DISCLAIMER: I do not own anything related to RWBY
Silent as a cat, Jaune lands on the ground across the street from an inconspicuous building. The large double doors leading into the establishment display signs of heavy damage. Large chunks of the wood are missing, and deep claw marks mar the surface. As he takes note, Jaune casually strolls past the two guards at the entrance, as they show no sign of acknowledging his presence.
The sound of club techno music grows louder as Jaune makes his way down the darkened hallway. The doors leading into the dance floor swing upon as he approaches. Like a fish in water, Jaune passes through the crowded floor with ease and takes a seat at a small bar. A man with a large stature is cleaning cocktail glasses behind the counter. He greets Jaune without looking up.
"What do you want?" He bluntly asks.
"Hmm... I'd like a strawberry sunrise," Jaune answers, then adds with a small grin. "No ice, and one of those little umbrellas."
Junior freezes, then slowly tilts his head up at the patron across his bar counter. The blonde hair causes him to panic for a second, but immediately sighs in relief upon seeing that the person in front of him is not that blonde. Surely it is just a coincidence that he ordered that particular drink?
"Sure," Junior cautiously replies. "It'll be ready in a few minutes."
The corner of Jaune's mouth twitches in amusement.
'I'd assumed Ruby was exaggerating when retelling the story Yang had told her.'
"Actually," Jaune calls out. "There is something else I'd like to add."
Slightly annoyed, Junior turns back around.
Jaune leans against the counter.
"Take me to Roman Torchwick."
Junior's eyes widen behind his tinted sunglasses, but his figure remains composed.
'Why is this guy looking for Roman?'
"I don't know where you got the idea from, but this establishment does not house criminals," Junior carefully replies. "Besides, I'd heard he disappeared ever since that night. Word on the street is that he's dead."
Several men wearing identical suits and sunglasses begin to surround the bar counter, and the music in the background begins to fade. The civilian attendees in the club promptly begin to exit the room, recognizing that violence was likely to occur very soon.
Seemingly uncaring for these developments, Jaune calmly regards Junior with a piercing look.
"You have ten seconds to decide on whether or not you will take me upstairs."
Junior gulps as his mind is reeling in shock.
'Does he know Roman is up there? How?!'
Beads of sweat begin to form on his brow, and Junior mentally weighs his current options. Whoever this person is, is not simple. His gut is screaming to not take him lightly. Betray Roman's location and get hunted down by Neo? Or take his chances by feigning ignorance? In his opinion, Neo would be an absolute nightmare to deal with, and she really only listens to Roman... This guy has to be bluffing. Right?
With grit teeth, Junior coldly relies, "I'm telling you that you've got the wrong place. There is no Roman here, and I strongly suggest that you escort yourself out before my men do it for you."
His men brandish their weapons in response to Junior's reply.
Jaune smirks, then nods in satisfaction.
"Shorty, you can show yourself now," he calls out.
The sound of shattering glass rings through the air as Neo appears by Jaune, swinging her parasol towards his head. Without flinching, Jaune catches the trajectory of Neo's weapon with a finger, stopping it in its tracks. Sporting an annoyed look, Neo pulls her weapon back, then pulls a bar stool out to side next to Jaune and crosses her legs.
Junior's men rapidly retreat backwards several feet from Neo's arrival. From behind the bar, Junior feels a wave of cold sweat wash over his back, realizing that Neo was listening in on their conversation the entire time. If he'd chosen to sell Roman out... He gulps and mentally pats himself on the back for trusting his instincts.
"Is he currently busy?"
Neo nods her head, then stares intently at Jaune.
He waves his hand, bringing out an ice cream sundae from his storage ring. Neo's eyes change color as she claps her hands together with glee. With a greedy eye, she reaches out and snatches the snack from Jaune's palm.
"Couldn't you venture out into the city yourself using your Semblance?" Jaune asks.
With a spoon sticking out from the corner of her mouth, Neo rolls her eyes in annoyance.
Jaune chuckles, "Roman is against it? He has grown rather cautious hasn't he?"
Neo clicks her tongue, then stabs her spoon into her sundae.
"Perhaps you're right. Maybe a little too cautious."
Junior's eyes dart back and forth between Jaune and Neo incredulously.
'How are they having a normal conversation when one of them doesn't even speak? Based on Neo's reactions, he's not just blindly asking or answering. She seems to respect him quite a bit as well. Where did that ice cream sundae even come from? Who the heck is this guy?... I swear that blondes are bad news...'
He feels his head spin while watching the scene in front of him.
Neo scrapes the bottom of her bowl with the spoon, then sets it down onto the bar counter before hopping off her chair. Junior's men flinch when she does so. Jaune waves his hand over the empty bowl, taking it back into his storage ring, then casks a glance at Junior.
"Do you feel like taking me upstairs now?"
Junior deeply sighs, then steps out from behind the bar and signals the DJ to resume the music. One his men promptly steps into the bar to take his place.
"Follow me."
The trio pass through a curtained off area guarded by several of Junior's men, then they proceed to walk up a flight of stairs to the second floor. As they walk through a darkened hallway, Neo skips beside Jaune and tugs his sleeve.
Jaune brings a hand up to his chin while nodding.
"I suppose I can try to convince Roman to be less restrictive. You'll owe me though."
Neo sticks her tongue out.
"I have a feeling that you won't object to what I have in mind," Jaune grins.
Her head tilts curiously, before shrugging and skipping ahead of them to a nondescript door. Junior walks up to it and brings out a key to unlock it.
Roman is seated upon a leather sofa in the corner of a darkened room, speaking to a pair of twins sitting across from him at a small table.
"Given the circumstances, isn't this a bit expensive?"
"Stop your whining," Melanie replies. "One could just as easily argue that her services are even more valuable given these circumstances. Besides, you know what her mantra is. Spiders do not-"
"Negotiate with their meal. I know," Roman rolls his eyes.
"Then stop wasting time by trying to haggle," Militia scoffs.
About to snap back with a snarky retort, Roman pauses due to the the sound of the door opening. Seeing the individuals entering the room, Roman stands up from his seat.
"Hey Jaunie! I can call you Jaunie right? You don't mind? Great, glad you could finally make it. I was just in the middle of negotiations."
Not giving Jaune the time to respond, Roman leans forward and whispers, "So... what the heck happened in my warehouse? Looked like a damn bomb exploded in there."
Jaune merely smiles, but does not answer. Shrugging to himself and taking no offense, Roman moves on and glances at Neo, who nods once. Roman turns to Junior with an apologetic grin.
"You know how it is in our business. We had to know you weren't going to screw us over."
"Whatever," Junior grunts.
"Who's he?" The Malachite twins ask while pointing at Jaune.
"You can consider him as my client," Roman smoothly responds. "Our current negotiations are related to his interests."
He turns towards Jaune and explains, "Basically, we are in the middle of finalizing a deal to establish surveillance throughout Vale. I'd figured you'd want the best in the business, so here we are."
