Ok, a much longer chapter than before guys. Sorry about that, I hope you are enjoying the story so far! It may be a chapter or two before Jaune really starts to get along with his team. But don't worry, I am working on the Team ARSN arc working out really quick here. So with that, this chapter will focus on the episode "Jaunedice" and possibly "Forever Fall".
Enjoy
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"Jaune, know that your sisters and I will always protect you." Bianca said lovingly to her 9 year old brother. Jaune had ended up cornered by some bullies but his sisters got him out of it, and here they were, Bianca, Amber, and Melody, all surrounding him to make sure he was ok.
"Thanks big sis! You really are the coolest!" cheered Jaune with a smile on his face, if there was one pure, innocent thing in this world it was Jaune's smile. Bianca smiled and picked him up in a loving hug.
"We'll always be here you little brother."
6 years later...
"Do you remember telling me that Bianca?" Jaune hissed, eye twitching sporadically. "So what was that? A lie to make me feel better? Do you even care!?"
"Of course I do goddammit!" Bianca was torn between wanting to hug her little brother and cry over that look of betrayal on his face. "I asked, and begged, and pleaded with mom and dad not to make you marry that bitch!"
"Oh I bet! Don't try to talk me down, just like every other woman in history, you don't really care what happens to us men! You don't really cares what happens to me! As long as you can play the hero right?" Jaune shouted back, a furious look in his eye. "Fine, if that's how you want to play it then. Forget about coming back here to talk to me, because I don't ever want to see you again."
Jaune left the house until he was sure Bianca was gone, uncaring about the look of utter horror and sadness on his eldest sister's face.
Jaune woke up, nearly a half hour earlier than his alarm, and he could tell already his face was wet. Dammit, why do I always go and do that? shrugging off his blankets he turned to see his partner, Rin, getting ready for her shower.
"You were tossing and turning something awful last night Jaune." Rin said, not looking at him as she laid out her uniform. "Nora considered waking you up but Weiss decided against it."
"Yeah, well thanks." Jaune mumbled, he could feel it in his bones that this day was already off to a bad start. He let Rin into the shower first, and decided to spend the rest of the time getting ready. It had been just over three weeks since school started and today would be the day they were introduced into combat class with Miss Goodwitch, most students today would be on edge.
Jaune looked at the forms of his partner, Nora, and Weiss and thought back to Qrow's advice from when the school year drew closer upon them. He remembered asking her about what having a team means in terms of practical things like living space and classes, but also what it meant in terms of being together.
"Well kid you have to remember that, somewhere down the line, your teammate will end up saving your life. Whether out on a mission or by complete accident it's bound to happen, so my advice is: give them a good reason to save you."
"A good reason?"
"Yes, especially if you, somehow, god forbid, end up the leader. You will be tasked with the lives of your teammates directly so you must never give them a reason to doubt you, and if you do that they'll come to your rescue every time."
"Hmmm."
"Listen kid, like it or not, your team, no matter who they are, will be your pseudo-family for the rest of your life."
...
"God knows you need it..."
That conversation brought Jaune back to initiation, back to getting his team. He tried, and failed, to swallow the bitterness that arose when he thought back to when, in a craze as he tried to summon his semblance, he almost had gotten Weiss killed. She had lived because of her glyphs, but if it had been Nora, or Rin, or anyone else and they had died, where would that have left him?
How would he feel being on a team of people who saw him so carelessly throw away someone's life because he got sloppy. Would they come to his rescue when that time came?
Replacing the bitterness was his most hated emotion: shame. If Qrow had seen that fiasco, how he almost killed Weiss, she would have leveled him with that stare that reminded him so much of that disappointed look his mother used to give him.
"Jaune? You ok?" came the voice of Nora, somewhere along his brooding they had both woken up, Weiss and Nora, and now Nora stared at him with a somewhat concerned expression. Jaune sucked in a breath quietly, he didn't want to imagine what he probably looked like: a sour expression accented by a five o' clock shadow that probably made him look like a man about to pull the trigger.
"Nothing Nora, just thinking."
"About?"
