Chapter Text
Beacon's faculty lounge was surprisingly spacious and comfortable, even for a prestigious academy like Beacon. It had a fully open kitchen, every form of comfortable seating imaginable, from bean bags to couches, a corner library, and even an offshoot mini gym just past a singular door. Needless to say, Ozpin had pulled out all the stops while ensuring his staff's comfort. There was even a separate, extra-large coffee pot reserved purely for Professor Oobleck, Beacon's caffeine-addict history teacher.
Speaking of history...
Steve Rogers sat at one of the tables, a specially designed protein shake in one hand and his phone in the other. On the 4k screen of his Stark Phone, graphs, spreadsheets, and notes moved past his gaze.
Ever since Strange had revealed the perpetrators of the destruction of their universe, returning to the normal that they had created on Remnant had been difficult. But Steve managed. Although he still wasn't used to being a teacher, it made more sense to him than endlessly brooding over the deaths of trillions and plotting the deaths of those responsible.
Educating the next generation of Huntsmen and Huntresses wasn't all that difficult. It was like when he trained SHIELD agents or young heroes like Kate and Kamala. The principal was the same, even if the methodology was different.
As Steve looked through the grades and personal observations from some of the other teachers, his focus shifted to one student in particular.
He hummed with curiosity and focused on his reports. He had some of the lowest grades in the class, especially when it came to combat, but there were also some positives. The kid was a good tactician, and checking the recordings from Glynda's classes, Steve noted that the kid had potential. But you didn't get into Beacon through untapped potential alone...
Steve dug deeper into this particular student's file, checking something which he already knew.
Steve hummed again. It was just like he remembered it.
"Greetings, Captain Rogers!" a loud and boastful voice cut through Steve's thoughts.
Steve looked at his phone and smiled at his co-worker, "Good afternoon, Professor Port. I see you're free for the period."
The professor nodded in confirmation and replied boisterously, "Indeed, Captain. While do typically use this time to maintain my magnificent moustache, I have decided that for today, I shall spend this time with my colleagues and fellow teachers!"
"That's good to hear," Steve commented, his focus momentarily shifting back to his phone.
Port moved around the super soldier and glanced at his screen from over his shoulder. He made no comments about the odd Scroll which Steve was using. He and the other staff at Beacon had long ago learnt not to question the Avengers about the technology they used. They would only receive brief, unsatisfying answers.
"If I may ask, what are you working on?" Port asked.
Steve hummed as he read over the grades and teacher notes of a particular student. He then switched over to the student's transcripts. A few moments of silence passed, and Peter Port began to wonder if his query was going to go unanswered. That is when Steve broke the silence.
"Tell me, Professor, what do you think of Jaune Arc as a student?"
///
Jaune Arc gasped for breath. He was hunched over, his sword supporting him like a cane and his shield hanging loosely by his side. In front of him, Cardin Winchester smirked devilishly, his mace resting on his shoulder like a troll carrying its club. The air around them stood still, and the non-existent wind carried no sound. The bulky warrior laughed to himself, which felt like another hit to his Aura for Jaune.
"Come on..." Jaune murmured to himself as he gathered what strength he could muster.
He charged forward, lunging for one final desperate attack. He jumped and swung his sword down, but Cardin simply stepped out of the way. Jaune gasped in surprise. Before Jaune figured out what to try next, Cardin swung his weapon, The Executioner, straight at Jaune's torso, sending him flying back.
Jaune groaned in pain when he struck the floor, but he wasn't going to let that stop him. Pushing through the pain, he forced himself to stand. With a mighty battle cry which did not hide his desperation and fear, he dashed forward again, but slower this time around. Cardin raised his weapon horizontally, blocking the sword with no effort. At least he hadn't just casually stepped aside again.
With no effort, Cardin began to push back. Very quickly, Cardin was towering over a quivering Jaune, who was struggling to stay upright and keep the brute back. The confident grin on Cardin's face told anyone who saw it how easy this was.
"This is the part where you die," Cardin said as he pushed him down further. It wasn't a declaration forged in ego. it wasn't a boastful remark that could be ignored. It was simply a fact.
Jaune gritted his teeth. He wasn't going to give up. Not yet!
"Over my dead- OOF!"
He wasn't given the chance to finish his declaration as Cardin just kneed him straight in his stomach.
Jaune fell back, dropping his sword and shield in pain. He instinctively reached for his stomach, and with no strength left to keep himself standing upright, Jaune collapsed to the floor. Cardin smirked with a wicked glint in his eye. He stepped towards his prey, who had curled into a ball on the floor. With no hesitation, Winchester raised The Executioner above his head, ready to deal the finishing blow...
...only to be stopped by a buzzer as all of the lights in the classroom came back on.
"That's enough," Professor Goodwitch stated as she calmly stepped between her two students, forcing Cardin to back off. Behind her, the giant screen displayed Cardin's and Jaune's faces, with their Aura meters below the photos. While Jaune's bar was red and almost empty, Cardin's was full and completely green.
"Students, as you can see, Mr Arc's Aura dropped into the red. In a tournament-style duel, this would indicate that Jaune is no longer fit for battle, and the official may call the match," she announced to the mass of observing students.
She proceeded to turn her head towards Jaune, who was still busy picking himself, and spoke to him directly. "Mr Arc, it's been weeks now. Please try to refer to your Scroll during combat. Gaging your Aura will help you decide when it is appropriate to attack, or when it is better to switch to a more defensive strategy."
