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I wasn't the sort to dwell on what Weiss had wanted from me. Well I totally was. I dwelt on everything. I was a dweller. But I was also the sort to get my workout in anyways.

Really, my thoughts were on Eminence and her partner. The people I had killed. They hadn't acted like gang members or at least not like the picture I had in my head of gang members. What with the pleas for me to spare their lives and all.

Well maybe the picture I had of gang members was of non-people. Then when I encountered some people and killed them I was surprised to find out that they were the same as anybody else. They had died the same as everybody else would, or at least most people would; together, if they were lucky, and begging for their lives, besides.

Qrow wheeled out on me while I was practicing my Limit Breaks and just watched me move around for a long time.

"Enjoying the view?" I asked.

"What?"

"Nothing."

"How are you feeling, kid."

"Like a murderer and a liar."

"We both know why we had to keep it from Ruby. Now we just have one more favor from Ms. Malachite."

"Assuming she keeps her word. I don't trust these criminals as much as you do."

"She will. She has to uphold deals she makes in front of her men in good faith. Or else they'll start to wonder about their own paychecks. It's a little bit of honor amongst thieves. It's more to prevent backstabbing than out of any real sense of honor, though. Trust that."

"Gee, if you say it like that I really have no choice."

"Tell me how you really feel."

"I feel… all kinds of fucked up. I want to talk to Ruby about it but I can't and it's leaving me more fucked up."

"You know why we can't talk to Ruby about it. As far as she is concerned it's just one favor. Scroll keys out of Don Corneo."

"I'm supposed to just live with this. Live with myself."

"Yeah kid. Just like the rest of us."

"The thing is I think I can do it. I think I can do it easily, too. That scares me."

"Sounds too complicated for me. It sounds like you're struggling; just the same as I do."

I grunted and swung my sword at nothing.

"It's not quite the same. And all I have to talk to about it is you."

"Easy kid. Have a drink. Relax. There's nothing you can change about it now and nothing you would want to anyways."

I inhaled a shaking breath. He was right. Qrow needed legs. I had to be the one to kill them. It had to be done. No one of my friends would have done it. Didn't that make it wrong? None of them would have approved. I already had the answers I needed. I just didn't like them.

"Who were they? What did they do to deserve having me come after them?"

"Does it really matter? Come on have a drink."

"I don't want to drink anymore."

"You need to relax somehow."

"I am. This is what I do to relax now."

This was how I'd relax for the rest of my life. I swung the sword fast enough that it made several satisfying thump sounds in the air.

"Well, we wanted to discuss the matter of infiltrating Don Corneo's workplace with you." It was Ozpin. Someone I wanted to talk to even less.

"What about it? We don't need to risk Ruby or Nora now. And I don't need to wear a dress. We have Yang."

"I'm not super comfortable with my niece going in there."

"But you're comfortable with me killing people." I wiped my brow and glared at Qrow. "Your priorities are fucked."

"Easy on the language, now." Ozpin said with Oscar's mouth. "It's good that we have only one favor between us and getting Qrow back on his feet. Then, thanks to Ms. Xaio Long and Ms. Schnee being with us again, things are better now than they were yesterday."

"What does better for you even mean?" I wondered. "How do you handle the lying and the murder?"

"So long as they don't ask us about it, it's hardly lying. And from what you told Qrow you did kill somebody in a near bar fight. The story you told your friends merely bordered on the truth." Ozpin lectured. "As for killing it never gets any easier. And that's a good thing. Though, we take life we don't make any light of it." I exhaled hard. It was no new advice. "And we don't make sport of it. I heard you encountered one of the people drafted to Salem's side."

"The Scorpion."

"Yes. Tyrian. There are others too. Others like Hazel Rainart. They would not be so disturbed by violence as you are. Let them serve as a counterpoint. Would the man who attacked Ruby and yourself be upset if they had killed someone? Perhaps. But not like you are now."

"I get it. I get it." I sighed. "You wanted to talk about the infiltration mission. I vote Yang."

"We should discuss it." Qrow interceded.

"We are." Ozpin and I said at the same time. That pissed me off.

"I don't like the idea of her in there."

"You think I have a chance in a dress? I can rock a dress but I'm missing a certain je ne sais quoi that Yang has."

"You didn't want Ms. Rose or Ms. Valkyrie to do it. Why Ms. Xaio Long?"

"Je ne sais quoi."

"Yes. I suppose so." Ozpin relented. "Over Ms. Schnee too, I suppose. Our Target has a predilection for the type who frequent such places. Ms. Xaio Long is a match for, at least in looks."

"She looks like a party girl who knows how to earn a little extra cash is what you're saying." Qrow wasn't happy about it. "I get it though. Maybe she is our best bet."

"She bragged about going clubbing at Beacon. She has experience I don't. Plus she has infinitely more time spent in a female body than me. She knows how to use it better than I can fathom."

"We should have a backup plan," Ozpin insisted.

"She can wear a wire and everyone else can be waiting outside. There's five of us in huntsman-shape. Speaking of shouldn't they be here for this conversation. Part of being open with everyone."

