Phew, I'm glad I got this done before Christmas. I doubt I'll be able to get another chapter up before the end of the year though, so sorry about that. Finally, we get to have Cardin versus Jaune, in a no holds cage match. One one will leave alive! The thrilling conclusion of bully vs bullied, champion vs underdog, etc. It became an interesting fight for sure with some unexpected twists and turns. Along with some things that might make people flinch when they read it. Special thanks to UrsaMJR and nBappo for reviewing this chapter for me.
If you continue to enjoy my stories, feel free to check out my p a treon.
P a treon . com (Slash) DarkBetrayer
Disclaimer: I do not own RWBY.
"Last chance Jauney-Boy." Cardin mocked, raising his mace and pointing it at Jaune. "Drop your weapons, get on your knees, and apologize for not only cheating, but mouthing off to me. If you do that, I'll forgive you because I'm such a nice-..."
"Bite me."
"What did you say?" Cardin's smirk quickly dropped off his lips as Jaunes' words struck a nerve. His face grew red with a furious shade.
"You heard me." Jaune didn't plan to give in to the bully. Not today, not anymore. Sure, he wasn't the strongest person at Beacon, but Qrow had spent a lot of time and effort training him. It'd be paramount to personally spitting in his face if he let someone like Cardin badmouth all the work they put in. He wouldn't be able to look at Ruby in her eyes if all her support was wasted running from a prick like Cardin. "I'm not going to look away from the way you treat people."
There was a profound depth to Jaune's determination to confront Cardin that transcended mere homage to his teacher. It extended beyond the echoes of Qrow's mistreatment and delved into a resolute stance against the insidious traits he recognized in Cardin—traits reminiscent of those he had encountered during his challenging apprenticeship.
To Jaune, Cardin epitomized the disdainful disregard for others, particularly the Faunus. Mirroring the dehumanizing attitudes of the vile Slave Traders he had the misfortune of crossing paths with. Cardin's belief that he could treat Faunus as lesser beings, devoid of rights, struck a nerve in Jaune, resonating with the memories of innocent Faunus that had been callously rounded up as slaves.
Recollections surfaced of a restaurant employee refusing service to a customer purely due to them being a Faunus. Those memories fueled Jaune's resolve, his anger and rightful fury, propelling him beyond the shadows of silence.
It was no longer a matter of simply standing up for his teacher's pride; it was a resolute commitment to eradicating the toxic mindset that perpetuated such injustices. Those that remained silent and ignored the problems were also culpable. Jaune's voice cut through the air, his words carrying the weight of unwavering determination.
"Then I'll have to beat some manners into you."
In the instant those words left Cardin's mouth, the bully surged forward, his mace descending with unbridled force. Jaune, unwavering, hoisted his shield towards the blow, pivoting on one leg to anchor himself and absorb the ferocious strike head-on. The resounding clash of metal on metal sent a dull clang through the training room. A seismic shockwave coursed through their arms, one halted in the midst of an attack, the other staunchly bracing against the impact.
Bound in a deadlock, both combatants strained against each other, attempting to gain ground. Yet the stalemate persisted, forcing a simultaneous retreat and creating a space between them.
Undeterred, Cardin unleashed another punishing swing, this time targeting Jaune's head with a horizontal trajectory. The consequences of a direct hit were ominous, promising more than a mere bruise. Unable to raise his shield high enough while maintaining his defensive stance, Jaune opted for a daring maneuver. Evading the oncoming mace by a hair's breadth, he surged forward, thrusting his sword with formidable might.
To his astonishment, Jaune's blade missed its mark as Cardin deftly sidestepped, seamlessly transitioning the momentum of his swing. A swift knee surged towards Jaune's abdomen, prompting a desperate but successful shield block. The sudden shift in stance momentarily unsettled Jaune, allowing Cardin's leg to exert its force and create distance between them.
Realigning his footing, Jaune raised his shield and sword, bracing for the imminent onslaught. The training room crackled with the tension of impending conflict, each participant poised for the next chapter in their intense duel.
"Still so slow and weak." Cardin growled, some of his previous anger turning into a spike of utter distaste pointed towards Jaune. "Even if your defense improved. All that means is that the beating is going to last longer."
That wasn't just bravado on Cardin's part, Jaune noted. As much as Cardin was an asshole bully, and an overconfident jerk, he did have strength to back it up. That guy passed initiation without being saved by a much more skilled teammate. The only reason he seemed weaker than other first years is their class was full of crazy strong students. Yang, Pyrrha, Nora, and even Ruby shines for being able to keep up, even excelling, with being two years younger. Without them, Cardin might have stood out more. During combat class, since Jaune wasn't skilled at all, he never really tried against him.
Now it was different.
Each of those blows really did hurt.
"Did you really join Beacon just to be a bully?"
The words tumbled out of Jaune's mouth the moment he thought about them. If Cardin had spent years training to be a Huntsman, he must have had a real dream, right? Not just to be a bully and pick on people weaker than him.
"Huh?" Cardin, who was in the process of slamming his mace against Jaune's shield, recoiled at such a senseless question. And as if disgusted by such provocation, he began to swing his mace once more. "Shut up and fight!"
Talking with him proved futile, Jaune perceived. He simply clenched his teeth, tightening his grip on the shield. Swiftly flipping his sword, he transformed a jab into an uppercut, aiming for Cardin's vulnerable neck—a strategic move to deplete Aura rapidly. But Cardin, ever agile, tilted his mace and deflected Jaune's blade with the metal hilt, resulting in a shower of sparks. Worse still, Cardin skillfully angled his weapon, sending Jaune's sword soaring over his shoulder, leaving him unarmed and exposed.
The hilt crashed against Jaune's unprotected side, Aura absorbing the brunt but leaving him momentarily breathless. In the unforgiving arena of combat, hesitation proved perilous. Normally, against the showboating Cardin, Jaune had time to defend, but this time was different—Cardin was unrelenting.
