XX62

All stories have a beginning, mine is no different. I grew up wanting nothing more than to be a Huntsmen, I wanted nothing more than to be the hero.

I'm still not sure if I could be considered a "hero" but I definitely never became a huntsman.

My "story" technically began the second I was born but you probably don't wanna hear about my childhood, I grew up with seven sisters so it wasn't necessarily fun all of the time. I love my sisters, don't get me wrong, but when you have such a high concentration of women in one house with just two men...things get weird.

I'm getting off track.

This particular part of my story starts at Beacon...my old home.

/~/

XX51

I sighed deeply as I boredly clicked my pen, I was attempting to study for my History of Remnant test and was failing miserably, which is what I was probably going to do tomorrow during the test. I slumped down and lightly banged my head against my desk before groaning.

"How is your studying going, Jaune?" Pyrrha asked from her bed, where she sat with a textbook across her lap.

"It's going." I muttered dryly, I was honestly only a quarter way through the chapter and nothing was sticking.

"Want some help?" I heard Ren ask from his bed, he was the intellectual of our team and had the second highest theory scores out of our year; only just behind Weiss.

"I'm okay, it's just a slow process." I lied, I was embarrassed; ever since I told Pyrrha about my faked transcripts I was determined to prove that I deserved to stayed at Beacon. I put everything into studying and training, but it looked like I was finally burned out.

"Whatever you say." Ren muttered, obviously not believing my lie. I was an awful liar at seventeen as well as an awkward mess, thank God I had completely mellowed out around them time I was legally able to drink. A coincidence? Probably.

I closed my textbook and tiredly set my head against the leather bound book, I had decided to bomb the test and get some rest then eventually retake the test once I wasn't burnt out. Standing up, I went to my bed, dug out the sky blue onesie (kinda regret losing that thing actually, it was pretty comfy once you got past the bunny on the front) that my oldest sister had given me as a going away gift and went to the bathroom to change.

The night went by quickly, it usually did in our dorm, friends have the tendency to make time go by a lot faster. The next day's classes went by almost as quickly and by the end of Goodwitch's class, Oobleck had managed to grade every test and had posted the results outside his classroom. I hadn't done as awful as I expected, I was in the middle of the class list with a seventy-one; not bad for only studying a quarter of the chapter honestly.

I was actually happy that i'd gotten such a solid grade, I didn't even suspect a thing when I was called to the Headmaster's office. I thought it was going to be something about team JNPR, Ozpin had was known to summon team leaders on occasion to just ask them about their team, I didn't suspect I was about to be sideswiped with the worst news of my life.

I rode the elevator up towards Ozpin's office, not knowing that the shovel known as real life was about to be smashed into my face. A beautiful image right?

Maybe she was right about this whole thing…

Anyway, the door of the elevator slid open and I was met with the sight of Headmaster Ozpin at his desk, coffee and tablet in hand, and Miss Goodwitch, who had her ever present riding crop in a loose grip at her side.

My naive and unsuspecting self wasn't ready for the next words I would hear as I walked towards the teachers, uttered by Headmaster Ozpin himself, "Jaune Arc, for falsifying your transcripts, you are hereby expelled from Beacon Academy."

I froze. How they found out about my transcripts was a total mystery to me at the time but it was the last thing on my mind, the thing at the forefront of my mind was what was I going to tell my team? What was I going to tell RWBY? What was I going to tell my family?

"You need to have left the campus by six o'clock, your personal possessions with you. Understood?" Goodwitch asked, her words barely registering as I slowly nodded my head. I didn't even bother arguing my expulsion, I just turned around and walked away with my head down; attempting to hide my tears.

To contrast the abysmal end of my career as a Huntsmen, I actually had some luck and discovered that my team had gone to dinner without me. So I sat in what was no longer my dorm and looked around, there were a lot of memories in that room and even though i'd only known them for a few months; I loved my team and friends and the thought of leaving them left this big, black, pit in my chest that ached. I don't want to leave them, but I had to now.

