Disclaimer: This is a work of fan fiction based on multiple existing anime/manga series. The characters and settings used in this story belong to their respective owners and creators, and no copyright infringement is intended. This story is purely for entertainment purposes and is not intended to infringe upon any existing intellectual property. I do not own any of the original works that inspired this fanfiction, and I fully support the original creators and their works.
I'm also exceedingly rarely chilling in JaxWolf4's (Author of Nah, I'd Adapt and Zenin Days) Discord Server. It's a chaotic lobotomy mess. Not for the faint of heart.
Here's the link:
Disc: HrPrTeam
KOKUSEN?!
-Story Start-
Beacon's Training Facilities were a wonderful sight as always.
A gym, hardlight dust-powered gimmicks like obstacle courses.
Not to mention a near-endless array of Arenas and Venues for both Private training sessions you can book, or the large public one that had last been used for the grand display of Jaune's jaw being rearranged.
Within one of the private, smaller venues, the familiar racket of dust explosions and clanging metal resonated.
Team's RAWP & JRNY were doing a joint training session.
First on the schedule - duels.
Having drawn lots with doodles supplied by the joint effort of Nora and Ruby, everyone stood before their respective opponent:
Two blonde boys stood before one another, weapons at the ready.
"Go easy on me, pal?" Jaune smiled pleadingly, his muscles tense, and his hold on both sword and shield was downright crushing.
Alex nodded, both hands holding onto Excalibur, "Sure."
His eyes momentarily turned to the rest of the combatants, who had already started their spars a few moments ago, the noise of the Aura Measuring Device beeping at damage adding to the chaos.
"I just don't understand why all eight of us are fighting in this cluttered arena."
The implication wasn't lost on Jaune as he nodded in agreement, "I think it's also to train our spatial awareness, we won't always be fighting in ideal conditions."
Contemplating it for a moment, and finding it to be pointless for him, "I guess... are you gonna come at me, or-"
Suddenly, unexpectedly, a concentrated beam of flames launched diagonally rushed towards him, to which he side-stepped with a disturbing feat of speed.
Blinking, he turned to the taller blonde perpetrator, who donned an almost childish smug look.
"A sword beam! Pretty awesome, right?! I realized a while ago that I have no way of dishing out real damage from afar or dealing with flying Grimm," He gestured at the distant Ruby, who had the luxury of getting a kick in the face by Pyrrha before using her semblance to soften the landing.
"And it's all thanks to Ruby designing it for me! My dad'll kill me if he knows I had fiddled with Crocea Mors, but-" His words ceased immediately as the wind howled and his opponent stood arm's length from him.
A gasp left his lips as Alex slowly swung Excalibur at him with a genuine complaint, "Man, you talk too much."
The steel grinding against steel screeched in the chaotic venue, as Alex adjusted his strength to not destroy Jaune's prized shield.
Ruby's indignant and angered tone rang out, "ALEX! WATCH THE WIND! YOU ALMOST SENT ME STRAIGHT INTO PYRRHA'S SPEAR!"
Pyrrha seemed to enjoy the moment, as she whispered a quiet thank you at Alex's unexpected collateral assist.
Looking over his shoulder as Jaune fell on his knees, trying to free himself from the swing.
His free hand swung Crocea Mors at Alex whom held Excalibur with both hands to try and free himself from the situation, to no avail.
Alex's left hand shot forward as his right hand kept tight on the hilt of his blade, clasping Jaune's wrist with a titanic hold.
His attention on the battle being lackluster, "Work on gaining some weight then." He retorted at his nagging partner, his momentary distraction garnered Jaune ample opportunity to let go of his grounding and lean into Alex's hold.
The shorter blonde, holding Jaune's entire body by the wrist now turned his eyes at a kick from the bold manevour of Jaune to which he...
Let it hit him.
His Aura bristled, akin to an ocean that had a small rock thrown into it - his amber eyes locking onto the azure steadfast of Jaune and-
He thrust his own head forward, shoving the poor leg that had dared swing a measly hit on him, and headbutted the taller blond with a resonating crack.
Jaune's Aura, being significantly larger than anyone present with the exception of his opponent, had felt all his Aura panicking and drawing towards his face to guard it from practically shattering.
His green aura bar sunk into the red at a pace he could only experience when duelling this man.
The pain as agonizing and his aura nearly shattered, as he found himself launched downwards in a rather awkard manner, with Alex having let go of the wrist that held him in the air.
The impact was no mere thud, as a cloud of dust and debris had kicked up, drawing the pause and attention of the rest of their teammates.
It did not take long for looks of both chastisement and pity to cross everyones features as they looked onto the stupefied figure of Jaune laid on his back helplessly. The bright, sterile ceiling of the avenue before him.
The pain was agonizing but...
