[RWBY] RWBY Shorts

[AndrewJTalon]

Dust Class was usually Weiss' favorite. Despite all her issues with her parents and her intense training, there was still a small childlike glee in getting to use Dust in new and creative ways. As well as showing off her talents.

However, there was one small wrinkle in this semester's class.

Professor Peach looked around the class, as her eyes settle on Weiss. She smile warmly.

"All right, Miss Schnee. Today, you'll work with Miss Valkyrie!"

Weiss's face fell.

"Oh no... Not in Dust class," she mumbled.

Conversely, Nora was ecstatic, shouting, "WOO! All right Weissy, let's get to work!" As she leaped over and landed right next to Weiss.

Weiss twitched a bit.

"Save me... I'm too young to die..."

Nora and Dust almost always ended in explosions. Endless explosions.

"Weissy? You okay?"

"I…" Weiss shook her head. "Let's just get this over with, huh?"

Nora beamed.

"Right to work! Just fine for me!"

Give me strength, Weiss prayed as they began.

An hour into their session…

"So you adjust the mixture to 1/45. Add it in with a little shake of your wrist each time for even distribution," Nora said.

Weiss blinked a few times. She sighed and nodded in resignation.

"All right..." She did so. Nora beamed happily and grinned.

"Ooh! We should add some Lightning Dust in this layer to ensure that the detonation is within 1.2 milliseconds!"

Weiss could only muster an "Okay..." as she added the Dust to their concoction.

Maybe I'll just get a failing grade and nothing will blow up… Weiss thought.

Professor Peach cleared her throat and got everyone's attention on her.

"All right. Let's test your mixtures in the test chamber. Goggles, everyone!"

Each team's Dust combination was loaded into the detonation chamber, and tested. Several small explosions followed, contained within the blast chambers. Weiss winced as their mixture went in. Peach hit the ignition button… Weiss prayed again…

The mixture went off like a small but perfectly controlled star, before fading away. Weiss blinked rapidly as Nora beamed. Peach turned to the two women and grinned.

"Perfect score, Miss Schnee and Miss Valkyrie! Your mixture was spot on for precision!"

"YAY! Do we get gold stars?" Nora cheered. The professor chuckled.

"Just A-pluses, Miss Valkyrie."

"Oh. Guess we gotta do better next time for those!" Nora surmised with an optimistic smile.

Professor Peach, with a warm laugh, said, "Keep it up and I'll see what I can do."

Weiss stared at her lab partner in utter disbelief. They both went back to their seats to do the post-test write up. Nora then stared back at Weiss, still smiling.

"Something on my face?"

"How did you learn so much about Dust?" Weiss asked.

"Oh!" Nora hummed, then with a smile, explained, "Well, we learned the basics of Dust from some old books we found in the village ruins"

"Village…?" Weiss questioned. Nora shrugged.

"Our village. My mom… Dropped me off when I was baby and ran. Renny's folks raised us… Until the village was destroyed by Grimm."

She said it so matter of factly, yet Weiss couldn't imagine how painful that must have been. Losing your entire world and only having one other person to rely on.

"I… I'm sorry," Weiss whispered, shame in her voice. Nora shrugged, her face sad for a moment before she continued on with a small but genuine smile.

"Renny's good but I really took to it! I had to learn to help keep Renny safe! To support us!" She grinned and winked at Weiss. "Nearly blew myself up a few times but it was worth it!"

Weiss, not sure how to feel about that, nodded slowly.

"O-Oh... I see... You learned very well," she said softly.

"Thanks!" Nora beamed. "You're really good too! Do…" Here Nora hesitated for a moment, before her grin returned in full force, "Do you think we could work on Dust more in the future?"

Weiss slowly smiled and nodded.

"Of course," she said.

Nora squealed.

"YAY!"

She then hugged Weiss tightly.

"URK! Nora… Too tight! Too tight!"

"Oh! Sorry!" Nora apologized, letting the slimmer girl go.

As Nora got to scribbling, Weiss studied her. Honestly, she'd started the year dismissing Nora, Ren and Jaune. All in favor of Pyrrha. All just to make a connection that could be beneficial to her.

Sure, Jaune had started as an annoying admirer, but after the Dance? He'd become a lot more mature. Weiss had gotten used to her team. She had begun questioning a lot of her previous assumptions.

Before, she'd come to the conclusion Nora was just a brainless nutjob. A little maniac filled with energy. Working with her though… Sure, she was a bit much, but she didn't deserve the scorn her mind heaped on her.

None of her friends did.

Weiss smiled. She'd been making amends with everyone. Maybe it was time to be more active in doing good things for her friends.

As soon as class ended, she opened up her Scroll and made a few calls.

- - -

"Uggggh," Nora moaned, her head lying on the table in the common room between RWBY and JNPR's dorms, "Free Period suuuuucks if you're not free!"

"We do need to study," Jaune pointed out. Nora pouted.

"I wanted to bake cookies with Ruby!"

"She's also studying," Pyrrha observed with a smile, as Ren took notes next to her, "Yang's orders."

"But she's team leader!" Nora groaned. She then grinned. "Wait! Can I also bully my team leader to do stuff?"

"No," Jaune said firmly.

Nora scowled.

"I'm gonna!"

"No."

The door opened. All four Hunters-in-Training looked and saw Weiss enter. She beamed and nodded.

"Hello all."

"Hey Weiss," Jaune said with a smile. "This is a nice surprise!"

Weiss walked up to Nora, and handed her a letter.

"Nora! Here!" she said.

Nora, puzzled, opened it to find an official looking letter. She looked up at Weiss in confusion. The Schnee heiress cleared her throat.

"It's a job offer. Would you like to become an SDC Dust Quality Control Engineer?"

Jaune and Pyrrha's eyes widened. Ren raised an eyebrow. Nora hummed, then held the letter out to Jaune.

"Is this a lot, Jaune?" She asked.

Jaune's eyes widened in disbelief. He then nodded.

"That's a LOT, Nora."

Excited, Nora declared, "Really? HEE! Renny! I'm the breadwinner of the family!"

"I knew you could do it, sweetheart," Ren observed in his usual deadpan.

"YEAH!" Nora cheered, throwing her hands up in the air. "I'll expect a hot bath, dinner, and you naked except for an apron every day!"

"Of course," Ren again deadpanned, not even twitching.

"Er... It seems kind of sudden, Nora," Pyrrha pointed out carefully.

"Also, don't you need to finish schooling and become a Huntress, Nora?" Jaune pressed a bit.

Realization dawned on Nora. She pounded her palm with her fist.

"Oh yeah!" She smiled and handed the letter back to Weiss.

"Sorry Weissy, I wanna be a Huntress!"

Weiss' face fell.

"But I... Oh..." She bowed her head.

How foolish of her. She'd just… Barged in with her assumptions again, hadn't she? Just tried to do things without thinking about Nora's feelings. It was stupid, impulsive…

Nora beamed.

"The job sounds neat though, so maybe I'll take it in the future?"

Weiss looked up. Nora's face held no resentment, only warmth. She flushed and nodded.

"I... Oh... Um, sure."

"Thanks! You want to work on Dust Class homework together?"

"You wouldn't mind?" Weiss asked, looking over at Jaune, Pyrrha and Ren.

Jaune wore a fond smile. It made him look rather wistful, and maybe the tiniest bit handsome. If Weiss was being charitable.

"We can work on our other homework later," He said. Pyrrha also smiled softly. Ren's face held a hint of warmth, before he nodded and left his best friend to work with Weiss. Weiss let herself smile happily, and relax.

"I... I would like that," she said to Nora.

Nora grinned, full of energy. She pulled up a chair and Weiss sat next to her. She plopped herself down next to Weiss, and pulled out the papers.

"That last mixture was all about precision, which is great! But sometimes you just wanna make a REALLY big explosion! Ooh! Maybe we can add in some Ice Dust and make giant exploding Snowflakes! Wouldn't that be great?!"

"I... Suppose it would be," Weiss agreed cautiously.

"YAY!"

 

[AndrewJTalon]

Jaune was working on some homework alone in the dormroom. Nora and Ren were out doing... Well he honestly stopped asking after they came back with a stuffed giraffe. Pyrrha was off shooting a commercial. He'd offered to come along as support, but Pyrrha had stated that she didn't want to spoil his evening.



Honestly, she could be so weird sometimes.



So he pondered his essay on the history of Dust Mine protection by Hunters, trying to figure out what more he could say on the subject... When the door slammed open. He started and looked up as Yang walked in. She shut the door behind her, panting for breath.



"Yang?" Jaune asked in disbelief.



Yang turned to Jaune and coughed.



"Oh! Uh... Hey VB," she greeted.



"Uh, yeah, hey," Jaune said dryly. His sarcasm faded as she saw her distressed look. He cleared his throat.



"Can I help you with something? Are you all right?" He asked with more concern in his voice. Yang sighed and rubbed the back of her head.



"Well... Ya know, I uh... I do need help," she said.



Jaune blinked. He pushed away from the desk and stood up. He walked over to her and stopped about two meters away.



"How can I help?" He asked.



"Just like that?" Yang asked, blinking. Jaune nodded.



"Just like that," he said.



"It's..." Yang sighed. "Honestly, this... You probably can't even help me. And it's kind of embarrassing."



Jaune's frown deepened.



