Chapter 32: David
Jaune takes on Goliath.
Student Information File
Contains Private Information – Do Not Distribute Beyond Haven Staff
Student Name: Cinder Fall
Age: 20
Current Academic Year: 3
Gender: Female
Mother: Sandra Fall
Father: Jeffrey Fall
Kingdom of Origin: Mistral
Current Citizenship: Mistral
Primary Combat School: Sanctum
Huntsman Team: CMEN
Partner: Emerald Sustrai
Teammate 1: Mercury Black
Teammate 2: Neo Politan
Weapon: Midnight
Weapon Type: Bow
Dust Capabilities: N/A
Mecha-Shift: Sword pair
Semblance: Scorching Caress
Description: Fire Manipulation
Academic Record
Mission Success Rate: 100%
Sparring Success Rate: 100%
Grade Point Average: 4.4
Disciplinary Record: None
Psychological Review: 0sys% *err
Headmaster's Notes: Miss Fall is nothing short of an exemplary student. She has strategic acumen as of yet unparalleled by her peers, and her exceptional combat abilities are matched only by the depths of her compassion, modesty, and integrity. At her current rate, I expect Miss Fall will become the greatest huntress of her generation. There is not a doubt in my mind that she will becoming a deciding factor in the modern chapter our eternal battle against the Grimm.
Ruby always volunteered to go first in combat class with Professor Greenwich, and today was no different. There were just so many c̵o̵o̵l̵ ̵w̵e̵a̵p̵o̵n̵s̵ friends that she could spar with, and it felt like wasting an opportunity if she didn't try every chance she could. Ooh, maybe she'd get to fight one of the new transfer students!
Alas, it was not in the cards. Jaune Arc, leader of Team Adventure, volunteered to be her opponent. That was kind of odd – he never volunteered and usually just tried to keep his head down. Ruby felt like she and Jaune could have been bestest friends after they hit it off in initiation, but he had disappeared for the past few months. Well, not actually disappeared. He joined the Rainbows and Castles at lunch and showed up in class with perfect attendance. Pyrrha, who Ruby did hang out with, often, told her that Jaune always made a point to spend time with his own teammates, but that was it. Since the turn of the semester, Jaune always disappeared during his free time. Ruby, of course, respected his privacy and hadn't ever trailed after him to find out where he was going only to mysteriously lose him when he turned a corner.
Maybe it was secret training, and now he was going to show off his new skills in combat class. He'd reveal a superpowered semblance and mastery of his sword or cane or whatever he used now in an all-out declaration of war on his rivals for the upcoming Vytal Festival.
Or maybe he'd been doing the drugs and the sex. Yang warned her about those things. Jaune didn't look very sketch, but Russel was on his team and, he had a bright green mohawk, so you never knew.
As he faced off across from her in the arena, Jaune smiled at Ruby. It wasn't the arrogant smile that so many older students gave her. When she saw that smile, Ruby made a point to show its wearer that underestimating an opponent based on their age was a mistake. No, Jaune's smile was sweet and disarming.
Thus, Ruby's guard came up. No one smiled like that before a fight if they didn't have something planned.
"Good luck, Ruby."
"You too!"
The professor's riding crop swooshed through the air, indicating the match had started. Jaune drew a golden cylinder from his belt, grasping it with both hands. He twisted the top half clockwise and the bottom counterclockwise. A dark gray cane popped out of the top, emblazoned with exquisite carvings running along its length.
"Whoa! Neat stick, Jaune! What's it called?"
"W-What?"
"What's his name? Or is it a her?"
"It's a weapon, Ruby. It doesn't have a name."
WHAAAAH?
"You didn't even name your baby! Jaune, you have to name it right now. Something important to you, something personal."
"Uhhhh…"
"I won't fight until you name it."
"Okay. It's named Crocea Mors."
"You can't reuse names."
"Crocea Even Mores?"
"Jaune.
"Fine. How…about…" Jaune scratched his head. "…it's called Veneficus?"
