(A/N)
Dragonslayer has pulled ahead of the majority, Lancaster is in second place! The battle of the sisters it seems.
Cheshirek3t: For the average Hunter Mech, It probably be around a 3. Aura suits that pilots wear are around a 1 and there are some specialized armor that's a 10!
Essiter: I'm happy you enjoy the interactions :D
(?)
"KEEP WORKING YA DIRTY FANUS" The man shouted, His whip crackling in the air and his putrid breath making all the workers nearby grimace. But they dared not do anything for they could not afford to lose their jobs. It was the only thing that has kept them afloat and even then. They have barely been able to survive.
"WHAT ARE YOU SLACKING OFF FOR? YA WANT ANOTHER MARK ON YA BACK?" The man shouted again, Spittle flying everywhere as he crept closer and closer to a little Faunus boy with sunken eyes who was slumped on the ground exhausted. No remorse in his beady eyes as he raised the whip with a demented smile before a whistle caught his ears.
"Over here blud" A voice whispered and the man turned his head just enough to see a tree branch as thick as his head flying towards him before his head was turned into mist. flakes of red splattering around and making the workers screaming out in fear and crawling away from the headless body. Their work forgotten and their pickaxes thrown haphazardly around them.
"Oi, little one. You alright?"
The boy turned to see an meancing armor made of black and white plates of metals that has seen it's fair share of battles. Dings and scratch marks scattering all over the place. It wasn't until the Helmet was taken off that he realized what he was staring at was actually a Pilot, A White Fang Pilot.
"He didn't hurt you too bad did he? We are here to free you from the human's grasp." The man in front of him said. His hand moving behind his waist and bringing out some type of packaging. When the package was tore open, The boy realized what the pilot held in his hands.
"Rations..." The Faunus boy muttered out, and in a moment of pure instinct and hunger, lunged for the rations. The pilot allowed the starving boy to scarf down the rations before opening his communication channels, "Alpha 1, This is Lieutenant. I've infiltrated the base"
"Anything worth it's weight in gold?" The deep and masculine tone that the Lieutenant has grown used to over the past few years asked over the open channel. A short static burst let the two know that someone else has opened their line, "Besides our brothers and sisters? I doubt it"
"I agree Brother Shane" Lieutenant snorted as he unholstered his chainsaw and revved it up before turning to the little boy who stared at the lieutenant in awe.
"Come little one. Let's enjoy the slaughter"
"For this is just the beginning"
(Jaune)
"Headmaster? You wanted to talk to me?" Jaune asked as he entered the office, His eyes flickering through the numerous objects that the headmaster kept in his office. Many selections of famous and infamous titles sat within the Headmaster's collection.
"Yes Mr. Arc, Please take a seat" Ozpin said cheerfully while gesturing at the comfortable leather seat in front of him, The headmaster didn't seem to be in a hurry as Jaune nodded slowly and sat down. His heart pounding as he ran through all the possible reasons why the headmaster would've called him up to the office with one floating quickly to the top.
Did Ozpin find out? Jaune thought curiously as he tried to steel his nerves but the looming threat of expulsion and potential imprisonment made that action a lot harder to do as Jaune waited for Ozpin to explain why only he was called there.
"Care for a game of chess Mr. Arc?" Ozpin asked as he brought out a set of chess pieces from within the desk. The tabletop displaying a board for them to place the pieces. Jaune quickly accepted the headmaster's offer. He quickly realized that he had the white pieces and glanced at the headmaster who seemed none too bothered by this fact.
I haven't played this game in so long Jaune thought fondly as he stared at the board, It didn't seem like the headmaster wanted a regular timed match but rather a match of pure intellect and skill, Allowing Jaune to take as much time as he needed to make his moves.
I'll just go for a regular e4 e5 line then Jaune thought as he shifted his pawn forward two spaces. Initiating the match with a standard King's opening, A small smile appearing on Ozpin's feature as he responded with moving his g7 pawn forward. An unorthodox move for Jaune to see although not a strange response as Jaune continued.
