Remnant's Alien Defense Force

by vanquish356

All his life, Jaune wanted to become a huntsman so he could protect others. However, everything comes crashing down when Ozpin learns about his forged transcripts and expels him from the school. Jaune thought that was it, and he could no longer chase his dream. Yet, that all changes when he stumbles upon the Omnitrix. Maybe there was hope for him still to chase his dream.

Remnant's Alien Defense

Chapter 1

Beacon Academy

*RRRIIINNNGGG*

"Alright, everyone. That's the end of today's class. Good work on today's group assignments. For homework, read pages 500 through 650 and complete the assignment at the end of the chapter. Since I am feeling generous, I will give you a hint. It is all about what situations you should apply force in and what situations you should prioritize tactics and exploiting enemies' weaknesses in." Glynda said as she gathered her stuff. "Class dismissed. Enjoy the rest of your week."

'That was certainly an interesting class.' Jaune thought as he got up, gathered his stuff, and exited the classroom. However, before he could head toward his dorm, he felt someone place their hand on his shoulder. Jaune tensed up but only slightly relaxed when he recognized the voice.

"Nice work today, Arc." Cardin Winchester said as he moved to stand in front of Jaune.

"Uh... Thanks, Cardin."

"See you around." Cardin said, fist-bumping Jaune.

"Yeah. See you." Jaune uncertainly said. Nodding, Cardin turned around and headed down the hallway before disappearing when he took a right.

"That was... strange... to say the least." Ruby said, having watched the whole thing.

"Yeah." Jaune agreed.

"But not as strange as these past few weeks."

"True."

"What do you think has gotten into Cardin? He has been a lot friendlier these past few weeks, especially toward you and a few others."

"I have no idea. Heck, he almost seemed glad that Glynda paired us up. And throughout the entire class, not once did he make one of his usual remarks or snarky comments."

"I even remember overhearing some faunus students talking about how Cardin no longer picks on them. Don't get me wrong; I'm glad he no longer bullies them. It's just... strange."

"Yeah. But hopefully, Cardin is just turning over a new leaf and isn't planning anything."

"Should we give him the benefit of the doubt?"

"In a couple of other situations, I would say yes. But Cardin's attitude change is so... sudden. So... let's just keep our guard up and go along with it. And pray that this is the beginning of a new Cardin."

"Alright." Ruby said, still not entirely sure about the whole thing. But she did agree with Jaune that they should hope it's Cardin turning a new leaf but still keep their guard up.

"Anyway. Let's go drop our stuff at the dorms and then head to the cafeteria. The others are probably getting impatient." Jaune said.

"Right."

Fifteen Minutes Later

"There you two are." Yang said when she and others spotted Ruby and Jaune heading toward them. However, while all of them were happy to see them, one wasn't toward the blond knight.

"How was class?" Pyrrha asked as Jaune sat beside her while Ruby sat between Blake and Yang.

"Did you struggle, Arc? Since you are always unprepared." Weiss asked, smirking. However, she grunted and glared when Yang elbowed her hard in the shoulder.

"The class was fine. Although we did get some homework that would take us a few hours at most to complete." Jaune answered.

"Don't think about asking us for help, Arc." Weiss said, only for Blake to smack her on the back of the head.

"I don't think I would need help, Weiss. It doesn't seem too hard."

"Oh, maybe we could do it together. That way, we can get it done quicker." Ruby suggested.

"Sure. When should we meet up to do it?"

"How about around six?"

"Actually, that won't do." Pyrrha interjected. "We have a training session on the roof at that time."

"Oh, right. I forgot." Jaune said while Weiss huffed and rolled her eyes.

'I still can't believe that Arc is getting trained by the Invincible Champion. He does not deserve that, especially after clearly never taking any form of huntsmen classes ever before coming here.' Weiss thought before an idea formed in her mind. 'But maybe I could accidentally stumble upon their training session and ask if I could join. Or maybe watch and pick up on some stuff. Who knows, perhaps after displaying my hard-earned skills, Pyrrha will stop training that dunce and train someone more deserving like me.'

"So, how about we start a bit after we finish our food?" Jaune asked while Weiss quickly wrote down her idea on her scroll.

"Can't. I promised to go with Yang into town and help her pick up a few things for Bumblebee. And I also need to pick up some food for Zwei." Ruby answered after taking a bite of her cookies. "How about tomorrow at noon? I should be free by then."

"Alright. That works for me."

"Anyone has any plans for the weekend?" Yang asked.

"Not really. I might go out into town and browse some bookstores. But that's about it." Blake answered.

"Nora and I are heading into town tomorrow to get some supplies for Professor Peach's assignment. Then, we'll head to the pier to spend the rest of the day at the carnival." Ren answered.

"It's going to be so much fun." Nora said, excited and looking forward to it.

"I have to meet with my sponsors tomorrow, which will take a good portion of the day." Pyrrha said.

"And I will most likely be finishing up some assignments I have." Jaune said. "But Sunday, we're going to have a team-building day."

"Which we will start by watching the movie: The Siege of Vraks." Nora said, excited.

"Ah. Lucky. I heard that was a great movie." Yang said.

"Maybe we should have a team-building day." Ruby said.

"I think that will be a good idea." Blake said. "So long as we can keep the destruction to a minimum."

"But what about the rest of you? Any plans?" Jaune asked, curious.

"I have nothing planned for the weekend aside from a bit of training. But I might head out and hit one of the bars." Yang answered.

"Well, if you must know what I am doing this weekend, I will be studying for any upcoming exams we might have, as well as perfecting my fighting skills and dust usage. I am also expecting a call from my sister, Winter." Weiss said.

"Hasn't she been calling you almost non-stop this past week?" Ruby asked, curious.

"Is everything okay?" Ren asked, slightly worried.

"Yes, everything is fine. However, I am confused about why Winter always asks me about the other first-year teams." Weiss answered.

"Maybe she wants to know if there are any potential recruits for an Atlas program or something like that." Pyrrha suggested.

"Unlikely. There are no programs or projects currently. And even if they were, they would only look at the top-tier students who excel in nearly all areas." Weiss said while glaring at the blonde knight. 'Unlike you.'

"True. And they would most likely look at fourth-year students." Blake said.

"With the only exceptions being like maybe Coco from Team Cfvy. But that would be a rare case." Yang added before everyone went back to eating.

Eight P.M.

Rooftop

'I knew I should have set an alarm as well. Hopefully, I am not too late.' Weiss thought, annoyed with herself.

Pushing those thoughts out of her head, Weiss focused back on her task. She raced through the school toward the rooftop. But as she did, Weiss made a mental note to find ways to increase her stamina, as it would not be acceptable if a dunce like Jaune or Ruby could outlast her in anything. After a couple of minutes, she finally arrived at her destination. But rather than stepping out and exposing herself immediately, Weiss decided to remain hidden.

'I should listen in on any conversation they might have. Even if Pyrrha passed on my offer for whatever ludicrous reason she might say, I could still walk away knowing or having learned something about their training sessions. Or, if I'm lucky, something about how Pyrrha fights, which might give me a leg up if we even fight during class.' Weiss thought before taking out her scroll. 'I should probably also record it just, so I have it in case I forget.'

Meanwhile

"Concentrate, Jaune." Pyrrha said as she effortlessly blocked an attack from Jaune.