From the crowd, Kate muttered, "Kinda hard to check your phone while in a fight and both of your hands are full."
"Even then, there are better ways of doing it than taking time to pull your phone," Peter added. "He could install a Scroll into the back of his shield, or mount it to his wrist, or wear a helmet with a HUD interface."
"Why doesn't everyone here have something like that?" Kamala questioned. "Seems like a pretty big gap in world-building."
"It's because not everyone has cameras with AR-compatible technology for eyes," Penny decided, without missing a beat.
"Great quip, Penny, but it doesn't really match what we were saying."
"Okay. I'm adjusting my quipping parameters now."
Back on the stage, Gylnda added, "We don't want you to be gobbled up by a Beowolf, now do we?"
"Speak for yourself," Cardin grumbled before turning around and walking off the stage.
Addressing all of the students once again, Glynda announced, "Remember everyone, the Vytal Festival is only a few months away. It won't be long before students from other kingdoms start arriving at Vale, so keep practising."
A general body of excitement came over the students as they began whispering eagerly amongst each other. Yang pumped her fists in excitement. Ruby and Weiss, surprisingly, looked like children on sugar. A soft smile was the only hint of excitement on Blake's expression. Nora wrapped her arms around Ren's neck and cheered loudly, kicking her feet as he just rolled her eyes.
"Those who choose to compete in the combat tournament will be representing all of Vale."
'Well, not everyone will be,' three Avengers thought simultaneously.
It was at that moment that the bell rang, signalling the end of the class. Students began to rush towards the classroom doors. All except Pyrrha, who could only watch Jaune sadly. The blonde boy was still sitting on the floor. He bowed his head in defeat, unable to meet her gaze.
Later, in the school cafeteria...
"So, there we were, in the middle of the night."
"It was day."
"We were surrounded by Ursi."
"They were Beowolves."
"Dozens of them!"
"There were two of them."
Gathered around a cafeteria table, Teams RWBY, JNPR, and PPBK were listening intently to the story being told by JNPR's childhood friends. Well, most of them were. Blake was more interested in the book in her hand, and Weiss was busy filing her nails, but the rest of them were listening.
Although Jaune also appeared distracted, too busy picking at his food to fully listen. Ruby eyed him with worry, even if Nora's story had an iron grip on her attention. Ren himself also didn't seem all that interested in the story, he kept correcting. Pyhrra also appeared to be more worried about Jaune than the story.
...okay, so maybe most of the group wasn't listening. At least Yang was invested.
"But they were no match," Nora continued, undeterred by the constant interruptions, "and in the end, Ren and I took them down and made a boatload of lien selling Ursa skin rugs!"
Peter tilted his head aside and raised a brow, "Wait, I'm confused. I thought Grimm disintegrates pretty much as soon as you kill them. How the hell did you preserve their bodies long enough to make rugs?"
Ren sighed and placed his mug on the table. "It didn't happen. She's been having this recurring dream for a month now."
"Ah, that makes sense," Kamala nodded.
With the story now fully concluded, Pyhrra turned towards Jaune. Careful to sound as gentle as possible, she asked her leader, "Jaune, are you okay?"
He jumped in surprise, unexpecting the sudden question. "Oh, yeah. Why?" he answered, trying to appear as collected as possible, but failing miserably.
"It's just that you seem a little not okay," Ruby replied awkwardly.
"You look like a wet cat that lost its favourite mouse toy," Kate added. She turned to the bookworm and added, "No offence, Blake."
"Wha-"
"Guys, I'm fine," Jaune said, rather unconvincingly. "Seriously, look." He gave a thumbs up and one of the most miserable-looking smiles any of them has ever seen. Even his laugh sounded pathetic.
"You are displaying symptoms that that is a lie," Penny stated in her usual cheery voice, but with a twinge of concern.
Before Jaune could say anything else, an obnoxious laugh cut through the cafeteria. Multiple pairs of eyes turned in its direction. A few tables away, they saw Team CRDL surrounding a girl with long brown hair and equally long rabbit ears. Cardin kept laughing, like he found her anatomy hilarious.
"Jaune, Cardin has been picking on you since the first week of school," Pyhrra pointed out, pulling everyone's attention back to the conversation at hand.
"Who? Cardin Winchester?" Jaune asked, failing to feign ignorance. "Nah. He just likes to mess around. Y'know, practical jokes."
"Well, that's bullshit if I ever heard it."
Peter's team nodded in agreement.
Ruby also nodded. She clenched her fists on the table and declared, "He's a bully. You're only lying to yourself by saying otherwise, Jaune."
Jaune rolled his eyes. "Please. Name one time he ever bullied me."
"Well, I have noticed him knocking books out of your hands a few times," Ren shared.
"Pfft. That's nothing."
"I found you screaming for help while stuck in a door frame because Cardin made you your shield expand while you were passing through," Blake added.
"That was just a prank... which kinda made me miss lunch."
Nora jumped in, "He shoved you into a rocket-propelled locker and launched you out of the school, and as cool as that sounds, I prefer being able to steer while flying through the air."
Silence fell over the friend group. That had been one of the first of Cardin's 'jokes', which happened during their introductory tour of the school. They wondered how Jaune could possibly excuse that.
"I didn't land that far from the school."
