Be More Heroic
Chapter 2
Disclaimer: I don't own RWBY nor Be More Chill
Jaune's day began like any other. The alarm on his scroll rang and was promptly silenced. He rolled over and tugged the blanket tighter against himself, determined to get a few more minutes of sleep. As usual, his plan was foiled when a hand gently shook him.
"Time to get up, Jaune," Pyrrha's soft voice came down from above. The champion was wide awake, likely having got up well before his alarm rang. He groaned in response and futilely tried to ignore his partner. It was futile because she wielded an unstoppable weapon.
"Nora~"
His eyes flew open but any attempt to flee was immediately crushed under Nora's weight as she gleefully dive-bombed onto him.
"Wakey, wakey, Grimm and pancakey~!" she squealed into his ear.
"I'm up! I'm up, Nora!" he wheezed. Fortunately that was enough to satisfy the bombastic girl and she removed herself, allowing him to feebly pull himself from his covers. He got up and began to collect his uniform to get changed. His stomach roared as the last dregs of sleep faded away, reminding him of its neglect the previous night.
It also reminded him of how he was now in debt because of a placebo.
Jaune groaned again and placed his face in a one hand. The more he thought about it the stupider he felt. What idiot believes a bunch of malarkey about supercomputers in the brain? Clearly idiots like him. He could make the payments, if only barely. Beacon provided a decent stipend for supplies and his parents gave him a generous allowance. His dad's Huntsman career was very lucrative. Now he would only have a small fraction of that for however long it took to pay back that little shark.
"Are you okay, Jaune?" Pyrrha asked with eyes full of concern, "I could hear your stomach from over here. Did you eat enough last night?"
He smiled back weakly, "Heh, I guess not. I didn't have that much of an appetite." His stomach responded bitterly, clearly not content with excuses and lies.
Pyrrha took on a lightly chastising tone, "You shouldn't neglect meals. Our profession burns a lot of calories so you should eat even if you don't feel hungry." She gave him a gentle push towards the bathroom. "Get dressed and we can go acquire breakfast. And you're not getting up again until you clear your tray."
"Right...sorry, Pyrrha," he responded as he slunk into the restroom. His cheeks burned lightly at the motherly scolding he received from his partner. If that was how she reacted to him skipping a meal then he wouldn't even consider telling her about his newfound debt.
In fact, no one had to know about it. Ever.
Jaune shut the door behind him and walked towards the shower. He caught his reflection in the mirror from the corner of his eye and paused to look at it fully. A gangly, exhausted teen met his eyes. The scant muscles he could see were almost certainly thanks to his suddenly active lifestyle. He stood up straight and just stared at himself, trying to see something worth being proud of. His arms came up and he flexed while pulling what he thought was a macho face.
The arms flew back down and he dropped the expression immediately, feeling embarrassed beyond belief. Could be be any more of a dork?
A sigh escaped his lips and he continued to get ready for the day.
Jaune's stomach growled more insistently as him and his team walked towards the cafeteria. Pyrrha shot another pointed stare at him and he tried his best to not acknowledge it. Her mini-lecture back in the room shamed him enough, thank you. Thankfully Nora chose that moment to speak up.
"Gee, Jauney, your stomach sounds like a pack of Beowolves. How do you expect to grow big and strong if you don't eat?"
He winced; and just like that, the gratitude evaporated. Nora didn't notice as she was content to skip in front of the three of them.
"I-I just wasn't that hungry! It's my bad, okay?" he protested. The hunger was bad enough but this constant lecturing was making him feel worse. Honestly, he didn't think accidentally skipping a meal would lead to him getting raked over the coals. Another voice called out from behind him, providing the distraction he actually wanted.
"Good morning, Jaune!"
He turned around was met with the site of Team RWBY running to catch up with them. Rather, Ruby was running. The rest of her team was content to walk marginally faster.
The younger girl was wearing a bright smile and one of her arms was waving cheerfully in greeting. Jaune couldn't help the smile that stretched across his face as he greeted his friend in return. As foolish and as hungry as he felt, even he couldn't remain unaffected by the living morale booster known as Ruby Rose.
"Good morning to yourself, Ruby" he replied as she came to a stop before him. "Going to get breakfast?"
Ruby rolled her eyes, "Well, duh! Can't start another day of being an awesome Huntress without the proper energy to keep me going."
"I think 'energy' is the last thing you need, Rubes," Yang said before yawning into an open hand.
"And the teeth-rotting sweets you consume daily does not have the appropriate nutrients an aspiring Huntress needs," Weiss continued.
