A shiver ran down the blonde's spine when he heard those words. You are one hell of a fraud. Someone had found him out. But maybe she was referring to something else?

"W-What What are you talking about?" Jaune attempted, but the nervousness in his voice couldn't be hidden.

"I know about the transcripts, Jaune." said Ruby as she folded her arms and continued. "Forged transcripts that falsified your training, education, and a bunch others that would ensure to get you a spot in Beacon Academy."

Dread seeped into Jaune's soul. "...How did you know?...".

A sigh left the Girl Wonder's lips as she begun to explain herself:

"I had a sneaking suspicion during our first day; the way you wielded your sword and shield, that fish-out-of-water look you always had, and your lack of basic Huntsman and Huntress knowledge. I initially chalked it all up as you being trained outside of the kingdom. The fact that you even survived initiation only supported that theory."

Ruby stopped her stroll to look Jaune dead in the eyes.

"That was until I saw how you fought during combat class. You miserably failed each and every match you participated in, but not because of a lack of trying. Your actions were erratic and predictable, you didn't have any offensive or defensive stances, and you barely had a grip on your weapon. Things weren't making sense about you, so I started thinking why."

"And that's what led me to your transcripts."

The blonde's stomach knotted while his eyes couldn't bear to meet hers. His face scrunched at her gaze as his heart continued to jump. He only had one question. "...what are you gonna do now?"

With another sigh, Ruby opened her mouth to respond. Predicting her anger, Jaune could only clench his eyes and ready himself.

"Why?"

…

…

Huh?

…

…

Much to his confusion, Ruby released him from his inverted trap before she continued where she left off.

"You knew the dangers of being a huntsman and even saw them first hand. You had every chance to call it quits and drop out of the academy. But here you still are. Even after facing death multiple times and being bullied by Cardin every week, you still persevered. I want to know why. Why is Jaune Arc so insistent on becoming a huntsman?"

Silence filled the air afterwards. While fixing himself into a better position, the blonde knight made no sound as to contemplate how to answer the question.

Lucky for him, Ruby was patient enough to wait.

After a while, Jaune finally responded, with the full and honest truth.

"My family comes from a long lineage of Huntsman and Huntresses. Hell, the weapons I use belonged to my great-great-grandfather who fought in the Great War. For generations, we Arcs strived to become great Huntsman and Huntresses whose sworn duty was to fight and protect the people. My sisters and I loved to listen to the different heroic tales of not only our father, but also our grandfather and his father before him. It's because of that I dreamed of becoming a Huntsman."

The story intrigued Ruby, but she had to ask. "Then how come you didn't receive any training then?"

Jaune frowned explaining. "Because we Arcs were also renowned to die in battle."

"My great-great-grandfather was killed near the end of the war while my grandfather died protecting a village. My dad would've been a victim too, but was lucky enough to have only lost his leg. But that must've been a huge wake up call for him because he forbade any of us from becoming Huntsmen or Huntresses."

"And that's why you went to Beacon," Ruby gathered, who was now sitting next to the blonde. "You wanted to learn everything there is to become a Huntsman"

The Arc-son nodded. "Everyone here is already laying down their lives to help and protect people. The fear of my family's curse doesn't give me the right to do any less than them."

Ruby had no other response as she let his words sink in. Jaune was quite determined to achieve his dream, even without any prior fight experience and the cost of his own life. The real issue here wasn't whether she should stop him, rather, if she could.

He's starting to remind me of…

Would she deny her friend from achieving his own dream, but let it weigh on her conscience that she could have prevented him from fulfilling a death wish? Or should she stop him here and now for his own safety, essentially crushing his wish and ending their friendship. There had to be a better option…

…Or maybe there was.

Perhaps it was time to take a page out of Bruce's book.

With a possible conclusion in mind, Ruby stood from her spot and dragged the blonde behind her.

Jaune was confused by the Girl Wonder's actions. "Uh…Ruby? Where are you taking me?"

"The roof." answered Ruby nonchalantly.

