So why is this up today? I am working tomorrow away from a pc until late evening. As such I will only really have time to finish off the last 1000 words or so of "From Beyond" which will be updated on Monday – just later in the day.

So From Beyond tomorrow, this today – but only this week. After this it's back to normal Mondays.

This chapter goes back in time a little, to when Jaune was recovering in the infirmary from the dock incident – it covers the detention Ruby had to go through at that time. Props to College Fool for even reminding me that I hadn't done anything to cover it. Though it feels like a month or two ago that he did.


Chapter 7 Paying the Price


"I hope you realise you got off from this easy Miss Belladonna," the Headmaster said sternly as he looked at the four of them. Ruby didn't dare to speak, already knowing that they had dodged a bullet with Professor Jaune promising to be responsible for Blake. Without him… Blake might have been expelled from Beacon.

He had protected her career, and their team – just as much as he had protected them. It was just another reason why he was a true hero.

"I do, I won't squander this chance," the faunus girl promised, bowing her head to the older man. Ruby shuffled closer to the girl, and was pleased to see Weiss do the same. Yeah… it had been scary when Blake had run off like that, but it looked like Team RWBY was back together! Oh yeah!

"Make sure that you do not," the older man took a quick drink from his yucky coffee, "and you miss Rose?"

"Eh?" Ruby jumped, looking around for support. Crapsticks, had he asked a question that she'd missed? "I won't squander her chance either?"

"Not… quite what I meant." The man sighed, and behind him the infinitely scarier teacher struck her crop into her hand. "I meant are you prepared for your own punishment?"

"Punishment!?" Ruby gasped as she leaned back, hands held before her face. For what!? She hadn't done anything other than kick evil's ass, and she would have taken names – but everyone knew who Roman Torchwick was.

"Why yes, I do believe you disobeyed a direct order from a Professor, placed yourself and your team in harm – failed to report a team member's absence from Beacon. Not to mention… your actions resulted in a Professor being left in the infirmary."

"Well… it sure does sound a lot when you say it like that," she laughed nervously, looking towards Yang for some answers. The treacherous sister however just gave her a thumbs up – as if to say damn sis, I'm proud! "I'm sorry?"

"A good start, but you will still be punished. Rest assured however, as your motivation and decision making cannot be faulted, you will not face expulsion."

Phew… that was a relief, though for being such an awesome team leader she didn't think she deserved punishment. And sure, Jaune had been hurt – but if they hadn't gone in then Blake might have died, surely small injuries was better than that?

Wait… hang on a moment! Blake got punished with… in his office… one to one sessions…

"I understand," she said with what she felt was a huge amount of maturity. "And I accept the punishment, I promise I will attend every session I have with Professor Jaune. Arc, Professor Arc!" She corrected when she noticed Goodwitch's green eyes narrow dangerously.

"I'm glad to see you understand," the kindly Headmaster said, "but I must express some confusion. Sessions with Professor Arc?"

"Well yeah," Ruby nodded, "isn't that what you gave to Blake?"

"I did. But with Miss Belladonna, her problem was her motives and the way she reacted around her peers. Lack of trust, faith and other social issues. As such counselling with Professor Arc was the best option." The man smiled here, patting Ruby on the shoulder. "But you miss Rose, I cannot fault your dedication to your teammates, so I don't think such sessions would help you."

"Oh… uh…" Ruby stammered, looking for some argument that would let her reach her objective.

"In fact, your only fault was too much love for your team – and I suppose, a lack of discipline in following orders. I know just the person to help with that, don't you Glynda?"

"I do." The woman said as she cracked her crop down into the palm of her hand. Ruby went white, her entire wardrobe seeming to magically change to that colour as well. "As Jaune Arc was also tasked with helping us with all of our workloads as teachers, and he is currently in the infirmary – you shall take his place for the duration of this weekend."

"Bu-but I-I…"

"I'm sure it will be a learning experience," the Headmaster said as he clapped her on the back. "Now why don't you ladies retire for the night? And take your leader with you, she seems to be having some trouble moving."

"I've got her," Yang sighed as she picked the smaller girl up – who was still frozen solid stammering and saying something about counselling.

"Please tell Miss Rose she will need to be outside my office at four to help with paperwork." The stern Deputy said, making the other teens wince.

It was already midnight.


Okay, I can do this. Jaune does this, and I need to prove I can be good enough for him! Ruby reached out to knock on the door, but paused once more. Her hand fell to her side as she paced again back and forth. Four in the morning. Four AM. Did such a time even exist!? She was exhausted already and she hadn't even had to do anything.

But she could do this! She could… deep breaths, confidence. Ruby Rose. Huntress. Not afraid to knock on Miss Goodwitch's door.

"Are you going to pace out there all morning?" An annoyed voice called from within the door, making her jump in fear. "Come in already, there's work to be done."

