Was it..." He began but couldn't finish, already knowing the answer.
"Yes. The other members of team JNPR as well as team RWBY came forward with this information." Ozpin said, confirming the boy's fears of betrayal.
"I've haven't been this disappointed in a very long time Jaune." Ozpin's words somehow managed to make him feel worse than before, despite having no connection with the man personally. "But I am so very, very, disappointed in both your team and Ms. Rose's."
At this Jaune wore a look of confusion as he faced the famous headmaster. Disappointed in the others? Why?
Ozpin just smirked and continued. "Mr. Arc, I have been doing this for a long time, do you really think I didn't know about your transcripts being forged?" As he said this, Glynda shot a look of disbelief to the headmaster, that soon shifted to anger.
"Ozpin! You knew about his records being fake? He could have died in the emerald forest!" she began as her rage found its way to the white-haired man.
"To be fair, I didn't know his aura wasn't unlocked. If I had, I would have unlocked it myself." The man said as he shrugged. "Besides, he's passed initiation did he not?"
The man with the flask let out a loud laugh from the pillar he leaned on, reminding the fellow occupants of the room of his presence before taking a large draw from the flask.
"Qrow! This isn't a laughing matter!" Goodwitch shouted at the man now known to the boy as Qrow, who in rebuttal just shrugged and took another swig of his drink. She growled at him, before Ozpin spoke again, regaining everyone's attention.
"Regardless of the nature of your transcripts, I allowed you to attend Beacon because I felt that all the training you were denied you could be given, since you have something that can't be taught." He paused, "You Mr. Arc, are a natural born leader. Your ability to assess a situation and determine who is best suited to handle it as well as organize others into a cohesive unit, combined with your tactical prowess is not something that I wanted to let slip away."
Ozpin stood up from his seat and walked to the window behind him to gaze over Beacon Academy as he gave everyone a moment to think on what he'd said.
Qrow put his flask away before stepping away from the pillar he leaned against to stretch before speaking. "I know you don't know me kid, but look, don't beat yourself up over this. So what you didn't get in legit? You worked your ass off to get through initiation. I just can't believe firecracker and her friends would turn on you over this..."
"Firecracker?" Jaune let slip.
lot of foreign students, and since most of their students are local, they typically join huntsman academy and take some of military or law enforcement hybrid classes. You, being a foreigner, will only be eligible to take the huntsman classes, and won't be able to join their military or armed forces unless you lawfully become a citizen." Ozpin explained to the teen. Jaune listened with rapt attention and made mental notes of all he heard.
Ozpin took a deep breath, before dropping the biggest bombshell about his plan on the young man. "And lastly, you will have to make, design, or purchase your own weapon so that you can participate in their combat classes." Once he said this, teen seemed confused, and didn't hesitate to voice it.
Why would I need to do that? I have my family's sword." Ozpin leveled a sympathetic stare at him before he spoke softly. "No Jaune...you have the Arc family heirloom."
"But...that's what I just said?" Jaune questioned
"Jaune, think about what I'm saying. What happened up to this point, and everything in between. You don't have your family's sword; you have the Arc family's sword." Once this was said, the blonde looked down trying to read between the lines to discover what his former headmaster was saying, before his breathing stopped. He went pale, and broke out in a cold sweat, his breathing erratic. And all because of what he just realized.
He wasn't an Arc anymore. He had been disowned. Ozpin spoke again. "Once this was brought to Glynda, she did some digging and found the contact information for your parents and contacted them before she brought all this to me. They told me of their decision and that I was to inform you and send them Crocea Mors.
He tried to hide his pain, but his eyes were freely letting tears leak out, and his lips couldn't keep his quiet sob contained as he stood straight, refusing to break down in front of the man telling him he could achieve his dream. He just nodded his head and bit his lip, trying to force any tears in his eyes not to fall, as he reached down to his hip gripping Crocea Mors as if it was a lifeline. He closed his eyes, and brought his arm forwards, slowly and ever so reluctantly thrusting his family's-no...the Arc family's sword, towards the older man. As Ozpin's hands received the sword and sheath, he waited for Jaune to let go, knowing the pain the young man felt.
After a few painful moments of the blonde recalling the times the sword saved him, he let his fingers unwrap from the sheath, and slowly allowed his hand to fall to his side. Ozpin put the heirloom behind his desk and placed a business envelope on the desk, before asking Jaune of his decision.
