"No!" Jaune insisted, "We can't go out completely covered in armor, it would look like we're ready for a fight! Like we can't trust them." He was trying to make friends with these people, how could they trust him if they couldn't even see his face?

I already told you, we can't trust them. Whitback responded, its own voice raising in frustration. They had already been arguing back and forth for too long! That big, important looking guy must have been wondering what was taking them so long by now.

"No, you just don't want to trust them." He pointed out. "What's the point of being covered in this stuff anyway?" He prodded at the solid white material that still clung to the walls of their current cell.

We need to be able to protect ourselves at a moment's notice. Or, have you forgotten about the gaping hole in your heart I only just finished repairing? The reminder made his chest tingle, the wound still fresh in his mind. It had been incredibly painful, but if they all didn't get along now, wouldn't they have to fight anyway?

He didn't want that. He didn't want to hurt anyone.

"For the white fang." The voice exploded, incinerating his entire life. -

Well… He didn't want to hurt these people.

"Would you feel better if I held your hand?" Jaune offered a hand, mimicking what Whitback had said to him earlier. That way it could still protect them without the risk of scaring anyone.

After a moment of silence, a "doll" was created to take Jaune's extended hand into its own. You won't wander off, right? Whitback anxiously questioned.

"I Promise! Now come on and open the door, that big guy must be getting worried by now." The doll nodded and grabbed a hold of the bone-like material covering the doorway. Blackened veins spread from the doll into the door, covering it like a net before being pulled back, bringing the white material with it.

The guards called the big guy "General Ironwood" by the way. Try not to forget it, I think he's important. Whitback commented quietly, just as the man in question came into view.

To Jaune's relief, Ironwood had a scroll in his hand to occupy the wasted time. It was quickly shut off as the man holding it looked up.

"Good, I was beginning to worry you…" The General paused as his eyes came to the doll.

"I assume your Whitback?" The doll only nodded in response, its lips remaining sealed. Ironwood blinked once and looked to debate something, before stepping to the side and motioning for Jaune to move.

Jaune thought nothing of the interaction and didn't hesitate to step in front of the General.

His idea had worked! Whitback had said it wasn't sure talking would be an option and yet here they were. All because of him. He had stopped any more people from getting hurt. Would that help make up for the three people Whitback had…?

...Maybe he just wouldn't think about them...

It didn't take them very long to reach the roof and for Jaune to take his first breath of fresh air since arriving at Jacques's. It was cool and refreshing with just a hint of something he couldn't quite place. Was it harvest season in Atlas? The scent almost made him think of fruit. Whatever it was, it filled him with a wonderfully heady sensation.

He would have asked Whitback about it, but his thoughts kept slipping away from him. The sensation in his head got so strong he hardly noticed the furious shout from across the rooftop.

"IRONWOOD, YOU BASTARD!" Jacques all but screamed as he marched up to the General. The man was upset, that much was clear, but Jaune couldn't quite figure out why. He heard him say something about stolen files but he was already too distracted to care.

What was making that smell? It was like a room filled with berries doused with a candy perfume. He had enjoyed it at first, but it was quickly becoming too much. Where was it coming from? Why couldn't he find it?

He had looked around, but there was clearly no fruit or candy on the rooftop. Was it on the roof with him? Yes, he was sure it was close. Even if he couldn't see it, he could feel it. Whatever was making that scent had to be close.

And his body ached for it.

The doll was suddenly pulled back to his body, forming crude armor. He crouched down, his body moving without him telling it, and sniffed at the ground. It had to be here, had to be close. Whatever it was, he needed to find it, needed to have it!

"D-nt mo-e!" A voice tickled his ear but could hardly be heard over the pounding in his skull. He could feel the material spill from his jaw, splashing down his chest to cover his body. He didn't notice it, couldn't notice anything but that which set his senses ablaze.

"I smell it… I must have it…" In his haze, it was all that mattered. He needed to find it, needed to take it. It had to be his!

He didn't notice someone shouting something, but the change it caused was noticed immediately. He took another breath in, trying to catch the scent that had begun drifting away. Where was it going? Why couldn't he find it now?

'Find what?' What was he looking for again?

The smell, but what was the scent again? He shook his head and took an aching breath, desperate to find the scent that was quickly slipping away. Where was it going? Why couldn't he follow it?

And when had he hit the ground?

Your body needs to recover Jaune,Whitback explained, It appears the haphazard shield we've created has done some damage. Damage? He couldn't feel any pain, was he really hurt? Then again, currently he couldn't really feel much of anything. That was probably not a great sign, was it?

