Behind it All

Adventure / Drama (I hope)

Jaune Arc / Lisa Lavender

Knowing he was far from ready to be at Beacon, and unwilling to put his friends at further risk for his own selfish ideals; he walked away. On his own in Vale, he attempts to build a life for himself. He isolates himself, avoiding his friends while he struggles to make ends meet; at least until he runs into Lisa Lavender, and finds himself now part of the world of investigative journalism.

Suggestion and Idea by Firefly25.

/==/

Jaune walked along the streets of Vale. He had no destination in mind, and wandered aimlessly. He had walked away from Beacon. A month there, confirming what his parents had told him. He wasn't ready. In fact, compared to even the least talented students he was hopelessly, hilariously out classed. He had just used some of his limited funds to send a package back to his home in Ansel. Crocea Mors, and a letter seeking forgiveness. He also in the same note indicated he was going to stay in Vale, try and make something of himself. To prove he could be more than just a drain on his friends and family. Kicking an empty pop can into an alley, he continued on his way, focused entirely on the thoughts inside his head. He had turned off his scroll, knowing that his friends would be trying to contact him. He wasn't ready to deal with that issue just yet. He needed to come up with an excuse, a plausible explanation as to why he just walked away from his dream. Likewise, he knew the best way was just to come clean with them. Tell them what he had done, but he was wary of doing it. He was worried about their reactions to the real truth of what he was; a fraud and liar.

Knowing he would need to find somewhere to stay, and that his funds were limited, he entered a pawn shop. About twenty minutes later, he left, missing his armour. He had gotten some decent lien for it, and that combined with what he had remaining from his savings, he was set for maybe a month. If he could find somewhere real cheap to live, or at least stay for a few nights. He felt a little down for having to sell off his armour, but Crocea Mors was the family heirloom, not the junk armour that he had dug up in the basement. After grabbing something quick to eat at a food stand, he continued his wanderings. There was no sense being near the commercial district. The lodgings nearby were well out of his budget. So he followed the streets, moving closer to the walls.

It took him a few hours of hiking, but eventually he found something in his price range. It was a dingy motel, but it offered varied rates. Hourly, daily and weekly. Taking a chunk out of his funds, he booked a room for a couple of weeks. Taking his key, he entered his now new home away from home. It was a far cry from what he had had in Beacon, but it was furnished; barely. The chair and bed had seen better days, there was a mini fridge, coffee maker, a hotplate and a TV that was almost an antique. Dropping the gym bag he had been lugging around all day, he sat in the chair. It contained the few possessions that truly belonged to him. A few changes of clothes, a couple pictures of his family, and one of his friends.

"They're better off without you." he muttered, more to hear his own voice break up the silence than for any other reason. "I'll explain it later, once I figure things out."

Running his hand through his mop of blond hair, he stood up, grabbed his bag and tossed it into the closet. He'd go through it later, right now he'd have to go out and get a few necessities. He considered turning on his scroll, but dismissed the idea. Furthermore, he wasn't ready for the conversations Pyrrha, Ruby and the others would want to have. Also, he doubted he'd ever be ready for those conversations, but he knew he wouldn't be able to avoid them forever. Stepping out into the parking lot, he locked the door behind him, and made his way out to the sidewalk. He would need to look around, but he was confident he'd find some little corner store that would let him pick up the few things he'd need.

/=/

It had been two weeks since Jaune had left Beacon. He was still avoiding his friends, even though they blew up his scroll with messages asking what was going on and where he was. He just couldn't face them. He couldn't admit his failures and doubts. So instead he busied himself with odd jobs. Currently, he was jogging through Vale, a messenger bag on his back. It was one of the better paying jobs he had found. With the benefits of allowing him to learn the layout of Vale, and get exercise, he allowed himself to enjoy the limited freedom it gave him. It also allowed him to play with a couple of hobbies of his; one being parkour. He was by far still an amateur in the discipline, but even still getting to use the city as practice ground was making him more confident in his abilities. The second was sleight of hand. He had learned the skill during a stint of wanting to be a magician; but found it was really helpful in getting back the lunch money bullies took from him.

