723Disclaimer: I don't own RWBY, the only thing that belongs to me here is the story idea.
(Chapter 1)
They say the road to hell is paved with good intentions. Before today, the teen would've rejected that phrase with all his heart. But now? Jaune believed in it with all he had. The teen had suffered a great deal in the last weeks, but today made him question everything. Did he still want to be a huntsman? Could he be?
"To think…all this started because of that night on the rooftop with Pyrrha."
(Flashback- Night on rooftop)
"I'm a fraud Pyrrha! I didn't GO to any huntsman preparatory school, I got myself forged transcripts, just so I could even get a foot in the door." Jaune watched as the spartan eyed him, mouth slightly agape, and eyes shaking. He continued, "I'm the son of an accomplished huntsman. My dad refused to train me at all, so I made do. I practiced with a wooden sword on my own in the forest for years, and never got any better because I had no teacher. And every time my dad caught me trying to train, he'd take the sword away, and ground me for weeks at a time."
"…" Seeing that his partner stood quiet, bangs shadowing her eyes as they stood under the moonlight with the lampposts below them, Jaune couldn't hold it in anymore, as years of frustration at being overlooked by his family came flooding out.
"So, one night, I decided I was going to get out of his shadow. I took all the money I saved to that night and took some from our family's account along with crocea mors and left. I made it on a bullhead and got myself all the way to Vale. Found a cheap hotel, where I worked for free in exchange for a room. And applied to Beacon academy. I used the money I had to buy some forged transcripts from someone and eventually made it all the way to and through initiation."
He paused and looked up at his scarlet haired teammate. By now there was a stream of tears falling from her emerald eyes as she looked to the ground with an unreadable expression. And then all to sudden, her eyes found him again. She wiped her tears, and slowly strode forward, unsure of what to say.
She stopped once she was right in front of him, before he tilted his eyes to meet hers, and was met with a hard slap to his cheek. He fell to the ground from the force his partner hit him with, eyes stinging from the pain emanating from his cheek.
"I can't believe I, no, any of us ever trusted you Jaune." The young man froze as the words left her mouth. He didn't expect this from Pyrrha, the one who would agree to any half-witted idea he devised without hesitation while wearing a smile.
"Pyrrha, I-" He tried to speak but was cut off.
"NO! You listen Jaune." He was petrified at the presence she seemed to suddenly exude, nodding as he sat on the ground looking up to his partner.
"Do you even understand how much danger you put us all in by doing this?" He paused to think about it, before hesitantly nodding his head. He watched as her eyes narrowed and mouth shifted to sneer at him with disgust as her tone reflected more and more of her anger.
"You do. You came to an academy where risking life and limb is a frequent occurrence, with absolutely no plan but 'Get better once I'm accepted.' You knew that you wouldn't be able to handle the level of work expected of us right out of the gate, and planned to piggyback off us, your team, until you were competent enough. And to top it all off, once you became our leader, you waited this long to tell one of us who our friend was?"
Jaune could do nothing but listen to her list his deeds, and shamefully lowered his eyes to the ground as he said nothing, confirming her accusations.
Pyrrha just stood silent for a moment, before turning on her heels and leaving him alone on that rooftop. Jaune realized that Pyrrha came from a different walk of life than him, she saw what he did as lacking integrity, untruthful, and illegal. And while she was right, Jaune was never proud of what he did, and he really did put in his all to everything he's done so far so that he could become better a better leader, a dependable friend.
"Hey Jauney-boy, interesting conversation I happened to hear just now."
Jaune's blood ran cold as he turned to the edge of the rooftop where another teen was now climbing up from. Cardin Winchester, a bully who had taken it upon himself to make Jaune's life hell, had just overheard his worst secret, and wore a devilish grin that promised suffering.
(present day)
Pyrrha had confronted him the morning after that night while their team was asleep, telling him that he could either tell Nora and Ren of his crime, or that she would tell them herself. Jaune tried to prove to her that he could be better and made the mistake of telling them everything all at once, with no plan to fall back on. Nora walked over to the blonde, having thought he was joking, but upon getting close and feeling how tense he was, she realized he was serious. She instantly no longer saw Jaune as team JNPR's "Fearless Leader," and as just Jaune, a selfish guy just like any other, before walking past him, and out of the room wearing a somber smile on her face, her mental image of a selfless leader shattered.
