No Victory in Strength (Minecraft Jaune) - Chapter 6

Hey! Sorry this took a bit. Birthday and real life stuff. Anyway, here's chapter 6. We're finally in Vale and Jaune's already starting to make waves. Now the faction warfare can begin. Mwehehe.

Patreon Note - Writing the Jaune x Weiss maledom next. Hope you guys enjoy :)

Wanna commission me? Email me at: storylover543@gmail.com

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So this was him.

Ozpin steepled his hands together and looked at the young man seated across from him. Jaune Arc. He'd seen him before during their brief video conversation, but it still astounded him to confirm that the one responsible for Domremy's meteoric rise was this young man who looked no older than a first-year student. Had he not seen the pictures and heard Qrow's (oddly sober) testimony, he might not have believed it. He'd been in this world longer than any one man should, and yet he'd never seen that sort of ability. S

Semblances were a mixed bag, of course. Some, like Miss. Scarlatina, could build their entire fighting styles around them. Others, like Qrow's or James', could be active detriments. He'd seen his fair share of non-combat Semblances as well along with ones so powerful (Glynda's Telekinesis came to mind) that the layman from centuries back might've considered them magic.

And yet even still he found himself wondering if this was some sort of trick or con because not even Glynda could hope to make even a fraction of what Jaune Arc had. 

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Mr. Arc." Ozpin's lips curled up in his telltale smile. He'd chosen to meet with him alone in the office. Team RWBY had (rather fervently) insisted that they should be present, but he shut them down. He had no idea what had happened in Domremy in the past couple of days to make them so attached to the young man, but right now, that wasn't his problem. He had more important things to worry about than teenage hormones.

"Uh, same!" Jaune laughed somewhat awkwardly and rubbed the back of his head, "Gotta admit, I wasn't expecting to get a call from the headmaster of Beacon today.

"And what were you expecting today, if I might ask?"

"Oh, you know, going out mining and seeing what else I could build." He shrugged and leaned back in his seat, "Not that I really need to worry about it. Home's at a pretty good place right now and we don't really need any more space, at least for now."

Yes, his home. Domremy, the village-turned-kingdom. No one else on the council was aware of its existence just yet, but it would only be a matter of time. It was a miracle in and of itself that he hadn't been exposed yet. He hadn't exactly done anything to keep a low profile. Ozpin himself had been too busy with....recent events to pay attention to things happening outside the walls. His focus was turned inward. Sending Team RWBY to investigate the 'village' had been done mostly to ensure there wouldn't be a repeat of the incident at the docks. Or the incident on the highway. Or the disastrous food fight that they were still paying repairs for.

Oh, the things he looked the other way for to cultivate new agents. 

"That's actually what I wished to discuss." Besides the Grimm, of course. Ozpin was no fool. While Jaune Arc had slipped by him, he hadn't done so for Salem. Much as he disliked the idea, he knew that it could be leverage, "Your Semblance is...miraculous." And that was putting it mildly. He'd seen actual miracles that paled in comparison to what he'd done. The closest equivalent was eons ago, back when Man still had the gift of magic and what would be considered fairy tales were just another fact of life.

"That's what everyone says." Jaune shrugged, "Honestly, I felt kind of like an idiot for a while. I got my Semblance after I started punching trees. I was really mad 'cause...well, doesn't matter." He shook his head, "The next day I just had the sudden urge to build stuff. Before I knew it, I'd built a whole new second vineyard for the family. Dad looked like he was gonna pass out."

"That would be the normal reaction by anyone, I believe." Ozpin chuckled, "I assume that's what everyone in town acted like, really. A young man performing miracles out in the open would astound anyone." He still remembered when he and Salem had used their magic to gain the awe of the masses. Oh, how foolish and shortsighted he was back then. He'd assumed that things would be better if everyone and everything was under their control. That everything would be fine if they and they alone were solely responsible for everything.

"Heh, yeah..." Jaune shifted slightly, "So...why'd you call me here? You said it was about the Grimm?"

"Indeed." Ozpin nodded. A part of him wanted to tell the young man everything - about Salem, about the Brothers, about the war - but he held back. No need to reveal things unnecessarily, "I believe that you and your village may be in danger. Not everyone is aware of this, but if a Grimm survives long enough, they gain...well, life isn't the proper term for it. Perhaps animal intelligence? The average Grimm will attack any Human or Faunus it sees regardless of the odds. Older Grimm are willing to be patient. 

