Disclaimer:
The works of Rooster-Teeth and their characters are their own and that of the mighty Oum. The only thing I own are the one-shot ideas that popped into my head and whatever OCs I would create for them. This is a work of pure fiction made solely for fun, constructive reviews will be welcomed, flames will be ignored. Any references to characters in real-life or fiction are purely coincidental. If I could make money out of my ideas, it would be nice...
Oum Damn It!
Date Published: 21st August 2022
Chapter Title: A calm aftermath?
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Scene 1
"GOOOD MOORRRRNNNINNNGG, JAUUUNNNEE!"
Even in his dreams, Jaune Miles Arc could hear the morning call of Nora Valkyrie and instinctively activated his aura around his stomach to cushion the blow that was to come. Sure enough, he was knocked out of his dreams when Nora performed her dynamic entry as her wake-up call and slammed both legs into his gut.
Least now it was a habit for him to focus Aura to his stomach in the morning.
"Good morning, Nora." Jaune let out a sigh as he got up from his bed, thankful that he did not get knocked off from Nora's usual exuberance in waking him up if he slept in. The girl in question cheered before moving away with Ren scolding her for her action again, and Pyrrha slightly shaking her head at their interactions with a smile. Jaune gave a smile of his own and went to the bathroom to wash up for the morning, grabbing his toothbrush on the way. Jaune tilted his neck to pop the joints lightly, pausing in the position in front of the mirror at the reflection of the faint marks on his shoulder that were remnants of his fight with the Grimm. After a while, Jaune sighed and proceeded to brush his teeth while letting his mind wander on all that had happened.
It has been a little over a week since the Grimm incursion of Forever Fall that saw eleven deaths, five heavily injured and one team quitting outright to get away from it all. The majority of the students were still residents of the hospital wing for recovery and checks, with a few possibly seeing long term bed rest as part of their first year. Those lucky enough to leave the beds were tasked to write up battle reports on what had happened on their assignment. During that period, it took a day to confirm the number of casualties and injured personnel that came about during the Grimm Incursion, and Ozpin was forced to a meeting with the Vale Council to give them an update on what had occurred and to request aid from the other Huntsmen in the general region to aid with security while he looked into the matter, an action well needed with morale going down, even if the Grimm did not appear in the region after the attack.
Teams RWBY, JNPR and CRDL were summoned to the headmaster's office after their stay in the hospital since they were at the heart of the incident. Even with the healing effects of Aura, the teams in question were still sporting bandages and limb casts, Cardin being the most obvious with the metal braces.
Let's just say, that was a really mind-tiring conversation.
(Flashback)
It was silent in the headmasters office with students sitting at one end of the room while facing the adults in front of them, with only the sounds of the clock gears breaking the monotony and adding to the feeling of uneasiness that was upon them due to the nature of the meeting the students were called for, not helped when they were ordered to relinquish their weapons and to be seated at different parts of the office to have some distance between them. It could be described as the countdown to their eventual doom. And it certainly felt that way with the adults in the room deciding their fate.
Glynda Goodwitch was already a stern woman that demanded respect of her authority, and that she was someone who held the strictest of standards on their conduct. On this evening, the look on her face could compete with the frozen tundras of Atlas, and it was taking every bit of effort on Ruby's and Nora's energy to resist fidgeting under her glacial stare.
Peter Port was a man who was normally jovial during his lessons, with Jaune knowing his lesser known side of being more sombre and serious when retelling certain aspects of his past to illustrate the dangers of being a huntsman. This evening, there was an undercurrent of fury that was barely being held back along with the feeling of resigned tiredness, and his stance showed his muscles tensing quite hard beneath his clothes.
Barthemolew Oobleck was very bookish man with a the history professor whose photo would likely be in the dictionary next to the words 'Speed' or 'Hyperactive', all because of the thermo-flask of caffeine that a few speculated to be made with rocket fuel with how fast he could talk and move without stopping. He was always drinking from it and moving about or vibrating on the spot. This evening, he was standing abnormally still with no vibration or shifting, and his specs were removed to reveal a pair of eyes that were narrowed at the students in disappointment.
But perhaps the one person in the office who should be showing anger, disappointment, or any emotion for that matter, was currently the one person that had a blank expression and was ironically the scariest of the adults in the room. Headmaster Ozpin (last name unknown), a man who was currently seated behind his desk with his hands clasped together and hiding his mouth, his eyes not once blinking ever since they entered the room 5 minutes ago, an open folder on the desk along with a tape recorder ready for the meeting.
Just watching, and waiting for a reaction. It was getting uncomfortably silent when he finally broke it.
"Let me see if I can get this correct." The headmaster spoke in a tone that was measured and soft, but the students winced as though he was screaming at them in rage, with a few privately thinking they would probably prefer that to the current manner he was portraying his disappointment and frustration.
"Both teams RWBY and JNPR first got to their assigned areas to remove the sap from the trees, after a few minutes, a jar of sap was thrown at them with Mister Jaune Arc having to block the jar with his shield. Soon after, Raspier Wasps came out to attack, prompting the others to destroy them, and at the same time spotting team CRDL in the bushes watching them." Cardin opened his mouth only to shut it from the glare directed by Glynda. Yang clearly wanted to say something only to have the glare directed at her.
