Chapter 10

A/N: I suppose I should start off with an apology to anyone that has been holding their breath for me to update the story. I wanted to continue, but the lack of direction in where I wanted the story to go combined with other things kept me from coming back to this. But now, it's summer, so hopefully I can find a way to continue or wrap this up depending on what you guys think. I once again apologize. That was very not cash money of me. But either way, please enjoy the new chapter! Reminder that I own nothing!

Velvet was still furious with Cardin, but she tried to keep her cool as she sat in Goodwitch's office. She was still inside the capital building, but Goodwitch had stepped out for a few moments to speak with the council. Despite not being an official member, Velvet guessed that Goodwitch was just as, if not more important as the rest of them.

Velvet took a few moments to glance about the office while she waited. True to the nature of its primary user, everything about the office was a testament to order and cleanliness. Despite the numerous papers and books that lined the shelves, not a single object appeared to be out of place. At the same time, there also appeared to be nothing in the office personalized to Goodwitch at all. There were no pictures of family, no trinkets, no baubles, not even a name plate to put on the front of the desk, which surprised Velvet initially, but she supposed that Goodwitch commanded enough authority that everyone knew where her office was, so there was no need to be redundant.

After a few more minutes of waiting, the door opened and Goodwitch herself stepped in. Velvet stood up subconsciously as she entered.

"Please. Have a seat, Ms. Scarlatina," Goodwitch said as she walked around to the other side of her desk. The office door closed softly behind her.

"Yes, professor," Velvet said, returning to her original position.

"Now," Goodwitch said as she took a seat behind her desk. "Let's begin."

Velvet nodded and gave her report of the mission in detail while Goodwitch took detailed notes on her scroll. Despite it just being the two of them, Velvet noticed that Goodwitch maintained her rigid posture and firm gaze throughout the entirety of it. Velvet supposed that she shouldn't have expected anything else.

Goodwitch listened attentively as Velvet recounted everything that had happened. Once she had finished, her former professor made a few more notes before looking up at Velvet.

"You say that due to your captivity and Mr. Vasilias's injury, Mr. Winchester and Ms. Altan had to fight on your behalf and that of the Councilman in the bandit's headquarters?"

"That's correct," Velvet said.

"I see," Goodwitch typed a few more notes down onto her scroll. "And Mr. Winchester fought for your freedom specifically?"

"Yes, professor."

"And is it also true that he sacrificed himself to save you from the cavern as it collapsed?"

"Yes."

Velvet was confused at the line of questioning. It seemed as though Goodwitch was driving towards a point.

"I must say, I have noticed quite a difference in Mr. Winchester's demeanor as of late."

Velvet was confused even more. Goodwitch was correct of course, but certainly this wasn't information pertinent to the mission report?

"I…suppose that is true professor."

"Indeed. I must say it is a breath of fresh air. My encounters with him have been irksome in the past, but he seems to have found a nice change of pace," Goodwitch said as she set her scroll down and folded her hands on the desk.

Velvet was pretty sure that they were off the book now, and if she didn't know any better, she would've thought that Goodwitch was on the verge of engaging her with small talk.

"I…I think so, too."

"I'm sure you do. Despite his apparent fixation on Mr. Arc during his time at Beacon, I don't recall him ever being particularly kind to you either. However, that seems different to have changed."

"Yes, professor. I believe he certainly has seen the error of his ways. I really think he is trying to be… a more tolerant individual."

"I agree, so perhaps you can enlighten me as to why you are so upset with him?"

Velvet was taken aback. Goodwitch had always possessed an acute knowledge of what went on around her, which was a trait she had exercised considerably back at Beacon. Every member of the student body had firsthand experience with her and her eagle eyes. Very few got away with passing notes or sleeping in class, and when Goodwitch inevitably busted them for it, their punishment had been generous. This led many students to believe that she was secretly a Faunus, as there could be no other explanation as to her amazing cognitive abilities. So, when she brought up Velvet's attitude with Cardin, Velvet was not surprised at all that she had known about it. No, what surprised Velvet was Goodwitch's decision to openly discuss it with her. It was another well-known observation that Goodwitch steered clear of the personal lives of her students, keeping no relationships beyond that of strictly professional. It was her code. And bringing up Cardin to Velvet seemed to be crossing the line a bit.

"I…uh…I'm not sure what you mean, professor," Velvet said uncertainly.

"I am referring to your overt hostility towards him when you returned from your mission. An attitude that I did not see directed toward other members of your team, Ms. Scarlatina," Goodwitch replied without missing a beat.

