Disparate Youth: Locked Up

Chapter 2: The Four-One-One

When Jaune strapped himself to his seat, he looked around to soak in his surroundings. All around him were people of the most miserable sort. A paranoid looking rabbit faunus, his eyes darting wildly while he tapped his legs together, made heavy breathing noises as the airship began to power up. A pale girl with black hair and heavy eyeliner rolled her eyes, before giving Jaune a quick up-and-down, and smirking.

In the cockpit, the two pilots never once looked back, or made any announcements about the flight, but he could see them shift over and whisper to each other, laughing occasionally. Jaune could be glad that at least some people were enjoying themselves, he supposed.

As his eyes wandered, they suddenly met another pair, the lone guard standing in his all black uniform, watching them all like a hawk, his hand lazily glued to the side of a large baton which, looking down, Jaune noticed had two dull metal prongs on its end. Looking back up, the guard gave him a cruel smile, before pressing the button on the side of the baton, showing Jaune it's shock capabilities. Jaune gulped and averted his eyes, earning an audible chuckle from the guard.

Looking back at the only person who seemed even remotely approachable, Jaune thought back to his mother's old adage, and attempted to strike up a conversation.

"So…" He said, not knowing where else to go with it. "I'm Jaune-"

"No talking!" The guard yelled, banging his baton against the wall menacingly, and frightening the rabbit faunus into a silent frenzy.

"Sorry," Jaune replied, swallowing nervously, though not without noticing the uncaring attitude of the pale girl, whose only response to the threat of the guard was to roll her eyes again. Jaune wished he had her confidence.

As the bullhead kept flying, one silent hour faded into two, then three, then even four. They made one more stop after he boarded, picking one more unfortunate soul for their collective destination. Jaune supposed he was quite lucky to have a window on the voyage, and the boy took twisting his neck and admiring the view as the journey droned on.

Jaune's eyes eventually began to tire and, despite the shaking hull and the erratic sounds made by one of his fellow travelers, he lent back, and fell asleep.

When the bullhead finally, and not gently, descended vertically onto the landing pad, Jaune was woken with a start, making a loud and confused noise, and earning a mean giggle from the pale girl for his troubles.

Frowning, Jaune eyes blinked open, and the boy craned his neck to see his surroundings. Out of the window, Jaune could see that it was night and, other than the smallness of the landing pad and the semi-distant lights of a nearby village, not much else. As the ship powered down, the guard began instructing them to unbuckle and line up at the door, making sure that hands were on top of heads.

Jaune complied, not wanting to antagonize the guard, though he watched as the pale girl's lazy indifference to the command irritated the man, making him threaten her by activating the baton again, letting the blue light flicker between the springs menacingly. The girl rolled her eyes again, Jaune quickly noticing this becoming her signature move, and lazily complied. The Guard nodded, satisfied, and turned his head to the shaking rabbit faunus, forcing the poor boy to comply, and using a zip tie to lock his hands together.

"I'm Miltia, by the way," Jaune heard, the whisper coming from just behind him. The feminine voice made it clear who was speaking.

"Nice to meet you Miltia," He whispered back, smiling for the first time in hours.

"No it's not," she replied, shortly.

"Wha?"

"Like, nothing about this is nice, you know?"

Jaune took in her words, and nodded his head softly.

"Yeah, I guess not."

When Jaune heard no reply, and the loud footsteps of the guard echoed up towards the door, he understood the time for whispering was over. The guard slapped a button, and with a crack and mechanical whirr, the bullhead door slid open, and the guard began pushing him down the ramp.

Outside, Jaune was surprised to see a couple of beat up looking androids moving supplies out the cargo hold of the bullhead, and stacking them neatly onto a large floating trolley. Another drone was, rather frighteningly, painted black and stood at military attention by the entrance to the facility, carrying a similar electric-baton to the one being carried by the human guard. Noticing his trepidation, the man put his hand on Jaune's shoulder, and gestured toward his mechanical counterpart.

"Impressed?" he asked, clearly not caring at all for Jaune's response. "AK130's, Military surplus from Atlas. Got to be careful though, these unit's were retired for a reason, they can get a little…" The man paused, and smiled softly. "Aggressive."

Jaune 's eyes locked onto the cold black steel of the drone, and the machine turned its head, its glowing red visor staring back at him intently.

