BACK AT IT AGAIN! Trying out a shorter chapter this time. Or well, as short as I can make it. This and the next chapter were originally one big 12k shot, but I decided to trim it down for pacing. Last chapter we got like 6 or 7 reviews in one! I just want to say thank you so much for making your decision to review. They give me LIFE. And a copious amount of motivation. I tried to reply to everyone who left one, so feel free to check your pms.

Without further ado, let's get it started!

Beta: Wolfy

Art: Gyanguirus

Chapter 9 - Miracle

Jaune didn't really like Mistralian food.

He'd never enjoyed it. It was too spicy, and sadly, he'd fallen in with the classic Vale stereotype, not being able to tolerate even the slightest hint of complex flavor. He chuckled to himself as he stirred the curry with his fork, chunks of chicken covered in a dark red sauce swirling around in the dark plastic takeout bowl. Between the yellows of the rice, the red of the sauce, and the chunks of white meat, the dish painted a perfect picture of chaos.

Much like his life these days.

He groaned at the metaphor. When did I start turning into Ren? He pondered sullenly as he pushed the plate away. It's not like he was hungry. He hadn't really been these past few days. Your friends got that for you, the least you could do is eat it, his mother's voice chided as he boxed up the meal. That was right, Ren and Nora had been by three times now to drop off food. They'd been nothing short of wonderful since his little chat in Ozpin's office.

They'd offered to stay with him too, citing that his wellbeing came first. Jaune rushed to dissuade them though, reminding them that the tag team tournament's opening ceremony was less than a week away. They didn't need to take time away from their training to look after him. He was sad, but he wasn't a child.

"They're just taking care of me," He scolded himself aloud. "That's what friends do for each other."

It was an ember of warmth in the sea of cold he'd been feeling since Wednesday. It had been three days since he'd gotten the date of his execution. Three days since he'd been slotted in a main event match against Pyrrha Nikos, the Invincible Girl. His gut twisted angrily as he recalled the leering smile of her father, Alexander. The bastard had him in his sights and had weaseled his way to another success for his daughter's career. He didn't blame Pyrrha. Heck, he didn't even know Pyrrha. But if she was anything like her father, he'd be sure to steer clear.

The aftermath of that night hadn't been fun. He hadn't even cared to get out of bed the next morning, electing instead to enjoy the warmth of his wonderful bedspread. There were texts of course. From Ren and Nora sending their love, to a few from Sun all the way in Mistral. Ren must've told him, he mused. News always got around fast.

And then there was Ruby.

He'd woken up to four texts from her that first day, the silver eyed wrestler intent on making sure he was alright. He thumbed his scroll from his pocket to read them over again.

Ruby: hi! I had this cool new move idea, and I was wondering if you wanted to hear about it? It's super sick, we can try it out next time we train!

Ruby: Sorry, that was dumb. Are you okay?

Ruby: That's a dumb question for me to ask of course you're not.

Ruby: Call me, please. What you're going through isn't fair, but you shouldn't do it alone. I just want to know you're okay.

He hadn't called her. Electing instead to react to one of her messages with a thumbs up. He hoped he wasn't being a bad friend. It wasn't like he was ignoring her or anything, he just wanted to be alone. That being said, he kind of missed her. It was a strange thought. He'd been on his own most of the time, with Ren and Nora hanging out with him every few nights. Ruby had become a bit of a mainstay in his routine these past few months. Morning runs and training sessions with her daily, driving her back to her apartment, and there were plenty of nights where they'd called about a match that was taking place, or more about their favorite wrestlers. They'd even begun doing movie nights.

Looking down at her messages, he was reminded of just how lucky he was to have her in his life.

He shook his head. Enough sap, Jaune, he thought as he forced the thoughts of Ruby and his friends away, flopping down on his bed. They reminded him of wrestling and right now, wrestling reminded him of…well you get the picture. Nobody was coming to save him, so why bother spending time sulking?

He thunked his fist against his forehead. Stop thinking about it. Thankfully, his scroll provided the perfect distraction in the form of short clips and videos to sedate his brain. He loaded up a video and began to scroll idly through his feed, the mind-numbing task putting himself at ease. It was hard to tell how long he'd been at it, but around his thirtieth video, his eyelids were heavy, the soft sounds from his apartment and the dull roar of the traffic outside began to lull him to sleep. He leaned into it. Sleep was one of the few times he'd had the past few days where he didn't have to think about the end of his career, he didn't have to think about Pyrrha Nikos destroying his family's legacy. It was a nice change of pace.

Maybe…

Maybe just one more clip, Jaune thought as he relaxed his head against the pillow, content to let sleep's embrace envelop him as he drifted off.

Bzzzzzzzzt!

Bwuh..?

Bzzzzzzzzt!

His face buzzed as light crept in through his crusty eyelids, the pale glow illuminating his now dark room.

