The revelation of Jaune's semblance was like euphoria for Arslan. The little gilded gray lockbox in her head suddenly sprung open, revealing the glowing and crystalized clockwork inside. Reese looked like someone had told her that sloths actually moved too fast for the human eye to see, or that fish were actually mammals.
She shook her head, giving out a disbelieving laugh. "That's a good one, Nadir. It's not like you're telling a joke, but that was good." She giggled. But her grin fell at Nadir and Arslans serious look. "No, no way. You have to be kidding." the skater deadpanned. "That would…" She trailed off, not quite sure in which direction she wanted to go.
"Be incredibly painful? Yes, yes it would." Nadir said. "He's using his aura to repair the damage that the dust coursing through him does, creating fresh nerves and tissue only for it to burn away. It's a classic Deadpool scenario."
Reese tilted her head at her fellow gunslinger. "I didn't know you read Deadpool." She commented, receiving a shrug in return.
"I've dabbled. Never really liked it though. I always preferred more real things."
Arslan brought them back on track. "That would explain why he's an alcoholic though." She said, causing the two to look at her. "I mean, to dull the pain. If his nerves are constantly on fire, then it stands to reason that he would want to null the pain, you know?"
Reese agreed, opening up her scroll. "So, switching topics for a moment, what's in the box?" She asked, doing a little shoulder wiggle with it. Nadir squinted at her, trying to place the reference.
"Is that a reference to something? If it is, I'm not getting it." He admitted. Reese just sighed, defeated in the knowledge that Nadir wouldn't get it even if she explained it to him. Arslan held up the folder.
"This is our first mission-" She started, but was cut off.
"We've already had our first mission." Reese said. Arslan sighed, giving her a flat look. Reese held her hands up in mock surrender, letting her leader finish.
"This is our first mission that is officially in line with everyone else." She finished. "Technically our first mission was extra credit."
"Right. What is it?" Nadir asked the lioness.
Arslan opened the manilla folder again, wanting to make sure she got everything right. "It is a joint mission with team SSSN." She couldn't help but deflate a little at that. She loved team Sun, don't get her wrong. They were full of fun, enjoyable people that never failed to amuse her. She just doubted their ability to be professional or not tank their grade with particular antics. "To go and perform a check in with the huntsman team positioned at Aldar Ahamkara."
Reese shrugged. "Doesn't sound so hard."
"It shouldn't be." Arslan scoffed. "These are actually designed for first year teams, unlike the last one. Although those mountains are kind of dangerous…" She trailed off, looking at the mission debrief. "Do you think it's a little odd that they're sending two teams for this?"
Reese shrugged. "I wouldn't know. I don't know what's normal for missions. As far as I know, we're understaffed."
Arslan chewed on the inside of her lip. She wasn't sure what she found more concerning. The location, the disclaimer in big bold letters at the top and bottom: IF YOU CHOOSE TO ACCEPT THIS MISSION, PLEASE ALERT DR. CORTEZ AT YOUR SOONEST CONVENIENCE BEFORE THE 25TH. THE SAME APPLIES SHOULD YOU DECLINE AND CHOOSE A SEPARATE MISSION.
Or the horrifying fact that it was with team Sun, and the whole operation was being led by Dr. Cortez himself. Arslan had heard some horror stories from the upperclassmen about Dr. Cortez on missions. A force of nature on the battlefield, and a force of headache inducing chaos everywhere else. He was whim to no one but himself, and apparently would often go off the usual script on a whim, usually justified by the logic "It'll be fun, amigo." She didn't really have the option to decline last time the headmaster gave her a mission.
Assuming that this mission was sanctioned by the headmaster. She couldn't imagine that it wasn't, but she could also most definitely see Dr. Cortez try to assign missions without Leonardo Lionheart's approval. She would have to post the option to her team.
"Bolin!" She called over her shoulder, shouting to the blue monk's room. There was a shuffling as he got out of his room, draped in his flowery embroidered silk bathrobe thing. Arslan remembered when he got it, and thought it was a frivolous buy.
He came into the room, flopping down on the last open chair. "So, why was I called?" he asked the lioness.
