Capítulo 670: 13
Chapter 13:
Present day:
"Jaune...Jaune...Come on, Jaune. It's time to wake up."
Jaune grumbled and shifted, but the hand that gripped his shoulder shook him a bit more insistently. Finally, Jaune groaned and turned over to face his tormentor, who loomed over the bed like a black-garbed specter. "What time is it?" he asked.
"Five-thirty," replied Ruby softly.
"Why are you waking me up at such a terrible time?" asked Jaune.
"We're gonna start your training," replied Ruby,
"Wha-why now?" asked Jaune.
"You need all the extra time you can get," Ruby replied. "I don't want to start an argument, and wake up Weiss and Pyrrha. If you really don't want to, I won't make you. But you won't get any stronger if you don't work."
Jaune blinked...then sighed and stared upwards. "All right. I'll get up."
"Thanks, Jaune," said Ruby. "Get dressed in something light."
It took Jaune a few minutes to get ready. Having seven siblings, and being the only boy among them, Jaune knew full well how to make efficient use of the bathroom. He didn't bother with a shower at the moment, as Ruby had basically promised him a workout, figuring he'd grab a quick one before breakfast. But he brushed his teeth and washed his face at least. A minute later, having donned a t-shirt and some sweatpants, he joined Ruby in the hallway outside their new dorm room. Ruby was dressed in her usual outfit, sans the armor on her shoulders and hips, as well as her cloak, which Jaune assumed was still waiting to be mended.
Ruby led them down a hallway, across a courtyard, and into the building that housed Beacon's athletic facilities. In here, there was virtually anything one might expect to find in your average gym, from weight sets, to a running track, to agility equipment. Of course, it was all top-of-the-line, including a few things that you wouldn't find in your average gym. For example, the weights were equipped with gravity Dust, enabling the actual weight to be adjusted with a turn of the dial, while other forms of equipment featured high-grade holographic projectors or advanced diagnostic scanners to monitor the progress of the person using them.
A lot of the technologies being used were things that Ruby had never encountered before. Fortunately, for her purposes, everything but the most advanced features of the training center were things she could figure out easily enough. The more complex features she'd take the time to learn about later, determining whether or not they would serve her and Jaune's purposes. For now, sticking to the basics was good enough.
"So we're just working out?" asked Jaune.
"Pretty much," said Ruby. "That's for a start. You need to build up your strength and your stamina. I won't lie, Jaune. You need to work on that...a lot."
Jaune grimaced at the frank assessment of his condition, though he couldn't exactly argue. The pace Ruby had set through the Emerald Forest as they made their way to the temple couldn't have been called blistering, but it had worn Jaune out all the same, while Ruby had barely broken a sweat, even while killing several Beowolves along the way. While Jaune hadn't been as worn out at the end of their fight with the Orochi, he knew it was by virtue of the fact that Ruby had done the heavy lifting, when it came to disposing of the beast.
Ruby fixed him with a sober look. "Look, Jaune, I guess I can't sugarcoat it any. The fact of the matter is...you're weak." Seeing Jaune wince, she sighed. "The training you're doing now, everyone else at Beacon has already been doing for years before they came here. I know your family wouldn't let you do any of that, but it doesn't change the fact that you're behind everyone else. You need to accept that and move forward from there. It's gonna be hard...really hard."
"How so?" asked Jaune.
"Because, if you want to catch up, we can't afford to waste a single minute," said Ruby. "Every free period, every extra bit of time before, after, and between classes, you're going to have to work. You're going to go to bed exhausted, feeling like you've been run over by a truck, with the knowledge that you're going to have to get up and do it all over again the next day."
Jaune swallowed, not exactly liking the picture Ruby was painting for him.
"There will be time for rest," Ruby promised. "You'll get Sundays off, but we'll be working extra hard on Saturday. And all of that is on top of homework, projects, and missions."
Jaune groaned. "Doesn't Beacon have, like...I don't know...Phys-Ed classes or something?"
Ruby shook her head. "Most students get all of that in Combat School. The closest we're going to have to that kind of class is Combat Class with Professor Goodwitch. I don't think getting creamed in the sparring ring every few days is going to really count as a proper workout."
"Thanks," grumbled Jaune, for all that he couldn't really argue that he probably really would get his butt handed to him by just about any other member of their class.
"Jaune..." said Ruby, coming closer and resting her hand against his chest. "I know this is hard. It's going to suck, especially at first. You're going to feel like you're doing a lot of work for almost no gain. But that's just how it is. If you really want to be a Huntsman, you have to fight for it. You have to commit to it. Do you want to be a Huntsman, Jaune?"
"Yes," said Jaune firmly.
"Then let's get started," said Ruby, giving him her warmest, most encouraging smile.
The next two hours were devoted to the most intensive workout Jaune had ever experienced. They started with a run that seemed to last forever. Then they stretched. Then Ruby walked Jaune through several physical exercises to build up his strength. Then came another run. Finally, after a cool-down walk, Jaune all but collapsed on a bench as Ruby stood next to him.
"We're...going...to do that...every...day?" he managed to force out between heaving gasps.
Ruby nodded gravely. "It's going to get more intense too. You'll have to run faster and longer. You'll have to do more of each exercise. You'll have to lift heavier weights. And this is just our morning workout."