Behind them, the robot stomped ominously, each thunderous bang reminding the group that there was no way back. Jaune was already feeling less like a resident, and more like an inmate.

As he was led through the white halls of the facility, it was made clear to Jaune that he would not be seeing his backpack any time soon. Although he felt slightly silly lamenting the absence of some comics, his father had left him a book about controlling Aura, and another about the history of the Arc family, both of which Jaune had been hoping to read during his stay.

"HALT!," came a mechanized voice from behind them.

Jaune came to a stop, and turned to face the drone, looking past the pale girl and the strange boy. To his left, a mechanical door slid open with a whirr, behind which was revealed a resplendent and old-fashioned office, featuring a portly, balding man sitting behind a large mahogany desk.

"Come in, come in," said the man kindly, standing up to greet them.

Jaune didn't have to be told, a small push from the robot surged him forward into the office. When he straightened himself out, Jaune took in more of the room, admiring the golden grandfather clock next to the window behind the desk, and the gigantic bookshelf lining the wall to his right. On the other wall, hung a gigantic landscape of the Valish countryside in the summertime, the city shining beautifully in the distance.

Once the three were shuffled into the room, positioned side by side by the machine, the man seemed to take in their appearance. Jaune couldn't help but notice the slightly withering look he gave the rabbit faunus, though he was not sure if it was for his ears, or his incessant twitching.

"Now, I'll be brief," He began, returning to his rather faux-friendly demeanor. "My name is Mr Achan, and I am the Correctional Facilitator of the Vale Youth Services Center."

"More like warden," Whispered Miltia, seeming to care little for the consequences.

"From now until your release," the warden continued, either not hearing, or pretending not to hear the girl, "I will be directly responsible for your safety, your well being, and of course; for your rehabilitation."

Jaune gave a small nod when the man's eyes passed over him, but found it difficult to concentrate over Miltia tapping her foot, the rabbit faunus moaning in apparent terror, and the low hum of the machine standing guard behind them.

"You won't see me very often, I'll be too busy overseeing this entire facility-" He continued, with an irritating air of self-importance. "So for now, allow me to offer you all some advice. We here at the VYSC expect perfect behavior. There is no room for tardiness, disrespect or disobedience. Sanctions to your record will lead to consequences, including in serious matters, and extension of your stay."

Jaune's eyes widened at the prospect. The warden, noticing the fear in the boy's eyes, approached and placed a hand on Jaune's shoulder.

"Have no fear, if you study hard, respect your supervisors and behave yourself, you'll be out of here in no time."

Jaune nodded silently. Mr Achan smiled sickeningly, and walked back to his desk.

"ORDERS, COMMANDER." Came the low voice of the machine, causing Jaune and the Rabbit faunus to jump with a start.

"They're dismissed. Escort them to their rooms."

The halls were white, sterile, and more than a little depressing. The cold fluorescent lights flickered occasionally, making the rabbit faunus mutter and shake in distress.

"Hey," Jaune began, angling his head back to face the robot. "Shouldn't there be someone here for this faunus, like doesn't he need special care or something?"

The rabbit faunus gave Jaune a faint look of surprise. When the mechanical guard said nothing, Miltia only scoffed.

"Figures," she muttered, sounding just a little more sad than sarcastic.

Jaune held out hope for a moment, before shooting the faunus a sympathetic look, and facing front.

"HALT!"

Jaune obeyed the drone and came to an immediate stop. After a short pause, a quiet, and sharp bleep echoed around them, and a pair of heavy double doors slowly opened themselves. Through the doorway was a small, white room furnished with only a wooden desk, and occupied by one mechanical guard standing by an identical pair of wooden doors on the other side of the room. A human guard, sitting lazily, had his feet resting on the desk, and was fiddling with his scroll.

As Jaune was nudged through the doorway, he apprehensively approached the desk, where the guard gave him a small, uninterested look, and sighed deeply. Behind them, the sound of the doors closing was accompanied by a loud click, an unmistakable signal that the doors had been locked.

"Name," The guard drawled, putting his scroll down and placing his hands on a holographic keypad projected onto the desk.

Normally, Jaune would be a little amazed by this kind of technology, having grown up in a town where scrolls were a rarity, but he couldn't find himself being anything other than nervous. Gulping, and trying to ignore the impatient foot-tapping of the girl behind him.

"It's, uh, Jaune Arc… Sir," he stuttered, earning Jaune an amused look from the man.

