Jaune Arc sat next to Blake Belladonna whose mouth hung open as the videos played.
He had already seen the videos so he wasn't in a similar state as her, but he still felt a shiver as the future was laid out to him.
He focused on trying to spot small details that might help him later down the line.
He felt Blake shift in reaction to the videos. He occasionally saw her take a glance at him before going back to the videos.
They didn't speak a single word as the videos played.
He couldn't find any small details but he couldn't find any so he switched his focus to memorizing the videos.
He felt a pinch of guilt at seeing the personal moments of his teammates again. Even though he had already learned such intimate details it still felt strange to watch them unfold like a T.V show, especially Blake's past.
He saw her react in both shock and disgust at the dock fight, the white fang rally with the paladin, and the breach.
He put a hand on her shoulder to calm her. She looked at him and the frown that had taken up residence on her face since the videos started slowly disappeared.
Through his eyes, he tried to communicate that she should keep on watching. She must have gotten the message as she took a deep breath and went back to the videos.
They neared the end of volume three and he felt a stab of pain as he watched the fall occur.
He wasn't as emotional as his first viewing but he still felt anguish at watching all of those huntsmen and civilians dying. This anguish was soon replaced by pure fury towards Cinder.
Blake noticed and put her hand on his and gave it a reassuring squeeze.
They reached Pyrrha's death and he squeezed her hand back for some reassurance.
Her breath picked up as the final scene faded to the blank credits of the show.
They both fell back into their seats and he felt fatigued but much less than his first viewing of the videos.
He looked over to her and she was leaning back in her chair slack. Her posture was crooked but she didn't seem to care.
Her eyes were rimmed red and she took deep shaking breaths. He knew her thoughts were churning at the speed of a bullet.
She looked over to him and was about to speak but stopped and stared at something behind him. His eyes widened and he whipped his head around but saw nothing behind him.
What he did was that the library was utterly dark. Not a single light was on except for their holo-comp which.
The windows of the library were shuttered so no moonlight got in. It was also deathly silent and if he could see in the darkness he was sure that not a single student was actually left in the library.
He heard the pattering of feet approaching them and Blake must have heard it too if her twitching cat ears were any indication.
They both turned around to the source of the noise and waited with bated breath.
Blake's hand twitched near her side for a weapon that wasn't there while he flexed his leg's movement.
Suddenly a cough sounded from behind the pair startling them. Both of them spun around and jumped out of their chairs startled.
He jumped away from his chair and faced the voice. Blake pushed her chair backward and with cat-like agility jumped onto it.
A figure emerged from the shadows and he let out a large sigh at who it was.
The old little Faunus librarian of Beacon raised her eye at both of them.
She spoke in a quiet whisper, "Sorry for scaring you kids. The acoustics in this place make sound travel in strange ways."
Jaune looked behind him and up at Blake. Their eyes met and they both let out a small laugh at their shared paranoia.
The videos had put them on edge.
He offered a hand to her but she gracefully landed on the floor by herself. She put back both of their chairs and he turned to the librarian.
"Sorry for bothering you. We got distracted and lost track of the time" he said embarrassed.
The small librarian let out a chuckle and her mouse ears flapped.
She spoke again, "Don't worry about it. I was just closing up the library when I noticed that you two were still in here. You must have been enthralled by whatever you were watching as you two didn't move from your spot the entire time you were in here. But it is almost midnight and you and your girlfriend should head back to the dorms."
His face flushed slightly red and he made to wave his arms to dispute the fact that he and Blake were an item.
He didn't get to rebuke the Librarian's claim as he was pulled back by Blake.
She grabbed onto his arm and said to the librarian very matter of factly, ``We'll leave now, have a good night."
She didn't wait for the librarian to respond and walked out of the library quickly tugging him along.
He looked back and saw that she had deleted any trace of their activity as the holo-comp had been restarted.
He turned to speak to her but she quickly lugged him out of the library and into the silent halls of Beacon.
She started to hurry down a path towards the dorm building.
He got his balance and walked behind her at an even pace.
He felt her shake with every step and her usually muffled footsteps loudly hammered on the floor. Her hand tightened around his arm and she increased her pace.
He knew that if they went at the rate they were going they would come off as very suspicious to all the cameras around Beacon and to any late-night passerby.
Before she went further down the hall he decided he would stop her right then and there.
He stopped dead in his tracks and his bulkier frame combined with her vice-like grip caused her to trip. She didn't get the chance to fall as he pulled her into an empty classroom.
She turned around with a scowl etched on her face. She opened her mouth to speak but before she could he placed a finger to her mouth.
He let go of his finger and whispered, "If you kept running like you just saw death we would have come off as suspicious. The classrooms have no cameras in them so we should stay here and talk."
