Winter saw him and her as she was returning from Officer's Mess. She knew the uniform instantly, and knew the headache she was about to endure. A slightly older gentleman stood quickly followed by a young looking rabbit faunus as Winter approached.
"Specialist." they greeted Winter.
"Captain." Winter greeted the man, before turning her attention to the woman, "Lieutenant."
"If this is a good time, there are things that need to be discussed, ma'am." the man addressed her.
"It is as good a time as any." Winter responded as she led the way into her office. "Please have a seat."
The faunus woman nodded her head, and moved to take one of the two seats situated before Winter's desk, followed by the man. Winter moved her way around and took her own seat. The trio sat in silence for several minutes before the Lieutenant proceeded to open her brief case and pull out a small packet of papers.
"Specialist Schnee my name is Markus Alexander, my associate is Allison Richards. Now as you may or may not know; the Judge Advocate General's office has been made aware, through the indiscretion of your predecessor; of a troubling situation, that we need to address. Ma'am."
"And that situation is?"
"The current inhumane imprisonment of Mister Jaune Arc, ma'am" Allison spoke as Markus sighed.
"He is not being imprisoned."
"He is being held with no freedom of movement, under heavy guard; and if I am not mistaken from the information we have received, he is also being physically restrained. All without any formal charges being laid. Not including the insinuation of unethical medical practices he may have suffered while under Atlas Military care. So what would like to call it? Ma'am."
"Keeping him and those around him safe. He is dangerous."
"Specialist Schnee. Lieutenant Richards, please?"
"Be that as it may, Specialist. He has rights. He is in fact a Valean citizen is he not? Ma'am."
"He is."
"So not only are we holding a civilian without formal charges, but also a citizen from an allied kingdom, again without formal charges. Ma'am."
"We are doing what is best for everyone involved." Winter retorted.
"You may feel that way, Specialist Schnee, but legally that is not the case. Our offices are just now starting to get a handle on the tidal wave of complaints, and accusations being levelled towards Atlas and more specifically the Atlas Military." offered Markus, "Therefore we are going to take a proactive approach in regards with Mister Arc. Ma'am."
"Proactive?"
"This is a writ, issued by the JAG office, to advise you and your office," Allison leaned forward and set the small bundle of papers on Winter's desk, before returning to her seat. "that I have been appointed as Mister Arc's legal representation until such time as he refuses, or acquires his own. Ma'am. Your representative has already been given a copy."
"Legal representation?"
"I am the legal representation for your office Specialist Schnee." Markus spoke up, "And as such I suggest we proceed with caution, in regards to Mister Arc."
"Do you know this man has done? Have you seen the pictures?" Winter asked.
"Yes... I have... seen the pictures." replied Allison.
"And you still..."
"Regardless of how I see things," Allison cutoff Winter, "Mister Arc is ENTITLED to by law to legal representation. Not only in the Atlas Uniform Code of Military Justice, but also in the civilian laws that govern Atlas and Vale."
"I..." Winter was a little taken aback by the short and rapid tirade of the petite rabbit faunus.
"As you are with counsel, I will also inform you, that I am currently penning motions to not only suspend all medically inclined tests or procedures towards Mister Arc, but also his release from confinement. Ma'am. Sir." Allison nodded to both Winter and Markus before leaving the office.
"Specialist Schnee as counsel to your office, I must be frank with you. This whole situation is just about to blow up in our faces. My office and I have reviewed the files. All of them. There are serious indications showing not only the lack of proper procedure, but also violation of individual rights."
"He's a hunter in training who lost control of his semblance. He killed people because of it."
"Even be that as it may. There are laws in place to address such issues. Those laws appear to have been ignored."
"The pictures, the video?"
"They are damning to Mister Arc, but also to Atlas Military Command. They show the holding of a Valean citizen, and conduction of experiments on said individual. We need to proceed carefully, and under the full measure of the law. We can not afford at this time another incident involving Atlas putting Vale civilians at risk, much less mistreating them."
"So what, are we just suppose to let him wander off free?"
"No. We will petition for his confinement to base."
"How? I mean both of you are telling me that what I am doing right now is violating his rights. How is it possible to get him confined to the base?"
