Another week, another chapter, this one with a controversy I'm sure will get me hung by some, sigh.

Beta: College Fool

Cover Art: Kegi Springfield

Chapter 7 – Taking the ram by the horns

Jaune knew he was still getting used to the culture. He also knew there'd be some mistakes and things he didn't understand, and that at some points he'd need to curtail his usual responses to try and fit in better. He struggled with that, however, especially when it was time for their first history lesson and he couldn't quite pull off the same boredom everyone else seemed to exhibit.

History! Honest to goodness history, stories from the past of how the world was formed. Could there be anything more exciting? He bounced in his seat, aware of the rather shocked expression Weiss sent his way. "You seem… oddly motivated," she whispered.

"How can I not be? I've never been to a history class before!"

"How can you have never studied history before?" she asked, eyes narrowed. "Did you not go to school or something?"

Ah, crap - another mistake. He looked away in shame, and tried to be as honest as he could. "Not... not really. There weren't enough children to have any, after, well..." Well, after Salem called it quits after eight children, and Big Sis Cinder refused to help carry on the line.

It wasn't like there were any other fertile, child-bearing women around either- or rather, anyone stupid enough to entertain a thought of his sisters. But that was neither here nor there.

"My mother made sure the other adults taught me what she thought I'd need, but they didn't like to talk about the past much. They always told me it was better to focus on the future instead." A glorious future, they claimed, full of the politics and economics that would allow him to manipulate and control people and governments.

He looked back up, and saw Weiss staring at him with her mouth open. Noticing him watching her, Weiss shut her mouth and looked away, though she still shot him an odd look from the corner of her eye. For some reason, it almost looked sympathetic… pitying, even.

"Well… I suppose that's understandable," she whispered. "At least you have some enthusiasm, which is more than can be said for some people," she added with a glare towards Ruby. The younger girl didn't notice, too busy showing Pyrrha a doodle from her notebook. Pyrrha laughed at it, and that only seemed to irk Weiss all the more.

Why did uncle Watts only ever teach me to take advantage of things like this? Why didn't he ever teach me how to peacefully resolve them?"

"Probably because your mom didn't want a mediator," Remy guessed. "Fifty lien says your partner snaps and tries to kill the silver-eyed one."

"Remy, you don't even have any lien." Jaune paused for a second. "At least I hope you don't in there..."

He didn't take the bet, however… if only because he wasn't sure. Watts' lessons had always said that these things boiled over eventually. Power struggles were self-consuming beasts that would eat and eat until only one remained, at which point you could either manipulate that one to your goals or kill and replace them with a puppet. Jaune didn't have three puppets to hand, however, and even if he did, he wasn't sure he wanted a team of them.

Thankfully, the teacher's arrival put a stop to any murder being committed within the classroom. The man burst through the door and whizzed over to his desk with a speed that rivalled Ruby. A metal thermos slammed down onto the wood, the top pulled loose and filled with some hot beverage before the class had even stopped talking between themselves. He's fast, Jaune thought with a little surprise.

"Good morning!" the green-haired man spoke, "My name is Bartholomew Oobleck, but you may call me Doctor Oobleck or sir. Welcome to this, your first of many history lessons within Beacon. Some of you may wonder why history is important for an aspiring huntsman or huntress, but we must all remember that those who do not learn from the mistakes of the past are doomed to repeat them."

So wise… Jaune found himself nodding along, but felt a little surprised that everyone else lacked the same excitement. A few groaned, more slouched – and he could even see a person on the other side of the classroom rest their head on the desk and fall asleep.

"We shall begin our first lesson with a topic close to the hearts of us all, that being of our role within Remnant and how the standards we are held to today have come to pass."

Ooh, that sounds interesting. Jaune leaned forward as the man dove into a lecture on how early records depicted hunters as a caste of people who specialised in combat and defence, a novelty at the time since back then everyone had to learn to fight but also balance training with domestic and industrial tasks. The creation of the hunter corps (not that it had been called that at the time) enabled people to specialise in given tasks, namely fighting or whatever else they wanted to do. It vastly improved their ability to defend themselves, while also enabling those protected to become more proficient at other, more civilian occupations.

Doctor Oobleck, for he deserved the full respect that title gave, was a man who clearly held great passion for history. He got that expression Jaune had seen before, the look of excitement and awe that Uncle Watts sometimes gained whenever he talked of a particularly complicated or volatile political situation and what the consequences of it might mean. Both men clearly loved their jobs, and facial hair aside, Jaune felt they seemed not so dissimilar.

As the teacher got into it, he started to speak faster too, and it looked like some struggled to keep up. Jaune didn't have the same problem since Uncle Watts tended to do the same when he got excited. He took notes throughout it, as did Weiss beside him – albeit her handwriting had gone from neat to frantic as she tried to keep up. When Doctor Oobleck moved onto the Grimm, however, Jaune had to pause.

