[RWBY] No Victory in Strength (Minecraft Jaune)

[eratas123]

1. Ironwood would most likely determine which resources at his disposal are most likely to succeed. Winter as an Atlas attaché or (potential) seducer, though that's likely not going to work unless Weiss convinces her to team up with her for the good of the SDC, Atlas and Remnant altogether.

2. Seduction does not always mean sexual, aka seduced by the Dark Side. Cinder would potentially play a long con where she'd try to get Jaune to unknowingly support her efforts elsewhere through gifts or benefits from being 'friends'. Sort of like getting gifts of money from a friend and giving them to 'other friends' only for those other friends to be, you know, White Fang terrorists.

3. Jaune meeting the ideals of a husband has become more than a meme in the fandom at this point. Dude has so many positives that his negatives for a relationship are minuscule in comparison. Also people like the weird/quirky/socially outcast girl getting with the ray of sunshine boy.

Click to shrink...

Weiss: "Winter, we must seduce Jaune."

Winter: "Weiss, that's hardly prop-"

Weiss: "Think about it! This is for the good of the SDC, the good of Atlas, the good of everyone on Remnant!"

Winter: "I still don't think-"

Weiss: "And we can fuck over Jacques so hard."

Winter: "What's your plan?"

Weiss: "So clearly dropping a handkerchief didn't work, but picture this: TWO dropped handkerchiefs."

Winter: "That...is...BRILLIANT! No man can resist!"

 

[Psychic_Duck]

1/ He has no reason to go down the evil path at this point in time, as others had said he'd be mostly on the grey/heroic side of things first but start getting desperate when he can't get Jaune to play his game, that's when mission like "Winter you must seduce Jaune Arc for the future of Atlas and the bloodline" or other insane plans like it start popping out.

2/ I remember a semi-canon manga/comic of where Cinder falls hard for Jaune and keeps getting wet dreams about him, so she runs and hides from him much to his confusion, so Cinder first tries to seduce Jaune only to fall for his charm instead, alternatively she sends Emerald to do the task only for Jaune to turn Emerald to his side, if Cinder is in a position of power that's when the threats come out, so long as she is in the "lesser" she will use other means to get what she wants.

3/ Shippers are going to ship, with Jaune, if it's remotely female shaped then it's getting shipped with him, no if's and or buts about it.

 

[eratas123]

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.

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.

 

[AAAustinYu]

I think that Ironwood would be a slightly less entitled version of the council, cause he didn't really turn villain after volume 7, and i don't consider that canon.

 

[Eclipse Staro]

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.

Click to shrink...

Yep, that's politics alright. Also, does Ozpin wants to reclaim Mount Glenn using Jaune's Semblance?

 

[eratas123]

Yep, that's politics alright. Also, does Ozpin wants to reclaim Mount Glenn using Jaune's Semblance?

Click to shrink...

Yep. Wants Jaune to reinforce and protect against Salem.

 

[ThunderBasilisk]

Honestly watching these people flounder oh how to get Jaune to work for them cause they cant offer him anything will never not be funny. And im fine with Jaune being brows with Mercury. Id love to see Jaune pimp out his prosthetic legs or even restore them. And he could probably fix his stolen semblance issue to.

 

[Malkuth]

I'm not sure Mercury would be entirely without greed / desire.

Would anyone, especially a cripple, say no to improved (Whether that just means being able to feel again legs? Or even having those prosthetics look human / like skin. Or just better / stringer and lighter material. Cause if Jaune can add infinity, imagine what unbreakable or knock back would be like for those legs.) replacement legs.

Plus Merc is a Merc, he has no high minded ideas (So he could go "Wow thanks for the gold, bye now" or "Yeah, so what" to Jaune).

As for Ironwood, I feel like he'd be a little better at handling a "Craftsmen" than we anticipate. After all he did work with Penny's father enough to be called Uncle, and he obviously works on his own cyborgnetic parts.

It just be more about him coming to the realisation that Jaune is after (Helping people, building master pieces, building novel things, or new materials to work with).

And if there's anyone that would and could autistically plan and design (inventions, materials, how Jaunes semblance might allow different materials to be created ect) it would be Ironwood.

It would just take James avoiding the rail road/ train tracks that his semblance/ military mind place him on...

 

[Introverted]

I think that Ironwood would be a slightly less entitled version of the council, cause he didn't really turn villain after volume 7, and i don't consider that canon.

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Ironwood is arguably more entitled version of the Council imo.

Given he has two (2) seats and will ignore via his control of the military the other Councillors? He is more entitled he just won't care much about Jaune because his position means he can just leech off him indirectly.

 

[Jao]

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

Click to shrink...

"James is here. I assume you know why." He could practically see her frown.

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Did he hear about the infinite ammo? lmao.

 

[eratas123]

Did he hear about the infinite ammo? lmao.

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Infinite ammo, airships, knights…take your pick lol

 

[WarShadow1432]

Who the harem of Jaune?

 

[Rekka]

Who the harem of Jaune?

Click to shrink...

Team RWBY and Pyrrha, if I recall.

 

[eratas123]

Who the harem of Jaune?

Click to shrink...

Team RWBY and Pyrrha, if I recall.