His longing gaze upon the ceiling was invaded by the sight of Alex approaching and standing over him.
Jaune voiced out with a pained chuckle. "At least I kept my grip on my weapons." He optimistically remarked, his sword and shield still in his grasp.
His gaze was met with an extended hand, "That was a nice move. I'd have expected you to back away or something in that position." Alex bluntly remarked.
Jaune smiled, taking the hand and rising up to his full height. "Yeah, I thought that's what you'd be thinking, given how strong you are. So I tried going on the offensive."
He frowned in response, "Starting to sound a bit like Pyrrha with that kind of reckless strategy-"
"Alex!" Weiss's indignant tone wasn't quite a shout, yet it practically shook the venue harder than any explosion of dust.
Alex turned to regard the approach of the Schnee heiress with an arched eyebrow, "What is it this time?"
A crisp inhale through her nose to gather her bearings, Weiss directed an accusatory finger at his chest. "How... is he supposed to participate in the Team sparring if you've just crushed all his Aura? Couldn't you have... held back at least to get him to Yellow levels?!"
Blinking, Alex shrugged. "I guess it'll be fair. Now it'll be 3 on 3 matches."
Jaune blinked himself, turning to Alex with a tilted head. "Wait, 3 on 3? Whose not participating?"
Pointing a thumb at himself, Alex relayed simply. "Me. Supposed to be a 'big' secret and all, but I don't care. Ozpin's asked me to not participate in the Vytal Festival, feels like delaying the inevitable but I didn't protest."
"Big surprise there." Weiss rolled her eyes.
"I am in a very unhealthy state of mind, who knows what'll I do there." He nonchalantly explained.
Though, from the sessions he's gotten the memo that a simple friendly tournament or sparring session for that matter isn't enough to make him... lose himself.
As he said so, a loud gratting ping echoed in his mind, his eyes widening momentarily at the contents.
A reaction no one noticed, but he'll have to deal with thisone later privately.
Jaune's head lowered, as the rest of the their teammates approached having finished their battles, his chin resting on his hand. "Then... how is that fair for your Team when they do participate?"
Weiss had a clearly displeased expression, "We've been given the most gracious option of withdrawing or simply going as us three," she gestured at Ruby and Pyrrha.
Pyrrha nodded. "It's not uncommon, though unfortunate, that students have an injury or two due to prior missions... even one of the four being injured is enough to disqualify from fair participation."
"A whole loada bullshit if you ask me." Yang approached with folded hands and a heavy nod.
Then a slight look of concern crossed her features, but her smile was still present. "Sure did rough you up, Jaune." She approached him giving him a slight lookover.
He straightened up, a confident smile on his lips. "Not at all!"
A knowing look levelled on him, before she turned to Alex, "Coulda really held back a bit more you know? He's still rough around the edges-"
He retorted with a deadpan and a slightly annyoned tone.
"If all of you keep bitching and whining I'll just stop coming to these spars." He directed an unimpressed look at everyone equally, they all had something to say about him.
Watch the wind you create, Alex!
Stop hitting so hard, Alex!
You almost broke my weapon, Alex!
Blah blah blah.
'Valid, but they asked for it.' He thought to himself.
And at least they knew it.
""Sorry/My bad."" Was the collective reply.
Ruby added a quiet, "Swear jar!" that was drowned out in the quietude of the arena.
Whether it was unfair or not, Alex's overwhelming strength was a wonderous training method against unbeatable odds.
But well, it wasn't as if he had zero benefit in doing this himself.
"But you could still try just a bit... less hard?" Ruby pleaded with a tilt of her head.
Sighing, he accepted their half-assed apology and completely ignored Ruby's plea as he turned his gaze at the clock situated at the wall of the venue and the others continued their banter and preperations for the Team Combat minus the aura-less Jaune.
"Hmm should get a move on." He hummed casually as he stood beside Jaune.
Ruby frowned, rushing to Alex pressing the point. "Alex."
"Hmm?"
Her voice softened but her silver gaze was sharp, as she met Alex's calm amber. "You're strong, you know that, we know that. Could you please, be extra careful when training with us?"
He paused for a moment, contemplating her words.
He nodded, his lips lifting slightly, "I'll try if you try to get stronger."
She smiled brightly, "We can work with that. Just don't be a meanie and ignore me, please?"
Nodding once more in agreement, he turned around, he had placed to be.
"I'm heading out-" As he took a single step forward, he had been once more interrupted.
"Wait, Alex! Before you head out, you gotta be here to hear this." Ruby's hand had settled on his shoulder to stop him, causing him to turn his head to be met with her 'serious' silver eyes.
Well, he could see some kind of amused emotion dancing in her eyes in contrast to her prior serious request.
"Do I really have to hear this?" He called her out.
"Mhm! Trust me!"
