Capítulo 461: 17
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"When do you need to go to the Headmaster's office?" Pyrrha asked, circling him on the roof with her shield raised, heels and armor tinkling and clicking lightly. "I wouldn't wish to make you late." "Though I do enjoy our private bouts."
"I enjoy them too, and I have time." Jaune said, easing towards her, his boot scraping on the cement roof quietly, "Besides, if I tell them I was training with you, they'll probably think I'm more studious than lazy."
"Good." She said shortly, stepping in and lunging for his chest with her spear. Jaune knocked it to the side with his shield's rim, stabbing towards her exposed throat with his sword and forcing her to step back an inch to avoid it. He followed her, slamming his shield against hers and pressing against her, Pyrrha's shield-arm pinned under her shield. She smirked and spun to the side, trying to trick him into stumbling past her, and turned to swing at what should have been his exposed back, instead striking the metal of his shield hard enough to send a shudder up her arm and numb the limb slightly. The young knight shoved the weapon to the side with his shield and lunged in with a stab at her midsection, her shield barely caught it, but it still forced her to retreat slightly.
"I thought we agreed, Jaune. No Semblances." She said jokingly, laughing at him when he shrugged, and flicked her sword. Clicking a button on instinct to shift it into its polearm variant, she locked her shield in front of her and held the spear point towards him, the shaft pressed against the rim, "That was quite unfair of you." "Crafty, though, and it's not like you wouldn't do it in a real fight or in a tournament."
"All's fair in love and war, Pyr." Jaune tossed back, smiling at her and raising his shield, almost asking what was wrong when he felt her emotions flutter in a way he didn't understand. She took two steps forward, shield unmoving, and stabbed at him with her spear before he could give it much thought. The point pounded into his shield several times while he tried to circle around her to get past the shield. They circled like that for a minute, his sword striking her shield in a most ineffectual way and her spear trying its hardest to work a dent into his shield.
"And what would you know of those things, Jaune?" She asked, and he would almost feel… bitterness and amusement? He shook off the contradiction when he saw her spear lunge for his throat, raising his shield to block it... and receiving a boot straight between his legs. "Jaune!"
He squeaked in response, droppings his weapon and falling onto his side, and she knelt next to him as he moaned, "Why, Pyr? I need those.…"
"I'm sorry, I thought you'd know it was coming and move!" She said loudly, laying her weapons aside and helping him lean against a wall where he sat moaning for another few seconds, "Are… are you alright?"
"'M fine." He said quietly, voice high and strained, "Metal leg warmers hurt, though."
"They're… called greaves, Jaune." She said, laughing slightly and shaking her head, "Do you want… ice, or something?" "Please choose the second option-" "Ignore that." She added, blushing lightly and tucking her hair behind her ear, "Sorry. I… forgot you could hear."
"'S fine." He said quietly, Aura already healing the 'damage' and easing the pain, "Aura is working its magic anyways, so no worries. Just gonna… wait a moment, and head to the office."
"Would you… like me to send the Headmaster a message? Just to tell him you suffered a mild injury in training, so you may be a touch late." He could sense how guilty she felt, and nodded quietly after a second. She stood to go over to their bags, keeling to fish out her Scroll and send the message him. "So, um, any thoughts on the dance coming up?" "We've been distracted lately, so you may have missed it."
"I hadn't thought about it, honestly. With what's happening, I… might just skip it." He turned from where he was leaning against the wall to look at her back, eyebrow raised, when he felt disappointment hit him, "Are you… okay, Pyr?"
"Yes, yes I'm alright." She said crisply, turning to smile at him, "I just… don't worry about it, it's fine." "I just wanted the memories…." "I understand that you're busy, so don't worry about it."
"Pyr, if you want us to all go together, none of us would mind." He said, standing up and shrugging at her, as he smiled in an effort to cheer her up, "I'd need to buy a suit, but that's not a problem. I might ask Ozpin now that I think about it."
"I…" He felt a sudden bout of nervousness attack him, and realised it had come from her when she stood stiffly, straightening, "I do not want us to go- as a team, I mean."
"Then what do you-"
"I want to go with you."
"Oh." He said, the word coming out in a breath like someone had pressed on his chest, "I, uh, well, I mean, I-"
"If you are uninterested, just… say so." Pyrrha half-murmured, turning to look at him and biting her lip slightly, "I know it is sudden, and you have enough on your shoulders as it is… I would not begrudge you not wanting that." Even if I wish for it.…"
"I… I mean, it isn't that, it's just…" Jaune sighed, standing and rubbing the back of his neck, "I just feel like you deserve a little better, I guess? I mean, look at you… you're Pyrrha Nikos, you deserve the best."
