Kids, Zelena Baraj realized, were complete idiots. She wasn't complaining about their idiocy as it was currently making her job so much easier. The paparazzi reporter was currently enjoying a steaming helping of cup noodles while praying she was never this vapid at age fifteen. There were no posts on social issues, dealing with Grimm attacks, or really anything beyond stupid superficial crap. Zelena may make her living off the superficial and the vapid, but she honestly hated how shallow the world was.
Grimm wipe out a nomadic tribe of hundreds? Who cares? Cepegpo Ekran cheated on yet another up-and-coming singer-songwriter!
The foolishness of humans and Faunus alike were putting food on her table, lien in her bank account, and had introduced her to the love of her life. If the world was going to reward her for exploiting people's selfishness, then Zelena was going to milk it for every cent.
"Bingo!" Zelena shouted as she finally found a potential search result hit. The paparazzo grinned as she looked over the a series of posts from the last week. "Jaune Arc, you have a knack for pissing all sorts of people off. Thank you for making this so easy."
She jotted down several names. The one at the top of her list was Blass Bauer. He seemed to be your standard new money type. Zelena would wager her last two cups of chicken flavored cup noodles, but not her spicy noodles, that Blass would sell out this Jaune kid for free.
Time to test that theory. "You don't seem to be a fan of Mr. Arc." Zelena typed out a private message.
"Now to see if I can rope this idiot in," Zelena groused as she got up from her computer. "This lead better be worth it."
Jaune Arc hated his 'sponsor'. Albastru Caioe was a completely unscrupulous gambling addict, boozer, and general malcontent. He was also incredibly subtle with his vices and blended magnificently into polite society. Worse, Albastru had underworld connections that Jaune had needed at the time. Mr. Caioe, Mistral's largest bookie and underground gambling magnate, now had Jaune Arc by the balls. Jaune made the mistake of trying to back out once he had gotten in to Sanctum. Three days later, Albastru had called Jaune asking him to have lunch 'to celebrate his birthday'. Jaune couldn't say no. The man did hold the key to Jaune's pursuit of being a huntsman in his shady hands.
Jaune had nearly vomited at the sight of a signed witness statement from the Kingdom of Mistral's Ministry of Criminal Justice.
The Arc boy could still hear Albastru's rich tenor voice and the smirk behind it. "My dear, dear 'nephew'. Do you know how easily I could have this statement in front of a judge...and your upstanding and noble Headmaster Stravro? Go ahead, read it over."
The statement, in flowing legal terms and various deal-making statements, boiled down to a singular fact. Jaune Arc was fucked and Albastru Caioe owned him.
As Caioe sat across from Jaune in the small coffee shop, Jaune really wanted to punch him. The bookie knew it and was all too happy to go out of his way to antagonize the idealistic fool.
"Mr. Arc," Albastru started. "How are your studies? I hope the detention gave you time to reflect on that temper of yours."
"I don't regret breaking his nose, at all." Jaune crossed his arms.
Caioe laughed. "I wouldn't expect you to! Oum and the Shattered Moon! You have moxie boy! Even at a disadvantage, with me for example, you're plotting and planning ways to 'do the most good'. Bring me to justice...that hurts me. It really does. After all, I in my extreme generosity are why you have become such a well known potential Huntsman!"
'Wait? Well known?' Jaune's thoughts must have been clear as day as the criminal laughed in a lilting fashion.
"Oh? You haven't paid any attention to the prattling of your peers on those ridiculous social media platforms? The dalliances between you and the Invincible Girl are quite common fodder for conversation! That and your temper. Your good friends Blass and Bakar are quite cross with you. Idealism and anger...that is the stuff of revolutions, child."
"Well...shit..."
Albastru sighed as he sipped upon his expensive espresso. "Now, how are you going to keep me from making my mid-level prosecutor friend so very happy? I'm sure he would give you an exceptionally light sentence in thanks for helping with his considerable gambling debts..."