So he indulged. He knew it was wrong, but he kept himself to snagging only the odd wallet when he was in the more prestigious areas of Vale, or when someone treated him like shit. That was his life, working to keep a roof over his head and food in his belly, all the while trying to decide what he really should be doing. He had aura, so he knew if he wanted to he could try for the police, or a private security firm; though those places would more than likely look much deeper into his history and discover his fraud. So he was at an impasse. Continue as he was, go back to school; or return home to his family.

It was during one of his deliveries that he ran into a problem, several in fact. He was delivering an envelope to an SDC regional office, which meant he had to cross a picket line. He was polite as he approached, and for the most part the humans and faunus protesting SDC labour practices let him through. Obviously he wasn't an SDC employee, dressed so casually. It was after he entered the building, and completed his delivery to the fifth floor reception, that trouble started. SDC security personnel were in full force as outside a tide of rage had rolled through the gathered protesters. He ducked out and made for an alley when the violence erupted. Suddenly the air was full of stones, rocks and a few bricks. Ducking down, he hid himself behind a news van.

"Jade, are you okay?" a voice sounded from the rear of the van, a voice he listened to every night when he had nothing else to occupy his time. "Jade, how many fingers am I holding up?"

He crouched, walked towards the rear of the vehicle, and peeked. There she was. Lisa Lavender, the top reporter for VNN; and she was currently holding up two fingers in front of a brunet faunus woman with a fox tail, who was sitting on the rear bumper of the van. Jaune could see she was injured, her nose looked slightly off with a thin trickle of blood dripping past her full lips.

"Six, no four, maybe?" the faunus woman, who he figured was Jade, replied with a slur of her words.

"Shit!" Lisa swore as she brought her hands up and cradled Jade's head, trying to get her to focus. "Shit! Shit! Shit!"

"Is everything okay? Can I help?" Jaune asked while ducking down as several rocks or bricks impacted the front of the van.

"No, nothing is okay!" Lisa snapped, turning her attention from Jade to Jaune. "My operator is down and out after taking a brick to the face! We have a riot on our hands, and I can't cover it... do you know how to use a camera?"

"Me?"

"Who else am I talking to? Yes you." Lisa's amber eyes narrowed, "You asked if you could help, so do you know how to use a camera?"

"I didn't mean that type of..."

"You asked to help. That's the help I need. Can you use a camera?"

"Sort of, I guess."

"You guess?"

"Well, I did take a photography course in school... so yeah, I sort of know the basics."

"You think you know enough of the basics to use that?" Lisa pointed to the sleek looking shoulder camcorder sitting by Jade's booted feet. Still staying in a crouch, Jaune moved closer and picked up what he knew was a very expensive piece of equipment. "Well?"

"It seems pretty straight forward. I think I can. Why?"

"There is a story here to cover. I need to cover it, but I need an operator to do that, so now you're my operator." Lisa looked at Jaune one hand on her hip, the other point directly at him. "Understand?"

"I guess."

"Good." Lisa turned and looked around the edge of the van, before turning back to look at Jaune. "Let's go."

Jaune stumbled as he tried to follow Lisa as she ran out into the street. He barely got the camera situated on his shoulder, and the viewer before his eye; before Lisa turned to face him, standing in the centre of the street. Behind her, the chaos of the SDC security and the now violent protesters. Lisa adjusted her black jacket and tucked back her white hair behind her ear.

"Are we recording?"

"Ah..." Jaune felt around with the fingers on his right hand, brushing over a button a little larger than the others. Pressing it, he saw the icon for recording appear, on his view screen. "Yes!"

"This is Lisa Lavender, standing outside the SDC Vale Regional Office. Behind me, as you can no doubt see, SDC security personal and Faunus Rights Protesters are now currently engaged in a violent confrontation." Lisa motioned behind her as she continued to focus on the camera, "What the spark was that set off this most recent clash is unknown, but considering that the White Fang have taken credit for the other such clashes with SDC personnel but also the VPD. One can speculate that in someway the White Fang was once again able to incite violence in what had been earlier a peaceful protest against SDC labour practices."

"I can now see, behind my operator the flashing of lights, it would appear that Vale's finest are now going to make an appearance. Which begs the question. Will this help calm the situation or make it worse?" Lisa pointed behind Jaune, so he turned about, as steadily as he could and now slightly more comfortable with the controls of the camera was able to zoom in on the approaching cars and vans. "We here on the ground, and those civilians caught in the chaos, can only hope that the inclusion of the VPD will defuse the situation rather than escalate it."

