Chapter 6: Chapter-6
Jaune threw himself into training that week. Finally cleared to spar with others, he pitted his skills against as many different people as he could. Yang was a particular favorite, the girl full of energy and unwilling to pull any punches. It was just what he needed to sharpen his swordplay and defense, his shield arm often aching after a bout with the powerhouse. But he also enjoyed sparring with the Ace-Ops. They were older and far more experienced than he and his friends, the elite huntsmen and huntresses of Atlas.
There was a lot he could learn from them – and he did, as much as he could in the time between their missions. Elm was just as strong as Yang, leaving him bruised and battered through sheer power, while Vine's unorthodox fighting style with his semblance forced him to think on his feet. Perhaps the most frustrating to fight was Harriet. She was fast and boy was that an understatement. Just as fast as Ruby but much meaner with it, willing to exploit her extreme speed in any way she could. More than once, Jaune found himself tumbling through the air because he couldn't keep up with her, her legs lashing out and sending him spiraling. He could never fight her straight on, he just wasn't quick enough for it and so he had to get clever, much like he did with Vine.
One thing he had discovered through fighting her was that once she truly committed to a direction, she couldn't easily stop. While she could be elusive and turn if need be, it was when she was going for the decisive blow that she was at her weakest. It was all about luring her into that one shot. Easier said than done – she was a member of the Ace-Ops for a reason.
But Jaune figured he was getting pretty close to a breakthrough. He just needed to execute without fault when the opportunity presented itself.
His shield clanged loudly as her fists pistoned against the surface, aided by Fast Knuckles, her robotic exosuit arms that greatly enhanced her strength. He felt that force travel through his arm and shoulder, jarring, yet he maintained his stance, a wall in counter to her onslaught. Her face was one of extreme confidence, lips stretched in a lazy smirk as she avoided his follow up. Slashing low and then high on the counter-swing, Jaune forced her away, trails of lightning blasting in her wake.
"Too slow," she mocked, dashing around him. Jaune knew what was coming but could do little to stop it, so he didn't. When her fists slammed into his side, he rolled with it, aura protecting him from serious harm. Regaining his feet, he activated the dust in his shield, blasting the area with gravity-assisted force.
Harriet scowled as she was forced to retreat, staggering as she was thrown off balance.
"Too slow," he mimicked with a friendly smile. Her scowl deepened, offended.
"We'll see about too slow," she said, upping the ante. She was nothing but a blur, coming at him from multiple angles. He blocked the first two strikes, the third glancing off the edge of his shield. The fourth, fifth and sixth landed flush. Harriet finished the combo with a devastating kick that launched him halfway across the room. He grunted as he skidded to a stop, rolling to his feet and swinging in anticipation. Crocea Mors skimmed off Fast Knuckles, sparks flying as again, she was denied a quick finish.
"Tch, you are starting to become a real pain," she complained, clicking her tongue. Her eyes blazed with her semblance, her feet cracking the floor as she accelerated. Jaune raised his shield, his body locked tight when she collided with him like a comet. His aura flared with a bright flash, his own semblance activating and amplifying his strength. When their eyes met, he gave her a wink before blasting her away with gravity dust.
When she landed, her face was scarily calm. "You're dead."
Jaune took a deep breath, knowing it was now or never. Harriet was a competitive woman, even more so than Yang. Pyrrha had been the same, though she didn't have the same aggressive nature that the older woman had. While the Invincible Girl had been a sea of calm resolve and iron clad discipline, Harriet was a stick of dynamite. All it took was the right ignition source to set her off and mocking her back, even playfully, was a sure fire way to draw her ire.
People became reckless when they were angry – even trained professionals could fall prey to such a cliché, easy tactic; especially when they didn't fear their opponent. Harriet didn't fear him at all, for good reason. He hadn't won a single bout against her or any of the Ace-Ops. Just that day, he was zero and six against her. Turning it into zero and seven was just par for the course but he was banking on changing that.
