Hello everyone hopefully the last chapter filled some wants both in length and in story progression. I know I take some rather long stints between chapters but sadly my life gets super busy.

Between working, relationships, and all-around living it can be hard to fit in time to write but I assure you I don't ever simply forget about my stories. I also try not to let any negativity get to me as I continue to try and grow as a writer. It is thanks to those who want more and leave helpful comments on how to get better that makes me return for more chapters.

For now, it looks like our Knight was able to finally break free of his shackles and escape to freedom. But the cost he paid wreaked havoc on his body and burned through his aura as a result. Thankfully, help found him but with a far stretch still to safety one has to wonder if our musician can stick around for an encore or if the events so far will have him calling for the curtain.

Let us dive in and find out.

I do not own RWBY or any of the songs featured in this work of fiction. All characters and lyrics belong to their respective companies and creators.

Chapter 19: Mending Notes

Some people in this world can have a bad night. It can take the form of a hard shift at work or perhaps plans falling through resulting in another boring stint of time to pass before the next day refreshes for new beginnings and experiences.

Even Huntsman have bad nights although theirs usually deals with bloodthirsty Grimm and having to patch up wounds.

For others like criminal organizations, for example, a bad night is keeping someone prisoner only to have them spring a jailbreak and wreak havoc on their property and their plans altogether.

Junior hadn't stopped yelling from the moment he had lost Jaune. It was a cocktail of frustration, anger, and overall resentment of not only being outplayed by a teenager but also of not having trusted his instincts in the first place.

He should have left it alone when the gang was showing fewer numbers of clubgoers. He should have left it alone when he caught tips of other places having improved business due to some music act that was going around town.

But in this moment as glass and debris were being swept up he fully realized that he really should have left it alone as he all but crushed his scroll in his hand.

"That motherfucker...I should have put a bullet lol in his head the moment I had him under my feet but no I listened to that sorry excuse for a criminal and his little psycho" Junior said as he remembered the event easily.

The talk of making a profit had already gotten Junior to sway his decision-making for his captive and on top of that he could only become anxious over the idea of Jaune running and telling the authorities. It was a losing situation that he tried to make something out of yet it was a foolish decision all the same.

He had no prior knowledge of who Jaune was only that he was a musician causing trouble for profits and now he could feel the hounds of the police getting ready to run all over him and his business but that wasn't what truly terrified him.

No, it was knowing what would happen if he didn't figure this out before someone above him decided he couldn't be trusted and considered him a loose thread.

He had made too many mistakes and trusted everyone but his gut, and now he was paying the price.

At that same moment as he was running numbers and plans in his head the sound of heels clicking against the floor filled the air and a voice as slick as velvet but as sharp a dagger filled the air.

"Well, now when we came here for an entertaining show I would have never guessed this was what awaited us," Cinder said as she and Emerald walked amongst the debris left behind by Jaune's show.

Junior was ready to turn and lash out but remembered that his survival would be cut very short if he did such a thing he quickly adjusted his tie and tried to put on a better face.

"There lies the trouble with working with outside entertainers I guess can't trust them," Junior said trying to regain some show of control here but felt his blood running cold as Cinder began to walk around the stage as broken glass cracked under her heels.

"It is interesting who you put your trust in Junior...from your gang...to those little twins of yours...and even crazy ideas all in the name of money", Cinder said as she bent down and picked up a particularly jagged piece of glass.

She looked it over as she poked the tip of it as she weighed her words but Junior could tell she was in control here.

"I was enjoying that entertainer of yours although imagine my surprise when one of my own comes back from this club beaten and bruised and after he wakes up reveals the attacker isn't even one of yours", she said as Junior looked confused now as his gaze leveled hers.

Before Jaune's Escape back at Cinder's hideout

After arriving back from the club Mercury was unceremoniously dumped into a chair as the impact scooted a table and made the sound of the wood grinding filling the air.

The young man was still dazed a bit as he tried to regain some of his composure but as he did this he could hear Emeralds snickering as she looked at him from a position against the wall.