Please, rest. Its voice was kind, almost lulling him to sleep. I'll deal with Ironwood until you've recovered. Jaune frowned and tried to move. He didn't want to abandon Whitback to take all the blame, but his body rejected his orders and refused to budge.

We haven't caused further injuries, they shouldn't be too mad. Now, rest. There was an odd pressure that accompanied his words, Though it wasn't an uncomfortable feeling. In fact, it almost felt like it was sapping the tension from him, dropping any resistance he felt to the dreamless sleep that claimed him.

At least they hadn't hurt anyone this time, that had to count for something, right?.

\-/

Ironwood stared blankly, willing away any trace of fear from his mind just like he had conditioned his soldiers to do. No one made a sound as the child-turned-Grimm sniffed at the ground, then at the air before letting out a low whining. Its body crashed to the floor a second later, hitting it with a surprising amount of force.

Ironwood let out a slow breath, calming any lingering nerves he might have felt. How much damage would the boy - the grimm - have caused had it attacked them? He was sure the entire Schnee family in the nearby Bullhead would've been slaughtered, along with everyone else on the roof. Then it would have an open path to the ground below and the city beyond. The potential for civilian casualties was staggering.

He forced the thought away, there was no point in stressing over such what-if's. He was just grateful his soldiers were able to cover the Schnee children before they could see anything that might make them panic.

If a single, full grown man's fear was enough to enrage it, what would multiple children completely losing themselves to terror cause? He didn't want to think about the resulting rampage.

"Now then, Jacques." Ironwood cleared his throat and turned back to the man who was still staring warily at Jaune.

"I believe our business is concluded. I trust you'll contact me before…" He looked over at Jaune's unconscious form, a frown coming over his face "Doing anything so utterly foolish ever again."

He turned and left the man to his family, catching sight of a starried eyed pair of sisters within the Schnee bullhead. Had he made an impression on the young girls? The thought made him chuckle; A Schnee joining the military, ha! Would that be a boon, or a curse?

"Get him in the bullhead." Ironwood ordered while walking into the aircraft himself. He turned back to see several of his soldiers struggling to lift the small boy's body. Each limb (excluding the head) had a soldier holding it, yet it was all they could do to drag him up the ramp. The screeching noise caused by the grimm's "armor" grinding against metal caused some flinches, but no other problems were had as they took off.

Ironwood quickly busied himself with the files about Jaune, the one's his specialist had pulled from the Schnee data-banks. Was it theft of SDC property? Absolutely, but given the circumstances, he felt his actions were more than justified. It wasn't like Jacques was about to take him to court, not when everything about this situation was, to put it lightly, illegal.

To his dismay, there wasn't much information about the grimm that lived inside Jaune. It seemed the "viral-grimm" came from the grimm-lands but little else was known. The researchers barely had the thing for a month, apparently content with barely two weeks of testing before moving on to human experiments.

It was reckless in the extreme, but it wasn't as if the military hadn't done similar. Such methods weren't the most efficient, and certainly weren't the safest, but they were by far the fastest to produce results.

The thoughts brought forth a question; what would he do with it? Now that the Grimm was in his possession, did he continue experimenting and trying to learn more about it? Had the Atlasian council been aware of this new grimm, he knew they wouldn't give him a choice. The experiments would begin in earnest.

Those old men would see this Grimm the same way Jacques had: As a powerful weapon to be used to further secure their position. Normally Ironwood would not have disagreed with such a choice, as those very ideals are what allowed Atlas to become the dominant military force on Remnant. Ruthlessness had its place in politics, when it empowered their nation.

But those councilmen were just that, politicians. None of them understood the true threat the average Grimm presented, let alone one intelligent enough to make deals.

None of them would understand the importance of not angering this new grimm they knew so little about. They wouldn't understand that it could be angered to begin with. If they heard it was already in custody, they'd assumed Atlas had bested it. They would believe it to be a leashed dog, incapable of harming them.

General Ironwood was not so shortsighted. This grimm had abilities unlike any he had seen before, and there was no telling how many more it was hiding. Could it draw more grimm to it? Could it control them? Create them? The lack of intel was maddening!

The fact it was willing to deal with him diplomatically suggested it wasn't confident that it could escape its situation with violence. But what if it was just avoiding pain? What if they attacked it and all they could do was piss it off?

No, the council would not be allowed to put his country at risk, he'd deal with this Grimm himself. If it showed malicious or sadistic tendencies, he would ensure its destruction. But, in the meantime, he would take any time he could in order to prepare for said destruction.