"Well…" Velvet said. This personal question had come way out of left field, and Velvet knew that she had every right to refuse to answer. It was her business, not Goodwitch's, but at the same time, Velvet needed to vent. And before she knew it, she said her piece.

"He took it upon himself to fight for me in the pit when he should have left," Velvet said. She kept her voice level, but with no small amount of effort. A scowl began to creep onto her features. "The priority was to get the councilman to safety, and Cardin decided to stay behind and jeopardize the mission by fighting more than was necessary. In addition, he also prioritized my safety over his when the cavern collapsed. He forsook the opportunity to save himself by coming to my aid, and almost lost his life as a result."

Goodwitch leaned back slightly in her seat. Hands still folded in front of her. For a moment, she reminded Velvet of Ozpin from her posture.

"Ms. Scarlatina, am I to assume that you would have acted differently had you been in Mr. Winchester's position?"

"I…" Velvet paused. Goodwitch left her stumbling over her words, yet again. Just another superpower of Goodwitch's to be added to the list.

Velvet frowned and thought for a moment. If it had been Cardin at the edge of the pit, Velvet would have stayed to fight for him in a heartbeat. And if she had to choose between him and her making it out of that collapsing cavern, she would have chosen him every time. She would've acted in the exact same manner he had. Velvet slumped her shoulders in defeat. Her ears drooped slightly.

"I would have done the exact same thing," Velvet mumbled.

Goodwitch nodded once. "Even putting brash heroism aside, Mr. Winchester acted in a manner conducive to the mission. You were the leader of the team, Ms. Scarlatina. Had you been lost or left behind, the team would have been left without its commanding member. On the other hand, had Mr. Winchester been lost or left behind, it would certainly be regrettable, but the team would still be left with a functioning leader."

"So, you're saying there is absolutely no reason for me to be angry with Cardin?"

"Of course not," Goodwitch said. "Had he been one of my teammates, I would have pummeled him into the dirt for acting so recklessly."

Velvet could've sworn she saw a hint of a smirk on Goodwitch's face for a moment.

"But what I am saying, is not to be too angry with him. After all, he has saved your life twice today, hasn't he?"

Velvet was speechless.

"This would suggest he seems to have cultivated a high regard for your personal safety, which really makes him a great asset to your team. Someone like that is one you'd rather keep close, wouldn't you say? I wouldn't hesitate to say that he may deserve recognition for his actions."

Goodwitch then stood up from her desk, not even giving Velvet time to digest what she had just said.

"Well, Ms. Scarlatina. I thank you for your report and congratulate both you and your team on a job well done. I recommend that you go and get some rest now. You've more than earned it. I will be in contact with you if there is anything else."

Goodwitch then turned and strode out of the office, leaving Velvet in her chair wondering what in Remnant had just happened.

…

The sun had just begun to dip below the horizon as Velvet walked in the direction of the compound. She walked somewhat slowly as she was still deep in thought. Having a rare talk with Goodwitch certainly had given her a lot to think about. As always, her former professor had been extremely sensible. Velvet had only been focusing on what she thought were the negative parts of Cardin's actions, when she hadn't even bothered on wondering why he did them in the first place. Goodwitch hadn't known, but Velvet could list not just two, but three times now that Cardin had come to her aid. Maybe she was right, maybe Cardin did prioritize her personal safety a great deal.

But what in Oum's name could she have possibly meant by giving him recognition?

Velvet certainly agreed that thanks were in order, but Goodwitch had made it seem as though Cardin deserved more than that. Why she had made such a suggestion, Velvet had no idea. But the more she mulled it over, the more she found herself agreeing. Cardin did deserve a token of Velvet's gratitude, but how could she possibly show her appreciation? Getting him a gift seemed a bit weird, as gifts were usually reserved for special occasions and not really much else. So…what then?

An idea came into Velvet's mind as she arrived at the compound.

…

Cardin roused himself from his nap still feeling tired. Checking his scroll, he saw that he hadn't slept very long, and that it was getting late. Cardin would have loved nothing more than to go back to sleep, but he realized that he had not showered since he had returned from the mission, and he was covered in dirt, sweat, and grime. All were things that he did not feel like sleeping in.

Pulling himself up and out of the bed with a groan, Cardin dragged himself over to the mirror. Removing his shirt and pants that he wore underneath his armor, Cardin looked at himself and saw that in addition to dirt and grime, he also had a number of bruises located all across his body. One of the largest was on his back. It was very tender, and Cardin remembered that as the spot where Kalin had struck him with his weird, purple, aura-cutting semblance-sword. Cardin shuddered at the memory of the dangerous weapon. The sword itself was beautiful and horrifying at the same time. It was a ferocious yet elegant blade that could take your life with so much as a flick of the wrist. Even with his aura, Cardin had almost been cut in half by that thing, and it still had left one nasty bruise.