She responded with a hiss, "Well isn't it more suspicious that we're out late at night and we just walked into an empty hallway?"
He shrugged and, with a mischievous grin, said, "Anyone on the cameras right now thinks we're just some hormonal teenagers looking for a quiet spot to bone. They're not going to get suspicious of that, they're not even going to stop us."
His face grew red at the fact that he even implied that and she also spotted a blush, although her scowl didn't disappear.
She looked ready to respond with a retorting bite but he walked over to a nearby desk and sat down.
He looked back at her and motioned to the seat right next to him.
She glared at him for a few seconds before she closed her eyes and let out a deep breath.
She walked over and sat down in the seat.
She opened her mouth to speak again but before she could he shoved a bottle of water in her face.
He saw her eyes go from annoyance to desire in a second.
She grabbed the bottle from his hand and greedily gulped it down. He saw her throat bulge as she drank copious amounts of water.
She gave the bottle back to him and he held a protein bar in front of her. She looked at it for a moment before looking back up at him. She looked like she was going to speak once more before a grumble sounded from her stomach.
He raised a brow at the noise and she rolled her eyes. She promptly grabbed the bar and chewed it.
He sat back in her chair as she chewed. Out of the corner of his eyes, he saw her staring. He wondered if she was going through the same motions he had.
Or was she feeling new ones now that she had been artificially exposed to the videos?
The moonlight from the open windows cast over his body. It showed the slight sheen of sweat on his forehead. He looked back up at the moon and saw it in its full fragmented beauty.
It was a full moon tonight just like the day he had stumbled onto the videos.
He heard the crunch of a plastic foil and looked back at Blake. She picked up the finished wrapper and stood up.
"I'm going to go to the bathroom," she said quietly.
She left the room and him in stark loneliness. He heard her footsteps turn down the hall before disappearing entirely.
He sat there with his own thoughts swirling around like murky water in a head beset by tiredness. He let out a deep yawn he didn't know he had been holding.
He looked back at the door and a small thought crept into his head. Did Blake leave? Did she go off to tell someone else about the videos? Was she going to get her/his teammates?
His legs started to shake anxiously at the thoughts but quickly realized he was doubting the one person he had decided to trust.
He closed his eyes and tried one of the aura meditation techniques Ren had taught him. Every breath calmed him down and he felt himself regaining control of his thoughts.
He opened his eyes after several minutes of deep breathing. He already made the decision of trusting Blake and he would not go back on it.
Footsteps reached his ears and he felt her sit down next to him. He turned to her and she looked much better. Her hair wasn't as frazzled and her once sweaty face was now pristine.
Her amber eyes were also back to normal although they still were a bit red.
Opening his mouth, he made to speak but was interrupted by a loud noise.
Suddenly the giant gong of the Beacons clocktower went off indicating that it was midnight.
The loud gong couldn't be heard inside of the soundproof dorms but it shook the main building.
He jumped slightly at the noise but he saw that Blake didn't even seem bothered by it.
Grinning, he turned back to her and said, "Now that was ominous."
She crossed her arms over her chest and opened her mouth to speak but nothing came out. He saw her eyes close and he imagined a million questions ran through her head.
A frown appeared on her face but quickly disappeared as she must have chosen a question.
She said loudly, "Jaune what the hell was that!"
He winced at her noise level and looked at her emotionally charged glare.
Putting on his best grin, he said, "It's exactly what it is. It shows the future."
"But that can't be right! It's right out of some sort of book. It's impossible to predict the future and second of all look how bad everything turns out! Those things just can't be possible."
"I know I was in disbelief as well but why can't seeing the future be so unbelievable? We live in a world full of semblances Blake. People can run at speeds that would disintegrate a normal person or they can control the elements. There are entire footnotes on science papers that state that laws don't apply to semblances or aura. We only have the vague idea that semblances runoff/are based on the soul. I guarantee you there is a semblance out there that lets you see into the future or predict it with accuracy. There are enough crazy ones around that it could be possible."
"But what about all those horrible future events? The breach and the fall just can't conceivably occur. There are just too many well-trained huntsmen in Vale and we're living in an era of unprecedented technological achievement. Yes, I'm not denying that there isn't evil in the world, like the White Fang, but Cinder and the people she was working with can't actually do what they did in the real world!"
He suddenly felt a spike of anger at her disbelief but he knew that if someone told him about knowing the future and even showed him events of said future he wouldn't believe them instantly.
Taking a deep breath, he said, "Look I get it, it's hard to believe but there's evidence that those videos are telling the truth. You're the prime example. You and your teammates had that argument word for word right? You ran away around the same time as well right?"
She suddenly looked away from him and to the windows. Her lips were set in a hard line and she stared at the moon in concentration.
He stopped talking and took a big breath. His mouth felt dry as a desert after explaining his point to her.
