One

A Break

Patch Island, 26th October, year 106 ABC (After the Battle of Calenhad).

In the yard outside a beautiful old wooden house, a girl in a blue jumpsuit was punching the air like it was her worst enemy. Maybe it was. Or maybe it was something else she was imagining as she lashed out, jabs, crosses, hooks and haymakers flying.

She started kicking, knees and feet flying like a whirlwind of death as she spun and jumped through her exercises. All the while, her head was spinning more than she was.

Terminate target. Execute assault. Adjust strategy.

What are these thoughts? What do they mean, where do they come from?

With a final jumping punch that ended with her crouched on the floor, breathing heavily and staring at the indent on the ground, the girl slumped backwards, taking a deep breath. Her black hair was sweated through, hanging almost over her face, and she lazily blew a strand from out of her eyes, before moving it with her hand. Her eyes were silver - a relatively recent development for her.

Up until recently, Jo Xiao Long had been… well, not exactly normal, she supposed. After all, most kids probably still knew who their families were, even if they'd never met them. And most kids didn't look almost exactly like Ruby Rose, the famed Huntress and Hero of the Fang Insurrection. Most kids didn't have their birth families treated like a big secret, even by important people.

Most kids don't suddenly get silver eyes and thoughts about 'terminating' people, she thought with a bitter smile. But hey, what else is new?

She sighed, before lying back on the ground, wondering just what the future had in store for her.

A sudden trilling ring got her attention, and she frowned, before pulling her scroll from her pocket. An image of a beautiful red-headed girl with a cheeky smile appeared on her scroll, with the name 'Faye' underneath it. Jo felt a slight lurch in her stomach, like butterflies, and she smiled, before tapping the icon.

At once, the image was replaced by an actual video of Faye Arc, one of Jo's best friends at Beacon Academy.

"Hey, you!" she said, waving. She had apparently set her scroll leaning against something. "How's the break going?"

Jo felt her smile widen. "Really well, actually. Really, really well. Got a lot of training time in. How's yours?"

"Same, really," Faye said, shrugging. "Lots of practice time, sparring and stuff. Even got to see Mom yesterday, she came to visit Dad at Beacon. Think she's still around, but Dad says she needs to rest a lot."

"Must be nice to see her," Jo commented. "I've enjoyed being around Dad."

Faye glanced around, almost furtively. "Have you talked about… y'know, stuff?"

'Stuff' being Jo's family background, whatever it was. Unlike most of their classmates, Faye knew something of Jo's struggles: Jo had chosen during the first half of term to confide in her, and the Two had both individually pursued the mystery of Jo's parentage.

Jo shook her head. "We haven't had the time. And… well, I keep expecting your dad to show up."

"My dad?" Faye repeated. "How come?"

"One of the… one of the things Glynda told me was that your dad wanted to be here when Dad explained stuff," Jo said quietly.

Faye nodded slowly. "Maybe that's where he's gone, then."

Jo blinked. "Where he's gone?"

"He's not at the school - said he had some personal business to attend to," Faye explained. "Maybe he's coming to yours?"

"I… uh, yeah, maybe?" Jo said, shrugging. "I guess I'll find out, huh?"

"Guess so," Faye said with a shrug. "He's been a bit grumpy anyway, these last few weeks. Because… y'know."

Jo nodded sadly. Glynda Goodwitch had been assassinated by a hired killer a week before the school had broken up for their half term holidays. The shock of her death had reverberated through the entire school, and probably the whole of Vale given how important she was. But one of the consequences of her death was that Jaune Arc had been promoted to Acting Headmaster of Beacon, at least until the Council made a final decision concerning Glynda's replacement.

"I'd be more surprised if he wasn't grumpy," Jo said. "Didn't you say the Council were being… y'know, a little bit douchey?"

"Trust me, 'a little bit' is putting it mildly," Faye said with a humourless chuckle. "Way I see it, Dad's the obvious choice, but they're all like 'proper consideration must be made' blah, blah, blah."

"Your Dad's the only real choice they've got, though, isn't he?" Jo asked, frowning. "I mean, Mono or Hall aren't gonna get it. I guess Mono could but -"

"Dad's already said Mono won't," Faye cut her off with a wry smirk. "Guy's happy where he is."

"Happy?"

"Well, content, anyway."

"Content meaning…?"

"For him? Less shouty."

Jo nodded, suppressing a smirk. "Yeah, well, I hope your dad gets it."

