Long time no see everyone I hope you have all been well and I appreciate your patience with the time I take to upload.

Thankfully college has slowed down for the summer so I can't pour some time into writing again. My brain has been working with ideas for this story and more so I hope everyone enjoys what I have for the future.

Also, thank you to all the new songs recommended as they have been good and useful for things I have planned. It is also nice seeing everyone's taste in music.

For now, let us return to our favorite knight who was in a tight spot and left to an unknown fate.

Also really quickly, I'm getting other story ideas together to start another fic soon, I was thinking of either a solo leveling style one or perhaps pitching my own ideas for the Jaune arc Multiverse theatre idea. Not sure yet what I want but just a little teaser for what's to come in the future.

I do not own any of these characters nor the musical lyrics and the songs associated as all belong to their respective companies and owners.

General Description

"Spoken Word"

Inner Thoughts

Chapter 14: A Caged Songbird

Blood...the smell and taste of copper—is something that everyone has understood and experienced in their life. For huntsmen, it is something they must get used to on a daily basis, both from the creatures of Grimm they slay and the wounds they obtain from the hunts they go on.

For Jaune, that taste and smell were both fresh in his nose and mouth as he felt a solid right hook impact on his cheek. His face whipped to the side, splattering the blood he had in his mouth across the black suit of the man who was keeping the chair he was tied to up. He responded with a yelp and remarks about the nastiness of the blood now staining his suit. Muffled sounds of an apology were heard in Jaune's ears as he was straightened back up in the chair.

Jaune couldn't recall what had led him to be in this situation as his eyes strained to adjust to the harsh light shining down on him. Blood stained the shoes that Coco had picked out for him as he felt his aura quietly working to numb the pain and try to heal his wounds. This was all flipped as Jaune's mind tried to recall the events of the night that led him to this point.

He was immediately interrupted by another heavy hit to his jaw before watching the thug pull back for another hit. Jaune gritted his teeth and concentrated his aura in his head as he reared his head back and slammed it into the oncoming fist. A loud crack was heard before a yell of pain.

"He broke my fucking hand!", the thug said as Jaune shook his head, feeling some of the feedback of the hit in his brain almost like pins and needles. Before getting hit in the stomach, Jaune gagged for a moment before keeping his stomach contents in.

"Damn kid's aura feels like punching a wall", the other thug said, shaking his head as the small cries from the one with the broken hand filled the air before footsteps could be heard coming as the two thugs were quick in getting attention on either side of Jaune. The steps came closer as Jaune felt his instincts go in all directions for what was coming. He hadn't been able to gather much information on why he was here yet, but as the steps went to the door, Jaune knew his answer was coming.

In one quick moment, the door was opened as a gentleman standing taller than the thugs walked in, and he took up the entire doorway. His clothing matched the thugs but lacked a suit jacket, and he held a large red metal bat-like weapon in his hand as his expression sat behind a set of red glasses.

The room was quiet aside from Jaune's labored breathing, mainly from the few cracked ribs from being hit by a vehicle, but soon the sound of steps began as the man came closer as the white light that hung above kept Jaune from seeing well enough before feeling a harsh grip on his hair as Jaune grunted before hearing the man soon start speaking.

"So...this is the reason my clubs have been so empty as of late? Here I thought that the local badges were catching on and trying to undercut my business, but in reality, it was just some kid. I got reports of you helping that new little night bar run by that bat, Faunus. Now I'm all for some friendly competition", the man said before slamming his bat down on top of Jaune's foot, letting a loud, sickening crack ring out. Jaune lurches forward a bit, gritting his teeth as a pained ache escapes his lips, before hearing the man's voice again.

"But at Junior's bar, anyone that messes with my money finds out just how dangerous these streets can be...now you have cost me a hefty amount, let's see how much blood I'll have to take out of you..", the man that Jaune could connect his words to being called Junior said before the door to the room was flung open again as two familiar faces popped in.

The twins that had come to take Jaune into the alley strolled in, their faces showing little care for the situation. Jaune's face held a sharp glare in his eyes as the two merely flicked their air before looking at Junior as they spoke.

"Your next meeting is here; it looks like Roman isn't too happy with the last shipment", the red one said before her sister chipped in as well. "He and that weird girl of his are waiting in the office", the one in white said as a groan escaped Junior as he pulled the bat off Jaune's foot and rubbed his temples.

"Great, just great...get him out of here and down to the basement. I'm not done with him yet", Junior said as the thugs replied quickly. Jaune felt the ropes around his legs and arms being undone before he was harshly held with his arms at his back as he was shoved into the hall.

For a split second, his eyes locked with the sister in red before his hair was grabbed and he was pushed through the door.

Jaune was soon roughly escorted through the halls as he had a chance to peek at where he was. The building was definitely a nightclub, and it was a familiar one, as he had seen pictures of it from Yang as she talked about where she liked to go for a good time.

Currently, much of the lighting and glamor weren't on as the club seemed to be in low-power mode. Using what parts of his head weren't fuzzy and sore, Jaune could pull off the idea that it was most likely daytime, as these clubs never acted like this at night.

He was able to see the same man from before who had shattered his foot, forcing his aura to make quick work of it, going up some stairs as the sisters from before followed him. At that moment, Jaune was turned into a hall before a man ran ahead as he disappeared down some steps, and Jaune was tossed down them with his arms bound.