"Naturally, the Grimm have existed from before recorded history," the teacher orated, "Mindlessly aggressive and with a burning hatred towards all mankind, the Grimm have been an ever-present problem that threatens to wipe out humanity and could attack at any time."

"Then why haven't they?"

The class burst into murmurs as Jaune's interruption cut through the room. He felt Weiss kick her leg against his beneath the table and he moved his out of the way so she could have more room. That didn't seem to stop her kicking, however.

"Ah, Mr Arc, is it? A pleasure to have your input but in future please do raise your hand into the air."

"I'm sorry doctor," Jaune said and held his hand up.

"Not at all – it's wonderful to see someone interested in joining the discussion. Now then, could you rephrase your question for me?"

Ah, right, maybe he hadn't said it in the best way. He coughed and lowered his hand. "You said that the Grimm are mindlessly aggressive and hunt humans, and that they could attack at any time to wipe out the Kingdoms… but if that's true, then why haven't they done so already?"

"Why have they not conquered the Kingdoms?" Oobleck asked. "Well, that would be a combination of our hunter forces, but also the fortifications we use to defend our settlements. Neither would be enough without the other, but together they have allowed us to eke out a civilisation."

"But it's not like the walls could stop every Grimm. Take Nevermore, for instance, they could just fly over – so if Grimm are mindlessly aggressive and go out of their way to kill humans, why aren't the flying ones constantly swarming Vale?"

The class mumbled between themselves once more, especially as Oobleck didn't have an immediate answer. Some even looked towards Jaune with expressions akin to awe on their face. Others just looked like they didn't understand his point, which felt a little distressing. "You're not mindlessly aggressive, are you Remy?"

"More like mindlessly bored," the parasite grumbled. "And I'd say passive-aggressive at best."

"An interesting point, Mr Arc," the teacher conceded, "I suppose you are correct in your analysis, though I might add that we do not know entirely how Grimm operate. It could be that their ability to sense humans is limited by distance. Those far out in the wild might struggle to find humans."

"Then how do you explain the Nevermore in initiation?" he pressed, "Or the Grimm in the Emerald Forest at all? Unless I missed it, we've not been invaded by Grimm this morning – and the whole forest is filled with them. Even if we had defences here, that Nevermore has clearly lived there for ages and hasn't attacked anyone."

"Except for you," the teacher pointed out.

"Well, yeah, but he wasn't very serious about it." More mutters from the crowd, and these were even followed up by a whistle or two. "The point I'm making is, are we sure they're pure evil? I mean, it looks to me like they're just sitting out there minding their own business. At the very least, if it were true, it should mean no Grimm come anywhere near humans because they either kill the humans or the humans kill them, yet we have entire towns and villages in Grimm-infested land and they don't suffer Grimm invasions every single day."

"While that is true, Mr Arc, I would point out that these locations still do experience attacks from Grimm on a regular basis. I can freely admit that the definition of Grimm as unrelenting evil might be… fanciful at times. As you say, some villages – while not co-existing with Grimm – are able to exist in locations with them, often without being wiped out. Other, on the other hand, might be wiped out entirely."

"Jaune!" Weiss hissed urgently. He didn't pay attention, however, and instead nodded to the professor.

"I guess that's true. It just seems odd to me that people claim Grimm are an unrelenting tide of evil."

"Evil is subjective, and that is a point we should all seek to remember. In this case, I believe the Grimm are labelled that because they lack motive for their destruction. We humans kill animals for meat, but at least we have reason for doing so. The Grimm do not eat or take sustenance from those they kill, and so such callous wastage is considered morally reprehensible."

"Maybe they have a different motive?" Jaune suggested, leaning forward. He was getting into it now and not even Remy could have stopped him. Back home, his uncles had never really indulged him in such discussions, stating that lessons were for listening and taking notes, and were therefore not open to discourse. Doctor Oobleck, however, seemed more than willing to entertain him.

In fact, the man almost seemed equally excited. "Oh?" he asked, "You are challenging Pordingher's established concept that Grimm are mindless? That is an intriguing hypothesis, Mr Arc. I hope you have some evidence to back it up."

"Well, there's always how they gain intelligence if they've been around long enough. It seems impossible to me that they can be absolutely lacking in a brain for decades, then suddenly – poof – brain and full intellect capable of reasoning thought and strategy. Something has to have existed before then, even if it's only a limited intellect."

"True, true… I might add that researchers have tried to conduct skull analysis on Grimm to see if there is a cranial cavity that might contain a brain, but as you know, the carcass does dissolve on death. Capturing one live for testing? A difficult task indeed. On the other hand, because we have no ability to test them, that means we can't rule out illogical – or even theoretically impossible – things like a brain appearing from nowhere. Grimm vanish on death, is the spawning of a brain so unlikely?"

Hm, a good point and one he hadn't considered. This guy sure knew his stuff! "That's pretty clever, actually," Jaune said and received an acknowledging nod from the man. "Even so, isn't the fact that Grimm can move about, fight and actually show aggression in the first place proof that they have some limited intellect?"

