Hey all, here's the next chapter.

Beta: College Fool

Cover Art: Kegi Springfield

Chapter 36

Emerald barely saw the people around her as she walked through the halls of Beacon. Walk itself might have been too strong a term, for it suggested a destination and she had none. She meandered, hesitated, and generally did her best to get as lost as she could. Anything to avoid what she'd left behind. Nothing made sense. Cinder had been angry, but had let her go – but was that any mercy given the look on her face?

I failed her. I failed Cinder, and even if she wouldn't kill me – not in the middle of Beacon – I know she won't trust me as much anymore. Her hand clenched into a fist at the thought, and had she been any less than what she was, she might have shed a tear. As it was, she felt a pit open up in her stomach. Cinder, the woman she respected most, the person she'd dedicated her live to serving, had thrown her away like a used dishcloth.

Would there be any recovering from this? Cinder would still use her – of course she would. She would use every tool at her disposal, and Emerald was still that. Would there be any future for her afterwards, however? She didn't know.

What if she had become as expendable as Torchwick?

This can't be happening. I've gone from her favoured, to a failure. Mercury's taken my spot, and I've not just taken his, I've fallen through the floor. Meanwhile, Mercury himself was off carousing with that rabbit faunus. Not that she cared what the two of them got up to!

The whole situation was a complete mess – and worse – she'd become some kind of chess piece trapped between the two titans that marked her mistress and the Prince of the Grimm. It sounded like the story to some kind of terrible smut novel, but life wasn't nearly as kind.

Jaune had saved her by speaking out, but he'd damned her too. Cinder would have punished her, and she'd have fallen out of favour, but there might have been a chance to reclaim that in time. Now, she wasn't quite so sure. Cinder would always look at her and wonder whether her loyalty was to her or to her brother – and there was no way for Emerald to prove herself.

Did she stick with Cinder, or did she cling to her new benefactor instead?

The choice wasn't as easy as it might have seemed.

Jaune was untested, but his position was strong – very strong. Better still, he was still allied to Cinder through his family, so either choice wouldn't end with her being killed off by the other. He'd shown a willingness to protect her, which was good, but she didn't know him as well as she did Cinder. There was still a big part of her which longer for the attention and trust of the woman who had picked her up off the streets and given her a home.

And yes, it was manipulation and nothing more, she knew that. Cinder hadn't really cared for a street urchin, but that didn't matter. Even fake love was preferable to nothing, and Cinder was very good at faking it.

Emerald's feet came to a halt as a far more terrifying prospect settled into her head.

What if Jaune had planned all of this?

The very idea was stupid enough to make her scoff, but it didn't quite leave her head entirely. She'd always considered him a bit of an idiot… intelligent in a way, sure, but definitely not wise, and lacking in any common sense. He'd been an easy read and someone she felt comfortable saying she could trick if she needed to.

And then he'd gone and slipped past her with ease, not only tricking her – but also manipulating the situation so that it was she who got scolded by Cinder, and he who came out smelling of roses. Worse, he knew damn well she owed him her life.

He had her at his mercy – and all because she'd underestimated him.

I'm such an idiot, Emerald growled, shaking her head from side to side. What was I thinking!? Cinder as good as told me she raised him. Why would someone raised from birth by Cinder come out as a naive idiot? They wouldn't… especially not with the kind of genes someone like Cinder's master could provide. With an upbringing between those two, the answer seemed obvious.

Jaune wasn't foolish at all. He simply let her believe he was.

Hoisted by her own petard. She'd never really considered the saying before, but it seemed apt here. Her arrogance had done her in, and now she was a toy dangled between the two of them. That Cinder had spared her wasn't a good thing. It meant she would be annoyed, even if she'd hidden it well. Jaune had basically called her out on something, and forced her to change her mind.

You didn't do that to Cinder Fall.

I have to make a choice, but what…?

Jaune had given her an offer of friendship, even if it was in a manipulative way that left her trapped in the middle of the ocean. He had extended a tentacle.

Did she dare take it?

An image flashed into her mind, more a memory. In it, she stood naked in the shower of Jaune's room, poking and playing with the tentacle he'd pushed through the door. With a sigh, she turned to the nearest wall – and then startled passers-by as she slammed her head against it. When she pulled back, her cheeks were flushed a dark red, and there was an equally red mark on her forehead.

Bloody tentacles…

Either way, she had to be careful. Jaune Arc was apparently much more dangerous than he seemed.

/-/

Jaune rubbed his head and wondered if he'd done the right thing as he entered the library in search of his friends. The meeting with Cinder had calmed him down a little, mostly because he knew that if she was looking for something, she might leave when she got it, but also because she'd said how she wouldn't hurt his friends if she didn't have to.

"If," Remy pointed out. "Keep in mind that this is your team you're talking about. They don't exactly shy away from danger."

