Not this time, Fate

by Coeur Al'Aran

When Jaune woke up back in his house with his sisters and family, all he could do was sigh. Every time he died he was forced to start over again, and this was what... the one thousandth time? More? If it doesn't matter how hard he tries, doesn't matter how much he fights. Then maybe it's time to just kick back and enjoy himself. Fate can find someone else to be its whipping boy.

21. Chapter 21

Argh what a crazy month this is for me. I have a two week holiday coming up from work, which is nice, but in the magazine industry you need to work in advance. Obviously a January issue needs to be on the shelf on Jan 1st, but since the printers, couriers, and your own staff stop much earlier than that, you need to have everything done before that point.

It basically means where in every other month I get four weeks to write five magazines, for this one I get only two. So I feel like I'm trying to fit a square block through a circular hole, except that the square block is the work that needs to be done, and the circle is my ass hole.

"Push harder damn it!"

P.s. New image is a new one, but by same artist.

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Beta: College Fool

Cover Art: A Stuck at Home Tome

Chapter 21

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Beacon had its familiar charm, even if his presence there was forced this time. It was hard to hate the walls and furnishings of a place he considered home. Laid on his bed with arms crossed beneath his head, Jaune pretended to be dozing off as he listened to the fruits of his labour.

"White Fang recruitment ring shut down in Vale," Blake read, eyes wide, "Reports indicate a Huntsman assault on an abandoned warehouse in the industrial district led to several White Fang supporters being captured, including evidence of intensive recruitment activities in the local area."

Qrow moved fast. He supposed he should have expected that. It had only been two days since he'd made that call, but the man wouldn't have let something like that slip away from him. Within their dorm room it was just the three of them, Yang having chosen to spend her Saturday back in Patch with her father and sister, promising to be back sometime today. Beacon officially reopened on the Saturday, which was why many students returned, to take advantage of the room and board.

In an ideal world it would have been better if he could have made it so that Qrow found the Paladins. That would have shut down not only the Fang, but also removed some of their biggest tools in the breach. The problem was knowing when and where those were, and at what time Roman transported them to the warehouse. He'd worked for Roman, but the guy wasn't foolish enough to share that kind of information. This would have to do for now.

"Nice to see the local authorities are stepping up," Weiss coughed, sniffling slightly as she rubbed a tissue against her red nose. She glared at him across the room, just as a quick reminder of who she blamed for the cold. At least it wasn't as bad as yesterday, in which he'd felt guilty enough to be roped into fetching her meals and tea all day.

"Did you think they would just ignore terrorists?" Jaune asked, hiding a small smile. It sounded like such a silly notion, yet wasn't that just what they had done? In truth it hadn't… Ozpin, Ironwood and the rest of their people had been keeping close tabs on the rise of the faction, but that wasn't something that had been obvious to them at the time. More importantly, it hadn't been obvious to Blake.

One eye cracked open as he looked towards the faunus, checking her reaction. Blake's eyes were wide as she continued to read the scroll, yellow eyes slowly shifting from one side of the page to the other. She looked healthy, however. No bags under the eyes or signs of exhaustion… that was a good sign.

"They always seemed to before," Blake whispered.

"More likely they were compiling evidence," Weiss said, "Trying to find out where and how to take them out in one fell swoop. An operation like that had to require some planning."

Weiss had no idea how wrong she was, though that could be forgiven since Qrow was a bit of a crazy one when it came to huntsmen. Most likely he'd just burst into the warehouse, slamming everyone in his way aside as he made sure Ruby wasn't there. Or maybe he'd checked before and found out she was okay… he could half-imagine the man just going there for his niece's scroll. Guess I'll find out when Yang and Ruby come back.

Jaune's scroll beeped once, his eyes watching it with a bored expression. "Aren't you going to read that?" Weiss demanded, and the tone of voice she used said she would if he didn't.

"Yes, dear," he sighed, picking it up and ignoring her spluttering. The message was from Glynda, or Miss Goodwitch as most terrified students called her. And sadly, it was not the long-awaited bedroom call he'd been dreaming of.

"What is it?"

"Mandatory meetings with Doctor Oobleck…" Jaune held the cool metal against his forehead, releasing a short sigh. He'd forgotten all about them. He could skip… but then Miss Goodwitch would come and collect him again. It wasn't like they would disappear either. Oobleck was patient and insistent… he would just keep adding to them.

"What for?" Weiss pushed herself up on her bed, still in her pyjamas with one hand on her pillow. She clutched a warm blanket to herself, wrapping it around one shoulder. "We've been back in Beacon for less than a day… what could you possibly have done?"

"Why do you assume it's anything I did?"

Weiss and Blake stared at him.

"Ouch… talk about faith." Neither of them relented in their stares. "Okay, fine… this was something arranged before we broke up last term. It's not detentions."

"So what is it?"

"Just talks," Jaune said, turning onto his side and away from them.

"About…?"

"About philosophy," Jaune drawled, "about the sanctity of human life."

He could hear Weiss pause, no doubt trying to come to grips with what he'd said. There was no way he was going to let them know what the truth of the matter was, especially since it wasn't anything to worry about. The teachers feared he was going to go insane from grief, self-doubt or guilt – the usual problems someone might face after their first kill. The rules didn't apply to him. He'd been doing this for centuries.

Maybe it had hurt, once upon-a-time, but if so then the memory was so far back as to have been forgotten. A yawn threatened to break free, only to be stifled into his pillow.

"Guess who's back!?" Yang screamed, slamming the door to their room open.

"Yay…" Jaune cheered limply, holding one arm up when it became clear no one else was going to speak.

"You guys suck," Yang sighed, her footfalls echoing across the floor as she lowered her bag against a bed, "Seriously, no energy whatsoever. But I've brought something that might change that~"

Hm? This was new… he didn't think Yang had ever bothered to bring someth- Blake cried out in shock, while Weiss gasped in joy – as filled with cold as that sounded. Jaune turned over to have a look, chuckling slightly to himself when he saw what had caused all the commotion.

Ah, Jaune thought to himself, that.

"Arf!"

"You brought a dog!?" Blake hissed, scooting back onto her bed and looking around in panic. It only occurred to him then that they hadn't made bunk beds in the room. It never bothered him since JNPR hadn't either, but right now the fact seemed a problem to Blake. The corgi, noticing movement, ran over to investigate, placing its paws on the edge of the bed and wagging its stubby tail towards her. "Back," the faunus shooed, "Go away!"

"His name's Zwei," Yang grinned, ignoring her partner's plight. "He's my dad's dog but he said I could bring him here when I asked. It's even in the school rules, I checked."

"He can't stay here," Blake shouted, "Tell her Weiss, we can't have a dog in the dorm."

Ah Blake, poor, innocent Blake. She probably thought the heiress, ever a stickler for the rules, would be on her side in the matter. Jaune knew better.

"Oh he's so adorable," the white-haired girl gushed, sitting on the floor on hands and knees as she rubbed Zwei's stomach. "Who's a good boy? You are! Yes you are!"

"Weiss!?" Blake looked betrayed.

"Looks like Weiss is all for Team JBWYZ," Yang teased, pronouncing it Jay-bee-whizz and thoroughly making them all cringe.

"Jaune won't be," Blake said confidently. Jaune leaned back, not daring to blink as he suddenly came under the gaze of three very dangerous sets of eyes. Oh look, there was the insistent `agree with me now` gaze of Blake, the `if you dare disagree with me` expression from Weiss, and the `how could you do such a thing` eyes from Yang.

He was saved from answering by a pair of paws tapping on his leg. Zwei looked up at him, black eyes impossibly loving. He even tilted his head to the side, one ear flopping against his skull.

"Jaune?" someone whispered.

He ignored it, reaching down to place his arm beneath Zwei's forelegs. The dog kicked with his back ones, pushing his way up the trouser leg so that he could turn around in Jaune's lap three times, settling down with a plop. It was impossible to stop the smile which spread across his face as he stroked the dog's soft fur. "Good boy," he whispered, grinning as the corgi yawned and rested its head on his thigh, dozing off. He was so warm and soft; Jaune couldn't help but keep stroking him. That was, until he realised there was complete silence in the room.

"What?" He looked at his three teammates. "What's wrong?"

"It's just odd…" Weiss said, "To see you smiling like that, petting a little dog."

"You look happy..." Blake added.

"I like dogs," Jaune said, cradling the small pup in his lap.

"Zwei seems to like you too," Yang grinned, bouncing on her feet. "Yes! That means he gets to stay."

