Fourth chapter. Sorry it took me so long to write it. I don't really have an excuse, so let's just get started.
Jaune was hiding in the wardrobe of the now empty house, hoping that it would offer him some protection. He didn't think it would - these monsters were very strong and there were more of them than he could count. But it was better than staying out in the open and waiting for them to eat him.
Hide. That was easily the best choice, the best strategy. Jaune knew he had no chance to outrun these monsters, let alone fight them off. His father, the powerful huntsmen he was, wasn't able to hold off all of them and none of his sisters were able to run quite fast enough...
No. He should not think about it. He remembered what his father told him about the Grimm. Thinking bad thoughts drew them towards him. Jaune had to avoid thinking about what just happened if he wanted to have any hope of surviving.
That wasn't easy though. Seeing all these people die in such a way, to the monsters' claws and teeth... it was easily the scariest thing he has seen in his life. And the knowledge that he could soon end up that way as well made him want to cry loudly.
But there was nobody that would hear him. Nobody that would help him at least.
Die. Not in eighty years' time, but perhaps just few minutes from now. Jaune knew everyone died eventually, his parents explained that to him not so long ago, but to think that it could happen in any moment was... terrifying? Horrifying? Was there a right word for that kind of fear?
Damn it, he was thinking bad thoughts again. He had to stop. He could already hear something moving in the house and, judging from how much noise it was making, it wasn't a human.
He stopped breathing. He didn't know if it would help, but he had to do something to increase his chances. He heard the sounds get louder, as though the thing was getting closer to him...
And then he heard the shot.
Jaune Schnee woke up in his bedroll. He was covered in sweat, though unlike yesterday, it wasn't because of the motion sickness. This time, it was an effect of fear and panic he had to go through.
Damn it... he hadn't had nightmares for a long time. It was inconvenient that one had to take place now of all nights, but it also made sense. Coming to Beacon did generate a lot of stress and anxiety and that wasn't a prerequisite for nice dreams.
After looking around, Jaune realized that it was morning anyways. Some people had already woken up, or were just now getting up from their beddings, but most prospective students were still lying on the floor. Unless he had been screaming in his sleep or something, it was unlikely anyone noticed him acting strangely. It was good - better if nobody thought he had some sort of mental problems.
Because he didn't have any. Yes, he had nightmares from time to time, but that was a given considering the crap he went through.
Jaune couldn't help but try to remember the times before the attack. He had been living in Ansel, a relatively small settlement on the borders of Vale. It was protected by Damien Arc, a renowned huntsman who was able to protect the town from most threats. He apparently felt secure enough there to start the family and have several children - four daughters and a single son.
Jaune didn't remember that much about his biological family or his life back then in general. Most of he knew was either guesswork or data he read many years afterwards, both of which provided him with limited information.
Not that it mattered by now. Ansel had been completely and utterly destroyed by the Grimm and only a few residents managed to survive. His father tried to hold the monsters off but, for whatever reason, the horde that attacked the settlement was unusually large. Though he undoubtedly did his best, Damien Arc had fallen in battle that day, and most of his family followed him into the grave.
Not Jaune though. That was no achievement of his own, of course - he just got lucky that night, at least when compared to most people in Ansel. He managed to escape the slaughter in the town center and hide in one of the houses. Somehow, the Grimm didn't manage to find him until the armed help arrived and managed to rescue what few survivors there were.
Now, Arcs were a fairly big family. Now that Jaune looked back at it, there must have been some relatives who would take him in. If Jacques wanted to act selflessly, he would have adopted one of the several orphans from Ansel who really didn't have anywhere to go. But he wasn't being selfless, or at least not entirely - and was he ever? He wanted to be visible, he wanted opportunities for creating more connections to the other well-known families and, perhaps more than anything, he wanted a son who would be a viable candidate for inheriting his company, should both of his daughters prove inadequate.
Not that Jaune held it against his foster father. Yes, taking the young Arc in was a strategic move on his part and sure, he had his fair share of flaws. He was far too focused on his job and said job wasn't exactly an honest business. Weiss prided herself on being aware how screwed up the Schnee Dust Company was and wishing to improve it, but Jaune wasn't blind either. There were many people out there who had been in some way hurt by his father's dealings.
