Don't do it, okay? Please don't.

Jaune Arc had no idea why this was happening.

"Mercury, please." Jaune pleaded, terror evident in his voice. "Don't do this man. I'm begging you."

The young man in question only looked at Jaune with his stormy gray eyes. Eyes that were normally filled with mischief - that glint of roguish joy that Mercury was known for.

The night was cold, the wind whipping their hair and uniforms about. The shattered moon shined over Beacon academy, the moonlight illuminating over the empty courtyard. The street lights alongside the treeline cast haunting shadows over the ground, doing nothing to help the scene that was unfolding before the academy.

Mercury Black was calmly walking, paying no heed to his teammate's words. His steps were even and quiet, barely perceptible to Jaune Arc as he followed him in the night.

"You do realize what today is, right?" Mercury asked, cutting through the deafening silence.

"I do." Jaune answered. "Merc, I know. But I thought we were past this. I thought the entire team was past this, I swear!"

Mercury snapped towards Jaune, fury in his eyes. "Then why'd you do it again?" His voice was a whisper, but to the both of them, it was practically yelling. "I trusted you, Arc! I put my faith in you!"

The blonde held his hands out in surrender, his lips in a thin line. "And I'm sorry, Merc. It was an accident, I swear it. I just got... lost in the motions."

Mercury marched towards his teammate, shoving him back. Hatred was etched over his normally calm features. "You don't get, do you?"

"I do! It's just-"

"Just what?" Mercury cut back. "Oh, I'm sorry. I can't hear you past all the Goliath shit spewing from your fucking mouth!"

Mercury shoved him again, this time harder. Anyone else would've shoved back. Jaune didn't.

He knew he was in the wrong.

"Gods Merc, please. I'll make it up to you." Jaune pleaded, desperation in his voice.

"YOU DON'T GET TO DO THAT SHIT WITH ME WHEN YOU FUCKING TURNED ON ME DURING UNO!" Mercury grabbed him by both his shoulders and shook his leader for all his worth. "ON GAME NIGHT!"

Jaune Arc shrugged helplessly. "Ren put a green. I only had a green reverse card, man. What was I supposed to do?"

"Not drop it?!"

"Oh, and what, lose?"

"YES!"

"FUCK YOU!" Jaune flipped him off. "Ren dropped the plus four wildcard. Adam just... passed it on."

"Yeah. Like STD's"

"Gods, you're unbelievable."

"Excuse me, I'm trying to do something here!" A new voice called out. Both boys turned their heads to the sound, seeing Adam pulling his pants up from behind a tree, an adult faunus magazine curled up in his hand.

"Ew." They both said at the same time.

Jaune spotted the cover, and smirked. "Feline Faunus Feature? Really?"

"I'm not over her." Adam deadpanned.

Mercury shrugged. "You could be more subtle, bro."

"Hah! Like you can talk. I saw you gunning for me at the game earlier, stupid."

Jaune groaned in his hand as Mercury stormed towards Adam, knuckles cracking.

Where was Ren when you needed him?

"Let me guess," Ozpin said in his coffee, sitting peacefully at his desk, "game night?"

Ren had his hands behind his back, looking out the headmaster's window at the midnight sky.

"Yes. And it was beautiful." Ren answered, hiding his smile from view.

Ozpin chuckled, swiveling his chair to face his student. "So you did it, hm?"

"Yes."

"What did it cost you?"

Ren shrugged. "My friends. At least for the night."

The headmaster stood from his place, patting the younger man on the shoulder. "You're the only one who could've seen it - or at least the one who possessed the will to act on it."

Ren nodded, watching as Mercury slugged Adam below.

"Exactly."

Thanos Car.