Sorry this took so long. Just had some serious writer's block with this one. I don't know about the quality of this chapter compared to the other ones, so please give me your critque. It really helps. Thanks to Hakumein, Ordon, and masterofbones as always for reading this over!

"Hey kid, what took you so long? You were supposed to be here fifteen minutes ago." Qrow puts away his flask and opens the door to the Bullhead before hopping in. "Chickening out?"

"Absolutely not. Just had trouble leaving with my team fussing over me." Jaune sighs in exasperation as he jumps into the plane after Qrow. "That, and explaining to one of them that 'break a leg' is a figure of speech. She was very adamant about coming with me when she found out there was a possibility of leg breaking involved."

"We're a bit behind schedule, so we're leaving now." Looking a bit annoyed, Qrow knocks on the door to the pilot's room more forceful than necessary. A small screen slides open to reveal an elderly blonde man wearing a large aviation headset. "Jack, let's go."

With a small nod and rigid expression, the senior replies in a deep and serious tone. "Yes, sir. We'll arrive in approximately three hours. I'll inform you when we're close." The screen closes, followed by a soft hum and vibration of the engine as the Bullhead takes flight. Jaune can see the scenery rapidly change through the window, despite not feeling the expected turbulence associated with the speed.

Slouching back into the seat, Qrow takes out a sizable pack of binded papers from his bag and tosses them over to Jaune. "Go into the back room to get changed, then read over and make sure you memorize the layout and patrol patterns of the base."

Jaune's arms buckle under the weight of the papers as he catches them. "Why aren't the safety alarms going off? I'm pretty sure these papers alone exceed the Bullhead's carrying capacity. Couldn't you have given this to me earlier?"

"You think our enemies are always going to give you time to plan and strategize? Better start getting used to last minute information." Qrow gives him a light shove on the back. "Go get changed and stop wasting time."

Part of me thinks he just forgot to give this to me until now, but what he says does make some sense...

Opening the door to the back room, he finds five lockers lined up against the hull. Quickly identifying his, he walks over and punches the passcode "1019" to reveal his outfit. With a spring in his step, he changes out of his school uniform and weapon. Yup, this is perfect. Putting on the wig and doing one last check of his equipment, he walks back out to the main area.

Taking a seat, he does a quick scan through the packet of papers. Only the shuffling of papers and the occasional shake of the plane breaks the monotone hum of the engine. Trying to break the awkward atmosphere, he quickly thinks of a conversation topic. "So… what do you do in your spare time?"

Qrow scoffs and spares no pause to give him a stern reply. "Don't be an idiot. Just read the damn dossier."

It's not my imagination, right? He seems really harsh on me! With a dejected sigh, he looks back at the amalgamation of information in his hands. Hello, studying, my nemesis. We meet again.

The following hours passes as Jaune concentrates on poring over the information, returning the mood to a tense and uncomfortable ambience. Once in awhile, Qrow would shift in his seat or clear his throat, causing Jaune to jump with frayed nerves only to meet his colleague's disapproving gaze.

Upon finishing the last page, Jaune heaves a sigh of relief. A flash of temptation runs through him before deciding against tossing the papers into the air to rejoice, insteading placing the papers on the floor next to him. Sore from the long period of sitting, he stands and stretches out his arms before meeting Qrow's critical stare. Jaune hastily sits back down, the sour expression on Qrow's face unchanging.

That's it, I have to do something to clear the air. Unable to deal with the pressure, Jaune finally says the thing on his mind. "Umm, sir, with all due respect-" Qrow lets out a grunt of annoyance. "Why do you seem so antagonistic towards me? I don't think I've done anything to make you angry, right?"

"What makes you think I don't like you?" Qrow has an amused expression, crossing his legs and arms to look at him with his full full attention.

"Actually, I have a list." Jaune begins spewing out his answer before Qrow can stop him. "You didn't want me to go on the mission, and fought me just to begrudgingly get your approval. You refused my handshake when we first met. You've shot down every one of my attempts to be friendly. But most of all, you haven't called me by my name once since we've met, and only called me three different kinds of the word 'kid.'" He takes deep breaths after the last statement to recover from speaking without interruption.