"Do you mean as to their ability to function at all?" Oobleck offered. "If so, then yes, I can agree – the definition of being mindless as in `having no possession of cognitive thought` is perhaps incorrect. After all, Beowolves know to dodge and an Ursa will often use its prodigious strength and bulk to attack, showing at least some awareness as to their own surroundings and physiology. That said there is perhaps a difference between sentience and animalistic instinct." The teacher removed his glasses and cleaned them with a cloth, smiling all the while. "It's important to note, and I believe the entire class could benefit to take note of this, that much of what we know of the Grimm is assumed fact, rather than established." The teacher seemed to speak much slower now, and he extended his gaze across the entire room. "We cannot test them, nor can we ask or understand them. Some of our information on them might also be considered propaganda, their `lack of a brain` one of them."

"Remember," Oobleck went on in a deliberate tone, "That the definition of the term `mindless` does not actually mean something that does not have the ability to make sentient thought. I'm not sure where people get the idea it is that from, but in truth the definition is of actions made without justification or concern, or of decisions made without thinking of the consequences or having a motive. Any student here who approaches a Grimm thinking them foolish or incapable of cunning might find themselves sorely tested if they are lured into an ambush or outsmarted by a `mindless` Beowolf."

"But the Grimm are mindless," someone protested, "Everyone knows that."

"Beowolves travel in packs and Nevermore attack from the sky to make use of their mobility," Oobleck pointed out. "If they were truly mindless, then what use would Grimm have of pack mentality? They have no predators and no need to improve their success in hunting prey… they do not need to eat, after all. Pack behaviour, or herds, are established for many reasons – from better success at hunting to security, social bonds or to share a workload. If Grimm were truly nothing more than bodies with violent tendencies, they would have no need – or even ability – to travel in groups."

"Then why say they're mindless at all?" Weiss called out. "Clearly, being uneducated about the capabilities of the Grimm would be a costly mistake! Why perpetuate the claim?"

"Politics, my dear," the teacher sighed. "Politics, but also necessity… the concept was spread by Doctor Pordingher, a famous researcher who lived almost two centuries ago, but if you recall my earlier statement – no research can truly be carried out on the Grimm. It was formed on estimation and hypothesis only, but what the Governments of the time saw in it was promising, if not entirely accurate. The report painted Grimm as creatures of brawn but no intellect, easily outmatched by brave, intelligent and adaptable humans… at a time where manpower was low and the danger was high, such a morale boost would make it easier to convince impressionable children to risk their lives against a most deadly threat. It was propaganda only, Miss Schnee, though after so long, many consider it fact. In truth, I would say that the Grimm are of limited intellect… violent and vicious, yes, and certainly not capable of higher thought – but mindless?" Oobleck snorted. "People called the Faunus Revolution a movement of mindless violence, and yet I am sure there are many faunus who would disagree with such a statement. They had reason and motives for their actions, after all."

Weiss went silent, as did most of the class, while Jaune nodded in understanding. Propaganda made sense and was something he could understand easily thanks to Big sis Cinder and uncle Watts. They always said that the first step to controlling minds was to control the flow of information. It was one of the few things they actually agreed on.

"Tell me, Mr Arc," Doctor Oobleck spoke once more. "You seem to have read more on the Grimm than most… given your interest, what do you think a huntsman's duty is?"

"To protect people."

"Not to kill the Grimm?" Oobleck asked, curious.

"If it's to protect people, then yes," Jaune sighed. "If the Grimm attack and are threatening people then sure, it makes sense to kill them."

"An interesting answer… and I suppose you consider a more aggressive stance unethical?"

Was it too much to say that? The teacher seemed friendly and interested, and perhaps that gave him the confidence to continue. "Well… I think it would be wasteful to go and attack the Grimm," he answered. "I mean, what's the point? Grimm spawn without the need for reproduction and if you're not defending a location or people's lives then all you're doing is risking your own to kill other creatures. If a Grimm attacks a child then that's a Grimm attacking an innocent… but wouldn't it be the same the other way around if a huntsman marches into the wild lands, finds a Grimm and kills it when it's not even doing anything? That's just perpetuating the problem."

"They're Grimm," a burly figure in the crowd laughed. "They're guilty of being Grimm. Kill them all, I say." A few others cheered along, but Jaune's face fell as he looked about the class. Really? Was that really the view that most people had?

To his surprise, it was Yang's partner Blake who answered. "By that logic you should kill all humans because some are criminals." Her words threw the class into silence. "Or kill all the faunus for the actions of the few."

"Tch… maybe we should."

"Mr Winchester, if you say something like that again, you shall be spending time here after class," the teacher ordered. "In fact, I believe we shall leave the class there, since it appears Mr Arc and I have taken up much of the time with our discussion."

