Jaune's Semblance Test
Blake had learned to recognize bad ideas before they happened. It was a survival skill—one that came in handy when dealing with people like Yang, Nora, or Ruby Rose on a sugar rush.
And right now, she was watching a disaster in slow motion.
Jaune Arc, normally the voice of reason, or at least the voice of cautious stupidity—was nodding along to everything Ruby said lately.
Ruby.
The same Ruby who once tried to build a jetpack using dust canisters and duct tape.
The same Ruby who thought launching herself out of a cannon was a “valid escape plan.”
The same Ruby who, currently, was standing on the cafeteria table, fists on her hips, grinning down at Jaune.
“And then,” Ruby continued, “I’ll use my Semblance at the exact moment of impact, so I can go even faster!”
Jaune nodded, completely serious. “Genius.”
Blake set down her book. “Jaune. No.”
Jaune turned to her, blinking. “What? It’s a solid plan.”
“It’s not.”
“But think of the speed!” Jaune gestured excitedly. “It’s all about momentum! If we get the angles right—”
“You’re encouraging her,” Blake said flatly.
“I mean… yeah?”
Blake sighed, rubbing her temples. This was going to end horribly.
Yang wasn’t sure when Jaune had turned into Ruby’s personal hype man, but honestly?
It was hilarious.
“Oh, oh, oh!” Ruby hopped off the table, nearly knocking over Weiss’s tray. “What if—hear me out—I use the explosion to redirect my speed?”
“That’s brilliant!” Jaune nodded enthusiastically. “That way, you don’t lose momentum—you transfer it!”
“Exactly!” Ruby pumped her fist. “It’s simple physics!”
“Yeah, Schnee,” Jaune added, nudging Weiss, “simple physics.”
Weiss made a strangled noise of protest. “That’s not how physics works!”
“Disagree,” Jaune said.
Yang leaned back, grinning. “Okay, I gotta ask—when did you become this supportive of my little sis?”
Jaune shrugged. “Ruby’s got good instincts. I’m just backing her up.”
Yang raised an eyebrow. “Backing her up? Or enabling a series of increasingly bad decisions?”
Jaune hesitated. “…Yes?”
“Perfect,” Ruby declared. “Now I just need a boost!”
Jaune grinned. “Say no more.”
And then, very casually, like he was discussing the weather, he said:
“I’ll just amp you with my Semblance.”
Silence.
Weiss, mid-sip of coffee, choked.
Blake looked up in horror.
Pyrrha’s fork clattered onto her plate.
Yang squinted. “Hold up. What did you mean by your fricking Semblance!?”
Jaune nodded. “Yeah. Uh, did I forgot to tell guys that? Turns out, I can amplify someone's aura and Semblance a lot.”
Ruby’s eyes sparkled. “You mean you can make me even faster?”
Jaune smirked. “Ruby. I can make you speed itself.”
Weiss slammed her hands on the table. “Absolutely not—”
Too late.
Jaune reached out, placed a hand on Ruby’s shoulder, and with a casual ease that should have been terrifying, activated his Semblance.
A golden glow pulsed from his palm.
And then—
Ruby vanished.
Nora had seen some crazy things in her life.
But watching Ruby explode through the cafeteria wall like a rocket-powered wrecking ball?
That was a new one.
“HOLY—” Yang barely dodged a flying tray as the entire side of the cafeteria shattered into rubble.
A crimson blur streaked across the courtyard, carving a trench through the stone like a hyperactive drill.
Somewhere in the distance, a faint “WOOOOOOOOO!” echoed through the air.
Jaune dusted off his hands, looking far too pleased with himself. “Huh. That worked even better than I expected.”
Weiss screamed. “WHAT DO YOU MEAN, BETTER THAN YOU EXPECTED?!”
Jaune blinked. “I mean, I figured she’d break the sound barrier, but punching through solid stone? That’s next level!”
Nora gasped. “Jaune. Do me next.”
“Absolutely not!” Weiss snapped.
“Fair,” Jaune admitted. “Ruby first. Then Nora.”
“STOP VOLUNTEERING FOR THIS MADNESS!” Weiss shrieked.
Meanwhile, Ruby was still going.
Her trajectory had carried her across the entire courtyard, where she ricocheted off a statue, spiraled through the air, and—
“OH NOOOO—“
CRASH.
