Anyone else thinking that Cardin hasn't been all that evil lately? I think it's high time to fix that.

Before that, a quick glimpse into my wonderful little life. I spent ten days in a row working, and just got off for a four day weekend. I made two cakes, both of which turned out excellent, took a couple trips to see family for the holiday, and took a crack at my enormous backlog of videogames. I was nearly late to work one day because a street I like to take got closed for construction and I had to take a ten minute detour. In short, I'm really glad I finally get some time off.

As far as omakes go, I haven't felt like writing one in a while. Life's been a bit crazy, and I've had my hands full keeping this on a weekly schedule as is. If the mood strikes me again, I'll give it another shot, but for now, no omakes.

Also, unfortunately, HybridAlabaster has gone awol. I haven't heard from them for a while, so until I get something from them, they will not be credited for these chapters.

To HeartMachine782, the wiki article was a neat read. I had several ideas of what I wanted to do with the ability, and that helped me solidify them. I'm not really sure how I thought of making Cardin's Semblance the way it was, I think it was borne of a desire to give him something with more depth than one might expect at a first glance. Super strength is all fun and well, but mass manipulation opens up all sorts of neat gimmicks.

To Bagration, I'm glad the Semblance strikes the perfect balance of being interesting without being overpowered. As to remote mass manipulation, that may be explored in a later chapter.

Chapter Twenty-Three: A Bargain Struck

In the wake of the Breach, as the media called the White Fang attack that blew a hole into Mount Glenn, every assignment was recalled from the field. The school felt crowded as the combined mass of Beacon students and transfer teams arrived on Bullhead after Bullhead. Within two days, the dorm rooms were noisy, and the cafeteria bustled at every mealtime.

A day after the last team had arrived, they were all called into the auditorium. It took fifteen minutes to seat every student and another five for the room to quiet down enough for Professor Goodwitch to make herself heard.

"Students, I have some unfortunate news for all of you." Professor Goodwitch stood with her hands behind her back and the riding crop in her pocket. "Due to the recent White Fang attack, it was decided to move some of Vale's Huntsmen back into the capital and relocate some of Atlas' military to relieve them. The hope is that our professionally trained Huntsmen will have better luck gathering intelligence on the White Fang through local sources."

She left out the other reasons, such as the enormous public backlash after the news leaked that the White Fang had stolen Atlesian Paladins for the attack, never mind they were all fried before they had arrived.

"The Council has also decided to delay the Vytal Festival for one month."

That announcement was met with an immediate barrage of boos and jeers. Goodwitch took out her baton and cracked it in the air with a resounding snap, silencing the students.

"I can understand your frustration on this matter, and you are not alone in disapproving of this idea. However, the Council did not feel comfortable holding the Festival when it is such an obvious target for the White Fang. Therefore, they're giving one month for the Huntsmen coming into Vale to set up patrols, gather information, and crack down on the White Fang."

Professor Goodwitch waved her baton, and a hard-light Dust display blinked on above her.

"In the meantime, we've decided to give you three extracurricular options to make up for the aborted assignments. For your first option, several Huntsmen have agreed to allow some of the higher-year students to shadow them during their patrols. Some will be clearing Grimm out from around Mount Glenn, while others will be investigating the White Fang. If you wish to shadow any of these Huntsmen, notify me, and I will send them your transcript."

As she spoke, a list of Huntsmen came up on the display, along with their weapon specialty and their assigned duty.

"Your second option is to take a series of team-based training exercises hosted by most of Beacon's staff. There will be strong emphasis on team vs team combat, which should help you prepare for the early rounds of the Vytal Festival."

Cardin saw a lot of students perk up in their seats and wondered if he could get footage of those exercises. If those fools wanted to flaunt their strategies, he would be more than willing to take notes.

"For those of you who don't have a Huntsman to shadow and don't have a full team for the exercises, you may partner up with a student not on your team for sparring practice. You may trade partners at any point through the next month. I will be overseeing the spars in the courtyard and offering general advice."

The display blinked out, and Professor Goodwitch checked her Scroll. "Each of you should have received an email with more information and instructions on how to apply for any of these courses. You have three days to make your decision before it is made for you. Any questions?"

