[RWBY] RWBY Shorts

[mgl1206]

You know what I need rn? More of Jaune being a leader, a planner, a general. That's what I need. Because he's always said to be an excellent leader and very good at planning but it's never shown or sorely underrepresented and misrepresented.

 

[mgl1206]

A fun premise for a crack fic that was posted on the SB thread was team RWBY, being disaster prone and rather self destructive, are in bad financial shape. Jaune though is doing well for himself and so...

- - -

Jaune Arc checked the address. He looked at the apartment building that had definitely seen better days. He checked the address again. He shook his head.



He walked up to the door, and knocked on it. He waited.



The door opened a crack.



"H-Hey, so, um, the rent's gonna be a little late and I know you're angry but-"



"Ruby?" Jaune asked. The door fully opened. The girl's silver eyes widened. She was in nothing but her panties and what looked like her old uniform shirt from Beacon-Which had been patched several times.



"Jaune?!" Ruby gasped. Her face brightened, and she hugged him. "JAUNE!"



He hugged her back tightly, laughing. He swung her around. He then set her back down. Ruby pouted up at him.



"You keep getting taller! It's not fair!"



"Sorry, it's how it works," Jaune said with a shrug. Ruby beamed.



"What brought you here?"



"Oh, well, uh, my sister Lilac is finally getting married and I wanted to invite you all," he said, "I couldn't seem to find your Scroll number anymore, so I tracked you down."



"Ruby? Who is it?" Yang's voice echoed from inside. "If it's the landlady, I'll handle it! What's one more concussion to her-?"



She came around the corner and gaped. She too was in very little.



"J-Jaune!" Yang gasped happily. Jaune waved, keeping his eyes on her forehead.



"Hey Yang!"



"Jaune?!" Weiss gasped. She poked her head around the corner. Her eyes widened. She then sped up to him, dressed in a house dress that had seen far better days. "Please! Come in! Don't mind the mess! Or our state of dress! Have some tea!"



"Hey Weiss! I uh, sure, no problem...?" Jaune managed. He took in the state of their dwelling with a growing sense of disbelief every step he took. Spartan was a good word for it. Cluttered as well: Pieces of weapons, mending or drying clothes, and endless job applications. It was amazing how it seemed so barebones and so messy at the same time.



Blake was outside on the cluttered balcony, sunning herself in her bra and panties. Weiss scowled at her.



"Blake! We have a visitor!"



Blake rolled over and paid Jaune with an intense stare.



"Jaune?" She gasped.



"Ah, hey," Jaune said with a smile as Weiss set him down at their ragged table. Blake got up and pulled on her yukata-Which had also seen better days.



"What are you doing here? N-Not that it's not nice to see you, and all," Blake managed.



"It's amazing you know his name," Yang snarked, "Given how little you talked to him since we met."



"It's amazing you treat him nicely, given how you barely acknowledged his existence, too," Blake growled back. The two began to bicker as Weiss brought over some tea and Ruby sat with Jaune.



"They broke up, it was messy," Ruby confided in him. Jaune slowly nodded, and took tea from Weiss with a strained, polite smile.



"Ah. Thank you, Weiss."



"Anything for you, Jaune," Weiss said with a smile.



Jaune sipped the tea and hid his grimace-He'd had to endure his sister's experiments in tea for a long time, after all. An ironing board fell out of the wall, which Ruby caught just in time before it brained him.



"Ah, sorry!" Ruby said, shoving it back into place, "You okay?"



"Yeah, just fine," Jaune said with a smile. "I uh... So..." He looked around, "This... Doesn't seem like where I expected you all to be."



Blake and Yang paused in their fighting. Ruby's smile became very brittle. Blake coughed.



"Ah, well... I mean, with the Grimm vanishing and all... And my parents being voted out of office for gross incompetence..." Blake shrugged.



"What a shocker that was," Weiss snarked. Blake glared death at the Schnee heiress.



"Like you can talk! Your father's entire empire collapsed overnight and left you nothing!"



"Well-I-You-!" Weiss sputtered before she huffed.



"At the very least, we're not Yang and Ruby!"



"HEY!" Yang and Ruby growled.



"So what if he's a deadbeat?!" Yang demanded. "He wasn't pure evil OR a politician!"



"And I'm sure he's totally happy with that rich heiress who won't get bored of him when she gets out of her DILF fetish!" Weiss sneered.



"Why you-!"



Ruby cleared her throat. Very loudly. Yang and Weiss stopped but kept glaring at each other. Blake was also angry but kept silent.



"So... How are things with you?" Ruby managed with forced cheer.



Jaune sipped his tea and debated internally about how to break this... And decided to be tactful.



"I'm good. I'm almost finished with medical school, and my mom's got a residency lined up for me at our hospital," he said.



Four pairs of eyes all looked intently at him.



"You-You're a doctor?" Weiss sputtered.



"Well um, I got into medical school before I ran off to Beacon," Jaune said, "Pretty sure I mentioned it a few times?"



Blank stares. Even on Ruby. Jaune sighed.



Well, it's not like I remember everything they told me about their lives, right?



"But I wanted to be a Huntsman so bad... But uh, yeah. My Semblance makes it pretty easy, too. I've been staying at the family farm while I studied and I've also been working at the brewery."



"You... Your family owns a brewery?" Yang asked. Jaune nodded.



"Yeah. A big one. We expanded it along with the farm last year..."



"Oh... That... That's great, Jaune," Ruby said with a smile, "That's super great! Good for you!"



"Very," Blake muttered, staring at Jaune with a strange expression. Yang blinked rapidly, then looked to the side.



"So uh..."



"Um..."



"Er..."



Jaune looked at all the girls. He really did care for them, honest! Even after everything. How could you not be fond of the people you saved the world with?



"Right, well," Jaune coughed, "Like I said, I'm inviting you all to my sister's wedding." He held out the invitations. Each girl took one.



"Oh, wonderful," Weiss sighed, "I got to work a wedding once! I got to take home some of the cake leftovers... Er... Um..." Her eyes dipped.



"Least you got to keep your leftovers," Yang grumbled. "I came out of a cake at a bachelor party. Couldn't keep anything..."



Silence fell. The ironing board fell onto his head. Naturally, his Aura protected him. But as the ironing board had none, it snapped in two and fell to the floor.



"Oh no!" Ruby cried, falling to her knees. "I'm so sorry Jaune-Oh no! How do I fix this?!"



"We could steal the neighbor's ironing board," Blake suggested.



"They added more pitbulls," Weiss whined.



"And those bites hurt," Yang groaned.



Jaune finally came to a decision.



"You know what? There's a cottage on our land," he said, "That you all can stay in, since we've got so many guests in the house. It's small, but it has four bedrooms. You all can stay."



Four pairs of eyes again stared at him. Jaune smiled.



"I mean, you girls really could use a vacation, with how hard you've been working," he said, "And uh, you'll have to clean it and maintain it. And maybe do some chores around the farm. But other than that? You'd be fine to stay while you... You figure things out."



"We-We wouldn't want to impose," Weiss said, her manners coming into play, "Or be a-a burden-"



"Do you have hot water?" Yang asked, direct as always. Jaune nodded. Yang cheered. "YES! We're in! Um, for the wedding! N-Not that-I mean, work will just have to get along without us!"



"Weddings are more importan than our careers after all!" Blake nodded furiously. "We-We can help with that too!"



"Only if you want," Jaune said with a smile, "You're my guests, after all."



"Absolutely!" Weiss gushed. "I love weddings! Do you think I can keep leftovers?"



"All you like," Jaune said with a nod.



Ruby hugged Jaune tightly. She sniffled.



"Thank you," she whispered into his ear, "Thank you...!"



Jaune patted her on the back with a smile.



