Pyrrha bashed into the droid with an excessive amount of force. The machine sparked and began to malfunction before collapsing to the ground, unable to get back up. She sighed to herself and caught her breath. She took a step back and took in the sea of battered scrap metal. She'd overdone it, nonchalant about the costs for the replacements. She doubted they were in a state of repair.

It wasn't enough for her. She looked down at her scroll and set another wave of droids on max difficulty. No matter how many swarmed her, no matter how hard they hit, they weren't enough. Pyrrha couldn't help but brutally destroy every single one of them.

What could she do? Why was this so difficult? Why were friendships so frustrating? It was nothing like she'd envisioned.

She charged into the wave and swung, disrupting the harmony the machinery shared. She wasn't up for the challenge; the teamwork the AI could display. She just wanted to tear into them to make her forget about everything. Her weapon tore into the metal of the first one she struck, piercing it's armor. She turned and followed up with a spin into the second one before tossing her shield into another, disorienting it. It bounced back at her, allowing her to defend against the one she pierced which tried to retaliate.

Why was she so angry? Was it Jaune? Blake? Herself...? She couldn't put her finger on it.

Pyrrha growled and continued to dance around the training bots with ease and finesse. It was important to have awareness of your surroundings and maintain the skill to handle multiple opponents at once. Her mentor enforced these teachings into her.

It still wasn't enough.

She held up her hand and forced the last one standing into the air before hurling it into the wall before her. A roar of cheering and the applause from behind her caught her attention. A few... no, a whole crowd of her peers were watching. Some of them whistled, expressed an exorbitant amount of energy...

"So that's the Invincible Girl in action..."

"You think I can get her autograph?"

"No way I'd want to get caught up in that..."

No, they weren't peers. They were fans. There were too many instances where someone she didn't recognize, didn't know, had no reason to care for, would approach her and make a demand out of her like they were entitled. Selfies, autographs, even the occasional request for money... She tightened her grip. Jaune never treated her in such a way. He simply didn't care and was the one that made her happy.

There was her team as well, but...

"What was that at the end? Think it was a semblance?"

Pyrrha cursed to herself and looked down at her hand. She got carried away, showing off her semblance like that. It wasn't even something she enjoyed using in bouts. Her mentor expressed how important it was to not show off all of your assets; how the element of surprise was crucial to one's victory. Jaune was the only one who knew about it, and she only showed him to spare him from-

Damn it, she was thinking about him again.

There was no chance she would get any training done with this crowd. Instead of continuing, she began to make her way off stage. Only for a hand to slap her lower back. Her face flushed as she glanced over at the blonde with a cheeky grin on her face.

"Hey there, not too shabby if I do say so myself. Doesn't even look like you broke a sweat." She puffed out her chest and rested her hands against her hips, far more composed than most fans that met her for the first time. "Though I'm concerned about the damages you've caused. Imagine if Goodwitch was the first to catch wind of this."

Pyrrha took notice of the remains of Beacon's technology. The one she thrust through the air finally fell from the wall she forced it into. Her cheeks grew warmer for some reason.

"Ah, maybe I overdid it a bit there..." Why was she conversing with her? She put up a plastic smile. "The costs won't be too much of an issue though."

"Right, being famous does have its perks." Pyrrha winced at that, which the blonde noticed. "Anyway, the name's Yang. Yang Xiao-Long. Member of Team ABYS."

Pyrrha's attention perked. "You're a member of Jaune's team?"

It was Yang's turn to flinch.

"Yeah. You're part of Team RRNN, right? Leader is Ruby Rose?"

"Yes, do you know her?"

"She's my baby sister."

Pyrrha was surprised by that little revelation. This girl was Ruby's sister? No offense to Ruby, but Yang seemed to be the complete opposite of her. Far more confident and seemed to be the type that got around. Pyrrha felt a tinge of jealousy when Yang signaled over to a few people in the crowd who nodded before walking away. It must've been nice to have plenty of friends.