Yeah, he knew. Cinder could be as nice as she could be, but sooner or later she'd decide it was easier to deal with them in a more permanent manner and that would be the end of that. Or rather, she'd try. He would stand up in their defence, and all of a sudden, his world would come crashing down around him.

Cinder was cruel, calculating – and honestly quite demanding with her massages and such, but she was still his Big Sis. She'd been there for him when he had nightmares (reluctantly), and she'd kissed his knee when he scraped it (reluctantly), and even sat down and held him when Tyrian and Salem explained `the talk` to him and he'd been scarred.

And yes, she'd been reluctant about that too, but that wasn't the point.

He loved Cinder. He really did.

But he loved his friends, too.

Nothing was ever easy.

"Jaune!" Nora waved him over, and it was testament to her reputation that the librarian didn't even bother to ask her to be quiet. "Hey. Why the long face?"

He winced as Nora's question had everyone turning to look at him, and he managed to school his features into something a little more relaxed. "It's nothing," he said. "I was just lost in thought."

"It must have been frightening," Weiss groused. There wasn't much heat in it. "Is your training with Mr Branwen going any better?"

"It is, actually." Jaune sat down at the table and smiled at each of them in greeting. "Those tricks Yang taught me really helped me push him back. I didn't win, not even close, but he had to use his weapon. Thanks for that, by the way," he added, nodding to Yang. "You're the best."

"Aw, shucks." Yang looked away, her neck tinted pink. "Nothing to it, lover boy."

"Eyes on me," Weiss snapped. "I'm your girlfriend." The white-haired girl paused a second later and pinched the bridge of her nose. "I can't believe I just said that. Argh, this is playing havoc with my patience."

"Maybe it would help if you were more natural," Nora teased. "You could always kiss."

"No."

"No!"

"No!"

The three girls who had shouted the responses paused to look at one another, and there was a smothered snicker from Nora as Weiss, Yang and Ruby's cheeks all started to light up. In the end, it was Weiss who broke it, coughing into her fist.

"I don't think that will be necessary, Nora. Jaune and I have already decided to masquerade as shy and uncertain partners, nothing more."

"Y-Yeah," Yang agreed. "Don't want to confuse things, right?"

"Hm, maybe you're right." Nora tapped her lips in apparent thought. "Then again, there's the dance coming up anyway. You need to decide what you're doing for that, right?"

The dance? Had anyone ever said anything about s dance?

"It's the mid-term dance," Pyrrha explained, no doubt noticing his expression. "It's only a few weeks away, but people are already making plans. No one wants to go alone, after all."

"Yep, but someone will have to," Nora pointed out. "Who will it be, Jauney? Weiss, your girlfriend? Yang, your girlfriend, or Ruby, your-"

Ren coughed loudly. "Nora."

"What?"

"Stop stirring the pot."

Nora giggled and pushed Ren's shoulder. "Boo. Don't be such a spoilsport."

She smirked and winked at Jaune, but didn't say anymore. Not that she had to. The three girls in question had gone very still, and come to think of it, so had Pyrrha. He'd read about dances, of course, but never been to one. Luckily, he did know how to dance.

"Nora raises a good point about who to ask, though. If we want to keep up the disguise, I should ask Weiss – but Yang is the one I'm actually dating. Aren't I?"

"I have no idea," Remy said. "Human mating rituals never made sense to me, and they especially don't after dealing with these people."

"I don't know who I'm going with," Jaune admitted. He looked to Ren. "What about you?"

Ren might have answered if not for Nora throwing an arm around his neck and dragging him against her side. "Oh, me and Ren do everything together. We're together. Right, Ren?"

"But not together-together," Ren chuckled, extricating himself. He didn't seem to notice how still Nora had gone. "I have no idea, Jaune. I suppose I've not thought about it."

"What about Blake?" Pyrrha suggested.

"Going alone," the girl-in-question replied.

Ruby gasped. "You can't do that! A dance is a special thing! You have to go with someone."

"Eh," Nora waved a hand. "She always has Sun."

Blake looked up. "Who?"

Off in the distance, Jaune thought he heard someone cry out in frustration.

"The stalker."

"Ugh," Blake scowled, her memory jogged. "I'd rather go with Cardin than him."

"Isn't he gay?" Weiss asked. "I'd be curious to know who he's going with."

"Jaune, perhaps?" Nora teased.

He shuffled awkwardly. Hopefully that wouldn't happen. If it came to it, he could always just ask Yang out. They were already dating, and while they hadn't danced on any of their dates, he figured she knew how.

Hey, she was looking at him too, maybe thinking the same thing. He waved at her, and smiled when she blushed prettily.

"L-Let's focus on something else," she said. "You guys watched the news at all?"

He blinked. "Why, what's on it?"

"Are you an idiot?" Weiss snapped. "Hentacle, of course, not to mention the Grimm that were summoned into the city en masse."

