Jaune stood outside the JNPR dorm, trying to understand why he was spending the evening alone.
He, Ren and Nora had been returning from a successful combination attack training session, which he felt was already showing great promise. Flower Power...honestly, what was I thinking...
However, almost as soon as they had exited the training room, the solemn martial artist had been kidnapped. A flurry of rose petals, and a garbled call of "HeyJauneI'mborrowingRenokaythanksbye!" had descended on the trio and suddenly there were two.
Not even Nora had known what to make of that, and the duo had headed back to their dorms after trading confused looks. They'd been just outside their own room when RWBY's door opened, and Nora was dragged inside like something out of a horror movie before the door slammed shut.
Now, the blonde was the only member of his team left standing...and thinking about it hadn't helped in the slightest. As he pressed his scroll against the door, he grumbled to himself. "I'm a year of Beacon training ahead of these guys, a time-traveller who's spoken with God, and I still don't understand women."
He sighed to himself in the dark room beyond, flipping the lights on. It was only just turning nine...might as well get some homework done.
The only sound was the scratch of pencil on paper. An essay on the correct tactics to employ when dealing with a Deathstalker had gradually taken shape over the past three hours, in readiness for presentation two days in the future.
"Look on the bright side Jaune, at least Oobleck's homework is done." the blonde muttered to himself, even as he reached for an eraser.
Still, this was taking time out from what he really needed to be doing – planning the fall of the White Fang and Roman Torchwick. The dust user, he reasoned, would reveal herself once her pawns had been removed from the board.
But dealing with such colossal threats required planning, and planning required time. Time which he was instead using to prove that he knew how to deal with a Deathstalker. Because apparently killing one wasn't enough.
With a disgusted sigh, the blonde kicked away from his desk. The essay was almost finished – he could stand to take a walk.
JNPR's leader crossed to the door, checking he had his scroll before pulling it open and making his way outside. Faint voices and laughter could be heard through the nearby door, and Jaune resisted the urge to check in on his partner.
It's only RWBY...there's no reason for her to need my help. Besides, she has Nora. The blonde stopped in his tracks. That thought was the most convincing reason to check on Pyrrha yet. They've been in there since dinner...just what are they studying?
He resisted the urge however, and set off. A minute's walk led him to the courtyard, and he cast his eyes around for somewhere to go. Deciding on a circuit of the academy, his feet carried him on the circular route that he'd made use of on more than one sleepless night.
Beacon's campus was quite shadowy at night. Light spilled from the various buildings, yes, but apart from that the only source of illumination was the broken moon. It was enough to go on though, so Jaune just put one foot in front of the other as thoughts swirled in his mind.
He had managed to get himself back under control this afternoon. But on the flip side, he'd been set off by watching a duel. That had been all it took to bring back the bad times – Russel Thrush had managed to hurt him more than Cardin ever had, without even looking at him.
That turned his thoughts to CRDL. Their ordeal on the wrong end of a Rapier Wasp swarm had now healed, meaning they were back on the board. How many players were there at this point? The blonde couldn't be sure any more. His knowledge of the future, he was learning, didn't contain many details. His attempts to map out the Dust heists had told him that.
It made planning difficult, and with the difficulty of the missions already being so ridiculous the lack of information was even more noticable.
His thoughts were interrupted by a hand settling on his shoulder.
Breaking the hold instantly with a rapid turn, the blonde shot backwards to give himself distance.
Coming to a halt a good couple of metres away, Jaune looked to the person who had startled him so.
They were shadowy...but a moment later, they stepped forward into a pool of moonlight, revealing auburn hair and blue eyes.
"Arc...we need to talk."
Earlier That Night...
Cardin Winchester stood atop the Beacon Dormitories, and he thought. Not something most associated with him...and yet, one of his most common pastimes. His thoughts swirled around in his mind, and the roof was the only place calm enough for him to let them run free.
His eyes were unfocussed, not really taking in the view. No, all he could see now was the figure in his mind. Blonde, with blue eyes burning like fire and a terrifying smile on its face. That figure had been haunting his thoughts for the past two weeks...ever since it had forcefully made its entrance into his life.
He'd made it to Beacon. Finally a hallmark of his achievements – a sign that he was getting somewhere. It had been going well; Cardin had been put in command of a team, becoming fast friends with them and forming tight bonds. He'd been making a good start on a reputation, finding a target to pressure who would let him earn immediate animosity from the student body and let his team stand out. He'd been on track to a successful time at the academy.
Until he first met Jaune Arc.