Jaune tucked and rolled to the best of his power as he landed hard on the bottom floor before being pulled up as he was brought into a large underground basement. Crates of liquor and furniture all lay around in the far back, and a fenced-up corner was in full view as Jaune was led to it.

With a quick unlocking of the door, Jaune was thrust in as he collapsed on the hard cement floor. The thugs laughed before shutting the fenced-up door and locking it, leaving the blonde to gather himself for a few minutes before groaning as he pulled himself up into a sitting position as he took some breaths.

'Alright, Arc, take deep breaths and remember your training. Scan, evaluate, then react', Jaune thought to himself as he tried his best to calm himself. Everything had happened so fast that he wasn't sure what had happened, but he couldn't let his guard down here if he wanted to get out alive.

Jaune looked up, scanning the room, and saw the small light swaying from the ceiling Jaune maneuvered himself against the wall and, using his teeth, pulled the little cord connected to it. The little prison he was in was filled with light, showing a shelf filled with junk and a small metal bed frame shoved into the corner.

'Arc luck strikes again...wait a minute', Jaune mulled in his head as he looked at the shelf a little harder.

Jaune narrowed his eyes for a moment before scanning the shelf and seeing an empty whiskey bottle. He moved to it before turning around as his fingers fought for a second before securing it around the neck of the bottle. He moved to one of the walls before taking a moment as he began swaying his upper torso before slamming the body of the bottle into the stone wall as it shattered onto the ground but left a sharp and jagged piece.

Jaune moved to the metal bed as he sat down on it and began the task of slowly moving the piece against his rope restraints as the silence and darkness of the basement were his only guests. Every part of him was saying to run and get out quick, but he knew better, as he felt that simply going off the information he had from being guided through the building would not be enough to let him escape.

For now, he needed his hands; after that, he would figure it out.

"Listen, Roman, I know you wanted that shipment moved out quickly, but these things take time. Not only are you moving a shipment beyond the normal size, but the damn Vytal festival is in a few weeks, and I've got increased hunters and law enforcement everywhere because of it,", Junior said as he sat into his office chair with the twins at his side.

Roman merely stood as he walked around the office, twirling his cane as he looked at the various objects in the room and on the shelves. Nearby, his partner Neo sat on one of the couches as she had her umbrella across her crossed legs. She found these meetings to be rather boring and spent much of her time going through her scroll while all the talking happened.

"Junior, these all sound like excuses. People are talking and thinking that you can't even keep your club going these days. Profits are not too good, I hear", he said as Junior only swatted his hand in the air.

"That was due to another thing, but I've taken care of it just like I will take care of the shipment. It isn't like we are not on schedule and I get my stuff done,", Junior said as Roman picked up a bottle of scotch and swirled the contents as he began to speak.

"Look, I know being a street-level thug...", Roman began as Junior began to glare, but Roman didn't care as he pointed the tip of his cane at Junior before continuing. Junior knew a threat when it came his way, and for now, he was smart enough to hold off.

"It can be a difficult endeavor; I was there myself, but right now we are both wrapped up tightly in groups bigger than us. If we don't start showing some results, then we can both kiss our asses goodbye,", Roman said, pouring himself a drink as well as one for Junior before coming back and setting the drink down in front of him. For a moment, silence passed before Junior grabbed the glass, and both men took a drink of the contents. Junior finds it familiar and good, while Roman makes a subtle face of distaste, finding it cheap.

While the both of them drank, the twins merely stood to the side as well. Melanie checked her nails, ignoring much of the conversation, while Miltia leaned against the office window that overlooked the club. Her arms crossed, she remembered the look the young guy gave her before being dragged away. She had seen a lot of looks from the people she and her sister were tasked with bringing.

People who owed money to Junior or who needed to be reminded who was in charge around here Usually, those looks held fear or anger for what was happening; she had gotten used to those looks. The sight of this guy had her betting on fear more than anything, but something in the way he looked at her...she didn't know. At that moment, as she looked distant in her gaze out the office window, she caught sight of the two club members hauling him into the basement as he struggled. Miltia soon watched him get thrown on the stairs as her eyes widened for a moment, and she put her hand to the glass before regaining herself before anyone could see.

But someone did see that, as the same person soon quietly left the room.

"Big things are going to happen soon, and I need them to go smoothly. Now get your shit in order or someone will come by and not be as nice as me, isn't that right, Neo...Neo?", Roman said, looking back and seeing the room was empty as well as the other members of the room not knowing where the other guest had gone too, and for Junior, that bothered him, remembering what happened last time.

"Damn it, Roman I said, don't let your lackey go running around my club! I had to hire four new guys because of her!", Junior said as he stood up with Roman casually walking behind, sipping at his drink.

Jaune was still sawing away with the remains of the broken bottle, and he felt small threads starting to fray out as he took his time. His attention was soon stopped as he heard a shuffle through the area in front of him. He stopped for a second. Soon he began to hear steps as his pace quickened. This might be his only chance to free himself, and he wasn't going to get another chance if they found him like this.

The sounds got closer as Jaune pressed the jagged glass harder. His fingers were getting cut, but he didn't care as he felt the rope loosen up. He pushed harder than he should have as the rope began to break more and more before finally, just as the steps got close enough for Jaune to see, the rope snapped as he ripped his arms in opposite directions, freeing himself as he readied the broken bottle.

