AN: OK! Big news! This fic is coming to an end! Now, wait for a second calm down! The story is not ending but the first Arc is! I finally have the ending that I want for this first season, that fits the show and how I can make the other season work! For that reason, I am sorry to say but this chapter is a bit filler... I needed to work somethings out and I wanted to update the story so here you go! Not a lot will happen here but there is some build up and some action! So sit back relax and enjoy! Also! Since this fice will end it's first run soon and will go on a hiatus for an extended period of time I got a little surprise for you all! Just read the endnotes and you will see!"
Cinder was having a rare good day. So far nothing too catastrophic had occurred. No gaping holes in her plans and there were no reason for any sign of distress, or that was what she would like to tell her second if she could just keep it together.
"He's fine Emerald." Cinder said for what had to be the twelfth time as she and her mocha skinned second sat in the far end of a Beacon classroom. "Mam Mercuries not here!"
"Mercury is a big boy Emerald he can look after himself."
"What if something happened to him?"
"Like what?"
" I don't know! You know he gets into trouble!" "Emerald he is faster than most bullets he is fine now keep it together our class is about to start." Cinder cooed as Emerald mumbled as the odd Professor Peaches class began.
Jaune was not having a good day.
"Jaune? Who is this?" Pyrrha asked pointing to Whitley who was now cowering behind Jaune as he sensed fear coming from the boy if you wanted to use the term as loose as possible that is.
"Ok, where do I begin?"
"The beginning would be helpful. I doubt that we could like our way out of this one even with the saint at our side."
A calm voice said in Jaune's head as he nodded.
"Ok! I know this is a bit odd so introductions are in order! Everyone meet Whitley Schnee!"
"Hello! P-Pleased to meet you! My name is Whitley Schnee! I hope we can get along!" Whitley said blushing profusely as he failed to hold anyone eye contact.
"Schnee? Like Weiss's brother?" Nora asked coking her head in a curious fashion as Jaune nodded.
"Yes, he is Weiss's younger brother Whitley Schnee."
Hello! Again..."
"Not to be rude but what is Whitley doing here? If he is here to see Weiss shouldn't we tell team RWBY about him?" Nora asked cocking her head while Whitley began to gulp!
"About that... Whitley is here as a special case if you get my drift."
Jaune explained to no avail as his team and Penny all gave him a blank look.
"Special how?" Pyrrha asked her eyes traveling from Whitley to Jaune in a confused manner as Jaune sighed.
"There is no way around this Jaune. We must be honest."
"I know, I know.."
"Well, as you know, Whitley is Weiss's younger brother he also is an aspiring hunter in training and has come to Beacon to study."
Surprised. Interest. Concern.
"What?!"
"That is right Whitley, what should you learn first for a hunter in training? I could tell you but I think Ren would like to. Ren, would you mind helping Whitley fit in? Think of him as your younger brother will you?"
JOY.
"A younger brother!? I always wanted to be an older sibling! Come on Whitley this is going to be so much fun!"
Ren said blurring to While only to pull him away as Whitley squawked as Ren pulled the balking boy to his bed.
"Did you just lie Jaune?"
"I told my version of the truth, that is not lying now is it?"
"It is very close."
"This will be so fun! I've always wanted to be an older brother! I can teach you so much!"
Ren said pulling the squawking Whitley away as-
"Jaune are you sure that this is a good idea?"
"Pyrrha I need you to trust me here! I know what I'm doing!"
"And that is?"
"Helping somebody who needs help. It's what I'm training to do you know?"
Jaune asked earning a timid frown from his partner's face who sighed heavily as she shook her head, her odd tiara shaking in disapproval as she did. "If you say so."
"I do."
"Alright, I guess this will work out?"
Pyrrha asked as she eyes the form of a struggling Whitley who was trying to get Ren off of him as he pulled the younger boy into his bed and began to tell his story of him as a hunter…
"So they rip out your memories? That sounds painful."
Emerald asked eyeing the metallic chair with a healthy dose of caution as Cinder chuckled.
"That is a bit of a harsh way to put it but you are not wrong. They take a random memory from your past and put it on display for the class to see for a total of ten minutes."
"Why just ten Mam?"
"That is all the machine can dig up at a time. It is quite a fascinating invention you know?"
"I can see how. I just wonder what people would volunteer for this?"
"Oh, there are a few people. Those with nothing to hide or those who are foolish tend to go first, my dear."
"With nothing to hide? Everyone has something to hide if you ask me volunteering is a death sentence and a half."
"I can see that just be glad that we and Mercury are not volunteering, now where is her?" Cinder asked finally curious about where her underling's whereabouts were. She had sent him early in the morning before breakfast to fetch Jaune and return to her at once. Now it was long after lunch and so far Cinder had seen neither head nor tail of Mercury of Jaune, where was he? So far the two had eluded them as Cinder and Emerald sat in the far back of the classroom.
Cinder sighed knowing that Mercury was an competent fighter and Jaune was strong enough, to watch his own back. They were in no great danger so Cinder sighed as she busied herself eying potential maiden candidates with a watchful glare. There was Jaune's partner the literal Pyrrha Nikos. Cinder did not like her. She knew what most Mistrali women were like and if Pyrrha laid one hand on her husband? She would pray that Emerald found her before she did. And that was beside the point of her being a strong Maiden candidate.
Cinder did not want to have to tell Jaune his partner who had foolishly and predictably developed some milquetoast feelings for was going to die by her arrows. But she would if she had to, Jaune was far too easy to love others, it was a rather irritating but fond habit of his. As Cinder moved her head her gaze fell to the other more interesting members of the classroom.
There was also two, not one two silver-eyed warriors, a mother, and daughter. She would have to report that to her mistress. One silver eye was bad enough but two? That was asking for trouble. Then there was the Schnee heiress, a faunus in hiding the daughter of a local prosecutor and-
BANG!
A door flew open and-
Blood. Blood, Dust powder and dirt filler Cinder's nose as she smelled fresh blood, dust powder, and dirt and-
"Sorry, we are running late"!
A familiar voice said as Jaune? Entered the room looking like he had stepped on a landmine. His short beautiful blonde hair that Cinder loved to braid in her spare time was burned and singed, he also had an awkward pained gait to his walk that spoke of an injury of some kind.
After him was_
"Mercury!?"
Cinder's second shouted as a badly limping Mercury followed him as another boy a small black haired youth brought up the rear skipping as-
"My fault! My bad!"
A rough groggy voice said as tall for a man, body walked in. Cinder knew of him as Qrow Branwen Atlas specialist and husband to Winter Schnee. He was obviously drunk and Cinder could smell the booze and blood radiated from his as all eyes turned to face them.
Instantly the twin faunus the cat and rabbit fixed Jaune a death glare so powerful that even Cinder was taken aback. Those glared could be used in her palace every day with a thought for the sake of others. Then was the blood haired ex-bandit Raven Branwen. she gave a murderous look to her kin who only ignored her and walked to a seat in the far end of the class where the raccoon professor Peach was frowning.
"Mister Branwen."
"Schnee! It's Schnee now but that's ok! You can call me as you like!"
"I see... please do not bring in my students late and if any of you need medical attention the nurse is open right now. If you go now you can-
"Nah! I'm fine! So are the guys right guys?"
"Sure am!"Ren chirped smiling hear to ear, as Mercury gave a weak thumbs up. Before slamming his face on his desk, the fact that he did not choose to sit next to Cinder was not lost on the woman as she gave him a blood-curdling glare that she knew he felt on the back of his head.
"I'm fine!"
Jaune said in the worst lie Cinder had ever seen. Seriously! Jaune could not lie to save his own life and now? Something was wrong with him and if she was not in a classroom she would march down ther stip him of all his clothes and give him a thorough a medical exam and you know what? She just might, Jaune belonged to her if he was hurt then she needed to know as much as possible to see if she could help him.
"Fine then... as you know this is a bit of an experimental class where-
"You do the memory stuff right?"
"Yes mister Branwen we do that is correct, I do the memory stuff. Even if I do take slight offense to one of the most complicated and complex procedures being simply reduced to the stuff as you so eloquently put it!"
"Ah don't sweat it, prof! It happens to the best of us!"
Qrow said before taking a brief journey to an empty desk his walk had an additional added limp to it that drew suspicious eyes mainly from his wife and potential sister that Qrow ignored with the practiced ease of a man who had long learned that there were some battles that he could not win let alone attempt to fight.
Sitting down in a desk whistling as the two glared at him. "So... as I was saying is there any volunteers that would like to go first? To share a memory with the class?" "I'll do it!"
Jaune said shouting his answer and bolting up as he shouted his answer.
"Excellent! Mister Vesparax? Please come to the front of the class and take a seat here."
The teacher said as Jaune shot up nearly jumping out of his seat as his friends Mercury and Ren both shook their heads as Qrow looked at him like he had lost his mind. Jaune walked two perfect steps before an awful limp that nearly made him collapse developed as he shook his way forward.
"Mister Vesparax? Do you need to go to the infirmary?"
