It was a hallow quiet Weiss stepped into when she returned to her dorm room early next morning. A hollowness inside her, and a weary tiredness in her bones. She didn't need to look at Yang to know that the blond brawler had a pair of bags under her eyes that rivalled hers.
Sighing she looked around the room, it was empty and cold. Even if the walls were lined with posters, her bags were neatly stacked to the side, even if Yang's bed stood precariously on towers of books. It still lacked the liveliness the was overflowing in Beacon.
The door slammed harder than she had wanted, making her cringe as puffy, bloodshot lilac eyes trailed to her. "You got no sleep too, eh?" Yang asked with a brittle smile.
"No, I can't say I got some sleep. My thoughts kept me awake." Weiss said softly as she got her clothes before heading into the shower. Hoping the shower would wash away her tiredness. It didn't. But she felt fresher than she looked, not to mention a thin layer of makeup would hide her tiredness.
Makeup - a woman's best weapon beside her wit, if they ever wanted to make it in politics or business her father had always said. She hadn't been one to listen to him when it came to more womanly matters, not that her mother was no better. But she could see the appeal in hiding signs of tiredness and other weaknesses.
"You aren't the only one." Yang said when she got out, a thin layer of makeup on to hide her tiredness and make her look fresh as a daisy. Even if she felt anything but.
Rolling her eyes, Weiss didn't comment on how bad Yang looked. She could admit to not having the best relationship with her family outside her sister. And even then, her sister lived up to her namesake. Having found purpose in the military and it's rigid structue, done her best to absorb everything as a sponge. Her sister wore etiquette like a weapon, having become as cold as their father in her attempt to spite him.
She didn't fault her sister, but she couldn't help but be jealous when she saw what Yang and Ruby had. The relationship she never had but had always wanted with her sister.
Her envy was squashed and slammed behind lock and key, deep, deep down in the deepest recesses of her heart. Especially when the usually strong, boisterous, and confident Yang was reduced to this, a hollow shell. It left a bitter tase in her mouth.
"I for one hope the only one who got a night of proper sleep was Ruby." Weiss sighed, ignoring the raised brow Yang gave her. "She… she didn't deserve to be grouped together with us. Especially with… me and Blake not making it easier for her. I… I will fully admit to having let my pride blind me. I have been harsh on her, more than I would have if you, Jaune, or anyone else had been made team leader. I am woman enough to admit that."
"Anyone, huh?" Yang asked with a teasing smile. "What about Cardin?"
Weiss blinked, snorted loudly, before turning to Yang with a deadpan stare. "Ok. Maybe not anyone. But the point stands. I can also admit to being at fault, I should have chosen my words better yesterday. Both in Vale and here. However, I will also say that Blake is just as much of in the wrong as me. I have received death threats from the White Fang almost for as long as I can remember. There have been attempts at my life from the Fang. Calling a radical group of terrorists misguided is wrong."
"We are all as much to blame, Weisscream." Yang said as she sat up, throwing her legs over the banister and looked down at her. "Me and Ruby should have stepped in when we saw how heated you and Blake got. We should have deescalated the situation, split the two of you apart, and found a way for the two of you to talk peacefully. But we didn't. Everyone was a fault, even Jaune. He had no right to butt into our business like that, tearing into us like that, even if it comes from a good place. That was also wrong."
"Hindsight is 20/20 or so they say." Weiss said as she looked down at her letter to her father. Grabbing a pen and writing a simple question. Looking at the letter before signing, putting it in an envelope before placing it out to the side. She had given her fathers actions a lot of thought over the night, she better than anyone that her father was morally bankrupt. But what Jaune had said about legacy slapped her in the face.
Him calling the Schnee family a 'Newtype' suddenly painted her fathers actions in a different light. He was still morally bankrupt, and there was no love to speak of between them. But it made sense, in a twisted sort of way. Her father only wanted two things, money and influence. And if not that, he wanted a legacy in her or Whitley.
It could also just be her sleep addled brain running in circles and making up nonsense.
But she needed to know.
"You ok there Weisscream? You have been staring at that letter for a good ten minutes." Yang whistled as she got out of the shower. She looked marginally better, walking with more energy and a bit of her boisterous nature was back. But it was subdued, her grin not entirely reaching her eyes, her shoulder hanging heavier than usual.