Ren just stared at Jaune, disappointed in his leader. He said nothing, just shook his head disapprovingly and went to join Nora. Jaune bit his lip in frustration, before hearing Pyrrha comforting the rest of his team from behind him, shutting the door and leaving him to reflect, alone.
The worst of his suffering was fresh on his mind however, as yesterday still haunted him.
(flashback-Forever Fall Field Trip)
Jaune had been bullied by Cardin before, but the dynamic was different now. Cardin was able to make him submit without any effort whatsoever. Cardin or his team needed something, he would be the one to get it, team CRDL needed their homework done, he finishes it, they need to bully someone to let off some steam, he was their man. Today had him slightly perplexed though, as the task made no sense.
Team CRDL was lounging about as Jaune was tasked with drawing six jars of tree sap, one for each person present, so what was the sixth jar for? Jaune finished his assignment before carrying all the jars and setting them down by Cardin.
"Hey Cardin, i-it's all done man" Cardin cracked an eye open with a cocky smirk on his lips.
"Jauney-boy! Perfect, now we have everything we need. Come on, follow me." He 'suggested as he and the other members of his team all stood up and started walking to a different part of the forest, nearer to where the other teams were.
Suddenly, Cardin stopped his advance, and stood on top of a high hill, beckoning for Jaune and his team to join him. Jaune stood next to Cardin, flanked by the member of the bully's team, before looking down. Below him, he saw the other member of team JNPR as well as team RWBY collecting sap. Jaune instantly had a very bad feeling creeping down his spine.
"Hey, uh, C-Cardin? What are we doing here…" Jaune began before a jar full of sap was thrust into his hands. He looked down confused before Cardin explained.
"Well you see Jauney-boy, your partner down there? She really pisses me off. So, here's what you're gonna do. You're going to take that jar of sap and throw it at her. The sap inside," He took the box Dove had been carrying, shaking it to elicit a buzz from inside. 'Rapier Wasps,' Jaune discovered with fear. Cardin continued "Will draw these little guys to attack her once she's covered in it." Jaune looked positively mortified at Cardin's plan.
'This isn't just bullying anymore; someone could really get hurt!' Jaune thought to himself. He stood their holding the jar, knowing that if he didn't throw it, he would be in trouble with the team surrounding him, but if he did throw it, he could kiss any chance of making up with his team, and staying at the school goodbye.
"Damned if I do, damned if I don't." Jaune said at a volume that no one could here, before turning to face Cardin while gripping the jar tightly.
"I won't do it Cardin." He held his head high despite the fear he felt and stared defiantly at the bully.
"…Come again Jauney-boy? Because it almost sounded like you told me no, and you really aren't in a position to do that are you?" The threat wasn't concealed at all, it was a promise of pain if compliance wasn't given. Jaune stood his ground, gripping the jar tighter and tighter before feeling the pressure of the last two weeks overwhelm him and move him to do something no one expected.
He threw the jar, at Cardin. It shattered upon impact with the teen's armor plate, covering his chest in a scarlet colored syrup. The world seemed quiet as Jaune realized what he had done, before he heard a chuckle.
"You really shouldn't have done that." Cardin's team burst into movement, moving to restrain Jaune before he could come to terms with what was occurring. Once he was secured by CRDL, they dragged him deeper into the forest following behind a seething Cardin, before reaching the clearing they were resting in earlier, and proceeding to beat the blonde into submission. "Let's see how much of a man you really are-" A roar cut Cardin off. The ginger-haired menace and his team froze and turned around to see an Ursa, attracted likely by the negative emotions being emitted by the group, as well as the forest sap that now coated Cardin's chest plate, if it glaring solely at him was any indication. It let out a deep growl before rising to stand on its hind legs, standing at an intimidating 16-feet tall.
Cardin took his weapon into his hand, and looked to his team for support, but was angered when he saw them abandoning him with Jaune, leaving them to their fate. Cardin was knocked from his thoughts of retribution when the Ursa sent him flying with a swipe from its mighty paw, his weapon fell away sailing from his hands giving him no defense against the bear grimm. The bully watched as the Ursa ignored Jaune in favor of him and lumbered forward towards him until he was mere inches away from him. From the corner of his eyes, Cardin noticed Pyrrha arriving at the edge of the tree line with Ruby and Weiss in tow, just as the soulless abomination raised its paw to end his life. He shut his eyes as the paw came down, prepared for the end, when he heard the telltale sound of something impacting metal.
