The Forever Fall Forest was not a place Jaune would have imagined a detention taking place, yet here he was. The deep red leaves rustled in the charcoal black trees as their fallen kin scrunched under Jaune's feet, all the same shade as the crimson grass. A small stack of glass jars sat off to the blonde's side as he used his sword to make another cut on one of the thicker trees and held the jar below as sap slowly oozed into its new home.
Rolling his shoulders Jaune let out another of what had been several groans as he stared at the white crate he'd brought his jars out in. 'Thirty empty jars in the box, thirty empty jars...' He sing songed in his head, eyeing the seven he'd managed to fill so far with a grimace. 'It feels like I've been here forever...' He thought despondently.
Around him the Forever Fall remained as silent as it had since Professor Goodwitch had dropped them off. The combat instructor had sent each member of JNPR off in a separate direction so they couldn't help one another and told them to watch out for Grim before leaving them to it. Suffice to say Jaune wasn't enjoying her hands off approach any more than he enjoyed her lecturing him on the finer points of fighting.
As his jar slowly filled itself the young Huntsmen in training couldn't help but ruminate on the unfairness of the situation. 'Its not like I started the food fight, and Cardin's the one being a jerk, if everyone just left it alone I could have dealt with it,' He thought. Glancing around the crimson forest Jaune tried to guess where Pyrrha was, he knew which direction she went off in but...
'Chances are she's already done and now looking to help her charity case,' He thought dismally. Jaune tried not to let it show, a guy couldn't act weak like that, but Cardin's insult bothered him. The fact so many students simply passed over him when he went up to spar or was asked a question bothered him. The fact that not only the teachers but his own team seemed to kno- think he couldn't handle things bothered him. 'I'm meant to be a hero, not some damsel, I don't need anyone's help!' If they all just left it alone and stopped trying to baby him Jaune knew he'd catch up, he just had to!
In the quiet of the forest Jaune heard a twig snap and the faint padding foot falls of someone approaching from behind. Turning his head Jaune said, "Pyrrha I'm fine, I don't need a- Ursa!" Jaune fell to his side just in time for the towering black furred Grim's meaty paw to swipe through where his head had been, tearing the tree apart and sending it crashing to the ground.
"Rrra Raaaaa!" It seethed as Jaune skidded away from the spiky beast. He wasn't fast enough though as it back-pawed him across the face and sent him rolling across the ground. The Ursa charged at him again, its speedy trundle almost looking comedic if he weren't staring in horror at the creature reared back for another swing. On instinct Jaune lashed out with his sword and sliced the Grim across the belly. 'Yes!'
The cut was shallow thought and the Ursa's attack didn't stop. As its massive paw hurtled towards him Jaune grabbed his shield and flicked the switch, the metal sheets slid out as he brought it up to his side but only got halfway before the Ursa's paw slammed into his frame sending shock-waves through his body. Jaune was sent flying once again, bouncing a along the ground, ears ringing and vision blurring as he crashed up against a tree with a nasty crack!
Jaune's fingers tore through the grass as he pushed himself up and looked at his...opponents? 'OK, two Ursa, I got this. Once they stop spinning I got thi-'
The ringing in Jaune's ears did not deafen him enough that he missed the crack of gun-fire nearby and in an instant a spear exploded through the back of both Ursa's heads and the fuzzy duo faded back into one just in time for Jaune to see its limp body hit the ground with a thump before scattering like ash and leaving no sign it was ever there.
"Jaune are you all right?!" Called Pyrrha frantically as she ran to his side, summoning her spear back into her hand as she passed by the sight of her latest victory.
"Py- Pyrrha I'm fine," He said, trying to slip out of her grasp as she pulled him to his feet and began inspecting his battered body. "You know I had that in hand right?"
She stared at him wide eyed and clearly disbelievingly before showing one of her soft smiles as she nodded and said, "Of course, sorry for stealing your moment."
Waving his hand dismissively Jaune said, "Don't worry about it, I'll save you next time OK?"
"I look forward to it," Pyrrha said chuckling a little and Jaune hated that he wasn't sure if she was laughing at the joke or him coming to save her. Jaune was pulled from his reverie when Pyrrha patted him on the shoulder and said, "Jaune, I need to get back to my area of the forest, call if you need anything and... Could you meet me on the dorms roof tonight?"