To his surprise, a small young woman came into the light close to the locked door as Jaune now stood still in the middle of his locked area. The sound of his blood hitting the floor as it dropped from his cut fingers came right before the warmth of his aura began to seal up the cuts. For a split second, Jaune wondered if she was another victim of their kidnapping, but as he analyzed her demeanor, he knew better than that. She was far too comfortable and acted as if she knew the layout of the building.

The silence was all that existed in the air at the moment as the two looked at each other. The woman rested her weight against her umbrella as her color scheme reminded Jaune of ice cream. He refrained from talking, still not wanting to accidentally give out information.

He watched as the woman's face seemed quizzical, looking at Jaune as if she were piecing a puzzle together in her mind before reaching into her pocket as she began pulling out a scroll and beginning to swipe on it for a moment before she seemed to find what she wanted as she turned the scroll around, showing a picture of Jaune from the news article about his mission in the mountain.

The image of Jaune standing over the defeated Grimm on one side, with another picture of him performing at Betty's, is drawn from the scroll. He raised an eyebrow before moving his gaze back to the woman as he saw her smirk, knowing he had given himself away, before she turned the scroll back and began to type a message before showing it to Jaune.

"You are the Moonlight Musician, aren't you?", the screen said, as Jaune knew he couldn't really lie here because his face was right there in plain view. That didn't stop his mind from trying to create a lie of some kind, but nothing bubbled to the surface quickly enough.

His lack of an answer affirmed her question, as she seemed to smile a little more before typing on her scroll.

"I'm a fan of your music", the screen said as Jaune let out a sigh and rubbed his neck. "Thank you", he said, finally hearing his voice after hours of being beaten. He felt much of the pain was now gone, but the dull ache was still there. Jaune hadn't ever pondered who might be listening to his music when he was performing, and now with the current string of events, if he ever made it out of here alive, he would be treading a lot more carefully.

"Why are you here? Weren't you playing at that Schnee Ball?", her screen said as Jaune could only look around before going to speak before hearing a door unlock and open as soon as the basement lights were turned on, and Jaune's eyes burned for a moment before seeing all that was down here. Jaune knew a string of robberies had been taking place across Vale, but he didn't put much thought into it, knowing that the local authorities would have a handle on it now. As he saw the light fight away the darkness and show what was filling this space, he could only gulp.

Crates of Schnee company dust were stocked on the wall, as were various other things from weapons to parts and everything illegal Jaune could think of as he saw the stairs that he was thrown down, as well as familiar faces and even a new one coming as he gritted his teeth. Jaune's eyes narrowed as his muscle memory made him tense up. He felt like he was about to have to fight for his life, and given the beating he was given earlier, he wouldn't go through that again without a fight.

Back at Beacon

The day had started out simple for many of the students at Beacon. Many of them were getting dressed or heading for breakfast as they stuck to their normal schedules for classes and training. In some of these dorms, familiar songs were played by those who had taken an interest in Jaune Arc of Team JNPR and his music. It had become common practice to hear Jaune's music, and for many, it was how they started off their days.

For two teams, the day wasn't starting off very well in the slightest.

The remaining members of Team JNPR awoke and began their standard process as Ren dragged Nora out of her bed, still asleep, as he pulled her to the bathroom to wake her up. Pyrrha awoke and yawned as she sleepily got out of her bed and rubbed her eyes as she intended to plop down into Jaune's bed for a few more minutes.

Once she began to fall into the location of Jaune's bed, she was met with the comfort of his mattress and blankets but the apparent lack of her boyfriend. She rubbed her hands around but didn't find him. Her head soon rose up as she blinked the sleep away, noting that Jaune should have been back by now.

She alerted the rest of the team to this, but Ren merely floated the idea that he might have gotten up early to be in the music room. Pyrrha felt somewhat nervous about this idea but accepted it as she began to get ready. This wasn't like Jaune in the slightest, and this feeling she had wasn't going away.

At the same time, the other girls had begun their routine of sending Jaune good morning messages, with even Weiss now joining in but receiving nothing back.

This was odd to Yang and Blake both, as they shared a look, seeing neither had gotten anything back. When they looked at Weiss, she seemed composed, but she kept checking her scroll. Ruby was oblivious to all this but seemed a little chipper after getting a message from her Uncle Qrow apologizing for his departure yesterday.

The WBY of Ruby's team kept their troubles between the three of them as they all got ready and headed to breakfast. Yang, feeling a little more worried about this lack of responses, tried calling Jaune again, but got an immediate sound of his voicemail as she heard his voice giving instructions. She gulped at hearing him, as she knew where he had gone last night.

Once the teams arrived at the cafeteria, their normal table had someone waiting for them. Coco sat with her legs crossed, dressed normally but with a look of worry across her features as, at a rare moment, she took off her glasses, showing the concern clearly now as all the girl's hearts seemed to drop even further in these current events.

None of them had heard back from Jaune, and at that moment, Yang herself felt her heart drop harder than the others, knowing he had left on her behalf. She clutched her scroll tightly, breathing a little heavily, as she and the rest of both teams, including Coco, all wondered the same thing.

Where was Jaune?

Back at Juniors Club

Once the lights were on and Jaune could see the room in full view, she took the moment to quickly try to find any means of escape. The basement was well secured for a reason and didn't even have smaller windows to let out into the streets or the upper levels. It was truly an enclosed cage if one was stuck down there like Jaune was. The only way out seemed to be the stairs that led back up the main level of the club building, and from there, Jaune could only make a small guess as to which door led to the outside world.