"Glory..." groaned Jaune.
"Cheer up," said Ruby. "This is the boring physical fitness stuff. You can only do so much for so long before your body starts to break down, so you'll only really do this once a day."
"What comes after that," said Jaune.
"In the evenings, I'm going to teach you how to use your Aura," said Ruby. "In our free periods, we'll work on your technique training." She hesitated. "I'm...not going to be as much help there."
"Why not?" asked Jaune.
"Your sword is different from mine," said Ruby. "And I've never used a shield before. So I could only really give you advice on the basics of how to swing your sword. I'll try and study up, but..."
"Uh...Maybe I should just ask Pyrrha," suggested Jaune. Seeing Ruby suddenly wilt at the suggestion, he felt the need to explain it. "She uses a sword and shield too, so she probably knows how to help me figure out how to use mine."
The elaboration certainly mollified Ruby, and her manner quickly brightened up. "That's true," she admitted. Then she faltered. "But...Pyrrha will want to know why."
Ruby may not have known her other teammates well, yet. But if she understood one thing about Pyrrha, besides the fact she was famous for some reason, it was that Pyrrha was a seasoned fighter. What little Ruby had seen of Pyrrha's skills during the initiation indicated a refined style, built from experience and extensive practice, someone who'd worked hard to learn to wield her weapons as natural extensions of herself. Even if she wasn't as educated in the nuances of Aura as Ruby was, there was no doubt that Pyrrha's situational awareness was a step above most of their other peers. She was a top-tier fighter, without a doubt.
And, of course, such a skilled and experienced fighter wouldn't take long to realize that Jaune had virtually no skill or experience whatsoever. That would lead Pyrrha to asking questions, which could lead to her learning the truth about Jaune. How Pyrrha would respond to said truth was a complete unknown. For all that she was unfalteringly friendly and polite, Ruby felt she didn't yet know Pyrrha well enough to really anticipate how she'd respond to learning about Jaune's secret.
The one thing she did know, beyond a shadow of the doubt, was that there was no way they could risk letting Weiss find out about this. Ruby didn't doubt for a second that the knowledge that Jaune was completely untrained and untested would probably send the heiress through the roof. Weiss was already, if subtly, upset that Ruby had been named the leader of their team instead of her. It was unwise to give her another reason to resent her teammates...not to mention that Weiss would probably go straight to Ozpin, if she learned the truth about Jaune's forged transcripts.
"Y-yeah, that could be a problem," admitted Jaune.
Ruby frowned pensively. "Let's...sit on that for a bit. I can at least walk you through the basics of how to handle a sword."
"That works for me," said Jaune with a relieved grin.
"Let's head back," said Ruby. "We need to get cleaned up before we go to breakfast. It's going to be an easy day today."
Jaune nodded and followed Ruby back.
Pyrrha was already up when they arrived, but Weiss was still sound asleep. Pyrrha seemed content to accept their explanation as to where they'd been, seeing as Jaune and Ruby didn't lie about going to work out. Beacon's fitness center was there to be used, after all. In fact, Pyrrha indicated that she planned on working out in the mornings as well. The revelation made Ruby a little nervous, worrying that Pyrrha would see all too easily how untrained Jaune currently was. But attempting to dissuade Pyrrha was out of the question, as that would arouse her suspicions for sure.
Jaune took the first shower, washing quickly and changing into his usual outfit. If there was one thing he noticed, it was that most students seemed to consider their combat outfits to be casual-wear. He supposed that made sense. It was a lot harder to fight in a getup you weren't comfortable wearing.
When he emerged, Ruby went in next. By this point, Weiss was actually awake, though looking rather out of it. Jaune had to admit that Weiss' "just woken up" face was was rather cute, though he wisely decided to keep that tidbit to himself.
Ruby emerged, now wearing her armor atop her usual outfit, along with her red cloak, which Jaune and Pyrrha were surprised to see appeared to be in pristine condition. Apparently, Ruby had not been lying when she'd said it would be an "easy fix."
Once Ruby was done, it was Weiss' turn, Pyrrha having already taken care of her morning routine. Weiss took longer than the three of them put together, by Jaune's estimation, emerging from the bathroom in pristine condition, with not a hair out of place.
"Right, let's get breakfast," declared Ruby eagerly, leading the way to the dining hall, with the rest of them following suit, Weiss silently fuming all the way.
Following the morning meal, the rest of their day was taking care of the minutia that involved formally integrating into Beacon's student body, the kind of thing that had to wait until after the Initiation was completed, and it was assured that they would be integrating into Beacon's student body. First, they found themselves sitting for a lecture by the ever-stern Professor Goodwitch, informing them on the official rules and regulations governing their time at school: when and where they were expected to be in uniform, the occasions where combat was permitted, rules governing the carrying and use of weapons, and various other odds and ends. Much of it was forced out of their heads at the same rate it was crammed in. Only Weiss appeared to retain all that they were told, and mostly because she was taking copious notes throughout the whole lecture.
Afterwards, they were sent to the school store, where they were fitted and set up with uniforms, as well as issued their textbooks and other classroom necessities. It was a whirlwind experience that seemed to last longer than it should have.