The first year dorms of Beacon were tall, grand and very... boxy, building Coco had always thought. All built like mansions the grey and orange stone buildings were neatly spaced out with tidy white paths and gardens. But tonight, she and Fox weren't there as exterior decorators, though Coco did have more than a few suggestions in mind should someone have asked. No, they were partners on a mission, the brunette smirked as she fondled a fist sized metal ball in the palm of her hands, thumb running over the blue button.
"Yatsuhashi, can you confirm targets presence?" Fox asked into his Scroll. She and Fox were keeping low, ducking beneath the ground level windows and hiding behind shrubbery when necessary as they shot across Beacon's campus as the broken moon shone its silvery light down upon them.
"Confirmed, all targets present, accounted for and in place. They don't suspect a thing," Answered the warrior.
"Good work Yatsuhashi, now get out of there and let us take it from here," Coco whispered as she and Fox pressed themselves up against the corner of the first year dorms.
"Done, good luck you two," Said Yatsuhashi before Fox's Scroll line went dead.
Just as Coco was about to dart around the corner and launch her 'surprise' right into CDRL's open window she felt Fox's hand come down on her shoulder. "One's at the window," He whispered roughly.
Coco edged one eye around the corner and there he was, Cardin Winchester. The leader of team CDRL's back was against the open windows edge as he rested one leg up and looked out across Beacon Academy with that same smarmy smugness Coco had come to expect from him.
"Of all the nights he decided to sit out there and contemplate his navel he has to pick this one?" She hissed, ducking back around the corner.
"Is the mission still a go?" Fox whispered.
Coco shrugged and said, "Yeah I don't see why not, its not like we were planning on getting away with this anyway. It won't be as much fun if they know its coming but it'll still be worth a laugh and hopefully teach them some manners." And if they got detention, well Coco, Fox and Yatsuhashi didn't care, even if they weren't assigned with Velvet it still meant team CFVY were being punished together and had shown one did not mess with their team.
"I forgot to ask, but when did you have time to make a paint bomb like this?" Fox asked.
"Hm? Oh in shop, I had some spare time after maintenance and no one was watching the spare parts bin so I helped myself. Also its paint-grenade Fox, I'm not messing with these jerks I'm making a statement," Coco said.
"Fair enough," Fox said, sniffing the air, "You added some spices too."
"Nothing too evil," Coco retorted.
"I wasn't criticizing," Fox added and she could tell by her partners tone he was grinning a little. "Though perhaps give it a minute?"
"Why?"
"Some people, Jaune and Pyrrha, are talking on the roof, its not going well but I think it would be best if we didn't interrupt," Fox answered.
"What are they talking about, their 'not relationship'?" Coco asked.
"Pyrrha's offering to train him and Jaune is... not fond of the idea. Oh my, it seems he snuck into Beacon with false-transcripts," Fox said. He didn't sound particularly shocked, but then Coco rarely heard her partner inflect and she was a little to busy squeezing her grenade in a death-grip to care.
"How is he even alive if he pulled that?" Coco hissed. 'Turning down training, from a champion, his partner after sneaking in, what the crap!? Does he want to die!?'
"He says he doesn't want to be the damsel in distress he wants to be the hero," something snapped under Coco's very expensive boots. "He's sick of being the one stuck in a tree while his friends fight for their lives. He wants to do it alone and... Now he's told Pyrrha to leave him alone... I think I hear Cardin moving about."
"That little, does he even get what being at Beacon means? What being a leader means? I'll give that blonde an earful," Coco hissed.
"Maybe I should talk to him?"
Coco glanced at Fox who was staring at her completely seriously, his scarred lips forming a simple line. "I think I'm a bit more... communicative than you Fox."
"Maybe, but I can get him to listen," Fox answered.
"Fine, go nuts, but if he ignores you I'm giving him a piece of my mind. I'll chuck this in when it seems like you're done,' Coco said.
"Don't have all the fun without me," Fox answered and in a single blurred jump he was gone.
