In Need of a Hand

By

Hibiki

Imagine you could have the rights to RWBY, but for the rest of your life, you would have to clean up every mess or problem created by every Rooster Teeth 'Million Dollars, But..." challenge accepted. Would it be worth it? Not for me.

RWBY is created by Monty Oum and Rooster Teeth.

Chapter Two:

Gloves are hard.

(-o0O0o-)

It had been days since Jaune had arrived at the cabin. It felt awkward. While he had come to talk to her, mostly about his family back home or useless throw away conversations, Yang had been open to him but hessitant in her words. It was as if with the cutting of her arm her louder boisterous nature had been cut away as well, leaving her uncertain of anything different. This Jaune was very different than the one she knew at Beacon. Not so much in voice but in actions. This was a quieter Jaune than she was use to, prone to lapsing into minutes of silences in conversations. It often made it seem like the cabin was empty even though he was around.

When she did brave the outside world, beyond the safety of her bed, She'd often find him sitting quietly, looking out the window, fingers moving slowly, almost painfully. Ruby had mentioned he had been hurt, even crying when Yang had asked. Her father also mentioned it, but he refused to say how badly, citing that it wasn't his place. This morning she found herself waking up to the sounds of movement in the hallway outside her door. Moving as quietly as she could, her balance still off more due to her lack of trying than time, she gently opened her door to see Tai slipping into Ruby's room. Quiet but distinctly male voices softly made there way to her ears, but so indistinct she couldn't make out the words. Curiosity more in line with her ex-partner filled her and she sneaked down the hall towards the room.

"-re right. I should see about getting some button downs, my clothes are too hard to get on now. The buttons could be a problem though."

What she found was her father helping Jaune put his hoodie on and to her stunned countenance, the reason why.

His left arm was missing, his half on hoodie showing the end of flesh a few inches above where his elbow would be. Her shoulder ached remembering the feeling of waking up with her right arm gone.

In place of his arm a metal one slowly moved to enter the sleeve being held by Taiyang. However to her growing shock the macabre scene took another level of shock as her eyes took notice at the metal to skin connection. The flesh was red, irritated and still healing despite it being months since the fall of Beacon. It looked painful. All of it. Not to mention the lack of fluidity he had, given in the seconds she had been there, was still trying to slip on the hoodie with Tai's help.

She gasped at the sight once her mind had processed it. The noise caused the two men to jump, causing her to as well, right into the wall. Startled and guilty at being caught peeking, she backpedaled trying to remove herself from the room. However the small carpet with Ruby's name upon it wasn't ready for such extreme maneuvers and fled from under Yang's unstable footing. With a yelp,Yang fell back with eyes wide in shock as she tried to catch herself with her non existent right hand.

"Yang!" An arm slid towards her, and her hand grabbed the sleeve with some force to try and avoid the painful fall. She slowed, but there was a pop from the seam of Jaune's hoodie that told it wasn't going to hold her. Before she could do anything but close her eyes for the waiting drop, the pop became a start of a series that ripped the sleeves from the rest of the garment. Lavender eyes clenched further in preparation of the fall, and not a moment later she ended up on her now stinging butt with a pained hiss. "Yang, are you alright?"

"Y-yeah. Sorry." She rubbed her bottom, looking at her body as she accepted the hand offered to her. It was cold, and so different than she had assumed that it made her pause. Looking to the arm extended out before her she gasped again. The sleeve she had ripped off had done nothing to hide the prosthetic arm reaching out for her. It looked like a steel skeletal arm from the shoulder down. In fact unlike so many of the other types of prosthetic she had seen it looked a bit like something from an old Valian horror movie, the kind the family had watched staring Vincent Pines before Summer's passing. The surprise at the feel of his hand and appearance of his arms caused her to let go as he, unknowing of her surprise, tried to pull her up and she hit the floor with a bang a second time. It was complete with a sad little 'ow' at the pain that had Jaune wince. She looked over Jaune's form for a second time as he did so, noticing just how hollow he looked with the various scars on his chest and sides from the battle. It was all that she could see under his still half on top. Finally she reached his face, taking in the worn and tired expression on his face, the resigned nature of it all as he rose back onto his feet, the steel hands slowly gripping the ripped away sleeve to put it on the bed. The motion of the hands looked unnatural and struck something in her as she noticed further scars on his back.

Tai's expression as Jaune turned away wasn't cold, but it was less understanding than usual as his daughter's eyes roamed over their guest. It was cold, however, when her lavender eyes turned to him with a look at almost screamed pity. He didn't like it. Having known huntsman who had been injured as bad or worse and knowing how they felt about such thoughts made Tai more disappointed in his daughter than angry and more than a little embarrassed at his failure to teach her better manners.

"I-I'm s-sorry." She stuttered out the apology, so unlike her it made both men look to her with unreadable expressions that just made her feel worse. She hated feeling like this. She rose up, using the door frame to pull herself up with her remaining arm and she hurried out the door.

Jaune sighed. He hated that look in her eyes. It was fear, uncertainty, coupled with some slight combination of pity and understanding. Jaune sighed before he glanced to his left arm, noting the heavy weight of the things that had become his arms were still hard for him to look at. Still hard to realize they were part of him even though with effort he could make them work almost like they were his own.

"Sorry about your hoodie." Tai mentioned, looking at the torn right sleeve of the Pumpkin Pete's hoodie Jaune was half wearing. Jaune frowned, anger growing in his eyes at remembering Yang's look. His metal left hand ran over the half torn right sleeve a moment then ripped it away completely, leaving it sleeveless. The left sleeve soon ended up like it's counterpart upon the bed as he finished pulling the garment on his own, the sleeves no longer being in the way.