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Yep, thsoe five. People want to include Penny and (for some reason) Ciel though.

 

[Lyrista]

People have their taste preferences and will die on that hill regardless if it works narratively or not

 

[Flippedhouse546]

Penny extremely socially awkward robo girl jaune craft men before anything else do the math it makes sense thematically he'll be extremely impressed with her craftsmanship but will stick around for her personality also this is qq people are probably thinking of replacing or enhancing her attributes that makes sense to me but ciel honestly no idea

 

[Abyss Trinity]

Mercury would both be one of those best friends that's a dick and would still have your back but would also bring in their problems to you. It would make for an hilarious friendship similar to those early 2000s comedy movie friends, the kind that leaves you wondering how are they friends.

 

[Psychic_Duck]

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.

Click to shrink...

1/ Most likely he knows Jaune is the leader of his kingdom (just like Jimmy) and looking after your own comes first, they both sit in the big chair and make the hard choices while hard, it just means that he will have to put his diplomacy hat on and work it that way, hell Jimmy might decide they have a lot in common and respect Jaune more if he told him to sod off.

2/ Honestly the only thing Coco can offer is a working womb and a Bunny girl side piece to ensure the bloodline continues, as for the council I kinda expected them to be more arrogant and entitled, as for Ozzy... I dunno, it felt like Jaune gave in to easy but that's more Jaunes fault not Ozzy's.

3/ Jaune needs a bro, It would be hilarious if Ironwood becomes Jaunes bro and just get together to shoot the shit but seriously I don't think Merc would be good he's too... well mercenary for it, Ren would be good (it's just works), I think Ren knows his home village is long gone and anything of value is gone with it, the only thing he holds onto is the hate boner for the grimm that destroyed it, Sun is... well he could be fun but he's to flighty, he did ditch his team to chase shitty kitty ass, the less said about Cardin and Nep the better, honestly I would go with either Ren or Ironwood, go with classic or funny.

 

[eratas123]

1/ Most likely he knows Jaune is the leader of his kingdom (just like Jimmy) and looking after your own comes first, they both sit in the big chair and make the hard choices while hard, it just means that he will have to put his diplomacy hat on and work it that way, hell Jimmy might decide they have a lot in common and respect Jaune more if he told him to sod off.

2/ Honestly the only thing Coco can offer is a working womb and a Bunny girl side piece to ensure the bloodline continues, as for the council I kinda expected them to be more arrogant and entitled, as for Ozzy... I dunno, it felt like Jaune gave in to easy but that's more Jaunes fault not Ozzy's.

3/ Jaune needs a bro, It would be hilarious if Ironwood becomes Jaunes bro and just get together to shoot the shit but seriously I don't think Merc would be good he's too... well mercenary for it, Ren would be good (it's just works), I think Ren knows his home village is long gone and anything of value is gone with it, the only thing he holds onto is the hate boner for the grimm that destroyed it, Sun is... well he could be fun but he's to flighty, he did ditch his team to chase shitty kitty ass, the less said about Cardin and Nep the better, honestly I would go with either Ren or Ironwood, go with classic or funny.

Click to shrink...

What do you mean about the council? They seem pretty arrogant and entitled to me. All of them are pretty much already trying to find ways to get Jaune to work formthem despite Ozpin pointing out that they have nothing to offer.

 

[Psychic_Duck]

What do you mean about the council? They seem pretty arrogant and entitled to me. All of them are pretty much already trying to find ways to get Jaune to work formthem despite Ozpin pointing out that they have nothing to offer.

Click to shrink...

Oh they are but I was expecting more of a "This filthy country peasant should be honoured to lick the shit off my boots" levels of arrogant.

 

[eratas123]

Oh they are but I was expecting more of a "This filthy country peasant should be honoured to lick the shit off my boots" levels of arrogant.

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Oh no, that's Atlas and Mistral lol

 

[Shadow_Stalker134]

Interesting... What kind of mods here used as inspirations for some creations?

 

[mgl1206]

Um… sooo what happened?

 

[eratas123]

Um… sooo what happened?

Click to shrink...

? Just doing some other fics for now. i'll be back to this soon.

 

[eratas123]

Teaser for the next Minecraft Jaune Chapter:

"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' time. 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."

"I see." He downed his hot chocolate in one gulp. Power...it truly was the nectar that made madmen of them all.

 

[Delta/Soul]

For the first time in years, I've gotten a full eight hours of sleep." Her smile was chilling

Click to shrink...

Good for her on wanting to keep herself healthy.

 

[TheFabulousCustodes]

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."

Click to shrink...

Glynda tosses her hat into the ring next.....

 

[eratas123]

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?

 

[Zz92]

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?

Click to shrink...

I mean, atlas dont really have anything jaune would want, so its fair i think that jaune refused to go all in. Unless the use of the relics is on the table, i dont think jaune would be intrested in carrying any of the kingdoms full-time.

 

[Mr.Dr.Professor Patrick]

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?

Click to shrink...

I'd prefer someone who's entire reason for even interacting with him isn't to get something from him. Someone who is content with what he's already given them and who wont ask for more.

And I guess that would only include Glynda and Pyrrha, I think.