Their next Combat Class couldn't come soon enough.

Jaune made sure to arrive early, scarfing down his breakfast before hurrying over to the amphitheater that held their classes. While he didn't tell any of his friends what he was doing, he received several knowing looks as he left, telling him he didn't have to. They knew what class was up first and with yesterday's confrontation fresh in their minds, it wasn't difficult to figure out. Yang was still sullenly silent, though she didn't appear as angry about the whole ordeal anymore, simply pouting up a storm and looking a lot like her sister, Ruby.

It was at times like these that the two sisters really showed how alike they could be.

Yang still had to serve her detention. Apparently she would be accompanying Professor Port on a hunt which at first, didn't appear to be a horrible punishment at all. It was honestly right up Yang's alley. Was it really a detention if she got to punch Grimm?

But having listened to Port's lectures for a couple of months now, they all knew he wasn't quite all there. And if they were going to be honest, it was likely to be less of a hunt and more of a capturing request by the rotund man. Jaune didn't mind killing Grimm. It was what they were all training for, after all. But trying to capture one and stuff it into a crate?

That sounded a bit more difficult.

Couple that with Professor Port's penchant for rambling stories, Jaune knew that Yang was actually in for a rough time. She will be begging to be released within the hour.

Jaune felt sorry for her. Especially when she only had this detention because she'd punched Sky in his defense.

The amphitheater was empty when he arrived, the stands empty and the stage dark. Jaune made his way across the room to the door that Professor Goodwitch always arrived from and found that it was unlocked. Opening the door, he peered down a long hallway, about a half dozen doors spaced every twelve feet on either side.

Jaune hesitated before gathering his resolve. He didn't see any signs saying students couldn't be here so he began searching, opening and closing doors. Most of the rooms were just filled with boxes and dust, Jaune sneezing as he found a room that looked like it hadn't been opened in several decades. There was a cleaning closet stocked with chemicals and a mop, broom and bucket, and a utility closet that housed the main circuit breaker for the building.

He should have just walked straight to the end because in typical fashion, the last door was the one that he was looking for. Jaune blinked as he was momentarily blinded by the light, stepping into some type of staff room. On a quick glance, he saw a small kitchen stocked with a refrigerator, an oven and stove, toaster, sink and a very well worn coffee machine. The smell hit him next, the mouthwatering aroma of freshly brewed coffee, that slight hint of bitterness making his tongue tingle.

And seated at a small table was Professor Goodwitch…

...and Headmaster Ozpin.

Crap.

The pair had been engaged in conversation while nursing steaming hot cups of coffee but his sudden appearance had drawn their attention. Jaune saw Professor Goodwitch's eyebrows rise in surprise, clearly taken aback by his sudden arrival but it wasn't her he was worried about.

Headmaster Ozpin was a bit of a mystery, rarely seen around campus and rumored to remain solely in his tower apart from special events like orientation, graduation and the upcoming Inter-Academy Tournament. Dressed in a smart black suit over a dark green, buttoned vest and green shirt, he peered at Jaune curiously from behind a pair of shaded spectacles. His reclusive nature wasn't the only interesting thing about him.

Ozpin was human.

Perhaps the most famous human in the world.

As rare as it was for humans to become Huntsmen, it was even rarer for one to rise to the top and lead one of the four great academies. There was no particular reason beyond their vastly lesser numbers but when something out of the ordinary occurred, it was always a popular subject of speculation.

Maybe that was why he kept to himself.

"Mr. Arc," Ozpin greeted with a tip of his head. "What brings you all the way here? I was under the impression that this room was for teachers only."

His brain froze. "Uh…"

Ozpin watched him struggle to find his words.

"I didn't… see any signs?"

If he wasn't mistaken, he was positive he saw Ozpin's mouth twitch.