"Me, too," Faye said, crossing her arms. "I think he deserves it, at least, and at least we know him. If the Council gets some random Hunter we've never even heard of before to take over they might be a total douchebag, and then we'll have nearly four years of absolute hell."

Jo chuckled. "Nice to see you've not changed."

Faye didn't say anything, merely giving a softer, more melancholy smile.

"What's wrong?" Jo asked, noticing Faye's expression shift.

"Nothing, really," Faye said slowly. "It's… I just… I dunno."

Jo gave her a soft smile. "I'm here for you, y'know."

"I know," Faye said in return, and she gave a small smile. "You've got no idea how much I appreciate that. It's nice having someone that isn't Mom or Dad or Augur to, y'know… talk to."

"How is Augur, anyway?" Jo asked.

"His usual boring self," Faye said with a smirk. "Nah, he's alright, as per usual. Been helping me get back into shape, whip a bit of the lethargy out of my muscles."

"Can't imagine you being lethargic," Jo commented.

Faye snorted. "Clearly I was pretty below par to get my ass so soundly handed to me."

Jo's face fell. "Faye…"

"Nah, it's cool," Faye said, waving off Jo's concerns. She glanced at something out of the view of the screen. "Hey, look, I'd better get going. Wanna get a bit more training in before I go get some rest."

"Oh, okay," Jo said. "Talk tomorrow, maybe?"

Faye winked. "You know it, hon."

Jo giggled. "Was that one an accident, too?"

Faye blinked. "Damn. Uh, anyway… see ya!"

She closed off the call, and Jo blinked in surprise.

Did I say something wrong? she thought.

"Hey, Jo!" a voice came from the house. "Dinner's nearly ready! Get your ass in here!"

Jo sighed at her father's call. Taiyang was a good dad, insofar as caring and being kind and being responsible went, but damn, did he have a potty mouth sometimes.

Then again, the girl I'm crushing on has a worse one, Jo thought absently as she got up. Before she could finish walking to her father's door, however, her mind caught up with what she had just thought. Wait. The girl I'm crushing on.

Shit.

Beacon Academy Training Grounds.

Faye Arc moved like a machine - her limbs were pistons, pushing air like a heavy load as she swung Tower, her sword, through the air. Unusually for her, she had chosen to simply practice using just Tower, leaving her shield (named Guardian) propped against a wall.

She swung again and again, using a two-handed grip to add power to her moves, and all the while trying not to think of a certain smiling face giggling at her faux pa.

You're not crushing, she told herself. You are not crushing. She swung her sword again, a rush of air battering a nearby tree. Stop. Stop now. Another swing, another rush of air. Right now!

A smiling face. "Was that one an accident, too?"

With a final yell, she swung her sword and one of the smaller trees simply ceased to be, exploding in a shower of bark and leaves.

"Now," a familiar voice said, laughing softly, "I'm sure that poor tree didn't deserve that."

Faye relaxed, turning to face the speaker. "Sorry, Mom."

Dressed in light training gear and carrying her spear, her shield slung over her shoulder, Pyrrha Nikos-Arc hardly looked that much older than Faye herself. Her long red hair was tied up in a ponytail, revealing her heart-shaped face and green eyes.

"So," she said, planting her spear in the ground. "Any particular reason you're bullying the poor trees? Did a tree smack you in the face?" She crossed her arms, grinning. "Or maybe you've finally found a site on the net that revealed the truth about our arboreal overlords."

"Oh no!" Faye said in mock-horror. "Augur's bow is called Arbor Alba - he's in league with the trees!"

"We all are!" Pyrrha said with a crazy-sounding cackle. "And now that you know the secret," she added, plucking her spear out of the ground, "we cannot allow you to live!"

Faye smirked. "Come on then, Mom. Let's see if the old lady knows some tricks."

Pyrrha stuck her tongue out. "I'll have you know, young lady, that I can still duel with the best of them."

"Pretty tough talk from someone who does glorified yoga," Faye jibed.

"Pretty tough talk from someone who uses that sword," Pyrrha retorted.

Faye narrowed her eyes with a darkly amused chuckle. "Oh, you've gone and done it now, Mom."

She dashed forward, swinging her sword at Pyrrha, who flipped her shield and blocked the blow with ease.

"Sure you don't want your shield for this?" Pyrrha asked with a wry smile.

"What makes you think I'll need it?" Faye asked, spinning and lashing out with her sword again.