Right into the rooftop.
A distant cloud of dust rose from the impact.
Jaune cupped his hands around his mouth. “YOU GOOD?”
A weak thumbs-up appeared over the rooftop edge.
Jaune grinned. “She’s good.”
Nora fist-pumped. “Hell yeah!”
Weiss, clutching her head, muttered something about blood pressure.
Ren sipped his tea. “I’m going to pretend I didn’t witness any of this.”
Ren had long since accepted that his life was filled with chaos.
But even he had limits.
He looked at the smoking hole in the cafeteria wall. Then at the trench in the courtyard. Then at Jaune, who was positively beaming.
“Jaune,” he said patiently. “That was irresponsible.”
Jaune nodded. “Absolutely.”
Ren stared. “You agree?”
“Oh, yeah, total recklessness. A hundred percent.” Jaune crossed his arms. “But in my defense, it was awesome.”
Ren sighed. “That’s not a defense.”
“You’re right,” Jaune admitted. “I should be better than this.”
Ren allowed himself a small moment of relief.
Then Jaune turned to Nora. “So how do we increase the velocity?”
Ren closed his eyes.
This was his life now.
Weiss had officially lost all faith in Jaune Arc.
It wasn’t just that he apparently had discovered his Semblance.
It wasn’t just that he had mastered it.
It was that he had chosen—actively chosen—to use it for this nonsense.
She stared at the destruction, massaging her temples. “I cannot believe this is happening.”
Jaune leaned against the table, looking far too pleased with himself. “So, Schnee, what do you think?”
“I think you should be arrested.“
“Okay, but besides that?”
“Expelled.“
“Besides that?”
Weiss took a deep breath, willing herself to stay calm. “You,” she said slowly, “amplified Ruby to the point of violating several laws of physics.“
Jaune rubbed his chin. “Yeah, I might have overdone it.”
“Might?“
Jaune glanced back at the destroyed cafeteria wall. “Well, look at it this way—now they have an excuse to renovate. I think Beacon could use more turrets and security.”
Weiss’s eye twitched. “I hate you.”
Jaune grinned. “Please, you tolerate me.”
Weiss opened her mouth—then stopped.
Oh, she hated it that he's kinda right.
Because Jaune was smiling at her. Not his usual goofy grin, but something lazy and assured. And why was his voice so smooth now?
She refused to acknowledge the way her face very slightly warmed.
Instead, she turned away, composing herself. “You’re insufferable.”
Jaune chuckled. “Love you too, Schnee.”
Weiss gasped at the casual remark, then stormed off.
Pyrrha was convinced that Jaune Arc was going through something.
Not just because he had enabled Ruby’s most ridiculous plan yet. Not just because he had discovered his Semblance and used it in the worst possible way.
But because—when all was said and done—he smirked at her.
“So,” he said, hands on his hips. “Thoughts about our next plan?”
Pyrrha’s thoughts were incoherent screaming.
Because this wasn’t just Jaune—the dorky, clumsy, lovable Jaune. This was a Jaune who had control. A Jaune who stood taller, moved with confidence, and spoke like he knew exactly what he was doing to her.
She inhaled sharply. “It's kinda... reckless.”
Jaune winked. “And yet, effective.”
Pyrrha turned away before she could combust.
Ruby Rose considered herself somewhat of a scientist as of late. Not in the traditional sense—she wasn’t mixing chemicals in a lab or wearing a white coat (though she would totally rock one), but in the real sense. The hands-on, experimental kind.
And Jaune? Jaune was her latest test subject.
Well, technically his Semblance and they could do with it was the subject, but Jaune came with it, so she figured he counted too.
“Okay, okay!” Ruby clapped her hands together, vibrating with excitement. “Today’s experiment: How much is too much?“
Jaune, lying on the ground where he had just crashed through a tree, groaned. “I think we found the answer already.”
“Not even close!” Ruby hopped over, pulling out her notebook. “I mean, yeah, we may have gone a little overboard—”
“You went overboard.”
“—but!” Ruby ignored his interruption. “Think about what we just learned!”
Jaune rolled onto his back, staring at the sky. “That launching you off a catapult while amped up is a terrible idea?”
