Same Paths, Different Routes, Always Friends

by vanquish356

Everyone thinks they only begin fighting tyrannical adults once they are adults and train. Yet, that was not always the case. Many have fought adults before as kids. Their memories were just wiped clean. But not everyone's at 13. Years later, Jaune meets with one of his childhood and KND friends, Nigel Uno. Together, they discuss their lives leading up to that point. One Shot.

Same Route, Different Routes, Always Friends

"Okay. I'm heading out to get the supplies we need for Peach's project. I'll be back later." Jaune said as he discreetly placed a weird pipe object with an antenna on top into his bag. He then zipped it up before grabbing the strap and placing it on his shoulder.

"Alright. See you later, Jaune." Ren said before turning back to his work.

"Take care." Nora said before putting her headphones on so she could continue watching her movie.

"Oh. And don't forget to pick up some snacks and drinks since we are running low." Pyrrha said as she examined Miló and Akoúo̱. However, she also made a subtle nod at her desk. While most would be confused by what she meant, Jaune wasn't.

"Alright. I'll pick some up on the way back." Jaune said, a soft chuckle escaping him as he thought about how much his girlfriend loved chocolate. It was one of the many things he adored about her.

Smiling, Jaune adjusted the straps of his bag before ensuring his earbuds were secure. He then stepped out of the dorm before closing the door. Jaune then grabbed his scroll and searched his music library for a playlist he left like listening to. Once he found the list he wanted to listen to, Jaune began heading to the exit. But as he did, Jaune looked around at everyone he passed. As one would expect, hundreds of students from all over Vale and the other Kingdoms were attending Beacon. And most of them would say that they had never seen each other before coming here. Yet, Jaune knew that wasn't true.

After all, they were all kids at one point who worked together toward a common goal.

'It's amazing just how much we have all changed since then.' Jaune thought, chuckling.

Turning the corner, Jaune continued down the halls. Soon, he passed by the student lounge, which was somehow still intact three months into the semester. Looking inside, Jaune smiled when he saw Team Cfvy relaxing and spending time together. They were currently playing Clue, with Velvet acting as the GM while the others played. Yet, it was clear that Velvet was leading them on a wild goose chase. Spotting him, Velvet smiled while waving at him before turning back to the game.

Smiling, Jaune did the same. Yet, his gaze never left Team CFVY's leader. While Coco and the rest of the team would say they had never seen each other before initiation day for him, Jaune knew that wasn't the case. While Coco no longer had memories, Jaune remembered the times he, Coco, and four others would go on missions. Yet, after the split, Jaune always wondered what had happened to her. But he was glad to have found her and see that she still wields deadly weapons.

'Some things never change.' Jaune thought as he resumed walking through the halls toward the exit.

After a few moments, Jaune exited the academy and headed to the bullheads. But as he paid for his ticket and boarded, Jaune could not help but draw comparisons to the other contraptions he used to fly on with others. However, the primary difference was that the bullheads seemed competently made, while the others were haphazardly thrown together using various pieces of junk. Yet, they still somehow worked better than most planes Atlas made.

'Just goes to show you how smart Hoagie and the others were.' Jaune thought as he took his seat. He then opened his bag and took his motion pills. Once he did, Jaune closed his eyes to take a nap to pass the time.

Half an Hour Later

'Attention, passengers. We have arrived in Vale. We do hope you enjoyed flying with us and will choose to us again in the future. And if you don't mind, please give us a five-star rating and a nice review if you are asked. Thank you, and have a nice day.' The pilot announced as the bullhead landed, with its doors opening a second later.

'Five stars? That's the first time I've heard of bullhead pilots asking for a five-star rating.' Jaune thought as he exited the bullhead. Yet, no sooner than he did, he found the reason why.

