There's a lot of speculation about what's going to happen with Jaune and Pyrrha reuniting. Wait no longer! I can tell you for sure that it is indeed very awkward. Hopefully, Mercury hasn't poisoned Pyrrha too badly because she's an outcast at Beacon. As for Jaune finally being back at Beacon, he will have the chance to meet old enemies, new friends, and maybe someone can tell Ruby what she really wants her relationship to be with Jaune. Also, don't forget that Raven, being the terrible person she is to, told Jaune and Qrow about Salem's immortality. Ozpin has some explaining to do.
Thanks to nBappo for betaing for me again.
If you continue to enjoy my stories, feel free to check out my p a treon.
P a treon . com (Slash) DarkBetrayer
Disclaimer: I do not own RWBY.
"Daaamn, Vomit Boy." Yang finally took a few moments to observe Jaune. "Looking good. Ruby mentioned you got some new threads, but without any details."
"I'm just glad they had some variety at the Atlas base." Jaune laughed, holding up his long jacket with one hand as if examining it. "And some color. Might have been all gray and white. Was worried they would get stained the moment we started on a trail."
"Sounding a bit like a housewife there." Yang snickered.
"Be nice, Yang!" Ruby warned, her tone sharp.
"Yeah, Jaune-Jaune looks awesome." Nora agreed, nodding sagely. "But he's our leader after all, so he had to look the part."
"Your outfit reminds me of Winter's uniform." Penny added cheerfully. "While the color scheme and dimensions may be different, Atlas uniforms tend to follow general guidelines."
"Weiss, you've been quiet." Ruby turned to her bestie. "That's unusual for you."
"Hey!" Weiss protested and then relaxed back to her regular demeanor. "I'm just surprised Arc actually looks somewhat professional."
"Thanks, Snow Angel." Jaune teased with a smile.
"Stop calling me that! You have had that drunk rub off on you too much!"
Qrow had actually gone ahead of them to have a conversation with Ozpin, and the eight young adults were leisurely strolling through Beacon's campus. Prior to their excursion, they had made a brief stop at the dormitories for Jaune and Ruby to slip into their uniforms and securely store their weapons in the locker rooms. Pyrrha's absence had started to cause a bit of concern for Jaune, but his attention was too consumed to dwell on it extensively. Though the boy couldn't help but keep his eyes peeled, hoping to catch a glimpse of his partner. Once the groups were finally reunited, the two teams were more engrossed in reconnecting than anything else. It was truly remarkable how effortlessly they all managed to gather together. The frequent phone calls certainly played a significant role in keeping them all informed about current events.
"Do you think Professor Goodwitch will care if we just show up to class without warning?" Ruby asked the group.
"No, she's mentioned before that once we all start doing missions regularly, it's to be expected that when we return, to jump back into our class schedules," Ren explained. "If anything, it might put you two in her good graces that you immediately went to class."
"Well, that's a relief," Jaune said with a grin. "Maybe she won't be as tough on me."
"She never yelled at you, Jaune. It was just really tough feedback." Nora couldn't help but chime in
Everyone laughed, even Penny, who didn't quite get the joke and just followed suit. In the midst of the laughter, Weiss noticed that Blake wasn't laughing. She seemed to be giving Jaune a serious look, which was odd considering their history. Weiss slowed down and moved closer to the raven haired girl.
"Blake? Everything okay? You've been kind of quiet."
"It's fine, just thinking." Blake replied and then muttered a few words under her breath. "Just contemplating murder."
Okay, Weiss must have misheard that and decided not to question it.
"Can't wait to see you two show off in class," Yang continued. "You must have really improved a lot, right Vomit Boy?"
"How long are you going to call me that?" Jaune sighed heavily. "I offered to pay for new shoes."
"Hmmm, how about when you can beat me in a spar?" Yang smirked back. "That's a good goal post for you."
"Based on Yang's current skill level and the skill level I witnessed with Jaune back in Atlas, I do not believe enough time has passed for Jaune to be able to defeat you in one on one combat." Penny explained. "In group combat, the results will be more uncertain."
"That's actually rather heartening, thanks Penny." Jaune told her gratefully. The fact he could contribute to a group fight was a huge step up from where he started.
"You are most welcome, Jaune."
Ruby and Jaune both noticed that Penny had stopped using adjectives in referring to them like friend, or in Jaune's case, boyfriend. They had explained to her she didn't need to use those descriptors, but it hadn't fully sunk in. Being at Beacon and hanging out with Ruby's team helped her learn to speak a little more normally. Penny still had a slightly awkward way of talking, but she was improving by leaps and bounds.
"We'll have to develop some awesome team combos." Nora declared firmly. "Right, Ren?"
"Jaune does have some with Ruby, so it does seem fair." Ren agreed with a small grin.
"I'll see what I can do." Jaune promised.
"I can't wait to show off everything I've learned!' Ruby fist pumped. "Goodwitch is going to be so shocked when she sees how much I've progressed."
"Awww, my little sis is going to be a kickass Huntress in no time." Yang squeezed her in a one arm hug.
"I already am one!" Ruby pushed her off. "Don't treat me like a kid!"
"Ruby is very exceptional for her age and is far beyond most students." Penny added. "Huntsman Qrow is also a very capable fighter and has passed on many good techniques and skills to her and Jaune."
"I still find that hard to believe." Weiss mumbled to herself. Even with her sister complimenting Jaune and Ruby's progress, believing that drunk of an uncle was some top Huntsman was really hard to accept. "I trust in Ruby's skills though. She has proven she can fight."
"Aww, I knew you cared!"
"Hug me again and I'm freezing you."
"So, Vomit Boy!" Yang threw an arm over Jaune's shoulder this time. "Ruby tells me you've become a ladies man. That true?"
"What?!" Jaune spun around to face Ruby. "What are you telling her?"
"Nothing!" Ruby looked away as Weiss facepalmed.