Cardin opened his eyes, shocked to see his victim for the last weeks standing in front of him defensively with his shield raised, not giving an inch in the battle of strength between him and the Ursa. Jaune grit his teeth and looked back to Cardin as the grimm began to slowly push down more against the boy, tipping the scales in their contest of power.
"Cardin! Move! I can't roll away with you behind me!" The blonde teen commanded. The bully, still to overwhelmed to argue, just nodded and scrambled away from behind Jaune, rushing for his mace. Jaune seeing that he was clear, took a deep breath in preparation, before angling his shield and rolling away from the attack.
"Cardin! I'll distract it, hit it from behind!" Jaune instructed to the bully as he began to run around the bear grimm.
Cardin having recovered from his shock, wore an angry face of indignation as he glared at the blonde.
"Who put you in charge Jauney-boy?!" He shouted back with an edge.
Jaune blocked another swipe from the grimm, before jumping back to dodge the follow-up attack sent his way and leveled a searing glare towards the ginger with his teeth bared in annoyance.
"Do you have any better ideas asshole!" Jaune watched as the boy recoiled from the aggression he was showing, before staying silent and just looking down to his mace.
"That's what I thought. Now, get your head out of your ass and let's kill this damn thing!" Cardin looked somewhat conflicted, before letting a deep exhale escape him, and walking towards the boy until he stood side by side next to him. Though reluctant to cooperate, he wore a cocky smirk as he raised his mace onto his shoulder and spoke.
"Fine, but this is the only time you and I are ever teaming up." Jaune just nodded his head at the teen and responded in kind, "I wouldn't have it any other way partner." Cardin shifted into a battle stance next to the blonde and spoke. "Then I'll follow your lead."
The girls couldn't believe what they were seeing. Weiss and Ruby were shocked at the display of, although hesitant, camaraderie between the two boys, but Pyrrha, while shocked at the development, was also angry that Jaune was willing to work with the ginger after all that had developed the past weeks at Beacon. A smaller, more rational part of her felt proud that her partner would still protect someone that tormented him and told her that she had no right to feel angry at him, since she had all but abandoned him. Conflict raged within the red head's being as she watched the boys operate, though clumsily, rather well for two had been at odds since the beginning of their time at the academy.
The two members of team RWBY both prepared themselves to enter the fray and help their friend, before a hand shot in front of both of them, forcing them to halt as they sent looks questioning the partner of the blonde currently battling for his life in the clearing.
"…Let's wait. I think the two of them have this handled." The two girls paused before reluctantly agreeing to just observe.
The battle didn't last long. Jaune would take a blow with shield so that Cardin could land one on the grimm from behind. This cycle continued before Jaune noticed the Ursa starting to waver. When it went to take a step forward, one of its legs gave out as it found itself on all fours, trying to regain balance. Jaune sent Cardin a look, and the ginger just nodded before returning to Jaune's side and following behind the boy in his charge against their bone masked foe.
Jaune was the first to strike. He quickly made a deep slash in the Ursa's neck, eliciting a roar of hate and pain, but before the grimm could make a move to retaliate, Jaune drove the bottom of his kite shield into the gash he made before quickly jumping back. Cardin then jumped high into the air, the dust crystal in his mace beginning to glow as he brought in down with all the force he could muster onto the top of Jaune's shield, propelling the shield downward and beheading the Ursa.
The girls watched in minor shock as the two spoke no words but displayed magnificent teamwork with their combined attack. The girls watched as both boys stored their weapons away and walked toward each other until they stood a few feet apart.
"…I'm sorry…for everything" The ginger's words surprised the girls who stood at the edge of the clearing.
"Apology accepted. For what its worth, sorry about your team ditching you." The instant apology from the blonde knight of team JNPR did shock the girls, but what spoke out to one of them, Ruby, was the tone of empathy and the somber frown the blonde wore.
"Listen, Jaune-" Cardin began to say before getting cut off by the blonde.
"No Cardin, you listen. I don't know what your problem is but pull your head out of your ass." At this everyone watched as the normally pushover-ish knight adopted a firm attitude before continuing to speak. "You want to be a huntsman. That means you protect people, human or faunus. It means you don't prey on the weak or people who look different, you protect them." Jaune watched as his words made it through to Cardin, something everyone thought impossible as the ginger lowered his eyes to the ground in shame, but he didn't relent. "You're a team leader Cardin. Don't be an asshole. You're supposed to be an example for your team, and for other teams, of what a hunter signifies." He leveled one last glare at Cardin, and the boy became slightly uncomfortable at the presence the blonde seemed to exude. "And don't ever mess with my team, my friends, again."