A collective groan of disappointment came from everyone. Even Weiss appeared to be annoyed with Jaune's denial. She stared at him as if he had surpassed all of her expectations, and not in a good way.
Pyhrra looked at him, almost desperately and tried to assure him. "Jaune, you know that if you ever need help, you can just ask."
"Oh, we'll break his legs!" Nora declared proudly with a mad grin, standing on top of her seat.
"Yeah... I think Peter's team beat you to it, Nora," Yang nonchalantly said, pointing to where Cardin and his team had previously been bullying the bunny girl just mere moments earlier.
Now, the entire team was on the ground, groaning in pain. Around them was the enigmatic PPBK. Penny was cheerfully swaying back and forth on her feet. Kamala was using her embiggened hand to keep the four jerks on the floor, calmly sipping an apple juice box. Peter and Kate, meanwhile, were helping the girl they had been bothering brush off.
"You okay?" Kate asked as she hastily tried to smooth out the wrinkles in her uniform.
"They didn't rough you up too much, did they?" Peter asked, shooting CRDL a stink eye.
"N-no. You didn't give them a chance," the girl assured, gripping her food tray tightly. "Thank you. When he tried to grab one of my ears..."
Peter shrugged. "It's fine. Just doing what we can to help..."
"Velvet. My name is Velvet. It's a pleasure to meet you and your team, Peter."
Kamala turned to her in surprise. "Wait, you know our names? Aren't you a second year or something?"
"I'd be surprised if anyone in Beacon hasn't heard about the famous Team Payback yet. Initiation record breakers, mostly Auraless, but with powerful Semblances and skills, wielding either basic or unique weapons or no weapons at all. That's not even mentioning the rumours surrounding your vigilantism and connections to the mysterious Avengers. Just one or two of those things would make people talk."
"Huh, guess I never realised just how popular."
Velvet giggled to herself. She smiled softly at them. "Again. I can't thank you enough. You didn't need to trouble yourselves like this?"
"Trouble? What trouble?" Peter asked, looking at his teammates like they were supposed to provide him with some kind of answer. "All we saw was an adorable bunny rabbit who needed help getting away from some handsy toddlers."
Velvet giggled again. "Well, consider this this bunny rabbit's way of showing her gratitude."
Without any warning, she leaned forward and pecked Peter on the cheek. She hopped back as his face slightly shifted to a red colour.
"Well, I need to get to my team. Thanks for the help, PPBK."
Velvet then turned a walked away, humming a cheerful tune to herself
"Lucky bitch," Kate mumbled with a smile.
"What? Jealous that your team leader got some bunny girl action before you?" Peter asked coily.
"Nope," Kate replied with certainty.
"Wha-? Then why..?"
"Fuck you, you soulless freaks!"
Immediately, the group's attention was pulled over to the four bullies that Kamala had pinned to the floor. Cardin was absolutely fuming with rage. His face was so red that he could be mistaken for the Red Hulk.
"We were just messing around," he argued.
"I do not believe that harassing someone for their body traits is classified as 'just messing around'." Penny debunked with narrowed her eyes.
"You all think you're hot stuff, don't you? You think you're better than us just because you're different. Well, you're wrong. You're just freaks, bigger freaks than those animals which pretend to be people. And when we get out of this- Mmh!!!"
Cardin suddenly found his mouth covered with webs. When he looked up, he only saw the cold void within Peter Parker's eyes. Similar glares were boring into his skull from the rest of PPBK, even Penny. He could feel them even though he couldn't see them. He desperately tried to signal to his posse to back him up, but they knew better than to open their mouths. They just stared at the dirty floor, which they were pressed against.
"Save it for the teacher," Peter commanded. Then, in a far more relaxed tone, he added, "Speaking of which."
"Thank you for calling me, Peter." Captain America approached the group. He briefly shot CRDL a stink eye before returning his attention to his fellow Avenger, and his expression became more neutral once again. "I'll handle this from here. You got the video evidence?"
Peter smirked and crossed his arms. As he did, a small spider drone flew over to him and perched on his shoulder. "Droney has the whole thing recorded, and the file has been sent to you. We interfered before things could get too out of hand, but I'm sure there's enough to get these jerks a detention."
Steve nodded. "Based on what I've been hearing around the school, I should be able to land them with a relatively harsh sentence. You can let them go, Kamala."
Without hesitation, Kamala put her juice box aside and saluted the captain with a smirk that screamed mischief. The purple construct of her hand disappeared, lifting the weight from the backs of the Huntsmen in training, but they didn't dare to even stir. They just kept their heads bowed and bodies allow, either in shame or embarrassment.
"On your feet, soldiers!" Cap commanded with every ounce of his military experience in his voice. All the heads in the cafeteria turned to see what the commotion was. "If you have the gall to disrespect and harass your comrades in such ease, then have the decency to accept your punishment with honour!"
That did it. Without wasting a beat, all the members of CRDL stood up and faced Steve with their backs straight and their heads high—even Cardin, whose mouth was still webbed shut. PPBK just watched with goofy grins on their faces, but no one paid them any attention.
"Now, I have no idea what could have possessed you to believe that this sort of behaviour would be tolerated here at Beacon, but that delusion ends now," Steve barked. "I've read your records. This behaviour isn't new for you boys. I don't know how it lasted for this long, but it ends today. My office, NOW!"