Jaune swallowed, forcing his mouth to move. "I wanted to speak with Professor Goodwitch before class but there was no one in the amphitheater, so I thought, you know, she always comes out of this door so why don't I check that out? But there was only a hallway on the other side, so I started opening every door until I finally found her… hello, Professor," he rambled, waving awkwardly. "So here I am… hah hah… haaah?"

Ozpin chuckled. "I suppose you are. Well, don't let me stand in your way."

Right.

Jaune cleared his throat. "Professor."

Goodwitch watched him carefully. "Mr. Arc. Why have you seen fit to seek me out?"

"I have a request, ma'am."

"And this couldn't wait for class to begin?"

Jaune tried not to cringe as she pinned him with those stern eyes she carried around at all times.

"I thought it'd be better if I asked in private."

Jaune tried not to fidget with his fingers, curling his hands into fists and keeping them by his sides, arms straight. Silence stretched between them as she considered him, Ozpin smiling as he took a sip of his coffee.

Goodwitch sighed. "What did you wish to ask me?"

It was now or never.

"I wish to fight Sky Lark in class today."

At once, her eyes narrowed. "And I assume this has something to do with what occurred yesterday?

"Yes, ma'am."

"And why do you believe I would condone an attempt at settling a petty dispute within my class?"

"This isn't petty," he said, perhaps a little sharper than he intended. Before she could turn him down, he continued quickly. "I'm not doing this for ego or to get back at him or anything like that. I'm sure you're aware that Sky is… uh," Jaune suddenly lost steam, feeling embarrassed at having to bring this up with a teacher. "He is – in rut."

Goodwitch blinked. "Oh – so you are aware, then? I did not expect you to have noticed."

"My friends told me."

"I see."

"Sky likes Yang," he rushed out. "He's been asking her out and stuff, but she doesn't like him and things were fine until – well, yesterday, he was different. You saw that things got a little heated. He hasn't been like that before."

She nodded, prompting him to continue.

"Sky will probably approach her again and because he is – uh, in rut, things will probably be just as volatile, right? Since Yang is my friend, we hang out a lot and he didn't seem to like that very much, that's why he tried to attack me… so I thought that if I fought him and beat him, then—"

"—then you will have asserted your dominance over him, and Mr. Lark will be forced to back down," Goodwitch concluded. Jaune nodded sheepishly.

"Yeah, that."

"And this isn't some attempt at winning Ms. Xiao Long over?"

Jaune should have really expected that. "No! I mean, uh – I'm already in a relationship."

"With Ms. Ren, I believe?"

"Yes, ma'am."

Even the teachers knew about them, huh? That was… awkward.

She leaned back in her chair. "I'm not in the habit of allowing my students to settle personal disputes in my classroom – however," she said sharply when he made a sound of protest. "I am going to allow it. I would rather this occur in a controlled environment as opposed to you taking matters into your own hands, where I cannot oversee this contest."

Jaune felt great relief.

"I do believe Mr. Arc has displayed great consideration for the factors involved here," Ozpin spoke up in his support. "If only more people were so thoughtful. A commendable course of action."

"Indeed," Goodwitch said. "If that is all, Mr. Arc – I will see you in class."

Jaune quickly bowed his head at the dismissal, not wanting to overstay his welcome. He'd gotten what he came for. "Yes, Professor. Thank you, Professor."

As he left, he heard Ozpin begin speaking but whatever it was that he was saying, it was too low for Jaune to make out. When he returned to the amphitheater, a couple of his classmates had shown up – including one person in particular.

"Dude, where have you been?" Cardin asked as Jaune approached. "I saw you leave breakfast early but when I got here, the place was empty."

"You followed me?"

"I wanted to talk to you, jackass," Cardin smirked. "One human to another, I've come to warn you."

Jaune had a pretty good idea what this was about. Sky was on Cardin's team, after all. There was no way he didn't know about what happened yesterday.

"Let me guess – it has to do with Sky?"

Cardin blinked. "Ah, so you know?"

