บท 13: New purpose - Volume: 1

In Goodwitch's class, I find myself seated in the back of a dimmed auditorium next to my team, watching Jaune getting his ass handed to him by Cardin.

It's been a week since I quit being Spider-Man. Not much has changed; the crime rate has gone up a bit, but nothing noteworthy. You know, it's a weird feeling when you realize you've been reborn in Remnant with mysterious super spider faunus powers. You decide to become your favorite comic book superhero to help people, just like when you were a kid. But then you realize the people of this world don't want a hero like Spider-Man, especially in Remnant.

Remnant wants Huntsmen. There's no need for heroes in tight spandex.

All I wanted to do was to be like him, but I guess we can't always follow our dreams. I can still be a huntsman.

I sip my soda, and then my attention snaps back to the sparring match. Jaune's on the ground and Cardin is poised to deliver the finishing blow. That's when Ms. Goodwitch calls the match and proceeds to give all of us a lecture about gauging our aura.

Ms. Goodwitch then announces to the class, "Remember, everyone, the Vytal Festival is only a few months away! It won't be long before students from the other kingdoms start arriving in Vale, so keep practicing! Those who choose to compete in the combat tournament will be representing all of Vale!" This seems to make everyone riled up for the festival.

The bell rings, signaling the end of class, and we all make our way to the cafeteria. On our way, Ruby taps my shoulder.

"Yes, Ruby?" I ask.

"Are you okay? You seem a bit down," she inquires.

"It's nothing, just a lot on my mind," I reply.

Ruby seems to accept my response, but then, out of nowhere, she jumps onto my back.

"Uh, Ruby... why?" questioning why she is on my back.

"You seem too sad for my liking, so you are hereby punished to carry your team leader around all day!" she declares triumphantly but sternly.

I can't help but laugh at her antics. I can always count on Ruby to cheer me up. "Okay, team leader to the cafeteria," I declare, taking the lead while carrying Ruby.

"Yeah!" Ruby yells out, clearly enjoying the impromptu piggyback ride.

Once at our table, Team RWBY and JNPR were all seated together, enjoying our food. Nora, as always, takes center stage and begins her story.

"So! There we were, in the middle of the night..." Nora says ominously.

Ren interjects, "It was day."

Undeterred, Nora redirects her attention to Blake, who is engrossed in her book, and Yang, who is hanging on every word with her hands cupping her face. "We were surrounded by Ursai..."

Ren corrects Nora once again, "They were Beowolves."

Nora yells, "Dozens of them!" She screams this as she stands at the table of both Team RWBY and JNPR, where Weiss is ignoring Nora and filing her nails, Ruby and Pyrrha are listening politely, and Jaune is messing with his food.

"Two of 'em," Ren corrects her again.

Ruby and Pyrrha now look at a distant Jaune with concern over his somber mood.

"But they were no match... And in the end, Ren and I took them down and made a boatload of Lien selling Ursa skin rugs!" Nora proudly finishes her story.

"She's been having this recurring dream for nearly a month now," Ren admits, a sense of defeat evident in his voice as he tries to keep up with Nora's chaotic dreams.

Pyrrha's concerned eyes linger on Jaune, and she finally voices what the rest of us are probably thinking, "Jaune? Are you okay?"

He snaps out of his trance, turning toward us with a forced smile, "Huh? Oh, yeah! Why?"

Ruby points out the obvious, "It's just that you seem a little... not okay..."

The others stop their distractions, and we all stare at him. Jaune insists, "Guys, I'm fine. Seriously! Look!" He holds up a thumb, laughing nervously.

But our attention shifts when we notice the members of Team CRDOL picking on a girl with brown rabbit ears jutting from her hair. Cardin laughs at her, Sky Lark holds up his hands to his head in a mocking interpretation of her unusual features, and Owen is nowhere to be seen.

I look up at team CRDOL, and chow on my meal.

I wonder where Owen is, would he stop them or let them continue, probably let them because he's an asshole. Anyway after I'm done eating my meal the rest of team CRD_L is getting their faces bashed into their meals.

Pyrrha, not buying Jaune's deflection, presses on, "Jaune, Cardin's been picking on you since the first week of school!"

Jaune dismisses it with a scoff, "Who? Cardin Winchester? Nah... He just likes to mess around! You know, practical jokes!"

Ruby, with a touch of sternness, counters, "He's a bully."

Another scoff from Jaune, "Oh, please! Name one time he's 'bullied' me."