Wait, they had? Jaune's eyes widened as he checked the clock and realised they really had been engaged in a heated debate for the last twenty minutes. Oh god, am I going to get in trouble for that? Uncle Watts would have exploded!

"For homework," the teacher went on, "I would like to see a thousand words on Pordingher's theorem of Grimm and how its implementation shaped the rise of hunters across Vale." The class groaned at that. "And Mr Arc, might I speak with you for a moment?"

Uh-oh…

/-/

Weiss waited outside the classroom with the others. She refused to show how nervous she was and instead focused on keeping her expression calm as Jaune bowed his head and said something to the professor. In truth, she didn't know whether to be alarmed that he'd argued with the man so, or impressed at his knowledge. She'd barely been able to keep up with the discussion between the two, and not just because of the advanced topics. She'd read of Pordingher once, but only as a name.

"Jaune seems rather well-read," Pyrrha broke the silence as the other students began to leave. "I'm surprised that he was able to hold a discussion with Professor Oobleck for so long. The content was troubling, however…"

"Nothing he said was incorrect," Blake added, though Weiss wasn't sure just why she seemed so insistent on that fact.

"You could keep up with that?" Yang asked, "I couldn't make heads or tails of it."

"Some of the concepts were fairly advanced," Ren sighed.

"Yeah… I wasn't talking about the concepts so much as the pacing. I'm not sure either of them even paused to breathe."

The others chuckled at the blonde's words, but Ruby of all people looked troubled. "If Grimm aren't mindless, does that mean we're killing things that can think?" Ruby asked. The girl looked worried, but Weiss only sighed.

"Not at all," she said with a roll of her eyes. "Grimm are Grimm, no matter their thought process. All the two spoke of was the misconception that Grimm are incapable of mental processing. It simply means that the Grimm have a reason for wanting to kill you and can perform limited reasoning and strategy. We already knew that, however, since it's documented that particularly ancient Grimm have a tendency to retreat if hurt and can even use tools in a limited fashion, though admittedly that often means knocking trees into hunters of toppling buildings. If anything, realising this will make us all better prepared. Underestimating an opponent is a foolish mistake that could get someone killed."

"I'm not killing animals like Zwei, then?"

She had no idea what this `Zwei` thing was, but shook her head regardless. "It would be more akin to putting down a rabid animal," she explained. "Jaune's point was simply that it should be done in order to protect people, and presumably that he doesn't believe we should actively enjoy or take pleasure in the act." In that regard, he was not unlike Winter, who often referred to the `responsibility` of hunters, and not the glory.

She could agree with that and it also explained his aversion to Professor Port, since the man seemed to glorify his combat years. Then again, those sounded like tall tales and empty boasts to her… had Jaune taken them seriously? The man claimed to have invaded the Grimmlands with a single shoe. Don't tell me Jaune actually believed that?

The man in question walked out of the classroom, apparently done with his meeting. On the way a burly, arrogant-looking, teen bumped into him. It wasn't an accident and Weiss nearly stormed over there. "Oops," the idiot scoffed, "Sorry, I was looking for the teacher's pet and didn't look where I was going. You haven't seen one, have you?" Other students around him tittered and laughed.

Jaune, on the other hand, blinked owlishly up at him. "Oobleck has a pet? I must have missed it. What was it?"

"Wha-?" Winchester, for she recognised his stupid face now, looked caught off-guard. The crowd did too, though one or two nor laughed at the bully instead of with him.

"Maybe it's a tortoise," Jaune mused, "But no, that would seem too slow for him… hm, a dog? Is it lost? Is that why you're looking for it? Wow, you must be really eager to get on his good side if you're trying to find it for him."

Is he…? Weiss' smirk slowly grew as she watched the crowd turn on Winchester. The teen's face was red too; eyes flicking left and right as he felt control of the situation elude him. Beside her, Yang chuckled into her hand – and Weiss could see Pyrrha's eyes sparkle with amusement.

"I'll tell you what," Jaune said, "I'll keep an eye out and if I find it, I'll let you know, okay?"

"What, no – I-"

"Don't worry," the blond winked, "I'll let you be the one to bring it home. Then Doctor Oobleck will be happy with you for it." Jaune strolled past the open-mouthed teen a moment later, the casual dismissal the straw that broke the camel's back and sent the crowd into raucous laughter. Winchester, along with his team, quickly fled the scene.

"That," Yang said when Jaune reached them, "was amazing. You are, quite literally, my favourite guy in Beacon right now."

"Hey!" Nora complained.

"Ren doesn't count. He's my partner so he's automatically higher."

"Hmm…" Nora didn't look fully convinced, "I'll let it go for now Yang, but you need to show Renny more respect. If he doesn't get his daily quota of love and affection, he starts to fall to pieces." Weiss couldn't help but look at the young man, who at that moment had one hand over his face and looked rather unlikely to fall to pieces anytime soon. She pitied him… she truly did, but at that moment she had more pressing concerns.