"Didn't you kiss someone recently?" Yang asked with a smirk, glancing between her sister and the boy.
"What happened between me and Kali was an accident and will never happen again!" Jaune protested quickly, trying to push Yang off him..
"Probably should pick your words a little better." Ren muttered as Nora laughed loudly. She wasn't the only one, as Yang burst out laughing too at Jaune's denial.
"Oh, I remember when Winter said Jaune would be popular with the ladies." Penny reminisced, which left Ruby and Weiss looking horrified. Nora seized the opportunity to playfully smack Jaune on the back as Yang burst into even louder laughter. Even Ren couldn't help but crack a smile. Jaune groaned and resigned himself to being the target of the jokes. It was reminiscent of old times, and none of them intended to hurt his feelings. In fact, Penny was merely highlighting Jaune's popularity.
Only one person didn't share in the humor.
"Yep, he needs to die." Blake whispered to herself as she eyed the back of Jaune's head, her hand reaching for her hip before remembering her weapon was in her locker.
They were passing the cafeteria as they were slowly heading toward class, when a sound caused them to stop.
"Ow! Stop it!"
The door was open and Cardin was standing inside by a table with his team. Between them, was Velvet, a poor quiet rabbit Faunus with long brown hair and ears. She was trying to throw her trash away and Cardin was pulling on her ears. The rest of his team were laughing as their leader mocked her.
"Man, these have to be fake right?" The bully asked the others. "They can't be real."
"Maybe if you pull them really hard they will come off," Russel pointed out with a laugh. He was the guy with a bright green mohawk.
"Tsk, those bastards." Yang clicked her tongue angrily.
A blur passed by her before she could say anything else.
"Oi, Cardin! What the hell do you think you're doing?!"
Cardin looked up in so much shock, he actually let Velvet go. He wasn't the only one staring. Those that knew Jaune all looked up at the scene in surprise too. All the transfer students who didn't know him were probably staring because he just shouted in the middle of the cafeteria. Many people seemed to have been ignoring Velvet's plight, but couldn't anymore.
"Jauney boy?" Cardin looked him up and down as he regained his composure. "They let you back in? Didn't think Beacon's standards were so low they would accept you because you changed clothes. Well, I guess they couldn't detect your fake transcripts in the first place." The rest of Cardin's team snickered from behind him.
"Well, they let you in, so maybe you have a point.' Jaune shot back. "But you're right, I can't really talk about that." He made a fist and addressed the real issue. "What the hell were you bullying Velvet for!"
"Relax, dude." Cardin shrugged. "It's just animal taming."
"Bullshit!"
"If you're so upset, why don't you do something?" Cardin asked, stepping up and poking Jaune in the chest.
Jaune looked right into Cardin's eyes, before shrugging.
And delivered the fist right into the bully's face.
Cardin didn't expect that. He was used to Jaune and other people being pushovers, so the sudden attack took him by surprise. It was something Qrow would do and Jaune had spent a lot of time around his teacher. Of course, hand to hand combat had been limited as Qrow had been focused on sword skills, but the sudden attack caused Cardin to stumble backwards, falling onto a table. The boy wiped his face with his hand and stared at the red liquid on it.
"Kill that asshole!" He roared to his team.
Russel, along with Dove and Sky charged forward and Jaune was a little worried about his chance at success. Anger had overwhelmed his common sense for a moment. Team CRDL were Huntsman students so they weren't weak and four on one wasn't looking good for him. Until backup arrived into two unlikely sources, though Jaune should have realized how likely they would be to join in on a fight.
"Woo hoo!" Nora jumped over Jaune and kicked Dove over three tables. "Good to have you back, fearless leader!"
"Maybe I will drop the Vomit Boy title!" Yang laughed as she punched Russel in the face, causing him to smash into a table, causing other students to bail.
Sky punched Jaune in the side of the face, but his Aura flashed, and all that happened was that the attacker felt like he was punching a steel wall. Jaune grabbed his shoulders and pulled him forward, kneeing him in the stomach.
At that point, Cardin was charging forward, but a red blur zipped past him, and then a bowl of soggy cereal was smashed in his face right before the blur tripped him. Cardin stumbled and then fell down onto the floor with a loud thud. People were cheering, and Ruby stood up on an unbroken table, raising her hand in victory as Weiss rubbed the bridge of her nose at the display. Blake, however, seemed rather pleased at the event, and her only regret was that she didn't jump in.
Though the victory was short lived.
"WHAT IS GOING ON HERE?!"
Glynda Goodwitch had arrived and all the combatants found themselves floating in the air as she activated her telekinetic ability. She looked furious and all fun that was had quickly vanished into the void.
"I can't believe you all would start a fist fight in the middle of the cafeteria!" Glynda's fist smashed on her desk as Jaune, Ruby, Nora, Yang, and Team CRDL cowered in their chairs in front of her. "Mr. Arc, Miss Rose! I would never have expected this from you two."
"He started it!" Ruby pointed at Cardin.
"Arc attacked me out of nowhere!" Cardin instantly countered. "We were just defending ourselves."
"Because you were bullying Velvet!" Jaune shouted back.
"We were just talking." Russel told a bold face lie. "You showed up and made a big deal out of nothing."
"Bullshit!" Yang growled.
"ENOUGH!" Everyone went silent as Glynda cut them off. "I have an idea of what happened, but violence in these sacred halls outside of class has no business here. You all have detention." Nora and Yang opened their mouths to complain. "No buts or you're getting double. Now head to class. Obviously I've been too lax on you all if you have this much energy." Her eyes traveled back to Ruby and Jaune. "Mr. Arc, Miss Rose. I understand traveling outside the cities can be rough, but you need to remember to keep things civil within these walls. Understand?"
"But…!" Ruby protested.
"Understand?"
"Yes, ma'am." Ruby hung her head as Cardin grinned, finally glad they were being shut down. He was a little annoyed Jaune didn't get in trouble for sucker punching him, but he also escaped scot free from bullying Velvet. So things weren't that bad.