"Hey... We world-saving heroes have to stick together, right?"



After all, they were his friends. They'd been there for him in his darkest hours.



... Well okay, Nora and Ren had been there for him in his darkest hours. And sometimes Ruby and Yang. Once Weiss... Never Blake... But the point was, they were his friends, and he was definitely not going to let them stay in a ratty apartment if he could help it. Heck, being here with them like this? It felt like old times.



If he had to massage the truth a little to let them keep their pride? He would do it. It was worth it.



There was a very insistent knock at the door. All four girls of RWBY's eyes widened.



"Crap, it's the landlady!" Yang hissed.



"Out the back window!" Blake wailed. "Take everything you can carry!"



"Don't forget the coupons!" Ruby cried. "Or my tools!"



Yup. Definitely just like old times.



- - -

Click to shrink...

My head canon now is that Weiss while excellent at managing an already running business, cannot for the life of her figure out how to get one started and keep it going till it's profitable .

Yang must be in despair at the state of her hair and the lack of care it has.

Ruby, I can picture her longingly looking at weapon parts and magazines through the window of a store unable to buy them.

Blake is the most comfortable with their situation having spent so long in the wild with the WF but the lack of fish she'd gotten used to at Beacon eats at her like nothing else. She's been trying to make ends meet as a commissioned writer .

 

[SharkCultist]

My head canon now is that Weiss while . She's been trying to make ends meet as a commissioned writer .

Click to shrink...

"You were supposed to be writing manuals for hospice care guidelines."

"Yes."

"THIS IS PORN!"

"I'm sure those patients feel very cared for."

 

[mgl1206]

Jaune being an absolute beast of a healer, tank, and DPS but only at close range is funny to me. He's basically Reinhardt but can Mercy himself and a semi active ability that is an all around boost to literally ALL of his stats. And can be shared with another.

His only downsides are that he's only had two years of training (and yet can still fight the Ace Ops to a standstill) and has little to no range but good luck beating his aura before he gets in range. And finally that his semblance so far has to be in contact. But even then it's been shown in a few instances that direct contact isn't necessary. So if he trains? Well yeah. Fuck his enemies if he has allies, or even if he doesn't .

 

[SharkCultist]

Hmm so was thinking of After the End stuff for team RWBY (prompted by the broke bitches prompt) but in a more serious and cathartic way.

Where would they end up?

I can see Blake ending up as a teacher funnily enough. She likes books and stuff, and she's big against racism. So helping teach values to kids would be something she could support.

Yang... probably a mechanic or maybe working as a teacher alongside Blake. She loves her bike and we know she's got some motherlyness to her. Plus keep close to the girlfriend. So maybe gym class or shop class for older students.

Funnily enough I never had any hesitation in where I saw Ruby ending up. I always thought Ruby if she wasn't a huntress would end up a baker. Sweets make people happy and she loves making people happy. And there's the well known liking of cookies she has.

The only one I stutter on is Weiss. Not just because I'm not a fan of her character but because I'm honestly not sure. It depends on how the series ends because of say, magic comes back to Remnant. Well that's pretty much the end of dust, and thus the end of the family dust company which has been in her sights the entire time. Sure she could make a other company but like I said her entire business knowledge and model is based off of dust which may be may not exist post series.

I guess she should end up slumming up with one of her teammates, or funnily enough maybe send her to menagerie. She might not know how to make money but she should still understand budgeting and expenses, could help out there some.

 

[SharkCultist]

So in one of the previous snips I made I mentioned a place called Bulla Boka.

I'm gonna expand on that for a tiny little bit of world building.

---

Bulla Boka is the shame of menagerie. It's also the most profitable city in the entire kingdom.

When the faunus rights revolution happened and all of the faunus slaves were freed some of them didn't want freedom.

These were mainly Bovine faunus who were treated much better than other faunus at the time. The males being valued for their high strength and stamina and the females valued for.....other reasons.

However after being forcible freed and relocated there was some bad blood between them and the other faunus. The others saw them as traitors and pets and they saw the others as people who ruined a good thing they had going.

So for the most part they kept separate and while the rest of menagerie resented Atlas the people on the island of Bulla Boka welcomed them happily.

But they did need a way to make money, so they leveraged the skills they did have available.

Being hot or muscular, and knowing how to keep rich people happy.

The island became well known for its many live shows both adult and otherwise, its many forms of gambling and games to play, and the beautiful and friendly residents.

Essentially it became a premium vacation spot. It's also in a strange legal situation because it's still technically part of menagerie so it's not subject to other places laws outside of ones all kingdoms adhere to. But it also doesn't really listen to the rest of the kingdom.

So it's become a bit of a crime hotbed and place for rich people to dodge the law since they don't have a extradition policy.

 

[Brian Boru]

So in one of the previous snips I made I mentioned a place called Bulla Boka.

I'm gonna expand on that for a tiny little bit of world building.

---

Bulla Boka is the shame of menagerie. It's also the most profitable city in the entire kingdom.

When the faunus rights revolution happened and all of the faunus slaves were freed some of them didn't want freedom.

These were mainly Bovine faunus who were treated much better than other faunus at the time. The males being valued for their high strength and stamina and the females valued for.....other reasons.

However after being forcible freed and relocated there was some bad blood between them and the other faunus. The others saw them as traitors and pets and they saw the others as people who ruined a good thing they had going.

So for the most part they kept separate and while the rest of menagerie resented Atlas the people on the island of Bulla Boka welcomed them happily.

But they did need a way to make money, so they leveraged the skills they did have available.

Being hot or muscular, and knowing how to keep rich people happy.

The island became well known for its many live shows both adult and otherwise, its many forms of gambling and games to play, and the beautiful and friendly residents.

Essentially it became a premium vacation spot. It's also in a strange legal situation because it's still technically part of menagerie so it's not subject to other places laws outside of ones all kingdoms adhere to. But it also doesn't really listen to the rest of the kingdom.

So it's become a bit of a crime hotbed and place for rich people to dodge the law since they don't have a extradition policy.

Click to shrink...

So are the females absurdly busty Shortstacks that make everyone else wonder about the logistics between them and their Bull Beaus?

Because if so I think I know where your reference for the Locals of Bulla Boka come from.

 

[SharkCultist]

So are the females absurdly busty Shortstacks that make everyone else wonder about the logistics between them and their Bull Beaus?

Because if so I think I know where your reference for the Locals of Bulla Boka come from.

Click to shrink...

All the guys and girls come in either tall as fuck or smol. But yes the women are quite...gifted.

 

[ThunderBasilisk]

Wonder how Jaune would react to the place? Some ladies used to work on his family's farm before their forceful relocation and the kept in touch in the many years after? Kek wonder how racist Blake would be against them?

 

[SharkCultist]

Wonder how Jaune would react to the place? Some ladies used to work on his family's farm before their forceful relocation and the kept in touch in the many years after? Kek wonder how racist Blake would be against them?

Click to shrink...

Considering the island has a very high amount of Bovine faunus and her psycho ex is a bull?

She might be a bit bias.

 

[LordofBones]

Yup. Definitely just like old times.
- - -

Click to shrink...

Oh dear, this is just like Blake's smut literature; a kind rich and handsome man plucks a poor, bedraggled and yet stunningly attractive catgirl off the streets and gives her a place in his household, not knowing that she's an impoverished princess.

Yang...Yang has to take care of Ruby, right? Ruby's talented and needs just a little boost, and maybe she can bargain with Jaune...on her knees...under his desk...and the more Ruby needs, the more Yang has to offer with the only thing she has-

Nora: "RENNY! Yang's nose is bleeding all over the tablecloth!"

Considering the island has a very high amount of Bovine faunus and her psycho ex is a bull?

She might be a bit bias.

