A/N: Would you kindly read this note, please? This one's important.
My update schedule's going be a bit...scuffed for a few days, due to the holidays. We lost a lot of people and the like. And since I'm the one in charge, you guessed it, that means I'm stuck working round the clock to cover things as its too late to hire greenhorns -new people as it were- to cover. Ergo I'll be posting stories from my phone on my lunch/dinner breaks for a bit. T_T
Thankfully Slifer and I prepared some stories to update in advance in case of just such an eventuality, but still, its going to be touch and go for a bit.
...that said, I am trying VERY HARD not to Jujutsu-Kaisen-crazy and update everything on that front again. Latest episode didn't help and threatened to drive me into a frenzy. Might make a plot bin just to stave off these ideas. And then there's RWBY which I finally have a change to update again. I've not felt this motivated in a while. Such a strange feeling.
Still, this story deserves some love. Aaaand we're back.
Its been a bit, hasn't it? I'm sorry for the delay.
Someone asked for it, and here we are.
With my fifteen year anniversary on this site finally here, I find myself reflecting on the little things in life. What was once a lazy pastime meant for me and a few friends really grew and evolved over time. There are days when I look back on the last fifteen years here and I wonder if anyone will remember me; if I made an impact, despite never making a single cent on any of these stories. Some days were happier than others, and some stories I enjoyed writing WAY too much; to the point where I'd stay up all night working on them.
And of course, there are times when I look to the future and wonder what will become of things when I'm gone.
Of course, I try not to dwell on the latter overmuch; I'm still alive and still writing. In an ideal world, I'd like to keep doing so for as long as I can. But old age is catching up to me and these days, the world is filled with so much madness and death. Feels like everyone's lost their minds sometimes. Even before that, so many friends and fellow writers I once knew are gone, now. Will I still be here in twenty years? Ten? Five? Its a chilling thought. But for now, I'm still here, still writing.
No Q&A this time, folks complained. Sorry.
So here we go. The fate of this story depends on you, the reader. Your feedback determines the fate of this tale, and many others.
I'm just a humble author trying to make his way in this wild world, one word at a time.
Time and feedback will determine if this remains a story. Simple as that.
In other words...its up to YOU, the reader. Do let me know~!
Lets see if you get the references here...
Minor verbatim from RWBY~!
"Wake not the sleeping dragon. Stir not the storm.
Anger not the man who turns the other cheek.
Lest you be utterly destroyed."
~A proverb.
Just a Little Berserk
The rage burned.
Jaune could feel it in his veins, surging and seething, begging for release. Even now he found himself swallowing it, choking on it, forcing it down before he lost control. He'd won. Hadn't he? Neo lay at his feet, out cold, unable to muster even the most meager of resistance. He'd beaten her handily, more than that, he'd dominated her. She'd never stood a chance.
She wasn't moving.
That...that was a good thing, wasn't it?
He raised a boot over her head, ready to bring it crashing down and end her life.
Roman had hurt Ruby. Neo probably would've done much worse if he let her. This was what she deserved, what all of them deserved...!
"Wait, cousin~! We need her alive!"
He blinked, snapped out of his rage by a familiar voice.
"Penny?" Memory pierced the red fog of his rage and he craned his neck, squinting the the scarlet sparks still snarling down his body. "What're you doing here?! Its dangerous...?"
His words trailed off into a questionable noise as he saw her.
Because that was Penny over there; sweet, innocent, awkward Penny...presently tearing through the White Fang like a bloody blender. Twisting and spinning she moved among them, more a dancer then a real fighter. It was like watching Pyrrha. No, not quite Pyrrha, but different. All flowing grace and right in your face. The White Fang didn't stand a chance. She cut through aura like it wasn't even there, lopping off limbs left and right, uncaring for the casualties she left in her wake.
"Do not worry!" she bounded backward on her heels, ducked under a blade, then kicked its owner in half. "I am combat ready!
If he'd been contemplating murder on a whim, his "cousin" was clearly an outright psychopath.
Oddly enough, the thought centered him. Nothing wrong with killing your enemies. Right?
But she was correct; they did need information. Neo would live...for now.
"Gonna let her hog all the glory?"
Of course he wasn't!