"Sorry about that," Yang said. "Just wanted to let them know I was going to take a while."

"If I'm in the way, I'll just leave..."

"Eh? Oh, no! Don't be silly. I'd actually like to talk to you, if you don't mind. I'm curious as to how my baby sister has been doing." Yang scratched the back of her head and laughed. "Siblings, you know? Never been much for my coddling, especially now that she's grown to love it here in Beacon. Not to mention how busy I've been. Haven't gotten much opportunity to chat with her, you know?"

"You do appear to be a little tired... Partying too much, I take it?"

"Eh, something like that." She waved her hand dismissively. "You want to chat elsewhere? Seems like the crowd's gathering the courage to approach you."

She looked to her side and noticed some fans eyeing her before averting their gazes. She felt ill when she noticed many were holding their scrolls and even some notepads with pens. She only hoped they were recording her display or taking notes of her moves.

"I suppose that's okay."

Pyrrha sheathed her weapons, allowing them to slightly bounce with every step she took as her and Yang made their way towards an exit. She paled when some of the crowd began to approach her, but they were stopped by the same people Yang waved to earlier. Yang took her hand and broke into a jog. She didn't plan for this, did she? No, she was just being paranoid... She shouldn't even complain. She was Ruby's sister. Talking to her would be far better than dealing with fans.

If anything, it was sort of sweet how she managed to keep the crowd away from her. Far more tame compared to Jaune. He'd always say something asinine or crude to make someone leave-

She bit her lip. There she goes thinking about him again.

The two of them stopped at the library, where Yang led her to a rather secluded part of the second floor.

"My other teammate showed me this spot," Yang explained. "I think it was her way of opening up to me: showing me her place of solitude."

"Does your dorm not serve that purpose?"

"Eh, not exactly easy when you've got someone like Weiss lecturing you every few minutes."

That's right, Weiss Schnee was on Team ABYS. Yang didn't mention Jaune though, who would no doubt be getting on Weiss's nerves if he had the chance. She purged the thought.

"What were you doing in the training room anyway?" Pyrrha asked.

Yang held out an arm and flexed it. "Gotta get these babies to return to their former glory. Not sure if you've heard from Ruby, but the two of us were injured back in initiation." Yang grew a weak smile. "Got overwhelmed by a horde of Grimm. Made a bad call and rushed in there, thinking I could take them out with Ruby. That's why she was injured as well, by the way. Learned my lesson though..."

Pyrrha tuned out the rest of what she said. Guilt began to pool within her as she recalled initiation. She was there, able to intervene and could've prevented Yang and Ruby's injuries. Yet she didn't, just because...

"So," Yang pulled out a chair and sat down. "Tell me how my baby sister is doing as a leader and all. Are you getting along?"

Pyrrha snapped out of her reverie. "Yes... Despite her inexperience, she's been a fine leader. She's eager to learn and always takes any advice to heart."

As she listed things, she noticed how Yang's eyes would narrow.

"And how about her eating habits?" Yang asked. Pyrrha felt bemused by the odd question, but remembered it may have been a serious question. Given their relationship and how Ruby was... Ruby.

"I'm not quite sure how she can function with all that sugar in her diet," she laughed. "However, I think she's far easier to handle than our other teammate, Nora. Don't mention the words pancakes or syrup to her, she'll go crazy for them. And especially with all that strength, she's so difficult to restrain at times."

"She's strong enough to even give Pyrrha Nikos a challenge? I feel a spark of respect for her."

Pyrrha's smile faltered for a moment. Yang's posture stiffened for a moment.

"This Nora you mentioned... She reminds you of Ruby?" Yang continued.

"In some ways, yes..."

An awkward silence filled the room.

"I know my sister can be a nuisance, so thanks for putting up with her."

"No!" Pyrrha blurted. "Ruby's been anything but that. If anything, she's like the sister I've never had."

