Here we go

Cover Art: Jack Wayne

Chapter 43

"Due to circumstances beyond his control, General Ironwood is not available to debrief you," Winter said, not failing to note how Jaune and Glynda both almost collapsed in their chairs. They looked like a couple of parents waiting outside a surgery for news on their child's fate, except the analogy might have made more sense as a couple of naughty teens waiting outside the headmaster's office having been caught making out behind the bike sheds.

"How angry is he?" Glynda asked.

"On a scale of one to incandescent rage, I would put him around a murderous frenzy. Let's just say the General's decision not to meet with you isn't only due to his current condition, but his desire to not cause an international incident by stuffing you in a torpedo and launching you into the sun."

"I'm sensing a little hostility in your tone as well."

"You must be imagining it. I am the picture of calm." Winter glared at him as she said it. "The operation was a success and we have already begun interrogating the prisoners. Naturally, the higher-ups are refusing to say anything, but the newer members are much more eager to strike plea deals. Recruiting from civilians has its downsides as well as its ups."

"Will we be involved in that?"

"Ha!" It wasn't a laugh but the pronunciation of the word `ha` delivered in a loud and single bark. Winter let it hang in the air before adding, "I believe that answers your question. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have to formulate a response to a media currently baying for General Ironwood's blood. Please do not leave the base. I may or may not have placed snipers on the roof." With that final, ominous comment, Winter turned and left.

Jaune cringed. "I think she's upset."

"You think? I've known her long enough to say that outburst was uncharacteristic. I'd guess she's a nine out of ten herself right now." Removing her glasses, Glynda massaged her eyes, sighing into the palm of her hand. "This could not have gone worse."

"We could have died."

"Thank you, Jaune, for pointing out that death is one of the few things less desirable than our current situation. I'm suddenly so much happier." Sighing again, she brought her hand down. "What happened? I thought you had Cinder under control."

"I thought I had Cinder under control."

"Talk to her. Figure this out."

"Do I have-?" He watched her brows draw down. "I'll talk to her!"

"Good. This isn't turning out to be the relatively peaceful visit I was hoping it would be. A staple when it comes to you." Glynda sent him an accusing glower. "I'm going to go rest," she said, standing. "Hopefully, this will all have been a nightmare when I wake up."

Jaune watched her go without saying anything. Sleeping Glynda was better than angry Glynda, which was better than angry Ironwood. Man, this day has been a total bust. And somehow, it's all my fault. Great. Frankly, he was glad Ironwood wasn't in the right state of mind to shout at him. Putting it off wasn't going to make it go away, but he wasn't in the mood anyway.

At least they'd rooted out the White Fang. All they had to do now was keep a low profile.

/-/

Cinder sipped on water and wished it was wine, listening with only half an ear as Jaune loudly and verbally told her off, ranting and raving, storming left and right and throwing his hands around as he talked about irresponsibility, disobedience and more. His face was red, his eyes wide and wild and he managed to reach a pitch so high his voice cracked in places.

He was trying too hard. If he kept overselling it, Ironwood's forces would smell the deceit.

Of course, he had to do this. Had to take the effort and play the part, as did she. If he didn't then Ironwood would become increasingly suspicious and started to believe this was Jaune's plan all along. They couldn't have that. This had to appear as a spontaneous and rebellious decision on her part, hence Cinder acting so above it all now. If he'd really been angry, she would listen. It was only the fact he wasn't that had her acting like this.

"Are you listening to me!?"

"Listening, but not understanding. We were told to stop the White Fang. I did as Ironwood wanted."

"You went off alone! You were told to stay with me or Glynda!"

"It was a combat scenario. I saw an enemy and had to react or risk being hit. From there, it was one enemy and another until I came across them. It's not my fault Ironwood's forces were so slow. What I did, I did in self-defence."

Nonsense, of course. He knew it. She knew it. The people watching the camera feeds knew it. But she had to make the attempt so that Jaune could swat it down and convince the spectators of his innocence.

"Bullshit! You went off on purpose!"

He's so good at this, she thought, looking away. Were it not for knowing, I might really have thought he was this furious. Most people could make the sound and the expression, but Jaune even managed to look like his blood vessels were about to explode.

He slammed one hand down on the table, rocking it and her. "Listen to me when I'm talking to you! I'm responsible for you here. Your actions reflect on me, and if you keep acting out then I won't be able to stop Ironwood arresting you. It's his kindness that prevents him doing so now. Don't test it."