There were a few about shadowing Huntsmen, which the professor answered, before the students filed out. In the bustle of students, he spotted Weiss' white dress and drifted towards it. He spotted Blake as he got closer and shoved through the crowd until he was at her shoulder.

"How's your leg doing?" he asked.

She pulled up her skirt a touch so he could have a look at her cast. The bruising had vanished, but it was still swollen around the kneecap.

"Still mending, no thanks to you. How the heck did you drop it?"

"It slipped. You're welcome by the way."

She blushed and looked away. She chewed her lip, as if debating whether or not to say anything, but as the crowd pushed them towards the door, Cardin broke the silence.

"You're going to train with Jaune, right?"

"Ozpin already gave me my assignment. I'll be shadowing one of the Huntsmen coming back in and helping him with his investigation."

"As part of being one of his agents, I see." Blake shot a glare at him, and he grinned back. "No one's going to hear a thing in a crowd like this, so long as you're quiet."

"Is it going to be a problem?"

"No. Just keep me posted." After a moment's thought, he added, "Let me know if he's protecting anything specific, doubly so if it seems unusual."

Blake nodded. "What about you?"

"Definitely not the team exercises." He let his face twist up. "The thought of being with Oobleck and Port any longer than necessary makes me want to split my skull open."

She smiled at that. "So, pairing up with Cinder then?"

Cardin looked around the crowd, but there was no sign of Emerald or Mercury tailing him. "I'd rather not," he said. "Our fighting styles are too different for me to learn anything."

She frowned at that, but if she suspected anything, she didn't say it. "Do you intend to shadow a Huntsman then?"

"I've had enough of being at the beck and call of a Huntsman." He rubbed his shoulders and said, "I'm still sore from carrying a full pack all over the city."

Blake snorted. "If you think that's bad, try sprinting through a city with said pack on your back, trying to keep up with Oobleck as he analyzes every pebble in the ruins. Oh, and all the while fighting off the hordes of Grimm he attracts with all his shouting."

With a quick glance, he saw Ren and Nora walking together towards the exit. He said goodbye to Blake and shoved his way towards them. When he caught up to them, he walked up Ren's left, watching Nora all the while.

"Mind if we have a word, Ren?"

Ren frowned at him and glanced at Nora. "We're a little busy right now. Could you wait until later?"

Cardin pitched his voice higher and said, "Is that a squirrel over there?"

Nora got out her hammer. "A squirrel? Where?"

"I think I just saw it go around a corner. It looked like it was plotting something nefarious."

Nora gasped. "It must be planning to make the Vytal Festival happen even later! That monster!" She rushed through the crowd, knocking everyone in front of her aside, and pulled out her hammer. "Come here so I can flatten you, you stupid evil squirrel!"

Cardin smiled at Ren. "Are you free now?"

Ren sighed and walked with him to the dorms. Once they were on the rooftop, Ren leaned against the wall. He listened impassively as Cardin asked about Pyrrha.

"She's been getting better," Ren said. "She'll still run to the bathroom the moment she sees Jaune and Blake together, but she's eating more, and she's caught up on her homework."

"Jaune hasn't figured out a thing?"

Ren shook his head. "He can be unbelievably dense."

Cardin paced across the rooftop. He considered options for putting more pressure on Pyrrha, but there was only so much he could do with Jaune before she would move on.

"What about Nora?" Cardin asked. "You hardly stop her from smashing my ribs in last time."

"She still hates you for what you're doing to Pyrrha. Don't expect that to change because you rescued Ruby."

"You're not helping me much, Ren. I hope I won't have to make good on my threat."

"Then perhaps there's something else I can do for you?"

Cardin walked around the perimeter of the building, looking down for open windows, and checked the door in the stairwell to be sure. As an added precaution, he stepped close to Ren and kept his voice low.

"Cinder wished to get rid of Nora," Cardin said. "She also intends to see Pyrrha cut from the tournament, but unlike me, she's going after her teammates."

Ren's eyes narrowed. "You didn't tell her about Jaune, did you?"

"I could, but so far, I haven't."

"So, I'm guessing you want a different favor in return for keeping your girlfriend from going after Nora?"

