas caffetteria food he was salivating for the opportunity to eat a real home cooked meal, even if it did need to be reheated. Pulse he was able to save plenty of lien from meals thanks to all the home cooking, even if it did mean a lot of casseroles.
He had even missed their teasing and overly friendly nature. Jaune lowered the stop sign and walked back out in front of the line giving a blast of his whistle signaling them to follow.
"So where have you been hiding?" One of the moms asked him, the blonde, she usually wore the same red coat, Cassandra Jaune thought her name was. "It's been over a week since you last helped us, were you off on a dangerous mission?" She asked.
Jaune grinned awkwardly at her friendly teasing. "No I was in the hospital," he explained, a little embarrassed that he'd been hurt enough to keep him from this little daily mission of seeing that these kids safely got across town and to school.
"The hospital? You were hurt?" She asked with a touch of concern.
"Yeah, I got beat up pretty bad," he explained.
"So you were on a dangerous mission," she observed.
"Well yeah," Jaune admitted, "but it wasn't for a week." The words dangerous mission didn't really feel right to him. It made it sound like one of his favorite Spruce Willis action movies when the reality felt the opposite to him.
"Well we're all glad to have our big strong huntsman back protecting our kids," the mother explained teasing him as she and the rest always did.
Jaune smiled at that, "glad to be back ma'am," he said with a nod.
"Ma'am? There's no need to be so formal Jaune, you can just call me Cassandra, or Cassie if you want," she chided playfully, giving him a wink.
"Uh… yes ma'am," Jaune blushed and turned away focusing on the sidewalks as he readied to lead his platoon of children safely across the street. Sometimes with their overly familiar and friendly demeanor it almost felt like some of the mothers were actually flirting with him. It certainly made things awkward sometimes.
He was back in the saddle so to speak. Escorting these kids to school under the watchful eye of their mothers wasn't challenging or dangerous and he was happy with that, it was nice to have something certain and safe in his life to contrast with his more chaotic and dangerous work. This was the perfect way for him to get back up to speed.
He blew his whistle to stop the line of kids as he readied to once again help them stop. The school was just in sight now so he'd be able to call it mission accomplished soon enough and return to Atlas with a paycheck and an arm full of home cooked meals for himself and the rest of his team. As the kids all stopped on the sidewalk with a blast of his whistle they turned their heads to the sky as the faint rumbling roar of engines echoed through the streets below.
Jaune looked to see the green jets trailing behind as Penny soared through the air. He heard a few of the kids and pedestrians mumble "the Protector of Mantle" or simple point as she flew above them. Jaune smirked, a good start to his first day back.
Soaring above the busy streets of Mantle Penny scanned the streets diligently watching everything as she kept herself tuned into the police scanner for any trouble requiring her attention. While her duties on patrol weren't exactly exciting they certainly could be interesting. Watching everyone go about their daily lives could be interesting and occasionally she found herself helping the community in small but satisfying ways. Clearing a traffic jam or helping a cat out of a tree just like in one of Jaune's comic books.
It was certainly preferable to being forced to stay in her room for hours upon hours. She passed over a school watching the line of vehicles slowly move as parents dropped their children off while others walked them. Children, loud and boisterous ran around the school yard playing around as they awaited the first bell to signal the start of their school day.
A screech of a whistle caught her attention and she shifted her view downward as a familiar looking crossing guard signaled an orderly line of children across the street. Her vision magnified and confirmed that indeed it was the blonde knight overseeing a group of children safely to school with their mothers apparently in tow.
She swooped down into a dive and touched down on a clear patch of concrete. She heard a few of the parents and their kids take notice and stare at her. She was accustomed to the stares and attention of civilians and easily ignored them as she turned to her friend. Jaune was already looking at her as she approached. "Hello Jaune!" She greeted, walking up to him.
"Hey Penny," Jaune greeted her, cracking a smile at her. She couldn't help but feel a flutter of happiness when he smiled at her. "I wasn't expecting to see you here of all places."