"You may leave." Glynda gestured to the door and it opened automatically. "Do not let me catch you fighting again."
Team CRDL quickly left, glad they didn't get into trouble for their fun. Nora was glaring at them as she followed and Yang put her hands behind her head, whistling, as she had a lot of fun during that brawl. Detention was nothing for her and totally worth it. Ruby slowly got up and seemed upset at the outcome. She got in trouble for helping someone being bullied. It just wasn't fair. While she didn't say anything, Jaune could read her mind just from her expression. He was the last one to leave and the boy stopped at the door.
"What is it, Mr. Arc?" Glynda asked.
"Should we have just let Cardin bully someone for being a Faunus?" Jaune asked softly, so no one else down the hall heard him. "Is that what Beacon wants us to do?"
"Bullying is against the rules too," Glynda reminded him. "If you had not reacted with violence against another student and I saw him doing it, he would be the only one in detention. And possibly more."
"But he's been bullying people publicly since the beginning of the year!" Jaune protested. "He's still doing it!"
Glynda sighed and looked up at him, her eyes narrowing slightly behind her glasses.
"Miss Scarlatina is a very capable Huntress. Should she choose to, she could easily make Team CRDL regret their actions in only a few minutes."
The boy stared at her in shock at the information.
"Rules are rules and I can't just punish people based on accusations." Glynda continued. "We need proof. And if a Huntsman or Huntress can't stand up for themselves or others, then how can they stand up against the endless hordes of Grimm we face every day."
It finally sunk in what Beacon's policy really was.
"You let them so others can stand up-..." Jaune began to accuse.
"If you were at a normal school, you would have been expelled for your actions." For the first time today, a shadow of a grin graced Glynda's lips. "A detention seems like a small punishment for what would easily constitute assault. A detention you might not even get a chance to take as Qrow might need to leave at a moment's notice with you and Miss Rose."
Relief flooded over Jaune. Beacon wasn't ignoring the bullying and racism under their roof. Though, if Velvet really could knock some sense into Cardin's team, why didn't she do it? Maybe he could talk to her if he got the chance, though he didn't know exactly how he would approach that.
'Hey, Velvet! I heard you can kick Cardin's ass all day. Why don't you?'
Yeah, that would be awkward.
"Okay…" Jaune replied, not sure how he should react to this new information. "I'll see you in class then?"
"Don't be late," Glynda warned, her voice light. "But off the record, Mr. Arc? Good job."
Jaune felt a lot better as he left her office.
The moment didn't last long. Jaune never had a chance to share what had happened in Glynda's office with his friends before they hurriedly made their way to her classroom. Once there, they settled into their seats, with Team RWBY one row above and Team JNPR below. Jaune had saved a seat next to him, but Pyrrha's absence instantly soured his mood with worry. There were only a few minutes left until the bell, and Pyrrha wasn't known for being late.
About thirty seconds before the bell rang, the door swung open, revealing Pyrrha engaged in conversation with a silver-haired boy Jaune didn't recognize. The guy seemed pretty cool, and Pyrrha's laughter filled the air. She obviously liked the guy. Pyrrha then glanced up and locked eyes with Jaune.
Her face flushed, mirroring the fiery shade of her hair, and her green eyes darted away.
Jaune's ears burned as he stared at the table.
This was proving to be even tougher than he had anticipated, and he knew it wouldn't be easy to begin with. Pyrrha waved goodbye to her new friend and made her way up the steps. To Jaune's relief, she did choose the seat next to him. Both of them were keenly aware of Team RWBY, Nora, and Ren, trying not to overtly watch them. No words were exchanged between the two partners, and Jaune realized it was up to him to break the ice. Taking a deep breath, he discreetly pinched his leg under the table.
"Can we talk tonight? Alone?"
"O-Okay…" Pyrrha whispered back softly, staring straight ahead.
Neither of them could have said anymore, even if they were capable, because the bell rang right after her response, and Glynda walked into the classroom.
"Good morning class!" Glynda greeted them all as she stepped forward. "I hope everyone has been practicing. We're going to hop right into the sparring matches today. As usual, the time limit will be five minutes or until one combatant's Aura reaches 30%. Attacking after someone's Aura reaches that threshold will incur my wrath. We had a couple close calls and I didn't think I would need to emphasize that point."
Nora looked away and whistled innocently.
"Our first match will be…" Glynda looked at her tablet. "Mr. Winchester versus Mr. Arc!"
"Oh, looks like it's time for the normal butt whooping." Cardin laughed, standing up.
Jaune rose to his feet, but words eluded him for the moment. Instead, his gaze locked on Glynda's. She was giving him an opportunity to demonstrate what he had learned and perhaps teach a lesson to a bully. Glynda couldn't possibly know the extent of Jaune's improvement, but even if he were to lose, she could gauge his progress compared to what she remembered of him before he embarked on his apprenticeship. As he descended the steps to retrieve his gear from the locker room, he felt the weight of curious eyes upon him. Most of these onlookers had never even heard of him until he caused a scene earlier. Now, many wondered who this newcomer was. In the past, such attention would have rattled the old Jaune.
But today was different.
The young man's focus was unwavering, locked onto a singular goal: teaching Cardin a lesson. That bully needed to understand that tormenting people, especially because they were Faunus, was entirely unacceptable. It was time to employ all the rigorous training that had tested his mind and body over the past month. If Jaune were to lose, it would be a resounding disappointment to those who believed in him—his team, Ruby, Qrow...
"Sup, kid. Heard you had fun already."
Jaune had been pulling his stuff out of his locker and jumped when a man spoke up from behind him.
"Qrow!?" Jaune spun around. "You heard?"
"Hard not to," His mentor chuckled. "Glynda told me about it after you left. Ozpin is currently in Vale dealing with an emergency with the Council, so I thought I would see how you're doing. Imagine my surprise when I find out you attacked another student. You have got to control that temper."
