章 203: 3-Virtual Reality
Ironwood stood at the clocktower window, framed in the turning iron gears of Ozpin's lighthouse, his mechanical hand pressed flat against the glass with his eyes foggy and distant. He could hear Qrow and Glynda arguing, Ozpin saying something but it was all so distant in the back of his mind.
"She's just a girl, we can't expect her to understand the gravity of this situation. Ms. Nikos is not ready for this, she hasn't been stable and her grades are as sporadic as her test scores." Glynda put her fingers at the bridge of her nose. "In her current state the maiden powers would reject her and who knows what would happen then?"
"We won't know unless we try, no one is ever ready, Glynda. You know that just as much as I do." Qrow countered. "We hand picked her and you told us she's ready months ago."
"That was before the Vytal Festival. Her simulation tests have dropped dramatically, she isn't in the top ten percent of the class anymore."
"What could be causing her to have such a dramatic drop?" Ozpin idly commented, face buried in his hand. "I don't understand what changed."
"Guilt."
Everyone turned to look at Ironwood, who still had his back to all of them.
"James?" Ozpin prodded him to continue. "What are you not telling us?"
"What could Miss Nikos possibly have to be guilty about? She's a perfect student, nothing has happened since the festival started, I can't imagine a scenario that would cause such a dramatic change." Glynda scoffed, shifting her weight from one foot to the other. Eyeing Ironwood with a certain amount of suspicion.
"James?" was all Qrow asked.
"When Jaune Arc was expelled from Beacon I offered him a single chance, if he could make his way to Atlas military academy, he would be placed on a team and trained accordingly." He started, Glynda almost stepping in to interrupt him but he continued. "I saw the way Miss Nikos treated him during the entrance exam when they were being placed into teams. I saw the way he took charge and led his team. I saw the will of someone who would do anything to prove themselves, but most of all I saw someone who could lead others, someone who made those around him better." James turned around to face everyone, his features deathly serious. "I knew that given that chance he would become better than any tactician I've ever trained before."
"Please get to the point James." And exhausted Ozpin finally spoke. He was tired of the topical Arc being brought up at every galla or gathering, a point of shame for the headmaster. A Point of pride for the military general.
"The point is that when I saw Pyrrha Nikos was the one who turned him in, I knew her weakness was the opposite, she was no leader, she would be the one to sacrifice herself, others, anything for the greater good." He paused seeing his point hadn't set in yet. "It is very easy to die for one's country, much harder to find someone so determined to live that they will fight until they give out from exhaustion first."
"You brought Jaune here to point out the flaws in the Nikos girl." Qrow surmised. "That's low James."
"I don't want a child to have the maiden powers if they would lose it at the first sign of danger"
"So what? We should give it to your pet robot?" Glynda roared. "Of all the low down, greedy, underhanded!" She stepped towards the stoic general. There was barely contained rage boiling just under the surface. "You used that boy!"
Ironwood looked a little shocked at that statement. "If you think the only reason I took Jaune under my wing was to undermine Ozpin then you're clearly not seeing the bigger picture here." His hand coming around from his back as he closed the distance to Glynda Goodwitch, towering over her with his impressive stature. "I still remember the look Jaune gave me when he stood at the gates of Mantle. Clothes torn apart, shield nearly destroyed, sword dull. He stared me down and I saw a look in his eye and said without words that he did it, he wasn't going to fail ever again."
The room was silent, waiting for Ironwood to get to the point of this long winded story. "He told me he would be the best soldier in my army, the look in his eye made me believe him. I still do. Jaune Arc is currently leading a team of his choosing that rivals that of even my ace operatives. If the maidens could be men, Jaune would be my first pick and I'd refuse to take no for an answer." Stepping past the Beacon professor he made his way around Ozpin's desk and towards the center of the room. "I'm training Jaune not for the purpose of being a general of the Atlas army. I'm training Jaune to lead a special force against Salem. I want Jaune to lead the next generations of hunters, huntresses, maidens." His gaze flickered over to Ozpin. "I trust his judgement. I trust his gut, his intuition. I brought him to the Vytal Festival to prove to everyone here, that he was more than worthy of that task."
"James. That's insane." Glynda argued.
"For once, I agree with stuck up blondie over there." Qrow confirmed.
"You all thought he was worthless before and now has beaten every obstacle in his path, regardless of how impossible it might seem." James turned back towards the glass and walked away from them. "Ask anything of him, he'll prove himself time and time again."
Ironwood stopped paying attention to them as they started to beg Ozpin to talk some sense into him. His mind was focused back on the memory of his first meeting with Jaune Arc. Back at the gates of Mantle, hearing his raspy breathing and seeing his determined gaze.