"Hey," he said, "Whatever it is? I won't laugh. I won't say a word to anyone. Promise."



Yang looked up at him intensely.



"You promise?" She asked.



"On my word as an Arc," Jaune said, pressing a hand over his chest with a small smile. Honestly, given how out of sorts Yang was, he didn't know what it was but he sure as hell wasn't going to leave her in the lurch.



"It's just..." She sighed, "Look, um... You've been on a date before, right?"



Jaune blinked. He very slowly nodded.



"Yeah."



Yang started and stared at him.



"Really?" She asked. Jaune frowned a bit.



"Is it really that surprising?" He asked. Yang held up her hands.



"Ah, no. No! Sorry, didn't mean to come off like... Really?"



Jaune sighed and nodded.



"Yes."



"How many?" Yang asked.



"I dunno... I lost count? Twenty? Thirty?" Jaune guessed.



"With the same person?" Yang asked. Jaune nodded.



"Yeah, mostly," he said. Yang blinked a few more times.



"So, wait... You've had a girlfriend before?"



Jaune nodded.



"Yeah. I did."



Yang winced.



"Oh... Sorry," she apologized. Jaune shrugged.



"It's fine," he sighed, "She uh... We didn't work out. We agreed it wouldn't work out and broke up."



"So you've gone through the whole... Whole thing?" Yang pressed. Jaune blinked rapidly.



"Yes? Why?"



"Well..."



"Yang, you're not usually like this," Jaune pointed out as gently as he could, "Maybe I could help if you told me what's going on?"



He didn't want to be pushy but this was, frankly, starting to weird him out. Yang heaved a large sigh and crossed her arms under her chest.



"Well... I've been chatting with some ladies from the other teams. Going out, gossiping a bit. And well... Every time it comes to talking about boys, I uh..." She shrugged. "I have to make stuff up."



Jaune blinked.



"What? Why?"



"Because I've never been on a date," Yang said tersely. "Not a real one! Not with-with a guy! Hell I've never even been..." She trailed off and her cheeks colored. Jaune blinked a few times.



"Been...?"



"Kissed," Yang admitted with a sigh. She seemed to be bracing herself for something. Jaune blinked a few times, then shrugged.



"Oh. Because you had to take care of Ruby, right?"



She started and shot a disbelieving look at him.



"Wha-?!"



"Well," Jaune said, "The way you had to take care of her and all... I mean, she said you did go out and party from time to time but always alone. And that you never brought a boy home. Or to anywhere she spied on you-Errrr..."



Jaune winced as Yang growled. She clenched her fist.



"That little...!" She flushed, coughed, then sighed.



"Yeah," she said with a shrug, "I mean... I love to go out and dance. Have fun. But Ruby..."



Jaune nodded.



"Yeah. I get it," he said.



"And it's not like I didn't have a lot of guys asking," she said, "Especially after puberty."



Jaune nodded, not trusting his mouth to say something stupid.



"But they... They were the same guys who were jerks before I got boobs. And the girls? Geez... Catty as hell. And they aren't even Blake," Yang joked. Jaune snickered. Yang sighed.



"These girls though... I do like them. But whenever the subject comes up," Yang shrugged helplessly, "I just... I smile, I nod... I lie if I'm forced to say something and then wait for things to move on. So uh..." She squeezed her bicep nervously.



"I-I mean... I was..." She sighed and shut her eyes.



"It seems really stupid right now."



"What?" Jaune asked. Yang shrugged again.



"I dunno, if you could... Help me out with... With things? Maybe tell me about your dates with your ex? So I could make up more-"



"You probably don't want to use those," Jaune said with a small laugh, "We mostly went out to barn dances, the rodeo, tractor pulls, movie nights-"



"It's still more than what I have," Yang grumbled. Jaune paused for a bit. He then smiled nervously.



"Hang on."



"Eh?" Yang asked, blinking. He turned and rummaged around in his closet. He pulled out a box of candies, and turned back to Yang. He then headed to the windowsill, where Ren was keeping a garden of herbs. He pulled a few of the flowering ones (resolving to make it up to Ren), and then turned to Yang. He walked up to her, and held out the candy and flowers.



"Yang, would you do me the honor of going on a date with me this evening?"



Yang's jaw dropped. Jaune flushed and coughed, as his sudden inspiration ran into the wall of his self doubts and reality.



"I-I mean... You don't have to tell them it's me. You can make stuff up. And-And it would just be as friends, but I'd pay for everything," he clarified quickly.



"Jaune..."



"Look, you're my friend," Jaune said, "Ruby's my best friend. If you need help with this, I will. I mean, I know... I'm a... I mean, I know I'm Vomit Boy and all that. But if you want to impress your friends-"



"It's... Not just that," Yang sighed, "Though damn, I feel really freaking shallow."



Jaune shrugged.



"Sometimes it's okay to be shallow."



"I..." Yang sighed. "I don't resent Ruby. I don't. I love her. I just... There's so much I missed out on taking care of her. And yeah I've got a juvenile record but... All of that was just to find..." She glanced to the side. "Nevermind. Point is, I just... I wanna experience normal girl things, I guess."



"Well," Jaune shrugged, holding out the candy and flowers, "Normal girl things are going out with some loser and then deciding to dump him."



"I wouldn't do that!" Yang laughed, taking the candy and flowers, "We-We'd have a messy, mutual break up. Totally public. I'd break a lot of things because I'd be sooo devastated!"



Jaune laughed as Yang grinned.



"Yeah... Not my style. I'd probably just mope dramatically. Maybe stare at the moon all poetically. Sit in the rain."



"Ha! You'd look like some poor drowned golden retriever."



"I think you'd look more like that with your hair."



"Ah, but I'd never let my hair get wet," Yang pointed out with a smirk. Jaune shrugged.



"Shame. You'd look even better like that."



Again Yang blushed, and she stared at him with a shocked grin.



"Wha... You're flirting with me!"



"I..." Jaune rubbed the back of his head. "I-I guess I am! It's uh... It's been a while."



Yang giggled. Jaune sucked in a deep breath.



"But I mean it. You. Me. Friendly date. We just go out and have fun. What do you say?"



Yang stared at him.



"Why aren't you this smooth with Weisscream?" She asked.



Jaune sighed and rubbed his cheek.



"I guess... I dunno... I wanted to impress her. You? I just... I want to make you feel better."



Yang stared for a long moment. before she nodded.



"Okay. You're on," she said.



Jaune blinked rapidly.



"Really?"



"Yeah. Really. Let's go out. Right now," she said.



Jaune shrugged, and extended his arm. She took it.



"All right... But uh, please no blowing up a warehouse? I got in enough trouble last time."



"I make no promises~!"



- - -



Just something fun and off the cuff. It's a little headscratching for Yang perhaps but again, off the top of my head.

 

[AndrewJTalon]

The cathedral on Beacon's grounds had stood for centuries. The original building was constructed during the heyday of the First Emerald Dynasty as a place to worship The Brother Gods, but that changed during the accession of the Third Emerald Dynasty with the arrival of the ship known as The Dawn Chaser: the ship traditionally believed to be the first vessel to circumnavigate the world, though some historians dispute this.



The Dawn Chaser carried several missionaries seeking to spread the good news of The Table Breaker, and many members of the royal family believed the teachings of these missionaries. As a result the house of worship was remodeled into a Church of The Broken Table.



Yet over the centuries, as the King of Vale abdicated and more power went to the city rather than Beacon, the cathedral had fallen into disuse. The faith itself was strong and vibrant, but without a royal family at the castle, it had fallen into disuse. It was preserved by charity and the students, but seldom opened save for Yuletide celebrations.



Here, Arslan Altan knelt in front of the broken table statue in the sanctuary. Her head was bowed in prayer.



Her ears twitched very slightly. She sucked in a slow, low breath.



"There is no need to hide," she spoke, the acoustics of the church carrying her voice far, "None can hide from God, after all."



A pause. Arslan opened her eyes and looked up. Blake Belladonna had landed in front of her. She scowled slightly at Arslan.



"Can I help you, Miss Belladonna?" Arslan asked politely.



"You're a Faunus," Blake accused her. Arslan nodded.



"Yes. It is on my ID card."



"But you look...!" Blake looked her over. Arslan smiled softly. She took a deep breath.



She unleashed a roar, so harsh and powerful that Blake nearly jumped out of her skin. Arslan stopped, her smile widening just a hair.



"My vocal chords are that of a lion's," she said, "That is my family trait. Though my uncle Raw has ears."



"You don't smell like a Faunus," Blake growled. Arslan stared at her.



"What do I smell like then, Miss Belladonna?"



"Incense," Blake stated, "Very strong..." She trailed off. She shook her head.



"Why... Why are you hiding what you are?"



Arslan closed her eyes and resumed her prayer.



"I'm not. My mother and father are Faunus, this is public record," she said.



"Yes," Blake admitted, "But they've never spoken on Faunus rights, despite being famous! Despite being-!"



"Able to influence things?" Arslan asked. She felt Blake's scowl. "Have you sought me out to shame me for my inaction then?"



"I..." Blake paused. "I wanted to understand why. You're rich, you're well regarded..."



"We work," Arslan said, "through the Church. We reach out to all who need a helping hand, Faunus or human."



"But you could do so much for your people!" Blake insisted. "So much for the welfare of-!"



