38Disclaimer: I don't own either FMA:B and RWBY. Working for Rooster Teeth would be nice, though.
Author's Note:
Two votes less than twelve hours after I posted the prologue. Backstory time!
Also, kudos to anyone who recognizes where I nicked the sparring match nearly word for word from.
MM Browsing: I know there's a lot of Jaune betrayed stories out there, but I tried my best to reduce Team RWBY and NPR's impacts on Jaune's story, as they won't really make an appearance in the story. I might write a sequel if I finish this story where Jaune returns to Remnant with the knowledge of Alchemy and his swordsmanship skills having grown.
As for your second and third points, I won't have him spamming god-tier alchemic transmutations, as the law of Equivalent Exchange will still be a thing. Additionally, I plan to have his alchemy specialization and his semblance complement each other. The title of the story should be a hint as to what his specialization will be. The gloves tie into that and will be hinted at in this chapter.
With that addressed, enjoy this significantly longer chapter.
Coward.
Liar.
Cheater.
Those were the words that Jaune Arc had heard directed at him over the week from when Cardin had revealed his secret up until the moment he was ejected from Beacon for falsifying his transcripts. His teammates and close friends had tried to stick with him for the better chunk of the time, but Jaune knew that they would back away.
And they did.
Ren was the first, followed closely by Nora, primarily at the green-clad man's insistence and Jaune's reassurance to her that he'd be all right. Merely by associating with Jaune, it had made the rest of JNPR outcasts in the social hierarchy of Beacon.
Jaune had seen the subtle signs that it was grating at Nora. At first, it had been the stares at JNPR in the lunchroom, which had quickly escaped out into the school at large and then the whispers directed at Jaune started to question them.
Team RWBY was among those that abandoned him, minus the team leader due to their friendship.
Weiss had been quick to dismiss him as a failure due to his deception.
He had never had issues with the ever-mysterious Blake, so he didn't mind when she became even more distant towards him. He only ever caught brief glances at him laced with traces of pity and sympathy, the latter confusing him to no end.
Yang had tried to remain friends with him, up until the rumors had started to attack her little sister.
Ruby Rose.
The thought of the petite crimson leader of Team RWBY made Jaune's heart ache.
She had tried to stay with him for so long. She spoke up for him when people insulted him while he wasn't nearby. It had quickly escalated to the point that Ruby was put into detention for getting into fights with fellow freshmen.
It all changed when she picked a fight with a particularly nasty group of third years who laughed at Jaune behind his back. She had broken several of their bones, but they managed to land several hits as well, landing her in the infirmary.
That had earned him a cold shoulder from Yang Xiao Long who tried to keep her sister away from Jaune at all costs.
Jaune still had a few partially cracked ribs from when he had bumped into the group and tried to talk to Ruby, only for Yang to panic and toss him out the window when she saw the same group of Third Years approaching.
Professor Goodwitch had delivered the unpleasant notification of his expulsion the night after.
His thoughts finally came to his last friend to leave him, even if it wasn't by choice.
Pyrrha Nikos. The Spartan. The Champion of Mistral's combat tournaments.
The crimson warrior had stuck by him throughout the week, continuing to stand with him even when the rumors about how he had blackmailed her into helping him became audibly noticeable.
It was only when he was walking to the Bullhead, suitcase in hand, that she confessed to him.
Stunned was an understatement when describing what Jaune had felt at that moment when Pyrrha had expressed her feelings to him, admitting to having liked him since Initiation.
His response could have been better.
"You're going to have to choose someone else." He had said, his own sorrow notable on his face.
Pyrrha had looked so distraught as he laid out for her exactly why she needed to find a better partner for the rest of her studies at Beacon. He had also elected Ren as the new leader of the NPR remnant before he had departed.
Jaune fell back onto the ragged cot he had in his tiny apartment.
After he had landed, he had quickly found himself in a load of trouble. In addition to having next to no assets besides the Lien in his pocket and a few ration bars, he had no place to stay in Vale.
