Wraith
Chapter Two
Beta: Smithrooks
I am a Master
Beacon, many years ago…
"Blerg!"
The vomit expelled from his stomach messily into the trashcan, the after effect of being on one of those dastardly airships. People stepped around him and avoided him like he had some terrible disease, and Jaune couldn't really blame them for it; who'd want to be around the guy that just chucked his breakfast up in an incredibly noisy fashion?
But he would change that! One day he was gonna be the greatest hero on Remnant, everyone was going to love him and admire him…
But obviously that day wasn't today.
A ringing explosion echoed out across the barren courtyard, and Jaune did what any sane person would do: hit the deck and cover your head, hoping that you don't die.
What am I doing?! The blonde boy questioned himself after a few moments of manly cowering, if I'm going to be a hero then I can't be afraid like this! I need to go see if anyone needs my help!
Mind made up, Jaune jumped to his feet and cautiously stepped towards where the explosion came from; weary of any danger, prepared to fight fearsome monsters and-
A gentle thump echoed out and Jaune nearly jumped out of his skin in fright, but after a quick glance around, Jaune determined that no one had seen his moment of terror. With his pride still intact, the blue-eyed boy stepped around the corner he'd totally not been hiding behind to see a youngish-looking girl wearing black clothes and a red cape laying on the ground, looking dejected.
This is my chance to be suave! Jaune thought excitedly as he made his way over to her, plastering on what he hoped was a charming look on his face.
"Hey there," he said as he offered the girl a hand up, "need a hand?"
The girl looked up, and silver eyes met blue. With a small smile, she grabbed his hand and pulled herself up. "Thanks. I'm Ruby, Ruby Rose. What's your name?"
Time for my best pick up line! "The name's Jaune Arc. It's short, sweet, rolls right off the tongue and ladies love it!"
Damn I'm cool… as cool as a cucumber.
She giggled, a delicate, airy laugh that made Jaune feel light inside. "Do they?"
"W-well my mum does!" And there went all the cool he had, gone the way of his masculinity which his sisters had stolen years ago.
She laughed again, although this time it felt like it was more at his expense than with him. "Hey… aren't you that guy that threw up on the airship?" she asked, much to his chagrin.
"W-well… you can hardly talk!" he retorted lightly, no real heat behind his words. "You blew a hole in the front of the school!"
She glared at him cutely for a moment, but even someone as introverted as him could tell that it was playful, rather than a sign of anger. "Oh hush up, Vomit Boy."
Vomit Boy, huh? Well, two can play at that game! "Crater Face."
They held their respective glares for a moment before bursting out into laughter, both greatly amused by the little joke.
After the laughter died down, both teens had friendly smiles on their faces, pleased that they had made a friend so soon. "So…" Jaune said slowly as his eyes roamed across the empty courtyard. "I don't suppose you know where we're meant to be going? Everyone left in such a hurry."
Ruby blinked, her eyes widening slightly as she remembered that they had places to be. "I-I don't know! What if we're late?"
Fiddlesticks, where's a map when you need one? Jaune thought glumly as he and Ruby dashed away to try and find the entrance hall. I'd really love a big red dot saying 'you are here'...
But Jaune's worries were for naught; just as he was running out of breath and the ache of exertion in his legs became too much, they found the hall.
Jaune couldn't help but pant when the duo came to a stop. He liked to think he was fit and all… but damn did Ruby keep an utterly punishing pace, and she wasn't even breathing hard at all! The girl looked like she was utterly unfazed by the dead sprint they had both just endured, what was she? Superhuman?
"Come on, Jaune!" she laughed with a playful slap on his shoulder, "stop goofing around! We're here now, just in time too."
Jaune tried to say something, he really did. But all that escaped his mouth was a strangled wheeze that sounded vaguely affirmative.
Ruby laughed again; obviously his suffering amused her so.
See who's laughing when I catch my breath…
The silver-eyed girl began wandering into the hall, and Jaune, not wanting to be left alone, followed her in.
Dozens of prospective students milled about the large room, all of them carrying a weapon of some kind. Jaune couldn't help but feel slightly in awe of the people around him. They were all hunters.
And soon, I will be too.
Jaune was snapped out of his thoughts when Ruby suddenly slapped his arm and loudly said: "Oh hey, my sister saved me a seat! I gotta go, I'll see you later Jaune!"
And in a flash, she disappeared.
Literally.
Jaune couldn't help but let his jaw hang upon Ruby's sudden departure. Who the hell could move that fast? That was insane!
But Jaune was quickly broken out of his stupor when a grey-haired man with a green suit and a cane walked onto the stage. Instantly the entire hall grew quiet, all of them knowing that the man on the stage was important, and should be listened to.
"I'll… keep this brief."
Jaune couldn't help but shiver. That man's voice… it carried power.