Ruby pushed her way into the room, eyes scanning left and right as she noticed just how Spartan it really was (though there was no hole to kick people into). It was really bare though! Just a desk with some books arranged on it, a few bookshelves and a kitchenette. It also didn't escape her notice that the teacher's lounge and kitchen area was bigger than their entire dorm.

Talk about unfair…

"Here is the work you will be doing this morning," the blonde woman said as she deposited a huge stack of documents on a free desk. "How good is your handwriting?"

"Pretty good!"

"Never mind, I remember what your chicken-scratch looks like. Barely legible at the best of times." Ruby deflated immediately as the woman spoke. "Here, take this."

Ruby took the paper from the woman's hands, noticing that it was just some signature and nothing else, it looked kinda fancy too. With loads of swirls and flicks.

"What is this?"

"That is the Headmaster's signature," Miss Goodwitch sighed as she signed something, "I need you to copy it as best you can onto every document on the dotted lines."

"You want me to forge his signature?" Ruby yelped. "Isn't that illegal?"

"Yes." The other woman said, but after a few moments punctuated by the sound of a pen on paper, Ruby realised she wasn't going to continue.

"Shouldn't the Headmaster be signing these?"

This time the woman did pause in her work, to turn her head and stare out the window. The sun was just beginning to peek over the horizon, and the birds were waking up slowly – the trill of song just beginning.

"Yes Miss Rose…" Miss Goodwitch said softly after a moment. "Yes he should... Now back to your signing, we'll be busy for the next three hours."


"So how's your morning been?" Yang asked as the team reunited for breakfast. She tried to keep her voice chipper, but the dead response she received from her little sister didn't help any. Especially with how she was sprawled out on the table before them snoring loudly. "Busy eh? Eh?"

"Yang for goodness sake let her sleep," Weiss snapped as she pulled the hood up over their leader's face, offering some cover from the bright lights of the cafeteria. "Can't you see she's exhausted?"

"Of course I can see that Weiss-cream," Yang sighed as she flicked a piece of toast towards the snotty girl. The heiress looked like she might explode at the gesture, but calmed down as she took a deep breath. "But I mean it's just been the morning, she'll be fine."

"What is her hand doing?" Blake asked curiously, drawing their attention to her right hand, which seemed to be trying to write something into the hard wood of the table.

"Will Miss Rose please make her way to Professor Oobleck's classroom." A loud voice said over the speaker system, making Yang wince even as every pair of eyes in the room turned to look at them. Ruby whimpered in her sleep, but otherwise didn't wake up."

"Come on sis," Yang sighed as she lifted the girl up, carrying her from the room.


"Tree samples!" The energetic man said, shouted? Screamed? It was all kind of the same with Professor Oobleck. Ruby tried to fight back a yawn as she looked at the thing the man was holding out towards her.

"Y-yes Professor, it's a tree sample."

For it was. Basically just a cut cross-section of a tree, as though someone had walked up to a tree trunk and cut a disc an inch tall from it. It didn't look very special either, and judging from the fact the Professor had an entire box of them behind him… it was hardly a rare thing.

"Not just any tree sample Miss Rose, a tree sample from an ancient city we believe may have once lay outside the walls of Vale!"

"That's," Ruby yawned, "nice?"

"It's incredible is what it is Miss Rose, a discovery like this extends beyond mere niceties. We must document this at once. Tell me the age of this tree."

Ruby took the disc, turning it over in her hands. It felt solid enough, with sharp bark on the exterior. She lifted it to her face and sniffed it, it smelled… treeish.

"Miss Rose, you do know how to tell a tree's age correct?"

"O-of course… you ask it?"

She couldn't help but feel she might have gotten that one wrong, based on how the Professor adjusted his glasses with a sigh.

"Not… quite. I need you to count the rings in the cross-section, as accurately as possible. This will enable us to work out the age of the tree, and from that – how long ago this civilisation was around. These trees were arranged in an orderly fashion – so we know they must have placed them as saplings."

Okay… counting rings, she could totally do that! Easy!

Eight-hundred and six…. Eight-hundred and seven… done…

"Eight hundred and seven sir," Ruby said as she put down the piece of tree. She let out a big sigh of relief as she cracked her tired muscles. Okay, that had been slightly more mind-numbingly boring than she'd expected…

"Capital! Onto the next one then Miss Rose, while I mark this coursework."

"The… next one?" Ruby hesitated as she looked at the crate of tree-bits beside the man. Surely he didn't mean… there had to be a hundred or more of them in there… At least!

"But of course! We need a range of ages to get a more accurate idea, worry not. If all the ages are similar then it shouldn't take you more than… four hours to count them all. Chop-chop my dear, time waits for no hunter!"

Ruby's hands shook as she picked up the next piece of tree-trunk, one eye twitching dangerously.

