In which ZeroXSEED write mediocre fic about mediocre protagonist doing mediocre things.

How mediocre you ask?

SUPER MEDIOCRE!

More seriously, this is the story of Jaune Arc, the controversial audience surrogate from franchise RWBY, often said to be getting far too many spotlight for his own good, and he's also often wrote in such a way that the entire fanfiction become his personal wankfest, forgetting his core character in favor of awesome and edge.

This is not such story.

This is the story of Jaune Arc, the clueless white knight supreme, bumbling his way into Atlas Academy with minimum preparation, where he meet the quirkiest people he can imagine, while wondering whether he's actually cut for this. Enjoy!

[SHINE IN MEDIOCRITY]

The Story of Atlas Hunter Academy

By

ZeroXSEED

Chapter 01 - Entrance Exam

Jaune sat on the chair, the one of two chairs in the exam room. He wasn't sure if it was on purpose to intimidate him, or there's that few people who entered the academy this way. Written exam begin in five minutes and he's still sitting here in a dimly lit room. He wasn't really sure he studied enough. Actually, pretty sure he haven't studied enough. The last six month were spent, blood and sweat, just to bring his body and basic technique up to spec. And to say nothing of his poor aura control...

Focus Jaune, the written exam is the least important, after all.

And he had faith in his mentor.

Remember, whatever they did, don't whine.

Heavy footsteps reverberated in the corridor nearby, Jaune's eyes rolled aside to catch the sight of ginger haired girl entering the exam room. Her posture were...stiff, perhaps she was nervous? But her expression doesn't show that. Then again, some of Jaune's friends are exactly like that. See, he doesn't discriminate!

"Good, evening." She said in vaguely monotonic voice, and the gaps between two words caught Jaune off guard. The blond boy smiled, "Good evening, you're doing normal exam too?"

"Affirmative... I mean, yes, I am." She blinked and then nodded, her pupil seemingly retract for a moment, or maybe just his tired eyes.

"Great, nice to meet you. The name is Jaune Arc." He offered his hand friendly, "So who are you, friend?"

"The name, is, Penny, Polendina." The ginger haired girl said, again, with the awkward gaps. Not that he cared. Until she suddenly glared at him, with such intensity it almost scared his bowels out. "Did you just call me...friend?"

Jaune froze for a moment, but then, his worst habit kicked in. "Why not, strangers are just friends you haven't met yet. My Mom always said that." Jaune carelessly babbled, "So now that we met and know each other, we're friends. Well, unless you don't want to. I mean, you have nothing to lose."

"Friend." Penny's expression softened for a moment and contemplated strangely as she sat on her chair, with a loud creak. And then, Penny slowly looked at his direction, her lips stretched wide. "Friend, Jaune is a friend. Wonderful. It's a Pleasure to meet you."

"Err, the pleasure is mine. Hopefully we both passed." Okay that smile was creepy. Jaune thought. What an odd friend I've just meet. Thankfully she didn't mad.

"That would be preferable, yes." She nodded.

The lights suddenly became brighter as a man dressed in military uniform walked in. He wasn't the tallest man in the planet, Jaune thought, but still taller than most. His broad, rock solid shoulders only highlight how much of a bigger man he was, compared to Jaune. His hair cut crew style, typical that of elderly military officer. The sides of his head already started to show some gray lines, as well, even though his appearance look so much younger in comparison.

A high ranked General of the Atlas Military, Jaune recognized the rank, but not the man himself.

"General Ironwood, sir." Penny stood up and saluted with inhuman precision. Jaune waste no time and emulated his odd friend, even though he don't know if it's required. At the very least he need to show courtesy.

Wait, THAT Ironwood?! Shit!

"Sit down, and at ease." The man said, his voice carried such weight that Jaune can't help but feel intimidated. "My name is James Ironwood, tonight I will personally oversee this exam as your proctor. The line between arrogance and confidence is thin, but I have faith that if the two of you know where to draw that line, you will pass through this test just fine."

He walked slowly toward them and handed them two pieces of paper, each.

"You have twenty minutes." Ironwood said as he return back to the front of the class, before procuring a stopwatch. A holographic screen several meters wide show up behind him with digital time counter. "Begin."