Kindness? They both knew it wasn't.

"I want a reason Cinder. Explain to me why you did what you did."

Confusion warred. She didn't have an explanation because she sure as hell couldn't give the real reason that it was because Jaune told her to. Why was he springing this on her? Wait. Another test. Looking down at the table, she hid her realisation. He wanted to see how quick-witted she was. Or maybe he hadn't told her because he trusted in her to be cunning enough to figure it out herself. Either way, she would not let him down. If he needed ammunition for excuses to toss at Ironwood, she would prove why she could be just as successful an actor as he.

"I… I was frightened."

Jaune's mouth fell open. "What!?"

"Not of the White Fang," she said, knowing no one would believe that. "Look at my position. I'm here because my own allies have turned on me. I have nothing left, Jaune. Nothing!" She stared into his eyes, pouring every ounce of fake emotion into her voice. He would not be fooled – of course he wouldn't – but she wanted him to see how good an actress she could be. "The second I stop being useful to you, I'm gone. Dead. I won't survive out there when they come for me. I'm scared of being cast away, so…" She closed her eyes. "So, I wanted to prove myself."

His hand came up to his forehead. "Cinder…"

"I know I disobeyed orders. I'm sorry." She clenched her fists atop the table, shaking with unshed tears. Of laughter. Oh, he would be laughing too in the privacy of his room, she was sure. "But I wanted to do well. I thought that if I went above and beyond, if I showed you just how useful I can be, that you wouldn't throw me to the wolves."

Scrunching her face up, she sniffled loudly and wiped a hand over her eye.

"I – I'm sorry…"

"Oh geez." Like a man faced with a woman crying, Jaune leaned back, anger replaced quickly be indecision. "How are you of all people crying?"

"I don't want to die!"

"Okay. Okay." He managed a convincingly nervous look as he rubbed her shoulder. "You didn't do anything bad, I guess. You took the credit where Ironwood should have it, but you did stop the White Fang. I'm not throwing you away, Cinder. You're… You're a problem. A pain in my ass, in fact. But I'd rather you be on our side than theirs."

Wiping her hands over her face again, she wiped away the `tears` that would otherwise not show if she didn't. She made sure to really dig her knuckle into her eye so it would be red and sore, and to sniffle like her nose was running.

"Look, I'm sure this was a silly mistake," he said. "I'll make sure Ironwood knows that. But I'm warning you, Cinder. No more screw ups. No more incidents while we're in Atlas. Ironwood is our ally and it's in our best interests for him to do well here."

"Okay…"

"Good." Jaune stood, rubbed her shoulder one last time and made his way to the door. He looked back once before leaving, sympathetic eyes meeting her own. A consummate actor until the end, she wasn't sure how he managed it when even she wanted to smile.

He was just that good. From start to finish, she might honestly have been convinced.

Behind, she heard the faintest sound of a camera zooming in, the lens flicking as it took a closer look at her back and recorded Jaune closing the door behind him, the recording of her chastisement known to all. Proof that it had been her to act out and not a scheme on his part. Cinder hid her smirk and faked taking a shaky drink of water to calm her nerves. I wonder if he's proud of my acting skills. If nothing else, he must be impressed.

She would have given anything to listen into his thoughts.

/-/

He couldn't believe Cinder cried.

Cinder. Queen Bitch. The monster who terrified him for so long at Beacon. Crying. Intellectually, he knew it was possible. Their situations had reversed from him being the weak one and he'd felt at times like he could cry, so why not her? Also, she didn't have reason to be confident in herself with her Maiden powers stolen and given to Pyrrha. With her life on the line and Salem quite literally seeking to kill her after what she'd done to Watts, she had reason to fret.

Maybe I went too hard on her.

No, no! He shook his head. She's a criminal. A monster!

Yeah, but she cried.

People cry. It's not an automatic pass on every crime they commit.

She's trying her best.

She got us in trouble with Ironwood!

By accident…

You don't really believe that, do you?

His brain didn't respond, maybe because it was arguing with itself. Shaking his head again, he pushed past Team RWBY's dorm and into his own, pausing to almost cry when he saw Ozpin sat on his bed waiting.

"Don't you tell me off as well. I can't handle this right now…"

"Tell you off for what?" Ozpin asked.

"Letting Cinder act out. Pushing Atlas back. Claiming the credit. I dunno. Everyone is yelling at me."

