Hi, Mithos here! Sorry this chapter was more delayed than usual, I got distracted writing Sundown so this ended up being later than usual. As always, I hope you guys enjoy the chapter. Unfortunately, the tone of this will be a bit more serious as the arc continues just due to the nature of the material.

Thanks to Hakumein and masterofbones for looking over this chapter. I felt like my writing slipped this chapter and they really helped me clean it up.

"Jaune Arc, reporting for duty, sir and madam!" He gives his best impression of a salute as possible, hand flat on his side and back straight as an ironing board, with a smile plastered on his face.

Ozpin and Glynda return his greeting, with Glynda gesturing him to the chair in front of the desk. "Good evening, Jaune. Take a seat." He does as instructed. "How has your week been so far? Have you had any troubles adjusting?"

Hey, it's me. How can there not be any trouble? "I've had some problems, but they're more indicative of good things rather than bad. The week has been enjoyable, most notably being surrounded by great people."

"Good." Ozpin glances by the elevator door. "What are your impressions of your companions so far?"

Taking a deep breath to build up his confidence, he looks to directly return Ozpin's eye contact. "With all due respect, sir, why does this seem more like a counseling session than a briefing? I thought that was the reason I was called in."

Glynda sighs as she taps on her scroll. "Gratefully, you were punctual. However, the person in charge of your next mission is not. If he could just have some human decency to-"

Ozpin taps his cane on the floor to interrupt her. "Now, Glynda. Despite his… shortcomings, Qrow is one of our best operatives in the field. I would prefer to not criticize him before Jaune has a chance to see his strengths. While we wait, we can begin with one of the issues at hand: your role as an operative."

Glynda mutters under her breath as she walks over to one of the wall's side panels. I must have misheard, cause I think she just called that Qrow person an asshole. She places her black scroll next to the panel. After it scans the scroll with a beep, the floor opens up, lifting up a locker with a holographic keypad. "Jaune, if you would."

He saunters over to the locker, punching in the passcode '1019.' The locker opens with a click, revealing his katana Night's End. A coat hanger holds up a black punkified cassock with a small decorative chain connecting the belt with the upturned collar. On the shelf, a singular black scroll lies sideways against the wall.

Jaune smiles as he places his hand on the uniform in front of him. The cold silky touch is as exactly as he remembers it. Rubbing the cloth between his fingers, he runs his hand down each strand, stopping at the hem; the motion evokes the memory of his first encounter with the uniform, unlocking all the feelings long sealed away.

Jaune sits in the corner of the frigid stone room, clutching his knees. His plain white clothes are all damaged, holes littered throughout from cuts and the edges frayed from overuse. From the gaps in his clothing, one can see the numerous scars caused by blades and gunshot wounds. The room is devoid of candles and lamps, the only light that emerges are the infinitesimal slivers that slip their way in from the edges of the door. Frozen in thought and immobile in movement, he waits in anticipation for the door to open, signaling a brief respite from the prison.

A hushed creak thaws his frozen thoughts. As the door slowly swings open, his gaze directs toward the face of the person approaching. He expects either his jailor to be bringing him food, or The Doctor bringing him a mission. His eyes rise up to meet with those of a stranger.

Long flowing black hair. Piercing silver eyes. Jaune is momentarily stunned by both the unexpected visitor and the beauty in front of him. The light surrounding her appears to radiate from her presence in the form of a holy aura. Her black robe is analogous to those of a nun and only further emphasizes her impression on him.

The second freezes for an eternity as her appearance is imprinted into his memory and soul. Time flows again when she reaches out her hand toward him and utters the words he will never forget.

"Don't worry. Your hero's here."

That was the day Jaune was saved.

"Jaune, are you okay?" Glynda grabs on to his shoulder to shake him out of his reverie.

Shaking his head to get the memory out of his mind, he grabs everything from the locker and turns to face Glynda. "Yeah, I'm fine. Just got lost in an old memory. So should I also put on the uniform and carry the scroll around?"

"As well as these." She hands him a long black wig and an opera mask that covers the upper half of his face. "We want you to separate your identity as Jaune Arc and an operative."

"And I'm guessing it's not a coincidence that with the black hair wig, I look almost exactly like Master?" Not that I mind, of course.

