Jaune Arc had done the impossible and gotten into Beacon, with no formal training or aura. As his mother instructed he embarrassed himself, and played the goof, all the while hiding his true abilities and intent. He knew Ozpin or rather Ozma would be watching; he was always watching. His mother had warned him of that fact. She had also warned him about his foil, his former wife. Salem, Queen of the Grimm. It had been the centre of his education for much of his formal years. The state of their war, and the signs, that would reveal the minions of each power.
His mother had explained it to him later in his short life. Laying out her reasons and plan to finally stop the endless battle being raged, and return this world to the rightful rulers. He was the middle son of eight. The rest being all girls. They all had roles to play, and as her dutiful children they would obey their mother's word. So he had been sent out, to deceive and subvert. To use his gifts to erode the power base of each, and sway the upcoming conflict towards the third option.
It was the third night after the initiation and all were resting peacefully, aside from him. He needed little rest and in the wee hours between dusk and dawn was the best time to prepare. His eyes easily saw every detail in the dark room. So he sat there watching his teammates, while planning the course of his upcoming actions. Casually he caressed the scaled form of the coiled death adder in his lap. He would need to contact his mother soon. Inform her of his progress and get further instruction.
Tapping the snake lovingly upon the head she was roused. Holding out his hand palm up she slithered forward and coiled about his arm, to end with her head resting upon his shoulder. Her forked tongue lashing out and caressing his cheek. Rising silently he moved to the slightly ajar window and guided the serpent outside.
"Seek out Glynda. Hide and observe." he whispered.
The death adder's forked tongue lashed out and after a moment of hesitation she moved off. Finding her way down the wall of the dorm and out into the grass beyond. Closing the window Jaune silently returned to his bed. Pulling up his covers he laid his head upon his pillow and allowed his shining blue eyes to close. His pet would find a place to hide, and observe the target his mother had chosen, and on at the chosen time it would return to him as she always had; to report all that had been discovered.
"What secrets shall we discover Glynda. What part of Ozma's plans do you play?" he whispered to himself as he slowly let sleep take him.
/=/
Another day had passed and it was time for him to check in with his mother. So he waited, and when sleep had rendered all his friends unaware of the darkened world around them, he acted. Rising from his bed, he moved to the door and slipped out. His bare feet made little sound as he walked the empty halls. His shining blue eyes easily making out every detail of his path. He avoided every obstacle, keeping his trespass unnoticed.
At least that was what he thought. Far behind him, blessed with vision beyond that of a human, Blake Belladonna trailed him. Her sensitive hearing had caught the sound of the door across the hall opening and closing. It had been faint, but she had been certain of it. Wondering why anyone would be leaving so late at night she had followed. Her own egress from her team unnoticed.
"What are you up to?" She asked herself in tone more akin to a silent breath, "And why can you see so well in the dark?"
She watched from her hidden vantage point as Jaune made his nearly silent way into one of the darkened classrooms. She waited for a few minutes before following suit. Checking through the window she couldn't make him out. But she knew he was in there, because she had seen him enter. Maybe she thought he had gone into one of the storage rooms, or maybe the adjoining locker room, as he had chosen the combat class, as the destination of his late night travels.
Slowly she opened the door and in a crouch she slid inside. Using her hands to brace the heavy door, she prevented it from banging shut. She remained there for a few minutes attempting to make out where Jaune had maybe gone to. That was when she heard a noise coming from her right side. He was one her in a flash. Moving with speed and grace she had never before seen him capable of. She prepared to defend herself; twisting about and bringing her hands up. He did nothing but speak in a low hushed tone. His blue eyes shining hypnotically.
"Be still and silent." Jaune ordered in a soft tone.
Panic started to rise with in her, as she suddenly found she couldn't move. She was rooted to the spot, frozen in a half defensive pose. She tried to speak, tried to scream but no sound came out. Her mouth remained closed. The only thing that was moving was her chest, drawing in and expelling breath.
"If I had uttered one different word you would feel as though you where being embraced." he whispered directly into her right side ear. "Embraced so tightly that you would cease to breath."
"Is the kitty trying to play with a snake?" he asked her as he leaned back to gaze at her with his shining blue eyes. "While you should have had the advantage, I am not you average serpent."
"Grow sleepy." he leaned forwarded Gazing straight into her amber eyes.
Blake suddenly felt free of her restrains but drowsy. She weaved upon her feet. She fought to keep her head from nodding. She struggled to keep from collapsing. Her eyes were heavy and her mind clouded.
