DISCLAIMER: I own nothing related to RWBY
"If the Beacon Relic is not in danger, then which one is?" Pyrrha asks.
Jaune jabs at a piece of carrot on his plate with a fork. "Cinder, Mercury, and Emerald."
Bringing the piece of food up to his mouth, he silently chews, waiting for them to figure it out. Ren and Pyrrha look down in thought, while Ruby, Yang, and Nora whisper among themselves.
It did not take long for Qrow and Taiyang to look up in realization. Jaune makes eye contact with them and subtly shakes his head, signaling them to remain silent. They nod and lean back into their respective seats.
Ren's voice cuts through the silence. "They came from Haven. This means that they are familiar with the school grounds, its security, and staff."
"And attacking the other schools is unlikely. Atlas is in the middle of a frozen tundra and Vacuo is..." Pyrrha struggles to find the appropriate words. "well... complicated."
Jaune taps his finger on the table. "Indeed, Haven is likely to be her next target. Anything else you can deduce?"
Looking around the room at the blank stares, Jaune gives a hint.
"What are the requirements to transfer between schools?"
Being an active teacher, Taiyang easily answers, "Three things: Transcripts, signatures from both parties, and-..." He pauses for a moment, seemingly realizing something. "and the headmaster's stamp."
"Tai," Qrow says in a low voice. "It could just be a coincidence."
Though his voice betrays his doubt.
"How difficult is it to fake the headmaster's mark on these documents?" Jaune asks calmly.
"... Extremely." Taiyang admits. "Those stamps are specially made to prevent forgery. And don't even get me started on the Dust ink they use."
"Um... what are you three talking about?" Ruby raises her hand timidly. "Sorry, but I'm having a bit of a hard time following."
With a frown, Ren replies, "I... believe that the headmaster of Haven Academy is currently under suspicion of conspiring with the enemy."
"This is absurd!" Qrow growls. "Not Leo. He's been Oz's ally long before I got involved."
"All I am doing is pointing out the possibility," Jaune replies. "It's not a pleasant thought, but it would be incredibly foolish to disregard it completely."
Qrow stands up from his seat and slams his hands on the table.
"I don't want to believe it! If this suspicion turns out to be true, then things are looking even worse than we could have imagined."
Jaune sighs. "Things aren't as bad as you make it out to be. If one is not ignorant to the circumstances, then there is always an opportunity."
"Oh really?" Qrow sarcastically remarks. "Please enlighten us, oh wise one."
"We can start by not being a smartass," Jaune snorts.
"Much can be inferred about an individual through just their actions. As someone who controls the Grimm, she's always been the one to be the threat. From what I can tell, never has she truly felt like she's been in danger. Over time, it is only natural that she would grow slightly careless in how she handles things. Look at how the attack on Vale was orchestrated. The speech Salem gave through Cinder is calculated, yet dripping with utter arrogance. Having lived for so long, to her, failing here and there is no big deal. She can just try again in the future. Such is the mentality she surely holds, whether she knows it or not."
"Such arrogance can be exploited for our gain." Jaune's eyes gain a predatory sheen.
'Scary'
"Okay... how?" Qrow mutters. "What exactly are you proposing? We don't even know if we can trust Leo."
Jaune interlocks his fingers.
"Consider the worst case scenario in that Leo is conspiring with Salem. If you were in Salem's shoes, what would you task him with?"
Taiyang brings a hand up to his chin.
"Well, a headmaster naturally has access to all of his/her students' and staffs' profiles. Which means that if Salem desired such information, she'd have access to everyone passing through Haven Academy."
"There would also be no need to waste time searching for the Vault's location," Yang points out.
"Tai," Qrow says in a low voice. "Leo has a seat on the Mistral Council. It's not just Haven, but every single Huntsman and Huntress registered in the Mistral System."
Everyone's eyes widen at the implications.
"He would have access to every mission and location. If he gives that information to Salem..."
Jaune nods at their conclusion.
"And now you know where to look in order to verify the Haven headmaster's allegiance."
"Is there more?" Qrow tiredly sighs.
Jaune crosses his arms and taps his fingers while pondering.
"Without a doubt, Salem is aware of my existence due to Cinder's survival. The silver lining is that she knows nothing about my capabilities, aside from the fact that her Fall Maiden was severely injured by me. In her eyes, I'm an unknown force that has marred her perfect plan. She can't afford to ignore me. Therefore, she'll end up doing one or more of the following: keep a constant tab on my location, have me killed, or have me captured."
"So what will you do?" Qrow asks in a low voice.
Jaune grins, "I give her what she wants."
"What?"
"Pretend inferiority and encourage her arrogance," Jaune recites.
"I'll allow myself to be seen in Vale and Beacon at regular intervals. Between those intervals, I've decided to travel throughout Remnant, taking care of various matters and gathering whatever information I can find. Another benefit is that I'll be able to check up on Blake and Weiss."
"Uh... Jaune?" Yang skeptically voices. "And how exactly will you be doing that? The airways have been limited due to the recent attack, and it's not exactly inconspicuous. In case you haven't noticed, we're kind of famous now due to the Vytal Tournament."