One…. two… three….help me… five…


"Okay, I'm officially worried now," Yang sighed at their lunch break. Ruby was more awake this time, though the fact that the smaller girl was twitching and hadn't spoken to them all lunch was a small problem.

"Ruby, are you okay?" Weiss asked uncertainly, waving a hand in front of the catatonic leader's face.

"Eighteen-thousand four hundred and thirty two…. Eighteen-thousand four hundred and thirty-three… eighteen thousand-"

"I'm… sure she's fine." Weiss said unconvincingly.

"Will Miss Rose…" The speaker-voice began, but Ruby had already risen from her seat and begun to walk away.

"Eighteen thousand four hundred and fifty-one…"


"So what do you think?" The moustached Professor said as Ruby snapped back into her own mind.

"Huh?"

"About my lecture lass, did I maybe sound too heroic, should I tone it down?"

Lecture, what? Ruby strained her mind to recall anything of the last twenty minutes, but only came across complete darkness and the sound of static. Honestly the last thing she remembered was walking into the room and Professor Port opening his mouth – and then it was gone.

"N-no, I think you had just the right amount of heroism," she said with a nervous laugh. Sure, her team would hate her for it – but something quote about shared misery. She couldn't remember what it was, but it pretty much boiled down to if she was going to be made to sit through it, they could too!

"Truly… and here I thought I might need to remove the bit where I fought the Deathstalker naked… but if you say so!"

She winced slightly, but ultimately didn't say anything. A little mental scarring never hurt anyone, right?

Actually… now that she thought of it, Professor Port and Professor Jaune were really close friends, weren't they? They always seemed to be chatting and hanging out together anyway. Maybe this detention wouldn't be as completely bust as she'd first feared?

"Hey Professor Port, you know Professor Jaune quite well, right?"

"I like to think I do!" The man laughed loudly. "Still young for a Professor, but a dedicated chap. Why do you ask?"

"Well I was just wondering… for… uh, my sister yeah! She wants to know what kind of woman he likes."

The man's eyes narrowed, seeming to suddenly gain a clinical edge as he regarded her. One hand came up to stroke his moustache as he hummed at her question.

"Did she now…" he said after a few moments, a strange gleam coming to his eyes. Ruby gulped, wondering if he had figured out she meant herself. "Well… I think that Jaune likes older ladies, and especially glasses."

"Older," Ruby winched, though she took note of the glasses comment. "Are you sure he likes his women older?"

"My dear," the man laughed, "I've placed money on it." He paused, coughing. "I mean I would place money on it, ha ha. Because that's how confident I am, yes…"

"Oh… okay." She wilted, letting out a sad sigh.


Ruby hesitated to say anything, simply content to sit there with her legs swinging under her chair. Across from her sat the Headmaster, the final teacher she was to help for the day. He sat calmly, ten minutes having passed and yet still he had not given her any task. Was this some kind of punishment for her? To be forced to sit in silence?

Her eyes widened as he moved, the first sign of life she had seen in a while! Only to sigh when he reached for his coffee and took a long drink.

"Sir… don't you have any work for me to help with?" She asked after a few more minutes. Even signing forms was less boring than just sitting there.

"Work?" The man's face scrunched up in honest confusion, as though he'd never encountered the word before. Ruby sighed.

She was already in a despondent mood ever since Professor Port had crushed her dreams over Jaune… to hear he liked older women… older like Yang? Older like Miss Goodwitch? What did it matter? It definitely didn't mean young like Ruby Rose…

"Something appears to be bothering you Miss Rose." The Headmaster said as he watched her. Hey, he knew Jaune as well didn't he? She wondered if he thought Jaune was into older women as well…

"It's just something Professor Port said," she said slowly, thinking up her story. "We were talking about how Yang likes Professor Arc… and Port said Jaune only likes older women."

"Did he now?" The Headmaster mumbled as a dark expression came over his face, "awfully sneaky of you there my old friend."

"Sir?"

"Do not worry Miss Rose, I believe that my dear friend Peter may have simply read the signs wrong – I believe Mr Arc is more than appreciative of women of any age, especially teenagers. Why… he's only three years older than Yang himself."

"Ye-yeah?" She asked with stars in her eyes. Sure, Professor Port had said he liked older girls, but this was the Headmaster – which meant he was smarter, and his words were better, right!?

"Absolutely Miss Rose, worry not – I'm sure you still have a chance."

"I didn't say me!" She wailed embarrassedly, shaking her hands before her face.

"My mistake then," the older man said with a mysterious smile. "I must have gotten mixed up."

"It's okay," Ruby sighed – her secret was still safe. "But uh… hypothetically, if someone like me did… you… uh… think I'd have a chance?"

"Miss Rose," Ozpin said as he placed both his hands on the table and smiled, "I would bet money on it… heh."

"Thanks sir!" Ruby cheered as she descended into her own little dream world, rocking back and forth on her chair as she hummed happily.