"It was on my patrol route," she explained to him, "and I thought I would say hello since I spotted you."
"Well it's good to see you out of your room, I was worried I might have accidentally gotten you in trouble when Winter caught me trying to talk to you," he explained scratching the back of his head.
"As far as I know Winter has not informed anyone of what has happened as I have received no new punishments since," she explained to him a little touched at his concern. "I too am pleased to be back, it is nice to once again resume my role as the protector of Mantle."
"Back to being a superhero huh?" Jaune teased.
"No giant monsters or supervillains yet!" Penny informed him playing along with his well natured teasing.
"Well the citizens of Mantle are lucky to have you," he praised earning a giggle from her.
"So uh… Jaune… I know it is a bit soon but I was wondering if maybe we could get together again," she suggested to him, "maybe have another movie night or something… whenever you are ready and have free time naturally."
"Sure," he said scratching the back of his head, "it'd be nice to hang out again… especially after everything that happened, a fifteen minute talk doesn't feel like enough."
"Yes, it would be nice to have more time to talk," Penny agreed, feeling a flush of elation that he'd agreed.
Jaune nodded, "yeah, I look forward to it," he said, taking a glance back to the group of children obediently remaining in their line together. "Here can you wait a minute, I need to give the kids their stickers for being so good and dismiss them."
Penny nodded to him letting him go to reward the small army of children. It seemed strange that something as simple as a small picture with an adhesive had value to these children but it seemed enough to influence them into obedience.
"And to think, no girlfriend!" Penny heard a voice say through the loud uproar of children playing around them. She turned to see the various mothers speaking together a distance from Jaune and their children, giggling together, her enhanced hearing able to discern their conversation despite the noise.
"I know!" One of the other mothers exclaimed. "I would think a boy like him would have a line of girls asking him out."
They were talking about Jaune. Penny turned looking at the women huddled together as they watched Jaune give their children stickers and words of praise addressing each one individually before releasing them to run and play before the first bell.
"Well I'll line up if those huntresses won't," another said.
"Hmmm I'd fight you for a spot in that line," another of the women commented, "I was missing my daily eye candy."
"He was apparently in the hospital," a blonde in a red jacket explained to her fellow mothers, "he was hurt on a mission."
"Hmm poor boy, my lasagna should help him feel better," another mused.
The blonde mother giggled, "Well I'd certainly volunteer to be his nurse," she giggled slyly, "I would give him a physical he'd never forget."
All the moms giggled and Penny felt a flash of rage surge through her. Anger, a rare emotion for her. She clenched her fist on instinct as he turned away from the moms trying not to stare heatedly at them. How could they talk about Jaune like that? Their lewd comments infuriating her as she listened to them joke about wanting to get their hands all over him.
Her internal scroll activated and pulled her attention away from the lustful women and their disrespectful comments about her friend. "Penny," a voice came over the line addressing her. Police Captain Mcallan addressed her, "we got a report of a grimm incursion on the southeast quarter along Elmwood street. We got a couple squads on the way but you could get there faster."
"I'll be there soon," Penny assured him, she ended the call to see Jaune approach.
"Sorry that took so long," Jaune apologized, "the kids really missed me… are you alright?" He looked at her oddly and Penny realized her fists were still clenched in anger. Penny released it.
"Duty calls," Penny told him, dodging his question and the need to lie. "I need to go fight some monsters," she explained, forcing a smile she didn't feel.
Jaune nodded, "well I won't keep ya!" He said cracking another grin at her. She felt a bit of fury dissolve at his smile. "Good luck superhero!"
Penny nodded to him, "good luck Jaune." She turned away from him and knelt, she leapt up and activated her jet boots rocketing into the air. She skimmed low over the heads of the lustful mothers. A few of them squeaked in surprise as something so fast moving directly overhead.
Penny gazed back at the women and saw that a couple had dropped the containers of food, spilling their contents all over the concrete.
