Residuum
Blood 2.1
i
"It's only been a few weeks since I last saw you in here, Mr Branwen," Ozpin said, crossing his fingers as he propped his elbows on his desk. Professor Goodwitch had led the entirety of the team to the Headmaster's office, causing a lot of trepidation for them. Blake wasn't sure what exactly they were going to do, but she had to assume it wouldn't be a good thing.
Despite what Team CRDL had done, even Blake felt Jaune had gone over the top, especially in a school environment. The fact that he reacted the way he had made her concerned. She had seen it before and it just reminded her of the many tragedies she had seen in her own time in the Wilds.
Humans and Faunus alike that led violent lives, even more so than she had experienced, tended to react violently when pushed far enough. In retrospect, Blake should have seen this coming. They had all noticed as Jaune had held himself back for several weeks now since the incident with Russel Thrush in their first combat class. They had all assumed he had just been weathering it and acted accordingly.
It was too late now, but Blake realized that he hadn't really just been enduring it, he had been bottling in his anger and after Cardin pushed him too far, all of Jaune's fury had come pouring out. But he had apparently been willing to kill his aggressor and it only made her lament that she hadn't caught on sooner. Modesty aside, Blake prided herself as being a very observant person and couldn't help but chide herself from not stopping Jaune. Perhaps it was her own anger, maybe it was all the commotion, but she had lost sight of the blond for just a moment, and that was all it took for him to make such a damning mistake.
"I have a general understanding of the situation," Ozpin continued, probably not expecting a response to his previous statement. Blake considered his words; this was the second time the man knew of the situation without having witnessed it first-hand, and she couldn't help but wonder how he did it.
"This puts us in quite a situation, Jaune," Ozpin said, his eyes steeling, "The injury you inflicted on Mr Winchester is very serious."
Jaune didn't reply to the man, just staring at his desk resolutely. Blake noticed him clench his fist in anger, something she wasn't sure anyone else on their team picked up on and could only think that the blond was not the slightest bit remorseful for putting a knife in his classmate. Still, he did seem wary of what Ozpin might do and she felt as if she'd react similarly if she were in his shoes.
"What made you attack him like that?" the man asked. Jaune did not reply, dead set on staying silent. Blake knew as well as he did that with so many witnesses, anything he might say would just damn himself. Perhaps it might have been better for him to say something, but he likely did not have the eloquence to spin the tale in his favor, especially not when he basically admitted to wanting Cardin dead.
"He was provoked," Blake said, surprising everyone including herself, "They were attacking him non-stop as if it were a show for the rest of the student body; anyone would have lost their temper."
"Professor Ozpin," Weiss spoke up now that Blake had broken the silence, "Team Cardinal had been prepared to disparage Jaune like this ahead of time; they even had some sort of sick presentation ready for it. They obviously planned this out to mock and insult him publicly and draw out an attack. While I can't say I condone fighting, they certainly are not without blame."
Ozpin raised a hand to silence the coming protests from the rest of her teammates, realizing that all of them were about to come to Jaune's defense. Blake was surprised that they were basically defending someone that tried to kill another human being; it may not have been the case if he was a bloodthirsty person.
"Please look at me, Jaune," Ozpin said. The two of them met eyes and while Blake couldn't see Jaune's eyes at that time, the older man seemed to find something in the blond's gaze that she felt she may not have been able to. As good as she felt she was at reading people, Ozpin was much too inscrutable for her to comprehend what he was thinking.
The man sighed deeply, leaning back in his chair.
"Perhaps we moved too quickly," he said, making Glynda give him a slightly startled look. Blake had absolutely no idea what the man was talking about; neither did anyone else in the room, it seemed, apart from Professor Goodwitch. It was only just there, but the dark-haired girl could tell the woman hadn't expected the headmaster to say that.
"Jaune," the man said, addressing the teen seriously, "For the time being, I believe it may be for the best that we remove you from Beacon."
More so than last time, this raised a commotion from the team. Even Blake felt as if someone shoved a sliver of ice into her chest at Ozpin's declaration.
"No!"
"Professor, you can't."
"Please, headmaster, it's-"
Jaune steadfastly remained silent, but Blake saw the smallest of shaking in his body. At this point, she wasn't sure she understood why he was still remaining silent. She saw how much effort he gave towards his friends, and she definitely would have protested it.
"It doesn't change anything between us," Ozpin explained, speaking over the complaints from the team, "I believe I can find you a residence in Vale, close to the school. We would set you up with a generous fund and I believe Professor Goodwitch wouldn't mind dropping by every now and then to check up on you."
Blake could see the tension ebb away from the boy. Obviously Jaune found merit in the man's words. She wasn't sure whether or not she liked that.
"What about our team?" Nora asked, her voice wavering, "I mean, we were just about to…"
Jaune was the team leader for Team JNPR after all, it would be a legitimate cause for concern for them to be down a member like that. And Blake realized that Nora was talking about their promise to help Jaune learn to read and to help him with classes and assignments. The blond in question seemed to realize it as well.
"They were going to teach me to read and write," Jaune quietly explained, speaking for the first time. He apparently didn't mind telling both of them about it, though Blake understood that the two Professors obviously knew more of Jaune's situation than the team did.
Professor Goodwitch looked stricken at the revelation, and even Ozpin's expression tightened somewhat. Blake realized that they hadn't known about the blond's illiteracy either.