"Well... infamous in my case," Yang mutters to herself.
"Good point," Jaune feigns surprise, then floats into the air in a seated position. The room falls deathly quiet for a moment, until Nora's scream jolts everyone back to attention.
"He's really an alien!" Nora exclaims.
"Holy crap, he wasn't joking!" Taiyang yells, dropping his utensils.
"Woah..." Ruby's expression is a mix of envy and shock
Ren remains silent, but his eye twitches involuntarily. Pyrrha is the least surprised of all, having seen first hand what Jaune did at the top of the Tower.
"I should've done this from the beginning," Jaune mumbles. "So now do you all believe everything I've told you?"
"Just... how much have you hidden from us?" Yang is incredulous.
"Who's to say I'm not hiding even more?" Jaune chuckles. "Anyways, with my current maximum speed, it should take less then a day to go from here to anywhere on Remnant."
"What about us?" Nora asks.
"While I'm gone, you should all be training and improving yourselves. Go out and aid the Academy and city in any ways you can. Unfortunately, we can not make any drastic plays until Vale and Beacon regain some semblance of security." Jaune settles back down into his seat.
"Therefore, we'll have to do what we can to delay Salem from making her move against Haven for as long as possible. I'm not sure how you all would contribute to that, but my case is pretty clear. I'll have to ensure that she can never disregard me. Despite her knowing my location, I'll have to show hints of unknown information to whatever eyes and ears Salem will set upon Vale. I mustn't be too discreet, else she'll have enough confidence to commence with whatever plans she has. However, I must not be too bold either, else she makes an unexpected move out of desperation."
"As for your training, I have a few things to suggest for all of you."
"But... we already know how to fight?" Ruby tilts her head curiously.
Jaune reaches over and lightly flicks her head, eliciting a small yelp.
"You, in particular, only know how to efficiently kill Grimm. When it comes to non-Grimm combat, you're severely lacking, to be quite frank."
Ruby rubs her head and pouts.
"As for the rest of you, there are some key flaws or improvements to address in your respective fighting styles. You don't have to do what I point out, but I strongly suggest you give it a chance. I won't be leaving Vale anytime soon, as there is business to be taken care of here, so I will have an ample amount of time to lay down the foundations of your training."
*** Later that night ***
Jaune breathes in the cold night air through his nose while sitting on top of the roof. He reaches into his pocket and takes out a fire Dust crystal. He stares intently at it as he cups the red crystal between his hands, feeling its intrinsic warmth.
'Inscribing the Vermillion Bird shouldn't be an issue. I'm still rather weak due to the backlash of burning so much blood essence, and the benefits this art will provide me is something that I can not afford to ignore. The Azure Dragon will have to wait.'
A breath of white air escapes his mouth as he steadily breathes out. Jaune closes his eyes and begins to focus on the refinement of the energy within the Dust crystal.
'The Vermillion Bird embodies the element of fire. In its purest form, fire is not just a force of destruction, but is the breath of life. It burns creation, and from its ashes a new one is birthed. An everlasting cycle of death and rebirth. The Vermillion Bird's seven mansions are the Well, Ghosts, Willow, Star, Net, Wings, and Chariot. The gust from its fiery wings brings Summer and good fortune.'
A faint outline of a majestic bird of varying hues of red takes form. Give long plumes of tail feathers gracefully trail behind as it slowly comes to life.
'The creature soars and roosts in the South.'
Jaune gently pushes his palm out, allowing his creation to flap its wings in slow motion. It circles above Jaune's head once, before plunging itself into the bottom portion of the Paifang's gateway.
Back on the rooftop, Jaune reopens his eyes and pockets the Dust crystal, which is now a dull grey color. He floats into the air, cross legged, and slowly rotates his Aura through the Vermillion Bird sigil. With the essence, he circulates it through his body, breathing life back into his cells, rapidly repairing them to peak condition. With each pass, the color of his skin deepens back to a healthy peach. The grey locks in his hair visibly brighten back to his signature blond and regains its luster. Less than a minute later, Jaune's appearance has fully recovered to the image everyone is accustomed to.
He settles back onto the rooftop, then sighs while clenching his hand into a fist.
'All this accomplished was recovering my vitality and bringing me out of my weakened state.'
He releases his fist and sighs while looking down at his palm.
'Only 5 years...'
Without moving, Jaune greets, "Good evening Raven."
No response.
"Are you going to stand there all night and not say a word?"
A feminine sigh sounds out from behind him, and Raven strolls to Jaune's side before sitting down. Neither say a word as they both gaze out into the night sky, admiring the stars.
After several minutes, Raven decides to break the silence.
"You've certainly recovered nicely."
"... I suppose I did."
Another moment of silence takes over, before Raven lets out a stuttered breath.
"I hesitated," she whispers. A pained look flashes across her eyes for a split second.
"So you did," Jaune simply responds. "You overheard everything I told them."