The small, colorful woman from before put her scroll away as the members of the meeting all met at her back, looking at the unbound and nervous looking captive as Junior narrowed his eyes. Neo knew she had been found, but she never much cared in a place like Juniors. However, the person in front of her held her interest, and his being in Junior's basement of all places made her wonder just what was going on.

"I thought I said to keep him bound and tied", Junior said as he looked at the twins and spoke again. This was just what he needed on a day like today, and already he was planning another little sit-down with his captive for the stress this was giving him.

"Miltia, get some more rope; Melanie, get in there and beat him back down. He needs to learn not to go getting ideas", Junior said as the girl in white, now named Melanie, rolled her neck getting ready. Her sister seemed to hesitate for a moment before Roman spoke up.

"Really Junior? We're keeping captives now, are we? Loose ends like that only make things worse", Roman said as he looked at Jaune before narrowing his eyes a bit and thinking.

"Hmm, wait a minute, this kid looks familiar...", Roman said as Melanie was just about to get to the door before Neo stepped in her way, firmly planting the tip of her umbrella in the ground, blocking Melanie's way.

"Roman, get your girl out of the way; this is personal business", Junior said, turning with a gruffness of anger in his throat. Roman merely waved his hand, but Neo did not move, making Roman raise an eyebrow.

There was a long-standing silence as Neo and Melanie looked at each other. Melanie knew what kind of damage Roman's lackey could do to a person and felt herself not wanting to test to see who was better at the moment as Junior's voice only got louder.

"Roman, are you going to handle this?", Junior yelled as Roman looked at Neo. The two of them had been together for a long time when Roman was just starting out as a low-ranked street thug, and if there was one thing he knew, it was that when Neo didn't listen to him, it was because she had made a decision for herself and he knew better than to go against it, plus he liked watching Junior squirm a bit over this.

"Sorry, but it doesn't look like she is even going to listen to me, besides...", Roman said, finally clicking together who this guy was. "You've got yourself someone that I wouldn't go beat on anymore unless you want Neo to shove that umbrella of hers where the sun doesn't shine", Roman said as Neo brought up her weapon and tapped it against her open palm almost as a challenge.

Jaune was so confused at the moment, but he was enjoying not getting another beating as he watched the argument unfold before him. He never thought he would have a fan here, let alone one that seemed to be a criminal, but she was keeping him out of hot water.

"Besides, not only did you take a growing musician that has been getting a lot of attention, you also took a damn student of beacon. You have really stirred up a hornet's nest here", Roman said as he walked up to the fenced-in cage. He looked at Jaune and seemed to mull things over. At the same time, Junior began to run his hand through his hair, hearing all of the factors in play here. Junior had only witnessed the decline in business with this kid playing at other venues, but he had no idea he belonged to a huntsman academy. Just thinking of the trouble this would spawn made it all very dangerous, especially with the deal that was coming through Vale soon.

"So then, what should I do then, Roman? "If I am as fucked as you seem to think I am, what should I do? I can't let the kid go; he will blab about all he has seen here,", Junior said as Roman began to walk around the crates labeled "Schnee Dust Company." Some of the crates were older, back when the dust mines were using Faunus labor to get shipments done. Roman remembered the ways they used to keep certain Faunus in line as he began to dig around in one of the older crates, not finding anything as he moved on to the next.

"Junior, you surprise me without a little; you see a big picture. You can't let him go; that's true, but his disappearance will only raise concerns. You have to let the world know he's alive, but...at the same time, why not make some money out of it?", Roman said before digging into another crate and letting out a laugh as he came out of the crate with a small black band as he blew the dust off of it before coming back to the cage as he held up the black object.

"Did you know that those brilliant bastards at the Schnee Dust Company allowed prisoners to work as well in the mines? They kept them from running off or acting out of line with these collars here.", Roman said, unlatching the thin black collar as he gestured to the cage before walking over as he pulled Melanie's scroll out of her pocket and tapping it against the collar as the two pairs and Roman set up the device.

"I got to see these in action for some underground fight rings, but all you have to do is set it to the desired area of movement, and if the kid tries to leave, he gets a nasty shock right to his nervous system", Roman finished as he tossed the collar into the cage as it slid to Jaune's feet as the blonde looked down at it. Neo stayed in front of the cage as she looked back for a moment, her eyes seeming conflicted as Jaune did nothing, earning a sigh before Roman took his cane and let off a shot from the tip that blasted a deep hole in the wall behind Jaune, sending pieces flying as Jaune knelt down, shielding himself, before hearing the reloading of another shot.

Jaune hesitantly looked at the band now before reaching down, picking it up, and holding it in both of his hands as he looked at all of them. He couldn't believe this was happening, but for the moment, it was buying him precious time as he took a gulp and let out a long breath. Jaune's eyes narrowed into sharp sapphires as he looked up at Junior. Now the two were staring each other down as Jaune raised the collar to his neck and felt the cold metal before feeling the latch fully close around his neck. For a moment, nothing happened before Jaune lurched forward as he was taken down to the floor, his entire body filled with pain. His fingers clawed at the cement floor before the pain ceased as Jaune stood up, feeling sharp needles in the back of his neck.

For a moment, he was sized up by everyone, who had mixed reactions to seeing the black collar around his neck. It was then that the piece of metal hugged against the skin, resulting in it looking like a simple black choker low on his neck. It would be covered easily by a collared shirt and jacket, but a t-shirt would do nothing for it, as Junior felt some relief seeing the collar working on Jaune like that. The glare the kid gave him was unsettling as Roman dusted off his hands before gesturing to the cage.