"What? No! I'm fine professor! Just fine!"
"Why are your pupils so dilated? Did you take some type of pills?"
"I don't think so... anyways! Back to the machine!" Jaune said eyes wide as dinner plates, his blue irises stretched to the point of near cartoon-like proportions as he sat down. He already knew the gazes would come. Blake glared at him winking rapidly demanding he read her thought's he didn't. Pyrrha looked like she was fretting the fact that she had not demanded he tell her what was wrong was nice and-
"Ok now just like last time sit down and let me place this on you." Peach said putting the helmet on Jaune who felt a pressure than a buzzing noise in his ears as she put the helmet on and the class vanished...
Bang! Thud! Clang! The familiar sounds of heavy industry along with a thick chemical scent filled the air, as the harsh clang of metal on metal along with the acrid smell of industrial waste filled the air as-
"AH! Done!'
A tall man with blonde hair and a chipped tooth said as he slammed down a large teal crate with a heavy thud of metal on concrete.
"AH! Got it!"
Jaune gasped slamming his own crate down wincing in pain. This was really not what he planned on doing when he joined a group of bandits. Manual labor was fine but just moving boxes for some random group of mercenaries? That was a bit strange to the boy's opinion. But Qrow said that this was their lot and if Qrow said it it was as good as true.
"I wish we didn't have to move all of these things, with our hands."
"Jaune it's like I always said! It's the hard knock life for us!" Chipped Tooth said wincing pain as he slammed down his last crate on top of another.
"The hard knock life? Why do you say that?"
"Because it is! I mean think about this! We didn't sign up for this! We signed up for, glory, lien, and adventure! Sure it has to be dull every now and then but this!? This is ridiculous!"
"Is it?"
"Yes! I mean do you want to lift boxes all day cause I don't! I want to be great but life keeps us down! We stay dreaming but we get kicked! And stay dreaming and we get licked you know?"
"Not really, sorry."
"Ah forget it! We need a miracle! Like for Santa Claus to drop in and give us all the lien in the world!"
"Santa Claus-
"What's that who's he?"
A rough feminine voice asked as Jaune's tutor, guardian and overall mother in all but blood Vernal said as she walked over to the group carrying three massive boxes with her as she did. Vernal eyed both of her subordinates with a mixed look of pity and disdain. Pity for Jaune pure disdain for Chipped as she put down her boxes with practiced ease and sighed.
"What's all this talk about Santa Clause was it?"
"Come on Vernal! You know about Santa! The man who comes down your chimney every year to give you gifts-
Whap!
"OW! Why did you hit me!"
"For filling his head with nonsense that's why. Jaune listen, to me. Santa Clause does not exist. No one will come to save you but you. In this world, no one cares about you or me got it?" Vernal asked as the warning tone in her voice her yellow eyes digging a hole in Jaune's head as he nodded.
"Yes, Mam."
"Good. Now you! Stop filling his head with nonsense! You are going to make him think he has a home to go back to!"
"He does, doesn't he? I mean don't you have a wife Jaune?"
"I... I used to... I don't think she will want to see me anymore."
"Oh cause you dropped your house on her?"
"That and other things..."
"Oh like what?"
"Just other things-
"He's saying that his wife thinks he's ugly. Fair really, Jaune your face and well you look like you have seen better days."
"Vernal!? You think I'm ugly?!'
"Think? No. Know? Yes."
Vernal deadpanned without a shred of emotion making Jaune whimper as-
"OK! OK! Enough! No more bullying children Vernal." A gravely voice said making Vernal wince.
"Qrow, about time, what's the plan? We moving boxes all day or what?" Vernal asked turning to her leader a tall man with black hair and a pained gait, who yawned loudly as he took a long sip from his flask.
"Boxes? Oh no! Today is a game day! Jaune!"
"Yes, sir!"
"Call me Qrow or captain Sir makes me feel old!"
"Captain, what's the plan?"
"Simple! I being yours truly have finally got us a sponsor!"
"A sponsor?"
"Yes Vernal, thanks for the enthusiasm by the way. I have gotten us a legit support from Atlas!" "Atlas? How the hell did you manage to pull that off?"
"Simple! I know a tin man in high places! And I might have also found a wife!"
"No woman would want you longer than a night. Your stench would drive them away."
"Once again thank you for your support! My loyal second! Now Jaune chipped listen up cause I got a plan!"
Jaune did not like this plan.
"Are you sure you can do this Jaune? If you want to back out just say so."
"I'm fine," Jaune said in his scroll grimacing as he finally! Pushed up the large metal grate that was blocking his progress. No more than five minutes ago Jaune was simply moving boxes now after a two-minutes crawling through a sewer system located in the friendly mercenary base he was here. In the dim blue light bathroom of an enemy base...
An enemy was a loose term really, Qrow's contact in Atlas was paying them to kill a specific group of bandits in the wilds and Jaune was the one to do it.
"Two minutes."
Jaune said whispering into his scroll and he slid out of the drain and into the base, sliding out like an eel as he pulled himself out of the grate. Winching as he found himself in an empty beige bathroom filled with the dim hum of fluorescent light as he sighed putting the grate back on to hide his entry as he began to move out. Jaune moved like a ghost, ducking into the empty blue hallways moving with a preternatural grace not making a sound as he slid from the bathroom his scroll leading him through a twisting series of empty blue corridors as he sighed.
He was the Branwen's preferred assassin, used for wetwork even more than Vernal who was older and twice as experienced as he. For one he was a male, that meant most people especially bandits would not feel threatened by him. Two he did not have his aura unlocked, even if he could have your aura unlocked was a red flag to most in the wilds and a male with his unlocked? That was beyond suspicious.
That was why Qrow ordered him to not have his aura unlocked. It was the perfect disguise, for him. No one would know or expect him of being an assassin, even if he was seen in the base Jaune knew how to play the part of an innocent boy who was of no threat, only to plant a dagger in an unsuspecting guards throat. It was why he was chosen for this job. Jaune sighed, as he crept into a large room filled with sleeping female bandits. There were two dozen in total all knocked out and snoring softly as Jaune closed the door behind him.
"Faunus first."
Jaune said frowning grimly as he took out his knife, the long obsidian blade glistening in the dim barracks room light. Flicking around his fingers as he moved like a revenant approaching the first target of his hit, striking like an angel of death as he walked up to a naping wolf faunus with light pale skin, silver hair and wolf ears wrapped up in a light green cot twirling his blade before running it under her bed and jamming it up through her cot stabbing her in her throat making her eyes flutter as Jaune held her mouth.
"Shh..."
Jaune said as a horrible slicking sound filled the air the women's light blue eyes that reminded Jaune of open sky fluttered open.
"Shh… it will all be over soon." Jaune said rubbing a hand over her hair comforting her as her body spasmed and a sick guttural sound left her mouth as she finally went still her blue eyes that reminded him of the bright sky finally fluttered closed as her body went still as she bleed out.
He removed his blade with a wet slick as he sighed. It took him over a minute to do his grisly work. Killing the women in the room in the same grisly manner, taking a knife and slicing it clean through their spines and ending their lives in quick silent moments that seemed to go on for hours...
Like always he killed the faunus first, creeping up on them with a mechanical precision and ending them as they slept. That way their hearing would not wake them up and alert the base. As the last woman died in her sleep Jaune wiped his blade leaving the room without making a sound. Thirty seconds later and two dead guards who should have been paying attention before a hatchet found their ankles and a blade found their necks Jaune was in the door of the base's leader. He had to kill her or he could not get extracted.
"Time to go."
Jaune hissed as he took out a slim metal stick from his pocket and picked the lock opening the door to a richly carpeted room as-
"AH!"
Jaune gasped as a strong hand pulled him inside tossing him to the floor and-
"AHHH!"
Jaune screamed as an electrified halberd was jammed into his knee. The boy screamed as crackling bubbling flesh filled the air as a massive woman in black armor stabbed him in his leg.
"Though you could sneak up on me male?!"
"Gah!"
Jaune screamed as the woman stabbed him in his leg almost severing it before the floor maon and it began to collapse?!
"Male!? What did you do!"
The woman shouted as-
"AHHH!"
Jaune gasped as he was snapped back into reality. The memory fading as he woke up, quote-unquote, his hands falling to his leg as-
"Mister Vesparax! Are you ok?"
Professor Peach asked as Jaunes hand gripped his leg his old wound playing up as Jaune gagged.
"Yeah! I'm fine... I... can I use the bathroom?"
"Sure... take your time."
The woman said as Jaune nodded limping out of the call from ignoring the worried faces of his friend as he felt stress build up…
"Now! does anyone else want to try this?"
Peach asked with a nervous smiled as the class looked ready to explode and-
"You! What about you mister Schnee! Would you like to show the room a vision from your past! You were already in the last one..."
"Sure, why not? I can stretch my wings!" Qrow said smirking as he sauntered over to the odd chair. His limp more pronounced as he sat down, in it. This time there was no avoiding the bone-chilling gaze from his wife that sent shivers down his spine, Winter was pissed. Not just because of a bit of his past being shown but the clear limp in his side that despite her best efforts was not because of what happened between them last night.
