Here we are! Chapter 11! Hope you guys like it!
Winter POV
What had happened in Phalanx was a lot to take in for her.
It wasn't a simple set of occurrences at that. It wasn't something that could simply be chalked off as Jaune being Jaune. No. Just the fact that she was within five meters of a bona-fide immortal should have been a mind-shattering revelation.
Yet, the fact that there were more of them, and the fact that they only answered to the boy she had asked for an impromptu date, was the bigger revelation here.
"What do you mean Flameseeker's holding me back?" The exasperation on Jaune's face was evident to see. Meanwhile, Arc, the immortal man, analyzed his unique sword with an unimpressed look on his face.
"I agree that this weapon is of better make than any you'd find these days. Even compared to this." He spoke, pulling out a familiar looking weapon. She recognized it. Why wouldn't she? Jaune had that sword on him in every photo of him that was plastered over the internet when he was expelled.
"You know, I didn't know that sword was as important as it was when I stole it." Jaune shot back. "Maybe keep it in a safer place if it's got a title as important as 'The Blade of Coronation'"
The immortal reacted with a deadpan glare. "It was a weapon built for a simpler time, before someone decided that every weapon should also be a gun. It wasn't my best work, and you can see that."
Before she could even react, he slashed down with Flameseeker. The weapon didn't even slow down as it hit Jaune's old sword, cutting cleanly through both scabbard and blade.
"That is the difference material makes. Crocea Mors was a sword built to withstand your great-grandfather's might. To withstand your growing might, the weapon you require should be able to rend Flameseeker in twain with just as much ease." He finished, handing the sword back to Jaune.
"Yet, this magicless world lacks the materials I would require to build you a worthy sword. I could melt down this sword and build you something better, but that would be a compromise." He continued.
"I don't make compromises."
Jaune looked at him, then back at the sword in his hands, lost in thought. "What materials would you be looking for?"
The immortal shrugged. "I don't know. Adamantite? Ideally Mythril? Haven't seen either in millennia. Even your sword isn't made of them. It's some compound I haven't worked with before, but I can tell it isn't anything too special, at least by my standards."
Jaune nodded once. Then, his facial expressions went from realization, to shock, and then to unadulterated glee.
"How about this?" He spoke, and next to him, a pile of ingots appeared. It wasn't a metal Winter recognized, but by the way the Immortal's eyes widened in recognition, she got a gist of it.
"Jaune, can you explain why you were simply sitting on a pile of Mythril?" He deadpanned, picking up an ingot to check it. "Pure, refined Mythril at that. You do know that back in the day, even a single ingot of this could afford you enough land to build another Phalanx, right?"
Jaune chuckled in response. "Would you believe me if I told you it's from another aspect of my power that I forgot about till right now?"
The immortal sighed, then looked straight at Winter. "How do you deal with this guy?"
She shrugged in response. "Honestly? At this point, I've just started to accept whatever perception-shattering thing he does at face-value."
That prompted a sage nod from the immortal. "That's wise. The one I served was far less spontaneous, but no less odd. You make a good couple."
He then put a hand on Jaune's right shoulder. "Keep her close. Ain't gonna find someone else willing to deal with your bullshit that easily."
With that, he picked up the entire pile of Ingots like they didn't weigh a few hundred pounds. "With this much Mythril, I can make more than just a good sword. Look forward to it." He finished, turning on his heel and walking out of the room, leaving her and Jaune alone in the room.
"Should… should we tell him we're not dating?" Jaune spoke, a blush on his face.
She shrugged, letting the heat rise to her cheeks. "I…think we should let him focus on the project he has in mind, rather than clearing up such a small misunderstanding."
Plus, if things went the way they were, being a couple wasn't completely off the table. All she had to do was hope that the Atlas plan went well.
Something told her it wouldn't be as smooth a process as she was hoping for.
Jaune POV
He had completely forgotten that the system came with a fucking shop.
After realizing the shitty efficiency of the first batch of potions he'd purchased from the points shop, he hadn't given it a second thought. He hadn't needed a reason to, after all. The system was more than willing to reward his endeavors with gear and weapons, even though they got destroyed more often than not. So when he remembered that there was a 'materials' tab in the system shop, there were enough accumulated points in his collection to outright buy even the most expensive of materials.
It was also a testament to the level of power the system was willing to give him. He did not know what he could use the 'heart of a dead star' for, but he sure as fuck didn't need it.
Mythril, on the other hand, was much cheaper. It wasn't potions-level cheaper, but still not enough to truly make a dent in his wallet, at least, not one ingot.
