Seeing Red

Chapter 11

It was later that night, when they made it back to Beacon after leaving the Forever Fall, that Pyrrha cornered him on his way back to the dorm from the gym.

"So," she said to him. "Can we talk?"

"Sure," Jaune replied. "I assume this is about Eve?"

Pyrrha nodded. "It is. I just want to make sure that you and her are alright."

"We are," he confirmed. "What brought this on, though? If you don't mind me asking, that is."

"Certainly not. I was just thinking… from what you've said, she's a very secretive person, right?"

"She is."

"And that doesn't strike you as odd? You two seem very close, yet you seem to not know much about her at all."

"I mean, yeah, it is kind of odd, but Blake is the same way," Jaune pointed out. "She's always been cagey about what she was doing before coming to Beacon. I figure, Eve is no different. Some people just like their privacy, I suppose. I don't think there's much more to it than that."

Pyrrha nodded as the two of them began walking. "Very well. So what can you tell me about her?"

Jaune hesitated. The obvious place to start was with Eve's affiliation with the White Fang, but somehow, that didn't seem like a good way to open things… or even to bring up in general right now.

He would have to tell Pyrrha about that at some point, but for now, he figured it'd be better for both of them if he left that particular part out of it.

"It started when I was heading for Vale, a few weeks before school began," he explained. "I was staying in this small settlement in the forest. One day, during a trip along the shoreline, I found Eve floating unconscious and wounded in the river. I fished her out and helped nurse her back to health."

Pyrrha blinked. "That's certainly one way to meet somebody. Did she ever explain what happened to leave her so injured?"

"She said it was bandits," Jaune answered. "Apparently, they ambushed her during a mission; she didn't have much of a chance to fight back before they overpowered her and riddled her with bullets. She only barely managed to escape by jumping into the river, at which point she passed out. If I hadn't found her when I did… well, I don't want to think about what might have happened."

"That's good," Pyrrha said. "I suppose it makes sense why she'd open up to you of all people, even if only a little bit – you saved her life."

Jaune flushed red, then brought a hand up to rub the back of his head, giving her a sheepish grin as he did so. "I just did what any decent person would have done. I mean, I couldn't just leave her there, after all… and it worked out, since she repaid me the only way she really could."

"How was that?"

"Training," he answered. "We only had a little bit of time before we had to part ways, but we made the most of it. I even killed my first Grimm with her help, and-"

Jaune suddenly paused, his eyes going wide. Pyrrha was staring at him, confused.

"You only killed your first Grimm a few weeks ago?" she asked.

Jaune cursed under his breath, then grimaced and looked back to her before letting out a sigh of resignation. "...Yeah. Listen, Pyrrha, I know this sounds bad, but… I lied my way into Beacon. I used some forged transcripts to get in. I never went to combat school, in fact the only reason I made it through initiation was because Eve had trained me a bit prior to my arrival here."

Pyrrha blinked. After a moment, she nodded. "Okay."

Jaune stared at her, surprised. "That's it? I thought you'd be mad."

"Why would I be mad? The transcripts are just a way to get in the door. I mean, yes, it's bad that you lied your way in using them, and it was reckless and dangerous and more than a little stupid… but you're here now. You earned your way in by passing initiation, and you earned your position as team leader by how you did it. Moreover, out of everyone, you're the one who's been taking your time here the most seriously out of all of us." Pyrrha gave him a faint grin. "So no, I can't be mad at you for it. Not when you've already proven, by your own actions, that you deserve to be here as much as everyone else does, if not more."

Jaune stared at her for a moment. Then, after a bit, he let out a low chuckle, tears of relief filling his eyes. "Man… I was so worried about what would happen if anyone found out. You know what the funniest part is? Eve told me the same thing – that I've already proved I deserve to be here."

"She was right." Pyrrha's expression softened. "Have some faith in yourself, Jaune. You've done excellently since arriving here. And I think, at this point, nobody would be willing to take that away from you."

"Tell that to Cardin and his goons." Jaune chuckled again. "Man, I was an idiot, wasn't I? I let them blackmail me over nothing."

"Is that what happened with them?" Pyrrha questioned. "They found out about your transcripts, and blackmailed you over them?"

"Yup. But that's all been taken care of now – Eve and I made sure they won't mess with me again. Still, I wish I had realized what you just told me earlier than now – that would've made life much simpler and easier for me." Jaune shook his head. "Still, what's done is done. The problem with Cardin has been sorted, and everything's good now."

Pyrrha's brow furrowed. "You can't be serious."

His expression faltered. "What's the matter?"

"Jaune, you let Cardin and his team drive a wedge between us," Pyrrha pointed out sternly. "Sure, it wasn't nearly as bad as it could have been… but at the same time, it could have been so much worse."

