Okay, so, new story time! This story is actually several chapters down because I've been using my patrons as a sounding board for it and to offer thoughts. There will be some changes to what they've seen (a slight few in this chapter; more in others). That's the beauty of actually having time to edit is that I can spot the little… not mistakes, but the missed opportunities. Things that a few weeks later I realise would be awesome to include, but which is often too late in weekly updated stories.


Chapter 1


Getting a rejection letter from Beacon should have hurt more than it did. That it didn't was probably because he hadn't expected it to work in the first place. Why would it? He'd paid for fake transcripts, and they'd seen through them. End of story. The fact he'd put all his money into them left him essentially homeless and directionless, with no real choice but to return to Ansel. It should have been the end of things, and would have been if not for a technicality, a mere formality, that he'd filled in on his application form because of a few boxes that had to be ticked.

Secondary placement options. Huntsmen applicants didn't choose one school and wager their whole careers on them; they picked a preferred option, their first choice, and then selected a secondary choice if that fell through, even a third if they wanted. It was about having multiple shots at getting a position.

Jaune hadn't put any thought into that at the time, ticking boxes where required to get his application in on time and banking all his hopes and dreams on Beacon, but along with his rejection letter from Beacon – which was very apologetic and came with an information package on what steps or careers he could look at next; they seemed determined to soften the blow and ensure his alleged education didn't go wasted – came an additional letter from Atlas, a letter that commiserated him for not being accepted into his preferred academy, but which was pleased to offer him a place within Atlas Academy, as per his preferred secondary academic option ticked on Beacon's application form.

And so it was, with no idea what else to do and clinging onto any option offered, that Jaune clung to his stomach and tried to hold in his vomit as the large, military-style aircraft carried him and several other hopefuls up toward a floating academy, a literal island supported in the air by means unknown, with thick chains securing it to Mantle below. It was incredible, he supposed. Amazing. If only his nerves and motion sickness weren't making him want to hurl, he might have had more time to appreciate it.

A lot of the other people on the ship looked as nervous as he did, and there certainly was a wide range and array of people of all shapes, sizes and colours. Most were seated, though a few had taken to standing and holding onto railings so they could look out the windows. Jaune peered through as well to distract himself and had to suck in a breath at the sheer majesty of the academy. To him, Beacon was the first and natural choice; it was where his father studied; it was the most famous academy. Even if Atlas didn't have its historied reputation, it was still incredible. The island floated above the city, a marvel of technological engineering that set Atlas aside from any other Kingdom, with panoramic views in every direction and the sun just beginning to set, bathing the building in a ruddy orange glow.

So captivating was it that it kept him from feeling his sickness as the aircraft came down onto a platform extended out the side of the island lit by red and white lighting to illuminate the pad. There were banners up, welcoming the new students, and Jaune felt his spirits rise for the first time in days. The landing was smooth, with only the slightest bump as the hydraulics compressed to accept the weight of the craft. Red lights flashed inside as the pilot called for the spaces before the doors to be vacated. They opened slowly, expanding outward into a ramp leading down. Once the red lights stopped flashing, students began to file out. Jaune followed nervously.

The air was cold, likely a combination of Atlesian weather and everything being so high in the air. Luckily, the air wasn't so thin as to make breathing difficult. Ahead of them, a woman with white hair flapping in the wind stood at attention, hands linked behind her back, flanked on either side by soldiers in what looked like power armour painted white. They had their guns slung on their backs and stood in the same pose as the woman in the centre. The students naturally gathered before her, forming a loose mob that chattered and waited nervously. Only once the last of the students were off and the aircraft powered down its engines did she speak.

"Welcome to Atlas Academy. I am Winter Schnee, Specialist, Huntress and assistant to General James Ironwood – General of Atlas and Headmaster of this Academy. I will be guiding you to oration and to your barracks. Know that while you are here now, none of you are yet guaranteed as students. You will have to pass further tests for that. As such, while you are allowed limited access to the academy you do not have full access. Do not wander. If you are lost, wait where you are and call administration on your scrolls or ask anyone passing by for directions. Do not aimlessly try and find your way back. The academy is large and can be difficult to navigate at times. Your luggage will be brought in separately and assigned to lockers. Questions will be answered later, but for now please follow me to the oratory hall."