"Remember, kids. As future Air Traffic Controllers, precision and the ability to stay calm and collected under serious stress is everything." A tall woman wearing a safety vest and binoculars said. Behind her were two kids who were the same age as Jaune. And even though they wouldn't have recognized him, Jaune did, as not only had he fought them nearly a decade ago, but he attended the same school as them.

'That explains it. And it seems that Jimmy is finally out of Permanent Detention. And it's nice to see that he and Anna are still together. Good for them since they make a nice couple.' Jaune thought, smiling at his old enemies/classmates.

Shaking his head, Jaune chuckled at the memories before leaving the airport. He then began making his way across town. But as he did, Jaune, as always since that 'fateful' day, took in the sights of Vale and compared how he saw them now to when he was a kid. It was indeed a stark contrast and, in many ways, duller. Yet, he could not help but smile at the memories of the adventures and missions he went on with his team.

'How we did not get charged with anything or break anything during or outside our fights is beyond me.' Jaune thought, silently chuckling when he spotted the roof his team would always lend the M.O.S.Q.U.I.T.T.O.H. on when coming to this part of Vale.

*RRRRIIIINNNNNGGGG*

"Alright, everyone. Recess is over. Time to go back to class." A voice said. Turning to where it came from, Jaune was surprised by what he saw.

"Gallagher Elementary School. Wow." Jaune said, walking up to the playground.

Even though his sector was in a different town, Jaune remembered his team often coming here to attend classes since their school frequently had to do repairs. Yet, they didn't mind, especially since it meant they got to meet the famous Sector V. However, that also meant they had to help and face off against some of Sector V's more villainous villains. But it just meant that, in the end, they would become closer friends.

'Well, at least until that day happened.' Jaune thought with a sorrowful sigh. 'I still can't believe the Fountain of Youth is here under the school.'

"HEY! GET OUT OF HERE!" A voice shouted, startling Jaune. Looking down, he internally chuckled at what was supposed to be his 'mortal enemies.'

"YEAH! THIS IS OUR PLACE, TEEN!" Another kid shouted.

"GET OUT OF HERE BEFORE WE SHOW YOU WHAT WE CAN DO!" A third shouted while balling his fist and slamming it against his palm.

"We'll be waiting." Jaune warned/threatened. Yet, internally, he was chuckling as he still retained his memories, unlike most others. Thankfully, like the few others who also retained their memories, Jaune knew how to put on a show and act like the enemy.

"And we'll be waiting for all of you to mess up." The first kid shouted before the three ran off to some others that Jaune presumed were the rest of their fellow teammates. Yet, as the teachers led the students into the school, most of the kids glared at Jaune.

"I should probably make a few more fake trails. Just to be safe." Jaune said.

Sighing at his new work, Jaune left the school and resumed heading to his destination. After a few minutes, he reached his first location, which was a pharmaceutical store. Heading in, Jaune grabbed everything his team needed for Professor Peach's project. But after passing a certain aisle and remembering how some of the other 'teens' that he had to 'work' with were getting, Jaune figured it was best to be better safe than sorry. He then grabbed a few packages to prevent the others from potentially ruining their lives.

After paying for everything and grabbing a snack for himself, Jaune exited the pharmacy. He then started heading to his next destination to get the rest of the supplies his team needed. But after a few blocks, he noticed some kids running to the corner with lien in their hands. For a moment, Jaune wondered what was going through their minds, but he understood when he heard the familiar sound of an ice cream truck.

"OVER HERE!" Jaune said before letting out a low whistle to get the driver's attention.

"Thanks, mister." One of the kids said, smiling.

"No problem." Jaune said, ignoring the glare one of the five kids was giving him. Jaune could tell that only the kid who was glaring at him was an operative, while the others were not.

"Come and get your ice cream." The ice cream man said as he opened the sliding window. Yet, the man instantly grumbled when he saw the kids.

'Years later, and they still don't want to sell to children.' Jaune thought, slightly annoyed. "Okay, kids. What flavors do you want?"

"Rainbow Monkey flavors." The kids answered.

