Hello and welcome back to another chapter! I hope you enjoy it! Also, happy Father's Day everyone!

I don't own RWBY. Please support the official release.


Ruby's POV

I was in absolute agony, every part of my body flared in pain, the Rapier Wasps venom circulating through my body. The only thing that kept my grip on reality at the moment was the tear-stained eyes of my sisters staring down at me. They have been here every second for me, not leaving my side once even when we boarded the Bullhead and took off to the hospital.

I knew Rapier Wasp venom was horrible, but this was just a nightmare. The amount of pain I was in was so great I thought I would pass out, but no matter how much it burned, I never lost consciousness. I can now truly see why Rapier Wasps were feared.

The three of them were clinging to me like a vice, refusing to let me go for even a second. I wouldn't want them to anyway, they were the only thing helping me focus at the moment. They whispered sweet words into my ears, Weiss was even singing, albeit, with a tear-filled voice. But even when she was in such a state of despair, the only thing I could think of was how beautiful she and her voice was.

Blake was running her hands through my hair, knowing that I like it and that it calms me down. Her fingernails were like velvet on my scalp, distracting me somewhat from the pain I was experiencing.

Yang was holding my arm tight, sending me the best smile she could muster at the moment. She kept telling me I was doing amazing and that we were almost at the hospital. She was on the verge of breaking down, but she was incredibly holding it all together.

They are the absolute best, I wouldn't trade them for the world if given the chance. If I wasn't paralyzed from pain and agony at the moment, I would have probably hugged and kissed them all by now, melting into their soft embraces. As soon as this is all over, I may just do it.

I felt the Bullhead land and the doors soon after opened up. I saw their eyes dart to the doors and reluctantly they stepped back from me. I was hoisted up into the air and placed on a gurney, the face of doctors filled my vision but was soon replaced with those of Weiss, Blake, and Yang. Their tears flowed from their eyes, but they sent reassuring smiles my way.

I gave the best smile I could as well, and with agony-filled muscles, I brought my hand toward the pocket where I have the flag Blake made for me.

The doctor on the right side of me for his part seemed extremely surprised that I was even able to lift my arm at all if his silent mutter of awe was anything to go by. I was right there with him, it was utter agony to move even the slightest bit. I reached into it and pulled out the flag, bringing it to my heart, and clutched it like a lifeline.

I smile up at them, hoping that I was able to get my point across. It seems that I did, as they slowly pulled back from me. Just as they were about to take me away, Yang called out to me, "We'll be out in the waiting room! We'll visit as soon as we're able to!" I could hear her physically choke back a sob. I swear, if Cardin and them aren't expelled for this, I will get them back. Not for my sake, but for making the three of them feel like this.


Weiss's POV

We have been in this waiting room for hours now and it was starting to get to me. We tried to call dad, but he didn't pick up. That was worrying, but we were mainly focused on the here and now.

It was about twenty minutes after we arrived that we heard the sounds of another Bullhead landing. We never got to see who it was, but we hazard a guess that it was Cardin and his team that finally arrived. The thought of him sent my blood boiling in red hot rage. The events that just transpired are still fresh in my mind. They better pray that they get expelled, because I wasn't nearly satisfied enough. They deserve worse than what they got.

Jaune better hope for the same fate. I was livid with him for what he had done to Ruby. Even if it was an accident, I didn't care. He shouldn't have even been near Cardin, let alone with him. But, for all the anger I held for him, I was more devastated by the betrayal I felt. He was our friend, someone we trusted, and look what happened. All for what, some secret? It better of been a good one to do something like this.

We were nearly climbing up the walls in agitation at the moment, such was our worry for Ruby. Was it healthy? Probably not. Did we care if it was? No, not even the tiniest bit. We loved Ruby more than anything in this world, and to see her in such a poor state and knowing we can't do anything about it made us nearly go insane.

Yang was rapidly tapping her foot against the tiled floor of the hospital, looking absolutely miserable. Blake was pacing back and forth with a hand to her chin, her cat ears twitching like crazy, it was something she always did when a stressful situation happened. I was rapidly tapping my finger on my thigh, trying, and failing, to think of anything else.