"Yay…" Blake sighed, unwittingly echoing his earlier sarcasm. Jaune chuckled, leaving them to their chatter, even ignoring the furtive looks he could feel them sending him. Zwei had woken up from the noise and was now yawning, scratching its ear lightly before pushing itself further into his stomach. The corgi shuffled a little as Jaune shifted, depositing it on his sheets as he climbed underneath to sleep.

Before slumber claimed him he felt the corgi move, trotting over to curl up against his back. Jaune couldn't help but smile. Well… looked like he was being relegated to the role of the little spoon. It wasn't a position he was used to...

But he'd let it go this time.

/-/

Ozpin sipped from a mug of coffee as the new day's sun shone through the windows of his tower. A new day and the start of a new term, as students moved about below, preparing for their day. Hopefully that peace could last. He would make it so.

The elevator door opened behind him with a quiet hiss, signalling the arrival of Glynda, but also – most curiously – of another person.

"Nice view," a familiar voice rasped. Ozpin smiled lightly, knowing what was coming.

"Qrow, it's not even nine in the morning," Glynda snapped, "You're drinking now?"

"I'm not the kinda guy to procrastinate," Qrow said, holding his flask out. "Too many people waste time hesitatin' or gettin' lost in uncertainty. I'm not one to do silly stuff like that."

"I'm not sure those qualities should be applied to a vice," Ozpin said, turning about to greet the man. "You're here much earlier than expected, Qrow, and I don't mean because it's before noon."

"I'd still be outside of Vale if it wasn't for a certain someone." Qrow pulled out a seat with his foot, twirling it about and sitting down on it backwards. Glynda sighed and shook her head, refusing to sit down at all.

"Ah yes," Ozpin said, sitting down in his large seat, "Our new friend. I trust that the information he provided was accurate?"

"Seemed to be," the other man shrugged, "Then again, all he did was show me what the Fang were already doin'. Not like he had a chance to tell any lies."

"Other than him being a friend," Glynda warned.

"I'm not that dumb," Qrow laughed.

"Were you able to find anything about him?" Ozpin asked, leaning forwards, "Any signs?"

"None. The asshat blocked calls on Ruby's scroll to make us think he was keeping it on him. By the time I tracked the signal on it he was long gone." Qrow leaned back and waved a hand, "The thing was hidden behind some barrels. He must have planted it there when he was done."

"Perhaps there's some evidence on it?" Glynda suggested, "Can we see it?"

"Can't," Qrow shrugged, "Already gave it back to my niece."

"Qrow! That could have had valuabl-"

"I made sure to check it," he laughed, "Cool yourself, I'm no amateur. There was nothing I could find. It was a day old and covered in dust, so no prints I could make out – if the guy even forgot to wear gloves. What's more, it was dark as hell when he called so I didn't see much more than the mask. He didn't make any other calls either."

"Curious," Ozpin said, steepling his fingers together. So this friend of theirs had known exactly who it was he wanted to call… that was a dangerous fact. More so if one considered that the person apparently knew just how to get in touch with Qrow. "Did Miss Rose have anything to say about where she had misplaced it?"

"Well she was damn pleased I'd managed to find it," Qrow looked inordinately proud to have received such adulation. Glynda rolled her eyes, clearly unimpressed with how wrapped around his family's fingers he was. "Other than that, she told me she noticed it was gone after they'd visited the mall to buy a gift for a friend's sister. I checked with Yang too, the story matches up and all her friends were with them at the time."

"The mall," Glynda sighed, "Literally the one place in Vale where Miss Rose could have her scroll stolen and be surrounded by possibly thousands of suspects. We have nothing to go on, then?"

"I got nothing," Qrow shrugged.

"We do have something." The two turned to look at him as he spoke, smiling behind his hands. "Correct me if I'm wrong, but didn't our mysterious friend say he would contact you again?"

"He did. You want me to talk with him next time?"

"It cannot hurt. See what he has to offer. I trust you'll do what you can to find out more."

"He had a White Fang mask on."

"He could be a traitor to their cause." Glynda suggested. "It's not unusual for some faunus to become… disillusioned with their methods." The woman gave him a long look, no doubt thinking of a similar student already under their protection.

"A mask means little," Ozpin said. "He could be a traitor, but it could just as easily be a disguise he put on for our benefit, or simply something he used to infiltrate their ranks."

"Or he could still be White Fang," Qrow sighed, "And a loyal one at that."

"And leading us on," Ozpin admitted, "Yes, I realise. Ultimately what we gained from your little raid was nothing more than a few lowly placed grunts. The White Fang would be more than willing to sacrifice them to help a spy infiltrate our ranks. Worry not; I shan't be taking any risks with this."

"Are you going to tell Ironwood?"

"In time," Ozpin sighed, picking up his mug. His old friend would likely find out soon enough, but for now it could wait. The last thing they needed was a heavy-handed approach to a matter so delicate. "For now we should focus on the students. There's little more we can do until our mysterious friend contacts us agai-" His words were cut off by a beeping on his desk, heralding an important call. Qrow and Glynda went silent, leaving him to answer it. "Yes?"

"Sir, there's a bit of an incident in the cafeteria…"

/-/

Jaune had no idea how it had come to this. "More ammunition," Yang roared, looking to him with red eyes. He shrugged, looking around for a moment before tossing her a bowl of breadsticks. They weren't the most aerodynamic of things, but somehow she made it work.

Fate had to have had a hand in this, it just had to. From what he'd been able to determine, certain events just had to happen and no amount of work from him could stop them. That had been the case with Beacon and the docks – but he'd hardly expected it to be the same for a sodding food fight. He'd pulled his partner out of the way of the first piece of thrown lunch, even gone so far as to knock Yang aside too – but that had somehow just brought the blonde into the path of another. Really, it was too late by that point. Something got into Yang's hair and then suddenly the entire room was open warfare.

One loop he'd finally snap and cut her damn hair short! He'd die soon after, but at least it would be revenge. "Jaune!" Weiss snapped, falling back behind his barrier and fixing her eyes on him. "Why aren't you helping!? We're getting creamed out there."

"Heh," Yang laughed, nodding down to some cream splashed over the front of Weiss' uniform. "Nice one Weiss-cream."

"I didn't-" Weiss' face twisted in horror, "Never mind… get up and put some effort into this, you dolt!"

"But I'm a pacifist," Jaune whined.

Weiss and Yang's glares could have frozen water solid. It didn't help matters when Blake flew overhead, launched away after trying to fight Pyrrha with a pair of baguettes.

"I'm Queen of the Castle," Nora chanted.

"We need a plan," Weiss said, huddling beside Jaune as they heard other students try to challenge Team Rubine, all with varying degrees of failure. "Rushing in isn't going to accomplish anything."

Jaune resisted the urge to point out whether she'd realised that after she'd rushed in and gotten covered in icing. There was a scream from behind, followed by the terrifying crack of what Jaune definitely hoped was a watermelon. They needed more than a plan. They needed a miracle. From what he could remember the fight usually ended with Pyrrha using her semblance to launch metal cans around, only to incite Ruby into taking advantage of that with her speed.

What the hell was he meant to do when they were both on the same side?

"Why are you all looking at me?" Jaune asked, suddenly noticing that Yang and Weiss were waiting for him, and that Blake had dragged herself closer, half her face covered in pastry.

"You're the one who comes up with ridiculous plans to beat superior opponents," Yang pointed out.

"Not that we're saying they're superior," Weiss quickly added. "Or that your underhanded plans are a good thing…"

Blake stared at him.

Okay, sure, criticise his plans when he used them but suddenly they wanted him to somehow fix the situation. The table they were behind shook, some white flour crashing over the top to come down atop their heads. Time was running out, it seemed.

Plans, plans… most of his strategies came about not because he was some kind of genius but because even an idiot could find an answer if they hit their heads against something enough times. He'd managed to find solutions to things like Roman, the docks, getting into Beacon and even a few other things. Cinder, Adam and the whole Vytal attack was a matter as of yet unsolved, but he'd keep beating his head against it and figure it out one day. But the food fight?

Had he ever actually won that? It felt like whatever team he ended up on, it was his fate to los-

It was his fate to lose it…

Well fuck that! Screw fate and all the nightmares it had put him through. "Weiss," he snapped, eyes narrowed, "Can you cover the floor of the cafeteria in ice?"

"No."

"What?" His face fell. Come on, he'd only just gotten started.

"I don't have Myrtenaster on me, nor enough dust for that," she explained, looking down at her stained uniform. Ah right, none of them had any weapons. "Even if I did, the amount of power necessary to cover the entire floor in ice would be beyond me."

"Right," he sighed, "Weiss' deficiencies aside, I've got a different plan."

