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

Chapter 13. Beacon Days 05

Beacon Library, Study Area

"...get up and fight me! Fight me! FIGHT MEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!"

The voice rang through the library, its squeaky arrogance a challenge to all comers. With arms spread, fingers curled, and a foot on the table, Beacon's littlest monster roared her dominance.

Then, she vanished in a storm of rose petals, only to appear on the other side of the table with two pencils, whereupon Beacon's littlest hero roared her defiance.

Weiss kept writing in silence. A trio of nameless students applauded from the next table over. Jaune continued to bury his face in his hands.

"What did you think? I tried really hard to capture the primal energy between the two of you."

Her reenactment, on its own, could be adapted for the comic books. The raw emotions, the choreography, every element was a step above what actually occurred. In other words, a complete fantasy. Jaune did not remember making that pose, or Sky dual-wielding. This reenactment stood too far apart from the source material to be considered 'his fight' any longer, no matter how much he wished he could have lived up to it. Worse, more people remembered Ruby's revisions of the match than they do his own performance. She might overshadow his reputation at this rate.

"You made a better Jaune than I ever did. But, uh, don't you think it's about time to retire this story? Weiss seems to be bored by it." And I want my identity back.

"Whaaaa…? No way!" Ruby hopped back into her seat, swinging her feet onto the table. Her hand reached into a bag of cookies, her snack for this study session. "I have so many ideas I still want to try, like adding some pyrotechnics during your monologue."

"I don't remember the stage being on fire last Friday." Ruby pumped a fist in the air.

"It's not about what happened, but what should have happened."

Entertaining as her performance was, the words he said to Sky were spoken in the moment, meaningful only for that one encounter. Repetition diluted its power, in his opinion. Especially after the fifth time.

"I just think that the lines have gotten stale. A bit, y'know, cliché."

Ruby gasped and crawled over the table, taking Jaune's hands in her own. Her gaze pinned him in place.

"Don't say that, Jaune. Words that can inspire someone- they don't get old, they aren't clichés, and we should hold on them as long as we can. Sky was ready to quit, and what you said got him to stand back up again. When I heard what you said, I almost thought you looked cool."

Holy ego boost, Ruby. To be the subject of such star-struck eyes, Jaune had to blush. Hang on…'almost'?

"You don't think I'm cool?"

"Pffft." Ruby waved him off, her admiration forgotten. "You don't even have mechashift, let alone a cape. Upgrade your katana to turn into a gun, already. You could have been so amazing, but instead...sigh."

Sticks and stones, and even unkind words, could not hurt Jaune as much as a Ruby's gaze of pity. He rallied to defend his choice of weaponry.

"Mechashift has its own weaknesses, and guns are less effective when Aura comes into play. My match proved that a simple weapon can be just as effective as your Crescent Rose. It's all in how it is used. Right, Weiss?"

"You are fine as is," said Weiss without looking. "No gun. No Dust. No armor. Perfect."

"See?"

There's also the problem that he can't remember to reload in the heat of battle. Or aim at any target beyond ten feet. And already shot his own foot by accident. It provided great entertainment for his teachers on the practice range that day. That is, until Melanie fell over trying to fire a shotgun, proving that they should all leave the Dust-arms to the minions.

Ruby narrowed her eyes.

"Take a round from my baby before you try and compare the two again. Crescent Rose is the best, par none. Right, Weiss?"

"Do your assignment, Ruby."

"Yes, Weiss."

Witnessing how quickly the younger girl settled down, Jaune thought that Weiss has been good for Ruby. Skipping grades sounded like a good deal until she found herself struggling in every class except combat. The faculty didn't think to prepare her for Academy-level workloads, which were a world apart from combat school assignments according to Pyrrha. In came Weiss to the rescue, guiding her leader through the textbooks and showing the girl good habits. One would not expect from the level of support and camaraderie they shared, that the two girls have known each other for less than a month.

Peace returned to the library. The minutes ticked by. Weiss taught Ruby and Jaune in the many uses of Ice Dust beyond just bullets. Jaune pitched in to help the younger girl with her math homework (Uncle Hei was right about combat school). All the while, Jaune kept an eye on the library's entrance. His guest should be coming any time now.

*crinkle*

"Huh?"