The difference between him and Weiss was, in that case, that he was being less naive about what should be done. If Jaune wanted to make things even a little bit better, he had to compromise. Not to oppose their father, not to try to make any radical changes to how things were. After all, while the SDC was responsible for many bad things, it was still the largest dust supplier in Remnant. It had to stay operational for the good of the world, even if that meant engaging in some dishonest practices.
He and Weiss would often argue about that. His sister seemed convinced that he only believed what he did because it was partially in line with his father's wishes. And fair enough, she could think that. But she was wrong and Jaune wouldn't let her take over their family company.
Going to Beacon together was their idea for settling the score. Both of them could have decided not to train as huntsmen or just go to Atlas instead. But attending Beacon together was a more elegant solution. For once, the rules and the battlefield for their little game were all clear. Whoever won would get the full prize. Whoever lost - and it wouldn't be him hopefully - would get to become a huntsmen anyways.
Well, as long as they graduated. And passed the initiation in the first place.
Jaune stood up, stretched his muscles, grabbed the clothes he had prepared and went in the direction of the showers. He would need to be fresh for the big event after all. Right now, he was actually grateful that he had been woken up earlier than usual, as it allowed him to avoid the crowds and wash himself in relative peace.
Showering took him a few minutes, after which he headed for the cafeteria. It was a spacious room with large windows and a high ceiling. While there weren't that many people there at that hour, the place was still pretty loud thanks to a singular girl making quite a lot of noise.
She had ginger hair, a pink-white outfit and, like pretty much all the woman in Beacon, looked pretty damn hot. Sadly - or maybe fortunately given Jaune's record in that area - she already had a male companion. A tall and seemingly quiet boy, who was now making pancakes on a kitchen plate. It was sort of weird, as there was food provided for them in the stands, but maybe he was just afraid of being poisoned, like some businessmen did. Or just like preparing his own meals, like some normal people did.
"I'm telling you, we need to get into the same team together somehow. We cannot be on different teams. The team on which I will be has to contain you as well, and your team needs to have me in it."
"Nora, you just said the same thing four times." The boy commented, his sight still focused on the cooking plate.
"Well good. It means you will not forget that. Oh hey!" The girl, Nora as she was apparently called, noticed Jaune approaching and ran up to him, outstretching her hand. "We were getting kind of lonely there. Most people around here are total lazybuds. Name's Nora, nice to meet you!"
Jaune was taken aback by... well, everything about that greeting, but he still shook Nora's hand. There were only two hours or so until the initiation and it would surely pay off to actually know some participant save for Weiss and Ruby.
"My name is Jaune. Jaune Schnee" He introduced himself and awaited a reaction of some sorts - his encounter with Blake on the plaza taught him that it was better to get that part out of the way quickly.
"I am Lie Ren. You can use the last name." The boy didn't try to shake hands with Jaune, as he remained focused on the cooking, but he gave him a polite nod of his head.
"Nice to meet you both. And I wish you luck in a few hours."
"Is that smart of you though?" Nora asked, the tone of her voice changing so that it became quieter and almost ominous. "What if we use that luck to get ahead of you? What if our luck causes you not to pass the exam, or to get eaten by a Beowolf, or to drop your ice cream on the floor? Have you thought about that, dear mister?"
Well, that girl was certainly expressive. Still, she seemed nicer to be around than most people Jaune interacted with over the course of his life, such as vultures who wanted nothing but an opportunity to mooch off a Schnee or entitled snobs that made Weiss look like a nice person in comparison. He could put up with Nora.
"Well, you will need all the luck in the world if you want to keep up with me." Jaune stated in a tone that made it clear how little he meant what he said. "I'm one of the very best, in my age category anyway."
"You know, that boast would have sounded a lot better without the last part." Nora commented.
"Yeah, I know. I'm not very good at being cool." Jaune joked.
"Eh, I think you're pretty cool. Much cooler than..." Nora paused, as though she wasn't sure if she was allowed to say something out loud. Jaune raised his eyebrows in response.
"I think we met your sister yesterday." Ren explained. "It didn't go very well."