"Oka- wait, what do you mean about my deficiencies?"

/-/

"Team Rubine forever!" Pyrrha smiled at her partner's shout, the small girl holding her arms high. Cherry juice spilling from cans gripped in each hand to fall like waterfalls of blood on either side of her. "None dare oppose our awesomeness!"

The championship fighter looked out over the ruined cafeteria, seeing the truth in their leader's words. This is childish, her mind warned, but she easily buried it away. It was childish, there was no denying that. But it was fun too. There'd been no joy like this back home. No easy camaraderie and laughter. Perhaps that was worth whatever punishment lay in store for them.

"The Queen spies movement!" Nora yelled, making good use of her vantage point atop a tower of stacked tables. Pyrrha gripped her baguette, drawing it before her in a defensive stance. "I said," Nora huffed, "the Queen spies movement! Now, if my Royal Herald could do his job?"

Ren sighed, "The Queen spies movement," he passed onto them, voice deadpan.

"Ooh that sounded so good," Nora clapped.

"Be careful," Pyrrha warned her partner, the two of them stepping closer to the downed table Nora had indicated. There was no question in her mind as to who hid behind it. They wouldn't have gone down so easily. Ruby nodded, stepping to the right as Pyrrha took the left, the two of them flanking the table, culinary weapons drawn.

"Hah!" Ruby yelled, leaping over and striking down.

The confused expression on her face said no one was there.

"Behind you!" Nora yelled, warning them just in time to turn and engage two teens, who leapt from beneath a different table. Had they crawled all the way there? Pyrrha spared an eye for Weiss, who rushed her partner, before her own attention was taken by the calm face of Jaune Arc; a man who had more questions about him than answers. But his combat skills aren't in question, Pyrrha thought, easily deflecting his baguette with her own before chambering her strike to his back.

Except that he'd dropped his weapon the moment she hit it. Below – a plate of beans, launched up into her face. She cursed and fell back, wiping them away as her instincts screamed to duck. She's learned to trust them long ago, hearing more than seeing something pass by overhead. How like him to try and blind her… she growled and swung fiercely at him, taking a second to wipe her face clean of orange when he backed away.

Weiss had reached Ruby, the two engaging in a fast-paced battle Pyrrha was at least confident Ruby could hold her own in. Her own opponent watched her with a small smile, not at all concerned by her reputation.

But where were his teammates?

"Intruder!" Nora yelled, leaping from the top of her tower to stab a metal post into a watermelon, swinging it like a mace. Blake Belladonna stood before her, smirking with a chain of sausages hanging from one fist. Nora should be fine… she had stamina and strength for days.

It was the last one she was worried about.

Ren fought as best he could, giving ground at every moment as he tried to keep Yang Xiao-Long, one of the strongest fighters in the school, at bay. A lesser person would have fallen in the first exchange but Pyrrha knew Ren was smart. He fought a tactical retreat, trying to divert and distract rather than to actually defeat his opponent.

Even with a chicken on the end of each fist, Yang was closer to being armed than any of them. Her fists still hurt.

"Ah, ah, ah," the blond before her warned as she tried to disengage and rush to her teammate's aid. "Your fight is with me."

"You don't even have a weapon," she pointed out, looking down at his bare hands. "What's more, do you really think you can hold against me?"

"I don't have to."

Pyrrha sighed. He was right, of course, and it wasn't exactly a strategy she hadn't faced before in group competitions. Someone would try and keep her busy while the other members of their teams tried to defeat her allies – letting them attack her together afterwards. A valid strategy, if a little sacrificial…

It hadn't worked then, however. And it wouldn't work now.

She lunged forwards, cutting down towards his neck. Jaune backed away, but she followed through with a reverse lunge, scraping breadcrumbs across his shoulder. "Whoah," he yelped, leaping back and onto one of the low tables. She cut at his feet, keeping an eye on his chest as he leapt over the blow, kicking a bowl of peanuts towards her face. Her hand knocked it aside, idly wishing she had a shield as she pushed through the rain of nuts, cutting again at his shins.

He dashed down the table, wood hammering beneath his gait and plates of food rattling and falling off with loud smashes. Pyrrha sighed and leapt up, chasing after him. He was running towards Ren and Nora anyway, and she knew failure to give chase would have him double-teaming one of them. She'd seen his fights, as underhanded as they were. He was someone who would try to win at all costs. She hated that… but she couldn't help but respect it.

His blue eyes glanced back at her as she sprinted across the table, a brief grin sending a flicker of concern through her as he leapt high into the air, landing in a two footed tackle – except facing away from her. What was that supposed to achieve?

She found out a second later. He crashed into food, plates and abandoned drinks, kicking them all into the air and creating a cloud of liquid, foodstuff and assorted detritus behind him. Pyrrha's eyes shut as she passed through it, only for her to yelp as something solid struck her stomach, launching her off the table.

"Pyrrha!" Nora shouted.

"I'm fine," she called back, opening her eyes in time to catch her opponent's cheeky grin, a cracked watermelon dripping from his hands. He led me in, created a smokescreen knowing I'd have to cover my eyes and then attacked me the exact moment I passed into it. Had he planned that all in advance, or was it something he'd come up with on the spot? Jaune Arc was dangerous… she would not make the mistake of misreading him twice.

Over to the side she heard Ren yelp, wincing as he was sent rolling back into some tables. For a moment she feared he was out, but several apples came buzzing out of the smoke, one exploding as it hit Yang's arm. Nora was doing fine too, swinging her mace as the quietest member of Team Jazzberry dodged and weaved away.

"Argh!" It was Ruby who cried out, however. Pyrrha glanced to the side in time to see her partner trying to halt her sprint to no avail. Weiss Schnee grinned, carefully stepping back as Ruby slipped on the wet floor, her momentum sending her shooting like a bowling ball into a wall.

Wait, wasn't that the floor beside where they'd just been fighting?

"You planned that," Pyrrha accused, noticing the shine of water on the floor. It was the drink he'd kicked up with his sliding. Weiss must have led Ruby into it, which meant she knew full well he was going to do it. One of them – and she suspected it was him – had figured out the weakness of Ruby's semblance. More speed and momentum was not always a bonus.

"Good job Weiss," he said, getting a proud harrumph and a nod from the white-haired girl. Pyrrha tightened her grip on her baguette, glancing down and picking up a metal serving tray to act as a shield. It was time to get serious. She had a partner to save. "Time for round two?" he asked, "You didn't do so well the first time."

"I'm a professional fighter," she chuckled, "I'm used to people trying to rile me up, Jaune. You can stop that now."

"Eh, I had to make the effort," he grinned, "Weiss kinda ordered me to."

"In her defence it's not a bad plan."

"Yeah," he shrugged, "I said you'd see through it though. If she asks…"

"I'll say I was very upset," she rolled her eyes. "Now prepare to lose."

She kept her footing as she charged him this time, cautiously prepared to disengage if he pulled some trick off. He was unarmed, the watermelon having fallen to pieces, but that meant little. On a battlefield like this, weapons were everywhere, and he was very creative. He dodged along the side of the table, grasping some cold soup with one hand, but she didn't allow him to blind her this time, taking it on her shield.

A relentless assault was her best option, stepping forward and launching a barrage of blows that hit him more often than he dodged. Pyrrha's eyes sparkled as she noticed yet another watermelon on the floor. She wasn't sure why they had so many, but she took the opportunity to show him he wasn't the only one who could adapt, flicking it up with her foot and kicking it against his chest. He fell back with a grunt, back slamming against a table as he looked back in horror, finally noticing how and where she was herding him. He was cornered now, grasping behind him for a bottle of ketchup which he squeezed defensively towards her.

Sod it, she sighed. I'll have a shower after.

Taking him out so she could help her team was more important. "Crap!" he yelled, holding both arms across his face as she lunged for the final blow.

Only to find herself held back.

"Do you need me to do everything?" Weiss asked, standing before him with a swordfish held in one hand. Her other was flat against its head, trying push her attack back.

"Thanks Weiss," he gasped, pushing and rolling aside.

Weiss pushed her off, snapping the baguette in two with a swipe of her fish, flicking it towards Pyrrha's face a moment later. The champion fell back, rolling across the floor as the sharp point struck down where she had been a moment ago.

Weapon, she needed a weapon! A cucumber sufficed, a lot shorter than she would have liked but at least solid enough to put up a fight against Myrtefishy. Back on two feet and with her footing once more she was able to divert Weiss' weapon aside on the next thrust, closing into her guard and slamming the tray towards the girl's face. Pale eyes widened, only for Pyrrha to be the one caught off-guard when a foot slammed into the back of her legs, tripping her over.

