Another chapter! YAY! I've been on a roll due to school starting tomorrow so I wanted to get another chapter of Tears of the Mind out before I get back to slaving over schoolwork. Anyways, thanks goes out to Firestorm808 for helping me out with this chapter and if you haven't checked out his work, I recommend doing so, He's got good material and his grammar is leagues better than mine. All humor aside for a second, I don't own RWBY or Bioshock Infinite, If I did, I would have probably run those franchises into the ground. they belong to their respective owners. ENJOY!

Chapter 7

Aftermath and Slip-ups

Grey clouds loomed over Vale and Beacon as the day soon began. Soreness was apparent on the blonde knight as he groaned while getting up from his shallow slumber. After the fight with Roman underneath the bridge, he was forced to undergo a physical examination to see if he was hurt at all. The only injuries he sustained were a few bruises and a gash on his right temple, nothing to really put him intensive care. With a few bandages and some ointment to help relieve the pain, he was allowed to leave the infirmary and headed straight to his bed. Jaune looked around in somewhat of a dazed state as he realized that he was the only one in the room.

"Must be checking on Nora," He said to himself as he looked at his nearby clock. The clock read that it was 9:00 AM, the same time when the infirmary opens up. He shuddered a bit as he remembered what happened the night before and the way that his teammate was flung across the lot. He hated to compare that event, but it reminded him of how he would launch the extremists off the edges of Columbia and how limp they would get when they plummeted to their deaths.

He shook his head, ridding himself of the memories and sat on one side of the bed, eyeing his hand cannon on his desk. If the fight last night was any indication, he needed another weapon. Crocea Mors was his go to when it came to close combat, but he gave that back to his bastard of a father. He had an idea for a weapon, but he was going to need some help.

After coming to that conclusion, Jaune sat silently on the side of his bed as he heard rain starting to tap rapidly against the window. He looked up from his dazed state, and he got up off his bed. He then went to the window and looked out over Beacon, seeing the Kingdom of Vale in the far distance. Storm clouds enveloped from all around, and Jaune couldn't help but shudder at the draft that trickled down his spine. Before he was about to draw the drapes, he saw a flash of a lightning. It startled him, to say the least, but he soon noticed that the clouds illuminated by a bright flash. Seconds later, another bolt of lightning occurred, and Jaune's breath hitched as he saw the silhouette of that same winged monster that plagued both the sky and his mind. Just as fast as it emerged, the silhouette disappeared, and Jaune pinched the bridge of his nose while covering the window with the curtains.

"Losing my goddamn mind," Jaune muttered as he went to his closet. His usual attire was being cleaned and pressed at the school laundromat at the moment, so he decided to opt for the casual hoodie and jeans. He would have to admit that it was a different feeling, though not unwelcoming. What felt foreign, however, was the fact that his armor plate on his chest was missing. He sighed as he remembered ditching the armor due to the number of dents and holes that made it hard for him to breathe. In a way, he missed that old feeling, like it didn't feel right if he just wore the hoodie and nothing more. Nonetheless, he decided that this outfit would suffice. Not to mention Pumpkin Pete on the front of it would definitely get a laugh from Nora.

*KNOCK KNOCK*

Jaune nearly shrieked as a sudden knock at the door erupted from the silence. He was grateful that he didn't have his gun in his hand or else he would most likely be questioned by Goodwitch on how there were bullet holes in their door. Jaune went over to his dresser and strapped his holster around his waist, followed by pocketing his scroll and a pack of cigarettes. He then opened the door, and his eyebrows rose when he saw that it was all of Team RWBY standing out in the hallway.

"Hey, guys," Jaune said somewhat confused, not knowing why the four of them were outside his door.

"Hey, Jaune," Ruby said somewhat sheepishly. "How's Nora doing?" Jaune smiled at this, happy that they were caring about her well-being.

"The doctor is keeping close tabs on her heart at the moment, but she'll be let out tomorrow so she can go to class," Jaune replied. He saw the entire team somewhat ease up when he told them this. "I was actually on my way there now, want to come with?" Jaune asked, and while Weiss was somewhat reluctant on the matter, the rest of her team nodded and followed him down the hall.