With a ruthless teeter-totter motion, Cardin seized the opportunity. The mace's head descended from one side, and with a swift maneuver, he reversed the motion, striking from the other. "Gah!" Jaune grunted as the mace's head slipped past his shield, colliding with his shoulder. Though Aura cushioned most of the blow, the impact jarred his entire arm.
Reacting swiftly, Jaune kicked off the ground, launching himself backward. He amplified his Aura, fortifying his defenses and readying himself for the relentless onslaught that hung in the tense air of the battlefield.
Cardin's not fighting like he normally does against me. I got caught in his pace. Qrow would be giving me an earful by now.
"How's it feel?" Cardin mocked. "Ready to admit you're still trash?"
"Fuck you." Jaune spat out, his Aura beginning to glow. White light flooded from his shoulder and slowly spread out to his body.
"Yo, Cardin!" Dove called out from the stands. "It looks like he's up to something."
"Yeah yeah, I see it. Butt off…" Cardin spat out. "It's just Jauney-boy, nothing but a bluff. Heh, he might even be draining his Aura just to try and keep up."
"You're not far off." Jaune mumbled, straining the words through gritted teeth.
Now, Jaune was assuming the role of aggressor. Pushing off the ground and charging forward with his sword raised high, the blond would unleash a powerful downward strike, channeling all the strength he could muster. Aura surged into his muscles, propelling them beyond their normal limits. Cardin, sensing the shift in the atmosphere, dropped his smirk and went on high alert. The recent close call near his neck had erased any hint of hesitation he felt the boy previously held. Jaune was no longer to be taken lightly, even if he projected an air of confidence before his own team, Cardin had to pay attention.
He swung his mace in an upward swing from the side to match Jaune's blow directly.
Another loud clang rang out as the two pieces of metal collided with each other. Sparks sprayed from the point of impact and then the two weapons bounced back away from each other. Cardin was physically stronger, but Jaune had the advantage of amplifying his Aura to boost his strength. Neither had real time to consider this though as they immediately began to rain blow after blow against each other. Sword met mace again and again, as the two released a flurry of attacks and counters towards one another.
Jaune was a little surprised how fast Cardin could swing that lump of steel. Sure it was designed for him to wield it one handed, but it was large and heavy enough that Cardin could use it two handed. The first time he did it against Jaune was a surprise and he barely managed to deflect it with his shield. The force nearly doubled as Cardin had grabbed the hilt with his left hand before slamming it against the metal wall. Shockwaves and pain rippled through Jaune's arm for a moment as he took the blow. After that lesson, he tried to parry it more by letting the mace slide against a tilted shield more to reduce the direct force he received.
Unyielding, Jaune kept his eyes fixed on the flurry of rapid strikes directed his way. Qrow's teachings echoed in his mind, emphasizing the distinction between hiding behind a shield and truly wielding it. Mere blocking wasn't enough; Jaune had to discern the subtle pauses and shifts in an opponent's movements. No one could change directions instantly; there was always a telltale buildup or alteration in speed when they shifted course. It was within these moments that Jaune needed to seize his opportunity.
As Cardin's mace collided once more with Jaune's shield, coming to a momentary pause as he readied another swing against Jaune. But the blond warrior unleashed a swift side swipe against Cardin's exposed side. The attack landed, causing a vibrant burst of orange Aura to flicker around the point of impact.
A low grunt escaped Cardin's lips, his eyes ablaze with anger. The unexpected hit had rattled him. Without a visual representation of the damage inflicted, Jaune could only speculate, but he sensed it wasn't negligible. A direct hit to the side could cleave a chunk of Aura, regardless of the opponent's strength. However, Cardin wasn't about to accept defeat lying down. Anger had a way of amplifying one's strength, yet it often led to careless mistakes. While Jaune dared not lower his guard, he anticipated more openings to exploit as he jabbed his blade forward.
Jaune's eyes widened as Cardin's mace veered upward in an unfamiliar attack. The mace's head grazed the bottom of Jaune's shield, tossing it upward. His grip, accustomed to withstanding attacks from above and from the front, faltered. His protective barrier soared skyward, along with his arm, leaving his torso vulnerable. With a swift motion, Cardin brought his mace downwards, colliding with Jaune's chest.
Cracks spiderwebbed across Jaune's breastplate.
The force expelled all the air from his lungs.
In the aftermath of the collision, Jaune's movements felt sluggish. He had been too slow to retract his sword after the previous strike—an opening he had exploited but left himself exposed to. It was a mistake he wouldn't have made against Qrow, a lapse in judgment that echoed through his mind as the world seemed to slow down. Jaune stumbled backward, skidding on the unyielding floor. Attempting to draw breath, his lungs, though spared from collapse by the armor and Aura, still throbbed with pain.
"Nice one, Cardin!" Russel cheered from the stands as Dove and Sky laughed at Jaune's predicament.
"See, Jauney-Boy?" Cardin smirked. "No matter how much you train, you'll always be weaker than me. Some of us are just born for greatness. Now, about that apology?"
"Keep dreaming of it, you ass." Jaune growled, pushing himself up. A trace of surprise flickered across Cardin's face before turning annoyed and angry. He obviously thought Jaune wasn't going to get up. Amplifying his Aura, the pain in Jaune's chest quickly vanished as he stood up, raising his shield and pointing his sword at his opponent. "I'm not the same person I used to be and there's no way I'm going to concede to someone like you. An insecure bully who picks on people weaker than him for fun!"
"You're asking for it, punk." Cardin gritted his teeth. "I'm going to beat you so badly, you're never going to think about crossing me ever again!"
"As long as you soil the name of a Huntsman, I'm never going to let you rest!" Jaune shot back, steeling forward.
"You're the one who cheated your way into Beacon, not me!" Cardin countered, shutting down Jaune's argument for a moment. "I actually earned my way here."