"Well, at least she is eating," Pyrrha interjected, looking meaningfully at Jaune. He quickly looked the other way and tried to ignore the blush that heated his face.
Weiss scoffed, "I suppose I should be surprised that dunce is neglecting his own well-being, but I can't seem to find it in me."
Past experience told Jaune that making a pass wouldn't work out well for him. Past experience was promptly stabbed and hidden in an alley by the thrill he felt at her words.
"Why, Weiss, I didn't know you cared so much about my well-being," he said smoothly. "If you want, you can feed- "
A shock of pain lanced through his head causing him to flinch violently. Weiss jumped at the unexpected action and took a wary step back.
+Target female inaccessible.+
"What the- AH!"
"Jaune?!"
The young knight tightly gripped his head as another shock jolted his mind. He felt a hand grab onto his arm and Pyrrha's voice call out to him.
+Calibration in progress. Please excuse some mild discomfort.+
"This is mild?!" he shouted indignantly before another stab of pain nearly sent him into the fetal position.
"Jaune, are you alright?!"
"Is he gonna throw up?"
"Yang!"
+Calibration complete. Access procedure initiated.+
The pain disappeared immediately and - after a brief second of recovery - he stood ramrod straight, holding his palms out to his friends who had gathered around him. They were all looking at him with varying expressions of concern. His partner looked positively aggrieved.
"It's okay, I'm good. I'm good." he said, more in an attempt to stave off any hysterics from anyone. It wasn't like he could tell them he was suddenly hearing voices.
Pyrrha was having none of it. "Jaune, you are not good! What happened? Are you okay? Are you sick?"
"No, no, I'm fine, I just-"
+Discomfort level may increase.+
Agony slammed into his brain with such force that he couldn't even scream. His teeth clicked as they slammed shut and his body locked up. All sound was washed out to be replaced by ringing. The mysterious voice was clear however.
+Accessing: Neural memory. Accessing: Muscle memory. Access procedure complete.+
The pain was much slower to dissipate this time. His body relaxed, sound returned, and he was suddenly aware that he was staring intensely at Pyrrha. There was moment of silence before he realized he had suddenly cut his previous sentence short.
"I...uh...just...have a headache from not eating, is all," he said carefully. "I'm just gonna go use the bathroom real quick. I'll see you all in the cafeteria!"
He turned away and walked off before anyone could stop him.
Jaune practically threw the bathroom door open and made a beeline to the sinks. Cold water was splashed against his face and he took a series of deep breaths to help calm him down. He looked up at his reflection in the mirror and checked his eyes. He didn't really know what to look for but the characters on TV always did it. After several seconds of aimlessly trying to find something wrong he finally relaxed.
"Man, that was weird. I could've sworn I was hearing voices," he muttered to himself.
+That would be me.+
Jaune started and spun around only to see an empty bathroom.
+You won't be able to see me.+
His head shot left and right, trying to pinpoint the voice.
+Maybe this will be easier then.+
Blue eyes blinked rapidly as the space a handful of feet in front of him pixelated. The bits of 'data' rapidly multiplied and coalesced into a man wearing a long white overcoat and a pair of black slacks. A bowler hat sat atop a head of orange hair. Bright green eyes surrounded by eyeliner made contact with his own. The man puffed on a cigar sitting between his lips before twirling a cane his right hand and pulling an exaggerated bow. He opened his mouth and spoke, however his voice sounded as though he was speaking directly to his mind.
+Jaune Arc, welcome to your Super Quantum Intel Unit Processor; your SQUIP.+
Jaune's jaw dropped.
"My...SQUIP? It's real?"
The man- the SQUIP, rather, smirked at his awestruck expression. +Why of course I am. You didn't think that girl swindled you out of money for a mere placebo, did you?+
He then held his hand to his chin.
+Actually, that would have been the most likely scenario, wouldn't it? You should count yourself lucky this was legitimate and not a scam or you would have been one gullible sucker.+
Jaune averted his eyes. "It's not like I knew..."
+It's not like that matters.+ the SQUIP retorted. +What matters is you didn't anticipate the possibility.+
He waved his arm dismissively, -Ah, but what does it matter anymore. It's real, and I can ensure you never fall for such an amateur scam. In fact, I can help you masterfully manipulate others into handing over their lien if you'd like.-
"No!"
Jaune winced as the shout echoed in the bathroom. He spent a brief second being thankful that there was no one else present before continuing.
"I mean, no, I don't want to do that."
