A mission for team RWBY leads them to the village of Domremy. Or maybe village wasn't the right word. What would you call an outside settlement that could easily match any kingdom? And all of it because of one person's Semblance. Jaune Arc, a one-man industrial revolution who could build almost anything. A power everyone wants, especially one Blake Belladonna and Weiss Schnee.
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[RWBY] No Victory in Strength (Minecraft Jaune)
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Chapter 1 - Breaking the setting in half
eratas123
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Next commission. This one has an OP Jaune, but not in the usual way. Instead of being a one-man army, his Semblance is Minecraft powers, making him a one-man industrial revolution that everyone wants on their side. Kind of like Raise but not as dark.
For anyone interested in making a commission, email me at: storylover543@gmail.com
Chapter 1: Breaking the Setting in Half
This was so exciting!
Ruby bounced up in her seat and eagerly looked out of the bullhead's window. She was practically buzzing with excitement. This was team RWBY's first-ever mission! Okay, so they weren't going out to kill a horde of Grimm or anything, but it was still exciting for her.
The rest of the team didn't share her excitement. Weiss was sitting straight and rigid next to her with her hands on her lap and a sour look on her face. Across from them, Yang was slumped over bored in her seat while Blake was reading some book that she scratched the title out of. Ever since she told them that it was a scouting mission, the rest of the team got super bored. Even Weiss, though she wouldn't admit it, was looking forward to getting some action.
Hey, she wanted to go kill Grimm too, but she'd take what she could get!
They were being sent to scout out a village on Eastern Saunus. Apparently, it was growing super fast and the place was completely safe from Grimm. Which was good, but from what the headmaster told her, the place got like that in less than a year. It was weird. Places like Patch and Argues took years to be safe, and even then that took the backing of kingdoms or Huntsmen deciding to congregate around the area. This place - Domremy, it was called - didn't have that.
Yang yawned and stretched her arms above her head, "Man, this sucks," she groaned, "Why are we being sent out for this? The freaking pilot could check out the town. You don't need four people to do this."
"Didn't you read the briefing, Yang?" Weiss asked.
"Eh, I leave that to you guys."
"Of course." Weiss sighed and tapped her scroll, "Our mission is to scout out a village, yes, but we're also supposed to 'observe, and protect, if need be' someone of great importance. Apparently, this settlement's rapid industrial boom was caused by said individual awakening to his Semblance."
"Pft, you're telling me one guy put a town on the map? He's not Cereal Girl." Pyrrha's team was doing their own mission: shadowing a deputy to get a better idea of what Huntsmen were supposed to do in remote settlements. It sounded about as interesting as what they were doing now, but she was curious all the same. While she focused on weaponry, engineering in general was something she was passionate about. She wondered what this guy did to help his village out so much.
"I passed by this place a year ago." Blake turned a page on the book and her bow twitched. Cute, "Domremy. It's more village than town. The only thing that stuck out was the winery they had. Enchanting Elixrs, I think it's called? A family called the Arcs run it if I'm remembering right."
"I've had a couple of their bottles in mealtimes. Decent enough vintages, though nothing spectacular. Mother has sampled their brews as well." Weiss wrinkled her nose and pursed her lips. She didn't like talking about her family and they didn't push.
"Hey, maybe we can score some free drinks while we're there!" Yang grinned.
"Yang! No drinking on the job!" Ruby said.
"Come on, Rubes! Lighten up!"
"Nope! We're professional Huntresses-in-training! Professionals, Yang!"
The four of them chatted for the rest of the flight. The mission wasn't supposed to take long. Get in, get some info on the settlement, then check out the person responsible. They were only supposed to stay for three days. Long enough for them to get an idea of what made the settlement so special and make a detailed report. Yang had whooped and said it was a chance to cut classes, which Weiss glared at her for. Ruby didn't say it out loud, but she was happy for a chance to avoid another one of Professor Port's lectures.
"We're here," the bullhead pilot said over the intercom. Ruby grinned and stood up, ignoring Weiss' protest that they should sit until the vehicle fully landed. Yeah, right. She saw Weiss' sister standing on the bullhead ramp when she arrived in Beacon.
Ruby stood in front of the ramp and waited for it to lower. She briefly considered the idea of making a pose for anyone who just happened to be on the other side before thinking better about it. Weiss would scoff about how she was being immature or something.
As soon as the ramp hit the ground Ruby rushed outside and stopped, eyes wide with wonder. The picture of Domremy they were given was of a pretty standard village-cum-town. Regular fortifications of a wall and a militia while the buildings were built more for practicality than anything else. She grew up in Patch, so she was used to rustic surroundings. The four kingdoms and some rare offshoots like Argus were the only places you could expect something better.
Domremy wasn't anything like the pictures. The buildings reminded her of the ones back in Vale, except even fancier looking if that was possible. Each and every building was meticulously designed and decorated, managing to look both expensive yet practical. Back in Patch, the biggest place they had was the mayor's house in the nearby town, and yet every single building easily matched or even surpassed that place with how well-built they were.
The docks they'd landed on were similarly designed. Most docks in outside settlements tended to be a clear patch of land with the bare minimum of necessities. Most villages didn't have the money to keep things like fuel and repair shops on hand due to the rarity of flying vehicles coming and going.
Not this one. The landing pad - an actual landing pad - was surrounded by the usual amenities back at Beacon. Heck, there were more than that. A fueling station, a garage, and even a small bar(!). It was like something straight out of Nova Wars.
Ruby turned around and her eyes boggled at the wall circling the town. Vale's defenses, like just about any kingdom's, consisted of a wall and automated defenses. There was a defense force, of course, but the majority of them were engineers who were meant to keep the defenses online. Most settlements couldn't afford anything similar. Defense systems were expensive and needed the right technical know-how to repair. That was why they made do with militias.
Like everything else in Domremy so far, it was different. The wall was big - easily matching Vale's in height - and covered in turrets, AA guns, and advanced watchtowers. There were sniper nests with spotlights observing the area and people patrolling the walls on top of everything else. And their armor...she knew that people without Aura (or those with poorly trained ones) needed armor to blunt the difference, even if most kinds of protection weren't really much of a help against Grimm. There was a reason they had to reinforce their weapons with Aura.
The miltia patrolling the walls were each wearing proper steel plate. Even from a distance, Ruby could tell each and every suit was well-made. It still wouldn't have been as good compared to Aura, but it was definitely above what the average outside settlement would have.
The rest of the team went down and looked around in similar awe. Yang's eyes in particular lingered at the well-stocked bar, though Weiss had grabbed her by the ear just as she was making to walk off.\, "Ow, hey! I was just gonna check it out!"
"No getting drunk, Yang!" Weiss scolded. She let go of the blonde's ear and looked around again, "This place is...not what I expected."
"It definitely didn't look like this a year ago..." Blake muttered.
"Stuff like this takes way more than a year to build," Ruby added. Just the wall alone would have been a huge effort, and that wasn't even counting everything else on top. And this was all because of one person? Even someone with a Polarity Semblance like Pyrrha couldn't do something like this in a year.
Their wondering was cut off when someone walked up to them. Ruby turned to greet him and stopped when she saw his armor. She was used to working with rare materials in her efforts to improve Crescent Rose, even spending most of her allowance on any esoteric stuff she could find. Still, she'd never worked on diamonds before. They were super expensive, and despite how hard they were, they were also extremely brittle. One good hit and it'd shatter into a million pieces.
And yet here a guy was walking up to them wearing an entire suit made out of diamond. And it was definitely diamond. Ruby wasn't fancy schmancy like Weiss, but she knew the real stuff when she saw it. Weiss did too. Her bestie's eyes were wide and the look on her face made it obvious that she was mentally calculating how much the entire suit cost. Ruby was more curious about how someone could find enough diamonds to make a whole suit of armor.
"Holy shit..." Yang whispered behind her. Blake hummed in agreement.
"You four must be Team RWBY. The headmaster contacted us. Name's John Oakwood, I run the militia around here." The man said. He was a tall guy with a big bushy beard and a rough face that didn't match the fancy suit he was wearing. He reminded her of Old Bear Gunderson from back home, "Headmaster said you all wanted to check out our one-man revolution. I'll take you to him."
"Um, pardon me," Weiss said. She sounded downright meek, which was creepy, "I know it might sound boorish, but are those..." She trailed off and pointed to the diamond chest plate.
The middle-aged man's face split in a wide smile and he laughed, causing Weiss' cheek to flush red, "Right, right. Forget how odd it must look to anyone new." Odd wasn't the word she'd use, but Ruby kept that to herself, "Yeah, it was a gift. Didn't think much of how useful it'd be, but I was proven wrong."
"Uh, really?" Ruby couldn't stop herself from asking. She continued before her embarrassment made her stop, "Diamonds are hard, but they're not really good at taking impacts."
"That's what I thought too, but results speak for themselves." He rubbed his beard in thought, "Hm, tell you what. You Huntresses got good guns, right?" They all nodded except for Weiss. Myrtanester didn't really have a gun form in the traditional sense, "Right then, why not do a test? Go on and shoot me in the chest." He tapped the diamond chestplate and grinned.
"Um...are you sure about that?" Ruby shuffled from one foot to another, "Do you have an awakened Aura, sir?"
"Sure, but I ain't trained it like you lasses." He rubbed his beard again. It reminded her of Professor Port, "But it'll be fine. Only if you really wanna see how effective the armor is, 'course. We could just get on our way."
Ruby chewed on her lower lip. They really should be going, but she couldn't deny that she was curious about how effective it was, "Alright..." No one disagreed. Either they were curious like she was or, in Weiss' case, still trying to calculate how expensive a whole diamond suit would be.
They walked over to a more secluded spot...after Yang made sure to record the guy saying he was giving Ruby his consent to shoot him. Just to avoid any problems just in case, she said. Ruby stood across a fair distance away from the militia leader and unfurled Crescent Rose into its sniper rifle form. Mr. Oakwood gave an impressed whistle, which caused Ruby to smile. She was never one to turn away compliments for her baby.
Ruby raised the rifle and aimed dead center at his torso before squeezing the trigger. A loud bang erupted and Ruby released a breath she didn't even realize she'd been holding. The bullet impacted against the surface of the chestplate and...nothing. There wasn't even a scratch. The bullet had been smashed flat on contact and Ruby watched as the no-thin circle of metal fell to the ground.
...Wow.
"Told ya it worked." He rapped a fist against the pristine chestplate, "Jaune does good work."
"Jaune...I suppose that's the name of the individual responsible for all this?" Weiss asked. Her eyes hadn't left the diamond armor since he first showed up.
"That he be. Jaune Arc, Nathanel and Elise's kid. Lad always had his head in the clouds for a while, but then..." He shook his head, "Ah, I'll tell ya lasses on the way."
The four of them followed after him silently and listened. The rapid changes began six months ago. Jaune Arc, one of the people living in the village, had awakened his Semblance. Mr. Oakwood was sparse on the details - apparently, he didn't know much about it himself - but the gist of it was that his Semblance allowed him to build good. Like, really good. Everything from gathering the resources, designing the buildings, and creating said buildings from the ground up. The others tried to help where they could, of course, but apparently, Jaune was just way better at gathering and building than they were.
Ruby had to admit that she felt somewhat jealous. It took her years of lessons and trial and error to get where she was, and even then she wasn't nearly as good as this Jaune guy sounded. She definitely couldn't make buildings or make armor out of freaking diamonds.
"There's a lot of people here," Blake said, "The place was definitely smaller when I passed by a year ago."
"Things have changed, aye," Mr. Oakwood replied, "When Jaune started changing things, the other places noticed. They realized it was safer inside our walls than it was in their own places. It started slow at first. Just a few people coming in and making a place for themselves. But then more and more newcomers showed up and people got worried. Domremy wasn't built to handle so many people. We don't have enough land, enough houses...well, you get the idea."
"You seem to be all doing fine," Weiss commented airily.
"Thanks to Jaune." He nodded, "Needed more space? He just expanded. Needed jobs? He set the foundations for new farms, fisheries, and anything else you can think of. People always need more food and farmland comes at a premium. We still had some bums who came in expecting an easy ride, 'course, but we got the lazy bastards out. Damn wastrels wouldn't even patrol the walls or help plow the fields. Everyone else here works for what they have."
Ruby kept looking around without saying a word. This place reminded her more of Vale than anything else. More rural, sure, but just as advanced. Could one person really be responsible for all of this? She'd never heard of a Semblance that strong. Then again, she'd never heard of hereditary Semblances before she met Weiss, so...
The place was bigger than she thought. Miles and miles of land were filled to the brim with farms, shops, and factories. The people here were all working hard and many stopped to wave happily as they passed. Ruby eyed a bunch of people harvesting large quantities of grain along with a few other stuff. She didn't know much about it. Despite living in a cabin in the woods with Dad and Yang, none of them really knew about farming. They could all hunt and live off the land, but not that way.
She stopped and did a double-take when she saw something else. Was...Was that a strawberry farm? She rubbed her eyes just to make sure and, yep, it definitely was one. Her mouth salivated at the sight of the fresh berries being plucked by hard workers. She was so tempted to speed over there and get some, but she held back. It'd been so long since she had some strawberries...
"Hey, John. New people living in the village?" Another voice called out. Ruby tore her eyes away from the field of paradise and blinked. The new arrival was an old woman who looked like the classic gradnma straight out of a storybook. Short and dressed in heavy layers with a head of wispy white hair and a face full of wrinkles that told of a long life.
Except for the fact that she had muscles that put Yang to shame, which she put to use by carrying what looked like 300-pound sacks of grain over each shoulder. Her big sis looked at the bulging arms and legs of the old lady then self-consciously rubbed her own (not small) arms, "Hey, Annette. Nah, these city folk are Huntresses. Came to see our miracle."
"Visiting Jaune? Well, guess I shouldn't be surprised." She smiled, "How about I take them the rest of the way? I'm supposed to take these-" she hefted the bugs on her shoulders, "-over to Jaune's place anyway so it'll save you a trip."
"If you don't mind." Mr. Oakwood nodded, "Annette will take it from here. See you all around."
They all mumbled their goodbyes and followed their new guide. The woman - Annette Crowder - was just as chatty as Mr. Oakwood, "This is all thanks to sweet little Jaune, of course," she beamed like a proud grandmother, "Though, I guess he's not so little anymore."
"So hey, uh..." Yang rubbed the back of her head, "Hope you don't mind me asking, but what training regiment you got going on? I'd kill to look that good at your age."
"Oh, these?" Mrs. Crowder flexed her arms and laughed, "It's not because if anything I did, dear. It's another one of Jaune's gifts. They're...well, I guess you could call them health drinks? He brewed up some for me and af ew of the others when we collapsed. Old age, you understand." She shook her head, "We said that we didn't need it and he'd already done so much for us, but he insisted. Would've been disrespectful if we refused and the rest is history."
"Fascinating. I'm sure Atlas would pay a lot for that drink." Weiss hummed. Blake looked away and scowled slightly, "Would you happen to have the recipe?"
"No, no. Jaune has that, and he's the only one who can make it, I think. Some rascals tried to make some for themselves and all they got was an upset stomach and a trip to the hospital." She laughed, "Don't let the muscle fool you young'uns. The drinks make us strong, but it isn't permanent. All of us agreed that we wouldn't use it unless we really had to. Wouldn't wanna get reliant on it, right? You look like you worked hard for those," she said to Yang.
"Thanks for noticing." Yang grinned. She still looked somewhat self-conscious, but being praised had helped, "So...this Jaune guy. He makes buildings, gives jobs, and gives freaking magic potions. Is there anything this guy can't do?"
"He does seem universally skilled just from what we've been hearing," Weiss added.
Blake didn't say anything. She just looked around with narrowed eyes while her bow kept twitching. Ruby suddenly had a bad feeling, though she didn't say anything out loud. Blake was probably making some weird plan again.
They left the more bustling town and walked up a hill. At the top of said hill was an honest to Brothers castle. She'd been here long enough that she wasn't that shocked anymore, but it was hard not to be impressed. Like the town proper, the castle was surrounded by its own wall lined with anti-air defenses and automatic turrets. Any Grimm or ship trying to land without an invitation would've been shot out of the sky."
"And I thought Atlas was secure..." Blake muttered.
They walked past the drawbridge(!) before Mrs. Crowder turned to them, "Well, I'm heading off to the stables. The four of you can head on inside. Jaune should be inside. The rest of his family is out, but he should be down in the workshop. Take the first door on the right and the stairs down. Jaune'll be working on something else, knowing him. Boy will never slow down. Shame, so many of the village lasses wish he'd actually see what he built."
"Thanks." Ruby bowed politely and walked inside. The inside was just as fancy as the outside. Marble floor, numerous paintings on the walls, and gold-lined chandeliers on the ceiling. And that was just the start. The golden suits of armor lining the hallway made her dizzy to think about, and even Weiss felt out of place.
"...60 billion lien." Weiss mumbled.
"Huh?" Ruby turned to her.
"That armor Mr. Oakwood was wearing. It's worth easily 60 billion lien. No one would buy at that price, of course, but even at a reduced price, it would be enough to fund a decently sized town for months. Yet this Jaune gave it to someone else as a gift."
"Um..." Ruby shuffled from one foot to another. She really didn't know what to say about that, "Let's just meet this guy."
Ruby led the way down. It was weird. Beacon was a castle, but this place felt different. Not bad, but still. Ruby stopped at the bottom of the staircase and knocked on the door.
"Come in!" A boyish voice called out from inside. Not even a 'who is it?', just an open invitation. Then again, no one else seemed to worry about them going to meet him while he was alone. She liked to think it was because of how trusted Huntsmen were.
Ruby opened the door and stepped inside. She only managed a few steps before she was frozen at the amazing sight before her. The strawberry fields were nice, but this was amazing. It was a forge. No, calling it that was an insult. It was a basion of creation! Beacon had a forge, the best Vale could afford for their future protectors. And yet it paled in comparison to the the room around her. As an aspiring blacksmith and engineer, she could just tell that miracles were made in this place. Her mouth drooled at the thought of creating so many weapon upgrades. Crescent Rose with a high-frequency blade...
The other reason she was drooling was because of the person who owned the room.
Ruby didn't get why other girls were so into boys. Who had time for all that stuff when they were so busy being Huntsmen? That wasn't to say she was blind to how attractive guys could be, but the ones at Beacon just didn't do it for her. She didn't think Neptune was 'so hot' the same way Weiss and a bunch of the other girls in her year did.
Yet despite that, she was unable to tear her eyes away at the sight of (presumably) Jaune Arc hammering away at a blacksmith's table. He was shirtless, which made sense given how hot forges could be. His position gave them a good side view of his entire body. He wasn't the most muscular - people like Cardin or Sun were bigger - but he was definitely well-built with firm arms and well-formed abs. His bare upper body glistened with a light sheen of sweat and he panted softly in slight fatigue as he brought the hammer down on the cube atop the table.
She'd seen half-naked guys before - a bunch of them tried to show off in the auditorium before Initiation - but those didn't interest her. Way too many Huntsmen only knew how to hit things and didn't even make their own weapons like in Signal. Boring. Now, seeing a guy sweating it out at the forge to build something with his own two hands? That...she liked that.
"Ooh, mama like..." Yang said next to her.
"Be with you in a sec!" Jaune brought the hammer down one last time and the square cube turned into a sword. The pure white blade seemed to shimmer and she was almost blinded when he grabbed the golden hilt and raised it with a smile.
Oh damn. That was a nice image.
Weiss coughed, though Ruby didn't miss how red her cheeks were. Blake's too, "Mr. Arc?"
"Huh? Oh yeah, sorry." He set the sword down on the table and picked up a light blue shirt hanging on a nearby chair. Ruby refused to voice out how disappointed he was when he put it on, "How can I help you all? Need something built?"
"No, thank you." Weiss gave him the 'businesswoman' smile, "My name is Weiss Schnee. This is Ruby Rose, Yang Xiao Long, and Blake Belladonna." She pointed to each of them in turn, "We were sent here to investigate this settlement."
"Oh. I hope it's nothing bad?"
"Quite the opposite, actually. We'd heard about the advancements that took place over the past year and the headmaster sent us to verify things with our own eyes, so to speak."
"Oh...cool. Hope it didn't disappoint." Ruby almost scoffed at that. He'd made his own miniature kingdom and he was acting like they were gonna say something bad about him, "I mean, I was just building stuff. I woke up one day with all these ideas in my head and I knew I just had to build it. You know what I mean?"
"Oh yeah." Ruby nodded eagerly. Granted, in her case there were a lot of failures and test runs. Just cause she thought she could give Crescent Rose a high-powered laser didn't mean she actually knew how to build one that wouldn't blow up in her hands, "Speaking of, what was that sword?"
"Huh? Oh!" He beamed proudly and picked it up again. The pure-white longsword seemed to gleam in response to being held, "I was testing out this new metal ingot I made. Meteor ore with a dash of silverite. Not sure how well it'll do yet, but I'm hoping it'll at least match the diamond sword."
"...Excuse me, the what?" Weiss said, barely managing to keep a straight face.
"Diamond sword. Should be around here somewhere..." He turned and rummaged through a nearby chest like he was looking for a spare bit of lien. It only took him a few seconds to pull out a sword covered in a fine blue scabbard, "Here it is."
He handed it to Weiss as if she'd asked for it. Her partner looked down at the sword and reluctantly took it before slowly pulling it out of its sheath. Her eyes practically bugged out as the crystal blue blade was exposed to the open air. Again, Ruby could already tell she was calculating just how expensive this one sword was.
Jaune saw the look on her face and smiled, "Do you want it?"
"Wh-What?!" Weiss sputtered, looking completely caught out.
"Do you want it? You seem to really like it!"
"N-No! I mean, yes, I do think the craftsmanship is superb, but I can't just accept this! This is too much!"
"Is it? I have a few more. I don't mind giving this one to you." The casual declaration made Weiss' breath seize. Ruby knew that Weiss was rich - she wasn't exactly shy about it - but all that money came with caveats. Her allowance came from her dad and continuing to receive one meant having to keep him happy. If she sold that sword, she could easily afford any expenses she had at Beacon for the next four years and beyond.
The internal struggle was plain for all to see. Weiss' pride and sense of decorum were fighting against the mountain of lien she held in her hands.
"What? No present for us?" Yang asked with a joking smile.
"Yang!" Ruby scolded.
"Huh? Oh, I'm being rude." He laughed lightly and picked up another box from a nearby table, "I don't really know what you three will like, but I have some spare materials. Here, see if anything interests you!"
He opened the box and offered it to them. Ruby, Blake, and Yang looked inside and Ruby was almost floored at the messy pile of gold, gemstones, and other high-quality items. A fist-sized ruby, some gold bars, a handful of pearls...it was like something of a pirate's buried treasure. Yang's mouth parted open, but there was no quip or joke to be had. Blake looked similarly stunned and looked into Jaune's eyes, trying to see if there was some kind of implication with the gesture.
Nothing. He just continued to smile and hold up the box.
"I...I can't..." Ruby mumbled. She was so tempted, but-
"Well, I'll take this then." She grabbed the ruby.
"Wha- Yang?!"
"Hey, he's offering!" Yang shot back.
"Thank you." Blake took a single gold bar.
"You too, Blake?! Come on, we're not here to..." Her voice trailed off as she saw something far more valuable than jewelry. Buried under the shiny rocks was a single dimeritium ingot. Whatever lecture she had died in her throat. Dimeritium was a rare and expensive material. Even if she saved up her allowance for a year straight, she wouldn't have been able to afford even a single one. So many upgrades she could do with Crescent Rose if she had even one ingot...
Jaune noticed where she was looking and smiled. Without any hesitation, he rifled through the box with his other hand and brought out three ingots that he handed to her.
"W-Wait, I can't accept-"
"It's fine." Jaune nodded and pressed it to her trembling hands, "Most people don't go for ingots. I'm guessing you want to build something, right?"
"Y-Yeah..." She blushed in embarrassment. The ingots felt heavy in her hands.
"Wanna try building it here? If you don't mind, I mean."
"C-Can I?" Oh gods, she was so lightheaded. He'd just given her some of the rarest materials on Remnant and now he was offering to let her use his workshop. She thought that people that like him didn't exist out of fairytales...
"Sure! It'll be nice to see someone else's work!"
"Uh...we'll give you two some room," Yang said. Ruby could barely hear her. Not when she'd found her soulmate.
Jaune Arc...
The name ran through Weiss' head as she walked aimlessly around the miniature kingdom. Her right hand limply held a sword easily worth millions. The thought of it made her head swim. As the heiress to the SDC, Weiss was used to luxury and expense. Birthday parties and celebrations were lavish events, each easily costing hundreds of thousands of lien. Father didn't care about his family, but he couldn't deny the temptation of throwing his money around and lording it above everyone else.
And yet she'd never witnessed such generosity. Or was it a pure lack of regard? Jaune had given her this sword with as much care as one would give out an old shirt. This wasn't like Father's audacious shows of wealth. He legitimately did not care to part with something so valuable. And why would he, she thought. If money was what he was after, he could easily make a fortune off of his creations and 'materials' and live the easy life of a king.
But he didn't. Instead, he built...all of this. She looked around at the happy people, the general feeling of contentment, and her grip on the sword tightened. It was everything her father could've done but didn't. No, instead he chose to abuse his employees and throw away any sense of honor and morality for the sake of his greed. He and those sycophants who followed him. Thinking of it made her gut churn with disgust at the selfishness of it all.
Despite her feelings, Weiss was already making plans. Father was a bastard, but he didn't raise a fool. Jaune was clearly skilled. Prodigiously so. Whatever his Semblance was, it allowed him to do miraculous things. She also knew that the headmaster wouldn't have sent them here simply to report that Jaune Arc did, in fact, exist. No. It was more than that. The headmaster wanted him, that she was sure of. A man of his skills (and physique...) would be valuable to anyone.
She could see it already. The people in the countryside were aware, but once Jaune's abilities were known throughout the kingdoms? They would each demand his skills, arguing over one another that they deserved his assistance over everyone else...including her. She chewed on her lower lip. Perhaps the headmaster didn't intend it, but he'd given her a headstart.
She wanted...needed Jaune's skills. Her position as the heiress was tenuous. Fighting for the chance to attend Beacon had soured her heavily in her father's eyes, and she was sure that Whitley was making his own little schemes to try and further discredit her. If she truly wanted to redeem the Schnee name, then waiting for her father to retire might not be enough. How many years would he take before he settled down? How much damage could he do in the meantime?
But with Jaune's help, she could...expedite the process. His engineering skills were miraculous. Surely, he could find some way to refine Dust or make the gathering process easier and safer. And if not, then less direct aid could suffice. Those potions of his could enhance the strength and vigor of any employee, and those tools she saw around the workshop would make it far easier for the miners to extract dust. If she could sell the idea that she could improve the SDC without needing to be devoid of morality, she could oust her father.
The diamond sword in her hands made her think of an even more audacious idea. Start her own company, damn the bloated mass of corruption her father created. She knew it was impractical, but it was a tempting idea regardless.
Now how could she...
"Weiss." She turned and blinked at the sight of Blake. Things between the two of them had been...tense ever since Blake had outed herself as former White Fang. While the two of them had publicly made peace for Ruby and Yang's sake, years of conflict couldn't just be swept away with one apology. They understood where the other came from, but it couldn't erase the fact that Weiss was the daughter of the man who'd borderline-enslaved Faunus and Blake was part of a group that had specifically targeted her family and killed people she knew growing up.
They weren't enemies, but they weren't exactly friends. Not yet, at least.
"Blake." Weiss nodded back. It was rare for Blake to seek her out and initiate conversation.
"I'll be blunt. What plans do you have for Jaune?"
Weiss raised a brow, "What makes you think I have any?" she asked back.
"Because I'm not stupid." Blake scoffed, "I could see the gears turning in your head when we left."
"Fine. You got me." Weiss crossed her arms, "I'm thinking of asking for his help in ousting my father." At Blake's silence, Weiss continued, "We might not agree on a lot of things, but we're both of the same mind that the SDC under my father is a bloated, corrupt beast. With Jaune's help, I'm sure that I could find a way to remove my father from his position." It would perhaps mean stopping her education at Beacon to take her place as CEO, though she could possibly find someone to serve the role in the interim while she finished her education. Regardless, she couldn't let this chance slip away.
"I see..."
"Do you disapprove? I'd have thought you would want Jacques Schnee removed from his position."
"That's not the issue here." She sighed and gestured to their surroundings, "Look around you, Weiss. See what Jaune did in just six months. Do you know who really needs that help? Menagerie." Weiss pursed her lips and resisted the urge to interrupt. Blake had given her the same courtesy, after all, "Two-thirds of Menagerie is uninhabitable due to the environment and Grimm, but with Jaune's help, that can all change. The Faunus can turn their home into something more than a glorified prison the kingdoms gave us as a 'prize'. Proper docks, defenses, and a town that won't be destroyed by one errant arsonist. The Faunus could have the kingdom they deserve."
"Sounds ambitious, but how long do you think this would take? Even with Jaune's skills, turning a village into a flourishing town is a far cry from turning something into a kingdom proper. You're talking about adapting to a hostile environment and having to deal with the Grimm. That would take months, if not years, even with Jaune's help. Whereas my plan would be far faster and lead to obvious benefits. No more employees - Faunus - dying in the mines due to greed and no safety checks. People can finally feel safe."
"And how long should my people have to wait while the rich get richer?" Weiss scowled at the insult, "It'll take longer, sure, but the Faunus deserve a chance to have a true home. You're already slated to become the heiress. You don't need Jaune's help. We do."
"I'm sure it appears that way from an outside perspective, but that's not the whole truth." Weiss sighed, "I need Jaune's help, Blake."
"So do I."
"Then I guess we're at an impasse." Weiss frowned.
"I guess so. Good thing I'm gonna win."
The two of them stared at one another for a moment before Blake turned on her heel and left without a word. Weiss did the same, face marred with a deep frown despite her best efforts to the contrary. It wasn't as if she didn't understand Blake's point of view, but her plan was sensible. Turning Menagerie into a proper kingdom would be a far more difficult task than Jaune assisting her in ensuring her transition as the CEO. She would have to convince the board that Jaune was loyal to her, of course, or else those snakes would try to cut her out. She could simply...
Weiss stopped. How...could she convince Jaune to help her? Her first thought was money and connections - the usual bait for those seeking alliances - but that wouldn't work. Jaune could create things that would earn him more than enough lien if he so wished. As for connections...would her role as the heiress even matter here? What could she offer a man who could build seemingly anything? Was that why Blake was so confident that she'd seize victory?
She shook her head. No, now was not the time for doubts. She might not have been able to use her usual methods, but that didn't mean Blake had a leg up either. She would be the one to secure Jaune's loyalty and accomplish her plans. She just knew it.
Uh-oh, war's brewing already. Weiss and Blake have met Jaune for like five minutes and they've already made plans on how they can use his Semblance without even asking Jaune first what he wants to do. Ain't life grand?
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Questions:
1. So between Blake and Weiss, who do you think deserves Jaune's help more? Ignoring the whole 'them not asking Jaune at all about his opinion' thing. Blake's plan is ambitious but is definitely a time-sink even with Minecraft powers. Weiss has a higher likelihood of success but it's not as widespread or significant as giving the Faunus an equal place on Remnant.
2. How do you guys want Weiss and Blake to try to appeal to Jaune? Especially Blake. I'm kind of torn on Blake trying to go for (poorly attempted) seduction or her trying to go full guilt trip like 'So I noticed you haven't helped any Faunus villages. Not saying you're racist, BUT...' to try and convince Jaune to help out of Human Guilt. Likewise, Weiss can't default to the 'I can pay you' option since Jaune just casually gives out diamonds to people he's just met.
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Chapter 1: Breaking the Setting in Half
This was so exciting!
Ruby bounced up in her seat and eagerly looked out of the bullhead's window. She was practically buzzing with excitement. This was team RWBY's first-ever mission! Okay, so they weren't going out to kill a horde of Grimm or anything, but it was still exciting for her.
The rest of the team didn't share her excitement. Weiss was sitting straight and rigid next to her with her hands on her lap and a sour look on her face. Across from them, Yang was slumped over bored in her seat while Blake was reading some book that she scratched the title out of. Ever since she told them that it was a scouting mission, the rest of the team got super bored. Even Weiss, though she wouldn't admit it, was looking forward to getting some action.
Hey, she wanted to go kill Grimm too, but she'd take what she could get!
They were being sent to scout out a village on Eastern Saunus. Apparently, it was growing super fast and the place was completely safe from Grimm. Which was good, but from what the headmaster told her, the place got like that in less than a year. It was weird. Places like Patch and Argues took years to be safe, and even then that took the backing of kingdoms or Huntsmen deciding to congregate around the area. This place - Domremy, it was called - didn't have that.
Yang yawned and stretched her arms above her head, "Man, this sucks," she groaned, "Why are we being sent out for this? The freaking pilot could check out the town. You don't need four people to do this."
"Didn't you read the briefing, Yang?" Weiss asked.
"Eh, I leave that to you guys."
"Of course." Weiss sighed and tapped her scroll, "Our mission is to scout out a village, yes, but we're also supposed to 'observe, and protect, if need be' someone of great importance. Apparently, this settlement's rapid industrial boom was caused by said individual awakening to his Semblance."
"Pft, you're telling me one guy put a town on the map? He's not Cereal Girl." Pyrrha's team was doing their own mission: shadowing a deputy to get a better idea of what Huntsmen were supposed to do in remote settlements. It sounded about as interesting as what they were doing now, but she was curious all the same. While she focused on weaponry, engineering in general was something she was passionate about. She wondered what this guy did to help his village out so much.
"I passed by this place a year ago." Blake turned a page on the book and her bow twitched. Cute, "Domremy. It's more village than town. The only thing that stuck out was the winery they had. Enchanting Elixrs, I think it's called? A family called the Arcs run it if I'm remembering right."
"I've had a couple of their bottles in mealtimes. Decent enough vintages, though nothing spectacular. Mother has sampled their brews as well." Weiss wrinkled her nose and pursed her lips. She didn't like talking about her family and they didn't push.
"Hey, maybe we can score some free drinks while we're there!" Yang grinned.
"Yang! No drinking on the job!" Ruby said.
"Come on, Rubes! Lighten up!"
"Nope! We're professional Huntresses-in-training! Professionals, Yang!"
The four of them chatted for the rest of the flight. The mission wasn't supposed to take long. Get in, get some info on the settlement, then check out the person responsible. They were only supposed to stay for three days. Long enough for them to get an idea of what made the settlement so special and make a detailed report. Yang had whooped and said it was a chance to cut classes, which Weiss glared at her for. Ruby didn't say it out loud, but she was happy for a chance to avoid another one of Professor Port's lectures.
"We're here," the bullhead pilot said over the intercom. Ruby grinned and stood up, ignoring Weiss' protest that they should sit until the vehicle fully landed. Yeah, right. She saw Weiss' sister standing on the bullhead ramp when she arrived in Beacon.
Ruby stood in front of the ramp and waited for it to lower. She briefly considered the idea of making a pose for anyone who just happened to be on the other side before thinking better about it. Weiss would scoff about how she was being immature or something.
As soon as the ramp hit the ground Ruby rushed outside and stopped, eyes wide with wonder. The picture of Domremy they were given was of a pretty standard village-cum-town. Regular fortifications of a wall and a militia while the buildings were built more for practicality than anything else. She grew up in Patch, so she was used to rustic surroundings. The four kingdoms and some rare offshoots like Argus were the only places you could expect something better.
Domremy wasn't anything like the pictures. The buildings reminded her of the ones back in Vale, except even fancier looking if that was possible. Each and every building was meticulously designed and decorated, managing to look both expensive yet practical. Back in Patch, the biggest place they had was the mayor's house in the nearby town, and yet every single building easily matched or even surpassed that place with how well-built they were.
The docks they'd landed on were similarly designed. Most docks in outside settlements tended to be a clear patch of land with the bare minimum of necessities. Most villages didn't have the money to keep things like fuel and repair shops on hand due to the rarity of flying vehicles coming and going.
Not this one. The landing pad - an actual landing pad - was surrounded by the usual amenities back at Beacon. Heck, there were more than that. A fueling station, a garage, and even a small bar(!). It was like something straight out of Nova Wars.
Ruby turned around and her eyes boggled at the wall circling the town. Vale's defenses, like just about any kingdom's, consisted of a wall and automated defenses. There was a defense force, of course, but the majority of them were engineers who were meant to keep the defenses online. Most settlements couldn't afford anything similar. Defense systems were expensive and needed the right technical know-how to repair. That was why they made do with militias.
Like everything else in Domremy so far, it was different. The wall was big - easily matching Vale's in height - and covered in turrets, AA guns, and advanced watchtowers. There were sniper nests with spotlights observing the area and people patrolling the walls on top of everything else. And their armor...she knew that people without Aura (or those with poorly trained ones) needed armor to blunt the difference, even if most kinds of protection weren't really much of a help against Grimm. There was a reason they had to reinforce their weapons with Aura.
The miltia patrolling the walls were each wearing proper steel plate. Even from a distance, Ruby could tell each and every suit was well-made. It still wouldn't have been as good compared to Aura, but it was definitely above what the average outside settlement would have.
The rest of the team went down and looked around in similar awe. Yang's eyes in particular lingered at the well-stocked bar, though Weiss had grabbed her by the ear just as she was making to walk off.\, "Ow, hey! I was just gonna check it out!"
"No getting drunk, Yang!" Weiss scolded. She let go of the blonde's ear and looked around again, "This place is...not what I expected."
"It definitely didn't look like this a year ago..." Blake muttered.
"Stuff like this takes way more than a year to build," Ruby added. Just the wall alone would have been a huge effort, and that wasn't even counting everything else on top. And this was all because of one person? Even someone with a Polarity Semblance like Pyrrha couldn't do something like this in a year.
Their wondering was cut off when someone walked up to them. Ruby turned to greet him and stopped when she saw his armor. She was used to working with rare materials in her efforts to improve Crescent Rose, even spending most of her allowance on any esoteric stuff she could find. Still, she'd never worked on diamonds before. They were super expensive, and despite how hard they were, they were also extremely brittle. One good hit and it'd shatter into a million pieces.
And yet here a guy was walking up to them wearing an entire suit made out of diamond. And it was definitely diamond. Ruby wasn't fancy schmancy like Weiss, but she knew the real stuff when she saw it. Weiss did too. Her bestie's eyes were wide and the look on her face made it obvious that she was mentally calculating how much the entire suit cost. Ruby was more curious about how someone could find enough diamonds to make a whole suit of armor.
"Holy shit..." Yang whispered behind her. Blake hummed in agreement.
"You four must be Team RWBY. The headmaster contacted us. Name's John Oakwood, I run the militia around here." The man said. He was a tall guy with a big bushy beard and a rough face that didn't match the fancy suit he was wearing. He reminded her of Old Bear Gunderson from back home, "Headmaster said you all wanted to check out our one-man revolution. I'll take you to him."
"Um, pardon me," Weiss said. She sounded downright meek, which was creepy, "I know it might sound boorish, but are those..." She trailed off and pointed to the diamond chest plate.
The middle-aged man's face split in a wide smile and he laughed, causing Weiss' cheek to flush red, "Right, right. Forget how odd it must look to anyone new." Odd wasn't the word she'd use, but Ruby kept that to herself, "Yeah, it was a gift. Didn't think much of how useful it'd be, but I was proven wrong."
"Uh, really?" Ruby couldn't stop herself from asking. She continued before her embarrassment made her stop, "Diamonds are hard, but they're not really good at taking impacts."
"That's what I thought too, but results speak for themselves." He rubbed his beard in thought, "Hm, tell you what. You Huntresses got good guns, right?" They all nodded except for Weiss. Myrtanester didn't really have a gun form in the traditional sense, "Right then, why not do a test? Go on and shoot me in the chest." He tapped the diamond chestplate and grinned.
"Um...are you sure about that?" Ruby shuffled from one foot to another, "Do you have an awakened Aura, sir?"
"Sure, but I ain't trained it like you lasses." He rubbed his beard again. It reminded her of Professor Port, "But it'll be fine. Only if you really wanna see how effective the armor is, 'course. We could just get on our way."
Ruby chewed on her lower lip. They really should be going, but she couldn't deny that she was curious about how effective it was, "Alright..." No one disagreed. Either they were curious like she was or, in Weiss' case, still trying to calculate how expensive a whole diamond suit would be.
They walked over to a more secluded spot...after Yang made sure to record the guy saying he was giving Ruby his consent to shoot him. Just to avoid any problems just in case, she said. Ruby stood across a fair distance away from the militia leader and unfurled Crescent Rose into its sniper rifle form. Mr. Oakwood gave an impressed whistle, which caused Ruby to smile. She was never one to turn away compliments for her baby.
Ruby raised the rifle and aimed dead center at his torso before squeezing the trigger. A loud bang erupted and Ruby released a breath she didn't even realize she'd been holding. The bullet impacted against the surface of the chestplate and...nothing. There wasn't even a scratch. The bullet had been smashed flat on contact and Ruby watched as the no-thin circle of metal fell to the ground.
...Wow.
"Told ya it worked." He rapped a fist against the pristine chestplate, "Jaune does good work."
"Jaune...I suppose that's the name of the individual responsible for all this?" Weiss asked. Her eyes hadn't left the diamond armor since he first showed up.
"That he be. Jaune Arc, Nathanel and Elise's kid. Lad always had his head in the clouds for a while, but then..." He shook his head, "Ah, I'll tell ya lasses on the way."
The four of them followed after him silently and listened. The rapid changes began six months ago. Jaune Arc, one of the people living in the village, had awakened his Semblance. Mr. Oakwood was sparse on the details - apparently, he didn't know much about it himself - but the gist of it was that his Semblance allowed him to build good. Like, really good. Everything from gathering the resources, designing the buildings, and creating said buildings from the ground up. The others tried to help where they could, of course, but apparently, Jaune was just way better at gathering and building than they were.
Ruby had to admit that she felt somewhat jealous. It took her years of lessons and trial and error to get where she was, and even then she wasn't nearly as good as this Jaune guy sounded. She definitely couldn't make buildings or make armor out of freaking diamonds.
"There's a lot of people here," Blake said, "The place was definitely smaller when I passed by a year ago."
"Things have changed, aye," Mr. Oakwood replied, "When Jaune started changing things, the other places noticed. They realized it was safer inside our walls than it was in their own places. It started slow at first. Just a few people coming in and making a place for themselves. But then more and more newcomers showed up and people got worried. Domremy wasn't built to handle so many people. We don't have enough land, enough houses...well, you get the idea."
"You seem to be all doing fine," Weiss commented airily.
"Thanks to Jaune." He nodded, "Needed more space? He just expanded. Needed jobs? He set the foundations for new farms, fisheries, and anything else you can think of. People always need more food and farmland comes at a premium. We still had some bums who came in expecting an easy ride, 'course, but we got the lazy bastards out. Damn wastrels wouldn't even patrol the walls or help plow the fields. Everyone else here works for what they have."
Ruby kept looking around without saying a word. This place reminded her more of Vale than anything else. More rural, sure, but just as advanced. Could one person really be responsible for all of this? She'd never heard of a Semblance that strong. Then again, she'd never heard of hereditary Semblances before she met Weiss, so...
The place was bigger than she thought. Miles and miles of land were filled to the brim with farms, shops, and factories. The people here were all working hard and many stopped to wave happily as they passed. Ruby eyed a bunch of people harvesting large quantities of grain along with a few other stuff. She didn't know much about it. Despite living in a cabin in the woods with Dad and Yang, none of them really knew about farming. They could all hunt and live off the land, but not that way.
She stopped and did a double-take when she saw something else. Was...Was that a strawberry farm? She rubbed her eyes just to make sure and, yep, it definitely was one. Her mouth salivated at the sight of the fresh berries being plucked by hard workers. She was so tempted to speed over there and get some, but she held back. It'd been so long since she had some strawberries...
"Hey, John. New people living in the village?" Another voice called out. Ruby tore her eyes away from the field of paradise and blinked. The new arrival was an old woman who looked like the classic gradnma straight out of a storybook. Short and dressed in heavy layers with a head of wispy white hair and a face full of wrinkles that told of a long life.
Except for the fact that she had muscles that put Yang to shame, which she put to use by carrying what looked like 300-pound sacks of grain over each shoulder. Her big sis looked at the bulging arms and legs of the old lady then self-consciously rubbed her own (not small) arms, "Hey, Annette. Nah, these city folk are Huntresses. Came to see our miracle."
"Visiting Jaune? Well, guess I shouldn't be surprised." She smiled, "How about I take them the rest of the way? I'm supposed to take these-" she hefted the bugs on her shoulders, "-over to Jaune's place anyway so it'll save you a trip."
"If you don't mind." Mr. Oakwood nodded, "Annette will take it from here. See you all around."
They all mumbled their goodbyes and followed their new guide. The woman - Annette Crowder - was just as chatty as Mr. Oakwood, "This is all thanks to sweet little Jaune, of course," she beamed like a proud grandmother, "Though, I guess he's not so little anymore."
"So hey, uh..." Yang rubbed the back of her head, "Hope you don't mind me asking, but what training regiment you got going on? I'd kill to look that good at your age."
"Oh, these?" Mrs. Crowder flexed her arms and laughed, "It's not because if anything I did, dear. It's another one of Jaune's gifts. They're...well, I guess you could call them health drinks? He brewed up some for me and af ew of the others when we collapsed. Old age, you understand." She shook her head, "We said that we didn't need it and he'd already done so much for us, but he insisted. Would've been disrespectful if we refused and the rest is history."
"Fascinating. I'm sure Atlas would pay a lot for that drink." Weiss hummed. Blake looked away and scowled slightly, "Would you happen to have the recipe?"
"No, no. Jaune has that, and he's the only one who can make it, I think. Some rascals tried to make some for themselves and all they got was an upset stomach and a trip to the hospital." She laughed, "Don't let the muscle fool you young'uns. The drinks make us strong, but it isn't permanent. All of us agreed that we wouldn't use it unless we really had to. Wouldn't wanna get reliant on it, right? You look like you worked hard for those," she said to Yang.
"Thanks for noticing." Yang grinned. She still looked somewhat self-conscious, but being praised had helped, "So...this Jaune guy. He makes buildings, gives jobs, and gives freaking magic potions. Is there anything this guy can't do?"
"He does seem universally skilled just from what we've been hearing," Weiss added.
Blake didn't say anything. She just looked around with narrowed eyes while her bow kept twitching. Ruby suddenly had a bad feeling, though she didn't say anything out loud. Blake was probably making some weird plan again.
They left the more bustling town and walked up a hill. At the top of said hill was an honest to Brothers castle. She'd been here long enough that she wasn't that shocked anymore, but it was hard not to be impressed. Like the town proper, the castle was surrounded by its own wall lined with anti-air defenses and automatic turrets. Any Grimm or ship trying to land without an invitation would've been shot out of the sky."
"And I thought Atlas was secure..." Blake muttered.
They walked past the drawbridge(!) before Mrs. Crowder turned to them, "Well, I'm heading off to the stables. The four of you can head on inside. Jaune should be inside. The rest of his family is out, but he should be down in the workshop. Take the first door on the right and the stairs down. Jaune'll be working on something else, knowing him. Boy will never slow down. Shame, so many of the village lasses wish he'd actually see what he built."
"Thanks." Ruby bowed politely and walked inside. The inside was just as fancy as the outside. Marble floor, numerous paintings on the walls, and gold-lined chandeliers on the ceiling. And that was just the start. The golden suits of armor lining the hallway made her dizzy to think about, and even Weiss felt out of place.
"...60 billion lien." Weiss mumbled.
"Huh?" Ruby turned to her.
"That armor Mr. Oakwood was wearing. It's worth easily 60 billion lien. No one would buy at that price, of course, but even at a reduced price, it would be enough to fund a decently sized town for months. Yet this Jaune gave it to someone else as a gift."
"Um..." Ruby shuffled from one foot to another. She really didn't know what to say about that, "Let's just meet this guy."
Ruby led the way down. It was weird. Beacon was a castle, but this place felt different. Not bad, but still. Ruby stopped at the bottom of the staircase and knocked on the door.
"Come in!" A boyish voice called out from inside. Not even a 'who is it?', just an open invitation. Then again, no one else seemed to worry about them going to meet him while he was alone. She liked to think it was because of how trusted Huntsmen were.
Ruby opened the door and stepped inside. She only managed a few steps before she was frozen at the amazing sight before her. The strawberry fields were nice, but this was amazing. It was a forge. No, calling it that was an insult. It was a basion of creation! Beacon had a forge, the best Vale could afford for their future protectors. And yet it paled in comparison to the the room around her. As an aspiring blacksmith and engineer, she could just tell that miracles were made in this place. Her mouth drooled at the thought of creating so many weapon upgrades. Crescent Rose with a high-frequency blade...
The other reason she was drooling was because of the person who owned the room.
Ruby didn't get why other girls were so into boys. Who had time for all that stuff when they were so busy being Huntsmen? That wasn't to say she was blind to how attractive guys could be, but the ones at Beacon just didn't do it for her. She didn't think Neptune was 'so hot' the same way Weiss and a bunch of the other girls in her year did.
Yet despite that, she was unable to tear her eyes away at the sight of (presumably) Jaune Arc hammering away at a blacksmith's table. He was shirtless, which made sense given how hot forges could be. His position gave them a good side view of his entire body. He wasn't the most muscular - people like Cardin or Sun were bigger - but he was definitely well-built with firm arms and well-formed abs. His bare upper body glistened with a light sheen of sweat and he panted softly in slight fatigue as he brought the hammer down on the cube atop the table.
She'd seen half-naked guys before - a bunch of them tried to show off in the auditorium before Initiation - but those didn't interest her. Way too many Huntsmen only knew how to hit things and didn't even make their own weapons like in Signal. Boring. Now, seeing a guy sweating it out at the forge to build something with his own two hands? That...she liked that.
"Ooh, mama like..." Yang said next to her.
"Be with you in a sec!" Jaune brought the hammer down one last time and the square cube turned into a sword. The pure white blade seemed to shimmer and she was almost blinded when he grabbed the golden hilt and raised it with a smile.
Oh damn. That was a nice image.
Weiss coughed, though Ruby didn't miss how red her cheeks were. Blake's too, "Mr. Arc?"
"Huh? Oh yeah, sorry." He set the sword down on the table and picked up a light blue shirt hanging on a nearby chair. Ruby refused to voice out how disappointed he was when he put it on, "How can I help you all? Need something built?"
"No, thank you." Weiss gave him the 'businesswoman' smile, "My name is Weiss Schnee. This is Ruby Rose, Yang Xiao Long, and Blake Belladonna." She pointed to each of them in turn, "We were sent here to investigate this settlement."
"Oh. I hope it's nothing bad?"
"Quite the opposite, actually. We'd heard about the advancements that took place over the past year and the headmaster sent us to verify things with our own eyes, so to speak."
"Oh...cool. Hope it didn't disappoint." Ruby almost scoffed at that. He'd made his own miniature kingdom and he was acting like they were gonna say something bad about him, "I mean, I was just building stuff. I woke up one day with all these ideas in my head and I knew I just had to build it. You know what I mean?"
"Oh yeah." Ruby nodded eagerly. Granted, in her case there were a lot of failures and test runs. Just cause she thought she could give Crescent Rose a high-powered laser didn't mean she actually knew how to build one that wouldn't blow up in her hands, "Speaking of, what was that sword?"
"Huh? Oh!" He beamed proudly and picked it up again. The pure-white longsword seemed to gleam in response to being held, "I was testing out this new metal ingot I made. Meteor ore with a dash of silverite. Not sure how well it'll do yet, but I'm hoping it'll at least match the diamond sword."
"...Excuse me, the what?" Weiss said, barely managing to keep a straight face.
"Diamond sword. Should be around here somewhere..." He turned and rummaged through a nearby chest like he was looking for a spare bit of lien. It only took him a few seconds to pull out a sword covered in a fine blue scabbard, "Here it is."
He handed it to Weiss as if she'd asked for it. Her partner looked down at the sword and reluctantly took it before slowly pulling it out of its sheath. Her eyes practically bugged out as the crystal blue blade was exposed to the open air. Again, Ruby could already tell she was calculating just how expensive this one sword was.
Jaune saw the look on her face and smiled, "Do you want it?"
"Wh-What?!" Weiss sputtered, looking completely caught out.
"Do you want it? You seem to really like it!"
"N-No! I mean, yes, I do think the craftsmanship is superb, but I can't just accept this! This is too much!"
"Is it? I have a few more. I don't mind giving this one to you." The casual declaration made Weiss' breath seize. Ruby knew that Weiss was rich - she wasn't exactly shy about it - but all that money came with caveats. Her allowance came from her dad and continuing to receive one meant having to keep him happy. If she sold that sword, she could easily afford any expenses she had at Beacon for the next four years and beyond.
The internal struggle was plain for all to see. Weiss' pride and sense of decorum were fighting against the mountain of lien she held in her hands.
"What? No present for us?" Yang asked with a joking smile.
"Yang!" Ruby scolded.
"Huh? Oh, I'm being rude." He laughed lightly and picked up another box from a nearby table, "I don't really know what you three will like, but I have some spare materials. Here, see if anything interests you!"
He opened the box and offered it to them. Ruby, Blake, and Yang looked inside and Ruby was almost floored at the messy pile of gold, gemstones, and other high-quality items. A fist-sized ruby, some gold bars, a handful of pearls...it was like something of a pirate's buried treasure. Yang's mouth parted open, but there was no quip or joke to be had. Blake looked similarly stunned and looked into Jaune's eyes, trying to see if there was some kind of implication with the gesture.
Nothing. He just continued to smile and hold up the box.
"I...I can't..." Ruby mumbled. She was so tempted, but-
"Well, I'll take this then." She grabbed the ruby.
"Wha- Yang?!"
"Hey, he's offering!" Yang shot back.
"Thank you." Blake took a single gold bar.
"You too, Blake?! Come on, we're not here to..." Her voice trailed off as she saw something far more valuable than jewelry. Buried under the shiny rocks was a single dimeritium ingot. Whatever lecture she had died in her throat. Dimeritium was a rare and expensive material. Even if she saved up her allowance for a year straight, she wouldn't have been able to afford even a single one. So many upgrades she could do with Crescent Rose if she had even one ingot...
Jaune noticed where she was looking and smiled. Without any hesitation, he rifled through the box with his other hand and brought out three ingots that he handed to her.
"W-Wait, I can't accept-"
"It's fine." Jaune nodded and pressed it to her trembling hands, "Most people don't go for ingots. I'm guessing you want to build something, right?"
"Y-Yeah..." She blushed in embarrassment. The ingots felt heavy in her hands.
"Wanna try building it here? If you don't mind, I mean."
"C-Can I?" Oh gods, she was so lightheaded. He'd just given her some of the rarest materials on Remnant and now he was offering to let her use his workshop. She thought that people that like him didn't exist out of fairytales...
"Sure! It'll be nice to see someone else's work!"
"Uh...we'll give you two some room," Yang said. Ruby could barely hear her. Not when she'd found her soulmate.
Jaune Arc...
The name ran through Weiss' head as she walked aimlessly around the miniature kingdom. Her right hand limply held a sword easily worth millions. The thought of it made her head swim. As the heiress to the SDC, Weiss was used to luxury and expense. Birthday parties and celebrations were lavish events, each easily costing hundreds of thousands of lien. Father didn't care about his family, but he couldn't deny the temptation of throwing his money around and lording it above everyone else.
And yet she'd never witnessed such generosity. Or was it a pure lack of regard? Jaune had given her this sword with as much care as one would give out an old shirt. This wasn't like Father's audacious shows of wealth. He legitimately did not care to part with something so valuable. And why would he, she thought. If money was what he was after, he could easily make a fortune off of his creations and 'materials' and live the easy life of a king.
But he didn't. Instead, he built...all of this. She looked around at the happy people, the general feeling of contentment, and her grip on the sword tightened. It was everything her father could've done but didn't. No, instead he chose to abuse his employees and throw away any sense of honor and morality for the sake of his greed. He and those sycophants who followed him. Thinking of it made her gut churn with disgust at the selfishness of it all.
Despite her feelings, Weiss was already making plans. Father was a bastard, but he didn't raise a fool. Jaune was clearly skilled. Prodigiously so. Whatever his Semblance was, it allowed him to do miraculous things. She also knew that the headmaster wouldn't have sent them here simply to report that Jaune Arc did, in fact, exist. No. It was more than that. The headmaster wanted him, that she was sure of. A man of his skills (and physique...) would be valuable to anyone.
She could see it already. The people in the countryside were aware, but once Jaune's abilities were known throughout the kingdoms? They would each demand his skills, arguing over one another that they deserved his assistance over everyone else...including her. She chewed on her lower lip. Perhaps the headmaster didn't intend it, but he'd given her a headstart.
She wanted...needed Jaune's skills. Her position as the heiress was tenuous. Fighting for the chance to attend Beacon had soured her heavily in her father's eyes, and she was sure that Whitley was making his own little schemes to try and further discredit her. If she truly wanted to redeem the Schnee name, then waiting for her father to retire might not be enough. How many years would he take before he settled down? How much damage could he do in the meantime?
But with Jaune's help, she could...expedite the process. His engineering skills were miraculous. Surely, he could find some way to refine Dust or make the gathering process easier and safer. And if not, then less direct aid could suffice. Those potions of his could enhance the strength and vigor of any employee, and those tools she saw around the workshop would make it far easier for the miners to extract dust. If she could sell the idea that she could improve the SDC without needing to be devoid of morality, she could oust her father.
The diamond sword in her hands made her think of an even more audacious idea. Start her own company, damn the bloated mass of corruption her father created. She knew it was impractical, but it was a tempting idea regardless.
Now how could she...
"Weiss." She turned and blinked at the sight of Blake. Things between the two of them had been...tense ever since Blake had outed herself as former White Fang. While the two of them had publicly made peace for Ruby and Yang's sake, years of conflict couldn't just be swept away with one apology. They understood where the other came from, but it couldn't erase the fact that Weiss was the daughter of the man who'd borderline-enslaved Faunus and Blake was part of a group that had specifically targeted her family and killed people she knew growing up.
They weren't enemies, but they weren't exactly friends. Not yet, at least.
"Blake." Weiss nodded back. It was rare for Blake to seek her out and initiate conversation.
"I'll be blunt. What plans do you have for Jaune?"
Weiss raised a brow, "What makes you think I have any?" she asked back.
"Because I'm not stupid." Blake scoffed, "I could see the gears turning in your head when we left."
"Fine. You got me." Weiss crossed her arms, "I'm thinking of asking for his help in ousting my father." At Blake's silence, Weiss continued, "We might not agree on a lot of things, but we're both of the same mind that the SDC under my father is a bloated, corrupt beast. With Jaune's help, I'm sure that I could find a way to remove my father from his position." It would perhaps mean stopping her education at Beacon to take her place as CEO, though she could possibly find someone to serve the role in the interim while she finished her education. Regardless, she couldn't let this chance slip away.
"I see..."
"Do you disapprove? I'd have thought you would want Jacques Schnee removed from his position."
"That's not the issue here." She sighed and gestured to their surroundings, "Look around you, Weiss. See what Jaune did in just six months. Do you know who really needs that help? Menagerie." Weiss pursed her lips and resisted the urge to interrupt. Blake had given her the same courtesy, after all, "Two-thirds of Menagerie is uninhabitable due to the environment and Grimm, but with Jaune's help, that can all change. The Faunus can turn their home into something more than a glorified prison the kingdoms gave us as a 'prize'. Proper docks, defenses, and a town that won't be destroyed by one errant arsonist. The Faunus could have the kingdom they deserve."
"Sounds ambitious, but how long do you think this would take? Even with Jaune's skills, turning a village into a flourishing town is a far cry from turning something into a kingdom proper. You're talking about adapting to a hostile environment and having to deal with the Grimm. That would take months, if not years, even with Jaune's help. Whereas my plan would be far faster and lead to obvious benefits. No more employees - Faunus - dying in the mines due to greed and no safety checks. People can finally feel safe."
"And how long should my people have to wait while the rich get richer?" Weiss scowled at the insult, "It'll take longer, sure, but the Faunus deserve a chance to have a true home. You're already slated to become the heiress. You don't need Jaune's help. We do."
"I'm sure it appears that way from an outside perspective, but that's not the whole truth." Weiss sighed, "I need Jaune's help, Blake."
"So do I."
"Then I guess we're at an impasse." Weiss frowned.
"I guess so. Good thing I'm gonna win."
The two of them stared at one another for a moment before Blake turned on her heel and left without a word. Weiss did the same, face marred with a deep frown despite her best efforts to the contrary. It wasn't as if she didn't understand Blake's point of view, but her plan was sensible. Turning Menagerie into a proper kingdom would be a far more difficult task than Jaune assisting her in ensuring her transition as the CEO. She would have to convince the board that Jaune was loyal to her, of course, or else those snakes would try to cut her out. She could simply...
Weiss stopped. How...could she convince Jaune to help her? Her first thought was money and connections - the usual bait for those seeking alliances - but that wouldn't work. Jaune could create things that would earn him more than enough lien if he so wished. As for connections...would her role as the heiress even matter here? What could she offer a man who could build seemingly anything? Was that why Blake was so confident that she'd seize victory?
She shook her head. No, now was not the time for doubts. She might not have been able to use her usual methods, but that didn't mean Blake had a leg up either. She would be the one to secure Jaune's loyalty and accomplish her plans. She just knew it.
Uh-oh, war's brewing already. Weiss and Blake have met Jaune for like five minutes and they've already made plans on how they can use his Semblance without even asking Jaune first what he wants to do. Ain't life grand?
Wanna help support me (and gain access to chapters a week or two early)? Then check out the link below:
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Questions:
1. So between Blake and Weiss, who do you think deserves Jaune's help more? Ignoring the whole 'them not asking Jaune at all about his opinion' thing. Blake's plan is ambitious but is definitely a time-sink even with Minecraft powers. Weiss has a higher likelihood of success but it's not as widespread or significant as giving the Faunus an equal place on Remnant.
2. How do you guys want Weiss and Blake to try to appeal to Jaune? Especially Blake. I'm kind of torn on Blake trying to go for (poorly attempted) seduction or her trying to go full guilt trip like 'So I noticed you haven't helped any Faunus villages. Not saying you're racist, BUT...' to try and convince Jaune to help out of Human Guilt. Likewise, Weiss can't default to the 'I can pay you' option since Jaune just casually gives out diamonds to people he's just met.
Chapter 2 - Staking Their Claim
eratas123
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Second chapter of Minecraft Jaune. Wow...this really blew up. Over 100 reviews and over 500-600 follows and favorites on fanfiction. I was pleasantly surprised with the detailed reviews people had when I asked if they sided with Weiss or Blake more. And people who wanted Ruby to just steal Jaune and screw them both over.
Speaking of, as dictated by the commissioner, the story will be a harem with team RWBY and possibly Pyrrha down the line with Jaune. For those interested in the faction warfare and societal stuff, don't worry, it's definitely still a major part of the plot going forward.
With that in mind, I'm thinking of some factions who'll try to use Jaune for themselves. Gimme suggestions you guys have for changes/new groups:
Blake and Weiss - Already shown in this chapter.
Ozpin - Wants his help against Salem. Tries to appeal for the morality of helping stop Salem.
Ironwood - Wants him to make potions and equipment for his soldiers, plus airships and other tech. Not sure how Ironwood tries to sell equipping a foreign army.
Cinder - Wants his power for the sake of just having his power. Power lust and greed. Tries seduction.
Adam - Wants to either kill Jaune to spite the humans or enslave him to be a craftsman for the White Fang. Tries murder.
Happy Huntresses - Want him to improve Mantle as a small scale version of Blake's plans. Try to appeal to his sense of goodness. Sends Fiona to try and seduce him otherwise cause sheep girl.
On a side note, Gacha RWBY (RWBY characters get addicted to gacha games) Chapter 1 is out for supporters. Chapter 2 will be out soon as well.
Chapter 2: Staking their claim
Yang stretched her arms and walked down one of the castle's halls. Ruby was upgrading her weapon with the stud while Blake and Weiss went back down into town, leaving her all alone. Lame. Didn't they know a good Yang needed constant TLC? They were gonna pay for ditching her later.
Sure, she could go down to town too, but she wanted to check out the castle. She wasn't a craftsman (craftswoman?) like Ruby or snooty about history like Weiss, but she was still from Saunus. A proud independent Patch woman. Architecture was in their blood the same way snobbiness was in an Atlesian's. Their cathedrals were the best in all of Remnant, no matter how much Atlas and Mistral tried to sneer down at them as country bumpkins.
She walked down the hall and looked around. This place was huge. Not as big as Beacon, obviously, but still fucking enormous. She was betting that even Weiss Cream's mansion had nothing on this place. She eyed the gleaming silver suits of armor and the paintings on the walls. This place looked like it was ripped straight out of a Bunkers and Beowolves game. Then again, why was she surprised? Jaune just gave Weiss a diamond sword like it was no big deal.
The weight of the fist-sized Ruby in her jacket pocket reminded her that Weiss wasn't the only one who'd gotten a gift. She'd asked for a present mostly as a joke, she didn't expect him to actually give her one! Cause seriously, who just did that?
'The same kind of person who builds a castle for shits and giggles,' her brain snarked back. She kinda wanted to give it back, but that felt even more awkward! Ugh, she shoulda just kept her big mouth shut. But then again, another voice whispered, how much stuff could she get if she pawned the thing off? Bumblebee needed some upgrades and nightclubs would've been a hell of a lot more fun if she didn't have to worry about burning a hole in her pocket...
Shaking her head, Yang kept up her solo tour of the place. Jaune said they had free reign of the place while they were visiting. How did he not worry about someone stealing something? Or maybe he just didn't care. This was the same guy who gave out diamonds to people he just met.
She traced a hand across the wall. Not even a bit of dust. The place felt like it was preserved in time. Yang peeked inside one of the rooms. A queen-sized bed with a canopy, a window with a good view of the countryside, and the same fancy decorations the rest of the place had. Yang looked up at the crystal chandelier and...was that a painting of the stars on the ceiling? Brothers, this made their dormroom back at Beacon look like the poorhouse. She could tell it was a spare room too - it didn't look lived-in at all - and it made her wonder just how much more intricate the actual family bedrooms were.
Yang looked around for a moment and, after making sure there was no one around, she jumped and belly-flopped onto the bed.
Oh. My. Brothers.
Ever heard the expression 'like sleeping on a cloud'? Well, forget that noise. This was like she was sleeping on...she didn't even know how to describe it. It felt like every inch of her body was being massaged by the mattress and the pillow covering her face was so damn comfy that she wouldn't have struggled even if someone tried to smother her with it. Her thoughts drifted back to her bed at Beacon and she shuddered. Going back to that after just a brief taste of this...maybe she could exchange the ruby for one of these beds?
Her utter bliss was interrupted by the sound of laughter. Yang (hesitantly) pulled her head out of the pillow paradise and furrowed her brows. That didn't sound like anyone from her team - she'd know. Maybe Jaune's family came back? If they did, it'd be a pretty bad look for them to catch her napping on one of their beds. She forced herself out of her new best friend and made her way back to the hallway. Be rude of her not to introduce herself and explain why they were here.
The sounds of laughter led her to a slightly ajar door. Yang debated between knocking or just calling out to them when the door opened just a bit more and she was hit with the smell of booze and smoke, "So I bite the old boy in the ass!" A roar of laughter came in response. The accent was hard to place. It sounded South Valean, a real 'wrong side of the tracks' kind of voice, but there was something off about it that she couldn't really explain.
Curiosity got the better of her and she peeked inside the ajar door.
Only to quickly wish she didn't.
Dogs. Half a dozen of them. Now, Yang liked dogs. They were her favorite animal (sorry, Blake) and Zwei was the best doggo in the world. That didn't mean she wasn't gonna react at the sight of six dogs sitting around a table playing cards. No, she wasn't imagining it. Six guard dogs - three Atlesian Shepherds, two Pugs, and one Rotweiller - were sat upright around a table playing cards. The table was filled with cards, glasses of booze, and...were those cigars?! How in the heck did dogs get those?!
"I'm getting too fat," the rottweiler complained, "There haven't been any intruders to chase in months!"
"No one wants to mess with Master Jaune." One of the pugs picked up (HOW?!) a glass of whiskey and chugged it down before lighting up a new cigar, "It's more annoying that we can't do anything about those cats down in town. Smug pussies think they're so much better than us. Bet they won't be so smug once I get my paws on 'em!"
"Hey now, the Master's friend is okay," the other pug said.
"Rrrgh, fine, but all those other cats!" The pug growled.
"Fuck cats. Let's talk about something better," One of the Atlesian Shepherds, "New people in town. And you know what that means." His mouth curled in a wolfish(heh) grin, "New bitches!"
The whole table was a mess of excited howls and barks. It didn't take a lot to figure out what kind of 'bitches' they were talking about, "Oh yeah, I saw 'em." Another Shepherd licked his lips, "Big golden retriever. I could tell just by looking at her. She's a workin' bitch." The other dogs howled in response, "I got a good look at her. She wasn't no mongrel or crossbreed. Nice smell too. Her owner named her Rosemary."
"A fine name for a fine bitch," one of the pugs nodded in approval. It was fucking freaky looking.