Her piece said, the woman turned away and began to walk, leaving them with no option but to follow. The large blast doors opening out onto the landing pad opened with a groan, revealing an interior that came in numerous shades of silver, gunmetal grey and white. Everything was designed with clean, clinical lines, and as they moved out the hangar and into the corridors, Jaune marvelled at the perfectly hexagonal, sloped walls with directions posted on the central, vertical plane. It all looked hi-tech, from the pure white panels to the literal robotic droids that walked clunkily by at times, to the soldiers in armour with crazy-looking weaponry guarding doors that came to attention as Winter walked by.

There were students here and there as well, many dressed in what he assumed was the school uniform, a combination of white, light and dark grey with Atlas's symbol on the shoulder. The girls wore grey pleated skirts. It was bland in colour but looked smart, like someone had crossed military dress and a school uniform. The people themselves, huntsmen and huntresses in training, walked with straight backs and confident airs, talking among themselves or even looking at them with interest. A few stopped to salute Winter Schnee as they walked by, while others were obviously on their way back from training, dressed now in individualistic combat outfits, sweating, laughing or talking between themselves. They looked strong, competent and confident in themselves.

That's what I want to be like, thought Jaune.

It wasn't long before they were taken into a large hall with chairs arranged into rows before a raised stage. "Sit wherever you wish," ordered Winter, and Jaune filed in with the others, taking a seat beside a dark-skinned boy with a fancy black hat and a waistcoat. The man picked up an information packet that was resting on his, and every other, chair and sat down. Jaune did the same and nervously offered a hand.

"Hey. Jaune Arc. Short, sweet and rolls off the tongue. The ladies love it."

The other boy snorted, then covered his mouth as if worried the soldiers or Winter would take notice. He shot Jaune a look that was more amused than annoyed. "That's terrible, man, truly awful. Flynt Coal." He took Jaune's hand and shook it firmly. "Funky place this is, eh?"

"It's kind of cool." agreed Jaune, happy that his first introduction hadn't blown up in his face. "Has a futuristic vibe to it."

"Mmm. I always knew Atlas was big on technology but it's like this place is at the forefront. They must have good rigs for training."

"I hear they have holographic training rooms with robots to act as enemies!" said a girl excitedly, poking past the other side of Flynt. Jaune had to blink at the absolute explosion of colour she presented. Rainbow would have been green with envy. "Hey. Neon Katt. Nice to meet ya both. Hope you don't mind me butting in."

"The more the merrier." said Flynt. He leant back so they could talk past him. "And are you sure that's real? Sounds like something out of a superhero movie."

"I'm pretty sure that was in Z-Men," said Jaune.

"Where do you think they got the idea from? It was in the director's cut where they said they took inspiration from Atlas Academy when filming it. Some of it was even filmed here."

"I thought those corridors looked familiar!" gasped Jaune. "It's the Z-Facility."

"Movie buffs, I take it?" asked Flynt.

"A little…" admitted Jaune, suddenly embarrassed. He didn't want to come across too much of a nerd.

"Movies are awesome!" hissed Neon, a tail flicking behind her – she was a faunus? Cool. Extra cool that she was as excitable about the movies as him. He'd never been good at talking to girls, but this was safe territory. "Especially the action ones where everything goes crazy. Let me guess, you're more a film noir kind of guy."

"I'm easy either way." Said Flynt. "But I'm more into music."

"Music is cool." Neon perked up. "Especially dance."

"Jazz is better."

"Ew – no way! Are you really seventeen or a seventy-year-old in disguise?"

"Another poor soul who hasn't heard proper jazz." Flynt shook his head slowly, as if he couldn't imagine how cruel Neon's parents must have been to not introduce her to it. "I'll have to fix that later. Hit me up if you want to hear proper music. You understand. Right, Jaune?"

"Uh. Me? W-Well, I'm more of a movie soundtrack kind of guy."

"Classical epics?"

"Yeah, sort of. I like those hour-long epic music soundtracks online."

"Those are good." agreed Flynt.

"The action ones are great!" Neon nodded along. "We should trade playlists-oops, looks like it's starting."

Jaune turned back to the stage as a hush fell over the audience. The lights had begun to dim except for those pointing at the stage. A man walked out – tall and statuesque, dressed in a long white overcoat with a waistcoat beneath and a huge gun resting on his hip. He looked, in Jaune's opinion, like the perfect ideal of a movie hero character. The square jaw, the chiselled features, the short black hair. He was smiling faintly, but even that couldn't hide how imposing he came across. This must have been the general that Winter spoke of. Given that he came escorted by four soldiers, Jaune could well believe it. The man strode to the central podium, stood behind it and set his hands on the wood. One of his hands was metal.