Cardin activated his aura and felt the bruises slowly disappear with the exception of the one on his back. The aura still helped greatly, but it seemed to have a diminished effect on the bright purple spot where the sword had struck him. Cardin supposed it was a lingering effect from the sword, as the thing seemed like it damaged aura specifically.

Cardin shook his head and grabbed his shower supplies, choosing only to wrap a towel around his waist for covering. He briefly wondered about putting a few more clothes on before going to take a shower; but considering the lack of people remaining in the compound and how close his room was to the showers, Cardin decided to risk it. He was too tired to put more clothes on anyway.

In nothing more than his towel, Cardin opened the door to his room and glanced out into the hallway. Seeing no one coming, Cardin quickly left his room and darted over to the showers. Entering the nearest stall, Cardin took his time warming up the water and cleaning his body. All the caked-on dirt eventually came loose and washed down the drain, and Cardin exhaled with relief as he began to feel clean again.

After finishing his shower routine, Cardin stood under the hot water for a few more minutes just to relax. Finally having time to think, his thoughts drifted to the events that occurred earlier that day. Everything had gone well, all things considered. The councilman had been rescued alive and well, and no team members had suffered any lasting injuries. A perfect mission. So why did he feel like something was wrong?

Oh yeah, Velvet was also extremely pissed at him. Right.

Cardin shook his head. In the end, he understood why Velvet had been angry with him. If he had been in her shoes, he would have felt the exact same way. But he wasn't, and he would do it all again in a heartbeat if he had the chance.

Cardin was still thinking as he turned off the shower and dried himself off. He was so deep in thought that he did not bother to check to see if the hallway was clear or not before stepping out.

…

Velvet rehearsed what she was going to say as she strode down the hall toward Cardin's room.

"Ok," she mumbled to herself. "Just walk right up, knock on the door, and say—"

She was suddenly stopped short as she bumped into someone from behind. She had been so deep in thought that she had not noticed another person in the hallway.

"Oh, excuse me…" Velvet trailed off as she realized who she had just bumped into. She recognized that bright orange hair anywhere.

"Nah, it's my fault," Cardin said as he turned around. "I wasn't really paying—Velvet!"

Cardin took a half step backward in surprise as recognition came over his features.

Velvet quickly tried to remember what she had wanted to say, but her brain short-circuited when she realized that Cardin was standing naked in front of her with nothing but a towel to prevent him from completely exposing himself. The temperature in the hallway suddenly felt much warmer for some reason, and yet Velvet stood completely frozen, unable to tear her eyes away from his upper half. Oum, did the human body even have that many muscles?

Cardin did not seem to notice that he was less than presentable at the moment, and scratched the back of his head like he wanted to get something off of his massive, extremely broad, very toned chest…

"I uh…look," Cardin said looking at her. "I'm sorry for acting recklessly today. I know it ended up working out and all, but I guess I really didn't think about how it affected you. So, I guess the next time I want to go do something stupid, I'll try to give you a heads up, ok?"

"Uhhhhh…."

"Velvet?" Cardin finally caught wind of her dazed demeanor. "You feeling ok?"

Velvet was currently running her eyes down Cardin's abdominal muscles one by one. Her gaze was about to drift lower when Cardin finally caught wind of the situation. His reaction was to turn bright red and quickly turn away in embarrassment. In Velvet's current state, she was annoyed that he had broken her line of sight, but she forgot all about it when she saw that Cardin's back was just as chiseled as his front. Her gaze turned hazy again, but the charm was broken as she saw a massive bruise just under his left shoulder blade. She frowned, then instantly blushed as she too became aware of the position they were both in. She shook her head irritatedly and pushed her embarrassment aside. She had come here for a purpose, and by Oum she wasn't going to wait any longer.

"Cardin, whatever you have planned for tomorrow afternoon, cancel it," she ordered.

Cardin looked confusingly over his shoulder.

"Uh, what for?"

"Because I said so!"

Cardin lifted his eyebrows in response.

"Oh uh, ok then. Do I need to wear my armor or…?"

"No, wear your regular clothes."

"I…ok."

An awkward silence settled between the two of them, and Velvet realized that there was nothing she could do to try and salvage the dignity of the situation, so she turned on her heel and strode away purposefully, leaving a very confused and very naked Cardin behind her.

A/N: Alright! Another one in the books! Please let me know if you have anything you'd like to see in the story as well as leave any tips to help me improve my writing. I'd like to think I'm only getting better, but I am certainly not the best judge of that. Until next time!

-ImpulsiveWeaver