Jaune sighed. "Yeah, I was there when he made a pass at Yang."

Cardin whistled. "Then you only know half of it. Before all of that, he got into a fight with Russel. Nearly took his head off, let me tell ya. I came back to our room to find them brawling – Dove was just watching it happen, typical," he rolled his eyes. "I swear, these animals get a little horny and they become completely unhinged."

Jaune shot him an annoyed look. "So you know that he is…"

"Of course I know," Cardin shook his head in disgust. "He's been posturing for the last few days, it's starting to get on my nerves. I already threatened to smash his face in if he tried that crap with me and he stayed out of my way, but last night he kept ranting about you and how you keep hanging around his girl."

"Yang isn't his girl."

"We know that," Cardin waved his finger by his temple in the universal signal of crazy. "But like I said; animals."

"Cardin," Jaune warned.

"Fine, fine, I get it," Cardin then gave him a serious look. "Watch your back. Things can get a little out of hand when they start frothing at the mouth."

He really had a way with words, didn't he? But he wasn't wrong. Things were already out of hand but Jaune was hoping to put an end to all of this today.

"It's fine. I've got a plan."

"Oh?"

"Let's just say we're going to be paired up today," Jaune revealed and Cardin laughed, slapping his knee.

"You went to Goodbitch?" he asked crudely, using one of the many nicknames some of the more disgruntled students had labeled her with. "Damn, I guess you are already on top of this. You better win. Our pride as humans is on the line."

Jaune shook his head. "Our pride, huh? So you're invested in this now?"

"Damn right I am. He might be on my team but we're brothers, you and I," Cardin thumped Jaune in the chest with a fist, hitting him hard enough to push him back a step. "We gotta stick together, there aren't many of us left. Show em why our kingdoms once spanned the continent."

"Charming as always, Cardin."

Talking with Cardin Winchester was always exhausting. Even if the larger boy was on his side and had his back, it was for all the wrong reasons.

Nora, Li and Pyrrha showed up soon after – and then Team RWBY. Jaune waved them over and found some seats away from Cardin, not wanting to subject his friends to the bigoted boy's presence. Pyrrha met his eyes as she sat down next to him.

"How did it go?" she asked.

Jaune nodded. "I'll be fighting Sky during today's lesson."

Nora clapped excitedly. "Ooh, I can't wait. If only you were fighting on my behalf, then it would be perfect! Oh well, if it couldn't be me or Li, or Pyrrha, or Ruby or Weiss or Blake, then at least it's for Yang. That's something, I guess."

"Hey – what the hell does that mean, putting me last?" Yang asked grouchily before quickly adding, "And it isn't like I asked this lunkhead to do this, so don't get the wrong idea."

Ruby giggled. "No one said that you asked him to do this. He's just being a good friend."

Yang huffed, briefly meeting his eyes before looking away. "Yeah, well – don't forget it."

"Isn't this what they call – wait, I've forgotten the term," Weiss paused as she thought, rubbing her chin. "Blake – what is it called when a girl acts contrary to her expected feelings in those funny books of yours?"

"Why are you asking me for?" Blake grumbled, sagging slightly as her ears drooped.

"Sun-something," Weiss sounded out.

Blake scowled. "Tsundere! It's called tsundere!"

Weiss clicked her fingers. "That's it. Yang is being tsundere."

"What the fuck are you two nerds talking about?" Yang snapped, focusing her ire on them. "I'm not – whatever the hell that means!"

Ruby just giggled even harder. "She totally is! Tsun Xiao Long."

Nora snorted. "Oh my god, that was horrible – Ruby! Only Yang is allowed to tell horrible pun jokes."

"Oh, har har – very funny," Yang scowled. "Why the hell is everyone picking on me this morning?"

"It's because you're being a sour puss," Weiss needled. "We already have one of those already, we don't need another."

Weiss' eyes conveniently fell on Blake.