"I… I don't know. I want answers… I think, but I don't think I'm ready to ask the right questions." Weiss replied as she crumbled the letter. A soft smile on her lips as she felt a weight of her shoulders.
She wouldn't go running to her father for questions. Instead she would try and find answers of her own, for now that was. The factuality seemed more than happy with helping her should she come too them for help. Knowing that her father would give her some twisted answer to try and make her see things her way. She thought she had escaped her fathers influence when she enrolled in Beacon, away and out of his control. But it was clear her father's insidious influence ran deeper in her that she had thought.
"Oh… yeah… fuck 'em questions." Yang replied with a shrug as she looked around, freezing on the spot as she found the calm countenance of Blake on her bed. Idly reading her book as if nothing had happened yesterday. Amber eyes coming up and looking over at them with a calm indifference before glowing with interest as they dove back to the pages before her. In a blink lilac burned red before Yang took a deep calming breath. "Lets… let's go get Ruby. As a Team. I'm calling team meeting after. We have much to discuss. Everyone."
"Let's." Weiss sighed out, giving Blake a harsher look than she meant. Embers of yesterday's anger almost reigniting at her teammates nonchalant demeanour. No bags under her eyes, no tiredness to speak of, no nothing. Blake looked like nothing had happened yesterday. Taking a deep breath, before stepping out of the room before she let her temper get the best of her. She was Schnee, she was better than that. That didn't mean however that she would just forget and forgive. Unless Blake proved herself to be worthy of her trust, she would get nothing but the cold shoulder from her.
Opening the door to the dead empty corridor she looked around. Quickly fishing up her scroll and looking at the clock, having expected more people to be ambling about. It was a little over 7 am, far earlier than when most woke up, but it was also weekend, so it was understandable. Not to mention how they were all late teenagers, most who didn't have as strong a sense of discipline like the one that had been drilled into her.
The only one in the corridor was Ren who was calmly strolling down. Towel slung over his shoulders as sweat raced down his face.
"Hi. Is Ruby awake?" She asked as politely as she could. By the way his pink eyes bore over them, it was clear she had let a harsher edge than intended bleed into her words. "I apologize, I'm not usually this cranky."
"This is going to be one of those days, isn't it." He sighed tiredly, letting his hand rest on the doorknob before he turned back to them. "You can come in as guests. The second you start fighting like you did yesterday we are throwing you out. If you have any problems with that, please stay out."
"That's… fair I suppose." Yang sighed out as she fought down a yawn. Hand coming up to cover her face an enormous yawn broke out of her as well. A fierce blush colouring her cheeks as she burned in embarrassment.
Ren only shook his head at their antics and opened the door. Stepping into the room Weiss let her eyes wander over the rooms. Compared to their 'bunk beds', Team JNPR had the standard four beds upset that was common. The only thing that really stood out at a first glance was the extra matrass that was added to the floor, where Ruby lied curled up. Silver eyes peeking through from under the blanket as she looked on a scroll video.
"Why… why don't we have a bathroom order." Weiss asked in bewilderment, eyes laser focused on the two papers tacked to their notice board. "Why don't we have a list of dorm rules either?" She continued, mostly in bewilderment as the thought of both lists had never crossed her mind. But when she first thought about it, it was so obvious in hindsight.
"First come first serve have served us well so far, right?" Yang replied absentmindedly, sitting on Jaune's bed, resting her feet on Ruby in an attempt to get her to get up. Ruby only groaned and pulled her blankets harder over her. Eyes remaining on her scroll.
"I wouldn't call having an almost free for all every morning 'good'." Weiss diplomatically settled on as she let her eyes wander over the room. Ren had collapsed down on his chair, glass of green goop smoothie in his hand that he sipped on as he had a book in his hand. 'Tao Te Ching' written on the cover in ancient Mistralian script and modern Common. Pyrrha looked like a burrito or a caterpillar, lacking the proper words to describe the lifeform before her. Energetic humming rang out from the bathroom, so it was clear where the last member was. The bathroom order saying as much as well.
Jaune sat on his desk turned workbench in his onesie. Tower of books on one side, a rack of tools hung on the walls. A metallic cane leaning at the workbench as he scribbled something in his notebook as he looked over a bronze canister. Screwdriver and other more intricate tools by his side as he frowned, pushed some bags of something down in the holding canister before screwing everything tight. "That should be right." He mumbled to himself before shrugging.
