Hello everyone! it's been a while since I updated this fic, but there was reason for that!

1) I've been working on a collab fic with Chrisrainicorn that is also RWBY related. The story is called Underdog and is located on Chrisrainicorn's page so go find it there if you are interested.

2) this chapter gave me some serious writers block, and ultimately anything that was humorous or positive was cut. The next chapter should be lighter, but this one is just sad.

Leave a comment if you enjoyed!

Also thank you Maldevinine for beta reading this chapter and writing out Ooblecks eulogy. It was a big help.

XxxxxxxxxxxxX

He was meditating in that familiar darkness again. His plan seemed to have worked, as far as he could tell before passing out again. They were considering him and his friends victims of a kidnapping rather than their true crime of leaving without notice. Unless something happened after the bullhead landed he had to hope that was still the case. Yet that was only a small problem out of the many he had to focus on.

Damn his entire state. And damn the Angels that keep threatening his humans. He would have been perfectly happy spending the next several hundred years with the Arc family, watching as the generations came and passed.

Of course he wasn't allowed to be happy. Why would anyone let Satan have a nice calm existence when they could be giving him constant headaches instead? It just didn't seem fair. He'd already been through enough bullshit in his life on Earth, and he was pretty sure that the time he couldn't remember that led to him being on Remnant was also full of bullshit.

And what the hell was Raguel referring to when she mentioned Mount Glenn?! What could he need to go there for? Wasn't that stupid subway trip enough? Unless there was something waiting for him there, or perhaps someone. Why in God's name did she have to be so vague!

He stayed in his dark abyss deep in thought for a long time, his mind constantly running in circles of anger and self loathing. It would take the energy of a sinister presence to snap him out of it, and one did come looking for him. A familiar low growl echoed through the darkness surrounding him, and it was quickly getting closer. Beelzebul was calling for him. Jaune opened up to the demon allowing him to approach.

"Master!" The demonic blob stopped at Jaune's feet, presumably performing a low bow.

"Beelzebul." Jaune nodded in response. "Why have you called to me?" He didn't expect the demon to reach out to him so quickly after their last chat, so it must have been important.

"A couple of things really. You cut your deal with me. I wanted to be sure everything went well with your task." Jaune sighed and scratched the back of his head tiredly.

"Though your powers were a great deal of help, I'm afraid our agreement came along with some… unforeseen consequences." He rubbed his stomach absently. "Apparently I can't function properly when I've given up certain body parts, in my weakened state anyway." The demon looked up quizzically.

"Are you sure Master? That has never been an issue with past deals." Beelzebul added.

"Yes, I'm positive." The blonde answered. "If I'm to rely on your strength again we will need to determine an alternative method." The demon's eyes instantly fell.

"You wish to… end the bargaining system." Jaune shook his head much to Beelzebul's surprise.

"I'm not that stupid. If there are more demons around then that act would be bad for my image." It was one of his decrees that got the demons into the closest state of social calm he's ever achieved. Whether deals were permanent of temporary, he couldn't risk the fallout of taking that right away. Even from one as close as Beelzebul.

"So what do you wish to do instead?"

"I'm not sure yet." The blonde sighed. He reached towards his neck absently only to remember his halo didn't appear here. He growled and crossed his arms instead, "I may need your help again, but the same type of deal won't be possible."

"Hmmm… OH! I nearly forgot!" The blob erupted with excited giggles. "I have good news Master! My Mistress is sending me on a secret mission to Vale!"

"You'll be coming to the city?" The blonde asked.

"Yes Master! Isn't this exciting! I can finally see you in person after all these years! We have so much to catch up on!"

"And how soon will that be?"

"I'll be visiting in three days. I'm to investigate Mount Glenn and the subway tunnels." He clapped his spindly hands together. "You can come up with a new thing to trade by then, yes? I'm always happy to lend you my strength, but it never comes free."

"Of course." Jaune chuckled. "I guess I'll see you soon. I have a few things to ask you but I'd rather they be in person, and I need to visit Mount Glenn for myself too."

"Wonderful Master! We can head there together! I look forward to seeing you!" The demon bowed and dissipated. Leaving Jaune alone in the black void again.

Well this could either go very well or extremely poorly. Regardless he had some things to do before their meet up.

