Greywing44: Blood destruction!? And this is gonna be a review for this chapter and the one before it. I've recently gotten into No Game No life! Never thought I'd like an anime like that but damn it goes deep! I didjg know how they managed to make calculating look awesome but they did. Does that mean there are other techniques like Blood Destruction out there? And can Blake's senses be honed to where she can tell if someone's lying like the warbeasts?
As for the second chapter, it was a lot shorter and BLAIR! It's hard to tell if Vince is being oblivious or just doesn't care that she can turn into a woman. Does that mean that Blair is a cat with a semblance that can turn her human? Can animals even USE aura or would it just be a rare occurrence?
I also imagined Vincent as the godfather at that last scene.
Re: I remembered that ability from No Game No Life, and thought that since Jack can already use Aura to replicate certain [Branch of Sin] from Deadman Wonderland (by channeling his Aura into his Blood as a medium), why not throw this in, give Arthur an "ace in the hole" if his life's in danger? Faunus by-and-large are comparable to "demi-humans" in other series like Fire Emblem, Utawarerumono, and so-on where there's a clear divide between "Humans" and "Non-Humans"; in the "Slayerverse", Faunus "stats" are scaled-up and their abilities aren't largely cosmetic outside the whole "night vision" thing that we find in RWBY. In short, in my Headcanon at least, Faunus are "functionally superior" to Humans, but Humans have the raw numbers to make up for that difference.
As for whether or not he knows… I could be coy about this and pretend that he does, but no, he doesn't know that Blair "the cat" can turn into a woman. Pyrrha knows or at least suspects it was something other than a stress-induced hallucination, but Blair won't let her off that easy~
And technically Blair's base form IS "just a cat", she just has so-much magical power she can TURN into a sexy lady. And yes, in RWBY Canon, Animals can use Aura; how else did Zwei survive his tag-team "Flaming Golfball Attack" with Dr. Oobleck?
That was the intent of him petting Blair like that, yes. Only error was the coloration of the lap-cat's fur, and that he wasn't an Italian mob boss with a mustache, but that's not overly important in the grand scheme of things.
RandommDude: And cat-girl from soul eater appears out of nowhere, could she be the infamous Shrodinger cat?!
Am glad you were able to keep the chapter interesting despite the lack of action, I usually stop reading a chapter from how bland they can be once it's clear nothing of note will be happening. cue Naruto fillers flashback.
Though I guess world-building did happen, nice going by the way, it sounded like an actual conversation instead of a guy spilling non-stop facts to the reader.
Re: No. Schrodinger's Cat is a thought experiment. There wasn't any actual cat put in a box with a radioactive isotope, hence the box could not be opened to cause a Wave Function Collapse. Contextually, Blair's name is an allusion to the movie The Blair Witch Project, a United States found-footage film about three student filmmaker who attempt to locate evidence of the existence of a witch known as "Blair Witch", a famous local legend.
I'm happy for the compliment. It can't be action ALL the time or the characters in-story and the readers IRL would get burned out. Dialogue and Character Growth are all important so it doesn't become "Battle Porn"; or something. As for "Filler", it only counts as filler if it has "no bearing" on the story overall, which mine tends not to. If I write out a chapter, it'll either help develop the growth of a character, or act as the lead-in for something later on down the road. Like that episode with Amber Creek and the "World of Remnant: Airships" bit, but as more of a narrative than a lecture. In this case, I've been building up to Jaune's secret getting outsted for a long time, because in the Canon, the only ones that knew Jaune's secret were Pyrrha and Cardin, and one of them literally took that secret to her grave, and since Jaune's character growth is hindered by the preconception that he's on "the same level" as everyone else, the sub-plot about the spiteful sister and the stolen family heirloom let me world-build around Jaune and the Arc Family in a more-satisfying manner.
And yeah, the way I see it, having JUST a wall around Vale would be boring, and also ineffective. I get very strong Attack on Titan vibes, hence why people can walk on the walls, there are turrets, and a secondary Field Barrier like in RWBY Volume 6.
Blaze1992: I have no idea how to comment on this so yeah at least nora had fun.
There's actually two more movies 5 & 6 and sometime back was a tv show, 5 had Burt traveling to Africa where the graboids are twice as big have razor sharp teeth and their tongues can now detach to chase after prey. Oh and he has to use s**ty guns to kill them cause of custom laws.
Number 6 has him facing them in the artic where some idiot thought it would be a good idea to weaponize them.
Re: It can't be "all action, all the time".
I've gotten caught up on that, so they might make an appearance in-story if the demand's high-enough. Still not sure if they should be Organic, Grimm, or both.