Jaune rubbed his arm and tried to banish the disappointed look Pyrrha had sent him from his mind. He was making the right call, he had to be, if he got help he wasn-
"Jaune," Said a scratchy voice.
"Huh!?" Jaune spun around and found Fox of team CFVY to be sitting on the ledge of the roof, arms resting on his knees and his white eyes staring unwaveringly at Jaune's face. "Uh, hey, Fox right? How-ya doing, just taking an evening, um, roof... walk?" Jaune asked uncertainly. 'I have no idea how to talk to this guy,' Jaune thought.
"Something like that," He answered quickly. "Coco and I heard your and Pyrrha's talk."
Jaune sucked in a breath and whispered, "Fox, please, please don't tell anyone, I , I can-"
"Relax, we aren't interested in ratting you out," Assured the older Huntsmen, rocking back in his seat. "Coco has more than a few things to say to you but I thought you might be more willing to talk to me."
"Uh, about what?"
"About acknowledging the need for help from others, even at the expense of one's pride," Fox answered without missing a beat.
"Oh, not you too! Fox, I went over this, what's the point in me being here if I can't make it on my own? I'll just be that loser who needs help all the time." Jaune knew he'd set Fox up for a zinger right there but the boy didn't take it and remained silent. Sighing Jaune said, "Look, I appreciate that people want to help me, but I don't wanna be that guy, I wanna be a hero."
"And of course heroes have never needed any assistance from others in the past. The thousands of Huntsmen and Huntresses that worked in teams and fought in wars with their comrades before us were all... What?" Fox asked speculatively.
"That is not what I meant OK? Being in a team and always needing help are too different things. How am I ever going to earn my place here if Pyrrha's helping me along all the way?" Jaune reasoned.
"How are you going to do so without help? We have classes for a reason, teams and fellow students to work with, its hardly unusual for us to help one another or train together," Fox retorted.
"But it wouldn't be training together, she'd be training me! I don't have anything to give yet so its just charity!" He seethed. Fox remained nonplussed, completely expressionless like a marble statue with scars. Waving his hands Jaune groaned and said, "Oh why would I expect you to get it, you're from team CFVY, one of the best combat teams in Beacon, I kidna doubt you've ever had trouble with anything here."
"Jaune, you do remember I'm blind don't you?" Fox asked, the faintest quirking of his face as if he found needing to remind someone of that fact amusing.
Waving his hands, only to realize how pointless that was, Jaune said, "No, no, sorry I, uh, its just you never... Like, it never seems to get in the way..."
"You'd be surprised," Fox answered quietly. "Jaune I've trained long and hard to get where I am today and I have every intention of going further still. Yes, I am what many would consider strong, but even from my first day, even now I still have to rely on my team because there are certain things I simply 'can't' do..."
Fox let his sentence hang there for a second and Jaune felt his chest tightening as his mind went to war. He was torn between one side acknowledging the older boy's words and the other half convinced he still wasn't being understood, that he was still being talked down to.
"It can be, vexxing at times..." Fox said carefully, almost like the words themselves were fragile and hard to process. Jaune's eyebrows shot up at that and he stared silently as he waited for Fox to continue. Clasping his hands Fox said, "It can be incredibly frustrating, even down-right embarrassing when I need to ask for help. Even now when they know what to do off by heart some part of me can sometimes rankle under this disability and the road blocks it puts in my way. But I would never doubt that my team respect me as their equal. I would never not welcome their assistance because not only are they my team but they're my friends and there is nothing we wouldn't do for one another."
Sighing Fox continued, "Perhaps this won't make sense but... Jaune, you said you wanted to be a hero, but you aren't strong enough, not yet, you could be though, but here's what you need to understand," Fox said, his voice growing rough. "This is not about you," He said bluntly.
Before Jaune could even think of speaking Fox pushed on, rising to his feet and sweeping his hand passed Jaune. "Its not just about you, its not about me, its not about your partner or any one team, let alone pride or our dreams Jaune. Its about the people out there," He said, pointing to Vale. "Out in the field your team will rely on you and you on them, the same is true for anyone else you work with and even more from people we are supposed to protect. Every last soul down there sleeps peacefully because Hunters spend their lives battling the Creatures of Grim and in that war we have to use every resource available and we have to be able to rely on one another, protect one another."