Roman points his cane at the twins' faces, earning an annoyed scowl from them.
"The mother of these two runs an organization called the Spiders. They control all levels of information throughout Remnant, though most of their activity is based in Anima. The only real downside in dealing with them is that they are... quite expensive."
Militia frowns, "You get what you pay for."
"If you're really so adamant on negotiating price, then take a ship to Anima and speak with mother yourself," Melanie says while casually inspecting her nails.
"Geez... fine. I get it. You can't blame a man for trying," Roman dramatically raises his hands. "You'll get the money in a few days."
"Hand it over to Junior. He'll take care of the rest," Militia replies.
Roman strokes his chin curiously, "So I'm just wondering... how long will it take for the web to be completely cast over Vale once I pay?"
Smirking, Militia responds, "What makes you think there isn't one in place already?"
"Why do you think we're all the way here in Vale in the first place," Melanie adds.
Roman blinks in surprise, then shrugs.
"That makes sense."
"Alright you two, that's enough," Junior warns. "Your mother wouldn't be happy if she learned you two gave away too much information. Especially for free."
The twins exchange glances, then step back.
"As they've already said, once you pay, the Spiders will begin to report back any information you request." Junior solemnly explains.
"They will remain discreet?" Jaune asks. "It is paramount that the ones who are spied upon remain unaware."
Junior nods confidently without hesitation.
"You won't have to worry about that. In case you're wondering, don't let my men downstairs fool you. They're just simple members in my gang and have no relation whatsoever to the Spiders."
"I see," Jaune nods. "If that is all, then I would like some privacy to discuss further business with Roman."
"Alright... let's go you two," Junior says as he turns back towards the room's exit.
Neo dangerously smirks at Junior as he passes by, causing a shiver to travel down his spine. Roman, he could deal with, but Neo is too unpredictable and dangerous. He internally shudders, remembering what happened to a large portion of his men when they tried flirting with her. Therefore, Junior feels even greater trepidation towards Jaune. For someone aside from Roman to casually converse and interact with Neo in a friendly fashion...
"No funny business with that Jaune guy," Junior warns the twins in a low voice. "He's bad news if we cross him."
Militia and Melanie narrow their eyes and nod. Junior is not the greatest of fighters, but his gut instincts are unusually reliable. Which is precisely why their mother entrusted them to him during their stay in Vale.
Jaune mentally chuckles as he'd clearly heard Junior's comment from the hallway outside. He taps his root, sealing the room with his divine sense.
"Do you believe them to be trustworthy?" Jaune asks.
Roman answers confidently, "I know his type since we're exactly the same. While Junior runs a criminal organization, he has his standards, and the same applies to the Spiders. So long as they are compensated, they'll do their job as asked. Reputation is paramount to our business. Is this why you asked us to stay behind?"
"There are some other matters of interest I'd like to discuss, and they mainly involve Shorty," Jaune replies while pointing a thumb at Neo.
Neo, who was typing away on her Scroll, perks her head up in annoyance.
"With Neo? What do you mean?" Roman carefully asks.
"The first request is quite simple. I'd like her to act as a sparring partner."
Both Roman and Neo raise an eyebrow.
"For you? What use would that be?"
Shaking his head, Jaune elaborates, "Not as my sparring partner. Someone else. Someone shorty may be familiar with."
Neo points a finger to herself and tilts her head.
Jaune asks with a glint in his eyes, "Do you remember the girl you fought in the underground train from Mountain Glenn?"
Neo taps her chin several times before nodding, then grimaces, recalling that terrifying masked woman who'd interfered.
"You won't have to worry about her," Jaune chuckles. "She only appeared because you were threatening mortal injury upon Yang."
"Yang Xiaolong? That's Little Red's older sister," Roman mutters. "You want Neo to be her sparring partner?"
Jaune nods, "I believe they suit each other quite well in terms of fighting styles. At least, that's based on what I'd seen from that night at the shipment docks."
"Shipment docks..." Roman's eyes widen. "When we were snagging Dust from the SDC. You were watching."
"Babysitting those troublesome girls is quite the task," Jaune sighs to himself.
"Won't this raise questions?" Roman asks. "Those brats know that Neo is associated with me. Wouldn't appearing with her by your side be troublesome?"
Jaune shrugs, "They might, but they are used to dealing with stranger occurrences by now."
"Hmm..."
Roman looks unconvinced, but he glances towards Neo.
"What do you think kiddo? Are you up for it?"
Neo thinks to herself for a moment, then grins with a raised fist.
Sighing, Roman looks back at Jaune.
"Alright... if you think the blowback isn't going to be a big deal."
Jaune's expression grows serious.
"My second request is a little more complicated, but much more important. What I am about to ask of Neo is the main reason for this private conversation."
Neo's grin disappears, immediately noticing the lack of a nickname. Roman's expression grows dark as this fact was not lost on him either.
"Very soon, within a few days, I will be venturing out of Vale to take care of essential business. Though I will be returning occasionally, I will need Neo to act as my doppelganger whenever I am not here."
A deafening silence falls upon the room. Roman reaches into his coat pocket and brings out a cigar. He quietly cuts and lights it, then takes a long drag. Jaune remains silent and waits patiently, while Neo glances back and forth between the two.
Roman sighs out a plume of smoke.
"I gotta be honest. I hate that idea, but... Neo's grown up now and is capable of making her own decisions. If she makes this decision without properly thinking it through, then it's a failure on my part in raising her."
Neo's eyes soften for a moment, then nods her head with determination.
"Alright then kiddo... if that's really what you think is best, and want to do."
"All she really needs to do is to wander about with the general public," Jaune assures. "There is no need for her to put herself into any precarious situation."
Roman stares into Jaune's eyes. Finding no signs of deceit or malice, he sighs in resignation and puffs on his cigar.
"If there is nothing you need Neo, I'd like to take her along. There is a training session on Patch today."
Roman waves a hand dismissively.
"Go ahead... I'm done for today."
Jaune nods, then places hand on Neo's shoulder. With his divine sense, the darkly tinted windows swing open, and the two disappear in a blur through the opening. After they leave, the windows shut closed.
Roman blankly stares while nearly dropping his cigar. He mutters to himself, "I'm gonna need a drink."
*** Patch ***
Jaune and Neo hover over the small island of Patch several hundred meters in the air. Neo "swims" towards Jaune and takes a seat on his shoulder. She mischievously grins before cloaking with her Semblance. Jaune raises an eyebrow, then sighs, having a good idea of what Neo was up to. He begins to descend towards a training field located behind the Patch home.
"Feel every minute movement of the object you are manipulating," Glynda instructs. "Every single aspect must be under your complete control. Now, move it counter-clockwise as slowly as possible without pause."
Pyrrha eyes narrow as she concentrates on a small piece of metal above her palms. It slowly moves through the air in a counter-clockwise motion. After completing half a dozen rotations, she releases her breath and deactivates her Semblance, mentally exhausted.
