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"Calls been holding for you for fifteen minutes, Boss." Roman quipped as soon as he came onto the bridge, rolling his shoulders to adjust and stretch the chainmail and cloth under it out and let it settle onto his body more comfortably, trick Pyrrha had shown him two days into their week long trip. "No Atlesian ships anywhere close enough to get to us, and Goodbitch is on the line. Please let her know that if she keeps yelling, I will drive this thing into her ivory tower, mkay?"

"No you won't." Jaune dismissed, smiling slightly at the man's good mood. His smirk and joking was infectious normally, at least according to Neo, and with Jaune's abilities on top? The blonde stood little chance, and they both were very aware of it. "None of Atlas' ships are paying us any attention?"

"Nope." "Not that that is actually relaxing…" He gave Roman a look, the man easing the ship towards Beacon and sitting in a chair he'd apparently hauled up at some point, and the criminal rolled his eyes. "Yeah, look, screams 'bad idea' to me too. But Goodbitch says general Irondick is off scouting nearby. Girls are in the 'hold gettin' ready to go, armed for bear, just in case. Figure they start any shit, our resident magical girls can give 'em hell."

"Cinder doesn't like that term."

"I don't like Cinder." Roman shrugged uncaringly, letting his head rest on the back of his chair comfortably and staring up at the ceiling. He eyed Jaune, and smiled thinly, "I'm stayin' aboard though, if shit goes down… Get your asses back here, no matter what. I'll ram into Beacon Tower if I need to. Let a bust a window in." "Or you can hop on Cinder's back, ride her back like a magical girl horse."

"Don't tell her I thought that." Roman added when Jaune snorted in amusement, the criminal giving him a serious look. "I have found I dislike fire. And death. And fiery death, of course. You know how you put two good things together and it's great? Well this is like that, but less banging twins and more, you know…. Hamburger macaroni and cheese?"

"You lost that comparison." Jaune observed simply, watching Beacon itself as he approached. Even from the bridge, he could recognize the majority of it. The library, the main academic buildings where he'd so briefly attended lessons, and the dorms.

"Penny for your thoughts?" Roman asked suddenly from where he sat, watching the younger man with some evident concern on his face. His brows knitted down into his face, wrinkling his brow ever so slightly, and the smirk he always wore was thinner, harder like a line. "Been quiet for a hot minute, just sort of… Kind of staring. You good?" "Great, he's finally going insane."

"Im…" Fine, he'd almost said, but that wasn't true. Not really, anyways. Returning to Beacon now, after everything he'd been through, and as disillusioned now by everything it actually stood for was odd for him. He still stood by Huntsman and Huntresses, at least mostly, but Beacon didn't represent that to him. It represented Ozpin, Maidens, Salem, and a secret war no one knew about but everyone paid for.

Eventually, he settled on, "I'll be okay, Roman. I appreciate the concern, though." The man snorted, but Jaune sense that the concern was there. Very much so, even if it was directed more elsewhere than at him directly. "I have to be, for Neo. And, well, everyone else too, but you know what I mean."

"She's both our priorities, Jaune. I can appreciate that, believe you me." "More than most can, at the very least." Roman chuckled, ignoring his spluttering as he thought. Jaune turned away, trying to give his thoughts their due privacy.

It wasn't perfect - he still caught images and vague emotions, even when he distracted himself - but it was all he could actually do unless he put his helmet on. And he needed his Semblance active today.

"You never asked." Roman eventually said evenly, Jaune looking back to him in surprise. "Marrying Neo. You never asked me for my blessing, you know?" "Even after you slept with her, like I told you not to."

"I… Didn't think about it, I guess." Jaune admitted after a surprised second of hesitating and thinking. "I… Guess I didn't think you were traditional like that?"

"Are you asking me, or telling me?" Roman asked, shaking his head slowly with a small smile as the ship listed gently in towards the landing point. "Cuz that sounded like a question, but it kind of wasn't a question." "Or at least not technically."

