A/N: Alrighty! Chapter two out on time with no delays! A slight bit longer than the last one and which I hope to keep up with as longer chapters seem to be far more popular and pleasing to read. If you have any feedback please leave it in either a review or a pm so that I can look at it and learn. To all those who reviewed last chapter, thank you so much!


Beta: dracohalo117

Chapter 2: Trouble


A warehouse loomed dark in the night like a sleeping giant, its windows covered with tarp and protected by steel grating. Every possible opening shut and locked tight from curious passers-by and prying eyes.

Inside, Roman Torchwick watched his men work the nightly routine.

Like a well-oiled machine they unloaded his ill-gotten goods from the bullhead and stacked them on top of each other into towers rising high towards the ceiling. The warehouse was starting to get small, it seemed, from the sheer amount of dust containers he had packed into the building but that wasn't what was on his mind currently.

Instead, his brain was busy working on an answer as to why Cinder hadn't left his warehouse yet.

"Roman." A silk voice wrapped around his throat, constricting his movements like a snake before it bit down for the kill. He calmed his nerves by drawing out a cigar and planting it in between his teeth and lighting it up. Roman turned slowly.

In front of him stood Cinder Fall, eyebrow raised, beautiful smile on her face, delicate hand laid on hip, and horrifying fire hidden behind her pupils. Roman stood his ground as best he could, knowing a moment of weakness could spell instantaneous incineration.

She stalked closer to him, hip swaying ever so slightly, tempting his eyes towards them, but he held. Finally, after an eternity it seemed, she reached him and beckoned him to listen closely.

He leaned down only the slightest, wary of getting much closer.

She whispered into his ear.

"Are you having a good night Roman?" Her words squirmed their way into his brain, caressing it, digging deep for an answer.

Instead of answering, Roman simply shrugged, hoping she would leave him be to his own devices. Instead, she locked her fingers around his arm, her nails biting down hard like fangs.

"Well, it could be a much better night. Don't you agree?"

"Is this about the distractionsfrom earlier?" Roman sighed, doing his best to quell his screaming mind. He was, of course, referring to the three people who had interfered with his most recent dust acquisition and from the way her grip was heating up he was fairly certain he had hit the nail right on the head, so instead of waiting for a response, he just gave Cinder what she was looking for. "Tall woman was Glynda Goodwitch, professor at Beacon Academy. Other two, I don't know. Probably some students I'd guess." Roman shrugged as he returned to his straight posture again. He could feel his pore pop open to life as hot air began to spear into them.

"Well I don't like guesses Roman." Cinder said, impatience leaking into her voice. "Make sure they aren't problems, and if they are, solve them." She snapped, turning briskly around and walking away to do whatever it was Cinder did.

Roman breathed a sigh of relief as the air returned to normal temperatures again, easing the tension on his mind and lungs.

Working with her is just...

This is horrendous...Jaune groaned as his stomach turned, a pasted mush of food threatening to evacuate his body through the entrance instead of the exit. He clenched his throat, holding the bile back as he stood upright and breathed steadily through his nose. His eyes were shut tight, blue orbs hidden behind the clenching of thin flesh.

When the bullhead hit a particularly powerful bit of turbulence, Jaune felt the full acrid taste of his morning nutrition rise up into his throat, tickling the back of his tongue. But he held strong, and in a moment of true strength, he swallowed the vile matter down, sending it plummeting back where it belonged; his stomach.

His heroic feat went unnoticed.

How is this considered a humane way to travel?When Ozpin had explained that he would be riding a bullhead to the school Jaune had been confused, not understanding why they used farm animals for transportation. His confusion turned to excitement when they cleared up that he would be flying to the school and that 'bullhead' was just a name that described how his transportation would look.

And that excitement turned into muted horror when he realized that bullheads flew far higher than he had originally expected. 'I'm sure you'll enjoy it Jaune. Flying is enjoyable for many people...' Ozpin, when I see you again I'm going to-

The gates of his throat barely held when the bullhead lurched once again, this time nearly sending him to his knees.

Out of the corner of his eyes he could see a pretty blonde girl back slowly away from him, hands up defensively and knees bent, ready to leap away immediately at the slightest sign of a disturbance. Jaune slowly lurched back up, grimace on his face as one hand gripped the metal railing in front of him with enough force to bend it.

This had better be worth it. If Ozpin doesn't fulfill his end of the bargain after I've had to suffer through this bull-

His thoughts were cut off short when the bullhead lurched one more time; several students jumping at the sudden movement.

Well, Jaune wasn't too sure if they were jumping due to the sudden movement or the sudden vomit exiting his mouth. Out the corner of his eye, he could see the blonde scream and leap away.

Great start... He thought to himself miserably.


"Ugh..." Jaune groaned as he stumbled off the bullhead and onto the pavement, he leaned over and drew in deep breaths nearly kissing the sweet stable ground beneath him. It took him several grueling seconds but Jaune eventually got his bearings straight and settled his stomach down, allowing him to stand up straight and finally take a proper look at Beacon Academy.

"...Wow..." His lips barely parted as he whispered. Ozpin hadn't been lying when he told him that Beacon was impressive. His eyes widened as he slowly took in the sights; a beautiful garden that sprung up around the school, enveloping it in a cacophony of colors, large aqueducts that curved over the several streams that ran through the greenery, a massive statue of a man bearing a large shield and sword, and finally, the school itself.

If he had only one word to describe the school, he would have to go with large. Jaune marveled at the great spires, their height rivaling the Great Cathedral back home, which scraped the sky as they towered over the other lesser buildings. Though, Jaune didn't think of them as lesser, as that implied they were inferior. The smaller buildings were just as incredible, with great glass panes adorning every side with the walls in between painted to a perfect white.