"Alright. Five scoops of Rainbow Monkey ice cream." Jaune said, making a subtle hand movement to tell the man that he was ordering, not the kids. Grumbling, the man went inside the truck and came back a second later with their order. Jaune grabbed the cones and gave them to the children before paying for the ice cream. "Thanks."

"Don't mention it." The ice cream man growled before heading to the driver's seat and driving off.

"Thanks, mister." The kids said, smiling, as they enjoyed their ice cream. But while four of them said this, the fifth one, who was an operative, didn't. Yet, that changed when another kid elbowed her in the arm.

"Thanks... teen." The kid grumbled before they all ran off.

Chuckling, Jaune resumed heading to his next destination. After a few moments, he arrived at the local minimarket his team used. While there were a few others much closer to the airport, those were either often sold out or too expensive. Plus, Jaune could grab a few other things like bathroom supplies and appliances like a tea kettle here. Additionally, unlike the others, it was open nearly twenty-four/seven, meaning they could almost always come here if they needed something.

Heading inside, Jaune began gathering all the supplies and snacks his team needed. But he also grabbed a few chocolate bars for his girlfriend and a movie they could watch together the next time they were alone. Once he had everything, plus a few things for himself, Jaune headed to the cashier to pay for everything. But as the cashier was scanning his items, Jaune caught something from the corner of his eyes. Looking toward it, he saw that it was a bag of Black Label Brewed Coffee. Typically, he wouldn't have thought twice about it, but the symbol on it and the colours caused him to remember a particular villain some friends faced long ago.

'I can't believe that Cuppa Joe died. Then again, he drank so much coffee with so much caffeine; I guess his body couldn't take it anymore and just gave up.' Jaune thought with a sigh. Taking another glance, Jaune contemplated a bit before grabbing a coffee bag. 'Might as well. Coco might like it.'

Paying the cashier, Jaune grabbed his stuff before exiting the store. Once outside, he grabbed his scroll to check the time. Seeing that it was nearing five, Jaune decided it would be a good idea to start heading to the meeting spot right now.

One Hour Later

Park

'That was annoying.' Jaune thought as he exited the bus.

After waiting twenty minutes for the bus, it had finally arrived. Once it did, Jaune got in and had to resist chuckling when he saw some kids glaring at him. But to keep up the rouse that he was the 'enemy,' Jaune acted like he was 'up to no good' as he made his way to the back seat. Unfortunately, as soon as Jaune sat down and the bus took off, the operatives began to harass and attack him. Thankfully, Jaune managed to dodge all their attacks due to his experience using the 2x4 technology and training with other huntsmen-in-training. Yet, they did not stop trying to hit him until they reached the park and he got off.

'I'm still surprised nobody noticed anything off during my time with them.' Jaune thought as he headed to some benches overlooking the park's lake.

However, he had to take a few detours when he noticed some other operatives or 'teens' following him or hanging out nearby. Thankfully, his pursuers quickly gave up, allowing Jaune to escape and resume heading to his destination. Once there, Jaune sat at one of the benches, removed his bags, and secured them to the bench's metal leg. He then took out his scroll and answered some messages from his friends.

"You know, I'm pretty sure that the KND would have a field day if they saw two "High-Ranking Teens" together at a park." A familiar voice said. Putting away his scroll, Jaune turned and smiled at his remaining childhood friend. Well, the only one who still remembered everything.

"Hey, Nigel Uno." Jaune said as the famous ex-leader of the equally well-known Sector V sat beside him. "Or, should I say Numbuh 1."

"You know we don't use our code numbers anymore, Numbuh 1412.1431." Nigel said as he got comfy while removing his prescription glasses and cleaning them before putting them back on. "But even if we still do, we always prefered using our real names when we're alone."

"True." Jaune said, smiling. "So, how have you been, Nigel?"

"Tired. It has been hectic, both as a GKND operative and just as a person living on Remnant, trying to get through life."