Raven nods, not at all surprised that Jaune was aware of her presence during his talk.
"And what will you do now?" Jaune asks.
Raven lets out a small laugh. "Honestly, I'm still coming to terms with accepting whatever that was that happened in the Emerald Forest wasn't just a figment of my imagination."
She turns to Jaune with a serious look.
"You weren't joking when you claimed that nothing is unkillable."
"Of course not," Jaune smirks. "I never joke."
"Hmph," Raven grunts.
"Were you aware that Ozpin had once asked me about gods?"
Raven raises an eyebrow, indicating Jaune to continue.
"Ever since I'd heard Qrow's story regarding the two Brothers, I can only assume that Ozpin was referring to them when he asked me that question." Jaune laughs to himself. "Though I suppose it's understandable that mortals would label something as a god because they can not fully comprehend its existence."
"You've probably already guessed it by now, but Ozpin and I are not the greatest of terms," Raven bluntly states. "My opinion on him has not changed. He is a liar and schemer that uses those around him to do his dirty work."
Jaune remains silent.
"Despite everything I've learned so far, my priority remains the same. Ensuring our survival." Raven lets out a sigh. "Allying myself with you seems to align with that priority quite well."
"Seriously?" Jaune raises an eyebrow. "Why can't you be honest and just say that you want to be friends?"
Raven's eye involuntarily twitches.
"Fine," Jaune raises his hands. "Have it your way. Though this is convenient, as having the Spring Maiden's aid is a boon."
Her eyes widen for a brief moment, before she recovers and scoffs.
"When did you realize?"
"When you arrived," Jaune smiles. "I've been in the presence of both Amber and Cinder, so I'd say I'm rather familiar with the presence Maidens emit. Fall felt mildly cold, while yours feels mildly warm. It's not so difficult to connect the dots and deduce you carry Spring."
"All the more reason to ally myself with you. Having you as an enemy would be incredibly annoying," Raven clicks her tongue. "I'd like to make it clear that I am allying myself with you. Not Ozpin."
She stands up and walks several feet away.
"And by no means does it make us friends, no matter what you may believe. It just so happens that your goals align with mine."
"Sure, whatever you say," Jaune replies with a small smile. "Are you sure you won't take a look at Yang before you leave?"
Raven pauses mid-step.
"She's recovering from her injury," she softly says. Without saying another word, she jumps into the air and flies away.
Jaune shakes his head as he watches her fly away.
"A bad actor as usual..." he mutters.
His eyes glance down at a window directly below him that is slightly ajar.
*** Ruby in Yang's room ***
"So... today was an interesting day," Ruby lightly laughs to herself.
"Tell me about it," Yang sighs as she makes her way towards her bed. She slightly winces as she had instinctively tried to grab her bed post with her missing arm.
Ruby rushes to her side with a worried look.
"I'm fine," Yang whispers. "It's just taking a bit of time getting used to it..."
"But-"
"Ruby," Yang gives her little sister a stern look. "I said I'm fine."
Ruby lets out a sad sigh and slightly nods.
"Look," Yang's tone turns gentler. "I don't want people treating me like I'm completely helpless. Aren't I still your butt kicking older sister?"
"Yup," Ruby sniffs her nose. "You are."
"Then treat me like you always do," Yang reaches over and ruffles Ruby's hair. "Like I said, it's just going to take some time getting used to."
Ruby pries Yang's hand off her head, then throws herself into her sister's embrace, while being careful not to touch her wound. Yang gently smiles and pats Ruby's back.
"And what about you?"
"What about me?" Ruby mumbles into Yang's clothes.
Yang gently pries Ruby away from her torso and looks her directly in the eyes.
"Don't give me that. You've always had a bad habit of bottling up your emotions."
Ruby averts her eyes.
"I'm... it's just that I keep thinking about what happened to-" Ruby pauses and catches her breath. "to Penny..."
"She just wanted to be a normal girl, you know? But instead... she was used as a tool." Ruby's voice turns slightly dark. "As a sacrifice for their plans."
Yang tries to cheer Ruby up.
"They might be able to rebuild her right? Since her body was robotic."
"Maybe..." Ruby mumbles, unconvinced. She sniffles for several moments before looking back up at her sister.
"Yang? Can I sleep here tonight? Please?"
Yang tenderly smiles and lifts her blanket for Ruby to crawl under.
"Of course."
Ruby lays on her side and curls. Her eyes slowly close, heavy and tired from the recent events.
"Good night... I love you," Ruby softly mumbles with her eyes closed, half asleep.
"I love you too," Yang whispers. The sound of Ruby's soft breathing, indicates that she was now fast asleep. After tucking the bed covers over Ruby to keep her warm, Yang's expression gradually grows solemn. She brings her knees up to her chest and silently glares at the stump which used to be her right arm with a complicated expression.
Deciding to cool her head, Yang reaches over and carefully pries open her window, so as to avoid waking Ruby. She lays her head across the window sill and sighs as the cold night air washes over her face. As her eyes are closing, her ears perk up, catching the sound of voices from outside. Were they coming from above? The rooftop?
