A/N: Much like Blake, I think Jaune deserves a One-Shot as well seeing how drastically different I plan for him to be from his canon counterpart (the only way I could ever write this character) and want to set up story elements that I have in mind for him here and now.

This is a non-profit, fan-based fiction - though that's obvious. RWBY belongs to Monty Oum (Rest in Peace…) and Rooster Teeth. All OCs or OPIs (Original Plot Ideas) belong to me or friends who've helped. Support the official release.

The day was just getting started for Jaune and it already decided to go down hill - to the point it began to dig a hole for it's own grave. The blonde knight was already nervous, he had never participated in a tournament before as he was barely average at his combat school. Though with how he managed to pass his finals and was even accepted into Beacon, the Arc received a bit of a confidence boost enough to see how he would do against other combat students that weren't from his own school. Since his school was in the city-state of Geraint (one of the successful outposts to become a city) instead of the Kingdom of Vale's capital, students could decide what regional tournament they could participate in - Jaune having picked Mistral's as he had always wanted to see what the capital was like.

So there he was, in the locker room of the Bastille Stadium with his family heirloom, Crocea Mors, and wearing the new gear he had designed for himself. Jaune now wore a white high-collared shirt with a black streak down the middle that was decorated by golden buttons and long orange sleeves. Over it was his white chestplate and shoulder armor, the plate on his right having the Arc family emblem displayed. With the hem of the shirt reaching down to the top of his thighs, a brown belt with a gold clip wrapped over it and around his waist - carrying his sword and shield/sheath at the left along with a pair of small pouches. The outfit completed with blue pants, white shoes that were black at front and back, and a pair of black gloves with white plates at the back.

The young man would probably be inspecting himself with a nearby mirror to take his mind off the butterflies in his stomach, though instead it worsened after talking with his mother. Before Jaune left, the Arc family dog, Arthur, wasn't feeling too well. A few days later, the morning of today, he asked about Arthur...only to find out that he had died. To say the news brought the blonde knight down would be putting it lightly, losing a beloved companion toppled his spirit and worsened the feeling in his gut.

I shouldn't have left… He couldn't help but criticize himself for not being there for Arthur, head resting in the palms of his gloved hands and fingers amongst his unkempt hair as he sat on a bench to try and figure out what to do. Jaune honestly felt that he couldn't compete and deal with such a loss at the same time. I could always just forfeit. It's not like I stood a real chance…

No. The blonde knight suddenly denied that thought, head now rising up. He had worked hard the last four years to reach his goal - to be accepted into Beacon like his family before him and stand his own ground. For him to simply quit before the first round would be throwing away all of the training he went through. That's not what his family wants, that's not what Arthur would want, and most importantly - that's not what Jaune wanted. I'm gonna go out there and I'm gonna win. For me and Arthur. With the butterflies now replaced by some fire, the young man stood up and set out for his first match.

Aaaaaaaaaand Jaune was once again nervous and almost felt like regretting his choice of participating in the tournament after stepping into the arena. It wasn't from the massive crowd of people putting their attention on him, he already dealt with stage fright as a child. No, it was rather who he had to face up against.

The blonde knight's face had turned somewhat pale seeing the competition. Across the arena floor from him stood someone clad in what must've been the largest suit of armor he'd ever seen in his life. It covered the wearer head-to-toe in ebony black and dark purple armor plating - the chest piece being accented by a purple knight's cross, and from what he could see, the Kingdom of Atlas' own national logo painted across one of the suit's massive shoulder pads. The helmet's glowing purple eye lenses glaring right through him while holstered over his left shoulder, the heavily-armored fighter carried a long, single-edged, silver greatsword with a blade that was over half the size of Jaune himself. From what Jaune could see, it had a large and bulky assault rifle mechanism merged in between the sword's purple hilt, and the main blade that ran across the top of the rifle's barrel.

The holo-screen above had the name Edward Blackstone, labeled a "transfer" like him, and the picture of a young man with raven colored hair that contrasted with his pale Atlesian skin, bloodshot purple eyes, and an old pale red burn scar that covered itself over the right side of his forehead, and around the side of his right eye socket.