"Now just take a deep breath."
The professor said placing the helmet down on Qrow as he felt his mind hummed the class disappeared...
"Commandant! Commandant! Qrow!"
A sharp male voice yelled as Qrow groaned.
"One second!" Qrow shouted as he opened up his dreary sleep filled eyes, already regretting the lingering traces of a hangover that was creeping up on him. The previous nights drinking already acting up as he fell out of his cot with a wet thud! Qrow moaned his face popping as he crashed into the stone floor of his room. The world spun as the man barely dragged himself up.
"Qrow!"
"I'm coming! I'm coming! Hold your damn horses!"
Qrow said putting on his clothes shuffling as he yawned loudly. struggling to open the door as he saw a pair of blue eyes staring up at him.
"Jaune? Is it that time already?"
"Yes! We need to go!"
The blond pseudo child of his said as he looked up. Jaune was dressed in his typical dark black storm-coat with dark pants as Qrow nodded to his friend. "Morning Arc, what's on the agenda today?"
"Qrow! Today's the day! Moulder wants to know what's taking you so long!"
"Don't you worry your pretty little blonde head about that Jaune, let me do the talking."
Qrow said as he walked out of his bunk in the Moulder barracks smiling as Jaune followed behind him.
"Qrow! What's the plan? How are we going to make this work?!"
"Is Vernal at the spot?"
"The last time I saw she was."
"Chipped tooth being useful?"
"As far as I know he is."
"Well, at least we have that going for us."
Qrow hummed taking a swig of his flask as the two walked through the empty dark hallway, making their way to the bullhead docks.
"Sir these people... Moulder... they don't like the faunus..."
"First, it's captain, no sir. Second I know, you like the faunus more than most."
"My friend is a faunus captain."
"You have friends?"
"I used to."
"I see, anyway just put up with it. I'll be finished in less than six minutes!"
" I hope so sir, I trust you," Jaune said peeling off as Qrow nodded. The plan was simple, the Branwen tribe were in a bit of a financial crisis. They needed Lien to buy things, food, shelter clothes... If Vernal stripped any more of her own outfit of clothes Jaune she was going to be walking around naked. And that was an image Qrow did not need in his mind. Vernal was already angsty enough with forced nudity being added to her shit list. So Qrow being the man that he was did what he always did when his family was in danger, he stole.
That was why he was working with Moulder. A free city in the deep parts of the wilds. Qrow was not a fan of their more pro-human policies but that was neither here nor there. As the Bullhead dock appeared in his sight Qrow sighed as he stepped onto a waiting ship as it took him off.
The journey to Qrow's destination was not going to be a fun one. The path to sneak attacking rarely ever was. Moulder did not know that their consultants would betray them and Qrow needed to move fast.
"Five, four three two one, show time." Qrow hissed as he pulled out his scroll and pressed a small red button on the screen and closed his mouth as the bullhead shook. Explosions might not have been Qrow's specialty but he knew enough after watching Chipped Tooth nearly blow off the rest of his face to pick up a thing or two. Like how to blow up a suspension bridge in the middle of the air for instance.
"What the hell was that?!" The pilot of the craft said as a titanic fireball emerged from below it, Qrow smiled rushing forward yanking open the bullhead side door and leaping out of the craft ignoring the cries from the pilot as he leaped into the air with a smile on his face.
"Maybe I used too many explosives." Qrow ruminated as he fell out of the craft, the fresh air of the wilds was currently heated to a ludicrous degree by the massive plume of hellfire coming from the broken suspension bridge. Chipped tooth knew how to build bombs and this was no exception.
The bridge was blown to hell with a scattering of cars and what he knew to be bodies everywhere.
Qrow sighed as he felt he needed to act quick and quick he did. He considered the fact that Vernal seemed to insist that he could become a bird at will but decided against it.
Instead of lashing out his scythe and snapping a cable from the bridge. Qrow grunted as the cable swung him to his destination, the bottom floor of a massive building that looked like a corn silo. Qrow was a thief and that building was his payday.
"Coming through!"
Qrow yelled as he swung down cable like an ancient human in a jungle the rough wind whipping his face as he approached a window. A lone guard occupied it making Qrow grin.
The man crashed through the window like a wrecking ball. Taking his aura infused palm out flat and squashing the woman's face with aura infused palm strike. Her head popped like a grape on the wall covering it with a red stain making Qrow sigh.
"I'll take this."
Qrow said yanking her custom assault rifle and several magazines form her corpse before stalking off. The next few moments of Qrow's life were hectic... Bullets fired all around him as he charged a hallway. "Out of my way!" Qrow yelled firing from his hip his Moulder rifle barking letting out a stream of lead on his enemies, tearing open the guards ripping through armor and aura alike. The special weapon used by the wilds to combat huntress worked like a charm! It's gauss bullets tore through flesh like paper and hit with such velocity that it made aura pop!
As he bullied his way through a bloody hallway creating a tidal wave of blood and death Qrow moved like a machine. Using the chaos of the bomb and the desperate frantic nature of the guards to his advantage. Charing shooting and bullying his way through the hall in a storm of lead and blood, blasting apart any guard foolish or unlucky enough as was usually the case to stand in his way as he littered the hall with bodies, before bursting out of a door-
He never saw it coming.
"AHH!"
Qrow screamed as a shadow fell on him. The wind was knocked from his lungs as he was driven to the cold concrete floor, as a massive dog, a mechanical dog made of metal and gears with razor sharp teeth pinned him to the ground before opening its maw and biting his leg making him scream with agony. Blood flew everywhere as the monster pinned him to the ground tearing apart aura bone and flesh all in one smooth motion.
"Get off of him!"
A voice yelled as a hellish yellow light struck out hitting the monster in its jaw, making its skull shudder as Vernal blew it apart. The best fell to the side it's head a smoking wreck as blood flowed freely from his leg, Qrow gave one last grin ignoring the bone sticking out of his leg as he limped himself up. Qrow smirked as his friends came for him.
"Branwen's move out!"
Qrow yelled as he saw his tribe to victory…
"I remember that day! Good times!"
Qrow said as the memory ended, the helmet lifting off of him to reveal a shocked class of students, adults, and others...
"You... you killed people...'
"I did a lot of things in my life professor."
The man said yawning taking a swig from his flask in one easy motion and smirked.
"Me and Jaune have one helluva kill count."
Qrow said with a wry smile as he grinned like a madman. "You attacked them!"
"It's life! Sorry, you had to see that Snow Angel! Uncle Qrow has to work sometime you know?"
Qrow said yawning loudly cracking his knuckles as he went back to his chair as Peach gulped! This class was a disaster! Usually, she saw peaceful memories! There was never real pain and almost never death! She needed to rectify this and soon!"
"Does anyone else-
"OH! Can I go?"
"Yes! Mister Ren please!"
Peach said as Ren cheered running over to the chair letting Peach strap the helmet on him as he smiled as his world vanished...
"Jaune! I think that Cinder really wanted to see you!"
The slim boy who could outrun bullets said as he eyes Jaune nervously. The three of them Ren, Jaune, and Mercury were waiting for their friends outside of Juniors in a dull damp alleyway as Jaune rolled his head.
"I just finished my evaluation. I was interrogated all morning and honestly, I need a break, besides Cinder can wait." Jaune replied as Mercury sighed.
"If you say so Jaune. It's your funeral man." The silver-haired boy said leaning against the black van that was parked outside the club and-
"Hey! We are back boys!" The happy voice of Melanie said as she and her sister walked out with the monkey faunus Moon in tow.
"Hey, boys! You miss me?" Moon asked winking at Jaune flashing her crystal blue eyes making the boy smile.
"As much as last time Moon, now why did you call us here?"
"How do you three know each other?" Ren asked still wondering how the monkey faunus knew his girlfriend or one of them at least. The last time Ren saw Moon Roman was busy beating her within an inch of her life and the fact that she survived seemed a miracle to be honest, not that he cared.
"Don't worry about it cutie! You don't need to know how I work my ways! Just know that I am good!" Moon said flashing her blue eyes at Ren as she whisked her long dextrous tail at him.
"I'll cut it off."
Ren thought with a smile as Mil pulled open a grocery bag as she opened the door to the van. "Come on you guys, let's get this party started!" The girl said as Jaune nodded Mercury looked a bit nervous as he stepped into the van after Jaune as Ren skipped happily into the van following his friend and lover as Moon and Mel closed the door and locked it. Ren blinked in confusion as Mil took out a cigarette? Pulling out a small slim rod lighting it with a fwish of fire as-
"Weed?"
"Yes Ren, this is Marijuana," Militia said with an appraising girn as the boy cocked his head inhaling the pungent smell of the drug.
"Why are we smoking that? Why not cigarettes?"
"Do you want to get cancer!?"
"I don't plan on getting old," Ren replied flippantly ignoring his girlfriend's eye roll as she handed him the lit joint.
