"What irresponsible children!" Glynda Goodwitch rapped her weapon against the palm of her hand causing Ruby and Jaune to fall silent. "I don't know what you were thinking challenging seasoned criminals to a brawl in the street but I will not stand for it. You're lucky you made it through in one piece. We will discuss the consequences of your actions at the police station!"
"P-police!? No! You got it all wrong we just finished kicking butt! Tell her uh…" Ruby turned to find Jaune had taken a few steps back and had his hand resting on the sword at his side as he backed away.
"I'm not going to the police." After what he just witnessed with the criminals in the bullhead Jaune knew he wouldn't stand a chance in direct confrontation with the huntress. He couldn't win, so he had to get away whatever the cost. Being held up at a police station all night or likely longer wasn't going to do him any favors.
Glynda strode forward and put a hand on Ruby's shoulder to pull the young girl behind her, "Stand aside, child. You. Drop your weapon and come with me. I won't tolerate any further misbehavior. Do so and no harm will come to you." Glynda saw the way Jaune's eyes darted from side to side and kept her weapon at the ready. He seemed to weigh his options for a moment before he took his hand off the hilt.
"...Fine." Jaune relaxed his posture and slowly began walking towards the huntress, hands at his sides in surrender. Glynda never took her eyes off him as he inched closer and closer and when it seemed like he really would come along without a fuss Jaune struck. Going through the practiced motions he drew Auger and shot forward at the same in an explosive display of movement.
Jaune's attack came faster than Glynda was ready for and she dodged to the side, slightly off balance, but without a scratch. The young bandit dug his foot into the ground and fled in the opposite direction towards the edge of the roof. Expecting a full confrontation, Glynda switched gears when she saw Jaune turn tail and fired off beams that traced purple lines in the air at him. The younger blonde felt the projectiles barreling towards him and spun around, momentum carrying him as his feet dug into the ground and kicked up dirt as he fell into his stance.
"W-what's going!? Why are you fighting!? Do I shoot him!? Do I not shoot him!?" Ruby looked frantically between the two blondes.
The missiles were about to meet their target when they paused for a fraction of second and suddenly changed trajectory in mid air and flew around and behind Jaune. His eyes widened as he saw them dart past and turned his head to see them swiftly curve around and strike him in the back. A second barrage he never saw her fire hit him in the chest and sent him over the edge. A feeling of weightlessness overcame Jaune and he braced to meet the pavement below only to find himself suspended in mid air, a purple outline around his body.
Without warning, the rooftop sped up to meet him and Jaune was planted cheek first into the ground, the purple energy keeping in prone. Glynda walked forward and smoothed out a few out of place hairs before stopping in front of Jaune, "Well then. That wasn't very wise now was it?"
Ruby stared, wide eyed and mouth agape on the sidelines.
:X:
Headmaster Ozpin and his second in command quietly left the interrogation room that housed Ruby Rose lest she start bouncing off the walls.
"I hope you know what you're doing, Headmaster. I admit I am loath to reward such thoughtless behavior." Glynda wrinkled her nose in distaste and fell into step with her superior.
The green clad professor smiled, "The milk and cookies were merely for refreshment, Glynda." The two huntsmen walked side by side down a hallway at the local Vale Police Station, passing identical doors every few feet.
"You know that is not what I was referring to!" Glynda glared balefully as they neared another interrogation room, the heavy wooden door muffling any outside noise.
"Just trying to lighten the mood. Talented individuals are flocking to Beacon in droves this year. I felt that Miss Rose more than proved her mettle and at no lasting injury to herself or other bystanders to boot. She's earned this invitation in spite of her age, trust me."
Glynda's face soured, "Speaking of young talent…"
"Quite."
Ozpin pushed open the door to find Jaune restrained at a large metal table that was bolted to the floor. Around his wrists were large manacles joined at the sides bearing a strip of light that indicated the usage of dust. His wrists were practically welded to the spot as the specially magnetised bindings kept him from moving. He glared as the one responsible for his situation entered the room.
"Are the restraints wholly necessary, Glynda?" The headmaster gazed passed over Jaune pausing at certain to take in his appearance. His clothes were certainly worn and his hair would have framed the side of his face were it any longer. Bright blue peered back at them.
She returned the glare, "Indeed. This one took exception to coming in peacefully." Glynda remained standing as Ozpin took a seat in a chair opposite Jaune. "I had no choice but to strip him of his equipment and dissuade any further shenanigans." Jaune bristled at the mention of his lost possessions, something that was not lost on the older man.
The white haired man addressed him, "Good evening. My name is Professor Ozpin. Can you tell us your name?"
"Where's my gear?" Jaune said immediately . After he was subdued his gauntlets and weapons undid themselves from his wrists and belt and were carted off or rather levitated by the huntress.
"Somewhere safe. We have quite a few questions for you to answer so we would appreciate your cooperation. First, what is your name, where are you from, and where did you learn to fight? There are currently no students enrolled in any known combat schools in Vale that match your description. Where did you come from?" Ozpin leaned forward and waited patiently for an answer.