Click to shrink...

Blake's imagination runs wild when some of them recognize Jaune and are more than happy to welcome him.

Bonus points if some were in genuine service to the Arc family - loyal butlers and stewards and maids.

 

[SharkCultist]

So a fun and dumb idea but let's say Ozpin when he became a hermit wizard went a bit....odd. and that may have influenced the creation of the maidens.

Pyrrha: "You know this Grimm invasion becomes a lot less intimidating when you're wearing a sparkly miniskirt and flowery pigtails."

Cinder: "I can't help it damn it this outfit just appears whenever I try to use magic! I'm just glad that now I've got the full maiden power I'm not half naked."

Pyrrha: "are you sure about that? Because that is a VERY short skirt."

*Que explosion and scream of rage from cinder*

 

[Gur40]

So a fun and dumb idea but let's say Ozpin when he became a hermit wizard went a bit....odd. and that may have influenced the creation of the maidens.

SNIP

Click to shrink...

Sooo how does Raven deal with that? Does she make Vernal dress scanticlad 24/7, and her 'robe' cover her outfit change?
And how do Penny and Winter deal with it later...

Ruby: KO'd after see's Penny in magical outfit 2 sizes to small*

 

[SharkCultist]

Sooo how does Raven deal with that? Does she make Vernal dress scanticlad 24/7, and her 'robe' cover her outfit change?
And how do Penny and Winter deal with it later...

Ruby: KO'd after see's Penny in magical outfit 2 sizes to small*

Click to shrink...

Raven deals with it using alternative stealth. Nobody can spread it around if there is no body to spread it around. I mean outside of salems group and Ozpins pretty much nobody knows about the maidens rules.

Winter deals with it like a soldier. Someone used to communal bathing and sleeping in a room with 40 other people. (But sometimes she wishes Qrow and her mom didn't spoil the idea of being a alcoholic for her.)

Penny is by far the least prepared. See her dad knew she might get maidened up when she was a robot so he installed holographic censor bar projectors.

He never even considered she could become a flesh and blood person so her maiden transformation then was a surprise to everyone.

 

[Gur40]

Raven deals with it using alternative stealth. Nobody can spread it around if there is no body to spread it around. I mean outside of salems group and Ozpins pretty much nobody knows about the maidens rules.

Winter deals with it like a soldier. Someone used to communal bathing and sleeping in a room with 40 other people. (But sometimes she wishes Qrow and her mom didn't spoil the idea of being a alcoholic for her.)

Penny is by far the least prepared. See her dad knew she might get maidened up when she was a robot so he installed holographic censor bar projectors.

He never even considered she could become a flesh and blood person so her maiden transformation then was a surprise to everyone.

Click to shrink...

Now i want an AU were during the fall Maiden Winter vs Maiden Cinder as a curbstomp of Cinder losing it as Winter x her summons vs Cinder Army who each death adds to Winters army and i just wrote sung jin woo

 

[SharkCultist]

Now i want an AU were during the fall Maiden Winter vs Maiden Cinder as a curbstomp of Cinder losing it as Winter x her summons vs Cinder Army who each death adds to Winters army and i just wrote sung jin woo

Click to shrink...

Everyone laughs at the pink ice summons until they figure out that's frozen blood

 

[Gur40]

Everyone laughs at the pink ice summons until they figure out that's frozen blood

Click to shrink...

Winter is hardcore using both fallen Fang and Grimm as fuel to overwhelm Cinder
Also was taking to a friend that send we lost Gremlin Ruby when Pyrrha died anyone got any points in canon were Ruby acted like a Gremlin again?
also since Winter as a Maiden is stomping Cinder Pyrrha lives!
Thought is there is the funnier half maiden idea were both cinder and Pyrrha end up looking like something out of kill la kill

 

[LordofBones]

So a fun and dumb idea but let's say Ozpin when he became a hermit wizard went a bit....odd. and that may have influenced the creation of the maidens.

Pyrrha: "You know this Grimm invasion becomes a lot less intimidating when you're wearing a sparkly miniskirt and flowery pigtails."

Cinder: "I can't help it damn it this outfit just appears whenever I try to use magic! I'm just glad that now I've got the full maiden power I'm not half naked."

Pyrrha: "are you sure about that? Because that is a VERY short skirt."

*Que explosion and scream of rage from cinder*

Click to shrink...

Pyrrha is the last person to comment on skirt length. Lil' Miss Miniskirt-and-Boobplate is the opposite; Cinder flashes but Pyrrha teases.

 

[SharkCultist]

Pyrrha is the last person to comment on skirt length. Lil' Miss Miniskirt-and-Boobplate is the opposite; Cinder flashes but Pyrrha teases.

Click to shrink...

When I say "miniskirt" you could read it as "slightly frilly belt"

Pyrrha is just being nice.

 

[AndrewJTalon]

- - -

It was a tight fit in the rocket locker, but Jaune was all too familiar with making calls when trapped in them (thanks Cardin). He got his Scroll out and dialed the first people on his call list even as he was jostled and slammed around. Still, he got his message out:

"Ruby! Weiss! You need to go help Pyrrha out! She's fighting Cinder alone! And Cinder's got-She's got some kind of power boost! They're at the top of Beacon Tower, help her! Please!"

Thankfully, Ruby answered-Apparently for both herself and Weiss.

"We're on it, Jaune! Just hold on, we'll-!"

The rocket locker landed hard on the ground. Jaune barely stayed on his feet and was slammed around. He cradled his Scroll in his arms, trying to protect it. The locker shuddered to a halt, and Jaune sucked in a deep breath. He summoned up his Aura and punched through the door. He stumbled out into the light. He winced against the light, but his vision soon cleared.

He had landed in Hell: Grimm were rampaging all over the outer courtyard. Civilians were running and screaming. The smell of blood and smoke filled the air. Jaune looked around, taking a few deep breaths.

He was squeezing his Scroll tightly. A few Grimm Beowulves turned their red eyes and snarled at him. Fear filled him, and all of his old fears and insecurities reared their heads.

"I can't lose you… I love you. Goodbye…"

He shouldn't be here. He was never supposed to be here. Even Pyrrha didn't think he would. Why else would she send him away?

He was useless.

The weak link.

Nothing had changed, had it?

Nothing at all-

He saw a familiar Huntress-in-Training sitting against a nearby wall. Her head was bowed. She held onto a sniper rifle but she wasn't using it. A pack of Beowulves were advancing on her, yet she didn't seem to care.

Jaune took one last deep breath. He tucked his Scroll away and pulled his weapons out. He charged for the nearest Beowulf. It lunged for him, but he stunned it with his shield and slashed its head off. The rest of the Beowulves tried to flank Jaune, but he swung his blade hard and fast, his anger fueling him as Pyrrha's training guided him through every step and strike.

One two three… Four five six… Six three one…

In moments, the Grimm were all dusted. Jaune turned to the girl. She looked up, revealing her red hair and single visible blue-gray eye under her bulky hoodie.

"May, right?" Jaune asked quietly. She stared at him.

"Come on," he said, "We gotta get out there."

"I…" May trembled. "M-My team… They're all…"

Jaune looked around. He saw some remains in a pile some distance away. He covered his mouth and tried to focus on staying calm. He could recognize the clothes through the blood.

He took another deep breath. He turned back to May.

"I know," he said quietly, "I-I'm sorry. We can't change that. But we can save other people. Someone I really care about is fighting for her life-For all of us. We need to help her. I-I can't do it alone."

He held out his hand. May stared at it like it was something utterly alien.

"Come on," he said, "We can't… We can't let anyone else lose what you have."

May shivered for a moment. She took a deep breath. She took Jaune's hand. He yanked her up to her feet. Her eyes glowed gently and she gasped.

