Author's Note: The most frustrating part of working for a company is you have little say outside of your offdays of when and where you work. Because our store is one of the few in the area that's actually retained people during this ridiculous slump of hiring from people choosing to take the Coronavirus dole, we're being sent off to multiple different stores in the area to help them out. Now, granted, I do like helping people out, it's just in my nature, but even still, I'd much rather not have to drive all over the place for a store that isn't mine.

Granted, my job is mostly just driving over the place, so perhaps that's a little hypocritical. Still, one can hope for something while accepting another.

Chapter 59

Carol looked out the mouth of the cave, watching the pouring rain hit the treetops not too far away. The new old man was right, it was going to rain, but he had no idea how he knew. Luckily, because of his intuition or whatever it was, they were spurred on to double time it and happened along the cave he was currently guarding the entrance of. Normally, he'd try to shirk it on account of the Grimm, but instead of having the usual fear creep in, he felt anger instead. Probably not a healthy conversion, but neither was being torn to shreds by Grimm because he was too scared to move.

Even so, despite being in the middle of the wilderness with Grimm abound, it still felt relatively calm. The rain's soothing rush brought soft relief to his ears, and the cool breeze that accompanied it helped...well, keep him cool. The only thing that really sucked was the fact they couldn't go out and get any dry firewood to warm up the cave with. At least they had chemlights. They were fun to light up. Did that make him a child to enjoy it?

He yawned, shifting his legs to rest with one on top of the other. Nah. Just because something was simple didn't mean it was childish. People said that about playing video games, as well, but if that were the case why did they have the mature rating? Granted, they also tried to blame them for multiple things, from why people were anti-social to the White Fang's existence. In his own personal experience, they were merely anger inducing, which could also just be his own penchant for blood boiling. Then again, it was easier to blame what you didn't understand rather than trying to learn.

"Idiots..." He tried to ignore the irony of his statement, unfolding his legs and standing up. Sitting near the mouth of the cave was relaxing, but Grimm wouldn't catch cold from the weather, so it was actually more dangerous to their health to sit there and watch. Granted, as long as he kept his negative emotions tamped down it wouldn't really matter, but he figured he'd minimize the risk anyway. He picked up the chemlight sitting just inside the mouth of the cave, the soft green light making it so he didn't end up ass over heels deeper in the cave. It wasn't a terribly deep cave, but it was enough to be able to have their sleeping area out of the vision of the entrance.

Speaking of, their accoutrements were a modest affair. Five sleeping bags were arranged a group of chemlights arranged as if they were a traditional three prong fire, four of them hosts to their owners. "Done with your brooding?" Sky asked, tearing open one of the MREs they were issued.

"Nope. Figured I'd just pick it up tomorrow. Kinda hungry after, y'know, fighting for my life."

"Fighting for your life?" Russel asked, snorting. "Dude, I don't know what happened, but you became a Grimm killin' machine!"

"He just got angry at it and punched it. Y'know, Carol's normal MO." Sky replied. Carol opened his mouth as if to speak, then closed it in a slight pout. He wasn't going to admit Sky was right, but he also wasn't going to deny it either.

"Okay, instead of using your mouth to piss me off, how about you give some actually useful information, for once? Like where we're going after we wake up."

"Fine. But it'll have to be quick, we don't exactly have outlets to recharge our scrolls on." And with that, Sky took the scroll off of his hip and sat it on the ground, accessing the local map. It wasn't accurate by any means, but it was the only thing they had. Cartography wasn't exactly a thriving field on account of how many settlements supposedly fell. Also, they knew how to draw maps, not fight."Now, this is where the bridge was before Cardin's fat ass broke it." Sky pointed towards the obvious ravine on the map, drawing a line through the forest. "Here's just about what I figured was where we went when we ran. Going up a bit from there, roughly here is where our cave is." Sky tapped the screen in emphasis, dragging his finger somewhere north and to the east. "And here is the village we're supposed to scan for the asset, though what it is, is anyone's guess."

"How long do you suppose it'll be to walk there?" Russel asked. Carol could only snort at the lightest one of their group complaining about having to hike. Then again, he was pushed ahead to scout multiple times, so maybe there was some genuine complaints to be had.

"Can't be more than another half-day to walk. Right, Nicholas?" Their guide, who had been quietly tucking into his MRE, having known how to prepare them from experience, looked up and nodded.

"Less, if we really hurry. But, considering what it got us last time, probably not a good idea. We're here for asset retrieval, not Grimm culling."

"Point taken." Cardin mumbled. "Alright, so that'll leave us about half the day to find whatever it is. We've packed enough that we can take more time if we want...which, considering the bridge is out of commission, has already been decided for us." Carol turned his attentions from whoever was currently speaking to his own ruck, digging out his own foodstuff. He held a chemlight to the bag, squinting to see the instructions. "Though, we do have to set up watches. Now, which of you wants first watch?" There was a period as everyone looked at each other, Carol averting his eyes from attempting to decipher the food's instructions. No one had raised their hand. "Okay, then, who wants last watch?" Again, no hands were raised. "You all suck. First up is Nicholas, then me, Sky, Russ, and finally Carol."

