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The police had been quite hostile towards Jaune and Blake, understandable as to why they had started a brawl at the docks near a huge shipment of volatile dust, it was a miracle none it got hit between the lightning or Tochwick's explosive flares. Beacon had to be call and an airship came down to wait at the station with Professor Goodwitch who was equally as upset to be up late not to mention needing to drive over to pick them up at a station on the other side of the city on a weekend.
It was a silent but brooding trip back, she must have been too tired to scold them because an angry glare was all they got from the woman. The staff that was there to collect and store their gear looked equally as angry to be up late doing this. It was straight to the Headmaster's office and arriving as the clock hit ten.
Jaune shared a look with Blake as the school's headmaster carefully looked over a printed report from the police. It was both the authority's point of view of what happened and the two's testimonies, he heard a sharp intake of air beside him when Ozpin placed the paper on the glass table. He sipped a steaming mug of coffee before speaking.
"I'm not sure whether to punish or thank you both." He said. "On one hand you've managed to prevent the White Fang from acquiring most of the Dust protecting the already damaged market here in Vale. Not to mention gave me the ever so nice excuse to enjoy a nice mug of my favorite brew this late."
Blake sighed even as Amber hummed. "I suppose there was some good to come out of this, almost everyone in Vale including Beacon needs a constant supply of dust to keep themselves moving."
"However, I find it odd you knew exactly where this shipment was stored, what time it would be there, and somehow obtained access to the bay it was at." Although he held a calm look to him the mug was placed rather rough on the table. "As Headmaster I have a responsibility to the student body. Would either of you care to elaborate upon these oddities that plague my mind?"
When no answer came his mug was picked back up to his lips, there was this smile on him and not a happy or vicious one either, seemed more like an expressing Ozpin was comfortable with. "Ah, now Ms. Belladonna in the statement I read as well as security footage told me you rushed into the robbery the moment they arrived correct?"
"Yes sir, I saw Torchwick down there and wanted to arrest him," Blake said without hesitation. "I thought it would be easy..."
"Truly..." Ozpin picked up the page next to Blake's testimony and skims over it. "Then there appears to be a discrepancy here, Mr. Arc?"
Jaune stiffened in his seat, just settled into Beacon and with a word from this man could have Jaune expelled. "Y-Yes, sir?"
"You said within your testimony that the two of you were spotted while spying down from the rooftop and were forced to engage the White Fang." His finger traced over a segment of the page and Blake turned to Jaune wide eyes.
He didn't want her to get in more trouble by being the one to instigating the fight. "In hindsight, I should have thought about cameras that would be watching..."
"The two of you stopped a White Fang assassination team not too long ago while Ms. Belladonna was taking you to a book store and now she led you into another encounter with the group... quite the coincidence wouldn't you agree, Glynda?"
"I went with Blake intentionally, she didn't invite me along, and before at the book store we just met them as a coincidence."
"What compelled you to leave Beacon with Ms. Belledonna and preform a stakeout?" He asked. "It seems rather strange to personally seek out further danger? Why did you leave Beacon just to break into the docks and watch for trouble or content proper authorities rather than try to arrest armed terrorists?"
"What is he getting at here...?" Jaune thought but it was Amber who managed to piece it together.
"Ozpin thinks Blake manipulation you into giving her a hand against the White Fang, I doubt the bow would allow Blake to slip by him unnoticed."
"It was my idea!" Jaune blurted out soon after hearing Amber.
"You convinced Ms. Belladonna to go and watch over the docks in an attempt to arrest criminals at large within the city?"
Blake sighed while burying her face in her hands, it was the weakest attempt to help, and Jaune slow to realized but quick to join her.
"Better just shut my mouth, there isn't a good thing to say here..."
"To prevent either of you from doing any more life-threatening stakeouts I hereby confined you both to Beacon Academy for the rest of the weekend. Furthermore will have detention will Ms. Goodwitch tomorrow and the week after." Ozpin turned to his dean with the same smile pastured on. "I believe that is a more than appropriate punishment, wouldn't your agree Glynda?"