"Just suck it Ren, and stop complaining."
Ren sighed not really caring he had put worse in his body that this, mainly alcohol, junk food and on the odd occasion some forms of dust.
"Just relax blondie! You got to enjoy this!" Moon said as she held out her joint to Jaune making him grimace.
"I'd rather have a cigar."
"So? You don't have one and unless you want to bust Roman take a deep breath and suck" Moon said making Jaune roll his eyes as he inhaled. Ren sighed he didn't like to smoke weed. He did not like to smoke at all.
Drinking was his vice of choice and while this was ok, hotboxing in an old van in the seedier parts of Vale with his friends was not his choice of an afternoon. He would rather be putting his blades into some women's throat or with his face buried in between Nora or Militia's thighs. Speaking of that, maybe the drugs would loosen her up? Not that he needed to he just needed to offer to eat her out and she would jump on his face, literally.
Luckily for Ren the girls and Moon who Ren still had no idea why she was here, finished the smoking and they all filed out of the hazy car. Ren got a chuckle from Mercury who could not inhale to save his life. The boy sounded like he was dying when he inhaled his smoke. Coughing so loudly his voice rang horse.
The boy was the but of many jokes from all of the crew even Jaune weighed in on his lack of oral skills. A jibe he took personally apparently Emerald never gave him a complaint, who was Emerald again? His girlfriend? Was she in the White Fang too? Ren didn't pay attention to things that did not have to do with, food, Nora or now Jaune. So Mercury was low on his priority list.
As the motley crew of semilegal? Teenagers Ren was still not sure where he stood on the legal side of life. Sure he was a good guy, mainly because he said he was and Nora also said so. But he was technically probably officially sworn into the white fang. He needed to sort that out soon on that would bite him and more importantly Nora in the ass.
Ren sighed deciding to use the bathroom, ignoring the calls of his friends entering the bathroom with a sigh. He turned on the dingy graffiti scrawled onto the Junior bathroom walls. Mainly by drunk women lucky enough to drag a man into a bathroom. With hastily scrawled numbers drawn in lipstick saying to call Susie or Krix for a good time.
As Ren sighed turning on the sink waiting for the water to warm up and-
Ren heard it before he could think. The dull braka, braka of gunfire filled the air along with a thumping techno beat.
"Someone is shooting."
Ren said with an off expression, his limbs felt heavy and his eyes were hazy. He didn't like weed just for this. He didn't like the haze he felt when he smoked. It made his limbs feel weak and sluggish. When he drank he was off balanced but he could still reliably use his semblance and-
CRACK!
The sound of harsh automatic fire filled the air as what was most likely an assault rifle? That was going off, Ren sighed pulling out Storm Flower and-
The harsh dull thud of a shotgun going off filled his ears. Twin shots rang out before being silence by something in a moment. He knew that whatever firefight was going on was by now in full swing and dangerous. He needed to be careful. He was off his game and that needed to be fixed.
"Alright, Ren! Time to kick some ass!" The boy said pulling up his weapons taking a deep breath before kicking down the door as-
"GAH!"
"Mercury!?" Ren gagged as the silver-haired boy limped forward his hand clutching his gut as a thick red trail spilled out of it.
'Mercury!? Are you ok!?"
"Yeah! I just tripped on a knife is all!" The boy said coughing up blood as Ren grimaced.
"You tripped on a knife?"
"Yeah! Got clumsy you know?" The boy asked wincing in pain as he held his bleeding side closely.
"You tripped on a knife that somehow went past your aura?"
"Yeah! You know me always clumsy!"
"Right..."
"Hey be a pal and don't tell Cinder or Emerald about his ok?"
"Why? You look like you are going to die." Ren deadpanned not really caring if Mercury lived or died. He had a very short list of people he cared about and Mercury was definitely not on that one.
"Look they would be worried about me and-
FWAP!
The wall next to his head exploded as a bullet impacted it sending wads of stucco and wallpaper flying.
"Fuck!"
"Who is shooting the club!?"
"I would not call it shooting more of a few guests had an altercation with Jaune and the girls did not take too kindly to it!"
"Altercation!? What happened!?"
"Look I don't know just-
"Get down!"
Mercury yelled tackling Ren as the world exploded into a hail of gunfire and broken plastic...
"AH!"
"Jaune! Do it now!"
"I know!"
"Do it!"
"Said a scarecrow sitting on a pole! To a blackbird sitting on a fence!"
Jaune hissed splashing himself with hot water. It was rough, the vision of that mission filled his mind as he washed his face. Repeating the song that had kept him sane for the majority of his young life as he did so.
"If I only had a brain!"
Jaune replied as he slowly methodically began to sing. It took some time, long painful seconds of increased heartbeat blood in his mouth and more symptoms of stress before he finally calmed down. "Are you ok?" The voice of reason in Jaune's life asked as he looked into the mirror. There beside him was a man. A tall man with skin the color of light sand. His face was covered in scars to match his own and he wore a clean and pressed uniform that spoke of his position.
"I'm fine, thanks for asking," Jaune said as the advisor of him that thankfully only he could see nodded his head. Jaune was already an enigma in Beacon he did not need to explain to his friends that he could speak with the dead. That was not a conversation that would start or end well.
"Good. You look like hell, you should have a drink."
"I thought you hated drinks? You called it a crutch."
"I did but I am not you. I do not need a drink in my life you on the other hand? You could use more than one."
"Thanks for the vote of confidence."
"No problem. Now clean your face you look a mess and I will not tolerate us looking anything less than our absolute best. We speak for all of team JNPR and our appearance speaks louder than words."
"Well, at least I don't have any missing limbs."
"You never lost a limb Jaune. You came close a few times but you always pulled through."
"No thanks to my luck."
"Luck is not a factor in battles of pure skill, the kind we are supposed to fight."
"When do we ever fight a fight that we are supposed to?"
"More often than we do not now stop complaining. We ran away like we were about to die before. If he does not look presentable when we return how will that affect our friends?"
"No worse than that memory, why did I have to go up!?"
"Because you are high. A shotgun blast to your kidneys plus painkillers and alcohol tend to lead to impaired decisions."
"Thanks for that."
"You are very welcome Jaune. Now hurry up clean you face we have places to be and friends to see."
"DAMMIT! Damn it all to hell!"
"Whoa, boss lady! Calm down a bit!"
"Calm down?! Calm down?! Z! In case you have not noticed I have lost my client! How the hell am I supposed to be calm now!?" Mink demanded as her second gulped once, his triple blood eyes blinking wildly as he held up his twin arms to his irate boss.
"Calm down boss! We don't have to worry! We are going to get him back! Trust me on this!"
Z said flashing his boss a pair of finger guns as she growled pulling on her silver hair as she moaned. "Z! You don't get it! This is my problem! Jaune was, Jaune is my responsibility! I can't just lose him like this! Do you know what's on the line here!?"
"I'm guessing about?" Z hazarded the lesser demon ducking his head as his boss groaned.
"The Matron gave you an extension on finding him right? She called you her favorite shining star! So that's good right?"
"She gave me an extension so I could find him!"
"You see! She trusts you boss lady! You need to take a load off your shoulders! You worry too much!"
"Z my tail is up for auction! If I don't get him back I might just lose it!"
The creature said as it sighed. Rolling its eyes back and forth as she looked around her realm. Mink's realm reflected her mood. The dark red fleshy walls that were not walls. Pulsed with a dark red color as they groaned in anguish. Dark rain clouds appeared on the ceiling as the rolling of thunderstorms filled the air. As a strike of lighting filled the air, crashing across the room before the clouds began to rain.
"Great. Now it's raining." Mink said dryly as water poured down her face, her long silver hair slicked back by the rain as she sighed.
"Boss! Boss! You need to calm down! Relax!" Z said stepping over to his boss holding out a hand as a poof! Of purple smoke appeared in mid-air as an umbrella appeared in his hands, popping open to shield his boss from the water.
"Thanks, Z"
"No problem boss lady! Now I want you to relax! Take a load off! This will all be alright! Trust me!" Z said gent putting a hand on his bosses shoulder as he pushed her down onto the table that was a table. "Now take a break! Let me get rid of those knots on your shoulders." The lesser entity said cracking his hands as his other two sets of arms jutted out of his side cracking thier knuckles loudly as he began to grip the back of his boss. The demon smiles a toothy grin showing his boss row after row of razor-sharp teeth that glistened a pearly white and twisted cruelly back into his mouth reaching into his jaw at angles that defied physics. "Better?"
"Yes."
"Good! I knew you needed this! You work too hard boss lady! You need to relax!" Z said hissing into his bosses ear making sure to dig his nails into her back, grimacing as the knots in her back cracked! And popped out making Mink moan.
"Oh me don't stop!"
"No problem boss!"
"Z! Your hands are magical!"
"Hey, I would not say all of that! I know I'm good and all but-
BRING!
A sharp ring filled the air as Z gasped, as his phone rang.
