Sorry for the delay, was writing a thick chapter. Enjoy.
What's the difference?
The last few weeks helped Jaune acclimate to his new life as a Beacon student. Weiss's and Ruby's training regimen (Though it could be called torture for what they put him through) was helping him develop a physic of a Huntsman. The day after drinking with Qrow and Yang yielded a splitting headache and a very angry Weiss. Team YPLN didn't fare much better, with Nora and Yang uncharacteristically quiet that morning. Jaune swore off drinking that morning. The headache after wasn't worth it.
A routine followed and with it, results in Jaune's opinion. Morning runs and workouts with Ruby then breakfast with both teams. Elective courses were available for them, ranging from botany to public relations. Jaune along with his newly cemented bro, Ren, chose a course on emergency first aid. Ruby picked a class that handled the forging of weapons and gunsmithing, while Blake and Weiss both decided on a philosophy course. Yang and Pyrrha went to a course best described as 'Auto shop' while Nora picked Home Economics. The last one scared him for some reason.
Classes took up the majority of his day and the afternoon would be Ruby and Weiss sparring against him. Blake would help with the odd comment from her book and their sister team would stop by once and a while to have a match with him. A game called 'how long can Jaune survive?' formed one day as he was being utterly demolished by Nora. The betting pool was made, and it happened every day since. So far, his longest record was 8:34 against Ren. Not impressive, but it was progress.
And the results were reflected in his body as well. He had actual muscles now, or the start of them. Fat had been reduced considerably since his Aura awakened, causing him to burn more calories than ever. His new arm was holding up well. He and Ruby would open and clean it every night, like a bedtime ritual. There was also one thing he should have seen coming when he did enroll in Beacon.
Hormones.
Whoever thought it was a good idea to shove barely legal teenagers together in a cramped room and told them to live together wasn't thinking very far. Instances of Jaune walking into the room while one of his teammates were changing were often. Vice versa happened as well when Jaune needed to change between classes. Jaune was pretty certain he scarred Blake, or at least think he did. His teammates bodies did make an impression on him.
Weiss had that ethereal figure with her porcelain skin and bleached hair. Her body was modest but was still toned and fit. The scar over her left eye only accented her beauty even more. Granted, her initial attitude and behavior steered Jaune away from interacting with her, but after the leadership debacle, she mellowed out a bit. He still called her Snow Angel from time to time to mess with her.
Blake was a mixed bag in his opinion. Long black hair with golden eyes that just pierced your soul. Yes, she had those toned legs with an ass that never seemed to quit and a body a model would be jealous of, but she seemed so distant. Reading was a great past time, Jaune loved X-ray and Vav as much as the next guy, it's just she did all the time. And then there were the arguments with Weiss that just popped up. It was a pain to deal with in his opinion.
Then there was Ruby, his partner and first friend. Sure, she was two years younger than him, but she could kick his ass eight ways to Sunday. The fifteen-year-old was a menace to his psyche as well. She was a budding teenager with a very defined body and bigger breasts than Weiss, not to mention the lack of personal space. It made him feel dirty thinking of her like that and all he really wanted to do was distract himself from the hyperactive reaper.
Right now, he was with Ren in their First Aid class with Doc Valentine. He was a huntsman who traveled Remnant in his time before settling down at Beacon to teach. He had short black hair, green eyes, and always had a Five' O clock shadow. When questioned why his name was Doc Valentine, he responded by saying, 'I ain't got a degree and I've seen more than most medical professionals on Remnant. The title Doc came with it.' So, everyone called him Doc.
Field medicine was extremely complicated. Bleeding, airway, circulation, breathing were the critical functions on making sure someone was alive. Wounds varied from gunshots, gouges, impalements, cuts, broken bones, collapsed lungs, and the list went on. Both Jaune's and Ren's head ached after each class with how much information was crammed in.
"You find blood on the lower left leg after checking it. What do you do? Mr. Arc?" Doc Valentine broke Jaune out of his reflection.
"Uh…. Apply the tourniquet as high as possible?" he answered.
"Good. Now, what about after assessing the situation? There are no nearby threats."
"You…" Jaune racked his brain. "Tear away the clothing to find the source of the blood."
"You find a puncture wound on his calf. The individual's Aura is depleted and is not assisting in healing." Doc Valentine said walking about the classroom. "What next?"