"For now, I suppose that is acceptable," Glynda says as she types into her Scroll. "As you exercise your Semblance more in this fashion, you will gradually improve your control and Aura efficiency. Concurrently, you'll want to increase the speed in which you manipulate the object without sacrificing control. The current end goal is to expand this level of control to multiple objects."
"This is considerably more difficult than I'd initially imagined," Pyrrha sighs.
Glynda nods, "Whenever you'd utilized your Semblance in the past, it has always either been in momentary bursts or brute force. Due to that, precision was never truly of upmost importance. However, utilizing your Semblance in such a fashion is an enormous waste of potential."
"I see..." Pyrrha thoughtfully responds, then turns her head to the side, hearing someone approaching them.
Jaune casually waves a hand as he walks up to them.
"Good afternoon you two. I ca see that Glynda has already begun instructing. How is it going so far?"
"There are some obvious issues to work on," Glynda responds. "But I am confident that we are on the right track in resolving them."
"I'd heard from Ruby and Yang that the trip to Mountain Glenn went well," Pyrrha smiles. "Though... I must admit that I had a difficult time following their recollection at times."
"It was an interesting trip," Jaune chuckles.
"Perhaps you can go into more detail when you have the time?" Pyrrha asks.
"Of course, that wouldn't be a problem."
Glynda clears her throat.
"Do you have any advice for Miss Nikos' training? I'd like to make sure all bases are being covered," Glynda inquires.
Jaune looks up in thought for a moment, then shakes his head.
"Hmm... nothing in particular comes to mind at the moment. Like you, I too would emphasize training control and precision above all else. What use is power if it is not utilized properly?"
Glynda nods in satisfaction.
"Then for now, Miss Nikos will be following a strict regiment that I'd used in my younger years."
Jaune nods, then grins towards Pyrrha.
"If there is time, would you be up for some sparring later?"
Pyrrha returns a determined smile.
"Of course. I look forward to it."
He waves his hand behind him as he leaves and walks towards the forest treeline, where Ren is found sitting under a tree with his eyes closed. His chest hardly rises and falls as he takes long controlled breathes in meditation. Jaune's eyes move upwards at a branch above Ren's head, where Nora is lazily snoring away.
Though amused, Jaune silently walks past them, seeing no reason to disturb Ren.
Further along the training field, Jaune finds Yang and Ruby sitting across from each other, conversing. Ruby waves a dirt covered hand when she notices him approaching.
"Hi Jaune! We haven't seen you all morning. What were you up to?"
Jaune feels the weight on his shoulder stiffen at the sight of Ruby.
"A few errands here and there," Jaune casually replies, ignoring Neo. "Nothing too noteworthy."
Yang raises an eyebrow in disbelief.
"You know... I seriously kind of doubt that."
Jaune shrugs and glances over Ruby's clothes that are covered in dirt.
"Training hard? Are you seeing any improvements with your Semblance?"
Ruby nods in excitement.
"Yup. It's not much, but I've been able to jump into it a little easier. Though the fatigue is still a problem, it should get better over time."
"Though you can definitely use some more work on your balance when you deactivate it," Yang comments as she eyes Ruby's clothes.
"I'll have you know that it is really disorienting," Ruby pouts, then looks down at her clothes. She gasps, then frantically pats at her clothes while blushing with embarrassment.
"How about you?" Jaune asks Yang.
Yang shrugs, "I'm not entirely sure on how to approach my training, so I'd figured that waiting for you to come would be better, rather than potentially do something wrong."
'Hmm...'
"Then what do you think about starting with some sparring?"
"Sparring? With who? Pyrrha is busy with Professor Goodwitch, Ren is busy with... whatever he's doing, Ruby has other priorities to focus on, and Nora is... yeah..."
"Actually, I've found a suitable sparring partner for you," Jaune responds with a glint in his eyes. "You should stand up and prepare yourself because she will be here very soon."
"Uh... okay?" Yang says as she slowly rises to her feet. "She?"
The weight on Jaune's shoulder lifts, and with the sound of shattering glass, Neo sprints towards Yang, swinging Hush at her face.
Yang's eyes widen in surprise and she stumbles backwards, narrowly dodging the blow.
"What the f-," she nearly curses.
As Yang regains her balance, Neo stands casually with a hand on her hip and the other swinging Hush over her shoulder. She throws a taunting smirk at Yang, while the two sisters' mouths are wide open, gawking the the sight of the one before them.
"Isn't this... wha-," Ruby stammers as she recalls what happened that night on top of the Atlesian ship. Her face grows slightly pale.
Neo turns towards Ruby and coldly smiles, causing her to step backwards. The cold smile quickly disapoears when Jaune suddenly appears behind Neo and lightly flicks her head. Neo's hand rubs the sore spot and reels around to glare at Jaune for ruining her fun.
"S-she's... that girl who was on that train when we were in Mountain Glenn with Professor Oobleck," Yang manages to utter while pointing a finger at Neo. "She works for Roman! What the heck is this midget doing here?!"
Jaune mentally sighs at Yang's wise choice of words. He turns around and takes Ruby to the side of the training area.
"What? What's going on?" Ruby questions while warily staring at Neo.
"Ah... It's going to get a little messy," Jaune sighs.
Neo's playful expression turns into a frown. She eyes her opponent for a moment, then dashes forward to rapidly close the gap between herself and Yang.
"Yang," Jaune calls out.
Yang's head instinctively turns towards Jaune.
"What?"
"Don't get distracted," Jaune sighs to himself.
"Wha-" Yang manages to say before Neo kicks her head, sending her sprawling across the ground.
Yang quickly picks herself up mentally cursing Jaune, and glares at Neo, who is taunting her by wagging a finger. Growling, she charges at Neo with her left arm by her side, ready to strike out.
Yang digs her heel into the ground and throws out a fierce left straight. Neo casually steps to the side, narrowly dodging Yang's fist, then steps forward into her range. With a casual kick to the back of Yang's knees, she buckles backwards and falls onto her back.
Neo leans down at Yang and flashes a grin, eliciting a deep growl from Yang's throat. She kicks at Neo, who skips back, and transitions into a kick up to get back onto her feet.
Yang's pupils flash red with anger and frustration. As Yang prepares to charge forward, she catches Ruby's worried eyes at the sidelines. Yang pauses, then slaps herself on the left cheek before taking in a deep breath.
'Calm down Yang. Don't be overemotional! Isn't that what got you into this mess in the first place?' She mentally reminds herself.
As Yang breathes out, her eyes return to their normal lilac hue and her body slightly relaxes. Yang charges at Neo, but this time, weaves side to side with controlled footwork as she approaches. She brings her fist back for a telegraphed punch, and while Neo is already moving away, Yang kicks out with her right leg. Neo's eyes widen with surprise, and she is forced to catch the blow with Hush. She hops in the opposite direction of the kick, allowing the momentum of the blow to carry her through the air and minimize damage. Neo gracefully lands on her feet and regards Yang with a slightly more serious expression.