"So...you're thinking that the Grimm who attacked me are some of the smart ones?" Jaune asked, "But I've been getting attacked for a while. I doubt there's that many intelligent Grimm that are just hanging around near Domremy."

"Perhaps not directly, no, but ancient Grimm could send other Grimm in their stead." A half-truth. Grimm such as Wyverns and Leviathans did attract Grimm like a Siren, but they wouldn't hang back out of sight. While older Grimm were willing to be patient, that was all for the end goal of causing as much destruction as possible. Once the attack started, their instincts wouldn't allow them to not involve themselves in the slaughter.

"Huh." Jaune put a hand on his chin, "Wonder why they're after me, though. I've had Grimm attack me like a dozen times now."

Ozpin's brows raised. A dozen? A not-unexpected number, but it still gave him pause. Salem was many things, but most of all, she was persistent. Clearly, she considered Jaune Arc a threat. Enough of a threat that she continued to attack him despite numerous failures. Despite her gifts and curses, she did have her limitations. Commanding an army of Grimm from her place in Evernight wasn't feasible or else she would've wiped them all out by now. But commanding groups of Grimm using seers as makeshift communications devices? Yes, that was well within her purview.

The fact that Salem had taken an interest in Jaune Arc and that he'd repelled her advances only exacerbated the young man's value. 

"Let's get down to brass tacks then." Ozpin leaned forward slightly, "I believe that we can come to a mutual benefit here, Mr. Arc. Your skills place you in high demand, and it's clear that the Grimm personally consider you a threat. Perhaps they see your kingdom's rapid growth as something that goes against their destructive instincts." Not wholly true, but believable enough from a certain point of view, "Perhaps we can come to an arrangement here. I could have Huntsmen assigned to your town on a permanent basis to ensure the safety of yourself and everyone else who resides there. In exchange, you do some work for me. Does that sound agreeable?"

"Wow, that's really nice and everything, but...I'll have to say no." Jaune shook his head. Ozpin's smile faltered for a moment before returning, "I'm not sure what Team RWBY told you, but I've been dealing with the Grimm for a while now. The Knights I made are handling them pretty well. Plus the other defenses too." He smiled proudly at that, "That and I wouldn't want to take up the time of Huntsmen who could be doing something besides waiting around. There's never enough Huntsmen, right? They could be doing something way better."

"You're saying they would be redundant?"

"Well...kinda?" He shrugged guiltily, "My Knights aren't as smart or flexible as Huntsmen, but when it comes to defending places and killing Grimm? They're really great. I never go too far from Domremy, so a Huntsman would just be overkill. Besides, I don't think it'd be fair if I got special treatment. If Domremy needs a Huntsman, we could post a contract on the board like everyone else does."

"I see." He couldn't tell if the young man was being humble or arrogant dismissing his offer out of hand. Oh well, he had other avenues to explore, "Something else then? Perhaps a trade agreement and payment for services rendered? Vale's coffers may not be as deep as Atlas' or Mistral's, but we can be very generous. The Council were pinch purses at the best of times, but he was sure he could convince them otherwise."

"I don't really need money, though." He shook his head again, "Domremy's pretty self-sufficient after everything, and money isn't really something I worry about. Mom and Dad had me sell some stuff in Mistral a few months back and we've been sitting on a pretty good nest egg right now." Mistral? Oh, if they only knew the golden goose they were dealing with, "Most of what I really need are materials, but they're not...here. On Remnant, I mean. Unless you've got some enchanted books and mother tree bark?" He looked hopeful.

"Ah...no, I'm afraid not."

"Yeah, I figured." Jaune sighed, "Gathering those is a pain, especially since I promised Ruby I'd give her Infinity for Crescent Rose. That damn raccoon always asks for the most insane stuff."

He didn't elaborate, but Ozpin picked up enough from the context clues. Infinity...he was offering Ms. Rose unlimited bullets - unlimited Dust - and treated it as more of an annoyance than an impossibility. Not for the first time that day, Ozpin wondered whether it truly was a Semblance or something more than that. And yet even magic had its limitations. He certainly couldn't break the rule of energy neither being created nor destroyed. Only the Brothers could do that.

