Team ARMS Volume 1

Jaune Gets His Courage On-Part 2

Jaune Arc was getting pushed to the ground of Forever Fall, groaning as he looks up and sees a sap covered Cardin looming over him. The bigger warrior picks Jaune up by his front and grins while punching him back to the ground.

Cardin: You know that wasn't very smart, Jauney boy. (picks up a bruised Jaune again while the rest of Team CRDL) I'm gonna make sure they send you back to mommy in teeny tiny pieces.

Jaune: (head hanging back) I don't care what you do to me...(looks at Cardin with fury) but you are not messing with my team.

Cardin: (looking momentarily shocked) What? You think talk like that makes you tough? You think you're a big strong man now?

Jaune smiles in defiance. An enraged Cardin roars and raises his fist again, but just as the hit connects, a bright light shines from Jaune, and when the white fades from the screen, Cardin is crying out in pain as he holds his hand. Jaune, now back on the ground but completely healed, looks confusedly at his hands as they faintly glow white. While he stares, though, Sky Lark kicks Jaune in the back and gets him on his stomach, but he looks up and glares at the approaching Cardin.

Cardin: Let's see how much of a man you really are...

Just as he says this, a low growl is heard, and a surprised Team CRDL turns around and sees a large paw crash onto the scene, belonging to a huge Ursa Major with dozens of jagged spikes sticking out from its wide back. It leaps forward and stands over the terrified students, lifting its head in the air to smell the sap on Cardin's breastplate. It lands back on its forelegs and roars at Cardin while his teammates heroically flee.

Russel: That's a big Ursa!

Cardin is rooted to the spot when the Grimm swings its claws and knocks him sideways, revealing Jaune cowering behind him. The Ursa continues to sniff, uninterested in Jaune and following its nose to Cardin. He watches at it towers over Cardin, who gets his wits and pulls out his mace weapon only for the monster to swipe it away to Jaune's feet. He looks conflicted, wondering whether to fight or run away.

Meanwhile, the roar of the giant Ursa is head by the members of Teams ARMS, RWBY, and JNPR, still collecting sap on the other side of the forest.

Ruby: (getting up, concered) Did you guys hear that?

Scarlet: (jumps off a tree branch) What the freak was that?

Suddenly, the remaining members of Team CRDL are seen running the other way from the roar through the other students.

Russel: (looking back) Ursa! Ursa! (he runs into Yang accidentally)

Yang: What?! ( completely unfazed by his collision, she picks him up by the front of his shirt) Where?

Russel: ( struggling and still running in air, but points back from where they came) Back there! It's got Cardin!

Pyrrha: (dropping her jar of sap) Jaune!

Ruby: (going into leader) Yang! You and Blake, go get Professor Goodwitch! (Yang drops Russel, Yang and Blake nod before following the others)

Ash: (To Mark, Scarlet and Raptor) Mark, assist them! Scarlet and Raptor, you two with me!

Mark: (nods and follows) Got it

Raptor: Let's do it!

Scarlet: Alright!

Pyrrha: (to Lie Ren and Nora as she, Ruby, Ash, Raptor and Scarlet activates weapons) You two, go with them! There could be more!

Cardin in attempting to run from the following Ursa, but it leaps over its prey and claws him away. He tries to get up and crawl away.

Cardin: Crap! crap! crap!

Pyrrha: (she, Ruby, Weiss, Ash, Raptor, and Scarlet) Oh, no!

They watch as the Ursa leans over the helpless victim, raising its paw and swiping it down... only to be blocked by Jaune's shield, Crocea Mors. He struggles to defend a stunned Cardin from its attempts to lean on him, but Weiss lifts Myrtenaster as she prepares to go help.

Pyrrha: (to Weiss) Wait!

Jaune takes the shield out from the Ursa's paw and slashes at its stomach, causing it to lash out and try to crush him. He rolls out of the way and jumps over its swipe at his feet, but he is unprepared for when it launches a claw at him in midair. He lands far away, yet is immediately back on his feet and passing Cardin as he charges again. The Ursa knocks Jaune behind it when he tries for a leaping attack, and he looks at the Scroll in his shield to find out that his Aura level is in the red.
Jaune remembers what Ash told him one more time.

Flashback

Ash: Courage is the foundation of integrity. Not the glittering weapon fights the fight, but rather the hero's heart.

End Flashback

He grows angry again and starts to run at the Ursa as it also begins to dash towards him. Pyrrha gets a message telepathically. As they are just about to clash in slow-motion, Pyrrha sees that Jaune has left himself completely open to the Ursa's attack, and lifts her hand out to him, gathering dark red energy in her arm. Just as the Ursa is about to hit him, the glow surrounds Jaune's shield and makes it lift up to block the swipe. Jaune uses the surprise defensive move to lean on the ground, push his shield back up, and swing his blade right through the Ursa's neck. The head falls to the ground as the body slams onto the ground.

Ruby: (as Pyrrha's hand stops glowing and she smiles) Uhh.. What?

Weiss: (equally amazed) How did you...?

Pyrrha: Well, Ruby has her speed, Scarlet has his invisibility, Mark has his digital constructs, you have your glyphs. My Semblance is polarity.

Ruby: Whoa, you can control pole...

Scarlet: Pole manipulation

Weiss: "No, you dunces! It means she has control over magnetism!"

Ruby: (still impressed, whispering) Magnets are cool, too...

Raptor: That's interesting

Weiss: (noticing Pyrrha start to leave) Wait, where are you going?

Ruby: Yeah! We gotta tell them what happened!

Pyrrha: We could... Or perhaps we could keep it our little secret? (walks away again as Ruby and Weiss smile to each other in understanding and a bruised Jaune sheathes his weapon before going over to Cardin).

Ruby: Hey Raptor, how come we never seen yours or Ash's semblance?

Ash: In time, I will show it to you someday. But not today. (walks away)

Raptor: Meh, the situation didn't seem that big for me to use mine. Besides Scarlet's semblance allows to do more whiles he's invisible. (Also walks away)

Ruby: Really, tell me.

Scarlet: I'm invisible, intangible, and I can also teleport short distances. Which makes me a good fighter and handy with these bad boys. (Pulls his dual swords out).

Ruby: (looks at Scar with hearts in her eyes) (whisper) I'm so in love with you right now.

Scarlet: What?

Ruby: Nothing!

Cardin, still covered in sap, looks up at Jaune as his savior offers a hand. Cardin smiles as he takes it and is lifted back up on his feet.

Cardin: Holy crap, Jaune!

Jaune: (threateningly) Don't ever mess with my team..... my friends... ever again.(as Jaune stares Cardin dead in the eye) Got it?

Cardin looks intimidated, possibly even apologetic. With his order spoken, Jaune turns and walks away from a frozen Cardin.

Team ARMS Dorm

Ash was listening to Jaune and Pyrrha's conversation. He smiled, when Pyrrha mentioned his name and Jaune wanted to thank for being a voice of confidence.