Oh… he winced and quickly tried to pass it off as a sneeze. He supposed they would all be talking about that, even if it had been more Lavender's fault than his. Then again, she wouldn't have needed to summon any if he hadn't fallen through the roof. There was blame all around. If only he could figure out who pushed him.

"What are they saying?" he asked instead.

It was Ren who answered. "There's a bit of a blame game going on now. Even though no one was actually hurt, the media are trying to figure out whose fault it is. Some are blaming the soldiers on the walls, but they did their job. Others have said the Council is at fault, or the police for not going after Hentacle with more force."

"They're not blaming us, though," Weiss said proudly. "In fact, they've painted a glowing picture of the students of Beacon as people who reacted to a crisis with admirable haste and dedication. Winter also got high praise for bringing Atlas equipment to protect the city."

Jaune stared at Weiss. "Wasn't she only there to reclaim the Paladin, though?"

"T-That doesn't matter," she stammered. "Even if she wasn't technically there to help people, she still did."

"It's not like Atlas want to admit they lost a huge robot to the White Fang," Blake explained, filling in the holes. The disguised faunus looked unusually happy with herself, and it wasn't like her to explain anything at all. "From their point of view, it's a good thing if the people of Vale think it was all in their protection. It's a good thing for us, too. Torchwick and the White Fang don't have those big robots anymore."

"Blake's been over the moon about that," Yang said, rolling her eyes. "First time I've ever seen her so cheery. It's creeping me out to be honest."

"We did what we intended to," Blake said. "We should be proud!"

"Does this mean you'll stop dragging us into every little White Fang thing to crop up?"

Blake hesitated. "Sure."

"I'm not sure I believe that," Yang said, eyes narrowed. "Nora?"

"Hmm…" Nora leaned in towards Blake, her face scant inches from her partner's. "Hmmmmm…"

"I'm telling the truth!" Blake protested. Her skin flushed, face turning red as she realised everyone's attention was on her. "I'm being serious."

"HMMM…"

Yang grinned and leaned her cheek on one hand. "What's the consensus, detective Nora?"

"Maybe," Nora eventually said. "I can't tell. Blakey has been on best behaviour, though."

"Yeah, that's suspicious…"

"How is it suspicious for me to act normally?" Blake demanded. She managed to look vaguely offended, and flicked her hair behind her. When the bell at her neck tinkled, she scowled. "Speaking of, isn't it about time I was allowed to remove this yet? You said a week, but we saved innocent people last night because we were there. I think that's grounds to have it removed early."

"A month," Ren said.

"W-What…?"

"You have to wear it for the rest of the month."

Yang snickered.

"WHY?" Blake hissed, just holding herself back from shouting the question. "We saved people. I did what you asked me to. I was-" She cut off with red cheeks, but not before Yang filled in the rest.

"I was good?"

"I-I didn't say that."

Ren sighed, but didn't budge from his position. "The whole month," he said, earning a frustrated whine from his teammate. "We saved people, but that was an accident. Your `cunning plan` ended up with us in a fight involving Grimm, Hentacle and a giant robot piloted by Roman Torchwick. That wasn't exactly the `safe` infiltration you promised."

Blake coughed in embarrassment and looked away. The little bell on her collar chimed as she did, turning her face even darker.

"Aw, cheer up, partner," Nora said, throwing an arm around Blake's shoulders. "It looks good on you. I like it."

"I bet Ren likes it too," Yang teased. "Right?"

"Hm?" Ren paused, taking a long look at Blake – as if he'd only just considered the idea. "Yes, it looks nice. It suits you."

Blake scowled, even if her ears turned a little red.

Nora tilted her head to the side.

Jaune shook his head as the conversation descended into more madness soon after. He was relieved they hadn't thought to go hunt down Hentacle, but maybe they didn't think it was necessary now that Atlas was on the case. If so, that was good. He wouldn't need to transform if his team didn't get into danger.

"Aren't you forgetting something…?"

"Am I?"

"You just promised Cinder to masquerade as Hentacle if she needs you to."

He winced. "Ah, yeah…"

Hopefully, she wouldn't him. He couldn't back out of it now that he'd offered, and he didn't want to, either. Cinder and he had made a deal. To break that now would mean she wouldn't accept another from him. If he wanted to know what she was doing so he could keep his friends out of trouble, then he needed to stay in her good books.

If he was lucky, all the hype and drama around his alter-ego would die down if he didn't make a repeat appearance.

Jaune made his excuses to leave when the others stood, turning down Pyrrha's offer of a spar because of how tired he was. He wasn't sure she believed it, what with his stamina, but she seemed willing to let it go and wished him well. A decision had to be made, and as much as he would have loved to spend the rest of the afternoon messing around, this wasn't something he could afford to put off.

He slipped out of the library and down one of the corridors, headed somewhere he didn't really know. Just trying to keep his feet busy while he thought, to be honest.

A set of rapid footfalls behind him caught his ear.

The voice followed a second later. "Jaune, wait up!"