I was about to go ask the receptionist again if she had any updates on Ruby, but before I could, we heard someone walking down the hallway. As one, our heads darted in the direction we heard it, and we spotted one of the doctors that were on the roof when we first arrived.

He let out a sigh before a smile came upon his face. "She's doing great right now. She is still in some pain, but the worst of the Venom has subsided now." Words couldn't describe the relief I felt upon hearing those words. Thank the gods she's ok. I wipe the tears from my eyes and turn towards him, and already knowing the question I was about to ask, he spoke again, "Yes, she can have visitors. Go to room 423, you should find her there."

Yang and I sprung from our chairs and speedily made our way to the elevator. Blake was already there, having just called for it. About ten seconds later the doors opened up and we made our way inside.

We clicked the '4' button and the doors soon closed. It might have been twenty seconds before we arrived, but it felt more like twenty hours. My heart was beating out of my chest at the moment, I wanted nothing more than to have Ruby in my clutches and just hold her. If we weren't as close as we were, she very well could have died today. That thought nearly bang the waterworks again, I couldn't even fathom the thought of her being dead without it bringing me to my knees.

I cast the dark thoughts from my mind when the elevator chime indicated we arrived. We pretty much bolted out and made our way to the room the doctor said.

When we finally made it, we saw that Ruby was laying peacefully in her bed, enjoying the afternoon rays of sunlight. She turned her head our way and the way the light in her silver eyes shone when she saw us made my heart skip a beat.

"Hey, guys! Hope I haven't been keeping you here too long." She said, pain still evident in her voice. I couldn't help but smile, of course, her concern would be that she held us up and not that she just went through hell, that is just like her.

"Nonsense, we would have stayed well into tomorrow if we had to, to see you." Blake said, walking up to Ruby and checking for any kind of injuries. Ruby may have passed the doctor's checkup, but she still has to pass ours. I could tell that she was slightly annoyed that Blake, who was soon joined by Yang and me, was going over her, but she held her tongue.

After thoroughly going over her, we pulled back and smiled down at her. She sent us one back and raised her right arm, waving the little flag Blake gave her.

It was easy to tell that Blake was touched by the gesture, the tears in her eyes giving her away. She leaned down and carefully hugged Ruby, who hugged her right back.

After a moment, she broke the hug and wiped the tears from her eyes, "You really know how to pull at someone's heartstrings Ruby. I couldn't tell you how touched I was when you pulled that stunt on the roof." Ruby only smiled and playfully stuck out her tongue. Blake only let out a small chuckle and sat down in a seat in the room. I agreed with Blake, that gesture really melted my heart.

Yang came up next and bent down to hug Ruby. She clung to her with great force, but just enough to not cause her any pain. She rubbed her hand along Ruby's back, just enjoying the feeling of hugging her. She eventually did let go, and I was able to see that she had tears streaming down her eyes. She wiped them and smiled down at Ruby, "Hey Rubes, you feeling alright? Do you want a water or something?" She asked in a soft-spoken voice. Ruby smiled up at her and spoke, "I'm fine Yang, just a little sore is all."

Yang smiled and took a seat next to Blake, unconsciously throwing an arm around her and bringing her into a side hug. Blake just let it happen and leaned into it.

I then walked up to Ruby and hugged her as well. The tears that I was holding immediately started to flow. I was mad, sad, and relieved all at once. Hugging and clinging to Ruby right now and knowing she is alright was the best feeling I could have right now.

I raked my fingers across her back, listening to the softness of her breath. I broke our hug and wiped my own tears from my eyes. I sent the most relieved smile I could and took out my little flag. Ruby smiled and waved hers in the air. I let out a small chuckle and did the same. From my peripheral vision, I saw that Yang and Blake took theirs out as well and began waving them. We let out small giggles of laughter, enjoying the company and silliness of one another. In a much better mood than when I first got here, I collapsed onto an open seat and let out a sigh a sigh I didn't know I had. The tension in my muscles loosened and I sank into the chair, finally able to relax after having such a stressful day.