"I sniffed her butt earlier." The Shepherd somehow managed to make that sound dignified, "She sniffed mine too. We're going to meet up later, maybe howl at the big night light."
"Some dogs get all the bitches." The Rottweiler sniffed and drank his glass of gin, "I'll spend some time with the Master later. The family's worried about him. Whenever he gets into one of his moods he always forgets to eat or sleep."
"Master is very kind. He gives us good scratches and food that makes us smart. Master deserves better. His packmates should pat his head more." One of the Shepherds nodded sagely, "Lotta bitches in the village want him to sniff their butts but he never does. So sad."
"They should sniff his butt instead," the rottweiler howled sadly.
"Maybe the new visitors will do it." Wait, were they talking about team RWBY? "Four new bitches. I would've bit their butts if Master didn't say we should let visitors inside."
"I saw them," one of the pugs said, "The one in black and red smells like chocolate. Don't bite her. You'll probably die." Yang almost laughed at that. Despite her looks, Ruby more than ate her weight in chocolate and cookies. Yang had no idea how she was so thin, "The one in white hurts my nose. So full of that thing humans spray themselves with."
"The yellow one smells good. Like fried meat and burning wood." Yang's brows furrowed. Was she supposed to be flattered or offended? She resisted the urge to raise her arm and sniff, "But the other one..." He growled. It was a sound full of hate, "She smells like those damn cats. If she gets near the master, I'm biting her butt. Master deserves better than a cat that stinks like those smug pussycats. She should stay away." He growled again.
The dogs continued to chat and play cards. Any thoughts of going inside were immediately squashed by the part of her brain that still wanted the world to make sense. She grabbed the edge of the door to close it and give the doggos some privacy when it suddenly creaked.
The noise drew their attention. All six heads snapped to where Yang stood and the blonde found herself frozen as a dozen eyes bore into her. It was stupid - she could fight fucking Ursas, dogs were hardly a threat - but she found herself rooted to the spot anyway.
The human and the half-a-dozen dogs stared at one another for almost a full minute before the rottweiler spoke up, "Ya mind? We're having a private game here."
"R-Right, sorry." She closed the door, muffling the words and growls that came from the other side. Talking dogs. Talking dogs that drank, played poker, and talked about how much they liked butts and bitches. She'd literally seen just that.
...
Nope, nope, nope. Yang shook her head. She didn't see that at all. This was a dream and she was totally still asleep back at that amazing bed she'd flopped into earlier. Speaking of, she should get back to it. Maybe if she went back to sleep she'd wake up from this weirdass dream.
Yang turned around to do just that only to see Zwei walking down the hall with a cigar in his mouth and a little fedora draped over his head. He and Yang stopped to just look at one another. This time the stareoff lasted for just a few seconds before he slipped past her, went inside the room, and shut the door behind him...somehow. The dogs inside cheered at his arrival and yelled about how 'now it was a party' while Zwei barked back. He wasn't talking, but the others seemed to understand him just fine.
...
Okay, that was another thing she didn't see. Time to-
"Oh, hello!" A pair of eyes appeared in front of her. She didn't get the chance to scream and bat them away before the eyes turned into a multi-colored purple and cyan...thing shaped like a cat standing on a nearby cabinet, "A visitor? My oh my, Jaune is rather popular these days." It laughed, "Would you be interested in chatting for a while? Oh, I do so love talking to the new arrivals! They always have such fascinating stories, and so many are eager to talk!"
"Bwuh?" Yang said.
"Oh, where are my manners?" It licked its paw, "My name is...well, I am the Curious Cat, though everyone calls me Curious for short. It's both my name and describes me perfectly well." It jumped down from the cabinet and rubbed up against her legs, "Would you be willing to talk? You look like someone with a good story!"
...
Yang didn't say anything. She walked past the cat, ignored the sounds of howling dogs, and belly-flopped back onto the most amazing mattress on Remnant.
Weiss walked around the town aimlessly. She'd been in a foul mood after her brief argument with Blake and she hoped that taking in the sights would improve that. She looked around the buildings and hummed. From what she was told, Jaune built almost every single building in this burgeoning kingdom all on his own. The villagers tried to help where they could, of course, but his Semblance made it so that it was far quicker and more practical to simply do everything on his own.
She didn't know how to feel about that. While she was already planning to ensure Jaune's help for her plans, she also wasn't one on being completely dependent on others. She knew that she'd need Jaune's help to oust her father. After that, however, she hoped that she could stand on her own two feet. Jaune would give her the leg up she needed, certainly, but once she was established she would lead the SDC to a far more righteous path than her father ever did with her own power.
It was one reason she disagreed with Blake's plans. She hoped that Jaune could uplift Menagerie - and by extension, the Faunus - by turning the island into their own kingdom. It sounded good in theory, but would the Faunus truly be satisfied knowing that their elevated position came from the efforts of a single Human?
And how long would others have to wait for Jaune's help? While she understood that her own plans were a time investment, it was far less so compared to turning an entire island into a kingdom. And what about the White Fang? For someone who'd been so obsessed with them the past few weeks, she certainly seemed to ignore the fact that they would be less than amenable to a Human providing such crucial aid to their cause for equality.'
But what did she have to worry about? While she couldn't entice Jaune with money, she was sure that she could find some way to convince him to join her cause. Perhaps by leveraging possible connections to the newly reformed SDC? Money was immaterial to him, but she could offer other things. More than Blake, that was for certain. She was sure that he could find the value of forging connections with one of the most powerful organizations in Remnant, especially one led by a CEO with a debt of personal gratitude to him.
Her musings were cut off by a sudden voice.
"GREETINGS, CITIZEN!" She jumped up at the booming voice. Ignoring her instincts to draw Myrtenaster, she turned to the source of the sound and blinked at the sight of a nine-foot-tall stone golem. She'd seen Atlesian robots before - the SDC was working in tandem with the army to create the new Paladins - and yet she still found herself gaping at the sight of the stone sentry. Rather than sleek metal and wiring, the golem looked like a roughly carved statue with nothing powering it or enabling it to move.
And yet move it did.
"I'm not a-"
"FAREWELL, CITIZEN!" It saluted her and went on its merry way. Patrolling, perhaps? Weiss eyed its retreating form and looked it up and down, searching for any sign of what might've been powering it. Nothing. It looked like a carved statue and yet it moved like a robot powered by Dust. Yet another impossibility in the world Jaune Arc inhabited.
"Excuse me," she called out to a passing farmhand.
"Yes, ma'am?" he asked with a pleasant country drawl.
"Do you know how those golems are powered?" She gestured to the golem that was saluting another person as it walked through the gate leading outside.
"Don't rightly know." He hummed, "Never really thought about it much. I saw Jaune build one of 'em fellers once. Just puts 'em together out of some pieces of rock and then they start moving. He puts them outside usually so they can smack around any Grimm that gets past everything else. It must've been helping someone else." He rubbed his patchy chin, "Never seen 'em stop patrolling or need to get fixed, though. Those big boys walk all day and night."
"I see. Thank you." Weiss nodded and walked away, deep in thought. While she couldn't discount the possibility that they were powered by Dust, there was an equally likely chance that they were powered by something else entirely...or that they required no power source at all. The thought made her both excited and nervous. Her father secured his domination because of the fact that everything needed Dust to function. Some outside settlements used alternative power sources such as windmills, but they couldn't truly match Dust. Dust was power. It was energy, fuel, bullets...
Could Jaune change all that?
Weiss shook her head. Focus, she told herself. She could worry about that later. Right now she had to focus on her plans.
She wandered around the kingdom without a destination in mind. Truthfully, she was more focused on the people. Perhaps it was cynical of her, but she found herself looking for signs of discontent. Weiss had been raised on propaganda and doublethink. The employees were satisfied with their lot in life. Those who complained weren't justified, they were simply greedy and lazy. The Faunus weren't discriminated against, they were entitled and thought they deserved more than they were oh-so-generously given.
And so on and so forth. She'd heard the myriad of propaganda and justifications for over a decade now. It led to a rather pessimistic viewpoint she'd done her best to rein in ever since she arrived in Beacon. The world was far more complex than her father's propaganda machine liked to portray it as.
Case in point, Jaune's kingdom.
Weiss was adept at seeing under the masks people put up. It was a necessity when men and women thrice her age attempted to exploit her for their own benefit. Father was hardly a loving parent and he took her ability to see through deception (or not...) as a measure of whether she was worthy to be his heir.
Which was why she found it both amazing and relieving that she hadn't seen a single person putting on a mask. All around her, the villagers worked with a gusto that she'd never seen in anyone who worked under her father's management. Many of them had smiles on their faces and they worked in tandem with an easy cooperation that seemed more like they'd done it for years rather than mere months. Those taking breaks eagerly chatted with one another and they all did their best to ensure that the workload was easily shared.
What drew her attention the most, however, was the spirit of cooperation. Under her Father's rule, the SDC had fostered a culture of paranoia and mistrust. Employees were encouraged to stab each other in the back and used anything they could to gain a sense of superiority. Older employees lorded over younger ones out of perceived superiority and many sucked up to those they perceived as their betters. The Faunus received the worst of it. Even those at their lowest considered themselves better than them for no other than because Atlesian society deemed the Faunus lesser.
Weiss wanted to say that she was better than that, but she too had been blinded by prejudice up until recently. While she wouldn't apologize for her feelings on the White Fang - they hated her and she saw no reason to give them any leeway - not every Faunus was responsible for their crimes.
Her eyes were once again drawn to the farmers and laborers. Young and old, Humans and Faunus. It didn't matter. They all worked together as equals. A young Faunus man and a middle-aged Human man laughed and chatted like old friends as they worked the fields. Something like that would've never happened in one of the mines. Or if it did, it was an extreme rarity. Yet here it was treated as nothing special by everyone around them. An Arcadia where people stood as one.
This was what the SDC could've been. The SDC her grandfather built. A company built on the spirit of cooperation and fair treatment of its employees before her Father had corrupted it. This was what she could turn the SDC back into. A company that cared for others and made proud the lineage of the Schnee name. All of this - the spirit of cooperation and equality - could be spread across all of Remnant.
All she needed to do was ensure she received Jaune's help...
The sounds of whirring drew her attention elsewhere. Weiss watched, utterly gobsmacked, as the farmers left the freshly harvested field only for a machine to suddenly roll over the empty dirt. It looked like an oversized tractor or combined harvester, except instead of shearing away the fields, it spread seeds and water with extreme precision. That in and of itself wouldn't have been too odd. After all, she'd seen similar machines back at Atlas.
No, what really made her gape like a fish out of water was the sight of the plants growing right before her very eyes. Weiss rubbed her eyes to make sure she was seeing correctly. Yes, the crops were growing from fresh seedlings to assorted fruits and vegetables in a matter of minutes. And as soon as the crops finished growing, the farmers quickly set to harvesting them with practiced ease. Was that why they never had any problems feeding their rising population?
She stared at the machine which continued to plant more seeds and water. Could Jaune perhaps do the same with other resources? Perhaps Dust?
The possibilities made her feel lightheaded. Weiss took one last look at the efficient farmers before slowly walking back to the castle. She had to ponder some things...
At the other side of the settlement, Blake made her way through what could be considered the 'downtown' part of the city. While a decent part of the city was devoted to needed things such as agriculture and production, the other parts were more focused on what you might expect from a kingdom.
Settlements outside the walls were practical beasts by nature. Unlike the kingdoms, the threat of being attacked by Grimm or bandits meant that pragmatism won out over leisure. Villages and towns focused on ensuring production and protection. Militias and walls were crucial and the most common source of entertainment were bars. It was the easiest way to release the tension held by the villagers and helped foster a sense of camaraderie. Alcohol was a cheap repellent against negativity.
She remembered being so surprised when she first got into Vale. Movie theaters, nightclubs, bookstores, spas...any sort of Want was there for those who could afford it. While outside settlements did have those occasionally, it was unheard of for them to be present in such excess. Things like horror movies were considered contraband. Inside the kingdoms, they were amusements. Outside of them, however, the fear and dread they elicited could draw Grimm to the settlement.
Jaune's rising kingdom matched the likes of Vale in that regard. She couldn't walk down the street without spotting some form of entertainment. A movie theater showing horror films, a sports center, and an arena where people cheered in drunken revelry as people fought. There were shops too, which sold anything one could think of from armor and weapons to airships(!). Atlas would've had a heart attack at the sight of the ships being sold.
Blake's stomach grumbled and she made her way to a cafe. The waiter cheerily took her older of a fried fish meal and tea, The smell that wafted from the inside made her mouth water. She'd gotten used to subsisting on rations and foraging for her food in the past five years she spent with the White Fang. While Beacon was far better than what she was normally used to, the food tasted oddly bland considering the grade of ingredients they were working with.
Her eyes drifted over to the other cafe patrons and she lingered at the sight of a young couple. A female Cat Faunus and a male Human. They were clearly together judging by the way they held hands and laughed, leaning against one another without shame. The sight of it made her smile. Back in Vale, couples like them would have to hide their relationships. Oh, Vale claimed to be equal, but she knew from experience that a Human-Faunus couple would be considered 'eccentric' at best or freaks at worst.
And Vale was one of the nicer places to their kind...
Her cynical musings were cut off when the waiter returned with her food, which she quickly paid for. Blake sniffed the fish fillet appreciatively and, after a second to brace herself, bit into the crispy food.
Blake did not moan. She merely hummed in appreciation at the taste of the fried fish. And no, it did not not remind her of her mom's home-cooked meals. Don't be silly. Blake finished off the whole thing and even licked up the flakes. Just to not be rude, of course.
This was what Menagerie could be like, she thought as she left the cafe. A place where Humans and Faunus could live side-by-side without judgment. A home that was more than crammed together wooden huts. They could have a true sanctuary. A kingdom all on their own.
And Weiss would take that from them so she could take over a company she was already set to inherit. Blake wasn't petty enough that she couldn't see her teammate's good intentions, but compared to the salvation of the Faunus, Weiss' plan seemed so insignificant in comparison.
Blake stopped when she passed by a bookstore. While she would've been interested in checking it out regardless, the sign up front made her breath seize in excitement, "Auctioning a limited edition copy of Kunoichi Kitty: The Untold Chronicles." Her mouth went dry after she read it. Kunoichi Kitty was her favorite...tasteful literature, beating out even the Ninjas of Love. The plot, the setting, the characters...the PLOT. It was all so enthralling and she eagerly devoured every single book she could get.
Sadly, the author was a famous recluse and finding copies was hard. The Untold Chronicles was so rare that she heard that there were only 100 copies in all of Remnant. Finding one here was a miracle. She opened her wallet and gulped. 3000 lien, all the money she'd saved up over the past three years. What? It wasn't like being a terrorist for five years led to a lot of money-making opportunities. People signed up for the cause, not the salary and health benefits. They couldn't all get allowances from their rich parents.
Blake stepped inside and winced at the crowd of people - easily two dozen - already sitting down. She could tell by the looks on their faces that they were all true connoisseurs like her. She'd have enjoyed discussing the plot (and the PLOT) with them at any other time, but right now, they were her enemies. They all wanted the same thing here.
The store owner - an old man who looked to be in his eighth decade of life - spoke into the microphone with a nasally voice, "Thank you for showing up, everyone. I see we've got some new visitors too." His eyes scanned the crowd, "Well, there's no sense in dragging it out. We all know what we're here for."
He took out a briefcase from a nearby table and opened it slowly. Blake's breath hitched at the sight of the holy relic he so carelessly put on the podium, "Ninjas of Love: The Untold Chronicles." He coughed. If he got his spit in it she would kill him! "A collector's item. I've heard it's valuable, so let's start the bidding at 5000 lien."
...
What?
5000? She looked down at her wallet and found, much to her dismay, that she hadn't gotten 2000 extra lien since she last checked. M-Maybe he'd misspoken? He must have. He looked like he had one foot in the grave. He probably meant 500 or-
The middle-aged woman to her left raised her hand. Blake's turned to her in disbelief, "5000. Do we have 6000?" A young man two seats in front of her raised his hand, "6000. Do we have 7000?"
Up and up the number went. 10,000, 20,000, 40,000...Blake found herself frozen and helpless, unable to raise her hand even once as the bidding war escalated. This...This couldn't be happening. She'd finally found something that could give her true joy after so many years of struggle and now it was being taken from her. Didn't she deserve this? Deserve a reward for fighting for half a decade? Why was fate being so cruel?
And then a light, a memory of what could be her salvation. Blake groped desperately for her pouch and pulled out the gold bar Jaune had gifted her. She'd almost forgotten about it with her (selfless) plan to save Menagerie. She held it with both hands like a mother cradling her child and looked up just as the owner said, "70,0000. Going once, going twice-"
"80,000!" Blake said in a rush, raising her hand and the gold bar. All attention was drawn to her sudden entry. Many were surprised, and yet just as many looked at her with respect. Blake ignored them all and focused solely on the book.
"80,000. Going once, going twice...sold to the new arrival."
The crowd clapped politely while Blake nervously went in front. She took a deep breath to steady herself and walked up to the makeshift podium. The gold bar felt heavy in her hand and she handed it numbly to the old man, "Here..." Blake didn't even look at him or the crowd shuffling out of the store. All she cared about was the book. Her heart beat so loudly that it was all she could hear and she reached a tentative hand out to the holy scripture.
"Hold on a second," the nasally voice cut in. He slammed the gold bar on the table and gave her an unamused look, "What's the idea? This is only worth 75,000 lien."
"What? How could you tell?" Blake asked, disbelief cutting through her excitement.
"You ain't the first person who's tried to buy with gold and jewelry, little miss. Now, are we going to have a problem here or-"
"N-No! No problem!" Blake opened her wallet and pulled out the lien cards, "I-I have 3000 here. I know it's not enough, but I can get more!" How, her mind asked. Was she shameless enough to ask Jaune for another handout? It was one thing to ask him for help with the Faunus, but for something so selfish?
"Hm..." The old man took the lien cards from her and rubbed his chin, "There's a loan office a couple of streets down. You can get something there. They got reasonable rates. Or you can find some other way to get the 2000 lien. I'm gonna need it by the end of the day."
Blake bit her lower lip. A loan office...even thinking about it made her shudder. You could run from the Huntsmen and the Atlesian army, but debt collectors? They would hound you to the very ends of Remnant. Not even Adam would risk defaulting on a loan. Say what you will about her ex, but he had an amazing credit score.
Ultimately, she decided to bite the bullet and take a loan. The interest rate was 3 percent every month. It wouldn't take her much to pay it off if she did a couple of missions, but she'd have to convince the teachers to let her do some cleanup work. Or maybe she could beg Yang for a loan to pay off this one once Yang sold off the Ruby. Yang was a lot of things, but she wasn't a loan shark. Blake would still have to pay her back, but there wouldn't be any interest.
She went back and got the book. Once her fingers touched the smooth leather cover, she felt as if it was all worth it. Blake smiled brightly and returned to the castle with a skip in her step.
Weiss ran into Blake at the castle's entrance. Their previous argument was still fresh in her mind and she halfway expected her teammate to snap at her.
Instead, she had a dopey smile on her face - and dopey was the last word Weiss ever thought she'd use to describe Blake Belladonna - and pressed a book against her chest as if her life depended on it, "...What are you so happy about?" Weiss asked with a raised brow.
"Nothing." Her face flushed and she held the book tighter.
"Right..." Weiss crossed her arms. Something told her that way lay madness, "Well...I've been walking around trying to get a lay of the land. Would it be too much to assume that you changed your mind in the meantime?"
Blake's smile immediately disappeared and she looked at Weiss with a narrow glare, "No."
"Of course not." Weiss sighed, "Jaune helping me is for the greater good, you know."
"For who? For the people who already have more than enough?"
"For everyone." Weiss grit her teeth. The words came out far more strained than she would've liked, "I saw things down there. People working together equally with one another. It didn't matter their age or race, they cooperated with smiles on their faces. Imagine how much Remnant could be improved if the SDC was run like that. No more mining accidents because the company decided safety checks were too expensive. No more employees being mistreated and forced to work for pennies so some corrupt bastard can afford another mansion he'll never actually use."
"I thought you'd want the same thing, Blake!" Weiss threw her hands up, "Haven't the White Fang been attacking the SDC - my family - because they wanted equal treatment." Blake winced slightly at the reminder of how often Weiss had been at the other end of her former group's wrath, "Under my leadership, Faunus will finally be treated equally and Dust will be made far more available to all of Remnant. Villages outside the settlements won't have to pay through the nose just to afford Fire Dust that will let them survive the winter."
"It sounds like a pleasant dream, Weiss, but you're wrong about one thing." Blake's gaze was firm, "Your plan won't make us equal. We'll be treated better at the SDC, sure, but what about outside of it? How do better wages and more affordable Dust help the Faunus? We'd still be seen as nothing more than filthy animals without even a kingdom to go back to. Jaune can give us that. He can turn Menagerie into a true sanctuary for the Faunus so they aren't forced to survive in cities that treat them as second-class citizens."
"The Faunus will have the power to stand with their head held high. The other kingdoms can't ignore us if we've got a kingdom of our own. We don't have to hide and bow our heads because some racist asshole decided attacking us is the only way he can get some meaning out of his worthless life. We can have a chance at true equality, something we've been denied for as long as we've existed. How could I not fight for that chance?"
"And what about the White Fang?" Weiss raised her head, "For someone who has been positively obsessed with them for the past few weeks, you're quick to ignore the risk they pose. Do you believe that they would allow the Faunus to achieve equality if it comes at the hands of a Human?"
"That's..." Blake grit her teeth, "Not all of the White Fang hate Humans. Many of us just want equality."
"And just as many would abhor the idea of being reliant on a Human for anything. They'll sabotage any plan you make with Jaune." Weiss scoffed, "And even if they did accept his help, do you think the other Kingdoms will respect a Menagerie that houses the White Fang? Is Menagerie willing to disavow the White Fang if it means Jaune's help? If not, your plan is short-sighted and doomed to failure."
"As if you're any better." Blake scoffed, "Do you think your Dad and the rest of the snakes on his board won't try to take advantage of Jaune? Even if Jaune refuses, Jacques Schnee is not a man who's accustomed to being told no. And neither is General Ironwood. I'd take the White Fang over Atlesian politics."
The two of them glared at one another for a moment before going back inside. It was clear neither would convince the other about why they deserved Jaune's help more. Weiss sighed. She really did want to become friends with Blake, but right now, she felt as if their relationship was on tenterhooks. It wasn't as if she didn't understand Blake's motivations, she did, but her plan was simply far riskier and more of a time investment compared to her own.
They'd barely managed to step inside before they caught sight of Yang lying down on the couch with a look akin to someone who had stared into the abyss.
"Uh..." Blake nervously palmed her book.
"Blake, Weiss...this place is fucking weird," Yang said.
"Yeah." Weiss sighed again.
Thankfully, they didn't have to ruminate on that for long before they heard Ruby's voice, "Oh, that was amazing~" Weiss turned around and blinked at the sight of her partner. Ruby was never the neatest girl in Beacon. While her outfit was as ornate and well-fit as any other Huntresses, Ruby was a tomboy and a blacksmith at heart. Her quarter of the room was often messy with blueprints strewn haphazardly and weapon components littering her mattress and the floor. Wiess often had to remind her to clean up after herself.
Ruby looked like she'd been through a particularly in-depth 'caring session' (she called it that, not Weiss) for Crescent Rose. Her blouse and cloak were wrapped around her waist. Instead of the expected camisole, however, she wore a light green shirt that clung to her body due to how sweaty she was. Weiss' nose wrinkled and she tried to ignore both the smell and the grease smears on her cheeks. If only she'd brought her perfume along...
"Oh! You guys are back?" Jaune stepped into the living room last. He wasn't shirtless this time (pity...), though he'd rolled up his sleeves to his shoulders and the sweat had caused the light blue shirt to cling to his torso like a second skin. Weiss did her utter best to not stare at the line of muscles that his wet shirt did absolutely nothing to cover.
...
Okay, she stared heavily, but she still did her best not to! And it wasn't like Blake was any better. Blake tried and failed to look like she didn't care while Yang openly leered without any shame.
"Hey there, stud. You and Rubes have fun 'yanging' out?" Yang grinned, forcefully ignoring her previous look of shock.
The rest of Team RWBY groaned. Yang's puns were incorrigible and weeks of her trying to force them to see how 'funny' she was hadn't done her any favors.
Jaune, proving once again how alien he was in this world, actually laughed at the horrible, "Haha. 'Yanging' out. I get it. Good one."
"Huh. At least someone here has a sense of humor." Yang laughed in turn and then gave the three of them the biggest, smuggest smile. Weiss rolled her eyes, "So...what were the two of you doing?"
"Oh, oh, oh!" Ruby squealed, loud enough to make Weiss wince, and unfurled Crescent Rose again, "Me and Jaune did some crafting and now Crescent Rose is gonna do WAY more damage against Grimm!" She paused, "I mean, I haven't tested it yet, but it's pretty obvious that everything Jaune makes works perfectly!"
"I wouldn't say that, but thanks." Jaune laughed and rubbed the back of his head, "It was nice talking to someone as interested in crafting as I am. Maybe we can do some more upgrades next time?"
"We super will!"
Ruby squealed again and, before any of them could react, she wrapped her arms around Jaune's neck and kissed him on the cheek. Weiss blinked at the sight and didn't realize her hands her balled into shaky fists till she felt her nails digging into her palm. Blake's eyes narrowed, though she didn't react overly much.
The same couldn't be said for Yang. The blonde looked utterly gobsmacked at Ruby. Among everyone on the team, Ruby had been the least interested in relationships. Yang peeked into the boy's locker room, she had her short-lived crush on Neptune, and even Blake read those pornography books she thought she kept hidden from the rest of the team. Ruby had once bragged that she knew more about the inner workings of a rifle than interpersonal relationships.
Ruby seemed to remember that she wasn't alone and pulled back from Jaune, face as red as her cloak, "S-Sorry!" she squeaked.
"It's fine. You were excited." He smiled back somewhat awkwardly, his own cheeks somewhat red, "S-So what are your plans?"
A lot of things, mostly including trying to convince Jaune to help her for the good of all Remnant. Since she couldn't say that, however, Weiss instead said, "Technically, our mission is complete, but our allotted time for the task is three days." When she first heard of the mission she'd rolled her eyes and assumed it was would be a quick in-and-out. Now she thought that a mere three days wasn't long enough, "We'll be staying at an inn - or a hotel, I suppose - in town. The teachers gave us a stipend for just that."
"A hotel? You don't have to do that. There are tons of guestrooms here! You guys can stay in one. Only if you want to, of course!"
Normally, a man trying to offer four women he'd barely known a place to stay would make Weiss suspicious, but Jaune was sincere enough. And besides, it would give her more of a chance to convince him about helping her with her plans, "Well...we all graciously accept." The rest of team RWBY agreed with her and they went to get the luggage that had been sent ahead to the hotel.
The room Jaune led them to easily matched the opulence of Schnee manor. No, that wasn't right. This place felt...warmer, if that was the right word. Every part of it felt as if it was created with care, "Hm." Weiss sat on a nearby desk and took out her scroll after setting the diamond sword down while the others situated themselves. Ruby had gone to the bathroom for a quick shower, Blake was reading that oh-so-precious book of hers, and Yang was lying drinking a soda she got from the mini-fridge and staring at the ruby she held with her right hand.
Ruby stepped out of the bathroom minutes later with a fresh change of clothes, "Whatcha doing, Weiss?" she asked.
"Making the report we're giving to Miss. Goodwitch." Which was supposed to be Ruby's job as leader. Something the younger girl seemed to realize judging by her wince.
"Oh...I-I could do it if you want?"
"Nevermind. I'll be correcting it anyway before you send it." Weiss shook her head. Ruby had many good qualities as a leader, but paperwork wasn't one of them.
"Thanks, Weiss."
Silence settled over the room. Weiss continued to type while Ruby had taken to sharpening and cooing at her scythe. Huntsmen had a special bond with their weapons, but Ruby took it to some downright uncomfortable levels.
The semi-comfortable quiet was broken when Yang suddenly spoke up.
"I'm gonna date Jaune."
The reaction was instantaneous. Weiss dropped her scroll, Blake dropped her book, and Ruby dropped Crescent Rose. The last one was surely a sign of the end times, "Y-You can't!" It took Weiss a few seconds to realize that she'd been the one to say it.
"Uh...pretty sure I can?" Yang raised a brow and sat up on the bed, "Like, I can go to his room right now and tell him I wanna go out with him. Pretty sure I got a good shot of him saying yes." Yang smirked and crossed her arms under her chest.
"Wh-Why do you wanna date him?!" Ruby cried in a panic.
"He's nice, he's buff, he's got a good sense of humor...do I really need to go on?" Yang shrugged.
"All this because he laughed at your stupid pun?" Blake scoffed.
"Excusing you? It was a great pun! It's not my fault you guys can't see my comedy genius."
"You can't date him, Yang. You'll ruin everything," Weiss said firmly. Right now, Jaune Arc was (presumably) a free agent. If Yang got her grubby hands on him then he'd never agree with her plan. Not unless Yang could convince him, and Weiss doubted she cared about the Dust situation and the state of the SDC's employees.
"Yeah, Yang. Think about more than just having fun," Blake added.
"Wait, what are you two talking about?" Ruby rounded on them.
Weiss winced. She was tempted to lie or come up with an excuse, but Ruby was oddly perceptive at the worst of times. She knew making up a story wouldn't work here. Sighing, she told Ruby about her and Blake's plans to enlist Jaune's help. The Faunus looked obviously annoyed at being outed, but if Weiss was going to confess then there was no way she'd give Blake an undue advantage by covering for her. She still needed her plan to succeed.
Ruby looked at both her and Blake with an expression of pure disappointment, "Y-You two are so selfish!"
"What?! How am I selfish?! I'm doing this for the good of the SDC's employees and all of Remnant!" Weiss shot back.
"This isn't for me, Ruby. This is for the Faunus," Blake said after.
"You two can dress it up all you want, but you're both just trying to use Jaune!" Weiss winced. It certainly seemed that way at a glance, "We just met him today and you're already thinking up schemes to have him do what you want! That's selfish!"
"Yeah, I'm with Rubes here. That's pretty messed up." Yang added.
"Hey, you're not off the hook either!" Ruby rounded on her now, "You were the one who asked Jaune for free stuff and took that ruby!"
"It was a joke! ...Sort of!" Yang groaned, "What do you want? I can't just give it back now! It'll be super awkward!"
"All of you are just trying to use Jaune." Ruby crossed her arms and harrumphed, "I think it's best that I date him instead. At least I'm not in it for anything."
"Now you want to date him? Since when?" Weiss raised a brow.
"S-Since earlier! He's my s-soulmate!" Ruby said it fiercely. Or at least she tried to. The stutter and red face ruined the effect.
"Soulmate? You still believe in that stuff, Rubes? That's cute." Yang laughed.
"Rrrgh, don't look down on me, Yang!" She pointed at her, "You'll see! I'll go out with Jaune and we'll be crafting partners! And unlike some people, I'm not doing it because I want Jaune to do me favors."
"Hm. And I'm sure the upgrades to Crescent Rose have nothing to do with it, right?" Blake asked, voice dripping with sarcasm.
"Th-That's different! We did that together! I didn't ask him to do stuff for me!"
A tense, heavy silence settled over the room. Weiss looked at each of her teammates - her friends - and let out a breath she didn't know she was holding. They all wanted Jaune. Maybe not for the same reasons, but they wanted him all the same. Weiss would've been lying if she said she wasn't worried, but she quickly dispelled the thought. She was Weiss Schnee. Even if she couldn't rely on money to convince Jaune, she had other methods.
None of them said a word to one another as they turned off the lights and went to sleep. Their friendships would survive this, she was certain of that, though she expected that things would be tense for the next few days. Honestly, couldn't they all see that her plan was the most sensible? And it wasn't as if she would force Jaune into anything. She'd find a way to convince him on why supporting her would be for the best.
...
...
...
"Oh yeah, you're a bad bitch. Raise that butt up higher," a voice said outside their window. It was quickly followed by some barks.
"What the hell was that?" Blake asked.
"Trust me, you don't wanna know," Yang said. Her voice was flat and oddly serious.
The three of them decided Yang was right and they all went to sleep, ignoring the sounds of howling that lasted throughout the whole night.
Jaune's out here just casually breaking the setting. It's gonna be chaos once the stuff in Domremy spreads to the kingdoms and people realize just how busted Minecraft powers are in a pseudo-death world setting. There's a reason I called this 'Raise but not as dark' elsewhere.
Anyway, the four members of team RWBY have staked their claim on Jaune. Let's see how this goes. Oh, and Curious Cat means that Jaune has a way to travel to the Ever After. I'm sure that won't be a problem.
Questions:
1. How do you guys think each member of Team RWBY would try to seduce Jaune? Yang is likely a flirt, but what about the other three? Ruby has never shown interest in romance while Blake and Weiss are used to being pursued rather than the other way around.
2. Following up on Weiss' question, do you think the White Fang (or even the Faunus as a whole) would let their technological leap come at the hands of a Human? Especially Sienna given that she died before her character could be well-established.
3. Same as the above Authors Notes, which factions/characters do you wanna see involved in the Minecraft free-for-all? And how would they try to get Jaune to help them?
Speaking of, as dictated by the commissioner, the story will be a harem with team RWBY and possibly Pyrrha down the line with Jaune. For those interested in the faction warfare and societal stuff, don't worry, it's definitely still a major part of the plot going forward.
With that in mind, I'm thinking of some factions who'll try to use Jaune for themselves. Gimme suggestions you guys have for changes/new groups:
Blake and Weiss - Already shown in this chapter.
Ozpin - Wants his help against Salem. Tries to appeal for the morality of helping stop Salem.
Ironwood - Wants him to make potions and equipment for his soldiers, plus airships and other tech. Not sure how Ironwood tries to sell equipping a foreign army.
Cinder - Wants his power for the sake of just having his power. Power lust and greed. Tries seduction.
Adam - Wants to either kill Jaune to spite the humans or enslave him to be a craftsman for the White Fang. Tries murder.
Happy Huntresses - Want him to improve Mantle as a small scale version of Blake's plans. Try to appeal to his sense of goodness. Sends Fiona to try and seduce him otherwise cause sheep girl.
On a side note, Gacha RWBY (RWBY characters get addicted to gacha games) Chapter 1 is out for supporters. Chapter 2 will be out soon as well.
Chapter 2: Staking their claim
Yang stretched her arms and walked down one of the castle's halls. Ruby was upgrading her weapon with the stud while Blake and Weiss went back down into town, leaving her all alone. Lame. Didn't they know a good Yang needed constant TLC? They were gonna pay for ditching her later.
Sure, she could go down to town too, but she wanted to check out the castle. She wasn't a craftsman (craftswoman?) like Ruby or snooty about history like Weiss, but she was still from Saunus. A proud independent Patch woman. Architecture was in their blood the same way snobbiness was in an Atlesian's. Their cathedrals were the best in all of Remnant, no matter how much Atlas and Mistral tried to sneer down at them as country bumpkins.
She walked down the hall and looked around. This place was huge. Not as big as Beacon, obviously, but still fucking enormous. She was betting that even Weiss Cream's mansion had nothing on this place. She eyed the gleaming silver suits of armor and the paintings on the walls. This place looked like it was ripped straight out of a Bunkers and Beowolves game. Then again, why was she surprised? Jaune just gave Weiss a diamond sword like it was no big deal.
The weight of the fist-sized Ruby in her jacket pocket reminded her that Weiss wasn't the only one who'd gotten a gift. She'd asked for a present mostly as a joke, she didn't expect him to actually give her one! Cause seriously, who just did that?
'The same kind of person who builds a castle for shits and giggles,' her brain snarked back. She kinda wanted to give it back, but that felt even more awkward! Ugh, she shoulda just kept her big mouth shut. But then again, another voice whispered, how much stuff could she get if she pawned the thing off? Bumblebee needed some upgrades and nightclubs would've been a hell of a lot more fun if she didn't have to worry about burning a hole in her pocket...
Shaking her head, Yang kept up her solo tour of the place. Jaune said they had free reign of the place while they were visiting. How did he not worry about someone stealing something? Or maybe he just didn't care. This was the same guy who gave out diamonds to people he just met.
She traced a hand across the wall. Not even a bit of dust. The place felt like it was preserved in time. Yang peeked inside one of the rooms. A queen-sized bed with a canopy, a window with a good view of the countryside, and the same fancy decorations the rest of the place had. Yang looked up at the crystal chandelier and...was that a painting of the stars on the ceiling? Brothers, this made their dormroom back at Beacon look like the poorhouse. She could tell it was a spare room too - it didn't look lived-in at all - and it made her wonder just how much more intricate the actual family bedrooms were.
Yang looked around for a moment and, after making sure there was no one around, she jumped and belly-flopped onto the bed.
Oh. My. Brothers.
Ever heard the expression 'like sleeping on a cloud'? Well, forget that noise. This was like she was sleeping on...she didn't even know how to describe it. It felt like every inch of her body was being massaged by the mattress and the pillow covering her face was so damn comfy that she wouldn't have struggled even if someone tried to smother her with it. Her thoughts drifted back to her bed at Beacon and she shuddered. Going back to that after just a brief taste of this...maybe she could exchange the ruby for one of these beds?
Her utter bliss was interrupted by the sound of laughter. Yang (hesitantly) pulled her head out of the pillow paradise and furrowed her brows. That didn't sound like anyone from her team - she'd know. Maybe Jaune's family came back? If they did, it'd be a pretty bad look for them to catch her napping on one of their beds. She forced herself out of her new best friend and made her way back to the hallway. Be rude of her not to introduce herself and explain why they were here.
The sounds of laughter led her to a slightly ajar door. Yang debated between knocking or just calling out to them when the door opened just a bit more and she was hit with the smell of booze and smoke, "So I bite the old boy in the ass!" A roar of laughter came in response. The accent was hard to place. It sounded South Valean, a real 'wrong side of the tracks' kind of voice, but there was something off about it that she couldn't really explain.
Curiosity got the better of her and she peeked inside the ajar door.
Only to quickly wish she didn't.
Dogs. Half a dozen of them. Now, Yang liked dogs. They were her favorite animal (sorry, Blake) and Zwei was the best doggo in the world. That didn't mean she wasn't gonna react at the sight of six dogs sitting around a table playing cards. No, she wasn't imagining it. Six guard dogs - three Atlesian Shepherds, two Pugs, and one Rotweiller - were sat upright around a table playing cards. The table was filled with cards, glasses of booze, and...were those cigars?! How in the heck did dogs get those?!
"I'm getting too fat," the rottweiler complained, "There haven't been any intruders to chase in months!"
"No one wants to mess with Master Jaune." One of the pugs picked up (HOW?!) a glass of whiskey and chugged it down before lighting up a new cigar, "It's more annoying that we can't do anything about those cats down in town. Smug pussies think they're so much better than us. Bet they won't be so smug once I get my paws on 'em!"
"Hey now, the Master's friend is okay," the other pug said.
"Rrrgh, fine, but all those other cats!" The pug growled.
"Fuck cats. Let's talk about something better," One of the Atlesian Shepherds, "New people in town. And you know what that means." His mouth curled in a wolfish(heh) grin, "New bitches!"
The whole table was a mess of excited howls and barks. It didn't take a lot to figure out what kind of 'bitches' they were talking about, "Oh yeah, I saw 'em." Another Shepherd licked his lips, "Big golden retriever. I could tell just by looking at her. She's a workin' bitch." The other dogs howled in response, "I got a good look at her. She wasn't no mongrel or crossbreed. Nice smell too. Her owner named her Rosemary."
"A fine name for a fine bitch," one of the pugs nodded in approval. It was fucking freaky looking.
"I sniffed her butt earlier." The Shepherd somehow managed to make that sound dignified, "She sniffed mine too. We're going to meet up later, maybe howl at the big night light."
"Some dogs get all the bitches." The Rottweiler sniffed and drank his glass of gin, "I'll spend some time with the Master later. The family's worried about him. Whenever he gets into one of his moods he always forgets to eat or sleep."
"Master is very kind. He gives us good scratches and food that makes us smart. Master deserves better. His packmates should pat his head more." One of the Shepherds nodded sagely, "Lotta bitches in the village want him to sniff their butts but he never does. So sad."
"They should sniff his butt instead," the rottweiler howled sadly.
"Maybe the new visitors will do it." Wait, were they talking about team RWBY? "Four new bitches. I would've bit their butts if Master didn't say we should let visitors inside."
"I saw them," one of the pugs said, "The one in black and red smells like chocolate. Don't bite her. You'll probably die." Yang almost laughed at that. Despite her looks, Ruby more than ate her weight in chocolate and cookies. Yang had no idea how she was so thin, "The one in white hurts my nose. So full of that thing humans spray themselves with."
"The yellow one smells good. Like fried meat and burning wood." Yang's brows furrowed. Was she supposed to be flattered or offended? She resisted the urge to raise her arm and sniff, "But the other one..." He growled. It was a sound full of hate, "She smells like those damn cats. If she gets near the master, I'm biting her butt. Master deserves better than a cat that stinks like those smug pussycats. She should stay away." He growled again.
The dogs continued to chat and play cards. Any thoughts of going inside were immediately squashed by the part of her brain that still wanted the world to make sense. She grabbed the edge of the door to close it and give the doggos some privacy when it suddenly creaked.
The noise drew their attention. All six heads snapped to where Yang stood and the blonde found herself frozen as a dozen eyes bore into her. It was stupid - she could fight fucking Ursas, dogs were hardly a threat - but she found herself rooted to the spot anyway.
The human and the half-a-dozen dogs stared at one another for almost a full minute before the rottweiler spoke up, "Ya mind? We're having a private game here."
"R-Right, sorry." She closed the door, muffling the words and growls that came from the other side. Talking dogs. Talking dogs that drank, played poker, and talked about how much they liked butts and bitches. She'd literally seen just that.
...
Nope, nope, nope. Yang shook her head. She didn't see that at all. This was a dream and she was totally still asleep back at that amazing bed she'd flopped into earlier. Speaking of, she should get back to it. Maybe if she went back to sleep she'd wake up from this weirdass dream.
Yang turned around to do just that only to see Zwei walking down the hall with a cigar in his mouth and a little fedora draped over his head. He and Yang stopped to just look at one another. This time the stareoff lasted for just a few seconds before he slipped past her, went inside the room, and shut the door behind him...somehow. The dogs inside cheered at his arrival and yelled about how 'now it was a party' while Zwei barked back. He wasn't talking, but the others seemed to understand him just fine.
...
Okay, that was another thing she didn't see. Time to-
"Oh, hello!" A pair of eyes appeared in front of her. She didn't get the chance to scream and bat them away before the eyes turned into a multi-colored purple and cyan...thing shaped like a cat standing on a nearby cabinet, "A visitor? My oh my, Jaune is rather popular these days." It laughed, "Would you be interested in chatting for a while? Oh, I do so love talking to the new arrivals! They always have such fascinating stories, and so many are eager to talk!"
"Bwuh?" Yang said.
"Oh, where are my manners?" It licked its paw, "My name is...well, I am the Curious Cat, though everyone calls me Curious for short. It's both my name and describes me perfectly well." It jumped down from the cabinet and rubbed up against her legs, "Would you be willing to talk? You look like someone with a good story!"
...
Yang didn't say anything. She walked past the cat, ignored the sounds of howling dogs, and belly-flopped back onto the most amazing mattress on Remnant.
Weiss walked around the town aimlessly. She'd been in a foul mood after her brief argument with Blake and she hoped that taking in the sights would improve that. She looked around the buildings and hummed. From what she was told, Jaune built almost every single building in this burgeoning kingdom all on his own. The villagers tried to help where they could, of course, but his Semblance made it so that it was far quicker and more practical to simply do everything on his own.
She didn't know how to feel about that. While she was already planning to ensure Jaune's help for her plans, she also wasn't one on being completely dependent on others. She knew that she'd need Jaune's help to oust her father. After that, however, she hoped that she could stand on her own two feet. Jaune would give her the leg up she needed, certainly, but once she was established she would lead the SDC to a far more righteous path than her father ever did with her own power.
It was one reason she disagreed with Blake's plans. She hoped that Jaune could uplift Menagerie - and by extension, the Faunus - by turning the island into their own kingdom. It sounded good in theory, but would the Faunus truly be satisfied knowing that their elevated position came from the efforts of a single Human?
And how long would others have to wait for Jaune's help? While she understood that her own plans were a time investment, it was far less so compared to turning an entire island into a kingdom. And what about the White Fang? For someone who'd been so obsessed with them the past few weeks, she certainly seemed to ignore the fact that they would be less than amenable to a Human providing such crucial aid to their cause for equality.'
But what did she have to worry about? While she couldn't entice Jaune with money, she was sure that she could find some way to convince him to join her cause. Perhaps by leveraging possible connections to the newly reformed SDC? Money was immaterial to him, but she could offer other things. More than Blake, that was for certain. She was sure that he could find the value of forging connections with one of the most powerful organizations in Remnant, especially one led by a CEO with a debt of personal gratitude to him.
Her musings were cut off by a sudden voice.
"GREETINGS, CITIZEN!" She jumped up at the booming voice. Ignoring her instincts to draw Myrtenaster, she turned to the source of the sound and blinked at the sight of a nine-foot-tall stone golem. She'd seen Atlesian robots before - the SDC was working in tandem with the army to create the new Paladins - and yet she still found herself gaping at the sight of the stone sentry. Rather than sleek metal and wiring, the golem looked like a roughly carved statue with nothing powering it or enabling it to move.
And yet move it did.
"I'm not a-"
"FAREWELL, CITIZEN!" It saluted her and went on its merry way. Patrolling, perhaps? Weiss eyed its retreating form and looked it up and down, searching for any sign of what might've been powering it. Nothing. It looked like a carved statue and yet it moved like a robot powered by Dust. Yet another impossibility in the world Jaune Arc inhabited.
"Excuse me," she called out to a passing farmhand.
"Yes, ma'am?" he asked with a pleasant country drawl.
"Do you know how those golems are powered?" She gestured to the golem that was saluting another person as it walked through the gate leading outside.
"Don't rightly know." He hummed, "Never really thought about it much. I saw Jaune build one of 'em fellers once. Just puts 'em together out of some pieces of rock and then they start moving. He puts them outside usually so they can smack around any Grimm that gets past everything else. It must've been helping someone else." He rubbed his patchy chin, "Never seen 'em stop patrolling or need to get fixed, though. Those big boys walk all day and night."
"I see. Thank you." Weiss nodded and walked away, deep in thought. While she couldn't discount the possibility that they were powered by Dust, there was an equally likely chance that they were powered by something else entirely...or that they required no power source at all. The thought made her both excited and nervous. Her father secured his domination because of the fact that everything needed Dust to function. Some outside settlements used alternative power sources such as windmills, but they couldn't truly match Dust. Dust was power. It was energy, fuel, bullets...
Could Jaune change all that?
Weiss shook her head. Focus, she told herself. She could worry about that later. Right now she had to focus on her plans.
She wandered around the kingdom without a destination in mind. Truthfully, she was more focused on the people. Perhaps it was cynical of her, but she found herself looking for signs of discontent. Weiss had been raised on propaganda and doublethink. The employees were satisfied with their lot in life. Those who complained weren't justified, they were simply greedy and lazy. The Faunus weren't discriminated against, they were entitled and thought they deserved more than they were oh-so-generously given.
And so on and so forth. She'd heard the myriad of propaganda and justifications for over a decade now. It led to a rather pessimistic viewpoint she'd done her best to rein in ever since she arrived in Beacon. The world was far more complex than her father's propaganda machine liked to portray it as.
Case in point, Jaune's kingdom.
Weiss was adept at seeing under the masks people put up. It was a necessity when men and women thrice her age attempted to exploit her for their own benefit. Father was hardly a loving parent and he took her ability to see through deception (or not...) as a measure of whether she was worthy to be his heir.
Which was why she found it both amazing and relieving that she hadn't seen a single person putting on a mask. All around her, the villagers worked with a gusto that she'd never seen in anyone who worked under her father's management. Many of them had smiles on their faces and they worked in tandem with an easy cooperation that seemed more like they'd done it for years rather than mere months. Those taking breaks eagerly chatted with one another and they all did their best to ensure that the workload was easily shared.
What drew her attention the most, however, was the spirit of cooperation. Under her Father's rule, the SDC had fostered a culture of paranoia and mistrust. Employees were encouraged to stab each other in the back and used anything they could to gain a sense of superiority. Older employees lorded over younger ones out of perceived superiority and many sucked up to those they perceived as their betters. The Faunus received the worst of it. Even those at their lowest considered themselves better than them for no other than because Atlesian society deemed the Faunus lesser.
Weiss wanted to say that she was better than that, but she too had been blinded by prejudice up until recently. While she wouldn't apologize for her feelings on the White Fang - they hated her and she saw no reason to give them any leeway - not every Faunus was responsible for their crimes.
Her eyes were once again drawn to the farmers and laborers. Young and old, Humans and Faunus. It didn't matter. They all worked together as equals. A young Faunus man and a middle-aged Human man laughed and chatted like old friends as they worked the fields. Something like that would've never happened in one of the mines. Or if it did, it was an extreme rarity. Yet here it was treated as nothing special by everyone around them. An Arcadia where people stood as one.
This was what the SDC could've been. The SDC her grandfather built. A company built on the spirit of cooperation and fair treatment of its employees before her Father had corrupted it. This was what she could turn the SDC back into. A company that cared for others and made proud the lineage of the Schnee name. All of this - the spirit of cooperation and equality - could be spread across all of Remnant.
All she needed to do was ensure she received Jaune's help...
The sounds of whirring drew her attention elsewhere. Weiss watched, utterly gobsmacked, as the farmers left the freshly harvested field only for a machine to suddenly roll over the empty dirt. It looked like an oversized tractor or combined harvester, except instead of shearing away the fields, it spread seeds and water with extreme precision. That in and of itself wouldn't have been too odd. After all, she'd seen similar machines back at Atlas.
No, what really made her gape like a fish out of water was the sight of the plants growing right before her very eyes. Weiss rubbed her eyes to make sure she was seeing correctly. Yes, the crops were growing from fresh seedlings to assorted fruits and vegetables in a matter of minutes. And as soon as the crops finished growing, the farmers quickly set to harvesting them with practiced ease. Was that why they never had any problems feeding their rising population?
She stared at the machine which continued to plant more seeds and water. Could Jaune perhaps do the same with other resources? Perhaps Dust?
The possibilities made her feel lightheaded. Weiss took one last look at the efficient farmers before slowly walking back to the castle. She had to ponder some things...
At the other side of the settlement, Blake made her way through what could be considered the 'downtown' part of the city. While a decent part of the city was devoted to needed things such as agriculture and production, the other parts were more focused on what you might expect from a kingdom.
Settlements outside the walls were practical beasts by nature. Unlike the kingdoms, the threat of being attacked by Grimm or bandits meant that pragmatism won out over leisure. Villages and towns focused on ensuring production and protection. Militias and walls were crucial and the most common source of entertainment were bars. It was the easiest way to release the tension held by the villagers and helped foster a sense of camaraderie. Alcohol was a cheap repellent against negativity.
She remembered being so surprised when she first got into Vale. Movie theaters, nightclubs, bookstores, spas...any sort of Want was there for those who could afford it. While outside settlements did have those occasionally, it was unheard of for them to be present in such excess. Things like horror movies were considered contraband. Inside the kingdoms, they were amusements. Outside of them, however, the fear and dread they elicited could draw Grimm to the settlement.
Jaune's rising kingdom matched the likes of Vale in that regard. She couldn't walk down the street without spotting some form of entertainment. A movie theater showing horror films, a sports center, and an arena where people cheered in drunken revelry as people fought. There were shops too, which sold anything one could think of from armor and weapons to airships(!). Atlas would've had a heart attack at the sight of the ships being sold.
Blake's stomach grumbled and she made her way to a cafe. The waiter cheerily took her older of a fried fish meal and tea, The smell that wafted from the inside made her mouth water. She'd gotten used to subsisting on rations and foraging for her food in the past five years she spent with the White Fang. While Beacon was far better than what she was normally used to, the food tasted oddly bland considering the grade of ingredients they were working with.
Her eyes drifted over to the other cafe patrons and she lingered at the sight of a young couple. A female Cat Faunus and a male Human. They were clearly together judging by the way they held hands and laughed, leaning against one another without shame. The sight of it made her smile. Back in Vale, couples like them would have to hide their relationships. Oh, Vale claimed to be equal, but she knew from experience that a Human-Faunus couple would be considered 'eccentric' at best or freaks at worst.
And Vale was one of the nicer places to their kind...
Her cynical musings were cut off when the waiter returned with her food, which she quickly paid for. Blake sniffed the fish fillet appreciatively and, after a second to brace herself, bit into the crispy food.
Blake did not moan. She merely hummed in appreciation at the taste of the fried fish. And no, it did not not remind her of her mom's home-cooked meals. Don't be silly. Blake finished off the whole thing and even licked up the flakes. Just to not be rude, of course.
This was what Menagerie could be like, she thought as she left the cafe. A place where Humans and Faunus could live side-by-side without judgment. A home that was more than crammed together wooden huts. They could have a true sanctuary. A kingdom all on their own.
And Weiss would take that from them so she could take over a company she was already set to inherit. Blake wasn't petty enough that she couldn't see her teammate's good intentions, but compared to the salvation of the Faunus, Weiss' plan seemed so insignificant in comparison.
Blake stopped when she passed by a bookstore. While she would've been interested in checking it out regardless, the sign up front made her breath seize in excitement, "Auctioning a limited edition copy of Kunoichi Kitty: The Untold Chronicles." Her mouth went dry after she read it. Kunoichi Kitty was her favorite...tasteful literature, beating out even the Ninjas of Love. The plot, the setting, the characters...the PLOT. It was all so enthralling and she eagerly devoured every single book she could get.
Sadly, the author was a famous recluse and finding copies was hard. The Untold Chronicles was so rare that she heard that there were only 100 copies in all of Remnant. Finding one here was a miracle. She opened her wallet and gulped. 3000 lien, all the money she'd saved up over the past three years. What? It wasn't like being a terrorist for five years led to a lot of money-making opportunities. People signed up for the cause, not the salary and health benefits. They couldn't all get allowances from their rich parents.
Blake stepped inside and winced at the crowd of people - easily two dozen - already sitting down. She could tell by the looks on their faces that they were all true connoisseurs like her. She'd have enjoyed discussing the plot (and the PLOT) with them at any other time, but right now, they were her enemies. They all wanted the same thing here.
The store owner - an old man who looked to be in his eighth decade of life - spoke into the microphone with a nasally voice, "Thank you for showing up, everyone. I see we've got some new visitors too." His eyes scanned the crowd, "Well, there's no sense in dragging it out. We all know what we're here for."
He took out a briefcase from a nearby table and opened it slowly. Blake's breath hitched at the sight of the holy relic he so carelessly put on the podium, "Ninjas of Love: The Untold Chronicles." He coughed. If he got his spit in it she would kill him! "A collector's item. I've heard it's valuable, so let's start the bidding at 5000 lien."
...
What?
5000? She looked down at her wallet and found, much to her dismay, that she hadn't gotten 2000 extra lien since she last checked. M-Maybe he'd misspoken? He must have. He looked like he had one foot in the grave. He probably meant 500 or-
The middle-aged woman to her left raised her hand. Blake's turned to her in disbelief, "5000. Do we have 6000?" A young man two seats in front of her raised his hand, "6000. Do we have 7000?"
Up and up the number went. 10,000, 20,000, 40,000...Blake found herself frozen and helpless, unable to raise her hand even once as the bidding war escalated. This...This couldn't be happening. She'd finally found something that could give her true joy after so many years of struggle and now it was being taken from her. Didn't she deserve this? Deserve a reward for fighting for half a decade? Why was fate being so cruel?
And then a light, a memory of what could be her salvation. Blake groped desperately for her pouch and pulled out the gold bar Jaune had gifted her. She'd almost forgotten about it with her (selfless) plan to save Menagerie. She held it with both hands like a mother cradling her child and looked up just as the owner said, "70,0000. Going once, going twice-"
"80,000!" Blake said in a rush, raising her hand and the gold bar. All attention was drawn to her sudden entry. Many were surprised, and yet just as many looked at her with respect. Blake ignored them all and focused solely on the book.
"80,000. Going once, going twice...sold to the new arrival."
The crowd clapped politely while Blake nervously went in front. She took a deep breath to steady herself and walked up to the makeshift podium. The gold bar felt heavy in her hand and she handed it numbly to the old man, "Here..." Blake didn't even look at him or the crowd shuffling out of the store. All she cared about was the book. Her heart beat so loudly that it was all she could hear and she reached a tentative hand out to the holy scripture.
"Hold on a second," the nasally voice cut in. He slammed the gold bar on the table and gave her an unamused look, "What's the idea? This is only worth 75,000 lien."
"What? How could you tell?" Blake asked, disbelief cutting through her excitement.
"You ain't the first person who's tried to buy with gold and jewelry, little miss. Now, are we going to have a problem here or-"
"N-No! No problem!" Blake opened her wallet and pulled out the lien cards, "I-I have 3000 here. I know it's not enough, but I can get more!" How, her mind asked. Was she shameless enough to ask Jaune for another handout? It was one thing to ask him for help with the Faunus, but for something so selfish?
"Hm..." The old man took the lien cards from her and rubbed his chin, "There's a loan office a couple of streets down. You can get something there. They got reasonable rates. Or you can find some other way to get the 2000 lien. I'm gonna need it by the end of the day."
Blake bit her lower lip. A loan office...even thinking about it made her shudder. You could run from the Huntsmen and the Atlesian army, but debt collectors? They would hound you to the very ends of Remnant. Not even Adam would risk defaulting on a loan. Say what you will about her ex, but he had an amazing credit score.
Ultimately, she decided to bite the bullet and take a loan. The interest rate was 3 percent every month. It wouldn't take her much to pay it off if she did a couple of missions, but she'd have to convince the teachers to let her do some cleanup work. Or maybe she could beg Yang for a loan to pay off this one once Yang sold off the Ruby. Yang was a lot of things, but she wasn't a loan shark. Blake would still have to pay her back, but there wouldn't be any interest.
She went back and got the book. Once her fingers touched the smooth leather cover, she felt as if it was all worth it. Blake smiled brightly and returned to the castle with a skip in her step.
Weiss ran into Blake at the castle's entrance. Their previous argument was still fresh in her mind and she halfway expected her teammate to snap at her.
Instead, she had a dopey smile on her face - and dopey was the last word Weiss ever thought she'd use to describe Blake Belladonna - and pressed a book against her chest as if her life depended on it, "...What are you so happy about?" Weiss asked with a raised brow.
"Nothing." Her face flushed and she held the book tighter.
"Right..." Weiss crossed her arms. Something told her that way lay madness, "Well...I've been walking around trying to get a lay of the land. Would it be too much to assume that you changed your mind in the meantime?"
Blake's smile immediately disappeared and she looked at Weiss with a narrow glare, "No."
"Of course not." Weiss sighed, "Jaune helping me is for the greater good, you know."
"For who? For the people who already have more than enough?"
"For everyone." Weiss grit her teeth. The words came out far more strained than she would've liked, "I saw things down there. People working together equally with one another. It didn't matter their age or race, they cooperated with smiles on their faces. Imagine how much Remnant could be improved if the SDC was run like that. No more mining accidents because the company decided safety checks were too expensive. No more employees being mistreated and forced to work for pennies so some corrupt bastard can afford another mansion he'll never actually use."
"I thought you'd want the same thing, Blake!" Weiss threw her hands up, "Haven't the White Fang been attacking the SDC - my family - because they wanted equal treatment." Blake winced slightly at the reminder of how often Weiss had been at the other end of her former group's wrath, "Under my leadership, Faunus will finally be treated equally and Dust will be made far more available to all of Remnant. Villages outside the settlements won't have to pay through the nose just to afford Fire Dust that will let them survive the winter."
"It sounds like a pleasant dream, Weiss, but you're wrong about one thing." Blake's gaze was firm, "Your plan won't make us equal. We'll be treated better at the SDC, sure, but what about outside of it? How do better wages and more affordable Dust help the Faunus? We'd still be seen as nothing more than filthy animals without even a kingdom to go back to. Jaune can give us that. He can turn Menagerie into a true sanctuary for the Faunus so they aren't forced to survive in cities that treat them as second-class citizens."
"The Faunus will have the power to stand with their head held high. The other kingdoms can't ignore us if we've got a kingdom of our own. We don't have to hide and bow our heads because some racist asshole decided attacking us is the only way he can get some meaning out of his worthless life. We can have a chance at true equality, something we've been denied for as long as we've existed. How could I not fight for that chance?"
"And what about the White Fang?" Weiss raised her head, "For someone who has been positively obsessed with them for the past few weeks, you're quick to ignore the risk they pose. Do you believe that they would allow the Faunus to achieve equality if it comes at the hands of a Human?"
"That's..." Blake grit her teeth, "Not all of the White Fang hate Humans. Many of us just want equality."
"And just as many would abhor the idea of being reliant on a Human for anything. They'll sabotage any plan you make with Jaune." Weiss scoffed, "And even if they did accept his help, do you think the other Kingdoms will respect a Menagerie that houses the White Fang? Is Menagerie willing to disavow the White Fang if it means Jaune's help? If not, your plan is short-sighted and doomed to failure."
"As if you're any better." Blake scoffed, "Do you think your Dad and the rest of the snakes on his board won't try to take advantage of Jaune? Even if Jaune refuses, Jacques Schnee is not a man who's accustomed to being told no. And neither is General Ironwood. I'd take the White Fang over Atlesian politics."
The two of them glared at one another for a moment before going back inside. It was clear neither would convince the other about why they deserved Jaune's help more. Weiss sighed. She really did want to become friends with Blake, but right now, she felt as if their relationship was on tenterhooks. It wasn't as if she didn't understand Blake's motivations, she did, but her plan was simply far riskier and more of a time investment compared to her own.
They'd barely managed to step inside before they caught sight of Yang lying down on the couch with a look akin to someone who had stared into the abyss.
"Uh..." Blake nervously palmed her book.
"Blake, Weiss...this place is fucking weird," Yang said.
"Yeah." Weiss sighed again.
Thankfully, they didn't have to ruminate on that for long before they heard Ruby's voice, "Oh, that was amazing~" Weiss turned around and blinked at the sight of her partner. Ruby was never the neatest girl in Beacon. While her outfit was as ornate and well-fit as any other Huntresses, Ruby was a tomboy and a blacksmith at heart. Her quarter of the room was often messy with blueprints strewn haphazardly and weapon components littering her mattress and the floor. Wiess often had to remind her to clean up after herself.
Ruby looked like she'd been through a particularly in-depth 'caring session' (she called it that, not Weiss) for Crescent Rose. Her blouse and cloak were wrapped around her waist. Instead of the expected camisole, however, she wore a light green shirt that clung to her body due to how sweaty she was. Weiss' nose wrinkled and she tried to ignore both the smell and the grease smears on her cheeks. If only she'd brought her perfume along...
"Oh! You guys are back?" Jaune stepped into the living room last. He wasn't shirtless this time (pity...), though he'd rolled up his sleeves to his shoulders and the sweat had caused the light blue shirt to cling to his torso like a second skin. Weiss did her utter best to not stare at the line of muscles that his wet shirt did absolutely nothing to cover.
...
Okay, she stared heavily, but she still did her best not to! And it wasn't like Blake was any better. Blake tried and failed to look like she didn't care while Yang openly leered without any shame.
"Hey there, stud. You and Rubes have fun 'yanging' out?" Yang grinned, forcefully ignoring her previous look of shock.
The rest of Team RWBY groaned. Yang's puns were incorrigible and weeks of her trying to force them to see how 'funny' she was hadn't done her any favors.
Jaune, proving once again how alien he was in this world, actually laughed at the horrible, "Haha. 'Yanging' out. I get it. Good one."
"Huh. At least someone here has a sense of humor." Yang laughed in turn and then gave the three of them the biggest, smuggest smile. Weiss rolled her eyes, "So...what were the two of you doing?"
"Oh, oh, oh!" Ruby squealed, loud enough to make Weiss wince, and unfurled Crescent Rose again, "Me and Jaune did some crafting and now Crescent Rose is gonna do WAY more damage against Grimm!" She paused, "I mean, I haven't tested it yet, but it's pretty obvious that everything Jaune makes works perfectly!"
"I wouldn't say that, but thanks." Jaune laughed and rubbed the back of his head, "It was nice talking to someone as interested in crafting as I am. Maybe we can do some more upgrades next time?"
"We super will!"
Ruby squealed again and, before any of them could react, she wrapped her arms around Jaune's neck and kissed him on the cheek. Weiss blinked at the sight and didn't realize her hands her balled into shaky fists till she felt her nails digging into her palm. Blake's eyes narrowed, though she didn't react overly much.
The same couldn't be said for Yang. The blonde looked utterly gobsmacked at Ruby. Among everyone on the team, Ruby had been the least interested in relationships. Yang peeked into the boy's locker room, she had her short-lived crush on Neptune, and even Blake read those pornography books she thought she kept hidden from the rest of the team. Ruby had once bragged that she knew more about the inner workings of a rifle than interpersonal relationships.
Ruby seemed to remember that she wasn't alone and pulled back from Jaune, face as red as her cloak, "S-Sorry!" she squeaked.
"It's fine. You were excited." He smiled back somewhat awkwardly, his own cheeks somewhat red, "S-So what are your plans?"
A lot of things, mostly including trying to convince Jaune to help her for the good of all Remnant. Since she couldn't say that, however, Weiss instead said, "Technically, our mission is complete, but our allotted time for the task is three days." When she first heard of the mission she'd rolled her eyes and assumed it was would be a quick in-and-out. Now she thought that a mere three days wasn't long enough, "We'll be staying at an inn - or a hotel, I suppose - in town. The teachers gave us a stipend for just that."
"A hotel? You don't have to do that. There are tons of guestrooms here! You guys can stay in one. Only if you want to, of course!"
Normally, a man trying to offer four women he'd barely known a place to stay would make Weiss suspicious, but Jaune was sincere enough. And besides, it would give her more of a chance to convince him about helping her with her plans, "Well...we all graciously accept." The rest of team RWBY agreed with her and they went to get the luggage that had been sent ahead to the hotel.
The room Jaune led them to easily matched the opulence of Schnee manor. No, that wasn't right. This place felt...warmer, if that was the right word. Every part of it felt as if it was created with care, "Hm." Weiss sat on a nearby desk and took out her scroll after setting the diamond sword down while the others situated themselves. Ruby had gone to the bathroom for a quick shower, Blake was reading that oh-so-precious book of hers, and Yang was lying drinking a soda she got from the mini-fridge and staring at the ruby she held with her right hand.
Ruby stepped out of the bathroom minutes later with a fresh change of clothes, "Whatcha doing, Weiss?" she asked.
"Making the report we're giving to Miss. Goodwitch." Which was supposed to be Ruby's job as leader. Something the younger girl seemed to realize judging by her wince.
"Oh...I-I could do it if you want?"
"Nevermind. I'll be correcting it anyway before you send it." Weiss shook her head. Ruby had many good qualities as a leader, but paperwork wasn't one of them.
"Thanks, Weiss."
Silence settled over the room. Weiss continued to type while Ruby had taken to sharpening and cooing at her scythe. Huntsmen had a special bond with their weapons, but Ruby took it to some downright uncomfortable levels.
The semi-comfortable quiet was broken when Yang suddenly spoke up.
"I'm gonna date Jaune."
The reaction was instantaneous. Weiss dropped her scroll, Blake dropped her book, and Ruby dropped Crescent Rose. The last one was surely a sign of the end times, "Y-You can't!" It took Weiss a few seconds to realize that she'd been the one to say it.
"Uh...pretty sure I can?" Yang raised a brow and sat up on the bed, "Like, I can go to his room right now and tell him I wanna go out with him. Pretty sure I got a good shot of him saying yes." Yang smirked and crossed her arms under her chest.
"Wh-Why do you wanna date him?!" Ruby cried in a panic.
"He's nice, he's buff, he's got a good sense of humor...do I really need to go on?" Yang shrugged.
"All this because he laughed at your stupid pun?" Blake scoffed.
"Excusing you? It was a great pun! It's not my fault you guys can't see my comedy genius."
"You can't date him, Yang. You'll ruin everything," Weiss said firmly. Right now, Jaune Arc was (presumably) a free agent. If Yang got her grubby hands on him then he'd never agree with her plan. Not unless Yang could convince him, and Weiss doubted she cared about the Dust situation and the state of the SDC's employees.
"Yeah, Yang. Think about more than just having fun," Blake added.
"Wait, what are you two talking about?" Ruby rounded on them.
Weiss winced. She was tempted to lie or come up with an excuse, but Ruby was oddly perceptive at the worst of times. She knew making up a story wouldn't work here. Sighing, she told Ruby about her and Blake's plans to enlist Jaune's help. The Faunus looked obviously annoyed at being outed, but if Weiss was going to confess then there was no way she'd give Blake an undue advantage by covering for her. She still needed her plan to succeed.
Ruby looked at both her and Blake with an expression of pure disappointment, "Y-You two are so selfish!"
"What?! How am I selfish?! I'm doing this for the good of the SDC's employees and all of Remnant!" Weiss shot back.
"This isn't for me, Ruby. This is for the Faunus," Blake said after.