Jaune let a slim smile spread across his lips, as he moved closer and with gentle hands guided her to her knees. Her mind was clouded unable to process what was happening to her. Unable to fathom how Jaune knew her true heritage.
"Be a good kitty now." he whispered.
Stepping away from her, he moved towards the centre of the room. The nail of his right pinkie finger growing long and curved. Gently he caressed the palm of his left hand, splitting it open, the wound welling with blood. Kneeling down on one knee he dipped his right index finger into the blood and quickly traced several symbols upon the floor, before pressing his bloody hand palm first in the centre of the triangularly arranged symbols. Lifting his palm up he and Blake watched as the blood moved as if alive, reaching out to the traced symbols.
"Mother." Jaune whispered as the blood twisted and then rose from the floor taking on a miniature woman's shape.
"My baby." the figure spoke in a soft and loving tone. "You have done well."
"Thank you mother. I have done as you instructed. My pet has been sent out, to spy upon Glynda."
"Good."
"Shall I called to others and set them in similar positions? There are other professors that may be privy to Ozma and his machinations."
"For now it is enough to have Glynda under surveillance. The others may come in time." his mother spoke, "Who is that behind you?"
"A kitty that wanted to play." Jaune replied.
"Cats are dangerous. Be wary of them."
"What shall I do then mother?"
"It would be best to end her threat, but that is too much of a risk."
"I would agree mother."
"Convert her. Bring her into the fold."
"As you wish."
"Good boy. Continue as planned. Observe, report and maintain your cover."
"Yes mother."
The figure fell apart and a moment later the collected and drying blood burst into a smokeless blue flame. It burned away leaving nothing but a fine white ash. With a single breath Jaune scattered the remains into the air. Standing he moved to the kneeling form of Blake. Dropping once again to one knee he leaned in and whispered into her left ear.
"Blake," his voice hissed seductively, "Tell me you secrets, tell me your desires. Tell me all to be free."
"I was once..." Blake couldn't understand why she felt so compelled to speak to him. "White Fang."
"I see. What happened to make you come to Beacon?"
"My mentor grew wicked, callous. He threatened innocent lives. I had to save them."
"So did you? Did you save them?"
"Yes."
"You did the right thing. The wanton wasting of life is monstrous."
"I did right?"
"Yes you did. Tell me more."
"I want to be a huntress to atone for what I have done. I want to help people, to show that the faunus are equal."
"Noble goals, my kitty; very admirable." Jaune leaned back and then lent forward again this time to whisper in her right ear. "Do you wish to live in a world that would accept you as you are?"
"Yes." Blake whispered.
"Do you wish to help create such a paradise?"
"How?"
"Serve as my agent, as a disciple under mother."
"I can't"
"Yes you can. It is through her that you can find true equality."
"True?"
"Yes, true equality between human and faunus. All are the same in her eyes."
"The same, and equal?"
"Yes. Serve and see it made reality. Join us."
"Join you?"
"Work with me, to see a better world created. Join us and have all that you seek. Would you like that Blake? Would you like to help build a better world?"
"Yes."
"Then pledge. Swear an oath to mother. See paradise unfold."
"I..."
"Swear and see your dreams grow and bear fruit. No more suffering, no more pain. No more struggles, or fights to have what you should have always had."
"Equality?"
"Equality. Swear a pledge, and see it done."
"Pledge."
"Swear, Blake. Pledge loyalty."
"I... I... I.. swear."
"What do you swear?" Jaune asked as he used the nail of his elongated pinkie to once agina open the palm of his left hand.
"I swear loyalty."
"Then drink." Jaune spoke as he offered up his freshly split open left palm, "Drink as a sign of your pledge."
Blake's head nodded, and her eyes drooped, but as soon as Jaune's warm flesh touched her lips, she reached up and twisted his hand towards her. The dull bitter taste of iron filled her mouth, and she swallowed.
"Give me your left hand Blake. Pull back you aura. Will you do that?" Jaune asked as he pulled his bleeding hand away from Blake's now crimson stained lips.
Still in her stupor she raised her left hand. Jaune took it gently and turned it over so her palm was facing up. Using his elongated nail he softly poked her flesh drawing out a droplet of her blood. Raising it to his lips he touched it to his tongue, and smiled.
"Your oath is proven true. Rejoice, and serve mother to the best of you abilities."
Blake licked her lips, as Jaune rose to his feet.