"Well I'm not here to. Yes, you may have discredited James somewhat, but the White Fang is more important than politicking right now."

Oh, thank the heavens. Someone got it.

"I'm actually here for two purposes. Firstly, the girls are celebrating their mission." He jerked his thumb toward the wall, where Jaune could hear loud chatting and music being played. "They wanted to make it a pyjama party and I thought it best Oscar and I give them the privacy to change."

"Kind of you."

"No. Sanity-maintaining of me. They're children, Mr Arc. Children."

"They're eighteen. Mostly. Three-quarters eighteen."

"And I'm eighteen hundred or so. Moving on." Ozpin tapped his hand on the bedpost. "I was hoping you might fulfil a role you've grown out of as a personal favour."

"What's that?"

"Student counsellor."

Jaune balked. "To you!? I've got no idea how to solve your problems!"

"I don't have any-" Ozpin's eyes narrowed. "What does that mean? What problems? I'm perfectly well-adjusted, thank you very much."

"You're obsessed with coffee, flighty, secretive, paranoid, a pathological liar, were killed, resurrected, killed again, resurrected again and then forced to live forever or kill your wife, skipping from head to head as you do. If all that didn't leave you with more problems than the insane wing of a local prison, that in itself would be a problem."

Ozpin gaped at him.

"Just saying…"

"I see you're not in the mood to mince words." Ozpin chuckled. "Very well, but I'm not going to ask you to try and solve the labyrinthine web of horrors that makes up my parasitic existence."

"That you call it that is a problem."

"I call it as it is. I actually want you to help Oscar."

"With what?" he asked. "I already helped him out when he was feeling weak and got Neo to train him. He's coming along great. Faster than I was when I first started, and that's what, three years younger than me as well? By the time he's my age, he'll be twice as strong as I am."

"If he makes it to your age…"

Jaune winced. The transfer. Or the meld. Whatever they wanted to call it. He sucked in a sharp breath and let his arguments fall away. Suddenly, Oscar's impatience in growing stronger made a lot more sense. He couldn't afford to wait four years to graduate Beacon. The boy that was Oscar Pine might be dead in that time.

"What happens to the mind of the person you take over? Do you combine?"

"I do not know. The Gods phrased it that way, but…" Ozpin sighed. "I have lived lifetimes within straight women who had lovers of their own and yet I've never longed to touch a man. I've technically had over fifty individual Semblances, but I only ever use my own. It does not feel like we merge. It feels like only I remain."

Looked like it too. When Ozpin was in Oscar's body, he still carried himself, acted like and spoke like Ozpin. Not much had changed there apart from his height. Oscar's a smart kid. He's probably figured all that out already. Damn.

"I'm not sure what to say. How can I help with that…?"

"I don't know. But I do know that I can't help him," Ozpin said. "Words of comfort from the one who would kill him mean little. Glynda cannot either. For all that she would try, she lacks the patience for this."

"There's no one else?"

"Who? Peter? Bart? Jinn? James? He spoke to us earlier and referred to Oscar as my `host`. He does not register Oscar as a person, already knowing I'm the more `useful` person to inhabit this body. Not even the Gods themselves will listen." He sighed. "You are my only hope. I know it's been a while but experience or not, I received nothing but praise from those you helped before. I am hoping you can help Oscar now."

Because he was the kid's only hope.

Hell…

Where did he start? How did he start? Oscar was in the worst situation he'd ever heard of, one so much worse than his own, and to make matters worse no one even knew what his time limit was. He could be looking at years, months or even days. And in the event it was a merging of the minds and not the death of one, wasn't that the same? If a person was defined by who they were, what they liked and how they thought, then forcing Oscar to change and adapt to Ozpin was as good as killing them both and creating a new person in their stead.

He dealt with people not being able to make friends or arguing with their teammates or running away and being terrorists. Okay, that last one was a little out there, but Blake was a special case all of her own.

"I'll do my best."

"Thank you, Jaune."

"But," he said. "I want you to go silent. Turn off. Can you not listen or go to sleep or something? Oscar can't talk honestly if you're in the back of his head as running commentary. This has to be private."

"I'll remove myself for the next hour."

/-/

Oscar blinked his eyes as Ozpin retreated. Immediately, he was faced by Headmaster Arc watching him. He hadn't been deaf to the conversation, though Ozpin had been to his loud attempts to get him to stop talking in the first place. Scowling, Oscar looked away. "I don't need help. I didn't ask Ozpin for help."

