Here is chapter four. Hope you enjoy.
Chapter 4
The Bullhead had yet to take off, and in fact was still awaiting most of its passengers. Jaune sat alone in one corner, a scroll held to his ear and a frustrated look on his face. He sighed for what felt like the tenth time.
"It's just… Rat? That's so demeaning."
"I would disagree." Oobleck said. "The rat is a noble and impressive creature capable of adapting and surviving in the most adverse of situations. There is a lot we can learn from them, and you would do well to aspire towards the moniker."
"But rats are untrustworthy. It feels like you're basically saying I'll rat people out."
Which was true, he supposed – but that only made things worse. If he ratted anyone out, then it would only be because they were dangerous to innocent people.
"That is a slang term, and one not really related to the animal. I'd also point out that rats are social creatures that can be very loyal to their packmates, friends and family. In fact, they're one of the few animals to show evidence of altruism, rescuing rats they don't even know from harm and sharing food with them for selfless reasons. You'll struggle to find many humans willing to do the same."
"And the fact they bring disease and misfortune?"
"Is the work of pathogens… and the fleas that carry them." Oobleck sighed, and Jaune could just imagine the man rolling his eyes. "Jaune, many of the things you're complaining about are because you're looking at the name without digging deeper. Consider it a lesson if you will, the VSS is not an organisation which can afford to take people at face value. We must look beneath the surface and find the truth behind the lies. You should do the same here, and let your designation be a reminder. What would you have preferred to be called?"
"I don't know… wolf?"
"A scavenger and pack animal that bows to pressure from others in its group and urinates on any available tree to mark its territory. It's also easily frightened by larger predators, which, I might remind you, you are surrounded by."
"Uh, snake?"
"Opportunistic predator that suns itself most of the day, then sneaks into nests to eat the young of other animals. They're also highly temperamental and don't survive well outside of their natural habitats. If you want to rely on slang for negativity, then they are also cold-blooded."
Okay, it looked like Oobleck wasn't in the mood, and to be honest this was killing his enthusiasm too. Why couldn't he have just been given a cool nickname like Magician and Vanguard? Jaune palmed his face and let out a little groan.
"Fine, I'll look deeper into it. Is there any way to change my name later, though?"
"Complete this mission and I'll entertain the idea, but you'll need to provide good reason for why and what. I won't accept `being cool` as a reason. This is an issue of national security. Whatever you are called should have no weight when that is considered."
He nodded. "Understood, sir."
"Are you in position?"
"Yes, I'm on the Bullhead twenty-five minutes early."
"Your reason?"
"I'm just a little worried I might miss it," Jaune complained loudly. If anyone was listening in, he didn't want to sound too suspicious. "You know how I am. I'm anxious to make a good impression, and I could barely sleep this morning for excitement."
"Good excuse," Oobleck praised. "Play on those innocent thoughts, and don't be afraid to let others see you as nervous or unsure about your position. No matter the bravado they show, every student there will be nervous. Have you seen the target yet?"
"Not yet," he said, scanning the Bullhead. It was still early, and while there were a few people milling around, most were still outside and didn't want to enter on their own. Some were still with family, who chatted and patted their heads while they said their farewells. That was the true reason he'd come early, of course. He wanted a chance to corner Ruby Rose before Beacon began, and he lost her in the crowds.
Here on the Bullhead, they'd be stuck together for the ten to twenty minutes the flight took.
"I'll have to leave you now, Rat. I have my own work to attend to. Remember that if you are in need of advice or support, you can contact HQ through your Lapscroll. Stay calm, keep in mind your training, and be prepared to fail. This is a mission that could last for years. Do not be disheartened if you experience some failure early on. There will be opportunities to remedy it. Good luck, Agent."
The scroll clicked off, and Jaune stashed it away with a small sigh. It was strange, but Oobleck was surprisingly easy to deal with. Maybe that was something he did on purpose, acting just relaxed and friendly enough to keep you loyal, or maybe he simply thought it the best way to deal with a seventeen-year-old new agent with no field experience. Either way, the parting comment on failure did let Jaune relax a little.
Heh, to think the Director of the VSS would be easier on failure than my teachers. They always acted like failed exams meant my life was over.