"Oh. I apologize for her, whatever happened." Jaune replied, trying not to show a tinge of satisfaction those news brought him. Apparently Weiss hadn't had an easy time socializing either.
"She didn't do anything wrong, really. She just couldn't handle Nora very well. It happens." Ren said and then threw Nora pancake, which she caught in her mouth and immediately devoured. She didn't appear to care about the comment Ren made regarding her, as she simply held a thumb up thanking for the meal.
"Anyways," Nora said after the pancake passed through her throat. "If you want, we might save you a spot on our team. Right Ren?"
"If possible." Ren shrugged. "We intend to get into one team, by the way."
"I figured as much." Jaune answered with a smile. "And thank you for the offer. I don't really have anyone here with whom I want to get paired up with."
Well, that wasn't entirely true. Jaune actually counted on being paired up with Ruby - aside from having an impressive weapon, the girl simply seemed nice to be around. She touched upon a sensitive topic, but that wasn't her fault in the slightest and he wouldn't have reacted this way if not for the circumstances. And naturally, he would welcome a chance to get into one team with Pyrrha Nikos, who, to his knowledge, would be taking part in this year's initiation as well.
Still, Ren and Nora didn't seem like they would be bad teammates either. Jaune didn't know anything specific about their combat skills, but since they didn't appear nervous in the slightest, he assumed that they were at least moderately good fighters.
"Hey, the most important thing is that we all have fun!" The girl said with a smile.
"And that we pass the exam." Ren rectified.
"Yeah, there's that too." Nora admitted and then turned back towards her food.
In time, more people started to enter the cafeteria, but Jaune didn't feel a need to stay there for too long. Crowded mesa wasn't a best place to talk anyway. After eating a simple meal and exchanging some parting words with Ren and Nora, he exited and marched towards the locker room.
/-/
It took Jaune an embarrassing amount of time to find his locker amidst all the others. He would love to be able to say that it was due to illogical layout or something like that, but the truth was he simply forgot the number he had been assigned.
Still, he found it eventually. All of his equipment was still there - Crocea Mors with its sheath, a small med-kit that would come in handy if he had to disinfect a wound or set a bone straight and a backpack, which could potentially prove very valuable this day.
Jaune pulled everything out of the locker and began putting it on it. After a few moments he stood fully prepared for battle, armor polished, backpack on, med-kit strapped to his waist next to the sheath and a sword in his hand. An ancient blade fit his hand perfectly, light enough for him to swing freely, heavy enough to pack some punch if it connected.
It wasn't an ultimate weapon or anything. It was extremely well-made, of course, but all it meant was that it was less likely to break and was easy to sharpen. Indeed, Jaune would sometimes wonder whether he should get some other weapon, something that would provide him with a ranged option or enabled him to use dust or even just had some other form he could switch to in the middle of the fight. But at the end of the day, he felt too attached to the simple blade to just replace it like that. It was one of the few things he had left of his original family. It was his legacy.
And besides, having a regular sword as your weapon had its advantages. If nothing else, Crocea Mors was reliable. It wouldn't jam, wouldn't run out of ammo and it didn't have any glaring flaws like some melee weapons had. Ruby's scythe was impressive and Jaune could imagine it worked great against the Grimm, but an intelligent combatant could simply get into close range and remain there, rendering the weapon as good as useless. You had to be at the exactly right distance to get a really good swing with something like that. A longsword was much simpler to manage - you just stabbed your opponent whenever you could and parried his strikes whenever you had to.
After reassuring himself like that for a bit, Jaune headed towards the exit from the locker room. He wanted to arrive on the spot earlier than necessary in order to scout out the area and maybe form some specific strategy before the actual event began. On his way he saw several other students put on their equipment, but he didn't know any of them - not personally, nor as accomplished fighters - so he didn't really see any benefit in talking to them.
Until he reached the door, that is.
Two girls were just entering into the locker room. One was tall, blonde and very well built. She managed to catch and dominate Jaune's attention, to the point where it took him a moment to notice the other girl.
Ruby. Just like the day before, she wore a black dress with an ammo belt wrapped around it. She didn't have her weapon at hand though, presumably only now coming to pick it up from the locker. Upon seeing him, Ruby stopped in her tracks and stood there for a moment as if she was unsure if she should greet him.
