Jaune

My breathing was heavy. Ragged. My brow was covered in sweat, and I could feel my shirt sticking to my body. My legs shook as I struggled to maintain my stance. My arms were worse. I could barely hold my shield up, and the swings of my sword were pitifully weak. I couldn't spare a glance at my scroll, but I would probably be right to assume I had no more than 15% of my Aura left. My stamina was shot, and I was running on fumes.

There was no way I was going to win this fight.

But that was to be expected. After all, I was up against the fucking 'Goddess of Victory'.

And had we really only been at this for an hour? There was no way it had been any less than three.

"Remind me again why I agreed to this," I breathed.

Pyrrha chuckled. "Because you need the training Jaune. Without it, you're as good as a civilian with their Aura unlocked."

I inwardly sighed in a small bout of depression. After all, Pyrrha was right. The only difference between me and the people living peacefully in vale was my Aura and my shiny sword.

I let out a long breath. "Yeah. You're right. So, where were we?"

Pyrrha's face twisted into a catlike smirk. "You were learning how to defend yourself."

The Goddess charged at me. I lasted five seconds before I was flat on my back with the spear tip of Miló to my throat.

"Good," Pyrrha reached to help me up. "You're learning fast. We've only been at this for a week and you've improved tremendously."

"And yet here I am, lying on the roof beaten half to death." I exaggerated, giving my partner a smirk before pulling myself up with her outreached hand.

Pyrrha smiled. "I never said you were at my level yet. Just that you're on the right track."

With a roll of my eyes I turned away from her, towards the edge of the roof as was the modus operandi to cool down after our training sessions. Watching the city of Vale at night was really amazing. It could really make one think about how far humanity had come in life.

Against all odds we had endured against the Grimm. Through all their efforts to wipe us from the face of Remnant, we survived. In doing so we evolved, so far in fact that at some point the Grimm had become the least of everyone's worries. It was obvious that they were still a threat, pictured in the way we walled ourselves in and the constant need for Huntsmen and Huntresses. But as long as the walls stayed up, and the Hunters kept doing their jobs, people didn't worry about them.

'A hunter, doing his job…' I mentally repeated. For the hundredth time, I wondered what I had gotten myself into.

I stepped over to the edge of the roof before sitting down and dangling my legs off the edge. Pyrrha followed, sitting next to me. We sat there in silence for a time, watching the lights of Vale.

"I've gotten myself into a really shitty situation, haven't I?" I sighed, breaking the silence.

Pyrrha chuckled. "Yes, I guess you have."

"I'm surprised honestly. Without any previous training, I survived initiation, the first few weeks of school, and that incident in forever fall. I probably shouldn't even be alive."

"Don't sell yourself short Jaune. You led Ren, Nora, and I when we defeated the Death Stalker. You even managed to defeat a Ursa Major all by yourself. I think you're better than you give yourself credit for."

"That's the thing." I sighed. She gave me a questioning look, urging me to elaborate. "You guys did most of the work with the Death Stalker, I just said whatever popped into my head at the time. With that Ursa though, I don't think I really beat that one on my own.

I didn't look at Pyrrha. I didn't want to see the look on her face. I already knew what really happened, and it had been bugging me. Not to long after initiation, we as a team had discussed our semblances. As I had just had my aura unlocked, I didn't know what my semblance or when it would manifest. Ren had been reluctant to share his to new people, but Nora had been open about her ability to absorb electricity to enhance her strength. It was Pyrrha's semblance that had surprised us. Her ability to manipulate metal was astounding. It also explained a lot. Like the foreign pull in my arm when I fought the Ursa.

When I figured it out, it hadn't really been a surprise. I was grateful actually. Though, at the same time it had hurt. I had thought I was improving, when in reality I was still being watched and helped without even knowing it. But I couldn't be mad at Pyrrha. She had saved my life after all. It just made me more disappointed in myself.

Now, I was bringing it up because I wanted to hear it from her. I wanted to see if she would tell me the truth, or continue to hide it from me.

I wanted to know what type of person my partner really was.

Pyrrha was quiet. For a few minutes, we sat there in silence I could only assume was awkward for her. Eventually, she sighed.

"Jaune," I looked to my partner. "I didn't want to tell you this. I was worried how you might feel if you though you still had help in beating that Ursa. But you're right. You didn't beat it on your own. I used my semblance to move your shield. I had come to help as fast as I could when I heard you were attacked by an Ursa, and came up to the fight right before your final strike. You had left your side open, and the Ursa's strike would reach you before yours would reach it. I used my polarity to adjust your guard, and you were able to deflect the Ursa's attack."

