Confused. That was the word. At least that was the word for how Jaune felt about his meeting with Hei.

Going in he was sure he'd somehow become indebted to what he'd come to learn was the city's biggest information broker and ruthless gang leader. At least that would track with how things were going as of late for him. He'd expected to be extorted and blackmailed into some kind of work at best or beaten and killed at worse. Instead, he now had a rent-free apartment at the club and an offer to work for Hei at his leisure. He'd even been given a new scroll when he'd mentioned he didn't have one.

How the absolute hell that had happened he had no idea. The best guess he had was that Hei was an absolute idiot. A moronic club owner with delusions of grandeur that had sold a drunken secret udder at his bar to somebody once or twice was more in step with what he had seen during the meeting. Typically Jaune wasn't in the habit of thinking so low of people with armed goons at their beck and call, but for heaven's sake, Hei had offered him a warehouse when he mentioned needing a place. The fact that Hei had fallen out of his chair looking like he was having a heart attack when Jaune had put his hands in his pockets casually, didn't exactly scream master criminal to him.

He was sure his false reputation had made him seem somewhat intimidating, but not to the level of naked fear that Hei had expressed. The only explanation he could fathom was that Hei was a two-bit wanna-be that vastly over-estimated him. He probably wanted to ingratiate himself to the supposed badass that the Butcher of Beacon was, so he could have somebody with a rep on hand. The armed staff he had at the club and the warehouse definitely indicated that Hei had the money to fund his delusions at least.

As Jaune took the last bus of the night to the neighborhood he was to do his dirty work for the police in, he weighted the implications of being associated with Hei. On the one hand, Hei definitely was a wanna-be bad guy with the money and delusions to make trouble. He'd probably get himself killed rather than become the next Roman Torchwick or some nonsense like that. Either way, it probably wasn't a good idea to be living in his club when that happened. Not to mention the police coming down on him. However, Dan had mentioned buying info from Hei, so that probably wouldn't be an issue.

Should that have given Hei more credit than Jaune was giving him? Definitely not. The police thought he was some kind of smooth operator, so they were obviously morons too. He wouldn't be surprised if the house he was raiding contained just some loose weed at this point. Really anybody to think he was worth a damn was a bigger idiot than him, and that was a high bar to reach.

On the other hand, free apartment. Big plus in his book. Big enough that he decided it beat out everything else at this point. So he guessed this was what he was doing for now. Anymore thinking on the matter was cut short as the obviously homeless man sitting a few seats away started to puke on the floor.

"Motion sickness," the greasy man said with a grin after he stopped puking.

"Right." Jaune replied. Definitely doesn't have anything to do with the needle you put in your arm when you got in. At least the puke stains on his pants will blend with the piss stains.

I need to get a car. Not exactly gonna intimate anybody showing up on public transposition to have them face justice. Probably gonna need to figure out how to drive a car first though. It can't be that hard.

The memory of a man in a truck crashing into a pole surfaced into his mind. He'd been one of Hei's men judging by tacky suit, the kind that the wanna-be goons all wore as some kind of uniform. Jaune had just gone to the back alley to have a smoke when he'd seen the guy. The guy must have ben late for something cause as soon as Jaune reached into his pocket to get a smoke he'd jumped into his truck like a man in trouble. He'd immediately hit a pole as he tried to gun it out of the alley. Sure, he had a bad cough, but that didn't seem reason enough to crash. Guess driving was actually pretty hard.

Of course, he'd walked over to see if the guy was ok. Although as soon as he got close the man hopped out and sprinted away. Guess he didn't have insurance. Jaune had heard that was expensive.

The merits of figuring out the apparent difficult art of driving and expensive insurance could wait though, as Jaune watched the bus pull into his stop. At least he wanted the internal debate to be settled, but as he went to leave the homeless man puked on his shoes. Trying his hardest to ignore it he walked on while trying to shake off the foul substance. He couldn't exactly get angry, as this was probably karma for all the shoes he'd puked on, but he definitely was resolute on getting his own ride.