"Yet another oversight on our part," Ozpin said, "I apologize Jaune. As much as we wanted to fulfil our obligation to Qrow to protect you, it seems that we overlooked our obligation to you."
"Professor, surely we can find another solution," Pyrrha said. Blake was unsurprised at the pleading tone in the redhead's voice. The girl was heavily invested in Jaune's situation and almost anyone could tell that the Mistralian champion had feelings for her partner as well. However, Blake doubted even Pyrrha could decipher those feelings; she wouldn't label them completely romantic.
"Expulsion does seem a little harsh," Blake said, backing up the redhead, "I'm sure there can be some sort of compromise punishment that we can all take part of instead."
"It would not be an expulsion," Ozpin calmly replied, "A suspension is a more suitable term. He will only be gone temporarily, until which time the commotion behind this incident has been mitigated and when he can better adjust to student life."
"It still takes him away from the team," Blake argued back, hoping she didn't sound too confrontational, "We're in very beginning stages of getting to know one another, and it's crucial for us to be together."
Ozpin smiled slightly, looking a little pleased. She wasn't entirely sure, but it looked as if he liked that she was arguing back.
"I see," he said, "You bring up a very valid point, Miss Belladonna. If your teammates have no objections, we can look for a compromise that will not jeopardize the workings of the team."
Blake saw the looks of relief on several of her teammates, with Pyrrha even giving her a grateful smile. Professor Goodwitch also seemed to perk up a bit; the girl wondered if the teacher was on their side more than they thought.
"Well, if you want to take him out of classes, I don't think that would be much of a problem," Yang said, speaking up for the first time as she gave Jaune a sly grin, "But he should still stay with us in the dorms. It'll be easier for us to help him that way."
"We did promise to teach him," Ruby added on helpfully.
"I'm afraid that for the time being, Jaune needs to be away from Beacon," Ozpin replied, "I do have a solution that might meet everyone's standards however. As I've mentioned before, I can procure a residence very close to Beacon. I'll grant special permission for your team so as to allow you to visit him after your classes everyday should you choose to do so, instead of having to wait for every weekend. This should satisfy both of our concerns."
"Professor, it still takes him away," Weiss said, "Especially given the time we would have to spend travelling as well as studying for our own classes. There would be many things in Beacon we would miss out on as a team."
"Then I can perhaps relax the suspension slightly for Jaune to take part in major group assignments," Ozpin offered, "I want you to understand that taking him away from Beacon is not solely a punishment; it is to protect him as well."
Blake tried to reason out what the man might have meant by that. The team could definitely protect Jaune from any serious retaliation, though she doubted there would be any given how violently he had attacked Cardin.
"What do you mean, Professor?" Ruby asked, positing Blake's unasked question.
Ozpin didn't reply immediately, looking carefully at some of the members of their group as if he were considering something. It took her a moment to realize that he wasn't just contemplating whether or not to tell them, he was also judging them.
"Jaune, would you have any objections to my sharing a few details of your past with your teammates?" Ozpin asked the blond, "Just a few points to share with them so that they may understand."
"I, uh, I don't mind, I guess," Jaune replied, looking a little hesitant.
"I believe you haven't had the chance to have breakfast," the man said, "Glynda, perhaps you can take Mr Branwen here to the staff room to eat unaccosted. If I recall correctly, Professor Peach might be available to cover your classes."
"Of course," Professor Goodwitch said, nodding, "Let's go, shall we Jaune?"
Jaune, looking relieved to have come out of this somewhat positively, moved to join the bespectacled Professor. He looked at Pyrrha before he left; Blake took that to mean he understood that she wanted to fight this battle for him, especially now that he wasn't going to be present. By relying on Pyrrha, the one he was closest to out of everyone on the team, Blake took it to mean that he was also depending on the rest of them as well.
"You are all aware that Jaune was brought here by an old friend of ours, is that correct?" Ozpin asked after the two had left. Blake wasn't sure why he wanted to confirm information that he knew everyone was aware of, but it may have been relevant to whatever it was about Jaune he was going to share with them.
"Uncle Qrow," Ruby filled in, "He told us that Jaune's his apprentice, that he's pretty much family."
It may have been that reason alone that both Ruby and Yang would have defended Jaune to the best of their ability. Blake knew how passionate the two sisters could be.
"Qrow found Jaune in the Wilds near Mistral almost four months ago, by himself and fighting Grimm," Ozpin explained, "The events that transpired between them led to Qrow taking him in and giving him basic training in order for Jaune to join Beacon at a competent level of combat."
"But… he couldn't have just been alone," Blake blurted out, unable to hold herself back after what she had just heard. Having spent time in the Wilds herself, she knew exactly how dangerous it could be for a person by themselves. If the Kingdoms could be considered almost Grimm-free, then the Wilds would be regarded as that much more infested by the creatures.
"When they met, Jaune had already been alone for a long time, living in the forests of the Wilds and fighting for his survival against the Grimm on a daily basis," Ozpin said, making several people gasp, including Blake, "He only had vague recollections of his family and only remembered his first name."
They had been completely wrong. Qrow's conversation with Jaune suddenly clicked in her head. He had said Jaune had been alone with monsters; the man had been referring to literal monsters. She felt the gloom and devastation suddenly hit her like a truck. Her limbs and her body suddenly felt heavier as if someone was pushing down on her. Absentmindedly, Blake just barely noticed the rest of her teammates in a similar state.
