A/N: I had a plot bunny. It got vicious. And this happened. Behold, a fanfic where Jaune becomes badass without being ousted from Beacon due to plot contrivances.


It was on a whim that he decided to take the bus to Vale instead of a Bullhead. He knew that the flying machine from hell would definitely get him there faster, but his motion sickness acted up less on land vehicles. Plus it was cheaper, which, for a kid who had run away from home with nothing but a few lien and a stolen weapon to his name, was the preferable choice.

What Jaune Arc didn't know, however, was that his choice here would change not only his fate, but the fate of Remnant as a whole.

And it all began when he sat next to an old man with a deck of cards.


"You know," the old man sitting beside him said. "I don't think I've ever seen you on this bus before. And that is something quite fascinating indeed."

Jaune turned his gaze toward his seating partner and nearly spat out the drink he was trying to stomach. Who he initially thought was just some old man was anything but. This guy was wearing a suit that he'd have to sell half his house to attain. And his posture, it was so regal, so noble. And he was gazing at him like he was the interesting one.

After about a minute, Jaune realized he had been staring at the man without replying and shook his head to recompose himself.

"I. Uh. Sorry, it's just. I wasn't expecting a noble to be riding, y'know, this."

The old man chuckled, waving it off. "Don't worry about it, boy. I've been asked that question many times. You see. Buses like this allow me to see the world for what it is. No one wears a facade here. There's no expectations. Just weary travelers hoping to get to their next destination."

The wannabe Huntsman inclined his head in agreement. He couldn't refute the man's points. Still. He had to ask.

"What's so special about me though?"

"So many things, boy. And of all the possibilities I've seen, this is perhaps the most special of them all."

The blond haired boy was starting to get a little bit concerned with the way the guy was sounding. He was being all sorts of cryptic and his dad had always told him to steer clear of folks like this.

"I know that look. You're worried I have some nefarious scheme cooked up, no? I assure you boy, I am as trustworthy as they come. In fact, I have something I want to give you. Something that will no doubt aid you on your journey."

He extended his right hand out and in it, was a deck of cards.

"Playing cards?" Jaune asked incredulously.

The gentleman chortled. "Of a sort. But these aren't any ordinary cards. They're called Class Cards. And with them, you'll be able to become the warrior you've always dreamed of being."

The boy stiffened, blue eyes widening in alarm. How did this guy know he was going to be a Huntsman? "How?"

"Don't be daft, boy. You're wearing armor on a bus. And you've got a sword leaning against the seat there. Anyone with eyes could put two and two together. Now. Before our little chat ends. Allow me to tell you about these Class Cards and what they mean."

And so, Jaune listened as the old man told him about the Class Cards and their three main features. Include, Install and the even rarer Summon.

Include allowed him to summon the legendary weapon utilized by the hero housed within. Install granted him not only their weapon, but their fighting style, abilities and memories. Install was risky, as some heroes or Servants, as the old man called them, could completely overwrite him if his will wasn't strong enough.

Summon was exactly what it said on the tin. Should he form a strong enough bond with the heroic spirit housed within the card, he'd gain the ability to summon them to his plane of reality as an ally.

Honestly, he was still trying to wrap his head around the fact that these seemingly normal looking cards housed the spirits of legendary warriors within them. Just yesterday he was a wannabe hero with no fighting skills who ran away from home to find meaning for himself.

And now here he was being handed what amounted to a Level 90 sword by a random old man. What was this, Legend of Zelda?

He would have doubted the story he'd been told, if he hadn't heard the cards calling out to him. For a moment, he felt like he could hear several voices at once and that was spooky enough to convince him of their validity. Not to mention the fact that he lived in a world where giant monsters called Grimm prowled in the dark, so he wasn't really in any position to be a skeptic.

Still, he had one more question to ask the old man. And that was about his identity. Only when he turned to look at him, he was gone. All that remained were fading flashes of prismatic light.

He blinked.

"Well. I can't say I'm surprised," he muttered.


"Are you kidding me?" he asked no one in particular as he stood in the middle of nowhere. He had gotten on the wrong bus. And now he was at some rundown bus stop far away from any town or village. Who would even make the trek out here to ride the darn thing? Especially with Grimm and Bandits prowling about?

What irked him was that the bus driver wouldn't let him back on. Apparently he had only paid for a one-way trip, and the rules were the rules. Talk about a stickler. Either way, at least there was a path. He'd stick to it for now and hope it led him somewhere more hospitable.

He kept his sword drawn. He had no skill with it, but he could probably flail randomly if it came down it. And he'd be damned if he died without putting up some kind of fight. He did have the sense to check his scroll, but it had no service. Which, again, who the heck demanded that this bus stop be a thing? Some wise old hermit?

He kept his eyes open for any potential threats. If anything, he did have hunting experience thanks to his dad taking him out to hunt game when he was younger. So he wasn't entirely helpless. Issue is, there was quite a big difference between a deer and a Grimm. But hey, he'd make do with what he had.

