A/N: Aaaaand we're back! For the record, I now realize it would've made more sense for me to have just held chapter 3 until a week later, instead of releasing it upon completion. But, I've never been one for things like "logical planning". You should have seen my essays back in the day! This was a really tough chapter for me, for reasons I'll explain in post, which was part of the reason there was such a delay. By the way, is it "Valean" or "Valish"? "Valelander"? Well, enough of this, please enjoy chapter four!
What little good spirits JNPR recovered from their morning were soon challenged; the mood of the camp was rightfully oppressive. Students and full Hunters alike seemed to move in a daze, trying to come to grips with what happened the other night. Jaune passed more than one student simply sitting on the arena field, staring off into nowhere. He spotted Team BRNZ, short one, frantically pestering a soldier in a Valish uniform. Jaune didn't recall seeing BRNZ during the battle, but he hoped their missing member was alright. Despite everything they had gone through, for a little while this morning everything had felt normal. Now that he had to return to the real world, Jaune decided it would be best for everyone if they could get some of that cheer back.
Fetching breakfast for RWBY and themselves went easily enough, though no one was looking forward to a meal of emergency rations and whatever could be thrown together in a few hours. Turning back for the tent, Jaune drew his team's attention.
"So, we should probably get rolling on what we're going to do after now."
Pyrrha perked up at this: "Do we have a plan, Jaune?" It was good to see her engaging; Jaune was afraid the mood out here would send Pyr back into a funk. He nodded quickly before restarting.
"First, we have to figure out if there's anything we can do for Beacon. Grimm are all over the school, but with this many Hunters and soldiers, they may be planning to take it back. We'd need to talk it over, but I'd be up for joining that."
The quick nods from his team were hardly surprising.
"If we're doing that, we'd stay here in Vale. But if they don't want us, or if they aren't doing anything soon, then we may want to get out of the city. Just sitting around, we're a drain on resources: housing, food, even personnel. If we leave, then we have to have a game plan for that." The next part was the rough spot for Jaune.
"The CCT is down, which means transport out of the kingdom will be spotty. If we can't stay in Vale, or at least this camp, then we could go stay with my family. I think Yang and Ruby's dad would be willing to take us in, too, but between both of them, that's already a lot to deal with. So, either we head up to Bar, or see if a ship could take us out to Patch. We'd be near Vale in both cases, just in case they want us back."
"While I think staying with RWBY would be nice, Bar does seem the easier option." Once Ren made his position known, Nora jumped right behind him. "Yeah, and we get to meet your family, Jaune!" Jaune wasn't exactly pleased with that, but he supposed he couldn't hide from his sisters for the rest of his life. Pyrrha was a little more familiar with the whole deal from their post-training talks, but she simply nodded to him. She'd wanted him to straighten this out anyway.
"Right. I'll check with the professors to see if they want us to stay, and if not, we'll head for Bar." He let out an exaggerated sigh, and held the tent flap open for his team.
Yang, Blake, and Weiss were still hanging around Ruby, who slumbered on her cot. JNPR delivered the food, and Jaune sat down across from his fellow blonde. "Hey Yang?" She was slow to respond, but Yang looked up from her sister. She still looked awful, but her pallor was improving.
"Yeah Jaune?"
"I'm gonna go see the professors, see if they want the students from round Vale to stay here or head back home. The four of us want to try and help with Beacon, but we're gonna go to my home in Bar if they'd like us out of the city. You guys should probably go to Patch, and you should call your dad. He needs to know if you're OK."
Yang looked terrified at the prospect of calling her father, and Jaune could understand with Ruby just sleeping there, but eventually she got control of herself. "I… yeah, yeah you're right. Blake, can you lend me… can you help me?" Jaune, and everyone in the room, winced at Yang's miscue. Blake was by her in a second, fishing a scroll out and entering the number Yang gave her. Jaune had already stood, nodded to his team, and was heading back out.
Over his shoulder, he heard a panicked man: "Yang? Yang are you alright!? Is Ruby?"
