DISCLAIMER: I own nothing related to RWBY

"If the Beacon Relic is not the one in danger, then which one is?" Pyrrha asks.

"Here's a big hint." Jaune jabs at a piece of carrot on his plate with a fork. "Cinder, Mercury, and Emerald."

Bringing the piece of food up to his mouth, he silently chews, waiting for them to figure it out. Ren and Pyrrha look down in thought, while Ruby, Yang, and Nora whisper among themselves.

It did not take long for Qrow and Taiyang to look up in realization. Jaune makes eye contact with them and subtly shakes his head, signaling them to remain silent. They nod and lean back into their respective seats.

Ren's voice cuts through the silence. "They came from Haven. This means that they are familiar with the school grounds, its security, and staff."

"And attacking the other schools is unlikely. Atlas is essentially a floating fortress and Vacuo is..." Pyrrha struggles to find the appropriate words. "well... complicated."

Jaune taps his finger on the table. "Anything else you can deduce?"

Looking around the room at the blank stares, Jaune rolls his eyes. "What are the requirements to transfer between schools?"

Being a teacher at Signal, Taiyang easily answers, "Three things: Transcripts, signatures from both parties, and-..." He pauses for a moment, seemingly realizing something. "and the headmaster's stamp."

"Tai." Qrow says in a low voice. "It could just be a coincidence." Though his voice betrays his doubt.

"How difficult is it to fake the headmaster's mark on these documents?" Jaune asks in a calm manner.

"... Extremely." Taiyang admits. "Those stamps are specially made to prevent forgery. And don't even get me started on the Dust ink they use."

"Um... what are you three talking about?" Ruby raises her hand timidly. "Sorry, but I'm having a bit of a hard time following."

With a frown, Ren replies, "I... believe that the headmaster of Haven Academy is currently under suspicion of working for the enemy."

"This is absurd!" Qrow growls. "Not Leo. He's been Oz's ally for as long as I can remember."

"All I am doing is pointing out the possibility," Jaune replies. "It would wise for us to not disregard it."

Qrow stands up from his seat and slams his hands on the table. "I don't want to believe it. If this turns out to be true, then things are looking even worse than we could have imagined."

"Why must everyone be so negative?" Jaune sighs. "Things aren't as bad as you make it seem. There is always opportunity if you know where to look."

"Oh really?" Qrow sarcastically remarks. "Please enlighten us, oh wise one."

"We can start by not being a smartass," Jaune snorts. "You can infer much about someone through their actions. For as long as mankind on Remnant has remembered, the Grimm have always been a constant threat. A force that has kept humanity on its back leg. Next, consider how the attack on Vale and Beacon was orchestrated. Using Cinder as a mouthpiece, Salem gave a dramatic, yet calculated, speech in an attempt to seed doubt, which undoubtedly, has worked. She's lived a long time, and, correct me if I'm wrong, she's always been the one pressing the attack - being the threat. Someone who is so used to being victorious, so used to being in full control, will surely grow lax over time, whether they like it or not." With a predatory gleam in his eyes. "Such arrogance can be exploited."

'Scary' is the thought that runs through most of the room's minds, particularly Qrow and Taiyang. Salem has always been a topic of dread. A hidden knife constantly hanging over their necks.

Qrow drinks from his flask. "Okay... how?" He mutters. "What exactly do you propose? And we still don't know if Leo is a traitor or not."

"Consider the worst case scenario and assume that Leo is indeed a traitor." Jaune interlocks his fingers. "If you were in Salem's shoes, what would you have him do? Try to think like a nefarious villain, maybe you'll learn something."

Taiyang brings a hand up to his chin. "A headmaster has access to all the students' and teachers' profiles. If Salem wanted, she'd have access to everyone passing through Haven Academy..."

"There would also be no need to search for the Vault." Yang points out.

"Tai." Qrow gulps. "Leo has a seat on the Mistral Council. It's not just Haven Salem would have access to. It'd be every Huntsman and Huntress registered in the Mistral system."

"And because he's on the Council, he'd be able to assign missions to whoever he pleases..." Everyone's eyes widen at the implication.

Jaune nods in satisfaction. "So if you'd like some proof on verifying the Haven headmaster's allegiance, that's where you should start."

"That can't be all you're planning, right?"

