Nick closed the dorm room behind Jay as he pushed his wheelchair through the door. Jay was in a wheelchair because of the damage Sasha caused. Her last attack had forced Jay to his knees with such power that the patella's had both cracked almost all the way through. Jay's right knee was especially damaged after he threw himself off of it to attack Sasha. He also had a gash in his left leg that meant he wouldn't be walking for at least four days. Jay knew it would take longer for other people, but other people didn't know how to apply the power of their aura. Sasha could walk, but her mouth and jaw was bandaged up, as a result of Jay's last attack. The tissue in the cheek was badly torn, and several of her teeth would need the cracks repaired and filled, and her jaw had to be reset, so she couldn't speak, and couldn't eat without special assistance from a tube like device. Nick took the chair from Sasha's desk and placed it in between the feet of the beds, and sat on Jay's bed. Anna sat on Sasha's and Jay had moved himself to the back, in between the beds, with his back to the window.
Nick didn't hesitate to pierce the silence, "Ok. This is bullshit, and I'm sick of it. Jay, look at you. Not a week in, and you can't walk...And Sasha, you literally can't eat without help! Are you guys happy? Are you satisfied? Congratulations, each of you has officially broken the other. And now. You're going to fix it. You've had your go at eachother. Time to bury the hatchet. Now speak." He glanced at Sasha, "Or in your case, type on your scroll. Anna will use hers at the same time. Anna will read as you type, so that you can have your say. This will be fair, this will be unhindered. Say what you want, because when this is over, you two will not be allowed to fight again." Nick spoke as a father does to two siblings who were being mean to eachother. Sasha looked across at Anna, and reached for her scroll.
"You'd like to go first?" Anna said as she reached for her own scroll. Jay hadn't spoken a word, and instead simply sat patiently. Sasha opened a page to type onto, and sent out a link to Anna, so she could read as Sasha typed. Sasha put the tablet in her lap and began typing away. Anna cleared her throat and began, "My problem isn't with your actions. It's with your entire being...I once had a friend. Her name was Skye...She was...We were closer than sisters. She was a faunus." At this, Anna paused and looked up, remembering what Sasha had told her on day one...Then she went back to reading, "She was killed when she was eight. Eight. She died as a child, along with her mother. I was only eight myself...You can imagine how it changed me. I was ruined for nearly a month, before I even started to recover. After that, I spent practically every waking moment from then on learning to fight against the people who took her from me. I learned to identify the types...I know the people who committed that crime...I know exactly what they're like. I know exactly how they act. How they talk. How they move. Everything about them...I lost my very best friend," Sasha had finished typing before Anna had finished reading, and Sasha was staring at Jay with hate. "I lost her to people...Just like you. You've had everything you've always wanted. You look down on anyone who had less then you, because you think they're nothing but the sum of what they have. And you can't see past that." Anna finished reading...She looked at Jay, who hadn't moved or spoken a word. Sasha didn't take her eyes from Jay.
A minute passed, then two, before Jay spoke up, "You're wrong." He said simply.
Jay leaned forward in his chair. He thought about what he would do for a minute. After considering the situation, Jay realized what he needed to do. He needed to tell them...Besides, he wasn't team leader. It wasn't his decision. He was told to talk. He was told to help this situation level out. And to do that, he'd have to tell them about the day he became what he is.