He turned away ready to leave the clearing, but suddenly Cardin called out to him.
"Jaune!" The blonde turned his head to look back tiredly to the ginger, waiting for him to say what he needed to. "The truth about your transcripts…there safe with me." Jaune shot him a look slightly disbelieving before he continued. "Russ, Sky, and Dove only knew I had dirt on you, I didn't tell them what it was. I won't tell anyone about your transcripts, you have my word."
Jaune just stared at the boy for what to everyone watching felt like an eternity before nodding to him and limping off, never noticing the girls in the tree line as he left.
"Pyrrha, what was Cardin talking about with Jaune's transcripts?"
(Present Day)
When Jaune woke up today, he was greeted with his team all sitting on their beds with their heads lowered in thought. When they noticed that he was awake, Jaune was informed that Pyrrha had told them of his bout with the Ursa, which shocked him because he never noticed she was there, but more so that she didn't help him. His blood ran cold however when she told him that she had told Ruby and Weiss about his secret.
His mouth was dry, and he was sure his eyes were starting to water. Ruby was sweet, innocent and trusting, and he knew he had nothing to worry about from her, but if Weiss knew? He quickly got dressed, saying nothing to his team as he did so nor once he left their shared dorm. He skipped his early morning classes as to not catch sight of team RWBY and to escape the animosity his team held toward him.
He was successful at staying off anyone's radars he felt, until he heard something that made his blood run cold.
"Would Jaune Arc please make his way to the Headmaster's office. Would Jaune Arc please…" The message began to repeat, but Jaune couldn't hear it over the blood rushing through his body and his thoughts screaming at him.
He slowly began to make his way to where his presence was summoned, body on autopilot and eyes dull, missing their shine as he trekked across the campus. All to soon, he found himself in front of the door to the headmaster's office. His heart was beating so hard he was surprised it didn't burst out of his chest and he was sweating as if he had just returned from running a marathon in the summer. He slowly reached his hand out to the handle, and as the cold steel met his hand, he slowly pulled the door open.
When he entered the room, closing the door behind him. He looked around at the occupants, eyes catching sight of Glynda Goodwitch, the deputy headmistress of Beacon, headmaster Ozpin, and a man with black hair holding a flask he didn't recognize.
"Mr. Arc, right on time. Would you like to take a seat?" Ozpin began with pleasantries as he sipped from his coffee mug.
"Thank you, sir." Jaune said with a voice devoid of any emotions as he took his seat.
"Do you have any idea why you're here Mr. Arc?" Professor Goodwitch began.
Jaune leveled his eyes directly to Ozpin who had his hands folded on his desk as he sat across from the teen before speaking.
"Yes." He answered evenly.
"Then you know what is going to happen." It was no question. It was preparing him for the words that would end his time of training to be a huntsman before it ever had a chance to bear any fruit.
"Of course. But can I ask a question." He said as he looked directly at both the deputy headmistress and headmaster. Glynda shot Ozpin a look before Ozpin answered.
"Yes Mr. Arc. What is your question."
"Who." Glynda decided to reinsert herself into the conversation hearing the blonde's inquiry.
"I don't see why you need-" She began before Ozpin interrupted her.
"Glynda." She immediately backed down, hearing the tone that left no room for argument from her superior. Ozpin shifted in his seat before answering the teen's question, with a question.
"Jaune, let me ask you this. Who do you think came forward with the information about your transcripts?"
Jaune paused thinking about those who knew his secrets, before he decided on who must have been the culprit.
"Cardin." Jaune's face held no contempt as his gaze fell to his lap, wearing a look blaming himself for believing the boy's claim. 'I should have known that not even his word was good for anything. I can't believe he-"
"I'm afraid it wasn't Mr. Winchester who brought this issue to our attention." The blonde teen's eyes shot up to the headmaster's in disbelief, before a look of hurt crossed into his eyes as they began to water.
"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.
"Oh, that's right, forgot you don't know me. Name's Qrow Branwen. I'm Yang and Ruby's Uncle." Jaune's eyes widened in surprise.