"You two can dress it up all you want, but you're both just trying to use Jaune!" Weiss winced. It certainly seemed that way at a glance, "We just met him today and you're already thinking up schemes to have him do what you want! That's selfish!"
"Yeah, I'm with Rubes here. That's pretty messed up." Yang added.
"Hey, you're not off the hook either!" Ruby rounded on her now, "You were the one who asked Jaune for free stuff and took that ruby!"
"It was a joke! ...Sort of!" Yang groaned, "What do you want? I can't just give it back now! It'll be super awkward!"
"All of you are just trying to use Jaune." Ruby crossed her arms and harrumphed, "I think it's best that I date him instead. At least I'm not in it for anything."
"Now you want to date him? Since when?" Weiss raised a brow.
"S-Since earlier! He's my s-soulmate!" Ruby said it fiercely. Or at least she tried to. The stutter and red face ruined the effect.
"Soulmate? You still believe in that stuff, Rubes? That's cute." Yang laughed.
"Rrrgh, don't look down on me, Yang!" She pointed at her, "You'll see! I'll go out with Jaune and we'll be crafting partners! And unlike some people, I'm not doing it because I want Jaune to do me favors."
"Hm. And I'm sure the upgrades to Crescent Rose have nothing to do with it, right?" Blake asked, voice dripping with sarcasm.
"Th-That's different! We did that together! I didn't ask him to do stuff for me!"
A tense, heavy silence settled over the room. Weiss looked at each of her teammates - her friends - and let out a breath she didn't know she was holding. They all wanted Jaune. Maybe not for the same reasons, but they wanted him all the same. Weiss would've been lying if she said she wasn't worried, but she quickly dispelled the thought. She was Weiss Schnee. Even if she couldn't rely on money to convince Jaune, she had other methods.
None of them said a word to one another as they turned off the lights and went to sleep. Their friendships would survive this, she was certain of that, though she expected that things would be tense for the next few days. Honestly, couldn't they all see that her plan was the most sensible? And it wasn't as if she would force Jaune into anything. She'd find a way to convince him on why supporting her would be for the best.
...
...
...
"Oh yeah, you're a bad bitch. Raise that butt up higher," a voice said outside their window. It was quickly followed by some barks.
"What the hell was that?" Blake asked.
"Trust me, you don't wanna know," Yang said. Her voice was flat and oddly serious.
The three of them decided Yang was right and they all went to sleep, ignoring the sounds of howling that lasted throughout the whole night.
Jaune's out here just casually breaking the setting. It's gonna be chaos once the stuff in Domremy spreads to the kingdoms and people realize just how busted Minecraft powers are in a pseudo-death world setting. There's a reason I called this 'Raise but not as dark' elsewhere.
Anyway, the four members of team RWBY have staked their claim on Jaune. Let's see how this goes. Oh, and Curious Cat means that Jaune has a way to travel to the Ever After. I'm sure that won't be a problem.
Questions:
1. How do you guys think each member of Team RWBY would try to seduce Jaune? Yang is likely a flirt, but what about the other three? Ruby has never shown interest in romance while Blake and Weiss are used to being pursued rather than the other way around.
2. Following up on Weiss' question, do you think the White Fang (or even the Faunus as a whole) would let their technological leap come at the hands of a Human? Especially Sienna given that she died before her character could be well-established.
3. Same as the above Authors Notes, which factions/characters do you wanna see involved in the Minecraft free-for-all? And how would they try to get Jaune to help them?
Gacha RWBY - Chapter 1
eratas123
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Gacha parody with RWBY characters, as I mentioned in a previous fic. Posting it here for anyone interested. Minecrafr Jaune 3 is out for supporters and will be released here in a couple of weeks.
Note that despite the portrayal here, I don't really have anything against Gacha. Mostly because I don't play Gacha games and my main exposure are rage videos where people lose their minds when they lose the roll.
This'll be a two-part story. Chapter 1 shows how the heroes are handling the introduction of Gacha games while chapter 2 shows the villains. Turns out even the worst monsters on Remnant can't resist the allure.
Anyway, hope you guys enjoy this one. After this, I'm thinking of writing a 'What If' chapter for Minecraft Jaune where he chooses to go all-in on helping Menagerie and the consequences of that. Chapter 2 of this and chapter 3 of Minecraft Jaune are already out for supporters.
Chapter 1: 50/50 Salt
A new threat had taken over Beacon Academy, one that surpassed the Grimm or even Salem in its insidiousness. All the students, and even some of the professors, had found themselves helpless before it. It was a threat that could not be fought, that tempted even the strongest wills into giving themselves up before it. In all the years Ozpin had been alive, he had never before seen something so insidious, so subversive in its temptations. Ozpin took a sip of his hot chocolate and shuddered as the name passed through his mind.
Gacha games.
Even Salem's machinations paled in comparison to the reach of this new calamity. A week ago back when he'd first heard of it, he had shrugged and assumed that was just another fad that would pass. As an immortal, he had been witness to hundreds of trends that people assumed would last forever. Human sacrifice, religious inquisitions, disco...all ultimately came and went. They existed in some manner across Remnant even now, of course, but not to the peak of what they once were.
This was different, he could tell. There was something about it that made Ozpin understand that this new horizon would dominate Remnant in its entirety for eons to come.
Ozpin brought his hand across his face with a shuddering breath. It seemed harmless, one might think. People spending money on pixels. But Ozpin knew that it was just the start. Right now it was but a mere taste of the insanity. They wouldn't spend too much money, they would say. It's just a little bit of fun. Like a gambler taking their first bid. Except there were rules on gambling, strict rules that kept it from being accessed by teenagers.
He should've banned it when one of the students first started playing the damnable thing, but he'd refused. His age had blinded him to its true nature and he had foolishly assumed it was just another one of these video games the children of this age liked. Foolishness. Utter foolishness. How could he have been so blind?
His students - the future protectors of mankind - had (almost) all fallen under its thrall. He could count on one hand those who did not succumb to the temptation of these 'husbandos' and 'waifus'. Why butcher the language like that, he wondered. The headmaster of Beacon sighed and stared down morosely at his almost-empty cup. For thousands of years, he'd fought against impossible odds and yet he'd never felt so helpless as he did now.
He summoned Glynda on his scroll. She would know what to do. Banning the games outright wouldn't sit well with the students, but Glynda was nothing if not crafty. She could find some way to reduce the effects of the vile temptation that had overtaken his campus. Maybe by running the students so ragged during training that they wouldn't even have the energy to scream about 'losing the 50/50' and ranting about wanting 'freemocrystals'. Curse the youth and their insane slang!
Ozpin smiled as the door opened...only for it to fall at the sight of Glynda, deputy headmistress of Beacon Academy, walking with her nose buried in her scroll. Normally that wouldn't have been too odd a sight, but he heard the all-too-familiar sound emanating from the device.
"Come on, come on...no!" Glynda wailed, "How? Why am I not getting the Corroded Knight again?! I've spent hundreds already! This banner is rigged!"
"Ahem." Ozpin coughed pointedly. Glynda looked up from her scroll with obvious annoyance, "Good morning, Glynda."
"Headmaster. What do you want?" The blunt question made him blink in surprise. Glynda had always been respectful with a strict belief in hierarchy. Now she was looking at him like an unwanted distraction.
"I was actually hoping you would-"
"Hold that thought." She tapped her scroll and Ozpin's right eye twitched at the familiar whooshing sound that emanated from the screen. Seconds passed before Glynda's eyes suddenly widened, "Yes, finally! C6 Corroded Knight!" Glynda whooped and pumped her hands in the air, "Finally! Now my party can survive in the Abyss."
"Glynda-"
"Alright, now I just need to get the right composition," she continued, completely ignoring him, "Satin Crimson is good for off-tank and healing, but it's not enough when I get to floor 50. Obsidian Nightshade is good for DPS, but her low health means she's gonna get one-shotted by the barrier boss. Ugh, why did they have to nerf her?"
"Deputy Headmistress!" Ozpin screamed. It had been decades since he had to raise his voice.
"What? Can't you see I'm busy?" Glynda sighed, looking up at him with a slight scowl, "I need to get the right team or I'll never make it past abyss 50."
"I have no idea what any of that means." Ozpin pinched the bridge of his nose and sighed, "Just...I need you to-"
"Actually, there's something I wanted to say first." It took everything Ozpin had not to scream when she pulled out a folded slip of paper and slid it across his desk "I'm cashing in all the vacation days I've saved up. I'll see you in a couple of months, headmaster."
"What?!" He eyed the form then looked back up at Glynda's already retreating form, "Wait, you can't just-"
"I can. I read up on the rulebook and there's nothing saying you can't cash in years worth of vacation days at once. Please do not contact me for the foreseeable future."
"But-" He didn't get to say more than that before she left and closed the door behind her. Ozpin stared at the door, mouth ajar. He halfway expected her to double back and explain that it was her cruel idea for a joke, but she never returned. Ozpin slumped back in his chair, a man defeated. Curse you, Gacha! Curse you!
Down in Team RWBY's dorm room, the four members were cooped up inside. It was a rare sight. Just a couple of weeks ago, the team had been flitting about all over Vale, picking fights with criminals and terrorists without fear. Now they were all lazing around on their beds or chairs with their faces practically glued to their scrolls. Not unusual for Ruby or Yang, but definitely so for Weiss and Blake.
Up on her bed, Ruby bit her lip as she looked over her party's stats. Allogene Clash had so many characters and finding the perfect build so they could complement one another was more complicated than Professor Oobleck's tests. She needed the perfect parties for the overworld exploration, boss fights, dungeon crawls, and resource gathering. There was no perfect party that could do everything at once...which only encouraged people to roll the banners to get as many characters as possible.
And weapons.
Silver eyes flicked to the second banner. It had a spear that would be perfect for the head of her dungeon party, but still...
Her mouth twitched and she gulped as she looked at her remaining primocrystals. She only had enough for two more rolls. After that, she'd have to spend money. She still had some Lien saved over, but she'd been hoarding it to get some new parts for Crescent Rose.
But she also knew that her party would've been at least 30 percent more effective if she got that spear...
Before she could stop herself, her finger tapped the Shop button. Just ten more rolls would be fine, right? It wouldn't be too expensive and she really needed that weapon if she wanted to get the perfect meta build. There were rumors that the company would put out a PVP update next month and the thought of being a scrub made her gut churn. Ruby Rose was not a scrub! She was the unbeatable queen of games no matter what Yang said.
Gulping once more, she bought a stack of primocrystals and went back to the weapon banner. One, two...twelve rolls later and the spear still didn't spawn. Ruby growled and went back to the shop, finger hovering over the currency button. She told herself she'd only roll ten times...but she was sure that she could get it! She could feel it in her bones. Just a few more rolls and she'd get the perfect weapon for Crimson Wolf! Her burst DPS would be insane!
A few more rolls wouldn't hurt...
Fifty rolls later and she finally got it. Ruby's eyes widened as the spear popped up on screen and she cheered. Okay, so maybe she'd spent multiple months worth of allowance on it, but so what? She could earn that back easy! Maybe do some missions on her free time. Crescent Rose would understand. She'd want her to be happy.
Across from Ruby on her own bed, Yang scowled at the screen as her party was wiped by the world ! This wasn't fucking fair! How the hell was anyone supposed to win against this fucking thing?! She growled and respawned at the nearest altar. Fuck, she was fighting the boss for hours now! What the hell was she supposed to do?! She memorized the patterns and got to the max level with her party. She even grinded to get a nice bow for Umber!
Okay, so she was playing with the default starter party, but so what? They had to be viable if they were given for free, right? So what if people said Umber was only good as a torch or that Eliza had shitty DPS? She ignored Ruby's previous taunts about how her team 'wasn't meta' and qued up for the boss again. She was gonna win this thing no matter how many tries it took. So what if she had to lose a few days banging her head against a wall? Huntresses didn't give up.
Her focus briefly shifted over to the banner before she scowled and looked back to the screen. She wasn't gonna spend her money on it. She wasn't! She could do this! She could-
"Hmph! Know your place, swine!" The boss stomped Kyle's face into the dirt. Game over.
...
It took everything Yang had to not chuck her scroll against the wall. No, it wouldn't help. It would just mean that bitch Capuccino won. Taking a deep breath, she scrolled over to the banner and put in her credit details. She could deal with less nights out at the club for the next few weeks...
Pacing around the room, Weiss skipped through the summoning animation and breathed out through her nose at the lineup she received. A couple of 4-stars and a smattering of low-tier weapons and ascension the heck was going on?! This was her 200th roll this day and she'd only gotten two five stars! One was that two thousand-year-old dragon in the body of twelve year old, because of course it was, and the other was a teenage boy with the most generic design she'd ever seen.
Weiss sighed in frustration and tapped the banner again. How could she lose the 50/50 so often? That had to be breaking some sort of rule? Was the company aware of who she was and deliberately rigging her rolls to ensure she spent more money? If so, she was going to have words.
...Right after this next roll.
Another 4-star, this one of James Crescent, the rookie knight. Ugh, how had she gotten ten copies of this wastrel already? Why couldn't she get the Corroded Knight? Her lips puckered into a deep frown as she stared longingly at the second banner. The Corroded Knight was featured prominently, his bearded visage and striking eyes staring straight into her soul. He was the very picture of a dignified warrior and gentleman. Something that all of Atlas could aspire to.
But of course, she'd had no luck in getting him. Oh no, she had to get 4-stars like Lian and Genevieve. How was she supposed to play with these weaklings? She hadn't even done anything after beating the tutorial. She wanted to start her journey right with the perfect team. All 5-stars, all max level, and equipped with the best weapons and accessories. Only then could she get through the tutorial and be taught how to use a glider.
She chewed on her lower lip and flicked over to the first banner. While she hoped to get the Corroded Knight, there was one character she wanted above all else. Pythia Nicolaides. A powerful warrior who was good at both range and melee distance. Her flaming red hair, striking green eyes, and flattering armor drew one's attention, as did her inflated stats. She was bar none the strongest character in the game as of the latest patch.
She was also obviously based on Pyrrha. She didn't say anything about it, humble as she was, but they all knew. Her stats and appearance meant that she was the rarest character to get with an estimated 0.1 percent chance of getting even a single spawn, nevermind the five other copies you needed to to access her later upgrade paths. There were even rumors of people who sold their houses in order to get enough money to make wishes.
They didn't get her anyway.
She tapped the banner again and her brows furrowed as the wish didn't register. She tapped once more and the banner remained static, "What the...?" She went to her payment details and looked it over. Everything appeared to be in order, so what was-
Her scroll suddenly rang, forcing the game to minimize. The word 'FATHER' slapped across the screen made her grimace, "Yes?" she asked, barely even attempting to hide the surliness in her tone. She could've been making wishes right now.
"Weiss." Her Father's greeting sounded terser than normal, "I've been receiving notices of numerous payments you've made over the course of the past week. Were you aware that you've spent close to ten thousand lien just this week alone?"
"That is..." She knew she'd been spending a lot recently, but she'd lost track of the exact amount. She simply always bought the highest primocrystals package since it meant saving money in the long run, "I've been buying some Dust recently." Blake, Yang, and Ruby looked up from their screens with questioning looks and raised brows. Weiss ignored them all, "With the recent Dust crisis in Vale, the supplies of Dust have only gotten more expensive. I can't be blamed for that."
"Dust? Is that what you call buying these so-called 'Primocrystals'?" Weiss winced. Drat, "Because I don't recall any sort of Dust product or promotion that has such an asinine name."
"It's, um-"
"I didn't come here to hear your excuses. As of this moment, your allowance is suspended."
"What?!" Weiss shrieked. The windows seemed to rattle with how loud she was, "Y-You can't do that!"
"I very well can. It's my money."
"You don't understand! I've only gotten for five starts this past week and they're still in C2? I can't stop now until I get Pythia! I won't let this be for nothing!"
"...I have no idea what any of those words mean. Regardless, you're cut off."
The call ended and the game dominated the screen once more. Weiss numbly raised her hand and tapped the banner again.
Nothing happened.
...
She fainted.
Blake looked up from her beanbag chair as Ruby sighed and hopped off her spot to drag Weiss back to her bed. The reaper not-too-gently just threw her onto the mattress before going back to her game. Blake rolled her eyes. Judging by the looks on both their faces, it was obvious that they'd spent far more than what they were comfortable with to get their wishes.
How shortsighted.
Blake was different. Five years she'd spent on the road having to scrounge for a living. The White Fang wasn't exactly rolling in lien and they all had to learn to live off the land. Especially in Mistral. Many services wouldn't dare accept a Faunus customer regardless of how much money they had.
She smiled at her scroll. While she didn't have the most optimal party, she'd gathered enough characters to be prepared for anything.
The best part was that it didn't cost her a penny. Well, sort of. While everyone else had to dip into their allowances, savings, and even the Beacon stipend, she'd found alternate means of funding herself.
Commissions. The game had an extensive list of characters and shipping had gone into overdrive. Many were less interested in actually playing the game compared to reading about the characters and Blake was there to provide that service. An afternoon spent writing and she had enough lien to go for ten or twenty rolls. She made money off the game while the game made money off her. The circle of life, she called it.
And seeing the looks on her teammate's faces, she knew that she'd made the right call.
Team JNPR's room was a contrast to their sister team. While Jaune and Pyrrha had their nose buried in their scrolls as well, the palpable feeling of anxiety in the air was absent.
Pyrrha smiled slightly as she tapped the weapon banner. It was odd. When she found out her likeness had been used as part of the game, she'd been utterly mortified. The company's reassurances that she would be well-compensated hadn't done much to help. Her face had been plastered on things before, of course, but this felt different somehow. People couldn't exactly control her likeness if it was in a cereal box, for example.
She spent the first few days utterly ignoring the game even as it spread through the school like wildfire. It was only when Jaune started playing it that she decided to give it a shot. Maybe it would allow them something to talk about. She'd even rolled on that Gacha thing, if only to make sure that she knew what she was talking about.
It was then that she fell in love...okay, not exactly, and she didn't fall for the gacha. No, it was something different.
James Crescent, the Rookie Knight. From what she gathered, he was considered a low-tier character with not a lot going for him. Pyrrha didn't care. There was something about him that drew her like a moth to a flame. The striking blue eyes, blonde hair that shined like the sun, and a dorky smile that made your heart melt. Who cared if he had 'low DPS', whatever that meant. She liked him for his character, for his earnest desire to help people no matter the odds.
She made sure Jau- er, James wanted for nothing. While she didn't make a habit of advertising it like Weiss did, Pyrrha had a very generous nest egg. Her tournament winnings combined with her various sponsorship ensured that she could live comfortably even if she decided to retire early. Withdrawing some funds to fund her rolls hadn't even made a dent in her bank account. After all, she had to make sure her Rookie Knight had the best. The right weapons, gear, and materials to ensure that he reached the max level as soon as possible.
And of coruse, he needed a companion. A...partner. A quick call to the company and they agreed to tweak her account's probabilities. Now she had both James and Pythia in her party as an adventurering pair exploring the land of Vatey. Alright, there were two others in the party due to hard-coded requirements, but she never put them in the field. She didn't need to. Pythia and Jaune were more than enough to explore the word.
...
She meant James.
She looked up from the screen to her partner. Like almost everyone else at school, he was playing the game, though so far he hadn't spent a single lien. She'd offered to give him the money - give because she didn't expect it to be paid back - but he refused. Completing specific missions gave a person one or two rolls. It was a slow method, and one the rest of the students considered far too tedious to do. Who had time to actually play the game when they could simply pay to get wishes?
And yet Jaune seemed to have Atlesian luck. Every single time he rolled, he'd come up with a minimum of four 5-star characters. She'd called the company and asked if they'd modified any other accounts but they assured her that she was a special case and she only got that benefit because of her work with the company.
"Sweet, another roll." Jaune cheered.
Pyrrha hopped off her bed and looked over Jaune's shoulder as the animation played. She was sure his luck would keep up.
And so it did. Pyrrha gasped softly at the sight of five Pythia characters lined up in a row next to a single Rookie Knight. This...was this a sign? Pyrrha believed in destiny, and this felt like fate giving her a signal, "Huh. Hey, Pyr. These 5-stars kinda look like you."
"S-So they do," Pyrrha blushed, "I heard she has really good stats, so why don't you-"
"Wow, these guys go for a lot of experience!" Pyrrha watched, utterly horrified, as he put a single Pythia into storage then dragged the other four away. "I've been hoping to level up Obsidian." He tapped the screen and the four Pythia copies were consumed to strengthen Obsidian Nighthsade. A reaper type character dressed in all-black who fought with a scythe. Pyrrha's eyes bulged as the four Pythias were ruthlessly sacrificed and turned into raw experience for the gleefully smiling reaper.
"Wh-Why did you do that?"
"Huh?" Jaune looked up, "Well...Obsidian's my favorite character. I really like her playstyle and I wanted to level her up."
"B-But what about Pythia! S-She has the best stats in the game!"
"Sure, but...I'm not playing this for stats or anything. I pick characters who are the most fun." Jaune shrugged. His utterly uncaring nature after having murdered four innocent Pythias nearly made her faint, "I mean, I might try the one I left in storage later, Obsidian's playstyle is just really working for me right now. Scythes are cool."
"I...I see." Pyrrha forced a smile on her face and stumbled back to her bed. Turning on her scroll once more, she smiled at the sight of Pyrrha and Jaune exploring the world as a duo.
Across the room, Ren and Nora looked at their teammates with pity. Ren shook his head and sighed while Nora had an uncharacteristic frown on her face, "Ugh, I can't take it, Renny! Why's everyone acting so weird? That's my job!"
"It appears you're now trapped with me in the land of sanity, Nora."
"But I don't like it here~!"
"There's nothing we can do about that." Ren sighed once more. Of everyone on campus, they were rare ones - possibly the only ones - who failed to see the appeal of this glorified gambling ring. Perhaps it was due to living a life of frugality for over a decade. Orphans outside the walls didn't have many opportunities for luxury and they had to learn to save every little bit of lien they had. Stormflower and Magnhild were the result of years of hard work. It was something tangible.
The thought of spending so much money for the chance to get some pixels on a screen made him feel sick. Who could afford such gluttonous excess, Ren thought. At least Nora's pancakes filled her stomach. Lines of code were meaningless.
"How long do you think it's gonna be like this?" Nora asked with a scared whimper.
"I don't know exactly, but I have the feeling we're going to be in this for the long haul."
Yikes. Some people just can't control themselves, huh? At least Jaune and Blake are handling it well. Hope you guys like this one.
Wanna help support me (and gain access to chapters a week or two early)? Then check out the link below:
Patreon.com/Vendetta543
Note that despite the portrayal here, I don't really have anything against Gacha. Mostly because I don't play Gacha games and my main exposure are rage videos where people lose their minds when they lose the roll.
This'll be a two-part story. Chapter 1 shows how the heroes are handling the introduction of Gacha games while chapter 2 shows the villains. Turns out even the worst monsters on Remnant can't resist the allure.
Anyway, hope you guys enjoy this one. After this, I'm thinking of writing a 'What If' chapter for Minecraft Jaune where he chooses to go all-in on helping Menagerie and the consequences of that. Chapter 2 of this and chapter 3 of Minecraft Jaune are already out for supporters.
Chapter 1: 50/50 Salt
A new threat had taken over Beacon Academy, one that surpassed the Grimm or even Salem in its insidiousness. All the students, and even some of the professors, had found themselves helpless before it. It was a threat that could not be fought, that tempted even the strongest wills into giving themselves up before it. In all the years Ozpin had been alive, he had never before seen something so insidious, so subversive in its temptations. Ozpin took a sip of his hot chocolate and shuddered as the name passed through his mind.
Gacha games.
Even Salem's machinations paled in comparison to the reach of this new calamity. A week ago back when he'd first heard of it, he had shrugged and assumed that was just another fad that would pass. As an immortal, he had been witness to hundreds of trends that people assumed would last forever. Human sacrifice, religious inquisitions, disco...all ultimately came and went. They existed in some manner across Remnant even now, of course, but not to the peak of what they once were.
This was different, he could tell. There was something about it that made Ozpin understand that this new horizon would dominate Remnant in its entirety for eons to come.
Ozpin brought his hand across his face with a shuddering breath. It seemed harmless, one might think. People spending money on pixels. But Ozpin knew that it was just the start. Right now it was but a mere taste of the insanity. They wouldn't spend too much money, they would say. It's just a little bit of fun. Like a gambler taking their first bid. Except there were rules on gambling, strict rules that kept it from being accessed by teenagers.
He should've banned it when one of the students first started playing the damnable thing, but he'd refused. His age had blinded him to its true nature and he had foolishly assumed it was just another one of these video games the children of this age liked. Foolishness. Utter foolishness. How could he have been so blind?
His students - the future protectors of mankind - had (almost) all fallen under its thrall. He could count on one hand those who did not succumb to the temptation of these 'husbandos' and 'waifus'. Why butcher the language like that, he wondered. The headmaster of Beacon sighed and stared down morosely at his almost-empty cup. For thousands of years, he'd fought against impossible odds and yet he'd never felt so helpless as he did now.
He summoned Glynda on his scroll. She would know what to do. Banning the games outright wouldn't sit well with the students, but Glynda was nothing if not crafty. She could find some way to reduce the effects of the vile temptation that had overtaken his campus. Maybe by running the students so ragged during training that they wouldn't even have the energy to scream about 'losing the 50/50' and ranting about wanting 'freemocrystals'. Curse the youth and their insane slang!
Ozpin smiled as the door opened...only for it to fall at the sight of Glynda, deputy headmistress of Beacon Academy, walking with her nose buried in her scroll. Normally that wouldn't have been too odd a sight, but he heard the all-too-familiar sound emanating from the device.
"Come on, come on...no!" Glynda wailed, "How? Why am I not getting the Corroded Knight again?! I've spent hundreds already! This banner is rigged!"
"Ahem." Ozpin coughed pointedly. Glynda looked up from her scroll with obvious annoyance, "Good morning, Glynda."
"Headmaster. What do you want?" The blunt question made him blink in surprise. Glynda had always been respectful with a strict belief in hierarchy. Now she was looking at him like an unwanted distraction.
"I was actually hoping you would-"
"Hold that thought." She tapped her scroll and Ozpin's right eye twitched at the familiar whooshing sound that emanated from the screen. Seconds passed before Glynda's eyes suddenly widened, "Yes, finally! C6 Corroded Knight!" Glynda whooped and pumped her hands in the air, "Finally! Now my party can survive in the Abyss."
"Glynda-"
"Alright, now I just need to get the right composition," she continued, completely ignoring him, "Satin Crimson is good for off-tank and healing, but it's not enough when I get to floor 50. Obsidian Nightshade is good for DPS, but her low health means she's gonna get one-shotted by the barrier boss. Ugh, why did they have to nerf her?"
"Deputy Headmistress!" Ozpin screamed. It had been decades since he had to raise his voice.
"What? Can't you see I'm busy?" Glynda sighed, looking up at him with a slight scowl, "I need to get the right team or I'll never make it past abyss 50."
"I have no idea what any of that means." Ozpin pinched the bridge of his nose and sighed, "Just...I need you to-"
"Actually, there's something I wanted to say first." It took everything Ozpin had not to scream when she pulled out a folded slip of paper and slid it across his desk "I'm cashing in all the vacation days I've saved up. I'll see you in a couple of months, headmaster."
"What?!" He eyed the form then looked back up at Glynda's already retreating form, "Wait, you can't just-"
"I can. I read up on the rulebook and there's nothing saying you can't cash in years worth of vacation days at once. Please do not contact me for the foreseeable future."
"But-" He didn't get to say more than that before she left and closed the door behind her. Ozpin stared at the door, mouth ajar. He halfway expected her to double back and explain that it was her cruel idea for a joke, but she never returned. Ozpin slumped back in his chair, a man defeated. Curse you, Gacha! Curse you!
Down in Team RWBY's dorm room, the four members were cooped up inside. It was a rare sight. Just a couple of weeks ago, the team had been flitting about all over Vale, picking fights with criminals and terrorists without fear. Now they were all lazing around on their beds or chairs with their faces practically glued to their scrolls. Not unusual for Ruby or Yang, but definitely so for Weiss and Blake.
Up on her bed, Ruby bit her lip as she looked over her party's stats. Allogene Clash had so many characters and finding the perfect build so they could complement one another was more complicated than Professor Oobleck's tests. She needed the perfect parties for the overworld exploration, boss fights, dungeon crawls, and resource gathering. There was no perfect party that could do everything at once...which only encouraged people to roll the banners to get as many characters as possible.
And weapons.
Silver eyes flicked to the second banner. It had a spear that would be perfect for the head of her dungeon party, but still...
Her mouth twitched and she gulped as she looked at her remaining primocrystals. She only had enough for two more rolls. After that, she'd have to spend money. She still had some Lien saved over, but she'd been hoarding it to get some new parts for Crescent Rose.
But she also knew that her party would've been at least 30 percent more effective if she got that spear...
Before she could stop herself, her finger tapped the Shop button. Just ten more rolls would be fine, right? It wouldn't be too expensive and she really needed that weapon if she wanted to get the perfect meta build. There were rumors that the company would put out a PVP update next month and the thought of being a scrub made her gut churn. Ruby Rose was not a scrub! She was the unbeatable queen of games no matter what Yang said.
Gulping once more, she bought a stack of primocrystals and went back to the weapon banner. One, two...twelve rolls later and the spear still didn't spawn. Ruby growled and went back to the shop, finger hovering over the currency button. She told herself she'd only roll ten times...but she was sure that she could get it! She could feel it in her bones. Just a few more rolls and she'd get the perfect weapon for Crimson Wolf! Her burst DPS would be insane!
A few more rolls wouldn't hurt...
Fifty rolls later and she finally got it. Ruby's eyes widened as the spear popped up on screen and she cheered. Okay, so maybe she'd spent multiple months worth of allowance on it, but so what? She could earn that back easy! Maybe do some missions on her free time. Crescent Rose would understand. She'd want her to be happy.
Across from Ruby on her own bed, Yang scowled at the screen as her party was wiped by the world ! This wasn't fucking fair! How the hell was anyone supposed to win against this fucking thing?! She growled and respawned at the nearest altar. Fuck, she was fighting the boss for hours now! What the hell was she supposed to do?! She memorized the patterns and got to the max level with her party. She even grinded to get a nice bow for Umber!
Okay, so she was playing with the default starter party, but so what? They had to be viable if they were given for free, right? So what if people said Umber was only good as a torch or that Eliza had shitty DPS? She ignored Ruby's previous taunts about how her team 'wasn't meta' and qued up for the boss again. She was gonna win this thing no matter how many tries it took. So what if she had to lose a few days banging her head against a wall? Huntresses didn't give up.
Her focus briefly shifted over to the banner before she scowled and looked back to the screen. She wasn't gonna spend her money on it. She wasn't! She could do this! She could-
"Hmph! Know your place, swine!" The boss stomped Kyle's face into the dirt. Game over.
...
It took everything Yang had to not chuck her scroll against the wall. No, it wouldn't help. It would just mean that bitch Capuccino won. Taking a deep breath, she scrolled over to the banner and put in her credit details. She could deal with less nights out at the club for the next few weeks...
Pacing around the room, Weiss skipped through the summoning animation and breathed out through her nose at the lineup she received. A couple of 4-stars and a smattering of low-tier weapons and ascension the heck was going on?! This was her 200th roll this day and she'd only gotten two five stars! One was that two thousand-year-old dragon in the body of twelve year old, because of course it was, and the other was a teenage boy with the most generic design she'd ever seen.
Weiss sighed in frustration and tapped the banner again. How could she lose the 50/50 so often? That had to be breaking some sort of rule? Was the company aware of who she was and deliberately rigging her rolls to ensure she spent more money? If so, she was going to have words.
...Right after this next roll.
Another 4-star, this one of James Crescent, the rookie knight. Ugh, how had she gotten ten copies of this wastrel already? Why couldn't she get the Corroded Knight? Her lips puckered into a deep frown as she stared longingly at the second banner. The Corroded Knight was featured prominently, his bearded visage and striking eyes staring straight into her soul. He was the very picture of a dignified warrior and gentleman. Something that all of Atlas could aspire to.
But of course, she'd had no luck in getting him. Oh no, she had to get 4-stars like Lian and Genevieve. How was she supposed to play with these weaklings? She hadn't even done anything after beating the tutorial. She wanted to start her journey right with the perfect team. All 5-stars, all max level, and equipped with the best weapons and accessories. Only then could she get through the tutorial and be taught how to use a glider.
She chewed on her lower lip and flicked over to the first banner. While she hoped to get the Corroded Knight, there was one character she wanted above all else. Pythia Nicolaides. A powerful warrior who was good at both range and melee distance. Her flaming red hair, striking green eyes, and flattering armor drew one's attention, as did her inflated stats. She was bar none the strongest character in the game as of the latest patch.
She was also obviously based on Pyrrha. She didn't say anything about it, humble as she was, but they all knew. Her stats and appearance meant that she was the rarest character to get with an estimated 0.1 percent chance of getting even a single spawn, nevermind the five other copies you needed to to access her later upgrade paths. There were even rumors of people who sold their houses in order to get enough money to make wishes.
They didn't get her anyway.
She tapped the banner again and her brows furrowed as the wish didn't register. She tapped once more and the banner remained static, "What the...?" She went to her payment details and looked it over. Everything appeared to be in order, so what was-
Her scroll suddenly rang, forcing the game to minimize. The word 'FATHER' slapped across the screen made her grimace, "Yes?" she asked, barely even attempting to hide the surliness in her tone. She could've been making wishes right now.
"Weiss." Her Father's greeting sounded terser than normal, "I've been receiving notices of numerous payments you've made over the course of the past week. Were you aware that you've spent close to ten thousand lien just this week alone?"
"That is..." She knew she'd been spending a lot recently, but she'd lost track of the exact amount. She simply always bought the highest primocrystals package since it meant saving money in the long run, "I've been buying some Dust recently." Blake, Yang, and Ruby looked up from their screens with questioning looks and raised brows. Weiss ignored them all, "With the recent Dust crisis in Vale, the supplies of Dust have only gotten more expensive. I can't be blamed for that."
"Dust? Is that what you call buying these so-called 'Primocrystals'?" Weiss winced. Drat, "Because I don't recall any sort of Dust product or promotion that has such an asinine name."
"It's, um-"
"I didn't come here to hear your excuses. As of this moment, your allowance is suspended."
"What?!" Weiss shrieked. The windows seemed to rattle with how loud she was, "Y-You can't do that!"
"I very well can. It's my money."
"You don't understand! I've only gotten for five starts this past week and they're still in C2? I can't stop now until I get Pythia! I won't let this be for nothing!"
"...I have no idea what any of those words mean. Regardless, you're cut off."
The call ended and the game dominated the screen once more. Weiss numbly raised her hand and tapped the banner again.
Nothing happened.
...
She fainted.
Blake looked up from her beanbag chair as Ruby sighed and hopped off her spot to drag Weiss back to her bed. The reaper not-too-gently just threw her onto the mattress before going back to her game. Blake rolled her eyes. Judging by the looks on both their faces, it was obvious that they'd spent far more than what they were comfortable with to get their wishes.
How shortsighted.
Blake was different. Five years she'd spent on the road having to scrounge for a living. The White Fang wasn't exactly rolling in lien and they all had to learn to live off the land. Especially in Mistral. Many services wouldn't dare accept a Faunus customer regardless of how much money they had.
She smiled at her scroll. While she didn't have the most optimal party, she'd gathered enough characters to be prepared for anything.
The best part was that it didn't cost her a penny. Well, sort of. While everyone else had to dip into their allowances, savings, and even the Beacon stipend, she'd found alternate means of funding herself.
Commissions. The game had an extensive list of characters and shipping had gone into overdrive. Many were less interested in actually playing the game compared to reading about the characters and Blake was there to provide that service. An afternoon spent writing and she had enough lien to go for ten or twenty rolls. She made money off the game while the game made money off her. The circle of life, she called it.
And seeing the looks on her teammate's faces, she knew that she'd made the right call.
Team JNPR's room was a contrast to their sister team. While Jaune and Pyrrha had their nose buried in their scrolls as well, the palpable feeling of anxiety in the air was absent.
Pyrrha smiled slightly as she tapped the weapon banner. It was odd. When she found out her likeness had been used as part of the game, she'd been utterly mortified. The company's reassurances that she would be well-compensated hadn't done much to help. Her face had been plastered on things before, of course, but this felt different somehow. People couldn't exactly control her likeness if it was in a cereal box, for example.
She spent the first few days utterly ignoring the game even as it spread through the school like wildfire. It was only when Jaune started playing it that she decided to give it a shot. Maybe it would allow them something to talk about. She'd even rolled on that Gacha thing, if only to make sure that she knew what she was talking about.
It was then that she fell in love...okay, not exactly, and she didn't fall for the gacha. No, it was something different.
James Crescent, the Rookie Knight. From what she gathered, he was considered a low-tier character with not a lot going for him. Pyrrha didn't care. There was something about him that drew her like a moth to a flame. The striking blue eyes, blonde hair that shined like the sun, and a dorky smile that made your heart melt. Who cared if he had 'low DPS', whatever that meant. She liked him for his character, for his earnest desire to help people no matter the odds.
She made sure Jau- er, James wanted for nothing. While she didn't make a habit of advertising it like Weiss did, Pyrrha had a very generous nest egg. Her tournament winnings combined with her various sponsorship ensured that she could live comfortably even if she decided to retire early. Withdrawing some funds to fund her rolls hadn't even made a dent in her bank account. After all, she had to make sure her Rookie Knight had the best. The right weapons, gear, and materials to ensure that he reached the max level as soon as possible.
And of coruse, he needed a companion. A...partner. A quick call to the company and they agreed to tweak her account's probabilities. Now she had both James and Pythia in her party as an adventurering pair exploring the land of Vatey. Alright, there were two others in the party due to hard-coded requirements, but she never put them in the field. She didn't need to. Pythia and Jaune were more than enough to explore the word.
...
She meant James.
She looked up from the screen to her partner. Like almost everyone else at school, he was playing the game, though so far he hadn't spent a single lien. She'd offered to give him the money - give because she didn't expect it to be paid back - but he refused. Completing specific missions gave a person one or two rolls. It was a slow method, and one the rest of the students considered far too tedious to do. Who had time to actually play the game when they could simply pay to get wishes?
And yet Jaune seemed to have Atlesian luck. Every single time he rolled, he'd come up with a minimum of four 5-star characters. She'd called the company and asked if they'd modified any other accounts but they assured her that she was a special case and she only got that benefit because of her work with the company.
"Sweet, another roll." Jaune cheered.
Pyrrha hopped off her bed and looked over Jaune's shoulder as the animation played. She was sure his luck would keep up.
And so it did. Pyrrha gasped softly at the sight of five Pythia characters lined up in a row next to a single Rookie Knight. This...was this a sign? Pyrrha believed in destiny, and this felt like fate giving her a signal, "Huh. Hey, Pyr. These 5-stars kinda look like you."
"S-So they do," Pyrrha blushed, "I heard she has really good stats, so why don't you-"
"Wow, these guys go for a lot of experience!" Pyrrha watched, utterly horrified, as he put a single Pythia into storage then dragged the other four away. "I've been hoping to level up Obsidian." He tapped the screen and the four Pythia copies were consumed to strengthen Obsidian Nighthsade. A reaper type character dressed in all-black who fought with a scythe. Pyrrha's eyes bulged as the four Pythias were ruthlessly sacrificed and turned into raw experience for the gleefully smiling reaper.
"Wh-Why did you do that?"
"Huh?" Jaune looked up, "Well...Obsidian's my favorite character. I really like her playstyle and I wanted to level her up."
"B-But what about Pythia! S-She has the best stats in the game!"
"Sure, but...I'm not playing this for stats or anything. I pick characters who are the most fun." Jaune shrugged. His utterly uncaring nature after having murdered four innocent Pythias nearly made her faint, "I mean, I might try the one I left in storage later, Obsidian's playstyle is just really working for me right now. Scythes are cool."
"I...I see." Pyrrha forced a smile on her face and stumbled back to her bed. Turning on her scroll once more, she smiled at the sight of Pyrrha and Jaune exploring the world as a duo.
Across the room, Ren and Nora looked at their teammates with pity. Ren shook his head and sighed while Nora had an uncharacteristic frown on her face, "Ugh, I can't take it, Renny! Why's everyone acting so weird? That's my job!"
"It appears you're now trapped with me in the land of sanity, Nora."
"But I don't like it here~!"
"There's nothing we can do about that." Ren sighed once more. Of everyone on campus, they were rare ones - possibly the only ones - who failed to see the appeal of this glorified gambling ring. Perhaps it was due to living a life of frugality for over a decade. Orphans outside the walls didn't have many opportunities for luxury and they had to learn to save every little bit of lien they had. Stormflower and Magnhild were the result of years of hard work. It was something tangible.
The thought of spending so much money for the chance to get some pixels on a screen made him feel sick. Who could afford such gluttonous excess, Ren thought. At least Nora's pancakes filled her stomach. Lines of code were meaningless.
"How long do you think it's gonna be like this?" Nora asked with a scared whimper.
"I don't know exactly, but I have the feeling we're going to be in this for the long haul."
Yikes. Some people just can't control themselves, huh? At least Jaune and Blake are handling it well. Hope you guys like this one.
Wanna help support me (and gain access to chapters a week or two early)? Then check out the link below:
Patreon.com/Vendetta543
Gacha RWBY - Chapter 2
eratas123
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Next chapter of Gacha RWBY, this time focusing on the villains being affected by Gacha. Next Minecraft Jaune chapter will be out next week for free readers. Currently writing the new chapter 
For anyone interested in making a commission, email me at: storylover543@gmail.com
But it wasn't just the heroes of Remnant that had fallen into the Gacha's clutches. The allure had claimed both the virtuous and the villainous, the saints and the sinners. From the greatest heroes to the most depraved of monsters, no one escaped the all-encompassing pull.
Such as it was with one Roman Torchwick. The infamous thief trudged back to his safehouse with his head hung low. Working for Cinder wasn't fun. The fiery bitch didn't pay a single cent for all the jobs he did for her and she saddled him with those White Fang animals. Amateurs and zealots. Say what you would about him, but he was a professional. Just cause he was a showman didn't mean he let it stop him from doing what he had to. So what if he was on every camera? He still stole from that bank or store or museum!"
The reminder of what crime he could be committing made him depressed. It was a perfect, crime-full day! People were practically begging to be victimized! But nooo, apparently no one else thought so! Neo - his partner, the only person that mattered on this Brothers forsaken planet - wasn't answering his calls. Junior, who was normally so reliable, wasn't taking his calls either. Even the White Fang and Cinder were ghosting him! They were blackmailing him and now they didn't even have the time to answer his calls! Rude!
And why had everyone in this city gotten so damn lazy? One word: Gacha.
It took over the city by storm. One day everyone was excited about the Vytal or gossiping about which Huntsman would snag the win and the next they were all glued to their scrolls talking about 'banners' and 'husbandos and waifus'. Roman wasn't an old man - he was only 33, thank you very much - but he definitely felt like one listening to everyone talk about things that went in one ear and out the other. What the heck was 'freemocrystals' and why did people cry about 'getting C6 Benny'?
His shoulders sagged as he walked down the street. That would've normally been dangerous considering he was the most infamous criminal in all of Vale, but no one even cared. They all looked down at their scrolls and passed him by without a second glance. Even the cops didn't bother to look up from their scrolls. Roman had stopped and coughed at a bunch of them, just daring them to look up and actually do their damn jobs. All he got was some half-hearted 'we're busy, citizen' and a couple saying he should 'get that cough looked at'! Arggggh!
Even going to Junior's place directly hadn't helped. Junior, his entire gang, and even those two bouncers were too busy 'rolling banners' or whatever the heck those crazy addicts called it. It was right then and there that Roman knew that he wasn't going to get anywhere today. Even if he could rob some place right now, everyone would still be too glued to their scrolls to notice. Fire bitch could've enacted her plan to destroy Vale right now and they couldn't be assed to look up.
Sighing, Roman picked up his scroll. Not to play the game (because he wasn't a moron), but to check his bank account. Things had been pretty tight lately but so far he and Neo managed to avoid spending any-
He nearly dropped his scroll at the numbers that greeted him. 37 lien. 37 lien out of the tens of millions he'd squirreled away over his decade of being Vale's premier thief. It might not have sounded like a lot, but a lot of his assets came in the form of priceless stuff that couldn't be sold on the black market. Still, what he did have was enough for him and Neo to live comfortably off the grid if it ever came down to it. 30 million lien could grease a lot of palms.
Now it was all gone.
And he knew exactly who to blame, "NEEEEOOOOOO!" He screamed, his voice echoing across all of Vale. He ran like a man possessed and didn't stop until he reached her apartment. Without even bothering to knock, Roman kicked the door down and stomped inside, mouth frothing in a rage, "Where are you?!" You have some explaining to do, young lady!"
He kicked down the door to her bedroom and found the culprit looking like all was right with the world. Contrary to her usual looks, his partner looked borderline unrecognizable. Gone was the effortless style and cockiness that marked her as Roman Torchwick's equal. Instead, she looked absolutely haggard. Hair messy, bags under her eyes, and wearing nothing but a stained, oversized shirt and a pair of boxers that definitely didn't belong to him; he preferred briefs, thank you.
The entire room was a mess too, laden with empty bags of chips and energy drinks. He sniffed the air and grimaced at the stench. By the Brothers, how long was it since she bathed?! "You have a lot of explaining to do, young lady!" Roman grabbed her by the collar and dragged her out. She struggled like a limp cat, hands desperately pressing her scroll against her chest. Roman resisted the urge to toss her into the tub for a much-needed soak and instead dropped her on the couch.
"Explain." He snarled, crossing his arms like the disappointed father he was far too young to be.
Neo tilted her head to the side like the little girl she definitely wasn't and gave him a look of pure confusion, "Uh-uh, I'm not falling for it! Don't forget who taught you that look, young lady!" Roman pointed his finger at her nose, "What the hell happened to all our savings?!"
Neo shrugged and looked away.
"I know when you're lying. I taught you everything you know!" Neo rolled her eyes. Roman's mouth twitched. This little brat. Fine, she wanted to play hardball? He'd play.
Without warning, he reached down and took the scroll from her hands. Neo gasped silently and reached out, but it was too late. Neo might've been the brawn to his brains, but there was one undeniable truth: he was tall and she was short. He raised his left hand, the one holding the scroll, and grabbed her head with the other. She struggled and (silently) screamed, desperately trying to take back her drug, but he refused. Even her Semblance didn't help. He knew exactly what kinds of tricks she pulled.
"You're not getting this back until you explain!" He grimaced and ignored how she scratched and bit at him. There was a reason he didn't indulge in anything addictive. In the end, you always lost, "I'm giving you the count of five before I toss your scroll out the window! One...two...three-"
Neo suddenly pulled back and, much to Roman's surprise and disgust, got down on her hands and knees. Neo never begged for anything in her life, and now here she was, doing just that for her game. Roman's heart broke at the sight of it, "...Explain." He sighed and handed her the scroll back.
His partner made a wide array of gestures and expressions as she told her 'gripping tale'. She'd played the game for a few days and realized a bitter truth: there was no 'husbando' just for her. She looked and she looked, but there was no one that scratched that itch. And so she designed one of her own. The perfect 'husbando' from top to bottom that appealed specifically to her. And then she put her super duper special original character into the game.
"But why did you spend money?!" Roman threw his hands up, "You know how this works!" She made an X-shape with her hands and stuck out her tongue, "What do you mean 'you tried to do it the usual way'? Find an employee and threaten him. If that doesn't work, kill him, hide the body, then go for another-
Another long string of gestures and expressions. She did try to threaten an employee to find out who the mysterious boss of this Gacha machine was. They refused to break under torture and she disposed of them. Then she went after half a dozen more. It always ended the same way. They were more loyal to their mysterious boss than they were scared of losing their life to whatever Neo did to them. Neo loved herself a spot of torture here and there, but she knew when she was beaten. She couldn't get her 'Husbando' into the game with threats, so she dipped into their bank account...
"Neo, that was all of our savings! You know we can't sell anything else we've stolen!"
She was completely shameless, of course. It was worth it. She had to get her personal spank material into the game. She needed this. So on and so forth. Roman groaned and sat next to his diminutive partner. What else was he supposed to do? Neo didn't know the meaning of shame and telling her that spending 30 million lien on pixels was a bad thing just wouldn't register. Might as well tell her that theft and murder were generally frowned upon.
"Ugh. Fine, you know what? Show me this virtual boyfriend of yours. I should at least see what you spent our life savings on."
Neo jumped up excitedly and shoved the screen in his face. Roman wrinkled his nose at the smell of days-old junk food and watched as she tapped through a bunch of her characters. A blonde dame with her fists up, someone who looked like Pyrrha Nikos, some blonde knight with a really punchable face...shit, how many did she have? She cycled through a few (dozen) more of them before eventually stopping at her original character that must not be stolen. She tapped the screen and smiled proudly at him.
...
...
...
"This is the exact same as that knight character!" Roman screamed.
Neo looked horrifically offended at the idea and scowled. 'You take that back,' her eyes seemed to say. Roman did not. Instead, he grabbed her scroll and cycled back to the blonde knight. James Crescent. What a stupid name, "Your 'original character' is literally just this one except yours has heterochromia and a white streak in his hair! That's it! You spent thirty million lien on a color swap!"
'Nuh-uh!' She didn't say that, of course, but she kicked his side and took her scroll back before she stuck her tongue out at him. She swiped back to her color swap and cooed at the screen. How? How could she not see that it was literally just the same guy with slightly different colors?! He'd call it a scam, but that would imply they had to put in the effort to trick her! Passing off a cardboard box as Schnee Manor wasn't a scam, it was bending reality!
Roman sagged on the couch as Neo continued to fawn over her Original Character. Gacha...such a terrifying, evil thing. Addiction made fools of them all, he thought as he lit a cigar. Never catch him falling for that trap.
Sienna Khan had worked hard over the years to turn the White Fang from a ragtag group of ineffective activists into a name that struck fear in those who would oppress their kind. They called themselves freedom fighters. Others called them terrorists, though that came from a place of ignorance and entitlement. It was so easy to brand those who did not conform to your narrow worldview as criminals, deviants, and aberrations. Terrorists. They were simply people who were tired of being stepped down on.
It took years, but she'd cultivated a complex network of cells and informants, all ready and willing to give their lives for the cause. That and various legal and illegal ventures that funded their various activities. Connections to the black markets and funds entrusted only for usage only to those most loyal ensured that they never lacked for material support. While they couldn't match the Schnees or Atlas' cherished military, she ensured that no member of the Fang ever went into battle lacking, despite what their enemies claimed.
Sienna's right eye twitched as she sat up on her throne. Looking down at her scroll, she pinched herself with her free hand to make sure she wasn't dreaming. It hurt, so she wasn't dreaming and she really was looking at multiple empty bank accounts. It would've been foolish to put all their eggs in one basket, as it were, and as such she made certain that their numerous front businesses and ventures were deposited into dozens of bank accounts or stored physically in various safe locations.
And now it was all gone.
All of the White Fang's accounts had been drained down to the last zero. Meanwhile, no one in the cells she contacted was responding to her calls. Was it a simultaneous decapitation attack? Impossible. They were scattered all across Remnant. It would've taken a combined alliance of all four kingdoms to hit them at the exact same time, and there was no chance that any of her numerous spies and moles wouldn't have warned her of such an alliance.
So what was going on? What threat had taken her entire organization and brought it to its knees?
Elsewhere on Vale, deep in Adam's White Fang cell...
"No, I lost the 50/50!" Perry screamed. The bespectacled terrorist fell on his knees and punched the floor like he'd been told he had only seconds to live.
"So did I! What the fuck is with this?!" Deery shouted after.
"Don't give up! Keep rolling! Money isn't an issue!" Adam shouted. His entire cell was gathered in one room, dozens of them huddled over their scrolls as they rolled the banner over and over. It wasn't just any banner, though. It was for the newest character, one whose banner had been released just a day prior.
The Mysterious Beauty, Kunoichi Kitty. A ninja catgirl who used a combination of a katana and various ninja tools to incapacitate her opponents for quick burst damage. Not that he really cared about that, of course. Playing this inane game was beneath him. However, something in the character...stirred something within him that he couldn't explain. He was drawn to it like a moth to a flame. Her amber eyes, that dark hair...her rear end. It was familiar in ways he couldn't explain.
And he wasn't the only one. His entire cell, and other cells as well, found themselves drawn to Kunoichi Kitty too. To them she was an undeniable presence, temptation made flesh...er, data. It wasn't enough that he had her. All of them had to have her. They would not rest until everyone in the White Fang had C6 Kunoichi Kitties! For that, they'd suspended all active operations and withdrawn as much funding as needed. As one of the White Fang's trusted leaders, he had access to all the bank accounts and put that position to good use.
"I...I did it! I got her!" Ilia cheered, hopping up in excitement. She showed off her scroll, the screen dominated by Kunoichi Kitty standing with her back to the player, exposing her bountiful rear clad in those tight leather pants. Because ninjas wore tight leather, obviously, "I can't believe it!"
"That's a good start, but we have to keep going!" He raised his own scroll with a C2 Kunoichi Kitty, "We won't stop till the entire White Fang has her at C6! Kunoichi Kitty belongs to the Faunus, not those filthy Humans, and we'll prove it here! For the White Fang!"
"FOR THE WHITE FANG!"
Cinder Fall had grown up with nothing. Born in an orphanage in the ass-end of Mistral, she'd grown up wanting along with the other abandoned dregs of society. While others grew up with loving parents and wanted for nothing, Cinder had to scrounge for everything. Mistral was a land of Haves and Have-Nots, and the former had no sympathy for the latter. If you were poor and helpless then it must've been because you deserved it. And so Cinder must've been the same.
Things only got worse when she was 'adopted' by the Madame and her two daughters. Her time under their care, and Rhodes' uselessness, taught her one thing: the world didn't care about who you were. If you wanted something you had to take it, and Cinder wanted power. To never be weak again. Things such as morality and rules were to be disregarded. It was nothing more than an excuse for the powerful to stamp down those beneath them. They didn't care for morals and neither did she.
Whatever Cinder wanted, she got.
And right now she wanted all those characters!
Cinder smirked as she added another C6 to her collection. Dozens of characters the game had and she was going to take them all. While others were limited to such things as money and the need to save in order to survive to the next day, Cinder wasn't burdened with such weaknesses. Working for Salem came with many benefits, one of which was a hacked Black Card that came with nigh-unlimited funds. She could've used it to buy all the Dust she needed, but that would've drawn attention. Besides, the chaos Roman and the White Fang enacted helped in her plans.
She was far less shy about using the card for this, however.
Cinder returned to her list and smiled gleefully at the sight. All of the playable characters unlocked, all C4 at minimum, and all of them loaded with the best weapons and equipment money could buy. She wasn't going to stop until she had the best account in the entirety of Remnant. It was what she wanted, what she deserved. She would throw away millions if it meant being able to lord over all the cretins at this school, to see their envy at what she'd achieved with her own two hands.
She returned to the game and blinked. A new quest had popped up.
"Emerald!" Her servant was at her side immediately, always eager to please, "Another world quest. Finish this up soon. I want to keep rolling."
"Y-Yes, Cinder!" The girl bowed and held her scroll like it was a holy artifact as she began to play. What? She wasn't going to actually play the game like some plebian. She rolled the gacha for characters and equipment, but she left all that tedious grinding and equipping to Emerald. Because it wasn't enough that she had all the characters but also an account that completed every single thing. Every treasure chest, every quest, every difficult boss fight. All beaten by Cinder Fall's account.
She'd heard that rankings would be released soon. The most prolific accounts would've had their names immortalized, and she aimed to make sure that her name was on the top of the list. She closed her eyes and smirked at the thought. Everyone in Vale - no, everyone in Remant - looking on at her in envy and desire. The top Gacha player in the entire world. Oh yes, the looks on their faces would nourish her for years to come.
Across the room, Mercury lay down on his bed and looked at his two 'teammates'. Cinder was sitting down and cackling to herself while Emerald ran herself ragged to play a game she didn't even like. Simp. The assassin rolled his eyes and tapped his own scroll. He wasn't interested in that stupid gambling shit. Apart from drinking, gambling was the other vice his old man enjoyed. He wasn't very good at it either. Explained why the best assassin on Remnant lived in a dilapidated shack in the ass-end of Anima.
And he was a sore loser too. He had a lot of bruises every time Marcus came back from a losing streak.
So yeah, he wasn't interested in all that shit, but there was something else that got his attention. People were obsessed with leaks. Like, they'd sacrifice their own moms if it meant finding out who the next character would be, where the story would go next, and what kit would be the new meta.
So...he got creative. He wasn't a supergenius hacker like Watts, but the old man taught him some tricks. He found out who the next character would be and leaked it in specific places on the Dustnet. Places that everyone at Beacon went to. It was both stupid and scary how much people cared about that shit. Everyone was panicking about whether they should save their money for the new character and there were fucking fistfights over whether the new character made the other ones redundant.
Then he realized he could have his fun.
A few fake emails and spoofed addresses later and he'd turned himself into the most prolific leaker on the Dustnet. Sometimes his leaks were accurate, sometimes they were total bullshit. It was never fully one or the other. Too accurate and it'd get boring, but too much bullshit, and people would stop caring. Seeing the arguments people got up to was the highlight of his day.
Like yesterday when he released the (true) leak that James Crescent and the Corroded Knight was the same guy from different points in time. Holy shit, the school went ballistic. Schnee went on a rant about how it was impossible and that there was no way 'that dashing knight' would be the same character as 'that lout James'. For some reason, that led to Nikos getting pissy and starting a fight with her. It was fucking amazing how obsessed people could get about their favorite pixels.
Maybe he was an asshole for it, but it wasn't like he made them act like morons about their favorite 2D drawings. They were the ones who chose to get so obsessed with them. He was just having his fun where he could.
Like right now. His next (fake) leak, complete with edited screenshots. The idea of it just came to him last night. A leak that Pythia Nicolaides was going to die in the next patch against the new bad guy, Ember Rise. And then James Crescent and Obsidian Nightshade would get together because they realized life was too short. He got the feeling that this would set the school on fire. Maybe literally, maybe not. Either way, he was gonna have his fun.
He uploaded the leaks and waited. One hour passed, then two, and then came the shriek, "NOOOOOOOOOOOO!" He winced. Huh, sounded like Nikos. Geez, she had a pair of lungs on her. He was surprised their windows didn't shatter. He turned on his scroll again and laughed under his breath at the comments. Some of them calling bullshit, some of them saying they knew it was gonna happen, some celebrating 'their OTP', whatever the fuck that meant.
Mercury scrolled through the comments and then turned his scroll off, letting the sounds of panic and screaming outside lull him to sleep.
Poor Roman. And Sienna. If only they weren't murderous thieves and terrorists, you could actually feel sorry for them. Anyway, I considered a Salem segment but I cut it out. Maybe if I make a chapter 3, but I'm tempted to end it here.
Wanna help support me (and gain access to chapters a week or two early)? Then check out the link below:
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Question:
1. If there is a chapter 3, who do you guys wanna see be affected next? We already dealt with most of the main characters at this point.
2. Given the Neo segment, would you guys be interested in a Silent Knight story from me? Not sure how I could sell it, though...
For anyone interested in making a commission, email me at: storylover543@gmail.com
But it wasn't just the heroes of Remnant that had fallen into the Gacha's clutches. The allure had claimed both the virtuous and the villainous, the saints and the sinners. From the greatest heroes to the most depraved of monsters, no one escaped the all-encompassing pull.
Such as it was with one Roman Torchwick. The infamous thief trudged back to his safehouse with his head hung low. Working for Cinder wasn't fun. The fiery bitch didn't pay a single cent for all the jobs he did for her and she saddled him with those White Fang animals. Amateurs and zealots. Say what you would about him, but he was a professional. Just cause he was a showman didn't mean he let it stop him from doing what he had to. So what if he was on every camera? He still stole from that bank or store or museum!"
The reminder of what crime he could be committing made him depressed. It was a perfect, crime-full day! People were practically begging to be victimized! But nooo, apparently no one else thought so! Neo - his partner, the only person that mattered on this Brothers forsaken planet - wasn't answering his calls. Junior, who was normally so reliable, wasn't taking his calls either. Even the White Fang and Cinder were ghosting him! They were blackmailing him and now they didn't even have the time to answer his calls! Rude!
And why had everyone in this city gotten so damn lazy? One word: Gacha.
It took over the city by storm. One day everyone was excited about the Vytal or gossiping about which Huntsman would snag the win and the next they were all glued to their scrolls talking about 'banners' and 'husbandos and waifus'. Roman wasn't an old man - he was only 33, thank you very much - but he definitely felt like one listening to everyone talk about things that went in one ear and out the other. What the heck was 'freemocrystals' and why did people cry about 'getting C6 Benny'?
His shoulders sagged as he walked down the street. That would've normally been dangerous considering he was the most infamous criminal in all of Vale, but no one even cared. They all looked down at their scrolls and passed him by without a second glance. Even the cops didn't bother to look up from their scrolls. Roman had stopped and coughed at a bunch of them, just daring them to look up and actually do their damn jobs. All he got was some half-hearted 'we're busy, citizen' and a couple saying he should 'get that cough looked at'! Arggggh!
Even going to Junior's place directly hadn't helped. Junior, his entire gang, and even those two bouncers were too busy 'rolling banners' or whatever the heck those crazy addicts called it. It was right then and there that Roman knew that he wasn't going to get anywhere today. Even if he could rob some place right now, everyone would still be too glued to their scrolls to notice. Fire bitch could've enacted her plan to destroy Vale right now and they couldn't be assed to look up.
Sighing, Roman picked up his scroll. Not to play the game (because he wasn't a moron), but to check his bank account. Things had been pretty tight lately but so far he and Neo managed to avoid spending any-
He nearly dropped his scroll at the numbers that greeted him. 37 lien. 37 lien out of the tens of millions he'd squirreled away over his decade of being Vale's premier thief. It might not have sounded like a lot, but a lot of his assets came in the form of priceless stuff that couldn't be sold on the black market. Still, what he did have was enough for him and Neo to live comfortably off the grid if it ever came down to it. 30 million lien could grease a lot of palms.
Now it was all gone.
And he knew exactly who to blame, "NEEEEOOOOOO!" He screamed, his voice echoing across all of Vale. He ran like a man possessed and didn't stop until he reached her apartment. Without even bothering to knock, Roman kicked the door down and stomped inside, mouth frothing in a rage, "Where are you?!" You have some explaining to do, young lady!"
He kicked down the door to her bedroom and found the culprit looking like all was right with the world. Contrary to her usual looks, his partner looked borderline unrecognizable. Gone was the effortless style and cockiness that marked her as Roman Torchwick's equal. Instead, she looked absolutely haggard. Hair messy, bags under her eyes, and wearing nothing but a stained, oversized shirt and a pair of boxers that definitely didn't belong to him; he preferred briefs, thank you.
The entire room was a mess too, laden with empty bags of chips and energy drinks. He sniffed the air and grimaced at the stench. By the Brothers, how long was it since she bathed?! "You have a lot of explaining to do, young lady!" Roman grabbed her by the collar and dragged her out. She struggled like a limp cat, hands desperately pressing her scroll against her chest. Roman resisted the urge to toss her into the tub for a much-needed soak and instead dropped her on the couch.
"Explain." He snarled, crossing his arms like the disappointed father he was far too young to be.
Neo tilted her head to the side like the little girl she definitely wasn't and gave him a look of pure confusion, "Uh-uh, I'm not falling for it! Don't forget who taught you that look, young lady!" Roman pointed his finger at her nose, "What the hell happened to all our savings?!"
Neo shrugged and looked away.
"I know when you're lying. I taught you everything you know!" Neo rolled her eyes. Roman's mouth twitched. This little brat. Fine, she wanted to play hardball? He'd play.
Without warning, he reached down and took the scroll from her hands. Neo gasped silently and reached out, but it was too late. Neo might've been the brawn to his brains, but there was one undeniable truth: he was tall and she was short. He raised his left hand, the one holding the scroll, and grabbed her head with the other. She struggled and (silently) screamed, desperately trying to take back her drug, but he refused. Even her Semblance didn't help. He knew exactly what kinds of tricks she pulled.
"You're not getting this back until you explain!" He grimaced and ignored how she scratched and bit at him. There was a reason he didn't indulge in anything addictive. In the end, you always lost, "I'm giving you the count of five before I toss your scroll out the window! One...two...three-"
Neo suddenly pulled back and, much to Roman's surprise and disgust, got down on her hands and knees. Neo never begged for anything in her life, and now here she was, doing just that for her game. Roman's heart broke at the sight of it, "...Explain." He sighed and handed her the scroll back.
His partner made a wide array of gestures and expressions as she told her 'gripping tale'. She'd played the game for a few days and realized a bitter truth: there was no 'husbando' just for her. She looked and she looked, but there was no one that scratched that itch. And so she designed one of her own. The perfect 'husbando' from top to bottom that appealed specifically to her. And then she put her super duper special original character into the game.
"But why did you spend money?!" Roman threw his hands up, "You know how this works!" She made an X-shape with her hands and stuck out her tongue, "What do you mean 'you tried to do it the usual way'? Find an employee and threaten him. If that doesn't work, kill him, hide the body, then go for another-
Another long string of gestures and expressions. She did try to threaten an employee to find out who the mysterious boss of this Gacha machine was. They refused to break under torture and she disposed of them. Then she went after half a dozen more. It always ended the same way. They were more loyal to their mysterious boss than they were scared of losing their life to whatever Neo did to them. Neo loved herself a spot of torture here and there, but she knew when she was beaten. She couldn't get her 'Husbando' into the game with threats, so she dipped into their bank account...
"Neo, that was all of our savings! You know we can't sell anything else we've stolen!"
She was completely shameless, of course. It was worth it. She had to get her personal spank material into the game. She needed this. So on and so forth. Roman groaned and sat next to his diminutive partner. What else was he supposed to do? Neo didn't know the meaning of shame and telling her that spending 30 million lien on pixels was a bad thing just wouldn't register. Might as well tell her that theft and murder were generally frowned upon.
"Ugh. Fine, you know what? Show me this virtual boyfriend of yours. I should at least see what you spent our life savings on."
Neo jumped up excitedly and shoved the screen in his face. Roman wrinkled his nose at the smell of days-old junk food and watched as she tapped through a bunch of her characters. A blonde dame with her fists up, someone who looked like Pyrrha Nikos, some blonde knight with a really punchable face...shit, how many did she have? She cycled through a few (dozen) more of them before eventually stopping at her original character that must not be stolen. She tapped the screen and smiled proudly at him.
...
...
...
"This is the exact same as that knight character!" Roman screamed.
Neo looked horrifically offended at the idea and scowled. 'You take that back,' her eyes seemed to say. Roman did not. Instead, he grabbed her scroll and cycled back to the blonde knight. James Crescent. What a stupid name, "Your 'original character' is literally just this one except yours has heterochromia and a white streak in his hair! That's it! You spent thirty million lien on a color swap!"
'Nuh-uh!' She didn't say that, of course, but she kicked his side and took her scroll back before she stuck her tongue out at him. She swiped back to her color swap and cooed at the screen. How? How could she not see that it was literally just the same guy with slightly different colors?! He'd call it a scam, but that would imply they had to put in the effort to trick her! Passing off a cardboard box as Schnee Manor wasn't a scam, it was bending reality!
Roman sagged on the couch as Neo continued to fawn over her Original Character. Gacha...such a terrifying, evil thing. Addiction made fools of them all, he thought as he lit a cigar. Never catch him falling for that trap.
Sienna Khan had worked hard over the years to turn the White Fang from a ragtag group of ineffective activists into a name that struck fear in those who would oppress their kind. They called themselves freedom fighters. Others called them terrorists, though that came from a place of ignorance and entitlement. It was so easy to brand those who did not conform to your narrow worldview as criminals, deviants, and aberrations. Terrorists. They were simply people who were tired of being stepped down on.
It took years, but she'd cultivated a complex network of cells and informants, all ready and willing to give their lives for the cause. That and various legal and illegal ventures that funded their various activities. Connections to the black markets and funds entrusted only for usage only to those most loyal ensured that they never lacked for material support. While they couldn't match the Schnees or Atlas' cherished military, she ensured that no member of the Fang ever went into battle lacking, despite what their enemies claimed.
Sienna's right eye twitched as she sat up on her throne. Looking down at her scroll, she pinched herself with her free hand to make sure she wasn't dreaming. It hurt, so she wasn't dreaming and she really was looking at multiple empty bank accounts. It would've been foolish to put all their eggs in one basket, as it were, and as such she made certain that their numerous front businesses and ventures were deposited into dozens of bank accounts or stored physically in various safe locations.
And now it was all gone.
All of the White Fang's accounts had been drained down to the last zero. Meanwhile, no one in the cells she contacted was responding to her calls. Was it a simultaneous decapitation attack? Impossible. They were scattered all across Remnant. It would've taken a combined alliance of all four kingdoms to hit them at the exact same time, and there was no chance that any of her numerous spies and moles wouldn't have warned her of such an alliance.
So what was going on? What threat had taken her entire organization and brought it to its knees?
Elsewhere on Vale, deep in Adam's White Fang cell...