I smiled. "Thank you then. You saved my life yet again."

Pyrrha stared blankly at me for a moment. "You're okay with it? That I interfered?"

"If you hadn't, we probably wouldn't be here right now. So yes, it's fine."

She stared at me with this dumbfounded look before bursting out into laughter.

"HA HA HA HA HA~ Haaa. Excuse me, I apologize for that. It's just I was so afraid that if you found out I had helped you in that fight even in the slightest way, you would lose all confidence in yourself. I know you had said not to help you with your training or with Cardin, but I knew I couldn't stand by and simply watch. Now I see all that worry was for nothing. Thank you Jaune."

I chuckled a little at her reaction. "Well, you weren't exactly wrong not to tell me. If you had told me right after the fight, I probably would've lost some of the confidence I had just gained. But I've had two weeks to think about it and I realized that I really did kill the Ursa by myself, I just had a guardian angel correcting my moves."

It was almost too dark to notice, but I could've sworn Pyrrha was blushing.

"Besides," I continued. "It's all over now. All that we need to worry about is class and my training."

"That's right," Pyrrha smiled, regaining her. "If you are to be a hunter, then you'll need all the training you can get. Let's hope you develop better stamina while we train, because we'll have a problem if you can barely last an hour against me. Now come along, we should help Ren get Nora to bed."

Pyrrha got up from the edge of the roof and headed for the access door, her hips shaking a bit more than usual. I stuttered before getting up to follow.

"H-hey, there's nothing wrong with my stamina. I have lots of stamina."

Cardin

Finally I heard the door to the roof slam shut, the blond idiot and his partner finally returning to their room and silence coming back to the night.

I chuckled darkly. Jaune still hadn't learned from last time. With my window open, I could hear anything they talked about. Whether they discussed Jaune's training, events during the day's class, or personal information that they probably didn't want anyone else to hear, I heard it all.

It was stupid, really. It had been lucky the first time, when I heard Jaune reveal to Pyrrha that he had forged his transcripts and lied his way into Beacon. After the incident in Forever Fall, I decided to keep my window open on the days that they trained together. I figured the idiot, reveling in all of his glory for killing that Ursa, had forgotten how I had heard his secret in the first place.

Now, it was just dumb. Since then I had heard nothing of use. Yes, tonight's eavesdropping revealed that Jaune wasn't as good as he thought he was. He was still weak and untrained. If he went up against that Ursa now without Pyrrha's help, it was possible that he might not come out unscathed. Though that information was useless. There were no more planned trips out into the forest. No more extra credit excursions into the Grimm lands. No more chances for Jaune to fuck up and get himself killed.

Which really pissed me off.

On the outside, I had accepted Jaune. He had saved my life, even after all I had done to him. On the inside, I hated him. Jaune didn't belong here. He hadn't worked as hard as any of the other students here, hadn't earned his place in the stars. Yet he was getting stronger by the day. If what his partner said was to be believed, than he would be past the introductory level within a month. It took the average student a year to pass that stage.

With enough time Jaune would be as skilled as the rest of us were, even after only spending a fraction of the time training. And with 'The Goddess of Victory' training him, it was possible he would eventually be stronger than many of the students.

It made my blood boil to think that he might eventually reach that point. He didn't deserve it.

He didn't belong here.

He had to go.

"Cardin!" Russell said, slamming the door as he entered the dorm room. "Close that damn window. It's freezing in here."

A glance at him caused me to snort in amusement. "Then put a shirt on idiot, 'cause I ain't closing this window."

"Tch, fucking ass" I heard him mutter as he trudged to his closet.

I turned fully in his direction, shooting him a heated glare. "You want to repeat that?"

He visibly flinched before stuttering. "N-n-no."

"Hm. That's what I thought."

I turned back to the window.

Jaune had made me promise to him that I would leave him and his team alone. In the heat of the moment, my adrenaline still pumping from my near-death experience with the Ursa, I had accepted. Now, I wish I had spat in his face. It had been a low enough blow that someone as weak as him had saved me. Now, I owed him.

Me, a Winchester, owing that stupid little Arc.

Thinking about it too much made me grind my teeth together, so instead I tried to think about something else.

But it just wouldn't leave my mind. Jaune had to go. The issue was the fact that I couldn't do anything to threaten him at this point. One wrong move and he'd spill the beans to a professor. Granted, he knew if he did that I would tell about his transcripts and he would probably be expelled, but if he squealed it would be all the information the headmaster would need to expel me as well. I knew they were just about done with my bullying already, they just didn't have enough proof to drop me. Yet.