"Of course not." Jaune crosses his arms. A glints flashes across his eyes. "Salem is surely aware of me due to Cinder's survival. However, she'll know nothing of what I'm capable of. All she knows, is that her Fall Maiden was heavily injured by an unexpected force. Despite all the intricate preparations she'd made for Beacon's attack, an outlier has marred her perfect plan." He shrugs. "So, she'd have to be a complete fool to ignore me. I guarantee you that she'll do one or more of the following: keep tabs on my location, attempt to assassinate me, or have me captured."

"So what will you do?" Qrow asks in a low voice.

Jaune grins, "I give her what she wants."

"What?"

"Pretend inferiority and encourage her arrogance," Jaune sagely recites. "I'll allow myself to be seen in Vale at regular time periods. But in between those times, I'll be traveling all throughout Remnant, taking care of various matters and gathering information. In the meantime, I can keep tabs on Blake and Weiss."

"Uh... Jaune?" Yang skeptically voices. "The airway traffic has been reduced due to the recent attack, and it's not exactly inconspicuous."

Making direct eye contact with Yang, Jaune floats into the air and smirks. Everyone freezes and the rooms goes deathly silent, save for the sound of utensils clattering onto the table and plates.

"H-He's... He's really an alien!" Nora's scream jolts everyone back to reality.

"What the hell?!" Qrow and Taiyang exclaim.

"Woah..." Ruby's eyes glitter with envy and shock.

Ren remains still, the only indication of shock being the twitching of his eye. Pyrrha, though surprised at the sudden display, watches rather calmly.

"Surprise? I can fly." Jaune settles back down into his seat.

"Just... how much have you held back?" Yang is incredulous at this point.

"Let's just say that matching you all in spars was not exactly easy?" Jaune chuckles and rubs the back of his neck. "Anyways... given my speed, it shouldn't take longer than a day to go from here to anywhere on Remnant."

"What about us?" Nora asks. "What should we do?"

"You'll all be staying in Vale, training and defending the city from Grimm. Unfortunately, we can not make any drastic moves against Haven until Vale and Beacon regain some semblance of security." Jaune sets his arm down on the table. "So, in order to delay Salem, I'll have to ensure that she never disregards me, despite knowing my location. I'll occasionally show a little more to whatever eyes Salem has set upon me. Not enough that she'd consider me a huge threat to her plans, but just enough so that she must remain concerned, yet still confident that she'll succeed. A delicate battle of information, as you will. If we play our cards right, then we will have won the battle before it has even started."

Jaune stands up from his seat. "As for your training, I have a couple things in mind for you all."

"But... we already know how to fight?" Ruby questions.

"You only know how to kill Grimm." He flicks her forehead lightly. "When it comes to non-Grimm combat, most of you here have some key flaws that need addressing. I won't be leaving Vale right away, so I have ample amount of time to lay down the foundation of your training. We begin tomorrow evening."

*** Late at night ***

Sitting on the rooftop with his legs crossed, Jaune breathes in the night air and focuses on the fire Dust crystal in his hands. 'I'm rather weakened from the backlash, but I am also in a stable condition. Etching the Vermillion Bird shouldn't be an issue. Its benefits to my current condition are something I can not ignore.' Letting out a long breath of cold air, Jaune focuses on the energy within the crystal. 'The Vermillion Bird embodies the element of fire. In its truest form, fire is not just a force of destruction, but the breath of life. It destroys to create, and creates to destroy, an everlasting cycle.' A faint outline of a majestic bird of varying hues of red, and five long plumes of tail feathers trailing behind slowly comes to form. 'The Vermillion Bird, take root in the South. Go!' With a push of his palm, the Vermillion Bird flaps its wings and circles above Jaune's head once before plunging itself into the bottom portion of his dantian's entrance.

Back on the rooftop, Jaune slowly conjures some Aura through the Vermillion Bird and cycles the energy through his body. A deep warmth courses through his pathways, bringing color back to his pale skin. The gray locks in his hair shift back to a familiar blonde, regaining luster. As he repeats this process several more times, Jaune's appearance gradually returns normal.

'Though... all this did was recover my vitality and weakened state. It doesn't address my...' He clenches his hand into a fist and sighs. 'Only 5 years...'

Without looking back, Jaune says, "Good evening, Raven." After a moment of silence. "Are you just going to stand there and not say a word?"

With a sigh, Raven strolls to Jaune's side, and sits down. They both stare out into the night sky in silence.

After a few minutes, Raven finally breaks the silence. "I hesitated," she whispers. A pained look flashes across her eyes for a split second, before returning back to a neutral one.

"So you did," Jaune responds. "... You heard everything I told them."