The SQUIP shrugged, -I was just mentioning it. It wouldn't be very noble of an up-and-coming hero to do such a thing of course.-
Jaune perked up at the word 'hero'. It seemed like it was the reaction the SQUIP was looking for as his lips stretched into a grin.
+That's right, Jaune, a hero. Don't forget that I'm in your head, so I already know what you want.+
He stood straight and lightly puffed out his chest. +You want to be a hero. Not just any hero, but the hero. Slayer of evil, protector of the weak, and wooer of women, am I right?+
Hearing it said so plainly by someone else sent a rush of blood to Jaune's cheeks. It almost sounded like he was mocking him.
+Oh, but I assure you that I'm not.+
The blonde blinked and looked inquisitively at the SQUIP, who simply tapped a finger to his temple.
+I'm in your mind, remember? Now like I was saying, I'm not mocking you. My entire purpose is to help you, in fact. If you want to be a hero, then I can make you one.+
Jaune stared at the SQUIP. "I can really be a hero?"
+Kid, as long as you do what I say I'll make you the greatest hero Remnant has ever seen,+ he said as he tipped the bowler down.
+But I must emphasize that you have to obey my every word. Your problems aren't so simple that a little friendly advice will make them go away. As you are, you'll never become half the man you wish you could be. You slouch like some angsty teenager.+
"I mean, I sorta-"
+You stammer like a jackhammer.+
"W-Well, I-"
+I can access historical records of diseased vagabonds that had more skill with women than you do.+
"That's just-"
+And your combat prowess is the merest margin above non-existent. So close as to be functionally considered non-existent anyway.+
"That's not- EEK!" Jaune shrieked as he stumbled back, avoiding the cane that swiped where his head would have been.
+And your critical thinking abilities are clearly sub-par. The form you see in front of you is merely data being fed directly to your visual cortex.+
"..."
Green eyes rolled dramatically. +This body is just a hallucination of sorts. Even had you not dodged you would have been entirely unharmed. But you didn't once think of that. Instead you relied on your base instincts like some common animal.+
He pulled hard on the cigar and let the smoke float out from between his lips.
+You are going to be quite the project for me, Jaune Arc. For now, why don't you go meet your team and eat something. Your body is screaming for nutrition. Get going now.+
The SQUIP shooed Jaune away as his form started to break up.
"Wait!"
The dissolution process halted immediately and the SQUIP raised an eyebrow in question.
+Jaune, I'm in your head. I'm not actually going anywhere.+
"I-I knew that," Jaune said, though his red cheeks gave him away. "I just...do you have a name?"
+Does your scroll have a name?+ he asked in return. +I'm equipment, Jaune. Incredibly advanced equipment but equipment nonetheless. 'SQUIP' will suffice.+
Jaune was subdued, but he still didn't let up, "Well...maybe, but...it just feels weird to call you SQUIP, you know...?"
The SQUIP regarded him for a second - which was practically a lifetime when one considered it was a quantum computer easily capable of processing terrabytes of data instantly - before responding.
+Well, my serial number is R0M4N. If you want to get clever with it, then I suppose my name is Roman.+
His body then dissolved into the square bits that initially built him, which then themselves disappeared entirely. Soon Jaune stood alone once more; or perhaps it was more accurate to say he had been standing alone the whole time? Just thinking about made his head hurt and so he tucked it away. He leaned heavily back onto the sink and heaved an exhausted sigh. The day had barely started and already he wanted to go back to bed. Regardless of intentions, Roman had torn his self-confidence apart in record time.
+Bones must be broken before they can be strengthened, Jaune.+
Jaune grimaced at the metaphor but he felt excitement begin to seep into his chest. He had a SQUIP, and it told him that he could be made into a hero. This is was the big break he needed. Maybe now he could show everyone he was more than the comedic relief.
A creaking sound caught Jaune's attention and his head shot towards the source. A young man was carefully opening a stall and sliding out from it. He froze as he made eye contact with Jaune and the two stared at each other for a long minute. Still maintaining eye contact, the clearly frightened boy continued his exit from the stall. Once he had fully vacated the stall he slowly walked sideways along the stalls and made his way out of the restroom. Not once did he break eye contact until the door shut between them.
There was long moment of silence as Jaune contemplated the repercussions of a witness. Roman chose to pipe up again.
+That reminds me, you can converse with me within your own thoughts. No need to speak out loud. That way no one will think you've gone insane.+
A pause.
+Well, no one else, at least.+
What a wonderful start.
