Disclaimer: RWBY belongs to Rooster Teeth. I own nothing.
Chapter 18. School Days 06
Just before noon, on a clear day
They say there's no honor in retreat
So remember this when you face defeat
A Yakuza never runs away
We just left the stove on, is all
-M&M's Yakuza lesson #16, to a deadpan Jaune Arc
This day began like any other. A few dozen Red Axes found time in their schedule to gather in the courtyard behind The Club. A few gangsters chatted about the news, others hunted monsters together on their scrolls. Some posed or strutted, seeking critiques before the next great gathering. Jaune joined this last circle of poseurs, jotting down notes on ways to refine his technique. A trend has been making the rounds, with Red Axes going without a tie and the top two buttons of their shirts undone to create a wild 'bad boy' look. Ideally, it was meant to be both intimidating and attractive. He resolved to try out that suggestion later in the privacy of his room.
All in all, a quiet day.
*Bang!*
The Club's rear door slammed open, kicked by a delicate leg clad in a high-heel boot. Melanie marched into the courtyard alongside Miltia, the two flanked by a squad of minions. They strode with purpose, spreading out before the loafing Red Axes.
The twins were smirking.
Fastest among the gangsters, Jaune's sense for danger went off like an alarm and he snapped to attention. He, more than any other person here, understood the danger behind those smiles. The rest followed suit, either experienced enough to eventually spot the same signs or trusting their comrades' instincts. Scrolls disappeared into pockets, and the smarter ones sidled their way behind cover. One strutting man missed a step and crash to the ground, before scrambling away among the ranks. Once silence returned to the courtyard, Melanie spoke to the crowd.
"No need to be so apprehensive, I'm here to tell you good news."
Not one person believed her.
"One of Junior's associates ran into a spot of trouble, and made us an offer. He's paying top Lien for a bit of help." Miltia pointed a finger to the distance.
"You know that swanky tower going up in Mistraltown? Most of their construction crew came down with food poisoning." Jaune interrupted with his suspicion.
"Was it sabotage?"
This was familiar grounds to the Red Axes. Someone who paid tribute to the group must be clashing with a rival company, and the gang's being called in to resolve the situation. A show of force, a few broken legs, and everyone went home with some Lien in their pockets. Business as usual, and most of the crowd relaxed their stances.
Unlike them, Jaune stayed on guard. His teachers only smirked like so when looking at prey.
"It could be, or it might be a bad batch of pizza. Either way, that's not our problem, gopher."
"They're asking us for workers to keep the project's timeline on target. Anyone who wish to volunteer, step forward."
Forty-four men and women, including Jaune, backed away in lockstep.
Joining a worksite alongside a crew of amateurs, pouring concrete and laying bricks in this summer heatwave? He foresaw weeks of accidents and suffering. No amount of pay was worth that. Worse, the building in question already stood ten stories above the ground. Ten stories that a poor fool has to run up and down while laden with tools and materials. He scanned the crowd, noting a similar apprehension to his own on every face, and turned back just in time to see Melanie narrow her eyes.
"If nobody volunteer, then you will be volunteered."
There it was, the hammer waiting to fall.
Scuffles broke out among the slacking Red Axes as they tried to push each other forward. A pitiful few lost in the first minute, offered up as sacrifices. Then, the next set of 'volunteers' countered the shoves with deft reversals, fighting back with the fury of the betrayed.
Surrounded by short-sighted fools, Jaune shook his head in disappointment. Too many here missed the trap. The twins never mentioned the quota of workers needed for the job. How many sacrifices must be made, before the cruel duo were satisfied? Besides, that gambit had already been carried out by the people backing Melanie and Miltia.
There stood the first traitors, oozing smugness from their position of safety. The majority of the group blocked the rear entrance of The Club, but quick glances to the courtyard's exit points showed smaller squads guarding the alleyways. Dogs without pride, they've ratted out this gathering and offered themselves as enforcers to the twin's tyrannical regime in exchange for immunity. As it was, their numbers added to the strength of the twins to ensure that Jaune and the others could not battle their way out.
How Jaune envied those geniuses. Had the sisters told him earlier, he would have joined their ranks in a heartbeat.
Too late, too late. His path to avoiding an honest job lay elsewhere.
A desperate turn of his head caught like-minded gazes from the sharper gangsters, and he counted their numbers. Seven or so people were shifting their feet to face the three alleys leading away from the courtyard. Jaune calculated the odds, and tugged the sleeves of a fighter. A wink to the would-be escapees sent a silent message that while they had the beginning of a plan, more bodies can ensure greater success. His co-conspirators nodded in agreement and followed his cue.