"General public safety. While no formal charges have been made, we can push forward the potential danger he is to the public at large, and request that for their safety and his; that he remain on base. We have evidence that can back it up."
"So why all this now?"
"It would seem that General Ironwood had gone around some legalities."
"And when he was removed from duty..."
"The JAG offices became aware." Markus informed her, "Who else knew of Mister Arc's predicament in regards to his confinement?"
"The Headmaster of Beacon." Winter replied flatly, as any ounce of strength to fight she had mustered; faltered under the potential issues she was just now being made aware of.
"Good. Then we have an outside source to refer to in regards to Mister Arc and his potential dangerous nature as well as a possible mitigating factor in regards to why he was treated as he was."
"So what now?"
"We wait for the motions to be presented. We will present our counter arguments, and see what the tribunal decides. As for Mister Arc's current situation. Mitigate it. The sooner the better."
"What about me speaking with him?"
"It will be possible to suggest it, but be aware that his counsel will have to be present at any and all such encounters, as will I."
"He is dangerous, you know. He needs to be contained, helped; held accountable."
"We know, but what is happening to him is as dangerous in the eyes of some. My office will make recommendations, including a complete and through psychiatric examination. There is not much else we can do, currently."
/=/
Jaune was surprised when he was removed from his restraints and escorted immediately to the showers. He stood under the stream of warm water for what felt like hours. He just stood there letting the water flow over and down him. It was serene, allowing his mind to finally wander from the vivid images that filled his nights, to ones from a time that felt like forever ago. Stepping out of the shower he found a clean set of scrubs with a pair of plain white sneakers waiting for him. Drying off and then getting dressed he stepped out of the shower room and between the two soldiers that had escorted him there. One indicated for him to follow, and with a nod of his head he agreed. It was a good walk from the showers to the small room he now found himself in. It was barren aside from the plain looking table in the centre surrounded by four office like chairs. After being there for a few minutes the door opened and a petite rabbit faunus entered carrying a briefcase.
"Mister Arc?" she asked as she took a seat and indicated for him to do so as well, before she pulled a digital recorder from her case and placed it on the table between them.
"Yes." Jaune
"I'm Allison Richards."she started to speak after activating the recorder. "I am your court appointed legal counsel. Now before I continue, I must ask do wish to refuse legal advice, or do you wish to procure your own counsel?"
"I..." Jaune was confused. He really had no idea what was going on, "What's going on?"
"What is going on Mister Arc, is that the actions of the Atlas Military appear to have superseded the law in regards to your situation."
"Situation?"
"Mister Arc. Before I continue I need to know. Do you wish for me to continue as your representation? Do you wish to seek representation of your own? Or do you wish to refuse representation entirely?"
"You can continue."
"Thank you Mister Arc."
"Jaune."
"What was that?"
"Just call me Jaune. Everyone else does."
"As you wish. Jaune." she nodded and gave him a warm smile. "Now, as to your situation. Do you understand what has been happening to you?"
"I've done things."
"That maybe the case, but do you understand what has been happening to you?"
"Just that I've been kept locked up, or tied up. They did tests, and stuff."
"Okay, this is what your situation is. You have been unjustly confined by the Atlas Military. This is a flagrant breech of you civil rights. You have also been subject to unauthorized, medical procedures without your consent. Which is again a violation of your rights. I have been appointed to put a stop to all of that. Any questions?"
"Why?"
"Why, what Jaune?"
"Why bother? I did things, I see it when I close my eyes. I know it. So why bother?"
"Because there are laws in place that apply to what has happened to you. Those laws have been ignored, by individuals that should know better."
"So what happens now?"
"Well, you and I are going to have a long talk, and then I'm going to do everything in my power to make sure you are treated properly with respect to those established laws."
"Can I go home?"
"No, Jaune, I'm sorry right now you can't."
/=/
Watts was pleasantly surprised to be getting documentation from the JAG office in regards to Jaune. It made him almost titter with glee as he reviewed the documentation.
"So James it seems you've over stepped your bounds one too many times." he spoke to himself with a self satisfied smirk. "Thank you for making it so much easier to reach Jaune than it would have been before."
