Important authors note at the end, please read it. Read and Review.
Jaune opened his eyes feeling Pyrrha draped across his body. He looked down to see her sleeping soundly on his armored chest, lightly running a hand across her hair with his human hand that was now unarmored but still far from being normal. It had many scars running all over from the sick torture Rot had put him through, reinforced with steel and small internal prosthetics making his hand function fully without sacrificing the limb entirely.
He gently laid Pyrrha on his pillow swinging himself off the side grabbing his legs that were leaning against his desk. Jaune reattached the limbs with a wince at the nerve endings reconnecting, nodding in pleasure once the pain subsided and that he was able to get them back on without a problem. He moved his foot around making sure everything was working and walked to the bathroom looking at himself in the mirror taking a deep breath at his appearance. The scars on his face were very noticeable, running a finger along the small crevices that now adorned his skin. He swallowed, finding where to take off his chest plate removing it only to shake his head.
The right side of his chest was enveloped in cybernetics and synthetic skin, running down to the right side of his lower abdomen but not fully covering up his stomach. His abs and upper body were littered in random scars not as terrible as the ones on his face but still noticeable enough. He relished in the fact that his left side was mostly intact, sans the minor alterations to his arm to make sure it was at equal strength to his right. Jaune grabbed his plate, giving it a longing look before putting it back on, walking out of the bathroom right into a waiting Pyrrha who gave him a knowing smile reaching and holding his hand.
"Jaune, we'll help you readjust. We have to get ready for classes but you need to meet with Ozpin first remember?" Jaune nodded squeezing his hand tight around hers.
"I know. I'm going to put on my uniform and head to Ozpin immediately."
"You're not going to eat?" Pyrrha frowned not wanting him to skip breakfast.
"Not really hungry. I'll eat extra at lunch I promise. Gotta get going Pyr." He gave her a quick peck on the lips, grabbing his helmet sliding it on the visor lighting up blue along with the rest of his body.
"Don't forget your gauntlet armor!" She held out the armor for his left arm which he begrudgingly donned his appearance now completely put together.
"Thanks Pyrrha. I'll see you in class." His voice sounded slightly robotic from behind the helmet as if it was changed by e a voice modulator or something.
He walked out of the room, entering the hall making his way to Ozpin's office. Jaune walked by many students bustling to get to their classes earning a lot of pointed looks and gazes. He did his best to ignore them focusing his attention on getting to the headmaster, then the voices started.
"Who is that?"
"Looks like a robot."
"Is that a machine?"
"Looks freaky."
The cyborg grinded his teeth together clenching his eyes shut trying to drown out the incessant voices.
"Is that even a human?"
Jaune's eyes flew open and he dashed forward at speeds that'd put Ruby to shame, leaving those who were talking about him coughing up dust and leaving a trail of torn up carpet and floor in his wake.
He ground to a halt in front of the elevator entering once it came down and closing the doors immediately, taking off his helmet breathing raggedly, visibly shaking letting out a cry of anguish sliding his back onto the walls of the elevator breaking down.
'Why? Why did I have to become this?' He finally made it to Ozpin's still not moving making the headmaster get up from his desk walking briskly to the tortured student.
"Mr. Arc,...Jaune!" Ozpin rose his voice snapping Jaune out of his panic attack looking up at the headmaster with terrified eyes. Eyes that had seen too much.
"H-headmaster..I..."
"Stand up Mr. Arc and take a seat." He helped the young student up guiding him to a chair sitting across the Arc sliding a cup of freshly made coffee to him. Jaune nodded hand shaking, trying to grip the mug without breaking it. The mug broke under his grasp sending shards and hot coffee everywhere, making Jaune shake his head silently cursing himself.
"Here Mr. Arc, why don't you drink from this?" He slid a steel thermos to Jaune which luckily was able to withstand the force of his grip. Jaune drank slowly letting out a sigh when he had his drink looking back at the headmaster with a waiting look.
"Now Mr. Arc, I want you to talk about what happened to you, who kidnapped you, why they did it, and if they're still in Vale. Is that clear?" Jaune flinched at Ozpin's words before shakily nodding.
"Good. Now by all means, take your time. I'll listen for as long as it takes."
"I'll...make it brief headmaster. It's kinda painful to talk about. I was kidnapped when alone out in Vale running a few errands. I stepped in to help a faunus woman whom I thought was about to assaulted. Disarmed and beat the thugs only to be sucker punched by the woman I thought I'd saved hitting me in the back of my head with some sort of modified mace. I didn't have my aura up so I went down like a bag of bricks...then the...the torture started." Jaune still held onto the thermos, the metal starting to groan from his hold bending inward as the pressure increased.
"It was the White Fang...they had some torturer named Ember Rot..she...Oum what didn't she do headmaster?! She cut my face, plunged blades into my skin, drowned me, fuck if that wasn't enough she goes and saws off my fucking legs and arm before gutting me!" The thermos gave way splitting in two from the sheer force of his hands, tears streaming down his face steadily dripping onto the floor and his armored legs, the arc having many emotions flare across his eyes, pain, anger, sorrow, shock the list went on.
"And if she wasn't twisted enough...while I laid on the floor of that godforsaken warehouse, without my arm, without my legs, she..." Jaune shook his head not able to say another word holding his face in his hands.
