Another night. Another dream. But always that one.

In the days following the incident at the docks, Jaune had not slept well. There were times he simply lay in bed unable to sleep, his mind thinking back to what he had done. What it meant about him as a person. What his future held for him.

Then there was when he actually was able to fall asleep. Perhaps it was because his waking mind was so consumed with the guilt of what he had done that he dreamt about it as well. He dreamt about himself thinking about it. There was no escape. Neither awake nor asleep, it was always on his mind. The alcohol at least offered some semblance of refuge. He didn't dream much after spending time at the bar with Melanie. She had been right on that account. It could make him forget for a little while. Perhaps he would have to start doing it more often.

The lack of sleep made him tired that night. In the distance ahead he saw as patrons moved and swayed to the music playing in the room. All around him the idle chatter of patrons filled his ears. Those directly around him either nursed their drinks in silent contemplation, or downed them in one go depending on what they were. In any case, it was up to him to keep them happy.

It was his night to tend bar again. Truth be told he would have much rather just stood watch as a bouncer tonight. He didn't feel like talking to anyone. He didn't feel like interacting with others. People were stupid. Selfish. Rude. Inconsiderate. They got even worse when they were drunk. He was beginning to hate people just as a whole.

Was this place and the experience of working with people rubbing off on him? Or maybe it was simply Melanie's influence. Either way, he was annoyed when one of the nearby customers called for another drink. As if the dumb fool hadn't already knocked back five or so shots already.

Knowing what the man had been ordering before, Jaune retrieved the familiar bottle and another glass and poured a clear liquid inside. After passing it off to the person he had expected some sort of thanks. Or at least acknowledgment. He received none. The man simply turned to his friends and resumed whatever inane conversation that he had been having before.

Oh well. It didn't matter. So long as the man tipped him then it didn't matter to the boy. He could waste all the lien he wanted at Junior's club on overpriced drinks. At the end of the night the house would win. The house always won.

Another voice called over for his attention. Perhaps a return customer, as she knew his name.

As he turned to greet the new arrival, his heart skipped a beat as he saw who it was across the counter from him. It was a face he had not seen in months. One which he had never expected to see again.

Starting at him were the stern green eyes of none other than Glynda Goodwitch.

Why was she here? What kind of a cruel coincidence was this? Jaune had never seen her here at the club before. Judging by her demeanor she did not seem like the type to go out drinking and having fun. Then again maybe there was another side to her he did not know. The twins had their other sides. Junior had his. Jaune had his own.

All trace of professionalism and confidence disappeared from his voice as he greeted the woman. "Hello."

He didn't really know what to say. Or how to feel. The woman responsible for kicking him out of Beacon Academy was now his customer. He hoped that she would not bring up any of that past unpleasantness. He hoped that she would simply order a drink, and then he would be able to be on his way.

"Mr. Arc," she repeated. "I see you're certainly doing... well for yourself. You've managed to land on your feet since departing Beacon Academy."

Departing. Was that the word she was going to use? Jaune supposed it sounded better than her saying that she had kicked him out. Or forcibly removed him. Or discovered that he was a lying fraud and that he was lucky that he had not been reprimanded more than he had.

He shrugged nervously. "Yeah, well. It's a job, right? Gotta do something with my life."

Never mind the fact that it was a far cry from living out his dream. A dream which she had prevented him from achieving. It was still better than going home. Better than admitting to being the liar that he was.

"Indeed it is," she agreed. "Though I will admit, I never imagined you as the bartender type."

Jaune wouldn't have thought he was either. He would be correct in that assessment too. "I'm a bouncer too," he clarified. "Sometimes a cook. The bartending thing is only once or twice a week."

"I see. Cooking doesn't seem to be the job I would imagine you taking either. After all, you aspired to be a huntsman at one point in your life. Now, a bouncer on the other hand does seem more up your alley."

He wondered where she was going with this. Was it simply because being a bouncer was more often than not a physical job? Did she correctly assume that he would be able to put his superior physical prowess to good use over an average civilian?

"However," she continued. "A bouncer at a club like this, I would not have expected from someone of your upbringing."

Those words stung. The Arc family was a proud one with a lineage stretching back beyond the Great War. Many of his ancestors were huntsmen. Many were heroes. They were the ones who had inspired him to tread the path that he had. For him to be working here, amongst criminals, amongst pretty thieves, amongst thugs, was most unbecoming of the legacy.

Still. He would play dumb to her accusation. "I don't know what you mean."

Whether or not she accepted that answer he did not know. She pressed on with the conversation regardless. "I seem to recall you using one of your family heirlooms as a weapon when trying out for Beacon Academy. Am I correct?"

"Yeah. Why?"