Jaune looked down to his wrists and electricity sparked around him and his eyes glowed. Glynda immediately raised her weapon, but Ozpin stopped her with his hand. Jaune slammed his elbows into the table to use as leverage to pull his hands off the flat surface but the magnetic forces were too strong.
"Let me go!" he spat, face red with exertion. He was trapped no matter how he looked at it. He could be captured again just as easily regardless if he had his full range of movement. Plus, this new person was way too relaxed to just be a civilian or an ordinary police officer. Another huntsman?
"Please, we just need some information from you." Ozinp pressed. "Will you truly not cooperate?" Several seconds passed and after Jaune made no attempt to respond, Ozpin whispered something to Glynda and she left soon after. A minute or two went by before she returned, levitating a large metal case and placing it before Ozpin. She waved a keycard over the lid and it popped open with a slight hiss.
Reaching inside, Ozpin pulled out the blue gauntlets, Auger, and-
"Don't touch that!" Jaune's blue eyes reignited and he kicked his chair back, but was far from threatening hunched over on the table.
Ozpin gingerly placed Verreaux, currently in its compact form, on the table before them. "I apologize. I didn't realize these meant quite so much to you. They are masterfully crafted weapons. I'm quite curious as to where you obtained them?" Silence followed after his question and Ozpin sighed.
"This is getting us nowhere," Glynda waved her riding crop and Jaune's chair sprung to life and shoved itself back underneath Jaune. He glared, but she paid no mind.
"I quite agree. We could go all night, but in truth I feel it's about time we released him." The older man leaned back in his chair and adjusted his glasses.
This time it was Glynda's turn to eye Ozpin. "Are you sure, Headmaster? We've learned precious little about him."
"I'm sure. You saw as I did the surveillance footage both from in and outside the dust shop. This young man was merely defending himself and even shielded Miss Rose with his own body no less as witnessed by you." Ozpin took the key card from Glynda's hand and waved it over Jaune's manacles, deactivating them. "However, in the future I would recommend refraining from assaulting Huntsmen unprovoked. Doubly so if they had just shielded you from harm."
Jaune slowly rubbed his wrists with a look of bewilderment. Despite being free Ozpin still showed no signs of nervousness. Cautiously, he reached forward and secured his gauntlets over his arms. Even more slowly he gripped Verreaux's handle and when no one made to stop him, stood, and secured his weapons to his belt.
Jaune tensed, "Just like that," he asked. "I'm going to walk on out of here and no one's going to try to stop me?"
Glynda merely raised an eyebrow and stepped to Ozpin's other side, leaving the door behind completely unbarred. "It's what you wanted isn't it?" She turned to address Ozpin directly, "If we're done here should I secure transportation? Doubtless you still have work to do even this late at night."
Ozpin sighed, "If we must. The new students won't benefit from us milling around in Vale after all."
The younger blonde couldn't help but stare at the two adults completely unconcerned with him. Huntsmen were something else entirely compared to the thugs back in the tribe. Something was bothering him though and he didn't feel comfortable turning his back on them just yet. "You two are teachers?"
"Oh!" Ozpin exclaimed. "I was under the impression you had already left. Is there something else you need from us?"
Jaune's expression hardened at the white haired figure's feigned surprise. "No. I hadn't left. She called you Headmaster, and you just mentioned students. Earlier, you also called yourself a professor."
A small smile split Ozpin's face, "Yes?"
"Two teachers in the City of Vale, both Huntsmen. I take it you run one of these combat schools you were talking about?"
Ozpin nodded, "You are very close. I am the Headmaster of Beacon, a Huntsman Academy rather than a combat school. There is much overlap of course but the differences are there."
Jaune's heart was pounding in his ears. Hours into arriving in Vale and he'd caught the attention of the Headmaster of the one place he wanted to go most of all. He was right there just three feet away from him.
"I seem to have forgotten to introduce myself, how rude of me. I am Professor Ozpin, Headmaster of Beacon and this is Professor Goodwitch, the combat instructor at Beacon. Is that all you wanted to know, were you not in a hurry to be elsewhere?"
Professor Goodwitch's words played in his head. What he wanted was sitting right in front of him. His mouth was dry, "I want to attend Beacon Academy. I can fight, I have weapons, and I have my semblance."
The headmaster's face remained neutral, "All of that is true."
"Out of the question!" Glynda proclaimed immediately.
"I agree," Ozpin leaned back in his chair. "An unknown individual being granted access to Beacon Academy where Vale's first line of defense against the Grimm is produced would be ill advised to say the least. I wouldn't even know what name to put on your student ID."
Jaune didn't need to be a genius to realize what he was hinting at. "My name is Jaune." Ozpin quirked an eyebrow. The minute that passed seemed to drag on forever before he finally relented. The blonde sighed and pulled up the chair again. "My teacher taught me to fight and gave me gear. I'm not from around here."
Glynda snorted, "Quite."
