Author's Note: Pyrrha's weapons' names officially use Greek accented letters and whatnot. I'm not doing that - manually editing them repeatedly would be absolute hell. Throughout this fic, they'll be referred to as "Milo and Akouo". Any other proper name with accented letters will receive similar treatment.
Also, Beacon's dorm layout and general layout in this fic is slightly adjusted to be a bit more like the university I actually attended, both because it makes it easier for me to visualize and also to make Beacon seem more like an actual school and not just a setting where plot happens.
Lots of exposition in this chapter. Unfortunate, but I mean, it's school.
Also also, sorry it took so long, but I work full time and am going through online college so hey, I gotta prioritize.
Sins of the Forefathers
Act the Third: Heavy is the Head
Chapter Twenty-One: Fortunate Son
Ozpin Pastoria, Headmaster of Beacon, silently read through the report that his longtime associate, Atlesian General James Ironwood, had given him. It was the detailed investigation into the White Fang's raid on an SDC stockpile in Mantle. This particular report wasn't simply the information released publicly about the raid, but the conclusion of the in depth investigation into the incident performed by Ironwood's most elite Specialist team, the Ace Ops.
Normally, this incident, while concerning, wouldn't warrant attention from Ozpin - he trusted James to be able to handle the White Fang. It was, after all, one of his responsibilities as the Major General Two-Star of the Atlas Military, along with serving as the acting headmaster of Atlas Academy.
However, this incident involved a party that was strictly within Ozpin's ability to deal with - namely, Raven Branwen. As a former Rank 1 and current Rank A1, she was an easy pick for "the strongest woman in the world", barring, of course, Salem, but that was hardly a fair comparison considering Salem couldn't die.
In any case, Raven was far beyond James' or even Champion Lucius' abilities to deal with. If she were to begin taking an active role in antagonizing Atlas, then he would need to get involved and place sanctions on the Branwen tribe.
I'd have to take Glynda, Qrow, Amber, and Taiyang, at the minimum.
A soft ding intruded on his thoughts. He quickly put the document away as the elevators opened - Glynda was there, leading the newly formed team led by Jaune Arc - team JNPR, for "Juniper", he had called it. Simple, and also fitting for the young man to come up with the team name on the spot with no hesitation or deliberation.
As team JNPR stood, assembled before him, Glynda moved to stand behind him to his right, where she usually stood - she liked to stand there, where she could glare directly at the students as necessary.
"Team JNPR," Ozpin welcomed, "thank you for coming here at such short notice."
"Let's get on with it," Jaune stated simply.
Ozpin nodded. "Very well. Pyrrha Nikos, Nora Valkyrie, and Lie Ren, you've been called here this evening in regards to a matter of import involving your team leader, Jaune Arc. Before we can disclose this information, however," Ozpin reached into his desk and pulled out three small packets, placing them on the table. "Look over these Non-Disclosure Agreements. If you wish to continue being on mister Arc's team, you will have to sign them."
Pyrrha blinked. "What happens if we don't sign them?"
"You will be transferred to a different team."
"What!?"
"What's so important about Jaune that it warrants this kind of secrecy?" Ren asked.
Ozpin simply nodded to the NDA. "I'm afraid you cannot be made aware of that information unless you sign the documents."
The three looked at Jaune with questions in their eyes, but he remained steadfastly apathetic to their attention.
"Jaune?" Pyrrha asked.
"Sign the documents or leave," he replied, turning to face her fully. "This isn't a game, Pyrrha."
She seemed taken aback by his harsh words, but ultimately turned and took the NDA from the table, beginning to look over it. After a moment, Nora and Ren did the same.
After they read through it, Pyrrha took a pen from the table and signed the NDA, followed by Nora and Ren. Immediately, the mood changed - the NDAs were collected by Glynda and placed in an envelope that she sealed, as Jaune walked over to stand to Ozpin's left.
"Pyrrha Nikos, Nora Valkyrie, and Lie Ren," Ozpin repeated. "As per the NDAs you've signed, what I'm about to tell you is not to leave this room, or be discussed with anyone who is not in this room. Any breach of that contract will result in your immediate expulsion from Beacon Academy, although you may request a team transfer if the information displeases you. If you do transfer teams, you will still have to abide by the confidentiality of the NDA. Do you understand that?"
"Yes," they replied as one.
Ozpin nodded. "Very well. Your team leader, Jaune Arc, was raised as an Assassin while growing up." He paused to let that sink in, but none of the three made any moves to interrupt, which he appreciated. "He has come to Beacon in an attempt to put his past behind him, and use the skills he learned from his experiences for the good of society. Of course, he is still to be held accountable for his crimes, which is why he will be performing occasional work for the Council and myself. This extra work will not interfere with his classes, though it may take up his weekends, and you will not be involved in any of it. Do you understand me so far?"
"...so that's why he felt 'dangerous'," Ren muttered, but offered no other comment.
"Aww, so we can't go with him? Actually, if he's doing work for the council then it's probably better that we don't," Nora said, proving to Ozpin that her insight was stronger than she let on.
"W-well, it's good that he's trying to put his past behind him!" Pyrrha offered praise in response.
And to think she was the one I was most concerned about, Ozpin thought. Unless she doesn't realize just what kind of 'work' he'll be doing for the Council?
"If you understand what's going on, and what will be expected of you, then very well. Do you have any questions?"
"Um," Pyrrha began. "You said that we don't have to get involved in Jaune's work for the Council, but are we allowed to if we want to? I'd like to help the Council as well if I can."
Before Ozpin could reply, Jaune spoke up. "Sorry Pyrrha, but the work that the Council wants me for is strictly low-profile. Having a well known celebrity figure follow me around for that would be the opposite. If you want to do other work for the Council though, I'm sure Ozpin can hook you up with something, right?" He glanced over at Ozpin, who nodded as he turned back to the group.
"Quite right. I'll have some postings sent to your Scroll, you can sort out the details from there with Glynda. Do you have any other questions?"
No one else spoke up, so Ozpin smiled softly and said, "Very well. Thank you for your time you three, now all of you go back to your dorms and get some rest. Tomorrow is the first day of school after all."
They nodded, and Jaune led them down the elevator. When they were gone, Glynda spoke up.
"Are you certain about this, Ozpin?"
"We've been over this, Glynda. He came to us, willing to spill his own father's secrets in exchange for a chance to redeem himself. I believe that he wants to do the right thing."
"And if he doesn't? If it's all an act?"
"Then he's the greatest liar on Remnant. Even if he is, I'm not so foolish that I don't have sanctions in place just in case he does turn against us. Have faith, Glynda."
"I do. But I believe that even the most zealous faith must be tempered by realism."
Ozpin chuckled. "What would I do without you?"
"Lose the school, for one," Glynda deadpanned.
Ozpin laughed, then sent Glynda away for the night. Left alone in his office, he pulled the file on the White Fang's assault back out from his desk.
Raven… what is it you're trying to do?
The sun still hadn't risen when Blake woke up on the first day of school. Blinking her bleariness away, she let out a silent yawn and sat up, looking around her dorm room.
The Beacon student dorms were designed to incentivize independence among the students while also facilitating good relationships among the teams. As such, they were styled like small apartments - each individual student had their own bedroom, furnished with a bed, desk, closet, and wardrobe, which was attached to a common area that had the living room and full kitchen. Each pair of students shared a bathroom, minimizing the chaos in rushing to be first in.