Jaune palmed his satchel with his defensive arm, his shield concealing the action. Gripping the deployable hard-light dust shield module, he lowered his stance, sword at the ready. The movements were natural, something he had done numerous times during their bouts. Shield across the body, sword tucked close, preparing for a possible counter. Easy to stab or slash, easy to block if need be.
She didn't see it coming. Not until it was too late.
She blazed across the floor faster than ever, crossing the distance within the blink of an eye. If he had been trying to purely react, he would have been far too slow. So he had dropped the module before she had even moved, Harriet not seeing it until the last possible moment. She couldn't abort, already upon him, her fist reared back ready to unleash her full strength.
The hard-light deployed instantly, slamming into her midsection and halting her advance. The air was driven out of her lungs, eyes bugging out as she crumpled over the edge of the portable shield. She would have toppled over the low-wall completely if not for his shield catching her in the face, assisted by gravity dust and amplified strength. A cry was ripped from her throat at the brutal blow, ringing her head and blasting her across the training arena like a cannonball. When she slammed into the wall, the metal sheets buckled with metallic groans, her aura shattering in a shower of pink light.
Harriet crumpled to the ground.
"Holy shit," Marrow exclaimed in shock from the stands. There was a moment of silence before he rushed down the stairs, racing over to his teammate. "Harriet, you still with us?"
She moaned something unintelligible into the floor.
Jaune took a steadying breath, almost in disbelief. His plan had worked. Better than expected, he had blown completely through her aura in a single strike. He'd been hoping to maybe get her in the yellow if he was lucky.
"Damn, Jaun," Marrow said with some respect, at complete odds with the butchering of his name. "You've got an arm on you."
Sheathing his sword, he hurried over. Harriet was struggling to stand, arms wobbling as she propped up her body. Her nose was bleeding, the lower half of her face drenched crimson red. Her nose was clearly broken, mangled and compressed horribly. Jaune cringed at the sight.
"Fhuck," she swore, spitting out a mass of saliva and blood. It smacked against the floor audibly. Her eyes watered, already bruising.
"Um," he looked at Marrow awkwardly. "You might want to straighten her nose. Then I can heal her."
"Ish hard to breathe," she muttered, clearly a little loopy. She was looking at the empty spot between them, not directly at either of them. She likely had a concussion. "What hit meh?"
Marrow hesitated for a moment before reaching for her nose. Pinching what he could, he wrenched it to the side with all his might. Harriet flinched back with a scream, swearing up a storm. It looked a little better. Now it was just up to her aura to do the rest.
Jaune put his hands on her shoulders, channeling his semblance. Her aura flared to life, mingling with the bright light of his own. Soft pink brightened to near red, his amplification at work. Slowly but surely, the bleeding from her nose stopped, the bruising receding from around her eyes. There was a soft crunch as her nose realigned completely, though this time the pain was dulled. The slightly confused look in her eyes cleared, some life returning to her.
She knocked his hands aside.
They stared at each other for a moment, the atmosphere tense. Marrow looked between them, worried.
"God damn it," she said at last, looking furious. "Did that just seriously happen?"
She was angry but not at him, he realized quickly. Getting to her feet, she glared at nothing in particular.
"I can't believe I just lost to this guy," she stomped the ground petulantly. "I'm never going to hear the end of this. Not a word!" she pointed a finger at Marrow, who had opened his mouth. It shut with a click. "Not a damn word, do you hear me? Not to me – and not to anyone else. I don't need Clover thinking I've lost a step. This is embarrassing enough as it is!"
Jaune thought that was a little much. Maybe he wasn't the best fighter around but he was still a fully realized huntsman. Sure, they'd not completed their schooling and General Ironwood had fast tracked them a little bit... he sighed. He couldn't even argue with her. As one of the Ace-Ops, she was meant to be one of the elite. The elite of the elite.