The ride here, while painful, had been entirely worth it if this was going to be his place of residence for the duration of his stay.

Though his thoughts of grandeur were instantly shattered when he heard a large explosion go off in the distance, a small pillar of smoke rising up in response.

Jaune took one step forwards before stopping, debating on the merits of heading over to the scene and checking it out. The last time he had checked out a problem, it got him...

Well actually...

It had gotten him a pretty good deal, with him meeting the right people and even being given free lodging and food, so his records on problems stood at a strong one-for-one. The question, of course, then became a case of whether or not he wanted to take a chance at ruining this so-far perfect record. He cracked his neck, stretching it side to side, as he ruminated on the decision, his fingers till clenched around his sword. Jaune stood there firmly, watching the small grey cloud drift higher and higher into the air, slowing dissipating into the wind and blending with the blue sky.

Eventually he took a step forwards.

Well, it couldn't hurt to just see what happened.

As Jaune walked, he couldn't help but feel a small bit of anxiousness rise up within him. The whole city was so far from what he was used to; especially their technology, which seemed so advanced compared to what they had back in Shiloh. Of course, Ozpin said that he would learn more about their culture and society as time passed but the task seemed so daunting when he took a step back to look at it all. The fact that they even spoke the same language had been lucky enough, he doubted that he would get so lucky again.

He stowed away these thoughts as he came across a small scene, two girls walking away with one left on the floor. She seemed familiar though, the red hood and box...

Ah...well, look who it is. Guess I shouldn't have been particularly surprised.Jaune sighed to himself as he came to recognize the young girl, sitting alone and rejected in the center of a small soot circle.

It was Red from last night.

He almost entertained the thought, just for a moment, of simply leaving the girl to her own devices as a small payback for her flippant treatment of him last night but decided against all, his mother had always told him that, 'strangers are merely friends you haven't met yet.'

Of course, his father had replied with a stunning; 'Or a murdering psychopath you haven't met yet. Don't be so trusting Jaune.'

Followed by his eldest sister, who countered with, 'Dad, you only met mombecauseyou trusted a stranger. Isn't it weird to advise otherwise now?'

His mother then interjected between the two before an argument could break out again and Jaune shook the memory away, having garnered all he had needed.

Mom was probably right.

Probably...

"Hello again." Jaune said simply as he extended his hand to the hooded girl, his lips stretching into a bright smile, hoping to forge a new first impression. She wrapped her fingers around his hand and pulled herself up, dusting her crimson skirt off in the process before giving him a once over. Slowly the recognition seemed to dawn on her when she realized who he was.

"You're the guy from last night!" She exclaimed, thrusting one finger into his face as she stepped back a small amount. Jaune ignored the finger and nodded. "Why are you here?" She asked, her arms coming across her small chest as she leaned on one side of her hip and raised an eyebrow.

Jaune attributed her attitude to her age and ignored it. "Well, much like yourself I assume." he gestured towards the school behind her, "I'm here to learn." He bit back a little sarcastically, the soreness of last night bleeding through into his words just the smallest amount. Though she didn't seem to notice at all with her eyes widening and posture instantly relaxing.

She flashed him a bright smile and stepped back closer.

"So you're a student too?" Jaune noted the way her silver eyes traveled across his figure, searching and probing, then they widened, and her cheeks flushed red and she toed the floor. "Oh! Sorry 'bout last night...I um..." Her stuttering was cute enough, reminding him of his younger sisters whenever they got caught doing something they shouldn't have.

Jaune stopped her apology promptly, waving a hand in her face to catch her attention as he gave her a warm look. "You thought I was working with the criminal you were trying to apprehend?"

She nodded, coughing quietly and looking to the side.

"I uh...I just didn't want to take any risks...?" Her voice came out meekly, her lips twisted in discomfort.

Jaune hadn't noticed till now just how small the girl was compared to him, she was positively tiny. "Well, no harm done so I forgive you." Jaune almost stepped back with how fast the girl's perky attitude came back, smile flashing on her face once again and her eyes coming back to full focus. So...happy. As she started walking, Jaune matched her pace and followed along.

"So, thanks for helping me up earlier."

"It was only proper." Jaune replied, nodding to her, his eyes wandering slightly, searching for... "Ah. Yesterday I saw you use a very interesting weapon-"

"Crescent Rose!" Jaune very visibly stepped back this time at the girl's sudden exclamation. His fingers twitched to his hilt when she drew the large, red box strapped to her hip and unfolded it. "A highly customizable, high impact sniper rifle that unfolds into a scythe." Jaune felt his jaw hit the floor now that he could see the weapon up close, the design completely blew his family's heirloom weapon out the water, and Crocea Mors was considered one of the most technologically superior weapons in Shiloh. He didn't even have Crocea Mors with him which just made his sword and shield look even more stagnant!

Crescent Rose, Jaune could barely wrap his head around how every single part worked together to form such a masterpiece. Shiloh was no stranger to firearms but this took the concept and completely flipped it inside out. The walls of Shiloh relied on powerful cannons and massive guns that could blast apart a Goliath in one shot, but nothing in the city came close to this level of technical prowess.

"Who made this?" He whispered more to himself than anyone in particular but Red seemed to catch his words and beamed at him, her smile growing increasingly large.

"I did!"

"What?" No way. Jaune just couldn't believe it and his voice definitely held his disbelief judging by her sheepish but proud grin. He just couldn't believe someone so young could create something so advanced, it took The Forge years to develop and cast Crocea Mors. That a little girl could achieve so much more in her short life was completely and utterly unthinkable. "You...built this?" He asked, seeking clarification as he held out a finger, switching from pointing at the girl and her weapon repeatedly.

