AN: So I adopted CoffeyJoe's fanfic, with his permission of course. Here's somethings you need to know. I will make some changes that will get more noticible as the story goes on back to the point where CJ was. I also plan on going in the same general direction of the plot in a way.

Jaune will still be a darker version of his cannon self for the obvious story reason you will see below. And the theme of "Rose tinted glasses" will continue. Well, technically thorn lined frames as i like to call it, because of the negativity. This doesn't mean he's evil, just angry, ya know.

Now, i have a question for the original peeps of CJ and new ones. Do you want Jaune to continue to use the "Railgun-Spear-Combo" or something else?

As for the pairings, i will not say. I want it to be a logical surprise if you will. YOU won't know, but hints may be there and leave you guessing hopefully.

Take note old readers, the first chapter of the adaptation is made up of the original's first two chapters. Little changes made on this chapter. Changes will become much more noticible as the story goes on.

Jaune adjusted his tie for what must have been the 11th or 12th time for today. He gazed back at his reflection and saw an utter hopelessness in his eyes, the look of a man defeated one too many times. He rubbed his temples tiredly as he leaned onto the expensive marble sink, he looked down absently into the basin as he tried to breath in and out.

Jaune was going to be married off to the beautiful heiress of the Goldmine dust company, the second largest producer of dust in the world and just behind the Schnee Dust Company in money and power. They were situated securely in Vale's council just as the SDC were rooted in Atlas's council, and that meant they were the perfect family to be married into and it just so happened the prestigious Arc family had a strapping young heir that was coming into the age of adulthood.

Jaune snarled bitterly to himself, this marriage was the talk of every high-class group of philanthropists and government officials in all of Remnant, seeing as how one Weiss Schnee was going to become a huntress and thus spare herself of being married off, he was the next biggest talk of the town. Think of it: the sole male of the greatest line of strongest huntresses in history being married with the beautiful and intelligent heiress to the second largest dust company in all of Remnant! It would be huge!

Jaune gripped the sides of the sink hard, in other words his own parents were selling him off to some hard-ass ice queen that cared little more about him than his mother's family name. That's right- he was just the sole male of the Arcs, a novelty at best and an unwelcome distraction at worst, but the moment the Goldmines offered a chance for marriage was the day his father gave him a talk about upholding his duty to the family.

His father. A cowardly man who had been whipped into such submission that if his mother told him to eat his hand he'd ask "which one?". The day he gave him the talk was the day Jaune found he had developed a tic when his emotions got out of control. He hid his livid rage well, only allowing a couple twitches of the eyes to escape his rapidly cracking mask of placidity.

He had been groomed for this "honor" for the past 4 years or so. Ever since he was 13 his innocent view of the world was shattered like fragile glass, his parents basically told him the score of things. He was going to be married off to some rich family's daughter and that would mean mommy and daddy could be richer and more influential than they were now. For the rest of middle school and all through high school he spent whatever free time he had going through etiquette lessons, physical conditioning, extra studies, and countless hours of meetings and preparations.

It exhausted him to the point where he suffered a full-on nervous breakdown and was about one shot of vodka away from eating a bullet before Sunny found him and stopped him. His parents hired a therapist for about a month, covered the whole thing up, and then went about like nothing ever happened; he was about to meet his fiancee for the first time after all. Yes, the entire time he didn't even get a damn look at her nor did he know what she was like.

"Jaune, I'd like for you to meet your Fiancee!" His mother said in a chipper voice, opening the doors to the spacious living room for him to get a good look of the only person around his age, some small 15 year old girl that looked just as likely to have him assassinated than marry him. Jaune took a tentative step forward, before being pushed along by his father who gave him some useless words on how to charm a woman which he promptly ignored.

"Hello, nice to meet you. My name is Jaune Arc." He tried to greet her with some modicum of courage, but this woman could stare down a beowulf.

"Kim Goldmine, you're my fiancee?" She asked like a drone.

"Yes?" He asked more than stated.

"Fine then."

And that set the tone of their "relationship" for the next two years with them meeting occasionally every few weeks to get to know each other. He had taken her on more than a few dates but she just spent the time doing some stock market crap on her scroll. They felt more like acquainted strangers than actual fiancee and fiance respectively.

A knock at the bathroom door pulled him out of his reminiscing.

"Mr. Arc? Your parents have requested your presence at in the dining hall. The party has begun and you're expected to provide entertainment." Came the voice of their head maid Sunny Solaire. An unconscious pull of the muscles near his lips did little to reflect the anger inside. Entertainment, yes that's what you are. Entertainment.

"Of course." Came the curt reply.

In the world of Remnant horrific monsters known as Grimm are kept at bay by noble warriors known as Huntresses. What makes huntresses so adept at battling such creatures is their inherent connection to the protective lifeforce known as aura that shields them from injury and heals whatever cannot be absorbed. It does well to give a normal human an edge against these monsters, but additionally, this connection also grants them a sort of trump card known as a semblance. A semblance is a power or ability that is unique to each person and manifests itself as some kind of "superpower" furthering their ability to battle the Grimm.