"Now you have someone to put on your stage and earn some money back. Once the deal is done, though, I'm sure you can get rid of him without any issues", Roman said, gesturing for Neo to follow him as she kept looking at Jaune before pursing her lips. She soon followed in line as the two left the room, leaving just the four down below. Junior pondered what to do now as Melanie looked at the controls on her scroll to see what the color could do. From simple shocks to severe pain and even a detonation function, she found the thing repulsive. She made a sound of disgust and threw the scroll at her sister before looking at Junior.

"For that, you owe me a new scroll", she said as Junior wiped his hand down his face. He sighed before thinking about tonight as he looked at Jaune.

"Miltia, guide him to one of the upper rooms. If he is going to be staying here, I won't have it watching what gets brought down here,", Junior said, straitening his tie as he began to walk out of the room before stopping as he looked back at Jaune. "You better get used to this pretty boy; you got lucky today, but if you want to keep that luck a little longer, you better sing well tonight. You cost me a lot of money, and you are going to pay it back", Junior said before leaving up the stairs. Miltia looked back at the cage, seeing Jaune grip the fenced walls with his head hanging.

"This can't be happening...", Jaune said with a sense of loss in his voice as Miltia felt somewhat bad about all of this as she unlocked the door and motioned to the stairs. Jaune saw the open door and, for a moment, tensed up as his mind shifted to running. He was about to before seeing Miltia grip the scroll tighter as her finger hovered over it, showing Jaune she wasn't playing around.

Jaune soon abided by her wants as he walked up the stairs into the club, getting to see the environment. He did a quick look around as he saw the main dance floor and the stage where a DJ station sat, as well as the side areas for sitting or getting drinks from a bar. If Jaune couldn't escape, he would know his environment well as his warden walked ahead of him, leading him upstairs to what he could only assume were private rooms for more lively things as she led him all the way to the very back, where they had to turn a corner before a red door stood alone.

"This is normally the VIP room for Junior's special partners, but for now it will be yours to stay in. Don't worry, the sheets are changed daily, and everything is deep cleaned. Nobody has been in here for two weeks either,", Miltia said, as Jaune found some small comfort in that as his hand rubbed his neck, watching the door unlock before it was swung open, showing a rather large room.

The room was large enough to allow a bed to be in the corner, as well as a small space like a living room with a couch and seats around a small table, as well as a closet and bathroom to keep clean. It was about the same as what Jaune would expect to see in a really nice hotel, which showed him how much money must actually run through this place.

"The closet has the same styled suits you saw the others wearing; that's what Junior wants you to have on while you are here. Right now you have this room to stay in, and the collar is set to this proximity of it only,", Miltia said as Jaune just walked in. Just sitting down on the couch, he put his head into his hands as he sighed, making Miltia shake her head. "You should be grateful you are alive right now; most don't make it out of that room you were in. There is an intercom that leads down to the bar if you need anything", she said as Jaune didn't change his position, making her scoff. Before leaving the room, she shut the door and locked it, making her stand alone in the hallway as she held the scroll that controlled Jaune in her hand. She squeezed it before slipping it into her pocket as she headed off to her own room. She felt the need to clear her head.

Meanwhile, Jaune sat in the room, looking around, as he rubbed his neck for a moment as he remembered everything that led up to this moment. He thought about all the people he had helped up to this point, only to get into this situation with these types of people. Jaune wanted to be calm and try to get a plan together, but as he felt the tight metal band around his neck, he could only get angry as he looked at the vase of flowers on the coffee table. He narrowed his eyes, thinking about how he was just seen as an object by everyone in that room. He rose up quickly before swatting the vase hard as it flew into the wall, shattering as he stood there now alone, wondering what to do.

"Okay...they want me to sing...that means people will come here...which means...maybe I can get a scroll...", Jaune thought quietly in his mind as he didn't dare speak even in here. He knew if he put on a good enough show, he might be able to pull this off, so he steeled himself and took a deep breath. He looked towards the bathroom and then the closet, as he knew he was going to be forced to sing regardless, so he needed to get ready.

Jaune stepped into the bathroom and began to undress as he turned on the shower in the room and tried not to think about the things that might have happened here. Before stepping in, he looked in the mirror, seeing the collar as he clenched his fist again. His other hand went to the black ribbon tied to his wrist. As he felt for a moment that he had peace, he took a breath before getting into the shower and washing off the grime and old blood.

Back at Beacon

Both teams had by now come to the conclusion that something was very wrong, as it had gotten around to lunch now with no signs of Jaune or even a peep out of him from their scrolls. The girls in a relationship with him all took this in scary directions, as Coco was getting ready to grab her weapon and tear apart the town, with Pyrrha not too far behind on the idea. Through some convincing and common sense, they both kept that idea at bay.

Meanwhile, Yang snuck off at one point to give her uncle a call, and she was greeted by the familiar gritty voice as he gave her a quick apology for the other night. Yang was actually surprised by this, as she didn't expect Jaune to get through to her uncle, but she was now even more in a hole of emotions as she took the time to explain to him what was going on. He tried to reassure her that maybe Jaune stayed at a motel since he couldn't get back in time, but she pressed that Jaune wasn't the time to go off the grid.