"For what?" Jaune asked, his eyes burning holes into his opponent. "To pick on people? To hurt others?"
"So I can protect humanity from trash like the White Fang!"
Jaune's step wavered in reaction, as Cardin brought his hammer down. It was the first true insight into the bully's mind with those words. Blood started pounding in his ears as anger surged through him. It was the same hatred he saw with the slave traders. Cardin was just one step away before becoming someone like them. As he realized his mind was clouding due to his rage, Jaune barely registered in time the tip of Cardin's mace opening up to reveal a large red crystal.
A fire dust crystal.
Thinking back, Jaune had really limited experiences fighting against Dust users. Before he left Beacon, he had one spar with Weiss who quickly froze him in ice before chipping away his Aura and winning the match. Most people just used Dust Bullets. Qrow never really used it and Ruby just liked different kinds of Dust rounds with different effects. With them traveling, Ruby didn't get much chance to restock or use them against Jaune during their spars. So seeing the red crystal made Jaune panic for a moment. Instinctively, he raised his shield, but found out that really didn't help much.
An explosion erupted from the ground as Cardin smashed his mace down and the wave of explosive fire rippled forward. Jaune's shield did little to block the rolling flames as they simply engulfed him whole. The shockwave blew him back, lifting him off the ground and slamming into the wall of the training room arena. Dust and dirt shrouded him from view as the floor was partially destroyed by the impact.
"You might have overdone it." Dove called down to Cardin, sounding a little nervous. "Think we'll get in trouble?"
"Pssh, no!" Cardin laughed. "This was a training accident and Jauney-boy was just too weak. Maybe now he'll show some respect." Carsin looked at the cloud of dust and debris for a moment before turning to leave, swinging his mace over his shoulder. "Let's go."
"Er… Cardin?" Sky pointed to something behind him.
"What?" Cardin snapped, before slowly turning around. His eyes widened. "What the hell? You're still standing?"
Emerging from the dissipating smoke, Jaune stood resolute, still clutching both his shield and sword. His entire form glowed with a fierce white light, an unbridled surge of Aura enveloping him. The radiant energy served not only as a barrier of protection but also as a conduit for rapid self-restoration. While his shirt and pants bore the scars of singed fabric, the majority of his attire remained unscathed, thanks to the protective embrace of his resilient Aura. Even his dented breastplate bore witness to the undeniable strength emanating from within.
Taking a deliberate step forward, Jaune lifted his gaze, locking eyes with Cardin. The other boy, feeling his blood run cold for an instant, couldn't help but be affected by the intensity of Jaune's expression. Was it anger? For the first time in Cardin's recollection, pure rage was etched across Jaune's face.
The air crackled with the palpable tension of the impending confrontation. Jaune, now a beacon of seething determination, stood as a testament to the resilience forged in the crucible of combat. The scene, tinged with burnt remnants and the glint of dented armor, foretold a clash that transcended mere physical blows—a collision of indomitable wills, with Jaune's newfound fury at its forefront.
Though Cardin quickly pushed his own feelings to the side, reigniting his pompous attitude.
"Still won't give up?" Cardin sneered, his tone full of mocking. "Can you even keep standing?"
Jaune didn't answer him. There was no point in doing so. He always knew Cardin was a jerk and a bully, but after seeing everything he had during his travels, leaving Cardin to continue to act like this would lead him down the same path of those slavers. Of course Jaune wanted to beat the crap out of Cardin for all the suffering that dick put him through, but there was more to it. As Qrow told him, it was okay to feel angry, just don't let it crowd your judgment and make you act irrationally.
At that point, he knew what he had to do.
Beat Cardin to a pulp using everything he had learned. If Yang and Nora knew what he was about to do, they would be so proud. Maybe Blake too, since she knew Cardin was a racist jackass. Ruby would have backed him up if she had been here. As for Qrow… his mentor would either give him a thumbs up as a go ahead, or pretend he was busy and missed the fight so he could deny that he was there.
Leaning into the fray, Jaune surged forward, his shield transformed into a formidable battering ram. Cardin, responding with a swift overhead swing of his mace, aimed to halt Jaune's relentless advance. But Jaune, tilting his shield with calculated precision, deflected the majority of the force to the side. Cardin's arm stretched out, creating an opening that Jaune seized without hesitation. His blade descended with unyielding force, carving a long cut and dent into Cardin's chest and shoulder. The metallic clang echoed, the impact forcing Cardin to stagger back, Aura flaring up to absorb the damage, though his armor held.
Without granting Cardin a moment's respite, Jaune pressed forward. He raised his left arm, wielding the shield like a battering ram once more, smashing it into Cardin's face and forcing his head back. Cardin, quick to recover, deflected the shield to the side and retaliated with an uppercut aimed at Jaune's head. In a nimble dance, Jaune stepped backward, narrowly evading the blow, attempting a counterjab with his blade. Yet, Cardin effortlessly sidestepped the attack, delivering a punishing strike with the mace to Jaune's sword arm. The pain surged, but Jaune, amplifying his Aura, dulled its impact.
Cardin unleashed a relentless barrage of strikes, fueled by anger and hatred, his eyes flashing dangerously. Furious that Jaune refused to admit to cheating and infuriated by the struggle he faced, each blow felt like a relentless assault against Jaune's shield and sword. Cardin, completely driven by anger, left openings for Jaune to exploit, but the blond warrior remained on the defensive, the opportunities to counter dwindling.
Adapted to Ruby's speed, Jaune grappled with the power behind Cardin's strikes. It was a challenge, but nothing insurmountable for someone accustomed to facing Qrow. Drawing on his Semblance, Jaune elevated his Aura, fortifying his entire being and replenishing any lost energy. Gritting his teeth, Jaune raised his sword and descended upon Cardin with unwavering force.