"That was when the first signs of the incursion came about, with the different first year teams being attacked by a variety of Grimm, including a Grimm sporting tentacles and the ability to combine Beowulfs or King Taijitu together to form a new species of Grimm." His tone was level while his eyes glanced at Team RWBY, Weiss nodding stiffly at his words while Ruby fiddled with her skirt.
"Teams RWBY and JNPR engaged their sectors, during which Pyrrha Nikos and Ruby Rose were separated from their partners within a few minutes and were engaging their targets just a few feet away, despite the fact that it was a dangerous thing to do." The two young girls and their respective partners winced at that reminder, both sides thinking they should have kept a closer eye on one another. "Then once Mister Arc consulted the app to check on their status, both teams rushed to their aid, being guided by the sounds of screaming. Now at this point, there are deviations to the witnesses accounts."
"Testimonies from Misters Winchester, Lark and Thrush say that they were engaging the Grimm when they found Pyrrha Nikos and Ruby Rose in trouble, to which they saved them before being unjustly attacked by the rest of the group. Testimonies from Dove Bronzewing and the remaining students claim that the trio had attacked the young ladies behind their backs and that he tried to stop them only to be held down by Russel Thrush, with Ruby Rose being restrained by Sky Lark with her weapon away from her, and then" Ozpin's eyes switched between Cardin and Pyrrha in quick success "Pyrrha Nikos being assaulted by Cardin Winchester."
"Don't." That one word stopped Cardin halfway rising off his seat and opening his mouth, along with Yang who clearly had words to say. That the command was delivered in a levelled tone without any deviation in feeling made it more impressive and scary for the students, as they could not tell if Ozpin was calm or secretly angry beneath the exterior, but it was enough to make all of them straightened up in their seats. "You will get your chance to give your defence after we clarified the incident. Now sit down." The students shivered at that last bit as Cardin shut his mouth and sat down, his brow showing some sweat from the words, and Yang looking very meek as she sat in hers. After looking at them briefly, Ozpin continued.
"Following that, Jaune Arc went to engage Cardin Winchester to get Miss Nikos away, Yang Xiao Long was reported to leap at Mister Lark to save her sister, giving him a few punches to his sternum and a few minor bone fractures to his limbs along with a minor concussion," The girl in question looked torn to keeping the expression of shame or pride at that statement, "while Weiss Schnee and Lie Ren engaged Mister Thrush with the latter tending to Mister Bronzewing for medical attention, and Blake Belladonna along with Nora Valkyrie stood guard about them. After a few exchanges, Miss Valkyrie engaged Mister Winchester to stop him from attracting Grimm with his mood, only to be electrocuted due to an Electric Dust Crystal he had on hand. This in turn activated her Semblance which allowed her to… 'break his legs'?" Ozpin raised an eyebrow at the girl sporting a sheepish smile at her catchphrase.
"Shortly after Team CRDL was captured, you got attacked by an eight-headed Taijitu variant that had eaten one member from another team, followed shortly by a second variant that was created by the tentacle variant combining three Beowulfs." Ozpin held up several drawings from them, their drawing talents ranged from professional by Weiss to doodles by Nora. "Forcing you to engage the Taijitu variant as the Cerberus variant kept up the attack with hit-and-run tactics while calling forth for more."
"Teams RWBY and JNPR were able to dispatch their enemies with the aid of a certain war hammer we know of." As one, everyone turned to face the object in question lying on the floor before them, looking very clean for an object that had tasted battle once more only recently. "After that, all of you tried to return to the bullhead but had to engage the Cerberus variant that had displayed the ability to get stronger via cannibalization of its other Grimm." The students shivered at the reminder of the creature eating the last Taijitu with relish and sadism.
"Again, testimonies differ at the point you got away enough to create a barrier to slow them down. The sole testimony by Mister Winchester tells us that he had tried to reason with the others to leave but they insisted on fighting thus endangering one Ruby Rose. The rest of you stated that Cardin disorientated you with his mace and semblance before disarming Ruby Rose and throwing her over the make-shift barrier. Either circumstance prompted Mister Arc to leap after her and get her out, only to be attacked by the Grimm. Then said hammer did something to boost his Aura and effectively turned him into a, how did Miss Xiao Long put it? 'A kick-ass god of thunder' that destroyed the vast majority of the Grimm." The blonde in question let out a weak chuckle before shutting her mouth up from his raised eyebrow and the pointed look from Glynda. "After working together to take down the Cerberus, you were found and escorted back to the evacuation point."
"And here we are in my office, trying to understand the circumstances." Ozpin finally lowered his hands to the table, revealing an empty expression that made many of the students think they preferred his hands blocking his face. There was absolutely no emotion that was being telegraphed, yet the hairs on their necks were standing up from the knowledge that he was likely very angry at the moment. "Would anyone like to add anything else to that? I am most curious about the jar of sap which hit Mister Arc, and where the hive of Rapier Wasps came from, as I know for a fact that they are not indigenous at Forever Falls." His eyes went to Cardin who stood up. "You have something to say, Mister Winchester?"
"Yes, I have something to say." Cardin first took a breath before pointing at Dove. "It was all his fault."
"Wait what?!" The man in question snapped his head at his team leader in disbelief and building rage.