Turning from the screen monitoring the downloads, he looked at the construction is he had almost completed. The cursor blinked near the bottom of the screen; waiting for him to enter more lines of code. He paused, still enjoying the inconsequential victory he had over Ironwood, before clearing his throat and returning to the task at hand. It would only require a little more programming for it to be ready.
/=/
Ozpin had a headache. A substantial one; one that he was partly the cause of. Just after finishing a call with Winter where he was informed of the most recent developments with Jaune, he suffered through another call. This one slightly more hostile in nature. The JAG officer Markus Alexander did not mince words when he brought up his office's view on the issues involving Jaune. Nor did he give Ozpin any outs for his involvement in those issues. Ozpin never liked lawyers, they always seemed to have a way of turning things about. Though in hindsight Ozpin could agree he should have done more than just let Jaune be carted away 'for storage', he believed was how Markus put it. He was going to have to appeal to council, find a way to mitigate the fallout. The Headmaster of Beacon letting a troubled student to be carted off by the Atlas military. Or any variation of it, would not be a good headline for anyone to see.
He would cooperate with the proceedings, he had to at this point. Doing anything but that would make things look even darker than the currently did. Ozpin had a direct hand in forming the laws that were now being used. Originally they were designed to prevent witch hunts, to give due process to those who had the misfortune of not having complete control when a semblance became active. In most of the cases involving those laws it was to assign fault and responsibility for property damage. Yes there were couple cases involving bodily harm, but nothing to the degree that Jaune's semblance seemed capable of.
The question now was not if Jaune was dangerous, or more importantly his semblance, but how dangerous, and what is the best way of dealing with such a person. The law had guidelines and stipulations, just like any other piece of legislation. End of the day however Jaune had directly caused the deaths of several individuals. Can anyone safely say it wont happen again? Ozpin wanted to say yes. Wanted to say with the proper assistance and training that it would never happen again, but he couldn't. Jaune Arc was becoming a dangerous precedent.
Picking up his own scroll he turned his attention to a task that needed to be done, and done now rather than later. He would need to submit a statement of fact and opinion. He was going to need legal advice on just what he should say.
/=/
After his several hour long talk with Allison, Jaune was tired, beyond tired. They had gone over things, repeatedly. What he was accused of, what he remembers actually doing, what was done to him. She picked at each and every detail. Made him clarify everything he said. It was an arduous proceeding. Taking his place between the two guards that had stood by the doors during the whole process; he was escorted away, but not in the direction he had originally come from. Deciding that going along would be better than trying to get answers, Jaune just continued along, letting the guards lead him through the corridors until they finally stopped before one of several nondescript doors.
/=/
Winter was frazzled. Not only had everything she was in the process of putting in place been derailed, but now she was spending almost as much of her time on her scroll to legal counsel, as she was reading reports. She had been able to get a few things completed. As per Markus' recommendation about how Jaune was being held. Instead of an observation room, he now had private quarters. The inclusion of a team of around the clock guards was accepted without hesitation.
Then of course there was the call to Ozpin. It wasn't much, but she hoped it had given him enough of a warning before the JAG offices contacted him. She rubbed her face with her left hand as she tried to put together something that could resemble a plan of action. She knew Ironwood had made a mistake in bringing her sister in, but with all the information she now was privy to; she was just starting to understand how many and big the mistakes Ironwood had made. The Headmaster of Beacon was no saint in regards to these matters as well. Though she didn't know if JAG could do anything about him, she did know that everything coming to light now was going to make things bleak for her former commanding officer.
"I would say it," she muttered, "but then something else would happen."
Her scroll buzzed, so she reached down and picked it up. It was a text from Markus, indicating the date for a prelim in regards to Jaune. It would be in a couple of days. Setting down her scroll she sighed and tried to decide what to do. She could reread some of the files on Jaune, but that felt counter productive at this point. What she really needed to do was get something to eat, but the thought of going to the Officer's Mess for some reason caused her to not feel hungry.