"He was being a racist asshole." Jaune muttered.
"And now you're fighting him," Qrow peaked out around the lockers to see Cardin heading back to the ring. "Listen, we don't have much time, so answer fast. What do you want to do?"
"Kick his butt."
"Anything else?" Qrow pushed, trying to be patient and stressing urgency simultaneously.
"To show him… that he can't just bully people and expect to get away with it, that there are people that are stronger than him who can do the same thing he's doing. Look down at him and mock him for being weak so he knows how it feels." Jaune struggled to find the right words.
"Hmm, there might be a way you can do that." Qrow considered. "But it would require taking advantage of the technicality of the rules."
"What is it?!" Jaune was instantly hooked onto the man's words.
"Okay… here's what you do…" Qrow whispered the plan to the boy. As he talked, Jaune's expression grew paler and paler until all he could do was stare at his teacher in stunned disbelief. "Well?"
"Goodwitch will kill me!" The boy gasped in horror.
"I'll deal with it," Qrow laughed. "If worse comes to worse, tell her I made you do it. Now get going or she'll tan your hide." He put a hand on Jaune's shoulder and pushed him towards the door. Jaune couldn't do anything to resist as his mind focused on the plan. If he pulled it off, it would be glorious.
Then Glynda would kill him.
Eh, no one lives forever.
"About time." Cardin chuckled as Jaune walked into the arena. "Cowering in the locker room, huh? Don't worry, I'll make it quick."
Jaune glared at him, knowing Cardin was trying to get a rise out of him. His words were soft enough that Glynda didn't hear from the spectator seats. To distract himself, Jaune glanced up into the stands. It was a little nerve wrecking having so many students stare at him, even more so now with all the transfer students. Movement caused his eye to shift and he saw Ruby waving at him before giving him a thumbs up. Instantly, his nervousness vanished and he felt much more confident. Taking a deep breath, he turned his attention back to his opponent.
"Are both combatants ready?" Glynda asked, looking between the two boys. Jaune drew his sword, opened his sheath into its shield form, and took his position. Cardin held up his mace, preparing to strike. Both nodded toward their teacher, not taking their eyes off the other. Glynda raised her hand. "Begin!"
Cardin leaped forward as he raised his mace high into the air before bringing it down with all his might.
CLANG!
Metal met metal as the blunt weapon met Jaune's shield. Stumbling backwards, the boy stared in disbelief over his barrier. A couple people were cheering, but the noise was muffled in his ears since all his attention was on Cardin. After that hit and Jaune stumbling, Cardin would have been in a perfect position to counter attack. Yet he didn't. Cardin just swung his mace over his shoulder and laughed.
"Just like old times, eh Jauney Boy?"
It wasn't though. Jaune couldn't believe what was happening and that shocked him so much that his footwork slipped for a moment. It wasn't the strength of the blow that offset him. Cardin, while a bully and jerk, was still a Huntsman. He managed to get into Beacon on his own merits and wielded a large mace. His strength wasn't a joke. Jaune expected that because he had been on the receiving end of it plenty of times in the past. No, it was something else.
Was Cardin always that slow?
When one got used to fighting Ruby, who was probably in the top five fastest people on Remnant, other opponents tended to feel slower. Most Grimm Jaune fought now he could keep track of their movements without any trouble. Even Qrow was slower than Ruby except for in his reaction speed due to his prediction ability built on years of combat experience. That wasn't the case with Cardin. In fact, Cardin wasn't just slow enough for Jaune to track him, he made a huge mistake that Jaune couldn't believe.
That swing was so wide, it was like he was telegraphing his attacks.
"What's going on?" Ruby frowned from the stands. "Jaune shouldn't have been knocked back like that."
"He took a direct hit from the brute, and while Cardin's skills may be lacking, it's not like he's weak." Weiss pointed out. "Even Nora and Yang avoid direct hits from him."
"Unless I'm punching his mace at the same time." Yang shrugged. "Jaune's probably getting his footing since he hadn't fought Cardin in a while."
"You got this, Jaune!" Nora cheered. "Show him who's boss!"
Pyrrha was watching closely, not saying a word as she examined her team leader's actions. His opening stance was actually pretty solid. His shield was in the right position and his sword was ready to strike. The champion couldn't figure out why he fell back so easily.
Jaune stepped up and raised his shield as he slowly approached Cardin. His sword clutched tightly in his right hand, protecting his side but high enough to instantly counter when the situation presented itself. If that first attack was any indication, Cardin would be giving Jaune plenty of chances. Cardin grinned as he swung his mace lightly in front of him and then charged forward.
This time, Jaune stepped forward to meet him.
Metal rang out once more as mace met shield. To Cardin's amazement, Jaune didn't stumble, or even shake. His shield remained firm as it took the blow, refusing to budge even an inch. Cardin drew his mace back and unleashed a barrage of attacks, swinging wildly as he tried to increase the force behind it. Jaune's gaze never wavered as he followed each attack. At last, he spotted what he wanted. Cardin raised his mace above his head, far higher than he needed to, which delayed the follow-up attack. Jaune didn't waste the opportunity.
His sword swung downwards at an angle, aimed between Cardin's head and shoulder. A place that was and had been a fatal blow for many Grimm.
Denying the satisfaction of the shock and fear in Cardin's eyes would have been a lie.
Blade struck true and Cardin's Aura took a savage hit. Actually, Jaune's sword might have pushed through that barrier with how hard he had swung. He couldn't tell because the hilt of Cardin's mace flew up as the boy quickly adopted a defensive posture. The hilt smacked Jaune's blade and weakened the strike so Cardin could retreat before taking too much damage. Jaune then raised his shield and did something Qrow beat into him.
Press the advantage.