“Well, obviously that was a bad idea.” Ruby waved a hand dismissively. “We didn’t calculate the wind resistance!”
Jaune sat up, groaning. “Ruby, we launched you into a building.”
“Minor setback!”
“Minor setback? We’re banned from the Engineering Wing!”
“They’ll get over it,” Ruby muttered, scribbling notes. “Okay, so maybe the catapult was too much—”
“You punched through solid steel.”
“—which is why we need to scale it down!” She brightened. “Let’s try hand-held applications!“
Jaune hesitated. “What does that mean?”
“It means…” Ruby cracked her knuckles. “We’re going to punch things.”
Jaune considered this, stopped thinking and then shrugged. “Alright, I’m in.”
“This is a bad idea,” Weiss said.
“This is a fantastic idea,” Jaune countered.
Blake sighed. “You do realize every ‘test’ you two run ends with property damage, right?”
Ruby beamed. “That’s called progress!”
Weiss pinched the bridge of her nose. “That’s called vandalism.”
“Semantics!” Ruby grabbed Jaune’s arm. “Okay, time for the next test! We need to see how your Semblance works in close combat. Specifically, what happens when you amp someone mid-punch?”
Yang perked up. “Oooh, now this I wanna see.”
“Alright.” Jaune flexed his fingers. “I’ll boost you on impact. Let’s start light—maybe a normal training dummy?”
“Pshhh.” Ruby waved him off. “Go big or go home! Give me full power!“
Jaune hesitated. “Are you sure?”
“ABSOLUTELY.”
Jaune shrugged. “Alright.”
He placed a hand on her shoulder and activated his Semblance. A golden glow surrounded Ruby, pulsing with raw energy.
Ruby grinned. “Ohhh, this feels amazing!”
Jaune smirked. “Now punch something.”
Ruby turned, fist raised—
And punched straight through a stone pillar.
Everyone froze.
The pillar disintegrated.
There was a long, stunned silence.
Then Jaune, very quietly, muttered, “Holy shit.“
Ruby stared at her fist. “COOLEST. THING. EVER.“
Weiss looked personally offended by reality. “That… that was granite!”
Yang’s jaw dropped. “Okay, that was badass.”
Blake just sighed. “I hate that this is working.”
Nora cheered. “Jaune, amp me next!”
Ren sighed. “No. Don't you dare.”
It didn't stop there.
“You know what would be really cool?” Ruby asked.
“No,” Weiss said immediately. “No more.”
“One more!” Ruby pleaded. “Just one!”
Jaune, to Weiss’s horror, nodded. “Yeah, one more!”
“Stop encouraging her!“
Jaune grinned. “I literally can’t.”
Weiss turned to Pyrrha for support, but Pyrrha—who should have known better—was watching Jaune with something disturbingly close to admiration.
“Oh no,” Weiss muttered. “Not you too!”
Pyrrha smiled sheepishly. “Well… his control has improved a lot.”
Jaune flexed. “It has, hasn’t it?”
Weiss groaned. “You’re all gone insane.”
Ruby clapped her hands. “Okay, final test: Speed + Strength! We combine the Ultimate Punch with Ultimate Velocity!“
Blake’s ears flattened. “I don’t like where this is going.“
“Too late!” Ruby grinned at Jaune. “Buddy, hit me up!”
Jaune nodded. “Let’s do it.”
And then, without any hesitation—
He double amped her.
A golden surge of Aura enveloped Ruby, crackling with raw power.
Yang’s eyes widened. “Uh. That looks way stronger than before.”
Jaune grinned. “Oh yeah. I figured out how to stack it.”
“STACK IT?!“ Weiss shrieked.
“Alright, Ruby!” Jaune slapped her on the back. “Show us what you got!”
Ruby took off like a missile.
She hit the ground once—just once—before detonating forward like a meteor.
Ruby’s trajectory went something like this:
She punched through the cafeteria wall (again).
She carved a trench through the courtyard (again).
She hit the dorm building, bounced off the roof, and somehow ended up in Ozpin’s office.
They found her in the ceiling.
Jaune scratched his head as he surveyed the destruction. “Huh. I think that was too fast.”
Weiss was vibrating with rage. “You think?!”
Jaune shrugged. “In my defense, that was awesome.”