"Nothing."
"Well whatever 'nothing' is, stop thinking about it because it's something bound to drive you crazy." Nora nearly whispered, he heard that tone before, he wouldn't pry but she had known something similar.
Rin stepped carefully out of the bathroom and Jaune, as per usual, entered next and exited in a rapid blur. Before Weiss could try to get in Nora rushed past her, already back to her carefree mood, leaving them alone with only Rin as a third wheel.
"I'm going to step out for a moment ok?" Rin said, glancing between the two. She didn't say for what, but they could guess it was more for their sake than their own.
"... I'm sorry about initiation Weiss."
"What for exactly?"
"I nearly killed you on the tower, so I need to apologize for that." Weiss's expression was hard to read, but her face was cut from stone.
"And what if you had killed me then? Would you have cared then?"
"Yes."
"Why should I believe that?"
"I'm not heartless Weiss, you and I might not get along but we all have our own stories. If you had died I probably would have dropped out." That seemed to trip something in Weiss's brain because she returned his gaze.
"And what is your story then Arc?" it was Jaune's turn to harden his features.
"Why should I tell you?"
"I was talking with Headmistress Ozpin the other day, and she mentioned something about you." Jaune's gaze remained fierce but she pushed on, undaunted. "I called into question your ability to lead, and she responded with that you had your reasons to act the way you do."
"I do, and I'm sure Ozpin had the common sense not to say anything."
"She did, but she also asked for the rest of our team and I to get you to 'open up' in her own words."
"I'm not one to pour myself out just because Ozpin thinks I need a therapy session." Weiss flicked a small stray lock of hair from her face.
"I don't think that's what she meant at all, and trust me Jaune, I know what it's like to hold things close to your chest." Jaune's eyebrows raised an unspoken question. "My family may not have been the most stable, an emotional unstable mother who ran the world's largest Dust company, a father who was shoved aside for his much greater spouse-"
Something frightening flickered in Jaune's eyes but he consumed it before Weiss could fully read it.
"-And two daughters leaving to become huntresses which left a mostly uncared for youngest sister. It's not all roses Jaune, and I would appreciate it if you didn't act like it was."
Jaune almost laughed at that, but instead grunted something in approval. "You wanna know why I don't particular like, or trust, most huntresses?"
Weiss nodded and Jaune's smile looked slightly malicious. "It's because, as a superhuman warrior designed to fight monsters, all the fame and glory is heaped onto you people! Women, by association, command more power than the average male could ever hope to get. And where does that leave us, where did that leave me!"
Weiss flinched at the sudden crescendo in volume, Rin slipped into the room to make sure everything was alright but did not say a word, some time awhile ago the shower stopped. "I'll tell you where, it left me with a couple of gold-digging parents, a loveless marriage that would have produced unloved children, and an end for me spelled out in a lonely shot of whiskey and a loaded gun."
Weiss forced out the unpleasant imagery and tried to fill the heavy silence. "Ok, I get it, I get that you're upset. Neither of us had super amazing lives, but, if we're going to be on a team, Jaune, we need you to step up as a leader, even if you don't think you can."
Listen kid, like it or not, your team, no matter who they are, will be your pseudo-family for the rest of your life.
"Ok, fine. I'll do my best" Jaune whispered before checking his scroll. "Let's go down to breakfast guys, I think if we go fast we can -maybe- get some food before Nora takes it."
Rin bore a ghost of a smile on her thin lips, and Weiss nodded silently, seemingly content with the conversation so far, and, when they looked at the shower to find their third teammate, instead they found the door to the room swung wide open.'
"Dammit Nora."
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"Aren't you guys so excited for combat class today!?" squealed Nora for what must have been the third or fourth time since breakfast, Weiss sighed and Rin looked tranquil, most likely used to the girl's antics the bastard, and Jaune tried to block a headache.
You said you would try Jaune, you said. "Yes Nora, we're all excited, please, let us think on it for a moment."
"You got it fearless leader!"