He took a deep breath, cracked his knuckles, let the anger go, and waded in. Neo was down in the dirt and it looked like Roman would be joining her soon. Very soon, if he had anything to say about it. Penny had the White Fang grunts well in hand. Blake was keeping Torchwick occupied at the moment; it would easy, effortless even to sweep in behind him and-
And then Roman, in his infinite wisdom, went for Ruby's unconscious body.
Jaune's inner fire became so much ice.
He grabbed a cargo container-
(...Moments Earlier...)
Roman didn't fight for a lost cause.
There, he said it.
Happy now?
It was something of an unspoken rule for him these days; he who runs away lives to fight another day. That code was one of the Three Rules he honored; indeed, they were what made him the Gentleman Thief of Vale; a creed he'd clung to since his earliest days on the streets. He'd been small time back then, but even then there was a certain...honor in what he did.
One: Keep it clean.
Two: Don't take hostages or kill civilians.
Three: Never stick around for a fight if you were losing it.
Good rules. Simple and clear, easy to remember and easier to follow. Or so they had been before a certain Burning Bitch barreled her way in and took control of his little operation. Cinder didn't care about casualties, she didn't care about collateral damage, and she didn't give a flying f**k about his honor.
What she did care about was Dust. Nothing more. Nothing less.
Now here he was, fighting for his life, LOSING, and still expected to somehow sally on, make off with said Dust, and win the day.
.
..
...LIKE HELL!
He grunted as Gambol Shroud cracked across his face, snapping his head to the side with an ugly crackle of aura. Damn cat. When would she learn?! A quick retaliatory swipe followed up by a one-two-three combo sent her sprawling, buying him precious time to backpedal. Melodic Cudgel flitted out and blasted her from her feet, sending her flying.
Neo was of no help at all, she was getting tossed around by tall blond and stupid over there, while this damn cat kept harassing him and ruining his coat Meanwhile, those White Fang grunts lent him by Adam, grunts that were SUPPOSED to be useful were getting, quite literally, cut to pieces by that crazy green-eyed ginger bitch!
'Huh. I usually don't swear this much. Must be the stress. I need a damn smoke. At least little red's still out cold...
An ugly thought struck him.
Roman didn't like taking hostages. It broke his Second Rule. But between that or being sent to the slammer? He knew which he preferred. Little Red was still lying right over there, dazed from the round he'd fired at her earlier and the fall that followed. Probably concussed. It would be simple, easy; wasn't like anything could get worse.
Sweeping backward, he stalked toward the unconscious reaper. "Nothing' personal Red, but I can't afford to fail here, so just stay asleep and..
.
..
...wait.
What was that noise?
Needless to say, things got worse. Much worse.
Roman heard an odd whistling sound a split second before an entire cargo container of pure dust came crashing down between him and his would-be hostage. It landed squarely between him and Little Red; would've crushed him flat if he'd been a step faster. Damn thing filled his vision with such speed that he actually ran headlong into it and bloodied his lip.
"Which one of you stupid animals threw that?!" he whirled on the chaos, fit to spit. "You want this whole place to go up in smoke?!"
As luck would have it, he had his answer an instant later.
Jaune Arc barreled into him.
(.0.0.0.)
Jaune felt good.
Real good actually.
Perhaps that was something of an understatement.
His fiery rage had all but evaporated, leaving icy, lethal calm in its wake. It felt like all his worries and fears and concerns had been swept away like so many leaves in the wind. Even that once overpowering rage had fled with the defeat of Roman and Neo, leaving him in a blissful state of euphoria. Why had he ever been so worried about Dad in the first place? About anything at all?
Was he high? Drunk on power? Maybe. But this didn't feel like that, ya know?
He felt...more centered, somehow. Whole, complete.
At peace in a way he hadn't been in a long time.
Sure, he didn't know how to change back at the moment, and he was still...well, sparky for lack of a better word, but he'd gotten stronger. That was good. Blake and Penny were staring at him -was the Ruby coming to out the corner of his eye-but he didn't care. He had a single focus. A single target, a solitary objective.
Roman had tried to take Ruby.
You do not touch the Ruby.
Ergo, Roman had to pay.