Finally off the bus now, he surveyed the gated community he now found himself at the entrance of. Between the nice houses and manicured laws, only possible through a homeowners association, this wasn't exactly the place Jaune would have pictured a major drug pusher living. That probably was the point though, he figured.

Walking down the road he looked for the address he'd been given. Seeing the upper-middle class in all its glory, with nice cars and homes definitely put a feeling of inadequacy in him. The single female jogger conspicuously switching the direction she was going to avoid him definitely didn't help.

Looking at his absolutely ratty clothes and smelling his BO, which he'd been ignoring for a while now, he really couldn't blame the woman. He looked homeless and the scowl he'd taken to wearing in the slums wasn't exactly doing him any favors. Homeless grifter at best, thug at worse was how he figured he was perceived. Not that either were entirely inaccurate.

Guess he could add new clothes and deterrent to the list of things he needed. The neighbors would be calling the police at this rate. Thank the gods he wasn't a fanus, or he would already be swarmed by cops. Still, he needed to hurry this up before more variables entered this assignment.

It wasn't a moment too soon then, when he found the house he was looking for. It was an unassuming two story brick home not dissimilar to every other house on the block. Somewhere, there was an irony in the fact that such a nice home pushed poison to the people of this city. Although here he was, ratty and unkempt, a tool of the corrupt, and somehow the guy delivering justice. Whatever that meant in Vale. Briefly, he considered a cig for his nerves, but he was low on tobacco and time.

Plans flew through his head as he assessed the building. The lights were on and a nice car was in the driveway, no way he could be lucky enough that the man was out. The door was the regular wood kind and wouldn't be a match for his aura. Another door on the side was probably lead to a mudroom and potentially a more covert route if he broke the lock. The shattered glass of a window wouldn't be a problem either.

Figuring he'd seen all he could at a glance he continued walking the block. If he looked suspicious now, he'd look near-criminal just standing and staring at a house at this hour. It also would give him another few minutes of much-needed time to further plan.

For a moment he considered knocking on the front door. He could pretend to be lost or a motorist with a broken car. Internally he cursed. Once again, his terrible appearance shut down that route. He'd be sooner taken as a mugger than a pedestrian in trouble.

It looked like he would just have to hit it hard and fast. He didn't know if the man had weapons but it was fair to assume his job warranted it. If he took the guy by surprise he hopefully wouldn't have a chance to arm himself. The side door could be more covert, and the windows more surprising, but he settled on the front door as his point of entry after some more thought. He didn't know the house and could end up wasting valuable time if he took the side. The windows would be good if he had time to look in them so he could figure out where his mark was, but he could just as easily be spotted first. The front door centralized his entrance so he could zero in on the mark when he went to investigate the commotion his entrance would make. Jaune would just have to hope that the guy didn't investigate armed or have the firepower to put him down in general.

So here he was now, at the end of the road to the house. At the end of a lot of roads for himself, he figured as the adrenaline started to build with his footsteps. He wasn't stupid enough to believe he was without choices in this situation. No good choices though, just bad roads. Roads to prison, death, or a road to being a criminal. As he hit a dead sprint down this road, barreling towards the door, he prayed this he'd find a way off this road before it was too late.

His shoulder connected with the large wooden door at full speed. It was a sturdy door, but a trained man could have put it off its hinges in a strike. Jaune was no trained man. No professional, but a force of flesh, fear, aura, and adrenaline. So when he hit the door it didn't fall from its hinges but instead disintegrated in a shower of splinters and metal.

Barreling down a hall now, with only a slight stumble at his impact, Jaune knew if he wanted to get off this road someday he couldn't stop now. Turning the corner into a living room, lead into the direction by masculine sounds of confusion, he knew if he was to see that day he could never slow down.

He couldn't slow as he finally saw the man, a room away in the kitchen. The remnants of a sleek suit hung on the man in the form of a white button-up and a lose black tie that complemented a handsome face framed with shock and sharp features. His hands were frozen in a drawer, to get a spoon for a late-night snack or some other mundane item Jaune didn't know. He couldn't imagine what relaxing night this man had envisioned for his near future. The damage he was to inflict on him was also just as unimaginable to Jaune.