Yang clicks her tongue, annoyed that her surprise attack didn't have as much impact as she'd hoped. She seriously doubts that Neo would fall for such a trick again.
Neo slowly strolls around Yang's perimeter, gauging her opponent and looking for potential openings. Yang pivots on her foot to keep facing Neo while angling her right side away.
Neo skips forward, causing Yang to step back. Then, Yang executes a quick sidestep and feigns a dash. In response, Neo hops backwards, and the two circle each other.
After a few moments, Yang initiates by feigning to the side, then jumping forward. Neo counteracts by moving in the opposite direction while remaining calm and composed, and carefully studying her opponent. The two girls rapidly move back and forth while circling each other in a dance, and hardly close the distance. Neither seem to be able to gain an immediate advantage.
As Yang begins to take a sidestep, Neo's eyes gleam and she uses the tip of Hush to flick a small rock towards Yang's foot that is stepping down. When Yang steps on the rock, she loses her balance for a moment and stumbles, giving Neo the opening she was looking for. In a surprising burst of speed, Neo appears in front of Yang, then disappears from view, her back pressed against Yang's.
Yang quickly turns around to get at Neo, but her every movement is matched by the petite girl. Sticking to her backside like glue, Neo throws out series of punches and kicks at Yang's blind spots, whittling down her Aura.
Eyes flash red, and Yang punches down at the ground with her full power, forcing Neo to dart away in order to avoid the flying debris.
From the cloud of dust lingering the air, Yang emerges with her Semblance activated and throws a succession of small jabs at Neo. However, due to being powered by her Semblance, substantial damage would be dealt, should any of them land.
Neo quickly steps backwards to maintain a distance while swaying like a piece of grass to avoid the attacks.
Jaune slightly nods in approval.
'She recognizes that haphazardly throwing fully committed strikes would leave her grossly unbalanced in her current state. However... against Neo...'
While dodging Yang's relentless pursuit, Neo calmly studies Yang, looking for an opportunity. As Yang pulls her arm back, Neo's eyes glint.
'Here.'
Neo suddenly steps forward and preemptively diverts Yang's next punch, then jumps into the air above Yang's head. While upside down in the air, Neo plants her hands on Yang's shoulders, then drives her knees down onto her back.
Yang coughs from the impact and crumples onto the ground. Neo hops off Yang's back and dusts herself off.
Groaning, Yang sits up, while Jaune approaches alongside with Ruby. As Ruby checks over Yang, she grumbles, "I couldn't land a solid hit on her once."
"Well, to put it simply, it was a massive difference in combat experience," Jaune responds. "You didn't do too badly though, all things considered."
Yang's expression grows doubtful as she glances at Neo.
"I've been training and fighting since I could walk. She looks around our age, so how could she have that much more combat experience than me?"
Jaune lightly chuckles.
"Shorty, how old are you?"
Neo's eye twitches, but complies with Jaune's inquiry and holds up two fingers, then three.
"Huh?" Yang's mouth drops open, and she looks over Neo in disbelief.
"No way... she's twenty three? She's five years older than Yang?" Ruby mutters to herself. "Did she not drink milk..."
"In addition to the age difference, it is worth noting that she's lived in the criminal world for most of her life," Jaune points out. "You do not survive there for long if you're not capable of holding your own."
Neo puffs out her chest and nods pridefully.
Jaune glances to the side at Neo and adds, "But as I've said before, the main difference between you two is experience. Neither style of fighting is necessarily better than the other, despite how this spar turned out. I have very good reason for pairing you two together as sparring partners."
"And that reason is?" Yang asks curiously.
Jaune flashes a smile, "Who knows?"
"Hmph," Yang clicks her tongue.
Neo silently scoffs.
"What? You don't believe me shorty? You don't think it's solely due to experience?"
Neo nonchalantly shrugs.
Jaune thinks for a moment, then suggests, "Then how about a demonstration? Me and you."
She looks at Jaune with a hand on her hips that clearly asks, "Seriously?"
"I will limit my strength and speed to Yang's level, as well as forfeit the usage of my right arm. Effectively, I will be Yang in her current physical state. In addition, I will be imitating Yang's style of combat, and you can use your Semblance as much as you'd like."
Neo swings Hush over her shoulder with a cold glint in her eyes.
"Don't regret it." Her expression says.
Yang and Ruby move away to give them some space.
"First one to land a solid hit wins," Jaune grins. He wags a finger at her playfully. "Come on. I'll even let you throw the first strike."
Neo's eyes narrow as she brings down Hush to her side. 'He's limiting himself to the level of that blonde bimbo, yet he still underestimates me?'
Jaune breathes out and assumes his stance. Ruby blinks once and glances at Yang.
"He wasn't joking when he said he'd imitate you. His stance and posture are practically identical."
"Yeah..." Yang mutters as she keeps her gaze fixed on Jaune.
The image of Neo shatters, and Jaune quickly turns around to block Hush coming down on him with his left forearm. Neo nimbly lands on the ground and follows up her attack with a reverse high kick. Jaune intercepts the kick with his palm, grabbing onto Neo's ankle, then throws her across the field.
While tumbling through the air, Neo unfurls her parasol to stabilize and slow her fall. She gasps and quickly hops back a few yards upon landing, narrowly dodging a fist coming down onto the location she'd just occupied. Jaune's fist meets the ground, shattering and sending cracks along it.
Without pause, Jaune charges through the dust and debris. In the very last instant, Jaune kicks the ground, darting to the right and keeping his center of balance low. He punches out towards the Neo's torso.
Neo twirls on her left heel and diverts Jaune's punch away with Hush. Following the momentum of her pivot, she kicks at Jaune with her right leg. Due to his lowered center of mass, Jaune is able to kick out behind himself with perfect balance, slamming Neo in the stomach with the heel of his foot. However, when he makes contact, there is no resistance, and Neo shatters into pieces.
She reappears several meters away and narrows her eyes. As far as she could tell, Jaune is keeping true to his word in keeping his strength and speed the same as that blonde, but the amount of pressure she feels is incomparable.
Jaune remains in his spot and wags a finger at her, taunting her.
'... Fine.'
Neo slowly begins to stroll around Jaune while keeping a careful eye on him. She breathes out as her Semblance activates, leaving behind an image of herself every few steps. Jaune waits patiently as Neo completes her encirclement around Jaune, surrounding his perimeter with dozens of copies. Neo hides herself within her replicas as several of them burst into motion to converge on Jaune.
Jaune's expression remains impassive as the first wave of clones approach. He leans and swerves with unexpected flexibility, avoiding the multitude of attacks coming from all directions. Jaune seamlessly weaves in counter attacks as he dodges in place, shattering the clones on contact, as they are merely illusions with no true substance. If this were a true battle, Jaune would not have to even bother avoiding the attacks from the replicas.