"Awaken."
Blake shook her head and blinked her amber eyes. Before looking up at Jaune. She licked her lips again, tasting dull iron. Jaune reached forward and offered her his healed hand. She took hold of it and with a token of Jaune's strength was assisted in standing.
"How do you feel?"
"Good. Relaxed."
"Are you ready?"
"What do you need of me?"
"To watch. Seek out information in discreet manners."
"What do you wish to find?"
"The plans upon plans of an ancient and cunning foes, but more so to find those who would be of like mind to join our cause."
"The creation of paradise." Blake smiled as she spoke those words, a cold and sinister smile.
"Yes." Jaune responded, his own smile and echo of Blake's
/=/
The next day came and Blake felt strangely refreshed, newly driven. Yet still she felt the need to hide her heritage; and the bow remained firmly fastened over her cat ears. As she finished preparing for her day, a thought crossed her mind. Cameras, there may have been cameras watching the halls. They may have been seen. She would have to tell Jaune, the sooner the better.
Her chance came when both teams exited their respective dorm rooms. Jaune was the last to leave securing their door closed. She lagged behind her own team allowing him to close. With a causal beckoning motion with her left hand she slightly leaned towards him as he closed with her. He saw the motion and did as she silently asked.
"Cameras." she whispered as they walked.
"What of them?" also speaking in a voice to low to be heard by anyone but Blake.
"The halls may have them. We may have been seen." Jaune's eyes looked upwards watching the tops of the walls near the higher almost vaulted ceilings, and as if on cue he saw it. A small barely noticeable security camera.
"We will need a reason to be out so late. What do you suggest?"
"A meeting of some type."
"What are you two whispering about back there?" Yang announced as she noticed the lagging pair. "Sweet nothings?"
Jaune and Blake fell apart, embarrassed at being noticed. Yang let a wide grin cross her features.
"So soon after coming to Beacon? You guys work fast, never even considered it would happen with you two."
For the rest of the trip to the cafeteria the pair remained silent as Yang continued to offer up small innuendos, and side comments. The pair stayed apart both looking incredibly uncomfortable with what was being implied.
"Awe did I interrupt? I'm sorry. Please continue."
"There's nothing to continue Yang Xaio Long." Blake finally snapped at her partner.
"No need to get catty. Just having a little fun." Yang protested.
For their part the rest of JNPR and RWBY ignored Yang's comments, and the reactions of Blake and Jaune. There were more important matters to attend to. First getting something to eat and then preparing for the early morning test that was to happen in Professor Port's Grimm Studies class. Then maybe they would address what Yang was insinuating.
/=/
The rest of the day passed without any other events of note. Classes were, what they were; though in combat class Jaune's abysmal performance had his partner Pyrrha wondering if there was something she could do to help him improve. During it all Blake was attempting to come up with a reason for their late night rendezvous. Just in case they were confronted about it. Her distraction caught Yang's attention, and further confirmed in the blond's mind that there was something going on between Blake and Jaune. Something she would have to dig to discover.
After lunch the two teams had a free period, so they scattered all to do their own thing. Jaune retired to his team's dorm, and lounged on his bed, his scroll in hand. He was doing nothing in particular, just passing the time while watching the odd video or reading a story that caught his interest.
Blake had gone to the library, with Yang following her. Ren and Nora were off somewhere, while Pyrrha had gone out to train. He was unsure what Weiss and Ruby were up to, as the pair seemed to be having a rather difficult time getting along. The library would have been the perfect spot for him to reconnect with Blake. Public enough, but secluded enough to give them privacy in which to discuss the possible current issue they had.
/=/
Professor Ozpin watched the late night security feed, with some interest. The cameras were motion activated, and if nothing happens during the night they would not send him a notification of activity. This morning he had found such a notification. He watched the spliced together footage of Jaune and Blake moving through the dark and empty hallways. Their end destination seeming to be the room that housed Glynda's combat class. He was not sure, but he was confident that Ms. Belladonna had been tracking Mr. Arc. With no feed from the classroom, he wondered what had transpired with in, as he watched the pair emerge side by side.
"I must speak with Glynda about installing camera into the classrooms. There seems to be something going on with in my school."
Turning off the feed, he leaned back into his chair, and clasped his hands before him. He had eons of memories with in his mind, and at that point he was thinking back through them. He knew the Arc name. They had created many a fine and heroic figure in days long gone. Jaune's own great grandfather has been instrumental during the Great War and the Grimm battles that followed. But after that there was nothing. They fell away from the limelight. Ozpin knew Jaune's father was a powerful huntsman, but of his personal life, of his family there was nothing for him to recall. He could always look up information in the public registries, but that felt to him like overstepping. He had no reason to really suspect anything.