And that's when he heard it.

A scream.

A girl's scream.

He couldn't help but stare angrily up at the heavens. Was this some kind of cliche? The smart thing to do would be to keep walking. This was obviously a ploy by some bandits.

. . . But what if it wasn't?

He let his eyes stare in the direction the scream originated from. He swallowed, the beating of his heart audible to his ears.

He ran away from home to become a Huntsman. He wanted to help people. Defeat bad guys. Make Remnant a better place.

And most importantly, he wanted to discover who he truly was.

And right here, right now. Was he a coward? Or was he someone more?

"Hell with it."

And Jaune Arc took off running in the direction of the scream.


When he arrived at the source of the scream, his features paled. It was a village. Keyword being was. The acrid scent of blood and ash was clear in the air. Several people lay motionless on the ground. And that's when he saw her. The source of the scream. A young girl. She was huddled against a tree, two Grimm closing on her.

Jaune knew. He knew that this was the reality of Remnant. That outside of the blessed few, most lived in constant fear. Living to old age was a luxury, not a given.

But that didn't mean he had to like it.

"Hey!" he shouted, his voice cracking. "Hey! You Grimm bastards! Come get me!"

And perhaps for once, Jaune's overwhelming fear proved to be an advantage. For all the Grimm immediately turned their attention toward him.

"Yeah, that's right! Leave her alone!"

Now the issue here was. They were charging him. And all he had was a stolen sword and no fighting skills.

It sure would be nice if he had some kind of secret weapon.

Wait a minute.

He fumbled with his back pocket and pulled out one of the cards that the old man had given him. What better way to find out if they truly worked or not. He'd been convinced before, but this was a true trial by fire.

He clenched the card in his hand and prayed to it.

"Please . . . give me the strength to protect her!"

And the card glowed in response to his feelings, the words coming to his mouth unbidden.

"Install: Archer!"

A golden light enveloped the entire forest, causing the Grimm to halt in their tracks if only for a moment. And as the light died down, a new figure now stood where Jaune once did. No, that isn't entirely accurate. It was still Jaune, but he was different. His hair, once fully blond, now began in a forest green before fading into golden-blond. It was also far longer, reaching to his lower back. His face was even more feminine now, his eyes a fierce, yet warm green. He wore a green longcoat with a black undershirt and black pants with black boots. In his right hand was a long black bow.

But the most striking part about him was the fact that he now had what appeared to be lion ears sprouting from his head, as well as a lion's tail coming from his lower back.

He exhaled and released a burst of energy.

"You will not harm her," he said, his voice taking on a feminine tilt. His cadence, once unstable, was now firm. His eyes reflected not uncertainty, but confidence.

He took a step forward and vanished. His body moved almost on autopilot as he appeared directly above the two Grimm in the air and rapidly fired two arrows that incapacitated them immediately. It was honestly surreal. He felt no fear. He only felt comfort.

He landed on the ground as the Grimm began to dissipate, his attention directed at the girl who seemed a little less frightened now. He walked over to her and knelt down, a warm smile blossoming on his face. No doubt a side effect of having installed a servant who was quite protective of children.

Yeah, it was exactly like the old man had said. He knew whose powers he was using. Atalante. The Chaste Huntress. She loved forests and children, and god help anyone who dared harm them in her presence. From what he could tell, she approved of him to an extent, which was a rarity. Since she often didn't think too highly of men.

He didn't have the full picture, since she was clearly hiding some of her memories from him. Which he respected. He wouldn't demand anything from her. She could share if she wanted to.

He felt a warm feeling spread throughout him. Apparently that made her happy.

"Miss?"

Jaune blinked. Ah, he probably looked like a girl right now. He even kind of sounded like one. "Not a Miss," he corrected, though not unkindly. "Just a wannabe Huntsman. Name's Jaune. What's yours?"

"Lime."

"Well, Lime," he said to the young green haired girl - how fitting - "shall we get out of here?"

He didn't broach the topic of her parents. He pretty much knew, both from his own observations and Atalante's senses that Lime was the only living one left in the village.

"Mhm" she said as she extended her arms to him.

He scooped her up easily, marveling at how light she felt. Servant strength was something else. And Atalante wasn't even built for strength.

"Next stop, Vale."


With Atalante's superior senses and speed, finding his way to Vale was a cakewalk. This was probably what being a Faunus felt like. Speaking of that, Atalante had found out about the Faunus' plight from the basic memories he'd shared with her and she wasn't very happy. And that annoyance had filtered over to him.

Why couldn't people just get along?

And as he made his way toward the bustling city, his thoughts drifted back to that village. There was no way only two Grimm could kill everyone there. He grimaced as he realized it was likely the work of bandits and that the Grimm had been attracted by the carnage. How many?

How many villages had met the same fate?

It made him sick to his stomach. A feeling that Atalante shared.

