Of twisted heroes and noble villains.
Arc family.
A family of heroes in the field of war. For decades they (alongside other heroic family) produce humanity's finest warrior to hold the tide of Grimm.
Then there's Jaune Arc. Above average intelligence, durable constitution, limitless creativity, but shit in everything else. He can't wield a sword to save a life even though he could run for hours, he is top of his class but couldn't be called a prodigy.
"Jaune, you haven't improved in months! You can't even scratch Violet, who just started training last month…" His father, Jonathan Arc, sighed as he lowered his sword. Glancing at the sprawled form of Jaune, glaring at the sky.
"Jaune, I have trained you for 2 years now…" Jonathan started gently "Your improvement is worse than even the trainees that I taught…" he sighed and sheathed his sword, giving one last look at Jaune's shocked face.
"I'm cancelling your training, forget about being a Huntsmen. You aren't cut out for it."
He sighed as anger flashed in his eyes for a second, grim acceptance soon replaced it. He carefully stands up. Then he nodded, walking past the sad gaze of his father to sheath his sword.
Back in his room, he dropped to the bed and cries. He cries and cries until he could cry no more. Then? Then sleep overtook him.
He woke up in the middle of the night to the sound of shouting coming from the kitchen down stair. He couldn't remember getting to his room and he certainly forget to clean himself up before crashing.
Deciding to kill two nevermore with one bullet he walks down stair with towel and clean clothes.
As he walks down stair, the shouting becomes clearer and clearer. He realizes that both of his parents are shouting at each other.
"-At least reconsider! Being a huntsmen is his dream for years!" His mother yelled.
"I have already consider it! We have taught him for years! Years! He isn't suited for being a huntsmen! It maybe his dream, but he could get himself and an innocent killed! I'm not letting my son or someone else's family's get killed because of me being too lenient…" Jonathan sighed the last word, finding less and less strength to argue with his wife.
Then they both realizes that Jaune is standing there, with a towel and clean clothes and a tear in his eyes.
All those stories he heard, about heroes protecting the innocents. About the Arc family's legacy. His dream of being the protector of justice? All of it died that day. Replaced with the acceptance that he couldn't be anything significant.
So he ran back up and back to his room. He slammed the door shut and locked it behind him before slumping against it. He chuckled dryly.
What is he doing he wonders? He has cried his last tear before going to bed. He looks to the window in his room, showing the full moon that's blocked by the blinds.
Walking toward the light switch, he lazily turn it off then wobbles to the window to open the blinds. With a small smile he pushes the window out. Letting the night breeze fills his room.
He couldn't remember how long he's been standing there, looking at the moon.
Shaking his head he turs around and slumped down at the window, he would sleep with the night air this time. Who knows? Maybe it could help him calm down.
Just as his consciousness started to drift away, he realizes that the a something is casting a shadow over the moon. Specifically, something right above him.
He whips his head upwards and rolled away, trying to create distance to whatever that is. He might not be gifted in combat, but his training aren't for naught.
The thing, that is casting shadow. Is actually a man armored with futuristic looking armor that glows dim yellow in several spots, his face is covered in a full metallic helmet that doesn't have any slits for vision in fact it has a small camera looking thing in the center, glowing a menacing red.
Well, he assumes it was a man. It could be an atlas new robot sent to kill him for all he knows.
Then the thing spoke. It sounded staticky and distorted, like someone speaking through a cheap mic.
"your desire is pure, your heart is strong, your body however is not." It spoke while looking him up and down. "As you are now, your desire to be a hero, to fought as one, is a fools dream."
Wariness, turns to rage, then to a fucked up amusement. Not even a murder bot approve of his dream of being a hero. It shouldn't hurt, but it did. It just confirms his dream is merely that, a dream.
"What do you want?" Jaune asked tiredly "If you want to kill me then so be it, at least have a decency and don't insult me one last time while you're at it…" He smiled mirthlessly while spreading his arm.
"Your death is not my purpose." It stated before removing its helmet and revealing a man in his 20s with a pair of glowing blue eyes. "On the contrary… how much do you want to be a hero?"
Two months later.
"-and you said, and I quote 'I may be a fool, but it's still my dream' all serious like." The blue eyed man laughed as he chugs down a can of soft drink. Instead of the intimidating armor he wore 2 months ago, he now wore a casual blue T-shirt with baggy jean and fancy civilian shoes.
Jaune, sitting on the table across from him currently wearing a red t-shirt, sport leggings and sport shoes. His arm glows faint blue, a heavy handgun manifested and blasted the man right in the head. The blue eyed man disappears in a flash of small light then Jaune's face slammed into the table as a hand pushed it downwards. The bullet harmlessly wrecked a chair in the distance.