After that, they returned to their dorm room, where they spent the remainder of the afternoon setting up their room. Ruby had next to nothing in terms of luggage, and was content to let the other three take care of the decorating. The only thing she needed was a rack for her sword, which she anchored to the wall by her bed. Weiss had brought the majority of the decor...and the majority of everything, in fact.
Still, things went rather well, the only point of contention being when Weiss wanted to set up a curtain around Jaune's bed to isolate him from the rest of the team, and "stop him from trying to peep," as Weiss had put it. However, her plan was swiftly vetoed. Still, by the time they finished, their stomachs were growling and they were ready for dinner.
"Wow! What a day," sighed Jaune, slumping onto the bench in the dining hall. "It makes me worried about what our classes are going to be like."
"I'm sure it will be fine," said Pyrrha. "It's only natural that things are going to be hectic. They need to process all us first-years so that we're ready for the term."
"At least it's over," said Ruby with a groan.
As she sat, she felt eyes drifting their way again. It seemed that Pyrrha's presence drew people's attention to her like a magnet. Sensing a set of eyes on herself in particular, Ruby glanced over to see Yang, sitting with her own team, staring at her, while making a poor attempt to be subtle about it. Ruby huffed softly, and forced herself to ignore her sister's gaze.
She tried to keep her attention on her own teammates. At the moment, that consisted of listening to Weiss as she prattled on to Pyrrha about paired study-sessions. Pyrrha had affixed a polite smile on her face, but it was clear that she wasn't comfortable with Weiss' efforts to ingratiate herself with her.
Then, to her surprise, Jaune interjected. "Hey, Pyrrha," he said.
"Yes?" asked Pyrrha, sounding almost a little too eager to talk and listen to someone else for a change, though Weiss appeared to miss it, looking as though Jaune had personally insulted her by interjecting himself into the conversation.
"Listen," said Jaune, a little nervous, "I was wondering...if I could get your help with something."
"What is it?" asked Pyrrha.
"Well, I don't feel that I'm really up to par with my weapons yet," explained Jaune. "Would you be willing to work with me during our free periods? I could really use some pointers."
Despite herself, Ruby smiled at Jaune's willingness to take the initiative. Her earlier reservations, regarding what Pyrrha would make of Jaune's current state, remained. But she supposed it was the right choice, as Pyrrha was probably the person best suited to coaching Jaune in the use of his particular weapons.
Weiss clearly did not agree.
"Please!" scoffed Weiss dismissively, before Pyrrha could even open her mouth. "Pyrrha has better things to do with her time than play coach for the likes of you."
"Huh? Why?" asked Jaune, giving Weiss a confused look, while Pyrrha's expression became much more brittle and faked.
"Yeah, it seems like a good idea," Ruby chimed in, earning a grateful look from Pyrrha and Jaune.
Weiss blinked and stared at Jaune, evidently confused by his...confusion. "Don't you know who she is?" she demanded, looking between Ruby and Jaune.
"Of course we do," said Jaune as he shared a look with Ruby.
Weiss looked at them expectantly.
"She's Pyrrha," the pair said in unison.
Pyrrha actually snorted and giggled at that, while Weiss was absolutely gobsmacked.
"Wha-what?" stammered the heiress. "You mean...you don't know?"
"Well, I guess she's kinda famous," admitted Ruby.
"'Kinda!?'" blurted Weiss, aghast.
"She is?" asked Jaune, giving Ruby a confused look.
"Well, yeah," said Ruby. "People stare at her a lot."
"Huh," said Jaune, blinking. "I thought they were staring because we took down that really big Grimm."
"I don't think anyone but the professors saw that," Ruby whispered to him. "They're definitely looking at Pyrrha."
"Oh," said Jaune, slumping a little.
"You honestly can't be telling me that you don't know who Pyrrha Nikos is!" exclaimed Weiss, waving her arms frantically.
"Uh...We just said she's Pyrrha," said Ruby.
"That's not what I mean!" snapped Weiss. "She's the four-time winner of the Mistral Regional Tournament."
"Oh..." said Ruby, blinking. She looked at Jaune and saw that that meant nothing to him either.
Pyrrha's smile was nowhere to be seen now as Weiss continued to rant. "She's a total celebrity. She has sponsorships, endorsements, merchandise...!"
"Uh...still not ringing any bells," said Jaune.
"She's on the box of Pumpkin Pete's Marshmallow Flakes!" shouted Weiss, jumping into a standing position in her vigor.
"Oh!" gasped Jaune, finally seeming to actually remember something. "That's where I saw you before!"
"You didn't notice?" asked Pyrrha, slightly surprised.
"Well, I thought you looked familiar," said Jaune cheerfully. "But I just thought you had one of those faces, you know."
Pyrrha actually giggled at that, while Weiss looked as though Jaune had personally insulted her...again.
"They only do that for big-name athletes, right?" asked Jaune.
"That's right," said Pyrrha, looking a bit nervous. "But the cereal isn't actually all that good for you."
"I guess I get it," said Ruby.
"You mean not even that rings a bell, you dunce?" asked Weiss.
"I haven't had cereal in a while," said Ruby. "It's mostly just what I can catch and forage, unless I'm passing through a settlement, but I don't usually eat cereal there either."
That appeared to surprise everyone at the table. "Wait! Where were you before you were in Vale?" asked Pyrrha.