"Excuse me, why am I getting insulted now?" Blake asked, firing up. "If anyone is sour among us, it's you!"

"I don't know what you mean," Weiss sniffed primly, flicking her hair. "I am the epitome of grace and kindness. There isn't a sour bone in my body."

Pyrrha made a sound of disbelief and then it was all on.

"I'm sorry, did I hear the wallflower make a sound?" Weiss asked sarcastically, gasping as she made an exaggerated show of spotting Pyrrha. "Oh my, Pyrrha – I didn't see you there."

"That's rich, coming from the girl who used to stand in the corner and not make a sound when her family hosted banquets for the privileged," Pyrrha chortled loudly. "Definition of a wallflower, aren't you? Just look pretty and stay quiet, and only speak when spoken to. Whatever happened to that sweet girl? At least she had an appreciation for not hearing her own voice every two seconds."

Weiss smirked, baring her fangs.

"Indeed. I often wonder what happened to that shy girl who looked hopelessly out of place while those above her station complimented her brutish skill set. I suppose all that praise inflated her big head."

"Wait a minute," Jaune held up a hand before Pyrrha could return fire, seeing that flame of competition roar to life in her eyes. "You two knew each other before Beacon?"

"Unfortunately," Pyrrha muttered.

"The Schnee Dust Company sponsored many of the events she took part in," Weiss explained, giving Pyrrha a haughty look. "You could even say my family gave her her biggest break."

Pyrrha clicked her tongue.

Maybe there was something more between them that wasn't just the fact they were both fox faunus.

Ruby gasped, covering her mouth. "They're childhood friends!"

"We are not," Weiss groused.

"Never," Pyrrha agreed, pouting furiously. "Who'd want to be friends with her?"

"See how bad her taste is?" Weiss pointed rudely. "Ridiculous."

Jaune looked back and forth between them as they both began sulking. Jaune knew all about Pyrrha's struggles because of her fame but maybe there had been one person who understood her completely, and she hadn't been all alone after all. The problem was that they seemed to bicker every chance they got so they didn't resemble what you would typically label as friends.

But Jaune knew that if there had been someone Pyrrha's age willing to tell her to shove it and wasn't intimidated by her mystique built through countless victories, rather than drive her away, it would have had the opposite effect.

Maybe it wasn't Yang that was the tsundere.

"Why are you looking at me like that?" Pyrrha whined, ears flattening out.

She looked adorable and he couldn't resist teasing her. "You really are childhood friends, huh?"

Pyrrha's cheeks puffed out. "Jaaaaune."

"Ridiculous," Weiss repeated and though she tried to hide it, a genuine smile spread across her lips even though her eyes were glaring. It was a pretty funny expression.

"Ehehe," Ruby leaned over and hugged Weiss, causing the fox girl to begin attempting to buck her off.

"Ruby, get off me~!" she scolded though once Ruby had you locked in a hug, there was no removing her.

"You two are so cute," Ruby sang.

"There, there," Li patted Pyrrha on the back as if comforting a child.

"Ruby~!" Weiss hissed.

When Professor Goodwitch finally arrived to begin class, things were on the verge of chaos. Thankfully they were able to reign themselves in as their stern teacher fixed them all with a warning glance.

"Today we will be starting with one-on-one bouts before moving onto team exercises," she announced. "As you know, the Inter-Academy Tournament is a combination of team fights, two-on-two and individual battles. In the coming weeks, we will be going through each skill set, and you will be expected to perform in different combinations within your team composition. You aren't required to team solely with your partner in the two-on-two battles, for example."

Excited murmurs broke out.

"Jaune Arc – Sky Lark; you are up first."

He wasn't expecting to get called down first thing.

He hadn't been feeling nervous but now that he was walking down to join Professor Goodwitch on the stage, his heart began rapidly pounding inside his chest. He took a steadying breath to calm himself, his hands balling into fists. The expression on Sky's face was all aggression.