*crinklecrinklecrinkle*

Once again, their table broke the sacred silence of the library. Ruby raised her cookie bag to her eyes, peering into its depths. Jaune knew what that meant, his little sisters have done the same often enough. There were no cookies left.

"Aww."

The piteous mewl struck the hearts all present. Well, most present. The librarian looked pretty happy at the prospect of no more food crumbs on her precious books. The students nearby, possessing actual compassion, dove into their pockets and bags for any edibles on hand. Even Weiss was not immune.

"It's okay, we can get some later from the cafeteria!" Her words had little effect. "And if you finish your homework by dinnertime, we can try that John's place this weekend."

How sly of her, dangling a carrot (or, more aptly, an ice cream) before her partner to stoke her drive for academic excellence. It's a good plan. Which made this quite a shame.

"Or, you can have this now."

A small carton of macaron, part of a samples package from Uncle Hei, landed in Ruby's lap. It should have gone to Jaune's guest, along with everything in his bag, but a Yakuza must take care of his friends. Business can come later.

Ruby's smile bloomed bright.

"You're the best, Jaune!"

*snap*

What was that? Turning his head this way and that, Jaune saw nothing amiss. He did, however, spot the person he was waiting for. 4:00PM on the dot.

"Wish me luck, Ruby, because there could be more where that came from."

He followed the figure making their way into the depths of the library. After today, things should get busy once again.


Beacon Library, Remnant Mercantile History section

In the furthest corner of the library, a man reclined in an armchair, one leg crossed over the other. In his hand, a steaming cup. The cone of light from a lamp just missed the man's face, hiding his features in the shadows. Next to him, a table carried a wide array of offerings for his perusal.

Nearby, Jaune leaned against a bookshelf, sporting the classic smile of waiters and servers across Remnant. It threatened to break in a full-blown smirk every few minutes, but he maintained control. He had reason to feel confident, for the bag he brought sat empty, and every item presented so far was met with approving hums and murmurs. The man was interested.

After exploring Beacon from top to bottom, Jaune found that this place ran a much tighter operation than a civilian university. Cameras in unlikely places, Bullheads pilots who won't take side gigs, and a witch stalking the halls were some of the obstacles to his would-be smuggling endeavors. Empty rooms never went neglected for long, playing host to a rotating series of seminars, meetings, clubs, and even an odd Huntsman crashing for the night. Headmaster Ozpin didn't make it easy to establish an underground storefront selling dubious goods and services in his Academy.

Uncle Hei's lessons held the answer to Jaune's troubles. When stymied by the authorities, operating a legal front was Xiong 101. Make yourself useful, pay your taxes, and hide behind the law. The Club existed in such a state, with an army of lawyers insisting that Uncle Hei was the humble owner of local businesses who contributed to his community, and is it really a good idea to alienate such a job creator? Businessmen were almost untouchable.

'Jaune Arc, Huntsman Entrepreneur' had a ring to it. So, Jaune looked into obtaining permission to open a business on campus. And to grease the wheel? He needed an inside man. Someone who can commandeer a room, arrange transport, and deflect the attention of Goodwitch and Ozpin. Someone with a touch of authority, but also with needs and wants that Jaune can exploit.

Hence, this meeting, and the charm offensive. From meals to sweets, stationery to haircare products, Jaune plied his contact with 'samples' of his inventory. Innocuous wares that the school does not stock, yet could improve the daily life and morale of the students. Happy Huntresses and Huntsmen made for a better learning environment, so why not give Jaune Arc permission to bring in a few necessities, and some luxuries to boot? And a little corner for his business? Then, give every incoming crate of goods a false bottom, keep an unofficial price list for the discerning customer, and Team JNPR can swim in Lien by next month.

The man took a sip from the cup, and sighed in satisfaction. Jaune's smile widened. That cup contained his secret weapon, an expresso by the name of Vacuan Sunrise. Stronger than anything Vale can make, the taste bordered on the limits of what a person's tongue can withstand before curling up and dying. This drink was guaranteed to banish sleep from a hibernating Ursa. A favorite of the early morning crowd from the oasis city, hence the name.

"How do you find the blend, sir?" Heh. As if he didn't know.

"Exceptional, simply exceptional. I can see it being a boon to every faculty and student pulling an all-nighter. Although, I wonder how you intend to make a profit on it. The beans must be imported, as I recall, and I would expect most students prefer cheaper alternatives."