The woman's answer came out firmly and without hesitation. "No."
"Well, I sincerely hope the lesson will be learned by the end of this, now the rest of your team must be worried ever since I called them."
"Called them?"
Ozpin's smile seemed to grow as if he knew what Jaune was thinking then and there. "Best to not keep them waiting any longer, dismissed."
Jaune would have sighed in relief if his mouth hadn't sealed itself shut. The trip down the elevator and back to the dorm room never felt so long before.
Nothing was said between the two although he did have a few questions about the Faunus ears and that Bane guy knowing here for later. Jaune expected, and even hoped, Pyrrha and Yang would've been asleep by the time he and Blake reached the dorm, a fool hearty hope as everyone here had to have mastered fighting off sleep since fifteen years of age.
Later quickly became now as the dorm was surprisingly lively with the other two members of JNBY, Blake looked like she wanted to run but a shared look with Jaune had her squeezing past it. The room had never felt so small before, Jaune felt like he wanted to curl underneath his bed sheets with Pyrrha's gaze shifted from suspicion of Blake to a more questioning look for Jaune yet said nothing for now.
"You know the Headmaster called forty minutes ago," Yang said. "Weird that he wanted to tell us something this late and even more so when he's being up you two..."
"I suppose he would find torturous amusement in doing that." Amber said.
"He said something about the White Fang and docks but wasn't all that specific... Anyone wanna fill in your teammates on the blanks?" Jaune looked to Blake for the answer, the girl obviously didn't like being put on the spot like this but it involved a personal matter of hers and he didn't know how much Blake was willing to share with the others.
Much less him.
"I knew someone was stealing dust and there was a massive shipment at the docks in Vale, so I... decided to watch it in case anything happened... Jaune tagged along when told him."
"Well, I just wanna ask one thing... where was my invite!?" Yang asked bemused. "If you guys were planning on kicking butt and taking names you should have invited us, especially me!"
"Yang this isn't something we should be encouraging!" Yang flinched as Pyrrha's normal demeanor crumbs instantaneously and Jaune didn't need a guy feeling to know this was bad. "Don't you think this is a little irresponsible? They lied to us and broke onto the docks, which is illegal mind you, to watch over a dust shipment they expect to be robbed by terrorists so they could what? Play heroes while being unlicensed or cleared to operate in the area and not even knowing the threat severity?!"
"Well..." Yang's cheeks puffed when she blew air out from them. "Y-Yeah, okay, yeah but at least you guys weren't in any real danger or something, right?"
This time it was Jaune's turn to be placed on the spot, it was more like silent permission really, Blake letting him know she would be throwing around blame for talking.
"I... think I almost died?"
"What do you mean 'think'?" Pyrrha asked bemused.
"There was a guy that... I couldn't fight him off and... I thought he was going to kill me..."
"Scratch invite, what the heck were you guys facing down there?" Yang scanned her leader's body for any damage. "You're not in the infirmary, that's a good sign... Blake is this about what happened between you and Weiss?" Her accusatory tone had Jaune stepped between them and Blake for her defense but the girl placed a hand on his shoulder to stop him.
"Yes, I didn't like the thought of the White Fang stealing so much dust in Vale, trying to kill fellow Faunus, like in the bookstore, for leaving, and Weiss... her words was just the topping on it all."
"Why bring Jaune into this?" Pyrrha said angrily.
"Why did you feel like you had to do it in the first place." Yang more diplomatically asked.
Blake stood stock still for a moment, she bit her lip before stepping out from behind Jaune and reaching above her head. He was quick to stop her, holding the arm firmly in his hand.
"You don't have to."
"No... but I want to." Yang leaned forward on her bed and Pyrrha raised a frustrated brow to wonder what they were referring, and soon gasped once the ribbon came off.