"So Jaune, which of the other three academies do you wish to attend?"
Jaune stood quietly for a moment, thinking of which academy would best suit his needs, but thinking to everything Ozpin had said he realized his best choice was just as the headmaster said.
"Sir. I choose..." He took a breath to calm his nerves and steel himself, "Atlas." The white-haired man nodded to him, glad he could accept advice in a crunch, and addressed the envelope to one "James Ironwood" before handing it to the boy. Jaune took the packet tenderly, staring at his second chance, his opportunity to really earn his place in the world as a huntsman-to-be, before Ozpin interrupted from his thoughts.
"That concludes our business then young man. A bullhead will be awaiting you at the docks in two hours, it will take you to Atlas, you should arrive there around 7 p.m. You'll be escorted to the visiting student dorms, and tomorrow you'll have your evaluations done, and be assigned a partner and team within the week if I had to make an estimation." Jaune looked slightly off put by how soon he'd be on his way to his new academy. Before he just nodded to the headmaster and shook his hand.
"I'd head to your dorm room to grab your personal affects if I were you, and say any goodbyes you might have before heading straight to the bullhead docks." Jaune wiped his face and took a deep breath to regain his calm demeanor as he made his way to the door that would take him to the elevator. As he opened to door and began to make his way out, the white-haired huntsman halted him one last time.
"Jaune." The blonde turned to face him.
"Yes?"
"Since you're leaving Beacon on your own terms due to personal reasons, theoretically, if you wished to return to Beacon academy for your second and subsequent years of huntsman training, you'd just need your transcripts from Atlas." The man said with a smirk. The blonde's eyes widened slightly, before he returned the smug look to the professor.
"I'll keep that in mind, sir. And thank you. For everything."
BEACON HALL:
After that conversation with the Ozpin, he started to walk way form jaune and process toward his goal and task before he could ruby bump into and started speaking we're fast and then she stopped then looked at him and I am sorry jaune I wash we could stay like this forever but I wash you good luck and be my bestie best friend forever. She said it wand smile on her face.
"I…" Jaune swallowed. "Thanks, Ruby. That means a lot."
"I'll help you train too," Ruby volunteered. "Plus, you have your team. I might even be able to rope Yang into helping, though she doesn't know much about swords. Maybe Pyrrha can help? She's really strong and uses a shield and sword…"
Ruby trailed off as Jaune looked away.
"Jaune…? What happened?"
"I found out who told Ozpin about my transcripts," Jaune muttered. "It wasn't Cardin."
"Who?"
"It was…" Jaune had to bite back the bitterness. "It was…Pyrrha."
"Pyrrha?" It was Ruby's turn to gape at him. "But… why? She l-… likes to be on your team."
"I don't know," Jaune muttered angrily. "But she told him. I told her about my situation and she went to the headmaster. I'm lucky I'm not being expelled."
Ruby was trying to process this. Why would Pyrrha rat Jaune out? She was his partner and they were supposed to be like family. It didn't make any sense. With her skills, that girl could have trained Jaune to be a super amazing fighter. Their team would give Ruby's team a run for their money on the best first-year team. Plus, Pyrrha had a huge crush on Jaune.
It didn't make sense.
"What's going to happen now?"
"I'll be gone for a while." The grin on Jaune's face was forced. "Here." He passed over a creased piece of paper.
"Hunter Apprenticeship Application?" Ruby read out loud. "What's this?"
"My options," Jaune explained. "I'm not expelled because I passed the initiation. Transcripts are just a way for Beacon to filter out applications. Initiation is all the matters. I'm incredibly lucky there, but as you said, I'm really bad at fighting, so Ozpin gave me a choice. I can either continue Beacon's curriculum and try to work hard to catch up… or I can take an apprenticeship under a Licensed Hunter for a couple of months then return."
Ruby's eyes flickered from the form to Jaune, back to the form, and then up at Jaune.
"That's so cool!" Ruby gasped. "But why haven't I heard about this?"
"Because people like Yang will want this option over classroom learning." For the first time, he cracked a smile. "Right?"
"Yeah, she would." It was Ruby's turn to smile back.
it's also more dangerous," jaune continued. "i'll be traveling outside vale's walls and constantly fighting grimm. it's 24/7 training."