"There is a mid-level tournament next month. Pyrrha isn't fighting because her cousin is getting married. She's going to be a bridesmaid," Jaune explained. "Chrysópsaro Gavátha is taking her place. He's not a bad fighter. Long range specialist. Uses a trident/rotary crossbow as his primary weapon."
"Have you fought him?" Albastru asked.
Jaune shook his head. "He's a Haven student. Pyrrha beat him two tournaments ago. She says he's talented and fights to provide his...well...his wife with some support."
"Wife you say..." the gangster rubbed his chin.
"If you threaten his wife, I'll turn myself in," Jaune stated. Albastru glared at Jaune for his defiance. The Arc became positively smug as he produced his Scroll. "I have to thank you, Mr. Caioe. You taught me an absolutely essential lesson. Leverage is a beautiful thing."
A violent outburst had been the expected result of Jaune's gamble. He had never expected a look of pride to appear on Albastru's face. It was the closest anyone had ever come to matching Pyrrha's look of support for Jaune.
"Fuck you and fuck your morals," Albastru mock-whined. "Do you not realize how much money someone as fucking clever as you could make? I've seen your scores in all those ghastly tactics courses you insist on taking. They are very good. If you weren't so horribly average everywhere else, your social status would be very bankable. Think of what you could do in my organization!"
"I'm here because you have me by the balls," Jaune stated simply. He reached under the table and grabbed his school bag. He slid a very cheap notebook. "Here's what I've dug up on the Sanctum participants. Are we done now?"
The bookie wagged a gaudily ringed finger. "Mr. Arc, I must inspect this information. If it isn't up to par, I'm afraid we will have to meet again later in the week. I don't want to do that, as your 'personal nobility' blinds you to the potential for profit you are infuriatingly indifferent to. You don't want to do that, because that would mean less time with Ms. Nikos."
There was a pause as the notebook came under incredible scrutiny. "We are done...after a simple question."
"How I got this good looking?" Jaune scoffed.
"Mmm...I do wonder that sometimes," Albastru confessed. "But why these mundane notebooks? Why write at all? We have Scrolls. This isn't the Wilds and we are not savages."
"Simple, 'Uncle'," Jaune smirked. "No one can hack processed wood pulp yet."
Albastru motioned for Jaune's dismissal. The student didn't have to be told twice. He was out the door before Albastru had time to add another snide comment.
Blass was a bit nervous. He had been communicating with someone online about dealing with 'the Arc Issue'. Now, he had finally agreed to meet with the person in public. This 'Zelena' claimed to work for a 'Celebrity News' magazine. He wasn't sure why a magazine cared about Jaune Arc, but Blass figured it had something to do with Pyrrha.
"Mr. Bauer," a woman's voice greeted the young man. "I'm Zelena. It's nice to meet you face to face."
"Very nice," Blass agreed cautiously.
The reporter rolled her yes. "Look, I'm not a trick by this Jaune Arc guy or anyone connected to Pyrrha Nikos. I'm just someone doing her job."
"I still don't get why Jaune Arc is the angle you're working. He's a nobody. Pyrrha is the famous one," Blass grumbled.
"Exactly," Zelena shockingly agreed. "There's no story in pursuing Pyrrha. What's there to say? 'Pyrrha Nikos is a beautiful, polite, and highly talented young woman hiding absolutely no dirty laundry.' That's boring, kid. Now, what if there is something on this Jaune Arc guy? He's got a temper if your posts are anything to go by...What if there is more?"
"What do you mean...more?" The Atleasian was suddenly very curious.
Zelena smirked. Got him. "I've done a bit of digging on my own. He shows up a quarter of the way through last year's first semester. There's no records I can find of his parents contacting the school other than a signature on his entry paper. Jaune's parents are very involved in their other kid's schooling. Very...annoyingly...involved. Strike you as odd?"
"Very," Blass agreed. "Something seems very off about all this."
"Exactly and Pyrrha is very attached to this Jaune guy. Which Pyrrha Nikos story is going to drive more Scroll traffic and sell more rags? The brand of skirt she wore to her meeting with the Pumpkin Pete's execs...or the boy she's into being shady as hell?"