They didn't argue. Cardin Whinchester, Russel Thrush, Sky Lark and Dove Bozewing all marched to the door that the Captain was pointing to. Steve scanned the cafeteria to see if there was any more trouble before following them. Silence remained in the cafeteria for a few more moments before everyone slowly returned to their business.
Back at the table shared by RWBY and JNPR, Yang let out a low whistle. "Damn, say what you will about PPBK, but they are ruthless."
"Having such close ties to some of the teachers certainly helps," Weiss noted, still filing her nails. She eyed the plates left by them, one of which, likely Penny's, was still practically food and scrunched up her nose. "Of course, that doesn't mean they should just leave their stuff behind for us to clean up."
Ruby hummed, eyeing her friends curiously as they left the cafeteria through a separate door. "Is it just me, or have they been more intense lately? Like, more intense than usual?"
Nora, with a mouth full of food, shook her head, "Not really. They seem as cool as always."
Ren shook his head, "No, I believe I know what Ruby means. They have been holding back less during training, using more aggressive strategies while in combat. And the way they handled CRDL just now, we should have at least heard some jokes from them before they disposed of them. It's slightly concerning."
"It probably has something to do with when they disappeared for a few days without an explanation." Ruby groaned and slammed her head against the table. "Ugh, if only Penny would tell us what's going on."
"Whatever it is, I'm sure it is nothing that we need to be worried about, and we have no reason to pry into their business," Pyhrra said cooly. "Right, Jaune?" She blinked in surprise when she noticed that he was no longer sitting beside her. "Jaune?"
Most of the members of RWBY and JNPR searched for the cafeteria for their friend, but the blonde knight was nowhere in sight. He had slipped away, and they couldn't see where he had gone.
///
Some hours passed since the cafeteria incident, and word spread fast about how easily PPBK had disposed of CRDL, whom they had caught harassing another student. The number of eyes watching them as they walked through the halls of the school grew. Some did it with awe and respect. Others with hatred nd disgust. But that didn't matter now.
What mattered was that they had a class to attend about history, which most of them hadn't heard of two months ago.
"Yes, yes, prior to the Faunus Rights Revolution, more popularly known as the Faunus War, humankind was quite, quite adamant about centralising the Faunus population in Menagerie."
At the front of the class, Professor Oobleck was rushing from right to left as he rapidly delivered his lecture, a mug of coffee from which he was constantly drinking in one hand, and a cane in the other. At the front of the class, a giant map of Remnant was covered with various articles and pages of history books, all of them connected with red yarn.
Oobleck spoke at such a rapid rate that most students were either overheating their own brains to process what he was saying, like Weiss and Kamala, or they had completely given up on trying to understand him, like Cardin and the sleeping Jaune. Only Peter and Penny could understand him with minimal effort, for one consistently slowed their perception of time, while the other was a literal supercomputer.
Kate always made sure to voice her displeasure at the injustice of this whenever she had the opportunity.
"Now, while this may feel like ancient history for many of you, it is imperative that we remember these relatively recent events. Why, the repercussions of the uprising can still be seen to this day." He took a massive sip from his mug. "Now! Have any of you been subjected to or discriminated against based on your Faunus heritage?"
A small handful of students raised their hands.
Blake felt the extra ears hidden behind her bow twitch. The urge to raise her hand was strong, but the fear of exposure was stronger. Guilt and shame welled up inside her stomach, but she pushed them down. Now wasn't the time.
She risked a glance in Peter's direction. His hand wasn't raised. He was simply holding a pen against paper as he waited for their teacher to say anything else that he might need to note down.
'I shouldn't be surprised,' she thought to herself. 'His traits are hidden, manifesting as enhancements to his physical abilities. If he didn't go announcing it, then there would be no reason for people to suspect him of being a Faunus, therefore, he wouldn't be discriminated against. I wonder when he decided to wear his identity on his chest.'
Oobleck shook his head at the sight of the raised hands. "Dreadful, simply dreadful. Remember, students, it is precisely this kind of ignorance that breeds violence! I mean, I mean, I mean, just look at the White Fang. Just recently, one of their leaders refused the chance for peaceful negotiations and chose to instead attack our very own Captain Rogers, despite being offered multiple opportunities for surrender. The lives that decision endangered... Now, which one of you young scholars can tell me what many historians believe to be the turning point in the third year of the war?"
Weiss instantly raised her hand, and Oobleck acknowledged it with a simple, "Yes," granting her permission to speak.
"The Battle of Fort Castle," she answered confidently.
"Precisely, and who can tell me the advantage the Faunus had over General Lagune's forces?"
It was at that moment that Cardin, annoyed by the detentions that had been given and in need of something to uplift his mood, flicked a paper football directly at Jaune's head. Jaune awoke with a start, unsure of where he was. Unfortunately for him, Professor Oobleck interpreted it as him having the answer.
He immediately rushed to Jaun's face and practically yelled, "Mr Arc! Finally contributing to class! This is excellent! Excellent! What is the answer?"
Kate smirked and leaned forward. 'Oh, this is going to be good.'
Jaune's eyes widened in panic at the sudden attention. His eyes desperately scanned the classroom as he pathetically tried to answer the question in the slowest, most open-ended way possible. "Uhhhh... the answer... uh, the Faunus had over that guy's stuff..."
His gaze landed on Pyhrra, who was outlining her eyes with both of her hands over Oobleck's shoulder. Jaune's own eyes widened as the answer clicked in his mind. "Binoculars!" he declared with full confidence.