Most students also prefer that their drinks do not attack them. Jaune foresaw a handful of buyers for Vacuan Sunrise at most, professors included. A tiny loss on the margins, and more than worth the cost if it can play decoy for his true earners.

"What's a little money for the sake of Beacon? The swill from the cafeteria just isn't enough for people like us."

"Very true, very true." That clinched it. Jaune chanced a push.

"So can I count on your support for this project, sir?"

"No, you cannot."

What sick game was going on here? Jaune gaped at the curt answer, losing composure to stumble against a shelf as his pool full of Lien burst into flames. He must have heard wrong. Every step of the meeting went according to plan, every item a resounding success.

"B-but, why?"

From the shadows, the man leaned forward, revealing a clean-shaven face and green hair. Light glinted off glasses, obscuring his eyes. Lips set in a frown, before taking another sip of coffee.

Dr. Bartholomew Oobleck fixed Jaune with an unamused stare.

"Because I am no stranger to your ploy, Mr. Arc. If I were a betting man, which I am, you have not shown me the real inventory. Allow me to guess. Beverages of an alcoholic nature? Bootleg entertainment?" The professor narrowed his eyes. "Illegal substances?"

"You mean- NO! I'm not selling drugs, I swear!" Just test answers, secrets, blackmail, and bribery. Jaune Arc was a Yakuza of (some) standards, thank you.

"Hmmm. Perhaps you won't take it that far. In any case, I certainly cannot approve a smuggling ring for liquor." Jaune protested, for at least on this matter he had a leg to stand on.

"But prof- Doctor, I know that Huntsmen- and Huntresses-in-training are allowed to drink alcohol! If we don't sell it here, students would just go to Vale to buy some." A shake of the head, as Oobleck tutted at Jaune.

"Ah, but that is the point. We want the students to go to Vale for alcohol. Why do we do so?"

"Uh, well-"

"Rhetorical question! We do it because the journey is important, Mr. Arc. The trip to go to Vale and back takes time, during which the students can decide what to drink, when to drink, where to drink, how much to bring back, and so on. It takes effort, both the strength required to carry their purchases from Vale and the cunning needed to successfully sneak past Glynda. Now, and this is not a rhetorical question, why do you think we want you to put in this time and effort?"

"Because…" Jaune mulled over the question. He has heard something like this before. "Because, it's not that alcoholic drinks are bad, you don't mind if we drink. When...Where...How much to bring..." It was Uncle Hei who said it. Yes! "You want us to limit ourselves! It's about safety." Oobleck nodded.

"Exactly. The favorite places for Beacon students to indulge in alcohol are the bars or clubs in Vale and their dorm. A good bartender knows when to cut off his customers, and we can only hope our students go to places with good bartenders. But behind the doors of their room, the people to control the students' consumption are often the inebriated students, themselves. The purpose of Beacon's policy has always been to give these students multiple opportunities to think on their drinking choices, and raise their chances to make good decisions."

If they drink in a bar, the price kept the quantity down. If they bring the booze to Beacon, the risk of discovery by Goodwitch meant students will only take what they can hide in their bags. Clever, and effective.

And his plan ran counter to giving those opportunities, by making liquor convenient for the campus population. By making it too easy to abuse. Oobleck would never allow rampant alcoholism to fester. Therefore, Jaune will have to change his plan.

He wasn't about to give up on that pool, after all.

Oobleck said it himself, Jaune's future customers have two favorite places to drink. If he cannot sell them booze to bring back to their dorm, then he'll just have to sell them booze to drink right in front of him.

A bar. Jaune can skip his uncle's first steps in college and go straight for his current model of business. One the one hand, the risk of discovery skyrocketed. Lookouts must be posted, possibly with a tail on Goodwitch to keep track of her location. On the other, it solved Oobleck's key objection and prevented resale of his inventory. Also, a bar segued beautifully into his intention of acquiring secrets and favors. A strong glass of wine, a sympathetic ear, and a loosened tongue. The perfect trifecta to hear the good gossip.

Not to mention the upcharge on every bottle. One overpriced 'Dom Perignon' and they can afford Nora's syrup supply for a month. A bottle of '56,000 Lien' whiskey can get his team all the Dust they want for the year!

With greater risk, came much greater reward. More and more, this idea appealed to him. And, well, nobody can say Jaune Arc liked to live cautiously.