Mace clashed with the sword as Cardin swung upwards. This time, Jaune not only wielded the advantage of gravity but also channeled his fully amplified Aura into the strike, empowering his muscles. Cardin's eyes widened in disbelief as his weapon was knocked away, torn from his grip by the raw surge of power. A fundamental lesson laid bare: never relinquish control of your weapon.
"AHH!" Cardin let out an involuntary yell as his mace was ripped from his grasp.
Just because his opponent was disarmed, didn't mean Jaune could let up. The moment he let down his guard, someone could turn everything around. It was a mistake Cardin was known to make and Glynda would always reprimand him. Jaune, full of rage and adrenaline, continued his advantage. Over and over, Jaune continued to slash. Up, down, right, left, diagonal, every attack pattern he had drilled into his body through hours of practicing every day. Combo after combo, circular strikes to avoid any delays in his follow up, every hit draining Cardin's Aura, cutting into his Armor, and forcing him back. Completely off balance, there was nothing Cardin could do but desperately try to guard without a weapon, using his arm-guards to weaken blows.
Reeling in the final hit, Jaune pulled back the hand gripping his sword and rocketing it forward through his guard, delivering his fist straight into Cardin's face.
It would have been a lie to say it wasn't oh so satisfying.
Cardin landed on his back, his Aura flashing as a warning that it was getting low. Panting heavily, Jaune stopped and finally sheathed his sword. Walking up to the bully, he stood over him and looked down. Cardin was a big, muscular kid who was almost as tall as Jaune was, but now, he looked so small and insignificant. Remembering what the boy said earlier, Jaune clenched a fist and glared down at him.
"Why did you become a Huntsman?" Jaune asked him. "You never answered my question. Was it really just to be a bully to others?"
"Fuck off!" Cardon spluttered, with a little blood running out of his nose. He spat it out. "You got a lucky hit!"
Taking a page out of Qrow's book, Jaune kicked Cardin in the side before movement caught his eye as the rest of the Team CRDL drew their weapons. They had been so enamored by the fight they hadn't thought of intervening, even when Cardin was getting the shit kicked out of him. Now that the action had ceased, they managed to think clearly. Jaune glared at them and they froze for a moment. It was at that moment Jaune realized something. Even with Cardin treating him like he always did, others didn't.
They saw him as a threat.
"Tell me then," Jaune demanded, turning back to Cardin while keeping watch for a moment out of the corner of his eye. "Why did you come to Beacon?"
"It's natural for the best to come here, dickweed!" Cardin tried to swipe Jaune's leg out with his, but it was so obvious, even an amateur could have avoided it. Instead, Jaune just stepped on his leg. Not hard enough to break it like some people, but enough to give a threat. No matter how much he wanted to, breaking a fellow student's bone wasn't something he wanted to do even accidentally. That's not why HE wanted to come to Beacon.
"Then why tarnish their name?" Jaune had to know. "To be a low-life bully to others. You're strong, and I bet if you stopped picking on people and focused, you could be giving someone like Yang a good fight!"
"She's just a battle freak." Cardin mocked, still trying to sound confident while laying below Jaune's judgemental gaze. "I train plenty. You just got lucky today."
"Then why do you waste all that training on tormenting other people, like Velvet who has never done anything to you!" Jaune growled at him.
"Because the Faunus need to learn their damn place!" Cardin shot back. "Do you know what those things do? They attack humans and then play victim! They have all the rights we have and they still want more! I've seen first hand what the White Fang does. I was in the crowd when they decided they wanted to bomb a politician they didn't agree with. A little ear pulling is nothing to that! They are nothing but animals pretending to be human… GAH!"
Jaune didn't mean to kick him so hard, or even kick him in the first place. His leg moved before the boy even had a chance to truly comprehend what he did. Cardin was holding his side as his Team raised their weapons. Jaune didn't notice as he was consumed by rage. He had seen people who spewed out the exact same things.
"It's people like you…" Jaune gritted his teeth so hard he felt they might crack. "People like you who make Faunus resort to being in the White Fang." His hand clenched harder as his eyes flashed dangerously. "I met people like you, Cardin. Or people you're going to become if you keep thinking like this." Sky stepped forward and Jaune spun to look at him. "They were fucking slavers! Slave Traders who thought Faunus didn't have rights so they could kidnap them from their homes. One was even going to have their way with a little girl. A mere child!"
Sky froze his advance with Dove and Russel looking uncomfortable as Jaune raised the topic.
"And he said the exact same things as Cardin!" Jaune pointed to the boy on the ground.
Cardin glared back at him, but uncharacteristically, he didn't say anything. It might have been because he understood Jaune wasn't scared of his words anymore or maybe he knew what Jaune said was a bit much too. Either way, he was at least listening. Jaune hadn't really talked about what happened with the slave traders outside of Ruby, Qrow, Nora, and Ren. Even then, he didn't talk about the girl. His temper was getting the better of him and everything he was hiding spilled out.
"Not only that, I've heard disgusting stories of Faunus being brutalized by people like you!" Jaune continued to announce, not quite yelling, but close. "Being forced to live in towns outside of cities due to racists. I'm not going to stand by any longer and let you trample over the Huntsman name for your own petty beliefs." He brought a firm fist to his palm. "When you try to pick on anyone from now on. When you so much as utter another slur or degrading comment, I will be there to personally beat you for it. If you want to fight, I'm ready anywhere, anytime. Maybe someday you can fight for a reason that means something more than your close-minded bullshit. But until you change, I will be a shadow that follows your pathetic ass and kick you on the right path."
He glared once more at the rest of Team CRDL, who all looked like fish out of water.
Cardin glanced up from the floor, equally dumbfounded and surprised as Jaune started walking away from him. If he had been in the blond's position, he would have made sure Jaune would never talk back to him again. Yet the guy was acting like Cardin wasn't even worth his time anymore. For some people, that might have been the point in their life where they realize they made a mistake and vow to change for the better. Cardin had the opportunity to change and make amends.