Blake picked up her Scroll - five in the morning. She then took a moment to look around - she hadn't really filled out the place with much, having had little to begin with. The white walls were bare, and the single desk in the room only had three books on it - Ninjas of Love, Hamlet, and Commentaries on the Faunus Revolution.
That's right, Blake thought, I never did get around to reading that. After the train… things just happened quickly.
Blake slipped out from her bed and stepped over to the desk, picking up the book and flipping through it idly.
I guess I have the time now. Well, in between classwork.
She looked out the window - it was still dark.
I might as well get some training in. I'm sure Jaune's already up and about.
Blake changed and grabbed Gambol Shroud from her closet - normally, student's weapons were to be stored in their designated weapon lockers, but that was more of an option than a rule. Some, like the rest of team RWBY, acquiesced to the notion without question, but Blake- Well, the last time I had to go without my weapon was at Amber's house, and even that was uncomfortable. Goddess knows what kind of arsenal is in Jaune's room, now that I think about it.
She left her room and locked it with her Scroll, then glanced over to Yang's door. Her acute senses picked up slow, even breathing - Yang was still asleep.
I can't imagine many other people being up at this hour… Probably for the best anyway. After what happened during Initiation, I doubt she wants to speak to me all that much. Hopefully she'll be easier to deal with once some time passes.
Silently, she left her dorm, and happened upon Jaune and Pyrrha leaving the JNPR dorm. Similarly, they had changed and bore their equipment - on this day, Jaune had opted to take along two of the common quality machetes he'd taken from Junior's gang.
"Oh," Jaune muttered. "I was wondering if you'd be up."
"It's a habit, now," Blake replied. "Even before we met I've been getting up early for training. Shall we do the usual?"
"Sure."
"What's 'the usual'?" Pyrrha asked.
"We'll go out and spar a bit. Just light, nothing too straining since it's still early. I have the perfect place in mind, too."
…
Ten minutes later, Jaune took them to a large building on the Eastern edge of the Beacon campus. It stood about five stories tall, and was perhaps ten blocks long.
"What is this?" Blake asked.
"Warehouses and storage units that students can rent out. First floor units can also act as garages- I'm pretty sure Yang has a motorcycle stored here somewhere."
"So you rented a space?" Pyrrha asked.
"Yeah. Pretty big one too, since I intended to use it for this, as well as general experimentation. Oh, here it is."
Blake looked up at the spot- it had a garage door, presumably for the car he'd bought from Junior. There was also a regular door which Jaune was in the midst of unlocking with his key. The space itself seemed big, far bigger than a regular garage. As they stepped inside, Blake's assumption was confirmed. It was about half the size of the warehouse they had trained in over the summer, which was still plenty of space, all things considered.
Blake glanced over and noted that Jaune's car was parked on the side.
"You kept that?"
"I paid a lot of Lien for that, of course I kept it."
"Oh, you have a car?" Pyrrha said. "That's wonderful! We could take that out for a team weekend or something."
"Sure."
Aside from the car, Blake noted, the storage space was barren, although it did have some lockers and lockboxes. As Pyrrha walked over to inspect the car, Blake sidled up to Jaune and muttered, "A cache?"
"Of course. While I have plenty of weaponry in my room, it's only natural to have extra munitions stored where I can get them."
Blake smirked. "That's just like you… I assume you'll be using this space to experiment with Dust too?"
"Nah, I've got a whole other space rented out for that."
Blake blinked. "You're renting out two places?"
"Yes? I mean, why bother working for the Council if I'm not gonna use the money?"
"They're already paying you?"
Jaune blinked, then shook his head. "None of your business. You're not involved in it anyway. Just focus on doing well with the classwork."
Blake glanced at Jaune, then sighed. "Right, of course. That was the deal, after all."
"Yeah." Jaune walked over to the empty area, then called Pyrrha over to spar. She walked over, and pulled out her famous sword and shield, Milo and Akouo. Why she chose to name her weapons in ancient Valean, Blake didn't know, but they were probably among the more famous weapons in Mistral, if only because Pyrrha used them.
"Oh, Pyrrha," Jaune paused before they began. "I almost forgot, I didn't discuss the rules with you."
"Oh! Of course."
"Right. This is just light sparring - we do have classes later - so try to keep hits as light as possible while still being definite. Also, don't use your gun form - my car's in here, after all. Try not to throw your weapon either. Aside from that, you've got free reign. Do whatever."
Pyrrha nodded. "Very well!" She charged at Jaune, shield raised, with Milo in its sword form.
Jaune responded by letting Pyrrha come to him, in an open, undefended stance. As she got close, Jaune simply swung his right machete in a vertical motion. Pyrrha took the blow on her shield, then thrust her sword out from behind it. Jaune parried with his left blade, then delivered a horizontal strike. Pyrrha turned her shield and pivoted, pinning both of Jaune's blades against each other as she moved to his exposed side.
Jaune responded by moving - Hey, Blake noticed, that's the footwork that Mercury used! - back, then assuming his empty stance again. Pyrrha stood still for a moment, then switched her sword to its spear form, and then leapt at Jaune again.
…
Jaune leaned his machetes against the wall and sat down, breathing deeply to recover. Pyrrha followed suit a moment after, although she was noticeably less tired, her breathing much more even than Jaune's.
"Not bad, Jaune," Pyrrha said. "Although, your fighting style is oddly basic."
"That wasn't his real fighting style," Blake remarked.
"It wasn't? But he was so… competent, at it. Even if I was holding back, he still managed to land one blow on me despite my defensive advantage, and his defense was good enough that I only landed one clean blow myself, although I did land seven other glancing blows. What's your real fighting style like?" she asked as she turned to Jaune.
"I don't have one. I've mentioned this to others before, but I don't have a unique weapon-"
"Bullshit," Blake coughed.
"-I just use milsurp and my experience to get by."
"No offense Jaune, but I find it hard to believe that you can keep up with me through sheer combat experience."
Jaune shrugged. "Like you said, you were holding back. As for what I did, when I first spar someone in friendly circumstances, I always use the same tactic. I attack with straight lines and focus on evasion footwork to avoid getting caught up in melee. I did the same thing with Blake the first time we sparred."
"Why do you do that?"
"It's how I study my opponents, at least when I have the opportunity to do so. Aside from looking at footage of fights or observing their live combat or sparring, this method lets me slowly tease out your techniques bit by bit so I can analyze them. Once I get comfortable with your responses to these basic maneuvers, I'll start to go into different techniques to see how you react."
Pyrrha blinked. "If you want to know my techniques, I can just show you, Jaune."
"Wait, really? You wouldn't mind?"
"Not at all!" Pyrrha smiled. "We're a team, Jaune, and you're the leader after all. If anything, it's only natural that you should know what I can do. And if you don't have a proper fighting style, I don't mind teaching you my moves - even if you don't take to them, you might find some takeaways to build into your own style."
Jaune blinked. "Huh. I'm not used to people being so open with their fighting style."
"Why?"
Jaune glanced at Pyrrha with a single eyebrow raised. "You serious?"
"Oh. You mean-? Right, that makes sense." Pyrrha coughed. "Well, Blake, would you like to spar now?"
Blake smirked. "Sure. As amusing as Jaune's inability to trust people is to see from the outside, I have been meaning to see how well I fare against Mistral's famed 'Invincible Girl'."
Pyrrha got up and walked with Blake towards the empty space in the storage unit. "What do you mean by 'from the outside'?"
"Blake!" Jaune interrupted as they reached their starting positions. "Just in case it's not clear, don't use your rope extension either!"
