A/N: Here's the second half, as promised~!

As ever, we're sticking with the "Embers" rule for this story for the time being.

I'm not entirely satisfied with it, but its the best I can do with my health as is. Really not feeling well.

If folks don't like this, it'll be deleted. Meaning that if the story itself ain't popular? POOF! Gone. Completely. 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.

Sad but true, I simply don't have time to write a story no one likes, and feedback sustains me...

MASSIVE CHAPTER AHOY! I spent ages writing this, little by little, day by day, while working on other stuff.

A Most Unlikely Berserker should be next...if folks still want to see that...

Now lets move onto your questions, comments and concern:

Q: Shouldn't there be nine kids? Nine is sorta Naruto's number, not eight...

A: Fair point! Went back and edited the summary~! Who knows? Juniper and Naruto might have even more...there are a few blonds and redheads from Genshin Impact that come to mind...

Oh gods, now I'm imagining Childe or Signora...

Q: Wait a hot minute! Port?! Is that really Professor Port?! Or someone disguised as him?!

A: *zips lips* Can't answer that, won't answer that. But you'll see...

...sooner...or later...

Q: What's Jaune's strength level? What did he study? And what's with him and holding back?

A: Compared to his siblings, Jaune's more of an all rounder at this point. While his sisters excel in their given fields, he's chosen to learn multiple things. Fighting forms, weaponry, tech, tactics and strategy.

You name it, he's studied it at some point.

Yet for all that our boy can be a bit...dense when it comes to social norms. Why wouldn't he be? He's lived his life in Ansel. After all, when you spend your measuring yourself up to a powerful family...

*chuckles*

...you don't realize how weak the world around you is. And when you do? You don't want to break.

At this point, in terms of sheer strength...he's easily huntsman level. And then some.

As for raw skill; I'd put him above Pyrrha at this point. You'll soon see.

Q: Will you ever state the pairing?!

A: At this point, the story will. Not me. Read and see.

I promise you wont be dissapointed.

Q: Is Naruto getting a harem, or...?

A: Why would he? He's a happily married man with kids.

Q: Jaune's just getting all the attention isn't he?

A: You have no idea.

Alright then, I think I've kept you long enough.

As ever, I own no references, quotes, themes or memes. Now off we go.

I think...we'll go with "Just" for the titles from here on out. Feels right at this point.

"You don't wanna take the road less traveled, do you son? You just wanna be the kind that's known by everyone. No, no, don't make that face, Jaune. Its alright to want more than what you've been given. Greed may not be good, but its not so bad either. Some people think its just for money or power, but everyone wants something they can't have. When I was your age, I wanted so many things. It was only when I grew older that I was able to focus that greed onto something productive."

"What did you choose, dad?"

"A family. Well, that and grandchildren...

~Father and Son.

Just a Little Greed

Jaune Arc had something of a morning routine in Beacon.

It was a very nice routine. Yes, he rather liked his routine. He liked it a lot.

Practice Makes Perfect, after all. And he had put more practice in than any one of sisters.

His fist sliced through the mist, shedding droplets of sweat into the Emerald Forest as it went. Even as they flew free he spun and scythed a shoe through them, rendering each so much steam with the coming dawn. He let momentum carry him forward into the next blow, turning what should have been a simple punch into a devastating right hook that birthed a mighty shockwave in its wake. Left, now. Right again. Left once more. Left, left, left, right, left one last time. All the while he kept his shoulders squared and his fists up as he pummeled his target.

The poor tree never stood a chance.

Bark burst beneath his fist. Leaves soared into the air, only to be snatched up by the wind and flown away. As to the rest...?

"Oops?"

He frowned at his handiwork, mildly distressed by the state of the once-towering oak. One hour till sunrise. No one to pester him. No one to bother him. No one to see just how powerful he really was. But it wasn't good enough. Control. He had to stay in control. Well it wasn't like anyone would miss a few trees down here. That was the fifth tree he'd demolished tonight. And he hadn't even taken his weights off!

"Ooops?! You're wrecking the forest!"

The young man flinched, shoulders bowing a bit beneath his uncle's words.

"That said, you are getting better." Kurama's admonishment was lighter than usual.

"You really think so?"

"Considering your weights are still on, you haven't used a single shadow clone since you got here and you're not using any of the Gates? Yeah." his words drew a flush of pride to his face. "That said, I think that's enough time down here for now. Better get back before the sun rises. Wouldn't want yout team to notice your little nighttime excursion...

Jaune craned his gaze back, regarding the cliffs.