If I wanted Jaune gone, I needed to do it carefully. My pride, honor, and place at Beacon were at stake.

But how the fuck would I get that bastard out of Beacon.

"..."

I blinked, before a predatory grin equal to that of a Beowolf split my face.

Who said I had to be the one to get the guy expelled.

Pyrrha

For what felt like the hundredth time this week I felt myself staring at Jaune. I giggled slightly at the sight of him.

His head was seated in his palm, one hand holding up his chin while the other rested on his desk. His face was contorted as it squished against his fingers, and he was drooling slightly. He almost looked like a child. At some point, no doubt mere moments after class had started, he had fallen asleep. It wasn't really surprising, as it was common for most of the class to fall asleep during Professor Port's speeches, much to the man's chagrin.

The reasoning behind my gaze setting itself upon my partner was the same as it had been for the past few days. Jaune was an interesting person, confusing even. He wore his heart on his sleeve, was nice to a fault, and was a general klutz. Yet somehow, he had managed to catch my attention.

Not that I would openly admit that to anyone. I wasn't about to subject myself to the combined efforts of Yang and Nora and their relentless teasing.

So for now I was content to just admire him from a distance.

I heard giggling and looked over to see Ruby and Yang a few rows down, both huddled together over one of what would probably be another hysterical addition to Ruby's ever-growing collection of cartoony drawing of Prof. Port. Weiss seemed to be trying her best to ignore her partners shenanigans, but the occlusal twitch of her head probably meant she was failing.

I sighed internally. Ruby was really one of the few I would consider to be competition for Jaune. Weiss, though she no longer hated him, would still visibly shiver at the mention of his previous attempts to court her. Yang seemed to only see Jaune as an object to tease, so I wasn't worried about her. Jaune never seemed to talk to Blake either, so I doubted there was anything between them. Most of the other girls in Beacon though that Jaune was a joke, and the few attempts Jaune had made at getting any other girl to go out on a date with him and been very quickly laughed off.

But Ruby. If she wasn't with her sister or her team she was with Jaune, and while I had the advantage of being his partner, Ruby and Jaune just seemed to resonate better with each other.

Granted, Yang didn't seem ready to let Ruby date anyone yet, even if it was her closest male friend.

So I liked to think I had time to get to Jaune before anyone else made a move on him.

The sound of the bell tore me from my thoughts.

"Ah, I will have to continue that story another time it seems. I bid the farewell students, and remember always carry a spoon with you. You never know when you might need it."

There was a collective eye roll as everyone stood from their seats. The increase in sound seemed to rouse Jaune from his slumber and, with a yawn he stretched up from his seat.

I smiled. "Glad to see you're finally awake."

"Oh, I couldn't've been the only one napping. I'm willing to bet more than half of the class was asleep and the Professor didn't even notice." Jaune said as we got up to head out of class.

"He's not wrong." Nora chirped, bounding alongside Ren as we headed out of the classroom. "I think even Renny has trouble staying awake during Port's stories."

Ren sighed. "While I admit the professor's stories can be quite mind-numbing, I have never once fallen asleep in his class."

"Pfft, you totally have. You do that whole 'Ninja-sleeping-with-eyes-open' thing. Don't think I haven't noticed." Nora jumped to step in front of Ren, pointing a finger into his face.

Ren smiled a little, moving Nora's hand. "I have no idea what you're talking about." Ren moved around Nora, but not before poking her nose with his own finger and whispering a small "Boop".

Nora sputtered before spinning to follow her partner. "You know exactly what I'm talking about!"

"Nope."

"Ren!"

"Nope."

Jaune laughed as they walked away. "She reminds me so much of one of my sisters sometimes."

"I do recall you saying you have seven sisters. It must be grand, having so many siblings." I smiled to him as we continued to walk. With the end of Port's class came lunch and a short break before combat class.

Jaune snorted. "While it's nice, there's rarely ever a peaceful moment at home. It's been a great change of pace for me here. For one, I don't have to constantly worry about which sister wants to prank me for some sick form of entertainment at any given moment. Then tend to do that a lot back home."

I hummed in amusement. "Well I hope I get to meet them one day. They sound like great people."

"You'll love them, and I'm pretty sure they'll all love you."

Nora and Ren had already found some food and taken a seat at our regular table by the time we made it to the cafeteria. We continued the small chatter as we got some food and then made our way to the table.