"I was kinda working my way south across Sanus," said Ruby. "I wanted to visit Vale, 'cause I was originally from around here. But I didn't expect to get invited into Beacon so early."
"You were invited?" asked Weiss.
"She stopped a Dust-robbery," said Pyrrha.
"Really!?" exclaimed Jaune, staring wide-eyed at Ruby, who blushed and lowered her head.
"It's not that big a deal," she demurred.
"You caught one of the most notorious criminals in the Kingdom," replied Pyrrha, looking glad to have a reason to shift the conversation way from herself. "That sounds like a worthy achievement to me."
"Wait! You're the one who caught Torchwick?" asked Weiss, gaping at Ruby.
"Yeah," said Ruby, her voice practically a shy whisper.
Weiss settled back, unsure of how to process that. Instead, she decided to fixate on something else. "In other words, you got lucky, but you were basically nothing more than a vagabond before."
"I was training," said Ruby. "I was testing my survival skills and fighting Grimm in the wilderness."
"I can't believe you'd waste time on such a...primitive...form of training," said Weiss, tilting her nose up. "Huntsmen and Huntresses should hold themselves to a higher standard."
"Uh...How?" Ruby wanted to know.
"W-well...You should be more civilized for a start," said Weiss.
"What does that even mean?" Ruby wanted to know.
Weiss leaned back, clearly happy to explain her views to the uninformed. "Huntsmen and Huntresses represent the paragons of humanity. We are a beacon in the darkness. Traipsing through the wilderness, like some shiftless vagrant, is beneath us."
"This is about the lying on the grass thing again, isn't it?" asked Ruby, frowning.
"It's more than that!" protested Weiss.
"Uh...When we're on mission, where do you think we're gonna sleep?" asked Ruby. "'Cause, unless you're only going to accept missions within walking distance of a four-star hotel, I don't think we're going to have any choice but to rough it."
"Tha-that's beside the point," stammered Weiss. She took a breath and frowned at them and then leaned forward, staring at Ruby. "Listen here," she growled. "I don't know what incomprehensible reason Professor Ozpin had to make you leader of this team, but I think it's obvious who should really be in charge here. So you're going to listen to me. Isn't that right, Pyrrha?"
Ruby glanced at Pyrrha and was shocked to see that the redhead almost looked physically ill, almost as though she were ready to throw up. Her skin had paled considerably and her fingers gripped the edges of the table so hard that her knuckles had turned white. She was staring down at her food, looking as though she couldn't stomach the thought of eating anymore. Finally, she grimaced.
"No," she said firmly, looking as though saying that word was physically painful.
"What?" gasped Weiss.
Pyrrha took a deep breath and forced herself to let go of the table before turning to look at Weiss. "I said no, Weiss," she said, sounding firmer and more sure of herself. "Professor Ozpin made Ruby the leader of our team, and you have to accept that."
"You can't be serious," gasped Weiss. "You really think we can succeed, following the orders of this...this...dunce?"
"I think so," said Pyrrha, flashing a smile at Ruby, for all that the expression seemed to be fighting its way through the storm of whatever strange emotions were swirling through her at the moment. "Besides, Ruby was the one who figured out how to defeat that Grimm, yesterday. I certainly don't have a problem following her lead."
It seemed the more Pyrrha spoke, the easier it became for her.
"It's not right!" exclaimed Weiss. "This brat doesn't deserve to be leader, just because she showed off some flashy moves. Either of us would have been a better choice. I've studied and trained to the highest standards, under the best teachers, to prepare for the day I came here. And I won't let it be undermined by some little girl that got in because of some...some...fluke!"
She whirled on Pyrrha. "It's an insult to both of us. You're a world-class champion, Mistral's Invincible Girl. Think of what this is going to do to your reputation!"
"I..." Pyrrha once again looked like she was going to be ill. "I..." She shuddered. "I need to go." She forced herself away from the table, nearly knocking Weiss over when she suddenly pushed the bench back. Pyrrha quickly rushed out of the dining hall, people's gazes following her the entire way.
Weiss stared after Pyrrha for a moment, before whirling around to glare at Ruby and Jaune. "Now look at what you've done!" she snapped.
"It's more like what you've done," Ruby retorted.
"Listen here, brat," growled Weiss, leaning over the table at her. "You can pretend all you want, but you'll never be the leader of this team unless I accept you...and I don't. As far as I'm concerned, Ozpin made a mistake."
With that, Weiss stood up from the table and marched out of the room as well.
"Well...as first days go...that could have gone better," said Jaune weakly. "I know you warned me about her, but I didn't think it was this bad."
"I didn't either," said Ruby with a sigh, lowering her head into her hands.
"If it's any consolation, and I know it doesn't mean a lot, coming from a dumb weakling like me, but I'm glad you're our leader, Ruby." Jaune gave her shoulder a reassuring squeeze. "You can bet I'll follow you to Hell and back."
"Thanks, Jaune," said Ruby, giving him a warm smile.
"Still...this is gonna be touch and go," said Jaune, looking after Weiss.
"Still wanna try to woo her?" teased Ruby.
"Uh...I think I'll hold off on that," said Jaune with a sheepish grin. "Something tells me I won't survive the attempt."
"You're probably right about that," agreed Ruby with a giggle. Then she frowned. "I'm a little worried about Pyrrha, though."
