The Lost Samurai and the False Knight

Chapter 1

"Aeuggg." The creature born from The Black Mass of Darkness, also known as Aku, groaned as he lay defeated on his home turf. Hearing a metal shing sound, Aku looked up and saw his adversary raise his katana high into the air, poised to deliver the final blow. "You might have beaten me now. But I will destroy you in the future."

"There is no future for you, Aku." Samurai Jack defiantly said.

"I disagree." Aku shouted before letting out a horrifying screech.

"What trickery is this?" Samurai Jack asked, confused when white rings came out of Aku's mouth and moved to float over him.

Yet, Aku only smirked in response. Suddenly, the white rings multiplied and descended into the ground around Jack. Unsure of what to do, Jack swung his katana at the rings, hoping it would do something. After a split second, the rings formed together to become a pillar of white light. It was so bright that Jack became a black silhouette of himself. Jack was about to move out of the lights, but the floor underneath him disappeared before he could.

"AAAAAKKKKKKKUUUUUU!" Jack shouted as he fell into the floor. And once his body was no longer there, the light, which turned out to be a portal, slowly closed before disappearing.

"Do not worry, Samurai." Aku said as he slowly rose up. "You will see me again. But next time, you will not be so fortunate."

As Aku said this, Samurai Jack found himself hurtling through a black-and-white portal. The rapid changing of lights and brightness quickly proved too much that Jack had to close his eyes. Yet, that did nothing to alleviate the pain he felt in his entire body. Soon, Jack began screaming his lungs out, all the while wondering where and when Aku was sending him. However, little did Aku know, the portal did not close properly and opened up in another location.

Meanwhile

'CRAP! CRAP! CRAP!' Jaune thought as he ran through the forest.

Thankfully, the denseness of the Emerald Forest gave him enough cover to remain hidden from the Nevermore. Unfortunately, it did little against his current pursuers. The sound of the Boarbatusks growling and huffing reminded Jaune just how close they were, forcing him to pump his legs faster. Yet, the pain flaring in his right leg and the inability to put a lot of pressure on it reminded Jaune just how far behind everyone else he was when it came to fighting the Grimm. With each step he took, Jaune felt like fire spread across his nerves, causing him to wince as his aura flared, desperately trying to keep the pain tolerable so he could keep going.

'Almost there.'

After spotting the forest's edge, Jaune willed himself to go faster and push through the pain. Yet, despite knowing that safety was on the horizon, Jaune knew he was far from being out of danger. He could still hear the growling from the Boarbatusks. And despite being unable to see him, Jaune knew the Nevermore was still nearby and would immediately try to attack him once he left the forest. Reaching down, Jaune checked to make sure that Crocea Mors was still on him. But the feeling of the cold, hard metal did not bring him comfort or assurance. It only reminded him of how inadequate he was and how many could consider him a false knight. And even now, he could hear the tongue-lashing his teammates and classmates would give him.

Once at the forest's edge, Jaune tensed when he heard the Nevermore overhead. Yet, a glance told him it hadn't found him yet. However, it somehow seemed irritated that it could not find him. And Jaune knew it wouldn't be long before it found him again. Looking around, Jaune felt some relief when he didn't see any other immediate dangers. Spotting a nearby path, Jaune realized it was the one that would take him to Beacon's courtyard, where he would finally be safe.

'Almost home.'

Swallowing the lump in his throat and wincing at the slight metallic taste of his blood, Jaune pushed forward. Knowing he was likely to get bombarded, Jaune took out Crocea Mors and had the sheath revert to shield mode. And no sooner than he did, Jaune heard the Nevermore let out a horrifying screech. Almost instinctively, Jaune raised his shield above his head.

"AUGH!" Jaune shouted in pain.

The force behind the attack nearly caused Jaune to tumble because his bad leg couldn't handle the sudden added weight. And Jaune almost saw stars when the shield collided with his arm, which was covered in bruises and cuts. However, in his hazy vision, Jaune saw a small cave opening on the cliff that he could use as a temporary shelter. Pushing past the pain, Jaune limped forward as fast as possible. Yet, he couldn't get far as he heard the Nevermore screech again. But this time, it sounded a lot louder and closer.