"More details would be appreciated," Professor Ozpin leaned forward again, steepling his fingers. "Jaune? No last name?" The blonde remained silent and seconds passed. "Moving on then. Where are you from and how did you come to be here in Vale?"
Jaune looked to wrestle with something internally and crossed his arms before answering, "I'm originally from Anima."
Professor Ozpin spoke quietly, "So you're from Haven then or one of the other settlements around the continent?"
Jaune shook his head, "No. This is the first major city I've ever been to. I was part of a band of nomads. We travelled from settlement to settlement to avoid bandits and Grimm and to stock up on supplies every now and then."
Glynda looked bewildered, "You expect us to believe you learned to wield a weapon as you do without formal instruction?"
"It's the truth," Jaune insisted. "My teacher attended a huntsmen academy, but decided to travel around the continent instead in the end."
"Haven Academy?" wondered Ozpin out loud.
"She never told me which one," it wasn't a lie at all. Vernal had been the one to let it slip where Raven had once studied years ago.
"I see. Please tell us how you came to be in Vale."
Jaune didn't speak for a longtime. "We had stopped at a village along the coast to trade for supplies. There was an attack. Grimm. We fought, but my best friend and I got separated, so I searched and found her near a cliff overlooking the sea. She died up there. There was a fight and a storm. The cliff I was standing on broke apart and I fell into the sea. I was picked up by some sailors and that's all I can remember."
Jaune looked off to the side and the two huntsmen could see the sleeves of his robe straining against his fingers as they dug into his arms. Glynda's expression softened somewhat, "A fight with whom? What happened to your tribe? There must be somebody missing you."
The smell of seawater permeated Jaune's senses and he remembered waking up to a cold dark room. Then, seeing the column of smoke rising from the village in the distance from the deck of the ship. "A monster," he said simply. "The sailors that saved me said they observed the village from the ship. Fires had broken out and there were no more signs of fighting. No one's missing me."Jaune kept his gaze locked on his hands. He wasn't sure what his face looked like right now, but he'd be damned if he showed weakness now.
Glynda spoke up again, "Surely your teacher survived at least. Do you not have any intentions of seeking her out?"
A hideous scowl marred Jaune's features, "...I'm sure she's alive but I want nothing to do with her! She was supposed to-... I want nothing to do with her." His shoulder rose and fell following the sudden outburst before he collected himself again.
"Why do you wish to keep fighting?" The Headmaster asked somberly, "You learned to hunt out of necessity, but now you have a chance at something new."
Jaune grasped the tail end of the sash around his waist, "What do you mean something new? What else is there to do? If I was anything less than I am now I would have died. If I was everything more things would have been different."
"Would they?"
The question made him seethe on the inside. The answer was obvious. What was the point in even asking? "Yes." He would have been the one to walk away from the cliff that day. The wind howled in his ears. He remembered breaking Raven's sword, but then there was a flash of light and the next moment he was on the ship. A dull ache reverberated through his skull and he propped his head up with one hand as he leaned over the table.
"-une! Jaune, are you well?"
Jaune looked up and he could see Ozpin leaning forward slightly and looking at him with concern. "...Yeah. Yeah, I'm fine." He sat up straight once more and tried his best to play off his little episode. "I haven't eaten in a while, that's all. The fight earlier took more out of me than I thought it would. Anyway, is that enough? Am I in?"
Ozpin and Glynda shared a look before coming to some unspoken agreement. "Yes I believe that will be sufficient for the time being. I'm truly sorry for your loss, Jaune. If becoming a huntsman is what you've set your mind to then Beacon will gladly have you."
The now former bandit released the breath he'd been holding and he let himself relax a bit. He'd done it! Whatever comes next he'll be ready for it.
"On that note do you have anything else to add, Glynda?" Headmaster Ozpin looked up at the tall woman standing to his right.
"Just two," she turned to Jaune once more, "why were you so against coming in peacefully. Though your actions were foolish you had not broken any laws in defending yourself up until the moment you attacked me."
She peered into Jaune's eyes and found himself compelled to look away before he snapped his eyes back to hers. "I was smuggled into Vale by the sailors. I didn't want them to get in trouble for helping me in case the police ever found out."
Glynda hummed, "Well such an act would warrant an explanation from the powers that be."
"However," Ozin cut it, "such matters are best left for the authorities assuming they catch wind of it in the first place." A knowing smile split Ozin's face, "We won't tell if you won't." After acknowledging Jaune's simple nod the pair exchanged looks before Glynda continued.
"Secondly, where have you been living since arriving in Vale? Have the sailors been harboring you?"
That was easier to explain, "I only arrived in the city yesterday. Instead of being dropped off in the city proper where people might ask questions they dropped me off a ways away when they sure I could take care of myself. I walked for a week or two and the sailors gave some food and a map. When my supplies ran out I hunted my own food and the small villages I passed through gave me room and board. Small settlements like that usually don't last more than a year without someone to kill the Grimm. They were happy to help when they saw what I could do."
When he'd given the answers they were looking for Ozpin assured him they would return before the duo left the room. The two professors walked and talked as they began to make their way to the main floor of the station.