She couldn't believe that they had missed this. It was so simple, right in front of their faces if they had just cared to face the facts. But now that she knew, Blake realized it was cowardice on their part. The idea was too horrible to consider that they hadn't even bothered to think about it. Jaune was such an earnest person that they didn't want him to have such a tragic history. It was a dismissive thing to do and Blake was surprised at the disgust she felt for herself.
Truthfully, she wouldn't have expected for herself to be so invested in this. They had really only met Jaune three weeks prior yet here she was getting her heart broken after learning about his past. Yet, as odd as it seemed, Jaune had somehow wormed his way into her heart. He was just a very sincere person, and his efforts had endeared him to her.
"However, there is a reason that he chose to bring Jaune here to me when he could just have easily taken him somewhere else," he said, "It is because of that reason we sought to keep Jaune here at Beacon to keep an eye on him. In the meantime, Qrow would be investigating the circumstances regarding how Jaune came to be in the Wilds, to see if he could track down Jaune's family. However, in our haste, we have obviously neglected many things about him. He has been isolated from any civilization for a long time and needs time to adjust without running into problems that will hinder his progress."
"How long?"
Ozpin paused, looking at the tearful Mistralian who was struggling to hold herself together. If Blake felt devastated by that revelation, she could only imagine what Pyrrha might have been feeling.
"How long?" Pyrrha repeated with a wavering voice, "How long was he alone for?"
"Close to eight years," Ozpin said, "I believe he was around nine years old when he was separated from his family in a Grimm attack. Based on what Qrow mentioned, the incident as well all the time alone affected his memory regarding his life before then."
Pyrrha let out a choking sound, clenching her fist much like Jaune had. She raised a hand to wipe the tears from her face but they came down in a torrent. Nora stepped forward, a sad look on her normally cheerful face, and grasped the girl's hand to comfort her.
"How?" Ruby asked, her face ashen, "Pyrrha told us his aura wasn't even activated until initiation, how would he survive by himself when he was only nine years old?"
It was the only thing about the story that didn't make sense. Most grown men and women couldn't survive against the Grimm, yet they were saying that Jaune fought and survived against them in the Wilds from when he was only nine. It sounded like a fantastical story, one she might find in a book.
"We have arrived at the crux of the matter," Ozpin said, folding his hands together once again as his expression grew serious, "How he survived when he was so young, how he's lived alone in the Wilds for so long… it was for that reason that Qrow decided to bring him to me, but unfortunately, it is something that I can't tell you."
"What? Why?" Yang asked, her voice rising. Blake saw the fury on her face, but she could tell it wasn't at Ozpin himself. Her partner was angry because that was the only way she knew how to react, but there was nobody for her to lay the blame on.
"That specific knowledge will put a target on his head," he replied, "Even I would be hard pressed to defend him from the ramifications of that, especially at Jaune's current level of combat. Until he becomes powerful enough to defend himself from the strongest this world has to offer, his secret becoming public knowledge is a death sentence in waiting."
"Who is it that would come after him?" Ren asked. Out of everyone in the team, he was the most composed. Blake wasn't sure how he could stay calm after that revelation, because even she wasn't that stoic.
"Everybody."
The room fell silent as they processed the headmaster's words. Everybody… that couldn't mean what she thought it meant. There were so many different powers and groups on Remnant, she wasn't even sure where to start. The governments of Vale, Vacuo, Atlas and Mistral were only the starting point. Each government had any number of different groups operating within them, such as the Schnee Dust Company or the White Fang. There were illegal vigilante groups fighting for the good of their nation, there were sanctioned organizations that were little more than hate groups and everything in between.
All of them, Ozpin was trying to say that all these people would be after Jaune? Blake couldn't even imagine the scale of conflict that would arise if that were to occur. With so many different groups involved, there would be inevitably be combat between them as well. And Jaune would be at the center of it.
No, not just Jaune. She was involved now as well, and so were the rest of them. That sort of war could displace thousands of people, all for one boy. It had to be a bad joke on Ozpin's part. What kind of secret could one boy have, a random person living in the Wilds that could apparently plunge the world into warfare?
"Given the right precautions, that is still a ways away," Ozpin said, "Eventually, it will be revealed and there is no way to prevent that. But it can be delayed."
"But, if it's such a bad thing, shouldn't we just stop it?" Ruby asked. Just by looking at her, Blake could tell that she hadn't quite caught on what Ozpin was trying to get across to them. Weiss was paler than usual and Pyrrha seemed even more desolate, so Blake was sure they had understood. Even Yang seemed a little bemused.
"I wouldn't necessarily say it is a bad thing, Miss Rose," Ozpin replied, "It can be a very good thing, in fact. But the danger it presents for Jaune is very real. Knowing that, can you think of why we have not revealed it? A small slip of the tongue, just a tiny mistake that makes the wrong person suspicious could lead to devastating consequences. That kind of pressure is not something you need to be burdened with."
"If he's so important, wouldn't you want to keep him here so you could keep an eye on him?" Nora asked. The headmaster shook his head.
"His presence here is putting him in the spotlight," Ozpin explained, "His taking out a Deathstalker by himself, not to mention his actions against Mr Thrush and now Mr Winchester is making a name of him. It was something I hadn't foreseen, and now I realize that I can still keep track of him but also take the necessary precautions to keep him hidden until he is able to defend himself when it comes to it. As of right now, he's only had three months of training. He isn't capable of defending himself from anything other than Grimm."