"Both?" Jaune tried, shrugging his shoulders. "I just...With everything going on, I didn't think much about you. And, uh, like I said, I just didn't think you'd be traditional like that. Or that you had that kind of relationship with her. She adores you, but I never got the parental vibe, I guess."

"Well… You have it." Jaune raised an eyebrow and Roman sighed, "My blessing, dumbass. You have it." "Just better gimme some adopted grand babies." Jaune snorted and Roman sighed, this time aggravated and less than amused, "Hey, she's not my blood daughter, but she's good as. And I want some damn grandkids." "Fuck me, I'm getting old aren't I?"

"Yeah, you are." Jaune agreed, chuckling.

"You know, Boss," Roman started, smirking as a spike of humor shot through him and Jaune groaned internally. "Goodwitch is still on the line, waitin' on you. Might wanna talk to her before she gets tired of waiting."

"Damn it, Roman." Jaune barked, shaking his head and making a face, "Just… I don't know, put her through, I guess? Do we have, like, a viewscreen or something?"

"Yep." Roman answered chirpily, clearly pleased with himself. He started working on the console, a large screen sliding down from the ceiling in front of the control module, the windows blacking out to make seeing the screen easier for him. " Gimme a minute, this'll have the call on it. You know, for a psychic, you're pretty damn easy to distract, Boss." "Kind of funny, actually."

"Shut up and connect us, Roman." The man waved his hand at Jaune dismissively and hit a key and, after a moment of static, a very annoyed looking Glynda Goodwitch appeared on the screen. She perked up at seeing him,and Jaune smiled apologetically, "Sorry, Miss Goodwitch. My frigate has, uh, taken damage recently and we aren't entirely up on the systems just yet."

"Clearly." She sighed, folding her hands on the desk - Ozpin's desk - and forcing a thin, hard smile. She wasn't sure why he was here, and she was guarded, both were clear and evident. He didn't even need his Semblance to tell him either, though. "I… We didn't expect you back, Mister Arc."

"After Ironwood sent Winter to kidnap me?" He asked, hands clasped behind his back and doing his best to look military, hoping it would at least look like he was like them. A threat, someone to be respected. "Was that Ozpin's idea? I know it wasn't yours, you wouldn't risk either attacking us or letting me come this close to Beacon after you did."

"I wouldn't?" She asked, eyebrow arching over her right eye curiously.

"No. Ozpin might, if he thought I was a threat. Roman might have too, if he thought he could pull it off and that it was necessary. Neo would if it was safe and fun. Salem would if it served her interests. You, though?" Jaune inclined his head, the rehearsed lines coming easily from last night when he'd spent hours practicing them. "You are too cautious, Miss Goodwitch. I hadn't done anything, and you wouldn't risk me becoming an enemy instead of just not being a friend."

"You rehearsed that, didn't you?" Goodwitch asked, a small smile on her face. Jaune grimaced, and she let out a breath and leaned back in her seat, "James… Acted on his own will. Ozpin berated him after the fact. We didn't want to make an enemy. He already considered you one, unfortunately. And neglected to consult us on his decisions."

"So Ozpin is there." Jaune noted, raising an eyebrow, "Why am I talking to you then?"

She spared Roman a glance, pursing her lips for a moment before she looked back to Jaune, "I don't believe, given your company-"

"Roman is trusted, by me at least. Whatever you tell me in private, I tell him anyways." Jaune cut in, Glynda's eyes narrowing at him. "I already know he reincarnates, at least sort of. Salem told me. Just tell me where he is, he is the only one I know who can rein in General Ironwood before… Before more innocent people get hurt. On either side."

A long moment passed before Glynda deflated almost weakly, "Ozpin is… Resting. The situation is complicated, Mister Arc. You are welcome to come to Beacon and see him, if you wish. Your… Allies can accompany you, if you wish."

