Hello! I'm back with another chapter!
To Better (K)nights
The ride to Vale was silent as Jaune and Blake sat beside one another, the blonde taking measured breaths while Blake simply stared at the ground in front of them. There wasn't much that could be said between the two aside from the information Blake had revealed to Jaune just after the airship had left Beacon.
"Let me get this straight." Jaune finally said, getting Blake to perk up a bit when she heard his slightly muffled voice. "You..." The blonde started, pointing at the Faunus, "...used to be a member of the White Fang." The cat Faunus nodded at that while Jaune took another breath. "And Weiss...she found out after you two got into an argument over the White Fang?"
"You make it sound like it's an everyday thing." Blake said, getting Jaune to shrug.
"Living a life like mine tends to numb you to surprises…barring Nora. What I don't see, is why you thought that running away was the best option." Jaune said, getting Blake to flinch.
"I didn't trust myself to be around Weiss." Blake said, getting Jaune to raise an eyebrow. "If we could already get into argument before she knew I was a Faunus, let alone knowing that I was part of the White Fang, then just imagine if I stayed." The Faunus said, lowered her head.
"I'm pretty sure if you explained yourself, then everything would've likely settled down." Jaune said, getting Blake to scoff.
"I don't think things would be that easy to solve." The Faunus said, getting Jaune to let out a chuckle.
"Look, I know I'm not the best fighter..." Jaune said, getting Blake to look at him, "...in fact I'm bad enough that I faked my way into Beacon, but do I have seven sisters." At that, Blake widened her eyes. "And, thanks to them, I know a few things about fixing friendships." The blonde said.
"And explaining why I was a part of the White Fang is part of it?" Blake asked, the skepticism clear in her voice.
"Would you prefer that I think you're a terrorist, former or not, or someone wanting to fix their mistakes?" Jaune asked, getting no response. "Giving yourself some context will at least paint a picture. For instance, did you know that everyone else in my family had faked at least three things about themselves in order to get ahead in life?" At that, Blake turned her attention to Jaune again. "Or the fact that my family actually used to support the White Fang until it turned militaristic?" Now Blake's attention was only on Jaune. "Yeah, it's like they say: 'Don't judge a book by its cover'."
"So, I should've just explained myself to Weiss?"
"It would've made things a lot less complicated than running away." The blonde responded. "I get that Weiss' thing is to be cold and emotionless, but even I could see that she was someone willing to listen." Jaune said before he looked at Blake and smiled. "Just imagine how different it would turn out if you just told Weiss why you were in White Fang and left because of how it changed."
"And if she doesn't want to listen?" Blake asked, getting Jaune to shrug.
"Well, you'd still have Ruby and Yang." Was Jaune's only answer. Before Blake continue the conversation, the feeling of the Bullhead jerking to a stop made Jaune get up. "Anyway, that's just my opinion. If you don't feel like returning to Beacon, well I can't exactly force you to go back." The blonde said before he stumbled his way off the Bullhead. Blake took a moment to thing about the blonde's words before she got up and began to follow him.
"Jaune, wait." Blake called out, rushing down the ramp to see Jaune hanging his head over the trashcan. Without missing a beat, Blake placed her hand on Jaune's back and began to pat it gently. Once Jaune was done, the blonde rubbed his mouth before thanking Blake.
"So, what's on your mind?" Jaune asked when he felt his body settle down. "With everything you told me, I figured that you would've left as soon as we reached Vale." The blonde said, adjusting his bag before pulling out his scroll.
"I realized that I never asked why you came to Vale." Blake said, focusing on Jaune when she saw that he stiffened up.
"Just going to spend some time with a…friend." Jaune said, taking a second to think before he finished his sentence. 'I almost forgot, Ozpin said my expulsion wouldn't be revealed until next week. And I can only hope that Nora doesn't tell anyone.'
"A friend?" Blake asked skeptically, getting Jaune to nod as they continued down the street.
"Yep. Met them a few days ago and they invited me to stay over." The blonde said, focusing on his scroll. Despite not looking at her, Jaune could feel Blake staring at him, and he let her know by letting out a sigh. "Do you want to come along?"
"Sure. I didn't really think this through, so I don't have a place to sleep." Blake said, grinning a bit when Jaune let out a defeated groan.
•..•Lady Fyre's•..•
"Are you sure this is the place?" Blake asked, giving the building in front of her a skeptical look. It was clearly a gun shop, one that had the sleeping arrangements on the upper floors while the actual store was on the base. It didn't look any different from the surrounding stores, having bared windows with a fully wooden door. It wasn't completely dark since the store had the words 'Lady Fyre's' illuminated in neon lights.