A cursory search over the rest of the shop's offerings reminded him of exactly why he'd stopped caring about it in the first place. He already had healing abilities, negating the value of most potions. Mana potions were too inefficient to use in combat, and his body already negated a majority of the problems that the higher-tier panaceas cured.
The weapons side was worse. Everything was far too expensive. Even weapons comparable to the Flameseeker were more expensive than he could afford after 77 levels worth of banked points. Sure, the top tier weapons looked insane, but he could grind every day and save up every single point possible and still not be able to afford the top flight of weapons.
The most expensive sword was named Ea, and he could swear that shit was a lance missing its tip.
So, materials made the most sense, and Mythril was the most expensive one he could buy that still fit into the 'things that can be made into weapons' category of materials.
So, he dumped a good half of his points into purchasing Mythril, and he could honestly say it was worth it just to see that dumbfounded look on Arc's face.
As he walked into his uncle's room, he couldn't help but look forward to what Arc would make from the Mythril. It would have been nice to get Dies Iraes re-made, but Arc was a man of classics. There was no way he was going to work on what could basically be considered a set of floating gunblades.
Plus, having lost his original source of telekinesis, Dies Iraes would have to change too. That weapon was the last remnant of an old friend, he would be remiss in his duties if he let it be forgotten.
"Hey, uncle," Jaune spoke, sitting down on a sofa opposite his uncle. "So, you're coming with me, right?"
He looked up from his stupor as Jaune sat down, an apologetic expression that looked wrong on him was plastered on his face. An awkward smile that looked too weak for his larger-than-life persona slowly crept its way onto his face.
"Way to cut to the chase, huh?" He spoke, sitting up straight. "Kid, you're leaving home on a journey to change the world. If at least for your first step, I want in."
Jaune raised an eyebrow at that. "You're one of the two people commanding the forces of Phalanx. You really just gonna leave all that behind and follow me to Atlas?"
He gave a simple nod in response. "Your dad's leadership is solidified, mom's got full control over the garrison, and other than Prim, all your sisters and all three of your moms are staying. My presence is no longer needed here."
Jaune shrugged at that. "Please, the family can use all the help it can get. Rebuilding Phalanx itself isn't a small task."
His uncle shook his head at that. "I'd argue the opposite. Between the rest of the family and the civilians we plan to hire, I'd just be a waste of space. Logistics isn't my strength. I'm a huntsman, Jaune. What Phalanx needs is statesmen."
Jaune cocked an eyebrow, "There's something more than that here. You have an incredibly good thing going here. One doesn't simply walk away from a position of such power. So, I'd appreciate it if you come clean, uncle."
A moment of silence stretched between them, uncomfortable and stifling, before it was broken by Cyan's exasperated huff.
"My entire life, Jaune, I've been playing second fiddle to my brother, and that too by choice." He spoke, leaning back on his sofa. "He's my brother. I fucking love him to death, but you know well enough how it feels to live in someone else's shadow."
"Yet, you did it by choice. I didn't. The situations are not the same." Jaune retorted, only for his uncle to raise a hand, asking him to stop.
"I understand that, Jaune. Our situations were different, but the sentiment remains the same. You watched your sisters do things you've always wanted to do, all while stuck in their ever-growing shadows." He spoke, taking a ragged breath. "I stepped aside so Helios could be the leader, because I didn't want it. I never signed up for that to become my whole life."
"I wanted to be something too, I wanted to be Cyan Arc, to have my own family, my own deeds, my own exploits. I never signed up to live forever in my brother's shadow. Yet, I did, I spent over forty years being the man I needed to be. I came to think of it as my lot in life, my one purpose, my destiny." He spoke, a blank look on his face.
"Then you came along, defying the destiny chosen for you, and standing strong enough to make it stick." He stated, locking eyes with Jaune. "You made me wish for more, Jaune, and something tells me that following you, I'll be able to live the kind of life I once wanted to live."
"I want to be me, Jaune. If I have to leave behind everything I've stood for all my life for that, then so be it." he finished, offering Jaune his hand, an accord.
Jaune didn't hesitate a second before taking it.
"I'm only going to take you as far as Atlas. From there? It's all you, uncle." He remarked with a smirk on his face.
"Oh don't you worry, Jauney-boy. My axe-arm is still second to none!." Cyan shot back. "Trust me, kid. You ain't gonna regret having good 'ol uncle Cyan around."
"Never doubted that for a second." Jaune smirked back. "If nothing, at least you'll keep things funny while I go around changing the world."