"That was a rhetorical question." Oh. Crap, I just messed up. Qrow rolls his eyes after seeing Jaune's pained expression. "Look, I don't hate you. But I heard about your initial reason going into Beacon, to make friends, make the most out of your youth and yada yada yada; I think that's a fucking joke for a to-be Huntsman. Plus, I return from my mission and I hear the greatest agent to ever live died and got replaced with a brat that doesn't even remotely understand the importance of his position. And then I have to babysit him. So of course I'm pissed off."

When he puts it that way, he actually seems reasonable. Jaune scratches his cheek in embarrassment at the bluntness of his answer. "I… I don't know what to say to that. But all I know is that I will prove to you that I really am competent. And that Ozpin didn't make the wrong choice."

"I sure as hell hope you do, kid." With a smooth practiced motion, Qrow takes out his trademark flask to take a large chug. "Cause we sure need as many allies as we can get."

Before Jaune can ask him to elaborate, the pilot door screen slides open again. "Sir, we'll be there in three minutes. Prepare for dropoff." Jack gives them a silent salute before closing the screen again.

Jaune gulps nervously as the beginning of the mission ticks closer. "Actually, I have a question. Though I'm realizing this is probably a bad time."

Qrow rolls his eyes before massaging his temple. "Oh God, you're not going to back out at this point, are you? And after that whole…"

Jaune shakes his head in vehement denial. "No, no, no. So, I read through the entire dossier. But… it only had information about Fort Harty. It didn't tell me anything about the plan on how we're getting in. Or out."

With that, Qrow flashes him the first grin he's seen all day. "Oh. Didn't I tell you? We're just going to wing it."

"How in the what now?" Jaune grabs on the side of the plane, trying not to suffer vertigo from the sudden shock.

"Huh. Didn't tell you that either, huh? Don't worry, there's a reason why Ozpin sends me on missions like these. My semblance will handle everything." Taking one last swig, Qrow returns the flask to his pockets.

Unable to hide his frustration anymore, Jaune yells out. "I don't know what your semblance is! That doesn't make me feel any better!"

"Well, here's another lesson for you, squirt." Qrow opens the door to the Bullhead, causing air to violently rush in. The grin grows as he yells out to him. "You have to learn how to adapt! That's how you stay alive in this business!"

Jaune grabs onto the handle next to the open door to stabilize himself from the gust. Looking down, he sees a large dense forest but no sign of any landing spot. "Why did you open the door?! We haven't even landed yet!"

"Why do you think Ozpin made initiation the way it is?" The realization strikes Jaune right as Qrow finishes answering. Before he can object, Qrow kicks and forcibly ejects him off the Bullhead. "LANDING! STRATEGY!"

Damn it, is this a common trait of people around Ozpin? Is there so much fun in launching people before they can respond?! Seeing Qrow jump after him, Jaune swiftly corrects his orientation so he's facing downwards. Taking a deep breath, he puts himself in the combat mentality needed for the mission. Twilight Bracelet. Griffon Series: Clear Vision.

The gnawing sensation around his face lets him know his semblance is working. As the sensation fades away, his vision in the night improves until he can see the entire forest in its clarity. Looking for the largest tree, he attempts to angle himself towards it. Taijitu Series: Grimm Infusion. Goliath Series: Reinforcement. As the tree approaches his vision, the black liquid comes forth from his bracelet and seeps into his arms, strengthening his muscles and joints.

Now! Right before impacting directly into the tree, he extends his arm out to grab onto the branch. A loud snap crackles as the excessive force threatens to fracture it. Don't break yet! Using the centripetal force, he redirects most of his momentum sideways before the branch snaps. He can feel the excessive force threatening to tear his arm apart as he swings from branch after branch, until the momentum runs out, where he then lands with a roll.

Well, my arms' going to be sore tomorrow. Taking out his weapon, he scans around him for any Grimm that may have been attracted to the disturbance. Controlling his breathing, he strains his ears to hear a slight rustle coming from one of the shrubberies. Taking a stance, he prepares to leap at and attack the hostile once it emerges.