Nodding, Jaune adjusted his grip on Crocea Mors before taking a step back while waiting for Pyrrha to get ready. Once Pyrrha nodded, Jaune moved in with an overhead slash. Pyrrha side-stepped it, causing Jaune's attack to miss. However, Jaune used the new momentum to deliver a sweeping kick that Pyrrha jumped over. Jaune then followed it up with an attempted shield bash. Yet, because Jaune briefly hesitated and still didn't have the greatest balance, Pyrrha managed to block it with her shield without any real effort and did not move an inch. Despite this, Jaune still tried to continue with a swing from his sword, which Pyrrha parried with her spear.

"Better. But you still have a long way to go." Pyrrha said as they disengaged.

"I know." Jaune sighed in defeat.

"Don't beat yourself up too much, Jaune. You have improved a lot since we first started training."

"Thanks, Pyr."

'I highly doubt that since Jaune can still hardly do anything more than flail around.' Weiss thought as she continued observing the two.

"And don't worry. You'll soon get the hang of everything I teach you. You just need to keep practicing. Just remember this saying: I fear not the man who has practiced 10,000 kicks once, but I fear the man who has practiced one kick 10,000 times. If you keep practicing it, you will eventually master each technique."

"Right."

"Now, we still have another hour of training left. Let's take a break, and then we can continue."

"Sure. I could use a break." Jaune said as they placed their weapons against the wall before moving to sit on the roof's edge. And despite it not being that late, night had fallen upon them. Yet, it didn't matter to them since they could see the stars and their breathtaking beauty because of where they were.

"And we have an amazing view all to ourselves." Pyrrha added as she subtly moved closer to Jaune.

'Eh, not the most amazing I have seen, but still.' Weiss thought, also admiring the stars.

Silence soon fell upon the three. Pyrrha and Jaune continued star gazing, simply content with the peace and quiet as they knew it was rare given who they were and who their teammates and friends were. Meanwhile, Weiss contemplated on whether she should reveal herself just yet or keep waiting. After a bit of an internal debate, she decided to remain for a while longer until a more advantageous moment presented itself.

'I just hope it doesn't take too long. But just in case, I should be ready to bail in case they decide to leave suddenly.' Weiss thought.

"You know, I wish we had nights like this in Mistral. I mean, there are some times, but they are just so rare that it's really hard to have a chance to admire them." Pyrrha said.

"Yeah. It is a fantastic sight. I remember my sisters, and I would always keep track of the weather so we could get ready for a night of stargazing. It didn't always work out, but that just added to the experience."

"I can imagine." Pyrrha said, chuckling. "But times like this, when the stars are out in full view, make me wonder if there is life outside Remnant."

"Yeah. And I wonder if we will ever meet some or if we already have."

"Possibly. But if we were to go and meet them, we would first need to get into space. And I doubt Remnant will reach that level of technology soon, especially since dust loses its power the further away from Remnant it gets."

"True." Jaune said, fidgeting.

"Jaune? Is everything okay?" Pyrrha asked, noticing it and becoming slightly worried.

"Y-yeah. Everything is fine. I just have something on my mind."

"What is it? Maybe I can help."

"I-It's fine. I-It's just-"

"Jaune." Pyrrha said, standing up and pulling Jaune to stand as well. "You know you can tell me anything. No matter what it is, I won't think any less of you. And I will always be by your side."

"Thanks, Pyr." Jaune said, smiling.

"So, tell me, Jaune. What's bothering you?"

"Promise you won't turn your back on me or freak out."

"I promise." Pyrrha said in a reassuring tone while placing a comforting hand on Jaune's shoulder.

"Alright." Jaune said before breathing out. "Pyrrha."

"Yes, Jaune."

"I faked my transcripts to get into Beacon." Jaune hastily said before closing his eyes and bracing himself for whatever was about to come.

'WHAT!?' Weiss mentally shrieked. However, she made sure her scroll was still recording the conversation. Meanwhile, Jaune prepared himself for all sorts of scenarios. However, to his shock, Pyrrha just let out a soft chuckle while moving her hand to grab his hand and gently squeeze it.

"P-Pyrrha?" Jaune hesitantly asked.

"Don't be too surprised, Jaune. I kinda figured it out not too long into the semester." Pyrrha said in a calming tone.

"R-Really? How?"

"Little things here and there told me you had no combat experience prior to coming here."

"A-aren't you mad? Or upset?"

"A little upset since, technically, forging and/or using forged transcripts is a crime."

"True. So..."

"But aside from that, I'm not mad or upset, Jaune. Yes, you faked your way into Beacon while others worked their way to get here. But you're working hard to earn your place here, even outside of our training sessions. Again, yes, you're not there yet. But I know and believe that you will make it eventually. We'll just have to keep practicing, and you will get there." Pyrrha said before pulling Jaune into a hug, which he quickly reciprocated. "And don't worry. You're secret is safe with me. No one outside of us will ever know about this."

"Thanks, Pyr. You really are the best." Jaune said, hugging Pyrrha tighter.

'Don't be so sure about that, faker.' Weiss thought, happy that her suspicions about Arc were correct.

"You're welcome, Jaune." Pyrrha said as they separated. "And don't feel like you were the only one to do this. Many have also faked and lied their way into academies for a variety of reasons. Yes, it is dishonest. But, you and some others did it with pure intentions while others did it for selfish reasons."

"Right. That's one way to look at it." Jaune said, remembering his goal of becoming a huntsman so he could protect others who couldn't.

"You're welcome." Pyrrha said as she grabbed her spear and shield. "But don't think you're off the hook yet, Jaune. While I did agree to keep this a secret, you still did commit a crime. And I'm going to make sure you pay for it by increasing the difficulty of our training sessions."

"That's fair." Jaune said as he picked up Crocea Mors. "And thanks again, Pyrrha. Not only for keeping this a secret but for everything you have done up to this point and in the future."

"You're welcome, Jaune. And don't forget, I am always here for you. So, I'm always there for you if you ever need someone to lend a hand or an ear." Pyrrha said as she got into a stance. "Now, we still have some time left. So, let's not waste it and begin."

"Right." Jaune said as they began to practice. But both of them were unaware that their uninvited guest was no longer there.

A Few Minutes Later

'I KNEW IT! I KNEW IT! I WAS RIGHT!' Weiss thought as she ran through the hallways, not caring if she bumped into anyone or looked like a mad woman. She had a single destination in mind, and nothing would stop her. 'I KNEW THERE WAS A REASON WHY THAT FAKER COULDN'T DO ANYTHING MORE THAN FLAIL AROUND DURING PRACTICE! HE FORGED HIS TRANSCRIPTS TO GET INTO BEACON!'

Panting, Weiss stopped to catch her breath as she gathered her bearings. Taking out her scroll, she saw that it was nearing eight-forty, which meant she did not have that much time left. Putting it away but making sure it was secure, Weiss took a turn and headed for the emergency stairs. In any other situation, Weiss would not have taken them as it was against the academy's rules to use these stairs unless it was an emergency. However, Weiss allowed herself to let this slide as it would get her to Ozpin's office before he retired for the day.

'Hopefully, I'm not too late. Hopefully, Ozpin is still in his office. And maybe even Ms. Goodwitch. With the evidence I have now, they can expel that FAKER and I will finally be free of him. Then I can get started on repairing Beacon's name and reputation, which he soiled by lying his way in.'

Reaching the top of the stairs, Weiss looked around before heading right. After a few more twists and turns, she finally reached the headmaster's office. Huffing, Weiss took a moment to compose herself and fix her attire, as she would instead be caught dead than appear slovenly in front of the headmaster. But as she did that, Weiss heard the sounds of Ms. Goodwitch and Ozpin inside his office.

'Better get ready to go home a failure, faker. By tomorrow, you are out of here.' Weiss thought, smirking as she knocked on the door.