"This is the address I was given." Jaune said, casting a quick look at Blake before he knocked on the store's door. After a minute or two, the door opened to reveal a pair of green eyes that stood out against the dark background.
"We're closed." The woman said sharply, getting Jaune to jump a bit before he put his hand in front of him.
"Lady Fyre?" Jaune asked before he jabbed a thumb at his chest. "My name is Jaune…a-and I was told to come see you." The blonde said, smiling nervously as the woman's eyes narrowed.
"So, you're the one Peach talked about." The woman said before the door closed and the sound of various locks being undone was heard. Before Jaune could cast another look at Blake, the door was opened wide before a fox Faunus, dressed in childish pajamas, stepped out. "And who are you?" The woman asked, getting Jaune to look at Blake.
"My name is Blake Belladonna." Blake said, taking a step towards Jaune. "I…had an argument with my teammates and don't have a place to stay for the night. I was hoping that I could join Jaune." Blake said, getting the Faunus to let out a snort before she motioned to the door.
"Alright, get in." The Faunus said, looking around as Jaune and Blake entered the building. After locking the doors again, the Faunus lead the two up a set of stairs before opening another door and motioning for them to get in. "Look, I don't have much when it comes sleeping arrangements so here…" The Faunus said, tossing a sleeping bag to Jaune. "…I've only got the one, so you're going to either have to share or go cold."
"Uh…" Was the only Jaune and Blake could say before the Faunus let out a yawn.
"While I let you two figure that out, I'm going to hit the hay. We'll talk first thing in the morning." As Jaune and Blake stared at the single sleeping bag, the Faunus walked away.
•..•The Next Morning•..•
"Well, you two certainly look rested." The Faunus said when she saw Jaune and Blake enter. The blonde looked like he had lost a fight, having messy hair and slightly wrinkled clothes, while Blake sported a slight redness to her cheeks. The two tossed a quick glance towards the Faunus before they took a seat, the smell of bacon making them take in a deep breath. "How about you have some breakfast while we talk?" Jaune gave the Faunus a nod before he was handed a plate.
"Thank you, Lady-"
"Pyre." The Faunus cut-off, "Pyre Fyre."
"Thank you, Pyre." Jaune said, getting a nod before he served himself. Once Jaune took his fist bite, Pyre let out a light cough.
"So, Peach told me what happened." The Faunus said, getting Jaune to look down a bit while Blake raised an eyebrow. "I've gotta say, that's a shitty turn of events. But it seems Peach decided to cash in a favor and asked me to set you up." Pyre said before she motioned to Jaune's plate. "Finish eating and come downstairs." The blonde simply gave a nod before he and Blake watched Pyre leave the room.
"Something happen at Beacon?" Blake asked, turning to Jaune to see him focusing on his plate. "Jaune?"
"Nothing. Well, nothing you need to be worried about. A slight personal problem." Jaune said before he finished up his plate and stood up. "I'm going to talk with Pyre, alright?" Before Blake could give an answer, Jaune was already out the room.
•..••..•
"Well, that was a quick breakfast." Pyre said as soon she saw Jaune step through the door.
"I wasn't that hungry." Jaune said, getting a shrug in return. "But listen, can I ask you something?" Getting Pyre to raise an eyebrow, one of her ears perking while the other flattened out. "Blake and her friends…they don't know that I was expelled, and I told Blake that you were a new friend I just met." The blonde explained. "Do we you think we can keep things between us, the only people who know are the staff members at Beacon one of my teammates."
"Ah…" Pyre said, both her ears raising up, "…not the most supportive people, huh? Well, I can't make promises that are easy to break but I'll try." Hearing that, Jaune let out a sigh of relief and let his body sag a bit.
"Thank you." The blonde said before he looked around the shop. "So, what did you want to talk about?"
"Peach told me everything and judging from how you came here last night with only a girl and a duffle bag…" At that, Jaune blushed a bit, "…I'm going to go out on a limb and say you don't have a weapon anymore."
"You could say that." Jaune replied with a shrug. "It was a family heirloom but…" Jaune said, stopping when Pyre held up her hand.
"No need to explain that." The Faunus said before she ducked behind the counter and grabbed a weapon case. "Here, this is custom made and should go along with that armor nicely." Jaune watched as the Faunus opened the case and turned it around. When the blonde looked inside, he was surprise to see a handgun inside.
"A handgun?" Jaune asked, reaching for a firearm and looking at it carefully while Pyre smiled.