The guard typed quickly, and Jaune looked as his name and photograph, through upside down, flashed onto the surface of the desk. The guard nodded, and after giving the boy a glance up and down, reached down to his drawers, and pulled out a pair of gray sweatpants, and matching button up shirt.

"Room two-sixteen," he said, handing the clothing to the boy. "That's the second floor, on the left hand side, second from the back. Get changed immediately. Leave your current clothes in the laundry pile when you shower in the morning."

Before Jaune Jaune had a chance to respond, the guard typed something new onto his keyboard, and the other set of double doors opened up. Jaune gulped and, as if sensing his hesitation, the man gestured to his metal colleague. It swiftly took a tight grip on his arm, and pulled him through the doorway.

The room on the other side was much larger, and much more gray than the ones that came before. A large open area, paved by bricks, had a number of couches, picnic style tables, and even a half-court for basketball, its hoop bolted onto the stone wall. On the left and right hand sides stood rows of white, numbered doors that were stacked three stories high, with steel staircases leading up the two thin communal balconies on each side.

The whole place seemed a little dirty, in a state of disrepair, and as Jaune soaked in his surroundings, wondering how the next two seasons of his life would be, stuck here, the android released its grip on his arm, and stepped back through the doorway.

Jaune didn't look back as the door closed behind him, and was only awakened from his angst by the form of Miltia, who already began walking towards a room on the ground floor, not even sparing him a glance. Worryingly, Jaune noted the absence of the rabbit Faunus, and hoped it meant the boy had some sort of special room. As he approached the stairs, Jaune lamented having never even learned the boy's name.

Once he finished climbing the steel steps up to room two-sixteen, Jaune gently pushed open the door, and took a good long look at where he'd be sleeping for the next half-year. It honestly wasn't half bad. The bed, while a little small, looked soft enough, laid upon a light wooden frame. There was a window, with a view he couldn't appreciate much given that the sun had already set, although he could just barely make out the features present in the warden's painting. Eyeing a small desk in the same color as the bed frame, Jaune stepped through the doorway and found. On the desk he found a paper bag with something roughly the shape of a sandwich wrapped inside, and next to it, an envelope with a message printed on the address line.

'Welcome ARC. JAUNE to the Vale Youth Services Center'

With his priorities intact, the boy opened the packaging, and devoured his painfully average dinner, savoring every bite. The meat and cheese slices were a little thin, and the bread just a little too soggy but, all in all, not the worst sandwich he's ever had. Rogue had the dubious honor of creating that particular abomination.

With dinner now out of the way, Jaune looked down at his name stuck crookedly down onto the generic welcome message. Inside the envelope, Jaune found a letter, and an information pamphlet. The letter was junk, essentially a repeat of the warden's verbal 'welcome', but

using more words to accomplish a welcome that was somehow even more utterly bereft of meaning. Unwrapping the pamphlet, Jaune expected much of the same.

The behavior guide on the first page was indeed vague. It didn't include specific violations he needed to avoid, but rather provided expectations for his behavior. On the second page however was a map of the facility, or at least of the areas in which he was permitted in. The dorms, a dining hall, two classrooms and an outdoor play area were all highlighted, with corridors connecting them. On the third page was a time table, neatly outlining his daily schedule. A note underneath explained that on weekends, class time became free time, in the dorm room or outdoors. Not entirely useless then.

Settled, and now certain he would not be getting his scroll back, Jaune set about fulfilling a promise to his mother, and began looking in the drawers to find some pen and paper.

After taking the time to complete his task, Jaune folded up his letter, ready to send once he figured out, you know, how to actually do that. Content for the moment however, Jaune stood up, and wandered to his bed.

As he sat down, just barely feeling the springs through the thick foam, Jaune noted the quiet. He wished to the god's he could say it was unwelcome, but having lived in a full house for most of his life, a lone boy in a sea of girls, a little quiet was something to be treasured. As the minutes ticked on however, the silence persisted; and the cold reality of being apart from them had never felt more real.

As if the Brothers were listening in on his internal mutterings, the doors that allowed Jaune entry into the dormitories opened once again. A crowd of teenagers, some his age and few slightly older and younger, squeezed through the soft rumbling of many different quiet conversations echoing towards Jaune's ears. Following the residents were perhaps four or five human guards, speaking casually with each other. As Jaune didn't see any robots, and assumed they did not usually enter this area.