Arslan opened her eyes and turned to Blake. She narrowed them at the black cat Faunus.



"Tell me," she said, "Does every human child have a mother and father?"



Blake blinked.



"What do you-?"



"It's a simple question," Arslan pressed, "Do they all have mothers and fathers? Do they all live together in homes, happily?"



Blake blinked a few times and shook her head.



"No, but-"



"I believe your own partner lost both of her mothers," Arslan continued, "Abandoned by one, and the other taken by death. Is this not so?"



"It is, but what does-?" Blake scowled. "I-I do care about that but she's not a Faunus! She wasn't enslaved-!"



"Were you?"



Blake gaped.



"What?!"



"Were you enslaved?" Arslan asked. "Were you put in chains and made to work?"



"No," Blake allowed, "But the SDC does it to Faunus all the time-!"



"Agreed, it is a terrible crime," Arslan nodded, "My mother spoke out against the SDC's abuses on many occasions. It even cost her an acting role."



"I..." Blake scowled, "But you don't just-!"



"We don't just what, Miss Belladonna?" Arslan asked softly, "Just care for the welfare of Faunus? Focus all our efforts only on Faunus?"



Blake glared.



"I just don't understand how... How you've done so well and yet you don't speak in favor of Menagerie."



"Or the White Fang?" Arslan asked.



Blake winced.



"They're not the same-!"



"And yet," Arslan said quietly, "They are still connected. Your father may have denounced them, but they still fight. And are still supported by Menagerie. Not all of them, and not by your family... But they are still connected. And any support of Menagerie will be used by the White Fang as a means of justifying more terrorism. Is that not so?"



Blake opened and closed her mouth several times. She then bowed her head, ears flat against it.



"I suppose... I suppose that's fair," she murmured.



Arslan looked at the statue of the Table Breaker. As expected of the Third Emerald Dynasty's artistic tradition, even bound and shaven, even covered in welts and bruises, and even with a knife stuck in his chest, Aslan's face was a study in beautiful nobility. The sculptor had captured it perfectly.



"Aslan came in the form of a Faunus because he came for all of us," Arslan stated, "For at the time, the Faunus were a minority under a mighty empire. Subjugated and under martial law. But His disciples were humans and Faunus. He lived as a Faunus, and died as a Faunus, and the first two to see His return to life were two human women. He spoke that he had come for all of us with souls, to save them."



Arslan looked back at Blake, who was staring at the statue herself.



"Because the world is dark and cold and full of monsters," Arslan said, "And in the end? We all need to stand together against it. I have not hidden what I am... But in light of the larger responsibility to the world? Being a Faunus is secondary compared to having a soul."



"I've heard this many times before," Blake stated, "I've also heard that the Table Breaker was stolen. Based on our Animal God."



"From the White Fang?" Arslan asked, almost amused. "Are they not the ones who also claim Faunus discovered fire? Discovered Dust? Invented writing and civilization itself? What incredible misfortune our race has, to create everything for man but to never claim power that would come with such things."



Blake grimaced. She glared at one of the stained glass windows. Arslan followed her gaze and nodded.



"That's one of my favorites," she said, "When Saint Reepicheep's tail was restored by Aslan."



Blake studied the stained glass intently. She sucked in a breath.



"He had lost his in a great battle. His followers were willing to cut off their own tails, because they could not bare to have such an honor while their Chief went without," she murmured. "And so Aslan restored it, not for Reepicheep's honor, but for the love his people had for their chief."



Arslan nodded solemnly, though her smile grew.



"You know it?"



"I do read a great deal," Blake admitted. She sighed. She sat down on a pew next to Arslan, and slumped a bit.



"I'm... Struggling to find my path," she admitted. "I don't... I don't think this is mine."



She gestured to the church. Arslan nodded.



"Why?"



"Because... There's so much hatred and injustice in the world," Blake sighed, "So much anger. Even when I thought I was doing good... I was doing worse. I tried. I tried so hard to-to change things. To not make people fear and hate us..."



She shook her head.



"I failed."



"You did then," Arslan said, "But it also brought you here. Has that been a disaster?"



Blake thought about it.



"... No," she admitted.



"Then maybe this is where you are meant to be," Arslan said. Blake snorted.



"What? Did the Tablebreaker bring me here?"



"If He did not want you here, you would not be," Arslan said calmly. Blake huffed.



"I don't need a sermon."



"Then what do you want, Blake Belladonna?" Arslan asked quietly.



Blake stared intently at the statue for a long time. She sucked in a breath.



"I... I want to stop the White Fang from doing bad things... I want to make up for my... My mistakes."



Arslan nodded.



"Then perhaps you are exactly where you need to be."



Blake sighed heavily.



"... I'm sorry I interrupted you," Blake spoke. Arslan shook her head.



"You did not. After all, I should help my fellow beings when they are in need."



"Why?" Blake asked, a bit sharply, "Because you'll get into Heaven?"



Arslan smiled wryly.



"Because it is the right thing to do."



- - -



Yeah I'm picking on Blake a bit more. And yeah I'm using Arslan as a Warrior Nun to do it, as well as Christian theology. I've been reading a lot more C. S. Lewis, give me a break. My muse just insists upon being heard, and so, here she is.

 

[AndrewJTalon]

It was a beautiful Saturday. Team RWBY found Team JNPR outside on Beacon's main lawn at the picnic tables. They sat together, enjoying some tea out of some thermoses. With them was an elegant older woman, dressed in a blue and white dress, sipping her tea from a very old fashioned set. Her white hair was elegantly tied up in a bun with blue ribbons, save for a single ahoge standing on the top of her head, and her blue eyes crinkled with smile lines.

"Hey guys! My uh... My Nana came to visit," Jaune explained.

Weiss breathed a small sigh of relief. Finally, a normal Arc!

"Aren't you going to introduce me to the rest of your friends, Jaune? It's very rude," Arturia gently scolded him, a fond smile on her face.

Jaune winced.

"Sorry. Um, Nana? This is Ruby Rose, Weiss Schnee, Yang Xiao-Long, and Blake Belladonna. Everyone? This is my Nana Arturia."

The members of RWBY gave polite greetings back. Weiss even curtseyed, which Arturia seemed to approve of before she turned back to Jaune.

"I'm very proud of you, Jaune. Getting into Beacon! First try, too!" Arturia complimented him. Jaune flushed and looked around gratefully at his friends.

"Er uh, well... I had a lot of help," Jaune admitted modestly.

Ruby smiled back, before she asked the most natural and socially appropriate question she could think of.

"Oh... Wow. Your Nana? So she's your grandma?"

Nailed it, she thought.

"Great-grandmother actually," Arturia clarified.

"WOW! You must be super old!" Ruby exclaimed in awe.

"RUBY!" Weiss scolded.

Yang couldn't help but snicker, even as she put Ruby in a headlock.

"URK! YANG!" Ruby complained.

Arturia laughed, sipping her tea at the antics of the two sisters,

"I am!"

"Er, yeah," Jaune confirmed, looking a bit embarrassed.

Pyrrha was visibly starstruck.

"She fought in the Great War!"

"Oh, I did my part," Arturia responded modestly.

"Well, that's very impressive," Weiss acknowledged.

"You don't actually look that old," Yang commented, letting Ruby go.

"Healthy living! I keep in shape!" Arturia said, then turned her attention back to Jaune. "I hope you are keeping up with your training, Jaune?"

"I am!" Jaune assured her.

Arturia looked thoughtful as she sipped her cup of tea.

"Hm... Mind if I test you?" Arturia proposed.

"Ummm..." Jaune hesitated.

"It would be wonderful, Jaune! Can she test me, next?" Pyrrha chimed in eagerly.

"Me too! She seems SUPER fun!" Nora added excitedly.

Ren nodded, "It would be an honor, ma'am."

RWBY was left feeling confused. Though they all noted the large metal briefcase near the old woman. Arturia chuckled, and patted the case like it was an old, familiar friend.

"Oh, I'm deeply flattered! Honestly though, I don't know how much fun I'll be. I'm old, after all. And I do want to check on Jaune's progress."

Jaune looked extremely nervous, which Blake, Yang, Weiss, and Ruby noticed.

"Well uh... I mean, Pyrrha is training me—"

"Hmmmm..." Arturia eyed Pyrrha with a keen expression. "I see. I'll test her first then?"

Pyrrha's eyes seemed to shine. Ruby frowned.

She's that excited to fight an old lady? She thought.

"Wonderful! Is here and now good?" Pyrrha asked excitedly.

"Perfectly!" Arturia agreed.

"Uh, Pyrrha? You sure you want to do this?" Ruby asked, concerned.

"Yeah, I mean uh... Maybe Jaune's Nana needs to take a break? It must have been a long trip from uh... Where are you from?" Yang questioned.

Arturia finished her tea, then rose, "Radian."

"Right, there," Yang echoed. Weiss's manners took over as she stepped nearer with a smile.

"Yes! Surely we can wait, have some more tea-?"

"No, no. I do need to know just who is teaching my great-grandson," Arturia insisted. Jaune sighed, looking resigned. He then got up and picked up the briefcase. With some difficulty, he lifted it.

"Nngh… All right," He handed the heavy briefcase over to her. Arturia took it, the small old woman barely even noticing the burden she carried. Jaune sucked in a deep breath.

