Dark Rose

Chapter 3: New Allies

"Well, thank you for being here, students." Professor Ozpin said, adjusting his spectacles. Jett looked around nervously at his surroundings. All of the first-year students had gathered on a cliff overlooking an emerald green forest. It was a 50 foot drop to the floor of the forest from where they were standing. How exactly does Ozpin expect us to get down there?" Jett thought to himself. "This is going to be awesome!" a voice next to him excitedly shouted. Jett looked to his right, and saw Ruby next to him. "Oh. Hey there, Ruby." She looked at Jett, and gave him the biggest smile he had seen.

"Ahem." Jett whipped his head around, and saw Ozpin giving him and Ruby a scowl. "Sorry.." Jett apoligized. "As I was saying, the objective of today's test is to find the forest temple, and secure the artifacts within." Ozpin stated, holding up a holoraphic tablet. Goodwitch strode up next him. "Also, there has been some talk of teams amongst you. Well, it's time to put those rumors to rest. You will be assigned teammates. Today." Glynda started. Jett heard Ruby whimper next to him. "After you land on the forest floor, the fiirst person you make eye contact with will be your partner for the next 4 years." What? How is any of that fair? Jett wondered.

"If you would, students." Ozpin said, gesturing behind them. Jett turned around, and saw discoloured patches of grass behind them going in a line."You will be following your own landing strategy to get down the forest." Well, that answers one question.. Jett thought. "Umm, Professor?" a voice asked down the line. Jett looked and saw a scruffy blonde boy in ancient-looking combat armor with a sword at his waist. "Yes, Jaune?" the professor answered, giving the man a tired look. Jett smiled, and positioned himself on the patch of grass behind him. "So, this "landing strategy". You're dropping us off, or something?" Jaune continued, looking nervously. "No. you will be falling." Ozpin stated calmly. Jett dropped his head and laughed silently. One first-year launched, then two, then three. "Did you give everyone parachutes...?" Jaune pressed, noticing the lack of people at his side anymore. "No. You will be using your own landing strategy." Jett looked to his side and saw Ruby beam before being launched into the air. "One more question. What exactly is a landing-" Jaune started, but was cut off when it was his turn to be launched into the air. Ozpin sighed, and went back to reading his tablet. My turn. The grass beneath Jett's feet rumbled, and suddenly, he was airborne, soaring through the sky.

Several minutes passed of falling before Jett tried to react. He pulled his revolvers out of his holsters, and closed his eyes. The world once again slowed down, and he opened his eyes to scan the environment. "There!" he exclaimed. He reached out for the tree branch in front of him, but missed it. "Damn.." He cursed. Well, now is as good as time as any.. he thought. Jett focused his Aura into his body. Electricity sparked and arced all over his body. He continued to focus his Aura until it became almost unbearable. Jett's eyes snapped open, and he released his pent up Aura, and disappeared in a flash of light. Trees, shrubs, Grimm, and other students flew in a blur before his eyes as he was flung forward at a sickening pace. Suddenly, as quickly as it started, it ended in an instant, leaving a scorch mark at his feet as he landed.

Jett looked behind him towards the cliff face he was launched from, and discovered that he had moved roughly 500 meters in an instant. "Whew. It's been a while since I did a long-range teleport." Jett grimmaced, and clutched his side. "That took more out of me than normal. I need to rest for a minute." Jett heard a twig snap behind him, then he heard he snarling. Grimm. He tried to turn around, but dropped to one knee. Beowolves, judging by the snarls. he thought, trying to raise his gun at them. They stood at the endge of the clearing, a pack of four of them, with the Alpha of the group standing on his hind legs in the middle of them. The Alpha howled, then leapt in the air. Wow, this is how it ends: dying at the hands of a stupid Beowolf. Jett thought, as he closed his eyes, accepting his fate. *Shiiiiing* The sound blade cutting flesh cut across the tension. As Jett opened his eyes, he saw the blade of a halbeard had pierced the chest of the Alpha Beowolf.