The implications did not sit well with him.

"Let us dispense with material offers then," Ozpin said, "I can offer you something equally valuable: connections." Jaune's brows furrowed, Ozpin continued, "Domremy has gone from a village to a kingdom in a matter of months. That puts you in a rather precarious state, Mr. Arc. Neighboring kingdoms, or perhaps even Vale itself, might consider your home a threat."

"So what are you saying?" Jaune crossed his arms.

"I'm not sure if you're aware, but I'm not just the headmaster of Beacon. I'm also a member of the Valean Council. With my endorsement, I can ensure that Domremy is...taken under Vale's wings, so to speak."

"Just tell me what you mean."

"Being under Vale's protection ensures that the other kingdoms will see Domremy as a part of us. Your home's position would be far stronger and more secure." He pressed his fingers together, "This was before your time, but a couple of decades back, Vale had attempted to expand into Mt. Glenn. It ended in tragedy." One that still weighed on him even today, "But perhaps things could be different now. Domremy could represent a hope not just for those within its walls, but also for Vale as a whole."

"Hm...and in exchange, you want me to work for you?"

"For certain tasks that require your unique abilities, yes." Ozpin nodded, "What do you say, Mr. Arc?"

"Well...it kinda sounds like you want to take over Domremy even though Vale didn't do anything to build it to what it is now."

Ozpin blinked at the young man's sudden acidic tone. Jaune didn't scream or scowl, but the venom in his voice was clear as day, "That's not what I meant."

"Sure sounds like it." Jaune shrugged, "You're saying that Domremy'll be part of Vale even though they didn't do anything to help us build. We - I - worked really hard to turn Domremy into what it is, so why should Vale get to come in and say we're part of them now? I'm not asking Vale to be part of Domremy either, right?"

"This is not Vale taking over. This is mutual cooperation."

"Didn't sound like it from what you said." Jaune shook his head, "Outside the walls...we didn't have the kingdom and its big tech to rely on. We made do with what we had. A bunch of us really would've loved to have the kingdom's help, but we didn't get it. I know I did a large part of the work, but Domremy isn't what it is now only because of me. There are people there who are working hard and helping out as much as they can, so they deserve to be there. Vale doesn't."

"Mr. Arc-"

"Maybe you think I'm just some dumb kid from the country, but I'm not that stupid. Dad warned me that people are going to try and take advantage. Maybe I would've accepted the offer before when I was still trying to build things, but not anymore. You can't just...look at something someone worked hard on and say you own a part of it!" He threw his hands up, "And you're asking me to do work for you so Vale can take over! That's like...asking your partner to do you a favor so you'll put your name on the project he did by himself! How's that fair?"

Ozpin found himself caught flat-footed at the passion in Jaune's voice. He'd seen numerous craftsmen in his life, and many of them took personal pride in their work - sometimes to the point of hubris. As a craftsman, Jaune made them all seem like kids making sandcastles by comparison. Perhaps he shouldn't have been shocked that the young man had such fervor when it came to his home. It was his greatest creation, and in his eyes, Ozpin and all of Vale were circling vultures. 

Before he could think of another argument to turn things around, Jaune suddenly stood, "Look, if that's the only reason you wanted me to come here, then I'm leaving. If you actually want 'mutual cooperation', then you'll talk to the rest of the people in town too."

Jaune had turned and took only a couple of steps before Ozpin stood as well, "Mr. Arc. Wait." He expected the young man to ignore his call, but he stopped and looked back with a doubtful look on his face, "We've gotten off on the wrong foot. While it wasn't my intention to take over your work, I can understand why my offer isn't that tempting to you." Ozpin took a deep breath, "Perhaps you would be more amenable to something else then: a plea for help."

"Help? With what?" Jaune turned to meet his gaze, still suspicious.

"That is...a long story, one that you might want to be sitting down for." He gestured to the chair.

"...Fine, but I'm not gonna be taken advantage of." He sat back down.

"Yes. I suppose I'll have to be honest if I wish to gain your aid." Ozpin sat down as well and looked Jaune in the eyes, "Tell me, Jaune. What's your favorite fairy tale?"