"Apply a bandage on the wound. Then slowly undo the tourniquet." Jaune answered feeling more confident.
"You're missing a key step. What's a common cause of a puncture wound?" Doc countered. An image of an object going through a leg appeared in Jaune's mind.
"Exit wound." He said sighing. "Do I find one?"
"You do. It's larger than the entry wound. What do you do now?" Doc Valentine asked as he continued walking. The options were becoming limited in Jaune's mind.
"Keep bandage on and apply a second torniquet above the wound." The teacher nodded.
"Anything else?" Jaune was silent in thought for a moment before he answered.
"I'm forgetting something, aren't I?" he said.
"Take off the higher tourniquet. This will save as much of the limb as possible." The bell rang for the end of class. Students of the course got up and began making their way out. "Next week, we will be going over sutures. I hope you have steady hands!" Valentine called after them. Ren and Jaune were already walking down the student infest hallways, making their way towards the cafeteria.
"You were almost right." Ren said as they walked. A sigh escaped Jaune. Ren was naturally gifted at medicine and helped him with the class whenever he could. That didn't escape the fact that he was slower at picking up the subject than everyone else.
"Maybe, but not right enough." It was a sore spot for Jaune, not helping people as much as he could. He didn't want anyone else to have a repeat of a missing limb.
"You'll get there in time. No one is an expert at the start." Ren assured him. Easy for you to say. Jaune thought with little frustration. He's right though. All I need is time. A voice said in his mind. That was another thing that was progressively getting weirder. Every time he fought, or was in a stressful situation, there was a voice that helped keep him focused. It was his own voice, or mind, he realized that. The thing was it gave him clear goals and objectives. It felt like talking to himself in the literal sense. Maybe he was bipolar or schizophrenic and just didn't know it yet.
But then again, how would I know? And then it would ask creepy questions like that, causing a back and forth in his mind, which constantly distracted him.
"Hey, are you daydreaming again?" Ren asked, nudging his side. They were standing in line in the cafeteria. Jaune rubbed his shaggy blonde hair.
"Yeah, just thinking." He said grabbing some food.
"You've been doing that a lot lately."
"Meh, got a lot on my mind. Leader stuff and all that." Jaune hasn't told anyone about the mental conversations yet. Partly out of fear of what they would think and partly for being declared unfit to be a huntsman.
"Is this about Cardin bullying you?" Ren asked as they walked toward their respective team's table. Ruby and Nora waved at them as they approached.
"About what now?" Jaune asked as he sat down next to Ruby. The rest of their teams were chatting away, Blake and Weiss in a discussion about death, Yang and Pyrrha about dust engines, and the Nora regaling Ruby about the huge pancake she made.
"Cardin. The bullying?" Ren reiterated.
"Never noticed." Jaune said shoveling food in his mouth. He had more important things to worry about. Classes, getting stronger, figuring out why there was another voice in his head. Jaune set his fork down. "How long has this been going on?"
"About two weeks now." Ruby said from beside him.
"Really?" Has it really been going on that long?
"You seriously haven't noticed?" Weiss entered the conversation. The whole table was quiet now.
"No, I haven't."
"Him tripping you in the hallway?" Pyrrha chimed in.
"I thought I was just clumsy."
"You're not serious, are you?" Weiss didn't believe him. Jaune held his hands up.
"I am. Is that it?"
"Him deploying your shield?" Blake added.
"I thought it was just malfunctioning." The thing was old, and he thought it was just wear and tear.
"The time he shoved you in a rocket locker and launched you?" Yang said, truly perplexed. That one brought back a memory.
"I thought it was training." He said in defense. Landing in the Emerald Forest was part of initiation, so he thought it was part of combat class.
"How can you be that dense?" Weiss asked again. "There has to be a limit." Jaune just shrugged. It didn't affect him that much to be honest.
"I had other things on my mind." Jaune said digging back in.
"What could Poss-"
"Ow! Sop! That hurts!" came a voice from across the cafeteria. The whole table turned to look. What they saw was Cardin pulling on the ears of a rabbit Faunus while the rest of his team watched and egged him on.
"Holy shit, they're real!" Cardin told the rest of his crew. That only served to spur on the torture.
"Huh. I guess he is a bully." The scene caused anger to well up inside him. This isn't how huntsmen should act.