Surreptitious pokes added more members to the band of runners, until they doubled their count to sixteen. A shake of his head halted further efforts. They had enough people to overwhelm the three checkpoints, and any more risked a pileup. The remaining fighters can serve as a delaying force against the twins. A fitting end for those most desperate to betray others, made to become the sacrifices themselves.
The moment to enact their plan came when the twins lost their patience at the slow progress. The duo raised their hands to beckon the enforcers forward, and Jaune's band took that as their starting signal. They split apart in three directions, and he shouted as a final distraction.
"SCATTER!"
The yell jolted the fighters. Catching onto the idea, yet not being part of the plan, these hapless souls scrambled like bees from a broken hive. Some ran at walls, some ran in circles, and some ran straight at the twins. Even for those who followed after Jaune's faction, a second's delay put them behind the runners, covering the rear and presenting themselves as tasty morsels to the chasers.
The party to which he attached himself headed for the western path where three guards waited. Two guards tackled one runner, leaving an opening for the remaining five escapees. They juked past the last one, whose hesitation faded as the last runner approach. A lunge brought the guard within reach to catch the woman's foot, sending her crashing to the ground. Piteous cries for help almost convinced Jaune to turn around and lend aid to his allies, but he steeled his heart and continued on.
The plan was never for all of them to escape, but to give each person the best odds possible. Everyone knew the score.
He never looked back, and vanished into the alleys of Vale.
-o-
"Melanie, why do they always run?"
"I don't know, Miltia. It certainly won't help."
"West alley?"
"West alley."
-o-
Left, right, left, left. The path to safety turned and twisted as Jaune and his allies- no, his boon companions- made their escape. They've stuck close to him past every intersection, their loyalty was clear and unquestioned. Truly, he belonged among them.
A shame, then, that he cannot recall their names. Lacking the opportunity to ask without appearing callous, he will remember them fondly as Minions 1, 2, and 3.
I'll buy them a few rounds before asking. They'll forgive anything when drunk.
Or they will take greater offense and start a fight. Either way, that was future Jaune's problem. In the present, a tall fence loomed before their party of four, with metal bars and a padlocked gate blocking their progress.
Too easy. Jaune hopped on a dumpster, then jumped again, using the strength of his enhanced physique to soar the distance. The leap brought him high above the pointed tips of the fence and over to the other side. His feet barely touched the ground before he was off like a shot-
"""Jaune!"""
Oops. He circled back to the gate where the Minions were trapped, searching for something to break the lock.
As he smashed a brick against the metal, his instincts urged him to keep running with or without his party. They stood within three blocks from The Club; their pursuers knew the area as well as they did, and won't be far behind. He had little time left to break the sturdy lock. The best way to survive required him to go now, leaving these gangsters to serve as bait.
Yet, they did not deserve this, cornered like rats as a result of loyalty. If this was the fate of those who believed in his leadership, then what lay at the end of his Way? Jaune crushed down his cowardice. Panic softened to a muted thrum, leaving a clearer head to consider his greatest foe. A fence.
Bracing his hands on the bars, he applied a recent lesson from his teachers and focused on a feeling of heat running throughout his body. As he inhaled, he searched for that well of odd energy called Aura. As he exhaled, he willed that energy to manifest. Faint wisps appeared, but his lack of control meant that they dissipated more or less immediately. He would like to say that he felt his strength increase, but it was still too weak for him to shift the metal bars. He closed his eyes, and tried again.
The end of hope began with a faint sound, a scraping of metal striking concrete. A creeping dread made its way up his spine, and Jaune's heart pounded. At the edge of his hearing, he heard a tinkling laugh, one with an echo that spoke of two voices harmonized into a melody. Jaune peered in to the depths of the dark alleyway, his minions turning to see for themselves.
And with a screech of blades, two girls slid into view at the far end of the path. Their sweet smiles twisted into feral grins when they spotted his party.
No, when they spotted him.
"Jaaaaaune~, we found you!"
"Why did you run? You're so cruel, disciple."
Fear rose in a crescendo to become outright terror. With it came the trick to manifest Aura, at least in the way his teachers taught. Others might reach towards their soul through meditation or clearing their mind. As for him, the well he tried to tap into roared to answer the strong emotions that reflected his will. The burning need for greater strength bathed him in a blue-white light before Jaune ripped the gate open, lock and all.