Jaune beat her to it. He smiled and extended his hand towards her, showing that he both recognized her from yesterday and that they were still on friendly terms. He felt sort of guilty for leaving her at the auditorium back then - it must have seemed as though he felt insulted or something like that, whereas he really just needed a while to think back then.
"Hey Ruby, nice to see you." He went for an informal greeting, knowing that there was no point trying to sound serious in this situation.
"Oh, hi Jaune!" The brunette replied, her expression lightening. Upon hearing the other girl cough meaningfully, she added: "That's my sister Yang. We're half sisters, in case you're wondering. If you don't, then I guess there was no reason to tell you."
The blonde didn't even wait for Ruby to stop talking. She stepped forwards, outstretching a hand towards Jaune.
"Nice to meet you." She said, flashing a smile that was almost enough to make the boy blush. "You must be that Jaune guy my sis told me about. Gotta say, you do live up to the description."
"That would be me." Jaune shook Yang's hand. "Just out of curiosity, what did Ruby tell you about me?"
"All the compliments. She seemed really excited to make a friend in Beacon." Yang responded and then added in a loud whisper: "She won't admit it, but I think she has a crush on you."
"Yang!" Ruby whined.
"Nah, I don't work that fast." Jaune couldn't stop himself from blushing, but he stood his ground nonetheless. "Still, it's good to know that you hold me in such a high regard."
"I'll give you a piece of friendly advice." The blonde replied. "If you are going to use lines like that, try to be less formal. That sort of language is kind of off-putting."
"You think that's off-putting? My pick-up lines are usually even worse than that." Jaune said and then quickly added: "Not like I'm trying to flirt now or anything. You just, you know, started this weird game and I felt obliged to play it."
"What, would you like to play some other game?" Yang couldn't help but snicker this time. "Sorry. Couldn't resist."
"You don't seem very sorry." Jaune pointed out.
"You 're just imagining it." Yang shrugged. "Anyways, how are you feeling? Nervous at all?"
"A little bit." Jaune admitted. "But I do trust my weapons and skills and I highly doubt the challenge will be something I cannot handle."
"Yeah, me too!" Ruby, who thus far was passively listening to the conversation and seemingly failing to understand a single sentence, now happily joined in. "Just coming to pick up the Crescent Rose. With it, I'm going to kill any Grimm they throw at us, or whatever they throw at us, really."
"I'm sure you will." Jaune reassured her and then turned back towards Yang. "And how confident are you feeling right now?"
"I'm good. My weapons are pretty cool as well and I am one of the strongest people here." Somehow, that sentence felt less like a boast and more like stating a simple fact. While Jaune would normally not treat a statement like that as a proof of strength, it felt pretty believable in her case alone.
Another suitable teammate?
"Are you two going to try and get into the same team?" Jaune kept asking questions, now that the greetings and initial exchanges were out of the way.
"I don't know." Ruby replied. "I suppose I'll try to get into Yang's team if possible."
Jaune was initially surprised that Ruby didn't already know for certain in what team she wanted to be in, but then he recalled that not everybody was perceiving Beacon as a battleground for some twisted game. Ruby probably wouldn't care whether her teammates were above or below average or whether or not she would be made a team leader. She would be happy in any team made up of decent people and would do her best to get along with that team.
He wished he could have that attitude as well.
"Actually, how about you try and find some other team?" Yang suddenly suggested. "I bet it would help you make some more friends."
"Don't start with that now." Ruby groaned. "You're embarrassing me in front of a friend."
"Actually, I think I'll leave you to it." Jaune said, walking towards the door. "Nice talking with you and good luck."
"Wait." Yang said, looking at him with confusion. "Where are you going, exactly?"
"To the initiation. Where else would I be going right now?"
"But we don't know where it will take place." Yang pointed out. "We are supposed to wait for an announcement."
"Well, isn't that obvious?" Jaune was met with two shaking heads. "Since we are attending a huntsmen academy, it stands to reason that they would like to test us in combat, preferably with the Grimm. And luckily, there is a forest full of these right outside of Beacon's walls, as well as a nice, distinctive cliff overlooking the whole thing. So that's where I'm going."
