Under most circumstances, Rock would have relished having a day off. In this instance, knowing that he wouldn't be able to go return to class until he emptied his guts to a total stranger dampened his mood. He couldn't focus on training, or anything at all. He couldn't relax either, so he opted to just wander around in the hours before class began. In the early morning the only people he saw were custodians busy cleaning. The thought of talking with the janitors didn't really appeal to him so he kept on walking.

Without realizing it he ended up outside Professor Alder's classroom. He thought of what Glynda had told him yesterday. He went for the door, but stopped, suddenly feeling awkward. He had no idea what he should even say to the old man. Should he thank him, or just act like everything was normal? He didn't understand the way he was feeling. Just when Rock was about to leave, the door opened and he found the professor standing in front of him. The old man's eye widened slightly, but he still looked just as tired as he always did.

"Good morning, Rock. I understand you might be excited for my class, but this is a bit too early."

"Hey, gramps. Is it alright if we talk for a bit?"

"My door is always open for you, young man."

inside the classroom, Rock leaned against the professor's desk as he watched the old man prepare for class.

"I heard about your little excursion over the weekend. I am glad that you've returned safely," the professor said.

"Yeah, I actually wanted to talk to you about that," Rock replied.

"I see," the professor said, pulling out his scroll. "I almost forgot to give you your money, thank you for reminding me."

A jingle told Rock that some money had been deposited in his account. He looked at the amount he was just sent and nearly choked. It was more money than he had ever seen in his life. It was the kind of money he would have to work for most of his life to obtain, and it was just given to him in an instant.

Rock stared transfixed at his now full to burst bank account. "Holy shit, is this real?"

Professor Alder sighed. "Language, Mr Rock. And yes, that is your portion of the bounty your team collected. It is not every day four B Grade criminals are apprehended in one night. You should be proud of your accomplishments."

Rock shook himself out of his daze. "I didn't come here about the money. Glynda told me that you made me your apprentice."

"That is correct."

The room was quiet for a moment

"Ok, but why?"

Alder spoke slowly, like he was talking to a small child. "Because I see great potential in you. You have shown much growth in a short time, and I am interested in seeing how you evolve."

"Okay, but why me?" Rock said. "This place is full of kids who've been doing this their whole lives. I'm just some bum off the streets. What makes me so special?"

The professor thought for a moment. "In truth, nothing. You're a perfectly ordinary boy, the type that can be found anywhere. But whether you were special or not, that wouldn't have influenced my decision at all. In truth, there is only one reason why I chose you."

The professor stared out the window. "Did you know, becoming a huntsman was not my first choice in occupation?"

"Really? That's hard to believe. No offense."

"True, it is hard to believe. In my youth I wanted to be a writer, but when the war began I was thrust into a maelstrom of violence. I fought for my life every day, and I realized that I was good at it. I enjoyed it. On the battlefield, never knowing if this or that battle would be my last, I was in my element. Fighting is what I was meant to do. And when I look at you, not just your skill in battle, but your demeanor and your disposition compared to when you came in, I realize that you also have found what you are meant to do. I made you my apprentice because the life you lead before was a waste of potential, a grave disservice to the warrior I know you can become."

Rock pulled his hat down to cover up his eyes. "The hell, man. Why'd you have to say all that for? Now I look like an asshole. Fine, you win. So if I'm gonna be your apprentice does that mean I gotta start training with you?"

"Not yet, I'm afraid. I will impart my knowledge when you are ready. For now, just continue your training with Nigel."

"you mean there's only so much he can teach me."

"He is skilled, but he is also young. He still has much to learn, as do you. Do not worry, you are progressing well within my expectations. Now then, I understand that I won't be seeing you in class, today, but I hope the rest of your day goes well."

"Yeah, you too."

Rock left the room and went down the hall. As eh walked, a thought entered his mind.

"Wait, did he say the war? Wouldn't that make him…"

He tried to do the math in his head, but that only gave him a headache. He pushed the thought out of his mind and went on with his day.