Strangely though, only females have the ability to possess aura, thus they are truly the only ones who can fight the Grimm. Naturally, women rose to power in the world and throughout history there have only ever been female heroes of legend and only famous female role models. Men, instead, were shoved down the ladder of importance and took up the jobs of cooking, cleaning, accounting, gardening, and other more passive and safe jobs while women took on the tougher jobs. This institution of power led to the common principle of male subservience such as taking the female surname, being expected to come second to a women's more important tasks, and being expected to be married off at their mother's discretion.

The whole thing made Jaune bitter and resentful. He came to distrust any women, hate his mother and father, and grow emotionally distant from his once beloved siblings. His sisters had noticed and tried to bridge the gap between them, but, as always, their duty as the 7 of the top 10 huntresses in their homeland were more important and their relationship never changed.

Jaune exited the bathroom he had been spent his time hiding in and followed Sunny to the dining hall where more rich, snobby guests mingled with each other to feel more important than they were. His shoes clicked across the shined floor as he could hear the drunken mingling get progressively louder as they neared the dining room. Sunny cast a glance at the boy she had taken care of since he was four and hid her grimace, she could see the small tic in his cheek and not to mention those glazed eyes, they made her feel sick that her boy was going to be sold off like cattle. A simple trophy breeding bull.

They reached the grandiose doors and Sunny opened them slightly before stopping to regard Jaune. "It will get better Jaune, but you must be willing to let it get better for yourself and those around you."

Jaune didn't even react apart from another tic in his eye but she guessed it was most likely involuntarily. She opened the door completely and allowed him to step in; he took a purposeless step forward garnering some lazy glances from drunken guests but was otherwise ignored. He spotted his mother and father chatting up his soon-to-be in-laws Aurelian Goldmine and Sylvia Goldmine, they were good looking enough about as much as rich billionaires do with Aurelian standing slightly smaller than his wife with a close-cropped head of salt-and-pepper colored hair. Sylvia and Aurelian were both dressed in a fashionable matching pair of mahogany-colored suit and dress, Sylvia had hair as black as the night and a face that was all angles. Despite seeing them often enough these days he rarely truly looked at them in any meaningful way, their faces might as well have been muddled blobs of color.

He strode over to them to make a gentlemanly appearance as a man should. He got near them and their light laughter paused briefly as they looked at him, dressed in his three piece black suit and red tie they apparently approved as they flashed smiles that had won them all kinds of favors before.

It made him feel sick, like he was just surrounded by fake, plastic people.

"Jaune my good man, it's so great to see you." Aurelian said, extending a hand as Jaune took it and gave it a few firm shakes.

"Yes Jaune, and I as well." Sylvia replied, extending her hand as Jaune bowed to kiss it slightly.

"Mrs. Goldmine, Mr. Goldmine, a pleasure to see you this evening." He managed to choke out, trying to remember his lessons on how to greet distinguished guests. His parents nodded approvingly yet Jaune did not even glance towards them, one look would send him into a ticcing nightmare.

"Jaune my good man, your fiancee is over there mingling with that wonderful Schnee and that amazing General would you care to join them?" Sylvia asked politely, but Jaune knew that was an order more than a suggestion. He looked over to where his fiancee did indeed stand, talking to some woman -a Schnee apparently- and her slightly more rugged superior if the crisp, decorated uniform was anything to go by.

Yes, Kim Goldmine. The heiress to the Goldmine Dust Company and his fiancee, she took after her mother more than her father with a face of sharp, hawkish features that reminded him of that Goodwitch lady from Beacon and stark black hair with silverish streaks done up in an extremely tight bun. She wore a grey pantsuit and had a pair of slim glasses on her face, she stood slightly smaller than him but she made up for it with a calculated and intelligent attitude. Her knowledge of economic and government were matched only by her diplomatic skills and it was obvious those were nothing to scoff at.

His dear bride to be was so much less than Jaune wanted. His sisters always told him that whoever he would marry he would love unconditionally, and they would do the same vice verse. Kim wasn't quite obsessed with money and status, but she did not, no matter what the talk shows and the magazines say, marry Jaune over some attraction to the blonde boy. She considered life to be more about upholding one's expectations than actually living how you want; it almost made him feel sorry for what a shit life she must have had, at least he had his sisters.

Almost.

Jaune sauntered over to the gathered group and nodded quietly as they caught sight of him. The Schnee was dressed in a white coat that was similar to that of Atlesian officers but she had apparently incorporated her own style into it, a red brooch hung near her neck and the tailcoat was significantly longer reaching towards her knees; additionally, her feet and legs were garbed in some kind of boot-high heel combination that didn't look practical at all. Jaune subtly raised a brow at the silver saber sheathed at her belt, she held a relaxed but disciplined stance as she talked with Kim.