Ren's face gave away nothing about how he felt. Cardin glanced around the top of the building, wondering if Cinder had someone watching him even now. "I need someone to spy on her."

"My Semblance hides me from Grimm, not people."

"You're quieter than most, and harder to notice. I'll take anything you can learn about what she wants to accomplish here."

"You're not having your teammates spy on her because you can't risk her learning that you're trying to spy on her."

Cardin nodded uneasily.

"So, you need me to do it, because if I'm caught, it's less likely she'll connect the dots."

"I'll make it worth your while."

"Or," Ren said, without a smile, "I could tell her you asked me to spy on her."

Cardin felt his blood freeze. "You could. And I could tip Professor Goodwitch off about who was stealing from the kitchens."

"They already know. They gave Nora all the food she could eat, and the raids stopped. If she was going to be punished for it, they would've done it already."

"Then I suppose I'll have to talk to Cinder first."

"And what?" Ren asked. "I can hardly see why she would have any interest in Nora."

Cardin floundered for another way to keep Ren under his thumb, but he realized he had blundered. He took a deep breath and asked, "What now?"

Ren opened the door. "We're done here. I don't really care what you do with Jaune or Pyrrha, but if you do anything to me or Nora, I'll make you pay for it. Understood?"

"I got it."

Cardin glowered at the door as it quietly clicked shut. He sat down on the roof and stared out over the campus. Blake would be away on a mission with a Huntsman, something he could scarcely stop, and he had lost his hold over Ren. He couldn't let the matter be, not with Cinder waiting for weaknesses to exploit. She might demand concessions in exchange for helping him remove Pyrrha, and he would be in no position to refuse. So, that left either Jaune or Pyrrha, and the thorny question of how to approach either one.

When he knocked on Team JNPR's door, Ren was the one to answer. His expression gave no hint of the conversation they had ten minutes ago.

"Are Jaune or Pyrrha here?" Cardin asked.

"Jaune's packing, and Pyrrha went to the library." He glanced back in the room. "And Nora's still chasing that squirrel you didn't see. Do you want to come in, or should I tell him you're here?"

"I'll come in, if you don't mind."

Ren opened the door a hair wider. Cardin twisted so he'd fit through and shut the door behind him. He took the room in with a glance, noting the stack of comics next to Jaune's bed, a stack of empty snack boxes, a pair of binoculars, and a giant sloth pillow in Nora's corner, and a veritable mountain of books, papers, and tissue boxes by Pyrrha's spot. Ren's area appeared as vacant as his personality, pristine, with clothes neatly folded and tucked in the dresser and nothing else, but at a second glance, he saw jars of spices and a plastic tub of flour hidden under the bed, tucked behind the covers.

Jaune had his back to him, cramming clothes and camping supplies into a backpack bursting at the zippers. He turned around to grab a comic, stared at the cover, and set it tenderly back on top of the pile. As he turned back to his packing, he finally noticed Cardin. He stiffened and whirled to face him.

"What are you doing in here?"

There was plenty of irritation in his voice, but tinged by panic and stress, and lacking the heat of anger. He could only think of one way he could continue the conversation, but it would involve him swallowing a great deal of his pride.

"I hadn't gotten the chance to thank you for saving my life. So, thank you."

"You're welcome," Jaune snapped. He went back to cramming items in his backpack. He stuffed a can of bug repellant and a lighter before he sighed and turned back around. "Sorry about that. You were trying to be nice, at least I think you were, and what I just said was rude, and I mean, I'm under a lot of stress right now, and I, uh, you're welcome." Jaune's eyes wouldn't meet his and kept straying to the mess of gear around him.

"Are you going somewhere?" Cardin asked.

"Oh. That. Yes, well, it's for that whole assignment thingy Goodwitch talked about. You know." He chuckled nervously. "Just getting packed."

Cardin crossed his arms and made an eyebrow rise. Jaune glanced nervously at him, and after a moment, he sighed.

"You know how I, you know…" He trailed off and looked at the shut door. With a hand cupped to his mouth, he whispered, "Snuck in here."

Cardin nodded. "Did Ozpin find out?"