"SHIT!" Jaune shouted as he rolled to his side to avoid getting dive-bombed by the Nevermore. Yet, that act was enough to cause Jaune to clench his teeth in pain as his aura flared. Despite the pain making it hard to think clearly, Jaune knew he wouldn't last long if he didn't get to the cave. "Just need to get there."

Getting up, Jaune forced any aura that was healing the top part of his body into his legs to go slightly faster. Sweat began pouring down his face as his heart raced when he saw the Nevermore fly back into the sky. Jaune knew it was only a matter of minutes before it decided to try dive-bombing him again. Swallowing back the dread that was rising in his throat, Jaune pushed himself to run as best as he could. After another tense minute that felt longer than it actually was, Jaune finally reached the cave.

'Okay. Made it.' Jaune thought as he moved to the back of the cave before hiding behind a stalagmite.

Once he felt like he was safe, Jaune peeked around his cover to see out the cave. And to his horror, Jaune saw the Nevermore and Boarbatusks looking for him. Remembering that they could find him if they sensed his fear and dread, Jaune did his best to get into a comfortable sitting position. He then closed his eyes before following the advice Ren had given him a while back on how to enter a meditative stance. While it was a long shot, Jaune knew it was the only option he had as it was suicide to try and fight the Grimm, even if he wasn't injured. Thankfully, it seemed to work, as the Grimm left after a couple of minutes.

'Fuck. That was too close.' Jaune thought as he relaxed. While he could go out now, he wanted to wait a few moments to ensure the Grimm were really gone. Plus, it would allow his aura time to heal his injuries. And not for the first time, he was immensely grateful that Pyrrha had unlocked his aura and that he had a massive amount to boot. 'And to think this day started... oh, who am I kidding.'

Flashback

*RRRRIIIIINNNNNGGGGG*

"Alright, class. That is the bell. Enjoy your weekend, and do try not to cause too much trouble in town. We already have our hands full with the Vytel Festival." Glynda said before packing up and leaving in a hurry.

And she wasn't the only one, as Jaune quickly packed up his stuff before exiting the room. He then raced back to his dorm, barely able to contain himself. It had been a rough week for him, but he managed to get through it mostly fine. Once at the dorm, Jaune nearly fell through when he grabbed the door handle, forgetting that he had not locked it. He could already hear his teammates scorning him for forgetting to lock the dorm's door again.

"Hopefully, they don't have too much trouble coming back." Jaune said, excited.

For the past week, he had been all alone. Well, for the most part. Pyrrha had to go to Mistral to deal with her sponsors, who had gotten so annoying that Ozpin had to step in. Nora and Ren were on a week-long training mission with Professor Peach and some other students and teachers from another academy. While Jaune didn't mind the privacy, especially since he had grown up with seven sisters, he still missed the company of his friends. And while he did consider Team Rwby as friends, Jaune was only close to Ruby. Plus, she was hanging out with the rest of her team. So, it was mostly just him.

"Alright. I got Crocea Mors, my scroll, my wallet, my sweater, and a few snacks and bottles of water." Jaune said, taking stock of the items on his bed. However, he had to swallow the lump in his throat at the final two things he had. "And bandages for when I hurt myself and some clothes to change into when I'm done."

Despite doing well in most of his studies, Jaune knew he was laughably weak in his combat skills. He was not even at the bottom of the barrel, and Jaune knew it since the beginning. And he was constantly reminded of it. Everywhere he went in Beacon, Jaune saw other students doing ridiculous feats of combat while he could hardly do anything more than block the most basic of attacks while weakly swinging his sword around, hoping to hit something that wasn't himself.

'Thank the Brothers above for Pyrrha. I don't know if I would still be alive without her.' Jaune thought as he finished packing up.

Even though she was gone for the week, Pyrrha had left him some training videos to use. However, Jaune knew if he wanted to stand a chance against someone who just entered primary combat school, he had to practice whenever he could. Plus, Jaune felt the best way to repay Pyrrha for all she had done was to prove that he was now a capable fighter and that all her efforts weren't in vain.