"Are you asking me or telling me?"
"It's Veneficus."
"If you two are finished?" inquired an angry looking Professor Quidditch.
Both nodded, and the fight began, for realsies this time. Jaune moved the cane in a circle through the air, and a crackling orb of electricity came into existence at the center.
So, Veneficus is packing Lightning Dust, eh? Jaune, you trickly little tricky person. Ruby ran out of the way as the lightning began to arc (note to self: don't use that phrasing within a ten meter radius of Yang) toward her. Crescent Rose switched to sniper mode, and Ruby began her counteroffensive
Well, Jaune, you may be interested to know that Crescent Rose is carrying quite a hefty Dust payload of her own.
"T-That's the match. Victory for Mister Arc by…ring out."
Ruby looked down. She was standing outside the ring.
"W-What?"
How had…when…Jaune hadn't even moved…
Ruby looked to the audience. Her team was looking confused, as was most of the audience. Cardin was roaring with laughter, but everyone knew he was a dingleberry. Some transfer students in Atlas uniforms were snickering, but most of the Beacon-goers knew that Ruby was no pushover in a match. Blake, Ren, and Sky watched Jaune like hawks, probably in hopes of seeing some clue to explain what Ruby had done.
Ruby walked back to her team and sat next to her partner. Yang wrapped an arm around her for comfort, but her lilac eyes were fixed on the aura display.
"Yang, what happened?"
"You just…ran out of the ring when you dodged. His aura only went down by a tick. Yours is at 100%."
"What? But I used my semblance. I slowed it all down and ran to avoid the lightning. That should have brought it down by a little."
"Nah, Rubes. Look."
True to Yang's word, the green bar was full.
Maybe the board's meter was broken?
No, her scroll confirmed it. She was full to the brim with aura.
"Mister Arc, as your aura is still in the green, would you consent to another fight?" Professor Goudawheel asked. Her voice was now sturdier than steel, but she'd clearly been caught off guard when Ruby lost. She hadn't even offered Ruby advice on what she'd done wrong like usual. Of course, no one in the room even knew what Ruby had done wrong, except for…
"Certainly, Professor."
"Mister Lie. Come down." Ren approached with a neutral face, but Ruby knew he was analyzing and formulating and strategizing as he left the bleachers.
He wasn't the only one. Curiosity burned within Ruby. She'd fought Jaune, and now she'd get to watch him. If anyone could figure out his trick, it would be her.
Jaune reached over and offered a hand to Ren. Ideas zoomed through Ruby's head – a mind control semblance? Perhaps. Poison that had to be administered on the skin? No, he hadn't laid a finger on Ruby.
"Best of luck, friend. A little advice – don't worry about the audience. They're perfectly safe."
Ren cautiously looked to Team Castle, took Jaune's hand, and shook it. Ruby would've been quaking in her boots to go up against an opponent with an unknown power, especially after such a cryptic warning, but Ren's face was blank. Man, it would be nice to have a semblance that calmed her down like that. She could eat cookies all day without getting a sugar rush!
Jaune backed off, and Ren drew StormFlower. As soon as the professor ordered them to start, Ren slumped to the floor. Jaune twisted his cane again, the opposite way this time, and it popped back into the bright yellow cylinder. He hooked it to his belt, walked over to Ren, and scooped the Mistrilian up with both arms.
"Hup!"
Jaune heaved Ren's semi-conscious body over his shoulder, lugged him to the edge of the ring, and gently placed him on the floor.
"Another victory for Mister Arc by ring out."
Ren sat up and stared at Jaune, expecting another attack. All he got was another extended hand.
"Good match, Ren."
It felt bad, tricking Ren with that made-up warning about his team, but Jaune had to be sure he was worried. Only if he was using his emotion-numbing semblance could Jaune guarantee the victory, and Jaune couldn't afford to lose. There was more at stake here than practice bout scores in Professor Goodwitch's class.