As his new neighbors began climbing the stairs, opening their doors and chatting amongst each other, Jaune thought about their plain, gray uniforms, and how it made them all blend together, and blend into their surroundings. There was one exception.

She had deep brown skin and vibrant green hair, cut into a short bob, her forehead covered by the fringe. She stood at about the height of Jaune's chin, and she was thin, though it was hard to see how thin given the baggy uniform. As she got up the stairs and walked right by his doorway, Jaune looked at her for just a moment longer than he should have.

Noticing his gaze, she furrowed her eyebrows, stopped in her tracks, and looked back at him with a pair of brilliant red eyes. Jaune had never seen eyes that color before. Between them, silence prevailed, as the only thing Jaune managed to contemplate how pretty she was.

"Something you wanna say blondie?" She growled, facing the timid boy down with a withering look.

Awakened from his stupor, Jaune did at least try to say something, but the words just wouldn't come out. After a moment, her face shifted from hostile to questioning. When Jaune gulped, she rolled her eyes, turned on her heel and walked away.

She didn't go far, entering into the room beside him, and Jaune heard the familiar sound of a person crashing down on a bed. Sighing in disappointment, he wondered if his mother's old saying was really true; among this sea of strangers, he couldn't see a single friend.

For quite a while, Jaune did not do much else but lay down, shut his eyes and listen. In the courtyard, he heard people his age chatting, joking, even playing basketball. To Jaune, It almost seemed hopeful, that maybe things weren't as bad as they seemed.

He was rudely awakened from the illusion by a loud thump coming from next door. At first, it was difficult to tell what the noise was, but the unmistakable sounds of quiet sobbing, followed by angry, hushed and muffled yells told him that, at the very least, someone didn't just stub their toe.

The thumps continued. The crying continued. Jaune, squeezing his eyes shut, tried desperately to tune it out. He couldn't. Getting up in frustration, Jaune walked out of his room, and almost bumped face first into the chest of one of the largest boy's Jaune had ever seen.

The boy, standing at a head taller than Jaune, loomed over him, looked down to flash him a sinister grin. The now familiar gray uniform he was wearing was the only thing that informed Jaune that this indeed was a boy, a resident like he was, and not a fully grown man.

His skin was sickeningly pale, so pale that Jaune could see the veins running down his neck. In what was almost certainly against the rules, he wore a small metal stud on his left ear, which perfectly complemented the crooked grin and rather pointy nose fixed to his menacing face. Behind him, two more boys, far more average in stature, shadowed him, looking far less happy than their ringleader.

"Ah, fresh meat!" The large boy exclaimed, smacking Jaune in the shoulder painfully. "Name's Blud, behind me are Deacon and Marche," He continued, gesturing to the grunting boys as Jaune rubbed his arm, cursing himself for not activating his Aura.

As Jaune grimaced in pain, Blud's grin widened, and he held out his hand for Jaune to shake. Seeing the glint in the boy's eye, and not wanting to make the same mistake twice, Jaune took his hand confidently, and made sure to concentrate on what his father taught him.

When Blud squeezed his hand, Jaune was sure that had he not prepared his Aura, he would have certainly broken something. Blud, noticing the shallow glow over Jaune's hand, flashed his own putrid, red Aura over his own.

"Jaune," the boy replied, meeting his gaze with equal intensity.

Blud's hand squeezed harder, but when Jaune didn't break, the boy narrowed his eyebrows. When he finally broke the 'handshake, Blud looked Jaune up and down, nodded slowly, and pursed his lips in apparent approval.

"Good to meet you Jaune," He said, settling into a far more relaxed demeanor than before.

"Uh… yeah," Jaune replied, dumbly.

Blud frowned, but didn't let it settle, getting close to Jaune and wrapping his arm over his shoulder, leaning heavily on the boy in an intimidating posture.

"So Jaune, you made any friends yet?"

This cut a little too close to home.

"I uh, no. Not yet."

"Well," Blud grinned, "have no fear, for your new best friend is here!"

Jaune grimaced through an attempt to smile, as Blud squeezed his shoulders.

"What do you say newbie?"

"I, well, I mean-"

"You know Jaune, I don't make this offer very often, and being my friend comes with quite a few perks," he boasted, dragging Jaune forward with him. "But, because you've got Aura, you can do me a few favors in return."

"In return?" Jaune grunted, meekly.