So I packed what I needed into a duffel bag, mostly just clothes and other personal items, and left a note to each member of my team and team RWBY. I'm not going to rewrite what I said in those letters because I honestly said a lot of embarrassing and personal things that I swore I would never speak or write again.

Then with my bag and Crocea Mors at my waist, I closed the door to JNPR's dorm for the last time. I wandered for a while, it was only four-thirty and I wanted to take in Beacon one last time. After revisiting my classrooms, I found myself standing at the statue in Beacon's courtyard; staring up at the man in the hooded scarf with his blade raised high, it was later now and the light of just risen moon reflected off the bronze.

"A beautiful sight, no?"

I jumped out of panic. I flailed for half a second awkwardly before turning toward the voice behind me, hands on my head for some odd reason with a blush on my cheeks. The man standing behind me a had a half smile, as though he was try his hardest not to laugh at my totally dignified response.

He was young, around my age now, and wore a well cut gray suit, white shirt and red tie. His dark brown hair was pushed back and his eyes were the same color as mine, he cocked his head and his smile didn't waver as he spoke, "You okay? I didn't mean to sneak up on you."

"Y-yeah, sorry for freaking out," I fumbled before holding out my hand, "I'm Jaune."

"Alec," He stretched out and shook my hand, I remember being surprised at how callused his hands were, "So, what brings you to Beacon, Jaune?"

"Uh," I murmured before ducking my head, "I'm leaving actually."

"Ah, so being a Huntsman wasn't in the cards eh," Alec asked before staring up at the statue beside me, "Sounds like you've had an eighteen carat run of bad luck."

"You could say that, I guess." I said, trying to keep my anger and sadness out of my voice.

"Ozpin always did have a problem seeing potential that didn't fall into his plan."

"Wait, how do you kn-"

"I never formally introduced myself actually," Alec said, reaching into his jacket and pulling out a business card and holding it out to me, "Alec Canus, owner of the Remnant Courier Company."

I took the card and quickly examined it, I had heard about the RCC and the Couriers. I had heard that they were couriers who are trained in various formed of armed and unarmed combat as well as stealth and diplomacy so they can deliver any and all packages with a 100% success rate.

That's what I had heard at least…

"What are you doing at Beacon?" I asked, he didn't look to have a package of any kind on him so I doubted he was working as a Courier at the moment.

"Personal business. When I heard Nicholas Arc's son was set to be expelled from Beacon, I had to come and see it for myself." Alec said, causing my blood to run cold.

"W-why?" I asked, unable to stop myself from stuttering as Alec reached into his pocket and pulled out a scroll.

"Because I'm simply taking advantage Ozpin's mistake. I don't know if he didn't see your talent and potential or just ignored it, but it's there, Jaune."

I was stunned. Talent? Potential? I couldn't even begin to guess what "talent" or "potential" brought the owner of the RCC to me, I had just been expelled from Beacon after all; as far as I was concerned any talents I had clearly weren't worth much, "W-what are you talking about? I'm nothing special."

"You managed to forge transcripts to Beacon, one of the best combat schools on Remnant, do you have any idea how serious their vetting process is," Alec asked, turning to me, "You managed to fool everyone for months with those fakes, that takes some serious forging skill as well as being a talented liar; two important qualities I look for in my Couriers."

It took a moment of silence before reality managed to catch up with me, "Are you...are you offering me a job?"

"No. I'm offering you an interview...kind of," Alec called cryptically as he began walking backwards, away from the statue we had been admiring, "There's a two month training period for Couriers, you survive, you're in."

"Why are you doing this?" I asked, beginning to walk after the smiling man who was slowly fading into the darkness.

"Because I wanna see what happens," Alec said, "I mean, isn't this exciting? The wannabe hero is faced with the decision to enter the exciting but questionable gray as a transporter of any and all packages or re-enter boring obscurity as a farmer boy."