"Sorry about that boss! I got a call for a soul deal! Looks like one of your universes is calling out! I'll hang up on them for you!"
"Z... what kind of call is it?"
"Looks like one of your Jaune's is dying, good chance to take his soul but you need this message and-
"Don't worry about it." Mink smiled yawning loudly as she cracked her back loudly. Feeling her back crack and snap! As the magical hands of her employer that had done miracles to her back.
"Whoa! Boss lady! Step it back! You should take a break! You don't need to deal with this! It's a small deal, I'll do it!"
"Nah! I haven't been out of this office in a week. I need a break to stretch my wings."
Mink said yawning as she rolled her shoulders.
"I'll handle this one, take a break for once."
"Boss... you... you want me to take a break?"
"Sure do, you are a good employee Z. You work hard and good work deserves to be rewarded." Mink said smiling as her aid froze, his mouth hung open as he gulped.
"I... I see... I don't know what to say..."
"Tell me the rundown of this deal, what can I expect when I touch down?"
"Of course! Looks like a simple Jaune dying and begging for his life."
"Really? How hard is our favorite blonde begging?"
"Oh, that's the thing! It's not him but someone else begging for his life!"
"Oh? An indirect approach? Interesting."
"You don't see that everyday boss!"
"No, you generally don't, ok! I'll take this you take the day off!"
"Really!? You serious!?"
"Sure am, take some time to yourself have a personal."
"Boss you are the best!"
"Hell, I know it now let's go and see what kind of world I'm being called into," Mink said snapping her finger and vanishing at once...
Air... sharp brisk air filled the demons lungs as she appeared out of thin air on a lone tree branch. She took a breath glance at her surrounding as she saw a massive brown tree staring at her, the thing was over a thousand years old, and had the thick smell of old rain on its bark, that along with a myriad of other smells overran her senses, although one scent was much more pungent than others and filled the demon with a sense of glee and hunger as she smelled fear.
Fear, pain, and desperation filled the air making it smell like a five-star meal at Denny's. The thing moaned as she took in the deep smell of fear, suffering, and blood. Somewhere, close by a human was suffering near death and Mink was going to make sure that this human didn't see the reaper today, no matter what she had planned. Really! Mink had no idea why Reapers were so uptight about the whole soul thing, so what souls should go to their destined places and not into her own uses!
"So uptight," Mink said before snapping her fingers as she vanished in a poof of smoke. She always liked to make an entrance. Mortals humans especially loved a good entrance, it really set the mood to their dealings. Usually, Mink went for the usual fire and brimstone entrance. Coming in a wall of hellfire and a crackling voice to terrify the mortal that she would soon be swindling out of their souls. While the hellfire method was tried and true she did not choose it this time, for this occasion Mink went for the direct approach. Her deal was dying and she needed to make a sell.
Mink appeared a second layer taking a moment to take in her surroundings. All around her was broken shattered trees, ripped up grass covered with dried blood and the many disintegrating corpses of Grimm.
"JAUNE! JAUNE!" An agonized voice said as Mink turned to see a tall blonde woman her mind told her was called Glynda Goodwitch. She was on her knees cradling a bleeding dying blonde who was currently suffering a severe case of blood loss as his intestines were ripped out of his gut, courtesy of an Ursa claw. Jaune had less than a few minutes of life and was no longer conscious meaning he could no longer make a deal-making Mink work fast.
"Well now, what do you have here! Did someone have a bit of a run in with the wildlife?" Mink asked in her usual cocky voice as Glynda's green eyes shot up wide with fear as she gasped in shock.
"Who are you!?"
"Me? I'm your new best friend!"
"What are you doing here!? Grimm are in this area!"
"I can tell, that's why you boy is bleeding our right? You know he's dying right?" Mink asked making the mortal glare at her.
"I can tell thank you very much! Who are you!? What are you doing here!?"
"Me? My name is Mink and I am here to help!"
"Help?"
"I can save his life!"
"Please! Mink! I don't know who you are, but please! Save his life! I will do anything for you!"
"Oh, I know you will! And you will do everything for me sooner than you think!" Mink said swishing her tail at the woman who gasped.
"A faunus?"
"Demon."
"Demon!?"
"Yup! That's me! I'm a demon! Name's Mink nice to meet you, Glynda!"
"Get away from me!"
"Oh? If I do that I can't save him."
"You stay away from Jaune!" The woman said pointing her wand at Mink who rolled her eyes at the mortal's impudence.
"Hey, it's up to you! If I do nothing he dies and I'm fine with that! But I don't think you are." Mink said grinning wickedly as Glynda gaped her face twisting into a frown as-
"Aunt..."
Jaune gasped his voice soft and weak, her face ashen and body failing as-
"Jaune! Jaune! Please hold on! You are going to make it!"
"No your not."
"Shut up! Don't listen to her Jaune! You are going to make it!"
"Don't listen to me? Don't listen to her! You are dying mortal! You should know that your life's on the line here!"
"Quite! You are going to make it Jaune! I told you, mother, that I would look after you and I don't break my word!" The mortal said her voice high and shaky. Her hands shaking gripping her wand with a death grip as Jaune slowly bleed out. Painting his Aunt's blouse a sharp crimson color as-
"He's dead."
"No, he's not!"
"Well, not yet but he's going to die."
"Shut up!"
"You want to save him?" Mink asked blinking owlishly at her client, not letting her leave her purple gaze as she smelled the intoxicating scent of fear and misery, mixed together to form a desperate cocktail of desperation that she drank greedily.
"Of course I do! But I can't! He's going to die!"
"He does not have to," Mink said as Glynda froze her eyes locking on Minks as she smiled.
"What do you mean?"
"Gotcha." Mink thought as the mortal took her bait.
"I mean I can save him!"
"What!? How!?"
"Simple. I know how to save his life-
"How!? Tell me dammit!" Glynda said tears in her eyes as Mink smiled.
"Simple! Just unlock his aura and you are all good!"
Mink said flicking her nail once as Glynda gagged.
"What?! He's a male! I can't unlock his aura!" The woman shouted as Mink paused as she took a second to analyze this universe.
"Aha! That's why! In this one, if a man gets an aura unlocked he dies a painful death of something called Wasting Sickness." Mink thought filling the information down for later as she grinned at Glynda showing off row after row of far to many perfect blocky teeth.
"Oh? And why can't you?"
"If I unlock his aura he dies!"
"He dies in what... is he eleven? He'll die in fourteen years."
"He'll still die!"
"And? What do you want? You want him to die in fourteen years of in four minutes? The choice is yours." Mink offered as Jaune's hands fell as his body finally started to quit, his organs shutting down and-
"Even if I could! I don't know how to unlock his aura! He's a male and the process is totally different!"
"What if I told you that I could do it?"
"I'd say do it! Please!"
"Ok, but what will you do for me?"
"Anything! I'll do anything just save my nephew! Please!"
The mortal begged sealing her fate as Mink snarled.
"As you say!" Mink said clapping her hands as she skipped to the dying boy grinning as she rubbed her small brown hands together as she licked her lips greedily like a ghoul in a nursery.
"By the chains that bind me I free your soul. I condemn thee from a life of your innocuous form and thrust upon you the power of your soul. Unbidden and infectious, I impart on you the power to change lives and in turn, I steal yours." Mink said repeating the words as Jaune gasped as he glowed orange, his body gasping as his aura was unlocked. As his body glowed a timer went off, Jaune was a male. In this world, if a man got his aura unlocked he died a painful death at twenty-five years of age. Jaune's life was spared for now but in the future? It would be far from pretty."
"Is he safe?"
"He is, he will live."
"Thank god! I don't know what to say! Thank you, Mink!"
"Oh don't thank me yet! You said you would do anything for me saving Jaune so enough about what I can do for you, let's talk about what you will do for me!" Mink said as her eyes glowed orange as a literal wall of hellfire came from behind her giving her a hellish vision as Glynda gulped...
"I love it when a deal comes together!"
Mink said as she stepped out of her portal back into her realm Another day another contract! She had secured a spatially special soul deal as-
DING!
Her own clock tick as-
"I'm being called?"
Mink asked as she smirked blinking out of reality as an Arc called for her powers.
Rejection…
Dear Miss Arc, we are sorry to say that you have failed to pass the entrance exams to Beacon Academy of hunters. Please do not take this as an insult to your character. Your drive to save others is admirable, we wish you luck and if you wish to continue your career as an aspiring huntress we welcome your admission in next years applicants.
Rejection… It had happened Blake's worst nightmare had come true she applied to Beacon and she failed…
"NO! This can't be! I trained too hard!" Blake yelled tears falling from her large amber eyes as she began to weep, large fat tears drained from her face as she sniffled.
" I trained every day for this! I can't be rejected! All I ever wanted to do was be a huntress! All of my family are hunters why not me?! I'd do anything to do this! I'll even sell my soul-
"Well, this is new," Mink said as a pair of amber eyes blinked in shock.
"KYA!"
A sharp female voice said like a cat faunus with an absolutely adorable pair of ca ears said as she fell back into her room making Mink cocked her head.