"You didn't get detention, did you?" she asked her partner, eyes narrowed. "I can't believe you just started arguing with him in class like that!"

"Huh?" Jaune looked confused. "I didn't get a detention… Doctor Oobleck was just asking me if I wanted to discuss Pordingher's theorem in more detail this weekend. He said he's been looking for someone to talk to about some aspects of it, but most people aren't interested in discussing Grimm as anything other than monsters to kill."

Weiss' mouth fell open.

"Impressive," Pyrrha nodded to him, "You know a lot about Grimm, Jaune."

He flushed a little and shrugged. "Well, it's only natural, isn't it?"

Only natural? In theory yes, especially with them being hunters, but her partner, the idiot, knew enough about Grimm to impress a teacher to the point of being invited for a one on one discussion into the nature of Grimm history? That wasn't natural!

"Know your enemy," Ren agreed. "I'll admit, I've read a fair bit in my time, but that conversation was beyond my ability to follow… well, even if I'd been able to follow it at all."

"Huh? What do you mean?"

"He means," Weiss interrupted, "That you and Doctor Oobleck spoke at about five hundred words per minute. It was almost impossible for anyone else to keep up with you and even then, only because Oobleck slowed down towards the end to involve the rest of the class."

Jaune looked embarrassed by it and mumbled something about how he and his uncle often did the same.

Still… it wasn't all bad. Jaune Arc, for all his occasional faults, appeared to be much smarter than he gave on. Weiss found herself standing a little straighter at that, not only that her partner had been invited to liaise with their professor, but that he had also acquitted himself well against Winchester's little display.

"Hey Jaune," Ruby chirped up, "If you know so much about Grimm… could you help with that homework Oobleck gave us?"

"Sure," Jaune shrugged, "The two of us can have a private study session if you like?"

The younger girl's cheeks went red but she nodded regardless.

/-/

For Blake, libraries had always been a refuge. The silence imposed by many was absent in Beacon, but even so, the quiet hum of conversation was low enough as to not distract and the people there were busy at work and didn't pay any attention to her. Back when she'd been part of the White Fang, she'd often retreated to places like this in her free time. Now, no longer part of that, her haven protected her from a different fate.

Nora isn't really that bad, a kind part of her whispered. Even at its most magnanimous, however, it seemed unable to think of a reason she should spend the rest of the day with the girl.

She was just so… so much. That was the only adjective she could think to use. Nora was excitable, friendly and enthusiastic in everything she did. Those were all positive traits, yes, but Nora had too much of each.

For someone like her, who preferred peace and quiet, a chance to escape from it all had been too good to pass up on. I have no idea how Ren has dealt with her for so many years. It's not even been two days and I'm already at my wits end. By this point she wouldn't have been surprised if Ren revealed it was all because of a semblance or something – some Nora-immunity that only he possessed. Heh, now I'm just being foolish.

All in all, Beacon was both more and less than she expected. The people here, at least those on her team, were all individuals she could respect. Ren was calm and collected, a fine choice for their leader. Yang was principled and strong, if a little dramatic at times. Her concern towards her sister spoke volumes, however, and Blake felt they might become firm friends in time. Nora? Well, Nora was Nora, which was to say Blake and she would become friends or she'd never get a peaceful chance to read Ninjas of Love ever again.

So far, the faculty had also been better than expected, with Doctor Oobleck even going so far as to hint his support towards faunus rights. The recollection of that brought her mind back to her own outburst in history class, which had her shaking her head in embarrassment. Talk about failing to keep a low profile…

Out of the corner of her eye, she caught a flash of a familiar colour. Her book came up before her face, amber eyes peeking over the top as she spied Jaune Arc of all people. The young man spoke briefly to a librarian, who seemed vaguely confused as she pointed him in the direction of some shelves.

He walked nonchalantly over to them, knelt to select a book, and then sat down to read it. He was on the other side of the library and clearly busy, so she didn't see the need to disturb him. Of course, that wasn't the real reason for her decision, but it was an acceptable enough one. Besides, she was here to read, not chat with another exuberant student. One Nora was more than enough, thank you very much.

He as good as showed his support for the faunus too. Well, actually, he'd shown his support just about everything really, or at least the concept of not judging an entire species by the actions of the few (or even the majority where Grimm were concerned), but still – that had to mean he treat faunus in the same way.

Didn't it?

She wasn't sure. As far as she could tell, he seemed like a nice – if odd – guy. A little naïve at times, but surprisingly well-read if his recent showing was any indication. Strong too, she reminded herself with a quick thought back to initiation and the way he'd dealt with not only the Nevermore, but the Deathstalker as well.

Strong and smart, hm… If Yang or Nora could have heard her thoughts, they'd have no doubt jumped straight to the wrong conclusion, but as Blake watched him over the top of her book, her mind went a different direction. Too cautious by far, perhaps a little paranoid as well, the inconsistencies in his story leapt out at her.

