"You did great," Ruby assured him.
"If you say so," Jaune replied.
He was well aware that he, by far, had been the most awkward looking of the contestants to go out onto the field. Even Ruby managed to wave (with her natural hand) and summon a legitimate, excited smile. Even Blake looked amiable. Only Jaune seemed like he really did not want to be there.
In fact, after his showing at the tournament's opening, he had apparently become a "meme". Yang and Nora had showed him that people on the internet had cropped him into various awkward scenarios like "when I get dragged to a club by my friends" or "ten year old me taken to a birthday party for a cousin I never met before". They had assured him that it was all in good fun and nobody was really deriding him, so much as relating to him. Some of these memes had gotten trending with tens of thousands of likes. Jaune honestly did not know how to feel about that. While he of course disliked the attention, he supposed that becoming a relatable joke for anti-social people around the world was not the most disagreeable fate.
"They love you!" Nora had assured. "You reach out to the awkward, uncomfortable feelings that we all have inside!"
He had tried to take that as a compliment.
"Well whatever," he said to Ruby. "I like being here more."
Ruby smiled. "Yeah. I so do I."
The two of them sat side by side on a stone bench in the Beacon gardens; just in front of them was a shallow pool and the small island with a cherry blossom. Jaune was not sure what kind of tree it was, but it was always in a beautiful bloom, with thousands of little pink petals that looked kind and soft. Perhaps only the onset of winter would manage to dull its warmth.
All around them were flowers of every shape and size, ranging from reds to blues to oranges to yellow to greens and purples and pinks and whites. Their fragrances gently rose up through the air and danced around.
"I really like this place," Jaune said.
"I do too," Ruby replied.
The fairgrounds that had been set up around Beacon were further away, close enough to hear the assorted racket of chatter, laughter and games. Not close enough, however, to have people asking them for pictures every minute. Jaune really hated being a celebrity.
Oh my gosh, are you Jaune Arc?
Can you sign this for me!
Can I see your sword?
You're so cool!
Every compliment forced Jaune to be more and more uncomfortable, and people coming close for a picture always tensed up his muscles and made his mouth run dry. Every visitor to the fair was vetted and needed a ticket. There were Atlas droids patrolling frequently. He and his friends had professional hunters dedicated to trailing them. (At that moment, Qrow stood on the other side of the garden, giving them space but keeping watch.) Despite it all, Jaune could never feel fully safe.
He had forced himself to sit in the stands during RWBY's match earlier that day, but for every other match he was going to retire to the locker room and just watch it on his scroll. The screaming crowd, the presence of thousands of people, the noise, the eyes that came his way—
It was awful.
Ren, also not being a fan of the crowds, volunteered to come and keep him company in the lockers. Nora had said it would be good "bro time." Jaune knew she must be disappointed not to have them with her, but she was selfless enough to push that aside.
He had, however, forced himself to go and spend time around the fairgrounds with them for at least today. He would not hamper his friends' fun.
"Your match is tomorrow," Ruby said. "Nervous?"
"Not really," he said. "We're a strong team. We've got Pyrrha, especially."
"Don't sell yourself short," Ruby said. "You're nearly on Pyrrha's level. If it weren't for her semblance, you could give her a real run for her money."
"Yeah…" Jaune sighed. "Now that you mention it, I still haven't unlocked mine."
"Ah don't worry," she said, patting his arm. "It'll come eventually."
"I want to shoot fireballs," he said. "For some reason, that's what I've always wanted to do."
Ruby giggled softly and said, "That sounds pretty cool."
"Yeah?"
Jaune looked at her, and she looked back. He wanted to kiss her right there, but Qrow was nearby—that would be just downright awkward. There was also the danger of some civilian with a camera taking a picture and making news of it. It was already risky enough for them to be together in public like this.
So Jaune simply placed his hand over Ruby's—her robotic one. It had felt foreign and strange once, but now he had gotten used to its hard edges and slight chill. He gripped her fingers, which squeezed back.
Then Ruby's scroll vibrated in her pocket. She slipped it out quickly and checked the message, then frowned. "We should head back soon," she said. "The others found a good ramen place and wanna eat now."
Right on cue, Jaune's stomach grumbled. As much as he enjoyed just sitting there and quietly talking, a good dinner with his friends promised to be nice as well.
They got off of the bench and headed back to the main fairgrounds. Jaune kept his hand clasped lightly before him, ready to react quickly to anything. He had the Mysterious Magnum strapped to the right side of his hip; Crocea Mors, the left.
The only thing they had to contend with were fans. As they came among the various tents and stalls, they were accosted by the smells of sizzling meats, the chatter of tourists and a few requests for pictures.