"Absolutely disgusting." Weiss scowled in their general direction.
"Yeah, I wanna show him to pick on someone his own size." Yang added. He could see her eyes turning crimson with the thought.
"Break his legs!" Nora egged her on.
"I wonder why he does that." Ruby asked, seeming to hope for an answer.
"Faunus are usually the outlet for frustrations." Blake answered, glaring at the scene. "There's nothing they can do about it. Some people see them as lesser than human. And if they were to fight back, it would be all to easy to label them the perpetrator. At least in Atlas it is." Weiss turned around on her.
"No, it is not. The only reason Atlas takes such drastic measures is because the White Fang could literally be any Faunus." She retorted to her partner. Before the argument went any further, Jaune spoke up.
"Guys, what did I say?" Jaune asked, still looking at the scene with Cardin. Ruby watched as both Weiss and Blake stopped their argument.
"No fighting at the table…" Weiss grumbled. This argument came up before and got heated. Sensing a screaming match, Jaune put his foot down and ordered them to not argue politics while eating. Ruby was thankful for that, but the discussion still popped up every now and again. Other than that, the monochrome partners got along well. The cries of the Faunus girl caught Ruby's attention once again.
"Someone should do something." She whispered to herself. Being a Huntress meant being a herp, and being a hero meant saving people. Right now, she wanted to help, but didn't know how.
"We could call Ms. Goodwitch." Pyrrha helpfully supplied. Ruby agreed with the sentiment. An authority figure would sort out the issue very quickly.
"That wouldn't stop him from doing it again." Blake rebutted. "It would only make him more careful." Well, there goes that idea. Ruby thought. Inaction of the situation made her frustrated. She looked over to her partner and team leader, only to see him with his head cocked to the side and deep in thought. He's been doing that a lot lately. I wonder what he's been thinking about.
"Be right back." Jaune abruptly stood up. "Stay here." Ruby watched as her partner walked towards Cardin and his gang, entranced by the suddenness of it.
"What is he doing?" Weiss asked. No response came as the table watched Jaune interrupt the groups harassment by tapping Cardin's shoulder. The dull roar of the cafeteria prevented them from hearing what Jaune was saying. If the shocked face on the harassed Faunus could tell them anything, it was probably something insulting.
"What did you say to me you fucking cripple!?" Cardin yelled, echoing over the dining hall. Silence reigned as everyone turned to look at Jaune and Cardin. Oh no… Ruby thought as she was about to get up. Carding threw a haymaker at Jaune's head, but he slipped to the left, the fist sailing over his right shoulder. In one fell swoop, Jaune's right hand grabbed the bully's face and rammed his head into the table. A sickening Crack signaled Team Cardinal to join their leader in the fight, causing a four on one. The Faunus quietly slipped away while Ruby made to join her partner. Blake's hand reached out and grabbed her wrist before she could get too far.
"Let go!" Ruby begged Blake. "He needs our help!" The grip on wrist became tighter.
"He said to stay here for a reason." Blake said, dragging her back down to her seat. She could only sit by and watch as Jaune focused on beating the hell out of Cardin while the rest of his team wailed on him. The table watched in morbid fascination as Jaune tanked the blows, ignoring the team and focusing on Cardin, who currently was trying to push him to the ground. The metal left hand the belonged to Jaune was able to block then grab Cardin's punch. Before he could do anything, Jaune's legs were kicked out beneath him by Russell, causing him to fall to his knees.
With a last-ditch effort, Jaune dragged Cardin down to the floor with his bionic strength. Dove kicked him in the face, whipping his head back with a crack but he ignored it, choosing to mount Cardin instead. It was a testament to Jaune's Aura reserves that he was still conscious. The fight was interrupted as a purple hue enveloped Jaune and lifted him into the air, locking him stock still. "What is going on here?" Ms. Goodwitch asked the dining hall.
The answer was silence with the occasional drip of blood. Ruby never felt more scared, and Goodwitch's glare wasn't even direct at her. "Headmaster's office. Now." The teacher commanded levitating Jaune away, stuck in his position. Blood dripped from him and made a trail across the marble floor where team Cardinal followed. The cafeteria was silent after they left, adding to Ruby's anxiety. Her heart thumped against her ribcage.
"That happened." Nora said, causing Ruby to jump in her seat.