"Dove has been ignoring my orders and trying to undermine my team for some time now. He was the one who threw the jar of sap at them and launched the wasps at them. As for the supposed assault, we were trying to get the girls out of danger, and Nikos got her armour dented so I had to remove it to help her breathe. Arc jumped to conclusions and got us into that mess. And I was going to get the Rose girl out of the way."
"The hell you said?!" Yang got up from her seat with her hair blazing a dangerous crimson yellow and red eyes before she got immobilised by Glynda who stuck her to her chair.
"Is that the case, Misters Lark and Thrush?" The two nodded quickly at that while the other students looked mutinous but kept silent. The headmaster looked each of them in the eye before standing up with his mug and turned to look out the window displaying the sun setting in the distance. He was silent while maintaining the same expressionless face, yet there was a sudden pressure in the room that made the students feel it was getting harder to breathe.
"Mister Winchester, what do you believe is the role of a Huntsman?" Ozpin asked without looking at them. The student in question frowned but gave his reply.
"Be the best warriors. Protect the humans, beat up some Grimm, stupid threats and those filthy animals, so what?" Teams RWBY and JNPR frowned at him for his unhidden bias, especially Blake who looked ready to fillet him with her bare hands if she could.
Not that she would have the chance.
'WHACK!'
The others barely blinked and Cardin was launched into the wall with a big red mark on the left side of the face. Ozpin did not stop looking outside of the office while he brought down the arm holding on to the cane and took a sip of his drink, an impressive feat given that he had a desk and a few feet of distance away from the students. Setting the cup down on the table, Ozpin turned to face the students, the expression finally changed to one ready to cast judgement on the fool that had pushed his button.
"Mister Winchester, it would do you some good if you had removed, or at least tempered, your bias against Faunus." The measured tone that was delivered made a few of the students unconsciously push back in their chairs to avoid the upcoming explosion. "Clearly, despite your time in the hospital and lessons with the professors, you are showing that the object on your neck is not a head with a brain, but a rock. Allow me to re-educate you on the meaning of being a Huntsman / Huntress." That made the other students push their chairs further back while the professors were staying put.
"A Huntsman's or Huntress's job is a warrior not just to fight the Grimm, but to upload the law and safeguard the future of all the denizens. Man and woman, from young to old. Humans and Faunus alike." The scowl on Cardin's face suggested otherwise but the young man held his tongue. "In our academies, some of the lessons we emphasise time and again are teamwork, trust and lasting bonds. Lessons that should help to remove any issues between members." The headmaster reached into his pocket and pulled his Scroll to press some buttons to produce a projector from the ceiling, a white screen by the wall and the windows to be temporarily opaque for the room to be dimmed.
"Just now, I was granting you one more chance to redeem yourself, and you have blown it spectacularly. Forever Falls is a place where Grimm is populated and a place that has been visited by Beacon students for generations to deal with their assignments, from the simple task of sap collection to the arduous task of Grimm exterminations. While not as focused on as Emerald Forest, we do monitor the area to ensure the numbers do not get too high, and that means having cameras to do so." That got the members of Team CRDL to drop whatever expressions on their faces and paled to the point of looking like Death had visited them.
With a finishing swipe, the projector came on to project the recordings on the screen before them all. There, in plain view, showed the entire conflict, from the beginning involving the Rapier Wasps, to the end when they were extracted. Jaune provided a hand for Pyrrha to squeeze as they came to the bit involving her, with Nora providing an arm around her and Ren placing a hand on her shoulder. Team RWBY directed sympathetic but reassuring faces at her and burning eyes at Cardin as they heard the audio of him gloating as he removed her chest plate. It was also a tough choice to see which professor looked more prepared to stain blood when it came to that and the scene of Ruby getting thrown to the Beowolfs.
"Quite coincidental that you chose the areas that had cameras monitoring the situation." Ozpin turned the configurations of his office back after the video ended. "But now we come to the point that I was hoping not to get to."
"What will happen to us?" Sky asked with dread in his voice. Ozpin went back to his seat and looked at them with a stare that made them feel cold despite the relatively warm temperatures.
"Quite frankly, you lot are in trouble. All of you." A single glance stopped Yang, Weiss and Nora from protesting. "Some of you may not have done much or any, but your inactions could also be a contributing factor. I will speak of this as we go along." After a moment to let them digest, he continued.
"Misters Thrush and Lark, you may not have been involved with the initial fight with Mister Arc and Mister Winchester from the first lesson. However, your actions and behaviours have been noted to be quite antagonistic towards Faunus or other students prior to that incident and after. You had already been warned once before about stepping out of line. Add to this recent incident and you can understand that I cannot just let you go a second time." The boys in question gulped as one from his words.
"Right now, I am giving you both a choice. You can either choose expulsion with the chance of applying to the Huntsmen Academies next year or transfer to Atlas Academy for the remainder of the year while on academic probation. Upon completion of that probation, both of you will be assessed for your behaviours to see if you are allowed to continue at Atlas. You have until tomorrow morning to make up your mind."
Weiss choked at that statement, making her teammates and Team JNPR turn to her with concerned looks at her expression. She noted them and signalled that she would tell them later. Not that Ozpin could blame her; Atlas Academy was steeped in military traditions and that extended to the level of punishments granted to each huntsman or huntress. Probation in Atlas Academy meant the officers there would monitor everything one does there, along with a strict schedule that they must follow to the letter with no room for error or interpretation, and whatever available free time if any would be monitored. Even the simple act of taking a shower or going to the toilet was counted down to the very second to enforce the rule, and anyone attempting to ignore that strict rule would be penalised at best, and heavily punished depending on the situation.