For a moment, silence filled the phone before Qrow agreed to go hunting around Vale to see what he could find. Yang thanked him before soon getting another call from Blake telling her to come to the headmaster's office. Yang rushed over without a second thought. The elevator ride up was nerve-racking as she played with her hair before soon hearing the dig of the elevator as she was presented with her team, NPR, and Coco herself all looking on edge. Yang soon joined her team, and Ozpin soon began to speak.

"Now that everyone is here, I have some...news regarding Mr. Arc", Ozpin said as soon as the air was immediately filled with a flood of worried tones and critical questions, only for Ozpin to raise his hand for silence as everyone soon did what he wanted to before he gestured for Glynda to come forward as she held a tablet in her hands and typed on it before a screen came up showing downtown Vale.

"When Mr. Arc went public with his music, I gave him a second scroll to keep track of those interested in his talents, as they had a positive effect on people and could very well help with keeping the Grimm away. I also installed tracking software in that scroll just in case things ever got to a level where Mr. Arc could be put in danger... I fear that the scroll sent an alert to my desk that it sustained heavy damage and the data described a harsh physical force as the cause after that it went dead...", Ozpin said as everyone in the room seemed to lose their breath as they were staring at the screen showing where Jaune was shown last, seeing that the data showed the scroll in the middle of the road.

"I want you all to know we are immediately dispatching assets to find out Mr. Arc's location, but as of right now, you all need to keep a level head. I have informed your instructors that you will all be taking the day off for personal reasons. If you have any information about where Mr. Arc was last night, I encourage you to share it,", Ozpin said as everyone looked at each other.

Pyrrha had her hand over her mouth, trying to keep her composure, and Blake was gripping her ribbon bracelet tightly as the hairs on her cat ears stood on end. Weiss was currently pulling out her scroll as she began to massage the Schnee company security detail trying to get help in this, her fingers shaking as she tried to type a message before having to stop as Ruby put her hand on her partner's shoulder, a slight tremble in her own hand as she felt deep feelings trying to surface she hadn't admitted to yet about Jaune.

Coco was tapping her foot impatiently, trying to keep her composure as well, but already she was thinking of breaking ranks and heading off to Vale as soon as possible. She had just gotten to a deeper connection with Jaune, and for the first time, she felt like this relationship was real and worth the effort, and she was not going to let it go. Nora and Ren stood together as Ren calmed Nora as the two held hands tightly, the feeling of losing someone very familiar to them both but now hitting just as hard knowing it was a member of the little family they had.

Yang...felt tears running down her cheeks for a moment as she quietly wiped them away, feeling the weight of what happened to Jaune on her shoulders as she swallowed a sob before speaking up. "Headmaster...I...I know where Jaune went..."

Back at the Club Late into Opening Time

Despite the slower levels of business that had been irritating Junior, the club was well stuffed for the night as the Vytal festival coming soon had brought plenty of new faces to the city of Vale, giving the club a chance for a good night. Already, drinks were flowing and people were having a good time, with the DJ spinning out standard club beats to keep people moving and hungry for more.

Junior stood at the top of the stairs to his office, watching everything, as he felt good seeing everything so busy. His crew kept careful watch of the doors and made sure trouble didn't start up or even walk in, as he felt like tonight was like old times before his current captive had gone and messed with everything. But for tonight, things were going to be different, as it was getting close to the time for their main event. Junior could only hope that the kid played ball; otherwise, he would keep his word and just deal with what came after.

Eventually, Miltia found herself behind the bar as she oversaw the people and made sure they were paying for their drinks, while Melanie oversaw the viewing area, making sure no funny business was happening. Miltia looked up at Junior as he looked down at her and gave a nod. As Miltia pressed a button behind the counter and spoke into a microphone, her voice rang out into the VIP room. "Showtime, get down here", she said, not hearing a response but the sound of the door opening and closing as she was getting tired of this silent treatment.

A few moments would pass before the door to the VIP rooms would open as the main event of the night made his way down the stairs. Some of the guests looked up at that moment, some of the girls felt their jaws drop, and even Junior crossed his arms as he gave a little nod.

Jaune walked down in the standard suit of the club, which was all black with a black button-up. He didn't wear the red tie as he found it to be a clash of his normal colors, not to mention he already had one thing around his neck and didn't want another as his black dress shoes made contact with the main floor. Jaune had opted to wear the hat that these men also wore, as he sported a pitch-black fedora on his head, keeping his hair, which he brushed back, contained as he wore the brim down low to cover some of his face. He was a prisoner here, but he would not let his name swirl around in bad company as he walked over to the bar where Miltia stood, taking in his appearance.

She had only seen him before in his bloody and dirty royal blue suit, but now seeing him clean and dressed in all black, well, she felt some heat rising to her cheeks as she observed the look upon his face. He was still unhappy, and she could tell, but she knew he shouldn't have much to be happy about. She looked to the side, even seeing her sister staring at him, which made her clear her throat before gesturing to the stage.

"The DJ is set up for you, so just tell him what you want, and he will get the sounds for you,", Miltia said as Jaune looked that way before speaking.

"I usually have a guitar...", he said, as Miltia was surprised to finally hear his voice but answered immediately.

"You won't need one; we have the best sound equipment you can ask for, and Junior doesn't want you having anything you could swing around as a weapon", she said with some humor in her voice, trying to lighten the mood as Jaune could only sigh before turning and heading to the stage as Miltia felt a vein in her forehead throb at him ignoring her.