"DUCK!"

Jaune dropped instinctively as May pulled her sniper rifle and opened fire. Jaune looked over his shoulder: Two Grimm Ursas were falling apart. Jaune stood up, and looked back at May. She was panting hard, but stared at him intently. Jaune smiled.

"Good job," he said.

"I…" She nodded. "Y-Yes…"

She still couldn't look at what was left of her comrades. Jaune couldn't blame her… But he couldn't let her focus back on that.

"Come on, let's go," he said, pulling out his Scroll with one hand, while taking her hand with the other. He dialed his friends as he led her away to some pillars for cover.

"Nora, Ren! Pyrrha's fighting against Cinder at the top of Beacon Tower! We gotta back her up!"

Static blared at him, before Nora's voice came through.

"Jaune-Jaune?! You're okay?!"

"Yes," Jaune said, "We're near the outer dorms! We'll meet you at the library!"

"Gotcha! We'll see you there!" Nora cheered. "Don't worry, we've got this!"

Jaune nodded. He turned to May and held his sword and shield up.

"Can you make it to the library?"

May trembled, but managed a nod. Jaune nodded back and smiled even as it seemed like the world was falling down around them. His father had always met every battle with a big, bright smile.

A warrior never lets anyone see how scared he is. If he looks like he has no worries and they can win? Then victory is always possible.

"All right. Let's go!"

- - - -

"That's…" Yang gaped at Jaune before turning to May with a heartbroken expression. "May… I can't even…"

May slowly nodded, her eyes still down on the table. Arslan squeezed her hand tightly. Jaune for his part was able to reach over to squeeze May's other hand. May didn't look up but she seemed a little less tense.

Isabel cleared her throat.

"We can stop at any-"

"No," May murmured. "We… We keep going… I'm sorry."

Jaune looked over at Ren and Nora. Nora had tears in her eyes but she nodded.

"Renny and I were at the cafeteria," she said, "So we headed off to go and help Jaune-Jaune. We headed off and fought through a lot of Grimm and some White Fang jerks."

Ren nodded. He glanced over at Cardin, who was holding Velvet. The tall redheaded boy took a deep breath. He tightened his grip around the rabbit Faunus girl.

"At the same time…"

Velvet grimaced deeply.

"We… Well…"

"We came back to see the finals," Cardin said quietly, "My team I mean. When the attack happened, we were trying to defend people in the arena." He paused, his expression very dark. Velvet squeezed his hand tightly.

"We were trapped. We had two options: Hole up and hold out, or try to break through. So…"

- - -

Cardin growled as he held up the Executioner, crouched down behind some seats in the bottom row. Dove was at his right, Sky to his left, and Russel was behind them in support. A large crowd of civilians were behind them, as Grimm, Atlas drones and White Fang troops fired on them from all around the arena. Griffin Grimm were flying overhead.

"We gotta get out of here," Dove suggested, "We're pinned here."

"We could hole up, wait for reinforcements," Sky suggested, adjusting his goggles.

Cardin shook his head, slapping his mace against his palm.

"We can't! Atlas' fleet has left, we're on our own!"

"Yeah!" Russel growled. Cardin nodded.

"Besides! We can take 'em! What are a bunch of Grimm, tin cans and animals gonna do to us?" He smirked. "We're gonna smash through!"

Russel slammed his weapons together and grinned.

"Let's do it!"

Dove sucked in a deep breath and nodded.

"All right. It's better to not stay here."

"Russel!" Cardin ordered, "Let's open up a hole! Dove! Sky! Get 'em moving! On three! One! Two! THREE!"

Cardin and Russel stood up and unleashed Blast Dust shots at the nearest concentration of Grimm and White Fang. The resulting explosions blew a lot of chairs and bodies up into the air.

"COME ON! LET'S GO!" Sky shouted, and the civilians, with some encouragement, got up. Cardin and Russel charged ahead, as Dove and Sky opened fire on any other Grimm or White Fang who popped out of the smoke. They raced up the stairs of the arena, and made it out the gate into the concourse. Cardin swung Executioner and unleashed another Fire Blast, blowing through several drones. Dove unleashed several precise shots, leaping up into the air to fire several shots through drones.

Cardin looked around. He spotted a food stand with reinforced concrete walls around it. He swung his hand forward towards it.

"That way!" He shouted, over the cries of the civilians, "We'll use it for cover! RUSSEL! COVER!"

"ON IT!" Russel unleashed Ice Dust blasts, sending ice shrapnel ahead. He wiped out several Grimm in quick succession. Sky fired to the left, as Cardin led them towards the food counter.

"More incoming!" Sky shouted. Cardin looked behind them: Multiple drones and Grimm were charging from behind. The wide concourse meant they were out in the open.

"KEEP FIGHTING!" Cardin shouted. He ran ahead, as several drones charged at them. He swung Executioner and smashed through the first, then slammed his elbow into the next's head. He grabbed a third and threw it with a grunt at another group of Grimm.

"Cardin!" Dove shouted over the gunfire and shouts, "We're out in the open! We gotta go back!"

"NO! KEEP GOING!" Cardin barked, as Russel unleashed more Fire Dust blasts into a pack of Grimm. "WE GOTTA KEEP GOING!"

He looked out from the concourse railing to the grounds below. He smiled broadly: There weren't a lot of Grimm or other enemies down there. It would be tough, but they could make it! They just had to get down, find some shelter-

A massive metallic shape stomped through the grounds. Its huge rocket boosters ignited, and the form flew up through the air. Cardin's eyes widened as he scrambled back.

"FALL BACK! GET OUT OF THE WAY!" He shouted.

The gigantic Paladin mech landed on the concourse with an earthshaking thud. Concrete rained from above as the giant robot stomped and turned towards them, its huge guns coming to bear.

The civilians screamed and panicked, running back. Sky tried to keep control but they fell into a chaotic rabble. He had to jump up over them to stay out of the way, landing with the rest of the team.

"TAKE IT DOWN!" Cardin shouted, charging in. The Paladin's gatling gun opened up, and he held up his arms and Executioner while powering up his Aura to protect himself. The shots bounced off him at first, but the giant robot unleashed a cannon blast next and Cardin was sent flying.

"CARDIN!" Russel shouted. He swung his revolvers and sent Ice Dust sheets against the Paladin. The ice crawled up the legs as Sky and Dove fired on it repeatedly. The Paladin struggle through the ice, but continued to fire.

Cardin got up, shook his head free of his daze, and charged again. Dove and Sky fired repeatedly as they flanked the Paladin, while Russel unleashed more Dust blasts. Cardin rammed the Executioner into the side of the mech's leg and unleashed Blast Dust at point blank range.

The metallic knee of the Paladin exploded. Cardin unleashed another blast, and another. The Paladin turned and opened fire. Cardin ducked and dashed between the robot's legs, running behind it and pointing the Executioner at the small of its back while Russel unleashed another Blast Dust shot at the chest of the Paladin.

The Paladin shuddered.

"RUSSEL! LIGHTNING DUST!" Cardin shouted.

Russel unleashed a blast of Lightning Dust at the Paladin. It shuddered again before collapsing. Cardin grinned. Sky cheered. Russel whooped.

"YEAH!" Cardin cheered. "We did it!"

"We have the tools, we have the talent!" Russel whooped.

"OH YEAH!" Sky laughed.

Dove frowned.

"Guys? I think this is very bad."

The Paladin began to shake and shudder. The Dust reactor began to glow and heat up. Cardin's eyes widened.

"RUN!" Cardin shouted. Dove, Sky and Russel turned, rushing back towards the civilians who had been hiding in the gate. Cardin tried to run around the Paladin… When its right arm cannons fired off a leftover round.