The people Jaune liked the most were those who were too intimidated or awed by him to dare and ask for a selfie. Perhaps the clear discomfort on his face and his growing reputation kept some at bay. Of course, he did not want to be rude and give people a bad impression or ruin their day, either. As such, he always took a second to force a smile for a picture or shake a hand. He still kept each interaction brief.
He and Ruby kept walking even as a small trail of people formed around them, ranging from kids to full adults, who all wanted to take a picture or tell them how excited they were for their upcoming matches.
Despite that, they made a decent pace as Ruby led to where she believed the ramen stall to be. Hopefully once they got there, they could finish off taking pictures and go a while without being bothered. Jaune had agreed to spend time out here with the others for just the first day; after this, he would steer clear of this place for the rest of the Festival.
Thankfully, the miniature crowd was actually quick to be dispersed. Most people were interested in their own business, and perhaps his reluctance was visible to other would be selfie-takers. While he didn't turn down their requests, most people could tell he was uncomfortable and had somewhere to be.
Jaune and Ruby picked up the pace as their followers disappeared. A wave of relief hit him when his girlfriend pointed up ahead to a big red-roofed stall. "I think that's it."
Jaune squinted and looked ahead, nodding. "Yeah, I can see them." There was a group huddled around the seats at the ramen shop, and he made out the vibrant hair and outfits of their friends.
Just as this was said, however, Jaune and Ruby passed by some latrines. They were just compact porta-potties with small hand-washing stations before them. They certainly did not smell good inside… but they served as necessary.
Before eating, Jaune figured it would be a good idea to relieve himself. He said as much to Ruby, who nodded and continued to the ramen stall. He veered into a porta-pottie and spent the next few minutes there doing his business. Then he came out, washed his hands and—
"Hey Jaune," said a voice from behind him. One he did not recognize. He grit his teeth, dried off his hands on his pants and readied himself.
He turned around and was ready to ask if the guy wanted a picture, an autograph or both; but when he saw the person, the words stopped dead in Jaune's throat like a car that had just smashed into a wall.
"Hey, long time no see," Victor said. He sheepishly waved his hand. "Um, sorry to interrupt but…"
Victor trailed off, and Jaune himself was at a loss for words. Before him stood the man who had helped kidnap him back in Mountain Glenn, the kid Orion had saved, the ally he had made. He seemed out of place and uncomfortable.
Someone came by and nearly bumped into Victor, who immediately started and looked at them with a hint of panic in his eyes. It was just a passing strange who apologized and went on their way without breaking step. It appeared to Jaune that Victor, having grown up in that tiny town under Mountain Glenn, must have been even more unused to crowds than he was.
"We're just here to quickly catch up on things," said another, who Jaune only now noticed.
The woman did not share Victor's same timidity. She was none other than the young faunus councilwoman Jaune had briefly met back in Mountain Glenn. Her brown bunny ears stuck up out of the top of her head just like Velvet's. Much unlike Velvet, however, she possessed a stern face and a straight-backed, confident posture. She took long strides past Victor—who quickly sidestepped to let her by—and stopped just before Jaune. She studied him for a moment, looking him up and down.
Then she smiled.
"A pleasure to meet you again," she said, holding out a hand to shake. "We were never properly introduced, but I'm Angela."
"Oh, uh," Jaune stuck out his hand. Her grip was firm but not too strong.
Jaune felt his chest tighten, and it got a bit harder to breath. The reality of his situation came crashing down on him as they shook hands. He was not just a teenager on a date with his girlfriend and friends. He was not just a reluctant celebrity. He was a warrior from another planet, another universe, who was embroiled in a web of secrecy that included the most dangerous people in the world.
He looked over his shoulder at the ramen stall, where thankfully it looked like all his friends were now waiting. None of them seemed to be looking back at him.
"I think we should speak in private," Angela said under her breath. "Quickly. We only need five minutes to fill you in."
"Yeah," Jaune said while nervously nodding. "Yeah."
Angela led them off a few steps and twisted behind the porta-potties. There was a narrow space between the latrines and the backs of a row of game stalls where they made their way. They spoke with hushed voices.
"We evacuated from Mountain Glenn," Angela said, cutting right to the chase the second they were secluded. "We saw more patrols coming by, and they didn't stop coming. They only increased in number. We made the call and got out as soon as we could. We have an emergency escape tunnel that leads out the city, and we knew where we wanted to go.
"We've had scouts dispatched regularly for years to find and check in on some spots for us to escape to if need be. Honestly, our place under the ruins was getting cramped and our population was only growing. Plus, people wanted to live in sunshine again. This was just the last push for us to take the risk and leave.
