Chapter 1 – Pilot

"Do you know what this is about?" Blake asked the boy.

He shook his head, the look on his face belying equal confusion to her own. She studied him for a split second, to see if there was any connection between them that might warrant them both being asked to wait together for the headmaster in this tiny room while the other students got settled in and prepared to sleep soundly the night before Beacon's first day.

He was a tall, spindly man, reminiscent of a stalk of corn (especially because of that bright yellow hair). It certainly wasn't their species in common – except, Blake recalled, Beacon didn't know she was a Faunus. As far as the staff was aware, both she and this boy were humans.

But that's hardly a reason to call us aside. Nearly 90% of the other students were all humans, and yet we were singled out from among them.

She was, of course, feeling a small amount of fear; it would be impossible for her not to be worried about being asked to meet with the headmaster of Beacon Academy given where she'd come from. Being called aside by the teacher could easily mean she was in for some sort of rebuke or chastisement.

Except, once again, there's a human with me. If I'm about to be arrested for my ties to the…for my former ties to the White Fang, why call a random witness? And there's absolutely no way that this guy is also ex-Fang, so it can't be that he's being arrested for the same thing. Calm yourself down, Blake – it's probably nothing, and you're making a mountain out of a molehill.

Stressing out over this wasn't doing anyone any favors, not Blake, not Ozpin, and certainly not this blond boy she didn't even know the name of.

"I'm Blake," she said impulsively.

"Huh? Oh, uh, Jaune. Jaune Arc. Pleased to greet'cha."

He didn't offer a hand for her to shake, so she didn't either. Truthfully, she'd really only just introduced herself to fill the silence and to put a name to this guy's face.

Jaune. Are…Are we being partnered up or something? I was told Beacon teams are pairs of partnerships, and they're very secretive about the process. Maybe he called us both up to declare us partners, and then he's just going to do the same for the rest? I guess that'd make us the first partners of Beacon's newest year.

Neither continued the conversation, so she and Jaune went back to sitting side by side in awkward silence. They'd been sought out and found by Professor Glynda Goodwitch, Headmaster Ozpin's famous second-in-command, and asked to wait in a small room that was probably about the size of a personal office while she fetched her boss. It wasn't a classroom, but it was bigger than a broom closet (though not by much). The only contents of the room were three chairs, two of them side by side and occupied, and the other awaiting the rear end of the most influential man in Vale to fill it.

The empty seat didn't have to wait long. Probably about ten minutes after Goodwitch had left, the woman returned with the headmaster in tow.

"Ah, thank you both for waiting."

He nodded at them, but the sad smile on his face set off alarm bells in Blake's mind, because it was not the face of a man with good news.

Ozpin took the remaining seat, with Goodwitch standing stiffly above his left shoulder like a mannequin, her hands folded behind her back. She broke this position to hand him two manila envelopes, then immediately returned to it. Blake caught sight of more objects in her hands – they looked like more envelopes, but she couldn't really tell.

"Now, then. Please confirm that you are both…" Ozpin slid a page out of the first manila envelope. "…Jaune Arc, and…"

The elderly man awkwardly shuffled to close the first envelope with one hand while simultaneously opening the second in the other. Goodwitch reached down to help him when it became clear he was about to drop them both.

"…and…Blake Belladonna."

"Yes, sir," Blake said clearly. "I am Blake."

The human boy to her side just nodded.

"Ms. Belladonna and Mr. Arc." Ozpin handed them both the manila envelopes, one each. "You may recognize these as your application forms to Beacon Academy."

Blake's heart sank, and the other kid let out a whimpering whine.

"These are, of course, photocopies of the original documents, which were submitted three months ago and signed by the two of you. Now, following a more detailed background investigation of the information you put on these forms, Beacon has concluded that you both fraudulently completed these applications. It is with deepest regret that I must inform you both are being rejected from Beacon Academy. Your applications have been formally withdrawn and will be returned to you once a complete investigation has been completed."

Shit.

Blake looked over the paper, recognizing the handwriting as her own.

Shit.

This had been her last chance.