Coffee and all of its glorious aroma wafted through Ozpin's nose. Well, this is unexpected. He thought as he looked over the troublemakers sitting across from his desk. Team Cardinal and Jaune were seated separately from each other. Cardin was the only one on his team with any wounds, sporting a black eye and bruised face. Jaune was worse for wear, holding an icepack to his face and clutching his side. Ozpin was content to let them stew for a bit, letting Glynda use her signature glare on them.
He continued shuffling papers and needless reorganizing before finally leaning back in his chair. "So how did this all start?" he asked.
"He called me an oversized retard!" Cardin said before anyone else could say anything. Ozpin raised his eyebrow at the insinuation. His gaze roamed over to Jaune who looked resigned and nervous at the fact.
"Is this true?" He inquired.
"Seemed like a good idea at the time." Jaune answered with a shrug.
"And why was it a good idea?"
"Well, they were pulling on this Faunus girl's ears and wouldn't stop." He explained.
"I didn't think they were real!" Cardin interjected. Ozpin turned his gaze to the Leader of team Cardinal. "I was just curious!"
"Then why didn't you stop when she told you to?" Jaune spat back, glaring at the boy. Another fight probably would break out if he did nothing, which he was inclined to just for curiosity's sake.
"No, she didn't!" Cardin denied. Jaune seemed to lose his nervousness at the oncoming conflict. Interesting.
"The whole cafeteria saw, dumbass. You think you were being quiet?" Jaune insulted him again. Heightened sense of aggression.
"Enough." Ozpin commanded, stopping the conflict. "Mr. Winchester and his team will be taking remedial classes with Doctor Oobleck starting tomorrow. Glynda, please escort Team Cardinal back to their dorms."
"What about him!" Dove pointed at Jaune.
"Do not worry, he will be punished accordingly." Ozpin assured them. Glynda ushered the team out of the office and into the elevator. They were smart enough not to say anything with the Deputy Headmistress around. The doors closed, leaving the two men in silence. "Starting fights, Mr. Arc? I never would have thought." Ozpin began taking a sip from his mug. A man needed a vice to keep him levelheaded. He was no exception.
"Someone had to do something." Jaune sighed in his chair, visibly deflating. "It just made me angry. More than I should've been."
"Care to elaborate?" Ozpin urged the student. People tended to explain themselves with little pressure.
"It's just they were picking on this girl, literally harassing her, and no one was doing anything. The passivity of it made me angry, but that was just part of it."
"There is a phenomenon called the Bystander Effect, have you heard of it?" Ozpin asked. He has studied humanity for far longer than anyone else. It would be irresponsible not to tach him a few things about it.
"No. Why?"
"It's an effect that where when people see an uncomfortable situation, or potentially dangerous one, they stand by and watch instead of intervening. And why should they? It's not them, nor their problem. It is rationalized as something that happens from time to time. Bullying and racial discrimination are common enough where people will turn a blind eye to it. Such is the world with different views and opinions."
"But Huntsman should be different, shouldn't they?" Jaune asked. Ozpin shook his head, setting his mug down.
"The reality is, Huntsmen and Huntresses are just like everyone else, and just as prone to it. We exist to fight Grimm and occasionally round up the rogue Aura user. We are not infallible, and we are not all knowing. We can only strive to be better." The headmaster concluded the lecture.
"I guess. I always thought they were heroes." Jaune sighed. He leaned back in his chair looking up at the ceiling.
"And the other part?" Ozpin inquired. Better to be thorough than assume.
"How she was doing nothing to get away." Looked frustrated at the thought. Oh? "She had every option to get up and get away. I didn't see her in our grade, so she must be at least a sophomore. First years were literally picking on her, and she did nothing." Jaune sounded passionate about the girl's action or lack thereof. Well, that's a surprise.
"Sometimes, people don't know how to act in a situation. Tell me Jaune, have you ever been bullied before?" Jaune looked to be deep in thought before grimacing.
"Yeah. I have. I think I see what you mean now… It's just frustrating." He finally said. The boy seemed to come to terms with it. At least that's one issue solved.
"How's Ms. Rose doing? I haven't had a chance to ask for an update." Ozpin inquired. The Vytal Festival's planning was taking up far too much of his time. Politics was always something Ozpin wished he could get rid of, but it always persisted.