"You should know, Miss Goodwitch, if this ends up being a trap, we will fight." Jaune said evenly. Not a threat, he hoped she understood that. She frowned and her shoulders straightened, but she nodded, and Jaune returned the gesture. "Will you,uh, lend us a Bullhead, though? We can't land my ship there, and I have nothing to ride down."

"It will be on its way. I'm sending aerial coordinates, your ship can stay there. It's Beacon airspace, you'll be safe." With a nod from him, she ended the call, and Jaune relaxed slightly and turned to Roman.

"Keep it ready to run." Roman raised an eyebrow and Jaune made a face, half a grimace and half a bitter smile. "Just, you know. In case we have to bolt. Anything happens, you get moving, and we'll follow in a Bullhead. Got it?"

"Got it, Boss." Roman answered, tipping his hat and pressing a key to pull up the screen and lighten the windows surrounding them again, letting the daylight pour in. Roman turned as Jaune pushed the button to open the door and shouted, "Good luck, Boss man!"

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"I believe this was a mistake, Jaune." Salem whispered, the same thing she'd said a dozen times over the short trip to Beacon. "An Atlesian officer's coat and a soldier's mask won't hide what my Seer is. Not if these people at Beacon are even half-competent."

To hide the Seer, Jaune had practically torn the ship apart for days, until he found a long, white officer's coat for her to wear. Buttoned at the front, with the collar sealed up and a normal soldier's helmet over the orb, none of her Grimm could be seen beneath it. The last touch was her Seer's tendrils, arching up to form a facsimile of shoulders, and several more snaking down the sleeves to pretend at being arms, even if the hands weren't visible. The Bullhead's caro compartment was sealed away, so they didn't have much to worry about from the pilot. And Jaune would sense a reaction either way.

It looked odd, but no one would suspect a Grimm in it, if they bothered to suspect anything at all.

"I have to agree with Salem, Master." Cinder added meekly as the ramp in front of them began to lower. "If they discover it, then there could be… Conflict." "And we can't easily withdraw from a fight."

"A protracted battle would be against our wishes, but we could win it, my Theros." "If needed." Pyrrha tossed in as well, Neo humming along in front of her uncaringly as always. "Though I… I would prefer not to have to face our friends." "If possible."

"I want everyone there. Especially with Ozpin there, I want you to speak with him, Salem. To corroborate what I say, if I need to." Jaune said simply, understanding their concerns. He kind of agreed, in a lot of ways, and found the idea of fighting his friends just as reprehensible as Pyrrha did. "If a fight starts, we try and run. If we can't, we defend ourselves and nothing else. Salem, if that happens, can you summon a ride for us?"

"Yes, but it will take some time before a large enough Nevermore,, or even a large enough number of Gryphons, can come to your rescue." Salem answered, "If possible, I would suggest that in that situation you retreat into the forests surrounding Beacon itself, where my Grimm may assist you in your retreat. As distractions or mounts, they would help in either case."

"If a fight starts, Pyrrha, protect Neo. Cinder and I will protect the Seer and each other, and we run to where we had our Initiation." Jaune ordered, the women all responding with an affirmative. He took a breath, looking down the ramp, and then nodded to himself, "Alright, everyone, time for... Whatever happens, I guess."

Goodwitch was waiting when they finally disembarked, because of course she was, and she gave each of them a look caught somewhere between annoyed and relieved and sighed, "I'm… Glad you made it. Please, follow me, I'll show you to… Well, you know." "Ozpin."

When he gave her a look, she added, "We don't know who may be nearby, and we don't want anyone hearing what they should not." "You are an example of what can happen." She winced apologetically, "No offence is meant, of course. I have fallen out of habit, when it comes to your Semblance."

"Yeah, takes some adjusting…" Jaune sighed, shaking his head and gesturing at Beacon Tower, above them like a looming monster that left him nervous and anxious. Ironic, he thought, considering Salem behind him. Glynda spared the Atlesian helmet a curious glance, and Jaune spoke again, before she could comment, "I brought everyone but Roman. He's in the ship, in case things go bad."