That first impression had found itself a place in Cardin's memories, digging in and refusing to move. His hand moved to his nose unconsciously as he remembered. Everything had begun to change after that punch.
Goodwitch had put CRDL in detention for what they'd done to the faunus. Cardin had seen his chance to repair his damaged reputation, and declared a vendetta on the blonde leader. With his team's support he'd tried for weeks – sticking his feet out in class, carefully aimed shoulder barges, whispered insults. He'd even tried to get him stuck in a doorway with that folding shield of his.
Every attempt had failed. Not just failed, each one had been turned on him. Masterfully twisted into a demonstration of Cardin making a fool of himself.
That was why he couldn't stay angry. He was too busy being impressed. Cardin respected power...and the kind of skill required to never once put a foot wrong was power. So he was stuck respecting Arc. His team didn't share his view – they wanted revenge against the warrior, citing his attack and all the failed attempts.
Revenge...for a few hours spent in a classroom, catching up on our studies? Revenge for an injury that healed in days? Revenge for petty humiliations that we brought on ourselves?
CRDL's leader sighed heavily as his own mind rebelled against him. He had sabotaged himself, giving the blonde more and more chances to impress him. Hell, he'd actually caught himself arguing with Dove when he'd suggested the Rapier Wasps. Playing that off had been difficult, and he felt sure that his team knew something had changed.
Jaune Arc...one of the eight rising stars in the first year. A skillful warrior and an even more skilled tactician, the teachers often called on him for explanations. He could hold his own against members of RWBY, and though he rarely won the matches were hard fought. Compared to CRDL, he was on a whole different level.
Yet his attitude seemed so normal. He didn't have a reputation like Nikos, he wasn't anti-social like Belladonna and Ren, he wasn't fight-crazy like Valkyrie or Xiao-Long. He wasn't stuck-up like Schnee, or childish like Rose. He was just an ordinary guy with some extraordinary skills.
It made him seem reachable – like he was a goal Cardin could aim for, someone to try and catch up to. If it weren't for his team's urgings, he might have just given up the attempts long ago and tried to mend the burnt bridges there.
But he couldn't – he was a leader, and his team might fall apart if he lost their respect. Something needed to change...he needed his team to understand that Arc was better as an ally than as an enemy.
His mind churned as he tried to think of a way to get it through to them. Then he saw a blonde figure crossing the courtyard, and inspiration struck as he moved back to the staircase.
Jaune eyed the taller youth uncertainly. He wasn't in his armour, nor was he carrying his mace. He was holding his distance, his hands kept open by his sides.
Cardin was offering an olive branch.
The blonde met those eyes, only a few shades darker than his own. There was no anger there.
"We need to talk, Cardin? What about?" CRDL's leader let out a breath, one Jaune hadn't realised he was holding.
"I need your help with something." Normally JNPR's leader would have laughed in his face...but this was a side of Cardin he hadn't seen before. Not even when he'd saved the lummox from an Ursa in Forever Fall. Then he'd seen a strange combination of fear and respect.
Now, all he saw was nervousness.
"...Go on."
Permission granted, the taller boy continued. "Arc, over the last few weeks, my team and I have made your life difficult. I know I can't just say sorry and make that go away...so, I want to ask what I need to do to mend things with you."
If Jaune's mother had flown in on a pink Nevermore to congratulate him for winning a one-way trip to the moon, he probably would have been less shocked than he currently was.
Cardin Winchester was trying to build bridges. With him. The massive youth who had made such a monumental ass of himself for the past three weeks wanted to...apologise. He was standing there with nothing but open honesty on his face, asking what he needed to do to start again.
The blonde reached for a nearby tree, one of the many which ringed Beacons' perimeter, and leaned against it. Deep breaths, Arc, deep breaths...
Once he had sufficiently recovered, Jaune looked back to the earnest giant in front of him. "Well...I think I can honestly say that I never expected this to happen."
Cardin nodded, as if the reaction was what he'd been anticipating. Jaune's mind started throwing up suggestions for what the boy could do, even as CRDL's leader replied.
"Yeah. But you're too skilled for us to touch – and I admire that. I'd rather apologise and learn from you than just keep wasting time like we've been doing."
That was...a perfectly logical solution to the situation. The blonde shook his head, and couldn't keep a grin off his face. "Well, Cardin, I'd rather teach you than keep dealing with your schemes. So I'll just take your apology."
A frown creased the other leader's face at that. "You're sure? It doesn't feel like an even trade."