"and you're going to do it?" ruby asked.
"i don't have much choice," jaune pointed out. "my partner wanted me gone and most of the school now seems to know about my situation. it's probably best. at least this way, i won't be a liability for nora and ren."
"they would never say you're a liability," ruby interjected forcefully. "nora has always looked up to you and ren does too."
"that means a lot ruby," jaune gave her a real smile. "i'm glad i met you. you're my best friend and the one person i can really trust." ruby blushed. "i mean it. life at beacon's been a lot better with you around. i would probably be a lot mopier if you weren't. i really appreciate you being my friend."
"i'm glad you're my friend too." ruby hugged him. "just promise me… you won't give up. you'll come back to beacon and we'll be the best leaders here."
jaune was her best friend and he needs someone to be there for him. hearing pyrrha gave up his secret must have hurt. as his best friend, ruby needed to be there for him in any way she could. it's what friends do. the question was, what could she do?
"i promise," jaune told her, feeling a lot better after talking with her. "and you know an arc never goes back on their word."
"i know." ruby giggled and sat back down next to him.
jaune continued to stare out over the forest, but the atmosphere was a lot more relaxed than it had been. he felt a lot better with his decision and returning to beacon would be worth it. for ruby, and team COFFEE his true friends.
meanwhile, ruby was staring at the application form as an idea slowly began to creep in her mind.
Few minutes ago
"You are most certainly welcome young man. Good luck." And with that Jaune made his way out of the room and towards the elevator, his destination being the dorm.
So he accepted, Oz?"
The man on the other end of Ozpin's scroll had graying black, spiky hair, faded pink eyes, and slight stubble along his jawline.
"Yes," Ozpin confirmed. "When he returned the form, all the doubt had cleared from his eyes. I'm pretty sure I know what happened and while not a pleasant situation for one of any age, it was an important event that can shape who we are."
"Did you tell him the Hunter Apprenticeship was just a fancy title for dealing with troublemakers?" The man asked with a grin. "Beat some discipline into them by teaching them what a Huntsman is about."
"In a way, I think this will apprenticeship will teach him that," Ozpin agreed. "Thank you for agreeing to this. You're the only one I can trust with this."
"Not too happy about being a babysitter, but if he's as smart as you say he is, I bet he'll be useful." The man pulled out a flask and took a swig from it.
"He just beat me in a game of chess."
Ozpin was greeted with a spectacular spit take.
"A kid… beat you in chess?" The man spluttered. "I know Jimmy gets upset every time he loses to you."
"Yes, he foresaw every move I tried and countered it spectacularly. He mentioned he played with his grandfather, but I didn't expect his level of skill. I don't think he's aware of his talents yet."
"Huh, maybe the kid will be useful."
"I do have one more thing," Ozpin continued. "You may not like this news."
"Blah, I'll get over it. I always do."
"Another individual learned about the Apprenticeship and wants to participate. I couldn't find a reason to refuse and she was just as determined as Mr. Arc."
"Always making more work for me," The man groaned. "Fine, Oz. It's fine. I'm babysitting one brat, I can look after two. I promise to bring at least one back with me. Two out of three. That's over fifty percent."
"How much have you been drinking?" Ozpin asked.
"I just got back in Vale, so I needed one… or seven." He smirked and swept his hair back. "I'll see you tomorrow. The earlier we get started, the sooner I can investigate."
"Good luck." Once the man hung up, Ozpin leaned back in his chair.
'I wonder if I should have told him who signed up.'
However, Ozpin remembered a couple of 'pranks' the man pulled on him when he was in Beacon, including hiding his favorite mug and swapping out his hot chocolate for coffee. No one could say the headmaster wasn't capable of being petty.
"I'm sure it will be fine."
His eyes fell on the name of the application on top. The ink glistening under his lamp.
Beacon hallways with team PNR
"Maybe Jaune came to grab his things when we were having breakfast.", Ren suggested.
"I was kinda hoping to at least say goodbye.", said Nora. She still felt bad about everything that happened.
"Hey if we don't see him, we can still send him a text, right?". Pyrrha put on a forced smile, but deep down she wasn't really eager to see Jaune. She preferred closing the chapter and moving on. Right now, they needed to focus on moving forward. Regrets and ill-feelings would only hold them back as huntsmen-in-training. They had their studies to worry about.