"..." The Arc couldn't find the words to react nor could he find the breath to do so. You gotta be kidding me... It's as if he was cursed with the luck of a fly - something hated by almost everything and baring one of the shortest lifespans possible. Of course, he shook his head and collected himself. You can do this, Jaune - there's always a chance.

With a light shake of hesitance in his step, Jaune walked towards the center of the stage as his opponent seemingly mirrored him - both needing to greet each other before their match could start. With every stride, it felt as if his legs were gonna lock up on him until the blonde knight was finally before the Atlesian whom stood a big six feet and ten inches in his armor.

"Umm…" Jaune had paused for a moment, still kind of nervous. With the willpower he had, the Arc offered a hand and friendly smile. "Let the best man win."

"…" Edward was silent for a moment, simply studying who he'd guessed was some farm boy. "…indeed." He took the fellow swordsman's hand and gave it a firm shake before pivoting back to his starting position. Jaune did the same while shaking his hand to get the blood flowing again.

Back in place, the Arc unsheathed his blade and readied his shield as the timer counted down, preparing himself as the power armored Atlesian allowed the great blade to become a bayoneted assault rifle. The announcer placing the match at set and the timer counting down. Alright, the moment he has to reload is when I can go in. But I gotta be fast.

BEEP~!

Jaune immediately crouched into position with his shield covering him, the family heirloom taking on the barrage of energy bolts. Feeling the strength of the weapon's firepower starting to push him back, the blonde swordsman summoned his aura to give him the strength needed to hold out a bit longer. Edward himself kept the flurry of bolts going, knowing that assault would force his opponent to exhaust his aura supply. Though the black haired teen decided to risk the ten second cooldown per thirty five shots of his weapon War Master, wanting to overwhelm the farm boy right from the get go.

So when his rifle had it's limit glowed with heat, purple eyes looked annoyed under his helmet when he spotted that the knight's aura was still green and hardly lowered as the sword and shield wielder charged at him with enhanced speed. Knowing he had little time for the cooldown to finish, Edward switched War Master into it's great sword form and took a swing at Jaune.

Now's my chance! The blonde knight ducked and rolled, avoiding the silver-edged blade and getting behind the armored giant. Jaune swiftly took advantage of his position, striking the back of Edward's knees, causing him to stumble forward and forced onto a knee when the Arc slammed his shield against his back before getting another slash in the large armor gap under the shoulder guards - earning a howl of anger. Seeing his own aura lower from the strikes at the lightly armored areas, the Atlesian quickly pivoted and smacked Jaune back, giving him the time to stand up as he swung War Master. Though Jaune managed to get his shield up, he didn't set his footing right and was sent flying as the great blade struck Crocea Mors' shield, the blonde tumbling across the arena floor and his aura bar cut down into the yellow.

Collecting himself, the Arc stumbled back onto his feet as Edward started firing another barrage of lasers. Instead of taking a defensive position like before, the blonde knight raised his shield to take the bolts as he instead circled around the dark haired Atlesian - aura giving him the strength needed to resist the power of each blast striking Crocea Mors. The moment War Master once again hit it's cooldown, Jaune took charge with enhanced speed and smacked the rifle out of the way and slash at the elbow area. Edward countered by slamming his fist against the ivory and gold shield, the great force of the power armored punch easily struck the Arc against the ground.

Before Jaune could get up, the Atlesian stomped an armored boot upon his shield, holding him down as War Master mecha-shifted into a great sword once again. However, the moment the blonde knight felt the boot's pressure lessened, he took advantage of it and pushed his shield up with all of the strength he could muster and aura he could put into the effort - placing Edward into an awkward position that caused him to topple backwards. Seeing his chance, Jaune got on his feet and leapt at the armored giant - slashing where could score the most damage. He struck at the the thigh joint areas, went for elbow again, and aimed for the ne-

A black armored hand grabbed Jaune by the wrist before slamming his body against the ground, holding tight while the blonde was in a daze. The Atlesian got on his feet, yanking up the Arc by his arm and getting blue eyes locked with purple lenses. Edward's grip tightened, Jaune grunts becoming a sharp cry of pain, finally dropping his sword before being thrown several yards. I underestimated him, Edward started his march toward his opponent, not anymore.

