Soft. Warm. Like a heavy blanket covering his body in the dead of winter. He didn't want to move. He didn't want to shift the pleasant weight which was covering him. He didn't even want to open his eyes to the searing light which was doubtlessly piercing through the window.

"Are you awake?"

The distinctly feminine voice was soft and soothing. Caring. Protective. His mother, or maybe one of his older sisters. Despite her teasing nature, Saphron had an undeniable protective streak when it came to her younger siblings. She would undoubtedly make a great mother someday.

Jaune's head shifted on the pillow, turning to the side which he could tell was darker even through closed eyes. His face met something soft and warm. Like a second pillow pressing up against his forehead. It was pure bliss. "Five more minutes," he mumbled sleepily.

He felt a hand sift through his long blond locks. "Okay. Five more minutes. Or... more if you'd like."

More. He would most certainly like more. He didn't want this comfortable feeling to end. Despite still being half-asleep, Jaune knew he was exhausted. His body ached like he had just been training with Crocea Mors for hours straight.

It would have been just like one of his sisters to let him sleep the morning away. As one of the youngest siblings in the family, and the only brother, his older siblings did enjoy spoiling him from time to time. When they weren't tormenting him, that was. In the end it often wound up as an equal exchange.

One thing was for certain though. If it was Saphron who was trying to wake him, she needed to trim her fingernails. The way the tips of her nails stroked his scalp made them feel like a set of daggers threatening to rend the flesh from his skull.

Daggers. Rending flesh. Skull.

Images flashed in his mind. Horrifying monsters. A torn and bloody arm. The unhinged jaws of a giant snake. The red.

Jaune's head shot up, nearly hitting the underside of the bed which stood above his own. The room was dimly lit, the only light coming from a handful of candles which sat hanging from the walls. The warmth had gone, and looking next to him, he saw that it had not been a blanket which covered him. It was Ruby. At least she was wearing clothes this time. He tried to ignore the pang of disappointment at that thought.

A pair of blood-red eyes watched him with concern as he tried to collect his thoughts and memories. The last thing he remembered was being out in the Grimmlands, battling for his life against the creatures of darkness which had surrounded him on all sides. There had been a giant scorpion-like Grimm which had for some reason rescued him from the snake. The snake that had eaten him. How was he even still alive?

Even now, pale white fingers were still wrapped around his abdomen as Ruby laid next to him. The hand which had run through his hair was without question her monstrous black one. How was it that it, and she of all creatures was so comforting? So warm? Every gentle stroke made him want to fall into her embrace more and more, to just go back to sleep and rest. Then he realized the most important question. What was she doing in bed with him?

There were a plethora of questions at the front of Jaune's mind. He decided to ask the first and most obvious one. "What happened?"

Her grip on him had still not been released, and she appeared to have no intent of doing so as she responded to him. "You don't remember?"

More and more memories began filtering into his mind. Tyrian. The ship crashing. The first Grimm he had ever killed, him nearly being killed in the process. It had been a short-lived victory which could not be celebrated at the time. In a school like this, he wondered if killing any Grimm period would ever be openly celebrated.

"Some things," he answered truthfully. There were still gaps in his memory from after he had passed out. He had no idea how he had wound up in his bed. And still less of an idea of why Ruby was in it with him. "How did I get here?"

He felt Ruby's grip on him tighten as she pressed her body closer to his. "You rode a Death Stalker back to the school," she told him. There was a hint of amazement in her tone. "I can't believe it. You tamed a Death Stalker and used it to get back to the school. That's... incredible."

A Death Stalker? Was that the name of the giant scorpion which had picked him up and deposited him on its back? It was useful information to have moving forward. There was still so much he didn't know. Did all of the Grimm have individual names? Doubtlessly there was more that he didn't even know that he didn't know.

So Ruby thought that he had 'tamed' the beast for his own benefit? He supposed there was no harm in letting her believe that little white lie. No good would come from her knowing the truth, after all. "Y-yeah," he agreed. "It was, um, the best and fastest way to get back to the school. Who wants to walk, am I right?"

"Yeah..." The word was forced through her throat, with Ruby nearly choking on it before it could leave her lips.

Jaune had never seen the girl like this. Despite her frightening features, he could tell that she was shaken up by something. She hadn't even looked this sad the first day they met.

"Ruby? What's wr-"

The words were cut off as the girl pressed her head against his chest. Her horns nuzzled him, moving from side to side as her other arm wrapped around him. He was completely enveloped by the girl, being forced back down onto the bed as her horns continued to rub against him.