"Sorry that we kinda got in the way last night," Jaune said to Ruby as he had his hands in his pockets. His response was Yang chuckling at his apology. Jaune raised an eyebrow in confusion, and the brawler shook her head.

"We're the ones that need to apologize," Blake spoke up, and Jaune turned his head to her. "Not just for dragging you two into our mess, but also for pushing you the day you got back." Jaune looked at her with confusion, but he saw that her expression explained that she could relate in some way. He decided not to think too hard on the matter, and he smiled at them.

"Thanks," Jaune replied as he eyed his fellow leader. "However, if you really want to make it up to me, you could help me out with something, Ruby." Ruby grew a little startled at Jaune's words, and he snickered at her. He looked back to his fellow leader's team and saw the confusion growing on all of them. "If last night was any indication, this guy isn't going to cut it on its own." He patted his holster that housed his hand cannon, and he noticed that Ruby was eyeing it with curiosity. "I'm going to need another weapon. I have a design of what I want to do, but I'd rather have a professional create it," he smirked at Ruby when he said this, and the rose gasped with excitement.

"YES! YES! YES!" Ruby exclaimed, and Jaune laughed at her antics while the others smiled. As they made their way to the infirmary, however, Yang was eyeing Jaune from a slight distance, not wanting to dwell on it anymore, she decided to speak up.

"Pretty ballsy moves you pulled last night Vomit Boy," Yang chided, and Jaune pinched the bridge of his nose when she said that accursed nickname. "Didn't know you had it in you." Ruby and Weiss were confused by this, but Yang saw that her partner gave her a knowing look, explaining that she saw the blonde knight's stunt as well.

"What are you talking about Yang? All he did was distract the robot during the fight." Yang's eye twitched at Weiss's question.

"Well, you're not the only one who swan dived off a bridge last night ice queen," Yang said with a smirk, which caused Ruby to go wide eyed. "Color me surprised when he and Nora dived onto the thing." Weiss's eyebrow twitched in irritation when she heard this, and Jaune rubbed the back of his head.

"You guys needed the thing to be distracted, and that's what we did," Jaune said, trying to play off the compliment while looking at Weiss. The heiress huffed at this, and Jaune seemed to shrug off her annoyance.

"Not to mention throwing Yang off the mech," Blake mentioned, and Jaune chuckled a bit.

"You know I could have taken the hit right." Jaune irked a bit when Yang said this. He honestly didn't know that. He looked back to the brawler and shrugged.

"It was a knee-jerk reaction. Sorry," Jaune apologized. Yang playfully blew off his apology but eyed him suspiciously.

"Either way, you two helped out immensely so you have our thanks," Ruby said with gratitude in her voice.

"Well, you can say that to Nora as well when we get there. She deserves thanks more than I do." Jaune felt a little down as he said this, knowing that it was his fault that she got hurt in the first place. The others saw this as well and decided to not dwell on it. They soon made it to the infirmary and checked in so that they could go see their injured friend. Once they reached the room, Jaune knocked the door and opened it. As he and the others entered the room, they saw that Nora was still bandaged up but was in much higher spirits. She was talking Ren's ear off while Pyrrha was residing on the opposite side of the room, going through her scroll to pass the time. The three of them looked up, and Jaune noticed that Nora was the only one smiling at his presence. That smile turned into a stifled laugh.

"Good to see you, Nora," Jaune said as he sat in a nearby chair. At this point, almost everyone was confused due to Nora now laughing wholeheartedly while pointing at Jaune.

"WHAT THE HELL IS THAT?!" she said in between laughing while pointing to Jaune's hoodie. Everyone soon noticed what the blonde knight was wearing, and Jaune smirked as he saw his partner cringe at the sight of Pumpkin Pete plastered on his hoodie.

"Knew it would make you laugh." Jaune smiled as he went over to Nora and patted her head. Her laughter turned to pouting as he did this, and it was his turn to chuckle.