Glynda's eyes were unwavering as she stared into his own. "A long, straight sword if I recall?"

The look and her words were making him uncomfortable. In his very short stay at Beacon he had gotten that vibe from her. Is this what her students had to deal with on a daily basis? If so then maybe he was lucky that he did not have to attend any class taught by her.

"Yeah," he confirmed.

The woman hummed to herself. "Tell me, Mr. Arc. The night you accompanied Team RWBY to the docks, did you use that sword against the White Fang?"

Jaune's eyes widened, and a cold chill ran down his body. No. There was no way. How did she know?

His mind immediately went to Ruby, but the thought was quickly squashed. She might have said something about him being there, but there was no way she would ever point her finger at him in regards to the dead man who was left on the battlefield. Could it have been one of her teammates? What had they said? And if he was being accused of any wrongdoing, where were the police?

He couldn't think of any sort of answer or explanation. He would give her no admission of any kind. "W-what?" he replied.

Glynda's hands folded neatly on the counter in front of her. "The docks, Mr. Arc. And the White Fang. When you were there with my students, did you have your sword with you?"

He didn't know what to say. Clearly she knew that he was there. Clearly she was asking this question for a reason. She suspected him of killing that terrorist. She suspected correctly. Maybe he should just turn himself in. Maybe that would alleviate some of the guilt he felt.

However before he could say any more a third voice entered the conversation. "What'll you have?"

Jaune turned to see the large form of Junior standing beside him. The menacing man wore an utterly expressionless mask on his face as he stared down at the seated woman in front of him.

"Hei," the woman said evenly. "It's been a while."

"It has, Glynda."

Jaune looked at her, and then back up at Junior. "You two know each other?"

Junior grunted. "We've crossed paths. Back in the day."

"Back before you were a bottom feeding criminal," she said casually. "Before you started plucking children off the street to raise as your enforcers." She looked back over at Jaune. "A trend which you are apparently continuing to this day."

The blonde boy felt Junior tense next to him. While there was very little outward expression, those words had clearly angered the man. However in a room full of paying customers he was not about to start any kind of altercation, be it verbal or physical.

"So what'll you have?" he asked again.

"I believe I was in the middle of a conversation with Mr. Arc," she said sharply.

"Mr. Arc is on the clock right now. He doesn't have time to socialize."

A short, sardonic laugh slipped through her lips. "My oh my, is your service slipping, Hei? I thought it was customary for bartenders to talk to their patrons."

Jaune was pushed back and to the side a little bit as Junior seemed to step in front of him slightly. "That's what I'm here for, Glynda. Now what can I get for you tonight?"

The woman's regular seriousness returned to her. "I would prefer to be served by Mr. Arc," she said evenly.

"You'll have to get in line then. Competition'll be fierce too."

Glynda peered around the giant of a man who was obscuring her view so she could look at her target. "Mr. Arc, if you would just-"

"Kid's busy. What'll it be?"

Her focus returned on the man who interrupted her. "What are you hiding, Hei? Why are you protecting him?"

"Our Mistrali Gold is a personal favorite," he said offhandedly. "I recommend it."

"You do know I will get to the bottom of this, right?"

Junior ignored the question. "Vacuan Desert Rose is a popular choice as well."

"And if it turns out that you are knowingly hiding something, do not think for a moment that even you will be immune to the repercussions of the law. Obstruction of justice is a serious criminal offense."

Jaune's heart was thumping in his chest. There was a battle of words as well as wills going on right in front of him by two who were vastly more experienced in life than he was. Glynda was after him. She had her sights set on him, and was determined to know exactly what had happened that night at the docks. He couldn't help but fear that it was only a matter of time until he felt the consequences of his actions.

Junior meanwhile was doing everything in his power to protect him. Everything short of tossing Glynda out of the club. It was probably for the best as well, since Jaune doubted that even the combined strength of the twins, Junior and himself would not be able to defeat a powerful and experienced huntress like Glynda Goodwitch. If they hadn't been able to stop Yang, what hope did they have against one of Beacon Academy's best?

"Tears of Mist is a hit among the young crowd," Junior continued. "But then again maybe it'll be a little too strong for someone of your age."

"Hei," she hissed. "If you don't cooperate then I can assure you that only bad things will result from this."

The man grunted once more, and was apparently done trying to derail her intended conversation. "You a police officer now, Glynda?"

"No. Unlike you I have a respectable job as the Deputy Headmistress of Beacon Academy."

"That so? Huntresses aren't exactly the law of the land, you know."

"No," she agreed. "However I am currently working with the Vale Police Department to get to the bottom of a murder which took place on the night that Mr. Arc was at the docks with students from my school."

He motioned with his head over to Jaune. "They got a warrant out for Mr. Arc here?"