"I was so scared," she whispered. "I was scared you would die out there. That... that you were too sick and they'd eat you. And my only friend would be gone... I'd be alone again..."

Little did she know that he had in fact been eaten out there. He just hadn't been digested before something happened. Before his body had burned a brilliant white-gold color, and he had literally hacked his way out of a giant snake Grimm's belly.

Aura...

Just as Tyrian had shown him. It must have been his Aura. Jaune wasn't sure about the specifics of the stuff, but he knew just from his experience with Tyrian that it protected one from bodily harm. Maybe it even healed injuries. His once torn and bloody left arm was pain free. It looked and felt fully healed.

There was also the fact that Ruby, with all her super strength, was not crushing his body at this very moment. Had this been a day earlier, he was sure that the girl's grip would have crushed bones and ruptured organs. Yet now here he was, simply being held and cuddled by the Grimm girl.

Wait, why was she cuddling him?

He hated to admit it, but the feel of her soft body against his felt good. Grimm hybrid or not.

"I knew you were strong..." she continued. "But I still wasn't sure you'd come back alive..."

She was obviously distressed by the ordeal he had just been through. She was doing all she could in her power to try and comfort him. Should he not do the same for her?

Jaune wrapped his arms around her in turn, bringing the rest of her body even closer to his in the process. The act spurred the girl on, and her grip on him tightened impossibly more. If not for her long horns, it would be no different than holding any other girl against him. He had never been this close to a girl before...

In this moment, knowing where he was and what he faced, he needed any sort of comfort he could find. Right now Ruby was perhaps the only thing in this school that didn't want him harmed or killed. Her comfort was a welcome relief.

If he closed his eyes he could just pretend she was a normal girl. A normal girl without a terrifying black skeletal arm. Without a pair of horns sticking out of her forehead. Just a nice, warm, soft, squishy girl. Two squishy parts in particular that he had seen with his own eyes...

He stopped himself immediately before such thoughts could continue. Bad Jaune, his mind screamed. Don't get turned on by monster girls!

"Strong," she whispered. "Strong arms..."

Jaune's eyes widened as he realized what she meant by that. Maybe he wasn't the only one getting turned on at the moment. His arms left her back immediately, suddenly feeling self-conscious about holding the girl in his 'strong arms' as she had put it.

Her head rose in response, a look of longing and betrayal in her eyes. "Why'd you stop?"

Sure, put him on the spot like that. There was nothing wrong with a girl, especially a Grimm hybrid girl, asking the normal human guy about why he wasn't holding her anymore!

Jaune shifted his bed, and it was enough to get Ruby to remove her arms from his body as he sat up once more. He moved so that his legs could be planted on the floor. Ruby moved as well to sit side by side with him.

He had to change the subject quickly. Or at least shift the attention. "Ruby? How long was I asleep?"

The hybrid brought a finger up to her chin. Eyes looked up to the ceiling in thought. "Hmmm. Well you came back last evening. It's morning now so... maybe twelve hours?"

He had slept for twelve hours? Just how badly had he been injured out there? More importantly, how did he get from the Death Stalker's back to in bed with Ruby? And more importantly still, why had Ruby been in bed with him?

They were all questions he desperately wanted answered. The fact that he was still alive was a wonder to the boy. Something had happened out there. Something had decided that he was worth saving, but he couldn't very well tell Ruby that it had been completely out of his hands. Not if he wanted to preserve the illusion that he was indeed strong. And right now he needed her, and everyone else in the school to believe that.

He decided that he would attempt to probe her for information without actually coming out and admitting to his own weaknesses. "So can I ask you something?"

She nodded. "Sure."

"Why were you in bed with me?"

He didn't want it to sound like some sort of accusation, but it was a real and genuine question. He had to assume that because he was back in his room with her, that she had been the first one to find him after being brought back to the school by the Death Stalker. However, bringing him back to their room didn't mean that she had to share the bed with him.

"Oh, that," she said nonchalantly. Like pressing her body up against him wasn't a big deal at all. "I just did it to protect you from Blake."

He blinked. "Blake?"

He had heard the name before, but couldn't recall who exactly it was. He couldn't put a face to the name. Considering the appearances of some of the students here, maybe that was a good thing.

"You were exhausted! I can't imagine how hard it was to battle and tame an ancient Death Stalker and command it to bring you back to the academy."

Right. He had definitely battled and tamed it. It had absolutely not just scooped him onto its back before he passed out from pain and fatigue.

"So when we saw it drop you off in front of the school I couldn't believe it! You had not only survived, but had conquered the Grimm too! But you were so tired from the fighting that you couldn't defend yourself. I knew I had to be the first to get out there and bring you back so she couldn't... get you."