"That much, I can promise you."
Ozpin POV
Cinder Fall. What an unoriginal name for someone destined to die as a pawn for her queen's conquest.
A pawn, but one who had been decently effective. Ozpin liked to believe he had an eye on everything that went on in his city. Yet, she had not only been able to sneak in, but set up a base of operations under his very nose.
If not for the two new pawns he himself had gained, she could have done some real damage. He knew well enough that the young woman had tried to draft the Valean faction of the Fang to enact some sort of plan against him. That was not unusual. Salem was insidious, it was part of her nature to break the bastions of humanity from within.
It wasn't the fact that Salem had made an attempt on his longest-standing safe haven, but the fact that had it not been for happenstance, she would have succeeded, that burnt.
He had not spent a millennia building these cities from the ground up to have them be felled by a child running on spite.
He'd done his homework. He'd put out his feelers. It was quite easy to find out information about anyone when you practically built the information network the world ran on. Hers truly was a tragedy of a life.
Orphaned as a child, then adopted to what could only be considered hell, he couldn't help but empathise with her. He could understand her hatred for the world. She had killed a huntsman as a kid, and even that, he could understand why. Rhodes was one who would pick his duty over his morality in an instant, an ideal huntsman, but a failure of a human.
He'd known, he'd practically written the book on what it meant to be a huntsman, and in his experience, the best huntsmen never quite fit the mold he had carved for them.
Another one of his failures, and a constant reminder at that.
"So, she won't give up the ghost huh?" Torchwick spoke up from beside him, leaning tauntingly on his cane. "Honestly, I wish she was more like the gang leaders around here. You wouldn't believe all the beans they spill after a drink or two."
Ozpin sighed. While he considered himself a morally flexible person, something about Roman Torchwick set him on edge. He'd dealt with more crime bosses than he could remember, yet, it wasn't every day that one found a man with Roman's capabilities and skillset living as a simple thief.
Especially considering his companion was an assassin with a semblance so suited to the task that even he would be hard-pressed to counter it.
The man had come to him seeking asylum, and he came bearing the details of Cinder's operation and allies as a peace offering. That was a deal he was willing to take any day of the week. The safety of his city at the price of letting a simple crook walk free? Easiest decision he'd ever made in his long, long life.
Plus, the man was useful. Not as useful as his partner, but his greed made him easy to control. Overlooking a small heist every now and then was easy enough to have a mind as craft as his available on short notice.
"She does have a remarkable sense of loyalty for her patron. It will not matter, though." Ozpin drawled out, gazing at Cinder's unmoving form. She'd been put under after snapping at her jailers one too many times. He supported the action. After all, he did not require her to be awake for what he was going to do to her.
"What, you gonna torture her?" Torchwich chuckled. "Doesn't quite fit your profile. Can you imagine the headlines if this leaks? 'Respected Beacon Headmaster Ozpin Tortures Young Woman?'"
Ozpin shook his head. "Trust me, Mister Torchwick, had this not been a necessity, I would simply leave her to rot in prison for the rest of her pathetic life." He shot back, "This is the first time in decades that we have caught someone from Salem's inner circle alive. Even if she is not aware of all of Salem's plans, getting a list of her known associates is a victory on its own merit."
"Plus, I'm not going to torture her." Ozpin spoke, walking into her cell. "Such means are beneath me."
"So, what? You're just going to offer her some kind words and she'll sing like a nightingale?"
Ozpin cracked a little smile at that. The doubt on Torchwick's face was easy to see. "You said you wanted to be in my inner circle, right, Mr. Torchwick?" He asked.
"Well, yeah. I'll be honest, I put me and my partner's lives on the line by selling her out to you. I need protection, and it's not my style to get something for free." He drawled matter-of-factly. "Though I wouldn't mind getting a fat paycheck on the side, these threads don't come cheap."
Ozpin nodded at that, stepping up to Cinder's unmoving form, his mind made up.
"So, tell me, Mister Torchwick. Do you believe in magic?" He spoke, placing a hand on Cinder's head. He felt some of the very small amount of magic available to him flow out of him, casting a spell he had become too used to over the last few centuries.
Thankfully, this casting would have a much weaker toll on him. The half-absorbed power of the Fall maiden
In response, Cinder sat up straight, completely disregarding the sheer amount of drugs in her system. Her eyes glowed with white light. She looked straight at Ozpin, but it was apparent that she wasn't quite herself.