'Is that Jaune's voice? Who's he talking to?'
*** An hour prior ***
Pyrrha, Ren, Nora, Ruby, and Yang are facing each other while seated on the floor of Ruby's room.
"So... there was that," Yang says. "Do you all believe everything he said though? Like, the universe and stuff was all kind of out there."
"Well, that flying thing he did was pretty cool," Ruby nervously laughs. "But yeah... it's kind of a lot to take in at once."
"That is true," Pyrrha admits. "But on that night, he just appeared on top of the tower from nowhere. Along with all the feats he's accomplished, I don't know what other explanation would suffice."
"There is also that movement thing he showed us and CFVY." Nora points out.
"What movement thing?" Yang asks curiously.
Ren sighs, "I suppose we may as well tell you, seeing that Nora has let the figurative cat out of the bag."
"Oops," Nora apologetically replies.
"On the day of the breach, we went to the training rooms along with CFVY. During that time, Jaune demonstrated a movement technique for us. He called it Reflection of the Divine Moon. To our eyes, he literally disappeared from view and all sounds of his movements were gone."
"You sure he wasn't just moving really fast?" Yang sounds a little skeptical.
Ren shakes his head. "He explicitly stated that speed had nothing to do with it."
He turns to Pyrrha and Nora.
"Both of you remember his words? He was talking about truth when describing that technique. Don't you think that sounds eerily similar to how he described the Dao?"
"You're... right," Pyrrha's eyes wander in thought.
"Wait a minute..." Nora pokes at her chin with a finger. "Didn't he say his 8 year old little sister discovered the concept behind this move?"
Her hand drops to her lap as realization dawns upon her. With wide eyes she asks Ren and Pyrrha.
"Do you think that he was talking about... a sister from his past life?"
"Ying Yue," Pyrrha whispers.
"What's a Ying Yue?" Ruby asks, while struggling to properly pronounce it.
Pyrrha keeps her gaze looking downwards towards her lap.
"Do you all remember that day in the dining hall, when Jaune confronted Cardin for bullying Velvet?"
Their heads nods.
"I distinctly remember that as soon as Jaune had turned around and saw Velvet, he muttered Ying Yue to himself before rushing in to intervene. Perhaps I'm wrong, but... I think Jaune briefly associated Velvet with whoever Ying Yue is, causing him to react in such a fashion."
"And you're saying that Ying Yue is-"
Pyrrha sadly nods. "There is also the fact that whenever Jaune looks or talks to Velvet, I never got the sense that it is romantic. I think that given what we know, it is safe to assume that Ying Yue is the name of Jaune's sister."
Ren brings a hand up to his chin and mutters, "Ying Yue. It's from a language largely unknown to most on Remnant. It is also where I got my name."
He thinks for a moment, trying to recall old memories.
"I... believe that Ying Yue can be roughly translated to... reflection of the moon"
"Oh my gosh..." Nora quietly gasps.
"That means he-" Yang's eyes widen.
"He named the technique in remembrance of his sister," Pyrrha looks shaken by this discovery. "And he wanted to teach it to Velvet because she..."
Ruby asks, "Didn't Jaune say that he's lived for at least t-thousands of years in his past life? Doesn't that mean he's been carrying this for all that time?"
Silence falls upon the room. The feeling of loss is not foreign to any of them, not even Pyrrha. But to live with it continuously for that long? Yang clenches her hand into a tight fist. If she lost Ruby, would she be able to handle it without going insane?
"We should trust Jaune," Ruby looks up resolutely. "The stuff he's told us is a little... crazy, but I believe his intentions for us are nothing but good."
"I... agree." Yang says softly. "But how should we treat him? Technically, he's.. super old compared to us?" She looks directly at Pyrrha.
Pyrrha tightly grips her hands. "I-..." She starts, but looks away and swallows her response.
'I still-'
*** The following morning ***
"Jaune?" Ruby calls out. She opens her home's door and steps outside. "Jaune, where are you-"
She abruptly halts when she turns the corner, finding Jaune meditating with legs crossed, several feet in the air. "U-uh..."
He rotates midair to face Ruby, and opens an eye.
"Good morning Ruby."
"Uh... g-good morning..." Ruby mumbles while dazed.
Amused by her reaction, he levitates towards her. "What's the matter?"
"W-well your hair. Your skin. They look normal again. It's only been one night. What happened?" Ruby rapidly asks.
"Didn't I say that it was only temporary? Turns out it wasn't as severe as I'd initially thought," Jaune smiles.
"I see. Thank goodness." Ruby lets out a breath of relief. "So... what were you doing out here?"
"Meditating and clearing my mind." Jaune responds.
"Uh huh... Well, anyway, it's time for breakfast, and we were wondering if you'd like to join us."
Landing on his feet, Jaune walks beside Ruby back into the house.
"Of course. I'd love to."
Jaune repeats the explanation of his recovered appearance to the rest of the group during breakfast, much to the relief of everyone present.
"I have some business I must attend in Vale." Jaune announces. "I should be back before the sun sets."
