Hey all, another chapter as we enter the new, weekly, update schedule. I'll be working ahead to try and ensure the quality doesn't drop, and hopefully everything will work out okay.

Chapter 12

His opponent was bigger and stronger, and he knew it too. The taller teen cracked his knuckles and rose to his full height, a good few inches over Jaune. "I'll give you a chance to say sorry," he said, "and if you do it on your knees, I might even forgive you."

Jaune's legs shook but it wasn't entirely from fear. Oh, it was there too, the body's natural inclination to feel nervous when faced with danger, but at the same time there was anticipation too. His eyes hardened as he held his fists up before his face. Card was big, sure, but he was nothing compared to the elegant brutality of the Malachites, and Nina was right when she said he'd stood up to them before.

Cardin took the silence for what it was, and a moment of silence stretched out from them to encompass the entire cafeteria. Neither of them could back down, not with Winchester's reputation on the line. To do anything but fight would leave his control over the students in tatters. With a quick shake of his head and a growl, the bigger man surged forwards.

Hands came for his collar, to grip and to wrestle him, but Jaune flowed out of the way with an easy step back and a slap of one hand. "Against a bigger foe," Nina would always say, "seek to control the flow of battle and to not let them do the same. So long as they cannot strike you, victory will be assured." Jaune nodded and stepped into the man's next punch. He deflected it with the back of his arm and took hold of it with the other. A swift tug pulled the bigger teen off balance, and with a pull and a twist of his hips, Jaune was able to lift and throw the heavier man over his shoulder.

Students fled from a nearby table as Cardin landed on it. The wood didn't crack, but the same couldn't be said for the plates and glasses, which shattered and spilled food all across the wood, floor and furious bully. He slammed a fist onto the table and sat up, eyes alight with fire. He gripped a plate with one hand and leapt from the table, swinging it at Jaune's face.

"Use what advantages you have, dear apprentice. You shall never be as strong as some, but you shall always have the grace I taught you."

His back bent at what many might have considered an unnatural angle, and there were a few appreciative cheers from the crowd as his hands planted down on the ground and propelled him back in a flip. The plate sailed by overhead and Cardin was forced to duck back with a growl as his feet nearly caught the guy's chin. He landed easily a few feet back and resisted the urge to throw a cocky smile at his opponent.

Cardin roared in fury and rushed forwards, but this time slowed his attack at the last second and threw a feint towards Jaune's temple. It was easily pushed aside, and the follow-up haymaker was ducked. "Stop running and fight me!"

He did no such thing. Instead, he did his best to control his breathing as he weaved in and out of the attacks. I'm actually doing it… I'm winning. Without his weapon, he doesn't have the advantage of reach – and since I'm not using mine, I don't have to deal with how heavy it is. Now, bereft of their tools, the battle was about strength vs agility, of which he was coming out the victor. Elation soured through him as he slipped under Cardin's guard and landed an elbow into his cheek.

An ugly grin took over the bully's face as he caught the arm before it could pull back. He lashed out with a meaty fist, and unable to pull back, Jaune caught it with his face.

Pain flared through his left eye and cheek as the other guy let go of his arm. He staggered back and clutched at his face, but still had the presence of mind to duck under another blow. He knew his mistake, and knew Nina would have shaken her head in despair. He'd been in control, he had everything going his way, but he'd gotten arrogant and taken the opportunity to land a hit he really didn't need to, just to make himself feel better. Guess I've still got a long way to go. Ugh…

The black eye would be a good reminder that you didn't take an opponent at face value, even if it looked like you had the fight wrapped up.

People cheered now, and the students had formed a wide ring on the edges of the room as they shouted support at their particular favourite. Like gladiators in some pointless blood sport, the two of them circles around one another as the crowd bayed more. A part of him, the civilised part, whispered that it was wrong and he should stop.

It was quickly outvoted by the primal, angry part of his mind… the bitter pieces of him that were sick of being bossed around, that had been hurt when Yang so casually dismissed him. He wasn't a coward. He wouldn't give up – and Cardin wasn't his damned master!