He cleared his throat and began, "I do know loss. Interestingly enough, my experience...wasn't that different. When I was a kid, back in my hometown, I had a friend who lived in the town over. They weren't that far apart from eachother, our towns. My father and big brother worked in that town. Every now and then they'd bring me along. That's how I met my friend. Our towns were on the border of the kingdom you see...We experienced a few frequent attacks by Grimm. It wasn't difficult to deal with them, they never came in too large numbers. We hadn't seen any though for a long while. My dad and big brother left for work one morning...And later that day, we heard news of an attack. Grimm...Hundreds...Had come past the border, and attacked my friend's town. There were no survivors. Not a single man. Including my father and brother. My friend...His family...I still remember my friend's mother. She made lunch for us once...Then suddenly...Suddenly one day...They were gone. Just like that. Hundreds of people simply erased. My mom took me there later that day...The Grimm weren't there long. Buildings were knocked down...There was more blood than I can tell you about. And even as a kid...It struck me that among those people...Was my family. People I loved...People I thought the world of...People who were more than just black silhouettes...died along side people I didn't even know...It kinda...Baffled me I guess. I couldn't understand why it happened. I was just lost. I still wasn't sure how people who were there one second, fine and smiling and learning and...Ya' know...Could just...Be gone. I wanted to know. I wanted to know...Why it happened. I hoped to find the answer in studying the human mind. I took up psychology and philosophy. I began to ask questions of the world...Things that kids don't do...People found it odd. I didn't care though...They'd probably die just like everybody else...I started to think about what made the world cruel. And as I did, I became a relatively darker person. I lashed out at anyone. I spoke whatever I thought, and made an enemy of whoever so much as looked at me oddly. But I admit...That's not who I wanted to be...Not really. I didn't want to see the world as a vicious place, where you could die at the drop of a hat. Where no one's life mattered, because they could be dead as soon as me...But that's what it was. But I knew it was also something else. Sure people could be dead at the drop of a hat. But they also lived. Lived complex lives...That you could change and shape...Your life could be anything you wanted it to be, while you had it. It was beautiful. So I spent an entire year...Examining the world. I came across a psychological device in my studies called a Mind Palace...I studied methods to remember everything you needed to...Using that, I created a new viewpoint for myself. I decided that the world is what I make it. So for that year, I used meditation to separate the way I thought. Everything I wanted to be, everything I wanted to see in the world...I hold that to myself. I cling to those thoughts. But I couldn't just erase the others...No one can understand the world...If they can't see it from both sides...So everything else...All the darkness in the world...All the terrible disregard for anything, just the want to live for me, because nothing else mattered when you could be dead in a second...All of that ruthless brutal will...I stored it up...In that Mind Palace...I used...Imagery and imagination...I linked things to other things...I made it more then just...Just an information drive in my head. I made it an entire mindset. An entire different way of life and thought...It's hidden. Tucked away in a mind palace called the Dark Voice. It shows in my Semblance too...My Sight. I see the world clearly for what it is. But...This separation is something I have to maintain. I have to continue to separate my thoughts...Dark from Light...If I don't...Then my mind will become clouded and chaotic...And my Semblance will turn red instead of gold. My Sight is literally a way to see the world for what it is. By changing that mindset, I change the manifestation of my Sight." Jay stopped and turned to Sasha, "Like I said...You're wrong. No one is the sum of what they have. Any single soul is as valuable as anyone else's. No one has more value than another, or any less. You think I don't understand loss...That I can't possibly understand what drives you." Jay's voice was rising in volume as he became more agitated. "Well you're WRONG! I understand perfectly well. Yeah, I can be arrogant. Yeah, sometimes perhaps I'm stubborn...But don't think for one second that you can tell me what I am. I know what I am. I know how I seem...And I'm nothing like the fools who try and put value on something like a human being. I'm nothing like the fools who think that they're worth anymore than anyone. I think it would be well worth while to snuff out their lives like candles. Just as they do to others..." Jay's left eye had turned completely red.
Sasha was stunned. She wasn't sure what to think. She looked across at Anna, who didn't look back, but just continued to stare at Jay's red eye. Sasha closed her eyes. She wasn't sure what to believe...She felt stupid, but wanted to apologize. The two things that kept her from doing so, however, was pride and anger. Her jaw was badly damaged because of him. She couldn't say she was sorry, even if she wanted to. But she still kinda did want to. It was clear to her now that he wasn't what she thought he was...But she didn't want to back down and admit she was wrong. She still felt like she had to clench her fists and fight, like she had something to prove to someone...But...Who was she going to prove that to know? She'd taken Jay's ability to walk, at least for now. She'd proven his equal. She also remembered the past two days...Nick was right. He'd tossed pride aside. He'd apologized. He'd swallowed his annoyance at every turn. He'd bit his lip, and let her do as she wanted...And she still felt like she couldn't. She looked up and realized everyone was watching her. At that moment, she decided...He could toss his pride aside, so could she. She was just as strong. She typed away on her scroll. Anna realized what she was doing and looked down at her own.