"Jaune arc." Ironwood breathed, his breath fogging up the glass, the exact same way his breath fogged against the cold Atlassian air.
"Ironwood." Jaune growled. Kneeling on one leg though it was involuntary. His body obviously at its utter limit, exhaustion taking its final toll on him as he struggled to even stay conscious. Beside him a wolf faunus was helping hold him up. Looking at the guards, their guns and weapons and the tin man himself, James Ironwood.
"I see you made a friend." He commented idly. Beside Ironwood were the Ace Operatives, a young girl in a green dress with red curled hair, as well as a woman very clearly a Schnee. She must be Weiss's older sister, Winter. "Take him to the infirmary and take her to the hospital, he will start classes after he has recovered." Ironwood turned on his heel to leave.
"Sir!" Winter protested, clearly she had hoped that her general would reconsider letting the Beacon reject join their academy.
"Amber is on my team!" Jaune roared. "She's joining my team."
Ironwood stopped walking and looked over his shoulder at the now standing Arc.
The world faded away except for Ironwood and Jaune. The snow crunched under Ironwood's boot as he turned on his heel. Looking over at Clover, the leader of his most elite team. Then back to the boy, still not even in Mantle yet. "Quite the request Mr. Arc. You're lucky to be here, let alone bringing a wild girl from the wastes with you. I will give you a chance though." Ironwood spoke with a deathly tone. "If you can fight Clover, right here, right now, I'll let you both join, but if you lose I won't take either of you."
"Sir?" Clover asked, a little shocked by the cruelty of the task ahead of the boy. He clearly hadn't eaten properly in a few days, early stages of frostbite biting into his skin, injuries not properly bandaged. Clover would feel bad even fighting a grimm in this state. Let alone a boy who hadn't even started his hunter training.
"Is there a problem, soldier?" Ironwood's tone was final.
"N-no sir."
"Good."
Jaune readied himself, steeling any reservations he still had, the wolf girl trying her best to hold him back, obviously not wanting the Arc boy to hurt himself more than he already had.
"Jaune it's fine, I can go back, really." Her voice betrayed she didn't want to, that she wanted more than anything to stay with him.
"This isn't just for you, I want you with me, you fought every step beside me to get here. I'm not abandoning you now." He took a step forward, only stumbling a little. His eyes turning to stare daggers at Clover. Clover who hated to do this but knew that if he held back it would be an insult to both the boy in front of him and his general, ready to end this quickly.
Jaune got his sword ready, when he found he couldn't raise his shield he dropped it on the snow, gripping the sword with both hands. Clover didn't even bother to bring his weapon out. Everyone watched, no one made a sound. There was no grand music, no epic score, no heroic march as Jaune charged the leader of the ace ops. He swung wild and missed horribly as the superior hunter dodged his strike. Stepping to the side with ease.
Another, miss.
Wide arcing swings that couldn't connect with anything besides the ground. Clover's fist didn't miss though, just as Jaune swung widely past him, knuckles connected with skull and Jaune lost his footing, sliding hard against the icy pavement.
"Jaune!" Amber called out, watching Jaune steady himself as he rose again.
"Come on, kid, stay down." Clover sounded almost sad, like he didn't want to be doing this to a kid who had so much heart. Jaune charged again, his swings were slower and Clover didn't even bother hitting him this time, just pushing Jaune back, holding onto the handle of his blade and tossing the kid's sword way out of reach. "It's over."
Jaune brought his fists up in a boxer's stance, even if it was sloppy and he couldn't actually protect his face with them. He swung wild, a haymaker that would have never hit, not in a million years.
But Clover felt something, felt a surge of aura enter him, felt powerful for only but a moment until he realized that he was actually projecting aura now. His semblance which until this moment he had only felt as a passive effect was working all around him, he looked only a little shocked, startled. His heel slipped on a patch of ice, he started to fall back, no balance, no traction. Jaune's fist connected with his chest, honestly if Jaune had of hit his intended target, the man's jaw, he might have done more than just simply knocked the man back a step or two. Clover was genuinely impressed even if the punch was really nothing to be impressed about.
Unfortunately for Jaune the operative's reflexes were too well ingrained, his left hand came up and closed the blonde boy's mouth shut with the palm of his hand, an uppercut that wouldn't do any damage but did serve in knocking the Arc out cold. Clover stood there still a little rattled.
"Your semblance, stole mine?" He paused. "No it… powered mine up?" He was confused about how it worked but somehow Jaune had benefited from the ace operative's semblance without even realizing it.
Ironwood let a little sigh. "Good job, Soldier, I know that wasn't easy." He nodded and patted Clover on the shoulder when he rejoined his general. "Alright, take Mr. Arc away, the faunus too." Ironwood turned to see some movement at Jaune's limp body before he was even done giving the order. Seeing this girl, Amber, posed protectively over her friend's sleeping form, growling and keeping the soldiers away from him. "Girl, move."