"Eh. Tomato-tomato. What works for them might not work for us and vice-versa." Yang said with surprising insight. Rolling her eyes before looking boredly over at her.
"I see your point, but still." Weiss started, before giving up with a shake of her head. Knowing better than to debate against someone who really didn't care about it. Yang may live on a more moment to moment basis, however she needed some structure in her life. Giving the room one last look over before she decided to drag her team back, her eyes landed on the window with a bell-shaped hole in it.
"It was that way when we got the room."
The entirety of Team JNPR chorused as one, it was almost as if they had eyes on the back of their heads. Ren and Jaune not moving in the slightest, while Nora's voice rang out from shower. Even Pyrrha mumbled along from her confines of comfy blankets and pillows.
"So that was the crash I heard." Weiss mumbled as a light went up in her mind. Connecting the dots between the sound that had made her drop her toothbrush and the distinctly bell shape. A shape that looked exactly to fit the bell that sat on the top of Jaune's book tower.
"What crash?" Jaune asked with a little smile, looking as innocent as innocent can be. Even if the edge of his lip did it's best to try and curl upward into a smile.
"Shower's ready Renny." Nora called out, breaking their little staring contest, and throwing herself onto her bed with a happy squeal. Quickly turning around and sitting up and looking over at Jaune. Giving them a quick look over before focusing her attention back at Jaune. "So Fearless leader. Have you thought about what to do about Miss Goodwitch?"
"Excuse me?" Jaune asked politely as he turned to her, surprise clearly written on his face.
"You know Miss Goodwitch have been hard on you because she wants you to go all out, right?" Nora said as if it was the most obvious things. Blinking her eyes before shedding more light on the situation. "Jaune-Jaune, it's because you manhandled Cardin's team, but is refusing to go all out in her classes."
"I thought it was because she was angry at something I had done." Jaune exclaimed in surprise. Cringing as everyone suddenly looked at him.
"I thought it was a bit surprising how she has had you fight so often." Weiss hummed, having the mildest reaction in her team, followed by Ruby who sat up. Shrugging of her sisters feet before looking at her friend.
"You been holding out on me vomit boy?" Yang teased good naturally with an almost hungry smile.
"Not really." Jaune shrugged, going back to his bonze canister, twiddling the knobs on it before eventually nodding to himself with a content smile. "It not as much as me holding out, but more me using our combat classes for what they are designed for, instead of using sparing as an excuse for me to get my hit of adrenaline. They are designed for us to spar, and to work on our weaknesses, and I have been doing exactly that. Working on my fighting style, learning about how to fight against more skilled opponents, incorporating different types of footwork for different situations."
"So you have been holding out." Yang grinned like a cat that just got the canary. "Goodwitch wouldn't push you into so many fights if she didn't know you can be better. And by the likes of it you can."
"Eh." Jaune shrugged, looking at Yang with a look bordering on completely apathic. "Yang, to be honest, I don't really care about the sparring. I came to Beacon to learn to help and save people from the grim, not to fight other hormonal thrill seekers. I can understand the draw of it, I really can. But… honestly… a part of me just detests fighting, no matter how talented I might be at it."
"That's fun and all. But now I won't feel bad for going hard on you tomorrow." Yang replied with a shrug. "I understand you are Ruby's friend, but that doesn't give you right to bite into us like you did yesterday. No matter how much we might deserve it."
"Yang. If I needed to bite into you like that for you to get a wakeup call, then I won't hesitate to the same again. Not to mention how you needed it by the looks of things." Jaune said calmly, not at all mincing his words in the slightest. "In fact, had our situation been reversed I would expect you, Ruby, Weiss, anyone really, to give me that slap in the face I would need to get my head out of my ass."
"Whokay people. Calm down. This is a conflict free area, and let's keep it that way." Nora exclaimed as she stood up, standing between Yang and Jaune. "I think everyone should take a deep breath and take a step back."
Taking a deep breath, Yang held it before slowly exhaling. Doing the same again and again until most of her anger was but a distant dream. She gave Jaune a hard look, crossing her arms and looking away. "I stand by what I said. It was none of his business to butt in like that."