In response, Pyrrha blocked the blow with her shield, before spinning and clipping Faye round the head with her spear. Stunned, Faye stumbled backwards, and then Pyrrha bashed her in the face, knocking her to the floor.

"You were saying?" she asked, planting the spear again.

Faye scowled, getting to her feet. "Come on, let's do it properly this time."

Pyrrha held up a hand. "No. At least, not until we talk about that fight."

"What do we need to talk about?" Faye asked. "I was stupid, didn't think before I attacked, and I got my ass handed to me."

"Uh huh," Pyrrha said slowly. "And which fight are we talking about?"

Faye paused, her scowl softening. "What's that supposed to mean?"

Pyrrha sighed, before sitting down in one of her meditative poses, motioning for Faye to join her. She did so, still frowning in confusion.

"Be honest with me, Faye," Pyrrha said quietly. "What's been bothering you? Your father says you've been out here for the entire holiday. Your brother says you hardly speak to him."

Faye sighed. "I… look, I just feel like I need to be better. Y'know?"

"Because of the assassin," Pyrrha said. It wasn't a question.

"He… he just took me out so quickly, Mom," Faye whispered. "Like I was nothing."

Pyrrha frowned. "He took out fully trained Huntsmen, too."

"Would he have taken you out?" Faye asked.

Pyrrha sucked in a breath. "I don't know. I've never fought him. Perhaps he would have. Perhaps not."

Faye made a dismissive sound. "Yeah, The Invincible Girl would totes have been taken out by a creep like him."

Pyrrha's eyes widened in surprise. "I haven't been called that in a very long time."

"It's true, though," Faye said quietly. "They said you could beat anyone when you were my age."

Pyrrha sighed. "Mostly because I fought other people in my age group. I never fought adult Hunters. It was a nickname I didn't deserve."

"Bullshit, Mom," Faye snapped.

Pyrrha scowled. "Faye."

"No, seriously," Faye said. "I know enough history and there's enough stuff on the net to tell me what you did in the war. You were a prisoner for a year or more. Then after you got out, you got fighting fit super-quick. You fought in Vale - on the wall even! And all that with that heart condition you developed, too!" She stopped her tirade, before looking away from her mother. "You did all that. And I'm so pathetic that I can't even help take down a criminal one of my classmates took down."

Pyrrha sighed. "Faye… it was Jo who took that assassin down. And with respect, Jo isn't normal."

Faye gave a derisive snort. "I know that Jo isn't normal, the way everyone treats her makes that pretty obvious to everyone but a blind idiot." Her expression softened. "She's… I dunno. There's something about her."

Pyrrha frowned, before giving a wry smirk. "Is there, now?"

Faye scowled again. "Shut up."

Pyrrha chuckled. "No, do tell."

"I said shut up," Faye insisted. "This is not a 'Faye/Mom Conversation'."

"I could ask Augur if he knows?" Pyrrha suggested with a raised eyebrow.

"You could, and then I could beat him to a bloody pulp if he breathes a word," Faye said. "Anyway, we weren't talking about Jo."

"No, we were talking about you wanting to prove yourself," Pyrrha agreed with a more serious expression. "Something you have a very long time to do. You're not me - you don't have the lifestyle I had, nor the responsibilities, nor the Semblance, nor the burdens. None of it. Some of that is an accident of birth, but most of it is because your father and I wanted you and Augur to grow up without the things that nearly destroyed us both."

"Like what?" Faye asked.

"Like being expected to be perfect," Pyrrha said. "Like being considered invincible. Like people believing I was somehow the best of the best. Or in your father's case, without the isolation that led to him not…" She trailed off. "My point is, you and Augur have everything you need to live balanced lives, and you have four years, more or less, to grow into the Hunters I know you're both capable of becoming."

"But I need to be better now," Faye said. "I don't want to just get knocked around when people are in danger. I want to help. I don't want to be lying bleeding on the floor next time Jo decides to unleash her inner weird beat-up-the-bad-guys fu."

"'Beat-up-the-bad-guys fu'?" Pyrrha repeated.

Faye shrugged. "Augur's the poet."

Pyrrha chuckled. "My sweet child. I promise, you will grow stronger. You're already better than you were. But you must rest, let yourself grow at a natural pace. Forcing yourself will only lead you to burnout, and you really don't want that."

Faye sighed, unhappy with her mother's assessment but hardly willing to argue over it. "Alright. Whatever you say, Mom."