And that was what he was going to do now. Jaune remembered seeing a nice clear area that wasn't too deep into the Emerald Forest. It was secluded and had a nice-sized pond he could use to swim and clean off the sweat after finishing his exercises. Plus, while there was a chance he could run into some Grimm, Jaune wasn't worried as he wasn't going too deep into the forest. And the Grimm were typically found on or along the path that was used for the initiation process.

"Alright. Time to go. And if I have time, I should make the others something since they might be hungry when they return." Jaune said as he exited the dorm and made sure to lock the door. Yet, little did Jaune realize that things would go so wrong so quickly.

Flashback Ends

"I think the coast is clear." Jaune said, looking outside the cave and not seeing or hearing anything.

Getting up with a slight grunt, Jaune slowly got out of the cave. He then checked to make sure he still had his scroll and wallet on him. And he let out a sigh of relief when he had them, with his scroll only having some scratches on the side. Breathing out, Jaune slowly made his way toward the path while staying alert should the Grimm decide to return.

'At least it is a nice day.' Jaune thought, slightly relieved he was in the clear and could return to his dorm to rest before his friends arrived. "At least it's over, and it can't get worse."

"AAAAAAAHHHHHHH!"

"I just had to say it." Jaune said, annoyed.

Sighing, Jaune ran as fast as he could toward the source of the screen. After a few moments, he arrived. And to his shock and surprise, it was Cardin who screamed. His right hand seemed to be broken, his left leg was bleeding, and he had a few scratches on his armour. However, what stood out to Jaune immediately was how Cardin didn't have his mace on him, and his back was against the cliffside.

Oh, and an Ursa Major was growling at him while slowly advancing to finish him off.

'SHIT!' Jaune thought as he readied his sword and shield. While he wasn't anywhere near ready to face an Ursa Major alone, Jaune couldn't simply let someone die if he had the chance to help, even if it was his bully. After all, he came from a family lineage of heroes. But...

Could he even consider himself worthy to be considered part of it? He barely could hold off a child fighting him.

"AAAAHHHH! GET AWAY!" Cardin shouted, unsure of what to do and mentally hoping someone would hear his screams for help.

Groaning, Jaune knew he had to do something as he wouldn't be able to live with himself if he didn't. Running as fast as he could, Jaune flanked the Ursa Major from behind. But as he made his way behind, Jaune sliced the leg of the Ursa Major, causing it to howl from shock and pain. Yet, before he could turn around to find the perpetrator, Jaune jumped onto the Ursa Major and plunged his sword into its back.

"ARC?!" Cardin asked, shocked to see the weakest student in Beacon. Yet, his shock turned to humiliation when it fully sunk in that he was saved by the weakest student in Beacon.

"CARDIN! RUN!" Jaune shouted as he struggled to stay on the thrashing Ursa Major.

Gritting his teeth, Jaune grabbed the hilt of his sword so tight that his knuckles turned white. Yet, with the combination of being tired and injured and the Ursa Major jumping up and down, Jaune soon found his grip weakening. As the seconds ticked by, Jaune felt his arm feel like it was on fire. Knowing he needed to adjust and strengthen his grip, Jaune focused on pumping his remaining aura into his arm and hand. However, before he could do so, Jaune felt the Ursa Major suddenly stop thrashing.

'Wha-' Jaune thought, confused.

Yet, that confusion turned to horror when the Ursa Major finally managed to grab Jaune's leg. Then, before he could react, the Ursa Major picked him up with enough strength to dislodge the sword. Growling, the Ursa Major threw Jaune at the cliffside. Yet, to Cardin's and the Major Ursa's shock, a portal opened up right before Jaune hit the side. As a result, Jaune flew into the portal, with it closing right after. Both the Ursa Major and Cardin were so confused that they just left the area.

Meanwhile

"AAAAAAAHHHHHHH!" Jaune screamed as he 'flew' through a black-and-white tunnel.