"He's certainly troubled," Glynda said.
"Who wouldn't be? He's been through quite an ordeal it seems like, but there are aspects of his story that bother me." The sound of Ozpin's cane hitting the floor dogged their every step.
Glynda walked with a hand tucked under her chin, the elbow being supported by the other hand as she spoke. "His story reminded me of another's. The same tale about losing their family and running away to Vale for a new life. Wanting to put their natural gifts to good use."
"I noticed it was well," Ozpin said as they stopped at the foot of the staircase that led up. "We can't ignore the possibility he was being truthful however."
"I'm not convinced yet," she replied. "You saw the same footage I did. His weapon, his armour, his style of fighting. All of them scream Raven's doing. I just can't fathom why she'd sent him here with that story and not expect us to put the pieces together."
Ozpin turned to face Glynda fully, "Perhaps she didn't send him and this is all a coincidence. Weapons can be bought, stolen, or scavenged after all." Glynda opened her mouth to interrupt, but he beat her to it. "I admit to being skeptical however. The driving force behind this is his appearance. It is unfathomable Raven would send anyone but herself for a mission into Vale so close to the den of her enemies."
The wheels began to turn in Glynda's head," She's not here though. Instead we have this young man who shares her style of fighting, her preferred weapon, allegedly born and raised to a 'tribe of nomads' on Anima…"
"There's a possibility this individual shares more than just a similar upbringing with Raven Branwen." Ozpin's tone was even as he gauged her reaction.
"You can't possibly be suggesting that this Jaune and Raven are related," Glynda said, shaking her head.
Looking solemn, Ozpin continued, "He appears to be the right age. Raven left a few months after Yang Xiao Long was born." As he is speaking Ozpin reaches for his own scroll and spends a moment scrolling through. He flips over the device and shows Glynda a picture of Taiyang, before scrolling to one of Raven, then of a still image of Jaune from the security footage. "Raven might not have been aware of it at the time, certainly not Taiyang. As I said before, who else would Raven trust with a mission?"
"No one but herself. Or...her own blood." Glynda took a deep breath as she massaged her temples, "What does this all mean? How can we be sure? Why now? If Taiyang is his father then deserves a chance to meet his son. Do we tell him?"
Ozpin reached out and put a shoulder on Glynda's shoulder, "The only people with the other side of this story are Jaune and Raven. For now, let us learn and observe before taking any action."
Glynda nodded and together ascended the stairs to put in for Jaune's release and secure a place for him to stay until Initiation.
:X:
Jaune peered out from the window of the airship, watching idly as the buildings below went by. Around him dozens of prospective students were chattering among themselves loudly and without care. All of them were sporting various types of bladed weapons and firearms. As they gradually began to rise higher and higher Beacon's campus came into view followed by gasps and murmurs. People lurched forward and pressed themselves into the glass jostling Jaune and contributing to his growing headache.
The sight of Beacon was impressive to say the least. Towers, arches, paved walkways, even a river ran through part of it. It had numerous places for aircrafts to touch down and could feed and house hundreds of students for months on end. Only ever having lived in a tent in the woods it was more than a little overwhelming for Jaune. Finally, the ship touched down as it gave a sickening jolt that made his stomach lurch in horrible ways.
From the corner of his vision caught a mass of red heading his way before a mob of students pushed past him to take their first steps on Beacon's grounds. He was forced along and shoved people aside as he began to move forward at his own pace.
"Woah!"
"Wow!"
"This is Beacon? It's huge!"
"Where are we supposed to go?" The conversations continued as they began to approach the main building. The headmaster hadn't given him directions beyond which airship he needed to board and when and where it was going to pick him up. From behind him he heard a crash and the sound of glass breaking.
Looking over his shoulder he saw a girl on the ground dressed in red and black while another girl wearing blinding white clothing with hair to match yelled down at her. He was too far to make out any other details. Around them various dust containers were cracked and their contents mixing on the ground sending up faint fumes. He pushed ahead a bit before an explosion rang out followed by more shouts. A few others turned back, but Jaune kept his gaze toward the ground, becoming lost in thought.
What did Beacon have in store for him? Being in the tribe brought with it a near constant source of danger. Everyone walked around armed and was prepared to fight to keep what was theirs either from Grimm or other bandits. Here, everyone was still armed, but they talked and talked like there wasn't a care in the world. He'd have to find someplace calm and quiet if he was ever going to make it through four years.
Eventually, Jaune made his way to a huge room where dozens of students had gathered in front of a stage with a single microphone in the center. Toward the back he heard another commotion that turned out to be the white haired girl yelling at Ruby. There was no mistaking those silver eyes. From behind them a girl wearing black and white clothes with a large bow on her head and another blonde girl sporting two larger bracelets watched mildly amused.
Jaune's eyes locked onto the blonde's features as another face with paler skin, framed by black hair, and flaming red eyes was superimposed over hers. He sucked in a breath and he felt his heart jump into his throat. All at once her face lit up in merriment and she latched onto Ruby as she kicked and struggled all the while saying something to her he was too far to hear and seemed to rile Ruby up even more.