"How are you holding up," he asked, and Nora gave him a so-so gesture with her left hand.

"Meh, pretty sore. Also starting to get bored. Ren made me pancakes already, but I still feel riled up." Jaune smiled at this, knowing that his teammate was going to be fine.

"That's a good thing," Jaune said. "Shows that you're getting better." Nora rolled her eyes at this.

"Still don't know why the doc keeps checking my heart. I mean I'm fine now. Just some bruising," Nora said, and Jaune saw that Ren was stepping in with his protective nature once more.

"He just wants to make sure so nothing happens when you leave." Nora rolled her eyes at this, but Ren seemed to brush it off. "Speaking of which," Ren said as he stood up and looked at his leader, "What were you two even doing at Juniors club yesterday?" Jaune looked at Nora who shrugged her shoulders. Jaune smirked at her and looked back to Ren.

"Just the rapscallions looking for trouble," Jaune replied, and he saw Ren's eyes narrow at him while Nora giggled. Jaune didn't even pay attention to Pyrrha due to already knowing that she and Ren had the same expression on their faces.

"Jaune can I talk to you for a minute?" he heard Ren say. Jaune internally sighed, somewhat knowing that this most likely wouldn't end well. Either way, Jaune nodded and followed Ren out of the room. The leader turned back to Nora and gave her a thumbs up and a wink, trying to tell her that things were alright. She smiled at this, and he soon headed out.

The two were now a few yards away from Nora's room, sitting on a nearby bench. The stainless white walls surrounded them as they heard the echoes of doctors and nurses talking down the hall. The two didn't say anything for a minute before Jaune spoke up.

"Haven't really talked about this yet. Due to the chaos of last night" Jaune started as he looked at Ren. "You know I never intended for her to get hurt," he continued while he folded his hands in his lap. Ren said nothing while Jaune eyed him and decided to go on. "And you know that I would've done anything for this situation to be in reverse." Jaune saw that Ren was looking at him with a conflicted expression.

"Do I?" Ren asked as he leaned back a bit. "I understand that things have changed, and I am accepting that you welcome more trouble in your life much more than you used to, but I can't help but feel angry that you dragged another person into your antics." Jaune's eyes narrowed at this. "I'm sorry Jaune, but Nora is my friend and right now apparently the only one that I can trust," Ren said, and he soon gained a look of irritation as he saw that Jaune was chuckling.

"Funny. Cause I could say the same thing," Jaune said as his tone grew more serious as he finished his sentence. Ren was about to reply, but Jaune stood up and rubbed his neck. "She actually went out of her way to apologize to me you know." Ren grew confused at this, and Jaune turned towards him. "When she saw me at the bar, she didn't ask me if I was drinking or anything. She sat there and genuinely apologized to me. She didn't press on, she didn't bring up unwanted memories, she was just there. Even after I yelled at you all." Ren noticed as Jaune said this, his gaze softened, no longer holding a cold exterior. "You know why I accepted her apology, Ren?" Jaune waited for a response but soon realized he wasn't going to get one as Ren just looked at him. "Because she didn't want her leader back, she wanted her friend back." That certainly caught the usually stoic ninja off guard. He looked at Jaune, and he was pinching the bridge of his nose, thinking of what to say next. "And I didn't come back to be leader again. I came back because I thought my friends missed me. I was somewhat right. Nora is proof of that. She didn't give up on me, and I certainly didn't give up on her when I got her heart beating again," Jaune said, leaving Ren silent for a few moments. Jaune then headed over to his teammate and offered his hand. "I hope Nora isn't the only friend I get back." Ren looked at his leader and saw him smirking. Ren stood up and grasped Jaunes hand, giving it a firm shake.

"On two conditions," Ren said, and Jaune had a slight look of irritation forming on his face. "You and I spar in combat class. No weapons, no semblances, just a regular spar." Jaune thought about it for a moment before nodding.