Jaune found himself on the ground again, catching a glimpse of the power armored Atlesian storming at him. Though he had enough time to bring his shield up as cover, it did little as Edward started bashing his giant blade again and again. The Arc did his best to muster any reserving strength and any aura he could use to somehow come back, though his effort was pointless - the Blackstone was a force of nature compared to him. Another mighty swing sent Jaune into the air, followed by one that sent him flying and separated him from his shield.

The blonde knight struggled to even look up at Edward, hoping there was a way turn this all around. But he didn't have to. The Atlesian, standing where he was, simply looked down on him. Jaune's aura was in the red.

"Mom, I'm alright. You don't need to keep asking." Jaune answered good heartedly, he had found himself a lone corridor, giving him the space and quiet to talk with his mother over the scroll as he sat down on the floor, back against wall. "So you guys watched it on TV?...wait, 'public viewing?!' Now I'm embarrassed!" He chuckled, trying to make light out out of his defeat. Though lips started to quiver, water started to ball at the corner of his blue eyes. "Yea, I'll be home in a couple of days...I love you, too." I'm sorry, he ended the call as his breathing turned into gasps, I messed up.

Tears began to slid down his cheeks as the blonde placed a hand on his face, lamenting on his latest and possibly most spectacular fail for all of Remnant to see. I didn't even make it pass the first match... He ran his fingers through his hair as curled himself a bit, the wetness now dripping on his lap. Why did I even try…? How can I be a Huntsman if I can't even win a match…?

Should I even bother with Beacon at this point…? The question echoed across his mind, this not being the first occasion. Doubt has plagued him for the last four years during his training, the Arc coming from a recognized family of Hunters and yet he was the one to lag behind all the other students. Sure he pressed himself to improve and he certainly he did, though only barely passed the final exams to be accepted into Beacon Academy - and he still had yet to unlock his semblance. He was painfully average, maybe just below it, and Jaune was sure of it.

I should just give up-

"Excuse me, but are you okay?" Depressed sapphire met concerned emerald...and the world stood still for a moment. The young lady of olive complexion who appeared to be around his age stood before him in armor of brown, bronze, gold, and red - the latter matching her long and dazzling crimson hair that was in a ponytail and decorated by a bronze circlet headpiece. Her vivid green eyes complimented by the light green eyeshadow at the corner of her eyes while the height and athletic build of her body seemingly embraced the beauty she carried with her. A bronze Dipylon-styled shield strapped to her back with a red and bronze javelin beneath it. Whoever she was, she was stunning - and Jaune was staring.

"Oh, I'm…" The blonde started, "...no, I'm not." He was gonna lie at first, put on a youthful confidence and say he was doing good like he would with his family. Instead of hiding his crestfallen state, Jaune let himself open then and there to this girl he just met as there was something about her…

"I see…" The redhead murmured, that look of concern focusing on the young man. "Was it because of your match?"

So she saw that…a wave of embarrassment was on the verge of swallowing him as the rest of is negative thoughts would anchor him down, making him turn his gaze towards the stone floor. "That...and more I guess. It's just...I worked so hard for the last four years and I'm still just average - maybe worse since I don't even have my semblance unlocked and I barely managed to put up a fight against that guy...at this point I don't know if I actually can make the cut at being a Huntsman."

"I don't think that's true at all." The young lady cut him off, a thoughtful smile gracing her lips. "You did great out there."

Jaune couldn't help but give a skeptical look her way. "What makes you think that?"