Jaune pushed forward, delivering a series of quick slashes. Almost no power behind them though. He had a plan, but it had to look good. Qrow told him how he should approach this and if things worked out, it would be worth it. Cardin actually was backing up as he used his mace to deflect most of the strikes. His armor took a few dings, but he wasn't taking any damage to his Aura. However, the fact Jaune was actually attacking offset Cardin for a few moments.
But again, Cardin was an actual student at Beacon and knew how to fight.
A blow to Jaune's side was barely blocked by his shield, but the weight behind it caused him to step backwards to stabilize himself. With his advance halted, Cardin began to attack back a lot fiercer than before. It was obvious he was pissed at Jaune for daring to stand against him. His eyes flashed as he gritted his teeth. Blow after blow rained down on Jaune's shield as he slowly retreated.
"Don't get cocky you little shit." Cardin growled as he kept up the assault.
"Attack him!" Nora yelled. "Come on! Do what you did before!"
"Hmm," Ren considered. "I assume Jaune's waiting for an opportunity to strike back."
"There's several openings Cardin is leaving open," Blake pointed out. "Either he's not seeing them or he's avoiding attacking."
"But he was doing so well a few seconds ago." Yang protested. "What happened?"
"Jaune should be attacking a lot more than this!" Ruby was confused as she saw Jaune focused all on defending. "It's not like we're fighting Uncle Qrow and we have to be on the defensive. Jaune should be kicking his butt!"
"Maybe he didn't learn as much as you thought?" Weiss muttered.
"Don't you start, Weiss." Ruby's comments stunned the heiress and also caused Yang and Blake to lean forward to stare at their young leader in surprise. Finally, Ruby stood up to give Jaune some support. "KILL HIM, JAUNE!"
"Ruby!" Weiss gasped in amazement. Realizing what she actually said, Ruby slumped back in her seat, covering her head with her hood.
"Wooooo!" Nora cheered. "Break his legs!"
"Kick his ass!" Yang couldn't resist joining in.
Pyrrha frowned as her eyes continued to focus on Jaune. She was curious why Jaune wasn't attacking back anymore. It almost seemed like he had given up. Fighting in multiple championship matches, Pyrrha was no stranger to one on one fights like this. Having to adapt to all sorts of fighting styles and weapons was the norm. This meant Pyrrha had to read her opponents and figure out their strengths and weaknesses while fighting them unless she managed to watch their earlier matches. Something stood out to her as she watched the fight.
Jaune doesn't seem discouraged or even struggling.
If anything, Jaune was entirely focused on the match and defending against Cardin's rapid strikes. Cardin didn't seem to be sensing anything wrong and was smirking as he continued to push Jaune around the arena. Pyrrha did notice that Jaune kept adjusting his angle so he didn't go near the edge of the arena and get knocked out. He was up to something, but she didn't know what. His stance never wavered after the first blow and he was holding his own exponentially better than before he left.
A twinge of regret passed through her stomach.
She had wanted to help her friend get better and missed that opportunity.
The bell rang out suddenly, signaling the end of the match. Nothing changed much during the rest of the fight. Cardin seemed to dominate with Jaune being forced to be defensive. Only a few random strikes that did no real damage was his only response to Cardin's relentless assault. Cardin may be a stupid brute, but his strength and stamina was still good enough for Beacon. He also wasn't completely idiotic and stopped attacking with the bell.
"Time is up," Glynda announced. "As no participant's Aura reached 30%, the winner is…"
"Just like old times." Cardin mocked under his breath so Glynda couldn't hear him.
Jaune grinned at him without saying anything, confusing the bully.
"...Jaune Arc!" Glynda finished.
"HUH?!"
Cardin wasn't the only one confused. Several other students in the stands were looking at each other. With how the fight went, Cardin had dominated the entire fight except for a little bit at the beginning. Even Nora and Ruby, who would have instantly cheered for their friend, didn't know what to make of it. Glynda could easily tell her students didn't understand what was going on, so she coughed once and explained.
"When the time runs out, the individual with the highest remaining Aura is the winner."
Everyone's heads turned in unison to the Aura screen above them. They rarely paid attention to it, preferring to watch the fight and learn their future opponents fighting skills before the Vytal Festival. Also, most fights in class ended long before the five minute mark. This was the first time any of the transfer students had seen a fight reach this point.
Cardin: Aura 62%
Jaune: Aura…
"What do you mean 100%!" Cardin yelled in disbelief. "There has to be a mistake! Didn't you see me smack him around?"
"There is no mistake," Glynda replied sternly. "Those levels are accurate."
"How?!" Weiss gasped up in the stands. "Cardin was clearly winning, so how… wait…" Her volume lowered a bit. "His Semblance?"
"Yep!" Ruby just realized what her friend did. "He focused on defense and regenerated his Aura during the fight the entire time."
"Why didn't he attack more then?" Blake whispered to avoid other people from hearing them.
"No idea," Ruby actually frowned at this. "Uncle Qrow would be upset with him fighting so defensively. Most of Jaune's training was working on attacking."
"It's pretty impressive." Pyrrha admitted softly. "Jaune was able to defend himself properly, keep damage to a minimum, while focusing on his own Aura." She wasn't sure if she would be able to do something like that while being constantly attacked. Her combat style was dodge and parry then strike openings, but on top of constantly using her own Semblance? That would be tricky. She usually used it in short bursts.
"That's impossible!" Cardin continued to protest. "Check the machine and make sure it's working."
"Again, the machines are functioning perfectly, but that does beg to question how Mr. Arc kept his Aura at 100%." Glynda looked at him, but didn't directly ask. As if showing the class she wasn't going to pry into her student's private affairs. In response, a couple students glared at Pyrrha for a moment before turning back to Jaune and Cardin. Jaune for one didn't think she knew about her Semblance unless Qrow told her.
"Well, that's simple." Jaune waved his hand dismissively, a perfect mimicry of Qrow's casual demeanor. "I'll tell you."