Jaune sighed again as Team ARSN walked towards the big room that held the stage used for fighting in combat class. He had been there more than enough times in his year-long stay at Beacon, and he knew the rules as well as had sparred with some of the other students as well as Goodwitch.
He rarely won of course, but the experience counted as Qrow liked to tell him. They entered the double doors and took a seat near Team RYBN who had been there for some time before them.
"Weiss-cream! Jaune! How's the whole arson thing going for you guys?" Yang said to them, Weiss growled as Rin tried to ignore it.
"Xiao-Long, it is none of your business how our team goes for your information!"
"Woah, woah Weiss-cream. I was just asking since you have Captain Cold as your leader." Ruby tried to chide Yang for that but her lack of actual force hurt her more than helped her.
"Xiao-Long-"
"It's fine Weiss, you'll just spur her on." Jaune said, Weiss humphed and turned to face the stage, resolute to ignore the blonde bomber beside her.
Goodwitch walked her way onto the stage after the bell rang and proceeded to explain the rules to the class. Jaune knew them already so mostly tuned it out until she brought up the screen featuring the fight pairings.
"And for the first round we have... Jaune vs Cressida. Will both combatants take the stage with their gear?" There were some mild cheers for Cressida as she "bravely" got up and strut her way to the locker room.
When both fighters returned they stood on the wood stage and readied their weapons, honestly the woman looked like kind of a pushover. That stupid, clunky mace and that armor that must've weighed atleast a hundred pounds would be bad against someone like him.
"I'm going to enjoy breaking your bones you pervert." Jaune did not entertain her with a response and brought for Tesla Sting in all its glory.
"Woohoo! Go my fearless leader!" whooped Nora who was standing on top of the seats.
"You get 'er Jaune!" Ruby called out.
"Do your best Jaune!" Pyrrha shouted alongside her leader.
"Yeah, you got this." that last one came surprisingly from Weiss and she earned some teasing from Yang for it.
"Ready? 3... 2... 1... Go!"
Cressida roared as she slammed her mace down on where Jaune once was, he ducked out of the way and slashed her open back. A poorly executed attack that left her open, she underestimated me Jaune thought, amused at her ignorance.
Cressida sputtered and whirled around going for a horizontal slash with her weapon. Jaune leaped back and, turning his sword into a railgun, fired a single bolt of energy which she blocked rather well. Still, he could see the shock transfer through the metal weapon and singe her fingers. It gave him an idea.
Been meaning to test it out on a real target Jaune shifted Tesla Sting back into his sword form and rushed her. Cressida smirked and raised her mace over her head and brought down, Jaune rolled at the last second and struck out with his foot. The blow caught her in the side of the head and she shrieked as she tumbled to the side, not letting up he dragged the sword in an upwards arc along her breastplate and shoulder sending her backward and sprawling onto her back.
Jaune went in for the so-called killing blow but, using his own moves against him, rolled to the side and whipped the mace right into his cheek. The lack of leverage kept his jaw unbroken but he went tumbling across the floor, not missing a beat Cressida fired up the crystal in her mace and sent a line of bright, hot fire right at him. He sidestepped it barely, just enough to singe his hair, and turned to face the charging boar in front of him.
Remembering one of the moves he and his old butler, Floyd, used to watch, Jaune sidestepped the charge like a true matador from one of those old Mistrali films and tripped her with a well-angled foot. Now flat on her stomach Jaune prepared to test out his unused function of Tesla Sting.
Jaune shifted him into his spear form and, with a click of a button, the blade split in two revealing a large taser. He couldn't resist the urge for a small joke when it came to this ape's misfortune-
"Clear!" he shouted as he plunged the electrifying staff on the girl's completely metal armor, she screeched like a banshee as the electricity delivered a sweet 1 million volt package right through her armor. He only kept the charge for a moment but it was more than enough, Cressida laid sprawled across the floor, jittering with electricity and maybe going into cardiac arrest?
Eh, he was sure she'd be fine.
"And that's the match folks, we have Beacon medical staff here to wheel away Miss Winchester for now." sure enough, two men in doctor's uniform came with a gurney and hefted the large woman with surprising ease before wheeling her out of the room. "Good job Mister Arc, but you did get overconfident in using the same skill over and over again which turned out to almost be your downfall."