Jaune went pale, but he shook his head. "I don't think so. Well, it's worse anyways. You see, I didn't exactly tell my family I'd be coming here, and well, when the Huntsmen got called to Beacon, my dad was one of those who came here, and he found out I was on the school's roster and had Ozpin assign me to him."

"Is he taking you home?" Cardin asked.

Jaune's voice dripped with despair. "Maybe. He never wanted me to be a Huntsman, no matter how many times I asked. He said I didn't have what it takes, that I'd just get myself killed out there." He chuckled weakly. "He was right. I should've died already. If it wasn't for Blake, I'd be Grimm food."

"You've gotten a bit better since then."

"Yeah, thanks to Blake again. She's been showing me as much as she could, but I know I still suck."

"You're not using your shield. Honestly, the way you fight, maybe you should ditch it."

Jaune snorted. "Yeah, and get shot at by everyone with a gun. No shield and no gun means I can't do anything if I'm not two feet away from my opponent."

"Then get a gun."

"I'd rather use the shield. It'd take too long for me to learn how to aim, not to mention my sword's sheath is the shield. Doesn't make sense to carry it around and not use it."

Cardin shrugged. "I'll let you get back to your packing. Good luck."

"Yeah," Jaune mumbled mournfully, "Thanks." He gave a wry smile. "And you're welcome for that whole Forever Fall thing."

Cardin was halfway out the door, but a question stopped him. "Why did you save me anyways?" It was a question he realized had been niggling at him. Even Blake hadn't lifted a finger to save his life, despite being so opposed to the idea of killing him, and he had arguably treated Jaune worse.

"Because I couldn't watch someone die when I could do something." Jaune's voice was hollow and flat. "Not even you." His face twisted as silence fell on the room. "I'm going to keep packing."

Ren closed the door once Cardin was out. He strolled aimlessly through the dorm halls for a while, mulling over the conversation. Jaune getting dragged home by his father might push Pyrrha over the edge, but it could just as easily let her move on, and Cinder could easily point out the frailty of a plan that involved waiting for something to happen.

Nora was out of the question, Ren was out from under his thumb, and Jaune was preoccupied with family issues. That left him the human equivalent of a time bomb wired by a colorblind drunkard.

As he made his way to the library, he weighed his options. Doing nothing was safer, but allowed Cinder to pressure him, while any other option had the potential to backfire and force him to ask Cinder for help.

Despite months of looking into the matter, he still had no idea why she came to Beacon. For all her inability to hide her feelings for Jaune, all other emotions were on careful lockdown behind the serene, empty smile of the champion, just as glossy and flat as the representations or her on tabloids and on Pumpkin Pete's boxes. She hardly talked, spent most her time in her room, and a quick check on her Scroll records showed that she had never called or texted anyone since she had arrived at Beacon.

All he knew, all he could rely on, was her irrational attachment to Jaune Arc.

Pyrrha sat between two stacks of books, writing in quick, neat strokes. She looked up when Cardin sat down across from her.

"I'm busy," she said.

"I imagine. That looks like a whole year's worth of courses you're trying to catch up on."

"Yes, it is." Her voice had a tinge of irritation. "And if you don't mind, I would really appreciate it if you would let me get back to my work."

"I will, in just a minute. I wanted a quick chat with you."

She took a book off the top of a pile and propped it up in front of her. Hidden behind the book, she went back to her writing. Cardin crossed his arms and waited. The writing continued for a minute. Then two.

He took out his Scroll, searched through his list of recordings, and found the one labeled "Jaune FT". He hit play and turned down the volume so only Pyrrha would hear Jaune's anguished shouts.

She lowered the book. Her knuckles were white from clutching the pen, and her jaw looked hard enough to crush stone. "What do you want?"

"I want you out of the Vytal Festival."

He held his breath as he watched emotions battle across Pyrrha's face. His chest fluttered as he thought he had finally done it, finally broken her, finally established a network of favors and alliances that would shield his family through to his adulthood. Just a single word.

A few minutes went by as she buried her face in her hands, crushed her pen until it creaked, shoved her books away from her, and read something on her Scroll. Cardin could nearly taste victory, see the fractures in her psyche left from months of pining after the human equivalent of a brick wall, hear the thoughts simmering in her head.