Morning already? He thought groggily as he went to pry his head from the pillow. As he did, he felt something peel away from his face. Like an old bandage on freshly healed skin. The dim light was back, and no longer dim at all. No, it burned his eyes as he stared directly down at it. His scroll. He must've fallen asleep on it, and his alarm was happy to remind him what a mistake that was.

Bet I've got a wild imprint on my cheek too, he thought dumbly.

Bzzzzzzzzt! The device buzzed loudly.

"A-Alright alright, I get it." He snapped down at the machine.

Bzzzzzzzzt! It angrily replied back as he fumbled to scoop it up. He didn't remember setting an alarm. But then again maybe he'd left the recurring one on. It came in handy for his morning runs with Ruby. It was a change he'd made after he overslept one of the first times. To this day she never let him live it down. But this wasn't like those times. Things felt…off. His room felt off. Come to think of it, it was pitch black. He leaned up, stretching his arm to pull at the curtains. His eyes widened, his scroll no longer vibrating as he gazed out the window. It was clearly still night, the dark street illuminated only by the pale bulbs of streetlights that dotted his neighborhood. There were no signs of activity on the sleepy street, not even a single car. Then why had his scroll been buzzing?

He held the device before him, eyes squirting as he peered down at the system's built-in clock.

4:16.

What?

He hadn't set an alarm at all, had he? No, why would he ever set one for 4:16? His fingers numbly tapped the keypad as he put his password in, searching the home screen in confusion. His tired eyes finally zeroed in on a small red notification.

Someone had called him.

He thumbed the icon, a little green cellphone. But he never got the chance to view the call history, for just as he tapped the app, the device began to rumble again, nearly slipping from his grasp as he flinched back, startled.

Bzzzzzzzzt!

He didn't wait around this time, choosing instead to scoop the device up, lifting it to his ear and accepting the call in one smooth motion.

"H-Hello?"

"It's about time," A familiar voice spoke from the other side, "If I had to call you a third time, I would've been happy to reeducate you on the concepts of promptness and discipline."

It didn't take a genius to know who was on the line.

"G-Glynda!?" He spluttered; all traces of sleep gone as he fervently rubbed at his eyes.

"That's Ms. Goodwitch when we're on the clock, Jaune. I know it's early, but you'll need to keep up."

Jaune wrinkled his nose. Since when was she strict about that rule? Heck, she was using his first name.

"You uh, you don't usually call me out on that." He noted, stalling for time as he tried to shake the cobwebs from his brain.

"I also don't usually make work calls at four in the morning." she replied matter of factly, a hint of annoyance in her tone. It didn't take a genius to see why. "Believe me Jaune, if you thought your awakening was rude, mine was far worse, I assure you."

"I'm sure…" he trailed off, for a moment forgetting to breathe as he stopped to reflect on her words.

On the clock?

Work call!?

A faint flicker of hope threatened to emerge as he contemplated just what a work call from Glynda this early could entail. It was stamped out quickly. No hope, he reminded himself as he scrunched his eyes shut. Hope was what got you in the end. It always did. Ozpin had made up his mind. Jaune would be fighting Pyrrha. End of discussion.

"What's going on Gly–Ms. Goodwitch?" he asked nervously.

"I'm glad you asked. The sooner we get this over with, the faster I can get some rest." She remarked, exhausted. "I received a call from Ozpin this morning, around two o'clock. Regarding a match–oh for god's sake." she finished, letting out a sigh that sounded so frustrated, Jaune was happy he was safe and sound at home rather than in her office. Rustling sounds came through the receiver, but Jaune only waited a few seconds before he spoke.

"Um, Ms. Goodwitch? Are you still there?"

"Yes, I am." She began, her voice much clearer. "Apologies for the interruption, I knocked over a mug. My desk has certainly seen better days."

"You're in the office?"

"Correct, Mr. Arc. I've been here since two-thirty. Damage control on this level has to be handled in person, carefully and quickly."

Jaune felt a pang of irritation well up. "Can you please just tell me what's going on? I got enough of the confusing words from Ozpin. Why are you calling and what can I do for you?"

A sharp exhale came through the receiver. "Careful, Mr. Arc. I might find you endearing, but I'm still your employer."

A little shame pooled inside him. He'd been snapping at people a lot lately. "S-Sorry Ms. Goodwitch, I've just been in a bit of a mood these past few days. I didn't mean any disrespect."

"Ah," She began after a brief bit of silence, in that same way she always did where he could almost picture her dazzling emerald eyes softening. "I understand Mr. Arc, and I take no offense. How…how have you been getting on? I'm sorry I didn't reach out sooner."

It wasn't hard to see why she hadn't. He hadn't exactly been in a mood to speak with anyone from the VWC anytime soon.

"About as well as you'd expect." He stated flatly. "It just feels like I'm right back where I started, just like I was when you first put me on break. For once I just wanted something to go right. But it looks like I'll be heading back to the drawing board again."

"Such pessimism isn't befitting of you, Mr. Arc." Glynda said softly.

"Pessimism?" He said, taken aback. "I think I've earned a little pessimism."