That's just about what Carol himself would do, if he were in command. Give the most experienced member the best rest, and the one who was used to waking up early the closest to departure. Though, Russel's pout boded poorly for it staying that way.

"Dude, why do I get one of the middle shifts?" Russel griped, pointing to Carol, who was using his teeth to try to tear the bag open. "He's used to...well, not sleeping!"

"Then you should have said something before." Cardin muttered, opening his meal kit's heating element, smiling at the puff of steam. "Unless you didn't want to seem like a baby for trying to get one of the easier watches." It was dark in the cave, the only light being the dull green glow of the chemlights, but still, Carol expected an indignant blush. Sky, sense sharpened bastard that he was, began to laugh.

"He totally got it on the head!"

"S-shut up!" The bickering was interrupted by an low chuckle, and a cleared throat.

"Sorry," Nicholas began, still fighting his case of the giggles, "-You all just remind me of my family. Older ones always picking on the younger, and the one who thinks they're more mature than the others pretending not to exist."

"But I am more mature than the-" Carol stopped, setting his now active heating element down and sighing amid a chorus of chuckles. "Walked into that one, I suppose."

"You may smoke, but you've got a while to go to become mature, young Magnusson." Carol rolled his eyes at Sky's pompous put upon voice.

"Right, and you're such a paragon of wisdom. Remind me again what your semblance is?"

"Point taken." The whistling wind and gently falling rain outside made Carol yawn. It wasn't quite time for lights out, yet, and he also hadn't eaten. He supposed that several near death experiences would really exhaust someone, but still, he felt a tad bit weak for being this tired. "So, you said you had a family? Is it big, or just normal sized?"

"Big, actually. I've got seven daughters and a s-" Nicholas paused a moment, and Carol could hear the leather of his gloves creak. "-A son." He finished with much more gravitas than anything he'd said that day, including when they were being chased by a pack of Canis. Carol wasn't sure if that was more so because of his experience as a Huntsman, or the quite obvious grievance with his son. Either way, eight children was certainly nothing to sneeze at, and everyone but Sky was taken aback.

"Heh, sounds a lot like me. I've got five sisters myself." Carol's eyebrows shot up, tearing his attention from the slowly cooking MRE bits. In a way, he was slightly jealous, in the way that an only child was of other families. Sure, he got whatever he wanted, but what was the point if you didn't have anyone to hold it over? He didn't think that now, but when he was young and dumb, he did. "Could we see a picture of your family? If you have one on you, that is."

There was a few moments of quiet, before the tension Nicholas held passed. An easy smile appeared on his face as he reached into a back pocket, pulling out his wallet. "Sure. I'll point them out for you." A small photograph was taken out and held near the chemlight bonfire, Nicholas pointing to the various individuals in the photo. "Well, starting off, that's me, but you knew that already. Next to me is my wonderful wife, Juniper." An older woman who was clearly on in years but still retained her beauty was calmly holding her hands together, focusing on the camera. Considering the amount of action in the foreground, it was more of an attempt to seem normal for relatives or other people.

Their children were less tame, however, a mass of blonde hair and motion. There was clear adoration and fatherly pride in Nicholas's eyes when he pointed out his children. "This little troublemaker here is Jade-" Nicholas continued, though the neater details were lost on Carol because of the stain of the chemlight. "-The one with the glasses is Coral-" Oddly enough, it wasn't her looks that caught Carol's eye, nor was the name that he himself nearly had. It was the strange, distant look that pervaded her disinterested stare. "-The one in the too-big hoodie is Lavender, and the one in my son's lap is Amber." Nicholas fell silent at the center of the picture, where Jaune was. "And that's my son. Jaune." Instead of tense, the silence felt almost somber.

"What's up with him?" Carol asked, because he knew that no one else would venture there.

"He..." The pause that Nicholas took suggested there was some built up feeling surrounding Jaune, and Carol would have accepted his denial to continue, but the storied man closed his eyes, opening them with a look not too different from resolute steel. "He ran away from home."

CRML shared a few looks between themselves. Well, Carol thought to himself, that explains why Jaune is so desperate to fit in. "I'm sorry." Russel offered, a small smile appearing on Nicholas's face.

"Don't be sorry, it's not your fault." Carol had to swallow the lump of guilt building in his throat, and from what he could see, he wasn't the only one. "I'm just worried about him. He's been gone for so long, and hasn't even messaged his poor mother. I'm not even really angry at him anymore, I just want him to come home." There was an awkward aversion of eyes as CRML did their best to ignore the building remorse. Except for Carol.