She held up the manila folder. "We have an option for a mission. We can accept a check in with team SSSN, lead by Sebastian Cortez, or take another mision."
"Another mission." Bolin said instantly. He loathed team sun. To him, they were miscreant, unkept and disorganized blotches to the title of huntsman. Huntsmen should be clean, precise, controlled and disciplined. Like him.
Arslan nodded, mentally taking the tally of the vote. "Reese?"
"I like team Sun." She said, "I like Dr. Cortez. Sure, sounds like fun."
Arslan sighed, really expecting that her team would be split along those lines. Reese and Bolin always seemed diametrically opposed. "Welp, Nadir, you're the tie breaker again."
Nadir sighed, knowing it was going to come down to this. "I find the known much more appealing than whatever the unknown mission we could get. Seems rather simple, fairly brief. What would go extreperously wrong?"
Reese held a finger up, wagging it at the pink haired gunslinger. "Don't you dare." She scolded him, "You have likely doomed us all, ass."
Nadir rolled his eyes. "As though such a statement has any actual outcome on the circumstances of either the future or the forthcomings of this mission," he said. Arslan sighed, letting them devolve into friendly squabbling.
Unlike the lively cheer and bantering that filled team AMBER's room, the shadows of the school halls were quiet. Jaune paced through these dark quiet halls, heading to Dr. Cortez's office. The shadows bent as he passed, as though they were reeds being pulled by the winds. He walked through the halls, eventually getting him to Sebastian's door. He tried the knob, but found it locked. He pulled on it again, obstinately checking one more time. He let out an exasperated sigh, backing away from the door.
He supposed he could slip it under the door. Or wait until tomorrow to give the good doctor his answer. He did have several days to do so.
Yeah, but I hate having deadlines hanging like that. B sighed. We should just slide it under the door and go back to our room. Take a nap, organize some scrolls, think about what we're going to do with all that dragon skin.
Jaune made a puffing sound as he slumped at the thought. I'll be honest, I'm really not sure. You suppose it would make for a good sheath or something? You know, something decorative? He asked them. A just shrugged at the question.
I really don't know. But what I do know is that sliding it under the door is boring as shit. He smiled, rubbing his hands together. We can just, you know, jump through the door?
Jaune tilted his head, looking at the door. He had never actually tried to jump through solid objects before, like a door. Taking several steps back, The dreamer began walking forward with purpose. He called upon that force, that feeling that spawned from the dream. He faltered, bringing himself to a grinding stop. He couldn't bring that power up at the moment. He slumped, shaking his head.
Alright, let's try this again. Jaune reassured himself, resetting his position. "Let's try this one more time." He said, taking a determined step forward. He dwelled back, willing the magic of the dream into existence. The shadows dulled as the distant artificial light dimmed and greyed.
And Jaune passed through solid matter as though it were not there, or perhaps he wasn't there and the door was. He stumbled as he made it into the room, rematerializing into the dark room. Dropping the manilla folder onto the desk, he flipped the first page open, making sure he had signed the appropriate dotted lines.
The opening of a door in the back caused the ranger to turn, looking a little like a deer in headlights. He squinted in the darkness, the backlighting giving the person standing there a large and imposing silhouette. Jaune squinted at them, trying to figure out who it was.
"Mr. Jaune, how entirely unexpected." Sebastian's hollowed out voice came from the doorway, almost sounding like gravel or rasp. "It's rather late, don't you think?" The doctor walked towards the lightswitch, flipping it on. Jaune blinked, trying to wipe away the blindness that was suddenly induced upon him.
Jaune shrugged. "The hour grows only late, and nothing more." He responded. "I have my answer for you, doctor." he gestured to the folder on the table. Sebastian raised an eyebrow at the ranger. "I do not like to waste time." Jaune admitted with a shrug.
"That you don't." Sebastian chuckled, grabbing the folder. He looked through it, making sure everything was in order. "Are you sure you want to do this? I know there will be Team SSSN and team AMBR joining us, but you are taking a solo mission" he told him. "And I won't lie, normally we give these missions out to third year teams."