"This baby took a lot of effort to work on." The Faunus said as she held out her hand and took the handgun from Jaune. "It was a lot of work but damn worth it. This thing was modified to fire point-forty caliber bullets and features a longer barrel and compensator for increased accuracy and stability. It has a magazine capacity of at least 15 rounds, has fixed sights and dotted posts and can produce at least a two-inch grouping within twenty-five yards, with no variation after three thousand rounds. It's also capable of double-action fire or three-round bursts, can be fired in either hand and won't exceed 35 ounces when not loaded." The Faunus said proudly.
Jaune blinked at the gun in his hand, taking its design. The wraparound grip panels were enlarged and extended below the magazine foot and consisted of wood with synthetic recoil-absorbing inserts on the side panels and backstrap. Looking at more closely, Jaune saw the modifications included a heavier Brigadier slide, target sights, an extended slide catch, and a stainless-steel barrel.
'Thank you for the weapon lessons Ruby.' Jaune thought as he tested the weight of the handgun. 'It's funny that I can't remember what we learned about from Oobleck's class, but I can remember the modifications lessons from a fifteen-year old girl.'
"And, so you don't get bored using the same old, same old…" Pyre said, getting Jaune to look up and see her opening another case that had different loaded magazines. "…you can load it with Dust-based rounds. Pretty damn useful when you can fire shards of rock and ice for extra penetration or electric rounds for subduing someone."
"Wow…" Was all Jaune could say as Pyre handed the handgun back to Jaune.
"You know, I'm surprised that you understood most of that." The Faunus said, getting Jaune to look up. "Most of the time, unless you're a gun collector, I'd have go over everything in depth. But I could tell that you understood almost everything."
"Well, I had friend at Beacon that would obsess over weapons." Jaune said before he put the gun back and frowned a bit. "But…" The blonde started, getting Pyre to raise an eyebrow. "…I've never fired a gun before. What makes you think I could just use one without training?"
"Because Peach's semblance never lies." Hearing that, Jaune turned his attention to Pyre again. "Peach's semblance isn't something that's useful in battle so much as it is before one." The Faunus said, leaning on the counter. "Peach is able to see one's potential, both overall and in a fight."
"How?" Jaune asked, getting Pyre to shrug lightly.
"I'm can't exactly explain it, but Peach can basically look at someone and tell how much of a threat they'll become within a certain period of time. If she looks at someone just before a fight, she could easily pick out the more dangerous ones. It's the reason why Ozpin hired her to work at Beacon, she could easily assess the new students and report back to him." Jaune widened his eyes at that. "But I'm guessing that she took one look at you and saw the next 'King of Vale'."
"So…what now?" Jaune asked before he motioned to the gun case. "You going to give me a crash course on firing guns?"
"Something like that." Pyre said, getting a sinister grin on her face that made Jaune gulp.
•..•Firing Range•..•
"Remember, you've got to keep an eye on your surroundings!" Pyre shouted out when she saw Jaune fall to one knee. "Tunnel vision like that is what gets people killed."
"Are you sure this is the best way to do this?" Jaune shouted back, raising his new pistol and firing a few rounds to take out the target. Getting back to his feet, Jaune immediately dived to the side, firing off a few rounds as he did so.
"You're learning how to fire under pressure aren't you?" Pyre shouted back, "Besides, it looks like Peach was right! You have a set of eagle eyes on you." Before Jaune could answer back, the sound of a buzzer went off, causing the remaining targets to fall to the ground. "Alright, take a second to rest up." Hearing that, Jaune crumpled to his knees with a groan. "I've got to say, despite never firing a real gun, you have got a steady hand."
"Thanks…" Jaune groaned out as Pyre walked past him and looked over the targets around him.
"I'm surprised you didn't already have a firearm with you." Pyre added, getting Jaune to look up and see the Faunus walking up to him before crouching down. "With how easy it was for you to get settled with one, it's hard to believe you don't have a gun of your own."
"Like I said, I never fired a gun before. The only thing I've used that could be considered a ranged weapon was tossing rocks." Jaune said before he was helped to his feet.
"Well, the good news is you passed my little test." Pyre said, walking up to the two, "A few missed shots and a few hits taken but your Aura managed to cover your back. Keep entering scenarios like this and you'll have the reflexes of a Huntsmen in no time." The Faunus said, getting Jaune to raise an eyebrow. "Let me put it this way, you…who had no real experience like this before…" Pyre started, pointing to Jaune before motioning to the firing range around them. "…managed to pull off something that would take others years of mistakes."
"And the bad news?" Jaune asked, getting the Faunus to raise an eyebrow. "C'mon, there's usually something bad that I did that counters this; something that won't make me overconfident."
"Well, while you do have a set of eagle eyes, you did get some tunnel vision near the end." Pyre said with a shrug. "You want some criticism? Learn to be more aware of your surroundings. I won't say you're a crack shot, but all you really need to do at this point is keep practicing."