"Aw, what?"
"No complaints! My car's in here! If you want to fight her for real, just challenge her during our sparring class. Or, you know, anywhere outside of this storage unit."
Blake rolled her eyes, then tried to get a drop on Pyrrha by charging without another word.
…
By the time the three of them walked into the cafeteria an hour and a half later, at seven, the sweat had begun to dry on their bodies. The cafeteria was mostly empty, but to Pyrrha and Blake's surprise, there were a few others sitting around at various tables.
The cafeteria was a wide, rectangular hall. At the far end of the hall was the kitchen as well as the buffet-styled layout of food - this early, all that was available were common breakfast items.
About half the hall consisted of long picnic-type tables common to schools, where the seats were attached to the table. The other half was dotted with small circular tables with most of the chairs still placed upside down on top of them; no one had bothered to take them all down, this early in the morning.
"I still can't believe the cafeteria opened this early," Blake wondered.
"The cafeteria opens at six-thirty and closes at ten-thirty at night. They're probably upperclassmen who have their own early morning training routines," Jaune explained, being the ever-constant source of expositional knowledge that he was. "Maybe we can sit with one of them, make friends, take notes."
"Maybe. Hey Jaune?"
"What?"
"How is it you know all this stuff about Beacon? We've only been here for… like, a week."
"I read the student handbook."
Blake and Pyrrha both blinked, as though they couldn't comprehend what he'd said.
"What?" Pyrrha asked.
"I read the student handbook," Jaune repeated. "As team leader, it's important that I know what the rules are, and how things on campus work so I can make things easier on my team. And even if I wasn't team leader, I'd still read it to understand the rules."
"And how to bend them?" Blake asked leadingly.
"Maybe. Let's just get some food."
They grabbed their pick of eggs, cereal, and the common breakfast works. As they left the food line, Jaune spotted someone and began leading the other two towards them.
"Jaune?" Pyrrha asked.
"Yeah?"
"Why are you leading us to one of the upperclassmen?"
"Never too early to make friends, Pyrrha. Besides, he seems strong. Maybe he'll prove your match in a sparring round, unlike Blake or I."
Seems strong, indeed, Blake thought. He must be seven feet tall!
The man they approached was tall, even as he sat down at his table. His frame was wide as well, in a muscular sort of way - even through his clothes, it was clear that he was built well. He had on the student uniform, a tightly fitting (on him) black overcoat over a collared white shirt with a red tie, and black pants. He had tanned skin, thin brown eyes, and close-shaven black hair. He looked up as they approached, more with curiosity than anything else.
"You mind if we sit with you?" Jaune asked.
"I do not. Are you freshmen?"
"Yep," Jaune said as he pulled out a chair and sat. "My name's Jaune, of the newly formed Team JNPR, my partner Pyrrha, and Blake, of team… did you guys pick a team name yet?" he turned to ask Blake.
"No."
"Well, it's Blake."
"Pleased to meet you," the gentle giant responded. "My name is Yatsuhashi Daichi, of Team CFVY. I didn't expect freshmen to be up this early."
"Most wouldn't be," Pyrrha agreed, "but we're used to it for our training."
"A good habit to have," Yatsuhashi praised. He turned to look at Pyrrha directly. "I had heard rumors that you would come here. I am pleased to see they are true. Beacon is a wonderful school - truthfully, I doubt I would be half the man I am if I had gone to Haven."
"Oh. Thank you."
"If it is alright, would you mind sparring some time? I have always wanted to test myself against you."
"Well, if that's okay with you, then sure."
Yatuhashi nodded with a smile, then turned back to Jaune. "Was there a reason you wished to speak with me?"
"Just wanted to make friends," Jaune offered with a phony smile. When Yatsuhashi simply stared at him in response, Jaune chuckled and backpedaled. "Well, 'just wanted to make contact' would work better. If we become friends that's great, but I won't hold my breath."
Yatsuhashi turned his head at Jaune, then tilted his head. "I can't tell whether or not you'd get along with my team leader."
"I don't know how to take that."
Yatsuhashi chuckled, then turned to Blake. "You are not from their team. What brought you up so early?"
"Habit, mostly. And I figured I'd tag along with Jaune since we've known each other a couple of months now. We usually spar in the mornings."
"Ah, that explains your equipment," he motioned towards their outfits and the presence of their weapons. "I hope I don't have to explain that uniforms are mandatory during classes?"
"We've got plenty of time," Jaune waved away the concern. "Speaking of classes, what should we expect from our first semester? All the freshmen get the same courses, so you must have gone through it."
Yatsuhashi smiled evenly. "Trying to get a head start on the curriculum?"
"Yes. It's not like it's a crime to know what to expect."
"I suppose not… It is strange, though. I don't know of any other freshmen who have tried to get a leg up like you have before."
"Really? It's common practice for academic students to look to their upperclassmen for advice, isn't it?"
"You would think so. However, in my experience, I have never had a freshman come to ask me for advice before, nor have any of my teammates spoken of such. Of course, it is entirely possible that it does happen, but simply outside of my knowledge."
"Regardless of whether or not it happens, it's happening now."
Yatsuhashi chuckled softly. "You are quite impatient."
"I'm used to dealing with people who beat around the bush too much - by which I mean, I'm tired of dealing with those sorts of people."
Yatsuhashi raised an eyebrow. "You are a curious man, Jaune. What have you done in your life to encounter so many people of that sort?"
"My life story isn't something I'm willing to share with someone I just met, and I doubt you'd feel different if I started asking about your personal history. Answer my questions first and if we get to know each other, maybe I'll think about telling you about myself."
There was a tense moment where Blake and Pyrrha looked between Jaune and Yatsuhashi, unsure as to why Jaune was antagonizing the upperclassman that he'd gone out of his way to speak to.
Finally, Yatsuhashi broke the silence. "You grew up in the capital."
"I spent a few years in Mistral, yes."
Yatsuhashi nodded. "I will pry no longer. What people go through in that city… There is no sense in dragging it up."
"I appreciate your candor."
"I would warn you that not everyone will be as forgiving, or as understanding."
"I expect that. I figured you would be, though."
"What made you think that?"
Jaune simply smiled, and waved his finger back and forth. After a moment, Yatsuhashi sighed and continued.
"As to your question… I will answer it. In regards to the freshman classes…"
Weiss grumbled quietly to herself as she sat in the first class of the day, Grimm Studies. Blake and Yang sat next to her, and Yang was trying to calm her down. A row down from her, Weiss took notice of Pyrrha Nikos and two of her teammates, also without their leader.
"Chill out, Weiss," Yang said.
"How can I? If Ruby shows up late on the first day- can you imagine the damage that would do to our reputation?"
"Oh come on, it's not like any of the other team leaders are here yet. Remember, they all have an extra class on leadership with the Headmaster first thing in the morning. He's probably just holding them back or something, and I doubt one of the professors is gonna fault them for that."
"Even so! She's our leader, so she has to set a better example!"
"We're here!" Ruby burst into the room and loudly announced herself, followed by Jaune who appeared nonplussed. When the entire class turned to stare at her, she immediately turned as scarlet as her namesake and quietly walked to the seat next to Weiss.
As Jaune passed by them on the way to his team, he commented, "Was there any need to rush, Ruby? We're fifteen minutes early as it is," before sitting down without waiting for a reply.
Ruby's blush deepened even further as she shrunk into her seat.