"Tell me what I wish to know, Cinder Fall." He muttered, and on command, Cinder started to speak. It was a list of names. Many were unknown to him, many, like the psychopath Tyrian Callows, were even expected. No, those mattered very little, considering most were already wanted men.
The one that stood out most, and hurt the most, was the one he least expected to find.
"Leonardo Lionheart." Was the last name Cinder uttered, and it was a name that filled Ozpin with dread. A double agent within his ranks was not something unheard of, but one so crucial, one that could single-handedly deliver a whole nation to Salem? That was beyond problematic.
"How… how did you do that?" Torchwick asked, disbelief plastered clear on his face. Ozpin replied with a simple smile.
"Could I interest you in a story, Roman Torchwick?" He asked, a smile ever present on his face.
"A story about two brothers, and one woman's folly."
Ironwood POV
Hope.
Ironwood had never believed in it. Years and years of killing his emotions with his semblance had taught him to live a life devoid of that poison.
Hope was the killer of the mind. It gave a person with nothing the illusion that there was a way out, that things could get better. He'd never allowed himself to believe in that falsehood.
But that was the thing about hope. It was insidious. It crept in, when one was least expecting it. He was good at quashing it when it crept in. Yet, watching Jaune step out of Winter's bullhead, he couldn't help but feel the Hydra that was hope, rear its ugly heads again.
When Ironwood had last seen him, his presence was undeniable. Now? In such a short time period? It had evolved from undeniable to overwhelming. There was a quite aura of perfection that followed him. That, and his entourage was nothing less than immaculate.
Behind him walked Winter herself. There was a spaced-out look on her face, something that he'd have to ask her about once he got the chance. Beside Winter stood Glynda. James knew she was coming, she was supposed to be Vale's liaison with the Arcs. In reality, she was simply there to keep tabs on Jaune.
It spoke volumes that someone of Glynda's abilities was assigned as a glorified babysitter. Yet, for someone like Jaune Arc, assigning someone lesser would be impossible. How would anyone not elite be able to keep up with someone who could do what Jaune could?
"General Ironwood. I didn't expect you to be the one to receive us here." Jaune spoke, offering a hand that James shook without hesitation. There was no posturing, no grandstanding to show that he was the most important person in this heliport. No, on his face was genuine surprise and in his voice, there was a tone of gratitude.
Jaune Arc was still humble, and wasn't that a terrifying prospect?
"It felt apt that I was the one to receive you. You're going along with this plan for Atlas' benefit. It's the least courtesy I can show you." Ironwood retorted, finally getting a glimpse of the people making up the rear of the contingent.
Cyan Arc was hard to miss, but not someone he expected to be here. Neither was Primrose Arc. Cyan was a legend in his own right, every bit an equal to his brother in terms of combat. Seeing someone with that kind of martial prowess in Atlas would have sent him on high alert, but he and his niece were the most unremarkable of the people who now stood behind Jaune like a guard of honor.
There was a man, his face hidden behind bandages, who reminded Ironwood more of an animal than a human. Even without any visible Faunus traits, he felt far more feral than even the most animalistic Faunus he'd ever met in his life.
That, and he was strong. Stronger still was the woman next to him. She stood tall, dwarfing everyone but the two Arc males. On her back was a plain axe. Plain, but large enough that Ironwood had no difficulty imagining it hacking straight through a building with ease.
The strongest, and most mysterious person of the rear guard was the unassuming, dusky-skinned beauty, who walked with such grace, James could have sworn she was gliding over the earth itself. Yet, with all that grace came a feeling of fear. She was the most powerful person here bar Jaune himself, and she was not only aware of it, but was also aware of the fact that everyone around her realized it too.
Jaune had mailed ahead and made it known that he was bringing a part of his forces with him. James had made sure these forces would be taken care of. What he hadn't expected was for the vanguard of said forces to be quite this terrifying.
At which point, he couldn't help but wonder whether Jaune even needed his help at all.
"There should be two more Bullheads landing soon. We shall have a decent amount of soldiers whose loyalty cannot be bought by Jacques." He stated. "Uncle Cyan, as discussed, their utilization will be all up to you."
The older Arc stepped forward. "Nice to see ya, Ironwood. We'll be in your care." he spoke, giving James a mock-salute. "I assume you've got someone who can lead me and my boys to our new digs?"
James nodded in response. "My aide will lead you to your garrison. We can have ATC divert the Arc bullheads to land there."
Cyan nodded in response. "That would be nice. A march after a long bullhead trip always sucks ass." He spoke, before falling in step with James' aide.