"That's…good, I guess?" Jaune said, only getting a shrug in return.
"Anyway, you're practically set." Pyre said as she began to walk away. "All you need a main weapon and something to cover close quarter fights." This got Jaune to raise an eyebrow in confusion.
"I thought the pistol was my weapon?" The blonde asked, leaning forward to look at the fox Faunus when she shook her head.
"It could be, if you ever practiced hand-to-hand fighting." Pyre said, getting Jaune to open his mouth before closing it. "Thought so." The Faunus said before she motioned Jaune to follow her. "The pistol could be all you need, but sometimes it's best to have a primary weapon. An assault rifle, a shotgun, or hell, even a new sword…anything really."
"So why can't I use my pistol for close range encounters?" Jaune asked, already knowing the answer.
"How quickly can you fight off a shot?" Pyre asked, looking back towards Jaune. "My point here is that a pistol is more for catching an opponent's mistakes than forcing them to make one. Using something like rifle or sword can give you a longer reach and a chance to fight back." The Faunus said. As the two left the firing range, they were greeted by Blake, who had discarded her bow for the time being.
"You're still here?" Jaune asked, wincing when Blake narrowed her eyes immediately.
"I didn't know you wanted me gone." Blake said emotionlessly, getting Jaune to wince harder before held up his hand.
"That's not what I meant." The blonde said, "I was just thought that you would've left to do something else."
"I wanted to talk with you about something." Blake answered, getting Jaune blink before Pyre smirked again.
"Don't mind me, I'll let you have some alone time with your girl." The Faunus said before walking off. Jaune didn't have time to respond to Pyre before Blake grabbed his arm and led him out of the shop.
"Uh, Blake?"
•..•Random Teashop•..•
"Let me see if I understood your request." Jaune said, motioning between him and Blake. "You, want me to help you…"
"…prove that the White Fang are not the ones who are behind these robberies." Blake finished before she took a sip of her tea. Hearing Jaune let out a conflicted sigh, Blake closed her eyes and put her cup down. "Jaune, at this point, you're the only one I can turn to for help. I know how they operate, and I know that they would never stoop low enough to resort to Dust robbing."
"You also told me that things were different back then." Jaune countered, "I know it's not what you want to hear, but things do change Blake. Sometimes for the better, other times for the worst. And besides," Jaune said before he leaned back and motioned to himself. "What exactly can I provide you aside from being a distraction." Seeing Blake's ears flatten against her head, Jaune took a second to run a hand through his hair before blowing out some air. "Look, I don't want to say this, but-" Jaune before someone decided to land next to them.
"-where do we start?" Both Jaune and Blake jumped and looked to the owner of the new voice. What greeted them was a monkey Faunus, who was currently balancing himself on the railing, a banana in his hand as he looked between the two. "Well?"
"Uh…who are you?" Jaune asked before he looked at Blake, hoping that she would give him an answer. Unfortunately for the blonde, Blake simply shrugged in response.
"The name's Sun. Sun Wukong." The Faunus said, tossing the banana peel over his shoulder before hoping off the rail and landing next to Blake. "So, what's the plan?"
"Well," Blake said, ignoring Jaune's look of betrayal. "We're going to need to figure out where the next robbery is going to be taking place." As soon as Blake said that, Jaune to let out a sigh while Sun took up a thinking pose.
"I might know where that is." Sun said, getting Jaune to frown when he saw Blake's ears perk up.
And there we have it, another chapter for the month. I know this kind of went by fast, but I wanted to get this part of the story out of the way so I can get Jaune out into the world. And for those wondering, yes I will give a quick overview of how everyone will take Jaune's expulsion.
Also, since I was practically asleep when I posted the first chapter, I didn't really notice that I put this story as a [Jaune/OC] story when in reality I meant to make this a [Jaune/Ilia] story. And to be honest, since I uploaded the story on the computer and both 'Ilia' and 'OC' are the first in their letter category, as well as 'O' and 'I' being next to one another on a keyboard, you can forgive for not seeing it when I clicked 'Publish'.
And to anyone wondering about Jaune's new weapons, that's mostly going to be a secret. Also, the handgun I described was Barry Burton's from the Resident Evil series, mainly because I had a replica of it in my room and thought that I would be a good choice for Jaune.
Also, I do have a P-atreon. If you feel like supporting me, head on over. I don't really have much now, but give me some time and I'll come up with something. Plus I don't charge more than five bucks...so that's something.
P.S. To the person who PM'd me and said that I was 'A sack of shit for not making this Knightshade.', there are plenty of Knightshade stories out there. Don't think you can force me to change a story because you don't like it.