Jaune could feel himself staring and he was sure to be noticed before long, but he couldn't tear his eyes away from her. Just then he winced in pain as feedback came out of the speakers on stage, breaking the spell. The girl's face was normal again and he swiftly turned his head and brought his attention to the stage as Headmaster Ozpin began his speech. All the while Jaune was oblivious to the two pairs of light green and lilac eyes that trained themselves on him throughout the address.
When the speech was finally concluded Jaune and the other students were ushered to the ballroom where they would rest before Initiation in the morning. Jaune opted for a bed roll and found a place along the wall where he got ready for bed.
I can't believe they have a room dedicated to dancing of all things, Jaune thought. I thought Beacon taught it's students to hunt Grimm, not dance. The word rang in his mind as he folded his robe and slid back first against the wall into a sitting position next to his bed roll. Student. He had reluctantly chosen to store his gear like everyone else so as to not draw attention by being the only one still armed.
Before he was a bandit, raiding villages and exterminating Grimm from their camp's borders. Now, he was a student getting ready for his first day of boarding school. No tribe members to warn off. No Grimm to hunt. No villages to raid. Just him in Vale thousands of miles away from Anima's forests. Strange couldn't begin to describe it. On his lap was Rouge's sash folded up and he ran his fingers along three discolored holes that had been crudely sewn shut.
"Hey."
Jaune sat up a bit straighter and lifted the back of his head off the wall as a voice called out. Just a few feet from him and coming his way was the blonde girl from earlier. She was close enough to make out the lilac coloration of her eyes except this time she was wearing shorts and a tank top emblazoned with a symbol on the chest. "Me?" he asked. He'd never seen her before today, but he decided he might as well make sure she was talking to him.
"Yeah. You. What's your name? Mine's Yang." She was indeed talking to him and stopped and stood above him, arms crossed loosely and looking down at him.
He sighed before throwing the sash over his shoulders and standing up fully. "Jaune. Why do you ask?" He watched her carefully, but another one of those episodes didn't come. Something about her still rubbed him the wrong way though.
"Woah. What's with that face you're making? You nervous? Never had the chance to talk with someone as awesome as me before?" Yang grinned and pointed a thumb at herself. She glanced at the pink sash, but didn't comment on it.
He ignored the last half of her questions, "Sorry. I'm just tired. Anyway can I help you with something, Yang? We have an early day tomorrow and I'd like to get to sleep." Jaune gestured towards his bed roll and to himself being left in only his undershirt and pants.
"Yeah sure I just wanted to ask: Are you the guy who helped Ruby a few days ago in Vale?"
Jaune's eyebrows raised, "The girl with the scythe, right? I guess I am…"
"Yeah I thought so. She described you pretty well. She's been talking about meeting you again, you know?" Yang looked at him intently.
"Okay… What do you want with me then?"
"Let me just lay it all on the table," Yang's playful demeanor faded away. "I'm Ruby's older sister and I just need to say this: I need you to give Ruby a chance. She doesn't have very many friends and the ones she did have she left back at Signal. I can't always be there to prop her up and she's gonna need all the help she can get especially since she decided to attend Beacon two years early. She's stuck in her shell and she's going to have to leave it sooner rather than later."
That new bit of information had Jaune confused. The girl Yang was describing sounded nothing like the one he met in Vale. She was confident, strong, talented, and didn't come off as someone who had trouble getting what she wanted, least of all friends. Not to mention the fact that Ruby and Yang looked nothing alike whatsoever. It made him doubt her honesty. "Look," he began, "I'm not here to be your sister's friend. I'm here to become a Huntsman."
"I get that, but Ruby's going to come looking for you," she pressed on. "You're the only other familiar face here." Yang took another step forward and Jaune felt the wall bump up against him. "All I'm saying is give her a chance when she finds you. If you come to find out that you two aren't really friend material then that's fine. Some people just don't get along enough to be anything more than classmates or coworkers." Yang stepped right up to him and Jaune felt the air around them gradually get hotter. The sheen of her long hair intensified ever so slightly, something was happening.
"Just give her an honest chance, okay? Don't try anything funny and don't go out of your way to hurt her feelings." Yang held his gaze and waited for his response.
Around them Jaune could see some of the other students looking their way with others whispering in their small groups. He resisted the urge to roll his eyes at that, "I don't owe you or your sister anything. I told you what I'm here for and that's all that matters to me," he said, staring right back.
"And where does shielding Ruby with your body from a dust explosion fit into all that?"
"I-I" he trailed off. Where did that fit into his plan? It's not like he planned it that way; he just moved without thinking.
Yang took a few steps back, "Just remember what I said alright? We won't have any problems if you do." With her piece said Yang spun on her heel and walked off towards the opposite end of the ballroom. Jaune looked around and scowled at some of the students who were still looking his way and whispering. Now that the show was over they seemed to lose interest, but some still kept an eye on him from the side. Nothing he wasn't used to though.
