Disclaimer: RWBY belongs to Rooster Teeth. I own nothing.

12. School Days 05

Just another afternoon, The Club

Loyal men, disloyal rats
How to tell which is which?
Turn your back, and you'll find out
…You thought that was a joke?
-M&M's Yakuza lesson #43, to a suspicious Jaune Arc

Today, 'Junior' Hei Xiong called for all hands on deck. The Red Axes assembled, armed and ready for war. On the stage, their boss stood with arms crossed and a serious demeanor. The imposing man waited to make sure everyone arrived.

A wave from his nephew signaled that the last of his subordinates had entered the room. Junior breathed deeply and made his announcement.

"The Club's main room needs to be cleaned from top to bottom, and guess who just volunteered?

"The immediate wave of groans and complaints fell on deaf ears, the protests only serving to fuel Junior's grin.

"Nobody's leaving until this place is spotless. Get to work."

Be a Red Axe, they said. You'll be a man of honor and respect, they said. The gangsters took on their new responsibilities with ill grace. They grumbled on as they set to dusting, sweeping, and mopping. Some examined the fixtures for damages, a few did the same for the floor tiles, while others searched for signs of vermin.

Three people in particular set themselves to that last task, hard at work as they lounged at the bar. The jealous stares sent their way suggested that they could be working harder. A young man crawling along the wall cried at the sight of the smug blond with a drink in hand and a lovely twin on each side. The three individuals ignored the minions as they chatted. They can't slack off, after all.

Jaune pointed with the hand holding a glass of cool, refreshing soda.

"How about him, with the feather duster?" Melanie tried to follow his hand.

"There's, like, ten of them."

"The one with the..." Suit and hat? Sunglasses? Who thought a uniform was a good idea? "Ah! He's sweeping the underside of that table. He looks shifty."

"Hmmm, nah. That's his usual face. I say it's that short one. We caught him sneaking a few bottles home one time. What do you think, Mil?"

The short minion heard Melanie's words and broke out in a cold sweat. He strained his ear to catch Miltia's answer.

He didn't need to because Miltia replied loud enough for half the room to hear.

"He took from the bottom-shelf stock. And if that's our barometer, then most of the minions here qualified."

The man breathed easy as he returned to his task with more enthusiasm.

Why were Jaune and the twins doing this? Because there was a traitor among them. Probably.

Uncle Hei suspected an infiltrator over a traitor. Buying off someone carried the risk of the attempt being revealed due to a guilty conscience. Uncle Hei did it regularly with confidence, as the strong finances of the Xiong Family allowed such a strategy. A large enough payment soothed even the guiltiest of conscience, after all. The Lien-strapped lesser gangs tend to use the economical option. Why spend precious money when you can spend the much cheaper human lives?

As Jaune observed the room, a morbid thought crept into his head.

"Hey, uh, I remembered in a movie. There was this scene where the gang made each of their new guys kill a man to prove they weren't police. Is that an actual thing we do?" Miltia scrunched her face.

"Ew, no way! Do you see how many people there are here"

"Yeah, now imagine we had them each prove their loyalty."

"The sheer amount of bodies would fill your bedroom up to the ceiling. Ewwww."

Thank you, Miltia, for that image. Ew, indeed. Melanie leaned over to whisper.

"That method works, but there's an easier way. Junior placed a few guys inside the department, so we know who the undercover cops are. It's the gangs that are difficult since so many different groups want to bring us down."

In other words, they're performing critical work for Uncle Hei. Spotting a new target, he nudged the twins.

"That guy's just pretending to check over the tiles. Notice how his head stays completely still as he walks?"

Everyone within earshot redoubled their cleaning efforts, exaggerating each movement of their heads and arms. Miltia scrutinized the man.

"I'll put him on the list."

"Good job, gopher. Even if he's not our target, I'll be keeping tabs on him. There's nothing worse than a slacker," said Melanie as she languidly stretched on the barstool, "who else?"