Then again, if he consistently failed here, it might not be just his life which ended. There were a lot of innocent people riding on the outcome.
"Trust me to kill the mood again," he chuckled. Ah pressure, that ever-present companion. How he'd missed it. His feet tapped nervously on the metal floor, and he watched new people as they entered the aircraft. None of them were the person he was looking for, and despite Oobleck's words, most of them didn't look as nervous as he felt.
Okay, I need a plan. When Ruby comes on, I need to befriend her, but what should I do?
His friends back in Ansel, what few there were, had come from him being assigned to them in some way or another. One of his earliest had become his best friend just because they'd been made to sit next to one another in primary school, while others had become friends because existing friends met them, or they ended up working together on group projects or sports teams. Oh, there were some he'd made some friends with through his own interactions, but he couldn't remember specifically how that came about. He'd either forgotten the specifics, or they hadn't been important enough to be memories he kept hold of. He just… sort of had friends.
I should have asked Oobleck for more advice… or maybe Magician or Vanguard since they're younger. They would surely have dealt with the same, but he'd been so distracted and aghast at his new code name that he hadn't thought to do either. Now, he was on his own. Not good. I guess I'll just have to go up and talk with her. Nothing's going to happen if I don't at least try. All I need is a little bit of confidence. I can do this.
"Hey there!"
The voice came directly into his left ear, and he jumped in his seat, heart lurching into his throat. A pair of hands kept him down, along with a giggle as his body shook.
"Whoa, someone's jumpy. Did I scare you?"
Scare him? No way. Not a chance. Jaune laughed nervously and turned to see who'd snuck up on him like that. The first things he saw was pale skin and red hair, and for a second he dared to wonder if Ruby Rose had found him out. But no, the hair was lighter by far – and more orange than red. The girl was also taller and uh… larger in certain areas. The smile, he definitely meant the smile. It wasn't Ruby. He had no idea who it was, or why they'd talked to him. "H-Hey there," he echoed, then immediately felt stupid. "Sorry about that. I was, uh… thinking on something."
"Oh, I could tell," the girl chatted. "You had that faraway look on your face, but I thought, wow, that guy looks lonely. Someone should talk to him, and then I thought – hey, I'm someone! And here I am, talking to you." Her words blitzed out and she smiled, apparently satisfied with her assault. "Oh, and I'm Nora by the way."
"Ha-?" He'd only caught about half of what she said. He blamed the way she said it, which made every word sound so exciting he struggled to place it. "Uh, Arc. Jaune Arc."
It didn't sound as good as when the spies in the movies said it.
"Nora, I think you're a little too close. Give him some space."
"Oh, and this is my best friend!" Nora cried. She grabbed the other guy around the neck, dragging him forwards so that he was almost nose-to-nose with Jaune. He stared blankly into pink eyes, which looked back with a beleaguered, almost defeated air. "This is Lie Ren, but everyone just calls him Ren."
"Why?"
Of all the things he could, or should, have picked up on, he had no idea why he chose that one.
"Huh?"
"Why does everyone call him by his last name?"
Nora hummed and pulled back, looking at Ren as one might a doll you had in your hands. She tilted her head, bit her lip, then actually tilted Ren. "You know, I actually don't know. Why do people call you Ren, Renny?"
Ren, Lie, or Renny – whatever it was – sighed. "How should I know? You're the one who decides what you want to call me."
"Then why do I call you Ren?"
"I've made it a habit not to question how your mind works."
"Because you trust me so much!? Oh, Renny!" She gasped and crushed her friend into a tight hug. One that just so happened to press the boy's face into her not-inconsiderable cleavage. Ren actually managed to look disinterested, and maybe even exasperated with that.
Jaune had no idea how. Wasn't that supposed to be the promised land?
"I'm sorry about Nora," Ren said, once he was eventually freed from his delightful prison, and allowed to sit down on one of the benches. He took the seat opposite Jaune, while Nora was sat to his left, and seemed eager to look at everyone else nearby. "She's very excitable, as you've probably noticed. She also… doesn't often respect people's personal space. I'm sorry if we bothered you."
"Nah, I'm okay. I was just nervous."
"About what?" Nora asked.