"You? I thought I was here for an Arc?" Mink asked as she stared at the familiar cat faunus who hissed at her.
"I am an Arc! What are you!?"
The cat faunus said her amber eyes wide with fear, her claws halfway popping out as she jumped back like she had been burned. Mink cock her head as the cat faunus dressed in a black bunny hoodie who looked ready to fall over in shock and-
"Wait, what is your name mortal?" Mink asked not knowing why she was talking to Blake? She was called for an Arc and-
"Blake Arc! Who are you!?" The faunus asked as Mink snapped her fingers.
"Aha! That makes sense!" The demon said blinking as she searched for her Jaune seeing a boy dressed in a smoking white tuxedo robbing a facility while his sister approached him in a corpse-strewn elevator.
"That makes sense, I'm in this reality!"
"This reality?"
The faunus asked her knees shaking in fear as Mink grinned at her.
"Yup! I came here to help you, Blake!"
"Help me? What are you!?'
"Me? I'm your friendly neighborhood wish granter!" Mink said as the Faunus's amber eyes widened to the point of saucers as her cat ears shot straight up.
"You can grant me wishes? Really?"
"Sure can!"
"What are you like a genie?"
"Something like that, anyway Blake what do you want? Tell me! You can trust me!" Mink said smiling ear to ear as the faunus almost fell over. She hissed and yelped as she fell on her back, making her moan in pain.
"Ouch! That hurt!"
"Oh! Blake let me help you!" Mink said popping over to the faunus snapping her fingers as a pillow appeared on her back as it held her up. "Thanks!"
"No problem now tell me, you called me here for a reason yes?"
"Yes! I need your help..." The faunus asked her cat ears going flat as Mink cocked her head.
"Oh? With what? Genies are not all mind readers you know?"
"I want to go to Beacon! To be a huntress!"
'Oh? Is that all? I can do that for you!"
"Really!? You can get me into Beacon!?"
The faunus asked her eyes shining as Mink grinned.
"Can I get you into Beacon? I can do a lot more than that!"
"Really!?"
"Sure can Blake! Hey, why don't you do me a favor and take a seat so you can ruminate whilst I illuminate the possibilities!" Mink said as she bowed to Blake as she snapped her fingers and the room was suddenly filled with a dim purple light as she began to grin.
"Now let me take a look here, what do I see? I see a faunus with her head in the clouds with dreams as big as the sky! I can grant you every wish! You are going to leave satisfied!"
Mink grinned as she snapped her hands as a piece of parchment appeared in front of Blake.
"Right here! Sign on the dotted line! Just sign up with me Blake! You are going to survive!"
"Survive I just want to go to Beacon."
"What? Why!? You are destined for greatness Blake! Don't settle for just settle! You can be so much more!"
"You... you think so?"
"I know so! I see it all! Your past the present and the future! It's all laid out!"
"Really!? What is my future?"
"You! My adorable eared friend are going to go to Beacon! You will find a team to support you, a best friend and a dashing boy will sweep you off your feet!"
"A boy!?"
"Yup! You find the love of your life! Unfortunately, you are one of his loves!"
"Only one?"
"You are part of a harem, kid."
"What?! I don't want that! I want only one man!"
"Really? Then sign on the dotted line! I'll give you whatever you wish!"
"Whatever?"
"Just think about it, Blake! Money, fame power! They can all belong to you! You just need to sign your name and I'll snap my fingers and it's yours! Think about it! Money, power, anything! At the snap of my hands!" Mink said snapping her fingers as the room was suddenly flooded with Lien, a literal wave of Lien appeared over Blakes' feet rising to her knees, more money than she ever knew existed pooled around her feet as-
"You can whatever you want! All you need is to ask! I can handle any task, so all you need is ask!"
Mink said as she snapped her fingers a floating buffet appeared full of the mortal's favorite foods, served by incredibly buff tall men all dressed in little more than a speedo making her blush and-
"I can give you whatever you want! Money, power, physical pleasure! So what's it going to be? Column A? Column B? Or the crowd pleaser all of the above!"
"I want to go to Beacon!"
"I can do that!"
"I want to be a great huntress!"
"I can do that too!"
" I want a life full of adventure! Danger! And Romance!"
"You want it you got it!"
"I want to be famous! I want everyone to know my name!"
"As you say! Your wish is my command!"
"Great! But wait... what am I doing for you? Is this just a free wish?"
"AH! Normally I would have to ask for something in return but! Just for you, let me make you a deal!" Mink said her eyes glowing a deep baleful emerald hellfire that made Blake gulp.
"W-what do you want?"
"You want to live a life full of adventure right?"
"Yes?"
"Then you don't want it to be too easy right? You need to have some bumps along the road!"
"Bumps?"
"Yes, bumps! You need a bit of tragedy in your life to make it a life worthwhile! Variety is the spice of life! And if it's just heroics that life is bland! You need the dark to balance the light! The sweet to balance the source! Let me put some pain in your life!"
"Pain!? I don't like pain!"
"Blake you need pain! Without pain how can you feel pleasure?"
"I... I guess?"
"You don't need to guess! Let me show you! Imagine if you never bit into that tart when you were a young child! You would never know what tuna tasted like! And if you never bit the garlic tart then tuna would never taste as good!"
"How do you know that?!"
"I know everything Blake! I'm your genie right?"
"I guess so..."
"I know so! So how about I put a little spice in your life!"
"I don't know..."
"Think for a second Blake! I can make your life perfect!"
"Perfect?"
"Yes, perfect! Just shake my hand and I can guarantee you whatever you need! Think of it! You Blake Arc as a great huntress! Think of all the people that you can help!"
"I... yes! I can help people!"
"You can! All you need to do is tell me exactly what you want!"
"Transcripts!" The faunus blurted out as Mink cocked her head at her.
"You want a pair of transcripts?"
"Yes! I need the pair of transcripts to get into Beacon! Can you get them?"
"Can I?! I can do better than that! Let me put some stipulations in your deal and not only can I get your transcripts I can guarantee you! That you will never be kicked out of Beacon and! The love of your life will always think of you as his number one!"
"Deal!"
Blake said snaking out her hand shaking Mink's as a green fired snaked down her wrists wrapping them together as Mink grinned...
"Perfect!"
'Jaune! Jaune!" The familiar voice of Mercury said as Jaune turned to see the silver-haired thief running to him. "Mercury? What are you doing here?"
"Cinder wants to see you, man!"
"Cinder?"
"Yeah! Come on man! Boss lady wants to see her man! What do you say?"
"I say that I need a break." Jaune sighed he had just finished the longest hour of his life! And he really needed a break."
"Oh shit, I forgot! you got evaluated right?"
"Yup!"
"Did they clear you?"
"More or less."
"More or less?"
"More definitely more. They think I am a troubled man with a bad past but I was cleared from all charges of manslaughter onboard the train."
"Nice! Even if I do wish you had found a way to solve that incident without violence I know it was a necessity." The boy said bowing as the man spoke.
"He does not like to kill?"
"No, he's a pacifist."
"An odd choice for the subordinate of your wife."
"Tell me about it."
"So! Cinder wants to see you so let's go! You know how she gets when she doesn't get her way right?" "Don't I? I am her fiance you know?"
"I know so why don't we go before she burns down our dorm ok?" Mercury asked eyes shining as-
"Sure, but after I go into town. I need to go see Melanie about my job."
"Melanie? You are still dating her?!"
"Yup. Now let's get going I need to take a drink." Jaune said as the thief sighed.
'Now close your eyes and suck." The calm chilling voice of Melanie Malachite said as she pushed the blunt into Jaune's mouth. He took a deep hit of the joint making his lungs burn before blowing out the smoke in the van.
Jaune never liked drugs, he was not a fan of things that altered his mind or slowed his reflexes but Melanite suggested this and since he had nothing to do and highly doubted that he would be fighting today it was not a problem.
"There! You see nice and cool." Melanie hissed into his hear as Jaune nodded enjoying the oddly hazy feeling in his head as Mercury gagged, sounding like he was on death's door.
"Hah! Dude, you can't smoke for shit!"
"Shut up!"
Mercury snapped blushing as Moon clapped him on his back with her tail.
"Ah don't worry Black! You will get your lung game up their one day!"
"Shut up!"
Mercury said as Jaune sighed. Timed past slow in that hazy can, the pungent thick smell of the drug-filled his lungs as he let his mind go and-
"Ok. Break times up! Time to go."
Melanie said finally making Jaune yawn. The trip back to the club was a calm one. For the first time since the breach, Jaune was downtown. Juniors were back in business. Mel and Mil had full reign of the club while the owner Junior was off somewhere…
Jaune had never seen Junior before but the girls seemed to think highly of him so that was nice.
"Jaune, you can wait at the bar. You get free drinks! Help yourself to the counter!"
Mil said as Jaune nodded, walking over limping to the bartender a new deer faunus with pale skin and brown hair with a twin pair of antlers on her head smiled.