"Ms. Schnee, Ms. Ironwood, this is my fiance Jaune Arc." Kim introduced in that same formal tone she always used when speaking, no matter the situation. It grated against his ears but he swallowed his displeasure to smile kindly at their distinguished guests. If the white-haired one was the Schnee then the taller one with the black pixie-style haircut must have been Jocelyn Ironwood -A general if he remembered correct- who wore a white overcoat, with a gray undercoat, black sweater, a red necktie, and a white glove on her right hand. Her suit pants share the same color as her overcoat and are tucked into silver boots accented in gray.

"A pleasure Mr. Arc, I'd like to say you've gotten very lucky on who your mother picked out. She could not have found a better suitor." Ironwood complimented as Kim forced -more or less- a polite smile.

tic

He lowered his head slightly to cover it but he was sure he saw the Schnee's eyes narrow. "Truly an honor as well General, and you in kind Ms. Schnee." He greeted with another forced but polite smile. He had heard of the Schnees, and he had attended a few of their stuffy parties before. From what he remembered this one was Winter, and her younger sister was Weiss.

Yes, she was always the entertainment at the party. And afterward, she'd be forced to sit with her parents while they entertained more important people, she couldn't move or go anywhere without their permission, just like his situation. All that was missing was the leash and collar at those parties, and he could even go so far as to say he felt a sort of connection with her at one point; kindred spirits if you will. But, unlike him, she could become a huntress and escape such a bleak future and she did, going to Atlas maybe? It'd make the most sense. He was brought out of his tangent of thought by General Ironwood's response-

"Please, Jocelyn will suffice." Ironwood said as she raised her gloved hand slightly.

"Yes, you may call me Winter if you like." Said Winter as she kept her hands clasped tightly behind her back.

"So, Kim, have you thought about your future with your new husband?" Ironwood said, trying to make casual conversation as they sipped their drinks.

tic tic

"Yes, the Arcs carry a lot of weight politically so I am quite impressed about the choice my mother and Mrs. Arc decided upon." Kim said, gesturing to the aforementioned group of people somewhere behind them.

"Indeed, a fine choice for a fine heiress."

tic tic tic

Jaune scratched his nose to prevent the ticcing in his eyes and face from showing but Winter was much to observant. "Mr. Arc are you alright" she asked politely, but before he could answer Kim took over.

"My husband has a slight tic you see, we're working on fixing it at the moment."

"Mmhmm." Was the only response Ironwood gave as Winter looked at him warily. Kim talked more and more about the economics of Dust Trading, the increase in White Fang attacks, and the socio-economic policies between Atlas and Vale. It all bored him to death, but it was his "solemn duty as a husband" to stand there and make sure his dear wife would look good.

tic

Yes, that was what he was. A trophy, a decoration, something to be flaunted and looked at occasionally before being stuffed back into the proverbial closet for months at a time. His happiness was not a factor, his father, his grandfather, and his brothers-in-law had all been raised in this, trained even. Like dogs.

tic tic tic

Anger rose in his chest, not at anyone in particular but it was palpable enough he could feel the waves of phantom tugs on his face.

tic tic tic tic

tic tic

tic ti-

"Dear, I'm going to step out for a moment. Excuse me Ms. Jocelyn, Ms. Winter." He hastily made his way to the exit and was within a few feet when he felt something latch onto his arm. He whirled around to see his father staring back at him, impatient and curious at his hasty exit.

"Jaune what is the meaning of this? You do not simply leave-" whatever he saw in Jaune's eyes made him pause as his son looked back at him for a moment before slipping that mask back on, the ticcing in his face never leaving.

"The tics have begun again, I'm stepping out for a moment." Jaune said emotionlessly, like some kind of automaton. Jaune's father did not say anything, but he did let go and warily returned to his wife to relay some simple message. Jaune took the chance to step out of the dining hall and into the chilling corridor as he briskly walked down to the kitchen.

He entered in without a word and spared not a single glance at those around him, some hired catering staff and servants of the Arc family. One in particular, the head butler Floyd, came to meet him halfway.

"Master Arc, something the matter?" He stopped when he saw just how bad Jaune's tics had gotten, over the course of minutes it had transformed but slight facial tugs into pulls enough to make him jut his head slightly.

Jaune trudged over to a low-lying cupboard and rent it open without a second thought. Inside lay a few bottles of expensive wine, some fancy scotch, malt liquor, and spiced rum all the way from Vacuo; Jaune took no time in grabbing the rum and disappearing from the kitchen without a second thought.

0-0-0-0

45 minutes.

45 fucking minutes of this was all he lasted.

And this was his life now. Rubbing elbows with the rich and playing house husband to some frigid cunt that couldn't care less if he was ripped apart by beowulves the day after they were married.

I mean for fuck's sake they threw them a contract for their marriage! He was mandated by the terms of the marriage to bare at least 2 children, or one singular female child by law. Not to mention the countless impossible legal hoops required for him to divorce her he also had terms that were aimed at him specifically: no unauthorized activities, no criminal activities, no military service, additional schooling when applicable yada yada yada.