We sat there in silence for a moment, enjoying the period of silence with one another. It had been a very stressful day. Yang broke the silence soon though, "So, how many times did they say you were stung?" She asked Ruby.

Ruby winced and was just about to speak when we heard a very familiar, but certainly welcomed voice, "I would like to know that as well if you don't mind telling me." Our heads darted in the direction we heard the voice, and I couldn't help but smile, "Dad!" We all said, and I sprung from my chair to give him a hug. It's been a while since I've seen him in person.

He softly smiled and opened up his arms. Accepting his invitation, I barreled into his embrace. Yang and Blake soon joined in, just as happy as me to see him. After hugging for a little bit, he ended the hug and started looking us up and down, a look of concern on his face, "Are you three alright? Are you hurt in any way?" He said, unconsciously bringing his arms up and searching for any kind of injuries.

"We're fine dad, just a little shaken up is all." Blake told him after he got done checking her ears. He only smiled at that, "Good, that's good." He said, bringing us into another hug. He's always been such a worry wort since mom died, so we were used to this kind of thing.

He let us go and slowly approached Ruby, who had her arms out waiting for her own hug. Not wanting to disappoint her, he leaned down and gently hugged her.

"You gave me quite the scare there Ruby." Dad said, wiping his eyes while chuckling a little. Ruby sadly smiled and spoke, "Sorry about that."

Dad only shook his head, "Don't apologize for something you didn't have no control over." He said to her in a serious tone of voice. Ruby nodded in understanding and he smiled back at her, "I'm just glad you're doing fine. Do you need anything?" He asked, leaning on his knees. Ruby only smiled and shook her head no.

Dad smiled and ruffled up her hair, "I raised a tough girl huh? Tougher than me at least, you should have heard me when I was first stung by one of those little devils. I screamed and balled for hours." He said with a low chuckle, a look of nostalgia spreading across his face. We all couldn't help ourselves but to let out a little laugh at that.

The laughter eventually died down and silence returned to the room. Dad looked to Ruby again and asked a question, "So, how many times did they say you were stung?" He said in a calm and collected voice. I leaned in and paid close attention to what she was about to say. She winced, but she did speak, "They said I was stung a little over three dozen times." I heard the cracking of knuckles at that, but I couldn't tell whose. It could have been dad, me, Blake, or Yang, but it didn't matter. We were all perpetually pissed off. I will get Cardin back for this somehow, it's the least he deserves.

"I'm very sorry to hear that Miss Rose." The voice of another very familiar person said from behind us. We turned around and saw Professor Ozpin standing in the doorway with a mug of coffee in one hand and... 'are those pink slips?' I was willing to admit that my heart sank when I saw them.

Professor Ozpin had a hard and tired look on his face, looking like he's had a very stressful day so far. He nods to dad and spoke, "I see that you did indeed arrive Tai. It's nice to see you here." He said, a grace of a smile appearing on his face. I looked at dad in confusion, and he answered my unspoken question, "Ozpin called me as soon as he learned that Ruby was attacked." I saw Professor Ozpin wince a little at that. "As soon as he said that you all will be here, I left Patch immediately and rushed over here. I even forgot my scroll." He said, embarrassingly chuckling to himself. So that's why he never answered.

Professor Ozpin's smile became a little more pronounced at dad's words, "That does seem like something you would do." He said, taking a swig of his coffee before leveling us with a look, "May I come in?" We nodded, and he stepped into the room.

We were all still looking at the pink slips in his hands with worry, we did hit Cardin and his team pretty hard, so we should have probably expected this. Professor Ozpin must have noticed our looks because he quickly dispelled our worry, "Oh, don't worry, these aren't for the three of you. They are for the now defunct Team CRDL. It just so happens that they are making a stay here and that's why I have them." He told us, and the tension I felt in my body lessened immensely. I heard Blake and Yang both let out sighs of relief knowing that we wouldn't be expelled.

"If I may ask," Dad started, "just what kind of injuries did these boys sustain?" He asked, his voice smooth like water, though I did notice a hint of something more sinister in it. We turned toward Professor Ozpin, awaiting an answer.