Even though she was still reeling from the two bombs that Ozpin had just dropped in their laps, Blake couldn't help but find that ironic. Out of all the different elements that might possibly be participating in this apparently upcoming conflict, the Grimm were the least of their worries.
"Pyrrha…"
The girl slowly sunk to the ground, sitting on her knees as she just couldn't stay standing anymore. Blake desperately wanted to do the same thing. She could always tell that Jaune was an extraordinary person with a troubled past, but this was not something she had even remotely envisioned.
"I understand this will be difficult for you," Ozpin said, ending the discussion, "Like it or not, you are all going to be affected by this, and I am sure you are concerned for your friend. Take the day off to process this, but keep in mind the utmost secrecy that must be kept regarding what you have learned today."
They hadn't even learned the entire truth and already it was incredibly dangerous. In spite of everything she had just heard, Blake could appreciate the humor in that.
ii
They arrived back at their dorm before Jaune had. Ozpin had told them that Professor Goodwitch would likely keep their teammate occupied for some time so they would get some time to process the information before they saw him again. Ren had noticed the disquiet within the group as they were walking back. Apart from some slight shuffling and coughs, nobody attempted to make any conversation whatsoever.
Pyrrha was easily the most devastated out of the seven of them, even looking visibly so. She was walking with a lethargy that was out of place for her, cheeks stained from where her tears had dripped down. When they arrived, she had wordlessly been the first to use the bathroom, likely going in to freshen up and probably wash her face.
While his roommate was still freshening up, Ren noticed that none of his other friends were making eye contact. None of them wanted to be the one to start the conversation and the boy felt he could appreciate the sentiment. It was a heavy situation already, and there was only going to be more strife upcoming if Ozpin's words were to be believed.
Still, Jaune would be back soon enough and it was best that they got anything out of the way that the blond might misunderstand if he were present.
"What are we going to do?" he asked, deciding to go for the most direct question he could think of. Dealing with Jaune's past was less of a concern for him; there was no shortage of tragedies in the world after all. Ren was more concerned on how the team was going to deal with the future.
"What do you mean?" Yang asked, raising an eyebrow, "We stick by his side."
There was not going to be any other decision from either of the two sisters. Both Yang and Ruby thought of Jaune as family despite only knowing him for a short amount of time and they wouldn't consider any other side.
"It's not what we signed up for," Weiss interjected. She likely saw his questioning of the situation as an avenue to get her own hesitation across, which is what Ren was fishing for.
"What do you mean?" Yang asked, her eyebrows furrowing slightly in anger. Yang was not a subtle person but Weiss was not the type of person to be deterred.
"I mean that I came to Beacon to be a Huntress and help protect people from the Grimm," the Schnee replied, "Not to get embroiled in some sort of… war."
"What war?"
Everybody looked at the youngest member of their group who obviously hadn't truly realized what Ozpin was hinting at. Ren hadn't thought she wouldn't be on the same page, but upon closer inspection, even Nora didn't seem to be all that aware of it.
"Which makes my point," Weiss said, "Even as much as we know, we still don't know the whole story. We have no idea what's coming and as ridiculous as it sounds, it sounds as if it will be even more dangerous than fighting against Grimm."
Ruby still looked slightly lost though he could tell that she was still defensive. The short-haired girl wasn't the type to back down from a challenge, especially when it came to something she cared about.
"Is there a war going on?" she asked, sounding slightly unsure. As she asked the question, the door to the washroom opened and Pyrrha walked out. Ren noted that she looked refreshed, a marked difference from when they were in Ozpin's office. He doubted she had already overcome hearing about her partner's past, but at the very least the girl seemed to have shelved the issue.
"There aren't any full scale wars currently, Ruby. There haven't been for a long time," Pyrrha answered, apparently having overheard Ruby's question. Ren wondered what else she might have heard.
"Then…"
The group fell silent as they considered how to explain the situation.
"Professor Ozpin basically said whatever it is that makes Jaune special will cause a lot of conflict," Blake answered straightforwardly, "Everybody will want him, whether they're currently allies or enemies. All the governing bodies and all the groups within them. At that kind of scale, war is inevitable."
"But… nobody even knows what it is," Ruby said, looking confused.
"Whatever it is, our headmaster is concerned enough about it," Ren said, speaking up again, "I think it's more important to consider where we stand than to figure out what makes Jaune so special."
"And like I said, we stand with Jaune," Yang said, causing Ruby to nod in accordance, "I'll be damned if I abandon a friend and a teammate."
"It isn't that simple," Weiss shot back, a frown on her face, "There's so much to consider before jumping in head first."
Pyrrha shook her head as she gave the silver-haired girl a hard stare.
"He's our friend, he's my partner," she said passionately, "Facing the unknown is part of being a Huntress but either way, I'm not going to abandon Jaune. He barely knows anything about living in the Kingdoms, especially considering what h-happened to him. How can I just leave him if something that dangerous is going to happen?"
Weiss shut her mouth, looking displeased at the turn the conversation had taken. Ren could sympathize with her; Pyrrha would be the hardest to one to explain their point of view to since she was probably the closest to Jaune.
"Pyrrha," he said, "You're too attached to Jaune to think this through properly."