"No, I lost the 50/50!" Perry screamed. The bespectacled terrorist fell on his knees and punched the floor like he'd been told he had only seconds to live.
"So did I! What the fuck is with this?!" Deery shouted after.
"Don't give up! Keep rolling! Money isn't an issue!" Adam shouted. His entire cell was gathered in one room, dozens of them huddled over their scrolls as they rolled the banner over and over. It wasn't just any banner, though. It was for the newest character, one whose banner had been released just a day prior.
The Mysterious Beauty, Kunoichi Kitty. A ninja catgirl who used a combination of a katana and various ninja tools to incapacitate her opponents for quick burst damage. Not that he really cared about that, of course. Playing this inane game was beneath him. However, something in the character...stirred something within him that he couldn't explain. He was drawn to it like a moth to a flame. Her amber eyes, that dark hair...her rear end. It was familiar in ways he couldn't explain.
And he wasn't the only one. His entire cell, and other cells as well, found themselves drawn to Kunoichi Kitty too. To them she was an undeniable presence, temptation made flesh...er, data. It wasn't enough that he had her. All of them had to have her. They would not rest until everyone in the White Fang had C6 Kunoichi Kitties! For that, they'd suspended all active operations and withdrawn as much funding as needed. As one of the White Fang's trusted leaders, he had access to all the bank accounts and put that position to good use.
"I...I did it! I got her!" Ilia cheered, hopping up in excitement. She showed off her scroll, the screen dominated by Kunoichi Kitty standing with her back to the player, exposing her bountiful rear clad in those tight leather pants. Because ninjas wore tight leather, obviously, "I can't believe it!"
"That's a good start, but we have to keep going!" He raised his own scroll with a C2 Kunoichi Kitty, "We won't stop till the entire White Fang has her at C6! Kunoichi Kitty belongs to the Faunus, not those filthy Humans, and we'll prove it here! For the White Fang!"
"FOR THE WHITE FANG!"
Cinder Fall had grown up with nothing. Born in an orphanage in the ass-end of Mistral, she'd grown up wanting along with the other abandoned dregs of society. While others grew up with loving parents and wanted for nothing, Cinder had to scrounge for everything. Mistral was a land of Haves and Have-Nots, and the former had no sympathy for the latter. If you were poor and helpless then it must've been because you deserved it. And so Cinder must've been the same.
Things only got worse when she was 'adopted' by the Madame and her two daughters. Her time under their care, and Rhodes' uselessness, taught her one thing: the world didn't care about who you were. If you wanted something you had to take it, and Cinder wanted power. To never be weak again. Things such as morality and rules were to be disregarded. It was nothing more than an excuse for the powerful to stamp down those beneath them. They didn't care for morals and neither did she.
Whatever Cinder wanted, she got.
And right now she wanted all those characters!
Cinder smirked as she added another C6 to her collection. Dozens of characters the game had and she was going to take them all. While others were limited to such things as money and the need to save in order to survive to the next day, Cinder wasn't burdened with such weaknesses. Working for Salem came with many benefits, one of which was a hacked Black Card that came with nigh-unlimited funds. She could've used it to buy all the Dust she needed, but that would've drawn attention. Besides, the chaos Roman and the White Fang enacted helped in her plans.
She was far less shy about using the card for this, however.
Cinder returned to her list and smiled gleefully at the sight. All of the playable characters unlocked, all C4 at minimum, and all of them loaded with the best weapons and equipment money could buy. She wasn't going to stop until she had the best account in the entirety of Remnant. It was what she wanted, what she deserved. She would throw away millions if it meant being able to lord over all the cretins at this school, to see their envy at what she'd achieved with her own two hands.
She returned to the game and blinked. A new quest had popped up.
"Emerald!" Her servant was at her side immediately, always eager to please, "Another world quest. Finish this up soon. I want to keep rolling."
"Y-Yes, Cinder!" The girl bowed and held her scroll like it was a holy artifact as she began to play. What? She wasn't going to actually play the game like some plebian. She rolled the gacha for characters and equipment, but she left all that tedious grinding and equipping to Emerald. Because it wasn't enough that she had all the characters but also an account that completed every single thing. Every treasure chest, every quest, every difficult boss fight. All beaten by Cinder Fall's account.
She'd heard that rankings would be released soon. The most prolific accounts would've had their names immortalized, and she aimed to make sure that her name was on the top of the list. She closed her eyes and smirked at the thought. Everyone in Vale - no, everyone in Remant - looking on at her in envy and desire. The top Gacha player in the entire world. Oh yes, the looks on their faces would nourish her for years to come.
Across the room, Mercury lay down on his bed and looked at his two 'teammates'. Cinder was sitting down and cackling to herself while Emerald ran herself ragged to play a game she didn't even like. Simp. The assassin rolled his eyes and tapped his own scroll. He wasn't interested in that stupid gambling shit. Apart from drinking, gambling was the other vice his old man enjoyed. He wasn't very good at it either. Explained why the best assassin on Remnant lived in a dilapidated shack in the ass-end of Anima.
And he was a sore loser too. He had a lot of bruises every time Marcus came back from a losing streak.
So yeah, he wasn't interested in all that shit, but there was something else that got his attention. People were obsessed with leaks. Like, they'd sacrifice their own moms if it meant finding out who the next character would be, where the story would go next, and what kit would be the new meta.
So...he got creative. He wasn't a supergenius hacker like Watts, but the old man taught him some tricks. He found out who the next character would be and leaked it in specific places on the Dustnet. Places that everyone at Beacon went to. It was both stupid and scary how much people cared about that shit. Everyone was panicking about whether they should save their money for the new character and there were fucking fistfights over whether the new character made the other ones redundant.
Then he realized he could have his fun.
A few fake emails and spoofed addresses later and he'd turned himself into the most prolific leaker on the Dustnet. Sometimes his leaks were accurate, sometimes they were total bullshit. It was never fully one or the other. Too accurate and it'd get boring, but too much bullshit, and people would stop caring. Seeing the arguments people got up to was the highlight of his day.
Like yesterday when he released the (true) leak that James Crescent and the Corroded Knight was the same guy from different points in time. Holy shit, the school went ballistic. Schnee went on a rant about how it was impossible and that there was no way 'that dashing knight' would be the same character as 'that lout James'. For some reason, that led to Nikos getting pissy and starting a fight with her. It was fucking amazing how obsessed people could get about their favorite pixels.
Maybe he was an asshole for it, but it wasn't like he made them act like morons about their favorite 2D drawings. They were the ones who chose to get so obsessed with them. He was just having his fun where he could.
Like right now. His next (fake) leak, complete with edited screenshots. The idea of it just came to him last night. A leak that Pythia Nicolaides was going to die in the next patch against the new bad guy, Ember Rise. And then James Crescent and Obsidian Nightshade would get together because they realized life was too short. He got the feeling that this would set the school on fire. Maybe literally, maybe not. Either way, he was gonna have his fun.
He uploaded the leaks and waited. One hour passed, then two, and then came the shriek, "NOOOOOOOOOOOO!" He winced. Huh, sounded like Nikos. Geez, she had a pair of lungs on her. He was surprised their windows didn't shatter. He turned on his scroll again and laughed under his breath at the comments. Some of them calling bullshit, some of them saying they knew it was gonna happen, some celebrating 'their OTP', whatever the fuck that meant.
Mercury scrolled through the comments and then turned his scroll off, letting the sounds of panic and screaming outside lull him to sleep.
Poor Roman. And Sienna. If only they weren't murderous thieves and terrorists, you could actually feel sorry for them. Anyway, I considered a Salem segment but I cut it out. Maybe if I make a chapter 3, but I'm tempted to end it here.
Wanna help support me (and gain access to chapters a week or two early)? Then check out the link below:
Patreon.com/Vendetta543
Question:
1. If there is a chapter 3, who do you guys wanna see be affected next? We already dealt with most of the main characters at this point.
2. Given the Neo segment, would you guys be interested in a Silent Knight story from me? Not sure how I could sell it, though...
Chapter 3 - Of Portals and Knights
eratas123
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Next Minecraft Jaune chapter. We get the first hint of Jaune becoming more well-known and more about how he does what he does. For those curious about portals? Yeah, they're explained.
One thing I find funny is people making theories about Jaune's family. Neither I or the commissioner really planned anything for them. The only canon family we have is Saphron and I have no interest on making a bunch of OC's for Jaune's sisters/Mom and Dad. I'll be focusing more on Jaune himself in later chapters, albeit from the POV of other characters who try to exploit him.
Cause that is the biggest selling point here (besides the comedy and harem). The faction warfare. One thing that's going to be interesting is that all these groups want Jaune's help but have basically nothing to offer him. Money? He has billions of lien in assets. Connections? His kingdom is fully self-sufficient and does not need the help of others. Jaune wants for nothing while they want his powers.
So it leaves these powerful people - Ozpin, Ironwood, Atlas, Cinder, White Fang etc - scrambling because, for the first time since forever, they have empty hands and no cards to play. So they have to get creative. Seduction is the easiest, which is what Weiss and Blake go for. White Fang might go for kidnapping and trying to enslave Jaune, ditto Cinder. So on and so forth.
For anyone interested in making a commission, email me at: storylover543@gmail.com
Chapter 3: Of Portals and Knights
Ruby woke up feeling like a million lien. The leader of Team RWBY sat up and stretched her arms above her head. She felt absolutely amazing. Like she'd slept in a field of rose petals after a full chocolate bath. Yes, Yang, that would feel awesome, shut up!
She yawned cutely and looked at the rest of her team. Her friends, fellow Huntresses...and the ones trying to steal her soulmate!
Her mouth dipped down as she remembered what happened yesterday. Everything was so perfect. They'd gotten their first mission, they went to a really cool place, and she met Jaune. Her soulmate. The guy she was gonna spend the rest of her life with. She wouldn't say it was love at first sight or anything like Mom had with Dad, but it was close enough. He liked the same things she did, he was super nice, thought her being a Huntress was cool, and he loved building stuff! Just like her! Okay, maybe she preferred weapons to buildings, but so what? They still shared crafting, which was more than she could say for the rest of her traitorous teammates.
Ruby pouted and kept glaring at the rest of Team RWBY as they woke up. If she wasn't so angry she might've thought it was weird that they all woke up at the same time, "Your face is gonna lock up if you keep glaring like that, Rubes." Yang yawned and moved her arms, making her stupid big boobs bounce. Ruby wasn't jealous. She was gonna grow up to be even sexier than Yang was anyway, so why would she be? Besides, she knew Jaune liked fun-sized people more. Just a feeling she got.
Everyone got up and looked at one another, but none of them said a word. It was hard to forget what happened last night. They were all after Jaune, though the rest of them were being selfish. Blake and Weiss just wanted to use him for their plans and Yang...well, she was a butt cause she was trying to take her soulmate! Yang didn't have the connection that she and Jaune had. She spent her time partying in nightclubs and doing 'cool kid' junk while Ruby was the one who liked all the 'dorky' stuff. Yang couldn't just decide she liked that stuff now just cause Jaune did those things too!
A part of her wanted to rush out and tell Jaune about Blake and Weiss' plans, but she held back. Logically, she knew she had no proof. She knew she was telling the truth, and maybe Yang would back her up, but they could also accuse her of just making stuff up to make them look bad. It would've just been 'He said, She said' if she told him now. Even ignoring that, as mad as Ruby was at the two for being so selfish, they were still her friends. She didn't want Jaune to be mad at them.
Especially since she wanted to invite them to the wedding.
The tense atmosphere was broken up by a sudden call from outside, "Hey, if you guys are awake, I made breakfast!" Jaune called.
The four of them got dressed and went down. The smell of eggs and bacon in the air made Ruby salivate, and it only got worse when they got to the dining room and saw Jaune in an apron with his hair tied back. Big muscley guy with an apron...oh yeah, "Oh, morning!" Jaune smiled at them, "I hope you guys had a good sleep." He set down a plate filled with a towering stack of pancakes. She could already hear Nora screaming in jealousy.
"It was a very satisfying rest. Thank you, Jaune." Ruby's eyes narrowed at the demure way Weiss replied.
"Yeah, awesome. Shame I had to sleep alone." Ruby gnashed her teeth together at Yang's wink.
She expected Blake to say something stupidly flirty too. Instead, she went past Jaune and picked up a couple of the plates from the kitchen counter, "We're the guests here. It's only right that we help."
Ruby almost screamed in frustration. Her team was stealing her soulmate! "I-I can help too!" Activating her Semblance, she zipped between the kitchen and dining room, carrying the mountain of plates between in no time at all.
"Thanks, Ruby! You too, Blake." Ruby pursed her lips. She carried two plates. Two!
Biting back her anger, the five of them sat down and dug into the mountains of food. They were all used to varied meals back at Beacon, but this was pretty extreme even by their standards. The table was huge enough to accommodate the stack of plates, each of them filled with amazing-looking food. Crispy bacon, sunny side-up eggs, pancakes, meat on a stick, a plate of cookies, a whole cake...anything they might've wanted back at Beacon. It tasted so good too. Beacon hired the best chefs they could, but this made that food feel stale.
Ruby looked up from the eggs to Jaune. What could she do or say to get his attention, she wondered. She had some alone time with him later cause they were upgrading Crescent Rose, but she didn't wanna risk them doing something funny before then.
Her plan of somehow extending her leg ten feet to play footsie was ruined when a pair of cyan-colored eyes appeared next to her on the table. Ruby shrieked and jumped up while the rest of the team put their hands up, "My, my. This always happens." The pair of eyes blinked and a body of what looked like a purple and cyan cat made out of Hard-Light Dust suddenly appeared. She, Weiss, and Blake looked on at the...thing curiously while Yang suddenly had a haunted look in her eyes.
"Well, that's what happens when you suddenly appear in front of people, Curious." Jaune huffed lightly.
"I introduced myself to the blonde one yesterday!" the cat thing protested. Yang suddenly found her nails super interesting, "But fine. I am the Curious Cat, though most people call me Curious. Are any of you interested in chatting?"
"About what?" Ruby asked before she could stop herself.
"Anything!" It stood up on its hind legs and touched her arm, "So many new arrivals, all with such fascinating lives! A farmer, a warrior, a drunkard, a man of peace, a man of war...so many interesting histories! Word on the grapevine is that you four are Huntresses-in-training. I've never talked to one of those before!"
"Wait, Curious Cat?" Blake muttered, "Hold on, are you the Curious Cat from the stories? 'The Girl Who Fell Through the World'?"
"I suppose you could say that." The Cat sighed and licked its right paw, "Though Alyx was rather flattering to herself in that little tale. Though, I suppose saying she was a vicious little monster wouldn't have gone down very well." Ruby blinked at the sudden nastiness in its tone, "But, let's not talk about such unpleasant things. Tell me, how is it being a Huntress? I've heard such fascinating things! Is it true that Huntresses spend their time fighting while not caring at all about civilians?"
"What? Where did you hear such a baseless idea?" Weiss scoffed.
"One of the new residents was from the city of Vale. She mentioned a story about when she'd gone to a club of night when suddenly some Huntress attacked the owners and destroyed the place. The poor woman sounded so scared. It must've been horrifying."
...
Ruby, Blake, and Weiss looked at Yang. Her big sis whistled innocently and refused to look them in the eyes, "Come on, that wouldn't have been a Huntress," Jaune laughed, rubbing the Cat's chin, "I bet it was, like, another criminal or something. Cause what kind of Huntress just attacks a place full of civilians like that?"
"Ahaha, yeah! Be totally crazy if a Huntress did something like that." Yang grinned, "So...uh, who's the Cat? Like is he literally the one from the fairytale?"
"Pretty much. At least that's how they tell it." Jaune shrugged.
"Are you telling us that fairytales are real?" Blake asked, "What about the story of the four Maidens or the Silver-Eyed Warriors? Are those real too?" Ruby blinked her silver eyes at Blake's sudden excitement. It was the most expressive she'd seen her in the months they knew each other. And if Blake wasn't a thieving cat who was trying to steal her soulmate, Ruby would've found it cute. But she was, so Ruby refused to find it cute.
"I don't know about that, but I guess? The Ever After is definitely real. I've been there."
"I'm sorry, are you telling us you've been to a fairytale land?" Weiss asked, "Despite all the borderline miraculous things I've seen so far, I find that rather unbelievable, Jaune."
"I could show you after we finish eating." Jaune shrugged.
The four of them ate much quicker after that, Blake slightly less so cause she was fangirling over the Hard-Light cat. Ruby wiped her mouth and rushed the dishes back to the kitchen after everyone was done. As much as she wanted to monopolize Jaune's time, she was curious about how Jaune was gonna prove fairy tales were real. She was a big fan of those stories too, though she preferred the ones where evil was vanquished and the good guys won. The depressing fairytales were just dark and boring.
Jaune led them to a door with the words 'PORTAL ROOM' signed over the top. They stepped inside and Ruby gasped at the big room on the other end. It was as big as Beacon's auditorium with big stone doorways lined up in a semi-circle around the center. She counted seven of them, each showing a different willowy image. The one to the left had a big tree and a multicolored field while another showed a village full of people carrying weapons twice their size and wearing awesome-looking armor. She almost reached a hand out to touch it before Jaune suddenly pulled her hand away.
"Be careful, Ruby." She barely noticed that he was holding her hand before he let go, "You can't get into the portals unless I give you the right crystals, but it'll zap you something fierce if you try to touch it."
"Wh-What is this place?" Ruby asked.
"Portals to other dimensions," Jaune said way too casually. Weiss' mouth opened in a slack-jawed expression while Blake and Yang peered into the shimmering portals, "Some of the things I wanted to build came from materials that...well, just didn't exist in this universe. I was racking my head for what to do and it just suddenly came to me one morning. If it doesn't exist here, why don't I go to a place where it does exist? That's how I first got to the Ever After."
"A stroke of fate I still praise," the Cat said, brushing against Jaune's legs.
"But even the Ever After didn't have all the materials I needed, so I made a few more portals." He gestured to the other six gates, "One world's filled with giant monsters and the people who hunt them, so I use that when gathering up materials for weapons and armor. There's another world that's been frozen over that's just full of minerals and other gems. And this place is The Nether." He pointed to a gate that looked like it led straight to hell, "The Nether's not a nice place. I don't like going there or to The End."
"Um...so, you access different dimensions?" Weiss asked the obvious.
"Yep," Jaune said, popping the P. Just like she did, "Don't get me wrong, Remnant has a lot of awesome materials - I'm stockpiling Gravity Dust to make a floating castle - but if you want something exotic, staying in one dimension is just so limiting." He shook his head and pointed to the gate on the rightmost side, "And it's a good place to take a break from it all sometimes. That one leads to a beach world. Just the sun, waves, and all the fish you can eat." Blake shivered and wiped some drool from the side of her mouth, "That's where my family's at right now, actually. I suggested they take a vacation to celebrate my nephew's first birthday."
"I explore those worlds at times, though I find myself always returning to Remnant," the Cat added.
Blake coughed, "Speaking of beach islands. Jaune, what do you think about-"
"I think we should give Jaune some space. We wouldn't want to impose too much on his hospitality," Weiss cut in forcefully. Blake gave her a venomous glare and looked like she was about to spit out something nasty when Weiss continued, "We haven't really explored the town as a team, so I think we should do just that and give you some time to return to your crafting."
"Huh? Alright, have fun!"
Jaune left with the Cat following after him. Blake waited till they were out of sight before she rounded on Weiss with a glare, "You can't stop me, Weiss."
"I'm doing what I can for the good of Remnant as a whole. Jaune can help you once my father doesn't have a stranglehold on a resource that everyone, Human and Faunus, need to survive."
"You're both being jerks!" Ruby stamped her foot. She still cared about them, but they were being real butts right now, "Jaune isn't someone for you both to...use like that! He's a person! He's free to choose what he wants and who he should be with." And he should choose her. She wouldn't force him - she wasn't a bad person - but she was better for him than Weiss and Blake were. She wouldn't use him to try and change Remnant or anything.
"Gods, why are you all being idiots about this?" Yang sighed, "Look...let's just go down to the city like Weiss-scream said. Then maybe you three will stop being so dang crazy about this."
"Tch, don't as if you're so above it all, Xiao-Long." Weiss scoffed, "What was it you said earlier? 'Shame I had to sleep alone'?" Weiss asked sarcastically, changing her voice to sound eerily close to her big sister's, "Blake and I may have our disagreements, but we're not doing this for something as petty as getting a boyfriend. Look at what Jaune has done and tell me Remnant wouldn't benefit from his gifts. With my guidance, things can change for the better."
"I agreed with you up until the last part." Blake rolled her eyes.
The four of them looked at one another for a moment before they eventually filed out. At least if they were all in town then it meant that the other three weren't sinking their greedy claws into Jaune. Ruby stared ahead with a firm expression. She always said that she didn't wanna stand out. Just be Ruby 'Normal Knees' Rose. Well, nuts to that! She wasn't gonna lose here! She was a hecking awesome kick-butt Huntress that got to Beacon two years early for a reason - cause she was that good!
Glynda set her glasses down and pinched the bridge of her nose. Being the Deputy Headmistress of Beacon sounded like a prestigious position, one that demanded respect and admiration. Perhaps that was true, though it was also a position that demanded being Ozpin's gopher.
She respected the headmaster, she truly did, but a part of her still wondered how exactly he'd attained his position. Immortal puppetmaster or not, the man flagrantly flouted the rules whenever it suited him, played unabashed favorites (such as with Team RWBY), and refused to do his paperwork even as he was dragged kicking and screaming into it. Which left her having to do the paperwork, if only because she didn't want Beacon to collapse. She'd nearly had a heart attack when they were audited last month and their paperwork made it appear they were pocketing half of the budget for themselves.
They weren't, of course. Ozpin was simply very bad at managing his paperwork.
She sighed and looked to the office she was temporarily sharing with the headmaster. Her own office was currently under repair because a certain someone who shall not be named - though their name rhymed with Rang Xian Lung - had picked a fight with one Cardin Winchester after he made an off-color remark about her little sister. The fight had spilled over to her office and it somehow ended with the entire room being coated with orange paint. Mr. Winchester received detention. Ms. Xian Lung did not because Ozpin played favorites.
Her eyes flicked over to the headmaster. The old man sat on his chair and looked seriously over at the screen of his computer. To anyone else, he might've looked hard at work, but Glynda saw the reflection of what was undoubtedly a card game on his glasses. Her right eye twitched and she took a deep breath. Flinging the computer straight at his head would only strain the budget even more and possibly kill him. That would've been murder. But even worse than that, they'd have to wait for him to through puberty again. And she was not going to babysit the headmaster.
Ignoring her boss, she looked back at her own computer and read through the reports. The first years were going on their first official missions, which was always a transitional period. It was the first time for many of them to do a task without having the professors as a safety net. Even the Initiation was closely monitored. Granted, none of the first years were allowed to take Grimm extermination missions. The average first-year mission involved shadowing a more experienced Huntsman or camping out in the field.
And reports. Better to teach them early that the contract board demands meticulous record keeping.
She scanned through the reports on autopilot. So far so good. There were a few incidents of some incidents like one student who used poison ivy as makeshift toilet paper, but nothing life-threatening. She slowed as she came to Team RWBY's report. Team RWBY had proved...troublesome. A very effective team given their age - their performance at Initiation spoke for itself - but also troublesome. The fact that they'd destroyed a chunk of the docks a few weeks into the school year only proved that.
That wasn't even getting into the members themselves. Ruby Rose was a fifteen-year-old girl who Ozpin let in early because of her Silver Eyes and reckless vigilante actions. Weiss Schnee was heiress to the SDC, which wouldn't have been a problem in and of itself if the headmaster somehow didn't think it would be a problem to put her on the same team as Blake Belladonna, former White Fang terrorist who didn't even bother to change her name. And of course, there was Yang Xiao Long, who'd destroyed a nightclub that belonged to a 'reputable businessman' by the name of Hei Xiong. While she had little sympathy for criminals, instigating fights where civilians were involved would've gotten almost anyone suspended, if not expelled outright.
But of course, she was Qrow's niece, so the matter was swept under the rug.
Glynda sighed once again. She wasn't naive. Huntsmen were as political as anyone else despite their seemingly apolitical nature and she was well aware of the need to grease certain palms or look the other way at times, but she had her doubts that giving Team RWBY such blatant favoritism wouldn't blow up in their faces. Teenagers who thought themselves invincible and immune to consequences got big heads and thought they knew better than everyone else.
She scanned the document and stopped. Ms. Schnee's report was...enlightening. And yes, she knew it was Ms. Schnee writing the reports. While the grade demanded that leaders be the ones to write those, she was willing to look the other way if it meant making her life just a bit easier. And perhaps she sympathized with Ms. Schnee for doing the job her leader was supposed to do. She'd make sure to give her a few extra credit bumps.
Glynda read through the report twice to make sure she was getting it right. Were it anyone else, talk about 'diamond armor that could take a bullet from Crescent Rose', 'plants that could grow in minutes', and other such fantastical things would've already been disregarded as someone clearly incapable of distinguishing from fantasy from reality. But this was Ms. Schnee. The idea of her lying about this was unlikely. No, clearly the fantastical things she listed must've been real.
"Ozpin, you should read this report from Team RWBY." She forwarded the report to him.
"Thank you. And it's Headmaster, Glynda."
"I'll call you that when you do your own paperwork, Ozpin," she said, giving him a sickly sweet smile.
He looked like he was going to argue before remembering how much he hated actually doing his job. Instead, he turned back to his computer and read through the report, "This sounds rather...unbelievable." Ozpin hummed, "I'd heard rumors of a village that was rapidly expanding out in the countryside, but this sounds far more...intriguing than I anticipated." Oh no. Glynda could already see the gears turning in his head, "This Jaune Arc could prove useful."
"Ozpin." Glynda breathed out roughly, "How many teenagers are you planning to induct? You're already giving Team RWBY blatant preferential treatment."
"For good reason. Ms. Rose is a prodigy, Ms. Xiao Long is the best fighter in her year outside of Ms. Nikos, Ms. Schnee is the future heiress to the SDC, and Ms. Belladonna is the daughter of the leaders of Menagerie. A little favor here and there is worth their assistance against her." He said the word like a curse, "If Mr. Arc is even half as good as Ms. Schnee's report makes him out to be, then gaining his aid would be invaluable."
"You're very fortunate that I'm aware of the context else I'd have to report you for collecting teenagers like trophies," Glynda said flatly.
"Noted. Please send Team PNCR to reinforce Team RWBY." Team PNCR (Pincer). Pyrrha Nikos, Nora Valkyrie, Lie Ren, and the Atlesian transfer student, Ciel Soleil. Besides Team RWBY, they were the ones who had proven the most adept in their year. Ozpin hadn't treated them with favoritism...yet. It was only a matter of time, "Ms. Soleil is very meticulous with recording details. I'm sure she can gather information better than anyone else can."
"Why are you like this?"
"There is a method to my madness." So he knew he was mad? She wasn't sure if that was a good thing or not, "And...it's not just with regards to Salem." Ozpin coughed, "We've been having some...budgetary issues of late that Mr. Arc could help with."
"Hm, and I wonder why that would be?" Glynda gave him a withering look, "Could it be because we had to pay a settlement to avoid Hei Xiong from suing Ms. Xiao Long? Because we had to pay for reparations for the docks incident since it was our students who were responsible? Or maybe because we had to repair the cafeteria after Team RWBY and Team PNCR had some 'innocent fun'?" Her Semblance was impressive, and she certainly made a show of repairing everything easily, but that was far from the truth. Plates were still broken, food was still wasted, and the infrastructure needed proper repairs after the damage the two teams had done. All of which cost money.
"I'm sure I don't know." Ozpin didn't look her in the eyes, "Beacon could use some repairs, and if Mr. Arc is as adept as Ms. Schnee claims him to be, well...I wouldn't say no if he offered. Some of the technology in this Domremy settlement sounds fascinating. Easily enough to beat even the "
"...Please limit your schemes, Ozpin."
"You need more faith in me, Glynda." He sipped his hot chocolate while Glynda slammed her head on her desk. Something told her she was going to be cleaning up whatever mess came from this.
Well...this was awkward.
Blake was used to silence. Preferred it, really. Her idea of a good time was curling up in the library or the fireplace with a good book and a cup of tea. It was one of the few things she and Weiss had in common.
Still, just because Blake preferred the quiet didn't mean that she was a fan of awkward silences, which was exactly what was going on here now. Team RWBY was noisy, but it was a...comfortable kind of noise. Usually Ruby would've been chattering on about this or that while Weiss made snippy but obviously affectionate remarks. Yang would jump in with whatever topic came to mind and would try to get her to talk too, which she sometimes did if she was in a good mood. It was a dynamic she'd gotten used to over the months she spent with them.
Now there was nothing. No noise, no chatting, just a heavy silence with nothing but the sounds of their footsteps as they walked down from the castle. Leaves crunched underfoot and a calm breeze blew through the town, causing Blake's long hair to dance. It was a picturesque scene that was ruined by the miasma of misery hanging over their team. She knew it was inevitable, but that didn't mean she felt good about it, even if she knew she couldn't stop. The fate of the Faunus rested on her shoulders.
She didn't hate Weiss. A part of her understood exactly why the heiress was so determined to get Jaune's help, and in many ways, she respected her goals. But this went beyond cheaper Dust and better workplace conditions. This was about the Faunus as a whole. Equality was centuries in the making and they'd waited long enough. A kingdom of their own would go a long way to ensuring that they could stand as equals against their oppressors. She knew she could sell it to her parents and the less radical of the White Fang.
They made it down to the city proper and the silence was overridden by the sounds of the citizens going about their daily lives. She debated splitting off from the others or staying to try and find some way to help the awkward situation (that was in no way her fault) when she heard it. Voices that had an odder undercurrent to them. Her cat ears twitched from under her bow and her brows furrowed. Being a Faunus meant having better hearing than the rest of her team alongside her night vision, and she picked up the subtle conversation. There was something different about the words that she couldn't explain, but she found herself drawn to the sound regardless.
"Hey, Blakey? What's up?" Yang asked. Blake ignored her and kept moving, slipping past crowds of people till she got to an alley. Her cat ears were practically thrumming and she untied her bow, exposing her Faunus trait for all to see. She didn't have to fear being judged here.
She walked down the alley till she reached a slightly ajar door. The voices got louder and louder and she was compelled to reach her hand out and pry it open till she felt a firm grip on her right shoulder, "Don't do it, Blake," Yang said, her voice hollow. From behind her, she saw Weiss and Ruby look at them both in confusion, "Once you open that door...there's no going back."
...
Blake shrugged her off and opened the door to peek inside.
Cats. Lots of cats. She counted at least a dozen of them sitting on a table fit for fine dining. Embroidered cloth draped over a dark mahogany table, fancy silverware, and even a burning chandelier overhead. The room was equally fancy and decorated with paintings and royal gold wallpaper. If it wasn't just a single room in the middle of an alley, she might've thought that she was peeking into one of those fancy restaurants she never would've been able to afford.
Her attention was drawn once again to the cats. She'd seen many cats over the years, though not enough to really distinguish one breed from another. Despite her lack of knowledge, she definitely knew that cats wearing monocles, top hats, and suits were definitely not normal. Some rich people - Atlesians, mostly - dressed up their pets, sure, but this was going above and beyond. They were dressed better than most of the people in the city!
"I've heard the dogs growling again," one striped cat said. Its - his - voice was unbelievably posh considering it was licking between its legs, "The mongrels are threatening us once more because they cannot understand their place." She barely noticed Ruby and Weiss peeking up and over her shoulder. Yang had chosen to stay well far away.
"Oh dear, don't let it bother you," the female voice came from a fat, orange cat, "Lesser beings often hate their betters. To be Better is to be scorned. Take their hatred as proof of our superiority." Blake's right eye twitched. Why did she suddenly feel like murdering a cat? She wasn't a fan of dogs either, but still... "Speaking of our Lessers, did you hear the rumors? One of those Faunus has shown up in town. And not just any Faunus." Its face scrunched together, "A Cat Faunus."
That got a load of hissing and angry meows, with one even coughing up a hairball, "It's bad enough that they imitate the other animals poorly, but must they involve us in their charade? The thought of us being mired with lesser beings..." The brown cat shuddered.
"One wonders where such genetic aberrations originated from?" A pure white cat licked his paw, "Did some of our kind deign to debase themselves by interbreeding with lesser beings? Or perhaps they're the creation of some humans that wished to get closer to true perfection?"
"I think they're Humans who simply needed an excuse to be victimized." A black cat added. Blake grit her teeth and resisted the urge to reach for Gambol Shroud, "The Faunus who come here never stop whining about how they were treated oh-so-poorly before they arrived here. Poppycock. No one treats us with such scorn. No, the Humans are well aware of who is the true superior species. Honestly, I've half a mind to file a complaint about them appropriating our species for their own selfish ends."
"You're both wrong." A brown cat adjusted his top hat, "Don't you all remember the story of the gods? They created the Humans and the Faunus both. And now they're gone." He shook his head, "I don't blame them for not coming back. How else would one feel seeing how their creations have strayed? Do you think the Brothers stay away from because They too live in fear at what They've created here on this planet?" The other cats looked at him, "Stop looking at me like that. It's a good question."
Blake was torn between leaving and giving these arrogant felines a piece of her mind when she felt a sudden pressure on her back. She barely heard Ruby squeak before she, Weiss, and Ruby stumbled inside. They quickly regained their balance - Huntress training, and not because she was part cat - only to look up and find themselves the center of attention of a dozen pairs of feline eyes. Blake pursed her lips while Ruby and Weiss scrambled beside her.
"Oh, it's one of those," the orange cat said snobbily, "Come to see your betters, false feline? You should really remove those fake ears. It's an insult to us true felines. Why, you didn't even remove those inferior human ears of yours! If you're going to take being a cat, at least put in an effort!"
"Fake?!" Blake snarled, "Listen here, you little shit-"
"Oh, and it speaks! How adorable!"
Blake snarled. She'd dealt with racist shitheads before, but she was not gonna be talked down to by something licking its own crotch!
She was just about to reach out and strangle the damn thing when Ruby and Weiss grabbed one arm each and dragged her outside, "Let me go! I'm gonna kill them! These things are gonna die!" Blake snarled and struggled, legs swinging and mouth practically frothing. The cats smugly preened and waved at her as she was slowly dragged out of the room. She thought she was better than this, that she'd learned to swallow her pride, but she was wrong. She was gonna skin those cats alive!
Ruby and Weiss didn't let go of her till they were far away from the alley and those damn cats. Blake panted angrily and scowled at her two teammates, "Why did you stop me?"
"I'm sure we'd get in trouble if one of our team gets caught murdering a score of cats." Weiss sighed, "Those felines were rather... aggravating, I'll admit. It felt like I was back home in Atlas."
"I wouldn't have gotten caught..."
"Those were talking cats!" Ruby threw her hands up, "How are there talking cats? Jaune said he made intelligence potions, but he didn't mention it made animals talk!"
"Let's not question it," Yang said firmly, her voice leaving no room for argument. The four of them looked at one another, the tense air from before all but forgotten, before Blake nodded. Yeah, that sounded like a good idea.
They ended up on the wall. Ruby suggested that they check out the defenses of the place and the others agreed. Her bad mood from before, already fading because of the weird cats, practically disappeared as soon as she got a closer look at the defenses, "The people here are very well-equipped." Weiss hummed. Everyone was wearing iron armor and weapons. It looked pretty dated, especially for someone who used Aura instead of armor, but they knew better by now than to judge by appearances. Ruby wouldn't have been surprised if the armor could stop bullets as good as Aura could.
And speaking of bullets...
"Oh, wow! Awesome!" Ruby squeed, looking closer at the AA gun. It was big. REALLY big. The defenses back at Vale weren't anything to sneeze at, but they were...basic. The designs were from the Great War and hadn't changed much over the years.
This thing looked sleek. Curved gray and white metal with a long, smooth bore. The ones back at Vale were... utilitarian. Boxy metal contraptions filled with shells meant to blow Nevermores clear out of the sky. They packed a lot of power in them, sure, but they weren't elegant and they didn't push boundaries. She'd written more than one letter to the council suggesting improvements on the defenses. They never wrote her back...
Ruby salivated shamelessly at the big shells and it took everything she had not to sit down and look through the optics. There weren't any Grimm around, and the last thing she wanted was to cause a panic by firing something through that long, hard barrel. Still, she could at least imagine it. She closed her eyes and imagined a flock of Nevermores flying over the village. And then there was her, Super Huntress Ruby Rose with a cannon that would make Atlas jealous shooting them out of the sky.
And then Jaune would be so thankful about how she saved his kingdom. He'd tell her all about how awesome and brave she was and how he'd do anything to be with her. And then...and then!
"Rubes, you're...giggling pretty creepily there." Yang shook her shoulder, washing away the pleasant dream of Jaune giving her an engagement sniper rifle.
"I know you have a crush, Ruby, but please do try to control yourself. It'd be a shame if you became a slave to your hormones." Weiss sighed.
"I-I'm not!" Ruby stamped her foot on the ground and glared at her bestie, "And you shut up, Weiss! I saw you staring at Jaune's chest too!"
"I-I was not!"
"You were," Blake said.
"You shut it, Belladonna!"
Their lighthearted bickering was cut off when something else caught Ruby's eye. A collection of blurry figures in the distance outside the walls. "Hold on, is that..." She leaned over the edge of the wall and narrowed her eyes, trying to focus. Too far. She unfurled Crescent Rose and looked through the scope.
It was Jaune. He was whistling a tune and walking with a skip in his step, a diamond pickaxe slung over his shoulder. Surrounding him were a dozen golems wielding a myriad of melee weapons ranging from swords to axes to hammers. What really got her attention, though, was the ornate suit of armor. It was big, maybe 15 feet tall (though she might've been wrong given the distance), and colored black and blue. Unlike the golems, it looked stupidly fancy with intricate designs, sigils, and a flowing blue and gold cape. In its hands, it held a greatsword bigger than Jaune was, the obsidian blade lined with gold runes that seemed to glow in the sun.
It was the sexiest thing she'd ever seen. Besides Jaune, of course.
"What's wrong, Ruby?" Blake asked.
"It's Jaune. He's out there with a bunch of golems and a knight." She lowered the scope, "We should go out and help him. It's not safe out there."
It was obvious that they didn't buy that reasoning, but none of them disagreed. The four of them hopped down the wall and rushed to where Jaune was. She could've gone there faster with her Semblance, but she didn't bother. She could beat the rest of them in winning Jaune's heart if it came to a fight.
Jaune turned around when they showed up. The golems and the knight raised their weapons, "Woah, hold on, guys! They're friendly!" His bodyguards lowered their weapons and Jaune smiled, "Hey! What are you guys doing out here?"
"We saw you out here and got worried," Ruby said. No sense in lying, "Are you sure it's safe out here?"
"You mean the Grimm? I'll be fine. I've got my bodyguards." He grinned and tapped the knight's side. Now that she got a closer look, she saw the flowing white mane at the back of its helmet, "I go out here sometimes to gather materials or see if the land's good to expand to. Can never have enough space."
"Still, I think we should stay and-"
Ruby was cut off by a sudden growl to the left. Huntress instincts kicked in and she unsheathed Crescent Rose. And not a moment too soon. Out of the forest came a horde of Grimm. No, that was an understatement. The average Grimm group consisted of Beowolves with an Alpha if you were unlucky. If you were really unlucky then there could've been more exotic types like Beringels or Nevermores. Those usually made mincemeat out of militias.
The horde that stepped out wasn't anywhere close to that. There were four Beringels out near the front, their gorilla-like bodies shaking as they stomped the ground, Behind them was something that would make even experienced Huntsmen pause. Twenty Alpha Beowolves and fifteen Ursa Alphas, each of them snarling and pawing at the ground. To the left and right was were a pair of deathstalkers, their pincers raised menacingly. And at the head of the horde was a Grimm type they'd never seen before. A big, fat Cyclops-looking thing carrying a club made out of Grimm bone. It looked down at them hatefully through its blood-red eye and roared.
Ruby's heart pounded in her ears and she got down into a battle stance. She would've been lying if she said she wasn't nervous. She was pretty sure even her Dad and Uncle Qrow would've hesitated to fight a horde of this size, but she refused to back down. She was Ruby Rose, and she'd never turn her back on to the Grimm and the innocents they hurt! She was here, she was with her team, and Crescent Rose just got a new upgrade. She was ready! This was gonna be a battle for the ages!
...
Or at least it should've been.
Before any of them could move, the knight roared and charged ahead, a red Aura covering its entire body. It flipped through the air and smashed its greatsword into the ground, disintegrating two Alpha Beowolves in one go. The rest of the Grimm moved to attack it, snarling, biting, and clawing, but it didn't care at all. Ruby watched with both awe and horror as the knight reached out one of its gauntlets and crushed a Beringel's head between its armored fingers, turning the head into pulp before the Grimm disintegrated.
The sounds of whistling came from overhead and Ruby plugged her ears just before a barrage of artillery shells landed at the thick of the horde. The explosives tore the Grimm apart and created the ground, The Grimm didn't get a chance to recover before more shells came from overhead, slamming into the earth and mercilessly destroying them in a barrage of fire and heat.
By the end of the barrage, there was only the knight and the Cyclops left. The animated suit of armor looked almost pristine sans some dirt and ash while the cyclops was desperately trying to crawl away from the crater they were both in. Ruby almost felt sorry as she watched the knight slowly stride forward before it stomped the back of its bulbous head, slowly, painfully crushing the Grimm into the dirt while it screamed and flailed.
The armored boot stomped through the head and the Cyclops dissipated, leaving no trace of the horde that had been there just minutes before.
...
"Uh..." Yang said, breaking the silence.
"Sorry about that. Weird Grimm types show up around here for some reason. That's why I bring these guys along." The knight strode towards them and bowed to Jaune like he was a king. Weiss pursed her lips and looked more than a little jealous, "But yeah, I'm pretty safe around here with these guys around." He raised a hand, which the knight hi-fived.
"So many dangerous Grimm types converging together is...unnatural. I suggest we return to town and figure out why," Weiss said.
"I mean it's pretty common around here, but sure, why not? Let's go."
Jaune led the way back while Ruby took one last look at the crater where the horde used to be. Next time, she told herself as she held Crescent Rose. Next time she'd get her chance to shine and play with her upgraded baby.
Hm, I'd love to see Adam and the others try to go after Jaune with the Knight there. I'm sure it'll totally be a fair fight. Anyway, next chapter we have the girls individually trying to flirt with Jaune plus the introduction of Team PNCR. For all you Pyrrha fans out there, the commissioner said she's part of the harem, so against my desire to make her life suffering, she's gonna win out here, at least partially.
Wanna help support me (and gain access to chapters a week or two early)? Then check out the link below:
Patreon.com/Vendetta543
Questions:
1. Which faction do you guys want to focus on first and why? Ozpin will be prioritized, of course, but what about after that? Ironwood? Cinder? White Fang? Another group?
2. Who do you guys want to win Jaune's heart first? This is a harem, but obviously they don't all confess at the same time. Readers seem to want Ruby, but maybe Weiss or Blake might be better for plot? Or Pyrrha just to get egg on Team RWBY's face?
3. Do you guys think Ruby is too thirsty? If so, I can tone her down for future chapters.
One thing I find funny is people making theories about Jaune's family. Neither I or the commissioner really planned anything for them. The only canon family we have is Saphron and I have no interest on making a bunch of OC's for Jaune's sisters/Mom and Dad. I'll be focusing more on Jaune himself in later chapters, albeit from the POV of other characters who try to exploit him.
Cause that is the biggest selling point here (besides the comedy and harem). The faction warfare. One thing that's going to be interesting is that all these groups want Jaune's help but have basically nothing to offer him. Money? He has billions of lien in assets. Connections? His kingdom is fully self-sufficient and does not need the help of others. Jaune wants for nothing while they want his powers.
So it leaves these powerful people - Ozpin, Ironwood, Atlas, Cinder, White Fang etc - scrambling because, for the first time since forever, they have empty hands and no cards to play. So they have to get creative. Seduction is the easiest, which is what Weiss and Blake go for. White Fang might go for kidnapping and trying to enslave Jaune, ditto Cinder. So on and so forth.
For anyone interested in making a commission, email me at: storylover543@gmail.com
Chapter 3: Of Portals and Knights
Ruby woke up feeling like a million lien. The leader of Team RWBY sat up and stretched her arms above her head. She felt absolutely amazing. Like she'd slept in a field of rose petals after a full chocolate bath. Yes, Yang, that would feel awesome, shut up!
She yawned cutely and looked at the rest of her team. Her friends, fellow Huntresses...and the ones trying to steal her soulmate!
Her mouth dipped down as she remembered what happened yesterday. Everything was so perfect. They'd gotten their first mission, they went to a really cool place, and she met Jaune. Her soulmate. The guy she was gonna spend the rest of her life with. She wouldn't say it was love at first sight or anything like Mom had with Dad, but it was close enough. He liked the same things she did, he was super nice, thought her being a Huntress was cool, and he loved building stuff! Just like her! Okay, maybe she preferred weapons to buildings, but so what? They still shared crafting, which was more than she could say for the rest of her traitorous teammates.
Ruby pouted and kept glaring at the rest of Team RWBY as they woke up. If she wasn't so angry she might've thought it was weird that they all woke up at the same time, "Your face is gonna lock up if you keep glaring like that, Rubes." Yang yawned and moved her arms, making her stupid big boobs bounce. Ruby wasn't jealous. She was gonna grow up to be even sexier than Yang was anyway, so why would she be? Besides, she knew Jaune liked fun-sized people more. Just a feeling she got.
Everyone got up and looked at one another, but none of them said a word. It was hard to forget what happened last night. They were all after Jaune, though the rest of them were being selfish. Blake and Weiss just wanted to use him for their plans and Yang...well, she was a butt cause she was trying to take her soulmate! Yang didn't have the connection that she and Jaune had. She spent her time partying in nightclubs and doing 'cool kid' junk while Ruby was the one who liked all the 'dorky' stuff. Yang couldn't just decide she liked that stuff now just cause Jaune did those things too!
A part of her wanted to rush out and tell Jaune about Blake and Weiss' plans, but she held back. Logically, she knew she had no proof. She knew she was telling the truth, and maybe Yang would back her up, but they could also accuse her of just making stuff up to make them look bad. It would've just been 'He said, She said' if she told him now. Even ignoring that, as mad as Ruby was at the two for being so selfish, they were still her friends. She didn't want Jaune to be mad at them.
Especially since she wanted to invite them to the wedding.
The tense atmosphere was broken up by a sudden call from outside, "Hey, if you guys are awake, I made breakfast!" Jaune called.
The four of them got dressed and went down. The smell of eggs and bacon in the air made Ruby salivate, and it only got worse when they got to the dining room and saw Jaune in an apron with his hair tied back. Big muscley guy with an apron...oh yeah, "Oh, morning!" Jaune smiled at them, "I hope you guys had a good sleep." He set down a plate filled with a towering stack of pancakes. She could already hear Nora screaming in jealousy.
"It was a very satisfying rest. Thank you, Jaune." Ruby's eyes narrowed at the demure way Weiss replied.
"Yeah, awesome. Shame I had to sleep alone." Ruby gnashed her teeth together at Yang's wink.
She expected Blake to say something stupidly flirty too. Instead, she went past Jaune and picked up a couple of the plates from the kitchen counter, "We're the guests here. It's only right that we help."
Ruby almost screamed in frustration. Her team was stealing her soulmate! "I-I can help too!" Activating her Semblance, she zipped between the kitchen and dining room, carrying the mountain of plates between in no time at all.
"Thanks, Ruby! You too, Blake." Ruby pursed her lips. She carried two plates. Two!
Biting back her anger, the five of them sat down and dug into the mountains of food. They were all used to varied meals back at Beacon, but this was pretty extreme even by their standards. The table was huge enough to accommodate the stack of plates, each of them filled with amazing-looking food. Crispy bacon, sunny side-up eggs, pancakes, meat on a stick, a plate of cookies, a whole cake...anything they might've wanted back at Beacon. It tasted so good too. Beacon hired the best chefs they could, but this made that food feel stale.
Ruby looked up from the eggs to Jaune. What could she do or say to get his attention, she wondered. She had some alone time with him later cause they were upgrading Crescent Rose, but she didn't wanna risk them doing something funny before then.
Her plan of somehow extending her leg ten feet to play footsie was ruined when a pair of cyan-colored eyes appeared next to her on the table. Ruby shrieked and jumped up while the rest of the team put their hands up, "My, my. This always happens." The pair of eyes blinked and a body of what looked like a purple and cyan cat made out of Hard-Light Dust suddenly appeared. She, Weiss, and Blake looked on at the...thing curiously while Yang suddenly had a haunted look in her eyes.
"Well, that's what happens when you suddenly appear in front of people, Curious." Jaune huffed lightly.
"I introduced myself to the blonde one yesterday!" the cat thing protested. Yang suddenly found her nails super interesting, "But fine. I am the Curious Cat, though most people call me Curious. Are any of you interested in chatting?"
"About what?" Ruby asked before she could stop herself.
"Anything!" It stood up on its hind legs and touched her arm, "So many new arrivals, all with such fascinating lives! A farmer, a warrior, a drunkard, a man of peace, a man of war...so many interesting histories! Word on the grapevine is that you four are Huntresses-in-training. I've never talked to one of those before!"
"Wait, Curious Cat?" Blake muttered, "Hold on, are you the Curious Cat from the stories? 'The Girl Who Fell Through the World'?"
"I suppose you could say that." The Cat sighed and licked its right paw, "Though Alyx was rather flattering to herself in that little tale. Though, I suppose saying she was a vicious little monster wouldn't have gone down very well." Ruby blinked at the sudden nastiness in its tone, "But, let's not talk about such unpleasant things. Tell me, how is it being a Huntress? I've heard such fascinating things! Is it true that Huntresses spend their time fighting while not caring at all about civilians?"
"What? Where did you hear such a baseless idea?" Weiss scoffed.
"One of the new residents was from the city of Vale. She mentioned a story about when she'd gone to a club of night when suddenly some Huntress attacked the owners and destroyed the place. The poor woman sounded so scared. It must've been horrifying."
...
Ruby, Blake, and Weiss looked at Yang. Her big sis whistled innocently and refused to look them in the eyes, "Come on, that wouldn't have been a Huntress," Jaune laughed, rubbing the Cat's chin, "I bet it was, like, another criminal or something. Cause what kind of Huntress just attacks a place full of civilians like that?"
"Ahaha, yeah! Be totally crazy if a Huntress did something like that." Yang grinned, "So...uh, who's the Cat? Like is he literally the one from the fairytale?"
"Pretty much. At least that's how they tell it." Jaune shrugged.
"Are you telling us that fairytales are real?" Blake asked, "What about the story of the four Maidens or the Silver-Eyed Warriors? Are those real too?" Ruby blinked her silver eyes at Blake's sudden excitement. It was the most expressive she'd seen her in the months they knew each other. And if Blake wasn't a thieving cat who was trying to steal her soulmate, Ruby would've found it cute. But she was, so Ruby refused to find it cute.
"I don't know about that, but I guess? The Ever After is definitely real. I've been there."
"I'm sorry, are you telling us you've been to a fairytale land?" Weiss asked, "Despite all the borderline miraculous things I've seen so far, I find that rather unbelievable, Jaune."
"I could show you after we finish eating." Jaune shrugged.
The four of them ate much quicker after that, Blake slightly less so cause she was fangirling over the Hard-Light cat. Ruby wiped her mouth and rushed the dishes back to the kitchen after everyone was done. As much as she wanted to monopolize Jaune's time, she was curious about how Jaune was gonna prove fairy tales were real. She was a big fan of those stories too, though she preferred the ones where evil was vanquished and the good guys won. The depressing fairytales were just dark and boring.
Jaune led them to a door with the words 'PORTAL ROOM' signed over the top. They stepped inside and Ruby gasped at the big room on the other end. It was as big as Beacon's auditorium with big stone doorways lined up in a semi-circle around the center. She counted seven of them, each showing a different willowy image. The one to the left had a big tree and a multicolored field while another showed a village full of people carrying weapons twice their size and wearing awesome-looking armor. She almost reached a hand out to touch it before Jaune suddenly pulled her hand away.
"Be careful, Ruby." She barely noticed that he was holding her hand before he let go, "You can't get into the portals unless I give you the right crystals, but it'll zap you something fierce if you try to touch it."
"Wh-What is this place?" Ruby asked.
"Portals to other dimensions," Jaune said way too casually. Weiss' mouth opened in a slack-jawed expression while Blake and Yang peered into the shimmering portals, "Some of the things I wanted to build came from materials that...well, just didn't exist in this universe. I was racking my head for what to do and it just suddenly came to me one morning. If it doesn't exist here, why don't I go to a place where it does exist? That's how I first got to the Ever After."
"A stroke of fate I still praise," the Cat said, brushing against Jaune's legs.
"But even the Ever After didn't have all the materials I needed, so I made a few more portals." He gestured to the other six gates, "One world's filled with giant monsters and the people who hunt them, so I use that when gathering up materials for weapons and armor. There's another world that's been frozen over that's just full of minerals and other gems. And this place is The Nether." He pointed to a gate that looked like it led straight to hell, "The Nether's not a nice place. I don't like going there or to The End."
"Um...so, you access different dimensions?" Weiss asked the obvious.
"Yep," Jaune said, popping the P. Just like she did, "Don't get me wrong, Remnant has a lot of awesome materials - I'm stockpiling Gravity Dust to make a floating castle - but if you want something exotic, staying in one dimension is just so limiting." He shook his head and pointed to the gate on the rightmost side, "And it's a good place to take a break from it all sometimes. That one leads to a beach world. Just the sun, waves, and all the fish you can eat." Blake shivered and wiped some drool from the side of her mouth, "That's where my family's at right now, actually. I suggested they take a vacation to celebrate my nephew's first birthday."
"I explore those worlds at times, though I find myself always returning to Remnant," the Cat added.
Blake coughed, "Speaking of beach islands. Jaune, what do you think about-"
"I think we should give Jaune some space. We wouldn't want to impose too much on his hospitality," Weiss cut in forcefully. Blake gave her a venomous glare and looked like she was about to spit out something nasty when Weiss continued, "We haven't really explored the town as a team, so I think we should do just that and give you some time to return to your crafting."
"Huh? Alright, have fun!"
Jaune left with the Cat following after him. Blake waited till they were out of sight before she rounded on Weiss with a glare, "You can't stop me, Weiss."
"I'm doing what I can for the good of Remnant as a whole. Jaune can help you once my father doesn't have a stranglehold on a resource that everyone, Human and Faunus, need to survive."
"You're both being jerks!" Ruby stamped her foot. She still cared about them, but they were being real butts right now, "Jaune isn't someone for you both to...use like that! He's a person! He's free to choose what he wants and who he should be with." And he should choose her. She wouldn't force him - she wasn't a bad person - but she was better for him than Weiss and Blake were. She wouldn't use him to try and change Remnant or anything.
"Gods, why are you all being idiots about this?" Yang sighed, "Look...let's just go down to the city like Weiss-scream said. Then maybe you three will stop being so dang crazy about this."
"Tch, don't as if you're so above it all, Xiao-Long." Weiss scoffed, "What was it you said earlier? 'Shame I had to sleep alone'?" Weiss asked sarcastically, changing her voice to sound eerily close to her big sister's, "Blake and I may have our disagreements, but we're not doing this for something as petty as getting a boyfriend. Look at what Jaune has done and tell me Remnant wouldn't benefit from his gifts. With my guidance, things can change for the better."
"I agreed with you up until the last part." Blake rolled her eyes.
The four of them looked at one another for a moment before they eventually filed out. At least if they were all in town then it meant that the other three weren't sinking their greedy claws into Jaune. Ruby stared ahead with a firm expression. She always said that she didn't wanna stand out. Just be Ruby 'Normal Knees' Rose. Well, nuts to that! She wasn't gonna lose here! She was a hecking awesome kick-butt Huntress that got to Beacon two years early for a reason - cause she was that good!
Glynda set her glasses down and pinched the bridge of her nose. Being the Deputy Headmistress of Beacon sounded like a prestigious position, one that demanded respect and admiration. Perhaps that was true, though it was also a position that demanded being Ozpin's gopher.
She respected the headmaster, she truly did, but a part of her still wondered how exactly he'd attained his position. Immortal puppetmaster or not, the man flagrantly flouted the rules whenever it suited him, played unabashed favorites (such as with Team RWBY), and refused to do his paperwork even as he was dragged kicking and screaming into it. Which left her having to do the paperwork, if only because she didn't want Beacon to collapse. She'd nearly had a heart attack when they were audited last month and their paperwork made it appear they were pocketing half of the budget for themselves.
They weren't, of course. Ozpin was simply very bad at managing his paperwork.
She sighed and looked to the office she was temporarily sharing with the headmaster. Her own office was currently under repair because a certain someone who shall not be named - though their name rhymed with Rang Xian Lung - had picked a fight with one Cardin Winchester after he made an off-color remark about her little sister. The fight had spilled over to her office and it somehow ended with the entire room being coated with orange paint. Mr. Winchester received detention. Ms. Xian Lung did not because Ozpin played favorites.
Her eyes flicked over to the headmaster. The old man sat on his chair and looked seriously over at the screen of his computer. To anyone else, he might've looked hard at work, but Glynda saw the reflection of what was undoubtedly a card game on his glasses. Her right eye twitched and she took a deep breath. Flinging the computer straight at his head would only strain the budget even more and possibly kill him. That would've been murder. But even worse than that, they'd have to wait for him to through puberty again. And she was not going to babysit the headmaster.
Ignoring her boss, she looked back at her own computer and read through the reports. The first years were going on their first official missions, which was always a transitional period. It was the first time for many of them to do a task without having the professors as a safety net. Even the Initiation was closely monitored. Granted, none of the first years were allowed to take Grimm extermination missions. The average first-year mission involved shadowing a more experienced Huntsman or camping out in the field.
And reports. Better to teach them early that the contract board demands meticulous record keeping.
She scanned through the reports on autopilot. So far so good. There were a few incidents of some incidents like one student who used poison ivy as makeshift toilet paper, but nothing life-threatening. She slowed as she came to Team RWBY's report. Team RWBY had proved...troublesome. A very effective team given their age - their performance at Initiation spoke for itself - but also troublesome. The fact that they'd destroyed a chunk of the docks a few weeks into the school year only proved that.
That wasn't even getting into the members themselves. Ruby Rose was a fifteen-year-old girl who Ozpin let in early because of her Silver Eyes and reckless vigilante actions. Weiss Schnee was heiress to the SDC, which wouldn't have been a problem in and of itself if the headmaster somehow didn't think it would be a problem to put her on the same team as Blake Belladonna, former White Fang terrorist who didn't even bother to change her name. And of course, there was Yang Xiao Long, who'd destroyed a nightclub that belonged to a 'reputable businessman' by the name of Hei Xiong. While she had little sympathy for criminals, instigating fights where civilians were involved would've gotten almost anyone suspended, if not expelled outright.
But of course, she was Qrow's niece, so the matter was swept under the rug.
Glynda sighed once again. She wasn't naive. Huntsmen were as political as anyone else despite their seemingly apolitical nature and she was well aware of the need to grease certain palms or look the other way at times, but she had her doubts that giving Team RWBY such blatant favoritism wouldn't blow up in their faces. Teenagers who thought themselves invincible and immune to consequences got big heads and thought they knew better than everyone else.
She scanned the document and stopped. Ms. Schnee's report was...enlightening. And yes, she knew it was Ms. Schnee writing the reports. While the grade demanded that leaders be the ones to write those, she was willing to look the other way if it meant making her life just a bit easier. And perhaps she sympathized with Ms. Schnee for doing the job her leader was supposed to do. She'd make sure to give her a few extra credit bumps.
Glynda read through the report twice to make sure she was getting it right. Were it anyone else, talk about 'diamond armor that could take a bullet from Crescent Rose', 'plants that could grow in minutes', and other such fantastical things would've already been disregarded as someone clearly incapable of distinguishing from fantasy from reality. But this was Ms. Schnee. The idea of her lying about this was unlikely. No, clearly the fantastical things she listed must've been real.
"Ozpin, you should read this report from Team RWBY." She forwarded the report to him.
"Thank you. And it's Headmaster, Glynda."
"I'll call you that when you do your own paperwork, Ozpin," she said, giving him a sickly sweet smile.
He looked like he was going to argue before remembering how much he hated actually doing his job. Instead, he turned back to his computer and read through the report, "This sounds rather...unbelievable." Ozpin hummed, "I'd heard rumors of a village that was rapidly expanding out in the countryside, but this sounds far more...intriguing than I anticipated." Oh no. Glynda could already see the gears turning in his head, "This Jaune Arc could prove useful."
"Ozpin." Glynda breathed out roughly, "How many teenagers are you planning to induct? You're already giving Team RWBY blatant preferential treatment."
"For good reason. Ms. Rose is a prodigy, Ms. Xiao Long is the best fighter in her year outside of Ms. Nikos, Ms. Schnee is the future heiress to the SDC, and Ms. Belladonna is the daughter of the leaders of Menagerie. A little favor here and there is worth their assistance against her." He said the word like a curse, "If Mr. Arc is even half as good as Ms. Schnee's report makes him out to be, then gaining his aid would be invaluable."
"You're very fortunate that I'm aware of the context else I'd have to report you for collecting teenagers like trophies," Glynda said flatly.
"Noted. Please send Team PNCR to reinforce Team RWBY." Team PNCR (Pincer). Pyrrha Nikos, Nora Valkyrie, Lie Ren, and the Atlesian transfer student, Ciel Soleil. Besides Team RWBY, they were the ones who had proven the most adept in their year. Ozpin hadn't treated them with favoritism...yet. It was only a matter of time, "Ms. Soleil is very meticulous with recording details. I'm sure she can gather information better than anyone else can."
"Why are you like this?"
"There is a method to my madness." So he knew he was mad? She wasn't sure if that was a good thing or not, "And...it's not just with regards to Salem." Ozpin coughed, "We've been having some...budgetary issues of late that Mr. Arc could help with."
"Hm, and I wonder why that would be?" Glynda gave him a withering look, "Could it be because we had to pay a settlement to avoid Hei Xiong from suing Ms. Xiao Long? Because we had to pay for reparations for the docks incident since it was our students who were responsible? Or maybe because we had to repair the cafeteria after Team RWBY and Team PNCR had some 'innocent fun'?" Her Semblance was impressive, and she certainly made a show of repairing everything easily, but that was far from the truth. Plates were still broken, food was still wasted, and the infrastructure needed proper repairs after the damage the two teams had done. All of which cost money.
"I'm sure I don't know." Ozpin didn't look her in the eyes, "Beacon could use some repairs, and if Mr. Arc is as adept as Ms. Schnee claims him to be, well...I wouldn't say no if he offered. Some of the technology in this Domremy settlement sounds fascinating. Easily enough to beat even the "
"...Please limit your schemes, Ozpin."
"You need more faith in me, Glynda." He sipped his hot chocolate while Glynda slammed her head on her desk. Something told her she was going to be cleaning up whatever mess came from this.
Well...this was awkward.
Blake was used to silence. Preferred it, really. Her idea of a good time was curling up in the library or the fireplace with a good book and a cup of tea. It was one of the few things she and Weiss had in common.
Still, just because Blake preferred the quiet didn't mean that she was a fan of awkward silences, which was exactly what was going on here now. Team RWBY was noisy, but it was a...comfortable kind of noise. Usually Ruby would've been chattering on about this or that while Weiss made snippy but obviously affectionate remarks. Yang would jump in with whatever topic came to mind and would try to get her to talk too, which she sometimes did if she was in a good mood. It was a dynamic she'd gotten used to over the months she spent with them.
Now there was nothing. No noise, no chatting, just a heavy silence with nothing but the sounds of their footsteps as they walked down from the castle. Leaves crunched underfoot and a calm breeze blew through the town, causing Blake's long hair to dance. It was a picturesque scene that was ruined by the miasma of misery hanging over their team. She knew it was inevitable, but that didn't mean she felt good about it, even if she knew she couldn't stop. The fate of the Faunus rested on her shoulders.
She didn't hate Weiss. A part of her understood exactly why the heiress was so determined to get Jaune's help, and in many ways, she respected her goals. But this went beyond cheaper Dust and better workplace conditions. This was about the Faunus as a whole. Equality was centuries in the making and they'd waited long enough. A kingdom of their own would go a long way to ensuring that they could stand as equals against their oppressors. She knew she could sell it to her parents and the less radical of the White Fang.
They made it down to the city proper and the silence was overridden by the sounds of the citizens going about their daily lives. She debated splitting off from the others or staying to try and find some way to help the awkward situation (that was in no way her fault) when she heard it. Voices that had an odder undercurrent to them. Her cat ears twitched from under her bow and her brows furrowed. Being a Faunus meant having better hearing than the rest of her team alongside her night vision, and she picked up the subtle conversation. There was something different about the words that she couldn't explain, but she found herself drawn to the sound regardless.
"Hey, Blakey? What's up?" Yang asked. Blake ignored her and kept moving, slipping past crowds of people till she got to an alley. Her cat ears were practically thrumming and she untied her bow, exposing her Faunus trait for all to see. She didn't have to fear being judged here.
She walked down the alley till she reached a slightly ajar door. The voices got louder and louder and she was compelled to reach her hand out and pry it open till she felt a firm grip on her right shoulder, "Don't do it, Blake," Yang said, her voice hollow. From behind her, she saw Weiss and Ruby look at them both in confusion, "Once you open that door...there's no going back."
...
Blake shrugged her off and opened the door to peek inside.
Cats. Lots of cats. She counted at least a dozen of them sitting on a table fit for fine dining. Embroidered cloth draped over a dark mahogany table, fancy silverware, and even a burning chandelier overhead. The room was equally fancy and decorated with paintings and royal gold wallpaper. If it wasn't just a single room in the middle of an alley, she might've thought that she was peeking into one of those fancy restaurants she never would've been able to afford.
Her attention was drawn once again to the cats. She'd seen many cats over the years, though not enough to really distinguish one breed from another. Despite her lack of knowledge, she definitely knew that cats wearing monocles, top hats, and suits were definitely not normal. Some rich people - Atlesians, mostly - dressed up their pets, sure, but this was going above and beyond. They were dressed better than most of the people in the city!
"I've heard the dogs growling again," one striped cat said. Its - his - voice was unbelievably posh considering it was licking between its legs, "The mongrels are threatening us once more because they cannot understand their place." She barely noticed Ruby and Weiss peeking up and over her shoulder. Yang had chosen to stay well far away.
"Oh dear, don't let it bother you," the female voice came from a fat, orange cat, "Lesser beings often hate their betters. To be Better is to be scorned. Take their hatred as proof of our superiority." Blake's right eye twitched. Why did she suddenly feel like murdering a cat? She wasn't a fan of dogs either, but still... "Speaking of our Lessers, did you hear the rumors? One of those Faunus has shown up in town. And not just any Faunus." Its face scrunched together, "A Cat Faunus."
That got a load of hissing and angry meows, with one even coughing up a hairball, "It's bad enough that they imitate the other animals poorly, but must they involve us in their charade? The thought of us being mired with lesser beings..." The brown cat shuddered.
"One wonders where such genetic aberrations originated from?" A pure white cat licked his paw, "Did some of our kind deign to debase themselves by interbreeding with lesser beings? Or perhaps they're the creation of some humans that wished to get closer to true perfection?"
"I think they're Humans who simply needed an excuse to be victimized." A black cat added. Blake grit her teeth and resisted the urge to reach for Gambol Shroud, "The Faunus who come here never stop whining about how they were treated oh-so-poorly before they arrived here. Poppycock. No one treats us with such scorn. No, the Humans are well aware of who is the true superior species. Honestly, I've half a mind to file a complaint about them appropriating our species for their own selfish ends."
"You're both wrong." A brown cat adjusted his top hat, "Don't you all remember the story of the gods? They created the Humans and the Faunus both. And now they're gone." He shook his head, "I don't blame them for not coming back. How else would one feel seeing how their creations have strayed? Do you think the Brothers stay away from because They too live in fear at what They've created here on this planet?" The other cats looked at him, "Stop looking at me like that. It's a good question."
Blake was torn between leaving and giving these arrogant felines a piece of her mind when she felt a sudden pressure on her back. She barely heard Ruby squeak before she, Weiss, and Ruby stumbled inside. They quickly regained their balance - Huntress training, and not because she was part cat - only to look up and find themselves the center of attention of a dozen pairs of feline eyes. Blake pursed her lips while Ruby and Weiss scrambled beside her.
"Oh, it's one of those," the orange cat said snobbily, "Come to see your betters, false feline? You should really remove those fake ears. It's an insult to us true felines. Why, you didn't even remove those inferior human ears of yours! If you're going to take being a cat, at least put in an effort!"
"Fake?!" Blake snarled, "Listen here, you little shit-"
"Oh, and it speaks! How adorable!"
Blake snarled. She'd dealt with racist shitheads before, but she was not gonna be talked down to by something licking its own crotch!
She was just about to reach out and strangle the damn thing when Ruby and Weiss grabbed one arm each and dragged her outside, "Let me go! I'm gonna kill them! These things are gonna die!" Blake snarled and struggled, legs swinging and mouth practically frothing. The cats smugly preened and waved at her as she was slowly dragged out of the room. She thought she was better than this, that she'd learned to swallow her pride, but she was wrong. She was gonna skin those cats alive!