Ruby’s voice, muffled from the ceiling: “I REGRET NOTHING!“
Weiss turned to Blake, looking for backup, but Blake had already started leaving. “Nope. I’m not associated with this.”
Jaune sighed. “Guessing we’re banned from the courtyard now?”
“And the cafeteria!“ Weiss snapped. “And probably half the school!“
Ruby finally pried herself free, dropping to the floor with a thud. “Worth it.”
Yang grinned, punching Jaune’s arm. “Dude, that was insane.”
Jaune grinned back. “I know, right?.”
Weiss was going crazy.
Pyrrha Nikos prided herself on being reasonable. She was disciplined, responsible, and rarely gave in to impulsive behavior.
Unfortunately, she had a huge weakness as of late.
That weakness was Jaune Arc.
And she also had a secondary weakness: Ruby Rose and Jaune Arc working together.
So when she found herself staring at the overly eager faces of both Ruby and Jaune, she knew—deep in her heart—that she was about to make a terrible decision.
“Let me get this straight.” Pyrrha crossed her arms. “You want me… to launch you both. With my Semblance.”
“Yep!” Ruby chirped.
“At the same time?”
Jaune grinned. “Double trouble, baby.”
Pyrrha exhaled slowly. “And the goal of this is…?”
“Science!” Ruby declared.
“Fun!” Jaune added.
Pyrrha pinched the bridge of her nose. “Those are not compatible goals.”
“Sure they are!” Ruby beamed. “See, technically, we don’t know how high we can go!”
“Yeah!” Jaune nodded. “And since your Semblance works on metals—”
“We can just ride the launch like a rollercoaster!” Ruby finished.
Pyrrha stared at them. “You do realize this is a terrible idea, right?”
“That’s what makes it fun,” Jaune said solemnly.
Pyrrha knew she should refuse. But then—Jaune gave her that smile. The relaxed, confident one.
She sighed. “…This is a bad idea.”
Jaune clapped her shoulder. “That’s the spirit.”
Yang, Nora, Ren, Blake, and Weiss were all gathered in the courtyard, standing a very safe distance away.
Weiss had her arms crossed, looking personally offended. “This is idiotic.”
“Correction,” Yang grinned. “This is hilarious.”
Ren sipped his tea. “This is going to end in property damage again.”
Blake sighed. “At this point, I assume that’s their goal as of late.”
Jaune and Ruby stood in the center, bouncing on their heels, practically vibrating with excitement.
Pyrrha—who had agreed to this nonsense—stood between them, taking deep, calming breaths.
"Boosting you now!" Jaune pointed a palm at her.
“Alright,” she muttered, flexing her fingers, feeling the amplification. “Here goes nothing.”
She activated her Semblance.
Jaune and Ruby’s weapons shook. Then, suddenly, the two of them shot upward—as if pulled by an unseen force.
The moment they hit the peak, Pyrrha reversed the polarity.
They launched.
Pyrrha immediately realized she had overdone it.
Jaune and Ruby did not stop ascending.
They kept going.
And going.
And going.
Until they were just two tiny specks in the sky.
Weiss, watching in horror, clutched her head. “OH MY GODS, YOU KILLED THEM!”
Pyrrha, completely stunned, whispered, “I may have miscalculated.“
Yang stared up. “Sooo… do we catch them or—”
“LOOK OUT BELOW!“
Everyone looked up just in time to see two screaming figures plummeting from the heavens.
And they were coming in fast.
“REN, DO SOMETHING!” Nora yelled.
Ren calmly took another sip of tea. “No.”
“CANNON BALLLLLLL!“ Ruby shrieked.
Jaune flailed mid-air. “STAY CLEAR!”
A moment later—
CRASH.
The dust cleared.
Two deep craters were left in the courtyard.
Jaune and Ruby lay at the bottom, groaning.
Yang, looking down at them, gave a thumbs-up. “So? Worth it?”
Ruby weakly raised a hand. “Best. Idea. Ever.“
Pyrrha sighed. “Never again.“
Jaune, completely dazed, muttered, “Let's move to the second phase!?“
"I think we should run," Ren advised.
"ROSE! ARC! GET BACK HERE!"
"Quick, Ruby, we need to escape!"
Jaune amped up Ruby, and using her Semblance turned into gust of speeding petals.