"Get me?"

"And so I had to scent you in order to keep her away," she continued, ignoring his question. "If you had my scent on you then she wouldn't sneak in and try anything. Probably."

The fact that Ruby was being so vague and elusive with her explanation wasn't helping matters. He didn't know who Blake was, but Ruby was making her out to be some sort of Grimmified Boogieman. As if this place could get any worse. Now he had to worry about some hybrid named Blake who haunted the night. Who apparently preyed on the defenseless.

"Uh... thank you?" he asked.

"No problem!" she said genuinely. She playfully bumped her shoulder against his, and her tiny size betrayed the strength she was capable of. Even with Aura, it still hurt.

Still though, Ruby's solution was kind of an extreme one. Now that he was fully recovered, he was certain there was no need for such measures. If there ever was need for it in the first place. "I appreciate the thought, but you probably don't need to do it anymore. The, uh, sleeping next to me part."

She shuffled nervously next to him. "Oh. Okay."

There was more than just her body language. He could hear the uneasiness in her voice too. The last thing he wanted was for things to be awkward between them now. He couldn't afford to alienate his only friend in this school. Filling this uncomfortable silence would be an important first step in getting things back to normal.

Normal. What a funny thought in a place like this.

"So what should we do now?" he asked. "What time is it even?"

"Oh!" she said excitedly. "Let's go get some breakfast before class. You must be starving after everything you've been through."

Only now did Jaune realize that he had not eaten anything since arriving at the academy. He had woken up late yesterday and had gone to class without eating breakfast. Then came his journey in the Grimmlands. Finally he had been returned to the academy and slept for twelve hours. He was absolutely starving. He felt like he could eat an entire cow by himself.

He stood up, prompting his roommate to do the same. "That sounds great," he smiled. "You're right, I am really hungry right now."

"Good! I hear they're serving cow today."

He frowned. "You mean beef, right?" It was probably just an issue of the Grimm girl not knowing the actual term for cow meat.

It was cow meat all right. Cow meat straight off the bone.

Jaune watched in horror as his classmates tore the corpses of the animals apart with reckless abandon. Ripping flesh straight off the bone and throwing it into their mouths like ravenous dogs. The smell of blood and death filled his nostrils. Pools of red liquid puddled on the tables, eventually dribbling onto the floor when they could no longer hold the sheer amount of the stuff.

And yet... it seemed normal. For them at least. Not one of the hybrids appeared to be put off by the behavior. Not one questioned the methods in which they ate. Not one asked for the meal to be cooked. Nope. There were simply cow carcasses everywhere, and the students were chowing down on them without a care in the world.

Ruby herself seemed particularly pleased, bobbing up and down in her seat in what Jaune could only describe as a 'happy dance'. Her eyes were closed and her head gently swayed as she chewed on a piece of raw meat.

He looked down at the piece of bloody flesh on the plate in front of him. Even having gone more than twenty four hours without eating, he couldn't imagine eating it. It was like looking at a package of raw steak back home. It was just... vile. And it would most certainly actually make him ill. He couldn't afford to get sick, knowing what he knew now.

"You gonna eat that?" a nearby voice asked.

Jaune turned to see Yang staring past Ruby at him. Or more accurately, at the chunk of meat that sat before him. Her tongue was circling her lips as she eyed the animal flesh. At times he could see flashes of the pink appendage within her cheek holes. Was she licking at those as well?

He was not going to eat it. So it wouldn't hurt to give it to Yang. Maybe it would even earn her favor. "Oh, uh, you can have it," he offered politely.

The blonde's teeth bared as she smiled. A massive arm came across to snatch the meat from his plate. "Thanks!" A moment later she bit down into it, and the sound of ripping meat filled his ears. The sights, sounds, and smells were almost enough to make the boy vomit.

Ruby meanwhile reached across the table and grabbed a long, thick bone from the animal's remains. She examined it for a moment before turning to her sister. "Yaaaaaang? Can you crack the bone open for me?"

Yang sighed audibly. "Ruby, you're getting too old for me to keep doing it for you."

"But I always splinter it! Please?"

Another breath slipped from the older hybrid's lips. Taking hold of the bone that Ruby held before her, there was a sharp snapping sound as Yang broke the bone cleanly in two. "Fine. But you know if I keep doing this for you that you'll never grow up."

Ruby scoffed. "I don't need to be able to do it on my own to grow up. I drink marrow."