"It's not a good look. I personally much prefer the Jaune Arc whose burning passion drives him to succeed. Besides, you're complaining before I've even told you why I'm calling." She stated obviously. He inclined his head. Her voice sounded strange. Not her voice itself, but her tone. She sounded satisfied. Heck, she sounded downright jovial.

Glynda Goodwitch didn't do jovial.

"What's going on?" He repeated for what felt like the fifth time since he'd gotten on the line.

"You said you needed a miracle. I delivered." she said simply, as if it was the most minute thing in the world.

It was back again, clawing desperately at the inside of his chest, beating fervently against his ribcage. Hope. He knew he shouldn't, but he couldn't help but lean into it. Glynda wasn't the type to jerk him around. But how? She couldn't have possibly politicked her way into helping him, not with someone like Ozpin. And besides, he didn't want someone to pull the strings for him. It was his career after all.

"What…?" he ventured, voice trembling as he dared to hope. The line was silent for a few beats before he heard her speak again.

"I promised you, didn't I? I promised I wouldn't let things end where they were." He could practically hear her smile through the scroll. "There's been another change to the main event of Monday's show."

He wanted to scream at her. Not that she'd done anything wrong, but no, the anticipation of what she was going to say was going to kill him. Possibly literally if the fast hammering of his heart was any indication.

"What change?" he asked, but it was more a demand.

"I'll put you out of your misery." Glynda chuckled. "The Dudley Brothers, Dee and Dudley have been forced to withdraw from the Vytal Tag Team Tournament on account of a torn rotator cuff from the latter. The result from overtraining, no doubt."

Jaune's eyes bulged as a ragged gasp burst from his lips. Nora had said the two were injury prone, hadn't she? Hell, she said she would've been surprised if they even made it down the ramp. They'd been hurt! There were many injuries that a wrestler could work through, but a torn rotator cuff? That could put someone on the bench for months, even if they supplemented their recovery with aura.

That could only mean one thing.

"With the Dudley's vacating their place, we now have a slot in the tournament that needs to be filled. Immediately."

It wasn't hard to understand what she was saying. Hell, she might as well be holding a neon sign up to him that yelled "OPPORTUNITY!"

"Y-You want to slot me into the tournament?" He guessed, a strange twist in his gut at the thought.

"Not quite, what's going to happen is–"

"What about Ozpin? He said he wasn't changing his mind." he interrupted without thinking.

"If you would let me finish, Mr. Arc, I could explain. I can understand your interest, but I'd prefer you actually understand the situation before you act."

His face flushed red, once again grateful for the fact he wasn't doing this face to face. "Sorry, sorry."

"It's quite alright. As for my dear co-promoter," She began, a sarcastic edge to the nickname, "He was the one who initially suggested a replacement team, as opposed to cutting one team to make the brackets even." she finished, her voice contemplative, almost as if she was questioning his decision even now.

"Is that not a normal thing to do?" He inquired. Would they prefer to cut a hardworking team that had been training for the whole tournament? What if that had been Ren and Nora? His fists clenched. He didn't want to think about it.

"Ozpin is many great things, Jaune. Charming, powerful, intelligent. But he's also pragmatic, and when push comes to shove, he usually takes the faster option, and in a situation such as this, it wouldn't have been out of character for him to have laid off a team." she said, skepticism oozing from her voice.

"Then why not this time? Why suggest a replacement team? And more importantly why me? I'm in the singles division."

"Trying to understand Ozpin is an exercise that leads to insanity." She deadpanned. "I should know. As for your other question, we went through a list of candidates that would be available to replace the Dudleys. You're one of the few wrestlers on our roster who's currently healthy, can draw viewers, and is flexible for that night. Most of our teams are already registered. As for other singles wrestlers, most of them are booked for Monday's show already."

"I'm not flexible though. I already have a match with Pyrrha." he muttered.

"Yes, a match that was thrust upon you by a predatory manager hoping to inflate his wonder child's record." Glynda snapped. "But if you were to be a contender in the tag tournament, you might not have to live out that sentence."

Jaune's eyes widened as Ozpin's words came back to him.

The tag team tournament is our top priority right now Mr. Arc. There isn't much we wouldn't do to ensure it runs smoothly. All spots there have been locked in. Ms. Nikos' current run is a close second, however.

Jaune's pulse pounded like a sledge on a rail spike. His tongue was so dry he almost gagged. She was right. If Jaune was entered into the tag team tournament, he'd be home free. It was the biggest event of the year, outside of the Vytal festival itself. It wasn't always that way, the tag tournament was once an afterthought. However, the arrival of the Branwen Twins was a turning point. Their run to win the belts was nothing short of phenomenal, and revolutionized how tag teams were perceived. More teams like the Red Dragons, The White Fang, and the Ace Ops had broken out through the tournament, and gone on to become main eventers too. The various displays of promos, combat styles, and storylines all came together to create a celebration of the sport. If he was given a spot, Alexander's grubby paws couldn't touch him. All he had to do was find a partner and slot himself in. He went to speak but was cut off by another ugly twist in his gut.