"Completely sure."
Blue eyes locked for a moment, and Winchester sighed. "If you're really sure, I'll accept. But we'll need to somehow win over my team."
A grin slowly spread over the blonde's face as a plan spun itself into existence, and it reminded Cardin far too much of the smile in his memories. "Oh, don't worry. I know just how to solve that problem."
Velvet Scarlatina was finishing a report on CFVY's latest mission when someone knocked on the dorm's entrance. Her team mates turned around just as she did, four frowns immediately sprouting. Who the hell would be bothering second years at – a quick check of the clock – half twelve in the morning?
Coco walked over to the door, pulling it open with a rough "What?"
From her seat, Velvet could see the two figures standing in the doorway. One was Jaune Arc, the blonde who'd stood up for her on his first day. Next to him was...
The person he'd stood up to.
Velvet recognised Cardin Winchester immediately – and so did her leader. "You!" the fashionista snarled, grabbing the taller youth by his collar. CRDL's leader didn't move – didn't do anything in fact, but keep his eyes fixed straight ahead.
Next to him, Jaune coughed into his hand. "Coco, can we talk? Cardin and I need to borrow your team's services." The brunette's glare shifted from the once-tormentor to the blonde knight and back again.
"What the hell? You're the kid who laid this one out, aren't you? After he started leaning on my team mate over there?" Jaune nodded calmly.
"Yes, that's me. Jaune Arc. This is Cardin Winchester – I brought him here for a couple of reasons...but maybe the second reason ought to come first. What do you think?" The question was directed at the hulking figure next to him, who was still remaining motionless, despite the fact that it was obviously getting difficult to breathe.
"...Good idea..." he gasped, face turning red. Turning his gaze from the middle distance to focus on the rabbit faunus who had frozen in her seat, he spoke. "Velvet...I apologise...for my behaviour...in the dining hall. It...wasn't anything...personal."
The look of utter disbelief that passed over Coco's face apparently loosened her grip enough for Cardin's feet to touch the ground again, and CRDL's leader started wheezing in an attempt to regain oxygen.
"...Nothing personal?" asked the fashionista quietly. Nodding from his bent-over position, the auburn haired giant started speaking again.
"Yeah, nothing personal. I needed a target to build my reputation on, and she was the easiest mark available. It's the way I've always done things...maybe Jaune can explain better." Turning his head to look at the blonde next to him, Cardin silently pleaded that he continue the explanation.
Indulging his request, Jaune attracted CFVY's attention by speaking. "Cardin here has, to my complete surprise, a decent head on his shoulders. In fact, he's smart enough to play the long game at every institution he gets into. Setting himself up as an intimidating figure through bullying gets him attention, which he can use to show off his skills. That gives him a chance to get ahead of his peers. It's ingenious – twisted, but ingenious."
The second years listened quietly. The red-haired one, Fox if Jaune remembered properly, began nodding. "The kid's right – that would actually work...anywhere but a Huntsman academy."
Cardin took that as his cue, standing up fully again now that his oxygen intake was restored. "Yeah, I came to that realisation when Arc decked me and made a fool of me for three weeks straight. He and his friends are on a whole different level from me – playing people games won't get me jack here. So, I'm trying something new and playing it straight."
Coco stared long and hard at the giant who had tormented her friend so. He was standing tall, resolute. There was nothing in his eyes but honesty. With a disgusted sigh, her offensive posture slackened. "Well hell. I can't deny a man his second chance." Her eyes sharpened again, aimed this time at Jaune. "That still doesn't fully explain this visit though."
The blonde nodded. "Cardin approached me wanting to rebuild the burnt bridges between us. I've accepted...but his team legitimately dislike me and my friends. So we hatched ourselves a scheme to change their view...but we need your help for it."
Coco looked over her shoulder. Velvet was still frozen in place, Yatsuhashi was being...stoic, and Fox was just listening. No cries of protest... "Okay Arc, spill it."
The blonde nodded. "Here's how I see it: Cardin's team hate me because I've been making fools of them for ages. Something big needs to happen for them to see me as a potential ally...something like the two of us getting along. But CRDL might fall apart if the change happens too fast, so Cardin can't just immediately be friendly. At least, not without a reason."
Jaune had their interest now. "And what better reason for friendship than bonding over a shared pastime?"
CFVY, as one unit, looked back and forth between the auburn giant and the comparatively tiny blonde. Coco voiced what they were thinking. "What in Monty's name do you two both enjoy doing?"
This time, Jaune and Cardin smiled together.