"All of you have travelled here today in search of knowledge and power, to master your craft so you can devote your life to protecting the people of Remnant." The elder man paused, his eyes roving across the assembled teenagers that wished to join Beacon. "But all I see… are children. Children reaching for something they want, but do not have. Beacon is not a place for children, this is a school for warriors and hunters. It is up to you to become an adult, it is up to you what your destiny will be… all you need to do, is to take the first step."
Well that's not ominous at all, is it now…
Jaune couldn't help but fidget, that speech was all well and good… but Jaune couldn't help but feel a little nervous. This place was a school for people that had trained for years to get here, but all he did was sneak out one night and steal his father's sword. These people were probably far above him in terms of skill and power.
"Initiation will be held at the cliffs tomorrow morning." Jaune hadn't even noticed the suited man leave the stage, but now there was an admittedly scary woman with blonde hair and glasses looking down on them all. "Tonight you will all sleep in the ballroom, be sure that you are completely prepared for tomorrow. You are all dismissed."
As the woman stepped off the stage, Jaune couldn't help but admire the power she radiated, the sheer strength and grace behind each step.
One day… I will be the most powerful hunter in the world.
Beacon, present day…
Ozpin had deposited Glynda off at the medbay for treatment, and was currently in his office with the 'guests' that had appeared shortly after that… monster had arrived.
The four girls were seated comfortably in a couch on the far side of the room, as Ozpin restrained the urge to bash his head against the wall from speaking to the council. The three council members had been alerted to the Rift activity due to an automated system, and now that Ozpin had told them what exactly had happened… well the jarring rattle of several airships was a testament to the reaction of the politicians.
The vast majority of Vale's military had just arrived at Beacon, and were currently scouring the grounds and nearby forest for signs of the dangerous 'criminal' that had appeared. It was only by Ozpin's intervention that the other four girls hadn't been seized and taken away for questioning, something they had expressed their deep gratitude over.
"So… this creature is Jaune Arc, you say?" Ozpin questioned, trying to wrap his head around how the weak little Arc boy could possibly be so overwhelmingly powerful.
Weiss was the one that answered, her blue eyes staring out the window and roving over the assembled military forces outside the school. "No, that monster used to be Jaune Arc. The boy behind the monster is long dead."
From behind Weiss, Ruby snorted in vague amusement, "Jaune Arc died when his semblance revealed itself, his mind destroyed by his hunger."
Ozpin was at a loss; what kind of semblance could do that to a person? That thing wasn't even human anymore, it looked more like a Grimm than a man. "What do you mean? What could have possibly happened to cause this?"
Blake's feline eyes regarded the headmaster, her form made all the more intimidating by the thick, black armour she and the others wore. "What the others say is true, Jaune is gone. But he is hardly the sole person to lay blame on."
Finally, Yang spoke, her voice hostile and venomous to an extreme that actually surprised Ozpin. "The Lord of Hunger is a freak that feeds off the aura of others, consuming their very souls to sustain itself. Jaune Arc is a monster by every definition of the word."
Ozpin paled. A semblance that allowed the user to consume the auras of others? Surely that couldn't be possible, that would make this… Lord of Hunger nigh unstoppable. "Feeding off others?" He questioned, feeling slightly faint. "Is… that what happened to Professor Goodwitch and I?"
Yang snorted, a bitter expression on her face. "That was only the passive effect of his semblance, to temporarily sap the aura of all those around him that aren't protected by really thick walls, or special armour like what we have."
Blake picked up from Yang seamlessly, "From what we can tell, his semblance comes in two different stages. You experienced the passive stage; he was draining your aura, and as long as he has any of your aura in his system he will have access to your semblance, but once he runs out of your power he won't be able to use your semblance until he gets more."
Ozpin cringed; it was even worse than he thought. If that was the passive stage of his semblance, that must mean that there was something… much worse. "What happens when your aura is exhausted?" the elder man questioned.
"That depends on if he's starving or not," Ruby replied, "if he hasn't fed in a while, then he will drain you until you die… I'm actually pretty surprised that you and Professor Goodwitch are still alive; when he forced open a portal to this world, he exhausted himself pretty thoroughly." She paused for a moment, trying to think of her next few words. "But if he has fed recently then you're pretty safe. He'll still drain your aura, but it will recharge like normal once you get away from him."
Well that was hardly reassuring. Just what kind of abomination were they dealing with? "I see…" he said slowly, trying to wrap his head around the idea. "And what of the rest of his semblance? You said he was only using it passively before."
It was Weiss that answered this time, a slight grimace on her face as she stared out the window. "To actively use his semblance he needs to put his hands on you… and if he does that, he sucks out your soul. Permanently."
Permanently?! Forever divesting someone of aura and their very soul... this was dire news indeed. "Does… does he retain the aura for good?" he demanded. This situation was kingdom-shattering if he could… "Just how powerful is he?"