"Hope that's not a sign you're trying to replace me," Yang joked.

"Of course it's not..." she laughed. "Ruby's been a joy to be around. The antics her and Nora get up to are actually quite entertaining. Our final teammate, Ren, has been childhood friends with Nora apparently. I'm not quite sure how he's managed to be with her for so long. Not to say Nora is a bad person, but I think Ren must have an abundance of patience to tolerate how much energy Nora has. With Ruby jumping around with that semblance of hers and her love for weapons, I can't help but feel amused every time she sees a weapon that catches her eye."

"You mean any weapon?"

"Perhaps," she chuckled. "Quite the tinkerer as well. Made some suggestions for my own equipment I may consider."

"That brings me back..." Yang said. "I remember how she decided to base her weapon off our uncle's. She used up her entire allowance on the parts, with a little help from me of course. She pulled a few all nighters to get the model just right. Then spent a few good hours testing it upon completion."

"Her aspirations are admirable."

"Quite, and I'm proud of her for that."

Pyrrha felt herself melt a bit. It was quite nice to see there was a lot more to Yang than she initially thought. Her first impression was that she was the loud, outgoing type that wasn't very bright. Now she could see she was far more layered with immense love for her sister. Pyrrha felt a bit guilty upon the realization. Perhaps she was a bit hypocritical considering she was acting the same as her fans. She wanted people to know her rather than what was on the surface, but judged them the same way. It was nice to see Yang judge her from up close rather than from afar.

Maybe Yang could help...? Pyrrha wasn't quite sure if she could trust her quite yet though.

"How's your team been?" Pyrrha asked.

Yang shifted in her seat. "Same as usual, nothing special." It was a vague answer, and before Pyrrha could press further on the matter, Yang spoke up again. "Speaking of my team, have you seen Blake lately? I remember you two talked a few times before. She's the one with black hair and constantly wears a mean look on her face."

"I saw her this morning," she easily answered. Remembering Blake made her think about what had transpired the previous night. She didn't want to think about it, but Yang pressed her.

"Was she by any chance with Jaune?"

Pyrrha grew curious and cautious at the question. She stood up straight and adjusted herself into a more prim and proper manner.

"She was actually," she admitted.

"How did they look? Anything out of the blue?"

"Jaune looked the same, but Blake wasn't wearing her usual outfit..." she said slowly. She didn't exactly want to discuss Jaune in particular and what happened between them. Her own curiosity spiked though. Why was Yang asking about her own teammate when she said nothing was out of the ordinary just earlier? Couldn't Yang just ask Blake herself? "She was wearing... what appeared to be an outfit of Jaune's. A hoodie and jeans that were too big for her."

Yang's expression changed. The implications made Pyrrha assume something of a more scandalous nature that generated some unwanted feelings. If Yang came to the same conclusion, Pyrrha assumed she'd be grinning, prepared to come up with ways to tease the two of them about it. And yet, here she was looking more concerned and worried. Did she by any chance hear about what happened at the restaurant last night? Pyrrha felt as though there was something she was missing...

"Well, I ask because I've been a bit worried about her. I know you're friends with Jaune, but he can be a bit of a nuisance at times. When I was out last night, I heard from someone about an incident at the docks. Not sure if you're updated on the news and all, but apparently some robbery went down last night and went horribly wrong for the crooks. And... I heard that people resembling Jaune and Blake were there."

"And you're sure it was them?"

Yang scratched the back of her head. "I didn't see them for myself, but the guy that witnessed it described them pretty well. What other pair has a gal with a ribbon and a dude perfectly matching Jaune?"

This was unnerving to say the least. Her theory of one type of scandalous was tossed out the window as another one formed. Blake and Jaune getting involved with a robbery like that is worrying, but so long as they were stopping the perpetrators, it wasn't much of a concern. The two of them didn't appear to be injured, so...