Technically, the DARPA guy was only interested in a new Freshwater Source in Canada, not the Graboids. He wanted to put a neuro-controller on it to make it a bunker buster, but an RC plane with explosives took care of that issue after the gang managed to catch a live one, and he only broached the topic because the opportunity presented itself. Since they were on Canadian soil, DARPA didn't really have any legal right to claim it.
LoamyCoffee: All righty, I've caught up on this story and the previous volume. I absolutely love the crossovers that happen and altogether craziness. Characters feel so real to me emotionally... so real sadly that despite Jaune being the whipping boy that I laugh at, and my enjoyment of the Ren and Nora of this world... that you have cemented my feelings towards certain characters. Why? Because while I laugh at Jaune in this while he suffers, I honestly don't like him for his actions and I wouldn't want to have any connection to the sister he took the sword from. You've proven that you can make me so invested that a major emotional response is invoked. As of Vol 7 of canon, I hate our green ninja due to his behavior toward Nora and just because he has valid reasons for it, doesn't mean I have to like it. Which also makes me wish that your Ren was the canon one.
You've also cemented that Nora, The Pankeki Joō... is undisputedly my favorite member of JNPR.
Looking forward to what's next.
Re: Well, overall I'm quite flattered. I always enjoy hearing how readers are "invested" in my characters, and when the Fanon is preferred over the Canon, that's even better because when I create something different, I appreciate when that is appreciated. When people rag on me about "deviating from Canon"... Well, with the kind of site this is, you'll understand why those sorts of comments have me rubbing the bridge of my nose.
As for Volume 7... I'm a little iffy on it too, but part of the reason I started writing Giant-Slayer was to take RWBY in a different direction than the Canon; tap into untapped potential.
Anyway, I'm glad you enjoy my work, and I look forward to getting more well-thought-out Reviews from you in the future.
*NEW WORLD*
"Yowza! The offers keep pouring in!" Pyrrha heard Nora say as she entered the room, she and Jaune huddled around his Scroll, a counter on the right side of the screen showing a bid counter rising in $100 increments, a folder of images set into the left.
"Well, yeah, full collections of Silver Age comics don't come onto the market all that often," Jaune hummed as he kept his eye on the counter. "If I'd held onto them another few years I could've gotten more, but I can't exactly be without a weapon for 'years'."
"On that we both agree," Ren hummed from his bed, most of the vitriol bled out of his tone.
"Sooo… We were able to get some field experience today. What's the plan for the rest of the week?" Pyrrha asked.
"As soon as the money clears and I ship out the comics, I'm going to get a replacement weapon, and some new armor," Jaune answered. "After that, I'm going to train my ass off, and then we'll go on a mission for real."
"Sounds like a plan!" Nora whooped. "OH! Maybe you could get a grenade launcher. Really pull the look together."
"Aren't grenade launchers your thing?"
"You can never have 'too many' grenade launchers," Nora said brusquely as though Jaune had said something incredibly and irredeemably stupid.
Which, for her pancake-and-syrup-addled mind, it may as well have been.
*NEW WORLD*
The hours ticking by, as time went on and the winning bid got higher, the spacing between each successive bid began to grow longer and longer. Once the bidding hit the five-figure digits, instead of even increases of $100, the successive bids that followed were irregular in number; likely collectors putting in their final bids before it got too rich for their blood.
Nora was more-excited than even Jaune was for all the money that was pouring in, but swiftly got bored of it, forcing Ren to play the role of babysitter, leaving Pyrrha and Jaune to their own devices.
Jaune on the other hand remained deeply contemplative. He'd already boxed up his prized comics, committed to selling them off to invest in his future. He'd caught a lucky break the first time around, though stealing the family heirloom definitely didn't do him any favors in the long run, and between the second-hand armor set he'd purchased and the forged documents, his coffers had been dry for a long time. So, while the sudden influx of capital was tempting to be abused for more… interpersonal purchases *cough* Weiss *cough*, he had to harden his resolve and do the right thing for a change.
In a way, it felt kind of good. Like he were making real progress instead of just… spinning his wheels.
"Penny for your thoughts?" Pyrrha offered, the sun setting in the distance.
"Just… making a decision about something."
"Oh? Care to share?"
"Yeah… Once I get my new armor and weapon… I think I'll hold off on getting the family crest embossed."
"Really? Why?"
"I… I just don't feel like I've… earned the right, you know? I stole the family heirloom, got into Beacon on forged documents… The rest of my family worked super-hard to get where they got, or to get as good at what they're good at as they are, so even if they don't say so to my face, I'm pretty sure I embarrassed the family a great deal once word got back home…" Jaune said morosely. "God knows Nickie was happy to hang out my dirty laundry."