Jaune took his pen out and began filling the sheet with his name and entrance number... not that it's complicated. To begin with, most student of Atlas are combat school graduate. Sadly, Jaune missed that chance and wasted three years of his life in civilian high school.

Most of the question in the first sheet were... generic, to say at the least. He could deal with them just fine. He finished the first sheet in less than five minutes. And then there's second sheet, where his smile turned upside down.

It's all important question pertaining various knowledge of Grimm, Nature, and Combat. He eyed to see Penny diligently filled her own sheets, seemingly uncaring of the countdown the size of small car in front of the class.

...well I'm screwed either way. Hopefully my answers are good enough.

Beads of sweat rolled down his pale face as his trembling hands began to write the answers, the best he could muster with. Don't worry Jaune, ten simple questions, you can finish them in a breeze.

"I am, finished, Sir." Penny raised her hand.

"M-me-too." Jaune echoed.

"Good, hand your test, grab your weapons, and proceed to the next room." Ironwood closed his eyes and ordered.

The holographic countdown disappeared and the wall began to retract down, revealing a larger, taller room filled with debris. From slab of bent metal frame as thick as human torso to broken pieces of concrete walls and pillars scattered around the floor.

Jaune approached his equipment, he grabbed the huge bundle of weapons covered in blue cloth leaning on the wall, and slung it on his back. Penny, however, wore a backpack made of metal, mostly black steel with green highlights. Wonder what kind of weapon she use?

"Obstacle course?" Jaune wondered aloud as he walked in, and then he saw Penny was... oddly serene, as if she don't want to miss every inch of the scene, scanned them in detail with her sharp, green eyes.

The wall shut behind them, and now it's pitch black. Jaune's heart rate spiked up in response.

The paper doesn't matter, all that's matter is what happens once you grab your sword. Jaune remembered his mentor's words. Fight as if your life is on the line.

His hand clenched tight on the blue cloth bundle, ready to pull it anytime.

"Jaune, your heart rate become highly irregular, and you're sweating a lot. Are you afraid, of the dark?" Penny asked calmly, almost too calm for his comfort. "No I'm not. Aren't you nervous, Penny? This is where the real exam begin."

Jaune heard a little giggle. it was almost... encouraging, "I am combat ready." Penny said confidently, and Jaune heard something clack open nearby, like the sounds of weapon mechanism being activated.

On the other side of the wall, General Ironwood didn't waste his time as he skimmed through the answers to the written test, which deliberately made as simple as possible. Penny's answers were, much to his expectation, unnaturally organized. He wasn't surprised by that at all, everything is well within his expectation.

What surprised him is the sheets of Jaune Arc.

Ironwood furrowed his eyebrow and twitched a little in disappointment. It was honestly baffling.

Q: What is Aura?
A: It's a forcefield that protect your body from harm!

"What a simpleton." He sighed, this answer is... not wrong, but that's like saying it's not wrong to fill a college entrance exam with the knowledge of a fourth grader. "He better surprise me in the practical. In a good way that is."

The lights flared up again, and the room not only filled by scattered pieces of broken buildings, but also all sort of people and machines. The people were clad in black suit neck down, white tie adorned their necks nicely.

All came with definitely unfriendly manner, when their collective gun muzzles all pointed at Jaune and Penny's direction.

"[These people are upstanding citizen of Atlas, proud member of our Military. And they will use violence to subdue you if required, I want you to respond in kind.]" Ironwood's voice echoed within the chamber, but the man himself was entirely missing. "[Along with them is our second line mechanized combat automaton, feel free to destroy them when required.]"

"Begin immediate analysis, analysis complete. Four human combatant, and, eighteen Atlesian knights." Penny squeezed her eyes, "Jaune, can you see that tank over there?"

It looks like a tank, but relative small in size. It's gun turret aimed at Penny, specifically, while the sponson weapons locked right at Jaune.

Jaune raised his eyebrow, it doesn't look threatening at all. "Automaton? Looks beat up to me."

"Even though it's smal, and old, destroying it would be pretty difficult, thanks to infantry screening, and it's thick armor." Penny corrected him in incredibly cold, almost mechanical tone, "And it's armed with 60mm mortar, which could take significant amount of Aura to absorb. So if possible, don't get hit, or slap the projectile away before it explode. A mortar is much slower than cannon, so you should see the flying shell."