Ridiculous. It's only natural for us to be early, and as a leader, it's twice as important for them! Jaune and Ruby seem to be friends, but I hope his lackadaisical attitude doesn't rub off on Ruby.
Weiss adjusted her pencil to be more in line with her papers as she continued thinking.
Or maybe… Maybe she should take on some of Jaune's inadequate qualities. Yes, if she emulates his nonchalance and becomes a failure, I will be able to step in and help her back up. I will be the proper contrast to Jaune's foolishness.
Her plan decided, Weiss turned to Ruby and said, "Don't feel shame, Ruby. It's only proper to be early to an appointed meeting, and even more so for you as a team leader."
"Geez," she heard Yang mutter, "way to miss the point."
"What?" Weiss snapped.
Yang rolled her eyes, but didn't respond. Ruby looked between them, and then glanced down at Jaune, as though hoping he might have heard the interaction, and thus intervene. When he didn't, she simply continued to shrink down, avoiding attention.
Hmph. She needs to speak up if she wants to be our leader. Then again, if she acts complacently, that simply gives me more room to take control.
After some time had passed, the professor of Grimm Studies, Professor Peter Port, entered the room. He was a little shorter than six feet tall, and stout - one might even say, portly. His gray hair was parted perfectly down the middle of his head. His bushy gray eyebrows partly obscured what could be seen of his eyes, and his exceptionally bushy mustache almost completely obscured his mouth.
"Students!" His cheery, bombastic voice called out. "Welcome to Introductory Grimm Studies. For those of you who've attended Guardian preparatory schools like Signal or Pharos Academy here in Vale, or Sanctum in Mistral, this class will likely feel like a refresher course. However, just because you may have learned this information before does not mean that you can afford to slack off! Most preparatory schools don't allow students to engage in actual Grimm hunts, whereas here at Beacon, you will be expected to partake in low-difficulty extermination missions. It is prudent that you pay close attention to these lessons, especially if the Initiation was your first real encounter with Grimm."
He paused to let his words sink in.
"As far as the class structure goes, the syllabus will be sent to your student accounts through the WeClass app. You can access that through-"
As he continued explaining the structure of the class, Weiss made mental notes to go over the syllabus later in order to prepare for the assignments and tests to come. Idly, she glanced over to Ruby, and-
She was leaning her head on her hand, looking down at the professor with a vacant expression. Increasing her chagrin, she noted that both Blake and Yang were in similar states.
I can't believe them!
She looked down at Pyrrha's team, and-
All of them but Nora are paying attention… Ugh, not a good sign. If they maintain these attitudes to learning throughout all our classes, their team will outstrip ours academically! I knew I'd be the smartest member of my team from the start, but even I can't carry the whole team on my back.
Weiss then started, realizing that she hadn't been paying attention to Professor Port for almost a full minute, and tuned back in to his lecture. He had left the space behind his desk and was using a stick to point to a picture of a Creep Grimm on his chalkboard, with various anatomical parts labeled.
"-which is when I remembered that Creep Grimm have weak lower jaws. Thus invigorated, I stabbed my trusty fountain pen through its jaw into its skull, saving the life of the orphans. But my work was not yet done! A Beowolf barged through the village gates, and I-"
What? How on earth did we get here? I only stopped listening for a minute!
"-and that was when the Bullhead exploded! With only one remaining, I knew I had to make the ultimate sacrifice - so I held the line alone against five Beowolves as the orphans escaped, with nothing but a sharp, broken pipe, as my trusty weapon, Blowhard, had been damaged when I struck the Boarbatusk with it. Thankfully, I remembered that Beowolves actually have a weak point in the back of their hind knees-"
Is… is he just rambling? Or perhaps boasting would be a better term for it? Do people actually learn from this?
She clicked her mechanical pencil and put the lead to her notebook, anxiously listening, waiting for even the slightest sliver of useful information.
"-so I pulled the King Taijitu's broken teeth from its head - they are surprisingly brittle when attacked from the side - and stabbed them into its eyes. However students, remember, while normal Taijitu have only one head, King Taijitu are classified as Giant Grimm and have a notable upgrade in their capabilities, that being a second head where their tail would be-"
This is useless! He's just boasting about his past Grimm hunts!
A quick glance over at her teammates confirmed that they also weren't bothering to listen to 'Professor' Port. Ruby had, as far as she could tell, outright fallen asleep with her head leaning on her hand, Blake was reading some book, and Yang was messing around on her Scroll.
Looking down, she was somewhat relieved to note that Pyrrha's team had also fallen into apathy about their teacher. Pyrrha and Ren had pulled out the assigned Grimm Studies textbook and were both poring over it, apparently taking the time to learn from that since their teacher had no apparent intentions to actually teach. Nora remained absentminded, literally staring straight up into space for some reason. And Jaune-
Is he… actually taking notes on what Professor Port is saying? Why? Does he actually believe this drivel?
A call snapped her out of her thoughts. "-so that's why I would like to call up one of you to prove that you have the makings of a true Guardian!"
Without stopping to think, Weiss shot out of her seat, her arm raised high, and shouted, "I volunteer!"
Port started, then the ends of his mustache curled up in a smile. "Oh. Splendid! I usually have to call someone at random! Well then, run along and grab your combat gear quickly, Miss…" he glanced down at his desk to check something, and then continued, "Schnee. Once you have it, we'll begin."
Weiss blinked, then stood up and quickly left the classroom, running down the halls for the locker room.
My combat gear? He must want to spar me, to test my mettle! This is it, my chance to prove myself without question!
Weiss was standing at the bottom of the classroom, where Port had been lecturing from, but rather than behind his desk, she stood in the empty space between the desk and the student desks. She'd changed into her "combat gear", which was apparently the same dress-and-high heels combo she'd worn at Initiation, with the SDC snowflake logo standing out on her back..
Does she not have other equipment? Is it a "Schnee Branding" thing? It seems grossly inefficient to wear a plain dress into combat with an unknown.
Behind me, I could hear Ruby - and only Ruby - cheering softly for Weiss.
Seems Weiss isn't popular with her teammates. Blake makes sense, given their respective histories, but I wonder what she did to tick Yang off.
Port was off in some storage closet or something rummaging around, which meant that he wasn't going to spar Weiss - his weapon was hung up on the wall, after all.
I eyed the infamous "Blowhard" - an axe crossed with an older form of gun, reminiscent of a blunderbuss, but I knew it wasn't a muzzleloader. Based on Port's own stories - and the official After Action Reports of his missions kept in the IGO that I now had access to thanks to Ozpin - it was Dust based (but weren't they all?). It probably had a fire crystal embedded in the base of the barrel, and when he pulled the trigger, it would blast a short range burst of fire out.
But why's the axe part attached to the stock? It'd be more effective if it was attached to the barrel, then he'd be able to transition between shooting and striking effortlessly. Maybe one of these days I'll ask him for a spar, see how his fighting style looks.
Port returned from the back room carrying a cage large enough to carry a large child. Inside, rattling and smashing against the walls, was a Creep Grimm.
He was able to capture a live Grimm? Even if it's just a Creep, that must take some serious skill.
Weiss had a dumbfounded expression, as did most everyone else in the classroom. As he put the cage on the ground, Weiss started.
"Um. Sir? Is that-"
"A Creep Grimm! I caught it yesterday evening, during my after-dinner walk! It's a full adult, so it should be just the right level of difficulty for a Freshman like you!"
Weiss visibly gulped, but to her credit, steeled herself and assumed her stance-
Standing ramrod straight, feet close together with her sword held in a middle guard in her left hand in front of her.