"Well, you did steal the kickass sword meant for her…" Nora hummed thoughtfully. "Not that she didn't have a kickass weapon already. Did you see those attack drones? Your sister really knows how to make a girl nice and mois-"
"Nora! TMI!" Jaune yelped.
"Tch. Prude," the ginger pouted.
"Well… I'm glad you're bettering yourself," Pyrrha said to Jaune around the rather awkward tangent they'd just taken.
"Yeah…" Jaune sighed as he turned back to his screen. "All that's really left for me to do… is wait for the end of the deadline."
"Sometimes that's what the best things in life require," Pyrrha hummed as she pat him on the shoulder before getting up.
"Where are you going?"
"To the library. I'm going to work on an… extracurricular project," the red-head answered after a pause.
"Oh, well, alright then," Jaune nodded. "If you need me, I'll be… right here."
*NEW WORLD*
The sun setting well below the horizon, the dinner rush come and gone, Pyrrha returned to her place in the Great Library, a myriad of cooking books propped up before her, her Scroll off too the side, which she tapped on in odd increments.
"Hmmm…" Pyrrha hummed as she studied another Italian recipe, glancing down at her Scroll before turning back to her work.
"What you readin'?" a catty voice asked.
"Just a cookbook or two. Can't eat out all the time. Italian was always my favorite, though I'm not sure where to go after that."
"Well, if you ever want to learn Asian, Odd-Eyes has a knack for that."
"I'll be sure to keep that in mind…" she hummed half-attentively. 'Wait, 'Odd-Eyes'?' Pyrrha gawped, flattening the book on the table to see a familiar purple-haired cat sitting across from her on the table, tail swishing lazily behind her.
"Hello…? Is anyone there?" she asked glancing from side to side.
"I'm right here, doofus."
Pyrrha double-taking to the feline in front of her, the feline actually winked at her, a light cackle leaving her feline muzzle.
"And the last horse finally crosses the finish line~"
"Wha…? Bu…? How…?"
"The 'how' of it isn't really important," Blair said with a wave of her paw. "As for the 'why'…" she trailed off with a catty smirk. "They will never believe you~"
That infuriatingly-cryptic message delivered, Blair hopped off the table and ambled toward the door, Pyrrha left gawping like a fish out of water before hastily digging her nose back into her book.
"It has to be stress-related. It just has to. Cats don't talk!"
"SHHHHH!" a nearby librarian shushed.
"Sorr- I mean. Sorry," the red-head squeaked back.
*NEW WORLD*
"Pyrrha, you're back," Jaune hummed from his bed as Pyrrha came back into the room. "Are you alright? You look a little rattled."
"I… um… Never mind. It's nothing," Pyrrha said waving the 'talking animal nonsense' off. "I see the others are asleep," she said noticing the dimmed lights and the two conked-out teens; Ren ever the picture of silent dignity, while Nora was snoring like gravel in a lawn mower with her tummy exposed.
"Yeah. They clocked out a bit ago," Jaune hummed, eyes still on his screen. "Auction's almost over."
"Oh? How's it going?" Pyrrha asked, stepping out of sight to change.
"Very well, actually. Seems there's a bit of a bidding war between a… Gonna'Collect'Em'All and a Big_Red_183," Jaune answered. "They're both largely anonymous, but the money's still clearing."
"Oh. That's good to hear," Pyrrha said stepping out in her own jammies, walking across to the bathroom and brushing her teeth. "Shooo… Hoo du yu shink wull win?" she asked around her toothbrush.
"Don't know. It could go either way. I think right now they're trying to feel one another out," Jaune said looking at the money counter, the winning bid in Big_Red_183's favor being a little over $70K. "You know, I've seen old stuff sell for this kind of green on TV, but to have my stuff selling for this much… It's a real shock, I tell you what."
"What're you going to do with the leftovers?" Pyrrha asked, tucking herself in.
"Put it in savings. A nest egg for a rainy day," Jaune answered. "Although… I heard Jack invested some money into a night club and is still getting returns on it, so should I ask for his advice?"
"He actually broached me for the same thing," Pyrrha hummed, Jaune's eyes widening a bit. "A dance club over at the edge of the Industrial District."
"Really? A night club, huh…? Yeah, maybe I could swing a little money that way…" Jaune contemplated. "Although… I have two left feet…" he lamented.
"Oh, well, maybe I could teach you."
"Really?" Jaune squealed giddily.
"Really, really," Pyrrha returned.