It wouldn't be the first time that students had been caught in less than flattering positions with in his institution, and he doubted it would be the last, either. But was that what was really going on between the two of them. It seemed a little fast considering school had only been in session for under a week, and he doubted the pair had had any previous contact prior to meeting at Beacon. His interest was piqued. Maybe he would conduct an inquiry to public records. Find out a bit more of Jaune's history, seeing that the young man had used forged documents to gain entry. So there was at least a story there, that needed to be unravelled. Ozpin had seen promise in the young man, and still did.
Now it was just a question of what type of promise the young man did hold.
/=/
Jaune had come up with a solution to the problem of speaking to Blake without needed to be next to her; and he brought it forward as a suggestion when both teams sat down to supper.
"I think we should all exchange scroll numbers." he offered.
"Why?" asked Ruby.
"We'll we're always all together, what if one of us needed help. It would be good to have everyone's contact information just in case one of us needed to reach out."
"He's got a point." Blake added, trying to agree with out just agreeing.
"I can see it." Yang commented, "It be nice to know that if Rubes is in trouble that she has more people to call on than just me. I'm for it."
Yang was the first to offer her scroll up, and one by one the others did the same. Soon all eight scrolls sat in a circle on the table, before them. With a couple of swipes and taps they scrolls synced, and the basic contact info for each scroll was suddenly available on all the others.
"Just no prank or lewd messages." Weiss warned as she picked her scroll from the circle.
"Like anyone here would bother doing something like that, Ice Queen." retorted Yang.
"I wouldn't put it past you!" Weiss countered.
The rest of RWBY and JNPR let the two dig at each other as they returned to their respective meals. It had worked and Jaune now had a way to communicate with Blake without the others noticing. With subtle glance he saw that Blake too knew the benefit of what had just transpired.
/=/
It was late that night when everyone else was fast asleep that Jaune risked texting Blake. The light from his scroll illuminating his face. It was simple question that he sent to her.
"So what do you think?"
"I think we should say meeting as you mention before." Blake texted back.
"I think the same, but what type of meeting?" Jaune paused before sending a second message. " I can only think of one that would require the actions we took."
"I feel you are right."
"It will require you to be even more deceitful than you already have been."
"If it must be done, then it must."
"Will you be able to play such a part?"
"If I must, then I will."
"Then WE will." Jaune texted.
"Of course."
"Mother will need to be told."
"When?"
"Soon."
"Should I be there?"
"Yes."
"Okay. Tell me when."
"I will."
Jaune turned closed his scroll and slid down under his covers nestling their warmth. He found the nights so chilled, and was happy now that he was cocooned in downy softness.
/=/
Glynda had agreed to Ozpin's suggestion to put cameras into all the classrooms and the library, especially after seeing the footage of Jaune and Blake entering her classroom late one night. So with a few calls, the bids for the work start to roll in. It would take a few days to consider each one, and the probably a week for the work to be completed. Ozpin didn't mind, knowing it would get done, and while he was waiting he could do some digging of his own. There had been no other late night meetings between the two teens; at least so far, and Ozpin wondered if they had realized the halls were monitored. Of course it could always be they didn't not feel the need for another late night rendezvous.
As fast as it all seemed Ozpin was sure it was just teenaged hormones taking their toll on the pair, and he hoped they were using precautions. It would be a shame for two promising young hunters to harm their chances to graduate because of unplanned addition to their lives. Settling back in his chair he turned to his monitor. He had been considering it for a couple days, and had made a decision. It wouldn't be much, but a search of the public registries would give him some idea into Jaune's family history.
It wasn't like Beacon didn't have the resources and contacts capable of doing background checks of its students, in fact there had been on more than one occasion in previous years that such actions had taken place. With the hurried actions he needed to make in order to recruit Miss Rose, he had forgone several of them, including one for Jaune. It now seemed it was time to rectify that oversight. The young man was raising questions for Ozpin. Questions that were begging to be answered. Why the risk using forged transcripts? How was he apparently so capable for seeing in the dark? How did he and Miss Belladonna know each other? Had they met before school? What was his family history? What training do he actually have?