"You're a Faunus..." Pyrrha said.
"Yes... and I was once apart of the White Fang."
Jaune's care and attempts to defend Blake was equally heartwarming and undeserving to her. Whether she intended to or not Blake had dragged Jaune into a fight neither of them could win. That lapse in judgment almost got her team leader killed by Bane and yet Jaune still tried to prevent her from revealing her secret. It was time to let the cat out of the bag or rather the ears be free of the bow.
"You're a Faunus..." Pyrrha said.
"Yes... and I was once apart of the White Fang." That generated more questions from all three present, albeit less accusatory than before.
"I was born into it really, you all know what it is from Oobleck's class... my father used to lead it."
"Ghira Belladonna is your father... but why did you leave?" Pyrrha asked.
"When the Fang started to get violent I was originally fine with it all, it made sense at the time if no one will stop the racists and words weren't working then we needed a 'better' method of persuasion." Blake sighed. "It grew, for the lack of a better word, out of control, and eventually I just could take it anymore and left them to join Beacon."
"Why the docks then?" This time it was Jaune who asked, he earned- no deserved an answer more than anyone.
"Whatever the White Fang has become its people like Weiss that pushed them to such extremes in the first place. Them stealing all so much dust was frightening but still unrealistic at the time, not every one of those shops was anti-Faunus."
"You wanted to prove Weiss was wrong about them just being crazy animals that hurt people just for the sake of it," Jaune said finishing it for her.
"Not that many aren't crazy... but yes," Blake faced Jaund with regret in her eyes. "I never wanted to put you in harm's way but I did it anyway..." Ear finally free, drooped down with her gaze.
This time it was Jaune who "Don't worry about it, just remember I'm here in case you need someone to talk to... and please don't go running off without help again." Jaune's genuine smile felt bitter to Blake, it felt as if she didn't earn it... it was who he seemed to be though.
"Man, I'm less knowledgeable about my partner than Jaune is..." Yang said aloud. "Hey Blake what do think of night clubs, that's the place I want to take us to."
"Jaune and I are confined to the school for the rest of the weekend and have detention at lunch for tomorrow and the proceeding week."
"Oh... yeah I suppose that should surprise me... okay club time next weekend! Sound great Pyr?"
"Yes," The redhead nodded slowly and turned with a rather forced smile. "That sounds lovely."
Jaune sat down on the toilet but kept the seat closed while awaiting the verbal assault Amber no doubt prepared throughout the night. Having grown up with seven siblings he had grown used to having the 'I told you so' phrase repeated and this seemed like the appropriate time to do it. Yeah, the worse part was Amber would be right to say that, even if Ozpin was chill enough to leave them be with only detention he still went with Blake know there would be danger there...
"Are you waiting for me to say something or have you forgotten how toilets worked?" She asked.
Jaune pulled out his scroll, the only safe way they could communicate, and typed.
I went to the docks with Blake even when you told me not to.
"I was there when it happened Jaune, you decided to commit a crime as unregistered Hunters in training breaking onto the docks to be vigilantes."
I value your advice Amber
"Well that's nice to hear but seeing it would make me feel a lot better." There was a tone behind her words, one that was difficult to decipher.
Jaune winced, she had been teasing him but a few days ago and now it seemed like he took some steps backwards between them.
Blake seemed like she was going through something and I wanted to try and help her but yeah going down to the docks wasn't a smart move.
"I know and it was your right to make that call, this is your body and I can't really do much besides give us a sore arm and a headache. Heh, you know now that I think about it this kind of makes me a parasite..."
Jaune stopped typing and struggled to find anything right for him to say here... "There really isn't something I can say... still not listening to her even after Forever Fall..."
"Jaune, if you really want to heed some of my advice then the next time you head out on a team 'outing' with Blake, make sure to bring your partner or Yang." Disappointed, that's how Amber sounded, it felt worse than her being angry. "Look I won't blame you for trying to help Blake, she definitely has a few issues and was willing to trust you with them. Not to mention nothing that happened at the docks was not strictly speaking your fault, so don't worry about me. Let's focus on tomorrow, there's still an essay you need to get done, or rather started."