I chime in, "The time he spilled syrup all over your locker and made you stick to your locker for an entire morning? Also Cardin."

Pyrrha adds, "Let's not forget the initiation breakfast incident. The juice that wasn't really juice? Cardin."

Ruby motions to Jaune, "Or the time he put itching powder in your boots during sparring class?"

I glance at Jaune, "Cardin again."

Pyrrha concludes with a pointed look, "And this morning, when he tripped you. He's been picking on you, Jaune. It's not just harmless fun."

Jaune attempts to laugh off our concerns, "Not really with Cardin, it's just harmful fun..."

Pyrrha deapans at Jaune but shakes it off, then reassures him, "Jaune, you know if you ever need help, you can just ask."

Nora jumps up from the table, presenting her diabolical plan with a not-entirely-sane grin, "Ooooh! We'll break his legs!"

Jaune quickly interjects, "Guys, really, it's fine! Besides, it's not like he's only a jerk to me; he's a jerk to everyone."

I can't help but mutter, "Same with Owen."

Jaune's so stubborn for no reason for not seeking help, I think it's dumb of him. He wants to be able to stop Cardin himself, with no help. Still, he can't bring himself to stand up to him alone. How does he think he's going to improve if he doesn't seek help? It's beyond me.

I finish my meal, push back from the table, and announce, "Excuse me, I have to take care of something." I walk towards CRD_L.

"Where are you going?" Blake asks, closing her book to see what I'm up to.

"Something small, nothing to worry about," I reply to her, hoping to downplay the situation.

I stride over to CRD_L, where Cardin is currently gripping Velvet's bunny ears. Without hesitation, I grab his wrist and squeeze, causing Cardin to release his hold. As soon as she's free, I let go, and he turns to me with a furious expression.

Cardin retaliates by gripping my shirt collar, glaring at me. "You need something," he snarls, his grip tightening.

"You know, I could've slammed your head into the table, but let's try a different approach. Why do you see Faunus as lesser beings?" I inquire with a steady stare.

Cardin hesitates for a moment but then answers defiantly, "They're animals and lesser than humans, simple as that. What's your point?" His annoyance becomes palpable.

"That I see things differently. My ideals don't dictate how I should treat others, regardless of their 'extra features,'" I respond calmly. Cardin starts to seethe, but before he can react, I grip his wrists, preventing him from doing anything. "But I forgive you," I continue, letting go of his wrists and making him release my collar. "Maybe you grew up only knowing that stuff and that's fine. My point is, learn and be better." I finish my statement and give him a one-handed hug

Cardin looks at me, a mix of confusion, anger, and then a hint of loss. He then pushes himself off and simply walks out of the cafeteria.

Cardin's teammates are left bewildered and eventually follow him out of the cafeteria. I calmly turn away from the scene and head back to my table, taking my seat. As I glance around, I notice the curious stares from my teammates.

"What?" I ask.

Nora is the first to break the silence, slamming her hand on the table, "What was that?" She demands the finer details of what transpired.

"What, Cardin? I just talked to him, is all," I casually respond.

Nora is left utterly gobsmacked, unable to comprehend the unexpected turn of events.

Weiss, surprising everyone, chimes in, "You know, I thought you were just a hardheaded dumb brute who only knew foul language, but now I see you are a very wise dumb brute."

"Okay, Weiss, I may be hardheaded, but I am not dumb. For example, I got a 100% on the last test while you only scored a 96%. Who's the dumb one now?" I tease, earning a huff from Weiss but also a begrudging smile.

I glance around to see if anyone else is still confused. Ruby is staring at me, Ren and Pyrrha give me a nod of approval, and Blake, despite trying to maintain focus on her book, can't resist sneaking glances at me. Finally, Yang fist-bumps me, sealing the moment.

I catch a glimpse of Jaune, and he seems to be staring at me very intently. His expression is one of surprise or realization.

In the evening, my team and I find ourselves back in our dorm, each of us unwinding in our own way. Currently, I'm tucked away in my very cramped closet, hunched over my computer. I'm knee-deep in coding a game for the company I've decided to establish.

The idea behind starting a game company stems from the realization that Remnant's video games are somewhat outdated, resembling old retro-style games. While retro games have their charm, I see an opportunity to introduce newer, more sophisticated games to Remnant. Games like Call of Duty, Dark Souls, Metro 2033, Warframe, Destiny, Valorant, God of War, Minecraft, and many more. However, recreating these games from scratch would take years of work.