Raven nods, not surprised Jaune was aware of her presence.

"What'll you do now?" Jaune asks.

Raven lets out a soft laugh. "If I hadn't seen your... whatever that was in the Emerald Forest, I'd think you're mentally ill." She switches to a more serious tone. "You told me that nothing is unkillable, not even Salem. Is this a known fact based on your... origin?"

Jaune nods. "Did you know that Ozpin once asked me about gods?"

Raven raises an eyebrow. Jaune continues, "Now that I've heard Qrow's tale of the two brothers, I can only assume Ozpin was referring to them when he first asked me that question. Hmph! I suppose to mortals, cultivators would seem like gods. It's an easy out to explain something one can not fully comprehend."

"My priority hasn't changed. Ensure survival." Raven lets out sigh. "And allying myself with you seems to align with that priority."

"I suppose that works," Jaune shrugs. "Having the Spring Maiden on our side would be helpful."

Raven's eyes briefly widen, then she scoffs. "When did you realize?"

"When you'd arrived just now," He responds. "Having felt the presence of both Amber and Cinder, I'm now quite familiar with the presence Maidens emit. Fall felt mildly cold while yours feels mildly warm. Not difficult to deduce it's Spring." Jaune turns his head and meets Raven's eyes. "When it comes time to deal with Haven, you'll be quite important."

"Hmph," Raven grunts, stands up, and turns around to walk away. "By no means does this make us friends. It just so happens that your goals align with mine."

Jaune with a small smile. "You seriously have a problem with not being honest with yourself." She pauses midstep, then jumps into the air and transforms to fly away.

*** In another room ***

Pyrrha, Ren, Nora, Ruby, and Yang are sitting in a circle facing each other in Ruby's room.

"So... none of us really commented much on the information Jaune dumped on us, but we really need to talk about it." Yang says. "Do you guys believe what he said? About the universe and all that? I mean, that whole flying thing he did was kind of crazy, but still..."

"It's a lot to take in at once," Pyrrha admits. "But that night, he just kind of... appeared out of nowhere. I don't know how else to explain it."

"There is also that technique he showed us and CFVY that day. Reflection of the Divine Moon is what he called it." Ren points out. "Remember that he was talking about truth. Don't you think that sounds similar to how he describes Dao?"

"Wait..." Nora pokes her chin in thought. "Didn't he say his 8 year old sister came up with the concept?" Her hand drops as realization dawns upon her. "Do you think he was talking about... his past life's sister?"

"Ying Yue..." Pyrrha whispers loud enough for the others to hear. As heads turn towards her, she hesitatingly clarifies, "You all remember that day in the dining hall when Jaune confronted Cardin for bullying Velvet?" Their heads nod. "As soon as Jaune had seen Velvet, I heard him mutter Ying Yue to himself before rushing to Velvet's aid. At the time, I'd thought nothing of it, but now... it seems to add up."

"What do you mean?" Yang asks.

"Whenever Jaune talked about or looked at Velvet, I've always had the feeling that it was never in the romantic sense." Pyrrha's voice begins to waver. "I may be wrong, but I have a feeling the reason why Jaune has paid attention to Velvet in particular is because she reminds him of Ying Yue, who I think it's safe to assume, was his little sister's name in his past life."

"Ying Yue..." Ren mutters. "It's an ancient language that my own name has roots from. I believe Ying Yue roughly translates to reflection of the moon."

"Oh my gosh..." Nora quietly gasps.

"He named that technique after his sister..." Pyrrha's eyes widen. "Then he showed it to Velvet, because of who she reminds him of..."

A somber silence fills the room. Simply imagining themselves in Jaune's shoes in that kind scenario induces pangs of pain in their hearts, in particular for Yang. If she were to lose Ruby, would she be able to handle it?

"We should trust Jaune," Ruby says resolutely. "He hasn't given us a reason to doubt him so far. The stuff he's told us is a little... crazy, but I believe his intentions for us are nothing but good."

"I... agree." Yang says softly. "But how should we treat him? Mentally, isn't he like... super old compared to us?" She looks directly at Pyrrha.

Pyrrha tightly grips her hands. "I-..." She starts, but looks away, swallowing her response. 'I still-'

*** The following morning ***

"Jaune?" Ruby calls out. She opens her home's door and steps outside. "Jaune, where are you at-" She abruptly halts when she turns the corner, finding Jaune meditating with legs crossed, several feet in the air! "U-uh..."