When Amber didn't, Ironwood started to walk towards her, unholstering his gun and leveling it plainly between the wild woman's eyes. Amber didn't even flinch.
"Sir!" Clover stepped forward and put his hand on Ironwood's arm. "That's too far."
"You'd risk your life for someone you just met?" Ironwood asked the fanus girl. "You can leave now, if you don't I'll make sure you end up in a cell… if you survive." Everyone was deathly silent, no one knew what had gotten into their general, even Winter looked a little worried. She didn't move.
The trigger tensed.
The gun lowered, everyone collectively let out a ragged breath they'd held in. "Take both of them to the school, I want them ready for orientation bright and early tomorrow."
"Both, sir?" Winter asked.
"Both." He assured her. "I didn't say he needed to win, only to fight, and tell me Clover, he traded blows with you, that constitutes a fight doesn't it?"
"He did sir." Clover had a stupid smile on his face, knowing his commander had this all planned out, just glad luck seemed to be on the kids side for this one.
"Congratulate Mr Arc when he wakes up, will you girl?" Ironwood stopped, looked back over his shoulder. "Amber." He corrected himself. "And welcome to Atlas Academy."
______
Jaune woke up to the sounds of a beeping heart monitor, faint voices and what sounded like robotic feet moving across grated floors. Something heavy was perched on his chest, maybe some weighted blanket? He tried to move but whatever was on top of him fidgeted and kept him pressed down.
"It's a medical mystery honestly, I've never seen aura heal wounds so severe." A gruff man's voice wurred like a machine, his voice traveling with the robotic legs.
"His injuries were that bad?" Clover, the memory of jaunes pathetic fight with him came rushing back. "I saw him standing up and walking."
"And I'm telling you that's impossible, the man you brought it was mostly flayed and burned skin, his aura was the only thing holding him together." There was a small haggard sigh from Clover before the deeper voiced man continued. "See? I did an x-ray when he first came in. Then… here's five hours later. I'd love to study the healing properties of his aura. It's beyond anything we've seen before."
"Both of his arms reset in five hours?" Clover's voice was a little reverent, then full on aghast horror "he punched me with two broken arms?"
The two men continued talking while jaunes eyes started to refocus. Gaze shifting down to look at whatever was on top of him. Two pointed wolf ears twitching against his breath, Amber only just waking up now, looking at him with her nose touching his. "Mooorning~" she yawned.
Jaune's face turned a bright shade of crimson. "A-amber?!" His voice a more surprised high pitched yelp. Both clover and this new dark skinned man Ina robotic wheelchair rushed in to see Amber quite literally holding onto Jaune like she was a vest, nuzzling her nose into his neck with a sleepy affection. "Ah! Th-that tickles!" Her ears brushing against his nose.
Clover just leaned against the doorframe and watched the jaune try to get Amber's thick wolf fur out of his mouth. "How're you feeling, soldier?"
Both Amber and Jaune looked over at him, Amber pushing herself off her friend making the scene look far more sexual than it evidently was. A cool breeze hitting Jaune hard, realizing the wolf girl was just keeping him warm, or using him to keep warm, the reason not entirely clear at the start. "Sore." He finally groaned.
"Not dead?"
"Not dead." Jaune agreed.
"Good then we're ready for orientation, if you can walk meet me out front if you can't we have crutches or a wheelchair in the waiting room." Clovers smile didn't betray the cruelty of his statement in the slightest. Jaune still felt like he'd just finished running a marathon and they wanted him up at Atlas already?
"We're going up already?!' the ever energetic and excitable Amber looked at clover with stars in her eyes. "Can I fly the ship? Canicnaicnaicnai?"
Clover stated at her for a short moment and decided against answering that, focusing more on Jaune. "Ironwood wants to meet you at the on site gymnasium. Best not to keep the general waiting."
Jaune watched what he assumed would be his new professor walk out, past rows of sanitation drapes, the door closing behind him. It was real. It was really real.
"So is that a yes?!" Amber called out after him. "Ima take that as a solid perhaps and casually bring it up while we're on the ship."
"Have you ever flown before?" The deeper voice man asked.
"Nah but it's probably no different than flying on the back of a nevermore." Amber shrugged.
"A never… you're kidding. Right?"
Amber looked at him for a long minute. "Is that like… weird?"
Jaune couldn't hold back his fit of giggles, sitting up finally and snaking out from under the wolf above him. He was wearing his clothes minute shoes and jacket but noticed that his shirt had a good many holes in it even if the only making user the torn fabric were vaguely red scar tissue. He was amazed at how easily he was able to move. Was his aura really that strong? Obviously it was but it just felt so unreal, so super human.