"Filthy fucking humans! I'll teach you for spreading your lies!" screamed a male faunus as he charged the pair, a stick or bat in his hand raised above his head.

The triangular ears upon his head indicating he was either some type of feline or canine faunus. Jaune reacted on instinct. Nearly dropping the expensive camera as he put himself between the enraged man and Lisa. Raising his free left arm, he gritted his teeth. This was going to hurt, he had no illusion in that regard. All he did question was if his aura would hold, and prevent any real damage. The bat came down fast and hard, impacting against Jaune's raised arm and shattered, showering him in splinters of wood.

"Son of a bitch!" Jaune cursed as he dropped the camera and grabbed his arm. The man stood there in shock, the splintered remains of the bat still in hand. "Gods damn it!"

Lisa acted, as Jaune danced around in obvious pain. Her pointed heel clad foot connecting with their attacker's groin, dropping him to the pavement like a sack of potatoes. She turned her amber eyes to Jaune who was now shaking his left arm in the air, as if he could negate the pain by tossing it off.

"Are you okay?" she asked as Jaune's actions grew less severe. She had seen the flash of aura when the weapon impacted his arm. A golden shield causing the improvised weapon to break upon impact.

"Fine." Jaune grunted as he stopped shaking his arm, and just focused on opening and closing his hand.

"Do we need to take you to a hospital?"

"No I'm fine, it just smarts." Jaune replied.

"You dropped the camera." Lisa stated flatly.

"Sorry."

By that time several VPD officers had arrived and took control of the downed man, as other officers in riot gear approached the mass of angry people.

"Check the camera, if it's okay start getting shots of the crowds. I'm going to check on Jade."

"Seriously?"

"Yes, seriously. You're my operator right now, so do your job."

"But I don't work for..."

"You do now." Lisa stated flatly. "Get to work."

/=/

A few hours later the trio of Jaune, Lisa and Jade were in a small Mom & Pop style diner. Jaune was sitting across from Lisa and Jade. Lisa with her back to the corner of the booth, watching Jade as she worked with a portable video player. Jaune sat idly playing with the straw of his cola, as the pair of women studied the playback of the footage he had taken of the riot.

"So?" asked Lisa.

"It's good. Shaky in parts, but still good, and usable." Jade replied as she closed up the player, before looking across the table at Jaune. "You're a natural, with some instruction, and a few jobs to work off the rough edges, you'll be a good operator."

"That settles it then." Lisa proclaimed.

"Settles what?" asked Jaune, turning his attention from the twin black eyes Jade was now sporting to Lisa's playful grin.

"You're now my operator," Lisa pointed directly at Jaune, before swivelling her finger around and aiming at Jade."and you're in the van."

"Sounds good to me." Jade responded as she picked up her iced tea. She winced as she sucked on the straw.

"How's the face?" Lisa asked.

"Sore, but I'll live."

"How's the arm Jaune?"

"It's fine." he replied.

"So how does a messenger have their aura unlocked?" Lisa leaned forward her elbows on the table, as she took a sip from her own drink. "The delivery business get that rough these last couple years?"

"I..." Jaune wasn't sure how to answer.

"Jade. I. Smell. A. Story." Lisa grinned, and wiggled her pale eyebrows.

"You always smell a story."

"There is no story. I just have it unlocked." Jaune stammered.

"Obviously it's unlocked..." Lisa took another sip of her cola through her straw, "the story is WHY it's unlocked. So Jaune... why DO you have your aura unlocked?"

"No reason." Jaune replied, rubbing the back of his neck with his right hand.

"Jaune, I'm now your boss, and as your boss, how will I be able to trust you, if you hide things from me?"

"I never agreed to..."

"Yes you did." Lisa cut him off.

"When?"

"When you did what she told you to do." Jade informed the blonde young man."Just accept it. The pay's pretty good, plus benefits... so just go with it."

"So, as someone who needs to have complete and utter faith in her subordinates, I need to know about you. So tell me about yourself."

"Ah, no."