They turned a corner only to see a familiar mop of blonde hair walking in front of them. He was carrying some bags and was walking away from them. He hadn't noticed them since he was facing the other direction.
"Jaune…?", Nora almost whispered the name but Jaune stopped. He didn't turn around but remained frozen in place.
"We…we just wanted to say our farewells and wish you well for the future, Jaune…". Even Pyrrha's words didn't make him budge. He seemed to be shaking slightly and his fists were clenched tightly on the straps of his rucksack.
"We also wanted to say sorry for the way things turned out.". Pyrrha lowered her head but continued to speak. "We did what we felt was best for everyone. We just wanted what was best for you."
We understand if you don't want to speak to us. But we still just wanted to say goodbye.", Nora spoke the words very softly. It seemed the entire experience dulled her usual bubbly personality.
"Irrespective of anything, we wish you well Jaune. I hope things turn out well for you. Let's go guys.". Ren spoke as respectfully as he could manage. It was difficult but he needed to make sure everyone moved on from the experience.
couple minutes passed with Jaune still just standing alone in the hallway. He wasn't ready to face them or talk to them. After all the terrible things he went through he just never wanted to speak to anyone at Beacon. Everyone had laughed at him. Everyone turned their backs on him.
'Just breathe, Jaune. BREATHE DAMNIT'
After a while he controlled his breathing. Taking deep breathes he settled down and refocused.
'Just do Ozpin's weird mission and move on. You'll never have to see them ever again….'
He took one more deep breath to settle himself and made his way to Ozpin's office.
THE ROOM OF TEAMS RWBY X JNPR
"Do you think we did the right thing guys?"
"Absolutely. That dolt always struck me as not deserving to be here, and this only proved it." The Schnee heiress spat out with disgust.
"Hell yea Rubes! He could've gotten his team or ours hurt because he isn't trained to do this." The blonde brawler of team RWBY voiced her thoughts, no regret present in her voice.
"..." Blake sat silent reading her book on the floor of team JNPR's room. She was conflicted on the matter. She had skeletons in her closet, ones that she was 100 percent certain would make Jaune's secret look like a molehill in comparison to her mountain. She just locked eyes with Ruby before nodding in confirmation,
Nora and Ren both sat in silence as their friends all voiced their opinions of Jaune and couldn't help but agree. He knew that he would be putting his future team in danger with his stunt, yet he still had the gall to attend and not tell anyone until he was threatened to.
"I don't know what to say about it, Everyone surprised by the red-head's reaction, but remembered her upbringing of being modest, honest, wanting to protect people and being loyal. In her eyes he was none of those, and she refused to let his dishonesty get someone killed.
All the members of team RWBY and JNPR sat in the latter team's dorm, most of their conversations consisting of their formal friend, from ridicule to thoughts of what punishments he would or should undergo. Little did they know, he had recently been given a chance to prove himself to the world and show all his naysayers that he could be a hero.
Outside of JNPR, now just NPR's, door stood the blonde teen who was the topic of their conversations. He listened against the door as they insulted him behind his back, though knowing they wouldn't hesitate to do so in his presence. He refused to let them see his pain, instead he fabricated a look of bored indifference and took a deep breath as he entered the room.
All conversation ceased as he entered the room, before the temperature dropped slightly and the tension rose to tangible heights. He was met with glares, sneers, looks of disappointment, indifference, and one possibly of regret? He just raised a hand, and everyone watched to see what he would do next, before yawning and making his way to his bed. Despite the blasé attitude, if one was to look close enough, they might notice a glint of mirth at indulging in his scarcely shown petty side.
He pulled out his knapsack from beneath his bed and began to repack his personal items. The process took all of ten minutes and no one spoke a word as he did so. When he finally finished with the repacking of his items, he pulled out his scroll and gently set it down on the desk. Watching as he did, Weiss decided to be the first to break the silence that had befallen everyone.
"So Arc," This reopened the still very fresh would left behind by his recent disownment, but he ignored it in favor of keeping up his façade. "How does it feel to know that all of us have turned our backs on you, and that you haven't anyone to blame but yourself?" the former subject of the blonde boy's affection spat at him.