"Thank you, Jaune," Weiss nodded, the two of them standing before her. Their teamwork was a lot better than she would have expected.

"Pyrrha!" Ruby cried, rushing to her aid.

"All yours," Jaune grinned, tossing the ketchup he had over to Weiss. She looked at it, smiling wickedly.

"Here," she said, passing him the swordfish in return. "You could use this."

"Ruby!" Pyrrha warned, "Slow down!"

It was to no avail. Even as Pyrrha pushed herself up she watched Ruby's eyes widen, the girl backpedalling as she tried to stop herself. Weiss upended the ketchup, kneeling down as she squirted it across the already slick floor.

"Not agaiiiiinnnnn!" Ruby screamed, shooting across the floor as though she'd been fired from a cannon.

"REN!"

Damn it… things were going from bad to worse. Pyrrha flipped up and back, launching her weapon at him as she picked up another baguette, falling back to their tower in order to regroup with Nora. They could still bring it back. She was used to facing whole teams on her own – and her teammate was a powerhouse she doubted Blake had an answer to.

Jaune chased after her, rolling en route and coming back onto his feet with a tray of his own alongside his seafood. Did he even know how to use a shield? She'd never seen him with one.

He knew… she figured that out the moment he used it to slam her guard open, lunging forwards in a move that would have ended the fight then and there, had she not all her training and experience. She spun aside, flicking out to cut a line across his brow, only for her eyes to widen as he leaned back and launched his tray at her.

That was her move! Right down to the way he spun into a crouch, chambering his next attack and following after! The shock was enough that she nearly didn't block it, falling back under the assault. When she did knock it aside, she had to deflect his attack with the back of her arm, wincing at the stinging pain as he pushed by and caught his shield once more. He even mimicked her twirl at the end, falling into a stance that was so obviously her own.

Anyone else might have missed it… it was impossible for her to.

Is he mimicking my style on purpose? That couldn't be so… hundreds had tried, especially after watching her fights and seeing the fame she'd attained. Some managed varying degrees of success but her shield throw was something unique to her, not because it was hard to do, but because regaining her shield at the end of it was something she used her semblance for. He didn't have that, but even then he'd known exactly where it would fall. Why would he even know or use my stance if he doesn't normally have a shield though?

"Something wrong?" He looked and sounded confused by her sudden shift. Pyrrha shook her head and smiled, dispelling her frown. So, he didn't even realise he was doing it. That was interesting.

Either way, it wouldn't make a difference. He wasn't going to be able to beat her using her style. That would be like trying to fight Ruby with a scythe. Pyrrha dashed in, trading blows as she pushed him back – only to marvel at the way he seamlessly fought her, despite being noticeably slower and weaker. It's like he knows how and where I'm going to attack before I do. In fact, he is! His arms are moving to block before I move to attack!

She was starting to see why people found facing her so frustrating, but more than that she was starting to enjoy herself. It was clear Jaune didn't care about winning or losing, the competitive edge present in her tournament opponents just wasn't there.

And she loved it.

It was a carefree fight; one with no stakes and nothing riding on it. There were no fans, agents or sponsors critically watching on. A wide smile cut across her face as she pivoted and drove an elbow towards his, nodding as he pushed it aside at the last second, trying to slam his shield into her. Laughter sounded as she increased her pace, and it took a second to realise the laughter was her own. He grinned too, their `weapons` slowly falling to pieces as they clashed against one another.

It was an admirable effort but he couldn't keep up the pace, not under her blistering and sustained assault. His technique – her technique – was flawless, yet his body and stamina couldn't match. Soon his back was against the tower they'd created, ready to be cut down - which was right when Blake appeared beside him. Nora charged in a second later, chasing after her foe, but it was with wide eyes that she watched Blake and Jaune share a calculating look and a quick nod.

"Nora, no!" Pyrrha cried. It was in slow motion that she watched the watermelon cut through Blake, the clone vanishing with a silent fizzle. Nora's attack was delivered with such power that it continued through, however, smashing into the stacked tables with horrifically predictable results.

She tried to leap away, only to gasp as she felt a pair of arms wrap around her waist, Jaune Arc having abandoned his weapons to hold onto her. "Nope," he said, grinning as he brought them both to the floor.

There was an almighty crash as the furniture fell atop them.

"Betrayal!" Nora shouted from somewhere beneath it all. "Sappers, traitors – shoddy architects! I want them all banished from the realm!"

Pyrrha rolled her eyes, conceding defeat as she let her head fall back. It was dark, what with the tables pinning them down, but they were light and with their aura the damage was non-existent. Looks like we lost this one. That wasn't such a bad thing, she couldn't help but feel. It had been fun… losing had been fun.

"I did it," the boy above her laughed, and was it her imagination, but his laughter sounded so light, so carefree and child-like. It was honestly enough to make her smile. To share in his happiness. "I did it Pyr, I actually beat you!"

And his smile was so wide, eyes sparkling as he looked down on her.

But that wasn't what caught her attention.

"Pyr?"

His expression fell, face turning ashen.

"What is the meaning of this!?" A familiar voice cried out.

And suddenly her skin went white too.

/-/

It never was explained why they didn't get any detentions for causing that, no matter how many times he repeated it. On that front it was perhaps one of the few machinations of fate he was willing to put up with. Getting involved in that was pointless. All you did was get beaten up, covered in food and ended up looking like a fool. He tapped the bruise on his arm, a reminder of the tables that had tumbled atop them. It had been pointless, that he could admit. But it had felt cathartic to prove he could still make changes… that the future wasn't set in stone.

It took me a thousand or so tries to win that, maybe it'll only take a thousand more to bring an end to all of this.

Well, as long as he continued to smash his head against it. Luckily no one had ever accused Jaune Arc of not being persistent. No one had ever tried to worm their way into his good books so they could try and woo his teammate either, but it looked like the day was breaking all sorts of records. "You're asking me," Jaune said slowly, pointing to himself, "If you can try and become Blake's boyfriend?"

Sun Wukong nodded, smiling brightly.

"I feel like you should be asking her."

"I will, but not yet," the blonde faunus grinned, "I mean, it would be a bit weird if I just walked up and asked her out, wouldn't it? I need to get to know her first, let her get to know me and show her I'm a cool guy she can rely on and not just some idiot looking for a good time."

"Well that's a fairly sound plan," Jaune nodded, still not quite getting the point. It was a good approach, especially with someone like Blake. She didn't appreciate people getting close or trying to be pushy around her. His success in the past had usually come from surprising her; doing something nice and catching her attention – then letting her natural curiosity do the rest. At least Sun's plan to get to know her first would stop Blake throwing walls up. "But I still don't see why you're asking me instead of her."

"See, I've been talking to Yang," Sun said.

"Oh god…" Jaune's head fell into one hand.

"Nah man, she's a pretty cool girl."

"That's one way of putting it."

"And she told me how you're like the unofficial father of the team." Jaune sighed, looking past the blonde in time to see the assorted girls and guys playing Remnant in the library, making enough noise to create a pocket of empty seats around them.

"It's a joke of Yang's," Jaune explained, "You don't need to take it this seriously."

He really hoped Yang didn't send her own suitors his way.

"I get that, man," Sun quipped, "But at the same time I've seen the way they look at you. I was there at the docks when you came and saved our bacon as well. Don't think I've thanked you for that yet."

Jaune waved it off. As callous as it sounded he hadn't done it for Sun. He would have stepped in to protect Sun, and definitely didn't want to let the guy be hurt, but at the time he hadn't even recalled Sun's presence. It didn't feel right to be thanked for that.

"Anyway, you're pretty cool and I know you're super protective of Blake if you were willing to do all that for her, and since you're really strong too-"

"Rumours of my strength have been greatly exaggerated."

"-I thought it might be best to get your permission, your blessing if you will. Don't exactly want to invite the ire of a guy who burns down a warehousing district to protect his daughter's chastity."

Was this what the rumours around Beacon were? Had Yang's stupid joke honestly taken hold this much? She could never know. She'd be too damned smug; they'd never hear the end of it.

"You don't need my permission to try and chat Blake up," Jaune sighed, squeezing the bridge of his nose. "Nor do you need my blessing."

"But what if I want it?"

"Why would you even?"

"Because I think Blake values your opinion."

"I think Blake values fish and smut," Jaune rolled his eyes. "I don't think she values anyone's opinion. She's too stubborn and won't listen to a warning unless she tries it and gets burned first."