"Come in." The faint voice of Ozpin came after a moment. Composing herself, Weiss entered the room office and closed the door behind her.

"Good evening, headmaster Ozpin." Weiss said, smirking.

"Good evening, Ms. Schnee." Ms. Goodwitch said.

"What brings you to my office this late?" Ozpin asked, curious.

"I know you two are busy, so I will cut to the chase. We all know how people seeking to attend Beacon must first attend primary combat school and then present their transcripts as proof."

"Yes. That is typically the case." Glynda said, raising an eyebrow.

"Typically. But there are the rare exceptions." Ozpin added, curious as to where Schnee was going with this.

"Of course." Weiss said, not agreeing with it. "But there have been people who faked their way into the academy, including using forged transcripts, which is a crime."

"Yes, but none have succeeded, thanks to Glynda and me carefully reviewing everyone's transcripts."

"Well, it seems that is no longer true as one did slip by."

"That is a bold accusation, Ms. Schnee." Glynda said in a warning tone.

"It is. How do you know that someone slipped by? And what proof do you have?" Ozpin asked.

"I have proof. It's right here on my scroll." Weiss said, surprising Ozpin and Glynda.

"Then let's see it." Glynda said.

"With pleasure." Weiss said as she placed her scroll on Ozpin's desk before bringing up the recording and hitting play. As they listened to the recording play, Wiess felt herself growing prouder for exposing that faker to the headmaster and headmistress. Yet, a smirk grew on Weiss's face when she noticed Glynda and Ozpin getting more furious with each passing second. 'Better start packing, Arc. Because after today, you'll never be able to step foot in this place again.'

The Next Day

Two PM

'And done.' Jaune thought as he set down his pen before closing his books.

Currently, Jaune was in his team's dorm, having just finished Peach's assignment and the rest he had piling up. While they were not necessarily difficult, they were tedious because of how much Jaune had to research just to find some answers. However, Jaune was undeterred. After finishing their training session, Jaune and Pyrrha talked a bit, where Jaune promised her that he would work hard to prove and earn his right to stay at Beacon. That's why he got up extra early to get a head start on his homework so he could spend the rest of the day training.

'But first, a quick nap.' Jaune thought after putting his books away.

*Grumble*

'But maybe after lunch.' Jaune thought, noticing it was half past twelve. Getting up from his desk, Jaune stretched a bit before heading to the door. However, as soon as he grabbed the handle, the school's intercoms went live.

'Jaune Arc. Report to the headmaster's office immediately.'

"Uh oh. This can't be good." Jaune nervously said. Grabbing his scroll, Jaune exited the dorm and made his way to Ozpin's office.

Ten Minutes Later

'Here goes nothing.' Jaune thought, sweating, as he knocked on the door.

"Come in." Ozpin said. And even through the door, Jaune could tell he wasn't too pleased about something. Steeling his nerves, Jaune entered the room, only for his face to become pale white at seeing Glynda and Ozping glaring at him.

"Take a seat, Mr. Arc." Glynda said. But despite ordering him, Glynda used her semblance to force him into the seat.

"Now, Mr. Arc. I will no longer beat around the bush with you. I have always wondered why you performed significantly worse than your peers. But now I do." Ozpin said before taking out Jaune's transcripts and placing them on his desk.

'Oh no.' Jaune thought, knowing what this meant and feeling his whole world shatter as a result. It meant his time at Beacon was up, and he could no longer chase his dream of becoming a huntsman. However, what caused Jaune's heart to wrench the most was realizing that he would have to say goodbye to his closest friends.

"Mr. Arc. There are only a few things in this world that I have no patience for. And those include liars and people who fake/cheat their way to get to certain places while others worked for it." Ozpin said, growing more displeased by the second yet retaining his composure and calm demeanor.

'Yeah. I'm gone. So long dream.' Jaune thought, doing his best not to break down.

"As you have already figured it out, you're expelled from Beacon. And you can never return or apply again. You will also be blacklisted from joining any other academies." Ozpin said as he updated Jaune's profile before sending it to the other academies. "Now, Mr. Arc. I'm going to give you my last ounce of patience to give you half an hour to vacate the premises before I have law enforcement arrest you for trespassing. Now, begone from my sight."

Without saying a word, Jaune got up and exited the room. Holding back a sniffle, Jaune wiped some tears that escaped his eyes and trailed down his cheeks. Breathing out, Jaune willed his legs to move as they seemed rooted in place.

'I can't believe this happened.' Jaune glumly thought.

Knowing he didn't have much time, Jaune forced himself to walk faster and take a few shortcuts to get to his former dorm quicker. Yet, as he passed through the different areas, he couldn't help but remember all the fun times he had with his first genuine friends and teammates. Jaune hoped they could remain friends after today. But he doubted it since it was a long shot. The only one Jaune knew who might remain his friend was Pyrrha since she knew about his forged transcripts and didn't care about them. However, Jaune didn't know how to proceed with that since he knew how fine a line Pyrrha had to walk to avoid bad publicity and prevent reporters and journalists from feasting on her misfortunes or creating fake reports that could ruin her career. And learning that she helped someone who forged their transcripts and knew about it would land Pyrrha in deep waters. And that's the last thing Jaune wanted to happen.

'M-maybe we could still keep in contact and meet up with each other whenever we have a chance. B-but I'll think about it later when I'm not so upset.' Jaune thought as he rounded the corner and continued heading toward his now former team's dorm.

"Hey, blondie. Why the long face?" A voice asked. Looking toward where it came from, Jaune put on a pained smile when he saw Coco Adel, leader of Team Cfvy.

"Oh, hey, Coco. Just something... unexpected happened." Jaune said.

"Must have been something since you're not usually like this. So, why don't you tell me what's going on? Perhaps I could help. I'm always happy to lend a hand to a person I trust."

"Eh, nothing. Nothing bad happened. I... I just wasn't-"

"You know, if you're going to lie to someone, try not to stutter and look them in the eye. Otherwise, you might as well just hold up a sign saying that you are a liar." Coco said, causing Jaune to sigh. She then lowered her shades and looked him dead in the eye. "Now, tell me what happened so I can see if I can help you. Well, if it is not too personal that is."

'Might as well tell her since it's not going to make a difference.' Jaune thought. "Alright. I just got kicked out of Beacon and blacklisted from all the other academies."

"WHAT?!" Coco shouted, shocked. Out of all the things she was expecting, this was not one of them. "You got kicked out?!"

"Yes. Ozpin expelled me because he found out about my forged transcripts."

"Well, the forged transcripts do explain a lot, especially your lack of combat skills. But doesn't Ozpin realize that a good chunk of the students in each academy have fake or exaggerated transcripts? That is more of a common occurrence than you would realize."

"I'm not sure. But it doesn't matter. What's done is done. And I only have twenty minutes to leave before Ozpin has me arrested for trespassing."

"This is some bullshit."

"Kind of. But either way. See you, Coco. And say goodbye to Velvet for me."

"Alright." Coco sighed. As much as it pissed her off and thought it was utter crap, Coco knew Ozpin's word is usually final. There have only been two occasions where Ozpin went back on a decision he made. However, there was one other thing that bothered her. And that was why it happened all of a sudden. They were three months into the semester. By now, the transcripts should have just been forgotten documents. 'Someone or something must have told Ozpin to recheck the transcripts again. Velvet is going to be devastated when she hears about this. I know I am. Luckily, I'm better at hiding it.' "Wait. What about your teammates?"

"They're not here. They're out at the moment and won't be back until later today. I'll probably text them later once I'm... elsewhere."