Jaune felt another chill in his body. If they did then it would be all over for him. They'd find his clothes. They'd find his weapon. That would be all they'd need to prove it was he who had committed the act.

"No. The word of one of my students alone is not enough to qualify as probable cause." There was a bitterness in her voice which made her displeasure for that fact apparent to everyone. "Therefore I had hoped that if Mr. Arc was the decent human being that I thought he was that he would cooperate. Perhaps I was wrong though. Perhaps you've already poisoned his mind, just as I'm sure your drinks have poisoned his body."

She certainly knew how to hurt with her words. In one fell swoop she had attacked both Junior an Jaune in very personal ways. The earlier implication about Junior plucking Melanie and Miltia off the streets was not lost upon Jaune either. This woman clearly had little love for Junior and what he did. She was apparently starting to have the same opinion about Jaune as well.

To his credit, however, Junior kept his cool. He always seemed to be able to do that. "You gonna order anything or not? I've got customers who'd love a spot at the bar."

The woman stared at Junior for long, tense seconds. Her gaze shifted back over to Jaune as she spoke. "Do not think we are finished here, Mr. Arc. And do not take this as an idle threat from a teacher to a student, but I can call your parents. I'm sure they would be most interested in what you've been up to these past few months."

Without waiting for his response Glynda stood and walked off.

Jaune let loose a breath he hadn't known he had been holding in. His hand reached out to the counter to support himself. A few moments later he felt a hand on his back, and turned to see that Junior was looking at him.

"Go on break," he said about as gently as his gruff voice could manage. "A long one. In one of the private rooms."

Jaune nodded. He didn't know what Junior's intent was with such a specific request, but he was not about to question it. After that his mind was frazzled. He didn't know if he would be able to focus on work anymore this night.

Grabbing the nearest bottle within reach, Jaune stepped out from behind the counter and off to the second floor where the club's private party rooms were located.

Fine leather chairs and couches dotted the perimeter of the room, while a few black glass tables sat in front of them. The place was spacious. Comfortable. Designed to host small parties of individuals in luxury. Yet here Jaune was all by himself in an empty room. It only reminded him of how lonely he felt inside right now. How isolated he felt from everyone else despite how much they had reached out to him. Or at least how much the twins had.

Miltia had been the most forthright in her efforts. She made no secrets about extending a hand out to aid him should he want it. He had yet to take her up on that offer, however. What more could she possibly say that she hadn't already?

Then there was Melanie. She had given him a hard time a few nights ago, in an oh so Melanie kind of way. He really should not have been surprised by her straightforward demeanor. It was one of the many things which made her different from her identical twin. She had even let slip that she was just like him; drinking in order to deal with the past. What that past was he still did not know. However in retrospect Jaune felt a hint of warmth from the fact that she had chosen to even share that vague little bit of knowledge with him. Perhaps that was a way of trying to comfort him in her own unique style.

However neither were here right now. Junior had deemed it a good idea to send him on a break, and he was happy to take it. He was sure that the man would have little issue with him drinking on the job too, given not only the nature of their jobs, but dealing with Melanie on a nightly basis.

Grabbing one of the neatly displayed glasses from the closest table, Jaune poured himself a drink from the bottle he had smuggled in with him and drank it. He would be lying if he said that he enjoyed the taste or the sensation in his mouth, but they were becoming easier to tolerate.

As he poured himself a refill Jaune heard the door open. His head snapped up, and to his relief he saw that it was Junior who stepped inside. Jaune could only assume that he too was taking a break of sorts, and that he had put a couple of his men on bar duty in order to cover them for the short term. He would be happy if Junior simply told him to take the rest of the night off. However he wouldn't count on it.

After the door shut Jaune heard a low growl from the back of the man's throat. Another look up at him saw Junior looking down indifferently at the bottle on the table. "You know what you're doing isn't healthy."

Jaune knew. He also didn't really care. "Yeah. What else should I do?"

Junior shrugged. "Beat's me."

He had gotten his hopes up for a fraction of a second. Hoping against hope that the older and experienced man would have some sort of magical solution to help him out. Alas, it was not meant to be. And considering that Junior had also not explicitly told Jaune to stop doing what he was doing, the boy figured that he should keep on doing it anyway.

"How're ya holding up?"

Jaune really hoped this wouldn't turn into another impromptu therapist session. He didn't want more pity. He didn't want more trying to convince him he had done the right thing. He didn't know what he wanted.

"Same as before," he answered evenly.

A grunt answered back. Now Jaune knew what Melanie meant when she said he had been spending too much time around the man. However Junior soon followed up with words. "I was talking about what just happened with Glynda Goodwitch."