"What are you, a monkey? Couldn't you just have used those feathers you had during our fight?" Qrow comes out, weapon and scroll in hand.

Sensing no other aggressors, Jaune takes a deep breath before sheathing his weapon. "Don't you remember? Ozpin said to separate student-me from agent-me. Since that's my student semblance, I can't exactly use that here, can I?"

"Right. Slipped my mind." After pressing a few buttons on the black scroll, Qrow drops a small pill-like device and buries it in the ground. "This will be our evac point. Jack's going to come back here in four hours, and if we call for him he can be here in fifteen minutes. Your scroll should have his number and this place marked."

Taking out his scroll, Jaune opens up the map to see an evacuation and point of interest marked. Looking at the legend, he makes a mental note of the distance and general direction of the two. "Got it. So are you going to explain the plan outside of 'winging it?'" Jaune emphasizes the phrase is if it were poison on his tongue.

"Right." Qrow starts walking as he gives his explanation. "My semblance is two-fold. One allows me to know how many 'eyes' are around a small radius around me at any time. So I know there's two sets of eyes here, and about four sets a short distance over there." He points at an angle behind them. "I use the term 'eyes' very liberally, since it applies basically to anything to purposely makes an image."

The gears spin around in Jaune's head. "So does that mean it includes… cameras? Which would make sense that Ozpin sends you on infiltration missions."

"Well what do you know, you are a smart one." Qrow's sarcasm does not go unnoticed by Jaune. "The second part is something you've already experienced. It allows me to literally see things from another perspective."

"I've experienced…?" The only time I could think of is... "Oh, our fight! I was wondering how you moved like you could see in the dark. I guess that explains it." Though I didn't even get any feeling of that… so I guess the target themselves don't even notice?

"Good job. You want a pat on the head or something?" Despite the two's casual conversation, Qrow continues leading and navigating them around dangers. From the footprints, scratches and damage to the nearby trees, he's making sure to avoid any Grimm nests or territory. He may give out the image of a useless old man, but his skills are no joke.

"You know, a pat on the head doesn't sound too bad, considering-" Jaune reflexively moves his hand in front of his face to catch the thrown object. It's an... earpiece?

Qrow puts on the same exact earpiece over his ear. "From here on out, use that to communicate. We don't know who's listening, and we might get separated. Better safe than sorry." Qrow pulls out his longsword from behind him, the interlocking gears extending it to its full range. "From here on out, stay serious. This is where the mission starts."

"I want to ask one last question before we do." Jaune takes Qrow's grunt of annoyance as cue to continue. "Can you warn me before you push me off anything next time? I'm getting some heavy flashbacks to Master's uhh… 'teaching' methods."

Qrow looks at Jaune's slightly panicked expression and chuckle to himself. "Can't promise jack. Everyone goes through the process."

Oh no. He has the glint in his eyes too! I thought it was only Master, but apparently it's a spreadable trait! Oh God, does everyone that hang out with Master end up picking up her lack of common sense?! As Jaune panics and screams internally, fearing how much of it spread to him, the two silently continue their journey to Fort Harty.

The rest of the journey toward their objective was relatively uneventful. Being able to evade most of the Grimm, they were only forced to face small packs of Beowolves and Ursa Minors.

Being able to see his swordsmanship makes me realize just what being a veteran Huntsman means. There's a certain finesse to it. When will I hit that level?

Despite the mood being more amiable after the two's conversation, Jaune still feels uncomfortable with the idea of expressing his thoughts openly. Even as the fort comes into vision, the two has only exchanged a few words after landing.

Qrow extends his hand out and gestures for him to stop. "Something's wrong. My semblance doesn't sense anyone on watch."

Nodding in acknowledge, Jaune crouches down to follow Qrow as they hide within the foliage and sneak closer to the base. When the side gate can be clearly seen, the two find the answer to their inquiry.