"The second..." Blass admitted. "What do you need me to do?"
"Now we're talking. First, I know you won't do anything I ask just for the satisfaction of bringing Mr. Arc down a peg. I can pay you five hundred lien for the one job you have to do right now."
"I'm listening," Blass prompted.
The reporter produced an incredibly tiny thumb drive. "I need you to put this into a workstation somewhere in Sanctum's network. All it does is give me a backdoor into the records department."
"Shouldn't be a problem," Blass agreed. The two worked out further details. Zelena watched the student waltz off. She cursed 'new money types' under her breath and was about to leave.
"Excuse me, miss," an unnaturally silky voice seemingly constricted around Zelena. It was threatening, civil, seductive, and repulsive all at once. The words triggered the 'prey reaction' in a very primitive part of the reporter's mind.
"Yes?" Zelena kept her cool as best as possible. Which, admittedly wasn't very well for some reason.
The short-haired speaker emerged from a seat at a nearby table. Zelena immediately recognized her 'type'. This mysterious young woman was the kind of bitch that knew she was gorgeous and flaunted it. She wasn't flaunting it to attract men, there was something about her posture that pushed aside that theory. Her short red dress and black-glass heels were designed to radiate power and confidence. The entire look screamed 'I bet you want to fuck, but you better know I'm not to be fucked with'.
"I couldn't help but overhear your little...business arrangement"
Zelena crossed her arms defensively. "It was a private matter."
The younger woman smiled softly, but there was nothing gentle about it. There was a light in her right, and sole visible, eye that was almost a hunger. "I promise that I will be discreet.The other option is that I can also be discreet."
"I won't give it out for free," the reporter ground out. "It'll take some serious cash."
That infuriating, dangerous, and all around unsettling smirk found its way back on to the mystery woman's lips."Money has never been my concern. After all...you can't take it with you."
Jaune had only been this nervous three times in his life. The first had been when his sisters had called a 'meeting' about a year before he left for Sanctum. Jaune's feet still hurt after all the dancing. Second, had been about a month ago when Pyrrha had asked for his advice on a dress. Jaune's best, hyper-attractive, friend had worn a simple Southern Vacuoan dress known as a qipao. Pyrrha's dress had been a red satin one. Jaune's brain had shut down and he had been incredibly nervous that anything he said would have simply been some stammered variant of "Holy shit."
The third time was Jaune's first time in this exact chair in Headmaster Stravos' office. Somehow, Jaune's documents had passed muster. He had been accepted into Sanctum. Jaune wasn't sure the exact reason Stravos had asked to speak with him. The events of the day had made the Arc rather paranoid.
Headmaster Stravos leaned back in his chair. The odd mood continued for a few minutes before he finally spoke. "Mr. Arc, I have been looking into your academic record here at Sanctum."
Jaune's body burned fearfully at the declaration. "Y-You have?"
"Mr. Arc, you are painfully average in almost every area of education, save one." Stavros commented idly. "Your tactics are, frankly, very far above average."
"Thank you sir," Jaune breathed.
Stravos smiled. "I have taken the liberty of looking into your interactions with your classmates in group projects and other 'arenas'. Jaune, you have far greater potential than you realize. I wanted you to know...I wanted you to know that I have put a commendation on your permanent records for your progress and theories."
"Oh...thank you, sir," Jaune stammered. He had feared his connection to Albastru Caioe had been discovered. The pride swelled and entwined with his shame.
'I have to tell Pyrrha,' Jaune thought glumly. The young man did manage to keep a straight face until he left the office. Pyrrha could read him like no one else. The Champion recognized Jaune's dark leaning thoughts and approached cautiously. Jaune pepared himself for the inevitable questions.
"Jaune, is everything alright? Did something happen in your meeting with the Headmaster?"
A smile, a legitimate smile, worked its way onto Jaune's face. "That actually went great! He put a commendation on my permanent record for some of the strategies I've come up with for dealing with Grimm."