That was a whole other can of worms. She knew. She knew that he had done. The only question was why she had left so easily if she did.

The woman had only left because of Junior's intervention. The man had quite literally put himself between her and Jaune. He had been there to answer the questions that Jaune would have no had the courage to respond to.

The blonde sighed as he looked down at the table before him. "Thanks, Junior. For what you did down there."

Another grunt. "Sure thing, kid."

"But... what are we going to do? She knows what happened."

"Knows," Junior repeated. "But can't prove shit. You don't have to worry about that. They've got nothing. That's why she was here trying to get a confession out of you."

Even if his assumption was true it did little to comfort Jaune. His main concern had never been about being caught. It had been the fact that he had done the deed to begin with. In a way having to face what he had done might actually be for the best.

"Yeah," he agreed. "But even if no one arrests me... maybe I should just turn myself in."

He had no idea if doing so would alleviate any of the guilt he felt inside. And maybe the authorities wouldn't even punish him. After all, the man he had killed was a terrorist. He had taken up arms with an extremist group and was in the act of committing a crime. The man had tried to kill Jaune himself. With the testimony of Ruby, Yang and the others, maybe he would be shown leniency.

If Junior was in support of the idea he certainly didn't show it. He didn't show opposition to it either as he asked a question. "Would that make you feel better about it all?"

Jaune shrugged this time. "I don't know."

"You know yourself better than I do. You gotta do what you gotta do."

The problem was he didn't know what he had to do. He also didn't want to bring down any unwanted attention upon Junior and the girls. They already ran a shady business. Getting the authorities involved with the man could lead to unexpected consequences. It wouldn't be fair to the people who had taken him in when he had nowhere else to go.

Then there was his parents. Again, even if he was never legally punished for this, Glynda could call his parents. She could tell them about where he was working. About what had happened at the docks. Even with no proof, she was a respected huntress. His own dad might even know her. He might believe her. And if the day ever came when Jaune himself was questioned about what he had done, he knew that he would not be able to hide the truth from his parents.

In any case Jaune simply decided to agree with the man's words. "Yeah."

A brief period of silence settled over the room, and Junior decided that it would be worth his while to take a seat himself. Taking one of the couches which sat across the table from Jaune, he occupied the space of two smaller men. At the same time he reached out and grabbed another of the empty glasses which sat on the table.

Jaune pushed the bottle over within the man's reach, and he took hold of it before spinning it to see its label. "A Mistrali spirit," he commented. "You've got good taste."

The boy shrugged again. He didn't really. He had simply grabbed the closest thing he could find.

"For all its posturing Mistral is only good at two things. Crime and liquor." Junior set the bottle down and looked down into the top of his halfway full glass. "And right here you're looking at the product of all that."

If that little bit of information which he just dropped was accurate then it explained a lot about Junior. "You're from Mistral?"

The man grunted an affirmation. "Went to Haven. Doesn't seem like it was that long ago, to be honest. But it's been a good fifteen years since then. Time passes by when you're having fun I guess."

If Jaune had to guess, then Junior had indeed been having fun. Or at least what the man would consider fun. Running a top end nightclub. Being a boss in the criminal underworld. Being able to obtain every conceivable luxury with ease. And who knows how many women the man had been able to attract in that time thanks to all of that power, wealth and influence?

"I wouldn't know," Jaune grumbled. And he didn't. He had never had the opportunity to go to a huntsman academy. He had never sat on top of the world, even if that world was the underground one.

"No. I guess not," Junior agreed. Another period of silence washed over them as they sat there with their drinks. It didn't last long though, as Junior felt it necessary to continue the conversation. "You once asked what it was like to be a huntsman. And why I wasn't one anymore. Ring any bells?"

It took a moment for Jaune to recall the memory, but he did. Back when he was still pursuing his own dream of becoming a huntsman, he had met with Junior in order to discuss his forged transcripts. Jaune had been excited to find out that Junior had once been a huntsman. He had wanted to know all he could about it, since the only other one Jaune had ever met had been his own father. While his father was a skilled and experienced huntsman, he was still his father first, and a huntsman second. To be able to see one from a completely unbiased point of view had been a wish that was shot down almost as soon as he had asked about it.

"Yeah. You also said something about not wanting to answer those questions back then."

"That's right. Back then was all business. Nothing personal." Junior refilled his own drink, and took a small sip before going on. "Now's the time we can talk about the personal shit, if you're still interested."

He was interested. He would always be interested. Despite having his dream crushed, Jaune still thought that huntsmen and huntresses were very cool. Maybe not in the same hyperactive and excited way that Ruby was about it, but he loved the idea of them. He loved their weapons. Their clothing. Their duty. Their heroism. There was a reason he had aspired to be one. All of those things and many more contributed to his desire.