"You should make it a call, at least. It would be better than a simple text."

"True." Jaune sighed before taking out his scroll and seeing that he only had fifteen minutes left. "Great. Listen, Coco. It was nice talking to you, but I have to go. It was nice having you as a friend. Hopefully, we can see each other again."

"Oh, no, we will. You can bet your ass on that. But in the meantime, take care and expect a call from us soon. Oh, and remember this. Not everybody you fight is your enemy, and not everyone who helps you is your friend."

"Alright. Thanks, Coco."

"You're welcome, Jaune." Coco said. Giving one last weak smile, Jaune left and headed to his dorm to quickly pack up. "Well, there goes Velvet's best friend. It's a shame to see him go. *SIGH* And I still need to find a way to pay him back for getting others to stop harassing Velvet. I should find a way to repay him the next time we see him. But in the meantime, I need to find out why Ozpin decided to check out Jaune's transcripts again. Something is not adding up."

With that said, Coco went back to her dorm to start her investigation and break the news to her partner. However, unbeknownst to both of them, Cardin was hiding around the corner, having heard the entire conversation. And to say he was shocked would be a severe understatement.

'I can't believe Jaune was expelled. And that he used forged transcripts to get in, which explains a lot. Still, I don't think he shouldn't have gotten expelled. Maybe detention or some kind of suspension would be enough. And just when I was hoping we could become friends. Perhaps I could still make it up to him for all the times I bullied him. But first, I would need a way to contact him. His teammates might have his number, although I doubt they would be willing to give it to me, considering what I have done to Jaune in the past.' Cardin thought before sighing. He then made sure the coast was clear before heading to his dorm to find a way to contact Jaune if he couldn't find a way to get his number from his former teammates.

Meanwhile

'Okay. That's the last of my stuff.' Jaune thought after he finished packing everything he had.

Luckily, Jaune didn't bring too much to Beacon, to begin with. Putting his Pumpkin Pete's hoodie on, Jaune looked around his former dorm one last time. It brought a tear to his eye and made his heart ache that he could no longer share a room with his friends. Hopefully, they could remain friends after this and still get in contact with each other.

"I should probably leave them a message so they don't freak out when they don't see me."

Taking out a pen and paper, Jaune wrote a message to his team to tell them what happened and that he would call them later in the day. Once he was done, Jaune grabbed his bag before exiting the doom. With one final heartfelt sigh, Jaune let go of the handle and began making his way to the bullheads. However, for some reason, as Jaune speed walked through the halls, he noticed that all of the students were either glaring or whispering about him. Some even turned around and left as he passed them. Yet, Jaune couldn't bring himself to care at the moment since so many things were going through his mind. After a few moments, he finally reached the bullheads, with one nearly ready to head into town.

'Right. My huntsman-in-training license is probably canceled. Thankfully, I still have some lien on me.' Jaune thought.

Taking out his wallet, Jaune went over to the ticket booth and purchased himself a ticket. He then boarded the bullhead and took his seat. Once Jaune got as comfy as he could, he took out his motion sickness pills and swallowed two pills dry. After a couple of minutes, the doors closed, with the bullhead ascending right after before flying toward town.

'Goodbye, Beacon. Goodbye, dream of being a huntsman.' Jaune thought as he willed himself not to cry. 'I should probably text my parents and let them know what happened.'

Taking out his scroll, Jaune opened it and couldn't help a tear escape when he saw his scroll's wallpaper, which was a photo of him and his friends together. Swallowing a lump in his throat, Jaune opened up his contacts and scrolled down to his parent's group text chat. He then began typing out everything that had happened and that he would be coming home soon. Once done, he put his scroll away.

'I should probably take a quick nap since it's going to be a long day before I get home.' Jaune thought as he closed his eyes and laid his head against the cold metal wall of the bullhead.

*DING*

'That was quick.' Jaune thought as his eyes snapped open. Taking out his scroll, Jaune saw that his parents had already responded. 'Really quick.'

'Hey, dear.

Sorry to hear that you got kicked out of Beacon. We know it was your dream to become a huntsman. You must be hurting a lot. Listen, we're not at home now. We're in the coastal town of New Syrtis for some business. How about you come over here, and we can spend the weekend here to get your mind off your expulsion? Then, we can figure out what to do next as a family.'

'Alright. Once I land in town, I will look up the times for the bullheads and text them to you so you know when I will be getting there.

'Okay, dear. Be careful. And don't worry. We're not upset or mad that this happened. We still love you so much. We can discuss this entirely when you arrive. See you soon.'

'I'm so glad I have such caring parents.' Jaune thought as he put away his scroll. He then closed his eyes to take a nap.

Four Hours Later

"Attention passangers. We apologize for the delay. We had to take a detour to a different airstrip since our usual one was closed for repairs. As compensation for this delay and change in destination, we will be giving a discounted price on your next flight within the next seven days. Please talk with the people at the front desk about your discount. Again, we apologize for this inconvenience. Also, please proceed with caution as we are near the Emerald Forest."

'Well, at least I can get a discount for the bullhead ticket to New Syrtis.' Jaune thought as he got up and stretched while the bullhead landed.

Jaune waited for everyone else to disembark before getting off himself. He then looked around a bit before heading to the nearby building. Once inside, Jaune looked over the flight times and internally groaned when he noticed that the earliest flight to New Syrtis was at eleven. And since it was about to be seven, that meant he had about four hours to kill.

'At least that gives me time to grab something to eat since I only had an apple for breakfast. And maybe I can find something to take my mind off what happened today.'

With that in mind, Jaune headed to the front desk and went through the process of getting his ticket to New Syrtis. And to his delight, the discount was seventy percent, which meant Jaune could splurge a bit more than he initially thought. Smiling, Jaune thanked the employees before exiting the building. Looking around, Jaune took out his scroll and pulled up some nearby locations where he could get something to eat. After a few minutes of scrolling, he finally found a decently-rated diner with outside seating. While it was a bit far, Jaune knew he had enough time to eat there. Putting away his scroll, Jaune hailed a cab to reach his destination faster.

Forty Minutes Later

"Enjoy." The server said as he placed Jaune's food on the table.

"Thanks." Jaune said, smiling.

The server nodded before leaving Jaune to enjoy his meal in peace. Looking down, Jaune smiled at his meal, which included a habanero and bacon cheeseburger with a side of fries and a slice of pie. Grabbing the burger, he took a bite of it and relished the feeling of his hunger being sated from eating his favorite food. Putting it down, Jaune cleaned his hands before taking out his scroll and opening the notepad function. He then began jotting down ideas about what he could do now. While being a huntsman was no longer an option, that doesn't mean Jaune couldn't find other ways to help people. However, Jaune also knew that to avoid repeating today's event, he would need to take all the necessary steps. But that would undoubtedly take time.

'I guess I can get a part-time job in the meantime to get some extra lien. I know my parents are well off from their jobs to be able to afford to raise eight kids. Still, I should at least bring in some lien to help pay the bills and the courses I would need to get whatever job I end up getting.'

Putting away his scroll, Jaune focused on his meal as he knew he had time to find a part-time job and determine his next career move. But as he ate, he tried to keep his mind from returning to his friends and today's events and the call that would undoubtedly come later.

'I really wish we could remain friends after today. And maybe, if that's the case, we can meet up again.' Pushing those thoughts to the side, Jaune focused on his food while listening to the music that was playing overhead.

Fifty Minutes Later

'Alright. Now, what can I do to pass the time?' Jaune wondered as he exited the diner.

