A/N: I'm bamboozled by the amount of follows this story's gathered. Fastest gain of support I've ever seen for my stories. In a third of the amount of chapters as my two main stories, it's gathered more than two hundred more follows, and is only around thirty more follows before it reaches the thousand mark. Never thought I'd even make it that far. Thank you everybody for taking your time to read and enjoy this story, I appreciate it tons :). Oh that note, I want to especially thank Unjax for helping me beta this chapter, which I'm still pretty unsure of. I mean, I don't know if I've made this chapter realistic at all. Hmph. Leave me a review of what y'all think!

Guest: I can think of a few ways to bring her into the story ^-^

Guest 2: Yay! I mean, aw :)

JSG: Well, Nora isn't really as forward as Marika is. But I can see what you're trying to tell me.

Guest 3: Oh you don't have to worry about that. I love me angst after all. :D

Guest 4: thank you :3

Beta: Unjax

Jaune's been working at his bar for almost a year now, and he's learned that sometimes, the best thing to do is to smile and agree with the customer. After all, the ones that are dissatisfied will more than likely order a drink and leave afterwards, and there's no need to worry about them after that. Sometimes, it's better for him to take a more aggressive stance, for the people that want to make trouble, and are only at a bar to find something or someone to mess with. Those are solved differently, but no less simply. Early on Jaune had to phone the Valean authorities to take care of the problem, but as time went by, he found that more and more problems were solved by his own patrons making sure that the bar that they enjoy their drinks at was a no-trouble zone. After all, who wanted to mess with Hunters and Huntresses?

And sometimes, people walk in with the intention of causing trouble, but left with something else, something… more.

Those cases were much more complicated to fix.

Jaune was in the process of opening up as a boy walked into the room with his chest out and head high. It was unexpected, seeing how even regulars didn't come in for another half-hour. It lett Jaune set up the chairs, ready some of the longer drinks and set up the glasses.

He was tall, even taller than Jaune, which wasn't really as much of an achievement as Jaune would have liked to think. The boy didn't look much older than Jaune, but had a mean scowl on his face, something Jaune didn't regularly see on people his age. Normally the bartender expected to see that kind of look on the older men in their thirties and forties that found life to be so bitter they had to spread it around.

"What're you looking at?" Came the callous question, the boy crossing his arms and staring Jaune down. The blonde raised an eyebrow, tucking his cleaning rag into his pants.

"Something strange," Jaune replied, pointing at the doorway. "I don't usually get customers for another half hour or so."

The orange-haired boy scoffed, keeping his arms crossed and his figure imposing as he stepped closer to Jaune, looming overhead. "I thought you opened during this time. Is coming now a problem?"

Jaune wasn't sure he liked the boy's tone of voice, but reined in any judgments as he nodded, a polite smile appearing on his face. "No sir, that won't be a problem." He said as he flipped over another few chairs, setting them back down on the floor. After one more table of doing that, he walked behind the countertop, holding out a hand. The boy stared at the outstretched fingers, not moving.

"I want a scotch, on the rocks." The boy said plainly, slumping into his chair. Jaune's smile didn't break, but there was a flash of annoyance that ran through his eyes, something he reined in quickly.

"Certainly sir, but I do require identification before I serve you."

The boy puffed up his chest even more, gesturing at the armor he was wearing. Seriously though, who wears armor to a bar? Jaune wondered to himself. Even Pyrrha had the decency to change into suitable wear the first time she came into his bar.

"Come on man, don't you see what I'm wearing? Do you know what that means, Ju-awn?" Jaune's name was mispronounced deliberately, the boy's eyes lingering on the name tag with a sneer on his face. Even so, the bartender kept his smile, shaking his head.

"I don't know anything until I've got an ID in my hands, sir. And the name's Jaune." Again the boy in front of him made a sound of contempt, leaning against the counter. The movement was sudden, and against his will, Jaune jolted just a bit, almost stepping backwards.

"I'm a Hunter, Johnny, so I don't need an ID. What I need is a drink. Scotch, on the rocks." The boy waved his finger in a circle, telling Jaune to hurry it up. Lips pursed tight, Jaune shook his head, convincingly able to pretend that he was regretful that he couldn't serve the kid.

"Actually, if you're a Hunter, sir, then while it's true you wouldn't need a regular license, you would still need to show me your Hunter's license so that I can get you your Scotch. Sir. And please, call me Jaune. Just Jaune."