His first punch sent Torcwhick sprawling. The second caught him in the gut and lifted him from his feet, opening him up to an uppercut that launched him backward. Remarkably, the supposed smooth criminal found his feet swiftly, tumbled upright, and swayed aside from a kick that would have stomped his head in, only for another to crash his nose. Aura flashed with the sheer force of the blow, punctuated by a sickening crack that would've made him wince, were he not feeling so calm.
"Whoa, hey!" he reeled back, clutching his face. "What's gotten into you, beansprout?!"
His fist drew back, fist trailing sparks. "Are you familiar with boxing?"
Roman squinted at him. "Ha?"
"It goes a little like this."
He whaled on him.
Jab!
Left hook!
Uppercut!
Right hook!
Haymaker!
Roundhouse!
Shoryuuuuken!
He started laughing.
'Oh, jeez. I think I have a few screws loose...
But he just couldn't help himself! Everything seemed so slow now, it was easier to move than ever; like he'd pushed through a wall that he hadn't even known was there. His fists seemed to be in two, no, three places at once; there wasn't a thing Roman could to to stop him. He was beating him bloody. And yet he felt so...detached. Someone could shoot him in the face right now, and he'd take it with a smile.
He wasn't sure he liked that feeling, but then even that sensation was swept away by the power coursing through him.
"That's what happens when you break your limiter." Kurama informed him.
...wanna run that by me again?'
"Your rage broke, Jaune. You're coming down from a high, and pretty soon you'll crash. Best finish him."
Still, with this new form, he might actually have a chance against Dad!
"Might." the old fox emphasized the word. "You're the first male Uzumaki in ages. They always were a little quirky. Toss in your mother's genes and...well. You were bound to find your potential sooner or later-heads up!"
"ENOUGH!
Reality reasserted itself as a battered and beaten Roman thrust Melodic Cudgel at him with a snarl. Jaune glimpsed an angry red light surging down the barrel a mere millisecond before the cane spat an angry dust round at him. He slapped it aside without a second thought; from thre it caromed off his palm, struck a nearby container and...oh.
Belatedly, Jaune remembered was contained in said container. Dust.
His eyes widened as the container bulged. Ohhhthatwasverybad.
Roman summed it up quite nicely. "Ah, shiiii-
It went up in flames. As did every container even remotely near, behind, or close at all. All triggered at once by the single container going off.
The result was nothing short of catastrophic.
Penny and Blake leaped backward as the explosion raced their way, for all the good it did them. Even Roman had the wherewithal to fling himself behind cover when all hell broke loose.
Ruby, out cold, could not.
Jaune didn't think.
He just...acted.
Flinging himself in front of the blast with arms spread wide was hardly the smartest thing to do. He just couldn't think of anything else. The heat hit him a moment later and it was scalding, burning away, his high and the artificial calm that had come with it. Apparently several hundred tons of dust going off at once could actually hurt him-no, more than hurt, this was agony. Every fiber of his being cried out as his aura crackled and his shirt smoldered away as a scream tore out of him, blood vessels bursting in his eyes...
The world went white...
.
..
...and yet there was no pain.
Baffled, he dared to open his eyes.
Time had slowed to a crawl, but it hadn't stopped. He could still feel the fire licking against his skin, burning him beneath his aura. And yet despite that, despite the colors of the world bled down to black and white grey, despite knowing he'd done the right thing, yet this all-encompassing feeling of dread just wouldn't go away.
A hand settled on his shoulder, light as morning mist. "What's wrong, Jaune?"
He couldn't quite help the yelp that tore out of him. as he whirled. "Dad?"
Naruto Uzumaki looked...well, he looked like shit.
Was it really him? A vision of him? The ideal he strove towards? He couldn't be sure, but couldn't be here, not now, it just wasn't possible. No, wait, he could see through him, which might mean-
"...You're not dead, are you?"
THUNK!
"Ow!"
An unseen blow thumped him upside the head, leaving him clutching his aching skull.
His father arched a brow. "Could I do that if I was dead?"
"...no." his How are you doing this...?
"Long-range communication jutsu." the Arc patriarch winked and tapped a finger to his head with his uninjured arm. "Burns through chakra like crazy, but it has its uses, provided you know where your target is. Now that I know where you are its pretty simple." He looked past him. "Now what have we learned."