"Need a hand?" a voice asked, and Jett could sense a hand in front of his face. He opened his eyes, and saw Eccon holding a large polearm, Grimm dust falling off of it, and dissolving before it hit the ground. Jett dropped his head, and started laughing. Eccon jumped back, but untensed when he realized that it was Jett that was laughing. "What's so funny, Jett?" he asked, cocking his head to the side. Jett continued laughing and laughing. He laughed so hard, he hurt his throat from laughing so hard. He finally started to calm down after several minutes, hiccuping himself back to normal. "What's funny is that I accepted my death. I thought that me working so hard to get here was in vain, all because of a Beowolf." he chuckled. "And that you would be my saviour, and my future partner, of all people." Eccon looked offended at that last part, but he let Jett continue. "It just figures, you know. The first person I get along with now happens to be my partner for the next 4 years." Jett laughed. At that point, Eccon started to laugh, too. The two boys stood and sat there cracking up for several minutes, before another howl stopped them dead. Jett gave Eccon a nervous look, and gulped. "We should go."

...

"How much farther is this temple?" Jett asked. The boys had been fighting off Beowolves and Ursi, all the while finding their way to the center of the forest. "Not too much farther, I hope." Eccon answered, letting out a sigh. Suddenly, a bush rustled behind them. The boys turned on their heels, and readied their weapons. "Ahh!" a voice exclaimed, and a figure was thrown from the bushes. "Ugh, my head.." the figure murmured. Neither of the boys untensed, and remained on guard with this stranger. The figure picked itself, and dusted it's shoulders off. The figure had it's back to us, and it wore a green cloak that covered it's head. The figure removed it's hood, and revealed a girl with shoulder-length brown hair. She noticed that there were people behind her, and spun around, drawing two, slim longswords out of hidden scabbards on her back.

"Are you friendly?" Jett asked, still tense. The girl didn't answer, but instead made a beeline for the boys. Jett transformed his revolvers back into swords, and took a defensive stance, anticipating the blow to come. But it never came. Jett looked up, and saw that the girl had went past them, and stabbed an Ursa in the chest with her swords, stopping the creaure dead. She violently ripped the swords out, and let the Ursa fall to the ground and dissolve. "To you, yes." she answered, pointing a sword at the pile of ash on the ground. "To them? No." The girl slid her swords back into their scabbards, and dust off her palms. She composed herself, and gave Jett large smile. She ran up to Jett, and hugged him. "It's so good to see you, Jett!" she exclaimed with joy. Eccon stood down, and put his weapon on his back. Even though she's a girl, she's strong! He thought. How does she know me, though? It's as if she met me before. Jett made an exasperated look to Eccon, as if to say. "Help me". Eccon moved up and put a hand on the mysterious stranger's shoulder. "Hey, back up. Who are you?" he asked. She remembered where they were, and jumped back. "Oh, sorry about that!" she exclaimed, scratching her head. She looked Jett directly in the eyes. "You don't remember me, do you Jett?" she asked. Jett, still looking confused, simply shook his head. The girl beamed. "I'm your sister, Matilda, silly."

"My-what?" Jett asked, visibly shocked. "Your sister." she stated calmly. "You really don't remember me? Not at all?" "No! I don't have a sister! I don't have any family, I'm an orphan!" he shouted, covering his head. Matilda put a comforting hand on Jett's shoulder. "You weren't always an orphan, Jett." she explained. "C'mon, sit down. I'll explain." Jett, still shocked, gulped, and sat down.

...

"Okay, that explains quite a bit" Jett sighed. "Like, why I remember being on the streets all my life. Or why I don't remember why I don't remember you, or Mom, or Dad." Turns out that Jett's mother, Millie, had an affair with one of the dock workers, and soon she was with child. Matilda's father, Jett Sr., was outraged. Jett Sr. tried to live with the fact that his wife cheated on him, as he raised the child for the next 4 years. Eventually, it became too much for him, and he accidentally killed Millie in a fit of rage, in front of young Jett Jr. Feeling ashamed, he wiped the child's memory, and sent him to an ophanage in Central Vale. Soon after, Jett Sr. was arrested for murdering his wife, and is currently serving a life sentence in a high-security Atlesian prison. "That sonnofabitch!" Jett shouted, slamming a fist on the ground, cracking it. "How could he do that to her!?" He got to his feet, and pulled out one of his revolvers. He switched it to sword mode, and rushed at the nearest tree. "AHHHHHHHHHH!" he screamed. Jett swung the blade at the tree as hard as he could, and cut the tree in half with one slice, the halves of the tree falling to either side with a thud. Jett huffed, trying to catch his breath, and let his sword drop as he fell to his knees, crying. Why did I have to find this shit out today, of all days?