"Well, Ren and I were going back to Vale as well. The city needs as much help as it can get." Nora points out.
"I'll be joining you," Pyrrha adds. "I admit that I was rather... unresponsive for the past week."
"I'll be here taking care of Yang," Ruby grins. "Someone has to be the adult around here."
Yang playfully scoffs, "Says the one who begged to stay in my room last night."
"Yang!" Ruby's face grows red from embarrassment.
Jaune chuckles and nods his head.
"I'll meet you all back here later this evening."
As he soars high above the city, Jaune observes the damage it had sustained from the recent attack.
'Hmm... the Huntsmen and Huntresses who were present in the city did a pretty good job of keeping the damage to a minimum. But it will still take some time for things to return to normal.'
Jaune notices a section of the Academy grounds that had been cordoned off from public view.
'That's where... They're still cleaning that up?'
He lands on a rooftop with a soft tap and walks down the rooftop stairway exit. Jaune casually walks through the empty hallways, heading straight towards his destination.
Glynda stares intently at the Scroll held in her hand, a small frown marring her face.
"Well, you certainly look busy."
She yelps in surprise and lets go of her Scroll. Before she could react with her Semblance, a hand reaches out from behind Glynda and swiftly catches her device. She turns around to face the unexpected visitor.
"Jaune," she gasps. "I'd heard that you were still unconscious."
"Just woke up yesterday," Jaune responds. He hands the Scroll back to Glynda.
As she pockets it, she asks with concern, "And how are you feeling?"
"About as good as new." Jaune leans in, taking a closer look at Glynda's eyes. "Can't exactly say the same for you. You look like you haven't slept in days."
She rubs her eyes and stifles a yawn.
"Every able bodied professor, Huntsmen, and Huntress have been working around the clock. Because Professor Ozpin is missing, his responsibilities fall upon me, until he returns."
"Perhaps I can help."
Jaune places a hand on Glynda's shoulder and sends a sliver of Vermillion Bird qi through her. Glynda fails to hold down a gasp as an indescribable warmth spreads out through her body, feeling the fatigue and sleep deprivation washing away.
As Jaune pulls his hand away, Glynda reaches up and rubs her shoulder, then brings her hand in front of her to clench several times. All of her stiffness is gone, like she'd never been tired in the first place.
"What was that?" She asks Jaune with wide eyes.
"Just a bit of energy to revitalize you. It wouldn't do any of us good if you collapsed from overworking."
Glynda sighs, then gives Jaune a small appreciative smile.
"I suppose pushing you for details is pointless, and the gesture is very much appreciated. So, why are you here?"
"Hmm... I believe that there is a certain flamboyant fellow wearing a bowler hat in the medical facilities. He's awake, is he not?"
Glynda makes an annoyed face at the mention of Torchwick.
"Unfortunately, he is. Follow me."
*** Beacon Medical Facilities ***
Roman is sitting upright on his bed, while Neo sits on the edge, playing with her Scroll. They both turn their heads to the door as it opens with a mechanical hiss.
"Well, if it isn't Glynda," Roman greets obnoxiously. "I thought you couldn't stand seeing my face."
Glynda's eyes narrow dangerously.
"Jaune, please come in."
Neo nearly jumps up upon seeing Jaune strolling into the room. He makes brief eye contact with her before he grabs a chair and sets it down beside Roman's bed.
Jaune slowly looks over the flamboyant criminal.
"Roman Torchwick. Do you know who I am?"
"Kid, everyone knows who you are after your brief performance in the Vytal Tournament."
Jaune tilts his head then sighs, "You know, I went through a lot of effort to save your skin. That is a very strange way of saying thank you."
Roman responds with a cautioned tone.
"One thing I've learned quickly in my trade is that only the stupid do things for free. I have a hard time believing that you're stupid, so... why?"
Jaune chuckles and leans forward. "Well, I will admit that it was partly on a whim, but you're right, there is an opportunity I saw in my decision to save you."
"Which is?" Roman raises an eyebrow.
"The opportunity to greatly benefit the Kingdom of Vale and contributing to its safety."
Roman laughs, "Of all the things I prepared myself to hear, that was definitely not one of them. In case you haven't noticed, I'm not exactly one to abide by the law."
"Well, that's precisely the reason why only you can do what I'm about to propose," Jaune smirks. "I guarantee that you'll be interested in what I have to say."
"Oh really?" Roman sarcastically remarks.
"Jaune, what are you doing?" Glynda whispers.
"Trust me on this," Jaune glances at her, before turning back to Roman and Neo.
"Before I explain anything, were you working for Cinder Fall willingly?"
Roman stiffens, while Neo visibly bristles at the mention of that woman's name.
Jaune nods.
"I thought so."
"Here's my proposal. The Dust that you've stolen while under the employment of Cinder. I want half."
"What?" Glynda exclaims.
"And why would I do that?" Roman asks suspiciously.
Jaune ignores their comments and continues, "As for the other half, 80% of that will funnel back into Vale and Beacon for whatever uses they're required for. You get to keep the remaining 20%."