It certainly hadn't been her first; she'd actually tried applying for a lot of other jobs and academies first – corporations and trade schools, nothing huntress related. She hadn't wanted to use the combat skills she'd learned in the White Fang, feeling like it would only be a continuation of her unethical work under Adam. It was only when she'd been given letters of rejection at all of these places that she realized a life of nonviolence wasn't coming her way, and she would need to utilize her unwanted but undeniably great talent at hurting and destroying. Not many companies in Vale were looking for someone with no legitimate work experience, and certainly not a Faunus with no legitimate work experience.

And they won't have changed their minds for a Beacon drop-out who never actually made it in to drop out. I need to do something!

"Sir, my qualifications are real," Blake argued, tucking the application back into the tan folder. "I'd be willing to complete an assessment, if that would prove it. Nothing on here is…what was it…fraudulent?"

Goodwitch's riding crop tilted forward, and Blake's head suddenly felt one bow lighter.

Well, crap.

But…maybe I can still…

"A-Are you saying you're k-k-kicking me out because I'm Faunus?" Blake asked, letting her lip wobble.

Ozpin and Goodwitch did not look impressed. "No, Ms. Belladonna. We are kicking you out because you truly did lie on your application form. See Line 19."

Blake hadn't memorized the document, so she slid it back out.

Line 19…hmmm. Let's see. Have you ever committed…a…felony…

Shit.

Blake deflated at that. Any chance of appealing their verdict flittered away as the realization that they were aware of her White Fang past. Beacon was never going to let an ex-terrorist into their precious school.

So, they did know. I was right to be worried. But then what did the other guy do? I somehow doubt he's also got a past with war crimes riddled in.

Blake glanced over at the kid who she'd nearly forgotten about, despite him sitting next to her. His application form was still visible to her, but when she quickly looked it over, nothing stood out. It wasn't as though she would be able to recognize whatever lie was on his when she saw it, anyways.

As for the kid himself, he was just…staring. His eyes were on the application form, but he wasn't reading it or anything. Blake imagined that if she waved a hand in front of his face, she would get no reaction from him.

Biting her teeth, she shook herself out of it. Whatever his deal was, she needed to focus on number one here. If Ozpin, an individual with close ties to law enforcement and the council, knew about her past…

"Are we being arrested?" she asked.

She didn't really care about Jaune, but without knowing just how much dirt they had on her, it was better to not suggest anything. This way, it sounded like she was asking about whether 'we' (she and Jaune) were to be arrested over the application fraud. If Ozpin had something else to say, he would bring it up, but Blake wasn't going to go around incriminating herself by supplying the notion that her past 'crimes' might deserve arrest.

"No. As a matter of fact, you will be escorted off the premises and offered a small, one-time stipend." Ozpin turned to his deputy and held out a hand. She placed the white envelopes from before in his hand, and he distributed them to the two teenagers. "This check for three thousand lien is coming out of my own finances and not the school's, as I feel partially…personally responsible for the unpleasant situation we all are in right now. Had I been able to notice the discrepancies in your records earlier, I might have never approved them and sent you an offer of acceptance to Beacon. This was something I should have caught, and because I didn't, you were forced to come to Beacon only to be turned away at the door. Had you not, you might have been able to make other plans or apply for other, more suitable career paths."

Blake didn't really want to assuage Ozpin's guilt by accepting, but she had no job prospects after this. None at all. She needed any help she could get.

"Consider this a personal apology," said the old man as Blake took her envelope.

Jaune didn't even react to the envelope being proffered; in the end, Ozpin placed atop on the unresponsive boy's application form when he didn't take it. Blake's eyes lingered on the untouched envelope for a second.

Opening up her own, Blake looked over the check to make sure it was real. "What…What are we supposed to do?"

"I'd advise you either go home to your parents or look into attaining gainful employment. As seventeen-year-olds, you are legally adults in the kingdom of Vale, and thus…"

"…not Beacon's problem?" Blake finished for the veteran huntsman.

"…responsible for your own care," he corrected with a frown. "Remember, Ms. Belladonna, I am not only overlooking this breach of protocol on your part but bending over backwards to accommodate you. I suggest you keep that in mind when you speak."

Blake's eyes dropped down to the floor again, this time in abashment. "I apologize, headmaster."

Ozpin went on. "Had you applied to Atlas, there is no doubt in my mind that Ja– that Headmaster Ironwood would have had you both in police custody for attempted treason at this point."