"Get a room you two…" Nora groaned.
"Sorry," the two of them returned.
*NEW WORLD*
"Threee… Twooo… One… Zero," Jaune hummed a little while later, his eyes drooping drowsily.
"Hey *yawn* Jaune…? Why'd you set the deadline so late…?" Pyrrha asked blinking sleepily at the wall clock on the opposite wall.
"Had to… give people in… other time zones… a fair shot…" Jaune hummed tiredly. "Oh look… A Beacon PO Box… That'll be easy," he sighed.
"Oh! Sooo… Are you just going to deliver it in-person?" Pyrrha asked awkwardly.
"Nah. Not really allowed. I'm not a licensed mail carrier, so a direct hand-off would be a felony… I think."
After the last batch of federal laws he broke, it didn't hurt to be cautious.
"Oh…" Pyrrha yawned awkwardly. "Good."
"Hm?"
"Good night! That's… totally what I meant to say…" Pyrrha said awkwardly, rolling over to face away from him.
*NEW WORLD*
*FWEEEEEEEEET!*
"AUUUGH!"
*Thud!*
"Rise and shine, sleepy bum!" Nora whooped the following morning, a coach's whistle dangling from around her neck.
"Ugh… Do you and Ruby shop at the same stores or what?" the blond groaned.
"I like to dabble~" Nora hummed mirthfully with a cat-like grin on her face that raised Pyrrha's hackles. "Anyway, your auction's over, right? Well how 'bout we go shopping after breakfast?"
*NEW WORLD*
"Wait, you got HOW much money?!" Nora gawped, pancake crumbs flying everywhere.
"SHHHH!" Jaune hissed when the breakfast-goers' eyes were drawn to them. "Are you trying to get me robbed?"
"Sorry."
"Its fine, just keep the volume down…" Jaune muttered.
"So I take it last night's auction went well," Ren hummed.
"And then some!" Jaune gawped. "At the last minute, Big_Red_183 totally eclipsed the other guy's bet! I am swimmin' in moolah!"
"Just don't let that money burn a hole in your pocket. You wouldn't want to drop it," Pyrrha giggled.
"Booo! Dad joke," Nora heckled, causing Pyrrha to puff out her cheeks.
"I don't need this," she huffed, getting up from her seat.
"Hey, wait! I didn't mean anything by it!"
"It isn't all on you. I just have an errand to run. That's all," Pyrrha pouted, walking away.
"She's been going off on her owna lot lately," Jaune hummed.
"She does have a life outside the team, you know," Ren said plainly.
"Yeah! Like maybe posing for another cereal box!" Nora whooped. "I wonder if she gets free samples."
"You could always ask her," Ren sighed as he ate his own meal.
*NEW WORLD*
*Knock, knock, knock-knock, knock*
"Yes?" Vincent asked stepping out of his room, greeted by the sight of a tall red-haired girl in a fedora and trench coat, collar drawn up and brim pulled down.
"You got the stuff?" the mystery woman asked cautiously.
"Pyrrha. Why're you dressed like that?" the odd-eyed teen asked with a confused tilt, Pyrrha's shoulders hitching. "You can just come into my room. No need to make it look like some big conspiracy."
" . . . Right," Pyrrha nodded with a flush, draping her coat over her shoulder before stepping into the room. "So… Did you get it?"
"Yep, picked it up from the Beacon post office this morning," the RA said gesturing to a set of boxes in the center of the room. "But still, why not buy it all from him directly?" he asked, having heard the story when she'd asked him to help her.
"Because if I did, Jaune might feel like it was just a hand-out and refuse to accept my money," Pyrrha answered.
" . . . Okay, that makes sense," he shrugged after a moment.
"Wait, really? That's as far as you'll go?"
"I don't see any reason why you'd lie to me, soooo… Yeah, pretty much."
"Oh… Okay then…" Pyrrha hummed, setting the comic down. "You uh… You mind if I keep the collection here? I'm afraid if I take it back to our dorm…"
"Say no more, you can hide it in the closet," Vincent returned with a smile.
"Wow, that is… really helpful."
"Well, what can I say? 'Helpful' is my job."
"Thank you. I appreciate it," Pyrrha said with a bow.
"Any time. Now, you wanna read some of your spoils?"
"Of course. I always did want to read X-Ray & Vav Issue #1, but I always wanted to use the real thing. There's just something so… cathartic to having real paper in your hands instead of a digital scan," she said drawing out the first issue, a pair of cloth gloves in her pocket for just that occasion.
"I get what you're saying," Vincent hummed. "I like the feel of paper between my fingertips too," he hummed with a light novel in hand.