"Sorry."

"I know, but still… you should have told us, Jaune. We're your team, if there's anything going on that's bothering you, we need to know about it, not only because it could affect our performance, but also because you're our friend, and we care about you."

He bit his lip. "I just… didn't want anyone else to find out."

"I understand that," Pyrrha offered. "But please, don't let anything like this happen again. I don't want anything to tear our team and our friendship apart like that."

"It won't happen again, Pyrrha," Jaune swore. "Count on it."

She relaxed at that, breathing a sigh of relief. "Good… that's good. And for what it's worth, I'm glad you were able to get this taken care of quickly."

"So am I."

He flashed her a smile. "For once, I'm looking forward to seeing what tomorrow brings. Somehow, I've got a feeling that it's going to be a really good day."

"Yang Xiao Long!"

Jaune winced as the shout from across the hall woke him. He cracked his eyes open, letting out a groan when he saw what time it was. It was just after seven on a weekend, and already, Team RWBY were going at it loud enough to wake the dead.

Jaune let out a low grumble as he threw the covers off himself and rose out of bed. All around him, his teammates were waking up, but he walked right past them, instead throwing the door open and marching across the hall. Once he got there, he pushed in Team RWBY's door and took a single step into their room. They all froze when they saw the decidedly unamused expression on his face.

Apparently, he'd caught the four of them in some kind of argument. Yang had Weiss in a headlock, while Blake sat on her bed reading and Ruby stood back, a conflicted expression on her face. Jaune took a breath, then let out a tired sigh.

"Okay," he said. "I'll bite. What's going on, here?"

"Yang used my shampoo!" Weiss exclaimed, still struggling in Yang's grasp.

Yang rolled her eyes. "I ran out of shampoo and didn't feel like getting out of the shower to grab more from my bag while dripping wet and naked."

"You could have at least asked first!"

"I didn't think you'd mind."

"Of course I mind!" Weiss hissed. "That's Silber-brand shampoo! Do you have any idea how much that stuff costs per bottle?!"

"I didn't before, but given how silky-smooth my hair feels now, I have a pretty good idea."

"Alright, alright," Jaune said. "Look… this is a stupid argument."

"It is not!" Weiss protested.

"Weiss, she used a dab of shampoo. Is this really worth getting into a big fight over?"

"It is for me," Weiss growled. "I've had it with this team. I am so close to transferring to Atlas Academy."

"Please do," Yang said. "We'd all appreciate that. Very much so, in fact."

"Ah…!" Ruby finally said. "Y-you can't! We wouldn't be able to get a new member this late in the year!"

"That wouldn't be my problem," Weiss countered. "And frankly, I'm past the point of caring by now."

"Pause," Jaune said, silencing them all. He let out another sigh. "Look, this is getting us nowhere. I'll be frank – your team clearly has problems. Several of them, in fact. Now, are you four planning to figure things out, or am I going to have to do something about it myself?"

"Like what?" Yang challenged. "You planning to fight the four of us in your bunny rabbit onesie or something?"

"Oh no, nothing like that. But I bet I can get us all to waste a weekend learning to appreciate each other."

"Ha! Good one. I'd like to see you try."

Jaune didn't say anything, instead turning on his heel and marching out of the room. Behind him, Yang blinked in surprise.

"Hey!" she called. "Where are you going? Are you really just going to burst in here and then leave like that?! We could have been naked in here!"

"I have seven sisters," Jaune said without looking back. "This is nothing I haven't experienced before."

There was a flash of red beside him, and suddenly, Ruby was there, looking up at him with her big silver eyes.

"What are you planning to do?" she asked.

Jaune grimaced. "Sorry, Ruby. I've tried being hands-off, but this is the final straw. I'm taking a more direct approach before you all get kicked out of Beacon."

Ruby said nothing, instead looking down at the floor as she bit her lip. "...I'm a bad team leader, aren't I?"

Jaune hesitated. "...You just need to be more assertive, that's all. And before you ask, you're not the worst – you're still not Cardin. But we'll work on your assertiveness."

"How? Did you have something in mind?"

"I did," Jaune confessed. "And don't worry, my team and I will be right alongside you. You four won't be there alone."

Ruby hesitated before her eyes narrowed. "I just… I want to figure this out myself, Jaune. I should be capable of doing that."

"I know, Ruby. But this has gone on long enough." He reached out and put a hand on her shoulder. "I know you're capable of being a good leader. I'm not planning to do this for you – you'll be the one in charge. All I want is to put you in a position where you can learn to be more assertive. I figure it's at least worth a shot, wouldn't you agree?"

Ruby bit her lip, but finally nodded. "...Fine," she conceded. "But I want you to be as hands-off as possible. I don't want you holding my hand the entire time."