Of course, he didn't do that.
"What are you losers waiting for!" Cardin shouted toward the others as he scrambled to his feet. "Kill that asshole!"
The sounds of weapons being drawn echoed in the training room and Jaune grimaced. Qrow would be laughing at him if he knew. This had to be a secret until he died. Jaune drew his blade as he eyed each of his opponents. Russel used a pair of daggers and could throw them. Jaune had seen that during combat class. Sky wielded a long, dark-blue halberd, with a large inward-curved axehead on one side and a small spike on the other. That would be a pain to block and counter due to its reach. Lastly, Dove wielded a sword like him, but not a shield. It gave him more flexibility in his attacks. Jaune was trying to plan ahead on how to fight them, but he wasn't coming up with much.
They all had fighting styles that covered each other's weaknesses
Shit…
Jaune realized he should have left when he had the chance. He's fought multiple Grimm before, and a couple bandits, but trained Aura enhanced students? Even if Team CRDL didn't have the skills of Pyrrha or Yang, they were still going to be a real threat. The only advantage Jaune had was that with his Semblance, he could keep going much longer than them, but if he was being assaulted from every direction, it wouldn't keep up. A moment after Jaune drew his sword and raised his shield to defend himself, movement behind Team CRDL caught his eyes for a brief moment.
"EEEEEEEEEEEEE!"
Sky's inhuman screams rang out when a black shoe below white leg warmers swung upwards between his legs.
Dove and Russel spun around and swung at the attacker, but the short girl somersaulted back and landed on a bench, sitting down as if she was merely watching an interesting show. The smirk evident on her face showed she didn't hold the slightest bit of fear against the two armed attackers. All the guys in the room stared at her, unsure why she was here or why she attacked them.
"M-Mint?" Jaune spluttered out at last. "Why are you here?"
The girl replied to his question with a shrug and a yawn.
"I told you to lock the door!" Cardin roared at his team.
"We did!" Russel protested. "She must have unlocked it!"
Mint's smirk only grew and she waved her hand dismissively, as if to say something like a simple lock could prevent her from investigating something to be entertaining. Jaune wanted to tell her to go and not get involved, but at this point, he was relieved for anyone on his side. Plus she already took out one of his opponents in a surprise attack. If they had been paying attention, they might have noticed her entering. She glanced at Jaune for a moment then turned back to Russel and Dove.
Then proceed to give them the middle finger.
Dove yelled out and swung his sword at her. Mint didn't seem phased at all as she dodged to the side, pushing off the bench and making it look so effortless she might have weighed nothing. Dove's sword buried itself in the bench and Jaune instantly knew he would regret it. There had been a time during his training with Qrow and Ruby that his sword got stuck in a tree. Ruby had been prepared to stop to let him pull it out, but Qrow wouldn't let her. An important, but painful lesson for the boy. Dove was about to learn the same lesson.
A small knee came up as the guy tried to pull his sword out of the wood.
Right between the legs, because it seemed that Team CRDL didn't understand one of the most important lessons, even after seeing a demonstration. ALWAYS protect the family jewels. Even with Aura, a strong hit there would render you incapacitated, especially with Mint seeming to be an agile melee fighter. She wasn't even using a weapon, so she must have been used to fighting unarmed. As Dove fell beside her, she started to dart toward Russel, who finally learned his lesson and immediately guarded his crotch with his weapon.
A foolish move on his part and Jaune flinched before anything happened. Mint was a Huntress student who seemed to have experience fighting people outside of the arena. Leaping over Russel's weapons along with a strike from his second dagger, the girl's knee planted itself directly into his face. Jaune wasn't sure if the crunch he heard was the nose being broken or just his imagination as Russel stumbled back, his hand over his face. Not being one to get an opportunity to slip through her grasp, Mint swept Russel's legs and the boy collapsed. The small girl stood over him, crossing her arms and wearing a triumphant look on her face.
Right before her foot stomped down in the sensitive spot between his legs.
Russel didn't even have the energy to scream in pain, only letting out a feminine squeak.
Part of Jaune wanted to yell out too, because no guy likes to see another man get hit in their most private of areas. However, he did turn away as Mint brought her foot down. Not that he ever was going to reprimand that girl. She had saved him by taking out those three. The girl might have saved him in another way too as due to him looking away, he noticed Cardin reaching down to pick up his weapon. During the commotion, he had gotten up to retrieve it. Might have even been prepared to aim at Jaune when his back was turned.
Charging forward without drawing his weapon, the full weight of Jaune collided into Cardin in the form of a powerful bullrush. With his back turned and off balanced due to leaning down to pick up his mace, Cardin was knocked into the air and collided into the wall of the arena. Jaune quickly kicked the mace to the far end of the practice ring and put his hand on the hilt of his sword. Cardin stopped struggling and leaned against the wall, looking at him warily.
"Are you ready to give up?" Jaune asked him, his voice oddly calm. The anger he felt seemed to have vanished after he got everything off his chest. "You lost."
"You're just lucky she showed up." Cardin pointed a shaking hand at Mint, who waved at him before stepping on Sky's stomach.
"I sure am," Jaune agreed without a second thought. "Mint's amazing." The girl puffed out her chest. "But you know why she helped me? Because we're friends. I don't go around bullying people to feel good about myself. So if I find myself in trouble, they will come to my rescue. But you? All you have is your minions. Do you think anyone will help you all if Mint and I beat the crap out of you?"
Mint cracked her knuckles and Cardin looked worried.
"But we won't." Jaune stated firmly and Mint's mouth fell open as she stared at him. "You're not worth it."
"You think you're better than me!?" Cardin demanded, his pride taking a hit. That guy seemed to care more about his reputation than his life.
"Yes." That was the only answer to that question. "Anyone who's not a bigot is better than you."