She read aloud as Sasha typed, "If that's the case, then I owe you an apology. You aren't the pompous asshole I thought you were. Maybe I was just blinded by what I saw in the first place. There. You'll get no more outta me..." Anna stopped reading and smiled. Jay took his hand from his left eye, which had turned back to gold, and faded to it's normal color.
Jay smiled smugly, "That's all I wanted out of you. Now do me a favor...Don't speak to me until we're off suspension." Sasha nodded, and typed into her scroll.
"Agreed," Anna read.
Jay turned to Anna, and cleared his throat, "Uh...Again...I'm sorry for knocking you over. If I've seemed like an ass towards you, or treated you in any way that's less then kind, I'm sorry. I don't mean any insult."
Anna stuttered for a moment, "No, it's fine. You are nice. You've been very nice, despite what Sasha would've said." Sasha turned to Nick, and typed into her scroll, and Anna shook her head to return her focus, "Oh, uh...So it seems like you're actually a great team leader, Nick. Odd. I didn't peg you as the type to be able to take control like this. Decent job." Anna finished. The day was nearly over...It was difficult for Jay to get ready for bed, but he learned quickly. Sasha had to sleep with a special mask on, and had to keep in a single position so as not to disturb her jaw...And Nick...Nick wasn't worried. At this point, it seemed the problem was solved.
The next morning, Anna shook Jay awake. Upon waking, Jay almost whacked her, like he did Nick, but stopped short realizing who it was. He sat up in his bed and looked around before returning his attention to Anna.
"Uhh...I'm so sorry for almost hitting you...I just thought it was-"
Anna interrupted him though, "No, I know who you expected...I've seen him flick you most mornings, and you whack at him...So I understand why you almost did the same to me. You're really a creature of habit...I could almost set a clock to your routine..." Jay put his feet to the ground. He couldn't walk normally, but standing taking a step or two would be fine. He stood and stumbled over to the chair. Anna grabbed his arm to support him. He sat down and went to retrieve his things.
Before he left to get ready, he turned to Anna, "Where'd Nick and Sasha go?"
"They went down to get breakfast...She can't eat without a special tool, so they went early so she could eat and return as quick as she could without having to deal with people watching her." Jay shook his head, and left to go get ready. Anna grabbed her stuff and left to do the same. Luckily for Jay, Beacon had special tubs for those who were in wheelchairs. As it turns out, Ozpin couldn't let students in if they were in a wheelchair, mostly because of Initiation, but it happened often enough that students would find themselves temporarily in wheelchairs, so he had a few facilities put in for them. After he was clean and dressed, Jay returned to the room. Sasha and Nick had yet to return. Jay rolled over to his bag and retrieved his black coat. Uniform or no, he'd wear his coat. Suddenly, Anna spoke up, "Did you mourn?..." Jay dropped his coat out of shock.
"W-what?" He asked. He thought he knew what she'd said, but wasn't quite sure.
Anna asked again, "Did you mourn? Your family...Your father and brother and friend...Did you mourn them?"
Jay picked his coat up, "...No. Not really. I doubt that's what they would've wanted me to do. Besides, you should've seen my mom. I couldn't mourn, she did plenty of that for the both of us. She tried to be strong...I don't think she's completely over it, even now. I think it helped that I was still around. When I left, she promised me she'd be ok. I keep writing to her though. Sending her money and such." Anna didn't know how to respond, and instead they sat waiting for Nick and Sasha.
Nick and Sasha were just returning from breakfast. Nick held two plates in his left hand, one for both of their other teammates. Sasha was holding her scroll and typing, so that Nick could read what she was saying. Nick read her words aloud, despite her opposition to this.
