Amet Serpentyne

"I gave humanity their chance. I'm not fighting for them, or Faunus, or anyone. One of these days, people's hatred and bigotry will rip this world apart. I'm just making sure Grimm aren't there to enjoy it."

- Amet Serpentyne

Amet Serpentyne is a member of Team JASN, a second-year team at Haven Academy.

Appearance
Amet stands approximately 6'2" tall, and weighs 175 lbs. His skin is mostly fair, except for a few patches of reptilian scales on his cheek, leg, back, and chest. He has short-cut, dark brown hair and golden, reptilian eyes. He has a scar over his right eye and another across the left side of his chest. He also has a black snake tail with a yellow underside and a red diamond pattern running across its length.

His attire consists of a long, collared purple combat jacket with a wool interior (which he usually has open, revealing his bare chest), torn black combat pants, a red belt, black combat gloves, and black boots with red laces. When not in use, his weapon folds and fits into a small sheath on his back. He wears a metal eyepiece over his damaged eye, which includes red glass and cross hairs.

Past
Amet was born in the slums of Mistral to Tyrian and Violet Serpentyne, and later became the older brother of his little sister, Raven Serpentyne. His family grew up poor, so Amet was forced to work from an early age to help provide for his family. As his father worked in a mine, his mother worked in the construction of windmills. Amet's first job was delivering bread to other families. However, the lower levels of Mistral are dangerous and filled with crime, so Amet had to learn to fight and defend himself from an early age. Though he had tutoring from his father, he was mostly self-taught, and used his natural snake Faunus abilities to fend for himself as he traveled the dangerous slums.

Every day after work, Amet would pass by Sanctum Academy, where he would observe students training in combat and weaponry to become Huntsmen and Huntresses. Every day, Amet would sneak outside of the school and look in the windows. There, he tried to learn all he could about combat so that he may be better prepared for danger. He visited the Academy daily for years as he grew, and after hearing many speeches and tales, decided that, if possible, he wanted to become a Hunter and help protect the world. He saved spare metal, crystal, and any Dust he could possibly get to secretly forge his own weapon, Destiny's Cradle, though he never used it outside of training alone. It was during this time that he also discovered his Semblance.

When he was in his later teenage years, Amet began using his combat knowledge to his advantage, and, behind his family's backs, joined an illegal underground cage fighting operation, taking the stage name of the Crystal Cobra. Amet fought other people, both human and Faunus, in brutal cage fights in order to make more money to provide for his family and train himself in the process. Despite the violent nature of his profession, Amet and the other fighters usually got along. It was at these fights that Amet met his longtime friend, the bat Faunus Aeron Tepes, also known as the Red Nevermore, who he fought multiple times in his matches. Using his snake-like abilities and reflexes, Amet fought in many battles, eventually raking in a total of twenty-four wins, six losses, and three draws. Soon, he became a well-recognized fighter and was set to take on the area champion, Adam Celso, the Pummeler.

Amet battled Adam in a difficult and dangerous match, but eventually used his speed and acrobatics to overwhelm his opponent and defeat him. Adam took the loss well and congratulated Amet in his accomplishment, but Adam's friends were not so considerate, as they had bet a lot of money on the champion. They confronted Amet on the street after the match and began harassing and attacking him, to which Amet retaliated in defense. However, someone got the attention of a nearby group of anti-Faunus protesters, and all of them began ganging up on Amet. Though he tried to escape, he was overwhelmed and beaten by the crowd. Suddenly, a teenage protester pulled out a switchblade and slashed Amet across his right eye. It was at this point the fight was broken up by a passing Hunter, who used a sword/scythe weapon to scare off his attackers. The Hunter was soon accompanied by a professor from Haven Academy, who escorted Amet to the school for medical attention.

Despite the attention he got, Amet was scarred and had lost most of the vision in his right eye. Though he was given some surgery and a metal eyepiece that helped, his vision in that eye would never be as good as it was before. Upon delivering Amet back to his family, the Haven professor realized the squalor he lived in, and invited him and his family to stay on campus dorms while Amet was cared for. After doing research on Amet's life as the Crystal Cobra, the professor discovered his gift for combat. The professor then offered Amet schooling at the Academy as well as shelter for his family. Amet agreed, and was accepted into the Academy after passing his entry tests.

Even after being accepted and his family later finding better jobs and housing in the middle levels of Mistral, Amet was still changed, and his desire to protect the world was shattered. He saw no reason to protect anyone anymore, as, after his experience, he was sure that no matter what he or anyone else did, the people of Remnant would be the cause of its destruction. He continued training to become a Hunter, but not to fight evil or protect good, but rather to help soften the blow when the end finally does come, and the people of Remnant destroy themselves.

Haven Academy
"You fight for what you believe in. I'll fight for what I don't."

- Amet to Jet.

Amet began his schooling at Haven Academy. On the second day, he was put into the initiation test by being thrown into the small, thorny forest Twisted Hollow, where he encountered his future partner Jet Reach. Together, the two retrieved the relic hidden in the forest and returned, and were later grouped with Saf Hex and Neth White to form Team JASN, which Jet was made the leader of.