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Cardin Winchester was someone who was used to being at the top. It came with the territory, really. He was the only son of Councilman Wardes Winchester, which was a long and respected line. Their family fought in the Great War, the Faunus 'Revolution', and they were one of the first to sign up to be Huntsmen. It wasn't perfect - damn Animals won their little war - but it was still an illustrious history. One that he was living up to by attending Beacon.

Being here wasn't as great as he thought, though. His teammates were cool, though he wouldn't have said no to a few more women on the team. The other students weren't great either. Being a Huntsman meant being the best of the best. They were the guys who kicked ass, killed Grimm, and everyone respected them. They were the only reason the Grimm hadn't battered down the walls. The civvies looked up to them for it, as they should.

Still, even if Beacon wasn't as good as it could've been, it was alright. Better than anywhere else, at least. Just about everyone knew who his dad was, and while he wasn't a sniveling brat who cried for his dad to solve his problems for him, his dad's position and reputation meant no one was willing to fuck with him. No one except that Animal lover Adel and her team, at least. Her family made it big in the fashion industry and it gave her a big head. Whatever. He'd kick her ass in the ring if she didn't have that giant and the blind freak backing her up.

So yeah, Beacon was full of ups and downs. And this day? It was down.

First, Team RWBY and PNCR came back from whatever mission they were sent on. He wasn't ashamed to say he didn't like either group. They just did whatever the hell they wanted and none of the teachers so much as gave them a dirty look. He still remembered that food fight they had a week ago. Anyone else would've been at least suspended, but those two teams? Not even a slap on the wrist. If he pulled something like that, he and the rest of the guys would've had to deal with suspension from Port even with his dad's connections. 

He bet it was cause of Nikos and Schnee. Schnee's dad was probably the richest guy on Remnant and Nikos was a big deal cause she won some fights back in Mistral. He didn't see what the big deal was. It wasn't like she won the Vytal Tournament or anything, just some local tournaments. He would've won if he entered local brawls too. 

His mood only worsened when he was paired against Belladonna during Combat Class. For some reason, she really didn't like him and made sure to be extra vicious whenever they fought. He halfway expected her to try and claw his damned eyes out. His ribs were still sore from when she literally kicked him when he was down.

And now there was a crowd in front of the cafeteria. Cardin scowled and pushed his way past with his team following, ignoring the stupid gawking looks of everyone gathered. He was tired and hungry, and he didn't give a shit if someone else was having another food fight.

He barely managed a couple of steps inside before he stopped, "What the fuck...?" He looked around the dining room. Beacon wasn't as fancy as Shade, but they still didn't skimp when it came to their facilities. Cardin was used to rich digs, but this? This was insane. Stained glass windows, marble floors, mahogany tables (the good kind, not the cheap shit), and chandeliers that bathed the room in a warm light. There was even a full second floor now. Looked more like a high-class restaurant than a cafeteria.

But all of that was nothing compared to the gods damned fountain at the center. He definitely wasn't imagining it. A marble fountain with a twenty-foot statue of what looked like that teacher's pet Rose on top of it. The statue was struck up in a heroic pose with that stupidly big scythe aimed high at the air. Water that looked like it was sparkling shot out of the vertical tip, cascading down to the ornate pool in a shining curtain. It looked like something you'd give a war hero, not a grade skipper.

"What in the Brothers is this?" Schnee's cut in. Cardin looked back and saw Team RWBY behind them. Xiao Long and Belladonna looked at the statue, wide-eyed like fishes. Rose's face was completely red and she tried to hide in her cloak as if it'd do anything to help. 

Schnee was the worst off. Her face was red and she looked like she was about to blow a gasket. She was jealous, that was pretty obvious, though she did her damndest to hide it. Her eyes flicked between the fountain statue and Rose, who was still trying to make herself look even smaller than she already was. Didn't help. People were finally filing in and the first thing they noticed was that marble monstrosity smack dab at the center.

"Oh, hey!" Another guy he didn't recognize walked up to Team RWBY. He was definitely a civilian. It wasn't just because he didn't have a uniform. Cardin could tell by the way he carried himself. Huntsmen had a feel about them that the untrained people didn't have, "You guys made it just in time! Like the new cafeteria?"

"It's delightful, though the statue is somewhat...ostentatious, if you don't mind me saying," Schnee said in a clipped tone.

"Is it? I just wanted to pay Ruby back for the present she gave me." He showed off a crappy rose keychain like it was the greatest thing ever, "I thought you'd like it, Ruby. Do you...not?"