XxxxxxxxX

Jaune awoke groggily, realizing he was in an unfamiliar bed. He sat up quickly, ignoring the pain in his gut. The moon was shining brightly through the curtains, and the only other people in the room were a sleeping Nora and Weiss. There were several beds lined up next to each other, and a lot of different equipment around the walls. This must be the infirmary.

Feeling his gut he realized the hole had been closed up with stitches, if the pinching in his skin under the bandage wrap meant anything. So they actually managed to close the wound? Interesting, though not too surprising given his state. He didn't know exactly what would happen to an Angel under the knife-

Focus! There was work to do!

He removed the sheets and stood up straight, discovering that he was in a gown rather than his normal clothes. Glancing around he saw a few of his items on the bedside table. His halo was laying there, along with the remnants of his scroll. But other things were missing. Clothes and the Horseman's Seal. But where had the seal gone? Did he have it earlier at the safe house? He hadn't thought to check for it then. Jaune would need to ask Raguel when he contacted her. For now he needed to find Pyrrha and Ren.

He grabbed his halo and the cracked up remnants of his scroll before walking to the door, opening it to find a dark empty corridor. That was fine. He didn't sense Raphael in the area, and he could faintly see Uriel's soul near the dorms. They would be stupid to attack his human in a place like this. He could leave Nora alone for now.

Jaune quickly made his way back to his dorm room without any opposition. He had spotted a few Atlesian guards along the way but they were easy enough to avoid. The Angel honestly expected more obstacles, though perhaps the military was spread amongst the city rather than the school currently. Scanning the bottom bar of his scroll against the doorknob the thing thankfully clicked open. He entered, knowing exactly what he needed to do.

XxxxxxxxxX

Pyrrha stood stock still as the other students gathered in the assembly hall. It had been two days since they returned to Beacon and nothing had improved. Jaune seemed angry and aloof, Ren was agitated and ignoring their leader while Nora was just trying to get around on crutches and keeping the team together all at once.

The two had woken up to a frantic call from Nora about Jaune missing from the infirmary, only to find him praying by his bedside silently. He had snuck back into the dorm room without anyone noticing and was eager to speak with them. Sadly the following discussion went south really fast. Somehow it devolved into a shouting match between the two boys, mainly due to the lack of definitive answers he could provide.

How many Angels were on Remnant?

Six that he'd seen. There may be more.

What about demons?

He only knew of one. There could be more of them too.

Why were they attacking him?

They were clearly mad at Jaune, but he didn't remember why specifically.

Why were they attacking humans?

He didn't know. They weren't supposed to directly harm humans.

His soul is split in two? But Miltia said they could be combined again.

They could.

Why hadn't he done so? It could save all of them.

It's better for everyone's safety if he didn't…

It felt like they hadn't made any progress during the entire discussion, and it was genuinely frustrating. Basically he explained that a lot of the situation was a mystery to him too, but how could he be so in the dark? He was in the middle of this right? He had to know more and wasn't telling them.

Of all the things that could of happened though, she didn't expect Ren to snap like he did. The most unshakable member of the team had been literally YELLING at Jaune. It's not like Pyrrha had helped either. She just sat there quietly as the discussion turned to bickering then shouting. Before she knew it Jaune had jumped from the window while Ren had stormed out to visit Nora. Soon after it was a mess of explaining things to security guards and nurses rushing around trying to find her partner.

She had no clue where Jaune had been hiding the last few days, or how he convinced security not to drag him back to the infirmary. This was actually the first time Pyrrha had seen him since that argument, and she was too nervous to say anything. After witnessing Oobleck die her head had been a whirlwind of negativity and horrible imagery. She felt anxious and paranoid all the time now, and she wasn't sure how to deal with it. It didn't help that the four of them would be seeing Glynda and Ozpin right after this service. She didn't know exactly what the professors had to say to them, but she knew it couldn't be good.

She had hoped maybe they could speak in her dreams like before, but even that was pointless. They hadn't shared any dreams since the Near Breach and she still didn't know why. Had Jaune purposely prevented them from dreaming together? Had his ignorance to the details of their ordeal been a lie too? She just didn't know anymore.

The redhead took in a shaky breath, trying to steady her nerves. Stiffly she straightened the black and green band around her arm that all of the students were given to wear. It was meant to be a sign of respect for their fallen teacher, but it only made her stomach churn more. To her it was another reminder of how the four of them failed in the subway tunnel.