"Beacon, I guess." It wasn't just an excuse this time. "I mean, it's a completely new place, and there's initiation. If we fail that, we're out. Aren't you nervous?"
"I wasn't aware there was an initiation," Ren said.
Oh crap, was that not common knowledge? Come to think of it, it obviously wasn't since the acceptance letter made no mention, and he hadn't known about it either until Oobleck told him. "I knew someone who went to Beacon before," he lied. "She told me about it. Apparently, there's a test to see if we stay or not."
Nora's face fell. "A-A written test?"
The right thing to do would have been to say he didn't know, but she looked so horrified that he couldn't bring himself to. "It's something to do with us fighting Grimm," he said. "I don't know any more though."
"A practical exam…" Ren's eyes narrowed. "That makes sense, I suppose. Thank you for telling us." He glanced to Nora. "We should be fine in it. I'm confident enough in our skills. Is that what has you so nervous?"
Curiously enough, no. He'd already done an initiation in the Emerald Forest now, and although that didn't exactly make him a master in the area, it did take away a little of his fear. His anxiety came from something far more mundane. "No. I think I'm just nervous about meeting new people. I've got no idea if I'll get along with them."
"Ah…" Ren smiled in understanding. "Not exactly an unusual sentiment. Nora is much the same."
"What!?" Nora gasped in horror, or perhaps betrayal. "No, I'm not!"
"Of course not, Nora. My mistake."
She puffed out her cheeks and poked his arm, while Jaune laughed at the display. It must be nice to have a close friend like that, especially one that was entering Beacon with you. He kind of wished he could have known who Magician and Vanguard really were, just so he could hang out with them if things went badly. Then again, there was no saying what years they would be in, and maybe they thought it would look suspicious if he did. His records, what little there were, said he came from outside of Vale. It might look odd if someone who shouldn't have met someone before now claimed they were his best friend.
Ugh… talk about complicated.
A light beep echoed around them.
"Please be seated as the bullhead will soon take off."
Wait, what!? He looked around and cursed. The bullhead was filled with people, and most of the seats were taken. If Ruby Rose was still attending Beacon, she was definitely here, but he'd been so distracted that he'd missed not only her, but also his chance to catch her while she was on her own.
It didn't help that as the vehicle lurched into the air, his stomach flipped.
"You don't look so good," Nora said.
Ren agreed. "Are you okay, Jaune? You look ill."
He'd have liked to answer, but the words weren't there. Luckily, he didn't have to speak to explain what was wrong with him, or how the motions affected him. After all, actions spoke louder than words.
It was just a shame his actions also led to screams and disgust.
/-/
"Ugh, well that was a fail," Jaune mumbled, wiping the last vestiges of breakfast from his lips. Bent double over a toilet, and currently worshipping the bowl, he pulled the chain and leaned back as the acrid scent was driven away. Judging from the motion, or lack thereof, it looked like they'd managed to land at Beacon in one piece.
Of course, being trapped in the bathroom once Ren escorted him there, he hadn't seen hide nor hair of his target. Not like she'd have been in the men's bathroom anyway. Ren had left too, seeing that there was little he could do to help, or maybe just wanting to escape the horrid smell.
Jaune didn't blame him. Not when he'd almost thrown up on the guy's legs. Patience only went so far, friendliness too.
"I'll have to find them and apologise later."
Stumbling over to the sink and washing his face, Jaune pushed out of the bathroom and towards the scent of fresh air. The ramp at the back was down, and people milled about in the landing zone below, some on their own, but more in groups. Someone pushed past him, a vaguely disgusted look on their face. The man had light brown hair bordering on orange and wore silvery armour. He held his nose with one hand, then pushed by and walked over to three other guys, who welcomed him with laughter.
Oops. It looked like he hadn't been alone in the toilets. Well, that was another friend he probably wasn't making anytime soon.
A lot of people are like him in that they have their own friendship circles here. I bet they all knew they'd be coming to Beacon together. I need to find Ruby before she makes her own.