A snarl tore itself from his lips as he dashed toward the taller teen. He side-stepped the first blow and caught the second on the back of his arm, pushing it behind him. One foot hit the floor as he stepped into Cardin's guard, but this time the fist he threw was a distraction. With the brute's face covered by his arms in a quick defence, Jaune ducked to the side and drove his knee into the man's stomach.

Cardin bent double but to his credit still managed to lash out with one fist. The blow was clumsy and only caught the side of Jaune's arm as he sidled around the winded teen and gripped the back of his collar. A swift tug had Cardin drawn back and sent to the floor with a meaty smack.

His smile was wiped away when he felt a hand clasp around his ankle. Blue eyes widened and he tried to stamp down on it, but Cardin grinned through the pain and swept his foot out from under him.

His back hit the tiled floor and pain shot down his spine, but he thrashed with his foot and caught his opponent on the chin, even as Cardin did the same with his fists and drove the air from his lungs by hitting him in the solar plexus. Through eyes narrowed with pain and anger, Jaune kicked the bigger man off him as he tried to climb on top.

He staggered back onto his feet at the same time Cardin did, and the two stared at one another with pure hatred in their eyes. A bit of blood dribbled from Jaune's brow, but the same red fluid that ran from Cardin's nose made him smile.

That smile died an immediate death as he suddenly noticed how silent the crowd had become.

"Cease!" Glynda Goodwitch commanded, weapon raised as she pushed her way through the nervous-looking students. Why they had any right to look afraid, he didn't know – since both he and Cardin froze and looked at one another. They then looked at the bruises across their skin, the blood and the shattered glass all across the floor – not to mention a table overturned and the staff all having fled for cover.

Somehow, he had the sinking feeling they couldn't get out of this one by saying they'd tripped…

/-/

"Mr White, Mr Winchester…" The headmaster steepled his hands before his face and regarded them both with an expression mixed somewhere between disappointment and boredom. Jaune kept silent and made sure his eyes were fixed below the older man's, but he could hear Cardin grumble something beside him. "Would either of you care to inform me as to why you started an impromptu spar on the floor of the cafeteria?"

Neither of them spoke. He knew Cardin glared his way, but even though it had been he who started the fight, Cardin couldn't admit that. If he said Jaune had started it, then Jaune would simply point out how the guy had been discriminating against another student. That would lead back and forth until the whole story came out, in which case they'd both be punished anyway.

Even though they hated one another, neither of them wanted to make their impending punishment any worse by dragging up a laundry list of misdemeanours. At the end of the day, even if Cardin had blackmailed him, the headmaster would just point out how he should have told them. Starting a fight in the middle of dinner probably wasn't what they considered a reasonable solution.

"Nothing?" Ozpin asked. He spared one final look between them before he sighed at their silence. "I suppose that's not unexpected… it will be a cold day in the Grimmlands before a student owns up to their crimes. Very well… the two of you will go through detention with Miss Goodwitch – on different days. We do not wish to see a repeat of this and action will be taken if either of you breaches this. Am I understood?"

"Yes, sir," they said in unison.

"Very good… I'm sure Miss Goodwitch will ensure you learn an adequate lesson from this, but I shall not keep you any further."

"When will our detention be?" Cardin asked.

There as a loud crack from behind, and the both of them winced at the sound of Miss Goodwitch's weapon striking the flesh of her palm. "Is there a problem, Mr Winchester?" she asked. "Perhaps you have a prior appointment more pressing. Please, if so, I invite you to share it with us."

"No ma'am."

"Mr White?"

Jaune frantically shook his head.

"The dates for your detention will be forwarded to your scrolls, and I encourage you not to be late. We have the field trip to Forever Fall tomorrow, so it shall take place after that. Let me be clear about one thing, gentleman." Her hands appeared on the backrests of the chairs they were sat on, and Jaune could feel her face hover above his left should, between the two of them. The wood cracked under her grip. "Forever Fall is a beautiful place, but it is not an invitation for tomfoolery. If either of you cause trouble, a detention will be the least of your concerns. Am I understood?

"Understood," Jaune and Cardin both responded.