Jaune just lazily turned his head over before ignoring her, to her ire, and yawning once again as he began to inspect his former bed.
"Hey Vomit-boy! My teammate asked you a question, and I expect for her to get an answer." The blonde brawler of team RWBY said as she gave the boy a look that promised pain. The teen in question just looked at her, before chuckling and still refusing them an answer.
This set the blonde off, but before she could make a move towards the betrayed teen, he found himself held at the collar by his former partner. His eyes found hers, and both said nothing. After a minute of anxious silence, the blonde slapped the red-head's hand away from him and made his way to the door with his knapsack slung over his shoulder. He made his way to the door without hesitation, opening it and exiting with a ghost of a smirk on his face as he turned around before closing the door.
As he stood outside the door, he could hear the angry remarks his former friends made after his departure and looked to the ground. He watched as small clear orbs fell from his eyes as he thought of how he now had no one. He stood there in silence for a moment before he lifted his head up and made his way to the bullhead docks, wiping his tears away as he did so.
He was just around the corner from the bullhead docks, but he still had a half hour of time to pass before the bullhead would arrive to carry him to his new life. He was broken from his thoughts as someone came around the corner where his destination was. He looked up, seeing four individuals he thought he wouldn't see again for quite a bit of time.
In front of him stood team CFVY, looking as if they had just returned from a training trip, most likely in the emerald forest, if the dirt and scratches on their combat outfits were any indication. As a fifth body came around the corner, Jaune's eyes widened as he saw the state the student was in. Cardin Winchester had come around the corner behind team CFVY looking as if he had taken a stroll through a meat grinder. Scratches, bruises, burn marks, and a plethora of other telltale signs of a rather rough time littered the ginger-haired teen.
Team CFVY all had rather satisfied smiles on their faces as they conversed about something Jaune couldn't hear. He tried to make himself scarce, but before he could find a way to conceal himself, Velvet's eyes found him, and she waved to him with a rare wide smile and pep in her step, but it left as she saw immediately that something was wrong. He tried to quickly put his emotional mask back on, but before he could, the girl and her team surrounded him and immediately began to question him.
"Jaune, what's wrong?" The rabbit faunus asked him gently. The blonde covered his face with his arms trying to hide his tear marks, but his arm was firmly pulled down by the sunglasses wearing leader of team CFVY, Coco.
" What happened." He tried to mask how he was feeling but failed to make eye contact in his own way to the corner of his eyes as he began to crack sign under the attention and care he was getting. He felt a hand on his back and looked to Fox, the silent martial artist teammate of Velvet, and another hand on his shoulder which belonged to the impassive, but caring giant of team CFVY, Yatsuhashi.
"I-uhm, I'm leaving Beacon..." at this, all members of the second-year team were alarmed. They began an interrogation of their underclassmen, trying to find answers to his sudden change of student status.
"Jaune, why would you give up on your dream? I've never met someone as pure-hearted as you that was determined to achieve their dreams. So why?" Spoke Yatsuhashi, and the rest of his team couldn't help but nod in agreement of the giant's words.
Jaune stood silent for a moment surrounded by his older friends and could only they wouldn't forsake him after he told them of his secret. As he spoke, Cardin had finally caught up to the second-year students in time to freeze as he heard what his former victim said.
"I don't have a choice...I wasn't going to be allowed to stay here after today."
"Jaune, what are talking abo-" began Coco, only to be interrupted by the blonde.
"I'm a fraud." As the words left his mouth, team CFVY stood confused.
"You're a fraud?" Coco asked.
"I didn't go to any huntsman prep school. I never received any type of huntsman training. I forged my transcripts and came here with no skills and no support." Team CFVY stood in silence, and at this the boy continued. "Ozpin and Ms. Goodwitch found out and I was called to talk with them, and they told me that I couldn't remain a student at Beacon." This time, Velvet was the one to ask the boy a question.
"But Jaune, how did they find out?" When she asked this, the boy's head snapped to her direction with an incredulous look painted on his face.
"W-what..." He stammered out.
"Velvet. Someone probably ratted him out." Coco spoke to the rabbit-eared girl.
Velvet's eyes steeled. "Jaune. Who told them?" She repeated
The brown-haired fashionista walked forward once he asked this before delivering a light chop to the top of his head. He looked at her as she silently took him into a hug. He stood there until Coco backed away from him and spoke.