"I feel like you do…"

"Then you feel wrong." He hesitated before adding. "Sir."

"You can call me Jaune here. I'm not your headmaster right now."

"You're not my counsellor either. I don't need one. I can deal with this on my own!" He stepped back toward the door, ready to dodge if the headmaster tried to run at him with a hug or something like that. Thankfully, he didn't.

"Are you sure? I think I would if I was in your situation."

"I'm fine. Everything is fine." Oscar bit his lip. "I don't need help. I'm not that weak."

"Weak…?"

Oscar held his ground.

"Do you think it's weakness to need help?"

"It is when it's something I should be able to deal with on my own." There were people with real problems. Depression, mental issues and trauma. Those people needed help because they couldn't help themselves. That wasn't him. "I don't need help. Can I go back to my room?"

"Wait." Jaune stopped him with an odd expression. Oscar didn't like it. "There's nothing wrong with asking someone for advice, you know. Ruby did it to me when she started Beacon. Pyrrha did too. I remember you even asked for help on training."

That was different. He'd needed advice and help there because he couldn't handle it himself, knowing nothing about training in the first place. Someone hungry asking for food was different than not being able to sort your own problems out. This is my problem. Mine and Ozpin's. I should be able to do it on my own.

"Then how about…" Jaune paused. "How about you help me with some of my issues?"

Oscar blinked. "Hah…?"

"If you think it's weak to talk to someone, then I guess I'm weak. Sit down. You can be the counsellor today and I'll be the patient. I mean, I've been needing this for a long time."

"W-What, I-" Jaune didn't let him finish. Oscar found himself pushed down into a seat and Jaune laying on the bed, and while he was still halfway certain this was an elaborate trick where he'd be forced to answer questions, he was startled enough to not get up and leave immediately. "I don't know how to counsel people…"

"Neither did I. Hell, neither do I. I still haven't learned. Honestly, I think it's just listening and offering advice, but don't tell anyone that. Sometimes all a person needs is someone who'll listen to their problems."

"And you don't have that?" Oscar asked, bewildered.

"Not really. You know from Ozpin about my past. I can't exactly talk to Team RWBY or my students."

"What about Miss Goodwitch or Neo?"

"Kind of the problems," the headmaster admitted. Oscar's eyes bulged but it was already too late. Jaune was talking. "I'm totally over my head when it comes to those two. Glynda and I were dating, you know? It even got serious. But that was when she thought I was older and I was lying to her. Even if it was only a difference of three years, the fact I still lied to get into bed with her is disgusting. I don't blame her holding it against me."

"Ah. Um." Oscar began to sweat. "Does she? Hold it against you, I mean?"

"I don't know. I keep trying to reignite things, ask her out, but she just says how now isn't the time or we have bigger things to focus on. Which is true, I know. Salem and all that." He waited for Oscar to nod. "But I can't help but think she's pushing it off as well. That her heart isn't in it anymore or I've burned that bridge. The longer we go without making up, the further it feels like we're drifting apart. And… And I guess that's my fault. Her choice to make, too."

Complicate didn't begin to describe it. "And Neo…?"

"Neo apparently has her own feelings for me. Kissed me in the attack on Beacon and I guess she's always been there for me. Looking back, we basically lived together but I never connected the dots, even when we were sharing a bathroom, shampoo and eating together almost every day. I was pretty stupid, plus I was stressing over the whole suddenly being a teacher thing. Does that make me stupid?"

"Um. I'd say no?" He wasn't sure. "If you were distracted by something bigger, it makes sense."

"There was Cinder to deal with. She had plans against Beacon."

"Then it was probably okay," he said, a little more confident. At least until he blurted out, "Do you like Neo?"

Jaune – the headmaster of Beacon – looked embarrassed. "I… I think so."

"You think?"

"Neo is gorgeous and cute and… and… well…"

"Evil?"

"Yeah. I guess you know her as well as I do. She's vindictive and cruel and selfish and downright cattish at times, but it's always weirdly endearing. Like she's being a vindictive little bitch because she cares about you. You know what I mean?"

"Yeah." Oscar could still feel the bruises from her training. Training designed to help him survive and improve no matter how much it hurt. "Yeah, I do."