Didn't Yang say he came out of nowhere and got into Beacon in a single day? That just doesn't add up. If he was home schooled and is as intelligent as he seems, he'd surely have no trouble getting in the normal way. Why risk everything by leaving it so late?

And what had he shown the headmaster to convince the man to accept him? Even if he was skilled, it wasn't like Beacon had deadlines on their applications for no good reason.

No… there was something odd about him. About the whole situation!

Schnee bodyguard sent to infiltrate Beacon and protect the heiress? No… I doubt she could fake how disappointed she was to end up with him and he doesn't show any SDC mannerisms. She would know, since she and Adam had faced off against SDC security more times than she cared to remember. It would also be odd for them to assign a potential faunus sympathiser to protect someone hated by the White Fang.

Was Yang's theory possible – that he was prodigy huntsman trained in the wilds, left alone to grow up and fight for survival amongst the Grimm? That might account for his combat strength but she doubted there were many opportunities for extensive book study in the wilderness.

Then again, there was always Nora's theory that he was some kind of alien or half-Grimm…

Blake sighed and lowered her face into the pages before her. What on Remnant was she doing? My gods, she's infected me already. I'm lost.

She considered going up to talk with him after all, if only to put her accursed curiosity to rest. Some in the know might have accused her heritage for it, but the truth was that it was all her; just one of her biggest faults – an inability to let something go until she found out the truth. Much like the saying, that curiosity had caused her to join the White Fang, and she'd regretted it ever since.

Jaune stood before she could. He nodded and appeared to speak with himself briefly, before he closed the book and walked away. He didn't even bother to put it back on the shelf, and didn't notice the librarian gesture towards him. She doubted it was meant to be rude… chances were he simply didn't notice or realise. He often seemed to lack rather simple manners like that. Home schooling, again? If he was from a well-off family, he might have had servants to do things like that for him.

She supposed she could do him a favour this once, if only for words he'd said in class. She pushed herself up and walked over to the table and picked up the book.

"Octopi and other marine-based cephalopods…?"

What on Remnant was he reading?

/-/

Pyrrha knew it would come to a head eventually. The issue had been simmering beneath the surface and none of them bothered to do anything about it. It had started, innocently enough, with Ruby requesting to see Jaune's essay for history so that she could take ideas.

"You're not copying his homework!" Weiss said. "If you'd just listened in class, you wouldn't need to."

"But Jaune said I could!" Ruby argued, silver eyes wide.

"And I'm saying no. He said a study lesson, not you looking over his notes and then running off to play video games with your sister. This is a school and you're here to learn. What use is it going to be if you're already copying homework? This is day two!"

"It's just history… we're here to learn to fight, not write books or teach a class. Besides, it wasn't like I didn't try to listen. Doctor Oobleck spoke too fast, I couldn't keep up!"

"In which case," Weiss said with a stern expression, "You should seek to research the information yourself. We have a library, you know, not to mention our scrolls can access information on the subjects. You're never going to improve if you mooch off other people's hard work. And, for your reference, history is important. If not to avoid repeating mistakes, then I'd have at least thought you cared because it is counted into your final grade, ergo, whether you graduate from Beacon or not!"

"This has nothing to do with Beacon," Ruby stomped one foot. "You've hated me since the moment you met me and I don't know why! You never shout at Pyrrha and Jaune like this."

"Pyrrha is a renowned champion and Jaune has shown himself to know quite a lot of the material already. Besides, neither of them have made a move to abandon or copy homework."

Pyrrha stepped forward and between the two, "Come now Weiss, I'm sure there's no reason to be quite so strict on Ruby. She's still young, after all." She shot the white-haired girl her best smile and honestly expected her to give up.

She didn't. Weiss took a deep breath and seemed to stiffen. "All the more reason for her to stop acting like a child and start paying attention! She's already behind in some subjects and if it gets any worse she might get expelled, or worse, killed!"

"She's two years younger than us…"

"Do you think the Grimm would care!?" Weiss scowled, and for once it was aimed at her.

"Why are you angry with me?" Pyrrha asked. "What have I done to earn your ire?"

"What have you-? You must be joking," Weiss shook her head. "Neither of you listen to a word I say. I'm supposed to be the leader here."

"Is that what this is? Weiss, you don't need to throw your weight around just to prove you're the team leader."

"Excuse me!?"

Ah, had that come out wrong? Pyrrha winced as she thought of a better way to try and explain it, but it looked like the damage had already been done.

"I'm not doing this to try and lord myself over anyone," the heiress screeched. "I am doing this because no matter what I say or do, it feels like no one even listens to what I say! What's the point of me being here at all if my words go ignored?"

"Well maybe if they weren't always so mean, we wouldn't have to," Ruby sighed. "I bet Jaune would be a better leader than you."

"I wouldn't." The words were quick and sharp, and drew attention to the last member of their team who had, until that point, remained mostly out of the fight. He looked serious now, and glanced between the three of them before sighing. "I can tell you right now, I wouldn't be a good leader for the team."