This…this didn't feel right.

"As incredible as this sounds," He began cautiously. "I don't really like the idea of you pulling strings for me, Ms. Goodwitch. I wouldn't feel right just getting handed this opportunity instead of someone else more deserving. If I even decide to take it." He was worried she'd rebuke him or lambast him for not jumping at what was an honest to goodness miracle.

"You really are just like your father. Stubborn, and determined to prove himself." Glynda chuckled. "You can put those worries to bed, Jaune. For where exactly did I say I'd be handing you this opportunity? You've known me for a long time, most of your life at least. Have I ever been one to advocate for taking the easy route?"

No, she wasn't. In fact, Glynda was one of the sternest people he knew. She was never one to give anyone a break, even if they'd deserved it. His legs shifted as he recalled her assigning him laps around the arena when he'd called her by her first name in front of Ren and Nora. No, Glynda believed you were only entitled to what you fought for yourself.

"Monday night you won't be announcing your new place in the tag tournament." She started, happy to let him sit in the suspense. "No, you'll be getting exactly what you wanted from the start, if you choose to accept this opportunity. It will be Jaune Arc and a partner of his choosing against Yuma and Perry of the White Fang. The winner of which will be added to the tournament."

"A partner of my choosing?" he inquired.

"Of course," Glynda began, her voice sardonic. "Because unless our database is lying to me, you aren't a tag team wrestler, Mr. Arc. To be completely transparent, taking this offer would remove you from the singles division entirely, and place you in the VWC's tag team roster for the foreseeable future. Assuming you're able to find a partner in the first place."

He fidgeted uncomfortably as she continued. "Additionally, due to the complicated nature of a transfer like this, there will be a serious penalty if you fail to honor the offer's terms. If you win on Monday, you cannot pull out of the tournament. You can't take a dive to be eliminated early. If you're unfortunate enough to incur an injury during the tournament, you might also be subject to the penalty."

"W-What kind of penalty?" He asked, concerned. He'd heard of these types of deals happening before, but they were extremely rare. "And why is this offer so important you'd be willing to penalize me for not following through?"

"The logistics behind this swap are going to be a nightmare," Glynda began with a scoff. "If you were to take our offer and fight for a spot in the tournament, you'd be leaving Ms. Nikos without a match or segment on the show for the first time in months. Her momentum would only take a slight hit, but that's more than enough to drive Alexander up the wall. He's been very adamant on how he wants his daughter to be booked, and a last second change will no doubt infuriate him." She explained. Jaune couldn't help but notice that she didn't sound apologetic or concerned at all. If anything, she sounded nonchalant. She really must have something against him, he mused.

"It would only get worse if you were to rejoin the singles division right afterwards, it would all but confirm any suspicions he may have about you using this chance to avoid a match with his daughter, damaging her momentum and getting off scot free. That would make him your enemy, and leave us open to being attacked on the subject of bias. Either against his daughter or towards you. And while I'd love to stick it to him, the last thing I need are more sleepless nights here in the office. A full move to the tag team division imposes a form of consequence on your decision. It makes it more significant. In avoiding a match with Pyrrha, you'd be locked out of singles competition for the foreseeable future. Alexander can no longer match you up against his daughter and would be forced to move on to the next contender he wants her to take on. To reiterate, if you're doing this, you need to be all in. Taking the penalty would mean you'd go back on break for much longer this time, not to mention forfeiting a significant percentage of your pay."

Jaune held his scroll loosely in his grasp, hesitating for a few moments before he finally spoke. "I…I understand. This is a lot to process, Ms. Goodwitch. Would…would it be okay if I took a few hours to think it over?"

"Time is of the essence, Jaune." She chided. "But I understand that it's no small decision to make. Get some rest, think it over, and get me an answer by tonight."

"I can do that. Thank you, Ms. Goodwitch. Seriously. Thank you for everything."

"I'm just righting a wrong, Jaune. You were practically coerced into an unfavorable matchup by a reprehensible manager. You've earned a second chance, and I wasn't going to watch you be robbed of it. That's all there is to it." She said simply. "I look forward to hearing your decision."

"Thanks again, goodbye." He rushed to get out as the call dropped. His scroll slipped from his numb, clammy hands as he sat in silence. It had actually happened. An honest to goodness miracle. After months upon months of worry and self-doubt and life conspiring to break him down, something had finally materialized for him. He'd been offered a way out. A real way to escape the destruction of his career at the hands of the Invincible girl. An offer that, frankly, was so good he'd be an idiot not to take it.

So why was he on the fence?

He should be over the moon! If he'd known there was a way out last week, he never would've let himself waste away in his bed, wrapped in his regrets. But a move to the tag division? That gave him pause. He was a singles wrestler. His dad had been a singles wrestler. Glynda was one too. It was what he wanted to be. The world heavyweight title, his dad's title, wasn't something two people shared after all. He'd be letting that lifelong goal of bringing a world championship to his family go.