"Two can play that game Peter…" she failed to hear the man mutter ominously.


Meanwhile…

"He's flat-lining!" The Doctor shouted desperately, somehow not hearing the rather rhythmic beating of the heart monitor – nor the desperate pleas of the flat-lining patient in question. "Clear!"

"Yarghhh!" Jaune shouted as shock pads were applied directly to his nipples.

"Again!"

"Please no!"


Eh, a short one here I'm afraid. As you can see I am pretty damn busy sadly, since I have to upload it a day early just to fit it in – I am working out of the office tomorrow, and won't even have access to a pc until late afternoon. Where I will want to finish From Beyond.

On a happier note, this week's omake is going to be a little different… since season 3 just came out, they had that little trailer for it is you recall? I've decided to emulate that a little with a season 3 trailer for Professor Arc, which will be below.

It won't spoiler anything – it will just be a trailer, but it WILL happen like this in the real story when we reach that point. Though right now we have just gotten past the docks, so we're only beginning season 2. Still…

Here we go!


Professor Arc Season 3 Trailer


"I suggest we find our guardian," Qrow said ominously, "there's no telling when their next move will be."


"Now for the moment you've all been waiting for," Peter shouted dramatically into the microphone, pausing to allow the crowd to cheer, "Welcome to the Chunnin exams!"

"He means Vytal Festival," Jaune laughed nervously as he snatched the mic. He paused as he stared out the window of their booth, noticing the roughly thousands of people watching him. Waiting for him to say something. "Uhh…"

"Same thing," Peter said as he pulled it back. "And remember folks, we'll be your hosts Professor Peter Port!" He paused there, holding the instrument out to Jaune, who swallowed nervously.

"And Professor Jaune Arc, err hi!"

"We'll be with you every step of the way ladies and gentlemen, especially the ladies… In fact, look at that gorgeous blonde filly lad"

"Peter, we're on TV!" Jaune said as he struggled to get out of the hold, to little avail as his face was dragged in front of the screen which showed what the actual TV's were focused on. Okay, what the hell – how was the main screen also focused on the same girl Peter was talking about and … oh… oh God.

"She's quite the babe eh my boy?"

"Uh…"

"Oh look, she's pointing towards you and making a throat-slitting motion, you know her?"

"Umm... hey mum…uhh… I'm on TV!?"

On the screen the blonde woman simply let her head fall into her hands, as the seven girls and one man with her seemed to burst out in laughter.


"So you haven't seen that criminal since Mountain Glenn?" Yang said to the teacher, getting a nod in agreement. "Damn, if only we'd known earlier."

"Uh… yeah. I mean there was no way I could have ever guessed my lover was a criminal like that. Never in a million years." Professor Jaune Arc laughed unconvincingly.

"So… who's the new girl?" The blonde asked, pointing at Neo who was hanging from his arm. Though admittedly with black hair and green eyes now. "She looks… awfully like that criminal."

"Like Neo!?" Jaune laughed, "Their hair is completely different."

"She's the same height too."

"So is Ruby." Jaune countered, ignoring the indignant "I drink milk!"

"She also doesn't talk… just like Neo." Yang's lilac eyes narrowed dangerously, as she began to feed some ammunition into Ember Cecilia.

"Ah, but you see." Jaune stammered as he stepped between them, trying to hide the fact that Neo was giving the other girl the finger. "Neo didn't talk due to trauma and stress… my friend here doesn't talk… because she's shy."

"That so?" Yang said, one brow cocked.

"Yep."

"Huh. Okay, sounds legit."

"Damn it Yang," Blake could only sigh.


"And remember everyone," Port shouted out as the crowd roared, "there's probably a good chance we'll never make it to the final due to some kind of crazy invasion, which is why this years' Chuu- Jaune please, I'm trying to orate – why this years' sponsor is Everyone loves grapes medical insurance! For all your pesky invasion needs. Be prepared!"

"Don't look at me so obviously," Cinder hissed at her two subordinates, who had turned to stare at her the moment an invasion had been mentioned. "I'm sure they don't suspect anything."


Welp, lol – bit of a trailer, bit of a smack from me on how unoriginal I almost expect season 3 to actually be xD

Yeah, it's basically the Chunnin exams in my mind, even the world of remnant video basically suggested it was a "replacement for war" and all that – where have we heard that one before I wonder?

But at least there wasn't a Chuunin exams stage two where teams were sent into a forest and… and… oh right… initiation.

Want to see more fics, updated more frequently – or just support me for the pleasuring and enjoyable reading I bring you? Please consider supporting me on – enabling me to bring you even more fics, updated as regularly as possible! There's even a goal where I would update a chapter for a different fic EVERY WEEKDAY. That's right – 5 days, 5 fics. Daily chapters.

. com (slash) Coeur