The blast erupted right under Cardin's feet and sent him flying off of the concourse. He fell from the balcony down to the ground. He slammed in hard, breaking the concrete underneath him, face first as the Paladin exploded and everything went black.

Cardin groaned. His ears were ringing and his despite his Aura, he was sore all over. He was covered in rubble. He surged his Aura. He pushed himself back up, shoving the concrete aside. He looked back up at the arena. His jaw dropped.

The entire side of the arena facing him was on fire, with a massive hole in multiple levels. Debris fell like rain while the levels sagged and shuddered.

"Guys! GUYS-!"

He pulled out his Scroll and hit the radio mode.

"DOVE! SKY! RUSSEL!"

Static was his only answer. Cardin grit his teeth.

"GUYS!"

His Scroll stuttered and he heard Dove's voice.

"Cardin… Get out… We'll-!"

The transmission cut out. Cardin shook it furiously.

"Dove?! DOVE?! ANYONE?!"

He stared at the rubble. It was like there was just nothing. All he could see was flames and rubble.

Then bullets whizzed by his head.

"Shit, shit!"

He looked over to see White Fang troops and Grimm advancing on his position. He turned and ran for it as the rounds whizzed over his head. He clenched his free fist as he sprinted away.

"Damnit, damnit, damnit…!"

These animals had… Had killed his team… His team…!

They were working with the Grimm! How in the hell could someone work with the Grimm?!

What the hell was going on?!

He just kept running. An Ursa charged in front of him, but he slammed Executioner down on its skull and it fell apart as it died. He kept running, as fast as he could, until he came to a stop near the Elpaba courtyard. He could see people running and screaming, fires burning, Grimm snarling and attacking while Hunters and Huntresses and even police fought White Fang terrorists. He panted for breath.

Which was when a Grimm Ursa roared. He looked to the right and saw the Ursa charging him. He stared, his entire body feeling numb.

A stream of red Dust bullets tore through the Grimm and it evaporated. Cardin looked over at one of the stone fountains. Coco Adel glared at him over her gatling gun.

"WINCHESTER!" She barked, as the rest of her team fought furiously nearby, "MAKE YOURSELF USEFUL!"

Yatsuhachi swung his sword furiously, taking out several Grimm with every blow. Fox dashed about, taking out Grimm with punches. Velvet was treating an injured civilian woman behind the fountain.

"M-My team is at the Arena!" Cardin tried, "They need help-!"

"So do we!" Coco shouted. "BEHIND YOU!"

Cardin turned and swung Executioner. He unleashed a Dust blast at point blank range, blowing apart two Beowulves. He panted hard. Coco let loose with more Gatling gun fire, tearing apart numerous Grimm and Atlas drones as they kept advancing on the evacuation route.

Cardin ran up, swinging hard to take out any enemies he could see. He made it to where Velvet was treating the old woman, providing her cover. The rest of Team CFVY advanced away from the fountain near some of the marble pillars, keeping Grimm and drones at bay.

Cardin looked up and saw several White Fang troops advancing on the courtyard. They weren't carrying rifles or swords alone though: They were hefting up rocket launchers.

"GET DOWN-!" He shouted. It was too late: They fired a massive barrage of rockets right at Team CVFY.

Coco tried to shoot them down, but they slammed into the ground nearby. Massive explosions went off, consuming Coco, Fox and Yatsuhashi. Cardin threw himself in front of Velvet, covering her with his body. Rubble and debris flew through the air and rained down on him.

"Guh…" Cardin groaned. Velvet pushed away and stood up. She looked behind him in horror. Cardin looked back. His face fell.

"GUYS!" Velvet screamed. The pillars had fallen, reduced into a pile of burning rubble.

"FOX! COCO! YATSU!" She shrieked. She tried to charge in, but Cardin pulled her back. "LET ME GO! LET ME-!"

Bullets whizzed over their heads. Cardin shoved her down behind the fountain. He grimaced as he peeked up over the fountain: The White Fang were coming through, targeting the civilians. The old woman nearby was gasping in desperation.

Cardin couldn't see anything beyond flames, smoke and rubble.

Just like my team… Just like…!

Velvet broke free of his arms and charged again. She ran up to the rubble, screaming the names of her teammates.

"COCO! FOX! YAT-UGH!"

A Dust round hit her, and she was slammed down to the ground. A White Fang soldier, leading a full troop, advanced on her. She struggled back onto her elbows. The White Fang trooper held up his rifle and pointed it at Velvet's head. As did the rest of them.

Do something, Cardin's mind screamed, even as his body remained frozen, Do something…!

Velvet looked up shakily, and gaped in horror at the soldier.

DO SOMETHING!

"RAWRRR!"

His yell got their attention. He slammed Executioner down and unleashed a Fire Dust blast at the ground underneath their feet. The tiled ground bucked and shattered from the force, sending debris up like shrapnel. Several of the White Fang troops fell screaming, while others opened fire. Cardin charged through, his Aura flaring, as he swung Executioner around. He unleashed more Fire Dust blasts, blasting the White Fang troops away.

One wielding a large chainsaw sword dodged around the blasts, and swung for Cardin. He held up Executioner and blocked the hit. There was enough force that it shoved him back. He took another hit, and another, and another. The chainsaw wielding Faunus was fast, and had full Aura. Cardin couldn't keep up, and another hit to his gut slammed him back into the rubble. Cardin grit his teeth and struggled back up. The White Fang Faunus held his chainsaw sword up overhead, a smug, bloody smirk on his face.

He couldn't see Velvet anywhere.

I've gone fucking insane, he thought, I'm dying to save an animal… After failing my team… Failing everyone…

Cardin summoned up some saliva, and spat it at the White Fang trooper as he swung down on him.

Well, he thought grimly, At least… I saved someone. At least… I did one thing right in my-

"AAUUUGHH!"

A hail of bullets tore the White Fang trooper apart. Cardin gaped, then looked to his right. Velvet jogged up, holding up a Hardlight Dust version of Coco's gatling gun. She was trembling, but her face was set. She reached down to Cardin. He took her hand as she pulled him up.

"Th-Thanks," he managed between labored breaths.

Velvet nodded back shakily. Her eyes were hard despite the tears in her eyes. They both looked and saw more White Fang troops and Grimm advancing.

"We'll hold them here," Cardin decided, looking around. "Can't let them get any further."

"And we won't leave a single bloody fuck alive," Velvet snarled, tightening her grip on her hardlight weapon.

As strange as it sounded… Cardin's heart skipped a beat and his cheeks turned red when he heard her accent come out.

He shook his head.

"Not a single one," he agreed.

Fuck, I really am going insane, he thought, reloading Executioner and getting ready for the next wave of enemies.

- - -

Velvet was softly crying into Cardin's shoulder as Yang stared at them. She looked back down at her hands. She again clenched her fists and unclenched them. She shut her eyes tightly.

All the while… I was unconscious, she thought, her guilt stabbing deeply into her chest.

"Maybe," Yang tried, "Maybe they survived? Mister Arc said they-they weren't listed as dead, right?"

Cardin sucked in a breath. He tried to speak, but Velvet turned her head from his chest and glared at her.

"No," she stated angrily. "No… I know. They were murdered."

A taut, awkward silence fell over the living room. Ruby bowed her head again. Ren was stoic as always, but his sorrow was evident in his body language. Jaune exhaled through his nostrils.

Nora cleared her throat softly.

"After that," Nora said quickly, though in a very quiet tone, "Renny and I fought our way towards the library. And we ran into Jaune-Jaune and Maya…"

 

[ThunderBasilisk]

What was different?

 

[AndrewJTalon]

What was different?

Click to shrink...

I added a LOT more to Cardin's POV.