"Ah~ what did I tell you about showing your emotion during an assassination, hmm?" The man asked as he retracted his arm. Jaune slowly rubbed his forehead and glared at said man.
"It was irritation when somebody insults me… I'm sure nobody would think I would pull out a handgun!."
"Excuses! Excuses!" The man back handed Jaune in the back of his head, causing Jaune to slam forward again. "I saw through your tricks and that means it isn't good enough!" He smirks as Jaune's glare intensifies.
"Can you stop that?!" Jaune rubbed his forehead "You don't count, Oum damnit! You're Dean Hunter, an Aegis's operator, if I can kill you then you really don't deserve that spot! And I know damn sure you deserve that spot!"
"Flattery isn't getting you anywhere…" Dean hunter smiled smugly.
"No…" Jaune's eyes widen, fear evident in his eyes.
"Yes!" Dean's glee could be tasted in the air, and it is sickly sweet. "Dodging training after this!"
"What are we doing here anyway? It's rare for you, and by extension… us, to be back in the HQ" Jaune looked around the cafeteria. "Hell, the only time I remember being in the HQ except now is the time I accepted the offer of a potential mugger hobo."
"Well, that's because I have no reason to be here. We both are the last of Aegis so we don't need any paperwork…" Hunter chuckles to himself as he stood up and dusted his shirt. "Come, it's time for initiation…"
"Initiation? I thought I'm already an operator?" Jaune's eye brow raised slightly.
"You're a trainee…" Dean deadpanned.
"I took down an adult white fang fighter!" Jaune shouted indignantly as he stood up and followed Dean outside of the room.
The lights in the silvery hallway light up as both of them walked. "And you're expected to took down an their entire operation solo…" Dean replied smugly.
Jaune grumbled something to himself about 'too high standard' and 'stupid atlasian specialist'
Dean chuckled as he stops in front of a golden door. Jaune paused behind him. In front of him the word 'Initiation chamber' floated in the middle of the door. Dean pressed his hand on the door as the word disappeared and the door slid downward, revealing a blue sphere made of twirling energy.
Jaune stares at it in curiosity as he walk ahead of Dean. Just then does he realizes something. He paused and snapped his head backwards. Looking directly at the too smug look of Dean Hunter waving at him.
Then the door slam shut.
Dean Hunter's pov
I whistles happily as the scream echoes from the initiation chamber. Oh, I remember the days when it was me inside of there. He's got quite the strong mental fortitude, he broke off the psi-orb's influence in half the distance I traveled.
Wonder which part is this?
"I'M GOING TO SKIN YOU ALIVE WITH A CRYSTALIZED SALT KNIFE!" Jaune's scream echoes from the chamber.
Oh, that one. Emotional constitution… I hate that one too. From the sound of it, so does Jaune.
"WHAT THE FUCK IS THAT?! WHAT THE FUCK?! NO HUMAN SHOULD BEND THAT WAY! GET AWAY FROM ME!"
Ah… the slithering human-spider hybrid. God, I remembered that one. Bravery test was it?
"OH COME ON! ARE YOU A CUBE? OR ARE YOU A BALL?! PICK ONE?! NO, NOT FUCKING TRIANGLE! WHAT THE FUCK KIND OF SHAPE IS THAT?!"
The illusion test… I did pretty well in that one to be honest.
"REALLY?! I THOUGHT DEAN WAS JOKING! IS THAT A FUCKING FLYING BATTLESHIP?! FUCK, FUCK, FUCK! LEAVE ME ALONE!"
Ah, survival test. Silly Jaune, of course I'm serious when I said you're expected to deal with an entire army as an operator…
The door finally slid open and Jaune walks out with a haggard expression. He stares at me. I stares back. Then he lifted a finger to me. I shrugged. Fair enough.
"How… How did I do?" Jaune tiredly took a deep breath.
3rd person POV
He pulls out a tablet out of the wall and coughed to his hand dramatically. He even took a snobby rich dude pose. Jaune is starting to regret accepting his offer to be honest.
"Jaune Arc… You have passed with…" He paused dramatically. "Barely passable score of 470…"
"So… I pass? You didn't even give me time to prepare, of course I would suck!" I retorted.
"A sortie order could come anytime, it's your fault for not always being ready…" Dean slid the tablet back to the wall.
"Uh… how much did you get during YOUR initiation anyway?" Jaune asked as they walk back to the cafeteria to eat.
"402" Dean answered with a small smile. "Bottom of the batch"
Jaune's gaze could be described with the word 'doubtful'. Jaune gazes Dean up and down before staring him dead in the eyes and said "I refuse to believe you did worse than me"
"Well, believe it or not… I was not always strong." He paused and looked at his watch "Anyway, you better get going… your family is waiting."