"Hah," Sun burst out laughing, "That's such a dad thing to say!" Jaune rolled his eyes but didn't comment. "So you're saying even if a total dirt bag came up, someone who wanted to sleep with her and brag to all of his friends, you'd be fine with it?"

Jaune's eyes darkened, lips pulling down into a snarl. No he damn well wouldn't be okay with that. Blake was his friend, and in this life a teammate too. She'd been through enough, too much some might say, to have some asshole trying to play with her feelings.

"There you go," Sun said, poking his face. "That's why I'm after your blessing. I'd like to keep my internal organs where they are."

Oh come on, Jaune sighed. That didn't prove anything! Any friend would step in if another looked like they were being taken for a ride; it didn't even matter what gender they were. Sun had probably done the same for Neptune, and vice versa. "Fine," he said, "Do whatever you like."

Sometimes it was easier just not arguing.

"I will," Sun slapped a hand on his back, "I'll show you I'm a great guy and can be trusted with her, just you watch."

"What was all that about?" Weiss asked when he came to sit down beside her, shaking his head as the blonde faunus tried to engage Blake in conversation.

"He wants to seduce me so that he can seduce Blake."

Weiss blinked, "What?"

"I didn't say it made sense," he sighed, "It's Yang's fault."

"Ah." Weiss accepted that easier than she might have back at the start of Beacon, or this Beacon anyway. Sometimes it was hard to keep track which life he was in or what he was doing, hence his little slip with Pyrrha earlier. Remember, she's not Pyr in this life… the two of you are acquaintances at best.

And speaking of acquaintances, "You and Neptune, huh?" Weiss glanced towards him, eyes narrowed. "I saw the way his eyes lit up when you were introduced. He seems interested in you." Maybe it was cheating a little, given what he knew, but with scant little happiness remaining it made sense to give her a little push.

"I did notice," she said, flicking some hair back behind her ear. "He's handsome enough, I suppose."

"You suppose?" He hadn't really paid attention, being dragged off by Sun while the introductions were going on, but usually Weiss would flush and stutter before Neptune. Had something changed, or was she just putting this face on for him, too embarrassed to admit how girlish she had been?

"He seems nice," Weiss shrugged before turning on him, "You, on the other hand, have been watching Blake like a hawk all morning. Don't think I haven't noticed. What's bothering you?"

"I'm just…" he tried for an excuse but gave up with a shrug, "How does she look to you?"

"She's as normal as ever."

"She's not…" He tried to think of a way to say it without sounding suspicious, without having to give an explanation. "I just thought she looked a little off," he shrugged, "Maybe I'm imagining it."

If she was still playing Remnant with the others, however, then that was a good sign. She usually stormed off, proclaiming them fools for not being serious about the White Fang. Had he done it? Had he managed to prevent that occurrence?

"Well there is one thing…"

God damn it all.

"I didn't know if I was imagining it," Weiss said, glancing away, "This morning she seemed a little… I suppose sluggish would be the word. Even during that silly display in the cafeteria-"

"That you roped me into."

"Even during that unfortunate display," she completely ignored him, "I feel like she should have been able to avoid Pyrrha's early attacks. She was getting hit with things she normally would have had no trouble avoiding. It's like she's…"

"Fatigued?" Jaune filled in with a sigh.

"Exactly. Not as obvious as with you," her eyes narrowed at him, though there was no anger behind it, "But she certainly looks like she's been spending too much time studying and not enough sleeping."

Studying, sure… was that the excuse Blake was giving? She looked fine from what he could see, but that might have just been makeup. He trusted Weiss' judgment. She had a good eye for details. It's not as bad as normal… usually she'd be angry and exhausted at this point. She's still acting like there's nothing wrong here. Did that mean his actions had managed to lessen the effect a little? Maybe it wasn't that he couldn't change this, but that he needed to push it a little further.

"Leave it to me," he said, "I'll have a word with her."

"Leave it to you?" Weiss scoffed, "Who are you and what have you done with my partner?"

"Eh?" Jaune blinked down at her.

"Since when do you actively offer to do anything? You'll forgive me if it takes a few minutes to process that not only are you taking an active interest in Blake's welfare, but that you're willing to do so alone." His partner fanned her face theatrically, "I must be hearing things. Maybe I'm still sick."

"So you… don't want me to?"

"No, by all means go ahead," Weiss waved a hand, leaning back to rest her head on the wall behind them. "It's nice to see you taking your responsibilities seriously. You could do to have a little discipline with her."

"I'm only her team leader," Jaune sighed, rubbing his face.

"That's what I said," Weiss raised an eyebrow towards him. "What did you think I meant?"

Damn Yang and Sun both, now he was falling into that stupid trap. "Nothing," he said, turning back to watch the game. Yang had scooted over, letting Sun sit down beside Blake – who was shooting her partner an accusatory look. It was an old scene. One he was used to seeing. It was only better now, with Blake not running away to work herself to exhaustion, but even when that did happen it wasn't unusual to see them interact like that.

Blake would be prickly towards Sun for a while but if he kept it up, she'd start to thaw. Jaune's smile faded when he recalled what would happen soon after. They'd never really survived long enough to see whether Sun and Blake went anywhere… whether anything took root between them.

"Something wrong?" Jaune flinched slightly, looking down to see Weiss regarding him with almost-concealed worry in her eyes. When had she started to show concern like that for him?

"It's nothing," he said again. "I was just thinking of my family."

"You must miss them. It's only been two days but I saw how close you all were."

"They all seemed to like you too," he said, unable to hide the surprise in his voice. At the time there had been the concern that they wouldn't, that they would hate his team for being part of the reason he was still in Beacon. It just went to show how much he'd fallen out of touch with them over a thousand or more deaths. He didn't know them like he ought to. "I'll be fine, don't worry about me. And don't worry about Blake either. I'll deal with it."

"Now I really need to find out where you've hidden my partner," Weiss muttered, "I'm not sure where all this sudden responsibility is coming from, but I won't complain."

Oh she would, if she knew what he had in mind. He'd make an effort to stop Blake, but when that inevitably failed then the only option would be to keep doing what he'd done already. He wasn't strong enough to go fight against Roman and whoever else he brought onto the scene. Qrow was, however.

But the man was also dangerous. He was Ozpin's most trusted agent, and that position came about as a result of the sheer amount of experience and cunning the huntsman hid behind his jokes and alcoholism. It wasn't the first time he'd tried to influence the headmaster with letters, ultimatums or other hidden messages. Some had been ignored, others acted upon, but it had never been the solution he'd been working towards. It had never been enough to stop Cinder's plan.

It had stopped Cinder, once or twice. The woman forced to flee into hiding, chased out of Beacon.

But that hadn't stopped the calamitous events that led to the fall of Beacon. On the contrary, she had simply launched her attack from within Vale – causing untold casualties and devastation. At least when she turned on them during the Vytal Festival, he knew where she would be, what her plan was. Pushing her into hiding just added a random element he couldn't do anything about.

But the White Fang would be easier, fortunately. They were dangerous in their own right, none more so than Adam, but they were also a large organisation – which meant there were weaknesses, things that could be exploited.

"It looks like the game's wrapping up," Weiss reported, drawing his attention back to Yang's impending and inevitable victory. "Blake's patience looks fit to go with it," she added, watching as the black-haired girl stood up, saying something to Sun and Yang before storming away. It wasn't the dramatic explosion he was used to, but still a sign that she hadn't fully given up.

"I'll talk to her."

"Don't you have to talk with Doctor Oobleck first?"

"I know. I'll find Blake after. Don't wait up for me," on an impulsive instinct he flashed a teasing grin back at her, "Especially not in the rain. You'll catch a cold."

He might have caught one too, had he not looked away when her eyes narrowed into slits of ice. Still, with the clock ticking on it gave him the perfect chance to migrate to a warmer climate. His eye caught Neptune's as he passed the blue-haired teen, noticing him break away from Sun and the others to saunter towards Weiss. Some things never changed. She'd be happy with him.

/-/

"Ah, welcome Mr Arc," Doctor Oobleck stepped aside as he opened the door, beckoning Jaune in. "I've just made some coffee. Would you like a mug?"

"I'm alright, thank you."

"It's not my personal blend, I assure you. I also have water or cordial."

"I'm okay," he said, taking the chance to look about the man's personal quarters. It wasn't the first time he'd seen them, testament to his long time at Beacon, but they were still somewhat surprising. Knowing Oobleck, he'd always expected the man's rooms to look like a bomb had hit them, such was his famous energy. Either that, or there would be strange and unusual antiques across the walls, maps, charts and other curiosities.