"She's doing well." Jaune started, shifting in his chair. "Weiss has been helping her with her studies. Two years of missing context turns out to be a lot of additional reading. She's also been coming out of her shell, I think. Yang's team tends to visit with us a lot, and she gets along well enough with everyone else." That was good news but wasn't what he was looking for.
"What about combat? Anything odd or new?" Ozpin was hoping that the added stress of being two years younger than everyone would help tap into her more latent abilities. The team leader thought back for a moment.
"No, nothing out of the ordinary. She's still a bit headstrong though. Eager to prove herself."
"The same could be said for you." The headmaster replied.
"You're probably right." Jaune said, scratching the back of his head. Ozpin was impressed. A lot of young men aren't able to self-reflect to find their shortcomings. Knowing an issue and addressing it are two different matters though. "Is there anything else?" A thought came to the headmaster's mind.
"No, you're free to leave. Officially, I lectured you on the importance on patients and alerting the appropriate authority figures." Jaune gave him a thumbs up and proceeded to get up with a groan.
"Why are people like Cardin at Beacon?" He turned around and asked. The coffee mug was put down on the oaken desk, as Ozpin sighed.
"Huntsmen don't have the longest lifespans, Mr. Arc. Every able body is needed to protect humanity from the Grimm. They do not rest, and neither can we. I wish there were more options, but we simply do not have them." Through the Eons, Ozpin saw empires rise and fall, but the only constant was the need for people to fight against the dark. And as always, it was in short supply.
"Makes sense, I guess." Jaune still looked unsure about the whole thing, but he couldn't blame him. He was still young.
"If I may ask, what did spur you on to act against Mr. Winchester?" Curious as he was, Ozpin couldn't see Jaune starting a fight so recklessly. He waved him off dismissively as he walked towards the elevator. The boy had a slight limp.
"Oh, just a voice in my head." Ozpin stilled at the mention of it, but only for a second.
"The small voice of a conscious, I assume?" He asked to clarify. The elevator doors dinged, opening to an empty compartment.
"Kinda, sounds like me but not me, you know? It's weird. I'll see you later." Jaune waved from inside the transport.
"Have a nice evening Mr. Arc." The headmaster replied as the doors closed. Illuminated display of the floor levels above slowly ticked down to the ground floor. Interesting. The boy has certainly met his expectations, despite having far too little training. His adaptability is marvelous. I wonder how fast and how strong he can become here. And who knows? If the Aura transfer machine downstairs works on the Fall Maiden, I may not need to wait for this body's death to be reborn. And maybe then, the next body may not be so random.
The walk back to his dorm room was long. Coupled with aches, bruises, sore muscles, Jaune was tired and wanted a hot shower. At least he got off with a slap on the wrist. For that he was grateful to Ozpin. He still felt off about reporting on Ruby, but his hands were tied, and he meant well. It was sobering to find out Huntsman and Huntresses were average people, but with inhuman abilities. And the more he thought about it, the more he realized he shouldn't have expected anything else. Sure, they were held to a higher standard, but so were public figures, officers, soldiers, and the list goes on.
Why did I think they were heroes in the first place?
Because they do things no one else will do.
The play by play in his mind was helpful and useless at the same time. It didn't tell him anything he didn't know, but it gave him some clarity.
Maybe I am losing my mind…
He opened his dorm room with his scroll, hoping to relax for a little bit.
"You're gonna die, clown!" Yang yelled at the Tv screen. Her team and the rest of team JBRW were huddled around the game system as they played Thrashed Metal 2. Weiss was frantically moving the controller she held while Yang mashed buttons on hers. The figures on the screen were moving back and forth, trading blows and blocks, trying to start a combo.
"Get'em fearless leader!" Nora yelled in excitement. "Make him honk his last nose!"
"That doesn't even make sense!" Weiss yelled, frantically mashing buttons. Everyone was in their pajamas, which drove the point home for Jaune. They are just regular people. Blake was the only one to notice him come in, since she was reading on her bed and everyone else was focused on the virtual battle. She gave him a small smile and a tentative waive and he returned the gesture. He walked over to the closet that was next to his bed.
"Jaune, you're back!" Ruby said as she intercepted him with a semblance powered hug. The force knocked him over with a thud, causing pain to lance up from his sore body.