"Hi, Dad. We're… we're not alright, but we are here."
Today was off to a rough start.
He managed to get directions to where the teachers were coordinating everything, and knocked on the office door. Shortly after, Prof. Port swung it wide. "Mister Arc? Come in, my boy! Is there something I can help you with?" Jaune stepped in, and nodded politely to Prof. Goodwitch, Dr. Oobleck, and a man in a Valish military outfit.
"Yes, professor. My team and I want to know if the staff want us here. If there was anything we could help with. I don't know what's going to happen with Beacon, but JNPR is willing to help. But if you don't want us along, then I'd like to know if my team would be allowed to leave Vale. They're busy right now, but I wanted to ask the same for Team RWBY as well."
"Leave the city? Why, whatever for?"
"My team will be well physically, sir. But this camp isn't exactly the best place for us emotionally." Goodwitch seemed to understand what he meant, and spoke up before Port could continue.
"Thank you for offering to help, Jaune; it says a great deal about JNPR's character that you would be willing to join the fray. But, it is the opinion of the Beacon staff and the Valish military that the younger students not be further entangled. You have our blessing to head out of Vale, and do take care of yourselves."
"Thanks, professor. If you change your minds about the students, can you give us a ring? It'd mean a lot to us to get back in there." Goodwitch nodded at that, and Port was positively beaming. As Jaune started to leave, the officer spoke up.
"Pardon me, but you're Jaune Arc?" "Well, that's not a good sign."
"Uh, yes?"
"Lt. Crimson, Valish Army. Mr. Arc, are you related to Col. Arc, by chance?" "Yup, not a good sign".
"Yes, he's my father." The lieutenant nodded at that. "Your father was called back up to active duty, Jaune, and I believe he's on his way here. I just thought you should know."
"Thank you, sir, I appreciate the news." Jaune really didn't, but now wasn't the time. He stepped out of the office and fished his scroll from his pocket. Rolling down the contacts, he found the name he was looking for.
Mom – Blocked
Jaune made a few alterations, then called the number.
"This is definitely going to be a rough day."
Pyrrha was quite grateful when Yang's harrowing call home was completed. Listening to her friend explain the situations at Beacon and on her own team had been excruciating. Today had started off so well, too. For a few moments it was like nothing had happened at all, but reality had crushed back down on them. Nora, at least, was going to try and beat back the gloom. Her friend had taken a seat next to Yang, animatedly yet quietly babbling away at the blonde, clearly trying to work a smile from her. Weiss and Ren were going over what must have been their third inspection of the teams' supplies, while she and Blake were seated silently beside the entrance.
She felt a nudge on her elbow, and Blake spoke quietly enough that the others wouldn't hear. "Thank you, Pyrrha. Thank you so much."
"You weren't yourself last night, I understand. You don't need to thank me, Blake, friends look out for another." Pyrrha lightly bumped her shoulder into Blake, and Blake bumped back.
"They do, don't they? I've never been good at facing my problems, everyone probably knows that by now. I need to change, Pyrrha, for them. I've relied on Yang and Ruby so much since I came here, I'm going to be there for them now."
"I don't know yet what we'll be doing, but even if we leave, don't be afraid to reach out. Bar and Patch would only be a few days away by boat, and that's the farthest we could go. I'm assuming you all would head to Patch?"
"Probably the best, yes. Yang and Ruby's father obviously wants them home, and we don't have the funds to stay in Vale anyway. Are you sure JNPR doesn't want to come along too?"
"We wouldn't want to impose on Mr. Xiao Long, and we can't afford to stay at a hotel indefinitely. Besides, Jaune's family will want to see him just as much as Yang and Ruby's, and we've never gotten to meet them. I'm sure we'll visit you though, and in-kingdoms calls are still up, even if the signals are weak."
Nora hopped up, dragged Ren over, and then started shaking him violently in front of Yang. This was apparently the punchline, as Yang began to laugh. It wasn't her normal thunder, it was hesitant and soft, but it lifted Pyrrha's spirits to hear regardless. Blake was staring at her partner, though.