"Greetings all!" His voice carried without the use of a microphone, firm and strong. "I am General James Ironwood, a general in the Atlesian army, a councillor on the Council of Atlas, but – and more importantly to you all – the headmaster of this Academy. You are all here today because you aspire to be huntsmen and huntresses. This, I say, is a sign of the strength of your character."

Jaune sat a little straighter. His chest swelled.

"The life of a huntsman or huntress is harsh, painful and often filled with sorrow. For every hundred people you save, there will be many more that you cannot – that you could not possibly have gotten to in time. That kind of pressure is enough to break many people, but I say that it is better to fail ten if it means saving a hundred. It is better to try and fail, saving many along the way, then to have never tried at all. To me, for taking this first step, you are already heroes. Each and every one of you."

"It is the goal of this academy to help sculpt you to be the best you can be. To mould you, to support you and to teach you the values and skills that will serve you best in life. To that end, we spare no expense. Atlas Academy is at the forefront of technological advancement, and our budget is the highest among all the Kingdoms. Where other governments scrape and save, we understand that survival is more important than profit, that there can be no Atlas without strong defenders to protect her borders. To that end, those studying here will have access to the best equipment, the finest tuition, the most up-to-date training facilities and anything else that we can provide. All we ask in return, all we ask of you, is that you dedicate one hundred and ten per cent to your lessons. That you reciprocate our commitment to you with commitment to yourself. Any of you have the potential to be great, but you have just as much potential to be nothing. Laziness, stubbornness, prejudice – all will drag you down if you let them."

"Atlas Academy works in conjunction with the Atlas military. You might be asking why. Proud huntsmen will tell you that they need no one else, and that they are trained far beyond the standards of a soldier. This is true. However, we believe that the war against the Grimm involved everyone, and there are things a squad of soldiers can accomplish that a team of huntsmen cannot. At the very least, you will be grateful for our soldiers covering your back and protecting the civilians, allowing you to take the fight to the Grimm without the need to fear for innocent lives." He smiled broadly and said, "We are all in this together. Huntsmen, soldier, civilian and everyone in between. This is a war between humanity and the Grimm, and we shall do everything in our power to support you in it."

"We are a military academy," he continued, giving no room for thought or question. "You will learn discipline here; you will learn to salute your superiors and to march and drill in parade. This is how we do things, but you can rest assured that you are not military and will not be brought into any conflicts Atlas might have. We adapt the training, not the ethos. Huntsmen are independent, and your focus will be against the Grimm threatening Remnant as a whole, from our and any other kingdom or peoples. That said, you will be held to the same standards shown in our military. You will be expected to be disciplined, polite and strict. We believe this will better aid you in your careers, and we have proven our methods with two victories out of the last three Vytal Festivals."

The crowd murmured appreciatively, even if some people looked nervous. Jaune did as well. He wasn't the fittest of people and the army was supposed to be especially good at breaking you down. I hope I can pass muster. Winter said we're not guaranteed students yet.

"Initiation will be tomorrow." said General Ironwood. "You will be thoroughly tested. Tonight, you shall rest in temporary barracks, but those that pass will be placed onto squads of four that shall share private accommodations. Here in Atlas, teamwork is prized and prioritised. An army is nothing without cooperation, teamwork and leadership. Where the individual fails, the squad succeeds. I encourage you to keep that in mind tomorrow. You are strangers now, but in time you will become allies and a unit. Remember that. Thank you for your time. Winter, I leave them to you."

"Thank you, General Ironwood." Winter stepped up, snapped a salute and then dropped it when the man walked away. She took his place at the podium and said, "You will be shown to your temporary accommodations first and then brought to the cafeteria for mealtime. I would suggest you all sleep after, for initiation begins early."

/-/

Jaune, Flynt and Neon took a small cedar wood table for themselves in the cafeteria – a beautiful, artistically sweeping room in the floating island with a glass domed roof that looked up at the starry sky. In his head he'd imagined a terrible army-style barrack lunch with lines of shaven soldiers being served slop from steel buckets. What he'd gotten instead wouldn't have looked out of place in the fanciest of restaurants.