Jaune nodded, setting his drink down on the table as if to show the man that he had his full attention. "Yeah. I'd like that."

Junior hummed, and took another sip before he spoke. "You ever hear of Mountain Glenn?"

"Yeah. Who hasn't?"

"What do you know about it?"

Jaune frowned. He hadn't been expecting a test. Reaching back into his brain, he tried his best to recall what he had learned about both the place and the event back in school. "It was, uh, a settlement outside the city. Right?"

The man nodded. "Right so far. What else?"

Okay. The easy part was over. Now to dig into the details of what had happened all those years ago. "Something about a Grimm attack," he recalled. "A big one, and they had to evacuate. And after that there hasn't really been another try at settling outside the walls of Vale."

"That's the bare bones of it," Junior commented. "But then again I wouldn't exactly expect them to teach you what really happened at school."

What really happened? What more was there to it than that? Grimm attacks happened all the time. Mountain Glenn just so happened to suffer from one, was overrun, and as a result was blocked off from the rest of Vale. It was simple. Wasn't it?

Obviously not, if Junior was to be believed. "So what really happened then?"

The man had seemed willing to share only moments ago, but now there seemed to be a bit of hesitation on his part. Junior stared down into his glass for a long time before he spoke. "I was a huntsman then. Had a few years under my belt after graduating Haven. I'd done my fair share of shit, both good and bad." He paused momentarily as a soft breath slipped through his nostrils. "What they don't tell you about huntsmen is that when you're not off on a mission the kingdoms give you, you're basically just a gun for hire. And let me tell you, there's all kinds of people out there with the lien to afford that gun."

It was certainly a shade of grey that Jaune's father had never talked about before. Or that he had ever heard from anywhere, really. The news, the books, all the stories in general painted a picture of huntsmen and huntresses being the valiant defenders of Remnant. The thin line that stood between civilization and the Grimm. Humanity's last, best hope of survival in a cruel and unforgiving world.

Maybe Junior was an exception to that rule. If he wasn't, however, it painted them as little more than mercenaries willing to work for the highest bidder when the kingdoms didn't get involved in their actions.

Jaune sat in silence while Junior took another sip of his drink. With no questions or comments, the man took it as a cue to continue. "I'm not a history teacher so I won't bore you with all the details, but Mountain Glenn couldn't stand on its own. Vale had to replace and repair its defenses all the time. Had to keep calling in more and more huntsman to get things under control. The place was doomed from the start, but no one wanted to admit they'd fucked up. But pretty soon even the people knew it themselves, so they all went underground. Thought that they'd be able to hide from the Grimm in the tunnels that connected the place to Vale."

It was a creative, if not grim solution to the problem. Still, it begged a question from the boy as he listened to the story. "Why didn't they just go back to Vale?"

Junior shrugged. "Who knows. Maybe it was pride. Not wanting to give up their homes and all that shit. Maybe they didn't want to admit defeat. Maybe they thought that human will could triumph over the darkness, or some shit like that. But in the end they set up shop in the tunnels themselves. And it worked for a little while."

Jaune knew there was something else coming with the way Junior had ended that explanation. He did not have to wait long to hear how it all ended. "An explosion blew a hole in the tunnels. The people had been safe for a while, but now with this new entrance the Grimm just poured in. There was no stopping them. All that was left now was to get out of there."

The man took another, longer drink this time before continuing. "I was there. I was one of the few huntsmen there who was trying to keep shit under control. I was trying to keep the Grimm back while the people evacuated. But there was no control. Thousands of people underground, the only way out being a few trains running back and forth between there and Vale. There was panic. Chaos. Civilized people became little better than the Grimm themselves. I saw people turn on each other trying to escape. Killing each other trying to get on board the trains. There was no law anymore. No order. None of that shit. That's when I got the order. I couldn't fucking believe it when I looked down on my scroll and saw it."

Jaune was enthralled by the story. He had never heard such details before about Mountain Glenn. About people becoming savages in their efforts to survive. To him it made sense. He himself had become a savage in the times he had fought the White Fang. He had slammed his fists against his opponent's faces until they were ruined red masks. He had slashed and stabbed at his foes with anger and fury. He had even killed a man in his desperate bid for survival. He understood all too well the feral savagery that came out when a person was faced with death. He could not blame those in Mountain Glenn for becoming monsters.

Just like he had.

"What was the order?" Jaune asked.

Junior brought a hand up to scratch his beard. "It was an order from the kingdom itself to all huntsmen in the area. The order to leave. Abandon Mountain Glenn."

Jaune blinked in disbelief. "What?"