Jaune had never been so close to killing a man with a broken glass cup than on that day. Damn it all, the rum was hitting hard and fast, that crap always got him worked up in ways he couldn't help.

People tended to avoid him when he drank.

So there he sat, on the back balcony, away from his "family" and "loving wife" as he chugged a bottle of Captain Oro's spiced rum. It made him feel pathetic, what was the point of it all? He essentially had no say, this decision was going to come before his 18th birthday so his mother had full legal rights over him, but he could get married at 16 for some reason.

It was all some big conspiracy he swore to Oum above.

He sighed as he thought about the huge fuckup that was his life. He considered dropping himself off the balcony, it would at least piss of mother since she'd never find such a good opportunity to marry her kids off he thought bitterly to himself.

A useless father, an uncaring mother, a bleak future, and a frigid wife. Oh boy.

To her credit, maybe he could learn to love his new, terse relationship with his wife. Maybe he would be fine taking some business classes and ending up in some cozy job on some useless committee board. Maybe he could just raise a couple of-

No.

Hell fucking no.

He was a human being! He had free will! The gods above did not put him on this world to just submit and do nothing quietly and accept it with a fake smile! He heard thunder rumble overhead, but he could have sworn the sky was clear soon before.

He shook his head, it didn't matter. He needed a way out, somehow he needed to escape his mother's grasp and save himself. He felt warmth flow through his core as his world lit up slightly, damn that rum was good stuff!

He'd resist, he'd bite back, he would kick, claw, scream, and punch until he died or they left him alone.

"FUCK YOU!" He shouted, throwing the now empty bottle at the open, mowed field of his mother's estate. But, before the bottle could hit the ground, an earth-splitting spear of magnificent divine wrath split the earth asunder and vaporized the bottle into a fine powder.

The lightning had struck so close that the resulting boom shook the house. He could hear guests and servants run outside to check what was happening, but he could also hear the sounds of footsteps approaching the door to the balcony he was on.

Floyd burst through the door, worry etched into his old face, "Master Arc! Are you unharmed?!" He asked as his bleary eyes scanned the balcony to make sure his boy was still in one piece. But something was wrong, in the middle of the balcony, on the railing, was someone surrounded in a white glow, almost like that of an-

"Aura." Floyd breathed to himself.

Jaune turned around and quickly ran to his old friend. "Floyd! Are you ok what's happening?"

"S-Sir, I... We must find your parents." Was all he could must as he saw his definitely male charge's aura glow and blanket him. Without another word he took Jaune and ran down to the dining hall, when they entered they were greeted by the confused faces of his parents and in-laws.

"Floyd, what's happening out there? Is it storming?" His mother asked as she walked up to them.

Floyd just shook his head. "No ma'am, but we need General Ironwood and quickly!"

Almost as if on cue, said General Ironwood made herself known to the small party. He saw the apprehension on their faces and turned to face both Floyd and Jaune, "Is something the matter?"

"Well sir, I believe that Jaune..." Brief hesitation struck.

"Jaune what?" Ironwood urged.

"Jaune may have an aura." Floyd finished.

"What!"

"What?"

"What."

Floyd winced at the reactions but continued. "Yes, I saw him out on the balcony, after the lightning came down, and he was glowing or something. Glowing white I believe."

"Jaune, what is the meaning of this?" His father asked.

Jaune just shrugged and tried to make sense of it all. "Well, I did throw that bottle over the balcony and the lightning did indeed strike perfectly on it." He mused to himself, but surely that was a coincidence.

Ironwood exchanged looks with the gathered people. "I think we should end the party and get some rest, I'll be back in the morning to run some tests so please keep him here until then Mrs. Arc."

"Of course Jocelyn. Of course."

Jaune could feel something tie itself in his stomach. This was going to be the beginning of a lot more trouble.

0-0-0-0

Jaune sat in a stark white room, again. Days and days upon being in the same stark white room.

After that disaster at the party Ironwood had called in every aura expert and cutting-edge scientist she knew and trusted and set about finding if Jaune truly did have an aura.

One pistol whip to the head confirmed that.

After that he was detained and swarmed by an endless mob of scientists. Somewhere along the way the secrets had been leaked and Jaune could hear the chattering masses of reporters outside the military base clamoring for more information. Jaune could only grimace in disgust, the way they stepped on each other just to ask simple questions that Ironwood would never answer.

It would have been funny if it wasn't so pathetic.

He heard the click clack of heels coming down the hall from outside the hospital-like room. Jaune had changed into a pair of jeans and a green t-shirt bearing a worn logo of a shamrock on it, he didn't have a whole lot of time to collect his things before being whisked away. Jaune closed his eyes as the sounds of heels got closer, his parents had been ecstatic when they learned their son had the only aura of a male in history.

Oh yes. The promise of power and wealth had nearly quadrupled over the last week or so, where before his marriage to the Goldmines was a welcome use of him, now Jaune could be the very thing that could send the Arc family straight to the top. I mean, hell, they were already going down in the history books as the only family ever to have born a son that could use aura!