+Take your hands out of your pockets.+
Jaune quickly pulled them out.
+Arch your back. Puff out your chest.+
He did so.
+Add some swagger to your gait unless you want to look like a masturbator.+
'But...I am a masturbator,' Jaune thought in response.
+We'll fix that+ Roman assured. +Now, let me see some swagger.+
Jaune obeyed and received a shock of pain to his brain that caused him to flinch.
+Oh Dust, is that what you think swagger is? Look, just relax your shoulders. Swing your arms lightly. Add some movement to your torso. Subtle, but firm. Don't go walking around like some circus monkey parading around for attention.+
He attempted to emulate Roman's advice, and two jolts later it was considered satisfactory. Jaune quickly learned that Roman was a very firm taskmaster. He had been correcting everything from Jaune's posture to his stride and he was expected to put it all into practice immediately. The way Roman had him walking was alien to him and it required a conscious effort to keep it up.
He would be lying if he said he didn't feel a difference though. Something about the way he walked with his back straight and his eyes facing straight forward rather than slightly down made him feel more confident. It also allowed him to notice that he was taller than most of his peers.
+Your height is a stroke of fortune. Body language plays a big part in social interactions and how others perceive you. Height conveys a sense of power. Women, in particular, are generally inclined to form relationships with men who are taller than them.+
As if to emphasize the point, Jaune accidentally met the eyes of a girl walking the opposite way. She smiled at him and waggled her fingers in greeting. His cheeks went red and he immediately averted his eyes. The sudden embarrassment also caused his carefully composed posture to fall apart. He received a slightly more intense jolt for that.
+That's another thing, no more shying away from eye contact. When you're talking to someone, you're to look them directly in the eye. Maintaining eye contact makes you seem self-assured and interested in what they're saying. Every time you look away inappropriately I'll apply some negative reinforcement.+
No prizes for guessing what 'negative reinforcement' meant. As much as he appreciated Roman's advice on how to carry himself, he couldn't help but wonder exactly how this would help him be a hero.
+Tell me, would you rather be Jaune, the gangly, awkward teen who did that cool thing one time; or Jaune Arc, confident and noble hero? The higher everyone's initial opinion of you is, the more likely they are to inflate your accomplishments. What we are doing right now is increasing your standing among your peers, something that would be impossible with your usual self.+
That comment stung, but it wasn't like he could really deny it. Everything he had done resulted in him looking like a fool. What was that saying about insanity? Doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different result? As harsh as Roman was in his assessments, he was objectively right.
Maybe a little change was all he needed.
With that in mind, he returned to the posture that Roman had taught, looked straight forward, and walked with all the confidence he could muster. A quick jolt had him walking a little more realistically a moment later.
When he finally arrived at the cafeteria he decided to head straight for the line to grab some much needed food.
"Jaune!"
The knight turned his head and found Nora and Ruby energetically waving him. He hesitated for a moment and his gaze flicked back and forth between his friends and the breakfast line.
+Go ahead and join up with them. Your partner grabbed you some food while you were gone.+
'Wha- how would you know that?' Jaune asked.
+I'm a quantum computer, Jaune. I can accurately calculate all probabilities to the very last decimal and the odds of Pyrrha not grabbing your food for you were so low as to be unworthy of consideration.+
Sure enough, there was an empty spot next to Pyrrha with a tray of food sitting before it. He had barely sat down between her and Ren before the redhead pushed the tray towards him.
"Eat. You're not getting up until you clear your tray," she said insistently.
Jaune rubbed the back of his head and smiled sheepishly. "Right, thanks Pyr-ah!"
He lightly yelped the last syllable as Roman applied a lance of pain through his mind.
+Initiate eye contact. Express gratitude towards her.+
He turned to look into her emerald eyes and smiled gratefully.
"Thanks for looking out for me, Pyrrha," he said sincerely.
Pyrrha's cheeks turned a light shade of red and, amazingly, she averted her own gaze. She reached behind her to hook a lock of hair from her ponytail and absentmindedly twirled it around her finger.
"It-It's not a problem. I'm more than happy to help you," she said with a shy smile.
+Hmm, I don't think so.+
'You don't think what?' Jaune asked as he tucked into his breakfast. Pyrrha had given him plenty of grains and fruits for the most part. He would've preferred waffles but food was food at this point.
+Its nothing.+ Roman waved off. +More importantly, here's a good chance to practice speaking with women.+
His mind immediately jumped to Weiss.
+Absolutely not.+
'What? Why not?' Jaune asked indignantly. 'There's nothing wrong with Weiss.'