That was never the case. The room was well-organised and free of clutter, the only sign of mess being a small stack of papers on the desk that had fallen over, a discard mug resting by them. The rest of the room was immaculate, incredibly so.

"Take a seat, take a seat," the professor – or doctor – waved to one of four couches surrounding a coffee table, sitting down himself on one of them. Jaune shrugged, taking the other but not leaning back into it.

He was tense, uncertain. This was new territory and he wasn't sure what the point of it all was. Miss Goodwitch said counselling… what a ridiculous idea. There'd never been anything like that before, which raised the question of what had necessitated it this time.

"Tell me, Mr Arc, do you know why Miss Goodwitch has assigned you here?"

Jaune shrugged, not meeting the man's eyes, "Mandatory sessions after what happened last term."

"Indeed, indeed. I would just like you to know that these are mandatory not only for you, but for any who are forced to go through what you did. You need not fear this as some terrible trap."

"Then why isn't my teammate going through these?" he asked. Blake had gone through the whole docks shenanigans time and time again, yet it never seemed like she had to attend something like this. He'd have heard about it… mostly because she would have refused to attend.

"I think you misunderstand," the man said, "These sessions are not for us to discuss what happened there, or how you were in danger. Huntsman and Huntresses are often expected to risk their lives, and such happens regularly during initiation. You are here because of something else. Can you tell me what that is?"

Wasn't that what Oobleck was supposed to tell him? There hadn't been anything unusual about the docks, had there? Well, one thing came to mind – making him wince.

"I didn't mean to cause all that property damage."

Well… he had. It had been the only way to stop Roman, but he hadn't really desired to. It wasn't something he'd be repeating the next time.

"How curious," Oobleck adjusted his glasses. "I see that my colleague was correct in her analysis. Tell me, Mr Arc, what do you believe was the worst part of that night?"

"My entrance," he answered easily. "I didn't have the time to think of a better plan so I had to wing it." He could have done better if he'd had more warning, but he'd still expected Ruby and Penny to bust it without him. Speaking of, should he do something about Penny?

"As I thought," Oobleck sighed. "Do you know what I consider the worst part?"

"The fire damage."

It seemed obvious, really. He'd gone and burned much of the buildings down, many of which were still in use by companies. The economic impacts of his actions were probably still being felt. Not that he would have traded Blake for any of that.

"Not quite… I think the saddest part was the people who lost their lives there."

"Ozpin told me there was no one in the warehouses," Jaune's eyes shot up, "It was night time and the area was completely dead. There shouldn't have been any casualties!"

"And yet there were," the teacher said, "I'm surprised you don't remember them. They were claimed by your sword, after all."

Claimed by his-? "The White Fang?" Jaune asked, relaxing just a little. "I thought you meant innocent people."

"Does that distinction matter?"

"Of course it does." Jaune scoffed. "They were enemies."

"Children your age shouldn't have enemies… especially not those they are willing to kill."

"Is that what this is? Are you trying to convince me I shouldn't have killed them, that I should have let them get away with killing my teammate?"

Was this some ridiculous `love and peace for all` crap he was going to be forced to sit through? Life wasn't fair and kind like that. The Grimm thrived, the innocent people died – and sometimes you had to kill in order to protect everything. Redemption was a nice word for those who could afford to risk the lives of their loved ones on the roll of a dice. As for his age… well, he felt he was more than old enough to have a few people he needed to remove.

"I don't begrudge you your decisions, Mr Arc. On the contrary I found myself quite impressed by the distance you were willing to go in order to protect a member of your team. That is a quality I can respect. What I worry about, is how little time it took you to come to such a decision. How easily you are willing to write off the lives of others."

"So I'm a sociopath?" He crossed his arms, leaning back.

"A fool jumping to conclusions might say so," Oobleck nodded, "But I am not that. You've shown, in your roundabout way, that you care for your friends. I would not call that the actions of a sociopath. Similarly, although it is regrettable, you are not – nor will you be the last – student of ours to be forced into taking a life. That is why these mandatory sessions exist, after all." The doctor leaned forward, pointing his cup of coffee at Jaune. "I am not here to judge your actions, Mr Arc. We have already done so and judge them just. I am here to help you come to terms with them."

"I don't need that," Jaune said. It was a simple statement but no less true for it. He could understand the gist of what the man was saying. This wasn't about changing his mind or punishing him, it was just a safety net to make sure their students didn't suffer any breakdowns from guilt or something. It was a way of showing they cared. He didn't begrudge them that, it was a smart and kind thing to do…

But he still didn't need it.

How many had he killed there, before Roman had torched the rest? Three, four, perhaps? How many had he killed during his life? Hundreds, thousands? Sometimes none had to die, because he died early himself. Sometimes, when he made it to the Vytal Festival, he was forced to cut his way through swathes of White Fang terrorists. The numbers differed but the results remained the same.

"Killing them didn't bother me," Jaune shrugged. "I don't feel guilty about it."

"Miss Goodwitch said as much," Oobleck smiled, "and I can see now that she was right. That is what is so curious. You have adapted to the burden incredibly well, suffering no side-effects that aren't already part of your personality. Traditional studies might indicate your constant sleeping and exhaustion as a sign of the stress, but I am well aware of how you've been falling asleep in my lessons since school started."

"Are we done here?" Jaune asked, "You already said I don't need this."

"I said you have adapted well. I did not say you no longer needed these sessions."

Oobleck turned away from him, drawing forth a small porcelain tray with a decanter in the middle. He placed it on the table between them, slowly lifting off the lid and sprinkling some leaves he plucked from a box of premium brand tea into them. Jaune watched as the man stirred them around with a long spoon, inspecting the water every now and then.

It continued for a good six minutes; Jaune sitting silently the entire time.

"Can w-"

"Shh…" Oobleck shushed him with a little smile. "Give it time, Mr Arc. You have to allow good tea the time it needs to settle."

So the man wanted to play that game, did he? Jaune sighed, leaning back and closing his eyes, willing himself to fall asleep. Normally it would have been easy, but with Blake running around doing exactly what he didn't need her to do, this session being a waste of his time and his stupid slip earlier with Pyrrha, he felt too frustrated to fall asleep. His mind continued to whirl, plotting ideas and plans, little things he could do in order to stop Blake – to stop the White Fang.

"Ahh," Oobleck sighed, finally placing the lid back on and pouring the both of them a mug. Jaune gazed down at it, wondering for a moment if there was a little something extra in it… something to loosen his tongue. It was a ridiculous thought… he was being foolish.

To his irritation, it tasted really good.

"Let's not talk about the White Fang for now," the teacher said, "Instead, why don't we talk a little bit about you?"

"I'd rather not."

"Okay then," Oobleck gave up easily… too easily. "We could talk about the job of a huntsman if you desire?" He didn't want to talk about anything. This was just a big, confusing waste of time. "What do you think a huntsman's job is, Mr Arc?"

"The job of a huntsman or huntress is to protect the Kingdoms and people from the Grimm."

"A textbook answer, I'm surprised you've even read it. What do you think is their role?"

"The job of a huntsman or huntress is to protect the Kingdoms and people from Grimm and also criminals."

"You would rank criminality on the same level as a Beowolf?"

"Depends on the case," Jaune shrugged, taking another sip of tea. "Some crimes can be petty and solved by the police… some can do more damage than the biggest Grimm. Sometimes the worst monsters are those that wear human skin."

"I could not agree more," Doctor Oobleck tipped his mug. "So it has been in history that we have been expected to hunt more than one type of prey. Did you know that is why we have sparring sessions against human opponents?"

Jaune shook his head. He had wondered, once or twice, but the thought had never really bothered him. Training against human opponents gave him what he needed to fight against Cinder. I suppose that proves his point.

"It's regrettable really. Perhaps in the future people will look back on this and consider it all quite barbaric. Personally, I believe it an unfortunate necessity, though I doubt the text books will agree. History has an unfortunate tendency to forget the external factors that motivated people to make certain decisions."

"It's easy to judge from a high horse," Jaune said.

"That it is. The life of a huntsman is never easy… we professors at Beacon are often considered the pinnacle, but believe me, I have made my fair share of mistakes."

Probably less than he had… but then again it wasn't the same and this wasn't a misery measuring contest. Every time he made a mistake, he got an opportunity to fix it. The man sitting opposite him had to live with the consequences. What would life have been like if he'd been forced to accept a world where everyone died?

It wouldn't come to that. He wouldn't let it.

"With regards to your little episode at the docks, I believe you made the right decision. I have a feeling you would have deeply regretted failing to act."