Neo occasionally darts into the fray, striking like a viper. However, none of her surprise attacks meet their mark, despite Jaune moving at a speed she could easily follow with her eyes.
"He's still keeping his speed at about the same level as yours, and he's not moving from his spot while holding back those sheer numbers," Ruby gasps.
Yang swallows a lump in her throat.
'Does that mean that I am that lacking?'
Quiet steps rustle the grass behind them, causing the sisters to turn around.
"He moves like bamboo," Ren observes.
"Bamboo? What is that?" Yang asks.
Ren takes a spot by their side while carefully observing Jaune's movements.
"Ah... It is not a plant easily found in Sanus, much less near the borders of Vale. However, in the mountains and plains outside of Mistral's borders, vast forests of bamboo are plentiful. It is a very flexible plant like grass, but is also durable and stiff like wood. Jaune's movements greatly remind me of the unique characteristics of bamboo."
"Wait, Yang," Ruby's eyes widen with realization. "Don't you think this could be what Jaune meant by neither your or Neo's style are inherently superior over the other? Neo mainly focuses on flexibly moving away from attacks, while you mainly focus on overwhelming with power. So maybe he's implying..."
"Hard and soft," Yang mutters to herself. "Kind of like how Ren describes bamboo... Is he trying to tell me that I should incorporate aspects of soft into my way of fighting?"
Jaune smiles to himself as he listens to their conversation.
'I suppose this is passable.'
He steps forward towards Neo's hidden location and blurs out of view.
Neo's replicas freeze in their tracks, and original's eyes quickly scan the vicinity while slowly backing away. She suddenly reels around, expecting Jaune to appear from there, but is met with empty air. Releasing a small breath of relief, she turns back around and is greeted by a flick to her forehead.
She silently yelps in surprise, breaking her concentration, and the replicas scatter into the air. While rubbing her forehead, she shoots a glare at Jaune.
"Cheater." Her expression accuses.
He smiles apologetically and brings out another ice cream sundae as an offering.
Neo snatches her prize away from Jaune's outstretched hand without hesitation.
Jaune glances over his shoulder as Yang, Ruby, and Ren approach.
"Well?" He asks.
"You want me to shift towards a less direct way of fighting?" Yang asks thoughtfully. "That's why you chose her as my sparring partner right? From her, I can learn ways to cover my weak points."
Jaune nods, "It would go both ways. Shorty could benefit quite a bit as well, as she over relies on counterattacking. As you may have guessed by now, the concept behind your pairing is summed up as soft and hard, or Yin and Yang. Contrary forces that complement and mutually give rise to each other. Both balancing each other in harmony. If you know where and how to look, this concept is present everywhere."
"Life and death. Day and night." Ren ponders. "These would be basic examples, but there is always another half."
"Like you and Nora?" Yang teasingly points out.
Ren looks away to the side with a faint blush to his cheeks.
"Rennnnn!" Nora's voice calls out from across the field. "Where did you go?"
"Excuse me," Ren bluntly says. He promptly turns on his heels and briskly walks towards Nora's direction, while ignoring the playful snickers from Yang and Ruby.
Chuckling at their antics, Jaune takes out a small notebook and tosses it into Yang's hand.
Yang looks down at the nondescript book with a raised eyebrow.
"The initial pages contain a series of exercises I've tailored specifically for you. Practicing them daily will bolster your footwork and flexibility. In the later parts, there are several styles of fighting that are relatively well balanced, and easily adaptable from your current style."
"I... don't know what to say other than thank you," Yang gratefully responds. She tightens her grip on the book, so as not to drop it.
"Ruby, do you remember what I'd told you in Mountain Glenn?" Jaune asks, turning his attention to her.
"Are you talking about... my eyes?"
Jaune nods, "Yes. I'd prefer we begin that aspect of training starting today."
"Okay... but... what if they go out of control again?" Ruby nervously asks.
"Do not worry about that. I'll be right here to prevent such a scenario, so do not let such fears distract you," Jaune assures.
Ruby sits down on the grass and takes a deep breath, composing herself.
"Okay I'm ready. I think."
Jaune extracts a thin wisp of the Widow's gas. As he places his hand onto Ruby's shoulder to closely monitor her, he sends the gas through her mouth and nostrils, causing her vision to blur as she falls under its immediate effects.
*** Unknown Location ***
"Magic is fueled by emotion. The more intense the emotion, the greater the response and power. Rage... hatred... love... sorrow... yearning..." Salem's soothing voice echoes through the chamber, directly into Cinder's ears. "Whichever emotion you are pouring into your magic, it must also be controlled. You made the mistake of believing you were truly powerful, when in reality, all you were doing was overpowering lessers with brute strength. Even your so called barrier is nothing but a burst of magic that you can not sustain for a prolonged period of time."
Cinder breathes heavily as she outstretches her arm that feels as heavy as lead.
"Remember this Cinder, there is no victory in brute strength alone. So do not disappoint me."
The corners of her eyes burst with flames and she channels magic down her arm. A ball of fire erupts above her palm, surging and bubbling with no semblance of control. Cinder grits down on her teeth and narrows her eyes filled with rage and frustration.
'Submit!'
Salem's unnatural eyes imperceptibly glint as the uncontrolled surging subsides for a moment, before Cinder collapses due to exhaustion. A pale white finger flicks the air, and the unrestrained ball of fire collapses into itself and extinguishes.
"You have five minutes of rest, then we resume."
*** Patch ***
Ruby shudders as her eyes refocus and clarity returns. She looks up at Jaune with tired eyes.
"H-how was it?"
"There was a reaction, but it was not as violent as the one at Mountain Glenn," Jaune responds with a nod. "I suppressed it before it would run rampant and cause any damage."
"I guess that's some form of improvement?" Ruby says uncertainly.
"We both have a lot to improve upon," Yang gently says as she pats her sister on the back.
"Are we going to try again?"
Jaune shakes his head.
"No. That is enough for today. This type of training is mentally strenuous, thus must not be recklessly rushed. This session's mental and emotional toll of you is quite evident. and you'll need time to process the experience as well."
Sighing in relief, Ruby asks hopefully, "If that's the case, then what about our ability to sense qi? You promised you'd look into it."
"Indeed I did," Jaune nods. "Take a seat beside each other. Keep your legs crossed and backs straight."
As they comply with his instructions, Jaune places a palm on each of their backs.
"Close your eyes and focus. Become one with your breath and sink into the depths of your inner world."
Neo looks over curiously as Jaune sends a faint stream of qi through his palm and into the two sisters. With impeccable control and care, he guides the qi and slowly begins to circulate it through their system.