"Ruby?" It was his teammate indeed, and rushing up to him with a wide smile. "What's wrong?"

She came to a stop in front of him and let out a long breath. Her hands curled into fists and planted on her sides. All in all, it was an intimidating pose, but failed to have much effect since it came from her. Honestly, her silver eyes did more to him – and just because they were that.

"Shouldn't I be asking you that?" Ruby said. Her face fell a second later. "You've been acting weird since the fight. Is everything okay?"

"I'm fine," he said automatically.

Ruby frowned. "Jaune…"

"I'm being honest, I promise." He looked away awkwardly when she locked her eyes to his. "Well, I've been lost in thought, I guess. I'm not in a bad mood, though. I'm just… thinking about several things."

"Things like?"

"Private things."

"Like…?"

Was she-? No, she wasn't. Jaune looked down at her and almost laughed at the innocent look on her face. She hadn't chosen to be rude. She'd just missed the hint entirely. I guess Yang did say she was socially awkward, but I never noticed it before.

Probably because he was too busy eclipsing Ruby in that department.

"Things I don't want just anyone to know," he said, not unkindly.

Ruby regarded him for a second before she nodded. "Okay. I know a place."

"You – whoa!" Jaune yelped as Ruby gripped his wrist with one hand, or more the sleeve of his uniform. She tugged him down the hall, taking two left turns and then a right. Eventually, they came to a small door, and she pushed him in.

It was a small office of sorts. Once upon a time, it might have been a teacher's office, but they'd either re-purposed it or didn't have enough staff to make use. Now, it was abandoned and covered in dust. There were several cleaner patches, however, hinting that people had been using it recently. Probably not for its intended purpose, though.

"What is this place?" Jaune asked, moving over to the desk. He rested a hand on it, but winced when his fingers came away a little wet.

"I don't know," Ruby admitted, smiling. "I saw a girl drag a guy in here yesterday, though. It's probably just a room where people can talk. You said you didn't want just anyone to know. This is perfect, right?"

"Doesn't she understand she was included in that?" Remy asked, rolling his tiny eyes. "Is she for real?"

"Yeah, she is. This is Ruby all over."

It was a part of her charm, he supposed. Even now, he felt his will wavering – and the friendly smile she was giving him hardly helped. He tried to hold. He really did.

He just wasn't very successful.

"I guess I've just been bothered by things," he said. "It's been weighing on my mind. Sorry if I've been a bad teammate or something."

Ruby punched his arm.

"What was that for?"

"You've not been a bad teammate," she said, glaring. "That's from me, but if you say it again I'll tell Pyrrha and Weiss. They won't be so gentle." Her face lightened up a second later and she smiled to show she didn't mean it. "Besides, there's nothing wrong with feeling a little down. Do you Weiss and Pyrrha didn't notice?"

He had… though now that she mentioned it, he felt pretty stupid.

"We're your teammates," Ruby continued. "We notice things. Weiss said to leave it be, and Pyrrha didn't want to push, but I guess I was worried. We're friends, right?"

"Of course we are."

"Then I wanted to help. Everyone else said to leave it because you wanted time to think, but I didn't want to. If someone's in trouble, then it's your job to help them. That's what being a Huntress is." She paused. "Uh… and a Huntsman too, I mean."

It was a fairly simple way of looking at things, and he wasn't sure it was exactly right. Yeah, you were meant to help people, but that was more of a saving lives things. Not barging into every problem a person had. That might cause Ruby problems later, though he couldn't bring himself to feel too upset. Ruby was Ruby, after all.

"So," she said, bouncing on her heels. "What's wrong?"

"I…" He had to pick his words carefully. That or just tell her it wasn't any of her business. In the end, he went with something as close to the truth as he could. "Imagine you had the power to help people, but it meant sacrificing the thing you loved most in the world. What would you do?"

"I'd help people, of course." Ruby's answer was as predictable as ever. He shouldn't have expected anything less.

"What if you had to give up the people you loved for it?"

"I… You should always help people in need…"

"What if you had to go against your family, against Yang and your Dad? What if it meant you could never see any member of our team again?"

Ruby hesitated. She looked like she wanted to speak, to blurt out an instinctual answer, but that something held her back. Fear, perhaps, or just the realisation of what he meant. Her eyes widened and she swallowed loudly. "I… I don't know…"

That fact seemed to shock her.

"What if you had to go against your mother's wishes to do it?" he asked, thinking of Salem.

"I said I don't know!" Ruby said, clenching her eyes shut. "I… I guess it would depend on how many people it would save, but…" she winced. "I don't know. It's a weird question. Why are you asking? Is something wrong?"

"No," he lied. "Just thinking about how Hentacle is after me. That's all."

"Are you thinking you should give up because Hentacle wants you? Because it will mean we're safer!?"