"Why was I called here?" Jaune asked as he moved his knight to defend the center pawn. Another standard move as Ozpin took a glance at the board and shifted his dark square bishop to where the pawn previously, Activating the piece and threatening a trade of his knight. Jaune raised an eyebrow as he continued to fortify his center, Pushing another pawn forward. Simultaneously taking the center and stopping the threat of his knight being taken.
"Humor this elderly man with a chess match first wouldn't you? Questions can come later"
Ozpin chuckled as he moved the pawn in front of his queen forward. Jaune analyzed the board quickly and tried to think of anything the headmaster could be plotting. Any blunder that could be just a brilliant trap in disguise. When Jaune couldn't find anything. He decided to bring his other knight out and follow the basis of chess. Fortify your center if your opponent doesn't.
"Interesting" Ozpin hummed as he brought out his own Knight, Mimicking Jaune's move before looking up at him. His eyes gleaming with curiosity as to what Jaune would do next, Jaune brought a hand up to his chin before bringing his white square bishop into the fray and once again, Fortifying his center.
Ozpin didn't say anything, Instead opting to bring another pawn forward, Not threatening anything yet seeming to suspiciously innocent for it to just be an filler move. Jaune glanced at the elderly man's expression and only found one of pure tranquil escribed onto the headmaster's features. Jaune sighed silently and brought out the pawn in front of his rook. Curious as to what the headmaster would do.
"Ah..."
Ozpin muttered softly before sliding his rook over, placing it behind the bishop he shifted eight moves ago. His silver eyes gleaming excitedly to see Jaune's next move, Jaune responded by shifting his Queen forward. A small move yet a move that had the headmaster curious nonetheless. The headmaster began pushing his pawn after this as Jaune brought out his other bishop.
"Here." Jaune whispered to himself as he placed his bishop in the corner of the enemy frontline, the queen protecting his piece as he leaned back in the chair. Waiting for the headmaster's next move. Jaune needn't wait long as Ozpin shifted his knight behind Jaune's bishop.
"Didn't fall for it... Just like I expected" Jaune muttered disappointingly as he traded the bishops. Jaune's positions are still more favorable and advantageous but losing material just didn't sit right with him.
"I'll castle" Jaune announced as he quickly swapped the two pieces with one hand, Ozpin looked at the board before quietly nodding and quickly moving his remaining bishop to threaten his king-side knight, Jaune responded in kind by defending it with his own bishop.
Jaune watched in confusion as the headmaster moved his king to the empty space in front of his queen, seemingly a blunder as Jaune examined the board in greater details. The headmaster's pieces were all defended and yet he chose to move his king, Losing his right to castle queenside and putting his king in an disadvantageous spot.
"hm."
Jaune kept his mouth shut as he slid his queen to threaten the rook and as he predicted, Ozpin shifted the piece back. Not willing to get one of his pieces taken. Jaune utilized this and put the headmaster's pieces in check. From that point on it was just Jaune scoring pieces after pieces. A tempo having been established with Jaune being the winner of the match.
"Good match Mister Arc, Very good match in fact" Ozpin applauded as he set the pieces back to their rightful positions and flipping the board around so that the white pieces were in front of him. It seemed like the professor wanted another match with Jaune. "Let's have another match"
Ozpin shifted his e4 pawn over and quickly began the game with the Queen's pawn opening but just as Jaune was about to move his own pieces, Ozpin cleared his throat and made the blond leader of JNPR freeze.
"Let's make this interesting Mr. Arc, Let's say... Ms. Rose and Ms. Schnee are your bishops, Ms. Xiao-long and Ms. Valkyrie your rooks. Mr. Ren and Ms. Belladonna as your knights and your partner as your queen."
Jaune quickly narrowed his eyes at the declarations and his mind quickly came up with a thousand questions but he picked one that pierced the clouds of thought.
"Would I be able to promote pawns into the other pieces?" Jaune asked as Ozpin smiled brilliantly and shook his head, An uncomfortable feeling draping over Jaune's shoulder as he watched the headmaster interlock his fingers and wait for Jaune to make his moves. Jaune simply responded with a textbook move. A few moves went by and Jaune found it becoming more and more difficult to defend his pieces without moving his backline.