Most of the minions blended in. None seemed more or less of a possibility in Jaune's opinion. He could base his hunches on their past behaviors, but they were all gangsters. A criminal history was par for the course. He noticed a movement.

"That guy crawling along the wall? What is he doing, anyway?" Miltia looked.

"I think he's checking for cracks that bugs and mice can get through."

"Or he's slacking. Put him on the list."

"This isn't a work review, sis. And I bet it's the bartenders. They hear more secrets, so any good spy would try to get that position."

A very good point. Jaune observed the nearest one, right behind the bar. The man gulped but didn't show any clear signs of guilt. A new glass slid in front of Jaune. Definitely not suspicious.

The pattern repeated for the next hour. One of them would point to a gangster, and the others decided whether to add him to the list of suspects. By now, the minions all understand the true purpose of today's activities. As they cleaned, the men told themselves that their innocence was self-evident. Even so, their hands brushed axes and knives for reassurance. Tension ran high, and Jaune scanned the crowd hopelessly.

"Melanie, Miltia. I have to be honest. What does a spy look like? Because as far as I can tell, they're like everyone else."

"No, duh, disciple. It's not like they wear t-shirts with the word 'SPY' on the front."

"Then what was the last hour for?" Melanie cut in.

"When hunting for a spy, don't bother with appearances. Forget about inner character. The way to do it is by creating opportunities where the culprit outs themselves"

"Like, if two beauties and a Jaune-" Jaune glared at Miltia. "-were to sit around accusing this and that person -"

"-and the spy was trapped in the room -"

"-then even if he thinks he is safe, he will naturally move closer to the exit, just in case." Jaune turned to The Club's entrance.

"Like him?"

A young man in suit and tie, last found crawling along the walls, pushed a mop from side to side. His current path has taken him away from the bar, setting a course to reach the main doors in a couple of minutes. Melanie applauded.

"You noticed! We've been watching him for a while now."

"He thinks he's sooooo subtle."

At that moment, the possible-spy glanced back at the bar and met their stares. He saw the growing smiles on Melanie's and Miltia's faces. A beat, and he bolted away with mop in hand.

"Excuse us, disciple."

"This won't take long."

The twins dashed after the runner, taunting and laughing as they hunted.

Farewell, nameless fake mook. You deserved everything that's coming to you.


The alleyway courtyard, late evening

They'll say deceptions are for cowards
'They' are either the strong, and can afford mercy
Or the losers, and are begging for mercy
Both can be ignored
-M&M's Yakuza lesson #27, to a hesitant Jaune Arc

The sound of blades clashing rang through the alleyway behind The Club as Jaune and Miltia sparred.

To even the field, Miltia gave up her claws for the day and used a wakizashi. Even with only a knife, she fought with a wild ferocity. She threw her body into her slashes, often spinning through the air to add momentum or jumping to strike from above. Miltia changed directions on a dime, dodging Jaune rather than blocking his strikes.

Seeing a slash coming towards his right side, Jaune attempted to parry her blade with his. His large size paired with a powerful swing would send her off-balance, or maybe rip the knife from her hand altogether.

Miltia's attack barely touched before she spun in reverse. Jaune's missed parry continued its path, leaving him wide open for Miltia to move into his left. Her knife struck him in the stomach.

Finally, she was within reach.

"Got you!"

Jaune wrapped her in his left arm, pinning her knife between their bodies. His right began stabbing repeatedly into her lower back, targeting the kidney like Melanie taught him. Miltia's heels stomped on his feet, his Aura taking the blows.

Melanie interrupted their fight on the eleventh stab, holding a scroll that measured the fighters' Aura.

"Red Aura, Miltia!"

"Dammit!"/"Yes!"

On Melanie's words, Jaune let go of Miltia and pumped his fists in the air. After so many bouts, Jaune Arc won!

Melanie let Jaune celebrate for a bit, then provided critique.

"Good play leading her into the grapple, Jaune. You'll want to avoid the stomps, though. Mil almost got you in the Red." Jaune protested.

"I had enough to defeat her. At that point, offense mattered more than defense."