He spun around and began slowly walking back from whence he came and said, "Jaune, if you're willing to let your dreams and your pride keep you from taking any and every opportunity that comes your way to help you serve your team and protect the people... You will never become half the hero you want to be."
Jaune felt his shoulders sag and his head droop causing him to miss Fox's exit. Slowly Jaune turned and stared, first at the giant silver towers of Beacon with their luminescent emerald lights. 'This is where I came to achieve my dream... to become a hero...' Slowly Jaune spun around and looked over Vale, hands balling into fists as Fox's words resounded in his mind. 'No one soul is an island unto them self.' The words flashed through Jaune's mind, something that spilled from Professor Oobleck's mouth during a lecture that only just registered now.
"What sort of hero... do I want to be?" Jaune asked himself. Turning his gaze to the floor he thought about how Pyrrha had come to his aid in the forest when she had no reason or motive to. He thought about the stories he'd heard a hundred times over of hectic battles and selfless sacrifice and bravery. Finally he said, "Well, a good one I guess... and probably also an honest one," He added. Resolve steeling Jaune looked up and marched down the stairs to his dorm room, so frantic was his pace and so loud were his strides and heartbeat he totally missed what happened the moment his shoe hit the stair well.
"I think I helped," Fox said idly.
"Good thing you did or I'd have been twisting his ear off by now. All right lets get this show on the road," Coco uttered and the duo proceeded to shoot out from their cover. Sliding across the pavement outside CDRL's now closed window Coco dropped the grenade into Fox's hand.
He looked at her surprised and he heard the girl click her tongue as she said, "I made it, you throw it, sounds fair." She then stepped forward and Fox drew his arm back, thumb pressing down on the button as Coco shouted, "Hey jerks, we got something for ya!"
Fox threw his arms forward, the outline of Beacon's dorm rooms solidified in his mind through touch and presence in his Aura. He heard the first instantaneous crack of the window before it exploded from the force and the surprised screeches of four voices shrieking.
"Oh yeah, ten points ya filthy trash!" Coco shouted as the grenade ticked once and then exploded with a boom, followed by the violent sound of somehting like water slapping against walls and skin alike.
"Aaaah!"
"Oh gods the smell!"
"My hair!"
"Its in my eyes, why is it in my god-damn eyes!?"
"We should go," Fox muttered.
"Sure," Coco said, chuckling as they ran. "Velvet's gonna be tiiiiicked."
"I'm sure we'll hear all about it during detention," Fox said.
"Never looked forward to that so much in my life."
"... And that's about it," Jaune said, hands nervously tapping against his sides as he watched his silent team mates. Nora was half dangling off her own red quilted bed, Ren was leaning against the window and Pyrrha was seated at her desk just a little further away from everyone else.
They were all deadly silent.
It was only for a second but it seemed to drag on for eternity and Jaune needed to fill the void, which may have led to some repetition. "I'm sorry, I shouldn't have lied to you guys and Pyrrha... I'm sorry for how I acted... I won't hold it against you if you guys want to take this to Ozpin or tell me to leave."
"You already know how I feel Jaune, I haven't changed my mind in the ten minutes since we talked," Pyrrha said. She sent him one of her kind, almost matronly smiles and shed a tinkling little chuckle. But then her face grew sombre and her eyes fell upon Nora and Ren. Nora was looking at the floor, cheeks puffing out while Ren had simply folded his arms and kept his gaze firmly on the same bit of carpet as Nora.
"Ren, Nora, I-" Pyrrha started, but Jaune held up his hand and shook his head, eyes begging for silence. 'If they make their decision, I want to know it was theirs,' Jaune thought, nothing else would assuage his troubled mind.
Nora hummed, slapped her hands against the floor and front flipped from her bed to the floor. In an instant she was bare centimetres from Jaune's face, her wide, electric eyes staring into his own. Her head tilted, weaved and wobbled, Jaune tried to match her movement while silently gulping down his nervousness. 'What does this mean!?' He silent screamed.
"OK!" Nora cheered, and like that she sprung back from him, hands behind her back and a cheery smile on her face as Nora threw herself onto her bed and began bouncing.