Ruby was easy enough. A head on attack forced her to use her speed semblance to escape to the left or right. Jaune had boosted it to the point that Ruby simply overdid it and ran too far. Weiss or Blake would've been tougher – Jaune would've had to lure them into a trap of some sort.
He'd used his semblance twice, but neither Beacon native nor transfer would be able to interpret it. Ruby was clearly confused about her loss. Ren might figure it out, or he might not. His boosted semblance had consumed all of his emotions and drained him of his motivation to fight. Jaune didn't know if Ren would be aware of this, but it didn't matter. Ren wasn't going to let Team Caiman know.
They were what this was all about. Qrow had reported to their inner circle that the Mistralian team of third years was screwing with his friends on Team Castle. The four of them had reviewed the official files on Team Caiman that Oz got from Haven's record system, but they had been heavily edited and were missing information in some places. Ironwood had pulled some strings with the Atlesian Cyber Security Division and obtained a copy of the real files. Apparently, Mercury Black and Neo Politan were only added to the team this year, and Cinder Fall was not the perfect little gem that Headmaster Lionheart claimed her to be.
The gang had differing views on the lion Faunus and just how deeply involved he was in all this. Ozpin was unwavering in his insistence that Leonardo Lionheart was innocent. He suspected some manner of conspiracy against his Mistralian counterpart, with Salem as the most likely power behind it. Ironwood believed that Lionheart was playing favorites and hiding any potentially embarrassing information on his prized student. Qrow voiced his disagreement with both of those theories but couldn't suggest any alternatives. Either he wasn't sure yet, or he didn't want to admit what he thought.
Jaune refused to venture any guesses since he'd never met the man. In his opinion, it would be hasty to speak to the innocence or guilt of a headmaster that lived thousands of miles away in a different kingdom solely based on one tampered-with file. The others probably knew better.
One thing was agreed upon by all four – Team Caiman's plans had to be stopped. Now the only task was to figure out what the plan was that they needed to stop. To that end, Jaune had devised something of a plan of his own.
"Alright, now I know that's a tough act to follow, but we have time for one more sparring match. Any volunteers? Perhaps Mister–"
"Actually…"
All eyes turned to Jaune.
"I wanna fight…" Jaune wiggled around a finger before it aimed towards Cinder. "…her."
As the only student in their little cabal, it would seem the least suspicious for him to investigate Cinder. A teacher or headmaster poking his nose in Cinder's business would give it away, but nobody knew Jaune was working for Oz. She'd be less cautious around a scraggly haired dweeb than the general of the Atlesian military, Beacon's headmaster, or a huntsman of legendary caliber. And if she did realize he was spying on her, she'd suspect it to be little more than prepping for the Vytal Festival. Ironwood thought it was risky, but Ozpin had approved of Jaune's idea. Qrow had objected, saying they shouldn't put a student in the crosshairs, but Jaune came to Beacon to be a hero. Heroes fought villains. Arcs didn't back down.
For now, his task was simple. Gauge her power. Win if possible, but that wasn't critical. Shake her up a little. And most important of all, do not let anything be traced back to Oz. That meant no fancy moves or signature tricks that he'd picked up from the big guy. This was going to be tough, but not impossible.
When Jaune discovered his semblance, his first thought was that Qrow's bad luck was nearby and had screwed him over on the superpower lottery. Come on – giving other people aura and enhancing their semblances? It might've been helpful to his fellow man and all that shit, but how was Jaune supposed to ever win a fight with a support power?
Oz had other thoughts. After waging war for what seemed like infinity, the headmaster had become quite adept at weaponizing even the most benign of powers. He'd taken Jaune to a hospital in Vale and had him discreetly heal comatose huntsman and huntresses as a test run. It didn't take Jaune long to figure it out. If he could give aura to someone when they were unconscious, that meant his semblance didn't require their consent to use. True, he could heal and boost allies, but he could also forcibly hijack an enemy's semblance and blow it out of their control. He couldn't control them or do anything until they chose to use their semblance, but many expert aura users were intimately familiar with precisely how much aura to expend for a certain effect of their semblance. Mess with that at a key point in a fight and they'd overshoot, overdo it, or go overboard. Oz had known just how much to enhance his senses when fighting in the dark. Jaune push him beyond that, and he'd gone into sensory overload.