Fortunately, being on top of the ramp gave him a good angle from which to look out over everyone, and since the pilots had already climbed out of the ship, it didn't look like he'd be forced off anytime soon. There were a hundred or so students in total, maybe a little less. Some stood in groups, others alone, but none dared range beyond the trees that lined the path. He spotted one on the edge, apart from her fellows not because of nerves, but apparently because she was fussing over several suitcases she had on a trolley. The white hair definitely felt familiar, but it wasn't what he was looking for, even if she did look rather pretty.
Other colours came to him, bright red, orange, black and more beyond. He tugged out his scroll and flicked to a picture he had of the girl. She was short with pale skin and silver eyes, while her hair was more of a dark brown tinged with red. It didn't stand out however, and with how short she was, she could be anywhere in the crowd and he'd easily miss her.
I guess Oobleck wasn't kidding when he said be prepared to fail. Some spy I am if I can't find someone who isn't even trying to hide.
He'd just have to hope that when everyone started to move, he'd be able to catch her out.
/-/
For Ruby, the day had started out pretty good. She was going to Beacon a whole two years early, and better still, she had Yang with her. That meant not having to be alone, and not being caught out when something awkward happened. At least, that was the theory. She should have known it would all turn rotten because of one thing.
Yang, herself. Few plans survived contact with the enemy, or so her Uncle often said. No plans survived contact with Yang.
"Stupid Yang, and stupid friends…" she mumbled, dusting herself down. If it wasn't enough that Yang wanted to ditch her only sister, she'd done it to hang out with old friends from Signal. "So much for sisters sticking together. What am I supposed to do now?"
She didn't know anyone here.
She didn't have any friends that came with her from Signal.
She had nothing!
The world seemed to swirl around her, a pressing crush of people in every direction. All of a sudden, it wasn't their weapons which caught her attention, but rather the way they were all speaking with other people. They were making friends, chatting – being social.
It was a disaster!
Ruby swooned and turned away to run. She saw the moment of collision before it happened. A girl with white hair, a trolley filled with suitcases, and her clumsy body running straight into it like an idiot. Ruby saw it all, including the way the girl's eyes widened. She clenched her own against the impending impact.
This was going to be the worst introduction to Beacon ever!
"Whoa there," a masculine voice called. Arms wrapped about her waist, hoisting her back before she could become one with the luggage. "That was close. Are you okay?"
"Watch where you're going!" the white-haired girl snapped. "Do you have any idea what nearly happened?"
Ruby's lips wavered, and she cracked one eye open. She was safe… for now. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to…"
"That doesn't matter. Do you have any idea of what kind of damage you almost caused!?"
Ruby stammered for an answer, but had nothing. Even if she'd had an excuse, she didn't think she would have felt confident enough to give them. Why was this girl shouting at her so much? This wasn't fair. It was an accident.
"You said almost," someone behind her said. "She didn't bump into you, so there's no reason to shout at her, right?"
"W-Well that's true, but the principle is still the same!" The girl growled angrily, but paused as she noticed the people around them watching carefully. They'd not yet all left after the teacher, and several were muttering things under their breath. "Fine," she growled. "I don't want to cause a scene, and I suppose nothing happened. You, however…" She paused to glare at Ruby. "Stay away from me and my belongings. The last thing I need is for you to damage them."
But… but she didn't do anything. Ruby bit her lip and watched as the girl wheeled away without so much as an introduction. Great, perfect… she'd been separated from Yang for all of twenty seconds and she'd already managed to make an enemy for life. Argh, what a disaster!
"You okay?"
Ruby blinked in confusion, wondering for a second where the voice came from, before she felt a breath of air atop her head, and then recalled the arms wrapped about her. They were hard and firm, yet also gentle. Wait a moment… was she pressed against someone's chest? Hard body behind her, check. Arms over her waist, check. Male voice in her ear, check.
But there was something missing…
"Arghh!" Ruby broke free. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry!"
Oh, there it was. Complete and immediate panic, check and check again! All the blood rushed to her face, and she waved her arms wildly. Somewhere in between all of that, she took the time to notice it was a tall boy with blonde hair and blue eyes, but most of that paled in comparison to how she'd basically been in his arms.
It had felt ni- no, bad Ruby!
"Hey, it's fine," he said, laughing awkwardly. "You're Ruby, right?"
"Y-You know my name?"