"Good. You are dismissed. Make sure this does not happen again."

Jaune nodded and rose to his feet, the taller teen beside him doing the same. Though their eyes never met one another, and their bodies were stiff, they both walked in unison to the elevator and rode it down from the office.

Back up top, the blonde woman sighed and removed her glasses, polishing the lenses with a small, cream cloth she drew from her pocket. "There's always something," she mumbled.

"Life, and children, never change, Glynda. You know that. James and I were no different."

The glasses were balanced back on her nose with an imperious huff. "Yes, well, thankfully I did not have to deal with James and you, let alone myself." Glynda stepped forward and looked down onto the man's desk, where a clipboard lay. "Is he…?"

"Inconclusive. I have more tests being run… we shall know soon enough."

"And if he is?" Glynda asked softly, "What then?"

"Then I will do what's right. It's the least I can do."

"It doesn't feel like enough."

Ozpin sighed and closed his eyes.

"It never is, Glynda." he said. "It never is."

/-/

Yang tapped her foot urgently against the floor as she stood beside Pyrrha a little to the side of the elevators which led to the headmaster's office. Her body hummed with nervous energy and she struggled to keep the wide smile off her face.

The door dinged open, and she spun on the spot to look at the sheepish blond who stepped out. His eyes widened upon seeing them, or at least one of his eyes did. The other was narrowed thanks to the bruise above it, and his lip was split on one side. Next to him, Cardin Winchester looked much the same, and scoffed at the sight of them. He pushed past and stormed away, leaving Jaune to stand before the two girls.

"So," Yang said, and tried her hardest to hold back her wide smile, "Can't say I expected you to thrash Cardin in the middle of the cafeteria. That's new."

"Thrashed?" he tilted his head to the side and winced, "Were you looking at a different fight? I'm fairly sure I got one or two punches in, but he did the same to me."

"It's the results that count. You've got a black eye, he's got a black eye… you both got dragged apart by Miss Goodwitch," he winced at that, "All told, I'd say you came out on top, if just because no one expected you to actually win. Cardin's gonna be nursing his ego for days."

And she loved the thought of it.

"Yang!" Pyrrha scolded her with a stern glare. "Don't encourage him. And Jaune, you shouldn't have resorted to such methods."

Yang snorted and crossed her arms, shooting an amused look to the redhead. "Try telling me that when you're not wearing the biggest smile I've ever seen on your face, red."

Pyrrha's hands leapt to her cheeks, as though to check if she was right. The famous fighter smothered it as best she could, and adopted what might have passed for disappointment – if her eyes weren't shining so brightly. "I'm not-" she stammered and the smile almost broke through again, "I mean I'm happy about something else…"

"Sure you are, girl."

Pyrrha looked between the two of them as her face went full a range of different emotions. In the end her control failed, however, and she lurched forwards to wrap her arms around her partner in a fierce hug.

Yang grinned and leaned back against the wall. Damn, but the two of them would make a cute couple… that is if Pyrrha ever got around to admitting it, and Jaune accepted. He still seemed a bit reluctant on that front, though she was sure if Pyrrha kept trying, she'd get through.

Jaune pushed his partner away after a few seconds, before – to their surprise – bowing down on one knee. "I want to say that I'm sorry Pyrrha," he said, with his face pointed to the floor, "I was stupid and didn't know what to do, not to mention a bad partner and worse leader. If you can find it in your heart to forgive me, I'll try harder in future."

"Of course!" Pyrrha almost shouted, and helped him up. "Definitely, absolutely… Nora and Ren will be so glad to have you back too." The redhead looked at him again, and dragged him into another hug.

Yang felt her grin widen. How adorable, and they just kept going and going like she wasn't even there. She pushed off the wall and started to walk away, only to pause when she heard Jaune call her name. "Hm?" she asked, turning in time to see him step away from Pyrrha and towards her.

"I need to apologise to you too," he said.

"Eh? Don't sweat it."

"No. I will sweat it." Jaune sighed and rubbed a hand through his hair. "Yang, I was a total idiot and a terrible friend… you tried to help me and I spat on it. I know I don't deserve it, but I truly value your friendship and don't want to lose it."