"I… I see." "Are we so untrustworthy?" She felt betrayed, and his eyes narrowed at the sensation. Turning, she spoke softly over her shoulder, "Come this way, then. I'll show you a less traveled path to the office." "Hopefully there won't be many people to aggravate your Semblance."

After a few minutes walking, Jaune finally relented and asked a question burning at the edge of his mind, "Is everyone else, you know… Okay? Weiss, Ruby, gods, Yang? My team? I-I know we aren't one anymore, but…" She gave him a look over her shoulder, hard eyes watching him, and he shrugged, "I need to know."

"Miss Xiao Long is at Patch, resting while a prosthetic is made for her. The remainder of the two teams have been folded together." Glynda explained, turning back with a pained sense echoing into Jaune. "They are alive, and healing." "They have much to heal from…"

"I'm glad." Pyrrha said, letting out a breath and relaxing, "I was worried that, after all that has passed, they would be less than well." "Such could break all but the strongest..." "To lose a friend such as Blake, and then see Yang in that state... it could have devastated them. Must have."

"It did." Glynda affirmed, stopping at an elevator he knew by her thoughts led to Ozpin's office. She hesitated, a hand above the button to call it, "It… broke Miss Xiao Long, losing her arm and her partner. And Miss Rose was inconsolable besides." "When you left…"

"But they are getting better?" He asked, voice quiet. Behind him, Neo sent him comforting thoughts as best she could, and Pyrrha laid a hand on his shoulder. To both, he said, "I'm fine."

Ruby sitting on the landing pad, knees tucked into her chest and crying, played across the Headmistress' mind and Jaune grimaced, something Glynda noted with a small smile, and he looked away. Part shame, part pain, and part trying to force himself through it. "But they are recovering, yes. It is good of you to ask." "And good of you to still care. And to show it."

"Jaune?" He turned, looking down at concerned, vibrant pink eyes that stared into his own, Neo slipping between his shield-arm and his side and pressing against him warmingly. A comfort, or an effort to convey her intent that did more than the gesture, and she said, "You good?"

"I'm okay, just… Working through it." He assured her, smiling honestly at her and relaxing, his shoulders losing some of their tension. Turning back to Goodwitch, who watched the two of them curiously. Swallowing, Jaune nodded, "Let's just… Can we go?"

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"He's there now, then?" General James Ironwood asked, standing on the bridge of his command ship, laring heatedly at the greatest academy of Huntsman and Huntresses across all of Remnant, Beacon Academy, through glass so close at the end of the bridge his breath fogged it. "He's in Beacon Tower?"

"Yes, General Ironwood." Winter answered quietly, hands clasped behind her back and watching the General closely. "His vessel is nearby but our assets on the ground report seeing him enter Beacon's main facilities. He's there. All but Roman Torchwick are confirmed to be, Sir."

"And the target's frigate?" He asked quietly, not even turning to look at the woman. Winter's eyes narrowed, and she hesitated to answer, so he asked again, "The frigate, Specialist?"

"Holding position, Sir." She answered suddenly, stiff and unsure.

"Any readings?" He asked, the question directed past Winter at one of several auxiliary officers manning stations to monitor the area, from radar to systems processing the outlines of ships and gauging their tonnage, an imperfect system but useful nonetheless. "Focus your scans on their weapons, engines and cockpit. Any internal or external signals?"

"Engines are cool, just hovering, Sir. Weapons offline as well, and it isn't broadcasting, but…" After a moment to verify what she was seeing, the helmeted soldier said, "They are receiving a signal, Sir. It… Looks like they're watching a movie, Sir."

"What?" Winter blinked in surprise.

"Uh, Jacking In Seven, Ma'am." She turned to give the woman an unamused look, and the woman swallowed nervously, "Uh, it's a… New movie. They're pirating it, actually. Probably. Ma'am."