The girl turned her glare to him, making him flinch slightly but he powered on.
"Think it through objectively," he reasoned with her, "Look, we know Weiss is affiliated with the Schnee Dust Company, and you and your family are from Mistral. What if this conflict puts you on opposite side from your family? Could you still fight then? Can any of us ask Weiss to fight against her family?"
The redhead's glare faltered at his words, and the boy felt like he was getting through to her now.
"I won't say that we just hang him out to dry, but realistically, we've only known him for a short amount of time," Weiss said, "I know it's not right and it's not fair to him, but it's also not fair to us. We shouldn't have to make a decision like this in our first year. We're here to learn to fight the Grimm, not other people."
"You're just scared," Yang said, looking at the ground. Weiss raised an elegant eyebrow, not backing down from the blonde at all.
"Then you still don't get it, because you should be scared," the girl replied. Yang clenched her fists as she looked up.
"I get it," she said tightly, "The thought terrifies me too."
The Schnee heiress looked surprised at Yang's declaration. Even Ren felt slightly surprised; Yang always seemed the type to keep that kind of information close to the chest.
"I don't want to be involved in a war," she said, "I don't want my sister, my family to be involved. I don't want my friends to be split up either. But I couldn't live with myself if I just abandoned a friend like that. Yeah, we may not have known Jaune for a long time, but you don't need to know someone for a lifetime to care about them. Even if it's only been three weeks, can you honestly say anyone in this team isn't worth fighting for?"
The room fell silent once more as the blonde's sentiment rang true through all of them. Realistically, Ren knew that Weiss was the only one that was particularly worried about the consequences of what she would be getting involved in. He and Nora were both orphans and the two sisters were already involved through their uncle.
"Still, Weiss makes a valid point," Ren spoke up, "This is not a decision anyone should make without giving it careful thought."
"I appreciate where you're coming from, Ren," Pyrrha said, "And you as well, Weiss. I abhor the thought of families being pitted against each other, but as Yang said, I couldn't live with myself if I left Jaune to fend for himself. I can't speak for everyone else, but my own family would want me to stick by him."
"Same here," Yang said, "Uncle Qrow said he's basically family, but even if it weren't the case, I would have thought we'd have each other's backs no matter what."
"You're misunderstanding Ren's point," Nora said, finally breaking her silence. Ren had been wondering what had taken the girl so long.
"Once the secret's out, whatever it is, and there's fighting going on, there won't be room for second thoughts," she said, "Once you're committed, there isn't any going back. Any of us can say we'll stick with him now, but down the line when things get dangerous, there won't be any room to reconsider. That person would be putting not just themselves in danger, but any of us as well. Including- no, especially Jaune."
Despite her overwhelmingly cheerful and bubbly nature which more often than not made Nora come across as an airhead, Ren knew the girl to be very insightful at times. Having been together for so long, she was able to read him very well and had also caught on to the point he was trying to make to the team as well.
"I just don't want anyone to have regrets," Ren said, confirming Nora's short speech coincided with his point of view, "And I don't want there to be any hard feelings between us. That would also affect Jaune."
"Okay," Ruby said, her voice taking what Ren took to be a commanding tone, "Can we at least agree to support Jaune for the time being? Especially since he's going to be living in Vale soon. He's going to need our help to adjust, right?"
"You're right, Ruby," Blake said, "Besides, Ozpin said any conflict or war isn't going to happen any time soon. We have time to think it through, so how about we just put on some brave faces and help Jaune out with what he currently needs?"
She was ever the voice of reason, and though both Yang and Weiss still looked slightly grumpy, the girl's words seemed to have the right effects to steer the conversation. Pyrrha's expression soured however, and Ren could understand why. The girl was clearly still upset that Jaune was basically being forced out of Beacon.
"Well, what do you think we can teach him about that?" Ruby said, "Oh, I know. Let's make a list! C'mon Weiss, wouldn't that be really useful?"
The girl was trying to bribe her partner with things the girl enjoyed. Judging by the look on Weiss's face, Ren could see that she was successful. Though the group gathered around to prepare for Jaune's moving out, the boy knew it was only a temporary respite from the issue.
As much as nobody wanted Jaune to leave, Ren could appreciate the fact that the blond wouldn't be around to see his team argue about whether they wanted to stick with him or not.
iii
"Well, I think that's the last of it," Pyrrha said, storing away the neatly folded shirt. Hers were remarkably better than his own efforts and Jaune couldn't help but feel slightly envious.
"Doesn't take too long when you don't have a lot of stuff," Yang said, carelessly tossing his shirt into the closet. The blonde made no effort to be clean about it like the redhead and he could see that her methods were a bit closer to his.
"Maybe you should take that as an example and cut back on your own stuff," Weiss interjected, examining a book that had been left on the bedside table.
"Haha, nope!"
"So, Jaune, it seems like you're all set," Pyrrha said to him, ignoring all the byplay that had just happened. Even now, there was something slightly off about her smile.
"Yeah, I guess," he replied. Ren clapped a hand on his shoulder in support.
"On some level, I actually do envy you," the dark-haired boy said, "This is a very nice apartment they got for you."
"It's alright," Weiss commented. Though all of this was new to him, Jaune did notice that the silver-haired girl was probably used to even more luxurious accommodations.
"Weiss, you've gotta see this!" Ruby almost shouted, jetting into the room and grabbing onto the girl's arm, "Look at the size of that TV! I didn't know they made them that big! Come on!"