She looked down to her right and took in the sight of her missing arm. Thoughts about that day slowly crossed her mind. What if she had just moved quicker? If she had just charged him instead of talking? Snorting she pushed those thoughts from her head. It made no difference now, it was over with. She had to deal with the present, and not the past, at least not her immediate past. She reached over to the side of her desk and pulled the lone folder before her. She knew what was inside. She had requested it to be made. Through counsel she had arranged a meeting. His counsel would be there, as would hers; but most importantly he would be there. She was going to confront him, make them see how dangerous he really was.
/=/
Watts watched the video replay and used his mapping program to give him the exact location. He was so close he could almost taste the victory. Soon James would be in Atlas' black-book just he had been, and Jaune would be in his grasp. His creation was ready, and he only needed to type in a few key phrases to activate it, but first he had to make sure he was targeting the right subject. While he had no doubts about the abilities and precision of his programs, he still wanted to be sure. He would only get one chance to set this up. It had to be perfect.
/=/
Jaune lay upon the single bunk that was bolted to the wall of the room. He had eaten, the first real meal he could truly remember in some time; the remains of the tray sitting on the desk, along with a small paper cup that held held some pain medication. He had showered again, and changed into a new set of scrubs. Now he was just trying to think of what to do with his time. Before he had no freedom of movement, and now he did. He would admit that the small room and adjoining bathroom did not make for a large amount of freedom, but still he could move about. He wasn't in restraints anymore. Yet he didn't feel like pacing, or moving about. He just wanted to lay still, and think. He knew as soon as he tired to sleep the images would come back, they always came back. Even now he would catch glimpses.
He had told Allison about them. About how they made him feel. She assured him that someone would speak to him about that in due time. Jaune hoped due time meant sooner rather than later. He hated the feelings those images dragged up. Revulsion, guilt, pain, sorrow; hopelessness. Sitting up he rubbed his face with his hands, and turned his attention to the small video monitor fastened to the wall. He was tempted to turn it on, to see what was and had been happening since his time in Atlas. But chose not to. Standing he walked a couple laps around the room before once again laying down on the bed. He was fearful of falling asleep, but the long day, and the many hours of almost no rest took hold.
/=/
Winter had taken sometime and made a call to the private facility her sister was being treated at. Of course at the late hour she was asleep, and the staff were not willing to wake her up. Winter didn't mind though; she was more interested in speaking with one of the doctors treating Weiss than speaking directly with Weiss, at least for now. The one on duty gave her a run down of what had been happening with her sister since Winter's last call. There wasn't much improvement. The anti-anxiety medications were slowly starting to make a difference but it was still too early to tell if she would require them long term. The same was true with the sedative she was being administered.
Winter was unsatisfied with the call. With all the money the SDC and her family had, Weiss was still basically being treated the same way they had been treating Jaune. Heavy doses of medication. Winter gritted her teeth at the thought that Weiss and Jaune could share something in common. No he was the reason she was how she was. The situations were not the same, or that was what she was trying to tell herself. With nothing else to be done, and not wanting to do anything anyway, Winter rose from behind her desk and made her way to her quarters. Her meeting with him was tomorrow afternoon, she needed to be focused and ready.
/=/
As lauded as SDC was for their security, Mercury and Emerald found it very easy to enter without notice. They used every trick they had learned over their short lives, and slid through the shadows unseen, and unheard. The plan was simple. Find an outbound shipment, sneak aboard with it, and have a free ride out of Atlas. The trick was in finding one. Currently everything they were coming across was destined for the refineries, and those were in Atlas.
"This isn't working." Mercury whispered as they checked their seventh shipping manifest.
"It will." Emerald whispered back, "We just have to keep looking."
So they moved on, constantly on the alert for any indication that they had been detected. Systematically checking each line of crates for one that could lead to their freedom. It was on the tenth line that they finally found a sliver of a chance.
"Vale." Mercury muttered in a low tone, "We're known in Vale."
"But we know people in Vale." Emerald offered in her own low tone.
The pair moved deeper into the shadows as they continued their conversation.
"And if they wont help us?"
"Its Vale. Its not surrounded by an arctic wasteland. We could sneak out."