"Um... Just remember, Nana—" Jaune tried. Arturia reached out and patted Jaune's bicep with a fond smile.

"Oh Jaune, you worrywart! You're such a sweet lad. But your partner will be fine." Arturia chuckled and stretched, "Mmm! Honestly, she seems like she'll give me some trouble. But I like trouble!"

"Thank you, Mrs. Arc!" Pyrrha gleefully.

"Call me Nana Arturia!" Arturia replied with warmth.

"Hee!" Pyrrha giggled, her cheeks red.

As Arturia and Pyrrha walked off onto the grassy knoll, Ruby frowned deeply.

"Um... Why are we letting the... How old is she?"

"One hundred and five," Jaune answered blandly.

"One hundred and five year old woman fight the best student in Beacon?!" Ruby asked.

Jaune shook his head.

"Honestly? I'm more worried about Pyrrha," he confessed. Weiss frowned.

"Her?! What about your great-grandmother?! She looks... Well, she's well preserved but she's still really old!" Weiss countered quietly.

"Ah. So you don't recognize her," Ren noted. Weiss scowled.

"Recognize who? I'll admit she looks... A little familiar," Weiss pondered.

"Waiiit for it!" Nora anticipated with a broad grin.

Arturia then pulled on gray armor, which expanded and locked around her midsection. She donned gauntlets and greaves that automatically locked into place. She then drew a sword that glowed with Aura Energy, her eyes reflecting the same power. In a moment, Nana Arturia had transformed from a sweet old lady to a deadly knight, her face and eyes grim with the promise of battle.

Pyrrha was practically beside herself with excitement.

"Wha...?! No.. No way-!" Weiss gasped.

Blake's eyes widened in disbelief.

Arturia's sword turned invisible, and in a split second, she was hammering her mighty blade against Pyrrha's Milo and Akoúo̱ so fast that sparks flew. Pyrrha tried to rally and go on the offensive, but Arturia's speed, precision, reach, and strength were phenomenal. Pyrrha feinted and tried to flank Arturia, but the elderly woman parried her strikes, giving ground slowly as Pyrrha became more mobile.

Pyrrha then feinted and side-flipped to get behind Arturia. The knight swung her blade behind herself, unleashing an Aura Slash that Pyrrha barely dodged, cutting a tree behind her in half and sending it falling over.

All of RWBY was gobsmacked; Jaune looked relieved, Nora cheered, and Ren smiled softly.

"Haa... Haa... Haa... Very impressive, young lady." Arturia raised her sword in salute.

"Haa... Haa... You too, Nana Arturia!" Pyrrha panted, unbelievably happy.

Arturia hummed thoughtfully, turning a critical eye over the young woman.

"That said, you rely very heavily on your Semblance to fight. If you were blinded or distracted by loud noises, it could throw off your concentration. It is admirable you are so gifted and train so hard... But do not forget that true battle does not have rules," Arturia advised.

"Yes Nana Arturia!" Pyrrha responded eagerly. Arturia looked at her great-Grandson.

"Hmmm... Also... Jaune? While Pyrrha is very good at swordplay... I don't think emulating her style suits you, at least in that way. She's very mobile, you are not," Arturia observed.

"Er, well, not really," Jaune admitted. Arturia nodded.

"I will teach you my own style while she trains you in more general combat. You should know how to fight like a proper knight: Great cunning and calculation, but speed and strength are just as important!" Arturia stated.

Jaune nodded, "Um... What will Mom say though?"

Arturia sighed.

"I may have respected her wishes when you were a child, but you have clearly chosen your path."

"Thank you Nana," Jaune smiled.

Ruby got her mouth working first.

"That armor… That sword… That style…?"

Ruby's silver eyes widened.

"Nana… Arturia…P-Pendragon-Arc?!" She gasped.

Arturia chuckled softly and nodded.

"Pendragon is my maiden name. I took my husband's last name: Arc!"

Dead silence ensued until Blake broke it.

"Your Nana... Is Empress Arturia Pendragon?! Queen of Albion?! The Saber Queen?!"

Jaune coughed. Pyrrha looked like she was holding in a squeal of delight. Nora grinned broadly. Arturia chuckled, holding a hand to her cheek.

"Oh my, that was a very long time ago. I abdicated, after all," Arturia replied modestly.

"Y-You slew over ten thousand enemy soldiers in ONE DAY during the siege of Camelot!" Weiss exclaimed.

"Did I? Huh! I didn't really keep count. Couldn't afford to," Arturia said nonchalantly.

A tall old man with tanned skin, white hair, and golden-brown eyes approached, carrying bags of fast food. He wore plain black and white clothing, save for a long red coat. He smiled warmly as he came up to Arturia. He bent down to kiss her, which she happily returned.

"Mwah! Hello darling!" Arturia greeted.

"Hey," Shirou returned.

"Hey Papa Shirou," Jaune added with a wave.

"SHIROU?!" The RWBY girls gasped.

"That's me. Nice to meet you!" Shirou introduced himself. He then smirked a bit. "As for that battle? I got about half of them, but I wasn't keeping count either. Too busy watching you, beloved," the man said with a smile to Arturia.

Arturia blushed and giggled like a schoolgirl.

"Aw! Sweet as always, my beloved Shirou. Did you get-?" Arturia asked.

"Yes, just how you like them. I see you worked up a sweat!" Shirou confirmed, handing her a bag.

Arturia took out a burger and sat down with her husband at the picnic table, happily eating as Shirou smiled and joined her with his own burger.

"Shirou Arc, of Unlimited Blade Works?!" Weiss gasped.

"Holy crap...!" Yang muttered, looking back and forth between Jaune and his great-grandfather. Shirou smiled at Blake and nodded.

"Heh. Been a while since I was called that. You're a good student of history!" Shirou complimented.

"Th-Thank you sir!" Weiss thanked with a blush.

"Call me Papa!" Shirou insisted.

"O-Oh my," Weiss murmured as Blake smirked.

Ruby grabbed Jaune and dragged him aside, with the rest of RWBY and JNPR joining them a short distance away as Shirou and Arturia enjoyed their burgers. Ruby then grabbed his arms and glared up at him with adorable little pout.

"When were you going to TELL ME your great-grandparents were some of the most incredible fighters in history?!" Ruby demanded.

"You're of THOSE Arcs?!" Weiss gasped. Jaune coughed and shrugged.

"I-I mean… You didn't ask?" Jaune replied in exasperation.

"I-But-THEY'RE SO COOL!" Ruby gasped. "INCREDIBLE!"

"Yes. I know. But to me, they're just my great-grandparents. So please..." Jaune sighed.

"O-Oh, um, sorry," Ruby blushed deeply, pulling away from Jaune.

Weiss cleared her throat.

"You know, um... It is curious you didn't bring them up. With me," Weiss noted.

"Oh, so now you're interested in him?" Yang teased.

"In his family history!" Weiss clarified.

Jaune sighed heavily.

"Because of this, okay? I love them to death... But I'm not using them to get attention. I want to earn my way through life myself... Not thanks to their names," Jaune explained.

"... I... I can understand that, Ar-Um... Jaune," Weiss conceded.

"Same," Blake agreed.

Jaune smiled warmly at his friends. Pyrrha smiled back and cleared her throat.

"Completely, Jaune. I just... It's such an honor to fight her! She's still so incredible!" Pyrrha said, thrilled.

Yang grinned.

"You think I could fight her next?! Or your Papa? Damn, he still looks amazing! I am seeing the future and I like it~!"

Pyrrha turned a very brittle smile onto Yang.

"What do you mean by that?"

"What do you think I mean, P-Money?" Yang countered, her eyes flashing red as she grinned like a hungry dragon.

Weiss cleared her throat and held up her hands.

"Hey! There's no need to fight! Especially not over Arc!" Weiss interjected, though her voice lacked her usual ire with Jaune. Blake smirked.

"Says the girl who's been eyeing his great-grandpa with lust in her eyes since he showed up?" Blake teased.

"I have not!" Weiss retorted, bright red.

"DID YOU SEE THAT ARMOR?!" Ruby asked in awe.

"IT WENT ALL SWOOSH AND CRANK AND WHIRR-WHIRR!" Nora mimicked the sounds with some elaborate hand gestures.

"Indeed," Ren deadpanned dryly.

Pyrrha and Yang glared at one another over their smiles. Weiss and Blake argued, while Nora chanted "FIGHT! FIGHT! FIGHT!" Ren continued to sip tea from his own thermos, looking faintly amused.

Jaune sighed. He walked over to his great-grandparents and sat down. Ruby joined him, deciding to let her friends deal with their problems herself. Shirou handed them some burgers, which they both began to dig into.

"If it helps, son, I've been where you are. With your great-Aunties Sakura and Rin," Shirou offered with a small smile. .

"What happened?" Jaune asked.

Arturia swallowed a bite of her burger, a bit of ketchup on her cheek. Shirou automatically wiped it clean with a paper towel, which she smiled thankfully to before she spoke.

"I beat them into submission and made it clear Shirou was my man and I was first wife. This will work itself out," Arturia said confidently.

Jaune groaned… While Ruby got a speculative look on her face.

"Ruby?" Jaune asked.

"Oh, um, nothing!" Ruby quickly lied with a big smile.