Red shifted her feet once again -he starting to think this was her go to move when she was presented with an awkward scenario. The care she put into just cradling her weapon, clutching it as though it could run away, showed Jaune just how much she seemingly cared for it.

"All students from Signal build their own weapons." This only confused Jaune even further. "I may have gone...overboard though."

Overboard...

She was a genius -that much was obvious just by looking at her weapon- but more than that, it seemed she was a sort of prodigy amongst prodigies. If every student in this 'Signal' built their own weapons then he and his home city were horribly outclassed in terms of technical ability.

Though weapons don't make the warrior. Jaune reassured himself, tapping the pommel of his sword.

"So, this kind of weapon isn't...common. Is it?" Jaune asked, reaching one hand out carefully, Red moved her scythe-gun hybrid into his grip slowly, only allowing him to skirt his fingers along the blade edge.

"It's not common, but you'll still see plenty of other crazy designs here." She shrugged. "It is Beacon."

"It is, isn't it..." He murmured, eyes locking onto the hard metal. The blade itself was incredibly sharp and sturdy, though broken up into two parts, allowing it to fold in on itself, presumably to form the grip of the gun. How it kept its stability, Jaune had no clue.

"So what about your weapon?" Jaune was broken out of his musings at her inquiry. He wasn't the slightest bit embarrassed funny enough, pulling out his simple blade and shield. They were his weapons and had severed him faithfully for years, he'd never be ashamed of them.

"I just have a simple sword and shield." He answered, presenting his arms to the girl, who looked thoroughly unimpressed but smiled nonetheless.

"They don't have some kind of second form?" She asked, stowing away her scythe behind her as she took a closer look at Jaune's blade. He passed the weapon set along to the eager, young girl, who scoured every inch of the blade for some hidden secret.

"It's just a sword and shield. Nothing special about either." Well, it was the first blade he had received after his initiation into the Templars, but he didn't think sentiment was what Red was talking about. "My family has an heirloom weapon called Crocea Mors, though the only defining feature is the fact that the shield can collapse into a sheath for the blade."

She passed the weapon and shield back to him, shooting him a thumbs up. "Well, I think the classics are fine too! Nothing wrong with having an appreciation for tradition."

Jaune smiled at her words, thanking her for the compliment. He still had so many questions to ask about Crescent Rose but he didn't want to push her too much and besides, he had a far more important question on his mind right now.

"Do you know where we're supposed to be going for this orientation?"

She turned to look at him, lips twisted in cute confusion. "I was following you to orientation."

"I was following you actually..." Jaune replied, trailing off as he realized that neither of them knew where they were headed. He took a look at their surroundings now, everything seemed completely unfamiliar, and he couldn't even recognize which pathway he had originally landed on. Suddenly he felt a hand link around his and start pulling tightly.

Looking down he saw Red's fingers tightly wrapped around his as she pulled him forwards, panic written all over her face.

"We've gotta hurry! We're gonna be late!"

"Wa-wait, we still don't know-" Jaune was cut off when they shot off like a bullet, the world turning into a blur of red as the girls cloak covered the both of them, carrying them off. He couldn't see a thing and he had no idea where they were but the moment his feet felt pavement he immediately started sprinting, desperate to get his bearings straight and to not simply be carried off and away by his new acquaintance.

The blurs bled away and gave way to the real world, Red was still clutching his hand as he ran beside her. Quickly he ducked underneath a branch, using the sudden movement to unlink his fingers from hers, earning a surprised glance from the girl as she saw him keep up with her speed. He shot her a smirk and nodded, beckoning her to lead the way.

Hopefully she knew where she was going.


After quite a bit of running and desperate searching, they had somehow made it just in time to see Ozpin walk up onto the main stage to address the students.

"Perfect!" Red exclaimed as they entered the large hall, her neck craning as she searched for someone.

In the distance, Jaune heard a loud voice carry across the crowd.

"Ruby!" Red's head immediately locked onto the voice, whipping towards the source so fast Jaune worried for a moment that her face would be left behind. "Ruby! Over here!" Jaune tracked the source of the noise on his own and was met with a waving blonde figure, large grin plastered on her face as she gestured towards Red.

Red turned back towards him, smiling as she strode over to the figure. "See ya later..." She paused as her words faltered, realizing in that moment that neither had actually traded names throughout their entire conversation.

Jaune picked up on the hesitation and stuck his hand out. "Jaune, the name is Jaune Arc." She returned the gesture.

Her hand was so tiny, Jaune was almost afraid of applying any amount of pressure to his grip. "Ruby Rose!" Ruby beamed at him, shaking his hand enthusiastically. "It was nice meeting you Jaune! Let's hang out again sometime!"

They smiled at each other as they parted ways, Ruby heading off to meet whomever had called her name and Jaune staying put, watching the main stage as Ozpin slowly tapped his way up to a microphone.

"Ahem."

Jaune was surprised with how silent the room fell in that moment. Ozpin merely cleared his throat and every young man and woman immediately fell silent, turning to tune into his speech.

It was impressive to say the least.

"Welcome, future huntsmen and huntresses-" Ozpin started, one hand waving out to all the assembled students. "-to Beacon Academy. I have only one question to for all of you here today." It felt like he was locking eyes with not only him, but also the rest of the assembled students, his piercing eyes somehow reaching everyone. "Why are you here?"

Seconds ticked by in silence as Ozpin stared down at the student body, his eyes boring holes through the entire crowd, causing them to shift and turn like waves. Many bit their lips, small bits of confusion peeking through them, and some opened their mouths ready to answer the question.

Ozpin didn't give them that chance.

"You are all here, for one reason and one reason only; you," Ozpin slammed his cane into the floor before him, causing several heads to jump up, "are searching. You may not even know what you're searching for, but I can assure you that you are. Perhaps for wisdom, maybe power, or possibly even something as simple like friendship, but it matters not what you search for. What matters, is that you search and continue to search."