"Guess I was going to grow out of it eventually." He eventually replied to the calm older man in the room. Tai nodded in understanding.

"Don't blame her, she's been through a lot over the years. Yang..." Tai looked up and sighed. "It's her story to say why... but give her time, she'll come around." Jaune nodded.

"Right... Sorry to ask, but next time your in town can you get me some button down shirts. I'll... I'll pay you back." Jaune frowned realizing he needed to do something to earn some Lien.

"Sure. Don't worry about it kid, I know you're good for it." Again the man good nature patted him on the shoulder and headed out.

(-o0O0o-)

It was days later when Jaune saw Yang again, the girl having hidden herself away from everyone. He had heard Tai arguing with her as he dressed that morning, apparently tired of the girl hiding. He had been slowly learning how to address the buttons on the various shirts Tai had picked up for him in Patch. In fact an hour later he was still working down the shirt. Sweat poured down his brow into his eyes, his teeth clenching at another missed step as his 'fingers' lost grip with the white fabric.

He gasped, releasing a breath he didn't know he had been holding and fell back onto the bed, staring at the ceiling. He gave a dry chuckle once again at the glow in the dark Beowulf heads on the ceiling above him before lifting his right arm up, trying to flex his fingers as if he was trying to squish those same Beowolves. It had been an exercise he developed since his arrival to try and build the dexterity up in his digits, learning the peculiar feeling and mental thought it took to make them work.

"I'm sorry Mr. Arc, there is nothing more we can do to help you unless the Atlas models come in. Unless your control improves I cannot say you will ever hold a sword again."

Jaune blew out a aggravated breath, blowing some of the sweat from his face in exasperation. That doctor shouldn't be allowed to tell anyone anything. In a world where Grimm invasion is possibly merely by generated negativity, that doctor must have been working in leagues with Cinder and her ilk.

He continued squishing the Beowolves, finding the visual not only peaceful as he cooled off from his exasperated effort, it was helpful towards his self imposed exercise; but also the thought of being able to do so with real Grimm brought a hope for the future and his rehabilitation. After crushing his twenty ceiling foes each five times per arm, he rose up with a better mood and determination.

The buttons started off easier, probably due to the slight accidental widening of the button holes by him trying to force the buttons into them. However as he got lower the fresher of the button holes still proved to be tricky but somehow, after a time he managed it, and all on his own. He smiled. The first real smile since he had arrived and talked to Yang. He quickly slid on his recently modified, Tai had cleaned it up a little, hoodie. With the lack of sleeves really aiding in him putting it on on his own it was a welcome addition to due to the winter's chill in the air. Simple boots replaced complex sneakers, tucked under his jeans leaving him in his basically new normal attire.

Jaune sighed as he finally looked to the two simple brown gloves with much trepidation. They took the most effort to get on and actually made his 'hands' hurt with the action of trying to put them on. The left slide on only due to his teeth grabbing hold and pulling it to his 'wrist'. It nearly impossible for him to duplicate the action of wiggling the glove on or pulling it with his right hand with any meaningful motion still. In many ways it angered him that something so... simple and menial was so far beyond him still. He gave a grunt as he finally slipped the glove over the left hand and let it drop, the act tiring him in ways the buttons did not. He started to sigh again when a knock on the doorjamb sounded.

"Jaune." The young man looked up to find Yang standing at the door, her arm wrapping defensively around her waist at his glance. The pose reminded him of Blake, just after she finally announced to JNPR she was a faunas. Given his brief talk he had with Ruby and his team before they set off, he had learned that mentioning the similarity would probably get him back in the hospital and in the clutches of the evil doctor. He would avoid that at all cost at this point and remained quiet short of calling out a greeting.

"Hey Yang." He called out. "You need something?" She looked down a moment, obviously struggling with her thoughts before her head rose with a determination he hadn't seen since her match with Mercury.

"Look, I just wanted to say I'm sorry for how I acted a few days ago." She moved into the room, sitting down beside him.

"It's okay. I know they aren't pretty to look at. I'm still trying to get use to it myself." He sounded rather frustrated with them, Yang watching as he turned his right hand over and looking at all the parts that made up the palm. He flexed his hand again, trying to remember how it was to move with his flesh and blood hands. The artificial palm didn't flex at all as the fingers moved. It probably wasn't anything but to his mind, it looked horribly unnatural. He wanted to cover them quickly and he hurriedly reached for the other glove, groaning as it fell out of his half formed grasp onto the floor. He watched as Yang keeled next to him, giving him a look that was neither pity nor disgust.

"You... need some help?" Yang asked quietly. Jaune gave a soft sad smile.

"Please. Gloves are hard." Yang nodded, giving a small laugh as she picked up the glove, the two taking time to figure out how to slip it on together. The two of them smiled more broadly as they finally accomplished their goal. Yang quietly began asking a few questions about his arms, Jaune noticing her touch her own wound at some of his replies. His smile was brighter than still that day than any other in the months since.

Outside the room, Tai watched with a small proud smile, nodding. He quietly walked away soon afterwards.

(-o0O0o-)

AN:

Eventually I will get back to other stories, but I watched the episode two of V.E. and watched her struggle with typing and this popped in my head. (I can only watch an episode a week due to time constraints.) That said please no one spoil this show for me. It's weird but interesting...though it took me a minute to realize this guy was being called Claudia... EH?!

Anyways this one came out of my head easier than Pain has but I think a connecting piece I was missing popped into my head. So Pain will be updating next week.

I'll not get into reviews but I will say this about one. This is a fanfiction. How this fits into the canon story line really doesn't matter. IF I do have this come full circle with Jaune meeting up with RNPR with Yang I will do some course corrections then. Until then this is just a not so fun little romp into a interesting area.

Till then, peace.