"Well you can't be sure that's the place." Yang commented.
"Would all first year students please report to Beacon Cliff for intimation? A voice came out of the speakers. Again, all first year students report to Beacon Cliff immediately.
Yang glared at Jaune.
"Oh look, I'm a prophet." Jaune said, not being able to stop a triumphant smile from appearing on his face.
"Your prophetic powers won't help you fight the Grimm, will they?"
"I think I'll still manage." Jaune shrugged. "If I arrive on time, that is. See you at the cliffs."
"See ya." Ruby said and then ran into the locker room, in a hurry to get her weapon. Yang didn't feel any need to be so hasty - there was probably a decent time window before the announcement and the start of initiation despite the 'immediately' part - but she went into the room as well and, after waving Jaune goodbye and flashing one last smile, disappeared among the lockers.
Jaune breathed a sigh of relief. That conversation has proven itself quite stressful, as he had to fight an urge to stare at Yang's cleavage as well as the urge to be a smart ass, the latter of which he failed by explaining his reasoning in detail like that.
It was striking how much the other students differed from him and the people he was used to dealing with. They weren't exactly dumb - a good fighter needed to be cunning on top of being strong, and most of the initiates were great or even amazing fighters. They just didn't think ahead, or rather didn't think far enough ahead. Most of them would only start to strategize once they had their enemy in sight and even then, chances were they would stick to a limited assort of tactics. They didn't prepare far-reaching plans and they weren't trying to win battles before they began.
Jaune did. As he walked out the locker room and headed towards the exit from the school, he kept considering his options regarding choosing a team. He didn't know that many other students, but the few he did get to know all looked like good picks.
On one side there was the sisterly duo of Ruby and Yang and on the other were Ren and Nora, whoever they were to each other. Both pairs were made up of seemingly good fighters and both already had a bad history with Weiss, which would prevent his sister from performing some kind of sabotage on his team. Jaune considered Ruby to be something of a friend, but Ren and Nora seemed really nice either, so the two options were more or less even in the social aspect of things.
All taken into consideration, Jaune would probably go for Ren and Nora as his teammates. Not only did they informally agreed to form a team with him should the occasion arise, they possessed a quality that would be very useful to Jaune in his current situation.
They would make terrible team leaders.
While having strong teammates was a priority in the long run, being selected as leader was an instant prestige boost that Jaune wouldn't say 'no' to. And, going by their personalities, neither Ren nor Nora had any real chance of being assigned that position. The former seemed too withdrawn and passive to make for a good field leader, while the latter might or might not have been mentally unstable. Not to mention, appointing either of them as a leader was bound to lead to some favoritism arising. Unless his third teammate proved exceptionally talented, teaming up with Ren and Nora would earn Jaune a leader spot just like that. Given his goals, that seemed like a correct choice.
But then again, by thinking so far ahead, Jaune was making some major assumptions. He assumed that he had some level of control over how the teams were chosen, that he had an accurate picture of others' traits and abilities and, most of all, that he would survive the initiation.
Perhaps he was wrong to create such far-reaching plots. Regardless of his overarching goals, Jaune had a clear purpose for the first day of school.
Try not to die.
/-/
The sky was mostly clear on the initiation day, with only a few while clouds circling above the Emerald Forest. Weak wind was blowing, providing solace from sun's heat and gently shaking the millions of leaves in the forest. The only thing that this scenery lacked were the birds singing cheerfully - instead of those, there were juvenile Nevermores circling in the air and serving as a grim reminder of what exactly the initiates have gathered for.
Jaune currently stood at the edge of a cliff, overlooking the forest below. He somewhat regretted arriving so early, as there was no real chance to scout out the terrain - the trees were packed far too densely for him to see anything from afar. Instead of doing anything useful, Jaune simply stood there with three of four other students who wanted to avoid being late, Headmaster Ozpin drinking yet another cup of coffee and the Deputy Head, looking at them sternly as though she expected them to do something stupid at any moment. She didn't seem to trust the future protectors of humanity to manage themselves, it seemed.