He had been forced to stay in one of the city's few homeless shelters while he had gone job hunting only to be rejected. Turns out being slapped with a Beacon expulsion tended to carry a reputation.
Jaune quickly found people turning him away left and right as soon as they found out about his expulsion.
It was a miracle that he had found a man who didn't care for Jaune's past failures and was willing to hire him. The pay was also decent and the man who owned the bookstore was generous enough to help Jaune find an apartment in the area. Granted it wasn't a four-star home, seeing as how it was nothing but a small studio place, but it was something.
A chime from his Scroll drew him from his inner musings. He checked the ID and swiped the answer key. "Hey, Tucson."
"Jaune, you able to come in?" Jaune's boss asked. The Puma Faunus sounded somewhat confused and nervous. "I've got something unusual here."
Jaune shrugged. "I guess. I'm on my way."
Jaune stepped into Tucson's store and found said Faunus staring down at a book on his counter, a bead of nervous sweat running down his temple.
The Puma Faunus looked up upon hearing him enter. "Hey, Jaune."
"Tucson," Jaune replied as he stepped around the counter to join his boss in gazing at the small leather-bound notebook. "Where'd you get it?" He asked as he ran a finger along the spine.
"An old man came stumbling in about an hour before I opened up fully." Tucson crossed his arms. "He was pretty beaten up and I think he was delirious too because he was spouting off a lot of nonsense. Something about a stone and 'equivalent exchange' or something like that. Before I could ask him if he needed anything to help him, he up and vanished into the back alleys, leaving this thing behind."
Jaune shrugged. "Sounds like your usual trade deal. He might have been involved with a dust deal. You never know nowadays."
"Yeah. With the White Fang getting more and more ambitious with their Dust thefts, the black market is becoming more and more appealing." Tucson scowled. "Those damned idiots are going to get a lot of people killed."
Jaune spared his boss a glance. "Not to mention the effect that this has on the local economy. With the Vytal Festival in the next two months, a lot of the incoming participants will need that Dust to even compete." He flipped open the book and his eyes ran over the pages. He turned to Tucson, a question on his lips, to discover his boss was grinning as if he had just heard one of the greatest jokes ever.
"Doesn't look like anything suspicious, right?"
"It just looks like a bunch of cooking recipes and tips." He glanced over the page again. "All I see is a bunch of ingredients like water and salt, but what about all these other elements?" He squinted at the messy handwriting at the bottom of the page. "Oh, man. I'm not even going to try and read all of the ingredients."
"You wouldn't be wrong. There's one thing you did miss though."
Jaune's eyebrow rose. "Oh? Do explain, master investigator."
Tucson's grin eased as he took the book from Jaune. He tapped at the top of the page he had opened to. "See these dots?" At Jaune's nod, he pointed around the page. "It's an old, yet simple trick."
"It's written in code," Jaune said, his face lighting up with realization.
"Yep." Tucson picked up the book, his smile fading. "White Fang cells in Atlas use this kind of coding to dodge the military, often through similar means like this one, especially if they're working in the upper-class mansions. Posh idiots still haven't it figured it out yet."
Jaune's eyebrow rose as he looked at his boss. "And you know that how?"
Tucson stiffened and he glanced at Jaune. "Forget I just said that." He lifted the book. "I can show you how to decode this if you want."
Jaune nodded. "Sure. Not sure if I'd need it, but it'd be good to know, I guess."
Tucson nodded. "All right then, the first thing you have to do…"
Jaune stared down at the decoded notes laid out before him on his apartment bed.
"What the hell is this?" He picked up the first page and began to read the fruit of his labors. He and Tucson had spent the better part of the last few nights decoding the notes, often splitting them up between them, and Jaune had only just gotten the full set before he had left.
-09-12-1900
I've finally made a breakthrough with my research. Dr. Marcoh's original theories he lent me are proving to be more and more viable.