But the other part of him didn't find it half bad. He'd be lying if he hadn't been considering trying out tag team wrestling for a while now. It didn't help that he was surrounded by it by way of Ren and Nora. But it wasn't proximity that had him contemplating the offer. It was what came with it. A partnership. A bond so strong you were willing to put your body on the line for your partner. He'd been a singles star, and when things were going well, he was on top of the world. But when things went downhill, when adversity reared its ugly head, Jaune had been alone. His first loss. His losing streak. Returning home after Glynda had put him on break.

In those moments, he'd had no one.

He rubbed the back of his head sheepishly. Well, he hadn't been truly alone. Ren and Nora were there for him, but they had their own things going on. Their own bond. One that seemed so pure and sacred that he'd been jealous of it plenty of times. It wasn't their fault of course, but they just seemed so happy with each other. In the ring and out of it.

Maybe he could be that happy too.

But what if you're wrong, a treacherous voice whispered from the corners of his mind. You'll be stuck in a division you've got no passion for, wasting your time in the mid card as your dreams slip away. It wasn't lying. If things went wrong, he'd be stuck. Switching between divisions frequently was heavily frowned upon in the industry. It meant you weren't consistent. Sure, the tag tournament had a few teams that were composed of two singles stars together, but from what Glynda had detailed, this was a more permanent move. If he declined the offer, there was a slim chance he could still scrape together some kind of following after losing to Pyrrha. He could still be a singles star. Locking himself in the tag division could be disastrous if things went sideways.

He forced himself up from his bed, the dryness in his mouth finally winning out as he flicked the lights on and poured himself a glass of water. He carried it to his bed, taking small sips as he gazed around his room, taking in the walls plastered with posters of his heroes, desperate for any kind of advice.

Unfortunately, the posters didn't seem keen on offering any.

As he continued to scan them, his gaze lingered, stopping on one specific one. It was Qrow Branwen, from his match against Harriet Bree. He'd walked past it every day for years now, but as he stared at it, he couldn't help but see it in a new light. What was it Ozpin had said about Qrow? How he got to where he was? He'd adapted. He'd been dealt a bad hand but made the best of it and found his own way to the gold.

So had his dad. And no doubt Glynda, and all the other wrestlers he'd looked up to. He had a real opportunity here. A chance to fold the hand he'd been dealt and get a new one. He began bouncing his knee restlessly as he thought it over. It was strangely exciting. Terrifying too. He'd already been training for Yuma, and he had a much better chance of beating him than Pyrrha Nikos. He didn't know much about Perry, but the guy was one of the weaker members of the White Fang. They were beatable. He could win that match. He could cement his return with a triumph. Going through with a choice like this wasn't going to be easy. But had his career ever been? No, and if he wanted to make his dreams come true, he had to fight for them. He promised the fans glory, that when he returned, he'd become a Vytal champion. He'd told Ruby he wanted nothing more than to bring a world title back to the Arc family. His eyes widened.

He had never said it had to be the world heavyweight title though, did he?

This tournament was for the world tag team championships.

It was what Ozpin had said, right? He had to carve out his own path, and that certainly wasn't from under Pyrrha's boot. He could create a new destiny for himself, and this was the catalyst. If things didn't go well, at least he could look himself in the mirror and say he'd tried his hardest. His hand came up to smack his forehead. How could he have even considered letting this slip by? He couldn't stay in his comfort zone for this one. Comfort meant losing everything. It was a massive risk, but it was one he had to take.

He was taking that offer.

A relieved sigh slipped from his lips as he fell back onto his mattress feeling like a weight had been lifted off of him. He only enjoyed the peace for a moment before his eyes snapped open, any vestige of exhaustion gone. This wasn't a done deal. He had to find a partner. If he wanted any shot of doing this thing, he needed someone to work with. Ren, Nora, and Sun were out obviously. The answer was right in front of him.

Ruby.

He let out a sharp exhale as he ran his fingers through his unkempt hair. That might not be the best idea. He hadn't been able to find out why, but he knew more than well that Ruby didn't exactly have the best relationship with tag team wrestling. Damn it, and she would've been the perfect pick too, he groaned as he racked his brain for options. There were plenty of people within the VWC to choose from.

Right?

Wrong, apparently. Jaune wasn't exactly Mr. Popular, and the fact that he was Nicholas Arc's son didn't help much. Sure, it did in the beginning. He'd had plenty of people hanging out with him in the early days. But once he started losing, eventually they stopped sticking around. It hurt, but it made sense. He wasn't the wonderkid they'd thought he was. But that didn't help him now! He could try reaching out to the roster on the various forums and group chats he was in.

He pinched the bridge of his nose. No. No that wouldn't do at all. This was his return match, and tagging with someone he'd just met and potentially entering a whole tournament with them wasn't an option. It had to be someone he knew. Someone he could work with. Someone who understood him. Someone who just got it.

Scooping up his scroll and typing a quick text, Jaune prayed he was making the right choice.