A bloom of smug satisfaction welled within Penny at the sight of the lasagne staining the concrete to the frustration of the mother that cooked it. She climbed higher into the sky flying above the buildings towards her objective. What pleasure she had at causing the mother's to drop their home cooked meals rapidly faded as she soared away from the school, now it seemed petty and small instead of just and satisfying.
Why had she done that? To punish the mothers for their coarse comments about Jaune? To defend his honor? Like something a noble knight in one of Blake's books would do, fighting for the good name of a lady. She did not feel noble examining her actions.
She descended as she spotted the target neighborhood. She tried to banish the questions in her mind as she spotted a beowolf chasing a car that sped away evading the rampaging grimm.
Her back compartment opened and deployed Floating Array, the many blades separating and fanning out as they morphed into their laser gun forms. A single green shot fired and seared a hole through the beowolf's skull killing it quick and clean easy. The body of the grimm lay lifeless in the street dissolving into black smoke.
Penny circled around and scanned the neighborhood for more grimm or anybody potentially hurt or in danger. All the while she couldn't help but ponder Jaune and her recent actions.
Vasily tapped on the arm of his chair as he touched the dial button on his scroll once more. To his annoyance and lack of surprise Bonnie did not answer his call. It'd been almost two days now.
"Damned woman," he grumbled to himself, watching as the Atliesian knight stepped into the living room with a steaming cup of tea for him. "I'll have her pay for this," he told the automated drone. Silly as it was to speak to the lifeless automaton it was certainly an improvement to speaking to himself. Bonnie had reprogrammed it for simple and minor tasks around the household, including but not limited to making his tea, black with some dark rum.
He hit the control of the television again and idly watched the screen light up showing the morning news. Little of it interested him and only served to bill the silence of the safe house. There was still pain whenever he moved but it was fading. Vasily was sure he had that butcher who called himself a surgeon to thank for the lingering pain and the simple fact that his aura hadn't completely healed yet.
Soon though, he'd be fit enough to to fight soon. If he wasn't he'd find that so called doctor and practice surgery himself, with a dull rusty blade. Vasily sipped his hot tea and pondered the pleasant fantasy of brutalizing that man in retribution.
The news droned on and on to his disinterest. He had little use for whatever truths Ironwood and the rest of the council handpicked for public consumption. The intrusion in Atlas Academy being the latest of current events to be pulled beneath the veil, Vasily suspected that his employer had a hand in whatever happened there. Curiously enough it was around the same time he'd noticed that Bonnie was gone.
His mind turned back to the matter at hand. His missing assistant. He didn't know why she left the safe house, he honestly didn't care at first but now that his employer's operations were moving again he needed her here.
He pressed the button on his scroll to call her again, only to hear the prerecorded message telling him to leave a message, it infuriated him. He sipped his tea to calm his nerves, there'd be time enough to exert his anger on her once she came back. If she came back. Perhaps she'd simply left on a simple errand too small for his notice and was apprehended by Atlas authorities. Perhaps General Ironwood was holding her in some black site for interrogation trying to discern his location. That would be troublesome to say the least.
He checked the table to his side seeing the howdah pistol within easy reach. If Ironwood was coming for him he'd greet his men with a fight. Thought knowing the types of automated defenses Bonnie had doubtlessly fortified this safe house with he doubted they'd even reach the front door before he escaped.
A muted rumble cut through the relative quiet. The garage doors were being opened. He lifted himself up and out of the chair with the aid of his cane. Pain bloomed in his abdomen but he did not let it deter him. He pocketed his pistol in his robe and strode for the garage, his cane thumping on the floor. Each painful step he channeled into his anger.
The door to the garage opened before he could reach it and the face of his assistant greeted him. She smiled brightly at him and he felt his hot anger turn bitterly cold. Did she think a smile would protect her from his wrath?
"Where have you been?" He asked her pointedly, "It's been days, and you ignored my calls."
"I was out," she answered him without a hint of fear of concern. "I had to ditch my scroll I'm afraid, they might have been tracking it."