Ozpin's eyes traveled across the crowd, pausing on some pupils of green, silver, lilac and beyond. It finally came to rest however, on Jaune's pair of blue eyes. They stared at each other silently, both trying their best to read the other's thoughts, before Ozpin finally turned, giving way to Glynda who took to the microphone and began reciting simple instructions for everyone to follow.

"-so make sure to report at the cliffs early in the morning for team assignments. Don't be late and be prepared."

The students slowly filed one by one out of the auditorium, looking to converse and find potential partners for tomorrows test. Jaune himself waited patiently for the auditorium to empty further before he even took a step towards the door, not wanting to get caught up in the rabble of bodies pressing against each other.

"Partners." He chewed on the words, trying his best to swallow them as a feeling of uncertainty grew in his belly.


"So..." Yang hummed at her sister, laying down beside her and taking some quick peaks at her little sister's letter. "I saw you made a new friend, tall and blonde. Vomit boy from the bullhead?" She craned her neck to get a better look at the letter, thwarted when Ruby folded the piece of paper closed and huffed at her.

"Well Yang, you would have known who it was for sure if you hadn't abandoned me right when we got onto the campus!" Ruby glared daggers into her sister, still a bit annoyed that she had been left to dry by her dear sister. It's like she didn't want to spend every waking moment together! Which would be preposterous because sisters needed to stick together and Yang was supposed to take care of her and dad said how Yang needed to help support her and she didn't have her friends here and-

"Hey c'mon now." Yang wrapped one arm around her sister, drawing her into a deep embrace. "You did great and you made a friend to boot!" She looked down and smiled at Ruby, patting the top of her head softly, gently rubbing circles into her hair. She calmed down instantly.

A big sisters professional touch.

"Yeah, but I also exploded and some white haired girl was really mean to me and-"

"Who." It wasn't a request. Yang snarled as she looked around the room, searching for the one who would dare put any harm, physical or emotional, on her baby sister. She clutched her tighter to her bosom. "Give me some details sis!"

"Mmmphh! Yrnhhn!" Ruby slapped her palms against her sister's sides, desperately seeking air and release from the death hold. When she was finally released, Ruby took in deep, fulfilling breaths. "It wasn't a big deal, most of it was my fault anyways!"

Yang just raised an eyebrow, rising up to her full height and pulling Ruby along with her.

"She wasn't even that mean!"

"Uh huh."

"You don't need to do anything!"

"I'll be the judge of that." She had wanted Ruby to go off on her own for once without any supervision to get her used to trucking it out without using her big sister as a crutch but this was unacceptable. No one messed with Ruby Rose while Yang Xiao-Long walked Remnant.

"Her name was Weiss Schnee." Ruby said miserably, desperately trying to placate her older sister from taking action. She had only wanted to guilt trip her, not send her into over protective sister mode!

"Excuse me!"

They both froze and turned to the side to find themselves accosted by a white haired girl, boldly standing before them in her white pajamas. Ruby's eyes widened in recognition as she immediately put her hands into the air in front of her, praying for her to just leave them be.

"People are trying to sleep here! Can't the two of you be quieter?" One slender hand went to her hip as she stared down the bickering siblings. Yang was the first one to react.

"And who exactly are you princess?" Yang snarled, not looking to back down from some biting words.

"We can just be quieter, sorry!" Ruby interjected before either of them could get started, doing her best to play mediator while hiding her face. She slid between the two of them, her hands pushing them apart when they tried to close any distance. "We'll be quieter from now on, I promise!" She shot to Weiss, praying the girl would accept it and just leave.

"Wait a minute."

Oh no... Ruby thought to herself hopelessly.

"You're the girl from earlier! The one who blew up my dust!"

"You're Schnee?" Yang snarled like a wolf as she pushed past Ruby's hand, placing the young girl behind her as she stepped up to the plate against the white haired girl. Staring her down with a raised eyebrow.

"Yes, glad to see someone recognizes importance around here."

"Uh huh. I recognize you alright." Yang narrowed her eyes, lips curling into a snarl, daring the heiress to respond. She ignored her sister's pleas to not refer to her in such a demeaning manner. "You owe my baby sister an apology."

"Baby sis- Oh...That makes so much sense." Weiss suddenly smiled amicably, leaning over a bit to get a better look at Ruby and turning back to Yang after. She clapped her hands together and shot Yang a condescending smirk. "Two peas of a pod, causing trouble runs in the family I guess?"

"It does princess." Yang pressed her chest into Weiss', shoving the girl slightly. "Gotta a problem with that?"

"Guys, can we please just relax!" Ruby squirmed between the two of them again, doing her best to shove them away from each other and failing miserably. Her face turned crimson from the stares they were now receiving from the rest of the students.

"You know Schnee, they're not the only ones causing trouble." A quiet voice sounded, putting the impending argument on hold as Weiss spun, searching for her next detractor. When she found her, Weiss started sneering again.

"Oh, well look who it is, miss high and mighty. Are you going to start preaching again?" She snidely remarked, her arms closing around her chest.

"No, but you are starting a scene and as you said before, people are trying to sleep." She pointed to the rest of the students who quickly turned away before Weiss could turn her wrath on any of them. Weiss' cheeks flushed red as she glared at the three of them.

"Ugh!" She rolled her eyes and stomped away to wherever her bed lay, muttering about petulant children.

"Wow, you undersold how mean she was Ruby." Yang said, nostrils flaring with every breath as she continued glaring Weiss down, trying her best to incinerate her from a distance. Ruby sighed and just ignored her, instead turning to the girl who had defused the situation.