Jaune nodded and went to go returned to his team and Team RYBN. When he got there he was treated with some voices, and some shouts, of approval and congratulations for winning the first match of the year.
Weiss huffed as she came up to him. "Look at you, you got careless and took that brute's blow right to the head. You're lucky you don't have much in there or we'd be in more trouble." she took out a pristine hankerchief and dragged it roughly along the side of his face, he hissed in pain and, when she brought it back, sure enough there was a trail of blood on it. He looked at it with disgust before pocketing it and shaking her head at him.
The rest of the class went pretty easy, Team CRDL went to go be with their leader and only Blake was called up for a match. Against some girl named Indigo that she easily mopped the floor with, Indigo could turn invisible for moments at a time but that meant nothing when Blake could let her shadow clones take the hit for her.
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"... Now can anyone tell me the advantage the faunus had over General Lagune in the battle of Fort Castle?" Oobleck asked as she sped around the classroom in a green blur, nearly a year at Beacon and he could not, for the life of him, find out what unholy concoction existed in that infernal thermos of hers. However, he and Qrow both agreed that is was most likely illegal in Atlas, and probably originated in Vacuo.
The class had spent some time talking about the faunus wars several decades ago and it had turned into Oobleck diving into the controversial topic of race and the White Fang group. She had asked for a show of hands of how many faunus students had been discriminated against in their lives, unfortunately every faunus in the room had raised their hands.
Jaune liked to think Oobleck and the rest had raised him above such racist tendencies but it was obvious the still slightly spastic form of Cressida was not. Jaune caught her ugly sneer, especially at his old friend Velvet, he felt the urge to "accidentally" short out the lights above the big thug.
"The faunus could see in the dark due to their enhanced vision; Lagune knew this but still decided to attack at night." Blake piped up, he could still see Cressida glare at the girl but she continued. "In the end, his massive forces were routed because they couldn't see and Fort Castle remained under faunus control."
"Hmm, quite!" Oobleck said between another sip of her drink. "Would anyone else like to add anything? Miss Winchester?"
Cressida scoffed but still answered. "I-I know that i-it's easier to train an animal than a h-human."
Jaune couldn't help but sneer at her voice even as Pyrrha and Blake scowled. "How's your voice Cressida?" Jaune asked coyly, Cressida stood up abruptly looking to fight the young man.
"Miss Winchester, please sit down." Oobleck said tiredly, she then added on when she saw her secretly-favorite pupil snickering at the girl's misfortune. "And you Mister Arc, don't cause disruptions during class."
Jaune stopped laughing and returned his attention to his book and Cressida, though growling to herself like a pissed off Ursa, sat down as well. Jaune could feel the daggers she was glaring into his head but ignored it; as far as he was concerned, he had won this round.
The bell rang and, as the rest of the class stood up to leave, Oobleck called for Jaune and Cressida to stay.
"Mister Arc, Miss Winchester, I would appreciate it if you would curb these childish arguments in the middle of class. It has only been three weeks and I will tell you now that I will not tolerate it any further." Oobleck adjusted her glasses. "Miss Winchester, due to your lackluster performance in class please read pages 57-91 and submit a report of it by next class. Mister Arc, I would like for you to stay behind so we may talk for a moment."
As Cressida left grumbling Jaune turned to look at his teacher. "Professor-"
"Doctor, and I asked you to stay because I worry for your team cohesion." Oobleck said as she took a sip of her coffee before deciding to leave it on the desk. "I understand you, as a person, are not easy to get along with and probably doubted your ability to lead."
"Yeah well, there were problems at first. Still are. But I- We've started to work them out a little bit."
"As in?"
"Weiss asked me a little about my past, and I guess I snapped a little but I told them."
"Jaune, no one here thinks less of you because of your past." Oobleck sighed, the boy had always had some sort of shame-complex over his past. "We don't perceive you as weak, or incompetent because you're not."