And if the grimm was telling the truth? If it was truly subject to the will of the child it inhabited and wanted nothing more than to destroy the White Fang? Well,

He would not deny Atlas such a powerful advantage.

\-/

When Jaune awoke inside a room he had never been in before, his first reaction wasn't to gasp or look around in confusion. Instead, he yawned and stretched out slowly, taking his time getting out of the surprisingly comfortable bed he found himself in.

Should he be worried about waking up in a place he didn't recognize? Probably, but this was the third time he woke up to strangeness in the last day! He wasn't sure how much "surprise" he had left in him. On the bright side, this room was much nicer than his last.

For starters, there was no massive window Jaune felt himself being watched from, and he could even see doorknobs on both the doors in the room. His bed was also much bigger, accompanied by a thick comforter and a wardrobe adjacent. Seeing the wardrobe, Jaune quickly stripped out of the old shorts and shirt Jacques had given him and grabbed fresh clothing.

"You're being quiet," He commented while chaning, "Everything alright, Whitback?" Had something happened while he was sleeping? He didn't think that Ironwood guy would do anything bad, not after he agreed to help.

Of course, Jaune, It soothed, I was just thinking about our next step. While the strange itchy/tingly feeling that accompanied its voice was still present, Jaune only felt relieved to hear it speak. Maybe it came with an uncomfortable feeling, but the idea of being stuck with the silence again, like he had been at Jacques', before Whitback…

He didn't want to be alone again.

"Our next step? What do you-"

The White Fang.

The memory slammed into his head so fast he almost stumbled. The explosion, the burning flames, the screams…

The bodies...

Do you… Whitback hesitated, Want to leave them alone? It asked, almost nervously. I mean; if it hurts to think about them, you don't have to. I won't let them hurt us again. It was trying to comfort him, Jaune knew, but the images that assaulted him refused to be forgotten. Even with Whitback forcing his heart to beat steadily, his mind continued to rage.

"No!" Jaune shook his head violently. "We can't just let them go! What if they do it again?" The thought made his fists shake, "We can't let them do this again." The memories were fuzzy, but that did nothing to ease the pain he felt. The pain they had caused.

You want revenge? Whitback questioned, its voice holding not but curiosity. If you wish them gone, I shall gladly wipe them from the face of the planet. It would be difficult, but I believe, as your Grand protector, that I could accomplish such a feat within two years. No one would have to worry about another "White Fang" attack ever again.

"Maybe…" Did he want that? Did he want them all to… die? Thinking about them, what they had done, it made his head pound and his blood boil. Yes, he wanted them to die, he was sure of it. So why did that thought sap the strength from his limbs? Why were his hands shaking so much?

He had killed three people already hadn't he? It was Whitback who had actually killed them, but he was the reason for it. Wasn't that just as bad? It sure felt like it. It made him feel sick, like his legs might give out at any second.

You have time, Jaune. Think about it clearly. Whitback's words came with a calming wave, washing away the pain in his head and stomach. It was relaxing, like every muscle in his body simply let go of the tension they held. It didn't make the question any easier, but it helped clear his thoughts and doubts.

"I… Don't want to kill them." He admitted, despite a part of his mind screaming in protest. Those monsters had taken everything from him, they needed to be punished. But the thought of killing? It just felt… wrong.

"I don't want people to die. But if we do nothing, wont the same thing happen again?" The explosion, the fire, the pain. Would someone else have to go through what he did? Just because he chose to do nothing? Had he gone through all this because someone else had done nothing?

"No. we can't let them take anyone else away. They have to be stopped." And if that meant killing them, well… The sick feeling inside him couldn't last forever, right?

"I couldn't have put it better myself" Ironwood's voice made him jump, drawing his attention to the door where the General stood. It was a relief to see the man had a much friendlier look in his eye than when they were at Jacques'. He still looked scary, but it was better. At least he thought so.

"I didn't notice you there." Jaune recovered quickly, forcing away the darker thoughts and greeting the man with a friendly smile.

"I apologize," The General lowered his head slightly, " I didn't mean to eavesdrop, but you're speaking about the White Fang, correct?"

Jaune's heart skipped a beat at the name, his smile fading immediately. He didn't even want to talk about those monsters. But he had to. If he was going to keep them from hurting other people, he'd have to do a lot more than just speak about them.

"Yes. I am talking about the… White Fang." He forced the name out. "The people who took everything from me. Do they-" His voice cracked. The question he wanted to ask felt like it made his tongue swell. Did he really want to know the answer?

No, he didn't want to know. But he had to.