"And so do I." Jaune said as the tension suddenly returned. "I should maybe have chosen my words more carefully. But I fully stand by what I said."
"Right..." Weiss said, standing up and clapping her hands. "Yang, Ruby. I think it's high time we return to our dorm. Let us not overstay our welcome, we can always visit another time if we want. Not to mention that we will see each other at breakfast either way, let's all take a step back and let our tempers cool down before that, alright?"
"Yeah… that's fair." Yang breathed out, missing her stress ball. Giving a look over at Jaune she stifled the embers of anger that burned in her guts. Opening her mouth only for words to fail her. A part of her wanted to thank him for stepping in and giving her the wakeup slap she needed. Another part bristled at the sheer notion. "Come on Rubes, let's get back. We have some things we want to talk about as well. Team members only."
Getting up, Ruby folded her mattress on itself like Jaune had done yesterday. Face a visage of determination, as shame burned in her gut. She was made team leader for cookies sake. She had had enough of hiding behind others. It was time for her to step up and actually do her job as team leader.
"Let's." Ruby whispered softly; voice full of determination as fire burned in her eyes. Wandering eyes wandering over to Jaune, who gave her a nod and a thumbs up. "Thanks for allowing me to stay over, but it's time we left. Not to mention we can't allow Blake to use up all the warm water."
"She didn't come did she." Weiss sighed out, feeling disappointed at her disappointment for her teammate. She should have known better, even if having Blake and Jaune in the same room would end up as a disaster.
"Nope." Yang said with a teasing grin that lacked its usual mirth. "But vomit boy, I hope you are brining your A game on Monday. I certainly will."
#####
Jaune wasn't nervous. After all his time in Yharnam he liked to think he had gotten a rather good hang on his nerves. But as his stomach churned, he knew that to be a lie. He was still a nervous wreck, he had just learned to ignore it, or just power trough his nerves. Whatever the situation called for.
His fingers had been twitching since the moment he woke up, the hair on the back of his neck stood up as his instincts were going haywire. His appetite was gone far before he stepped into the cafeteria, only shovelling his breakfast down by sheer power of will, knowing he would need it for later.
"Did… did something happen?" Pyrrha asked softly, her words ringing out in the dead silent cafeteria. While she was a four-time champion, she had never been overly fond of the limelight, no matter how often it had been forced onto her. She had learned to cope, but she still felt her fame was surreal. She was just a fighter, a damn good one, but at the end of the day she was just a fighter. Nothing more, nothing less.
"I don't know." Jaune whispered back, feeling the eyes of everyone in the cafeteria on him. Even breakfast the day after the food fight and his spat with Blake hadn't resulted in even half of the attention that suddenly was on him.
"Eh, they can look all they want. Maybe they are just scouting out the competition for the festival?" Nora shrugged as she pushed another syrup drenched pancake into her mouth. Humming to herself as she happily ate. "We have fearless leader and Pyrrha, plus you and me, Renny. We are winning, and I'm going to use my part of the prize money to buy pancakes. Or maybe some upgrades to Magnhild."
"Arrogance doesn't suit you, Nora." Ren said calmly, pink eyes sceptically looking over their classmates. "But let us not put all our eggs in one basket. Just because we are strong contenders for the tournament doesn't that mean we will be the only ones. There can, and most likely will be teams just as skilled, if not more for the festival. All the four kingdoms will pull their best, there is bound to be someone out there better than us. After all there will always be taller mountains out there. The world is vast."
"Well said Ren." Pyrrha said with a bright smile. Heart already pumping at the thought of strong opponents. She might be the reigning four-time champion of the Mistral Regional Tournament. But, just as the name said, that was just a regional tournament. She couldn't wait to test her mettle against the most up and coming fighters of this generation.
"Maybe some more team training?" Jaune hummed, while they trained and sparred together, their teamwork could always be better. After all, there was strength in numbers. A truth he knew intimately. Knowing from the bottom of his heart that if the mad men of Yharnam had worked together and used their numerical advantage to its full advantage. He wouldn't have made it past the first proper stretch from Gilbert, instead he would still be there.
Using the terrain to their advantage, moving in formation, multiple firing squads at strategic locations, to name but a few ways they could have turned that street into a literal killing ground.