"Prof- Doctor Oobleck, I have another proposal. Not only me, but Beacon itself can benefit from a bar!" The man raised an eyebrow.

"And how is that any different from your first idea?"

"We will have a bartender, with strict limits on the number of drinks."

"Is that all?"

Unfair. He's only making objections for objections' sake. Jaune searched his brain for other acceptable reasons. Somehow, he doubted 'because Team JNPR wants a five-star resort vacation' would cut it.

"It, uh, it is more efficient to the students, sir. Traveling to Vale and back takes more than an hour. An hour where they could be studying (yeah, right). That's not to mention they might get into any manner of mischief in Vale while drunk. I know of at least one Huntress-in-Training who trashed a bar after getting a drink. She got in trouble with innocent local businessmen for that, and the property damage Headmaster Ozpin paid could have been used to import Vacuan coffee. If she had been able to get liquor here, she could have gone straight back to studying." Sorry, but not really, Yang. At least this way, you paid back some of what you owed. "And! This store introduces those who have never been in a bar to the correct etiquette, so they can behave as befitting heroes-in-training of Beacon when they are in the city. And a lot of other reasons." He finished lamely.

Oobleck placed his elbows on the armrests, and steeple his fingers. He leaned back in the shadows.

"Tell me these reasons."

Dammit.

Fine. Take all my lies. I have plenty more.

Jaune mustered all his cunning, and spun his spiel.

-o-

Later, sitting alone in the shadows of the library, Doctor Bartholomew Oobleck allowed his frown to break into a smirk.

The alliance with Jaune Arc has proven beneficial already, evidence being the new mug of Vacuan Sunrise in his hand. He can soon add 'lucrative' to the list, too, for his bookie operations has a new venue. One that came with an inside source of information, tapped into the student scene. All the better to stack the odds.

This year was shaping up to be an interesting one, and if Oobleck was a betting man (which he was), he'd wager that Jaune Arc will have a hand in much of it.


Beacon Library, Study Area

"You're the best, Jaune!"

Weiss seethed, a broken pencil in her hand.

If anyone had asked before today, Weiss would've wagered (Not that a Schnee would ever gamble, this is hypothetical) that she owned just as much loyalty from Ruby Rose as Jaune Arc did, if not more.

How the beast managed to influence Headmaster Ozpin, she did not know, but he succeeded in arranging for his pet assassin to become leader of Team RWBY. Shrewd of him, to keep the Golden Goose that was Weiss Schnee under observation, but Weiss spotted the weakness in his plan. Ruby, so used to following her sibling and her master, floundered under the weight of her new position. So lost. So pitiful. Ruthlessness begets ruthlessness, Weiss exploited this opening without hesitation.

The plan began with gaining Ruby's trust. Soft words of encouragement soothing the younger girl's doubts, followed by Weiss teaching the girl all she knew of leadership. With lesson notes and late night reviews, no efforts were spared to raise her to the standards expected of Beacon. Study sessions became conversations became team excursions to Vale, where Weiss wormed her way into Ruby's heart by plying her with sweets as they painted their nails, tried on clothes, and talked about cute boys (*blush*) and weapons (*yawn*). Without the supervision of Arc, the assassin latched on to Weiss.

Which was why it rankled.

So much of her time, so much of her effort to subvert Ruby from Arc's control, and he washed it down the drain with one maneuver. Never mind that Weiss bought Ruby better cookies. Forget the nights they've stayed up together. Should not she be the best? But no, her frie- cough- her lackey remained firmly under the beast's thumb.

Something poked her cheek.

"Weiss, do you want a macaron? They're really good."

"I would love one, thank you."

Turning back to Arc, sweets in hand, she saw him head for the shelves instead of the exit. A delicate eyebrow quirked. Now, where could he be go- Mmmm? This macaron was delicious. An eggshell-thin surface, a soft interior, with just enough of the rich chocolate ganache to leave her wanting more. The Valeans were true masters in the art of desserts-

Darn it, Arc's gone.

A chance to discover his plans was too good to pass up. Weiss stood, intent on following the man. A step, and she found two hands pulling her back.

"Wait! You can't leave, too. I can't do this assignment alone!"

"Ugh, I'll be back soon. Just read chapter...chapter..." No. Say it isn't so.

One time might be a coincidence. Pure happenstance, that Ruby wanted to share her bounty. Two times, with both instances taking her attention away from Arc?