"Jaune, you helped my partner out. I heard about how you stood up for her in the cafeteria, making yourself a certain ginger's target." As she said this, everyone's eyes found their way to said ginger who was now looking down to the ground in shame at his actions. After a moment of putting the former bully in the spotlight, her eyes went back to Jaune's own cerulean orbs.
"None of us share a lunch with her, so we couldn't come help her, but you did it without hesitation, and put yourself on the chopping block. That is something that I will be eternally grateful for. Who cares if you forged your transcripts? You still made it through initiation and are willing to protect people you barely even know. That's enough for me." Once she said that, the other members of team CFVY all nodded their head in agreement of their leader's words.
"Now. Who all knew about your transcripts?" The gunner asked him.
He took a moment to compose himself, before speaking. "Cardin," As soon as the name left his mouth, all heads turned to the boy to glare at him with murderous intent pouring from their eyes. The blonde spoke again, "my team, and team RWBY."
Once Coco heard of all the possible culprits, began to walk towards Cardin with her fury etched on her face, but before she could take more than a few steps, the voice of the blonde team she wanted to help shocked her.
"Cardin didn't do it." As he said this, the ginger in question let out a sigh of relief, and then all members of team CFVY, as well as Cardin, blood ran cold. Suddenly they began to understand how much pain the boy was in.
"I-it was the rest of my team and...RWBY that told them." He managed to mutter out, just loud enough that all present heard him.
He let himself lean against the wall of the building they were next to and slide down to the grass, burying his face in his hands as he retold the last few weeks he had suffered. He told them of him confessing his secret to his former partner, of the events that transpired in the Forever Fall Forest, of how he'd no longer be allowed to finish his first year at beacon, and of how he had been disowned. He also had let them know that he was being given a second chance in Atlas, and how he might even have an opportunity to come back to Beacon. He let himself cry and be surrounded by people who genuinely cared about him and didn't abandon him after learning of his secret.
After he finished his retelling, team CFVY looked murderous, all four members leaking both aura and killing intent. All of them seemed to have something brewing in their minds, but Jaune quickly stopped their trains of thought.
"Guys. Whatever you're thinking, don't. I'm not gonna stoop to their level, and I won't let you either." At this Velvet looked as if she was going to protest but was silenced at the mischievous grin the forlorn blonde wore.
"Besides, I have a plan." The smile he wore was infectious, for as soon as he said those five words, the elite second-year students began to copy his smile.
"What's your plan?" The question came from the guilt-ridden ginger in the back, but Jaune answered nonetheless.
"Get stronger. Strong enough to be able to fight at Coco's team's level." He said with a confidence that no one expected.
Fox shot Jaune a look that needed no explaining, asking the boy what came after getting stronger, something that all present wanted to know.
"Show them who they turned their backs on and prove to everyone that I will make my dream a reality. The only thing I haven't figured out is where I would show off my strength..." The blonde trailed off as he began to try and think of a suitable place.
Cardin took the open silence to try and make a helpful suggestion.
"Hey Jauney-Boy, do you about the Vytal Festival?
Jaune looked up to the clock that sat atop an ornate post nearby and saw that he had a mere five minutes to get to the docks to catch his bullhead. He stood back up and picked up his knapsack again before slinging it over his shoulder. He promised to keep in touch, and team CFVY promised to keep an eye on team NPR and RWBY. As the older students left, Jaune was left alone with Cardin.
"So...why do you look like you just got done being a human crash test dummy?" Jaune inquired of the ginger, to which Cardin cringed before answering.
"I went to their dorm to formally apologize to Velvet for being...me. And while she forgave me, her team thought I needed to earn it, and so I went with them to the far end of the emerald forest to help them 'train.'" Jaune winced at the thought of being used as a punching bag by Velvet's team and felt a small pang of sympathy for the boy.
"Hey Jaune?" Jaune took note of the tentative tone the ginger teen was using.
"Yea? What's up Cardin."
"Listen, I'm really sorry about what happened with your team and your family...or former family." The boy paused, taking a deep breath before putting his hand toward the blonde "I know we aren't friends, and that I don't deserve it. But I misjudged you, and I want to repay you for everything."
"But why? What brought this on all of a sudden?" The former Arc asked.