"Fuck you, Arc." Cardin spat at him. "I'll teach you a lesson next time when you don't get lucky."
"Bring it." Jaune shot back defiantly. "If you ever want a fight, I'll face you in the ring or spar with you. Just stop being an asshole to everyone! Take out your anger toward me if you have to, but anytime I see you bullying someone, I'm going to stop you. Even if Goodwitch punishes me. I'll get everyone else to stop you too if I have to." He spun around to Mint. "If you see Cardin bullying anyone, you'll knock some sense into him, right?" Jaune wasn't sure how she would reply, but got an interesting response.
The girl saluted him with a big grin plastered on her face.
Her enthusiasm was appreciated.
"Let's go." Jaune waved to Mint, who immediately left her victims and trotted along behind him. He turned his head around to look at Cardin. "I looked up to your strength before, Cardin. I hated myself for being weak, not for you being more powerful than me. Show me there's more to you that I can respect."
Cardin gritted his teeth and made a fist as Jaune left with Mint. Picking up his mace, he went over to his team and kicked them awake. None of the boys were too seriously injured thanks to Aura, though they were walking kind of funny. Being distracted, none of them noticed the black bird high in the rafters watching them before hopping into a vent. A very unusual action for a bird.
Once they were well away from the training room, Jaune let out a long breath of relief.
"Mint… you really saved my butt. I can't thank you enough." The girl turned and tilted her head as he expressed his gratitude. She pointed to herself and then smiled. "Yeah, you're really strong." Jaune laughed at her gestures. "Wish I was as strong as you sometimes."
Mint snickered and gestured at him with sign language.
'I was watching the fight. You didn't do too badly.'
"Hopefully after all the training I've done while traveling I was showing some results. My Semblance just lets me keep going and going." Jaune didn't elaborate and Mint's eyes narrowed slightly as if she wanted to hear more, but her expression quickly became passive when Jaune looked at her. "Remember Ruby saying we'll take you out for ice cream after what happened at Juniors?" The small girl nodded eagerly. "After today, you can get anything you want. My treat."
A devious smirk formed on Mint's face as she pointed to his pocket and then pretended to faint.
"Please don't make me destitute." Jaune begged and Mint shook her head as she winked at him and skipped off. The boy could only watch her leave as he sighed. "I need to be careful with my promises, but she deserved it. We barely know each other and she came to help me without asking for anything. She's a good person. A lot like Ruby…"
Speaking of Ruby, Jaune kind of wanted to tell her about what Cardin did. He was used to sharing everything with her, good and bad. Right now, he really wanted to share the good news he actually beat Cardin in an actual one on one fight. That deserved to be shared, right? A part of Jaune was also worried that Cardin might go after Ruby because he knew they were friends. That was something petty bullies would do when they can't beat someone face to face. Though with the threat of an angry Yang ready to go wild on anyone hurting Ruby… Cardin was probably smart enough not to try.
Pulling out his scroll, Jaune dialed his friend but when the call connected, he heard a very different voice than Ruby's and saw a blonde girl's face on the screen.
"Sup, Vomit Boy." Yang waved.
"Y-Yang!" Jaune spluttered. "What are you doing with Ruby's Scroll?"
"She's indisposed right now." Yang chuckled, pointing the camera on her side toward a closed dressing room. "What did you need?"
"Wanted to tell Ruby something funny… and when are you going to stop calling me Vomit Boy?"
"When it stops being funny."
"So never for her." Blake rolled her eyes as she walked past the frame.
"Wait, is that Jaune's voice!" Ruby poked her head out of the changing room and saw his face on the scroll from her side. "JAUNE! Help! I'm being tortured!"
"You're almost done." Weiss pushed Ruby back in and tossed something Jaune missed to her. "Put those on. We only have a couple more pairs to try." Jaune could tell the white haired girl looked exhausted and a little frazzled from his position. Her pristine hair was a little frazzled.
"That's what you said half an hour ago!" Ruby's whine came from the other side of the door.
"And you're almost done!" Weiss snapped at her. "You wanted this, and you're going to see it through."
"Weiss, are you holding a grudge because I spilled soda on your bed yesterday!"
"Impossible. I never hold a grudge."
"Yeah, so we're kind of busy, Vomit Boy." Yang laughed and turned back to the Scroll so Jaune was back to looking directly at her face.. "Ruby's finally getting some much needed special occasion clothing."
"Been there." Jaune shivered at the memory of his sisters taking him shopping surfacing in his mind. Sure, they would make him try on hundreds of outfits to see how cute he could be, but they also went beyond that. Making him wear girl's clothes because they enjoyed it. When he was younger, he didn't get a say in it, as his mom wasn't of much help, but when he got older, he would do it at home to make his younger sisters happier. Though Jaune doubted Yang was going to make Ruby wear boy's clothes. "Just so you know, I can rock a dress."
"I'm going to meet your sister… Saphron was it… and demand those pictures." Yang threatened with a devious look in her eyes.
"Wait… Ruby promised she wouldn't send those!" Jaune gasped. "We deleted them!"
"Wait, she had them and didn't share?!" Yang looked back at the dressing room. "Oh… I'm going to let her have it. She just mentioned your sister."
Jaune gulped at this. If Yang and Saphron met, he and Ruby would die from embarrassment. This was a tragedy that must never come to pass. Gulping, Jaune tried to stay strong.
"Ruby and Qrow have stuff on you." Jaune warned Yang, keeping his voice steady. "It's not a war you want to start. They are on my side."
"Ruby!" Yang called out over her shoulder. "If Jaune and I enter a war, whose side would you be on?"
"Jaunes!" Ruby called back without missing a beat.
"Traitor!" Yang grumbled and turned back to see Jaune's smug face. "You win this round, Vomit Boy."
"I never start a fight, Yang." Jaune crossed his arms confidently. "I finish it. Just like how I trounce people in board games."