He waited for a few minutes before she turned back. He met her amber eyes which were missing their trademark glow.
Whispering, she said, "So that's it. Our lives and deaths are just some show for someone else. Do we even control our destiny at all? I ran away like in those videos, if you never gave me that advice would I have just done everything laid out by those videos? Was my entire struggle in the White Fang all for nothing if they turn into those monsters at the end of the show? And god Yang, is she going to have her arm cut off?"
He didn't have the chance to respond as she pulled her legs up and buried her face in her knees.
He honestly didn't know what to say to her. He never thought about the implications of the videos as he just wanted to make sure the future shown in them never happened.
Now that she did point it out the videos were sort of disturbing but there was no point in dwelling on that when they could be making real change.
He put a hand on her shoulder and her head perked up. Her face was the most vulnerable he had ever seen.
The normally witty girl was at her edge and he couldn't let her fall into the abyss.
In his most confident voice, he said, "Blake… I don't have all the answers but all of that doesn't matter. I get where you're coming from but that future in that video isn't set in stone, you're the best example of that. We can change the future and make sure the breach and the fall never happen. We can make sure those tragedies never occur. But a person can't do this all by themselves. They need help, I need yours."
She looked to the side after he finished. He saw her ears twitch for a moment before she turned back to face him.
Her eyes now glowed like the sun and her face was narrowed in determination.
In a confident tone reminiscent of her old sarcastic self, she said, "I want to make sure that Yang never gets hurt, that the white fang never becomes that monster at the end of the show. I want to change the future, I… want to help you Jaune."
He looked her dead in the eyes and with determination said, "Thank you, I promise that no one will get hurt or die. "
"No, that's a promise we're gonna carry together."
He gave her a nod and melted into his chair. He felt a tsunami of relief crash into a shore of doubt that had been festering ever since he first saw those videos.
He did it, he finally had help with his burden.
He looked over at Blake whose entire body vibrated with energy.
He wanted to show her his thanks so he tried the age-old method.
He suddenly pulled her into a tight hug and buried his face in her shoulder.
He felt her freeze in place by the contact. He was about to quickly let go so she wasn't uncomfortable but she reciprocated the hug.
She wrapped her arms around him and gave him a squeeze.
Time seemed to slow to a crawl as he hugged her. When he was satisfied he slowly detangled from her limbs.
She looked up at him wide-eyed and asked, "Not that I mind the hug but what was that for?"
Rubbing the back of his neck, he said, "I've been carrying those videos with me for a while. It put a lot of pressure on me but now that I have someone who knows about them I feel so like I can breathe again. I just wanted to show my thanks, Blake."
"You were going through that? No wonder you started to act differently from that day on."
"It was tough but now I'm as okay as I'll ever be. The dock fight is going to happen in three days and we have to make sure that it goes unsuccessfully for Roman and the White Fang."
"Do you have a plan?"
He smirked before he pulled out his scroll
It was a long time before he fully explained all of his plans and precautions. He didn't want to grow any distrust between them so he told her everything.
From his plan for the CCT to his general ideas on how to stop both the Breach and The Fall.
She interjected as he spoke offering some advice or changes to the plan which he gladly took down.
He finished talking and sat back in his seat. His tongue felt dry but thankfully she hadn't chugged all of the water he had given her.
As he drank she looked through his compact scroll.
He had decided to keep a journal in there as well which she was reading over. It contained brief summaries of almost every action he had done ever since seeing the videos.
He also told her how to unlock the scroll. They planned on her buying another scroll so that they could spread out all of the info they had. This would ensure that if someone got into one scroll they wouldn't be able to understand everything.
She pushed the scroll back into his hand and sat back in her seat.
They both sat there enjoying the moonlight and the quiet slumber Beacon. They both went through a lot today and he could feel the fog of sleep slowly creeping in.
He looked over to her and saw was in deep thought. Her eyes had her trademark amber glow but there was something different to them than before.
She shifted over to look at him before she took out her own scroll. Its blue light painted her face aqua, a deep contrast to the darkness of the room.
Her thoughtful brow changed into slightly panicked eyes.
"What's wrong?" he asked, sitting up.
She flipped over her scroll and he leaned back in mild shock. It was well past midnight.
He suddenly felt his tiredness amplify by just looking at the time.
Letting out a deep yawn, he opened up his own scroll to see that he had a monumental amount of messages from his teammates.
They were not as worried as last time but still wondered where he was.
The last texts he received hoped that he got a good night's sleep and that he was safe.
He looked over at Blake and saw her scrolling through similar notifications.
"Wow, we really spent a lot of time on this," she said looking up at him.
He nodded before saying, "I think learning about the future does take some time to get to grips with-he looked at his scroll time again-We should really head back and actually get some sleep. We'll need it for tomorrow."