"Nick, thanks for helping us get over our fighting. You're a good leader. I'm sure you'll do as well in the future..."
Nick laughed, "I'm sure I will...I'm not as inept as you'd believe by looking at me...That lamp post thing was an accident." Sasha laughed behind the bandages. It kinda hurt her jaw, but she didn't mind it.
She typed more onto her scroll, and Nick read aloud again, "I never thought of you as inept...You don't look inept, at the least. That arm, for instance...Must have been some accident."
Nick nodded and looked sideways at Sasha, "Yeah...That...I'm...I...That's what made me what I am. I used to be a thief. A really good thief. But...Unfortunately, I made a mistake, and took the wrong job. I was hired to steal a weapon from a Schnee warehouse...When I went to turn it in...My employers tried to kill me. I ended up having to make a choice...Then again, it wasn't really a difficult choice. I only had two options...Do nothing, and certainly die...Or take a chance, and only maybe die...Like I said, it wasn't really a difficult choice. It cost me my arm though. Thanks to an old friend, I got this arm, and was able to become a huntsmen..." Sasha didn't type for a moment, unsure of what to say. Nick read as she resumed her typing, "I'm sorry that happened to you...You must be really strong to have made such a decision..." Nick didn't speak, instead turning his face away. He could feel it had become red. He wasn't sure to do. The silence dragged on moment by moment, and the two minutes that past made Nick feel like he'd die of old age before it ended. Sasha tapped his shoulder, and Nick turned to face her. She saw his face was red, and even beneath her bandages, he could see hers turn red for a moment. Sasha then began to tap away on the screen, and Nick turned back to his scroll, worried about what she'd written.
He still read it aloud, "Were you just blushing? For a powerful ex-thief, and current Beacon Team Leader, that isn't very..." Nick cut off, because Sasha hadn't typed anymore. He glanced over to her, and her fingers twitched, and her eyes looked like she was trying to think of a word to use. After a moment, she shook her head typing, "Nevermind." They came to the door of their dorm room, and Sasha opened the door. Inside, Jay and Anna sat waiting. It was clear the silence in the room was quite overpowering. Nick put down the plates and went to get his stuff to go shower. Sasha did the same. Nick did everything he could to avoid Jay's gaze. It didn't appear to work. Jay squinted at Nick, through his glasses, letting his eyes flash gold, and seeing Nick's red face. Nick left quick though, as did Sasha.
Jay turned to Anna after they left, "Is it just me, or was Nick's face...red?"
Anna looked over at Jay, "I'm not sure...I didn't see."
Two more days passed by, and Nick thanks his creator, Monty, that there wasn't even a single fight. Jay and Sasha didn't interact much. They were talking at least, or in Sasha's case, typing while he read, and they weren't killing each other. They just walked the grounds, Sasha helping Jay move, and waited the day out while Nick and Anna went to class. On the second morning, however, after everyone had gotten ready, there was a very loud crash, as the door was suddenly kicked open by an older brunette woman in a t-shirt and jeans. In the hallway behind her was a small cart. Jay immediately went silent, his eyes widening in fear as he tried to roll himself into a corner and seem small. She marched over to the other side of the bed where Jay was. Nick went and stood in between her and Jay, but she grabbed him by the shirt and tossed him over the one bed like a rag-doll. Nick landed on the other bed, and walked up to Jay. She crossed her arms over her chest and stood menacingly over him.
Jay immediately began stuttering before bringing order to his words, "Look, it's ok now...I'm...Uh...Mickey look, there was this argument. It was a misunderstanding. And she was angry because she thought something, but it was actually something else, and there was arguing and pushing,-" Mickey interrupted him by smacking him over the head.
"SUSPENDED!" She yelled. "You've been SUSPENDED! For FOUR DAYS!" Jay stammered more and more, unable to face Mickey's punishing gaze. "And if that weren't enough, it was for GETTING INTO A FIGHT! With a GIRL! Who's jaw, you BROKE!"