"Thank you again for this," Pyrrha said with a bow. "You're a really nice person too."
"So I'm told," Vincent replied with a smile, a *Mew~* from the window drawing his attention. "Oh hey there, Blair. Where've you been off to this morning?"
'Probably giving more unsuspecting kids aneurysms. Making them question the laws of nature. Things like that,' Pyrrha though scowling crossly at the lippy cat, who languished under Vincent's ministrations as he scratched her chin.
*NEW WORLD*
Pyrrha reuniting with the rest of her team shortly after they'd returned from breakfast, with a campus map in hand, Jaune led his team to the edge of campus to a massive brick and steel-hewn building.
Sprouting upward from the rear of the complex were a trio of large smokestacks belching up hot air and cinders, the whole place smelling of metal, the sound of hammer on steel echoing from within. Students from the Hunter Course, Border Patrol, and others filed in and out, the place seeing steady business. Above the door on a large circular dark-gray plaque was a symbol spray-painted on with stencil; a nine-toothed gear split into thirds with a circular disk in the middle, a stylized S formed from the logo's negative space, the whole thing colored dark orange.
In short, the symbol of the Ironclad Guild, a metalworking guild predating the Great War that had kept with the times and grown into one of the most-influential R&D groups in all of Remnant. Swords, guns, shields, armor, reinforced bunkers, prefab buildings, metal alloys. If it could be made from metal, the Ironclad Guild had a hand in it.
"So you're going brand-name?" Nora asked staring up at the impressive building before them, her eyes trailing after a student who walked out the doors with a Rocket Pod/War Hammer combo, and then to another clad in enough armor to outfit an APC.
"That's right," Jaune nodded with a nervous gulp. "If I'm going to live long-enough to graduate, I can't go out there with just any suit of armor. I'm going to need to be a walking bunker that busts the bunker-buster that life is going to use to tear me a superfluous new… you know," he trailed off nervously.
"Well, you know what they say. If you have to ask how much it costs, you can't afford it," Ren hummed.
"I'll make sure to get a quote," Jaune said with raised hands.
"And… the reason you're wearing your armor now?" Pyrrha questioned, gesturing to his attire.
"I want them to take me seriously as a potential customer… and maybe get some trade-in for my old plate set," Jaune answered bashfully.
"Well, what're you waiting for? Get in there!" Nora said giving the blond a shove, arms flailing as he stumbled up the stairs and through the double-doors, entering into a large open space with a long counter, each station manned by strong-looking men and women who looked like they could bend steel with their bare hands.
The loud *BAM* drawing everyone's eyes from both sides of the counter towards him, Jaune glanced nervously from side to side looking the part of the fool with his low stance, wide footing, and arms spread out to the sides.
"Oh! Um… Hi there," Jaune said nervously. "I'm uh… just here for some new armor."
After a few seconds, everyone turned their backs on him, returning to what they were doing.
Jaune, letting out a sigh, whirled around to glare at Nora, the ginger girl looking off to the side and whistling innocently. A sigh of tiredness leaving his lips a moment later, Jaune looked at the signs above each station, seeing symbols for firearms, melee weapons, armor, and buildings above them. Glad that he wouldn't get in the wrong line by mistake, Jaune got into the shortest line for one of the armor booths, and waited.
*NEW WORLD*
"Next!" the man behind the counter said a while later.
"That's you! You're up!"
"Yeah, I know that," Jaune hissed Nora's way before stepping up, the rest of his team behind him at a respectable distance. "Um… Hi."
"You here for an armor set or what?" the man asked brusquely. Clad in a coverall and looking like he'd just rotated out from the forges in the back, the man's right hand had the Ironclad Guild's symbol tattooed onto it in black, his coal-colored hair buzzed short, tan lines from metalworker's goggles surrounding his eyes, the tips of his Chevron mustache singed. The nametag clipped to his left pocket read Irons.
"Y-Yes, that's why I got in this line," Jaune squeaked toward the large muscular man before him.
"Ah. Good. Most first-timers don't even notice the signs," Mr. Irons said as his demeanor brightened. "So!" he said clapping his hands and sitting up. "How can the Ironclad Guild help you today?"
"Well, kind of obvious, but I need a replacement suit of armor."
"And… are you sure you're good for it?" the man questioned with a raised brow. "We don't pump out cheap shit like you'll find on the civilian market. We deal in real armor, that can handle real damage, and that kind of craftsmanship costs real money."
"I sold all my Silver Age X-Ray & Vav comics and came into a good deal of money," Jaune said squaring his shoulders. "Trust me, I'm good for it."