"We packed up everything we could, all our supplies and equipment and stores of food. Orion led out the first party to reach the new spot. It's a long walk away through forests, but we had managed to scrap and fix up trucks and cars just for this occasion. And with Orion, we were safe from any grimm. We just needed to make our way through the forest and get out to the safer parts of the nearby frontier.
"Anyway, we eventually managed to evacuate everyone out to the new location. It's a town on a hill, right near a river. There are some other towns around, but further out in the frontier, people don't ask too many questions.
"So that explains that," Angela said.
Jaune nodded and said, "Good, good. What are you two doing out here?"
"I'm leading a group here to the city to buy some supplies, mostly medical equipment," she replied. "Since this is the biggest group we've ever gone out with, they wanted someone from the council to supervise. We've got a few trucks and cars to load up and then we'll be on our way.
"Victor and I got tickets to come up here because Orion requested we try and contact you in whatever we could. We've been wandering around for a couple hours hoping to run into you. I was getting afraid I'd have to just try and get this letter to you some other way."
With that, Angela held up an envelope, plain white and inconspicuous. "This has a map of where New Refuge is. That's our new town. We're still building everything, but in the last month things have gotten pretty well established, with basic walls and homes. If you ever need a place to stay, you can count on us.
"And that's it."
"That's it?" Jaune asked, a bit jarred by her sudden stop.
"Yes," she said, pushing the letter into his hands. "We only want to update you on our situation to make sure you aren't worrying for us, and we invite you to come visit if you want or if you have need of us. We are grateful for your help with the White Fang and always will be. Just please be discreet." She looked him dead in the eye and leaned closer. "We value our independence. In the frontier, we won't have to answer to Vale, especially if the government officially doesn't know we exist. Don't spoil that for us."
Jaune nodded. "I won't. I left you all out of my report before, and I won't share this with anyone."
She nodded. "Good."
"Yeah that's good," Victor said. They both looked at him with a bit of surprise. Honestly, they had both sort of forgot he was there.
"Right," Angela said. She pulled back and crossed her arms. "We should be off before anybody comes looking for you and we have to try and lie our way out of a secret meeting behind the bathroom."
"Definitely," Jaune said. He suddenly remembered that Qrow was personally watching over him and Ruby from a distance, a detail that sent a spark of panic up his spine. That guy had a habit of barging in at the wrong moment… and if not him, then his friends would come looking shortly.
Without another word, Angela strode out of the alley, with Victor and Jaune just behind her. They stopped for a moment out in front of the porta-potties. Angela turned to him one last time. An awkward second passed, before she held her hand out again.
"Thank you," she said, "for helping us."
Jaune shook her hand again and said, "Not a problem." Their fear of the White Fang had been plain back at Mountain Glenn. He was glad to work with them to fight the terrorists and—
"Oh shit," he said. "One last thing: tell Orion that Bishop is alive."
Angela looked at him quizzically. "Bishop?"
"Orion will understand," Jaune said, talking with a low voice. "Just tell him that Bishop is alive. That's something he needs to know."
"I will," Angela said. Then she turned to Victor and nodded. "We need to get going now."
"Right," Victor said. "And thanks again."
Without another word, the two hurried away. Jaune figured they were going to leave Beacon immediately and head back to Vale.
He felt jittery. His head was abuzz with a nervous, guilty feeling. His secrets were deep and important; he could not tell them to the people he was closest to. Even after promising Peach and Ruby and Pyrrha and Nora and Ren and Qrow that he was opening up, that he was changing as a person, he continued to lie. The things he hid from the people he loved made him feel pain.
He squeezed his eyes shut.
Breathe deep. Hold. Release.
Breathe deep. Hold. Release.
There was nothing else right now that he could do other than calm down and keep moving on. Bishop would die. If not Jaune, then some other hunters or the might of Atlas's military would bring him to justice. Orion would live out his days peacefully in that little village and then be buried there. Jaune himself would take these secrets to the grave, decades from now. Then it would be over, at least for him. What shreds of Earth came to Remnant seemed small and mostly inconsequential, Bishop being a glaring exception.
Breathe deep. Hold. Release.
Jaune opened his eyes and turned around so he could finally head for the ramen stall, only to stop immediately. Not far from him was none other than Blake, who was scrubbing her hands in the small sinks set up before the porta-potties. Jaune gulped.
Out of RWBY and JNPR, Blake was the only one left whom he did not quite consider a friend. She had seen what he did at the docks, after all, and ever since then had never trusted him entirely. He, in turn, had never trusted her or her ability to stay silent. She was the worst person to have clandestine meetings around.