"Thanks! I'm so sorry about the disturbance." She stuck a hand out but quickly dropped it when she realized she wasn't getting a reply. "So...I'm Ruby. Ruby Rose."

"Blake Belladonna. I'll be going to bed now if you don't mind." Blake stowed her book away quietly before turning her reading light off. Plunging her little corner into darkness.

"Well...Goodnight..." Ruby said meekly before grabbing her sister and pulling her back to their sleeping area. What a disaster, she thought to herself as she tiptoed past quiet students. Aside from meeting Jaune, the whole day had basically gone down the drain. Though, speaking of Jaune...

Ruby craned her neck as she looked for the familiar blonde hair of her new friend. She hadn't been able to find Jaune after the coronation speech and wondered how he was doing compared to her. Maybe he was just as miserable? A bad thought for sure but hey, it was the best she could do considering.

"Looking for tall, blonde, and vomiting there Rubes?" Yang asked, sliding next to her sister, her mood significantly improved by the removal of Weiss. God she needed to make sure she taught that girl a lesson soon in respecting others.

"I just wanted to ask him how his day was." She said quietly, brow furrowing as she pouted, unable to find him in the large crowd.

Yang paused, hearing the sadness in her voice, a small tendril of worry coming up and wrapping around her heart. Jaune was just a friend. Her first friend as well it seemed. It was completely natural for Ruby to want to see him and talk to him. There was nothing strange about this and she was probably just overreacting. But the tendril wrapped nonetheless. She looked around the hall as well, adding a pair of eyes to the search.

"Isn't that him?" She pointed to a lone corner where Jaune sat alone, back straight, sword and shield on his lap, cradled in his grip. Yang almost didn't inform her but relented, seeing Ruby's increasingly sad expression killed her on the inside. Frowns didn't suit Ruby one bit, her face was far too cute to be marred by such a grimace.

"It is!" Ruby smiled, intent on making her way towards him before she was stopped by Yang. "Hey!" She cried out as a quick tug of her hood sent her flying back into her sister's grip.

"Ruby, he's clearly sleeping. Speaking of which, we should also be doing soon. Tomorrow's a big day and we can't afford to oversleep." When Ruby looked up at her with another pout, Yang nearly let go, her fingers losing their tension as they slipped for a moment before tightening once more. "You can catch up with him tomorrow." She said quietly, leading her hooded sister back to their sleeping bags, turning them around.

"Yeah. I guess so..." Ruby said quietly, shooting the sleeping form of Jaune one last look before heading back to her splayed out sheets.

Hopefully tomorrow wouldn't be nearly as terrible as today had been.


Jaune sighed as strapped his armor on one piece at a time. His fingers working the several knots deftly and quickly. After several days trekking through the wilderness he had finally been able to take a shower.

And while it had taken him 30 straight minutes, he had finally figured out how the damn washrooms worked.

Turns out one had to twist the knobs in the showers, not pull them.

Hopefully Ozpin covered cosmetic damages to his school.

"Hrm..." He grunted as one of his shoulder knots slipped out from between his fingers once more. "C'mon..." Frustration began to build up, simmering as he twisted his torso around, trying to catch the errant knot.

"Do you need help?" Jaune span back forwards to see a girl with bright red hair smiling at him amicably, her hands clasped behind the small of her back as she leaned forwards just the smallest amount. "Seems like some of those knots are hard to reach, it would be easier if you had some help I believe."

Jaune nodded, turning his shoulder towards her, watching her carefully. "Thank you. I can usually do it on my own but help is appreciated."

"No worries," Jaune felt her fingers grip the straps gently, pulling them apart, then together, then over and under, then finally tightening them. "My name is Pyrrha, Pyrrha Nikos. Yours?" She asked, voice carrying lightness and frailty.

"Jaune Arc." He replied, standing up to his full height as he stretched his arms, rolling his shoulders and making sure that nothing was too loose or too tight. Seemed like everything was in good order to him. "Great job, are you heading out to the cliffs today as well?" Wouldn't hurt to ask, besides, if this news about partners was to be believed, it came straight from Glynda so why wouldn't he, then he needed to search for allies soon.

She nodded, her hair framed her face nicely and her armor was certainly more in line with what Jaune was used to, if a bit flowy with the hanging drapery around her hip.

"So which academy do you come from?" She asked, her head cocking to the side slightly as a curious expression adorned her face, her lips parted to reveal two rows of perfectly straight and white teeth.

"I don't come from an academy." He answered smoothly, following some advice Ozpin had given him earlier about keeping information about his home simple at first.

Her smile slipped as she seemingly digested his answer.

"Not from an academy?" She cocked her head to the side. "I didn't know you could get into Beacon with going to an academy. Home schooled then?" Her own answer didn't seem to please her as she said it with disbelief and pause, as though she were preparing herself for the inevitable correction.

"Special case. I'm actually from Shiloh," He grunted, strapping on his blade and shield. He silently wondered how many times he would have to explain this to people. He continued when he saw her pursed lips ready to voice a question. "It's an outskirts city, south of here. Past the mountain range." Her confusion didn't seem to get any better. In fact, it seemed to only deepen judging by her scrunched nose and eyebrows. She bit her lip and opened her mouth again.

"That's outside of Vale..." She said quietly, disbelief entering her voice.

"Yes, entirely correct." He stared at her as though he were stating the most obvious thing in the world, like a truth that everyone knew. "That's why it's called an outskirts city." Jaune shot her a smirk, laughing at the blush that adorned her face.

"Sorry," She defended herself, her hands coming up to placate him, even though there was nothing to placate, "I've just never heard of a city past the country's borders." Seemed like this would be a recurring theme Jaune guessed, though it wasn't particularly surprising. "It must be an interesting place Jaune. I'm sure that it's...beautiful?" She said hesitantly, hoping for a positive response. A sigh escaped her lips when Jaune smiled at her and nodded.