"So we're meeting right after classes end?"
"Yea, let's head to the library then head into Vale. We'll kill two birds with one stone: we buy that other scroll for you and we get away from prying eyes."
"Sounds like a plan."
She got up and headed for the doors. He followed after her.
They walked side by side at a normal pace. It wasn't a far trek to get to the Beacon dorms so their speed didn't hinder them.
The white marble and green painted walls of the school passed by them. It was now almost completely quiet except for the buzz of the cameras and the patter of their footsteps.
Even though the majority of the Beacon population were asleep the school still had most of its faculties open for any nocturnal students.
The white glow of the ceiling lights coupled with their slow gaits made them look like ghosts.
He turned to her and suddenly asked, "How did you not see her with your Faunus night vision?"
"See who?" she asked back with a raise of her brow.
"The librarian."
"Oh her. Look, I was under a lot of stress, and Faunus traits are affected emotions. I just saw the future where a lot of horrific things happened so you can imagine I couldn't use my heritage to its fullest," she said gruffly.
"Hey look, I understand. I was just curious."
She gave him a nod and they walked down another hall.
She suddenly asked him, "So you and Pyrrha huh? I knew she was head over heels for you even before the videos but how about you? The videos make you guys end up together before she dies but what do you feel now?"
He staggered a bit in his step before quickly speaking, "I honestly don't know. There's a tinge of something inside when I see her but it isn't fully romantic. Maybe I develop feelings for her during the festival but that's all the way at the end of the school year. And right now I don't think I'm even ready for a relationship yet. We have this whole future thing to prevent and I think I won't even have time for a date. Even so, I don't want the videos dictating my life. If it happens naturally it happens but if it doesn't, well I'll just keep on moving. After all, there are plenty of fish in the sea. But you probably know that don't you?"
"Are you making that joke because I'm a cat faunus?"
"Not at all, it's because you love fish. If you didn't I wouldn't have made that joke. But seriously you ate three whole raw fish during the festival, do you really like it that much?"
"Hey, we all have some weird likes. I just really like fish even raw and it has nothing to do with my faunus nature."
He let out a quiet laugh and turned to see an unbashful smirk adorning her lips. She gave out a quick laugh of her own and they continued to walk.
He spoke up, "I wonder what happens to Sun and Penny now that you and your team didn't meet them."
She looked up and cupped her chin in thought and said, "Well Sun will turn up to Beacon for the vytal festival although he just won't be at the dock fight. Also, Penny will probably stumble into the dock fight which we have to make sure doesn't happen."
"I agree, she did lazer an entire group of terrorists without warning. I know they were terrorists and all but just shooting them out of the sky wasn't justice."
Blake nodded and continued to speak, "I just thought of this, but why did the Sun arrive so early if the Vytal festival was happening at the end of the year?"
"The videos don't show him telling you any reason so we might just never know."
They walked out of the main building and into the school courtyard. It wasn't cloudy so the shattered moon cast a net of light over the courtyard gardens.
Buzzing insects made the courtyard much louder than the deserted main building.
The air was chilly so he hugged his sides and pulled his sleeves around his hands. He saw Blake shiver as well in her very open combat gear.
He walked a bit closer to her and offered her some warmth.
She rubbed her arm into his as they walked along the path.
She suddenly piped up, "You know what I just realized? The videos tell you basically my entire past yet they never really talk about yours. What's your story Jaune?"
He let out a quiet chuckle before speaking, "I'm not that important and I didn't do anything big in the future so that's probably why the videos don't show my past. But they showed yours because you were integral to the future Blake. Without your team, RWBY would have never stumbled onto the White Fang at the docks and so forth."
"You flatter me. But seriously you're important now and while you might disagree you were important in the videos as well. Just tell me your story, I'm now intrigued."
"Blake, you know that curiosity killed the…"
"I swear to the brothers Jaune if you finish that sentence."
She glared daggers at him and he put his arms up in mock defense.
"Alright, alright. Look, I grew up in a frontier town called Ansel. I lived with my entire family inside of the Arc manor that's been passed down for generations. My dad works as a huntsman and my mom is a doctor. The videos already told you this but I have seven sisters which is as annoying as it sounds, but I do miss them from time to time."
"What happened between you and your family?"
"I was sorta the black sheep of the family. You can imagine that with me being the only son in the group. I never related to my sisters or Mom and my Dad and I had just such vastly different interests we didn't connect at all. I wasn't the most aspiring of kids but I always wanted to be a huntsman since I first heard stories about them. I tried to get my father to train me to be one but he just wouldn't do it. I think I stopped trying to convince him at one point and just sort of went along with life. My parents didn't pay much attention to me either so I wasn't pushed into doing anything. I did try to get my dad to train me again when I was around 15 but he, again, just didn't want to teach me. Anyways huntsmen start their training when they're kids, it was already too late for me."