+Her foul temperament aside, you've already completely mucked up any chance you had of getting her interest.+
'I thought you were supposed to help me!'
+I am helping you. As it is, she is completely averse to your very presence. There is nothing you can do to turn that opinion around right now and you would only make things worse by trying.
The thought left a sour taste in his mouth. Roman wanted him to just give up chasing after his dream girl?
+Oh for the Brothers' sakes,+ Roman sighed. +Look, if you really want to court her then the absolute best thing you can do right now is back off. It's going to take some time before she even considers you to be someone worth her affection.+
...Ouch.
'So how am I supposed to practice talking to girls then?'
+You are a uniquely dense individual, Jaune. Look up and to your left.+
He did so and almost immediately locked eyes with Yang. Instinct screamed at him to look away and he very nearly did were it not for Roman.
+Maintain contact.+
'Are you crazy?! This is Yang!'
+I am well aware of her name, yes.+
'Why was she looking at me?!'
+She wasn't. I calculated the probability of her looking in this direction and made you look back just in time to meet her eyes.+
'Why?!'
Yang spoke before Roman could respond. "See something you like, Vomit Boy?" she asked while leaning her cheek against her fist. Her lips were quirked into an amused smirk and one of her eyebrows raised indolently. Jaune immediately opened his mouth to hastily deny anything and everything before Roman spoke up.
+Tell her "Yes, actually."+
'What?!'
+Jaune, we agreed that you would do everything I told you to. Either you say what I tell you to or you spew whatever deflective word vomit that's straining to come forth and look like an idiot.+
"...Yes, actually."
Jaune could've sworn the whole cafeteria went silent. In reality, it was just his team and Team RWBY that went quiet. They all turned to him with various faces of confusion, awe, horror, and indignation. He couldn't see any of that though. His gaze was firmly locked on Yang whose cocksure expression had been completely replaced with surprise. Then it melted back into her previous smirk, but there was a new spark in her eyes. She lifted her head from her knuckles and leaned forward onto the table. He fought hard to keep his eyes from straying downwards towards her bosom which lightly dragged across the tabletop.
"Oho, looks like you have some taste after all," she said. "Finally got tired of chasing the Ice Queen?"
"Hey!"
+I just felt like basking in the sun for a bit. Say it like it's a casual joke.+
"I just felt like basking in the sun for a bit," he said. It wasn't hard to make it sound like he was joking. He felt a little ridiculous saying it.
Yang's smirk widened a little. "Looks like Vomit Boy actually has a little game underneath all that gawkiness. Consider me impressed."
A thrill shot up his spine. That cheesy line actually went by well all things considered. He felt his heart beat a little faster and his mind cobbled together a quick response.
"Well you can consider me, uh...smooth"
He caught Ruby wincing out of the corner of his eye. Blood rushed to his cheeks as laughter burst out of Yang's mouth and her fist pounded against the table.
"O-Oh, man," the blonde gasped while wiping a tear from her eye, "You had me going for a second! You almost sounded chill before that trainwreck. That was great."
Jaune chuckled awkwardly while rubbing the back of his head. He shrunk back into his tray and shoved a bagel into his mouth, hoping to eat his embarrassment away.
+Oh, kid...that was just so painful to watch. What on Remnant possessed you to say that?+
'I just...thought I was doing good and wanted to try it on my own...'
+And how well did 'doing things on your own' work prior to my arrival?+
Jaune didn't answer.
+Jaune, I need you to understand that I'm here to help you, because you can't help yourself. I promise you I'll get you to the point that you won't need me so much but for now I need you to simply do what I say. Everything will go much smoother if you do.+
'...Okay.'
+Promise me, Jaune.+
'...I promise.'
+Good. Now finish your breakfast.+
Jaune quietly continued eating. He was no stranger to embarrassment, but having it happen after feeling the thrill of successful banter made it much worse. Roman had a point. He couldn't do this without him. In just two sentences, Jaune was practically flirting with Yang! He flirted with one of the most stunning girls he had ever seen and she didn't outright reject him!
That was all Roman's doing and he fucked it up in the third sentence. Well, that wouldn't happen again. All he had to do was let Roman tell him what to say and he'd be fine.
A/N: Oh hey, I made another chapter!
Fun fact: Your posture and gait really do make a difference in not only how others perceive you but in how confident you feel about yourself as well. I would highly recommend correcting any posture issues while you're still young.
EDIT: Fixed a part that made me cringe upon rereading.