 

[AndrewJTalon]

On the roof of their dorm, Pyrrha and Jaune were engaged in a training session. The sun set, painting the sky in hues of purple and orange. The first stars began to twinkle above them, casting a peaceful, almost romantic ambiance over the scene. Jaune managed a skillful move, catching Pyrrha's blade and knocking it aside while sliding into her guard. With his sword at her throat, both were panting from the effort, but Pyrrha's face was lit with a smile.

"Wonderful, Jaune! Much, much better!" she exclaimed.

Jaune lowered his weapons, his own smile breaking through.

"All thanks to you, Pyr. Am I actually getting better?"

"Much! You know how many people could actually get their blade on me?" Pyrrha responded.

"We are just training—" Jaune began, but Pyrrha cut him off, her hand gently resting on his chestplate.

"Jaune... You're really doing well. Please, take the compliment."

Flushing, Jaune nodded.

"Pyr... Thank you. Thank you for everything."

They stood there in silence, just enjoying the moment as the setting sun backlit them. For a moment, Jaune almost imagined a loving look in Pyrrha's eyes. Which of course was ridiculous. She was just his friend. His dearest friend… A super attractive woman who was touching him… Staring into his eyes…

Suddenly, a voice broke the tranquility.

"KISSSSSSS!"

Both Jaune and Pyrrha jumped back in surprise, looking around to find the source of the interruption.

"Who was—?!" Pyrrha looked around, while Jaune groaned.

"Oh no..."

A beautiful woman, blonde with a veil over her face, dressed in black, floated down onto the roof. She huffed in mock annoyance.

"Is that any way to greet your great-great Auntie, Jaune?"

"Hello, Aunt Morgan," Jaune said wearily.

Pyrrha flushed.

"O-Oh? Um... Hello, ma'am?"

Jaune gestured to Pyrrha.

"This is-"

Morgan snorted.

"Of course I know who she is! Pyrrha Nikos!" She beamed at them both, "And you two could make some amazing babies together!"

Pyrrha turned bright red, stuttering rapidly, while Jaune scolded her.

"AUNTIE! You do this every time! Stop it! You're weirding out my friend!"

Morgan continued unabated, "Well it's not MY fault that your bloodline would allow your progeny to become immensely powerful and let me reclaim the throne of Albion and rule the world! Of course, I could always use a Black Knight!"

She beamed as she hugged Jaune.

"What do you say, Nephew? You'd be at my side, helping me conquer all the world! And you'd give me not only lands, but grandbabies!"

Pyrrha squeaked, her cheeks burning as red as the setting sun. Jaune scowled.

"For the last time, NO."

"Come on!" Morgan protested, "If you don't like her, how about that blonde brawler? Or the catgirl? Or the Schnee heiress? Or the silver eyed girl, when she grows up a bit? Or all of them at once?"

Jaune sighed as his shoulders slumped.

"Can't you go bother any of our other family members?"

"They keep throwing salt at me! And cold iron! Can you imagine the nerve?!" Morgan whined.

"Yes. Yes I can," Jaune deadpanned.

Morgan then dramatically fell to her knees and grabbed his hand.

"Please Jaune! Ever since the divorce with Lot I had to do Only Fans just to make ends meet! Please be my Black Knight?!"

Jaune gaped in disbelief before yanking his hand away.

"You have so many other skills, Auntie! Why are you doing THAT?!"

Morgan shrugged.

"It feeds my ego and my capricious vices!"

Suddenly, another voice boomed, "SISTER!"

Morgan gasped as Arturia leaped up onto the roof. The former Empress of Vytal brandished her sword as Morgan growled.

"SISTER!" Morgan responded in kind.

"I told you to leave my great-grandson alone!" Arturia growled.

"And I told you to leave my great-grandnephew alone! Especially when I'm scheming!"

"I told you, NO MORE SCHEMING!" Arturia shouted.

"I'm the older sister! I'll do all the scheming I want!" Morgan shouted.

Arturia swung her sword, unleashing an Aura blade. Morgan jumped over the energy blast, and summoned up a staff to fire Aura-powered Dust blasts back.

As the two fought furiously, Jaune turned to the still blushing Pyrrha. He patted her shoulder gently.

"I'm really sorry about that. She's been really hurting ever since the divorce and falling out with Nana... You okay, Pyrrha?"

"S-So many babies…"

Jaune blinked.

"Pyr?"

Pyrrha, still a bit dazed, coughed and shook her head.

"I-I'm fine!"

 

[AndrewJTalon]

Jaune peered at the locker, struggling with the jammed door. He had just arrived at Beacon and was already struggling with his rocket locker.

"Geez... This locker is really freaking…"

He caught sight of a pale girl with black hair and a bow on her head walking to another rocket locker. It took him a moment to place her. He had seen her a few times around Beacon campus, but the way she walked, the way she moved…

It clicked in his mind in a second.

"Wait a minute... Blake?!"

The cat Faunus in disguise turned around and blinked in surprise. Her eyes then widened in recognition.

"... Jaune?!"

"BLAKE! It is you!" Jaune exclaimed, wrapping her in a joyful hug, his laughter echoing in the locker room. "It's been so long! I missed you!"

Blake blushed, slightly taken aback by the sudden affection.

"Oh, uh... Um... Y-Yeah... It's been a while, huh? How... How are you?"

"I'm great! Made it to Beacon! How about you? You're also a Huntress, huh? Or, uh, gonna become one?" Jaune asked, still beaming. Blake managed a small smile back, though she remained stiff in his arms.

"Sure am... I didn't think your parents would let you train?" Blake responded, her curiosity piqued.

Jaune's eyes suddenly darted to the side.

"Oh, uh... I mean, I wore 'em down," Jaune admitted with a less than convincing smile.

Blake raised an eyebrow. She then hummed as she looked him up and down. He had certainly filled out. However…

"You did get your Aura unlocked though, right?" Blake asked, probing further.

Jaune hesitated.

"... Surrre... Sure did!"

Blake gave him a knowing look.

"... Jaune. Your Aura isn't unlocked, is it?"

"Ummm... Maybe?" Jaune confessed.

With a sigh, Blake continued, "... Do you even know how to use your sword?"

"Of course! The pointy end goes in the Grimm," Jaune said with a nervous chuckle.

Despite everything, Blake couldn't help but laugh.

"You're still so hopeless... Still. I guess I can't really speak." She placed her hand on his chest, unlocking his Aura with a gentle touch.

"For it is in deliverance that we achieve change. Through this, we become a paragon of justice to share with all. Infinite in truth and unbound by the past, I release your soul, and by my shoulder, redeem thee…"

She could feel the surge of power radiate back through her. Her entire body seemed to warm up, and she shivered.

Memories long thought gone filled her mind. Her mother had been suffering from a rare illness between protests. The only doctor who could treat it was down in Radian. It had been a long trip and there was the fear that they wouldn't treat her. Her father had said there was nothing to worry about… Yet the whole time, he had been stone faced.

They managed to make it to Radian. She still remembered the city walls, the mountains, and the beautiful forests. They'd entered the town, guided by the white castle gleaming in the sunlight. That was the hospital.

They came to the hospital. They waited in the lobby, Blake holding her mother's hand. Eventually, a kind looking blonde woman in a green dress and white labcoat came. She smiled and told her that her mother would be fine, before she led them away.

Blake was shown to a courtyard to stay in. And there… Was a little boy her age. Blond, wearing a red shirt and blue shorts. He was playing with some toys, and had some books in a bag nearby. There was a fountain gurgling happily nearby.

"This is my son," the kind woman said, "Jaune? This is Blake. Her mother is getting treated. I want you two to play together, okay?"

Jaune smiled.

"Okay Mama!"

"Be good," Isabel said.

"Be good," Dad had told her. They had left. Jaune then walked up and took her hand.

"Do you like books?" Jaune had asked.

Blake blinked, her ears twitching.

"I do…"

So he'd pulled out some books and they'd read them together. They were all fairytales, and tales of adventures. Jaune smiled happily as they read together, but it was hard to relax.

"What's wrong?" Jaune asked.

"... Will my mama be okay?" Blake had asked.

Jaune nodded eagerly.

"My Mama is the best doctor ever! She'll be fine, I promise!"

"You do?" Blake had asked. Jaune nodded again.

"Yeah! We're Arcs, and Arcs never go back on their word!"

He was right. Her mother had recovered, though it had taken a few weeks of rest. They'd stayed at the Arc Farmhouse. That summer, Blake had gotten to play for the first time she could remember. It had seemed like the fight for Faunus Rights was far away. Some kind of dream.

Jaune… He was the first friend she'd ever had at her age. Leaving him… She had cried so hard. He had cried even harder. He'd drawn her "the best picture ever" and given her a book and…

She took his hand now, and smiled warmly up at him.

"There. Just stick with me. We'll do all right, I promise," she said.

Jaune smiled back, and her heart beat a little faster.

"Thanks Blake. Where did you go off to, anyway? One day… You just stopped sending letters. Your parents kept calling, hoping you'd show up at our farm. I... I really missed you," Jaune said, his voice softening with sincerity.

"And I... I missed you," Blake sighed, her expression… She looked away.

She had run off to join the White Fang. She had abandoned everything she had known to fight humans directly. She had left… Everything behind. Including his gifts.

Including him.

"It's... Complicated. I'll... I'll tell you when I'm ready. Can you... Can you be patient with me please?"