Laughter erupted from the class. Oobleck sipped his coffee in disappointment. Pyrhha shook her head and face-palmed. The loudest in the class was Cardin, who was shaking with laughter and hitting his desk with his fist.
"I mean, it could've been binoculars," Peter whispered. "Maybe General What's-His-Face's supply line was cut."
"I do think that's the case, Pete," Kamala rebutted.
Penny nodded, "Indeed. In fact, it was the Faunus who were struggling for supplies as-"
Back at the front of the class, Oobleck had returned to his desk. "Very funny, Mr Arc," he commented sarcastically. His gaze then shifted to Cardin, who was still laughing. "Cardin! Perhaps you would care to share your thoughts on the subject?"
Legs on the table, and with no hesitation or real care, Cardin answered, "Well, I know it's a lot easier to train an animal than a soldier."
Silence washed over the classroom. Most stared at Cardin in shock. A few gasped in disgust. Even fewer had the nerve to nod to what he said, specifically his teammates.
"Oh, he did not just say that!" Kamala growled as she made to stand up from her chair. Kate pulled her back before she could do anything that she would regret.
"Cap will handle it," she whispered. "We'll just send the clip to his email."
"Penny?" Peter asked.
"The footage has been delivered," Penny declared with a proud nod. Her eyes were narrowed with distain, a rare sight, but always directed to Cardin and his lackies.
Pyrrha turned towards Cardin and with a glare declared, "You're not the most open-minded of individuals, are you, Cardin?"
"What? You got a problem?" he snapped.
'No, but you have a red, whit and blue, star-spangled one with a list of offences committed by you.' Kamala silently grumbled.
"No, I have the answer," she declared before turning back to face the professor again. "It's night vision. Many Faunus are known to have near-perfect eyesight in the dark."
Cardin just growled at hearing this.
"General Lagune was inexperienced and made the mistake of trying to ambush the Faunus in their sleep," Blake said, building off from what Pyhrra had said. All the while, Professor Oobleck nodded with approval as he listened. "His massive army was outmatched, and the general was captured."
She then turned to the unashamed racist and added with a glare, "Perhaps if he paid attention in class, he wouldn't have been remembered as such a failure."
Low growl, fists clenched, Cardin got up from his chair, ready to punch the bitch who dared to disrespect him. Luckily, for him, Oobleck decided to spare him from the humiliation.
"Mr Winchester, please take your seat."
Even Cardin was smart enough to know not to disobey his teacher when he already had several detentions lined up.
Jaune couldn't stop himself from snickering at the misfortune of the bastard tormenting him. However, he shouldn't have counted his eggs before they hatched, as Oobleck suddenly, who firmly said, "You and Mr Arc can see me after class for additional readings."
That immediately washed away whatever joy he had felt.
A few minutes later, the school bell rang again, signalling the end of classes. Students began to pour out of the classroom and head for their next destination. Pyhrra, however, had other plans.
"You go on ahead," she told her teammates. "I'll wait for Jaune."
"Should we also wait for Jaune?" Penny asked her own teammates curiously.
Peter hummed as he thought about it for a moment. "I don't see why not. Cardin might need a reminder as to what happens when scum like him fall out of line."
Back in the classroom, Jaune was going through one of the worst things that could happen to any student. A one-on-two talk with a teacher about your and your enemy's performance in class.
"You two have been struggling in my class since day one," Oobleck began after a gulp of coffee. "Now, I don't know if it's a lack of interest or just your stubborn nature, but whatever it is, it stops now. You've worked hard to get into this school, and we only accept the best of the best."
Cardin just rolled his eyes at the professor's words. It was obvious that he did not give a dam about what he was saying. Jaune, meanwhile, was doing all he could to avoid eye contact with Oobleck without appearing suspicious.
"So I expect you to act like it," the professor continued, seemingly oblivious to his students' reactions. "History is important, gentlemen. If you can't learn from it... then you are destined to repeat it. Pages 51 to 91! I want an essay on my desk by next class. Now, run along."
Jaune happily accepted the dismissal and, after gathering his stuff, rushed out of the classroom. Not as fast as Oobleck, who looked like a white and green blur with the way he moved. As Jaune entered the hallway, Cardin pushed past him, literally shoving him to the floor. Pyhrra saw this, of course, and immediately rushed to Jaune's side.
With a sadistic grin, the bully spat, "Remember, that's where trash like you belongs."
"Lay off him, will you?" Pyhrra glared venomously at Cardin as she kneeled beside Jaune. "It's not his fault you landed yourself in detention."
Cardin growled, and he looked like he was ready to restart what Oobleck had shut down in the classroom. Then his eyes fell on four figures approaching from behind her, and he visibly hesitated.
"She's right, you know," Kate commented nonchalantly. It's you and your pals who decided to act like pricks."
Kamala shook her head in a mock imitation of disappointment. "The fact you're still acting like a dick is honestly just pathetic."
"What you do is rude and demeaning. I find every interaction I have with you to be a waste of processing power."
"So why don't you skurry along and join your pals in detention," Peter said with a wide, innocent smile, "before we save everyone the trouble and drag you there ourselves."
Winchester growled under his breath, visibly weighing up his options as smoke seeped from his ears. Then, in a rare moment of intelligence, he turned around and walked away, with only a scoff as a goodbye.