From the entrance to the ballroom a voice rang out calling lights and then the room was plunged into dimly lit moonlight. Jaune sighed and laid down wrapping Rouge's sash around his arm loosely as he got comfortable.
What waited for him at Initiation tomorrow wasn't going to stop him. Whatever it takes he was going to succeed. When the voices around the ballroom gradually died down and all he could hear was his own breathing he slept.
:X:
Bright and early Jaune blinked his eyes open and quickly reached for his sword and panic shot through before he remembered where he was. He took a deep breath through his nose and out his mouth before he sat up and took in his surroundings. It seemed plenty of other people had the same idea as him as a good chunk of the bedrolls and cots were empty. He scanned the room but saw no sign of Ruby or her sister which he was grateful for. No time for distractions.
Quickly gathering his meager belongings he followed a group of students chatting about finding some food. Following from a distance, they came upon a large cafeteria with rows of tables leading to a smaller room where Jaune saw students walking out with trays of food. His stomach growling, the former bandit observed off to the side students picking out trays and going through the line. He followed suit and was met with countless options of fruits and vegetables and baked goods.
In the end he went with what he knew and piled his tray high with various greens and found a table not yet occupied by anyone. It wasn't a good idea to risk his chances by eating something that didn't agree with him because he got curious. As he sat down to eat he observed the many faces around him to glean whatever information about the competition he could.
Further down the row of tables he saw the girl with black and white clothes keeping to herself. She stared quietly at her food ignoring all those around her. Glancing over his shoulder Jaune caught wind of Ruby and her sister talking loudly about something or other. Ruby was formidable with her versatile scythe and Yang being older and likely more experienced wasn't someone to write off either. Jaune ducked his quickly to try and not be noticed by the younger girl.
Down the opposite end of the table Jaune saw a red haired girl talking loudest of all and shoveling some kind of disc shaped bread in her mouth. Beside her was a black haired boy in a green outfit quietly enjoying his meal, but chiming in every so often. Jaune watched for a few seconds and right when he was about to turn away the black haired boy suddenly froze and jerked his head in Jaune's direction.
At once Jaune's apetite left him as he abruptly stood up and went to dump his food. The boy had a normal enough face with a lock of hair transitioning to pink. What really stood out to him were his eyes, a more intense shade of pink then he was used to. Once more a different face flashed in Jaune's mind and he couldn't stomach staying there any longer.
With his meal half finished Jaune began to make his way towards the lockers where he was directed to store his gear. Over the intercom a voice called out declaring Initiates were to gather at the cliff near the school in thirty minutes. Jaune wasn't the only one in the locker room he noticed at once.
"-And that is why I believe a partnership between you and I would prove most fruitful! So. what do you think, Pyrrha?" The white girl from yesterday was chatting with another student sporting bronze armour, bright red hair, and piercing emerald eyes.
Pyrrha looked nowhere near as enthused as the short girl in her response, "Wow...Weiss. You have quite a gift for public speaking, truly, but-"
"Thank you! I'm well versed in such practices as a result of my top notch education." Weiss was of a single mind right now and jumped on every chance to speak she could. "We should start coming up with strategies for potential scenarios we might find ourselves in. The specifics of the Initiation were kept from us, but I'm sure two brilliant minds such as our own can handle anything!" Each word only seemed to make Pyrrha more and more uncomfortable. Weiss, still singing her own praises, was oblivious to it all.
"NO!" Pyrrha's sudden outburst seemed to shock herself almost as much as Weiss. "I-I mean I have decided going into Initiation that I want fate to decide the outcome. I-I'm sorry…"
Weiss recovered quickly, "That doesn't make any sense you and I have-"
"Hey." At the sound of a new voice both girls turned to see Jaune standing just off to the side looking at them, "Do you mind moving?"
"What? Can't you see that we are in the middle of a conversation here?" Weiss whipped around to him, hands on her hips. A vertical scar traced a line over the left side of her face and eye.
"Yeah. I can see that." The smile Jaune had plastered on to try and keep things moving quickly melted off, "Initiation is in a few minutes and I have to get ready."
"What exactly does that have to do with us?"
"You're standing in front of my locker." Jaune nodded his head to one of few lockers still in use and raised an eyebrow at the pair expectantly.
"O-Oh…" Weiss trailed off, the rug pulled from under her. "Well, still, you should not address two refined individuals such as ourselves so casually. Who do you think you are?"
He took a deep breath, "Jaune. Who are either of you, and why exactly should I care?"
"How dare you! This is Pyrrha Nikos, four time champion of the Mistral Regional Tournament and top graduate from Sanctum Academy! I myself and Weiss Schnee heiress to the top supplier of high quality dust that you no doubt use!" She jabbed a finger accusingly in his direction.
Jaune scowled, "I don't use dust and I've never heard of either of you."
Shocked, Weiss began frantically searching for the words, giving Pyrrha a chance to finally speak her mind. "I was actually just leaving! Don't mind her, I'm no one special and I truly apologize for wasting so much of your time. I wish you luck, Jaune." Pyrrha's eyes narrowed as a genuine smile graced her features before she swiftly made her exit.