So he'd stopped. When, he couldn't say. It was like he was rooted at the end of the kitchen facing his victim, their faces mirrors of shock. His freedom and survival were at stake and he couldn't move. Jaune just couldn't stop overanalyzing every detail in front of him. From the picture of an unknown woman to a personalized clock, it was a flood of information that built a picture of the man before him. Every moment that passed in those seconds tore at his resolve by showing a human he was set on brutalizing.

Jaune had just wanted to be a hero. Now he was at the threshold of thuggery, survival at all cost. The cold of the alley, the sting of disapproval, and the burning desire to be free and alive, all pushed him to take that step. At that moment though he knew what Billy had meant when she said he wasn't cut out for this. Cause for all that was on the line he still couldn't move.

His so-called victim held no issue though. Shock and fear dying quicker than Jaune's convictions. The mundane item in the drawer turned into a sawn-off shotgun in the man's hands. The roar of buckshot drowned out Jaune's world in the seemingly slow motion that had consumed the last minute of his reality. He was flying now, weightless and numb as he found himself falling back down a flight of stairs.

The flow of time was more malleable than the laws of gravity as he seemed to move even slower now. At least it did until gravity reached its conclusion, but it was enough time for a slide show of his life to play.

"Your not strong enough son"

"Johnny Boy"

"You won't last"

"Would you like fries with that sir?"

Ok, guess they all can't be thematically consistent, he contended. Not that he got to think on his life of being a loser that nobody believed in or his newfound want for fresh fries as his head crashed through the basement door at the end of the stairs.

An unknown basement should have rated low on places to wake up. Definitely lower than a hospital, but the pain in his chest and head definitely denoted him as alive. Also, as far as he could tell, he was dry. So still on the good side all in all.

As much as he would have loved to do his usual routine when he was knocked cold, and spend a second groggily figuring out reality, the sound of gunfire had him scrambling. He was still a bit out of it but he concluded that he had been thrown down a set of stairs into the dealer's basement. Eyeballing a basement worth of hard drugs pretty solidly cemented that.

More gunfire from the level above him, mixed with yells and the sound of combat explained his current survival. It'd seemed that the real Beacon Bounty Hunter had arrived. While Jaune's failings as a person were pretty great to his own eyes, his personal luck was amazing. If he somehow wasn't in jail or dead by next week he'd have to bet on the Powerball.

Looking down at his chest, he was relieved to see that his aura had saved him just as equally as his luck. Wincing in pain as he attempted to stand, he settled on leaning back on a pallet of drugs. With the sounds of battle increasing past the noise of a sawn-off and not sounding like it'd end soon, Jaune's hand went to one of his last two cigs.

"Fine plan, as usual, Jaune." he muttered to himself as he flicked the flint on his zippo. "Amazing idea to stop and find the redeeming qualities of a drug trafficker while breaking into his house." finally a spark formed into a naked flame before his eyes. "Really great time to remember being a hero is important again." his tobacco burned under the oily fire. "I mean I could have just been a coward like usual, but no let's commit and break-in. That'll be the time to examine myself." With a long draw, the nicotine, that he was coming to enjoy, finally hit his bloodstream. "I mean every plan so far has gone so great with all my great ideas on ethics and grand plans. Forge my way into Beacon with passion and heroism?" He continued to rant through puffs. "Nope, just needed to be good at punching. Intimidating lines for criminals? Nope, just punch first." A pattern was starting to form for him. "Sensitive corrupt police raid? Yeah, should have opened with punching, Jaune."

He let out a long sign. "Ok universe, I hear you. More punching."

The cig returned to his lips. "Try to be the nice guy, but no. Everybody's gotta take advantage of that."

Taking another second to finish his smoke, he watched it burn to the filter. "Shit, pity party is over." He grumbled angrily as he stood back up and flicked his cig. "Alright, new plan; I'm gonna go back upstairs and punch stuff." With his smoke break over, he marched towards the fight.

Around this point in time, after failing miserably and almost getting killed for it, Jaune would usually be feeling some not super positive stuff. At a minimum some serious introspection and overthinking. Honestly, this was probably the point where he should have just tried to run out on all this too. Maybe he could hide from the police or luck his way into something as usual. Somewhere in his head, he was aware of these things.

