Had enough rest? It's time to wake up now. There is still much to do.

I woke up behind bars.
This was a surprise to me, since I definitely don't remember going to sleep here. The last thing I do remember was collapsing on top of that roof. The outside world is much more dangerous than I thought.
I got off the cot I woke up on to look around. A sink, a toilet, and the cot I'm currently sitting on are the only things occupying this space other than me. I seem to be in a prison cell, one of many that occupy the whole room.
The good news is that I'm no longer tired. That nap did wonders.
The bad news is the fact that I'm in a prison cell. It's not how I expected to start my day. On top of that, my sword, sheath, and armor are missing, the cell door seems to be locked tight, and more importantly, I'm starving.
I really need food. Otherwise, my stomach is going to keep bothering me. Let's see if there's anyone else here.
"Hello?"
No answer. For now it seems like I'm alone. I pulled and pushed on the cell door on the off chance that someone might have forgotten to lock it.
It didn't budge. Well, I'm stuck here until someone comes to let me out. That has to happen sometime, right? I don't think whoever put me in this cell would just leave me here forever.

After what was probably hours, someone finally came over to the cell.
Good thing too, because the hunger and boredom were starting to drive me crazy. The guy that walked in had shades on and sported a very short beard. If the look on his face was any indication, he wasn't too happy to be here. He came to a stop in front my cell.
"Hey kid, you're finally awake. About time. There's someone who wants to ask you a couple of questions."

The guy pulled out a set of keys and proceeded to unlock the cell door.
"By the way, don't even think about trying anything. I've got a gun and I never miss. Now come on. It's not good to keep Ozpin waiting."
I decided to follow his instructions. It's not like I had a better choice. No sword or armor means I have no effective methods of defending myself if I were to get into a fight.

The guy, who I now realize is probably a law enforcement officer of some sort, walked me down a long hallway. We came to a door that he opened before shoving me through.
"Make it quick Ozpin. My lunch break is coming up."
With that, the door slammed shut behind me.
There was a table in the room, and someone was already seated. It was some guy with grey hair. This was probably the "Ozpin" guy the officer was referring to. He had a decidedly neutral expression on his face, and a mug of coffee in front of him.
I was at a loss at what to do until he pointed at a chair.
"Please, take a seat."
I sat on the chair. Ozpin continued to speak.
"What is your name, young man?"

Seeing no reason not to answer, I responded with the truth.

"My name's Jaune Arc. Is there a reason I'm here?"

"You are here, Mr. Arc, because of your suspected association with a very dangerous criminal by the name of Cinder Fall. Would you care to explain what connection you have with her?"

Well, this is a surprise. What exactly had Cinder been doing in the years after her departure?

Wait, her last name is Fall? How come I didn't know that?

Come to think of it, I don't know Nocte's last name either. Or Master Verum's. I never thought to ask them.

"I'm still waiting for an answer, Mr. Arc."

Oh. I should probably pay more attention to the current situation.

"Well, I know her from back when she lived with me and a couple of others. That was about two years ago. We haven't been in contact since. In fact, that encounter on the roof was the first time I've seen her in a long time."

"Then what exactly were you doing on a rooftop in downtown Vale?"

"I was lost."

"You were lost?"

"Yeah. I had just arrived and didn't have a map. So I climbed up to the roof to get vantage point from which I could get my bearings. That's all to it. If there isn't anything else, could I get my stuff back and go?"

Ozpin took a moment to sip from his coffee mug. I just sat there, hoping that he would say that this was all a big misunderstanding and that I was free to go.

"No."

Well, so much for that.

Ozpin put down his mug and gave me a stern look.

"Mr. Arc, do you really expect me to believe that you just happened to be on that specific rooftop on that particular night, and encountered Cinder Fall, a elusive and dangerous criminal who you've admitted to having a history with?"

"You make it sound as if I'm some sort of a criminal."

"Perhaps. Take a moment to consider your situation, Mr. Arc. You aren't in any of our databases. We have no idea who you are or where you come from. As far as the system is concerned, you don't exist, and that alone makes you a potential threat to Vale. You have no evidence to back up your story. As it is, we cannot just let you go walking about the streets. For everyone's safety, I'm afraid we'll have to detain you until further notice, which could be a very long time."

He abruptly stood up, grabbed his coffee mug, and turned to leave.

I really did not want to be stuck in a tiny cell, so I tried pleading with him.

"Wait! Isn't there anything I can do to clear my name?"

Ozpin looked back at me.

"You tell me, Mr. Arc. What would you do to clear your name?"

I thought for a moment. There really was only one way to do this, but it was a long shot. Still, I had to try.

"If I were to find Cinder and bring her in, would that be enough?"

An amused expression formed on Ozpin's face.

"Really now? Highly trained Hunters and Huntresses have been looking for Ms. Fall for weeks now, and they haven't caught her yet. What makes you think you can?"

That was a valid point. But I didn't want to get stuck in jail, so I pressed the matter.

"I won't know unless I try, right? Besides, like I said, I know her. I've seen her fighting style, and that might give me a better chance than others."

Ozpin seemed to consider this for a bit. Finally, he spoke.

"Well, Mr. Arc. It looks like you truly are desperate. But a lifetime of experience has taught me to know better than to just take some stranger's word at face value. So, I will need you to prove yourself."

Once again, Ozpin fixed me with a stern look.

"You need to show that you are capable enough to go looking for Ms. Fall. The initiation for new students of Beacon Academy is coming up. Seeing as I am the headmaster of said academy, I will allow you to take the test with them. If you can make it through initiation, then I will give you the chance to clear your name. Do you accept these terms?"

Without hesitation, I gave my reply.

"Yes."

Ozpin turned back to the door.

"Very well Mr. Arc. I hope you are prepared for what comes next." With that, he left the room.

Well, this "initiation" Ozpin was talking about can't be too bad, right? What's the worst that could happen?