"And secondly?" Jaune asked. Ren let out a sigh, knowing that he most likely wouldn't get a solid answer.

"What did you see when you froze during the fight last night?" Ren asked. Jaune remained silent, and Ren continued on. "I don't want context nor a long explanation. Just why you froze. I heard how you took on the Ursa, despite your disadvantage in size and strength, you charged in without a second thought. So, what did you see that made you freeze?" Jaune looked at his feet for a second while closing his eyes. Ren noticed the distraught look forming on Jaune's face, indicating that he was bringing back bad memories. In a way, Ren could relate.

"A monster," Ren heard Jaune say. Ren was a little shocked to hear the fear drip with each word. "Something I never want to see again." The two stood there for a few moments before Ren put a hand on Jaunes shoulder, snapping the leader out of his funk. "Thanks," Jaune said, and Ren nodded. The two soon headed back to the room, all while Ren was wondering what Jaune meant by that monster.

The two of them entered Nora's room and saw that all eyes were on them. "You two okay now?" Nora asked while suspiciously eyeing Ren. Jaune saw this and chuckled.

"Yeah. We're good," Jaune said with a smile. Nora seemed happy about this, and Ren couldn't help but smile as well. An hour passed as the two teams shared stories and idly talked to one another until Nora let out a yawn, indicating that she was getting sleepy despite it still being morning.

"We should let you get some rest," Jaune said, and Nora groaned due to soon being left to the boredom.

"I'll stay and keep her company," Ren offered, and Nora squealed with delight.

"My hero," she said while wrapping her partner in a tight hug. Jaune laughed a little harder than expected as he started to see Ren's face turn blue due to lack of oxygen.

"Sounds good," Jaune said as everyone was getting ready to leave. Before Jaune could head out the door, Nora spoke up.

"Actually Jaune, could I talk to you?" Jaune nodded, and Nora eyed everyone else. "ALONE?" everyone jumped at the bombastic way she emphasized her question, and they soon filed out of her room, leaving the two alone.

"What's this about?" Jaune asked, and Nora giggled.

"Don't worry. I'm just curious about a few things." Jaune raised an eyebrow at this but let Nora go on. "Jaune, the doctor told me that you brought me back because of my semblance. How?" she asked genuinely, and Jaune froze for a split second. "No one besides Ren knows about it and I guess Pyrrha, now, but that's it." Jaune stood there for a moment before shrugging.

"The doctor told me the friction caused by giving you compressions gave you a static charge. Strong enough to overcharge your aura. I didn't know about your semblance. I just tried to bring you back." Jaune smiled as he said this last part, and Nora nodded. "Anything else?" Jaune asked, and Nora nodded.

"Jaune. What did you mean by a flying city?" Jaune made a loud irking noise as she asked this, and her eyes narrowed. "You told me after we jumped from the bridge that you were used to doing that due to fighting in a city that flies." Jaune was conflicted as Nora asked this. If he was being honest with himself, he was terrified that she wouldn't believe him and just think he was crazy. On the other hand, the look on her face showed that she would know if he was lying or not.

"I meant that I was trapped in a city that was in the sky," Jaune told her as he sat down next to his friend's bed. Nora's eyes didn't widen nor did she say anything, and Jaune saw this as for him to go on. "When I woke up, I was restrained to a chair. Usually, you would think that this would mean torture. But instead of that, I heard a voice counting down and when it hit zero, the pod I was in rocketed into the clouds. For a few moments, I honestly thought I would die via explosion or lightning. Instead, I'm welcomed to a sprawling city that was somehow flying." Jaune twiddled his thumbs as he felt sweat start to trickle down his neck. He saw that Nora was still silent, showing no emotion. "There were times where I had to take downright leaps of faith. Not to mention that I had to fight along the edges or while free falling. So, that's what I meant," Jaune said while he could feel that every muscle in his body was tense. He made no eye contact as he braced for any negative reaction, yet nothing came. Instead, he felt a hand on his shoulder and saw that Nora was smiling.