There were over a hundred tables of different shapes and sizes, some with chairs and others padded benches, and the walls swept inward with curves and slopes, with not a right-angle corner in sight. One of the walls was entirely made up of plants, with vines and flowers creeping all the way down from the ceiling to the floor. In the centre of it all, a spiral staircase swirled around a water fountain leading up to a second floor of more chairs and tables with a balcony overlooking the first. The dominant colours were white and grey, but with the greenery and the many glass panels it looked like a fancy coffee shop, and it smelled divine.

Vending machines dotted the entranceways beside recycling bins, and the kitchen area was mostly automated, with only a few chefs working alongside robots and conveyor belts to prepare meals picked off a menu containing everything from beans on toast to steak fillet and pasta. There was a menu, but the smiling chefs also seemed happy to put together anything you could ask for. There was even a glass display of baked goods, cakes and muffins all freshly baked.

"This is seriously high class!" Neon moaned around her steak mignon with mashed potato and steamed vegetables. "I'm in heaven!"

"Spare no expense indeed!" said Flynt. "I thought they only meant in training. Man, I could get used to eating like this."

Jaune agreed wholeheartedly, but then he had no other choices if this went bad. His own food was great, chicken nuggets that tasted better than his favourite takeout, but the good food didn't quite get rid of his worry. "Let's make sure we get to stay here then. I don't want to fail initiation and be kicked out."

Neon and Flynt dropped their smiles. "Right." said Flynt. "We can gush about this after we're in for sure."

"What's the plan?" asked Neon.

"Ironwood mentioned squads." said Jaune. "That means we could work together and all pass." He felt a little bad for saddling them with his useless ass, but the man's speech had resonated with him. He was definitely the individual who would fail if he went it alone.

"No complaints here." said Flynt. He looked to Neon. "You okay working with us two?"

"Sure! How else am I going to drag you both to a disco and show you real music? We're going to need a fourth member though – and it looks like we're not the only ones thinking of teaming up."

Whether it was planned or just a case of people having to share tables, groups were beginning to form here and there. Some of them might have been friends before Atlas but others, like them, were just trying to make sure they passed initiation. They'd all be competing against one another in a very real way. General Ironwood might have been a little too obvious on the teamwork angle.

"What about her?" Neon pointed to a girl with orange hair sat alone at a table. Despite being on her own, she looked unusually happy about it. Almost too happy. "Quick, snag her before someone else does."

"Who?" asked Jaune. "Me!?"

"Short, sweet, rolls off the tongue – the ladies love it." Flynt wore a huge, shit-eating grin as he said it. "Time to put your money where your mouth is."

Jaune blushed but that was no escape as Flynt and Neon egged him out his seat and toward the girl. It shouldn't have been a big deal – he'd had great luck so far and made two friends. How hard could a third be? Sure, she looked happy on her own and maybe that meant she didn't want to talk to anyone, but it couldn't hurt to try. Or, well, it could, but he'd not live it down if he didn't make the effort.

What was it General Ironwood said? Better to try and fail then to not try at all.

If he gave up now, he didn't deserve to be here. Jaune took a deep breath, forced himself to stand up tall and stormed over, all but pushing his hand into the girl's face. "Hi! I'm Jaune Arc. Neon, Flynt and I want to have you – I mean, we want to invite you to maybe think about joining our team? Squad? Team?" He began to sweat as the girl stared at his hand as if she didn't know what to make of it. "I-If you want, I mean. You don't have to if you have other friends, but you looked-"

"Other friends?" The girl blinked once. Slowly. It was… odd, almost like she consciously chose to. She had faded green eyes and bright orange hair and was dressed in black and green and white. "Are you suggesting that we would be friends if we were on the same team?"

"W-Well, yeah. Hopefully? If that's not assuming too much." He really wished Neon had come along, because he was beginning to feel like the conversation was slipping away from him. "My mom always said that strangers are just friends you haven't met yet."

"We have now met, which means we are no longer strangers. Does this make us friends?" There was an intensity to the question. The girl leaned forward as she asked it, and he could swear he heard the table creak a little.

"I mean, sure, but I don't know your name yet so we're still strangers."

"I am Penny!"

"Penny. Nice name-"

"Thank you! I picked it myself."

Did she? How did- no, just push on, he told himself. He could do this. "It's nice to meet you, Penny. I'm Jaune, like I said, and that's Neon and Flynt over there. We're forming a team to help one another out tomorrow in initiation, show some of that teamwork General Ironwood told us to focus on, and we wanted to know if you would join as our fourth member."