"So much for all that high horse talk of never losing Mercury" Emerald exclaimed as Mercury gritted his teeth soon looking over the table next to him as he saw his care kit and reached out slowly before snatching it.

He began to dig around for his tools before bringing up one of his legs as he started to curse and grumble.

"Debris in the gears and spent dust clogging the chambers that son of a bitch..." Mercury seethed as he began to try and fix his mechanics.

He had come out of his unconscious state on the journey back but could tell Cinder was in a mood and didn't want to gather more problems but as he heard Emerald now he began to retaliate.

"Yeah, I don't lose to fights where two people fight in a real way. All the guy that did this was doing was playing dirty or fighting me with some dumb ass fighting style" he said as Emerald could only shake her head as she remembered the bravado Mercury held about combat.

"Really? You are gonna say one of Junior's goons just got lucky fighting you? That's pathetic" Emerald said now laughing a bit as Mercury began to narrow his eyes.

Meanwhile, as the two were talking Cinder was sitting alone as she worked with some of the data she had retrieved from Beacon's computer systems with her Black Queen program.

She kept her ear open however listening to Mercury explain and excuse how he lost which even to Cinder was a bit of a surprise. However, upon seeing and especially feeling the moments of the singer from tonight she got curious as she felt like she had seen him somewhere before as she scrolled through the student listings getting ready to add herself and her two subordinates.

However, as she was doing this she stopped herself as a portrait of one student caught her attention. She blinked for a moment as she tried to make some exclusions to this information but soon turned in her chair still blocking the screen as she looked at the state Mercury was in.

She took in the specific damage done and the combat style he had spoken of as she was deep in thought only for it to be derailed.

"That's him! That's the guy that did this!" Mercury declared as he had been trying to test if he could walk and was able to see the computer after rising a bit.

"He was dressed up in one of Junior's suits but that hair gives it away immediately," he said as he hopped over making Cinder turn back as she looked at the screen and then Mercury.

"So you are telling me you lost to this man here?" She said as Mercury was about to speak but felt a dangerousness in her as whatever energy rose to feed this information began to falter.

"Um..y...yes ma'am he surprised me with his moves and tactics and just...caught me off guard," he said as Cinder merely leaned back in her chair and crossed her legs.

Cinder tapped a few things before the rest of the screen was filled with the image of Jaune as well as his Beacon academy ID as Mercury and soon Emerald felt their eyes go wide from the image.

"Oh shit..." Emerald said as Mercury gulped a bit.

"Well...I guess losing to a punk student is better than Junior gang...still think he got lucky...", he mumbled at the end as Cinder could only reach up and close the computer as she turned now with arms crossed.

"My dear Mercury...you lost solely due to that idiotic mindset you have of taking down anyone that comes your way he might have been a student but just seeing his social clinks and groups he has more than enough people who can show him how to win a fight," Cinder said with a dangerous tone in her voice.

Mercury was getting ready to defend himself only to watch as Cinder raised her hand.

"I suggest you drop that anger for a lost fight and focus on the real issues here...that idiot Junior...has made a most dangerous folly," she said as her mind already was playing over events.

Back at the Club in the Present

"I don't know what truly possessed you to think that kidnapping and keeping a student of Beacon here was a good idea but I can assure you that if the law comes raining down on you it will be the least dangerous thing to come out of this for you," Cinder said as she soon turned to leave Junior their fuming and scared.

"You have your mission and my expectations remain the same. My group will be sneaking into Beacon for the coming festival so you will have no contact with me but rest assured if things aren't in place or made right for what is to come you will feel my wrath far before you feel handcuffs on your wrists", Cinder stated walking away as Emerald quickly turned and followed along.

A drop of sweat began to run down Junior's face as he felt a tremble in his hand over all of this. He could imagine Roman's face grinning over all of this knowing he had been part of convincing Junior in all of this as Junior was quick to start making plans.