Ozpin nods. "The news of Xenith's death has not reached many of our enemies. As I have mentioned before, her presence and symbol itself was a deterrence for many criminals. Thankfully, you have inherited her technique with a similar physique. For you to take up the mantle means to keep that status quo."

Jaune's eyes light up, darting back and forth from the costume and to Glynda. "Wait. Doesn't that basically mean… I'M BAT-"

Glynda interrupts him before he could finish. "No, you are not Batman. For one, we are accountable for your actions, and second, you will have to follow our instructions. A huntsman has as much power to do good as evil."

His shoulders slump dejected while his eyes lose the previous excited shine. "That doesn't sound much like a hero. That sounds more like a soldier."

Silence fills the air as both adults find it difficult to look into his eyes and refute his statement. Ozpin takes a drink from his mug before he begins speaking in a deep and solemn tone. "Jaune, I know how much of a hero Xenith is to you. But her role was to act as a soldier, protecting the world from its most threatening dangers, rather than playing hero in an attempt to save everyone. If you do not believe this is the path you wish to adopt, then you can leave her belongings here and continue working towards being a Hunter, acting as if this never happened. This is your last chance to step away. If you accept the job, it will be with you for the rest of your days."

Jaune takes a long look at the clothes and sword in his hand. I want to be like Master. I admired her for so long, but what if she wasn't what I had imagined? His grip tightens on the two objects. Does that change how heroic her actions were? Jaune's eyes rise up to meet Ozpin's, staring at him in an attempt to probe at his sincerity. "Just answer me this: Are we really protecting the world and fighting its evil here?"

Ozpin leans forward and answers with an intensity that Jaune can not help but believe him. "Yes. We are the protectors of this world. And we need your help."

Jaune places the sword on the side of his belt. "Then you have my answer. I will gladly step into the role of 1019."

"Good. First thing to address is your title. The number 1019 is for us to identify you outside of missions. From now on, when you're in the field, you will be called SORD: Special Operative in Remnant's Defense." Wow, Ozpin loves his acronyms. I wonder how long he spent on that one...and how proud of it he is. "Second, we have to explain your gear, one of which is the black scroll-" Ozpin is interrupted by a ding indicating the elevator's arrival. Its door opens, revealing a man with graying black spiky hair, red eyes, and a stubble along along his jawline. He wears a red tattered cloak that contrasts the silver-colored sword that he carries diagonally on his back. As the man takes a drink from his flask, Jaune can see several rings adorning his fingers.

With that cloak, he kinda reminds me of Ruby. The resemblance left his mind as soon as the man begins talking. "No need for applause or to stop talking just for me. Just act like I've been here the whole time."

Glynda glares at him, clutching on to her riding crop and bending it in frustration. "You were asked to be here two hours ago. Not only that, you also-"

"Hey, is this the kid that's suppose to replace Xenith?" Qrow walks up to Jaune and ruffles his hair. Gah! Does this guy not know the meaning of gentle? "The kid doesn't look like much. Big shoes to fill and all." He takes another drink from his flask.

"Yes, I am. My name's Jaune Arc. I take it you're Qrow, the person in charge of the next mission?" He extends out a hand.

"It's Qrow Branwen." Scanning the blonde up and down, Qrow shrugs as he ignores the handshake. "I don't see how you're going to replace Xenith, not even if you trained for a hundred years. Then again, I've trusted Ozpin in stranger things. Just gonna need more alcohol for this one." As he finishes his statement, he takes another swig of his drink. That stings. I want to refute that, but it is true I only beat her once.

Ozpin sighs. "Glynda, if you would."

"Gladly." Activating her semblance, she takes away the flask and lays it in front of Ozpin.

"Hey! How rude!" Seemingly out of nowhere, Qrow pulls out another flask, before it is taken away by Glynda again. The two glare at each other, and as Jaune observes he imagines sparks flying off the two from the tension.

Jaune weakly raises his hand attempting to get everyone's attention. "I probably shouldn't be the one saying this, but can we get back on topic?"

"That is reasonable. Glynda, Qrow, we gather here for a reason. Focus." Ozpin clears his throat before speaking again. "First of all, Jaune. Remain calm as we explain the mission. This subject matter is rather close to you."

Taking a deep breath, he musters as serious of an expression as possible before sitting down to face Ozpin. "Lay it on me." Qrow walks to the back of the room and leans on one of the pillars, observing as his two colleagues explain the situation.