A lot more honestly though, he was aware of some other things. Like the fact that he was pissed as hell right now. He'd had a long week dammit; mugged, beaten, extorted, shot in an alley, blackmailed, threatened, fucking shot again. Yeah, bad week all in all. So the fact that he'd been willing to give the piece of shit that shot him a possible reprieve from his fists only to be shot, as mentioned, was really pissing him off!

Finally reaching the top of the stairs, any hope of working his annoyance off and redeeming himself through a bit of concussive therapy were dashed. The fight, clearly over now, had the real Beacon Butcher now standing atop the bloodied unconscious form of the lawyer. As Jaune's violently swinging luck would have it, he knew the butcher. Of course, it was the worst possible person he could have imagined.

"Johnny boy." Cardin exclaimed with a smile.

"So you're the little bitch that's been trying to hang off my coattails. I shouldn't be surprised." A cruel grin, the kind Jaune had seen countless times, formed on his face. "We might not be in Beacon anymore, but it looks like I get to teach you one more lesson." Cardin said as he took a step towards him. His mace causally patting against his large palm, assuring Jaune that the lesson would not be of the purely oral variety.

Taking a step back in response to the aggression, Jaune was almost thrilled when Officer Dan and Lana entered the living room. Another point to the Arc luck, but he had the sinking feeling that it wasn't a point in his favor.

"So," Dan remarked, his hand on his holstered gun. "Guess there really is an imposter."

"Sus," Lana chimed in. Not for the better, if Dan's look of annoyance and eye roll were anything to go off of.

"Ha," Cardin laughed. "Somebody is a fake." He proclaimed confidently.

"Now this is the part where I go from humble lawman to judge." Dan stated in a seemingly casual manner. "Start taking boys, so the honorable me can decide."

If Jaune hadn't been scared before, he imagined he looked worse than Hei now. This was the steel trap closing in on him; with Cardin on one side and Dan on the other. The scene pretty handily favored Cardin, with his proximity to the beaten lawyer and his confident demeanor. Any goodwill Jaune had with the officers was rapidly burning away with every drop of sweat that was forming on his forehead.

Before he could figure out anything that might save him Cardin got the first word in. "Talking is all Jonny Boy is good for." he sneered. "He got kicked out for lying about who he was, and now he's at it again."

Despite his best efforts, Jaune shrunk at the accusation.

"He's always pretending to be some kind of tough guy." Cardin continued as he walked up to Jaune. "But we can all see it. He's a born loser. The posture of a loser, the sniveling excuses of a loser, Johnny Boy is always trying to hide from everything. Though he could hide behind stacks of books and girl's skirts his whole time at Beacon."

Jaune at least had the will to keep his head held up. Now, if only his spirit weren't falling through the floor. All those searing accusations were true. He knew it was true because he'd thought the same thing every time he looked long enough in a mirror. That didn't make Cardin's words cut any less though.

"This guy was my bitch." Cardin laughed as he came toe to toe with Jaune. "I had him doing my work and jumping to my command. He thought it'd get him out of being used as a human toilet cleaner, but I could just beat on him all day and he wouldn't do a thing."

Deep shame curled around Jaune's heart. It was true. He just hide from his problems any chance he got. Worse though was the fact that he bent over for anybody that hurt him when he couldn't hide, in the hopes that they'd get bored with him, or at least go easier on him.

"Johnny Boy didn't do anything then," Cardin gave a shove to Jaune's chest, sending him a step back. "and he won't do anything now." he finally finished, turning with a sneer to face Dan, his victory all but assured.

Desperately Jaune searched his brain for anything that could get him out of this. Some plan or angle to escape this nightmare. For a moment the whirlwind of fear and anxiety stilled at the thought that he'd found the stash. Cardin had no idea it was in the basement. He could prove he'd done that much, and all he'd need to do was convince the police that he'd roughed up the lawyer. As he looked to the faces of Dan and Lana, his hope died. Their looks of disappointment and conviction mixed with Cardin's victorious smile told him all he needed to know. It was over, they knew the truth about him.