"OK?... That's it?" Jaune asked, practically gaping as his hands grasped futility for the train of logic his, apparently still team mate's mind followed.
"OK means OK, silly! I mean yeah you told a lie to get in here but you also helped us with the Deathstalker, if you'r a bit behind oh well you just need to run for a bit and catch up! Heck, I'm doing bad in history! Can you believe that!?"
"Heh, I think that's because you were doodling on Professor Oobleck's assignment Nora," Ren said.
"Nah," Nora said, "Doctor Oobleck said he really liked my passion and energy, it was just my accuracy that was the problem. Ah well..."
Jaune wanted to laugh and lose himself in the easy camaraderie of his team but he still needed one more answer. Turning to Ren, Jaune said, "So..."
"So what?" Ren said, pushing off from the wall the pink eyed boy strolled passed Jaune, only slowing to clap him on the shoulder as he passed. "Nora's right, you practically led us through that Deathstalker battle and so long as you want to improve and work at it there's no reason you shouldn't be here. I'm happy to have you as our leader, Jaune."
Sniffing Jaune ran the black sleeves of his uniform across his eyes and said, "You guys!"
"Team Group hug!" Nora commanded.
All things considered Jaune's night had gone extremely well. Pyrrha had been ecstatic that he wanted to take her up on the tutoring offer and Ren had even suggested making it a team thing. It had been odd when Nora cut that suggestion down to only a few nights a week but Jaune guessed she had plans for herself and Ren on those nights. Pyrrha had seemed a little red faced during that part of the discussion though, Jaune hoped she wasn't coming down with anything.
JNPR's mood only improved when they found out "someone" had apparently pranked team CDRL. The re-pungent smell of the boys and their room was an easy thing to shrug off when they still clearly had blue paint on their faces and were none too happy about it. Even better, Jaune knew he was overdue for Cardin messing with him again yet hadn't scene hide nor hair of the boy all morning. But of course, no good thing lasts forever and the end of the good times was signalled by Professor Goodwitch marching up to them at lunch, her be-speckled gaze falling disapprovingly on Jaune.
"Mr, Arc, you and your team are requested in Headmaster Ozpin's office to discuss your... enrolment," She said harshly. Nora and Velvet gasped while everyone else at the table fell silent as they stared up at their teacher.
"Professor, I assure you-" Pyrrha started.
"Miss Nikos, your input is not requested here, this is an order," Professor Goodwitch said.
"Hey can we come too? Beacon solidarity and all that?" Coco cut in.
"No, this is a matter for JNPR's ears alone," Professor Goodwitch clarified.
"Hmm, you said everyone in the food fight was lucky the headmaster was busy right?" Coco asked, not even waiting for an answer she continued, motioning to Fox and Yatsuhashi as she said, "The three of us are the one's that trashed CDRL's room."
"You did!?" Velvet screeched.
"And Velvet had nothing to do with it," Coco clarified.
Rolling her eyes Professor Goodwitch merely beckoned them along with a sharp gesture and the two teams followed her silently on the long march to Beacon's central tower.
They arrived just in time to hear the silver elevator 'ding!' only for Cardin, a streak of blue paint on his face, marching out of the elevator with a nasty grin on his face the moment he laid eyes on Jaune. "Hope you enjoyed your last night here," Cardin said.
"Mr Winchester, return to your class at once," Professor Goodwithc ordered with a single sharp wave of her riding crop.
"Yes ma'am," He muttered as he slipped his hands into his dark pants and tried to muscle his way passed Yatsuhashi only to be brushed aside as the taller boy walked forward to join everyone else in the elevator.
Cardin's minuscule embarrassment though was completely overshadowed by the cold sweat that had broken out on Jaune's entire frame. He could feel his ribs shuddering and lungs straining to suck in air as Pyrrha's hand rubbed circles on his shoulder. 'Its over, Cardin heard, he heard, I'm so screwed!' Jaune thought as he stared at the elevator buttons, idly wishing he could just press them all to slow the descent to his inevitable doom.
"Jaune, I'm sure it will be fine, we'll explain to Headmaster Ozpin, we'll reason with him," Pyrrha said. Her tone however was nervous and shakier than Jaune had ever heard it outside of the Deathstalker fight.