"We did get some other clothes for you, sorry if they don't fit, I only have a little girl and haven't been a young boy in a very long time." The man put a folded bundle of clothes on the bed bear Amber. "Pedro, by the way, it's a pleasure to meet the great Jaune Arc. Amber and Clover speak highly of you."
"He's alright." Amber commented, taking jaunes clothes and looking them over herself while jaunes stripped right there, clearly neither he nor Amber were very shy about their bodies at this point, having spent the better part of two weeks traveling in the frozen tundra of Argos and atlas together.
She looked at the white, blue and gold pressed dress shirt and dress best that went over. "You can hardly move in this!" She scoffed.
"It's meant to look good, not be functional." Jaune laughed, taking the button up shirt and doing as the name entailed with it.
"It's pretty great at one of those things. She tossed the jacket over her shoulder taking the belt in her padded fingers and looking it over, seemingly pleased she started to hand him each article of clothing after she had the proper time to inspect it and sate her curiosity. "Okay well it doesn't look too bad."
Jaune was wearing black dress pants, a silver and gold dress vest with the same atlas colours as his shirt pressed hot inlaid the crest over his heart. It felt so weird to be wearing atlas colours, it looked so… proper. He was a country hic, he'd been living like a bum for weeks, even longer than before he met Amber, now suddenly he was meeting with the general and headmaster of Atlas military? It was a harsh, sudden shift that felt so unreal.
Amber on the other hand was wearing a old, very old grown man's button up, some jeans she'd cut off to be shorts somehow the cold never seemed to bother her, anyway, she clung onto the sweatshirt jaune had giver her, the one with the bunny design on the front, it was torn open making it less like a hoodie and more like a jacket but for all it's ruined glory Amber wasn't taking it off for the life of her.
The two of them made a very strange pair.
The streets of mantle had Amber reeling, "I've never seen buildings this big! A floating island in the sky!" Her voice carried in the streets, people looking at her but none scowling or spiteful, the people of mantle seemed overall a fairly happy lot. Even if it wasn't the most wealthy of places. Clover was waiting for them outside, a bundle of apples in his hands, giving one to either of the two new recruits. "What's this? Some root?"
"It's an apple?" Clover raised an eyebrow, shifting on his heel to walk backwards, just narrowly avoiding five or six people, slipping past them without even realizing how closely he had almost hit them. "The fruit."
Amber got a dismissively defensive look on her feature. "Pfft yeah, I knew that, I was just.. uh testing you. Yeah, you passed." She chuckled nervously and leaned in to elbow jaune "think I fooled him, nailed it."
"You're a master of deception." Jaune assured her with a healthy heaping of sarcasm.
"Jaune one day I'll teach you everything I know, my young apprentice." She pat him on the back, looking way too proud with herself.
"Heads up you two, lift is just up ahead, we're going to try and not make a scene, that means you Amber." Clover pointedly interrupted her before she could ask to fly the plane again.
"I'm gonna fly that plane." She informed Jaune, like it was a sly little fact they could be privy to.
"Why does the general want to see us?" Jaune asked him, stepping into the seating area and helping Amber strap into place, the girl far too curious about the inner workings and buttons, accidently pushing in her child safety lock with a 'hugk!' a seat belt tightened up on her. "I'm not getting expelled before I start am I?"
Clover couldn't help but let a chuckle. "On the contrary, but you should really let the general fill you in on the details. For now enjoy the view."
And holy shit what a view it was, seeing the white castle of Atlas breach the sea of clouds, warm sun says danced across it's enon iron and pallid marble. The faint idea of snow clinging to rooftops as streaming tails of steam came off each ivory tower. Seven or eight huge towers that made up the forms and classrooms standing out amongst the rich mansion and lavish suburbs, malls theaters. A massive city floating over an already in its own right massive city, the two beautiful in their own right.
Jaune could feel Amber's hand clinging to his, both of them looking out at their new home. "Thank you." He finally said. " I never would have made it here without you."
"Nope, but I glad you stumbled into my grove, I already can't imagine life any other way." Her head leaned on his shoulder. "We're in this together now."
"Until the end." He assured her.
_________
Arriving at the academy was a strange feeling, people milling around much like Beacon, groups of four to eight talking, playing, laughing. Jaune always pictured it to be more rigid and orderly but he was surprised to find it looking exactly like what he just left. He saw all kinds of people, young adults to seasoned soldiers, teachers and students alike. He saw faunus, humans, men, women, every Creed and nationality he could think of.
Jaune must have worn his surprise on his face because clover just gave a little laugh. "Surprised?"