Gradually, more people were arriving at the scene. They had varied appearances and armaments but, in a way, they all looked alike. Teenagers armed to the teeth, faking confidence in the face of a challenge. Most of them Jaune didn't know, with a few exceptions of course.
There were Ren and Nora, neither of them seeming as if they had to fake any confidence. Ren seemed calm and collected, while Nora seemed happy and cheerful in the face on danger. Neither of them seemed particularly concerned about what would happen in the near future and they both seemed as though they had it all handled. One more reason to try and partner with one of them... though they would probably find a way to partner with each other, so if he wanted to get on one team with them, he should find himself some other partner and then try to get everyone into a team.
There were Yang and Ruby, now with their weapons equipped and ready for combat. Ruby seemed somewhat nervous, but probably less so than most other students really were. Yang, on the other hand, didn't appear bothered at all. She confidently walked over to the edge of the cliff, winking at Jaune on her way there - he probably blushed a little at that - and took her place on one of the platforms. Her sister did the same, but without making any suggestive gestures - she only waved her hand at Jaune before taking position.
There was Pyrrha Nikos, whom Jaune recognized instantly, despite never having seen her in person. A gold-plated armor, shield and spear on the back and ridiculously long, crimson hair. Yup, the Champion of Mistral herself. Jaune wondered if she had already arranged to partner up with somebody, but trying to chat up to her now would be pointless.
And, of course, there was Weiss. Dressed in her usual combat outfit, entering the scene with nothing less than absolute confidence. With her universal semblance, a weapon worth its weight in gold and admittedly impressive skill set, she had little to be afraid of. She would pass the initiation, and so would Jaune in all likelihood. The question was, who would end up looking better while doing so.
Before taking her place, Weiss gave Jaune a piercing look, as though she was trying to tell him that whatever schemes he had prepared, they would inevitably fail. Jaune didn't really have any schemes prepared, but he nonetheless gave his sisters a look that said 'We'll see about that.'
The two of them were really good at giving specialized looks.
Once each of the platforms was occupied by somebody, Professor Ozpin cleared his throat. The gesture worked, as all the students' eyes immediately focused on him.
"For years, you have trained to become warriors, and today, your abilities will be evaluated in the Emerald Forest." He said formally, his eyes darting from one aspiring huntsmen to another. He already seemed to be judging them, even though the actual test was yet to begin.
"Now, I'm sure many of you have heard rumors about the assignment of 'teams.' The Deputy Head said, also in a formal tone, but with a note of a 'stern teacher' thrown in there. "Well, allow us to put an end to your confusion. Each of you will be given teammates... today."
Not exactly a surprise. Teams being formed on the first day was one of the few things that stayed constant during all the years of Beacon Academy. The question was how exactly would the teams be formed this year, and the phrase 'given teammates' was pretty worrying.
"What? Ohhh..." Ruby expressed her dissatisfaction. Her feeling matched Jaune's fairly well, though if he was to express them, he would have done so in a more articulate manner.
"These teammates will be with you for the rest of your time here at Beacon." Ozpin took the floor again. "So it is in your best interest to be paired with someone with whom you can work well."
Ruby groaned in reaction to that, which struck Jaune as somewhat weird. She must have known that they would be working in teams, so complaining about it now seemed somewhat childish. Then again, Ruby did seem a little childish in general, no offense to her of course.
"That being said, the first person you make eye contact with after landing will be your partner for the next four years."
That statement elicited a reaction from nearly everyone in the group, though Ruby's was once again the most audible with her surprised 'What!?'. Other students didn't seem particularly happy that the method of assigning partners was apparently mostly random, but none of them protested out loud.
Jaune wasn't really that bothered. Provided he would pay attention to were the other students land, he should manage to partner up with somebody he considered a passable teammate.
"After you've partnered up, make your way to the northern end of the forest. You will meet opposition along the way. Do not hesitate to destroy everything in your path... or you will die."
Ironically, that comment didn't seem to worry anyone very much. Most students simply adjusted their positions and tightened their hands around their weapons. The exception was Nora, who looked like she had been was told that Christmas, Eastern and her birthday all came early this year.