Jaune placed the scroll back into his lap, there was something else he wanted to ask though a spoken one.
"That guy with the chainsaw..." Jaune shivered, just thinking about it. "I was going to die wasn't I?" He whispered.
After a moment of silence and contemplation on her part, Amber replied bluntly. "Yes, best to thank Blake later for saving your skin there."
"It... felt so much different than when I was fighting the Grimm, I don't know why but it was a lot more terrifying and my gut was telling me to run away and I froze when he dodged our lightning bolt." Jaune rubbed his arm, still a bit stiff but enough time had passed for the headache to go away and moving it was easier.
"Some people have a sixth sense for danger, perhaps semblance based, but it acting up now and not before might be due to the fact that you had a team for killing Deathstalker. Taking on the Ursa had you motivated along by saving someone, but that man was far out of your league and instinctively you knew that. As for avoiding the lightning... that's why I don't want you to rely on unreliable powers."
"That's what I'll have to face if I graduate from Beacon..." Jaune had heard and seen Hunters in action before but never in the lead up to sending his transcripts into Beacon did he consider needing to fight someone like that to the death... "I'm starting to realize I am never quite as thorough as I should be when having these kinds of thoughts..."
"Jaune," Amber once more playing the halo wearing angle on his shoulder. "Pyrrha Nikos is your personal trainer, I'm here to stay for whenever you might need me. When you graduate people like him won't even stand a chance if you're ready for the leg work that is, it's not going to be a five-minute training montage after all."
He smiled, she wasn't mean as Jaune came to realize, just pushy, in helping manner. It was almost enough to forget the fact he still had detention tomorrow. "Well at least it can't be as bad as elementary, they aren't going to call mom and dad at the very least." It was funny to think about... how would Jaune's parents be able to scold him while living in Mistral. "With the exception of Goodwitch being the supervisor I don't think two days of detention will be hard."
As Jaune felt his stomach rumble he could help but think this fell under cruel and unusual punishment. He and Blake were walking towards detention just as lunch started, Beacon provided food at every day of the week and they wouldn't be there for the entire time but most of the good food would've been taken by then. Not to mention neither of them would even have much time to enjoy it before everyone was shooted out. Jaune could see that was probably the point but his gut continued to protest. Blake's on the other hand was so loud it seemed more like a growl from a Beowolf than someone's stomach telling them to eat.
"Jaune try talking to her," Amber said. "The two of you are already on the right foot, a bit of small talk now could help chip away at that cracked ice."
It probably was, no real downside to speaking with her now. "Hey Blake, " The girl turned to meet his gaze and Jaune's brain stalled as it tried to figure out where it wanted to go with this.
"Books maybe... no, I don't know much about them..." He struggled for a discussion point as she kept staring, the whole affair would get awkward if he didn't say anything.
"Do you like tuna because you're a cat?"
Amber, exasperated, projected into her shared mind the most overexaggerated facepalming ever conceived it seemed to generate its own sound.
"Um, Blake you don't have to answer that if you don't want to..."
"By the brother's brain why did you push up that as the best conversation choice?! Break the ice, yeah better yet just add a few more layers to it and call it a day why don't you!"
"No, I just like fish." That she even answered did wonder to help calm Jaune's silent freak out. "It's fine, I know you didn't mean anything by it, but please don't ask about my Faunus heritage like that."
Blake chuckled when be sighed so at least someone was having a good time here. "Okay... what about fish do you like...?"
"Wait could that be related to the being a Faunus thing?" It was already too late to ponder that but fortunately, Blake replying hopefully. meant no.