"Yeah.." jaune just said dumbly. "I wasn't expecting Atlas to have so many different people." He felt embarrassed saying it out loud but his impression of Atlas had never been the most welcoming.
"A few years ago and you might have been right, but the Grimm don't discriminate and warm bodies are better than cold ones." His voice was thoughtful, walking past a tall woman showing off a massive shield that was also a canon. "Ironwood changed the requirements for joining the academy, letting anyone, even if they were from Atlas, to enroll. Specifically he made sure to offer tutoring and catch up classes for anyone who didn't have past credits or an education that fit." He paused looking back at Amber who had stopped and stared at the large canon, shield "like Amber there. So even students who don't meet our requirements can, if they work hard enough to catch up, enroll."
Jaune realized that must be why he was asked to join, letting out a heavy sigh. Ironwood was taking anyone with a pulse.
That put a damper on things.
Pushing past the main doors Clover lead them through winding halls, past students and teachers already in classes. "The new semester will be starting next week but all of the students have already arrived and are moving in. So you should be meeting everyone today."
"So same as Beacon with teams of four right?"
"We get to make two new other friends??!" Amber asked excitedly "I hope there's another faunus, someone with wings!" Amber having already begun planning fun games she can play with her new made up bird companion.
"Yes, teams of four, two teams of two. But more than that the whole class acts as a unit, with a team leader that coordinates everyone, even if each team works independently, learning the chain of command is important and often teams will work together, so each team's leader reports to the captain." Clover explained, stopping at some registry and signing off on a clipboard.
" The same way we'd all report to you and you'd report to ironwood?" Jaune tried to understand.
"Exactly like that." Clover nodded and ruffled his hair. Jaune winced at the action. Amber just stared at it with big stars sparkling in her eyes, convinced she would want nothing more in her entire life than to have someone ruffle her hair.
Out of the corner of his eye jaune watched Amber try and scratch her own ears but clearly unsatisfied with the result. "Is it going to be as 'fun' as picking teams at Beacon?" Jaune asked with a shudder.
Clover just laughed. "I wouldn't worry about that, ironwood is much less 'fun' than ozpin, at least from what I've been told. But I should let the General tell you himself."
Clover pushed the last door open and ushered the strange pair into a large auditorium. There were about twenty, maybe thirty people his age milling about and chattering. All looking as new students just like him, unfortunately for some poor soul they were a winged bird faunus which immediately got Amber's attention and had them running off to make friends.
Amber would be fine, Jaune was more worried about the faunus.
"Mr. Arc." Jaune turned around to see Ironwood coming through the door behind him. Clover saluted his general, jaune looked over and realized he probably should too, he attempted it as best he could. "Arm up higher, soldier, heels together, toes apart." Jaune turned beer red and at the advice, looking down at his feet and doing as ironwood suggested. "You'll get the hang of it." He assured the younger boy.
"Sorry… sir?"
"Sir is a good start, follow me."
Leaving Clover, the older man sending him off with a wave, Jaune staggered after his new headmaster. "And where is Amber?"
"I think she's introducing herself." Jaune tried to find his companion but couldn't spot her in the crowd of students.
"And why weren't you?" Ironwood passed by the students who all took notice of him now, stopping their conversations to watch him.
And by extension Jaune. Who stopped dead in his tracks.
"Do try and keep up Mr. Arc." Ironwood called out to keep him walking. Moving around to the stage at the front of the auditorium, putting everyone's eye level at Jaunes knees, making them look up at him. He kept behind ironwood as he got to the stage.
Everyone was looking at the two of them, Jaune felt so naked in front of all their eyes. He felt out of place, why did Ironwood bring him up here?!
"Every day the Grimm get pushed back a little more." General ironwood started his speech. "We've pushed them from cities, roads, pushed them across continents, across oceans. Strays linger but for the average person Grimm are naught more than heard of on the news, conquests by valiant hunters."
The crowd was silent but there was an air of heroics and excitement amongst the soon to be hunters.
"A fairytale we tell the public." It shattered and everyone looked a lot less proud of themselves. "Every year we lose brave hunters and huntresses to these beasts, every yard of land is soaked in heroic blood. I will not nor will I ever lie to any of you. The Grimm are dangerous, monsters and you will risk your life with every encounter." He paused for dramatic effect. "If you want pretty lies, soft dreams of heroic battles and saving princesses." He paused again
"or princes." He added. "Then you can go to Beacon or Haven, there they will tell you that being a hunter is like being a rockstar, something fun you can do in your free time. Not here."
Everyone was deathly silent now.