"Ow…." Jaune groaned as he patted Ruby's back. Why do you cause so much cute pain?
"Are you okay? I mean, you look beaten, but did you get in trouble?" She asked from on top of him. He looked down at his chest to see worried silver orbs staring at him. A sore chuckled escaped him as Jaune patted Ruby's head with his metal arm.
"Just got a lecture and a slap on the wrist. Nothing to worry about." The rest of the occupants paused their game to listen in.
"What about Cardin?" Yang asked.
"Remedial lessons with Oobleck. I'm sure those will be fun." He explained, glad to not be in his position. Professor Oobleck was a handful at the best of times. "Um, Ruby, could you please get off?" The Red reaper blushed then teleported away in a fury of roses. He sat backup, rubbing his aching ribs. Thank God for Aura. Right now, he just wanted a shower. Getting to his feet, Jaune went back to grabbing his nightwear. "I'm gonna grab a shower quick." Walking towards the bathroom. "I think I have blood on my shirt." He mumbled.
Closing the door, he began undressing and getting the shower started. In the mirror, he could see the results of hard work on his body. That and the bruising from today. Healing had already started, turning the purple patches on his torso to yellow, and bringing the tenderness with it. He idly scratched his chest, noting that the muscle was more developed before. The metal arm attached to his frame gave a start contrast, the scars webbing to his chest. Jaune rotated the artificial shoulder, satisfied that it was still in working order.
Hot water rained down on his body, welcoming the embrace of the heated bliss. His mind drifted in the haze, and he welcomed the chance to turn his brain off for a bit.
Ruby was putting the smackdown on Nora's character after Pyrrha and Ren had their turn. Sometimes she thought the two looked like overworked parents for Yang and Nora, being the only bastions of sanity in the team. But there were more important things to focus on right now.
"Take that! And that! And one of these!" Ruby proclaimed, beating Nora's character with a fierce combo.
"You'll pay for that!" Nora returned with an uppercut, breaking the combo and putting her on the defensive. The round went on for another tense minute before Ruby won the round. "Curses! I'll get you next time." A fist from Nora was waived at Ruby next to her. She could only stick out her tongue in response.
"You guys do get loud when you're excited." Jaune interrupted them as he stepped out of the bathroom. Ruby couldn't help but look back to see him in pajama pants and drying his shaggy blonde hair with a towel. In their dorm, it was common for him not to wear a shirt so he could do maintenance on his arm at night. Blake didn't seem to mind, and Weiss was slightly irritated about it but came around when he told her it was for functional purposes. She gave in easily and Ruby couldn't blame her. Seeing Jaune's lanky appearance slowly become more toned and muscular was like watching a project slowly come together.
Definitely not because Ruby liked ogling her best friend. Nope. And definitely not the way his metal arm melded with the rest of his body.
"Jaune, put on a shirt, we have company." Weiss chastised beside Pyrrha. The heiress was currently working on something in a notebook with the champion looking over her shoulder.
"I don't mind." Yang said, eyeing up Jaune. "Looks like you got some battle scars from Cardin and his cronies." True enough, Ruby could see the bruising across his body. The healing process already seemed to be in full swing with the splotches already turning purple and yellow. Even for Huntsman, it was incredibly fast. "Are you still up for Arc Arena tomorrow?"
Arc Arena was the nickname for Jaune's training, coined by Yang of course. It first began with Ruby sparring against him, then Weiss teaching parries and ripostes right after. Blake helped as well, teaching him the art situational awareness via surprise stabbing. Soon, her sister found out and started teaching him brawling. He took a shine to it, being able to take Yang levels of punishment and keep going. Pyrrha stumbled in looking for her partner and started adding her input as well. Ren and Nora came by and joined just because it looked fun.
"I'll be fine." Jaune proceeded to set next to Ren, giving him a fist bump. "Did I miss anything?"
"Just the whole cafeteria gossiping of what you did." Yang casually stated. A blush formed on Jaune's face as he looked away and scratched the back of his head.
"That bad, huh?" Ruby wasn't surprised at the reaction. He had a habit of being embarrassed by things that brought attention to him.
"Yup, I guarantee that the rumor mill will be on the buzz for the next few weeks from that little stunt." She assured him with a satisfied smile. Jaune groaned in his hands at the prospect.
"Kill me now."