Either way, with the city coming into view, he'd have to figure out how to bluff his way through the gates. Surely it couldn't be as easy as just walking on up and saying he wanted to come inside.


A bewildered Jaune - now back in his normal form and carrying a sleeping Lime - wandered down the main street of Vale. "I can't believe it was that easy."

Good thing it was too. Because he felt drained. Not exhausted, but it was clear that maintaining an Install for that long took a toll on his body. On the bright side, he felt stronger than before. Healthier even. Little did he know that the Install had forcibly awoken his aura.

He brought Lime to the police station. After a bit of questioning, he was free to go. But not before being praised for his heroic deeds, especially after Lime backed him up.

Lime was to be sent to an orphanage, but he promised that he'd be back to visit her.

"You mean it?"

He grinned. "Of course. In fact, I think I might know a foster family that would love to take you in."

"You do?"

He nodded. All he had to do was call his parents and explain everything.

Hopefully they wouldn't kill him.


Good news was. They didn't kill him. In fact, they were proud of him and agreed to adopt Lime. But they were mad that he stole Crocea Mors. Which, fair. But his actions had apparently proven him worthy of it, so it all worked out in the end.

He'd like to say that with that and the Class Cards, that his future as a Huntsman was guaranteed.

But it wasn't. Because of one little chestnut.

He'd forged his manuscripts to Beacon Academy. You know. The very important ones that allow you to enter into the damn school in the first place. If he was found out now, everything would go down the drain.

He stared at his scroll while sitting on the bed of a hotel room he'd rented with the newfound funds he had due to reconnecting with his family. He had a decision to make. Call the school and come clean, or soldier forward and hope for the best.

He stared at the Headmaster's number on the screen and steeled himself. Atalante's sense of honor must have influenced him, because he clicked the dial button.

A few moments later, the face of Professor Ozpin appeared on his screen.

"Hello?"

"Hi, Professor Ozpin. This is Jaune Arc."

"Ah, Mr. Arc. Our new local celebrity."

Ah crap, he'd heard about that?

"Y-Yeah. That's me. Anyways, I have something to tell you, sir."

"Oh?"

"Uh-huh. See. I applied to your school."

"Indeed you did. You were approved as well."

"Well, that's the thing. I kind of forged my papers."

There were a few moments of silence.

"I know."

". . . What?"

"Mr. Arc, do you think I was born yesterday? A blind dog could tell that those were forged. But I approved your application anyway."

"Why? I mean, not that I'm not grateful, but-"

Ozpin chuckled. "That's simple. I once knew someone else who forged their papers. Someone with no background credentials at all. In fact, I knew two people like that. But I gave them both a chance. Because I saw potential in them. Just as I see potential in you. The actions you took earlier today and the fact that you were honest with me just now prove it."

Jaune felt his eyes starting to tear up.

"Welcome, Mr. Arc. To Your Huntsman Academia."

Jaune blinked, all emotion gone. "You stole that from All Might."

"Damn. Didn't think I'd run into a fellow fan of the classics."

Jaune actually snorted. "You know, Professor Ozpin. You're alright."

"I do like to think I'm hip with the kids."

"Never say that ever again."

"No promises."

The line went dead and Jaune fell backward onto his bed with a sigh of relief. He had done it. He had solidified his position in Beacon Academy. He had faced his fears. He had admitted to his lies. He had proven himself worthy of Crocea Mors.

And it was all thanks to some random old man he met on the bus.

"That old man has a name you know."

Jaune would deny the fact that he screamed like a girl to his dying days as he immediately sat upward and saw the very same old man from earlier leaning against the door to his hotel room. A smirk on his face.

"Good work today. Knew you had it in you."

The Beacon hopeful grimaced. "And here I was beginning to think you were a fever dream."

The man snorted. "Many people do. And this is likely the last time you'll see me for quite awhile. So allow me to give you a word of warning, Jaune Arc. Be wary around Ozpin. He isn't what he seems. Magicians rarely ever are."

The blond's mouth opened slightly as he leaned forward. "I assume that applies to you too."

"Ah! I knew you were clever! That is indeed true. Allow me to properly introduce myself to you, young man. I am Kischur Zelretch Schweinorg. The Wizard Marshal of the Clock Tower, wielder of the True Magic known as The Kaleidoscope and Dead Apostle Ancestor."

"You have way too many names."

"So I've been told. In any case, I'll be observing you from afar. If I see fit, I may give you advice in the form of a letter here and there. Depends on if I get bored or not. Which does tend to happen quite a bit. Well, not if Rin has delicious food stocked up. I do love the fried chicken she buys . . . " he trailed off into a tangent about the amazing food his apprentice's boyfriend made before seeming to realize he was still in the room with Jaune.

He cleared his throat. "See you next time."

And with that, he vanished with a burst of prismatic light.

Jaune could only place his face in his hands. "I don't think I was ready for today."

Still, he was smiling.

Because at the end of it all, things really were looking up.