And he'd just knocked her out of the fight in one blow.
A feeling of pride spread through him now that he wasn't worried for Harriet's well being. Perhaps the next time they came up against Salem's people, he wouldn't be useless after all. The fight with Cinder weighed on his mind every day. He had been utterly outclassed, though he always knew that to be the case. This was the woman who had defeated his partner, the best fighter he had ever known. Anger had driven him forward, not common sense. He had just wanted to make her pay for what she did, what she continued to do.
He had just wanted to avenge his friend. He hadn't been strong enough.
Because of his folly, they had almost lost someone else. Jaune wasn't sure why Cinder had picked Weiss of all the people in the room that day, but he was sure it had everything to do with him. Cinder had been there at Beacon. She had been watching all of them, her minions becoming chummy with their friend group for a reason. There was little chance that the evil woman hadn't fully known what the Schnee heiress meant to him.
She had tried to snatch her away just like she had Pyrrha. To cause as much misery and grief as possible. To hurt him.
If not for his semblance, she would have succeeded. And now that same semblance allowed him to fight harder, longer, and better. It allowed him to push his body to the limit and beyond, it allowed him to go toe-to-toe with some of the best huntsmen and huntresses in the world. He was still leagues behind them – but he had just shown that maybe, just maybe if he got lucky, if he used his mind and planned accordingly, he could actually make a difference. He could actually help.
That's all he had ever wanted. He just wanted to help.
Harriet wiped at her face angrily, sneering at her bloody hand. When her pink eyes met his, he thought she was going to slap him with it. Instead she deflated, her anger draining away as quickly as it came. Giving him a considering look, she huffed.
"That was pretty smart," she conceded roughly. Jaune blinked. "I didn't expect something like that. You can be pretty sneaky when you want to be, huh? Guess I'll have to look out for that in the future."
She held out her hand, still covered in blood. When he hesitated, she smiled. It wasn't cocky or mocking but genuine, one of the few times he had seen such a look on her face. She only ever really looked like that when talking with Clover, the leader of the Ace-Ops. Reaching out, he grabbed her hand and shook it firmly. It almost felt like a blood pact, the crimson liquid seeping through their locked palms.
"Fighting in the real world is about survival," she said, firming her hold. "It isn't like fighting in an arena but I guess you kids already know that, right? You haven't exactly been sitting on your asses the entire time since Beacon fell. There is no such thing as a fair fight out there – so don't give them one. There are no rules when it comes to life or death, especially in defense of others," she pulled him in until they were nose to nose. Jaune was sure it looked comical, considering the difference in height between them. "Don't let this get to your head. You caught me by surprise and capitalized on the situation but I won't let that happen again, understand?"
Jaune nodded. "Yeah, I get it. I doubt the same trick would work twice."
He hadn't noticed before but she had really nice skin. Being so close, he could tell that she took really good care of it. Harriet never struck him as the moisturizing type but her cheeks looked baby soft and smooth, her face wrinkle free. If he ran his thumb across her mocha skin, he would feel no imperfections. She also wore very little make-up; a light dusting of foundation and blush, and some lip balm.
"Damn straight it won't," she released his hand and allowed him to step back, breaking whatever spell had come over him. If she had noticed his staring, she didn't show it. "But being unpredictable like that is a good talent to have. Unpredictable but thought out. You don't want to trip up your own allies with your schemes, only the enemy."
"Right."
Strangely enough, beating Harriet seemed to have unlocked her friendly side. Even though she came across as impulsive and rash, even arrogant sometimes, she had a lot of insight when it came to fighting and tactics. He could tell she was still steaming about the loss but his value had clearly risen in her eyes if she was willing to drop wisdom on him like this. He was now someone worthy of consideration and not just a sturdy training partner to kick around to warm up.