Maybe that was it! Maybe Jaune was just keeping the details to himself so he wouldn't burden her with worry. Was he just being considerate of her feelings...?

"Now," Yang went on. "I don't want to make assumptions. I mean, the officer I spoke to suspected the White Fang were behind the crime-"

"Did you say the White Fang?" Pyrrha cut in.

"Y-Yeah..."

Yang looked puzzled, but Pyrrha felt more new weight on her shoulders.

"The thing is..." Pyrrha said. "Blake and Jaune got into a disagreement last night about the White Fang while she was working."

"She has a job?"

"She might not anymore, sadly." Yang didn't comment on it and gestured for her to continue. "Things got heated and I told him to work things out with her before I left. I was... a bit startled by how things went down. I never suspected Jaune of being so antagonistic. I've seen how he likes to push people's buttons, but never in that sort of nature."

"So now we know the two of them were spotted at a botched White Fang robbery for dust after they argued about those guys..."

It was puzzling, to say the least. The two of them appeared to be on better terms compared to how they were at the restaurant, and Jaune even assured her that the two of them were just fine now. He said it in a way to tease her, but maybe there was some actual truth to it. Maybe they came across the White Fang and put a stop to them?

Yang looked just as confused, but grew a grin on her face.

"Ah, that's something we can ask them about later." Yang leaned forward and rested her arms on the table. "By the way, Pyrrha... Can I call you P-Money?"

What was this? Pyrrha blinked, unsure of what to make of the sudden change in topic.

"A nickname? I'm not sure..."

"Great!" Pyrrha coughed, not prepared for that. "So P-Money, you mind sharing with me why you were so Yangry with those droids earlier?"

Pyrrha stifled her laugh behind a light smile. The pun that was so bad that it was somehow funny made her slightly cringe. "Ah, er... I don't mind?" Yang relaxed in her chair and gave an expectant look. Pyrrha sighed and continued. "I was... venting a bit. I suppose I have a small problem. I'm not overly familiar with strained relationships and have no idea how to mend it. Amusing, is it not? The Invincible Girl, Pyrrha Nikos, needs help with something so trivial."

"Maybe Pyrrha Nikos would find it trivial, but I'm sure P-Money wouldn't find it as such."

Pyrrha smiled. "Why, thank you for noticing, Yang."

The two of them sat there for a few silent moments. Yang then held her arms up in the air as if she was surrendering something.

"Relax, P-Money. I ain't forcing you to spill the details. You don't need to share, I can just-"

"No, that's not it. I..." Pyrrha's cheeks flushed. "I just can't think of a nickname for you is all."

Yang barked a laugh, making her embarrassment peak. Pyrrha hadn't been so flustered over something so small in such a long time. Yang eventually relaxed and offered a reassuring look. Her eyes brimmed with concern without any traces of malice, infatuation or anything she was familiar with. Purely concern.

Pyrrha looked down at her hands on her legs. Her posture was ever so prim and proper. She looked back up at Yang, who was waiting patiently, retaining that comforting smile of hers. Had she become so jaded that she couldn't see past first impressions?

She thought wrong of Yang, believing she was one thing, but turned out to be someone else entirely. Both of the blondes in her life had their little differences in how they treated her. Where Jaune treated her like a normal girl next door, Yang sought to treat her like a longtime friend. Where Jaune respected her space and never touched her unless necessary, Yang seemed more of a touchy-feely person who was aware of her limits. Where Jaune talked about anything but himself, Yang revealed hints and bits about herself and others without breaching "too-much-information" territory.

Maybe... she could help.

"Yang, have you ever had a friend who refused your apology?"

Jaune had the urge to collapse. Despite surviving several instances where slowing down would mean death, he found himself at his limit. Velvet on the other hand, was ecstatic. So this was the result of years of training, hm? Quite impressive. Far beyond what he'd anticipated. He had the desire to vent out some steam and knew Velvet would be more than happy to spar with him. On the surface, it was just a student training with his upperclassman. In truth, he was letting loose since what had transpired last night had him on edge.