Brothers above, who taught this woman? That stance is awful! She has no stability - especially in those heels - and her off-hand is just limply hanging there. At least leave it on your hip or something if you're not going to use it, so it won't get in the way.
As if she'd read my mind, she suddenly altered her stance - now her feet were wider apart, her right hand in the air behind her head, and her sword hand was in a low guard.
Old Valean Fencing? I'm pretty sure that's where that's from, I have one of the manuscripts that describes it. It's slightly better than her stance before, but she's clearly not well trained in it - she's fidgeting, and she looks uncertain. I guess she figures that since it's just a Creep, she can afford to experiment a bit.
"Are you ready, Miss Schnee?"
"Yes, sir."
"Good!" Port bellowed. "Then begin!"
He struck the lock on the cage with his hand and it shattered, allowing the Creep to burst out with a snarl, then charge at Weiss.
It probably figured that picking a fight with the person that caught it was a bad idea, and there's a lot of us in the seats, whereas Weiss is alone.
Weiss tensed and waited for the Creep to charge, then spun out of the way and delivered a slashing strike that bounced off its facial bone.
"Weiss!" Ruby called out. "Go for its eyes!"
Weis grit her teeth and her eyes flashed towards the seats, but quickly returned to the Grimm, which was making another pass. This time, she attempted to thrust her rapier straight down its throat, only to have her sword torn away as the creature bit down on it and twisted its head.
Weiss jumped back and to the side, eyeing her discarded weapon as Port called out, "Oh-ho! What will you do now?"
In spite of his… teasing? Joking? His hands tightened around his weapon, ready to rush in if things got too bad.
"Weiss!" Ruby called again. "Go for its eyes, your rapier can stab-"
"Shut up, Ruby!" Weiss yelled back, then dodged to the side before continuing, "I can handle this!"
As the Creep came by for another charge, Weiss summoned up a white snowflake glyph and stopped it in its tracks, then ran for her weapon and picked it up. She fiddled with the Dust chambers as the Creep turned around her, then slammed the tip of her sword into the ground.
Much as it had happened during Initiation, a burst of ice spread out from the tip, only this time instead of trapping the Creep, a spear of ice burst from the ground and stabbed into its underside.
Weiss huffed with exertion - Wait, really? That took, what, two minutes tops and she's exhausted? Her technique was so underwhelming that there isn't even anything worth analyzing. If that's all she's capable of, she won't last long, especially not against a human opponent.
Port approached, his weapon left leaning against the cage, and clapped. "Well done! Things got dicey there in the middle, but you acquitted yourself well! It seems we are truly in the presence of a future Huntress!"
Weiss beamed under the praise, but I scoffed inwardly. I glanced back at Ruby - she had withdrawn, apparently sulking after Weiss' outburst.
"Ruby," I called to her quietly as everyone else was focused on Weiss and Port.
She started. "Jaune?"
"Don't feel bad. You did nothing wrong - as team leader, it's inevitable that you'll give commands in battle. If Weiss can't even handle that here, then she's the one who needs to improve."
She blushed at the attention, then nodded. "Right. Thanks."
I nodded back, and turned to Port just in time to catch Weiss beginning to walk up to her seats. Weiss glanced at me - she must have seen me talk to Ruby - but I turned over to Ren.
"How would you rate it?" I asked.
He glanced at me, then looked back at Port. "She did well enough. You did a good thing, too," he noted.
"If they can't face reality here, they won't survive a real battlefield."
"Hm. A fair point, but I think there's still plenty of time for them to improve. After all, that's the point of Beacon, isn't it? I'm starting to think that you grade too harshly."
"Product of my upbringing," I fired back.
"Fair enough."
A loud clang drew our attention back to Port - he'd brought out another cage, with another Creep.
"Now then!" he called. "Who would like to-"
"I'll do it," I called out and stood up.
I could tell my teammates were looking at me with surprised faces, but I had no intention of backing down. I wanted to test something, and even better, it would be an opportunity to one-up the Schnee.
"Oh. Very well then, Mister Arc, please change into your-"
"That won't be necessary," I replied as I stepped down onto the flat area. I knelt down, pulled up my pant leg, and drew the knife I had hidden there - with a blade length of five inches, it would be more than enough for what I was going to attempt. "I can deal with it now."
Port blinked. Or maybe he squinted, it was hard to tell when his eyes were so naturally squinty, and practically covered by his eyebrows to boot. "Are you certain, young man?"
"If you can kill a Creep with a fountain pen, sir, then this should be more than enough."
Port guffawed then, a deep belly laugh that echoed through the space. "Well said, young man! Then begin!"
He smacked the second cage's lock with his hand, and the Creep was set loose.
Weiss scoffed. "He really thinks he can deal with it with just a knife? How arrogant can you get?"
Ruby shrugged. "I dunno Weiss, he seems confident," she said before flinching as Weiss glared at her. With a gulp, Ruby turned to Blake. "Blake, you've known Jaune the longest, do you think he's got this?"
Blake hummed as she put her book down. "Again, it's not like I've known him for all that long. But he's not one to do things for no reason. For whatever reason, he's confident that he can kill a Grimm with just that combat knife."
A crash drew Ruby's attention back down to the pseudo-arena as the Creep Grimm burst out and charged at Jaune. Jaune, on the other hand, had settled into a wide, stable stance, and held his knife in a backhand grip.
As the Creep got close, Ruby's worry skyrocketed - the thought that Jaune might get hurt or die because of some burst of bravado flashed through her mind - but then Jaune's left hand shot out and caught the Creep's top jaw, his fingers digging into its nostrils.
Eww…
In spite of how gross the action was, Jaune pivoted and turned, pulling the Creep's body upwards and exposing its underbelly. With a quick flash, he plunged his knife into its lower jaw, then let go of its nostrils and used all his force to push the Creep onto its back, jamming the knife even further into its head.
While pinned, the creature continued to squirm, and Jaune used his left hand to keep it pinned as he pulled the knife out and plunged into it a few more times, until it went still.
Satisfied, he pulled the knife out and rolled up his pant leg to place it back in its sheath.
The class was stunned into silence, and when Ruby turned to look at her partner, she had similarly been affected - Weiss' jaw had dropped.
Port's clapping and laughter broke the silence. "Oh-ho ho ho! Well done young man! I think that's a new record for the fastest kill yet!"
Jaune shrugged. "I just did it like you said, sir. Creep Grimm really do have weak lower jaws."
"Ah, and most importantly, you paid attention to my lecture! Truly excellent. I don't think anyone else in the class did so." As Port said this, he turned his head towards the class, and several of them began looking away or shifting uncomfortably in their seats. "But that's to be expected - I teach like this on purpose, after all."
"I figured it was a test of sorts," Jaune replied. "I spoke to an upperclassman this morning, and asked them what to expect. But I'm surprised more people didn't pay attention to you. You'd think students, especially those from Vale would be honored to learn from 'The Cornerstone of Aachen Palace'."
Port stilled for a moment, and Ruby thought she saw his expression stiffen. "I haven't gone by that moniker in decades. Where did you hear it?"
"Military history is one of my fascinations. I'm actually writing an independent paper on Cannae."
"Is that so? You should talk to Barty- that is, Doctor Oobleck when it's finished. He might be able to help you publish it."
"I'll take that into consideration, sir. Thank you."