I managed to transmute a group of organisms into oblivion while keeping the residual soul energy intact. The subjects in question were a group of death row inmates, nobodies who won't be missed with the help of a little cash. I'll be using the collected energy in my space-time experiments as soon as I've confirmed my theories with Marcoh. I can only pray that he is open to my idea.
Jaune set down the entry page and frowned. "Whoever owned this thing had a few screws loose." He flipped the page and continued reading.
-09-16-1900
Dr. Marcoh was open to my theories, thankfully, and I managed to convince him to assist me in my endeavors. He was suspicious of my energy collection methods, but I managed to divert his attention with my space-time research.
-09-17-1900
Marcoh gave me the go-ahead. I'll be performing the experiment tomorrow night.
Jaune picked up the next page and frowned when he saw that the untranslated page had a few specks of blood around the edges.
-09-20-1900 (est)
My experiment was a success, though with unforeseen consequences. I have been transported from Amestris to an unknown land. The moon is shattered here and I've been beset upon by foul creatures that seem to have no soul. They managed to clip my side, but I was rescued by a group of travelers passing by. I managed to insert myself amongst them and pose as a traveling man enjoying his retirement. (Note to self: see if there are any hair replacement products here. My bald spot is showing again.)
Jaune flipped through the next few pages, finding nothing but the notes of the unknown author until he found an interesting entry.
-08-10-1902 (est)
Today marks my one year anniversary since I arrived in Vale. I appear to have blundered, however. After my side-business of using alchemy to reinforce the walls the local huntsmen patrol on Vale's outskirts, I missed a witness who scurried off to their leader. I've noticed a few people that tail me every few hours whenever I have to go out.
-08-12-1902 (est)
My new fans took me to see their boss after they nabbed me on my way to the market.
Ozpin.
He's a man who has me flashing back to the one time I had the fortune of meeting the Fuhrer. Both he and Ozpin have the same aura of power.
The knowledge he revealed to me was just as disturbing.
Ignoring the fact that the story of the Maidens is true, there is another disturbing fact.
The Grimm have a Queen.
Jaune froze at that line.
The Grimm had a queen? As in, a controlling force that guided them? What then was her aim in fighting humanity?
Jaune pushed the questions to the back of his mind and continued.
Ozpin's little brotherhood are trying to introduce me to the idea of fighting Salem and her own little cult.
No thanks, I said.
They acted all respectful, but I can still see the tail they put on me. The tail's an interesting one to say the least, as I've witnessed his ability to transform into a Crow.
Jaune's head started to pound and he briefly considered simply tossing the papers and going back to a life of ignorance.
-08-19-1902 (est)
I've managed to dodge Ozpin's latest tail. The man was a blundering oaf who reminds me a little too much of the Armstrong brat that Marcoh pointed out to me at the last recertification tests. For the moment, I'm on the run. Ironic that the place I thought to be a place free from anyone like Bradley would be made be even worse through the tech and people with their semblances.
-08-20-1902 (est)
Thankfully, I haven't lost all my friends in this town. Junior remembers my help in repairing his bar after it was destroyed by the blonde girl mere days before. I wonder if that was the reason for my usual tail's disappearance. No matter.
Junior has been gracious enough to grant me asylum for the next few months. I hope to have figured something out before my time here is up.
-09-31-1902 (est)
Ozpin's network isn't as secure as he would likely want.
Junior informed me that his tech crew has been finding their attempts to break into Beacon's data stores to be more and more successful. Several files have been accessed and I've taken the liberty of spiriting away anything relating to the Maidens and the Relics before Junior can see it. I'm keeping them on a Scroll close to my project in Junior's bar.
The Vytal Festival is around the corner and I'm beginning to wonder if I should just bail on the city before more huntsmen come alongside the Atlesian Military. It's more than likely that Ozpin will bring Ironwood into the fold if he hasn't already.