XxX

While they weren't allowed to attend class yet, Team VNGR were allowed to eat lunch with the other students. But the atmosphere was far from conductive to eating. Each of the four boys could feel eyes on them and hear the muttered whispers of the other students. Word of what had happened had spread through the school and now it was all anyone would talk about.

"Can't a man enjoy a fucking burger in peace?" Rock complained.

"Don't mind them," Giallo said. "It's hot gossip. The moment will pass eventually."

"I don't know what the big deal is. We whacked some guys, so what? Nothing we haven't done before."

"Yeah, that's normal for us, but not for them, you feel me?"

A group of students approached their table.

"Jaune!" Lucia shouted happily. He shot out of his seat and ran to wrap Jaune up in a tight hug. "It's so good to see you again."

Jaune returned the hug, stroking Lucia's hair like he was a puppy. "I just saw you last Friday, but it's good to see you too."

"I heard about what happened," Nora said, "Are you guys okay?"

"Still standing, aren't we?" Giallo said.

Rock felt a thud next to him. He turned and saw that Cardin sitting next to him. The larger boy had that same smug grin he always sported.

Rock pushed his burger away, his dream of eating lunch in peace nothing but a distant memory. "Can I help you with something?"

"What, a guy can't talk to his buddy? Heard you finally scored and I wanted to say congratulations."

"What do you mean 'finally'?" Rock asked. "I was laying fools down while you were still sucking on your mama's titties."

"What makes you think I stopped?"

The two boys broke out into laughter.

Rock wiped away a tear. "For real, you've got bodies on you?"

"No I just call my weapon Executioner as a fashion statement. I got an uncle who's a merchant. Cheap motherfucker doesn't wanna pay to get his stuff transported by air, which means doing it on foot. Those big ass caravans are like bait for bandits, which means I can't go ten minutes without getting into a fight."

"That sounds like a taxing experience," Ren said.

Cardin snorted. "Are you kidding? Most of 'em were pussies didn't even have aura. One hit from my mace and their head went flying like a grifball. I remember this one asshole, stepped up to me like he was the biggest swinging dick on Remnant 'til I whacked his arm off. Fell out on the floor bleeding and crying like a little girl. Pissed himself too."

The table erupted with laughter as Cardin clutched at his arm and writhed on the ground. However, while Team VNGR found the display positively hilarious, Team JNPR simply watched in silence.

"I don't think killing people is something to joke about," Pyrrha interjected.

"Oh lighten up, princess," Cardin said. "Nothing wrong with a little dark humor."

"That kind of humor isn't befitting a huntsman, not even one like you, Cardin."

Nigel, who had been in the middle of eating his sandwich, suddenly choked as a laughing fit overtook him. He coughed up the food he inhaled and grimaced.

"No, I think Cardin has the right of it. He's actually the perfect Huntsman, just needs to wipe out a couple villages to really look the part. You know, get some blood on you, maybe take a couple slaves, then you'll be a real huntsman."

The silence at the table was deafening. The looks the other students gave Nigel ranged from concern to pity, save for Lucia who found all of this very amusing.

"Nigel, what are you talking about?" Rock said. "I thought you just got attacked by a huntsman. You never said anything about a village getting destroyed."

"You're right, I didn't. Back to the original point; Pyrrha, what you think is right or wrong and what we think are completely different. I'm not saying one is better than the other, but don't judge us by your standards. That's just being arrogant."

Pyrrha's lips pressed into a thin line. "Arrogant? It's called not being a sociopath."

"See, that's what I'm talking about. The Invincible Girl high up on her pedestal looking down her nose at all the other cretins. Not like you'd ever understand. Have you ever even been in a real fight?"

The lunchroom went deathly silent. All eyes were on Pyrrha and Nigel. Even students from other tables had stopped to listen in. Pyrrha's hands were balled into fists, a vein in her forehead pulsed rapidly.

"And what exactly is that supposed to mean?"

"You're a champion, sure, but that's only for fights with rules. Have you ever fought to the death before? Have you ever had someone really, REALLY try to kill you? You're You can't call yourself strong if you're not willing to put your life on the line. As far as I'm concerned you're even weaker than Cardin."