Taking out his scroll, Jaune saw that it was only a few moments past eight. And since his flight was at eleven, that meant he still had three hours before his flight took off. But Jaune then remembered seeing a twenty-four-hour comic store on his way to the diner. And despite not having any more lien to spare, Jaune figured he could at least look at what was available and jot it down so he could buy it online whenever he gets more lien.

With this in mind, Jaune began walking to the comic store. Although, he did have to ask for directions a few times since he hardly ever comes to this part of Vale. And while he could have simply gotten a cab, Jaune wanted to enjoy the cool night air while admiring the night sky that was once again full of mesmerizing stars.

'You know, I wonder if Pyrrha was right. I wonder if there is life out there beyond the stars and if we will ever meet them.' Jaune thought, smiling.

However, Jaune's stargazing was cut short when he noticed a new star suddenly appear in the sky that glowed brighter than all the other stars around it. For a moment, Jaune wondered what could have caused it. But he got his answer when the star started shooting across the sky. Remembering something he used to do when he was younger with his sisters, Jaune closed his eyes and wished on the star.

'I wish I can achieve my dream of helping everyone who needs it.' Jaune thought.

Opening his eyes, Jaune was about to continue heading to the comic store when something from the corner of his vision caught his attention. Looking back to the sky, Jaune noticed that the shooting star had not left yet. Instead, it seemed to be getting bigger. For a moment, Jaune wondered why. But Jaune got his answer when the star suddenly impacted the ground in the Emerald Forest.

'Woah. I was not expecting that.' Jaune thought as he felt the ground shake ever so slightly. It was so little that anyone could confuse it with a truck roaring by. However, a question then came to Jaune's mind. 'Should I tell someone this or check it out myself first?'

Jaune contemplated this question for a few moments before deciding to see the star for himself first before telling anyone else. And besides, he could always leave at the first sign of danger. But also, if this proves to be a ground-breaking discovery, then Jaune could call up his older sister and inform her about it. Not only could she possibly get famous, but it would undoubtedly jump-start her career and get her a promotion.

'Hopefully, this does not come back to bite me in the butt.'

Adjusting his bag, Jaune ran to Vale's outer walls that protected the town from the Grimm. And while Vale typically gets all its imports from ships or aircraft, there were some doors and gates that allowed ground vehicles to get into the city. However, only huntsmen, law enforcement, or the military could use them.

But Jaune did not give up. And it seemed like he was in luck as there were some construction workers near one of the doors. It seemed like they were either doing an inspection or working on repairing a damaged part of the wall. Moving quietly, Jaune carefully got closer while doing his best not to be seen and using whatever he could find as cover when he thought he might get discovered. After a few moments, Jaune reached some boxes next to the door. He then waited for an opportunity to arise, which came when the door opened, with some workers walking through. And because they were distracted, Jaune managed to slip through undetected.

'Okay. That was easier than I expected. Now, let's see if I can find that star.' Jaune thought as he ran into the Emerald Forest.

Fifteen Minutes Later

'Alright. It should be around here somewhere.' Jaune thought as he followed the smoking trail in the sky.

Shining his scroll's flashlight around, Jaune carefully navigated through the forest to avoid tripping over some broken branches or walking into a tree. After a couple more minutes, Jaune finally reached the smoking crater where the star crashed. Putting away his scroll, Jaune walked to the edge and became confused at what he saw.

'A... brown metal sphere?'

Letting his curiosity get the better of him, Jaune put his bag on the ground before hopping down into the crate. Walking up to the sphere, Jaune examined it and was amazed at how it seemed intact and undamaged, aside from the extreme heat that was emanating from it. Raising his hand, Jaune was about to attempt to move it but was sent back onto his butt when steam suddenly erupted from the sphere.

'What the?' Jaune thought as the steam vanished.

Yet, Jaune became confused again when lines appeared on the sphere. But then he realized it was a container when part of the metal sphere opened up. Getting on his feet, Jaune walked up to it and peered inside. But all he saw was darkness.

"Wait. Nothing? Why would there be nothing inside? Or maybe someone beat me to it?"

Against his better judgment, Jaune decided to reach inside to see if there was anything there. However, as soon as his hand got close to it, something lept out of the container and attached to his wrist.

"AH! GET IT OFF! GET IT OFF!"

Scared and worried that this might have been a trap, Jaune started shaking his hand to try and get whatever latched to his wrist off. However, to his dismay, it didn't budge. Grabbing a nearby rock, Jaune started bashing it, hoping to damage it enough so that it would fall off. But after a few minutes of constantly hitting it, Jaune saw that it was still in pristine condition.

'Well, that did nothing.' Jaune thought, annoyed.

Calming down a bit, Jaune looked down at his wrist to see what had latched onto it. And he was surprised and confused by what he saw. Whatever it was, it was slim and sleek thing that resembled a watch. It had a green wristband and a dial-like thing on top. Inside the 'dial' was an hourglass symbol that glowed green. Lastly, there were two grey metal buttons on the side.

'Okay. It looks like a watch, but I highly doubt it. And why was it in that metal pod?' Jaune wondered.

Getting up, Jaune dusted himself off. He then climbed out of the crater and looked around to see if he was still alone or if there were others. Luckily, after listening for a few seconds, Jaune saw that he was still alone. But he didn't know if he should be thankful for that or not. Bringing up his left arm again, Jaune examined the watch.

'I wonder what this even is.' Jaune thought as he looked over the device while feeling for anything that could give him a clue as to what it was. However, he nearly jumped when a strange, green hologram appeared above the device, with the dial rising slightly. 'What the?'

Closely examining it, Jaune saw that the hourglass on the dial had changed to a diamond shape. He then realized that he must have accidentally activated it when he pressed the two grey metal buttons on the side. For a moment, Jaune pondered what to do next and how to deactivate it. However, his curiosity got the better of him. Breathing out, Jaune placed his right index finger on the dial and pushed down gently.

A green light emerged from the device that surrounded Jaune. He felt his breath and heart rate rise to dangerous levels. Feeling something on his arms, Jaune brought them up and gasped when he realized that rocks were mysteriously appearing/growing on his arm. They soon spread until his body, legs, and arms were covered in dark reddish-brown rocks. Jaune began hyperventilating when the rocks covered his whole head, and he could barely see. Yet, he relaxed when his vision returned, albeit with a slight yellow tint. Looking down at his body, Jaune saw that he was now covered in rocks to the point it seemed like he was a rock monster. But that changed when his body all of a sudden lit up. An orange glow emanated from between the spaces and cracks of the rocks that covered his body, with his hands also glowing orange.

"W-what? What just happened?" Jaune asked, scared.

He also noticed that his voice had changed. Bringing his hands up to his head, Jaune felt a warmth coming from his hand that strangely did not hurt. Turning around, Jaune jumped back down into the crate before running to the sphere. He rubbed it a few times to clear it from any dust and dirt that was on it. Once he did, Jaune saw his reflection and gasped. He noticed that he had become some kind of flaming rock monster. His head was also ablaze and looked like a candle. Looking down, Jaune also noticed that his feet now only had two toes instead of five and that he was burning the ground.

"W-What? WHAT DID THAT THING DO TO ME?! DID IT CHANGE ME INTO THIS MONSTER!?" Jaune shouted, panicking. But as he did, he placed his hands on his head. He then began shaking his head as his voice grew louder by the second. "NO! NO! NO! NO! THIS CAN'T BE HAPPENING!"