He replied in a flat tone of voice, though you could tell he was a little amused, "Cardin received 18 broken ribs, with the other six being fractured in his impromptu flying. He actually came really close to having some of the shards of bone fragments penetrate his lungs and heart. Though with his aura back intact they are slowly healing." I looked over my shoulder and saw that Yang had a complicated look on her face. She wasn't upset that she had done it, if she was placed in the situation again she would have done the same thing she did. It was the fact that she actually almost killed Cardin that gave her pause. I hope she doesn't let this get to her, Cardin did almost kill Ruby after all.

"Russel, the one who held the box of Rapier Wasps, has a completely shattered nose along with some missing teeth. He also heavily bruised the majority of his ribs when he impacted the tree that Blake sent him flying to." He said in the same calm tone of voice. Blake's face didn't look nearly as complicated as Yang's did, mainly because of the extent of the injuries if I have to guess. Though, she did still seem a little upset.

"Dove and Lark had the exact same injuries as one another, heavily bruised backs, shattered noses, and missing teeth. All in all, nothing that their auras can't fix." That... didn't bother me as much as I thought it would. In my humble opinion, they all got what they fucking deserved. You don't hurt Ruby like that and not expect to get some broken teeth in turn.

Dad put a comforting hand on Yang's shoulder and pulled her into a hug. Yang smiled and leaned into it, already feeling better about the whole situation.

"Well, now that that's done, let me explain why I am here." Professor Ozpin spoke, gaining our attention once more, "The first was to come and check on Miss Rose and to hand out these expulsion slips." He said, gesturing to the slips in his hands, "The second is that I need you to explain why Team CRDL and Jaune would possibly do something like this." He said in a much more serious tone of voice, "In all my years as Headmaster of Beacon, nothing like this has happened before and I'm really curious as to why it has happened."

We straightened ourselves up at his tone of voice and got ready to explain the whole situation.

Professor Ozpin sat back and took out a notepad and looked at us, "Now, please start from the beginning." With that, we began recounting our times with Jaune and Team CRDL.


Ozpin's POV, Headmaster's office

I sat back in my chair and let out a sigh. Today has been very long and stressful. All I wanted to do was go to my bed and collapse from exhaustion, but that wasn't possible right now.

The discussion with Team RWBY did enlighten a lot of things though, so there was that to be grateful for. Though, this all could have been prevented if the faculty and I paid better attention and if Team RWBY and JNPR reported this matter sooner, but hindsight is 20-20.

Taiyang wasn't happy that they didn't report this to us sooner, and I had to tell them to do so in the future, but it could have gone worse. He especially wasn't happy when they got to the part of Cardin making racist remarks toward Blake. I could tell that it had taken a significant amount of willpower from him to not leave the room to find Cardin and dish out a 'suitable' punishment.

After we had our conversation, I gave Team RWBY tomorrow off to recoup and heal. It was Friday tomorrow anyways, and after today they need a three day break at the least. Saying my goodbyes and my wish for Miss Rose to get better, I left the room and headed for Team CRDL. They were still all unconscious and I didn't really want to talk with them anyways, so I just placed the slips next to their beds and left. Their final time at Beacon will be packing up and leaving in shame and disgrace.

When I was leaving the hospital, I passed Winter making her way to Miss Rose's room. She was surprised to see me there, almost dropping her bouquet of roses she had when she saw me. After recovering from her stupor, she told me that she was there to check up on Ruby and make sure she was alright. It was easy to tell that she felt guilt for what happened to Ruby, probably blaming herself that she couldn't stop what happened. Wanting to dispel those kinds of notions, I placed a reassuring hand on her shoulder and thanked her for such a fast and well response that she did.

She smiled when I said that, already starting to feel better about what happened. Though it was easy to tell that she still felt guilt. After telling her that Team RWBY would enjoy her company and the flowers, I made my way back to Beacon.

I thought long and hard about what I still have to do. Rumors about what transpired at Forever Fall have already made their way into the student body and have even made rounds in the media. That was going to be fun to deal with.

But that wasn't what my attention was mainly focused on.

I heard a knock at the door, "Come in Mr. Arc." I say, turning around in my seat, hands placed against my chin. A habit that this body had before the fusion.

