Don't Mess With An Arc Chapter 10: An Arc's Rival, Part Two, a rwby fanfic

Greetings everyone,

Welcome to the 10th chapter of "Don't Mess With An Arc".

In happy news, I've finally managed to fix the problem I've been having with my car. But, in sad news, I've got to start looking for a second job really soon. So, I can't determine whether or not this will have a problem with future updates. And due to this drastic change in reality, it has and most likely will effect future chapters as I won't have proper time to plan them out.

And I'm not even joking, I literally re-wrote this chapter five times because each ending I originally wrote was unsatisfying. Hopefully I fixed it with this because if not... Well, hopefully it does end well.

Next Scheduled Release:

October 28th: "Don't Mess With An Arc - Ch. 11" and "The Arcful Dodger - Ch. 06"

Make sure to Favorite, Follow, and leave a Review.

Till next time.

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Chapter Ten

Rivalry; the competition for the same objective or for superiority in the same field.

And none fit this definition better than Jaune Arc, the most powerful trainee in all of Remnant, and Cardin Winchester, the bigoted asshole of Beacon Academy. Truly, they were two sides of the same coin. One was strong while the other was weak. One had worked for the gifts while the other stole them. One was the evolutionary success of countless heroes while the other was a mistake born from the failure of past generations.

And though they had yet to realize it. It was this day that would give rise to their eventual rivalry.

All it would take was for their combat professor, Glynda Goodwitch, to signal their match and their true selves would come to fruition.

The two warriors stood across from one another decked out in their combat gear. Cardin's dark gray armor reminiscent of that of a black knight hefted his mace over his right shoulder as he gave his "punching bag" a prideful smirk. It had seemed that, like most, he was unaware of the devastating power that Jaune held within himself. Most likely due to the headmaster desiring to keep Jaune's power to minimum so as to not draw any unwanted attention towards his school.

Meanwhile, after ruining his old combat attire, due to some "light" exercises that resulted in Jaune literally destroying his clothing as he attempted to regulate his power output, Weiss had decided that he required a new set of combat attire. Which resulted in him standing proud in his pristine white longcoat, which had his family's crest embroidered on it's back. A set of navy blue jeans that were just baggy enough to allow for easier air flow. A black t-shirt with a certain bunny mascot on his chest, which drew some laughter from his classmates and a heavy red blush from a certain mistral champion who had mistakenly associated herself with them.

The sight of his future punching bag's ridiculous t-shirt very nearly had Cardin in tears of laughter as he openly laughed at Jaune's shirt.

"What the heck is that!?" shouted Cardin, laughing as loudly as possible at the adorable bunny on Jaune's t-shirt while Jaune replied back with genuine confusion as he looked down at his shirt before tugging at it with his fingers.

"What?" he asked, looking down at his shirt in confusion before glancing back up at Cardin's joyful expression. "Is there something on my shirt?"

"Why the hell do you have a rabbit on your shirt?" asked Cardin, still laughing at Jaune's attire while his teammates and friends both glared at Cardin while trying to maintain their own laughter.

Truth be told, the picture of an adorable bunny belonging to a cereal brand was extremely out of place when the one who wore it had the capability of destroying the entirety of Vale without a single thought. Henceforth why it was so god darn funny in the first place.

"I thought it looked cool." said Jaune, frowning slightly at hearing it was his choice in clothing that had earned Cardin's mockery. When he and his team went out to buy him new combat clothing he honestly thought it was cool design. As if to say that even if he super strong he was still as delicate as a bunny. It was the one thing he was quite insistent about after his teammates and partner tried to convince him that it just didn't fit his character. It took nearly an hour for Jaune to eventually convince his teammates that he had made his choice and there was nothing that would change his mind. But, now that he seemed to be the cause of laughter in the class, perhaps it was a bad idea.

"Cool?" asked Cardin, looking astonished by Jaune's answer before he released another bout of laughter, his left hand clutching his stomach in pain from laughing. "The only thing that stupid shirt does is show everyone just how weak you really are. Man, your team must really hate you if they let you walk out in public with that on."

"Hey!" shouted a high pitched squeaky voice, causing everyone to turn their heads and look at the gothic lolita that had shouted. Her silver eyes shined with determination. "It doesn't matter what Jaune wears because he'll always be the same awesome leader of Team AYSR! You kick his stupid butt, Jaune!" cheered Ruby, smiling as her partner and older sister rose to join her.

"Yeah! You got this Lady Killer!" cheered Yang as she pumped her fist into the air with an excited smirk.

"Hmph, show this overgrown buffoon just what it means to mess with the pupil of a Schnee." said Weiss, smiling down at the boy she was raising to become a confidant leader.

After witnessing their sister team cheering for their resident mountain destroyer, the members of Team PNBR all rose from their own seating to cheer for the one who had saved their lives during initiation.

"Break his legs, Jaune-Jaune!" shouted Nora, raising both of her arms to the ceiling as Ren sighed with his head shaking ever so slightly.

"Fight well!" cheered Black, waving a tiny flag that had Jaune's last name on it as she tried to keep her book hidden behind her back before she gently smacked Pyrrha's arm with her book.