"Maybe tomorrow."
"ARE YOU READY!?" Nora yelled to the spectators of the coliseum. The handle of Magnhild was being used as a faux microphone. "Today, we have a once in a lifetime event, pitting famous warriors from across the land in a duel to the death! In this corner!" She pointed at him. "We have the underdog of Beacon, the man who laughs at death and throat punches bullies to their face!"
"Hey, Nor-"
"He single-handedly crippled a Nevermore in hand-to-hand combat, winning his spot as leader of the famous Team Jabberwocky!"
"That's no-"
"Give it up for the Wannabe Knight! The wooer of damsels and distresses! The Metal Menace! JAAAAAUUUNNE AAAAAAAAAARRRRC!" Scattered applause from the peanut gallery up above rang in Jaune's ears as his embarrassment reached new heights.
"And in this corner," The would-be announcer pointed to the other side. "We have the Beauty of Beacon."
"Hey!" came from up above.
"She has the grace, the speed, the POWER to beat anyone or anything in her way! All the from the wild lands of Mistral to grace us with her presence! I give you the Red Redemption, the Amazon who has it going on! The Invincible Girl, PYRRHA NIKOS!" Pyrrha waived at him awkwardly from across the arena.
"Now I want a down and dirty fight with no rules and plenty of broken bones!" Nora continued. If anything, her excitement was infectious.
"Ready?" Jaune took up his stance and Pyrrha did the same. Tension was in the air, causing his nerves to act up.
"Set!" He tried to regulate his breathing, going through possible first moves in his head. Pyrrha's weapon was still in her spear form. Doesn't turn into a gun?
"FIGHT!" Nora jumped away to the side of the arena as Pyrrha shifted Miló into its rifle from. Jaune reacted instinctively, raising his shield to provide cover. The rounds bounced harmlessly off his shield, but right now, she had the advantage.
Need to close distance. Cannot win ranged engagement.
No shit.
Lowering his body to maximize cover, he advanced towards his opponent. The barrage of bullets halted as he heard the telltale clicking of the weapon shifting from again.
Now.
Jaune charged at her with a thrust from his sword, only to be deflected away by her shield. Her spear counterthrusted straight to his open midsection. Instead of backing away to avoid the damage, he stepped in closer. The blade cut across his Aura, pushing past him. Jaune pressed his metal arm against his side, locking the spear in place. Pyrrha's shield bashed into his face an instant later, slackening his grip enough to pull it out and reeling him back. The blow was surprising, but nothing he hadn't experience before.
Don't lose ground.
Gritting his teeth, Jaune slashed his sword downward, hoping to change the pace of the fight. Pyrrha sidestepped the attacked, bringing her weapon across her shoulder and thrusting her spear at his face. Tilting his head to the right, the blow missed his eye by millimeters. Bringing his left backfoot around, he tried swiping hers from underneath her. It would've worked it she hadn't done the same, twirling around behind him.
Well, this isn't good.
Bronze hands grabbed shoulders as Pyrrha used him as a kickoff stand, sending him skidding across the arena.
She isn't the champion for nothing. Jaune got his feet underneath him, standing back up and working a kink out of his neck.
I can see that. Any bright ideas? Pyrrha just stood there with a satisfied grin on her face.
Embrace the pain.
Fat lot of good you are.
Taking a deep breath in, Jaune renewed his advance. Pyrrha met him halfway with two thrusts from Miló, prompting Jaune to raise his shield in defense. On the third thrust, he deflected it away. Jaune was ready for the oncoming shield bash. Reversing the grip on his sword, he used the hilt as leverage to jerk her shield to the side. Capitalizing on the opening, Jaune shoulder checked Pyrrha, knocking her back a step. A bronze heel connected to his chin, whipping his head back and making his vision swim.
Dazed, he barely registered the sound of shifting from her weapon. Jaune swung Crocea Mors at her in hopes of deterring another blow. Such hopes were shattered when it felt like his sword was swinging through mud. Pyrrha chambered his sword, flinging it away. Aura flared on his abdomen as she slashed it. He tried to bring up his shield, but her weapon wedged itself in between it and his metal arm. With strength that felt unnatural, she flung the rest of the heirloom to the side before following up with a dropkick straight to his torso.
His lungs burned as pain bounced around his body on the ground. Breath was coming it short gasps as he tried to collect himself.