He took a deep breath and looked out over the courtyard. They had stopped walking and had sat on a bench.
A lamp-post right next to them illuminated gold onto both of their faces. Blake's eyes were fully focused on him and she frowned in sympathy.
He looked back at her and continued, "But I didn't try my best in high-school and I didn't want to end up as some washout working in the frontier. Combine that with my childhood dream of still wanting to be a huntsman, I stole my dad's sword, took all of my allowance and headed to the city. I got my transcripts at a shady club and headed to Beacon. You already know the rest of the story."
"You went through a lot Jaune."
She paused and looked down on her feet.
He put a hand on her shoulder and said, "Hey don't worry about it. Now that you've heard my tragic backstory and I know yours, we're even. Let's go and get some sleep."
He got up and walked towards the dorm building. He didn't look back but heard her muffled footsteps hitting the path.
She stepped up beside him and they both walked down the path.
"So what did you think of my transcript story?" He asked.
"I always had a hunch that you weren't the best of hunters but I never really guessed you conned your way into Beacon. Never took you for some sort of spy."
"Looks like now I'm the one getting flattered, Blake. But I feel like I don't deserve any of this. I took away someone's actual spot at Beacon, probably someone who could actually do some good for the world."
She suddenly stopped dead in her tracks and faced him with pointed eyes.
He stopped as well and was about to speak but she cut him off.
"Seriously Jaune?-She took a deep breath and massaged her temples- I'm going, to be honest, you were not qualified to be a hunter. You didn't have the physical aptitude nor the weapons know-how. But that doesn't matter anymore. You're improving, you're training to be your best, you're stronger and smarter now. And with all this future knowledge we've got, you can make a real difference Jaune. You can earn this spot in Beacon!"
Blake finished her rant with her face flushed.
He stood there mouth agape at the amount of emotion she put into her speech.
He felt a deep rumbling in his heart and looked up at Blake with a new light in his eyes.
Smiling, he said, "You know what? I will earn my place here!"
Her angry frown from her rant changed into a nodding smile.
They both walked into the dorm building and to their respective dorms.
At the doors, he looked back at her right before she turned her doorknob.
"Hey Blake," he said in a quiet whisper.
"Yea," she said looking back at him.
"I know I've already said this but...thanks."
"No Problem."
She went into her dorm and closed it behind her with a wave.
He opened his own dorm room and entered it quietly. Taking some notes from Blake he stealthily passed by the sleeping forms of his teammates and got into bed.
His head hit the pillow and he fell into a dream.
The next morning things went by pretty much the same as they ever did.
He and his team quickly got ready and headed for the cafeteria for a quick breakfast. They did ask why he was out so late again but he simply responded that he had lost track of time enjoying a comic.
Thankfully he didn't miss out on any team practice or fork any of his leadership roles so he didn't jeopardize his team over the videos.
He let out a small sigh of relief after they stopped questioning him and believed him. He felt elated that he had averted suspicion from them.
It was loud as ever at the cafeteria which bustled with Beacon's students. He and his team quickly got their food and went over to their usual table.
They chatted as they ate. Nora told them about some crazy dream they had and they all provided commentary wherever they could. He let himself melt into the casual conversation and their banter.
He felt himself become distracted from the high stakes that had become his life. It was also a nice change of pace from the onslaught of information from yesterday night.
Somewhere in the middle of their meal Team RWBY came and sat with them. They all joined into one large group and talked. The table became loud and boastful.
He had several conversations with Ruby, Yang, and even Weiss who seemed much more comfortable speaking with him than before.
He glanced at Blake from time to time who would glance up from her book. An understanding passed between them that they were both going to follow the plan.
He also got the message that they shouldn't arouse suspicion. So he continued to talk with the group and even roped her into the conversation. It would be pretty strange if he and Blake, people who hung around a lot, didn't speak to one another.
Breakfast ended and they headed to their classes. Another school day was about to begin
He participated in class and did his work. He got the usual homework and even beat a few people in combat class. All of this was shadowed by a feeling of excitement at what he and Blake were going to do after classes.
Classes finished and he quickly trained with his team which garnered him a little bit more knowledge about his newly upgraded weapon.
He went back to the dorm and took a short rest. He refreshed himself and headed towards the library.
Along the way, he made sure that both of his scrolls were securely in place and that he had his notepad with him.
Entering through the library doors he gave a quick hello to the mouse Faunus librarian before he spotted Blake near their usual spot.
She sat on the side that he usually sat on. He pulled the chair next to her and sat down.
Their backs were to the walls and they were all the way at the end of the aisle of seats. No one would be able to see anything they were doing without coming up right next to them.