/

Apartment 705 was the same as it always was.

Messy.

"Weiss is gonna lose it when she finds out I had company with the apartment looking like this." Ruby groaned as she hastily piled a stack of dirty plates in the sink.

"You could have just loaded them in the sink earlier." Jaune laughed as Ruby squawked indignantly.

"I don't wanna hear it mister "I have to talk to you right now." You didn't give me time to clean!" she retorted, sticking her tongue out playfully.

"You shouldn't need time to clean, it should just be clean." He pointed out teasingly.

"You're lucky I don't kick you out right now. Even better, I could get Weiss to do it. Then you'll really be in trouble." Ruby joked back, feigning a threatening tone.

Jaune just grinned, walking through the kitchen as he attempted to suppress his laughter. This was what he needed. A little quality time with Ruby, bantering like they always did. That optimistic energy of hers always seemed to pick him up. She had been overjoyed to hear he wanted to hang out. To the point where despite him sending her a text at around six in the morning, she'd responded within the hour, inviting him to breakfast at her house. He supplied the meal of course, setting down a few Styrofoam containers on the counter.

"I'll be sure to give you fair warning next time." He conceded as she nodded. They cracked open the containers, Jaune laughing as he watched Ruby's face light up at the sight of the sweet monstrosity he'd ordered for her.

"Waffles with strawberry syrup, you're the best." she crowed as she scooped a few fluffy discs from the container and dumped them onto her plate.

"You're lucky I remembered your favorite." He grinned as he grabbed his own meal, a simple breakfast sandwich. In that moment, she almost reminded him of Nora.

"But seriously, I'm really glad you decided to come down today. I was uh, kind of worried you were gonna shut me out. Y'know, after everything that went down last week." She confessed softly. Jaune cocked an eyebrow at her.

"What makes you think I was going to do that? It wasn't your fault I got the match."

"Y-Yeah, I'm just being silly." Ruby laughed, the giggle coming out as more brittle than heartfelt. She must've really been worried about it. It made sense though, if she'd been in his position, he'd be worried sick for her.

"So, what's up?" she asked, pulling the brakes on his train of thought. "I mean, I'm happy you're here, but your texts made it pretty clear this wasn't just gonna be hanging out."

"Yeah, I've uh, got a lot on my mind right now, and I was wondering if I could get your take on it." Jaune explained casually, hoping to mask the importance of what he was about to say. "Some big things changed this morning. Really big things."

Ruby looked like she was all ears, so he began to speak. He recounted his early morning call with Glynda, and the offer she'd made him. Ruby listened diligently, only pausing to take bites of her breakfast and sip from her big glass of milk. By the time he was done, she was bursting with excitement.

"T-That's great!" Ruby exclaimed, her silver eyes twinkling with tenacity. "Jaune, that's amazing! I was terrified you were gonna have to fight Pyrrha. You weren't lying when you said it was career suicide. She was gonna kill you Jaune, like you had no chance…no offense!" She followed up quickly as he guffawed.

"None taken, you're not wrong. I would've been finished." he shrugged as he leaned back to stretch.

"You would've put up a good fight." Ruby said with a resolute nod. He didn't quite believe her, but it felt nice to hear her say it. "I'll be honest though Jaune, I didn't think you'd be okay with leaving the single's division. Not that that's a bad thing!" She added.

Didn't he know it? "Y-yeah well, I figured it was time for a change. Or in this case a career rescue. Besides, there's still a world title I can win. Just not the one I had in mind." He explained with a stiff shrug. Ruby's expression was complicated to say the least. He couldn't quite get a read on it. It stayed that way for a few beats until she realized he'd been staring at her. A smile split her face as she began to speak.

"So, all you've gotta do now is pick someone." she said, leaning forward in anticipation as she rubbed her palms together restlessly. "So don't keep me in the dark here. Who's it gonna be? Ooh! Is it gonna be someone you've had a match against before? I love it when rivals join together to work as a team when faced with a bigger threat! Not Cardin though, please. He's the worst. Ooh! Or you could try asking somebody new. Maybe someone like Reese, I was just talking to her yesterday. She says hi by the way–" Ruby rattled off, scooping her fork down to grab another bite of strawberry syrup covered flapjacks. Jaune nodded his head, stress creeping in as he anxiously rapped his palms against his thighs. It was now or never.

"Well actually," He began, taking a deep breath. "I was kind of thinking maybe I'd ask you."

He'd been expecting it, but the silence that followed didn't fill him with confidence. Ruby sat before him, face suddenly pale, her fork frozen halfway to her mouth. Her eyes were as big as plates. They were shining, but it wasn't excitement this time. It looked like alarm.

"M-Me?" she eeped out.

He had to go for it. "Y-Yeah. Listen Ruby, I know tag teams aren't exactly your favorite thing to talk about, but I think this could be a huge opportunity for us. I was thinkin–"

"Nope." Ruby chirped, cutting through his next words like a hot knife through butter.

"Nope?" He parroted back dumbly.