"You waited until your opponent exhausted his long range option before moving in and took advantage of the fact his weapon wasn't suited for someone that was more agile and up close." She started, though her analyzation was yet to be finished. "When forced back, you kept moving so the moment his rifle overheated you could intercept him before he could switch to greatsword. You also used his large form against himself and caused him to collapse when he tried holding you down with his foot. Finally, when you were on the offensive, you aimed for the gaps between the armor to exhaust his aura."

Her smile couldn't help but widen a bit at the surprised look he was giving her. Jaune himself didn't think he'd did all that, but the way she described him by his actions, it sounded as if he was…well, good.

"There's a reason why you managed to deplete nearly half of his aura reserves-" Wait, I did? "-and why he took you seriously in the end." The Mistralian kept radiating a gentle and warm confidence towards him as she spoke. "You were great out there, not many can say they did so against Edward."

"Wait, you know him?" The Arc questioned curiously, getting a shake of the head in return.

"Only by reputation. He's a member of the Blackstone family, one that's highly recognized by the Atlas military and someone that has managed fight against their regional champion, Ferro Drakon. Though it seems his transfer here had extended and left him with the only option of competing here." She explained thoroughly, though her focus returned back on him. "So please, don't give up. You're much stronger than you think you are, and more so if you keep going," she offered him a hand and a warm smile, "okay?"

Jaune stared at the hand for a second before accepting it with his own smile. "Okay." Up on his feet now, he shook her hand. "By the way, the name's Jaune Arc. What's your's?"

The redhead couldn't help but blink at the question. He doesn't know who I am? "My name is-"

"Ah! There you are, Pyrrha." A new voice grabbed their attention, one that belonged to a silver and black streaked haired man that appeared to be in his early thirties, his fair and handsome face bearing a charismatic smile and greyish-blue eyes. Fancying a silver jacket with grey toggles and squared coattails that left the front obscure, left open to reveal the white uniform shirt beneath it and the slate blue scarf that was wrapped around his neck with it's stripped ends tied and hanging at the front. The scarf matching the color of his pants and the eagle feathers motifs decorating the right sleeve of his jacket, his dress shoes were of a polished black, his hair combed neatly with bangs falling in a hawk's wing pattern from right to left that partially obscures left eye, and a black and silver briefcase in hand. Though what caught Jaune's eye was the large silver, segmentented metal belt around the man's waist - the edges of it sharp enough to cut and and an end pointed like a tip of a blade and the other squared...as if it was meant to be attached to something. "I've been looking everywhere for you. You don't want to miss your match, do you?"

"Oh dear, I almost forgot." Pyrrha spoke apologetically, turning back to Jaune. "I'm sorry, but need to be on my way now."

"It's alright, good luck with your match." The blonde smiled at the young lady. "And thanks for the advice."

She returned the smile as well as a nod. "Of course. I hope to see you again, Jaune." The Mistralian was about to turn around and walk with the man, but stopped. "And my name is Pyrrha Nikos." With that, she and her coach walked off. Jaune couldn't help but watch her fondly as she left.

"Soooo~..." The silver coated man dragged the word out.

"So?" Pyrrha looked at him questioningly.

"You never told me you had a boyfriend, I thought we were friends?" Despite the polite and civilised nature of his voice, there was a edge of mischief to it in the sentence. Teasing that was meant to make Pyrrha's cheeks match her hair - and it worked.

"Um, Master Arcene?" The champion spoke up, smiling sheepishly. "Jaune isn't my boyfriend, we actually just met."

"Really now?" He looked at her with surprise. "You certainly fooled me - you two looked quite cute together." The airheaded comment only made the Mistralian's face grow hotter in embarrassment. "And 'Master Arcene?' I've insisted this for the last three years, just call me Sebastian, Pyrrha. There's no need to be so formal."

All she could do was sigh good heartedly at her master's words. "Yes, Master."

"Hm?"

"Sebastian..."

"Perfect!"

After going separate ways, Jaune decided to grab some food and find a seat to cheer Pyrrha on. Doing so, he couldn't help but notice an air of excitement amongst the crowd, specifically for the three time champion and if she was going to take the tournament by storm a fourth time before moving into one of the Hunter Academies - rumor being that she was choosing Beacon over Haven. Wow, I didn't realize how popular the champions are.