"Sure you would," Ruby laughed. "You're nice, brave and strong. What's not to-"

"None of those things would make me a good leader, though. I… a leader needs to be more than just the strongest fighter. A strong fighter should be on the front lines and you can't do that if you want to lead. You need to have a view of the entire battlefield."

"Arc…" Weiss whispered. Her eyes were wide. "You… you seem to know a lot about that."

His cheeks went red a second later, somewhat dispelling the noble air as he coughed and spluttered into his hand. "Well, uh… I guess. My mom's kind of the boss back home and I guess she wants me to take over some day, so she keeps knocking this stuff into my head."

Come to think of it, Pyrrha didn't think they knew much about Jaune's life before Beacon. Her own was pretty much common knowledge, as was Weiss', and Ruby had been happy to tell her about life back in Patch when she'd asked. Jaune, on the other hand, didn't offer much. "What does your mother do?" Pyrrha asked. "You say she's a leader… but of what?"

"Ah -uh… well, I mean… I suppose you could say she runs a business."

"A business?" Weiss asked, suddenly a little more interested. "Is it one we would know of?"

"I doubt it. She works in… I think the closest thing you could say is that she works in real estate."

"Real estate… like buildings?"

"Land mostly," he shrugged. "Dad often says she has huge tracts of land."

Weiss hummed and held a hand before her mouth. "I'm not familiar with many companies in the real estate industry but I've heard it can be quite cut-throat." Pyrrha had heard the same, since land safe from the Grimm was a rare commodity and valuable to many people. You needed security forces, personal hunters – not to mention the lien to pay for it.

And, if you made a mistake, a settlement could vanish overnight.

"Cut throat is a… pretty accurate description, actually."

"Do people work for your mother, then?" Pyrrha asked. "Is that what you mean about her being the boss?"

"Mom has agents," Jaune said, and Pyrrha nodded. She'd dealt with the sort before, people who would show you around property or land. They could offer you a deal to die for... or be the sort of people who'd help you do that if you didn't take an offer they insisted you couldn't refuse.

"You said you lived outside the Kingdoms?" Weiss asked, receiving a nod from Jaune. "I suppose that explains how you know so much about the Grimm, not to mention your skill at fighting them. Land outside the major cities is rare, more so when it's defended. You must have grown up used to such struggle."

"I'm a normal person," Jaune said. They all ignored him.

"Still, I'm surprised your mother can convince people to work out there," Weiss went on, "She must pay quite well."

"Ah well, I don't think money comes into it all that often."

"Intangible benefits, then? I suppose it must be quite the employment package."

"No one can complain."

"Ah," Weiss smirked, "A persuasive leader."

"That's one way of putting it." Jaune said, scratching his cheek with a finger. "She normally gets whatever it is she wants in the end. The only one that actually knows how to say no to her is my dad, and even then it's a close thing when it happens."

Pyrrha chuckled as she imagined it. In her mind she thought of a woman not dissimilar to Jaune, with pretty blue eyes and golden hair. She would be dressed in a suit, no doubt, and sat behind a desk. When she opened her eyes, it was to see Jaune once more, in jeans and a hoodie. The differences were startling. "If your mother wanted you to take over the family business then why are you here? Did she want you to know how to defend yourself?"

Jaune blinked and turned away from Weiss to answer her. "Oh no, we had people who could fight back home, not to mention my guard dog."

"Oh, oh," Ruby crowed, "I have a dog too – his name is Zwei and he's a corgi. Zwei can fight too, even if he's a little small for a guard dog. Is yours really big?"

"Much bigger than a corgi," Jaune shrugged, "He's… well, I guess you could say he's got a little wolf blood in him."

"So cool!" Ruby gushed, hands before her mouth.

Jaune seemed inordinately pleased by the praise, and for possibly the first time it was he that preened before them. "Mannie is pretty cool," he boasted, "He's been my companion and best friend for like… well, forever."

"The people that trained you must have done a good job," Pyrrha interrupted before the conversation could go off track. "I have to ask, though, if the training was so good… why send you here at all?"

He winced and refused to meet their eyes. "Mom… didn't send me," he admitted, "She wants me to take over the family business, but I just don't think I'm cut out for it. I wanted to be a huntsman, not an evil overlord." His eyes widened at the last and he slapped his hands over his mouth.

"Not everyone in business is evil," Weiss protested, "I know people says that, but it's only lawyers who are truly evil!"

Pyrrha shook her head and laughed. "So, you told her you wanted to leave and came here?" she guessed. Jaune coughed and suddenly looked even more shamefaced. It didn't take a genius to guess what it was about. "She doesn't know you're here… does she?"

Weiss and Ruby gasped, though likely for different reasons. Jaune, on the other hand, looked up with eyes filled with panic. "You don't understand," he said, "What my mother wants, she gets. It was my dream to become a huntsman and there was no chance I'd be able to do that back home. It's not like I wanted to run away, but I didn't have a choice. I still love her but I have to make my own decisions now that I'm an adult."