"I can imagine, especially since you're cleaning up that mess."

"Mess is an understatement. You would not believe how bad it really was." Nigel said, shaking his head at just how corrupt and messed up the GKND was when he first joined. Thankfully, he caught some lucky breaks and managed to do away with some of the higher-ups who started the whole mess and the more fanatical members. Now, they could focus on rebuilding the organization and ensure that it returned to its original goal of stopping tyrannical adults instead of wiping out all adults. "But what about on your end, Jaune? How's Beacon life and life as a member of the Teens Next Door?"

"Drama. Nothing but drama and lots of pain. And a whole bunch of awkward moments."

"As a Teen or Huntsman-in-training?"

"Both." Jaune answered, causing the both of them to chuckle.

"Who would have guessed that being a Teen would have entailed so much drama?"

"I'm pretty sure everyone who was not a kid knew that a lot of drama came with being a teen or an adult."

"Yeah. But we were kids and didn't know how everything worked."

"Like how growing up was natural and not a disease."

"But that still did not detract from all the good we did, like stopping Father and some other evil adults."

"True. You know, some of them should be in jail for what they tried to do to us. I mean, ones like Knightbrace didn't do too many illegal things or cross too many lines since he only wanted kids to have healthy teeth. But others like Mega Mom & Destructo Dad should be since their paralyzing rays could have caused severe complications.

"Or Nurse Claiborne since she gave all the students pinky-eye, which could have given them some nasty infections."

"And don't forget Chester."

"Yeah. Some should have been jailed. But speaking of villains, have you and the TND been keeping tags on some villains?" Nigel asked, curious.

"Yup. We know where they are and what their last acts were. But we did have to cross some of the list, unfortunately."

"Why? And which ones?"

"Crazy Old Cat Lady, Gramma Stuffum, and Mrs. Goodwall. They all died from old age."

"Oh. Yeah." Nigel said, scratching the back of his head. "They were all already pretty old when we fought them. And the last time we did was nearly a decade ago."

"Yeah. There were a couple of others that we considered dropping because they were either too old to continue what they were doing or retired. But we held off on that decision when we saw Stickybeard training a fresh batch of candy pirates."

"Smart thinking since Stickybeard was the cabin boy of Black John Licorice before commanding the Sweet Revenge."

"But outside of that, none of our usual enemies made any big plays. And the TND has been sabotaging and slipping information to the KND to help them out."

"Good. Any new villains pop up while I was away?"

"You mean villains for the KND and TND or for the huntsmen?" Jaune asked.

"Both, if you can."

"Well, on the huntsmen's side, no new villains came up. Then again, I hardly know what's going on out there since I'm still training to become a huntsman. As for the KND/TND side, a few new villains did pop up. But they all seem as competent and threatening as the Toiletnator."

"So, safe to say, we don't need to do anything." Nigel said, causing them to chuckle as they remembered all the times the Toiletnator proved how useless he was.

"I'm pretty sure that the truck driver who delivered those pianos has a higher body count than him."

"Probably more than we can imagine since he can hardly see what's in front of him."

"Yeah. Just one of the many questionable things adults have done."

"Like we haven't done questionable things, Jaune."

"How so?"

"I never brought it up since I didn't know at the time, but Hoagie using Joaquin as a test subject for his experiments can be considered questionable at best and animal cruelty at worst."

"Okay, you got me there. But I have to be honest, I wasn't expecting that kind of answer."

"What were you expecting then?" Nigel asked, curious.

"Like how Hoagie sleeps in a cockpit of an F-14 plane integrated into the wall about thirty feet off the ground. One wrong turn and a painful spalt on the floor awaits him."

"Well, what can I say. He loved aircraft and must have felt most comfortable sleeping in a plane's cockpit."

"He could have still placed it on the ground."

"True. But speaking of teammates, have you kept up with your former teammates?"