"Shiloh is...nice. Maybe not in the way Vale is nice, but beautiful in its own way." Shiloh didn't have as many lights, much darker place, even the woods seemed darker out there than here. The grass here was a vibrant and lively green, back home was seemed so...dull and grey in comparison. But Shiloh was home, and nothing ever really beat home.

"Well, how much of Vale have you seen?" He leaned against one of the metal containers and contemplated the question. A quick mental checklist brought him too...

"Maybe a street and some buildings?"

"Oh." She trailed off a bit, apparently unsure of what to say next. "Wait...So how long have you been in Vale?"

"Today marks..." His mouth was left hanging as he did the math. One night when he encountered Ruby, one day at the school, one night at the school, and this morning. So discounting this morning... "Roughly one and a half days I think." Close enough, and even if he was off by a bit it wouldn't matter, the point was that he hadn't been here for too long.

"Just one and a half days? Sounds like we're both relatively new then!" Her hands clapped together and a happy smile adorned her face.

"Oh?" So she was new to this city as well? "Where do you come from?" He doubted she came from any outskirts city, she would have known about Shiloh if she had. The Outskirts cities tended to keep in contact with each other, sparse as that communication was, it was still there. Each outskirts city held emissaries from the other cities who negotiated various trade deals and other political alliances, these emissaries were then passed along to the next Outskirts city and so on and so on.

"Oh, I'm from Mistral." She hesitated, carefully stating her words, watching clearly for his reaction. What reaction she was looking for, Jaune had no clue, so didn't try and lie his way around her.

"I don't know where that is." Her lips opened but paused, as though she were uncertain of how to answer, but she quickly answered, still watching for his reaction.

"It's east of Sanus, in Anima."

Jaune nodded with the full confidence of a Boarbatusk in mid rotation, as though he understood what she was saying. "I need a map, where are Sanus and Anima?"

"Oh! Um here." She fumbled this time, looking at him with a bewildered expression. Her lips pursed as she dug around a small pack, pulling out a small device. It looked quite a bit like Ozpin's tablet of colors. "Sanus is the continent we're currently on..." She mumbled to him as she tapped on the small device, apparently searching for something. "Ah! Here, take a look, perhaps this will be easier!" Her confidence was charming but Jaune wasn't too sure her small glass lens would...

Well...

Guess it really was a small version of Ozpin's tablet of colors. He tried to hide his excitement at the technology and simply took a look at the small map displayed on its surface.

That was...Remnant.

Ah...

"We call this continent Nullam, which makes Mistral..." He traced his eyes to the right, "Terram Aurum. Oh..." Jaune cocked his head to the side as he placed a finger over the continent, looking back to the girl. "Where is Mistral on...Anima." He tested the word out, playing with the letters as he matched them up.

"Here." Pyrrha slid her finger next to Jaune's. "East of the great lake."

"You're on the same continent as the City of Ashkelon." He noted, taking her finger and slowly sliding it down, just a small bit till he landed on the bottom most tip of the continent, a small peninsula of land, bordered on three sides by water.

"Ashkelon?"

"Another outskirts city we trade with regularly. I believe they may even have some trade with your home city." Jaune didn't know too much about the city but the errant trader who braved the waters and ventured to Shiloh told him it was a great city of incredible wealth. Apparently far richer and far more prosperous than anything Shiloh could manage, though he personally cared little for those kinds of luxuries. But, those traders had mentioned something of a deal they had going on with one of the central nations, no names but they said the place lined up perfectly with their own culture. Jaune felt like he could guess what that meant based on how the traders looked. "So what is Mistral like?"

"It's..." Her lips twisted, well, more like they tried to but Pyrrha held them in a vice grip of a smile. "Fancy. Very...um...pretty I suppose..." She trailed off, laughing lightly with no real heart.

"Filled with rich, selfish demagogues?" He expounded, laughing when Pyrrha blew out a relieved sigh and simply nodded, one hand coming up and rubbing the back of her head. Lots of fur coats, gold, and gems, that's how the traders from Ashkelon came to Shiloh, which would have been fine had it not been for their less-than-polite attitudes.

"Precisely, but please don't tell anyone I said that!" She quickly amended, waving her hands rapidly in front of her, shushing him.

"Lips are sealed miss Nikos, I promise." Jaune nodded at her with such a serious expression she couldn't help but laugh. Her cheeks warming as blood rushed into them.

"So, about partners." Pyrrha started, her hands returning to her back as her chest inflated, a deep breath entering her lungs as though she were about to give a very important speech. "I was thinking that maybe-"

"Pyrrha!" A voice and body came between the two of them, sharply cutting into their conversation like a knife. Jaune took a step back as a particularly fancifullydressed individual planted herself firmly in front of Pyrrha, lightly shoving him aside. "Have...you...found...a partner yet?" The girl breathed between every word, her hands on her knees as she arched her neck to look at Pyrrha.

"Um...I haven't found one just yet." Pyrrha's lips twisted into a sorry smile. Her shoulders were stiff and everything about her simply screamed please leave me alone!Apparently the pale girl either couldn't tell or simply didn't care, either way, Jaune wasn't too glad to have been pushed out the way so rudely.

"Perfect! I was think-"

"Ahem." He coughed. Loudly. It succeeded at fulfilling its intention, it seemed, when the pale girl turned around to him, haughty expression on her face...Actually, no, it was a haughty expression all over her very being it seemed; starting from her hips, slightly to the side as she leaned a hand on it, to her eyes, which narrowed down in annoyance.

"Is there something you need?"