" . . . Well that's a new one. Haven't heard that story before," Mr. Irons blinked after a moment. "Alright, hand over your Student ID."
Jaune, handing over his Scroll, watched the man put the end into a recessed slot off to the left before going to a computer terminal on his right-hand side. After a few keystrokes, the man blinked a few times before turning to him.
"You… do know there's a certain… reputation attached to you."
"Yes, I know. I stole the family heirloom, I forged documents, I got into Beacon by the skin of someone else's teeth, and for whatever reason Ozpin let me stay even after I ousted myself in front of all my friends," Jaune sighed tiredly. "Is that going to be a problem?"
"Only if you mind paying Tolerance Fees."
"Tolerance fees?" Pyrrha asked with a quirked brow.
The man behind the counter letting out a breath through his nose, turned to Jaune with a withering gaze.
"Back in the old days, back when royal courts were still a thing, the Ironclad Guild had to sell our work to whatever inbred noble brat came through our doors," Mr. Irons said jerking a finger at the very same doors they'd entered. "They'd go out into the woods on their purebred horses with all their other inbred friends, they'd poke the Ursa or Beowolf or whatever to impress their friends, and they'd get killed. Not only did the royals blame us for their brats dying, but when Geists got into the dead bodies and made them walk around again, those Revenants and Spartoit were protected by our iron, our steel. So with all that in mind, you'll understand why nowadays, we're rather wary of selling our wares to unqualified individuals like yourself."
"Yeah, well, that's why I'm here. To buy a good suit of armor so I live long-enough to grow out of being an 'unqualified individual'," Jaune stated through his teeth. "I'm nowhere near as good as my friends. I'm the bottom of the ladder; I know it, you know it, all of them know it," he said pointing to the patrons in the other lines who were watching the scene that was unfolding. "I sold my most-cherished possessions in the world so I could be here today and ask for your help, so please, please trust I have no intention of dying and letting the Ironclad Guild's work go to waste. Please…"
" . . . "
A long silence extending between them, Ren drummed his fingers on his arm, Nora stared wide-eyed, and Pyrrha held her breath as Jaune and the man behind the counter stared one another down.
Eventually, the silence is broken.
"You should know, this is a highly irregular case," Mr. Irons said going back to his monitor. "For whatever reason, Ozpin's made you one of his little pet projects. He does this every few years, you know; he picks out the diamond in the rough, brings them here to Beacon. He pays their tuition and puts artists, scientists, doctors, chefs, all kinds through school. One thing they all had in common, they were prodigies or prodigies-in-the-making who would never get above their station without a little help. You… you're no prodigy, but you come from a warrior bloodline extending all the way back to before the Great War, so you'll understand me when I say, that if Ozpin sees fit to trust you, I… we, will trust you, but only because he trusts you," he said gesturing to the other members of the Ironclad Guild around him. "So you… You have to live up to Ozpin's expectations. You have to prove that his faith in you won't be misplaced. Do you understand?"
"I do," Jaune nodded strongly. "I'm ready to grow up. No more messing around. No more trying to escape from my past. No more relying on other people to pull my ass out of the fire. I'm ready to make good on the faith Ozpin put in me, but I can't do that with a second-hand suit of armor and no weapon."
" . . . Alright then. We can begin," the man said with a nod. "Of course, you will have to get in another line if you want a weapon."
"Well, I was hoping since I wanted a sword and shield, I'd be able to get them all at the same time."
" . . . Since you're buying a full armor set, I guess there's a little wiggle room," the man shrugged after a moment. "Your financials cleared, and I have orders from on high, so if you want Ironclad Guild armor and weapons, that's what you're going to get."
"Thank you."
"We'll see if you can tell me that after the bill comes due," Mr. Irons said with a chuckle as he pulled up a hologram screen between them. "Alright, listen up, because this is important. The Ironclad Guild takes two ranking systems into consideration when we screen people for firearms, weapons, and armor. The first is a color-based system that denotes longevity and work history. From top down the rankings are Platinum, Gold, Silver, Bronze, Ruby, Emerald, and Sapphire," he explained as seven bars of those colors and words appeared on the screen. "Right now the only Platinum-Ranked Huntsmen in this system are Ozpin up in his tower, and the other Hunter Academy Headmasters scattered across the world. There are people out in the Frontier who would contextually rank as Platinum, like old hermits on mountaintops who can split small islands in half like tiles, but that's in name-only since they aren't registered in the system," he waved off before getting back to the topic at hand. "The strongest instructors at Beacon are all Gold-Rank, but that's a pretty broad spectrum since this system denotes longevity, not strength. The rest of the rankings follow in levels of field experience or how long they've been alive to accumulate knowledge. Normally, Hunter Academy students would fall into the Sapphire rank at the absolute minimum because they have previous combat experience, ranging from formal training in school to real-life experience out on the Frontier. You on the other hand-"
"Don't even fall into that ranking system. I figured."