But that didn't really matter as Beacon's library was enormous and their seats were in a very deserted section. Also today many students weren't even in the library.
He activated his holo-comp which flashed up and combined with her already on holo-comp provided them a privacy screen.
He finally took a good look at her. Blake had her cat ears out in the open. They moved back and forth hypnotically.
She wore a black and white plaid shirt that was unbuttoned. Underneath that she wore a simple t-shirt that had a graphic of a ship radar on it. Pitch black cargo pants hugged her legs and she finished it with dark high-top shoes.
Her previous head bow was now wrapped around her wrist.
She turned to him and they both gave each other quick greetings. He took out his notepad and laid it out between them. He inched a bit closer to her and she did the same.
Holo-screens flickered as they both put up schoolwork sites onto their respective comps. For a final touch, he took out his yellow and gold headphones and handed one ear to her.
She put it in and he connected it to his comp.
All of this preparation was done so they wouldn't be seen as suspicious. Passersby would assume that they were working on some school project together instead of trying to plot against a terrorist organization.
She turned to him and spoke, "The White Fang are going to arrive at the docks in two days. We can't let Roman get away and we also can't let the docks be completely destroyed. We also have to make sure that, I can't believe I'm saying this, no SDC dust containers get destroyed. There's already enough dust being stolen and I don't want to add to that list."
He nodded, making sure the dust wasn't stolen/destroyed was a good idea he hadn't thought of. Dust prices were already high as they were and they didn't need to jack those prices up higher. They would need dust for impending battles after all.
"I was thinking of contacting the Vale police or Huntsman and leaving a tip about the attack," he advised.
She shook her and interjected, "No, the cops don't have much power in the city. They're only investigating small White Fang attacks and could handle a couple of members or safe houses but an entire field operation? That could only be handled by a huntsman. Anyways a tip won't do much. Either they just won't believe you or they might just track you down for using up their time. The most they would do would be just sending a lone cop to check it out."
"So we just use a huntsman then."
"Yes, but I don't know how to get one to believe in us. We would also have to make them bring in support so they catch Roman guarantees."
He gave out a quiet hum and began to think. They wouldn't want a solo huntsman who might not be able to fight off the Fang and catch Roman.
They would need one who would bring allies with them.
Suddenly it clicked and he whispered, "Qrow Branwen!"
She looked startled before she quickly nodded her head.
"He does seem to be an agent of Ozpin so he probably has a lot of connections. But, how are we going to make him believe us? If we just called him out of the blue he might just track us down." she asked.
"How about we use Ruby's phone to contact him? She is his uncle after all and he might be more willing to believe us if we contact him from there. Also, there would be no point in tracking it if it's going to just end up back with Ruby. Although we have to make sure that he doesn't think we hurt Ruby for her phone."
"That sounds like a plan. I'll get Ruby's phone right now and then we'll go to Vale."
"I'll try to come up with something to say in the meantime."
Blake got up and went out of the library. He sat there chewing a pen and tried to come up with something to say. The dock's fight would happen in two days but calling Qrow right before might not give him enough time to prepare. But calling him right now runs the risk of him not believing them.
Granted, calling from Ruby's phone would make them come off as more believable but he wanted one more incentive just to make sure the huntsman would support them.
He brainstormed some ideas for a few minutes before the steps of soft feet interrupted him.
Blake slid into her chair and handed him what was presumably Ruby's scroll.
"How'd you get this?" he asked, tentatively rotating the scroll.
Her eyes glimmering, "She's with Weiss at the forge room and left it on her bed. We have a lot of time until they get back."
He looked at the scroll for a moment and felt a bit of apprehension. This was technically stealing from his best girl-friend. But it was for the greater good and it wouldn't hurt if he used it for a little bit.
Blake raised a brow when he lingered in front of the scroll. Looking at her, he steeled himself and took the scroll.
He opened it up and was met with a wallpaper of Ruby, Yang, and Taiyang standing in front of their wooden cabin home. He tried to unlock the scroll but it was locked.
Blake took the scroll from his hand and said, "I've seen her type in the password. I think it's 07182013."
Her fingers streaked over the keyboard and the screen unlocked. Her wallpaper changed to a much younger Ruby smiling with a gap tooth in front of a much younger-looking Qrow.
She quickly went over to the contact page and found Qrow's number.
Finger hovering over the call button, she said, "Ok do we want to call him now or later?:
"I think we should call him today but give him an extra incentive so he believes us for the tip." He mused.
"How about giving him the location of a small White Fang safehouse? I know some that should have some members in it. If he busts those he should have enough reason believe us."
He looked over at her and raised a brow in confusion.
He asked her quietly, "You would go against the people you worked with almost your entire life with?"