His deed done, Jaune whirled around to make his getaway. On his first step, his control slipped and the Aura that should have boosted his speed faded to nothing. Stumbling, he fell behind the other three runners. Voices rang out, far closer than he'd like.
"A good start, gopher! Too bad on the stamina issues, though."
"Five seconds? You're too quick."
Ow, my heart.
Some words should never be said, no matter the context. But rather than wasting breath to retort, he focused on catching up with his party. Vengeance can come later when danger has passed.
By this point, he understood that victory was a remote possibility. Nobody can stand against the twins acting in tandem. Not even if all four of his party work together. His teachers were simply a level above.
Jaune's group threw desperate ideas to each other as their feet pounded the pavement. No matter which way they cut it, not everyone would escape. With their pursuers approaching fast, it was his plan that once again proved to be their best shot.
Their only hope was to split up again. Two people will go one way, two will go the other. Melanie and Miltia tend to stick together, out of instinct as twins and as a central tenet of their combat style. If they do so here, then the chance for the pair they followed will plummet. However, the chance of freedom for the other pair increased to a near certainty.
If the duo also split their team, then their effectiveness decreased. They might catch one person each, but that gave the remaining escapees an opportunity to reach safety.
The critical moment approached with the next intersection. A straight path to a main road, or a right turn towards a cobblestone street.
Minions 1, 2, and 3 met his eyes, and nodded. Everyone has agreed. Everyone knew the score.
Everyone except Jaune stayed together, those backstabbing nameless mooks Gaahhhhhh!
-o-
They knew that Jaune Arc possessed a keen mind, and observant eyes. His tactical acumen was undeveloped, but held promise. He absorbed lessons like a sponge, and he clearly had the attention of Lady Luck (though that's more of a minus, sometimes). Above all else, he understood the Malachite Twins better than anyone in the gang.
He does, however, lack the perspective of a bystander. From newcomer to veteran to Junior himself, the Red Axes all saw it.
They saw that Jaune Arc was amusing, which made him interesting, which made him a really good target for the twins.
When the girls were bored? Point them to Jaune. When they were in a sadistic mood? Throw Jaune their way. When they were spitting mad or wanted attention? Find. Jaune. He'll take care of it.
His presence in The Club was worth it for the sheer relief it brought the rest of the gang.
The gangsters stuck to him like glue when he ran because they were banking on this situation. They anticipated that the sisters will send their enforcers after everyone else, but personally chase Jaune's group. And when given a chance, the duo will go after him to the exclusion of every other runner, thus leaving them with a clear path to freedom.
The perfect plan.
We salute you, Jaune, for your sacrifice!
-o-
Such betrayals were why those minions will never rise beyond the level of nameless mooks.
Yet, he must commend their strategic foresight. Somehow, someway, they predicted that the twins would pursue him over them and prepared this contingency. Given the same amount of time, their plan extended further than his own. He might have something to learn from them.
After he has avenged himself for this slight.
A hand pinched his cheek as he lay sprawled on the ground. From her seat between his shoulder-blades, Melanie cooed.
"Done with your daydreaming?" Miltia reached over from her place on his lower back to pat his arm.
"There, there. You tried your best."
His best, which fell short to secure his freedom. Jaune groaned.
"Farewell, my summer."
"Hehe, about that~"
He craned his neck to look up at Melanie and Miltia, and the two met him with impish grins.
"We already caught enough people for the job. Besides, it would have cut into your training time."
"What? Then why were you chasing me?"
Not that he wasn't glad to hear this news, but Jaune waited for a trap. They've done similar things before, and he can see them using a construction site to build his strength like something out of a martial arts movie, or to teach a lesson on maintaining a daytime job as an alibi. Games within games, what dastardly plans were swirling within those mischievous minds? Miltia laughed at his suspicion.
"Because you were running!"
"Poorly, too. So slow."
"So predictable."
"Such bad form."
"Awful use of Aura."
"Your back is comfy."
"Alright, alright, I get it." So they saw this as a game. That, he can believe. It was just like them. Jaune sighed with relief. "How could I have done better?" And what was that last thing?
Two pairs of eyes shined with delight.
""We'll teach you!""
A sweltering day, in a park near The Club
We each have our strengths
And we're ready for your call
Because the Way, Jaune?
It was never meant to be walked alone
-M&M's Yakuza lesson #29, to an exhausted Jaune Arc
On this day, a great upheaval threatened to overwhelm the Red Axe Gang.