"You know, I really will break his legs," Pyhrra said with a glare towards Cardin's retreating back as she helped Jaune up to his feet.
"Get in line," Kamala seethed.
"Yeah, you and everyone else who lost brain cells are just talking to him. You alright, Jaune?"
"Y-yeah, Peter. I'm good, thanks." His eyes were cast downwards, a clear sign that he was definitely not good.
Before Peter, or anyone from his team, could think of something to say to him to help him, Pyrrha's expression lit up.
"I have an idea," she declared and grabbed Jaune by the arm and pulled him away, with the boy yelling in surprise, and not even sparing a glance at their friends.
The four blinked in surprise as they watched the empty space where the JNPR duo had once been.
"Kamala, analysis," Kate murmured.
"It's too early to say, for sure, " Kamala said, stroking her chin, "but..." a large, toothy smile suddenly formed as Kamala pressed both hands against her cheeks. "I think I sense an OTP in the making!"
"What does 'OTP' mean? I am not familiar with that particular acronym."
"It means we're going to have to start browsing for wedding gifts, Penny," Peter said with a sigh.
"Oh..."
Meanwhile, back with Pyrrha and Jaune, she kept dragging him along as she pulled him towards their destination. Jaune had no idea where they were going. He could only sputter nonsensical words together to ask her where they were going. No answer ever came.
Although he did eventually manage to get her to slow down when his legs failed him and he almost face-planted into the floor. One "I'm sorry!" later, she stopped dragging him, and they instead walked side by side as they headed to their destination. Jaune found this much more enjoyable.
They soon found themselves on the rooftop of their dormitory. The sun had already set, allowing for the winter breeze to fully take root and casting a blanket of darkness over the academy with only the light being from the shattered moon or stars above, to the man-made ones from below. Beacon's silhouette faintly stuck out from the dark, with the glow of greening orbs from the main tower and the academy-shaped lack of stars being the greatest indicators that the academy was there, hidden in the shadows.
Jaune would have found the view breathtaking if he hadn't been feeling so down.
The two continued walking before they stopped just before the ledge of the roof. Jaune looked down.
"Pyrrha, I know that I'm going through a hard time, but I'm not THAT depressed."
Pyrrha stared at him in confusion. She glanced at the ledge, then back at him, then back at the ledge, then back at him...
"I can always be a farmer or something..."
It finally clicked in Pyrrha's mind what Jaune was referring to, and, without wasting a second and a panicked "No!" she pushed him away from the ledge. Once they were at what she deemed to be a safe distance, she explained, "That's not why I brought you up here!"
She took a deep breath to calm herself and continued, "Jaune, I know that you're having a difficult time in class, and you're still not the strongest of fighters, so... I want to help."
"...what?" he asked, unsure of what was going on.
"We can train here after class, where no one can bother us!" she continued excitedly. Something about the idea thrilled her, and it wasn't just helping a friend that excited her.
Jaune bit the inside of his mouth. Poorly hidden doubts and insecurities rushed to the surface.
"You think I need help?"
"N-no!" Pyrrha cried, even though that was exactly what she believed. Why else would she have dragged him to this roof? "That's not what I meant."
"But you just said it," Jaune countered hollowly.
"Jaune, everyone needs a little push from time to time."
Jaune shook his head, telling her to stop. "That's not true," he almost whispered. "You really think that someone as skilled as Kate needs to train in secret on a roof just so she doesn't embarrass herself in class?"
"No, but-"
"Or someone like Kamala, who can make whatever she wants with her Semblance, needed someone else to unlock her Aura for her? Oh, wait, she doesn't even NEED one!"
"We don't know-"
"Or Penny, who takes in information like a computer, needs to pull all-nighters every night just to pass a stupid pop quiz!?"
"Who said anything about a pop quiz?!"
"Peter beat you!" Jaune cried. "Everyone always talked about how amazing you are, how many tournaments you won, they called you 'Incincible Girl', and I can see what they meant. You're amazing, Pyhrra. I can only dream of being as talented as you, and Peter beat you. I feel like he wasn't even giving it his all."
Pyrrha tried to cut through his monologue. "Jaune! This isn't about PPBK. Yes, they're talented, but-"
"Ruby decapitated a giant flying Grimm, using nothing more than herself, an improvised slingshot and a few glyphs, and she's fifteen. I wouldn't have even thought to consider a plan like that!!! I- how I have ever believed that I belong here when I need to compete with warriors like that?"
Jaune closed his eyes, tears stinging the edges. He turned away from Pyrrha towards the roof, but she quickly grabbed his shoulder and pulled him back to face for.
"Jaune." Her voice was loud, yet gentle. Commanding, but compassionate. It was enough to snap Jaune out of his stupor, at least for a moment. "Payback may be talented, yes, but that doesn't take away from your own abilities. You made it to Beacon. That speaks volumes about what you are capable of."
Jaune sighed and turned around again. This time, she let him. His blue eyes stared into the darkness, with only a few lights to break up the never-ending blackness. After a moment, he replied, "You're wrong. I don't belong here."
Pyrrha shook her head. "That's a terrible thing to say. Of course you do!"
He turned back around. His brows were creased downwards, and with more confidence than he had displayed thus far through this entire conversation, he snapped, "No, I don't!"
Pyrrha just stared at him, shocked into silence by either his tone, his words or both. Seeing no other choice but to explain himself, Jaune sighed and, with a sorrowful expression, elaborated, "I wasn't really accepted into Beacon."