 

[AndrewJTalon]

Jaune comes from a long line of harem protagonists. It's something that happens to the Arc Family members. But Jaune just wants to focus on becoming a Huntsman and a hero! Not have babies right now!

So Jaune is working as hard as possible to NOT fall in love with anyone. He tries various tactics, but they all seem to fail.

Each path:

Ruby is definitely the Little Sister/Genki Girl path, in that she's growing up into a woman and Jaune's growth into a man links them.

Yang is the Party Girl, the Outgoing Girl path with a bit of gyaru and a heart of gold. She also has family issues he could help resolve. She'd be a little like Makoto Kino/Sailor Jupiter: She kicks ass and is very strong, but is also very kind and domestic.

Weiss is the haughty tsundere Ice Queen path whom Jaune melts.

Blake is the kuudere with a dark and mysterious past who heals with Jaune.

Pyrrha is the Sempai path, the mentor who is torn between expressing her feelings and her fear of destroying their friendship.

Glynda is the older woman/Teacher path, who has denied herself romance but her heart is being awakened by this young man's kindness and courage.

Arslan could be (if you use my fanon) a Religious Girl and other Sempai path, complicated by her rivalry/friendship with Pyrrha.

May could be the Shy Girl path, helping to bring her out of her shell and grow as a person as she silently admires Jaune (kind of like Hinata from Naruto).

Cinder and/or Emerald of course is the Bad Girl, whom Jaune must redeem with the power of love.

Neo is the fun Yandere/Bad Girl: Romancing her is just as dangerous as rejecting her but she could become a good person if Jaune is strong enough.

Winter would be a variation on the Tsundere Ice Queen/Older Sister/Sempai Path.

Naturally Jaune doesn't want to have a harem so him focusing on one girl but inadvertently making them all compete for him harder could be fun. But what other things might he try to avoid his fate?

 

[TheFabulousCustodes]

Naturally Jaune doesn't want to have a harem so him focusing on one girl but inadvertently making them all compete for him harder could be fun. But what other things might he try to avoid his fate?

Click to shrink...

Jaune decides to take religious vow's from the Table Breaker church to become a Paladin like his father, thinking they come with a vow of chastity.

Turns out it's actually to be fruitful.....

 

[SharkCultist]

By trying to avoid a harem he triggers the universe to fuck him over.

Leading to him getting transformed into a girl and suddenly all the bros he was hanging out with to avoid harem shenanigans.

Become the harem shenanigans.

 

[AndrewJTalon]

Nick and Isabel did have harems, but they were largely oblivious to it.

Nick's Harem:

Isabel Arc (Tsundere)
Glynda Goodwitch (Kuudere)
Willow Schnee (Ojousama)
Sienna Khan (Catgirl Tsundere)
Professor Peach (Was the studious type who loved nature and got along well with Nick on nature, too shy to spit out her feelings)
Professor Mombi (Shy Academic Interest, since she's Beacon's Librarian)
Summer Rose (Friend and Bakadere who was a possible path but gave up early on for Taiyang)
Raven Branwen (Bad Girl Path, who gave up on him and went for Taiyang instead)

Isabel's Harem:

Nick (Good Guy, Idiot Hero)
James Ironwood (Stoic, Reserved, admired her greatly but kept expecting her to pick up on his subtle overtures. Was also a fanboy of her Nana Arturia)
Qrow Branwen (Cheerful Idiot with a Dark Past, he liked her a lot but his feelings never went anywhere with her or with Summer, so he eventually gave up on love)
Kurenai Kitamura (Lone Mistralian Swordsman who kept challenging Nick to duels to impress Isabel, thinking his martial prowess was the most important thing and if he proved he was the greatest Swordsman on Remnant, of course she would love him! She did not.)
Count Caliban Testoasa (Yandere, Asshole Lord who tried to blackmail her into becoming his bride and was defeated by Team AARN and STRQ's collective efforts. Nick beat him in one on one combat and the guy was buried alive in his own castle.)
Mercer Sith Sr (Childhood Friend who cared very deeply for her, but she only saw him as a brother. He gradually accepted this when he met Nick and gave them his blessing)
Roman Torchwick (Bad Boy Path)
Professor Oobleck (Entirely One-sided: Isabel had a massive crush on Oobleck and she was her ideal man, or so she thought. He gently let her down)

 

[SharkCultist]

Had a dark and kinda sad idea.

Jaune Arc is delusional and his semblance is not helping things.

We're not even sure if Jaune is his real name.

He's a orphan with some serious mental issues. And enough aura to rival a small kingdom. Which funnily enough doesn't really help those issues.

Jaune has somehow convinced himself he comes from a long line of heroes with a huge family.

And his semblance of making autonomous constructs has only deepened that delusional state.

It's gotten to the point where his semblance created a entire town for him! And now he wants to go to beacon.

Luckily there's a little logic left in his head so he's not bringing his entire construct village with him but we do still have to worry about "surprise visits" from "family".

Also the only actual real friend he has? Not helping. Neo seems content to let Jaune live out his delusions in his own personal wonderland and has actively been hindering attempts to get Jaune therapy or other help.

 

[Gur40]

SNIP

Luckily there's a little logic left in his head so he's not bringing his entire construct village with him but we do still have to worry about "surprise visits" from "family".

Also the only actual real friend he has? Not helping. Neo seems content to let Jaune live out his delusions in his own personal wonderland and has actively been hindering attempts to get Jaune therapy or other help.

Click to shrink...

So Jaune constantly making a literal TOWN??
and childhood friends with NEO!?!
Jaune being linked to the madhouse called the Ever After just makes sense
Wait angst to heart warming idea the Anime Grimm the Nightmare, Pyrrha Ren Nora and Ruby all enter Jaune Nightmare and learn his secret and comfort him/help him let go / learn he read about the Arc family from a book of the King of Vale
as Orphans Ren and Nora get it and Ruby and Pyrrha are close enough with Jaune that he never had to tell lies just be himself!

 

[The Sleepless One]

Finally finished this.

---

Cowboys of Remnant: Yang 'Em High

When Yang came to him asking for a "super important favor," Jaune was more than willing to assist. He helped his friends through thick and thin, and she was definitely among the thickest.

... He would keep that thought to himself.

The point being, he was more than willing to help her as, despite her outrageous flirting and innuendo, she was a brave, strong, reliable and warm young woman who he was proud to call one of his best friends.

He just didn't think helping her would involve clinging to her, admittedly very nice, midriff as she weaved her motorcycle around and through evening traffic on their way into downtown Vale. It was all a blur, seeing as it was taking all his concentration to hold on to the girl, the bike, and his hat.

"I miss Orleans," Jaune muttered into the golden mane enveloping his head as Yang wove Bumblebee between two trucks, to the anger and honking of their drivers.

"What?" Yang shouted back to him. "I can't hear you over the wind!"

Jaune was too busy spitting strands of blonde hair out of his mouth to reply.

Yang slowed down as they pulled into a rougher part of Vale, eventually parking her bike outside of a rather disreputable looking establishment.

"Where are we?" Jaune asked as he clambered off the motorcycle, shaking his legs out. The blasted contraption was far too uncomfortable, especially compared to Orleans.

"The Bar With No Name," Yang stated proudly, stretching as she did so. Jaune avoided staring at the interesting things that did to her body, before her answer finally registered in his brain.

The cowboy blinked. "Is that its real name? Doesn't that mean it's 'The Bar With A Name' then?"

The brawler grinned. "Nope! It doesn't have a name, that's just what everyone calls it."

"But... isn't that what a name is?" He asked. "What folks call it?"

The other blonde slapped his back, staggering him. "Don't overthink it, stud. C'mon! The bartender is supposed to be the second best info broker in the city!" She sauntered off towards the entrance.

Jaune quickly caught up to her. "Second best? Why not the best one?"