"You will be monitored and graded through the duration of your initiation, but our instructors will not intervene. You will find an abandoned temple at the end of the path containing several relics. Each pair must choose one and return to the top of the cliff. We will regard that item, as well as your standing, and grade you appropriately. Are there any questions?"
Weiss and Jaune both raised their hands in response.
"Good. Now..." Ozpin didn't get to say much before being interrupted by the Schnee heiress.
"Excuse me, I have a question I'd like to ask."
"As I said, take your positions." The Headmaster apparently decided to ignore Weiss and proceed with the procedure. Bad move.
Clearly annoyed, the heiress took a stepped forward, leaving her platform. Jaune followed suite, also desiring some answers.
"Miss Schnee. Mr Schnee." The Deputy Head was clearly trying hard to sound stern and uncompromising. "You are supposed to follow instructions as they are given to you. Return to your designated tiles."
"We were signaled that asking questions was allowed." Weiss responded, her voice just as unflinching. "Since this is a serious matter, I demand that our questions are answered or, at the very least, listened to."
"I concur." Jaune joined the conversation. "Having us participate in a test with unclear rules and denying us explanation doesn't strike me as particularly fair."
Multiple students nodded in approval and several actually stepped down from their platforms as well. Yang was one them, though it probably wasn't because she wanted answers - she appeared simply amused with the situation.
Miss Goodwitch stood there for about a minute, glaring at the students with annoyance. Normally, that stare would be enough to intimidate all the teenagers into submission, but with Jaune and Weiss present it didn't have as much of an effect. Both Schnee siblings were trained to resist psychological techniques such as this and right now they served as an example for the rest.
If it was just one person speaking out, it wouldn't make much of a difference, as the other students would be too afraid to back that person up. But since they had seen Weiss, Jaune and Yang all step forward without being visibly afraid, they concluded that defying authority was safe in that particular instance.
Sighing in defeat, Miss Goodwitch turned to look at her superior. Ozpin's face betrayed no emotion, but the lack of immediate response implied that he was at least somewhat troubled by the situation. He took another sip from his cup and finally said: "What exactly do you wish to know?"
"You have explained how the partners will be chosen." Jaune was the first to speak. "But how will the teams be formed out of these pairs? Does it have something to do with those relics?"
"Your suspicions are correct, Mr Schnee." The Headmaster replied. "The teams will be formed out of these pairs that have chosen the same type of relic."
"And the grade?" Jaune kept on asking. "Does that impact the selection process in any way?"
"No." Ozpin replied. Jaune was taken aback by such a direct response, which allowed Weiss to take the floor.
"I take it the initiation involves a heightened level of danger. Legally speaking, what would happen if one of us received serious, or for that matter fatal injuries along the way?"
"Beacon Academy is obliged to take full responsibility for injuries and deaths that occur during the training." Miss Goodwitch replied, her voice perfectly neutral.
"I see. So, hypothetically speaking, I could accidentally unload a full canister of dust into a fellow student, significantly injuring them, and the school would face the legal consequences instead?"
Jaune shifted nervously in place. Did Weiss really want to be rid of him that much? It didn't seem all that improbable, in all honesty.
"It is quite probable that you would be able to avoid legal responsibility." Ozpin said, causing Jaune to reach for his weapon. "But we would have to remove you from the school immediately, for the safety of the other students."
Weiss paused for a moment, as though pondering whether or not getting rid of Jaune was worth being expelled, after which she nodded and stepped on her platform again.
"Any other questions?" The Deputy Head was clearly anxious to start.
"Do we get pancakes for being the first ones in the temple?" Nora asked.
"Are there any serious questions?"
Silence followed.
"Good. Now, will you please take your positions?"
Everyone, including Jaune, complied. No one asked why exactly they were supposed to step on the platforms - the setup made that abundantly clear.
Weiss' platform was the first to be activated. The girl was launched into the air at a blinding speed, white hair flowing in the wind. Someone less acquainted with landing strategies would be circling in the air chaotically, but Weiss had everything under control. She didn't even need to use her weapon for recoil - her glyphs were more than enough to manage the landing.