Ruby and Weiss didn't let go of her till they were far away from the alley and those damn cats. Blake panted angrily and scowled at her two teammates, "Why did you stop me?"
"I'm sure we'd get in trouble if one of our team gets caught murdering a score of cats." Weiss sighed, "Those felines were rather... aggravating, I'll admit. It felt like I was back home in Atlas."
"I wouldn't have gotten caught..."
"Those were talking cats!" Ruby threw her hands up, "How are there talking cats? Jaune said he made intelligence potions, but he didn't mention it made animals talk!"
"Let's not question it," Yang said firmly, her voice leaving no room for argument. The four of them looked at one another, the tense air from before all but forgotten, before Blake nodded. Yeah, that sounded like a good idea.
They ended up on the wall. Ruby suggested that they check out the defenses of the place and the others agreed. Her bad mood from before, already fading because of the weird cats, practically disappeared as soon as she got a closer look at the defenses, "The people here are very well-equipped." Weiss hummed. Everyone was wearing iron armor and weapons. It looked pretty dated, especially for someone who used Aura instead of armor, but they knew better by now than to judge by appearances. Ruby wouldn't have been surprised if the armor could stop bullets as good as Aura could.
And speaking of bullets...
"Oh, wow! Awesome!" Ruby squeed, looking closer at the AA gun. It was big. REALLY big. The defenses back at Vale weren't anything to sneeze at, but they were...basic. The designs were from the Great War and hadn't changed much over the years.
This thing looked sleek. Curved gray and white metal with a long, smooth bore. The ones back at Vale were... utilitarian. Boxy metal contraptions filled with shells meant to blow Nevermores clear out of the sky. They packed a lot of power in them, sure, but they weren't elegant and they didn't push boundaries. She'd written more than one letter to the council suggesting improvements on the defenses. They never wrote her back...
Ruby salivated shamelessly at the big shells and it took everything she had not to sit down and look through the optics. There weren't any Grimm around, and the last thing she wanted was to cause a panic by firing something through that long, hard barrel. Still, she could at least imagine it. She closed her eyes and imagined a flock of Nevermores flying over the village. And then there was her, Super Huntress Ruby Rose with a cannon that would make Atlas jealous shooting them out of the sky.
And then Jaune would be so thankful about how she saved his kingdom. He'd tell her all about how awesome and brave she was and how he'd do anything to be with her. And then...and then!
"Rubes, you're...giggling pretty creepily there." Yang shook her shoulder, washing away the pleasant dream of Jaune giving her an engagement sniper rifle.
"I know you have a crush, Ruby, but please do try to control yourself. It'd be a shame if you became a slave to your hormones." Weiss sighed.
"I-I'm not!" Ruby stamped her foot on the ground and glared at her bestie, "And you shut up, Weiss! I saw you staring at Jaune's chest too!"
"I-I was not!"
"You were," Blake said.
"You shut it, Belladonna!"
Their lighthearted bickering was cut off when something else caught Ruby's eye. A collection of blurry figures in the distance outside the walls. "Hold on, is that..." She leaned over the edge of the wall and narrowed her eyes, trying to focus. Too far. She unfurled Crescent Rose and looked through the scope.
It was Jaune. He was whistling a tune and walking with a skip in his step, a diamond pickaxe slung over his shoulder. Surrounding him were a dozen golems wielding a myriad of melee weapons ranging from swords to axes to hammers. What really got her attention, though, was the ornate suit of armor. It was big, maybe 15 feet tall (though she might've been wrong given the distance), and colored black and blue. Unlike the golems, it looked stupidly fancy with intricate designs, sigils, and a flowing blue and gold cape. In its hands, it held a greatsword bigger than Jaune was, the obsidian blade lined with gold runes that seemed to glow in the sun.
It was the sexiest thing she'd ever seen. Besides Jaune, of course.
"What's wrong, Ruby?" Blake asked.
"It's Jaune. He's out there with a bunch of golems and a knight." She lowered the scope, "We should go out and help him. It's not safe out there."
It was obvious that they didn't buy that reasoning, but none of them disagreed. The four of them hopped down the wall and rushed to where Jaune was. She could've gone there faster with her Semblance, but she didn't bother. She could beat the rest of them in winning Jaune's heart if it came to a fight.
Jaune turned around when they showed up. The golems and the knight raised their weapons, "Woah, hold on, guys! They're friendly!" His bodyguards lowered their weapons and Jaune smiled, "Hey! What are you guys doing out here?"
"We saw you out here and got worried," Ruby said. No sense in lying, "Are you sure it's safe out here?"
"You mean the Grimm? I'll be fine. I've got my bodyguards." He grinned and tapped the knight's side. Now that she got a closer look, she saw the flowing white mane at the back of its helmet, "I go out here sometimes to gather materials or see if the land's good to expand to. Can never have enough space."
"Still, I think we should stay and-"
Ruby was cut off by a sudden growl to the left. Huntress instincts kicked in and she unsheathed Crescent Rose. And not a moment too soon. Out of the forest came a horde of Grimm. No, that was an understatement. The average Grimm group consisted of Beowolves with an Alpha if you were unlucky. If you were really unlucky then there could've been more exotic types like Beringels or Nevermores. Those usually made mincemeat out of militias.
The horde that stepped out wasn't anywhere close to that. There were four Beringels out near the front, their gorilla-like bodies shaking as they stomped the ground, Behind them was something that would make even experienced Huntsmen pause. Twenty Alpha Beowolves and fifteen Ursa Alphas, each of them snarling and pawing at the ground. To the left and right was were a pair of deathstalkers, their pincers raised menacingly. And at the head of the horde was a Grimm type they'd never seen before. A big, fat Cyclops-looking thing carrying a club made out of Grimm bone. It looked down at them hatefully through its blood-red eye and roared.
Ruby's heart pounded in her ears and she got down into a battle stance. She would've been lying if she said she wasn't nervous. She was pretty sure even her Dad and Uncle Qrow would've hesitated to fight a horde of this size, but she refused to back down. She was Ruby Rose, and she'd never turn her back on to the Grimm and the innocents they hurt! She was here, she was with her team, and Crescent Rose just got a new upgrade. She was ready! This was gonna be a battle for the ages!
...
Or at least it should've been.
Before any of them could move, the knight roared and charged ahead, a red Aura covering its entire body. It flipped through the air and smashed its greatsword into the ground, disintegrating two Alpha Beowolves in one go. The rest of the Grimm moved to attack it, snarling, biting, and clawing, but it didn't care at all. Ruby watched with both awe and horror as the knight reached out one of its gauntlets and crushed a Beringel's head between its armored fingers, turning the head into pulp before the Grimm disintegrated.
The sounds of whistling came from overhead and Ruby plugged her ears just before a barrage of artillery shells landed at the thick of the horde. The explosives tore the Grimm apart and created the ground, The Grimm didn't get a chance to recover before more shells came from overhead, slamming into the earth and mercilessly destroying them in a barrage of fire and heat.
By the end of the barrage, there was only the knight and the Cyclops left. The animated suit of armor looked almost pristine sans some dirt and ash while the cyclops was desperately trying to crawl away from the crater they were both in. Ruby almost felt sorry as she watched the knight slowly stride forward before it stomped the back of its bulbous head, slowly, painfully crushing the Grimm into the dirt while it screamed and flailed.
The armored boot stomped through the head and the Cyclops dissipated, leaving no trace of the horde that had been there just minutes before.
...
"Uh..." Yang said, breaking the silence.
"Sorry about that. Weird Grimm types show up around here for some reason. That's why I bring these guys along." The knight strode towards them and bowed to Jaune like he was a king. Weiss pursed her lips and looked more than a little jealous, "But yeah, I'm pretty safe around here with these guys around." He raised a hand, which the knight hi-fived.
"So many dangerous Grimm types converging together is...unnatural. I suggest we return to town and figure out why," Weiss said.
"I mean it's pretty common around here, but sure, why not? Let's go."
Jaune led the way back while Ruby took one last look at the crater where the horde used to be. Next time, she told herself as she held Crescent Rose. Next time she'd get her chance to shine and play with her upgraded baby.
Hm, I'd love to see Adam and the others try to go after Jaune with the Knight there. I'm sure it'll totally be a fair fight. Anyway, next chapter we have the girls individually trying to flirt with Jaune plus the introduction of Team PNCR. For all you Pyrrha fans out there, the commissioner said she's part of the harem, so against my desire to make her life suffering, she's gonna win out here, at least partially.
Wanna help support me (and gain access to chapters a week or two early)? Then check out the link below:
Patreon.com/Vendetta543
Questions:
1. Which faction do you guys want to focus on first and why? Ozpin will be prioritized, of course, but what about after that? Ironwood? Cinder? White Fang? Another group?
2. Who do you guys want to win Jaune's heart first? This is a harem, but obviously they don't all confess at the same time. Readers seem to want Ruby, but maybe Weiss or Blake might be better for plot? Or Pyrrha just to get egg on Team RWBY's face?
3. Do you guys think Ruby is too thirsty? If so, I can tone her down for future chapters.
Chapter 4 - No Rizz?
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Next Minecraft Jaune chapter. This ended up being way more popular than I thought so I decided to make it a priority. This chapter is more focused on the romcom shenanigans. I'll admit it's not as funny as I intended, but hopefully it's alright.
Also, since people are curious, here are the factions that will likely be at play:
- Blake and Weiss
- Ozpin
- Ironwood
- Every Kingdom's Councils
- SDC/Jacques
- Raven and her tribe of raiders
- White Fang
- The Crown
- Salem/Cinder
On a side-note, I'm thinking of writing an omake where Jaune is a Faunus here. This causes most of the various groups to shit bricks since the various groups have a history of mistreating Faunus and without the usual offers available, they know Jaune has no reason to be sympathetic to their pleas. Meanwhile, Blake is at a major advantage since she has way more buttons to press to convince Jaune.
Update Note - This was supposed to come out on August 23, but my birthday's coming up so I decided to post it early. Hope you guys enjoy. Chapter 5 out for supporters.
For anyone interested in making a commission, email me at: storylover543@gmail.com
Chapter 4: Team RIZZ(less)
The five of them slowly made their way back to town with the golems and the knight trailing around them. Growing up the way she did, Weiss was used to being heavily guarded. Even before she became the heiress, she was still considered valuable. The second daughter of the Schnees, and the 'backup heir' at the time. Both the SDC's nominal allies and their enemies knew what getting to her meant. Her value only increased once she was made the heiress proper after Winter joined the military, which only made her position skyrocket in their eyes.
It was one reason that she'd insisted on learning how to defend herself. Having to be surrounded by bodyguards as soon as she left the mansion was stifling. It was that, and her desire to live up to her grandfather's legacy, that pushed her to not only learn to defend herself but also surpass the stoic men who treated her like a piece of porcelain. A part of her preened at the fact that she could more than easily match, and even surpass, many of the ones who used to guard her.
And yet another far smaller part missed it. Back when she'd been young and innocent (naive), she'd viewed herself as a princess being protected by her cadre of knights. She'd learned soon enough that they were less knights and more men just trying to earn a paycheck, but the fantasy lingered at the back of her mind.
Seeing Jaune's knight brought that same fantasy rushing to the forefront. The towering suit of armor walked stoically forward, sword and armor gleaming in the sunlight. It looked absolutely pristine with even the clumps of dirt and soot from the mortar falling away a while back, seemingly too afraid to dare besmirch its obsidian visage. It made for both an intimidating and inspiring visage, a figure straight out of a fairy tale.
She had to admit that she was a bit jealous. Despite her skill with her Semblance, Summoning had sadly eluded her thus far no matter how much she trained. The thought of the Arma Gigas - the obstacle her Father placed in her path - being a servile knight was an appealing one. As such, seeing the subservient suit of armor that followed Jaune made her feel jealous. That years-old desire to be the fairytale princess (albeit one that could more than defend herself) was coming back to the forefront.
She wanted...no, needed to convince Jaune of the righteousness of her cause. They could do...so much good together for all of Remnant. His abilities and her guidance, they would be unstoppable.
But how, she thought. Again, she was forced to reckon with the fact that she had nothing to offer him. Money and connections were pointless to someone with his gifts. She could try to convince him with just words - she always thought she had the gift of the gab - but what she was asking for was no easy thing. Months, if not years, of dedication with nothing to incentivize or reward him with. Jaune seemed to be a good man, but would he do all that out of nothing but the goodness of his heart? Domremy was his home, so he had a vested interest in improving it, but she couldn't get that same guarantee for the SDC. Helping all of Remnant sounded good on paper, but it was too...abstract. Indirect.
And then, an idea came to her. Seduction. He wouldn't do so much for a stranger regardless of how good of a cause it was - she doubted anyone on Remnant would - but for a partner? Yes, she could see Jaune caring enough to put in all his effort.
A voice at the back of her head whispered about how she was being no better than Father. She squashed it down. This was different. Father married mother for the sake of greed and short-sighted profit without a care for who he hurt. She was doing this for the greater good of Remnant. And besides, she wouldn't have been...opposed to getting together with Jaune. He was kind, generous, selfless, and rather fetching to look at. It would be a happy union, not like what Mother and Father had.
Yes, it would do just fine...
Trailing behind the rest of the group, Ruby looked down at the ground with her lips curled in a pout. She was looking forward to using Crescent Rose so much! After Jaune's upgrade, she really wanted to see her baby cut through Grimm like it was nobody's business. And, you know, maybe show off in front of Jaune. He told her back when they were forging that he wanted to be a Huntsman before he got his Semblance. Kicking Grimm butt in front of him would've shown how cool she was.
Not that seeing the knight and that Dust mortar wasn't cool, but still!'
"It's okay. We'll get our chance next time." Ruby whispered to Crescent Rose, holding the compressed sniper-scythe with both arms, "Then we can do more upgrades! You'll be the awesomest weapon in all of Remnant. Yeah..."
Yang and Blake looked at their sister/team leader and stepped back to get some distance.
To the left of the group, Yang raised her arms above her head and yawned. This definitely wasn't how she thought this mission would go. She expected they'd find news about some settlement that found a good spot and managed to grow pretty quickly, but this? This was nuts. A whole kingdom, talking ani- things that did not happen, and most of all, Jaune. She eyed the golems and the knight. The guy had more protection than Jacques Schnee! She was pretty sure the CEO of Racism would've been seething with jealousy if he saw how much this 'country bumpkin' had.
Her thoughts drifted back to the Grimm. A horde like that definitely wasn't normal. So many Grimm types all working together like that, and aiming for Jaune specifically? It was like something straight out of a Captain Atlas comic book.
She shook her head. Dwelling on it by herself wouldn't do anything. They'd talk about it later. Besides, she had better things to focus on. Her mouth curled up in a smirk and she licked her lips at the sight of Jaune's shirt clinging to his back. Growing up in Patch made her a country girl at heart, and that affected her tastes in men too. Seeing shirtless men working hard chopping wood was what made her realize she liked guys. Being in a Huntsman Academy gave her a lot of free eye candy too.
Generally speaking, Jaune wasn't exactly the hottest guy she'd seen. He looked good, sure, but so did just about every other Huntsman-in-training. It was a common joke that there wasn't a single ugly Huntsman or Huntress in all of Remnant, especially with a trained Aura keeping you looking younger than your age.
Still, Jaune was different, at least so far. Not a meathead jackass like Cardin or some of the other guys at Beacon, and he actually liked her (awesome) sense of humor. That was more than a lot of guys who pretended to laugh while trying to look down her shirt. She was gonna win this one. Weiss cream wouldn't know how to flirt if it bit her in the ass, getting Blake to talk was like pulling teeth, and Ruby...well, she loved her little sis, but she wasn't exactly a social butterfly.
Yeah, she was pretty sure she had this in the bag.
To the right of the group, Blake looked down at the ground, her head a jumble of thoughts. She wasn't worried about being distracted. With Jaune's golems (and that knight) around, she doubted anyone could get near them. No, she had more important things to worry about.
The first being those damn cats. She was used to being insulted - she grew up hearing slurs from cruel and apathetic Humans - but something about being mocked by cats, of all things, pissed her off to no end. They already had it bad enough being called 'Animals' by the Humans, and now the actual animals were calling them fakes and wannabes? She was putting up cats next to dogs on her list.
The second being that loan. The cherished book was back in their temporary room in Jaune's castle. As much as she wanted to read it, she didn't want to reveal her secret habits in front of the rest of the team. That and the 2000 lien debt weighing on her mind. She needed to find a way to pay it back. She couldn't face her parents (one of these days...) with something like that hanging over her head. Even Adam would've been too ashamed to look at her.
At least it gave her an opening to broach the topic, "So, Jaune...is there any work you need done?" she asked. Her three teammates looked at her with suspicion. She ignored them all.
"Work? Uh, should be stuff around town to do. Why?'
"Uh...I'm going to buy something. I can't say what it was-" Weiss rolled her eyes, "but it's something I really need, and I need some extra cash for it. "
"You need more money than the gold bar, Blakey? I wonder what you're buying." Yang grinned.
"Oh, how much? I could give it to you if you-"
"No, no. Thank you, but...I'd rather earn it for myself." The gears in her head shifted, "But if you're thinking of good causes to be involved in, could I suggest-"
"So, Jaune, you were thinking of expanding your kingdom?" Weiss asked in a rush. Blake hissed and looked at the babbling heiress. She did that on purpose. Well, it wouldn't matter. She'd convince Jaune to help her one way or another.
She could do this!
That was the thought that ran through Ruby's head as she stared at her reflection in the bathroom mirror. She could do this. She was Ruby hecking Rose, she fought beowolves for fun and could strip an assault rifle with her eyes blindfolded. Dating a guy? Easy street. Wouldn't even be any effort!
...Right?
Okay, so maybe knowing how to build firearms from scrap metal wasn't something that translated to dating, but she could make it work! She got into Beacon two years early and made the leader. That had to mean something, right? Right, of course, it did. Headmaster Ozpin wouldn't just do that for no reason!
She slapped her cheeks and pulled back from the sink. She and Jaune were going to build another upgrade for Crescent Rose, which gave her the right time to 'strut her stuff'. Whatever that meant. She knew she couldn't just ask Jaune out. They'd barely known each other for a couple of days and all the romances from her favorite comic books didn't just...happen! Okay, some of them did, but those were the ones that got a lot of people up in arms in forums. She needed to be better than that. No one would accuse them of being poorly written!
"Ruby, you ready?" Jaune called from outside.
"C-Coming, gimme a sec!" She adjusted her hair and stepped outside, looking up at Jaune with a bright smile, "Ready!" she chirped, trying to sound...uh, seductive? Alluring? Bah, it didn't matter!
They made their way down to the basement with Ruby smirking smugly at her team as they passed them by. They all tried to suggest crafting together, but Jaune said that it was better if they worked on Crescent Rose alone since it was a personal project and that was sacred. Oh, how she felt all floaty and warm when he said that. He really was the one for her. Everyone else treated building and maintaining their weapons as a chore, a 'necessary evil'. They should've been thanking their weapons for giving them the honor!
The warmth of the forge was comforting when they got there. Ruby breathed in the smell of steam and coal as she put on the nearby apron, "So, any ideas?" Ruby asked as she laid Crescent Rose on the crafting table. Past Ruby wouldn't have even considered the idea of anyone but herself tinkering with her baby, but that was...well, in the past. Past Ruby was dead, long live Present Ruby!
"Hm, I have a few." Jaune put a hand on his chin, "We could put in an Unbreakable enchantment. Make sure that it never breaks, but you probably don't need that right now. I can tell that Crescent Rose is really well-maintained. Better than just about any weapon I've seen, really."
"She is." Ruby preened at the compliment. It was about time somebody realized.
"Alright, so we'll shelve Unbreakable for now." He snapped his fingers, "Oh, oh! Alright, I hear me out. I'm thinking of two things. First one is Sharpness. Smite already makes your weapon hit harder against Grimm, but Huntsmen still have to fight criminals and bandits and a bunch of them have Aura. With this upgrade, Crescent Rose will crunch through their Aura in one or two hits."
"Huh, cool! Buh, uh, I'm trying to focus on fighting Grimm." She knew she had to fight people at some point - it was practically impossible for any Huntsmen not to run to bad guys, but still - "Maybe we could shelve it too?"
"No problem. I get it." He smiled understandingly before grinning, "Then I think I have the perfect upgrade." He pulled out a blueprint from...somewhere and put it on the table, "Multishot! Three bullets for the price of one! One bullet not enough to get through a Goliath's hide? How about three at a time hitting the same spot with every pull of the trigger? Especially since Crescent Rose uses high-impact rounds. Grimm are gonna get mulched! And with a little tweak, you can switch between having it shoot all at once or separately."
"That...sounds...AWESOME!" Ruby squealed. Crescent Rose's weakness was always her rate of fire. Sure, it could pack a hit, but it was still a bolt-action rifle with a limited magazine (NOT CLIPS). Ten rounds were nothing to scoff at, especially with each bullet's power, but it was still a deficiency. Sadly, a fifty-round magazine just wasn't feasible, "Oh, I can't wait to kick some Grimm but with this!" Maybe with Jaune watching so he could ooh and ahh about how amazing she was.
"Let's get to it."
Sadly, Jaune had to do most of the work. It wasn't her, he said, it was just that you needed his Semblance to make sure that the enchantment actually stuck. Anyone else and it just wouldn't work. He still did his best to include her, which she appreciated.
"And...done!" Jaune stepped back and gestured to the unfurled sniper-scythe. It didn't look any different than before (except for a new lever close to the safety), but she could feel the power radiating from it, "Why don't we test it out?"
"H-Here? Are you sure it's safe?" Ruby asked, though she was already shifting her baby to her sniper state.
"Yep! I've done it before." He made his way to the other side of the room and trapped a button. The wall shifted around to show a training dummy...wearing diamond armor. She was sure Weiss would've gotten a heart attack at the sight of it, "Sorry if it looks rough. That was the first diamond armor I ever made. Not really useful for actual patrolling, so I use it to test out how strong some of the weapons I make are."
"Rough. Sure..." It looked pretty darn good to her, but maybe she was just blind, "Alright, here we go..." She twisted the lever to the 'tri-shot' position, as Jaune called it, and aimed straight at the torso. Taking a deep breath, Ruby squeezed the trigger and watched in awe as three bullets, one right after the other, impacted against the diamond's shiny surface. Her eyes widened. The recoil hadn't increased at all, and when she detached the magazine, she saw that only one bullet had been spent. Just like he said.
"Oh, my Gods." Ruby gasped. This was one of the most amazing things she'd ever seen.
"Pretty cool, huh?" Jaune grinned.
"It's more than cool, Jaune! It's, it's...!" She didn't know the right words to say. Instead, she turned Crescent Rose back to its compact form before she tackled Jaune in an excited embrace. Jaune laughed even as he struggled slightly to keep balanced, "Thank you, thank you, thank you! This the best thing someone's ever given me!" Well, someone outside of her family, at least. Dad, Yang, and Uncle Qrow gave her a lot of stuff growing up.
...But it didn't mean she'd give up her soulmate to Yang!
"You're welcome. It's nice to see someone who really loves their work." He (sadly) pulled back from her embrace, "Make sure to kill a lot of Grimm with her!"
Her. He even talked to Crescent Rose with the proper pronouns. Was he trying to show her just how perfect he was? Cause she already had plans for an engagement sniper rifle up and ready!
Speaking of...
"Jaune, I wanna thank you for all the great stuff you've given me."
"Oh, you don't have to-"
"No, no. I want to." Ruby shook her head, "I wanna build you something. I know I can't do as much as you can, but still!"
"I...well, thanks, Ruby. Sure!"
Ruby smiled and turned to the forge proper. What could she make? As tempting as making a sniper rifle was, it would've taken too long even with the right materials. She had to make something small, something he could keep on him.
In the end, she decided to make a keychain with a Rose emblem hanging off it. It wasn't the best thing, but still, "Here." She offered it to him.
"Thanks! I'll make sure to keep it with me!" Jaune nodded happily as he took it. Okay, now it was time for her to flirt! Show him that they were soulmates!
"So, Jaune, are you a runner? Cause you've been r-"
"Oh, by the way, I'm thinking of another upgrade!" Jaune said, cutting off her awesome line (that she totally didn't steal from Yang).
"Y-Yeah?"
"Yeah! We could get something like Piercing - so your bullets punch through the Grimm and hit more targets - but I'm thinking of something rarer. Infinity." Her brows furrowed. Was he saying what she thought he was saying? "It'll take a bit for me to gather the materials, some of them you can only find in the Ever After, but when Crescent Rose gets it? She'll be shooting, well, infinitely! Infinite ammo! No more reloading! How does that sound?"
How did that sound?! He was basically offering to turn Crescent Rose into the best gun in the whole wide world! It was...it was...!
Ruby's mouth curled up in a delirious smile before she passed out. The last thing she remembered was Jaune's eyes widening and asking if she was okay before everything went dark and she had dreams of her and Jaune frolicking in a field of bullets and Dust grenades.
"What am I gonna do with you?" Yang sighed as she set Ruby down on the bed. Jaune had come up carrying her worrying about how she'd passed out. Weiss and Blake had forgotten to be mad with how worried they were, but Yang wasn't fussed. She knew what the smile on her little sis' face meant. She wasn't hurt. On the contrary, she'd passed out from sheer weapon overload. It happened before, mostly when she got really into finding just the right upgrade for Crescent Rose. Jaune must've said something.
"How is she?" Weiss asked as soon as she left the room.
"She'll be fine. A couple hours of sleep and she'll be right as rain." An idea suddenly came to her, "Actually, could you two keep an eye on her? She moves around a lot when she gets like this."
"Why don't you do it?" Blake raised a brow.
"Cause I gotta get something to calm her down when she gets grabby. Old Xiao Long family recipe." It wasn't a lie...kinda. So what if the old recipe was warm milk and some cookies? It did make Ruby calm, "I'll go down in town and get what I need. Should be back in like half an hour tops."
"Maybe I should go with you," Blake said.
"Maybe I'll give you something to pay back that loan you took if you stay here," Yang countered.
Blake's eyes widened, "H-How did you know that?!"
"The guy running the place asked me to keep an eye on you. Wants to make sure you don't just skip town and leave him hanging." She liked Blake, but she wasn't gonna help her dodge a loan. Or drag the rest of their team into it.
"You took a loan?" Weiss looked aghast, "I thought you were smarter than that, Blake!"
"Sh-Shut up! I needed it for something important!"
"Yeah, yeah. Be a good girl and keep an eye on Rubes with Weiss cream and maybe I'll pull you out of that hole you dug for yourself. 'Kay? Bye~" She walked out the door while Weiss lectured Blake about being responsible with cash. Oh, the irony.
"Is Ruby alright?" Jaune asked. He stayed down in the living room while they carried her up to give them some privacy.
"She's fine. Just got a little too excited. I'm sure you've seen it before."
"People passing out? Uh...no, not really."
"I mean getting girls excited. You know, like me."
"Uh...okay?" Jaune looked confused. Was she being too subtle? Well, time to up the ante, "So...what do you say the two of us go down into town and you give me a private tour?" She made sure to lean forward and grin. It was a killer move that would've had any guy back at Signal or Beacon wrapped around her finger, "What do you say?"
"I guess I could, but I thought you guys already got the tour and explored the town? Not sure what else I can show you."
"Oh, come on! You built this place! I'm sure you know all about any secret places. You know, the kind where we can get a lot of privacy~ So we can do stuff that...private like?" Shit, she was talking too much.
"I don't really know any places like that, but I'll give you a tour, sure."
"Great!" Yang gave him a megawatt grin.
The tour was...okay. Jaune actually gave her a tour and wasn't distracted at all when she tried to subtly show off in front of him. Yang knew she was hot. Call her proud or whatever, but she never saw the point of pretending to be humble. She was hot, badass, and had the best hair in all of Patch if not all of Vale. Trying to deny it would've just been lying to herself. She was also undeniably the hottest girl in girl at Signal. She got some competition once she got to Beacon, but her looks were still nothing to scoff at.
But Jaune didn't look at her twice. She was almost offended before she saw exactly why, "Hey, Jaune~" A girl with tan skin and long brown hair grabbed his arm and cozied up to him, "You wanna go somewhere tonight? I've got tickets for that new Spruce Willis movie."
"Oh, Chai! Uh, sorry but I'm kinda busy-"
"Jaune, Jaune!" Another girl, this one almost as pale as Weiss with her blond hair in two long braids, took his other arm, "My family's been inviting you to dinner since forever! Are you finally gonna accept?"
"Eris, I'm actually kinda-"
So on and so forth. Jaune couldn't take two steps without being swarmed by another gaggle of girls trying to get his attention. It made sense. He was the guy who turned a regular village into a kingdom that could rival Argus. And that was just six months. In six years the place might've been flying higher than Atlas! No shit the women here wanted a piece of him. He was Jacques Schnee without the racism and oldness. He would've been a hot thing even in Vale.
"Oh, Jaune. We still have a tour to do," Yang called out. The group of women all turned to look at her with daggers in their eyes, but she just smirked back. She was training to be a Huntress. She'd stared down Ursa Majors without blinking. It'd take more than a bunch of thirsty civilians to scare her.
"R-Right! Tour." He extracted himself from the pile of disappointed women and led her away to a cafe. Everyone in town greeted him happily and Jaune was quick to respond, greeting back and asking questions about their family or how their studies were going. Man of the town. He led her to a corner booth and slumped down on the chair, "Thanks for that. Going down here is kind of hard sometimes."
"You seem popular." Yang grinned.
"I guess." Jaune laughed, "I mean...they're interested in me cause of my Semblance. I'm not stupid." He sighed and rolled his eyes, "Me and Chai actually used to date. We were only together for a few months before she broke up with me. Said I wasn't ambitious enough. I was actually tempted to fake my transcripts to get into Beacon Academy when I turned 17." He laughed softly, "But then a week after our breakup I got my Semblance and...well, plans changed."
"A good change, right? I mean, look at this place!"
"Yeah." He chuckled, "I mean, I got what I wanted. I'm helping a bunch of people, I made my family proud, and I've lived up to my ancestors. That's a big thing for us Arcs. It was when I started building that Chai talked about how it was all a big mistake and she thought wrong."
"Yeah, I bet." Yang snorted.
"Yeah. But, I don't hate her. I just don't wanna get back together."
She doubted it'd stop her from trying, "So...anyone special you do have in mind?"
"Huh? Not really. I've been so busy with building everything that I didn't really think about that. Things have been slowing down recently, though. Makes me wonder if I should go somewhere else. Expand my horizons or whatever you call it."
Yang grinned. Alright, he'd just opened up to her and he was definitely single. Time to hit him with the one-two punch!
"Hey, Jaune. Are you a rash? Cause you make me hot and uncomfortable!"
...
Jaune didn't look as flattered as she thought he would at the fact that a hot girl was flirting with him. Actually, he looked really confused. What the heck? She was giving him a compliment!
Okay, here came another!
"Are you a runner? Cause you've been running all over my head since yesterday!"
"Uh..." Jaune scratched the back of his head. That wasn't 'flattered to be hit on' scratching. That was 'what the fuck is going on' scratching. Didn't he get it? She was flirting with him! And with some of the best lines she had!
Fine, again!
"Did it hurt when you fell from the sky? Cause, you know, you're so great!"
"It...what?" Jaune shook his head, "Uh...sorry, I'm lost. Are you trying to see how good the puns are? Cause they're okay, but I'm not really sure why you started joking." His eyes widened, "Oh, wait, you're trying to cheer me up, right? Thanks!"
"No! I mean, yeah, I am, but that's not-"
"Well, well, well." Yang froze and turned to the left before cringing at the sight of Weiss cream glaring down at her. Despite barely passing five feet in heels, Yang suddenly felt small at the heiress' look, "What was that about finding something to help Ruby?"
"Ahaha...about that-"
She didn't get the chance to explain herself before Weiss pulled the ultimate dirty move. She reached her right hand out, grabbed Yang's ear, and twisted. The powerhouse of team RWBY screamed and whined as Weiss dragged her up and out by the ear while everyone watched. Ugh, this was so embarassing! The worst part was Jaune just laughed along like it was a big old joke! Ah, whatever! She was gonna get her chance with him later!
"Honestly..."
Weiss dragged Yang back to the castle. The blonde struggled and whined the whole way, though every time she did, Weiss just twisted her ear harder. Yang was easily stronger than she was, but there was something about getting your ear twisted that just made you feel like a helpless kid.
"To think you would use Ruby's state to get some alone time with Jaune. For shame, Yang." Weiss finally let go of her.
"Oh, come on! Ruby's fine! She just passed out cause Jaune made her too excited about guns."
"And yet you had to get a 'secret family recipe'." Yang just laughed and rubbed the back of her head, "Well, you're going to be watching over your sister and keeping Blake busy while I talk with Jaune."
"Uh-huh. And I'll do that cause?"
"Cause if you don't, you can kiss any help from me with the upcoming midterms goodbye."
"Wha- that's blackmail!"
"Yup," she said, popping the P. She'd been spending too much time with them, "And you know what'll happen if you fail midterms. Remedial lessons with Professor Port." Yang looked as if she'd been told she only had minutes to live, "Just imagine it, Yang. Two months of listening to his lectures, and actually having to pay attention like I've been for the past few months. And I won't help you with a single test. You'll have to take down notes, parse through his droning to the actual lessons all while resisting the urge to slam an icepick into your brain-"
"Okay, okay! I'll do it!" Yang shook her head, "Geez, anyone ever tell you how scary you are?"
"It's come up. Now, off with you then."
Yang scoffed but did as she was ordered. Weiss waited at the front of the castle till Jaune came back, "Oh, Jaune!" She put a smile on her face that was less forced than she initially expected, "How lovely to see you. Apologies for what happened just now."
"No, it's fine. Yang was just trying to cheer me up."
"Oh. Is something wrong?"
"Nah, just some old stuff. I'm over it." He shrugged, "You need something?'
"Nothing crucial. I was just wondering if you could perhaps show me around your home? I would explore myself, but I wouldn't want to be rude and intrude in places I'm not supposed to."
"I don't really mind if you go looking wherever, but sure. Least we won't get mobbed here," he said that last part under his breath. She was tempted to press him before thinking better of it. This was meant to be the start of their courtship so it would be better not to bring up something negative.
Weiss smiled and nodded along as Jaune walked her through the castle. She'd been through many, many tours of mansions and estates growing up. For the elite of Atlas, it was their way of showing off how much wealth they had; or were desperately trying to cling to. Many families like the Marigolds were in debt and yet they still insisted on getting the finest furnishings and decorations. It didn't matter that all of Atlas already knew of their impoverished state. It only counted if they actually admitted it.
The tours of her childhood were all self-aggrandizing and filled with not-so-hidden boasts. Jaune was different. While there was obvious pride in his voice, it was that of a craftsman who took a healthy amount of fulfillment in his work. Every single part of the castle was personally crafted by him sans anything their family brought over from their old estate. The rooms of his parents and sisters were all locked, of course, but everything else was open.
Weiss didn't let herself get distracted by the luxurious trappings. She had to court Jaune, and that meant Jaune courting her. Atlesian decorum demanded it, really. Growing up the way she did, Weiss was used to being pursued. She was the heiress to the Schnee Dust Company. Many sought out her hand in order to tie themselves to her family name. And as she grew up, their attention was drawn to her personally as well. She was a beautiful and talented young woman. The White Rose of Atlas, though she despised the name.
Weiss had little experience in being the more aggressive one in a courtship. She was raised as the one pursued, and Atlesian culture demanded that there was a proper ritual to it. One couldn't simply club someone over the head and take them back to their cave or h-hold hands like the Valeans did it. There was a proper chain of events. Even her short-lived crush on Neptune was initiated by him flirting with her after she gave him the signal that she was open to it.
"So, Jaune...have you considered the future?"
"What do you mean?" He turned back to look at her as they stopped walking.
"Well...you're a young man in the prime of your life. I'm sure you don't plan to stay in your kingdom forever, splendorous though it may be. Do you have no wish to expand your horizons? Perhaps with a partner by your side?"
"Huh. I mean, yeah, I'd wanna explore around one of these days, I guess." He stretched his arms above his head, "I'm still looking at places to expand, but Domremy's in a pretty good place right now. They don't really need me around looking after things, at least for a while."
"Would you say you'd be willing to dedicate yourself to a different cause then?" she asked carefully.
"I'm willing to help people out, sure, but there's only so much I can do even with my Semblance. I can't help everyone." Indeed, that was the source of her conflict with Blake. Even with Jaune's gifts, he had to choose who to prioritize.
And she needed to ensure he chose her.
Weiss made a show of picking up a silk handkerchief from her skirt pocket and dropping it to the ground. This was the first and most common sign that you were open to being courted. Jaune watched the handkerchief slowly fall and land on the floor without a sound.
...
"Uh, your handkerchief fell."
"So it did." Weiss looked straight at him. She couldn't just tell him to pick up. That defeated the whole point of the gesture. No, he had to pick it up and return it to her of his own volition. Perhaps, if he was being particularly gentlemanly, he would kiss the cloth before handing it back to her.
...
The two of them stared at one another, "Are you...gonna pick it up?"
"I suppose I will if I must." She pursed her lips. Why couldn't he see what she wanted him to do? It was so obvious! Weren't Valeans the ones who had archaic customs about knights and chivalry and honor? This should've been a no-brainer for him.
Unless...was he saying that he wasn't interested in her? The thought made her heart clench both out of pride and worry. She needed to convince him and this was the only way she could gain an advantage over Blake.
Plans borne of desperation came forth. Perhaps...she could serenade him? Not singing outside his door like some lout, but a private concert? Yes, she could see it. She could frame it as a thank you for the sword he'd given her. Weiss took pride in her singing voice. If not for her desire to be a Huntress and redeem the SDC, she could've made a career of it. Her fans numbered in the hundreds of thousands, at least. She could no doubt charm Jaune.
Her brainstorming was interrupted when his scroll rang. He looked at the screen and his eyes widened, "Oh crap, the new Captain Atlas show's premiering! Sorry, we gotta this short! See ya!" He turned and left before she could say anything, leaving her (and her handkerchief...) alone in the hallway. She'd failed.
Weiss slapped her cheek. No, she hadn't failed. Not yet. Despite missing her glaringly obvious opening gambit, she was sure that she could charm Jaune in the end. With a resolute nod, Weiss picked up her handkerchief and turned only to run smack dab into Blake, the Cat Faunus giving her a narrow-eyed glare.
Weiss barely opened her mouth before she found it gagged and Blake unfurled Gambol shroud's ribbon.
She had to seduce Jaune.
That was the thought that ran through Blake's mind as she left Weiss bound and gagged in one of the guest bedrooms. All day long, her treacherous teammates had been trying to sink their hooks into Jaune. From Ruby's cutesy attitude and eagerness to craft, Yang's (terrible) flirtations, and Weiss...honestly, she had no idea what she was doing. Dropping her handkerchief? Was she trying to make Jaune pick it up like he was one of her servants?
She shook her head. It didn't matter. She had better things to focus on than what her friends were doing. Right now she had Jaune to herself. Ruby was still sleeping and both Yang and Weiss were...tied up. It'd give her the chance to enact her plan.
She overheard the conversation between Jaune and Weiss. Jaune was open to helping people, but he needed to choose who to focus on. Clearly, he should choose to help the cause of Faunus equality, but she knew she had to convince him. Why help the Faunus over everyone else? Especially as a Human. He wouldn't have been nearly invested in it as she was.
But what did she have to convince him with?
Money and connections? She had far less in both compared to Weiss, and she doubted he much cared about either given his gifts. The gratitude of the Faunus? Perhaps, but that was too abstract, and she wouldn't be surprised if Weiss also made claims about how all of Remnant would be grateful to Jaune.
And then it came to her: Her. She could be what pushed him to help the fight for equality. It wasn't perfect - and she couldn't deny that a part of her felt guilty for even considering it - but she would only use it to push him in the right direction. She could find some other way to repay him for all his hard work. If not money, then maybe exotic materials he couldn't find in Vale or those portals of his? She was sure she could come up with something. Even a guy like Jaune must've had things he couldn't just get and build.
But that could come later. For now, she had to enact the first step in her plan.
Jaune was in the living room watching a show on the big-screen TV. Perfect. It was almost too easy. Blake sat down on one of the plush chairs, leaned back...and waited.
It would only be a matter of time before Jaune fell for her. That was how it always worked. Adam fell for her, Ilia fell for her, and Sun fell for her. And in all three cases, she didn't have to do anything but be near them while they were alone. Jaune would've been no different, she was sure. All she had to do was stay near him and he'd fall for her. And then she could guide him to the right cause he could devote himself to. This was all for the greater good.
An hour passed and Jaune...didn't look up from the television at all. Blake pursed her lips in annoyance and crossed her right leg over her left. That should've gotten his attention...but it didn't. He kept watching, and even when the show ended thirty minutes later and he finally looked up, he llooked at her the same way he always did, "Oh! Sorry, didn't see you there, Blake! Did you watch the show too?"
"Yeah, it was...interesting." She made a show flipping her long raven hair.
Still nothing.
"Yeah, Captain Atlas is awesome! Really glad I got to see the premiere." He stood up and stretched, "Well, I gotta go. Promised the dogs I'd give em a walk. See ya!"
And then he left, leaving Blake feeling like she got an egg on her face. What just happened? Why didn't it work like the last three times? She sat near him, crossed her legs, and even flipped her hair. Ilia would've gone crazy at this point! How much willpower did Jaune Arc have?
No, she couldn't be discouraged. She had to put in more effort than she thought, but this wasn't the end. Thankfully, she was a reservoir of knowledge due to her taste in literature. She could find a way to seduce Jaune easily. All for the good of the Faunus.
She stood up from her chair and left the living room only to run into Ruby, Yang, and Weiss all glaring at her with their weapons drawn.
"Any last words, Belladonna?" Weiss hissed.
...
"I regret nothing."
Their first mission.
Pyrrha stepped off the Bullhead and breathed in the crisp country air. The place they were sent to - a miniature kingdom, according to the briefing - reminded her of Argus. It was completely landlocked, sure, but the atmosphere was the same...well, before she became the Invincible Girl. Then it became stifling.
"Four AM. We've arrived exactly on schedule." Her partner, Ciel, said. She didn't really know how to feel about her. While she wasn't a fan (which was a good thing), she also wasn't very open despite being her partner. Ciel wasn't unfriendly, but she was also taciturn to a fault. She'd assured Pyrrha early on that it wasn't anything against her personally. She simply preferred to keep to herself, and while Pyrrha respected that, it made her feel as closed as she'd been back in the tournament circuit.
Especially given their other teammates.
"Woah! Ren, look at this place! It's awesome!" Nora screamed.
"Indeed. Very impressed." Ren nodded calmly.
Ren and Nora. The two couldn't have been more different from her and Ciel if they tried. The two were childhood friends and, while friendly to both of them, were obviously far closer to one another than the rest of the team. She had to admit, she'd felt jealous seeing their close bond and inside jokes. The last time she tried to tell Ciel a knock-knock joke, she got told that she wouldn't open the door unless the person on the other end properly identified themselves without 'making a circus of the whole thing'.
Sighing, she looked around once more. Their mission was to make contact with Jaune Arc and reinforce Team RWBY's claims of a village being turned into a kingdom. Judging from everything around her, it seemed like they were telling the truth.
Her eyes landed on a particularly creepy-looking crow perched on top of the bullhead before she turned away. She hated crows. Always so ominous.
"We should make contact with this Jaune Arc," Ciel said.
It didn't take them long to find him. A guy walking around with eight talking dogs was bound to draw attention. Nora, of course, cooed at the sight of talking animals while Ciel simply noted it down, "Ah, hello!" Pyrrha smiled awkward, "Um, my name is Pyrrha Nikos. This is my partner Ciel Soleil, and my teammates Nora Valkyrie and Lie Ren. We were sent here to check up on team RWBY?"
"Another Huntsmen team? Huh, cool! Name's Jaune Arc!" He stuck his hand out. She looked for any trace of recognition in his eyes, but there was nothing. She let out a sigh of relief and offered her own hand in a firm handshake.
"Nice to meet you, Jaune."
The creepy crow from before cawed. She hoped that wasn't a bad sign.
Pyrrha has arrived, and because this isn't a personal story for me, she isn't gonna be a walking L whose role is to suffer. Anyway, Team RWBY has tried and failed to get with Jaune. Ruby was the closest and she passed out at the end.
Next chapter we can finally meet Ozpin and start exploring the factions more.
Wanna help support me (and gain access to chapters a week or two early)? Then check out the link below:
Patreon.com/Vendetta543
Questions:
1. So...how scummy do you guys think Weiss and Blake are? They're both working towards the perceived greater good, but they're undeniably doing some iffy stuff with the way they're trying to seduce Jaune to their side.
2. How do you guys think each faction/group (sans Blake, Weiss, and Ozpin) would try to appeal or convince Jaune? As mentioned in the previous chapter, offering money, connections, and protection isn't gonna fly since Jaune doesn't need any of it. This makes it very difficult for the various groups to try anything. Some will definitely try kidnapping and threats, but that's not gonna end well for them.
3. So, which RWBY girl are you all rooting for currently now that we've seen them all try (and fail) to flirt with Jaune?
Also, since people are curious, here are the factions that will likely be at play:
- Blake and Weiss
- Ozpin
- Ironwood
- Every Kingdom's Councils
- SDC/Jacques
- Raven and her tribe of raiders
- White Fang
- The Crown
- Salem/Cinder
On a side-note, I'm thinking of writing an omake where Jaune is a Faunus here. This causes most of the various groups to shit bricks since the various groups have a history of mistreating Faunus and without the usual offers available, they know Jaune has no reason to be sympathetic to their pleas. Meanwhile, Blake is at a major advantage since she has way more buttons to press to convince Jaune.
Update Note - This was supposed to come out on August 23, but my birthday's coming up so I decided to post it early. Hope you guys enjoy. Chapter 5 out for supporters.
For anyone interested in making a commission, email me at: storylover543@gmail.com
Chapter 4: Team RIZZ(less)
The five of them slowly made their way back to town with the golems and the knight trailing around them. Growing up the way she did, Weiss was used to being heavily guarded. Even before she became the heiress, she was still considered valuable. The second daughter of the Schnees, and the 'backup heir' at the time. Both the SDC's nominal allies and their enemies knew what getting to her meant. Her value only increased once she was made the heiress proper after Winter joined the military, which only made her position skyrocket in their eyes.
It was one reason that she'd insisted on learning how to defend herself. Having to be surrounded by bodyguards as soon as she left the mansion was stifling. It was that, and her desire to live up to her grandfather's legacy, that pushed her to not only learn to defend herself but also surpass the stoic men who treated her like a piece of porcelain. A part of her preened at the fact that she could more than easily match, and even surpass, many of the ones who used to guard her.
And yet another far smaller part missed it. Back when she'd been young and innocent (naive), she'd viewed herself as a princess being protected by her cadre of knights. She'd learned soon enough that they were less knights and more men just trying to earn a paycheck, but the fantasy lingered at the back of her mind.
Seeing Jaune's knight brought that same fantasy rushing to the forefront. The towering suit of armor walked stoically forward, sword and armor gleaming in the sunlight. It looked absolutely pristine with even the clumps of dirt and soot from the mortar falling away a while back, seemingly too afraid to dare besmirch its obsidian visage. It made for both an intimidating and inspiring visage, a figure straight out of a fairy tale.
She had to admit that she was a bit jealous. Despite her skill with her Semblance, Summoning had sadly eluded her thus far no matter how much she trained. The thought of the Arma Gigas - the obstacle her Father placed in her path - being a servile knight was an appealing one. As such, seeing the subservient suit of armor that followed Jaune made her feel jealous. That years-old desire to be the fairytale princess (albeit one that could more than defend herself) was coming back to the forefront.
She wanted...no, needed to convince Jaune of the righteousness of her cause. They could do...so much good together for all of Remnant. His abilities and her guidance, they would be unstoppable.
But how, she thought. Again, she was forced to reckon with the fact that she had nothing to offer him. Money and connections were pointless to someone with his gifts. She could try to convince him with just words - she always thought she had the gift of the gab - but what she was asking for was no easy thing. Months, if not years, of dedication with nothing to incentivize or reward him with. Jaune seemed to be a good man, but would he do all that out of nothing but the goodness of his heart? Domremy was his home, so he had a vested interest in improving it, but she couldn't get that same guarantee for the SDC. Helping all of Remnant sounded good on paper, but it was too...abstract. Indirect.
And then, an idea came to her. Seduction. He wouldn't do so much for a stranger regardless of how good of a cause it was - she doubted anyone on Remnant would - but for a partner? Yes, she could see Jaune caring enough to put in all his effort.
A voice at the back of her head whispered about how she was being no better than Father. She squashed it down. This was different. Father married mother for the sake of greed and short-sighted profit without a care for who he hurt. She was doing this for the greater good of Remnant. And besides, she wouldn't have been...opposed to getting together with Jaune. He was kind, generous, selfless, and rather fetching to look at. It would be a happy union, not like what Mother and Father had.
Yes, it would do just fine...
Trailing behind the rest of the group, Ruby looked down at the ground with her lips curled in a pout. She was looking forward to using Crescent Rose so much! After Jaune's upgrade, she really wanted to see her baby cut through Grimm like it was nobody's business. And, you know, maybe show off in front of Jaune. He told her back when they were forging that he wanted to be a Huntsman before he got his Semblance. Kicking Grimm butt in front of him would've shown how cool she was.
Not that seeing the knight and that Dust mortar wasn't cool, but still!'
"It's okay. We'll get our chance next time." Ruby whispered to Crescent Rose, holding the compressed sniper-scythe with both arms, "Then we can do more upgrades! You'll be the awesomest weapon in all of Remnant. Yeah..."
Yang and Blake looked at their sister/team leader and stepped back to get some distance.
To the left of the group, Yang raised her arms above her head and yawned. This definitely wasn't how she thought this mission would go. She expected they'd find news about some settlement that found a good spot and managed to grow pretty quickly, but this? This was nuts. A whole kingdom, talking ani- things that did not happen, and most of all, Jaune. She eyed the golems and the knight. The guy had more protection than Jacques Schnee! She was pretty sure the CEO of Racism would've been seething with jealousy if he saw how much this 'country bumpkin' had.
Her thoughts drifted back to the Grimm. A horde like that definitely wasn't normal. So many Grimm types all working together like that, and aiming for Jaune specifically? It was like something straight out of a Captain Atlas comic book.
She shook her head. Dwelling on it by herself wouldn't do anything. They'd talk about it later. Besides, she had better things to focus on. Her mouth curled up in a smirk and she licked her lips at the sight of Jaune's shirt clinging to his back. Growing up in Patch made her a country girl at heart, and that affected her tastes in men too. Seeing shirtless men working hard chopping wood was what made her realize she liked guys. Being in a Huntsman Academy gave her a lot of free eye candy too.
Generally speaking, Jaune wasn't exactly the hottest guy she'd seen. He looked good, sure, but so did just about every other Huntsman-in-training. It was a common joke that there wasn't a single ugly Huntsman or Huntress in all of Remnant, especially with a trained Aura keeping you looking younger than your age.
Still, Jaune was different, at least so far. Not a meathead jackass like Cardin or some of the other guys at Beacon, and he actually liked her (awesome) sense of humor. That was more than a lot of guys who pretended to laugh while trying to look down her shirt. She was gonna win this one. Weiss cream wouldn't know how to flirt if it bit her in the ass, getting Blake to talk was like pulling teeth, and Ruby...well, she loved her little sis, but she wasn't exactly a social butterfly.
Yeah, she was pretty sure she had this in the bag.
To the right of the group, Blake looked down at the ground, her head a jumble of thoughts. She wasn't worried about being distracted. With Jaune's golems (and that knight) around, she doubted anyone could get near them. No, she had more important things to worry about.
The first being those damn cats. She was used to being insulted - she grew up hearing slurs from cruel and apathetic Humans - but something about being mocked by cats, of all things, pissed her off to no end. They already had it bad enough being called 'Animals' by the Humans, and now the actual animals were calling them fakes and wannabes? She was putting up cats next to dogs on her list.
The second being that loan. The cherished book was back in their temporary room in Jaune's castle. As much as she wanted to read it, she didn't want to reveal her secret habits in front of the rest of the team. That and the 2000 lien debt weighing on her mind. She needed to find a way to pay it back. She couldn't face her parents (one of these days...) with something like that hanging over her head. Even Adam would've been too ashamed to look at her.
At least it gave her an opening to broach the topic, "So, Jaune...is there any work you need done?" she asked. Her three teammates looked at her with suspicion. She ignored them all.
"Work? Uh, should be stuff around town to do. Why?'
"Uh...I'm going to buy something. I can't say what it was-" Weiss rolled her eyes, "but it's something I really need, and I need some extra cash for it. "
"You need more money than the gold bar, Blakey? I wonder what you're buying." Yang grinned.
"Oh, how much? I could give it to you if you-"
"No, no. Thank you, but...I'd rather earn it for myself." The gears in her head shifted, "But if you're thinking of good causes to be involved in, could I suggest-"
"So, Jaune, you were thinking of expanding your kingdom?" Weiss asked in a rush. Blake hissed and looked at the babbling heiress. She did that on purpose. Well, it wouldn't matter. She'd convince Jaune to help her one way or another.
She could do this!
That was the thought that ran through Ruby's head as she stared at her reflection in the bathroom mirror. She could do this. She was Ruby hecking Rose, she fought beowolves for fun and could strip an assault rifle with her eyes blindfolded. Dating a guy? Easy street. Wouldn't even be any effort!
...Right?
Okay, so maybe knowing how to build firearms from scrap metal wasn't something that translated to dating, but she could make it work! She got into Beacon two years early and made the leader. That had to mean something, right? Right, of course, it did. Headmaster Ozpin wouldn't just do that for no reason!
She slapped her cheeks and pulled back from the sink. She and Jaune were going to build another upgrade for Crescent Rose, which gave her the right time to 'strut her stuff'. Whatever that meant. She knew she couldn't just ask Jaune out. They'd barely known each other for a couple of days and all the romances from her favorite comic books didn't just...happen! Okay, some of them did, but those were the ones that got a lot of people up in arms in forums. She needed to be better than that. No one would accuse them of being poorly written!
"Ruby, you ready?" Jaune called from outside.
"C-Coming, gimme a sec!" She adjusted her hair and stepped outside, looking up at Jaune with a bright smile, "Ready!" she chirped, trying to sound...uh, seductive? Alluring? Bah, it didn't matter!
They made their way down to the basement with Ruby smirking smugly at her team as they passed them by. They all tried to suggest crafting together, but Jaune said that it was better if they worked on Crescent Rose alone since it was a personal project and that was sacred. Oh, how she felt all floaty and warm when he said that. He really was the one for her. Everyone else treated building and maintaining their weapons as a chore, a 'necessary evil'. They should've been thanking their weapons for giving them the honor!
The warmth of the forge was comforting when they got there. Ruby breathed in the smell of steam and coal as she put on the nearby apron, "So, any ideas?" Ruby asked as she laid Crescent Rose on the crafting table. Past Ruby wouldn't have even considered the idea of anyone but herself tinkering with her baby, but that was...well, in the past. Past Ruby was dead, long live Present Ruby!
"Hm, I have a few." Jaune put a hand on his chin, "We could put in an Unbreakable enchantment. Make sure that it never breaks, but you probably don't need that right now. I can tell that Crescent Rose is really well-maintained. Better than just about any weapon I've seen, really."
"She is." Ruby preened at the compliment. It was about time somebody realized.
"Alright, so we'll shelve Unbreakable for now." He snapped his fingers, "Oh, oh! Alright, I hear me out. I'm thinking of two things. First one is Sharpness. Smite already makes your weapon hit harder against Grimm, but Huntsmen still have to fight criminals and bandits and a bunch of them have Aura. With this upgrade, Crescent Rose will crunch through their Aura in one or two hits."
"Huh, cool! Buh, uh, I'm trying to focus on fighting Grimm." She knew she had to fight people at some point - it was practically impossible for any Huntsmen not to run to bad guys, but still - "Maybe we could shelve it too?"
"No problem. I get it." He smiled understandingly before grinning, "Then I think I have the perfect upgrade." He pulled out a blueprint from...somewhere and put it on the table, "Multishot! Three bullets for the price of one! One bullet not enough to get through a Goliath's hide? How about three at a time hitting the same spot with every pull of the trigger? Especially since Crescent Rose uses high-impact rounds. Grimm are gonna get mulched! And with a little tweak, you can switch between having it shoot all at once or separately."
"That...sounds...AWESOME!" Ruby squealed. Crescent Rose's weakness was always her rate of fire. Sure, it could pack a hit, but it was still a bolt-action rifle with a limited magazine (NOT CLIPS). Ten rounds were nothing to scoff at, especially with each bullet's power, but it was still a deficiency. Sadly, a fifty-round magazine just wasn't feasible, "Oh, I can't wait to kick some Grimm but with this!" Maybe with Jaune watching so he could ooh and ahh about how amazing she was.
"Let's get to it."
Sadly, Jaune had to do most of the work. It wasn't her, he said, it was just that you needed his Semblance to make sure that the enchantment actually stuck. Anyone else and it just wouldn't work. He still did his best to include her, which she appreciated.
"And...done!" Jaune stepped back and gestured to the unfurled sniper-scythe. It didn't look any different than before (except for a new lever close to the safety), but she could feel the power radiating from it, "Why don't we test it out?"
"H-Here? Are you sure it's safe?" Ruby asked, though she was already shifting her baby to her sniper state.
"Yep! I've done it before." He made his way to the other side of the room and trapped a button. The wall shifted around to show a training dummy...wearing diamond armor. She was sure Weiss would've gotten a heart attack at the sight of it, "Sorry if it looks rough. That was the first diamond armor I ever made. Not really useful for actual patrolling, so I use it to test out how strong some of the weapons I make are."
"Rough. Sure..." It looked pretty darn good to her, but maybe she was just blind, "Alright, here we go..." She twisted the lever to the 'tri-shot' position, as Jaune called it, and aimed straight at the torso. Taking a deep breath, Ruby squeezed the trigger and watched in awe as three bullets, one right after the other, impacted against the diamond's shiny surface. Her eyes widened. The recoil hadn't increased at all, and when she detached the magazine, she saw that only one bullet had been spent. Just like he said.
"Oh, my Gods." Ruby gasped. This was one of the most amazing things she'd ever seen.
"Pretty cool, huh?" Jaune grinned.
"It's more than cool, Jaune! It's, it's...!" She didn't know the right words to say. Instead, she turned Crescent Rose back to its compact form before she tackled Jaune in an excited embrace. Jaune laughed even as he struggled slightly to keep balanced, "Thank you, thank you, thank you! This the best thing someone's ever given me!" Well, someone outside of her family, at least. Dad, Yang, and Uncle Qrow gave her a lot of stuff growing up.
...But it didn't mean she'd give up her soulmate to Yang!
"You're welcome. It's nice to see someone who really loves their work." He (sadly) pulled back from her embrace, "Make sure to kill a lot of Grimm with her!"
Her. He even talked to Crescent Rose with the proper pronouns. Was he trying to show her just how perfect he was? Cause she already had plans for an engagement sniper rifle up and ready!
Speaking of...
"Jaune, I wanna thank you for all the great stuff you've given me."
"Oh, you don't have to-"
"No, no. I want to." Ruby shook her head, "I wanna build you something. I know I can't do as much as you can, but still!"
"I...well, thanks, Ruby. Sure!"
Ruby smiled and turned to the forge proper. What could she make? As tempting as making a sniper rifle was, it would've taken too long even with the right materials. She had to make something small, something he could keep on him.
In the end, she decided to make a keychain with a Rose emblem hanging off it. It wasn't the best thing, but still, "Here." She offered it to him.
"Thanks! I'll make sure to keep it with me!" Jaune nodded happily as he took it. Okay, now it was time for her to flirt! Show him that they were soulmates!
"So, Jaune, are you a runner? Cause you've been r-"
"Oh, by the way, I'm thinking of another upgrade!" Jaune said, cutting off her awesome line (that she totally didn't steal from Yang).
"Y-Yeah?"
"Yeah! We could get something like Piercing - so your bullets punch through the Grimm and hit more targets - but I'm thinking of something rarer. Infinity." Her brows furrowed. Was he saying what she thought he was saying? "It'll take a bit for me to gather the materials, some of them you can only find in the Ever After, but when Crescent Rose gets it? She'll be shooting, well, infinitely! Infinite ammo! No more reloading! How does that sound?"
How did that sound?! He was basically offering to turn Crescent Rose into the best gun in the whole wide world! It was...it was...!
Ruby's mouth curled up in a delirious smile before she passed out. The last thing she remembered was Jaune's eyes widening and asking if she was okay before everything went dark and she had dreams of her and Jaune frolicking in a field of bullets and Dust grenades.
"What am I gonna do with you?" Yang sighed as she set Ruby down on the bed. Jaune had come up carrying her worrying about how she'd passed out. Weiss and Blake had forgotten to be mad with how worried they were, but Yang wasn't fussed. She knew what the smile on her little sis' face meant. She wasn't hurt. On the contrary, she'd passed out from sheer weapon overload. It happened before, mostly when she got really into finding just the right upgrade for Crescent Rose. Jaune must've said something.
"How is she?" Weiss asked as soon as she left the room.
"She'll be fine. A couple hours of sleep and she'll be right as rain." An idea suddenly came to her, "Actually, could you two keep an eye on her? She moves around a lot when she gets like this."
"Why don't you do it?" Blake raised a brow.
"Cause I gotta get something to calm her down when she gets grabby. Old Xiao Long family recipe." It wasn't a lie...kinda. So what if the old recipe was warm milk and some cookies? It did make Ruby calm, "I'll go down in town and get what I need. Should be back in like half an hour tops."
"Maybe I should go with you," Blake said.
"Maybe I'll give you something to pay back that loan you took if you stay here," Yang countered.
Blake's eyes widened, "H-How did you know that?!"
"The guy running the place asked me to keep an eye on you. Wants to make sure you don't just skip town and leave him hanging." She liked Blake, but she wasn't gonna help her dodge a loan. Or drag the rest of their team into it.
"You took a loan?" Weiss looked aghast, "I thought you were smarter than that, Blake!"
"Sh-Shut up! I needed it for something important!"
"Yeah, yeah. Be a good girl and keep an eye on Rubes with Weiss cream and maybe I'll pull you out of that hole you dug for yourself. 'Kay? Bye~" She walked out the door while Weiss lectured Blake about being responsible with cash. Oh, the irony.
"Is Ruby alright?" Jaune asked. He stayed down in the living room while they carried her up to give them some privacy.
"She's fine. Just got a little too excited. I'm sure you've seen it before."
"People passing out? Uh...no, not really."
"I mean getting girls excited. You know, like me."
"Uh...okay?" Jaune looked confused. Was she being too subtle? Well, time to up the ante, "So...what do you say the two of us go down into town and you give me a private tour?" She made sure to lean forward and grin. It was a killer move that would've had any guy back at Signal or Beacon wrapped around her finger, "What do you say?"
"I guess I could, but I thought you guys already got the tour and explored the town? Not sure what else I can show you."
"Oh, come on! You built this place! I'm sure you know all about any secret places. You know, the kind where we can get a lot of privacy~ So we can do stuff that...private like?" Shit, she was talking too much.
"I don't really know any places like that, but I'll give you a tour, sure."
"Great!" Yang gave him a megawatt grin.
The tour was...okay. Jaune actually gave her a tour and wasn't distracted at all when she tried to subtly show off in front of him. Yang knew she was hot. Call her proud or whatever, but she never saw the point of pretending to be humble. She was hot, badass, and had the best hair in all of Patch if not all of Vale. Trying to deny it would've just been lying to herself. She was also undeniably the hottest girl in girl at Signal. She got some competition once she got to Beacon, but her looks were still nothing to scoff at.
But Jaune didn't look at her twice. She was almost offended before she saw exactly why, "Hey, Jaune~" A girl with tan skin and long brown hair grabbed his arm and cozied up to him, "You wanna go somewhere tonight? I've got tickets for that new Spruce Willis movie."
"Oh, Chai! Uh, sorry but I'm kinda busy-"
"Jaune, Jaune!" Another girl, this one almost as pale as Weiss with her blond hair in two long braids, took his other arm, "My family's been inviting you to dinner since forever! Are you finally gonna accept?"
"Eris, I'm actually kinda-"
So on and so forth. Jaune couldn't take two steps without being swarmed by another gaggle of girls trying to get his attention. It made sense. He was the guy who turned a regular village into a kingdom that could rival Argus. And that was just six months. In six years the place might've been flying higher than Atlas! No shit the women here wanted a piece of him. He was Jacques Schnee without the racism and oldness. He would've been a hot thing even in Vale.
"Oh, Jaune. We still have a tour to do," Yang called out. The group of women all turned to look at her with daggers in their eyes, but she just smirked back. She was training to be a Huntress. She'd stared down Ursa Majors without blinking. It'd take more than a bunch of thirsty civilians to scare her.
"R-Right! Tour." He extracted himself from the pile of disappointed women and led her away to a cafe. Everyone in town greeted him happily and Jaune was quick to respond, greeting back and asking questions about their family or how their studies were going. Man of the town. He led her to a corner booth and slumped down on the chair, "Thanks for that. Going down here is kind of hard sometimes."
"You seem popular." Yang grinned.
"I guess." Jaune laughed, "I mean...they're interested in me cause of my Semblance. I'm not stupid." He sighed and rolled his eyes, "Me and Chai actually used to date. We were only together for a few months before she broke up with me. Said I wasn't ambitious enough. I was actually tempted to fake my transcripts to get into Beacon Academy when I turned 17." He laughed softly, "But then a week after our breakup I got my Semblance and...well, plans changed."
"A good change, right? I mean, look at this place!"
"Yeah." He chuckled, "I mean, I got what I wanted. I'm helping a bunch of people, I made my family proud, and I've lived up to my ancestors. That's a big thing for us Arcs. It was when I started building that Chai talked about how it was all a big mistake and she thought wrong."
"Yeah, I bet." Yang snorted.
"Yeah. But, I don't hate her. I just don't wanna get back together."
She doubted it'd stop her from trying, "So...anyone special you do have in mind?"
"Huh? Not really. I've been so busy with building everything that I didn't really think about that. Things have been slowing down recently, though. Makes me wonder if I should go somewhere else. Expand my horizons or whatever you call it."
Yang grinned. Alright, he'd just opened up to her and he was definitely single. Time to hit him with the one-two punch!
"Hey, Jaune. Are you a rash? Cause you make me hot and uncomfortable!"
...
Jaune didn't look as flattered as she thought he would at the fact that a hot girl was flirting with him. Actually, he looked really confused. What the heck? She was giving him a compliment!
Okay, here came another!
"Are you a runner? Cause you've been running all over my head since yesterday!"
"Uh..." Jaune scratched the back of his head. That wasn't 'flattered to be hit on' scratching. That was 'what the fuck is going on' scratching. Didn't he get it? She was flirting with him! And with some of the best lines she had!
Fine, again!
"Did it hurt when you fell from the sky? Cause, you know, you're so great!"
"It...what?" Jaune shook his head, "Uh...sorry, I'm lost. Are you trying to see how good the puns are? Cause they're okay, but I'm not really sure why you started joking." His eyes widened, "Oh, wait, you're trying to cheer me up, right? Thanks!"
"No! I mean, yeah, I am, but that's not-"
"Well, well, well." Yang froze and turned to the left before cringing at the sight of Weiss cream glaring down at her. Despite barely passing five feet in heels, Yang suddenly felt small at the heiress' look, "What was that about finding something to help Ruby?"
"Ahaha...about that-"
She didn't get the chance to explain herself before Weiss pulled the ultimate dirty move. She reached her right hand out, grabbed Yang's ear, and twisted. The powerhouse of team RWBY screamed and whined as Weiss dragged her up and out by the ear while everyone watched. Ugh, this was so embarassing! The worst part was Jaune just laughed along like it was a big old joke! Ah, whatever! She was gonna get her chance with him later!
"Honestly..."
Weiss dragged Yang back to the castle. The blonde struggled and whined the whole way, though every time she did, Weiss just twisted her ear harder. Yang was easily stronger than she was, but there was something about getting your ear twisted that just made you feel like a helpless kid.
"To think you would use Ruby's state to get some alone time with Jaune. For shame, Yang." Weiss finally let go of her.
"Oh, come on! Ruby's fine! She just passed out cause Jaune made her too excited about guns."
"And yet you had to get a 'secret family recipe'." Yang just laughed and rubbed the back of her head, "Well, you're going to be watching over your sister and keeping Blake busy while I talk with Jaune."
"Uh-huh. And I'll do that cause?"
"Cause if you don't, you can kiss any help from me with the upcoming midterms goodbye."
"Wha- that's blackmail!"
"Yup," she said, popping the P. She'd been spending too much time with them, "And you know what'll happen if you fail midterms. Remedial lessons with Professor Port." Yang looked as if she'd been told she only had minutes to live, "Just imagine it, Yang. Two months of listening to his lectures, and actually having to pay attention like I've been for the past few months. And I won't help you with a single test. You'll have to take down notes, parse through his droning to the actual lessons all while resisting the urge to slam an icepick into your brain-"
"Okay, okay! I'll do it!" Yang shook her head, "Geez, anyone ever tell you how scary you are?"