Jaune flipped to the last page and found something strange. The date inscribed within was the day before Tucson had acquired the book.
-10-12-1902 (est)
The Circle is very nearly charged. I'm almost sad to be leaving Remnant behind.
All that's left is to retrieve the dust from Roman's crew and then I'll be on my way. They'll get their Lien and I'll get my dust. Equivalent Exchange at its crudest and purest form.
Jaune placed the paper down and examined the small notebook. He opened to the last page to find an address smeared in a thin red liquid. He lifted it to his nose and smelled the coppery tang of blood.
"Looks like I'm not coming in to work tomorrow, Tucson."
Jaune stepped through the doorway into a nearly barren dance room that had only uniformed guardsmen milling about. He was grateful that the two at the door hadn't asked any questions about Crocea Mors and his armor. He wasn't looking for trouble tonight, but one could never be too sure.
Jaune stepped up to the bar and waited until the barman, the owner by the looks of the suit and commanding presence about him, noticed him.
"Yeah, what'll it be, kid?" The man asked, his eyes not even on Jaune as he wiped out a glass and placed it below the bar.
"I'm looking for an old man."
"You'll have to be more specific. We get a lot of perverted old men who sit in the shadows," Junior said with a dismissive wave.
"He's an Alchemist."
Junior froze with one hand holding a glass that he slowly set down. "Care to repeat that?"
"I said that he's an alchemist. That's what his notebook calls him anyways." Jaune held up said notebook.
Junior stared at the book for a moment before he stepped up to stand across from Jaune. "What's your name, kid?"
"Jaune. Jaune Arc."
Junior's eyebrow rose. "The Beacon dropout."
Jaune closed his eyes and sighed. "Yes."
The bartender raised his hands. "Hey, I don't judge, man. We Beacon failures have to stick together."
Jaune's face changed to one of surprise. "You were a Huntsman-in-training?"
"I was until some brat whined to his councilor father and had me expelled. It was the scandal that led to Ozpin being placed as Headmaster." Junior waved at Jaune, indicating that he should follow.
The two of them entered a stairwell that went down until the beat of the dance floor faded to a dull rumble in the roof.
"Jim Sherman just showed up here last year and started doing odd jobs to help out everyone in the area." Junior explained as they walked between crates.
Jaune peeked into one and jerked back when he saw the rifles within.
"Kindly refrain from sneaking peeks at my merchandise, I do have a business to run on the side."
"You ever deal in Dust?" Jaune asked.
Junior snorted. "Hell no. Not ever since the White Fang rolled into town. I've just been trying to keep my head down and let them do their thing. I haven't done anything to them and so long as they do the same, we won't have any problems."
"Seems sane enough." Jaune looked over Junior's shoulder. "Where are we going?"
"I figure that if you were able to pick apart Sherman's notes, you might have an idea what it was he was working on."
"I only decoded his journal. It's not like I understand half of what he was talking about." Jaune shrugged as they came to a doorway.
"Yeah, well, you'd probably understand it better than I would," Junior said as they entered another storeroom, only this one had a large clearing with a massive circle carved into the ground. Layed out on top was a bin filled with a black powder of some kind. "Sherman started working on this a few weeks ago. Five days ago, he left, stating that he needed a specific type of Lightning Dust in order to activate it."
Jaune looked over the circle and pulled out Sherman's notebook. He opened it to a page with a similar circle and compared them. "It actually looks complete right now." He stepped forward into the circle, taking care to avoid disturbing the markings, and turned back to Junior. "I don't suppose you have any spare lightning Dust on you, do you?"
Junior looked at Jaune with an incredulous expression. "You're not thinking of activating this, are you?"
Jaune shrugged. "Nothing ventured, nothing gained."
Junior shook his head. "I'm telling you, kid. I've seen what Sherman could do with his alchemy. You don't want to get into something even he hesitated to do without preparation."
Jaune laughed as he walked out of the circle to Junior. "Come on, what's the worst that could happen?"