"No! I love it! Super love it!" Rose screamed. Her face was still red, especially since people were looking at her.

"Indeed, why wouldn't you? I would certainly appreciate it if someone gifted me a statue." Wow, Schnee was being green-eyed. The rest of her team could see it too. Xiao Long snickered while Belladonnarolled her eyes. The weirdest one was Rose giving her partner a smug smile even while her cheeks still burned. 

"You made all this?" Cardin asked. Team RWBY all turned to look at him like they just noticed he was there, "How the fuck? This place was the same yesterday!" Barely held together cause RWBY and PNCR decided that ruining everyone's day was fun.

"Yep!" The blonde doofus grinned. For some reason, Cardin already knew he didn't like the guy, "I did some work this morning. The headmaster said that the cafeteria got wrecked and he asked if I could help with it. See what I could do, I guess. He really only wanted me to fix things up, but then I figured why not spruce the place up a bit?" Cardin looked at the stained glass windows and the statue again. A bit, "Apparently, someone really trashed the place in a fight and the school was having trouble finding someone to repair it with their budget. Wonder which jerks did that?"

"Ahaha! Yeah, total jerks! No regard for anyone else!" Xiao Long grinned and put an arm around the blonde's shoulder, "Come on, we should check out how great this new place is!" 

"Oh, you guys can go on ahead. I'm thinking about heading down to the docks in Vale. Apparently, someone blew that up too? This place sounds really dangerous. What kind of crazy person just blows up a place like that?"

"Maybe they had a very good reason." Belladonna suddenly grabbed his right arm in a vice grip, "But Yang's right, we should go and eat. It'll be our treat." Wasn't the cafeteria food free?

Cardin watched as the four of them dragged the idiot off to a corner table. A call from Dove kept him from staring too long and he sat down on the (cushioned!) seats at one of the tables. His hands traced across the surface and he frowned. It felt better than the table back home.

His eyes flicked over to the guy who supposedly made all this. How, he wondered. Even if he was bullshit levels of rich like Schnee was, there was no way he could get people to do all this in less than a day even if he hired a thousand desperate idiots. No, he made it sound like he did all this by himself. Was that true? He would've called bullshit, but the proof was right there in front of him. Less than a day ago, this place looked like shit, and now...

Cardin's mouth twitched when he saw Xiao Long trying to feed the guy. He might not have liked Team RWBY, but he couldn't deny that most of them were smoking hot. You had to be blind not to see it. Xiao Long had a killer bod that put just about anyone to shame, Belladonna had the best ass in Beacon (seriously, the other guys did a ranking on it), and Schnee looked like a damn princess. Sure, Rose was an annoying runt, but three out of four wasn't bad.

And now they were all crowding over that dork.

He wasn't jealous. Why would he be? He was a Winchester and he was about to turn into a Huntsman. He was way more important than some civilian who wasn't gonna do something important with his life. In just a few days, he was sure that everyone would forget about the guy.

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Coco Adel was someone who was used to getting what she wanted. It kind of came with the territory. The Adels might not have been on the scene for long, but they were a force to be reckoned with. Sure, they might not have been as well-connected or rich as the Schnees or Winchesters, but that was cause they still had a little thing called common decency. The family was aggressive, but they didn't have a habit of stomping on people to get what they wanted. 

It was one of the reasons why she became a Huntress. She wanted to make her mark in the world without trampling over innocent people. Huntsmen only went after Grimm and the worst kind of scum. 

Still, that didn't mean she turned into some kind of humble ascetic. Huntsmen advertised themselves. It was a brand. Sure, you didn't need to look fancy to get contracts from the board, but if you wanted to get the attention of people high up then you had to stand out from the crowd. That was why a lot of Huntsmen had such unique fashion. Coco was no different. She prided herself on her style, both with her clothes and her weapon Gianduja. 

But style came at a cost. She made sure to get the latest fashions, but those cost a pretty penny. Not enough for her to be in the red - Mom and Dad taught her how to handle money - but enough that she found herself struggling sometimes even with the money she got from her social media posts. That and Gianduja wasn't cheap. Miniguns were pretty infamous for how fast they could spray downrange and and Coco wasn't exactly shy with her barrages. She knew it'd eat into her wallet when she chose it, but she just couldn't resist. A minigun purse just screamed 'Coco Adel'. 