He rotates midair to face Ruby, and opens an eye. "Good morning Ruby."

"Uh... g-good morning..." Ruby mumbles while dazed.

Amused by her reaction, he levitates towards her. "Why so stunned?"

"W-well your hair. Your skin tone. They look normal again! How?" Ruby rapidly asks.

"Didn't I say that it was only temporary? Though I admit I was wrong on the slowly recover part. Turns out it wasn't as severe as I'd thought." Jaune smiles.

"I see. Thank goodness." Ruby lets out a breath of relief. "So... what were you doing out here?"

"Meditating. Clearing my mind in preparation for today." Jaune responds. Ruby displays a lost expression, not understanding what Jaune meant by that.

"Uh huh... Well, anyway, it's time for breakfast, and we were wondering if you'd like to join us."

Landing on his feet, Jaune walks beside Ruby back into the house. "Of course."

Jaune repeats the explanation of his recovered appearance to the group over the meal, much to the relief of everyone present.

"I have some business I must attend to in Vale." Jaune announces. "I should be back before the sun sets."

"Well, Ren and I were going back to Vale too. The city needs as much help as it can get." Nora points out.

"I'll be joining you," Pyrrha adds. "I admit that I was rather... unhelpful for the past week or so."

Jaune nods his head. "Very well then. I'll meet you all back here later this evening."

Jaune observes the damage as he flies high over the city. 'It will take some time for life to return to normal in Vale.'

As Beacon comes into view, Jaune notes a section of the school grounds cordoned off. 'Isn't that where...'

With a tap, Jaune's feet meet the ground on a rooftop in Beacon. Scanning through the school, Jaune walks down the stairway and into the building. Strolling through the halls, Jaune approaches Glynda from behind.

Glynda stares down at her Scroll intently, failing to notice Jaune standing right beside her.

"You certainly look busy."

She yelps in surprise and drops her Scroll, for it to be caught swiftly by Jaune. Glynda's eyes travel up from the hand which caught her Scroll to its owner's face.

"Jaune," she gasps. "I'd heard you were still unconscious from Ms. Valkyrie and Ren."

"I regained consciousness yesterday," Jaune responds, then offers the Scroll back to Goodwitch.

Taking her Scroll back, she asks with concern, "How are you feeling?"

"I am recovered, for the most part." Noting the fatigue in Glynda's eyes. "You look like you haven't slept in days."

She rubs her eyes. "Every professor and Huntsmen/Huntresses able have hardly had time to adequately rest. And as Ozpin is currently... missing, his previous responsibilities fall upon me, until he returns."

Nodding in sympathy, Jaune places a hand on Glynda's shoulder and sends a thin stream of Vermillion Bird essence into her. Glynda gasps as warmth spreads through her body, starting from the shoulder, washing her fatigue and sleep deprivation away.

As Jaune pulls his hand away, Glynda rolls her shoulders and clenches her hands several times, feeling none of the stiffness she'd had moments before. "What was that?" She looks up at Jaune.

"To keep you from collapsing due to overwork."

Glynda gives a small smile. "Well thank you Jaune. It is much appreciated. So, what can I help you with?"

"There is a certain bowler hat wearing fellow I have business with. He's awake, is he not?"

She lets out a sigh. "That he is. Follow me."

*** Beacon Medical Facilities ***

The mechanical door slides open, revealing Roman sitting up on a bed, with Neo sitting by the side. They turn their heads towards the guests.

"Well, if it isn't Glynda," Roman greets loudly. "I thought you couldn't stand seeing my face."

Glynda's eyes narrow dangerously, but says nothing back. "Jaune, please come in."

Neo eyes widen upon seeing Jaune walk into the room. Making brief eye contact with the girl, Jaune strolls up next to the bed and sits down on a chair.

"Roman Torchwick," Jaune looks at Roman lazily. "I went through a lot of effort saving your skin."

With a cautioned tone, Roman responds, "So I've heard... why?"

Jaune rests his elbows atop his knees and leans forward. "Well, I admit that part of it was on a whim, and luck on your part that I was nearby. Another is that I saw an opportunity to benefit this Kingdom."

"Of all things I expected to hear, that was certainly not one of them." Roman is slightly taken aback. "If you haven't noticed, I'm not exactly one to abide by the law. So what do you mean by benefiting the Kingdom?"

"Before I explain anything, I'm curious. Were you working for Cinder Fall willingly?" Jaune asks as he glances at Neo, who is now fuming in her seat. He nods, "I thought not."