"W-wait! Pyrrha!" Jaune promptly ignored, Weiss turned and followed the red head out.
The blonde's eyes lingered on the door as the pair left before shaking his head and began to collect his gear. The familiar gauntlets easily slipped onto his arms and he fastened Auger to his waist where it belonged. His hand lingered over Rouge's hilt and he hesitated.
I've never really trained all that much with a spear before. Maybe I should leave it behind in case I end up losing it. Jaune deliberated before steeling himself and fastening the other weapon on his right side. The only things left of Rouge was her sash and Verreaux. She would always be by his side no matter what.
Silver eyes caught the back of Jaune's head as he made his exit. "Hey is that the guy I met the other day!?"
On the ground beside her Yang was pulling up her boot, "I dunno. What did he look like again?"
Ruby spun around "Yang! I've told you like-"
"Way too many times already? What's your deal with this guy anyway? You could have sworn you saw him three times yesterday and it just ended by some other blonde guy." Yang stood and kicked the tip of her boot on the ground.
Ruby frowned at her sister, eyes wide, "Weren't you the one that said I should make some new friends? Get out of my shell or something?"
"I did but you haven't really scored any points with the two people you've met so far. Maybe give them another shot before throwing in a third?"
Ruby deflated and looked away, "He just seemed cool is all. You should have seen the way he cut the dust round that jerk Torchwick sent at us. Then on the rooftop he moved to take an explosion for me. Plus, he attacked Professor Goodwitch and he still got off the hook. How could I not want to know more!?"
Yang sighed, after her talk yesterday Jaune made it clear he wouldn't be interested in Ruby poking and prodding him for details about himself. She had been the one to spot him when he entered and move to keep Ruby's back to him as long as she could to avoid anything messy right before Initiation. Her little sister would need all of her focus to keep ahead of the game.
"Look," Yang said, "How about for right now you just focus on getting through this thing in one piece, okay? If he is here you'll have all the time in the world to rustle yourself up a man, but you won't get anywhere if you get sent back to Signal for failing Initiation."
Ruby sighed exasperated, "Yang! It's not like that at all."
"I know. I know," she held up hands and waved placatingly, "I'm just pulling your leg, but seriously. You don't know this guy, so try not to put him on a pedestal if you do end up running up into him out there."
"Hmmmm...okay. I'll try and keep an open mind."
Yang smiled, "Good. Let's get out there. We don't want to be late."
:X:
Jaune stood out near the edge of the cliff in line with the other students. Looking out, the tree tops swayed back and forth like wind blowing through a grassy field. The sight filled him with an eerie sense of deja vu. From behind him footsteps came rushing up and he turned to see Ruby and Yang coming up to take their place. There were only two more spaces beside him and the elder sister quickly shot forward and took the spot directly next to him.
Ruby whispered to Yang, "Hey! Yang, it really is him! I wanna to talk to him, trade me places!"
Yang made a show of looking him up and down, "This guy? I don't know...doesn't really seem like the kind of sword wielding badass you described. This is clearly the wrong person."
"Yang-"
"Excuse me!" called out of the voice Glynda Goodwitch, "If you are quite finished we would like to get started now."
Ruby sheepishly took her spot next to Yang, but kept sending glances Jaune's way. For his part Jaune kept his gaze locked straight ahead.
Ozpin cleared his throat, "Now then. Let us begin."
Jaune listened with half an ear as the voices around him gradually faded away as he stared off into the distance. The longer he looked the stronger the feeling got. It's like he's been in this exact same spot before looking out over a sea of trees just like this. Memories of times with the tribe quickly flashed through his head. Thoughts of Vernal and Rouge shot to the front of his mind, but were soon followed by Raven and his blood began to boil.
Training with Rouge at Raven's instruction. Vernal and him sparring. Raven at the cliff... He willed himself to try and calm down, but the grip on his sword only tightened.
"...You will meet opposition along the way. Do not hesitate to destroy everything in your path or you will die."
Jaune shot back to reality, realizing he was missing out on crucial information. Relics? Partner? Teams? Vernal had never mentioned anything like before. Is this how all the Huntsman academies did things? He assumed he'd be fighting other students to show his worth not play fetch of all things. He looked back at the other students and none looked surprised or confused as he felt.
He shook his head. It didn't matter. All he had was go North, find the ruins, and return with a relic and he was done. He repeated the words in his head like a mantra. North, ruins, relics, return. Over and over the words played in his head, but he couldn't shake the sense of familiarity that continued to eat at him. Further down the way the sound of a quick yelp snagged his attention.
The former bandit watched as a student was flung high into the air from one of the platforms they were all standing on and began to go down the row. Again, deja vu hit him. The reason why was staring at him right in the face, but he couldn't pin it down. All he wanted to do was focus on the task at hand. His sword began to shake as he crushed the handle in his grip before someone called out to him.