Ansel had raised him well. Early to bed, early to rise, makes a man healthy wealthy and wise. Jaune subscribed to that simple philosophy more than most. After all, said saying applied almost perfectly to Dad. Who said the son couldn't emulate the father. Why not him? Naruto Arc had taken a tiny border town in the middle of nowhere and turned it into a thriving village. With next to no resources at hand, a fragmented memory, and a wounded body, he'd done the impossible.

Could he not do the same?

He knew what was right. He knew what was wrong. Moreover, he wasn't afraid to put in a bit of hard work to achieve his goals. That wasn't arrogance on his part. Just the truth. In the end it was all about hard work. You could achieve just about anything with a little confidence. That was all it took. He had no idea just how much that mindset would change the world.

"Ten lien says you can't make it back in a minute with my chakra.

Blue eyes snapped into scarlet.

"You're on."


(.0.0.0.)


Ruby couldn't sleep.

Perhaps that was petty of her. But really! She couldn't!

After all that arguing with Weiss, then making up with her, AND the subsequent coffee-fueled study session that followed, she was just too jazzed-up to sleep. She'd tried to. Truly, she had. Five hours spent tossing and turning, twitching in bed, to no avail. Not a single soul had noticed. They'd slept like babies, utterly ignorant of her plight. So rather than drive her teammates mad -or prowl the halls of Beacon like a wraith- she'd opted for a bit of fresh air.

Surely the cool night would set her to rights?

Well, that had been the plan, but she'd underestimated herself. Or rather, the prodigous amount of caffeine she'd imbibed. In short?

"WHEEEEEE!"

Alright, waaay too much caffeine!

A merry little giggle leaped from her lips as she zipped across the courtyard of Beacon, kicked of a wall, and shot into the air. Her cloak waved wildly behind her for all of a moment before she vanished in a cloud of crimson petals and shot over the fountain, grinning from ear to ear like a loon. No one was awake to hear her. Anyone who might have been was too busy to care.

Really, it wasn't her fault! She'd had too much caffeine!

Pulling herself through another complex maneuver the little reaper hastened her pace and launched herself into the air with such force that the grass singed beneath her feet. She figured the faster she ran the sooner she would crash. Simple, no? But the boundless energy within her didn't abate in the least. Besides, it would be dawn in a few hours anyway. Might as well enjoy the rush before she crashed. Literally and figuratively.

A noise plucked at her ears, giving her pause.

Dark boots dug in as she ground to a halt. Ruby's head swiveled left. Then right. Left once more. What was that? There it was again. The faint but indistinguishable sound of rapidly approaching footsteps. It came from the outer yard, toward the cliffs. What was someone doing out and about that this hour? The Bullheads didn't ferry anyone around this early. Not even Professor Oobleck woke before sunrise.

Wait. her caffeine-induced haze dulled for a moment. What if it was a bad guy?

Nah. She dismissed the thought just as easily.

Who in their right mind would try to sneak into Beacon at this hour?

"Still," she drawled out the word and smacked her lips, "Maybe a peek wouldn't hurt...?"

Curiosity poked at her. And it kept poking. Poke. Poke. Poke. Her resolve crumbled like so wet cardboard.

In a flash of red she was away. She made it all of three steps before she smacked into something. No! Someone! A cloud of red petals collided with a line of golden light, blinding both. Each recoiled. Ruby whirled with a whine, reaching for Crescent Rose, only to realize she'd not brought her weapon with her; it was still secure in her locker...and she'd left her Scroll back in the dorm. She was alone in the dark, barely enough light to see, and there was someone out here with her! With! Her! Frightened silver eyes struggled to adjust as peered in the dark, searching for the culprit.

"Who's there?!"

A familiar groan answered. "Ow...!"

Ruby squinted anew. In a blink, she recognized them.

"Jaune?" she spied a familiar shock of blond hair. "Is that you?"

"Ruby?!"

He whirled with a yelp, kicking up a gust of wind that had left said Reaper yelping as it blew her hair back. And if it flattened the grass around her...well. It was too dark to see. Perhaps that was for the best. She missed the flash of guilt that flitted across his face too, and mistook it for panic.

"Easy, there. Friendly." She kept her hands up, palms splayed to show herself harmless. "Frieeeendly...

He balked at her. "What're you doing out at this hour? Aren't you up a little...early?"

"Couldn't sleep." she blinked up at him, suspicion dawning. "What about you?"

He flushed. "Would you believe me if I said I was going for a jog?"

Her head bobbed. "Yup."