Jaune's expression fell. He opened his mouth to protest only to be silenced by Hunter's gentle yet stern glare. "Go… Treasure them, an Aegis operator is immortal by default. This is going to be the last you will see of them for a long time… After this, no more games… we are saving lives and kicking ass…"
"You have a week to say goodbye…" With that Dean walks away, leaving Jaune with his thought.
Minutes later
Walking back home while alone with his own thought. He gazes his manor, once he might proudly call it home. A place where his family lives. People that he cherish more than anything.
Now? He doesn't know. Would he be able to sacrifice his own family to save Vale? Would he spill his little sister's blood to kill cinder? As Aegis demanded the safety of the crowd more than the feeling of the executors.
Shaking his head he opens the door and walks inside.
"I'm home…" He said tiredly. As he closed his door, he saw his family all gathered in the living room looking at him.
With a cake on the center.
And a massive sign saying happy birthday.
Jaune's mouth hang open as one of his older sister grabbed him and dragged him to the cake. Giggling along the way.
"Come on silly, you have been pretty distant for in this past two months…" She paused to grab something behind him and placed it on his head. Looking at the cup he saw the cheap birthday hat placed snugly on his head.
"So we decided to throw you a birthday party! You may not be a Huntsmen, but you're still family!" Her mother chirps in from the kitchen carrying his favorite drink; hot chocolate.
This… they… they were the price he paid willingly 2 months ago. This warmth he thought were lost forever might as well be as he remembers the oath he took. He is tempted to just up and left Aegis here and now.
Hell, he might as well has. Forget the fate of this world, forget about the queen of grim, forget about all of humanity's legend and live his life in comfort with his family.
But he couldn't. For the love of his family he couldn't.
Jaune fell to the floor and weep.
"I'm sorry" for forgetting about you guys.
"I'm sorry" for everything I did in the past.
"I'm so sorry" I couldn't throw away my duty as an operator to live alongside you guys again.
His family rushed to him and proceed to engage a group hug. Causing him to cry even harder. Eventually he passed out, the strain of the initiation and the mental weight of everything caught up to him and he peacefully slept away.
The chocolate cake goes forgotten and the chocolate became lukewarm. But for the first time in their life, they realized that this felt right.
Shame they couldn't keep it.
When he woke up, it was already morning. The atmosphere is warm… just like old times. He cleaned himself up and walks up to his father.
"Uhm… dad?" Jaune asked warily. This caught Jonathan's attention. He folded his newspaper and stares at Jaune. Thinking he already has his dad's attention he continues "can we… can we go to a family trip? Just for a week?"
"Hmm? What bought this on?" Jaune's father asked with a raised brow.
"Well, for my birthday… can we… go together? As a family?" one last time.
Smiling widely Jonathan nodded. "Sure, do you have any idea where to go?" He pushed his newspaper away and signaled to the whole family to gather. Jaune didn't even realize that his entire family is nearby.
"I don't know, I don't think I would go this far to be honest…" Jaune sheepishly scratched his cheek. 'I don't care where we go anyway as long as I can spend our time one last time…' he added in his mind.
"How about a trip to the forest? A picnic?" Joan Arc, Jaune's mother, helpfully added with a beaming smile. As if she doesn't suggest going to what amounts to an active warzone for a family outing. Granted each member of the Arc family has the strength of a literal army.
"How about going to the city?" Jaune helpfully suggested. "I don't think going to a Grimm infested forest for picnic is a good idea… Since you know?" It's full of Grimm.
They looked at him funny before he realizes, He's supposed to be a civilian. Jaune wanted to bash his head to a table for the slip. Though that can wait for later… now he needed to dispel this awful atmosphere.
"It's not like I don't have any faith in you guys but I'd rather go somewhere simple instead of an active warzone for a family outing…" He waved his arm forward and forced a smile that's hopefully, believable.
The sisters all looked at each other before shrugging. "Sure… you're the birthday boy anyway! So you choose! We can go tomorrow after packing our stuffs."
The sisters immediately dispersed and excitedly packed their stuffs, listed the things that they needed to buy and goes outside. Dragging Jaune with them.
Through all of this Jaune has a gentle smile on his face.
Dean Hunter's POV
The mad man actually plans to throw away his family. I thought he would break after that little birthday stun. Thought he would let me do the whole 'save everybody' thing. He really is serious about the whole being a hero thing.
Heh. What an idiot.
I lowered my binocular as they dragged the poor fool away to buy grocery for their last time together.
Man…
I fell like a dick. This feels like back then when I have to burn down the village and execute all of the survivor because of a bioweapon leak. Damn, I thought I've managed to forget their faces.