"Nope. Sorry, Jaune. But nope." She confirmed quietly, not meeting his gaze. Her fingers drummed against the armrests of her chair.

His shoulders slumped. It had been worth a shot. He'd seen it coming of course. He was impulsive, and dense. But that didn't mean he was stupid. Ruby didn't like the subject. Why did he think she was going to hear him out, let alone say yes?

"Okay," He began, trying to keep the disappointment out of his voice. "No problem. I just wanted to see if you were open to the idea, I guess. Sorry to drop it on you out of nowhere."

"I-It's fine," Ruby replied, taking a quick sip of her milk, nearly knocking the cup over as she shakily set it down. "I just don't think it would be a good idea." She offered unhelpfully. He knew he should just accept it and walk away, but this time, he couldn't. His skin felt hot. Maybe it was selfish, or pushy or whatever, but if she was going to shut down this option instantly, one that had disastrous consequences for his career, he needed a reason. And besides that, he just wanted to understand her. To push past the barriers she'd put up against him time and time again. He wanted to understand why she was so averse to teaming with him. He'd promised her it was okay if she didn't tell him things, and he'd happily back off if she showed any signs of being uncomfortable. But his curiosity burned bright. He was okay that she didn't want to team up with him. He'd find his own way.

But right now, he just wanted to know why.

"Why's that?" he asked cautiously, trying not to make it seem like an interrogation. Ruby twiddled her thumbs, her eyes firmly fixed on her plate. "Is it a stylistic thing? Like you don't think we would match up well in the ring?"

Ruby shook her head, looking like she wanted to be anywhere but there. "It's not that."

"Then is it just because it's a tournament? I mean it definitely would be throwing us both in the deep end." He insisted as she once again shook her head. Doubt gripped at his heart like an icy hand as his next words tumbled out of his mouth without thinking.

"Is…is it me?"

"NO!" Ruby interrupted loudly, anguish clear on her face. That's not it! I swear! It's…dang it Jaune, I told you I wasn't good at talking about difficult stuff. Not since...nevermind. Forget I said anything. Can we just eat our breakfast?"

There was the signal to drop it. He sighed, irritation fading as he turned away. "I promised you that you didn't have to tell me anything if you weren't ready. I'm going to respect that you have your reasons. I just thought that maybe…maybe, no, don't worry about it. I shouldn't have brought it up. I know you hate tag team wrestling. It's not right for me to make you talk about it."

"I don't." Ruby's voice came from the other side of the table, barely above a whisper, freezing him in his tracks.

"Hm?" He hummed as he turned back, making sure he hadn't just been imagining it. Ruby sat across from him, her shoulders slumped as she picked at one of her hands. Her eyes weren't avoiding him anymore, electing instead to stare directly into his.

"I don't hate tag team wrestling, Jaune." she clarified, her voice small, almost fragile.

"But you said that–"

"How could I possibly hate it?" she exclaimed, the words spilling out her mouth like a waterfall of emotion that had him reeling. She sounded heartbroken. "I love it. I've loved it from the beginning. It was the whole reason I wanted to be a wrestler in the first place."

"What?" He asked dumbfoundedly, "But then why–"

"Just because you love something, doesn't mean it loves you back." she said softly. Standing up and walking back towards the couch. He followed suit, sliding down beside her. They sat like that for almost a minute before Ruby spoke again.

"I never wanted to be a singles star, Jaune."

His eyes widened. "Then what have we been doing all this time? The promos, your tryout's only in a few weeks! You told me when we first met you wanted to get on the main roster."

"The tryout was my last chance to get on TV, Jaune. I…I was settling. It was the only option I had left. My only chance to get out there and be the hero I always wanted to be. It wasn't like I had anyone else. It was that or hang up my boots." she joked weakly.

"But then–"

"Mom got me into it, when I was little." she interrupted, her voice melancholy. "She and my dad, they showed me everything a tag team could be."

He nodded woodenly as she continued, his thoughts drifting to the picture of her parents hoisting tag team gold he'd seen the first time he'd visited her apartment.

"People wrote them off as two stars in a boring position. That the tag team division was a shallow division with no heart. But that couldn't be further from the truth. Tag teams are awesome. They're fast paced, competitive, and they're just so cool!" she rattled off, a faraway look in her eyes. "Why would I ever want to do it all alone, when I could share it with someone who could pick up my slack? Smooth my edges. Someone who could just let me use my moves in peace, taking over the stupid people stuff and letting me do my talking in the ring. It's the perfect arrangement."

Jaune gasped, the pieces finally beginning to click into place as he tried to recall everything he knew about her.

Nora had said that Ruby's promos had a certain type of timing. That she could build off of what Nora was saying, far better than when she was coming up with her own stuff. Almost as if she was waiting for something else. For someone else. Heck, her promos had turned around once she'd bounced off of his advice. His eyes widened as more memories bubbled to the surface. Her favorite matches playlist had been full of tag matches, matches that she'd loved so much she'd specifically favorited them. Her closet. Her gears. The ones that had stood out to him. One scarlet and gold, and the other red mixed with something else. They weren't for the holiday events; Ruby had never even performed on TV! They were combination gear. Plenty of tag teams did the same thing. Heck, Sun and Neptune's gears were a mishmash of their two main colors, blue and yellow. Ruby was accenting her main color with someone else's. The answer had been staring him in the face the whole time.