"Oh? You think so? A spar is just training for actual battles, gopher. Victory is important, sure, but always have enough Aura for the next fight. You don't want to be ambushed while defenseless."

"And what are the chances of that happening?" Melanie sweetly smiled.

"Right now? Pretty good."

Pain flared in his lower back. Before Jaune understood what happened, pain bloomed again and again. A shove put him on the ground, and a heel on his back kept him there. He twisted his head to see Miltia standing over him, knife in hand.

"What the-, Miltia! I won already!"

In response, Miltia giggled and stuck out her tongue. Melanie answered in her stead.

"There's a second mistake you need to be mindful of. Care to guess what it is?"

"I don't know," Jaune whined, "that I didn't expect Miltia to backstab me?"

"Exactly! You left a weapon in her hand to stab with, Jaune!" Miltia chimed in.

"Celebrating too early is an amateur move."

"Next time, kick her weapon far away first."

"Knock my Aura out, too."

"But, isn't it cowardly to attack someone when they've already lost?"

"That kind of thinking is why you're on the ground right now."

Teeth grinding in frustration, Jaune sulked as he waited for Miltia to remove her foot off his back. Once she did, he jumped to his feet. Melanie noted the sweat and dirt on the two combatants, and sent them off to clean up.

On the walk back to their rooms, Jaune stayed quiet. He expected his first win to be the highlight of his day. Hell, his week. He recalled the brief happiness that turned into confusion and fear, then into defeat. Jaune sighed.

At this point, he needed a long shower, and maybe he'd binge a show to try and forget today.

"Jaaaaune."

Of course, she never learned to leave things alone. Mere steps from his door, Jaune turned back.

"Yes, Miltia?"

"You seem upset."

"Well, my teacher did just pull a dirty move."

"It was a good opportunity for a lesson. You might have won the spar-" Jaune rolled his eyes.

"-And I'd lose my life in an actual battle, I got it."

"But you won the spar, be proud of that. You're getting stronger. You've learned to feint, even. The problem is, you're still a bit too honest."

"I didn't think the Way meant this."

He wanted to be a hero, not a thug. Miltia didn't use an advantage, like when she and her sister sparred him two-on-one, or a feint, to draw him in. She attacked when it was over. When he can't defend himself. In return, she advised him to kick a downed foe until they can't fight anymore to prevent ambushes. His teachers were the strongest people he knew, they shouldn't need such cowardly tricks.

"The Way doesn't mean being a knight. Most of the enemies you will face in your life? They'd kill you if given a chance. You need to do what you can to survive."

"So what, we join them and fight without honor or humanity?"

"It may seem a blurred line at times. We hold on to honor in the little things, Jaune. Don't cheat the people under our protection. Take care of our subordinates in hard times. Keep our promises, and stand by the people who matter to us." Miltia's voice softened. "But when it comes to fighting, you need to make it home at the end of the day. My-, a lot of Yakuza didn't when they trusted only the strength of their arms. Even if you dislike these tactics, you need to be prepared for your enemies to use them. Only those who are truly strong can show mercy. Neither of us can afford to."

What does being a Huntsman entailed? It's more than Grimm-slaying. He'll face humans. Bandits, in fact. The types of people who readily wait for their enemies to turn their back before killing them. Jaune could try to fight like a knight, and die like one too. Shot or stabbed without ever seeing his murderer's face. Or, he can make sure they never get the chance to hurt him. By attacking them when they're unprepared. By making them feel the same helplessness he experienced earlier.

"I'm going to have to think on this. I'm not sure what being a dirty fighter means, or if I can accept being one."

"That's fine! Melanie and I had to learn this same lesson and find our own limits. I won't push you, but I'm here if you need to ask me anything."

"…Thanks, Mil. I'll see you tomorrow."

Maybe Uncle Hei would have some advice. Or Spruce Willis. If nothing else, this conversation helped Jaune with his movie choices for the night.

"Wait, uh, does this mean we're okay? For how the spar ended." Jaune had to crack a smile.