The words might have sounded defiant if Ruby hadn't begun to happily suck the marrow out of the bone like a kid enjoying a juice box. That was certainly one way to obtain calcium. She was right in that regard.

Despite the horrors that he witnessed, Jaune's stomach still growled angrily. There had to be something, anything else to eat around here. Something to satisfy his burning hunger. Or maybe... just a way to alter the preparation of the meal.

"So..." he began. "Can I get mine cooked? Or is it always raw?"

"Cooked?" Ruby questioned. "Why would you want it cooked?"

"Yeah," Yang agreed. "Cooking gets rid of all the blood."

Yes. Yes it did. Along with all the harmful bacteria and viruses which were present in raw meat. Things which the Grimm hybrids either didn't know or have to worry about. But humans did.

Humans...

Jaune thought back to his first day. To the speech the woman named Salem had given. They were here to learn to be human. To infiltrate human society. To learn their customs and behavior. Humans certainly did not eat like wild animals. They did not eat raw meat. They did not suck the marrow from a cow's bones. Therefore, would it not make sense to begin eating like humans?

It was worth a shot. Right now it was his only option. "Well... humans cook their food," he explained. It wasn't very hard, considering that he was speaking from experience. "And we want to learn to act more human, right?"

Ruby removed the bone from her mouth, and her lips parted in awe. "That's brilliant... you should definitely ask one of the professors if you can use the kitchen!"

Yang hummed. "I never thought of it like that before." She looked down at the bloody hunk of meat in her hand. "How do humans enjoy it when it's not bloody and raw?"

Jaune laughed. "I've picked up a few tricks. Little seasoning here, different ways to prepare it. Sometimes you can even make it rare, with a bit of blood left, depending on what you're cooking." He tried to ignore the hungry glint in Yang's eye at the revelation.

"See, that's why Jaune's so smart!" Ruby gushed. "Not only does he look like the perfect human, but he thinks like one too! If I didn't know any better I'd actually think he was one!"

The words sent a chill down Jaune's spine. He couldn't leave Ruby's words hanging in the air like that. That might open up room for questions. He didn't need questions right now.

Jaune forcibly laughed, playfully slapping Ruby on the arm. "Human, that's a good one. I mean, that's why we're here, right? To blend in with humans! Like... like..."

He desperately scanned the room, but all he saw was black and white flesh. Red eyes. No one else in the room looked like he did. It seemed like no one else could, or felt like putting their human form on display like he did.

Then he saw her.

Jaune's breath hitched, stunning him briefly. There, gliding into the room amidst the carnage and blood-stained decor, was one of the most beautiful young women he could ever recall seeing. Elegant features graced her perfect face. Stunning white hair, icy blue eyes. Even with her short black dress, she was such a sharp contrast to her surroundings that it took a moment to hear the cackling beside him.

Yang's cackling.

"See something you like?" the girl asked amusedly. "Dangerous tastes there, Jaune. Though I guess she does stand out, given she's got less going on than Ruby."

Jaune shook his head. He didn't know what she meant by the Ruby comment, but he also didn't like what the girl was implying. "I'm not- that's not it at all. I just wasn't expecting to see..." He trailed off, not sure how to best phrase it. Another human? Sure, if he wanted to blow his cover that would be the perfect thing to say.

"Hey, Weiss!" the blonde shouted. "You've got an admirer over here!" She waved her giant limb overhead, prompting the beautiful snow-haired girl to glare in their direction.

"I'm not an admirer," he said louder than necessary, hoping that the approaching girl would hear. "I just- ow!"

He turned to the source of the sharp pain to his arm. Ruby was next to him, looking at him with an expression he couldn't quite read. Had she just ... poked him?

She smiled innocently. "Sorry, Jaune. Just slipped a little bit. These two horns of mine," she said, putting extra emphasis on the number of horns she possessed. Like it was important for some reason. He couldn't quite figure out why. "They're really unwieldy sometimes!"

Jaune was about to reply when he realized another presence had arrived. The slamming of a food tray down onto the table next to him made him turn away from Ruby. There to his right Weiss stood beside him, arms crossed and looking him up and down.

To his horror, her appearance began to change before his very eyes. Her body shifted, features changing. Her skin whitened. Eyes changed from a light, piercing blue to blood-red in color. A single, proud horn emerged from her forehead.

She was no human. She was a monster, just like the rest of them.

Weiss sat down in the empty seat to his right, and Jaune swallowed hard as she glared at him with burning red eyes. "And who are you supposed to be exactly?"

She was intense. It was the only way he could think to describe her. Where Ruby was almost innocent in a way, and Yang seemed to be a fun-loving free spirit, Weiss was all business.