Velvet bounced around, still in her usual stance. Jaune wasn't hiding the fact he was exhausted, but she knew he was a crafty fighter. The first few times they ever fought resulted in his victory, but after his third win, he hasn't been able to claim another one. She caught on to everything he had, as expected from someone more experienced. No tricks from her though. She only countered anything he threw at her. Whether it'd be disarming him, not falling for his tricks, or anything of the sort. She'd then overwhelm him with her superior skills in close-quarters combat. Simplicity had its uses.

The weight of his blade was significantly heavier compared to the start of this bout. Jaune was on his last fumes, desperately trying to come up with something on the spot. He couldn't get too close or else she'd kick his wrist or find some other way to disarm him. Dancing around for too long with his pistol was pointless; she was in far better shape than him. The only reason he was still standing was because he had the range advantage, making her hesitant to approach. Perhaps a new trick then? Couldn't hurt.

Jaune sheathed his blade and drew his pistol, aware that Velvet would take the chance to charge in. Her style of fighting was far more dangerous. It wasn't destructive like Yang's, but Velvet could literally run circles around him and chip away at him. A far cry from the more reckless style of Cardin's. She came in incredibly fast with no hesitation, aware he couldn't have a trick up his sleeve. He flashed a devious grin when she came in with a dropkick, dodging it. She knew to catch herself and landed gracefully behind him. She was a little careless there, leaving herself open like that by jumping at him. It was telegraphed, easy to cause some permanent damage with the right move. But this was a spar, not like his time in Mistral.

She was nimble enough to jump around like that, something he could only dream of doing himself someday. He took advantage of the spare time and replaced his magazine. Velvet utilized the time he'd given her again, but was far more cautious with her strike. She jumped and dropped down with an axe kick before following it by sweeping at his legs. He was familiar with that pattern though, so he managed to step back, just out of her range before aiming his pistol. He drew in a sharp breath and steadied his aim.

Much to his surprise, she avoided the shot he took. He tried to utilize some explosive dust rounds to catch her by surprise.

"Think I wouldn't notice the type of magazine you inserted?" she taunted. "I know a dust clip when I see one, Jaune."

Jaune clenched his teeth and aimed again. Velvet knew to dodge and probably figured he only had so much ammunition on him. There was no way he'd be able to exhaust her with just a few rounds. He needed a new plan.

He released the dust magazine when Velvet backed a few feet away and replaced it with regular rounds. Velvet smiled and charged in again, ready to strike differently. She knew better than to use the same move twice. She went for a few light punches before following with a powerful kick. He managed to dodge the jabs, but his movements weren't as refined. He even had to block the kick, making him wince. She kept her distance when he aimed again, a fresh magazine of regular ammunition ready to fire.

"You're at your limit, Jaune. You've grown a bit sloppy with that last maneuver."

He growled and fired again. Velvet evaded his shots but he surprised her by approaching for a change. He threw a few heavy punches she easily avoided. She saw an opening and disarmed him with a swift kick before going for a second one. He shoulder charged her when she was winding up and grinned when a shocked expression formed on her face. She realized she was at the edge of the stage. Jaune went for the finishing blow, but Velvet caught herself and turned the situation around.

Jaune lay flat on the ground. He lost again. This was meant to be more of a way to vent out his frustrations, but he only felt worse. Even with improvisation he still lost. He wasn't happy. He knew better than to come out with a victory, but losing like that was frustrating.

Why was everything going wrong!?

"That was fun," she laughed. She reached down and helped him up as she pushed back a few locks of her hair with her free hand. "As devious as ever, I see. Pretty smart with how you adjusted your dust strategy into luring me over to the edge with your pistol. I admit you almost got me."