With that weird exchange done with, Jaune returned to his seat. Port turned to the clock and said, "Time is up for today ladies and gentlemen! On Wednesday, we'll continue the lecture and remember to read the first chapter of the assigned textbook, as we'll discuss it on Friday!"
As the class filed out, Ruby tried to pull Weiss aside. "Weiss?"
Weiss turned back to her with a glare. "What?"
Ruby flinched again, but steeled herself, and straightened her back before saying, "I don't appreciate that you snapped at me while I was trying to help you."
"You disrupted my concentration!"
"I'm your team leader! What do you expect me to do in the middle of combat, shut up and not give commands?"
"I expect you to lead, not be an annoyance!"
"I'd be able to lead if you would stop trying to- undermine my authority!"
"Well you-!"
"Ladies!" A shout drew both their attention. Glynda Goodwitch stood across the hall, hands on her hips, eyes narrowed in a glare. "Please be aware of your surroundings."
Both Ruby and Weiss blushed, nodded, and turned away from each other. Before they went their separate ways - Ruby to Introductory Ballistics, Weiss to Microeconomics - Ruby called out, "This conversation isn't over!"
Weiss replied, "You had better believe it isn't!"
…
Late in the afternoon, Ruby was roaming the school, looking for Weiss. She hadn't answered her Scroll messages, so Ruby assumed that she was avoiding the confrontation in spite of her earlier claim.
As she looked around the campus, she came upon a garden area. There, sitting quietly next to some flowers she didn't know the names of - Though dad would probably know - nursing a mug of some liquid in one hand with a book in the other, was Headmaster Ozpin.
Ohmygosh, omygosh, he's by himself! I can talk to him, without all the weirdness of that police interview. I have so many questions-
She composed herself.
And the first is… how I should lead my team.
Her mind settled, Ruby stepped forward. "Headmaster Ozpin?"
The old man started, then closed his book. "Miss Rose? How lovely to see you this afternoon! What brings you to the Jellia Gardens?"
"I'm looking for one of my teammates… We, uh, we're having some…"
"Teething issues, so to speak?"
"Something like that… Headmaster?"
"Oh, just call me Ozpin, Miss Rose. Everyone does."
"Okay, Ozpin… how do you lead people?"
To Ruby's surprise, Ozpin began laughing - not in a mocking way, but in a soft way, like he'd heard the punchline he'd been waiting for for some time.
"You know," Ozin said, regaining his composure, "your mother asked me the same thing when she was team leader."
Ruby gaped. "She- she did?"
"Oh yes. Team STRQ is somewhat infamous now for- well," he coughed, glancing at Ruby, "you know how things fell apart. But even in their heyday, they had their own share of issues."
"I mean, I've heard that much. Uncle Qrow's sister caused a lot of the problems, right?"
"Yes, Raven was quite the troublemaker. Qrow and your father as well, if you'd believe it- they'd all grown up in Mistral, and had a hard time adapting from the 'dog-eats-dog' mentality of that nation. By the end of the first week, all three of them had been assigned - oh, what was it - two months of mandatory community service each?"
"Not detention?"
Ozpin laughed. "We're an Academy, Ruby, not a high school. We could assign detention in theory, but what would it do? Forcing a Guardian-in-training to sit in a room quietly for an hour or two is counterintuitive with their development. No, we moved on from that sort of punitive measure ages ago- now, we punish students by forcing them to serve Vale. Picking up trash, assisting at construction sites, or serving at soup kitchens, that sort of thing.
"Being a Guardian-in-training has a tendency to affect one's ego- when most of the people you interact with are extremely powerful, some students come to believe themselves as better than others by default. This measure is designed to bring them back down to earth, to remind them of our true, ultimate duty as Guardians - that we are here to serve and protect the people, the citizens, those who cannot protect themselves."
Ruby nodded. "Right! But uh, could we get back to my question?"
"Of course, forgive an old man for his musing. As to your question… I'll tell you the same thing I told your mother when she asked me."
Ruby leaned forward expectantly.
"Give it time."
"OH COME ON!" Ruby exclaimed, then quickly covered her mouth in realization at who she'd yelled at. "Oh my gods, sir, I am so sorry…"
Ozpin, for his part, was laughing madly. "Ah! Hahahaha!" After a few moments of laughter, he wiped a tear from his eye and calmed down. "Ah! I haven't laughed like that in quite a while. I suppose you get that from your father- your mother was never so bombastic."
"I'm sorry."
"Oh, don't apologize. It's quite refreshing, in a way- not many people are willing to outright yell at me. To elaborate on my advice, when I say give it time, I don't mean to just drop things and let any problems fester. I mean, you've only been team leader for- well, a few days now. You haven't known your teammates long enough to understand what drives them - well, perhaps with the exception of your sister. And they, in turn, haven't known you long enough to fully understand what you expect of them as their team leader.
"This is something that we'll discuss in more detail in the leadership course, but essentially, you first need to decide what kind of leader you'll be - this is all covered in the textbook for the course, by the way."
"Oh, so should I just read that then?"
"Well yes, but Miss Rose, you must also understand that what the book and course cover are, at the end of the day, theory. Theory based upon the observation and study of real leaders, yes, but still just theory. At the end of the day, all you can do," he looked directly into Ruby's eyes, "is your best. Do you remember the first thing I taught the class this morning?"
Ruby blinked. "Uh, is this graded?"
Ozpin barked a laugh. "Ha! No. The first thing I discussed was an old adage - 'Heavy is the head that wears the crown.' Back when all the nations were some form of monarchy, a common complaint of the nobility was their tendency towards corruption and selfish greed. And while that was unfortunately fairly common, for many centuries, communities of commoners who rebelled and overthrew their local lords often collapsed, either falling to Grimm or infighting, or gradually wasting away as people left. Do you know why that is?"
"Because… because the lord, or whoever, was in charge of things that the commoners didn't understand?"
"In simple terms, yes. The logistics of food storage; managing the local economy; training, equipping, and maintaining their guards and Aura Warriors; paying for the upkeep of the village walls; maintaining the village well; managing regional politics with other villages and the nation at large- in short, the lords dealt with many things that were in the 'bigger picture'. Things that the commoners could not understand until they actually had to deal with them.
"These 'bigger picture' things weigh on the heads of leaders, and in the worst cases, lead to a disconnect between the leader and those they lead, which is what causes the resentment that leads to rebellion.
"But I'm rambling; as a team leader, you hardly have to consider things on that scale, not while you're a student anyway.
"To ultimately answer your question, Miss Rose, there's something rather simple you can do to start leading your team, besides deciding on what sort of leader you'll be. Actually, this is far more important than that."
"And that would be…?"
"Get to know your team. Not just how they fight - though that is important - but their likes, dislikes, their goals and dreams, their frustrations and weaknesses. What's their favorite food, do they have any allergies, so on and so forth. Now, don't try to just ask all these things in a row," Ozpin chuckled, "that just comes across as overbearing. But do this over time - give it time, and take that time to know them. Once you know them, everything else becomes much easier."
Ruby sighed, then looked up. "Ugh, okay… but Weiss is gonna be a problem."
"I don't doubt it. She didn't seem pleased when I made you team leader, but I believe you'll be able to work through it - I made you leader for a reason, after all."
Ruby nodded, then jumped up. "Right. Okay! I'd better get on that, I don't want things between us to get too bad. But uh, Ozpin?"
"Yes, Miss Rose?"
"Why are you out here, instead of like, your office, doing work or something? No offense."
"None taken. And I'm out here because it's where I'm closest to the memory of my wife."
Ruby blinked. "You were married?"