Ruby scrunches her brow in concentration. From her perspective, there is an odd warm sensation coming from Jaune's palm. It feels different than body heat, but she just can't put a finger on what that difference actually is. She does her best to follow the source of the warm sensation from Jaune's palm into her body. She feels like there is something there circulating through her, but is not sure whether it could be her overactive imagination. Her breathing slows to a crawl as she falls into meditation.
'Good.'
Jaune mentally nods as Ruby's slight fidgeting subsides and the tension in her body loosens.
Yang closes her eyes and tries to focus on her breathing.
"Clear your minds of all extraneous thoughts. Only you, your breath, and world exist. When harmonize your mind with the world, the qi of Heaven and Earth will become apparent."
He gradually increases the flow of qi into them as they silently remain seated for a quarter of an hour with no visible change.
Jaune recites a common Daoist mantra.
"Be aligned and tranquil, and only then do you reach stability. With a stable mind at your core, your mind's eyes and ears become clear. You must coil, you must contract. You must uncoil, you must expand. Chase away the excessive. Abandon the trivial. Relaxed and unwound, yet acutely sensitive. In solitude you delight in your own person. Revolve the vital breath of qi and become one with the world."
After several more minutes, Jaune feels the slightest of fluctuations in the qi he is circulating through Ruby. As the "tugs" become more frequent, he slowly removes his palm from her back, cutting off the flow of qi and leaving the remainder within Ruby without his control. He keeps a careful eye on her as her face turns a red from intense concentration.
Struggling for several second, she barely manages to prevent the qi from running rampant through her system. Right when she loses control, Jaune lightly taps her back with a fingertip, dispelling the qi within her.
Her eyes gradually open and she turns around to face Jaune with an excited expression. Even though it was only for a few second, she definitely "felt" something and was able to grasp it momentarily. Jaune holds a finger up to his mouth, signaling her to remain silent.
Ruby realizes that Yang is still sitting beside her with Jaune continuing to guide his qi through her.
Ruby turns to face Yang as Jaune patiently continues to guide his qi through her.
Yang's brow scrunches as she has been unable to clear her mind since she'd started. No matter how hard she tries to clear her mind, various thoughts continue to plague her. Without the usual daily distractions, her thoughts and concerns she normally keeps buried inside begin to bubble up to the surface.
'I made a promise to myself that I have to get stronger... better... so that history won't repeat itself. But I'm at a worse place than ever. I lost an arm... I'm a cripple. Blake and Weiss are gone too. Ruby is in constant danger. People think I'm a ruthless thug due to that incident during the Vytal Tournament...'
Unbeknownst to Yang, her breathing grows slightly erratic.
'To encourage me, Jaune demonstrated with his sparring match with Neo that I can reach greater heights despite my handicap. He even spent effort to tailor a training manuscript for me. But... what if he's wrong? What if, despite the attention he's giving me, he miscalculated, and is a complete waste of time? After all, no one can be absolutely perfect, right? Am I good enough? Can I be good enough? I'm not sensing any of this qi he talks about. What am I even doing?'
"Yang," Jaune's voice rings out, snapping Yang out from her trance.
"We will stop here for now," he says softly.
"R-right. That sounds good," Yang manages to stutter, still dazed from what she'd just experienced. She wipes the sweat drenching her brow.
With a worried expression, Ruby tries to cheer her sister up. "I'm sure you'll get it next time. There's always next time."
Yang weakly smiles, "Thanks sis."
'The qi grew incredibly erratic. If it was left alone, she would have suffered internal damage.' Jaune mentally sighs. 'For an internal demon to plague her mind so severely, and at such a young age...'
Neo's head perks up with narrowed eyes, and she disappears from view as she cloaks.
Pyrrha, Ren, Nora, and Glynda appear on the other side of the field coming towards them, accompanied by Coco and Velvet. Each of them carrying dark or worried expressions as they approach.
'Hmm...'
"This is quite the unexpected company. Is there something wrong?" Jaune casually asks.
Pyrrha steps forward.
"Well... it's about you, Jaune. Coco and Velvet rushed here to Patch because they came across some... concerning news."
'Is it about what I suspect it to be?'
"Then perhaps we should make ourselves comfortable before we discuss negative news."
Jaune waves an arm through the air, bringing out a medium-sized mahogany table with enough chairs for each of them. As he takes a seat, he gestures to the other seats.
"Come. Let us enjoy some tea."
Ruby, Yang, and Glynda mentally sigh, before shrugging to themselves and find their seats.
Pyrrha, Ren, Nora, Coco, and Velvet remain standing in shock as they are not quite as used to Jaune's miraculous actions, especially Coco and Velvet. They continue to stare wide eyed as Jaune hums to himself and waves his hand once again, this time bringing out a simple tea set.
Jaune grasps with his hand, condensing the moisture in the air, and fills the pot. A miniscule wisp of Vermillion Bird essence enters the water, purifying and warming the water to optimal temperature and condition. As Jaune drops the tea leaves inside to infuse, he glances up at the still standing group with an inquisitive look.
"It would be a shame to drink tea while standing, though if that is what you'd all prefer..."
"R-right," the group manages to mutter as they finally step forward to take their seats around the table.
Jaune lifts the tea pot with his divine sense and begins to pour into their cups.
"Okay," Nora says incredulously. "Is no one really going to say anything about that?"
She wildly gestures at the tea pot floating in the air.
"Nora, I understand, but now is not the time," Ren sighs, causing Nora to pause. She seems to remember the original reason for why they are here and she slumps down into her chair, keeping an incredulous eye on the floating tea pot.
Coco clears her throat, grabbing everyone's attention.
"Okay, anyways... might as well get to the point. There's been a bit of a development regarding the situation with that photo that was spread through the Vale net."
She glances at Jaune, who is sipping from his cup unperturbed by the news.
Coco sighs and continues, "Currently, there is a divide in public opinion on the photo. One side believe that given the circumstances, such an outcome, while tragic, is not criminal. Meanwhile, the other side believe that it was cruel and unnecessary because many of them were simply misguided teenagers."
She pauses and involuntarily shudders, recalling her memories of that night. Sometimes, she could still smell the iron in the air. Coco brings her cup of tea up to her nose and takes in the aroma. The stress and tension in her body seemingly melts away as she takes a small sip. A sigh of relief escapes from her mouth as she places her cup down.
"So, that's the context of the current situation in Vale. As for the main reason why we'd rushed here... there's been another leak during the last 24 hours or so," Coco looks directly at Jaune and takes her sunglasses off, worried eyes exposed.
"They've finally revealed the identity of the one in the photo. Soon... everyone's going to know your name and face..."
Ruby and Yang gasp in shock, while Glynda sadly sighs to herself. In the back of her mind, she'd been fearing that something like this would happen eventually.
The group turn their heads back towards Jaune, whose expression is tranquil as he continues to enjoy his tea.
"I see," he simply respond as he sets his cup down.
"I see?" Velvet loudly whispers. "What do you mean by 'I see'?! Don't you realize that you're going to become a pariah?! You won't be able to show your face to the public anymore without half of the population wishing you were in prison... or worse!"