"That is grand!" Pyrrha exclaimed. Jaune struggled not to laugh, in full good-humor, at one of Pyrrha's 'catchphrases'. Her voice dropped a bit as she took a step closer. "I can tell something is bothering you."
Jaune's smile went from exceedingly proud to wry and nervous. "Yeah, but it's...related to that one thing we talked about."
"I understand. Maybe...we could talk about it as we study? I could use your help with some history work," Pyrrha said with immaculate delicacy. The pair slipped off to the library. In order to give credence to their meeting, Jaune helped Pyrrha with an essay on the military history of the Great War. "Thank you, Jaune."
The Arc grinned at the gratitude. "You're welcome. Now, I guess you'd like for me to quit stalling?"
"If you feel comfortable," Pyrrha answered with unflappable politeness.
"That sponsor I mentioned? Yeah...I didn't know it when I contacted him, but he's... Albastru Caioe..." Jaune revealed.
Pyrrha swallowed back a gasp that could have exposed Jaune's story to eavesdropping. " Albastru Caioe...the bookie?"
"Yeah...he's kind of gotten me by the balls. I...I've had to pass him information on tournament matchups. Caioe has a mid-level prosecutor deep in debt and he's leveraging that to keep me passing along info."
The Champion bit her lip. "He has considerable leverage..."
"I know," Jaune sighed. "I've been looking into finding out who this prosecutor is, but I'm coming up empty. Heck, the search to help get me clear won't look good given who I have had to associate with..."
"I promise to help you in any way I can," the beautiful redhead did her best to reassure her closest friend.
"Thanks, Pyrrha," Jaune sighed. He couldn't bring himself to admit that he wouldn't bear to get Pyrrha involved. She had such an incredible future and potential. He wouldn't drag her into this mess if he could avoid it. 'If I can't solve this on my own, what good am I?'
Zelena was normally a very personable individual. The reporter loved to draw out conversations, build connections, and squirrel out great stories from people. Broúntzos, wonderful...loving...caring Broúntzos, often said her least favorite word was goodbye. He was right. She hated goodbyes. Zelena hated seeing a curiosity slip away.
There were exceptions to every rule.
As the mystery femme fatale stalked away like an apex predator, Zelena prayed to Oum above that they would never cross paths again. There was something...unholy...about that woman.
"Enough, to hell with that bitch," Zelena whispered acidically. She had more important things to worry about, like her meeting with her boss, Zolta Novinarstvo. The Editor of Mistralan Inquisitor had been chomping at the bit for a new story about anyone famous in order to shore up MI's market share. Pyrrha Nikos was the Holy Grail being a gorgeous up and coming champion. The problem was she was too clean. That was were Zelena's story came in. It would also hopefully secure the reporter a raise before the wedding!
"Come in, Zelena," Zolta called from her office. "I want to hear this angle you have been working!"
Zel grinned a winning grin as she entered. "Boss, you are going to love it. Everyone wants stories on Pyrrha Nikos, besides what she's been wearing to publicity events."
"We all know Pyrrha doesn't make waves. The last story was that dumbass actor and his ego. We're in the middle of a drought about Mistral's, probably Remnant's biggest star."
Zelena slid her Scroll over. "Behold a monsoon."
The lioness of an editor scanned the files on one Jaune Arc. "I don't get how a file on a distant descendant of one of the Vytal Signatories counts as a Pyrrha Nikos Monsoon."
"They are dancing around each other in public. If you look at the Social Media file, the rumor mill has trolled up some juicy bits," Zelena beamed.
Zolta's face lit up. "Okay, this can work as a minor story. I can't see how a guy with anger issues is enough to warrant the front page you hinted at in your e-mail."
"I think he's a fraud," the reporter said bluntly.
"Fraud?"
"Oh yes," Zelena beamed as she leaned back in her chair. "He shows up half-way through the last semester. Zolta, ma'am, pull up his transcripts. There are two things you should see. I have them marked..."
Zolta looked at the first. "Why do you have his parent's signature marked?"