Oddly enough, her reply seemed to surprise him.

"Just like that?"

"Well, yeah. Nothing wrong with a little training." Maybe, it was a bit weird that he was running about so late, but that was his business, not hers. Although...

"If you're running...?" On a whim, she chose to indulge herself. "Wanna race?"

Jaune looked at her like she'd grown a second hard. "Where did that come from?!"

"Dunno." she swayed on her feet, ignorant of his baffled stare and all that came with it. "So? You wanna?"

A spark of brightly hopeful boyish joy shone through Arc's facade before he managed to mask it; even then, it made him look surprisingly young. Ruby jolted, somewhat taken aback. Jaune quenched it quickly and looked away to scratch the back of his head.

"We shouldn't...

"C'mon!" She tugged at his arm, dragging it down. "It'll be fuuun!"

Maybe it was the caffeine high talking; else she'd never be this brave, this bold, this brazen. But Jaune was nice! He knew how to fight, he geeked out over weapons like her, and he'd actually used Crescent Rose. Nobody used Crescent Rse! Nobody but her! And yet when he had, he'd done so gently, almost as if he were afraid of breaking her baby. They could be...oh, what was the word? Weapon buddies? Yes! That was it!

"We could make a bet~!" she sing-songed.

Jaune's gaze fastened onto hers with startling clarity. Wow. Pyrrha was right. His eyes really were bright. They almost seemed to glow in the low light. She shivered a little. Was it hot out here all of a sudden? Ahem! She shook her head furiously. Focus!

"What're we betting on?"

Oh. She'd really not thought about that last bit. She'd been so certain he'd say no.

"Um...uh...?" silver eyes flitted about the yard, seeking an answer to no avail. They hit upon his sword, still stowed neatly in its sheathe. She blurted the first thing that came to mind.

"I wanna see your sword!"

A brow quirked. "Excuse me?"

"Yeah!" In a moment of total desperation she seized on it. "The loser has to show the winner their weapon! How's that sound?!"

"Is that all?" Crocea Mors slid free from her sheathe with a wordless whisper. "Sure." he held it out for her to inspect. "I don't mind showing you mine if you show me yours."

Alright, even she wasn't that dense. What was he, a brick wall?! Ruby's face flamed and her mind dove down a dark hole from which there was no return. No, no, no! Don't think such things! Do! Not! Think! There it was, that sudden surge of emotion in those bright cerulean orbs. Like she'd roused some sort of competitive spirit. Bah! Jaune wasn't like that...right?

...anyway," oh gods, he was still talking. She'd spaced out!

"Um," she coughed once into a fist to hide ehr blush, "You wanna run that by me again?"

"I said I'm sure Crescent Rose is way better than Crocea Mors." Jaune repeated placidly. "She only has three forms...

'Three?!' Ruby's mind fizzled and died. "No fair! I only have two!'

Unbidden her gaze slit to his deceptively simple sword and shield. Pyrrha had mentioned something about it transforming, but the champion never really gone into detail and she'd not pressed the issue. Maybe she should have. Oh wow, three forms. What was it, a missile launcher? A laser sword?! Laser swords sounded cool...

"So three laps around Beacon, then?" Jaune tilted his head just so as he stowed his sword. "You up to that?"

Pride tore awe to shreds.

"Hey!" She stomped a foot and puffed out her cheeks. "I'm pretty confident in my speed!"

"If you say so."

His hand descended, tousling her hair fondly. Against her better judgement, Ruby found herself leaning into it with a pleased sigh. Huh. He gave pretty nice headpats...

.

..

...what am I doing?!'

She jerked back with a scowl, suddenly grateful for the low light; if only because it hit her flushing face. "Hey! What was that for!"

"Sorry," he scratched a whiskered cheek. "You just remind me of my sisters, that's all...

Ruby's pride shriveled up and died like a Grimm in the desert "Sis...ters...?"

"Mmhmm." his head bobbed more than once.

"Just how many do you have?!

"That's...not important. We'll meet back here." he drew a line in the dirt with one foot before her temper could get the better of her. "Sound good?"

There was so much she wanted to ask him, but she didn't like the shadowed look on his face. It was the same expression Uncle Qrow wore when he got into one of his moods. Some sixth sense prodded her, telling her not to prey any further. Not here. Not now. Not tonight.

Instead she granted him brisk nod. "Fine by me."

Great! He dropped down into a runner's crouch. "On your mark!"

"Get set!" Ruby set her jaw and mirrored him. "Just so you know, I'm gonna kick your-

"Go!"