An old, familiar feeling welled up in him. It felt like failure and it made his eyes sting. "I messed up!"
"Did you?"
Jaune blinked. "It feels like I did...
His father frowned. "If you did, then I did, oto."
A hand settled on his head. It was surprisingly gentle.
"Listen to me, Jaune. I know we've had our differences in the past. That's no fault of yours. I'm the the one to blame for that. But you? You have incredible power; you just don't realize it. You've learned to use your aura and chakra together in ways your sister's can't even imagine. Because, at the end of the day, you're more than just my son. You're me when I was young. You see a problem? Something that needs fixing? You run right at it and to hell with the consequences. You smash down any obstacles in your way.
"Dad-
"So why are you hesitating now?" a finger poked his chest. "Is it fear? Doubt? Regret? None of those things? I can't answer that for you. But I can tell you this. If you don't do fight with everything you have, sooner or later, your friends are going to die. That Blake girl is going die. Ruby is gonna die. Pyrrha will die. Penny, too. But right now, if you don't stop this explosion, you're going to die. Are you going to let that happen? Are you just going to give up after you you going to fail?"
...but aren't you angry with me?"
Naruto waved a hand. "We'll have it out later. "That's a separate thing. We need you to be alive for that, my silly son."
...mom's coming to Vale too, isn't she?"
"Her and your sisters. So? What's your answer?""
Jaune grit his teeth. He already knew it. He'd known all along.
"That's right." An almost boyish grin stretched across his father's face. "You're better than that. You're better than them. You're better than me! You're my son. That hasn't changed, even if I'm angry with you. Just do what you always do. Face your problems head on. Run towards it! Full speed ahead! Grit your teeth! Plant your feet! AND EAT! THAT! HORSE!
"Yessir!"
Fire flashed into the air as the entire docks went up in a blaze...or they would have, if he hadn't acted.
Jaune reached out with both hands, took a deep breath, and absorbed the explosion. It was the only thing he could think to do. He'd seen dad do the same once with a blast of elemental fire; channel it into his hands, pull it into his lungs, and make hit his. He'd never managed himself capable of doing the same but now he had to; because it was this or death. He took that impossible force, caught it in his chest, compressed it between his heart and lungs, channeled the energy into his body and held it there. All around him, the blaze snuffed out, leaving scorched ground in his wake as he struggled to breathe.
Breathe.
So much energy.
Breathe, breathe.
Was this what dad felt like every day?
Breathe, breathe, BREATHE.
He compressed and folded and flattened all the energy from the dust explosion deep inside himself and buried it, buried it deep. Even then he still felt antsy, like he'd had too much sugar spiked with caffeine, laced with at least ten energy drinks. It was all he could do just to stay still...! His armor was too hot, his shirt searing his skin. Had to get it off. He tore the superheated metal off and cast it aside, followed by the shirt itself, yet still he felt just so damn warm...!
Ruby stirred behind him, opening her eyes at last.
"Jaune...?" bleary silver orbs squinted up at him. "What did I miss...?"
And, just like that, he remembered why he was doing all this in the first place.
Laughter tumbled out of him and he dragged the rosy reaper into his arms without a second thought. Ruby froze almost immediately. He couldn't see her face over his shoulder but judging by the sudden sputtering she made, he'd offended her somehow. Maybe she didn't like hugs? No, nevermind that! He was just so happy to see that she was alright!
"I'm sorry." he let her go, unable to hid his smile.
"Shirt!" she thrust a finger at him and scrambled back, face redder than her namesake. "W-W-W-What happened to your shirt?!"
Jaune looked down and finally noticed his toned chest exposed to the elements; burns and all, burns that were even now healing. "...would you believe me if I said it was a long story?"
"YES!"
Penny alighted behind him, thrusters flaring as she descended. "Impressive!"
Blake's only landing was slightly less so, but he glimpsed awe in her eyes all the same. "Jaune...just what the hell are you...?"
Roman answered that question as he poked his head out from behind a scorched wall, coughing harshly, covered in soot. "A damn monster is what he is! Who eats an explosion?! Who even does that?!"
It stung.
Those words hurt, more than he cared to admit.
Janune rounded on him, teeth bared, body sparking. "You want a monster?!"