Velvet's voice escalates from a whisper to a shout.
Coco reaches out and grabs Velvet's arm, bringing her back down into her seat.
Jaune gently shakes his head with a smile.
"What does it matter what the population thinks of me? Such things are utterly mundane, and I couldn't care less. I do not regret what I had to do that night, and I would do it again to greater numbers if necessary. Though, I greatly appreciate your concern for my well-being."
Velvet casts her gaze to the side, blinking drops of tears away.
"So what now?" Coco tiredly asks. "You've made it clear that you don't really care, but the tension between the two groups is beginning to grow. Rallies on both sides are getting organized, and I think it's only a matter of time before it gets violent. Combined with the general distrust of Atlas, the Grimm attacks at the Kingdom's border, and the fact Professor Ozpin is gone..."
Glynda taps a finger on the table, grabbing their attention.
"For now, it is best to leave any public disturbances in the hands of the Vale police force," she says. "This is not something Huntsmen and Huntresses should concern themselves with. Your duties are to protect the city from any impending Grimm attacks, and I am sure the Council is of the same opinion as well."
'Though with him here, I doubt a large scale Grimm attack would be a problem.' Glynda thinks to herself while sparing Jaune a glance.
Coco nods at Glynda's answer, finding it to be rational. She exchanges a look with Velvet before turning towards Jaune.
"Jaune, the other reason why we'd come here is because we want to apologize for our attitude towards you. Though we are still coming to terms with the bloodshed, we know that it was a choice you made in order to ensure our safety."
An uncomfortable silence falls upon the table as Jaune silently gazes over Coco and Velvet.
"W-we understand if you don't want to accept our apology," Velvet says with a downcast look.
A small smile graces Jaune's face as he asks, "Would you invite guests to a table and serve them tea if any animosity was felt towards them?"
Coco and Velvet raise their heads upon processing Jaune's rhetorical question, and their faces brighten with relief.
The group transitions into casual conversation for several hours, with Nora occasionally demanding for Jaune to perform more "party tricks".
As the sun begins to set into the horizon, Coco checks her Scroll for the time.
"We should be going now. Night shift for city patrol. Thank you for the tea, Jaune. It is one of the best I've ever had, and trust me, I've been to a lot of coffee and tea shops. When you have the time, you have to show me how to replicate it."
"Of course," Jaune nods. "I am glad you enjoyed it."
Everyone else at the table nod to themselves in agreement. Despite the passing time, the temperature of the tea had constantly been at optimal temperature, and there was a mind soothing effect when drunk.
As they stand up to clear the table, Velvet nervously asks, "Could I come visit you sometimes? I'd like some advice on the footwork technique."
Jaune smiles, "You are welcome here at any time."
The tips of Velvet's ears perk up and she nods in gratitude before turning to leave. A slight hop is present in her steps as she catches up to Coco, who sports a grin.
"We should be going as well," Ren comments.
Pyrrha nods, "We are assigned to an early morning shift tomorrow."
"Professor... can't you give us a break and transfer us to the afternoon shift?" Nora hopefully asks.
Glynda adjusts her glasses and sternly responds without any amusement, "This is part of your responsibility as future Huntsmen and Huntresses. I will not give you preferential treatment because you failed to responsibly get rest."
Nora groans and pouts in resignation.
Chuckling, Jaune waves a hand, bringing the table, chairs, and tea set back into his storage ring.
"You know... we're pretty sure that isn't your Semblance," Nora comments. "Is this some sort of weirdo cultivation voodoo you mentioned? What gives?"
Jaune holds up his hand wearing the storage ring.
"Everything is being stored inside of here."
"A ring?" Ren asks.
"I thought you were just making a fashion statement, so I didn't think anything about it," Yang says with a raised eyebrow.
Glynda leans in curiously, taking a closer look. She tilts her head curiously when she notices the surface of the ring seems to ripple, pulsate, and fold within itself.
"This material is not something I am familiar with." She slowly asks, "Where did you get it?"
"This is a storage or an interspatial ring," Jaune says. "I made it myself."
"So, like the name implies, you're able to store items inside the ring? Like an inventory in video games?" Ruby asks in awe. "That's so cool! I assumed that you making things appear and stuff was an ability related to your cultivation."
"If you made it, then what is it made out of?" Glynda presses. "I've never seen such a material before."
Jaune chuckles, "Then my answer may surprise you a great deal. This ring was derived from Dust."
A stunned silence fills the air.
"Dust?!" They all exclaim.
"Two types of Dust were used for crafting this interspatial ring. Gravity and hard light Dust."
"I want to say impossible... but please explain. Such an application of Dust is completely unheard of," Glynda asks, completely entranced.
"In my eyes, the way Dust is currently utilized on Remnant is a great waste of its potential," Jaune sighs. "As for the specific process of creating the interspatial material..."
He waves his hand, bringing out a small gravity Dust crystal.
"Though there was some trial and error involved, the concept itself is simple. To summarize, one must condense space, then keep it contained within a stable vessel."
The gravity dust hovers over his hand, and a small stream of light purple energy flows out, gradually turning the crystal's hue to a dull grey.
"The Dust crystals you are all familiar with are actually filled with impurities. What I've done here is a complete separation of its pure energy within from everything else that is not useful. As you can see, the yield is not much, but the potency and efficiency is many times greater."
The purple mist like energy swirls into an epicenter above Jaune's palm, turning darker as it condenses into a single point.
"Gravity, space, and time are interconnected. One could even say that they are the one and the same. By condensing this energy into a single point, the gravitational force increases, and eventually, space and time will bend and fold into this point," Jaune explains.
He continues to condense the energy until is it nothing but a small black speck floating above his palm. The space around that point ripples and twists for several seconds as the speck saturates with space and time.
Waving his free hand, a hard light Dust crystal appears.
"Once it is fully saturated, it is ready to be stabilized and given form by using hard light."
Like before with the gravity Dust, cyan energy flows out and is then sucked into the black speck.
The group watches in silence and awe as Jaune tightly clenches his hand. A loud crack echoes through the air, and when Jaune opens his hand, a tiny crystal the size of a rice grain hovers above his palm.
"Hmm, about the size of a medium closet," Jaune comments as he drops the crystal into Glynda's hand.
Ruby, Yang, Ren, Nora, and Pyrrha gather around Glynda's hand to peer down at the object Jaune had just created.
"How do I use it?" Glynda asks. "Is it even possible?"
"The easiest way is to use qi. However, I believe that Aura can be used as a substitute, but I suspect a great degree of control, quantity, and density is required. If anyone can do it, it would be you."
Glynda picks a blade of grass and sets it on top of the crystal. Then, she narrows her eyes as she begins to concentrate.
A tint of purple glows from her hand as she focuses her Aura, but there is no reaction from the crystal. Her brow scrunches and several drops of sweat form on her forehead as she attempts to further concentrate her Aura.