"Yeah and if that doesn't work we can bribe him," Nora whispered, "I think I know his weakness."
On the other side of the elevator CFVY were having their own dialogue.
"To be fair Coco," Fox whispered, "They were being very loud."
"I didn't hear them," She hissed back.
"Well your gun is really loud," Velvet offered, ears twitching a little as she spoke.
"I am not, going deaf," Coco said bluntly, just as the elevator dinged to announce their presence. "What was that?"
"There will be no more tomfoolery in the Headmasters presence, all of you. You will not speak unless spoken to. Am I understood?" Professor Goodwitch said, looking over her should to give them all a dose of her icy stare.
"Yes professor," They all murmured with little enthusiasm.
Slowly JNPR followed Professor Goodwitch and CFVY into the headmasters office, the older team looking almost at home in the grand place. All around them giant clock gears spun, on the ceiling, under see-through emerald flooring, even the silver haired Headmasters desk and chair looked to be made up of gears. the faint clunking and ticking noises creating an eerie sense of unreality.
Headmaster Ozpin sat in a tall curved chair that vaguely looked like the spine of some alien creature. Somehow Jaune was reminded of the Deathstalker's tail. He was in his usual green high neck shirt and black jacket, fingers steeped as he surveyed the group from over his tiny spectacles as steam wafted off his coffee mug.
"Good morning everyone," He said. The man's voice was smoother than last Jaune remembered it almost jovial even but just a little too empty for true humour. "I am sorry to call you away from lunch but a student brought to my attention something he felt I should address sooner rather than later. But first, Team CFVY, how can I help you?"
"Well kicking Cardin into the depths of the Emerald Forest would be a start," Coco offered.
"Miss Adel," Professor Goodwitch hissed before stepping forward. "Miss Adel, as well as Fox and Yatsuhashi admitted to being the one's who 'pranked' team CDRL's room last night."
"I see, a serious matter to confess to, but I am pleased you were honest enough to come forward," He answered, smiling a little at the team. "I believe a weeks detention is sufficient enough, you can help Velvet with her project."
"Yes sir," Yatsuhashi answered solemnly. Fox merely nodded and Coco gave a cheery little salute and said, "We'll tell you all about it during our next debriefing sir."
"I look forward to it," He answered, nodding at CFVY's leader. "Now then, Mr Arc, leader of team JNPR and first year at Beacon Academy after having helped retrieve a relic in the Emerald Forest and aided his future team mates in defeating a Deathstalker. Is all of that accurate?"
"Uh, yes?" Jaune said, gulping a little, and tilting his head in confusion, Did he dare hope?
"Well then, while there are appears to have been some, shall we say confusion, regarding the information placed on your transcripts which I am sure can be corrected, you did technically pass the initiation to enter Beacon," Headmaster Ozpin said simply.
'Yes! Yes! Best Headmaster ever!' Jaune thought, grinning at the older man.
"However," Ozpin said, not harshly but with the sort of weight and presence one only gets through seniority and position.
'Why is there always a however!?' Jaune thought.
"You did enter Beacon under false pretences and were assigned a team because of that. Given the necessity for trust and ability to assist one another in teams I have decided that the decision should be placed in their hands, rather than my own. So then, Nora, Ren, Pyrrha, do you wish for Mr Arc to stay on as your leader? Be removed from Beacon, or perhaps placed in a remedial position?"
"We want him to stay!" Pyrrha said forcefully, before clasping her hand over her mouth and gasping silently. "I apologize, Headmaster but Jaune already plans on training his combat skills with us."
"And he told us all of this last night and we assured him we still welcomed him as our leader and team mate," Ren finished.
"And we'll fight anyone who says otherwise!" Nora added, punching the air excitedly as she hopped around like a boxer.
"Marvellous, and the fact you are seeking out aid from your team is very reassuring," Ozpin said. "With that out of the way and your physical education in good hands there is still the matter of these forged transcripts," The headmaster said, sounding bemused and almost playful. "I'm sure you can imagine the annoyances of paperwork such as this so I thought you might be willing to attend a few after school classes with Professor Oobleck to brush up on a few subjects and to maybe assist him with the filing. He's been quite insistent on helping with the budget this year and I feel he could use an extra set of hands."