Jaune leans back into his chair and crosses his arms. "The Dust you'd stolen while you were still employed by Cinder. It is still in your possession, no?"

"Why?" Roman asks suspiciously.

"Because I want half." Jaune bluntly states. Roman, Neo, and Glynda take a moment to process what he'd just said.

"Uh... you want it for yourself? Aren't you supposed to be a Huntsman?" Roman incredulously asks.

"Jaune!" Glynda hisses. "What are you thinking?"

Jaune continues, as if he had not heard the responses. "As for the other half, 80% of that goes back to Vale and Beacon. They'll need it to supply repairs and restructuring of defenses. The remaining 20%, you will keep."

'What's his angle?...' Roman is perplexed. "And why would you be so generous to allow me to keep anything at all? In fact, it sounds like you're intending on setting me free."

Bringing a hand up to gesture towards Glynda, Jaune responds, "I'm sure Glynda will have no problem with it, once I explain the terms. I'm sure you'll find them favorable."

Glynda grits her teeth in protest, but keeps silent.

Jaune points a finger at Roman. "You are capable of doing things the Vale Police Force and Huntsman/Huntresses can not due to the limitations of legal law. All I need you to do is what you do best. As you're familiar with the criminal world, you'd find out rather quickly if someone were to attempt getting into Vale through more... obscure channels. Eliminate any and all hidden threats to Vale and Beacon, and you will get to do as you please, so long as you do not act as a detriment to the recovery of the Kingdom. If the threat turns out to be something you can not handle, then you'll let me know. And of course, you'll need funds to operate, which is why I'm leaving you a portion of the Dust."

Roman and Neo look at each other, silently conversing with their eyes. Turning back to Jaune, Roman's eyes narrow. "And what happens if Cinder learns of this?"

Jaune scoffs, "Cinder is no concern. Besides, as far as the public is concerned, you're dead."

Weighing his options, Roman holds out his hand. "You have a deal."

"Glynda? Do you find this acceptable?" Jaune asks. Glynda glares at Roman's outstretched hand with some degree of conflict. "Glynda, you know this will be beneficial for Vale. We must put differences aside and focus on the task at hand."

Glynda takes in a deep breath and breathes out a heavy sigh. "You're proposing for the protectors of humanity to work with a criminal. One who is largely responsible for the Grimm breach several weeks ago."

Jaune says nothing, allowing Glynda to finish her thoughts.

"But... we are in a dire situation right now. We can not afford another attack." Hands on her temple, Glynda turns on her heels to leave. As she nears the exit, she says, "I can only hope that this is not a mistake. And Jaune? Please come see me in my office once you are done here."

Roman, still waiting with his hand outstretched, asks, "So... I guess we have a deal?"

Jaune grasps Roman's hand. "We have a deal." He exchanges Scroll numbers with Roman and Neo.

"Shorty, where's my scabbard?"

Eye twitching at the nickname, Neo whips out her scrolls and types furiously for several seconds, then flips the Scroll towards Jaune. "My name is not shorty! It's Neopolitan, or Neo. Scabbard is with the woman who just left."

Jaune leans forward towards Neo, looking over her with an odd look. "Neopolitan? Strange name. Hardly fitting. Whatever." Straightening himself, he turns around and heads to the exit. "I'll see you two around later."

After a minute of stunned silence, Roman looks at Neo. "Did he just..." Neo gives an anxious nod

Groaning, he settles into the bed. "He's like a different person. Completely different from the bumbling, desperate, boy who I'd forged transcripts for." He sighs, "Yeah I know Neo. Working with him may not be a terrible idea. Better than running constantly or sitting in jail."

*** In the city ***

Ren, Nora, and Pyrrha make their way towards the south eastern portion of the city. Ever since the Wyvern had retreated to Mountain Glenn, Grimm activity had skyrocketed in that area. As they are walking down the streets, Ren shudders from the feelings of shock, disgust, and horror emitting from civilians looking down at their Scrolls.

Nora, noticing his discomfort asks, "Ren? What's going on?"

"I'm not sure." Ren closes his eyes to focus. "Many are feeling... horrified. And they are all looking at their Scrolls."

"Isn't that Coco and Velvet?" Pyrrha points down the street. "Perhaps they have an idea of what is going on."

"Coco! Velvet!" Nora waves her arm as they approach.

"Nora, Ren, Pyrrha." Coco greets them.

"Good morning..." Velvet says softly.