Right now she was heading towards Beacon's firing range. Dust for personal use was expensive, but the school gave them a weekly quota they could burn through if they needed to practice. It was lower-quality Dust, which Coco personally disliked since she always preferred to get the very best, but it was free so she couldn't complain too much. 

Coco arrived at the firing range to find it empty save for one person. Tucked away at the corner spot was Ruby Rose. Coco knew who she was, though they hadn't exactly met before. Team RWBY's performance in Initiation earned them a spot in the Beacon's unofficial hall of fame. The same spot Team CFVY had last year when they outperformed everyone in their own Initiation. While Team PNCR was famous because of Pyrrha Nikos, Team RWBY was (in)famous as a whole.

That and it was hard not to know who she was after what happened at the cafeteria yesterday. That statue definitely caught the eye, and nobody missed the fact that it was Ruby. In a school full of downright bizarre fashion senses, she was the only one who wore a cloak. Go figure.

Coco hung back as the younger girl set up her rifle. While she wasn't a weapon fanatic like Velvet was, she could still appreciate a finely designed weapon. The sniper-scythe wasn't something she'd pick for herself, but it definitely went well with Ruby's grim reaper look. 

She crossed her arms and watched as the targets popped up and Ruby shot them dead center. It wasn't her performance that got her attention though. It was how much she was firing. Judging by the size of the magazine, she guessed that the thing held ten rounds, maybe fifteen if she was being really generous. Ruby fired thirty times in a row without slowing or reloading, and it was only after that thirtieth trigger pull that she finally took out the spent magazine. 

"Nice shots." Coco whistled. The cloaked freshman jumped up with a slight squeak and turned towards her, though she made sure not to flag her with the gun.

"Wha- who are you?" 

"Name's Coco. You're Ruby Rose, right?" Coco smiled.

"How do you know that?"

"Statue."

"Ugh, of course, it's the statue." Ruby frowned and her shoulders sagged. Coco was tempted to reach out and pinch her cheek, but she held back. That was what old people did.

"Hey, I'd be flattered. Shows how bad your boyfriend's into you."

"He's not my boyfriend...yet." The 'yet' part seemed to really get to her judging by her deep frown.

"You sure? That guy just builds statues for everyone, does he?" Maybe she could commission one.

"N-No, he doesn't! Only for people he's really close to!" Coco didn't miss the defensiveness and worry in Ruby's tone and had to hold back a chuckle. Oh, she was cute.

"Don't worry, I'm not going after your future boyfriend." She was ninety-nine percent into women. She wasn't discounting the idea of liking a guy, but she found it pretty damn unlikely considering her track record so far, "Actually, I'm interested in something else. Your weapon holds a lot more rounds than it looks."

"Oh! That's 'cause of Jaune!" Ruby beamed proudly. She guessed that Jaune was her not-boyfriend's name, "He set it up so that I can fire three times at the cost of a single bullet! Isn't it awesome?!"

"He can...do that?" Coco raised a brow.

"Yep," Ruby said, popping the P, "Oh, check this out." She turned a dial and inserted a new magazine. Raising the rifle again, she squeezed the trigger, and three bullets shot out in a burst, "I can fire the three-in-one bullets all at once for maximum damage or save it for individual targets. Both cost the same."

"That sounds..." Useful. Brothers only knew how much ammo she expended firing her weapon even for just a few seconds. Tripling her ammo count or rate of fire would be massive. It'd be useful for Velvet too. Her poor Bun-Bun's Anesidora was a technological marvel, but the price of Hard-Light dust was horrific. Letting her have three shots for the price of one could seriously up her effectiveness, "This Jaune guy seems like a catch."

"I know, he's so great." Ruby giggled. Urge to pinch cheek rising! "And that's not the only one! He says he'll find a way to give me Infinity later so I-" Her eyes suddenly widened, "Uh, nevermind! Forget I said anything!"

"Infinity, huh?" Coco hummed, "Why stop now? You've already told me this much."

"It-It's a secret!"

"A secret, huh?" Coco smirked, "Alright...I'll just ask your boyfriend." It wasn't a serious statement. She just wanted to poke fun at her. Besides, she had a good idea on what the reaper meant.