The words shocked her, and she stepped back in surprise as he stood before her. Her eyes glanced over his shoulder towards Pyrrha, but the redhead only smiled and nodded at her. Was her friendship really worth that much to him that he felt the need to apologise so? They'd only known one another for a few weeks, and yeah, she considered him a friend too – but the sincerity on his face still left her open-mouthed.

"Is it… is it too much?" he asked, voice pained.

She shook her head. "Yes," she said, "I mean no… I mean we're still friends." On instinct she threw an arm around his shoulder and dragged him in to her side. "You didn't think you were gonna get away from me that easily, did you?"

"Damn." he drawled, voice sarcastic but eyes clearly relieved, "my glorious plans are ruined."

"Damn straight, boyo. Yang Xiao-Long gets what Yang Xiao-Long wants. Still, you looked mighty good as a personal slave… maybe you could pay us back by serving drinks for us like you do at the club."

"Isn't it enough that you get free drinks?"

"It's never enough!"

He laughed at the easy banter, and she felt his arm around her waist tighten a little before he released her and went back to his partner. The two waved as they headed off to find his team so he could apologise to them as well, leaving her behind to blink owlishly.

She hadn't even realised he'd had his arm around her, nor had she reacted to it. That was odd. It wasn't unusual… she'd had guy friends at Signal before and she'd always been touchy-feely. But in the recent years things had changed. Mostly around the time she started to fill out and grow curves, at which point she'd been painfully aware of how stiff their arms were, and how they tended to dip occasionally, or how their hands would splay out. Friendly touches became anything but, and even for those who tried never to let hormones come between them, there'd still been a sense of wrongness to it… like they were trying their best, but couldn't ignore that it was there.

Jaune didn't seem to care, however. He'd just wrapped an arm around her waist, bantered back and forth with her and then moved on with a quick one-handed hug. If anything, it had felt comfortable and easy; like it was just Blake doing it. Not that Blake ever did anything like that, but she meant if Blake was that kind of person.

Ah screw it, she thought as she walked back to her dorm, a new pep in her step. Not only did I get the most amazing night's sleep ever thanks to Crimson's massage, I also got my friend back and Cardin got a black eye. This day literally couldn't get any better.

He'd done pretty well for himself in the brawl too, which was more evidence that the only thing holding him back was his weapon. Cardin was bigger and stronger, yet the lithe blond had put to use some of the techniques she'd taught him while they sparred. She'd have joined in, had made to actually, but the fight was over before it could really begin and by the time she reached them, Miss Goodwitch was already there, and there wasn't enough lien on Remnant to make interrupting her a good idea.

Maybe Crimson had been right, though… she'd judged Jaune so quickly, but he'd turned her opinion of him on its head. Even the way he laughed and smiled. It felt different from the bashful person he'd been before. Come to think of it, it felt more like the guy she'd enjoyed a few nights out in Vale with. Maybe all he'd needed was a chance to relax and open up.

"I'll need to apologise to Crimson too," she whispered as she headed to tell Ruby the good news. The stri- the entertainer had given her good advice, and despite her criticism, it had come true. She wasn't so ego-centric that she couldn't accept that fact and say sorry.

And maybe I could see about another massage too…

It wasn't anything wrong or strange if she just wanted to see him for that, right? It wasn't like there was any other reason for it, or it had to be awkward or anything.

/-/

Nina had been right.

She always was, and he'd be damned if she didn't let him know all the bloody time… but this time he'd accept her boasts and even bow his head to her. She'd been right, and he'd been wrong. Oh, there would be consequences for what he'd done to Cardin… he knew that. The man would be as good as his word and spread false information, and that probably would affect the way people looked at him. It would make things hard… maybe even lead to scornful looks and whispered comments.

But it wouldn't be a lonely experience, and that was all that mattered. That night, after he'd finished apologising to his team, he sat them down and stood before them all.

"I just wanted to warn you guys about what Cardin blackmailed me over," he said. "You all know that I work as a bartender out in Vale. It's a part-time job since I needed the money, and still do."