The boy made an ugly face, leaning forwards until he was inches away from Jaune.

"What part of 'I'm a Hunter' do you not get, Johnny? Who else would be wearing this type of armor?" The boy leaned back and scoffed. "You know, I kept hearing that you were this magical guru that understood people the instant you saw them, but that's just a load of bull, isn't it?"

Closing his eyes briefly, Jaune exhaled, his expression flatter than before when he opened his eyes again. Back a little straighter, Jaune looked the boy straight in the eyes.

"Look. I don't care what you're wearing. Anyone with enough money can buy secondhand armor and put it on, pretending to be a Hunter. So I need your ID, especially if you're underage because I'd rather not be fired and the bar be shut down. Sir." Jaune added in.

The boy let out a snarl and grabbed Jaune by the collar, lifting him off of his feet. As Jaune dangled off the ground, the boy gave a derisive laugh. "Still don't believe me yet, kid? Now, you gonna give me that drink or what? You know what," the boy added as an afterthought, Jaune still hanging from his fist. "For all the trouble that I'm going through right now, make that drink on the house."

The armored dick dropped Jaune, who landed in a crouch, wincing at the sudden impact. Jaune stood up slowly, eyes staying on the boy, treating him as a predator that was ready to pounce, making sure not to show any weakness or fear.

After making sure that he wouldn't be spontaneously lifted up again, Jaune got a little closer to the counter, hands hiding underneath the counter. The pleasant smile appeared on his face again as he did so, his body language relaxed.

"I'm sorry, but threats still don't make you a Hunter sir. I would still require an ID from you, and then I'll happily make a drink for you on the house for all the troubles." The boy rolled his eyes, but finally relented, digging into his pocket and throwing the card at Jaune, who deftly caught it with his left hand. Looking at the card, Jaune tilted it to make sure the holographic seal was showing, then for extra measure, swiped the card in his license reader, making sure that all the correct information was being pulled up on the Valean database. The boy stood there on the other side, tapping his foot impatiently.

"Ah. Well, everything does seem to be in order," Jaune squinted, "Mr. Winchester. Let me get you that Scotch, on the house for all the troubles."

For something so basic, it took less than thirty seconds for the blonde bartender to make the drink, setting it in front of Cardin with a clunk, the coaster muffling the noise somewhat. The Hunter grunted and grabbed the drink the moment Jaune's fingers left it, knocking it back like a shot. Cardin came up coughing, having drunk the scotch too fast, leaving a burning sensation in the back of his throat. Jaune's lips twitched as he fought down a smile, turning around to grab an empty glass to hide the action.

"You know, those things are generally meant to be taken in a little more slowly. You know, enjoy the taste. After all, what's the point of getting scotch if you're not going to savor it?" Jaune pointed out, much to Cardin's displeasure.

"I didn't realize that being a bartender meant that you could tell me how I want to drink. Give me another." Jaune raised a wry eyebrow, crossing his arms.

"Actually it kind of does. The drinks I make here are for you to enjoy, and that means that what you consume here is under my responsibility. So if I think some idiot's guzzling down a liquor, which could potentially kill them, I can very much tell you how to drink."

Suddenly the looming was back, Cardin's scowl getting deeper. "Did you just call me an idiot?" The boy asked. Jaune leaned back a little, this time because the scotch did no favors for the Hunter's breath.

"No. I said that whoever chugs a liquor like that's an idiot. Oh wait a second…" Jaune said, pretending the realize what he had just said. "Maybe you are an idiot."

Cardin roared and shoved Jaune backwards, causing him to stumble and fall, head hitting one of the bottom shelves of the bar behind him. Vision swimming, Jaune didn't see Cardin step around the bar, grabbing Jaune and pulling him up to his feet again.

"You think you're a funny guy, aren't you?"

Jaune's head still swam, so logical self-preservation hadn't been rebooted yet, making him reply back, "Oh wow, you're an angry drunk. Usually it takes more than one drink to get there, but hey, being a lightweight isn't embarrassing." There was a pause, before Jaune added, "Well, not that embarrassing." Which got Cardin to throw Jaune sideways, fortunately landing on the floor, and not on the edge of a seat or table.