The door opens up and in comes the major reason for my headache. Jaune looked like he went ten rounds with an Ursa, looking completely defeated. His eyes were downcast, and the way he held himself made him look all the more defeated. It didn't take a genius to know that he's had a horrible day so far. Unfortunately for him, it's probably only going to get worse.

Normally this would all be clear cut, with all that he did I have every right to expel him and make sure he doesn't step foot inside this school again. But, my paranoia of White Fang activity in Forever Fall may have just saved him.

"Take a seat, Mr. Arc." I tell him in a no nonsense tone of voice. He quickly sat down and waited for me to speak again, not making any sort of eye contact.

I lean back in my chair and sigh, "You're in some pretty deep trouble Mr. Arc, some bad trouble indeed." He only lowers his head further in response.

I stare at him for a moment before continuing, "Now, normally for a situation like this, you would already be out these doors and packing your bags, never to set foot into this school again." He peaks his head up at my words, confused as to why that wasn't the case already.

"But, you may have very well of been saved from that, but don't think there isn't going to be some serious consequences from your actions." In all honesty, he very well could still be expelled, but I won't tell him that yet. I need to know the answers to the many questions I have before I made my decision.

I press a button on a remote that was laying on my desk and from the ceiling, a TV lowered itself. Jaune was surprised by this but I ignored it and pressed another button.

A video flickered to life and on it was security cam footage of the events that transpired not even 12 hours ago. Jaune's eyes go bug-eyed at what he was seeing, but I ignored him again.

He should consider himself very lucky, because without this, he would already be gone. The only reason I had these installed in the first place was because of the White Fang. They have been doing a lot of operations in the area, and with us frequently using Forever Fall for training and similar stuff, I decided a little extra security was in order. Who knew that it would come in handy for something like this?

The video played from the time Jaune, Cardin and his team arrived, to the time Winter and Glynda arrived. We sat in absolute silence as the clip played in full. After all was said and done, I turned toward Jaune again, "From the angle of the video, it was clear that you didn't have sight of Ruby whatsoever, meaning when you, stupidly, threw the jar of sap, you had no idea she was there, did you?" He only silently nodded, horrified by what he saw.

I had no sympathy however and pressed on, "That, is the only thing that has saved you, just a slight rise in elevation and where you were standing. It was clear though that Cardin was baiting you to throw, why you still did it, I don't know, and I would love to find out why?" I said, leaning on the desk.

I didn't speak further, and when it finally clicked for Jaune I was asking a question, he finally met my gaze, "He... was taunting me to throw it, and I was already mad and tired, so I obliged." He said in a low tone of voice.

I only sigh and answer, "Yes Mr. Arc, that is quite easy to see, my question however was not why did you throw it, but rather, why not just turn around and find a teacher to tell this about? Better yet, why were you with Team CRDL and not your team and friends in the first place? Because I can tell, you weren't cordial with Team CRDL whatsoever."

He gained a complicated look on his face, almost like he was scared to tell what was wrong. He wasn't making a good case for himself, and he knew that as well.

"They... has some blackmail on me." He slowly got out, almost as if it was painful to say. Just like Team RWBY and his teammates said. I nodded and indicated for him to go on. He knew what I wanted, but it seems that he couldn't get it out.

"Well, what is it that they had on you to do this? What's so important that you turned your back on your team, your friends, and refuse their help. Refused to go to a teacher for help. Tell me Mr. Arc, because my fuse is only getting worse." I was starting to get mad, Jaune had all the resources he needed around him, but he refused them all. Instead letting pride and fear lead him. Whatever Cardin had, it must have been big. There was no logical explanation as to why he's gone about this the way he did.

He just sat there, frozen in fear and indignation, words refusing to leave his mouth. I slammed my fist on the table and spoke in a louder tone of voice, "Damn it Jaune! Tell me why right now, or I swear you'll be on the next airship off Beacon!" Was it professional? No. Was it effective? Yes, very much so.

His head zipped up to meet my eyes and he finally spoke, "He found out my transcripts were faked!" He yelled out. That gave me pause, did I hear that correctly?