Blake almost couldn't bare to look up at him. She didn't know how she could even begin. Where she could even start…

She felt him hug her. She looked up in surprise. He smiled warmly.

"It's okay. Whenever you want to… I'll listen. I promise. We're gonna get married, remember?" Jaune reminded her, his tone light but earnest.

Blake gave an exasperated chuckle, "You proposed when we were six."

"And?" Jaune asked with a teasing smile. "An Arc-"

"Always keeps his word," Blake sighed, "Same old Jaune..." But her chuckle suggested she wasn't entirely displeased by the reminder. She pulled away, still holding his hand.

"Let's go!"

Jaune smiled and nodded.

"Ready when you are."

She had been told by Ozpin that she was safe from the White Fang here. That they couldn't get to her.

She wanted to believe it. She wanted to think she didn't have to run anymore.

She might have to leave Jaune behind. If Adam knew she was close to a human, if he even suspected…

No, Blake thought to herself as they made their way out to the Initiation, He… He won't find me. He won't take him away from me…

She had to hope. She had to believe.

She had to.

 

[SharkCultist]

Adam Taurus. Was tired.

He'd spent years running on nothing but rage at humanity convinced of their evil for their betrayal of him.

And then he was betrayed by Faunus. Left alone by the person he trusted most in the world, and when he went back and told others of her betrayal they brushed him off.

Adam was done. It wasn't humans he couldn't stand, it was just people. So Adam took his blade and marched into the mountains without a backwards glance or a word to anyone.

---

It's been about three years and Adam was a much different man. His rigid posture had relaxed without his constant anger and burden of leadership.

His hair has grown out and lost its spikiness when it reached shoulder length. Haircuts seem low in the priority list, it gets cut when it gets in the way.

His eyes still retained their sharpness but their wasn't any anger in his gaze, just discipline.

Living alone in the mountains had its benefits.

Well not totally alone.

"Dad we caught a boar!"

"Didn't even see us!"

Two little girls who did more for me in three years than all the comrades and togetherness in the white fang.

Crystal a little antelope faunus, quick as can be without aura. The little amber eyed, green haired girl was a menace.

Juniper while calmer and easier to catch was no less a troublemaker. Despite not having quite a few advantages that her sister did (after all she didn't have night vision). Still the blonde haired green eyes tomboy gave him a few grey hairs. (Figuratively. He checked.)

"And how did you kill this boar? Hopefully not with the knives I told you not to touch?"

The girls like always conveniently forget rules when they're trying to be helpful or have fun.

"No stories after dinner tonight and you both get to help me dress the boar."

"Eeew but daaaaaad it's all sticky!"

"And smelly!"

"That's why it's a punishment girls. Now go get your raincoats (a purchase from a rare trip to civilization) this is going to be a messy one."

As he watches the little girls race to their small mountain cottage Adam can't help but think that pulling the two surviving little girls out of a ruined camper was the best decision he ever made.

The second being coming to the mountains in the first place. Peace agrees with Adam.

But unfortunately a old unwelcome figure was about to bring him war, as team RWBY lost while away from beacon stumble across his cottage and daughters.

 

[AndrewJTalon]

We have had Jaune as Batman in this thread before. And hey, I love Batman. But I also love another superhero who could use some love, and whose movie is coming out this year.

To that end...

- - -

Jaune Arc was fourteen years old. Like many teenagers, he had taken to spending time on the walls of Radian to get a break from his parents. He sighed as he looked out over the Albus Mountain range, lost in his thoughts.



Thoughts that a certain cat Faunus girl interrupted when she placed her hands over his eyes.



"Guess who~!" She teased.



Jaune sighed.



"Katy?"



"Aww..." Katy pulled back with a little pout. Jaune smiled at her expression, then turned back to looking out at the valley. Katy frowned and leaned over the wall with him, staring intently at her boyfriend.



"You okay?"



"Just..." He groaned. "I can't believe they won't let me go to the Hunter School! I passed all the physical tests!"



"You totally did," Katy giggled. Jaune gave her a glare without much heat. She smiled and nuzzled him. "Come on, Jaune. You're gonna be a shoe-in at medical school! Why do you want to be a Huntsman so bad, anyway?"



"Because I want to help people," Jaune insisted, "I mean... Really help them. All my ancestors were great Huntsmen, heroes... Why can't I?"



Katy shrugged.



"I dunno... Your parents have always been weird. Maybe it's because you're the baby of the family? The only boy?"



"Maybe," Jaune muttered, "I just can't help thinking there's something they're not telling me..."



He heard a loud metallic screeching. He winced and held his ears. Katy gasped.



"Jaune? Jaune, you okay? You-?"



He looked out. He saw a Bullhead airship falling towards the ground.



"Call it in! It's an airship crash!" Jaune shouted. He leaped off the wall and slid down the bricks, before he got to the ground. He ran for it, hearing Katy shouting for help to the militia on the wall.



He saw the airship crash, heard the boom. He raced through the trees, everything becoming a blur. He skidded to a halt near the wreck. The Bullhead was very tough. Its hull was mostly intact. He could hear crying. He rushed to the hatch, and grabbed onto the metal. It burned his hands, but it gave way to his fingers like tissue paper. He tore the door open and tossed it aside. He dashed in, covering his face against the flames and smoke.



He spotted two people: Faunus by the look of them. They were in the pilot and co-pilot seats, unconscious. Jaune quickly ripped their belts off and carried them both out on his shoulders. He raced away from the wreck, hearing Radian's own airships and recovery vehicles closing in. He set the couple down, and they coughed as they began to breathe again.



The pilot, a man, looked at Jaune, then at the Bullhead with wild eyes.



"Our daughter-She's still inside!"



Jaune turned and dashed back into the wreck. He scanned around through the flames, searching frantically. He heard the crying again, in the back. The ship's bathroom...



He tore the door off the bathroom. A little girl, strapped into the emergency harness over the toilet, sniffled and cried when she saw him.



"It's okay!" Jaune shouted. "I'm gonna get you out of here!"



He tore the straps away, and pulled the little girl into his arms. She clung to him like a barnacle, and he kept her surrounded by his strong arms. He turned and ran out of the Bullhead, towards the hatch. He emerged into the sunlight. He could see his father with Militia troops some distance away, securing the area. He could see his mother already tending to the injured parents.



He saw both of them look up at him. His mother's eyes widened.



"JAUNE! RUN!"



"I-!"



The engines of the burning Bullhead exploded. He fell to his knees, hoping to protect the little girl with his body. Hoping his death let her live, offered what protection he could!



Jaune felt the flames, felt the heat wash over him like a wave at the beach. He felt metal shrapnel hit his body... And bounce off.



He felt his clothes burn... But not his flesh.



He heard the little girl scream, cry. He held her tighter as the flames subsided.



He stood up, the girl safe but shaken in his arms. He blinked and looked down at those arms.



His shirt was burn away. His jeans and shorts were burned to a crisp, barely staying on him. Yet his flesh looked as unblemished and clean as though he'd just gotten out of the bath.



He gawked in disbelief. He looked up. His parents, the militiamen, even Katy... All stared at him in varying degrees of wonder and shock.



What... What just happened...? His mind asked weakly.



- - -



That night, he was back at the Arc farmhouse. He'd gotten checked out, gotten new clothes, and then slipped away to the barn to think.



He sat up in the top rafters, which held a variety of items he'd collected: A telescope, a desk, posters of Huntsmen and images from the Very Large Telescope. A Valean Flag in one corner. All familiar, all comforting. The sounds of the night filled the barn as the stars and broken moon came out.



His parents came up into the rafters, his mother leading. She took a deep breath.



"Jaune? I... I'm sure you have a lot of questions about what happened today," she began. Dad stood nearby her, looking uncharacteristically grim. Jaune slowly nodded.



"I... Yeah," he said. He looked at his hands. "I mean... Did my Aura activate? Is-Is that my Semblance?"



"No," Isabel said quietly. Jaune jerked and stared at her. She shook her head. She walked up to him, and held out her Scroll. She presented an Aura scanning app, something most medics had. She held it over Jaune. It gave no reading. Jaune blinked rapidly.



"But... If I don't have Aura or a Semblance then... What's going on?"



Nick sighed heavily.



"Son? It's time you learned... Well... The truth."



They took him down the stairs, and out of the barn. They went into the nearby copse of trees. In here, Jaune's grandfather had built his wife a replica of a Fuujin-style hotsprings. Next to this was an old storage shed, which had been chained shut as long as Jaune could remember. Nick brought out a key, unlocked it, and pulled the chains loose.



Isabel hugged him tightly.



"Son... I want you to know," Isabel said softly, "We love you. No matter what, okay?"



"Mom, you-you're scaring me," Jaune managed, "Dad too."



Nick opened the shed door. He reached for an old lightswitch, and turned it on.



The light flooded the shed. Jaune blinked rapidly... Then gaped.



It looked like a sleek vehicle-A cockpit in tinted black glass dominated it. Behind the cockpit was a white engine assembly, with fins. At the front of the thing was what almost looked like a radar dome. The metal glistened and almost seemed to move, like a living creature.



"Fourteen years ago, this crashed several miles outside of town," Nick murmured, "Your mother and I were driving home from a Hunter job. We investigated the crash site... And found you inside this thing. We took you with us, hid the thing. We said we'd had you on the mission-It had been a very long one, about a year, after all..."