Soon Jaune came up the side of the stage as he met with the DJ and the two discussed what song Jaune would do. He couldn't do his normal sound as he didn't have the right instruments or even the best attitude for this. He looked up, seeing Junior just watching like a hawk, and this only made Jaune grit his teeth before getting an idea as he looked back at the DJ.

"Give me the piano set and hit me with the blue light", Jaune said as the DJ nodded and got the equipment ready before Jaune pulled a mic free from one of the charging slots as he walked out to the center of the stage. Everyone saw him, and their attention began to gather as they saw this finely dressed person now standing up.

Miltia took a place next to her sister, crossing her arms in a bit of a mood. Her sister seemed to notice this and tried to ask her what was bugging her. All she got back was a standard response of it being nothing as she stared up at Jaune up on stage, tapping her finger against her arm as she watched him. For some reason, he had gotten under her skin.

Immediately, the sound of a piano's loud, harsh note filled the speakers as everyone was drawn out of their conversations. Slowly, the stage that Jaune stood upon was taken up by dark blue light in tune with the song as Jaune tilted his head up and got ready.

Song to Play: "Here" by Ruben Colaci

"I'm sorry if I seem uninterested
Or I'm not listening
Or I'm indifferent
Truly I ain't got no business here
But since my friends are here
I just came to kick it"

The moment that Jaune began the club was filled with a new type of energy as people were somewhat hypnotized by his voice as he sang in a way that was very different from what he had been doing up to this point.

"But really I would rather be at home all by myself
Not in this room with people who don't even care about my wellbeing
I don't dance, don't ask
I don't need a girlfriend
So you can go back
Please, enjoy your party"

"I'll be here
Somewhere in the corner under clouds of marijuana
With this girl who's hollering, I can hardly hear
Over this music, I don't listen to and I don't wanna get with you
So tell my friends that I'll be over here"

"Oh, oh, oh, here
Oh, oh, oh, here
Oh, oh, oh, I ask myself: What am I doing here?
Oh, oh, oh, here
Oh, oh, oh, here
And I can't wait 'till we can break up outta here"

"Excuse me if I seem a little unimpressed with this
An anti-social pessimist
But usually, I don't mess with this
And I know you mean only the best
And your intentions aren't to bother me
But honestly, I'd rather be"

The longer Jaune went into the song the more people began to move to the dance floor as the flow of the beat and the sound of his voice made them move and press to each other in a way that kept the people happy and the drinks flowing much to Juniors liking who at the same time kept a sharp eye on Jaune as he listened to the lyrics.

"Somewhere with my people, we can kick it and just listen to
Some music with a message, like we usually do
And we'll discuss our big dreams, how we plan
To take over the planet
So pardon my manners
I hope you'll understand"

"That I'll be here
Not there in the kitchen with the girl who's always gossiping
About her friends, so tell them I'll be here
Right next to the boy who's throwing up
'Cause he can't take what's in his cup no more
Oh, God, why am I here?"

"Oh, oh, oh, here
Oh, oh, oh, here
Oh, oh, oh, I ask myself: What am I doing here?
Oh, oh, oh, here
Oh, oh, oh, here
And I can't wait 'till we can break up outta here"

"Hours later congregating next to the refrigerator
Some talking 'bout her haters, she ain't got none
How did it ever come to this? I shoulda never come to this
So holla at me, I'll be in the car when you're done"

"I'm standoffish
Don't want what you're offering
And I'm done talking
Awfully sad it had to be that way"

"So tell my people when they're ready that I'm ready
And I'm standing by the TV with my beanie low
Yo, I'll be over here"

Jaune's song made even the twins come closer to the dance floor as they listened to his song deeply. Normally the songs that filled the club were of high energy and beat resulting in a feeling of vibration that lasted even after the music stopped. Both of the sisters hated this but right now with the change in lighting and the change of music, they had to admit the club felt different, almost like the club turned from a place of violent energy into one of real music and emotion. This feeling soon filled them both as Miltia for the moment forgot about the scroll in her pocket as she watched Jaune move across the stage coolly and confidently as if he wasn't held prisoner.

"Oh, oh, oh, here
Oh, oh, oh, here
Oh, oh, oh, I ask myself: What am I doing here?
Oh, oh, oh, here
Oh, oh, oh, here
And I can't wait 'till we can break up outta here"

Once the last lyric left his mouth, Jaune merely stood there as he dropped the microphone and gave a bow. In other circles, this behavior would have been seen as rude or even off-putting, but these actions, coupled with the song just sung, gave Jaune this image of a bad boy not caring about what the crowd thought of him. This all drove them wild as clapping and cheers filled up the club. Jaune could only reach up, swiping his fingers along the brim of his hat, before slipping his hands into his pockets as he stepped off the stage and down onto the main floor.

Jaune was immediately bombarded by people asking questions and some trying to pull him onto the dance floor. He could only hold up his hand, not caring as he only made them either swoon or jealous as he gave off this bad boy vibe, while in reality, Jaune had a chip on his shoulder as he made it to the bar and rubbed his face as he looked at the bartender. For once, Jaune understood why his father drank and even Qrow, as these feelings inside weren't going away as he looked at the bar menu.

After a moment, Jaune ordered a "Mistral Sunset". The drink was quickly made, and soon the alcoholic beverage sat before him as he could smell the orange juice and mango before grabbing the tall glass and sipping at it, feeling the bitter burn of the liquor in it. At first, he hated it, but he soon found himself sipping on it until it was gone as he ordered another. People continued to try and talk to him, but he was in no mood as he just kept drinking. Despite his lack of drinking, Jaune's nerves and aura fended off some of his buzzes, and he soon felt a presence next to him as he turned and looked to see Miltia. He soon looked back at his drink as she spoke.