"No, I-"

"You can't!" Ruby yelled, ignoring his protests. She punched his arm, and this time it was a heavy blow – actually making him wince. She hit him again and again, then stood back and glared at him. "Don't be so stupid! You're our friend. We care for you. We're not going to sit back as something happens, even if that does mean we're put in danger."

"T-That wasn't what I was talking about…" He rubbed his arm and glanced away when Ruby shot him a suspicious look. It hadn't been, but he had been thinking it. They were in danger because of him, after all.

"Well don't ever think it," Ruby warned. "It's stupid. It's like saying we can't ever be friends because one day I might get killed and you'd be sad. Even if my death hurt you, it would hurt more for us to never be friends in the first place."

"I guess so…"

The sounds of students from outside coming and going echoed through the room for a few long seconds. He didn't know what to say, and Ruby seemed content to wait for him. Her advice wasn't as helpful as he'd have liked, but he should have expected that. She couldn't exactly give him good advice if she didn't properly know the problem, and he couldn't tell her the full story.

Even if he wanted to bring peace between the Grimm and humans, he had to do it from one side. He could either go home, try to take over, and change things from there. Or he could stay in Beacon, fight against his mother, and try to make the humans realise the Grimm could be reasoned with.

Whichever he chose, he'd be giving something up – either his friends or his family.

"I love my Mom," Ruby whispered.

"Huh?"

"I love my Mom…" Her head rose, and her eyes flickered to his. "Not loved, love. It doesn't matter that she's not around anymore. I love her, and I can remember a lot of the things she told me about why she wanted to be a Huntress and what she believed in. I… I guess I have a lot of those same things. I want to be like her."

"What do-" His words cut off as Ruby pressed her hand over his mouth. She had to reach up to do it.

"I want to be like her, but I don't want to be her. I'm my own person. I'm Ruby Rose, not Summer Rose. I have a different life, different friends, and I do things differently." She stepped back, releasing him. Her cape swirled around her as she twirled, and despite the heavy words, there was a soft smile on her face. "That's why it wouldn't make a difference to me. Even if Mom didn't want me to do something, or wanted me to do it a certain way, I'd still think about what I wanted. I'm me, after all. It's my life. I have to do what makes me happy. Not her."

Do what made her happy… or made him in his case. Was that really the answer?

"What would you do, then?" he asked. "In the earlier example, I mean."

Ruby shrugged. "I still don't know. It would depend on all sorts of things, like how many people were in danger, if I knew them, what you mean by losing my family…" She sighed and looked away. "Even so, it's not as easy as saying I would or wouldn't. I'd have to think about it."

"But you'd choose what's best for you?"

"Yeah…" Ruby tilted her head to the side. "Is that weird?"

Yes. No. Maybe…

He didn't know. Perhaps he was still shocked at the idea Ruby had a selfish bone in her body at all, though he really shouldn't have been. Everyone had their own best interests at heart, even the best of people. Even so, what exactly did that mean for him?

He didn't want to lose his friends, nor his family. He wanted both.

"What is it you want?" Ruby asked, echoing his thoughts.

He answered without any real thought.

"I don't want to lose you."

Ruby froze like a deer in the headlights. "Eh?"

It was selfish and greedy. He should have been thinking about peace, about how he'd bring it to fruition, about how he'd save lives – but all he could think about instead was how he didn't want this to end. How he didn't want to lose what he'd gained.

He stepped forward and wrapped his arms around the unnaturally still girl, drawing her into a tight hug.

"I want to keep hold of the things I love," he whispered into her hair. "I want to stay like this."

It was wrong, and not just from his mother's point of view. Just about all conventional wisdom would have said him being here was a bad idea. He was drawing attention to his friends, both because of his accidental role as Hentacle, and also from his mother sending Grimm to reclaim him. Even by being associated, he was putting them in danger.

But if he stood by and protected them, then wasn't he putting his family in danger, too?

"I want both, Remy. I want to keep the friends I have here, but also keep my family. If I have to choose what makes me happy, then which do I pick?"

"Isn't it obvious? Pick both."

He froze. "What? How can I do both?"

"You probably can't," Remy said. "It's unrealistic for sure, but… well, that wasn't part of the question, was it? You didn't ask what the most realistic way of doing things was. Only what you wanted." The parasite chuckled darkly. "And what you want is to keep both. It's selfish and egotistical to think you can have it, but maybe that's the point. You're part Grimm, after all, and a Prince. You're supposed to be demanding."

"W-What do you mean?"

"I mean that maybe you should take a risk and try it. Sure, it might fail, but if you go with the easy option and go back home, you'll only hate yourself later for it." Remy sighed. "You need to do what you want. Not your mother."

He was floored. Remy had been a companion all his life, but his advice had always been to follow what his mother said. There'd been more criticism from the little parasite than praise. Not that he'd done much to deserve the latter.

"Are you… are you serious?"

"Your mother created me to advise and guide you. My existence is thanks to her, but my loyalty is to you, young master."

"Remy…"

Jaune's eyes drifted shut. His hands tightened on Ruby's cloak, and he squeezed her against his chest.