He froze, eyes growing wider. "E-Er, I overheard someone say it."
Oh right, Yang. She was as loud as ever, so it wasn't too weird. Still, he'd come over to talk to her, and even saved her from that scary girl. Ruby's heart beat a little faster. What was she supposed to do? This was a complete stranger that had come along and rescued her. Where was Yang? Where was her emotional backup!?
Okay, okay. This was fine. She just had to remember what her Dad taught her.
No, wait. She had a feeling `Don't talk to strangers` wasn't the right choice here. Everyone in Beacon was a stranger, and the only non-stranger had already abandoned her. Oh, and as if to make things worse, it looked like he'd been trying to talk to her and she'd completely ignored or not heard a word he'd said.
"-think?" he finished.
Ruby blanched. "Um… maybe?"
Safe answer. That was a safe answer. Oh gods, what if he'd asked her something weird, though? This was bad. This was so bad. Okay, this was easy. People talked all the time, and they got on fine. She wasn't a coward. Being nervous wasn't the same as being afraid, and she could do this. She totally could.
All she had to do was talk like a normal person, and not under any circumstances say something that would make her look weird or sound unusual. How hard could it be? Just… say something. Anything. Anything at all.
Ruby smiled hysterically and slammed her scythe into the ground. "This is my baby!"
Her eye twitched.
Nooooo, the rational part of her mind howled. That was the worst thing to say! Why would you do that!?
I have no idea! You told me to say anything.
NOT THAT! Anything but that!
Okay, it's fine. I can recover this.
"So, you know my name, but I don't know yours."
"Oh right," he smiled and scratched the back of his head. It was an almost cute gesture. "The name's Jaune Arc. I uh… I came over because you looked a little lonely. I thought we could hang out…"
There was something off about that, even Ruby could tell. Maybe it was the fact he looked away when he said that, or maybe that she definitely hadn't been alone, since Yang had only decided to win the worst sister ever award like, ten seconds before he caught her.
Why would he lie, though? What other reason was there for a guy to come and talk to a girl like he… was…?"
Ruby's face went white.
And then very, very red.
No way. Nuh-uh. She had to be wrong. Ha, she was being silly. She was totally being silly, ridiculous even. Hah, it wasn't like it could be like that, right? She didn't even know him, and he didn't know her. Besides, it was Yang who got that kind of attention, even if some people did say she was cute as well.
Her cheeks darkened and she looked away, teasing the floor with one foot. Even though she was almost completely sure she was wrong, there was that part of her which couldn't let the idea go. That didn't exactly help her already nervous self.
"So, uh…" She trailed off. "Thanks for saving me from that girl…"
"No problem. You looked like you needed a little help, so I thought I'd come over and deliver."
Ruby's heart skipped a beat. She coughed and glanced away, laughing softly. Didn't you just say you came over because I looked lonely? W-What happened to that!?
"Ha ha, yeah." She laughed and brushed some hair back from her ear, then paused and wondered if that looked too much like she was trying to impress him. Wait, what was she supposed to do? Was she meant to encourage this?
Did she want to encourage it?
But what if he wasn't as good a guy as she thought he was?
What if he wasn't interested at all and she was making a big deal out of nothing?
What if she thought wasn't interested, but he was interested, and when she didn't make a deal out of it, he was hurt and felt bad?
Okay, now she could feel a headache coming on. Where was Yang!?
This is ridiculous. I just need to calm down and think this through like a totally normal person. There's like a million reasons he could have come and talked to me.
"So, what kind of weapon do you have?" she asked. Weapons were a safe topic. They always were. "You've seen my scythe. It's also a high-impact sniper rifle." She smiled. "I made him myself. He's called Crescent Rose."
He looked suitably impressed. As he should. Crescent Rose was the best weapon ever.
"That's amazing. I only have a sword and shield." He held them both up, and showed how his scabbard collapsed into a shield, which was pretty cool. She also couldn't help but think how the guy who'd come and saved her had the weapons of a knight. He even had armour, too. He either ignored or didn't notice her red cheeks. "You said you made yours on your own?"
"Yep. In Signal."
"That's incredible. You must be really talented."