"How did you not throw up every second you were there?" she asked. Jaune saw that it wasn't a joke nor a way of calling him crazy. She actually believed him, and he had no idea how to react. He sat there for a few moments before laughing to himself.

"Let me tell you, I was running to a trash can every five minutes before I got to the raffle." Nora gave him a confused look as he said this, and he waved it off. "That's a story for another time." Nora nodded, and Jaune got up. "If you need anything from me or Pyrrha, we're just a call away," Jaune said as he opened the door.

"Thanks, Jauney." Jaune chuckled at this and gave one last nod before heading out into the hallway. As soon as the door shut Nora's face morphed from happiness to concern as she grasped that area that held her heart. When she was brought back, she could feel it. The one thing that everyone searches for in their lives. Absolute and raw power. She felt it pulse through her, and it was terrifying yet enticing at the same time. The problem was that the stories didn't add up. Jaune said that it was her semblance, but she knew what electricity felt like, static or otherwise. The power she felt last night only flowed through her veins only once before and that was when she discovered her semblance via lightning strike. Nora didn't really know how to describe it, but the electricity she would feel from stun weapons or electric dust felt artificial. But this, this feeling that still hadn't left her was raw and unhinged, just like lightning. So how could she feel a power of this magnitude when Jaune told her that it was static electricity that brought her back? "Whatever the reason," Nora said to herself. "I hope he comes clean about it someday." As soon as she said that, the door opened, and she smiled as her partner walked in, ready and able to help her in any way he could.

Jaune grinned as he saw Ren enter the room and turned back to team RWBY who were waiting patiently for Jaune to come out. The blonde knight noticed that his partner was missing from the group and his fellow leader noticed his concern.

"Pyrrha went back to her room. Saying something along the lines of catching up on homework or something," Ruby said, and Jaune nodded while he scratched the side of his head.

"So, what are your plans?" Jaune asked his sister team, and the others looked at each other.

"Actually, we could work on your weapon if you want?" Ruby asked with excitement. Jaune looked to Ruby's team and saw that Yang and Blake gave him the go ahead while Weiss gave him a cold glare.

"Sure. You're going to have to guide me to the place where you make weapons," he said as he followed Ruby in said direction. "What do they call it anyway? The forge?" this caused Ruby to snicker as she shook her head.

"You know what, I'll let you call it that due to it sounding so much cooler than the Workshop." Jaune chuckled at this and put his hands in his pockets. The two walked in silence for about five minutes before arriving at their destination.

"Here we are," Ruby said as the two entered what seemed to look like a classroom on the outside, but as soon as Ruby opened the door, Jaune was hit with a wave of heat that emitted from the room. Jaune was surprised, to say the least, as he saw that there were a couple students at different workbenches working on various inventions. Jaune snapped out of his dazed state and headed over to Ruby who was at a workbench that had numerous papers and blueprints sprawled all over it.

"Home at last," Ruby said as she let out a sigh of relaxation. Jaune couldn't help but smirk at Ruby when she said this. "So," Ruby said while clapping her hands. "You already have something in mind?" Jaune nodded as he pulled out his scroll. He sent a message to Ruby that had a file attached to it. Ruby pulled out her scroll and opened the file. Jaune could see her eyes widen and soon narrow in an analytical fashion. She was silent for a few minutes before looking at Jaune. "I may take some liberties. Add my own little touch, but nothing too insane. Though I gotta ask, where did you get this design?" Jaune then pulled out his hand cannon and opened up the chamber.

"Same place where I got this." Ruby's eyes widened and said no more. she knew that his disappearance was a sore subject so she didn't dwell on it. She was about to say something until everyone heard the intercom turn on. the machines were soon turned off so that they could hear what was about to be said.

"Would Jaune Arc come to Headmaster's office? Jaune Arc to the Headmaster's office," everyone heard the announcer say before the intercom was turned off. Jaune rolled his eyes and soon after pinched the bridge of his nose.

"Three for three now," Jaune muttered.