Meanwhile within the background sitting the bar as glass bottles were swept up sat two very different acting sisters. One was confused, angry, and something else she couldn't put her finger on over the situation.

The other his happiness, concern, and a small bit of sorrow over all of this feeling as though she had betrayed many different people in this situation but at the same time felt like she didn't betray herself...or her heart for that matter.

All together the night had gone terrible and truly was one for the books of the criminals of Vale yet for Junior he wasn't done with this not by a long shot as he began to call his men together who remained in the club as he started rolling out their next steps.

He had to expect the worst and in that, this place was compromised. Luckily this wasn't his first rodeo for such a situation as dodging the law.

"First things first...time to play hide and seek with some evidence," Junior said taking out a cigar and lighting it as he began to pull in his emotions.

Meanwhile Deep in Vale

Qrow moved quickly along as he tried to navigate the streets as silently as possible. He had done retrieval missions before without much in the way of problems and was able to hold his demeanor well during them.

However, in this instance, he knew it was more personal as he remembered the looks on his niece's face when this kid didn't come back to Beacon. He had been flying around for days and trying to get information but all the local info brokers were tight-lipped. Normally flashing some money or even his huntsman license was enough but right now many of them were scared and took the threat of being turned in as more favorable than actually talking.

Qrow for the past few nights had no idea what had so much of the underworld portion of Vale in a scared state but he would worry about it later. He had only just caught a glimpse of a running figure in the darkness before realizing it was Jaune and catching up to him.

However, now he was carrying the young man over his shoulder as he tried to stay out of sight. He didn't know if any more of the kidnappers were in pursuit and he couldn't fight and defend with Jaune like this.

At one point he braces against an alley wall as he takes in some greedy breaths and sets Jaune down against the wall he pulls out his flask and takes a sip.

"Damn it kid what the hell did you get into out here?" Qrow said before fishing around for his scroll as he tried to decide who to call here before nodding to himself as he selected a number and let it ring.

For a few moments, silence was all that filled the air and the occasional siren or faint noise of the night version of Vale.

Eventually, the other end of the call picked up as the sound of shuffling filled the air before finally they answered.

"What is it Qrow? Good Oum do you know what the time is?" Ozpin asked as Qrow was surprised the man was asleep seeing as how much coffee he consumes.

"No, didn't care to check my watch maybe it is on your missing student's mind", Qrow said as the call soon ended only for Ozpin to immediately ring back for a video call as Qrow turned his scroll to the side as Ozpin's face filled the screen.

His attire for the night was dark green with a robe thrown over and a look of confusion mixed with hope as Qrow pointed the camera at Jaune showing his unconscious state.

"You found him, excellent work Qrow I was worried he had been lost to his circumstances", Ozpin said seeming to relax as Qrow furrowed his brow.

"His circumstances? What do you mean? I haven't even told you what I know about his circumstances?" Qrow said as Ozpin seemed to swallow and adjust his glasses.

"We will have much to discuss when you return but for now you need to get him back here I have much I need to discuss with him," Ozpin said as Qrow didn't like this. He had always trusted Oz but this felt like something he definitely wouldn't like.

"That's the problem the kid is hurt and I can't fly him back nor are the damn ships running for me to transfer him with. Is that old safe house good? I know it was compromised a couple of years back but would it offer some safety for a few hours?" Qrow asked feeling anxious being out in the open.

Ozpin could only rub his chin in thought he didn't like the idea but they didn't have a lot of options here so he nodded.

"I will activate the systems for it from here you get him there and try to tend to him...and Qrow if he awakes tell him...that I am sorry for what he has endured", Ozpin said as the call ended before Qrow could ask what he meant by that.

Qrow could only stare at the blank screen as he tried to weigh what Ozpin meant as well as why so much had happened to Jaune without any interference or assistance from numerous parties around him.

The thought didn't sit well with him as he soon hoisted Jaune back up and began to make his way to a safe house used by Ozpin and his circle.