"And it's hard to ignore how close we've become. Sometimes we ended up sleeping with one another – not sex," he hurried to add, "But just sleep. It was peaceful. I'm not sure if she planned it or not, but she just sort of became a part of my life. I'd feel lost without her being there."

"Like something is missing?"

"Yeah." He sighed. "Just like that."

"Have you… um…" Oscar blushed. "You know…"

"Done the deed?"

"Y-Yeah."

To his credit, Jaune looked a little red as well. He nodded once. A small and almost missed motion had Oscar not been looking for it. As it was, he caught it and flushed just as badly himself. Okay. Wow. The headmaster's love life was definitely interesting. Also kind of crazy, and scary. Between Neo and Miss Goodwitch, he could see why the man had problems.

"Do you love Neo?"

"I think… No. I do. I love her."

"But you also love Miss Goodwitch?"

"I think I do."

"You're less sure?"

"That sounds bad, I know." Jaune groaned into his hands, which covered his face. "I definitely did love her, but everything has been so hectic after I became headmaster. Glynda's better than ever, helping me out at every stage, but she's also being more critical. I don't know if that's because I'm having to fill Ozpin's shoes and failing at it-"

Something Oscar knew intimately.

"-or if it's because she's still angry about me lying to her – which is totally understandable. I can definitely say she's right to be and I was a bastard. I shouldn't have gotten together with her when I was lying, but everything was bad with Cinder and I just wanted to hold onto the one bit of happiness I had."

"That's understandable. But yeah, it sounds like it's unfair to her."

"I know. Thing is, it was easier for Neo. She knew I was a fake from the start so there were never any secrets between us. I'm convinced she thinks she owns me more than she loves me, but it's still the same. She's made it abundantly clear she wants me to be more than a roommate."

Yikes.

"I've also got Cinder to worry about, Salem, managing Beacon and also Team RWBY. I know Yang has a crush on me – maybe Ruby too – and I don't want to hurt their feelings. At least Blake, for all her shenanigans, only sees me as an easy source of information on the White Fang. Is it bad I prefer her rummaging through my drawers to trying to get into my drawers?"

"Yes. I think? I… I don't know. What are you going to do about Miss Goodwitch and Neo?"

"I have no idea. Unless you have any?"

"No!" Oscar yelped. "I don't know what to do!"

"Any advice for helping me with Ironwood?"

"Stop making him angry?"

"Yeah, I kind of came up with that on my own." Jaune sighed. "Thanks for trying. And for listening, I guess. I really do feel a little better just getting that out there."

"Even if I couldn't help?"

"Even then," he said. "Keeping it bottled up inside doesn't help. I feel like crap every time I look at Glynda and don't know what to say, and who else can I talk to about it? Team RWBY? Ironwood? Cinder!?" He scoffed at the last. "I can't even talk to Ozpin because it's-"

"Not important?" Oscar groused. "Because there are bigger things to focus on?"

Jaune looked at him and grinned. "Yeah. That."

"He's right," Oscar said.

"But it doesn't help," Jaune finished. "Tell me about it. Saying there's more important things doesn't make the things you're worried about magically disappear. I can't even talk to anyone in Beacon about this. Port, Oobleck and Tsune are on Glynda's side, obviously. Roman is on Neo's. I think he sees her as his adopted daughter."

Making things awkward all over. No wonder the headmaster had to resort to him of all people. He really did have no one else. Maybe his family? No, that'd be weird. When you wanted someone to listen, the last people you needed were your parents. They'd always chip in with advice or tell you to `man up` and fix it yourself, which was easier said than done.

"I want to be with Neo," Jaune said. "And when I ask Glynda out, I find myself wondering if I want to be with her as well or if I'm just trying to reclaim what we had, which is gone. Plus, what happens if she says yes? I can't strong them both along. I need to pick one. Either way, someone is going to get hurt. I know I can't just sit here doing nothing."

"Yeah. You can't. I don't know what to suggest, though."

"No one does, I imagine." Jaune laughed. "Thanks, Oscar."

"For what? I couldn't help."

"You listened. Let me rant. That helps."

He wasn't an idiot. He knew where this was going. Even so, his stomach churned. They had a secret now, something left to just the two of them. Not even Ozpin knew, if he would even care to, about the headmaster's relationship problems. Maybe that meant something. If nothing else, it meant trust had been exchanged. Oscar closed his eyes.