Jaune shrugged, though he knew the words to be true. Blake's death would have resonated further than this life, because it would have been his fault. Just like it had been his fault when he convinced Blake to fall in love with him… because Adam had killed her in response.

"I can't. I love you."

"Mr Arc!" There was a hand shaking his shoulder, eyes snapping open as he saw the professor leaning across the table, closer than he had been before. When had the man moved, when had he closed that distance? "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine," Jaune blinked, watching the man lean back with a worried expression. "Nothing is wrong." It was just a bad memory… he had plenty of those.

"I see," Oobleck didn't sound convinced, but he didn't push either. "If I might ask something different, would you mind telling me why you rushed off to save your teammate without alerting anyone? I don't mean to suggest it a bad decision," Oobleck added when Jaune made to speak, "Only that I'm curious as to why you didn't seek to bring any support with you."

"My team were already out in Vale looking for her."

"Why not ask Team Rubine? I understand you are all quite close."

That would have just put them in danger… something he wasn't willing to do. "I didn't think of it," he lied. There was no way he could risk Pyrrha, Ruby, Ren and Nora like that. Besides, he'd been confident he could get by, even if the difference in strength between Roman and he had been bigger than he'd expected. Usually with two years intense training I can fight on his level, especially since I know most of his tricks.

This time the man had been just too strong, just too fast to get hold of.

"Why not ask us teachers?" Oobleck asked, "We would have rushed to the aid of a student."

"I didn't think of it," Jaune said again, shrugging helplessly. He couldn't have explained to them why he knew… not in a believable way. What's more, it might have taken them some time to prepare. Blake hadn't had that kind of time.

"I think we both know neither of those answers are true, Mr Arc," the teacher chastised, smiling over the rim of his mug. Jaune shrugged, as good as admitting it. The man wasn't a fool but at the same time it wasn't like he had an answer he could really give. "Still, this is not an interrogation. If you do not wish to answer a question, you do not have to. Were you confident you could rescue Miss Belladonna alone?"

"Confident enough," he shrugged, "It worked."

"It did," Oobleck allowed, "And in that regard, time has proven your decision correct. I just find it strange that you wished to do this all alone… you are placed into teams for a reason."

"Mine was out."

"You know what I mean, Mr Arc. You could have asked for help rather than risk your life alone. What if you had died?"

Then he would have reset. It was no big deal.

"What if Miss Belladonna had died?"

Then he would have killed them all. He would have made them pay.

It wasn't until he saw the green-haired teacher nod that Jaune realised the mug in his hand had cracked, his fingers crushing the handle. He took a deep breath and put it down, letting out in a long sigh.

"It's not unusual for teams to form strong bonds between them," Oobleck smiled, "I cared deeply for my teammates, and despite my better judgement I continue to do so 'til this day. That said, you might want to spare a thought for how they feel about you in return."

"I can hazard a guess as to how they feel," Jaune grinned lopsidedly. Usually his team was a different team, but even then his relationship with RWBY was far different from this. "Most of it to revolves around the word `exasperated`."

"That's funny," Oobleck sighed, "I would have said it revolved around love."

Love? Jaune grimaced, leaning back as he regarded the man. "Where on Remnant do you get that from?" he asked. Sure, he loved his team… he loved all of them, both on Team RWBY and JNPR. In some cases he had even made love to them, and been deeply in love with them. But that came from his experiences… from the fact he had known them for centuries. Because his entire life, nay – his entire existence - revolved around protecting them.

Except that this life was different, because this was the first time he had ever considered doing something different – of abandoning that ideal in order to ensure a better attempt the next time. With that in mind he'd done very little to engage his team, pretty much leaving them to their own devices for the entire first term. How would that lead to them liking him?

"You look genuinely surprised," the man sighed, sounding quite sad about the fact. "Do you not see it yourself?"

"I'm not sure what you're talking about," Jaune said slowly, uncertain.

"Are you not?" Oobleck raised an eyebrow, settling his empty mug down and checking the pot before letting out a little sigh. "The reasons why seem obvious to me, even if I am not part of your team. For Miss Belladonna you saved her life, risking your own to ensure her safety. She visited you quite extensively while you were injured… they all did."

"That's just gratitude. It's being polite."

"As for Miss Xiao-Long, I seem to recall a certain case of a man protecting her during Forever Fall, taking quite the set of injuries as a result."

"How-?" Jaune cut himself off.

"You are wondering how I know? It seems to me a certain someone else was concerned for your safety too," he smiled, "A little bird saw fit to tell on Mr Winchester, saying even though you'd asked them not to, she didn't want to see you bullied anymore."

Damn it Ruby… it just had to be. That was exactly the kind of thing she'd do with that pure, little heart of hers.

"Rest assured, Mr Winchester served substantial detention for that display. Regardless, I seem to believe a Miss Xiao-Long becoming very close to you after that."

"Again," Jaune rolled his eyes, "Gratitude." And technically that one had started sooner because Yang had been supportive of him ever since he'd given in to Ozpin and spared her a criminal sentence.

That was my fault in the first place.

"As for Miss Schnee, whether it is treating her like a normal person or helping to put the team back together after your little divide, it seems obvious to me that the two of you have become closer."

"And third time's the charm," Jaune deadpanned, "Gratitude, yet again."

"I'm not sure why you're so obstinate," Oobleck sighed, "Do you believe you have not done enough to earn their trust? You bled for Miss Xiao-Long, you killed for Miss Belladonna."

Life and death was easy… he'd done both a thousand times before. Those were nothing compared to what he normally did for them. He tried to be the best friend he could be, he listened to all of their problems, comforted them when they were down. He trained his hardest, he protected them, he kept them safe.

He'd done none of that this time.

The teacher's scroll rang, the man looking at it with a little sigh. "And it seems that is all we have time for," he said, silencing it with a click and collecting the two mugs.

"We're done then," Jaune said, standing up.

"For now, yes. I will contact you when I have time for another talk between us."

Jaune growled, palming his face as he imagined the time that would be wasted. He needed to stop the White Fang before Blake could get involved. Hell, he still needed to talk to Blake tonight, not to mention find which rooms Cinder's team had been assigned this time, keep them away from his, make sure Roman didn't try anything with his family… so many things, and there was no damned time!

"I don't need these sessions," he snapped, turning away and stalking towards the door. "I killed those people and I don't feel a shred of regret about it. They made their decisions; they got in my way and threatened my teammate. I'll never regret it."

"I don't think you will," Doctor Oobleck remained calm, hands crossed before him. "But it remains that you will be seeing me until I deem our meetings finished."

"I don't need counselling."

"We all need help, Jaune."

Jaune paused in the doorway, looking back at the teacher who looked so calm, so bizarrely sympathetic. Help? He needed help? He'd been doing this for so long he'd forgotten what life was like without it. He knew more about how the people here died than he did about the first fifteen years of his life.

"I don't need help."

He knew what he was doing.

/-/

Blake saw her leader walk through the door long before he approached her. She'd become… not adept, but perhaps passable at reading his expressions. This one was new to her, however; an unusual mixture of frustration, humour and anger.

"Hello there," he said, sitting down opposite, "Studying again? My, someone's clearly very concerned for their theory scores." The sarcasm in his voice let her know he knew full well what she was doing, or rather what she was not doing. She didn't know how, but she didn't question it either. He had that annoying ability to just know…

"You look annoyed," she fired back, ignoring his comment entirely.

"Oobleck talks too much," he shrugged, "Not to mention there's a little issue I have at the moment."

Blake turned the page on a newspaper, discarding it when there was nothing more she needed. Her other hand jotted something down on a notepad.

"Aren't you going to ask what it is?" he grinned.

"Why bother? I have a feeling you won't go away without telling me." Another newspaper appeared before her, golden eyes scanning across the page. "Why don't you talk to Weiss about it instead?"

"Already have. That's part of the problem."

The article was obscured by a finger, Jaune covering the words as he gently tugged it away. Blake gripped tighter, trying to pull it back, but she didn't want to let it rip.

"You see," he said, "a certain daughter of mine has started to act all moody and anti-social. I said it was just puberty, but Weiss seems to think she's too old for that. What do you think Blake? What should I do?"

"Leave her alone," she gritted, finally pulling the newspaper free. "She knows what she's doing."

"That's the thing…" his eyes turned hard, all traces of humour gone as he looked down on her. "I don't think she does."

"If you're here to preach, I'm not in the mood." She'd had enough of that from Yang already, trying to make her break off this investigation. Did they not realise the danger?

"I know what you mean," he drawled, reaching for one of her discarded articles and looking through it, "Sometimes I feel the need to catch up on my daily dose of terrorism's latest too. Nice to find someone that shares my interests."