"Jaune!" Glynda hisses.
'This is strange. What is his angle?'
"And why am I getting anything at all?"
Jaune chuckles, "You think I'd bother saving someone's life so that I could send them to prison?"
He points a finger at Roman's face.
"You are capable of taking action where the Vale Police Force and Huntsmen can not, due to the limitations of the law. I will let you go about doing your business, and all we need in return is for you to keep in contact with us. You're incredibly familiar with the criminal world, likely more so than anyone in Vale at the moment. I need you to keep an eye on people attempting to sneak into Vale through the more... obscure channels. So long as you are not acting in a manner which would deter the recovery of this Kingdom, you can go about and do as you please."
Roman leans back. Indeed, it is an interesting proposal.
"And of course, to run any kind of operation, you'll need money, which is why I'm letting you keep a portion of the Dust. An added bonus is that those trying to sneak in will likely be related to Cinder. Surely you must be interested in getting your hands on such individuals."
Jaune gives Neo and Roman a knowing look.
"What about if Cinder learns about our involvement with you?"
Roman narrows his eyes.
"As far as the public is concerned, you're dead," Jaune scoffs. "Cinder will not be a concern for you to worry about."
On the side, Glynda grits her teeth, wanting to voice her protest, but remains silent.
Roman pretends to think.
"Hmm... I want 30% instead."
"Don't push your luck."
"Alright, fine," Roman brings his hands up. "Can't blame a man for trying."
He holds his hand out.
"You have a deal."
Jaune glances to his side.
"Glynda, do you find this acceptable?"
Glynda glares back with a complicated expression.
"You're proposing for us to work with a criminal. The very same criminal who was largely responsible for the Grimm breach in the city several weeks ago. The same criminal who shot down multiple Atlesian ships, killing dozens of Atlas soldiers!"
Remaining silent, Jaune continues to lock his gaze with Glynda.
She finally sighs and pinches her temples.
"I know... We're in a dire situation and can not be picky."
Glynda turns on her heels and makes her way towards the exit with brisk steps.
She stops by the door and says, "I hope that this will not turn out to be a mistake... Gods know that we can not afford any missteps right now. And Jaune? Please come to my office once you are finished here."
Roman, his hand still outstretched, asks, "So... we have a deal? My arms getting tired and this is a little awkward."
Jaune grasps Roman's hand and shakes it.
"We have a deal."
He exchanges Scroll numbers with Roman, then glances at Neo, who has been sitting on the bed silently the entire time.
"Shorty, where's my scabbard?"
Neo flips out her Scroll and furiously types for a few seconds, then turns the Scroll around to push it towards Jaune's face.
"My name is not Shorty. Neopolitan, or Neo for short. Your toy is with the woman who just left."
"Neopolitan?" Jaune leans forward and looks her over carefully.
"Strange name, and hardly fitting."
He straightens himself and heads toward the exit.
"I'll keep in touch. Try not to die in the meantime, Roman. See you around, Shorty."
Neo's face twitches as Jaune leaves the room.
Roman gives Neo a wary look.
"Did he just..."
Neo's annoyed expression quickly transforms to an anxious one, before she gives a nod.
"He's like a different person from when I first met him," Roman groans as he stretches. "Completely different from the desperate boy who I'd forged those transcripts for.
"..."
"Yeah I know Neo. Working with him's our best option right now. At the very least, he's not a complete control freak like Cinder."
Neo brings a hand up to her throat and does a slitting motion.
"Hmm... you and I both agree on that." Roman sighs, "At the very least, we won't be stuck running away or rotting in some prison. His terms are pretty generous, all things considered."
*** In the city ***
Ren, Nora, and Pyrrha are walking together towards the South-Eastern section of the city. Ever since the Wyvern had retreated into Mountain Glenn, the Grimm activity in that area had increased significantly. The civilians wandering the streets bustle with hushed whispers and mutters as they notice the group of Beacon students.
"Isn't that Pyrrha Nikos?"
"And those other two are her teammates right? Lie Ren and Nora Valkyrie."
"Wasn't Pyrrha Nikos missing for the past week or so? I heard reports that she returned to Mistral."
"She exposed Atlas's secret plans of a synthetic army right? With that robot?"
Pyrrha shifts uncomfortably, and Nora puts a hand on her shoulder in a show of support. The three do their best to ignore the various comments directed towards them as they continue walking through the streets.
Ren involuntarily shudders from a sudden onset of vague negative emotions emitting through the air. His eyes quickly scan their surroundings and pinpoints the sources of these emotions from the civilians looking down at their Scrolls. From their facial expressions, it is clear that they were either shocked, disgusted, or horrified.
"Ren, what's wrong?" Nora asks, noticing his discomfort.
Feeling slightly sick and pale from sensing all the negativity, he subtly points at the civilians in question. Following his finger, Nora and Pyrrha immediately notice the expressions on their faces.
"Something isn't right," Pyrrha whispers. "What is it that they're seeing on their Scrolls that is eliciting such an extreme reaction?"