This was the make-or-break moment—the one that might cause Glynda to actually kill him. Yet the allure of etching his name in the annals of school history proved too irresistible. Qrow's advice echoed in his mind. Taking a deep breath, he willingly walked the tightrope.
"You see, Professor, after a few exchanges, it became clear that Cardin was simply outmatched. Continuing to attack would have risked serious injury to him. My first attack with him was, in fact, me holding back. And as you can see, it still drained a large chunk of his Aura."
The classroom was plunged into an echoing silence.
Then, like a thunderclap...
"Oh, snap!" Nora couldn't contain herself.
Ruby covered her mouth with her hands as she gasped, secretly delighted by Jaune's blow to Cardin's ego. Weiss sat in stunned silence, her mouth agape, while Yang struggled to stifle her laughter. Blake remained composed, though her eyes widened, mirroring Ren's. Only Nora couldn't hold back her laughter. Pyrrha sat there, amazed at Jaune's newfound strength. The rest of the class observed in varying states of confusion and awe as Jaune fearlessly addressed Glynda.
Qrow's plan had been refreshingly straightforward: start with a defensive stance, wait for Cardin to make a significant move under the assumption Jaune wouldn't retaliate, and then strike when the opportunity arose. If Cardin had even a shred of intelligence, he wouldn't give Jaune a second chance like that. The key was to inflict maximum damage early on. Once Jaune has demonstrated his capacity to fight back, he should shift to a defensive strategy, allowing his opponent to wear himself out. If Cardin persisted with Aura-enhanced strength, it would gradually deplete his own Aura while Jaune weathered the attacks and amplified his recovery.
And that's what Jaune did.
The entire fight, he was amplifying his Aura as much as possible without glowing too much to alert Cardin or the onlookers. Those that saw flashes of white probably assumed his Aura was flaring in response to Cardin's attacks. They had no idea Jaune was constantly amplifying his own Aura to regenerate the little bit he lost absorbing Cardin's strikes. It was actually pretty easy to do that, as Jaune was used to Qrow's strength, who was leagues above Beacon students. Only his team and Ruby's knew his Semblance and even they didn't realize he was doing it.
The second part was to make sure to tell Glynda how easy it was and that he didn't want to hurt his opponent. This was what Jaune was worried would cause her to kill him. Combat class was to teach students and have them practice by sparring against others. Calling another student weak would get them in trouble. Even Cardin avoided saying Jaune was weak directly in front of Glynda. He always just boasted about how great he was or made the insults more subtle.
"Mr. Arc!" Glynda was as shocked as the others before collecting herself. Her eyes narrowed, causing fear to wash over Jaune. "You know better than to say things like that. Detention!"
"But professor!" Jaune protested, digging himself a much deeper hole. "Ruby and I are used to fighting much stronger opponents. I just needed time to adjust my skills. If I had hurt him too badly, I wouldn't forgive myself."
"Hurt me!" Cardin growled. "In your dreams. You're just cheating somehow and I'll find out how. There's no way you can match me in a fight!"
"Enough!" Glynda silenced them both. "It's obvious you've improved Mr. Arc, but understand Qrow's attitude is not welcome here. It would be wise not to repeat it."
"Aww, and here I came to see how those two compared to the rest of their classmates." An amused voice came from the door. Everyone turned and stared at the newcomer as Ruby waved.
"Speak of the devil." Glynda took a deep breath and turned too. "Can I help you, Mr. Branwen."
"Ouch, already using Mr., I'm in trouble." Qrow replied as several students snickered. "Sorry, Glynda. This whole thing was my fault. Jaune and Ruby are used to fighting Grimm and have had limited exposure to fighting other people besides me. They need to adjust to facing other people around their level. You can understand that, right? I've been pushing them hard."
Glynda stared at the man for a moment.
"Very well, but his attitude is what gave him detention," The teacher eventually replied. "But as you said, it can take some time to adjust when getting back from extended time in the Wilds. So I supposed there's only one option available to us." She ran a finger down her tablet. "Mr. Black. You're up. As Mr. Arc is still at full Aura, I'm sure he can handle another opponent. We'll have him face other students until he can't continue anymore."
Jaune's mouth fell open as he stared at Qrow. His mentor just shrugged back in a 'I did what I could' expression. Meanwhile, the gray haired boy in the stands jumped up.
"Sweet! The guy looks tough. This will be fun."
As Mercury passed by, he waved to Pyrrha, who responded with a warm smile. Jaune couldn't help but notice the friendly gesture and found himself staring. It seemed Pyrrha had formed a close bond with that boy. It was reassuring to witness her making friends, especially considering Ren and Nora had mentioned that she had been struggling to connect with others. Although Jaune couldn't help but sense that there might be more to their relationship than just friendship, He and Pyrrha had barely exchanged a few words or even made eye contact due to their mutual awkwardness. That stung a little, especially because he knew he had reacted poorly.
"...and that's all I discovered so far." Qrow finished explaining everything he learned from Junior to Ozpin and, surprisingly, James Ironwood was there as well. He must have been notified about this or decided to stop by and gate crash. "It seems the people we're after aren't just good fighters, but skilled tacticians."
"And they are definitely operating in Vale with the White Fang." Ozpin frowned at that news. "This does not bode well."
"I say you give full security detail over to me and I'll make sure nothing happens during the Vytal Festival." Ironwood declared.
"First, the council would have to approve that," Ozpin sighed heavily. "Second, it would not look good to the people of Vale. You already brought over a decent size fleet that made some people think you were planning to invade. It would be best if you let Vale manage its own affairs and act as support should we require it."
"You're playing with fire, Ozpin." Ironwood warned, leaning against the desk with both hands. "The White Fang are radicalized now and with Salem's forces working with them? They are planning something big and we know their target. We only managed to stabilize Amber, but she's not improving."
