Author's note: I feel I should state that my little quip about the Future Jaune x harem was only that: a quip. This story will not be a harem story whatsoever.
Y'all are welcomed to make use of it for the sake of hilarity though!
Before we delve back into the story, I just want to point out that these next few chapters will be rather lull in comparison to the previous ones with action. All in the name of story building, I promise. Just a heads up.
And now we return to our irregular scheduled program.
Chapter IV
High above the grounds of Beacon loomed the symbolic relay of the CCT fashioned into a tower of elegant design. The massive cogs and mechanisms that lay within quietly ticked away as they twisted and revolved with one another. Now that the sun was out, the tower's emerald hue shine melted with the natural rays of light, dimming the glowing beacon orbs into an eye-warming visual. Beneath all of this rested a panel office room with a view of far and wide in all directions.
Within it stood a spry old man resting an elaborate and mysterious cane in one hand and a mug of fresh brew in the other.
Ozpin gazed out the window and regarded the distant scenery and buildings of Vale. A tinge of irritation crossed his mind; try as one might, it would be delusional for a person to completely dismiss the sight of the Atlesian air fleet hovering throughout the skies over the city. A rather rash action on the behalf of the General James Ironwood, yes, but one that they must now deal with since the Council of Vale had officially placed the Atlesian military in charge. A hollow exhale escaped through his nostrils as he downed another sip of his brew. He understood James's concern and reason for doing what he did, but that does not dismiss the fact that he may or may not have complicated things even further in their unseen intricate war against the Queen.
In regards to complications, the Headmaster lowered his glance down at the academy grounds below. He of course had seen all that had transpired: a private bullhead touching down, a mysterious figure approaching, said figure being chased by Miss Ruby Rose, and the entire pursuit of him by Team RWBY throughout the campus.
A brief smile crept to his lips. It was amusing to see Team RWBY's efforts to hunt down this stranger and even more rewarding seeing their trap had actually worked before Glynda intercepted accordingly. Despite the immense property damage caused, the whole incident gave Ozpin an insight to the newcomer's abilities. His form, his steps, his movements. Years have taught Ozpin how to observe and potentially gauge one's abilities and skill; and whoever this stranger was he was severely downplaying himself when Team RWBY gave chase. Unanswered questions jostled his mind.
He had never seen anyone like this stranger before. Who was he?
The stranger had, thankfully, not attacked anyone upon initial encounters or resist when Glynda subdued him. What were his intentions?
The cogs and gears ticked steadily as time passed by. What on Remnant was taking them so long to reach him?
Ding!
The Professor gracefully turned around to see the elevator doors open and reveal his two expected guests. The stranger in question was the first to exit the elevator with Glynda stepping out behind him.
"Sorry for the delay," Glynda spoke, "some fool pushed all of the buttons before we got on."
That explained the delayed arrival. He immediately noted that the part of the stranger's visible face bore resemblance to that of Jaune Arc's and configured that his entire body was cybernetic based on the thick masses of intertwined wires that composed of his skin. Many questions spawned silently in his mind.
"Thank you Glynda." Ozpin nodded towards his assistant who now stood silently beside his desk. The inquisitive look on her face told him that she too had questions. Before he could say anything, the stranger standing in front of his desk spoke.
"It's good to see you again, Professor Ozpin." he said tentatively and glanced in Glynda's direction, "And you as well, Professor Goodwitch."
Glynda remained stoic while the Headmaster slightly tilted his head in confusion.
"I do not believe we have met yet." Ozpin corrected.
"Technically, we have already," was the response, "but for the sake of clarity, you have never met me before."
Ozpin took another sip from his mug before he placed it down on his desk.
"And who are you, exactly?"
"He claims to be Jaune Arc," Glynda answered frankly and crossed her arms, "but I find that highly doubtful seeing that Mr. Arc is an enrolled student here."
"I am from the future." was the candid response.
Stillness fell upon the three of them. The cybernetic man stood unmoving and waited for a response from the two; Glynda's eyes widened and her jaw dropped; and Ozpin's face remained unchanged as his mind sought to process everything. Based on his appearance and voice, he could definitely see and hear the resemblance between this walking metallic being that stood before him and the clumsy Hunter-in-training that was Jaune Arc. If he was telling the truth, then that meant…
Ozpin leaned his cane against the desk and calmly sat down in his conspicuously looking gear chair. Slowly, he brought his elbows up to the table and folded his fingers together across the ridge of his nose.