Pyrrha shoved her Scroll in her pocket and looked up at him. There were tears in her eyes.

"I can't do that," she said in a dim voice. "I have sponsors, and obligations to them. They will not be pleased if I drop out of the festival."

Despite the rejection, he could feel her resolve wavering. He pressed onward. "If you can't drop out, then take a loss. If you ever face off against me, make sure you lose."

"You want me to throw a match in the Vytal Festival? Unbelievable."

"So, that's a no?"

"Of course it is! Throwing a match in the Vytal Festival is a punishable offense, I could get kicked out of Beacon."

"Only if they found out."

"Which they would after they review the match footage." She gave him a level glare and wiped the tears from her eyes. "There's no way they wouldn't look into it after I lose."

He could sense that he was losing her. Her arguments were gaining momentum, despite everything she stood to lose. For reasons he couldn't understand, she wasn't taking the bait.

Perhaps he needed a tastier lure.

"I could sweeten the deal for you."

Her eyes narrowed. "Don't think a bribe is going to convince me."

"This one might. I can give you a chance at Jaune."

"What do you mean?"

"Well, you can't exactly ask him out on a date when he's already with Blake. I could fix that little problem."

In a low, sharp whisper, she asked, "Are you saying you'd break them apart?"

"It'd be the easiest thing in the world." Cardin smiled and leaned forward. "Let me tell you a little secret. They only started dating because I made them."

Pyrrha's eyes widened, and she recoiled in her seat. Her face went pale, and her lips trembled as she struggled to say anything. "What – what do you mean?"

"You remember how I had Jaune carrying books for me and all that? I was blackmailing him with that fake transcript of his. Well, one of the things I had him do was ask Blake out on a date."

Pyrrha didn't say a word, but her chest trembled, and her breath whistled through her nose.

"As for Blake, I knew her little secret," he said, pantomiming the ears. "I've been blackmailing her with that too. Before I had Jaune ask her out, I told her to say yes. And the rest is history. I hadn't expected them to hit it off so well, but hey, so much the better for my plan."

"And what exactly was this plan of yours?" she growled. "Why did you do all of that?"

"Because of you." He paused to watch his words sink in. "I mean to win the Vytal Festival. I have ways of beating anyone else, but there's no trick or gimmick I could use to win against you. So, I decided to defeat you before the tournament began. It was painfully obvious how head over heels you were over Jaune, and to be honest, I have no idea what you or Blake see in him, but I figured giving him a girlfriend would be the best way to make you emotionally unstable." He gestured at the tears on the table. "Worked like a charm."

Pyrrha blinked, struggling to hold back tears. "So, what, you're going to tell Blake to break up with him?"

"I could do that, but I have a better idea. Imagine if I told Jaune that, this whole time, Blake only dated him because I made her, and she never had the guts to tell him the truth. After a heated argument between them, Jaune's going to have his heart broken, and who better to console him and help him move on than his partner? Give it a couple weeks, then take him out to dinner somewhere, some sort of friendly outing to give him some fresh air. Hold his hand a bit, give him a couple compliments, and maybe a few weeks after that, he'll be ready for a kiss. Give him two months, and he won't even look at Blake." He spread out his arms. "Well? How does that sound?"

Pyrrha's face slowly crumpled. As the tears poured down her face, she buried her head in her arms and sobbed into the table. Cardin leaned back and watched her cry for a solid five minutes before impatience got the better of him.

"I don't have all day, Pyrrha. Keep this up and you'll ruin every book in the library."

Pyrrha sniffled and raised her head. Her eyes were bloodshot, and her face was streaked with tears. "Fine," she said. "I'll do it."

Cardin's heart leapt in his chest, but he kept his face impassive. "Good. Here's what we're going to do. You had a good point about the match review, so we have to make sure people won't question a loss. We'll be partners in the sparring practice, where you'll help me learn everything I can about your fighting style and you'll critique my moves. Once that's done and we get into seeding for the tournament, I'll challenge you, and you will lose."

He stood up and walked over to her side. "You better lose, or I'll make sure you never see Jaune again."