"I... um, well my name is-"

"Wait a minute, I remember you," she cut him off. "You're the one from Professor Callows' class yesterday. The one who was too ill to fight."

She wasn't wrong. However, he would still like her to know his name. "Yeah, that's me," he agreed nervously. "My na-"

"This is Jaune!" Ruby interrupted this time. There was barely contained enthusiasm in her voice as she grabbed him by the shoulder. "He made it back to the school using just this!" she continued, pointing down to the sword which hung from his belt.

Weiss peeked around his body to see what Ruby was pointing at. She studied it for a moment before her eyes came back up to meet his. "What is that? A human weapon?"

It was. Now that he thought about it, Jaune had not seen many... normal weapons, for lack of a better term. Ruby herself wielded a scythe which resembled a human arm bone more than the shaft of a weapon. Yang's monstrous right arm was a weapon in its own right. He wondered what Weiss used. Probably something equally as horrifying.

There was no getting around the fact that it was a distinctly human weapon. He only hoped it would not be too big of an issue. "Uh... yeah. It is."

"You fought your way through the Grimmlands and back to the academy with that?"

"And tamed a Death Stalker," Ruby added helpfully.

"Pretty awesome, isn't it?" Yang interjected. "Bet he plucked it off some huntsman he killed. Nothing cooler than taking a trophy off a dead body, is there?" As if to add emphasis, she savagely tore another bloody bite of meat from the slab in her hand.

Jaune turned his attention to Yang's other weapon. Her shotgun. Had she...?

"So uncivilized," Weiss commented under her breath as she dipped a spoon into the bowl of soup in front of her. Jaune nearly gagged as he saw a pair of eyeballs resting in the broth on the spoon before she daintily sucked them through her lips. He could only hope that they belonged to the cows, and not humans.

He wasn't sure if Weiss' comment had been regarding to Yang's eating habits or Jaune's trophy taking. In any case, the blonde had given him an out. For that he was thankful, and would readily take advantage of it. "Yep!" he agreed. "Some poor clueless loser thought he could be a huntsman. I put him in his place."

It was mostly true, too. Only what the hybrids around him did not realize was that he was in fact that poor clueless loser who wanted to play huntsman.

What in the world had made him think he was ready for any of this? He had precious little training. He hadn't even known what Aura was, much less had it unlocked. If he had gone to a real huntsman academy, he would have likely ended up a bloody red smudge on the pavement sooner or later. It's not like he would have had anyone there to teach him the ropes and play along with his secret. That is if the staff weren't inept or corrupt enough to allow him to infiltrate. But surely a school like Beacon had to of had the most moral and competent of teachers. Right?

"See, this is why he makes such a convincing human," Ruby said. "It's more than about just looking the part. It's... it's... everything! How you act! How you dress! What you eat! What weapons you use! There's so much more to being human than I ever thought, and Jaune's already so good at it! He can even stay in his human form all day!"

Of course he was good at it. He was human. However, if Ruby wanted to keep singing his praises then he wouldn't stop her. The more people thought highly of him, the better.

"Is that so..." Weiss pondered.

Before she or anyone else could add to the thought, a familiar cackling filled Jaune's ears from behind him. His heart skipped a beat, knowing all too well who it belonged to. The man who held Jaune's fate in his psychotic hands.

"I knew you wouldn't disappoint, Master Jaune." Turning around, Jaune saw Tyrian standing close by, arms clasped behind his back as his gaze swept over the four students. He bent slightly at the waist, leaning in as if wishing to share some sort of secret with just them. "Careful with this one, ladies," he said forebodingly. "He's very strong. You'll want to keep him close by..."

Jaune's mouth dropped open. He wanted to ask one simple question. Why? Why would he say such a thing?

The hysterical laughter which followed as Tyrian walked away told Jaune that it was probably best not to ask why. He likely wouldn't have gotten a sensible answer from the madman.

"He even acts terrified like a human would around Professor Callows," Weiss mused. "His impression is impeccable. I must observe him."

Sure. Acts terrified. That worked. Wait, did she just say observe him?

The answer to his internal question came soon enough when he felt a sharp pain in his right arm. Turning to his right, he saw how Weiss' head was slightly lowered, and how the tip of her horn was only inches away from his flesh.

"Ow!" he yelped. "Did you just stab me?"

Ruby's may have been an accident, but Weiss' had absolutely been intentional! The expectant glare in her eyes told him that the action had absolutely been to gain his attention. And it had worked.