Blake waved her hands through the air to dry them quickly, and she looked over to him. Just her eyes landing on Jaune made him jump. He gulped again and tried to hide his clear discomfort. He shuffled up by her and she fell in step beside him, both of them heading to the ramen stall.
"I was just washing my hands before eating," Blake said.
Hopefully, she hadn't seen him saying goodbye to Victor and Angela.
"Who were those two you were talking to?"
Shit.
"A couple more fans?"
"Yup," Jaune immediately agreed. He cursed himself immediately, however, because his answer had come quickly and nervously.
Sure enough, Blake raised a brow. "You seem a bit off."
"Um." Jaune cursed the buzzing sensation under his skin, the anxiousness and paranoia embedded by the sudden meeting. It only got worse with the presence of Blake's (admittedly innocent) questioning.
Shit.
"Are the crowds getting to you?" she asked. "It's nice of you for agreeing to come out with everyone despite that."
"Oh yeah," Jaune said with a wash of relief. Anybody who knew him would guess that his anxiety was caused by the crowds, for they all knew jut incredibly uncomfortable they made him. "Thanks, but I'll be alright."
Blake nodded sympathetically. Jaune felt a tad guilty for how suspicious of her he had been. Here she was just being empathetic. As much as Blake might have abhorred what he had done at the docks, so much had happened since then to prove his character that certainly her opinion of him had changed by now. She likely didn't see anything really suspicious about him anymore—
"What's that?" she asked, pointing at the letter in his hand.
Shit.
"Just something those fans gave me," Jaune said. He forced down the urge to cram the envelope into his pocket right away, knowing that that was too conspicuous. Instead, he slipped it slowly into his pocket. "Just some letter they wrote, dunno what it says but I'll read it later."
Then, mercifully, they were at the ramen stall. There was an empty seat between Pyrrha and Weiss that he immediately claimed, quickly rushing from Blake's side and into relative safety.
"Hey Jaune," said his partner. "How have you been?"
"Um, holding up."
"Good to hear," Pyrrha said again. The warmth in her voice made him feel worse. All their niceness was only making his guilt deeper. He was a liar.
"Have you ever had ramen before, Jaune?" Weiss asked.
"Nah," he replied, wiping sweat off of his forehead, trying to calm his jitters.
"Well, you're in for an excellent new experience," she said. "I would suggest adding black garlic, a personal favorite of mine."
"Yeah, I'll try that."
Breathe deep. Hold. Release.
If either Pyrrha or Weiss noticed his jitters, neither commented on it. That was good. All he had to do was get a grip of himself, then the questions would stop. Then he would not need to lie in response. Simple. Easy. Good.
As his anxiety over secrecy died down, however, another demon set in. He was seated at the stall in such a way that his back was exposed the main thoroughfare. Now his intense nervousness with regards to crowds and strangers actually did take control.
He turned and looked over his shoulder, observing each passerby… and someone across the street. Qrow himself, the huntsman assigned to protect them, was leaning against a stall with his arms crossed. The man looked right back at him, and he gave the thumbs up.
Just let out a tired, relieved sigh. His shoulder slumped with it, as if he was deflating. He turned and almost slumped onto the counter. His taut muscles wound down, allowing him to finally relax. He was with his friends. He was protected. He was going to have some dinner. Things were good.
He placed his order (the same as what Weiss got) and waited for it patiently with the others. The tension gradually slipped away from him more and more over the course of the next few minutes. He remained silent, but just being with his friends was catharsis.
This was right. Enjoy the moment. Let those other problems be set aside for some time. Focus on living life. He just needed to weather things out, cross his fingers and hope that nothing else from Earth would come in to punch him in the face and make things more complicated.
"Maxwell."
Jaune immediately sat bolt upright in a jolt so unexpected and sudden that he nearly fell back out of his chair. Weiss and Pyrrha each gasped in surprise.
The voice had come from directly behind him. It was a woman's voice, one which Jaune recognized instantly. How could he not? The firm and demanding tone was deeply familiar.
Jaune stood and whipped around to see it for himself.
In the place where his heart should have been, it felt like his prosthetic filter had been crushed. His lungs were petrified. Shock and even fear bit into him as he saw the person who had called his old name. In return, she crossed her arms and fixed him with a deep scowl.
Sarah Lyons did not look happy.
It was actually a bit surreal to write this ending. I've had "Sarah Lyons did not look happy" planned for months, if not maybe a year at this point. It was the same with when I finally revealed Bishop. A moment I've long envisioned and worked towards, an exact quote I come up with and want to reach. The way I come up with my stories is sort of like connect the dots. I think of major plot points first and then just sorta think out how to logically progress from one to the next.