Fighting is inappropriate. I must be a good representative for my people... Jaune repeated the mantra in his head, stymieing the anger rising up in his heart. "Yes, I would like an apology." Perhaps not the best choice of words to calm her down...

"For what!?"

"For shoving me aside."

"Well I'm sorry." Her voice was like listening to two cats stuck in mating season. Grating and horrific. Her legs did some crossing motion as she bent down slightly and gently pulled her skirt ever so little to the sides.

What the hell was that supposed to be? Isthathow people apologize here? Completely ignoring the strange custom, Jaune assumed the girl was just being rude with how scandalized Pyrrha looked, her lips twisted in a grimace which was quickly replaced with a carved smile when the girl turned back to her.

"I was thinking we could make a great team. The two of us!"

Jaune wanted to scoff at the thought. Clearly this girl would be better off teaming with a goat –it would better match her attitude.

"I...I was um..." Pyrrha's eyes shot over to him for an instant, her unsure green orbs meeting his blue. He shrugged his shoulders, not able to offer too much advice. "I was thinking about simply letting the chips fall where they may."

Definitely a phrase someone from Ashkelon would say. Guess their cultures really did mix a bit. Jaune snorted as quietly as he could. Though it wasn't unexpected, if they really were trading then he could see culture being something exchanged along those paths. Her picking up some sayings and habits, well, just the same way he would inevitably bring a part of Shiloh here, she was certain to bring some of Mistral here as well.

"Wh-What?"

The new girl seemed completely scandalized by the answer, as though Pyrrha not saying yes had somehow physically hurt her. The way she slumped over, mouth wide open, with her arms dangling uselessly at her side spoke volumes about her attitude. She quickly recovered though, proper posture returning as she smiled, though the amicability was lessened.

"Well, I mean that's true of course, but I mean we should maybe put some effort into getting the partners we want."

It bothered Jaune, how badly this girl seemed to need Pyrrha on her team. Clearly they didn't know each other that well considering how off put the red head warrior was, but she was so pushy about it, as though she knew her over a lifetime. It just seemed strange to him.

Clearly the girl didn't know Pyrrha all that well, so why was she so set on having her as a partner?

Well, like always, Jaune simply opened his mouth and started asking.

"Why do you want Pyrrha as a partner so badly?"

Her hair flicked past his nose, barely grazing it as she spun around to him. Apparently that was the wrong question to ask judging by her expression. Jaune noted how fish like she seemed, with that gaping mouth of hers.

"Why do I...? Anyone and everyone would want to be partners with Pyrrha Nikos!"

Her exclamation fell on deaf ears however, since Jaune still didn't understand what the big deal was. Pyrrha was certainly polite but he doubted that would be a reason for everyone–according to Whitey- wanting her. It could be the looks of course, Pyrrha was certainly pretty enough, though he wasn't sure how that applied to other women...unless she were into that sort of thing.

"I mean," he crossed his arms, "do you even know her?" His words seemed to slam into her chest like a hammer, taking her breath away instantly with a scandalized look. Her coughing subsided quickly though and she recovered.

"The whole world knows who she is!"

"I didn't know who she was until just a moment ago." Jaune quickly pointed out. "So clearly the whole world doesn't know her."

"She's Pyrrha Nikos!" She waved her arms excitedly, a little immaturely if Jaune was completely honest with himself. Even Ruby, for her young mannerisms hadn't been all that rude.

"Saying her name louder doesn't really help..." A small bit of venom that probably wouldn't help his situation but Jaune wasn't exactly thrilled with how the girl was treating him in the first place.

"She graduated at the top of her class in Sanctum!"

Sanctum? She hadn't really seemed like a church goer but he could have been wrong. Also, sanctums didn't really seem like proper locations to hold classes for fighters, the sanctums of the Great Cathedral were generally only visited by high rankers of the church.

Clearly there was only one way to handle this.

"Pyrrha?" he turned to her, his face plastered with uncertainty and hers marred with a frown. "What's Sanctum?" Jaune gestured to her tablet of magic once again like a boy who had just discovered the virtue of matches.

She stopped for a moment before her smile returned. "Just a school I went to in Mistral Jaune." Her voice polite though stifling a small giggle.

Jaune turned back around and nodded to Whitey confidently. "I see, that must be an accomplishment. I can relate quite well." His confidence was well noted as Whitey grimaced but gestured for him to continue, apparently curious. "My teacher considered me his best student for the years he taught me, easily the top student in his class."

"And where were you taught?" She didn't so much as ask as she did demand, but Jaune answered anyways.

"I was home schooled." He smoothly replied while winking at Pyrrha. She held back a very un-ladylike snort, her hand placed firmly in front of her mouth.

Whitey just growled like a particularly angry puppy. Perhaps a kitten? The distinction mattered very little to Jaune. Guess he wasn't quite as funny as he had hoped to be.

"She won the Mistral Regional Tournament four years in a row!"

"Pyrrha?" He turned back to the girl, she didn't frown this time, simply holding a strong –and most importantly, real- smile.

"Just a fighting tournament held in Mistral, nothing huge..."

"Ah, I can relate to that as well."

"Don't come up with another ridiculous-"

"I once fought and defeated five of my seven sisters. Four of them were younger than me –some by half a dozen years, but still a rousing victory in my book!" They had no clue just how strong his three elder sisters were though. It truly was an accomplishment all things considered.

"Seven sisters..." Pyrrha murmured quietly, a shocked expression locked on her face.

"Impressive I know."

Miss Pale-and-prolix didn't seem to understand the accomplishment however, instead choosing to step forwards and jab her finger into his chest. "She's on the face of every Pumpkin Pete's Marshmallow Flakes box!" The hands got wavier and the expression more and more incredulous. It was like watching someone fill a balloon but when you thought they were done, they just kept...going.