"Weeeellllll…. I might have an idea about how to fix that…" Qrow trailed off as James looked at him. "You remember Jaune Arc's Semblance, right? It worked on Penny, so what if we have him try to heal Amber?"
Ironwood paused at the man's words and considered it.
"From what we gathered, Amber's soul was torn apart by her assailant," The General muttered to himself as he thought about it. "Jaune's Aura Amplification just strengthens an individual's Aura to increase its regenerative abilities, defense, and offense capabilities."
"Yes, but Aura is just an extension of one's soul." Qrow reminded him with an unusually serious face. "What if strengthening the Aura helps her heal? In her current state, her Aura is barely active because she lost part of her soul. With Jaune's Semblance, we might be able to boost her Aura to a level it starts repairing that damage. At the very least, it might give her enough strength to regain her consciousness so she can describe to us who attacked her."
His words were not lost on Ironwood.
"What do you think, Ozpin?" The man turned to the second headmaster looking for his opinion.
"When I first learned of Mr. Arc's Semblance… I considered the possibility." Ozpin admitted slowly, his seriousness etched on his face. "There is no doubt he would agree immediately to that request. It's just that boy's curiosity would also have him wondering what could have caused one's soul to be ripped apart."
"Right, and it's not like we could tell him about Salem." Ironwood nodded and rubbed his chin in thought. "Maybe a new kind of Grimm? Though his test results showed he's rather intelligent so that might not work."
"All because I taught him." Qrow couldn't resist blurting out before chuckling. "But that's not an issue anymore, Jimmy. He knows about Salem."
"He KNOWS?!" The General's eyes went wide as his hand slammed against the desk. "Why would you tell him about her? He's a teenager!"
"I didn't." Qrow growled, looking a little upset at the accusation. "Well, I didn't tell him of her. I know to keep her a secret. No, it was my bitch of a sister. Raven told him about her for some reason. I don't know why, but it was probably to turn him against us. I didn't have a choice but to tell him a little more about her and why she has to be kept a secret. The last thing we needed was for him to secretly investigate her and draw attention to us."
"Qrow informed me of the situation and I expect Mr. Arc and I will have a long talk about her sometime soon." Ozpin added, tapping the desk with a finger. "I'm still considering what all to tell him. If he can cure Amber, then it might be worth it to bring him into the fold."
"You can't seriously believe in bringing a child into the inner circle, can you?" Ironwood was in utter disbelief. "You've always said we have to keep this on a need to know basis." He turned to Qrow. "Why would Raven even involve herself with him?"
"I would say his Semblance, as healing out in the Mistralian wilds would be beneficial for her tribe, but there's probably more." Qrow admitted. "Raven has always had an eye for talent and is pretty good at judging those that have potential. She probably saw the same thing you and Oz did about him. It probably didn't hurt that one of Raven's apprentices likes the boy. From what Jaune and Ruby told me, she seemed to be trying to get him to stay for personal reasons. You missed your chance, Jimmy." A short bark-like laugh escaped him. "If you had Winter flirt with him, you might have been able to get him to stay in Atlas. Boy's pretty weak against attractive women."
"Now's not the time for jokes, Qrow." Ironwood replied, sounding annoyed.
"I'm not joking," Qrow assured him. "Any pretty girl can get him to do whatever they want short of spilling secrets. I didn't get a chance to teach him how to deal with those types of women yet."
"Does Ruby know of Salem?" Ironwood changed the topic. "Did he tell her?"
"No, he wanted to check with me first because of another piece of information he wanted to verify." Qrow slowly turned to Ozpin. All joking manners vanished in an instant. Even the temperature in the room seemed to drop a few degrees. "Ozpin… have you been completely honest with us about Salem?"
It was Ozpin's turn to look confused as he sat up straight.
"Why are you asking that now?"
A question with a question. That instantly put Qrow on edge.
"Raven said something to Jaune that he considered important enough to keep from telling Ruby." Qrow was focused one hundred percent on Ozpin. "And those two tell each other everything. It's about Summer. Did you know Summer and Raven decided to secretly go and confront Salem?"
Silence followed his question as Ozpin sat there with an unreadable expression.
"Well?" Qrow's tone grew darker. "Did you?"
"Not until after Summer left," Ozpin finally admitted. "She left a message saying she was planning to end the entire war. I eventually found out she went with Raven, but only Raven returned and she refused to tell us anything about it. I'm in the dark as much as you are with the details. If I had known before she left, I would have done everything in my power to stop it."
"Because you know Salem can't be killed."
"...No, because she's too powerful for just them."
Hesitation.
For just a fraction of a second, but Qrow's instincts caught it. Ozpin knew something and was keeping it from him and Ironwood. If Raven had really been telling Jaune the truth, the Ozpin was fighting an unwinnable war. Sending countless people to their deaths. Even worse, they were unaware of her power and thought they could stand up against her and the legion of Grimm.
"What else did Raven say?" Ozpin asked.
"Do you remember what you told me?" Qrow countered instead. "When you convinced me to leave the Branwen tribe and join your side in this war? That I wasn't just a bad luck charm and I could make a difference? Was that a lie?"
"What are you talking about, Qrow?" Ironwood finally spoke up, not sure what had brought up this conversation.
"It wasn't." Ozpin replied simply. "You are making a world of difference. I trust you completely."
"Then… WHY DIDN'T YOU TELL US SALEM WAS IMMORTAL!" Qrow stood up and slammed his hand on the table and almost looked like he was about to lunge forward. Ironwood certainly thought so as the man stepped forward and grabbed Qrow's shoulder.
"What's gotten into you?" Ironwood demanded, pulling Qrow back.
Ozpin's face was deathly pale.
"You never told us Salem was immortal!" Qrow accused. "Summer was the type of person to risk her own life for others. She thought Salem could be defeated and was prepared to risk it all. If she knew Salem was immortal, she wouldn't have gone! You're giving people false hope!"
Ironwood froze as he finally processed Qrow's rant.