Before the Atlas personnel whisked him back to whatever godforsaken place they were taking him, his father wanted to have a "man-to-man" chat about how important he was now. He found that funny for the sole reason he didn't really consider his father that much of a man, more of a trophy with a cardboard personality than someone he should look up to, and far from the realm of people who could lecture him on his duty.

"Jaune, you have an important role to play now!" His father said proudly, puffing his chest out to seem "Extra" manly.

Tic tic

"You have been chosen by destiny to lead the Arcs into a greater future! So you should be quite compliant with all the requests General Ironwood and her colleagues ask of you, and don't worry we and your sisters have been given permission to see you every once in awhile when time allows." He finished as he put a reassuring hand on Jaune's shoulder.

My god, even when he could be considered the most important male in history all he was good for was serving others and making the family look good. Floyd did not question him when he took several bottles of hard liquor from the kitchen nor did he ask about the dreadful nosebleed Jaune had going for him when he returned.

So here he was now, alone with only Atlas military and scientists to keep him company. That, and the occasional visit from some councilwoman from Atlas, although they stopped those when one of their comments about Jaune's expectations while in Atlas custody made the power nearly go out.

At Least Ironwood hadn't been lying when she said that his sisters and "parents" could visit from time-to-time. Word spread among the Arc family and their close associates and he got the infrequent visitations. He remembered when Bianca and Coral showed up with a small cupcake for his birthday some two or three days ago; he had forgotten his birthday was so close. With the preparations for the wedding there was nothing more than a passing comment during breakfast a month ago about the upcoming event, yet, despite himself, he smiled when his sisters showed him a signed birthday card from Sunny, Floyd, a few other servants, and his nephews and nieces who all missed him.

"How have they been treating you?" Coral asked tentatively, she almost winced as the question left her mouth. All she needed to do was take one look at him to figure that out, gaunt and unshaven Jaune did not look exactly the poster-boy for happiness. His clothes were disheveled and his eyes did not reflect that cute warmth from when he was a little boy.

His sisters may have been the only females he didn't completely dislike in the entire world. When they were younger, they didn't see Jaune as a tool to get the Arcs further, nor did they see him as inferior to themselves; they only saw him as their clumsy, adorkable brother that any girl would be lucky to have date them, and they had become huntresses to fight for his safety in such a brutal world.

Unfortunately, or fortunately I suppose, they became 7 of the 10 most popular and best huntresses back home, and that meant their schedules were filled to the brim. They still managed to call their favorite brother and attended his graduation from middle school, and eventually high school, but there were major gaps in communication at times. It was one of the reason the arranged marriage between Jaune and Kim went so smoothly, if their daughters had seen what was happening to Jaune they would have used their influence to at least try to put a stop to it.

"Not good." Was all Jaune replied, staring past them to the wall behind them, eyes unfocused and somewhere else. Bianca's hands clenched and unclenched uncomfortably beneath the emotionless metal table. Really, the "visitors" center looked more like an interrogation room with a few metal chairs, a metal table, and a large reflective window that gave unidentified observers full freedom to eavesdrop.

"God Jaune, I'm so sorry we weren't there." Bianca tried to apologize but Jaune didn't react, other than a faint tic in his eye. Really, the eldest Arc daughter blamed herself for his precious brother's situation, they weren't there to protect them when he needed them most despite the fact they become huntresses to protect him and people like him.

"I'm tired, so goodbye." Was all Jaune said as he stood up and turned to enter through one of the two doors in the depressing room. He had had enough of "family" for a lifetime, what he wanted was for Sunny or Floyd to be here. They understood, they always did.

His parents tried to visit him once. Keyword being tried, when they began to talk about how proud they were and how much publicity the Arcs were getting Jaune accidentally tasered his two guards and his parents were labeled as "stress hazards" and were asked to leave immediately.

"Mr. Arc? It's Dr. Howl." Came the soft voice from outside the door. Ah yes, Dr. Howl, the leading scientist in aura experimentation and the head researcher for what was now named "Project Y". She seemed friendly enough he supposed, but it would be a cold day in hell before he trusted her; he could see it well, that maniacal fascination that all the doctors and scientists had when they studied him. Yeah, he wasn't going to drop his guard for a second.

"What." He responded shortly.

She entered wearing her usual Atlesian doctor's uniform that seemed little different from an officer's. Clipboard in hand she addressed him, "Mr. Arc we need to run a few stress tests on your aura levels real quick."

"Go ahead." He replied in the same gruff tone, not even sparing her a glance as he zeroed in on the white walls, it wasn't like he could say no or anything. If she seemed offended or put off by his response she did well not to show it and proceeded to hook his arm up to some monitor machine that would gauge his aura levels.

Pressing a button, the various rubber patches on his arm as well as the black brace began to exert small shocks and pressures that seemed to fluctuate in intensity. Jaune grunted in discomfort and, trying to bridge the cavernous, awkward gap between them, Howl stepped in.