"Look...yesterday showed me some things. My teammates aren't my friends, and I don't have any friends here at Beacon when I really think about it. All the people that hang around me are only doing so because they're afraid of what will happen if they don't." He paused. "I'm...still not exactly sure where I stand on the faunus yet, but Velvet is actually pretty alright, so maybe I'll try to be a little more...accepting."
Jaune was quite surprised by the boy, never having expected this much of a change. "Wow Cardin, you're actually really trying to change huh?" The ginger in question just nodded in confirmation as he continued, "Listen man, you don't have to force yourself to change overnight, but the fact that your willing to admit that you were wrong, and adjust how you do things, speaks volumes." Jaune took a step forward before gently putting a hand towards his former bully.
Cardin stared at it for a moment before looking up to meet Jaune's eyes as the blonde spoke.
"Friends?" The ginger didn't hesitate this time, meeting the boy in a firm handshake with a small smile.
"Friends." Cardin responded.
Around the corner of the building the older students walked down, a brown-haired, rabbit-eared faunus smiled and snapped a picture of the two from her hiding spot, before slipping away to catch up with her team.
Few minutes later :
The trip to Atlas via bullhead could be considered both blessing and curse for him
Jaune will suffered from motion sickness and had to resist the urge to empty his stomach contents several times in the first hour of the trip. But, thankfully, around the third hour into their flight, the boy began to be able to ignore the pulsating nausea he felt, or at the very least, push it away from the forefront of his mind. It gave him time to think of the five students who he was certain were his allies and friends. It also gave him time to plan out what he needed to do once he was a student in Atlas, which was what he was doing now on a small notepad he had pulled from his knapsack.
The boy looked at his list, biting his lip in thought, before pocketing it with a sigh of frustration. He knew that he wanted to become stronger but had no solid plan on how to get as strong as the ones who betrayed him, loathe as he was to admit it.
"Hey kid, this your first-time see Atlas?" The pilot called out from the control pit.
"Huh? O-oh, yeah ok ." The boy called back as he was shaken from his thoughts.
The pilot chuckled,The blonde teen tilted his head in confusion, before standing and steadily making his way to the cockpit of the aircraft. Once he reached the pilot's chair, he looked on screen recording of city , in the the window, stood silently in awe as the city slowly came into view.
Down on the surface of remnant was a city full of both stationary and moving glowing lights surrounded by a calm sea. The smoke from what they boy assumed were factories drafted upwards creating a veil like cover to the mountains behind the city, and a giant cloud hung mysteriously low above.
Jaune recovered from his surprise at the city full of life below him and pointed at the city below. "That's Atlas?"
The pilot just chuckled again before taking the bullhead to a higher altitude. "Heh. Nope. That's Mantle. THAT," The pilot gestured toward the giant cloud, and flew just high enough that the boy could see into the 'cloud.' Once again his look of bewilderment returned as he saw a city through the cloud, and when a particularly strong turbulence racketed the airship, reminding the boy of his motion sickness, it billowed most of the smoke directly in their path, showing an entire city suspended above Mantle. As Jaune took in the sharp architecture, noticeable from miles away in the sky, the aurora that danced across the night sky only served to further his fascination with what would be his new home.
"Is Atlas." The pilot said with a smug grin as he finished the sentence he had left in suspense, relishing in the speechlessness of the young man behind him.
As Once he was off the loading ramp of the bullhead, the craft took off into the night sky, and the blonde teen looked out over the city of Atlas from the academy landing pad.
"Ah, I see your right on time." A voice from behind him said, bringing him back from his sightseeing. He turned to see a tall man with short black hair, in what he could only assume was a military coat of a high ranking official, if the fancy cut of the clothes he wore and air of command that rolled off him in waves was any indication.
"U-uhm...yeah-I mean yes sir-" the boy began to trip over his words as he tried to ascertain what would be the correct way to address the man. The man in question chuckled at the state of distress the boy found himself in trying to be polite, before speaking.
"At ease. I'm General James Ironwood, headmaster of the Atlas huntsman and military academy."
"I'm Jaune. Jaune A-" A flash of painful recollection flashed in the boy's eyes, something that didn't go unnoticed by the general. The boy quickly regained him composure and shook his head before speaking again.