"Wait. So you're the one who taught Ruby how to use a scythe?"
Qrow grinned widely, "So, the pipsqueak talked about her uncle? Yep, that's me, the best scythe user on Remnant." He walked over and shook Jaune's hand, before dropping down in the seat next to him, and continuing with a reminiscing look adorning his face.
"But listen, kid. Everyone does something bad. Yea, you didn't get here like everyone else, but you still got here, and you had good intentions. On one hand, what you did could've put your team in danger because of your lack of training. On the other hand, at least you lied about having training so that you could finally get some." He looked up to the ceiling and continued. "Everyone has dreams. How far you're willing to go to achieve them shows character. And I think you have a lot of it." The man said before getting up and moving to leave the room.
As he stepped towards the door that would bring him to the elevator, he looked back over his shoulder, and gave the blonde team some parting words.
"Good luck blondie." And with that he left the occupants in silence.
As Glynda looked furious at Qrow for seemingly condoning the actions of the team, she was shaken from her thoughts by Ozpin.
"Glynda. Leave me and Mr. Arc so that we may discuss his future."
She looked as if she wanted to argue, before just letting out a sigh glaring at Jaune and Ozpin and walking out of the room herself.
Both remaining occupants of the room were silent before Jaune took the initiative to start the conversation anew.
"So. What happens now?" He spoke with resignation.
"Well Jaune, the way I see it, you have three options. But regardless of what you choose, you will no longer be a student of Beacon after today." Seeing Jaune give a silent nod, he continued.
"Option one: we expel you and you try to make a life here in Vale as a citizen. No shame in that." He studied the blonde, gauging his reaction to the suggestion, and after seeing a cringe briefly appear, he continued.
"The second option: we expel you and you can try to find work on the wrong side of the law, but that would only serve to make things much more…complicated." Jaune's face shifted to one of disgust at the mere possibility of him joining the criminal underworld, and Ozpin nodded in approval of the boy, before voicing the last option.
"And option three. You withdraw from Beacon after we're finished talking, and I'll pull some strings to have you sent to one of the other three huntsman academies."
Jaune shot up straight from his seat before speaking. "You're not joking…I can still have a chance to become a huntsman? Please tell me you aren't making a cruel joke. Please…" Jaune was cut off by the older man's chuckle.
"Do I seem like the kind of man to joke in a situation like this young man?" Jaune shook his head without a moment of thought, before looking at the headmaster with a fire in his eyes.
"Sir, I'd like to formally withdraw from your academy." Jaune said, and the headmaster smiled in approval of the young man's choice.
"Accepted. I'll fill out the paperwork as I explain what is going to happen, and you choose which academy you want to go to, and since I have a sneaking suspicion you don't know much of the other academies," Ozpin wore a small smirk with an amused glint in his eyes as Jaune sheepishly rubbed the back of his head. "I'll tell you about the others, and which one I'd recommend."
Jaune nodded, and Ozpin sat down at his desk. Pulling out some forms and signing them, having Jaune sign over all the specified spots before beginning his lecture.
"The other academies are Haven, Shade, and Atlas. Haven is in Mistral," upon saying that, he saw Jaune wince, and recalled that a small part of the young man's family is located in a city not far from Haven, which would make an unexpected, and unwanted, visit much more probable since Haven frequently televises the training of their students. Beacon, though being on the same continent as the majority of his family, would have allowed for the teen's whereabouts to stay hidden from the world until the Vytal Festival. "But knowing your circumstances, I'd imagine you don't have much interest in attending their academy."
Jaune nodded furiously at this, and Ozpin continued onto the others. "Shade is in Vacuo, which is on the same continent as us, but is drastically different in how they- sign there as well- operate. Vacuo is known for its beaches and deserts, and Shade academy has a…different teaching style than what would be considered conventional." At this Jaune tilted his head in confusion, finished signing everywhere required, and looked to Ozpin for clarity, causing the man to massage his temples in exasperation at just thinking of Shade's teaching philosophy.
"They believe that students don't need to be cared for, at all. Bullying is ignored openly even if a teacher is nearby, and fights can breakout on the academy grounds anywhere two students have a disagreement. They will teach you to be a huntsman, but you will learn to fight and defend yourself on your own. And being that they've already begun their classes, you'd almost assuredly be the 'odd man out' and would likely have more than a few fellow students looking to make a display of you."