As Nora begins to reach into her pocket for her Scroll to investigate, she notices something down the street they are walking down.
"Isn't that Coco and Velvet?" She points. "Maybe they have an idea of what's happening. Coco's a well known social type after all. She has to know something, right?"
Nora waves her arm in a large arc above her head.
"Coco! Velvet!"
The two in question turn around upon hearing their names being called. A brief look of discomfort goes across their faces upon seeing NPR. Though their look did not escape the eyes of NPR, they walk up and cordially greet Coco and Velvet.
"Good morning to you two," Pyrrha politely greets.
"Good morning. Nora, Ren, Pyrrha." Coco nods at them.
Velvet replies with a softer voice, "Good morning."
"Is... there anything we can help you with?" Coco slowly asks.
"Actually there is," Pyrrha looks directly at Coco. "Do you happen to know what is going on with some people on the streets reacting rather negatively to something on their Scrolls?"
Coco and Velvet exchange a look, then Coco responds with some hesitation, "We... know exactly what they're reacting to."
She looks around, then leans in to whisper.
"It's not a good idea to talk about it here. We should find some place a little more private. I know just the place."
Coco leads them towards the central part of the city and guides them to a small cafe. When they open the door, a Faunus waitress with wolf ears immediately notices the one leading the group.
"Miss Adel, would you like your usual spot?" She respectfully greets.
"Yes," Coco nods. "I'll also need accommodations made for my friends here. Also, please ensure that no one will be bothering us."
The waitress steps back and bows, "Of course Miss."
She leads them up the stairs and to a small private room with a pleasant view of Vale's streets. The group puts in their respective orders for the drinks after they take their seats. After the waitress respectfully bows to the group and exits the room, NPR send a curious look towards Coco.
She leans back and explains, "My family is well known in the fashion industry, but we own other businesses too. This small cafe just so happens to be one of them. Not to brag, but it's also one of the few businesses that openly employs Faunus. The benefits are pretty generous as well."
With a soft knock on the door, the waitress comes in with their drinks and sets them down.
"Please enjoy," she smiles, then promptly exits to leave them to their privacy.
Pyrrha takes a sip of her tea while enjoying the flowery aromas coming from the steam, then sets her cup down with a sigh.
"So, can you tell us now? What is this about?"
Coco responds with a low voice, "Well... there's a picture that's been floating around the Vale network from a few days ago. It's been slowly gaining traction since then, and it's only a matter of time before it gets covered by the news. I'd bet almost anything that those civilians you're wondering about were looking at that picture on their Scrolls."
"And... what is this picture?" Pyrrha begins to grow concerned.
Velvet averts her eyes while Coco flips out her Scroll. She places the Scroll on the table and slides it across.
"See for yourself."
Being impatient, Nora reaches out and grabs the Scroll from the table, bringing it up to her face. She quickly regrets doing so as her face goes pale and she hastily drops the Scroll back onto the table.
"Oh gods!"
Ren and Pyrrha lean over to look down at the Scroll. Their eyes widen and gasps escape from their mouths as they look over the image depicted on the screen.
An enormous pile of White Fang corpses. Without exception, every single body in the frame is either dismembered, bisected, decapitated, or all of the above. The light reflected from the shattered moon in the sky illuminates the blood, bones, and organs strewn about. A distant artificial light in a large tower in the background indicates that this scene had occurred on Beacon Academy grounds. In the very center of the slaughter is a lone figure. Though his face is unfocused, the sword, hair, and posture is enough for Ren, Nora, and Pyrrha to know exactly who the individual is in the picture.
"T-this has to be fake," Nora voices in disbelief.
Ren gulps in trepidation.
"Nora... I don't think this is fake... Do you remember the section of the Academy grounds that has been cordoned off? Don't you think that angle lines up with Beacon Tower in this picture?"
Nora does not even bother trying to refute Ren, as she already knows the answer. Pyrrha continues to stare at the image with a hand covering her mouth, shocked by the sheer brutality. Based on his encounter with Cinder, she knew full well that Jaune would not hesitate to kill, but she is still shocked.
"We were there, you know..." Coco says with a low voice.
Pyrrha leans forward and asks with a soft, yet firm voice, "Then please tell us what happened."
*** Glynda's Office ***
Jaune invites himself into Glynda's office after knocking on the door frame. The office layout is rather minimal, yet elegant. Her desk faces the room's entry and is a black mahogany desk in the shape of a semicircle. On top are stacks of paperwork, undoubtedly related to the recent events. Behind the desk is a clear view of the Academy grounds. The two office walls on the sides are lined with bookshelves ranging from academic reference textbooks to novels of various types of genres.
Glynda glances up from her paperwork as Jaune pulls a chair out and sits across from her. She sighs and pushes the paperwork away, albeit a little aggressively.
"Would you like something to drink? Is coffee alright right you?"
Jaune nods with a small smile, "Coffee would be great."