"Jaune." The headmaster looked him over before addressing him again, the smile leaving his face as he began to question the teen.
"Ozpin told me about your...circumstances. You have my condolences for what you suffered before you came here. But Atlas is different from what you experienced at Beacon." He turned and began to walk away, motioning for the boy to follow close as he began.
They walked in silence for a while longer, before the older man stopped in front of a door, pulling out a keycard from the inside pocket of his coat and using it to unlock the door to the room they stood.
"I will like your answer some day Mr arc but till then trying not to get too much touble ok. "Said the general ironwood
The blonde teen walked in a observed his temporary abode. It was clean and had more than enough space for a single student to reside here in comfort. He set his knapsack down next to the desk, and heard the door start to close behind him, he truned around to spoke to him from the hallway as he prepared to leave.
Jaune let out a yawn before beginning to lay out the clothes he had with him to see what he would wear to the cafeteria. He had a few other sets of clothes as well as a second pair of boots that he had bought when he was back at beacon, so I pack up my thing, I bear with my minsken when leave my dorm room and i walk through the halls of beacon , I feel cold glares and hear the rude insults from all of the students of beacon.
He quickly packed all his things. His wardrobe was pretty minimalistic considering his fashion sense and also the fact that he technically ran away from home to join Beacon. The only other things included toiletries, stationary and any other menial things that he owned. Once he was sure that he had everything he hesitated
He was leaving the room that he shared with his ex-teammates. He wouldn't be able to return ever again. It was starting to sink in very uncomfortably. He wasn't sure what the future held. He wasn't sure what his next move would be.
Glynda placed a hand on his shoulder causing him to pause in his thoughts. "Don't think too much about it all. I'm sure everything will work out. Just have some faith.". She spoke with a light smile.
Jaune was quite surprised by Glynda's behaviour over the past several hours. She wasn't her usual strict enforcing self. Perhaps she didn't want him to feel worse after everything that happened. Or maybe she actually did care dearly about her students, just like Ozpin said.
He nodded and they left the room.
RS: oh look it's the same old loser of beacon .
RS: yeah finally I can teach him a lessons .
RS: yes finally some fun around here I was started to bored.
RS: yes finally he is leaving, I can't stand him being around, his team must be happy that they are finally not going to have a big burden.
Then some random students brought same glass cups , wet paper bell , something else I don't know rocks and insult are thrown at me but I continued to do my work and walk forward to the bullhead. Then as the bullhead started to leaves and hover in the air, I turned my head around one last time to see at the crowed of random people auger and disappointed and happy that I was leaving and there was Rudy and her team RWby , team ssns, team cfvy, team jpnr there eye covered darkness. Has bullhead fly away in has destination.
As the bullhead was arriving to his know destination, I feel my scroll that i left behind I think , I pick it up and saw who was calling me at this hour. I frozned with shock on my face and saw professor ozpin and my family was calling me , has soon has I landed I decline the calls , the last words I may ever get from my teacher's and family and friends so did corrected my scroll and petals in my pocket. I then picked up all my stuff and left the bullhead station then thighs to found post office and it took me 20 minutes to found it, and then I sent scroll and armor by mail and then I started walking to the nearest Town.
As soon I walked in the town I saw people I saw human and fanues they have familia and friends together there children playing together in peace it brought a smile to my face and it's good to know that the world was not doom at all. So I then I keep on walking in the center of town and found a old couple sitting on fountain I ask them about the town history and where can I find inn, they told me the nearest and only inn in the town and a little story about the town itself. So I thank them for there time and started walking to the inn, when I find it took me 15 minutes to get there an old building that say soup bar ( really then say I am bad at nameing things🙄) jaune thought then he entre the inn, what he saw was a nice classic interior this is very interesting and in the middle of the room a fanous innkeeper who was very cutie (now that is very interesting what can I say I like cutie and sexy girls 😉) Jaune thought.
Then I walked towards the cute innkeeper and ask her about inn history and her name and the room, then I got the room, the room was at top floor of the inn was I enter the it was very classic old tables chair, single bed and a nice lamp and window that open to center of town where the couple there sitting. So I unpicked my suffer and I then took a nice long bath after that I was very tired as I was I got into the warm bed and began to sleep.
But jaune arc did not know what truly awaited for him that something far worse than death itself for him.
TO BE CONTINUED