"Ozpin…? Is this true?"
Ozpin didn't say anything, but his hands were shaking in his lap as they grabbed each other.
"Is Salem really immortal?" Ironwood stated again. "I wouldn't trust Raven Branwen's information, but your reaction does not inspire confidence."
"You don't understand Raven at all," Qrow shot back, swatting Ironwood's hand off his shoulder. "She's not the type to say something is invincible just because it's powerful and she lost against it. No, she says it was because she was weaker and then works to get stronger. The number of Grimm she's faced dwarfs even mine. Never once has she used the word immortal." He turned back to Ozpin. "You say you trust us, Ozpin. So now's the time to prove it. Is Salem really immortal?"
"It seems she really did face Salem…" Ozpin trailed off for a moment. "Only those that face her and live ever say that, and that number is very, very small."
"Ozpin…" Ironwood stiffened up. "All this time, you kept something this important from us?"
"I do know Salem's origin, and it's intertwined in mine more than you can imagine." Ozpin's hand was shaking as he clutched one hand around a fist. "The reason I keep this a secret is because if people knew she was immortal, any chance of victory would be lost. They would be demoralized in the face of such adversity and give up before even trying."
"DUH!" Qrow slammed his hand on the desk again, shaking it violently and causing cracks to form in the wood. "Of course they would, but is it better to send countless people off to their deaths! Did you even think of a way to stop her? Are the Academies just to slow her down so we live a little longer?"
"Qrow, calm down." Ironwood's eyes seemed to glow for a second. "Let Ozpin speak and then we can make a decision. His advice has helped us greatly and there's no doubt you have done great things, old friend. Many lives were saved due to your actions over the years."
"Fine." Qrow plopped down in the chair. "I didn't expect this conversation to rile me up this much, but I'll let you say your piece Ozpin. I trust you… well, I did… now's the chance to show me that trust wasn't misplaced."
"So are you two really going to talk?" Nora asked nervously. "Didn't you make up already?"
"Not yet. We haven't talked much since I got back." Jaune sighed, slumping on his bed in the dorm. "You saw how she left right after class." He buried his face in his hands. "We barely could share a few words."
"It's a difficult discussion to have, but one I feel you both desperately want." Ren commented. "She did say she would be back tonight, didn't she?"
"Yeah, she mentioned that as she left with Mercury." Jaune rubbed his arm. It still hurt from the beating that boy gave him. Mercury had been overly excited to fight him for some reason. And while Jaune held his own, there was no doubt Mercury was a really skilled guy. His Amplification couldn't keep up nearly as well as with Cardin. While the time did run out again, Mercury dropped his Aura to 40% with him still at 91.
Most of Mercury's Aura loss was from using it to kick Jaune's butt.
After class, Pyrrha had hurriedly left, claiming she had something to attend to. Jaune wanted to ask her to stay behind so they could talk, but she promised to have that conversation later in the evening. To keep his mind from brooding, Nora and Ren spent the day with him, and together they brainstormed cool team strategies. Jaune had plenty of ideas, as he and Ruby would often discuss tactics while walking from place to place. Nora was particularly eager to see some of their rough drafts.
While Jaune was here, he diligently recorded these ideas, fully aware that Qrow might send them away at any moment. Their apprenticeship with Qrow and Ruby was not yet complete, and they had no clue how long they'd be at Beacon. This way, Nora and Ren could memorize the plans in preparation for the Vytal Festival.
"We'll give you two some privacy," Ren assured Jaune. "Nora won't eavesdrop at the door."
"Awww…" Nora pouted and crossed her arms. "I just want our team to be like it used to be. We could be the top team at Beacon again."
"I want that too, Nora," Jaune agreed. "I've said a lot of hurtful things I need to apologize for, and this time, I need to listen to her. She didn't have an easy time here, and she had no partner to help her through the bullying."
Both Ren and Nora remained silent.
Nearly an hour later, the room's door finally swung open, revealing Pyrrha's entrance.
"You're still awake?" Pyrrha sounded surprised.
"Were you expecting us to be asleep?" Jaune asked, arching an eyebrow.
"Um, no… Sorry, things just took longer than I thought," Pyrrha apologized, avoiding eye contact.
"What did you...mmph umph?" Nora began to inquire, but Ren swiftly covered her mouth. Now was not the time. Jaune glanced at him and jerked his head toward the door.
"We need to step out for a bit," Ren stated firmly. "We won't be back for a while." Nora's eyes widened, and she nodded quickly, recalling her part in their plan.
"Good luck!" Nora called out as Ren ushered her out of the room, the door slamming shut behind them, leaving Jaune and Pyrrha alone. An oppressive, awkward silence hung in the air, and neither of them said a word. Pyrrha managed to sit at the edge of her bed, but her gaze remained fixed on the floor. Jaune took a few deep breaths, but when he attempted to speak, the words stuck in his throat. Why was this so difficult? He'd rehearsed what he wanted to say a million times—in his head during his travels and that very evening. However, he was saved when Pyrrha finally spoke up.
"I never said it, but welcome back."
"Thanks," Jaune mumbled, inhaling deeply through his nose. "It's good to be back."
Dear god, he sounded so stupid.
Feel free to leave a review, comment, suggestions, or ideas, I love reading them. If you have a question you wish to ask and would like a quick answer, feel free to message me directly. I try to respond to those within a day or two. Comments, I tend to respond to in the next chapter.
The ending cliffhanger was purely to drive nBappo insane.
nBappo: First of all. Fuck you. Second, I swear Mercury needs his ass beat, if it doesn't happen eventually I ain't editing anymore. Anyways, KICK SOME ASS JAUNE MY BOY. I also need Pyrrha to get with Jaune, I don't need another tragic end you bastard. I don't get paid enough for this.
Dark: Yep, main reason. Not because I'm trying to get Jaune and Pyrrha's conversation to work out how I need it while keeping them in character.