How badly SHE failed. She was supposed to be the Invincible Girl, the unbeatable champion that everyone looked up to.

That everyone watched constantly.

Judged constantly.

And Oobleck's death was different from Jaune getting shot by Blake. Back then she was taken off guard, not expecting their friend to pull a gun on them. This time though, she was in full combat mode. She should have been able to do something. Maybe manipulate the blade with her semblance? Perhaps she should have been more conservative with her aura use? But no, she ended up helplessly watching that man bleed out on the filthy tunnel floor, trapped and unable to do anything.

Some champion fighter.

Finally the students were all present and quietly lined up, only a few hushed murmurs echoing throughout the room occasionally. It seems everyone could feel the weight of Ooblecks death, that or Glynda and Ozpin stepping out on stage was enough to keep the noise down. The headmaster himself walked up to the podium, solemnly checking the microphone before looking over the crowd of students. Everyone became dead silent as Ozpin prepared to speak.

"Before initiation I warned you all that you may not survive the day. Now I stand before you again with a reminder that not even with a lifetime's experience are you safe in the role you have chosen. I will not sugar-coat the events because we do not always win." Everyone seemed to feel the weight of his words, and Pyrrha herself cringed at the pain it brought. She could see Ren looking to the floor solemnly while Nora whipped her eyes and held his free hand. Jaune stood watching the man intently. She couldn't tell what he was feeling.

Ozpin soon continued. "Doctor Bartholomew Oobleck was killed Monday morning in the events of the Near Breach. He, Ruby Rose and Team JNPR were trapped in the tunnels as a result of the train derailment and while they were attempting to find another exit they were ambushed by a group of elite White Fang. Doctor Oobleck, Jaune Arc, Pyrrha Nikos and Lie Ren held off the White Fang while Ruby Rose and Nora Valkyrie contacted Beacon. A squad from the Atlesian Military supported by Professor Port and General Ironwood responded with all possible haste, but when they arrived Doctor Oobleck was dead at the scene while Jaune, Pyrrha and Ren had been captured." The champion and Ren both looked to each other. Their plan really did work. The authorities thought the White Fang was truly responsible.

"Doctor Oobleck was the Huntsman I knew who was most dedicated to the pursuit of knowledge. He used his training to gain access to the ruins of the past in search of what we had lost. He was the first person I offered a teaching role to when I took over the school. Bartholomew accepted immediately so that, in his words, he could show how the decisions of the past created the world of the present. In all the time he has spent with me since, I have never regretted that offer." Pyrrha could see Team Ruby a few rows ahead, Yang leaning in to comfort her younger sister when her shoulders started to quiver. They were the ones assigned to Doctor Oobleck in the first place for that mission, and she was sure the news was hitting them just as badly.

"The process of finding a new teacher for Doctor Oobleck's classes has begun but it will take some time. Until then classes will continue as normal with myself as the teacher." Several students around Pyrrha began whispering to one another. They went quiet again when Ozpin cleared his throat to finish.

"While Doctor Oobleck is now lost to us, he did not lose. The Breach was stopped, saving possibly the entire population of Vale. Teams RWBY and JNPR have returned to us, alive if not uninjured. I would like to take a moment here for silent remembrance of Doctor Bartholomew Oobleck and to consider that what he did was no more than could be asked of any of you in the future." Pyrrha looked to the floor, rubbing the fresh wetness from her eyes hoping to not break down. She couldn't do so here. It was important to stay strong, for everyone else's sake.

The memorial service came to an end, and students silently walked out of the auditorium to whatever classes were actually being held that day. Jaune walked off towards Ozpin's office before she could say anything, completely ignoring the whole team. Nora looked very distressed having missed the argument that caused this division, but Ren put a reassuring hand over her shoulder as they slowly followed their team leader. Pyrrha walked behind the crutch using Nora, keeping up with her slowed pace and staying quiet the entire walk there.

She just knew this meeting would go poorly.

XxxxxxxxX

"Your team has put us in a very difficult situation." Glynda stated while adjusting her glasses. The four of them were lined up in front of Ozpin's desk while Professor Goodwitch both scolded and interrogated the entire team at the same time. The Headmaster just watched them quietly, his chin resting on both his hands looking contemplative.