"I-I wouldn't say that…" Her eyes darted away. "I mean, anyone could do this. Ha ha. It's nothing special. I-I'm not anything special even if I did get let in early."
"Early?"
Oh crud, she wasn't supposed to say that! Normal knees, normal knees, she was just a normal girl with normal knees.
"You were accepted into Beacon before you even finished Signal? That's amazing."
"I-It really isn't!"
"You're incredible, Ruby."
Gah!
"I was just wondering…"
She smiled weakly. "Y-Yeah?"
"I'm pretty new to Beacon, and to Vale as well. If you're from Signal, then you must have come to Vale a few times, right?" He smiled at her, and although her legs felt a little weak, she managed to nod back. "Well maybe we could go out into Vale some time. It would be great if you could show me around."
"O-Out into Vale?" she asked. Her heart was going crazy now. She was still overreacting, surely. There was no way he was asking what she thought he was asking. "F-For what kinds of things? What did you have in mind?"
"Well… maybe a movie?"
Nothing. That was what she felt. It wasn't shock, horror, or even disgust. She felt nothing because her brain had stopped working. The only thing in her head was a high-pitched whine, followed by an almost bemused thought.
Huh… maybe I wasn't wrong after all. Panic?
She considered it for a second. Yes… panic sounded like a good idea.
"I-I have to find someone," Ruby said, laughed, hyperventilated. She wasn't sure. "Thanks for saving me. It was nice to see you, Jaune. You're r-really nice. Ha ha, um, excuse me!"
"Huh? H-Hang on, Ruby!"
Nope.
Not for all the cookies in Beacon. She darted away from him, eyes clenched shut, and then pushed her way through the crowds walking away after one of the teachers. She kept her head low, and even drew her hood up to cover her crimson cheeks. If she was lucky, they'd camouflage well and everyone would just think she was a possessed article of clothing with a scythe. Okay, maybe that wouldn't be a good thing, but she was panicking! She was allowed to not be thinking straight.
She didn't so much find Yang as be impeded by her.
That was to say she crashed into her sister and they were both dragged to the ground. Ruby whimpered and opened her mouth to apologise, but that soon turned into a frown when she saw who it was she'd collided with.
"Geez, sis. We were only separated for five minutes. You miss me this much?"
Ruby slapped Yang's shoulder and growled angrily. "You abandoned me!"
"I was trying to have you make some friends." Yang laughed. "I take it that didn't go to plan."
"Y-Y-You idiot! Do you have any idea how embarrassed I was!?"
"Ruby, it's just talking to people. What's the worst that can happen?"
Ruby hit her again, just because it felt right. The tall teacher cleared her throat and stared at them, as did most of the other students, but right now she was impervious to humiliation on account of already being at maximum capacity. She let Yang help her up, then clung onto her arm. Voice low, she filled her in on just why she was the worst sister to ever exist.
"After you abandoned me, I almost fell on some crabby girl's luggage, and even though I didn't, she kept telling me off. She was horrible!"
"Ah well, one bad experience isn't-"
"But that's not it," she interrupted. "I didn't fall because some boy saved me. He caught me and helped me, then made the crabby girl go away."
"See! That's wonderf-"
"Then, he started complimenting and being nice to me."
Yang paused. "Well… that's good, right?"
"But he kept saying how amazing I was, and how everything I did was really impressive, and he was so nice and kept smiling, and he had his arms around me, an-"
"Whoa, what was that last one?" Yang's smile had become increasingly brittle. "I think I misheard one of those things."
"A-And he said how he'd come over because I looked lonely, but then changed his story and it was because he wanted to help me from the crabby girl, but that couldn't be true because it was only like five seconds from me being upright to falling."
"Well, maybe he had good luck?"
"And he knew my name," Ruby whined. "He knew who I was, and he said I was amazing, and he wanted me to show him around Vale and we could go see a movie together. Yaaang, I've never been so embarrassed in my life!" She pouted and looked up at her sister. "What do I say? What do I do!?"
Yang's smile was still in place, but it looked frozen to her face. It didn't quite reach the eyes either, which were both incredibly wide, and also rather red.
"Yang?"
"Why, you stay with me, of course," her sister said, hooking an arm around Ruby's shoulders. "You stay with me, and you never leave my sight, understood?"