But due to his panicking, Jaune failed to notice that the flames on his new body were getting bigger and brighter by the second. Soon, it reached its climax. A circle of fire appeared around Jaune that soon erupted into a pillar about thirty feet high. It rapidly grew in intensity to the point where the trees that weren't destroyed by the metal pod crashing into the ground caught fire. Seeing this, Jaune felt his panic levels rise.

"NO! HOW DO I STOP THIS?!" Jaune shouted as he extended his arms out. Unfortunately, this had the opposite effect of what he wanted as he caused the pillar of fire surrounding him to go outward as if it were an explosion. The fires consumed everything in their path, turning everything it touched to ash before disappearing two kilometers away from Jaune. And everything just outside of it caught on fire. Quickly getting out of the crater, Jaune looked around and went 'pale' when he realized that nothing was left of this part of the Emerald Forest except the charred ground. "This isn't good."

*BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP*

"And that's even worse." Jaune said, recognizing the sirens as the ones for high-severity fires that could quickly burn away a village in mere minutes. And not even a few seconds later, Jaune spotted and heard helicopters and bullheads in the distance. "I got to- oh man. Can this get even worse?"

Realizing he had to leave since there was no way he could explain this, let alone have them believe him, Jaune reached down to pick up his bag. But Jaune then saw that he had burned his bag and everything in it, which included some personal things he had of his friends and his time at Beacon. As much as he wanted to curse his luck, Jaune knew he could do so later. Turning around, Jaune ran deeper into the Emerald Forest, not caring which direction he went.

Five Minutes Later

"Okay. I think I put enough distance between me and the place I burnt down." Jaune said, stopping to catch his breath. But as he said this, Jaune placed his hand on a nearby tree, causing it to light up like a candle for a few seconds before turning to ash. This, combined with everything else that happened today, finally caused Jaune to snap. "OH, COME ON! CAN'T I CATCH A DAMN BREAK TODAY! FIRST, I GOT EXPELLED FROM BEACON AND CAN NO LONGER CHASE MY DREAM OF BECOMING A HUNTSMAN! NOW I JUST BURNT DOWN PART OF THE EMERALD FOREST AND PROBABLY GAINED A SPOT ON THE ARREST ON SIGHT LIST BECAUSE OF IT! AND TO TOP IT OFF, I BECAME A WEIRD FIRE MONSTER THAT BURNS EVERYTHING I TOUCH AND WILL PROBABLY NEVER BE HUMAN AGAIN!"

As Jaune was ranting his lungs out, he was unaware that he was walking around his spot and leaving a scorched trail behind him. And every time he shot his hands out or into the air, he accidentally threw out a fireball or created a fire nearby. Pretty soon, Jaune inadvertently burnt down another couple of trees. After a couple of moments, the area he was in was burning so brightly that he was sure it could be seen from Atlas. Yet, Jaune didn't notice it as he was still caught up in his rant about his terrible luck. However, he was finally pulled out of it when he felt the ground start to shake.

"Oh, what now?" Jaune asked, annoyed. But he felt his 'eyes' bulge out of his head when he realized that his ranting and burning down the trees had attracted the Grimm and that they were now surrounding them. Spinning around, Jaune saw several Ursa Minor, several Beowolf, several Boarbatusk, two Goliaths, and one Death Stalker. "Great. I didn't mean to attract all of you. I don't think anyone outside of top-level huntsmen can handle all of you at once. So, what chance do I have? I don't even have Crocea Mors with me anymore."

Almost as if they understood that, three Boarbatusk charged at Jaune, hitting him and sending him into the air. But they suffered some burns from the heat coming from Jaune's monster body. As Jaune flew into the air, a Goliath smacked him with its tusk, sending him into the other Goliath, which did the same. As Jaune flew again, the Death Stalker caught him in its right claw. It then proceeded to slam Jaune into the ground a few times before launching away.

"Ow. I'm going to feel that in the morning. Well, if I live to see the morning." Jaune groaned as he slowly got up. Shaking his head to clear his vision, Jaune saw two Ursa Minors approaching him. Raising his arm up, Jaune tried to ward them off. "Uh. Stay back. You don't want to get burnt."

But as soon as he said this, a ball of fire formed in Jaune's hand. It grew for a second before turning into a beam of fire that struck the Ursa Minors. They roared in pain, but it only lasted a second. Once the accidental attack finished, Jaune saw that the Ursa were gone with only ash remaining. The rest of the Grimm saw this and became tense.

"Huh. Cool. But I should have realized that... whatever I am can control fire when I burnt down part of the Emerald Forest earlier." Jaune said, amazed at what his new form could do. However, he was brought out of it when the other Grimm growled/roared at him. Getting up, he readied himself for the fight. "Right. Fight now; figure out the rest later."

The Grimm roared at him as the Boarbatusk charged at Jaune, hoping to knock him down again. However, Jaune brought his arms up and managed to create another beam of fire from his hands and aim it at the Boarbatusks, incinerating them. Yet, Jaune knew that was only the beginning. Feeling the ground shake, Jaune looked behind him and saw one Goliath charging at him from behind. Turning back around, he saw the other doing the same.

'Crap.' Jaune thought. Knowing he had to get out of the way unless he wanted to become a pancake, Jaune tried jumping away. However, to his surprise, he jumped higher and farther than he expected. "Enhance jumping. I should probably test out what I can do once I'm done here."

*BAM*

"Ow." Jaune groaned after getting launched into a tree by the Death Stalker's tail. "Right. I'm still in battle. I should really do what Pyrrha told me and focus."

Getting up, Jaune readied himself for the next attack. The Goliaths charged again after a moment. Seeing this, Jaune waited until they were close before jumping into the air. He then tried to create a beam of fire from both of his hands. However, to his surprise, Jaune created a ball of fire in his hands that quickly grew in size. Once he felt like he had reached the apex of the jump, Jaune threw the ball of fire at the Goliaths. Yet, he became shocked when the fireball hit the Goliaths and exploded.

"Woah. I was not expecting that." Jaune said as he landed.

However, he tensed when the Goliaths came running out of the smoke while on fire. They charged around, trying to extinguish the fire from their badly damaged bodies. Yet, it proved futile, as they died a few seconds later. But Jaune didn't have time to think about it as he was picked up by the Death Stalker.

"Not again." Jaune said as the Death Stalker slammed him into the ground several times. "Ow."

But instead of throwing him, the Death Stalker seemed to be glaring at him. Jaune wondered why but got his answer when he looked up and realized the Death Stalker was planning on piercing him with its stinger. Knowing he didn't have time, Jaune took a gamble and attempted to see if he could increase the heat coming from his body. Closing his eyes, he concentrated on random things that he thought might do the trick. For the first few seconds, nothing happened. But that changed when the fire coming from his body suddenly flared up. It became so bright and hot that the Death Stalker became blind, with its claw turning to ash, allowing Jaune to escape.

"Not sure how I did that. But I'll take it." Jaune said as he took a few steps back while the Death Stalker recovered.

But he then saw that the remaining Grimm had moved to surround him. And it seemed like they were about to charge at him all at once. Jaune knew he had to take them out before their fight attracted even more Grimm. Closing his eyes, Jaune focused and tried to increase his body's heat levels, which he was successful as he became so bright and hot that the Grimm took a few steps back to avoid getting burnt. Jaune then opened his eyes and extended his arms. And to his delight, two beams of fire came out of his hands that were far more powerful. Jaune then made a sweeping motion to attack all the Grimm. And in less than a few seconds, they were all ash that were soon swept away by the wind.