"Only one, and that's Coco Adel. The other six we lost contact ever since they moved to Mistral."

"She was your weapons specialist if I remember correctly."

"Yup. Coco knew her way around all KND weapons. But she always prefered the heavy weapons. And it hasn't changed ever since, despite being decommissioned."

"Really? What weapon does she use now? And is she a huntress-in-training?"

"Yup. She's one year above me. And she uses a purse minigun hybrid. And to top it off, Coco can use her semblance to make her bullets do more damage."

"Talk about overkill."

"Overkill?!" Jaune asked, sounding baffled that Nigel would consider that overkill. "You dropped the moonbase onto your grandfather!"

"Well, in my defense, it was the only way to get the decommissioning chamber to him."

"Still. Thankfully, no one remembers the incident."

"I want to say the decommissioning chamber that sent out a wave that wiped everyone's memory, but I doubt it."

"Yeah. But either way, I'm just glad no one remembers it since that would be hard to explain."

"True." Nigel said, shrugging. "But what about your Beacon teammates? Don't huntsmen academies place students into teams of four?"

"They do. I'm the leader of Team JNPR. And my teammates are Lie Ren, Nora Valkyrie, and Pyrrha Nikos. We're petty good friends."

"Just good friends?" Nigel asked, lowering his shades while raising an eyebrow.

"Well, with Ren and Nora, yes. With Pyrrha, it is different since we are dating."

"Congradulations, Jaune. I always knew you would end up with someone. Although, I did not expect it to be someone so famous."

"Yeah, me neither, especially given my track record." Jaune said, chuckling as he remembered his flirting attempts on Weiss. "Also, how's Numbuh 362 doing? Are you two still seeing each other?"

"Rachel's doing fine. She just got accepted into one of Atlas's Leadership Academies. And yeah, we're still together. This weekend, we're about to go on our 362 date."

"Nice. And I'm sure Rachel would breeze through her lessons since she was the Supreme Leader of the KND, after all. And that's no small task."

"No, it is not. I still remember when she stepped down and initiated the tag sequence to determine the next Supreme Leader."

"Now that was chaotic." Jaune said, recalling how nearly every operative went into a frenzy when that happened. "But how about your former teammates, Nigel? How are they doing?"

"From what I could dig up, Hoagie just got accepted into aviation school. Kuki got a job working at the Rainbow Monkey Corporation."

"Which doesn't surprise me at all, considering how much she loves those things."

"But this will. Wallabee is training to become an anger management instructor."

"That... does not seem like it would work out well since he is hot-headed."

"That's what I thought when I first read his report. But Wallabee is also now a personal fitness trainer."

"Okay. That suits him more." Jaune said. "And Numbuh 5?"

"Don't you already know the answer to that?"

"Well, Abigail might be a TND operative, but I don't know how she is doing. We were never really friends. At best, we were acquaintances."

"Right. I forgot about that." Nigel said, recalling how he hardly ever saw Abigal and Jaune interact with each other. "Anyway, Abagail is doing fine. Last I heard, she got accepted into a college, but I don't recall the name of it. And she got a job as a camp counselor."

"Hopefully, the KND don't give her too much trouble."

"Hopefully, but I doubt it since the KND targets evil teens and adults."

"True."

After saying this, both Nigel and Jaune fell into a comfortable silence. They merely stared at the setting sun, enjoying the peace and not needing to fight adult tyranny again. Granted, Jaune and Nigel knew their now typical enemies were far different from those they fought when they were kids. And even now, their enemies are drastically different from each other.

Hearing some laughter nearby, Nigel and Jaune turned toward it and saw a family having a nice walk together through the park. Looking closer, they saw that the family consisted of a father and his daughter and son. The son appeared to be only eight years old, while the daughter seemed to be eighteen. And in her hands was a letter with a ribbon. From what little they could see, Jaune and Nigel figured it must have been an acceptance letter to a prestigious college. Now, the family was celebrating, with even the son cheering his sister on despite not fully understanding what was happening. Yet, while the scene brought a smile to Nigel's and Jaune's faces, it also reminded them of the inevitable.