Jaune vanished in a golden flash, kicking up a voluminous cloud of dust.

Ruby coughed in his wake.

She shot after him in a cloud of crimson.


(.0.0.0.)


Laughter echoed bellow team RWBY's windowsill.

A familiar black bow twitched within.

"What's going on out there...?"

Blake tried to ignore what she'd heard thus far; tried to bury herself in her novel, lose herself in the pages as she always had. In theory it should've been simple. Lose herself in a book like she always did; shut out the rest of the word and let her mind wander in a realm of blissful fantasy...and yet the laughter persisted. Light flashed just outside, sparks of gold warring with intermittent surges of red.

"Hey!" someone cried! "No fair! That's cheating!"

"Ruby...?"

Curiosity got the better of the wayward Belladona and she sat up, leaning over to investigate.

The sight there tore her breath away.

A torrent of scarlet petals chased golden lightning around the yard; weaving impossible patterns against grass and stone. It was...beautiful. Like watching two colors go to war with one another. yYt for all that she could hear laughter. Human laughter. It was faint, any who wasn't a Faunus wouldn't notice, much less hear it; but she did, and she was. Their "race" lasted all of fifteen seconds

The ghost of a frown touched her lips as the yellow flash resolved itself into the shape of a familiar blond.

"Jaune?"

Ruby all but collapsed behind him, sprawled out on the grass. Yet for all her exhaustion he seemed hale and healthy. He hadn't been that fast during initiation. She'd pegged him for a support type, maybe someone with a booster Semblance or somesuch. Curiouser and curiouser. Paranoia reared its ugly head. Why conceal such abilities?

"What's she doing down there with him...?"

Blake leaned a bit closer to investigate, straining to hear their words.

You know what they say. Curiosity killed the cat.

Or caught its eye, in any case...


(.0.0.0.)


...I give up!"

Ruby fell face first into the muck, wasted and gasping for air. Eyes stinging, lungs burning, chest heaving, it was all she could do to breathe. She hadn't simply run; she'd burned right through her aura, her caffeine, her caffeine, all of it. Jaune raced past her, lapping her again -the bastard!- adding insult to injury. Once he saw that she'd fallen, he bent to check on her.

"Does this mean I win?"

Win?! He'd trounced her! "What the heck are you?!"

Oddly enough, her words caused him to flinch. "I'm nobody. Just a normal guy."

Normal?! Him?! Nuh-uh! No way was he normal! Unless...? Unbidden her own words came back to her. Normal. Hadn't she told Yang the same thing?

"I don't wanna be any kind of "knees"! I just wanna be a normal girl, with normal knees."

A faint smile touched her sweat-stricken face. "Normal knees...

Jaune helped her stand. "Pardon?"

Ruby barely heard him; because her mind was already whirling. She understood now. At least, she thought she did. Maybe? Kinda? Sort of? Jaune was like her. He didn't want to stand out. He just wanted to be a normal person. She'd seen a glimpse of what he could do, but it was only that. A glimpse. He was actively holding back, curtailing what he could do, all to avoid being placed on a pedestal.

.

..

...why was her heart beating so fast?"

He knelt before her. "Want me to carry you back to your room?"

Like he'd carried her before? Meep!

"Noooo!" If she left now she'd be tired, sure, but she'd still be tossing and turning for the better part of the night. "Don't wanna!" There's nothing I can do to help?" Silver eyes shone as she clasped her hands together and held them just under her chin. "Not even a little?"

"Well," Jaune touched a finger to his chin, "I've still got my cooldown exercises...if you really want to help...

Ruby pounced on it like a starving Beowol. "Yes, please! Name it!"

He regarded her with renewed scrutiny.

"How heavy are you?"

She blinked.

"Eh?"


(.0.0.0.)


Yang and Pyrrha found them like that an hour later.

"You know," the former thumbed her chin, "I can't help but feel we missed something here...

Ruby made a keening noise through her teeth from where she sat atop Jaune's back. "This is not what I had in miiiiind!"

Yang whistled. "How many push-ups does that make now? One hundred? Two?"

"Three." Pyrrha chimed. She didn't look away from Jaune.

...waitaminute, why Ruby's sitting on his back?"

"Eh. Something about weight training."

Sneaky little sister!

She looked like she wanted to bolt too; it was only sheer mortification that rooted her in place.

"Hey, hotshot." Yang planted a fist on her hip. "You. Me. Spar. Whaddya say?"

Jaune grimaced. "Maybe later. Don't we have class soon?"

"Boo!" Yang sniffed. "Don't be such a party pooper!"