White Fang member's bodies lay strewn around the perimeter, some hanging from the fence and watchtower. Several limbs are seen scattered a short distance from each corpse, implying the details of their gruesome death. No surface escape the crimson dye, the color saturating the bodies and the remnants of their uniforms and weapons. The smell of decay permeates in the air, sending familiar goosebumps through his skin.

Okay, Jaune. You can do this. We had to eventually see this scene again. Just... bear with it.

Weapons out, Jaune takes a deep breath as he follows Qrow walking towards the closest body. Their eyes dart back and forth to survey the area for any survivors or the culprits. As Qrow inspects the body in closer detail, Jaune keeps watch to ensure the situation is not an elaborate ambush.

"The soldier's armor is caved in. No bullet wounds. Scratch marks and blunt force is the cause of death. It's probably Grimm." Qrow looks at Jaune's face, who returns with a stoic look.

"Should I check the other bodies? It is possible a Grimm attack came for the survivors after some other group's initial assault." Without waiting for an answer, he has already stepped away to the next closest corpse.

Qrow clears his throat, putting his hand up to hide his mild surprise. "Uhh, yeah. You do that. Just… be careful if there's any Grimm remaining."

Nodding in acknowledgement, he looks at the body next to him. Let's see… Large claw marks runs over his face. He takes off the torn clothing to investigate the torso. As suspected, there's scratch wounds all over. But that's strange. The scratches appear a lot more on his back. Finally, he examines the last open wound. His leg… It wasn't a clean cut. It looked like it was torn off. Proving his suspicions, Jaune returns the clothing and whispers a silent prayer before moving on to the next carcass.

After ten minutes elapse in examining the bodies, Jaune lightly jogs back to the front of the gate to reconvene with Qrow. Seeing him approach, Qrow speaks up. "So, did you find out anything?"

"Kind of. All of the wounds seem to come from Grimm, so we can rule out any other possible perpetrator. But there's two details that bothered me. They have a lot more wounds on their backs, and…" Jaune points to the bodies that hang over the fence. "Their heads are facing outward, as if they were trying to escape from the base rather than backing into the building."

Qrow nods in agreement. "Plus, the Grimm should be a lot more active on our way here if there was a Grimm attack." He grimaces as he taps on his earpiece. "Crow to Witch, situation's changed. We think the Grimm in captivity broke out, and it looks up they took out most of the guards. Should we change up the objectives?"

Wait, so Glynda's going to be listening to our conversation? Ugh… I have a premonition that she might give me a report card after the mission's over...

A few seconds pass before a female voice respond through Jaune's earpiece. "Negative. Prioritize the target. Investigation is a secondary objective. We're sending over a cleanup team now."

Cleanup…? She's… referring to the Grimm, right? Qrow responds before Jaune is able to clear his doubts. "Roger." Qrow pushes his hair back before he taps on his earpiece. "You heard the woman. Let's go."

"Yeah." Walking over the ruined door, the two step into the base.

Walking through the hallways, the rotting stench intensifies, dominating all other senses. Trying to prevent the smell from invading further, Jaune shuts his mouth as tightly as possible.

"Damn." Qrow jumps off the wall to destroy another camera. "The Grimm seem too methodical with this one. They made sure to not give them any chance of organized resistance. I have an inkling about what caused this, but I hope I'm wrong."

Jaune can only muster up a melancholic nod as his response. Progressing through the hallways, hundreds of bodies were found scattered around, with their blood and organs being the only blemish on the white walls. Checking their bodies, they find evidence that most were killed without resistance, without any traces of weapons or signs of struggle. With a heavy heart, Jaune gives a silent prayer for each one.

That's right, this base was supposed to only be a storage facility. I doubt many of them were properly trained or even armed, let alone have combat experience.

Weaving through the hallways, Jaune tries to piece together their movements with his mental map. "We're heading to the lab, right? If he survived, he probably did so by holing himself up when the attack happened."

"Actually, I was planning to visit the security room first." Ugh. Looks like my sense of direction inside buildings is still terrible. Qrow postures to turn right, but switches direction at the last moment. "But now that you mentioned it, I'm pretty sure the lab has access to the cameras too. We can hit two birds with one stone if we check there first."