"Surprised you could even notice," Yang muttered under her breath. Jaune really did not want to know what she meant by that.

"You," Weiss snapped, either ignoring or genuinely not hearing Yang. "What are you doing this weekend?"

Truth be told, Jaune hadn't had any time to plan much of anything since arriving at this school. Planning on how to use his free time was certainly on the bottom of his list of priorities.

"I, uh..."

"Good. You are going to teach me the secret to maintaining a perfect human form for extended periods of time," she demanded. "Understood?"

Maintain human forms? He wasn't even a Grimm hybrid! How could he teach something he didn't even know how to do? "Uh, well-" He was cut off by the feeling of two horns prodding into his back, drawing his attention to his other side.

"Me too!" Ruby insisted.

"Eh, guess I'm in too," Yang added. "Nothing better to do if there aren't any fights going on."

If it were Ruby alone, he may have been able to placate her demands. But Yang and Weiss? How was he going to escape this mess when he was bound to the school? It wasn't like he lived in one of the kingdoms and could just go out to the city for the whole day. The only thing outside of the school were the creatures of Grimm. Despite having tangled with them just yesterday, he wasn't sure which of the two options were more dangerous.

He felt three sets of glowing crimson eyes all staring at him. He shrunk underneath their gazes. The best he could do right now was accept their proposals, and find a way out when he wasn't under such terrifying scrutiny.

"Yeah, sure," he agreed softly. "Why not?"

It was still only breakfast. The day hadn't even truly begun yet. And yet, he couldn't imagine how things could possibly get any worse than they were right now.

And he still hadn't eaten anything yet.

Jaune managed to slip away from the table, Weiss distracted when Yang's thrashing and gulping of food flung blood her way. Weiss being distracted, panicking over her wild white hair, served to put Ruby into a fit of laughter. Maybe he could find someone to talk with, someone who would let him use the kitchen before classes began. Ruby, Yang, Weiss. Those were the only Hybrids he truly knew.

Yang was the most outwardly monstrous, Ruby a close second. Weiss, he had to admit, wasn't that strange. Normal proportions, only a single horn, and admittedly still lovely features. Was that why she had an easier time appearing human? Certainly it had to be the reason he found her the most attractive. Though, heat rising to his cheeks, Ruby had her charms as well.

"You there."

The voice was gruff but not hostile. Jaune looked up to see his original pilot, the bear of a man who had brought him to this school.

"Y-yes, Mr. Rainart?" Jaune took a step back, looking up at the towering man.

"You are to report to Salem's office immediately."

Jaune blinked. Hazel watched him impassively. Jaune blinked again. Well, at least he hadn't referred to her as a goddess.

"Should I ask...why?"

"No."

Jaune nodded. "Okay. Um, where-"

Hazel jerked his thumb back, towards a stairwell. "High as you can go. Might meet some Grimm on the way. They attack, you kill them. If you can." The larger man began to leave, stopping after a few steps, Jaune taking in everything he had said. "Don't expect anyone to hold your hand here, boy. To survive here, you must be strong. Find what it is you want and fight for it. Otherwise, you'll do nothing but waste everyone's time."

What he wants?

Jaune wanted to leave! Watching the larger man vanish down the hall, Jaune continued on. Looking up, he saw how far the top floor was. Grimacing, he set to work. Once in a while, he could see one of the jellyfish Grimm floating around. They never seemed to be hostile towards him. Once, a pair of tendrils came down in front of him, making him nearly stumble backwards down the stairs.

Looking up, however, he saw nothing. Heart hammering in his chest, he continued his trek. What would the Headmistress, Salem, want with him? Someone that had created these Hybrids, seemed to be the creator of the Grimm themselves? At least now he might get answers. In the distance, the darkness was illuminated by sparks. Looking ahead, he almost missed the clicking of something against the stonework of the walls. Turning around, he found nothing behind him.

Soft, warm air stirred against the back of his neck.

Jaune swung out, twisting all the way around again. His fist hit the wall, nothing behind him. Eyes wide, heart hammering, he looked with fascination at his now glowing fist and the cracked stone that it had struck. Something was there. Something was. He knew it.

"I smell you."

Twisting again, Jaune found nothing. This time he kept from lashing out again. He peered over the edge, into the depths of the stairwell. Nothing but darkness as far as the eye could see. Jaune swallowed, needing to leave. Whatever Salem had to tell him had to be better than this. All the way up, Jaune would have sworn he heard a clickety clack, almost as if something was crawling along the way. Yet never did he spy any such thing.