"I would love to join you, Jaune Arc!" Penny almost shouted. Several people looked over but dismissed them just as quickly. Penny stood with a huge, beaming smile on her face. "I hope we will be the best of friends! Oh, this is absolutely sensational!"

Penny, Neon and Flynt had unanimously decided, was now his problem. They welcomed her to their table and chatted and made plans to meet up early tomorrow and work together, but Penny was so… so Penny that Neon instantly suggested she search Jaune out specifically to partner with, and Flynt had quickly agreed, essentially partnering himself with Neon. Jaune shot them both a look begging for help and received nothing more than well-timed distraction every time.

Luckily, Penny was either too thick-skinned or too naïve to catch it, and accepted working with him as the logical choice, diving into commentary of how she was `combat ready` and prepared to excel at initiation and be on a team with all three of them, whereupon they would become the best of friends and forever be a team together. It was almost a relief when it was called for them to return to their barracks, because those were separated by gender and Penny had to leave him be.

"I will find you tomorrow morning, friend!" she promised. "Then we shall pass initiation together!" Before he could think, Penny swept him up off his feet and against her. He had a moment to yelp in absolute shock at being manhandled by a girl much shorter than he, then a moment to wonder how strong she was to pick him up at all.

Then he was being crushed into her, squashed between her thankfully soft chest and her mercilessly powerful arms. Flynt and Neon backed away, eyes wide at the casual display of power. Penny dropped him and rushed away to her own quarters before either could comment on it.

"Well…" said Flynt. "At least we know she's strong."

"More like insane." said Neon. "She's a bit… uh… much, don't you think?"

"Looked more like she was nervous about fitting in and doesn't know how to make friends. She'll learn and calm down. I bet she's just nervous about her chances like we are and putting on a strong front to hide it."

"Yeah, I suppose. She's friendly at any rate." Neon smiled brightly. "And she didn't care I was a faunus. None of you do."

"We're all the same inside," said Flynt. "Da' didn't raise no supremacist."

"S-Same." croaked Jaune, pressing a hand into his back. It felt like Penny's arms were indented into his skin. He'd have been more worried if not for Flynt pointing out she was probably just nervous and trying to put on a brave front. Not much different from him at the end of the day. "And thanks for abandoning me to talk to her. So much for teamwork."

"Hey, you had her in hand."

"The Arc charm at its finest." Neon agreed teasingly. "We didn't want to cramp your style."

"You both suck and I'll never forgive you. Ugh. At least we have a team now." With any luck, that would help him survive initiation tomorrow. Penny was definitely strong if she could life him around like that without even trying.

At least he had a chance now.

/-/

"-and I made a friend, and he was nice, and he introduced me to his other friends and we all agreed to team up tomorrow and-"

"Team up?" General James Ironwood interrupted Penny's long rant after minutes of polite listening, likely surprising Winter along the way by proving he had in fact been paying attention. "Penny, I thought we agreed you would be partnered with Ciel Soleil, who has been briefed on your unique circumstances."

The young android froze like a child who had been caught with a hand in the cookie jar. James personally found it both amusing and heartening because such human emotions implied Dr Polendina's work had exceeded all expectations. Penny acted more human than humanlike, even experiencing panic, guilt and the `deer in the headlights` moments most teenagers did.

"I… I apologise, Uncle Ironwood," she stammered. "I had forgotten in the excitement of making a friend. Of making three friends." She brought her fingers to her lips and fidgeted with them. "Oh no, should I tell Jaune I cannot partner with him? But he's my first real friend and he's counting on me now. Perhaps Ciel could inserted on the team? But that would mean removing one of the others."

"Tell me about them." said James.

"Jaune Arc: Born in Ansel, son of Nicholas Arc and Juniper-"

"Not their files!" he said quickly. "Penny, you should not be accessing those even if you can. You must learn to get to know people by interacting with them, not by relying on external information, and certainly not private documentation."

The girl's head dropped. "I'm sorry."

"It's fine." He ruffled her hair patiently, and although Penny did not feel it in a tactile sense, she would know from consuming various media that it was a sign of affection. When she had first been created it had been drilled into him by Pietro that he needed to be obvious with his intention and action. Penny could stumble over anything vague or uncertain. She had gotten better over the years, hence why they were even considering this, but old habits die hard. "No one is expecting you to be perfect at this straight away. Most people have years of social interaction to draw from. Tell me about how they were and acted. Your opinions based on what you saw and not what you can analyse."