"Please?" Lisa tried to pout.

"No."

"Jade?"

"I'm production now, not Employee Relations." Jade replied as she slid out of the booth while picking up the player. "I'm heading out to the truck. Do some post on the footage, and then sending it off. Do you want to do some after shots?"

"Nah. Just run with what we have. The network probably already has someone doing an aftermath spot."

"Alright." Jade nodded as she spoke, before turning to Jaune and offering him her hand. "Welcome to the team."

"Thanks?" Jaune responded as he took her hand and shook it. Jade gave him a crooked smile, and after another nod she left the diner. "I'm not sure, I really should..."

"Jaune. Shut-it." her strict tone instantly had Jaune close his mouth. "I know talent when I see it. So does Jade. You've got it, and with a little work the rough edges will get worn away and you'll be nearly perfect. So the only thing you should be asking yourself is... do you want to struggle on minimum wage, or do want a decent pay cheque?"

"A decent pay cheque would be nice." Jaune commented as he thought about his nearly empty mini-fridge in his room. It was still a week before payday, and he was running really low on liquid assets.

"There you go. Decision made." Lisa chuckled, before finishing off her drink. "So about that aura?"

"I don't feel like talking about it."

"Jaune, you tanked a baseball bat to the forearm. That should have snapped every bone in your arm. You don't even have a bruise. It literally shattered against your arm!"

"It's personal."

"Everything is personal to someone. So just spill. Where did you get it unlocked?"

"Fine... Beacon. I got it unlocked during initiation at Beacon."

"Beacon? Seriously? You were at Beacon. What happened?"

"Another time, maybe."

"Jaune," Lisa reached out and put her hand on his wrist, "I was serious about needing to trust you, just like you need to trust me. We'll be out in the middle of things with only each other to rely on. So I'll give you a pass... for now. But I do need to hear your story."

"What about you?"

"What about me?"

"Trust works both ways right? So what are you hiding on me? What should I know about you?"

"You should know lots about me, and you'll learn it in time." Lisa patted his arm, "I'm not asking for your life story, at least not right now. But you have aura, and that can be a game changer in what we do."

"What do you mean? Game changer?"

"It means that knowing you can take a hit or seventeen; we might try pushing our noses into places that like to push back."

"I don't think I like where this is going. I'm not much of a fighter."

"I don't need you to fight, I just need to know that you won't be going down like a sack of potatoes from a single hit."

"Still sounds like you want me to fight."

"I don't. What I need is someone who can keep the camera rolling when shit hits the fan." Lisa patted his arm again, before withdrawing her hand, "And you Jaune are that someone."

"So what now?"

"Well, now I pay for our drinks, then we head out check with Jade, and unless something breaks we're heading back to the station." Lisa reached into the front pocket of her suit jacket and pulled out a billfold. "There we get you on payroll, get you signed up for the union, and registered with press credentials."

"And then?"

"We go out and either look for a story, wait for a story or chase down a lead or two I have."

"Leads?"

"Yes, leads. We don't just sit in a van all day waiting for things to happen. We do actually investigate things, in between assignments."

"So what are these leads?" Jaune asked as he followed Lisa from the booth,after she left some lien on the table.

"After we get you set." Lisa walked backwards as she talked directly to him. "Then we talk shop."

"Fucking bitch!" shouted the man that Lisa had backed into, knocking his coffee all over himself and the floor.

"It was all an accident." Jaune spoke in a calm tone as he grabbed a handful of napkins from the counter and tried to pat down the man and his cheap suit. "I'll get you another."

"Fucking better, and tell your piece of ass to watch where she's walking." Jaune frowned at the man's language and labelling of Lisa.

"Here." Jaune offered the man the last few lien in his pocket, before using his body to direct what he knew was a seething Lisa out of the diner. With his hand on the centre of her back he guided her away from the diner and into the back of the van.

"You shouldn't have done that Jaune. He was an asshole." Lisa snapped. "I bet that was the last of your money too wasn't it?"

"Not really." Jaune grinned as he pulled a lien filled wallet from his hoodie pocket.

"Did you?"

"Wanted to be a magician when I was small. Obviously I got bored with it, but the sleight of hand... that came in handy getting lunch money back from bullies." Jaune's grin dropped suddenly understanding he may have stepped over a line with his new employer.