Pyrrha wasn't sure what she was expecting when she waited on the roof. After their final class, she had invited Jaune to the rooftop to speak with him privately. The initial plan was to talk to him about his academics and provide any help necessary for him to pull them up. What she hadn't planned on was Ruby bursting through the roof door with a confused Jaune in tow.

When finally released from the Girl Wonder's grip, Jaune spoke. "Uh, Ruby? I know I am going through a hard time, but I'm not THAT depressed."

The girl in question made no reply, having been more focused on looking around the area. With a glance over the edge, Ruby noticed the various dorm room windows from her position. Fortunately, most of the room's lights were shut and the windows were closed. All except for the one right below them, which Ruby knew who it belonged to.

"Thank the gods Nora sent team CRDL to the infirmary." muttered Ruby.

Now knowing their conversation was secured and out of hearing distance from listeners, Ruby turned towards her blonde companion with a stern look. "Tell her or I will."

Jaune was shocked at what Ruby's implying. Someone finding out his secret themselves was one thing, but willingly telling someone was another. He closed his eyes and sighed as he turned to his partner.

"Tell me what?" asked Pyrrha, confused at the current situation.

Having no other choice, Jaune explained to his partner everything about him; his fake transcripts to Beacon, his family history, and even his reasons for why he did everything.

To say Pyrrha was stunned upon hearing everything was an understatement. All the given information was almost too much for her to process it. The fact that her team leader (and crush) cheated his way into Beacon was something that she still had to comprehend. It left her completely speechless as she stared at Jaune.

"Is that good enough?" Jaune asked as he turned his downtrodden face to Ruby. "Are you satisfied now?"

Ruby remained responseless to him and faced Pyrrha. "Pyrrha."

Snapped out of her inner thoughts, the amazonian turned her attention.

"I know this is a lot to process, and you've most likely still haven't, but I need to hear this from you specifically." said Ruby before continuing. "After everything you've heard, are you still willing to help Jaune to become a Huntsman?"

The question caught the other roof occupants off guard. Jaune was in complete disbelief at the question, completely assuming that both girls were disappointed and wanted nothing to do with him. For Pyrrha, the thought of helping Jaune was originally her plan, but that was before finding out about his secret. The main conflict she had to deal with now was whether or not knowing that secret would change her mind. She honestly really didn't think twice about this because she already knew her answer.

With much more resolve and confidence behind her, Pyrrha looked towards Ruby and nodded.

While the blonde boy was genuinely surprised by her answer, Ruby wasn't. A smirk formed from her lips before finally answering her friend. "Well, I hope I don't regret this decision."

Facing her baffled blonde friend completely, Ruby spoke once more.

"Jaune Arc, until you are certified to be able to stand on your own two feet, you will be training under Pyrrha and I during the rest of your time in Beacon Academy. Starting tomorrow, you will spend every waking moment either studying Huntsman academics or training in combat with us. We will teach you everything you need to know about fighting, defending, and being a good huntsman."

Jaune couldn't believe what was being told to him. It was almost surreal. They were giving him a chance.

"Keep in mind that this won't be easy. Unless you are dying or have a good enough emergency, you will be working non-stop down to the bone. You'll have the occasional rest for sure, but only when we're sure your skills have progressed enough. Do I make myself clear?"

Similar to Pyrrha, with much determination and stride within him, Jaune gave them his best smile. "Yes, ma'am."

For the next couple days, Jaune's life followed a strict pattern: Wake-up early, train with Pyrrha, breakfast and study, classes, train with Ruby, study, and sleep.

It was decided that Pyrrha would help Jaune get a better handle on his weapon. She'd teach him, to the best of her knowledge, the different offensive and defensive stances. And whenever they'd finish early or during every meal, she'd also help educate him in different academic studies such as Grimm Studies, History, Huntsman studies, etc.

Whenever he was with Ruby, she'd always test what he had learned from Pyrrha, whether it was studies or combat related. Afterwards, if she was satisfied that he actually learned something, she taught him basic hand-to-hand combat and tactical strategy.