Jaune stood silently as he deliberated over the shade academy opportunity. He would almost assuredly become stronger from the experience, but he could also find himself with a team full of lone-wolf types with no teamwork skills. Ozpin had begun writing a letter of some sort when Jaune finally spoke again. "And what about Atlas."
Ozpin adjusted his glasses and looked up to the teen from his writing briefly before continuing to write while answering him. "Well Jaune, Atlas was going to be my suggestion for you anyway. The Atlas huntsman academy resides in Atlas, obviously, which resides above mantle in the continent of Solitas."
"Above…Mantle?" Jaune looked to Ozpin confused, to which the older man just smirked and continued.
"Oh, believe me Jaune, I'd ruin the surprise, but if things go as I suspect they will, it'd be grander for you to see it for yourself, I assure you." Ozpin shook himself of his musings and returned to writing the letter. "But back to the matter at hand, it would be the best for you from an objective standpoint. Do you know what the four academies each do best?" Jaune shook his head
"Haven and Vacuo specialize in taking hunters who have adequate skills already and enhancing them further, either as a team in Haven's case, or individually in Shade's case. Beacon and Atlas are better at 'rebuilding a huntsman' brick by brick and developing a more solid foundation for their students to grow from. Beacon is the better choice for a young huntsman who needs to see things from a different perspective and learn to take things on from a different angle. Atlas is better however for someone who, like yourself, needs to be trained in all aspects of being a huntsman."
At this Jaune face shifted into a sheepish grin, before Ozpin continued. "There, you'll develop a combat style that is your own, or adopt one that suits you. You'll be given a partner by the headmaster after your evaluation and form a team with another partner pair. The four of you will share a dorm similar to how you did here at Beacon, and unlike here at Beacon, any huntsman training missions you go on, you will be paid for in preparation for the life of being a real huntsman." At this Jaune perked up, a chance to earn experience and get paid for it for was a dream came true for the blonde.
"Along with that any supplies you might need from clothing to ammunition will also be funded by Atlas due to their affluent nature." Ozpin put the finishing touches on his parchment, before folding it and sealing it in an envelope, sealing it with a wax sticker. He shifted his gaze to Jaune before speaking again. "Since you weren't born in Atlas, nor are you currently a citizen in Atlas, you will strictly be enrolled in the huntsman academy of Atlas only."
At the clarification, he silently asked a question with his eyes to the white-haired man.
"Ah. I forgot to clarify. Atlas' kingdom, academy, and armed forces all share one campus. Atlas doesn't get a 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."
"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 he shared with his former friends.
"Do you think we did the right thing guys?" Came the inquiry of one Ruby Rose.
"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.
"He makes me sick. He put us all in danger, he made me protect him all during initiation." Everyone was minorly 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.
"Kid. What happened." He tried to mask how he was feeling but failed as a tear made his way to the corner of his eyes as he began to crack 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
"You mean…you guys don't resent me?" He managed to croak out.
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.
The trip to Atlas via bullhead could be considered both blessing and curse for the young man.
Jaune 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.
*step one-Get a weapon.
*step two-Make a workout regimen.
*step three-Figure out how to deal with lack of range (Maybe make this part of step one?)
*step four-Discover my semblance.
*step five- ?
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 seeing Atlas?" The pilot called out from the control pit.
"Huh? O-oh, yeah it is." The boy called back as he was shaken from his thoughts.
The pilot chuckled, "Then you might wanna come see this. The first view of Atlas is always the best."
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 out the window, and 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.
"…Wow…" Jaune now understood why the ice-cold heiress now spoke so highly of her home country. He took in the elegance of Atlas, sitting down in the co-pilot seat as the pilot answered the radio chatter, responding about landing at the Academy.
As the bullhead finally touched down, the boy was grateful to finally be at the end of his 7-hour sky voyage. He grabbed his knapsack, and thanked the pilot, receiving a farewell and good luck from the transport specialist, before exiting the craft. 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.
"Just 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.
"Here, you will be given a chance to become stronger, smarter, and ultimately, someone who can save lives. Since Ozpin spoke so highly of you, as did a certain drunk old bird, I will personally have high expectations of you. Do you think that you can meet them?" The general asked as he glanced over his shoulder behind him, and he wasn't disappointed when he saw the determined look that was now on display for all of Remnant to see as he stared back at the older man.