Velvet might not look the part, but she was a true warrior. Even without her semblance and weapon she was far above the superior fighters here in Beacon. If only she could show this skill more often, she'd be unstoppable. The memory of her crushing him in an arm wrestling match made him shudder. It was a constant reminder how she could easily apprehend him should any situation call for it. That wouldn't be anytime soon though.

If only she had more confidence in herself. She knew she was a good fighter, but that hesitation to put people in their place irritated him.

"I figured you'd let your guard down if I pulled out something new and if it appeared my strategy failed. What is this? Over twenty losses now?"

"Hm, sounds about right. Not that I'm keeping track." She let her hair free from her ponytail and relaxed on the nearby bench where her camera and dust rested. She brought two of the vials he'd brought her from last time. Must be eager to try out some new photos then. He thought it was fair for him to buy some of her time for training in exchange for the dust. Now that his bridges had burned, he wasn't going to get the leftovers from Neo and Roman anymore. He was going to have to acquire his own the normal way.

Speaking of which, he probably should check in on Neo again today. That only brought Blake to mind though, and he felt bitter at the thought of her. He was going to run out of lien eventually, especially with the landlord growing paranoid about his little mishaps. Roman wasn't the landlord's boss or anything, but even he wasn't willing to tolerate much from him with someone like Roman watching. Despite all the favors he'd done, too...

Then again, asking him to tend to one of the most deadly assassins in all of Vale was probably asking a lot. Not to mention Neo was the bodyguard of Roman Torchwick. Not exactly someone you'd want to mess with, as an accomplice or not.

His lien issue... He had enough to keep up his "rent" for his place for the break, but he'd have to give it up afterwards. The expenses of hard light dust were also going to be an issue if this kept up. Blake, Velvet... the two were going to be worth the investment.

Jaune reached for his towel and dabbed his forehead as Velvet drank some of her water. Now that his end of the training was done, it was time to be her training dummy. He asked her before as to why she didn't have her team help her with this, and she was quite forward about it. They simply found it to be a nightmare fighting against her. Well, that's what the shield was for, right?

This was the same training room he usually used with Pure. He'd have to invite her for a spar once he was ready to win back her approval. In all the time he'd known her, he never came out with a single victory. If it came down to it, he was sure Velvet would win a fight with Pure. He only won against Velvet at first because she didn't know he was a tactician that used whatever means necessary to get a victory. Pure was well aware of this before their first spar.

Not that he thought about it, maybe he could get an official win against Pure by ring out like he did with Velvet? He wasn't sure if Pure would make a simple oversight like Velvet did, especially since she could use her semblance to save herself. Plus, Pyrrha was far more experienced against people as a tournament champion.

There was always the simple idea of going into a fight with no plan when your opponent expects you to have one, but Velvet and Pure would catch on and destroy him. Even with the new tricks he learned from Velvet, he couldn't beat Pure in hand-to-hand, even when she was unarmed. Maybe he could best Ruby or Weiss with just his fists, but that wasn't as much of an accomplishment. Both had exploitable weaknesses.

"How are things with your team?" she asked.

She was taking the initiative to ask a question for a change? And she wasn't broad about her question. She specifically asked about his team...

"Alright, I suppose. Got in a fight with one member last night, but we came to an understanding afterwards."

He wasn't lying. He just intentionally avoided mentioning the fact that he and Blake interfered with a massive dust heist, subdued a killer that would murder people for the fun of it, and learned a lot about each other that was bound to involve betrayal, bloodshed, and maybe a hint of murder. He didn't know what she was going to do, much to his annoyance. He could trust in her predictable choices, but he couldn't rely on her personally. Despite her position, she could pull out a trump card of sorts to even things out. She almost had him when she mentioned Pure and what she'd think of him she found out about-

No, Pure liked him. That's all there is to it. She'll eventually understand him completely. She may have been against what he did last night, but she'll figure things out in time. She won't leave him, surely...

She won't... she's not like the others.