However, another thing Yharnam had drilled into him was that while numbers were good, they meant nothing if a group was incapable of working together. Instead their numerical advantage would crumble in on itself as they unwittingly sabotaged for one another. Something that he had used to it's full advantage when he was forced to fight large groups of mad men.
"I'll do some reading up on Beacon's rules about extended hunting trips. This is a huntsman academy after all, not to mention the Emerald Forest is quite literally next door. There have to be something about it." Jaune said as he shovelled down his porridge. It tasted bland, it looked even blander, but it was filling and would keep him going for long. "Depending on what Beacon's policies are, we might stay out for the night, or we can request a bullhead to pick us up. I don't know, but I will read up on it now."
"Camping trip?" Nora asked with an exited smile. Eyes glittering in excitement, almost bouncing in place.
"Maybe? If no one is against it, we can have a training cum camping trip from Friday after classes to Sunday afternoon." Jaune replied nonchalantly, looking over at his team. Nora shot him a bright smile, Ren was nodding, while Pyrrha had an eager smile on her face. "Maybe making it a monthly, or biweekly thing if no one is against it."
"I have never been on a camping trip before. This is going to be just grand." Pyrrha said with a soft if eager smile.
"If it's going to be a camping trip, we need to decide sleeping arrangements. Do remember that we must be able to carry our things both back and forth. We might be able to throw away leftovers, but everything else needs to be brought back." Ren calmly added in from the side. "Also, each tent will need to be carried. So it's either a small one-person tent that you carry and sleep in yourself, then there are two person tents that we either split by partner or by gender, and lastly a family tent where we share one tent with multiple compartments. Either way we will need to account for its weight and size."
"Sleeping arrangements aside, there are a lot of other things we will need." Nora added from the side with a sing-song voice. "Like food, camping stools and all other equipment we will need if we don't want to sit on the ground that is. Not to mention a whole load of other stuff if we want to make the trip enjoyable."
"Good news and bad news." Jaune said as he put down his scroll and looked over his team. Bubbling excitement blown away like a candle in the wind. "We are allowed to stay out for multiple days, but we will need to fill out a form regarding what we will be doing and where we will be. Weird rule, but it's understandable that the staff want's to have an idea of where we are in case of emergencies."
"Fearless leader, never, never start a sentence like that again." Nora said as she, Pyrrha and Ren all let out a sigh of relif.
"What is the bad news?" Ren asked calmly. Having an idea about what it can be about.
"Nothing bad per se, but we can't call for a pickup. The bullheads are for assignment missions, quick evacs should a team be overrun and require immediate assistance, and for the staff, should they need it." Jaune shrugged as he sent his team the online rulebook. He doubted Nora would read it, but both Ren and Pyrrha probably would. "So we will need to walk the entire way, might be good training, but it's also going to be an exercise in limitation as well."
"What makes you say that?" Pyrrha asked curiously, not being afraid to ask questions. After all she was the one with the least camping experience. This was an entirely new experience for her.
"Means we need to limit what we bring as we will need to carry it ourselves, instead of packing more and just camping where the bullhead sets us down." Nora chimed in with a smile. Tapping away on her scroll as she wrote down a quick list of what they would need. Crossing out over half the list with a pout.
"We can skimp on food if we bring some fishing rods instead, but then we will need to set up camp next to a river. Everything that can't be compressed will need to be set aside, for now at least. Not to mention Dust can't be compressed." Ren added in from the side, quickly looking over the list Nora had made and nodding. "Then there is what we will need to set up a defensive perimeter and warning system."
"For the grimm, right?" Pyrrha asked. Smile faltering as Nora and Ren suddenly got really quiet. "For the grimm, right?" She asked again, pit suddenly forming in her stomach as Ren sighed.
"Well… yes and no…" Ren breathed out heavily. "I don't know how it is in Vale, and the surrounding areas regarding bandits and slavers. But in Mistral… if you don't have an early warning system, you will find yourself bound and gagged in the back of a slave cart before you knew what happened. The grimm are bad sure, but we have learned, or experienced really, that grimm will mostly leave you alone while you are sleeping. No matter how bad of a nightmare you have."
"It's people you should worry about." Nora added morosely. Quickly shaking herself out of it and slapping a smile on her face. "But don't worry about that Pyrrha! Expert Nora will make sure no stary grimm or bandits will make it even an inch towards our camping area."