Returning to standing next to Ozpin, Glynda taps on her scroll which activates a hologram that appears over the table. The hologram shows a wide three story building, resembling a fort or a military base. Many red dots litter around it, with the legend indicating them as possible guard locations. At the very bottom, it indicates the name of the building as 'White Fang Base 32: Fort Harty.'

Glynda swipes and spins the hologram, stopping when the main entrance with the most red dots are in front of Jaune. "This is the base we are interested in. From what we have observed before, this base was a simple supplies stockpile, holding what surplus their organization were able to obtain. However, recently activities have spiked. They delivered additional cargo and even more troops onsite. We sent scouts to investigate the reason, believing it to be the Dust that was stolen in the last few weeks. However, what we found was even more surprising."

Ozpin gives a slight nod to Glynda before typing into the table's built-in interface. The hologram switches to dozens of pictures of cages, all holding different species Grimm. "As we know, according to Council Decree 32178, all Grimm experimentation is banned. Not only is it dangerous, but all experimentations done have shown them to be untameable. Which begs the question, what reason would the White Fang have to capture them? This was unanswered until we found someone present at the base." The pictures of the cages were replaced with one of a man in his thirties, wearing a white lab coat. The picture shows him pointing and yelling at White Fang members carrying cargo with his prosthetic robotic right arm. He seems visibly aged, as gray hairs can already be seen in his short black hair. As soon as the picture appears on screen, Jaune scowls as a headache assails him.

Ozpin frowns after seeing Jaune's response. "The man on screen is called Doctor Rable. By your expression, I'm sure you recognize him as the main assistant of Doctor Merlot, who was in charge of Children's Box."

"Yeah, I remember seeing him next to the Doctor...err, Merlot, a lot. I'm not sure what he was in charge of, but I'd remember that face anywhere." Jaune clenches his fist tight enough for his fingernails to draw blood. "So this clue probably means he's…" I don't really want to finish that thought.

"Yes. After more probing and investigation, we discovered that Rable has managed to uncover some of his old colleagues and invited them to the facility. All of this implies one thing: they are restarting the Children's Box experiment."

Jaune stares at the floor, thoughts racing in his mind. They were the perpetrators. The ones that killed so many children, and giving me scars that haven't healed. Knowing where they are, I can avenge… No! Master didn't teach me how to fight in order to get vengeance. I will not kill. They will have to atone for their crimes some other way.

His eyes raise to meet Glynda's as she taps his shoulder. "Are you alright? If this is too much, you do not have to participate."

He shakes his head vigorously. "No. In fact, I'm glad. This gives me the chance to face my demons. So what's the mission? Capture him and bring him to justice?"

"Here are the exact details: this Saturday at 1600, you and Qrow are to infiltrate the facility as covertly as possible. After you find Doctor Rable, you will capture and bring him back, with only light injuries that may result from his resistance. Any research that you find along the way will be confiscated as well." Ozpin taps his cane on the floor, staring straight into Jaune's eyes. "Do you understand? He must be brought back unharmed."

"Yes, sir!" He salutes. "I ensure you that I will restrain myself, and bring him back with minimal injuries. But why confiscate the research? Shouldn't we just destroy it?"

"That's why we're the pros, kid." Qrow finally speaks up while he continues to lean on the pillar. "There's no way Rable over here has the audacity to restart the project on his own. Someone's pushing him. Whether that's Merlot, whom we've been hunting, or some other faction in the White Fang, we need to know."

Ozpin hums in agreement. "Exactly. If we cannot interrogate that knowledge out of him, perhaps his research notes can shed some light in that matter. Do you have any other questions?"

"Nope." Jaune gets up from the seat, ready to leave.

"I do." He turns to face the source of the voice as Qrow walks up to him and inspects him once again. "I don't remember signing up to play babysitter. From what I can tell, this kid's a complete amateur. Plus, it seems like he has history with the person we need to capture. Why am I bringing an X-factor like him to this mission?"

Ozpin adjusts his glasses before responding. "He has to start somewhere. What can Jaune do to reassure you?"

"I'm glad you asked." Qrow grins as he approaches the boy, staring him down. "You're going to fight me."