Jaune was unwise even at the best of times, but from what it looked like, he had a loving family. People didn't just choose to leave if they were happy. If your life brought you naught but joy, you wouldn't seek to change that. And so, despite his screaming conscious, Carol pushed on. "I'm sure he's fine. He is your son, after all, and you turned out pretty good."

"Maybe." Nicholas said, slight relief etching on his face as he put the photo back into his wallet. And now here was the tricky part. Trying to subtly dig for more information.

"Just curious, but what would you do if you found him, and he was alright and doing well for himself?" Carol thought he was anything but doing well, but even still, the boy was making progress every day. In fact, if he had any formal training before hand, like how to even hold a proper stance, Carol was certain he'd already be on the first year's level. Credit where credit was due, Jaune learned fast. Though whether that was because of his own nature, or just to spite Carol, he couldn't say.

"I'd put him through the wringer, for sure, but if he was doing fine, I'd tell him I was proud of him. 'Course, I'd ask why he thought running away was the best plan he had, but I'd probably be more relieved to find him alright in the end." That was...actually pretty realistic. When he put it like that, it was almost a crime to keep the information away from Nicholas. A heartsick father, looking for his runaway son? Carol was many things, but maybe this was too cruel for him to allow. And yet, he still felt some apprehension to outing Jaune. Just one last test, just to make sure. And it'd be a risky one for sure, but the way that Nicholas was speaking, he didn't seem to think they knew his son.

"What if you found him at a Huntsman academy? Say, Beacon, for example." And the slightly light nature of their conversation was snuffed in an instant, Nicholas's expression growing suddenly cold as he stared into the massed chemlights. A chill ran up Carol's spine, catching his breath in his throat.

"I'd make him withdraw, immediately. He's not meant to be a Huntsman." And, almost as if he realized how dire he sounded, Nicholas recovered with a slightly lopsided grin. "I mean, if he actually got accepted. He didn't have any previous credentials with any academy, so it'd be crazy if he got in." Carol met Cardin's wide-eyed look. Unless he forged them to get in.

"Yeah. But you know what they say, truth is stranger than fiction." Carol said, adding a slight disarming chuckle to his words.

"If this was a poorly written novel, maybe." Nicholas returned, smiling. With any luck, he didn't expect that they knew his son. And for Jaune's sake, as well. I mean, it's not like I care for the selfish prick, but he at least deserves the chance to try for what he wants, instead of having his dad tell him what to do. Carol could, begrudgingly, relate. "Anyway, you should probably eat your dinner before it gets too late. Dawn waits for no man, after all." Nicholas stood, patting down his legs for any dust. "Well, I suppose I should be taking that first watch, now. You kids don't stay up too late, alright?"

"Yeah, yeah. We're just about to turn in." Carol grumbled, drawing a gentle laugh from the retreating form of Nicholas. As soon as he was out of sight, Carol looked pointedly to Cardin, who shook his head and pointed towards his ear. As much as Carol wanted to discuss what just happened, it wasn't a good idea when Nicholas was so close. Begrudgingly, he nodded, turning to his now cooked food.

As he finished the final stages of prepping his meal, Carol found his thoughts drifting away from Jaune, and JNPR in its entirety. He wondered if they were on their mission, and where they were right now. Hopefully, once again for Jaune's sake, he hoped they weren't close. They already had their plates full with having to find an asset which wasn't specified, he didn't need Nicholas pulling the plug on the mission to verbally beat down his son. Though, it might be pretty funny, in a sadistic sort of way.

And, from JNPR, his thoughts strayed to her sister team. RWBY, which were deployed to Mountain Glenn, a veritable city of the dead. He wondered if they were alright, if they had to deal with a pack of Grimm like he had, and if they were turning in for the night now as well. His fingers drummed on his thigh as he tried to remember what their mission was, ultimately deciding that they didn't actually specify.

But what could their mission be? Mountain Glenn was, by all accounts, a desolate ghost town, probably picked clean by asset recovery teams by now. What reason could RWBY be there? And were they alright? When he blinked, he saw a flash of wispy white that made his heart skip a beat, whereupon he rubbed his eyes vigorously. Great, now he was seeing things. Usually that didn't happen until day three of staying up straight. He needed to get some sleep, it would probably fix the strange vision and weird, uncomfortable feeling. But first, food! He eagerly tore open the warm packet, only to have the smell hit his nose and cause him to gag slightly.

Lifting up the package, he read the side of the envelope. 'Veggie Omelette', it read. Dog food was more accurate, but calories were calories, so he held his nose and began to tuck in.

End Note: So, I tried my best to fit the Arc family to what I remembered, even looking on the fan wiki, but details on Couer's interpretation is pretty sparse. Well, besides his stories, of course, but I'd have to read through several hundred thousand words to parse exactly what details I'd need. If I didn't have a job, maybe I could do that, but as I'm constantly getting called in to work something like three to five hours early each day, I unfortunately don't have the time.

Still, I hope you enjoyed this chapter, and please C&C!