"For protection, newbie." Blud answered, as if speaking to a child. "You wouldn't want to end up like Max over there, would you?"

As Blud spoke, he gestured to Jaune's other next door cellmate, a shorter boy with striking raven hair, clutching his stomach tightly, while he silently sobbed. It was pretty clear to Jaune what was happening before he left his room.

When the boy heard his name, he looked up at the pair, showing Jaune his bruised face, and the streams of tears running across it. Behind the tears, his almond-brown eyes glared daggers at Blud, but only when the larger boy was not looking.

"Yeah… this place can be pretty dangerous without protection, especially for a faunus," Threatened Blud, gesturing back to the wounded boy.

While his hair did a good job of hiding it, when Jaune took a closer look he indeed noticed that on the top of Max's head, the crying boy sported at least one faunus appendage. On his right side looked to be a cat ear, but one ruthlessly mutilated. At least half of the ear was no longer attached, a jagged, diagonal scar left in its wake. Upon closer inspection, where his other Faunus ear should have been was nothing but a stump, a hole in his head shadowed by only the nearest outline of flesh that was once the ear. Jaune winced slightly, his skin shivering for a moment.

"What the- Did you do that to him?" Jaune asked, beginning to squirm in the larger boy's tight grip over his shoulders,

"What, the ears?" Blud mocked. "Nah, the freak did that to himself." The boy paused for a moment, and then pretended to come to a realization. "Oh, you mean the beating?

"What the hell is wrong with you?" Jaune exclaimed, finally pulling himself free of Blud's grip.

For the first time during this conversation, Blud wasn't smiling. I took Jaune barely a second to realize how badly he just fucked up which unfortunately, was enough hesitation for Blud to immediately grip his collar as the blond attempt to run back to his room.

"You're being awful fucking rude to the guy offering to protect you newbie," Blud remarked, while using one hand to slowly lift Jaune up by the collar.

"You mean protect me, from yourself… right?" Jaune said, in a bout of unexpected daring.

"Tell you what," Blud said, using his free hand and running down the side of Jaune's scar. "How about I give you another one of these, get both sides of that ugly mug to match? I've gotta warn you though, it'll make sucking off your little faggot friend over there pretty difficult for while."

As Jaune prepared himself for a beating, from the corner of eye, he saw a familiar figure approach.

"God's Blud, do you ever shut the fuck up?" Emerald whined, rolling her eyes as she leaned her arm on the railing next to them. "I know that you're obsessed with with sucking cock and all, but doesn't mean we wanna hear it."

Despite himself, Jaune giggled. When he and Emerald met each other's gaze, she smirked, proud of her joke. Emerald very nearly saw the boy blush heavily, but fortunately (or unfortunately, depending on which way you look at it), Jaune was spared the embarrassment, as Blud very suddenly let go of his collar, letting the boy crash onto the floor, ass first.

"You know Em, I'm getting real sick of your bullshit." Blud complained, his voice trained through gritted teeth.

"My bullshit! Are you kidding me?" Emerald exclaimed, finally showing some of her exasperation.

"Shut up girly, this aint none of your Business," Interrupted one of Blud's lackeys, Deacon if Jaune remembered correctly.

It was the loudest silence the blond had ever heard. He watched as Blud slowly turned to Deacon, who cowered under his gaze. When he turned to face Emerald, she was smiling, proud of a job well done.

"Deacon, shut the fuck up." Blud growled, earning a quick and subservient nod from the boy.

Blud nodded back, satisfied but still annoyed, and turned back to face the green-haired girl, smiling once again.

"We are sorry for being noisy outside your room, Emerald," he said diplomatically, holding had right hand to his chest. "We promise to be more quiet, from now on." Blud glared a hole through the blond's forehead. "Right Jaune?"

"Remembering how our last fight went, Blud," Emerald taunted, speaking before Jaune had the chance to try and placate the boy.

"Careful Emmie, There's three of us and only one of you right now. Those street skills you picked up can only take you so far." Blud said, cockily.

"Yeah, I guess," Said Emerald, sarcastically. "But then again, if you fuck with me, then you'll be dealing with both Malachite sister's this time."

In that moment, whatever color that was in Blud's face seemed to wash away, the boy gulping, silently.

"Oh you didn't hear? She just arrived, same shipment as that one" Emerald grinned, gesturing down to Jaune.

"Oh, you mean Miltia?" Jaune interrupted, remembering his very brief conversation with the girl, and understanding the effect his words might've had on Blud and his thought process.