She didn't see Pyrrha's scowl at her back.


(.0.0.0.)


Weiss peeked around the corner...and ducked back behind it.

She shook her head mightily, ponytail thrashing behind her. No! Nay! Never!

Treacherous thoughts! She was a Schnee! She would not fall to such base emotions!

Weiss looked left. Looked right. Left again.

Well, if no one was watching...

She snuck another peek.


(.0.0.0.)


"Achoo!"

Leagues away, Naruto sneezed.

"Why do I suddenly feel proud...and so very worried?"


(.0.0.0.)


Jaune tilted his head.

"Sooo, I gotta ask. Are you and Weiss are good now?"

"Yup." Ruby swallowed once, smacked her lips and looked up from a hearty breakfast of bacon and eggs. "We're besties again. Besties-better-than-the-resties!"

Weiss bridled but a little, the faintest hint of color hitting her cheeks while she tucked into her own cafeteria fare. "I wouldn't go that far."

The little reaper turned wide eyes on her. "But didn't you say you'd be the best teammate ever...?"

Her face turned scarlet. "Ruby!"

Yang sniggered.

"Why yes," Blake chimed in, "I believe those were words she used."

Weiss rounded on her. "Not you, too! You were supposed to be alseep! All of you!"

Jaune sank back into his seat as the quartet began to squabble anew; this time, their words lacking the bite of days past. By now it seemed more a habit than anything else. Fine by him! Teammates shouldn't fight between themselves. After all, a team was like a family. Family stuck together. Family meant no one got left behind.

Oomph.

"What's wrong?

'Its just...I'm not used to being away from everyone for this long. Never thought I'd get homesick...

He could see them seated at the table in his mind's eye; the image seamed to overlap that of his friends. Mom was probably making a hearty breakfast with Saphron while Dad and Vaylin prepared in a fresh bushel of apples. That would make Sabrina and Sable jealous of course, to which Jeanne and Azula would demand attention in turn while he looked on fondly...

A hand came down on Jaune's shoulder, jolting him out of his daydream.

"Relax." She must've mistook his stress for something else; because she clapped him on the back. "They're good, goldilocks. Don't worry about it."

Jaune frowned. There it was again; the blasted nickname. "I really wish you'd stop calling me that."

"Fair enough." she leered. "How about Whiskers? Prefer that?"

"Better that than vomit boy." Kurama chimed in.

"Hey!"

"Might as well get used to it." Nora shoveled another forkful of pancakes into her mouth, utterly unaware of his inner diatribe. "Nicknames are sacred, Jaunie." she held up a finger, taking on what he hoped was a faux-solemn tone. "Once a name finds you there's no going back. Henceforth, thy nickname shall be Whiskers, oh fearless leader."

Plaintive blue eyes turned upon Ren and Pyrrha. "Please tell me she's joking."

"Unfortunately, no." The former shrugged. "She's incredibly stubborn when it comes to these things.

She gave his shoulder a little pat. "I'm sorry...

Whatever disagreement Weiss and Ruby had must have been solved when he wasn't looking; because come breakfast, the duo were thick as thieves. At least Jaune assumed they were. Weiss wasn't snapping at Ruby, and when the former gave advice, the latter listened. Almost made him envious, that. He didn't know the first thing about being a leader. Maybe his teammates had suggestions...?

"Ow!" Another voice sliced through his thoughts once more, cutting them to ribbons. "That hurts!"

"See?" a rough, braying voice chortled. "I told you there were real."

Neither came from their table.

Jaune blinked, wondering why everyone fell silent. Weiss looked chagrined. Ruby and Yang were glaring at something off to the side. Blake joined them; indeed, she glared golden daggers across the cafeteria. He followed Team RWBY's gaze and soon saw the target of their ire.

"Poor Velvet." Pyrrha palmed her face. "Is Cardin at it again?"

"Yeah." Nora's fork bent in her grasp.

Ren pursed his lips. "Despicable."

On that, they were in agreement; blue eyes widened as he beheld an absolute giant of a student yanking on a girl's long ears. Actual ears. He had a poor rabbit faunus by them, friends laughing, fist yanking hard as they all looked on and mocked her plight. She struggled to escape, to no aval.

He heard a whimper thread through her lips. "Please stop...

A fire ignited deep inside Jaune's chest, burning bright and hot.

Kurama noticed his anger at once, if only because he was a part of him.

"What's got you so hod and bothered...oh." his words trailed off into a deep bass rumble of dismay. "Jaune. No. You've already made enough of a scene this week."