"Would you care to explain?" Ozpin questioned politely.
Jaune nodded. He had expected Ozpin to interrogate him over the authenticity to his claim and even prepared to reveal that his transcripts were forged and call Ozpin out on it. Seeing that the Professor reacted collected and was willing to listen gave him some confidence that his words would not be dismissed as mere tales. He only hoped it would remain that way once he told them what needed to be said.
"Twenty years from now, Altesian Scientists complete Project: Continuum, a project designed to warp the Space-Time continuum and send a person into the past to change the future. Upon completion, I volunteered and was sent back in time to save the future."
"From what?" Glynda asked.
"Destitution." Jaune answered tactlessly, "All of Remnant is brought to ruin because of the events that occur at this upcoming Vytal Festival. For the sake of all human and faunus kind, I am here to prevent all of it from ever happening."
"And…what events might those be?" Ozpin asked wearily.
"The events leading up to the Battle of Beacon." Jaune state. Glynda's strict persona faltered and her hands dropped to her sides, her eyes widened and mouth agape. Ozpin's facial expression mirror Glynda's but soon was replaced with steadfast seriousness. Whether or not he was telling the truth, the possibility of a battle taking place at Beacon was a reason for serious alert. Especially if it meant that all that he was doing would accumulate into an all-out battle in the end. Ozpin tightened his jaw and adjusted his shaded glasses.
"Explain." the Headmaster grimly ordered. Jaune unemotionally complied.
"Due to General Ironwood's hasty action of bringing the Atlesian air fleet to Vale and your discreet passiveness, Professor Ozpin, the enemy exploits both of your methods and manipulates the Vytal Festival, paving way for an entire Grimm invasion backed by the White Fang."
The morning's angelic atmosphere suddenly darkened in office room. Ozpin's forehead slowly dipped and settled on top of his fingers, his eyes shut tightly and his fingers grasping each other firmly. His healthy appearance suddenly seemed to pale into the age that he was. All that he had done...everything they've worked to accomplish...for nothing? He could easily disagree with him and dismiss all that he was told as false information, but what kind of person would he be if he ignored vital information given to him simply because it didn't agree with him? Ozpin let out a quiet breath as he felt the surmounting stress weigh down on his being.
Jaune noted that for someone being told that all of what they feared and strived to prevent would come true thanks to their own doing, he was taking it rather well, contradictory to how he had thought Ozpin would react. Glynda, surprisingly, managed to shake herself out of her stupor and began confronting the issue while Ozpin sought to regain himself.
"If what you are saying is true, then how can we prevent it from happening?" Glynda asked, her voice softening in tone but urgent in sound.
"That is why I am here." Jaune answered, "I know everything that is going to happen and can take preventative measures to ensure that it never does."
"But you refuse to tell us about these events." Ozpin pointed out and finally opened his eyes, staring directly at Jaune with his regained composure.
"Yes." Jaune answered concisely, "Are you aware of the theories revolving around the Space-Time continuum?"
"If you are truly from the future, Mr. Arc, then I am sure you are aware of my semblance, correct?"
"Of course, then you understand why I cannot simply convey all of this information at once."
"I'm afraid I do not follow…" Glynda remarked.
"If I reveal too much at once, it could have a sudden disruptive effect on the Space-Time continuum," Jaune explained, "if that were to happen then reality itself may become too distorted and break; not to mention that it would most likely erase or alter my existence entirely."
"That is why you ran from Team RWBY…" Ozpin mused.
"Yes, the less people that know of my presence the better chance we have at transgressing the future more smoothly."
"If you are going by that logic and theory, then you understand that if we are successful you may fade out of existence."
Silence then fell upon Jaune, reversing the standpoint between him and the two professors. A moment passed before they watched his face knotted into seriousness and his clawed fingers balled into a fist. He had made up his mind.
"If it means that all of the millions of lives can be saved, then I am willing to accept it." Jaune replied gravelly, "Rest assure that I do not plan to keep you in the dark about this matter, Professor, I will reveal to you what I know when I can confirm that it will not have any catastrophic consequences to reality."