"What can I get for you Jaune?"
"Atlas mule, and a tripe dust punch please."
"Coming right up! And on the house as usual!"
The bartender said as-
"You do know you are high right?" A voice said as the man appeared again, shaking his head as Jaune sighed.
"Is that a problem now?"
"Only if you want to live."
"Only if I want to live?"
"Where is your drink?"
"I just ordered it."
"Maybe but where is the bartender?"
"She... where is she?"
"She is smart that is something that we should be."
The man said as he pointed to the front of the club and-
"Duck."
The man said as Jaune threw himself to the back of the bar just in time.
Crack!
The back of the bar's wall exploded filling the air with busted stucco, making the bartender scream as she hid under the table.
"Fuck me! What's happening!?"
Jaune shouted as a red ball jumped over the counter as Militia jumped over the counter.
"Business dealings!" The teen shouted as more cracks! Of bullets filled the air.
"What happened!?"
"It looks like some people do not like our business policy!"
"And that is!?"
"Don't worry about it! Catch!"
The teen said tossing a pistol to Jaune that he barely caught his limbs still felt as if they were ina light syrupy substance as he groaned.
"This is why we don't do drugs."
"Oh stow it! I have to shoot people!"
Jaune said as he and Mil popped up over the counter. For the first time since the breach Jaune was holding a gun downtown. In front of him thank Oum were not mask-clad professionals but women with nothing but off-brand suites and ties, with dark black hats. So far Melanie was fighting off three with her sword as Jaune aimed.
Bang!
Jaune fires six times. Four women dropped dead, two had their aura flare up.
"Four out of six? Not terrible but not great."
"They had aura!"
"Is that an excuse?"
"Yes!" Jaune said ducking back as he a Mil reloaded.
"You only killed two. She killed the rest."
"Shut up!" Jaune thought as Mil hissed.
"Come on Jaune! We got this!" Mil said dragging Jaune up as she and he hurled out of the bar and into the fight...
"Why am I always pulling your ass out of the fire!"
Qrow said knocking out a woman with a pump shotgun who had just pumped two shotgun pellets into Jaune nearly sending him through a damned post.
"What the hell is going on here?!" Qrow shouted ignoring the sounds of the now very knocked out woman who had dropped like a sack of bricks as Harbinger hit the back of her head as Jaune moaned. The boy groaned as Qrow looked up to see an absolute mess of a club! The walls were shot up! There were dead bodies on the floor! Jaune looked like hell, two shotgun blasts to the chest will do that to you though. The kid Mercury was bleeding all over Ren and the club looked like hell! As Qrow rubbed his head he knew he should have just stayed in bed...
"So let me get this straight, you were sitting here minding your own business when they just attacked you? No provocation no nothing?" Qrow asked raising a suspicious eye bell as he frowned, why was he always the babysitter and why did the things he needed to look after always get shot!?
Case in point the two wounded children in front of him. Jaune had taken two shotgun rounds to the chest at damn near point blank and was coughing up blood something fierce! Next to him was Mercury who was doing no better looking like he was on death's door as he somehow fell on a knife.
Then there was the green sociopath himself Ren. Qrow did not know what was wrong with that boy but he had more than his fair share of screws loose and Qrow sighed as he rubbed his head.
"Why me?" The man asked as the boys moaned.
"So let me get this straight Qrow…"
Winter seethed as Qrow gulped as the love of his wife and now mother of his children fixed him with a cold glare. "Not only did you go out to rescue some children, you found them bleeding from both gun and stab wounds?"
"Yes."
"And when you found them with said wounds instead of taking them to a hospital you let them come back to Beacon after you had them take painkillers?"
"Vicodin. To be exact."
"That you let them consume with alcohol when the package explicitly says not to do that!"
"It said not to take it without liquid!"
"Qrow!"
"Ok! Ok! My bad!"
"Yes, your bad! Be luck Jaune is asleep an and Mercy is not permanently harmed or else!" Winter said as she began to rant and Qrow just wanted another stiff drink.
"Jaune! Jaune! Wake up!"
A cheery voice said as Jaune moaned as he felt warm air on a rolling soft grassy hill.
"Bella?"
"That's me! Get up we got to plan!"
The Grim Reaper herself said with a happy smile as Jaune moaned.
"What's the plan today?"
"Simple! You need to get your act together!" Bella said pulling up Jaune as he groaned.
"How bad is it?"
"Good! It's great actually! I think we have a good chance of winning this thing!" Bella said with a grin as Jaune smirked at the reaper.
"Well, I could use some good news, in case you didn't know I spent most of today getting my ass kicked."
"Hey don't worry about that! I saw everything and just so you know you were in very little danger! You only got shot twice!"
"With a shotgun."
"You have been shot by worse!"
"I also saw a memory that is going to haunt my dreams."
"Yeah, that was rough! To be honest I don't know how that' going to play out."
"Any chance of it being good?"
"Honestly? I don't know. It could be good! And all work out for the best but I have no idea right now."
"Great, so what's this plan you have? What am I doing and do I have to kill anyone else?"
"Have to? No! But if you did you would be doing me a great favor! Now here is the plan! I have your Vytal path all set out for you!"
"And that is?"
"Simple! Your only real competition is Pyrrha. You beat her and you are golden!"
"I can tell, how am I going to beat her though? I doubt the other me stands a snowball's chance against her."
"Well, I'm getting to that! I got it all planned out let me show you!" The reaper said clapping her hands as a whiteboard appeared in front of Jaune as she began to draw on it with a marker that appeared with it."
"You are here! In Beacon! You need to win Vytal and not die!"
"Yes, I know."
"To do that you need to attack!"
"You don't say," Jaune said raising an eyebrow as Bella shook her head, her short red hair flailing as she grinned.
"I mean you really need to attack! I'm altered your Critical Banker skill! So that you will not crit until Vytal!"
"Ok… how does that add to me fighting Pyrrha?"
"I'm getting to that! You attack! You keep attacking things and you build up your crit charge! Then at Vytal, you face her off in the finals and you one shot her!"
"Wait a second so I just hit her and she's out?"
"Yup! Your charge will be built up so high that you one shot her!"
"But won't that kill her? I don't want to kill her."
"Ah! Don't worry she has the health to take it!"
"Does she? How does health really work?"
"It's complicated. Every living being has health that if it hits zero they die. Unfortunately for you most of the people you know have aura. That acts as damage mitigation. So your health has damage reduced to it based on your aura.'
"By how much? AN lot or a little?"
"It varies from person to person."
"I see… so I just need to get to the finals? Any Plans on how to do that?"
"Besised winning? You need to win Jaune, I think the other you have the skills but I can do some digging for you to get a plan for the others down."
"Alright, that makes sense. Anything else?"
"Yes, this is going to sound bad but…"
"But? Bell don't hesitate to tell me the truth, I trust you."
"OK! You know the dreams you go into?"
"Yes? Why?"
"What if I told you they are not really dreams…"
"Bella…"
"They are realities that have yet to happen?"
"Bella…"
"Think of them like futures that are potentially up for grabs! Like they all could and they all do happen!"
"So I'm not in a dream?"
"No… you are temporarily seeing the vision of another you and for a time your souls merge."
"And that means?"
"That means the more you do this… the harder it will be for you to leave."
"Bella…"
"The more you go into the dreams the more intricate and realistic they become! Soon it will be all but impossible to escape!"
"Bella that's serious!"
"I know! But it's only for the end of this season! After that, I can guarantee you a safe passage here and back! I promise!"
"I.. sure… just send me home ok?"
"I got you! Now good luck! The end is soon!" Bell said snapping her fingers as Jaune took a deep breath and stepped into a glowing portal…
Soft… Jaune woke up to an ocean of softness as he curled up in a ball. He felt the warm soft silky sheets wrap over his bodies as he opened his eyes. A pure white ceiling greeted him as he opened his eyes yawning loudly in the process.
The man yawned stretching his limbs as he stared at his mass of silky covers that clung to him as if they were a second skin. The covers were pink and brown, and all consisted of at least as twelve thousand thread count, his wife would settle for no less.
His eyes rolled down his pure white bed posts that worked well with his multicolor bed sheets. Jaune's eyes rolled down to the coral white marble floors, that supported purple and brown furniture, ranging from chairs, couches, and loveseats along with tri-colored draped that kept the Vale sun from entering his bed as he yawned once and blinked his eyes.
Jaune took a moment to listen, in the Neopolitan household voices were rare and the sound of the soft pitter patter of feet filled his ears to tell him if he was alone. As Jaune paused closing his eyes straining his ears to the limit before seeing that no one was here, at least no one was close.
"Ok, time to get dressed," Jaune said finally confident that no one would jump him the moment he let his guard down. The Neapolitan household was not known for its safety, and quiet usually meant danger…
Jaune slid out of bed his bare feet touching the cool floor as he froze, no one was closed, no hands had reached out from under their bed to grip his ankles and twin pairs of hands hand not attempted to push him back in the bed. His safety tentatively guaranteed Jaune slid out letting his naked feet tap on the ground as he went to get dressed. Living in an ever-present taste of alert had left him aware of his surroundings.