"Roman is in that ship. An escape, if their plan fails, whatever it is." James ground his teeth, eventually sighing and raising his voice, "That ship is piloted by Roman Torchwick, under the employ of known terrorists and aggressors against Atlas. Bring the ship to bear, man stations, and prepare for combat."

"Sir, this is Valean air space, we can't just-"

"I hold two seats on the Council of Atlas, command of this vessel, and have permission from Vale to defend it." He interrupted, rounding on Winter and glaring down at her. She flinched, stepping back as her hands moved to her sides, the woman's eyes narrowing, "Do as I order, Specialist. For Atlas."

"But if a battle starts, Beacon is in the crossfire." Winter argued, gesturing past him at Beacon Tower. "We have to alert them, or we break the treaties that allow us to be here. It could mean war, General!"

"Collateral for a place that is harboring more traitors,criminals and enemies of Vale and Atlas does not concern me." He laid his synthetic hand on her shoulder, smiling comfortingly, "I promise,we will limit collateral damage as best we can. But my orders stand."

"But, Sir…" She started, looking past him at Beacon Tower, and more than conscious of the eyes of the crew on her back. "This is a violation of the treaty that-"

"Specialist Winter Schnee, I hereby dismiss you from duty." The older general snapped, pushing her away and turning back to the window. "You are to return to quarters immediately and under guard, pending disciplinary action and a review of your mission readiness, after what you have said here and your previous failures."

Winter's face only showed her shocked expression for a moment before it schooled itself, and she snapped a crisp salute, turning and heading for the exit as ordered. Two drones by the door fell in line with her as she walked, and she sighed, standing at the crossroads of the ship, her quarters down the right and the hangar to her left. After a long second's thought, she closed her eyes and swore.

"Damn it, General…" Turning, she took a step towards the hangar, and a drone stepped past her and in front of her.

"Specialist, that direction is not-" Her rapier flashed through the air, its head falling away as she turned and slashed through the two behind her just as easily.

"In for a penny…" She said to herself, sighing as the metal fell to the ground, and she took a long breath and resumed her trek to the hangars. She took two steps and hesitated, a small smile playing at her lips, "In for a Penny…"

Turning, she headed for the tech bay instead, moving as fast as she dared.

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Jaune's eyes locked onto the small, tanned figure sitting behind the large desk at the end of the room as soon as the doors on the elevator slid open,enough chairs for all but Salem to sit in, not that she needed one, arrange din front of it. Pyrrha was the one to voice his own thoughts, which was ironic, "A… Child?" "Where is Ozpin?"

"No, that's Ozpin." Jaune grunted, giving the Mistralian champion fighter a look over his shoulder, "Cinder killed the one we knew, but he reincarnates into new bodies, sort of like the Maiden powers. This is his new one."

"Yes. Unlike the Maiden's powers, however, mine is more a merger of minds. A shared body between two beings, rather than a simple inheritance of power and naught else." He spared Pyrrha a glance and smiled apologetically, "Well, normally at the least. Yours is a unique circumstance, Miss Nikos."

"That's THE Pyrrha Nikos! I-I saw her fight once when I was little, she's amazing!" Jaune blinked upon hearing the excited young voice, looking at Ozpin curiously as he approached the desk. After a moment, Ozpin's small, now innocent looking face smiled at him as though amused, and he heard the small, young voice again, "Wait, he can hear me? That's… Weird. Like, really, really weird. Right?"

"Yes, Oscar, that is Pyrrha Nikos and he can hear your thoughts, so keep them clean." "Forgive him, Jaune, he's… We are both adjusting still. Perfectly normal for me, I assure you." Clapping his small hands together, Ozpin smiled and gestured at the seats in front of his desk, inclining his head, "By all means, Mister Arc, you and your friends are welcome to have a seat. I know of most of you, aside from you, in the back."

"She isn't important right now, Ozpin. Not until I find out something." Jaune said simply, a spike of suspicion from Ozpin and Glynda both, the woman moving just behind him and raising a wary eyebrow at him. "I'm sorry, but I don't have time to spend where I don't know I am safe. I need to know how much you knew about James sending Winter to attack me and my friends, in Ansel."