"Let's just say, we've got a... complicated relationship."

"What do you even need an information broker for?" Jaune asked, noting how some of the locals were side-eying them.

Yang groaned. "Blake is being all… Blakey about the White Fang and Torchwick, so I decided to just ask the people whose jobs it is to know things. For a fee."

"Makes some sense, I reckon. Jus' surprised they work in a dump like this."

The cowboy took note of the dilapidated state of the building, the condition of the vehicles parked outside of it, and the looks the rough folks standing near the entrance were shooting at them and muttered, "Wish you'd let me bring more than just my revolver."

"C'mooooon," Yang drawled, shooting him a cocky look over her shoulder. "We won't even need your peashooter. 'Sides, the place is supposed to be neutral ground. No drawing weapons unless something's really wrong."

Jaune sighed. "I've got a bad feelin' 'bout this."

"Jaune, I'm a big girl, I can handle myself," she said with a mock glare.

"Never said you weren't," the cowboy protested. "But-"

"But nothing. I can handle this. You're just insurance."

"Yes ma'am," he sighed again.

_

The interior of The Bar With No Name was, in keeping with its outward appearance, borderline condemned. The smells of cheap beer, cigarette smoke, and stale sweat wafted through a large, dimly lit room filled with run-down furniture and even more run-down people. A few pool tables occupied the far end of the space, but only one appeared to have all four legs and actually be in use. Music, some song that was more screaming than instrumentation, poured out of a flickering jukebox in a close by corner. Knick-knacks of all sorts, from preserved Grimm bones to band posters to twisted chunks of metal that may have once been weapons, were mounted on the walls. A large woman wearing a jean vest covered in fabric patches tended the bar, serving beer in cloudy glass steins to the handful of patrons near her. Behind her, bottles of liquor of all kinds were stacked up against the wall, many in precarious positions.

It was, oddly enough, not the worst watering hole Jaune had ever been to.

Yang led the way to the bar, strutting between the tables and patrons without a care in the world, leaving Jaune to glare back at everyone shooting them dirty looks. Many looked away, but Jaune could feel others staring daggers at his back. An undercurrent of nervous tension ran through his body, but he thought back to what Mr. Duke had told him when dealing with some of the independent tribes they'd run into during cattle drives.

"It don't matter you're about to piss yourself in fear. You keep your pace even, your breath calm, and give every sonnovabitch in your path the most steely-eyed glare you can muster. That'll see you right."

It was pretty good advice, Jaune mused, seeing how quickly some of the older patrons looked away when he met their eyes.

Turning around, he leaned against the bar, keeping an eye out for trouble while his companion met with her contact.

"Hey, are you Momma K?" Yang asked the bartender.

"Who's askin'?" The woman behind the bar growled, as she turned one gimlet eye on the buxom blonde, the other misted over white with scars. Even more old marks of battle criss-crossed her face, giving her skin a weathered look. She was of height with Jaune, but far broader, packed with a thick layer of fat and an even thicker layer of muscle. Tattoos of all kinds wound up and down her exposed arms, but the cowboy couldn't tell what they all were in the dim light of the bar.

"Name's Yang," the blonde at his side replied. "I wanted to ask some questions."

The bartender grunted. "Yeah, I'm Momma K. If you wanna ask questions, then I better see some cash."

Yang placed a small stack of lien cards on the bar before murmuring in a low voice, "I'm good for it. But I want answers first."

Jaune tuned out the negotiations, instead focusing on the closest patrons. Nearly all of them were wearing denim jackets similar to Momma K's, although there was one odd man wearing a suit and red sunglasses. Said man seemed to freeze upon seeing Yang and made for the door shortly afterwards. Most of the other patrons were occupied in their drinks or games, but a handful kept wary eyes on the exchange going on at the bar, tension visible on their faces.

"That's bullshit!" exclaimed his companion, prompting Jaune to refocus on her.

"Torchwick ain't a man you want as an enemy, girl," the bartender growled in reply. "I'm doing you a favor, turning your ungrateful ass down. I didn't even take your money."

"All I'm hearing is that you're a coward!" Yang retorted, eyes flashing red.

"Watch yourself!" Momma K snarled, slamming two fists like ham hocks onto the bar. "I'm not gonna let some wannabe Huntress with more tits than brains run her mouth in my house!"

Yang slammed her fists right next to the older women's and leaned forward. "Well I'm not letting some old hag who's way past her prime and bitter about it stop me!"

"I'm a Huntress, girl. Became one through grit and determination!" the bartender retorted, her unclouded eye blazing. "What'd you do, spread your legs for the exam board?"

The brawler barked out a short and mean laugh. "You? A Huntress? You're scared of Torchwick! You'd piss yourself if you ever saw a Grimm."

"I've seen things that would haunt your nightmares, girl. And I've seen your kind before," the big woman ground out, low and menacing. "The kind that think being a Huntress is fun. You think you can wander the world, just having adventures and living life without a care! But you'll get hurt. You'll lose people. You'll give up. You're that kind of shallow."

Flame crept down Yang's golden mane, and her face twisted into a snarl of rage. "You don't know a thing about me! I'll never give up! And I definitely won't spend the rest of my life rotting away in some shitty dive bar!"

Jaune and the other patrons had been watching the exchange with a sense of mounting horror as the insults grew more severe but even they were unprepared for the sheer swiftness of the fist that slammed into Yang's face. With an earsplitting report, the blonde brawler was sent hurtling through the air before landing on the jukebox on the other side of the bar. For a few moments, there was nothing but silence before the younger Huntress clambered back to her feet. As she did so, the ancient contraption that had cushioned her fall sputtered to life and the plucking of a guitar echoed through the air.

"That's when everything went wrong...'' The voice of the singer crooned out from the music machine, filling the bar, as Yang charged the bartender with a scream of fury. Momma leaped onto the top of the counter, revealing a pair of ratty jeans covering one tree-trunk-like leg and an actual tree trunk serving as a peg leg. Momma K roared in turn as she met Yang's charge with her own, colliding with the burning blonde while still in the air. The two brawlers grappled and punched and kicked and snarled as their battle carried them all across the bar, tearing up their surroundings and any unfortunate bystanders.

Jaune, meanwhile, was occupied with the rest of the now hostile patrons of the establishment. Grabbing a stein off the counter, he smashed it into a man's face before giving him a solid kick to the gut, cracking his brownish aura and sending him hurtling through a table. Two more thugs rushed the cowboy but a jab apiece left both of them curled up on the floor, groaning in pain. Another went down when an expertly thrown ashtray caught him in the forehead and two more were knocked out of the fight when the cowboy clonked their heads together. Another goon attempted to brain Jaune over the head with a chair, but a swift kick to the crotch disabused him of the notion.

"Ninety-nine ways that you're willing to die!"

"Hell's bells! Don't even try if you ain't got aura!" Jaune snarled as he back-handed another man unconscious. He was gratified to see a solid half of his potential enemies break for the exits. The other half immediately shimmering in a variety of colors dampened his mood considerably.

"Break your mama heart now she startin' to cry!"

The aura empowered fighters were actually almost a challenge, even if most of them couldn't manage more beyond a basic shield and physical enhancement. Ducking under the fist of a woman blazing teal, Jaune launched two punches into her diaphragm, shattering her aura, before uppercutting her into the ceiling. With a rush of air, a man in a ten gallon hat suddenly appeared behind the cowboy, arms raised for a grab. He was unprepared for his target to whirl around and grab him by the shoulders before continuing the spin and launching him into a knot of oncoming fighters.

"Seven foot goon lined up in the room!"