"Don't interrupt me. The second ranking system is letter-based and denotes strength. Top to bottom the ranks are S, A, B, C, and D. Unlike the previous color-based system which promotes geometrically, the letter-based strength oriented system promotes logarithmically. D-Rank have '1x Strength' while the unofficial 'E-Rank' reserved for civilian and non-combatants have '0 Strength'. In order to elevate to C-Rank, you have to be proven to be two times as strong as a D-Rank. To elevate to B-Rank you have to be four times as strong as a C, A-Rank have to be eight times as strong as a B, and S-Rank have to be sixteen times as strong as an A," he explained as a new graphic appeared on the screen between them.
S = 16x (A)
A = 8x (B)
B = 4x (C)
C = 2x (D)
D = 1x
"A Huntsman of S-Rank strength hasn't been seen in generations, the last one being the 'Warrior King' of Vale who ended the Great War by kowtowing the other Kings into submission. Ozpin could be that strong, but since he hasn't taken to the field in ages, no-one knows if he is or even was that powerful once upon a time," Mr. Irons hummed. "The previous color-based system and this letter-based system are both used to appraise the skill level of Hunters, but are wholly independent of one another, because while you could be a D-Rank Huntsman in terms of raw power, your cumulative experience and technical skill that you have to offer the next generation, could put you on par with a Gold-Ranked Huntsman."
"And why are you telling me this?" Jaune asked, feeling like he were getting a dressing-down.
"So that way you know how the hierarchy works. What the actual rungs of the ladder you have to climb look like," the man answered. "Normally, the ranking you have in each system would dictate what we would sell you. For example, Gold-Rank Hunters can buy Gold-Rank gear freely, but in order to buy Gold-Rank gear as a Silver-Rank, you'd need a written letter of endorsement from a non-related Gold-Rank Hunter. The same general rule applies for Silver and Bronze Rank, with such restrictions being lifted for the Ruby, Emerald, and Sapphire ranks, though a certain amount of credibility is still required before purchase. The reason we do this is so that high-powered weapons and armor remain available to whatever persons can best make use of them. The Council doesn't have any say in how the Ironclad Guild screents its clients, so if their kids want top-of-the-line gear, they have to earn it, or buy elsewhere. In your case it's different. Since you don't even meet the requirements to qualify as Sapphire Rank and your strength is just barely that of a D-Ranker, normally the most you could buy from us would be our second-hand or bargain-bin gear. However, Ozpin pulled some strings and pleaded your case, so I hope you'll understand the gravity of the boon you're being given."
"Boon? Who says words like 'boon' anymore?" Nora questioned.
"Shhh!" Pyrrha hissed.
"Okay… I'm following you so far…" Jaune hummed. "That being said, I don't have any point of reference, so I don't really know what any of this means other than 'teachers are Gold-Rank, headmasters are Platinum, end of story'."
"Hmmm… Yes, I suppose a little context would be prudent," the man hummed, drumming his fingers. "Alright, you're friends with Jack Braxton, right? Ratel Faunus, getting a reputation for himself around here as a real heavy-hitter."
"Friend would be pushing it…" Jaune trailed off.
"Well, that guy's been doing missions since he was a teenager from what the records say," he said glancing at his screen. "Bounty Hunter, Sweeper, Bishokuya, Mercenary. This kid's been around the block a few times so he's easily Silver-Rank in terms of 'experience'. Probably why he mops the floor with so many of you whenever you all fight. 'Course, since he hasn't gotten a formal education, the Hunter Union only recognizes his ranking as 'Low Silver' until on-record mission history dictates otherwise."
"And on the other system?" Jaune asked poignantly.
"Hard to say. When we talk 'power' in that ranking system, what we're really talking 'stopping power', and since this is school where the act of murder is highly frowned upon… Hard to say to be honest. There's a lot of gaps in Jack's records since full disclosure isn't really required for those with a non-formal upbringing," Mr. Irons returned with a shrug. "Since the whole thing's a bit of a spectrum… Mind you, we aren't talking whether or not he can bench a bus, we're talking things like, proficiency with a weapon, proficiency without a weapon, competence, general ability, yada yada yada."
"Yeah, I get it. Jack's a prodigy among prodigies."