A few weeks of helping one of the nicer teachers shuffle paper with some studying as punishment for lying his way into Beacon? Jaune was more than happy to accept that trade! "Yes sir, I'll be the best assistant he ever had!"
"That's good to hear, well then, I don't want to keep any of you longer than necessary and each and everyone one of you has busy days ahead of you. Professor Goodwitch if you would be so kind as to ensure they make it to class without any detours?"
"Of course headmaster, come along children," Tutted the blonde professor, leading them along like they were a procession.
"So uh what's your detention, project thing Velvet, you've been kind of vague about it," Coco asked.
"Oh, well I'm doing some extra work on weapons and that sort of thing as part of a larger project Professor Goodwitch is overseeing," She said, surprisingly cheerfully. Her team looked at the professor who did not turn around or acknowledge her presence in the discussion. "But my detention is actually in the library."
"Now that," Fox said, "is funny."
The much more jovial teams soon exited the elevator only to find Cardin leaning up against a nearby wall whistling and tapping his leather shoes against it.
"Mr Winchester," Professor Goodwitch said, scowling, "Do not place your feet on the walls." She snapped, and with the slash of her hand the boys foot was dragged from its place and slapped against the floor.
"Right, sorry professor, just thought I'd say bye to Jauney... boy?" He trailed off as he looked at the happy teams and in particular smiling Jaune, Grimacing he ground out, "What happened?"
"Headmaster asked his team whether they wanted him to stay, they said, yes, given he passed initiation that should have been enough really," Coco said. Cardin gaped and looked ready to spit, growling he stepped forward only for Coco to speak again. "Say how'd you boys like my handiwork? I can always show you other examples of my engineering skill," She said, clicking her tongue.
"That was you!?" Cardin roared. "I stink like rotten eggs and chilli you twit! Please tell me they have to clean up the mess they made of our room!" He bellowed at Professor Goodwitch as he thrust an accusing finger in CFVY's direction.
Sliding her spectacles up to the bridge of her nose Professor Goodwitch hummed. "It would only be Coco, Yatsuhashi and Fox given their decision to exclude Miss Scarletina from their pranking habits. However I can see the worth in such a chore, though I imagine they would need a certain amount of... autonomy."
"Uh.. autonomy?" Cardin asked wearily, suddenly looking much less pleased by the idea of CFVY cleaning his dorm room.
Coco rubbed her gloved hands while Fox and Yatsuhashi cracked their knuckles and necks respectively and said, "Oh yeah it'd be a big job, I put a lot of work into that baby you see, no telling what we might need to chuck in the garbage. But hey, how about we make some adjustments to your guys living space, just to show there's no hard feelings," She said, grinning like a shark that had found its pray to be particularly slow and meaty. "I mean, there's just so many little machines and additions one can make to a room without anyone being the wiser, but I'm sure they'd improve the ambience," Coco chuckled.
"You know what, we sort of have our own thing going on there, an order to the stuff, wouldn't want you guys messing that up," Cardin said, slowly walking backwards and shaking his head.
"Perhaps you should all attend your classes now?" Professor Goodwitch cut in.
"Yes ma'am!" They all said in unison.
"Excellent, and don't forget, all of you have detention this evening."
The following yes ma'am was a little less enthusiastic but each student quickly filed out with Professor Goodwitch following behind them, presumably in case of any shenanigans. But really, Jaune just wanted to soak in the sun a little and bask in the lack of weight on his shoulders, he knew what came next might be gruelling but at-least he could face it head on now, with his team at his side.
'My first year at Beacon is really looking up,' He thought happily.
Notes:
So this is the end of the JNPR side story, hopefully it showed how JNPR got along in this changed world. As it stands I only have a few scenes and notes for future RWBY centric side stories but I would very much like to write them how long that takes is uncertain though so hopefully this side story has been fun.
I confess this was a tricky story as a lot of it involved balancing Jaune's positive traits with his early canon flaws and trying to reach a resolution slightly different from the original series,hopefully that worked and all the characters were well represented.
As always comments questions and critiques are welcome, thanks for reading!