"I can't say anymore headmaster...it's...it hurts too much." He wrapped his arms around his stomach feeling sick despite nothing in his stomach. Ozpin took in a deep breath, keeping his composure for the sake of Jaune, not wanting the Arc to know just how furious he was, legs shaking with silently fury to act, go out into Vale on a crusade against the White Fang, find this faunus named Ember Rot and make sure she faced justice.
"That's fine Jaune. In the meantime, take whatever time you need to recover. Stay with your teammates and tell your professor's that you have permission from me to leave or not attend classes if you'd so desire." Jaune nodded in thanks standing up and walking into the elevator, leaving the old man alone. Ozpin stood to his feet, dialing his scroll.
"Yeah Oz?" Qrow spoke on the other end ready to do whatever his former headmaster needed.
"I want you to find any and all traces of a White Fang member named Ember Rot. She is the reason for Mr. Arc's current condition and I want her found so she may rot in a prison til death." He spoke with rare anger leaving Qrow a bit shocked.
"Loud and clear. I'll start digging, are you still planning on having the students do their mission trips? Those are in what? A month?"
"I'm well aware Qrow and they are still scheduled. I can't cancel them over this but...I must contact Mr. Arc's parents. Though he is a legal adult and can represent himself and his own decisions, Whenever a student is injured terribly I must notify the family."
"Nicholas is gonna freak Oz." Ozpin sat back down into his taking off his glasses rubbing the bridge of his nose.
"I know."
(Jaune)
Jaune tried to slow down his breathing scratching at his helmet.
"Cmon, fight back! Hit me!"
"You can't! Leg's sawed off and arm on top of the pile! I'll save the other one for tomorrow."
"But first, I'm gonna have some fun. Got some...pent up frustrations."
He tore off his helmet slamming his head into the side of the elevator, feeling the faint trickle of blood run down his face.
"Shut up..." He growled gripping the steel wall with his free hand crushing the metal beneath his hand making sparks fly out from the hole.
The door dinged open and Jaune turned around only to come face to face with Cardin Winchester.
"What in the...Arc?! The fuck happened to you?!" The bully looked at Jaune's body while the Arc gave no response walking past him.
"Hey prick, you just a robot now?" Jaune stopped in his tracks, face twisting in anger.
"You are aren't you?! Holy shit! look at that!" He flicked Jaune's armored shoulder making Cardin give a low whistle.
"Nice armor there Roboco-" Jaune whipped around sapphire eyes seemingly burning with rage as his hand shot out around Cardin's throat cutting the irritating ginger off.
"Shut. The. Fuck. UP." He seethed grip not letting up making Cardin scratch at Jaune's arm not moving him an inch. The Arc lifted him up in the air making Cardin look him in the eyes.
"If you say one more word about what I am, I'll tear out your fucking tongue!" Cardin's eyes grew heavy and Jaune wasn't letting up.
"Mr. Arc!" Glynda grasped him in her semblance wrenching him off the larger boy. Cardin gasped out a much-needed breath finally able to get some air. Glynda walked right up to Jaune glaring at him before turning to her other student
"Mr. Winchester, leave. I will deal with Mr. Arc." She ordered with Cardin scampering away. Glynda brought her attention back to Jaune who was barely holding back tears, his arm holding his helm trembling.
"Mr. Arc, I know you're in a very very difficult situation right now. And if it weren't for that I would have you suspended for what you just did. But, I am ordering you to return to your room and calm yourself. Tomorrow you will start sessions with professor Oobleck to assist in your recovery. Is that clear?" Jaune nodded swallowing before putting on his helmet. He made it to his dorm shortly after taking off his helmet for the final time before throwing the hated piece of steel into his ruined bed completely decimating the piece of furniture, giving out a scream before sending a fist into his desk turning it to splinters. He collapsed to his knees rubbing his face not able to stop the tears. Jaune cried, he cried as he had never cried before in his life letting out a guttural cry that echoed throughout his room.
The worst thing about it was that Cardin wasn't wrong but he wasn't right. Jaune laid right in the middle, not quite a machine but not quite a man and Jaune hated that.
"Jaune? I heard a lot of noise are you ok?" Ruby cracked open his door gasping at the sight. Jaune looked up at her with red eyes still dripping with tears. She rushed into him giving her first friend a much-needed hug. He hugged her back holding Ruby tight burying his head into her shoulder.
"I...I can't take it Ruby...I've been back a day...and I'm already falling apart..." He hitched not being able to get another word out. The Rose couldn't say anything, only holding him tighter.
"If you're falling apart...we'll help put you back together Jaune...you're NEVER alone..." Jaune held her close not wanting to let go.
And done. Now some people may not like how slow it's processing but remember, Jaune has been through literal hell and is having a hard time processing. He was beaten, mutilated, nearly killed and he wakes up to his new body. A lot to process in such a short amount of time. So I wanted to run something by you my readers and I'm really considering starting a . I haven't ironed out the specifics but I'd like to possibly make some money from writing and give you my readers a consistent update schedule. If I launch this , I'd have to make some incentives but basic things I'd have depending on the tier would be creative input, special requests, even specific specially requested stories/oneshots. I'd have of course rules and guidelines but yeah that's where I'm at. I know I'm not super popular on here but I think I could really maybe start something. Give me your thoughts please.