"I sure am going to miss this even though I won't remember any of it." Jaune said, placing his forearms on his legs as he leaned forward.

"Yeah. Same." Nigel agreed, as all the fond memories of his teammates and friends going on adventures came to his mind. And as much as it pained him, he knew he would eventually forget them when it was his time to get decommissioned. "If you want, Jaune. I could pull some strings to get you accepted into the GKND. Of course, you will still be decommissioned eventually, but it will put off the date by at least a few years."

"I appreciate the offer, Nigel. But I did my time with the KND and TND. I know when it's my time to get out." Jaune said before smiling when he spotted a couple nearby. "Plus, I'm making my life here. And I have a feeling some big changes might come soon. I want to be here for them and experience as much as I can of it and life."

"Yeah. I can't blame you for that. I'll probably stay with the GKND until everything is sorted out and place a few protocols so the same thing won't happen again. And then I'll ask to get decommissioned."

"Good thinking. I'm already planning on making a few more fake trails to throw some of the evil Teens off. Then, I'll slip some information about their plans to KND global command. After that, it's just a waiting game until the date rolls around."

"But even after that date comes, you'll still be fighting adult tyranny, just not the type of villains the KND and TND typically deal with."

"Yeah. I'll be doing the same thing, just in a different way. And against different people." Jaune said. "What about you? Any plans for after you get out of the GKND?"

"Settle down mostly and focus on my relationship with Rachel. I'm already looking through job listings and applying to which ones I like."

"Listen to us. What do you think the kid versions of us would say if they heard us talking about this?" Jaune said, chuckling, causing Nigel to scoff while crossing his arms.

"They would be horrified and think that Father placed us in the Delightfulization Chamber."

"I think horrified would be an understatement." Jaune said before remembering something. "Oh, before I forget, I got you something."

"Really? What is it?" Nigel asked, curious.

"This." Jaune said as he reached into his bag and tossed Nigel a metal pipe with an antenna.

"A P.I.P.E.R.?" Nigel asked, confused, as he looked at the 2X4 technology they created to communicate with other KND operatives over long distances.

"Open the top where the antenna connects to the pipe."

Curious, Nigel unscrewed the top to reveal a white envelope. Raising an eyebrow, he took it out and opened it. And to his surprise, it was five Yipper cards. But they weren't just any Yipper cards. Rather than having the trademark yellow dog with a red nose, each one had an image of his friends from when they were kids. Seeing a white edge still inside the envelope, Nigel reached in and pulled out a photograph. And on it was his old team and Jaune's team when they posed for a photo taken by Numbuh 8 by 10 after a successful joint mission. The sight of their younger selves so happy and still a team nearly brought a tear to his eyes.

"This is amazing, Jaune. Thanks." Nigel said as he carefully placed the photo and Yipper cards back into the envelope.

"You're welcome, Nigel."

"How did you even manage to do that with the Yipper cards and find that photo?"

"One of my older sisters is friends with one of the people who make the Yipper cards. So, I traded in a few favors to get it done. As for the photo, I found it in the archives of Sector X's old treehouse during a raid with the Teens. Apparently, the KND moved a lot of stuff there temporarily as they built a more secure place for all the stuff."

"Well, I love it. Thanks again, Jaune." Nigel said as he placed the envelope inside the P.I.P.E.R. before screwing the lid back on.

"You're welcome, Nigel."

"So, what now?"

"Well-"

*BOOM*

"We could wonder how the KND managed to get a base on the moon and how the Atlas Kingdom managed to create powerful, towering mechs, yet none of us could ever accurately predict the weather."

"I doubt any organization will be able to accurately predict the weather in our lifetime, Jaune. Heck, even the operatives from different planets say their planets have trouble predicting the weather." Nigel said, causing the both of them to laugh.