"I don't want to die. I… No one wants to die, but I didn't think I was going to. I'm not ready. It's like… It's like I've been diagnosed with a terminal disease, except the disease talks back and takes over my body sometimes. And he's better at being me than I am."

"Ozpin's shit at being you, Oscar. He sounds like an old man."

Oscar laughed. It was an honest belly laugh. "That's not, snrk, what I meant." He wiped his eyes, aware that he'd started crying, and not necessarily from the laughter. "I just… The world needs – man, this sounds arrogant – the world needs a hero more than it does me. It needs Ozpin. He fights Salem, helps people survive the Grimm and I… I'm just me. Everyone would be better off if I died sooner and let Ozpin take control. Don't tell me it's not! I'm not stupid."

He didn't. If he had, Oscar would have been out the door. Pity like that would have been the end of him. They all knew that with Salem and all the Grimm out there, they needed someone strong and capable, and no one was more so than Ozpin. He even knew about the Relics.

What did he know? How to shovel horse crap.

"I know it sounds like I'm having a pity party but I don't mean it like that. Ozpin is more useful than me. That's just fact."

"It is," Jaune admitted. "Sorry."

"It's fine."

Strangely enough, it was. If he and Ozpin had been brothers and someone said Ozpin was more important, that would have stung, but how was he meant to compare to someone over a thousand years old? Of course Ozpin was going to be better than he was. That was obvious.

"What do you want?" Jaune asked. "In an ideal world?"

"To live my life on my own. To just be me."

"And… in a less than ideal world? Where that isn't possible?"

Oscar sighed. "I don't know."

"I think you do." Jaune swung his legs over and sat up on the edge of his bed. "Come on, Oscar. I told you my embarrassing secret. There's got to be something you want. Something you've longed for all your life."

"A last wish? Are you telling me to make a bucket list?"

"Maybe." Jaune smiled when he looked shocked. "I never promised my advice would be good, did I?" He looked sad. "I can't do anything to stop what's going to happen, but maybe it's best to not ignore it is. That's what Ozpin wants to do, isn't it? Pretend it's not. Both of you just ignore it until it happens."

Oscar nodded. Though Ozpin hadn't said it, that felt like the angle.

"Thought so. It sounds like him. Honestly, I think you're handling it better than he is. Get angry. Get upset. Sure, it hurts, but there's no use bottling it all up. You are someone with a terminal illness." Jaune laid a hand on his. "Sorry I can't stop that."

Oscar sniffed. "It's okay. Not your fault."

"If I had the power-"

"I know. If Ozpin had the power, he would too."

"Yeah. I don't imagine he likes this either. Anyway, ignoring it isn't going to help. As cliché as this may sound, I think you should focus less on what Ozpin wants and more on enjoying your life to the fullest."

Whatever of it remained.

"What about Salem?" he asked. "What about the end of the world?"

"You said it yourself. No matter how hard you try, you'll never be more useful than Ozpin is when it comes to that. He's just got the experience. Instead of trying to be him, let him handle it." Jaune clapped his shoulder. "When he needs to be in control, let him, but when it's you in control and when Salem isn't trying to break down our doors, stop trying to be a discount Ozpin and start being the Oscar you want to be. Live for yourself."

"Isn't that selfish?"

"Sure, but who cares? You're not hurting anyone. Ozpin is literally already the strongest person in Beacon. Even in your body, he can kick mine and Glynda's asses. You'll still be growing stronger just by training in Beacon, so you're already doing your part to make your body fitter and tougher so he can fight harder in it. Be selfish for the rest of your time. Do you think Ruby doesn't take time out for comics and cookies? That Yang doesn't sneak off clubbing and Weiss doesn't read her little porn books?"

"What? Weiss doesn't-"

"They all have their hobbies. Sure, they're huntresses, but they're doing it for their own reasons. Stop asking what everyone else wants. Right now." He tapped Oscar's leg. "What do you want. Right now. What do you want more than anything?"

Blood rushed up his face. "I want a girlfriend. I want to know what it's like to be in love."

He waited for scorn.

None came. "Seems fair. What?" Jaune asked when Oscar gawped. "You think I'm not like that? You've heard what I told you about Glynda and Neo. "Nothing wrong with wanting to be with someone. I think that's a great dream."

"Ozpin disagrees," he muttered. "He kicks off whenever I think about anyone on Team RWBY that way."

"Then tell him to bugger off."

Oscar's jaw dropped.