"Hey, hey, slow down, Ruby!" Weiss complained, but her partner dragged her out to Jaune's new living area despite her reluctance.
"Let's go check it out," Yang said, putting her hands behind her head and walking out after her sister. Ren poked Nora, who was currently snuggled tight onto the bed. The girl grumbled a bit but didn't get up. Ren just sighed and gave up, also leaving the room.
Seeing Nora fast asleep, Jaune recognized this chance to speak to Pyrrha alone, something he hadn't had a chance to do since their talk on the rooftop a few nights ago.
Something had been off about the redhead since their meeting with Ozpin. The two of them were close even before then, but now the girl seemed overly concerned with him. Jaune wasn't quite used to having someone being so attached to him. Even he had noticed the looks she sometimes gave him when she thought he wasn't looking. He didn't immediately understand them, but did eventually realize that it was sadness.
"Pyrrha," Jaune said cautiously, "Is… is something wrong?"
"Oh," Pyrrha said, looking caught off-guard, "No, not at all. Why, are you concerned about something, Jaune?"
"Uh, well, nothing apart from what's happening now," Jaune said, rubbing the back of his head reflexively, "Just… you seem slightly off."
The blond never considered his past something to be sad about. He felt lonely sometimes, what with the lack of any real companions. For most of his time in the Wilds however, his mood usually fluctuated between angry and hopeful. As he grew older, the anger did die down quite a bit.
There was rarely any time for him to just stop and feel sad for himself; he was always just too busy trying to survive until the next day. Now that he was out, Jaune didn't really stop to consider that his background was a sad one. But maybe it was, given how his friends had been acting since he had left them behind with Ozpin.
"O-oh," Pyrrha said, faltering slightly as Nora shifted on the bed a little bit, "I guess… I'm just thinking of how much I'll miss you while you're going to be here and not back in our dorm. But I'll be alright, Jaune. It'll just take some getting used to."
The blond wasn't sure if that was truly the issue but decided to take her at her word.
"It's not that far," he offered, "Only fifteen minutes away from Beacon, right?"
"Of course," she replied, giving him a smile. It still wasn't the way she used to smile, but Jaune had no idea what else might be bothering the girl so he relented.
"Let's go see what's up with the TV," she said, walking past him into the living room where the rest of the team was. Jaune watched her leave for a moment before sighing and following.
The television in question was enormous, bigger even than the one in Beacon's rec room. The group watched a news report, absolutely enamoured by the technology. Jaune didn't share the same fascination as the rest of them, but sat with his friends nonetheless.
"Ugh, more crime," Ruby said, sticking out her tongue, "Let's change the channel!"
"Let's not," Weiss replied immediately, "I want to know what's going on in the city. It's concerning, especially all the guests that'll be here soon for the Vytal festival."
Glynda, who had been in the kitchen since they arrived walked over to catch the report as well. The bespectacled teacher had taken it upon herself to make sure Jaune had enough food to last him. He wasn't really able to cook much other than fish and she had assured him she was able to cook quite well.
"It is important for Huntsman to keep abreast of current events," the teacher chipped in, "Especially in regards to crime. It will inevitably attract the Grimm."
"Done with the pasta, Ms. G?" Yang asked, looking hopeful.
"You know, I made this food to last your teammate for a week until I can come back again," Glynda said, giving the girl a reproachful look, "I do hope I won't receive a call from Jaune before then to say that he's out of food. Especially not because his team has eaten him out of house and home."
Yang gave her a guilty grin, ducking her head to avoid her wrathful gaze. Glynda just sighed and pushed her glasses up.
"I've made enough for dinner for everyone tonight," she said, studiously avoiding everyone's gaze, "Don't get used to it."
"Yes!"
"I knew it!"
"You're the best, Ms. G!"
As the team helped themselves, Jaune noticed Nora sleepily exit his new bedroom, yawning and stretching out. The pasta smelled delicious and he couldn't to try it; he supposed the aroma had woken up the girl as well.
"Mmm! This is great!" Ruby mumbled, her mouth full. Jaune looked down at his own untouched helping, a fork held in his hand. He eyed Yang as she stabbed into the food with her fork and copied her movements, take a bite of the meal with gusto.
Surprised and delighted at the taste, Jaune joined his team and Glynda in devouring the dinner. Ruby had successfully changed the channel on the television to a comedic series about a cookie thief and watched it along with her dinner.
He noticed even Weiss was slightly unused to watching something along with dinner, though he was sure it for different reasons than his. Nonetheless, he was enjoying himself greatly and laughed along with the group at the show, even though he didn't understand all the jokes. Just hearing them laugh made him feel like laughing as well.
Soon enough, dinner was over and it came time for the group to depart.
"The dustship won't be available much longer," Glynda said, already dressed to leave. Jaune was set with everything, including Glynda's personal scroll number in case he needed anything.
He watched as everybody was getting ready to leave as well, an odd feeling in his chest. One by one, they gave him their goodbyes, most of them looking remorseful and hesitant about leaving.
"We'll be back tomorrow," Blake assured him quietly, "We did promise to help catch you up, after all."
In the end, Pyrrha was the last person to linger, standing at the doorway as the rest of the group stood in the hall.
"If you need something, or just want to ask me something, or even just want to talk, don't hesitate to call me, okay?" she said. Jaune noticed the worry on her face plain as day this time.