"Yeah," agreed Jaune. "It really looked like she was having a hard time there." He chuckled and rubbed the back of his head. "I feel kinda like an idiot for not realizing who she was though."
"Really?" asked Ruby. "I think Pyrrha liked that."
"She did?" Jaune blinked in surprise.
Ruby nodded. "She's famous, but I don't think she likes it. I know I wouldn't. Imagine people staring at you like that, all the time."
"Yeah...that would get hard after a while," conceded Jaune, finding that the idea made him feel almost physically ill.
Ruby finished her food and extricated herself from the bench. "I'm gonna head back. Remember, we've still got your Aura-training in a little bit, so don't wait too long."
"Sure thing," replied Jaune.
Ruby set off out of the hall, not noticing that her sister's eyes were no longer on her. Instead, Yang's gaze was focused intently on Jaune as he began the process of finishing his meal.
Pyrrha wasn't in their dorm room, but Weiss was, to her and Ruby's mutual consternation. Ruby quickly stepped back out and into the hallway, frowning and wondering just where Pyrrha might be. Then she had an idea.
Closing her eyes, Ruby took a deep breath and allowed her Aura to bloom outwards, spreading and stretching to cover a wide area. This was Extension, and advanced form of Projection. It wasn't based around the use of force, but was instead extending her Aura over a wider area to sense her surroundings, almost like a kind of radar. When Ruby was fully concentrating, she could extend her Aura several-dozen meters. Masters, like Sasame and Kyo, could keep their Extension active without sacrificing their Tempering around their bodies, a skill Ruby had managed to get the hang of, but was still refining. Sometimes, it was better to give up protection and trust her senses.
By concentrating, she was able to cover nearly the entire area of the dorms. She felt dozens of people, different Auras all around her. It was confusing, but Ruby fixated on the one she was looking for. Fortunately, she found Pyrrha within her range.
Pyrrha was up on top of a small section of the roof accessible through a stairway down the hall from the dorm common room. It took Ruby a little bit to find the way up. However, after searching, she found the stairway and emerged onto a flat section of concrete, overlooking the courtyard outside their dorms. It was flat and broad, with no obstructions. We might be able to do some training up here, thought Ruby, looking around.
Pyrrha was seated at the very edge of the roof, more than close enough for Ruby to feel nervous. She was hunched over, hugging her knees to her chest.
"Pyrrha?"
Pyrrha flinched as Ruby called her name. Her movements shaky, Pyrrha slowly turned her head to look at Ruby, her emerald eyes glimmering.
"Pyrrha, are you okay?" pressed Ruby.
Pyrrha scrunched her face, making an obvious effort to muster the sunny smile that she favored Ruby with a second later. "Of course. I'm fine."
"Pyrrha," said Ruby, her tone a bit more stern now, "you don't have to pretend; not with me, and not with Jaune. What's wrong?"
Pyrrha slowly stood up and turned to face Ruby. As she approached, Ruby could see the tears Pyrrha was fighting to hold back. Walking up to her, Ruby slowly raised a hand to her shoulder. She felt Pyrrha shudder beneath her touch. A jolt, like an electric current, ran through Pyrrha's body and, the next second, she collapsed against Ruby, sobbing. Ruby hugged Pyrrha back as tightly as she could, letting her legs give way, slowly lowering them down to the roof. Ruby was a bit of a stranger to this situation, having only needed to comfort a couple other people this way. She did her best, making all the soothing noises she could remember Sasame making for her, during those times when Ruby herself needed comforting.
"Shh...Shh...It's okay," said Ruby, gently rubbing her hand back and forth across Pyrrha's back.
Gradually, Pyrrha's sobs trailed away, though her body continued to quake silently against Ruby's. For a while, Ruby thought Pyrrha might have cried herself asleep. But, finally, Pyrrha pulled back, her eyes meeting Ruby's with a grateful smile. "Thank you so much."
"You're welcome," said Ruby. "It's what friends do for each other."
"Are...are we still friends?" Pyrrha wanted to know.
"Of course we are!" exclaimed Ruby. "Why wouldn't we be?"
"I'm just..." Pyrrha sighed, finally pulling out of Ruby's arms. The two of them sat next to each other. "...I'm used to people...not..."
"Not wanting to be your friend?" asked Ruby.
Pyrrha shook her head. "No. If they want to be my friend, it's for the wrong reasons. They want to because I'm famous, because they want to be famous too...or they don't think they're good enough to be my friends...or they think I think they're not good enough to be my friends..."
Ruby looked away, staring ahead of her. "Well, I figured you were famous, because everyone was always staring at you," she said. "But it doesn't really mean anything to me.
"The people I lived and trained with live apart from the world. So I didn't get any information on current events in the Kingdoms. When my sister and brother and I traveled on training excursions, we tended to keep to the settlements. So...I honestly don't know what all those titles and stuff really mean." Ruby looked over at Pyrrha. "But I do know Pyrrha. She's super-nice. She's always polite and careful, but she always seems to be sort of tense, like she's afraid to let her guard down and show her true self."
"That sounds like me," said Pyrrha with a rueful laugh. "After my second tournament win, my parents began signing me up for sponsorships and endorsements. They said it would be good for me. The money and the perks were nice, but I was never really comfortable with it.