I stumbled to a stop as I heard a soft laugh in the darkness and one last word from Alec as he disappeared into the darkness, "Come by my office when you make up your mind, kid."

My duffel hung loose in my hand as I stared into the night, where my future boss disappeared like a freaking ghost. All these years and I still don't know how he did it. Kinda scary if you really think about it, eleven years later and I still don't know how he does it.

The next morning I stood in front of two story brick building with a large neon sign that read three words, Remnant Security Company.

Looking back on it now, I shouldn't of been surprised to see that Alec was standing in the doorway; smile on his face.

"Guessing you want a job."

I remember what I said next, I said it with conviction; conviction I never had when I was at Beacon, this was my last resort and if I failed...I don't even want to think about what my life would have become if I never said what I did next, "I don't want to be stuck in some settlement plowing the fields until I die, I want this."

"Let's get you on a Bullhead." Alec said before he began to walk into the office, forcing me to follow him into the foyer where a secretary (Her name is Clary by the way, she's a total sweetheart even back then when she was fifteen) sat behind

"A Bullhead? Why?" I asked following him through a door that lead to a small sea of cubicles, men and women of many ages, colors and races sat and appeared to be answering and talking into wired scrolls as well as typing on holo-computers. As I would later learn, they were filtering and filing deliveries. Pulling up dossiers on clients and checking credentials to make sure jobs were legit.

At first I was intimidated by the sight, by the noises and shouting. By the time I turned eighteen, I knew all of them by name and could tell you whatever there is to know about any of them. To be honest, there were only twenty-six of them and my fear was just my nerves and the incredible amount of noise.

"We gotta get you to The Facility somehow," Alec passed through a door and into a long hallway that had five different pathways, two on each side and one straight ahead with Alec Canus emblazoned onto a frost glass doorway, "I originally wanted an underground training facility, but our budget isn't that amazing."

"Sooooo… The Facility is where i'll be trained?" I asked as we entered into what was obviously Alec's office. It was very...lived in...not at all messy. Not a total freaking mess that forced me to watch as Alec gave up his dignified strut and was forced to tiptoe over piles of books and boxes of files.

"Excuse the uh...mess, I'm knee deep in reorganizing our Atlas branch; that government is full of frigid sociopaths I swear," Alec groaned as he sat down in a high backed chair and gestured to a chair that was buried under books and boxes of files, "Feel free to toss those on the floor, I was done with that half anyway."

I grabbed a stack of books and carefully laid them down and set two boxes of files next to them before sitting in the chair. I now had a better look at the office and noticed that it had wall to wall and flooring to ceiling bookshelves that were empty, now covering the floors I imagined.

Alec tapped onto a device of some kind at the head of his desk and I watched as a holo-screen was projected up and a holo-keyboard was projected onto the flat of his desk, "The RCC has been given the ability to beta test new technologies before the Huntsmen implement them into their standard equipment."

"So you're the guinea pigs?"

Alec sent me a look, a look I would later learn meant "Watch your mouth", but he simply said, "We test the products to make sure they work."

I gulped as Alec reached over to a wired scroll and pressed a button before a dial tone rang and a deep voice chimed through the line, "Yes, sir?"

"Aster. I need you in my office, now; I got new blood for The Facility," Alec let go of the button and leaned back in his chair before loosening his tie a few notches, "Being the leader of an intercontinental courier service is hard work, kid. You gotta appreciate the calm when you can."

"Aster...that sounds suspiciously fake." Thank god I wasn't totally dense.

"It's a nickname. You'll get one of your own at The Facility, they'll give you one fitting your personality, until then you'll just be call Initiate."

"What's wrong with my name?"

Alec opened his mouth and began to respond but a loud banging on the door cut the man off, "Come in, Ast."

I turned and almost swallowed my tongue as a towering man stepped through the door, his skin was the same color as cocoa and his muscles were bulging against his dark blue jumpsuit, he also had what appeared to be a massive scar across his neck and probably his chest. Did mention that he had to duck under the door frame to step into the room? No? Well he did, and it effectively terrified me.