"Yeah. I thought the same thing. There were still thousands of people down in those tunnels. All trying their best to make it back to Vale. The only thing standing between them and an army of Grimm were the few huntsmen still down there. And once they had given the order to pull out, I didn't have to be a genius to figure out what they were going to do next."

He felt as he were asking a lot of needless questions, as Junior would have told him anyway, but Jaune still felt the urge to speak. "What do you mean?"

"The tunnels were compromised. And they led all the way back to Vale. The council wasn't about to let the Grimm reach the city. They were going to do the only practical thing they could do. Seal off the tunnels before the Grimm could get there."

Jaune had known that the tunnels had been sealed. He had known that the settlement had been cut off from Vale in order to keep the Grimm out. However he had not known that it had been at the expense of thousands of citizens awaiting evacuation. It was a cruel revelation. One that could not have been easy for any huntsman to follow.

However Junior must have, for the man was sitting right here in front of him. "So you left," Jaune surmised.

"I did. But not before I stumbled upon a couple of crying little girls. Both clinging to each other for dear life, while everyone else around avoided them like a plague."

His heart skipped a beat. Two little girls. They could only be two very specific girls if Junior had felt the need to include them in his story. "Melanie and Miltia," he thought aloud.

Junior hummed a confirmation. "I didn't see anyone else around who cared about them. I asked where their parents were. It was the wrong question to ask, and they started to cry even more. Again, I didn't have to be a fucking genius to figure out what that meant."

Jaune didn't either. They were dead. Killed at some point in the tragedy of Mountain Glenn. Whether it was by the Grimm, or their fellow man, the Malachite sister's parents had died down there. And apparently, they would have died too if not for Junior happening to come across them.

"So what did you do?"

The man sighed. " Like I told you once, shit won't always be black and white. I knew that I was about to abandon a lot of people down there, and there was nothing I could do about it. But... there was something I could do for those girls. They were small and didn't take up much space. Wouldn't take up too much space on a train. So the next one that pulled up to the station, I made sure that they got on... even if that meant that someone else didn't get on that train so that they could. And I got on with them to make sure they'd stay there, and they'd stay safe."

The implication of Junior's actions down there was terrifying. Even if it meant someone else hadn't been able to get on. Did that mean that Junior had simply forced his way through the crowd in order to put the girls on the train? Certainly with his size and being a trained huntsman, no one would have been able to oppose him.

Or, was it the more chilling of the two options? Had Junior pulled someone off the train in order to make room for the girls and himself?

"We made it out," he continued. "Obviously. We were one of the last trains to make it back to Vale before the council blew the tunnels. I had to live with the consequences of leaving all those people down there. Of not telling them what their own kingdom planned on doing to them, because if I did I knew that me and those girls would never make it out. I felt like a coward. Like a selfish piece of shit. I had lived and they hadn't just because I had the privilege of knowing that I had to get out of there immediately, and they didn't. But as I stood there with two terrified and crying little girls, I didn't regret what I had done. Those two were alive because of me. Like I said before, I'd done a lot of shit in my life up to that point. But getting those two out, it made me feel something I hadn't felt in a long time. It made me feel like a hero."

He was. Jaune wanted nothing more than to reach out and pat the man on the back, or do something to express his admiration for him. However he knew that wasn't Junior's style. The fact that the man was opening up to this degree was amazing in and of itself.

Instead, he opted to simply confirm what Junior himself had said. "You are," he agreed. "They'd be dead right now if not for you." Jaune thought about the girls and his experiences with them. Melanie's harsh attitude. Her playful smirk. Miltia's demeanor toward him. The shy glances and smiles she sent his way. The one time she had threatened him with a butcher's knife for blackmailing her into helping him cook. None of it would have happened if not for Junior. "You are a hero, Junior."

"Maybe to them I am," he argued. "But I don't care about being a hero. Not anymore. Mountain Glenn made me realize a lot of shit about this world. You know what that is?"

"What?"

"The world's a shitty place, kid." Jaune had heard those words before. Melanie had spoken them only a few nights ago. Now he knew where she got them from. "The kingdoms aren't going to look out for you. The huntsmen aren't going to look out for you either. You have to look out for yourself and the people you care about, because no one else will. That means doing what you have to do, and not looking back on it with regret. I've seen the evil that people are capable of. Both the ones down there in the tunnels, and the ones sitting up high in Vale's council."

No. That wasn't right. Regardless of what had happened to Junior, people were still good at their core. "But you also saw the good we're capable of," Jaune argued. "Like I said, Melanie and Miltia would both be dead right now if it wasn't for you."

"That idealism is gonna get you killed someday."

"But it hasn't gotten you killed, now has it?"