Glynda brings out her riding crop and flicks it towards a small table in the corner. An exact amount of beans stream out from an airtight container, then gets ground up to precise size pieces in midair. Simultaneously, a paper filter is placed over a glass decanter, and the ground up beans settle into the filter. With practiced precision, the kettle pours hot water over the grounds in a circular motion, and the extraction drips through the filter and into the decanter. Jaune watches the entire process with interest and amusement.
Several minutes later, the filled decanter and two small cups float over to Glynda's desk. She grabs the cups and fills them with the brew she'd made.
Jaune takes a small sip of the coffee, admiring how smooth and flavorful it is. He raises an eyebrow at Glynda and smirks.
"Interesting usage of your Semblance."
"Thank you," she replies before taking a drink from her own cup.
"Just how many times did you have to practice that in order to get it right?"
Glynda simply gives Jaune an amused glare.
"Then again, I suppose maximizing the precision of your Semblance was absolutely necessary, considering Ozpin had you fixing everything."
She sighs, "Without a doubt, the worst part of my job."
Jaune leans back with his cup in hand.
"So, how's the overall situation with the other Kingdoms?"
"With the CCT down, we're not able to make contact with Vacuo or Mistral outside of sending physical mail."
"And what about Atlas? They're partly responsible for this mess. Ironwood didn't just leave, did he?"
Glynda sets her cup down on her desk with some force.
"After the Grimm and White Fang were removed, James was ordered to return back to Atlas immediately by the Council, else he risk lose his seatsl, as well as his position as headmaster."
She pinches her brow and groans in frustration.
"It will take time for James to convince the Council to divert resources from the military to aid Vale. He says that they fear risking another similar incident with the AK-200s, so unless he can placate their fears, he'll be stuck there."
Jaune hums in thought, "About those AK-200s. I thought the General's technicians pinpointed and isolated the virus Cinder had uploaded into the CCT."
"Another reason why the Council is having a hard time entrusting James with returning to Vale. Apparently, that virus James' technicians found was a decoy."
"Smart," Jaune mutters. "Will the virus be a problem when the CCT is rebuilt?"
Glynda shakes her head. "No, that virus was rooted into the Beacon Tower CCT network. When CCT was destroyed, the virus went along with it. A brand new network infrastructure will be laid in place when the Tower is reconstructed."
"So this is why you agreed so easily to my proposal to Roman Torchwick? In all honesty, I was expecting much bigger protest from you."
"Unfortunately, yes." Glynda sighs out. She reaches under her desk and brings out Jaune's scabbard and places it on her desk.
As Jaune reaches out to grab it, Glynda says in a low voice, "Jaune, there is something else that we must talk about."
Jaune retracts his hand and looks at Glynda curiously.
"This is about the cordoned section on the Academy grounds?" He asks, yet is not really asking.
"So that was your doing," Glynda brings the cup to her mouth and takes a long sip.
With a tired voice, she asks, "Was that so necessary?"
His eyebrow raises. "You're seriously not going to disparage me?"
"Do not mistake me," Glynda adjusts her glasses. "I am well aware that my profession as a Huntress does not limit me to only eliminating Grimm. However, that level of bloodshed and brutality is not normal. I know that you are not some mindless murderous psychopath, so I'm sincerely asking you, why?"
Jaune sighs, "Team CFVY was in a life or death situation. Had I not intervened, it would have resulted in the latter."
Glynda, looking unconvinced, asks "Was subduing them not an option? You're powerful enough that doing so would've been simple"
"You're right, I could have," Jaune closes his eyes. "But the circumstances will not permit such an action from me. Beacon and Vale are in a delicate state. We can not afford to take on another attack on a massive scale. You already know this, Glynda. It's exactly why you're putting up with Roman Torchwick working with us. That is why I decided to send a message. So that those who even think about bringing harm to Vale will have to consider twice."
"But they were so young..." Glynda whispers.
"They were," Jaune nods. "But I can not regret my actions. I'd do it all again if that is what it took. I did not enjoy what I had to do, but I made the choice. Those 83 Faunus I cut down were a necessary sacrifice."
Glynda looks up in surprise.
"You... already saw the report?"
Jaune shakes his head.
"Of course not. I just remember better now that I'm Xiantian, that's all." Jaune leans back and begins to recite. "58 males. 25 females. All between the ages of 17 and 25. If you'd like, I can name their Faunus traits."
"No... that won't be necessary," Glynda softly replies. "Jaune? Are you sure that was the right thing to do? To bear this kind of burden by yourself?"
Jaune reaches out and grabs his scabbard. He stands up and fastens it to his hip. Without responding, he gives a lazy wave and leaves the office.
After Jaune leaves, Glynda brings out her Scroll and opens the image of Jaune standing against the moonlight, surrounded by the sea of White Fang corpses. Though the image is haunting with the gore and blood, Glynda can not help but feel that Jaune looks incredibly lonely in the picture.
"You and Ozpin are very similar in this aspect," She softly mutters to herself.
After several minutes of staring at the picture, Glynda sets her Scroll to the side and begins to work on the stacks of paperwork in an attempt to distract herself.