Considering James Ironwood's Semblance had only enforced the strictness, that was a bit much even for Ozpin.
"Mister Bronzewing, you are an odd case. You have exhibited the same behaviour patterns, but at the same time showing understanding and hesitation in your actions. You understood what your team members have done is wrong and tried to stop them at the risk of your own life." Dove appeared to be shaking the chair from his nervousness alone. "I will decide your actions later, but it should not be too bad." That did not really settle his nerves much but he kept silent on it.
"As for you, young man," stated Ozpin as he turned to Cardin, "As the primary instigator to all of this and also having been warned previously, you decided to escalate the matter to a very fatal state. With the evidence at hand, there is only one choice. You may pack your bags tonight, because you're expelled from Beacon. You will not be welcomed here ever again, and consider this to be a permanent black mark on your records. I doubt any other Academies will be willing to accept you after this. Especially since this video will be included as part of the evidence to the academy board and they will add this to the huntsman network."
Cardin gaped at Ozpin for a second before roaring out with aggression, "WHAT!? You can't do that!"
"I just did," deadpanned Ozpin while sipping his drink.
"My father is on the council! He'll overrule that expulsion!" stammered Cardin with hints of panic. The other students were watching this scene with the type of horrified fascination one would associate seeing a car crash happening in real time.
"Contrary to your beliefs, the council of Vale has no power over the student population," stated Oobleck coldly, making the other students shiver at his tone "They may have some say in the budget and various other fields, but the power to expel a student resides solely in the hands of the Headmaster. Only the Vice Headmistress along with two senior staff members can veto the expulsion with proper reasoning, but I doubt Professor Goodwitch would disagree with me or Ozpin on that."
"Indeed," nodded Glynda, giving Cardin the evil eye, "You're dismissed now. If you wish to leave your items behind, you may do so."
"You cannot send me away!" Ozpin ignored the ex-student's arguments and pressed a button on his desk. Within a few seconds, the elevator pinged and out came two burly guards that could compete in size with Cardin.
"Mister Winchester has been expelled from the academy and is proving quite difficult. If I could impose on you gentlemen to please escort this young man to the landing pier? Thank you." The two guards nodded and placed their hands on Cardin's shoulders. The young man struggled in their grips but the two merely hooked their arms under his shoulders and dragged him to the elevators. "We will be going through Team CRDL's room later to ensure all of his belongings would be packed and delivered to him shortly."
"I'll get you all for this! You hear me?!" swore Cardin, glaring at Ozpin, Glynda, and then at Jaune himself as he dug his heels in before the elevator, "I will get you for this Arc! You got that?! You and that bitch are going to regret this!" The doors closed at that last word with a rather ominous clang, leaving the room in silence briefly before Ozpin sighed heavily.
"There is at least one in every odd batch that comes through these halls thinking they could rule over others with might, but Mister Winchester is perhaps the biggest one to date." Ozpin then turned to the remaining members of Team CRDL.
"Now regarding you three, you shall be escorted to your room and you will begin packing your belongings. Yes that includes you as well, Mister Bronzewing. I will decide what to do with you after I handle the other students here." A second ping of the elevator prompted Doctor Oobleck to move the trio to the door, leaving behind Teams RWBY and JNPR. The headmaster took a long sip of his drink as he looked them in the eye slowly, most of them looking away in slight shame.
"I must admit, this is one year where I have never, and I do mean never, ever have students in their first year of education be this troublesome." He stated that clearly for them all to hear. "Normally I will see these types of issues around the third year, if not the fourth."
"Why don't we start with the more obvious bit first?" Ozpin looked at the two teams. "First and foremost, both of you have gotten involved with this incident a bit too long. Your partners were separated which lead to the assault of Miss Nikos and later the attempted murder of Miss Rose." The two in question looked down to the ground while their respective partners grimaced at the reminder.
"Miss Xiao Long, while it is understandable that your sister was in danger to necessitate retaliation, do keep in mind that your actions could be construed as over usage of force. It is only thanks to the surveillance videos that we can exonerate your actions this time." The blonde woman winced while playing with her fingers nervously. "With that said, you still need to undergo some punishment just so we can have it on record just in case someone decides to look about." By that, the students knew that the headmaster was referring to Cardin's father.
"The same applies to Miss Valkyrie. Considering the amount of damage to Mister Winchester's legs, you should be glad that the footage showed the attack. Your punishment will be similar with the additions of a couple of conditions that would be decided later." The normally exuberant girl looked down to the ground quietly.
"For Mister Lie, Miss Schnee and Miss Belladonna." He paused as the three named people tensed up. "While you three are not in trouble per say, it would help to keep track of your team members, just in case. On your part, you need to write up a report."
"Ruby Rose." The headmaster looked to the youngest before bowing his head. "First and foremost, on behalf of the academy, I apologise for our delay and in some manner, we should have been stricter with the situation with Misters Arc and Winchester." The youngest of them all started to wave her hand and try to reassure him, but Ozpin merely gave her a look that got her to quiet down. "The next matter, you have done well to handle your team against new breeds of Grimm, and you kept your cool for the most part. We do need to keep an eye on you for a while just to ensure that you are not too affected by this incident."