Ruby's eyes were flat. "But you told me I needed to make friends."
"And we tried that and it didn't work," Yang said, smiling. "Now we give up and never try again."
"Is… Is that how it really works?"
Yang laughed and tugged her close, running a hand through her hair. Ruby hated when she did that, but it was just familiar enough to calm her down – even if it left her pouting and rubbing it straight again. Also, was Yang angry, or had she just been unusually rough on purpose? Oh wait, no, her eyes were still bright red.
"Just trust me on this one, Ruby. When has your big sister ever steered you wrong?"
Ruby blinked.
"You mean today, or in the last half-hour?"
/-/
So… that was Ozpin.
The man had been different from what he'd expected, though even then he wasn't exactly sure what he'd been expecting in the first place. Clearly, the headmaster wasn't going to act like a mastermind criminal from the movies, and there was no mention of Atlas, their meeting or the unusual package he'd seen be brought into the school.
At the same time, he'd been a little eccentric for a teacher of children, even if those children were learning to be huntsmen and huntresses. He'd basically stood on the stage and given some mysterious comment about work, commitment and probably a bunch of other things that had gone straight over his head.
Not exactly the most motivating of welcome speeches. Hell, Oobleck's had been better and the man had abducted him!
Either way, Ozpin was a distraction for now. Like Oobleck said, the headmaster was too powerful for Jaune to ever think of approaching, and the only real route was through other students. Mainly, Ruby Rose.
The meeting with her hadn't exactly gone to plan.
Jaune sat by a wall, his blanket over his legs and the Lapscroll balanced atop that. The screen flickered after the third failed password, and he typed `RAT` into it. There were no official messages in his inbox, but a few cursory ones with instructions on rules, regulations, and what support he could call on if needs be.
He ignored all of those, and quickly opened up a direct channel as Oobleck had shown him. A window opened, and a small square flickered. He hesitated, unsure what he should type. The computer beat him to it.
HQ: How can I help, Rat?
That was fast. Did they have people just sitting there waiting for an Agent to contact them? It sounded ridiculous, especially now that it was late in the evening, but what did he know? Maybe there were Agents in the field who needed support at one in the morning. It wasn't like they could leave them if it was about the security of the Kingdom. He sighed and typed a message back.
Rat: How do I make friends?
There was no response for a few seconds, and he mentally slapped himself when he realised what that sounded like.
Rat: It's for a mission. I need to befriend someone. I'm not sure how.
HQ: I see…
HQ: Have you tried approaching them?
Rat: It didn't go well.
HQ: What did you do?
He typed in the barest details, along with what he remembered of Ruby's reaction when the person prompted him for it. He didn't think he'd done anything wrong, but he clearly had. It was ridiculous. Wasn't it enough that he'd gone in confident? Even as unused to making friends as he was, he'd been polite, friendly and chatty.
Weren't those good things?
HQ: It doesn't sound like you made any specific mistakes.
Rat: But she made an excuse to leave. I must have done something wrong.
HQ: Not necessarily. Have you considered that it might have been some failing on their part?"
Rat: What do you mean?
HQ: Not every individual will respond in the same way to a given stimulus. You could be the perfect gentleman and while one woman might appreciate that, another might hate it. Personal taste plays an important factor.
Huh, that made sense. He paused and looked over to where he'd seen Ruby. She was sat next to a blonde-haired girl, wearing incredibly short shorts. He tore his eyes from her legs, and then immediately felt like an even bigger pervert when he covertly aimed the computer's camera at her.
Rat: Do you know this person?
HQ: Give me a moment.
The chat went silent for a minute or two, and it was right when he was about to tell the person it didn't matter, that a new window appeared on his screen. It was a picture of the girl's face, except this time fully clothed and smiling cockily. Information appeared alongside it, from basic details on her date of birth, age and education, to her blood type, known personality and even her measurements.
It was the tab labelled `Family` that was underlined and bolded out. He opened it up, and quickly scanned through it. Wait, what? The two of them were related? Jaune perked his head up over the computer and stared at them again. They didn't look even remotely similar.
HQ: I found something else out.