"Okay?" Pyrrha chuckled nervously, choosing to let the topic rest somewhat reluctantly. Instead letting Nora do what Nora did best. Knowing that she had no camping experience to talk about. Nora and Ren had been on the road for most of their lives, just like she knew more about combat and its intricacies, they knew more about camping and living outdoors.
"Don't worry Pyrrha, I don't think there are any bandits or the like in Vale. Or at least so close to Beacon and Vale city, but… better safe than sorry." Ren reassured softly. "If anything, the thing you should worry about is the sounds of the forest… It can be a bit surprising how creepy it can be."
*Boom*
The cafeteria doors were kicked open by one Yang Xiao-Long, Ruby standing behind her with an embarrassed look. Lilac eyes trailing over the silent cafeteria before landing on Jaune. Having found her target she marched towards them. Not aggressively, instead she looked downright eager for answers.
"Yo. Vomit boy. How are you of all people trending?" Yang shouted out. Asking the question that was on everyone's mind. A sea of heads turned towards them and Jaune, once again felt his fingers restlessly roam over the hilt of Crocea Mors.
"Excuse me?" He asked as his stressed mind caught up on her words. Mind coming up completely blank as he looked like a deer caught in headlight. Not a single thought in his head as he wondered what she was on about.
Snorting, Yang fished out her scroll, shoving it into his face with a video of him in a dingy karaoke bar. Giving her a sceptical look he tapped the scroll. Not knowing what the hush-hush was all about. As his singing voice rang out in the silent cafeteria, he felt more embarrassed than anything. Cringing at where he obviously missed a note or two.
"Wait… is that why everyone has been so hush-hush today?" Nora asked looking around. Getting some hesitant nods and uncomfortable smiles sent her way. "It's just karaoke. Singing and drinking together with friends and just having fun. Nothing more, nothing less. It's not like he cheated his way into Beacon or anything."
Breaking out in a violent cough, Jaune chugged down his glass as Nora helpfully slapped his back. "Thanks Nora." He sighed out to his friend. "Wrong pipe." Shaking his head, he shrugged. Mind more occupied at how resilient his body had become. He hadn't noticed it before, but Nora's slaps had knocked the air out of his lungs before. Now his back only ached a bit instead. A clear nod at how his investment into Vitality and Endurance were paying dividends.
"But Yang. It's like Nora said. It's just karaoke. It's five minutes of fame at best." Jaune shrugged. The spell that hung over everyone else in the cafeteria breaking as chatter once again rang out. Jokes were thrown around, followed by laughter and smiles. "If you really want fame that much you should focus on winning the tournament. I'm sure you will be on the lips of everyone then."
"Trust me, fame isn't everything it is made out to be." Pyrrha added in from the side, getting a nod from Weiss who looked like a different person than she had been yesterday. She looked more invested in what was going around the table, drinking on her coffee. Scroll nowhere in sight. "You will constantly be held under a microscope. Everything you say will be taken in and out of context just for others to try and force your brand into their schemes. Not to mention the fans. Oh… the fans…"
"You ok there Pyrh?" Yang asked good naturally as the champion shuddered in disgust. A grimace on her face as memories she had done her absolute best to repress came swimming to the forefront.
"Let her be Yang." Weiss added in from the side, looking remarkably paler than normal. Shuddering slightly, and for once in her life thankful for her father for quickly cracking down hard and ruthlessly on a questionable part of her fanbase she acquired during her singing career.
"Eh, if you say so Weisscream." Yang shrugged before letting her eyes fall on Jaune. Who for his part sighed loudly, before looking at her with a half-hearted glare.
"Fine." He spat out with a tired finality. "If it will get you to shut up, then fine. I will fight you with all that I got. Just… please stop with your incessant whining. You are worse than my youngest sisters. And they are nine! Nine! You are almost double their age! Act like it."
"That sounds more like a you problem, Jaune." Yang shrugged as she looked downright eager for classes to start. "But honestly, it's your fault. Knowing that you have been holding out on me like that."
"And you want an excuse to kick my ass." Jaune added, to which Yang had the decency to blush slightly. "Well… yes. But not entirely. Like, I want to go all out against you, and if you don't reciprocate the fight will be stale you know? I might want to kick your ass because of what happened Saturday, but honestly, that's only another reason for you to go all out. It wouldn't be as cathartic if you didn't give it your all, you know."