"I can handle it from here," Ruby said, and Jaune looked at her. "Sounds important." Jaune nodded, and before he walked out of the room, he gave Ruby a thankful smile. Ruby waved it off and got to work while the blonde headed over to Ozpin.

"Wonder what he has to say this time?" Jaune said to himself as he walked down the massive hall. Some students were also walking about, and he couldn't help but notice that a few were eyeing him every once and a while. "Looks like that fight with Pyrrha really had some impact," he muttered as he picked up his pace. He hated the feeling of being watched. It reminded him of the time in Columbia when he was trying to get tickets to Paris. All eyes were on him, and he began to feel that feeling again.

After a few minutes of walking, Jaune arrived at the base of Ozpin's office and nodded at the receptionist who let him through. The elevator doors opened, and Jaune entered, all while wondering what Ozpin had to say to him now.

"Probably had surveillance on you and saw you use your little gift on Nora." Jaune folded his arms as he once again heard that voice.

"I won't be surprised if that's the case," Jaune said, actually responding to it without anger, but with a hint of irritation. "I swear if that's it then I'm leaving Beacon. I'm not a weapon for him to use." He heard the voice laugh at this.

"That's the ticket!" the voice exclaimed. "No more bullshit, just you, me, and a whole lot of killing and drinking." Jaune ignored that comment and shook his head. As he did this, the elevator came to a stop and the doors opened.

"Three for three Ozpin," Jaune said casually as he walked up to the headmaster who was sitting at his desk with a mug of coffee in one hand. "I must be making a record for a number of days in a row someone has been to your office." Jaune saw Ozpins almost analytical look scanning him, almost the same way that Ruby scanned the weapon blueprint.

"That just may be Mr. Arc."

Jaune sat down in the chair across from the headmaster, and Jaune shrugged. "I'm guessing this is about last night?" Ozpin nodded, and Jaune slapped his hands on his knees. "Well, what is there to talk about?" Ozpin chuckled as he leaned a bit forward.

"Besides the fact that dozens were injured last night, could you explain this?" Ozpin said as he pulled up a video on his scroll. Apparently, someone saw the commotion happening on the highway and decided to record it. The video also included Jaune and Nora leaping off a bridge right on top of the robot. The video ended abruptly, and Ozpin shut off his scroll. Jaune chuckled at this and leaned back.

"Good times," Jaune quipped, and he saw that the headmaster narrowed his eyes at him.

"Certainly, if one of your teammates was at death's doorstep," Ozpin added on which made Jaune go silent. What Ozpin noticed was that the silence wasn't caused by guilt like usual, but by anger. "Mr. Arc, why did you and Ms. Valkyrie go alone on this little escapade? Even when I said that Ms. Nikos was to be your supervisor?" Jaune sighed as he leaned forward in his seat.

"Pyrrha and I aren't on the same page. Apparently, she still sees me as a kid who has gone far in over his head."

Ozpin chuckled a bit at Jaune's comment. "That may be true, but you can't blame her for her concern." Jaune stood up at this, a little more irritated.

"I'm supposed to be her partner! Someone who she should trust unconditionally. Yesterday, I didn't get that! I got that from Nora!" Jaune exclaimed while throwing his hands in the air. Ozpin remained unfazed by Jaune's outburst. "All she wants is someone to coddle, and I am not that."

Ozpin decided that it was time to speak up. "Perhaps that is true, but perhaps that it is also true that nothing will change if you don't try to make it change. You are certainly capable of change Mr. Arc. The Ursa incident and Columbia are proof enough." Jaune chuckled at this.

"Y'know she held my hand through the Ursa fight as well?" Jaune said as he belted out a frustrated laugh. "When I thought I was finally proving that I belonged here, she was in the background literally controlling me." Jaune then looked back to Ozpin who had a look of understanding on his face. The two remained silent for a bit before Ozpin took a sip of his coffee.

"Think about my words. Can you promise me that Mr. Arc?" Jaune stood there somewhat dumbfounded.

"No punishment for going out without Pyrrha?" Jaune questioned, and Ozpin smirked.