Jaune gave her a faint grin. "Wouldn't dream of it. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have to meet with Ozpin and make some arrangements."

With that, the two of them separated, and Jaune continued on his way.

"I must say, Mister Arc, this is somewhat unprecedented," Ozpin said to him. "You have quite the interest in Miss Rose and her team."

"They need help, sir," Jaune admitted. "It's been a few weeks and they're still at each other's throats. Weiss is threatening to transfer out of Beacon entirely. Something needs to be done."

Ozpin leaned back in his chair, interlocking his fingers over his desk. "And what would you suggest?"

"I think they need more team building in general," Jaune confessed. "So… what about a special weekend mission, just their team and ours? It'll be the eight of us on our own, no backup and no way to call for assistance, plus nothing to distract us. We'll all have to rely on each other. Do you think you could put something like that together?"

Slowly, Ozpin nodded. "I see what you're trying to do. And yes, I agree – this could do wonders with getting them to trust each other more. Very well, I will put something together for the eight of you."

Jaune heaved a sigh of relief. "Thank you, sir."

"Of course, you are aware that if this doesn't work, it will likely be the end of them as a team of four, yes?"

"I'm aware," Jaune confessed. "But at that point, at least we'll have tried whatever we can to help them, rather than sitting idly by."

Again, Ozpin nodded. Jaune stood up and began to walk away, only for the headmaster to call to him.

"You know, you have proven to be a very promising young Huntsman, Mister Arc."

Jaune froze, then turned back to him. "What makes you say that?"

Ozpin gave him a faint smile. "Just the idle musings of an old man, Mister Arc. Do not think too deeply on it."

Jaune gave him a soft nod. "Thank you, sir."

Ozpin leaned back in his seat. "Anyway, I will have the details of your mission sent to your scroll shortly. Be prepared for when they come in."

Jaune nodded once more, then turned and walked out of the headmaster's office.

It was time to fix whatever problems were plaguing Team RWBY.

It was on his way back to his own dorm room that Jaune ran into Weiss. She was right at the end of the hall, standing there with her arms crossed, waiting for him. Jaune sighed tiredly as she spotted him and approached, an irritated expression on her face.

"Weiss," he greeted. "What can I do for you?"

"You can start by explaining exactly what you have planned," she demanded. "I have half a mind to head back to Atlas already. Give me one good reason why I shouldn't."

"Because if you did that, you'd just be back under your father's thumb again."

Weiss paused, her eyes widening. "What did you-"

"Did you not consider that?" Jaune asked, confused.

"N-no, I… I realize that going back would mean he'd be involved with my life again, but-"

"But at this point, you figure you'd still be better off than you are now, with Team RWBY," Jaune finished. "But is that really the case?"

Weiss bristled. "How can you claim to know which would truly be worse for me?"

"I can't," Jaune admitted. "But I do know that there's a reason why you're here instead of Atlas in the first place, and given the way you've talked about your father in passing, I can only assume that you hate him far more than you hate Team RWBY. So, I'll be frank – would you really be better off there instead of here?"

Weiss froze. Inwardly, Jaune cursed himself for being so direct with her. He half-expected her to explode at him then and there, and honestly, she would have been fully justified in it. But to his surprise, she merely pursed her lips, then nodded.

"...Perhaps," she began, "you're talking some sense. That being said, I still want to know what we'd be doing."

"Just a weekend camping trip, really," Jaune assured her. "But we'd be off-the-grid and free of distractions. That means no scrolls, no books, no music, nothing but the eight of us and our weapons for the entire weekend."

"And you truly think that will help us?"

"I think it's at least worth trying," Jaune said. "I'll even make you a deal – if, by the end of the weekend, anyone still wants to leave Beacon, then I won't get involved and try to stop it. You'll be free to leave without me doing or saying anything to try and keep you here. Does that sound okay?"

Slowly, Weiss nodded. "...I suppose so," she conceded. A small sigh escaped her. "This is going to be rough, isn't it?"

"Only if some of us decide to make it rough," Jaune told her. "Look, I know you don't like the rest of your teammates. And I don't mean to single you out there, either – I know they're difficult to deal with, too. But all I'm asking is to give them a chance. Who knows, maybe they'll surprise you."

Again, Weiss sighed. "...Much as I hate to admit, again, you're making sense. Okay, I'll give it a chance. But I expect you to uphold your end of the bargain if things still don't work out between us."

"I will," Jaune said with a nod. "Thanks, Weiss."

"Sure. And… thank you, Jaune, for at least trying." She went to turn and walk away, only to look back at him at the last second. "By the way, I've never been camping before. What should I expect?"

"I won't lie, you're gonna be dirty, tired, and riddled with bug bites by the end of it," Jaune replied. "But then again, we'll be right there, suffering alongside you."