"When you're a celebrity, you're always being watched. People always have their eyes on you, whether because they admire you, or because they're watching for that sign that you're about to falter. It's like being surrounded by a pack of hungry Beowolves, just watching and waiting for the first sign of weakness, the first slip."
Pyrrha shuddered. "My agent, who managed my contracts, she created this persona that I had to adopt. I had to be modest and gracious, always with a smile at the ready, always prepared to indulge my fans, my supporters, my sponsors. I could never drop it, because I was never certain when I might be completely alone. My home was probably the only safe space I had, but it became worthless. I held this personality for so long that it sort of...became me."
"Is that why it was so hard for you to speak against Weiss?" asked Ruby.
Pyrrha nodded shakily. "I...I wasn't really allowed to assert myself. Past a certain point, it all went out of my hands, and my agent and my parents handled everything. They made all the decisions, hardly consulting me, if at all. And I just had to go along with it...You have no idea how hard it was, just to force out that one 'no' to Weiss."
Ruby reached out and covered Pyrrha's hand with her own.
"I didn't want to partner with Weiss," said Pyrrha.
"Why not?" asked Ruby, before pausing and thinking about the heiress' acerbic personality. "I mean...besides the obvious."
Pyrrha giggled at that, before her previous somber mood drowned out the levity. "She approached me in the locker room before the Initiation. It's the same thing I've seen a thousand times, someone trying to butter me up with shallow praise, talking about how 'everybody must be eager to team up with a successful and powerful girl like me.' I'd have to be a complete idiot to not see what she was building to. I was almost too relieved for words when Professor Ozpin said that partners would be determined by eye-contact. If I could manage that with someone, anyone other than her, I might have been able to handle it. But then she just had to be the first person I stumbled across..."
"I get it," said Ruby softly. "But...just because Weiss is your partner doesn't mean you have to always do what she wants. She may be your partner, but me, Jaune...and her...we're your team. Jaune and I are here for you, and you don't have to keep your guard up or be anyone other than yourself with us. And you definitely don't have to bend over for Weiss' sake. If anything, it would be a good idea to make sure she realizes she can't always have what she wants."
Pyrrha sniffed and rubbed her eyes. "Thank you," she said. "Regardless of my partner, I'm glad I'm on your team, Ruby."
"And I'm glad you're on my team," said Ruby, "and not just because of that whole champion thingy...whatever it is."
That made Pyrrha laugh. Whens she calmed down, she looked at Ruby again. "Could you tell Jaune that I'd be happy to help with his weapons' training?"
"You can tell him yourself," Ruby said. She stood up and offered a hand to Pyrrha. "Ready to head back?"
"I think I am," said Pyrrha, taking Ruby's hand.
"I think I ate a little too much," Jaune muttered, rubbing his stomach as he made his way along the hallway towards their dorms. "I hope I'm not too late for evening training."
After everyone else had left, Jaune had finished his meal, which had probably been a little larger than wise. He'd left by himself, intending to head to the dorm, where he'd hopefully run into Ruby and they could start training his Aura, whatever that entailed.
Just as he reached a cross corridor, Jaune lurched as someone lunged out from behind a corner, powerful hands grabbing the fabric of his hoodie, just above the upper rim of his chestplate. With a surprised yelp, Jaune was yanked off his feet, whirled around and slammed against a wall, the impact snapping his head back into the hard surface as well, dizzying him.
Blinking furiously, he tried to force his swimming vision back into some semblance of clarity as he made out the figure currently holding him fast. Finally, his focus returned, and Jaune found himself facing a familiar, attractive, blonde girl. However, her expression could only be called ugly. What was more terrifying were her eyes, which he remembered being some shade of pale-purple, but were now a bright, intense red, and narrowed at him in a murderous glare.
"Listen closely, pal," growled Yang as she pressed Jaune against the wall, keeping him hefted up above the floor, "'cause I'm only gonna say this once. Keep your grimy hands off my sister."
"Wha-?" Jaune blinked before remembering that Yang was Ruby's sister, for all that Ruby didn't want to acknowledge her.
"I don't know what your game is, jerk, but if I even think you've hurt her, you're gonna wish that snake ate you during the Initiation," promised Yang, her body beginning to radiate heat, like he was being pushed against the wall by a campfire.
"What are you talking about?" Jaune managed to grind out through the haze of pain and fear that threatened to swamp him.
"Just don't mess with my sister," snarled Yang, before dropping him. Jaune slid down the wall and into a sitting position with a groan. "I'm watching you." She turned and stalked down the hallway, going the same way Jaune had been going before, reminding him that her team's room was just across the hallway from his. Great, Ruby doesn't want to acknowledge her, but she's still gonna go through the whole "overprotective older sibling" thing with me. Wonderful.
Forcing himself back upright, Jaune grimaced and checked himself over for injuries. Deciding everything was shipshape, he resumed his walk back to the dorm in Yang's wake. He reached his team's room at approximately the same time as Ruby and Pyrrha. Jaune could see the faint tracks of tears left running down Pyrrha's face. "Hey," he said. "You okay, Pyrrha?"