"While I like tuna I mostly get it because it's less expensive but more moderate textures are what I love. The meat in most is soft and delicate, easy to bite into and I feel it almost melt in my mouth like butter while maintain it's composition... biting down to have the juice spill out in an avalanche of flavor..." She drifted off imagining some smoked salmon topped with hollandaise sauce... her belly let out another growl and Blake couldn't help but whine along with it.
"Why did I mention food when we can't have it for another thirty minutes?" Jaune had to admit that while making a few good judgment calls he couldn't forget the blunders, something to discuss later.
"Um, excuse me?" A feminine voice called out and Jaune turned to face it. "I'm a bit lost here could you help me find where Professor Peach's classroom is at?"
He blinked and just stared for a moment, eyes glazing over her body, something was... off about her appearance.
Her attire consisted of an intricate white crop top accompanied by white shorts, decorated with what appeared to be a gold coin-plated belt and what seemed to be a green loincloth that exposed a lot of her brown skin. Her hair is a light, short mint-green hair, a distinct color that seemed familiar in some way.
"Have I met her somewhere before...?"
"We get it she's pretty," Amber said rolling her eyes. "When checking someone out at least try to be subtle about the whole affair."
"I wasn't-"
Red eyes were peering back with an almost defensive look to them, he was staring and it was looking weird.
"Oh, um, yeah if you're lost the school has a director with maps... it was explained after initiation wasn't it?"
"I'm a transfer student," She smiled. "Arrived today and would like to figure out where my first class for tomorrow is."
Shaking off whatever felt off to him, Jaund pointed down the hall. "Just take a left and go straight you'll find it's the door on the right towards the end of the hall."
"Thanks." She waved politely before sprinting down the hall and Jaune could feel the disapproving glare before it even appeared in his mind.
"First Weiss and now her, I guess you know how to make a girl feel special when you're eyeing up anything cute." Amber said and even Blake was giving him an odd look.
"I wasn't looking at her breasts!"
"I didn't say anything..." Blake shifted awkwardly in place, it probably wasn't the best thing to blurt out in the moment. "Come on Goodwitch isn't going to like us being late and especially when its detention."
Jaune didn't try to argue his case further, it was probably hopeless then and there, with him all but confirming he has a girlfriend yesterday it all looked a lot worse. "At least when you hit the bottom you can only go up from here."
Meanwhile, just out from sight, a pair of mismatched eyes stalked him down the halls.
Jaune Arc, part of a famous warrior family, seventeen years old, basic combat training from a private tutor, and perhaps an actor if he truly knew who Emerald was...
"He only ever got a good look of Cinder, still we needed to know for sure here." She thought turning the corner to find Mercury.
They knew where the classroom was and he needed to be close enough to intervene while allowing Emerald to regroup without going in a clear opposite direction from the destination she asked for. He was similarly on edge like her, awaiting whether or not to bolt out of the school now or to proceed normally.
"We're fine, he eyed me for a bit but didn't seem to piece anything together."
Mercury nodded before turning around, the two couldn't just stay in the hallway after all. Getting Lionheart's help in transferring them over was easy enough and now that the two of them were certain not to be found out it was time to start getting rid of the boy...
"You think our resident mute will be a problem without Cinder around?" He asked.
"No," Emerald wondered that he even asked that in the first place said wonders about his sheer lack of working neurons. "Neo and Roman both did their jobs even when she's not around."
"Still we can't watch her too closely when we're dealing with Blonde boy, I get we needed to bring a third along because half a team missing while trying to transfer is beyond weird but Neo?" Mercury looked around as if trying to find said girl popping out from thin air. "She always rubbed me the wrong way."
"You still wonder why I hold so much contempt for you." Emerald rolled her ruby red eyes before saying.
"She won't do anything here but run off to pull legs off bugs or whatever that psycho enjoys doing. We have a job to do so Cinder can, and it especially needs to be done before the Vytal festival officially starts."
"Yeah, I know," The silver-haired boy rolled his eyes annoyed that the girl even wanted to repeat what her waifu already hammered into them. "At least this will be fun to watch."