"Uh-huh, sure." Yang rolled her eyes at his attempt to be smooth. "On a more serious note, Jaune…" The fact she used his actual name drew his attention. "Ruby's getting a nice outfit for the dance. So make sure you dress nicely too. No jeans or stained shirts."
"Ren and I are renting tuxes, don't worry." Jaune assured her. "Huh… is that why you're out shopping? To get Ruby a dress?" Ruby hated girly clothes like that.
"And other things." The huge smile on Yang's face showed how entertaining she found the entire situation. "Look forward to it."
Her face vanished when she hung up on him. Jaune blinked a couple times as he stared at the Scroll, before finally putting it away. Maybe Ruby was really looking forward to the dance. It was a little strange since Ruby was socially awkward like he was, but since he's changed, she probably had too. Well, that changed things. He could show her his elite dance skills and help her have some fun on the dance floor. Snickering, Jaune headed back to his room. Yang interfered and Jaune wasn't able to tell Ruby about Cardin, but he could still tell Nora and Ren.
When he entered his dorm room, the boy froze as he got a surprise in the form of a redhead.
And no, it wasn't Nora.
"Hello, Jaune." Pyrrha waved awkwardly from her bed, her words weak as if she was forcing them out.
The atmosphere was thick and heavy in the room. Nora was on her bed, looking between Jaune and Pyrrha, confusion etched on her face, with maybe a little suspicion. Ren was at his desk and set down his homework when Jaune entered the room. It looked like Pyrrha hadn't been back very long. A small bag with some clothes was on her bed and was being put away. Jaune really wished Nora or Ren had given him some warning that she returned, to give him time to prepare himself. As it was, the boy's mind was racing trying to figure out what to say.
"Pyrrha…" Jaune choked out and then coughed to stabilize his voice. "You're back?"
"I returned about ten minutes ago." Pyrrha replied. Her tone wasn't stiff like before. She wasn't forcing herself anymore, but her words sounded weird to Jaune. Like they were just chatting about the weather. There was no substance in them. It was only lip service, things she had to say for official purposes. That tone sounded so weird and unnatural to him when he was used to Pyrrha's true voice.
This was her celebrity talking persona.
"It's been a while," Jaune admitted. "Where did you go?" The moment those words left his mouth, he realized how stupid they sounded. Pyrrha had been with Mercury's team the last couple of days. Everyone knew that.
"I needed some time to think things over." Pyrrha replied diplomatically. "Cinder's team let me bunk with them while I sorted stuff out. But I realized I couldn't just hide from my problems." She took a deep breath. "We've had problems, Jaune, but we're still teammates."
Teammates, not partners.
That wording was not lost on Jaune.
"I agree." Jaune felt the words slip out without much thought. "We aren't doing anyone any good if we continue to avoid each other. Welcome back, Pyrrha. I'll get some training scheduled for all of us to practice. We need to train if we want to win the Vytal festival."
"That sounds lovely. Let me know when you want to schedule it." She continued to unpack as Jaune went over to his bed and sat down.
Nora's eyes went wide as she looked at Ren, who shook his head briefly. The girl wasn't an idiot and she was actually pretty perceptive. The tone between Jaune and Pyrrha wasn't like anything else they heard before. Sure, some tension was to be expected. Nora had been a little upset when Pyrrha first walked in like she hadn't abandoned them. Then the anger quickly faded away because of hope. Since Pyrrha returned, that meant the fight between her and their team leader was almost over.
She expected Jaune to be somewhat happy Pyrrha returned, or maybe a little upset if they were still fighting. But this? It was so unnatural, so artificial, that it worried the normally chipper girl. In some ways, this was worse when they weren't talking. It was almost as if they had given up. Mere classmates who weren't planning to get to know each other anymore. This wasn't healthy for a cohesive team. The reason they were living together was to form a close knit group.
Yet Nora knew she couldn't say anything right now. Ren even confirmed it. Biting her lip, she stared at Ren with bright sad eyes, wanting him to do something. The boy looked back at her with an expression that said he wanted to do something, but was stuck like she was. Though he did turn to Jaune and speak, just to get the blond to talk a bit tonight.
"You were rather late. Did you lose track of time training?"
"Oh, yeah." Jaune replied with a grin. "Got a good workout today and got rid of a source of stress. Might feel it tomorrow though."
"You said you wouldn't push it." Ren reminded him, crossing his arms.
"I know, and I didn't." Jaune waved his hand dismissively. "I stopped long before anything really crazy happened."
More like Mint stepped in and saved his butt. Jaune wasn't sure why he wasn't telling Ren and Nora what happened. Maybe he figured that if he didn't tell other people, it would give Cardin a chance to change. Doing what Qrow wanted the first time just made Cardin hone in on him in anger. Now that Cardin knew Jaune wouldn't lay aside and let Cardin bully him anymore, he probably would go after someone else. Or he would if Jaune hadn't stomped on his pride. Not just once, but twice.
The offer for Cardin to spar with him wasn't a lie. Jaune would be willing to duel with him whenever if it meant he would stop picking on others. Maybe he would remember why he wanted to be a Huntsman in the first place and put up with all the harsh training. As much as Jaune would love to see Cardin kicked out of Beacon, the world needed every Huntsman and Huntress possible. The Grimm were numerous, the town's scattered, and people in trouble. A single Huntsman could save countless innocents.
There had to be good in Cardin.
Or at least, just a jerk instead of an asshole.
"Ozpin, you won't believe this!" Ironwood slapped a thick packet of paper on the headmaster's desk after barging in.
"It sounds like you discovered something important." The man replied, picking up the packet and skimming the first few paragraphs. "Ah, the report on Amber's condition."
"Judging by the fact Jimmy is giggling like a schoolgirl, I take it there's good news." Qrow cackled and Glynda smacked his arm.