"The life of hunters and huntresses is the most deadly profession in the world. But it is also the most rewarding." Everyone perked up at that, the mood almost instantly brightening. "Every child, every smile, every person who lives in a world without war, without violence, is because of you, because you stand between them and the darkness that wants nothing more than to see them dead. You are the blade that will strike down evil and the shield that protects those who cannot protect themselves."
"Today you start that journey, and by the time you are done you will be members of the Atlas military. Hunters and huntresses of Atlas. Out in the field though, you will only be able to trust yourself and the person next to you." Which was of course the perfect Segway. "I'm sure you're all wondering how we will decide the teams you will be training with for your time here."
He looked over his shoulder at Jaune at this point. "While in the field, your team leader will receive orders from a superior. To simulate this every class has a leader, someone who is picked to be in charge of every team, not just their own." Holding his hand out, Jaune thought for a moment he was pointing at someone behind him and looked over his shoulder. Then he realized Ironwood was pointing at him. "Your class's leader will be this man, Jaune Arc."
Everyone was a little stunned. It was clear no one had heard of him. Why should they?
"Whoop whoop! Fuckyeah!" Amber called out from the crowd, her fist rising into the air before someone shushed her.
Ironwood continued. "Mr. Arc will be taking the time to get to know all of you and decide teams accordingly. Additionally he has three spots open for his own team, of which he will be choosing the members himself." There was a murmur of confusion. "If you have any complaints you can bring them up with the disciplinary head, miss Winter Schnee."
There were no more complaints.
" I know this year will be a fine example of the best Atlas has to offer. Thank you." ironwood turned from the crowd and started to walk back the way he came.
"Alright everyone! Time to unpack, until teams are decided you will each have your own rooms. Follow me to the dorm!" Clover shouted, but Jaune was too busy running after Ironwood to be listening.
"Iron-sir.. general?" jaune managed to stop him right outside the door. "This must be some kind of mistake." He huffed, a little out of breath, his brain going a mile a minute.
"No mistake, solider."
"I-im not a leader, I shouldn't even be here!" Jaune argued, feeling the entire weight of the world on his shoulders all at once.
"Are you saying I have poor judgement then?'
"No-"
"Then understand I didn't give you a gift, Jaune. I gave you a terrible responsibility. You told me you would meet every requirement I set for you." There was a vague threat to that. Jaune found it unmistakable in his voice.
"O-of course sir."
"I have high expectations for you." Ironwood kept his stoic demeanor. Jaune looked down at his feet unable to meet his gaze. He felt torn between knowing he wasn't up to the challenge but also couldn't say no, so much stress and anxiety building up in his gut, it was so overwhelming.
Jaune felt a hand on his shoulder, following to look at Ironwood's more sympathetic softer visage. "I believe in you, Mr. Arc. Welcome home."
Home..? Could this really be…
"Jaune!" Amber called after him, Jaune turning around to see her leaving with Clover.
With that Jaune had to turn back to Clover and leave to find his room so he could unpack. Unpack his single backpack, he had a long day ahead of him a long week… a long year now that he came to think of it.
______
The last of his day consisted of fishing out he was going to be sharing a four bunk two table room with no one, being ushered around by an upper class man and showed where all of the classrooms, buildings were. It was pretty boring honestly, nothing special.
Though he did get a wonderful meal at the lunchroom, it wasn't like the ramen and fish of Beacon, rice based dishes. All of the food here was based around root vegetables or imported fruits. Even wheat had to be shipped in from southern lands. So he had potatoes mostly, beats, carrots. Savoury meats, steak specifically with a side of thinly sliced carrots and potatoes lightly salted with basil and thyme. A nice sauce poured over that made his mouth water just thinking about it.
The sun was setting over the white horizon, watching it dip behind snow capped mountains through the window of his room. He realized he hadn't seen Amber since orientation and thought about maybe going and looking for her. Still his legs were exhausted. He laid back flat against the bed and let out a haggard sigh.
This was the first time he got to rest since he was kicked out.
The first time he's actually had a moment to himself.
Two weeks ago he was being called into Ozpin's office, now he was laying down as the leader of this entire class, able to decide his own team and responsible for every single student in his year.
Wow that came with a lot of anxiety.
He rolled over onto his side. It felt like an entire lifetime ago but it really had been only two weeks since he'd been forced to leave Beacon, looking at his team as Glynda Goodwitch escorted him back to the dorms to pack his things. He remembered how Pyrrha and Ren wouldn't meet his gaze. Nora looking around to see if anyone else was seeing him, but not stepping up to help him either.
He passed by what he thought were his friends, Velvet, Coco, Sun, Mercury. None of them even so much as looked up from their books. What hurt more than anything was seeing team RWBY walking towards him along the path and all of them parting, avoiding his eye contact. His first friend Ruby only giving him a worried, unsure glance. He supposed he couldn't blame any of them, they all knew he had lied, cheated, didn't deserve to be there.