Currently, she was teaching him how to avoid attacks. And after an hour of their sparring…

*THUD*

"...Aaugh…"

…Suffice to say that he needed to work on it more. Each match often left Jaune groaning on the floor or on his knees.

"Don't worry," Ruby said as she twirled her escrima sticks. "You'll get the hang of it…eventually."

Tossing both escrima sticks in one hand, Ruby offered her downed companion her other, which he gladly took. The blonde couldn't help but rub the bruised spots around his body where the sticks smacked him. "You weren't kidding when you said you wouldn't pull your punches."

The Girl Wonder chuckled at that. "Jaune, had I not actually pulled my punches, you wouldn't be leaving here with just bruises."

Shaking the morbid thought away, Jaune decided to ask. "Hey Ruby, you wouldn't mind asking me something, would you?"

"Shoot." replied Ruby as she went to grab them some water bottles.

"How did you learn to fight?"

The question stopped Ruby in her tracks. Should've seen this one coming.

"I mean- what I meant was, uh, how did you get this good? Did it all come from the, uh, 'big guy' himself? N-Not to say that you weren't good to begin with-!"

Ruby couldn't help, but snicker and shake her head at the boy's nervousness. He was being trained by someone who worked alongside Batman. Questions were bound to be asked eventually, so might as well humor him. Tossing a bottle at him, she spoke.

"Yeah, a lot of what I learned did come from the 'big guy' himself. I've been fighting alongside him for at least 5-6 years, so I picked up on a lot of his tricks and strategies. But while he may have been my main influence, he wasn't the only person I revolved my fighting style on."

The last bit intrigued Jaune. "Really?"

As a sample, she quickly spun herself with one leg before launching herself into the air, performing a perfect aerial.

While Jaune whistled in admiration, Ruby continued where she left off:

"When my mother was a teenager, she took a large interest in acrobatics. Hell, based on what the stories Yang and I were told, our mother was even part of the circus for a time. Apparently, she worked alongside a nice couple called 'The Flying Graysons'. I managed to mix the training I learned alongside some acrobatic stunts my mother performed. The art of 'Tricking', as most martial artists call it."

"Wow, that's…actually a lot more touching than I thought." said Jaune before a realization struck him. "Wait, is that what you'll be teaching me?"

Ruby shook her head. "No. What I am teaching you is slipping and weaving. While that shield of yours would be able to block incoming attacks, it's better to try avoiding them. That way, you can have more options for a counterattack before they strike again."

"Now, try to hit me."

Following Ruby's suggestion, Jaune threw a punch at her. Before it made contact, Ruby slipped past his fist and thwacked the back of his knee, forcing him down. As the blonde winced in pain, he felt something long and cold pressed down on the back of his head.

"Case and Point." said Ruby before withdrawing her sticks and helping her friend up.

As the pair readied once more for another spar, the sound of approaching footsteps caught their attention. Approaching them was the same bunny faunus student that Jaune tried to help a couple days prior.

"Um, hello. Not sure if either of you recognize me-"

"You're the girl I tried helping during Lunch." answered Jaune.

"With half-success, might I add." Ruby added.

The bunny girl blushed a bit at recognition. "So you do remember me…I'm Velvet, by the way"

"Jaune"

"Ruby"

"It's nice meeting you both. I just want to thank you for standing up for me."

"Please, I saw someone in need and wanted to do something about it" assured Jaune.

Before Velvet could say another word, Ruby interrupted. "Wait, I don't recognize you from any of the first year teams."

"..Oh…well…" Velvet turned her head away, not wanting them to see her ashamed. "That's because I'm part of the second year teams."

The revelation startled the duo. That meant…

"Why did you let Cardin do that to you? Aren't the second years supposed to be our seniors?" asked Jaune, who was clearly confused about the situation she was in.

"It's…actually a lot more complex than it should be." Velvet's bunny deflated. "Because of recent White Fang activities, everybody has become very twitchy around Faunus. It's hard to discern those who are members or in support of the White Fang movement."

"So, had I fought back, I would've easily been branded as someone who supported the White Fang."