Blud, his eyes narrowed, stared intently at Jaune, then back at Emerald, seeming to weigh up his options.

"Just one word, that's all it would take…" Emerald threatened, her lips pursed.

Blud appraised Emerald for a moment longer, before pulling out another crooked grin, though Jaune noticed smugly that this one did not reach his eyes.

"Fair play Emmie, fair play," He spoke, nodding his head.

Blud began walking away, his lackeys following along behind him, but after a few strides the boy turned his head around. He looked at Max, who refused to return his gaze, causing him to smile mirthfully. Blud then looked at Emerald, who merely rolled her eyes, frustrating the larger boy. Then he turned to Jaune, who met his eyes with a certain weariness but also defiance. Blud gave him what was perhaps his only genuine smile during the entire interaction. It was still creepy.

"I guess I'll be seeing you all later then," He told them, ominously, his eyes not leaving Jaune.

After a moment of silence, the boy finally left, and Jaune felt himself breathing out a sigh of relief. After dusting himself off, Jaune hoisted himself upright and watched as Emerald walked past him, throwing down a bag of frozen peas next to Max.

"Swiped it from the mess. Make sure you either eat them or hide them, okay."

The boy didn't answer, only offering Emerald an affirmative grunt as he immediately applied the bag to his face. If his wince was any indication, it was not comfortable, but the boy stuck to it, pulling himself off the floor, shuffling to his door, and closing himself off to the world.

Emerald, ready to go back and finally get some sleep, was rudely interrupted by the blond, who stood, rubbing his neck awkwardly, in the way of her path to the door.

"Hey, uh thanks for that one, you really saved me out there."

"Yeah, don't mention it," She answered, dismissively.

Emerald walked forward anyway, but instead of moving aside, Jaune just stood still, either uncaring or unknowing of her desire to leave.

"No really, you didn't have to but you-."

"I just needed a little peace and quiet in this god's forsaken place," She interrupted, shifting Jaune to the side so she could move past him. "Seriously, don't mention it again, okay."

"Did you really beat him in a fight before?" Jaune asked suddenly, stars in his eyes.

"Uh, yeah…" She replied awkwardly, staring behind Jaune at her open door.

"That is awesome, how did you-"

"Jeez, Newbie. Was there any part of peace and quiet you did not understand?"

Jaune returned to her a blank stare and a goofy smile which told Emerald everything she needed to know: He was an idiot, but not a bad idiot.

"You're a natural Blond, right? Emerald asked, half amused, and half frustrated.

"Uh… yeah. Why?"

Emerald looked at the boy, perplexed, and gave out a single chuckle, one so faint Jaune assumed it was a sigh.

"Listen, John-" Emerald began, her voice a little gentler than before.

"It's Jaune," The boy interrupted, not even slightly annoyed at the very, very common mistake most people made of his given name.

"Huh?" Emerald asked, annoyed at being cut off mid-sentence,

"Ja-a-u-ne," He said, helpfully sounding his name out for her.

"Right then, J-a-a-a-a-u-u-n-ne…" Emerald continued, mockingly, not really caring what the difference was.

"Perfect!" Jaune praised, seemingly like he was genuinely pleased that she got it in her first try.

"Listen, Dumbass," She said with a groan, stepping closer to the boy in a rather intimidating manner. "I didn't come here to make friends, and If you wanna make it, neither should you".

As Jaune looked into Emerald's eyes, he understood what she was trying to do, but honestly; he didn't buy it. If she had really wanted to avoid making friends, she should have just closed her door and let Blud beat the crap out of him. If she really was as mean as she was trying to let on, why would she have a bag of peas ready to go like that?

"Uh sure. Right, Definitely. Avoid making friends. Gotcha," Jaune replied, giving the girl a thumbs up.

Sensing absolutely zero sincerity in his voice, Emerald's eye twitched, and the girl huffed. Now at a closer proximity, her eyes wandered down to the scar adjourning Jaune's lower lip and chin, causing the boy to flinch slightly.

Her eyes narrowed, and without another word, Emerald turned on her heel and made her way back to her room. Unfortunately for her, Jaune seemed to take that as an invitation, and Emerald heard his footsteps follow her.

"You know," Jaune said, taking a moment to look around her room, which was completely identical to his. "I get that these are private rooms, but I'm kinda surprised it's mixed boys and girls you know, Didn't think that was even allowed."