His uncle made a fair point. But still...! "Why isn't anyone helping her?"

Much to his chagrin, his friends looked away. Even Ruby dithered.

"Guys...?"

Weiss stared at her nails. "I'm sure she can handle herself."

"Says the Schnee." Blake sneered. "You have no idea what it means to suffer."

"That has nothing to do with it!"

They fell back into another argument. Jaune scarcely heard them. A strange buzzing sound hummed in his ears.

"So you're not going to do anything? None of you?"

Weiss wilted. "It is not our place. She's a second year. I'm sure she can handle herself."

He hated that kind of logic; if only because he'd once been the same. Before he'd gathered up the resolve to run away, to make something of himself, he'd been much the same. Always hiding from responsibility; cringing away when faced with any sort of real danger or peril. Even now he was terrified of being in Beacon; afraid of being, caught of his transcripts being revealed for the fakes they were. Afraid of his family dragging him back home. But despite that fear, he persisted.

Why couldn't she?

"Puh-please." Yang smacked her lips with an audible pop. "You're loaded. Just pay him to leave her alone or something.

Weiss svowled at her. "If you think I'm the sort to simply pay people to do what I want, then you're sadly mistaken!"

It sounded like she was making excuses.

"Power should be used for the betterment of others."

Her eyes snapped to him. "And what do you know about, power. Arc?"

Crap. He'd said that aloud, hadn't he? There could be no taking that back now...

To be fair, Jaune Uzumaki Arc hated few things in this world. Most of them started with the letter B, as it were. Broccoli, bullshit, and bullies. The latter was right up there at the top of his list. His dislike of them came not from being bullied himself -his sisters had seen to that!- but from seeing it firsthand. A village boy had tried bully one of his younger siblings once. Once. The wrath of an Arc was a terrible thing. And sometimes the only way to beat a bully is to give them a taste of their own medicine.

He stood.

Pyrrha saw it. "Jaune?"

...I'll be right back. Don't wait up for me."

Ren took one look at his expression and frowned. "What do you intend to do?"

He turned a smile on his comrade. It felt brittle on his face. "I just want to talk with him."

Nora whooped and pumped a fist into the air. "Thatta boy, Jaunie! Break his legs! I'll take pictures!"

...I'm just going to talk to him, Nora." the words sounded hollow, even to him. Loudly. Repeatedly. With my fist."

His legs were moving almost before he realized what was happening. Someone made a grab for his arm -he never saw who- but he did see Blake to reach across the table and give them a good hard shove. Whoever held him let go with a squawk and he was off.

Nine long strides carried him across the mess hall.

"Now remember, my dear boy." Juniper's voice game back to him suddenly while he walked. "We Arcs tend to experience emotions a little...differently than most." In a moment he was back in the past, sitting cross legged before her in the glade. "We live life vividly. Brilliantly. Sometimes too much so." she touched a finger to his forehead. "Take me and your Father for instance. When an Arc comes to care for someone, they love them with all their heart and soul. When an Arc laughs, we do so louder than anyone else. But when an Arc hates...well. That's why we're teaching you self control.

Right now? Jaune didn't feel in control. What would Dad do?

He tried to imagine it. "Beat his ass!"

Yeah, probably that.

Now that he was close enough to hear her cries properly, so too did he see Velvet's face wrought with pain. His fingers twitched, curling into claws. Said claws twitched, aching for action. Control. Mustn't let his chakra slip out. Mustn't transform here. He took a deep breath to calm himself and crossed the threshold.

"Hey. Stop pulling her ears."

Caught up in their merriment as they were and with their backs to him, Team CRDL didn't notice Jaune. Velvet did. Wide eyes snapped to his, wet with tears.

Jaune felt his left eye begin to twitch. "I said...

His right hand flicked out, seized Cardin by the wrist, and yanked it down. The boy yelped in surprise. His grip went slack and battered bunny scrambled back.

...hands off the bunny!"

Deprived of his prey and with clawed fingers biting into his wrist, Cardin took notice of him at last. Up close Jaune realized his foe was rather tall, almost frightfully so. A good head taller than him and all muscle beneath that uniform. Anyone else would have paused, taken a step back to reassess. Size didn't matter. He'd seen bigger.

And so he allowed Cardin to tear his arm free. Allowing him to grab him by the shirt. Allowed him to reel him in.

"Who the hell are you?"

"Just Jaune." he didn't stop smiling. "A normal guy."

"Is that so?" Cardin's face filled his field of vision with a sneer. "You've ruined my fun, Jauney-boy. What're you gonna do about it?"