"Really, now..." Velvet's gaze softened. Her words weren't an accusation, but it felt resigned. "Jaune, you trust me, right? Because I trust you, and I'm your friend. Not only that, but I'm your upperclassman, and it's part of my responsibility to look out for you, you know?"

Velvet was his friend...? Jaune wanted to scoff. His mind was clouded by Pyrrha and how she was last night. There was no doubt Pyrrha wasn't going to let what happened last night go so easily. He surely hasn't. And if Pyrrha of all people, the one person he felt so strongly for, was capable of seeing him in the wrong, what did that mean for any other relationship he had? If his relationship with Pyrrha was that shallow, then what did that mean for Velvet? Or even Professor Port. He wanted to laugh at Velvet's words.

"Is this a confession?"

"No!" she shrieked. She caught herself and sat up straight, her cheeks a little flushed. "Stop that. I'm trying to be serious here."

"And I'm not? I'll have you know this is my serious face. See?" Jaune did a two-face impression, trying to create the most bizarre facial expressions imaginable.

Velvet lightly punched his arm, but couldn't resist a small smile nevertheless. She cleared her throat and sat up straight, her faunus ears perking up.

"Jaune, what kind of person am I to you?"

A few answers danced around in his head as he considered the question. Velvet Scarlatina was his upperclassman, a huntress-in-training with an overwhelming amount of potential to become unstoppable if she didn't doubt herself. She was also the girl who failed to confront her issues, the shy rabbit she was.

The last point especially clicked. "You're Velvet Scarlatina, the type of girl I believe wouldn't go sticking her nose in other people's business."

Velvet said nothing. She only offered a small self-deprecating smile. It was the answer she had to offer.

Jaune begged to differ. "Then again, it's your choice. It's not your problem unless someone comes to you with one. Life's simpler that way, wouldn't you agree?"

"Is that so?" Velvet cocked her head. "So, if I were bleeding out for whatever reason, you wouldn't help me unless I uttered the words, 'please save me'?"

"That..." A memory flashed within his head, forcing him to shut his eyes. He forced the thought to perish. "That's completely different. Look, what I'm trying to say is living life as the nosy type is more trouble than it's worth. Some deeds will only come back to bite you."

"Then am I more trouble than I'm worth?" she asked.

"I beg your pardon?"

Velvet slightly bowed her head as she closed her eyes. She elaborated more audibly.

"Back when we first met, when Cardin was picking on me in the cafeteria. Was defending and comforting me more trouble than what I'm worth?" Velvet stood up, politely holding her hands together as her face relaxed into a more warm expression. "What I'm trying to do for you is no different than what you did for me. And I know for a fact you're no trouble to me. So let me ask you, now that you have the full picture. Do you think you're more trouble than what you're worth to me?"

Lies. His tongue clicked when he realized there was no simple answer. And even if there was, he couldn't come up with it.

"I see..." Velvet let that dwell in a few moments of silence. He was aware that she knew what she was doing and it frustrated him.

Jaune pinched the bridge of his nose. Unbelievable. How could so much be going beyond his control? Since when did he allow others to lead him like this? First Pyrrha, then Blake, and now Velvet as well. What was it about them that made him lose his cool? He couldn't attribute all this to just the stress from his mental and emotional fatigue.

"I've decided," Velvet said. She offered a cheery smile as she sat back down, a bit closer to him. "As your friend, I'm going to help you with your problems, Jaune. You can count on me."

Jaune felt something snap.

"Now that's actually pretty funny."

Velvet's face grew darker. "Excuse me?"

Jaune let out a hearty laugh, but Velvet didn't join him. "That's fucking hilarious, Velvet. Here you are assuring me you'll help me with my problems when you can't even help yourself. Not that's rich. Now that I think about it, it's a bloody miracle you're even holding a conversation with me right now."

Velvet's eyes narrowed. "You're being difficult right now, Jaune. Unnecessarily so."