"Let's hear it." The woman stated, glaring at the drunk next to her. He was currently sipping on his flask so there was a good chance he wasn't sober.
"Amber's condition is holding." Ironwood announced, looking at them, instantly silencing everyone. "It appears Jaune's Semblance has boosted hers enough to start healing. It's faint but many life signs are beginning to stabilize, but without another boost, she'll most likely weaken again."
"Then wouldn't that just mean it's a stopgap measure?" Qrow asking, raising an eyebrow. "The kid stops by periodically to keep her alive until we figure out a permanent solution?"
"It's better than the alternative." Glynda crossed her arms. "It means we still hold the Fall Maiden's power."
"No, there's still the possibility Mr. Arc can heal her." Ozpin spoke, looking up from the report. "There's always a hill in the recovery process that once one gets past that hurdle, they are able to stabilize and recover naturally. If Amber is continually boosted so she can be allowed to heal, rather than all her energy being used to just fight for survival, then there's a chance she can fully recover."
"Exactly." Ironwood agreed, triumphantly. "This is a fascinating discovery with his Semblance. More than just having someone with the ability to donate their own Aura. Jaune has the ability to recover his own while boosting others, which allows it to be a continuous flow. I'm pretty sure that's why it's not causing a shock to her system, as it's her own Aura that's healing herself over time."
"See, Glynda!" Qrow smirked. "This is why I'm a great teacher. Look how far Jaune's come since I took him under my wing… ow!" He rubbed his shoulder where Glynda slapped him. "Pretty sure that's assault."
"It's only assault when someone sees, no one here saw it." Glynda replied curtly, not looking at him.
"Might want to think of hiring Jaune as a nurse, Oz." Qrow smirked. "Think of all the problems his Semblance could solve when kids get reckless."
"For now, I'd rather not spread his Semblance around." Ozpin leaned back in his chair. "I'm not going to directly ban him from telling his friends, as he has already, but I'm also not going to broadcast it. We don't want our enemies to figure out what we're doing. If they realize he's healing Amber, they might try to kill him to prevent that from happening."
"Hmm, if we could use him as bait…" Ironwood considered.
"NO!" Qrow sat up and shook his head. "I don't know if Winter told you, we did that once. It did not go over well. We want the boy to trust and eventually take over our role. If you lose his trust, it's not going to happen."
"From what Winter told me, it was because you used him and Ruby as bait without telling them, nearly leading to their deaths." Ironwood stated factually. "Penny would have died if she was not an android. I would inform him ahead of time if I could, but he's rather intelligent. He would understand if things need to be on a need to know basis."
"He's a child, James." Glynda interjected, sounding angry. "Not one of your soldiers."
"If it means capturing Salem's minions, shouldn't all cards be on the table?" Ironwood countered seriously. He didn't yell at all, but his voice was firm.
"That's enough." Ozpin sighed, silencing the room in an instant. "It's not something we need to consider right now. The odds of Salem's forces making a move so soon in Beacon isn't likely. They are seeking Amber's location and if they make a scene, they won't know how we will react. Moving her could make it impossible for them to find her. No, they will lie low. At the most, they might follow him around if they suspect his involvement."
"Assigning a guard to him will only draw more suspicion." Ironwood rubbed his chin. "Otherwise, I would have Winter come here under the guise of seeing her sister more. Not that she wouldn't mind that."
"Mixing work and family never goes well, Jimmy." Qrow chuckled, putting his flask away after finishing the contents. "Besides, we got that under control."
"How?" Ironwood raised an eyebrow.
"I'm going to become a teacher here!" Qrow laughed, as if he himself couldn't believe his words as anything more than a joke.
Silence followed his statement as Ironwood stared at him and then slowly turned to Ozpin.
"Yeah, that was my reaction too." Glynda rubbed her temples. "He'll be taking over combat classes so I can focus on the mounting pile of paperwork for Beacon and Dust Studies."
"You really need to hire more staff, Ozpin." Ironwood shook his head, like he still couldn't believe this.
"And here I thought you knew me!" Qrow put a hand over his heart like he was wounded. "After everything we've been through together."
"You're a great Huntsman, Qrow." Ironwood actually smiled. "Your teaching skills… are questionable."
"I trained Jaune Arc and look how far he's come in under two months!"
"He does have a point." Ozpin's face betrayed his amusement. "But I can assure you, James. Qrow is a perfectly qualified teacher. Not only that, his appearance here will add extra security and allow him to monitor things. Though, he will have to avoid staying in one spot too long unfortunately."
"The curse of the unlucky!" Qrow shrugged. "What can you do about it?"
"You've been in an awfully good mood recently, Qrow." Glynda glared at him in suspicion. "What happened?" Normally when they talked about Qrow's luck, he grew a little depressed. Now it seemed like he didn't care.
"Oh, just got a taste of what parents go through when they watch their kids grow up." The man laughed. "Reminds me of when I taught Ruby how to use her scythe and she finally started to show progress."
"Spying on the students isn't very professional." Glynda warned.
"Please, like you all don't spy on them." Qrow scoffed, looking at the ceiling.
Hmm, maybe I should reward the kid for finally standing up for himself. Even I was surprised with how he handled things.
Feel free to leave a review, comment, suggestions, or ideas, I love reading them. If you have a question you wish to ask and would like a quick answer, feel free to message me directly. I try to respond to those within a day or two. Comments, I tend to respond to in the next chapter.
nBappo: Oh boy, this was a lot of work. Hopefully the readers like it. I wanted to add more to the fights but I'm a bit low on time at the moment. Anyways, Cardin getting his ass beat was satisfying. And I'm going to need more lore and Vytal Festival to start soon.
UrsaMJR: Verbal smackdowns tend to interest me far more than the physical ones. But even so, our boy dished out a bit of both today. Let's hope that after such a victory, he won't get discouraged by a bit of feminine trouble. Even so, Ruby x Jaune all the way!