"Good. Good. Your aura levels are truly something extraordinary Mr. Arc. Far beyond that of even some professional huntresses, in fact, we've begun to theorize that perhaps the dormant aura in males is naturally more palpable in size and intensity." Jaune just tuned her stupid ramblings out, every day it was like this: wake up, eat, experiments, experiments, experiments, and finally some wooden words of encouragement and some bleak praise before leaving him to sometimes cry alone in his small dorm.

Ever since becoming a lab rat for these doctors, a lot of experimentation was done on his aura and semblance both in the theoretical and the practical. It was discovered his aura reacted to negative emotions output by Jaune, and used it to draw electrical energy from the surrounding area and, with some of the more angry moments, develop thunderstorms. His semblance was aptly titled "Electronegativity" and many tests were done of its uses and restraints.

"Also you should know, Mr. Arc, that you are being expected to release a press statement later today." Jaune's had snapped to her so fast there was an audible crack in his neck, "Don't worry, we've prepared clothing and a speech, all you need to do is repeat what's on the notecards and you'll do just fine."

Jaune, however, was not fine in the slightest. In fact, one could say he was the farthest thing from fine a person could be. Here he was, abandoned by his parents to the mercy of these scientists as they sat around all day stabbing him with medical instruments and chatting up how awesome their job was. He'd been stuck in his cramped little dorm with nary a window or even any goddamn books for over week as people just shuffled in and out. And now, they wanted him to go release a press statement when he barely knew anything about his aura? He didn't even get the goddamn courtesy to read about the practical effects and fundamentals of aura nor anything with semblances! For all he knew, he could go off at any second like a timebomb without a ticking counter.

The tension was thick and heavy in the room, and Dr. Howl could feel it. Silence reigned in the examination room, save for only the soft wheezing of the machines that surrounded them. Howl tried to make light of the situation considering how downtrodden the boy seemed to be always.

"Don't tell me you're afraid of crowds hahahehe..." She trailed off as Jaune's head jerked slightly every few seconds.

tic tic tic

0-0-0-0

Later that day...

Jaune stood on stage left, safely behind a curtain as his helper, secretary person or whatever adjusted his tie and looked at him with a smile.

"You're going to be just fine, just remember to read of the notecards." He said, stressing the end as Jaune nodded stiffly. It was just a brief appearance, but he was supposed to be the unveiled hero of the male world, and possibly the key to defeating the Grimm themselves!

Sure. Or, in other words, he would be stood up on that stage and shown off around the world like some carnival freakshow and everyone would just eat it up, Atlas gets the good press and the Arcs become famous.

Yeah. That's about right.

"Good luck champ." You know, for an Atlesian dog, his secretary-guy wasn't half bad. At Least he had a sense of humor. He shook his head as the curator of the event -some officer or something- announced that Jaune himself was here to make a statement. He also asked that they hold off questions as Dr. Howl would be able to answer them better, couldn't expect the man to answer them now could they? That was Jaune's cue as he strode out across the stage floor to excited cheers and clapping, maybe even a wolf-whistle if he heard correctly. He swallowed another grimace and put on his best plastic smile.

He walked up to the podium where his coveted notecards awaited. He took a second to get situated and looked up into the crowd as he began.

"Hello. My name is Jaune Arc and, yes, I'm the first male in history to be born with an aura. I discovered my gift a little over a week ago at a party my parents were hosting, at this time we're unsure but we also believe they may have found my semblance. Fortunately, General Ironwood was there to keep me safe and provide... M-Moral support as the Atlesian council has been given full custody over my research. I am... grateful for such an opportunity and have been c-counting my blessings as the staff here have provided me with some e-excellent care-"

His face began to tic more and more as he read off these fake lines. Ironwood? Moral support? What were they smoking? He'd rather be hanging from the rafters instead of being trapped in this hellhole.

"*Ahem, excuse me. The research is going well and I have been told that I will be integral t-to the annihilation of the Grimm threat. I'm truly... truly grateful for my family and Ironwood, who h-have helped me through these trying times." Jaune grit his teeth as he audibly choked out the words. His face felt hot and he could feel the rough tugging along his face and eyes, if any of them could fully see his concealed face they would of thought he was about to go postal.

"Y-Yes, there is much to be discov..." He trailed off as he fully took in his surroundings, a sea of eager reporters recording and an armada of cameras from around the globe trained on him. More rich and important folk scattered around along the edges of the stage, the front of the crowd, and in some stands above. Suddenly, almost without any conscious thought, Jaune's face was ripped in a snarl. Canines bared he gripped the edges of the podium before, with a sharp grunt, knocked it over with a howling crack as notecards went flying and reporters backed away with sharp gasps.

Silence reigned in the area as people stood dumbfounded, Jaune looked around and accidentally caught the eye of someone near the back clad in green, well, everything. She quickly turned away to sip from her mug, as if nothing was wrong.