"I am now," said Pyrrha, shifting her gaze away from Jaune, her demeanor strangely shy. "And thank you for your concern." She flinched when Ruby gently elbowed her in the side, letting out a slight squeak that Jaune couldn't help but think of as cute. Reminded of what she needed to say, Pyrrha lifted her head up and looked him in the eyes again. "By the way, I would be happy to help you with your weapons' training."
"Thanks," said Jaune with a sheepish grin. "I could use all the help I can get."
"I'm sure you're not that bad," said Pyrrha with an easygoing smile.
"You didn't see him during the Initiation," said Ruby in a teasing tone.
"Hey, I killed two of those Beowolves," Jaune protested.
"You brained one to death with the flat of your blade, before you remembered you're supposed to hit it with the sharp part," deadpanned Ruby, to Pyrrha's titter, which she muffled with a hand over her mouth.
"It was still dead, wasn't it?" retorted Jaune.
"Except, if you hadn't wasted so much time, you might have been able to kill a third one," Ruby pointed out, to his consternation and Pyrrha's continued amusement. Then she smiled, apparently deciding that his ego had taken enough of a lancing for the night. "But you sure weren't bad handling that King Taijitu.
"You certainly saved me that time," Pyrrha added, making Jaune blush furiously.
"Anyway, it's time for your training," said Ruby. "You ready?"
"Y-yeah," said Jaune, throwing a sidelong glance at the door across the hall from theirs.
"Is something wrong?" asked Pyrrha, taking notice of Jaune's apparent nervousness.
"It's nothing," said Jaune quickly. "We should probably get started."
"What kind of training are you doing now?" asked Pyrrha.
"I'm teaching Jaune how to use his Aura," said Ruby frankly, before catching herself and realizing she might have said too much.
"Why would Jaune need Aura-training?" asked Pyrrha.
"It's just that..." Ruby paused and realized that the thing she needed to say was the truth...most of it anyway. "It's just that the kind of Aura-training I do isn't the kind normally taught in the Kingdoms. I thought it might give Jaune an edge."
"And I need just about any edge I can get," said Jaune with perfect frankness.
Pyrrha blinked. "Could I see?" she asked. "I'm curious about what kind of training you've done, Ruby." Thinking back, she remembered the strange techniques that Ruby had used during the Initiation, techniques that didn't quite match what one would expect a person to be able to do with Dust.
"Sure," said Ruby, perking up at the idea. Sure, Pyrrha had her own way of fighting, but it never hurt to acquire new skills, particularly since the basic exercises of Aura-control she'd been practicing could only supplement her current, already substantial, combat ability. "Actually, it's kinda silly, because Pyrrha and I were just up there, but I figured that the roof would be a good place for that kind of training."
"That sounds grand," said Pyrrha.
"Works for me," said Jaune, and the two of them set off after Ruby, leaving the door to their room behind.
Weiss looked up from her textbook, glancing at the door. She was certain she'd heard voices on the other side of it. Maybe it's my imagination, she thought. Or maybe it's those two loudmouths in the room across the hall. She didn't envy Ren and Blake for having Yang and Nora as teammates. She had no doubt that their time at Beacon would be filled with raucous commotion. Whatever else could be said about her teammates, at least they were comparatively quiet.
Frowning, Weiss turned back to her textbooks, already going through them and marking out important passages, hoping that she could get ahead of whatever readings were assigned tomorrow. With that, she'd have a better, more comprehensive understanding of the subject matter, which, naturally, would translate into higher grades. Weiss had no doubt that she would be the top-performing student, academically. While she might never be a match for Pyrrha in the ring, Weiss was convinced that she could shine in their classroom studies.
For this, nothing less than perfection was demanded. Weiss would be the perfect student. She would get perfect grades in every class. Within weeks, if not outright days, the instructors would be singing her praises to the heavens, and Ozpin would realize his lapse in judgment and understand that she, Weiss Schnee, was the one best-suited to lead this team. It helped that, being two years younger than the rest of them, Ruby Rose was clearly undereducated and unprepared for the rigorous curriculum of Beacon. It didn't help that she'd evidently done most of her training out in the wilderness. She'd probably never seen the inside of a classroom in her life. Weiss would completely outshine that brat.
After that, it was simply a matter of reminding Pyrrha what was at stake for both of them. They were here in Beacon to make important achievements, to show to their classmates, and the world, their capabilities and how they stood, head and shoulders, above the rest. Weiss would be damned if she let a brat like Ruby Rose and a lunkheaded idiot like Jaune Arc drag her and Pyrrha down.
Most importantly of all, she would prove to him that she didn't need his power, his control, to succeed. She'd come back home to rub her success in his face and show him how a true Schnee does things, unlike a mere pretender, who just happened to marry into the right family.
Returning to her work, Weiss idly wondered when Pyrrha would be getting back. It would be a good idea to get her to review their textbooks ahead of time as well.
This is just a minor setback, thought Weiss determinedly. Things will be going my way soon enough.
Roman Torchwick yawned widely, leaning back on his bunk, staring through the glassteel window, ringed by the heavy metal of his door. The walls of his cell were an off-white color, contrasting with the stereotypical depiction of prison cells with gray walls and dark, steel bars. Granted, the bars were present in the lower-security sections of the prison, but Roman would have been affronted to be kept with the hand-to-mouth, petty crime peons of low-security. Roman Torchwick was the greatest criminal Vale had ever seen. Whether it was inside or outside of prison, he warranted only the best.