Both fighters finally stepped into the arena. Standing to the left sided entrance of it came Pyrrha, across from her at the right was a young lady with neck long pale gold hair and crystal-clear blue eyes named Luna Grey bounced out towards the center of the field in order to greet her red-headed opponent.

The new arrival stood only a few inches shorter to Pyrrha's own impressive six foot tall stature. She was cladded in a clean white hooded shoulder caped combat robes, which were accented by pale grey trims, and her feet fitted in a pair of thick black combat boots. Her clear blue eyes framed behind a pair of thin reading glasses, which she soon pocketed away after sweeping her long pale gold hair back in order to fit a white round helmet with a single blue eye lense in the center of it over her face that she held under her left arm. Strapped to her back was what appeared to be a collapsed grey and white trimmed rifle of some sort.

Though Jaune instantly noticed how the pale gold haired girl seemed to be quite friendly with the redhead. They probably know each other.

"Pyrrha, it's so good to see you - it feels like ages since we've last seen each other!" Luna greeted quite optimistically, grinning brightly and waving joyfully.

"Likewise, Luna. It's certainly grand to share your company...though we did just graduate together several days ago." Pyrrha replied pleasantly, though awkwardly pointed out the "ages" part was a bit hyperbolic. Still, she was truly happy to be with the blue-eyed girl, Luna was one of the few relationships she had that had nothing to with her status - the Grey only cared about the who and not the what of any individual.

"Oh, but I feel every second of every minute go by!" The mad scientist happily corrected. "Once you're fully aware of how short one's existence can be, time becomes so valuable that you become so focused on it to the point a minute may feel like a hour!"

"Right~..." Once again, she could only offer an awkward reply and smile for her friend's ramblings. "I hope this means you'll value what could be our final duel today."

"Absolutely! What will be minutes will feel like several hours with you! Let's get started!" With that, the two young ladies went back to their positions and readied themselves. The Spartan-esque girl entered a defensive stance with Miló and Akoúo̱, body behind her shield and rifle aimed. The alchemist had her weapon, Telestra, stretch out and form into a bo-staff - a twist of the handle setting off the cackling of blue electricity at the ends of it and giving it a twirl. They were ready.

BEEP~!

The two fighters played a game of chicken and sprinted at each other, Pyrrha unloaded Miló at her opponent, who gracefully rotated her staff as it deflected the incoming rounds. Luna lept into the air and down at the redhead, who switched her rifle into a xiphos. One of Telestra's electrical ends struck against Akoúo̱, the shield having insulated material kept Pyrrha from being shocked into submission. She countered by pushing the staff end back and slashed her blade at the blonde. The mad scientist caught the strike at the shaft and slid back from another, spinning another attack that met with the edge of the shield.

However, Pyrrha went with the momentum of Akoúo̱, flipping with it and scoring a kick against Luna's head, giving her the moment needed to pivot and follow up with a backhand of her Dipylon-styled shield. The combo had the blue-eyed girl tumbling back and the emerald-eyed fighter following along, only she recovered with ease as Telestra mecha shifted into its fusion rifle form, firing a stream of electricity that pushed the Spartan back. Pyrrha doing her best to hold her ground against the fury of arcs, coming to a halt not too far from the edge of the arena.

The redhead's eyes narrowed as another blast shot at her, this time rolling to the side and after a moment to channel a spark of her Aura into its metal, she threw the shield at the blonde with the speed and velocity greater than a bullet. With a great strike in the face, Luna was knocked off of her feet, landing head first against the ground, taking out a much larger chunk of her Aura than she wanted to keep...and a splitting migraine as she attempted to pick herself up again. Only for Pyrrha's foot to slam into her chest, pinning her to the floor as the point of Miló was a hair away from her neck. Emerald and sapphire eyes met…

"…poop, you win again." The alchemist smiled at the Spartan, yielding to her friend and the clear victor of the match up. Pyrrha shared the expression, putting her weapon and shield away, giving her a hand and helping Luna onto her feet.