Jaune's jaw remained dropped. Isabel took over.



"We took a sample of the thing to a friend of ours at Lutetia University. He asked if we got it from a meteorite-He'd never seen the materials in it before. He thought it might have come from... Outside the solar system."



Jaune slowly shook his head.



"You..." He backed away from his mother's embrace. "You're kidding. You're kidding!"

He looked between his father and mother. He looked for the slightest hint that his parents were playing a prank on him.



His father remained stoic. His mother cried silently.



Jaune shook his head and stared at the craft.



"You're not kidding?!" He gasped.



Nick reached down and pressed on the side of the craft. The cockpit swung open. He picked up a small box, and handed it over to Jaune.



"We found this, along with a few blankets," Nick said softly, "We tried to open it, but... It wouldn't budge. Even a hammer didn't break it."



Jaune took the box in shaky hands. It then lit up with blue lines. Lines that danced over the surface of the box, before turning into a strange symbol: An S embedded inside a diamond-shaped shield.



The box emitted a beam... And in an instant, Jaune was elsewhere. He gasped and looked around himself: He was standing in a dark but warm looking home, wide open spaces with what seemed to be open windows looking out over a vast, alien landscape. The ground was burnt orange, with black plants and green and blue crystals jutting out in various shapes. In the distance, he could see buildings made of the same material, stretching up into a yellow sky. Overhead burned a red sun.



"Hello, Kal-El."



Jaune started and turned around. He saw two figures: A man and a woman. The man was tall, athletic, and proud, with blond hair and brown eyes. He wore a black bodysuit underneath a red robe, with the S-Shield symbol on his chest. The woman, also blonde but with blue eyes, had her hair in a neat bun and wore a similar bodysuit. Her robe was blue, with a similar S-Shield symbol on her chest.



"Kal-who?"



"I am Jor-El," the man introduced himself.



"I am Lara," the woman introduced herself, "We are your parents."



"Wha-What?!" Jaune gasped, his knees shaking. Jor-El continued as though Jaune hadn't reacted.



"This is a recording we left for you. For when you learned the truth of your origins," Jor-El said. His face became sad. "I wish we were there with you, son. But this was the only way to save you."



"Save me?! From what?" Jaune demanded.



Lara spoke, her eyes compassionate.



"You are the only survivor of a planet called Krypton. It is approximately 17 lightyears away from the planet you now inhabit. We call it Earth, for its ancient name, but the inhabitants currently call it Remnant. We sent you here to escape Krypton's destruction."



"By now, you will have noticed you are stronger and faster than humans," Jor-El continued, "Even with their ability to enhance themselves with Aura and other means, the yellow Sun of Remnant gives you incredible powers."



"I know this must be a lot to take in, son," Lara said softly, her face heartbreaking beautiful in her sorrow, "I know this must be a great shock. I wish I could be there with you to-to comfort you. To guide you. To love you. Please, tell me... Are you loved? Did kind people find and raise you?"



Jaune took a few deep, calming breaths. His eyes were filled with tears as his entire life seemed to flash before his eyes. He slowly nodded.



"Yes."



Both Jor-El and Lara relaxed. Lara herself smiled.



"I am so glad," Lara spoke softly. "So glad... There is so much for you to know."



"So much we need to tell you," Jor-El added, a slight smile on his face. "I know this world isn't perfect, son. Krypton wasn't either. We were destroyed by our own hubris. We reached such heights, did so many incredible things... But we failed. We fell to our pride, our arrogance."



He shook his head. In a flash, thousands of years of wonders went through Jaune's brain. Art, science, culture-All incredible...



Yet he also saw images of the last days of Krypton. Stagnation, corruption, oppression and xenophobia. He saw his parents fight for what was right and try to do good... All for naught.



Yet most importantly, he saw images of his parents loving him, caring for him, and smiling down at him. He felt a smile come to his own face, despite his tears.



"Beyond survival, Kal, that is why we sent you to Remnant," Jor-El said. Lara nodded.



"They have great potential, Kal," Lara spoke, "Greater than they know. They reached such heights, then fell, then climbed again, then fell... Yet still they try to become greater. Better."



"They can break this cycle, Kal," Jor-El said, "They can be a great people, they wish to. They only lack the light to show the way. For this reason above all, their capacity for good, we have sent them you..."



He felt hands hold his. He felt his heart fill near to bursting.



"Our only son."



The vision ended. Isabel and Nick were holding his hands, both looking concerned.



"Jaune? Jaune, are you all right?" Isabel asked.



"Son?" Nick whispered, his eyes shiny.



Jaune sniffled... But his smile remained.



"Yeah... Yeah, I'm all right," he said. He glanced up at the stars.



"Everything will be all right... I promise."



- - -



Because hey. He's already a farmboy and a bit of a cornball. Why isekai Superman into this world, when Jaune Arc could fit the bill?



Argh, I really gotta work on all my other stories, but hey: Sometimes you just gotta get a silly idea out.

 

[AndrewJTalon]

- - -



Okay. He had a sidekick now. Wonder-Zwei said he was a partner, which was different than a sidekick, which Jaune accepted. Zwei was just picky like that.



The thing was, he had no idea how to summon Crimson Reaper to aid him in his war on injustice. She just kept showing up!



He was on patrol late one night on the Huntscycle (patent pending) with Zwei in the sidecar, thinking over the many changes this new wrinkle in his superheroic career.



"Hey, how did you get this motorcycle anyway?" He asked.



"Woof."



The Huntsman rolled his eyes behind his mask.



"'It fell off a superhero vehicle truck?' You expect me to believe that?"



"Woof!"



"I'm not complaining, but you could have come up with a better excuse than that!"



"Woof!"



"I'm just saying, if we're superheroes, we shouldn't do bad things for a greater good! That's like a slippery slope!"



"Woof! Woof!"



Jaune blinked.



"Wait, your owner tried to be a superhero? This is his old bike? How did that go?"



"Woof."



The Huntsman winced.



"That bad, huh? Well! Fear not my canine crusader, our own superheroic career will do far better than that lackluster yet worthy war on wantonness!"



"Woof."



"I am not bad at alliteration!" The Huntsman protested. The police band went off, and he listened to the transmission. "Sounds like trouble at the ice rink! Huntsman and Wonder-Zwei, AWAY!"



They raced to the Elsa Memorial Recreation Ice Rink and leaped off their bike. Huntsman dramatically stormed into the rec center. He marched up to the front counter and posed with his hands on his hips, Wonder-Zwei next to him.



"Good citizen! You called 9-1-1?"



The receptionist, a middle aged woman with bushy hair, blinked twice at the masked man and his dog, and then shrugged.



"Er... Well, one of the patrons did. She's in the food court."



"Thank you, good citizen! You should evacuate immediately!" Huntsman declared, rushing past the desk with Wonder-Zwei in tow. The receptionist shrugged and packed up.



"Well I did want a half day anyway, sooo..."



Huntsman and Wonder-Zwei dramatically burst into the food court of the ice rink, fists, weapons and paws ready for action!"



"Halt, evildoer!" Huntsman cried. "You will...!"



He blinked. An ethereal beauty sat on one of the tables, dressed in icy garments that seemed to flow. She wore a blue and silver masquerade ball mask, and held up a rapier badly disguised as an ice wand.



"Hello, Huntsman," the icy woman greeted with a sinister smirk, "Here to melt my icy schemes?"



Huntsman pointed dramatically at the ice woman.



"What manner of diabolical plot have you brought about... Uh..."



"Ice Queen!" The woman declared, "And my sinister plots are-!"



A little boy in a green parka and blue knit hat walked up to her. He smiled with a gap in his front teeth.



"Miss Ice Queen, can I have another snowcone?" He asked.



Ice Queen beamed and patted him on the head.



"Of course sweetie! Here you go!" She used Ice Dust to create snow, which she then packed into a simple cone. She then drizzled it with very expensive looking syrups and handed it to the boy. "I hope you enjoy it!"



"Sure will!" The boy said, "You're the best!"



She cooed over him cutely licking the snowcone. He turned and headed off, waving at her. She waved back cheerfully. She then turned to the Huntsman and smirked.



"Behold! My evil scheme!" She announced.



The Huntsman gasped in horror.



"You-You're using snowcones to mind control small children!" He accused.



Ice Queen blinked, then flushed.



"What?! NO! I would never do something that terrible!"



"Then..." Huntsman racked his brain. "You're making snowcones to turn them into ICE ZOMBIES! Admit it!"



"NO!" The Ice Queen shook her head. "That's even more horrible!"



The Huntsman grumbled and rubbed his chin.



"Then what is your dastardly plot, Ice Queen?"



Ice Queen smirked and spread her hands wide.



"Isn't it obvious?"



Huntsman and Wonder-Zwei looked at eachother, shrugged, then looked back at Ice Queen.



"It is not," Huntsman said. Ice Queen cackled.



"I am giving these poor orphaned children snowcones! So that while they will know happiness from something simple, the sugar will make them hyper and cause tooth decay!"



"YOU FIEND!" The Huntsman cried. He then blinked.



"Wait, they can just avoid that with proper dental hygiene!"



"OF COURSE!" Ice Queen cackled, holding up some toothbrushes and packs of floss, "Which is why I gave each of them some tooth cleaning kits for free!"