"I think that what you went through last night was punishment enough. That and when your family sees the video." Jaune went somewhat pale when he heard the last part, and Ozpin chuckled. "I'm sure Oobleck will inform you of your mother's reaction tomorrow during your session with him." Jaune let out a frustrated sigh and nodded. As the blonde knight headed towards the open elevator doors, Ozpin stood up. "And Mr. Arc?" Jaune turned back towards the headmaster. "To whom were you trying to prove that you belonged here? Ms. Nikos? Mr. Winchester? Perhaps yourself?" Jaune stood there for a few moments before shrugging his shoulders and heading into the elevator, leaving the headmaster to his devices.

The rest of the day passed quickly and uneventful, just the way Jaune liked it. Although he somewhat dreaded his first meeting with Oobleck tomorrow, he was happy that nothing too big happened today. During his free time, Jaune spent the day on the roof where Pyrrha took him so she could offer her help. Despite being a place filled with bad memories, the isolation felt tranquil and the breeze felt nice. Ten times better than it did when he was in Columbia. Not to mention he could smoke a cigarette or two without anyone getting on his back. The night before really drained him, and he was in need of a little pick-me-up. Aura could work wonders, but he could really feel the boon if he had a little help.

He enjoyed it so much that he actually dozed off and took a nap. When he woke up he saw that it was dusk and he rubbed his eyes to get a grasp of his surroundings. Remembering where he was, he let out a chuckle, knowing that his team was probably wondering where he had gone. He brushed himself off and got up off the wall that he was leaning against. After rolling his neck to get the kinks out of his system, he headed to the door and was about to open it, until he heard frantic footsteps heading towards him. Jaune took a step back and went back to leaning against the wall. Knowing that if he was in the way, there would have been a collision course. He made sure that his pack of cigarettes was hidden and the buts were either squashed or flicked off the roof, he then waited until the person opened the door.

He was a bit surprised to see that his Partner, Pyrrha Nikos, slam the door open and immediately shut it behind her. Jaune saw her lean against the door and silently curse to herself. "Goddammit, Louis," Jaune heard her say under her breath as she straightened her hair, a little tick that she had when she was frustrated with people. The blonde knight internally chuckled and knew that he couldn't pass this opportunity up.

"Boys. Am I right?" Jaune said as he shrugged his shoulders and held back his laughter as he saw his partner get startled by his appearance.

"What are you doing here?" she said in between breaths, and Jaune chuckled.

"Wanted a little alone time. Good view," Jaune replied as he gestured out to the scenery of Beacon. "Oum knows you need it as well." Jaune then gestured to the door, and Pyrrha rolled her eyes.

"He's worse than you trying to romance Weiss," Pyrrha commented, and Jaune smirked.

"I know it's only been a month, but it feels that I've gotten over her for a long time now," Jaune said as he put a thumb to his chin while thinking back to those times. "But yeah I've met privileged, pretentious assholes like him before. It never ends well." Pyrrha couldn't help but feel worried when Jaune chuckled after he said that. "Well," Jaune said as he clapped his hands and took a step away from Pyrrha. "It is clear that you need your privacy. So, I should get going." Jaune grasped his hand on the handle before Pyrrha spoke up.

"Jaune?" said blonde in question turned around to face his partner and noticed the conflicted look on her face. "Could you actually stay for a bit? I want to make sure that Louis is gone before I head back." Jaune looked at her for a moment and he could basically hear the conflict that was about to happen come from a mile away. He was about to decline until Ozpins words dawned on him. Change doesn't happen without the initiative. Perhaps this was the initiative he needed.

"Sure," Jaune said as he walked over to Pyrrha's side and sat down with his legs dangling off the side of the building. Pyrrha followed suit. The two sat in silence for a bit until Pyrrha broke the silence.