"This and that are two separate things. You stabbed me in the back. Three times."

"Oh, come on! It was a lesson, I had to demonstrate!"

"Then you pushed me down and stepped on me. Like a bug."

"Well-, that's-"

"It's gonna take a lot from you for me to get over that."

The fine art of teasing was addictive, Jaune realized. Especially since it's Miltia, which made this justice rather than cruelty.

"Ohhhh?"

That tone. He knew that tone, and what it meant. Miltia gave Jaune a sweet smile and fluttered her eyelashes.

"I have to earn your forgiveness?"

She flounced over to him. She bounced as she does so. The movement drew Jaune's gaze far below her eyes.

Her party dress, her battle outfit, dipped low in the best of time. With her so near, the view took his breath away. Poets spoke of valleys and hills and moon-pale skin. They weren't wrong.

This was a trap. Miltia intended to make him blush, or stutter, or make a fool of himself; Jaune caved easily before a girl. She wanted a win to end the day, and this attack on his mind was just another unfair tactic targeting him at his weakest. Staring at her curves Jaune found this method quite easy to accept.

No. No! His grievances meant something. He refused to lose his composure here. Yet, his cheeks already began to redden. Miltia surely noticed. It won't be long before Jaune start his stammering phase.

Can he look away? His eyes vehemently protested. They knew what they wanted. Can he distract her? He had his knife, and nothing else. Persuasion? His mouth can't be trusted at the moment. Bury his face in his hands? That's as good as admitting his defeat.

"I'm really sorry for what I did." The whisper sent shivers along Jaune's spine.

If…if he buried his face elsewhere, say a spot fourteen inches forward, it can't be said for sure that he lost his composure, right? While it may seem like he fell for her ploy, he's simply calling Miltia's bluff to fluster her and seize back his earlier initiative. One could call it a counter rather than a surrender. It served to bolster his reputation with her too, since Miltia disliked his meekness.

And! And! This was just what she taught him, using a dirty move to change the flow of battle. He can deny Miltia her win, while putting a lesson into practice. Honor allowed it, victory demanded it. This is him following the Way, honest.

He needed to bury his face between her breasts. Strategically speaking, of course.

Jaune shifted to the balls of his feet. He prepared to tip forward, and thanked Oum for this learning opportunity. Reflected in his eyes were only two things.

A hand pushed on the side of his head.

"You're a gopher, not a pervert. Quit it." Jaune reeled back.

"Melanie! When did you get here?"

"Why were you staring at my sister's tits?"

"Because the Way-, I mean, it's this strategy where I-, She was offering an apology!" Melanie turned to her sister, who displayed an innocent face.

"She was offering something, alright. Go wash up, you two. Separately. We're grabbing dinner on 47th."

"Such a killjoy. I was only asking Jaune how I can make it up to him."

"Uh-huh. No teasing Jaune when I'm not around." Two pairs of green eyes met.

You always go too far.
Jaune can handle it!
You'll break him and come crying for me to fix it. Bet.

Her piece said (and unsaid), Melanie moved past them towards her and Miltia's room. Left behind, Miltia burst into giggles at Jaune's red face.

"You're going to have to tell me what was going through your head. You were standing there for, like, a whole minute." Jaune averted his eyes. He made for his own room.

"I'm taking that to my grave."

"Seriously, though. Are we cool yet?"

"Yeah, yeah. Get me an ice cream or something."

"Oh! There's a shop I know that makes everything themselves, the ice cream, the cones, even the chocolate for the toppings. They serve cakes, coffee, milkshakes, everything. The three of us can go this weekend?"

"Sounds good, Miltia. And thanks."

"For the talk, the ice cream, or the view?"

Jaune shut the door to avoid answering.


A sunny weekend, at John's

Peaceful days don't last
Yakuza fight at the drop of a hat
But then, peace is boring
Yakuza build their legend in strife
-M&M's Yakuza lesson #37, to a laughing Jaune Arc

Sitting in a booth at John's, Jaune made a discovery. He previously thought people were mad for mixing ice cream. Why, when you can enjoy glorious chocolate from the top to the bottom of the bowl?