"I see, we'll take on the small fry first and see what happens next." Jaune proposed, "I have a plan."

Ironwood watched everything from very secluded corner on the roof, virtually invisible to people below except from certain angle. He rested his hand on the railing and looked down. This year, only two people entered through conventional exam. Though his face was stone cold and composed, Ironwood was a little bit curious inside, excited even. Though applicants through exams were always rare, just two were rather unprecedented.

And he wasn't sure if Penny counts, since he had unbroken faith of her performance. It's unfair to compare her to the rest. It wasn't like the test was rigged or anything, the test use the same exact standard as it did last year. The point is he know Penny from before she even came here, and consider this test is nothing but formality. After all, Ironwood is bound to the law of the Academy he lead, and he don't discriminate.

So the key participant in this exam is none but Jaune Arc.

His background were nothing exceptional, but still noteworthy. He came from long lineage of hunters, even before hunters exist in it's current, lawfully recognized career. Its' almost to say that Ironwood had significant expectation of him. However, it was odd, at least, that a hunter aspirants to never enter any sort of combat school, or any other formal combat education.

Ironwood don't want to be right, but the rational part of him wondered if he put too much attention in this boy.

The boy currently talked with Penny about... something. It was way too quiet.

Now, if only he can show anything of note...

Gunfire roared as Jaune made his move, dashed between one potential covers to another. That was... basic, but effective nonetheless. His slender form and long legs certainly gave him sufficient speed to evade gunfire, even with heavy equipment carried on his back.

Perhaps this might be where Penny can't catch up. The floor resounded whenever she made a step. Jaune signaled something to the ginger haired girl and she nodded, and they split their ways. They ran through hail of fire, and despite Penny's unfavorable speed, she had the nimbleness to dodge the plasma shots aimed at her. Eight blades launched from her backpack and she spun them without touching them, created a near impenetrable shield that cover her body from the front.

...that was uncanny. Penny's dance-like movements were so precise that she looked less humans than the automaton she faced. This has to be rectified, his rationale said, but Dr. Polendina had promised that she will eventually get better as time passes.

Jaune pulled two objects from his bundle of weapon and wore them as he rolled down the floor to avoid direct hit from high explosive rounds. Looks like a pair of... buckler? Though they're more elongated than usual rounded form, the shields were barely enough to cover his lower arms and elbow.

In unexpected turn of approach, Jaune no longer waste his time for zig-zagging between covers, but straight approach toward the wall of steel in front of him as they sustained a constant burst of fire from their rotary gun. Small caliber ammo bounced harmlessly on his bucklers as he covered his front side.

And in an expected show of strength, Jaune tackled through entire group of knights and broke them apart from sheer impact force of his body and his shield. But the moment he slowed down, men and women in black already surrounded him, swords bare. Jaune barely dodged with his aura intact as he somersaulted away from the ambush, using the switch of center mass to dodge the bullets and plasma that filled the air itself with carnage. "Penny! Your Tur-OW!"

What he didn't count is that he was right into the reach of the automaton tank, which swung it's turret and smack Jaune to nearby wall with it's mortar barrel.

"Good basic, but poor reflex. Not bad." Ironwood noted, so far, everything seems to be within acceptable margin. It was almost boring, to be honest. A lot of students had fallen to the humorous barrel batter trap exactly this way. Only the best of the best managed to dodge it.

Meanwhile, Penny simply rampaged through the four soldiers in black suit. Her seemingly mechanical footwork surpassed that of the four soldier's capability to compensate and react, and with a twist of her elbow, her flying swords spun into makeshift high pitched human blender, breaking through their aura and knocked them unconscious.

"Passed with flying colors. Now..."

Penny's floating swords shifted it's form a bit to reveal a small barrel assembly on the blunt side of the edge. They began to fire a series of neon green beam at the rampaging automated tank. When the plates began to glow from the heat, Penny was hopeful. However, she realized her mistake when the tank body reveal itself as completely unscratched, with only layers of it armor peeled down from the heat.

Penny blinked for a moment and then slapped a mortar shell away from her, fraction of second before it exploded mid air. Distracted, she failed to take account of sponson guns showered her with plasma bolts.

It... stings...

Is this what pain like?

"Focus, Penny!" Jaune called out when he tackled the last group of Atlesian knights that's abut to strike her from behind, his voice snapped Penny of her thoughts and she quickly hides behind the largest piece of concrete nearby.