"The unapproachable Invincible Girl?" She asked sadly, shaking her head and looking away from him, "Is that really what you see, Jaune? When you look at me, you just see the Invincible Girl, Pyrrha Nikos?"
"No!" Jaune said loudly, raising his hands and stepping forward, "I just… I think you deserve better than… Me, Pyr. And I… I gotta go, so can we talk later, maybe?"
"Yes." She said quietly, nodding and turning away from the door, "Go on, I shall… stay, and look upon the stars." "And think."
He didn't respond, simply grabbing his pack and heading into the building. Not even stopping to remove his armor, he marched through the halls as quickly as he could; trying to get distance from the red haired woman's feelings. It was late enough that the only people really in the halls were custodial staff, and the occasional droid patrolling.
Still, he felt… odd, walking down the halls, his armor still on and Crocea Mors at his waist. Looking out a window as he walked, he saw the green gleam of Beacon tower's apex, and sighed.
"The hell have I gotten into…"
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The elevator ride was quiet, at least until he got halfway up. He could hear their thoughts far before he reached the tower's apex, and knew they were arguing. A lot. And had been, for a good long while, from what he could sense. The doors slid open, though, and everyone was quiet.
"Mister Arc." Ozpin said invitingly, smiling and gesturing to a chair next to him. The room was the same, aside from his desk having been moved back and several chairs lined in a circle, the only empty seat being the one Ozpin gestured to, "I heard you were hurt training, are you alright?" "Training is admirable, but your timing was… unfortunate."
"Yeah, I just had to… let my Aura do it's job, you know?" Jaune said, walking across the room and ignoring the eyes he could feel boring into his back, to sit next to the man, "Sorry to make you wait. I… guess I should have waited until tomorrow to train, but I just… wanted to get started, I guess? Because this is important..."
"A willingness to work hard and progress yourself is good, young man, but you should have waited." The white clothed man said, arms crossed over his chest, "However, clearly you are aware of that, and that means it was either purposeful negligence or desperation." "Time to see how he does in the heat.…"
True to his thoughts, Jaune didn't sense any actual malice in his words and looked to Ozpin before he spoke. When the man nodded at him, gesturing with a hand at the group, he took a breath and spoke, "Neither, sir. I was training with Pyrrha Nikos, she got the best of me and struck me. However, I was training because if I am going to be working with you people, or - or for you, I guess? Either way, I need practice and training; which is what I've been doing all day."
They looked to Ozpin, who spoke in a calm tone, "Team JNPR was granted several days leave, to make room for this meeting, as per usual after a mission where more than half the team suffers wounds. During that time, they have had a training room reserved where I have seen Jaune going through a rather intense regime of training." He turned to look at Jaune, nodding approvingly, "Don't lean on me quite so much, they need to respect you for you. This will be harder if they think you and I are closer than we are."
He looked at the general, and felt his approval rise slightly, before the caped man spoke up, "Sorry, Oz, but I gotta interrupt. You ever gonna introduce us, or are we just going to be strangers?" "Not that I don't know exactly who he is.…"
"Ah, of course, my apologies. Everyone, this is Jaune Arc. Jaune, you know Miss Goodwitch, and the other two are General James Ironwood, of the Atlesian Navy, and Qrow Branwen, your friends Ruby and Yang's uncle." The general nodded crisply, while Qrow waved halfheartedly, "They are all my closest allies, and you may trust them as much as you trust me." "Which I hope for your sake, is not too terribly much as of yet. Never trust people simply because they are an authority."
"Isn't he the one who used fake records just to get into the school?" Qrow asked, earning a dirty look from Ozpin and Glynda. "What? I think it matters. Important to know who we'll be workin' with, at least in my opinion." "Not that I woulda done different."
"He is a fraud?" James demanded angrily, standing from his chair hard enough to make it move, wood screeching against the tile, his mind ablaze in anger and thoughts of treason. "You told a fraud about us? Brought us all here to meet him? Why is he not imprisoned?"
"Yes, he is. But he is also a brave young man that has stood his ground twice against high class Grimm, never once hesitating to step into battle." Ozpin argued simply, shrugging, "And besides, with his Semblance, everything else is a moot point to me." "Play the card, Jaune. Tell them what you can do."
"I, um, I can… When I'm around people, I can read their thoughts and feel their emotions." He flinched when the room suddenly grew dead silent, everyone but Ozpin staring him down.
"Ozpin, you put a fraudster who can read minds in a room with me?" The Atlesian said quietly, fury rolling off him as he glared at the man, "Tell me you are joking, Ozpin. You can't have been that foolish, surely."