"You should think things through a little better next time, Johnny. Do you really think it's a good idea to make a Hunter like me mad?" Cardin had gotten close again without Jaune noticing, although to be honest, Jaune was just trying not to throw up at this point. "You got a death wish or something?"

Jaune mumbled something under his breath, causing Cardin to grab his hair and pull his head up. "If you've got something to say," Cardin breathed out, hot breath washing over Jaune's face. "Say it loud and to my face."

One of Jaune's hands grabbed onto the hand that Cardin was using to grab Jaune. "My name," he seethed out, "Is Jaune."

Winchester sneered at the bartender and yanked on his hair, causing Jaune to cry out. Leaning forward, Cardin whispered into Jaune's ear.

"Who cares what your name is? You're a nobody. Besides," Cardin let out a low chuckle. "Who names their kid Jaune?"

Jaune is a beautiful name, for a beautiful baby boy. My baby boy.

The blonde stopped struggling, falling limp in Cardin's grip. The Hunter tilted his head, wondering what had happened when Jaune started to speak. Or rather, Jaune started to laugh a little, before looking at Cardin.

"You know, it's funny you think that just because you're a Hunter, I have to watch out and be careful about what I do." When Jaune echoed Cardin's look of contempt from a few moments before. "From my point of view, you should be scared of me." Cardin laughed at the declaration, looking at the slumped form he was holding by the hair. For good measure, Cardin shook back and forth, making Jaune grit his teeth in pain, but not scream. After that was finished, Jaune continued to talk, in a calm and collected manner.

"Let me think about this." Jaune said slowly, almost leisurely, as if he wasn't being attacked by a Hunter, his life on the line if he said one wrong word. "Well, I'm pretty sure you just attacked a civilian, which could mean expulsion from Beacon and jail time. And I've swiped your license, so that's a pretty airtight proof that you've been here. Oh, and I just have a feeling that when Glynda, oh sorry I mean, Professor Goodwitch, gets wind about this, she isn't going to just let the authorities take you." A pause. "Or at least, not until she's done something to discipline you as well."

Cardin stood there dumbly, his mind processing the threats that Jaune were giving him. His thoughts were interrupted by Jaune wheezing out another laugh, shaking his head left and right marginally.

"But that's not the reason you should be scared of me right now. No, the reason you should be scared of me right now,"

There was a sharp pain on Cardin's wrist, electric currents traveling throughout his entire body, causing him to lock up all his muscles so tightly that he couldn't even scream in pain, eyes wide as every body part failed him, collapsing onto the floor. Jaune stumbled onto his feet, grinning as he pulled out the taser that he had pulled out of his counter, pressing the button a few times, the sound of electricity flowing through the air.

"Is 'cause I've got a handy taser with me." Aura was a lifesaver, but even it can't really block an electric current going through your body. Luckily though, Aura can respond afterwards, and while a strong enough shock could knock a Hunter out, the taser that Jaune had on hand was only powerful enough to freeze Cardin up for a few seconds, which was evident when he stood back up again, only his heavy breathing evidence of what happened.

"So what now?" Cardin snapped out viciously. "You gonna report me?" Jaune stood there, taser in hand as he considered the question, letting the taser buzz every once in awhile as he did so. Finally Jaune let out a sigh, walking behind his counter and pointing to the seat in front of him.

"Sit." Came the simple command, one that bewildered Cardin, not expecting something like that.

"Wh-"

"Sit." Again came the command, this time firmer, Jaune's eyes more seriously.

Cardin eyed the boy in front of him with suspicion. There was no way after all of that, Jaune was just going to make Cardin sit and not suffer. There wasn't really much of a choice though, and Cardin settled into the seat, wondering what Jaune had in store for him.

The bartender turned around, grabbing a bottle from one of the shelves and ignoring the throbbing pain on the top of his head. Taking out a shot glass, Jaune poured the drink into the glass, as well as a swig of energy drink, handing the shot to Cardin.

"You'll like this one better than the scotch on the rocks that you see in the movies." Jaune waved.

Cardin gaped at Jaune, before looking at the drink.

"Did you poison it?" Came the doubtful reply, Cardin unsure if Aura would help in cases of poisonings.

Jaune arched an eyebrow, crossing his arms. "Yes. I poisoned it with an energy drink. Try it out."