"It seems I have."

"And I hope you do with this tournament as well." With her own weapon put away, the blonde gave her friend a spontaneous hug, one in which the crimson haired girl returned. "I'll be sure to root for you."

Much like the rest of the crowd amongst the arena, Jaune was clapping and cheering after the match up's conclusion. He was more than happy to see his newly founded acquaintance succeed in her fight and move up in the bracket.

"Woah~!"

"Yep, she's amazing to watch in person." A father in the row in front of the Arc grinned at the awe his young daughter expressed.

"Do you think she'll win the tournament again, Daddy?!" Her voice cracked with excitement, the meat of what she said caught the blonde's attention. Again?

The middle aged man gave her a shrug to act uncertain, though a small and confident smile on his face slipped across his face. "Maybe, she did win the last three years in a row."

"Really?!"

"Really."

The young man had to sit down, processing the news of who exactly Pyrrha Nikos was. She wasn't just a great fighter, she was Mistral's student champion - not one but three times in a row. She was one of four champions, a celebrity for her talents at combat. She was an idol to thousands, and he was a failure who may hold no candle for his family's legacy…

…but she said all that to me, the memory of her compliments from earlier replayed in his mind, along with the kindness she showed him. And she meant all of it.

Despite the vast and clear gap between their skills and where they were among the social classes, the crimson haired girl gave the blonde hope and praise - more so than anyone outside his family ever did. It wasn't blind either, she analyzed his every move in his match against Blackstone - ones he didn't even realized he made. Despite their incredible difference, Pyrrha Nikos gave him respect…and he was going to do same and watch her till she won the tournament.

So Jaune stayed…and he was amazed. The grace and beauty the champion fought with was captivating, something that caught his attention the more he witnessed her spectacular victories one after another. She wasn't just kind, she was clearly calm and confident in herself and had the skill and record to prove it as she was doing here and now in combat.

There was only one word Jaune could use to describe Pyrrha. Amazing.

Finally, the time had arrived for the final match up and determine who'll be the Champion of Mistral's tournament - Pyrrha Nikos vs Edward Blackstone.

The glow of purple lenses gazed at Pyrrha, and she returned the action with narrowed eyes. Amongst fighters in the Mistralian tournament, there was never one that fought with such brutality as Edward had displayed in his matches. There's no question as to how he manages to fight Ferro, though he at least respects those who step in the arena with him. It seems as though Edward has no regard for his opponent at all.

"It's an honor to meet you, Mister Blackstone." Pyrrha's head bowed politely, showing her opponent respect - even if she didn't think his way of fighting wasn't the best in nature.

"And it'll be an honor of stripping you of your title, 'Undefeated Champion' Pyrrha Nikos." The coldness of his voice didn't share the same sentiment towards Mistral's Champion. Making it clear that he wasn't here to make friends or enjoy the thrill of combat and respected competition. Edward Blackstone was here to win.

"I see…" The redhead got the message, and she certainly didn't approve. Not because of his declaration of defeating her, but the lack of sportsmanship she had confirmed. "Then good luck to you." She turned her back, walking to her place.

"Keep it." He did the same.

Pyrrha got into her stance, though she noticed from behind her shield that the Atlesian had his weapon's great sword form ready for battle. So he's going to rush me right from the start. With the power he has behind his swings, I'm not sure blocking will suffice. It's best if I avoid it entirely. She set her eye through the sight of her rifle.

BEEP~!

The young power armored man charged forward, the Spartan mirrored his action and fired off several bullets aiming at the vulnerable gap at the neck. Only they pinged against the bulk of Edward's armor, doing nothing to hinder his blitz towards her. The moment they neared each other, he swung the massive ebony blade, though the Invincible Girl was a step ahead and slid beneath the strike. With Miló shifted into a xiphos, she twisted her body back and slashed the back of Ed's leg as she was once again on her feet - taking after Jaune's own fight with him.