"Th-Thank you for not doing that, sir," Blake said, biting her tongue to endure the humiliation. Groveling to a human who had no idea how hard it would be out there for her was unpleasant, but she couldn't afford to risk pissing off the man when he was right – she was being accommodated here, and he had the power to screw her over royally if he so chose. "Thank you for everything you have done for me – for us, sir."

Ozpin's head curtly nodded once at Blake, apparently satisfied with her act of supplication. He turned to Jaune. "Have you anything to add, Mr. Arc?"

There was no response from the boy.

"Mr. Arc?" echoed Goodwitch. "Do you have anything to say for yourself?"

He glumly looked up at the occupants of the room, shook his head robotically, and then went back to staring dejectedly at the papers in his hands. If she weren't devoting every ounce of her own pity to herself, Blake might've felt bad for the guy.

"Three thousand lien should be enough to cover room and board within Vale for one month, which I hope shall be suitable time to get you both on your feet. Ms. Goodwitch will now escort you to a bullhead that will drop you off into the city." Ozpin reached into his breast pocket and took out a handkerchief, coughing into the cloth a few times. "I wish you both the best of luck in your future endeavors, and I do so dearly hope that you've both learned a vital lesson about the value of honesty today."

It was a completely silent walk to the airship, and it was a completely silent flight from Beacon back down into Vale. Blake had no idea whether Goodwitch was quietly pitying her or quietly despising her, and she got the feeling she would never know.

"This is where I leave you," said the elder huntress when they landed. Then, she walked back into the airship without another word and flew back to her cushy life at the top of the hill without a care in the world.

I'm being unfair. I did lie and cheat to get into the school, and the White Fang isn't exactly using kiddie gloves on humans these days. They have every right to kick me out, even if I'm a little bitter over this whole thing.

That didn't change the fact that she was now stranded in Vale with no options. Ozpin had suggested going to Mom and Dad, but Blake had no intention of facing them after…after what she'd said when they last met. They probably wouldn't even give her the time of day, let alone shelter from an inhospitable world.

And going back to Menagerie means potentially meeting Adam. He has no sway in Vale, so this is quite possibly the only place I can stay beyond his reach.

Blake once again peered into the envelope in her hand – her only possession in the world besides the clothes on her back, the sword at her hip, and a case of smutty books she somehow hadn't lost during this whole hullabaloo.

Three thousand lien. Ozpin said it would last for a month, but Blake could probably stretched that to a month and a half if she tried.

There was a very big problem with that, however.

Ozpin had also rightfully said that her only option (short of running home to mommy and daddy) was to find a job. Well, there were no jobs in the kingdom for a Faunus except for the one field in which she was talented…hunting.

I don't have a license, but if I can somehow find and take a mission for some desperate village, they can pay me in cash under the table. It's how the world works.

The aforementioned problem was that being a hunter required a downpayment. Bullhead flights outside the kingdom weren't cheap, and neither was Dust. Three thousand lien might pay for a hotel and some cheap groceries for over a month, but it wouldn't last a full week if she also took a job and came up with new work expenses.

An odd thought struck her – three thousand lien was exactly half of six thousand lien.

"So. J-Jaune."

He was still in the same place Goodwitch had left him, staring off blankly into space. Blake had really been into Beacon, but this guy was acting like losing it had broken him entirely.

"I was thinking. You and me, we're in the same boat. Two peas in a pod, right? Right. We both got shafted by those rich pricks, and we both…I'm guessing that you're also not sure what to do now? Well, I mean, if we pooled our lien, we could last a lot longer."

Blake stepped over to be in front of the shellshocked boy, but he didn't react in any way.

"Money lasts longer with a roommate. If we share a hotel room – I know a lot of good places, I'm excellent at that sort of scrounging – it'll last longer. I just…I'm not ready to go back to my parents yet."

There was no way to know if he was buying it. She really did believe she would be able to make their collective money last longer, even if it wasn't out of sympathy or kindness like she said.

"I brought my own bag, and I can sleep on the floor if you need the bed. I won't be a burden." Blake waved her hands to the side. "Trust me."

Desperation was beginning to sink in. Blake wasn't a greedy individual, but Jaune's check would mean twice as long in Vale, the one safe place from Adam. It could even mean a lasting investment into a career here if she played her cards right.

And in spite of her promises, Jaune said nothing.

"Art?" She tilted her head, bunched up her forehead, and got a bit closer to him. "You still with me?"