Jay tried to speak up, "But it was-"
"NO! No excuses...And to top off this expo-say, YOU'RE. IN. A. WHEELCHAIR!" She stopped speaking, huffing after her shouting. She crossed her arms over her chest. Jay had given up at this point, and was hanging his head. Anna, Nick, and Sasha stood on the other side of the room, with both beds in between them and Jay. They all just stood speechless, with their mouths hanging open (except for Sasha's,) unable to move or intervene. Suddenly the woman turned her furious attention to them. All of them stopped breathing for a moment. Just then, Sasha stepped out from the group. She walked over slowly to the other side of the room, and stood to face Mickey. Mickey turned around, bringing her whole body to face Sasha.
Mickey began, "And you. You're the girl who put my boy in this wheelchair. What have you to say for yourself?" Sasha couldn't speak, and Mickey knew it. She couldn't answer, and just stood silently. It was kind of torturous..."I spoke with Ozpin. Apparently, you tormented him for the past week, before accepting a challenge to a fight. He should never have made such a challenge, and YOU should never have accepted. Was it worth it? Are you happy, being suspended? Are you happy being unable to eat? ARE YOU HAPPY, NOT EVEN BEING ABLE TO MAKE AN ATTEMPT TO SPEAK UP?!"
Mickey turned to Nick, "Well?! What happened? Who instigated this whole thing? Did either of you try to solve it?" Nick and Anna took turns stuttering, "Speak. Clearly." She said furiously. Anna ducked down, and shut her mouth.
Nick paused, and cleared his throat, attempting to speak up, "I suppose it was Jay who started it, and Sasha who escalated it. Jay was kind of arrogant to her, and it really got to her in a dark place. So she didn't drop her anger, even when Jay tried to make peace. It was both of their fault." Nick finished. Mickey turned back to Sasha.
"He tried...To make peace. And you. Didn't. Let him." She enunciated each word, and Sasha flinched slightly at each one. Sasha thought to herself, 'What's with this woman...She's breaking me down...And I'm a little scared...' Mickey couldn't hit her over the head, and couldn't think another thing to do...So instead, she decided to let the silence drag on a bit more, just to drive her point in.
Nick couldn't stand this, so he cleared his throat, and attempted to choke out something to calm the situation, "Um...Listen...Mickey, is it? The situation between them was bad, I agree...But it's not anymore. They haven't fought or even argued since. They've resolved their differences, and are trying to get along...They accept what they did was wrong, and right now, they're facing the consequences...Jay isn't considered a Team Leader until he's off of suspension. So, you see...Everything's ok now." Mickey looked over at Nick, who had said his piece, and was now being silent. Mickey considered his words for a moment. Even Jay felt a glimmer of hope that this would quell Mickey's wrath. They stood silent for a minute. It was like waiting for the final few seconds before a jury made the verdict. Finally, Mickey sighed, and her face looked to calm down.
Nick smiled inside, attempting not to let it show. Mickey looked at him again, "You've got a good head on your shoulders. See to it that you use it properly." Nick smiled now, as Mickey walked past Sasha to the cart in the hall. She took the cart, and wheeled it away without another word. Anna slowly came to her feet, and looked at Jay.
"Who in hell was that?!" She asked in a shocked tone.
"My guardian..." Jay responded.