A few hours later in a deserted shop in Vale

Jaune all but awoke with alertness as his body rushed up only to seize up in pain making him reach up as he gripped the back of the couch he was currently lying on as he winced in pain.

The sensation sparked a domino effect across his entire body as sharp pains and aches erupted causing him to fall back into the couch clutching his body tightly.

What added to all this was a pounding headache in his temples as he carefully opened his eyes and the feeling made him nauseous.

He was presented with a very desolate-looking room with faded wallpaper and pictures of various towns and locations were ripped or torn as they hung from the wall.

Jaune felt confusion creeping in as he looked around only to see he wasn't alone.

Qrow was leaning against a doorway as he carefully leveled his gaze out of an opening made from window blinds that had fallen into ruin.

"I wouldn't go moving too much kid you are pretty banged up", he said as Jaune remembered the man from the bar he began to try and talk only to find his mouth dry as Qrow already accounted for that as he walked over and dug around in a box before finding a bottle of water and setting it close to Jaune before taking a seat on a unopened crate long forgotten.

Jaune carefully reached out and grabbed the bottle before quickly uncapping it as he consumed the liquid. He swallowed so much of the contents started to slip from his mouth as it ran down his jaw only for the bottle to soon be empty Jaune dropped the bottle and felt his throat finally opening up easier now that he was rehydrated a bit.

He looked around the room a little more realizing he was indeed not back at the club and let out a sigh of relief as he soon faced back at Qrow seeing the man casually sipping on his flask.

"Thanks for the rescue I wasn't sure how long I had out here without someone helping me", Jaune said Qrow merely shrugged as he leaned back a bit on the crate.

"Figured I owed you one since you helped my nieces so much, plus I'd rather not want Yang beating me over not rescuing her boyfriend", the old huntsman chimed as Jaune could only smile a bit awkwardly knowing the reunion he was gonna have would be rather intense as he tried to get comfy before asking question.

"Where are we?" he asked as Qrow gestured around before speaking.

"This is a safe house I used to stay in while in Vale some less than savory characters found out about it leaving it unsafe for a few years but we never stopped keeping tabs on it", he explained as Jaune merely listened and nodded.

Qrow waited for the boy to ask more questions they never really came as Ozpins words scratched at the back of his brain making him speak up.

"Kid, what were you doing out here what happened to you?" Qrow asked as Jaune swallowed for a second as he tried to figure out how to say this without exposing Miltia.

"I was just coming back from the bar after talking with you at the bar and got..jumped", he said as Qrow put the cap on his flask and stowed it away. He had thought that for the most part, Jaune would be forthcoming with all that had happened especially considering the state he was in yet the fact he was lying or not all telling a truth picked at Qrow's nerves.

"Bullshit...you are in different clothes from that night so try again kid" Qrow stated as Jaune felt anxious a bit.

"Just...had a bad run-in with some people that didn't like what I was singing or doing...just a difference in musical taste", Jaune said feeling the truth getting stretched to the point he knew he was faltering a bit here. It felt like he was the same person from the very beginning of Beacon. Lying about his transcripts and trying to contain the situation with Carden. Swirling around in a bunch of lying either to protect himself or others.

Qrow just crossed his arms as he looked at the state Jaune was in and reached up he rubbed his chin before he spoke.

"You know when you go hiding the truth for too long you start to convince yourself you are doing what's right. But when you hide something bigger than yourself you only become selfish", Qrow said as Jaune gulped a bit. Qrow quickly sat his flask down and focused in more almost like a practiced action.

"Is that what you are kid? Selfish enough to run around when people are worried sick about you? Wondering if you are even alive?", Qrow said almost like I was speaking from experience.

"You get taken by a gang and what decide not to come back for a few days? What a great story I'm sure Yang and Ruby will be thrilled knowing how much time you wasted out here for your reasons." Qrow said as he began to poke holes into Jaune over the entire matter.