"I suppose that's understandable," Weiss sighed. "I can respect your goal to control your own life, Arc, even if I believe your methods a little… reckless."

"Reckless is one way of putting it," he sighed, "When mom gets hold of me, she's going to flay the skin off my bones."

He looked so afraid that Pyrrha couldn't help but laugh. It must have been nice to have so protective a mother, even if they'd apparently not agreed on everything. It was one thing to carry on the family history, but personal choice had to come before that. She watched as Weiss told him off for being dramatic, to which he argued that he wasn't being dramatic at all, and his mother would flay him alive and then throw his body to the Grimm.

In the end, it was Ruby who interrupted the conversation. Her partner stood with a conflicted expression before speaking out. "How does your mother lead?" she asked. "She has to be pretty good at it if she can run something like that. What makes her a good leader?"

"My mom?" Jaune looked uncertain.

"Go on, Arc," Weiss gestured, "We're all in disagreement on what a leader is or should do or be and this seems a good solution. Let's hear it from the source and see which one of us would best suit the position."

Pyrrha didn't add her own voice to the mix, but she could admit to being curious herself.

Jaune looked between them for a few seconds and sighed. He seemed to struggle to gather his thoughts, or perhaps he tried to find a way to put the word together. In the end, however, he spoke. "Well, my mother always says a leader has to know everything, or at least seem like they do. They have to be intelligent, cunning... strength is a plus, but always second to those since if you lack ability you can take on someone else to fill the gap."

The description seemed to favour Weiss, who doubtless saw it if the way she straightened was any indication. Ruby, on the other hand, seemed frustrated. "It's not that simple though, is it?" Pyrrha asked. "You can be an intelligent person but you need to be capable of making people follow your orders. It's not like anyone can walk out onto the street and tell people to listen to them."

"Well that's why a leader needs to know how to make people do what they want."

"And what does she do?" Weiss was suddenly a lot more interested. "How does your mother make people do things they don't want to do?"

"Oh, that's easy. She doesn't give them a choice in the matter."

"But how?" Weiss asked. "How does she make them accept that?"

"Through force." Jaune said the words so casually, as though they were no big deal. "If you want to make people follow your orders you need to make them fear the consequences of not following them. You need to punish them when they step out of line."

Weiss took a step back. The girl's bravado looked to have left her, and Pyrrha felt no better. Ruby looked worried too, as though she might feel the lash at any moment. "That- that's not leadership," Weiss swallowed, "That's no better than ruling through fear!"

Jaune looked at her with a quizzical expression. "Well, yeah... obviously. You asked me how to make people do what you want. You need to force them."

Jaune... there's something to be said about not answering questions with blatant honesty. Obviously, the conversation will continue next chapter, lol.

I can almost fully expect the backlash for my daring to consider the Grimm as having intellect in this. I'd just like to say that most of the content I included here was picked up from observation of the show and not "put together for the sake of it". In the real world "mindless" genuinely does NOT mean without a mind, and even in the show – we see regular instances of intellect, even from smaller Grimm. Take initiation for example, when Yang lands, addresses two Ursa… and they quite clearly look to one another in confusion – a human emotion.

Or the Nevermore Ruby slams into, which is basically flying right next to humans… and makes zero attempts to attack or do anything about it. It's honestly just minding its own business, as are most of the Grimm in the Emerald Forest. There are many other examples too, but I won't list them. Do I think that makes hunters evil? Am I some kind of Remnant-leftist-hippy? Hell no, and I hope that's been made clear in this chapter… but at the same time, I fully expect that more about the Grimm will be revealed by RT in time, and not just as them being "brainless, pointless evil". They are antagonists, yes, and certainly so to the humans, since they have taken over much of Remnant. That won't change in this fic, either. Jaune will have to fight and kill Grimm… but that doesn't mean he isn't going to be affected by it.

When people said it was "silly and stupid because Jaune is naïve in not knowing what a hunter does" in the last chapter, I think they missed the point that Jaune does – and did accept that he had to kill the Deathstalker - but that he had a bad reaction to Port's tales of basically going out into Grimm territory, finding a Grimm minding its own business – and murdering it (and of turning them into furniture).

And in that case… yes, in my mind it would be an innocent Grimm. I, personally, could kill a rabid animal, and I could also hunt and kill an animal for food if I needed to, but I can still feel shitty about one being killed for sport or personal entertainment.

I actually tried to "hint" a lot of this from chapters 1-6, mainly in how Jaune keeps meeting Grimm who SHOW some form of intellect, but since it wasn't widely understood, I had to basically write in the history lesson to sort of explain it. I do apologise of people felt it took a lot of the chapter, but it was the only in-universe way i could think to blatantly state it, since the signs went missed by quite a few people.

Next Chapter: 1st March

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