"Check the edges. It was a scan and paste job." The details leapt out at the Editor. She had forged a few documents in her day in pursuit of a story...and a divorce...but this job was fantastic.
"He did this himself?"
Zelena chuckled. "Either that or the second annotation had something to do with it."
"Portocale Gati. Is that name supposed to mean anything?" The Editor asked flatly.
"Working to confirm it, but...it is an alias Albastru Caioe has used in the past...or is his birth-name."
Zolta leaned back in her chair. "Three weeks. We launch this story in three weeks. Get Cijan, Voda, and Crvena on this. Have them get information on Jaune Arc and his entire family history. Medical records if they can get those too."
"On it," Zelena agreed. She was giddy as she dashed out of the office. This was going to make her career!
Jaune still considered Albastru Caioe the absolute worst thing about his time at Sanctum. There wasn't really a close second place. If he had to pick a second place, the times where Pyrrha was not on campus were definitely it.
'Well, maybe when the cafeteria serves 'Medley Meatloaf'. That is a nightmare worthy of a Goliath...' Jaune admitted.
Pyrrha wasn't pleased to leave this time. She had time to process Jaune's revelations and seemed bound and determined to pick up where they left off the day of the first confession. Jaune was bummed, but he knew that as 'just friends' it probably wouldn't have been appropriate for Jaune to tag along to Pyrrha's cousin's small family-centric wedding.
So, here Jaune was; bored. Very, very bored. "I wish something would happen."
One day, Jaune Arc would learn to be very careful what he wished for. Odds are, the universe would oblige.
"Mr. Arc," the TA from the Remedial Class snapped Jaune out of his musing. The voice was cold, almost angry, and immediately set off all sorts of alarm bells in the student's mind. "Headmaster Erithros Stavro has summoned you to his office. You are to follow me immediately and say nothing."
Jaune nodded. There was no mistaking what the source of this meeting was. He was done. Jaune Arc's fraud had been discovered.
'Well, I'm going to face this with as much dignity as I can muster,' Jaune declared resolutely. 'I'm kind of glad Pyrrha isn't here. This would devastate her.'
"Reporting as requested," Jaune said with military precision. One of the worst parts was that Stravos had become a huge supporter of Jaune. The student flinched as a tabloid paper was thrown in his face.
"Jaune, do you have any idea what you've done?" Stravos was angry, but hurt was clearly another major emotion. "You are a criminal and despite your exceptional academic record, and what I thought was your exceptional character, I cannot do anything to cover for you. Did you realize that since you mailed your falsified documents the crimes you committed are international?"
"N-No sir, I did not," Jaune confessed.
Erithros ran his hands through his hair. "I already have the Prosecutor's office calling for me to hand you over. Though, given your reaction just now, you aren't surprised...Jaune...I still have some faith in you. I want you to explain everything. I can't keep you from being expelled. If the allegations you were connected to several underworld elements were false, I could delay. This...my hands are tied and the Council is calling for your expulsion. If I'm going to help you at all, you have to tell me everything."
The next three and a half hours were little more than Jaune laying his entire soul bare to someone the Arc had truly come to respect. Jaune was not too proud to bottle up his emotions. There were tears.
Silence reigned for several minutes as Erithros contemplated what Jaune had revealed. "Albastru Caioe is more dangerous than you realize. He hasn't made any major moves against you since he actually likes you, as difficult as that is to believe. However, he hates sloppiness. I'm worried that he may seek retribution for putting his name in the papers."
"He's going to try to have me killed?" Jaune asked in resignation. The boy already knew the answer. Heck, he could hear Albastru's mocking semi-apology already. "What should I do?"
"Leave Mistral, sadly. I can't go into many details, but Albastru had connections that are exceedingly dangerous. Connections that will take personal offense for your actions shining a light in their direction. I have a contact on the Primary Continent near the border with Vale. He can help you."
"What about Pyrrha? Or my sisters...or my parents?" Jaune asked.
The Headmaster noticed the order. "I will contact them. Tomorrow night, you must be at the Eighth Street Station."