The secret was simple. People used the sweetness of vanilla and strawberry flavors to enhance the bitterness of chocolate ice cream. There may be less chocolate in every bite, but each spoonful reached a depth of taste he never envisioned. It helped that he's stealing the vanilla and strawberry ice cream from Melanie and Miltia's sundaes, instead of replacing his Decadently Dark Chocolate Sundae with an inferior three-flavored bowl. Thank Oum the public setting kept them from resorting to actual violence.

"Dammit Jaune, gimme a bite!"

Melanie tried to reach around his arm with a spoon. Jaune parried it with his own. A twist of the wrist, and it flew in the air.

"Haha, how about no? And on that note…"

His spoon flashed like a viper for Melanie's Vanilla Vale (with banana and caramel). An inch away, a hand tapped the bowl to slide it just out of reach. Miltia smirked.

"You have become too arrogant, disciple. Share with your teachers!"

The twins always were strongest together. Only a fool challenged them both at once. Jaune Arc would be such a fool, for the sake of his ice cream. He geared up for the battle to come.

Behind the counter, the owner of the shop shook his head before going back to making a customer's coffee. A father and daughter at a nearby table laughed with amusement at their antics. They stopped as a shadow fell over Jaune's booth.

The shadow's owner, and his friends, wore a mix of casual clothing. T-shirts, track-suits, hoodies, all blue in color. A gang, then. Though, gang or not, it would be best to remain polite until their intentions can be determined. There may not be any reason for violence.

"Can I help you?"/"What do you idiots want?"

Melanie…

The leader of the group slapped a hand on the table. He growled.

"I want you bitches to pay for what you did to my brother." Miltia snorted, and threw oil on the flame.

"Hehe, you didn't deny being idiots. And you have the wrong people. We haven't done anything to anyone's brother."

A lie. The twins poured a drink on a drunken clubber last week. He called up his brother, to both brothers' regrets. Last month, they asked if anyone wanted (keyword: wanted) to dance with both of them at the same time, which sparked a fight among the minions. The last two standing knocked each other unconscious. They were brothers. And if Jaune happened to be included in 'bitches', there was the incident where he shoved a belligerent thug into the river. That man swore he'll come back with his brothers for Jaune's head. More likely than not, this particular gangster has actual grievances against the three of them.

"Don't lie. Umber's still in the hospital because of you!"

"""Who?"""

"You chased him down and broke his limbs. Then you stole from him!" Melanie figured it out first.

"You're with that rat! Mil, Jaune, they're the gang spying on us. Get them!"

There goes any hope of peace. On the thugs' side, out came knives and bats. The lead thug reached into his jacket, only to collapse with a scream as Melanie's leg snapped out from under the table to strike his weakest point. Miltia pulled herself onto her seat, then leapt over Melanie into the fight. Her claws stayed in their retracted form. Wise, since he doubted the gang members had Aura. A bloodbath would bring the police on them all.

Jaune spared a last mournful glance at the three half-eaten bowls of ice cream. Already, the desserts have begun to melt. Will any be left, once the battle is done?

One man took advantage of his seated position to attack. Jaune's sheathed knife knocked away the incoming swing of the baseball bat, then slammed into the batter's jaw. Teeth flew.

Two men, one muscular and one with a nose ring, stepped over their fallen comrade. The muscular thug punched at Jaune's face, and did more damage to himself. An Aura-boosted slap sent him spinning through the air.

Nose-Ring opted for a flanking maneuver and stabbed with a knife. Jaune took the first attack with his shoulder, dodged the second, and countered by kneeing the thug's belly. He avoided the resulting stream of vomit, then kicked the man away.

On the inside, he cheered. Someone else had stomach issues, for once.

Another gang member stepped up (seriously how many of them are there?), a rather thin and weedy specimen. This one smiled cockily despite his pathetic build. In his hand, the reason why. A gun.