Jaune thought that he had cornered Junior with his argument. He had been wrong. "Kid, do you have any idea the shit I've done in order to give those two girls the happiness they deserve? What do you think I do for a living? You think I deal in flowers and cookies to make all the lien I do?"

He hadn't thought of that. Truth be told Jaune did not like to think about what exactly Junior did in his business dealings across Vale. As far as Jaune was concerned, the man ran a popular and successful nightclub. He also hired out some of his men as mercenaries to the highest bidder.

"Information is one thing," Junior continued. "Weapons. Drugs. I may not be the one to pull the trigger. I'm not the one to stick the needle in someone's arm. But I deal with the shit. And you know what? I don't care, because I love those two girls like they're my own daughters. Like I said before, you do what you gotta do to look out for the ones you love. Because Vale isn't going to. The huntsmen aren't going to. They'd be happy to leave you to die in a tunnel. That's the truth about the world we live in."

At one point Jaune may have thought this was supposed to be a pep talk. However it had turned into anything but that. He wondered just what the point of this conversation was. "Why are you telling me all this?"

Junior shook his head softly. "I'm not gonna pretend I have all the answers. I can't say anything that'll make what you're feeling go away. But what I do know is this. My hands are more stained in blood than yours will ever be. Nothing'll ever change that. But finding something in life worth living for, worth protecting, makes it easier to deal with. If you can justify what you've done in your head, then maybe you will become that hero you've always wanted to be. You can't change the past. All you can do is keep moving forward."

The twins were Junior's reasons for living then. Jaune didn't know the details of the man's past other than Mountain Glenn. He didn't know what he had done as a huntsman prior to that. He didn't want to know, judging on how he spoke of the career. However the man seemed to be able to justify anything he had done then, and now, by saying that it was all for those girls. To be able to give them the lives they deserved. By saving their lives. By not sending them off to live in some sort of shelter or home for orphans. By being someone who would truly look out and care for them just as a real relative would.

"You've got family," Junior commented. "One that loves you. That's more than some people can say. Live for them if you can't think of anything else."

It was more than Melanie and Miltia had. Junior was right. Two parents and seven sisters was more than what a lot of people had. "Why'd you tell me about them? If they haven't done it already, I mean."

"Because for some reason those two have taken a liking to you. They've decided you're worth keeping around, either for genuine reasons or their own amusement. They trust you, and I wanted you to know where they're coming from in life. What they've been through and why they are the way they are." Junior stood, and his towering height only made his next words even more intimidating than they would have already been. "And if you ever hurt h- them, then I will hurt you. And nobody will find your body."

Junior turned and left the room before Jaune could even contemplate a response to those words. Jaune knew he would never hurt those girls in any way, but he still got the message loud and clear. Junior lived for those girls. He would go to any lengths in order to protect them. To keep them happy. To allow them to live a lavish life where they would never want for anything.

They were what kept that man going. The question was, what would keep Jaune going?

Another night. Another dream. Another drink.

As Miltia made her way down to the bar to calm herself, she could not help but feel disgusted at her actions. At her weakness. At her need to use alcohol in much the same way that Melanie did. Not to the same extent, however. She did not do this on a nightly basis. It wasn't a crutch. There were just certain nights where she needed to be able to calm down a little bit. Certain nights where the memories of her past were too much to deal with. Nights where she was woken by her nightmares an unable to fall back asleep.

It was medicine. Just like any sick person would take. She didn't abuse the medicine. She only took it when she needed it. Tonight just so happened to be one of those nights.

When she opened the door she half expected to see Melanie there. Or Junior. It wasn't uncommon to run into one or both of them on the nights she needed a drink. Who she did not expect to find, however, was the blonde boy who had become a regular part of their lives.

And she had not expected to find him there in such a typical Melanie fashion.

His glass sat mostly empty. As did the bottle that was in front of him. His back was hunched as he leaned over the bar's counter. He looked utterly miserable. She could relate. They all could. However she had never expected to see him of all people in such a state.

He didn't even hear the soft footsteps of her slippers hitting the floor as she approached him. Or if he did, he simply did not acknowledge her presence. Hopefully he would hear her voice. "Jaune?" she called out softly.

His head turned. That was good. At least he wasn't ignoring her. "Hey, Mil," he greeted wearily.

Was it tiredness? Or was he drunk? She couldn't tell right away. Sliding onto the stool next to him, Miltia looked upon him with quiet concern. "What are you doing up?"

One of his arms lifted lazily to gesture to the glass and bottle in front of him. "This," he answered as if it explained everything.

At this distance she could smell the alcohol on his breath. Drunk it was, then. The only question was why. "But, like... why are you doing..." she made the same motion as he did, pointing to his drink. "This."