"I'm not being selfish I'm just trying to be careful alright I need to help people and keep them safe", Jaune stated a little brokenly as he was beginning to realize he wasn't as well put together in this thought process as he thought he was. He had made a promise to Militia and he didn't want to break it especially after having gotten so close to her. Yes, he knew he was pushing much of what happened to him to the side but he was just trying to spare others the trouble he might cause.

Jaune weighed his words and licked his dry lips as he spoke knowing he got away lying to his friends at the beginning of his journey through Beacon but this was a seasoned Huntsman who probably dealt with liars a handful of times.

"You wanna keep your secrets then do it I don't give a damn but you are wrapped up in something bigger now especially with my niece having feelings for you so I suggest you use that brain and think properly about this" Qrow said as he leveled his eyes at Jaune.

"I...got taken prisoner by some gang around here they didn't like the business I was taking away from them", Jaune said feeling a bit shameful over hiding the information but he still tried to keep some of his promise.

Qrow merely scratched his chin thinking.

"Makes sense money flows through Vale in a variety of ways both criminal and clean and if you mess with someone's flow you'll pay some kind of price," Qrow said making Jaune tilt his head.

"You know about criminal stuff happening? And you just let it happen?", Jaune said a bit taken aback by the actions and mindset in that theory. From his experiences with his professors situations like this would seem a quick and meaningful endeavor to end so that others wouldn't get hurt yet Qrow didn't look at it that way.

Qrow only deadpanned at him as he spoke up.

"Really? You were just holding back information about what happened to you so don't act like you understand the world so well kid", Qrow said as he began to gesture in an all-around manner.

"I'm sure by now you understand the world isn't so black and white and a lot of the stuff that goes on sometimes isn't done by the book. This is because you can't stop everything or everyone who goes and does something bad" Qrow said as Jaune thought back to his recent interactions with criminals and couldn't help but agree.

Everything from Neo to the twins and the various workers at the club showed him just how much humanity can exist within such organizations. He was fighting so hard for the side of things that he thought was right that he never considered more beyond simple terms of good and bad.

"I can already see you have something more on your mind in all this so I'm telling you kid you need to tell me. I won't go blabbing it to others but if it's serious we need to talk", Qrow said feeling as though he was talking to one of his nieces whenever they were in deep shit.

"I'm serious kid people don't get out of these situations cleanly and others could be put in danger if you don't tell me what happened fully. Even Ozpin seemed oddly connected to this and I want to know why", Qrow said as Jaune looked at Qrow with a mix of confusion and frustration.

Jaune could only sigh as he gulped a bit and soon pulled himself up slowly to a sitting position as he knew some parts of this needed to be spoken about especially with it concerning Beacon.

"It started when I woke up in a cage..." Jaune began.

2 hours later...

"After I had fashioned the dust crystal I went on to do my final set and that's when I was able to escape" Jaune stated munching on some stale granola bars as Qrow had gone through the other crates and found long-expired rations for this place and figured it was better than nothing.

During the time it took Jaune to tell of what happened Qrow could only listen and watch as he pieced everything together in his head imagining the situations and had to give the kid credit for surviving like he did. He knew plenty of Huntsman who succumbed to torture and situations like that but Jaune either had balls or dumb luck perhaps even both.

"So after you found all those crates of dust you were able to get a signal out to Ruby and Yang? I haven't been able to talk to them yet so I wonder what they did with that info" Qrow remarked as Jaune swallowed his snack before speaking.

"I asked them to rush to Headmaster Ozpin and let him know. If Ruby was right the fight I mentioned was live-streamed meaning that footage is out there and maybe now that I know where the club is we can get there and stop them all", Jaune said with hope as Qrow only shook his head.

Remembering the fight Jaune discussed made Qrow chuckle a bit.

"I gotta admit kid if you were fighting a terrorist like you were say you honestly shouldn't be here right now to tell the tale. You know that was a lucky ass fight right?" Qrow said as Jaune could only rub the back of his neck remembering some of the things he did to win.