Cardin still didn't look so sure, but took the leap and threw it back, letting it slide down. Blinking back tears, Cardin gasped at the kick, but had to admit that it was a step up from what he had ordered before. Jaune didn't need him to say anything, and quite frankly, wasn't expecting him to say anything. He knew that he had delivered, and that was what mattered. Now it came for the harder part of the business.

"Why'd you come in here, Mr. Winchester?"

"What?"

Jaune knew that the regret on his face was evident, but he shoved it down, deep, deep, deep into his mind. A customer was a customer, even if the customer's a complete douche.

"Why'd you come to this bar Cardin?" Jaune tried again, wincing as he tried to ignore the dripping of the blood that was sliding down his cheek. "I doubt you came in here just for a drink and a fight with a civvie." The scowl came back in full force.

"What's it to you?" Came the gruff reply, dropping the shot glass onto the coaster with a thud. Jaune deftly took the glass and replaced it with another, this one slightly different.

"Well, it's actually quite important to me." Jaune said delicately, watching Cardin take another shot. "You see, depending on your answer, I can decide to call the cops," Cardin winced, "call Professor Goodwitch," An even harder wince, "Or… let you go with a warning." Jaune shrugged, looking at the boy in front of him.

"Wait a second," Cardin said, clutching his head as he tried to take in the options that were given to him. "Are you saying you're going to let me go?"

"Depending on your answer." Jaune said helpfully, which didn't really. The Hunter sitting in front of Jaune looked at him, not really trusting him, but at this point not really having a choice otherwise.

"… I don't think I'm meant to be a Hunter." Cardin finally said, after glancing and making sure that no one had entered the room. Jaune didn't say anything, finally glad that this was getting to the point that he was comfortable with, something that he knew how to handle.

"I'm… the leader of my team. Team CDNL." The boy continued, rubbing his hands together in absence of having another drink. "But I'm not exactly sure why I'm their leader." Cardin scowled, hands clenching into fists. "The Headmaster… chose me. To be some sort of hero to the world. And I was alright with that. The world needs a few more people to fight against the Grimm, and I can do that. But leading a team?" Cardin's fists hammered on the counter, making the shot glass jump in the air. "I'm… aggressive." He admitted reluctantly, to which Jaune nodded to. "I get angry quickly, and I'm wrathful." Cardin shook his head. "All terrible qualities for being a leader."

"So you decide to pick on others instead," Jaune ventured out saying, hoping that he wouldn't set the boy off again. "You think that if you show yourself to be strong, you'll show your team that you can lead them. Because you bully those weaker than you." Cardin winced, but nodded quietly, taking the next shot that Jaune handed to him.

"I guess."

The blonde bartender nodded thoughtfully, fingers drumming against the table. "Do you ever think that your… aggressiveness is exactly the reason why the Headmaster chose you to be leader?"

Cardin put down his drink, an eyebrow raising. "Have you been drinking?" He asked, looking around the try and find empty bottles of liquor. Jaune shook his head, waving his hand in front of Cardin to get his attention back.

"No, think about it. What is Beacon?"

"A… school?" Cardin replied back uncertainly. Jaune snapped his fingers, pointing to the Hunter.

"Exactly. Beacon, as prestigious as it is, is a school for Hunters and Huntresses to learn to be protectors of the world." Jaune poked Cardin's chest, making him recoil in confusion. "Think about it. A school as famous and well known as Beacon is probably a school that knows what it's doing. And I think that there are a lot of lessons that they teach outside of the classrooms."

Cardin nodded, still not sure what Jaune was trying to get at. "Well yeah. We just went to Forever Fall the other day—"

"No, not literally." Jaune waved his hand in exasperation, before stopping to think about it. "Well, I guess literally, but not in the way you're thinking of it!"

He sighed, running his fingers through his hair as he tried to think of a better and more direct way to what he wanted to say.

"What I'm trying to say is that maybe Headmaster Ozpin assigned you to be the leader to teach you a lesson." Jaune paused. "To help show you how to properly lead." He added, still not sure that the dense blockhead was understanding what he was talking about.

Cardin sat there, letting Jaune's words sink in.

Let it be known that not every person accepted into Beacon was a master of the mind.

"So what you're saying is that Professor Ozpin made me a leader… to make me a leader?" Cardin asked.

Jaune made an uncertain noise, "Well, I wouldn't exactly say it that way, but I guess that'll work if you think that's how it works?"

Cardin slumped back into his seat, an angry frown on his face. "I don't get it." He said, his face almost mopey.