"Okay. I'm glad that's done." Jaune said as he breathed out a sigh of relief. However, he tensed when he heard a branch snap and fell to the ground. Jaune looked around and realized that his fight with the Grimm had created another far deadlier wildfire that could easily destroy half of the Emerald forest. "Sh- Wait. If I can control and summon fire, then maybe I can absorb it. But how?"

Knowing he didn't have much time, Jaune began going around while doing whatever he thought might work. Unfortunately, for the first couple of tries, Jaune only created more fires. Cursing, Jaune kept trying different ways that might allow him to absorb the fire into his body. Thankfully, after the sixth try, he finally, somehow, managed to command all the fire to fuse into his body.

"Alright. Most of the trees and plant life are nothing but ash and distant memories, but at least I kept from spreading and destroying a good portion of the Emerald Forest." Jaune said as he sighed in relief.

*BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP*

"Huh? What's that noise?" Jaune asked, confused. Looking around, he quickly noticed that he had a device on his chest that resembled the watch-like thing that turned him into this... creature. The hourglass symbol was flashing red and was making the sound. Soon, a bright red flash enveloped him. And once it died down, Jaune realized he was human again. "What? I'm back? I'm BACK!"

Yet, his celebration was cut short when he heard a Griffen screeching in the distance.

"Yeah. I definitely overstayed my welcome." Jaune said, worried as he didn't know if he could or would want to change back into the fire monster. But even then, he didn't have Crocea Mors and Jaune doubted his fists would even scratch the Griffen. However, Jaune then realized he couldn't go back the same way he had come from as the police were probably still investigating the crash site and the burnt part of the forest. And Jaune knew they would take him into custody, thinking he was just some delinquent that burnt the forest as a prank. That meant he had to find another way back into the city. And the only one he knew of was near the coast. "Well, at least it's a nice night out."

Putting his hands into his pockets, Jaune began walking through the forest to get to the coast. But he made sure to stay close enough so he could still see the walls of Vale, which were thankfully bigger than all of the surrounding trees.

Two Hours Later

'Finally.' Jaune thought, relieved when he spotted the port in the distance.

As Jaune walked through the Emerald Forest, he did not stop fiddling with the device. But he also hasn't stopped thinking about the possibilities and new opportunities it gave him. While he could no longer be a huntsman because of Ozpin finding out about his forged transcripts, that does not mean Jaune couldn't find other ways to help others. However, as with life, there was always a catch. Jaune knew he couldn't just show up as a flaming rock monster. There were just so many ways that could go wrong if he did that. And that's not even including the things that might happen if Jaune transformed back into himself in front of others. Plus, he would need to train and fully understand what the rock monster could do before he could even think about saving others.

"This is just so much. But I should probably think about it tomorrow when I'm not tired and have a clear mind. I should also create a story in case my mum and dad ask me about the device." Jaune said.

Sighing, Jaune continued walking through the Emerald Forest to the coast. Thankfully, he hasn't spotted or heard the Griffan from earlier or seen any evidence that Grimm might be nearby. After about twenty minutes, Jaune saw a campfire in the distance. Straining his eyes, he realized it was a large group of people camping and partying in the woods despite it being against the law. But it didn't matter to Jaune. It meant there was a 'safe' place he could rest and then possibly hitch a ride to the coast as his feet were getting tired.

'Hopefully, they are friendly. And, hopefully, they have something to defend themselves in case there are any Grimm still lurking about since I don't have anything to defend myself with. And it seems like this... thing is still charging since it is still red and not green.' Jaune thought as he ran as fast as he could.

However, as Jaune raced to the group, he was only vaguely aware of a whistling sound that broke through the silence of the night. But it was only when it grew louder that Jaune paid attention to it. Stopping, Jaune strained his ears to listen to the sound and try to determine what was causing it or where it was coming from. After a moment, Jaune looked up and saw something hurtling toward the ground from the sky.

'What could this be? Another pod containing another... device like this? Or maybe it's whoever/whatever was transporting it? Or even the creator!' Jaune thought, hoping it was the creator and that whoever/whatever it was was friendly. If that was the case, Jaune hoped he could convince them to remove the device from his wrist.

Yet, all that was thrown out the window when the object crashed into the ground, revealing it to be a giant brown and red metal structure. And even from this distance, Jaune could tell the partiers were also confused and worried about it. Soon, steam hissed from the red parts on the structure. Near the bottom, three red parts soon extended out, revealing them to be legs. The same thing happened to the red parts near the center, except they were arms with claws for hands. The machine then lifted itself off the ground with the head coming out from the top.

"Maybe it's friendly." Jaune heard one of the partiers say. Yet, the machine proved them wrong by firing a laser blast that destroyed a nearby car. Seeing this, the partiers began panicking while the few that seemed to be huntsmen-in-training began attacking the machine, hoping to take it down.

'Definitely not friendly.' Jaune thought as he watched the machine destroy the party while the huntsmen-in-training tried to take it down.

But despite making some dents, it was clear it wasn't enough. Hearing a beeping sound, Jaune looked down and saw the device glowing green again. However, rather than using it immediately, he hesitated. Jaune knew he had to do something. But he also knew that once he went out there, word would get about a monster saving a group of partiers from a space machine. Yet, Jaune didn't need to be told that the machine was looking for the device on his wrist and would destroy everything in its way to get to it. While Jaune didn't doubt that other huntsmen could take it down, it would be a while before they even arrived or learned about it. And in that time, who knows how many people could lose their lives.

'I did always say I wanted to become a huntsman to save and protect others. Looks like I will finally get the chance, albeit in a way I don't think any could have imagined.' Jaune thought.

Bringing up his arm, Jaune fiddled around with the device for a bit before finally getting it to display the hologram of the fire monster again. However, Jaune felt like it wouldn't do much good against the machine. Feeling like the device might have more options, Jaune grabbed the dial and turned it, hoping he was right. And he was right, as the hologram changed to different creatures every time he turned the dial. After a few more turns, Jaune landed on a monster that he thought would be good against the machine.

Bringing his other hand up, Jaune gently pressed the dial down. Instantly, he felt a sudden feeling surge throughout his body as his heart rate began to quicken again. His skin felt itchy, but that went away as Jaune felt something hard forming on his skin. Raising his arm, Jaune noticed that diamonds were growing all over his body. Soon, the diamonds covered his entire body and face, with his eyes becoming yellow. Then, diamond spikes protruded from his back.

"Alright. Let's go save those people." Jaune said as the transformation finished with the green light fading. He then brought up his arm and examined how it looked. "Cool. But I wonder if this device came with an owner's manual or instruction book about what each of these monsters can do."

Shaking his head, Jaune ran toward the battle, hoping he wasn't making a mistake by doing this.

Meanwhile

"SHIT! GET DOWN!" One of the partiers shouted as she pulled her co-worker to the ground and behind one of the fallen trees.

"Thanks, Alita." The owl faunus co-worker said as she struggled to catch her breath.

"Don't mention it."

"Remind me why the hell we are here again."

"Lisa sent us here to join this group so we can dig up information about a possible expansion to the port and boundaries of Vale."

"Well, I hope we are getting hazard pay for this since giant fucking space death machines were not a part of the job description." The owl faunus said as she peered over the tree and saw the machine destroying everything in sight. While the few huntsmen-in-training and Vale soldiers here were doing their best, it was clear as day that they were severely outmatched. While one of them did call for reinforcements, it would be a while before they arrived.

"I doubt it. But either way, I'm demanding a raise when we get back."

"Are you two okay?" A Vale soldier asked, kneeling next to them.

"Aside from the panic attack and nearly being blown up, we're mostly fine."

"Ignore her; she takes after Lisa Lavender." The Owl Faunus said, earning an elbow from her partner. "So, how's it looking? And when do you think the reinforcements will arrive?"