He couldn't face her any longer, so her turned towards the darkness once again.
Still very much confused, but not liking the sound of what she was hearing, Pyrrha asked, "Wh-what do you mean?"
Unable to keep it in any longer, desperate to let it out, he confessed in rapid succession, "I mean, I didn't go to Combat School! I didn't pass any tests! I didn't earn my spot at this academy!" He turned to Pyrrha again. "I lied! I got my hands on some fake transcripts, and I lied."
Silence washed over them as the two partners simply stood on the rooftop. Stars seemed to dim a little. The two stood there, frozen, neither sure of what to say. Pyrrha's mind was racing, desperately scrambling to find some sort of explanation that made sense.
But she knew that she would only get one if she asked.
"What? But why?"
"'Cause, this is what I've always wanted to be! My father, my grandfather, and his father before him were all warriors! They were all heroes! I wanted to be one too. I was just never good enough," he admitted, his voice, his very soul, filled with defeat.
Pyhhra stepped forward and, without any hesitation, her hand reached out to him, "Then let me help you."
She wasn't sure why she was okay with Jaune breaking several laws. She didn't know why she was so quick to forgive him for lying his way to a position that anyone else worked all their lives to reach, and even then missed the mark. All she knew was that she wanted to help him.
Unfortunately, Jaune seemed to disagree.
He through her hand off and yelled, "I don't want help! I don't want to be the damsel in distress! I want to be the hero!"
"Jaune I-"
"I'm tired of being the lovable idiot, stuck in the while his friends fight for their lives! Don't you understand? If I can't do this on my own...then what good am I?"
"For starters, in a better position than you are at the moment, Mr Arc."
Fear and surprise shot through both Jaune and Pyhrra as they both turned towards the door to the rooftop. There, leaning against the frame, was Captain Rogers. He wasn't wearing his red, white and blue uniform. Instead, he was dressed in his old school, casual attire. A light brown jacket and denim trousers.
Jaune squeaked in fear and stepped back. Pyhhra, meanwhile, calmly stepped between him and their teacher. Careful to sound like nothing was wrong, she said, "Captain Rogers. I'm surprised to see you here. What brings you to our dorms? And our roof, for that matter?"
"Your friends were worried about Jaune," Steve explained as he straightened himself. "They asked me to check on you, son. Offer some counsel, perhaps."
"I'm sorry if I seem rude for asking this, but shouldn't you be attending to Team CRDL's detention right now?"
Steve shook his head. "Sam has it covered."
"But a caged bird stands on the grave of dreams
his shadow shouts on a nightmare scream..."
As Sam Wilson continued to read the poem from the book in his hand, the four students before him continued to bang their heads against the desks they were sitting at. This was going to be an extremely long night for them.
"How much did you hear?" Jaune asked, with his head bowed.
"Most of it," Steve admitted. "I apologise for eardropping. It's a bad habit of mine. Come with my line of work."
Jaune swallowed bile, unable to say anything else. So, Pyrrha spoke for him. "Sir, whatever you are thinking of doing, I-"
"I only want to talk, Ms Nikos. I'm not mad, and I have no intention of punishing your friend," he calmly tried to assure her. "I would be a massive hypocrite if I did."
"...what?"
Steve smiled. It was that gentle smile you'd expect to see on a gentle grandfather. He approached the duo, careful not to make any sudden moves which could alarm them.
"Please, sit with me," he said as he passed them," he asked as he walked past them.
The two students turned around and watched as Steve sat himself at the edge of the roof, allowing his feet to dangle in the air. Not sure of what else to do, Jaune and Pyrrha followed him. The two of them sat with him, but Pyrrha made sure to position herself between Steve and Jaune. The Avenger just smiled at the action.
After a moment, he asked, "How old do you think I am?"
"I'm sorry?"
Steve's smile shifted to a smirk. "Just guess. I promise I won't get mad at your answer. It'll make sense."
"Oh, um..." Jaune scratched the back of his head nervously.
"Well, judging by your appearance..." Pyrrha began carefully. "I mean, if I had to wager a guess, then I think it would be somewhere around thirty."
"What if I told you that I am over a hundred years old?"
The two students didn't say anything. They simply stared at Steve as if he were crazy. They eyed him up and down, seemingly trying to find any sign of his proclaimed advanced age. Yet they couldn't find anything. No wrinkles, no grey hairs, no blemishes on his skin, his eyes were the same crystal blue as a lake in summer. They could not find any proof on his face proved he was as old as he claimed he was.
"Sir," Pyrrha began slowly, "I hope you can understand why that would be difficult for us to believe."
"I don't blame you. I didn't believe it either when I first heard."
"Wha- what do you mean?"
"Let me tell you kids a story. I think it might help you with your current predicament."
Jaune swallowed nervously but nodded along.
"There was once this scrawny kid from the city, who kept butting his nose into other people's and getting himself into trouble for the sake of strangers or what he believed him. He didn't know when to back down, even though most men could snap his arms like twigs. He was too stubborn for his own good and needed to constantly be bailed out of potentially life-threatening situations by stronger friends, of which he had few. One day, his home joined a war against an authoritarian regime which wished to impose its ruthless, narrow-minded ideology on the rest of the world. Everyone he knew, young men and women all around him, were volunteering for service, laying their lives on the line, including his best friend. He wanted to do his part as well. He didn't believe that he had any right not to do the same."