"Got anything to say for yourself Jaune." Dan asked, more a formality than a real inquiry.

No plans, no lies left, and no lucky turn this time.

Jaune let out a long sigh he'd been holding in and let his elbows drop. "Guess I'm gonna need one hell of a resume at this point."

"I'd reckon so." Dan replied.

"You got one?" Lana asked, the slightest tinge of a smile on her face.

"Not a fake one this time." Cardin sniped as he crossed his arms in satisfaction.

Leaning his head back to look up to the ceiling, Jaune let out another long sigh. He finally looked back down to meet everyone's gaze.

"Nope" he uttered.

Lana smile died and Dan shook his head. "Well Jaune, can't say I wasn't rooting for you." Dan spoke as he pulled a set of handcuffs from his belt. "But it looks like this is the end of the line."

"Oh, I got a resume." Jaune replied nonchalantly.

"What?" Dan asked a bit confused.

"Yeah, the grammar is terrible." Jaune explained. "I've got to work on the punch-tuation."

The bad pun hadn't landed in anyone's head before a savage right hook into Cardin's nose did. Jaune's hand came back bloodied as Cardin landed on his ass in pain and shock.

Clutching a broken nose Cardin brought his aura up as he tried to get back up. He'd been so sure of himself that the protection didn't seem warranted.

"The header is weak too." Jaune continued with his explanation and assault as his foot caught Cardin in the chin.

Now splayed out on the ground from the force of the kick, Cardin desperately fought to get oriented from the blows. He desperately needed to get back into this fight.

"I really need this kind of thing to connect with my audience." Jaune informed as his heel connected with Cardin's exposed groin.

Gone was any idea of fighting as Cardin's world was only utter pain. He barely even realized as Jaune dropped down and straddle his waist. The pretense of some kind of resume was abandoned as Jaune clutched Cardin's breastplate to pull him up to meet his gaze. "You wanna teach me a lesson, like in Beacon, Cardin? You want to wail on me like back in school?" The second, much more painful aftershock of the blow to his testicles had Cardin silent in response to the questions. "Well, I got news for you."

Jaune back-handed Cardin. Hard.

"This isn't Beacon!" he raged, finally dropping his facade of calm. "This is the streets." Ever blow before this was for Jaunes survival; to prove himself. With every hit though, it'd become less about that as his blood boiled and a grin started to grow on his face. This wasn't survival now, it was payback.

Another back-hand.

"My streets!" he yelled. "So welcome to my lesson asshole."

This time a fist struck Cardin in the gut.

"Out here, these hands talk louder than your bullshit words!" A hard lesson Jaune had just paid for with a 12 gauge.

No blow this time. Instead, Jaune brought him eye to eye. "And don't you ever let your guard down." A lesson he'd pay Billy back for, someday.

With a final head but, Cardin's aura shattered. The former bully was exhausted and beaten, his nose a broken mess, as Jaune held him. Standing up, he released his grip and Cardin fell back to the ground in a heap. Jaune just stared at him. This was the guy that tormented him for weeks on end. The guy that humiliated and beat him almost daily to remind Jaune that he was weak and pathetic. Now he was just a broken body under him.

So, when Jaune said he was feeling a bit cathartic now, it'd be like saying grimm were a slight annoyance to humanity. Finally, he was the one tasting victory. Forget avoiding domination from others, now Jaune was feeling the drug of dominating others. He now fully understood why Cardin and every bully did what they did. It made him feel twice as tall and had his head held high with a smile he couldn't suppress if he wanted to.

Peeling his eyes away from Cardin he put his last smoke to his lips. He felt like a smoke would do nicely right now. Kinda like a cig after sex, at least he assumed. So he took his time with a puff or two of nicotine before looking back to the police, both with looks of surprise firmly cemented on their faces. "That a good enough resume?" he asked with a smirk.

"Ummm…" Dan hesitated in the first display of indecisiveness Jaune had ever seen. "Yeah, that'll do… Butcher." He added at the end to cement Jaune's title. "You find the stash?"

"The whole basement." Jaune replied, jerking his thumb to the stairs.