Whew. That worked out a lot better than I expected. I'm glad we have so much information on hand. Jaune's footsteps slow down for a second as a question pops into his mind. Wait… How did we get access to so much information anyway? "Qrow, how do we know so much about this base? It doesn't seem like this information is easily accessible."

A second elapses before Qrow replies in a somber tone. "We have an undercover agent at the base."

Jaune stops. "Wait, like right now? Why aren't we going to rescue them? Or at least contact them?"

Sensing his halted movements, Qrow stops and turns to face him. The icy stare he gives only reinforces the weight of his response. "We might blow her cover that way; and, that's not this mission's objective."

"No. No way." The indignation seeps through Jaune's voice, cracking as his emotions get the better of him. "Just because someone didn't tell us to save them, we can't just leave them to be k-"

Qrow cuts him off before he can finish that thought. "That's not what I'm saying. But we're acting as agents, and we have to prioritize what we came for. We can help her after. Besides, the easiest way to get her whereabouts is probably by looking through the footage."

After a few seconds, Jaune grits his teeth in vexation, and starts running alongside Qrow. "Fine. Let's stop wasting time."

As Qrow breaks into a run, he mutters underneath his breath. "Of all the damned things to inherit from Xenith…"

The hallways pass by in a blur, with Qrow destroying every camera they come across. Understanding that time is now a luxury, they can no longer stop and check every body they see. However, the lack of encounters with Grimm puts an unpleasant expression on both of them.

"Something's wrong. We should have encountered at least one or two stray Grimm. But even with all these corpses, we haven't seen any." Qrow sighs as he stops in front of a large sliding security steel door. A placard above the pin panel is labeled with a felt pen as 'Laboratory.' "I think I know what happened. I'm really hoping the survivors inside can prove me wrong." After taking a drink, he swings his sword with Aura reinforced strength to destroy the door.

The room is cleaner than I expected. I thought it was going to be just as bloody as the hallways. The only things to indicate the room as a laboratory are the few surgical tables and computers littered around the room. In the very back of the room is a large console, with nine different monitors that all seem to be analyzing data.

A collection of humans and Faunus dress in lab coats huddle in the corner, looking at them with eyes of dread. The one closest to them has a rifle, aiming at them with shaking hands. Upon seeing the Grimm mask on Jaune, the tension drains from their body, all of them showing signs of relief.

The man with the gun puts his weapon down and runs up to them. "Thank God. My name's Frank, one of the researchers here. Have you killed all the Grimm? Can we finally leave?"

Qrow stops him before he gets too close. "We're Huntsmen. We just got here, so why don't you fill us in what happened?"

Upon hearing the word 'Huntsmen,' all of the researchers burst into tears, some hugging each other tightly. They all share the same sentiments, echoing "We can finally go home," "I can see my kids again!" and "we can finally leave!"

After awhile, the commotion settles down and they begin explaining what happened. All the scientists were forced to come to the facility by Doctor Rable, threatening them with their families as hostages. One of the key research projects is a new drug designed as a sedative for Grimm. It appeared be effective, with the Grimm becoming more lethargic after the drug is applied. However, earlier today the Grimm all seem to break out of their reverie, all revolting at the same time. Breaking through their thinned guards and defenses, they systematically killed the soldiers before moving to the noncombatants.

Wait… But this doesn't add up. Qrow speaks up before Jaune can voice his concerns. "Don't give me bullshit. What's the full story?" Surprised by his directness, no one could maintain eye contact. "How the hell are you still alive?"

The researcher clears his throat, before mustering his courage to reply. "Luck, of cour-."

Qrow steps forward, weapon ready with eyes burning ire. "Don't. Bullshit. Me."

Scared by the hostility in his voice, Frank steps back. Unable to face Qrow's serious attitude, he finally sobs out an answer. "Look, we didn't want to do it! Rable forced us to do it! We wanted to save the kids too!"