"Thank you."

"I-I-I don't know w-why you're thanking me-" Ruby interrupted his thoughts, misinterpreting the words for her. It was enough to draw his attention down, and that was to see the girl wriggling and writhing in his grip, struggling to escape.

He eased up a little, and was rewarded by her pushing back. Her eyes shot up to his, then skated off like she'd stepped on an ice-rink. They focused on the ceiling instead. Her face was as red as her cloak. All of it, from the tips of her ears down to her neck, a bright, cherry red.

"What's wrong?" he asked.

"N-Nothing is wrong!" Ruby used his moment of hesitation to pull out of his arms. She could have stood a foot or two away, but instead hopped back out of arm's reach. She still didn't meet his eyes, and it looked like she wasn't sure where to focus them. "Nothing is wrong with me," she said. "Nothing at all. Ha ha. No way. Not me."

"Are you sure?" he asked, concerned. "Your face is bright red."

"W-Well maybe that's because-" She gasped and cut herself off, and then eeped and slapped a hand over her mouth. "Nothing," she mumbled past it. "You're imagining things! I-I need to go now. I have to… I have to talk to Pyrrha, or Weiss, or Ya- no, no, no. Not Yang!"

She wasn't making much sense. He'd heard of rambling before, but this was a little odd. "Okay," he said. "I'll see you later?"

"Y-Yeah, sure. Bye now!"

The door slammed shut a second later.

"Remy?"

"Don't ask me. I don't understand these weirdoes. Still, you realise this will lead to conflict against your mother, right? Even if you eventually want to bring peace – if you choose to stand with them, it will be against her."

Jaune nodded. "I know."

"Are you prepared for that?"

"Not yet, but I will be."

/-/

Ruby's back pressed against the door, her heart hammering in her chest. Her face was on fire, almost literally, and she could just imagine the heat she was giving off. It hardly helped that people looked her way with wide eyes before they started frantically gossiping to one another.

Not that she cared about that. She had bigger things to worry about!

"I don't want to lose you."

Eek, no, no, no. Bad brain. Bad! He'd probably been talking about something else.

"I want to keep hold of the things I love…"

She was bad with social things. She didn't understand people. She was stupid, goofy and… and not cool. Not pretty and not desirable. She was totally misunderstanding. He had feelings for her sister, for crying out loud. He was dating her sister!

"I want to stay like this."

Ruby had, too.

Her eyes widened.

No, no, no! She hadn't. She really, really hadn't. That was why she'd been fighting against it. That was why she'd struggled to escape, and then run away when she had the chance. That… that was why her insides had turned to jelly and she was less leaning on the door to keep it shut than leaning on it because her legs weren't working.

"I-I just wanted to help," she whispered. "I just wanted to see what was wrong with him!" She wasn't sure who she was trying to convince. Jaune, Yang, herself…? She took a deep breath and let it go. "Jaune is with Yang, Yang is with Jaune. That's good. That's… that's what I wanted." She shook her head. "What I want!"

Argh, why did he have to make everything so complicated!? Beacon was supposed to be super-cool moves and fighting Grimm, not feelings and confusion and… and things!

"Mom, I need advice…" Ruby whimpered.

It took her a second to recall her mother was someone who had stepped in the second her best friend had run off and left her husband – catching her Dad on the rebound without so much as a care in the world.

"N-Never mind, Mom. I'll figure this one out myself."

It was probably best that way.

/-/

"That is everything to report, sir," Specialist Schnee concluded, hands linked behind her back as she floated on a hologram before General James Ironwood. "I would like to personally apologise for the media furore, sir. They moved with unusual haste, and I didn't expect them to arrive so quickly, let alone witness the fight."

"There's no need to apologise," Ironwood said, sat behind the desk in his office in Atlas Academy. "I expect they were tipped off about the whole affair, but this works to our advantage regardless. Tell me, what is the general sentiment towards us? You may stand at ease."

Winter relaxed and fell into a more natural stance, even if her face remained as professional as ever. "Thank you, sir. The sentiment towards Atlas is fairly good right now. We have the Grimm spawning in the city to thank for that, since it not only overshadowed the fact our Paladin Prototype was moving around, but made our response work in the defence of the civilians. My soldiers moved quickly to suppress the Grimm, aiding several Beacon students who were nearby."

"They were unhurt?" James asked, suddenly a little worried.

"They were, sir. There were no reported injuries, civilian or otherwise. Some minor wounds on my unit, but none that are life-threatening or serious enough to warrant more than a week's rest."

Ironwood relaxed. It would have been bad enough had any of their men and women been hurt, but to have students caught in the crossfire…? No. That was a path he would not countenance. "You have done well, Winter," he said. "Despite the media's presence, I would say this has worked well for us. I never thought I might be relieved at the presence of Grimm within the city."

"Myself as well, sir. We are fortunate no one was harmed."