A new member has joined the ranks just yesterday, and already they stood far above the mooks and goons. A small and quiet thing, this newbie still pushed The Club's mysterious DJ aside to take center stage. They monopolized all of the Malachite Twins' attention. They even took the spotlight from the up-and-comer Jaune Arc. Then, they vanished with the winds.
In simpler terms, Melanie and Miltia found a kitty yesterday.
Today, Melanie and Miltia lost the kitty.
Distraught, the duo mobilized the entire gang to search throughout the neighborhood. All the normal functions of the gang, legal and illegal, were put on hold. Not a single person complained aloud, though, because no one wanted to be that guy.
The cat might not be abandoned in a box, but it was alone and lost. There were expectations for this sort of things. Refusing to help spoke volumes of a gangster's character.
The search started within The Club, as employees holding cans of cat food looked under, above, and behind furniture in every room. Without a kitty to be found, the search radius expanded to the neighborhood surrounding the gang's headquarters.
Uncle Hei's subordinates marched down alleyways, eyes peeled for white fur. They knocked on doors, leading to more than a few panicking residents and shop owners. Intrepid rival gangs that have made their way near The Club to cause trouble ran back to their territory, screaming about the Red Axes mobilizing for a war. Uncle Hei himself had to scour the cameras, trying to find a hint of the creature.
On his part, Jaune found himself in the park, searching futilely in the heat. Sweat poured down his neck, and he had removed his jacket, tucking it under one arm. His foray into the bushes of the park left his shirt and pants stained with dirt. In one hand, he held a can of tuna, the metal surface scorching to the touch. His other hand carried an empty water bottle, the last drops of which have evaporated, leaving him high and dry.
Within his thoughts, he was cursing the Oum-damned cat's existence. Jaune could have been inside, basking in the fruits of civilization; air-conditioning, scroll-games, ice cream. Instead, he was experiencing a continuation of yesterday's story, where his teachers sent him halfway through Vale to buy pet supplies. The can of Gold Tuna™ was more expensive than the food he eats.
Melanie and Miltia haven't taught him any new lessons, either. Not since they found the cat and spent all night cooing over the thing. It wasn't even that cute. (He amended that thought immediately, that little ball of fur was adorable.)
Jaune sighed.
I'm jealous of a cat.
Putting his Middle Child syndrome aside, Jaune persevered in his quest to reunite the sisters with their pet. The cat must be found, because its worst crime was making Melanie and Miltia sick with worry. If someone managed to find the creature, the first thing he'd do was putting a bell on it.
Which…would be soon, because that cat there might be the cat. White fur and small enough to fit in two palms? Jaune grinned, and approached his target.
The one good thing about this particular cat was that its coloration made for terrible camouflage, and it stuck out like a sore thumb against the bark of the old oak tree.
It lounged just out of his reach, so he deployed his greatest weapon. Hooking a finger on the can's tab, he popped the lid to reveal the overpriced tuna within and waved it before the kitty. In the face of such premium goodness, the cat roused itself, stood up, and…climbed…higher.
…
Dammit.
Tucking the can in a pocket, he took a running start and placed a foot on the tree to push upward as he jumped with the other leg. Catching the branch, he pulled himself up just in time to see the cat hop away. Then, it did so again when Jaune reached the next branch.
Then, again. And again. And…
And that was how a certain boy found himself high above the ground, inching his way along a branch with a can of tuna in hand coaxing a cat to approach him.
"Pspspsps come here little kitty pspsps- Listen you little bastard, I could leave you here." Jaune snarled. "Mel and Mil have been spending way too much time with you anyway...pspspsps."
*Meow*
"You think I won't? You underestimate me, cat!"
If a cat could look smug, Jaune imagined this one would as it called his bluff and sauntered further away from the tree trunk. Turning around, it laid down and observed its challenger. Who looked into its eyes, and smirked in triumph.
The limited intelligence of a domestic pet could only carry it so far. It never considered anything beyond the immediate action, while a human can plan multiple steps ahead. The moment it chose to walk the length of the branch rather than climbing higher, it had lost. The branch they were on extended away from any possible escape points, and the cat had very little room left to maneuver. Proving the capacity for thought that vaunted his species to the top of the food chain, Jaune pulled himself closer to victory.
*creeeeeak*
Cat and man froze where they laid. Two pairs of ears strained to hear in the silence, their battle forgotten. Carefully, oh so carefully, Jaune shifted his way back to saf-
*creakcreaksnapcreak*
Jaune and the kitty clung tightly to the tree in horror as they waited out the sound of their doom. In time, the noise faded and Jaune lifted his head to meet the cat's stare of accusation.