Fuck, she's brutal.
Jaune didn't expect anything else from someone who was at the top of their class. The gap in skill was staggering, astronomical even.
Come on, body just a little more. He told himself. Something he needed more strength, speed, power, everything. Sweat dripped from his brow onto the arena floor he faced. His fists clenched in anger and spite. Jaune wouldn't let her win so easily.
One more time.
Light panting came from Pyrrha as she looked over at Jaune. He was getting back on his feet, and she could feel the tension radiating off him. My, he has come far. She thought, letting him collect himself. Even though Pyrrha was winning by a landslide, it wasn't because Jaune was weak. The man simply lacked experience in her eyes, and the way he fought showed adaptation in the heat of the moment. It only made her wonder how far he could come with actual training.
Right now, Jaune was unarmed, outclassed, and still didn't have the look of defeat that she saw so many times in the tournaments she fought. Her opponents would give up halfway through, knowing there was no way to win.
But not Jaune.
She saw him advance with a rough boxer's stance that reminded her of Yang. Let's see how far you can go. Her weapon and shield were readied as she let him approach. She slashed diagonally to test his defense. His metal arm blocked the strike as he threw a right hook at her. Akoú o blocked the fist but was surprised as he stepped into her guard again. His metal arm trailed grabbed her wrist in a steel grip, pulling her towards him. Pyrrha hooked her back foot around Jaune's to try and trip him, but his stance held firm.
Options being limited, she bashed her shield into the side of Jaune's face causing him to stagger back and grip to slacken. Before she could pull away, the metal hand clamped down again with renewed intensity, and she heard Jaune's pained grunt as his eyes opened again to find hers. The sheer intensity of his gaze made her falter for a second. Sapphire orbs blazed with the emotion of spiteful rejection, something she hadn't seen before. It was like he was refusing the concept of her winning with his own force of will, and it did things to her.
It made Pyrrha's heart sing with excitement.
Which is why she was confused when she felt his other hand grab her belt. This is too forwa- The thought was interrupted at the sudden pull and feeling of weightlessness. Muscle memory kicked into gear mid throw, kicking Jaune in the back of the head. It didn't stop him from smashing her head and shoulders into the ground with the force of a truck, only making him collapse afterwards. Aura flared to protect as much as possible and for the first time since she can remember, Pyrrha was laying on the ground in the arena. Looking to her right, she saw Jaune laid out on the ground, groaning in pain.
Slowly, she got up, careful not to be taken by surprise again. After a few tense moments of no additional movement, Nora entered the fray.
"And what a stellar conclusion to this legendary battle! I give you the winner of today's Arc Arena, The Invincible Girl, Pyrrha Nikos!" There were scattered cheers from her and Jaune's team up above, and she didn't pay them any mind. She looked up to see the Aura levels to see that Jaune's was in the red, while hers was just barely in the green. Looking down, there was a small crater beneath her where she was thrown. That was something else.
"Just… One more…" Jaune's rasped voice filled her ears as the man slowly got back up. Unsteady feet were beneath him, causing Jaune to sway. He nearly collapsed if it wasn't for Pyrrha catching him. Feeble attempts to get out her embrace made her realize that he thought he was still fighting.
"It's over Jaune." She said to get him to stop struggling. The movements died out as he leaned against her in support.
"How'd I do?" Jaune asked, muffled by Pyrrha's shoulder.
"Not bad. You're getting better." He sighed at the comment. Why, she had no idea.
"What's wrong?" She let him go, satisfied he wouldn't collapse.
"I still haven't won a single fight." Jaune said, picking up his shield and sword.
"You're still making strides in improvement, Jaune." It was clear as day to her. The footwork, strength, speed, endurance. He was so much worse weeks ago, but now he could hold his own.
"Doesn't feel like it." Taking another deep breath, Jaune sheathed his sword and began walking to the locker rooms. "But thanks anyway." He walked away from her towards the locker rooms. A sense of sadness and a foreign sense of longing took over Pyrrha. Why does he have to be so hard on himself? She thought back to his shirtless form from last night, partially metal and covered in bruises and the dismissive way he addressed them. It didn't bother her before, but now it hurt her more than she dare admit.
Trying to keep thing somewhat paced. Also, this is a passion project for me. So please be patient. Until next time.