"I'll go and find Saph. Help her with her move." Primrose Arc spoke up, getting an affirmative nod from Jaune.
"Just make sure the locks at her new place actually work, send my greetings to them too, especially Ardian. Tell him his uncle will be around to see him very soon." Jaune spoke, a genuine smile on his face that his sister couldn't help but reciprocate.
"We'll follow them, it'll be fun meeting more of the bastard's bloodline." The big woman spoke, speaking for herself and the terrifying beauty next to her.
"Just don't cause them any trouble. Remember, they're civilians." Jaune shot back, a deadpan glare on his face.
"I'll make sure she's gentle. Sophia here can definitely use some lessons on fitting in with society." The dusky beauty spoke up from beside her.
"Hah! You're one to talk! When's the last time you interacted with mortals, Sylvia?" She taunted, only to get a chilling glare from the woman.
"Message received! We'll be off, Jaune! You'll know where to find us." Sophia finished, walking off while still bearing the glare from Sylvia. The only part of that byplay that stuck in James's mind was how they casually used the word 'mortal' to describe others.
He did not like the sound of that, not one bit. The only thing that kept him from asking more was the dazed expression on Winter's face, one that Glynda was mirroring quite effectively herself.
They knew, so, in time, would he.
The last member of the trio had already disappeared. Jaune caught on to that and gave James a helpless shrug.
"Don't worry, he's nearby. He won't let me out of his sight, that's his one job." he stated, and the way James' blood turned to ice at those words was not pleasurable in the slightest.
"Either way, Winter updated me on the state of our plan on the way here. I assume we should meet with Ace-ops and decide on our next course of action?" He spoke, but the underlying sentiment was clear as day.
What would you have me do?
"Yes. Due to your… expedited return, Ace-ops has yet to return from their scouting mission. It would be better if we can have the rest of this conversation once they are back later today." James explained, getting a quick nod from Jaune.
"That leaves me with a few free hours. Maybe I should go meet Saph too." Jaune spoke up.
"If I may, there's two other people who have been desperately trying to contact you. If you do have some free time, could I kindly request you to meet with them?" James asked. It was a request from someone who meant something to him. He would be remiss in his duties if he didn't at least make the request heard.
"And who would these people be?" Jaune asked, a frown on his face.
"Just someone you gave new life to."
Pietro Polendina
When he and his team created Penny, James Ironwood had responded to their success with one single question.
"How did it feel to play god?"
He didn't have an answer. His team had joked about it. Arthur had a few scathing words, but he couldn't come up with the words to describe what he'd done. He'd created a facsimile of life. He'd created a weapon for Atlas like none other. All of that was true, but since the moment she drew her first figurative breath, a single revelation was made clear to him.
He had created himself a daughter.
And from that moment, he was scared. Sure, Ironwood took care of her, tried to make sure she went through the same experience any girl her age should go through, but all that was only because of how closely James had been affiliated with the project, with Pietro.
Under perfect circumstances, Penny would outlive them. His dear daughter was a machine as much as she was his little girl. She was capable of learning endlessly, and the longer she lived, the more effective a combatant she would become,
Yet, she was still fallible. Her Aura was the same as any living being, and the Grimm did not care if your body was flesh or metal. She would be in the field too early, she would be in danger before she could become all she could, or worse, even before she could develop the same kind of fight or flight response that had kept so many huntsmen alive over the years.
That thought gave him sleepless nights, yet, nothing happened for the longest time. The situation in Vale was the closest that Penny came to real danger, but it was resolved before it could blossom into something greater.
Then, she decided to pick a fight with the boy who had done the impossible.
In her defense, there was no way she could have known that a person she had met during the Vytal festival, a person who had faked his way into Beacon, a person who had been kicked off his own team, could be the same person who killed Lau Ka Long and the firebird in the north. Yet, she had engaged him in battle in front of others.
And paid terribly for it.
Her diagnostics sensors had gone from reporting nothing but perfect operation to code red in a single second. Multiple redundancies had gone offline, she was in critical condition. Not dead, thankfully, but still hurt to a point where Pierto had found himself cursing his inability to go to her aid instantly. He had begun to make a call to James when something weird started to happen.
Her sensors simply ceased to exist. Multiple error messages popped up on
His screen. Only one sensor stayed active, the one in her watch, built only to serve as an external monitor for her Aura level, and it had gone back to reporting perfect levels. Better than perfect, in fact. Her Aura had increased in capacity multiple times over.