"Get account of that Lana" Dan commanded. He waited till she went downstairs before he continued. "So, you want this guy in irons or full of it?" the cop asked gesturing to Cardin.

"Neither." Jaune replied in horror. On a logical level he knew this could have been his fate, but it was a different thing to be a part of it. Cardin might have been an asshole, but that didn't mean he deserved this.

Dan tisked disappointedly. "Sorry, Jaune somebody has to take the fall for this break-in. It's what our report says."

"Jail then." Jaune answered. He couldn't keep Cardin free, but at least he'd be alive. It definitely didn't put a good taste in his mouth though.

"Didn't figure you for the mercy type." Dan replied in a disappointed tone as he got his cuffs out. "Ok, go down and get whatever from the stash as payment."

"Excuse me?"

"Get whatever," Dan reiterated "That stuff goes for a good chunk of change on the street."

This was big time? A reward that just made him a bigger criminal? This wasn't a way out, it was just a quicker way down. As Jaune watched Dan step towards Cardin, with cuffs in hand, he relized they were just the same guy to him. People that just wanted him to bow down and be their bitch; to make their life easier with no regard for his.

"No." Jaune surprisingly heard somebody say. Even more surprising to him was the realization that he had been the one to say it.

Dan stopped and stared him down. "Excuse me?" he asked dangerously "You gonna do this one free?" the officer supplied. Dan knew what he meant, but he was offering a way for Jaune to step down at a cost.

"No." Jaune repeated. He was set on this path now, consequences be damned. If he went along he'd just end up a drug dealer, no better than a common criminal, all while the police made him dance to their tune till he wasn't useful. He hadn't missed the part where Dan said they had written the report on this with the supposed burglar arrested or dead. They may have expected a fake tonight, but they couldn't have been positive. So he either stood up now to brake his chains or have less metaphorical ones on him another day.

Dan stepped up to him. "Humor me Jaune. How do you think you are in a position to say no?"

"I think I'm worth more what you're paying me. Cause if you tell me that becoming a drug dealer is the big leagues, I'm gonna use my resume to explain what I'm really worth." Jaune answered in a casual manner. The kind of casual demeanor that he'd seen Dan use time and time again to intimidate.

The retention clip of Dan's holster snapped off as he place his hand on his pistol. "That sounded like a threat kid. It's a crime to threaten a man of the law. Is that really how you want this to go down?"

Jaune's hand reached out and pulled the officer's badge off his vest, ripping the cloth with it. Dan went to pull his gun in response, only to find the vice-like grip of Jaune's own hand keeping his stuck in place. Falling back on training he smashed his fist into Jaune's face only to pull it back in hot pain. The aura of the failed student made his face hard as steel as he keep a neutral face. Realizing how screwed he was, Dan watched as Jaune crushed his badge in his bare hands before dropping its twisted form to the ground.

"No law here, Danny boy. I just see criminals." Jaune cleared up. "Now this isn't me telling you our little friendship is over." He knew he wasn't in a strong enough position for that. Dan or some other officer would just have him killed if he tried to leave the game entirely. "This is me setting healthy boundaries. It's import to a healthy friendship." Jaune really did have Cardin and Dan to thank for the art of threatening though friendly words. "So get it straight, this is a two-way street. You help me, I hope you. No more demands on my precious time. You ask, and I'll think about it. Also, you pay me fair, no drug bullshit." He may not be in a position to leave this behind, but he was praying he had a strong enough hand to force his way into a position where he wasn't subservient to the police at all times.

Dan was a veteran of these streets and to this game, so he didn't crumble or start shaking like Hei. That wasn't to say he couldn't see the shitty hand he had at the moment. "You really think you can make demands kid?" he pushed. "Do really think you're just threatening me? You don't think that the powers behind all this are gonna bend to this?" He growled. "Are you stupid enough to think that I'll listen to some two-bit thug?"