Ozpin nodded before rising from his chair and grabbing his cane. Centering himself, he looked to Jaune with understanding empathy. Jaune met his gaze squarely in the eye.
"Then we are at an agreement Mr. Arc," Ozpin affirmed, "and seeing that you have already introduced yourself to some of our students, please feel free to mingle about with them. I am sure you would wish to keep a close watch on how events play out, correct?"
"Originally, I would have disagreed with you Professor," Jaune reasoned, "but seeing that I have already made contact with Team RWBY, it would be best to monitor them and insure that my presence does not cause any more drastic alterations."
"Well said Jaune." Ozpin noted. For a moment, he could have sworn he saw the cybernetic knight before him perk up at his remark, but the mechanical parts on him restricted any signs of reaction. "When it is safe, will you be willing to share these events with us so we may circumvent them?"
"Of course, Professor, in due time," Jaune promised before glancing slightly towards the elevator. "May I go now?"
"Yes, you may," Ozpin assured, "please keep in touch."
"Of course Professor."
The two teachers watched the knight enter the elevator and leave the office. Once gone, they were left with the lingering haze of questions that still filled their mind. Some were answered, many more remained unasked. Knowingly, Ozpin let out a heavy sigh and turned to his assistant, meeting her questioning gaze. This had been a very unexpected day so far.
"Do you think he is who he says he is?" Glynda asked.
"We can keep an eye on him throughout the campus." Ozpin assured and moved behind his chair. "If he is telling the truth, however, then we need to take all precautions to prevent the future he told us about."
"I still remain skeptical about that, too. Are you sure he is from the future?"
"A man possessing untold skill with a fully cybernetic body far beyond General Ironwood's makes his way to Beacon, offers no resistance when you apprehend him, and seeks me out to help prevent a future disaster." Ozpin retraced with slight humor in his voice and glanced over at his assistant, "Sounds almost as farfetched as a fairy tale."
Glynda rolled her eyes. Sometimes her boss was too foreboding for his own good.
Plus, given his specialty with time and its inner details, she trusted that Ozpin knew what he was doing.
"How can even we prevent something that we have no idea of?" she wondered, "He said it himself: he cannot tell us everything at once less we risk the collapse of reality."
"Then we would have to put that theory to the test," Ozpin muttered and shifted his eyes back out the window, his mind trying to organize everything that he had been told, "and I believe Mr. Arc may do just that; there are only so many places he can go on campus, after all."
Silence. Silence and the quiet hum of the elevator as it descended. He did not speak his thoughts aloud out of habit, enemies sometimes could hear. However, there were no enemies here, just the students of Beacon and the Professors he had allied with. The first part of his mission was completed.
Jaune felt the metaphorical weight lift off his chest and a flood of relief pass through him before it was sapped away. He had made contact with Ozpin who was willing to listen to his story. It was imperative that he should reach out to him first, seeing that the Professor was the head of his secret faction. Not to mention that he would most likely be the only one to believe his story. He thought back to Ozpin and Glynda, two of his mentors he hadn't seen in over 20 years. The mere sight of the two brought back dear memories from so long ago and made him think back to a time when he was a naïve, blundering teenager who had faked his way into Beacon. Perhaps he should have lessened his demeanor when he spoke to them…
A tinge of regret was purged from his mind as fast as it entered. What was done was done; he needed to move forward. His mental networks were already backtracking through processed events and formulating calculations. He had established contact with Ozpin and made him aware of the future events to come.
Additionally, yet unintentionally, he realized that his combat systems had been putting together counter moves against Glynda's telekinesis and had already created and filed two escape routes to Team RWBY's earlier trap. He mentally ignored his combat system's automatic data response and focused on the data regarding his mission. Now all he had to do was to wait for a more appropriate time to reveal all that will soon happen and monitor what possible effects his presence in the past had on reality. Starting with tracking down Team RWBY and overseeing what consequences his presence had caused.
He was then torn between the two choices of either accompanying the girls to monitor them from afar or to monitor them through interaction. Doing the first option would risk less chances of drastic continuum changes, but he wouldn't be able to prevent any reality bending consequences because of his inaction; doing the second one would undoubtingly cause some sort of temporal change, but at least he would be able to monitor it more closely and circumvent any changes via interaction.