"Your laser didn't work?" Jaune asked in panic as the rock behind him vibrate from the explosion.

"It's using ablative laminated armor that allow it to shed extraneous heat by peeling off the layers, my particle beam is ineffective. Sufficiently powerful impact or armor piercing rounds should work better." Penny informed as soon as Jaune joined her, for some reason, her eyes shine bright like a flashlight. "It might be possible to destroy it with close combat as well."

Jaune finally pulled the cloth to reveal a relative compact folding tube launcher. He pulled the ammo from the compartment under his buckler. The bottle sized shell fit nicely within the chamber with resounding snap. "I just got the thing."

"Recoiless rifle? That's wonderful." Penny nodded.

"I'll get the opening, then you strike with your beam." Jaune winked, "Let's go!"

Jaune moves forward with Penny's swords surrounding him, deflecting every mortar shot that might hit him while he himself use his bucklers to deflect the weaker shots from the tank's sidearms.

"Penny, clear backblast!"

Penny jumped sky high as Jaune pulled the trigger. High pressure scorching gas passed through the air where she ran before, and high velocity round struck the frontal turret of the tank, pierced the layers of the armor from the impact before cascading and blasted the entire turret apart from within. This caught the A.I. in the tank off guard when it lose many sensors mounted on the turret itself, and in desperation, it retreated guns blazing, unable to hit the target in front of it.

With resounding clack, the spent shell fly away from the chamber and Jaune stored back his gun. At the same time, Penny landed and with a sway from her hand, commanded all of her swords to open fire right where the tank exposed: the smoking hole where the turret lies before.

Without armor to protect it, the beam cored through it's engine without effort. The tank grinds down to a halt, but in the effort to preserve itself it tried to move with emergency battery... only for the two student candidate to crush it's central processor unit with coordinated stomp to the hull.

"It's over?" Jaune said in disbelief as he hopped away, almost like he was dreaming. "That's it?"

"That was sensational." Penny grinned at him, or at least, tried. Seriously that was creepy smile she had.

The black-suited soldiers groaned as the stood up, and then, they began to clap in response, "Excellent Teamwork if I may say." Ironwood jumped from the roof and landed with floor-shattering quake. "It's as if you two are teammates already."

"It's all because Jaune, sir." Penny saluted, "He ordered me to engage the human soldiers immediately while he took care of the Knights."

"Oh and why did you do that, Mister Arc? What makes you think Miss Polendina can deal with them on her own?"

"It's... a hunch sir."

...oh fuck me. Jaune you suck.

"A hunch." Ironwood congratulating smile disappeared right away, did Penny oversold this temporary partner of her? "You're putting aside your friend's safety for hunch, Mister Arc?"

"I just know when I saw it, Penny is definitely more skilled than myself, as such, it would be best if she dealt with human combatants first while I take care of the knights." Jaune said with trembled voice, clearly even he realized that Ironwood was displeased with his answer. Penny noticed his distress and added, "By removing all the screening elements, this allowed us to take on the tanks together."

Ironwood's stony gaze seemingly softened again. Looks like even such mediocrity has value on it's own. Jaune might not have the knowledge, but his leadership instinct are sufficient. Jaune might not be the best in combat either, but he's definitely good enough. A diamond in the rough, all Ironwood need is to keep grinding the edges.

If Jaune is qualified, then he is qualified. Atlas can always use more qualified students. There's simply never enough hunters to protect the people. The only thing left for Ironwood, is to ensure he's mentally ready for what's to come.

"Miss Polendina, you may return and inform your... family that you've passed the exam, and Mister Arc." Ironwood turned his back to face the student, "Come with me to my office."

Jaune's already light shade of skin became deathly pale. Did he succeed, did he failed? Did he made a grave mistake that will get himself punished? Fear and doubt began to plague his mind, and horrible images began to consume last bit of rational thoughts in his head. He wanted to run, right now.

But he can't. If he leave now, he will never able to show up his face with pride ever again.

"You can do it, my friend." Penny said earnestly, for a moment, she seems indistinguishable from other girls. "We will meet, again."

Jaune's fear was eased, but only a little. The moment her ginger curls disappear in the dark corridor, his fear returned in full.

つづく