"I think it was the underestimating me part that gave me the advantage...that and the CQC training I got from Yang but I don't doubt if she fought this guy it would be an easy one for her," Jaune said knowing that he still had a long way to go in terms of being on par with his friends and lovers in combat but it was thanks to that fight he was beginning to realize what it was like to make decisions during combat that were life-altering. The dust crystals were a large gamble and so was fighting someone whose specialalty appeared to be similar to Yang's if not just the opposite.

But even Jaune knew luck was just as much of a skill in a fight and if he used all of his to win then that just means he did need to get serious from this point on.

Qrow saw the determination cross Jaune's face and couldn't help but see that strive of a survivor in him but also knew his prior statement about going back to the club was doomed.

"Kid I hate to tell you this but the moment you left that place it was all but a dead end. Knowing that players in this game are making moves and plan on going after the communications tower is big enough already we can make adjustments to security and try to lead up more there but you might as well kiss that place goodbye in terms of ever finding a lead" Qrow said as Jaune seemed to deflate at this. Could Junior pick up his operation that quickly?

Jaune had spilled a lot of information to Qrow although he had kept the twins out of it trying his best to spare them from incrimination he knew that Junior's name was going to leave his lips at one point and seeing Qrows face let him know that Junior was more well know that he had thought.

"Still though Junior's boys sheash talk about upgrading to the big leagues. All that guy was known for was moving some illegal product and the occasional blackmail and now he is dabbling in terrorism" Qrow said remembering the few times he spent in that very nightclub when he was between missions and needed a drink or even sometimes needed to pay for information if Junior had it.

The dangerous part about all of this though in Qrow's mind was that Junior was very well connected which explained why he couldn't get any info on Jaune during his kidnapping as Junior probably locked down his information network to keep this from getting out.

"He honestly was going to kill me but some other guy was talking him down or talking him into this plan I guess, wore a hat and walked around with a cane. He seemed like a stage dancer if I am being honest" Jaune said as Qrow tried his best to go over a few figures in his mind but he didn't have anyone popping up. Although he remembered Ruby talking about some break-in at her favorite dust shop and having to deal with some criminals maybe she might have an idea.

"Whether he killed you or just kept you prisoner I am sure he did so knowing he wasn't really worried about the effects of any outside organizations," Qrow said as Jaune stared at him a bit confused.

"If Beacon had known where I was wouldn't they have sent Huntsman to rescue me and stop Junior?", Jaune asked as Qrow finished a stale piece of jerky as he nodded.

"They would have however when you take someone whether they are a Schnee, academy student, or hell even a business owner you do so only if you aren't afraid of consequences. In this case, Junior had a lot to lose and when that's the case Kid you have a long list of ways to keep everything you have from falling apart" Qrow explained as Jaune began to wonder what would have happened if he hadn't been able to escape.

"It didn't matter if it was just business or a legitimate grudge against you I'm sure Junior and those connected to him have fallback plans on top of fallback plans," Qrow said remembering such methods of pre-planning from his time with the tribe.

The thought alone of his not getting out and his loved ones never getting the truth ran a shiver through him and a terrible feeling settled into his stomach.

"Even if reinforcements showed up to break you out I assure you Junior would have gotten out some way or somehow...which has me worried more because if one stash of those crates got compromised I wonder if more were ready on stand-by", Qrow said already knowing he needed to get back to Ozpin and start discussing this.

The more he talked with Jaune the more he realized how big this was and what the future could hold. He couldn't risk a call on his scroll as he never trusted communication like that.

This realization made Jaune wonder now if Miltia merely accepted what he was saying knowing that even if Jaune got out it wasn't like her entire life was compromised. Such a conversation now felt somewhat hollow a bit but he knew he was keeping just as much from her as she was from him. He could only shake his head wondering what his mother would think of his situation with the women in his life.

Qrow soon finished his food before standing up he grabbed his weapon and walked back to the window he was gazing out of he returned to his position of keeping an eye out as he looked back at Jaune.