"Nothing before it happened. I received reports on it from a contact of mine, and confronted him." Ozpin answered simply, smiling apologetically. "I assure you, I would not add to the number of enemies I have in the world." "Not without just cause, at the very least."

"We have tried repeatedly to convince James to leave you be, or at least approach you diplomatically." Miss Goodwitch added as diplomatically as she could, before smiling apologetically. "I myself spoke to him, and… Well. He seems paranoid of someone with your ability being left to his own devices." "Even if it's understandable, this kind of hostility is just…"

"He has refused to relent, I am afraid." Ozpin sighed, Jaune's shoulders stiffening at the statement. The ancient man, despite his vessel's youth, seemed to sympathise, looking tired as he spoke, "Rest assured, you are in Beacon, and under my personal protection. He won't attempt anything untoward while you are here. Doing so would risk war between the Kingdoms."

"A violation of several treaties between Mistral, Vale and Atlas, at the end of the last Great War, Master." Cinder answered when Jaune turned to give her a questioning look. "Technically, your father could have argued that him attacking you constituted a violation of them as well. If Vale wished to involve itself, of course." "Which wasn't a desired outcome."

"It might be that the general knew that." Pyrrha offered from his other side, "It would go a long way to explain how brazen he was with doing it, right there at Ansel. He knew that it might work, and Vale might do nothing because of where it was."

"Regardless, we had nothing to do with it.I trust you know this now, that you have come here." Ozpin assured them, and Jaune believed him. He'd sense any deceit from Ozpin, or Glynda if the man could somehow hide it. "I will once again request that he stop being so damnedably aggressive. I don't know that he will, but while you are in Vale, you have my personal protection." "So far as that goes, at the very least…"

"I believe you." Jaune finally said after a moment, sensing everyone in the room relax at the statement. His friends, because they knew Ozpin was telling the truth, and Ozpin and Glynda because Jaune had accepted what he had said. "I believe that you had nothing to do with any of this."

"I am grateful for your trust-"

"Not trus, Ozpin, belief." He interrupted, crossing his armored arms over his reclined, eyebrow raising in a clear question, and Jaune continued, "I believe you didn't do this. That doesn't imply trust, and I have none. I just believe you wouldn't waste time and manpower without some kind of gain in mind."

"I have to say that I'm… Mildly disappointed that you think of me that way." Jaune wsn't swayed by the man's pained expression, and Ozpin sighed tiredly, feeling disappointed. At what, Jaune wasn't sure. "Now, I believe we have other things to discuss? Perhaps pertaining to your… Oh."

The man's face fell, Ozpin's eyes widening, and Jaune was up before the wind blasted in through the open door onto the balcony. Turning, Jaune was hit by a wall of dread, rage and grief, Neo's and his own. Pyrrha wrapped her arms around the smaller woman when she ran towards the balcony with a pained shriek, disbelieving of what her eyes showed. Cinder summoned a sword on instinct, watching Glynda and Ozpin warily, cutting herself between the Seer and them.

And Jaune just stared, hands balling into fisst until his knuckles screamed at him. Around him, glass cracked and items were slammed into the walls and the backs of shelves, even Ozpin's mug flying from his hands like it had been torn away by some invisible and unyielding force as his Aura glowed around him.

In the distance, his ship was careening toward as the ground, consumed in fire and billowing smoke.

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Next time, the finale to the starting arc to this story. Hope you all enjoyed. For those curious, I teased this little bit of Jaune's powers in the original story, way back when. This little tidbit has been planned for a while.

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JdkLeBlue728 :

Glad you're enjoying it. Hoped today's twists and turns.

Deathtrooper 900 :

Part of why I made it, initially. I don't see many sympathetic and not AU Salems. Felt worth the old college try.

The Impossible Muffin :

Is he? Is he really?