"I'll be fine," he told her in what he hoped was a reassuring tone, "I've been by myself for long enough, I can handle it."
"R-right," she said, giving him a strained smile, "See you soon, Jaune."
The door closed behind her and silence descended upon him. The television was still playing but it was gibberish to him. He stared at the door for a moment before shaking his head, trying to clear his head. Switching the TV off, Jaune walked over to the large window and took a look at the city.
His friends had mentioned it being a fantastic view and looking at it again, he had to agree. It was nothing like the quiet darkness of the Wilds. Even at this time, the city was alive and vibrant.
Jaune looked back at the door his friends had left through and back at the city. His mind made up, he walked over to the entryway closet and grabbed a jacket and shoes.
If he was going to live here for the foreseeable future, he might as well see what the city had to offer.
iv
While living in the forests of the Wilds, Jaune didn't often get much of a chance to see the sky in the evenings. On the rare occasions he did catch a glimpse of it, he had enjoyed the brightly lit night sky filled with stars in it. It was one of the few things he took pleasure in. The lights in night-time Vale were of a different sort but also carried a similar mesmerizing look to it.
Many of the shops that Jaune had seen during the day were now closed, but the food stalls and restaurants were still open, turning on their lights and attracting all sorts of different customers. Unlike the dead quietness of the Wilds, Vale was pleasantly noisy.
The blond spotted all sorts of people walking through the streets or seated inside the restaurants. He noticed that there was less of a younger crowd at this time, the kids he would spot during the day not present.
As he strolled through the large street, a certain shop caught his eye, advertising many different kinds of food, including what he recognized as ice cream. There was a decently long line and he saw many people exiting the store with different kinds of desserts.
"The Four... Seasons," he read slowly, making out the name of the shop. He thought back to his experience the first time he had ice cream. He smiled to himself as he remembered sharing the delicious treat with his friends. Deciding to find something new to try and share with them again, Jaune walked past the line and into the establishment.
He noticed a few people looking at him curiously as he stepped past them and walked right to the front of the line. The attendant at the front counter looked at him as well as the person who was next in line.
Looking at the menu, he spotted the dessert he saw someone walk out with and pointed to it while addressing the worker.
"I want that," he told the boy behind the counter. The store employee froze as he looked between Jaune and the person in line behind the blond.
"Hey, what do you think you're doing?" the man complained, stepping forward. Jaune turned around and looked at the man. He was with a woman and was slightly buff but didn't seem particularly impressive to the boy. Remembering what the girl who had first treated him to ice cream did, the blond simply stared him down with an impassive look on his face.
"Uh…"
The man simply faltered for a moment under the weight of Jaune's gaze before quietly backing away. Jaune turned back to the frozen employee and pulled out his card. Seeing his card, the boy practically jumped, frenzily calling out the order.
"One ice cream sandwich coming up," he said, taking the card from Jaune and applying the charge to it. Jaune retrieved both his card and the dessert before walking away without a single look back. Instead of leaving, he walked into the restaurant and sat down in an empty seat.
Unwrapping his treat, Jaune took a sizeable bite out of it. His eyes widened as he experienced the sweetness of the sandwich.
"It's good," he muttered to himself, relishing the taste. Not wanting to finish it immediately, the long-haired blond took to eating it slowly. As he ate, Jaune took a look around the restaurant. Most of its patrons were engaged in conversation between themselves. He noticed a few people in the line glance at him though some seemed to be purposely avoiding looking at him.
All in all, he felt relaxed. Curiously, even though it was entirely different from the Wilds, Jaune felt a bit of familiarity here as he did back before he came to Beacon. Sitting there, he felt as if he blended into his surroundings; people mostly ignored him and apart from a glance or two, he felt anonymous. It was comforting and a far cry from his experience at Beacon, where everybody seemed to whisper about him or treat him hostilely.
Jaune was drawn out of his musing when he heard a raised voice from somewhere behind him. Swiveling in his chair, the blond got a look at two different people getting into a heated argument. Interested in the proceeding, Jaune turned his chair around, sitting back and watching the two men get increasingly mad at each other as he ate.
"- do that, asshole!"
"Well, what are you going to do about it, bitch?" the other man replied, as his friends rose up around him. The first man swung his fist at him, striking him in the head and sending him toppling to the ground.
It was a poorly executed attack, full of wasted movements and not much strength. Even then, it still sent the other man to the ground and Jaune realized that these two were easily not on a level comparable to his.
As 'Asshole' fell to the ground, his friend jumped at his attacker with a shout, tackling him and sending them both crashing into a table. Shouts and shrieks erupted in the restaurant as both of their friends began getting involved in the battle.
Another of 'Asshole's' friends went after 'Bitch', trying to pick him up to hit him a few more times. Jaune calmly sat back as he took another giant bite, inwardly scoffing at their tactics. It would've been far more effective to attack the man while he was down, instead of picking him up to attack him.
He was proven right when 'Bitch' headbutted the person who pulled him to his feet. One of 'Bitch's' friends also jumped in, punching 'Asshole's' Friend A, the one who had initially tackled 'Bitch', in the back of the head, making the man flinch in pain as he grabbed his head in pain.