"We still have a few hours before the sun is up and the transports are ready to get us back to Beacon. I can see your Aura is starting to come back but with damage like that you are gonna need more than just Aura " Qrow exclaimed as Jaune tilted his head before looking at his hand seeing a thin veil of aura emitting from him as he felt the pain ever so slightly become numb but not enough to let him stand if he needed to.

"But wait if you can get in touch with Headmaster Ozpin why not just send a transport now? They could pick us up off the roof right?" Jaune asked as Qrow merely shook his head.

"You stirred up a hornet's nest kid and we don't need people knowing exactly where you are. A transport out here at this hour will be a prime signal and like I said Junior runs the information network and you need to lie low " Qrow stated as Jaune couldn't help but grow even more worried over all this. He had just been a guy trying to play some songs and now he felt anxious to even pick up a guitar again.

Qrow could see the stress of the situation starting to set in as he went to reach for his flask but stopped as he let out a sigh.

"Kid for now try to get some rest we can handle what comes in the future but you need to get back in shape for whatever is coming our way...I have a feeling your role in all of this isn't over" Qrow said soon turning back to the window Jaune could tell the conversation was over for now as he laid back down and stared at the ceiling.

So much had happened and yet Jaune knew now that he was out it felt like the world was just spinning along. All that he had experienced melted away into just events of the past making him question if all of this was even real.

He shook his head as he clenched his fists tightly feeling the pain in them but not caring as his imagination replayed those images of what would happen if the tower was destroyed and the lives of those around him were ended.

Jaune had been trying to stay on the path of goodness and being fair just like his family had always taught him yet now he wondered if they did that to protect him knowing he would normally never have the chance he did now. He wasn't mad at them nor was he even mad at those around him.

He was mad at himself for not thinking more about what his place in the world was instead of running around trying to play songs. He had been reacting this entire time but maybe it was time for that to change.

He had changed the course of his life with fake transcripts and even more when he just picked up a guitar so now here he was needing to do so again. He needed to get stronger and put forth even more effort than before.

"Qrow...", Jaune said loud enough that he knew the man could hear as Qrow turned his head for a moment and responded with a grunt.

"If I am going to have a role in this...If I am going to have to deal with situations like these... when we get back I need more than what I am getting now", Jaune said as Qrow raised an eyebrow.

Jaune soon slowly turned as he pushed himself up sweat began to build on his skin from the pain but he didn't care as his eyes hardened.

"I need you to make me something more than I am now...more than what Beacon is willing to teach and more than what I can get from my friends..." Jaune said as Qrow could only look at him weighing the kid's words as he remembered the fear and sadness in Ruby and Yang's voice over this guy.

"I don't think you could handle my way of teaching kids you are just delusional from the pain," Qrow said only for Jaune to grit his teeth as he began to force that thin veil of aura to thicken as he began to pull himself up off the couch making Qrow move to stop him but soon saw Jaune stand as he cradled his arms to his body but stood with a slight tremble in his legs.

"The original version of Jaune Arc isn't going to cut it anymore not with what I have seen...time for the remixed version" Jaune stated as Qrow could only smirk at the tenacity.

And just like that, we have another chapter. This was the chapter I had been working on and working toward for the entirety of the Nightclub arc as I would be able to not only answer some questions but also show some reality and mindsets behind the characters as well.

I know it can be frustrating to read each chapter and not have the entire story and understanding but I am thankful to those that stuck with me to see where things went and how they ended Once Jaune was out.

Perhaps if I had been quicker with this chapter I could have spared some rather nasty messages in my inbox as well as some reviews left where I hadn't connected all the pieces yet but in truth that is the risk you take when you write stories and don't have a consistent schedule for uploading.

Anywho, thanks again for checking out this chapter and stay on the lookout for what is to come.

And yes I know this is the first chapter in the story without a song but that is for a reason that some of you might either put together yourself or will see after we can witness more of Jaune's development from clueless and big-hearted to something more.

Thanks again folks and as always.

Stay Wild - Bardic