"You may have met up with Team RWBY and stopped the train from causing more damage, which I will say is admirable. However, you used the subway tunnels to get there, which is highly illegal for anyone to enter without clearance might I add. You also failed to communicate your whereabouts to the school and abandoned the mission you four chose yourselves." His teammates stood quietly looking away from her angry gaze. He needed to act.

"Yes," Jaune stated. Glynda's attention was now fully on him.

"Do you know how much trouble your team is in? Not only did you cause a mass worry among students and faculty, but valuable resources were wasted in the initial searches that could have gone towards the train crash."

"I understand." He sighed, preparing for his next move. "And I take full responsibility for my team's actions." She raised an eyebrow, clearly skeptical.

"Is that so?"

"Yes. I was the one that said we should go through the subway. My teammates were just following orders. I take full responsibility for this."

"Hey! You don't-" Ren silenced Nora before she could protest any further. She watched worriedly as the professor checked her notes.

"You do realize such a serious offense needs to be reprimanded, and don't try getting your teammates out of this Mr Arc. They were perfectly capable of saying no or informing the school themselves. In fact, I'd say completely barring the four of you from participating in the Vytal Festival would be sufficient."

"Glynda," Ozpin said tiredly. Ms Goodwitch turned around to face him warningly, but the Headmaster wasn't fazed. "They've suffered enough. I don't think anything further is necessary."

"Ozpin, we can't just let them off the hook that easily. We need to set an example for the other students."

"Ms Valkyrie broke her leg and the others were held captive for several hours against their will. I don't think anything else will be needed." The Professor glared at him and then down at her clipboard. Ozpin looked up to the young team before him, standing up and passing out small cards. "Professor Peach will be available for counseling if need be. You will each be required to attend the meeting times listed below. Other appointments can be made at your discretion." He handed a little card to Jaune as well, with a date and time listed for next week.

"T-thank you, Headmaster." Pyrrha said quietly. Ren and Nora looked at their cards while Jaune stored his away in his back pocket.

"And Mr Arc," Ozpin said. "Could you stay a little longer? I would like to speak with you privately." He paused, feeling the eyes of his teammates watching him. They were just as surprised as he was.

"Uhhh… Okay, sure." He finally said after a brief pause.

"Then the rest of you are free to head to classes." He looked to the others with a small smile. Slowly they turned to leave, with Professor Goodwitch following close behind. The four entered the elevator and Ozpin waited for the door to shut. As soon as they were gone he relaxed a bit.

"Have a seat Mr Arc." Ozpin motioned to the chair in front of his desk. The blonde tensed but did as instructed. He didn't trust Ozpin, and he wasn't sure what this could be about. This was unlikely to be an ambush, seeing as Uriel was on the opposite side of the school and Raphael out of his detection range.

He watched Ozpin walk to the other side of the room where the coffee maker was. He opened a pack of brown powder and poured it into an empty mug and began mixing it with hot water.

"So tell me, how have things been with your team recently?" The man asked while stirring the fluid with a spoon. He prepared a second mug waiting for Jaune to answer.

"Things are fine." He replied curtly. Ozpin hummed thoughtfully on the trip back to his desk, handing Jaune one of the mugs before taking a seat himself. The drink smelled like hot chocolate.

"Really? So the fact you've been sleeping on the roof above your team's dorm room the last few nights means everything is alright?" Jaune clenched his fist at Ozpin's statement. How did he know? Were there cameras on the roof he hadn't noticed? Or perhaps in the stairwell leading up to it? Maybe Uriel told him?

He shook the thought from his head trying to keep his expression neutral. "We are just having a disagreement. I'm sure it will be sorted out soon."

"Perhaps I should schedule a group counseling session for your whole team." The headmaster suggested. "Disagreements among teammates can be common, but it's best for the team's synergy and safety to fix those problems quickly." He didn't bother responding, knowing that probably wouldn't happen at this point. He tried telling them what he knew and apparently that wasn't good enough. Maybe it was better to keep them at arm's length though? If they stopped seeing him as an ally then the Angels might leave them alive. Though he knew the odds were slim, Azrael's comments regarding their loyalty hadn't gone unheard. He still had to keep his promise of not leaving them though, which was his reasoning for setting up shop on the roof. It's not like he could crash in team RWBY's room with Blake and Weiss still hating him.