"...Fantastic." He paused, folding his hands patiently to watch Ruby run around gathering their teammates and then standing shoulder to shoulder with Yang to give some kind of overdramatic annoucement.
"Any clue as to what this is?" Jaune whispered to Alex.
Alex didn't whisper, "Beats me, John." He was just as clueless.
"I wonder what it is~! It must be a surprise! A good surprise! A fun surprise! Are they broken Boarbatusk leg-"
"No Nora-"
A cough reverbrated, as Ruby gestured theatrically. "Teams RAWP and JRNY! We came to make an annoucement!"
...
"YAY!!!!!!!!" Only Nora had been enthusiastically clapping and cheering.
Jaune joined in awkwardly with a weaker cheer, whilst Pyrrha mirroed his gesture.
In Alex's case, the herd was far too small to invoke his primal sheep instincts and obey.
Yang flashed a toothy grin, "We have some bad news... and some more bad news!"
Before indignation could fester within their enthusiastic crowd, Ruby spoke loudly. "We have been granted the honors of organizing and hosting the Beacon Dance event this Vytal Festival for both us and the International Students!"
The first protest made itself loud and clear, "Yeah, I'm out-"
He was met with glares from both sisters, whilst the others held mixed feelings. "What? I didn't sign up for it."
Yang nodded, sharing in Ruby's stark enthusiasm, "Neither did we! But! As they say, the cup is half full and-"
Alex frowned. "Did Ozpin just decide to throw on us all the random work just because we aren't allowed to go out on missions until after the Festival?"
"...Very likely." Ren agreed with Alex's dismay.
Pyrrha agreed, though not too happy about it either. "It's a pretty efficient usage of resources?" She didn't seem to sure of her own statement.
A lifted hand from Jaune garnered the attention of the two leaders. "Yes! Comrade Jaune!" Ruby pointed at him.
"Umm... what's the other bad news?" Jaune asked, though he seemed in a strange state of uncertainty.
Pausing at the inquiry, Ruby and Yang exchanged looks, a silent conversation passing through them as the both of them pointed at a specific teammate of theirs.
""NO SLACKING OFF! WE'RE IN THIS TOGETHER!"" Ruby's finger pointed at Alex, whilst Yang's pointed at Ren, they seemed to be enjoying this moment a bit too much for anyone's liking.
"...I owe that guy too many favors." Alex scratched his chin in slight displeasure.
Nora practically hammered her hand onto Ren's back, "Don't you worry! I'll make sure Renny pulls his weight in the effort of making the most awesome ball event this Academy has ever seen! Huzzah!" She gestured enthusiastically, her hands spread wide.
"Thank you for supplying the spirit as always, Nora." Ruby directed a nod of approval in tandem with a generous thumbs-up.
...
Thus, a moment of awkward, comfortable, confused whatever it was silence permeated the air of the venue, to which Yang clapped her hands loudly.
"Well, that's all we had to say - we'll allocate duties to you later this evening, lets get back to training."
She then gave Alex an amused smirk, coupled with a shameless shooing gesture, "You can skeddadle Mighty Mooch."
"No need to tell me, skeddadle I shall." Alex retorted without a hint of hesitation.
Jaune's voice boomed, "Wait! Let's take a short break, like... ten minutes?" He shook his head sharply, "I gotta ask Alex and Ren something." He had a slightly uncomfortable, nervous energy to him.
Yang levelled a sheepish look at him. "Yeah, sure... we're in no rush." Though the confusion marring her features was shared by the others present.
The three boys among the teams exchanged looks, particularly the confounded Ren and Alex shrugged at one another as they followed Jaune outside the venue.
What does he want to talk about, exactly?
-----------------------------
They stood outside the facilities, some foreign students eager making it a bit hard to focus as their eyes locked onto Alex and settled on him like a hawk surverying its prey.
Regardless, the seemingly private conversation pressed on, Jaune giving the distant looks no mind.
"You must be wondering why I called both of you here?" Jaune smiled awkwardly.
Alex nodded.
Ren, actually, hummed and hazarded a guess. "Dating advice?"
Tilting his head, Alex retorted, "Surely not-"
"HOW'D YOU KNOW?! ARE YOU A GENIUS?!" Jaune roared out with palpable shock, pointing at the calm, smiling Ren.
Ren explained observantly, "The mention of the ball got you uneasy. Then you suddenly call out only the boys outside? Could've picked a better timing, there's a chance some of the girls got an idea that a boy talk was your intention... and they might be countering with their own Girl Talk."
Jaune gasped. "Wow... I'm an idiot."
"Why's it a big secret whether they have a girl talk or we have a boy talk? Stop being so overdramatic." Alex calmly waved him off, gesturing him to get to the point.
Drawing a calming breath, the hesitance marring Jaune's features hadn't waned. "I need your advice, guys."