Marrow looked a little bewildered by Harriet's change of heart but joined their discussion, adding his own input. After a short rest, they had one more spar in which Jaune ate the floor more times than he could count. He had unlocked a monster. She wouldn't ever underestimate him again.
That was how Neon Katt found him – face first on the floor, groaning as Harriet planted her foot between his shoulder blades. He didn't have the strength to fight her off, content to be pinned like some sort of trophy kill.
"Am I interrupting something or is this totally normal for you two?" the faunus girl asked with amusement clear in her voice, snapping a picture on her scroll. Harriet laughed and stepped off him, allowing him up. Jaune staggered to his feet, covered in sweat and sporting several new aches and pains.
"We're done," Harriet said. "Thanks for the work out. Let me know if you want to get pasted again."
He watched as she left with Marrow before checking out Neon. She must have been at the gym, dressed in her cute spats and tank top combo. He couldn't look at her now without seeing her naked, wet and willing, playing with his cock, or all the different little poses she made just for him, all the photos she had sent him circulating in his mind. Every day, there was something new – everything from a few panty shots to short videos of her fingers jammed knuckle deep in her clam, her lips gripping her digits greedily.
She noticed his scorching look and returned one of her own.
Jaune felt a little embarrassed about it but he had reciprocated, sending a few photos of his own. They had started off chaste enough. Snapshots of his abs, of his chest – but that had soon turned to pictures of his cock, hard and throbbing, his hand stroking it to fullness. It had almost become a game, seeing who could outdo the other. Neon always won, of course.
"Hey there, stud," she gave him a saucy smirk. "Ready for our date tonight?"
He was.
Fucking Cerise had taken the edge off but a week was a long time. With every picture sent, his anticipation only grew. Losing his virginity was an experience he wouldn't ever forget, nor would he ever forget the wonderful woman he had been with, but his body was craving Neon Katt. Had been since their interrupted shower – and finally, he was going to claim her. Would she feel different than Cerise? She was smaller, slender and huntress fit, her body toned and sleek. How tight was her little pussy? How did it taste? He wanted to know.
"One problem," she added, looking a little subdued. "I may have sort of mentioned I was going out and my team decided they wanted to tag along. We haven't had many opportunities to go out so I couldn't really blow them off. So I thought maybe we could go dancing or something first and then slip away? I think a couple of your friends are coming with, it's going to be an entire thing."
He would have liked for them to be going alone but he didn't see a problem with it. Hitting a club sounded like a cool idea. "Sure, sounds like fun. We've got the whole night, right?"
Neon beamed, happy that he wasn't put off. "Yeah. The whole night. Got it, mister?"
"Loud and clear."
After some small talk, Jaune made his way back to his room. Ren and Nora were still out and so he had the bathroom all to himself. His tired muscles relaxed in relief when he stepped under the spray, loosening any tension left over from his training. Scrubbing clean, he decided to get ready a little early. He didn't have many clothes not related to huntsman business but he was able to put together a nice enough outfit. He was just finishing up with a spray of cologne when Nora burst through the door carrying a bundle of paper bags. The scent of curry wafted across his nose instantly.
Jaune's stomach roared its approval.
"Haha, hungry, are ya?" she teased while setting the bags down on the countertop.
"Starving," he wandered over and peeked inside some of the bags. As usual, Nora had gone completely overboard in ordering. He counted four different curries just in the one bag, as well as a bundle of naan wrapped in tinfoil. Nora started emptying the others, cases of rice and fried chicken, noodle dishes and fries.
"How many places did you stop at?" he asked when she set a few burgers down.
She shrugged. "All of them."
Ren finally appeared, looking a little worn.
"Hey man," Jaune greeted with a grin. "Dinner looks great."
"She couldn't decide," was his only answer.
It was a lot of food but with the way he had been eating lately, it was probably just enough. He took a bit of everything, Nora following his example, while Ren was much more reserved in his pickings. His stomach was a bottomless pit, his mouth a vacuum. He devoured everything he picked out and went for seconds, soaking up the remnants of his curry with pieces of naan.