"Did something happen?" Pyrrha asked. The concern in her voice was clear, but this time he wouldn't insult it by remaining silent. He'd learned a lesson there, even if it had been delivered alongside a black eye.

"Just Cardin and his idiots," he sighed. "Basically, they found the place where I work and are threatening to tell everyone."

"That wouldn't normally be cause for concern," Ren said, "I'm taking it there's something more to your place of employment?"

Jaune took a deep breath, and when that failed to settle his nerves he let it go and tried again. His team waited patiently for him, but in the end it was with ragged nerves that he sighed and faced them. "I work… you have to understand, it is a nightclub, and what it also does is only a minor part of that fact. Over ninety-five per cent of the place is just a normal, every-day nightclub."

"And the other five per cent?"

"We're a strip club," he admitted, and winced when Pyrrha's mouth fell open. "And lap-dancing, and private sessions…"

Ren blinked, and it honestly looked like that had been the last thing he'd expected to hear. "Oh," he said dumbly and looked towards Nora, who shrugged in return. "Well, I… it's unusual, but I don't see the problem. You're still a bartender there, correct?"

"Of course," he said, and although it wasn't technically a lie, it wasn't the truth either. "Yang can confirm that. She's seen me working behind the bar a few times. I'm always on the lower levels, and the strip section is literally a hidden VIP room with limited access."

"Does Yang know-?"

"She doesn't know about the strip club." She'd helped him too many times for him to dare drag her reputation into this; no matter how much easier that would have made things. "Yang comes for drinks and dancing on the first few floors. Most of the time the two of us just chat at the bar."

Pyrrha let out a quick sigh and leaned back on her bed, arms propped behind her. "Couldn't you find somewhere else to work?" she asked.

"No."

It was a simple statement, but the force behind it said so much more. Her emerald eyes widened for a moment, before she shook her head and smiled. "Okay," she said simply and nothing more.

And that was it really, wasn't it? She didn't question him further on it, nor did she look at him with any doubt in her eyes. She just recognised the conviction in his voice and trusted he had a reason for it. An alien emotion swirled up inside him, and it took him a few seconds to recognise it as pride…

He was proud of his team… of his friends.

"Question!" Nora called and held her hand up. "So, what's the problem? Why would anything have happened if he said you were a bartender in a strip club?"

Jaune sighed and rubbed a hand through his hair. It felt like he'd been doing that a lot lately, but he couldn't help but think how his felt so much rougher and less soft than Yang's had. Hers had been a pleasure to run his fingers through; the care she took in it showed.

"It wouldn't have been a problem if he said that," he said. "The problem was; Cardin's going to tell everyone I'm one of the performers there." The three of them blinked in confusion, so Jaune winced and added, "He was basically going to tell people I get naked for tips."

Nora's lips made a strange sound as she stifled her laughter. Ren reached over to punch her lightly in the arm, and the ginger girl waved a hand in apology. "Still," she said, once she'd got herself under control. "What's the big deal? It's a lie, right, so why is it a problem?"

Jaune made to explain, but Pyrrha was the one who actually beat him to it. "It's a problem," the redhead sighed, "Because people don't always care about the truth. Rumour and scandal make for more interesting gossip than fact… even if some take it as such. That's what you were worried about, I assume?" He nodded, and his partner smiled. "I faced the same myself," she admitted. "It was late on in my career… when I'd become a more recognised name. Someone I defeated spread a rumour of how my family had threatened him if he didn't throw the match. The Nikos name is powerful in Mistral, and the families have a lot of sway there. There's always been a lot of corruption and… well, I guess it was all too easy to believe." Pyrrha shrugged one shoulder with a distant, if faded smile. "I dismissed it at the time… it was stupid and a lie, but that didn't stop several newspapers running with it. Before long, people were unable to tell fact from fiction. It was a difficult time."

She knew… in that moment, he knew she understood. People shouldn't have been like that; they should have looked for the truth themselves, but that would take effort – and who had the time for that? It was all too easy to run with the crowd, or even to believe what was exciting, over what was actually the case. "Is that why you left?" he asked.