It happened as he passed the macaron, she knew it must have. A signal, a code word, something that told Ruby to distract Weiss while he makes his escape. And his pet assassin obeyed.

Ruby, how could you?

Strength left her legs. Letting the girl pull her back in the seat, Weiss hid her tears as she reconsidered her progress. Clearly, the criminal remained on his guard after three weeks, either from paranoia or because she gave a hint of her intentions. Could everything she shared with Ruby simply be a ruse, orchestrated by Arc?

Weiss leaned back in a stretch, taking the chance to glance over at her partner. With legs swinging and humming a tune, Ruby ate her snacks with an innocent joy. Noticing the attention, the girl blinked for a moment. Then, she smiled and offered Weiss another macaron. Looking at the girl, Weiss saw not a single thought in that little head. No, Ruby was a blunt instrument to Arc, unsuited for subtle games. Her role, here, that of an unwitting patsy at most.

It came down to time, then. Her efforts on Ruby Rose barely started, while Arc had years to work his ways. The girl's loyalty remained split, and she listened to her master because of her ingrained obedience, not from hatred of Weiss Schnee. A disappointment, but unsurprising. It was easy to dismiss Arc for the lackluster length of his knife and inexperience in wielding his sword, but his most potent weapon since their first meeting has been his manipulative ways. The beast possessed a strange and twisted charisma that wrapped the men and women of Beacon around his finger, like what he did to Sky Lark. Even now, Weiss recalled every moment of their fight last Friday. It was… it was…

A masterstroke.

To so utterly break Lark, in order to build him up again. In that moment, Arc revealed himself to have surpassed her father. All her life, she thought Jaques Schnee had been so cunning, so cruel. His schemes tore down one life after another, leaving ruined people in his wake. Pheh, amateur. One day, her father will find himself surrounded by enemies bent on vengeance. Jaune Arc's enemies will be shaped like clay into his willing soldiers.

Was that what happened to Ruby? Had she once stood against Arc, only to fall into his wily clutches? Weiss shivered at the possibility that she may meet the same fate.

Her plans needed revision, her pace reined back. Haste meant discovery, and facing the full ire of Jaune Arc. His forces contained both his team and her leader, along with those women he constantly talked about, and who knew how many others. Weiss, on the other hand, stood alone and unprepared.

The key to bringing down Arc lay in removing his supporting structure and strengthening hers, before dealing the final blow. She had already taken the first step, by trying to turn Ruby to her side. Moving unseen and taking little risks, Weiss can play the part of the innocent and demure princess (a role that she will certainly excel) while learning his method. Until that fateful day, where all he owned belong to her, and she can cast aside her guise to gloat over his defeated form.

P-perhaps, she can even bend him to her will? It'd be a fitting and ironic end for such a beast, tamed and trained as a loyal dog. Catering to her whims, where she once catered to his. Oh, the thought was delicious.

"Um, W-weiss. You're making that evil smile again."


Author's Notes: An ice-cream themed character had no name mentioned but made an appearance last chapter, and was responsible for three empty ice cream bowls and an unconscious thug.

Managed to get a Conquered Menagerie chapter out. Happy Happy.

RWBY Season 9: I really enjoyed some elements of it. Sometimes, they manage to create perfect moments that makes the show worth watching.

JLxRWBY: I, again, really enjoyed some elements of it. It had the same problem I had with this story's Initiation chapters, though. Too much setup needed, too many characters at once. And they had the added issue of working in an overarching plot. Jessica is a cute.

'First Love' directed by Takashi Miike: Highly recommended, for one character in particular. This character, more protagonist-like than the actual protagonist, operates much like this story's Jaune and the inspiration from the Yakuza games. With boundless confidence and flying by the seat of his pants. Some interesting narrative techniques, plenty of Yakuza tropes. Gained a lot of ideas from this one.

'Why Don't You Play In Hell' directed by Sion Sono: Every movement exaggerated, every conversation the climax of the story. After the first 15 minutes, this movie embraced the 'silly Yakuza' concept to the finish, and I saw quite a few 'Yakuza Arc' moments. If you enjoyed this story, you may enjoy this movie. Very, very much recommended, and I'll definitely be watching this again.

Do note that Japanese Yakuza movies tend to be much bloodier than some people are used to.