"It's Arc," he mumbled at last. "Jaune Arc. Short, sweet…Arc."

Well, at least she knew he was still alive in there. Blake supposed that it was a good sign that their dishonorable discharge hadn't entirely dissolved his brain or something. She didn't want to steal from someone who was mentally ill or something.

Not that I'm stealing from him or anything. It's to his benefit that we pool our resources and work together as much as it is to mine. Well, a pretty boy human like him probably can get a job wherever he likes. Blond hair, blue eyes, tall human male, not too thick or thin; he's got every advantage in this judgmental, biased –

Hellllllllo there.

"Say, pal. Kicked out together, left adrift by our lonesome – you and me have a lot in common. That kinda sounds like the basis of a good friendship."

This guy, he was a huntsman drop-out. She had no idea what he'd done to get kicked out of Beacon (probably bumped his failing grades up a letter or two to meet Beacon's high entry requirements or something), but he had to have some experience from his primary combat school. Even if he was at the bottom of the class, Blake could work with that. It wasn't even about his skills – it was about his looks.

He's got the face that people trust. I thought I couldn't get a job, but I couldn't get a job alone. A lone Faunus? Hell no. A human 'boss' with his Faunus 'subordinate?' And with this particular human? People will be lining up to hire us.

If his current state was any indication, Blake could probably be the driving power behind any relationship of theirs. The guy was clearly a pushover with jelly in place of a spinal column. She…She wasn't going to cheat him, but…if…

I'd never…it would be a fair and equal…

Okay, I need to start planning this seriously. No more lying to myself.

Blake needed to watch out for herself. If that meant using this guy, then so be it. Ozpin and Beacon had screwed her, so the time for generosity for her fellow sapient being was long passed.

I'll take his money, and I'll let him talk to our first client. They'll trust a human huntsman more than a Faunus huntress. I don't mind doing all the work on the job…but if I do, it's only fair that I take the lion Faunus' share of the reward money. If Arc's okay with that, then great! We're partners. If not…I won't tell him how I plan to divvy up the spoils until the job's done and the cash is in my hands.

Completing a mission would probably set them for a while – hunters were highly paid for their troubles. Blake was confident that after everything she'd had to do for the White Fang, a few Grimm would be nothing she couldn't handle.

Shit, I've been silent for a while. I'd better remind him I'm still here.

"Jaune Arc, right? Jaune…got a good ring to it. Jaune and Blake, Blake and Jaune. Can't be Team BJ for, heh, obvious reasons, so Team JB then. Team…Team…" She snapped her fingers. "Team Job? Yeah, that's pretty good. Team Job – I like it!"

Blake internally cursed at how much it sounded like she was rambling right now. If Arc weren't catatonic right now, he'd probably be looking at her funny.

I'm coming on way too strong, but I think his brain might be internally swelling right now.

"Team Job it is. Alright – our first order of business is to find accommodation for the night. We can't operate out of the airship landing dock, after all. I can find us a hotel…I know a few places, the kind that take less lien as long as you don't mind a little noise. Then, from there we can peruse some mission boards and select one that fits us."

"Don't…"

Blake looked over at Arc eagerly. "Yeah? What's up, buddy?"

"Don't you need a license to view those?" He was still just staring out into the middle distance, not even facing Blake, but he'd referenced the conversation. That was another good sign, right?

"Nah, they took that requirement out a few years ago," Blake lied, desperately hoping Arc didn't have huntsman family who might have told him otherwise. "Most of the unclaimed jobs are in remote villages and have first-come, first-serve things going on with them. So, I think that we can use my check to pay for the hotel, and yours can go towards renting an airship and pilot toward whatever we choose. Hunting pays well, and I imagine we'll recoup our losses and then some, but I'll still pick something that isn't far –"

"Can…" Arc rubbed at his eyes tiredly. "Can I just have a minute here?"

"Suuuuure, mate. You take all the time you need. Here, why don't you sit down on the curb…" Blake took him by the arm and gently sat him down in the edge of the street just outside the airship dock they'd come from. "I'll start browsing those mission postings on our behalf. Don't worry, I'll pick something niiiiice and simple. Ease us into it, eh?"

Arc didn't even nod. He didn't even do anything.