Jaune can not help but do a little twirl with a girlish giggle as he observes himself in the mirror. The black uniform fits him snuggly; with the wig and Night's End at his side, his reflection is the spitting image of his master. Sure, our faces are not similar, but everything else fits the bill. And the long sleeves even hides Twilight Bracelet from view. Grabbing the last piece of the costume, he puts on the opera mask.

Taking a look at the mirror again, he silently comments to himself. "The mask ruins it. The mask doesn't match up the rest of costume AT ALL!" He suppresses the urge to scream in frustration. Wait. I may have a solution. Taking off the mask, he calls upon his semblance. Twilight Bracelet. Griffon Series: Clear Vision. The familiar golden bracelet materializes around his left wrist. Invoking the ability, Jaune closes his eyes as he feels a bonelike material growing out from around them. A few seconds later, the sickening sense of something foreign germinating out of him stops. Opening his eyes, he sees the Grimm mask has now attached itself to his face. Unlike the metal masks that the White Fang uses, his appears exactly like those of Grimm, with its white bonelike substance and black splotches that scatter throughout as its pattern. The mask covers the upper half of his face, making it difficult to see into his eyes. He does an 180 twirl, looking at the mirror reflecting his back. "Nananana, Batman!" This mask is way better. Plus, it's more practical than that opera mask.

Finishing up, he walks out of the changing room and to the teacher's training room to see Ozpin, Glynda, and Qrow all waiting for him. The Headmistress smiles as she comments on his appearance. "I'm glad the clothes fit you. It was difficult editing and sewing it for your size. " Wait, Glynda sewed this? My appreciation for her just raised exponentially. "Though, I can see that you replaced the mask I picked out for you."

"Thanks, the clothes fits perfectly. As for the mask, the other one broke." Reminder to destroy the evidence when I get back to the changing room. Can't let them know I changed out the mask because I wanted to look more like Batman. "This mask is one of my abilities, which allows me see in the dark. You don't think it's inappropriate, right?"

Glynda walks closer to Jaune, closing the gap between their two faces. "You can see properly, correct? It does a fine job of hiding your face, and seeing in the dark is practical as well. I have no objections."

Too close! He staggers a few steps back, trying to make some distance. "Y-yeah. I'm not exactly sure on the details of the mask, but I can see just fine."

"If you two ladies are done talking about fashion, I want to get this fight started." Qrow pulls out the longsword from behind him, the mechanics of the weapon extending it even longer than Jaune had expected. He takes practice swings with the heavy weapon with ease, whooshing as the weapon slices through the air. "My stubble is going to become a full blown beard if you ladies keep talking."

Jaune takes Night's End out of its sheath, taking a stance with the blade over his shoulder and next to his head. "So what's the passing grade here? Survive for a certain time period? Land a hit on you? Don't break down crying?"

Qrow shrugs. "Dunno. Didn't think that far ahead. Just come at me with everything you got, and I'll tell you how you did after." Great, so there's no plan for an objective except to try and beat him in a fight.

The two step towards the opposite ends of the combat arena, with Glynda standing offstage in the middle of the two. "I will be the referee for the match. If there is any chance of substantial injuries, I will stop the fight immediately. If there are no questions, then the fight will begin on my mark, when I say go."

Jaune gives a brief glance at Ozpin, who observes the fight with his trademark impassivity. I'm guessing he's probably judging how I fight. Considering how they haven't seen me go all out, this is as much a test from Qrow as it is from Glynda and Ozpin. Taking a deep breath, he observes the opponent across from him. Qrow slicks the front of his hair back. Qrow. By the way I see how he swings that large sword around, he's physically strong. Locking blades with him is a terrible idea. No data on his semblance. Try and force it out as soon as possible so a contingency plan can be made. Finally, he's an experienced Hunter. I doubt I can beat him with skill or experience. The longer the fight goes, the more his experience shines through. Have to make use of every opportunity I can get.

"Are you two ready?" Glynda takes a look at the two, who both nod in agreement.

"Three…" Taijitu Series: Grimm Infusion. Goliath Series: Reinforcement. With that evocation, black matter spew forth from his bracelet, covering the skin of his arms and legs.

"Two..." The substance seeps through his pores, some binding itself to his muscles and strengthening them, while the others replacing the joints of his shoulder and elbow. No matter how many times I do that, it still feels nauseating.

"One…" Taking one last deep breath, he puts his full attention to the opponent in front of him.