"No, don't! It's supposed to be special between us!" Ruby shook her head, "If I tell you, do you promise not to blab about it to everyone?"

"Scout's honor." Velvet wasn't 'everyone'. And Coco was never a scout.

"Fine." Ruby chewed her lower lip and whispered conspiratorially, "It's infinite ammo!" Well...that was obvious, "Jaune says it takes some rare materials to make, but he's gonna gather them up when he can." She sighed dreamily, "But remember, don't blab about it!"

Coco made a zipping her lips gesture, which seemed to satisfy the younger girl. Ruby folded the scythe across her back and left, leaving Coco alone on the range. Infinite ammo...her mind was already whirring with ideas. Her goal in life was to be the most famous, respected Huntress in all of Remnant. Her weapon and Semblance - the ability to supercharge Dust - made her a monster in a fight, but she couldn't really win battles of attrition. 

But if she didn't have to worry about ammo? Oh, she could see that working wonders. Entire hordes of Grimm would've been buzzsawed by Gianduja. And it'd cut down on her spending costs too, so more money for fashion.

Then there was Velvet too. She could already imagine Bun-Bun without being held back by that hideously expensive Dust. She'd never have to second-guess herself and wonder if THIS fight was worth using one of her precious cartridges. 

If this Jaune guy was willing to give Ruby unlimited ammo, doing the same for a couple of other Huntresses shouldn't be too hard, right? The Adels had deep pockets and connections. She was sure she could convince him. 

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Attending council meetings was something Ozpin always considered to be a necessary evil. While he had no regrets in refusing kingship over all of Remnant - he knew more than anyone how flawed that system was - it didn't change the fact that politics was a wholly unpleasant thing to deal with. In an ideal world, people would vote for those who held their best interests and those in power ensured that those who counted on them lived the best lives they could have,

This was not an ideal world.

No, politics was a den of corruption. Backstabbing and bribery were the norm and those in power cared only for keeping said power and indulging themselves. There were a rare few that truly did have selfless intentions, but Human nature was often cruel and flckle. He'd seen idealists turn to their antithesis more times than he cared to admit. It was a miracle that Vale was still standing considering how short-sighted many of the people he had to deal with were. It was only their sense of pragmatism and awareness that there had to be a city for them to rule over that kept their worst excesses in check.

Sometimes, it made him wonder if James had the right idea of abusing his dual-seated position.

Ozpin sat at his normal spot in the boardroom. It was obvious why they were here: the young man from Domremy who had started to work his miracles in Vale. Ozpin made no attempt to hide him. Not only would it look worse if he did, but it wasn't feasible even if he could avoid the blow to his reputation. People would ask questions on how damaged parts of the city were suddenly repaired. No, not repaired. Improved. Jaune adding a new helipad in the docks was one of the least absurd things he put in.

"Who is this young man?" Wardes Winchester asked. Ozpin despised the man, but picking a fight with an elected official over dated views and unsubstantiated claims of corruption would be difficult. He had enough on his plate.

"As I told you before, he is Jaune Arc."

"That's not what he's asking." Elise Brunet said. She was corrupt as well, though not to an unbearable extent. Still, that new mansion of hers didn't come from hard work and dedication, "Who is he? Where did he come from? How can he do these...things?"

"On that front, I know just as much as any of you," Ozpin replied neutrally, "I heard rumors of a village that had expanded extensively and I sent a team from Beacon to investigate. It was there that they made contact with Jaune Arc and I requested for him to go to Beacon, upon which I asked for his help regarding certain matters." At the cost of giving out something he was rare to grant: the truth.

"An outside settlement. He's not a Valean citizen then." Richard Blanche hummed. The only Faunus on the council, something that had earned him the ire of Wardes Winchester (and numerous other individuals in Vale that had more 'dated' views). His hands weren't clean, but he seemed to direct the filth at those who deserve it, at least.

"What does that matter?" Delara Azure scoffed. She was the oldest one here, perhaps above even him (a joke, obviously). The woman's face had more wrinkles than not and her great-grandchildren were running for office as well, "He still lives in Saunus. As far as I'm concerned, that means he's beholden to us."

"I think you'll find that many would disagree with that statement, Delara," Ozpin said coolly, "We all know that those who live outside Vale's walls are outside of our protection, but that also means that they're outside our control. Or are you saying the council should claim responsibility for every settlement that falls to the Grimm or bandits while we do nothing to help?"