"Give me this chance, help me figure out how to become stronger, how to save lives. And I won't just meet them, I'll shatter them." Jaune responded with certainty. The general made a sound of thought, before turning his head back to look forward as they walked.
"Since you aren't eligible to participate in military classes, you will be given a team later in the week after you complete your assessment tomorrow comprised of students who also are only enrolled in the huntsman portion of the academy." The man thought to himself silently, already knowing the team that the blonde would be help form.
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 outside of. He pushed the door open before motioning for Jaune to enter.
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 turned to look at the general, and Ironwood spoke to him from the hallway as he prepared to leave.
"Tomorrow morning at 0700 hours, someone will arrive here to take you to do your assessments, and once those are completed, fill out the paperwork make your enrollment here official. I wouldn't stay up to late tonight, you'll need your energy for tomorrow. If you find yourself hungry, take the elevator down to the first floor, and take a right once you get off, you'll walk straight down until you can hear the other students." And with that, he closed the door behind him, leaving the young teen with his thoughts.
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.
He settled upon a darker pair of blue jeans as well as a black button-down that he'd leave upon exposing the plain white undershirt he wore beneath it. As he finished changing into his new clothes, he looked back to the Pumpkin Pete's hoodie he always wore, as well as the boots that had 'left' and 'right' written on the soles. The memories that threatened to plague him were shook away and he placed them into the trash can on the side of the desk. As he made his way to move, he stopped as he reached the door handle, before making his way back to the knapsack and taking out a bright, baby blue onesie, and tucking it under his arm as he made his way out to the hallway.
As he made his way to the elevator, he saw a larger trashcan, and with haste deposited the embarrassing pajama into it, never to be seen again, and made his way to the cafeteria.
Lunch was a rather interesting affair. The cafeteria had plenty of students present, and once he entered, a few sets of eyes had focused on him, but after a few moments, returned to what they were doing previously. He had made his way to the line, and after a five-minute wait, had found himself sitting by himself in the corner of the cafeteria near the door that led to the hallway.
He had told the cafeteria staff he didn't know what he wanted to eat from today's selection, or what the selection was, and so they choose for him and handed the blonde his food with a knowing smile. He ate in silence, savoring the food he had chosen for him, and sent a wide smile to the woman who had given him his food, who nodded to him. He saw that everyone else was leaving their plates at a designated area, so once he finished, he mimicked their actions before heading back to his room.
Once there, he took a shower before changing into a pair of shorts and kept his shirt on to wear to bed. He turned off the lights before he climbed into bed, marveling at how soft his mattress was, and reached onto the nightstand to grab the television remote. He turned on his T.V. and lowered the volume so that it would serve as background noise and looked up to the ceiling as his eyes began to slowly shut as he thought to himself before falling asleep.
'Once tomorrow comes…Everything changes.'
(A/N)
Hello Everyone, I'm BlackJackHero. I'm going to use this A/N to quickly go over some things and hopefully give you an idea as to what I like in a story as both reader and writer.
(1) This is the first story I have written, ever. And I sincerely hope you all are looking forward to reading more.
(2) Jaune and Penny are my favorite characters above all in RWBY, and because of that, their story is coming first. Also, because I'm positive some of you will have questions as to how their relationship will work, I won't say much, but do know that Penny is still an android/artificial human. Their relationship will be tested, and they are going to have to figure it out themselves at a pace they both agree with.
(3) I can't answer most of the questions I saw in the comments without ruining what is my favorite story telling device, surprise, but I have already had weapons in mind for him. His semblance was something I had to think on, but I have decided on one that I think will compliment him perfectly for this story. As much as I'd like to see Jaune attain crazy strength, he is going to have to earn it, and I wanted his semblance, at least in this story, to not be something that lets him completely disregard danger and adversity.
(4) I'm a sucker for romance, but also enjoy a story with good action, adventure, well detailed fights, and titanic amounts of suspense, just as much.
(5) I have quite a few stories that I intend to publish here, but this will be the story on the front burner for the moment.
(6) I re-read this chapter and found some minor errors and edited them.
(7) Thank you all for taking the time to review and tell me what you thought. As for a schedule for this story, I'm going to try for once a week at least, but once every two weeks at worst. Since I've never written on this scale before, I'm not sure what updates will be like, but this is my goal.
I'm BlackJackHero, and I'll see you once the next chapter is finished.