Until it happened, He shifted Wei- His bishop to defend his knight and felt his heart freeze as the headmaster took the piece with his own, Jaune sighed quietly as he shifted his queen forward to trade the pieces.
"Hm..." The headmaster hummed with an indescribable expression before shifting another pawn forward. Jaune responded by threatening the headmaster's knights with his light-square bishop. The headmaster raised an eyebrow and placed his knight forward, defended by the first pawn he moved.
A few more moves passed by as the two traded pawns and threatened pieces and then Jaune played a move that turned to be an mistake. Just like that, Both bishops were removed from the board and Jaune felt a slight annoyance at the sight of it. A feeling he didn't fully understood but annoyed him regardless of reason. Another few moves later and Jaune blundered his rook. A frown quickly appearing and etching itself onto the young man's features as the headmaster moved his pieces with a calm and serene feel. As if the losses of his pieces didn't bother him whatsoever
And just like that, Jaune slowly found himself in a losing position, Both Ruby and Weiss was gone from the board, Blake and Nora was killed because of his careless mistakes and the headmaster took advantage of his positioning and hasty defenses to pin his king and place Jaune in a Zugzwang.
"Your performance in that match dropped by quite a lot Mr. Arc." Ozpin commented, His eyebrows quirked as Jaune frowned. It wasn't that he was expecting to defeat a well known strategist that have been credit for various ingenious maneuvers performed by the Valean army but he blundered so much so that a beginner could have beaten him.
"You have to know when to make a sacrifice, Jaune." Ozpin said gently as Jaune looked up towards the headmaster in confusion before Ozpin gave the boy a sad smile, "Good strategists brings everyone home alive, The best strategist wins the war."
"I- I don't understand." Jaune lied, He knew what Ozpin was telling him. He knew very well what Ozpin was telling him. But he refused to belief it, Jaune refused to choose. if he couldn't save everyone and bring them home? Then he don't want to be the best strategist.
"You do understand Jaune. That's why I chose you despite your records." Ozpin said softly, Taking a calm sip of his tea as he watched Jaune's expression turn from determination into horror. "Yes, I knew."
"T-Then why?" Jaune asked as Ozpin chuckled and set the tea cup onto the table in front of him and leaned in, "Because I saw in you a future that I haven't seen in decades, Jaune."
"what?"
"You have an incredible strategic mind, Coming up and eliminating plans by the hundreds if not thousands, Running through scenario so fast that you believe it's your instinct! Do you know how raw and incredible that intellectual prowess is?" Ozpin explained, His voice passionate and his gaze piercing. It felt like the headmaster was scanning Jaune's very soul.
"But you are still unmolded, Raw, Your potential has yet to be hammered out and forged. It's untampered." Ozpin continued, His stare no less intense and his tone no less passionate about this, Jaune swallowed his nervousness and asked, "How do you temper... potential?"
"Experience." Ozpin answered simply, Jaune slowly nodded as he thought about his options and came down to the only obvious response, "So let experience temper me like it did with you. I assumed that it tempered you because... well... yeah."
Ozpin chuckled at the sight of Jaune fumbling his words and ending up with his foot in his mouth. "And let you see your friends die before you like I did? Let you feel the burden of dealing with their death because you refused to take risks? allow you to follow the path I did to become this jaded, shell of a man? I refuse."
Jaune blinked in surprise. He knew that being a hunter was a deadly profession, He never realized just how devastating it actually would be. The headmaster stood and walked to the window that overlooks Beacon's campus. The sun casting a beautiful golden light over the land as Jaune stared at his headmaster.
"Beacon will teach you everything you need to know as a hunter, How to fight, How to train, How to be a hunter." Ozpin said as he stood and turned to look outside of his window. Jaune turned to look with Ozpin, At how the sunlight shone so magnificently onto the city of Vale below them and how it lit up the campus to make it look even more ethereal.
"I. Will teach you how to make sacrifices, How to take risks. And how to be a strategist. The BEST. Strategist"
2,502 words
Whew, Long time since I updated this fic but whatchu think?
Comments are welcome and appreciated!