"It's not common knowledge, but yes. But don't you have something to do?"
"Oh right! Uh, thanks for the talk, Ozpin!"
With that, Ruby ran off, and Ozpin turned to look out at the garden. His eyes focused on a small patch of roses of all colors, fiery reds and yellows, cool blues and purples, earthy green, and pale white.
A small smile came across Ozpin's face. He sipped from his mug and muttered, "It looks like they're blooming beautifully again this year."
Weiss ignored her Scroll vibrating in her pocket. As much as she wanted to give Ruby another piece of her mind, her time away from her during classes had led her to reflect and consider that entering a negotiation with heightened emotions would only lead to a loss.
No matter how right I am - and I am right, Ruby isn't leadership material - I won't get my way if I keep allowing her to rile me up. I have to make sure to face her when I'm calm and prepared.
As she walked, she noticed Professor Port alone, looking out a window towards the Emerald Forest.
He might understand. Maybe I can talk to him about my concerns.
She stepped up behind him and coughed into her fist to get his attention. "Excuse me, Professor Port?"
He started, then turned and looked down at her. "Ah, Miss Schnee! What is it? Did you have a question about the lecture?"
"Well, not originally, but now that you mention it, what did you and Jaune mean when you were speaking to each other, about the lecture being a test?"
"Ah, that. During my first session or so of classes, I always make a point to teach in a manner that is completely irritating or boring to listen to. All the stories are true, but none of them are palatable to most student audiences. In doing this, I test each freshman year to see how well they are capable of focusing and listening. To date, in my over thirty years of teaching, including Mister Arc, only twenty-three students out of hundreds have been able to actually pay attention during these early lectures."
"Why would you need to test our focus like that?"
"It's less of a need, and more of a personal thing. It lets me know who to keep an eye on."
"In what way?"
"Of those twenty-three students who've paid attention - with the obvious exception of Mister Arc, who's only just begun his academic career - twenty have gone on to high-ranking positions as Guardians, either with the IGO or in swearing their service to one of the four nations.
"My personal theory, Miss Schnee, is that those who can pay attention through my intentional nonsense are able to excel because they are able to truly listen to what people are saying to them - they are able to focus through the noise people make and discern the importance of the words behind that noise."
"I think I get it… I apologize for failing your test."
"Don't apologize, Miss Schnee. Simply take it as a point of improvement - now you understand that you need to be a better listener. But you said that this wasn't your original purpose in coming to see me?"
"Yes, I just had… a concern."
"Well? What is it?"
Weiss took a deep breath, and then blurted out, "I think Headmaster Ozpin made a mistake in making Ruby our team leader!"
Port spent a few moments silently blinking, as though he was processing what she said. Finally, he replied, "That's preposterous."
"Excuse me?"
"Miss Schnee, do you mean to tell me you believe your sense of judgement to be superior to that of a Rank 1 Guardian, and the Headmaster who's run Beacon Academy for more than fifty years?"
"Um- well, I mean, it's not like he's incapable of making a mistake."
"And you truly believe that Miss Rose's appointment as team leader was one?"
"I do."
"Then prove him wrong."
Weiss blinked. "What?"
"If you would insist that your judgement surpasses that of a man who hasn't steered me wrong in thirty years, there is nothing for you to do but prove your point. If you think you would make a better team leader, then instead of complaining, act like one. Good day, Miss Schnee."
With that, he walked away, leaving Weiss flabbergasted. Some professor! And to think I turned to him for help.
She sighed and shook her head, turning away, and noted the library.
Well… he does have a point, though. I doubt the Headmaster will entertain a formal complaint, especially since Ruby was personally scouted by him. If I'm going to replace Ruby, I should start by working twice as hard as she does.
She stepped into the library and looked around. It looked much the same as the pictures on the official Beacon Academy website suggested, with large bookshelves arrayed in rows that filled two stories, and multiple tables set up for study.
She wandered the stacks for a while, making mental notes of each section of the library, keeping an eye out for interesting titles. As she neared a corner, however, she was struck by a sight she hadn't expected -
Jaune Arc was there, sitting at a table by himself, reading a book with several more piled up next to him.
He was facing away from her, towards the window in the corner. Weiss took a moment to look at the books he'd piled up - The Art of Memory; How to Speed-Read; Effective Studying Strategies; Ancient Methods of Learning - they seemed to be books about how to learn more effectively.
"Do you need something, Schnee, or are you going to gawk all afternoon?" Jaune's voice suddenly cut through the quiet of the library and Weiss started.
As she regained her composure, she asked, "How did you know it was me? I'm standing behind you."
He pointed at the window - there, in the fading afternoon glow, both he and Weiss were softly reflected.
"Again, did you need something?"
Weiss hesitated, then moved and sat down in front of him. Jaune sighed, closed the book and looked at her.
"What is it?"
"What do you think about Ruby being made team leader?"
"Why do you care about my opinion? I'm not on your team."
Weiss paused for a moment, and then began listing things she understood to be true about Jaune: "You gave effective commands and led us to victory against that Beowolf. You were appointed team leader yourself. You were able to pay attention and see the lesson hidden in Professor Port's test. You killed the Creep in record time using the method you learned from Port, embarrassing me in the process-"
"Your inability made you look like an embarrassment, but go on."
Weiss sighed, then continued, "-you're… unaffected by the trappings of celebrity," she provided diplomatically. "And you're here, using your free time to study extracurricular content. Not to mention the fact that you've referenced having real life combat experience, something I doubt anyone else in our year has."
"I'm sure I'm not the only one."
"Maybe not, but you're the only one I know. Ultimately, all this leads me to understand that out of everyone I know in our year, you are probably the most serious about becoming a Guardian. Perhaps even more than I am," she admitted with some apprehension."I would have your opinion on this."
Jaune sighed, then looked up at the ceiling. After a moment, Weiss also looked up, uncertain as to whether he was actually looking at something.
"Ultimately," he began, drawing Weiss' attention back to him, "I don't think Ruby is leadership material. Literally anyone else on your team would be better suited. You, Yang, and Blake actually finished your preparatory education. Based on what I've seen of her combat skills, she is exceptional… for her age. Compared to most Beacon freshmen, she's just average, not nearly exceptional enough to justify letting her skip two years of further education, let alone becoming team leader. She was a bit overwhelmed by the morning leadership lecture as well."
"Then we're in agreement."
"Loathe as I am to say so, yes. However, don't mistake my opinion of Ruby to be support for you. Between the rest of your team, I think you'd be almost equally as inept as Ruby, followed by Yang. Honestly, strictly based on your observable skill sets, Blake would be the best choice."
Weiss twitched angrily as Jaune delivered another dig at her, but maintained her composure. "What makes you say that?"
"You and Yang are too emotional. Too quick to get angry, or frustrated. Were you aware that when you went down to fight, Ruby was the only member of your team to cheer for you?"
Weiss blinked, stunned. "What?"
"Oh yes. I don't know what you did to piss off Blake and Yang, but you're already the least popular member of your team. Your haughty, upper-class Atlesian attitude probably doesn't help things. And then, in spite of Ruby's support, you blew up at her, both in the middle of your fight and in the hallway. It's a miracle Yang hasn't beat you into the ground by now."
"...okay, I'm willing to admit that I made mistakes. But surely my advanced education makes me the best alternative for a leader after Ruby? Where did Blake even go to school, and what do you know about Yang-"
"We're talking about you. And you," Jaune leaned forward and pointed at her, "are obviously socially inept."