Pyrrha opened her moth to retort, but the shrill ringing of the bell signaled the end of the lunch period. Pyrrha turned on her heels and stomped away without a word, her teammates following behind her.

"Maybe we do need to see a shrink," Giallo said.

Cardin nudged Rock's shoulder. "You guys don't really think I'm weak, do you?"

"Eh, kinda. There's definitely room for improvement," Rock replied.

Cardin sighed, clearly bothered by Rock's answer. He looked over at Nigel and saw that the boy's anger had deflated. Now the boy held his head in his hands as he fought the urge to scream.

"Man your boy's really messed up. I got a guy that can help with that."

"Nigel's already messed up enough without an opium addiction, thank you."

"You never know, maybe a hit of that shit is what he needs to get his mind right." With a grunt, he got up from the table. "See you around, man."

XxX

The school day had finally ended, which means it was time for the appointment.

Rock stood outside the door, trying to psych himself up to go in. It was strange, he had walked into far more dangerous situations without thinking twice, but the thought of going to see a therapist made him freeze up.

With a sigh, he walked into the office. Well, office was giving it a little too much credit. It was a small room, just barely big enough for a desk, some filing cabinets and a chair. Behind the desk was an older woman wearing a white lab coat and glasses. Her dark blue hair was tied up in a ponytail that hung over her shoulder. Her eyes were the same shade of blue as her hair, which stood out against her dark skin.

"Hello, You must be Rock," the woman said. "I'm Doctor Star Sapphire, I'm going to be performing an evaluation for your team."

"Evaluation? Is this some kinda test?"

The doctor shook her head. "No test. I'm just going to ask you some questions and you answer as honestly as you can."

"Shoot."

Doctor Sapphire pulled out a pad and a pen. "For starters, why don't you tell me about Saturday night."

"Not much to tell. We got a whiff of some shit happening and decided to jump in."

"Whose idea was it to get involved?"

"Giallo. He sounded the horn and we just hopped to."

The doctor opened up a file and pored over some notes. "I want you to describe what went through your mind as you went through the building."

"I saw the building had been torn the fuck up, like a bomb went off. I thought whoever did that had to be serious. Saw a lot of bodies too. Some of 'em had been shot, a few cut and beaten, and some that looked like they'd been torn apart."

"Did the sight of the bodies bother you at all?"

"Not really, no. Like I told Glynda, I'm used to that sort of thing. If anything, what bothered me was the smell."

"The smell?" the doctor asked.

"Yeah; blood, guts, shit, that kind of smell. Whole time I was in there I just wanted to get some fresh air. Had half a mind to burn all my clothes just to get that stink off me. I know it sounds weird, but seeing dead bodies doesn't bother me nearly as much as smelling them."

"Why do you think that is?"

Rock leaned back in his chair. "I was about six or seven the first time I saw someone die. They set a dude on fire, and I saw him running down the street screaming, and his skin was falling off and shit. But the smell stuck with me. It smelled like, like meat I guess. Kinda put me off eating for a few days."

The room was quiet for a moment, save for the sound of Doctor Sapphire scribbling on her notepad. Rock let out a long sigh. It had been years since he had talked about his past with anyone, and it was causing a lot of memories he thought long buried to bubble up to the surface. He had never really given much thought to all the things he had done in his life, but now that he had a moment of quiet, it all played on loop in his mind.

Rock was brought back to reality by the doctor's voice.

"When I looked at the report, I noticed that your opponent was the only one to walk out alive. Was there any particular reason you let him live?"

Rock was taken aback by that question. In truth, he had no idea why. It wasn't like he had any kind of moral objection to killing people, that ship had sailed long ago. But when he thought about that night, he realized that it wasn't any kind of conscious decision, it was the heat of the moment. In that moment, he didn't want that man to die.

"I don't really know myself," Rock finally answered.

The Doctor smiled. "That's perfectly fine. Sometimes people act without really thinking. I have enough for now. You're free to go."

"Alright, but before I go, can I ask you something?"

"Within reason."

"What made you wanna do this? You know, be a head doctor and all that?"