"Jaune," Blake warned, hissing his name.

"No?" He raised an eyebrow, glancing back down at the page, "Ah, I get it. You're an enthusiast on kerning, aren't you? Can't stand it myself, especially when someone doubles it up."

He was trying to get a reaction out of her. He was trying to get her angry. Blake took a deep breath, ignoring him entirely as she picked up a different newspaper and started to read it. Her hands shook as the pages folded inwards, his finger poking it as he leaned in close. "Ooh, I love cartoons. Hold it there for me."

Blake slammed her hands down on the table, pushing the newspaper down too as she glared at him.

"No cartoons?"

"Why do you have to be so aggravating?"

"You could give Yang lessons with irony that thick."

"Excuse me?"

"Nothing, nothing…" Jaune glanced away as he chuckled, but the way he leaned further into his seat said he wouldn't be going anywhere in a hurry. "So… I've been nominated to check on you after that little tantrum-"

"It's not a tantrum, Jaune. In case you're not aware the White Fang have been stepping up recruitment. You-" she paused, wondering whether she was right or not. It felt like she was… despite how he acted, he knew things. "You know that means bad things," she said, watching his face, "It's not something to be ignored."

His expression was not an easy one to read. There was his usual stupid smile, the one he wore when he wanted her to think he was nothing more than a lazy buffoon. She didn't fall for that anymore and knew to look past it. It was his eyes which gave him away; those blue irises which remained hard and focused on her. The corner twitched just the slightest bit.

"They're not being ignored," he said, "Didn't that article last night say their place was raided?"

"It did," she allowed. That had been a surprise, not just to hear that they were stepping up activities in the town, but that the authorities were finally going to do something about it. "But that would be just a setback to the people I used to work with. You don't know how they operate, Jaune. You don't know these peop-"

"Don't." The clipped word cut her off. His eyes were shut now, teeth clenched as he tilted his head down towards the table. Blake's breath caught, though she wasn't sure why. When he opened his eyes once more, the oppressive aura was gone. But his little smile didn't warm her. It was colder than any winter storm. "I think I know more than enough about how they operate, Blake. I had to fight them at the docks, remember?"

That was true, not that she could ever forget him saving her life like that. The memory was enough to curb her anger, if only a little. There was no point getting angry at him… not when she owed him so much.

"It's not quite the same," she whispered, looking around to see if any others were listening. She would never normally have been so candid, but he was in the unique position of already knowing much of the truth. "My old partner, Adam… he's much worse than the faunus you fought at the docks. He was fully willing to blow up the train you were on, killing everyone there."

"I know," Jaune said. "I was there."

"He was distracted," she said, flushing at the memory of just how. "He's normally a lot more focused and I can tell you now, he won't give up just because one little meeting got raided. He'll come back bigger, and with more men, until he achieves his goal."

"And what do you," he poked a finger against her nose, making her scrunch it up, "think you can do about it?"

"I can stop hi-"

"Can you?" He looked at her seriously. "You couldn't even stop Roman and those White Fang at the docks. What can you do alone against this partner of yours?"

Her eyes clenched shut, breath coming out in a rush as she was forced to accept that bitter truth. She had been a fool, true… but even had she been on top form she didn't know if she could have beaten Torchwick. Even if she could… Adam was another matter entirely. With Sun, the two of them had been beaten so soundly, left to face the harsh reality of death.

She would have died if it wasn't for…

"Help me."

"Pardon?"

She bit her lip, almost enough to make it bleed, "I said help me, please… I can't do it alone but I'm going to try no matter what. You were able to fight the White Fang," an image flashed through her mind, the sickening sight of him killing her old comrades. He'd killed them… just like that. But against someone like Adam, was that kind of brutality what was needed? "If you came with me then it would be safer… we could do it."

"Or we could die," he said. "Keep in mind that my apparent `win` over Roman Torchwick wasn't exactly real. He blew himself up."

"You know that isn't true," she snapped, glaring at him. "I was there, Jaune. I made that up to cover for you. I know full well you did that on purpose; that you went in there fully prepared to kill him."

If the accusation shocked her leader then he didn't show it, instead rolling his eyes as though that should have been obvious. What are you? She wanted to ask. What kind of man was he that he could think of life and death in such simple terms? Before she had been afraid of that cold look, back when she'd seen him threaten Winchester…

It didn't bother her now. He was dangerous, yes. There was also something wrong with him, she was sure of it. But the thought of him actually trying to hurt her just seemed… it just seemed stupid – impossible, even. Jaune wouldn't hurt her. He wouldn't hurt anyone on their team.

It was with a little shock that Blake realised just how much she trusted him.

"Please," she begged, "I'm not going to force you but I will do this on my own otherwise. I can't let this go, but it would be so much safer if you were there as well. That way you can kee-"

"Okay."

Blake stared at him, eyes wide. "Huh?"

"I said okay," he shrugged, "I'll do it."

What!?

"Y-You will?" she gasped, waiting for him to shout that it was a joke. He didn't. He just watched her with a serious expression. "No tricks… this isn't some kind of joke?"

"Do I look like the kind of person who would joke about this?" She wanted to say yes, but she just wasn't sure. Jaune was normally so lazy, so lackadaisical and danger-avoidant that this just didn't make sense. But he rushed out to protect you before, her mind pointed out. Is it really so strange that he would do that again?

"Thank you," Blake bowed her head, letting out a long sigh of relief. Finally someone was listening… someone was willing to do something. "Thank you so much. I know I'm asking a lot of you but I really do appreciate it."

"Don't get excited yet. There are conditions."

"Conditions?"

"First of all, you need to get some sleep." She opened her mouth to complain but he beat her to it, "If we're going out somewhere with a chance of combat then it makes no sense for you to be exhausted. If you want to stop them, you'll need to be rested."

"I agree to that." It wouldn't be wasting time if it was preparing for them to go on a raid. Adam had forced rest on them too, before every big mission. So long as they were doing something and not just letting the Fang get away with things, it would be fine. "I'll get a full night's sleep tonight."

"Secondly, you apologise to the other-"

"I will," she nodded. It had been childish of her to rant at them in the first place. This wasn't their fault and she'd already known an apology was needed… she just hadn't quite been sure how and when.

"And finally, you let me know where and what we're doing in advance – and you don't rush into danger without talking to me first. You already know you can't do this alone... the last thing we need is you going lone wolf again when we're supposed to be working together, as a team."

That demand was a little harder to agree with… especially since she knew what he was like. Still, now that she had someone willing to help her, someone who was capable of fighting against the White Fang – she wasn't going to waste it. Perhaps he was right too... she had a team, as much as she didn't want to involve Yang and Weiss in this.

"Fine," she said. With one hand she pushed a newspaper across the table, drawing his attention to the main story. "This is an old safe house I know of," she said, "With their last base gone, there's a good chance they'll regroup here. At the very least it should have some signs of their presence… evidence we might be able to use."

"I see… we'll go there tomorrow or the day after, but not until I see you get some rest and make up with the others."

Blake smiled in relief, collapsing back in her seat. He'd agreed… it was done. And they would be checking the place out tomorrow, or close enough to that. She'd make sure she was rested so that he couldn't make any excuses. "I'll apologise to them now," she said, "I'll make up with them and get some sleep. I'll stop doing this all on my own and I won't rush off alone like last time. I promise."

"And I promise I'll help you," he sighed.

"Thank you," Blake whispered, actually pausing for a second as she felt the uncomfortable urge to hug him. She didn't. That would probably be a little strange, but the urge was there. "I'll go apologise now. Thank you again, Jaune. You have no idea how much this means to me." He didn't say anything as she slipped by and out of the room, her hand pausing half-way to touch his shoulder in thanks.

He only watched as she left the room, sighing once she was gone and he could look down at the discarded newspaper. "Another safe house," he whispered, reading through the details. Blake wouldn't stop her hunt willingly… he'd known it was a stupid idea to even try and convince her.

It was a good job that he hadn't bothered, then.

"Sorry Blake," he whispered, putting the newspaper clipping away in his pocket and standing up to leave. "I've never been very good at keeping promises."

He had a party to crash.

---

And we're back at Beacon. The set-up in the previous few chapters is starting to show itself; first as a snowball but to become more as it rolls down the hill. We're very much in for some butterfly effects in the coming chapters, with some rather innocuous actions before causing big changes.

Plenty of forum predictions on this chapter, though it may seem many didn't turn out to be true, what I would instead say is `Not necessarily wrong on some of those… just early`.

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Next Chapter: 23rd December

P a treon . com (slash) Coeur