"It's come up. Now, off with you then."
Yang scoffed but did as she was ordered. Weiss waited at the front of the castle till Jaune came back, "Oh, Jaune!" She put a smile on her face that was less forced than she initially expected, "How lovely to see you. Apologies for what happened just now."
"No, it's fine. Yang was just trying to cheer me up."
"Oh. Is something wrong?"
"Nah, just some old stuff. I'm over it." He shrugged, "You need something?'
"Nothing crucial. I was just wondering if you could perhaps show me around your home? I would explore myself, but I wouldn't want to be rude and intrude in places I'm not supposed to."
"I don't really mind if you go looking wherever, but sure. Least we won't get mobbed here," he said that last part under his breath. She was tempted to press him before thinking better of it. This was meant to be the start of their courtship so it would be better not to bring up something negative.
Weiss smiled and nodded along as Jaune walked her through the castle. She'd been through many, many tours of mansions and estates growing up. For the elite of Atlas, it was their way of showing off how much wealth they had; or were desperately trying to cling to. Many families like the Marigolds were in debt and yet they still insisted on getting the finest furnishings and decorations. It didn't matter that all of Atlas already knew of their impoverished state. It only counted if they actually admitted it.
The tours of her childhood were all self-aggrandizing and filled with not-so-hidden boasts. Jaune was different. While there was obvious pride in his voice, it was that of a craftsman who took a healthy amount of fulfillment in his work. Every single part of the castle was personally crafted by him sans anything their family brought over from their old estate. The rooms of his parents and sisters were all locked, of course, but everything else was open.
Weiss didn't let herself get distracted by the luxurious trappings. She had to court Jaune, and that meant Jaune courting her. Atlesian decorum demanded it, really. Growing up the way she did, Weiss was used to being pursued. She was the heiress to the Schnee Dust Company. Many sought out her hand in order to tie themselves to her family name. And as she grew up, their attention was drawn to her personally as well. She was a beautiful and talented young woman. The White Rose of Atlas, though she despised the name.
Weiss had little experience in being the more aggressive one in a courtship. She was raised as the one pursued, and Atlesian culture demanded that there was a proper ritual to it. One couldn't simply club someone over the head and take them back to their cave or h-hold hands like the Valeans did it. There was a proper chain of events. Even her short-lived crush on Neptune was initiated by him flirting with her after she gave him the signal that she was open to it.
"So, Jaune...have you considered the future?"
"What do you mean?" He turned back to look at her as they stopped walking.
"Well...you're a young man in the prime of your life. I'm sure you don't plan to stay in your kingdom forever, splendorous though it may be. Do you have no wish to expand your horizons? Perhaps with a partner by your side?"
"Huh. I mean, yeah, I'd wanna explore around one of these days, I guess." He stretched his arms above his head, "I'm still looking at places to expand, but Domremy's in a pretty good place right now. They don't really need me around looking after things, at least for a while."
"Would you say you'd be willing to dedicate yourself to a different cause then?" she asked carefully.
"I'm willing to help people out, sure, but there's only so much I can do even with my Semblance. I can't help everyone." Indeed, that was the source of her conflict with Blake. Even with Jaune's gifts, he had to choose who to prioritize.
And she needed to ensure he chose her.
Weiss made a show of picking up a silk handkerchief from her skirt pocket and dropping it to the ground. This was the first and most common sign that you were open to being courted. Jaune watched the handkerchief slowly fall and land on the floor without a sound.
...
"Uh, your handkerchief fell."
"So it did." Weiss looked straight at him. She couldn't just tell him to pick up. That defeated the whole point of the gesture. No, he had to pick it up and return it to her of his own volition. Perhaps, if he was being particularly gentlemanly, he would kiss the cloth before handing it back to her.
...
The two of them stared at one another, "Are you...gonna pick it up?"
"I suppose I will if I must." She pursed her lips. Why couldn't he see what she wanted him to do? It was so obvious! Weren't Valeans the ones who had archaic customs about knights and chivalry and honor? This should've been a no-brainer for him.
Unless...was he saying that he wasn't interested in her? The thought made her heart clench both out of pride and worry. She needed to convince him and this was the only way she could gain an advantage over Blake.
Plans borne of desperation came forth. Perhaps...she could serenade him? Not singing outside his door like some lout, but a private concert? Yes, she could see it. She could frame it as a thank you for the sword he'd given her. Weiss took pride in her singing voice. If not for her desire to be a Huntress and redeem the SDC, she could've made a career of it. Her fans numbered in the hundreds of thousands, at least. She could no doubt charm Jaune.
Her brainstorming was interrupted when his scroll rang. He looked at the screen and his eyes widened, "Oh crap, the new Captain Atlas show's premiering! Sorry, we gotta this short! See ya!" He turned and left before she could say anything, leaving her (and her handkerchief...) alone in the hallway. She'd failed.
Weiss slapped her cheek. No, she hadn't failed. Not yet. Despite missing her glaringly obvious opening gambit, she was sure that she could charm Jaune in the end. With a resolute nod, Weiss picked up her handkerchief and turned only to run smack dab into Blake, the Cat Faunus giving her a narrow-eyed glare.
Weiss barely opened her mouth before she found it gagged and Blake unfurled Gambol shroud's ribbon.
She had to seduce Jaune.
That was the thought that ran through Blake's mind as she left Weiss bound and gagged in one of the guest bedrooms. All day long, her treacherous teammates had been trying to sink their hooks into Jaune. From Ruby's cutesy attitude and eagerness to craft, Yang's (terrible) flirtations, and Weiss...honestly, she had no idea what she was doing. Dropping her handkerchief? Was she trying to make Jaune pick it up like he was one of her servants?
She shook her head. It didn't matter. She had better things to focus on than what her friends were doing. Right now she had Jaune to herself. Ruby was still sleeping and both Yang and Weiss were...tied up. It'd give her the chance to enact her plan.
She overheard the conversation between Jaune and Weiss. Jaune was open to helping people, but he needed to choose who to focus on. Clearly, he should choose to help the cause of Faunus equality, but she knew she had to convince him. Why help the Faunus over everyone else? Especially as a Human. He wouldn't have been nearly invested in it as she was.
But what did she have to convince him with?
Money and connections? She had far less in both compared to Weiss, and she doubted he much cared about either given his gifts. The gratitude of the Faunus? Perhaps, but that was too abstract, and she wouldn't be surprised if Weiss also made claims about how all of Remnant would be grateful to Jaune.
And then it came to her: Her. She could be what pushed him to help the fight for equality. It wasn't perfect - and she couldn't deny that a part of her felt guilty for even considering it - but she would only use it to push him in the right direction. She could find some other way to repay him for all his hard work. If not money, then maybe exotic materials he couldn't find in Vale or those portals of his? She was sure she could come up with something. Even a guy like Jaune must've had things he couldn't just get and build.
But that could come later. For now, she had to enact the first step in her plan.
Jaune was in the living room watching a show on the big-screen TV. Perfect. It was almost too easy. Blake sat down on one of the plush chairs, leaned back...and waited.
It would only be a matter of time before Jaune fell for her. That was how it always worked. Adam fell for her, Ilia fell for her, and Sun fell for her. And in all three cases, she didn't have to do anything but be near them while they were alone. Jaune would've been no different, she was sure. All she had to do was stay near him and he'd fall for her. And then she could guide him to the right cause he could devote himself to. This was all for the greater good.
An hour passed and Jaune...didn't look up from the television at all. Blake pursed her lips in annoyance and crossed her right leg over her left. That should've gotten his attention...but it didn't. He kept watching, and even when the show ended thirty minutes later and he finally looked up, he llooked at her the same way he always did, "Oh! Sorry, didn't see you there, Blake! Did you watch the show too?"
"Yeah, it was...interesting." She made a show flipping her long raven hair.
Still nothing.
"Yeah, Captain Atlas is awesome! Really glad I got to see the premiere." He stood up and stretched, "Well, I gotta go. Promised the dogs I'd give em a walk. See ya!"
And then he left, leaving Blake feeling like she got an egg on her face. What just happened? Why didn't it work like the last three times? She sat near him, crossed her legs, and even flipped her hair. Ilia would've gone crazy at this point! How much willpower did Jaune Arc have?
No, she couldn't be discouraged. She had to put in more effort than she thought, but this wasn't the end. Thankfully, she was a reservoir of knowledge due to her taste in literature. She could find a way to seduce Jaune easily. All for the good of the Faunus.
She stood up from her chair and left the living room only to run into Ruby, Yang, and Weiss all glaring at her with their weapons drawn.
"Any last words, Belladonna?" Weiss hissed.
...
"I regret nothing."
Their first mission.
Pyrrha stepped off the Bullhead and breathed in the crisp country air. The place they were sent to - a miniature kingdom, according to the briefing - reminded her of Argus. It was completely landlocked, sure, but the atmosphere was the same...well, before she became the Invincible Girl. Then it became stifling.
"Four AM. We've arrived exactly on schedule." Her partner, Ciel, said. She didn't really know how to feel about her. While she wasn't a fan (which was a good thing), she also wasn't very open despite being her partner. Ciel wasn't unfriendly, but she was also taciturn to a fault. She'd assured Pyrrha early on that it wasn't anything against her personally. She simply preferred to keep to herself, and while Pyrrha respected that, it made her feel as closed as she'd been back in the tournament circuit.
Especially given their other teammates.
"Woah! Ren, look at this place! It's awesome!" Nora screamed.
"Indeed. Very impressed." Ren nodded calmly.
Ren and Nora. The two couldn't have been more different from her and Ciel if they tried. The two were childhood friends and, while friendly to both of them, were obviously far closer to one another than the rest of the team. She had to admit, she'd felt jealous seeing their close bond and inside jokes. The last time she tried to tell Ciel a knock-knock joke, she got told that she wouldn't open the door unless the person on the other end properly identified themselves without 'making a circus of the whole thing'.
Sighing, she looked around once more. Their mission was to make contact with Jaune Arc and reinforce Team RWBY's claims of a village being turned into a kingdom. Judging from everything around her, it seemed like they were telling the truth.
Her eyes landed on a particularly creepy-looking crow perched on top of the bullhead before she turned away. She hated crows. Always so ominous.
"We should make contact with this Jaune Arc," Ciel said.
It didn't take them long to find him. A guy walking around with eight talking dogs was bound to draw attention. Nora, of course, cooed at the sight of talking animals while Ciel simply noted it down, "Ah, hello!" Pyrrha smiled awkward, "Um, my name is Pyrrha Nikos. This is my partner Ciel Soleil, and my teammates Nora Valkyrie and Lie Ren. We were sent here to check up on team RWBY?"
"Another Huntsmen team? Huh, cool! Name's Jaune Arc!" He stuck his hand out. She looked for any trace of recognition in his eyes, but there was nothing. She let out a sigh of relief and offered her own hand in a firm handshake.
"Nice to meet you, Jaune."
The creepy crow from before cawed. She hoped that wasn't a bad sign.
Pyrrha has arrived, and because this isn't a personal story for me, she isn't gonna be a walking L whose role is to suffer. Anyway, Team RWBY has tried and failed to get with Jaune. Ruby was the closest and she passed out at the end.
Next chapter we can finally meet Ozpin and start exploring the factions more.
Wanna help support me (and gain access to chapters a week or two early)? Then check out the link below:
Patreon.com/Vendetta543
Questions:
1. So...how scummy do you guys think Weiss and Blake are? They're both working towards the perceived greater good, but they're undeniably doing some iffy stuff with the way they're trying to seduce Jaune to their side.
2. How do you guys think each faction/group (sans Blake, Weiss, and Ozpin) would try to appeal or convince Jaune? As mentioned in the previous chapter, offering money, connections, and protection isn't gonna fly since Jaune doesn't need any of it. This makes it very difficult for the various groups to try anything. Some will definitely try kidnapping and threats, but that's not gonna end well for them.
3. So, which RWBY girl are you all rooting for currently now that we've seen them all try (and fail) to flirt with Jaune?
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Chapter 5 - The Invincible Girl Cometh
eratas123
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Last chapter in Domremy before we go to Vale and start getting into the various factions that want Jaune. And then chaos ensues. Both good and evil groups are gonna want a piece of Jaune. Plus all the romance stuff with Team RWBY and soon Pyrrha.
We'll also delve a bit more into Jaune's character since, per the request of the commissioner, he hasn't gotten any POV segments yet. Hopefully seeing him bounce off of people trying to openly exploit him will show more of his personality.
On a side-note, I'm thinking of writing an omake where Jaune is a Faunus here. This causes most of the various groups to shit bricks since the various groups have a history of mistreating Faunus and without the usual offers available, they know Jaune has no reason to be sympathetic to their pleas. Meanwhile, Blake is at a major advantage since she has way more buttons to press to convince Jaune.
For anyone interested in making a commission, email me at: storylover543@gmail.com
Chapter 5: The Invicible Girl Cometh
This place was so odd.
That was the thought that ran through Pyrrha's head as she walked along with the rest of her team. Jaune had offered to show them around, which they all gratefully accepted. She'd been born and raised in Argus, so a miniature kingdom like this wasn't completely alien to her. Still, it was undeniably impressive. Especially since (if the briefing was accurate) it had only shown up all in one year, if not less than that. She'd heard of fast construction before, but this was absurd.
Their official mission was to reinforce team RWBY and confirm their report. Beyond that, they weren't told much of anything. The headmaster did say that he would contact them later in the day, but until then, they were free to do whatever they wished. A part of her felt somewhat guilty that they were so lax during their mission, but she brushed it aside. It wasn't her fault that the headmaster had chosen such a thoughtless mission for them. Wasn't Team RWBY's report confirmation enough?
"Oh, wow! Look at that!" Nora pointed excitedly at many of the buildings they passed while Ren nodded along. From what the two of them had told her, they were both orphans since they were children and spent most of their lives surviving on the outskirts of Anima or in the slums. Living costs in the kingdom were expensive; far too much for the two of them to afford. A part of her felt guilty at that before she again brushed it off. It wasn't her fault that she was lucky enough to be born to living parents in a stable pseudo-kingdom.
Her eyes flicked to her partner. Like Nora, Ciel looked around at the various amenities and took note of everything. Literally. She hadn't stopped tapping into her scroll since they arrived. Ciel was never the most talkative partner, but now Pyrrha felt even more awkward at the thought of disturbing her. Especially when her eyes practically bugged out of their sockets at the sight of a building marked 'Airship Dealership'. Was that a shop selling what she thought it did?
Finally, her gaze turned to their impromptu tour guide. Jaune Arc. The briefing told them that he was (apparently) singularly responsible for his village's miraculous industrial revolution. Pyrrha found it hard to believe, if she was being honest. She knew Semblances could run the gamut from extremely powerful to nigh-on useless. Her own Polarity ranked very high up on the scale, and even it paled in comparison to Professor Goodwitch's Telekinesis.
Still, a Semblance that allowed him to turn a village into a kingdom sounded absurd. Even if he could build everything by himself, the timeframe made no sense. Argus took years of thousands of people (at least) working together to get to where they were. That and the backing of both Atlas and Mistral. This place - Domremy, she reminded herself - had one man's Semblance and nothing else. It sounded too unbelievable to be true, but here they were.
Argus was a trading port. While they had luxuries like movie theaters and even a spa, it was still nothing in comparison to what real kingdoms had. Domremy was different. While a decent chunk of the city was taken up by essential systems such as farmland and the like, another part of town seemed to be built just for entertainment. Bars, theaters, hot springs, various restaurants, and even an arena.
That last one in particular drew her attention. Argus had an arena, but until recently, it was a small place where some of the local youths trained for the tournament circuit. It was only within the past couple of years that the government decided to put some funding in to expand it.
After all, the hometown of the Invincible Girl attracted many young hopefuls hoping to be the next champion of the circuit. They even put her photo up on a banner...
"OH...MY...GODS!" Nora screamed, jolting her out of her negative thoughts. Pyrrha looked to where the other redhead was pointing and blinked at the sight of a crowd gathering in front of a stage that had a table full of people and...pancakes? Pyrrha rubbed her eyes to make sure. Yep, there were plates upon plates stacked with pancakes as tall as she was - and she was not short by any means. Nora looked up and drooled shamelessly at the sight.
"Oh, that's a pancake-eating contest," Jaune said casually. Nora was hyperventilating now. Even Ren looked somewhat worried, "We have contests like these from time to time. Gives people a chance to unwind with something silly." He looked at Nora and blinked at her borderline unhinged expression, "Uh...do you wanna join-"
"YES!" Nora didn't even wait for him to finish before she practically charged onto the stage. The host looked confused before he spotted Jaune in the crowd, who gave the older man a nod. That was all the host needed to announce Nora as a last-minute contender. The crowd didn't much care. One more person they could see try to stuff themselves with food. The team and Jaune all looked at one another before they sat down on some of the spare chairs.
The rules were simple enough. Eat as much as you can. No pausing for more than ten seconds or you were out. So on and so forth. The thing that really grabbed her attention was the prizes. Ten thousand lien for first place, five thousand for second place, and two thousand five hundred for third. It wasn't much - about on par with some of the amateur tournaments she'd been in - but for a pancake-eating contest? That was a pretty penny. Their weekly Beacon stipend was about a hundred lien a week. Just enough to buy Dust and parts for other repairs.
Jaune was sat to her right with Ciel to her left. Her partner had actually stopped taking notes while Jaune just looked on with a somewhat bored expression, "I've seen it before," Jaune said as an explanation, "It was cool at first, but one guy always wins."
He pointed to the guy sitting at the center of the long table. He was fat. That wasn't her being mocking, she was merely stating a fact. He looked like he took up three chairs all by himself. He had curly red hair that ended in thick sideburns along with equally thick eyebrows. Pyrrha wasn't one to shame people for their appearance - she knew that it mattered more what was on the inside - but something about him made her frown. The term Fat Bastard suddenly came unbidden before she could stop herself. That was so mean of her.
"BEGIN!"
Watching the contest was both impressive and grotesque. Pyrrha had fought everyone from peers her age to adults, many of whom had brutal fighting styles. And yet all of it paled in comparison to the sight in front of her now. Watching men and women of various ages gorging themselves on pancakes like their lives depended on it. The utensils were left forgotten as people used their hands to stuff themselves full of syrup-covered wheat.
Nora wasn't any different. She grabbed pancakes by the fistfuls and ate and ate and ate. Pyrrha felt somewhat sick watching it. Her diet had been strictly regulated by her trainer to ensure maximum gain. Even after going to Beacon, she still preferred to pace herself. Aura and the average student's required training regiment meant that they burned through most of the calories they ate regardless, but she still preferred to err on the side of caution. Nora was the opposite.
Sadly for her, even she couldn't hope to match the reigning champion. As everyone else tapped out or passed out, Nora and the rotund man were left, and it was clear Nora was flagging. Her hands were shaking and her eating slowed. Meanwhile, her opponent continued to eat at the same fast rate as before with no signs that he was stopping. Heck, he was even eating from the other contestant's plates! Pyrrha covered her mouth and swallowed down her bile.
"I...I can't..." Nora stopped, looking at the next towering pile she was given after she just finished the last one, "This...is impossible...! I'm...queen of the castle...!"
"Not in this castle!" The large man said in an indecipherable accent, spewing chunks of pancake everywhere. Urk, "I'm bigger than ya! I'm higher on the food chain, lassie!" And then, just to rub it in, he grabbed a handful of pancakes from Nora's plate and ate it. Were it any other situation, his legs would've already been broken, but Nora was too stuffed and too weak to protest. Instead, she raised her hand before tipping over to the side, a woman defeated.
"And the winner is...Bob!" The announcer screamed.
The audience clapped politely, though it was clearly only out of obligation. Fat b- er, Bob didn't care in the least and kept on eating even as the announcer congratulated him and put the stack of ten thousand lien next to him.
Nora was utterly inconsolable. She cried and screamed about how she was dethroned and completely ignored the five thousand lien stuffed in her pocket. For her, pride mattered more than money. Ren rubbed circles around her back and whispered soothing words of comfort as Nora wept. It wasn't graceful either. She ugly cried the whole time and she hadn't even bothered to wipe the pancake crumbs and syrup away from her mouth. Not that Ren cared, of course.
"That was...disturbing," Ciel muttered.
"It's all in good fun," Jaune said, though even he sounded unsure, "Gives us something to do with some of our excess grain."
Ciel nodded, "Yes, we all saw your crops." Crops that grew within minutes. She knew people who would (perhaps literally) kill for those, "I assume you stockpile those given the sheer quantity."
"Yep. We also try to give out the excess to any villages that need it." Ciel noted that down, "Not everyone is willing to leave their village and go here, which I totally get. They set themselves up there and worked really hard to get where they are. It's unreasonable to tell them to pack up and move. So I - we - try to help where we can."
"That's very generous of you." It was a kind gesture...and a sadly rare one. She'd done promotional work for a fair share of charities, but the cynic in here couldn't help but wonder how much of the donations actually went into helping those in need versus the various 'fees' of the charities themselves.
"Not a big deal. They're there and we can help them." Jaune shrugged, "Anywhere else you guys wanna go to?'
"Well, I was actually interested in the arena we passed by earlier. Do you all mind if we go there next?" Pyrrha asked. Everyone agreed; even Nora who was still warbling about how 'horrific loss', "I'd be interested to see the fighting skills of this city's miltia."
"I doubt they can match up to a Huntress-in-training, but sure. I'm sure everyone's gonna be excited to see what a future Huntress can do!" Future Huntress. Not the 'Invincible Girl' or 'Mistral Regional Tournament Champion'. Pyrrha found herself smiling at that. That was the whole reason she came to Beacon. She wanted to be more than a face on a billboard.
The fights in the arena were, sadly, rather mundane. While it was to be expected - she was dealing with militia members and local youths - it was somewhat disappointing. She felt the same at Beacon. While the students put up decent fights, rare was the enemy that required her to even use her Semblance. So far the only one that required it was Yang, and even that was only on their first bout. After that, she'd gotten wise to the blonde pugilist's tells.
As Pyrrha defeated her last opponent, she briefly wondered if it was all going to be a disappointment when Jaune suddenly came up to her, "Why don't you fight one of my knights?"
"I'm sorry, your...knights?"
"They're not actually knights. They're golems, like the ones you guys saw near the entrance. I made a bunch of 'em and testing them against a future Huntress could really help me gauge how far they're coming along."
"Hm, I don't see why not. I just hope you don't mind any damages."
"Ha, nah. Go nuts."
Pyrrha took her place on the right side of the arena and watched as an ornate suit of white and red armor strode to the other side. It was finely made, easily surpassing some of the decorative suits she'd seen in some of the high-class abodes she'd been (forced to) visit. It was a fine piece of craftsmanship and she almost felt bad at the idea of trashing it.
Her guilt lasted until it suddenly charged towards her with surprising speed. Pyrrha blocked the blow and gasped in slight surprise as the force of it actually pushed her backward before she could brace herself. The knight continued the assault, slashing at her with an unexpected ferocity. Unlike her previous opponents, there were no tells and obvious signs, at least as far as she could see so far.
Her heart beat faster and she smiled.
The fight lasted for a couple of minutes. It was...thrilling. Possibly due to its nature, the golem moved with inhuman speed and almost matched her blow for blow. She was still faster, of course, but the knight didn't have to worry about accumulated damage. The knight's armored frame was easily strong enough to take the impacts of her blows without her having to hold back. She even found herself using her Semblance to pull back some attacks that would've gone past her defense.
By the end of it, she was victorious and the knight lay in pieces across the dirt. The crowd cheered, and for some reason, she found herself beaming when she saw Jaune among them, "Congrats!" Jaune said as he ran up to her. The thought that she was reeking of sweat suddenly came to her and she took a subtle step away, "You're the first person I've seen who's ever beaten one of my knights!"
"Thank you," Pyrrha demured. She was used to praise, but she found herself smiling genuinely regardless, "It was a fruitful challenge. I'm sorry for wrecking one of your best golems."
"Nah, I told you that you could go nuts. Besides, that was just a scout."
...
"A what?" Pyrrha asked.
"A scout. You know, the ones you send to see how bad a place is. That's why it was so small." That was small? "I've got other units and they're the ones who do the bulk of the fighting."
"Such as?"
"Well...the warriors, the vanguards, the tanks. Different knights for different roles." Back at the stand, Ciel was tapping on her scroll so fast it was a miracle it didn't catch fire, "Using anything besides a scout on a tournament just didn't seem fair so I never put them out."
"...Jaune?"
"Yes."
"Let me fight a warrior."
"Huh? But-"
She grabbed his shoulders with both hands firmly, suddenly not caring about any sort of embarrassment, "Let me fight a warrior. Please."
"Uh...okay? Sure."
Jaune looked confused but complied anyway. Pyrrha was practically vibrating as she took her place on the right side of the arena again. A scout. The golem had given her a challenge and it was just a scout. How much stronger would the other knights be, then? Her heart beat rapidly, a rush of excitement that she hadn't felt in a long time coming to the surface. By the time she was fifteen, fighting in the tournaments felt more like an obligation than something she did for the thrill of the sport.
The feeling of excitement was intoxicating.
It only got better when she saw her opponent. Another knight. this one colored black and blue, took up the opponent's side. It was easily twice her height with a sword that could easily cleave her in two if she got careless. Her mouth split into an open-toothed grin and she got into a battle position.
With a joyous laugh, she charged the knight and jumped in the air.
Back at the castle, Team RWBY lay sprawled out in front of the castle's gate. All of them - even that traitor Blake - had enough sense to not want to fight and wreck Jaune's place and make him mad. Then when they kicked Blake's butt (okay, not really since she still had like half her Aura next), Ruby rounded on Weiss and got mad at her for trying to steal her soulmate. Then Yang butted in and suddenly they were all fighting till they were all on a heap on the grass.
Okay, all of them still had half their Auras, but it was the principle of the thing.
"Alright, new rule," Yang said as she sat up, "No more sabotaging each other or pulling blackmail shit." She looked right at Blake and Weiss as she said it. Both her partner and Blake refused to look at her, "We all like Jaune, some of us for better reasons than others, but that's no reason to tear each other's throats out."
"We wouldn't need that rule if you guys just butt out. He's my soulmate." Ruby crossed her arms and harrumphed.
"Soulmate? Ruby, you met the guy literally yesterday. I'm all for dating him, but I'm not gonna act like he's the love of my life or anything."
"Exactly!" Ruby slapped both hands on the ground, "To you, he's just another guy! You can find someone else to date once we're back in Vale! And both Blake and Weiss just wanna use him!" The two protested, but Ruby ignored them, "So really, you three should just let me and Jaune be happy!" Why didn't they understand? She and Jaune were practically made for each other! They had so much in common and he'd already touched her baby in a way no one else, not even her family, did.
"Ruby, stop being a child!" Weiss scowled, "Jaune's abilities are a gift, one that should be used for more than just improving your weapon. Didn't you become a Huntress because you wished to be a hero? You should be helping me! My plan will help improve the lives of hundreds of thousands, if not millions, across Remnant."
"You're already the heiress, you can change things around with Jaune's help," Blake said, "But the Faunus don't have that privilege. We need Jaune if we're going to have any sort of hope of being more than second-class citizens."
"Alright, we're just going around in fucking circles." Yang sighed, "Alright, something else we need to talk about."
"Like what?" Weiss scoffed.
"Like those Grimm that showed up earlier." The reminder of the horde made them quiet. As mad as Ruby was with them for trying to steal her soulmate, they were still her friends and she was still a Huntress(in training). This was just as important as getting together with the love of her life, "Cause that shit definitely wasn't normal, right?"
"Definitely not." Weiss shook her and stood with the rest of them doing the same, "While Grimm are known to work together when hounding a victim, they hardly do so in the wilds. It takes an alpha beowolf to do so to its lesser compatriots when they're not all summoned by mass negative feelings."
"Jaune didn't look like he was suffering from negative feelings when we found him, but those Grimm were definitely beelining for him."
"Are you saying the Grimm were targeting Jaune?" Ruby asked. The thought of it made her gut churn with worry, "I know Professor Oobleck said that the Grimm get smarter when they get older, but this feels...different."
"Jaune said that this wasn't the first time either." Yang hummed, putting her hands behind her head, "So this happened a buncha times already and it'll probably happen again. No way there's that many old Grimm hanging around here."
"Grimm care for only one thing: destruction. Perhaps Jaune's constant and rapid building has somehow drawn their attention due to that innate desire?"
"Maybe, but they attacked Jaune when he was out of town. Why wouldn't they try to attack the city itself? No, it's almost like they were waiting for him specifically."
"But how the heck would the Grimm know Jaune was the one who built everything? They don't make plans!" It was one of the reasons classes on fighting Grimm were different from fighting people. The Grimm didn't plan and they didn't care about tactics. Sure, some of the older Grimm knew how to be patient, but they were still all about killing as many people as possible. Why target one guy far away from the town instead of trying to ram the walls and get at the people inside?
"We don't know, and that's worrying." Weiss sighed, "I think we should tell the headmaster about this. He might know what's going on."
"We should, but I doubt he'll tell us anything we don't already know. Like is he gonna say someone's actually commanding the Grimm or something?"
"Don't be dumb, Yang." Ruby rolled her eyes. Everyone knew that the Grimm couldn't be controlled. That was like trying to lead a hurricane. There were horror movies about big stupid corporations trying to do it and they always got their faces eaten. It was one of the few times she rooted from the Grimm. Stupid Meyland-Antani.
"Hey, I'm just spitballing here!"
"Either way, we should be on alert."
They all nodded at one another, hostility (temporarily) forgotten. Ruby was a Huntress and Grimm organizing like this was something that needed to be stopped.
This place was fucking weird.
That was the thought that ran through Qrow's head as he transformed back to a human behind a building out of sight. Oz told him to shadow the kids and make sure that they weren't just talkin' out their ass about some sort of miracle kingdom that popped out of fucking nowhere.
Well, they definitely weren't. This place was real as real could be, "Shit..." He took a swig of his flask and watched the townies walking around. The cynic inside told him that it was all too good to be true. That under all those happy smiles and skipping kiddos was a layer of rot. Maybe that made him seem like a prick. but instincts were instincts and that was how he'd lasted so long in this line of work. You needed to see what people were hiding.
He had to admit, though, this place was damn convincing. Put some of the poorer districts in Vale to shame. The living costs in the kingdoms were high since it was the only guaranteed safety in Remnant. That meant a buncha people bled themselves dry paying for a cardboard box underneath an overpass. It sucked, but at least they knew that no matter how miserable they were, the Grimm weren't gonna be mulching on their guts tomorrow.
This place didn't have that. There was no place where the dregs and burnouts were, and he looked. People had roofs over their heads and everyone worked or spent their money in the entertainment district. It was...perfect. Too perfect. This was the kind of place the kingdoms made themselves look in all the commercials. Happy citizens where everyone got what they wanted and worked hard for the betterment of the community. It was damn creepy.
Raven would've loved a place like this. Not to stay and work hard, of course not. All she'd see was a fat big for her and the rest of their 'tribe' of parasites to feast on.
Shaking his head, he walked around aimlessly and stopped when he saw a sign for a bar. Well, it'd been a while since he had a drink. A proper drink, not swigs from his flask that he mostly spat out anyway. Place looked high class too. He usually went to dive bars, though that was mostly out of necessity. Villages didn't exactly have a lot in the way of luxuries. Alcohol outside the walls was meant to be quick and cheap. It made you forget your problems and come back for more. Well, he could afford it. Being the best Huntsman in Vale, and Ozpin's personal agent, paid pretty well. And unlike Jacques Schnee, he didn't spend it on mansions he never even stayed in.
Qrow stepped through the double doors and breathed in deep. Place looked like a saloon, but it was too clean to be a real one. The people didn't look up from their drinks or pay him any sort of mind. Huh, usually the weapon would draw attention. Well, whatever. Qrow walked up to the counter and took an empty seat. The bartender, a guy in a suit polishing a glass, grunted at him.
"What'll ya have?"
"Strongest and most expensive thing ya got. Feel like spoiling myself."
"Tough guy, huh? Fine. two hundred fifty lien."
Qrow slapped the lien card on the table and the bartender came back with...a bottle of beer? Qrow scowled at the guy, "This a joke? Two hundred fifty lien for a glass of beer?" He liked beer, but that was cause it was cheap.
"Our grain's top shelf. Trust me. You'll be out before you even finish that."
"Really?" Qrow drawled.
"You don't like it, you can check at the other bars."
"Ah, fuck it. Fine." Qrow grabbed the bottle and took a swig. He better get his money's wo-
...
...
...
Qrow's eyes opened to the worst headache he'd ever had, "Ugh..." He moaned. Oh Gods, his head felt like it was being drilled open! What the fuck? He looked around blearily and saw that not only were all the customers the same, but it was still light out. How...How long was he out? Fuck. He lay back down on the ground. One swig. He'd take one fucking swig and went out worse than the time Yang thought she was big enough to drink from his flask when she was fifteen.
"Arf."
He turned his head to the side and saw Zwei looking down at him in disapproval. He was also wearing a fedora for some reason, "Oh, don't you start." He scoffed at the judgemental corgi, "You've been going missing for days at a time, you don't get to go 'tut tut' at me, you little bastard." Zwei was a Huntsman-grade pet, unlocked Aura and everything. Breeds like them were pretty independent and it wasn't rare for Zwei to go wandering off for days ever since Yang and Ruby left for Beacon. Tai wasn't worried. He always came back eventually.
Well, now he knew where he went.
"So this is where you've been, huh?" He rubbed the corgi's back weakly, "Tell you what, you don't tell anyone what I've been doing and I don't look too close at what you're doing here. Sound like a deal?"
"Arf!"
"Yeah, suddenly you don't care when your ass is on the line." Qrow rolled his eyes and winced. Okay, no, calm down on the eye-rolling. He got up and sat back down on his seat. His bottle was still there, "...How long was I out?" he asked the bartender.
"Ten minutes. I trust you were satisfied with your drink, sir?" Qrow wanted to wipe that smug fucking smile off his face, "We sell remedies if you're interested. Only one hundred lien. Back to tip-top shape or your money back."
"Sell the poison and the cure, huh?"
"Is it poison if people seek it out?"
"Whatever. Gimme that remedy then."
He was handed a small cup of something that smelled like a pig's asshole. Sighing deeply, Qrow chugged it down and- what the fuck? He looked around and shook his head. A few seconds ago, that would've had him reeling. Now he felt stone-cold sober.
...
"Gimme another drink, something less strong this time, and get one of those remedy things ready."
"As you wish, sir."
Pyrrha panted as she fell to one knee, sweat falling down her body in rivulets. Her Aura had been broken for the first time since...she couldn't even remember. Across from her, the knight lay still with its head missing. The aftereffect of her last desperate attack, using her Semblance to amplify her javelin and throwing it straight through the helmet with enough force to utterly destroy it. For anyone else, that would've been the end, but the knight kept going and hit her with one last slash that destroyed her Aura.
It wasn't technically a win, but it wasn't a whole loss either. In any other situation, it would've guaranteed her victory, but she wasn't fighting a Human or a Faunus. Still, Pyrrha held no shame in the tie. She took its head, it took her aura. She was satisfied with it.
"Pyrrha, that was amazing!" Jaune and the rest of Team PNCR helped her walk and hobble to the stands. The people were still cheering and she heard a few whispers about how they recognized her. She didn't care. She was too satisfied with the fight to let it bog her down.
"Yeah, that was awesome!" Nora cheered, her depression forgotten. Ren nodded while Ciel handed her a towel to wipe the sweat off.
"Here, drink this." Jaune pulled out what looked like a potion and handed it to her. She drank it without any hesitation and suddenly felt revitalized, all exhaustion forgotten.
"What was that?"
"Just an energy potion," he said that far too casually. Ciel took down another note, "Anyway, you guys said that you wanted to check with Team RWBY, right? Ruby should be awake by now, so do you guys wanna head up."
"Of course. Lead the way, Jaune."
They followed after Jaune as he led them up to the castle. She'd seen it before they landed, and she figured Jaune owned it, but it was still a bit of a shock, Pyrrha had a decent nest egg from her tournament winnings and other media appearances, but her family strictly kept themselves to above middle-class. Mom and Dad didn't much care for extreme luxuries. Better to have money saved than spent on useless things, as Dad always said.
Team RWBY was sitting in the living room when they arrived. Weiss' eyes widened when they saw them, "P-Pyrrha? What are you doing here?"
"The Headmaster sent us to check up on things," Pyrrha replied with a slightly forced smile. She didn't dislike Weiss, but she still remembered how the heiress tried to cozy up to her due to her reputation. First impressions were hard to break.
"Does he not trust us?" Blake's eyes narrowed.
"He simply wanted a second pair of eyes. The report your team sent sounded rather...fantastical," Ciel said.
"Fantastical, was it?" A new voice asked. Nora shrieked in surprise as a purple and cyan cat creature suddenly appeared on the table, "New visitors! So many coming in recent days! Does anyone want to talk about their life stories? I'm always willing to listen!"
"How long have you been here?!" Yang screamed.
"That is the question, isn't it?" It hopped off the table and landed on Ciel's shoulder. Amazingly, her partner didn't seem to care in the least, "Would you like to talk, beret-wearing person? You seem like someone who's going to be notable!"
"Curious! We talked about personal space!" Jaune scolded.
"Oh, I don't mind. I am willing to answer any questions this creature has in exchange for questions of my own being answered. Does that sound fair?"
"More than fair!" The cat purred.
"Excellent. Oh, before I go." Ciel pulled out her scroll and tapped the screen, "The headmaster informed me that he wished to talk with you, Mr. Arc."
"What does the headmaster want with him?" Weiss asked.
"That is between the two of them."
Ciel handed Jaune the scroll before leaving, the cat chatting away the entire time. Pyrrha and everyone else crowded around Jaune and waited for the headmaster's face to show up on the video call, "Ah, Mr. Arc. Good afternoon to Teams RWBY and PNCR as well. I was hoping to talk with you."
"What about?" Jaune asked.
"Well, that is-"
"Forgive my rudeness, headmaster, but we must tell you something first," Weiss said. The rest of Team RWBY suddenly looked troubled, "We've encountered something that I believe requires your immediate attention."
"Okay. What is, Ms. Schnee?"
Pyrrha listened as Weiss told the headmaster about a horde of Grimm. Hordes were somewhat rare but not exactly unheard of outside the walls, but this was different. As Weiss gave explicit details on the types and number of Grimm they encountered, she saw the headmaster's brow furrow in worry even as Jaune claimed that it was hardly something to worry about and they were easily dispatched the last six times they tried something.
Her fists clenched in worry at the thought of Jaune being attacked.
"Hm...this changes some things." The headmaster steepled his hands together, "Mr. Arc, I was hoping to have a proper conversation with you, and this only exacerbates that need. Might I request your presence at Beacon? I understand that this is sudden, but Grimm activity such as this is more than a little worrying.
"Alright, I don't mind. It'll give me a chance to use one of the new ships I made too." The headmaster looked utterly gobsmacked at the casual declaration, "Guess we'll see you there."
"Indeed. I look forward to our first meeting, Mr. Arc."
Beacon, here we come! I'm sure things will be totally fine once they get there Anyway, we've had Pyrrha get some focus and see here more excitable Battle Junkie state. It's a bit more fun than 'I'm lonely cause I'm so famous (even though no one treats me that way onscreen)'. She also seems to get along with Jaune and isn't quick to fall in love with him. Kinda ironic given canon.
Anyway, that's it. See you guys next time.
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Questions:
1. Do you guys think Ironwood would lean towards being a villain in his desire to control Jaune's Semblance or remain on the heroic end? The commissioner suggested the latter, but I'm curious regardless since whoever controls Jaune's Semblance esentially has the capacity to be the biggest superpower on Remnant.
2. Does Cinder seem like the type to seduce? Fanon seems to think so, but her personality in canon doesn't seem to have a lot of charisma outside of desperate street urchins like Emerald. I wonder if she'd try to charm Jaune or just immediately go to threats.
3. Okay, I have to ask, but what is with people in reviews shipping Ciel and Penny with Jaune? Not only are they not mentioned as part of the pairings, but why those two? Penny I can kinda get cause 'she's a robot and he's a builder', but why Ciel? Her entire character is being Penny's throwaway partner, and she disappears after V3.
We'll also delve a bit more into Jaune's character since, per the request of the commissioner, he hasn't gotten any POV segments yet. Hopefully seeing him bounce off of people trying to openly exploit him will show more of his personality.
On a side-note, I'm thinking of writing an omake where Jaune is a Faunus here. This causes most of the various groups to shit bricks since the various groups have a history of mistreating Faunus and without the usual offers available, they know Jaune has no reason to be sympathetic to their pleas. Meanwhile, Blake is at a major advantage since she has way more buttons to press to convince Jaune.
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Chapter 5: The Invicible Girl Cometh
This place was so odd.
That was the thought that ran through Pyrrha's head as she walked along with the rest of her team. Jaune had offered to show them around, which they all gratefully accepted. She'd been born and raised in Argus, so a miniature kingdom like this wasn't completely alien to her. Still, it was undeniably impressive. Especially since (if the briefing was accurate) it had only shown up all in one year, if not less than that. She'd heard of fast construction before, but this was absurd.
Their official mission was to reinforce team RWBY and confirm their report. Beyond that, they weren't told much of anything. The headmaster did say that he would contact them later in the day, but until then, they were free to do whatever they wished. A part of her felt somewhat guilty that they were so lax during their mission, but she brushed it aside. It wasn't her fault that the headmaster had chosen such a thoughtless mission for them. Wasn't Team RWBY's report confirmation enough?
"Oh, wow! Look at that!" Nora pointed excitedly at many of the buildings they passed while Ren nodded along. From what the two of them had told her, they were both orphans since they were children and spent most of their lives surviving on the outskirts of Anima or in the slums. Living costs in the kingdom were expensive; far too much for the two of them to afford. A part of her felt guilty at that before she again brushed it off. It wasn't her fault that she was lucky enough to be born to living parents in a stable pseudo-kingdom.
Her eyes flicked to her partner. Like Nora, Ciel looked around at the various amenities and took note of everything. Literally. She hadn't stopped tapping into her scroll since they arrived. Ciel was never the most talkative partner, but now Pyrrha felt even more awkward at the thought of disturbing her. Especially when her eyes practically bugged out of their sockets at the sight of a building marked 'Airship Dealership'. Was that a shop selling what she thought it did?
Finally, her gaze turned to their impromptu tour guide. Jaune Arc. The briefing told them that he was (apparently) singularly responsible for his village's miraculous industrial revolution. Pyrrha found it hard to believe, if she was being honest. She knew Semblances could run the gamut from extremely powerful to nigh-on useless. Her own Polarity ranked very high up on the scale, and even it paled in comparison to Professor Goodwitch's Telekinesis.
Still, a Semblance that allowed him to turn a village into a kingdom sounded absurd. Even if he could build everything by himself, the timeframe made no sense. Argus took years of thousands of people (at least) working together to get to where they were. That and the backing of both Atlas and Mistral. This place - Domremy, she reminded herself - had one man's Semblance and nothing else. It sounded too unbelievable to be true, but here they were.
Argus was a trading port. While they had luxuries like movie theaters and even a spa, it was still nothing in comparison to what real kingdoms had. Domremy was different. While a decent chunk of the city was taken up by essential systems such as farmland and the like, another part of town seemed to be built just for entertainment. Bars, theaters, hot springs, various restaurants, and even an arena.
That last one in particular drew her attention. Argus had an arena, but until recently, it was a small place where some of the local youths trained for the tournament circuit. It was only within the past couple of years that the government decided to put some funding in to expand it.
After all, the hometown of the Invincible Girl attracted many young hopefuls hoping to be the next champion of the circuit. They even put her photo up on a banner...
"OH...MY...GODS!" Nora screamed, jolting her out of her negative thoughts. Pyrrha looked to where the other redhead was pointing and blinked at the sight of a crowd gathering in front of a stage that had a table full of people and...pancakes? Pyrrha rubbed her eyes to make sure. Yep, there were plates upon plates stacked with pancakes as tall as she was - and she was not short by any means. Nora looked up and drooled shamelessly at the sight.
"Oh, that's a pancake-eating contest," Jaune said casually. Nora was hyperventilating now. Even Ren looked somewhat worried, "We have contests like these from time to time. Gives people a chance to unwind with something silly." He looked at Nora and blinked at her borderline unhinged expression, "Uh...do you wanna join-"
"YES!" Nora didn't even wait for him to finish before she practically charged onto the stage. The host looked confused before he spotted Jaune in the crowd, who gave the older man a nod. That was all the host needed to announce Nora as a last-minute contender. The crowd didn't much care. One more person they could see try to stuff themselves with food. The team and Jaune all looked at one another before they sat down on some of the spare chairs.
The rules were simple enough. Eat as much as you can. No pausing for more than ten seconds or you were out. So on and so forth. The thing that really grabbed her attention was the prizes. Ten thousand lien for first place, five thousand for second place, and two thousand five hundred for third. It wasn't much - about on par with some of the amateur tournaments she'd been in - but for a pancake-eating contest? That was a pretty penny. Their weekly Beacon stipend was about a hundred lien a week. Just enough to buy Dust and parts for other repairs.
Jaune was sat to her right with Ciel to her left. Her partner had actually stopped taking notes while Jaune just looked on with a somewhat bored expression, "I've seen it before," Jaune said as an explanation, "It was cool at first, but one guy always wins."
He pointed to the guy sitting at the center of the long table. He was fat. That wasn't her being mocking, she was merely stating a fact. He looked like he took up three chairs all by himself. He had curly red hair that ended in thick sideburns along with equally thick eyebrows. Pyrrha wasn't one to shame people for their appearance - she knew that it mattered more what was on the inside - but something about him made her frown. The term Fat Bastard suddenly came unbidden before she could stop herself. That was so mean of her.
"BEGIN!"
Watching the contest was both impressive and grotesque. Pyrrha had fought everyone from peers her age to adults, many of whom had brutal fighting styles. And yet all of it paled in comparison to the sight in front of her now. Watching men and women of various ages gorging themselves on pancakes like their lives depended on it. The utensils were left forgotten as people used their hands to stuff themselves full of syrup-covered wheat.
Nora wasn't any different. She grabbed pancakes by the fistfuls and ate and ate and ate. Pyrrha felt somewhat sick watching it. Her diet had been strictly regulated by her trainer to ensure maximum gain. Even after going to Beacon, she still preferred to pace herself. Aura and the average student's required training regiment meant that they burned through most of the calories they ate regardless, but she still preferred to err on the side of caution. Nora was the opposite.
Sadly for her, even she couldn't hope to match the reigning champion. As everyone else tapped out or passed out, Nora and the rotund man were left, and it was clear Nora was flagging. Her hands were shaking and her eating slowed. Meanwhile, her opponent continued to eat at the same fast rate as before with no signs that he was stopping. Heck, he was even eating from the other contestant's plates! Pyrrha covered her mouth and swallowed down her bile.
"I...I can't..." Nora stopped, looking at the next towering pile she was given after she just finished the last one, "This...is impossible...! I'm...queen of the castle...!"
"Not in this castle!" The large man said in an indecipherable accent, spewing chunks of pancake everywhere. Urk, "I'm bigger than ya! I'm higher on the food chain, lassie!" And then, just to rub it in, he grabbed a handful of pancakes from Nora's plate and ate it. Were it any other situation, his legs would've already been broken, but Nora was too stuffed and too weak to protest. Instead, she raised her hand before tipping over to the side, a woman defeated.
"And the winner is...Bob!" The announcer screamed.
The audience clapped politely, though it was clearly only out of obligation. Fat b- er, Bob didn't care in the least and kept on eating even as the announcer congratulated him and put the stack of ten thousand lien next to him.
Nora was utterly inconsolable. She cried and screamed about how she was dethroned and completely ignored the five thousand lien stuffed in her pocket. For her, pride mattered more than money. Ren rubbed circles around her back and whispered soothing words of comfort as Nora wept. It wasn't graceful either. She ugly cried the whole time and she hadn't even bothered to wipe the pancake crumbs and syrup away from her mouth. Not that Ren cared, of course.
"That was...disturbing," Ciel muttered.
"It's all in good fun," Jaune said, though even he sounded unsure, "Gives us something to do with some of our excess grain."
Ciel nodded, "Yes, we all saw your crops." Crops that grew within minutes. She knew people who would (perhaps literally) kill for those, "I assume you stockpile those given the sheer quantity."
"Yep. We also try to give out the excess to any villages that need it." Ciel noted that down, "Not everyone is willing to leave their village and go here, which I totally get. They set themselves up there and worked really hard to get where they are. It's unreasonable to tell them to pack up and move. So I - we - try to help where we can."
"That's very generous of you." It was a kind gesture...and a sadly rare one. She'd done promotional work for a fair share of charities, but the cynic in here couldn't help but wonder how much of the donations actually went into helping those in need versus the various 'fees' of the charities themselves.
"Not a big deal. They're there and we can help them." Jaune shrugged, "Anywhere else you guys wanna go to?'
"Well, I was actually interested in the arena we passed by earlier. Do you all mind if we go there next?" Pyrrha asked. Everyone agreed; even Nora who was still warbling about how 'horrific loss', "I'd be interested to see the fighting skills of this city's miltia."
"I doubt they can match up to a Huntress-in-training, but sure. I'm sure everyone's gonna be excited to see what a future Huntress can do!" Future Huntress. Not the 'Invincible Girl' or 'Mistral Regional Tournament Champion'. Pyrrha found herself smiling at that. That was the whole reason she came to Beacon. She wanted to be more than a face on a billboard.
The fights in the arena were, sadly, rather mundane. While it was to be expected - she was dealing with militia members and local youths - it was somewhat disappointing. She felt the same at Beacon. While the students put up decent fights, rare was the enemy that required her to even use her Semblance. So far the only one that required it was Yang, and even that was only on their first bout. After that, she'd gotten wise to the blonde pugilist's tells.
As Pyrrha defeated her last opponent, she briefly wondered if it was all going to be a disappointment when Jaune suddenly came up to her, "Why don't you fight one of my knights?"
"I'm sorry, your...knights?"
"They're not actually knights. They're golems, like the ones you guys saw near the entrance. I made a bunch of 'em and testing them against a future Huntress could really help me gauge how far they're coming along."
"Hm, I don't see why not. I just hope you don't mind any damages."
"Ha, nah. Go nuts."
Pyrrha took her place on the right side of the arena and watched as an ornate suit of white and red armor strode to the other side. It was finely made, easily surpassing some of the decorative suits she'd seen in some of the high-class abodes she'd been (forced to) visit. It was a fine piece of craftsmanship and she almost felt bad at the idea of trashing it.
Her guilt lasted until it suddenly charged towards her with surprising speed. Pyrrha blocked the blow and gasped in slight surprise as the force of it actually pushed her backward before she could brace herself. The knight continued the assault, slashing at her with an unexpected ferocity. Unlike her previous opponents, there were no tells and obvious signs, at least as far as she could see so far.
Her heart beat faster and she smiled.
The fight lasted for a couple of minutes. It was...thrilling. Possibly due to its nature, the golem moved with inhuman speed and almost matched her blow for blow. She was still faster, of course, but the knight didn't have to worry about accumulated damage. The knight's armored frame was easily strong enough to take the impacts of her blows without her having to hold back. She even found herself using her Semblance to pull back some attacks that would've gone past her defense.
By the end of it, she was victorious and the knight lay in pieces across the dirt. The crowd cheered, and for some reason, she found herself beaming when she saw Jaune among them, "Congrats!" Jaune said as he ran up to her. The thought that she was reeking of sweat suddenly came to her and she took a subtle step away, "You're the first person I've seen who's ever beaten one of my knights!"
"Thank you," Pyrrha demured. She was used to praise, but she found herself smiling genuinely regardless, "It was a fruitful challenge. I'm sorry for wrecking one of your best golems."
"Nah, I told you that you could go nuts. Besides, that was just a scout."
...
"A what?" Pyrrha asked.
"A scout. You know, the ones you send to see how bad a place is. That's why it was so small." That was small? "I've got other units and they're the ones who do the bulk of the fighting."
"Such as?"
"Well...the warriors, the vanguards, the tanks. Different knights for different roles." Back at the stand, Ciel was tapping on her scroll so fast it was a miracle it didn't catch fire, "Using anything besides a scout on a tournament just didn't seem fair so I never put them out."
"...Jaune?"
"Yes."
"Let me fight a warrior."
"Huh? But-"
She grabbed his shoulders with both hands firmly, suddenly not caring about any sort of embarrassment, "Let me fight a warrior. Please."
"Uh...okay? Sure."
Jaune looked confused but complied anyway. Pyrrha was practically vibrating as she took her place on the right side of the arena again. A scout. The golem had given her a challenge and it was just a scout. How much stronger would the other knights be, then? Her heart beat rapidly, a rush of excitement that she hadn't felt in a long time coming to the surface. By the time she was fifteen, fighting in the tournaments felt more like an obligation than something she did for the thrill of the sport.
The feeling of excitement was intoxicating.
It only got better when she saw her opponent. Another knight. this one colored black and blue, took up the opponent's side. It was easily twice her height with a sword that could easily cleave her in two if she got careless. Her mouth split into an open-toothed grin and she got into a battle position.
With a joyous laugh, she charged the knight and jumped in the air.
Back at the castle, Team RWBY lay sprawled out in front of the castle's gate. All of them - even that traitor Blake - had enough sense to not want to fight and wreck Jaune's place and make him mad. Then when they kicked Blake's butt (okay, not really since she still had like half her Aura next), Ruby rounded on Weiss and got mad at her for trying to steal her soulmate. Then Yang butted in and suddenly they were all fighting till they were all on a heap on the grass.
Okay, all of them still had half their Auras, but it was the principle of the thing.
"Alright, new rule," Yang said as she sat up, "No more sabotaging each other or pulling blackmail shit." She looked right at Blake and Weiss as she said it. Both her partner and Blake refused to look at her, "We all like Jaune, some of us for better reasons than others, but that's no reason to tear each other's throats out."
"We wouldn't need that rule if you guys just butt out. He's my soulmate." Ruby crossed her arms and harrumphed.
"Soulmate? Ruby, you met the guy literally yesterday. I'm all for dating him, but I'm not gonna act like he's the love of my life or anything."
"Exactly!" Ruby slapped both hands on the ground, "To you, he's just another guy! You can find someone else to date once we're back in Vale! And both Blake and Weiss just wanna use him!" The two protested, but Ruby ignored them, "So really, you three should just let me and Jaune be happy!" Why didn't they understand? She and Jaune were practically made for each other! They had so much in common and he'd already touched her baby in a way no one else, not even her family, did.
"Ruby, stop being a child!" Weiss scowled, "Jaune's abilities are a gift, one that should be used for more than just improving your weapon. Didn't you become a Huntress because you wished to be a hero? You should be helping me! My plan will help improve the lives of hundreds of thousands, if not millions, across Remnant."
"You're already the heiress, you can change things around with Jaune's help," Blake said, "But the Faunus don't have that privilege. We need Jaune if we're going to have any sort of hope of being more than second-class citizens."
"Alright, we're just going around in fucking circles." Yang sighed, "Alright, something else we need to talk about."
"Like what?" Weiss scoffed.
"Like those Grimm that showed up earlier." The reminder of the horde made them quiet. As mad as Ruby was with them for trying to steal her soulmate, they were still her friends and she was still a Huntress(in training). This was just as important as getting together with the love of her life, "Cause that shit definitely wasn't normal, right?"
"Definitely not." Weiss shook her and stood with the rest of them doing the same, "While Grimm are known to work together when hounding a victim, they hardly do so in the wilds. It takes an alpha beowolf to do so to its lesser compatriots when they're not all summoned by mass negative feelings."
"Jaune didn't look like he was suffering from negative feelings when we found him, but those Grimm were definitely beelining for him."
"Are you saying the Grimm were targeting Jaune?" Ruby asked. The thought of it made her gut churn with worry, "I know Professor Oobleck said that the Grimm get smarter when they get older, but this feels...different."
"Jaune said that this wasn't the first time either." Yang hummed, putting her hands behind her head, "So this happened a buncha times already and it'll probably happen again. No way there's that many old Grimm hanging around here."
"Grimm care for only one thing: destruction. Perhaps Jaune's constant and rapid building has somehow drawn their attention due to that innate desire?"
"Maybe, but they attacked Jaune when he was out of town. Why wouldn't they try to attack the city itself? No, it's almost like they were waiting for him specifically."
"But how the heck would the Grimm know Jaune was the one who built everything? They don't make plans!" It was one of the reasons classes on fighting Grimm were different from fighting people. The Grimm didn't plan and they didn't care about tactics. Sure, some of the older Grimm knew how to be patient, but they were still all about killing as many people as possible. Why target one guy far away from the town instead of trying to ram the walls and get at the people inside?
"We don't know, and that's worrying." Weiss sighed, "I think we should tell the headmaster about this. He might know what's going on."
"We should, but I doubt he'll tell us anything we don't already know. Like is he gonna say someone's actually commanding the Grimm or something?"
"Don't be dumb, Yang." Ruby rolled her eyes. Everyone knew that the Grimm couldn't be controlled. That was like trying to lead a hurricane. There were horror movies about big stupid corporations trying to do it and they always got their faces eaten. It was one of the few times she rooted from the Grimm. Stupid Meyland-Antani.
"Hey, I'm just spitballing here!"
"Either way, we should be on alert."
They all nodded at one another, hostility (temporarily) forgotten. Ruby was a Huntress and Grimm organizing like this was something that needed to be stopped.
This place was fucking weird.
That was the thought that ran through Qrow's head as he transformed back to a human behind a building out of sight. Oz told him to shadow the kids and make sure that they weren't just talkin' out their ass about some sort of miracle kingdom that popped out of fucking nowhere.
Well, they definitely weren't. This place was real as real could be, "Shit..." He took a swig of his flask and watched the townies walking around. The cynic inside told him that it was all too good to be true. That under all those happy smiles and skipping kiddos was a layer of rot. Maybe that made him seem like a prick. but instincts were instincts and that was how he'd lasted so long in this line of work. You needed to see what people were hiding.
He had to admit, though, this place was damn convincing. Put some of the poorer districts in Vale to shame. The living costs in the kingdoms were high since it was the only guaranteed safety in Remnant. That meant a buncha people bled themselves dry paying for a cardboard box underneath an overpass. It sucked, but at least they knew that no matter how miserable they were, the Grimm weren't gonna be mulching on their guts tomorrow.
This place didn't have that. There was no place where the dregs and burnouts were, and he looked. People had roofs over their heads and everyone worked or spent their money in the entertainment district. It was...perfect. Too perfect. This was the kind of place the kingdoms made themselves look in all the commercials. Happy citizens where everyone got what they wanted and worked hard for the betterment of the community. It was damn creepy.
Raven would've loved a place like this. Not to stay and work hard, of course not. All she'd see was a fat big for her and the rest of their 'tribe' of parasites to feast on.
Shaking his head, he walked around aimlessly and stopped when he saw a sign for a bar. Well, it'd been a while since he had a drink. A proper drink, not swigs from his flask that he mostly spat out anyway. Place looked high class too. He usually went to dive bars, though that was mostly out of necessity. Villages didn't exactly have a lot in the way of luxuries. Alcohol outside the walls was meant to be quick and cheap. It made you forget your problems and come back for more. Well, he could afford it. Being the best Huntsman in Vale, and Ozpin's personal agent, paid pretty well. And unlike Jacques Schnee, he didn't spend it on mansions he never even stayed in.
Qrow stepped through the double doors and breathed in deep. Place looked like a saloon, but it was too clean to be a real one. The people didn't look up from their drinks or pay him any sort of mind. Huh, usually the weapon would draw attention. Well, whatever. Qrow walked up to the counter and took an empty seat. The bartender, a guy in a suit polishing a glass, grunted at him.
"What'll ya have?"
"Strongest and most expensive thing ya got. Feel like spoiling myself."
"Tough guy, huh? Fine. two hundred fifty lien."
Qrow slapped the lien card on the table and the bartender came back with...a bottle of beer? Qrow scowled at the guy, "This a joke? Two hundred fifty lien for a glass of beer?" He liked beer, but that was cause it was cheap.
"Our grain's top shelf. Trust me. You'll be out before you even finish that."
"Really?" Qrow drawled.
"You don't like it, you can check at the other bars."
"Ah, fuck it. Fine." Qrow grabbed the bottle and took a swig. He better get his money's wo-
...
...
...
Qrow's eyes opened to the worst headache he'd ever had, "Ugh..." He moaned. Oh Gods, his head felt like it was being drilled open! What the fuck? He looked around blearily and saw that not only were all the customers the same, but it was still light out. How...How long was he out? Fuck. He lay back down on the ground. One swig. He'd take one fucking swig and went out worse than the time Yang thought she was big enough to drink from his flask when she was fifteen.
"Arf."
He turned his head to the side and saw Zwei looking down at him in disapproval. He was also wearing a fedora for some reason, "Oh, don't you start." He scoffed at the judgemental corgi, "You've been going missing for days at a time, you don't get to go 'tut tut' at me, you little bastard." Zwei was a Huntsman-grade pet, unlocked Aura and everything. Breeds like them were pretty independent and it wasn't rare for Zwei to go wandering off for days ever since Yang and Ruby left for Beacon. Tai wasn't worried. He always came back eventually.
Well, now he knew where he went.
"So this is where you've been, huh?" He rubbed the corgi's back weakly, "Tell you what, you don't tell anyone what I've been doing and I don't look too close at what you're doing here. Sound like a deal?"
"Arf!"
"Yeah, suddenly you don't care when your ass is on the line." Qrow rolled his eyes and winced. Okay, no, calm down on the eye-rolling. He got up and sat back down on his seat. His bottle was still there, "...How long was I out?" he asked the bartender.
"Ten minutes. I trust you were satisfied with your drink, sir?" Qrow wanted to wipe that smug fucking smile off his face, "We sell remedies if you're interested. Only one hundred lien. Back to tip-top shape or your money back."
"Sell the poison and the cure, huh?"
"Is it poison if people seek it out?"
"Whatever. Gimme that remedy then."
He was handed a small cup of something that smelled like a pig's asshole. Sighing deeply, Qrow chugged it down and- what the fuck? He looked around and shook his head. A few seconds ago, that would've had him reeling. Now he felt stone-cold sober.
...
"Gimme another drink, something less strong this time, and get one of those remedy things ready."
"As you wish, sir."
Pyrrha panted as she fell to one knee, sweat falling down her body in rivulets. Her Aura had been broken for the first time since...she couldn't even remember. Across from her, the knight lay still with its head missing. The aftereffect of her last desperate attack, using her Semblance to amplify her javelin and throwing it straight through the helmet with enough force to utterly destroy it. For anyone else, that would've been the end, but the knight kept going and hit her with one last slash that destroyed her Aura.
It wasn't technically a win, but it wasn't a whole loss either. In any other situation, it would've guaranteed her victory, but she wasn't fighting a Human or a Faunus. Still, Pyrrha held no shame in the tie. She took its head, it took her aura. She was satisfied with it.
"Pyrrha, that was amazing!" Jaune and the rest of Team PNCR helped her walk and hobble to the stands. The people were still cheering and she heard a few whispers about how they recognized her. She didn't care. She was too satisfied with the fight to let it bog her down.
"Yeah, that was awesome!" Nora cheered, her depression forgotten. Ren nodded while Ciel handed her a towel to wipe the sweat off.
"Here, drink this." Jaune pulled out what looked like a potion and handed it to her. She drank it without any hesitation and suddenly felt revitalized, all exhaustion forgotten.
"What was that?"
"Just an energy potion," he said that far too casually. Ciel took down another note, "Anyway, you guys said that you wanted to check with Team RWBY, right? Ruby should be awake by now, so do you guys wanna head up."
"Of course. Lead the way, Jaune."
They followed after Jaune as he led them up to the castle. She'd seen it before they landed, and she figured Jaune owned it, but it was still a bit of a shock, Pyrrha had a decent nest egg from her tournament winnings and other media appearances, but her family strictly kept themselves to above middle-class. Mom and Dad didn't much care for extreme luxuries. Better to have money saved than spent on useless things, as Dad always said.
Team RWBY was sitting in the living room when they arrived. Weiss' eyes widened when they saw them, "P-Pyrrha? What are you doing here?"
"The Headmaster sent us to check up on things," Pyrrha replied with a slightly forced smile. She didn't dislike Weiss, but she still remembered how the heiress tried to cozy up to her due to her reputation. First impressions were hard to break.
"Does he not trust us?" Blake's eyes narrowed.
"He simply wanted a second pair of eyes. The report your team sent sounded rather...fantastical," Ciel said.
"Fantastical, was it?" A new voice asked. Nora shrieked in surprise as a purple and cyan cat creature suddenly appeared on the table, "New visitors! So many coming in recent days! Does anyone want to talk about their life stories? I'm always willing to listen!"
"How long have you been here?!" Yang screamed.
"That is the question, isn't it?" It hopped off the table and landed on Ciel's shoulder. Amazingly, her partner didn't seem to care in the least, "Would you like to talk, beret-wearing person? You seem like someone who's going to be notable!"
"Curious! We talked about personal space!" Jaune scolded.
"Oh, I don't mind. I am willing to answer any questions this creature has in exchange for questions of my own being answered. Does that sound fair?"
"More than fair!" The cat purred.
"Excellent. Oh, before I go." Ciel pulled out her scroll and tapped the screen, "The headmaster informed me that he wished to talk with you, Mr. Arc."
"What does the headmaster want with him?" Weiss asked.
"That is between the two of them."
Ciel handed Jaune the scroll before leaving, the cat chatting away the entire time. Pyrrha and everyone else crowded around Jaune and waited for the headmaster's face to show up on the video call, "Ah, Mr. Arc. Good afternoon to Teams RWBY and PNCR as well. I was hoping to talk with you."
"What about?" Jaune asked.
"Well, that is-"
"Forgive my rudeness, headmaster, but we must tell you something first," Weiss said. The rest of Team RWBY suddenly looked troubled, "We've encountered something that I believe requires your immediate attention."
"Okay. What is, Ms. Schnee?"
Pyrrha listened as Weiss told the headmaster about a horde of Grimm. Hordes were somewhat rare but not exactly unheard of outside the walls, but this was different. As Weiss gave explicit details on the types and number of Grimm they encountered, she saw the headmaster's brow furrow in worry even as Jaune claimed that it was hardly something to worry about and they were easily dispatched the last six times they tried something.
Her fists clenched in worry at the thought of Jaune being attacked.
"Hm...this changes some things." The headmaster steepled his hands together, "Mr. Arc, I was hoping to have a proper conversation with you, and this only exacerbates that need. Might I request your presence at Beacon? I understand that this is sudden, but Grimm activity such as this is more than a little worrying.
"Alright, I don't mind. It'll give me a chance to use one of the new ships I made too." The headmaster looked utterly gobsmacked at the casual declaration, "Guess we'll see you there."
"Indeed. I look forward to our first meeting, Mr. Arc."
Beacon, here we come! I'm sure things will be totally fine once they get there
Anyway, we've had Pyrrha get some focus and see here more excitable Battle Junkie state. It's a bit more fun than 'I'm lonely cause I'm so famous (even though no one treats me that way onscreen)'. She also seems to get along with Jaune and isn't quick to fall in love with him. Kinda ironic given canon.Anyway, that's it. See you guys next time.
Wanna help support me (and gain access to chapters a couple of week early)? Then check out the link below:
Patreon.com/Vendetta543
Questions:
1. Do you guys think Ironwood would lean towards being a villain in his desire to control Jaune's Semblance or remain on the heroic end? The commissioner suggested the latter, but I'm curious regardless since whoever controls Jaune's Semblance esentially has the capacity to be the biggest superpower on Remnant.
2. Does Cinder seem like the type to seduce? Fanon seems to think so, but her personality in canon doesn't seem to have a lot of charisma outside of desperate street urchins like Emerald. I wonder if she'd try to charm Jaune or just immediately go to threats.
3. Okay, I have to ask, but what is with people in reviews shipping Ciel and Penny with Jaune? Not only are they not mentioned as part of the pairings, but why those two? Penny I can kinda get cause 'she's a robot and he's a builder', but why Ciel? Her entire character is being Penny's throwaway partner, and she disappears after V3.
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Chapter 6 - Opening Pandora's Box
eratas123
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Hey! Sorry this took a bit. Birthday and real life stuff. Anyway, here's chapter 6. We're finally in Vale and Jaune's already starting to make waves. Now the faction warfare can begin. Mwehehe.
Note - Writing the Jaune x Weiss maledom next. Hope you guys enjoy
For anyone interested in making a commission, email me at: storylover543@gmail.com
Chapter 6: Opening Pandora's Box
So this was him.
Ozpin steepled his hands together and looked at the young man seated across from him. Jaune Arc. He'd seen him before during their brief video conversation, but it still astounded him to confirm that the one responsible for Domremy's meteoric rise was this young man who looked no older than a first-year student. Had he not seen the pictures and heard Qrow's (oddly sober) testimony, he might not have believed it. He'd been in this world longer than any one man should, and yet he'd never seen that sort of ability. S
Semblances were a mixed bag, of course. Some, like Miss. Scarlatina, could build their entire fighting styles around them. Others, like Qrow's or James', could be active detriments. He'd seen his fair share of non-combat Semblances as well along with ones so powerful (Glynda's Telekinesis came to mind) that the layman from centuries back might've considered them magic.