"Aster. New Initiate. New Initiate. Aster," Alec said, causing Aster to nod toward me. Out of fear more than courteousness, I nodded back before Alec continued, "Aster is our best pilot and our Explosives Proctor at The Facility, he'll be flying you and one other initiate we had waiting here to The Facility."

"Bullhead is ready to go…" Aster said, the quietness of his deep voice surprising me.

"Well, Jaune," Alec stood from his chair and danced around the mess that was his office to my side, "If I see you in two months, I'll know I made the right choice; if not, I wasted my Friday night."

I stood and heaved my duffel bag over my shoulder and was pulled out of Alec's office before I could respond or even say thank you. Aster stood in front of me and began leading me into one of the hallway's pathways that actually turned out to be a stairwell. After walking up two flights of stairs, we exited a metal door and began walking across the roof towards a black Bullhead with an RCC logo on the side.

As I sat down, I finally let everything catch up with me. I remember feeling overwhelmed. Overwhelmed that just yesterday I was a Huntsman In Training and now I was sitting on a Bullhead, going god knows where, under the guidance of a company and people I knew nothing about.

I was pulled from my chaotic thoughts by the sound of boots thumping against the metal of the Bullhead's floor. I could only assume it was the other initiate I heard about from Alec. He was fairly normal looking, dressed in jeans and a hoodie like myself, (minus the armor) with tousled brown hair and green eyes. He sat across from me, setting a small satchel onto a seat beside him.

"H-hi," I stuttered, I was nervous and Aster appeared to be outside the Bullhead and off to the side, talking to a blonde man in a suit, "I'm J-"

"Gerald said we shouldn't use our real names." The boy said suddenly and rather coldly to be honest. I remember it being very surprising, so far everyone had been rather friendly; Alec was...Alec, Aster had been quiet but he hadn't done or said anything weird.

"Who," I asked before the boy nodded back and I remembered seeing the blonde man, "Well, what do I call you?"

"Don't know. Whatever you want I guess." He crossed his arms and leaned back into the seat.

"Tom."

"Do I look like a Tom?" He asked, the cold disappearing from his voice ever so slightly.

"You could be, I don't know." I said, a subtle smirk on my lips.

"You don't know, I don't know, we don't know much of anything…" His eyes drifted downward, "What brings you to the RCC?"

"I…" I paused, what did bring me here? Hate of Beacon? Alec taking advantage of me in a bad situation? Boredom?

"... I hate myself."

"O...kay," He said, "That doesn't exactly tell me much."

"I am a failure. I was given...an incredible opportunity and I ruined it, I'm here because I want a new start. I want redemption."

"Well, that's just cheery," He remarked, "I guess you could say I'm in a similar position, though my new start is a lot more forced."

It was at this moment that Aster stepped through the bay door and hit the large red button on wall, closing the door before heading up into the cockpit. Soon the engines whirred to life and I grabbed at the seats beside me as the Bullhead began streaking across the sky…

/~/

This is...just the beginning. That was my first time meeting Joker, a fitting name I know. His callsign was always a joke to us all, I was terrified that my callsign would be the same deal; Thankfully it wasn't and I got lucky.

The Facility was where I truly became a Courier. Where I learned mostly everything I know. Where I met some of my closest friends. Where I almost died while learned to live, ironic yeah?

Dang, she's home. If she sees this she'll never let me live it down.

/~/

AN: Hey all, it's Logic with a new story; Courier. I kinda just wanted to write a story where I wasn't held down by canon and this was just kinda birthed. I also enjoyed writing it as though an older Jaune was writing it in his journal, it was definitely a fun experience. Speaking of fun, this is an AU where Cinder and Co. don't exist. Here's Le Plan® for the chapters so far...

1) Intro

2) The Facility

3) Main Storyline

Hope you enjoy this story guys, I'm super pumped for it, keep it real.