"Oh! Uh... Go Jaune!" cheered Pyrrha, still feeling a little embarrassed that the boy she was slowly coming to like was now wearing the very symbol of her misery as a celebrity in Mistral.

In truth, that was one mistake Pyrrha desperately wished she could take back. She didn't care if she was associated with them or anything of the sort. To her, Pumpkin Pete's Marshmallow Flakes were the worst tasting cereal she'd ever have the displeasure of eating. And no, the pay most certainly did not make it worth it.

The smallest glimmer of confidence burned within Jaune's heart as he released his hold on his shirt and shifted himself into a defensive combat stance. His trusty, all powerful Dawnbringer glowed with the all mighty righteous fury that was his soul. To some, like Cardin, who had laughed at his magnificent weapon, claiming that it was little more than a piece of garbage, Jaune was more than ready to show them just what might his amazing weapon would bestow.

As the sparring room came to a silent halt and Prof. Goodwitch rose her silky white palm into the air, both Cardin and Jaune were slowly mentally preparing themselves for the other. But, unlike Cardin, who had trouble with maintaining his own output of power, Jaune knew that this match wouldn't be a cakewalk. He had swore that he would no long damage the school grounds nor injure any attending student. It was why he had spent so much time with Weiss and Prof. Goodwitch training to regulate his power output.

But as Prof. Goodwitch's hand fell to her side and the bell rung, signalling the start of the match, everyone would soon see that when it came to Jaune and his immense power it was all or nothing. And as Cardin charged at Jaune's form, mace raised and poised to crush his opponent, the feeling of adrenaline coursed through his veins as he shifted into a defensive stance. Finally, he'd be able to test himself against an opponent.

There was nothing that could possibly ruin this moment for him.

Except for the fact that Cardin's mace, which looked like it could destroy an entire segment of the wall behind him, had bounced harmlessly off of Jaune's near-indestructible body. The resounding snap of Cardin's wrist after swinging a several pound mace at what amounted to a heavily armored tank echoed throughout the chamber, causing several of students to wince at the horrifying sound.

Cardin immediately fell to his knees, dropping his mace with a clatter to ground, and began cradling his injured wrist. His wails of pain echoed through the classroom as Prof. Goodwitch raced to his side, kneeling before him as she gently took his injured body part in his smooth palms. Her green eyes scanned his wrist through her spectacles as Jaune watched from the side, feeling concerned about Cardin's injury.

He hadn't expected for Cardin to neglect regulating his Aura to his desired areas and even less so after witnessing Cardin's wrist snapping at the action. He made him realize that Jaune had never properly faced another person in combat before. His only enemies so far had been the mindless Grimm and the most they had in the way of protection against him was armor plating. Jaune knew he had to make things right with Cardin or else he'd never be able to move past his blunder.

"Um, Professor Goodwitch?" asked Jaune, flinching ever-so slightly as the hardened glare his combative professor was sending his way. But with steely determination, Jaune marched towards the mature professor through her devilish glare before arriving at Cardin's side. "Is there anything I can do to help?" he asked as Prof. Goodwitch's left eyebrow raised, giving her a very inquisitive expression while Cardin glared at him, his arm still being held in Prof. Goodwitch's hands.

"I don't need your pity, Arc." said Cardin, gritting his teeth in anger as Jaune's own eyes softened in retaliation.

"It's not pity, Cardin." said Jaune, taking Cardin's arm from his professor as gently as he could. "We're huntsmen. Huntsmen need to be strong to protect the weak."

"It's fine, Mr. Arc." said Prof. Goodwitch, sighing as she removed her hands from Cardin's arm. "Mr. Winchester, be sure to visit the clinic immediately after class is over and see Nurse Aloe. She specializes in injuries of this nature."

But all their words had managed to do was fuel the fiery wrath that burned with him. He had been trained to be a warrior since the day he was born. The youngest of four older brothers, Cardin had always been the runt of the litter and as such no one, not even his own father, believed he could ever amount to anything more than a petty thug. And so, he trained day and night until his bones felt like they were going to break at any moment. Weakness was a disease in his life. Only the strong could survive in this world. And there was one thing that remained transparent to Cardin, he was weak and he hated it. All it had done was remind himself of the pain and torment he'd endure in his youth.

But, it was his own professor's final words that put the nail in the coffin. As she rose to her feet, his wrist healed by Jaune's gentle touch, her glasses reflecting the scared and injured boy he had once been as she looked down upon as staring at an insect that dared to walk in her path.

"Perhaps this may be a lesson to you, Mr. Winchester." said Prof. Goodwitch. "Sometimes it is best to face against someone more on your level. After all, we wouldn't want you be killed by a Beowolf, now would we?" she asked, sounding cheeky as Cardin openly glared at his own professor.

Did this bitch have the gall to say that HE would be killed by something was pathetically weak as a dumb mutt?

Did she think him weak too?

Did they all think he was weak?