Penny nodded and began, slowly recounting her meeting first with Jaune Arc and then his associates, Neon Katt and Flynt Coal. Only one of those, the latter, was known to him by name, and by all accounts was a smart, hard-working young man. To hear Penny, it was clear it was the first, this Jaune, who had made the greatest impression on her. More than half of what she recounted was about him, extoling how funny he was, how friendly, how he'd approached her when no one else would and told her that strangers were but friends that had not yet been made.

Idealistic and not quite something that would hold up in real life, but he understood it was just the boy's way of introducing himself, and likely a product of anxiety. He listened as Penny went deeper into their plans, which were neither unusual nor against the rules. His speech had been as much a hint as anything, and they did look for teamwork. Ozpin liked to mix his up with silly rules like eye contact forming teams, but James personally thought it showed more of a person's character if they formed the teams themselves instead of being forced onto them. Those that worked well together should be allowed to stay together, and Atlas even allowed teams to switch up if they really wanted. Inevitably, some relationships failed, and friendships fractured. It seemed counterproductive to not realise that or to punish four people because two had fallen out or ended a romantic entanglement.

"-and the other two were friendly," said Penny. "I detected no ill-will toward Neon being a faunus from either of them, and they appeared to defer to Jaune's instincts on forming a team and adding me to it. They were surprisingly easy to get along with."

Interesting. Very interesting. He had only originally planned for Ciel to be with her, but in the interests of Penny having as wide an education as possible, a faunus teammate could be a wise move. Not everyone would agree, but the last thing he wanted was Penny inheriting anti-faunus sentiment and believing that normal. She had a lot of power at her fingertips and needed to learn to use it responsibly.

"Penny," said Winter exasperatedly. "Miss Soleil was chosen for a good reason. Your unique circumstances all but require a handler-"

"Are you confident that you could mingle with them without incident?" interrupted James. Winter made a surprised expression but stepped back and let him take over. Penny looked no less surprised, though he detected some excitement in her eyes. A further sign that this might not be a bad idea after all. "You understand that without a handler, you would need to take exceptional care not to reveal anything, and that you might have to be taken from the team entirely if you do."

"I understand! I will do my best!"

"I'm sure you will." Penny beamed as though his trust meant the world to her. In a way, it might. He was extending trust here, faith, and that was something he knew she craved. "I will let you decide your own team. If you fail to fit in and your secret is revealed, you will be taken from it and placed with Miss Soleil. Your former teammates will also be put under various NDAs and may even refuse them, forcing our hand in expelling them from Atlas. I tell you this not to threaten you, Penny, but to warn you of just how hard you will have to work, both for their sakes and for your own."

"Thank you! Thank you." Penny bounced on her heels. "Oh, I simply must tell father the good news! May I be excused, sir?"

"You may."

Penny rushed off with a huge grin on her face, almost bowling over a scientist on the way. It was like dealing with an energetic child at times, which he supposed she was. Penny had only been aware and sentient for over a year now, and whatever might be said about her immaturity was understandable given her real age.

"Is this wise, sir?" asked Winter. "Few will understand or accept this decision if it's found out."

"The purpose of Penny studying here is to allow her an opportunity to experience life as humans do and help her fit in with them. I'm not sure how successful that will be if we curtail her every relationship and surround her with those who know what she is. Placing her on a team with complete strangers will provide a much more accurate test for her. It may even help her in learning to act more human."

"If they pass initiation."

"If they pass initiation," he agreed. "We shall treat them, and Penny, no differently from any other student. That they're aware enough to try and form a team ahead of time only proves their preparedness, however. Being able to foresee problems and plan ahead is a valuable trait, particularly in a team leader."

"I will keep an eye on them." promised Winter.

"Thank you, Winter. Show them no favouritism. Penny should fail or pass on merit; the same goes for her team. I shall leave them in your care. Tomorrow promises to be an interesting day. With any luck, we shall welcome many new teams of potential huntsmen and huntresses into our ranks. Heavens know, Remnant needs its heroes now more than ever."


Yep. It's a Jaune in Atlas story. I want to explore the idea of a much more rigid school structure – I'll be taking inspiration from Balamb Garden in FF8 a little, but also plenty of military anime. I've never been in the army or reserves myself, so please do excuse any mistakes. I've obviously been doing some research and watching a lot of youtube videos and documentaries, but Remnant is different from our world and even then those videos will likely gloss over things they feel is obvious, that I will make mistakes on.


Next Chapter: 1st October

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P a treon . com (slash) Coeur