The duo felt sympathy for Velvet and her predicament. While they might not know what Velvet went through, they at least understood her struggle.

"Well, you don't have to worry about defending yourself anymore." Jaune said as he glanced at Ruby. "So long as there are people like us around, we won't let that happen."

The girls smiled at Jaune's optimism. It was nice to see someone who was noble and valiant in dire times. Honestly, it kinda reminded Ruby of herself during her Robin years. That, and…yeah. Seeing that she accomplished what she set out for, Velvet thought it was best to leave them be.

"Well, thank you again for what you both did." said Velvet, genuinely smiling at them both. "Oh, and I'm sorry if I was interrupting anything before I got here."

As they said their farewells, Ruby waited until the bunny faunus was out of earshot before looking towards Jaune. "So, where were we?" she rhetorically asked with a small sadistic smile.

Jaune could only sigh and readied himself for another spar. This is gonna be painful.

"So, what do you think so far?"

Ruby asked Pyrrha as they watched Jaune training his defensive stance with his shield. The point of this training was to make sure Jaune was able to keep his formation whenever he takes a hit. It's because of this they asked the help of one of the strongest people they knew, Nora Valkyrie and her hammer, "Magnhild".

*KLUNK* "Come on, fearless leader!" *WHAM* "If you can block a hammer, you can a sword!" *KLANK*

Jaune continued to stagger back before returning to his defensive position. Once in position, Nora would return to banging his shield as hard as she could…or at least what they believed was her hardest. This cycle would continue until Ruby or Pyrrha said otherwise.

"I have to say, Jaune is learning quite fast actually." Pyrrha complimented, noticing that Jaune staggered less frequently than when he started. "He's certainly learning this quicker than with his sword training."

Ruby snorted. "Perhaps it's because he knows the consequences if he doesn't."

"Did I say you can quit!"

*BANG*

"Gah!"

The girls could only sweatdrop at Nora's enthusiasm and dedication. Perhaps she was a bit too dedicated.

Although he willingly subjected himself to the harsh training of both Pyrrha and Ruby, Jaune couldn't help but savor the moments where he was allowed to rest. The none-stop training was always physically and psychologically taxing. Which was why he made use of his free-time whenever he could.

"What ya reading there, vomit boy?" Yang asked while she and the rest of team RWBY took their seats in the cafeteria.

Looking up from his comic book, Jaune grinned and showed them the cover. "Why, the newest issue of X-Ray and Vav!"

"What?!" Almost everyone was shocked when Weiss Schnee, of all people, pushed past Yang to get a better look at the comic. "But they're completely sold out until the end of next month! How did you get a copy!?"

While the blonde knight and the heiress talked about the comic, Yang brushed herself off and took a seat next to her partner, having been quite amused seeing another side of the Schnee. "Huh, never took her as someone who likes comic books."

"I never took her as someone who was fond of superheroes," Blake added.

Having overheard the conversation, Weiss was quick to defend herself. "I'll have you know, there is nothing wrong with being fond of heroes! Living in the same kingdom of the greatest superhero in Remnant, it's quite common among people of Atlas."

A little bit away, RWBY's team leader nearly choked on her meal. Thankfully, nobody noticed.

"Really now?" Yang smirked before turning her sights to Ruby. "Hey Rubes! Who's your favorite superhero in Atlas?"

"Technically, they're more vigilantes than heroes."

"Same difference, Blakey."

Ruby internally groaned and cursed at Yang. She did her best to keep quiet and stay out of the topic, only for her sister to drag her into it.

"I think Bar-, uh, Batgirl is quite cool."

"Nice," Jaune complimented. "I might sound generic, but my favorite's gotta be Batman."

Weiss scoffed at their choices. "Please, I believe Robin to be the better choice of the three."

This time, Ruby did choke on her meal, and got everyone's attention.

Fortunately, Yang knew the heimlich maneuver, much to the chagrin of her sister's back.

"Ouch!"

"Again!"

Word of Jaune's training eventually made it to team RWBY and JNPR, all thanks to Nora. While most wished him luck and even offered study group sessions to help his grades, it was surprisingly Weiss who offered her services in swordfighting. What she was currently doing was teaching Jaune how to parry and counter.