And that was all he could do. Jaune had no clue what was happening or where he was going. He thought he was going to hit the wall because of the Ursa Major. Yet, he was now inside a blinding tunnel. The rapid changing of lights combined with the speed and weird weightless feeling caused Jaune's stomach to act up. Bringing his hand to his mouth, Jaune covered it while closing his eyes as he thought about anything to try and ease his stomach.

"AAHH!" Jaune shouted when he felt something hit his back.

"OOF!" A mysterious voice said. Turning around, Jaune came face-to-face with someone who looked like the samurai he saw in those old movies.

"What-" Jaune began.

"-the?" Samurai Jack asked.

"Who are you?" Both asked, confused.

However, before either could answer, a weird sound caught their attention. Looking 'down,' Jaune and Samurai Jack realized that sound meant they had reached the end of whatever they were in. Yet, to their greater shock, confusion, and worry, they had appeared above what appeared to be a futuristic but dystopian city. But while Jack seemed to be confused by everything, Jaune appeared to have a vague idea of what some things were.

'Flying cars? Did that portal send me into the future? Or did it send me somewhere else?' Jaune wondered.

"WE WON'T SURVIVE THE FALL! TRY TO LAND ON ONE OF THOSE FLYING OBJECTS!" Samurai Jack shouted.

"YOU MEAN THE FLYING CARS?" Jaune shouted back.

"WHAT ARE-"

Neither Samurai Jack nor Jaune could finish their conversation as some flying cars hit them with such force that Jaune was surprised his bones still felt intact. While he could say it was because of his aura, Jaune wasn't sure if Jack had his unlocked. Yet, he couldn't dwell on it as they kept getting hit by flying cars.

"OW!" Jack and Jaune groaned after getting hit for the fifth time.

Thankfully, after the fifth car, they slid off and landed on top of the car that was flying beneath. Going near the edge, Samurai Jack looked down and realized that the only way to get back to the floor was to use the flying vehicles as makeshift steps. Standing up, Jack began effortlessly and gracefully hopping down to the lower cars. Meanwhile, Jaune looked on in awe.

"Damn. How does he do that?" Jaune wondered before a wave of sadness washed over him. 'Then again. The others could probably do the same as I am just me. A false knight.'

Knowing he had to get down sooner rather than later, Jaune took a deep breath before jumping off the car while hoping he would land on a car and not the floor. And to his surprise, he did. Yet, he did not celebrate as Jaune knew he was still about a thousand feet in the air. Steeling his nerves, Jaune continued making his way down, albeit far slower than Jack.

'Alright. Just keep going at your own pace, Jaune. You do not need to try matching the other guy's pace; otherwise, you'll be a pancake on the floor.' Jaune thought.

Looking toward Jack, Jaune saw that he had roughly landed on the hood of a car and was about to try and get up. However, Jaune became worried when he heard the familiar sound of a gun firing. And the bullet holes that appeared on the car confirmed it. Knowing he needed help, Jaune looked around for the shooter. Spotting the car, Jaune readied his shield before jumping down and miraculously landed on the correct vehicle. Raising his shield, Jaune slammed against the windshield, causing it to break. He then used his sword to destroy the aiming stick and wheel.

'There.' Jaune thought, satisfied, as the driver glared at him.

Hearing an explosion, Jaune looked back and saw that the car Jack was on had exploded. Yet, Jack had leaped off while unsheathing his katana before it did. Jack then used the momentum to fly to the car Jaune was on while slicing the front and back end off.

"Come on." Jack said, grabbing Jaune's hand.

Nodding, they jumped off, with Jack leading the jumps so they always landed on the vehicles. And before Jaune knew it, they were on the ground. Yet, Jaune tensed when the car crashed not too far from where they were. Speaking of which, after catching his breath, Jaune looked around and realized they were in some sort of scrap pile.

'I don't even want to imagine the insurance cost for that.' Jaune mentally winced. 'But where are we? And why does it look like we landed in a scrap junkyard?'

"Are you okay?" Samurai Jack asked, snapping Jaune from his thoughts.