"Oh come on Coco – what do all Huntsmen enjoy doing?"
Sky Lark was worried. He paced back and forth in the dorm room belonging to CRDL, his team, letting his worry out in the form of motion. His partner Dove sat on the bed he'd picked out weeks earlier, trying to chew his nails.
Trying was the operative word...Dove had the second strongest aura in their group, and it made biting through his nails the equivalent of eating matchsticks. He tried anyway, because it was stress relief and their leader being AWOL would make anyone pretty freaking stressed.
Russel, Cardin's partner, was just staring at the clock on his chest of drawers. Three in the morning, and no sign of his friend. Dammit Winchester, where in the hell are you...
All three of them were startled by a knock at their door, which they immediately rushed to open. On the other side were Fox Alistair and Yatsuhashi Daichi. Over their respective shoulders were Jaune Arc and Cardin Winchester, both apparently not weighing much to the second years despite their fully-armoured forms.
The robe-clad swordsman of CFVY walked into the room, laying CRDL's leader on the nearest bed with a grunt. The auburn-haired youth was out cold, his mace holstered by his side. His team mates immediately clustered around him...except for Russel Thrush, who instead looked up to the second year beside him.
"What the hell happened to him? And what the hell happened to Arc?" he asked, gesturing to the blonde youth currently slung over Fox's shoulder.
The giant figure from the east turned to face the first year, who stood his ground despite the tremble of fear he felt. "Found them in the Emerald Forest. They were having a Grimm killing competition."
Confusion flashed across RDL's faces. "Wait, they were what?"
"I told you already – they were seeing who could kill the most Grimm. Ask him for the full story when he wakes up...he's uninjured, but completely exhausted. Keep him out of sparring for a couple of days."
With those parting words, the giant left the room. Three pairs of confused eyes turned to their leader, noting many small scratches and bruises. Since the orb in his weapon's head wasn't glowing, it had apparently run out of Dust. He did, in fact, look completely exhausted as he slept like the dead.
The three friends stood around uncertainly for a moment, before Russel sighed. "Well, we aren't gonna get our answers tonight. To bed people, we have our leader back." With their leader out of it, Sky and Dove decided that his partner would do as a substitute.
RDL got ready for bed, and the lights in the room went out minutes later.
Several corridors away, CFVY's resident red-head pressed Arc's scroll to the pad by JNPR's dorm. It opened with a click, and the warrior moved inside. Identifying the leader's bed as being the only one without some kind of personality, he laid the blonde on it. Jaune slumbered on, dead to the world. His aura had dealt with his injuries, but fatigue could only be cured with sleep.
He left the scroll with the blonde, backing out of the room and closing it behind him. The second year went to move away, but suddenly found himself staring into four pairs of female eyes. "And what the hell were you doing in JNPR's room?" asked a blonde, lilac eyes seeming to flicker a different colour.
Fox moved back a few steps, taking in the scope of the force arrayed against him. One blonde, two red-heads, one curiously white-haired girl. Their expressions ranged from curious to pissed to...absolutely terrifying. What the hell was with the short ginger one?
And why was she looking at his legs?
Raising his arms and backing away further, the second year decided that he did not need to deal with this. "Hey, I'm just returning a favour. When he wakes up, tell that blonde we're even, you hear me? I've got better things to do than lug his sleeping ass around campus."
Leaving the assembled girls to make of that what they would, the second year walked away. He'd meant it too – he appreciated Arc standing up for Velvet, but he'd need to pull off something a whole lot bigger to convince Fox that dealing with four women was worth it.
The combined might of PWNY watched the red-haired man walk away, their gazes trained on him until he turned a corner and vanished. As soon as he had, their own red-haired warrior pressed her scroll to the door's pad, unlocking it.
Moving inside, she beheld her leader. He was in full armour, Crocea Mors at his waist. He was sleeping, chest moving up and down slowly. Though his skin was unblemished, his armour bore signs of attacks. From her perspective, he was like a warrior who had just returned home. A little battered, dead tired...but victorious.
Sighing to herself, Pyrrha walked forward and placed a hand on the blonde's forehead. He stirred, a small smile gracing his features at the contact. His partner smiled as well, stroking the blonde hair gently.
From the doorway, three pairs of eyes watched. For a few seconds, anyway.
After that, Nora ushered Yang and Weiss back to their own room. They didn't resist, understanding that this moment was for the two people in the next room...even if one of them wasn't conscious. "We got a lot done tonight...we'll continue tomorrow. Take care of the lovebirds, Nora."