Halfway there someone got up from their table a little too quickly and knocked Jaune in the shoulder, causing Jaune to spill his food all over another student with a crash.

That student happened to be Cardin.

Some of the tables around us seemed to get quiet, evidently interested in what was going on. It was no secret that Cardin was a bully, and that he had tormented Jaune quite harshly for a time. I stood by Jaune, ready to defend him if I had too.

Cardin stood slowly, food and water dripping down his armor. He turned and stepped out of the tables bench, coming to face Jaune.

"Sorry about that Cardin. Someone bumped me kinda hard and I dropped my lunch. It was an accident." Jaune stepped towards the food-covered student.

In a surprising feat of emotional control for a man I had known only to be violent, Cardin waived the problem off. "It's fine. It's just a little food. Shouldn't be too hard to clean off."

I stared at Cardin. This was so unlike him. A few weeks ago he would've pummeled the first person to look at him wrong. Now he was shrugging in a situation that would've usually made him angry enough to start a brawl.

There was something strange going on.

Jaune smiled. "Well I'm gonna go refill my tray and find someone to clean this up. Sorry about that Cardin."

Jaune grabbed his food tray off the ground and headed back to the service area. I studied Cardin for a moment more before he turned to look at me.

"Something wrong princess?" He snarled. The attitude change was almost startling, but I kept my composure.

I narrowed my eyes at him. "Nothing Cardin. Let us hope it stays that way."

Without another word I walked away. Even without looking I could still feel his eyes on me, and I doubted many others noticed, but there was a strong feeling of hate in his glare.

Cardin was definitely up to something.

Cardin

I opened the door to the washroom with more force than was necessary, causing the door to bang loudly against the wall. A couple students were in the washroom already, one washing his hands and another in a standing stall. They looked at me with a mixture of startled amusement, their eyes grazing my food covered form.

"Get out" I growled. When none of them moved I stepped forward with a yell. "I said GET OUT!" The two students bolted out of the room with a yelp. I slammed the door shut behind them, kicking it for good measure. After their footsteps receded into the distance I walked to the end of the room, kicking open each stall door to make sure I was really alone. Once I was satisfied that I wouldn't be heard, I made my way to a sink.

Quickly I wiped all of the food out of my hair and cleaned as much of my armor as I could with a wet paper towel. I'd wanted nothing more than to give that Arc bastard a taste of my fist, but in such a crowded place, there was no way I wouldn't be snitched. Even then, I had already promised to leave Jauney-boy and his team alone. There was nothing I could do in that situation.

I growled before sending a fist into the mirror above the sink, cracking it.

What made it worse was that veiled threat from Nikos. She was just as annoying as the Arc. But she was an international icon, the 'Goddess of victory'. There was no way I could even touch her without some sort of backlash.

At least, that's what she thought.

It was time to show that Arc bastard, the Nikos bitch, and the entire school just how powerful a Winchester could be.

I pulled my scroll out of my pocket and dialed a number only a select few people knew. After two rings, the other line was picked up.

"It's me," I said without waiting. "Slight change of plans. Let's make this a little more painful."

If this is your first time reading this, welcome, and thank you for reading the first chapter of "Rise of the Grimm Lord". I know this chapter was slow for the most part, but stick with me for a bit. Chapter two is when shit will really hit the fan.

This story is heavily inspired by "The Red Queen" by Dravyn LeCrux, (which I highly recommend reading if you haven't) so if you're wondering where this might be going, that'll give you a pretty big hint.

That's it for now. I'll hopefully have the second chapter up in a couple of weeks, so stay tuned.

To those of you who've seen the original first and second chapter, I apologize profusely about the delay. I know I said I'd get it up the Thursday following that update, but that didn't really happen for a multitude of reasons. Sparing the details, I had to leave town that week and was gone for about three weeks after that.

Guess who forgot to bring their laptop with them.

Anyways, after that I had to get ready for college. With work on top of that I never really had time to write. I've only recently finished this chapter after moving and settling in to my new college life. This week has been my only free week in the past month. So again, I'm sorry about the delay.

Classes start next Monday, so I'm going to try working on the second chapter over the next few days and try to get as much done on that as I can before school starts. I think I'll even try setting a due date for this too, like I've seen the author Coeur Al'Aran do. Hopefully that'll combat my massive procrastination habits.

With that said, I'll try to have the second chapter up by the 1st of September. Gonna give myself some time so I can make room for school once it starts. So I'll see you then.

[Ch 2 - Coming 9/01/2017]