After the Team's first encounter with Mickey, Jay explained to them that Mickey was his guardian. And that he probably wouldn't be at Beacon if he hadn't met her in the first place. He omitted the crystal idol though. He wasn't sure he should tell Nick about that just yet. Not until he knew him well enough. Sasha couldn't speak, but she wasn't sure she wanted to right now...Mickey scared the hell out of her. If a woman like that knew how to fight like a Huntress, Sasha was sure she'd be six-feet under right now. But after that, day two of the suspension past without incident. But when Nick and Anna returned from class, they said that apparently, Cardin Winchester wasn't there. They weren't sure why. It didn't bother them. Anna suspected that he might try to get revenge on Jay for the small but brutally quick and humiliating fight they'd had, but even in a wheelchair, she was sure Jay could handle it. On day three, after getting ready, Nick and Anna went out to class. Sasha and Jay were still getting used to the boredom, but they managed. Lucky enough, Sasha was getting her bandages off today, and she'd be able to talk and eat. Jay still had to wait a day, even with the application of his aura, the nurse wanted to make sure his knees were repaired. Trying to fight or run at a combat school, with broken knees was apparently a dangerous idea. At about 11:30, they left to go down to the nurses. Sasha moved quickly, ecstatic to finally be able to speak properly again, and was trotting along, turning back to Jay every now and then and motioning for him to hurry up. When they got to the nurses office, Sasha went right in, strutting like she owned the place. The door closed behind her, and Jay was left to wait in the hall. Jay rolled around in the hallway for a few minutes, bored out of his mind. It seemed to take forever, but he knew not long had past. But he stopped rolling however, when he noticed someone walk up to him from around the hall. Jay frowned and rolled his eyes. He suspected it would happen, and sure enough, before him stood Cardin Winchester. Jay shook his head while smiling.
Cardin had already pulled out his mace, "You know...I don't appreciate what you did the other day. In fact...I think I'm going to crush you for it...Wheelchair boy..."
Jay seemed as disinterested as one could be, "Cardin, I didn't even have to touch my weapons last time. It still took me all of five seconds to knock you on your ass. You think me being in a wheelchair changes that? With my weapons, it wouldn't matter what you did. By the end of this fight, you will be crying...Like a little...Bitch." He finished with a mocking tone and a smug smile. Cardin's face turned furious, and he walked up to Jay, just out of Jay's reach, but just within his own. He brought his hand down, and Jay prepared to do the same thing as last time. Suddenly, the door behind them closed, and someone's arm had wrapped around Cardin's neck, and a hand had grabbed his arm. Jay's eyes raised in surprise as Sasha lifted Cardin off of his feet, still holding his neck and arm and turned around, and shoved him forward. Cardin stumbled at her strength and tripped forward. Sasha stood in between Cardin and Jay, and stretched her shoulder muscles and jaw, newly free from it's bonds. She methodically stretched her jaw, twisting it this way and that, opening and closing it.
She sighed, "Finally. I can talk again. I walk out of the nurses office, ready to finally go have a proper lunch for the first time in three days, and what do I find?" Cardin had gotten up and turned to face Sasha, "An asshole, tryin' to pick on a friend o' mine. You got alot of nerve, attacking a guy in a wheelchair." Jay smiled and shook his head, not bothering to interrupt.
Cardin stood, "I'm surprised you're protecting him...You are the one who put him in that chair, aren't you stupid little-"
"Blah. Blah. Blah. Are we gonna do this, or are you just gonna talk my fuckin' ear off..." Cardin was fed up with Sasha's sass...He ran towards her, and swung a wide swing. She flicked her hand up, and with only a slight push in strength, smacked the mace from Cardin's grip. It struck the wall and fell to the ground next to Jay's wheelchair. Jay leaned over and picked it up. Sasha didn't wait for Cardin to recover. She put her palm lightly to his chest plating, and applying her Semblance, shoved hard. Cardin flew back and slammed through the door into the nurses office. He groaned a little, and Jay rolled in to behind him, moving around the fallen door.
The nurses ran over, and one addressed Jay, "What in hell happened?!"
Jay placed the mace lightly beside Cardin and looked at the nurse who was kneeling over Cardin, who was still making noises, "...He tripped." Jay said simply, before rolling out of the office, and going with Sasha to get lunch. As they went, Jay looked up at Sasha, "Thanks. I could've handled that, but thanks...I take it to mean that we're no longer at war?"
Sasha nodded, "Yup...I still think you're arrogant...But no...We're good now."
(AN Thank you for reading the first arc of our story, im sorry i forgot to update this yesterday, so here it is, also sorry for the update a few minutes ago, i saw it had come out as that weird type thing. Please rate and review, and if you have any ideas, put them in a review or PM me on here or on AO3, thank you)