Throwing the blonde a salute, JNPR's heavy artillery headed off in search of her partner. She'd give the two however long it took her to find Ren...then, they were all getting some sleep. If she missed her pancakes again...well, that didn't bear thinking about.
In a dark classroom, Lie Ren sat tied to a chair.
He wasn't really secured...he could have escaped at any time. However, the sheer entertainment value of his current situation had kept him in place for hours now.
Ruby Rose walked in slow circles around him, half in and half out of the circle of light shining down on the martial artist. She had been doing that for half an hour – before that, she had tried sitting in front of him, standing behind him, and at one point remaining in the shadows of the room.
That might have worked if her scarlet cloak and shining eyes didn't make her stand out in the dark like a sore thumb.
The look she had been wearing for her performance was probably an imitation of something she'd seen in a movie. While it had doubtless looked intimidating on whichever gruff detective had worn it first, on the young Huntress-in-training, it looked much the same as every other expression.
Adorable.
"You could always save yourself some effort and talk, you know." Oh Monty, she was trying for gruff. He could actually hear the effort she was putting into lowering her voice an octave or two, the struggle to undo hundreds of years of genetic progress...or to imitate fifty years of chain smoking.
"This'll go much easier if you do." Between the chair, the light, the look, the voice and now these lines, Ren was sure that he'd crack if it kept on much longer. He could feel himself shaking, his normally iron-clad self control failing him after hours of overwork.
"Hah. Scared, are you? I can make it stop, you know. You'll be free to go...as soon as you give me what I need." The martial artist was employing every method of controlling his emotions known to man, and a few known only to him. It wasn't working..every barrier fell, the onrushing tide simply too strong to resist.
"Tell me Jaune Arc's colour preferences and taste in food, and you might just survive the night."
Ren snapped.
Nora Valkyrie walked into an empty classroom, following the tail end of the sound she'd heard from outside the main building. Her partner was sitting in a chair in the centre of the room, panting as he tried to get his breath back.
Ruby Rose was lying on the floor near him, looking absolutely stunned. Nora noticed that only one of the room's light switches was on, and she activated the rest as she surveyed the scene.
Ropes were curled on the floor near Ren's feet, obviously having fallen there during the ourburst. The younger girl's gaze had snapped to look at Nora, guilt and relief appearing in equal measure.
A burst of rose petals signified the girl's appearance as she wrapped Nora in a hug, shivering. "Nora, I'm so sorry! I...I didn't think that would happen!" She grabbed he hammer-wielder's shoulders, looking her straight in the eyes. "It was never meant to go that far!"
Smiling kindly, the blue-eyed warrior gave Ruby another hug. "It's alright. You head back to your team, it's late and we're done for tonight." Grateful to be given an excuse, the figure in scarlet vanished out of the classroom while Nora headed down to her partner.
She stood over him, slouched over in the chair as he was, and regarded her oldest friend. He looked up, his magenta eyes full of emotion.
"I...Nora, I couldn't help myself. It just...happened..." Leaning down and giving her partner a hug, Nora smiled widely.
"Now now Ren, it's fine. Even you should laugh from time to time. Now come on, Jaune's passed out again." Dragging himself upward with a sigh, Ren followed his partner out of the room.
Come morning, Professor Port would discover an interesting set-up in his classroom...unfortunately, it would be after Professor Goodwitch.
Author's Note
Now, I know what you're thinking – where in the Monty-themed hell did that come from? Where was the build up, the subtle indications that Cardin was changing his ways? I'll tell you:
They didn't exist until today.
It was my own damn fault. I got so caught up in the 'main plot' that the CRDL subplot I was trying to include got neglected. I didn't even notice...until GuardianOfAll noted that they seemed underdeveloped as characters. I think my exact thoughts at the time...are unprintable, M rating or not, but they basically went along the lines of 'Oh, bugger.'
So, I took the day...and literally went back over EVERY CHAPTER TO DATE. GOD that took a while. But, I think I've finally corrected the formatting...and the periods following dialogue. How I missed that I will never know...thank you, csad21, for bringing that to my attention. You da man.
But anyway, a re-read of the story from Chapter 9 onwards (which will hopefully be bearable now that I've fixed the formatting issues) should have this making a lot more sense. You'll see the differences I'm sure, because you are all awesome people.
I hope you enjoyed reading this even partially as much as I enjoyed writing it. If you have any comments or criticism, then please leave a review and I'll be sure to get back to you. Enjoy your day!