The options were limitless. He'd already sped Ruby so fast she couldn't control her movements and drained the fight out of Ren. Maybe he could make Yang's fire toast her hair, cause Professor Goodwitch to use too much force when throwing projectiles, play around with Qrow's luck until they accidentally brought about the end of the world…
Goodwitch's stern voice pulled Jaune out of his devious thoughts. "Mister Arc, I will decide the match-ups. Not you."
"Professor, I know everyone at Beacon, and, as we've seen, it doesn't seem like any of them can give me a real fight. Maybe some of the new blood will pose a challenge – if they're up for it."
"You can't just–"
Cinder rose. "It's quite alright, madam. I do believe I can pose the challenge that Mister Arc is seeking."
"Ma'am, do you want me to…you know…" Emerald whispered. She knew Cinder could crush this whelp in her sleep, but the tournament wasn't for weeks. Reveal too much too early and you give the enemy the advantage.
"No. You must save the use of your illusions for only the most critical of situations, Emerald, not to steal a win in combat class on my behalf. I did tell you to keep your hands clean. Besides, I've never lost before, and I've no intention of starting now. His semblance seems to be something unusual, though. Watch him closely, Em, and figure out his power. He may prove a challenge during the tournament if he has the Invincible Girl at his back."
That was Cinder for you. So confident, so powerful, so perfect. Emerald loved her to the end of Remnant, and she nodded her acknowledgment of the orders with glee.
Jaune did not draw his weapon initially, so Cinder did not either. Goodwitch waved her riding crop for them to start, but neither moved. Emerald knew both were gauging their opponents, waiting for the enemy to make the first move. This was as much a battle of the minds as it was a battle of the bodies.
Jaune unhooked his cane, and Cinder reached for her bow. Jaune twisted the two halves to reveal his cane, and Cinder nocked her arrows.
Jaune stopped, and Cinder stopped.
"Veneficus. Such a fascinating name."
"Eh, it was really just a spur of the moment thing I blurted out to get Ruby to start pestering me. My family has a thing for old-fashioned words in dead languages."
"And your semblance. I don't believe I've ever watched someone take down two trained opponents without so much as breaking a sweat. What's you secret, Jaune Arc?"
"Well, my dad says a little confidence is all you need."
"I've always found that power gets the job done. You seem quite powerful."
"Perhaps we can show each other just how powerful we are."
"Oh, I do so like the sound of that." Cinder licked her lip, and Emerald found herself wanting Jaune's head to get bitten off by a Beowolf.
Jaune flinched first, and the fight began.
Cinder fired two shots at Jaune, lining up perfectly to hit him as he moved from side to side. The arrows whizzed through the air straight at his head. Both collided with his aura and scattered to the floor.
Emerald looked up at the aura monitor. Arc…was still at 97% aura. Cinder nocked another arrow and aimed it at Jaune. The blonde boy didn't move. Emerald didn't like this one bit. First a superpowered semblance, then a super bulky wall of aura? This kid had too much power. Emerald thought he'd been bullshitting about the whole 'win with confidence' things, but now…
Cinder's next arrow flew at Jaune, but he ducked to avoid this one. The cane receded back into its base, and Jaune sprinted forward at Cinder. Odd. Why bring a weapon and not use it? Perhaps he was hoping to keep his expertise hidden until the festival to have the edge on his opponents. Perhaps he had no expertise, and the cane was a red herring.
Cinder switched her bow to its dual blade form and entered a close combat stance. The bow was barely a mech-shift weapon, but for some reason the academies thought any weapon that had two forms fell under that category. Great job, guys. By that logic, pistol whip someone and you'd just mech-shifted a gun into a club.