To expedite the process, I've turned to AI. With my knowledge of how these games are made, I can instruct multiple AIs to handle the intricate details. It's a way to not only bring cutting-edge gaming experiences to Remnant but also to secure the lien I need for future projects. The prospect of revolutionizing the gaming scene in Remnant fuels my late-night coding sessions.

As I ponder the possibilities, I think: why not utilize some Atlesian knights and integrate my AI into them to serve as labor workers? The idea seems promising, but the question remains – where could I obtain the knights? It dawns on me that I might seek a favor from Ozpin.

Deciding to act on this plan, I rise from my computer, throw on a comfortable t-shirt and pajama pants, and head out of my cramped closet. My destination: Ozpin's Tower. As I make my way there, I unexpectedly encounter Blake on a balcony, taking in the quiet night. I approach her.

I join Blake at the railing, leaning on it as we both take in the night view. "Not sleepy?" I inquire.

"No, just a lot on my mind," Blake responds.

"Penny for your thoughts?" I ask, pulling out a penny.

Blake accepts the penny, hesitating before speaking, "I-... How can you be so calm and forgiving to Cardin?" she asks desperately.

I meet her gaze, "Well, I think people have different upbringings and only know what they've learned so far. I forgave him because I believe people can be redeemed and be greater than what they once were. I remember a quote from a movie – 'Every person deserves a chance at redemption, without that hope, we may never achieve everlasting peace.' Cheesy, I know, but it's a good quote. To put it simply, People can learn from their mistakes and be redeemed," I finish.

"Sorry, I find it hard to believe that anyone can be redeemed," Blake says, a tear falling down her cheek.

"I think it depends on how hard the person and the people around them to try and help them redeem themselves. Sometimes it takes a friend to help a friend, no matter how low they get. It takes time and effort. It depends on you, how far you are willing to go to help save them," I add.

Blake returns to the railing, her gaze fixed on the night sky. "I had a friend who I cared for dearly. I don't know if I can forgive him or if he can even redeem his actions," she confesses.

"Sometimes it's hard to forgive them, and sometimes you need to hit their head hard enough to set them straight," I remark. Turning to leave, I offer a parting sentiment to Blake, "Goodnight, Blake."

Seems like Blake is still struggling with Adam.

Noticing it was getting late, I decided not to waste any more time, I web-sling up to Ozpin's tower. I navigate through a vent, peering down to see Ozpin looking out the window. I drop down, press the elevator button, and casually make my way toward him, pretending to walk out when the elevator doors open.

"Hey Oz, I need a favor," I call out from across the room.

Ozpin turns to me, cup of coffee in hand. "Ah, Mr. Parker, what is it you need?"

"I need Atlesian knights for a project."

"A project? For what exactly?"

"I want to install an AI into Atlesian knights."

"Interesting. And what's the purpose of this?"

"Well, I'm starting a company and need them to do the heavy lifting."

Ozpin ponders for a moment, considering my request.

Ozpin sets down his cup of coffee, his expression thoughtful. "Mr. Parker, integrating AI into Atlesian knights is no small request. It raises questions of ethics, security, and potential consequences. While I understand your desire for progress, such endeavors must be approached with great care."

I nod, recognizing the gravity of what I'm asking. "I assure you, Professor Ozpin, I've considered the implications. The AI will be programmed for labor and assistance, and nothing more."

Ozpin continues to regard me with a measured gaze. "Very well, Mr. Parker. I'll grant your request under the condition that you adhere to strict ethical guidelines. This is a significant responsibility."

"Thank you, Professor Ozpin. I appreciate your trust, and I'll make sure to approach this with care."

Ozpin nods, acknowledging our conversation's conclusion. "Good luck with your endeavors, Mr. Parker."

With that, I leave Ozpin's office, But as I turn to leave Ozpin's office, he stops me with a call, "Mr. Parker, wait."

I pause, turning back to face him. Ozpin reaches into his pocket and tosses me a set of keys. "An old Beacon warehouse, I think you'll be needing it."

"Thanks, Oz," I say, catching the keys.

Ozpin nods, his gaze returning to the night sky, and I take my leave.

With the keys to an old Beacon warehouse and plans for integrating AI into Atlesian Knights, it seems like I have everything I need for my new venture—world domination *cough* *cough*—I mean, starting a gaming company. The decision to step back from being Spider-Man doesn't seem so bad now; it grants me a lot of free time.

The idea of crafting a new weapon crosses my mind. The hand-me-down from Raven has served its purpose, but it's time for an upgrade. A Buster sword sounds nice.