Ozpin waited several long minutes for a response, realizing Jaune wouldn't give him one. He decided to move onto the primary point of this meeting.

"Does this have anything to do with your heritage?" The blonde's eyes widened. How did he know about Jaune being an Angel? Did Uriel really tell him? Ozpin seemed to take his response as a yes. "I've met the Arcs long ago, though I don't recall either of them having Faunus traits." His shoulders immediately fell. The medics must have seen his wing slits once he passed out and notified Ozpin then. That was a relief, he could work with the Faunus angle. Though, the Headmaster's questions were rather rude. Was he implying infidelity?

"That isn't any of your business." He responded defensively.

"I'm sorry. That's not what I was getting at." The man stated with a sigh. "I'm concerned about the absence of your wings. The removal of someone's Faunus parts is highly illegal in all the kingdoms across Remnant, and it is important to know if this is the result of a hate crime from your home village, or if this was done by your family members."

"If you really must know I cut them off myself." Jaune said curtly. There wasn't any harm in that part of the truth at least. Ozpin seemed surprised by the news.

"Are you sure about that?"

"Yes. It's hard to function in normal society when you have wings constantly knocking things over. Plus…" He paused for a moment, thinking about the humans of his home dimension, the subway station under Vale and Blake's reaction to him. "Humans are historically bad at accepting those that are different. If they weren't segregating based on animal parts it would probably be skin color or religious backgrounds."

"Though you aren't wrong in a sense, not all humans are bad. We've come a long way." Ozpin tried.

"Some have, but many haven't. Even the Faunus are just as bad towards humans, or one another." The elderly man sat back and glanced at one of the spinning gears on the wall. He seemed to be considering Jaune's words very carefully.

"I know you've seen the good in many humans, your own teammates included. Perhaps this argument could be settled with just a little more honesty?"

"I've tried that!" He snapped. Ozpin watched carefully as Jaune tried to gain control of his breathing.

That familiar anger was building again, similar to what he felt when fighting Azriel. Why was it manifesting so readily though? He shouldn't be this upset over a few words-

"Mr Arc?" Jaune snapped back to attention realizing the Headmaster was still watching him. He stood up abruptly not wanting things to get worse.

"I should go." Jaune turned to the elevator without saying anything else. Ozpin just watched him quietly until Jaune reached the elevator.

"Just keep my words in mind, Mr Arc." Ozpin said as the elevator door started to close. Jaune stuck his foot in the door at the last second, unable to keep quiet at that last statement.

"You talk about honesty, yet you don't even teach your students about the segregated subway stations, or the practice of Faunus docking their own body parts just for a fair chance at making a living! Hell, you're even scared of talking about religions of the past or trying to learn from their mistakes. Maybe you should practice what you preach every once in a while." He pulled his body back into the elevator and let the doors close before Ozpin could respond. He was mad, and he could feel his eyes starting to glow an angry yellow again. Leaning his weight against the wall he tried massaging his temples hoping that would relieve some anger. God, he needed a break. It's not like Angels ever got a vacation from the bull that surrounded them though. This was really the first time he'd ever had a "break" from being the Devil anyway and he would have advocated for more if he'd known how beneficial the respite could be.

Speaking of bull, a familiar soul was approaching the elevator from the ground floor, and he really didn't want to see the being it belonged to.

The doors opened to reveal that tall, dark-haired figure of that slouched grouchy Angel he hated. Raphael, or Qrow as he was going by currently, was posing as Ruby and Yang's uncle. He was also hanging around the school far more often than Jaune cared for and it was making him anxious. He tried walking past the other Archangel but Raphael was quick to stop him.

"You're not even going to say hello?"

"After the murder you committed and the hell you've put me through, no I don't think I will." He tried leaving again but was grabbed roughly by the shoulder.

"I wasn't the one who killed that man and you know it." Raphael's eyes glowed momentarily in annoyance.

"As far as I'm concerned, you were in charge of them. Maybe they just don't like listening to you."

"One more word and I will rip your tongue out." Raphael threatened but Jaune knew those were empty words. If it weren't for Azrael interfering Jaune would have won their battle in the subway, and his adversary was all too aware of that fact. That also meant his real power lay in numbers, which Jaune couldn't compete with sadly. Not as he was anyway.