And yet even still he found himself wondering if this was some sort of trick or con because not even Glynda could hope to make even a fraction of what Jaune Arc had.
"It's a pleasure to meet you, Mr. Arc." Ozpin's lips curled up in his telltale smile. He'd chosen to meet with him alone in the office. Team RWBY had (rather fervently) insisted that they should be present, but he shut them down. He had no idea what had happened in Domremy in the past couple of days to make them so attached to the young man, but right now, that wasn't his problem. He had more important things to worry about than teenage hormones.
"Uh, same!" Jaune laughed somewhat awkwardly and rubbed the back of his head, "Gotta admit, I wasn't expecting to get a call from the headmaster of Beacon today.
"And what were you expecting today, if I might ask?"
"Oh, you know, going out mining and seeing what else I could build." He shrugged and leaned back in his seat, "Not that I really need to worry about it. Home's at a pretty good place right now and we don't really need any more space, at least for now."
Yes, his home. Domremy, the village-turned-kingdom. No one else on the council was aware of its existence just yet, but it would only be a matter of time. It was a miracle in and of itself that he hadn't been exposed yet. He hadn't exactly done anything to keep a low profile. Ozpin himself had been too busy with...recent events to pay attention to things happening outside the walls. His focus was turned inward. Sending Team RWBY to investigate the 'village' had been done mostly to ensure there wouldn't be a repeat of the incident at the docks. Or the incident on the highway. Or the disastrous food fight that they were still paying repairs for.
Oh, the things he looked the other way for to cultivate new agents.
"That's actually what I wished to discuss." Besides the Grimm, of course. Ozpin was no fool. While Jaune Arc had slipped by him, he hadn't done so for Salem. Much as he disliked the idea, he knew that it could be leverage, "Your Semblance is...miraculous." And that was putting it mildly. He'd seen actual miracles that paled in comparison to what he'd done. The closest equivalent was eons ago, back when Man still had the gift of magic and what would be considered fairy tales were just another fact of life.
"That's what everyone says." Jaune shrugged, "Honestly, I felt kind of like an idiot for a while. I got my Semblance after I started punching trees. I was really mad 'cause...well, doesn't matter." He shook his head, "The next day I just had the sudden urge to build stuff. Before I knew it, I'd built a whole new second vineyard for the family. Dad looked like he was gonna pass out."
"That would be the normal reaction by anyone, I believe." Ozpin chuckled, "I assume that's what everyone in town acted like, really. A young man performing miracles out in the open would astound anyone." He still remembered when he and Salem had used their magic to gain the awe of the masses. Oh, how foolish and shortsighted he was back then. He'd assumed that things would be better if everyone and everything was under their control. That everything would be fine if they and they alone were solely responsible for everything.
"Heh, yeah..." Jaune shifted slightly, "So...why'd you call me here? You said it was about the Grimm?"
"Indeed." Ozpin nodded. A part of him wanted to tell the young man everything - about Salem, about the Brothers, about the war - but he held back. No need to reveal things unnecessarily, "I believe that you and your village may be in danger. Not everyone is aware of this, but if a Grimm survives long enough, they gain...well, life isn't the proper term for it. Perhaps animal intelligence? The average Grimm will attack any Human or Faunus it sees regardless of the odds. Older Grimm are willing to be patient.
"So...you're thinking that the Grimm who attacked me are some of the smart ones?" Jaune asked, "But I've been getting attacked for a while. I doubt there's that many intelligent Grimm that are just hanging around near Domremy."
"Perhaps not directly, no, but ancient Grimm could send other Grimm in their stead." A half-truth. Grimm such as Wyverns and Leviathans did attract Grimm like a Siren, but they wouldn't hang back out of sight. While older Grimm were willing to be patient, that was all for the end goal of causing as much destruction as possible. Once the attack started, their instincts wouldn't allow them to not involve themselves in the slaughter.
"Huh." Jaune put a hand on his chin, "Wonder why they're after me, though. I've had Grimm attack me like a dozen times now."
Ozpin's brows raised. A dozen? A not-unexpected number, but it still gave him pause. Salem was many things, but most of all, she was persistent. Clearly, she considered Jaune Arc a threat. Enough of a threat that she continued to attack him despite numerous failures. Despite her gifts and curses, she did have her limitations. Commanding an army of Grimm from her place in Evernight wasn't feasible or else she would've wiped them all out by now. But commanding groups of Grimm using seers as makeshift communications devices? Yes, that was well within her purview.
The fact that Salem had taken an interest in Jaune Arc and that he'd repelled her advances only exacerbated the young man's value.
"Let's get down to brass tacks then." Ozpin leaned forward slightly, "I believe that we can come to a mutual benefit here, Mr. Arc. Your skills place you in high demand, and it's clear that the Grimm personally consider you a threat. Perhaps they see your kingdom's rapid growth as something that goes against their destructive instincts." Not wholly true, but believable enough from a certain point of view, "Perhaps we can come to an arrangement here. I could have Huntsmen assigned to your town on a permanent basis to ensure the safety of yourself and everyone else who resides there. In exchange, you do some work for me. Does that sound agreeable?"
"Wow, that's really nice and everything, but...I'll have to say no." Jaune shook his head. Ozpin's smile faltered for a moment before returning, "I'm not sure what Team RWBY told you, but I've been dealing with the Grimm for a while now. The Knights I made are handling them pretty well. Plus the other defenses too." He smiled proudly at that, "That and I wouldn't want to take up the time of Huntsmen who could be doing something besides waiting around. There's never enough Huntsmen, right? They could be doing something way better."
"You're saying they would be redundant?"
"Well...kinda?" He shrugged guiltily, "My Knights aren't as smart or flexible as Huntsmen, but when it comes to defending places and killing Grimm? They're really great. I never go too far from Domremy, so a Huntsman would just be overkill. Besides, I don't think it'd be fair if I got special treatment. If Domremy needs a Huntsman, we could post a contract on the board like everyone else does."
"I see." He couldn't tell if the young man was being humble or arrogant dismissing his offer out of hand. Oh well, he had other avenues to explore, "Something else then? Perhaps a trade agreement and payment for services rendered? Vale's coffers may not be as deep as Atlas' or Mistral's, but we can be very generous. The Council were pinch purses at the best of times, but he was sure he could convince them otherwise."
"I don't really need money, though." He shook his head again, "Domremy's pretty self-sufficient after everything, and money isn't really something I worry about. Mom and Dad had me sell some stuff in Mistral a few months back and we've been sitting on a pretty good nest egg right now." Mistral? Oh, if they only knew the golden goose they were dealing with, "Most of what I really need are materials, but they're not...here. On Remnant, I mean. Unless you've got some enchanted books and mother tree bark?" He looked hopeful.
"Ah...no, I'm afraid not."
"Yeah, I figured." Jaune sighed, "Gathering those is a pain, especially since I promised Ruby I'd give her Infinity for Crescent Rose. That damn raccoon always asks for the most insane stuff."
He didn't elaborate, but Ozpin picked up enough from the context clues. Infinity...he was offering Ms. Rose unlimited bullets - unlimited Dust - and treated it as more of an annoyance than an impossibility. Not for the first time that day, Ozpin wondered whether it truly was a Semblance or something more than that. And yet even magic had its limitations. He certainly couldn't break the rule of energy neither being created nor destroyed. Only the Brothers could do that.
The implications did not sit well with him.
"Let us dispense with material offers then," Ozpin said, "I can offer you something equally valuable: connections." Jaune's brows furrowed, Ozpin continued, "Domremy has gone from a village to a kingdom in a matter of months. That puts you in a rather precarious state, Mr. Arc. Neighboring kingdoms, or perhaps even Vale itself, might consider your home a threat."
"So what are you saying?" Jaune crossed his arms.
"I'm not sure if you're aware, but I'm not just the headmaster of Beacon. I'm also a member of the Valean Council. With my endorsement, I can ensure that Domremy is...taken under Vale's wings, so to speak."
"Just tell me what you mean."
"Being under Vale's protection ensures that the other kingdoms will see Domremy as a part of us. Your home's position would be far stronger and more secure." He pressed his fingers together, "This was before your time, but a couple of decades back, Vale had attempted to expand into Mt. Glenn. It ended in tragedy." One that still weighed on him even today, "But perhaps things could be different now. Domremy could represent a hope not just for those within its walls, but also for Vale as a whole."
"Hm...and in exchange, you want me to work for you?"
"For certain tasks that require your unique abilities, yes." Ozpin nodded, "What do you say, Mr. Arc?"
"Well...it kinda sounds like you want to take over Domremy even though Vale didn't do anything to build it to what it is now."
Ozpin blinked at the young man's sudden acidic tone. Jaune didn't scream or scowl, but the venom in his voice was clear as day, "That's not what I meant."
"Sure sounds like it." Jaune shrugged, "You're saying that Domremy'll be part of Vale even though they didn't do anything to help us build. We - I - worked really hard to turn Domremy into what it is, so why should Vale get to come in and say we're part of them now? I'm not asking Vale to be part of Domremy either, right?"
"This is not Vale taking over. This is mutual cooperation."
"Didn't sound like it from what you said." Jaune shook his head, "Outside the walls...we didn't have the kingdom and its big tech to rely on. We made do with what we had. A bunch of us really would've loved to have the kingdom's help, but we didn't get it. I know I did a large part of the work, but Domremy isn't what it is now only because of me. There are people there who are working hard and helping out as much as they can, so they deserve to be there. Vale doesn't."
"Mr. Arc-"
"Maybe you think I'm just some dumb kid from the country, but I'm not that stupid. Dad warned me that people are going to try and take advantage. Maybe I would've accepted the offer before when I was still trying to build things, but not anymore. You can't just...look at something someone worked hard on and say you own a part of it!" He threw his hands up, "And you're asking me to do work for you so Vale can take over! That's like...asking your partner to do you a favor so you'll put your name on the project he did by himself! How's that fair?"
Ozpin found himself caught flat-footed at the passion in Jaune's voice. He'd seen numerous craftsmen in his life, and many of them took personal pride in their work - sometimes to the point of hubris. As a craftsman, Jaune made them all seem like kids making sandcastles by comparison. Perhaps he shouldn't have been shocked that the young man had such fervor when it came to his home. It was his greatest creation, and in his eyes, Ozpin and all of Vale were circling vultures.
Before he could think of another argument to turn things around, Jaune suddenly stood, "Look, if that's the only reason you wanted me to come here, then I'm leaving. If you actually want 'mutual cooperation', then you'll talk to the rest of the people in town too."
Jaune had turned and took only a couple of steps before Ozpin stood as well, "Mr. Arc. Wait." He expected the young man to ignore his call, but he stopped and looked back with a doubtful look on his face, "We've gotten off on the wrong foot. While it wasn't my intention to take over your work, I can understand why my offer isn't that tempting to you." Ozpin took a deep breath, "Perhaps you would be more amenable to something else then: a plea for help."
"Help? With what?" Jaune turned to meet his gaze, still suspicious.
"That is...a long story, one that you might want to be sitting down for." He gestured to the chair.
"...Fine, but I'm not gonna be taken advantage of." He sat back down.
"Yes. I suppose I'll have to be honest if I wish to gain your aid." Ozpin sat down as well and looked Jaune in the eyes, "Tell me, Jaune. What's your favorite fairy tale?"
Cardin Winchester was someone who was used to being at the top. It came with the territory, really. He was the only son of Councilman Wardes Winchester, which was a long and respected line. Their family fought in the Great War, the Faunus 'Revolution', and they were one of the first to sign up to be Huntsmen. It wasn't perfect - damn Animals won their little war - but it was still an illustrious history. One that he was living up to by attending Beacon.
Being here wasn't as great as he thought, though. His teammates were cool, though he wouldn't have said no to a few more women on the team. The other students weren't great either. Being a Huntsman meant being the best of the best. They were the guys who kicked ass, killed Grimm, and everyone respected them. They were the only reason the Grimm hadn't battered down the walls. The civvies looked up to them for it, as they should.
Still, even if Beacon wasn't as good as it could've been, it was alright. Better than anywhere else, at least. Just about everyone knew who his dad was, and while he wasn't a sniveling brat who cried for his dad to solve his problems for him, his dad's position and reputation meant no one was willing to fuck with him. No one except that Animal lover Adel and her team, at least. Her family made it big in the fashion industry and it gave her a big head. Whatever. He'd kick her ass in the ring if she didn't have that giant and the blind freak backing her up.
So yeah, Beacon was full of ups and downs. And this day? It was down.
First, Team RWBY and PNCR came back from whatever mission they were sent on. He wasn't ashamed to say he didn't like either group. They just did whatever the hell they wanted and none of the teachers so much as gave them a dirty look. He still remembered that food fight they had a week ago. Anyone else would've been at least suspended, but those two teams? Not even a slap on the wrist. If he pulled something like that, he and the rest of the guys would've had to deal with suspension from Port even with his dad's connections.
He bet it was cause of Nikos and Schnee. Schnee's dad was probably the richest guy on Remnant and Nikos was a big deal cause she won some fights back in Mistral. He didn't see what the big deal was. It wasn't like she won the Vytal Tournament or anything, just some local tournaments. He would've won if he entered local brawls too.
His mood only worsened when he was paired against Belladonna during Combat Class. For some reason, she really didn't like him and made sure to be extra vicious whenever they fought. He halfway expected her to try and claw his damned eyes out. His ribs were still sore from when she literally kicked him when he was down.
And now there was a crowd in front of the cafeteria. Cardin scowled and pushed his way past with his team following, ignoring the stupid gawking looks of everyone gathered. He was tired and hungry, and he didn't give a shit if someone else was having another food fight.
He barely managed a couple of steps inside before he stopped, "What the fuck...?" He looked around the dining room. Beacon wasn't as fancy as Shade, but they still didn't skimp when it came to their facilities. Cardin was used to rich digs, but this? This was insane. Stained glass windows, marble floors, mahogany tables (the good kind, not the cheap shit), and chandeliers that bathed the room in a warm light. There was even a full second floor now. Looked more like a high-class restaurant than a cafeteria.
But all of that was nothing compared to the gods damned fountain at the center. He definitely wasn't imagining it. A marble fountain with a twenty-foot statue of what looked like that teacher's pet Rose on top of it. The statue was struck up in a heroic pose with that stupidly big scythe aimed high at the air. Water that looked like it was sparkling shot out of the vertical tip, cascading down to the ornate pool in a shining curtain. It looked like something you'd give a war hero, not a grade skipper.
"What in the Brothers is this?" Schnee's cut in. Cardin looked back and saw Team RWBY behind them. Xiao Long and Belladonna looked at the statue, wide-eyed like fishes. Rose's face was completely red and she tried to hide in her cloak as if it'd do anything to help.
Schnee was the worst off. Her face was red and she looked like she was about to blow a gasket. She was jealous, that was pretty obvious, though she did her damndest to hide it. Her eyes flicked between the fountain statue and Rose, who was still trying to make herself look even smaller than she already was. Didn't help. People were finally filing in and the first thing they noticed was that marble monstrosity smack dab at the center.
"Oh, hey!" Another guy he didn't recognize walked up to Team RWBY. He was definitely a civilian. It wasn't just because he didn't have a uniform. Cardin could tell by the way he carried himself. Huntsmen had a feel about them that the untrained people didn't have, "You guys made it just in time! Like the new cafeteria?"
"It's delightful, though the statue is somewhat...ostentatious, if you don't mind me saying," Schnee said in a clipped tone.
"Is it? I just wanted to pay Ruby back for the present she gave me." He showed off a crappy rose keychain like it was the greatest thing ever, "I thought you'd like it, Ruby. Do you...not?"
"No! I love it! Super love it!" Rose screamed. Her face was still red, especially since people were looking at her.
"Indeed, why wouldn't you? I would certainly appreciate it if someone gifted me a statue." Wow, Schnee was being green-eyed. The rest of her team could see it too. Xiao Long snickered while Belladonnarolled her eyes. The weirdest one was Rose giving her partner a smug smile even while her cheeks still burned.
"You made all this?" Cardin asked. Team RWBY all turned to look at him like they just noticed he was there, "How the fuck? This place was the same yesterday!" Barely held together cause RWBY and PNCR decided that ruining everyone's day was fun.
"Yep!" The blonde doofus grinned. For some reason, Cardin already knew he didn't like the guy, "I did some work this morning. The headmaster said that the cafeteria got wrecked and he asked if I could help with it. See what I could do, I guess. He really only wanted me to fix things up, but then I figured why not spruce the place up a bit?" Cardin looked at the stained glass windows and the statue again. A bit, "Apparently, someone really trashed the place in a fight and the school was having trouble finding someone to repair it with their budget. Wonder which jerks did that?"
"Ahaha! Yeah, total jerks! No regard for anyone else!" Xiao Long grinned and put an arm around the blonde's shoulder, "Come on, we should check out how great this new place is!"
"Oh, you guys can go on ahead. I'm thinking about heading down to the docks in Vale. Apparently, someone blew that up too? This place sounds really dangerous. What kind of crazy person just blows up a place like that?"
"Maybe they had a very good reason." Belladonna suddenly grabbed his right arm in a vice grip, "But Yang's right, we should go and eat. It'll be our treat." Wasn't the cafeteria food free?
Cardin watched as the four of them dragged the idiot off to a corner table. A call from Dove kept him from staring too long and he sat down on the (cushioned!) seats at one of the tables. His hands traced across the surface and he frowned. It felt better than the table back home.
His eyes flicked over to the guy who supposedly made all this. How, he wondered. Even if he was bullshit levels of rich like Schnee was, there was no way he could get people to do all this in less than a day even if he hired a thousand desperate idiots. No, he made it sound like he did all this by himself. Was that true? He would've called bullshit, but the proof was right there in front of him. Less than a day ago, this place looked like shit, and now...
Cardin's mouth twitched when he saw Xiao Long trying to feed the guy. He might not have liked Team RWBY, but he couldn't deny that most of them were smoking hot. You had to be blind not to see it. Xiao Long had a killer bod that put just about anyone to shame, Belladonna had the best ass in Beacon (seriously, the other guys did a ranking on it), and Schnee looked like a damn princess. Sure, Rose was an annoying runt, but three out of four wasn't bad.
And now they were all crowding over that dork.
He wasn't jealous. Why would he be? He was a Winchester and he was about to turn into a Huntsman. He was way more important than some civilian who wasn't gonna do something important with his life. In just a few days, he was sure that everyone would forget about the guy.
Coco Adel was someone who was used to getting what she wanted. It kind of came with the territory. The Adels might not have been on the scene for long, but they were a force to be reckoned with. Sure, they might not have been as well-connected or rich as the Schnees or Winchesters, but that was cause they still had a little thing called common decency. The family was aggressive, but they didn't have a habit of stomping on people to get what they wanted.
It was one of the reasons why she became a Huntress. She wanted to make her mark in the world without trampling over innocent people. Huntsmen only went after Grimm and the worst kind of scum.
Still, that didn't mean she turned into some kind of humble ascetic. Huntsmen advertised themselves. It was a brand. Sure, you didn't need to look fancy to get contracts from the board, but if you wanted to get the attention of people high up then you had to stand out from the crowd. That was why a lot of Huntsmen had such unique fashion. Coco was no different. She prided herself on her style, both with her clothes and her weapon Gianduja.
But style came at a cost. She made sure to get the latest fashions, but those cost a pretty penny. Not enough for her to be in the red - Mom and Dad taught her how to handle money - but enough that she found herself struggling sometimes even with the money she got from her social media posts. That and Gianduja wasn't cheap. Miniguns were pretty infamous for how fast they could spray downrange and and Coco wasn't exactly shy with her barrages. She knew it'd eat into her wallet when she chose it, but she just couldn't resist. A minigun purse just screamed 'Coco Adel'.
Right now she was heading towards Beacon's firing range. Dust for personal use was expensive, but the school gave them a weekly quota they could burn through if they needed to practice. It was lower-quality Dust, which Coco personally disliked since she always preferred to get the very best, but it was free so she couldn't complain too much.
Coco arrived at the firing range to find it empty save for one person. Tucked away at the corner spot was Ruby Rose. Coco knew who she was, though they hadn't exactly met before. Team RWBY's performance in Initiation earned them a spot in the Beacon's unofficial hall of fame. The same spot Team CFVY had last year when they outperformed everyone in their own Initiation. While Team PNCR was famous because of Pyrrha Nikos, Team RWBY was (in)famous as a whole.
That and it was hard not to know who she was after what happened at the cafeteria yesterday. That statue definitely caught the eye, and nobody missed the fact that it was Ruby. In a school full of downright bizarre fashion senses, she was the only one who wore a cloak. Go figure.
Coco hung back as the younger girl set up her rifle. While she wasn't a weapon fanatic like Velvet was, she could still appreciate a finely designed weapon. The sniper-scythe wasn't something she'd pick for herself, but it definitely went well with Ruby's grim reaper look.
She crossed her arms and watched as the targets popped up and Ruby shot them dead center. It wasn't her performance that got her attention though. It was how much she was firing. Judging by the size of the magazine, she guessed that the thing held ten rounds, maybe fifteen if she was being really generous. Ruby fired thirty times in a row without slowing or reloading, and it was only after that thirtieth trigger pull that she finally took out the spent magazine.
"Nice shots." Coco whistled. The cloaked freshman jumped up with a slight squeak and turned towards her, though she made sure not to flag her with the gun.
"Wha- who are you?"
"Name's Coco. You're Ruby Rose, right?" Coco smiled.
"How do you know that?"
"Statue."
"Ugh, of course, it's the statue." Ruby frowned and her shoulders sagged. Coco was tempted to reach out and pinch her cheek, but she held back. That was what old people did.
"Hey, I'd be flattered. Shows how bad your boyfriend's into you."
"He's not my boyfriend...yet." The 'yet' part seemed to really get to her judging by her deep frown.
"You sure? That guy just builds statues for everyone, does he?" Maybe she could commission one.
"N-No, he doesn't! Only for people he's really close to!" Coco didn't miss the defensiveness and worry in Ruby's tone and had to hold back a chuckle. Oh, she was cute.
"Don't worry, I'm not going after your future boyfriend." She was ninety-nine percent into women. She wasn't discounting the idea of liking a guy, but she found it pretty damn unlikely considering her track record so far, "Actually, I'm interested in something else. Your weapon holds a lot more rounds than it looks."
"Oh! That's 'cause of Jaune!" Ruby beamed proudly. She guessed that Jaune was her not-boyfriend's name, "He set it up so that I can fire three times at the cost of a single bullet! Isn't it awesome?!"
"He can...do that?" Coco raised a brow.
"Yep," Ruby said, popping the P, "Oh, check this out." She turned a dial and inserted a new magazine. Raising the rifle again, she squeezed the trigger, and three bullets shot out in a burst, "I can fire the three-in-one bullets all at once for maximum damage or save it for individual targets. Both cost the same."
"That sounds..." Useful. Brothers only knew how much ammo she expended firing her weapon even for just a few seconds. Tripling her ammo count or rate of fire would be massive. It'd be useful for Velvet too. Her poor Bun-Bun's Anesidora was a technological marvel, but the price of Hard-Light dust was horrific. Letting her have three shots for the price of one could seriously up her effectiveness, "This Jaune guy seems like a catch."
"I know, he's so great." Ruby giggled. Urge to pinch cheek rising! "And that's not the only one! He says he'll find a way to give me Infinity later so I-" Her eyes suddenly widened, "Uh, nevermind! Forget I said anything!"
"Infinity, huh?" Coco hummed, "Why stop now? You've already told me this much."
"It-It's a secret!"
"A secret, huh?" Coco smirked, "Alright...I'll just ask your boyfriend." It wasn't a serious statement. She just wanted to poke fun at her. Besides, she had a good idea on what the reaper meant.
"No, don't! It's supposed to be special between us!" Ruby shook her head, "If I tell you, do you promise not to blab about it to everyone?"
"Scout's honor." Velvet wasn't 'everyone'. And Coco was never a scout.
"Fine." Ruby chewed her lower lip and whispered conspiratorially, "It's infinite ammo!" Well...that was obvious, "Jaune says it takes some rare materials to make, but he's gonna gather them up when he can." She sighed dreamily, "But remember, don't blab about it!"
Coco made a zipping her lips gesture, which seemed to satisfy the younger girl. Ruby folded the scythe across her back and left, leaving Coco alone on the range. Infinite ammo...her mind was already whirring with ideas. Her goal in life was to be the most famous, respected Huntress in all of Remnant. Her weapon and Semblance - the ability to supercharge Dust - made her a monster in a fight, but she couldn't really win battles of attrition.
But if she didn't have to worry about ammo? Oh, she could see that working wonders. Entire hordes of Grimm would've been buzzsawed by Gianduja. And it'd cut down on her spending costs too, so more money for fashion.
Then there was Velvet too. She could already imagine Bun-Bun without being held back by that hideously expensive Dust. She'd never have to second-guess herself and wonder if THIS fight was worth using one of her precious cartridges.
If this Jaune guy was willing to give Ruby unlimited ammo, doing the same for a couple of other Huntresses shouldn't be too hard, right? The Adels had deep pockets and connections. She was sure she could convince him.
Attending council meetings was something Ozpin always considered to be a necessary evil. While he had no regrets in refusing kingship over all of Remnant - he knew more than anyone how flawed that system was - it didn't change the fact that politics was a wholly unpleasant thing to deal with. In an ideal world, people would vote for those who held their best interests and those in power ensured that those who counted on them lived the best lives they could have,
This was not an ideal world.
No, politics was a den of corruption. Backstabbing and bribery were the norm and those in power cared only for keeping said power and indulging themselves. There were a rare few that truly did have selfless intentions, but Human nature was often cruel and flckle. He'd seen idealists turn to their antithesis more times than he cared to admit. It was a miracle that Vale was still standing considering how short-sighted many of the people he had to deal with were. It was only their sense of pragmatism and awareness that there had to be a city for them to rule over that kept their worst excesses in check.
Sometimes, it made him wonder if James had the right idea of abusing his dual-seated position.
Ozpin sat at his normal spot in the boardroom. It was obvious why they were here: the young man from Domremy who had started to work his miracles in Vale. Ozpin made no attempt to hide him. Not only would it look worse if he did, but it wasn't feasible even if he could avoid the blow to his reputation. People would ask questions on how damaged parts of the city were suddenly repaired. No, not repaired. Improved. Jaune adding a new helipad in the docks was one of the least absurd things he put in.
"Who is this young man?" Wardes Winchester asked. Ozpin despised the man, but picking a fight with an elected official over dated views and unsubstantiated claims of corruption would be difficult. He had enough on his plate.
"As I told you before, he is Jaune Arc."
"That's not what he's asking." Elise Brunet said. She was corrupt as well, though not to an unbearable extent. Still, that new mansion of hers didn't come from hard work and dedication, "Who is he? Where did he come from? How can he do these...things?"
"On that front, I know just as much as any of you," Ozpin replied neutrally, "I heard rumors of a village that had expanded extensively and I sent a team from Beacon to investigate. It was there that they made contact with Jaune Arc and I requested for him to go to Beacon, upon which I asked for his help regarding certain matters." At the cost of giving out something he was rare to grant: the truth.
"An outside settlement. He's not a Valean citizen then." Richard Blanche hummed. The only Faunus on the council, something that had earned him the ire of Wardes Winchester (and numerous other individuals in Vale that had more 'dated' views). His hands weren't clean, but he seemed to direct the filth at those who deserve it, at least.
"What does that matter?" Delara Azure scoffed. She was the oldest one here, perhaps above even him (a joke, obviously). The woman's face had more wrinkles than not and her great-grandchildren were running for office as well, "He still lives in Saunus. As far as I'm concerned, that means he's beholden to us."
"I think you'll find that many would disagree with that statement, Delara," Ozpin said coolly, "We all know that those who live outside Vale's walls are outside of our protection, but that also means that they're outside our control. Or are you saying the council should claim responsibility for every settlement that falls to the Grimm or bandits while we do nothing to help?"
"He's right. Out of sight, out of mind has always been our policy." Richard hummed, "There are exceptions to the rule, of course, but we can't retroactively claim that Domremy is an extension of Vale unless you want a political faux-pas."
"All this talk of citizenship is pointless," Winchester said, "It doesn't matter if he's a citizen or not. He's working for Ozpin, and that means he's working under the council."
"That's not exactly accurate either." Ozpin smiled sardonically, "Yes, the council does have influence over those who are under my employ, but Jaune is not. He's helping me as a favor."
"A favor?" Elise raised a skeptical brow, "I find that hard to believe. What did you offer him in exchange for help?"
"I merely asked." Twice, though they didn't need to know that, "Jaune Arc has chosen to help me without accepting any remuneration. He is not an employee. he is a young man who chose to help out of his own free will. And he can rescind that help any time he wishes. My honest opinion? I doubt he can be swayed to do the council's bidding."
"This is foolish." Delara scoffed once more, "Perhaps you convinced him with tales of helping the Huntsmen, but Jaune Arc is still Human. Would anyone turn their nose at the chance of having the gratitude of an entire kingdom?"
"What do you wish to offer him? Money? Connections? Perhaps one of your estates?" The last comment had the old woman frowning, "You'd have better chances offering pictures to the blind. You've seen what he can do. I'm sure that videos of him rebuilding the docks and highway are already all over the Dustnet. What can you give to a man who can make anything?"
"Perhaps it will be more difficult than the norm, but I'm sure there's something he wants, and there's little we can't give," Elise said.
"Such generosity. It warms the heart to see," Richard laughed, words sharp as a knife, "And what will we ask this young man if convince him to work for us?"
"We'd ask him to help for the betterment of Vale." Wardes' tone was painfully neutral.
"How selfless of you." Richard smiled, exposing his sharp canines, "I'm sure we all have the betterment of Vale in mind, Wardes."
The betterment of Vale. More likely the betterment of themselves. He was sure that they would want Jaune to improve Vale, but only after they had their piece. He could see the greed in their eyes. They wanted Jaune for their own benefit. Even Blanche. Ozpin sighed. He knew this would happen, but it was still a disappointment Too many were short-sighted and only cared for immediate gratification over anything else. Perhaps he was biased - he had good reason to have a long view of things - but it was a shame regardless.
The meeting ended soon after. He knew the other four would already make plans and consider their offers. Money would be the first, and then they would try the same things he did. He wondered if Jaune would be even more annoyed being offered annexation with a smile. Wardes might use his son to try and befriend the young man as well, though he doubted he had to worry about that. Cardin Winchester was hardly the most charismatic.
He was barely out of the building when his scroll rang, "Glynda, what is it?"
"James is here. I assume you know why." He could practically see her frown.
"...I see. Tell him I'll be there soon." Ozpin cut the call and sighed. The next few weeks were going to be turbulent.
Poor Ruby. Wants to be a normal girl with normal knees. Ends up getting a freaking statue in the cafeteria where people will see it every day. Meanwhile, Weiss is jelly because SHE wants a statue.
And yeah, we already see the entitlement spreading. Not just at the councils and Ironwood, but students like Coco who want in on what Jaune can do. Hopefully they're not all going to be dicks about it.
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Questions:
1. Most people seem to agree that Ironwood would be heroic, at least in part due to Ozpin's influence. Which I can agree with. Still, how would he react to being told 'No' while Jaune does say 'Yes' to certain other groups? Would he just take it on the chin?
2. Any thoughts on the factions/groups so far? I'm brainstorming ideas on how Coco would try to appeal to Jaune once she realizes that, like everyone else, she can't just offer money and connections. She could offer fashion tips, but Jaune likes his Steve shirt.
3. What do you guys think of Jaune having a guy friend character? And who would it be? I'm leaning towards Mercury like in Seasons since he might be the only guy who legitimately wants nothing from Jaune. Cardin is jealous of some country boy getting the attention he thinks he deserves while Ren might be tempted to restore Kuroyuri. Mercury just doesn't care.
Note - Writing the Jaune x Weiss maledom next. Hope you guys enjoy
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Chapter 6: Opening Pandora's Box
So this was him.
Ozpin steepled his hands together and looked at the young man seated across from him. Jaune Arc. He'd seen him before during their brief video conversation, but it still astounded him to confirm that the one responsible for Domremy's meteoric rise was this young man who looked no older than a first-year student. Had he not seen the pictures and heard Qrow's (oddly sober) testimony, he might not have believed it. He'd been in this world longer than any one man should, and yet he'd never seen that sort of ability. S
Semblances were a mixed bag, of course. Some, like Miss. Scarlatina, could build their entire fighting styles around them. Others, like Qrow's or James', could be active detriments. He'd seen his fair share of non-combat Semblances as well along with ones so powerful (Glynda's Telekinesis came to mind) that the layman from centuries back might've considered them magic.
And yet even still he found himself wondering if this was some sort of trick or con because not even Glynda could hope to make even a fraction of what Jaune Arc had.
"It's a pleasure to meet you, Mr. Arc." Ozpin's lips curled up in his telltale smile. He'd chosen to meet with him alone in the office. Team RWBY had (rather fervently) insisted that they should be present, but he shut them down. He had no idea what had happened in Domremy in the past couple of days to make them so attached to the young man, but right now, that wasn't his problem. He had more important things to worry about than teenage hormones.
"Uh, same!" Jaune laughed somewhat awkwardly and rubbed the back of his head, "Gotta admit, I wasn't expecting to get a call from the headmaster of Beacon today.
"And what were you expecting today, if I might ask?"
"Oh, you know, going out mining and seeing what else I could build." He shrugged and leaned back in his seat, "Not that I really need to worry about it. Home's at a pretty good place right now and we don't really need any more space, at least for now."
Yes, his home. Domremy, the village-turned-kingdom. No one else on the council was aware of its existence just yet, but it would only be a matter of time. It was a miracle in and of itself that he hadn't been exposed yet. He hadn't exactly done anything to keep a low profile. Ozpin himself had been too busy with...recent events to pay attention to things happening outside the walls. His focus was turned inward. Sending Team RWBY to investigate the 'village' had been done mostly to ensure there wouldn't be a repeat of the incident at the docks. Or the incident on the highway. Or the disastrous food fight that they were still paying repairs for.
Oh, the things he looked the other way for to cultivate new agents.
"That's actually what I wished to discuss." Besides the Grimm, of course. Ozpin was no fool. While Jaune Arc had slipped by him, he hadn't done so for Salem. Much as he disliked the idea, he knew that it could be leverage, "Your Semblance is...miraculous." And that was putting it mildly. He'd seen actual miracles that paled in comparison to what he'd done. The closest equivalent was eons ago, back when Man still had the gift of magic and what would be considered fairy tales were just another fact of life.
"That's what everyone says." Jaune shrugged, "Honestly, I felt kind of like an idiot for a while. I got my Semblance after I started punching trees. I was really mad 'cause...well, doesn't matter." He shook his head, "The next day I just had the sudden urge to build stuff. Before I knew it, I'd built a whole new second vineyard for the family. Dad looked like he was gonna pass out."
"That would be the normal reaction by anyone, I believe." Ozpin chuckled, "I assume that's what everyone in town acted like, really. A young man performing miracles out in the open would astound anyone." He still remembered when he and Salem had used their magic to gain the awe of the masses. Oh, how foolish and shortsighted he was back then. He'd assumed that things would be better if everyone and everything was under their control. That everything would be fine if they and they alone were solely responsible for everything.
"Heh, yeah..." Jaune shifted slightly, "So...why'd you call me here? You said it was about the Grimm?"
"Indeed." Ozpin nodded. A part of him wanted to tell the young man everything - about Salem, about the Brothers, about the war - but he held back. No need to reveal things unnecessarily, "I believe that you and your village may be in danger. Not everyone is aware of this, but if a Grimm survives long enough, they gain...well, life isn't the proper term for it. Perhaps animal intelligence? The average Grimm will attack any Human or Faunus it sees regardless of the odds. Older Grimm are willing to be patient.
"So...you're thinking that the Grimm who attacked me are some of the smart ones?" Jaune asked, "But I've been getting attacked for a while. I doubt there's that many intelligent Grimm that are just hanging around near Domremy."
"Perhaps not directly, no, but ancient Grimm could send other Grimm in their stead." A half-truth. Grimm such as Wyverns and Leviathans did attract Grimm like a Siren, but they wouldn't hang back out of sight. While older Grimm were willing to be patient, that was all for the end goal of causing as much destruction as possible. Once the attack started, their instincts wouldn't allow them to not involve themselves in the slaughter.
"Huh." Jaune put a hand on his chin, "Wonder why they're after me, though. I've had Grimm attack me like a dozen times now."
Ozpin's brows raised. A dozen? A not-unexpected number, but it still gave him pause. Salem was many things, but most of all, she was persistent. Clearly, she considered Jaune Arc a threat. Enough of a threat that she continued to attack him despite numerous failures. Despite her gifts and curses, she did have her limitations. Commanding an army of Grimm from her place in Evernight wasn't feasible or else she would've wiped them all out by now. But commanding groups of Grimm using seers as makeshift communications devices? Yes, that was well within her purview.
The fact that Salem had taken an interest in Jaune Arc and that he'd repelled her advances only exacerbated the young man's value.
"Let's get down to brass tacks then." Ozpin leaned forward slightly, "I believe that we can come to a mutual benefit here, Mr. Arc. Your skills place you in high demand, and it's clear that the Grimm personally consider you a threat. Perhaps they see your kingdom's rapid growth as something that goes against their destructive instincts." Not wholly true, but believable enough from a certain point of view, "Perhaps we can come to an arrangement here. I could have Huntsmen assigned to your town on a permanent basis to ensure the safety of yourself and everyone else who resides there. In exchange, you do some work for me. Does that sound agreeable?"
"Wow, that's really nice and everything, but...I'll have to say no." Jaune shook his head. Ozpin's smile faltered for a moment before returning, "I'm not sure what Team RWBY told you, but I've been dealing with the Grimm for a while now. The Knights I made are handling them pretty well. Plus the other defenses too." He smiled proudly at that, "That and I wouldn't want to take up the time of Huntsmen who could be doing something besides waiting around. There's never enough Huntsmen, right? They could be doing something way better."
"You're saying they would be redundant?"
"Well...kinda?" He shrugged guiltily, "My Knights aren't as smart or flexible as Huntsmen, but when it comes to defending places and killing Grimm? They're really great. I never go too far from Domremy, so a Huntsman would just be overkill. Besides, I don't think it'd be fair if I got special treatment. If Domremy needs a Huntsman, we could post a contract on the board like everyone else does."
"I see." He couldn't tell if the young man was being humble or arrogant dismissing his offer out of hand. Oh well, he had other avenues to explore, "Something else then? Perhaps a trade agreement and payment for services rendered? Vale's coffers may not be as deep as Atlas' or Mistral's, but we can be very generous. The Council were pinch purses at the best of times, but he was sure he could convince them otherwise."
"I don't really need money, though." He shook his head again, "Domremy's pretty self-sufficient after everything, and money isn't really something I worry about. Mom and Dad had me sell some stuff in Mistral a few months back and we've been sitting on a pretty good nest egg right now." Mistral? Oh, if they only knew the golden goose they were dealing with, "Most of what I really need are materials, but they're not...here. On Remnant, I mean. Unless you've got some enchanted books and mother tree bark?" He looked hopeful.
"Ah...no, I'm afraid not."
"Yeah, I figured." Jaune sighed, "Gathering those is a pain, especially since I promised Ruby I'd give her Infinity for Crescent Rose. That damn raccoon always asks for the most insane stuff."
He didn't elaborate, but Ozpin picked up enough from the context clues. Infinity...he was offering Ms. Rose unlimited bullets - unlimited Dust - and treated it as more of an annoyance than an impossibility. Not for the first time that day, Ozpin wondered whether it truly was a Semblance or something more than that. And yet even magic had its limitations. He certainly couldn't break the rule of energy neither being created nor destroyed. Only the Brothers could do that.
The implications did not sit well with him.
"Let us dispense with material offers then," Ozpin said, "I can offer you something equally valuable: connections." Jaune's brows furrowed, Ozpin continued, "Domremy has gone from a village to a kingdom in a matter of months. That puts you in a rather precarious state, Mr. Arc. Neighboring kingdoms, or perhaps even Vale itself, might consider your home a threat."
"So what are you saying?" Jaune crossed his arms.
"I'm not sure if you're aware, but I'm not just the headmaster of Beacon. I'm also a member of the Valean Council. With my endorsement, I can ensure that Domremy is...taken under Vale's wings, so to speak."
"Just tell me what you mean."
"Being under Vale's protection ensures that the other kingdoms will see Domremy as a part of us. Your home's position would be far stronger and more secure." He pressed his fingers together, "This was before your time, but a couple of decades back, Vale had attempted to expand into Mt. Glenn. It ended in tragedy." One that still weighed on him even today, "But perhaps things could be different now. Domremy could represent a hope not just for those within its walls, but also for Vale as a whole."
"Hm...and in exchange, you want me to work for you?"
"For certain tasks that require your unique abilities, yes." Ozpin nodded, "What do you say, Mr. Arc?"
"Well...it kinda sounds like you want to take over Domremy even though Vale didn't do anything to build it to what it is now."
Ozpin blinked at the young man's sudden acidic tone. Jaune didn't scream or scowl, but the venom in his voice was clear as day, "That's not what I meant."
"Sure sounds like it." Jaune shrugged, "You're saying that Domremy'll be part of Vale even though they didn't do anything to help us build. We - I - worked really hard to turn Domremy into what it is, so why should Vale get to come in and say we're part of them now? I'm not asking Vale to be part of Domremy either, right?"
"This is not Vale taking over. This is mutual cooperation."
"Didn't sound like it from what you said." Jaune shook his head, "Outside the walls...we didn't have the kingdom and its big tech to rely on. We made do with what we had. A bunch of us really would've loved to have the kingdom's help, but we didn't get it. I know I did a large part of the work, but Domremy isn't what it is now only because of me. There are people there who are working hard and helping out as much as they can, so they deserve to be there. Vale doesn't."
"Mr. Arc-"
"Maybe you think I'm just some dumb kid from the country, but I'm not that stupid. Dad warned me that people are going to try and take advantage. Maybe I would've accepted the offer before when I was still trying to build things, but not anymore. You can't just...look at something someone worked hard on and say you own a part of it!" He threw his hands up, "And you're asking me to do work for you so Vale can take over! That's like...asking your partner to do you a favor so you'll put your name on the project he did by himself! How's that fair?"
Ozpin found himself caught flat-footed at the passion in Jaune's voice. He'd seen numerous craftsmen in his life, and many of them took personal pride in their work - sometimes to the point of hubris. As a craftsman, Jaune made them all seem like kids making sandcastles by comparison. Perhaps he shouldn't have been shocked that the young man had such fervor when it came to his home. It was his greatest creation, and in his eyes, Ozpin and all of Vale were circling vultures.
Before he could think of another argument to turn things around, Jaune suddenly stood, "Look, if that's the only reason you wanted me to come here, then I'm leaving. If you actually want 'mutual cooperation', then you'll talk to the rest of the people in town too."
Jaune had turned and took only a couple of steps before Ozpin stood as well, "Mr. Arc. Wait." He expected the young man to ignore his call, but he stopped and looked back with a doubtful look on his face, "We've gotten off on the wrong foot. While it wasn't my intention to take over your work, I can understand why my offer isn't that tempting to you." Ozpin took a deep breath, "Perhaps you would be more amenable to something else then: a plea for help."
"Help? With what?" Jaune turned to meet his gaze, still suspicious.
"That is...a long story, one that you might want to be sitting down for." He gestured to the chair.
"...Fine, but I'm not gonna be taken advantage of." He sat back down.
"Yes. I suppose I'll have to be honest if I wish to gain your aid." Ozpin sat down as well and looked Jaune in the eyes, "Tell me, Jaune. What's your favorite fairy tale?"
Cardin Winchester was someone who was used to being at the top. It came with the territory, really. He was the only son of Councilman Wardes Winchester, which was a long and respected line. Their family fought in the Great War, the Faunus 'Revolution', and they were one of the first to sign up to be Huntsmen. It wasn't perfect - damn Animals won their little war - but it was still an illustrious history. One that he was living up to by attending Beacon.
Being here wasn't as great as he thought, though. His teammates were cool, though he wouldn't have said no to a few more women on the team. The other students weren't great either. Being a Huntsman meant being the best of the best. They were the guys who kicked ass, killed Grimm, and everyone respected them. They were the only reason the Grimm hadn't battered down the walls. The civvies looked up to them for it, as they should.
Still, even if Beacon wasn't as good as it could've been, it was alright. Better than anywhere else, at least. Just about everyone knew who his dad was, and while he wasn't a sniveling brat who cried for his dad to solve his problems for him, his dad's position and reputation meant no one was willing to fuck with him. No one except that Animal lover Adel and her team, at least. Her family made it big in the fashion industry and it gave her a big head. Whatever. He'd kick her ass in the ring if she didn't have that giant and the blind freak backing her up.
So yeah, Beacon was full of ups and downs. And this day? It was down.
First, Team RWBY and PNCR came back from whatever mission they were sent on. He wasn't ashamed to say he didn't like either group. They just did whatever the hell they wanted and none of the teachers so much as gave them a dirty look. He still remembered that food fight they had a week ago. Anyone else would've been at least suspended, but those two teams? Not even a slap on the wrist. If he pulled something like that, he and the rest of the guys would've had to deal with suspension from Port even with his dad's connections.
He bet it was cause of Nikos and Schnee. Schnee's dad was probably the richest guy on Remnant and Nikos was a big deal cause she won some fights back in Mistral. He didn't see what the big deal was. It wasn't like she won the Vytal Tournament or anything, just some local tournaments. He would've won if he entered local brawls too.
His mood only worsened when he was paired against Belladonna during Combat Class. For some reason, she really didn't like him and made sure to be extra vicious whenever they fought. He halfway expected her to try and claw his damned eyes out. His ribs were still sore from when she literally kicked him when he was down.
And now there was a crowd in front of the cafeteria. Cardin scowled and pushed his way past with his team following, ignoring the stupid gawking looks of everyone gathered. He was tired and hungry, and he didn't give a shit if someone else was having another food fight.
He barely managed a couple of steps inside before he stopped, "What the fuck...?" He looked around the dining room. Beacon wasn't as fancy as Shade, but they still didn't skimp when it came to their facilities. Cardin was used to rich digs, but this? This was insane. Stained glass windows, marble floors, mahogany tables (the good kind, not the cheap shit), and chandeliers that bathed the room in a warm light. There was even a full second floor now. Looked more like a high-class restaurant than a cafeteria.
But all of that was nothing compared to the gods damned fountain at the center. He definitely wasn't imagining it. A marble fountain with a twenty-foot statue of what looked like that teacher's pet Rose on top of it. The statue was struck up in a heroic pose with that stupidly big scythe aimed high at the air. Water that looked like it was sparkling shot out of the vertical tip, cascading down to the ornate pool in a shining curtain. It looked like something you'd give a war hero, not a grade skipper.
"What in the Brothers is this?" Schnee's cut in. Cardin looked back and saw Team RWBY behind them. Xiao Long and Belladonna looked at the statue, wide-eyed like fishes. Rose's face was completely red and she tried to hide in her cloak as if it'd do anything to help.
Schnee was the worst off. Her face was red and she looked like she was about to blow a gasket. She was jealous, that was pretty obvious, though she did her damndest to hide it. Her eyes flicked between the fountain statue and Rose, who was still trying to make herself look even smaller than she already was. Didn't help. People were finally filing in and the first thing they noticed was that marble monstrosity smack dab at the center.
"Oh, hey!" Another guy he didn't recognize walked up to Team RWBY. He was definitely a civilian. It wasn't just because he didn't have a uniform. Cardin could tell by the way he carried himself. Huntsmen had a feel about them that the untrained people didn't have, "You guys made it just in time! Like the new cafeteria?"
"It's delightful, though the statue is somewhat...ostentatious, if you don't mind me saying," Schnee said in a clipped tone.
"Is it? I just wanted to pay Ruby back for the present she gave me." He showed off a crappy rose keychain like it was the greatest thing ever, "I thought you'd like it, Ruby. Do you...not?"
"No! I love it! Super love it!" Rose screamed. Her face was still red, especially since people were looking at her.
"Indeed, why wouldn't you? I would certainly appreciate it if someone gifted me a statue." Wow, Schnee was being green-eyed. The rest of her team could see it too. Xiao Long snickered while Belladonnarolled her eyes. The weirdest one was Rose giving her partner a smug smile even while her cheeks still burned.
"You made all this?" Cardin asked. Team RWBY all turned to look at him like they just noticed he was there, "How the fuck? This place was the same yesterday!" Barely held together cause RWBY and PNCR decided that ruining everyone's day was fun.
"Yep!" The blonde doofus grinned. For some reason, Cardin already knew he didn't like the guy, "I did some work this morning. The headmaster said that the cafeteria got wrecked and he asked if I could help with it. See what I could do, I guess. He really only wanted me to fix things up, but then I figured why not spruce the place up a bit?" Cardin looked at the stained glass windows and the statue again. A bit, "Apparently, someone really trashed the place in a fight and the school was having trouble finding someone to repair it with their budget. Wonder which jerks did that?"
"Ahaha! Yeah, total jerks! No regard for anyone else!" Xiao Long grinned and put an arm around the blonde's shoulder, "Come on, we should check out how great this new place is!"
"Oh, you guys can go on ahead. I'm thinking about heading down to the docks in Vale. Apparently, someone blew that up too? This place sounds really dangerous. What kind of crazy person just blows up a place like that?"
"Maybe they had a very good reason." Belladonna suddenly grabbed his right arm in a vice grip, "But Yang's right, we should go and eat. It'll be our treat." Wasn't the cafeteria food free?
Cardin watched as the four of them dragged the idiot off to a corner table. A call from Dove kept him from staring too long and he sat down on the (cushioned!) seats at one of the tables. His hands traced across the surface and he frowned. It felt better than the table back home.
His eyes flicked over to the guy who supposedly made all this. How, he wondered. Even if he was bullshit levels of rich like Schnee was, there was no way he could get people to do all this in less than a day even if he hired a thousand desperate idiots. No, he made it sound like he did all this by himself. Was that true? He would've called bullshit, but the proof was right there in front of him. Less than a day ago, this place looked like shit, and now...
Cardin's mouth twitched when he saw Xiao Long trying to feed the guy. He might not have liked Team RWBY, but he couldn't deny that most of them were smoking hot. You had to be blind not to see it. Xiao Long had a killer bod that put just about anyone to shame, Belladonna had the best ass in Beacon (seriously, the other guys did a ranking on it), and Schnee looked like a damn princess. Sure, Rose was an annoying runt, but three out of four wasn't bad.
And now they were all crowding over that dork.
He wasn't jealous. Why would he be? He was a Winchester and he was about to turn into a Huntsman. He was way more important than some civilian who wasn't gonna do something important with his life. In just a few days, he was sure that everyone would forget about the guy.
Coco Adel was someone who was used to getting what she wanted. It kind of came with the territory. The Adels might not have been on the scene for long, but they were a force to be reckoned with. Sure, they might not have been as well-connected or rich as the Schnees or Winchesters, but that was cause they still had a little thing called common decency. The family was aggressive, but they didn't have a habit of stomping on people to get what they wanted.
It was one of the reasons why she became a Huntress. She wanted to make her mark in the world without trampling over innocent people. Huntsmen only went after Grimm and the worst kind of scum.
Still, that didn't mean she turned into some kind of humble ascetic. Huntsmen advertised themselves. It was a brand. Sure, you didn't need to look fancy to get contracts from the board, but if you wanted to get the attention of people high up then you had to stand out from the crowd. That was why a lot of Huntsmen had such unique fashion. Coco was no different. She prided herself on her style, both with her clothes and her weapon Gianduja.
But style came at a cost. She made sure to get the latest fashions, but those cost a pretty penny. Not enough for her to be in the red - Mom and Dad taught her how to handle money - but enough that she found herself struggling sometimes even with the money she got from her social media posts. That and Gianduja wasn't cheap. Miniguns were pretty infamous for how fast they could spray downrange and and Coco wasn't exactly shy with her barrages. She knew it'd eat into her wallet when she chose it, but she just couldn't resist. A minigun purse just screamed 'Coco Adel'.
Right now she was heading towards Beacon's firing range. Dust for personal use was expensive, but the school gave them a weekly quota they could burn through if they needed to practice. It was lower-quality Dust, which Coco personally disliked since she always preferred to get the very best, but it was free so she couldn't complain too much.
Coco arrived at the firing range to find it empty save for one person. Tucked away at the corner spot was Ruby Rose. Coco knew who she was, though they hadn't exactly met before. Team RWBY's performance in Initiation earned them a spot in the Beacon's unofficial hall of fame. The same spot Team CFVY had last year when they outperformed everyone in their own Initiation. While Team PNCR was famous because of Pyrrha Nikos, Team RWBY was (in)famous as a whole.
That and it was hard not to know who she was after what happened at the cafeteria yesterday. That statue definitely caught the eye, and nobody missed the fact that it was Ruby. In a school full of downright bizarre fashion senses, she was the only one who wore a cloak. Go figure.
Coco hung back as the younger girl set up her rifle. While she wasn't a weapon fanatic like Velvet was, she could still appreciate a finely designed weapon. The sniper-scythe wasn't something she'd pick for herself, but it definitely went well with Ruby's grim reaper look.
She crossed her arms and watched as the targets popped up and Ruby shot them dead center. It wasn't her performance that got her attention though. It was how much she was firing. Judging by the size of the magazine, she guessed that the thing held ten rounds, maybe fifteen if she was being really generous. Ruby fired thirty times in a row without slowing or reloading, and it was only after that thirtieth trigger pull that she finally took out the spent magazine.
"Nice shots." Coco whistled. The cloaked freshman jumped up with a slight squeak and turned towards her, though she made sure not to flag her with the gun.
"Wha- who are you?"
"Name's Coco. You're Ruby Rose, right?" Coco smiled.
"How do you know that?"
"Statue."
"Ugh, of course, it's the statue." Ruby frowned and her shoulders sagged. Coco was tempted to reach out and pinch her cheek, but she held back. That was what old people did.
"Hey, I'd be flattered. Shows how bad your boyfriend's into you."
"He's not my boyfriend...yet." The 'yet' part seemed to really get to her judging by her deep frown.
"You sure? That guy just builds statues for everyone, does he?" Maybe she could commission one.
"N-No, he doesn't! Only for people he's really close to!" Coco didn't miss the defensiveness and worry in Ruby's tone and had to hold back a chuckle. Oh, she was cute.
"Don't worry, I'm not going after your future boyfriend." She was ninety-nine percent into women. She wasn't discounting the idea of liking a guy, but she found it pretty damn unlikely considering her track record so far, "Actually, I'm interested in something else. Your weapon holds a lot more rounds than it looks."
"Oh! That's 'cause of Jaune!" Ruby beamed proudly. She guessed that Jaune was her not-boyfriend's name, "He set it up so that I can fire three times at the cost of a single bullet! Isn't it awesome?!"
"He can...do that?" Coco raised a brow.
"Yep," Ruby said, popping the P, "Oh, check this out." She turned a dial and inserted a new magazine. Raising the rifle again, she squeezed the trigger, and three bullets shot out in a burst, "I can fire the three-in-one bullets all at once for maximum damage or save it for individual targets. Both cost the same."
"That sounds..." Useful. Brothers only knew how much ammo she expended firing her weapon even for just a few seconds. Tripling her ammo count or rate of fire would be massive. It'd be useful for Velvet too. Her poor Bun-Bun's Anesidora was a technological marvel, but the price of Hard-Light dust was horrific. Letting her have three shots for the price of one could seriously up her effectiveness, "This Jaune guy seems like a catch."
"I know, he's so great." Ruby giggled. Urge to pinch cheek rising! "And that's not the only one! He says he'll find a way to give me Infinity later so I-" Her eyes suddenly widened, "Uh, nevermind! Forget I said anything!"
"Infinity, huh?" Coco hummed, "Why stop now? You've already told me this much."
"It-It's a secret!"
"A secret, huh?" Coco smirked, "Alright...I'll just ask your boyfriend." It wasn't a serious statement. She just wanted to poke fun at her. Besides, she had a good idea on what the reaper meant.
"No, don't! It's supposed to be special between us!" Ruby shook her head, "If I tell you, do you promise not to blab about it to everyone?"
"Scout's honor." Velvet wasn't 'everyone'. And Coco was never a scout.
"Fine." Ruby chewed her lower lip and whispered conspiratorially, "It's infinite ammo!" Well...that was obvious, "Jaune says it takes some rare materials to make, but he's gonna gather them up when he can." She sighed dreamily, "But remember, don't blab about it!"
Coco made a zipping her lips gesture, which seemed to satisfy the younger girl. Ruby folded the scythe across her back and left, leaving Coco alone on the range. Infinite ammo...her mind was already whirring with ideas. Her goal in life was to be the most famous, respected Huntress in all of Remnant. Her weapon and Semblance - the ability to supercharge Dust - made her a monster in a fight, but she couldn't really win battles of attrition.
But if she didn't have to worry about ammo? Oh, she could see that working wonders. Entire hordes of Grimm would've been buzzsawed by Gianduja. And it'd cut down on her spending costs too, so more money for fashion.
Then there was Velvet too. She could already imagine Bun-Bun without being held back by that hideously expensive Dust. She'd never have to second-guess herself and wonder if THIS fight was worth using one of her precious cartridges.
If this Jaune guy was willing to give Ruby unlimited ammo, doing the same for a couple of other Huntresses shouldn't be too hard, right? The Adels had deep pockets and connections. She was sure she could convince him.
Attending council meetings was something Ozpin always considered to be a necessary evil. While he had no regrets in refusing kingship over all of Remnant - he knew more than anyone how flawed that system was - it didn't change the fact that politics was a wholly unpleasant thing to deal with. In an ideal world, people would vote for those who held their best interests and those in power ensured that those who counted on them lived the best lives they could have,
This was not an ideal world.
No, politics was a den of corruption. Backstabbing and bribery were the norm and those in power cared only for keeping said power and indulging themselves. There were a rare few that truly did have selfless intentions, but Human nature was often cruel and flckle. He'd seen idealists turn to their antithesis more times than he cared to admit. It was a miracle that Vale was still standing considering how short-sighted many of the people he had to deal with were. It was only their sense of pragmatism and awareness that there had to be a city for them to rule over that kept their worst excesses in check.
Sometimes, it made him wonder if James had the right idea of abusing his dual-seated position.
Ozpin sat at his normal spot in the boardroom. It was obvious why they were here: the young man from Domremy who had started to work his miracles in Vale. Ozpin made no attempt to hide him. Not only would it look worse if he did, but it wasn't feasible even if he could avoid the blow to his reputation. People would ask questions on how damaged parts of the city were suddenly repaired. No, not repaired. Improved. Jaune adding a new helipad in the docks was one of the least absurd things he put in.
"Who is this young man?" Wardes Winchester asked. Ozpin despised the man, but picking a fight with an elected official over dated views and unsubstantiated claims of corruption would be difficult. He had enough on his plate.
"As I told you before, he is Jaune Arc."
"That's not what he's asking." Elise Brunet said. She was corrupt as well, though not to an unbearable extent. Still, that new mansion of hers didn't come from hard work and dedication, "Who is he? Where did he come from? How can he do these...things?"
"On that front, I know just as much as any of you," Ozpin replied neutrally, "I heard rumors of a village that had expanded extensively and I sent a team from Beacon to investigate. It was there that they made contact with Jaune Arc and I requested for him to go to Beacon, upon which I asked for his help regarding certain matters." At the cost of giving out something he was rare to grant: the truth.
"An outside settlement. He's not a Valean citizen then." Richard Blanche hummed. The only Faunus on the council, something that had earned him the ire of Wardes Winchester (and numerous other individuals in Vale that had more 'dated' views). His hands weren't clean, but he seemed to direct the filth at those who deserve it, at least.
"What does that matter?" Delara Azure scoffed. She was the oldest one here, perhaps above even him (a joke, obviously). The woman's face had more wrinkles than not and her great-grandchildren were running for office as well, "He still lives in Saunus. As far as I'm concerned, that means he's beholden to us."
"I think you'll find that many would disagree with that statement, Delara," Ozpin said coolly, "We all know that those who live outside Vale's walls are outside of our protection, but that also means that they're outside our control. Or are you saying the council should claim responsibility for every settlement that falls to the Grimm or bandits while we do nothing to help?"
"He's right. Out of sight, out of mind has always been our policy." Richard hummed, "There are exceptions to the rule, of course, but we can't retroactively claim that Domremy is an extension of Vale unless you want a political faux-pas."
"All this talk of citizenship is pointless," Winchester said, "It doesn't matter if he's a citizen or not. He's working for Ozpin, and that means he's working under the council."
"That's not exactly accurate either." Ozpin smiled sardonically, "Yes, the council does have influence over those who are under my employ, but Jaune is not. He's helping me as a favor."
"A favor?" Elise raised a skeptical brow, "I find that hard to believe. What did you offer him in exchange for help?"
"I merely asked." Twice, though they didn't need to know that, "Jaune Arc has chosen to help me without accepting any remuneration. He is not an employee. he is a young man who chose to help out of his own free will. And he can rescind that help any time he wishes. My honest opinion? I doubt he can be swayed to do the council's bidding."
"This is foolish." Delara scoffed once more, "Perhaps you convinced him with tales of helping the Huntsmen, but Jaune Arc is still Human. Would anyone turn their nose at the chance of having the gratitude of an entire kingdom?"
"What do you wish to offer him? Money? Connections? Perhaps one of your estates?" The last comment had the old woman frowning, "You'd have better chances offering pictures to the blind. You've seen what he can do. I'm sure that videos of him rebuilding the docks and highway are already all over the Dustnet. What can you give to a man who can make anything?"
"Perhaps it will be more difficult than the norm, but I'm sure there's something he wants, and there's little we can't give," Elise said.
"Such generosity. It warms the heart to see," Richard laughed, words sharp as a knife, "And what will we ask this young man if convince him to work for us?"
"We'd ask him to help for the betterment of Vale." Wardes' tone was painfully neutral.
"How selfless of you." Richard smiled, exposing his sharp canines, "I'm sure we all have the betterment of Vale in mind, Wardes."
The betterment of Vale. More likely the betterment of themselves. He was sure that they would want Jaune to improve Vale, but only after they had their piece. He could see the greed in their eyes. They wanted Jaune for their own benefit. Even Blanche. Ozpin sighed. He knew this would happen, but it was still a disappointment Too many were short-sighted and only cared for immediate gratification over anything else. Perhaps he was biased - he had good reason to have a long view of things - but it was a shame regardless.
The meeting ended soon after. He knew the other four would already make plans and consider their offers. Money would be the first, and then they would try the same things he did. He wondered if Jaune would be even more annoyed being offered annexation with a smile. Wardes might use his son to try and befriend the young man as well, though he doubted he had to worry about that. Cardin Winchester was hardly the most charismatic.
He was barely out of the building when his scroll rang, "Glynda, what is it?"
"James is here. I assume you know why." He could practically see her frown.
"...I see. Tell him I'll be there soon." Ozpin cut the call and sighed. The next few weeks were going to be turbulent.
Poor Ruby. Wants to be a normal girl with normal knees. Ends up getting a freaking statue in the cafeteria where people will see it every day. Meanwhile, Weiss is jelly because SHE wants a statue.
And yeah, we already see the entitlement spreading. Not just at the councils and Ironwood, but students like Coco who want in on what Jaune can do. Hopefully they're not all going to be dicks about it.
Wanna help support me (and gain access to chapters a couple of weeks early)? Then check out the link below:
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Questions:
1. Most people seem to agree that Ironwood would be heroic, at least in part due to Ozpin's influence. Which I can agree with. Still, how would he react to being told 'No' while Jaune does say 'Yes' to certain other groups? Would he just take it on the chin?
2. Any thoughts on the factions/groups so far? I'm brainstorming ideas on how Coco would try to appeal to Jaune once she realizes that, like everyone else, she can't just offer money and connections. She could offer fashion tips, but Jaune likes his Steve shirt.
3. What do you guys think of Jaune having a guy friend character? And who would it be? I'm leaning towards Mercury like in Seasons since he might be the only guy who legitimately wants nothing from Jaune. Cardin is jealous of some country boy getting the attention he thinks he deserves while Ren might be tempted to restore Kuroyuri. Mercury just doesn't care.
Chapter 7 - Unstoppable Force Meets Immovable Object
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Next Minecraft Jauen chapter. Sorry for the delay, real life stuff. On the bright side, I also managed to finish my 'Huntresses are Baalbuddy Elves' idea I suggested all those months ago. Yang, Weiss, and Blake (and Huntresses in general) have negative rizz while Ruby is the only sane one who argues that maybe Huntresses should care about more than getting laid. The three proceed to call her a simp and a white knight. Lancaster story too.
Also got another futa Weiss comm that's a crossover with Cyberpunk 2077 where Weiss fucks Rebecca stupid. We'll see where that goes.
Anyway, hope you guys enjoy this chapter. More plot setup.
Reader Note - Got people asking if this fic is dead. Nope. One this is a commission fic so updates can be sometimes sporadic, and two this was posted early for supporters. Please be patient. I've been doing a couple other stuff. I'm also writing up the 'Minecraft Jaune: Faunus Edition' omake where Jaune is a Faunus and the butterfly effect that has, so even if the main story is sometimes sporadic, we still have some content.
For anyone interested in making a commission, email me at: storylover543@gmail.com
Chapter 7: Unstoppable Force Meets Immovable Object
Ozpin had made countless friends over his long existence. Some of them he mourned even up to now while others had faded from memory. It wasn't due to any fault on their part. As many would tell you, drifting apart was a sadly all too common occurrence in life. Many friendships made in Huntsman academies didn't withstand the test of time. Competition, tragedies, or even just the passing of time led to the fraying of bonds. Ten or twenty years down the line, friendships promised to be lifelong slipped from one's mind. It didn't happen all the time, of course, but it occurred more than people wanted to admit.
Ozpin couldn't be faulted for not remembering all of his friends. He'd lived countless lives, some cut short while others (rarely) ended with him surrounded on his deathbed by people who knew that it was all a farce. And yet they continued the ritual regardless, perhaps out of a sense of proprietary. With so many decades - centuries - it was hard to blame him for not remembering all the ones he'd forged a bond with. The bonds were real, but they weren't eternal. Nothing truly was.
...
So with that in mind, please believe him when he said that he would NEVER be able to forget James Ironwood. The migraines he could would continue to stifle him unto eternity.
Ozpin sipped his mug of hot chocolate as one of his closest friends (in this life, at least) paced in front of his desk like a disapproved schoolmarm. It was a tactic he'd used himself time and again, though he found some ironic humor in being on the other end. Not that he felt ashamed, of course. James was a dear friend, one he trusted despite their numerous disagreements, but he didn't much care if the man had the entirety of Atlas' army under his command. He remembered when he was still a brash teenager with dreams of making a difference.
Of course, he was also a man whose Semblance literally weaponized his stubbornness. He knew that Semblances were unexplainable. They could be boons or burdens with no rhyme or reason as to why, and yet some had it worse off than others. A Semblance that made you expel a noxious stink was nothing compared to constant bad luck or one that drove you into single-minded, near-suicidal stubbornness.
Off to the side, Glynda watched the two of them with a pinched expression. James had been uncharacteristically quiet since Ozpin had arrived. Probably trying to make him squirm with the wait. Well, it wouldn't work. Ozpin had once kept one of his old allies in the hot seat for a month. Oh, poor Sebastian was practically a broken man by the time Ozpin finally spoke. Perhaps it was cruel of him, but Sebastian had broken his trust and deserved fitting retribution.
It took him another lifetime before he could taste hot chocolate again without feeling dirty.
"So..." James started, voice in that disapproving rumble that made many an Atlesian soldier wet their trousers, "When were you planning to tell me about our new...ally."
"In due time." Another sip.
"And when would that be?" James pursed his lips, arms crossed behind his back so stiffly that he could've sworn he heard a creak, "Before or after every other kingdom on Remnant found out first?"
"Before, James." Ozpin sighed and set his mug down, "I told you after I 'hired' Mr. Arc that we needed to talk. You were busy." Not that he blamed him for that, of course. James was a busy man. His two council seats may have given him influence and power, but it was not a 'do nothing' job, "Talking about the details over a message hardly seemed proper."
"And exposing our new 'ally' for everyone to gawk at is a good idea?"
"I couldn't exactly hide him. People would question how I managed to get the cafeteria, docks, and highway repaired within a few days." He ignored Glynda's cutting remark about how that was only because he refused to show Team RWBY the meaning of consequences. Details, details, "If I hid him and he was found out - and make no mistake, he would have been discovered - the other Councilors would band together to remove me from my seat. I don't have the luxury of two seats and the soft power of the army. The Huntsmen respect me, but they don't have the loyalty your soldiers do to you."
"One wonders whose fault that is," Ozpin said nothing. He knew all too well James' feelings on keeping the Huntsmen and Army separated.
"There's no use hiding him regardless. She already knows he exists."
James' eyes narrowed, brows furrowing in worry, "Has she sent any of her agents after him?"
"Mr. Arc has been attacked by various Grimm types since establishing his kingdom." He saw James frown at the word. Kingdom. He could already see the gears turning in James' head, "Kingdoms attacking settlements are not a rare occurrence, but from what Mr. Arc has told me - and he has no reason to lie - this can only be the work of Salem. She's sending hordes after him, and if not for Mr. Arc's powerful constructs, I'm certain she would've taken his life already."