What Jaune did not see was a figure emerge from beneath the stairs, what he had not noticed were the bladed tendrils, clinging to the stone so closely. Glowing red eyes watched him ascend higher and higher, until they were abruptly gone once more.

Jaune arrived at the highest landing in fairly short order, knowing that even just a day ago he would have been exhausted. Now, he wasn't even winded. He approached the grand double doors, wondering if he should knock. His question was answered when they swung open, just barely missing him.

"Enter."

What struck Jaune the most when entering, head beginning to bow, was something he hadn't considered before. Salem looked exceptionally similar to the self proclaimed Hybrids, only she was almost completely human. A woman maybe in her thirties or perhaps early forties, pristine skin barring her black veins, and not a single monstrous trait to her. No skeletal arms, no missing flesh, no misshapen limbs. Not even a single horn.

"Is there something interesting to you about my appearance, child?"

Jaune rose his hands in defense. "No! I mean, I didn't mean to stare! I was just..." Jaune had to calm down. He had to. He was panicking.

A soft laughter filled the room. "At ease, child. You were probably recognizing where my children and I differ in appearance, yes?"

Jaune stepped forward, nodding. "Yes. You're so much more human looking than they are. I was just surprised by it."

Salem nodded, jewelry interwoven in her hair swaying with the motion. "It is a difficult process, I admit. Creating them is no easy task. More than one child has been lost to the pools of destruction. A regrettable sacrifice. Only one has ever come close to my own perfection, though I fear she has allowed that to go to her head a bit too much."

She sounded so normal. So serene. Jaune found himself nodding along with her words, her tone comforting and inviting. She seemed so human. It was only after that he realized what she had exactly said.

"More than one child...lost?"

Salem nodded. "Yes. Unfortunately, not all can survive a dip in the pools of destruction. Most, in fact, are torn asunder quite instantly. Rather painless once it is over, I imagine." She looked back at Jaune with a coy smile. "What, did you think they were all literally my children? No." A dark look crossed her features, one Jaune did not want to touch on. "No, I have no children of my own."

Jaune stared at her, unsure of what to say. What could he say?

"You may wonder why you are here." She glanced back at him. "Beyond the obvious, of course. You filled out your paperwork, seeded out so that only the desperate like yourself could get a hold of it. Your falsifications were amusing and you were chosen. Why though?" Walking towards him, Jaune realized how tall Salem was. It was almost daunting. "You are to play a role in these girls lives, Jaune. What that role is, you will understand in time. Make no mistake, these young women are no monsters. They were born as human as you, stolen away from their families at very young ages. They have all of the instincts of a Grimm, but I need more from them."

She moved as if she had no legs at all, gliding across the floor without a sound.

"You will be the key to their completion. The final test they must pass, to see my will done."

Jaune paled. "What do you need me to do?"

A small smile twitched at her lips. "Just be yourself, Mr. Arc. Survive, fight and thrive. You will be given nothing. You must earn everything. Make no mistake, even young Ruby would rend you in twain should she learn what you truly are. To survive, you must fight. To fight, you must thrive. To thrive..." She trailed off, looking into the distance. Jaune followed her eye line, looking into the blackened damned skies of the Grimmlands. "Do you know what Aura is, Mr. Arc?"

"I, it's a kind of light. A light that comes from within?"

Salem nodded. "Do you know what your Semblance is, Mr. Arc?"

Jaune frowned. "Semblance?"

Salem laid a hand on his shoulder. "Allow me to demonstrate."

In one fluid motion she drove her hand through his chest.

Jaune stared at the limb, embedded within his torso. The arm that had so cleanly tore his armor and penetrated his flesh. Numbness came first, only to be pushed away by blinding, all consuming pain. He couldn't even scream, so totally did the pain take him. Yet, somehow, her voice still came through, the same humane, warm tone flowing naturally as if nothing had happened. He collapsed to his knees, blood pouring.

"Your Semblance is amplification. Quite a rare gift, and one that is going to prove invaluable for you, Mr. Arc. If you had your Aura up, you would not have been so gravely wounded by that simple gesture. However, you are young. If you act quickly, you can save yourself."

Jaune tried to reach deep for that fire again. That white-gold power he had found slumbering within. It wanted to explode out, but he couldn't just do that. He had to heal this wound. He had to...

"Focus on the pain. With that, transformation comes tempered by flame." Salem's voice weighed heavy on him as he drew up the white flame. Yet it wasn't enough. Jaune remembered how he escaped the snake, focusing on the flame, willing it higher. Willing it hotter. Forcing it to burn brighter.