The next few minutes passed in a blur as Jaune ducked and weaved through the bar brawlers. At one point he found himself using a barstool to bludgeon his enemies, before the improvised weapon collapsed from the abuse. His fists proved more than up to the challenge after that, although a few combatants possessed aura capable of actually withstanding more than four or five punches or had enough skill to strike. Even then, Jaune was stronger, tougher, and meaner than all of them put together, something the remaining handful of patrons realized when they saw all the unconscious figures slumped around the bar. At some point the music had stopped when the jukebox finally died. The fighters huddled together defensively, wide-eyed stares locked on the panting cowboy wiping his knuckles off with a rag.

Taking a deep breath, he put his dukes up once again, glaring at the few remaining toughs. "Well? Y'all still hankerin' for an asswhuppin?"

They ran.

A thunderclap of noise echoed from behind Jaune, prompting him to whirl around, eyes peeled. He was just in time to duck under the flying form of Momma K, who flipped midair, landing on her peg leg and executing a pirouette to bleed off momentum. Yang slid to a stop across from her, panting heavily but with her eyes and hair returned to their normal coloration.

The two brawlers charged each other again, meeting each other fist on fist. Heavy thooms of noise and air pressure blasted away from the two fighters as they attempted to beat each other unconscious. Jaune, meanwhile, had taken cover behind a mostly intact table, determining that discretion was the better part of valor, but peaked his head over the top so he could keep an eye on his fellow blonde.

Yang's fighting style was much like her: brutal, straightforward, and effective. But it came with a glaring flaw, one that Jaune had seen every time the boxer sparred.

Yang's defenses were terrible. She would allow herself to take blows that could easily be blocked or dodged, confident her aura would absorb the hit and power up her Semblance, and now she was paying the price for her hubris.

Momma K was stronger than Yang. Frighteningly so. Every punch, every elbow, every headbutt would buckle and deform Yang's aura, actually hurting the blonde through her previously impregnable shield. Her Semblance charged up massively in response, but the tradeoff clearly wasn't worth it in Jaune's eyes. Livid bruises covered Yang's skin and her Aura was probably expending itself to heal all of them.

Yang apparently realized the same thing because that was when she reactivated her Semblance. All the punishment she'd endured over the course of the fight was converted into power for her Aura. She blurred as her hair and eyes burst into flame and Momma K found herself fending off a suddenly much more dangerous opponent. Yang's gloved hands slammed into the other Huntress multiple times, the older woman's Aura flaring green as it blocked the attacks. The bartender found herself on the back foot and soon enough, one mighty punch caught her across the face with a resounding boom, knocking her head back. Yang followed up the hit by grabbing the other woman's jean jacket and spinning about to throw her, only for said jacket to tear and the bartender to roll away and spring to her feet.

The large woman wiped the corner of her mouth , giving Yang an appraising look. "Not bad, girl. I almost felt that. But you're three decades too young to beat me."

Yang's aura flickered as her hair continued to blaze. "Oh yeah? Looks to me like I've got you on the ropes."

"Then you ain't a good judge," Momma K laughed. "I'm just getting warmed up."

Green light flared around the bartender as she brought her aura to the fore, and Jaune found himself much more concerned for Yang's chances. His gut started screaming that they were outclassed, that this old Huntress, albeit crippled, would still be more than a match for the two of them.

So he took the road less traveled.

"WAIT!" He cried, stepping out of cover.

Both the women started as the cowboy walked towards them, hands held high. "Wait! Can't we resolve this without any more fightin'? Look around!"

The two brawlers paused and did as Jaune bade, finally noticing the torn up floorboards and walls, the demolished furniture, and the many, many unconscious bodies strewn about the place.

"Hmph," Momma K hmphed. "Sure did a number on my place, boy. I should take it out of your hide."

"Some of the fault for the state of your establishment does lie with me, ma'am," Jaune admitted as he attempted to bring the full force of his charisma to bear. "But I would like to point out that you punched my friend first. Until that point it was just heated words."

"Yeah! You- mph!" Yang's outburst was cut off by Jaune slapping his hand over her mouth.

"All I'm sayin' is that I reckon we should let bygones be bygones and go our separate ways afore anymore unpleasantness," he continued.

The flat stare the bartender gave him was only matched by the blonde brawler's glare. The pleading sidelong glance he shot to Yang seemed to mollify her somewhat, but something told him he'd be in for it later.

Momma K noticed the byplay and seemed to come to a decision, letting loose a long sigh. "... Fine. Girl, you and your boytoy are free to go. But you're not welcome in my bar. Don't show your face around here no more if you know what's good for you."

Yang's eyes flickered red again but the cowboy managed to head her off. "Thank you for your, uh, forbearance, ma'am."

The older Huntress snorted, almost amused. "If you want to thank me, teach your girlfriend some manners."

A spike of anger flared in Jaune's chest at the words and he was about to snarl out something he'd probably regret, when Momma K raised her massive peg leg and slammed it into the floorboards. A wave of green aura flowed down the cutdown tree trunk and into the splintered flooring, spreading across the room and up the walls into the ceiling. With a series of creaks and groans, broken wood all across the bar seemed to come to life and twist together, seamlessly repairing itself. What was previously a building on the verge of being condemned now stood stronger, nearly all the wear and tear Jaune had seen on arrival disappearing before his eyes as what was clearly Momma K's Semblance wiped it away.

The cowboy swallowed, contemplating just how terrifying fighting someone who could control wood could be in a wooden building. Yang's wide-eyed stare told him she had realized the exact same thing.

"Alright, kids, scram," the bartender growled, turning her back on the two of them.

Yang and Jaune exchanged a look before breaking for the door.

_

They made it back to Bumblebee without incident, the street being conspicuously deserted of all the toughs they'd seen on the way in. Taking a moment to catch his breath, Jaune noted that he'd actually come out of the experience completely unscathed, aside from some slightly sore knuckles. Yang had clearly taken the brunt of the injuries, even if most of the bruises were fading.

Turning to say something to his companion, the cowboy found himself struck dumb by the sight of her in the flickering light of the streetlamps. She dabbed at her sweaty forehead with a scrap of denim, chest heaving, lilac eyes unfocused as she wandered through her thoughts. Once again, Jaune was forced to acknowledge that Yang Xiao Long was gorgeous. Behind the sweat and bruises lay one of the most beautiful women he'd ever laid eyes on and everything about her threw his heart and stomach into a tizzy.

Jaune swallowed, collecting himself. "Yang?"

The brawler started before zeroing in on him and giving him a lopsided smile. "Sorry, was thinking. Things really didn't go according to plan there. Thanks for having my back, cowboy."

Jaune returned the smile, "Of course. Anytime."

"And hey!" The blonde's grin turned mischievous. "It wasn't a complete wash!" She brandished the scrap of denim in her hands, much to Jaune's confusion.

"Momma K's jacket?"

"Nah, what was in the jacket!" Yang rummaged around inside her own jacket before pulling out a handful of foil wrapped tubes. "Valencian Cigars!"

Jaune blinked, eyeing the little cylinders that could go for hundreds of lien each. "Hot damn, Yang. That's actually a good haul."

"I know right? Wanna give them a try?"

"I would, but, uh," Jaune glanced back at the Bar with No Name. "Maybe we should get out of here before Momma K notices?"

A roar of rage rattled the windows of the building.

Yang blanched before jumping onto her bike, Jaune clambering on after her and wrapping his arms tight around her midriff.

"Gogogogogo-"

As they tore down the street with the squeal of rubber, Jaune decided that maybe this motorcycle thing was alright after all.

 

[Balorak146]

Cowboys of Remnant: Yang 'Em High

Click to shrink...

Well, at least she actually offered to pay the broker before she resorted to beating their face in.

She's still doing her damnedest to get a hit put on her head, though, and I'm amazed that this more worldly Jaune's not calling her out on it.