Jaune punched at Cinder's stomach, but she countered with a downward slash of her right sword. She brought the left to his neck and slashed into his aura, but he grabbed hold of her wrist. Her blade clattered to the floor as he squeezed.
Emerald instinctively conjured up an illusion in response at her partner's distress, but she caught herself. Jaune probably saw an arrow materialize out of thin air and hurtle towards him only to immediately disappear, but there was no way he'd figure out it was an Emerald's semblance. This was just some snot-nosed first year from Beacon who didn't even know Emerald's name. Besides, nobody had ever realized the illusions were illusions before. Fighters often jumped through the craziest hoops to explain Emerald's illusions to themselves and others – hallucinations, stress-induced flashbacks, sometimes even clairvoyant visions of future attacks.
Cinder took the moment of distraction to plant a heel into Jaune's stomach and kick off of him. She flipped backwards and conjured up a fireball with her now empty hand.
The aura board showed Cinder's aura actually rise for a split second even thought her semblance should've consumed it. Emerald swore she saw the faintest shadow of a grin on Jaune's face.
Flames swallowed up Cinder, pouring out of her hand and rapidly spreading across her body. It was like Cinder had lost control of the fireball, and it was expanding around her like…well, like wildfire. She screamed in anguish as the fire Dust she'd woven into her dress lit up and added to the growing blaze. This didn't make a lick of sense. Her semblance was to control any
Her semblance was to control any
Her semblance
Jaune Arc can control other people's semblances.
This was bad. This was so fucking bad. This could spell the end of their plans if he ever caught on. Emerald prayed to the Brothers or whatever mystical beings that lived in the sky that Jaune never did. Dust, there were so many questions. How much control did he have? When could he do it? Did it…did it apply to Maiden powers?
Cinder wasn't using Maiden powers, so there was no way to know. The flames seemed to die down and retreat into Cinder's hands as she stopped using her semblance. Her Dustweave dress eventually burned itself out, and Emerald nearly wept as the woman she idolized trembled in pain.
Maybe semblance-less Mercury could beat him in a normal fight, but there was no way to tell. Arc had never used his cane, and that had to mean he was hiding something. Wouldn't that just be the cherry on top – super semblance, three times the aura of a normal hunter, and mastery of a Dust-equipped weapon. Oh, and also partnered up with the frickin' Invincible Girl. Emerald was starting to be genuinely afraid of this guy.
Was…Was this all an illusion? One of Emerald's own illusions? Was Cinder lying dead on the floor while Emerald was distracted by a delusory puppet show of her own making? She could never trust her eyes again, and that was not a pleasant thought. Shit, this must be how other people around her felt all the time.
Arc's aura was down to 80%, but Cinder's was just barely above half. Of course, his grand trick had been played and couldn't be played again. Cinder had seemed to figure out that she was safe if she didn't use her semblance, hence the lack of fire in the arena. She brandished her remaining blade and widened her stance for swordplay.
"I forfeit."
Cinder struggled to look up at him. "What?" she growled.
"I forfeit. You win."
"What game do you think you're playing?"
"I'm tired from my third consecutive fight. I guess my dad was wrong. It's going to take more than just confidence. Miss Goodwitch, I'm too tired to keep going."
Goodwitch wasn't buying it, but her hands were tied. There was no way to force a fight to continue after one of the combatants had verbally surrendered.
"Very well. Victory for Miss Fall by forfeit."
That bastard. He'd kicked her around using a cheap trick, then bailed as soon as Cinder would've gained the upper hand. Emerald was absolutely sure that Cinder could have won now that she knew not to use her flames. Technically she did win (her combat record would include this as a victory), but it looked to the audience like Arc was the stronger of the two. Those stupid onlookers probably thought Arc forfeited out of pity.
As long as Jaune Arc remained ignorant of Team Caiman's true intentions, he was safe. Otherwise, Emerald would have to kill him.