We're going to die because of you. It seemed to say. You've killed me.
"Don't look at me like that, you're as much at fault as I am!" He offered the tuna again. "Now are you going to keep playing this game, or will you- why am I arguing with a cat? Pspspsps here kitty, kitty, kitty pspsps."
*SNAP*
He would forever blame the cat. It was the one moving while he stayed still. An open and shut case in any court of law. It made for little consolation as he and the cat plunged to their demise.
In a split second that lasted an eternity, Jaune saw all the different courses of action he could have taken instead of this dumb plan. The scroll in his pocket has a dozen numbers he could have called, and Melanie and Miltia in particular could hop their way up and down this tree like a walk in the park. The fire department was another good choice with their ladders. Why did he not think to ask for help?
He took a moment to find the cat. The saying that all cats land on their feet might not be true, because this one was yowling in what he could only assume was mortal terror. As much grief as it had given him, he didn't want to see the thing hit the ground. That was the kind of experience that nightmares are made of, if he survive. Reaching out with a hand, he scooped up the little furball and tucked it to his chest. It had a cushion now, at least.
Step one, complete.
As for himself, he had one trick to try. His teachers said he had a lot of Aura, and now was the time to find out what that meant. Does it let a human survive a seventy-foot fall? How about if they land on their back? With seconds to go, he squeezed his eyes shut and brought forth a thin blue shell, the best effort he ever managed so far.
He almost wished he had not done so, because it let him experience every moment of the impact. Under its protection, Jaune avoided the actual snapping of his bones and merely felt the sensation of it happening. The blunt force trauma of the collision coursed through his body, yet did not grant him the relief of unconsciousness. His nerves, undamaged, still screamed as they registered the pain he should be going through.
Then he sat up. And he laughed. Because he was alive.
Was this what Aura was, the sheer defiance of death? Beyond the burst of strength or speed it gave him, this was Aura's greatest boon to the people of Remnant. The ability to stand up again, and get right back in the fray. Even the pain has faded to a dull throb.
The cat declared its lack of amusement with a slap of a paw to his face. Then, it licked his chin.
Hehe, it hasn't done that for either of his teachers.
It almost, just almost, convinced him to forgive the feline for his suffering.
-o-
Jaune forgave the kitty for all the grief it caused when Melanie and Miltia interrupted his tale to plant soft kisses on his cheeks as thanks.
They were lounging at the bar along with the rest of the Red Axes, as Jaune regaled them with his escapade. On the counter, the cat was facing off (and losing) against a stuffed toy, a fox with a red ribbon. Uncle Hei placed another cocktail before his nephew, and scolded him.
"It worked out this time, but you need better control of your Aura. With the amount you have, I think you might be able to eliminate the pain altogether." Melanie swung an arm around Jaune's neck.
"Don't worry, we'll show him how." She tapped his nose. "And you, good job again! Get us next time before you try anything like this." Miltia nodded from her seat.
"Yeah. You did well, but it wasn't worth getting hurt. Although…this might be great news."
Jaune, Melanie, Uncle Hei, and everyone within earshot raised an incredulous brow. Miltia smirked, and sipped her drink to drag out the moment.
"We've been looking for info on Beacon's Initiation, and there's always this one rumor that comes up." Melanie snapped her fingers.
"That's right! Jaune, we might have found your landing strategy."
His what?
-o-
The next day, the kitty disappeared, and no one could find it this time. Jaune checked the trees in the park to no avail. Perhaps it wanted to be free, he thought, and he wished it the best wherever it may go.
He came back for lunch to see it eating from a bowl on the bar counter.
It vanished once more the day after, never to be seen again. Until evening, when it jumped on Miltia's lap and lounged there.
After the fourth time, everyone realized that all of their efforts up until now were unnecessary, because the damn thing can take care of itself. Once they've put a bell on it, the soft ting-ting sound can be heard in odd places around The Club and the surrounding neighborhood, which reassured them that the cat was around even if they cannot see it.
Jaune huffed in exasperation at the cat's antics when he realized this, but could not muster the energy to become angry at the furball. He was just happy that he won't have to go on a cat hunt again.
Never, ever again.
Author's Notes: Aura, Heat, the Force, what's the difference besides the name?
Landing strategy=just use more Aura. Nice and simple.
The kitty was a part of this story since about 2,000 words ago, and therefore has been there for almost every previous chapter. Like some sort of Schrodinger's plot device. It may appear in the periphery from time to time from now on.
A cat is about the right level for Jaune's rival character, isn't it?