"Py-"

"Just an unhealthy cereal Jaune." Pyrrha stated, already knowing before he could even speak.

"Oh, well that one is quite the accomplishment then! I don't think I've ever had my face plastered on anything." Unless his father planting his face into the side of a tree during a spar counted of course.

"How can you not know her!? She's famous!"

"I'm sure she is, but I'll hold my judgement on her till I've seen her in action." He nodded Pyrrha, holding a hand out to the girl, her cheeks redder than her hair. "Personally, I hope the chips fall favorably, for the both of us."

"I hope so too Jaune." He watched her lips form the gentle curve of a proper smile. Her fingers locked around his as she gave it a firm shake. She turned around, poorly attempting to hide her blazing cheeks. "I'll be heading to the cliffs now, I'll see you there!" She rushed out, the words blending together in a hurricane of vowels and consonants. Her feet pattered away as she exited out the doors, one hand rubbing her cheek.

"Pyrrha! Wait! Ugh!" The other girl ran off, presumably following after her.

Jaune wondered if she had garnered anything from their exchange.


OZPIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIINNNNNNNNNNNN! Jaune's mind roared as he flew through the air at breakneck speeds –emphasis on breakneck, he was sure to have some damage from the initial launch, he was certain about it. WHY DIDN'T YOU MENTION THIS EARLIER!? When he had briefed him about initiation, he hadn't really gone into detail what would happen, just telling him not to worry and that he would be fine. 'Don't worry Jaune, initiation should be simple for you to pass!' Easy to pass my-TREE! He quickly thrusted his blade in front of him while holding his shield close to his body.

*THUD*

Jaune felt every bone in his body rattle like a bundle of sticks –which was also what he considered Ozpin at the current moment. His blade sunk deep into the thick trunk of the tree, digging into it like an ironic metal splinter as he held himself there, one hand gripping the hilt tightly and the other one holding onto his shield. The shield was pressed into the tree as well, having pulverized the bark at the point of contact, cratering it like a meteor.

"Ugh..." Jaune groaned, resting his skull against the shattered wood, his aura protecting him from any rogue splinters which would try and embed themselves in his flesh. Peering down, Jaune saw nothing but grass and some branches far too thin to land on, so he gripped his blade and slowly pulled it out, digging the edge of his shield into the bark to support the majority of his weight. He lowered his blade a couple of feet and, with a grunt, stabbed it back into the tree, then switched the process with his shield, bashing it into the bark like a truck.

Eventually Jaune made enough progress to simply leap from the side of the tree onto the forest floor, his feet thudding into the grass. He span around in a quick circle, anticipating an attack, his shield held in front of him with his blade peeking over the top pointed in front of him.

He tensed as a low growl sounded from behind a large bush.

Jaune let out a growl of his own as a particularly large Beowulf crawled out into his small clearing, its head tracking him as it sniffed at him, catching his scent. It stalked around him in a semicircle, watching him patiently.

The attack came suddenly, the only warning being the snapping of twigs as the Beowulf lunged at him, claws swiping at his face.

Jaune drove his feet into the forest floor, bracing himself for impact as he huddled behind his shield.

*SLAM*

He skidded back only a few inches as the white claws screeched across the metal of his shield, tearing at the paint and leaving four long gashes across it. He lowered the shield and stabbed his sword forwards, driving it quickly into the Grimm's face, splitting it wide open, killing it instantly.

He had practiced that exchange hundreds of times with his father and another dozen with live Grimm, but the most important part he had learned was to never let his guard down for any reason.

So Jaune spun easily, shield placed firmly in front of him, when he heard another roar sound behind him. Another Beowulf came soaring at him like an arrow, a clawed paw coming down like a set of knives. Jaune easily parried the blow however, throwing the paw to the side as he slashed horizontally with his sword, sinking it deep into the creature's torso. His blade met heavy resistance as it traveled through the black body, but Jaune simply grunted and pushed it further, bisecting the heavy beast.

As it fell to the floor, turning back to black ash, Jaune let out a heavy sigh, though still keeping his ears open for a possible attack.

When several seconds passed by in silence, Jaune felt easy enough to sheath his blade.

He crouched low when he heard a rather loud hiss sound in the distance. It was faint, but he could hear the faint sounds of a fight happening a small ways away from him.

Well...

Trouble seemed to enjoy calling out to him regularly.


A/N: And there we go! Chapter two of my brand spanking new story! I hope you all enjoy reading it as much as I enjoy writing it! I had some questions last chapter that I thought I should clear up for the masses so here we go.


Someone pointed out to me how Glynda and Ozpin do not have legal authority to hold Jaune because huntsman and huntresses are NOT the law. I don't know what the official stance of the show may be, but in this story it works a bit differently.

Huntsman and Huntresses are VERY clearly above conventional law in this story's universe. When Ruby intercepted Roman during his robbery, who came to help? Was it any form of law enforcement that we in our world would have expected; the boys in blue perhaps? No, it was Glynda Goodwitch, a known and clearly famous huntress. I believe that huntsman and huntresses are direct arms of the law, though they aren't a part of the government.

They are a naturally forming police force due to their innate traits and qualities; huntsman and huntresses protect innocent lives and people, though not always. Much like police in our world, there are good ones, bad ones, and ones in between.


More is being revealed as the story progresses about Jaune's home and the outskirts cities, two having already been named and mapped out.

Ashkelon and Shiloh.

Some people have already started guessing as to what traits each city will have and while some people have gotten a vague idea, no one's particularly close to the answer. As a hint, there's a reason why Jaune uses church terminology such as chaplains. Ask yourself what a chaplain is and you should be able to figure out what kind of city Shiloh is very quickly.