She looked at him with exasperation before speaking, "They're not the people I fought for anymore. They've turned into something else.
"Then let's head into Vale and make the call."
They both got up and undid everything they had done.
With one last check, they left the library and went to the airfield docks.
The bullhead touched down in the city station with a low thump. Its doors opened and Blake and Jaune quickly got out with the shuffle of the other Beacon students.
Jaune led their way out of the station and onto the busy streets of the city.
Blake took the lead and headed deeper into the streets. He followed right next to her and looked around at the bustling life.
They walked for some time until she stopped at an intersection. He stopped as well and looked at where she was looking.
She was dead set at a store on the street opposite theirs. The store was cleaned out and a big for sale sign was posted on its windows. The giant lettering of the store was removed although the outlines left by the taken down letters read, "Tuksons Books: Every Book under the Sun."
She mused, "Huh, he really did take your advice and leave."
"I guess my note worked, that's one change to the future and one less death," he responded.
She nodded and they walked down the street. As the concrete went by his feet he felt a small burst of hope at seeing Tukson's departure.
It was only a small thing but if they could change that he had a feeling they could change even more. Saving one life left him feeling joyful inside and he felt some renewed hope that he and Blake would save much more.
At one particular street, he stopped her. Right on the street was the tech store he had brought his bulky scroll from.
He pointed it out to her and they both entered the store. The door let out an electric whine as it opened. The array of scrolls lining the walls tinted their faces cyan blue.
They quickly went to the register and they brought her an almost identical bulky scroll. She paid for it and they left the store; she stored the scroll inside of one of her pockets.
They walked down another street. They didn't talk as they walked but he didn't mind the silence between them as he didn't even have anything to say to her.
He felt jittery at what they were about to do and tried to find solace in the sounds of the city.
The screech of tires and the canopy of noises didn't exactly calm him but let him at least let his mind wander from the outcomes of failure that had suddenly sprung up in his head like a weed.
The worst that would happen if Qrow didn't believe them was that the dock fight would happen which would result in many deaths and a destroyed dock, even if those deaths were not the good guys and millions of lines of damages. Oh, and the fight would indirectly lead to the fall which would have untold destruction.
He felt a hand grab his own and looked up to see the worried eyes of Blake. She walked them off the street and into a cafe.
He got his bearings and let go of her hand.
They found a quiet booth and sat down.
"Are you alright? You kinda just zoned out in the middle of the street there," she asked.
Smiling, he said, "I accidentally spiraled into thinking about what could go wrong about this. Thanks for pulling me out of it."
"Hey, no problem. But remember, if we start thinking this is gonna fail, it's going to fail. We have to believe in this if it's ever going to work. I believe in the plan, do you?"
"I do Blake… I do."
Newfound confidence grew in his bones. He released a calming breath.
He ordered some tea for the both of them while Blake transferred half the future info from his scroll the newly brought one
The tea arrived just as she finished. Drinking the tea, they went over the plan in hushed voices.
He took out Ruby's scroll and hovered over Qrow's call button. He looked at Blake and her amber eyes twinkled with conviction.
He pressed the button and the call went through.
After a few agonizing beeps, in which the feeling of wanting Qrow not to pick up grew, a gruff voice answered the line.
"Hey Rubes, how ya doing?" a gruff voice answered.
He felt his heart beat faster as the voice came through. He quickly activated a voice modulator and privacy blanket he and Blake had added to Ruby's phone while they were going over their plans.
He answered, in a very deep robotic voice, "Hello Qrow Branwen."
"Ruby? Are you playing a prank on me? Open up the video feed." Qrow answered confused.
"I am not Ruby Rose, Qrow Branwen."
"Who the hell is this!? What did you do to Ruby!"
"Don't worry Qrow Branwen Ruby Rose is safe. She doesn't even know that I have her scroll. I just thought this was the fastest way to contact you."
"I swear if you're lying… What do you need?" Qrow spat.
"In two days' time, Vale's commercial docks will be attacked by the White Fang led by Roman Torchwick during the evening. They will try to steal a mind-boggling amount of SDC cargo full of dust. An amount that would surely destroy the dust economy of Vale."
"Do you expect me to actually believe you? I know Roman Torchwick, tried to catch the guy enough times to know he's one of those gentlemen thieves. Working with fanatical terrorists won't net him the respect of the underworld nor will it make him a lot of money. Why would he work for the White Fang?"
"I cannot tell you everything right now but as a sign of good faith I will tell you the locations of some White Fang safe houses."
He told Qrow the address of the safehouse which Blake had written down on a piece of paper for him.
The huntsman hummed when he finished. His angry tone from the beginning of the phone call had turned into something far calmer.
"So what's your vendetta against the Fang? No one just happens to know the location of their safe houses." Qrow questioned.