"She won't be all the way back until she knows Ruby is fine. Even then, I don't know if Yang will ever really be herself. I've seen what injuries like this can do to people before…" Pyrrha knocked Blake's shoulder again, this time with more force, catching the girl's attention.
"Which is exactly why you're here, Blake. I speak from fresh experience when I say having a friend near will help."
"Oh? 'A friend' near? Weren't you and Jaune stuck in a locker all night, the other day? Is it still 'just friends' for you two?" Pyrrha blushed horrendously at that, and cursed herself for it. Yang may have been the most vocal of them, but Blake was certainly not above teasing.
"Now… probably isn't the best time for me to deal with that, Blake." Darn it, she was only trying to cheer Blake up! Pyr, girl with a crush, was fluttering off again, while The Invincible Girl was rearing her ugly head over failing to fight.
"Pyrrha, he's taking you to meet his family; that's usually an endorsement for a relationship! And so soon too, are we going to go dress shopping?" "Oh, not that! That was supposed to be private!"
"Yang!" Pyrrha shouted in indignation, "You told Blake about the shopping trip? You said that was between us!" Yang, who had been helping Weiss prepare an IV bag for Ruby, was completely caught off guard.
"Uhhh?" Blake was outright laughing now, which was only about ten times worse, and then Pyrrha saw Weiss biting her lip, repressing a smile as she worked.
"You told WEISS TOO!?"
Blake reached across her body to grab her other arm, mocking Pyrrha's nervous habit: "You don't think it's too much, do you? I know you're better at this sort of thing, but I'm not trying to force the issue!" Weiss started giggling, and Yang finally seemed to register the fact she was in mortal danger.
"Sorry, Pyrrha, it just kinda slipped out?"
Weiss puffed up her chest before looking sternly at Blake: "P-Money, at this rate, I'll force the issue for you." Blake buried her head in mock embarrassment. Ren was just shaking his head, while Nora had a very worrisome glint in her eyes.
Pyrrha wasn't sure where, but she knew they'd never find the bodies.
She'd get Jaune to help, it would be a bonding experience.
"Ahem." Pyrrha fired upright at the cough outside their tent, whirling to face whatever new horror the world had decided she had earned. "Oh, yes? You can come in!"
A man in an officer's uniform pushed open the heavy flaps. He was tall and lean, almost lanky. Buzzed blond hair going white most places, and he stared at them with unnerving intensity. "Is anyone here with team JNPR?" Ren and Nora moved up beside Pyrrha at this point, "The three of us are, sir. Pyrrha Nikos, Lie Ren, and Nora Valkyrie." He nodded curtly at each of their introductions.
"A pleasure to meet you, I am Nicholas Arc. Please, where is my son?"
Dun dun duh! OCs! I am torn on the issue of original characters, but ones based off implied in-world characters (Such as the Arc family) are easier to deal with. I will try and keep them restrained, as too many authors go crazy with them, IMO. Speaking of the Arcs, I've never been a fan of Jaune's family being depicted as Huntsmen; why would Jaune be so utterly unfamiliar with the basics of Huntsman-ing if it is a generational job? The military offers Jaune "hero ancestors" without the burden of the Hunter tradition. And yes, I'm borrowing some names from Coeur Al'Aran. At this point, if Mr. Arc isn't named Nicholas in canon, I'll just be mad.
The hardest part of this chapter was actually the decision on where to send the crew: i bounced between everyone going to Patch, keeping the gang together and avoiding OCs, or to Jaune's home, reducing the number of major players in the story and also keeping some realism in room & board. Ultimately, this story is about JNPR, so some distance from the RWBY drama is needed. We got dat JNPR drama to deal with, after all.
I don't know if I've previously mentioned this, but this story is somewhat organic, taking shape as I go. It will not be a rewrite of V4, however; I intend for this to take place within the time skips, even if plot is altered.