"I told Pyrrha on the roof of Beacon as to why I was so bad at Combat Class, why I didn't even have my aura unlocked before I came here! I never attended a Combat school, I never properly held a weapon before I came here, and I hadn't had my aura unlocked before I came here! I applied here just to spite my dad, but when the letter came back and said that I was accepted, I couldn't have been happier! I never thought I would have got this chance, but when I did, I took it." He said, taking a deep breath before continuing.

"I wasn't thinking, I should have known that it was a bad idea to come here when I had no prior training, but by the time I realized that, I was already nearly here. I couldn't turn back, I said some things I shouldn't of to my family before I left, so I thought I had no choice. It was either I become a Hunter, or go back home a disgrace." He sank lower into the chair, his hands finding purchase on his head.

"I wanted nothing more than to become a Hunter all my life. When I received the letter back that I was accepted, I didn't think about what that meant. I didn't think about the consequences that may have and the effects it may have on others, I only thought of myself. I was so scared that if my secret got out, I would be ostracized and expelled. That I would return home a failure and a loser." By this point he was openly sobbing, but I just let him continue.

"But that was stupid of me to assume! Pyrrha didn't when I told her, she even offered to help me train, and look what I did! I spat on her good grace and turned my back on her and the others! When she finally left the roof and I had time to think about what had happened over, I was petrified. Like I made the worst mistake of my life. That was when Cardin hopped over the railing of the school and revealed he'd heard everything. I wanted nothing more than to ensure that my secret didn't get out, so I begged him not to say anything. I promised to do just about anything to not let it get out. That's why I've been with him these past weeks, why I've ditched my team. All because of a STUPID FUCKING SECRET!" He was balling at this point, but I remained stoic, letting him spill his guts to me.

"Now I've screwed everything up! I've abandoned my team and have lost their trust! I've failed them both as a friend and as a team leader. I should have trusted them more, I should have came clean with them! Now because of my arrogance and pride, I lost all of that!"

He took a minute to recuperate and gain his breath before speaking again, "Because of my mistakes, it got one of the first friends I've made here, someone who actually cared about me, sent to the hospital. All because of my... stupid... secret." He lost his words for a moment, all that came was choked sobs.

"Now, I lost some amazing friends, I betrayed their trust, and I almost killed their sister! All because I was fucking selfish and prideful." He finally finished up, taking in long and deep breaths.

His eyes were red and tears were still visibly flowing, it was easy to tell that he felt immense guilt at what he had done. He wanted nothing more than to turn back the clock and start all over, but that was unfortunately impossible.

It was silent for a long moment, with the only sound being Jaune's sniffling. I had to take a step back and analyze what I just heard. Well, at least I know what and why he kept his secret. Now was the fun part to come up with a proper punishment.

I internally sigh, this was just supposed to be a VERY thorough dressing down. There was a possibility of expulsion, but I didn't think it would come to that. But with all this new information, it just got a lot more complicated.

I was honestly quite mad at the moment, not at Jaune, but at myself. The sheer incompetence that I have for not figuring out that his transcripts were faked left me immensely disappointed with myself. I knew they looked fishy when I saw them, but I for some reason didn't press the issue.

Now, not only did he attack another student, no matter how much of an accident that was, but he also lied and cheated his way into here, meaning someone who actually could have earned their way here wasn't given the chance because of that. This day just keeps getting better and better, doesn't it?

Jaune calmed down enough that I was finally able to speak, coming to a verdict that was suitable, "Well, Mr. Arc, that is indeed some secret you've kept. One I can see why you would want to hide, but were idiotic to do so. Not only have you lost the respect of any of the faculty, but also those of your peers. You burned a lot of bridges with your stunt Mr. Arc, and those are going to be nearly impossible to rebuild. I hope it was worth it." His head lowered upon hearing my words, but I wasn't close to done at the moment.

"Not only did you send a student to a hospital with enough Rapier Venom pumped into them to leave them paralyzed for weeks, if not months, but you also lied and cheated your way into here, taking the opportunity from someone who actually worked their way here. You should consider yourself lucky that Ruby is miraculously almost fully recovered, or else we wouldn't be having this conversation." The look of horror and guilt on his face told me all I needed to know, but I still had things that needed to be said.