Letting out a small soft sigh, Jaune tried to push the thoughts out of his head, his present was stressful enough without thinking of the past.
Tap, Tap, tap!
A knocking on the door got his attention. Having changed into a plain white shirt and checkered pajama pants. He got out of bed, padding across the room in his bare feet, everyone should be in bed by now, everyone having been told to adhere to a strict curfew until their teams had been decided at which time their team leader would be responsible for setting their sleep and training schedules. By extension that also meant Jaune giving time frames for each and every team. Having done the math it looked like there would be five teams including his to keep track of, which was… well that was a lot. He opened the door, just a little at first.
Through its tenuous creaking maw, Jaune could see Amber looking back at him, still wearing his jacket but the same white shirt and pajama pants as him. "Amber?" He asked, a little confused.
Amber just leaned against the door frame. "Hey I don't like my room, can I share yours?" She looked a little embarrassed to be asking, kicking her toe into the ground. "I can sleep on the floor or opposite side of the room?"
Jaune just smiled opening the door for her properly, he knew he could get in trouble for this, but figured that was a future Jaune problem. "You can take the bunk above me if you like." He offered, loving the way her face lit up when he let her stay.
"Slumber party!" She roared stepping into the room, then covering her mouth realizing she was being loud said in a much quieter whisper. "Slumber party!"
Getting back into his bunk Jaune couldn't help but smile, Amber always did a great job of making him feel better, always brought a sense of security to this wild ride. He was so lucky to have someone so important in his life, someone he could rely on so easily, even if they hadn't known each other that long.
He watched Amber get into her bunk, a little embarrassed to admit he took note of her bottom heavy fat jiggling ass bouncing as she tried to get into the bunk. Something he was aware of but hadn't had too much time to focus on. When Amber finally got into her bed, a loud grunt and a heavy thud of her finally laying down, Jaune heard her adjust and saw her head lean over the edge to hang upside down looking at him "Hey Jaune?"
"Yeah?"
"Looking at my butt?" There wasn't any judgement but like she was genuinely asking.
Jaune stared at her blankly before his face started to creep into a bright red tomato. "Wh-a?"
"My Semblance, you suddenly got all distracted and excited." When she spoke a sly little cocky grin spread across her face. "plus I saw you looking."
Jaune just tossed his pillow at her face, her batting it away even if the edge did smack her nose. "You're the worst" He laughed, rolling his eyes. He'd learned the ins and outs of Ambers' slembace, it was pretty easy to understand. She could feel the emotions of people nearby, even better if she was touching them, and she could change their mood or force an emotion onto them. She couldn't control someone but she could make someone upset or angry or happy just by touching them. Which was helpful but she also had to be feeling that emotion, so she couldn't make someone happy without being happy and touching someone who's sad makes it really hard to not feel sad herself. Almost all of her experience was working with Grimm so she really had no frame of reference for how powerful her Semblance really was. "You came in here just to tease me didn't you?"
"Well duh." She snickered, pulling her head back up and laying down now. "You're fun to tease, besides everyone else here is a buzzkill. I thought everyone was going to be fun like you." She let out a sigh that made her sound old and tired.
"Rough day in paradise?" Jaune asked a little listless, realizing that she probably also had her own anxieties, going from living in the woods to a military school was probably a big jump for her, he hadn't really even considered she might also be having a rough time adjusting. He wished he had a Semblance that let him read other people's emotions, let him understand people.
"Everyone is just rude." She huffed, and when jaune clearly waited for her to elaborate she rolled around above him. "Everyone was nice but I could just feel that they didn't want me around, I'd go up and say hi and everyone was annoyed with me." There was a tinge of sadness to her tone.
"Amber.." Jaune felt so lost, he'd never consoled someone before, his sisters, but they were easy, just give them some ice cream and they'd sort themselves out. "You just need to give them time, they'll like you once they get to know you."
"Yeah… maybe…" that didn't do the trick, she sounded even worse off. Jaune could feel her negative emotions ebbing through the bedding, feel her sadness creeping into him.
He couldn't help it, like a feedback effect he could only think of his own day, feeling like he was failing Amber by just being here, bringing her from her home and putting her in the place that didn't fit her at all, now she was miserable. Jaune felt like he wanted to cry, a shaky little breath escaping his lungs. It was the same thing as Beacon, he didn't belong, he was just hurting the people around him by staying.