There were too many gaps, that needed to be filled; that should have been filled prior to his acceptance. It was time to have those deficiencies dealt with. Turning to his terminal he opened the message program, and began to type. It would take a few days to a week to get all the answers to the questions he had, but it was time to start. He would inform Glynda and the rest of the staff of his actions at the next faculty meeting.
/=/
The whispers abounded with in the cafeteria, at the conclusion to the altercation. Jaune didn't care, as it had given him the opportunity to plant further seeds. Only Blake knew what had really happened. How Jaune had used those eyes to make it all stop. Cardin Winchester stumbled away from Jaune and Velvet supported by his teammates. While Jaune helped the bullied rabbit faunus to her feet from the floor where she had been pushed.
"You are strong." he whispered into her ears, as he pulled her up, and close.
"Strong."Velvet repeated in her own whisper.
"Are you okay? Jaune asked in his normal tone after releasing his grip on Velvet's hand.
"I... I think so." Velvet replied as she rapidly blinked her eyes.
"You shouldn't let people do that to you."
"I can't..."
"You are strong." Jaune whispered for a second time, as his team and RWBY closed in.
"Strong." velvet once again responded in a whisper.
"You sure you're okay?" Jaune asked once his his friends were with in earshot range of a normal conversation.
"I am. Thank you."
"I'm always ready to help." Jaune responded with a smile.
/=/
"How did you do that?" Blake asked him through the chat program.
"It is a gift from mother." Jaune replied. It was late at night and everyone else was deep in sleep, as Jaune and Blake exchanged text messages.
"Why did you do it?"
"We need more eyes and ears. It was the perfect opportunity to start to influence them."
"Cardin is nothing but a bully."
"They have their uses."
"Like what?"
"They sense weakness, weaknesses Mother can turned to strengths."
"So you will use him to find others like Velvet?"
"In time."
"He focuses on faunus."
"Mother embraces all." Jaune responded, "And once he is with in the fold, he will find others regardless of heritage."
"I have suggestion."
"Good. What is it?"
"The White Fang." Black replied.
"Interesting. Why?"
"They have many faunus that could assist. Influence the leadership, tell them of paradise, they will make the others follow."
"How?"
"I know them, I can find their next meeting place. We just need to go an seek a meeting."
"That simple?"
"There will need to be some convincing to have it happen."
"That will not be a problem. Is there another reason?"
"Yes."
"What is it?"
"They are working with a human criminal. I wish to see it stopped."
"Criminals have uses too."
"Does everyone?"
"To Mother all are important. All have gifts to offer."
"When can I truly meet her?"
"Tomorrow. Library study room, during our free."
"What are you doing Jaune?" asked a sleepy Pyrrha as she raised her head from her pillow.
"Just chatting, with some of my family." Jaune lied.
"It's kinda late." she yawned.
"It's one of my sisters. She's a night owl." Jaune lied again.
"Okay," Pyrrha once again yawned, dropping her head to her pillow and closing her eyes. "Don't be up too late, you have a match tomorrow."
"I'm just about done."
"What is happening?" Blake asked after not receiving responses to her last couple of texts.
"Pyrrha woke up."
"Is everything okay?"
"It is fine. Get some rest. Tomorrow will be a big day."
/=/
The next morning Ozpin was reading the preliminary report from the outside investigators and fact checkers, that Beacon employed. They had found a little information, with the promised of a more detailed report to come in a few days. It was enough for Ozpin to start to attempt to alleviate some of his concerns in regards to Mister Arc. What he held before him was basic, school grades and birth announcements.
"It appears you come from a rather large family." Ozpin remarked as he shuffled through multiple pages of announcements all starting with Jonathon and Lilith Arc are pleased to announce.
Jaune's grades were average, and as Ozpin had thought showed no signs of him ever being in a hunter prep school. He was by all appearances a normal, average person. There was no indication of faunus heritage. In fact the only thing that really stood out to Ozpin was his mother's name.
"Lilith. I know that name from somewhere." Ozpin commented to his empty office. It was not by far a common name, but not entirely rare either. But still it pulled at his memories.
As he sat there thinking about its familiarity, something in his eons old memories clicked. The name had drawn a time from before he and Salem had engaged in their endless war. Recollections of something shadowed, sinister, and silver tongued.
"No, It is just a coincidence. She vanished into the shadows eons ago." Ozpin remembered. He tried to bring up a face to place to the name he was remembering, but all that formed in his mind's eye was the symbol of a great horned serpent. "Just memories brought up by a similar name."