Kurama rolled his eyes with a put upon sigh. "Now you've done it."

Jaune exhaled in a short, sharp burst of anger.

"This."

His foot slammed down harder than Nora's hammer, leaving the table riven in two to send food flying in every direction. Team CRDL recoiled in surprise. Those tables were reinforced; built to last, manufactured to endure heavy blows from angry students who didn't quite know their own strength. Naturally, Jaune had no way of knowing that. He didn't much care.

They were still reeling when Jaune stepped in, seized Cardin by the right ear and yanked.

He yanked hard.

A howl of pain filled the cafeteria. If anyone hadn't been aware of their scuffle, they were now.

"What the hell are you doing?!"

"Doesn't feel so good, does it?" the blond reared back, hauling the larger boy with him, heedless of Velvet's started stare. "This hurts, you know. I've had it done to me before. Painful, isn't it?"

Cardin bellowed and tried to break his grip, to no avail.

"Now, this is a lesson your father isn't at all fond of." Juniper smiled at Jaune from the past. "But its an important one all the same." She held up a finger and his eyes followed. "You're strong, Jaune, but your body has its limits. When you engage an enemy -not a sibling, not a friend and certainly not someone you love!- its all about perception. You must have fear, surprise, and intimidation on your side. For if any one of these things is lacking, it would best to retreat. Break your foes before you face them, my son. In a world like this, its the only way to survive.

Yeah, mom was a little scary when it came to life lessons. But they served him well now.

Dove lunged at him from the corner of his eye. He reached back, caught him by the face, and swung him into Russel as one might a large stick. Sky sputtered as his teammates crashed atop him, all but pinning him to the floor. They were still struggling to rise when Jaune kicked back and flattened with half the table. A chorus of groans greeted him. They didn't get up after that.

Cardin snarled in his grasp and threw a wild haymaker. "Why, you...?!"

Jaune took it to the face without so much as a blink.

He didn't fight like a huntsman. He fought like a shinobi.

Satisfying as it might be. He didn't need to beat Cardin and his team here. He just needed to terrify them.

Acting it was, then! He was a good actor...mostly.

"Who made you god, little man?" With a snarl he reared back, slamming Cardin face first into what remained of the once proud table. "Not that mace, not that uniform, nothing." he swung him down again, stunning the bigger boy. "You wanna scare people? Fine. I could use a scarecrow." his forehead slammed against Cardin's, teeth gone sharp and eyes blazing red. "You're gonna be my personal message board."

He folded Cardin Winchester like a pretzel.

A ways behind him, Velvet tilted her head at the sight.

Yang whistled. "Ouch. He's gonna feel that in the morning...

Pyrrha's hands flew to her mouth to stifle a small giggle. "Oh, my...


(.0.0.0.)


Mercifully, combat class came next.

It was here that miss Goodwitch lived up to her reputation.

She was certainly glaring at Jaune as if she expected him to fly off the handle at any given moment.

She suspected of course, but she couldn't prove anything. No one had stepped forward to testify against him, and Team CRDL was decidedly unconscious. In theory it was just a food fight gone awry. A remarkably one sided food fight, that had only affected Team CRDL and no one else. Just a bit of targeted aggression that had left four unruly boys in the school infirmary. It happened, of course. Boys would be boys and no matter the punishment it was well worthohcrapshelookedlikeshewantedtosnaphiminhalf...

"Is there a problem, Mr. Arc?"

Crap! She'd caught him staring!

He pointedly looked away from her and whistled innocently.

"I say again, you're an awful liar. You've got guilt written all over your face."

Nonsense. He could do this. Shouldn't be hard.

"Jaune Arc will face...hmm." green eyes sought them out. "Miss Schnee, you seem eager today. Why don't you try your luck?"

Jaune hope, pride, and confidence died an awful choking death. He wheezed. "Why...?"

The girl absolutely glowered at him. Well. This boded poorly.

Pyrrha squeezed his shoulder. "Fight well, partner."

"Its not the fighting I'm worried about...

His gaze found the small Schnee with a wince. She was already glaring icy daggers at him; indeed, he could've sworn he heard her snarl at him when he ascended the steps. Was she still mad at him? Girls were weird. He just didn't understand them sometimes. He hadn't done anything to upset her...had he?

"You really think you're something special, don't you?" She grit her teeth. "First that scene in Initiation, and now the cafeteria...how long do you intend to mock me?!"

"W-What?" his cringe wasn't at all feigned. "Me? Special? I'm not special at all! And I wasn't mocking you!"