"He's right. Out of sight, out of mind has always been our policy." Richard hummed, "There are exceptions to the rule, of course, but we can't retroactively claim that Domremy is an extension of Vale unless you want a political faux-pas."

"All this talk of citizenship is pointless," Winchester said, "It doesn't matter if he's a citizen or not. He's working for Ozpin, and that means he's working under the council."

"That's not exactly accurate either." Ozpin smiled sardonically, "Yes, the council does have influence over those who are under my employ, but Jaune is not. He's helping me as a favor."

"A favor?" Elise raised a skeptical brow, "I find that hard to believe. What did you offer him in exchange for help?"

"I merely asked." Twice, though they didn't need to know that, "Jaune Arc has chosen to help me without accepting any remuneration. He is not an employee. he is a young man who chose to help out of his own free will. And he can rescind that help any time he wishes. My honest opinion? I doubt he can be swayed  to do the council's bidding."

"This is foolish." Delara scoffed once more, "Perhaps you convinced him with tales of helping the Huntsmen, but Jaune Arc is still Human. Would anyone turn their nose at the chance of having the gratitude of an entire kingdom?"

"What do you wish to offer him? Money? Connections? Perhaps one of your estates?" The last comment had the old woman frowning, "You'd have better chances offering pictures to the blind. You've seen what he can do. I'm sure that videos of him rebuilding the docks and highway are already all over the Dustnet. What can you give to a man who can make anything?" 

"Perhaps it will be more difficult than the norm, but I'm sure there's something he wants, and there's little we can't give," Elise said.

"Such generosity. It warms the heart to see," Richard laughed, words sharp as a knife, "And what will we ask this young man if convince him to work for us?"

"We'd ask him to help for the betterment of Vale." Wardes' tone was painfully neutral.

"How selfless of you." Richard smiled, exposing his sharp canines, "I'm sure we all have the betterment of Vale in mind, Wardes." 

The betterment of Vale. More likely the betterment of themselves. He was sure that they would want Jaune to improve Vale, but only after they had their piece. He could see the greed in their eyes. They wanted Jaune for their own benefit. Even Blanche. Ozpin sighed. He knew this would happen, but it was still a disappointment Too many were short-sighted and only cared for immediate gratification over anything else. Perhaps he was biased - he had good reason to have a long view of things - but it was a shame regardless.

The meeting ended soon after. He knew the other four would already make plans and consider their offers. Money would be the first, and then they would try the same things he did. He wondered if Jaune would be even more annoyed being offered annexation with a smile. Wardes might use his son to try and befriend the young man as well, though he doubted he had to worry about that. Cardin Winchester was hardly the most charismatic.

He was barely out of the building when his scroll rang, "Glynda, what is it?"

"James is here. I assume you know why." He could practically see her frown.

"...I see. Tell him I'll be there soon." Ozpin cut the call and sighed. The next few weeks were going to be turbulent.

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Poor Ruby. Wants to be a normal girl with normal knees. Ends up getting a freaking statue in the cafeteria where people will see it every day. Meanwhile, Weiss is jelly because SHE wants a statue.

And yeah, we already see the entitlement spreading. Not just at the councils and Ironwood, but students like Coco who want in on what Jaune can do. Hopefully they're not all going to be dicks about it. 

Questions:

1. Okay, I have to ask, but what is with people in reviews shipping Ciel and Penny with Jaune? Not only are they not mentioned as part of the pairings, but why those two? Penny I can kinda get cause 'she's a robot and he's a builder', but why Ciel? Her entire character is being Penny's throwaway partner, and she disappears after V3. 

I would've thought Neo would be suggested more cause people really like her, but apparently not? 

2. Any thoughts on the factions/groups so far? I'm brainstorming ideas on how Coco would try to appeal to Jaune once she realizes that, like everyone else, she can't just offer money and connections.

3. What do you guys think of Jaune having a guy friend character? And who would it be? I'm leaning towards Mercury like in Seasons since he might be the only guy who legitimately wants nothing from Jaune. Cardin is jealous of some country boy getting the attention he thinks he deserves while Ren might be tempted to restore Kuroyuri. Mercury just doesn't care.