Sensors detected four people standing outside of the sliding doors as the elevator chimed to a stop. While his current augmentations could not identify who they were, something which the more upgraded systems could do instantly, Jaune reasoned that he would have to put up an ignorant, brooding façade and quickly walk past them to avoid drawing too much attention. Hopefully whoever they were would simply write him off as moody and move on.
The elevator doors slid opened. Jaune's visible eye widened.
Destiny had decided to bring his objectives straight to him…
"Heya handsome!" the boisterous blonde greeted and waved. The girls all stared at him with expected looks with their weapons were put away this time around.
Jaune had half the mind to simply wait for the elevator doors to close.
"Sorry about chasing you down this morning," Ruby apologized and began to rock on her boots, "first I noticed that you had cool armor…then I realized you looked like one of my friends…and then you ran…and…"
Jaune stepped out of the elevator and approached within arm's length of the group, causing Ruby's voice to die completely into a mumble. He figured he should at least say something to alleviate some of his intimidation stature. Standing at roughly over seven and a half feet tall, easily towering over everyone he had encountered, was surely imposing to anyone.
"Shouldn't you four be off cleaning up the campus?" Jaune finally responded coldly and shifted his gaze between the four of them. His voice seemed to snap them all out of some sort of trance, seeing that all of them reverted back to their regular personalities that he remembered them by.
"Pssh, we got all of that taken care of." Yang waved off nonchalantly. He was about to ask how they managed to fix up everything in such little time, but then he realized how much time had passed: the morning was about to turn into noon. That elevator ride up was really prolonged…
"You have some questions to answer mister." Weiss dictated.
"Yeah, like, are you really…you know, Jaune?" Ruby pondered aloud. Jaune's eye stared down at the silver-eyed girl, who instead of shriveling up met his eyes with curiosity. The three other girls had the same expressions too.
"Yes, I am Jaune Arc," he confirmed, "I am from the future."
"Hah! I knew it!" Yang boasted proudly. As the girls took in that information, Jaune checked his sensor readings. No signs of temporal anomalies. His systems and memories were intact. No change in personality or mental processes as far as he was aware of. Everything was stable.
"I am sure you have questions, but I must limit what I share." Jaune clarified.
"How come?" Weiss complained.
"Because if he reveals too much he could alter the fabric of reality and cause an unstable plane of existence." Blake finally spoke up, gaining all of their attention.
"Oh my gosh, you're right!" Ruby acknowledged.
"I'm…not following you Blake." Yang refuted.
"Me either." Weiss added.
"If he were to reveal too much information about the future, it could change the future where he came from and thus change the version of himself in front of us now and possibly cause temporal damage to reality." Blake explained.
Yang and Weiss simultaneously gave the Faunus girl dumbfounded looks. Jaune stoically stared at her too, not out of disbelief, but due to the fact that she knew about this. Blake noted their looks and folded her arms.
Blake shrugged, "It's a common plot theme in time travelling stories."
"Comics and movies too!" Ruby added cheerfully.
Jaune nodded in agreement before stepping forward and brushing through the middle of them for an unknown destination.
Somewhere. Anywhere. Every corner and angle of Beacon his eyes saw and scanners picked up started to reawaken memories by the droves. He needed time to process. He needed time to remember. Wherever he intended to go, Team RWBY would soon join him too, seeing that his sensors detected the four of them following close behind.
Each of the walked without a word, the four girls exchanging looks and wondering who should say something first. Finally, Yang was the one to break the silence.
"Soo Jaune," Yang began and gestured at him, "where'd ya get that body from?"
"Yang!" Weiss scolded.
"It's an honest question." the blonde fighter shrugged.
"Kinda was wondering that, too." Ruby mentioned.
"I'm going to take a guess and say Atlas, right?" Weiss assumed.
"Yes." he responded low and curtly. His tone and volume sharply contrasted the cheerful atmosphere that lingered about Team RWBY and immediately shut down the conversation. Taking note of this, Team RWBY exchanged looks again, and again Yang spoke first.
"What happen to you?" Yang asked, her question rewarding her with his stare, "It's like you're as quiet as Blake and whenever you talk you're as cold as Weiss."