Despite being grouped with excited and outspoken teammates, Amet kept to himself and often just focused on his studies rather than socializing, interacting with others (including his team) only when it was necessary. However, the other began to try and connect with him (despite his wishes), and often dragged him along in their interactions with the likes of Teams MICA and CHRL. Amet would often avoid people during the day, then stay up at night to train or exercise, even falling asleep hanging from his tail. However, as it became more and more apparent that Amet could not avoid everyone, he slowly began to let down his defenses and become more social, later finally letting his guard down and befriending the members of MICA, CHRL, and JASN. He formed a strong bond with his partner Jet, who became the first one to hear his story about his eye. Amet later worked up the courage to tell his other friends, and their understanding began to make Amet feel more relaxed. He began to smile again, even letting his hidden silly side out on occasion. On a trip to the Crumbling Cliffs, he and Neth saved Jet and Saf from a pack of Beowolves, though the two had already defeated most of them.

As the second semester began, the team was tasked with an recognizance mission in the Northeastern side of Mistral, where they were accompanied by one of their professors. The team was tasked with recording Grimm populations and exterminating ones that reached too close to the nearby collections of towns. It was here that Amet proved himself a capable warrior, as he took out a heard of charging Boarbatusks, a Creep, a swarm of Rapier Wasps, and a King Taijitu by himself. However, that night a massive cold front hit, causing a blizzard. Due to his cold-blooded nature and heightened sensitivity to temperature, Amet had to endure the freezing night while struggling to stay warm. When morning came, his teammates and the professor found him almost frozen, shivering cold and barely awake. As Neth carried him, the professor and the team trekked to get Amet to one of the towns. However, they were ambushed by members of the White Fang, which included Amet's once-friend Aeron. Nethand Saf managed to get him into one of the towns, where he was looked after by the townsfolk and warmed back up, making a full recovery. Afterwards, Amet modified his jacket to include wool lining, which helped him avoid the cold in the future.

Second Year
"Everything just got worse... so why am I the only one who has hope?"

- Amet commenting on the Fall of Beacon.

As the second year began, Haven was to leave for Vale to participate in the 40th annual Vytal Festival Tournament. Team JASN was sent to Vale where the tournament was being held, and trained in the various Grimm-infested locations surrounding the area like the Emerald Forest and Forever Fall, both against Grimm and each other. Amet proved particularly skillful, as he defeated the other members of the team in a 3-on-1 fight.

When the team came to the tournament, their first 4v4 battle was with a team from Beacon, who they defeated. After winning, they proceeded to watch all the other 4v4 battles in the audience. Soon he time came for the doubles round, where Amet and Saf proceeded on and fought a team from Atlas, which proved to be a difficult battle, but they eventually won. Amet was elected to represent the team in the singles round, but on the second singles match, tragedy struck when a Beacon student seemingly killed her opponent, only for the latter to be revealed as a robot of sorts. Jet ordered his team to leave, and they did, but not before they heard a mysterious voice over the loudspeakers announce the oncoming terror. As Team JASN prepared to leave, Amet followed behind and fought off the White Fang, who had infiltrated the city. There, he came across Aeron again, and after a violent argument, proceeded to fight each other. Amet was slashed across his chest, but managed to perform a slicing attack and cut off one of Aeron's wings, causing him to fall off of Amity Colosseum and into the waiting mouth of a Nevermore. Amet joined up with Team JASN, being one of the first teams to leave Vale when several unmarked dropships arrived, carrying Grimm into the city. Jet and Amet shot down flying Grimm from within the dropship as they left.

When JASN got safely back to Haven, Amet was dismayed over the loss of Beacon and his former friend, whom he had killed. Despite this, Amet surprisingly felt hopeful, as he witnessed the power of the other Teams at the Tournament and knew they could right the wrongs that had happened, even finding himself returning to his original mindset of wanting to protect the world. He and the team continued their limited schooling, with Amet visiting his family for a short time. As the Academy began schooling less and less due to the recent tragedy, Amet took it upon himself to teach first-year students in the fields by the school while he waited for things to return to normal.

Personality
Amet is mainly solitary and stoic, and often keeps a secretive, even cold demeanor. He is very pessimistic, and sees the people of Remnant as a ticking time bomb that will cause a violent end to their world. However, he does have an expressive side, and opens up only when he feels trust has been gained. When fighting, Amet embraces his inner rage, causing him to be a wrathful and violent fighter. Over time, however, Amet began to let his defenses down to reveal an understanding, noble, and somewhat silly personality that he keeps under his serious demeanor.