Aura can take bullets, his teachers said so. He'll be fine. Probably. With the barrel aimed at him, Jaune wasn't so sure.

"Hey, we can-"

The gunman pulled the trigger. Jaune's eyes glowed blue.

Bullets flew fast, Jaune learned. He felt the impacts on his chest, sharp pains that immediately fade away.

Boy and thug looked down at the bloodless holes in Jaune's shirt. The smile fell from the thug's face, as a smirk grew on Jaune's.

Aura is almighty.

Shooting without giving Jaune a chance to deescalate? Hell, shooting with bystanders in the room? Jaune charged the trigger-happy idiot before he can turn the gun on someone else.

More bullets struck Jaune, he ignored them. His Aura-reinforced frame crashed into the thug, picking him off the ground entirely. His charge brought Jaune to a table, where he slammed the gunman through to hit the floor amidst splinters. The gun fell from the man's hand.

Jaune turned back to the melee. Well, the aftermath. Close to twenty bodies laid groaning on the floor. Also on the floor were more broken teeth than one jaw should have, and at least two lost fingers. At the center, Miltia checked her nails while Melanie played with her scroll.

"Finally done, gopher?"

"There was one with a gun. I had to be careful with civilians in the room." Miltia interrupted.

"Ehem. Aren't you forgetting something, Jaune?"

Was he? The civilians looked unharmed. Most have left the building altogether. The thugs were put down,...with their weapons far away except for a particular few.

Ahhhhh!

Jaune kicked back with his right foot. A grunt of pain, and the weedy man flopped back down. The gun slipped from his grasp once more. This time, Jaune knocked it with his foot over to Melanie, who stomped it to pieces with her bladed heels. Jaune gave Miltia a cherubic smile.

"Forget what?"

She met him with a quirked eyebrow, and Jaune caved.

"Alright, alright. That was my mistake. I'll do better."

"Jaune, Mil, I've texted the minions for cleanup. Can we leave now? The ambience here is ruined."

Jaune glanced at their table, where three empty bowls sat. He turned to the counter, the owner nowhere to be found. Miltia voiced his thought.

"Can we take some ice cream from the counter? Nobody has to know."

"We're not robbing the place on the way out. We actually like this store. Let's go."

The little doorbell rung as Melanie exited John's, and rang again as Miltia and Jaune followed. They stepped over a gang member lying on the sidewalk.

Did Melanie do that? Poor mook went down before Jaune ever saw him. Just another example of the twins' way of dealing with opponents. A disarmed and unconscious thug cannot attack anybody from behind.

"Um, Miltia? Melanie?" Jaune said. The twins hummed to show they were listening. "I'll try to be more ruthless against my enemies. If they pull tricks like that last guy, then they deserved it."

The gunman tried to shoot Jaune in the back. Worse, he might have shot Miltia or Melanie. They noticed the ploy and raised their Aura, but who could ever say for sure? Nobody will get another chance to find out, that Jaune promised.

The twins laughed and pulled him along.

"Good! You're more important that they are. Remember that."

"Now forget those idiots. Where are we going?"

"I vote for the usual café. It's deep in our territory."

"Hmmm, might as well. Miltia?"

"Sure! We're getting cake though. We can't trust this greedy gremlin to not steal our ice cream again."

"Says the girl who ate my ramen."

"It was an extra-large serving! You can spare some for your poor, starving teacher!"

Once, Jaune Arc would not dream of taking part in a brawl, and would likely cry if he faced a gun. Today, it seemed to be just another moment in his daily life.

Jaune wondered if that was a sign of growth, or madness.


Author's Notes: Just don't overcompensate and break someone…

Hmmm. There seems to be a few strange things in that third scene. Do we need a Mystery tag on this story? Nah, the reason's not that complicated.

There is the RWBY movie, RWBY Season 9, and two movies to watch in this next week. The movies are yakuza-related, for inspiration. Plus a possible trip next week for 4 days. I would also like to get a chapter out for the other story. Don't be surprised if next chapter come slowly.