"I see why you became so popular now. Junior probably should feel afraid for business if you go singing like that", she said as Jaune took another drink before swirling the colored liquid in the glass. Miltia frowned a bit, seeing that he wasn't talking to her yet. "Fine...be that way. I figured you would have liked having someone to talk to here...", she said, getting ready to leave as soon as Jaune's voice broke the air.

"And just what could I talk about with you...", he said, feeling some liquid courage in his veins as he turned and looked at her as his arm rested on the bar, making her widen her eyes. He actually responded.

"Well...I mean, whatever you want to talk about...we could.", She began before an arm came around her shoulder as a younger man pressed in against her as he spoke up, interrupting the conversation.

"Is this guy giving you trouble, hot stuff...I could kick his ass for you", the man said as he flipped his head, letting his hair catch some air. Miltia made a face of disgust and tried to pull his arm off her, but he kept it tight at her neck. "Aww, don't be like that...I came here from Atlas; maybe I can show you what someone from higher living does for fun...", he said as his hand began to dip close to her chest, only for Jaune's hand to shoot out like a viper as he gripped the man's wrist and squeezed it, making him wince as Jaune pulled his arm up and away from Miltia.

Jaunes's face is a stoic one as some of the alcohol begins to take hold. Jaunes's already-building anger is mixing with it as he pushes the guy away. Jaune had been able to burn off his rage with his music, but not this time, as he was stuck and being used against his will. This caused this more impulsive version to rise to the surface as Miltia watched, a little shocked by Jaune of all people defending her, as the creep wiggled his hand and looked at Jaune.

"Just who do you think you are, pal?! I was in the middle of something here; can't you see this one was ready for me to slide in?", he said as Miltia looked offended and began grinding her teeth.

"Excuse me, but who the hell do you think you are!?", Miltia said, as the man was ready for her to be so polarized that he tightened his jaw, thinking that Jaune had ruined whatever he was building up to here.

"Great, now look what you did; she was an easy score, and now you ruined it, you bastard; now I have to find some other floozy", the man said, waving his arms around the drink in his other hand, which went everywhere, splashing across Miltia's dress as it began to bleed through the fabric.

"You fool, look what you did!", she yelled as the man only waved his hand. "Oh, whatever I did you a favor, maybe now you'll get better attention, although if you just did this latch", he said, moving his hand closer to her chest as he went in to grope her only to have his world turned upside down as Jaune grabbed his arm and pulled it back before slamming his face into the bar as he held the man in a hard-pressed hold.

The people around them backed up for a minute as Jaune pulled the guy's arm in a direction it shouldn't have. Miltia watched these events, trying to cover her soaked chest as Jaune leaned in.

"I'm going to make this very clear...you leave this bar right now...you even think about coming back here and laying these hands on any girl you see here. I will break every bone in your arm, starting with your fingers. Do you hear me...", Jaune said with a dangerous tone in his voice as the man groaned in pain and nodded his head quickly before security came in as Jaune pulled him up and pushed him into the men as they grabbed him and made their way to the exit.

Miltia watched them, feeling a smirk come to her lips. Seeing the man gone, she was getting ready to thank Jaune before feeling something warm come around her shoulders as Jaune placed his suit jacket upon her shoulders. She jumped at first before pulling the jacket around her tighter as she was able to cover herself now. She turned back to speak to him, but Jaune was already walking away as he headed up the stairs back to his room.

Junior was impressed by both the kids singing and his capacity to handle trouble. Melanie was even impressed watching him handle the guest who didn't know his place all that well and was taught a lesson. Militia was left feeling even more confused as she slipped her arms through the jacket and felt the warmth left in it by Jaune. He was just another part of the life she lived and the work that came with Juniors Club; he was just work, so why did she feel like something else was getting mixed in with it?

Meanwhile, as Jaune was making his way back to his room, his hands stayed in his pockets as he felt the night's irritation building in him. He was processing the knowledge he had gained, knowing that crime was very active in Vale and that a large deal was coming up soon. The crates he saw spelled trouble, and despite the situation, he might be able to help out.

Soon Jaune arrived back in his room. As he got in and shut the door, knowing that cameras were probably placed in the room, he just fell into the bed and pulled the blankets over his head. It was quiet for a moment before Jaune dug into his back pocket and slowly pulled out a scroll. His mind jumped back to the moment he held the creep up to give to security and was able to pull the scroll free as he thanked Blake for her lessons in stealth.

Turning it on, Jaune noted the background was what looked to be a sports jersey from Atlas. Jaune could only shake his head, seeing that a password was set up. Jaune's first guess of the jersey numbers gave him immediate success as the scroll opened up to being almost dead as Jaune saw the warning notification for low power. There was little to no signal through these cement walls, and Jaune yet again cursed this place as he moved to the messaging section but stopped, not wanting this to be traced to his friends. He was running out of time when he saw the power going to critical. He moved to his personal page, where he posted his music, and with fast fingers put a message in as the scroll indicated it was shutting down in ten seconds.

With bated breath, Jaune pressed the send key right as the screen went dark. At that moment, Jaune could only hope he had gotten it through in time as he lay there in the darkness of the room.