Yang's eyes widened and tried not to laugh at the unintentional pun while Weiss snapped with an indignant 'Hey!' and Blake and Ruby groaned.
Unlike the rest of them, Jaune felt taken aback by mirth. It had been years since he heard one of Yang Xiao Long's infamous puns. As soon as he felt it though, the joy was diminished and his mindset returned to normal.
"Apologies for my apparent shift in behavior from the Jaune you know, the unimaginable horrors seen and losses I've suffered are to blame."
That definitely quashed the merry intention of their conversation, but Yang wasn't going to let that stop her from honing the conversation around. She playfully nudged his arm and ignored the fact that the armored limb neither swayed or budged from her bump.
"Ease up Jaune, you're with us now!" Yang reasoned.
Jaune averted his gaze and blinked ahead while his mind began to process her words. Years of warfare and duty had molded his awkward personality a ruthless mentality of stoicism and rigor even before his body was warped into the massive machine that he was now. Fending off hordes of Grimm unimaginable to humanity; coordinating forces in the midst of a battle knowing that one slip up on his behalf would result in lives lost and utter defeat; seeing Hunters and Huntresses cut down beside him; constant vigilance against assassination attempts that could, and did, happen at any time.
It was the same ruthless mentality he harbored when he found himself standing in the past. A mindset of a war-torn future mingling with the fluctuant peaceful present. The same mentality that had resurfaced when he fought the several Ursai Majors upon arrival and the same one when he stormed Junior's club soon after. To be fair, those hitmen and bouncers were preventing him from his objective; he merely took the most reasonable approach that they would understand and guaranteed his intended goal. Too much is at stake to be left for chances. But now? Now that he had reached out to Ozpin and was officially in Beacon, could he allow himself to ease up? Was his centurion view on matters unnecessary at this point?
"Is the future really that bad?" Ruby wondered naively. Remembrance of everything and why he was here brought a firm answer to his unspoken questions: yes, all of it was necessary.
"Worse," he replied grimly, "that is why I am here."
"Oh." Ruby muttered.
The mood of the conversation had settled into an encumbering sense of melancholy as they walked through one of Beacon's outdoor breezeways. Meanwhile Jaune was continuously receiving readings from his sensors of nearby individuals and their movements. Everyone within range; movements and vitals all. He knew that by this time more students had started to walk about the campus and all the readings were becoming a slight annoyance. His sensors could never be turned off unless they suffered serious damage, and he wasn't about to inflict self harm for the sake of reprieve.
"Moving onto another topic," Weiss declared, "do you have any plans on meeting up with our Jaune? Or the rest of Team JNPR for that matter?"
"I don't think that would be a good idea…" Blake mentioned.
"Nope!" Ruby piped.
"No, I have no intentions of meeting with my past self," Jaune explained, "there are too many unknown factors and theoretical consequences of interacting with a past version of myself. For safety measures, it would be best if I-"
The five of them rounded the corner of the breezeway and immediately froze. All of their eyes widened and their jaws hung agape. Even Jaune's mouth dropped while shock and panic briefly spiked within his mind.
Once again, destiny had other plans in store for him.
"Hey guys!" a younger, shorter, and non-mechanized Jaune greeted them mere feet away with the rest of the awaken Team JNPR striding at his side, "What's up?"
Author's note: Ah, the classic cliffhanger. Typical, but useful.
Strangely, this chapter took a lot of refining to make everything seem plausible. Even now I'm not entirely sure if truly comes off as so either. Also the quality: often I find myself either packing in too much details or making things too brisk.
Never mind plausibility or quality, how many horrendous grammar errors have I committed?!
Regardless, it took a lot of revising to make this chapter. First I made it took quick, then I had to revise Ozpin and Glynda's characterization (which I hope I did alright with...), then I put too many allusions, and had to reword and add a entire paragraphs, suddenly it all didn't make sense and...yea.
I believe I made the explanation for the Time Loop theory (yes, I am deeming it such) as clear as possible at least. Stories involving the mechanics of time can easily become trash works if the theories become convoluted.
I would like to thank everyone favorited, followed, and/or reviewed so far. I do appreciate all the support and criticisms.
Till next chapter.