"Time?"
Stravos was impressed by Jaune's focus. "Seven-thirty."
Jaune nodded. "Anything else?"
"Not that I can tell you. The less you know the safer you are right now," the Headmaster said quickly.
"If I have permission, I'll take my leave..." Jaune trailed off.
Erithros sighed. "Keep your scroll active."
"Yes sir," The Arc said quickly before dashing from the office.
Stravos checked the CCTS and saw that the warrant for Jaune's arrest was still pending. Jaune was also flagged as blacklisted from Shade, Haven, and Atlas. Curiously, Ozpin had made no comments or moves in regards to Jaune's chances to enter Beacon. Stravos would have to call in every favor, and provide a few, from and to Ozpin to cover for Jaune. The boy had too much potential to be crushed and thrown away. Yes, he had made mistakes. His actions were unequivocally wrong. Jaune's motivations were beyond reproach.
He stared at Beacon's contact information. In that moment, Stravos made the choice that would likely end his career.
Jaune was packing frantically. He had finally managed to squirrel out the identity of the prosecutor from one of the many shady contacts procured through Albastru's network of scumbags. Jaune had discreetly been reaching out to the man's favorite co-worker. Luckily for Jaune's revenge ploy, the man's favorite co-worker did not share the same opinion of the junior prosecutor. She had, in fact, filed a formal complaint for unwanted sexual advances.
'I really shouldn't be surprised,' Jaune chuckled darkly.
Continuing to exploit his somewhat questionably procured skills, Jaune picked the lock to Pyrrha's room. Jaune's best friend wasn't close to her roommate. Pyrrha was a chronic overachiever thanks to her desire to put her all into everything. Her roommate...eh...
Still, that lackadaisical nature was playing right into Jaune's plans. Slipping into Pyrrha's section of the room, Jaune produced a handwritten letter. He slipped it into Pyrrha's favorite book and then made like the letter and slipped away.
Sanctum Academy was quiet as Jaune slipped away. The fugitive did not look back. He honestly couldn't bear to.
'I had been so close,' Jaune swallowed the bitter thought as he arrived at the Eight Street Station at Seven-thirty.
"Punctual, Mr. Arc," a man with an accent Jaune couldn't place said from behind the young man.
"Ack! How did you do that?" Jaune whisper-yelled.
The man smiled. Jaune made eye-contact, but could only hold it for a moment. There was something off about the man's eyes. The quick diversion seemed to make the man's grin beam. "Humans are quite predictable."
"Okay..." Jaune paused. "Professor Stravos didn't give me your name."
"Of course not," the man stated. He was infuriatingly enigmatic. "You can call me Doctor Capaldi. Stravos and I worked on several archeological digs together. In a manner of speaking."
Jaune raised an eyebrow at the smug older man wearing a herringbone tweed three-piece suit. He had a white dress shirt, a gold pocket watch, and finely shined black derby shoes. The man's red hair was graying, especially at the sideburns and tip of his goatee.
"A manner of speaking," Jaune repeated eventually.
Doctor Capaldi leaned forward. "Exactly, Mr. Arc. We have a train to catch for the coast."
"Why are you agreeing to help me? I can tell you aren't the kind of person to do this sort of thing as just a favor for an associate."
The man chuckled again. "You are a puzzle, Mr. Arc. I am quite fond of puzzles. Besides, time will tell if my little theory about you is correct."
"And what theory is that?" Jaune asked, meeting the odd professor's eyes yet again.
"In the words of a woman I was...very...fond of a very long time ago said with vigor...spoilers."
That was not what Jaune had been expecting. Caught completely off guard, the young man could only follow the older man towards their train. He did not ask how they were going to board the train without tickets. All Jaune could think was, "I'm sorry I let you down, Pyrrha."
Author's Note: Another chapter down! A bit shorter, but it sets up the rest of the story! Some interesting characters in this one. I had fun writing it. Please read and review. Everyone's favorite Faunus Equality Advocate will be showing up soon.