"That's your teenage code for 'shut up about things I don't want to talk about anymore', right?" Pyrrha asked with a chuckle. "Alright. So - Jo. Want to talk more about her?"

Faye groaned.

Patch Island.

Jo's dad was looking at her with concern. Taiyang Xiao Long - dressed in easy-going shirt and shorts, his greying blonde hair and beard messy as all heck - was normally pretty easy going, but Jo could tell that he was scrutinising her thoroughly.

"What?" she asked, frowning at him. "Is there something on my face?"

Taiyang chuckled. "Yeah, deep thoughts."

"Uh huh, and what do they look like?" Jo asked with a snort.

"A permanent constipated grimace," Taiyang replied at once.

Jo paused, Taiyang smirked, and then the both of them started howling with laughter. Jo, gasping for breath, grabbed a glass of water and gulped it down, before giggling a little more.

"Seriously, though," Taiyang added, his expression sobering. "You look like you're thinking deep thoughts."

"Probably am," Jo said quietly.

Taiyang sighed. "If this is about my promise, I'm waiting for Professor Arc to -"

"I know," Jo said at once. "I'm okay with the extra wait, honestly. I get that Professor Arc's probably busy."

"Well, he's coming today," Taiyang said. "Should be here in the next couple of hours, actually."

"Good," Jo said quietly, not mentioning that she already knew.

"So," Taiyang said. "If you're not worrying about that, what's got you looking constipated?"

Jo rolled her eyes. "Way to demean my deep thoughts, Dad."

"Joking aside."

Jo sighed. "I… ugh." Did she really want to tell him? "This is… kinda embarrassing."

"You don't have to say anything if you don't want to," Taiyang said, holding up a hand. "I just thought… if stuff's bothering you -"

"Dad," Jo said, cutting him off, "how do you tell if a girl likes you?"

Taiyang's entire train of thought didn't stop, so much as it crashed, smashed and exploded. His mouth hung open in shock, and his eyes widened.

"A… what?" he asked.

"You heard what I said," Jo told him, feeling more self-conscious than ever.

"Yeah, I just…" Taiyang seemed to be struggling for words. "I guess it's just more of a 'normal' thing than I was expecting."

Jo blushed. "Dad."

"Sorry," Taiyang said. "Should've realised you'd have hit this eventually. Surprised you haven't had it happen before."

Jo didn't say anything for a moment, but she felt more embarrassed than ever.

"Look," she said, "can we just… can we just pretend that I'm normal and that this is actually important? Because it feels important to me."

Taiyang's amusement fell away, and he suddenly looked shamefaced. "Oh. Damn, I'm sorry, Jo. I didn't mean to… I'm sorry." He composed himself. "So… uh, who's the girl?"

Jo rolled her eyes. "Does it matter?"

"Always," Taiyang said with an amused chuckle. "Besides, if you're gonna be asking someone out, I wanna make sure they're good enough for my little girl."

"Isn't that for me to decide?" Jo asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Can't I be protective?" Taiyang asked.

"Well, you could try," Jo said, "but I think that ship sailed with the crazy assassin guy."

Taiyang's expression soured. "Don't remind me." He sighed. "You think this mystery girl likes you?"

"I don't know," Jo said quietly. "I mean, I think… it kinda feels like she's flirting. But…"

"But?"

Jo sighed. "She's always really confident. Maybe she's just naturally flirty."

"Does she flirt with other people?" Taiyang asked.

Jo paused, thinking it over. "I… have no idea."

Taiyang chuckled. "Well, if I had to give any advice - and having gotten lucky with my whole team in the day, I think I'm qualified…"

Jo made a gagging sound.

"Do you want advice or not?" Taiyang asked.

"Advice, not bad mental images," Jo said, sticking her tongue out.

Taiyang huffed jokingly. "Well, all I can say is -"

A sharp knocking at the door distracted them both. Jo turned in her chair, and Taiyang stood up.

"One moment," he said. He headed to the door, opening it, and a figure in a black cloak stepped in. A moment later the figure pulled their hood down, revealing blonde hair, a scraggly beard and a single blue eye, the other eye covered by a patch.

"Professor Arc," Jo said, unsurprised.

"Jo," Jaune Arc said quietly, looking between her and Taiyang. "Tai. Sorry I'm late."

"No worries," Taiyang said quietly.

Jaune looked at Jo. "Jo. I think it's time you, me and your Dad had a talk."