"And Vale is fortunate we were there to intervene," Ironwood mused. That was particularly good from a diplomatic standpoint, and a victory for them since the loss of the Paladin could have had led to a devastating outcome if the White Fang had used it. All in all, what he had expected to be a particularly bad report was almost joyous. Had he less control, he might even have laughed out loud. As it was, he would partake of some fine brandy later and toast the day. "How is my old friend, Ozpin?" he asked, curious. "I've not yet had a chance to meet with him and discuss this. Did he have any messages for me?"

"He seemed well, sir. He thanked us officially for our intervention, and expressed his relief at the Paladins being reclaimed."

No hidden message then. That was fine. Channels such as this were dangerous and he trusted Oz would get in touch if he had anything to say. "All is well, Specialist," Ironwood said. He leaned forward and the chair beneath him creaked ominously. "Now, has your real mission yielded any results?"

Winter's face settled into stone. "It has, sir. I am forwarding you the material now."

The hologram flickered and jerked to the side, Winter minimising somewhat as the majority of the space was instead taken up by a tall figure with white skin and white hair. The details were not quite there, other than red eyes and red lines on the face, but there were four tentacles that seemed to protrude from its back. Ironwood stood and moved around the image, inspecting it.

"Interesting. Very interesting. You are sure this is accurate?"

"As accurate as we could make it, sir. My technicians were unable to get a close up image, so I have had some of the details filled in on what we believe the figure would look like. I have also taken testimony from my sister, who has seen him directly."

Ironwood nodded to show it would be enough, even as he made a mental note to keep that titbit away from Jacques. He didn't expect the man would care overmuch about his daughter's safety, but knowing his precious `heiress` was in danger might lead him to act up. As much as he would not say it out loud, James approved of the Schnee girl's choice to study outside of Atlas. In truth, he would not have shown her the favouritism she no doubt expected, but studying here might still have led to other students trying to influence her. Let her be Oz's problem. He would see she grew into a fine huntress.

"He is quite androgynous," Ironwood said. "Are we sure it is male?"

"My sister claims so, but the footage we recorded suggested no defined gender." Winter sighed. "Unfortunately, it was grainy at best. It could be that he has a deep, male voice when close up. In terms of physicality, we believe this to capture the important features."

He nodded. "Yes, I can see. I suppose I can now understand why they call him as they do…"

Winter grumbled something in embarrassment, not that he could blame her. A name like that would have never flown in Atlas.

"What of his capabilities?" Ironwood asked. "I suppose it's too late to question the spawning of Grimm, now…"

"Yes," Winter said, frowning. It had been one of the main things he had asked her to ascertain, mostly because they both hoped it had been nothing more than an exaggeration. "Hentacle was able to spawn numerous Grimm, and while they would not have been enough to destroy the city, the havoc they could have caused would have been nothing short of catastrophic."

"How many were there?"

"We did not see them all, but I have correlated what we did see with reports from my sister and the other students involved. We would estimate between twenty and thirty, with the latter being a safe limit. Hentacle fled soon after."

Twenty to thirty, hm? He would always assume the upper number, and then add a little more for safety. The Grimm's retreat was both worrying and promising, for it spoke of intellect and strategy. It also hinted that the effort of spawning so many had been tiring, however. If not, why flee?

If we assume fifty to be an upper limit, adding some more for safety, then that is a number that could reasonably be handled by a single team of four experienced huntsmen. Then again, that is not taking the creature itself into account. Two teams would be safest, perhaps with back up support to keep the Grimm from spreading.

Ironwood broke off from his musing as he heard a shuffle of feet through the hologram. While Winter would not complain or make any overt noise, it was as much a hint as any. He hid a smile as he turned to her.

"I apologise. I was lost in thought."

"There is nothing to apologise for, sir."

Winter was amusing in her own way… once you got used to her that was. He bowed his head regardless, letting the issue go. "Thank you for your efforts, Specialist. You have done well in finding this information out. I trust his movements and sightings are included in the data you have provided?"

"Yes, sir."

"Very good. You are dismissed."

"Sir…"

"Is there something you wished to ask me?" He waited, and waved a hand when she hesitated. "You have permission, Winter. Speak your mind."

"Thank you." She nodded. "I wished to ask what your next move will be, sir. If that is not too impertinent a question, that is."

"It is not. I shall be coming to Vale myself in order to speak with the Council and address the public over our intervention." He held a hand out to forestall her argument before she could make it. "It is not that I do not trust your ability to handle some press releases, Winter. In truth, this is simply an excuse for me to visit Vale a little earlier. This is an opportunity for us to push ahead with the Vytal agenda."

Winter nodded, understanding his reasoning. "You believe we can pressure the Council of Vale into putting us in charge of security for the event?" she asked, earning a nod from him. "Sir… I am not sure Ozpin will be favourable to such a change."