Not a chance. The Atlesian had picked up on what his opponent was up to, swiftly pivoting so that Pyrrha's blade scraped the armor of his leg as he took another swing with War Master. Mistral's Champion immediately leapt to the side, throwing Akoúo̱ at his head and catching it after it struck home - enough that Edward lost a bit of Aura. She took advantage of his pause, leaping up and slashing at his neck before slamming the shield at his elbow area - getting a frustrated growl out of the Blackstone. An armored backhand met Akoúo̱ full force, sending Pyrrha flying and still sliding back when sticking the landing.

Emerald eyes widened as the power-armored teen had stampeded in pursuit, showing no mercy S his great sword slammed brutally against the Mistralian's shield, bringing her onto a knee and sending her tumbling. Managing to roll onto her feet, Pyrrha quickly sprinted to the side as Edward had switched to War Master's heavy assault rifle and started a barrage of energy bolts her way. The Champion attempted to leap and throw Akoúo̱ once more, only the black haired teen adjusted his aim in time for the last two bolts to strike a leg and side of her's. As she slapped against the ground, Edward managed to catch her shield before propelling down - stabbing the rim into the arena floor before the battle continued.

Sebastian was watching the match closely, a finger over his lips as the hand held his chin while the other supported the arm. The crimson haired girl he called her apprentice and friend was clearly having a difficult time in adjusting to the Blackstone's brutal way of combat - reminding him of her fight against her close victory against Atlas' own champion. Though what made this fight more difficult was the fact that Pyrrha wanted to keep her semblance a secret, so she wasn't going to take the risk of it being exposed by using it upon Edward's great armor. Most importantly, she wanted her fight to be honorable. Something that he clearly doesn't care for.

"Oh, dear. It seems yer protege's havin' it quite rough out there." A voice filled with mock politeness spoke up, it's familiarity catching the silver and black streaked haired man's attention.

"It looks that way," the master of Pyrrha Nikos couldn't help but smile sheepishly, scratching at the back of his head, "but I believe she'll pull through."

The other man couldn't help but hum both thoughtfully and in amusement. "Perhaps, though it seems ya already done so yerself." A fair skinned, skeletal like hand gestured towards the briefcase in Arcene's possession.

"Indeed I did," Sebastian handed it over to his friend. "I almost thought Lionheart wouldn't let me near it enough to swap it with the fake. And you already got the one from Atlas Academy?"

"Yep, nobody even knew I snuck into the Kingdom, let alone the Academy itself." His usual wide mocking grin grew just a bit more at the fact that ol' hothead Ironwood didn't have a clue. Though it went flat, changing into a look of curiosity as a certain Mistralian was doing something. "Now what's she up to?"

"Hm?" The master turned around, smiling at the sight. "Ah, so she's finally pulling that card."

Pyrrha had lowered and stretched her body into a long three pointed stance, balancing at the tip of her toes and the fingers of a hand as she held a now javelin formed Miló in the other. The bronze metal at the soles of her footwear glowed with the black aura of her polarity semblance, slowly becoming arcs of electricity between her feet and the earth itself. Eyes focused on her opponent as she prepared her next move. Of course, Edward simply didn't care what the Champion was setting up, only there was an opening for him to unleash another assault of lasers from War Master.

The moment his finger was on the trigger, the crimson haired girl had already sped across the arena and lunged right at him. Her javelin smacked the rifle to the side, twirling in the air before striking the neck area of the Atlesian's power armor. The Spartan quickly moved out of the way with great speed, avoiding the salvo that Edward immediately released. Fury growing as she zipped and weaved amongst the bolts sent, forgetting about his weapon's cooldown limit. Pyrrha instantly closed the gap, seemingly vanishing before reappearing behind the Blackstone, Miló slashing the back of his legs - far too fast for him to counter, forcing him to collapse upon his knees.

An armored fist slammed against the floor, foot standing him up as War Master mecha-shifted into a great sword. How did she become so fast?! As if she read his mind, the Invincible Girl stopped moving and instead...levitated before him after collecting Akoúo̱. Arcs of black electricity between the ground and her feet kept her from touching it, almost completely eliminating any friction that could cause resistance in her movements because of it. Purple eyes narrowed at the sight. Is that her semblance?