"I can imagine. Anyway, we should probably get going now so we don't get soaked."

"Yeah." Nigel said as they stood up. But no sooner than they did, they heard two voices call out to them.

"JAUNE!"

"NIGEL!"

Looking toward where the voices came from, Jaune and Nigel saw their girlfriends running toward them. And they noticed that they were carrying two umbrellas each. Once they reached them, Pyrrha and Rachel hugged their respective boyfriends.

"Hey, Nigel." Rachel said as they separated.

"Hey, Rachel." Nigel said, smiling.

"Hey, Jaune." Pyrrha said as she pecked Jaune on the cheek before separating.

"Hey, Pyrrha." Jaune said, smiling.

"What are you doing here?" Jaune and Nigel simultaneously said. Realizing this, they chuckled before turning around so they could face each other and introduce their girlfriends.

"Rachel. This is my friend, Jaune Arc. And his girlfriend, Pyrrha." Nigel said.

"Hello." Rachel said, waving.

"Pyrrha. This is Nigel Uno and his girlfriend, Rachel." Jaune said.

"Nice to meet you two." Pyrrha said, smiling.

"So, how did you find us?" Nigel asked.

"Well, I heard it was going to rain, and I knew you didn't have one. So, I grabbed some and checked all your favorite spots until I spotted your shiny, bald head." Rachel answered, causing Pyrrha and Jaune to chuckle while Nigel rolled his eyes.

"And I tracked you using our scroll's features." Pyrrha said.

"Wouldn't that be considered like stalking?" Rachel asked, curious.

"Kind of. But it's a feature exclusive to huntsmen and huntsmen-in-training. So not everybody has access to it."

"Alright."

*BOOM*

"Anyway. We should probably get going as it's going to start pouring any minute now." Jaune said as they felt a few raindrops.

"Yeah." The others agreed, not wanting to get wet.

"Well, it was nice meeting you two." Pyrrha said as she opened up their umbrellas.

"And it was nice meeting you two as well." Rachel said.

"Talk to you later, Jaune." Nigel said as he placed the P.I.P.E.R. in his hoodie's pocket.

"Alright. Hopefully, we can see each other in person again soon." Jaune said.

"Oh, we will. You can count on that." Nigel said in a tone that Jaune instantly recognized as the tone Nigel used when taking command or leading a mission.

"See you." Jaune said as he grabbed Pyrrha's hand before turning around and leaving.

"They seem nice." Rachel said as she opened up their umbrellas.

"They are."

"How long have you known Jaune?"

"For a long time. We're childhood friends. I believe we first met when we were around seven or eight."

"But..."

"But we were unable to see each other person when we became thirteen since Jaune moved away. We did keep in contact, though. And only last month, we finally met in person again." Nigel lied.

"That's nice. Although I have to admit, I was not expecting your friend to be in a relationship with the famous Pyrrha Nikos."

"I don't think he expected it either."

"Maybe we could all meet up again and hang out one day."

"Possibly. But we would need to check our schedules."

"Of course. You're still going on those trips with your family, which typically last weeks."

"Well, we try to see each other as often and as long as we can since we never know when our time will come."

"True." Rachel said, grabbing her boyfriend's hand. "Anyway. Let's get going."

Nodding, Nigel opened his umbrella before squeezing his girlfriend's hand. They then turned around and headed home just as the rain began to pour. But as they walked in the rain, Nigel glanced back at his friend and smiled at what he saw. They had put away one umbrella and were now walking closely together. Jaune had his arm wrapped around Pyrrha as she snuggled into him. The sight caused Nigel to smile even more. Even though he knew they would one day forget their adventures as operatives and were on different paths now, Nigel knew for a fact that they would always be friends and always have each other's backs.

Notes:

Just a one shot I felt like doing after rediscovering cartoon network bumpers on YouTube.