Jaune slipped his clothes on in less than a moment. Soon he was dressed in a pair of dark loose pants and a dark bunny hoodie that he wore around the house. Jaune smiled in the large mirror in his room. He had grown since his Beacon days, no longer was he a skinny malnourished boy running for his life, scared of the world and on his own now he was a man.
He had grown in his time in Beacon. He now stood at an impressive for a man five ten. With a well-built chest and a deep muscle core and legs. His scars still made him looked like he lost a fight with a cheeses grader on one side of his mace and most of his stomach but Neo made this work. Speaking of Neo his wife was out, it was that day and Jaune needed all the time he could to prepare. The triple color engagement ring on his right hand that smelled of Neapolitan ice cream still filled his nose with its scent and-
Tip, tap.
"Hello Pol, how are you doing today?"
Jaune asked smiling as he turned around to see his youngest child and only son Pol, short for Politan staring back at him. Like Jaune, Politan had a bright blue eye and one tri colored one. Giving his stare an enrapturing expression as Jaune smiled. Politan was seven years old and was already moving like his mother and sisters. His small lithe from that was a dead ringer for Neo and his sisters was already adept at cat-like movements that made Jaune an experienced hunter, criminal househusband on Amnesty from the Vale government to shame.
"Good morning father," Politan said using his real voice in a rare moment of privacy. The Neopolitan house with the sole exception of Jaune was a mostly quiet household. All of his children knowing sign and his wife being a mute most of his children spoke exclusively in sign language. Making the house dead silent and often as quiet as a morgue as Jaune sighed.
Today was the day. The day he had been dreading for weeks, it was a day of desperation and worry but he needed to do it…
"Are you ready son?" Jaune asked his voice barely above a whisper as Pol gulped loudly. His twin eyes shaking his blue and tri-colored one going wide with hear as his short hair that was a dead ringer for Jaune in his early years except for the fact that it was now dyed the color of his mothers.
"Yes, father… I'm ready!" Politan said raising his voice for what might have been the first time that year as Jaune nodded.
"Good, now let's get ready your mother and sisters will be here soon," Jaune said as the father and son went out to do their mission…
"Chairs?"
"Ready father!" Politan said his voice finally back to what would be considered a normal level as Jaune nodded.
"The food?"
"Ready!"
"The drinks?"
"All made to specification!"
The small boy said as Jaune nodded. He had done all he could. The table was set, decked out in every decadent sweet know to mankind. Very icecream flavor, every tart, very damn fritter was arraigned with a specialized choice of sugary sweet, the very sight of the table almost gave Jaune type two diabetes. It was decadent even for his families taste but it was necessary. He was dropping a bombshell on Neo today and if her mood was less than perfect then Jaune would be burying some of his neighbors at the end of it all.
"Dad will this work?" Politan asked with his robe that said Mother's little sweet tooth on it. Jaune knew Politan hated that robe more than needles and the dentist but he needed his mom in an outstanding mood and-
Crack!
"OH, Jauney! We are HOME!" The loud cocky voice of Jaune's brother in law said as Jaune nodded to his son.
"It's go time."
"Yes, father."
"You ready?"
"Born."
"Good. That's what I like to hear."
Jaune said as the sound of shuffling feet and the familiar tic, tap of high heels on marble filled the air.
"Remember son, stay still they can't see you if you don't move."
"Yes, sir."
Politan said a figure emerged in the doorway. Jaune had known his wife for over twenty years and she still managed to steal his breath away every time he saw her face. She had not aged a day. Neo walked into the kitchen her hair freshly done and her custom leotard wrapped around her body. She took less than a second to go from across the room into Jaune's arm as she sealed their lips together. Jaune melted into his wife's passionate embrace allowing Neo to claim his lips. Jaune held his wife's impossibly soft from as she ground her hips into his making him moan.
"I missed you."
" I know."
Jaune signed letting his wife peck his nose as-
"Hello, mother."
"Politan! How is my little man!"
Neo almost squealed as she leaped off of Jaune gripping her son up and lifting him high.
"Mother! Please!"
Politan begged his cheeks flushed as Neo spun him around. As she did the other members of Jaune's family walked inside. His two eldest daughters, Claire, and Eliza followed their mother. The first one was a dead copy for Neo in every way except her long flowing pure blonde hair that she got from her father. Her younger twin by a minute Eliz a bit shorter at six foot two had Jaune's eyes and Neo's everything else. After them came the young sisters. Iris and Blanc. Iris was slightly younger than her older twin siblings, with her mother's hair, her father's smile and pure blue eyes, her sister was the opposite, her dad's hair, and eyes but Neo's figure.
"OK! I made it! I thought I was going to die!" The tired haggard voice of Roman Torchwick said as the ex-thief walked inside. Roman had not aged as well as Neo. The man now well into his forties was tired, carrying an obscene amount of designer shopping bags that had probably cost more than what an average citizen made in a year but that was irrelevant. Roman had done his part, Jaune's house and every house in a twenty-mile radius were free of anything that could be used as a cutting device as Jaune needed this moment to be perfect.
"Neo, baby I need to talk to you."
"About what my love?"
"It's about Pol."
"What about me darling angel!"
"Show her son."
Jaune said as Politan gulped once blinking activating his semblance that he got from his mother as one eye turned a dark purple and a scar appeared over his face as Neo and all of his sisters gasped as Politan revealed a simple truth he was being bullied. To say Neo took it roughly was an understatement. Neo did not like children, that was not her own. She never wanted a boy but Politan had won his mother's undying love the moment he took his first breath. He was her son, her only boy and nobody so much as laid a hand on him. Be it Neo or anyone else. And the fact that he was getting bullied at school did not go over well. Neo instantly went for her parasol and their daughter's hands fell to their own weapons that were conveniently missing. You could always trust Roman to be a good thief.
Jaune was not naive, not like he used to bein Beacon. He knew Neo would never accept her son being bullied and had waited for her to see this. As predicted Neo panicked crying and raging. Promising to dill the parents of said bullies right this instant while his sisters prepared to make the kill count double. It was pure chaos as Jaune moaned. Roman whispered and I'm sorry as he waved his hands to calm the women down it did the opposite as the flames were fanned and tempers raised-
"GET OUT! NOW!"
A deep booming voice yelled as-
"Wha-
"JAUNE! RUN!"
The voice yelled as it clicked. Jaune needed to leave. This dream was going to be real if he did not run not. And Jaune did he sprinted out of the kitchen into a glowing white portal and disappeared into the light.
Cinder was having a bad day. The plans for Beacon were going into action soon and life was intent on making her goals hell. So far as far as she knew there was an android going around school brainwashing students, that fool Roman was now a teacher of all things, though he was still as loyal to Cinder as he was capable of bringing to anyone but himself and the mute and to make things, even more, confusing the male Schnee was in her fiance dorm, speaking of said lover her and Mercury almost got themselves killed in a shootout in a club of all places and it looked like her mistress had accelerated her plans, as she even had Wat's himself call her… "Mam, if you don't mind me asking what is our next move?" Emerald asked sitting on her bed eyeing her mistress carefully as Cinder let out a heavy sigh.
"Out next move is simple. In seven days the fall begins. In two days we have the dance. You and Mercury attend while I infiltrate the CTT."
"What will we do for the tournament? You had Mercury collect date on our enemies."
"I would have if the fool had not literally tripped on his own blade. Luckily Roman has accumulated more than enough knowledge as a tutor here for me to use, I know now the weakness and all of the potential maiden candidates."
"What about the actual maiden here mam? How do you plan on dealing with Raven?"
Emerald asked a legitimate question that Cinder did not have a simple answer to."
"Simple my dear, I won't. I don't want to fight another maiden if I don't have to and if I can avoid a conflict with her I will."
"And if you can't Mam?"
"Then I will attempt to enact a fighting retreat."
"I see. And what about the other students?"
"So long as they do not try to interfere with my destiny I will leave them alone why?'
"And Jaune mam? What will he say about this? He is working for our enemies…"
"I know and I and Jaune will have a little chat about loyalty soon don't you worry."
"Ok, mam."
"Good. Be calm Emerald, our work will soon pay off. In less than a week, I will be a full maiden and the world will know my name…"
AN: OK! I know that chapter was a bit of a backlog but it's the final stop before the end! I think less than five chapters till this Season ends and we see the climax! Although I will be honest this fic is going on hiatus soon but don't despair! I know you like this fic if you are reading this or I hope you do. And if you like this fic then I got a little surprise for you! I promised you that I would keep the trend of RWBY gender-reversed worlds coming and I will! So as soon as this fic is posted a brand new fic that will serve as Game on's second. Basically, another gender-reversed fic that I will update when Game on is on hiatus. That way I can keep up writing while plotting the next season! So until next time sorry for the simple chapter but the next one is all Bang! As we go to the finale! Until then? Enjoy the double upload of the Apprentice!