"Let's just say I'm a disgruntled White Fang member," Jaune replied.
"I'll check these safehouses out and see if they're legit. If they are, I might just be inclined to believe you about the dock fight."
"Don't make the safehouse busts public and bring a force with you to the docks."
"I know that, you don't have to tell me. I'm the huntsman here who's been doing this for years."
"Just making sure. I will return this scroll to its rightful owner Qrow Branwen."
"Are you going to contact me again?"
"I will tomorrow just to know your decision."
Qrow let out a hum before responding, "So what should I refer to you as? It would get awkward if I never referred to you by name."
Jaune paused and thought for a moment. Wasn't this one of the glamor's of subterfuge: secret codenames? He hadn't thought of having one so he said the first cool-sounding word from the top of his head.
"Tungsten."
"I assume it's not your real name? It doesn't matter, if the information you gave me was real I might just believe you Tungsten."
"Goodbye Qrow Branwen."
The call clicked on the other side and ended. He put down the scroll and sunk into the leather cushion of the booth.
He let out a heaving breath as he felt the sweat that had accumulated during the talk. He looked across at Blake who had shredded up the safe house location paper.
She smiled before saying, "You did really well, I think with a little bit of practice you could get better at this."
He slid back up and wiped his forehead with his sleeve.
Sighing, he said, "Let's head back."
The duo got up, paid for the tea, and headed back to Beacon.
A day passed and Jaune and Blake were currently in the cafeteria for lunch.
He ate his food like he usually did although the motions felt robotic to him. Today he and Blake were going to call Qrow again and see if he would head to the docks fight.
He didn't necessarily feel scared or worried but did feel a building sense of strange excitement. If the call went well, things were going to seriously change for the future.
Suddenly Yang spoke up pointing her fork at him, "Hey Jaune, you and Blakey have been hanging around a lot lately. I think I even saw you guys coming back to the dorms really late. Something going on between you two?"
Blake spoke up before he could and with a smirk, said, "Are you gonna be jealous of the answer Yang?"
Yang for her credit didn't react but did chuckle at her answer. He saw Pyrrha in the corner of his vision suddenly grip her fork tighter.
He turned to Blake who gave him a look to just play along with whatever she was doing.
"Guys me and Blake are just friends."
"Yea guys I like dragging Jaune to the nearest empty classroom and furiously kissing him. You know, just friend things," Balke drawled sarcastically.
The entire table erupted into laughter and he joined in himself. He looked at Pyrrha who had released her death hold on the fork. She too laughed along with everyone else.
He flashed her a quick smile and went back to his food.
Yang wiped an imaginary tear from her eye. She gave out one more barking laugh before saying, "Ha and here I thought you guys had something going on."
The large group of 8 teens finished their lunch and headed out of the cafeteria. On their way to their next class, he went up to Blake.
He whispered, "What was that during lunch?"
Without looking at him she said, "I played along with Yang so we wouldn't come off as suspicious. I would rather they think we have a weird relationship than people trying to avert the end of the Beacon."
"I get it. It just came out of the blue and I wasn't ready to play along with it."
"If you want to be prepared for that if it pops up again, I could drag you into that empty classroom over there," she said pointing over to an empty classroom.
He looked at her stunned and felt his cheeks become ruby red.
He coughed before looking at her and saying, "When did you become such a tease?"
A vicious smile appeared on her face and she said, "I think it comes with having Yang as a partner."
His blush disappeared and they both gave out a quick laugh.
They continued to their next classes.
At the end of the day, he went to the courtyard and met Blake on a bench. They took out Ruby's scroll which she had managed to snag once again.
They dialed in Qrows number and waited.
"Hey Ruby," a gruff voice responded in slight agitation.
"Actually it's Tungsten," Jaune replied, voice modulated.
"I was wondering if you were going to call back."
"Was our information helpful?"
"You were telling the truth. I found the safe houses and dealt with them. I'm taking a big leap but the Council has been hounding the huntsman to deal with the White Fang and this would be a big opportunity to miss. I'll believe you Tungsten; I'll head to the docks with support."
"Thank you."
"You know for a terrorist you are awfully nice."
"I'm not like the rest of my brethren."
"We'll see about that."
Qrow ended the call and he handed the scroll back to Blake.
He looked at her with a glimmer in his eyes.
Things were about to change.
AN:
Well, another chapter in. Please leave a review or comment.
I'm making some changes to the world as mentioned before
A whole lot of dialogue in this chapter which I tried to make sound natural although I suck at writing dialogue. Also looks like Blake and Tungsten are on the team. How will the future change now?
The next chapter will be the big Dock fight and the end of the first "Arc".
P.S: Some people pointed this out and yes I did get some inspiration from Not This Time Fate for the Qrow call stuff. Its a pretty good fic.