"It's great that you see me as a walking, talking, therapy punching bag." Jaune sighed out, getting a soft wince from Yang who suddenly looked a bit sheepish. "But fine… just don't come crying to me when the fight is over. There is a reason I said I was good at violence."
"Isn't fighting just a fancier word for violence?" Yang asked, looking a bit put out at the pitying look Nora sent her.
"We'll be sure to bring flowers to your grave Xiao-Long." Cadin said, clapping her good naturally on the shoulder before hurriedly stepping away. Team hot on his feet as they cast almost frightened looks at Jaune, who for his part looked jus as stumped as Yang.
"What was that about?" She asked to Jaune who shrugged. "No idea. But we should maybe think about heading to Miss Goodwitch's class."
####
"I think I'm going to hurl." Weiss muttered weakly, wincing, and closing her legs as Jaune landed a powerful kick between Yang's legs. The blond brawler sharply inhaled as her eyes burned red before she charged at him with a battle cry, golden hair exploding into flames.
Compared to the burning fury that enveloped Yang, Jaune was eerily calm. From the moment he stepped out from the changing room he had been different, almost like he was another person. Blue eyes colder than the winters of her homeland.
"You are not the only one." Blake hissed in displeasure as Jaune effortlessly sidestepping Yang's roaring charge with inhuman calmness. Hand shooting out and yanking her wild mane back with eerie, almost practiced movements. Even as the flames who exploded out from her hair as Yang snarled, he was calm. Effortlessly switching grip on Crocea Mors, bashing the pommel into her nose with ferocity. Electing a startled grunt from Yang that was quickly silenced as the pommel crashed into her throat, making her gasp.
Fist coming up to land a punch square in his gut, shotgun shell firing for extra impact. Jaune didn't let out a groan nor let go of her hair. Continuing to wail at her with the pommel. Hitting her solar plexus with a sickening crunch as Yang gasped loudly, breath coming out in a ragged mess as she was bent backwards. Foot planted on hers as she was forced to bend over backwards as her leg screamed in protest at the uncomfortable position. Effortlessly switching his grip on his sword again as thunderous blows landed on Yang's unprotected stomachs. Aura diving sharply with each hit.
Yanking her head backwards, Jaune threw her away. Hurriedly backpedalling as Yang crashed onto floor, wheezing but quickly managing to get her feet under her as she looked at Jaune with blazing furry. Eating a thunderous shot to the face that knocked her off her feet and sent her tumbling backwards. Two other gunshots echoing out as the bullets tore into Ember Cilia's magazines. Engulfing Yang in a fiery explosion as her dust cartridge's exploded.
"That's enough. I'm calling the fight now." Glynda called out, allowing the spectators to let out a breath they didn't knew they had been holding. Nervous looks landing on Jaune who had another bullet in the chamber and was pointing his revolver towards Yang's temple.
"I can still fight." Yang spat out trough gritted teeth out as she forced herself up. Ready to tear Jaune apart, before she broke into a hacking cough as her legs almost buckled.
"No you cannot." Miss Goodwitch as calmly with a stern edge. "Miss Xiao-Long, while I can respect your drive to continue fighting, you are in no shape to properly continue. Your weapons have malfunctioned, something that is in no shape a fault of your own, instead your opponent took advantage in a barley hidden flaw."
"A lucky shot." Yang spat out, blood coating her spit as a single line of blood tickled down her nose.
"Miss Xiao-Long, your opponent has dictated this fight from the moment you two stepped into the arena. You weren't as much outmatched as you were outfought and outmanoeuvred. I hope this will be the last time I say this. Your semblance is strong, allowing you to deliver hits that are magnitudes over your weight class. However you can't keep using it as a crutch, neither can you allow your temper to rule you." Professor Goodwitch lectured calmly as Yang collapsed onto her ass, taking deep calming breaths, only breaking out into the occasional cough. "It might lead to your undoing. You are better than this, learn, adapt, and overcome."
"Mr Arc, while I personally can't condone your methods, the fact of the matter is that you won. For that you have my congratulations." Professor Goodwitch called out, doing her best not to sigh as the silent arena almost exploded in protest. Students standing up, talking over another all the while pointing at Jaune.