"Desperate enough to ask me for it? Ren would've sufficed, with all that funny business he's got going with Nora." Alex inquired with an arched eyebrow.
Ren denied nothing, to which Jaune eagerly replied. "It concerns you as well."
...
It grew quiet all of a sudden.
Alex sighed, levelling a genuinely apologetic look at Jaune:
"Look man, I'm flattered but I'm into wome-"
Jaune's face, paradoxically, got dangerously close as he pressed the point with a rapid shaking of his head. "N-No man, eww, not that!"
"So?"
...
Jaune's hesitation had gotten on both the stoic boys' patience.
""Spill it/spit it out.""
"...I'm torn between asking Yang or Weiss for a dance in the ball."
Both boys whose sage advice had been requested paused, processing that information.
The first to carefully reply was Ren, "What do you mean by... 'torn'?"
"Like, I'm really, really into Weiss but... Yang's nice as well and-"
His features hardened, as he voiced out his grand reveal:
"I think she likes me."
Alex answered immediately, "Are you sure she's not just being nice to you after gracing you with a new set of teeth-"
"No! I'm sure!" Jaune cut him off sharply, confidently.
Or... not so confidently, "I'm... pretty sure?"
Alex rolled his eyes momentarily, as if being infected by his white-haired teammate. "Don't half-ass things. Just because someone likes you doesn't mean you must like them back."
Ren nodded in agreement, "And you aren't even certain she does like you. Just go with your heart, as cheesy as it sounds." He smiled wisely at Jaune.
Lowering his head for a moment of contemplation, not quite certain, he still smiled gratefully. "I'll try, thanks you two."
He then sharply turned to Alex, with an almost meek gaze. "You... aren't bothered by my interest in Weiss?"
"Where'd you pull that stupid conclusion from?"
"Well... one part of me asking for you here was to confirm if you were into her or not... didn't think I'd pull an answer out of you so I just and said what I said." He added, "If you're planning on inviting her to the dance, I'll give up instantly and ask Yan-"
Alex's palm cut him off, "Not planning on asking anyone on the dance, go wild." He stepped forward, passed the two of them.
Ren frowned lightly, almost knowingly. "I'm not sure that's the right answer, Alex."
Alex sighed in response, "Was that all?"
Blinking, Jaune nodded, "Uh, yeah, thanks a lot!"
"No problem, good luck." He offered as he headed towards the distant Bullhead port to get to his session in Vale.
...
'Beacon Dance... sure hope there's free punch.' He absentmindedly remarked.
Far more important things had interrupted his relatively quiet period.
The usual suspect, as always.
His eyes and mind went to the quest that had so innocently pinged in his mind in the arena just earlier.
Though, its title was anything but innocent.
-Main Quests-
↓
[NEW!] Hell Is Empty - 1↓
Requirements - Slithering worms, vile snakes, the rightous without teeth, the meek and hopeless that cry out for salvation... Feast your eyes on the Savior! Grant them another glimpse of your might! Triumph in the coming Vytal Festival Tournament with an overwhelming performance & Accept Post-Victory Interviews.
Static Rewards - 2 Gacha Coupon & 8,000 Lien & Validity for [Hell Is Empty - 2]
Performance-Based Rewards - Validity for numerous [Sub Quests] & Significantly raised Relationship Progress with...
Time Limit - End of the Vytal Festival.
Punishment for Failure - A week of Damnation. Significantly lowered Relationship Progress with...
Difficulty - D+
Frowning deeply, he muttered aloud. "I'll have to talk to Ozpin to get me back on the event."
[Good choice. You won't regret it, I promise.] The insidious voice in his head had chimed in at his decision.
It seemed, things weren't going to stay quiet for him for much longer.
He still wasn't confident he could just... function without losing himself and this thing just threw a Main Quest at him?
[Do not fret, If you act according to my directives, you will, no matter what state of mind you are in, not be a threat to those dear to you.]
'Yeah? You've got no power to stop me when I've got my head on my shoulders, whose to say you can stop me when I'm not in control?'
[You underestimate me. And you give yourself far too much credit when it is Excalibur and Avalon who allow you such negligence.]
'Rightfully so, you useless fucking tool.' He spat out mentally with genuinely frustrated anger.
His steps quickened slightly, and they grew far heavier the ground nearly cracking beneath his feet.
'Of all the things... couldn't you just wait for me to get better?'
[...I apologize, but I have no control over the acts of others. Now was the time for me to grant you this quest.]
Alex could only click his tongue as he pressed onward, heading to the distant bullhead.
To Be Continued!
-Author Note Start-
Been a while (or not).
Hope the chapter's been to your enjoyment! We've got a lot to cover.
The Grimm Jellyfish situation will be mentioned a little later, I haven't forgotten.
On that note, not much left to say.
Love ya and bu bye!