Hence this lavish, maximum-security cell with its thick, armored walls and door, with a four-layer-hex-encryption-whatever security lock on the entrance that was, for the time being, guaranteed to be nigh un-hackable. And that was just the basic construction, not including things like the advanced, Atlesian-made dampening fields designed to suppress his Aura. This was a cell built to hold people at the level of Huntsmen and Huntresses, to contain those who had their Auras unlocked and possessed a Semblance. In other words, it was the kind of cell that a man of Roman's reputation and accomplishments warranted.
Of course, the fact that he was in a cell at all was reason to worry. Roman was no stranger to the inside of a cell, of course. In fact, he'd been in and out of this prison multiple times over the course of his storied career, his exits sometimes legitimate, other times not. Since he'd unlocked his Aura and gotten ahold of Huntsman-grade equipment, he hadn't been back in. This would be his first time dealing with a max-security cell since having reached the level where his capability warranted one. However much he might have hated her for thwarting his robbery and subsequent getaway, Roman needed to give that red-garbed brat her due for managing what the Kingdom's police and professional Huntsmen had failed at for several years now.
Naturally, a criminal mastermind of his brilliance only relished the challenge. Escaping from prison required an understanding of the forces at work that kept him bound. A man of his skill would be able to analyze the nature of his cell and work out the best way to crack it open. The other advantage to being in operation for so many years was the fact that Roman had access to resources that lesser criminals would never get.
That was the benefit of networking.
Roman's eyebrows twitched at the faint clicking sound, coming from the door of his cell, something tapping up against the glassteel window. It might have been mistaken for the mundane clicks and taps that came part and parcel with any building, but Roman naturally recognized those sounds...or rather...the pauses between them.
"I found you," the taps said.
Roman grinned and crossed his arms over his chest. Looking to all the world as though he were doing nothing more than idle fidgeting, he tapped the tip of his shoe back against the window. "What took you so long?"
"Kept an eye on things," his compatriot replied with a series of taps. "Made sure the plan won't work without you."
"That's my girl," Roman muttered to himself before tapping out his response. "How did Cinder take it?"
There was a noticeable pause before the answer. "...Not well."
Roman winced. His employer was a woman whose bad side he did not want to be on. Still, this is partly her fault. If she'd had a copilot, she could've done something more than try and shoot down that little red menace. The mysterious woman he knew as Cinder Fall possessed power that he couldn't quite comprehend. But she evidently couldn't use it and fly a bullhead at the same time. Still, he doubted she would accept her fair portion of the blame gracefully.
Roman was under no illusions about his place in the grand scheme of things. To his employer, he was not an associate, a partner, or even a subordinate. He was a tool. He only remained valuable to her so long as he remained useful to her plans. And the problem was that tools that lost their value were discarded or, worse, disposed of. Fortunately, his associate seemed to have made sure his value hadn't completely depreciated...yet. "When am I getting out of here?"
"Not for a while," came the reply. "The White Fang will handle things for now."
So she got those mutts on board, did she? mused Roman, gazing up at the ceiling. He remembered Cinder mentioning that she wanted to bring the White Fang in on their little operation here, in Vale. He hadn't held out hope. He had no particular love for faunus, save for when they were useful. The last thing he wanted was a bunch of protesters-turned-terrorists mucking about. Worse still, Cinder had apparently gone to Adam Taurus. Even amongst the White Fang, he was known as one of the most serious hardliners, a guy who'd gladly see humanity enslaved or eradicated. Roman didn't relish the prospect of working with him, or anyone who worked under him.
On the other hand, he got an idea of Cinder's amendment to their plans. With him, the culprit behind several successful Dust heists, behind bars, people would lower their guards, security would drop, and people would expect crime to die down. Once that happened, he imagined that even a group that was as unfamiliar with the concept of subtlety as the White Fang could manage to steal a serious load of Dust before people got back on their game.
"Cinder wants to know one thing," tapped Roman's compatriot the one person in all of Vale he truly trusted. "Did you talk?"
Roman snorted. "I'm not that stupid," he tapped back. If he sang like a canary, it would be the end of him for sure. Roman didn't know exactly what resources Cinder had at her beck and call, but he was more than certain that he was not beyond her reach, not even here. Detectives and Huntsmen had attempted to interrogate him numerous times, hoping to learn where the stolen Dust was being stockpiled, what it was intended to be used for. Being his usual glib self, Roman had talked them in circles, not giving them a straight answer, even sneaking a couple of false leads into the conversation to throw them off the trail.
Now it was a matter of time. He was pretty much sure to be tried and convicted within the month. Given his rap-sheet, Roman figured that his sentence was going to be severe, easily Life at the very least. But that hardly mattered.
He was part of something that was going to overturn everything. The bastions of order and justice were going to come crumbling down. Normally, Roman wasn't a big fan of that kind of revolution. Being a criminal was a niche profession. Breaking the rules worked best when the people set against you were obligated to follow those same rules. When anarchy reigned, there was nothing for him to profit off of.
But this wasn't something he could stop. If everything was going to come tumbling down anyway, then he was, sure as hell, going to make sure he wasn't underneath it when it happened.
Status de energia semanal
-- Ranking de
Poder 
-- Pedra de
Poder