It wasn't till I got the phone call minutes later, minutes that felt like hours, that I learnt about the miracle that had occurred, The boy had done the impossible again.
Penny was a real girl.
Yet, her personality was unchanged, her memory was perfect. She still had the ability to learn, to never forget. She was, in all ways that mattered, still the same daughter that he had created.
She had been reborn, and as the person who gave her walked into his humble lab, he had an answer to the question that James had asked him all that time ago.
Whatever he felt that day was a falsehood, it was nothing compared to the majesty of the god in human flesh that he now found himself looking at. It was a falsehood, just like his creation.
"General Ironwood told me you wished to see me, Doctor Polendina." He spoke, and Pietro couldn't reply. He couldn't take his eyes off the boy. Perfection, divinity had walked into his atelier, and he was at a loss for words.
It seemed the boy, Jaune Arc, had mistaken his awe for indignation. He rubbed the back of his head sheepishly, looking at Pietro with an apologetic expression. "I owe you an apology. I should have dealt with the altercation regarding your daughter better. I hope she's doing better now?" He asked, completely glossing over the fact that he had - for all intents and purposes - created life.
"Y-yes of course, Penny's doing good, better than expected. Her body is virtually identical to a human physique, and her aura reserves have risen far above the largest ever recorded." Pietro blabbered out, sinking back into his persona as a scientist. The sage nod he got from Jaune set him at ease somewhat.
"Do you require me to perform a checkup on her? My abilities pertaining to the soul have become better since that day." He asked.
"No, no. That won't be necessary. We've been monitoring her vitals since then, and she seems to be in perfect health." Pietro spoke, genuinely meaning every word of it, to ask for anything more would be too much.
"Ah, then I hope my apology was enough. It's the most I can offer." he spoke, and that was the final straw.
"You made my daughter a real girl, Jaune. There is nothing to apologise for." He spoke, his words coming out before he could think of them. "In fact, the reason I called you here was to thank you, and tell you that I owe you a debt that I do not believe I can ever repay."
The way Jaune was stunned by the words slightly cracked the aura of perfection that surrounded him. It spoke of humility, of accountability, not words that Pietro would have used to describe a god. Yet, if there was to be a god, those were qualities he'd wish for them to have.
"You owe me nothing, Doctor Polendina. It was my way of trying to make up for a fuckup that I could have easily avoided." He spoke, and yet again, Pietro shook his head.
"It was an error that led to Penny targeting you, an error that I should have caught, an error that caused her to attack you. And for that error, you gave her life." Pietro spoke, his tone bordering on fanatical. "The debt I am in towards you is not something I could replay even in a hundred lifetimes. For as long as I live, I will be in your service."
A look of distaste crossed Jaune's face, and for a second, Pietro felt that he had gone too far. Then, it was quickly replaced with a look of realization. "Say, what if I offered you a trade?"
Pietro raised an eyebrow at that. "What kind of trade?"
As an answer, Jaune raised his hand. In a flash of light, what looked like misshapen strips of edged metal appeared. It was a weapon, similar in design to Penny's floating array, yet far more primitive. The metal was warped by heat, twisted and destroyed, yet, the craftsmanship shone through.
"This weapon was made for me by someone who meant something to me, someone who believed in me when I was at my lowest." He spoke, a hitch in his voice. "They're similar enough to the weapons that Penny used against me. If you can remake these, I will consider your debt repaid."
Pietro took the misshapen hunks of metal. "They won't be the same, you know that right?"
Jaune nodded, and in his hand appeared five ingots of a metal that Pietro had never seen before. "Use this, I do not want to risk them being destroyed again." he spoke, putting the ingots down next to Pietro's wheelchair. "Do this much, and I will consider your debt repaid."
"It's too little, you are asking me to make you a weapon and saying it's enough to pay back the cost of my daughter's life." He retorted.
"That's how much those weapons mean to me." He spoke back, unwilling to hedge on the topic.
"Then I will forge you a weapon that will have no comparison." Pietro spoke, his knuckles turning white with how hard he clutched the scrap metal in his arms.
"Good." Jaune replied.
"Let Dies Iraes soar once again, and consider your debt repaid."
Yang POV
"Whatever you think I did, if you don't have video proof of me doing it, I didn't do it." Yang stated, petulantly sprawled out on the sofa.
Ruby silently sat next to her. Yang could pretty much see the gears in her mind working overtime to figure out what they'd done that had resulted in them being picked out of class midway and sent straight back to patch on the first Bullhead available.