Emerald growled in frustration, wondering if this idiot could really be that naive. Breathing in, she exhaled, determined to enjoy giving the blond her lay of the land.

"You know what, let me give you the four-one-one, Jauney," Emerald said, sounding almost pleased with herself. "The people who run this place; they don't give a shit. The guards; they don't give a shit. The teachers, the flics, the advocates, all the people on the outside... guess what?"

Emerald didn't wait for a response.

"Don't give a shit, about any of us. So if some girls have to get messed with or beat on or something else…" Emerald paused, her fist tightening. "They. Don't. Give. A. Shit… Got it?"

Jaune nodded dumbly, only just realizing what the potential consequences of mixing boys and girls could be in a place like this. Before Jaune could apologize, though for what he did not know, Emerald swished around, and pulled some object from behind her bed-side table, and pushed it up against Jaune's neck.

"And if you decide to give it a try," She warned, making sure not to nick the boy, "I'll slit your throat."

Jaune swallowed heavily, sweat dripping down his face. After waiting just a moment, Emerald backed off, and pulled the blade from his skin. Instinctively, Jaune rubbed the spot on his neck it had rested on, as he inspected the blade, a makeshift shiv made out of a razor, the handle for a plastic utensil, and some dental floss.

"Yeah, no. That's fair," He coughed, still rubbing his tender throat. "You, uh, you don't need to worry about me. I don't wanna hurt anyone."

Emerald leaned in and scrutinized the boy's face, looking for any sign of dishonesty. She noticed no tell. He didn't flinch at all this time, even when her gaze turned to that suspicious scar of his. After leaning her head back, Emerald put the blade back in its place, satisfied in her assessment. While it may have seemed to be a gesture of at least some trust, she knew that she was fast enough to reach it no matter what he may have tried.

"I just want to put my head down, and go home after my two seasons are up," Jaune told her, remembering the warden's advice.

As the blond spoke, Emerald plonked herself down onto her chair, giving out a a hearty laugh.

"Sorry to burst the bubble Jaune, but you're gonna be in here longer than that," Emerald said, her mirthful smile not reaching her eyes.

When Jaune only gave her a confused look, she continued.

"Boss-man warned you that they extend the sentences, right?"

"Yeah, but that's for people who like, get into fights and stuff."

"Don't worry Jaune, even if you avoid getting in any fights, I'm sure they'll still find some excuse to keep you here."

"What do you mean?"

"I'm glad you asked Jaune," Emerald smiled, opening her drawer, pulling out a few sheets of paper, and beginning to flip through them. "Homework late: two-week extension! Suspicious loitering: one-week extension! Disrespecting a correctional facilitator: four-week extension!"

Jaune stared at the pages, dumbstruck, watching as Emerald let them land on the floor, one-by-one.

"Everyone in this place is staying longer than they're supposed to. That's just the way it is."

Jaune soaked in what she was trying to say, and let fear take over. If he stepped even a toe out of line, he would be staying here even longer. Dreams of being home in time for harvest, playing through the fields with his sisters and training with his father seemed to wisp away like smoke.

"But, like, it doesn't even make any sense," he said, angrily. "What's the point?"

"You know what blondie, one thing I've learned is that people don't need a reason to suck. They just do."

"So if this is happening to everyone, why hasn't anybody done anything about it?"

"Brother's," Emerald answered, rolling her eyes dramatically. "Do you listen to anything blondie? Nobody stops it because nobody gives a shit."

"But it's wrong!"

"No shit." She drawled, leaning her head back. "That's how the world works. Haven't you figured that one out yet? Nobody will help us, because nobody cares."

"My family cares," Jaune said, quiet as a mouse, yet somehow defiant.

"Oh, do they? Lucky you." Emerald replied, her voice dripping with sarcasm.

"A-and my dad's a Huntsman, he could stop it!" He told Emerald hopefully, trying his level best to ignore her mirth.

With her head leaning back, Jaune could not see her roll her eyes.

"Sure blondie. Daddy will save you," Emerald cackled. "And when you get big and strong like daddy, you can be a big hero too right?"

"Well what's the problem with that anyway!" he said, as anger finally bubbled to the surface. "So what If I do?"

Emerald's eyes widened a little, not expecting to have touched such a sensitive nerve. After a moment however, she strengthened her resolve, her anger being much deeper and simmering for much longer than his.