Pyrrha steps forward and asks, "Do either of you happen to know what people are looking down at on their Scrolls? Whatever it is, Ren senses nothing but negativity."

Coco and Velvet give each other a look, before Coco hesitatingly responds, "Well... there's a picture that's been floating around the local Vale net since yesterday. It's spread like wildfire since last night."

"What... picture?" Pyrrha looks concerned.

Both Coco and Velvet avert their eyes. "We're not too keen on seeing it again. To find it, search... Beacon White Fang Massacre."

"Uh... huh..." Nora, growing a bit serious, brings out her Scroll and begins to type. "Beacon... White... Fang... Massacre..."

A seconds after the search results pop up, she reels back and nearly drops her Scroll. "Oh my gosh!"

Ren and Pyrrha rush to Nora's side and look down at her Scroll. They gasp and eyes widen at the picture displayed on the screen. A huge pile of dead White Fang members, all either dismembered, bisected, or decapitated. Though much of the gore is censored out, the sheer brutality of their deaths remain unfiltered. From the background, it is evident that this was on Beacon grounds."

"This has to be fake." Nora voices in disbelief.

Ren gulps in trepidation. "Nora... remember that area that's been cordoned off at Beacon?"

Nora's eyes drift down towards the ground, disturbed. Pyrrha's hand covers her mouth as she recalls Jaune's brief encounter with Cinder. He had shown no hesitation in striking out a killing blow.

"We were there..." Coco says in a low voice.

"What?" Nora's head jerks up.

Pyrrha, with a hand on Nora's shoulder, asks with a soft, yet firm voice. "Please explain what happened."

*** Glynda's Office ***

Knocking on the doorframe, Jaune invites himself into Glynda's office. In the center of the room is a simple, yet elegant wooden desk. The walls are lined with bookshelves, and next to the window is a small table with coffee mugs.

Jaune pulls a chair out from across Glynda, and sits down. "So, what's the situation with the Kingdoms?"

Glynda pours out two cups of tea and offers one to Jaune. "With the CCT down, we have not been able to contact Vacuo or Mistral."

"And Atlas?"

"After the majority of the Grimm and White Fang were cleared out, James was ordered back to Atlas by the Council." Glynda pinches her temple. "It will take time for James to convince the Council to send military aid to Vale, as he'll be dealing with the political fallout from the AK-200s."

"Hmm... so this why you agreed to my proposal with Roman Torchwick rather easily, all things considered."

Glynda looks at Jaune from across her desk. With a flick of her riding crop, his scabbard floats out from under her desk and into Jaune's hand.

"Jaune, there's something else we must talk about."

"Is it about that cordoned off section of Beacon?" Jaune asks, yet not really asking.

"So that was your doing..." Glynda lets out a tired sigh. "Why was such a thing necessary?"

Jaune raises an eyebrow in interest. "You're taking this a lot better than I thought. I was expecting some yelling and disparaging."

"By no means do I approve of such... bloodshed." Glynda adjusts her glasses. "But I also know that you're not some mindless murderer. So, why?"

"I had noticed that team CFVY was in a dire situation. If I had not stepped in, they would have been overwhelmed and... well let's just say the White Fang weren't exactly keen on taking prisoners that night."

Glynda crosses her legs and stares into Jaune's eyes. "Was simply subduing them not an option?"

"Perhaps, if the circumstances were different." Jaune stares back. "It goes without saying that right now, Beacon and Vale are in a vulnerable state. You've even admitted earlier, that we can not afford another attack. Now, those who seek to bring harm to Vale will have to think twice, lest they risk suffering a brutal death."

"So those White Fang you killed were sacrifices to send a message?" Glynda's tone turns slightly cold.

Matching her tone, and eyes turning icy, Jaune responds, "Yes. I do not regret my actions, and I'd do it all again if that is what it takes." Breathing out, Jaune's voice goes low, "I did not enjoy what I had to do, but I made the choice to cut down the lives of 83 people."

"You... counted?" The official report she'd received had indeed counted 83 dead.

"58 males and 25 females to be more specific." Jaune leans forward. "Like I said, I do not regret what I did, but I did not enjoy it either." He stands up, holding the scabbard by his side. "If that'll be all, I have some additional business to attend." With a slight bow, he turns to leave.

"Of course..." Glynda says softly, still stunned. "Jaune?" He pauses at the exit. "You don't always have to bear all the burden. You and Ozpin are infuriatingly similar in that regard." With a lazy wave, Jaune leaves the office.