Weiss, once more, thrusted her rapier towards her opponent. Jaune attempted to parry the blade away, only for it to go through and poke him straight into his chestplate.

"You attempted to parry with the flat of the blade." Weiss reprimanded him. "Use the edge if you want a successful parry. Now, again!"

Off to the side, once again, Pyrrha and Ruby stood and watched. However, instead of discussing the training in front of them, they were more worried of what's to come the very next day.

"Tomorrow's Combat class." Pyrrha said aloud.

"I know."

"Cardin and his team were cleared for Combat Practice earlier this week."

"I'm aware."

"You know what he's going to do right?"

Ruby remained silent, but Pyrrha knew that she was fully aware. In fact, it was almost as she had been…

Once the realization dawned on the amazonian, the ex-vigilante spoke. "This would be Jaune's last chance to actually prove himself to us. If the fight tomorrow shows that he made no progress, I won't hesitate to kick Jaune out of here myself."

Hearing that got Pyrrha worried even more than she already was. While she may be his partner and 'tutor', there would be nothing she could do once the time had come. The red-head prayed for whatever deity out there to help her friend (crush).

"Settle down everyone!"

Glynda Goodwitch boomed as she got everyone's attention. "I'm sure by now you are all aware how my class works, so allow me to skip the formalities and begin by choosing from the lots."

The day had finally come. Combat Class with Professor Goodwitch and the day after team CRDL were given the greenlight to perform any physical activities. That included combat class.

Jaune wouldn't normally be worried, as he already knew what team CRDL, or at least Cardin, was going to do with him. No, what he was most definitely worried about was his performance during the fight itself. He overheard the conversation Ruby and Pyrrha had the previous day, and the consequences of a loss scared the ever living hell out of him. Since then, dread slowly built within him just until he took a seat in Combat Class.

"First sparring pair would be…once again…Jaune Arc vs Cardin Winchester."

Hearing his name had struck the absolute fear to his insides. He couldn't help but look towards team CRDL to only see the smirking face of one Cardin Winchester. It wouldn't surprise him if Cardin had placed their pair more than once in the pairing lot.

Each step Jaune took down the stairs was another step out the doors of Beacon Academy. Anxiety and terror continued to shake him as he got his weapons and headed straight for the arena. Once there, he already saw Cardin waiting for him there, menacingly swinging his weapon around and around. A wide smirk plastered on his face while he did it.

Jaune couldn't help but take a sharp breath and closed his eyes. His mind immediately went into overdrive as thousands of negative thoughts circulated through his head.

This is it. This is where my journey ends. I'm going to be exposed and return empty handed. My family would look at me with disappointment. I'll be-

"You can do it Jaune!"

"Break his legs!"

"Wooo! Go Vomit Boy!"

His thoughts were interrupted as his head quickly turned to the stands.

Cheering him on was not only his team, but also team RWBY and even, surprisingly, Velvet. While Nora and Yang held up a sign that showed both their team names, Ren and Blake held small flags that had his name plastered on them while Weiss (while embarrassed by their loudest members crude approach) and Velvet showed their own support by doing a thumbs-up. When his gaze shifted to Pyrrha and Ruby, he saw them give him a big smile and nod respectively.

'Do your best.' Pyrrha mouthed from her position.

Confidence and a new drive to win filled his entire body. Now was not a time for fear. If he was going down, he might as well go down fighting.

With his shield raised and his sword unsheathed, Jaune prepared himself for a fight of his life.

"Begin!"

Sorry for the long wait. I have re-edited almost the entire story (Omakes included) by fixing some errors, rewrote some scenes, and even adding more scenes to enhance aspects of the story. Volume 1 of the story is almost about to wrap up so I hope ya'll enjoy this in the mean time. I would like to thank you all for the support, please leave a review or a comment on the story, and I hope you enjoy.

I do not own any of the characters. All characters and names used are owned by either Rooster Teeth and Detective Comics (DC).