Yang herself was drawing a blank. School life had been pretty uneventful since the Vytal festival. Since Sun went back to his school, the only thing really interesting in her life had been her growing relationship with Blake.
That, and the news about that one guy who'd cleared out the fucking North.
Working to implement his style into her own had been a process. It would be a lie if she said she wasn't obsessed with the guy. Even a base level of mastery over that martial art had allowed her to finally eke out a few victories over Pyrrha.
Sure, Citron was now the untouchable rank 1 when it came to Miss Goodwich's combat classes, but given some more time, she was sure she could reel him in.
Just a matter of time.
"You aren't in any trouble, you guys. Something important came up so I had to get you home for the week." Taiyang spoke. Yang noted how happy he seemed. Even when he was talking, that goofy smile never left his face. Very few things could get him this happy.
She'd know, she was the same way, goofy smile and all.
"So… we aren't in trouble?" Ruby asked. Taiyang replied by ruffling her hair, much to her chagrin.
"Hardly. In fact, I think today might be the best day of our lives." He spoke, again, and that smile didn't move. Yang couldn't help but notice that whatever it was, it was big.
"Is uncle Qrow finally settling down?" Ruby asked, and Yang couldn't help but burst into laughter.
"Oh please, that would be a disaster! Can you imagine the unlucky girl? She'd have no idea what she's getting into." Yang commented.
"She'd be the luckiest woman in the world and you know it, squirt." Was all she heard as she was hit with a noogie from behind, the uncle Qrow trademark. She turned to face him, and for a second, her heart skipped a beat.
There was an aura of happiness that surrounded her uncle, an aura that she had never felt before. As much as she loved him to bits, she knew that her uncle was a sad, sad man, one who was closed off to the world, one who was trying his level best to bury his sadness in alcohol.
Sure, she'd seen him proud, she'd seen him content, but she'd never seen him so… brimming with life.
"Okay, can someone tell me why Uncle Qrow is this chirpy?" She asked, and a look of confusion crossed over his face.
"You haven't told them yet, Tai?" he asked, and before her father could respond, another voice broke the silence.
"I wanted to tell them myself."
Four sets of eyes turned to face the voice, the painfully familiar but distant voice, of the only person who had ever been a mother to Yang, and for once in her life, someone didn't seem real.
She stood there, looking like she hadn't aged a day since Yang last saw her. Her memories of her were blurry, sure, but not blurry enough to not account for the better part of a decade and a half's worth of aging.
Hence, she didn't react, she didn't move, in fact, she could swear for a second that she forgot how to breathe.
Ruby had no such hesitation. Rose petals flourished between them as she all but barrelled into Summer, who wrapped her daughter in a tight hug.
"I'm right here, my little Rose. I'm going nowhere." She spoke, gently patting Ruby's back as she ugly-cried into her mom's cape.
"You can't be real." Were the words that left Yang's mouth unbidden. "How… How?"
"It's me, my little dragon. I'm back." She spoke, that same understanding smile was on her face, the same smile that she wore back when Yang was a child, when she'd been left behind by her own birth mother.
The same smile of the mother who stepped up for her, when her own wouldn't.
That's when her dam broke, and while she wasn't quite as fast as Ruby, she slammed into her mother, joining her sister in their ugly-crying. They stayed like that for a while, before Summer broke the embrace, putting one hand each on their cheeks.
"I've missed a lot, and all I can say is sorry. I'm sorry I couldn't be here to watch you become the beautiful, strong girls you are today. But I promise, we'll have all the time in the world to catch up." She spoke in a calming voice, wiping their tears.
"Because I'm not going anywhere, not anymore. Not till you all get sick of seeing me every day." She finished, helping both Yang and Ruby stand up.
"She means that literally too. Glynda was reassigned to a different assignment, so she's going to be taking over as a teacher at Beacon." Qrow chimed in. "And trust me, she's quite the taskmaster."
Taiyang winced. "Toughest team leader you could wish for, best wife you can imagine."
"You still have a way with words, don't you Tai?" She spoke, guiding her daughters over to the sofa. They'd almost made it before she stopped, her gaze drawn to something on the wall behind them.
Yang followed her gaze to find the photo teams RWBY and JNPR had taken after the initiation. Citron was in there too, which she - to this day - found ironic. Of course, it made sense that she'd be interested in the photo, but the way she just… stopped functioning when she saw it, was not the reaction Yang was expecting.
She looked over to her father, and his reaction was far worse. It was like he'd just realized something that had been in front of his eyes all this while, something earth-shattering, yet something that made him feel stupid. He regained his composure fast, but not fast enough for Yang to not notice.