"Have they stolen families before? Like they did mine…?" He had already decided to do something, but what if the White Fang had never done this before? What if it was just a mistake? Maybe he could just leave them alone, like Whitback had suggested.

"Yes." Ironwood shattered the hope with but a word. "The attack that took your family was the third the White Fang have taken credit for. We had thought - hoped - that the first two were anomalies, a few extremists that got ahold of some firepower. But, they haven't stopped. While your's was the third recorded, another has taken place since then."

The-They had already taken more!?

"How many people have they…?" He couldn't finish, and didn't need to.

"32." Such a small number, and yet it felt bigger than any he had ever heard before.

"I have to do something." How could no one have done something already?!

"We have to do something."

\-/

James looked into the glowing red eyes that stared at him, undeniably grimm in nature and yet, so much more could be found within their depths. Sorrow, anger, fear, and determination. Had those emotions ever been seen in the creatures that beat upon their walls?

Anger, perhaps. But even then, were they really angry? Or were they just following an instinct that only looked like anger from a human perspective?

It didn't matter.

Didn't matter because Jaune was showing emotion. And a lot of it.

"You really want to stop them, don't you?" A grimm wanting to stop a terrorist organization? Preposterous, Salem's children care for nothing but the destruction of everything around them. But, then again, this wasn't just any old grimm.

"Of course! How could you not?!" More emotion, shock this time. "They're killing people." He spit the word out, face twisting as if it physically hurt to say it. Anger and disgust were clear as day, Jaune's inhuman features doing little to hide the emotions being displayed.

"You're going to help, right?" He "asked" rather pointedly.

"Of course, I already agreed to help you, didn't I?"" James replied without missing a beat, years of dealing with politicians allowing him to cover up any hint of doubt. He would have been fighting the White Fang soon enough as it was, their sudden increase in hostility couldn't be ignored.

"With that said," He continued carefully, "Your grimm-like appearance and abilities are far too distinguishable." One good look at his eyes and people everywhere would be talking about a human-like grimm. While the panic such news brought would cause issues, it wasn't what had him worried.

What if Ozpin found out? The Headmaster of Beacon was normally a very reasonable man, but with this new kind of grimm involved? The man was almost certain to call for its extermination. An understandable choice, and one James' himself would have made were he in Ozpin's place.

But that was only from a position in Vale, where the Grimm was not currently within national disaster range. If they attacked it now and couldn't kill it immediately, the civilian population would be the first to suffer the consequences.

Even if they got it away from the city, the question remained; what would happen if they tried and failed to kill it? Child or not, it already showed a desire to punish those that wronged it.

What would happen if Atlas replaced the White Fang in its mind? The results would be the same as if the Atlasian council found out. Ozpin might not try to experiment and use the grimm like they would, but the resulting risk of retaliation remained.

No, he wouldn't let it happen. No one could find out, not until he was sure they could kill it.

"We can't afford to risk that attention. The enemies that might come after you for what you are would, at the very least, keep you distracted. Taking attention from the White Fang." He wouldn't lie, but neither would he tell the full truth.

"Witness' will not be acceptable."

"That means the only missions I could send you on are the kind that don't leave any witnesses." It wasn't something he was keen on. Sending the grimm out to do anything sounded like a disaster waiting to happen, let alone sending it out specifically to kill people.

If he could, he'd prefer to lock the thing up in a basement and throw away the key. Somehow, he doubted that would work.

Dealing with and directing the grimm had to be the lesser evil. Controlled violence was better than wanton destruction, or so he chose to believe.

"I-I'll-" The grimm cut off, hands shaking and unable to make eye contact. The agonized expression on its face brought forth a disturbing question; What of the child? Jaune was a kid, too young to understand the true weight of life and death. Could James allow himself to use a child soldier? Even one with such unique physical attributes?

"I'll do it." Jaune, or the grimm, took the choice away, voice reverberating through the room. "If it means stopping those that stole everything," Its entire demeanor changed in an instant, glowing red eyes burning a hole into James' very being.

"I'll kill them."

\~/

Hope I made this chapter with believable actions and reactions. I admit, I struggled a bit with combining Jaunes childish innocence with Whitback's ruthless nature but I dont think it turned out bad. I can't see Jaune as an angry, revenge driven hero, especially when he's so young. But neither could i ever see him going through these circumstances and choosing to sit back and do nothing in retaliation. Lemme know what you think! Same with James, though I hope I made him believable and kept his actions inline with his character. As usual, if you notice any mistakes or things that arent clear please don't hesitate to ask! Hope you enjoy and have a wonderful day/night!