Relationships

 * Jet Reach - Ever since they became partners, Amet and Jet have mostly gotten along. They share a passion for the simpler things in life, and, despite a shared love of fighting, both detest war and instead want to preserve peace.
 * Saf Hex - Saf has always proved to be a friendly and jovial presence in Team JASN, and has helped both Amet and the team as a whole through their darkest times.
 * Neth White - One of the first members of Team JASN to actually make Amet smile again, Neth is a loyal companion and often serves as his combat training partner, and the two constantly attempt friendly fights to outdo the other.
 * Michael Shanks - A friend and ally that gives Amet a hard time, but always in a playful way.
 * Israel - An ally that Amet respects, and was one of the few people he would be around when he first got to Haven Academy.
 * Caphtor Shanks - A trusted ally that formed a friendly rivalry in academic competition.
 * Aden Blode - Amet and Aden often butt heads and usually stay out of each others' way, but will fight alongside each other if needed.
 * Aeron Tepes - Before he went to Haven, Aeron was an outspoken and friendly person that Amet shared a competitive bond with. Despite Aeron's outright hatred for humans that Amet did not share, the two got along. After going to Haven, Aeron felt betrayed and pursued his dream of joining the White Fang. From then on, the two became bitter rivals, with Aeron seeking to get revenge on his former friend.

Primary Weapon: Destiny's Cradle
Amet's weapon is known as Destiny's Cradle. It is a long scythe approximately seven and a half feet long, and a blade approximately four feet long. On either end of the staff portion, there are small crystal spear heads. The blade is attached to a pivoting, sliding mechanism affixed to the staff. The blade can slide up and down the length of the staff, then rotate so that it can serve as a scythe blade on either end. The blade also is affixed to a series of Dust chambers inside of the staff, which can be rotated and picked by Amet. At almost any time, he can send a Dust flow to his blade for a variety of elemental attacks (including fire, water, lightning, air, earth, ice, steam, and gravity) by either enveloping his blade in said element, striking with the element, or causing a trail of the element to shoot out with his swing. He can also use this in quick bursts for ranged attacks. However, it is important to note that he cannot use Dust attacks when his blade is not at one end or the other, as it is not attached to any Dust systems.

Secondary Weapon: Snake Fang
Amet also carries a simple dagger referred to as Snake Fang. Should he ever lose Destiny's Cradle in combat, he can pull this small blade out to fight and defend himself until he recovers it. Should he need more offensive power in battle, he can also wield Snake Fang with his tail while his hands use Destiny's Cradle.

Fighting Style and Abilities
Amet prefers an acrobatic, offensive style of fighting. He integrates flips and kicks in with his swinging blade, which he moves at incredibly fast speeds to perform multiple strikes. Furthermore, being a scythe wielder, Amet uses his weapon's length and reach to his advantage, keeping himself distanced from his enemies, but still close enough to perform barrages of sweeping strikes. Amet uses these techniques to hit multiple enemies at once on single enemies multiple times. He will also incorporate Dust into many of his attacks, allowing his to dispose of enemies faster.

Amet relies on speed ad unpredictability rather than strength or defense, preferring to strike enemies and disposing of them quickly. If needed he will also fight with his tail, which he uses as a whip, a punching weapon, a tangle or snare, or even to hold his dagger Snake Fang for rear attack and defense.

Due to his natural snake Faunus nature and being cold-blooded, Amet is extremely sensitive to changes in temperature, allowing him to detect approaching enemies and sense nearby presences. He also has incredible senses of smell (which is helped by his serpentine tongue) and vision (aside from his right eye), which further allow him to sense other people and creatures. He also has sharp fangs, but rarely if ever uses them in combat. Amet is also resistant to certain types of venoms and poisons, but immune to none.

Semblance
Amet discovered his Semblance early, in his preteen years. Amet's Semblance is shadow manipulation; he uses a series of hand gestures to pull shadows from around him and manifest them onto the physical plane. Once he has done this, he uses the shadows to surround his body and form a giant snake, which he controls from the inside. He can make the snake perform any action a snake could physically perform, including striking, coiling, biting, hitting, etc. His Semblance requires a lot of mental and physical concentration to perform, causing much strain on his body, though Amet has trained to minimize this. After using his Semblance (which lasts anywhere from five to fifteen minutes depending on his concentration and Aura level), he must relax and restore himself to proper strength before using it again. Amet has also learned that, like summoning, he can have his shadow creations resemble fallen foes. Though he prefers to use the snake as he finds it easiest, he is capable of sustaining a Boarbatusk, a Creep, and a swarm of Rapier Wasps for short periods of time. He trains especially hard to create King Taijitu, as he hopes to have them replace the snake as his go-to creation in the future. It is also important to note that Amet's Semblance only works if there is a sufficient lack of light in the shadows he wants to manipulate; shadows that are barely there or too bright will either not work as long or at all.

Strengths and Weaknesses
Amet is a brilliant and skilled fighter, and is often considered one of the best combatants of his respective years. He strikes with deadly force and accuracy, and moves at incredible speeds. His shadow manipulation Semblance allows him more powerful attacks and defense, and he is also an academic star pupil.

However, Amet can often let his emotions get the better of him, and depression, rage, fear, and/or regret can often influence him both on and off the battlefield. Sometimes, he can lose his will to fight altogether, and often sees little good in the world. His sensitivity to temperature can also work against him in extreme weather, as extreme heat and cold can severely affect his health.

Trivia

 * Amet's name is based off of the word “amet”, the Galician translation of the word “amethyst”. Amethyst is a gemstone that is usually purple in color.
 * Amet Serpentyne and Team JASN are characters belonging to NerdWithAKeyboard, inspired by elements belonging to Monty Oum and Rooster Teeth Animation.