"Go!" With that, Jaune dashes toward his opponent, Night's End clutched in his right hand, threatening to cut Qrow down. Qrow stifles a yawn as he sidesteps the strike. Can't let go of the pressure and initiative! The blonde continues to make several swings at him, alternating attacks from different directions, varying strikes from shallow to deep. However, each swing proves ineffective as Qrow continues to dodge, only using his weapon to block his last overhead attack.

Haven't determined his semblance yet. Finally got him to use his weapon. In that case…! Nevermore Series: Feathershot! Feathers rapidly sprout forth from the side of his left arm, shooting toward Qrow's torso. There is only a slight pause as he's momentarily stunned by the unexpected attack, before he takes a step back and swings his longsword to knock down all projectiles coming his way.

There was a definite pause when he didn't expect that attack. That lets me know one thing: he doesn't know about my semblance! I have to use this to my advantage. Jaune prepares to continue his attack until he sees a grin on Qrow. Shoot! I lost the initiative! The momentary lapse allows Qrow to quickly close the distance, swinging the longsword at an angle towards his left shoulder. Taken back by the speed and the awkward angle, Jaune unwillingly brings up the katana to block the attack. The blades clash with a loud clank, sending vibrations reverberating through the blonde's right arm. Okay, so let's ignore the part about not locking blades with him. I know Master's Rule #3 guarantees plans never go accordingly, but EVERY. SINGLE. TIME! Qrow pushes down, causing Jaune's knees to buckle under the pressure. Why don't I just TOSS my sword at him at this point?!

Shifting the angle of his weapon down, Jaune takes a step back as the longsword is pushed off to the side. However, the veteran Huntsman does not allow him to disengage that easily, returning with a horizontal swing. He can only take another step back as the sword cuts through the air centimeters away from his torso. Not only is my stance broken, but I haven't even seen any openings!

A few more horizontal slices forces Jaune to the edge of the arena. Damnit! No more time to think! He ducks right before the next attack comes, cutting off strands of hair with how narrowly he dodges. Taking the chance, he uses a sweeping kick to knock his opponent down before rolling away towards the center of the arena.

Qrow easily recovers, and the two stare down each other again. However, Jaune can feel his breathing slowly becoming more ragged by his unrefined movements, while Qrow appears unaffected.

"So that's all you got? You know, Xenith would not only have parried that first attack, but she'd also have given me a swift kick in return." Qrow adjusts his weapon with a click.

Calm down. He's just trying to provoke you. "What does that say about you? Having so much trouble with a Huntsman-in-training?" Okay, maybe provoking him isn't-

"So the big boy thinks he can hold his own?" The blade portion of Qrow's weapon shifts upwards, revealing two gun barrels. SHIT! Jaune kicks off the ground to avoid the shot at him, the blast striking close enough to cause his ears to ring. Guns. Observe how the barrel aims and you can dodge it. As Qrow's aim changes, Jaune continues to dart along the arena, scarcely avoiding the shot each time. After eluding the sixth shot, he reads the rhythm between each shot. Nevermore Series: Feathershot! Synchronizing with the next gunfire, the razor-sharp feathers fly towards the source. The feathers clog up the barrel as Jaune changes direction to immediately charge towards Qrow. However, the Huntsman looks unfazed, quickly pulling out the feathers and reverting his weapon to sword form.

That pause should have given me a slight initiative! He launches a barrage of slices and cuts at the Huntsman, putting his empowered strength behind each strike. As Qrow blocks, the sounds of the two metals colliding fill the room in a clamorous cacophony. However, no matter how many attacks Jaune launches at him, each attack is blocked or parried effortlessly, none revealing any openings for him to exploit. Even with Grimm reinforced strength…! Out of desperation, he puts all his power while throwing his weight into a vertical strike, hoping to force something out of his opponent. Once again, the longsword comes up to meet the katana; however, this time the two blades lock, not giving the blonde a chance to easily connect and flow into another attack. Qrow's grins again as his arms glow faintly with Aura. Shit! That's Aura Reinforcement! Sliding back his weapon, he kicks off the ground and jumps back several meters. The longsword hits the floor where he once stood, shattering parts of the stage and spewing forth debris to create a crater.

Jaune takes a deep breathe to evaluate his choices. As I thought. No matter how many attacks I launch at him, no matter how I read him, there aren't any openings for me to take advantage of. In that case, I just have to… "Hey, you told me to go all out. Does that mean anything's fair game?"