"You were a tag team wrestler, weren't you?" he breathed.

Ruby nodded solemnly, her face ashen. "Do you think you were the first person who wanted to tag with me?" she asked, her face complicated. "You'd be my third. I-I can't do it again, Jaune. I swore I'd never do it again. Not after last time. Not after everything that happened. Heck, I should've gotten a clue after the first time."

Jaune leaned over to place a tentative hand on her shoulder. Ruby looked so small, so crestfallen. It wasn't like the times he'd seen her upset before. No, those were more animated, almost childlike. This time, she just looked resigned, her silver eyes dull.

"Who was it?" he asked cautiously. "Who you teamed with; I mean. Clearly, it meant a lot to you. But if you don't want to tell me that's fine too."

Ruby looked like she appreciated the gesture, taking a deep breath.

"My sister. She was my first teammate."

Another surprise. "You never told me she was a wrestler."

"It never came up." She said simply. "We were Ruby and Yang, the Crimson Dragons. The scariest team on Signal's independent circuit."

"Like the Red Dragons." Jaune muttered. "Your mom and dad's team."

Ruby hummed her agreement as Jaune sent her a puzzled look, pondering her words. Ruby had been on the circuit? The circuit was one of the VWC's proxy promotions that had their own shows and matches. It was the perfect way for people to prepare for the big leagues. But she was eighteen. Cardin had only been on the circuit for one year when he graduated from Signal. Come to think of it, Nora had mentioned that Ruby graduated the same class as him. Had she been only fifteen or sixteen when she'd teamed with her sister? That was insane. He could count the number of rookies that started that early on one hand.

"We…we were special, Jaune." Ruby began, her eyes twinkling as nostalgia seemed to take over. "I'm not bragging here, I swear. Yang was the greatest wrestler I'd ever seen, and I was lucky enough that she brought someone like me along for the ride."

Jaune was taken aback at the compliment. Her sister was the greatest wrestler she'd ever seen? Ruby was one of the greatest wrestlers he'd ever seen, period. She was levels above most of the other singles stars he'd battled on the roster, and even when they'd sparred, Ruby usually came out on top. Then that begged the question, how good was Yang? Someone like that didn't just fly under the radar. Especially if they were from Signal.

"Why haven't I heard of her?" Jaune pondered aloud. "Yang I mean." he clarified as Ruby sent him a confused glance.

"You probably have. She went by a ring name. She was old school like that." Ruby explained, a ghost of a smile tugging at her lips. "Dragonheart."

"D-Dragonheart." Jaune stuttered, gasping at the revelation. "Your sister is DRAGONHEART!? The winner of Vytal Weekly's Rookie of the Year award? The fiery future of the VWC? That Dragonheart? That's your sister?"

Ruby nodded, a mixture of pride and pain adorning her face. "That's the one."

"But you two don't look anything alike." he said dumbly as she shrugged.

"Same dad, different moms." Silence descended over the two once again as Jaune went to ask another question.

"You said I'd be your third teammate. Who was the second?"

Ruby's harrowed look was all the confirmation he needed that there were still things she didn't want to talk about. He held his hands up in surrender.

"All good. Don't worry about it." He began cautiously, electing to ask something far more pertinent. "Let's focus on Yang, what happened? If you don't mind me asking."

Ruby gave him an uneasy glance as Jaune gave her a reassuring nod.

"That is only if you want to talk about it."

"I said I wasn't good at talking about this kind of stuff." Ruby began quietly. "I-I haven't talked about this in years. I just can't. The words won't come out and I get all sweaty and–" she cut herself off, sucking in a few deep breaths before she tried again.

"But I want to try this time." she finished, resolute. "I'm tired of not telling you the truth, Jaune. You deserve to at least know why I don't want us to be a team."

"I'm ready when you are. Take as much time as you need with it. I won't think anything different of you."

"You promise?" Ruby said, her eyes boring into his.

"I promise."

Ruby let out a shaky breath, and after what seemed like an eternity, she opened her mouth and began to speak.

And that's that! A bit of a more setup focused chapter. Next one is a DOOZY. Looking forward to finally putting most of the Ruby puzzle to bed with these next two chapters. Thank you all for your patience in that regard. Heck, if you thought you were getting tired of Ruby's caginess, I was BEGGING to get to the good stuff. Now from here on out, there's going to be conflicts between what's being said and what really happened, so keep an eye out! Looks like 2 more chapters until act 1 ends.

As always thank you for following remnant rumble. I LOVE your reviews, and they're always appreciated. Even the more critical ones will help me become a better writer, so thank you all.

Until next time!

Curb