Either way, it didn't matter. Edward noticed he was closer to going red then her thanks to the sudden comeback, not to mention aware his own semblance wouldn't do much in the situation as Nikos wasn't in the proper state of mind for it have any actual effect. He could only charge upon her, so he did. And Pyrrha played his game of chicken.

The Blackstone gave War Master a mighty swing, predicting the crimson haired girl would be unable to change the course of lightning like dash at him. He was right, though Pyrrha had expertly flipped and twirled over both the great sword and the Atlesian's shoulder, striking the side of his helmet and following with a strike from Miló. The power armored teen gave it no mind, immediately turning around with another attack for Mistral's Champion. Only leaping onto her stomach as she landed, putting herself under his blade, and back onto her feet, spinning back to avoid the metal fist that Edward tried catching her off guard with.

Now. Following her rapid spin, the momentum and the added power of her polarity semblance sent her shield at the exposed wrist of Blackstone's, knocking War Master out his hand stabbing into the arena floor. Though the disarming left him exposed for a tiny moment, it Pyrrha had managed to boost herself right at Edward and sprung. The force and speed of her leap gave the double kick she landed on his head packed a punch enough to both force his helmet off from its magnetic clamps and his body onto the ground.

On instinct, Edward tried rushing back up and finish the fight. However, the Spartan had already jumped onto his chest, Miló the javelin scoring at his neck. Now his aura was just a nick away from red.

Focused emerald eyes squared off with raging purple. "Yield."

"Miss Nikos, was that your semblance?!"

Pyrrha couldn't help but smile sheepishly, standing beside both Sebastian and her fourth Mistral Championship trophy amongst the podium, the crowd of journalist barraging her with questions and camera flashes.

"Well, yes." To be fair, it wasn't a total lie. Pyrrha didn't like doing so, though she took her master's in keeping her semblance a secret to the masses, though she understood why. The Kingdom Academies would race to enlist her under their ring and controversy would arise due to the power of it - hence why she refrained from using it as much as she could. "It allows me to repel the magnetic forces of our planet between the surface and my feet."

"..." People were lost and confused on her explanation.

"It makes her go zoom." Master Arcene dumbed it down, the press turning back on and continuing it's metaphorical assault.

"What Academy are you planning on attending?!"

"We're keeping that a secret." The silver and black haired man spoke for his student once again, he knew how to handle the media better than her. "You're gonna have to find out when the summer season ends."

During the conference that was one of the challenges the Unstoppable Girl had troubled with, spectators could watch it in person if they so desired. So there was Jaune, hoping to say goodbye before he started his trip home and give thanks for her words. Of course, he realized how naive in thinking he could, the sea of people and journalists blocking the way. It took a moment for another a realization - she would've been out of his reach either way.

The fans. The press. The podium. The trophy. Pyrrha bared great skill and accomplished so much with it, and society didn't simply recognised and respected her prodigy - they worshipped her. Like a Goddess of Battle, they praised the champion to where her pedestal was high for all to see. And Jaune was below, no way of meeting her again.

So when the blonde had made his way through the crowd to leave, he didn't notice the redhead frown to see him leave.

The Arc stared out the airship's window, fist holding his head up at the cheek as his blue eyes gazed at the night sky decorated by stars, clouds, and Remnant's shattered moon. The site was gorgeous, though it was in the back of his mind. At the forefront was what Jaune could put himself through before Beacon. To better himself. To become a Huntsman. And a friend.

A/N: Not really a fan of what the final product looks like here, personally think Breaking From The Pack is a lot better despite the errors that I need to fix up. A good theme I have for this version of Jaune would be "Imagination" by SPYAIR from the first opening of Haikyuu! (an anime I highly recommend). Also thanks to sUbSoNiCSoundwave for letting me use his OCs Edward Blackstone and Luna Grey. Thank you for reading.