"Tell me you can pick locks too, please!" Lisa laughed.

"Sorry."

"Ah well." Lisa looked towards Jade who was grinning broadly, "Told you he had talent."

"Just don't let anyone at the office catch you doing that shit." Jade commented, as she got up from the production chair, and slid past Lisa to get behind the wheel. "Station?"

"Station." Lisa replied.

/=/

After spending several hours filling out forms, and speaking to not only Employee Relations, but also to the Legal Department, and the Union rep; Jaune was beat. Though he was now an employee of the Vale News Network, and attached to Lisa Lavender's team as her camera operator. He would have to spend the next few days attending mandatory training for various policies and procedures, but at least it would be paid; and paid well. If his contract was to believed his take home would be about three times what he was currently making with the delivery service. He held his scroll before him and regarded the new certification he now had. He was a card carrying member of the press.

"You live here?" Lisa asked as Jade pulled up to a stop at the curb before the motel he was renting a room in.

"Yeah. Is there a problem?"

"What are the conditions like?"

"It's clean and quiet."

"Damn."

"What?"

"I was hoping it was a dump and we could have an insider for a story on slum landlords." Lisa sighed.

"The place has hourly rates." Jade mentioned as she looked through the windshield as the advertised rates.

"Do we have that surveillance camera still?" Lisa asked, with a smile.

"We do." replied Jade.

"Jaune," Lisa turned her full attention to her newest team member, "have you noticed any rooms that have a lot of in and out traffic?"

"A couple." Jaune replied nervously.

"Can you see them from your room, by chance?"

"Yeah. Why?"

"I have an idea, that could lead to a story... but we need to set some equipment up in your room." Lisa's grin grew predatory, "You are okay with that right?"

"I..."

"Of course you are." Lisa turned from the squirming blond to Jade. "Can you set it up, and show him the basics?"

"Not a problem."

/=/

Jaune was tired almost to the point of resembling the reaction speed of a zombie from a B-class horror movie. He had be up constantly, once a hour, checking the setup Jade had planted in his room. It was a mini camera on a tripod wired directly into a monitor and external hard drive. The whole point of the hourly wake ups was to make sure the camera hadn't drifted, and that the power supply was still active. He never bothered to check the monitor. He just concentrated on his assigned tasks. He was just settling back into the stiff yet comfortable bed after waking up at six am, when a rapid series of knocks hit his door; followed by his scroll ringing.

"Give me a minute!" Jaune shouted at whomever was banging on his door, as he picked up his scroll to answer it. He was annoyed now. He knew he didn't need to be at work until nine, and he wanted those extra hours of sleep. He didn't even pay attention to the caller id."Hello?"

"Good you're up. Jade's there to pick up the gear and you. Hurry we'll get coffee on the way to the station."

"Station?" Jaune was confused, he didn't work at a station. "Ha, ha, very funny. Who is this?"

"It's Lisa. You're new boss."

"What?" Jaune was even more confused. His boss was named Earl, not Lisa. The banging continued on his door.

"Brothers, how tired are you?"

"Very."

"Answer the door, let Jade in. You can nap at the office while we review the footage."

"Whatever." Jaune commented as he hung up, rose from his bed and stumbled to answer his door.

Ten minutes later he was in the back of the news van, sipping on a sugar infused coffee while Jade guided the van through the early morning traffic. He was remembering now. He had gotten, been given, was gang pressed into; he wasn't sure the term to use. What was obvious he had a new job, a job that he now wasn't sure he wanted, if it meant nearly staying up all night, and then having to work all day.

"So while your doing you mandatory training, we'll be going through the footage." Lisa told him over her shoulder from the passenger's seat.

"Hoping to find something?" Jaune asked after taking a few sips from his sugar enriched coffee.

"Yep. Possible scandal leads, or maybe something that could help us get a leak into bigger stories."

"That sounds like blackmail." Jaune replied.

"Nope." Lisa responded.

"It really does."

"No, it's creative investigative journalism."

"No it's blackmail."

"Six to one, half a dozen to the other." was Lisa's final response, causing Jaune to roll his eyes before returning to flooding his body with the blessing of caffeine.