Somewhere deep in his mind Jaune recognised that his own depressive thoughts were affecting Amber right now, which only made him even more sad. That of course feeding off her now ever more present sadness. Honestly this was the downside of Amber's Semblance, one of the things that kept her from living with people. Negative emotions were a tidal wave for her, that must be why she always tries to be so upbeat, always acts so happy even though Jaune had seen her leave their camp to go sit alone in the woods. She knows what her semblance can do, she knows if she lets negative thoughts into her head it just makes things worse for everyone else. Of course she was just bubbly by nature but Jaune could see sometimes that she'd get a vaguely negative emotion and just bottle it up.
There was a question with all of that though.
Raising his hand up so that she could see it peering into view from the edge of her bed, he waved his fingers beckoning her to reach out and take it. He felt her fingers coiling in around hers, he realized he was the one trembling and when she felt it her second hand came to wrap around his. "I-I'm sorry- My semblance… I can go-"
Jaune cut her off. "I'd rather you be sad with me, than by yourself. I-I… here let me help, if I can."
He knew that her semblance worked better with touch so he tried to focus on the palms of her hands, pushing past that dread and anxiety in his head. He thought about his mom, his family, dinners together. A small warmth growing in his gut he felt sad but it was a good sad, a longing for the warmth of home, remembering it fondly. It wasn't enough though, he could feel it tinged with sadness. He tried to think of something truly happy, playing video games, sword play, the first time he had pizza.
He could still feel the ebb of sadness from her. He tried to focus, his own aura glowing at the tips of his fingers he drew on his first time meeting her. Waking up after being battered by a beowulf, he thought he had come to her rescue but really she was the one who had ended up saving him. Again he had woken up with her laying on top of him, keeping him warm after she had bandaged his wounds, It had been a pretty bad storm and she had taken him into a cave, holding him tight and fighting off the drafty winds with her unnatural body heat.
How he had given her his jacket, how they had talked, gotten to know each other, how she agreed to take him to the next city because she liked talking to him. He thought of how wonderful and kind she was. Even now he dreaded the idea of losing her and held onto the feeling of being besides her. Jaune promised silently to make things work, to be the best friend she could ask for.
Crying, he heard crying. His own semblance faltered, dulling the waves of emotions washing over her. His hand tensed but she just gripped it harder. Moving above him he heard her get out of bed, getting onto the ground floor, still holding him tight, leaning over his bunk and looking at him with a bright wide smile and happy tears streaming down her face. "J-Jaune" She managed to cough out.
"Amber?" He asked a little worried.
She got on top of him, crawling into his bed and wrapping around him like a front backpack like she had so many nights before, cuddling against him and loving the heat coming off his form. "I haven't felt goodness, kindness, happiness in so long, you're so warm, so soft." Jaune didn't think the last one was a compliment but still couldn't help but feel the love ebbing from her like waves. "Jaune let me help you." She whispered, patting his hand, running her fingers through his hair. "I want to feel what you feel, happiness, sadness, everything. Give me all your feelings, I want to know you."
"I'm never going to leave you Jaune, we're in this together, you and me. If you're sad I'll carry your burdens, if you're happy I'll cheer right besides you." Her grip around his head pulled him off the pillow and pushed his face against the soft pillowy surface of her bust. A little feedback spike of arousal shocking both of them, even if she pushed it under the surface. "I could feel you were upset, I-I don't think I'll understand, but let me feel it, I want to know you."
"Amber… I.." He tried to keep the anxiety, fear, betrayal, sadness, from leaking through to her. "I'm here for you too!" Holding her tighter now, wrapping his fingers in her shirt and grabbing handfuls of it. "I'm going to make sure you have the best life I can give you, I'm going to make you smile every day no matter what, you'll never be lonely again I promise!"
Her fingers pulled on his hair, her own chest quivering, the two of them both on the verge of tears, love, comfort, trust, respect, every emotion between them just magnified a million times over with both their semblances working overtime. It didn't make them feel anything they weren't already experiencing, just made it clear, made them understand the person in a way that words could never fully express. Every promise followed by the reassured feeling that the person meant it with their whole heart.
Finally he let himself feel something besides the happiness she brought him, letting his hurt soak his flesh. Thinking of Pyrrha, how hurt he was that she had betrayed him, of course he knew it was her. Thinking of ruby turning her back on him, the smug look of Weiss who seemed overjoyed to be rid of him. A shaky breath left his mouth, Amber holding him just a little tighter.
The anxiety and pressures on him, how lonely he felt, knowing no one and somehow suddenly needing to lead them. Worry about letting down the only person who cares about him here, Amber.
It all came to the surface.
She made short sweet soft noises in his ear. "It's okay, you're here now, I believe in you. I'm here for you every step of the way." She assured him.
The gross ugly feelings passed, leaving him with the protected loving sense of the woman holding him. He really was lucky, he really was better off, So far Atlas was better than Beacon ever would be. He was safe here, loved, he had a future.
Most importantly he had Amber, and that was enough.
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