"Which contains mind control chemicals to make them your slaves! YOU FIEND!" Huntsman cried again. Ice Queen blanched and shook her head.



"NO! No mind control is involved!" Ice Queen huffed. "But who likes to floss? Certainly not children!"



The Huntsman blinked.



"Is that all you've done?" He asked. Ice Queen cackled again, putting her hands on her slim hips.



"Foolish superhero! I've also put recommendations in for them to be adopted by wonderful families across Remnant! So they will no longer be orphans but happy foster children!"



"YOU..." Huntsman blinked several times. "That's not remotely evil! I mean... Are you sure you're a supervillain?"



Ice Queen stomped in her extremely fashionable boots.



"Of course I am! Indeed, I arranged this entire trap for you, Huntsman! So that you would fall into my clutches!"



Wonder-Zwei, long since bored with the conversation, went to go be cute and steal some snowcones from the happy orphans.



"Okay, so... What diabolical plan do you have for me?" Huntsman asked. Ice Queen blushed and poked her fingers together.



"Oh... You know... Someone so incredibly heroic, uh... Um... W-Well, I was... Thinking we could go for... Ice Cream? On the beach? Sometime?" She cleared her throat. "As part of my evil scheme!"



"WHAT?!"



Huntsman jumped. Red Huntress stormed in, looking furious.



"Red Huntress?!" Huntsman gasped. "So you're in on this too?"



"WHAT?! No!" Red Huntress snarled, glaring at Ice Queen, "I-I have my own evil plots to make you take me for ice cream and a walk on the beach!"



"That... Doesn't sound like an evil scheme," Huntsman pointed out. Red Huntress blushed. Ice Queen growled.



"It is when Red Huntress is horning in on my evil plots with Huntsman! GO GET YOUR OWN!"



"NO! He's MY arch nemesis!" Red Huntress shot back.



"I mean, all you've really done is just come in on Roman and Neo's schemes," Huntsman pointed out. Red Huntress huffed.



"I-M-My entire thing is stealing other villains' schemes to try and get my hands on YOU! That's WAY more evil than some-some ICE BIMBO pretending to be a villainess!"



"HOW DARE YOU!" Ice Queen shot back, shaking her wand, "I'm going to buy all these orphans cookies and sweets so they'll have tummy aches!"



"YAY!" The orphans cheered, "ICE QUEEN IS THE BEST!"



"You're going to have tummy aches!" Ice Queen cried, "It's not a GOOD THING!"



The Huntsman sighed and rubbed his forehead.



"Wonder-Zwei? Have any laws been broken?" He asked his canine compatriot.



Wonder-Zwei paused in eating some pizza off the floor, thought about it, and then replied:



"Woof."



"AHA! A fraudulent 9-1-1 call!" Huntsman cried, pointing to the ceiling. He then pointed it at the two supervillainesses. "Which one of you made a false 9-1-1 call? That's a serious offense I would have to bring you in for!"



Ice Queen and Red Huntress both raised their hands.



"I DID!"



They turned and glared at eachother.



"YOU LIAR!" They shouted in synch.



"I was here first! Clearly I made the call!" Ice Queen declared.



"AHA! But I knew you'd be here so I made the call FIRST!" Red Huntress smirked.



"YOU DID NOT! THAT DOESN'T MAKE ANY SENSE!" Ice Queen snarled. "You-You balloon chested bimbo who can't think of your own evil schemes!"



"You stick girl loser! You're practically a philantropist!" Red Huntress sneered.



"YOU BITCH!"



Ice Queen tackled Red Huntress. Red Huntress fought back. It wasn't much of a battle, to be honest: Red Huntress was much taller and stronger than Ice Queen. However, Ice Queen made up for this with extremely dirty fighting.



"ICE DOWN YOUR CORSET, YOU STRUMPET!"



"EEEEEP! YOU BRAT!"



Huntsman again cleared his throat.



"Ah, excuse me, you two-?"



"WHORE!"



"SKANK!"



Huntsman growled, stalked over, and grabbed both supervillainesses by the napes of their necks. He held them apart like he had fighting kittens at the farm back home.



"That's enough!" He barked. "You two should know better than to act like that in front of children!"



"We think it was great!" One of the boys cheered, before one of the girls socked him. "OW! HEY!"



Huntsman set them both down and gave them a very stern glare.



"Now, I know you're supervillains... Sort of... But we will do things properly around here! You don't see Roman Torchwick flashing skin in his fights with me, do you? Or using such harsh language! You two better act properly!"



"Yes Daddy," Red Huntress and Ice Queen answered in unison.



Both young women blushed bright red. Huntsman blinked.



"Wait wha-?"



A burst of rose petals announced the appearance of-



"CRIMSON REAPER is here to save the day!" Huntsman's sidekick, who dramatically swung in with her oversized scythe. Huntsman held up his hands.



"Uh, thanks Crimson Reaper, but we're actually sorting this out peacefully."



"NO!" Crimson Reaper cried, putting herself between Ice Queen and Red Huntress and Huntsman, "They're just luring you into an unspeakable trap!"



"N-No! It's not unspeakable!" Insisted Ice Queen with a blush, "Just not in front of children!"



Huntsman gasped.



"Then... You're going to lure me into a trap involving meat grinders and poisonous spiders?"



"N-No!" Ice Queen cried. "Of course not! I was thinking um, silk sheets and-"



"THAT'S WAY MORE DANGEROUS!" Crimson Reaper cried. Huntsman shook his head.



"I don't think it is. What is she doing to do with silk sheets? Tie me up?"



Ice Queen's face turned so red her mask looked like it might melt off. Red Huntress began to drool. Crimson Reaper, bright red, spun her scythe around and hit Huntsman in the stomach.



"URK!"



"OH NO!" Crimson Reaper cried, jerking about in an unconvincingly fashion, "THOSE EVIL SNOWCONES ARE FILLED WITH MIND CONTROL JUICE!"



"Wait what?!" Ice Queen cried. "No they aren't-!"



"I had FOUR and I'm totally doing her will!" Crimson Reaper cried, again smacking Huntsman in the stomach with the butt of her scythe.



"ARGH!"



"OH NO! THIS WAS THEIR EVIL PLAN!" Crimson Reaper shouted desperately, "FLEE HUNTSMAN! YOU'RE OUTNUMBERED!"



"I will not!" Huntsman grabbed Crimson Reaper, disarmed her, and tossed Wonder-Zwei the scythe. The Corgi of Justice caught it in his teeth, as Huntsman restrained Crimson Reaper in a fireman's hold. He glared at Ice Queen.



"You got me to drop my guard and now my sidekick is under your control!" He accused.



Ice Queen flushed.



"N-No, I didn't-!"



"That's so diabolical!" Huntsman glared at her. "From now on, you're my number one archnemesis!"



"WHAT?!" Red Huntress cried angrily. Ice Queen gaped... Then smirked at Red Huntress. She cackled again.



"BWAHAHAHAHA! Yes! See how truly evil I am?! Huntsman, you'll have to put your all into stopping me! Put all your effort into stopping my nefarious plans!"



"Oh I will!" Huntsman declared. Ice Queen flushed.



"And-And I'll make extra special death traps, just for you, so we can be alone together and-ACK!"



Red Huntress punched Ice Queen in the back of the neck, and she dropped like a puppet with her strings cut. Knocked to the ground, Ice Queen crumpled to the floor. Red Huntress cackled.



"And once again, I have stolen another scheme from another pathetic supervillainess!" Red Huntress guffawed, spreading her arms out wide, "Now I will be the one to make orphans smile happily and have tummy aches!"



"You absolute fiend!" Huntsman swore. "I knew no villainess could be as conniving, twisted, and pure evil as you, Red Huntress!" He glared. "You're always going to be my number one!"



Red Huntress... Giggled.



"Y-You mean that?"



"HEY!" Crimson Reaper cried. "I'm the one with mind control juice in me! Take me back to your secret lair and cure me already!"



"Oh, sorry old chum!" Huntsman apologized. He'd nearly completely forgotten! He shot one last glare at Red Huntress and the recovering Ice Queen. "You two are going to be very sorry you disturbed the peace of my city and tried to put my sidekick under mind control! Wonder-Zwei! AWAY!"



The two ran out of the food court. Red Huntress sighed happily as Ice Queen got to her feet. She rubbed the back of her neck and scowled at Red Huntress.



"I don't know who the hell you are, but I'm gonna make you pay!" Ice Queen seethed. Red Huntress giggled. "Hey! Are you listening?!"



"I'm his number one archnemesis again~!" Red Huntress giggled.



"He said BOTH of us!" Ice Queen growled.



"But I'm his archnemesis!" Red Huntress sighed happily.



"Yeah," said one kid, "But Crimson Reaper's his sidekick."



Both supervillainesses paused. They rushed out of the ice rink and onto the street. Huntsman was already driving away with Crimson Reaper in his arms, Wonder-Zwei having called the sidecar after winning rock-paper-scissors.



The Crimson Reaper looked back at the two supervillainesses... And smirked the smuggest smirk they had ever seen.



Ice Queen and Red Huntress growled.



"New plan," Red Huntress stated, "We eliminate the sidekick."



"Agreed!"



- - -



Yeah, this? This feels more my speed.