Another window opened, this one a picture of what looked to be a report. He looked over it for a moment, and quickly realised what it was. When he did, he felt a little stupid. It was a school report card. Literally one of the same things he'd been forced to bring home to his family time and time again, except that this one was from Signal, and actually linked to Ruby Rose and not her sister, Yang.
HQ: Look at the teacher's analysis at the bottom. The final line.
He did so.
While individually very skilled and capable, Ruby suffers from poor social interaction with her peers. Although not a risk in itself, it does leave her open to being taken advantage of, and she is understandably nervous around others. This is one facet she will need to improve on if she wishes to be a skilled huntress.
Social awkwardness, huh?
HQ: This might explain her early aversion to you, especially if you did nothing wrong. Has she interacted with anyone other than her sister?
Rat: No. No one.
There was no response from the HQ, not that he needed any. It really did answer everything, didn't it?
She was nervous and shy. The truth was… anticlimactic to say the least.
And here he was, assuming something more nefarious, or that she'd already found him out and decided to rebuff him. In reality, she was just the shy girl she looked like, and she'd probably freaked out when some random guy two years older than her decided to come on too strong. Oh god, she probably hated his guts!
That wasn't a good sign.
Rat: Any advice on how to break through to her? I could use some tips.
HQ: Time and exposure are the two most effective ways of breaking through just about anything. Shyness, trauma, anger… even mountains give way to steady pressure from rain and water. So long as you don't push too hard, you might be able to win her trust if she is forced to be around you.
Rat: And how can I force her?
HQ: Ask yourself what is held tomorrow – and what it means for the students who pass initiation.
Initiation. The test to see who would be accepted into Beacon, but from what Oobleck had also explained, a test to see which teams they would be assigned to. The answer hit him immediately. If he could get onto the same team as Ruby, he'd have all the time in the world to talk with her. She'd have to get used to him, and would almost certainly come to accept him in time.
It was perfect.
If it worked…
Rat: I can request specific support here, right?
HQ: You can, Agent. Ask, and if it is possible, we shall provide.
Rat: I need some way of locating a specific person in initiation. I need to cheat. Is there anything you can do?
There was a long pause, before the cursor flickered once more, indicating typing on the other end. The message was simple and short.
HQ: It will be done.
No explanation, no details, but he supposed that was confirmation enough. Maybe the person just didn't know yet, but would let him know once it was done. Maybe not. In the end, he'd have to trust they knew more than him. He flicked the computer off and stashed it away in his backpack. The lights were already dimming as people prepared to sleep. So far, Ruby had yet to talk to anyone other than him and her sister.
Tomorrow would tell if things improved.
/-/
A shadowed figure slipped through the corridors of Beacon. They moved calmly, easily, but kept their face hidden from any cameras by turning subtly away. A hoodie was pulled up to disguise them, and their hands were buried in their pockets. So late at night, it was unusual, but not unheard of, for the students to wander.
And it wasn't unusual for them to enter the locker rooms either. People forgot things all the time, especially their scrolls.
What was perhaps a little more unusual was for the individual to eschew the lockers of older students, and instead move to the rocket lockers given to the newcomers. The figure looked around furtively, then knelt by one in particular. They drew a scroll from their pocket and held it to the keypad. Numbers and asterisks flickered as the dial wheeled, testing combination after combination, while also dulling the lock's ability to raise the alarm.
It took three minutes to brute force it, and the combination clicked into place. The locker door opened.
Inside was an assortment of clothing and equipment, but also a blue-hilted longsword sheathed in a white scabbard. The figure inspected it and nodded. Another bag came from under their hoodie, deposited in front of the weapon in such a way as to make it obvious to the one who would open the locker. It clicked shut a second later and the figure moved quickly away.
One hand rose to their collar.
"Mission complete."
"Well done, Magician. Exfiltrate."
"Understood."
Magician slipped away and down a different corridor. As she passed by the auditorium, she paused to listen to the various snores and sounds within. Rat was in there, on what was his first real field mission. Hopefully the gift she'd provided would be of use.
"Good luck, Rat."
Some small changes made, though those might not be fully apparent. Poor Rubaby, and also poor Jaune, I suppose. You really did try a little too hard. What's someone to think if you come on that strong?
Next Chapter: 13th August
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