"Are you well, Jaune?" Professor Ozpin's voice broke him out of his stupor and he looked to see the Headmaster's face, his features neutral. Steam wafting up from the mug in his hand.
That seemed to have done the trick, "Fine," Jaune replied simply. It was nearly his turn now and looked over to see Yang holding a pair of sunglasses and winking at Ruby. The younger girl shot off, a streak of red and black through the air.
"Don't forget what we talked about," Yang said and then she too was sent off into the air.
Jaune rolled his eyes and braced himself for the launch; the last thing he heard before the rush of wind was the Headmaster wishing him luck.
Sailing through the air he heard nothing but the wind in his ears. As soon as he felt himself losing altitude he activated his semblance. Electricity arced around his body and his eyes lit up like headlights. Just above the canopy Jaune righted himself, flipped forward, and extended his leg to bash through the branches. Tree trunks standing his way splintered and slowed his descent, but several dozen feet off the ground he missed the last trunk by inches and he bashed into it with his hip. The near miss sent him careening off to the side.
Control lost, he crashed into other branches before finally meeting the ground. Jaune took a deep breath and his aura washed over him to repair the grit his teeth, "Useless! Sloppy!" Furious, he turned over and bashed the ground with his fist, electricity flaring wildly around him. "Even this lightning is good for nothing!" The electricity was practically cosmetic except for generating the mildest electric shock. No matter how long he practiced he couldn't make his semblance generate true electrical energy.
In his rage Jaune failed to notice the rustling bushes before it was too late. He looked up at the last second to see a Beowolf leap at him and brought his arm up instinctively. The creature pushed him on his back and tried to claw at him, but Jaune's enhanced aura didn't give an inch. He threw punch after punch at the Grimm's eyes and throat and when it finally released him, reached down and jammed Verreaux's point into its chest.
The Beowolf recoiled and Jaune pushed himself onto his feet before stumbling forward and throwing his entire body into another punch at its snout before falling back onto his knees. The Beowolf flew back a ways thanks to his aura enhanced blow and Jaune threw himself at it sword in hand. He slashed and hacked in a frenzy, venting his frustrations into the creature and forgetting all about the techniques and control Raven instilled in him.
When the Grimm was a swiftly evaporating mass on the ground he fell to his knees breathing heavily and stayed there as the seconds ticked by. "What am I doing?" he said to himself. "I won't get anywhere acting like this." He drove Auger into the ground and used it to pull himself up. He collected Verreaux from it's spot on the ground and looked to the sky to find North before speeding off.
Jaune weaved in and around trees and over exposed roots deftly. The environment out here wasn't so different from Anima. Up ahead he saw more Beowolves milling around. Their ears perked up when they heard his footsteps. Jaune put on a burst of speed and drew his sword; he cut down three and sheathed his sword before they knew to move. The fourth one lunged at him and Jaune sidestepped and cut it down before he dashed off again.
Minutes later he stood before a pack of Ursa in a small clearing. Each one sizing him up and growling menacingly, but he held his ground. The first Ursa roared and stood tall on its hind legs before bringing down it's full weight with its front paws straight towards Jaune. He swiftly evaded and brought and slashed it repeatedly before stepping back to observe the other three. Shots rang out and Jaune brought his semblance and braced, but the shooter had been aiming for the Grimm.
A figure with bright red hair, green eyes, and bronze armour lept from the treetops. Pyrrha Nikos brought her shield straight down onto the skull of one of the Ursa, caving in it's head. The final two roared and charged but she leapt back and reversed the grip on her sword as it morphed into a javelin. A moment later the sound of gunshot went off as the javelin rocketed forward and planted itself into the shoulder of the Grimm.
Jaune sprung into action slashing twice at the remaining creature before ducking under the claw. As the appendage passed over him he darted to the side and severed it. The Ursa roared and stumbled back while the limb fell to the ground with a dull thud and a flash of steel went straight through its throat. The muscled body of the Grimm fell back and shook the ground slightly and began to evaporate. The blonde eased the tension in his shoulder and turned to look at Pyrrha's whose smile only widened when their eyes met.
"Nice to see you again," Pyrrha said, eyes lighting up.
"Why did you interfere?" he asked, much more reserved. "I could have handled it myself. You could have raced off to the ruins knowing I was held up."
Pyrrha raised an eyebrow, "I'm sorry? I'm afraid I'm not following. The first objective of this trial is to link up with a partner, secure a relic, and then return to the cliffside with both in tow, but you wanted to fend for yourself?"
He blinked, "Oh… I must have missed that part. You...right. If that's the case then we should head to ruins as quickly as possible."
"I agree, but first let me introduce myself properly this time. I am Pyrrha Nikos and I am delighted to make your acquaintance!"
Jaune observed her face and could see she was waiting for something to happen, but he wasn't sure what. "I'm Jaune. A pleasure? Let's go now." Turning as he spoke, he missed the way Pyrrha's smile became much more relaxed.
"Let's!"
:X:
This. Took. SUCH a long time to write. This chapter was scrapped and rewritten so many times I lost count. Apologies for the wait. Wish me luck for the next!