"Maybe not in as many words, but you get the picture. Make a clean divide. Ozpin gets your body when he needs it, but all other time is you-time. If he wants to be a backseat driver, tell him he can marry old woman when he gets control of your body. Right now, it's yours. Your body, your life and your feelings. You want to go for Weiss, Yang, Blake or Ruby, go for it. I can't promise they'll be interested, but no reason you can't try. Or better yet, if you're worried about team dynamics, talk to some other girls at Beacon."

That easy, huh? Ozpin always complained when he did, but what right did he have to? It wasn't Oscar's fault he got stuck in his head and there was nothing weird about liking girls your own age. If Ozpin wanted to make a meal out of that, let him.

I'm going to die anyway. Might be a couple of years, might be longer. Maybe he's right. I need to make sure I don't have any regrets when it happens, and as long as I keep my training up, Ozpin can handle all the fighting.

The world didn't need Oscar Pine, so why try and force it? Let the world have Oscar. He could settle for smaller things, be that someone to fall in love with or anything else he wanted. Screw Ironwood. Screw him and his `host` business. If he wanted to look at him and only see Ozpin, he'd let Ozpin take control when dealing with him. Save his energy for talking to the people who liked him for who he was, not how much he could bring to the table.

Team RWBY. Even Team RVNN and CRDL.

"Thank you."

"For what?" the headmaster asked. "All I did was listen. I couldn't actually help deal with your problem of Ozpin sapping your life."

Just like he couldn't help with the mess that was Jaune's love life. Maybe he could have a word with Neo in their next training session and ask her to take it easy on him. The poor guy deserved it. Smiling, Oscar backed away to the door.

"Thanks for listening," he said. "Can I come back again, if I need to vent?"

"Depends. Can I do the same to you?"

Their little secret. Their little mutual ranting session. Oscar nodded with a laugh.

"Then we have a deal."

/-/

"Yuma and Trifa have been captured."

Adam hummed, sat atop his wooden throne with one elbow resting on the armrest. It was the one Sienna had once sat upon, which had all the significance that implied. Easily transported, it now sat in the centre of the largest tent in their camp, a symbol of his power. A waste of time too, but appearances were important. The Albain brothers wouldn't shut up otherwise.

"I see. By Ironwood, I take it?"

"No. By Jaune Arc."

"Of Beacon? They're here?"

The young White Fang soldier nodded shakily, as though he expected violence for delivering such a message. Adam scoffed and waved him off, telling the boy he'd done well for bringing the news. It cost little to be polite, and to those that were loyal, they deserved as such. Not like Blake. The traitor. And she would be here as well. Here with her precious headmaster and her new team. The ones that had replaced him.

A Schnee, no less.

"You've fallen, Blake. How far you've fallen."

One of his guards coughed. "Will this be a problem, Adam? Should we prepare to move camp?"

"No. Only Trifa and Yuma know our location and they will not speak. Scurry to relocate now and we only risk drawing attention. Hiding our vehicles would be close to impossible." To do nothing was also impossible, for the rank and file would begin to fear momentum was slipping away from them. "Assemble a team. Have them meet me here. I shall be leading them personally."

"Yes, Adam. Our best fighters, infiltrators or…?" He trailed off.

"A combat team; one not afraid to get their hands bloody. If Jaune Arc has come all this way, it would be rude not to address him. I shall call him out, challenge and humiliate him in front of all of Remnant."

"Challenge…? Would he accept…?"

Adam chuckled.

"We won't give him a choice."

Since much of the premise of this story is people overestimating Jaune for his benefit it's nice to have Cinder come in as a counterforce and ovestimate Jaune to his despair. For once, it's not working in his favour, especially since she thinks this was all an act and that he's secretly proud of her for what she did on his orders.

And no amount of him shouting will convince her of that since he's obviously acting to fool her watchers. Wink-wink. Nudge-nudge.

Btw, I haven't forgotten about Jinn. I'm simply choosing to not show her actions so that we can see what they are once they culminate in the event they're planned for. Just mentioning because some people had asked if I'd given up on her or something. I haven't, it's just that showing her PoV would spoiler later events. Rather just show what she leads to than tell it now.

No omake today. I have to meet with work accountants because it's tax payment time and I need to pay my own tax, but also handle and sign off on what the company I work for owes, etc. Always a meeting with the accountant for a few hours when that happens.

Next Chapter: 23rd January

P a treon . com (slash) Coeur