"About yesterday," she started and Jaune had to stop himself from groaning. "I can't say I expected all of that to happen." Jaune sat there, now bringing up his legs in a crisscross style, anticipating the lecture he was about to receive. "And I know you won't tell me." Pyrrha looked over to Jaune who somewhat nodded and he saw that Pyrrha closed her eyes in frustration. "But can at least try to make this partnership work?" Jaune looked at her quizzically, not sure what to say. "I know that things have changed but I heard from Nora that you weren't charging in on your own last night. You stuck with her and relied on team based attacks. You understand and value that at least. So, can we at least make an effort on both parts?" Jaune was about to say something, but Pyrrha continued. "I'll try to be more aware of how you feel and not as reactive to the changes you went through, but could you at least try and talk to me? Not about this Columbia place that you keep mentioning, not about your new methods of fighting, just talk to me. Please?" Jaune sat there for a few moments, not sure on how to respond.

"You know this is going to end, catastrophically right?" Jaune winced as he heard his mind talking to him again. In a way, Jaune agreed. This most likely wouldn't end well. Either she will discover something more such as how he got that power he showed her in the parking lot or probably think he's insane. But despite that, if he did agree to Pyrrha's request and it did go south, he could at least say that he tried.

"Sure." Jaune said. "I mean, things are going to be tough on both our parts, but I think it's worth giving a shot." He saw Pyrrha smile at this and soon faced the view. The two resumed their silence and enjoyed it, knowing that this was a step in the right direction.

"I saw the video that's going viral." Jaune looked at her and she smirked a bit. "Where you and Nora leapt off the bridge onto the mech." Jaune mouthed an 'Oh' and braced for some sort of lecture but nothing came. Instead, she nodded and looked out at the view in front of them. Jaune followed her gaze and noticed the lights illuminating off the towers and buildings. They sat in silence for a few more minutes before Pyrrha nudged him, getting his attention. "Weren't you afraid?" she asked and Jaune thought about it for a few seconds before standing up and putting his hands in his pockets.

"Couldn't afford to be afraid. Yang or Blake could have gotten hurt if Nora, and I didn't do anything," Jaune said as he took in a deep breath. "Just like when I took on the Ursa. Cardin needed help and I couldn't afford to feel scared. If I did, then he and I wouldn't be here right now." Pyrrha looked at her partner, and he looked down at her and smirked. "Even if I was, I still would have done it." Pyrrha grew confused at this.

"Why?" she asked, and Jaune chuckled.

"Because no one else would." Pyrrha was left puzzled at that last statement, and he held out his hand to her. "Don't think about it too much. It's getting late, and we got to get ready for classes tomorrow." Pyrrha then eyed him suspiciously.

"You are going to your session with Oobleck right?" she asked, and Jaune rolled his eyes.

"It's either that or have my mom storm the school. I'd rather just deal with an hour of talking than a few days of screaming. Although, I think that last part is inevitable when she sees the video." Pyrrha couldn't help but laugh in sympathy towards her leader. She then took his hand and got up from her spot. The two then headed back down into the hallway, and Jaune made sure to look out for the annoying thorn in their side. Thankfully, Louis was nowhere to be seen, and the two made it back to their room. Jaune noticed that Ren wasn't there and most likely still with Nora. He didn't mind too much, and he got ready for bed, not knowing how tired he actually was. He chalked it up to the fatigue from the fight still in his system.

"You should go to sleep," he heard Pyrrha say as she was now in a red, silk nightgown with her hair let down. "I'll stay up for a bit and make sure Ren gets back. Jaune nodded at this and plopped onto his bed face first. He heard his partner giggle at this, and he closed his eyes.

"Good night Jaune," Jaune heard her say.

Unknown to him due to his drowsy state, he replied. "G'night Elizabeth."

Oh Jaune. Jaune Jaune Jaune. Why must you done goof like so? Anyways… Cliffhangers am I right? I hope you all enjoyed this chapter. I will try to write more when I can, but this will be my first time at a University so the difference between that and a community college may be a little daunting. I won't know until tomorrow. Alright, drop a comment or review and as always beautiful people, be compassionate and BE FIERCE!

SPARKYDAPPERDAB19 and FIRESTORM808 SIGNING OFF!