"Do what?" As Qrow asks, the clues start clicking into place for Jaune. Kids? The Grimm aren't split, meaning they were attracted to the intense emotions of...

Frank looks down, terrified of articulating his answer. He whispers with lips quivering. "-ait."

Jaune's blood goes ice cold as the answer confirms his suspicion. His grip on his weapon tightens to the point of being painful as he takes steps toward the man. The bloodlust emanating from him pressures everyone to take a step back. If t hat's the truth, he deserves to… Ringing through his head. "You used the children as bait?" Despite sounding calm, the fury hidden in his voice resonate through the silent room, as no one dared to confirm. Eliminate.

"-ord. Agent Sword!" Before Jaune steps close enough to cut the man, Qrow grabs onto his shoulder to stop his progress. "Rable's the target. Don't forget what you promised Ozpin."

Damn it. That's right. He tries to shake out the headache and ringing before asking. "Tell us everything. Like where Rable is."

Fear of angering them again, Frank blubbers out the rest of the story. Rable had kidnapped some children to continue some of the Child's Box experiments. Before he can find a chance to do so, the Grimm breakout occurred. Some of the White Fang members that survived regrouped, grabbing some weapons from the armory to defend themselves. Using the intercom system, Rable instructed the survivors to rescue the kids and hole out near the armoury, forcing the other scientists to echo his order.

"From what we last saw, the White Fang members did what they were ordered to. The kids, not being able to control their strong negative emotions, attracted the remaining Grimm." Finishing his explanation, Frank's eyes dart between the two of them and the door. "Can we please get out of here before they come?"

They didn't have to listen to that order… But they probably couldn't just leave them there… Anger unabated, Jaune finally notices the stinging pain coming from the palm of his left hand. Looking at it, he notices his fist tighten enough for his fingertips to draw blood. Calm down. According to his story, they can still be saved. "So where's Rable now? I don't see him among you."

Frank points to a door near the back of the room. "That's his office. Since the attack, he hasn't left and no one dared to check for him."

Qrow walks up to the console. "Okay, here's what's happening. Frank, help me download the research data and delete everything else. Agent Sword, go knock out Rable and bring him out here. I doubt he's going to be as compliant as everyone else have been."

Jaune nods, walking to the door. He takes a deep breath and brace himself to respond to any danger before turning the knob.

As soon as the door opens, a flash of muzzle flash prompts him to leap to the right. With one step, he close the gap and cuts the gun in half cleanly before placing the blade at the man's throat.

Rable. The man looks exactly as Jaune remembers. Aside from his gray hairs, the man has not changed his attitude, keeping the same condescending look. Even when faced with the threat of death, the man looks defiant, staring at Jaune as if he were an inconsequential threat.

"Rable." Jaune could not hide the hatred and enmity escaping in his tone. Hands, stop shaking! "We're taking you in custody. Resistance will be met with death."

Rable flashes him a grin and an unsettling smile that gives him flashbacks to his nightmares. "Oh please, spare me that pointless drivel. You're not going to kill me. I'm much too valuable." Faced with such composure, Jaune can not help but be perturbed. "You don't even have the conviction to kill me."

What? The remark reverberates through him. How does he-? Without warning, the man grabs the keen edge of the blade, flinging it away. Beowolf Series: Hell's Razors! Jaune swings his left arm towards Rable's face as claws begin to grow out of it. Rable simply responds by tipping his chair backwards and backflipping away.

"I knew you smelled familiar. Those claws only confirm it." Rable begins stretching out his arms, the sound of gears resounding from his right. He looks neither afraid nor enraged, as his teeth shine from his sadistic smirk. "The smell of tragedy, despair, and fatalism... Where did your conviction to kill your enemies go, Jaune Arc?"

The headache and ringing returns, making it difficult for Jaune to think. With disgust and anger bubbling from his stomach, he launches himself toward his enemy. His words… I… I have to get him to stop talking! Upon getting close, he sends out a forceful kick towards Rable's face. The man calmly catches the kick, grabbing his ankle and flipping the blonde over.