"What about her non-Grimm agents?"
"So far there has been nothing unusual, at least according to him. Though, that doesn't tell us much. We don't know Salem's agents...except for Callows." The madman did nothing to hide. No, he was brazen in his attacks, treating his infamy as a source of devotion, "I've suggested that Mr. Arc take precautions and he's taken it under consideration. And...personally, I believe Salem's agents will have a difficult time if assassination is their goal." The young man hadn't shown him all of his tricks, but he showed him enough. Once more he wondered if Jaune Arc truly had a Semblance or if it went far deeper than that.
"Hm..." He started pacing again, "He knows about Salem then?"
"He knows enough." Not about her immortality...though perhaps he might soon. It was a secret he'd told no one in his years of existence, and yet Jaune Arc's abilities had given him something he hadn't felt in centuries: hope.
"And the council?"
"What you'd expect." Ozpin sighed, letting the years show on his face for a brief moment, "Entitled and expectant. I told them that Mr. Arc is helping me as a personal favor and that I hold no true leverage or sway over him, and yet they believe they can convince him. They're all too used to being able to get their way." He was sure they would try to offer money and connections, completely ignoring his warnings that those mattered little to someone in Jaune's position. It was like offering water to a man with his own lake.
"Hm..." James said again. Ozpin silently refilled his mug. Despite judging the councilors for their short-sightedness, he could already tell that James was planning the same thing. Oh, but it would be different when he did it. He would do it for the greater good (though he was sure Atlas would be the first beneficiary). As much as Ozpin wished to judge him, he'd also attempted to make an alliance with the young man under false pretenses, so he had no room to be high and mighty.
Power had a habit of making fools of them all.
"I wish to talk with this young man."
And there it was.
"Do you believe that you'll have better luck than the Valean council?" Ozpin raised a brow.
"Of course, I will." He nodded, face knotted in distaste as if being compared to them was physically sickening, "I'm not doing it for the sake of petty corruption. We're all allied against Salem and wish to stop her plans."
"On that, we're agreed, but that doesn't mean that Mr. Arc will be amenable to every demand." He steepled his fingers together, "I'll tell you what I told the council, James. Mr. Arc is receiving almost nothing in exchange for his help. No money, no connections, and no favors. I offered these things to him and he refused. Do you know why? Because he doesn't need or want these things. That is what I wish for you to understand. Jaune Arc is a man who wants for nothing and has everything. He's holding all the cards. The only thing he accepted was being trained by Ms. Nikos, and I believe he only agreed to that offer due to his admiration for Huntsmen."
"You make him sound like some sort of golem. He's Human, Ozpin."
"Sometimes, I doubt that." He leaned back on his seat, "I won't stop you from making your case, of course, but you do need to temper your expectations."
"I can be convincing." James smiled grimly, "A stronger Atlas is a better chance against that witch." There it was. James, for all his brilliance, was a man who saw Salem as a nail and Atlas as the hammer. He couldn't blame him for it, however. He had no idea of the truth of her immortality. From his perspective, a big enough gun should be able to kill her, "I've read the reports from Ms. Soleil. These Knights are...intriguing. Better than even the Atlesian Paladins, much as it shames me to say."
"If you're expecting him to share, you'll be disappointed." Ozpin hummed, "Mr. Arc is...quite protective of his belongings. I'm sure he'll loan them to you, but that's about all I'd expect."
"Like I said, I can be persuasive." He raised his left hand and checked his watch, "I have to return for now, Atlas' own council is...deliberating about Mr. Arc, but I'll be back in three days. Make sure to have Mr. Arc here by then, would you?"
"But of course." Ozpin's smile was razor-thin.
James turned and left without another word. Ozpin released a soft breath while Glynda hummed, "You know that he won't be satisfied till he has Mr. Arc's full loyalty. I expect James thinks he'll be able to convince Mr. Arc to put his gifts primarily for the benefit of Atlas."
"I do not doubt that. I can only hope that he takes rejection well."
"Hm." Glynda hummed again, "James won't be taking him. Not over my cold, dead body."
...
"Is there something you wish to tell me, Glynda?"
"Only that he created an automaton that helped do the paperwork. Both mine and the ones you should be doing." Ozpin looked away and whistled innocently, "I triple-checked everything and found that it was perfect. It can't do everything perfectly, of course, but for the tedious busywork? It's flawless. For the first time in years, I've gotten a full eight hours of sleep." Her smile was chilling, "So yes, Mr. Arc will not be leaving here. And if James insists, I shall...have words with him."
"Don't you think you're exaggerating a tad?"
Glynda stared at him with chilling, emotionless eyes, "I've only known Mr. Arc for three days, but if anything happened to him, I would kill everyone in Beacon and then myself. Is that clear?"
...
"I see." He downed his hot chocolate in one gulp. Power...it truly was the nectar that made madmen of them all.
Coco walked through the school with a perpetual raised brow. Not literally - that was a faux-pas she wouldn't be able to live down - but close enough. Her usual cool, collected demeanor was a bit more brittle than usual as she looked around. She knew this Arc guy was a miracle worker. She'd seen the cafeteria and the videos about him repairing the docks and highway that got trashed by some psychos (she had no idea why Beacon cared about that stuff, but whatever).
Still, it was one thing to see that and another to watch the 15-foot-tall knights wandering around the place. Her eyes looked the looming figures up and down and she whistled faintly. The things looked impressive. A lot of old armor was ornate, sure, but they had an impracticality to them that meant actually using the things in a fight was pointless. They were more for posing than fighting. Huntsmen being able to dress however the hell they wanted and look good while killing Grimm was a testament to how good they were. There was a reason that the Atlesian military wore those drab white outfits. It took skill to kick ass looking that good.
The knights felt different. They looked like something you'd see out of a painting, all obsidian armor and blue cloth, but her instincts told her these things were dangerous. Even with Gianduja at her side, she wasn't completely confident that she'd come out unscathed. She'd still still win, of course, but it wouldn't be flawless.
Finding the man of the hour was surprisingly hard. His handiwork was everywhere. She could barely walk five steps without seeing something else he changed around the school. Gilded walls, patrolling knights, stained glass windows (that were bulletproof, judging by some of the comments she heard). And those were just the least insane bits. She didn't even want to think about the statues, the new turrets, and the freaking airship advertising the upcoming Vytal tournament.
That and Professor Goodwitch smiling. The woman was hot beyond belief, but that was terrifying.
None of the Professors said a peep about the changes. Whoever this Arc guy was, the Headmaster let him do whatever the hell he wanted, and he definitely took advantage of that. And judging by how...decorated everything was, Arc wasn't shy about sharing the wealth.
She remembered Ruby's nervous confession about infinite ammo and she smirked. Coco liked to think she was a generous person. Or at least, not a greedy one. She'd been raised well-off, but she never thought she was better than everyone else because of it. Okay, so maybe she had a bit of an ego problem, but that was because she was at the top of her year. It had nothing to do with being a spoiled rich kid like Schnee or Winchester.
It wasn't like she was expecting everything for nothing. She had money and connections that she was damn sure Arc would've been interested in. The Adels were New Money, which got them some looks from the other uptight assholes, but their accomplishments spoke for themselves. They were worth a hell of a lot more than people who coasted on their great great grandpa's whatever. Mom and Dad even encouraged her and her brothers to make their own mark on the world. Keep the streak going.
And she knew that having infinite ammo could help make that mark. Sure, anyone with a bottomless magazine would have an easier go of it, but she and Bun-Bun were the ones better off. Their weapons and Semblances were practically built with unlimited ammunition in mind. Not to knock Ruby, of course, but that rifle and her Semblance emphasized picking her shots instead of trying to win by volume of fire. With infinite ammo, she could take down an entire horde without a sweat and Bun-Bun could kick the ass of anyone at Beacon with both hands tied behind her back.
Finding Arc wasn't hard. She just had to follow the sounds of construction. Coco made her way to the center of the courtyard and stopped, arms crossed and whistling low at the sight of a new statue at the center. Not another one of Ruby. No, this one was a knight with its sword stabbed into the raised platform. The entire thing was made out of silver and gold that seemed to glow in the sunlight, its blue cape fluttering in the wind. He half-expected Roman Torchwick to swoop in out of nowhere and try to steal it.
Arc was at the base of the platform putting the finishing touches. Someone putting their emblem smack dab at the center might've been seen as gaudy for some, but Coco respected the hustle. When you rebuild the academy to make it even fancier than an Atlas villa, you deserved to have an ego.
Time to lay on the charm.
"Hey." She crossed her arms and gave the blonde a lopsided smirk, leaning against the raised stone platform. People were ignoring him for now, but he didn't expect that to last. Eventually, people would get curious enough, and talking to him wouldn't seem as intimidating. She had to get to him early, "Nice statue."
"Thanks!" He looked back at her with a boyish grin. It was charming, in that 'nice country boy' kind of way, but Coco wasn't interested. At least not that way, "The headmaster said I could tweak the courtyard a bit." Coco raised a brow. This was what he called 'a bit'? She'd love to see the guy when he was going all out, "I asked the professors and they agreed to it too. If the students don't like it, I can just move it somewhere."
"I don't think anyone's gonna complain." She laughed under her breath, "I thought you'd make another statue of Ruby."
"Well, I did ask her, but she said the one in the cafeteria was enough already." He shrugged. Coco raised both brows. Wow, this guy must've had it bad for her. Poor Weiss. She'd seen the Schnee malding whenever she saw Ruby's statue. Probably a sore blow for someone with her ego to not get a statue over her teammate, "Eh, doesn't matter. Name's Jaune, by the way. You're...?"
"Adel. Coco Adel." She offered him a hand, which he took. Her eyes scanned his for any trace of recognition and found none. Huh, surprising. The Adels were pretty (in)famous even outside the city. Their fashion line catered to a wide variety of people from the upper elites of Atlas to the rugged survivalists outside the walls. It made sense. Some brands only cared about having the biggest price tag whereas their family understood that variety was the spice of life. And lasagna.
"Nice to meet you." He pulled his hand back and looked back up at the statue, "Hm...what do you think? Too lowkey?"
"Not the word I'd use." Coco chuckled, "This looks pretty fancy already."
"Really? I didn't put in any diamonds." She blinked. He said that...way too casually. Then again, why was she surprised? She was working up to ask him to give her and Bun-Bun infinite ammo, "I wanted to make functional too. You know, so it can act as a defense system if they really needed it?"
"I think we'll be fine." Who would be dumb enough to attack Beacon, of all places? "So hey, while you're here, I wanna bend your ear."
"Hm? Need something?" He didn't even look surprised or annoyed. Good.
"Yeah." She uncrossed her arms and stopped leaning against the wall. May as well shoot her shot, right? "So...I talked to Ruby. She talked you up. Lot of good things. She was practically bouncing with that upgrade you gave her."
"Oh, that was nice of her." He laughed and rubbed the back of his, the very picture of a well-meaning country boy, "I'm glad she enjoyed it, but triple-shot is only a little complicated to put into a weapon. Really, I was lucky that Crescent Rose was so well-built. The better made a weapon is, the easier it is to put in enchantments. Doesn't matter if it's a bow or a sniper rifle. Shoddy builds will just reject any upgrades put into it." Well, that wouldn't be a problem for her and Bun-Bun. Gianduja and Anesidora were top quality.
"Speaking of upgrades." Coco rolled her shoulders. She had to sell this just right, "I was wondering...are you open to requests?"
"What do you mean?"
"I mean for certain other people who are interested in expanding their arsenal." She looked at him over the rim of her shades, lips quirked in a cocky smile.
"Those 'certain people' being yourself?" Jaune asked, smiling back lightly. Another good sign.
"Well, me and a friend. Velvet. You'd love her." She unfurled Gianduja, easily carrying it with one hand despite its size. Jaune's eyes widened ever so slightly, "Gianduja here is a real ammo hog, Lots of bullets downrange, but it's not cheap." Beacon gave her a stipend of bullets from the armory, but she wouldn't have that once she graduated. Huntsmen came with a lot of perks - fame, money, lucrative contracts - but that meant they also had to be self-sufficient. Some Huntsmen thought otherwise - thinking they deserved to be reimbursed - but they were a vocal minority. Still, at the rate she was going, she'd need to be careful not to break even after doing contracts.
Hopefully, Arc could change that.
"Woah. A minigun. Never seen a Huntsman with that before." He put a hand on his chin and bent over, poring over the side of Anesidora's casing, "Yeah, I can see why ammo would be an issue. Miniguns are mounted weapons for a reason. It's not really practical even for Huntsmen to use them as a primary weapon." Yeah, that was what her big brother said. His experience? Playing Call of Valor, "What about your friend's weapon?"
"Anesidora. It's a camera." To his credit, Arc didn't look at all surprised by that, "Long story short, her camera stores Hard-Light Dust that she can use to make copies of weapons. Normally that wouldn't be that impressive - most Huntsmen train for a single weapon with a backup just in case - but Bun-Bun's Semblance allows her to copy the moves of anyone as long as she has a copy of their weapon. She's a one-man army." Coco grinned proudly, "Problem is that Hard-Light Dust is expensive. Poor girl has to keep every pinch of it she can."
"Yeah, I can see the problem." He shook his head sympathetically.
"Knew you would." Coco hummed, "She's not the only one whose Semblance buffs up her weapon. Mine makes Dust stronger. You ever wanna see a Nevermore get split in half, you should see me in action." She didn't see the point of being humble. If you had it, own it, "So yeah, we really need help. We'd be way more effective Huntresses if we didn't have to constantly worry about running dry or gouging ourselves to keep our weapons fed. Especially Velvet."
"Hm." He pulled back, hand still on his chin, "So you two are asking for a triple-shot enchantment? I guess I can do that. I've got the proper materials for it."
Coco had to resist the urge to fist bump. Damn, that was easy. She could've been satisfied with that - a lot of people would be - but Coco was never one to settle for second best. She wanted to be the best Huntress on Remnant, not the one who almost reached the top. Yeah, getting a three-for-one deal on her ammo was great, but she knew she could have more. She could already imagine firing Gianduja without stopping, tearing through an entire horde like they were nothing.
She had to shoot her shot.
"Actually..." she started slowly, smile turning to a full-on smirk, "I heard something else from Ruby. She let it slip that the three-for-one was just the first upgrade you were giving her. You know what I'm talking about, right?"
"You mean Infinity." His brows furrowed and he crossed his arms. He didn't say anything, but she felt the air around them turn just a bit colder, "That's a much harder upgrade. With triple-shot, I've already got the materials lying around, but getting the right stuff for Infinity will be a lot harder. That damn tree doesn't like to give up its stuff. If I'm unlucky, it could take me a week to get everything I need. And that's just for Ruby."
"Come on, it shouldn't be that much trouble, right?" Coco said, "If you're already going to get it for Ruby, I'm sure you can squeeze me and Bun-Bun in. We'd really appreciate it." He still looked doubtful, "And it's not like I'm asking for nothing. Not sure if you know this, but the Adels are pretty well-off. We've got money and connections, something anyone could use. You want the backing of a fashion juggernaut? All it'll take is a couple of weeks of work. Sounds like a good deal to me."
"Ah...yeah." Jaune rubbed the back of his head again, "Look. I'll tell you this right now. I don't really need money or 'connections'. Domremy's self-sufficient and money...well, if I need money I'd sell some of my old stuff that's just gathering Dust. Fashion's not really a big thing outside the walls either. Function over form and all that." He shrugged, "Sure, I make my creations fancy, but they still do what they're supposed to above all else."
"The Adel brand agrees. Our 'homesteader' catalog is both practical and fashionable," she said smoothly, "Okay, so no money, but I'm sure we can work out something else. A guy like you must want something."
"Unless you can make that tree drop more of its resin, I doubt it." He shook his head, "Look...I can see why you're doing this. Your weapons do sound like they'd really benefit from Infinity, but I only agreed to go get that for Ruby. Honestly, I don't really like the fact that you heard about it and you decided to just ask me for a couple of copies before I even got one for Ruby."
"Oh come on, it's not that big of a deal, right? I've seen the stuff you've built." She gestured to a passing knight, "Come on, it wouldn't even be a dent for you."
"Huh. Alright, so...if some stranger came up to you asking for two weeks' worth of labor after maybe five minutes of conversation, would you do it?"
"That's...different." Coco winced. When you put it like that she did sound like an entitled bitch about the whole thing, "I mean come on, you're doing it for Ruby, right?"
"I offered. She didn't ask me for it." He shook his head, "Look, I made the offer for triple-shot, and I'm starting to have my doubts about even that." Coco winced, "I'm all about being generous and helping people, but there's a difference between giving help and having someone demand it from you. Especially from a stranger." She...couldn't argue that, "Listen, I gotta go. I guess it was nice to meet you, but maybe next time, don't meet people just cause you want something from them?"
Coco flinched like she'd been hit and watched as Arc walked away. Damn, now she felt like an ass. She took off her beret and ran a hand through her hair. That went horribly. She sighed and looked up at the sky briefly before slapping both cheeks. She wouldn't give up. Arc was right, but that didn't mean she was gonna stop. There had to be something she could offer him. Something that a guy like him would want. Make the trade more equal.
There had to be something.
Blake watched with a faint smile on her face as Jaune helped her hand out food and other necessities. Ever since he arrived in Vale, he'd been running around non-stop. Whether it was rebuilding the damages from Team RWBY's (justified) escapades or making additions to the school, Jaune did it with an almost infectious gusto. It proved that he was both a hard worker and a selfless one. She knew he wasn't getting paid for any of it. He didn't have to say it. Jaune had enough material wealth on his own that the Headmaster couldn't offer him anything that he couldn't get on his own, and yet he still chose to spend his time on a task with no reward.
It was even more proof that she'd chosen the right man to help save the Faunus.
Yesterday, she'd dropped a subtle hint to Jaune that maybe they could help in the slums. His work at Beacon was great, of course, but what about those who needed his help the most? Jaune agreed and they made plans for the next day.
The slums she'd chosen were particularly bad. The majority of the denizens were Faunus, though there was an odd smattering of Humans every now and then. It was a sad reality that even amongst the poor and destitute, some had even less than the others. The have-nots for the have-nots. Faunus were that demographic. One would think that only the elite and wealthy would have prejudice, but that was an idealistic lie. The poor were just as quick to show prejudice. Sometimes even moreso. It helped distract them from their lot in life and made them feel better about themselves. They may have been destitute, but at least they weren't those guys.
Jaune was generous, as expected. He'd handed out food and drinks, and even built a couple of greenhouses in the empty, unused lots (she didn't want to think about the property law right then and there). The fast-growing food she saw was a bit harder. Apparently, that was part of the special property of Domremy's soil that he worked on for a while, but Domremy had a pretty big stockpile that he used a portal to deliver.
The sight of the people in shock and then their subsequent relief was a balm to her soul. This was what the White Fang had been during her early years. Yes, they were violent when they needed to be, but they also cared about the Faunus as more than just a message. But down the line, she wasn't sure when, things had changed. Charity work became less and less frequent, used only for the sake of propaganda and gathering loyal recruits. Everything else was just violence and fear.
She shook her head, banishing the heavy thoughts. That wasn't the point. The point of this was to show Jaune how good it felt to help people. Help Faunus. She wasn't against helping Humans, of course, but the Faunus had to come first. They'd been waiting far too long.
"Here you go, little guy." Jaune handed a bag full of goodies to a Wolf Faunus that looked maybe nine or ten. The boy smiled and thanked him before scurrying off to join his friends. The sight made Blake's heart flutter just a bit. Even back in the early days, Adam never did something like that. Oh, he approved of it, but he always kept his distance. He was a warrior, he said. His time was better spent in the fight over doing charity.
Jaune was looking more and more appealing by the day. Anyone else would've become greedy or apathetic, only caring about how that power could benefit themselves. Jaune...cared, and that was a (sadly) rare thing to see.
She helped Jaune hand out more supplies. It was...nice, even if it wasn't exactly her plan. Yes, she did it to show him how amazing it felt to help the Faunus in need, but she also planned to appeal to him personally. A man and a woman, working together for the good of others. So many love stories started with less. Now that she knew she couldn't just appeal to him by being in his presence, she changed her plan. Something that could guarantee her success
Be in his presence while doing something. It was foolproof.
Blake wiped the nonexistent sweat from her brow and fanned her neck, giving Jaune the side-eye. He wasn't looking. Damn it. Maybe she could-
"Oh, Blake, fancy running into you here."
Her head snapped in the direction of the voice and she scowled when she saw Weiss. The heiress looked hilariously out of place in the slums, her pristine white dress and polished heels a stark contrast to her dirty, desolate surroundings. She and Jaune weren't exactly ragged, but they didn't stick out quite as much as the heiress to the SDC. It didn't help that she was being flanked by a dozen men in dark suits, all of whom were pushing carts filled with boxes.
She saw the way the people shrunk back and she glared, "Weiss, what are you doing here?"
"Just doing a little charity work." She looked past her to Jaune, "Oh, Jaune! You're here as well?"
"Huh? Oh! Hey, Weiss!" He patted another kid's head then walked towards her, "Yeah, me and Blake were helping out." He gestured to the stockpile of food and the newly built greenhouses, "What are you doing here?"
"Doing my part." She snapped her fingers and the suited men quickly began to hand out the boxes, "What you're both doing is very generous, but I had other worries. The people here can't afford to pay the bills for things such as power, and they're sorely lacking in Dust. I thought that maybe giving some away would help. Fire dust to keep them warm, Electric Dust to power their necessities. A little bit goes a long way."
"Huh. Yeah, I guess so." Jaune nodded, clearly impressed, "Good thinking, Weiss!"
"Yeah...how generous of you," Blake said through gritted teeth.
"Merely doing my part." Weiss preened. All across them, stone-faced men in suits practically shoved the Dust into the hands of the intimidated Faunus, "I wish I could do more, but sadly, it took everything I had to convince Father to give even this much. And even then, he only cared because he saw the possibility of positive publicity for him."
"That's...pretty selfish. No offense."
"Oh, I agree. Father is a very self-interested man. He doesn't do anything for the sake of generosity. There has to be a return on investment for everything." Her lips pursed bitterly before she sighed and put a hand on her cheek. Fucking drama queen, "Oh, if only I had more control of the company, I could do so much more. People wouldn't have to fight over a single Fire Dust crystal so they don't freeze in the night. The world would be a much better place."
Blake's eyes narrowed. The audacity of her.
"Yeah, that sounds really good." Jaune nodded again, arms crossed.
"I'm glad you think so." Wess practically purred. It took everything Blake had to not pounce on the other woman and wipe that smile off her face, "Actually, perhaps you could-"
"There you two are!" A squeaky voice interrupted. Blake let out a sigh of relief and subtly returned Gambol Shroud to its sheath at the sight of Ruby stomping up to them with Yang lazily following behind her. She was about to stab a bitch...what? Weiss had Aura, she could take it.
She tuned out Ruby's accusations towards her partner and sighed. This was way harder than it needed to be. Why couldn't Jaune just fall in love with her? Life would be so much simpler that way.
Ozpin kept his face carefully neutral as he sat behind his desk. Per James' request, he'd called Mr. Arc back to his office for a chat. He stayed in the room, more to keep an eye on things than anything else. Per their agreement, Ozpin would be here only to watch and not interfere with his appeal, which he agreed to. He knew from their first meeting that the young man could more than take care of himself, but James was...headstrong. He was a man who was used to getting what he wanted by virtue of his position. And while he would've despised being compared to someone like Jacques Schnee, there were a few similarities.
The main difference was, of course, that James truly did believe he acted for the good of all rather than his own selfish desires. And while Ozpin sympathized with his desire to save as many as he could, James was also stubborn and believed his way was the only correct way.
...
Though, perhaps judging him on that was hypocritical.
James stood with his arms folded behind his back, his face a mask of stone. Across from him, Mr. Arc regarded James with a sort of cautious optimism. It didn't take a genius to figure out that James was no ordinary man, "Mr. Arc. A pleasure to meet you." James offered a hand, which Jaune took. The handshake was firm but brief, "I've heard many things about you."
"People seem to do that a lot. Hear things about me, I mean." His smile was crooked.
"You leave quite an impression given your... abilities." Powers, gifts, miracles, "And from what Oz told me, you're also aware of what we face."
"You're talking about Salem, right?" Mr. Arc asked. James nodded grimly, "Yeah...I mean, a part of me still can't believe it, you know? An immortal queen of the Grimm that wants to destroy all of us. I thought that maybe the Headmaster was just making stuff up cause I was gonna leave, but I guess I wanted to give him the benefit of the doubt. No way he just came up with that stuff on the spot. Too many details."
"I felt the same when he first told me the truth." James turned his head and their eyes met, "It sounds like the plot of a dark fairy tale, but Salem is all too real."
"I'm guessing that's why you called me here."
"Indeed." James nodded stiffly, "I won't mince words, Mr. Arc. Your skills are extraordinary. Far more than anything I've seen in my short time in this world." Ozpin raised a brow. Subtle flattery wasn't usually James' style, "And I believe that with the right direction, you can achieve great things."
"Direction?" Jaune crossed his arms, expression neutral.
"Yes." To his credit, James continued on the same track, "I've seen the things you can do, the things you've done. It's both amazing and terrifying in equal measure. Do you understand the power you wield? You turned a village into a burgeoning kingdom in just six months' time. And you did so with no help from anyone else. Even the architects that created Mantle would burn in envy if they saw what you did. You did in months what would take years if not decades."
"That still doesn't tell me what you want."
"Come with me to Atlas." Ozpin barely held himself back from laughing. He knew James was brazen, but that was above and beyond even his expectations, "You have a gift, Mr. Arc, one that has to be used to its full potential. Atlas can help with that."
"I've been doing fine on my own so far."
"And you can do better in Atlas. Mr. Arc. Jaune. You know the truth about Salem. Oz believes that the Huntsmen will be enough to win this war, but I have my doubts. If we truly wish to end her plans, the only clear choice we have is to overpower her. Atlas can do that. We have the strongest army, and the most powerful naval fleet, and our technology surpasses every other kingdom. With your help, we could have the strength to defeat Salem and ensure future generations will be secured."
The room was quiet after that. Ozpin regarded his friend with a slight frown. He admired James' belief that Salem could be stopped, but that admiration was also tinged with guilt. He didn't know the truth. None of them did. Salem could not be killed. He'd tried again and again and again.
...And yet perhaps Mr. Arc gave them a chance.
Mr. Arc sighed and ran a hand through his hair, "General Ironwood, I promised the Headmaster I'd help him, and I agreed because what he was asking for was about reinforcing Vale and Beacon. What exactly are you asking for."
"To use your gifts for Atlas." Ozpin sighed. For a straightforward man, James had a bad habit of phrasing things through Atlesian pride, "Helping the army would be tantamount. Those weapons and armor, despite appearing less advanced than our own, clearly surpasses our capabilities. Much as it shames me to admit it." He grimaced, "We'll also need you to create more of those Knights for us. A platoon to start with. I've also heard from Ms. Soleil that you gifted Ms. Rose with an 'enchantment' for her weapon. Outfitting the army with that would be useful."
"Woah, woah. Hold on a second." Mr. Arc put a hand up, "Are you telling to drop everything and just move to Atlas to do all that?"
"Yes." Ozpin shook his head. He didn't know whether to respect or pity James' certainty, "You will be well-compensated for your efforts, and as both General of the army and the Headmaster of Atlas Academy, you can-"
"Okay, stop right there." For the first time since he'd met him, Mr. Arc sounded exasperated, "Let's get this out of the way. I don't need money, or 'connections', or favors. I'm willing to work for those if I need to, but you're not the first person trying to offer those things to me and I don't think you're gonna be the last." His shoulders sagged, "I don't need any of the things you're offering, General. Or if I did, I would ask for an exchange first, not the other way around."
"Is that a refusal?"
"I mean...I'll help you out since you're on the same side as the Headmaster, but I'm not, you know, doing all of that."
"I see."
There was a pregnant silence that stretched for seconds. Ozpin closed his eyes and inhaled softly. He'd warned James that the young man wouldn't be amenable to the usual offers, but he didn't listen. Neither did the council or, as he expected, anyone else who sought out Mr. Arc's abilities for their own benefit.
He assumed the meeting was over before James suddenly spoke up again, "You have a gift, Mr. Arc. One that you're obliged to use for the good of your kingdom." Mr. Arc looked confused while Ozpin groaned. Oh dear, it seemed as if James had short-circuited. Possibly literally. Money had failed and Mr. Arc cared not for his two council seats, so he defaulted to what he usually used: pride in one's Atlesian heritage.
There was just one problem...
"Uh...I'm not Atlesian?" Jaune shifted from one foot to another, "Technically, I'm not even Valean either. I was born outside the walls."
...
"It is your duty to help your kingdom."
"James, I think that's enough."Ozpin sighed and stood, "Mr. Arc has agreed to help you. Perhaps not as much as you wish he did, but he's helping regardless. That's more than what many can say." The Council would not be pleased when they were refused. James was a stubborn man, and a bit of a control freak besides, but he truly did care for the greater good. The same couldn't be said for many on the council, "I suggest we end it here lest Mr. Arc rescinds his offer."
"...Exactly what help are you willing to give?" James asked slowly.
Before Mr. Arc could respond, the door to the room slid open and Winter Schnee stepped inside. Her posture was stiff and her brows were furrowed as she regarded them all, "Sir. I just received a troubling report."
"Go ahead, Specialist."
"Should we discuss the details elsewhere?" Her eyes lingered on Jaune.
"No. Provided it doesn't concern crucial military secrets."
"No, it's a recent incident." She sighed and handed him her scroll. There's been a sudden surge of Grimm in the western territories. Many of our convoys were attacked. No survivors." Ozpin's brow furrowed while James frowned. A plot from Salem or just sheer bad luck? "The cargo contained food and Dust meant for the allied settlements."
Settlements in Atlas were a different beast compared to the other kingdoms. While some were independent, that was more an exception than the rule. Solitas' harsh weather meant that farming was much more difficult. Huge swathes of Atlas were reserved just for farmland. Atlas sent food to outlying settlements in exchange for anything from services to luxury products. Some saw it as too authoritarian, but just as many would argue it was sensible.
"We'll need to dip into the food reserves." James pursed his lips. They would also need to get replacement Dust, which meant talking with Jacques Schnee. Ozpin could tell that the idea didn't appeal to him.
Unexpectedly, it was Jaune who spoke next, "You guys need food and Dust?"
"Yes." James nodded grimly, "I can dip into the reserves, but the rest of the Council won't be happy, and I'm sure Jacques will find some way to gouge us for the Dust we need."
"Hm...not sure if I can help with the Dust just yet, but if it's food and other stuff you need, I can help." James blinked, as did Winter, "You guys said it was for places outside Atlas, right? We can't let them starve. I can help."
"And...what would you want in exchange?" James asked.
"I mean, I'll do it even without that, but since you're offering..." Jaune put a hand on his chin before he suddenly smiled. He pointed to the the window behind his desk which showed a view of the Emerald Forest. And past that, far into the distance to be barely a blip, were the remains of Mt. Glenn. A constant reminder of Vale's failure to expand past their walls, "If you have some ships to spare, I'd appreciate it. Something to help carry goods and people."
"We do, but what exactly are you..."
"You're planning to retake Mt. Glenn," Ozpin said. James and Winter looked at him questioningly while Jaune grinned, "I suppose I can't fault you for your ambition, Mr. Arc." He chuckled under his breath.
"Retake Mt. Glenn." James shook his head, "Do you even have the manpower to do such a thing?"
"I've got that covered."
Back in Domremy, far beneath the castle Jaune called home, hundreds upon hundreds of Knights lay dormant, each of them waiting for the order of their master.
Jaune's got plans, and they're gonna interfere with the canon. White Fang and Kevin won't know what hit them. Baalbuddy Huntress fic already out for supporters. Poor guys have to deal with no rizz Huntresses trying to hook up with them.
Next chapter will likely have more romance and harem stuff. Probably focus a bit more on Pyrrha and Penny (latter isn't part of the harem though).
Wanna help support me (and gain access to chapters a week or two early)? Then check out the link below:
Patreon.com/Vendetta543
Questions:
1. Who do you guys wanna see interact with Jaune next and why? Either a character or a faction as a whole? The commissioner has final say, of course, but I'm curious all the same. Maybe the White Fang now that Ironwood (and Atlas by extension) had their shot?
2. Do you guys think Jaune should've agreed to go all-in on empowering Atlas like Ironwood wanted or was he right to say no?
Also got another futa Weiss comm that's a crossover with Cyberpunk 2077 where Weiss fucks Rebecca stupid. We'll see where that goes.
Anyway, hope you guys enjoy this chapter. More plot setup.
Reader Note - Got people asking if this fic is dead. Nope. One this is a commission fic so updates can be sometimes sporadic, and two this was posted early for supporters. Please be patient. I've been doing a couple other stuff. I'm also writing up the 'Minecraft Jaune: Faunus Edition' omake where Jaune is a Faunus and the butterfly effect that has, so even if the main story is sometimes sporadic, we still have some content.
For anyone interested in making a commission, email me at: storylover543@gmail.com
Chapter 7: Unstoppable Force Meets Immovable Object
Ozpin had made countless friends over his long existence. Some of them he mourned even up to now while others had faded from memory. It wasn't due to any fault on their part. As many would tell you, drifting apart was a sadly all too common occurrence in life. Many friendships made in Huntsman academies didn't withstand the test of time. Competition, tragedies, or even just the passing of time led to the fraying of bonds. Ten or twenty years down the line, friendships promised to be lifelong slipped from one's mind. It didn't happen all the time, of course, but it occurred more than people wanted to admit.
Ozpin couldn't be faulted for not remembering all of his friends. He'd lived countless lives, some cut short while others (rarely) ended with him surrounded on his deathbed by people who knew that it was all a farce. And yet they continued the ritual regardless, perhaps out of a sense of proprietary. With so many decades - centuries - it was hard to blame him for not remembering all the ones he'd forged a bond with. The bonds were real, but they weren't eternal. Nothing truly was.
...
So with that in mind, please believe him when he said that he would NEVER be able to forget James Ironwood. The migraines he could would continue to stifle him unto eternity.
Ozpin sipped his mug of hot chocolate as one of his closest friends (in this life, at least) paced in front of his desk like a disapproved schoolmarm. It was a tactic he'd used himself time and again, though he found some ironic humor in being on the other end. Not that he felt ashamed, of course. James was a dear friend, one he trusted despite their numerous disagreements, but he didn't much care if the man had the entirety of Atlas' army under his command. He remembered when he was still a brash teenager with dreams of making a difference.
Of course, he was also a man whose Semblance literally weaponized his stubbornness. He knew that Semblances were unexplainable. They could be boons or burdens with no rhyme or reason as to why, and yet some had it worse off than others. A Semblance that made you expel a noxious stink was nothing compared to constant bad luck or one that drove you into single-minded, near-suicidal stubbornness.
Off to the side, Glynda watched the two of them with a pinched expression. James had been uncharacteristically quiet since Ozpin had arrived. Probably trying to make him squirm with the wait. Well, it wouldn't work. Ozpin had once kept one of his old allies in the hot seat for a month. Oh, poor Sebastian was practically a broken man by the time Ozpin finally spoke. Perhaps it was cruel of him, but Sebastian had broken his trust and deserved fitting retribution.
It took him another lifetime before he could taste hot chocolate again without feeling dirty.
"So..." James started, voice in that disapproving rumble that made many an Atlesian soldier wet their trousers, "When were you planning to tell me about our new...ally."
"In due time." Another sip.
"And when would that be?" James pursed his lips, arms crossed behind his back so stiffly that he could've sworn he heard a creak, "Before or after every other kingdom on Remnant found out first?"
"Before, James." Ozpin sighed and set his mug down, "I told you after I 'hired' Mr. Arc that we needed to talk. You were busy." Not that he blamed him for that, of course. James was a busy man. His two council seats may have given him influence and power, but it was not a 'do nothing' job, "Talking about the details over a message hardly seemed proper."
"And exposing our new 'ally' for everyone to gawk at is a good idea?"
"I couldn't exactly hide him. People would question how I managed to get the cafeteria, docks, and highway repaired within a few days." He ignored Glynda's cutting remark about how that was only because he refused to show Team RWBY the meaning of consequences. Details, details, "If I hid him and he was found out - and make no mistake, he would have been discovered - the other Councilors would band together to remove me from my seat. I don't have the luxury of two seats and the soft power of the army. The Huntsmen respect me, but they don't have the loyalty your soldiers do to you."
"One wonders whose fault that is," Ozpin said nothing. He knew all too well James' feelings on keeping the Huntsmen and Army separated.
"There's no use hiding him regardless. She already knows he exists."
James' eyes narrowed, brows furrowing in worry, "Has she sent any of her agents after him?"
"Mr. Arc has been attacked by various Grimm types since establishing his kingdom." He saw James frown at the word. Kingdom. He could already see the gears turning in James' head, "Kingdoms attacking settlements are not a rare occurrence, but from what Mr. Arc has told me - and he has no reason to lie - this can only be the work of Salem. She's sending hordes after him, and if not for Mr. Arc's powerful constructs, I'm certain she would've taken his life already."
"What about her non-Grimm agents?"
"So far there has been nothing unusual, at least according to him. Though, that doesn't tell us much. We don't know Salem's agents...except for Callows." The madman did nothing to hide. No, he was brazen in his attacks, treating his infamy as a source of devotion, "I've suggested that Mr. Arc take precautions and he's taken it under consideration. And...personally, I believe Salem's agents will have a difficult time if assassination is their goal." The young man hadn't shown him all of his tricks, but he showed him enough. Once more he wondered if Jaune Arc truly had a Semblance or if it went far deeper than that.
"Hm..." He started pacing again, "He knows about Salem then?"
"He knows enough." Not about her immortality...though perhaps he might soon. It was a secret he'd told no one in his years of existence, and yet Jaune Arc's abilities had given him something he hadn't felt in centuries: hope.
"And the council?"
"What you'd expect." Ozpin sighed, letting the years show on his face for a brief moment, "Entitled and expectant. I told them that Mr. Arc is helping me as a personal favor and that I hold no true leverage or sway over him, and yet they believe they can convince him. They're all too used to being able to get their way." He was sure they would try to offer money and connections, completely ignoring his warnings that those mattered little to someone in Jaune's position. It was like offering water to a man with his own lake.
"Hm..." James said again. Ozpin silently refilled his mug. Despite judging the councilors for their short-sightedness, he could already tell that James was planning the same thing. Oh, but it would be different when he did it. He would do it for the greater good (though he was sure Atlas would be the first beneficiary). As much as Ozpin wished to judge him, he'd also attempted to make an alliance with the young man under false pretenses, so he had no room to be high and mighty.
Power had a habit of making fools of them all.
"I wish to talk with this young man."
And there it was.
"Do you believe that you'll have better luck than the Valean council?" Ozpin raised a brow.
"Of course, I will." He nodded, face knotted in distaste as if being compared to them was physically sickening, "I'm not doing it for the sake of petty corruption. We're all allied against Salem and wish to stop her plans."
"On that, we're agreed, but that doesn't mean that Mr. Arc will be amenable to every demand." He steepled his fingers together, "I'll tell you what I told the council, James. Mr. Arc is receiving almost nothing in exchange for his help. No money, no connections, and no favors. I offered these things to him and he refused. Do you know why? Because he doesn't need or want these things. That is what I wish for you to understand. Jaune Arc is a man who wants for nothing and has everything. He's holding all the cards. The only thing he accepted was being trained by Ms. Nikos, and I believe he only agreed to that offer due to his admiration for Huntsmen."
"You make him sound like some sort of golem. He's Human, Ozpin."
"Sometimes, I doubt that." He leaned back on his seat, "I won't stop you from making your case, of course, but you do need to temper your expectations."
"I can be convincing." James smiled grimly, "A stronger Atlas is a better chance against that witch." There it was. James, for all his brilliance, was a man who saw Salem as a nail and Atlas as the hammer. He couldn't blame him for it, however. He had no idea of the truth of her immortality. From his perspective, a big enough gun should be able to kill her, "I've read the reports from Ms. Soleil. These Knights are...intriguing. Better than even the Atlesian Paladins, much as it shames me to say."
"If you're expecting him to share, you'll be disappointed." Ozpin hummed, "Mr. Arc is...quite protective of his belongings. I'm sure he'll loan them to you, but that's about all I'd expect."
"Like I said, I can be persuasive." He raised his left hand and checked his watch, "I have to return for now, Atlas' own council is...deliberating about Mr. Arc, but I'll be back in three days. Make sure to have Mr. Arc here by then, would you?"
"But of course." Ozpin's smile was razor-thin.
James turned and left without another word. Ozpin released a soft breath while Glynda hummed, "You know that he won't be satisfied till he has Mr. Arc's full loyalty. I expect James thinks he'll be able to convince Mr. Arc to put his gifts primarily for the benefit of Atlas."
"I do not doubt that. I can only hope that he takes rejection well."
"Hm." Glynda hummed again, "James won't be taking him. Not over my cold, dead body."
...
"Is there something you wish to tell me, Glynda?"
"Only that he created an automaton that helped do the paperwork. Both mine and the ones you should be doing." Ozpin looked away and whistled innocently, "I triple-checked everything and found that it was perfect. It can't do everything perfectly, of course, but for the tedious busywork? It's flawless. For the first time in years, I've gotten a full eight hours of sleep." Her smile was chilling, "So yes, Mr. Arc will not be leaving here. And if James insists, I shall...have words with him."
"Don't you think you're exaggerating a tad?"
Glynda stared at him with chilling, emotionless eyes, "I've only known Mr. Arc for three days, but if anything happened to him, I would kill everyone in Beacon and then myself. Is that clear?"
...
"I see." He downed his hot chocolate in one gulp. Power...it truly was the nectar that made madmen of them all.
Coco walked through the school with a perpetual raised brow. Not literally - that was a faux-pas she wouldn't be able to live down - but close enough. Her usual cool, collected demeanor was a bit more brittle than usual as she looked around. She knew this Arc guy was a miracle worker. She'd seen the cafeteria and the videos about him repairing the docks and highway that got trashed by some psychos (she had no idea why Beacon cared about that stuff, but whatever).
Still, it was one thing to see that and another to watch the 15-foot-tall knights wandering around the place. Her eyes looked the looming figures up and down and she whistled faintly. The things looked impressive. A lot of old armor was ornate, sure, but they had an impracticality to them that meant actually using the things in a fight was pointless. They were more for posing than fighting. Huntsmen being able to dress however the hell they wanted and look good while killing Grimm was a testament to how good they were. There was a reason that the Atlesian military wore those drab white outfits. It took skill to kick ass looking that good.
The knights felt different. They looked like something you'd see out of a painting, all obsidian armor and blue cloth, but her instincts told her these things were dangerous. Even with Gianduja at her side, she wasn't completely confident that she'd come out unscathed. She'd still still win, of course, but it wouldn't be flawless.
Finding the man of the hour was surprisingly hard. His handiwork was everywhere. She could barely walk five steps without seeing something else he changed around the school. Gilded walls, patrolling knights, stained glass windows (that were bulletproof, judging by some of the comments she heard). And those were just the least insane bits. She didn't even want to think about the statues, the new turrets, and the freaking airship advertising the upcoming Vytal tournament.
That and Professor Goodwitch smiling. The woman was hot beyond belief, but that was terrifying.
None of the Professors said a peep about the changes. Whoever this Arc guy was, the Headmaster let him do whatever the hell he wanted, and he definitely took advantage of that. And judging by how...decorated everything was, Arc wasn't shy about sharing the wealth.
She remembered Ruby's nervous confession about infinite ammo and she smirked. Coco liked to think she was a generous person. Or at least, not a greedy one. She'd been raised well-off, but she never thought she was better than everyone else because of it. Okay, so maybe she had a bit of an ego problem, but that was because she was at the top of her year. It had nothing to do with being a spoiled rich kid like Schnee or Winchester.
It wasn't like she was expecting everything for nothing. She had money and connections that she was damn sure Arc would've been interested in. The Adels were New Money, which got them some looks from the other uptight assholes, but their accomplishments spoke for themselves. They were worth a hell of a lot more than people who coasted on their great great grandpa's whatever. Mom and Dad even encouraged her and her brothers to make their own mark on the world. Keep the streak going.
And she knew that having infinite ammo could help make that mark. Sure, anyone with a bottomless magazine would have an easier go of it, but she and Bun-Bun were the ones better off. Their weapons and Semblances were practically built with unlimited ammunition in mind. Not to knock Ruby, of course, but that rifle and her Semblance emphasized picking her shots instead of trying to win by volume of fire. With infinite ammo, she could take down an entire horde without a sweat and Bun-Bun could kick the ass of anyone at Beacon with both hands tied behind her back.
Finding Arc wasn't hard. She just had to follow the sounds of construction. Coco made her way to the center of the courtyard and stopped, arms crossed and whistling low at the sight of a new statue at the center. Not another one of Ruby. No, this one was a knight with its sword stabbed into the raised platform. The entire thing was made out of silver and gold that seemed to glow in the sunlight, its blue cape fluttering in the wind. He half-expected Roman Torchwick to swoop in out of nowhere and try to steal it.
Arc was at the base of the platform putting the finishing touches. Someone putting their emblem smack dab at the center might've been seen as gaudy for some, but Coco respected the hustle. When you rebuild the academy to make it even fancier than an Atlas villa, you deserved to have an ego.
Time to lay on the charm.
"Hey." She crossed her arms and gave the blonde a lopsided smirk, leaning against the raised stone platform. People were ignoring him for now, but he didn't expect that to last. Eventually, people would get curious enough, and talking to him wouldn't seem as intimidating. She had to get to him early, "Nice statue."
"Thanks!" He looked back at her with a boyish grin. It was charming, in that 'nice country boy' kind of way, but Coco wasn't interested. At least not that way, "The headmaster said I could tweak the courtyard a bit." Coco raised a brow. This was what he called 'a bit'? She'd love to see the guy when he was going all out, "I asked the professors and they agreed to it too. If the students don't like it, I can just move it somewhere."
"I don't think anyone's gonna complain." She laughed under her breath, "I thought you'd make another statue of Ruby."
"Well, I did ask her, but she said the one in the cafeteria was enough already." He shrugged. Coco raised both brows. Wow, this guy must've had it bad for her. Poor Weiss. She'd seen the Schnee malding whenever she saw Ruby's statue. Probably a sore blow for someone with her ego to not get a statue over her teammate, "Eh, doesn't matter. Name's Jaune, by the way. You're...?"
"Adel. Coco Adel." She offered him a hand, which he took. Her eyes scanned his for any trace of recognition and found none. Huh, surprising. The Adels were pretty (in)famous even outside the city. Their fashion line catered to a wide variety of people from the upper elites of Atlas to the rugged survivalists outside the walls. It made sense. Some brands only cared about having the biggest price tag whereas their family understood that variety was the spice of life. And lasagna.
"Nice to meet you." He pulled his hand back and looked back up at the statue, "Hm...what do you think? Too lowkey?"
"Not the word I'd use." Coco chuckled, "This looks pretty fancy already."
"Really? I didn't put in any diamonds." She blinked. He said that...way too casually. Then again, why was she surprised? She was working up to ask him to give her and Bun-Bun infinite ammo, "I wanted to make functional too. You know, so it can act as a defense system if they really needed it?"
"I think we'll be fine." Who would be dumb enough to attack Beacon, of all places? "So hey, while you're here, I wanna bend your ear."
"Hm? Need something?" He didn't even look surprised or annoyed. Good.
"Yeah." She uncrossed her arms and stopped leaning against the wall. May as well shoot her shot, right? "So...I talked to Ruby. She talked you up. Lot of good things. She was practically bouncing with that upgrade you gave her."
"Oh, that was nice of her." He laughed and rubbed the back of his, the very picture of a well-meaning country boy, "I'm glad she enjoyed it, but triple-shot is only a little complicated to put into a weapon. Really, I was lucky that Crescent Rose was so well-built. The better made a weapon is, the easier it is to put in enchantments. Doesn't matter if it's a bow or a sniper rifle. Shoddy builds will just reject any upgrades put into it." Well, that wouldn't be a problem for her and Bun-Bun. Gianduja and Anesidora were top quality.
"Speaking of upgrades." Coco rolled her shoulders. She had to sell this just right, "I was wondering...are you open to requests?"
"What do you mean?"
"I mean for certain other people who are interested in expanding their arsenal." She looked at him over the rim of her shades, lips quirked in a cocky smile.
"Those 'certain people' being yourself?" Jaune asked, smiling back lightly. Another good sign.
"Well, me and a friend. Velvet. You'd love her." She unfurled Gianduja, easily carrying it with one hand despite its size. Jaune's eyes widened ever so slightly, "Gianduja here is a real ammo hog, Lots of bullets downrange, but it's not cheap." Beacon gave her a stipend of bullets from the armory, but she wouldn't have that once she graduated. Huntsmen came with a lot of perks - fame, money, lucrative contracts - but that meant they also had to be self-sufficient. Some Huntsmen thought otherwise - thinking they deserved to be reimbursed - but they were a vocal minority. Still, at the rate she was going, she'd need to be careful not to break even after doing contracts.
Hopefully, Arc could change that.
"Woah. A minigun. Never seen a Huntsman with that before." He put a hand on his chin and bent over, poring over the side of Anesidora's casing, "Yeah, I can see why ammo would be an issue. Miniguns are mounted weapons for a reason. It's not really practical even for Huntsmen to use them as a primary weapon." Yeah, that was what her big brother said. His experience? Playing Call of Valor, "What about your friend's weapon?"
"Anesidora. It's a camera." To his credit, Arc didn't look at all surprised by that, "Long story short, her camera stores Hard-Light Dust that she can use to make copies of weapons. Normally that wouldn't be that impressive - most Huntsmen train for a single weapon with a backup just in case - but Bun-Bun's Semblance allows her to copy the moves of anyone as long as she has a copy of their weapon. She's a one-man army." Coco grinned proudly, "Problem is that Hard-Light Dust is expensive. Poor girl has to keep every pinch of it she can."
"Yeah, I can see the problem." He shook his head sympathetically.
"Knew you would." Coco hummed, "She's not the only one whose Semblance buffs up her weapon. Mine makes Dust stronger. You ever wanna see a Nevermore get split in half, you should see me in action." She didn't see the point of being humble. If you had it, own it, "So yeah, we really need help. We'd be way more effective Huntresses if we didn't have to constantly worry about running dry or gouging ourselves to keep our weapons fed. Especially Velvet."
"Hm." He pulled back, hand still on his chin, "So you two are asking for a triple-shot enchantment? I guess I can do that. I've got the proper materials for it."
Coco had to resist the urge to fist bump. Damn, that was easy. She could've been satisfied with that - a lot of people would be - but Coco was never one to settle for second best. She wanted to be the best Huntress on Remnant, not the one who almost reached the top. Yeah, getting a three-for-one deal on her ammo was great, but she knew she could have more. She could already imagine firing Gianduja without stopping, tearing through an entire horde like they were nothing.
She had to shoot her shot.
"Actually..." she started slowly, smile turning to a full-on smirk, "I heard something else from Ruby. She let it slip that the three-for-one was just the first upgrade you were giving her. You know what I'm talking about, right?"
"You mean Infinity." His brows furrowed and he crossed his arms. He didn't say anything, but she felt the air around them turn just a bit colder, "That's a much harder upgrade. With triple-shot, I've already got the materials lying around, but getting the right stuff for Infinity will be a lot harder. That damn tree doesn't like to give up its stuff. If I'm unlucky, it could take me a week to get everything I need. And that's just for Ruby."
"Come on, it shouldn't be that much trouble, right?" Coco said, "If you're already going to get it for Ruby, I'm sure you can squeeze me and Bun-Bun in. We'd really appreciate it." He still looked doubtful, "And it's not like I'm asking for nothing. Not sure if you know this, but the Adels are pretty well-off. We've got money and connections, something anyone could use. You want the backing of a fashion juggernaut? All it'll take is a couple of weeks of work. Sounds like a good deal to me."
"Ah...yeah." Jaune rubbed the back of his head again, "Look. I'll tell you this right now. I don't really need money or 'connections'. Domremy's self-sufficient and money...well, if I need money I'd sell some of my old stuff that's just gathering Dust. Fashion's not really a big thing outside the walls either. Function over form and all that." He shrugged, "Sure, I make my creations fancy, but they still do what they're supposed to above all else."
"The Adel brand agrees. Our 'homesteader' catalog is both practical and fashionable," she said smoothly, "Okay, so no money, but I'm sure we can work out something else. A guy like you must want something."
"Unless you can make that tree drop more of its resin, I doubt it." He shook his head, "Look...I can see why you're doing this. Your weapons do sound like they'd really benefit from Infinity, but I only agreed to go get that for Ruby. Honestly, I don't really like the fact that you heard about it and you decided to just ask me for a couple of copies before I even got one for Ruby."
"Oh come on, it's not that big of a deal, right? I've seen the stuff you've built." She gestured to a passing knight, "Come on, it wouldn't even be a dent for you."
"Huh. Alright, so...if some stranger came up to you asking for two weeks' worth of labor after maybe five minutes of conversation, would you do it?"
"That's...different." Coco winced. When you put it like that she did sound like an entitled bitch about the whole thing, "I mean come on, you're doing it for Ruby, right?"
"I offered. She didn't ask me for it." He shook his head, "Look, I made the offer for triple-shot, and I'm starting to have my doubts about even that." Coco winced, "I'm all about being generous and helping people, but there's a difference between giving help and having someone demand it from you. Especially from a stranger." She...couldn't argue that, "Listen, I gotta go. I guess it was nice to meet you, but maybe next time, don't meet people just cause you want something from them?"
Coco flinched like she'd been hit and watched as Arc walked away. Damn, now she felt like an ass. She took off her beret and ran a hand through her hair. That went horribly. She sighed and looked up at the sky briefly before slapping both cheeks. She wouldn't give up. Arc was right, but that didn't mean she was gonna stop. There had to be something she could offer him. Something that a guy like him would want. Make the trade more equal.
There had to be something.
Blake watched with a faint smile on her face as Jaune helped her hand out food and other necessities. Ever since he arrived in Vale, he'd been running around non-stop. Whether it was rebuilding the damages from Team RWBY's (justified) escapades or making additions to the school, Jaune did it with an almost infectious gusto. It proved that he was both a hard worker and a selfless one. She knew he wasn't getting paid for any of it. He didn't have to say it. Jaune had enough material wealth on his own that the Headmaster couldn't offer him anything that he couldn't get on his own, and yet he still chose to spend his time on a task with no reward.
It was even more proof that she'd chosen the right man to help save the Faunus.
Yesterday, she'd dropped a subtle hint to Jaune that maybe they could help in the slums. His work at Beacon was great, of course, but what about those who needed his help the most? Jaune agreed and they made plans for the next day.
The slums she'd chosen were particularly bad. The majority of the denizens were Faunus, though there was an odd smattering of Humans every now and then. It was a sad reality that even amongst the poor and destitute, some had even less than the others. The have-nots for the have-nots. Faunus were that demographic. One would think that only the elite and wealthy would have prejudice, but that was an idealistic lie. The poor were just as quick to show prejudice. Sometimes even moreso. It helped distract them from their lot in life and made them feel better about themselves. They may have been destitute, but at least they weren't those guys.
Jaune was generous, as expected. He'd handed out food and drinks, and even built a couple of greenhouses in the empty, unused lots (she didn't want to think about the property law right then and there). The fast-growing food she saw was a bit harder. Apparently, that was part of the special property of Domremy's soil that he worked on for a while, but Domremy had a pretty big stockpile that he used a portal to deliver.
The sight of the people in shock and then their subsequent relief was a balm to her soul. This was what the White Fang had been during her early years. Yes, they were violent when they needed to be, but they also cared about the Faunus as more than just a message. But down the line, she wasn't sure when, things had changed. Charity work became less and less frequent, used only for the sake of propaganda and gathering loyal recruits. Everything else was just violence and fear.
She shook her head, banishing the heavy thoughts. That wasn't the point. The point of this was to show Jaune how good it felt to help people. Help Faunus. She wasn't against helping Humans, of course, but the Faunus had to come first. They'd been waiting far too long.
"Here you go, little guy." Jaune handed a bag full of goodies to a Wolf Faunus that looked maybe nine or ten. The boy smiled and thanked him before scurrying off to join his friends. The sight made Blake's heart flutter just a bit. Even back in the early days, Adam never did something like that. Oh, he approved of it, but he always kept his distance. He was a warrior, he said. His time was better spent in the fight over doing charity.
Jaune was looking more and more appealing by the day. Anyone else would've become greedy or apathetic, only caring about how that power could benefit themselves. Jaune...cared, and that was a (sadly) rare thing to see.
She helped Jaune hand out more supplies. It was...nice, even if it wasn't exactly her plan. Yes, she did it to show him how amazing it felt to help the Faunus in need, but she also planned to appeal to him personally. A man and a woman, working together for the good of others. So many love stories started with less. Now that she knew she couldn't just appeal to him by being in his presence, she changed her plan. Something that could guarantee her success
Be in his presence while doing something. It was foolproof.
Blake wiped the nonexistent sweat from her brow and fanned her neck, giving Jaune the side-eye. He wasn't looking. Damn it. Maybe she could-
"Oh, Blake, fancy running into you here."
Her head snapped in the direction of the voice and she scowled when she saw Weiss. The heiress looked hilariously out of place in the slums, her pristine white dress and polished heels a stark contrast to her dirty, desolate surroundings. She and Jaune weren't exactly ragged, but they didn't stick out quite as much as the heiress to the SDC. It didn't help that she was being flanked by a dozen men in dark suits, all of whom were pushing carts filled with boxes.
She saw the way the people shrunk back and she glared, "Weiss, what are you doing here?"
"Just doing a little charity work." She looked past her to Jaune, "Oh, Jaune! You're here as well?"
"Huh? Oh! Hey, Weiss!" He patted another kid's head then walked towards her, "Yeah, me and Blake were helping out." He gestured to the stockpile of food and the newly built greenhouses, "What are you doing here?"
"Doing my part." She snapped her fingers and the suited men quickly began to hand out the boxes, "What you're both doing is very generous, but I had other worries. The people here can't afford to pay the bills for things such as power, and they're sorely lacking in Dust. I thought that maybe giving some away would help. Fire dust to keep them warm, Electric Dust to power their necessities. A little bit goes a long way."
"Huh. Yeah, I guess so." Jaune nodded, clearly impressed, "Good thinking, Weiss!"
"Yeah...how generous of you," Blake said through gritted teeth.
"Merely doing my part." Weiss preened. All across them, stone-faced men in suits practically shoved the Dust into the hands of the intimidated Faunus, "I wish I could do more, but sadly, it took everything I had to convince Father to give even this much. And even then, he only cared because he saw the possibility of positive publicity for him."
"That's...pretty selfish. No offense."
"Oh, I agree. Father is a very self-interested man. He doesn't do anything for the sake of generosity. There has to be a return on investment for everything." Her lips pursed bitterly before she sighed and put a hand on her cheek. Fucking drama queen, "Oh, if only I had more control of the company, I could do so much more. People wouldn't have to fight over a single Fire Dust crystal so they don't freeze in the night. The world would be a much better place."
Blake's eyes narrowed. The audacity of her.
"Yeah, that sounds really good." Jaune nodded again, arms crossed.
"I'm glad you think so." Wess practically purred. It took everything Blake had to not pounce on the other woman and wipe that smile off her face, "Actually, perhaps you could-"
"There you two are!" A squeaky voice interrupted. Blake let out a sigh of relief and subtly returned Gambol Shroud to its sheath at the sight of Ruby stomping up to them with Yang lazily following behind her. She was about to stab a bitch...what? Weiss had Aura, she could take it.
She tuned out Ruby's accusations towards her partner and sighed. This was way harder than it needed to be. Why couldn't Jaune just fall in love with her? Life would be so much simpler that way.
Ozpin kept his face carefully neutral as he sat behind his desk. Per James' request, he'd called Mr. Arc back to his office for a chat. He stayed in the room, more to keep an eye on things than anything else. Per their agreement, Ozpin would be here only to watch and not interfere with his appeal, which he agreed to. He knew from their first meeting that the young man could more than take care of himself, but James was...headstrong. He was a man who was used to getting what he wanted by virtue of his position. And while he would've despised being compared to someone like Jacques Schnee, there were a few similarities.
The main difference was, of course, that James truly did believe he acted for the good of all rather than his own selfish desires. And while Ozpin sympathized with his desire to save as many as he could, James was also stubborn and believed his way was the only correct way.
...
Though, perhaps judging him on that was hypocritical.
James stood with his arms folded behind his back, his face a mask of stone. Across from him, Mr. Arc regarded James with a sort of cautious optimism. It didn't take a genius to figure out that James was no ordinary man, "Mr. Arc. A pleasure to meet you." James offered a hand, which Jaune took. The handshake was firm but brief, "I've heard many things about you."
"People seem to do that a lot. Hear things about me, I mean." His smile was crooked.
"You leave quite an impression given your... abilities." Powers, gifts, miracles, "And from what Oz told me, you're also aware of what we face."
"You're talking about Salem, right?" Mr. Arc asked. James nodded grimly, "Yeah...I mean, a part of me still can't believe it, you know? An immortal queen of the Grimm that wants to destroy all of us. I thought that maybe the Headmaster was just making stuff up cause I was gonna leave, but I guess I wanted to give him the benefit of the doubt. No way he just came up with that stuff on the spot. Too many details."
"I felt the same when he first told me the truth." James turned his head and their eyes met, "It sounds like the plot of a dark fairy tale, but Salem is all too real."
"I'm guessing that's why you called me here."
"Indeed." James nodded stiffly, "I won't mince words, Mr. Arc. Your skills are extraordinary. Far more than anything I've seen in my short time in this world." Ozpin raised a brow. Subtle flattery wasn't usually James' style, "And I believe that with the right direction, you can achieve great things."
"Direction?" Jaune crossed his arms, expression neutral.
"Yes." To his credit, James continued on the same track, "I've seen the things you can do, the things you've done. It's both amazing and terrifying in equal measure. Do you understand the power you wield? You turned a village into a burgeoning kingdom in just six months' time. And you did so with no help from anyone else. Even the architects that created Mantle would burn in envy if they saw what you did. You did in months what would take years if not decades."
"That still doesn't tell me what you want."
"Come with me to Atlas." Ozpin barely held himself back from laughing. He knew James was brazen, but that was above and beyond even his expectations, "You have a gift, Mr. Arc, one that has to be used to its full potential. Atlas can help with that."
"I've been doing fine on my own so far."
"And you can do better in Atlas. Mr. Arc. Jaune. You know the truth about Salem. Oz believes that the Huntsmen will be enough to win this war, but I have my doubts. If we truly wish to end her plans, the only clear choice we have is to overpower her. Atlas can do that. We have the strongest army, and the most powerful naval fleet, and our technology surpasses every other kingdom. With your help, we could have the strength to defeat Salem and ensure future generations will be secured."
The room was quiet after that. Ozpin regarded his friend with a slight frown. He admired James' belief that Salem could be stopped, but that admiration was also tinged with guilt. He didn't know the truth. None of them did. Salem could not be killed. He'd tried again and again and again.
...And yet perhaps Mr. Arc gave them a chance.
Mr. Arc sighed and ran a hand through his hair, "General Ironwood, I promised the Headmaster I'd help him, and I agreed because what he was asking for was about reinforcing Vale and Beacon. What exactly are you asking for."
"To use your gifts for Atlas." Ozpin sighed. For a straightforward man, James had a bad habit of phrasing things through Atlesian pride, "Helping the army would be tantamount. Those weapons and armor, despite appearing less advanced than our own, clearly surpasses our capabilities. Much as it shames me to admit it." He grimaced, "We'll also need you to create more of those Knights for us. A platoon to start with. I've also heard from Ms. Soleil that you gifted Ms. Rose with an 'enchantment' for her weapon. Outfitting the army with that would be useful."
"Woah, woah. Hold on a second." Mr. Arc put a hand up, "Are you telling to drop everything and just move to Atlas to do all that?"
"Yes." Ozpin shook his head. He didn't know whether to respect or pity James' certainty, "You will be well-compensated for your efforts, and as both General of the army and the Headmaster of Atlas Academy, you can-"
"Okay, stop right there." For the first time since he'd met him, Mr. Arc sounded exasperated, "Let's get this out of the way. I don't need money, or 'connections', or favors. I'm willing to work for those if I need to, but you're not the first person trying to offer those things to me and I don't think you're gonna be the last." His shoulders sagged, "I don't need any of the things you're offering, General. Or if I did, I would ask for an exchange first, not the other way around."
"Is that a refusal?"
"I mean...I'll help you out since you're on the same side as the Headmaster, but I'm not, you know, doing all of that."
"I see."
There was a pregnant silence that stretched for seconds. Ozpin closed his eyes and inhaled softly. He'd warned James that the young man wouldn't be amenable to the usual offers, but he didn't listen. Neither did the council or, as he expected, anyone else who sought out Mr. Arc's abilities for their own benefit.
He assumed the meeting was over before James suddenly spoke up again, "You have a gift, Mr. Arc. One that you're obliged to use for the good of your kingdom." Mr. Arc looked confused while Ozpin groaned. Oh dear, it seemed as if James had short-circuited. Possibly literally. Money had failed and Mr. Arc cared not for his two council seats, so he defaulted to what he usually used: pride in one's Atlesian heritage.
There was just one problem...
"Uh...I'm not Atlesian?" Jaune shifted from one foot to another, "Technically, I'm not even Valean either. I was born outside the walls."
...
"It is your duty to help your kingdom."
"James, I think that's enough."Ozpin sighed and stood, "Mr. Arc has agreed to help you. Perhaps not as much as you wish he did, but he's helping regardless. That's more than what many can say." The Council would not be pleased when they were refused. James was a stubborn man, and a bit of a control freak besides, but he truly did care for the greater good. The same couldn't be said for many on the council, "I suggest we end it here lest Mr. Arc rescinds his offer."
"...Exactly what help are you willing to give?" James asked slowly.
Before Mr. Arc could respond, the door to the room slid open and Winter Schnee stepped inside. Her posture was stiff and her brows were furrowed as she regarded them all, "Sir. I just received a troubling report."
"Go ahead, Specialist."
"Should we discuss the details elsewhere?" Her eyes lingered on Jaune.
"No. Provided it doesn't concern crucial military secrets."
"No, it's a recent incident." She sighed and handed him her scroll. There's been a sudden surge of Grimm in the western territories. Many of our convoys were attacked. No survivors." Ozpin's brow furrowed while James frowned. A plot from Salem or just sheer bad luck? "The cargo contained food and Dust meant for the allied settlements."
Settlements in Atlas were a different beast compared to the other kingdoms. While some were independent, that was more an exception than the rule. Solitas' harsh weather meant that farming was much more difficult. Huge swathes of Atlas were reserved just for farmland. Atlas sent food to outlying settlements in exchange for anything from services to luxury products. Some saw it as too authoritarian, but just as many would argue it was sensible.
"We'll need to dip into the food reserves." James pursed his lips. They would also need to get replacement Dust, which meant talking with Jacques Schnee. Ozpin could tell that the idea didn't appeal to him.
Unexpectedly, it was Jaune who spoke next, "You guys need food and Dust?"
"Yes." James nodded grimly, "I can dip into the reserves, but the rest of the Council won't be happy, and I'm sure Jacques will find some way to gouge us for the Dust we need."
"Hm...not sure if I can help with the Dust just yet, but if it's food and other stuff you need, I can help." James blinked, as did Winter, "You guys said it was for places outside Atlas, right? We can't let them starve. I can help."
"And...what would you want in exchange?" James asked.
"I mean, I'll do it even without that, but since you're offering..." Jaune put a hand on his chin before he suddenly smiled. He pointed to the the window behind his desk which showed a view of the Emerald Forest. And past that, far into the distance to be barely a blip, were the remains of Mt. Glenn. A constant reminder of Vale's failure to expand past their walls, "If you have some ships to spare, I'd appreciate it. Something to help carry goods and people."
"We do, but what exactly are you..."
"You're planning to retake Mt. Glenn," Ozpin said. James and Winter looked at him questioningly while Jaune grinned, "I suppose I can't fault you for your ambition, Mr. Arc." He chuckled under his breath.
"Retake Mt. Glenn." James shook his head, "Do you even have the manpower to do such a thing?"
"I've got that covered."
Back in Domremy, far beneath the castle Jaune called home, hundreds upon hundreds of Knights lay dormant, each of them waiting for the order of their master.
Jaune's got plans, and they're gonna interfere with the canon. White Fang and Kevin won't know what hit them. Baalbuddy Huntress fic already out for supporters. Poor guys have to deal with no rizz Huntresses trying to hook up with them.
Next chapter will likely have more romance and harem stuff. Probably focus a bit more on Pyrrha and Penny (latter isn't part of the harem though).
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Patreon.com/Vendetta543
Questions:
1. Who do you guys wanna see interact with Jaune next and why? Either a character or a faction as a whole? The commissioner has final say, of course, but I'm curious all the same. Maybe the White Fang now that Ironwood (and Atlas by extension) had their shot?
2. Do you guys think Jaune should've agreed to go all-in on empowering Atlas like Ironwood wanted or was he right to say no?