"Among other things," she said, "It was more a case of a thousand little things piling up." She didn't say anymore, and he knew better than to dig if she wanted to keep silent on the matter. It wasn't like he didn't know himself what it meant to want to keep things quiet.

She sent him a quick smile when he didn't push.

"I just wanted to tell you all so you didn't believe it," he said. "Some people probably will, and I might get some trouble in the future… but to be honest I can't bring myself to care about that anymore. You guys are what matters. To hell with what everyone else thinks about me."

He wouldn't be a slave to their opinions… not anymore.

Nora covered the distance between them so fast he'd have sworn she was Ruby in disguise. Her arms wrapped around his waist, and the breath was forced out of him as he once again realised that yes, Nora was a damn sight stronger than he. "That's so sweet," the girl cried and crushed him with equal gusto. "We're like, the bestest team ever, and we're not going to abandon you because of what some idiot says, right guys?"

"Of course," Ren said.

"Yes," Pyrrha agreed.

"And we're going to go out tomorrow," Nora continued, "And we'll go to that Falling Forever place, and we'll break Cardin's legs and leave him for dead, right guys?"

"Of course not," Ren sighed.

"No, Nora…" Pyrrha shook her head.

He couldn't help it. The exasperated look on their faces, the way they rolled their eyes and rebuffed Nora in one go. It made him chuckle at first, and then burst into laughter a moment later. Pyrrha joined him soon after, as she held her stomach and fell forwards – and even Ren let out a few short chuckles.

Nora simply tilted her head to the side. "So we are breaking his legs?"

/-/

Yang's lips parted as she felt his hands rub down her shoulders, sending goose bumps down her flesh as he rubbed her arms in long, sweeping strokes. When they came back up, they paused for a second, and his blue eyes met hers as he silently asked for permission.

She arched her back to grant it, and gasped as his fingers brushed across her bare chest, as the calluses on his finger rubbed against a bare, pink nub.

Her hands fisted in his crimson locks and brought his head down so that his lips moulded against hers, and she groaned into his mouth as he squeezed her breasts. The kiss ended too soon, and she whined for more as he pulled back and faced her, his lips shining with moisture from her own.

"Do you want more, Yang?" he asked, and she nodded mutely at him as he leaned down to tease her. His teeth caught her upper lip and he nibbled on the sensitive skin as she tried to reach him, only for him to chuckle darkly, a sound that had her shivering, and pushed her back down. He laid a kiss to the side of her mouth, and when she tilted her face to catch it he moved to the other. His lips touched her nose too, and then the bridge of her nose, and kissed her eyes as she shut them against his lips.

He travelled up to her forehead, and then – with torturously slow movements, brought his lips back down to hers.

She sighed in pleasure as he approached, and closed her eyes to await his dark, delicious touch.

"That'll be five hundred lien," he whispered.

She lurched forward in her bed with a startled gasp.

Gone was the curtained room, the satin and the perfume – and back was their dark dorm, with three others girls quietly sleeping nearby. Yang's eyes blinked in an attempt to accustom themselves to the darkness, but it was to no avail. Even so, her fingers came up to touch her lips, and she still imagined she could feel his touch.

She also reached a little lower, beneath the covers, and cursed when she felt how her body was wet from sweat and definitely nothing else.

She collapsed back in bed with a frustrated sigh, as one arm came up to rest over her eyes. With one deep breath, she groaned into her arm.

"Fuck…"

One problem solved, another opens – as is the usual routine. Just so people know, the reason I wanted to include the blackmail arc itself was to show the dissonance between Jaune in his job, and Jaune early on at Beacon. The idea is that he's been watering himself down to appear what he considers "normal", but that he went too far and instead enslaved himself to the opinions of others long before Cardin came along and literally enslaved him.

I suppose you could equate it to peer pressure, but that instead of it being out of a desire to be popular, it's from a desire to fit in and not be seen as an outsider. In a very real way, Jaune blackmailed himself.

Next Chapter: 14th February

P a treon . com (slash) Coeur