One by one, other students were launched off the cliff as well. Almost all of them had weapons that made the landing far easier and some also had semblances that aided them during the flight. Unfortunately, Jaune had neither, his weapon not having a gun installed and his semblance still not active. Fortunately, he had something that most of his peers lacked.
A bit of foresight.
Upon getting launched as well, Jaune did his best to maintain a steady flight. It allowed him to calculate his trajectory and pick a convenient moment, one when he was just starting to fall back down on the ground, then waited just a split second more for extra safety.
He then opened a parachute.
Luckily for him, the device worked as intended. It didn't halt down his fall quite as quickly as it was designed to - not for people in plate armor, that is - but it slowed him down enough so that his impact with the ground wouldn't be very damaging. Had he just allowed himself to fall freely and hit the ground equally freely, he would have probably needed to use most of his aura to cushion the impact, which would put him in a bad situation for the rest of the initiation in the best-case scenario.
That way, he would only lose about half a minute slowly falling back to the ground. It was a pretty pleasant feeling, really. For that short while he could relax, as the wind ruffled his hair, the sun gently warmed his back...
...and something crashed into him at a speed of a bullet.
Or rather someone. It appeared as another student slammed into him during their flight - there was no telling who, since they crashed into Jaune's back - probably not having expected such a drastic change in trajectory from him. Jaune mentally smacked himself. He really should had thought about such a scenario, and now he was paying the price for his relative short-sightedness.
And it was a hell of a price to pay. Right now, instead of falling gently towards the ground, he was flying towards it at a sharp angle and an uncomfortably fast speed. There was precious little he could do to minimize the effect of the impact, so he simply shielded his whole body with aura and hoped that the other person would do the same. Just before reaching the ground level, Jaune closed his eyes - they would be shielded as well, but it made him feel a tiny bit safer.
They landed amidst the trees, hitting a few branches along the way. Just as expected, the crash landing wasn't lethal, but it was still far from pleasant. Aura absorbed nearly all the damage, but it still hurt the same way getting shot in a bulletproof vest would. Moreover, they made a literal crater during the landing and the dirt managed to get under Jaune's armor, under his clothes and some even found its way into his mouth.
Gods, he must have looked truly ridiculous at that moment. Still, he completed his main objective, namely not to die. After another two or three seconds of sliding in the mud, he finally stopped.
He felt just as it could be expected after a landing like that. Nearly every part of his body was in pain, though his face got it particularly bad due to having taken the brunt of the impact. Cool, slightly wet dirt covered him now, almost making him shiver from the cold... though there was also a strange source of warmth touching his face.
After opening his eyes. Jaune was greeted to the sight of a leg right before his face. A female leg, one well-shaven and quite enticing, as he immediately noticed.
To his eternal embarrassment, Jaune shrieked loudly. At the same time he shot round, jumping a feet into the air and falling back down on a nearby patch of grass.
Luckily, the girl didn't seem very concerned about someone getting so close to her. She didn't even seemed all that bothered by the rough landing either. She casually got up, dusted off her clothes - not that it made much of a difference - and then walked up to Jaune with an outstretched hand.
"You're not Ren." Nora said with a sigh. "But you were my second choice anyway. Going to get up, partner?"
A few people were confused as to what kind of character Jaune is supposed to be. I suppose it's my fault for not establishing it earlier, but I hope this gives you a fair idea of what kind of person he is supposed to be. He's more cunning, charismatic and resourceful than the canon Jaune, but he is not a clone of Whitley either. Something in between, really. Good intentions, isn't an asshole for its own sake, but he has set goals and he will reach them no matter what.
Another thing someone pointed out is that it would make more sense for Jaune to go study in Atlas, if he really wanted to sabotage Weiss. This is true technically speaking, but the situation presented is something of a prisoner dilemma - both siblings could gain an advantage by playing to Jacques' tune, but they choose not to so that, regardless of what happens, they both get a shot at getting a huntsman license and studying outside of their father's control. Again, my bad for not making that clear earlier.
Hope that's all cleared up now. Since all the main cast has been already introduced, it's now time for hilarity to truly ensue. As you can see from the ending, I don't exactly intend to follow the canon in terms of who ends up in a team with whom, so that might be fairly interesting, if you can stand my writing that is.