"Would have preferred Vacuo or Mistral" Mercury whispered, "Mistral would have been best. Lionheart would have..."
"Handed us over to her." Emerald hissed in response, "Its either Vale or we wait and come back another night and hope for something different. That is if we don't get snatched by Atlas first."
"Vale it is."
The pair climbed the crates and up into the rafters to hide and wait. It would be possibly a few hours before this shipment would be loaded, but each second of time that passed was a second they were closer to possible freedom.
/=/
Watts was now positive that he would be targeting the right room, so he put his creation into play. It would take sometime for the effects of it to take hold upon Jaune, but Watts was confident he had the time. This would prove to Lady Salem that Jaune could be controlled, could be of use. With a few key strokes it was done. Everything was in motion. Satisfied with his work, Watts rose stiffly from the chair he had been basically sitting in for the last few days. With a smirk he turned and left to get some rest.
/=/
The morning had gone by without anything of note happening to either Jaune or Winter, and the time for their meeting quickly closed upon them. Markus met Winter at the door of the small conference room the meeting would be held in.
"Specialist."
"Captain."
"Everyone is inside waiting for us." Markus then noticed the folder that Winter was carrying, "What is that? Ma'am."
"Nothing, just some notes I wanted to have when I speak with Jaune." Winter lied.
"I should have reviewed them prior to this meeting, and his counsel should have been given a copy. Ma'am."
"They are just few notes."
"Still. There are procedures that need to be followed. Ma'am."
"Shall we?" Winter asked indicating the guarded door in front of them.
"If his counsel objects we will be forced to stop this meeting. Ma'am."
Winter just nodded as Markus reached forward and opened the door allowing the pair entry into the small room. Jaune and Allison were already inside and seated. Winter nodded to the pair and moved around to take her own seat, followed by Markus.
"Lieutenant. Jaune." Winter greeted them as she sat down.
"Specialist. Captain." Allison returned the greeting.
"Lieutenant. Jaune." Markus greeted.
"Do I know you?" Jaune asked his eyes focused on Winter.
"My name is Winter Schnee." Winter let a small smile split her lips as Jaune's eye grew slightly wider in reaction, "I'm Weiss' sister."
"Jaune, Specialist Schnee requested this meeting. If it is making you uncomfortable I can call a stop to it." Allison offered also noting Jaune's expression.
"It's okay." he responded.
"Thank you, Jaune." Winter inclined her head, her fingers reaching into the folder before her.
"What is that?" Allison asked as she noticed Winter's actions. "If that has anything to do with this meeting, as Jaune's counsel I should have been given a copy for preview."
"Just some notes for myself." Winter lied, cutting of Markus' reply; before continuing with her focus firmly set upon Jaune, "What is it you want Jaune? I never had a chance to ask you considering."
"I want to go home." he replied before Allison could say anything.
"Home. I see, and what would you do if you went home?" Winter asked.
"Be with my family, try and forget everything."
"Ah, forget. That would be nice wouldn't it? To forget, to just go on with your life."
"I am not comfortable with this line of questioning, Ma'am."
"What do you think would happen if you lost control again?"
"I wont..."
"I know what would happen." Winter cut off Jaune as she pulled a picture from inside the folder and tossed it across the table to land in front of him. "This is what would happen!"
"I object!"
"No. I would never..." Jaune's eyes grew wide as he took in the photograph showing dismembered Atlas soldiers. In the back of his mind other images began to form.
"Specialist Schnee!" Markus yelled as he made a move to grab the folder from her.
"You would never?" Winter continued, ignoring the outbursts of the two JAG officers, as she moved to keep control of the folder, and pulled out a second picture to toss in front of Jaune, "I bet you would never hurt your friends either. Remember that? You did that to one of your friends!"
Jaune pushed himself away from the table as the picture landed in front of him. It was an image of Ruby's ruined leg, before it was bound. It returned to him, in vivid detail.
"How about this? You almost did this to Weiss!" Another picture emerged and landed in front of him. A still of a bisected female soldier, a pool of blood surrounding her.
"No!" Jaune exclaimed, his eyes snapping up and centred on Winter. Everyone in the room grew quiet
and still, as they noted the reaction on Winter's face.