"Silence!" Professor Goodwitch shouted, taking a deep breath before sternly looking over who had shouted the loudest. "You are adults, you are huntsmen in training, act-it. Now, Miss Sterling, is there anything you want to say?"
"Yes. Why are you letting him get away with fighting dirty like that?" She asked, making some classmates nod along at her words. Having the same sentiment in mind. That hadn't been a spar, it was nothing more than a glorified street brawl. Only with aura and sharp metal objects.
"He won." Professor Goodwitch stated calmly, not bothered in the slightest by the question. "Within the rules I set for the match; he won while following them. That is not to say I accept or condone his methods, but the fact of the matter is that he won. Mr Arc, I will be expecting you to hone your skills, while it is good that you are willing to go the extra mile for victory. This is a training area, there are no winner's or loser's here, only learning. Something I hope you all will take to heart."
"I will." Jaune said with a nod, coldness thawing of him as he sent his team and friends a nervous look. Flinching slightly at the gobsmacked and slightly scared expressions of Team RWBY.
"Good, see that you do." Professor Goodwitch nodded. "Miss Xiao-Long, this is something that doesn't concern only you, however you are also not innocent in this." Giving her class a stern glare, the professor continued. "My classes are not for you lot to settle grudges. This is an academic arena meant for you to learn your weaknesses in a safe and controlled environment, not a place for you to solve grudges. I do not care if you want to fight, you can book an arena and settle your grudges there as long as you don't take it too far. Otherwise you can take a gander to the forest and let your anger out on the local grimm population. Don't use my classes to settle petty disputes. Is that understood?"
A morso silence hung over the class as Professor Goodwitch's stern eyes wandered over her students. "Is, that, understood?" She intoned once again.
"Yes Miss Goodwitch." The class echoed out monotony.
"Good, Mr Arc, Miss Xiao-Long, please retire from the arena." Professor Goodwitch intoned calmly as she called two other students down to the arena.
"You, ok?" Jaune asked as he gave Yang his hand. Grumbling, eyes still burning red, she sighed and grabbed it.
"Yeah." Yang said weakly as she rubbed her nose with a wince. "Damn Vomit Boy, you hit like a fucking truck. Not to mention, what the fuck was that. It was like you was a completely different person."
"You asked me to go all out, I did." Jaune shrugged. Knowing deep in his heart he could have been far more brutal. Would, if this hadn't been an academic setting. After all, he didn't know if aura protected a person's inside, and he didn't think Miss Goodwitch would take kindly to it if he emptied his flamesprayer into Yang's mouth and roasted her from inside out. He didn't need to be as brutal in Yharnam, only needing to eviscerate, disembowel, run through, or behead to get his intended result.
In Remnant however, his classmates had aura. Meaning he would need to get through it first before he could get to them properly. However, aura for all its properties wasn't perfect. A gut punch was still a gut punch, a ball kick was still a ball kick. It only absorbed the blow; the force and pain were still felt. You couldn't really break your arm with aura active, however you could make people wish you did.
"I asked you to go all out, not to turn into a completely different fucking person." Yang bit back, stopping and taking a deep breath before breaking away, heading to the changing rooms while Jaune sighed and made his way over to his friends and team.
####
Note: There will be no cultivation or whatnot. Tao Te Ching is just to give 'flavour' to Ren's interest in philosophy instead of just writing 'some philosophy book'.
Another Note: I got a question earlier about where Jaune is now in skill compared to his classmates, he is on the low tier, but his experience makes up for it. He will also be completely outclassed By Pyrrha, Ruby and Blake will quite literally run circles around him, with him having no proper way to retaliate. Only Yang can be said to be an 'easy' matchup, due to her rage fuelled brawlingstyle, but that is also just barley. Jaune has guts, focus, a will to cause harm and absolutely no qualms about fighting dirty and using everything to win. And don't worry, Yang will get her revenge, I felt pretty bad for what I dragged her trough, but on the other hand she was kind of asking for it.
Note: This chapter was hard to start on, I hope it came out good, but how to start and going from there was harder than expected. I also hope that the cracks in Jaune are beginning to subtly form and show. Understandably he isn't doing as good as he thinks he is. No matter if he got a weekend away from the dream or not. I hoped the jarring switch from sitting and chatting amicably to brutally and calculatedly beating each other up worked.