"I wanted to have a quick think-tank and see what you thought." Ozpin dismissed my jab at him. "Qrow trusts your instincts."

"I don't like any of it. I think somebody is going to get hurt. I think Don Corneo from what we know is a scumbag."

"And what do you think of Leonardo?"

I faltered for a moment. "I don't trust him. I don't like how Cinder and her allies snuck past him." If Ozpin thought hard about it he would see how I don't trust him either. I snuck past him. I could have gotten myself or somebody else killed.

And he picked me over some more qualified student who had a better, more authentic resume. He chose me anyways. Why? Was he incompetent? I sure used to be. Or could he actually see my potential and what I would become and thought it was worth the risk.

If so, then it was a hell of a risk. I could have been one of Salem's agents if only I wasn't such a failure. He trusted too easily in any case that was kind to him.

"If you don't mind me asking, uh- Mr. Arc, how did you get as strong as you are?"

It was Oscar this time and I was stumped for the question. I found my gaze flicking over his head to Qrow for a second who only offered me a shrug.

"What do you mean?" I wondered. "And it's just Jaune."

"Jaune, then. It's your mentality. You have this mindset that sets you apart from everyone else."

"I wasn't always this jaded. If you want strength look at Ruby." Emotional or physical.

"It's not that or at least not just that. I've already asked her too. She's something special. You are too, though. Even with the fate of the world as it is, you still train day in and day out and do everything you have to, even if it hurts you. You've even killed people. I guess what I'm trying to say is that you're not afraid of the dirty work."

"It's not something to be proud of but Qrow's done it too."

"But he's not our age. Or your age, at least."

"I have to. I suppose. Or my friends, those that are still here, will bite it too. That keeps me going. What's left of my team and Ruby's team too."

"Can you teach me?"

"How to have friends? Haven't got a clue. Sorry."

"Not that. I need somebody to teach me swordsmanship. How to use my weapon. Or start to until Qrow is back up."

Qrow gave an enormous sigh from the chair. For my part I hesitated again. I wasn't the sort, didn't have the training myself. But this was one of those things I wasn't sure I could say no to.

The right thing to do would be to teach him. Pyrrha would want me to. Ruby might even ask me to. That pretty much sealed it.

"I won't take it easy on you." I drew the bastard sword and posited the cross shaped shield on my back. "Can't afford to."

"Really? That's fantastic! I was worried you didn't like me. Wait is this one of those things where you mean right now?"

"Why? Are you too busy?" I mocked him. He took it as friendly teasing. And it was, at least to some degree. The kid was not Ozpin. Not yet.

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"I can't lift my arms."

"Then I did my job."

"What did you do to him last night?" It was Weiss.

"Poor Oscar." Ruby bemoaned.

He could in fact lift his arms to shovel eggs into his mouth. He was hungry, more hungry than he was sore, which was good. His body was already about repairing the damage we did to his muscles.

"Eat more than you usually do." I ordered.

"I thought you're supposed to watch what you eat."

"If you're losing weight, not bulking up. You should eat until you're full."

"Look at you two." Ruby flowed with pride.

I felt myself flush at her affection despite myself.

"Seriously what did you do last night?" Nothing bothered the ice queen like being ignored.

"Just some light training. He's new at it and I still remember what that's like." I wasn't looking to bother her, though.

"You? Training someone else?"

If Weiss thought I'd disagree she'd be waiting a long time. "I know right."

"What's the joke?" Oscar asked.

"The joke is me. I'm awful and any of the girls here can kick my ass. You should have asked Weiss to train you. She uses a sword."

"Is that true?"

"Absolutely." I confirmed between bites of toast. "I've seen her use it."

"What did you teach him?" Yang wanted to know.

"Some of the basics of striking, how to block by rolling the wrist, then I made him do some fitness. Pushups, situps, other stuff, and then cardio."

"Sounds like you know what you're doing." Yang complimented.

"I certainly try."

"He's a slave driver. Do you work that hard every night?"

"A little harder since I'm in better shape." Yang poked my triceps as I said that. "Hey now. Hands to ourselves."

"You wanna go a few rounds. We're not exactly doing anything today." Yang stopped poking me.

"Yeah I suppose we should. Let me digest for a bit." Yang and the other members of RWY had been up before my team and I so they were already bored and rearing for something to do.

We had time to set up the gig with Don Corneo, Qrow was going nowhere slowly. That left us doing the same sort of shit we'd been doing for the last few weeks. Pretty much nothing as we waited for Leonardo Lionheart to come up with something.

"Boo." Yang booed me. "Nora's been telling me all about your semblance and I can't wait to see how it stacks up."

I shrugged apathetically. I wasn't going to go flipping around on a full stomach if I could help it. I just wasn't. Plus Ren had mentioned I'd started to fly when I had Limit. Near as I could tell it actually only let me hover a few inches off the ground but it still wasn't something I was going to push myself on.

"I'm sure you'll get your chance to smack me around."

"Aw come on. We three tanks have got to stick together." Nora said with her mouth full. She flexed for emphasis and I watched Ren stare at her. He couldn't help himself. The more things changed the more things stayed the same. I couldn't help but wonder how the two of them were getting along with my advice and Ruby's example.