The doctor thought for a moment. "I suppose there are two reasons. I used to be a huntress, but I found out quickly that I didn't quite have the stomach for it. Schooling is one thing, but out there… sitting in a classroom doesn't prepare you to go from ruined village to ruined village. It doesn't teach you how to console a grieving mother who watched her child be ripped apart by a Beowolf, or how to deal with a child who watched their entire family die and the only home they've ever known burn to the ground. It takes a certain type to do that job, and I wasn't that type. I decided that the best way for me to help people was through my psychology. My research attracted the headmaster's attention, and I ended up here."

Professor Alder's words from earlier echoed in Rock's head. So this was another person who found what they were meant to do. "I feel you. Sometimes I feel like I'm not built for this shit myself. So what was the other reason?"

Doctor Sapphire's expression changed."The huntsman system is brilliant, but flawed. The human element is erratic, unpredictable. There is a system in place to strip a huntsman of their license and privileges, but it's purely reactionary. It doesn't do anything for the people who've already been hurt. Does the name Joseph Acton mean anything to you?"

Rock shook his head.

"I figured as much. He was before your time. He was a huntsman, and a brilliant one. Twenty years of experience, one of the most powerful and skilled warriors the world had ever seen. And then one day he snapped. He killed his wife, his three children, four of his neighbors, two huntsmen who tried to bring him in, and finally himself."

"Holy shit," Rock said. "What made him go off like that?"

"No one knows, and that's the problem. The headmaster might dress it up in flowery language, but at the end of the day huntsmen are living weapons, some wielding power ordinary people can't even imagine. We take them and train them to fight, to kill, and send them out into the world to face horror after horror. I couldn't last a year out there, and there are people who do it their entire lives. Can you imagine the toll it takes on them? I had enough of just picking up the pieces, if my study can help prevent tragedies before they happen then it's what I have to do."

Rock nodded. "You're a passionate one. I like that."

Rock left the room, knowing that he wasn't getting any sleep tonight.

"Knowing what you were meant to do, huh? I wonder if…"

xXx

Giallo tried not to stare at the doctor, but just couldn't tear his eyes away. He always had a weakness for older women, a byproduct of spending most of his childhood with his mother and the women at the monastery where he grew up. And Doctor Sapphire was everything he liked in a woman in one convenient package. For all his reservations, suddenly he didn't really mind being here all that much. He lost himself, taking in all of her. From her eyes, to her hair, to her skin, she was beautiful.

"Mr. Fiamma?"

Even the sound of her voice was like music.

"Mr. Fiamma?"

Giallo blinked, suddenly remembering why he was here. "Sorry, I got distracted. What did you want to talk about?"

"I just wanted to ask you some questions about Saturday night. You were the one who decided to enter that battle, correct? What led to that decision?"

"I knew that there were people in danger and I had to help them. Didn't really put much more thought into it than that."

"But at the time you had no idea exactly what had happened at that bank. You had no way of knowing what you were heading into. Were you worried at all, or worried for your teammates?"

"No. I knew I wasn't dying that night, and my team's pretty strong, even Rock. We would have been fine no matter what."

The doctor wrote something down on her notepad. "I see. And what was going through your mind once you were inside?"

Giallo shrugged. "Wasn't really thinking about it at the time. I was too focused on taking out the enemy."

"And once you found the enemy, what did you do?"

"I beat him to death. It was quick, clean, just like my mom taught me."

Doctor Sapphire dropped her pen, her eyes wide. "Your mother?"

"Yeah. I mean, she taught me how to fight, of course she taught me how to kill too."

The doctor hastily wrote down more notes, her pen becoming a blur with the speed of her writing. "And your mother, could you tell me about her?"

"She was the same as any other mom, I guess. she could be a little intense sometimes but other than that she was great. I guess I could tell you a little about her."

The sun beat down on them as the mother and child stood in the middle of the road. Bianca's fists were stained with blood, the broken bodies of the bandits who attacked them strewn all over the ground. While normally a sickly mother and her child were easy prey, that was not the case this time. The bandits' wounds were grievous, some with broken limbs, crushed skulls, shattered ribs, and torn open stomachs. Even the few that were granted with the Lord of Light's blessing found it meaningless against the woman's strength.