Qrow slings the sword over his shoulder as he answers. "Sure. I doubt you're going to beat me with any tricks up your sleeves."

"Good." Nevermore Series: Feathershot. The keen-edged feathers spout forth from both his arms. Instead of firing them at his adversary, he takes a terse look upwards at the ceiling before firing each one of the projectiles toward the light fixtures. Without any windows, the training room falls into complete and utter darkness as the feathers destroy each of the light sources.

Use every advantage I can get! Using the mask, Jaune can see despite the blackout. Unexpectedly, Qrow appears unperturbed as he sprints toward him, the blade he wields eager to cut the boy down. He's just running towards where I was before. Just step back and let him lose sight out where I can be. Jaune jumps several steps diagonally back, expecting his opposition to swing at air. However, Qrow alters direction and continues running straight toward him even after he adjusted his direction.

What kind of fricking monster is he?! Okay, don't worry about the why, just know that he can definitely still see where I am. Jaune takes a stance ready to parry the attack as Qrow approaches him. But whatever he's using, it's definitely not perfect. His movements have dulled and slowed down from before. A chance!

From his left, the longsword swooshes through the air as it threatens to sever the upper and lower halves of his body. Jaune brings up his left arm to intercept. Legendary Series: Reinforcement. Black matter quickly cascade down from his bracelet and covers the entirety of his left arm, instantaneously solidifying as a nylon-like layer on his skin. The weapon cuts through his uniform's long sleeves, stopping in its tracks when it collides with the makeshift armor. The weight behind the weapon pushes him slightly back as Jaune smiles for the first time this entire fight.

Twisting his left arm, the joints changed by Grimm infusion allows him to snake his arm around the weapon, stopping when his hand reaches the hilt. Holding the weapon in place, Jaune activates another one of his abilities. Goliath Series: Corrosive Spray! From the palm of his hand, a dark brown acidic liquid shoots out and begins to corrode the connection between the blade and hilt.

His right hand swings Night's End down while the two are locked. Qrow refuses to let go of his weapon, bringing up his arm to block the blade as it glows with Aura to protect himself. How predictable! The distance between the katana and Qrow's arm rapidly diminish, until only a feather is thin enough to be placed between the two. Right before collision, Jaune lets go of his weapon, continuing his arm's trajectory while curling up his hand in a fist. Beowolf Series: Hell's Razors! Three sharp bone protrusions extend out from between his knuckles, hurtling straight towards his opponent's heart. At the last second, Qrow bends his knees and shifts his body, causing the claws to only make a shallow incision into his shoulder. Following through in his movement, he kicks Jaune right in the abdomen, sending him flying across the arena and landing on his back.

Damn! That was so close! The blonde gets up, taking a defensive posture as he anticipates his adversary to fly towards him. Qrow insteads tosses Night's End back to him as he stands back up. "Alright kid, fight's over. Looks like you weren't as bad as I first pegged you to be."

Relaxing his muscles, Jaune dematerializes Twilight Bracelet as he picks the katana off the ground. His mask and makeshift defense crumble away at the same time. "Wait, so did I pass?"

"Barely. If you didn't land a strike on me, I would have failed you right there."

Whew. Wait, now that the mask is gone, I can't see anything. He can hear Glynda's voice carry through in the darkness. "Allow me fix the lighting." As she says that, the lights flicker back on, and he can see Glynda and Ozpin both give him an approving nod.

As the two walk off the arena, Qrow gives him the full evaluation. "You're a bit reckless, but you definitely fight with your head. Tried too hard to force openings, but you still think outside the box without being constrained to one fighting strategy. Basically, I know you're probably not going to die on me in a simple stealth mission, so you pass."

Jaune gives a sigh of relief. "I almost started panicking when you used Aura to destroy part of the arena. This fight was exponentially harder since I had to make sure my corruption levels would recover in time for the mission." Qrow gives him a strange look at the mention of corruption. "Oh, that's right. My semblance has another cost called corruption. It recovers over time, but it's not very fast. It's sitting at about 50% right now."

The four of them all recongregate at the side of the arena. Glynda looks him up and down, inspecting him. "You do not appear to- Jaune, does your abilities allow your arm to bend like that?"