"Jaune Arc." The young man almost looked ready to snap his back just by sitting so stiffly. "Now this incident may have turned out favourably for you, but it could also have turned out badly. There were plenty of moments when you had a bucket load of luck to help you out. Two in particular, you got help from that little hammer of yours." Again everyone looked at the item in question. "I do not know how or why, but the hammer did come to you in your time of need, along with that other sword of yours. That said, we cannot depend on luck too often. We will be putting you through your paces while you write up reports on the situation and sign them accordingly. In triplicate." The winces from all of them were telling, even the other professors dropped their stern expressions briefly to show Jaune some pity.
"Tomorrow, I will alert Glynda to hand you your respective punishments and probations. Until the next time we meet, this interview is over." With that, Ozpin reached out and pressed a button to stop the recording just as the bell towed for the evening hour.
(End Flashback)
And that was that. Cardin was escorted out of the academy with a few guards having to physically carry him off the group with a fair bit of racket as the young man kept threatening to have their jobs and all, which meant a lot of the other academy students were listening in with their scrolls recording the incident. They later managed to find out what really happened, and that was when the news broke out of the academy and to the general public.
If Jaune thought what happened previously after his first match with Cardin was big, this took the cake.
Mistral in particular was demanding blood from the Winchesters and it took considerable effort from the Vale Council to get their counterparts to lay off the demands for extradition. The Mistral Council however, with heavy demands from Pyrrha's father and the agency she was under, made it clear that Cardin was no longer able to apply to other academies with huntsman programmes, not that it was hard to refuse given how little remorse or how eager he was to attack them. There was a bit of a loophole which Weiss pointed out that Cardin could try to get a Huntsman to train him, except with his attitude, chances were very low unless a prejudiced Huntsman with similar bias against Faunus were to take him on. But with the amount of coverage on this, odds were good that most would avoid the Winchesters like the plaque to avoid getting painted with the same brush.
Russel Thrush and Sky Lark had packed up and sent to Atlas for their probation period, and from what Weiss was allowed to share from her sister who was evidently high up in the military ranks, the two were being scrutinised under the microscope to see if another incident would occur. They were just barely under the requirement to avoid getting tracking chips under their skin to track their movements everywhere, but it was a close one and it sounded like they were doing everything they could to keep out of trouble.
As for Dove? The young man was currently under a different probation, having been sent to a secondary area around the outer ridges of Vale city and under the guidance of another Huntsman to monitor while training him. He might be allowed to take part in Beacon's final exams and graduate as a solo huntsman, but he would have a black mark on his record to show the transgressions. Granted his mark would be minor compared to his old teammates, but it would be there for any other huntsmen to view and ask for particulars.
For Teams JNPR and RWBY, they were handling the aftermath in their own manner. Ruby, Pyrrha and Jaune were those that required more therapy sessions due to what had occurred during the incursion. It was also clear that without the adrenaline and other issues distracting them anymore, the three were finally processing what had happened to them, and they each had their own set of nightmares and reactions to handle. Ruby had her sister to at least console her when she woke up screaming at night, while Pyrrha had a relapse of sorts during a training session, thankfully with only the two teams around. Jaune and Ren had to stand back while the other girls tended to Pyrrha to remind her that Cardin was not around to assault her. Their shared therapist had to talk them through their issues to let them know that they were safe.
For Jaune, his nightmares were more visceral, ranging from him failing to save Ruby to getting eaten alive by the Grimm with the sounds of Cardin's laughter in his ears. It took both his therapist and Professor Port to get him through most of the nightmares, and a fair bit of training to get through the rest. At the same time though, Jaune was being put through his paces in terms of training with his weapons, with emphasis more on his original set. He did survive well enough for the first half of the incursion, but he needed to be better without the special weapons.
Speaking of said weapons, there were now two other weapons added to the mix after Professor (Doctor!) Oobleck asked for his help. One was a black dagger that could qualify as a short sword for its length that had the unusual design of three big holes on the blade and what appeared to be a mouthpiece on the handle. It was easy to take apart, revealing smaller holes about the weapon that appeared to be purposely made, and with the help of Ruby, Jaune was able to get it cleaned, repaired and sharpened to perfection. And for a joke, Jaune tried to blow into the mouthpiece while placing fingers on the smaller holes, only to get an actual tune out of it like a flute.
The second weapon obtained was something that had Jaune and Yang tag teaming to pull an overly excited Ruby away from with an exasperated Weiss looking on. It was a set of gauntlets and greaves with a somewhat animalistic design, with the gauntlets resembling a wolf's head with fangs and a mane that covered the entire forearm, and the greaves resembling clawed feet that covered a entire shin and the lower part of the thigh. What made the gauntlets interesting was the presence of slots for the insertion of dust crystals, which activated something to make lines appear on both sets despite not being connected by any physical means, and admittedly it did make the design look impressive for the supposed eyes of the gauntlets when activated. It did need some fixing and enhancements, so with some help from a very enthusiastic Ruby and some suggestions from Yang and Weiss overseeing their work, the slots were now updated to allow Dust Vials to be inserted aside from raw Dust Crystals which was too risky.