"Yes. I'm fine." Jaune answered before noticing the scar on Jack's face, which was bleeding a bit. "But you're not."

"It's just a scratch. Don't worry about it."

"Yeah, but it could get infected. Hold on. Let me take care of it." Jaune said, reaching to grab Jack's hand.

Samurai Jack, while confused, let it go through as he didn't sense any ill intentions from the young man. But to his surprise, they both began to glow white for a second. And once it died down, Jack no longer felt the sting on his face. Reaching up, he realized the wound was gone.

"That's amazing. How did you do that?" Samurai Jack asked, amazed.

"With my aura." Jaune answered, glad he was of some help.

"Aura?"

"Uh. Yeah. My aura. Do... you not know what aura is?"

"I do. But it is probably not the same as yours."

"Huh. Then how did you survive getting hit by those flying cars?"

"Is that what those flying contraptions are called?" Jack asked, looking toward the sky as more cars passed above them.

"Yeah." Jaune said. At this, both realized that even each other was less familiar than they initially thought.

"It looks like there is a lot we need to discuss." Samurai Jack said.

"Yeah. And that's just about us. I have so many questions about what is happening now and where we are."

"I do, too." Samurai Jack said as he looked around. Hearing a sound, Jack and Jaune looked toward it and saw a menacing-looking vehicle coming toward them. The spikes on its wheels help it traverse the piles of metal scrap.

"But we can discuss it later." Jaune said, wondering how they would get out of this as they were trapped in a narrow passage, with the walls being too high to climb. "How are we going to get out of this?"

"Follow me." Samurai Jack said, sheathing his sword

Nodding, Jaune followed Jack after he raced toward the menacing vehicle. But before it could crush him, Jack jumped high enough to grab the vehicle's underside. Knowing he couldn't jump that high, Jaune tried to back up to find another way up. Yet, before he could do so, the metal plate he was on suddenly flung him into the air, where he caught the metal pipes of the car. Now that he was with him, Samurai Jack motioned for Jaune to follow him to the tire. Swallowing his fear, Jaune followed Jack to the tires, where they grabbed the spikes and used them as makeshift elevators to bring them out of the passage. Once they were high enough, they jumped off the tire and landed safely on the sidewalk.

"That was too close." Jaune said as the car continued forward.

"It was." Jack agreed. However, the sound of screaming and cheering caught their attention. Turning around, Jack and Jaune saw some... strange-looking people seemingly cheering them on. But the cheering almost seemed exaggerated.

'Okay. I didn't think things could get any weirder. But why are they calling this guy Jack?' Jaune wondered.

"Uh. Thank you." Jack said, sounding annoyed. "But where are we?"

"You two are in the Gutter Level of the Central Hub of Sector D." One of the cheerers answered.

"Central hub?" Jack asked, confused.

"Uh... do you know who is in charge here?" Jaune asked, hoping the leader or whoever was in charge could help them out.

"Of course. Our leader is the all-powerful AKU." Another answered.

"AKU!" Jack said, sounding angry. He then began looking around and saw numerous pictures of his sworn enemy, Aku.

"I take it you know him?" Jaune asked.

"Yes. But that is a story for another time. Right now, we need to get to a safe place and get each other up to speed."

"Is there a place we could go to get some drinks or something to calm ourselves down?" Jaune asked the strangers when he noticed that Jack seemed overwhelmed by the pictures of Aku.

"Yeah. There is a bar nearby that sells drinks pretty cheap. And it's out of the way, so there are not many creatures there to begin with." The blue man answered.

"Can you take us there?" Samurai Jack asked.

"Sure thing, Jack. Follow us, you two." The one with the weird hat said, motioning Jack and Jaune to follow them. And seeing as they really had no other option, they did so. But a million questions kept racing through their minds as they followed the strangers to the bar.

'How will I return to where I was and defeat Aku?' Jack thought.

'I wonder how long it will take before I can find a way home. And will my friends or anyone notice that I am gone? Or will they even care?' Jaune wondered. Yet, while neither had any form of answers and doubted they would get some any time soon, they both knew things were about to get a whole lot weirder and far more dangerous.