'Density...'
Glynda imagines her Aura in the shape of a thin needle, then imagines it to "poke" an opening on the crystal's surface. Pushing as hard as she could with that imagery, the blade of grass suddenly disappears from her palm.
She releases a breath and concentrates ones more. This time, she uses the imagery of the hook and the blade of grass she wants to extract as she concentrates her Aura. After a dozen seconds, the blade of grass reappears in her hand.
Jaune raises an eyebrow, slightly impressed that she'd succeeded relatively quickly, all things considered.
Wiping the sweat off her brow with a handkerchief, Glynda looks at Jaune with a complicated expression.
'He does this on a whim in an instant...'
Sighing to herself, she asks, "This would be a good tool for everyone to exercise Aura control. Wouldn't you agree?"
Jaune thinks for a moment and nods in agreement. He throws out a handful of gravity and hard light Dust, and within several minutes, identical interspacial crystals are produced for each of them.
"I would not expect any of you to be able to have the same degree of success Glynda had anytime soon, but so long as you do not give up, your Aura control should improve greatly."
"Aside from the training benefits, once we succeed, the practical value of these crystals is another benefit to look forward to," Pyrrha says as she carefully puts the crystal away in a pocket.
"We must be wary. First, there is the issue of potentially losing it due to its small size, so perhaps we should string the crystals as a necklace or some other form of accessory. Second, this becoming public knowledge would be problematic," Ren cautions.
The group nods in agreement. Though these items are nothing special to Jaune, to everyone else on Remnant, this is groundbreaking technology that many would gladly kill for.
"We really should be going now," Ren says as he checks his Scroll.
Jaune nods, then turns towards Pyrrha.
"Next time for our spar?"
"Next time," Pyrrha nods.
As the members of JNPR leave, Jaune's expression turns serious.
"Neo," he calls out.
The multi-color haired girl appears beside them.
"It would seem that your task of being my doppelganger has grown to be a bit more complicated than initially expected. If you would like to opt out, now is the time. I will not hold anything against you," Jaune sighs.
"Doppelganger?" Ruby, Yang, and Glynda question.
"I'd requested Neo to act as my double for whenever I am traveling outside of Vale's borders," Jaune nods. "Previously, it would have been quite the simple task for her to just wander around the city, but given the most recent information brought by Coco and Velvet..."
Neo silently scoffs while rolling her eyes.
"You're sure?" Jaune asks.
She nods with a serious expression, keeping her eyes locked with his.
"Very well. I will train you to become stronger," Jaune nods gratefully.
"Wait, does this mean you're going to be leaving Vale soon?" Ruby asks.
"The elimination of that creature in Mountain Glenn has officially kickstarted the process of restoring Vale and the CCT. There is not much for me to do at this current time as it will be a waiting game. To avoid sitting around and wasting time, I will be heading North towards Atlas to verify the situation there. Considering the growing distrust towards Atlas by Vale citizens, it would be prudent for me to gather accurate information to report back to Glynda."
"You'll be checking up on Weiss too?" Ruby asks hopefully.
"Of course," Jaune ruffles Ruby's hair. "I intend on checking on Blake as well when I eventually venture East towards Anima."
Ruby feels a weight lift from her shoulders. Given how powerful Jaune is, Weiss should be in good hands.
"When?" Glynda asks.
"If nothing unexpected occurs, I plan on departing tomorrow afternoon."
"In that case, I'd like to request that you deliver several letters to James. It would save several days worth of time, and prevent any chance of interception."
"I will stop by your office tomorrow before I leave," Jaune nods.
Thanking Jaune, Glynda departs from the Patch home for the transport docks back to Vale.
*** Patch Home ***
When Jaune enters his room, he locks the door behind him and seals the room with his divine sense. He walks to the window and opens it, allowing a raven to fly in.
"What brings you here tonight Raven?"
"I can't come visit a friend?" She responds sarcastically as she removes her Grimm mask and takes a seat.
"So you're finally venturing out from Vale," Raven says matter-of-factly. "I'm warning you ahead of time that Atlas is not as secure as most imagine it to be. What will you do about unwanted eyes there?"
Jaune shrugs and waves his hand, bringing out several items from his ring.
"The simplest solution is often times the best one."
Raven picks up a blank white mask and quirks an eyebrow as she eyes a dark blue hooded cloak on the ground as well.
"Quite the strange outfit," she bluntly comments.
"Says the woman wearing a Grimm mask," Jaune says.
"The point of my mask is to strike fear and intimidate," Raven sighs. "While your goal, I'm presuming, is to remain inconspicuous."
Jaune shrugs, "I still think it's pretty fashionable. Besides, if I don't want someone to see or hear me, they won't."
Raven grunts, knowing that Jaune is exaggerating.
She looks down at her interlocked hands for a moment, then looks up with a complicated expression and asks, "Can you explain to me what happened with Yang earlier? Something clearly went wrong."
"I suppose as her mother, you have the right to know," Jaune sighs. "Essentially, she is suffering from an internal struggle. Though struggles with oneself is useful and natural for personal growth, an extreme case can be detrimental and dangerous. There is a great mental block she is struggling to go past, and the intensity suggest that it is not stemming from a recent development. Rather, it is a long existing problem that is surfacing due to recent events."
An uncomfortable silence falls upon the room, and Jaune seriously regards Raven.
"I am curious... what exactly was your reason for leaving Yang and Taiyang?"
Raven's breath hitches for a moment, not expecting Jaune to suddenly ask such a question. Her eyes waver for a moment before quickly blinking it away.
"What does that have to do with anything?" She responds with some steel in her voice.
"Do not play dumb with me," Jaune calmly says.
After several moments, Raven finally diverts her gaze to the side.
"You wouldn't understand-" Raven catches herself and she sighs. "Well, maybe you would understand... But what's done is done. It is not like I can go back in time to change my decisions."
After another pause, Jaune quietly asks, "Do you realize that Yang's usual personality is nothing but a mask? That underneath that later of self-confidence, she is vulnerable and confused child?"
Raven is taken aback, then she glares daggers at Jaune.
"Do not dare to insult me in such a manner," She nearly yells.
"So despite not being around her for the majority of her life, you care enough to recognize your daughter's insecure nature," Jaune quietly continues. "Yet... you choose to distance yourself, knowing fully well that it hurts her. Why?"
Raven's breathing becomes uneven.
"I don't have any other choice," she grits. "Do you think I willfully chose this?... She was turning traitor, and I was the only one able to-"
Raven bites her tongue, stopping herself.
Jaune narrows his eyes in thought.
"Are you perhaps... alluding to the previous Spring Maiden?"
Raven picks up her mask and stands up.
"I've already said too much," she curtly says, before cutting through the air to create a portal.
Before stepping through, Raven whispers, "Help her. Please."
Jaune stares at the spot Raven had disappeared from, ruminating within his thoughts.