And this time, Jaune was somewhat expecting something to happen when he had gotten those two weapons, and he was vindicated when he started having new dreams with two different people equipped with said weapons. They were still blurry, but he was sure that they would get clearer in the future, and hopefully he would know what on earth was going on with his life.
Enough thinking, he needed to finish washing up.
Scene 2
"Something on your mind, Jaune?" Ren asked as they left the bullhead and went to the gantry that would let them out to the shuttle service to Vale's city square. Their partners went ahead of them, well more like Pyrrha playing catchup with Nora that was about ready to burst with excitement from finally getting out of the academy. It said something of the officers there that they were used to the girl after experiencing her 'Nora-ness' a few times and just ignored her with a practised smile with an expression of pity towards Pyrrha as she bowed a few times to apologise.
"Just reminded about the expulsion of Cardin. It just felt weird even now." Ren gave an uncharacteristic snort at Jaune's words as they walked through the gentries.
"You were not expecting the expulsion of Cardin?" Jaune gave a shrug while pondering over the meeting.
"I was expecting some form of punishment for what he did in the forest and that stunt he pulled for throwing Ruby to the Beowulfs. I suppose that while expulsion was on the table and most appropriate, I can't help wondering if perhaps Cardin could have stayed around with heavier restrictions or some counselling." Jaune answered with a frown.
"True, but I think one must consider how the others would feel. Our immediate friends would never feel safe around him for what he did to Pyrrha and Ruby. Yang would certainly want to finish what she started." Jaune nodded as he recalled the medical report with a wince. Yang was really thorough with Cardin for that stunt he pulled on Ruby; he did not think the spine could bend that way without breaking.
"Just be thankful that this is over." Ren patted his shoulder. "How are the professors working on you?"
"Professor Goodwitch is making sure my techniques are up to her standards. She has a point saying that I can't rely on the weapons from the cave to save my behind in the future out of sheer dumb luck. Doctor Oobleck is using me to try and collect other weapons from the catacombs since they too are resisting some of the other students' attempts. As for Professor Port, he is helping me with my nightmares."
"You still have them?" Ren lightly frowned at that answer. Jaune sighed while looking up.
"I can't help thinking what would have happened if we did not get to Pyrrha on time, or if I could not catch Ruby." Jaune shuddered at the considerations. "It is just so messed up."
"Try to put it behind you. You got to both of them in time." Ren assured him. "Now come on, I think Pyrrha needs our help on this." Jaune looked at his partner who was literally wrapping an arm around Nora as the latter was actively dragging her with no effort to the doors.
"Good point." The two young men went to aid Pyrrha in getting Nora under control and then left the area to enter the city properly. Everywhere he could see, there were streamers and signs going up for an upcoming event.
"What's up with all of that?" Jaune asked.
"It is the Vytal Festival, this year is Vale's turn to host it along with the tournament." Ren answered.
"Oh right. Forgot about that, I kept thinking it was Shade this year for some reason." Jaune could honestly say that he was unable to keep track of the goings on since his family did not really pay stock to the whole festival or the tournaments. Much of their lifestyle was focused on the small town where he lived, and it was hard to get any reception for television.
"Not surprising on that note." Pyrrha answered at this point. "There was contention in the committee from what my contacts had told me. Shade's council was putting forward strong points to hold the tournament there, while Vale's council argued that it was their turn despite the recent events going on. In the end tradition held out and Vale got it despite Shade claiming that they could host it."
"That explains it." Jaune turned to look at a few Faunus walking by before being reminded of something. "How is Team RWBY? I have not had a chance to chat with Ruby recently and I noticed something was off." To his surprise, all three sighed with Nora being the most obvious.
"Weiss and Blake are at it again." Nora spoke to Jaune with a frown. "There had been a sudden spike of Dust robberies recently along with some attacks at those Schnee factories, and Weiss was saying that it was the White Fang doing the attacks. But the manner she described it was a rather general dictation at all Faunus which got Blake upset for some reason."
"Yeah, I think we know why she is really upset." Jaune scratched the back of his head while the other three nodded at that. It was not that hard to note the bow twitching and her general mannerisms that made one of a cat, and with how passionate she was in several history lessons regarding Faunus, it was clear that Blake was one.
And if Jaune was honest, it was a little obvious that Blake was a cat Faunus with how much she liked fish. Heck, she even hissed at him when he was grabbing the last slab of fish last week!
"In any case, they have been getting very rowdy and Ruby is having her hands full with them." Pyrrha spoke. "She is trying to keep it together but it is affecting their team performance a little."
"Guess she would need a pep-talk later." Jaune sighed before slapping his face. "Okay, enough of that for now. We need to grab our stuff by the end of the day so let's split up. Ren, you and Nora deal with our food supplies. Pyrrha, you and I can grab the other items on our list. We meet back by the fountain before we go and relax for the day, okay?"
"Got it, Fearless Leader. Let's go and get the pancakes first!" Before Jaune could rebut, Nora grabbed Ren by the collar and rushed away with the young man looking resigned to his fate.
"I have a bad feeling about this." Jaune placed a hand to his face.
"I am sure Ren can handle her. Shall we?" Pyrrha assured him and steered him in the direction of the stores they needed to go to. It was an experience in itself as Pyrrha showed that she did not go shopping that often on her own since her agents or her parents would handle the shopping as she could not leave the house without the paparazzi coming after her like piranhas. It took Jaune to show her the ropes without accidentally grabbing the most expensive item around, but after a couple of hours with a few close calls of people almost recognizing her in her disguise, they managed to grab what they needed.