Winter sat there her back ramrod straight. Her eyes wide in fear and surprise. Allison and Markus couldn't see it, but she felt it. The narrow pressure pushed against her neck. It felt like the edge of a knife blade being pressed against her pale skin, yet Jaune had done nothing but look at her.
"What are you going to do Jaune?" Winter asked, trying to keep her voice calm and even, but she knew it was betraying her. "Are you going to severe another part of me from my body, like you did my arm?"
"Jaune." Allison implored as she reached forward and laid her hands over his clenched fists.
"Jaune." Markus added as he slowly stood. "You don't want this Jaune."
"Go ahead Jaune. Show them what you do when you're upset. Show them how you lash out." Winter spoke her tone shaky. She had never experienced the sensation she was now feeling. In her training they had had weapons pressed against their flesh, but never to this degree. She could feel the pressure of the invisible edge push even further forward. In response she pushed all the aura she had to that spot.
Jaune tore his eyes away from Winter, a sharp and deep gouge ripping into the wall just behind her as he growled and grunted. A second later his head fell forward onto his and Allison's hands. Another second later sobs wracked his body. Winter just sat there, trying to control her breathing. She had felt the edge, the pressure travel around her neck and then vanish. She had heard the impact behind her.
"This meeting is over Specialist!" snapped Markus as he reached forward scooped up the pictures and ripped the folder from under Winter's hand, before hooking his other hand under her arm and dragging her from her seated position.
Still in shock, still processing the sensations that she had felt, she followed Markus without any resistance as he pulled her from the room and spun her so her back was against the wall of the hallway just across from the door. The guards stationed outside just stood quietly.
"That was uncalled for, a flagrant violation of his rights, and shows a distinct lack of regard for conduct becoming of your station!"
"It had to be done." Winter replied in a robotic tone.
"No it did not. You just attempted to incite a violent action, from someone under Atlas' care, under your care. That is gross misconduct, you could face a court-martial just like General Ironwood is!"
"What?"
"Do you know what else you just did?" Markus growled, "You just gave the defence grounds to have Jaune removed from this base. You just gave them the ammunition they need to show how the Atlas military is ignoring not only the UCMJ; but the Semblance Control Statutes as well!"
/=/
Inside the room Allison tried her best to comfort Jaune as he continued to sob into his and her hands. She didn't have the words, so she just shushed, and cooed him. All the while reliving the events she had just witnessed. She had seen the videos and photos of what had happened to him, and what he had done in response to that treatment. They were definite proof of the potential damage his semblance was capable of. But here now she was seeing a broken young man at the mercy of others. A young man unable to deal with what was happening around him. She knew he was in need of help before, this all just confirmed it.
/=/
It was late afternoon when Mercury and Emerald finally had their chance. Slipping down from the rafters they moved around to the far side of the next line of crates waiting to be shipped. With some assistance from Emerald's semblance they worked their way around and into the cargo hold of the bullhead. Securing themselves the waited out of sight. When the hatch way ramp finally closed and sealed them they let out a sigh of relief. They were exhausted from their night long vigil, and one step closer to freedom. The shudder of the bullhead told them they were lifting off. It would be a long trip, but for the most part they didn't care. The would soon be out of Atlas.
/=/
It took Allison the better part of an hour to calm Jaune down. It was nearly heartbreaking for her to see such a young man falling so completely apart. She had dealt with other PTSD cases before, where soldiers lashed out, or collapsed into utter despair. She was starting to see Jaune as no different from those individuals.
"It's okay Jaune." she softly spoke as he sat there is head pressed against her and his hands. The sobs that had wracked his body having slowly stopped. "I'm going to help you get out of all this. I'm going to help you get better, and I'm going to help you get home. I promise."
"Home?"
"Yes Jaune. Home."
"Really?" he asked her as he lifted his head. His eye rimmed red from crying.
"Yes, really. But I need you to do a couple things for me. Can you do that?"
"Like what?"
"I need you to try and be strong. I need you to try to stay in control of yourself. Can you do that? Can you try for me?"
"I think I can." he replied.
"That's all I'm asking."