Junior scowled as he drew out a small cartridge of Lightning Dust and tossed it to Jaune. "It's your funeral, you idiot." He turned and walked out. "Have fun in the afterlife."
Jaune looked around the room. "Well, let's see what you do." He knelt just outside the circle and cracked the Dust Cartridge in his hand. Lightning crackled around his hand as he slapped it down onto the circle.
Lightning crackled around the carving as Jaune watched. The very symbol itself began to glow blue and the container of powder disappeared in a flash of light that had him close his eyes. He reopened them a moment later and they widened.
In the center of the transmutation circle was a gray eye that seemed to pierce into his very soul. Multiple black limbs reached up from the outer edges of the circle and waved around, seemingly aimlessly.
Jaune watched them as they twisted around him.
Crack
He screamed as fire lanced up his legs. He looked down at the limbs to see the hands touch his legs. His legs disappeared in a flurry of ash and energy and he screamed even louder before he fell apart in a cloud of ash and blood.
Jaune's face could only show surprise as he found himself standing in a white void. He looked around. A flash of grey in his peripheral vision had him turn around to see a massive gateway standing behind him
"Well, I can't say I didn't expect this but did you have to be that stupidly reckless?" A harsh voice asked behind him.
Jaune spun around and the confusion on his face deepened. Sat before him was a formless creature that had only a face devoid of any features while the rest of its humanoid body existed only within a dark outline. "What the hell are you?"
The being's face split from a toothy grin as it stood. "I'm so glad you asked. I'm called by many names." The being walked towards him. "I am the World. I am the Universe. I'm God. I'm Truth. I'm All. I'm One. And I am also You." The Truth pointed at him.
A deep groan split the dead air of the void as the gate behind Jaune split open. The same eye from before appeared alongside the hands before said appendages snatched him up.
"You have dared to knock on the door. Now it is open."
Jaune released a shout of surprise as the hands dragged him into the gateway, ignoring his attempts to resist.
"Do not resist, child. This is what you wanted by coming here, isn't it?" The Truth sat back down as the door closed on Jaune. "Now I will show you the Truth."
Jaune screamed as he fell through the black void behind the Gate. "I didn't want this!" He chanted, repeating it until he began to scream for another reason as knowledge was forced into his head.
Alchemical equations, chemical formulas, atomic elements.
All of it and more was forced into his head as he screamed in protest. A brilliant white light shone in the distance and Jaune stretched his arms out to it. "Please, let me out!" He screamed at the top of his lungs.
As soon as he sucked in a breath of air, he found himself back in front of the Gateway with the Truth lounging in front of him, its face split even further by its iconic grin. "Did you enjoy yourself?" The Truth asked.
Jaune pushed himself up and moved towards the Truth. "I don't know what the hell that was all about, but I don't want to ever do that again."
The Truth's smile faded and it sighed. "A shame. I rather enjoyed the toll for that knowledge you've just gained."
Jaune's eyebrows rose to reflect his confusion. "Toll? What toll? I didn't give you anything."
The Truth's grin returned larger than before as it indicated itself. "Don't you see? It's this."
Jaune's eyes widened as two of the Truth's limbs shifted to match his own. He looked down at his own body and screamed as the two disappeared as well.
"I was thinking one for the gate and one for the transportation that old Alchemist cooked up and you used without bringing forward a toll." The Truth pushed itself right up into Jaune's face. "For something to be gained, something of equal value must first be given. That's the law of equivalent exchange. Memorize it well, young Alchemist." It reached up and flicked Jaune away from his gate.
Everything turned blinding white for Jaune before he found his back against the grassy ground. The last thing he heard before he passed out was a young girl's scream.
And that's how our reckless untrained blond acquired his knowledge of alchemy and lost a little bit of himself.
Thoughts, comments, and critiques are welcome here. I'm currently writing the first "modern-day" chapter, so expect that one by the end of the weekend. Cheers!