"He doesn't keep the power," Blake replied, her voice level. "The aura he steals is finite, once he's used it all up then it's gone forever… at least in most cases, anyway."
"A couple of years ago, we had him in prison," Yang explained, her voice bitter and resentful. "He had been captured and then shipped to the strongest prison Atlas had ever built, they wanted him for research purposes or something."
"He spent three years rotting away in Raven's Rock prison, the only prisoner in the entire facility," Weiss continued, her voice somewhat strained.
"But then some stupid bitch went and tried to bust him out," Yang spat, her eyes a weak shade of red. "She wanted to recruit him for some dumbass plan she had to conquer the world, but the idiot just went and got herself killed."
Ozpin paled, they couldn't be talking about… her,could they? "What happened? What did she do?"
"She and two others broke into the prison, and Jaune, who hadn't fed in three years,gorged himself to his heart's content," Yang hissed, "but the difference this time was that the idiot woman was one of your precious Maidens."
"Impossible," Ozpin muttered, unsurprised that the girls knew about the Maidens. "The power of the Maidens is exclusively female in nature, no man can hold that strength."
"Correction," Weiss sighed, "no male was meant that strength. He stole all the power she had, and it drove him utterly insane. Before he was imprisoned, Jaune was… still Jaune; too weak to fight against his own power, but still questionably sane."
"After that, he was driven into an absolute frenzy, screaming that he need the 'other half' and more power," Ruby sighed slowly as she looked over the military. "As I'm sure you can guess, he did eventually gain the rest of the power from the Fall Maiden, and shortly thereafter he broke into this dimension. We don't know why, though."
"We were tasked with following him through the tear he created, and to neutralize him at all costs, lest he return to our world."
Ozpin was silent, considering the situation before him. The crisis that he now faced was one of the most dire he could possibly think of, but what was the solution? How could this beast be stopped?
Before the aged headmaster could articulate his thoughts and opinions to the girls, the scroll on his desk screeched into life, the call going through automatically. "Ozpin!" the commander of the military forces tasked with hunting the Lord of Hunger shouted urgently, "we have reports coming in from the city, the freak is attacking people!"
Ozpin cursed inwardly; it seemed things were just getting worse… "Very well, I'm sending a team of huntresses to assist you."
He turned to the girls, his eyes hard behind his glasses. "Do what you must."
They nodded, resolute.
It was time to catch a monster.
A/N
Yikes! Talk about an overpowered semblance!
There is literally no hunter that would be able to stand up against Jaune with a semblance like that, as he would be able to drain them dry before they damaged him enough to hinder him at all. But bear in mind that despite how overwhelmingly powerful this makes Jaune… he is still mortal, and his ability only affects things with aura. So against a Grimm he has only the power stolen from others to fall back on.
I was purposely pretty vague about what exactly turned Jaune into what he is now; the girls of RWBY don't know and don't particularly care anymore, they just see him as a monster that tears people's souls out and eats them. But fear not, the full history of Jaune will be explored step by step through the 'many years ago' segments.
And before anyone comments, yes I know that what I wrote doesn't match what happened in canon. But I'm not going to waste my time rewriting the first few episodes of RWBY, so I changed things up a little. I need to stress that the events that are shown for the first half of this chapter are exactly the same as what happened in the current universe, the point of divergence hasn't actually been shown yet.
So that aside let's look at the reviews:
Toddem Mach:
Thanks for reviewing.
Weird and good is my specialty, normal and bad are boring haha.
Smithrooks:
Thanks for reviewing.
I do rather enjoy a good flashback story myself, showing how a character came to be the way they are is especially fun if there is a massive personality difference - and showing the slow change.
The Rift is an interesting plot point, and it will be explored further later hint hint.
I look forward to writing how Jaune fell into madness haha.
sandersonreader:
Thanks for reviewing.
All my stories use the multiverse theory, so if he kills the other Jaune nothing will happen. And you'll see.
Nik41:
Thanks for reviewing.
Haha to each their own I suppose. The armors used aren't really described beyond their colour (black) and it making it hard to distinguish between genders. I imagined a hissing kind of voice for the Lord of Hunger, but now that you mention it the voice of O'Malley does kinda fit.
I hope this story will be suitably epic, I will try my hardest.
Killjoy funny man:
Thanks for reviewing.
I should certainly hope so.
Tabris the 17th angle:
Thanks for reviewing.
While I have never seen nor read owari no seraph a quick google search showed me that your pretty much on point. The Lord of Hunger isn't really meant to look human anymore, more like a twisted parody of a human.
Guest:
Thanks for reviewing.
I try.
Tobi14:
Thanks for reviewing.
Well his sanity is rather questionable, but I suppose you'll just have to wait and see.
So I got some pretty epic feedback from last chapter, I didn't think it would be that well received! Thank you to everyone who review or otherwise commented.
Thank you all for reading, and please leave a review to tell me what you all think.