"It's looking pretty bad. We barely made a dent in the thing. And they won't arrive for another ten minutes." The soldier answered.

"That sucks." Alita said, trying desperately to get her camera to work again.

"It does. That's why I'm getting all the civilians and bringing them back to the port where there's more protection."

"Alright. Let's get going." Alita sighed. "Lisa is going to chew our ass out for not getting the scoop."

"Yeah." The Owl Faunus agreed. "I'm not looking-"

*BOOM*

"SHIT!" They shouted when the tree suddenly exploded, causing them to hit the ground from the force behind it.

"GET TO COVER! MOVE!" The soldier ordered as he fired at the machine, to little effect. The machine focused on the soldier and raised its arm, ready to kill him with a laser blast. However, right as it was about to fire, a diamond shard went inside the barrel, jamming it. And when it fired, it caused it to explode, damaging the robot's right arm and rendering its laser blast inoperable.

"What the?" The Owl Faunus asked, shocked.

"What just happened?" Alita asked, finally managing to get her camera operational. However, it could not get a clear shot and any recording would be fuzzy as hell.

'I so did not expect to make that shot.' Jaune shouted, somehow managing to get his arm and hand to return to... being an arm and hand. "HEY! Over here!"

"What the heck is that?" The soldier asked, confused at seeing a strange figure that seemed to be comprised entirely of diamond.

Sensing the new arrival, the machine looked up and scanned Jaune to see what it could make out. But its scanners immediately latched onto the symbol that was on the figure's chest as the item it was programmed to retrieve. The machine raised its left arm and charged up another laser blast attack.

"Uh, oh. Quick. Get clear." Jaune told the others before diving to the side.

Getting up, Jaune swung his arm to try to launch more crystals, but none came out. Annoyed, he began running to avoid getting hit by the laser blasts. Seeing this, the machine spawned two flying machine drones to chase Jaune and keep up the pressure.

Meanwhile, Jaune kept running to avoid getting blasted and keep the machines' attention on him and not the others. However, he was flung back when the giant machine fired a laser blast at a car, causing it to explode. Shaking his head, Jaune saw the drones hover above him, getting ready to blast him. He rolled to the side and onto his feet before lunging at the drones. But as he did, Jaune inadvertently had his arm become a sharp spike that sliced through both drones effortlessly.

"Shoot crystals and make my arms into spikes. I wonder what else this monster can do." Jaune said.

"WATCH OUT!" A huntsman-in-training shouted.

Turning back to the machine, Jaune saw that the machine had fired another laser blast at him. Instinctively, Jaune raised his arms to shield himself. But to everyone's surprise, he also caused a wall of crystals to erupt from the ground, which deflected the laser back at the robot, slicing off its left arm.

Realizing that it no longer had ranged weapons, the robot jumped into the air, began spinning its legs to make a mini-tornado, and attempted to land on Jaune. Not wanting to get crushed, Jaune ran to avoid the attack, but the force behind it caused him to be launched a few feet away. Groaning, Jaune got on a knee and turned around to see the machine slowly getting up from the crater it formed.

'Wait. If I can summon some more crystals around its legs, I could stop it from moving long enough so I could slice its legs off with my spike arm.' Jaune thought.

Getting up, Jaune raised his arm and taunted the machine. It tried to hit him with its damaged right arm but missed. Jaune then started running toward the destroyed cars. The robot, seeing where Jaune was heading, attempted to cut him by jumping over to the wrecked vehicles. Yet, Jaune was expecting this, and he jumped back. And like with the rock fire monster, Jaune was surprised by how far he went. But Jaune quickly focused back on the machine when it landed. He then raised his hands and managed to have two crystal structures erupt from the ground and cover two of the machine's legs. While he didn't get all of them, it was better than none.

Not wasting a second, Jaune rushed forward while transforming his right arm into a spike. Seeing Jaune rushing at it, the robot attempted to crush him with his right arm. But Jaune ducked to the side before slicing the arm off, causing it to explode. He then ran to the legs of the now defenseless robot and sliced them off. With only a single leg holding it up, the robot promptly lost its balance and fell to the floor. Yet, it was still operable as it tried to get up. Knowing he had to destroy it to ensure it could not hurt anyone else, Jaune raised his arms and concentrated. After a second, a massive diamond pillar erupted from the ground and pierced through the robot's head, causing it to explode. Thankfully, everyone else was a safe distance away.

'Wow. That was far more intense than I thought. But at least it's over now.' Jaune thought as he calmed down. He then turned around and noticed that everyone who was still there was walking up to him. "Is everyone okay?"

"Yeah. We're all okay." A soldier answered.

"But we wouldn't be if it weren't for you." A huntsman-in-training added.

"Yeah. Thanks for the save." Another huntsman-in-training said.

"You're welcome." Jaune said, liking the fact that he saved people by himself.

"But if you have a moment. We would like to have an interview with you and discuss what you are, what you did and how you did it, and what this machine was." Alita said, walking up to Jaune with her camera rolling.

"Actually, I-" Jaune began before hearing the familiar beeping and flashing red light again. "Can't. I got to go. Now."

"Wait. Hold- Damn it." Alita began, about to run after Jaune. However, she couldn't when a diamond wall erupted from the ground in front of her. "There goes a big scoop."

"Maybe not entirely." The Owl Faunus said, walking up to Alita with her camera in hand.

"What do you mean by that?" Alita asked, curious.

"I figured the... creature would try to escape and create something to stop us from following him. So, I ran to the side and managed to take a picture of the creature as he made it to the trees on the other side of the clearing. And you won't believe what I captured."

"What is it?"

"Take a look." Getting closer, Alita looked at the photo her partner had taken and gasped. While it wasn't the clearest picture she had ever seen, what it was about was undeniable. Her partner had taken a picture of the crystal creature as it was reverting back to what she resumed was its true form. And the form was that of a blond male about seventeen years of age. Yet, what caught their attention was the strange green device on his left wrist. And the symbol on it clearly matched the one on the crystal creature's chest.

"Oh, ho, ho. Lisa is going to love this."

"She sure will. And once we're back in town, we'll send it to her."

"Right. But first, let's help the others." Alita said. Nodding, they went to help the other soldiers and huntsmen-in-training with clean up and helping the injured.

Meanwhile

"Okay. That was too close." Jaune said, panting.

Once he caught his breath, Jaune took in his surroundings and realized that he made it to the shore. But it was then that fatigue started to set in as well. So many mentally and physically exhausting things happened today that Jaune was positive he would sleep until the day after tomorrow once his head hit a pillow. Yet, before he could get some rest, Jaune knew he had to get to New Syrtis first. With this in mind, Jaune began making his way to the port, which was thankfully only about a ten-minute walk from where he was. However, as he made his way there, Jaune ponded the new pathway full of once-in-lifetime opportunities this device gave him. Sure, it would be dangerous, and he would undoubtedly make some enemies. But the same would happen if he became a huntsman. And Jaune felt like he could help far more people with this device than he ever could hope to achieve as a huntsman.

However, Jaune also knew this was not a game. He had to train himself to learn and master all the monster's abilities if he wanted to be able to save people efficiently and not put them in danger because of himself. Not to mention, Jaune knew he had to keep this a secret, as he did not want to put his family and friends in danger. Yet, he still couldn't help but be excited about finally being able to achieve his dream.

'It looks like I finally get to live out my dream of saving and protecting others.' Jaune thought, smiling.

Notes:

A story request from volcasiron30.

Story's title is temporary