"Phew, that was a hassle to get past that group." Jaune lowered his bag of goods and stretched his arms out.
"I'm sorry." Pyrrha bowed her head with a frown.
"It is fine, Pyrrha. It is not your fault that some people do not have the decency to respect personal space." Jaune assured the young woman. Truth be told, that last store they went to tested Jaune's patience as there was a group of guys who saw Pyrrha and tried to chat her up with one being very pushy. It took Jaune and the store owner to get them moving, but that particular fellow nearly blew Pyrrha's cover when he grabbed her scarf. He almost decked the guy if not for Pyrrha putting a hand on his arm to stop him.
"If you say so." Pyrrha tried to smile but managed a grimace. Jaune looked about for something to cheer her up and found his answer in the form of an ice-cream van that was open.
"It will be fine, and it will get better when I get you some ice-cream. Wait here." Jaune gave a thumbs up and made his way to the van, mentally considering his wallet for the amount of chocolate he will need to cheer his partner up with. He was getting closer when he had to stop and blink at the scene before him; in front of the ice-cream van, there was a petite young girl that was perhaps a little taller than Ruby in height with multicoloured hair pouting at the server. She wore a white cropped wide, broad tailed jacket with a pink interior, collar, a single pink button and large pink cuffs alongside two gloves. Two dark belts with grey buckles held the brown pants that appeared to be painted on to her legs given how tightly they were hugging them, followed by a pair of black and white spat styled under the knee boots. When she stomped her leg in frustration, Jaune noticed a brown corset under her jacket, curved in the middle and at the bottom, exposing her rather nice hips. She also had on her a multitude of black beaded necklaces, which hang haphazardly around her neck.
Jaune watched the girl keep pointing to her hair of three shades and making a 'two' sign at the man, who just shook his head at her attempts to speak. With how frustrated she looked, Jaune thought she needed help, and depending on his mood, he could use an ice cream.
"Hi there, is there a problem?" Jaune greeted the ice cream vendor while looking briefly at the young girl.
"I think she can't talk. I'm trying to get what she wants but she just keeps pointing to her hair." The man apologised.
"Maybe she's trying to tell you the flavour she wants based on her hair colour?" The girl pointed at Jaune with a 'he got it!' look in her eyes before she pointed at her hair. Jaune had spent enough time with his sisters in charades to gather what she wanted. "Three colours, or perhaps three flavours?" Once again the girl pointed at Jaune. "I see. Either three ice cream flavours or an ice cream with three flavours at once?" She nodded enthusiastically while using two fingers. "Do you have any three-flavoured ice-cream, mister?"
The server scratched what little hair he had on his head. "The only one I have is neapolitan ice cream." That got a reaction as the girl jumped while pointing at him. "Oh so that was what you wanted? Okay then, as an apology for being so silly, allow me to give you extra big servings." The server went to grab the tub of ice cream and set about giving the girl particularly big scoops in an equally big cup for her to eat. Jaune had to chuckle with how happy she looked when presented with the sweet treat. "Anything for you, young man? I can give you a discount for helping us out."
"Well, if you are offering, my friends could use some cold treats." Jaune waved to the others before looking at the menu for his options. "Think I will take the classics, vanilla and chocolate." The man nodded and went to prepare his order while the others came along. "Is that nice?" Jaune asked the mute girl enjoying her cold treat. The mute girl in question nodded before doing a gesture and pointing to him.
"You want to know my name?" Jaune asked to confirm as his sign language was a little rusty. The girl nodded in confirmation. "My name is Jaune Arc, a student from Beacon. May I know yours?" The girl smiled before pointing at her cold treat.
"I am guessing your actual name is not ice cream?" The girl smacked his arm while pouting.
"Just joking, Miss. So … Neapolitan?" Jaune guessed, and the girl made an 'almost sign´, then a 'cut' sign. "Part of it?" She nodded, and then mouthed an 'o'. "Ending in 'o'… Neo?" The girl jumped in happiness and made a small curtsy which Jaune mentally compared to his sister. "Nice to meet you, Neo. This is my team from Beacon, and here is my partner Pyrrha." Neo blinked as she eyed Pyrrha, and then something clicked in her head as she started pointing at the champion and at a big outdoor sign where the Spartan face was splattered, promoting some type of diet product. Her shocked stare made clear to the redhead what she meant.
"Yes, I am 'that' Pyrrha Nikos. Nice to meet you, Neo." It was kind of amusing to see so many expressions made by the small girl as she gaped at the young woman with her arms slack and only snapping out of it when her cold treat almost met the floor.
"These are my teammates, Ren and Nora." Jaune continued to introduce the other two, Ren being the one to greet before rushing to stop Nora trying to order every flavour there was much to the amusement of the store owner. Neo looked to the excitable teen before looking at Jaune and pointing at her ice cream before raising a hand above her head while vibrating slightly. "Yes. We need to control her sugar intake." Jaune sighed while Neo placed a hand to her mouth and gave a silent giggle.