Bianca scanned the area. She watched for movement, listened for moans or held breath. She saw one of the bodies twitch. She stood over the downed man and looked him over. He had a broken arm, broken ribs, and a broken shoulder. With no hope of anyone coming to help, he'd be dead soon enough. Normally, Bianca would have just left him to die, but now she had other plans.

"Giallo," she called out.

Giallo ran to his mother's side. "What is it?"

Bianca pointed at the man writhing in pain on the ground. "Kill this man."

Giallo's head whipped around. "What? Why?"

"Because you need to learn, and what better time than now? It is more mercy than this man deserves, but you will be the one to grant it to him."

Giallo stared at the man on the ground. His feet felt like they were made of lead. He couldn't find the strength to raise his fists.

Bianca knelt down so she was eye level with her son. "Why do you hesitate? This man doesn't deserve to live. Look around you. These men didn't come with outstretched hands, they came with weapons. They wanted to rob us, to kill us, to rape me while they made you watch."

Giallo's hands stopped shaking. He raised his fists, and delivered the final, crushing blow.

"That was the first time I ever killed someone. I think I was about seven," Giallo said. He had a wistful look on his face, like he was recalling a fond memory.

The doctor continued to write, words appearing in her mind faster than her pen can produce them. "I see. That is quite enlightening. If you will, one last question: that man you encountered that night, did subduing him without killing him cross your mind"

"No," Giallo answered quickly, his mood falling in an instant. "Using the Lord's blessing to harm the innocent is punishable by death. Normally the perpetrator would be burned alive, but I was in a hurry. That man was dead the moment he entered that bank, he just didn't know it yet."

Giallo sighed. "Sorry, I got a little heated. The Illuminated Path is my whole life, I take it seriously, you know?"

The doctor nodded. "So what those people were doing was a mockery of your faith? I see, I suppose that explains the brutality of your opponent's demise."

Giallo laughed. "Oh that? Nah, that just happens when I get in a fight. I'm really strong so when I hit someone they just kinda… explode."

"I think I have enough information," The doctor said, "You're free to go."

"Finally. So, if you wanna, maybe we could talk some more later. Maybe over dinner?"

"Goodbye, Mister Fiamma."

XxX

Lucia rocked back and forth in the chair as he watched the doctor write down her notes. He didn't really understand why he was here. He had only killed one person, that wasn't that big a deal was it? He knew that not everyone shared his unique perspective, but even they knew that there were times that killing someone was the only option, right?

This woman's questions just got on Lucia's nerves. She tried to poke and prod around his brain to pry information out of him when just asking him directly would work just as well. All of this dancing around trying desperately to avoid the heart of the matter was a waste of time as far as he was concerned.

"What was going through your mind in the middle of all of that carnage?"

"There were so many familiar sights and smells, it was like being back home. I know something like this must seem obscene to you, but I've lived in that environment my entire life."

"I see. Let's talk about your life. How long did you say that you were part of the bandit tribe?"

"Since the day I was born. Truth be told I don't remember life before the tribe. From what I was told, they found me when I was an infant. It makes no difference to me, the past is the past."

"In that case, let's talk about the present. Let's talk about you using a woman's severed head as a weapon."

Lucia rolled his eyes. "What, she didn't need it anymore."

"What about that woman's family who won't even get a chance to see her face one last time?"

"I assure you that was the furthest thing from my mind at the moment. If I thought about the consequences every time I destroyed someone I'd never be able to accomplish anything. This may sound distasteful to you, but it's something that I had to learn quickly growing up. Letting your compassion outweigh your need to survive will just get you killed, either by the enemy or your own hand."

"I think I have enough information. I certainly would love to study you again in the future. If possible, please come by my office when you have a moment."

XxX

Doctor Sapphire pinched the bridge of her nose. The session had gone on for fifteen minutes with her patient not saying a single word. He simply curled up into a ball and stared at the floor. The two weren't strangers to each other, but some sessions were better than others. She gently prodded him, trying to bring something out of him.

"Nigel, you know this only works if you talk to me."