"Why are you doing this? Just leave my Humans alone and I'll go with you quietly. I don't understand." Jaune growled instead.

"You may be the reason we came to this realm, but you're not the only reason we still remain. Don't think so highly of yourself." The two glared at each other momentarily before Jaune shook Raphael off his shoulder. He stormed away from the other Angel struggling to stay calm. How dare Raphael lay a hand on him, and how dare he threaten his humans. He was lesser than him, even if they shared the title of Archangel-

No, stop thinking like that!

"Jaune?" He froze hearing his partner's voice. He looked over seeing her standing by a wall in the hallway. She looked oddly nervous.

"Yes?" He answered, voice sounding quieter then he intended. He could sense the fear and unease radiating off her soul, but worst of all was the obvious suspicion. She didn't trust him.

"Please, can you at least tell me what is going on? I-I know it must be hard, but our lives are in danger."

"I tried telling you already, and it just made Ren angry."

"But you're at the center of this! There has to be more going on. Please just talk to me!" She sounded desperate, like she genuinely didn't know what else to do. His lips thinned into a fine line. He wanted answers too, honestly, but she didn't believe him. None of them did. If anyone was going to get answers, it would have to be through others at this point.

"It's… there's a lot more happening that I still don't understand. I'm sorry, but I've already told you everything I know." He hoped that would be enough for her, but of course it wasn't. She backed up then, much like she had that night on the roof when she offered to help him with combat training. Back then he was too proud to admit that he didn't know how to fight without his powers. Now he was just being honest, and that was the hardest part.

"W-well, I'm sorry I bothered you then." She rushed off down the hallway leaving Jaune alone to feel guilty about something he couldn't even control. How did these people always drag out such human emotions from him? He hated it, but he couldn't focus on that right now. Jaune needed to talk to Raguel and it couldn't wait any longer.

XxxxxxxxxxxxX

Pyrrha looked to the ground walking slowly back to their dorm room. Why was she such an idiot? She didn't know what to believe anymore. She wanted to trust Jaune, she really did. There was this constant nagging in the back of her mind though. It was questioning everything that he told her, if what he said was even a half truth or a complete lie. It pained her to dwell on, but her mind kept rolling the last things he said to them around in a constant loop.

That couldn't be all he knew.

He had to be hiding more. So far he had neglected to share important information, and she wouldn't be surprised if he had lied to her face.

"Pyrrha!" The redhead turned seeing a familiar cloaked figure rushing up to her.

"Hello Ruby." She said far weaker than she meant. "How can I help you?"

"I have to give you this." She passed her a fancy looking card. It had "The Club" written at the top and the words "V. I. P." below that.

"I don't understand." Pyrrha blinked.

"It's for a special invitation to a night club down in Vale. We've been invited as special guest by the owner himself." Pyrrha blinked trying to put the pieces together. Ruby leaned in closer so prying ears wouldn't hear them. "It was sent by Jaune's friend Melanie. She wants us to stop by on Saturday. It's very important." Wait, Melanie was one of the Angels that saved them from the subway tunnels. Even if she was friendly, why would the Archangel invite them? They were only weak humans after all.

"Is everyone coming?"

"Ren and Nora are, but the rest of my teammates don't know about it. We kind of need to keep it that way." She rubbed the back of her neck nervously.

"Ruby, you can't just go without letting them know. You have to tell them." Pyrrha argued.

"Not yet. Please." Ruby sighed. "It's… Blake and Weiss can't stand Jaune already, and I can't imagine how they'd react to a new Angel. Plus Yang thinks I'm too young for clubs anyway. She'd never let me go."

Pyrrha exhaled, completely understanding Ruby's point. They really were just as hypocritical as Jaune, and sadly it made sense to be that way for now. She didn't get a chance to ask Melanie and Miltia any of the questions she had before, so now would be a good time to do so. Especially since Jaune himself wouldn't be honest to begin with.

She didn't see a better option.

"Alright. I'll let Ren and Nora know I'll be joining. Just… we need to be very careful, okay?"

"I know." Ruby agreed.

Pyrrha didn't know what this meeting would be about, but she really hoped she could get a few things answered at the very least.