Jaune didn't shrink, he was playing his hand, same as Dan. The only difference was that he could only be all in. "If you wanna keep your hand, you will." He said as he tightened his grip. "And as I said, we are all still friends. I'm not walking out on this. Everybody can be happy. On the other hand, I can rip you to pieces right now and give every bit of evidence I have to the press. I'll have Hei give up every bit of dirt he has on you and your bosses to make you all really bleed." How he'd do that, he had no idea, But Dan didn't know that. "You let me do my thing and we actually work together, or you kill me and my contacts release everything we know." While Jaune was lying, he may as well go big.

In response, Dan just glared. " You understand Dan?" Jaune pushed.

The tensest moment of Jaune's life dragged on for what felt like hours. The two players locked in wordless glares.

"Guess we are friends." Dan finally relented. They had both played what they had, and for now, it was Jaune's victory as Dan folded.

"Good call," Jaune remarked as he released Dan's hand and took another puff of the smoke he'd held throughout the entire showdown. The glaring wasn't over, but at that time officer Lara stepped back upstairs.

"Yep, lot of drugs guys." she reported before she clued into the tense atmosphere. "Ummm… What did I miss?"

Jaune started to walk to the female officer worldlessly. Things seemed squared with Dan but he suspected it'd be better for everybody if he had her number. Dan would probably be sore about things for a while.

"Give me your number." He ordered as he got close to her.

Lana smiled, "Oh, now you want it. I don't know, that was a one-time offer."

For a moment Jaune was taken aback by her refusal. Then he remembered that he'd been their pawn up until a second ago. Lana's words, while causal, were veiled attempts to show her power over him. It made sense, it was how Dan did all his threatening, so his trainee would talk the same. He'd cowed Dan, but not Lana.

I can't afford to look weak.

He forcefully put his arm on the wall behind Lana, pinning her back to the wall with the proximity of their bodies. "Number, now." Jaune growled.

"W-wait a minute." Lana stammered.

While she was on the ropes he pushed. If he gave her space she could turn this around and he'd look even weaker. "You are going to give me your number. Then I'll call as I please and take what I need from you." He continued in a low growl he hoped was intimidating. "Call me for your needs, and maybe I'll think about it." That was pretty much what he had said to Dan, so he reasoned a slightly more aggressive attitude would have the rookie folding.

It seemed to work as Lana stuttered and stammered unintelligibly until she finally settled on taking out a notebook to write her number. He might have gone a bit too far as she was shaking and breathing so hard that she dropped the paper at his feet. A second passed and instead of picking it up she just looked at him like a deer in the headlights.

Jeez, she is worse than Hei. Maybe I took this a bit too far.

"Get down." It appeared he'd have to ask her to do everything in her state. He couldn't break from his commanding position, even while he felt bad for this, if he lost this contest of wills he very well could be killed. Overkill was definitely better at this moment.

Shacking even more nervously and redder as Ruby's cloak the young officer slid down as she didn't have room between him and the wall to bend down. He watched in annoyance as she really took her time going down there, but she managed to get the paper. Problematically, Lana was frozen in terror just looking at his crotch now. Honestly, he was kinda getting concerned as she started to mumble something about him being gentle.

Annoyed and concerned enough he just pulled Lana back up with the strap of her body armor. "You ok?" he asked. Seriously, if she got any more scared, he wasn't sure her number would be legible.

"Y–y-yeah" she finally managed. "This is all just moving so quickly. Could we just talk first?"

So she could get her bearing and get one over him? Hell no. He'd just cooled it on the intimidation and already she was pushing again. Jaune could not afford to let up on someone dangerous to get back on target so quick. "You'll keep that mouth shut unless I tell you otherwise." his glare deepened. "If you can."

Lana resumed the red-faced shaking and stammering that he found a lot less problematic than her attempts to take him down a peg. At least she managed to give him her damn number. He checked its legibility before pushing off the wall. Seriously, if he knew it'd be this much of a hassle he'd have just not asked for the number.

Turning to Dan he saw the cop trying really hard to avoid eye contact as he cuffed Cardin. "You aren't arresting or killing him" Jaune stated as it seemed he was on a roll demanding things.

"We can't just let some random guy go." Dan said a bit hesitantly. "He knows too much."

Jaune thought quickly, he would definitely lose sleep if he let this play out. "He's not some random guy." he replied.

"Who is he?"

"My new partner."