"I know Oobleck, I-I know." Jaune sat back in his chair and breathed deeply. "It's just that... I didn't, never did, spend time thinking on everything that happened, and now, with so much time has passed, I tried my best to ignore and when someone tries to bring it up I know I'm going to be faced with thoughts that might lead too... unpredictable emotions."
Oobleck sighed again and thought for a moment. "Listen to me Jaune: Port, Goodwitch, Me, and even Ozpin as well as your team will be there to help you when you need it, we just wish you would ask."
"...I'll work on it I guess."
"That's all I ask, now run along with your team. I think you've kept them waiting long enough."
"Jauney!" shouted Nora as she plowed into the room and dive bombed onto her leader, Jaune sputtered and tried to pry her off but it was like trying to separate welded metal.
"Gah- Get off Nora!" he said, flailing around in a mess of limbs, but she just giggled and clamped down harder. Weiss sighed and he could tell Rin had just a ghost of smile on her lips, whether from the scene itself or, for once, not being Nora's plaything was hard to say.
"Please, if you are all done flailing about we need to get to Professor Goodwitch's class for the announcement." Weiss sighed, Nora immediately got off Jaune and sped out towards the general direction of Professor Goodwitch's classroom.
Team ARSN finally made it to class with Rin holding Nora in a headlock to the best of her ability, the rest of the team, Jaune and Weiss, had decided on making her the official "Nora-wrangler" for the rest of their time.
Professor Goodwitch stood up on the stage, using her scroll as a mic. "Class, I am pleased to announce that this freshman year will being going on a short expedition in the forest of Forever Fall."
The class murmured at that, the forest was said to be mostly off limits due to the high amount of Ursa said to be attracted to the sap. However, the regional discoloration as well as the impressive fauna bode well for scientific expeditions that still go on today. The sap is said to have an almost sedative effect on creatures of Grimm, momentarily draining their need to actively hunt humans.
"Students, settle down. Professor Peach has offered to help host this expedition so you task will be this: you and your team will be required to collect one jar of sap each per person and return it back to Professor Peach and I. Broken jars of sap will produce an automatic fail as well as not getting the required sap before the 2 hour time limit is up." Professor Goodwitch adjusted her glasses and cleared her throat. "You will all be fitted with your gear for this field trip, and please, do watch out for eachother when it comes to Grimm. I have not had a single students die on this trip and I don't wish to make this the first one."
"Eeeee! Jauney! Did you hear? We're going sap hunting!" squealed Nora with delight, Jaune rubbed the bridge of his nose and breathed deeply.
"Yes Nora, we're doing it for a grade not because you want to eat it." of course, Jaune didn't exactly know if that was what she wanted but he was willing to bet it was.
"Well duh silly! Professor Peach obviously wants all the sap so she can make her own Forever Fall syrup from it! It's, like, suuuuuuper good when it comes to putting it on pancakes, right Rin?"
"Yeah." was all Rin said as she returned to closing her eyes.
"Regardless, you will not be eating that sap anyways. I won't be on a team full of people who eat their grades for fun." Weiss scolded, Nora giggled in her usual way which only served to infuriate her more.
"Quite the team no?" Rin asked, not looking at Jaune.
"Yeah, you sure said it."
Man Qrow I wish you were here, you'd know what to do.
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Ok so a much bigger, and hopefully better, chapter. I wanted to get the jaunedice episode done in this chapter and atleast wanted to get started on "Forever Fall". If you guys are wondering if 1 million volts is accurate for the charge Cressida got during the fight, a high voltage taser deals 3.7 millions volts but at a higher ampage. Considering it was conducted through her armor I didn't want to write Cressida as having nerve damage, anything else I wrote in that fight about that is for laughs.
Speaking of which, I wanted to say something about how I write these chapters. I try to write these chapters through how Jaune sees the world, that's why, initially, every action a female takes has some kind of hidden undertone to it. Jaune sees the world through what he has come to believe as a fact, and so that's how I try to write it. The style may change slightly as Jaune progresses as a character. I'll answer further questions next chapter so if you have them don't be afraid to write them.
XOXOXO
CoffeyJoe