"The side which fought for freedom and choice had an open recruitment drive. All able-bodied men could sign up and fight for their home on the front lines. But this kid was far from able-bodied. He was a skinny as a pencil, couldn't run for more than a minute without experiencing a coughing fit, and had a dozen illnesses and disabilities which would make him ineligible on their own. Every time this reckless kid tried to sign up, he was swiftly rejected. But he didn't give up. He tried again and again. Every time he found a new recruitment stand, he'd change something about his papers. He would change where he's from, he'd change his name a little. He didn't care that lying on government documents could land him in prison. He wanted to help. He wanted to serve."
"Wha- what happened to him?" Jaune asked hesitantly.
"Well, at this moment, he's sitting right next to you."
Jaune eyed his professor, seemingly searching for any signs of deception or trickery.
"You fought in the Great War?" Pyrrha asked uncertainly. She was still trying to process the fact that her teacher claimed to be over a hundred years old, while looking like someone who could have graduated from Beacon when she first began to train with a sword.
"Something like that," Steve replied, his smile never wavering. "I was so desperate to help, to stop any more death from happening, that I broke the law consistently. I was determined to do something, to not just sit on my butt and twidled my thumbs while good men and women laid down their lives. Eventually, I was caught. I was sure that I was going to get into trouble, be punished for my patriotism. Instead, I was offered an opportunity. The chance to become stronger, faster, to be given the power to make a real difference. As you can see, it worked."
He focused his gaze directly at Jaune and added, "I would like to offer you that same opportunity, Mr Arc."
"Ehh- excuse me?"
"You remind me of myself back then, Jaune. Skrawny and too stubborn for his own good. You've also got a good heart and a knack for strategy and on-the-fly planning that needs to be refined with practice and experience. You have potential, Jaune, you just need to tap into it."
"But I..."
"Don't need help?" Steve finished. "Or do you not want it, because you think accepting it will make you into even more of a failure?"
Jaune could answer that. He simply closed his eyes and bowed in shame. Pyrrha watched with a saddened gaze in her eyes.
"Jaune, accepting help doesn't make you a failure. Everybody in this academy had help getting to where they are today. But if you refuse help for the sake of your own ego, even something as simple as a sparring partner, and allow yourself to become a liability, then, Jaune, you will be a failure."
Steve's voice was a lot cooler when he said those last words. It almost made the two students shiver. It did, however, send Jaune's mind reeling.
'Is he right?' he wondered. 'Am I just putting my friends in danger by being stubborn. But heroes don't need help to protect others, to fight evil. But then, why were we all put into teams? Why is Captain Rogers an Avenger?'
He thought back to recordings he had found of his professor. Like a lot of people, he had started following the follies of the mysterious Hunter Team known as the Avengers. He followed every tag, liked every video. They were like superheroes, straight from the pages of comics. How could he not?
Now, as he thought back to these low-quality photos and security camera footage, which he had spent hours watching instead of studying, specifically the ones featuring Captain America, he realised something. In almost every bit of footage, he was never working alone. He always had someone by his side.
Sometimes, it was Professor Wilson and his mechanical wings, sometimes a scary red-headed woman, and sometimes the archer who assisted with a few lessons that Kate kept making fun of, like he was an older brother. Jaune once spotted a man in black full-body cat armour appearing in the background.
Sure, sometimes he was fighting someone or something alone, but his friends were always in the background, either fighting their own opponents or protecting civilians. They were never alone. They always had help.
Jaune slammed his face into his hands and groaned like he had just remembered that he had an exam the next day worth half of his grade, which he hadn't studied for. Steve and Pyrrha smiled at the sight, both realising what conclusion Jaune had just come to.
"I am willing to provide you with personalised one-on-one training, Jaune," Steve explained. "It's the most efficient way for you to catch up with the rest of your classmates as soon as possible. Of course, you are free to work alongside Pyrrha privately in your time as well, or you can just take her offer. It's your choice, and you are free to decide what works best for you."
Jaune just simply mumbled, "I am such an idiot, aren't I?"
Pyrrha breathed out a laugh and clapped her partner's shoulder. "Yes, you are, Jaune. Yes, you are."
"Well, Jaune," Steve asked. "What do you think?"
Jaune swallowed nervously. Slowly, he removed his face from the palms of his hands. His eyes gazed into he specks of light which broke through the darkness.
"Isn't it against the rules to give students special treatment or play favourites?"
Steve shook his head. "This isn't playing favourites. Sometimes, students need additional support when they fall behind in traditional classes, and the school's faculty is required to provide it. You deserve help, and as your teacher, I am here to provide it. So are your friends."
Jaune nodded slowly. "I'm... not sure what to say. Thank you, sir." He turned to Steve and, with a determined expression, he declared. "I- I won't let you down, sir."
He then focused his gaze on Pyrrha and began, "Pyrrha, thank you for being so willing to help me. You've been really good to me since Initiation, even though I've been a blundering fool this whole time. I'm... sorry for what I said earlier, for trying to be this macho idiot. If... you are still willing to... then I'd be eternally grateful for it."
Pyrrha smiled deeply and placed her hand on Jaune's shoulder. "Jaune, you are my partner, leader, and most importantly, my friend. I will always be there to help you when you need it."
Jaune smiled back at her and nodded. He turned back to Steve and asked, "When can we start?"