I still can… Twisting the joints in his ankle, his other leg swings around to slam against his adversary's temple. The scientist releases him while stumbling back, while Jaune instantly recovers and responds with a right punch straight into his face, knocking him back.

Seeing Rable not getting back up, Jaune goes and picks up his sword again. Quickly scanning between the sword and Rable's body, he contemplates killing him while the scientist is still unconscious. Holding the sword over Rable's neck, he looks over at his adversary's face again. Seeing his hands shake hesitantly once more, he sighs as he sheathes the sword.

Damn it! I thought I was ready to kill him if he retaliated, but in the end… my will still wavered. Biting his lips in frustration, he confirms Rable's unconsciousness before picking up the scientist's body and carrying him back to the research room.

Without even looking at him, Qrow issues out a command. "Agent, come over here. Frank, we're done here. Go get everyone else ready and calmed down before we leave." The researcher walks away from the console, knowing their conversation is not meant for him to hear.

Jaune drops Rable onto the ground as the examines the computer screens. "Did you find out where the undercover agent went? And maybe shine a light on how the Grimm broke out?"

The screen in front of Jaune changes to a fisheye lens view of a few dozen White Fang members barricading themselves in, shooting down Grimm as they charge themselves down the narrow corridor. Though the details are hard to discern, Jaune can see the signs of fatigue and mental stress affecting their aim, as many of their shots are hitting nonvitals. Behind them, a large group of children can be seen clustered together, blocking out their ears as more gunfire blare out.

"Have you heard of the Legendary Grimm Levitus?" Qrow pulls out his scroll attached to the console, causing each of the screens to go black. "Apparently the White Fang was stupid enough to capture one and bring it back."

Jaune resists the urge to facepalm. "You mean the one that can split itself into parasites that burrows itself to other species of Grimm, strengthening, communicating, and controlling them like a trained animal pack? That one?"

"Yup. Explains our debacle here, how everything seems too coordinated." Qrow dusts his hands together. "Well, that's all our objectives. Let's go."

Jaune nods along. "Yup, let's go."

Qrow dials a number on his scroll. "Yo, Jack, we're ready for evac. The threat's gone, so you can come out in front of the base in fifteen."

Jaune freezes in his steps. "Wait, wait, wait. What about those White Fang members we just saw there? And the undercover agent? You know, people we can save?"

Picking up Rable, Qrow gives Jaune the coldest stare he has seen all day. "So you wanna play hero? Sorry, kid, but that's not in the job description. We didn't come here to save those kids, or the White Fang. We came here for the Doc, the data, and to find out what happened." Qrow gazes down at him, eyes and conviction unwavering. "Or are you saying the two of us fight off enough Grimm to take out this entire base, while defending the scientists, to save people that would have died or will die for their crimes anyway?"

Jaune can only avert his eyes from Qrow's piercing gaze. Conviction… The words from Rable echo in his head. As his doubts grow, he can only remember his memory of Master saving him. I can't help but see myself in those kids.

"Decided? Alright then, let's-"

"No." Jaune stares straight at Qrow, responding with a renewed conviction. "I can't leave them."

"Well, great to know Ozpin was so correct to bring you along this mission. Really proving your worth here."

"I won't betray that trust." Jaune takes a deep breath to calm himself. "I have a compromise. You take the scientists and the data back to Jack as you said. But I'm going there to see if I can slow down the Grimm's advance. Considering we didn't see any Grimm on the way here, I think you can escort them back solo. After that, you can decide if you can join me or not. Maybe those reinforcements Gly-Witch called can help."

The two stare each other down. Despite the tension, Jaune refuses to break eye contact, seeing his own determined reflection in Qrow's red eyes. After what feels like an eternity and half, Qrow sighs as he begins walking towards the exit. "Fine. I have a feeling even if I say no, you're going to do something stupid and reckless anyway."

"Thank you!" After bowing as deeply as he can, Jaune runs off in the direction of the armory. Sorry, but I guess I'm just impulsive like this. If I don't behave like this, I feel like I'm going to lose myself. From behind him, Jaune can hear a softened whisper. "Don't die, dumbass."