"I have every right to expel you and send you home, by all means I should... but I won't." The way his eyes zipped to mine was honestly quite hilarious, but I, unfortunately, wasn't in a comedic mood.

With a sigh I continue, "Instead, I'm going to let you decide if you want to stay, but you will have to hear the conditions of doing so." He seemed slightly scared that I said that, but it was overshadowed by his surprise. He only nodded and paid rapt attention as I spoke once more.

"First, is that you are no longer the leader of Team JNPR, you lost every right you had to that claim with all the mistakes you've done." He became downcast at that, but he only nodded, probably expecting something like that.

"The second is that you will maintain a spot in the top five of every class you have excluding Combat Class, in which you must be in the top 20 by the end of the semester or I will send you home." He seemed slightly concerned about that, but he nodded in agreement.

"The third, you have to tell your team and Team RWBY the secret you've been hiding from them." A look of horror spread across his face when I said that. It was easy to tell that he didn't want that to do that, but he had no choice. It was either that, or he be sent home.

He nodded again, this time with extreme reluctance. "Good, you can start with your team and then move on to the hospital where Team RWBY is. You will also inform your team that Pyrrha is the new team leader. You will still operate under Team JNPR for simplicity's sake." Was it smart for Pyrrha to be a team leader? Probably not, but she does have the most potential and starlight out of all of them. If I was picking who would be best for the position, I would have chosen Ren, but I didn't need the best leader right now, I needed a figurehead people could look to in awe and know that they are safe. Ren just doesn't have that presence.

I take a sip of my coffee before continuing, "Jaune, your time at Beacon just got a whole lot worse with the stunts that you've pulled, what could have been fixed easily has now shifted into a staggering challenge for you to overcome. As much as it pains me to say it, you will face heavy scrutiny now. Rumors have already spread about what happened in Forever Fall and they're only getting worse. I'll try my best to lessen the blow, but you should expect it. You have a long and perilous journey ahead of you Jaune, but I know you can come out better for it. You can't change the past, so don't dwell on it too much, just make sure that you do better from now on, that's the best advice I can give you." I told him as seriously as I could. His time here will be rough, but I'm sure he will come out better for it.

He has a resolute look on his face and just nodded my way, wiping the last few stray tears all the while. "That is all I wanted Mr. Arc, you are free to go." I said, and he stood up and made his way over to the door.

Before he left I remember a crucial detail that he would definitely appreciate, "Oh, and one more thing, Team RWBY's dad and Miss Schnee are at the hospital with Ruby as well, I'm sure they would love to know why you did what you did." The look of horror on his face was hilarious and I had to cover my mouth so he didn't see my smile, he just slowly nodded and turned around and left. He wasn't going to have a fun night, that's for sure.

Now, it was time for me to collapse from exhaustion.


Well, here is another chapter! I hoped you enjoyed it!

I kinda liked this chapter. I definitely felt like I could have done better, but I couldn't think of anything. But, let me know what you think. I love to hear your thoughts on the matter!

Also, I was surprised at the great reception of the last chapter, I could have sworn that I would have gotten more flak for it, but I didn't. I must be doing something right, so that's nice.

Also, I got my first negative review. It's part of the reason why the grammar (should) be better. It finally pushed me to download Grammarly, so let me know if it helped. If you would like to know what it said, you can find it on ao3 under chapter five, Dust Shop Brawl. As I said, I take any kind of reviews seriously, so please, don't hold back.

The consequences of Jaune's actions have made themselves known. It is going to be a long and hard journey for him, but he will come out better for it.

The next Chapter will (should) be Team RWBY enjoying the extra day off. Who knows, maybe something extra will happen ;). On that note, I'm trying REALLY hard to make their romantic relationship as organic as possible, so maybe nothing will happen next Chapter? Who knows. Let me know what you think.

Well, that's all I can think of at the moment. If you have any kind of questions about this Chapter or the story in general, please, shoot me a message or something, I would love to hear them.

So until next time, and have a fantastic day!