"Says the man who can't go two minutes without insulting me."
"Just because I'm blunt doesn't mean I lack social skills. Unlike you, I'm aware of the effect my words can have on others."
"You think I don't?"
"It's evident. I don't know what constitutes an education from the best tutors money can buy, but there's no replacement for actually interacting with people. This morning, you tried to console Ruby when she was embarrassed as we came in. But you addressed the wrong thing."
"Yang said something along those lines. Then what was the issue?"
"Ruby wasn't embarrassed because she was exceedingly early and rushed to class, she was embarrassed because in entering the way she did, she drew attention to herself."
"Ah," Weiss muttered. "I see. Was that all there was to it?"
"Objectively speaking, it's a stupid and small thing to be embarrassed over. But people aren't objective, they're emotional. You'll never truly get people if you spend all your time trying to logically determine the truth about them - you have to rely on your intuition, which you have to hone by interacting with people."
"Then what should I do to improve?"
"As a teammate or as a person? Because the two are intertwined and honestly you need a lot of work in both-"
"Nevermind your insults," Weiss huffed. "Just answer the question."
Jaune smirked, apparently amused that Weiss had finally snapped in response to his disrespect. "Fine. One: Apologize to your teammates for your behavior and take time to talk to them. Learn about them as people. Two: As the most academically intelligent member of your team, tutor Ruby to help her catch up, but don't do it alone - coordinate with Yang. She went through the two years Ruby skipped, so she probably knows a thing or two about what she was supposed to learn. Three: Have a serious, one-on-one talk with Ruby about what you want your role in the team to be. I understand you want to stand out for some reason, but as long as she's your team leader you need to have a firm understanding of your place in the team. Personally, I'd recommend being Ruby's tactician - let her lead through charisma, while you guide her with your intellect."
Weiss blinked - she had expected… maybe another insult, with some generic advice about apologizing and spending time with her teammates. And while that had been the first point, she hadn't expected the second and third points - practical advice that she could and would take advantage of to both improve her standing in the team and stand out.
"I… Thank you. That was more beneficial than I thought it would be."
Jaune shrugged, and pulled his book back open. "Will that be all?"
Weiss made to get up, then paused. "What did you mean when you called Professor Port 'The Cornerstone of Aachen Palace'?"
Jaune glanced up from his book, then back to it. "Look to history. Especially if you intend to follow my advice and be Ruby's tactician."
Weiss nodded. "Right. Of course... good day, Jaune."
As she left, Jaune simply nodded.
As I exited the elevator and entered Ozpin's office, a part of me wondered why he kept his office at the top of the Beacon Academy central tower. It seemed awfully inconvenient to have to take the elevator up every single time he wanted to get some work done. Not to mention going down in order to deal with something… then again, he could move faster than sound, so rushing out in an emergency probably wasn't much of a problem.
"Ah, Mister Arc," Ozpin greeted. He signed a piece of paper - a quick use of my Semblance allowed me to see that it was an approval of funds to acquire four tons of Dust - and put it away. He then pressed a button and a hard-light chessboard appeared on his desk, with all the pieces set up. "Would you care for a game as we talk?"
"I don't mind."
"Excellent. You can be white."
As I sat down, we began playing, and Ozpin asked, "So how was your first day of classes? Did you enjoy them?"
"They were fine. It's nice to learn in a structured environment, for once."
"That reminds me. In spite of your upbringing, your academic scores in the Entrance Exams were in the ninetieth percentile. Not to mention that you already have an Associate's Degree. Who educated you?"
"My father isn't stupid, but he's hardly a scholar - and he recognized that. So he often placed me in the care of tutors, not all of them Assassins, and they provided an education that was, while not orthodox, more or less complete. I was also instructed in the importance of self-study."
"Ah, that explains the Degree. Online college?"
"I had a lot of free time at Atlas Juvie."
"I imagine. If only all youths in such places were as industrious as you."
"That would require them to have lived lives like mine, and I wouldn't wish that on others."
"A fair point."
We played a few more exchanges - I managed to take both of his rooks, but he took my queen - before I asked, "So why did you make me team leader?"
Ozpin chuckled softly. "Would you believe it's because I have complete faith in your abilities to perform both your jobs for the Council and as a leader to a team of developing Huntsmen?"
"No."
"Good, because that isn't it. This is a test, Jaune. A test of your sincerity."
"Overburdening me with work?"
"You said you wanted to make the world better. That you would even turn against your father to do so suggests that you would do anything to accomplish that."
"...that is correct."
"However- and I'm sure you're aware of this- not everyone who is aware of the truth about you is so ready and willing to accept you as I am."
"And being team leader is supposed to prove that I'm changing?"
"In a sense, it is the most effective metric for measuring your redemption."
It clicked. "You're testing how much I can bring myself to care for others. You've made my success here at Beacon dependent on how well I can care for my team."
"In short, yes."
"Well - Check - that's understandable," I positioned my white bishop to attack his King. "What's less understandable is Ruby."
He glanced up from the board. "What do you mean?" he asked as he blocked the check.
"She's not fit to be a team leader. I understand that you've chosen her and given her special treatment - not all too different to how I've been treated. But I don't need to tell you about her insufficiency. Check." I attacked again, this time with my knight.
"Then what is your purpose, Mister Arc?" He evaded the attack again, moving his King off the targeted square.
"Someone in your position wouldn't make a move unless you were - to some degree - certain that it was the right one. Which makes me wonder what game you're playing in bringing Ruby in two years early, and putting her in a position where she can steadily acquire power."
He didn't respond, simply positioning his Queen where it could both attack and defend. I narrowed my eyes at the board, trying to see his strategy, but when I failed, I continued, and moved a piece to set up an attack in two turns.
"Actually, that's not the right way to phrase it. I know exactly what sort of game you're playing. The question is," I looked him directly in the eyes, "who's on the other side of the board?"
He stared back at me for a moment, and then, without averting his eyes, moved his knight. "Checkmate, Mister Arc."
I looked down at the board - I hadn't noticed that. With a sigh, I toppled my king, then stood up. As I turned away from Ozpin, I said, "Fine, keep your secrets old man. Just hope they aren't the thing that buries you."
As I got up to leave, he stopped me. "One moment, Mister Arc."
I turned back, and he handed me two manila folders. "Your first job offers. As per your deal, you may pick one to deal with."
I took the folders and nodded. "I'll let you know what I've decided tomorrow."
He nodded back, but said nothing as I turned away and left.
A/N: Well shit, that took a while. Sorry, everyone. School's a bitch, I got a new job, and I also spent time writing that one shot I published a few weeks ago, Disregard Females, Acquire Currency (shameless self-shill), which is about Roman and Jacques being bros. Go read it.
Review Replies:
Tyler Regis: I genuinely can't tell if you mean Jacques or Jack (as in Jacob). The reference to physical strength suggests Jacob but the spelling suggests Jacques. Doesn't help that they both showed up in this chapter. Oh well! Hope you enjoyed it.
gogo bananas: Updated now! And yeah, Jack is as strong as he's been suggested to be. But we won't see what he's actually capable of - what his techniques or fighting style is like - for a while.
wellhaithar: That was, in fact, the joke. Glad you spotted that!
Guest: Personally, I think it's better to have things explained more than less. I mean, it's not like I'm Tolkien explaining the backstory of each of Jaune's guns and how they were machined in Atlas and the Dust he used is yada yada you get the point.
Scrumblenut: Wish granted. Hope you enjoy this one too.