"When your flesh fails, let that fire devour you from within." Salem continued, Jaune burning away the injury she had inflicted on him. Finally the pain abated, and he could breathe once more. "May then your soul prevail, free to roam again."

Gasping in air, gulping it, Jaune struggled to rise from his knees. Shaking, he looked up at Salem's eyes. She wore the same small smile, held the same expression.

"Very good, Mr. Arc. My children are not quite as refined as I am, so they do not have the control that I possess. It would be in your best interest if you keep your Aura up at all times. Focus on your Semblance, for it will be the only thing that keeps you alive. It would be pleasant if you could survive. Not necessary, but pleasant."

She turned from him, looking out into the Grimmlands for reasons that escaped him. Jaune did not trust himself to speak, stumbling back toward the doors.

"Just a moment."

Jaune turned, terror in his eyes. Salem waved her hand in his direction, his chest plate mending itself as if by magic. Gawking at the repaired metal, he stared back at Salem.

"It wouldn't do to give them such an obvious opening, would it?" A small trickle of laughter came from the older woman who covered her mouth. Jaune noticed the blood that had covered her arm was similarly gone. "You are dismissed."

If Jaune had fallen down the stairs, he wouldn't have cared. If he had to choose between Tyrian and that, he would choose Tyrian every time.

Never again would he willingly seek an audience with Salem.

Jaune shut the door behind him, breathing a sigh of relief when he heard it click shut. He finally felt safe. Away from the cafeteria. Out of the hallway. And most importantly, out of the presence of Salem.

That woman had driven her hand through his chest as if it had been made of paper. As if his armor had been made of paper. He should be dead right now. He would have been if she hadn't willed him to reach down inside himself to use his Semblance. His Aura. To heal the wound she had dealt him with no effort at all.

Classes could wait. He didn't care what anyone else thought of him right now. If he was late, so be it. In this moment he needed time to recover. To collect his thoughts and emotions. A few minutes in the safety of his room would go a long way in doing that. He could then proceed to his first class of the day, and hope that he would go unnoticed throughout the day by both his peers and professors.

Professor Rainart seemed like a... decent enough person. He knew that Jaune was human, and yet did not hold it against him. He actually seemed like a fair man. Like he wanted Jaune to have a chance to succeed here. Perhaps he would need to spend more time with the mountain of a man. To learn whatever he could.

Then there were Professors Watts and Fall. He didn't have a read on them yet. As far as he knew they were unaware of his true nature, and he was unsure of how they would react. It was best to play his secret close to the chest when it came to them.

And then there was Professor Callows... the psychopath who seemed to want him to suffer. Even if the incident in the Grimmlands had been standard operating procedure, the cafeteria incident wasn't. He had no reason to comment on his strength in front of the other hybrids except to see Jaune squirm. The words had earned the attention of Weiss, who had set up what he could only describe as a 'study session' for them on the weekend. The fact that Ruby and Yang had decided to tag along would only further complicate things.

And worst of all? He still hadn't eaten a thing.

Jaune's stomach growled once more, but he was in no position to ask to use the kitchen yet. Not this soon before classes. And he was most certainly not about to chow down on the raw meat the hybrids seemed to enjoy.

A look down revealed the furry form of Zwei at his feet. Gray eyes looked up at him innocently. The dog was probably the only thing in this school that wasn't a threat to his life. It still amazed him that Ruby, a monstrous hybrid, could and would take care of a regular old dog.

His eyes widened in realization. Take care of a dog. Zwei had to eat!

A quick glance around the room revealed something that only a few days ago he never would have dreamed of doing. Sitting on the floor in the corner were two bowls. One with water, and one with food.

Not human food. But at least it wasn't raw.

Jaune bent down, ruffling the fur on Zwei's head gently. "Hey, buddy," he said softly. "I promise this is only gonna be a onetime thing, but... do you think you can share a little bit of your food with me? I'll make it up to you once I start using the kitchen."

Zwei, as expected, said nothing. However he certainly seemed to enjoy the head scratches that Jaune was giving him.

The boy smiled. Something Zwei's size probably didn't eat much anyway. "Thanks. I normally wouldn't do this, but I'm kinda desperate right now. I just need something. Anything to get me through the morning."

The dog food may as well have been filet mignon to the starving boy on that morning. His stomach had no excuse to protest the meal.

Author's Note: This was by far my favorite chapter to write so far. I hope it was fun to read as well.

As always my thanks go out to Burkion and Lightningstrxu for their collaborating powers. Things wouldn't be going nearly as quickly or smoothly without their hard work.

Thanks for reading. I hope you enjoyed it.