"The problem with trying to be a hero, Jaune," She seethed, standing up from her chair and glowering at him, "Is that there is No. Such. Thing."

Jaune met her stare with equal intensity, but in his eyes, she saw just a hint of hesitation.

"LIGHTS ON IN FIVE MINUTES" Came a blaring voice, seeming to come from every direction.

It was enough of a distraction to turn both of their heads towards the nearest source of noise, a small grated fixture on Emerald's ceiling, Jaune even covering his ears slightly given the surprising volume.

"I REPEAT. LIGHTS OUT IN FIVE MINUTES. ANY STUDENTS NOT INSIDE THEIR ROOMS MUST RETURN IMMEDIATELY. LIGHTS OUT IN FIVE MINUTES."

A strange, somber tone permeated the room, and neither Emerald nor Jaune spoke for a moment.

"I uh, suppose I better go back to my room now." Jaune said, breaking the silence.

In response Emerald slowly turned back around to face him, her red eyes glimmering with intensity.

"It's not a room blondie, It's a cell," She lectured, as she harshly and repeatedly thrust her finger into his shoulder, the boy allowing her finger to push him further and further backwards with each poke.

"This isn't a home, or a school, or a fucking orphanage. We're in a prison, whether you like it or not." By the time she was done, Emerald had managed to push him all the way out into the hall.

"Start acting like it," She concluded, before shutting her door in his face.

Jaune stood for a moment, the number six-one-eight barely an inch from his nose, and sighed deeply.

When he got in his room, Jaune was extremely happy to have a decent bed, and lay down, far too tired to undress or do anything other than lie flat on his back. Contrarily, while his body seemed to collapse, his mind whirred, the boy going over his conversation with Emerald again and again.

As Jaune watched his own door slowly close, the lights inside his room (and presumably the entire area) went out, and Jaune heard a multitude of loud clicking sounds, the closest one coming from his own door.

As Jaune recognized that every single room had just been locked, he realized that Emerald was right: He didn't have a room. It really was just a cell. And if she was right about that, what else was she right about?

Sleep did not come easy.

Note:

he alternate title for this chapter was: 'Lay of the Land'.

Flic is French slang for Cops. Am I going a little crazy with the French stuff?… maybe.

'Gods' (not 'god'), and occasionally 'Brothers' is my go-to for Remnant (side note, would 'oh brother' have religious significance?), but Yang said Jeez in Vol 1, so I'm going to use it as well, on occasion.

In volume two, Ironwood introduces the AK300's as 'Atlesian Knights', while referring to the AK130's by their numbered designation. I think that implies that the full 'Atlesian knight' was not used until that newer model was introduced. I think the term Droid, Robot and Drone all fairly represent what the AK's are, and it's feels more natural than using 'AK' twenty times in a chapter.

I cut out a line from Emerald's rant, explaining that the reason the dorms are co-ed is because it's cheaper. I cut it because I don't believe that Emerald (at the age of fifteen) would really understand why the VYSC is run the way it is, and for what specific motive. Her attitude currently is 'the world is fucked because everyone fucking sucks'. Which, in fairness to Emerald, is not a bad conclusion to make when you are young, especially in her circumstances.

Currently this fic is about just about two teenagers learning to live in a really shitty situation, based on the real-life experiences of young people in juvenile detention, and foster care to a lesser extent. This story is very, very loosely inspired by a real life scandal, involving a private juvenile detention centre, which was fraught with abuse and fraud, and while those elements will play a role (and the general role of systems that perpetuate institutional abuse) it will be later in the story. Obviously, this is Remnant, and the forces in play change the context of events and structures considerably. Edit: I removed the name of the real life scandal for obvious reasons, please contact me if you are curious and whish to research on your own, or simply google "for profit juvenile prison scandal", and check the top Wikipedia entry.

Thanks again everyone, I was blown away with the response I've gotten to the first chapter, and really hope you guys like where this goes. I'm still hoping to find some sort of beta-reader for this story, not so much for spelling mistakes and boring stuff though, more for general feedback and review, maybe even just someone to bounce ideas off. Mostly, I'm worried my writing is a bit technical/stale at the moment and could use a fresh pair of eyes before I post (and maybe someone to kick my ass into gear if I'm being slow, lol).

Please feel free to comment, or even message me on reddit, tumblr or twitter. Links on my profile.