His eyes slowly moved to the gleeful smile that adorned Jaune's face. His blue eyes practically shimmering with excitement as Prof. Goodwitch began explaining about the Vytal Festival that would be held this year in Vale. A competition to prove not just to themselves but the entirety of Remnant who was the strongest. It was Cardin's dream to be the strongest in all of Remnant. To be the face of what it meant to be a Huntsman. But, now all it had done was remind him that same truth he'd always known since the day was born from his mother, frail and alone as even his own father hadn't deemed his own son's birth worthy enough of his precious time and his mother laid dead on the hospital table due his birth. The world had born him weak and had tried to convince him that that was all he'd ever be.

He'd make them pay. He'd make them all pay for what they thought of him.

And as the bell rang, signalling the end of class and by extension the day, Cardin remained on the floor of the ring, his partner and teammates all huddling around him, their words muffled as Cardin's eyes trained on Jaune's back. The twin golden crescents that would forever be the symbol of his hatred. But it was when Jaune turned back to look at his pathetic defeated form with eyes filled with guilt and sadness that infuriated Cardin.

How dare he look at him with disappointment!

He'd make him pay. He'd make them all pay!

...A Few Moments Later With Cardin & Russel...

While Cardin was busy furiously attacking a robotic drone that was sent out to attack him, courtesy of the training room he currently occupied. His fists clenched tighter than ever before as he smashed the drone's head with his bare hands. His breath becoming ragged from exhaustion as he stood in the middle of the raining field surrounded by the crumbled pieces of robots that littered the room around himself.

"Again." demanded Cardin, his vision slowly becoming blurry with each sway of his body.

"Cardin, it's been 4 hours already." said Russel as he spoke into the microphone that connected to the speakers within Cardin's training room. "I know losing to that Arc guy was bad but c'mon this is getting out of hand."

Suddenly, the window that allowed Russel to witness the rampage his leader and partner had caused was struck by the torn torso of one of the destroyed robotic drones. Russel coward behind the protective glass that luckily withstood Cardin's random attack thanks to the barrier implemented into the system as Cardin's eyes glared in his partner's own.

"I said, again." Cardin demanded once more, making sure that his coward of a partner knew exactly what trouble he'd be in if he went against his demand.

Shakily, Russel reluctantly pressed the button the released several more robotic drones of various sizes, models, and strength that all began to swarm on Cardin's position. But due to the adrenaline pumping through his veins and the berserker rage that consumed his very being, Cardin's mindset was deadset on one thing and one thing only.

"He thinks I'm weak." he said to himself, as he grabbed one drone with his bare hand, crushing it's face plate before using his strength to throw the drone into another one. "He thinks that I need his pity." he said, grabbing a drone's arm as he ripped it off from it's body and proceeded to beat the metallic drone with it. "I'll show him!" he shouted, charging into a cluster of drones as he grabbed two drone's backs before beginning to spin in rapid succession. "I'll show everyone what I'm made of!" he shouted again, smashing the two drone's heads into one another as several more drones came charging at him. "I'm NOT weak!" he shouted, thrusting his right fist directly through one drone before lifting it into the air and slamming it head-first into another nearby drone. "I AM STRONG!" he shouted as several sparks began to surround his body, the sheer number of drones swarming upon his position as his body struggled with every step.

Anger was what fueled him. Rage was what empowered him. He was a fire so wild and untamed that he would burn everything to the ground, leaving nothing but charred remains.

As the swarm of metallic robotic drones dog piled on top of him and Russel's hands pressed against the glass that kept him from reaching his partner's side his body grew hotter with every second until eventually his body glowed as bright as a roaring fire. The light grew brighter and brighter with each passing second until it, too, enveloped the drones that kept attacking him. Russel left completely stunned by the event as red glow blinded his vision, causing him to cover his eyes in an effort to protect himself.

After a few seconds, Russel removed his arm from his eyes that then adjusted to the sight that gifted his vision. There, standing among a pile of ashes that were once Cardin's attackers, was his leader standing as proud as the day he had seen him among the bullies that had dared to mess with him. His right arm's bulging muscles tensed as Cardin held in an outstretched hand that lone survivor of his devastating attack. A singular drone's silvery head now covered in soot as the red glow that surrounded Cardin's body faded into nothingness.

And as Cardin's head turned back to glare at his cowering partner, a feeling of power swelled with his soul. The drone's head fell to the ground with a clang as Cardin watched his hand glow with a red hot fire that danced in his hand completely at his will. He smiled in excitement as the same overwhelming power that had once entered his body returned with a vengeance.

"More." he said softly with a smile. "I need more."

It was on that day Cardin, surrounded by the charred ashes of several metallic drones, made a promise to himself. One that he would forever follow until the day he died. He was going to destroy Jaune Arc and make him regret ever making a fool of Cardin Winchester.

That was a promise from the man that would be his rival.

What's this?

Could it be that Jaune kindness and generosity backfired on him? Does Cardin now have a power on par with Jaune's own? Eh, who knows? Either way, I decided to use a Semblance that I had written up for Cardin called "Crossfire". I mentioned this destructive semblance in my other story "The Master Huntsman" that I highly recommend you all check out.

I suppose this makes Cardin, Bakugo and Jaune, Midoriya. One for destructive firepower the other for destructive physical power.

Thanks for reading!

Till next time!