"Lies!"

Weiss lifted Myrtenaster.

Jaune brandished Crocea Mors.

Miss Good witch stepped back sharply. "Begin."

With a flick of his wrist, Crocea Mors transformed, her hilt lengthening as the metal blade fell away. In its place a blazing line of blue plasma burst free with an electric snap-hiss. He brandished the saber of light, sending it humminb the air

Ruby squealed from the sidelines. "YOUR SWORD REALLY DOES TRANSFORM!"

Jaune curtained a smile. Really, the second form was good enough for something like this. No need to bust out the third here. Carefully, he modulated his chakra and set his saber to low power. Wouldn't do to cut anyone in half, after all. That definitely wasn't normal. And while he might not like Weiss at the moment, he liked Ruby. Weiss wasn't a friend, but she wasn't an enemy either.

It availed him naught.

She arched an eyebrow. "How did you sword turn into that?!"

Ruby nearly flung herself into the arena. "I WANT THAT!"

"No," Jaune planted his feet with a sigh. "You don't."

Weiss closed on him in a whirl of steel.

She had impeccable form; coming from an Arc, that was saying something. Weiss Schnee didn't so much duel as she did dance; her poise perched on perfection. Myrtenaster weaved a cold cage of steel 'round him, forcing him to defend in kind. Jaune ducked back as a low swipe raked his chin, drawing a thin line of blood across his cheek. He parried, then gave ground, and Weiss chased him with a hiss. A dull click of her rapier was his only warning before she swiped at him anew.

"Stop running!" she snarled, "Fight me like you mean it, you oaf! I will not be made a fool of!"

He let her rapier trip him up and send him sprawling. Her words stung more than the fall.

Maybe he should try after all. Just a pinch. Just a little. She wanted him do.

Blue eyes flashed as he climbed upright. "Alright. You asked for it."

Weiss barely had time to raise Myrtenaster in her defense.

Then she found herself fighting a storm of blue light.

A/N: At last! Now that we've started the duel, I can devote myself fully to the fight. As we all know, Weiss is leagues above Cardin...

Please read this note. It has some crucial info regarding certain tings.

Once more, we're sticking with the "Embers" rule.

If folks don't like this, it'll be deleted. Meaning that if the story itself ain't popular? POOF! Gone. Completely. 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.

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!

Next time: Just A Little Lust.

Tell me what you want to see~!

(Previews)

"FIGHT! ME!"

And so he did.

"You can fly?!"

"Nope! Jump good!"

"Be brave, Jaune!"

"I don't think bravery's the problem!


A hand caught his sleeve.

"This isn't over, Arc."

Something unfamiliar itched at his chest.

Jaune scratched his cheek. "Um, I think it is, though?"

Ruby slammed into him. "Gimme you sword!"

"Ruby, no!"

The little weapon addict giggled. "Ruby, yes! Show me more! Show me, show meeee~!"

Yang shrugged. "You brought this on yourself. She's never gonna stop now until you give up the goods-ack?!"

"Yaaaaaang! Don't say it like that!


Penny held up her creation. "Like this, grandfather? Did I make it properly?"

Naruto looked away, face gone red. "Too adorable. Must protect...

Juniper was less subtle. She all but dove on her.


"You think I'm ready for battle? No. I'm ready for war."


"How the hell are you this strong?!"

Jaune allowed himself a smile, the first real smile he'd felt in quite some time.

"Pushups, situps, and plenty of juice...


"That has nothing to do with us!"

Jaune caught it and frowned.

Like us? Did Blake think he was a Faunus. Wait? Was she one? No, not important now.


"I really don't think I need any training, Pyrrha...

"Surely you wouldn't say no to a spar?"

Why did everyone want to fight him? Was this a rite of passage or something?

And why was Kurama cackling in the back of his head?!


"Meh, its fine."

Blake's jaw clicked open. "Excuse me?"

He'd ferreted out her secret and that was all he had to say?

"I mean, I ran away from my family, too." Jaune shrugged. "We can be runaways together."

Her lower lip trembled.

"Blake? You alright?"


For a moment, he let the mask slip.

"You don't seem to understand." Jaune grabbed the Beowolf by the face, forcing its jaws apart with a horrific pop. "This my team." his eyes flashed red. "These are my friends!" his body burnished gold and black. LEAVE THEM ALONE!"

He tore it in half.


"And you're still not tired?!"

"Well, my dad says I have a lot of energy...


Sap trickled down. He sneezed.

"This is hell...

R&R~!