Jaune furrowed his brow, looking at his teacher. "Really? Why? It looks like a fairly calm mission so far. It's just accompanying you to some town, right?"
Sebastian shrugged, pouring himself a liquid from a brown glass bottle. "It's the area that's more dangerous than the mission. The Hangre-Goku canyon is particularly famous for its large Grimm migratory pattern around this time of year."
Jaune nodded, understanding. "Are you sure that taking freshmen is the best idea?" He had to ask. Sebastian gave him a very tall set of eyebrows. He gave him a wide, knowing grin.
"So, you have something on your mind." The teacher said, giving Jaune a little head wiggle.
Jaune tilted his head, leaning on the desk. "What makes you say that?" he asked, thinking about what was worrying him. Yeah, I'm only slightly afraid you are going to get my friends and fellow classmates killed. The gaunt man thought.
"You're not normally confrontational." Sebastian noted. "So, what's on your mind?"
Jaune very much considered not answering. He could have remained silent, made up some excuse to leave, really much of anything would have worked. But he decided against it, opting to say something that was the truth. "Do you think I need help?" he asked the professor. The professor just tilted his head at the ranger.
"What do you mean?" the mustachioed man asked. "Do you need help with combat? No. You're probably one of the best right now. Help with your classes? Maybe. I don't know your grades. You are doing well in classes, right?" The professor asked, concerned for his students' academic well being.
Jaune deftly avoided the question. "Mentaly." He corrected the doctor's line of thinking. "Do you think I need mental help?"
Sebastian couldn't help but chuckle, giving jaune a small little head shake. "Honestly? That is one of the many, many things that suck about being an adult." He took a swig from his water bottle. "No one can tell you jack. You're responsible for yourself now. No one can tell you when you need help, and no one can tell you when you're right or wrong." He sighed, swirling the water in his cylindrical container around. "So that's a damn good question, Jaune. Do you need help?"
Jaune's lips wiggled as his muscles moved, contorting the muscles as he thought about it. "I never needed help before." He said to the ground, not looking at his teacher. Sebastian scoffed loudly, clearly disbelieving.
"Trust me, Jaune. You needed help, probably just never got it. Everyone needs help, one way or the other. Consider yourself fortunate that you have the resources to get it." He said, reaching out to pat Jaune on the shoulder. The ranger flinched, shifting out of the short range of the smaller man's arm. Sebastian Cortez nodded, making a mental note. Jaune looked out the window, seeing the position of the moon.
"I wish I could stay and speak, professor, but alas, the hour grows late and I do not envy not being functional in the coming morning." Jaune announced, turning to move towards the door. "Have a good night, professor." He said his goodbye, turning the handle to smoothly exit, leaving the professor to his night.
The handle didn't move, as it was locked. Jaune looked down at the stubborn knob, jiggling the locked handle again. Pursing his lips he unlatched the lock, shuffling into the darkness. Dr. Cortez walked over, inspecting his lock curiously. Relatching the mechanism, he headed off to bed, pondering the particular oddity.
Another chapter out, and I realize I should really start moving things ahead some. So next chapter we are jumping forward to the first mission. it should be fun, and I have put a lot of work into this next section. I think we're looking at anywhere from 3-8 chapters for this mission. Lot of things to cover in it. It will also be a good excuse to get team Sun back into the story. So look forward to SSSN vs Jaune among other things. Place your bets, Place your bets! Also, bonus Jaune in a Hawaiian shirt next chapter.
Speaking of things to cover, responding to some reviews and confusions: Starting with the overall tone/ mood of this story. We will still be dealing with heavy topics and angst going forward, but it won't be so oppressive or overwhelmingly forced from now on (ideally). Jaune's magic is not directly related to dust, but expresses itself in a similar manner in the waking world because it has to adapt to the waking world's laws of magic physics (dust, semblances, etc. This is why Maiden Powers are so interesting). As for Jaune's mangled transcripts, well it's already been answered in this story. Pretty directly too. You have probably noticed that I have taken some "liberties" with the world building, including some of the power scaling.