"Sit down, dears." Summer spoke, but her voice sounded… distant. She walked over to the photo and plucked it off the wall, She then sat between Yang and Ruby, a smile on her face. "So this is from your initiation, right? When will I be meeting your teammates?"
It was posed as an innocent question, but the tone reminded Yang of something else. She was fishing for information, like back when Yang had eaten a roll of toilet paper as a kid. It was her 'mom mode', the way she extracted information from her children.
"Yeah! You see the ones in the front? That's my team! Team RWBY! Me, Yang, Weiss, the one in white, and Blake, the one in black! That's Yang's girlfriend by the way! They have a boyfriend too, and I'm not sure how that works, but Yang said she won't explain it to me till I'm eighteen!" Ruby's mouth went a mile a minute.
"What about the other five? Seems like there's an extra." She asked, and there it was again, that tone. Yet, Yang couldn't understand why.
"Well, that was team JNPR, now team CNPR. Isn't it convenient how both are technically in the same picture?" Ruby chirped, pointing at the side of the picture where Citron was holding up an exhausted Jaune by the shoulder, both grinning ear to ear.
"That's Citron! He's the best! He's the best fighter in the class and he bakes some mean cookies!" She spoke, moving on to Jaune. "And that… that's Jaune."
The way her level of energy dropped the moment she remembered what happened with Jaune was plain to see, and so was the look of confusion on Summer's face. Considering how Ruby lost steam, Yang took the chance to chime in.
"Well, that's Jaune Arc, he was the original leader of team JNPR." She started, pointing out Nora, Pyrrha, and Ren. "He… he entered Beacon with faked transcripts. Had never seen a day of combat before turning up for initiation. Didn't even have his Aura unlocked."
"Wait, faked transcripts got past Ozpin?" Summer questioned, genuinely puzzled. Yang simply nodded.
"There was a pretty large-scale investigation afterwards, but once the Arc family expelled Jaune, it was made pretty clear that it was just human error, not a case of nepotism." She answered, and she could swear for a second that she saw a blank look on her mother's face. Yet, before she could confirm it, it was gone, replaced with the same puzzled look she was wearing before.
Deciding to pay it no mind, Yang continued. "We only learnt about his transcripts because he came clean to one of his teammates. Said teammate brought it to our attention and members from both our teams took action. It would be pretty safe to say that we were the major cause behind why he was expelled." She finished, noticing how Ruby was practically trying to sink into the sofa, to disappear from view.
"I didn't want Jaune to go. He was… he was a good friend." Ruby commented. "But we had to do it… he deserves to be safe. He deserves to be protected. That's what we're training for, right?"
It was a great sentiment, even a great reasoning for what they had done. Sure, they had betrayed the trust of a friend, but it was for his own safely, for his own future. Better now than later, after all.
Summer seemed to agree, with the way she ruffled Ruby's hair. She didn't even protest this time, allowing her mother to console her. Yet, Yang didn't miss the alarming look her mother and father shared for a second, before they found some sort of resolution.
"Well, I - for one - can't wait to meet the rest of your teammates." Summer chirped, giving Ruby a kind smile, yet Yang couldn't help but notice how it never reached her eyes.
"For now, how about I make you some lunch? I promise, even though I haven't cooked for over a decade, I'm going to fix you up a meal you'll never forget!." She spoke, patting Ruby on the back. The smile that came over Ruby's face was enough to completely invalidate the moment of tension that the photo had brought forth.
Yet, Yang still wanted to know why she had taken such a vested interest in it. Sure, the Jaune story was an interesting detour, but her reactions proved that she had no idea about it. So, what about the photo that had her so shook? That, Yang was going to find out.
Later, though, her mom was making lunch for her today, and she wouldn't miss it for the world.
There it is! I know I've kinda been busy with the oneshots for the poll, but trust me, this is the one story I'm unwilling to hedge on. Empyrean is going nowhere, and this here is the first chapter of the Atlas Arc.
Things will start to make more sense next chapter onwards. We're going to see more canon characters, and we're gonna see them far more often from now onwards. Everything that has been done in this story till now has served as a buildup for the future, so if you've stuck with the story this long, then this is where the fun begins ^_^
Anyways, join the discord! Go to your discord, press the + button at the end of your servers list, and enter the code AP8nG65RmA to join my server! We write, we talk, we share memes. It's also the best place to be if you want to be updated on the state of my updates, or on any feedback or delays that happen.
- Cold Daylight