"I expect he won't be. This is for the best, however." He shook his head sadly, and then perked up as he recalled something. "Oh, Winter. Have you had a chance to meet with your sister yet?"

"I- Yes." Winter flushed. "I realise it was not part of the mission, but-"

"There is nothing to apologise for. Family is important." Not that he had any, but still. "How is she?"

"She is… She is well, sir."

The response was more reserved than he expected, for while Winter was taciturn and strict in all matters, there was usually a certain light that came to her when speaking of her younger sister. It was always a guaranteed way to make her loosen up a little.

"Problems?" he asked.

"No, of course not. Weiss has excelled in her classes, as expected, and is also the leader of her team." Winter's smile was wooden at best. "I could not be more proud."

Okay… that wasn't awkward at all. "Is she fitting in well?"

"A little too well…"

"Excuse me?"

Winter straightened. "Nothing, sir. Is that all? May I be dismissed?"

"You may, Winter. Good work."

Winter nodded, and her image winked out a second later, leaving Ironwood to his thoughts. Well, that certainly sounded ominous, but he supposed she would have told him if it were anything he needed to worry about. His thoughts turned to his old friend instead, though they were, for once, rather unpleasant.

Oz would be frustrated for sure, but hadn't he already shown he could barely keep a hold of things as it was? First the attack on Amber, then Torchwick, and now Grimm summoned under his nose? "I trust you, Oz," he whispered to the room. "I really do. It's just that this is too much. If you were as in control as you thought you were, you wouldn't have Grimm running around your city, let alone terrorists and people like Torchwick."

Ozpin always liked to assure people he had everything in hand, but maybe there was just too much on his plate. It wasn't a case of trying to steal anything away from him… just lessening the load. Still, he would do what he had to do for the betterment of mankind. He leaned back and smiled.

"Did you hear all of that, Penny?"

"I did, sir…" The orange-haired girl moved from the corner of the room and towards the projector, and yet again he found himself impressed by just how normal she looked. She often didn't sound normal, and still had some speech patterns that were… odd at best… but she was working on it.

"Had your father imported all the information we have on him into your memory?"

Penny nodded. "He has. I know everything there is to know about the target, though I'm sure Miss Schnee's information will be helpful, too."

"I'm sure it will," Ironwood conceded. "What do you think from what you know so far?"

"What do I think? I think it is strange…" Penny's brow creased, and it was perhaps the first time he had ever seen the girl look pensive. "It doesn't make sense, and I don't understand why people would endorse such a thing."

"Endorse what?"

Penny looked up to him, as she often did when something about human behaviour particularly troubled her.

"It's… they are tentacles. I do not see why applying them to human reproduction would be a good thing. Biologically, they offer nothing – yet the material I've seen shows that they're often inserted into-"

"About him," Ironwood interrupted loudly. "I meant what do you think about him, not… not that."

And damn Doctor Polendina for including that in the material. It was perhaps a good idea for her to know what it was, but… argh.

"Oh… I think he seems strong," Penny said. "If he can spawn Grimm, then it would be dangerous to leave him free."

"You understand the importance of your mission, then?"

Penny nodded. "I do. I will help to capture Hentacle, sir."

"Good girl, Penny." Ironwood smiled at her, even as he looked up towards the ceiling. Ozpin could play his games as he always had, and the people could seek the creature's death, but where they saw danger, he saw opportunity.

A Grimm that could flee, that could think and talk – that could perceive the world about it. Such a thing was a terrifying prospect, but also a wondrous opportunity. If it could think and feel, then it could communicate. If it could communicate, then it could be interrogated.

What secrets would it hold? How far would it advance the cause of humanity?

The possibilities were endless.

"I just… why tentacles…?" Penny was still confused.

"Because Mistral," Ironwood replied with a sigh. "Because Mistral…"

"It will be good to see Jaune and Ruby again," Penny cheered. "I can't wait to continue our intercourse!"

Ironwood's headache only grew larger.

/-/

The scroll flickered and clicked.

"Yes?"

"It's me, Cinder."

"I know. I can read the ID." The masked man's eyes roved over the meadow around him, taking in the various figures in masks and uniforms training. "Why are you calling? I was under the impression we were done."

"There's been a chance of plan."

"I don't like sudden changes, Cinder."

"I know you don't, Adam. Neither do I. This one was unavoidable. Roman has lost the Paladins."

"Don't you mean you have lost the Paladins?"

There was no response.

"We needed those."

"We won't need them anymore. I have something else in mind."

"I'll repeat, Cinder," Adam said, frowning. "I don't like sudden changes in plan."

"Trust me a little longer. Things have changed, but the overall results should stay the same. Just keep your men busy for now. I'll have new instructions for you soon."

This was very much a fallout chapter. The kind designed to highlight how things have changed – and they have changed. I'm hoping to step away from canon a little as a result, even if massive events like the Vytal Festival's influence can't exactly be avoided.

Next Chapter: 27th September

P a treon . com (slash) Coeur