In all fairness, Roman tried to block his next punch. He really tried. Melodic Cudgel just wasn't up to the task. It bent. It broke. So did Roman's aura, then his face as the kid's fist thundered into Roman's jaw. Judging by the way he dropped, the man had something of a glass jaw.
Was that it?
After all this, he went down just like that?
"What's wrong?" Jaune dragged him to gave him a shake, feeling vaguely disappointed. "You're not done already, are you?"
Roman made broken Roman noises and glared hatefully at him. "...rotten brat...you...you've ruined me...
Dramatic much? "I wasn't the one who shot Ruby. Speaking of which, apologize.
The gangster mustered up his courage...and spat at him. "Like hell I will-
Said courage shattered when he punched him. "I SAID apologize."
A groan. "Not a chance-
Another punch.
"M'sorry...
Belatedly he realized something really was wrong with Roman's face. Beneath all that soot, the criminal's once handsome visage was a swollen mess from the pummeling he'd given him; barely recognizable as human. He was fairly certain the fire had taken the man's right eye...but he was alive, if only just. Still, he felt a tiny bit of pity at that. No one deserved to lose an eye, let alone get their face scared. He didn't like Roman, but he wasn't interested in making him suffer.
A quick pulse of subtle healing chakra -wouldn't do for Ruby and the others to see what he could really do -and he'd be right as rain in a few hours, with no one the wiser.
Had he realized how much that would change the course of history -or further enamor a certain mute girl towards him- he might've let him be.
"Good." A quick headbutt sent him to dreamland with Neo. "That was for Ruby."
Everything was right with the world. All was well.
And then Penny opened her big mouth.
"Sensational!" His self-proclaimed cousin clapped her hands and bounced in place. "You fight well, no, better than well! It seems I will not have to take you away after all!"
Jaune choked.
Everything ground to a crushing halt.
Blake's brow shot into her hair. "Pardon?"
"A joke?" He clamped a hand over Penny's mouth! "She's joking! Hahaha!" his laughter sounded strained even to his own ears. "Just ignore her!"
Hello anxiety, my old friend! I've come to talk with you once again~!
Ruby latched onto his sleeve, steely eyes suspiciously damp.
"Jaune? What did she mean by take you back...?"
Geh. Leave it to Ruby to catch on quick.
Blake was staring at him, too.
All eyes fell on him.
He glared daggers at Penny.
Penny blinked innocently. Was it something I said?"
Sirens wailed in the distance. It would prove to be a long evening.
(.0.0.0.)
Arc was becoming an annoyance.
Cinder took a long sip of wine from her glass, closed down her scroll, set it on the table...and exhaled. She honestly considered melting the damn thing for a moment, such was her fury. But no, that wouldn't do. No matter how satisfying that brief burst of violence would be, she knew Watts would not be able to supply her with another. She must remain firm. Focused...FURIOUS!
The glass shattered in her hand, shattered shards skittering off her aura.
Emerald and Mercury flinched behind her. Cinder let them squirm.
It made her feel powerful.
Irritated, she snatched the bottle of wine off the table, placed it to her lips, and necked the damn thing, chugging it outrght. If either of her minion had anything to say about her sudden lapse in decorum, neither breathed a word.
Just as well, that, because her thoughts were already turning inward.
She'd not thought much of the blond buffoon at first; indeed, she had dismissed him outright. Coincidences were known to happen, and while he'd proven himself a somewhat skilled combatant in spars before, she hadn't thought him the sort to meddle in affairs that were clearly beyond his ken.
Until now.
Thanks to him, they'd been been taken captive.
Roman and Neo both, and with their capture, all her plans stood on knife's edge.
Not to Ironwood's flagship as planned, oh no, but by Goodwitch herself. They'd been spirited away to a cell somewhere -likely under Ozpin's watchful eye- one even she couldn't find. There was no record of them, either of them on the prisoner rolls, despite their "arrest". It was as if they'd vanished off the face of Remnant. The thought chilled the flame within her.
Worse, it didn't make a lick of sense! Ozpin had never been the sort to involve himself directly in such banal affairs. Why now?
He'd come down on those two like the Brother Gods themselves. Did he care about his precious students that much?
What was she missing?