"What do you mean?" Glynda points at his left shoulder. Turning his head, he sees the shoulder shifted back an inch and a half. "Oh. Uhh, I'm pretty sure it's not supposed to bend like that. I'm… going to get changed and go to the infirmary. Hopefully before the adrenaline runs out and the pain kicks in."

"I'll assist you." Jaune freezes in his track as Glynda offers his assistance.

"No, it's okay! I can handle this." He flails his right arm wildly as he attempts to dissuade her.

"Jaune, you can't even move your left arm. Any more arguing will only waste time. Let me help you."

Begrudgingly, Jaune walks away as Glynda escorts him to the changing room.

Jaune walks back toward his room, trying not to move his left arm while his shoulder is in a cast. Thankfully with Aura, the injury will only take two days to heal, in time for the mission. Unfortunately, the entire time Glynda talked my ear off about how magnificent that opera mask is. Next time, brainiac, think ahead and destroy the evidence!

Reaching the door, he fumbles around his backpack for the scroll. Gotta remember to not use the black scroll. 'Encrypted messages' and 'Secrecy' and all that. Actually, with Nora… I'm hiding it in my locked suitcase. I just have a feeling she'll 'stumble' onto it. Finding the scroll he originally used, he opens to door to see the rest of his team watching for him. "Hey everyone, what's going on?"

The first to respond is Pyrrha, who runs up to him after seeing his cast. "Jaune, what happened? You said you were just going to give Ozpin a status report."

Right. Sigh. Gotta tell half-truths again. "That was the plan. But apparently one of his friends came in, itching for a spar. Since Glynda and Ozpin both were reluctant, this happened." He taps on his cast as he answers.

Nora dashes up to him, sharpie in hand. "Oooo, how did the fight go? Was it against a real Hunter? Did you win? I need details, man!" She literally and figurative shakes the answer out of him.

"Yes. No. None of my attacks worked and blocking one of his attacks dislocated my shoulder. I only got a scratch on him." He holds still to allow Nora to sign her name on his cast. "My injuries should be healed in a few days."

Pyrrha lets out a sigh of relief. "I'm glad your injuries aren't severe. You should get plenty of rest for the rest of the week."

Ren is already next to the stove, apron on. "Yes. I can make up my special herbal blend to speed up your recovery."

Warning bells fire off in Jaune's head. "No thanks, Ren. According to the doctor, I'll heal naturally in two days. Also, I'll be heading out on one of Ozpin's errand on Saturday, so I won't be able to rest fully."

Pyrrha already has a frown on her face before he finished that sentence. "Jaune… "

"Don't worry, it's a simple fetch quest. Ozpin just wants someone trusted to do it, so he sent me. Gotta earn my keep." Jaune looks to see that no one appears convinced at his excuse. "Come on, I fought a veteran Hunter going all out and only dislocated my shoulder. It's going to take like… heavy artillery to take me down."

"Jaune's right." Ren is the first to agree as he walks over with a glass of green bubbling liquid. I think I can hear the ingredients screaming. Please let that be a figment of my imagination. "I would be much more reassured if you sped up your recovery. With some bitter medicine." He extends out the glass to the blonde.

If that's the cost of reassuring him… Jaune nervously gulps as he takes the glass. Closing his eyes, he pours the drink into his mouth, quickly swallowing in hopes that he can avoid tasting it. The goop oozes down his throat with considerable resistance, igniting his esophagus with contact. After he empties the glass, he hands it back to Ren. "Reminds me of Master's cooking. Please don't ever make me drink that again."

Ren shrugs as he walks back and places the empty glass in the sink. "As long as you don't ever suffer any grievous injuries again. Now that I think about, perhaps that will make you stay with the team for an extended amount of time."

Nora starts flexing her muscles as Jaune gives out a rebuttal. "Down, Nora! Don't give her any ideas!" He walks over and collapses into his bed. "That fight took a lot out of me. I'm just going to sleep now if you don't mind."

"That was the plan. We were just waiting for you." Pyrrha flicks the light switch off. "Jaune, as I said before, if you need anything, if there is any chance of us being able to help you, don't be afraid to ask."

Jaune rubs his eyes drowsily. "Don't worry, Pyr. I know. If there is anything-" He lets out a yawn. "You'll be the first to know."

Thanks for reading the chapter. As always, I would appreciate any comments and reviews you would have. I respond to everything!