/=/
Winter endured the verbal berating that Markus was giving her on the entire trip back to her office. Even though she was the superior, it did not stop the lawyer from letting her know how much trouble she had caused for the case against Jaune but also for her own career. Inhumane treatment, Conduct unbecoming, among other breeches of the UCMJ. Through it all she couldn't offer a defence. Her only out which had long ago been dashed was trying to show how dangerous he was. Markus dismissed it as a personal vendetta; citing video evidence and witness statements having already laid the ground work for that point of fact. Markus left her after they reached her reception area. Stating for the fifth time how she had put the whole process at risk, as well as her own career.
Winter sat in her office. She just sat. She had played her hand and now she was going to have to suffer the fallout from it. Eventually her thoughts returned to the sensations she had felt, when Jaune lashed out. Raising her left hand she touched her neck. Jaune was unarmed yet he had made her feel as if he had pushed a razor honed edge against her skin. Made her feel as if with one little shove he would have cut through her aura and she would have been no more. Yet he hadn't. She shivered remembering the feeling as the pressure flowed around her neck, encompassing it, rolling around it like a wave of water.
"He's gaining a measure of control." she spoke, wanting to hear some type of sound breaking up the silence of the room.
"Ma'am?" asked her receptionist as he poked his head in through the door, "Can I get you anything?"
"No." she replied.
/=/
Jaune was escorted back to his room. Once inside he moved to the bed and collapsed upon it. He was spent, physically and mentally. He had frightened himself with his outburst. Terrorized himself with the look of shock and fear that they had all had. He could still remember the pictures she had tossed in front of him. They mixed with the vivid images that danced around in his head. He had done it, done all of it. He knew that was being said about him, he could feel it deep with in his chest. Tears threaten to spill from his eyes, so he screwed the shut and took in deep shuttering breaths. He need to get control of himself.
After a few minutes he rolled over and sat up. Reaching forward he picked up the remote for the video monitor and turned it on. He flipped through the channels at a rapid pace. Skipping past news, reality shows, and the other offerings that appeared. He stopped when he reached what he needed. The ASMR channel. He fell backwards into the bed and closed his eyes as the soft sounds, and whispers started to wash over him. Maybe this would help him get an untroubled sleep; free of the images that always came when his eyes closed. He never heard the knock on his door. The soft sounds combined with his own exhaustion causing his rapid fall into a deep sleep.
"Jaune?" came the voice of one of his guards, as the door cracked open. "Jaune?"
She stepped inside a tray of food in her hands. She noticed his still form. The even rise and fall of his chest. Moving to the desk she set the tray down and with a quick turn about on her heels she left, closing the door silently behind her. Neither she nor Jaune noticed the low and steady series of beeps, clicks, and tones that emanated from the monitor's speakers. They underlined the soft, calming sounds coming generated by the ASMR.
/=/
Watts smiled as he watched as his monitors showed that his creation was active. He had imputed the start commands as soon as his surveillance programs showed Jaune entering his room. He knew it would take time for the results he wanted to appear. But he could wait, he had the time to wait. Moving to another monitor he started on the next phase of his plan. His fingers danced over the keyboard as he began inputting code. Line upon line filled the screen. This creation would reinforce the conditioning of the first, and build upon it.
Jaune would be the perfect agent, to punish Atlas. The perfect distraction for him to see Lady Salem's desires fulfilled.
/==/
Thank you to TheSilverboar. Your comment really made me think about where this story was headed. And to anyone else who has left comments. I read them all (the good and the bad) and take in to consideration everything that is offered.
At first this story was going to be a relatively short, Jaune is too powerful, how does the world deal with him. But the comments being left made me think about things, and helped me grow the story.
I hope this chapter shows that there are people who would be looking out for Jaune, even if it wasn't altruistic on their part. This "Legal Arc" wont be too long, maybe another chapter or two.
My apologies to anyone who is in, or was in the legal and/or military career fields if I am representing anything in an inaccurate manner. I did do SOME research as I was writing but Google can only tell you so much.
As always I hope this chapter meets the expectations created by the previous chapters, and I hope you enjoyed.