"I disagree. You know what? No. No, I'm being completely rational here. You're trying to pry into my business and handle whatever issues I may have despite the fact you can't even handle your own. Heck, you don't even put in the effort to resolve them. All those times I weren't there to deal with Cardin? You'd just hide behind your team as they disposed of the trash." He glared at her. "Your trash," he seethed.

Velvet shot to her feet. "And what would you have me do? Beat Cardin and his team into submission?"

"It'd put them in their place."

"And what would that show of an upperclassman?" she demanded.

"An upperclassman that nobody would mess with."

She clenched her fists. "There you go again being a hypocrite! You're messing with me right now, Jaune."

"Look at you go! What're you going to do, Velvet? Hit me? Pummel me to the ground? Where is this side of you when the racist is harassing you?" He rolled his eyes. "Unless you're telling me you're finally talking back? To think this was all you needed in order to grow a spine. It's a miracle, ladies and gentlemen."

Velvet's fists tightened even more. They reached the point where they trembled. Jaune shut his eyes and braced himself, prepared for her to prove him right. But she didn't hit him. He opened his eyes to see her with a lighter expression, taking deep breaths. Jaune blinked, unsure of what to make of this.

"Nice try. I know you're trying to make this about me when this is really about you."

"Save the pity you have for yourself."

"Jaune, please-"

"Who told you?" he demanded. His mind raced as he tried to deduce who tipped Velvet off to make her confront him out of the blue like this. Pure may have offhandedly mentioned her concern. No, it could've been Blake. That bitch sending someone she knew would be concerned to rile him up like this. Either way didn't sit well.

He pressed further anyway.

"Who told you?"

"What do you..." Velvet's fists clenched again. "Do you think I'd consider myself your friend if I didn't notice these things myself?"

"Friends," he laughed. "Is that seriously all it takes? Who knew some dust, a few kind words and a story would grant me this genuine friendship of yours? News flash: We are not friends, Velvet. It's cute when you consider me your friend when you can't even open your eyes to the obvious. We're merely colleagues doing what's best for humanity. Friends? I can only imagine how it'd easy it be to get you to spread your leg-"

It took a moment for Jaune to realize Velvet had struck him, making his cheek sting. His head snapped to the side and he kept it there, keeping him from seeing Velvet's face.

Her voice cracked with a sob, but the heat in her voice remained. "You can have your stories, your goals, your dust..." She took one of the vials and threw at him before letting out a scream. When she calmed down, she continued. "... and your own damn choices. Do you think I give a damn about that? Well?"

Jaune didn't face her.

"If I were to handle Team CRDL like that, do you really believe it'd be easier for me? My reputation, the reputation of all the faunus." There was a beat of silence. She sniffed and was probably wiping away tears. "Don't you think CRDL would just pick on someone else if I stood up to them? And what about in the field? Do you think it'll be a repeat of Reverie? Where they'd let their egos and misguided ideals cloud their better judgement?"

She grabbed his collar, and shook him a bit. He refused to look at her.

"I realize I'm too shy to act or speak, that I'm so pathetic that I allow others to come take care of my problems. Sometimes I wish I could just crawl and hide and hope reality passes by. But it doesn't. Nothing changes. All that keeps me going is doing my duty as an upperclassman, and as a person, to help others wherever, whenever and however I can."

She let him go and went to collect her gear.

"Well, I guess you were right, Jaune. Whatever friendship we had was just some illusion. It wasn't special." She moved past him, but left him with a few last words. "I guess we both fooled each other."

A door slammed. Jaune looked over at the other vial she left that was still intact. He looked over at the shattered one. Jaune stood up and went over to it, but couldn't keep himself from smiling as he cleaned it up. He soon burst into tears with Pyrrha in mind.

Note:

So, I think this is one of my best chapters. I can't wait to see all your thoughts on this one, my dear readers. I'm curious to see what you've all picked up from this chapter. Major thanks to Nentone for helping me lean away from my original draft.

God, this has been fun again. Joy.