"Here you go, there will be 26 Lien, and as promised, at a discount." The man told Jaune who paid the amount upfront, thankful that the man was willing to spurge on the ice cream as Pyrrha was taking in a big scoop of chocolate to cheer herself up. A small beeping sound drew everyone's attention to Neo who looked at her scroll and pouted at it. She looked at Jaune and made a gesture like a person walking.
"You are late for an appointment?" Neo nodded rather despondently. "Well, perhaps we will meet again in the near future, huh?" Neo looked at them and tilted her head before nodding. She then perked up like an idea hit her and pointed at her scroll, specifically the camera.
"You want to take photos?" Neo nodded while putting her hands together and giving a very good example of puppy dog eyes.
"Sure!" Nora took over at that point with wide bright eyes. "We can have individual photos and group photos! Come on, Renny!" She grabbed Ren and got themselves rather for a photo shoot, which Neo obliged by taking a quick shot with herself included. After that, she looked to Jaune and Pyrrha.
"Shall we?" Jaune looked at his partner who gave a shrug. He took that as a yes and stood next to her while Neo positioned herself to get the shot. After a few more with a final group shot with help from an amused ice cream vendor, Neo clapped her hands at the photos and mimed topping her hat off.
"Hope you like the photos." Jaune got his answer with Neo jumping forward and giving him a very tight hug before letting go and skipping away.
"Nice girl." Jaune hummed before they moved on.
"Oh dear, Pyrrha needs to exert herself before Jaune gets more attention." Nora pumped her fist while looking at the spartan.
"Nora!" Pyrrha blushed red and hid her face while Ren gave a wry smile.
Huh? What did they mean by that?
Scene 3
Neo lightly skipped about the road leading to one of the bigger warehouses in the west district of Vale, the area that was considered something of a rough area for the gangs that lived there. They were not your typical street gangs, these were the hardened fighters who dealt with the underground of Vale and the ones who had to deal with their counterparts from Mistral. That, to a third party, sounded like the type of people that someone of her size and looks should avoid at all costs, but in actuality, she was the real danger in these areas, and the gang members had learned the hard way not to underestimate her.
The girl cheerfully walked through the side door of the warehouse and waltzed past some crates and Faunus wearing white masks to go to the staircase that led to an office overlooking what was a major operation being prepared. Inside said office, a certain well-dressed criminal was looking at some maps on the table and looked up when she entered through the door.
"Hey there, you took your time coming back." Roman Torchwick swung his cane while letting out a string of smoke from his mouth. "Was there a long queue?" Neo placed a finger to her chin before giving a so-so gesture and then a hand gesture that he understood. "You met someone?" She nodded and pulled out her phone to unlock it and show him the picture she took earlier.
"Kid looks like he needs some food in him, he has noodle arms." Roman looked closer before raising an eyebrow. "Well, would you look at that? You have a celebrity with you. That's the kid who is partnered with the Cereal Girl, right? The one who kicked Winchester's brat to the curb?" Neo nodded again.
"What can you tell me about him?" Roman waited patiently as she did a mix of hand gestures and her phone texting to convey her message. The answer he got though made him blink.
"You believe the kid has blooded himself?" Roman asked while referring to the old huntsman ritual where two fighters had to fight one another and draw blood from one another. "You are referring to another incident outside of the Winchester losing his arms, aren't you? Seriously, this kid?" Neo gave a silent giggle at that but nodded her agreement, "Okay, if you are sure?" Roman hummed thoughtfully while Neo continued with her ice-cream. "Anything else I need to know? I am going to need to pull that big job with those animals in the coming week, and I do not want any surprises from brats anytime soon." Neo paused while tilting her head before typing out her answer.
"The kid might know Red?" Rome took a long pull of his cigar and let the smoke slowly. "Well then, hopefully my luck holds and we do not have her on my ass. But then again, my ass is still getting wracks from Miss 'Hot and Brimstone' coming for updates." Neo then shifted to a concerned expression at those words.
"Don't worry, Neo. She is just being a hardass." Roman correctly interpreted her expression. "You do not need to come to this operation. We can't stop her from knowing about your existence since she walked into our hideout, but we cannot let her know about your semblance. Based on what I had gathered on Miss Spinach Top, her semblance works a little like yours in regards to the senses, but yours is definitely superior in application, and I am not going into the other abilities that your semblance has." Roman placed a hand on her head. "You are our ace in the hole and the ticket out when this whole city goes to the hell basket, best to keep your head low, okay?" The young woman merely looked down at that.
"Okay, that is enough serious stuff. Know what we need? A night's out at Juniors, and then a little trip to the Meyser District for some money shopping!" Roman clapped his hands together while looking out of the window. "Might as well give our buddies here a break while we do our favourite routine." Neo looked up and smiled dangerously as Roman went to the speaker and barked out some orders to the Faunus below. They could use the distraction before running the job at the docks. Neo finished off her cold treat and followed her partner into the night with one blond boy in her head.
Wonder if she would run into that cutie sometime in the future?
===== Author's Notes =====
Hi all, apologies for the long wait. In my defence, I have been dealing with job changes and a recent bout of Covid that came from nowhere and forced me to be in confinement for a while. I have recently recovered which is good but I am still having some linger effects and this is messing up my work life and relaxation. I am also having to watch some of the older episodes again to get a rough idea of how to get the story going, so please bear with me.
Hope you all stay safe out there in this crazy world of ours.
And I put my pen down for now.