A slight shrug of his shoulders was enough to show how far gone he was, as his body gently swayed on the stool. "I can't sleep," he said softly. Bitterly. "I can never fucking sleep."

His words sent a shiver running down Miltia's body. Not because of how they sounded, but because of their familiarity. He couldn't sleep. Neither could she. His mind had gone to the same place hers had. She didn't like it one bit.

The difference was that she didn't get herself drunk. At least she didn't normally intend to do so. Certain nights were worse than others. Sometimes all she needed was one or two drinks to calm her frayed nerves. Others she was gone because she even realized how much she had to drink. The last time with Junior had been one of the latter.

In an instant her own troubles seemed to melt away as she looked over at a boy who was all too quickly becoming a man. And not in a good way either. "You wanna talk about it?"

Jaune shook his head. "No. I just wanna forget. That's why I got this," he said as he picked up the glass. "Melanie said this could make me forget for one night. Or the rest of my life if that's what I wanted."

A sudden surge of anger filled Miltia's body. Damn that girl. One little throwaway line from the first night Jaune had stayed here at the club was coming back to bite him in the ass. He was taking Melanie's advice to heart. It was a dangerous idea. It was potentially life-ruining. She wouldn't allow that it happen. She had been too young back then to stop her sister from succumbing to alcoholism. She wouldn't allow the same to happen to Jaune.

"You don't have to do that," she insisted. "There are other ways to deal with... with what you've done."

She was a hypocrite. She knew it. Miltia herself had come down to ease her own pain with a little bit to drink. However it was always easier to teach others rather than follow your own advice. And she had more than enough experiences between herself and Melanie to know that in the end alcohol could not solve your problems.

"What's that? You got something that I could live for?" he asked.

Miltia frowned in confusion. "What?"

Jaune shook his head. "Nothing. Just..." He sighed, looking back down to the counter. "Not anymore at least. I know I blew my chance. Made all the wrong choices that night."

He was speaking nonsense. Was this the alcohol talking? Miltia had no idea what he was trying to say. She reached out and placed a hand on his shoulder. "Jaune. You can tell me. If you want."

His head shook again. "You don't. You can't. After what I did? I'm a fucking monster. A murderer. Liar. Cheater. And I left you. You can't like me like that anymore. How could you?"

Another chill ran through her body. Like him. Surely he couldn't have meant... no. She had barely come to terms with her own feelings herself. He couldn't have possibly known she felt anything more for him than just friendship, right?

"What are you talking about? Who told you... this?"

"Melanie."

Of course. Of course it had been Melanie. Probably when she herself had been drunk one night. She wasn't exactly the best at keeping secrets. Especially when those secrets could be used to tease those around her. And who better to tease than her own sister and the boy she harbored a crush for?

Her stupid drunk sister had already put one stupid idea in his head. Now Miltia knew that the girl had put another one in there too. More anger build up inside of her. Embarrassment too. This hadn't exactly been the ideal way for her to broach the topic with Jaune.

A hand lashed out in anger, grabbing the glass from his own and tossing it away. It hit the floor and shattered several feet away. "I'm not gonna let you drown yourself in this shit like Melanie!"

His eyes lit up with surprise. Even worry. "Mil?"

"Shut up! Just... shut up."

Her anger was misplaced. The complex emotions that had been building up inside her had reached a boiling point. She wasn't angry at Jaune. She was angry at circumstance. She was angry at life. Jaune was hurting, and she herself felt partially to blame. There was nothing she could do to help him. She didn't know what to do at this point. But the fact that he viewed himself with such little respect, with such little regard to his own health or wellbeing, was heartbreaking.

He knew on some level that she had feelings for him, and he disregarded them. As far as she could tell it wasn't about any dislike for her as a person. It was dislike for himself. He had even said himself that he blew his chance. He viewed himself as a monster who wasn't worthy of such affection. So he cast it aside.

Miltia didn't know how to deal with it. Well, she did know one way, but she knew that it would only do her more harm than good. It would only vindicate Jaune's own actions tonight. It would only send them both spiraling downward even further.

So she left. Without saying another word she turned and retreated back up to her room. Right now she couldn't stand to be around that poor broken boy. Not when he reminded her so much of all the worst parts of herself.

Author's Note: That chapter certainly didn't take long to get out. A whole four days since the last one. What can I say? I'm feeling inspired. Why? Oh, no reason in particular...

Anyway, I hope that you all enjoyed the latest chapter. As always I want to thank everyone for your continued support. Surpassed 1,000 follows with the last update. I keep saying this, but I never imagined that a story starring the Malachite twins would achieve this level of success. So thank you all for continuing to inspire me to work at it.

Questions, comments or concerns? Let me know. I'm always interested to hear your opinions.

Thanks for reading.