"You have my file. Isn't that enough?"

Doctor Sapphire smiled. "See, you're talking. But it's not enough to get a broad psychological profile, I need to know your state of mind last night."

"Same as always. There isn't much to talk about."

"oh, oh, I know!" Brooke suddenly chirped. "See, last night Nigel saw a bunch of dead bodies and it just dredged up all kinds of precious childhood memories. You know, corrupt huntsmen, dead friends, terrified villagers, all of that good stuff. I guess being reminded of his screw up pissed him off and that's why he's all sulky now."

Nigel gripped his chair. He could hear a buzzing in his ears, his heart was pounding so loudly he couldn't hear anything else. Every word Brooke spoke felt like a strip of flesh being torn off. His best friend's voice was used to speak of his weakness and deficiency, taking all of his fears and doubts and presenting it to him with a smile. Every time she laughed it was at the knowledge that she had driven him a bit closer to the edge.

"Come on, Nigel," Brooke teased, "maybe this is your chance to come clean about it all. Just tell her all the ways you screwed up. Or maybe I will. Would you like that, me telling her every. Single. Detail? All the things that man did while you just let it happen?"

Nigel felt the hand rest shatter beneath his grip. He could feel the splintered wood stabbing into his palms, but at the moment he didn't care about that at all. All he felt was the rage, not a burning, roiling anger, but a deep chill, getting colder every second.

Brooke was gone now. She knew not to push Nigel too far, but she had gotten what she wanted. She had ratcheted things forward ever so slightly, and pushed him that much closer to an inevitable self destruction. And of course causing him to freak out in public was an added bonus.

The doctor rushed over to Nigel. "Are you okay? Oh my god, you're bleeding."

Suddenly Nigel remembered where he was and what he was doing. "It's okay, I've been hurt worse than this."

He pulled the splinters from his hands. The teacher handed him a tissue to soak up the blood. The doctor was saying something, but Nigel wasn't listening. He was too focused on what Brooke had said earlier. Her words echoed in his head, and with the words came the memories, the images still crystal clear after all these years.

He didn't know how he ended up on the roof of the dorm building, but he was suddenly standing right at the edge, one foot hanging over the side of the building. For a moment he thought of just taking that next step forward, but then he remembered that he had survived higher falls than this. Sighing with resignation, he sat down and placed his head in his hands.

"There you are, been looking for you."

Nigel looked up and saw Rock standing over him.

"Whoa, you look like shit. You been crying or something?"

"Yes," Nigel replied.

"Oh. Guess that session didn't go well. Wanna talk about it?"

"Not really."

Rock exhaled loudly. "Oh thank god. I do not have the facilities to navigate the inside of your head. Well, if you don't wanna talk me and the others are about to head out into the city. Wanna come with?"

"For what?"

"I'm going to my old job. There's someone there I haven't seen in a while and I wanna talk to them."

XxX

It was well into the night when Doctor Sapphire finished typing up her report. After transferring the files to her scroll, she stretched out and went for a walk. At this time of night the school was practically empty save for the custodians. She liked the quiet, during the day the building was so noisy that she couldn't think. Outside in the courtyard, she stopped in front of the statue of the two huntsmen. The thing had taken on a completely different meaning in her mind these days.

"I'm surprised to see you here this late," a voice said.

"Hello, headmaster," Star replied. "I was working and lost track of time. I was just getting some fresh air."

"I take it that means you've finished your evaluation?"

Star sighed. "Yes, but we both know it's just a formality. No matter what you read in that report you'd approve them for service anyway."

Ozpin let out a laugh. "You know me too well."

"This isn't funny, Headmaster. To be frank, none of those boys should be fighting. Giallo thinks he's some kind of punishing angel who metes out judgment on sinners, Rock is clearly suffering from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, I could write my thesis on all the things wrong with Lucia, and Nigel belongs in an asylum, not Beacon. Those boys are ticking bombs. It's not a question of if they'll snap, it's when. With all of the promising students in the first year, why are you so insistent on those four?"

Ozpin looked Star in the eye. "Because we are at war, and we need all the help we can get."