Vasily raised an eyebrow at that, "you had trouble with the authorities?" He asked, staying his anger for the moment."
"I was at Atlas Academy two nights ago," she explained to him.
"What!" He barked. "You were responsible for that? What in the name of hell were you doing there?" He tightened his grip on his cane, he was ready to snap it over her. "What if you were caught? What possible reason did you have for going there of all places!"
Bonnie held her hand up and Vasily felt his fury dull. Her hand clutched the polished wood grip of his express rifle. He dropped his cane to clatter on the hardwood floor and stepped closer to inspect it.
Every mark every scratch, every gold engraving just as he remembered. His finest weapon built to his exact specifications and design for his semblance and for maximum killing potential. "You stole back my weapons!" He said looking away from his beloved double rifle to her.
"I got all of them," Bonnie told him, "your whip, you knife, your revolver, I got it all my love."
Vasily felt the last of anger towards her melt away at the simple knowledge that his beloved trophies had been returned. "How did you get into Atlas Academy?" He asked her.
"Flex wanted to take a shot at Ironwood," Bonnie explained. "I agreed to get a hold of the layout of the buildings ventilation systems and hack the security, I simply needed him to slip into their servers and give me direct control. The rest was easy, though they've doubtlessly caught onto their mistakes."
Vasily nodded as he inspected his rifle, he checked the empty chambers and peered down the sights familiarizing himself with his old friend. "Obviously Flex failed to kill the General," Vasily mused cracking a grin, "at least I could benefit from his failure."
"Flex is dead," Bonnie explained to him, "he died attacking Ironwood, I do not know the full details but it seems Jaune Arc was with him."
"Arc?!" Vasily asked her, "Arc was there?!"
Bonnie nodded, "The intercom feed I intercepted mentioned that Jaune Arc was with General Ironwood in his office just moments before the attack."
Vasily laughed. A boisterous cackle shaking him and making his pain bloom. Naturally Arc had killed an amateur like Flex. He was a talentless hack who was only good for crawling through small spaces, always using air vents like it was a Spruce Willis movie. He wasn't good enough to face Jaune Arc, he wasn't good enough to fight the boy who had bested him.
"Most interesting," Vasily said, looking to his assistant. He damned the pain that still dwelled within him as his libido stirred. If he wasn't still wounded he'd take her to the bedroom to show her his gratitude. "Mr. Arc's blade will make a fine trophy indeed," he mused aloud banishing thoughts on his carnal needs.
"There's some else my love," Bonnie said tentatively, "when I raided the lab I found something quite interesting."
"Interesting you say?" Vasily asked, unable to mask his pleasure.
"I'll show you," Bonnie said, turning back into the garage. Vasily followed her as she moved out to the back of his truck and pulled away a tarp. A white coffin-like container rested in the truck bed and she pulled it down leaning it against the tailgate.
With a press of a button the container hissed and opened to reveal its contents. A body lay before him, naked and still. Pale freckled skin, copper red hair. He stared at the lifeless face of Penny Polendina.
Vasily grinned, "of course Ironwood would make more," he chuckled, scanning the android's body for any indications marking it different from the original, he found none.
"It's not just a copy," Bonnie told him, "it's a new model, a more advanced prototype they were developing."
"Can we use it?" Vasily asked her, "can it generate its own aura?"
"Not yet," Bonnie explained, "but I copied whatever secrets I could get on it," she explained to him, "I think I can get it online and generating an aura with enough time."
Vasily grinned, "tell me, what do we need."
Hope you all enjoyed the second arc and are ready for the third. Writing a blooming romance between Jaune and Penny has been an enjoyable challenge to say the least. If you've read this far I hope you have enjoyed the story, it certainly has kept me busy during the quarantine. I look forward to the next arc and I hope you will all enjoy what I have planned. Please review and leave your thoughts and as always I'd like to thank MidKnightMoonglow99 for listening and commenting on my ideas and providing them as well.