If she could, that is.
Student Information File
Contains Private Information – Do Not Distribute Beyond Haven Staff
Student Name: Cinder Fall
Age: 23
Current Academic Year: 3
Gender: Female
Mother: Deceased
Father: Deceased
Kingdom of Origin: Atlas/Mantle
Current Citizenship: Mistral
Primary Combat School: Unknown/Declined to state
Huntsman Team: Team CE
Partner: Emerald Sustrai
Teammate 1: N/A
Teammate 2: N/A
Weapon: Midnight
Weapon Type: Bow
Dust Capabilities: N/A
Mecha-Shift: Sword pair
Weapon: Dustweave Vestments
Weapon Type: Dress
Dust Capabilities: Interwoven Fire Dust, Interwoven Ice Dust, Interwoven Lightning Dust, Interwoven Gravity Dust
Mecha-Shift: N/A
Semblance: Scorching Caress
Description: Fire Manipulation, Phase Manipulation, Explosive Blasts, Control of Projectiles
Academic Record
Mission Success Rate: 100%
Sparring Success Rate: 100%
Grade Point Average: 4.4
Disciplinary Record: None
Psychological Review: Cinder Fall has expressed tendencies of megalomania, delusions of grandeur, and narcissism. She exhibits an unhealthy obsession with being 'the most powerful of all' and never losing practice spars against her peers. I suspect that such behavior stems from her lack of a social support structure or past abuse. Both of her parents are deceased, and she is evasive when speaking about her current guardian. I've managed to confirm that she is in the care of a single woman, but Cinder always redirects the conversation when I approach the subject. Possible domestic abuse or dysfunctional family scenario; review further. She and her partner are currently members of an incomplete two-member hunter team, which seems to have negatively affected her ability to empathize or form non-transactional bonds with her peers. The four-member team structure was intentionally designed to encourage socialization and avoid issues like this. Headmaster Lionheart refused to comment on the abnormality of Team CE. I professionally recommend removing Miss Fall from Haven Academy until such time as her mental health can be reviewed further.
Headmaster's Notes: Miss Fall is nothing short of an exemplary student. She has strategic acumen as of yet unparalleled by her peers, and her exceptional combat abilities are matched only by the depths of her compassion, modesty, and integrity. At her current rate, I expect Miss Fall will become the greatest huntress of her generation. There is not a doubt in my mind that she will becoming a deciding factor in the modern chapter our eternal battle against the Grimm.
Omake
Jaune: Aura Amp Requiem Ultra Instinct Kaioken x20 Full Counter Jutsu – Detroit Smash!
Cinder: It's super effective.
Emerald: His aura level…it's over 9000!
Jaune: *teleports behind Cinder* Nothing personnel, kid.
Next Chapter: Catchin' Feels – Dammit Yang. You had one job.
Author's Notes
I'm not making up Jaune's power here. He healed Weiss when she was out cold, which means he can use his semblance to boost aura whether or not the recipient is willing. In my opinion, Jaune's underutilizing his semblance in the show (though I haven't watched the fever dream that is called Volume 9, so maybe he does this there). He also doesn't need to physically contact them (he heals Weiss without laying a finger on her).
He can't control semblances, but he can force other fighters to overuse them (make Ruby run to fast, dial up Ren's emotion-blocking to 11, make Cinder's fires burn out of control). It won't work on everyone, but it would work on some people, especially those who need to use precise amounts of force/accuracy/control when using their semblance. I acknowledge that this is pretty much just a headcanon, but the logic is sound, is it not? Maybe there is some element of Aura Amp not working unless he's at very close range, but I maintain my professional belief that he's wasting an OP technique on healing and boosting Ren.
Also, before everyone says Jaune is too powerful in this, his main advantage was the element of surprise and his peer's lack of understanding of what he can do. If someone knows how Aura Amp works, they can just choose not to use their semblance, and Jaune's screwed. Fortunately for him, no one knows…or do they?
(they don't)