Jaune head tugged roughly, snapping his head to the side and that was his cue to leave, he walked briskly off the stage where the same officer and a small squad of soldiers awaited.

"What was that! Do you know what-" she whispered roughly before being cut off.

"Ironwood, where is she?" Jaune growled.

"Not now, you need to-"

"Where?!" He shouted, the officer looked taken aback before mumbling something about the stands above. He waded went to cut through the small crowd of soldiers as chatter began to return and Atlesian PR representatives tried to reign in the scene, one soldier grabbed his shoulder only to be sent to his ass as Jaune pushed her off.

"Don't you fucking touch me." Jaune hissed venomously, face still running rampant with tics and the like. He walked away stiffly as if he was made of wood as his head still jerked slightly, staff and officials got out of his way as he made for the back entrance to where the higher up stands would be.

He clambered up the metal staircase as he heard the door open behind him, two soldiers tailing him to make sure he didn't try anything but smart enough not to be on his back. He entered through another door marked "VIP ONLY" in big, gold lettering and found himself in a room with a few councilwomen, Ironwood, Winter, and the green woman from before.

"Mr. Arc." Ironwood began before Jaune marched up to her and grabbed her by the front of her pristine uniform.

"Where do you get off acting like some kind of goddamn angel sent from above?!" Jaune demanded as the lights flickered slightly, Winter took notice and her hand came to rest on her saber. Jaune caught the movement and jerked his head to look at her-

"Try it, I dare you." She seemed apprehensive as the two soldiers following him bust down the door, guns aimed and set to stun. With a wave of her hand, Ironwood calmed them down and looked at Jaune.

"I understand Mr. Arc, I was against doing this but the council members wanted this press release as soon as possible. They sent me the notice hours before you were informed of it, so I am not to blame." She said, throwing the two councilwomen in the room to the wolves, or rather wolf in this case.

Jaune shoved Ironwood roughly, sending her into Winter who caught her superior in time to rebalance her. The two suited councilwomen backed off slightly as Jaune loomed over to them, a thin coat of white rising off him. The lights flickered and there was the faint sound of electricity sparking from within the walls.

"You did this?" They tried to sputter out some reply and Jaune closed in, a murderous look embedded in his blue eyes.

"Mr. Arc, before you fry our dear council members, may I offer a deal." One again Jaune's had snapped over to the speaker, the green woman from before who stood there nonchalantly sipping her coffee.

"Who are you?" Jaune spat angrily.

"I am Headmaster Olivier Ozpin from Beacon academy. I want to offer you a deal I don't think you'll refuse." Jaune nodded slowly, this woman seemed crafty, and dangerous, not exactly someone to let your guard down around.

"Ironwood and I have been talking along with the council in Vale, and we would like to offer you a place in Beacon Academy." Jaune chewed on that for a moment, there were a few things wrong with it.

"Who said I wanted to become a hunter?"

"Well, that was inevitable. The Atlas Council was going to enroll you in Atlas next year anyway." Jaune turned slowly to look at the two council members, backed into a corner and desperately searching for a way out.

"What I offer, is you come to Beacon under the tutelage of some of the finest huntresses in the world, you stay for four years, and, regardless if you graduate, you will be given full autonomy over yourself and your future." She said, taking another sip of coffee.

"You have no right Headmaster! Jaune Arc is in the custody of-" One of the council women began but was cut off as Jaune jutted a finger out at her.

"You shut the hell up." He growled, a singular arc of blue electricity coming from one of the lights and landing on his outstretched finer, blue webs of energy coiling and ebbing out from the point where it struck. The councilwoman returned to where she was before and remained silent after that.

"I have little training in fighting, I doubt I'd make the cut when compared to other, more advanced applicants." He reasoned to Ozpin who nodded her head.

"True, but this year's applicants have already been accepted so that means you must wait until next year to become a full student. In the meantime, I will contact some friends of mine to train you in the art of fighting if you will allow it." Jaune hummed at that, he didn't trust this woman but her offer was certainly better than his current living condition.

Plus, by the time they trained him, if he wanted out there'd be little they could do to stop him.

"Ok Ozpin, I guess I'm interested." He said coyly, Ozpin never really reacted instead just sloshing the coffee in her mug and taking a sip. But what he didn't see was the small smile she had as the mug was raised.

"I'm happy to hear it Mr. Arc."

0-0-0-0

Jaune had calmed down to the point where his little tics were almost invisible motions of the eyes and face, but he was far from what someone would call happy. Headmaster Ozpin was a crafty bitch for sure; she offered him a deal too good to pass up, but also one that placed himself in the subservience of another kingdom albeit in a slightly better position.

He was sat in a cushy leather chair in some sort of VIP room separate from the one they were just in. Ozpin had gone off to "make a call" in her own words, and Ironwood was pacing back and forth heavily while talking some military jargon with someone else over the scroll. Suddenly, the door opened as two familiar figures entered and Jaune fought off both a massive tic and a splitting migraine using the willpower he had built up over the years. His dear mom and dad had finally been let inside after trying to find him for the past hour; he took some pleasure in watching them scurry around from the viewing area in the VIP lounge for the past hour or so. The reason why they were so concerned was fairly simple-

Ironwood had spread the word that the event was being shut down and that she would be releasing a smaller press statement at a later date. From there, it was a simple matter of just informing his "family" and the council.