I…I guess he's really disappointed. Beacon must've been a big dream for this kid if he's this beat up about it. To be fair, he's probably spent his entire childhood training for this, so having the rug pulled out from under him and learning that his education was wasted must suck.

Blake took out her scroll and began logging in. Mission postings did require a license as Arc had said, but the White Fang had found out that if you logged in through a VPN from Atlas and used that to log into a VPN from Mistral and used that to log into a VPN from Mantle, the third password that one typed in was always accepted instead of locking the user out of the system. A neat little backdoor discovered by a Faunus programmer in Mantle, now Blake's for the using.

"I won't stop until I've found the best one they have, Jaune. It'll be perfect for what you and I need. Don't you fret."

Blake waited two minutes for show, then tapped the first mission she saw.

"There we go! Perfect. Grimm culling at Lemuria Settlement just south of Vale. How'zat sound? A good starting job for a budding team, Grimm are just Beowolves and Ursai, pay good enough to recoup the costs and then some. Shall I sign us up?"

"Huh?" He looked up at her. "What?"

"Ooh, and they offer room and board while we're on the mission for up to three days. Nice perk, right?"

"Uh, sure, I guess."

"Great." Blake tapped the screen, sending the digital signature of her thrice-VPN'd scroll to the mission posting system and claiming the job in their name. "Perfect. We're signed up, and I've added us to the waitlist for bullhead flights over. When you're all ready, we can go and find a place to stay and…and…yeah. Go team!"

Leaning over, she patted him gently on the shoulder. He did nod a few times, but he wasn't listening. He hadn't heard anything. Blake forced herself not to sigh; just like with Ozpin, she was dependent on this human's favor. When they showed up at Lemuria Settlement, she would be turned away unless she had a human shield to ward off any criticisms.

"Take your time, uh, bro." She considered patting him again but decided against it. "All the time you need."

One hour later, Arc hadn't even budged. If anything, he'd somehow constricted into himself even further, now pulling his knees in to his chest and hugging them. Blake couldn't hear any tears, but she had a hunch that she would see them if he lifted his head up.

Stepping around the sad sack, she crouched down in front of him and stared at his face, specifically his eyes.

There was nothing there. No presence, no humanity, nothing. Jaune Arc had checked out, probably a while ago.

Blake stood up and went behind Jaune. Placing her arms under his armpits, she lifted the dazed boy up until he was up on his feet, standing from his own power. He was alive and fully conscious, but the stress of it all had made Jaune retreat too far into himself to acknowledge the real world.

Blake had already looked up the cheapest Faunus-friendly hotel in the area she could find, so she grabbed ahold of her precious discrimination lightning rod by the arm and led him on with no objections. He said nothing, so she said nothing.

What a great start to a productive team up, I guess.

Coming Soon: One for the Ages

Team Job meets and greets one another for real in the looming shadow of their upcoming first mission.

Author's Notes

I'll be posting the first six chapters (comprising the first story arc) of Job Security today, to kickstart the story.

This one took ages to write. But there's a reason for that: 101 chapters and 370,000 words. It's gonna be a long one – the longest I've ever written by both metrics. (The Empty Stool may appear to defeat it, but that's only because length author's notes bloat it; Job Security's main text is longer by about 10k words). All written in advance, updates 2x per week.

Also, while it technically does end, due to the nature of the story (Jaune and Blake taking missions as a private team of freelancers), I may yet write more in the future. There is a plot that builds up and reaches its conclusion over the 101 chapters, but there might be more odd jobs and self-contained stories of missions for them in the future, making my longest story get even longer.

Updates will be on Mondays (for obvious reasons, once you get to chapter 6) and Thursdays, though it may switch to Mondays and Wednesdays when the Origin Story alternate endings conclude. It may, or it may not.

Surprisingly, no one suffers in this fic. They struggle and do stress a lot, but I manage to keep the trauma to…well, pretty much nothing. Also, less crack than usual. Who even am I anymore?!

There will not be a Jaune/Blake romance. Telling everyone now, before we get confused. And to make it perfectly clear, it's not going to be one of the many 'I love Jaune with all my heart and vagina but sadly we cannot be together, woe is us.' This story isn't a romance. It's action and missions and shit.

Feel free to comment with any questions, notes, or errors you spot; I'll do my best to answer, respond, or correct as necessary.

I no longer own RWBY – Viz does that now. Sorry.

Happy rats, and don't do crime!