Weiss winced. "It doesn't sound fun, but I already said I'd do it, so…" She shook her head. "I can't believe I agreed to it, but I'm willing to give it a chance, even if only to avoid…" She trailed off, then looked back to Jaune. "Anyway, I guess I'll go tell the others to get ready. We'll see you at the landing pads in a bit."

"Sure, Weiss," Jaune said with a nod. "I'll see you all then."

Eve let out a grunt of annoyance as she once again tried to call Jaune's scroll, only for it to go straight to voicemail. Either he was deliberately avoiding her calls, or he had gotten himself mixed up in something that was preventing him from answering. Either way, she wasn't happy about it.

"He'd better not be getting bullied again."

Her words hung in the air for a moment before she shook her head and let out an irritated sigh, then pocketed her scroll. Whatever the problem was, he wasn't going to answer, so there was no point in continuously trying to call him over and over.

That meant it was time to get back to work.

Eve pushed her way through the foliage and underbrush that separated her from the White Fang encampment. As she stepped back into camp, she noticed that everyone had suddenly gotten extremely busy – she'd only been gone a few minutes, and yet people had gone from relaxing and conversing with each other to suddenly bustling around, moving crates of Dust and weapons as well as throwing themselves into training. At the sight of it, her brow furrowed.

Something had changed, and she wasn't sure what it was.

"Eve."

At the sound of her commander's voice, Eve turned towards the hulking giant of a man, her expression narrowing behind her mask. Bane stared back at her, his arms crossed.

"I've been looking for you," he said. "Where have you been?"

"Meditating in the forest," she answered immediately.

"Hm. Well, it matters not – walk with me for a moment."

Eve did as she was told, following after Bane as he led her through the camp. They moved in silence, until finally, she cleared her throat.

"So, what's going on?" she asked.

"Orders from up high," Bane grunted.

"Orders…? Sienna gave us a mission?"

"She did." Bane stopped, then turned to face her. "She isn't happy that the human you were sent to eliminate managed to escape."

Eve bristled. "I told you, he wasn't home that night. Someone must have tipped him off."

"In any case, he managed to get away. The other human politicians in Vale are in an uproar about it – they don't like that one of their own felt so threatened that he went into hiding. They're worried they could be next, and this time, there may not be a chance for any of them to get away."

"And they're not wrong," Eve growled. "But what are we supposed to do about it?"

"I was getting to that," Bane said. "The humans have started cracking down on our brothers and sisters in Vale, as a show of force and a reminder that they're the ones in charge. Sienna wants us to show them that we won't be quelled so easily."

Eve's one good eye widened behind her mask. "She wants a show of force of her own?"

"Indeed," Bane replied. "She wants us to take the fight directly to the streets of Vale, and soon."

A chill went down Eve's spine. She wasn't sure why, but it was unmistakably a shiver of anticipation, something she hadn't felt since her very early days in the White Fang.

Something about what Bane had told her didn't feel right, but she couldn't place it. Either way, it was concerning.

If Bane noticed her apprehension, he didn't say anything about it. Instead, he stopped just as the two of them reached his tent, then turned to her.

"I'll update you further as the day for direct action approaches," he said. "We're going to need you on the front lines."

Eve simply nodded, numb, as Bane disappeared into his tent. She stared ahead, unblinking, but a moment later, turned and began to make her way through camp, back to her private spot in the forest.

The whole time, she was praying that Jaune would pick up, even though deep down, she knew he wouldn't.

I was gonna write a clever AN here but I honestly can't remember what happened in this chapter because it's been awhile since I wrote it and I was supposed to upload this chapter last week but got busy and forgot so I guess I'll just leave it there lol.

Special thanks to Ickbard for the help with the chapter, by the way. Speaking of which:

We got a dysfunctional team and an extra nervous Eve. what could go wrong? -Ickbard

I need a closer, so... hope you enjoy, the milkers, gentlemen.

I have recently launched my first piece of serialized web fiction. It's called An Angel's Retirement, and you can read it over on Spacebattles, Royal Road, or r/HFY. In each case, it's been posted under my name, Obsequium Minaris. I'll try to link it here, but FFN's wordfilter may make that impossible. In any case, let's try it (remove the spaces):

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forums . spacebattles threads / an-angels-retirement.1137358/

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And the synopsis:

Captain Eric Anders thought his time in the military was over when the war with the Iprenians ended in a ceasefire. He was content to sit back, collecting his monthly pension and drinking his sorrows away. But everything changed when the government saw fit to drop one of its very own super-soldiers into his life. Suddenly, he finds his retirement interrupted by the need to babysit a socially-maladjusted killing machine who has known nothing but war for almost her entire life.

As it turns out, the war itself may be over for the two of them, but the wounds it left behind are very much still present...

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