"Because he worked," the man cut in. "Which is what you're going to have to do if you don't want Ozpin to be proven wrong."
"I think he gets the point," Ren hummed aloud.
"Right, right, we've got a que and I can't hold the line up all day," the man answered as he went back to his keyboard, pulling up a catalogue. "You say you want a replacement suit of armor and that you've come into some money. What're you in the market for? Thanks to the strings Ozpin pulled, at the most you'll be able to purchase Silver-Rank gear, but Bronze is also good for first-time investors with privileges."
"Well, for starters I'm thinking plate armor. Not full plate, but enough to keep me from getting ripped to shreds the next time something with lots of teeth and claws comes at me. I'm also hoping for some chain armor underneath as well to cover the gaps," Jaune said as he went through the catalogue, isolating the Silver-Rank gear since survival was worth investing in.
"Any particular style?"
"Nothing fancy. Just something functional, not too bulky, and seeing as how I'm going to be out in the elements…"
"Corrosion-resistant coating. That'll be easy," the man hummed typing on his keyboard, narrowing the search. "That being said, you'll still have to take care of it. That means cleaning it and oiling it. 'Corrosion-resistant' doesn't automatically mean 'zero maintenance'. I can't begin to tell you the number of people who think that's what 'corrosion-resistant' implies."
"I'll keep that in mind," Jaune said as he cycled through armor components, selecting which shapes he liked.
"And your weapon?"
"Longsword and heater shield, same dimensions as the family heirloom if you have if. I won't nit-pick about the size, but if you could get me something close to the same size as what I had before, I'd appreciate it. If you can make the shield collapsible too, that'd also be good."
"Well, you'll be glad to know that when you registered your weapon, all pertinent measurements were taken, so I'm sure we'll have something you're comfortable with. Would you like the same coloration as you had before? Same emblem?"
"Ye… Um… Actually, no, I'll leave it all blank for now."
"You sure? Most that come in here with money to burn want to customize."
"I… I'll have the family crest put on… once I feel like I've earned the right to wear it," Jaune said after a pause.
" . . . Very well. Stock coloration it is," the man hummed aloud, typing everything in. "I assume you'll want to trade your old armor in? Any proceeds will be deducted from your final tab."
"Yeah, I'll trade it in. Kinda why I brought it," Jaune said as he began taking his armor components off and passing them across the counter. When the last of it came off, a snicker left Nora's lips, her hands going to her mouth and her eyes squinting with tears before-
"What is that?"
"What, my hoodie?" Jaune asked defensively, a few more titters from the other patrons rising among the crowd. "I've always had this."
Nora for her part tried to restrain herself, 'tried' being the operative word, but like so many others who resisted temptation, Nora just couldn't keep her mouth shut.
"It's got a cute little BUNNY RABBIT!"
"It's Pumpkin Pete! You know, from the cereal?" Jaune cried as Nora bust a gut, Pyrrha blushing off to the side.
"Hahahahahaha hwooo! What did you do! Send in a box top for a prize?"
"Yeah! Fifty!"
At the admission, Nora could only continue cackling like a madwoman, Jaune's shoulders slumping as he weathered the worst of it. After several seconds of gut-busting laughter, Nora fell flat on her back, legs kicking up into the air as she continued to laugh until she eventually petered out.
"Ya done yet?"
"HA…! Yeah okay, I'm done."
"Good. Because this whole debacle wasn't already soul-crushing enough as it is," Jaune sighed. "What now?" he asked turning back to Mr. Irons.
"Well, first we have to get your old set of armor appraised. Once we find out what the trade-in value is, then we have to gather together the armor components from our warehouse. Fortunately for you, what you asked for is already on-campus, so once we have everything together, we'll send a message to your Scroll and you can pick your purchase up," he said passing over his Scroll. "The processing fees and down payment have already been taken from your account. Once your armor, sword, and shield have been assembled the rest of the payment will be made."
"Thank you," Jaune bowed. "How long will this take?"
"A few hours, give or take. Now go on, get out of here. You're holding up the line."
*NEW WORLD*
"Sooo… What kind of armor did you get?" Nora asked as they headed back for the dorm.
"You'll see it when you see it," Jaune sighed, glancing down at his Scroll where an initial quote had been sent. "This'll bite into my money a bit, but it's why I sold my comic book collection. So I'd be able to afford brand-name wares."
"Sooo… What do we do in the meantime?" Pyrrha groused.
"Our homework, maybe?" Ren suggested. "Don't want to procrastinate all week and have to scramble to finish it at the last minute."
" . . . Yeah, I guess that's as good an option as any," Jaune hummed.
To Be Continued…