Speaking of I wasn't sure how much of that was mine to reveal, of their relationship or mine. I figured they would come out when they were good and ready. Meanwhile, like most things, it was up to Ruby what happened with us.

"I can't wait to see it either. You should hear Ruby talk you up." It was Weiss again.

"Ruby is way too nice."

Ruby sweetly squawaked a little. "I am not."

"You are." I almost swooned. I couldn't help myself this time. Even when she was trying to deny it, all tough, she couldn't hide what she really was. I'd seen tough Ruby and this was not it. Not that tough Ruby wasn't hot as fuck either.

"Ugh. Get a room." Yang put her two cents in.

"Maybe we will." I countered.

"No way." Weiss's eyes flicked between Ruby and I. They went wide at Ruby's flushed expression. It was quiet enough that Yang marched on.

"Oh Vomit Boy's got back talk now. What crawled up you and gave you a spine?"

Ruby and Weiss were talking quietly which just left Oscar, and what was left of team JNPR munching away.

"Maybe I was always like this."

"You definitely weren't." Yang disagreed.

"Is Weiss really better than you?" Oscar asked me. He'd probably been waiting to ask for a while.

"I mean probably." I'd spent the last year fighting Grimm, bandits, and the agents of Salem. I wasn't a pushover, not anymore. Training was one thing but I'd honed my skills in honest to Gods combat. In a lot of ways my attacks were more lethal than what you'd get from pure training. The Cross-Slash was like that. I'd seen just how lethal they were yesterday. "She's been at it a while longer than me. You can probably learn from both of us. I wouldn't sweat it."

"Right. That makes sense. But you'll still help me with the fitness?" It was so fucking weird to have someone looking up to me. Really. Especially now that I was surrounded by some of my other friends from Beacon. It was one thing to hear compliments from Ren, Nora, or Ruby and quite another to look Oscar in the eyes and see admiration. It was uncomfortable. I looked away.

I gave him a nod in the periphery.

"Jaune, would you shed some light on this favor we owe to get Ruby's uncle back up and running, so to speak?" Ren asked me.

Right. Other than Oscar/Ozpin, Qrow, and myself nobody else knew about what we'd agreed to. Nobody had really asked about it either, all their attention was on one another and then on Ozpin and his magic.

"We need scroll keys out of Don Corneo. He's a gang leader rival to the woman who's helping us, Lil' Miss Malachite."

"Malachite… that name sounds familiar." Yang mumbled.

"Don't know what to tell you."

"Should we really be getting involved in the squabbles of gang lords." Weiss came back to the conversation.

"I don't know what to tell you either."

"Uncle Qrow thinks this is the best way for him to get his legs back. It's probably the best way." Ruby seemed resigned to it. "It's just some pass keys, right? So it's not too big of a deal. Not like running drugs or worse." Right. The less Ruby knew the better. Yet to really see if we'd made the right call on that one but...

"What's the plan? We running and gunning or busting some bustas?" Nora asked.

"No real plans yet. Don Corneo frequents a brothel on the lower levels though. We were talking about slipping one of you ladies in and squeezing it out of him." I was met with general silence. "Or I could wear a dress and do it."

"You? Please." Weiss shook her head, exasperated.

"If nothing else I know what guys like."

"It's almost like you want to wear a dress. One of us will do it." Yang disagreed. "Probably me. I don't need my Lil' sister exposed to such things. Plus Weiss is a prude and Nora is Nora."

Ruby stayed quiet.

"Hey!" Weiss protested half-heartedly. My gut told me she was happy to be excluded.

"You think I don't have femine wiles?"

"I think you'd go too fast for the leg breaking. I know how to put the squeeze on 'em."

"So I should pack my dress back up? A shame. I can rock purple." I gestured with my fork.

"I can do it." Yang affirmed, flicking her hair over her shoulder. "And we get it Jaune; no attachment to your dick in particular."

"Really wouldn't go that far." Ruby mumbled.

"Are you serious? You are!" Weiss blurted much louder.

"What's your deal, ice queen?" Yang demanded.

"It's nothing." She stammered. "I just can't believe my team's vulgarity."

"But there does need to be leg breaking." Nora leaned back looking self satisfied. "Then if nothing else, you don't need to go in alone." Nora was a no-man left behind type which seemed to translate now to no woman sent in alone.

Yang pondered that. "Maybe."

"It merits discussion." Ren said something for the first time in ages.

"Not sure I like the sound of this. It sounds like torture." Ruby piped up. "Plus we'll be going into their territory."

"Does torturing a gang-lord count as torture. I mean really?" Yang seemed on board.

"We were also thinking you'd wear a wire. Just in case things went sideways." I interrupted. "And yeah maybe we'd send multiple people in. Nothing set in stone yet."

Yang shrugged and Weiss slowly stopped the red that crept up her neck.

Ruby picked her plate up and danced past me to go wash up. She was close enough as she passed by that I could pick up her smell. She even traced a hand across my shoulders in such a way that it didn't look like much and I wanted to reach out and grab her. I stayed seated, though, and Weiss followed her soon enough.

All was well at the breakfast table.

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