Doubtless the headmaster would be personally interrogating Roman and Neo even now. Would they crack? Would they sing for their supper? She wanted to say know, but she knew well the loyalty of criminals. Neither Neo nor Roman were loyal to her. They'd outright refused to serve her at first, until she'd beaten them into submission. Ozpin was stronger than her -for now, without the Maiden Powers that were hers by right!- and she could see him wheedling a deal out of them, given time.
Roman didn't know all of her plans of course, no one did, but he knew enough to be a nuisance.
She took her lower lip between her teeth and worried it idly.
It might be time to...speed up their timetable.
How incredibly...vexing.
Arc. This all began and ended with Arc. He had become more than annoyance, he was a nuisance. A problem to be eliminated
So yes, Jaune Arc had become an annoyance.
"Cinder? What should we do? If he's a
...nothing." she flicked a glance Emerald's way. "He'd kill you if it came to a fight."
She'd seen the footage on the docks. Whatever semblance he had, it was a versatile one...and destructive.
Mercury scoffed, ignorant to the danger as always, the fool. "That kid? He's an idiot. No way would he stand a chance against-
Her eyes flashed.
"Yes, ma'am. Sorry, ma'am."
Cinder tutted and began to plan.
She must attend to this matter herself. Perhaps an accident during a spar.
Yes, that sounded promising. The fool liked to fight, did he not?
None must endanger her prize. No one. She wouldn't allow it.
The Fall Maiden was here. She had to be. She must be.
The power would be hers this time.
But where the devil was she?!
A/N: Aaaand scene.
Well? Should this remain a story? Yay or nay!
Better yet, would you like weekly updates? Do let me know!
As ever, we're sticking with the tried and true "Embers" rule. If folks don't like this, it won't be continued. Meaning that if the story itself ain't popular, if folks don't like it...well, I'll not continue it. So by all means, speak up! Your voice matters! Make yourself heard! As ever, reviews are the fuel that sustain me. Without them I cannot write a single word. Simple as that. I'm working two jobs, trying to keep a roof over my family's head, and at the end of the day this is very much a HOBBY. I simply don't have time to write a story no one likes, and feedback sustains me...
Once again, reviews are my fuel. Without them I simply cannot write.
So in the Immortal Words of Atlas...
...Review...Would You Kindly?
And enjoy the previews.
POTENTIAL ONES!
Soooo! Tell me what you want to see~!
(FUTURE! Previews)
"Huh, we match."
"Come again?"
That trick of yours." Yang waved her right arm. "When your hair gets all glowy, its kinda like mine.
His pride bristled a little. "It is not!"
"Is so~!"
"ARC!"
Thank the gods, a distraction. He'd take anyone over...
.
..
...oh.
Oh, dear.
Weiss didn't sound happy.
She didn't look happy either, judging by the beeline she was making toward him.
"Our rematch begins now!"
Jane stifled a jaw-popping yawn behind his hand. "Can we do this later? Its too early..."
Heh, her face did look kinda pretty when she got all red like that...
Weiss jumped him.
Child palmed her face with a sigh. "Foolish brother. He really has no idea."
Still, someone needed to protect him. Both his body and his heart.
Her victim moaned underfoot. Moaned. Not groaned.
There was a very important distinction, she felt.
Pleasure could motivated as well as pleasure.
"Oh my, I forgot about you." she hit them with another pulse of chakra in the back, drawing a fresh convulsion from them. "Now where were we? Ah, yes. You were telling me all about your lovely organization and a rather annoying woman...?"
"I'll talk, I'll talk!" her victim babbled. "Just don't stop...pleeeaaaase...
EDIT: Ah, but who did she nab?
"I'd like you to meet Amber."
The girl glared at him from her bed. "He looks weak."
"You're right, Cardin." he growled, hoisting them upright. "You're not a man... you're a pig. Now let me hear your squeal!"
Pyrrha closed the door behind her and blocked it with her body. Locked it now, for good measure. "Can we talk?"
Jaune tilted his head. "Aren't we doing that right now?"
She squirmed a little in place. "Alone...?"
Ren and Nora exchanged a long lingering look made a noise reminiscent of wedding bells.
Jaune felt his face flash with fire.
Even he wasn't that dense.
...yes, sir."
R&R~!