"No, don't flinch like that," Jaune muttered to himself, shaking his head as he finished his sandwich. It was another rookie mistake and it left Friend A wide open to receive a kick to the stomach. But either way, nobody paid attention to 'Asshole' as he rejoined the fight, aiming a kick at 'Bitch's' knee, sending the man to the ground as he grabbed his leg. 'Bitch's' remaining friend finally jumped in, completing the three on three as he landed a painful blow to 'Asshole's' gut.
"Somebody stop them!"
"Oh my God!"
"Call the police!"
Jaune looked around the restaurant, finally seeing the reactions of everyone else in the establishment. Most of them looked either afraid or horrified, some even holding their hands to their mouths. It was a stark contrast to his reaction, and the blond realized that perhaps it was more normal to try to stop the fight than it was to sit back and coolly observe it and judge the fighters.
Deciding to intervene, he stalked forward as he gazed at his first target. Based on his experience fighting with Qrow and what he had seen when he witnessed the team battles in Glynda's classes, he wouldn't have to beat all six of them to stop the fight. He just had to pick the right targets and the fight would fall apart on its own. Thus, the real targets were the original aggressors, 'Asshole' and 'Bitch'.
None of the brawlers saw him coming and Jaune used the opportunity to grab 'Asshole''s shoulder and turn him around. He was the one that had provoked the fight, so he would be the blond's primary target. 'Asshole' turned around, ready to hit whoever had done so, but Jaune was much too quick for him.
Careful not to use his aura so as not to kill the man, Jaune's fist flashed out, striking the man in the neck. 'Asshole' was unprepared for the vicious attack and choked, unable to speak and gasping for air.
"Holy shit," one of his friends said, rushing to his aid as he fell to the ground clutching his neck. Jaune ignored him, knowing that the damage was superficial at best and moved on to 'Bitch'. The man hadn't noticed Jaune intervening with 'Asshole', too caught up in his own little skirmish and was taken by surprise.
Jaune kicked away the person he was fighting and aimed a punch where he knew was 'Bitch's' liver. Qrow had given him quite a few lessons on human and faunus anatomy, wanting the blond to be able to hit an opponent in the most debilitating manners. It was much harder against opponents at his level or superior, like his fellow students at Beacon, but was beyond easy against amateurs.
'Bitch' went down as well, bile rising up his throat. Jaune stepped back as the man vomited all over the floor, unable to hold his food back. The restaurant was quiet now and Jaune looked around. The customers didn't look all that relieved; they were now looking at him with cautious expressions.
"Uhh," he said, hoping to say something calming as he reflexively rubbed the back of his head, "It's safe now."
Seeing that his words did not have the intended effect, Jaune decided to leave before his evening could get any more ruined. The watching crowd gave him a wide berth as he left the restaurant.
Jaune didn't get very far as he heard a voice call out for who could only be him.
"Hey, blondie! Hey!"
Turning around, Jaune noticed an elegantly-dressed woman jog up to him as he stopped to see what she wanted. As she got close, she looked at him from head to toe; the blond got the feeling that she was analyzing him.
"You fought really well," she said, "It was very impressive. Are you a fighter of some sort?"
"Uh, I was at Beacon until recently," Jaune answered, resorting to the answer that Glynda had told him to give if anything came up. The woman looked familiar, he was sure he had seen her earlier. She had pale hair, not quite as bright as Weiss's, and amber eyes. Her clothes seemed the type that Weiss would wear; he didn't have too much experience in such matters but they did look expensive.
"Interesting," she said, "What's your name?"
"Jaune," he replied after a moment of hesitation, still preoccupied about her identity. His eyebrows furrowed as he tried to recall where he had seen her. She seemed to notice his confusion.
"What's wrong?"
"I, uh... have you been on TV recently?"
The woman smirked at his question, making him think that perhaps it was a stupid one to ask.
"You could say that," she replied, "So, an ex-Beacon student, huh? You look like you could be of some use."
"Sorry?" he asked, unsure of what she meant by that.
"Never mind," she said, before holding her hand out for him to shake, "Nice to meet you, Jaune. My name is Lisa Lavender."
fin
Notes: Okay, so first of all, let me say that I hadn't planned for this to take as long as it did. When I said sporadic updates, I was thinking I'd get this kind of chapter out once every other week or so. I've been bogged down with stuff however. Currently, writing this has taken a backseat, where my primary goal right now is to find well-paying employment. On top of that, I've been having numerous health problems. All in all, there have been several things that have taken my attention off this for now.
But whatever, better late than never. Besides, like I said, the updates would be a lot longer compared to before, and this one is right around 9k words.
So, a lot of stuff happened here. The first scene finally has that exposition we've been waiting for and I tried to make it devastating to Jaune's friends without making it overly dramatic. It also hints at the direction the story is going to go in once Jaune's powers are brought into the public eye. The second scene finally shows the gravity of the situation and a small rift in the team. Both Weiss and Ren have genuine concerns that should be properly addressed instead of single-minded loyalty. The third scene was meant to showcase Pyrrha's struggles as she can't seem to handle the truth behind Jaune's tragic past, to the point that even Jaune notices it. Of course, Jaune doesn't have the expertise or delicacy to deal with it so the problem is still there.
And the last scene... I'll let you make of it what you will.
Anyway, I hope you enjoyed the update and I hope to see a LOT of feedback! It's been a while and I've been missing getting all these reviews! Let me know your thoughts and comments!
Cheers,
knuckz
PS: Just in time for FF Friday on the RWBY subreddit!