Neither took it very well.

"Jaune! I am shocked and appalled at this utter lack of respect for Ironwood and her staff." His mother scolded angrily, deep scowl etched into her face. "You were raised better than to throw fits, and what will the Goldmines think of you when they see this?"

And there it was! The real reason she was upset!

Yes, don't think about how the boy you gave birth to was maybe having a mental breakdown at this overload of stress. No, you need to think about how this will affect your ability to weasel your way into the political power world. Jaune's hand reflexively clenched as the joints cracked softly, it was the only way he could avoid ticcing at the moment and he hoped that it wouldn't become its own thing.

On a normal day Jaune would bow his head and make his apologies, but there was a interesting part of the deal that he made with Ozpin that he slipped in himself:

His parents had fuck-all control over his life anymore.

That meant no marriage, no custody, no say in where he went or what he did, and no chance -other than this one- to see their son on their own terms. Sure he was just being passed off to Ozpin and her shadowy gang of friends, but he could at least enjoy the moment.

"Honestly mother, I don't really give a shit what Aurelian and Sylvia have to say." The retort stopped his mother dead in his tracks and his father's mouth hung agape as he blinked, trying to see if this was some illusion.

"J-Jaune! How dare you speak to your mother-"

"Mmm, sorry Isabella but, as of the deal made of my own choice over an hour ago, you no longer have any custody over me. Council's orders." Isabella sputtered and tried to formulate a sentence but he cut her off.

"Sorry to say but that little wedding with the Goldmines is off. I'm a semi-free man! Or, at least, free from you two." He said with the first genuine, serene smile on his face in the long time. He was going to save those expressions to the mental folder to come back again and again; Isabella turned to Ironwood who had finished the call to watch the spectacle before her.

"Yes, the Valechan Council has been given full custody over Jaune under article 14 of the Vale constitution." Isabella shook her head as it appeared her dreams of being a big political power-player through her son crashed down around her.

"Yeah, you'd be surprised what the council can legally do when they want. Usually they use it to keep men on the bottom, but this time they used it to screw you two over big time." His smile turned viscous as he went on the attack, hungry for blood.

"So, while I become the first hunstman in history you will all be shoved to the side and forgotten. A fitting end for a couple of parents who valued their child less than they did their greed." He shrugged his shoulders as the intercom in the lounge crackled. "and i use the term parents loosely."

"General Ironwood, Headmaster Ozpin has prepared a transport for Jaune Arc." The voice said in a slightly static voice.

"My cue, I'd say it's been a pleasure but it hasn't." He made for the door and, while his wife was still in reboot mode, Nicholas made for Jaune.

"Jaune! How could you do something like this! We're your parents, I'm your father!" He pleaded desperately.

"Oh please, you're nothing but a knick-knack for Isabella. Tell me, when they think of the Arcs do they think of you or me? No, they don't." Nicholas choked on his words as he whirled around for some kind of support, and found he had none. "So do what you do best and sit there and look pretty while being as quiet as possible."

"H-How- How could you!" He shouted, confusion turning to indignant anger as he came at Jaune.

The moment we've all been waiting for he thought savagely. He kinda wished it was his mother, but the lapdog will definitely do too. As his father closed in Jaune ignited his aura and whirled around to deliver a single, devastating haymaker to Nicholas's head. He felt the bones underneath his fist crunch and he smiled maniacally, this was a long time coming and he was going to enjoy it.

Nicholas crumpled to the floor, still alive but in need of a medic. Jaune lazily looked over to Ironwood who just stood there, demeanor never changing saved for a now cocked eyebrow.

"Let's get our stories straight first ok? He came at me and I defended myself right?" Ironwood hesitated slightly.

"Riiiight?" He drawled.

"Yes, right." She grunted before calling in some paramedics.

Jaune left the lounge and made his way to the docks where his bullhead awaited to whisk him off to Beacon Academy. He reached there in record time, eager and excited to get started on becoming his own man! There, near a sleek grey bullhead, stood Headmaster Ozpin alongside her Deputy Headmistress: "The Witch of Storms" Glynda Goodwitch. She looked just like her pictures and such but he hardly cared.

"Headmaster, sorry for the delay, a little family time you know?" He asked with a great deal of enthusiasm. Deciding that she didn't want to know what had turned the bitter man she met into such a happy camper she just nodded.

"Yes, some of my associates back at the school have arranged for a wide array of training for yourself before next year begins. Since we are pressed for time your schedule will be compacted so don't expect us to go easy on you." She sipper her mug and continued. "Additionally, I've brought in the expertise of one of my closest associates to train your personally, a dusty old crow."

Jaune smiled victoriously. "I cannot wait Ozpin."