"Apparently, I am." Ozpin said jovially, chuckling lightly, "Relax, old friend, he's not a threat. I'd have… dealt with him having such an ability in a very different way if I weren't sure of that- as you very well know. With this ability of his, I have recorded him speaking with Amber, and-"
"He's spoken with her?" The general interrupted, looking at Jaune directly, "How?" "This could be invaluable to our research." "Have you been to the Vault?"
"No, I…." He took a nervous breath, rubbing his hands together as he tried to think of how to phrase what he wanted to say, "Ren, one of my teammates, has been helping me with Aura control. When I'm alone, or if I… if I focus on her, I can speak to her, sort of. I… think it's because she's comatose, or something. Pyr and I tried, but it hasn't worked for us yet."
"At the end of the day, we have someone with a very powerful ability. One who already knows much about our group and its intentions, and agrees with them." Ozpin argued calmly, standing and gesturing at the general, "I remember when I had to convince others to let you into our little circle of trust, James. How is this different?"
"I was not a fraud, Ozpin." He argued defensively, "Or a thief, if his armor is any indication. No Hunter family would let an untrained person do what he did, and I recognize the crest, Arc."
"No, you were just a coward who ran away from his post in a battle when I recruited you." Ozpin argued, the old man scowling at him in fury. Ozpin ignored him, "Qrow was raised by a bandit clan, and participated in the destruction of three villages before leaving. Many do things they aren't proud of, James; but when done with good intent, you know their character."
"I wasn't a coward…." James defended weakly, retaking his seat and leaning his arms on his knees, "At least tell him the context."
Jaune flinched when his senses were assaulted by sensations and images, holding his head in his hands and groaning, clutching his right arm tightly. Ozpin chuckled, "I would wager he understands far more than I do, now, James." He felt the searing heat in his arm and running down his leg, the feeling of claws scraping his skull, and the way his body slammed into the ground when the woman tossed him aside, slamming her body into the Grimm's and shoving a knife in its throat. He flinched when a hand touched his shoulder and looked up at Ozpin's concerned face, "Jaune, are you alright?" What are you seeing?"
"I feel the pain… feels like my arm and leg are barely hanging on, and my head… hurts…." Jaune shook his head, trying to clear the memories out and breathing shakily, "I don't know, the images are cluttered and... confused."
"I think it best that we change the subject, Ozpin." Glynda said quickly, concern radiating from her, "I would… propose we hold the vote, to see if he stays."
"My opinion stands." James said simply, shrugging and avoiding looking at Jaune, "He's too dangerous, Ozpin, even with all the possible benefits. If he turned on us he could wipe out everyone who knows what we do easily enough. Or he could steal information. Passwords, access codes, agent names and more." "As though him poking around in our heads isn't bad enough on its own."
"My vote is, of course, to recruit him." Ozpin said simply, looking at Qrow.
"Seconded. Tired of being the only spy we have. Gets exhausting after a while, always being the only one diggin' up the dirt on people." He shrugged, fishing his flask out of his jacket and taking a drink, "Could be useful. Useful enough to run the risk, I'd say." "Gonna need some hands on though, probably. Ah well, maybe I can spend some time with my girls while I do it."
"I… I vote we recruit him as well." James sighed, standing up and straightening his coat, and she stood, "James, the Grimm are trying to kidnap him at every turn! We can turn this war around, in a way that Humanity has been unable to since the dawn of our civilization." "Everything will change…." "Imagine it, for just a moment, James. We could go on the offensive, if we captured but one of her agents, for the first time in our existence."
"Or they could take him. Turn him against us, or even simply break him." The man turned to Jaune angrily, "Have you ever faced torture, young man? Ever been interrogated? Had your friends threatened for your compliance?"
"'Course he hasn't, General." The man managed to turn his rank into a sneer, "And 'fore I started workin' for you all, I hadn't spied on anyone, or killed, or been shot. We all learn new things in this field, don't act like it matters now just because you lost a vote." "Damn military types and their sticks up their asses."
"If it will help you along, James." Ozpin offered, the man turning to him when he was addressed, "You could always give him some training under a few Atlesian officers- maybe even enter him as a Ward in that new Atlesian program I read about the other day."
James stiffened, looking between the three of them before leveling his gaze at Jaune, "Fine. I'll put him under Winter, then. She could use an assistant. Saturday, be at the Dust til Dawn shop, you'll be helping Winter procure some supply shipments. Prove your worth." He stormed from the room without another word, and Ozpin sighed.
"Well, at least that's been dealt with." He chuckled.
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Status de energia semanal
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