"Okay, let's try this," Jaune said, praying that he wouldn't have to keep doing this for the guy. "What traits do you usually think of when you think of a great leader?"

There was silence as Cardin thought about it, before saying, "Calm and firm, but cares about who he's in charge of." Jaune nodded. Now we're getting somewhere.

"Right, and do you care about your teammates?"

"Yes." There wasn't any hesitation in the answer, Cardin's face determined. Bully he might have been, but it was obvious that he was loyal to his teammates. Jaune hummed in thought.

"Alright good. That's one out of the three of being a good leader. And of course, because you care about your teammates, you wouldn't want them to be in a panic and not following orders would you? Especially if you're trying to tell them what's best for them, right?"

Cardin nodded again.

"Good, good. One more question." Jaune said, tapping the countertop in front of him. "Out of the people that you can think of that are good leaders… how many of them are good leaders because they're physically strong, and strut around like they own the place?"

This time, Cardin took a little longer to answer, eyebrows scrunched together as he tried to figure out the answer.

"None."

"None." Jaune agreed. "Or at least, not many. No, the good leaders aren't the ones who need to prove that their the strongest in the room. They're the ones that everyone in the room will know is the strongest, and will be the one that trusts that his teammates will follow him because they know that."

Jaune let one of his hands fall onto Cardin's shoulder, bringing him to meet Jaune in the eyes. "Do you get what I'm saying?" Jaune asked, begging silently that Cardin did.

"Y-yes." Cardin finally said, nodding. "I think I do."

"Good." Jaune said, finally able to relax a little.

"So what you're saying is I have to beat everyone into submission first, so that they never dare question my authority."

"No." Came Jaune's exasperated reply, ready to deliver another lecture before he heard a snicker. Looking up, he saw Cardin smiling, humor in his eyes. "Oh. You were joking." Thank Dust.

"Yeah. I was."

With that taken care of, Cardin stood up, pulling out his wallet and dropping the appropriate amount of lien on the table, hesitating and dropping some more, mumbling something about 'damages', which Jaune took gracefully and without making a fuss.

As the time with Cardin began to close, regulars started to trickle in, ready for their first drinks of the night. Cardin hung around for a little while longer, chatting a little with Jaune, who looked at the boy with wonderment.

There was something in his posture, Jaune thought to himself. Usually no one I talk to changes outright, but… this one. This one's changed a bit, Jaune thought, hoped to himself.

"Jaune? What happened to your head?"

Looking up, Jaune was faced with a concerned Glynda, who had practically flown over to look at the wounded bartender. Cardin froze in fear, eyes leaping from his professor to Jaune, the unspoken message clear in his eyes.

Jaune laughed it off, brushing off the professor's prying fingers. "Don't worry about it Glynda. I slipped and fell, banged my head against a shelf. Cardin here helped me up actually." Jaune said, pointing to the boy, who nodded frantically.

"Oh… Did he now?" The blonde professor looked at Cardin with curious eyes. "Well I'm glad that one of my students was here to help. Thank you Cardin. It would be a shame to see Jaune hurt."

"Y-Yeah, that'd be terrible." Cardin stuttered, eyes looking everywhere but at her. "Listen, I've got to go so I'll see you later, alright?"

"Actually," Jaune said, grabbing onto Cardin's sleeve. "I need to tell you something." Professor Goodwitch got the subtle message, excusing herself for a short while to go to the bathroom, leaving the two boys relatively alone. Jaune waited another few seconds to collect himself before speaking.

"Remember what I've said, alright Cardin? Try and be a good leader and a better person. I can see it in you," Jaune said, shaking a finger. "You're not a bad person if you work on it." Cardin nodded, getting up to leave again before Jaune hooked his fingers into Cardin's collar, bringing his head down so that Jaune could whisper into his ear.

"And if you ever come in here and do this again, I will make sure you wish I reported you here and now, do you understand me?"

Cardin had never felt his heart race in fear as much as it did at this moment, as Jaune manhandled and threatened him. It didn't take long for Cardin to nod quickly, prompting the bartender to let go, Jaune's ever present smile on his face.

"Oh and Cardin?"

The boy flinched again at the question, looking at Jaune.

"A good mother, Cardin." Jaune said, Cardin looking at him with confusion. "A good mother names her kid Jaune."