"Delicious," he said after polishing off one of the burgers. The meat had been moist, juicy and seasoned well, and they'd been very generous with their sauce.
"Are you going somewhere?" Ren asked between mouthfuls.
Jaune eyed the remainder of fries but let Nora finish them off. "Team FNKI invited me out – well, Neon, mostly. We are going out to a club, I think. They've been really busy lately so they want to blow off some steam."
"Oh, Blake and Yang are going too," Nora spoke up, licking her fingers. Ren passed her a napkin which she pointedly ignored. "We just bumped into them."
"You guys want to come? More the merrier."
"I think I'll pass," Ren said.
Nora gave it some serious thought before saying, "Nah, I'm good. I've got a date with my bed."
Finished with his food, he cleaned up his mess before bidding them farewell. Checking the time on his scroll, he made his way over to Team RWBY's room. His knuckles had barely rapped on the door when it slid open. Familiar white hair greeted him, alongside those gorgeous, ice blue eyes.
"Jaune," Weiss greeted, face far from amused. "Welcome."
"Er," he glanced over her shoulder and spotted Ruby. The younger girl rolled her eyes. "What's up?"
"Enduring great hardship," Weiss deadpanned, stepping aside to let him in. He hesitated for a moment, unsure.
"I'm sorry?"
"Not you," she clarified. "Those two idiots."
Weiss jerked her thumb behind her, pointed around the corner. When he stepped inside, he was greeted by the sight of Blake attempting to shuffle. Usually, the raven haired faunus was the picture of graceful movement but right now she was the epitome of awkwardness. She couldn't go more than a few steps before her feet got tangled and she fell into Yang's arms, the pair giggling like it was the funniest thing in the world. He shared a look with Weiss.
"They seem awfully cheery."
"Sickeningly so."
"It is a little much," Ruby added dryly.
"Hey Jaune," Yang called, only now noticing his presence. Blake jumped out of her arms, almost tripping over and face planting in her haste.
"J-Jaune," Blake sputtered.
"You okay there, Blake?" he asked while Ruby sniggered behind her hand. He felt his lips twitch when she couldn't contain a snort. Weiss' face was stone, yet Jaune swore he could see the mirth in her eyes.
"Fine! I'm fine," she played with the short curls of her hair, flustered.
"You come to hang out?" Yang asked in an attempt at saving her partner from further humiliation.
"Actually, I thought we could meet FNKI together. Neon invited me out with you guys."
Blake perked up.
"You're coming as well?" she asked.
Yang grinned happily. "Sweet. I tried to get these two to tag along but they're being a couple of sour pusses."
"I think I've seen just about enough of you two today, thank you very much," Weiss said haughtily. "Any more and I'll be sick. I can think of much better things to do with my time – I believe Myrtenaster is due for a service, oh, and I need to catalog my dust so everything is in order."
Yang rolled her eyes. "Oh, shut up. We're just having some fun. God, you can be a real downer sometimes, you know that?"
"Uh huh, sure," Weiss looked to Jaune. "You'll want to keep your eyes off them as much as possible, trust me. Prolonged exposure will only upset your stomach."
Blake looked embarrassed while Yang just flipped Weiss the bird.
"Penny is coming over," Ruby revealed as her sister and partner continued to argue back and forth. "We're going to watch movies and Weiss wants to introduce her to a manicure. Penny is awfully excited about it. She has been blowing up our scrolls all day. She's never had a slumber party before."
Jaune smiled. "That sounds like fun."
"Okay, I've had enough of these party poopers," Yang stormed forward and looped her arm around Jaune's tugging him out the door. "See you losers later. Come on, Blake."
"Oh, uh, bye guys!" he called as he was dragged out. Blake trotted after them.
The night was off to an interesting start.
Weekly Power Status
-- Power
Ranking 
-- Power
stone