Recently, Ruby learned to carry people with her Semblance.
In a way... it was kinda training?
Two days after that.
The two were at it again.
“Alright, hear me out!” Ruby said, standing on a cafeteria table (because of course she was). “What if… we could fly?”
Pyrrha, who had just sat down with her lunch, sighed. “No.“
“Wait, wait, wait!” Jaune held up a finger. “Technically, it’s possible.”
Pyrrha frowned. “Jaune.”
He grinned. “No, really! Pyrrha, your Semblance lets you control metal, right?”
“...Yes?”
“And Ruby can fly with her Semblance, right?”
“Obviously.“
“So if we find a big metal plate, Pyrrha can levitate us, Ruby can boost our speed, and I…” Jaune paused for dramatic effect. “…will amp you both to make it even stronger!“
Silence.
Weiss, who had been trying to eat in peace, slammed her hands on the table. “ABSOLUTELY NOT! HAVE YOU NOT DONE ENOUGH!?”
Ruby gasped. “Weiss, how dare you stifle the advancement of science!”
“This is not science!” Weiss shrieked. “This is insanity!“
“It’s called innovation,” Jaune said sagely.
Pyrrha, very slowly, exhaled. “This is a terrible idea.”
Jaune nodded. “Oh, kinda. I mean better have fun before some sycophants attacks and all of that.”
Pyrrha rubbed her temples.
Jaune gave her that look. The one with the confident smirk. The one that always made her listen to his stupid, stupid ideas.
She sighed. “Fine.“
They had somehow acquired a massive steel plate from the Engineering Wing.
Pyrrha didn’t ask questions.
Jaune was adjusting his gloves, Ruby was bouncing on her heels, and Weiss was standing off to the side, visibly dying inside.
“This is the worst thing you’ve ever done,” Weiss muttered.
“That’s kinda debatable,” Jaune pointed out.
“Ugh, whatever,” Weiss gave up.
Ruby hopped onto the plate. “Alright, positions!”
Pyrrha stepped onto the metal, closing her eyes. “Okay… I’ll control the lift.”
Ruby grinned. “And I’ll push us forward!”
Jaune placed a hand on Pyrrha’s shoulder, then Ruby’s. “And I’ll amp us so we’re unstoppable.”
Weiss buried her face in her hands. “I hate all of you.“
Jaune smirked. “Alright, Captain Nikos—take us up!“
Pyrrha inhaled.
And then—
The metal rose.
It wobbled at first, but Pyrrha adjusted. They lifted higher, floating above the school courtyard.
Jaune whooped. “IT’S WORKING!”
Ruby crouched, eyes sparkling. “Alright, my turn!”
She activated her Semblance—
And the metal shot forward.
The “makeshift aircraft” blasted across Beacon, whistling through the sky like a rocket.
“THIS IS AMAZING!” Ruby screamed over the wind.
“THIS IS A TERRIBLE IDEA!” Pyrrha yelled back.
Jaune laughed, increasing his Aura output. “KEEP GOING!”
Below, students pointed up in shock as a very illegal flying object zipped past.
Blake, watching from the library, sighed and turned a page in her book. “They’re at it again.”
Ren, sipping tea, nodded. “Mm.”
Yang leaned against the wall. “How long before they crash?”
“Five minutes,” Blake predicted.
“Three,” Ren corrected.
Weiss, watching from the ground, clutched her head. “I CAN’T EVEN LOOK AT YOU PEOPLE RIGHT NOW!”
Up above, the “aircraft” was picking up speed.
Pyrrha was sweating. “Jaune, stop boosting me!“
“ABSOLUTELY NOT!” Jaune grinned. “FASTER!”
Ruby whooped. “FULL POWER!”
Pyrrha groaned, but complied.
The plate surged forward—
And then they plowed straight through a tower.
Again.
They landed. Hard.
Jaune groaned from his spot in the crater. “Ten outta ten. Would do again.”
Ruby gave a thumbs-up from where she was embedded in a tree. “Best idea ever.“
Pyrrha, covered in dust, muttered, “Never again.“
Weiss stomped over, shaking with rage. “YOU MANIACS!“
Jaune, covered in debris, grinned up at her. “Hey, Schnee. What’s up?”
Weiss screamed.