"Go retrieve your weapons and return quickly."

The atmosphere was tense as they both entered the locker room. Finding his locker quickly, Jaune began undressing, removing his uniform and pulling on his combat attire. Pulling the leather straps of his armor tight and attaching Crocea Mors to his belt, Jaune inspected himself in the mirror.

He was ready.

Feeling the heat of a stare on the back of his neck, Jaune turned and saw Sky burning a hole in him with angry eyes. Weapon in hand and decked out in his own armor, Jaune watched as his hand tightened around the haft of his polearm.

"You aren't worthy of her," he said, voice rough. A vein throbbed in his neck as his entire body tensed, his sharp features appearing even harsher. "And no one is here to protect you now."

It felt like one wrong move would cause Sky to attack, drawn taut like a bowstring on the verge of snapping. His breathing was erratic, blue eyes darting around in constant movement. He was in the full throes of his rut and in his mind, all that was standing between him and mounting Yang was Jaune.

Sky twitched as Jaune slammed his locker shut.

He didn't bother talking because at this point, it was useless. All it would do is possibly goad him into attacking him before they made it back to the arena, so Jaune just nodded and began walking. At first, Jaune didn't hear anything but after several steps, the sounds of Sky following him met his ears.

They managed to make it back to the stage without incident. The pinched expression on Goodwitch's face cleared when they emerged, no doubt happy that they hadn't started their bout early.

Jaune crossed the stage and took his place across from Sky.

"You can do it, Jaune~!" Nora screamed suddenly, pounding her foot against the floor. "Beat his ass!"

"Woo~! Go Jaune~!" Ruby cheered, waving her arms.

"Ms. Valkyrie," Goodwitch snapped, pointing her riding crop into the stands. Nora flinched and ducked down, trying to hide. "Ms. Rose – quiet. The fight hasn't even begun yet."

Jaune felt a laugh bubble up and had to suppress it, finding that his sudden bout of nerves were driven away.

"Thanks, Nora," Jaune whispered.

"This will be a singles bout. The winner will be determined when one combatant's aura is lowered to red or it depleted entirely, failure to stop will be cause for disqualification and severe punishment," Goodwitch paused. "There will be no ring out."

Instantly, whispers filled the stands, their surprise clear. Even Jaune looked at Goodwitch, shocked. It was the first time that she had ever removed that win condition. She met his eyes and nodded once.

He wasn't sure but Jaune felt like this may have been Headmaster Ozpin's hand at work.

Sky suddenly laughed, no doubt pleased with the change in rules. Giving his halberd a spin, he slammed the head into the floor, the blade digging deep into the hardwood as he lowered himself as if getting ready to charge.

The whispers died down and Jaune readied himself, knees bending as he unclipped his weapon and attached it to his arm, sheath in place. Resting his hand on the hilt of his sword, everything else fell away. Goodwitch looked between them before raising a hand.

"You may begin," she announced, bringing her hand down.

Sky wasted no time, exploding from his position and crossing the stage in several long, quick strides. Crocea Mors rasped as Jaune unsheathed it, shield snapping open. Feather's Edge whistled as it lashed out, Jaune deflecting the strike across the face of his shield. Steel on steel rung clearly, a grating screech as Jaune redirected his momentum and counter-attacked, blade flashing as he was right in line with his sword hand. Sky avoided his attack by ducking, passing behind him before planting his foot, halting his movement and using it to pivot, twisting his weapon around to swing at Jaune's back.

He felt it whistle by his ear as he leapt forward, the sharp tip missing him by less than an inch. Spinning around, Jaune set his stance, planting his feet moments before a vicious thrust slammed into his shield. Jaune grunted, arm tensing as his semblance activated, turning him into an immovable wall as his strength was amplified. Sky's halberd jarred in his hands, leaving him wide open.

Forcing Feather's Edge down with his enhanced strength, Jaune slashed. Sky barely managed to avoid it, the keen edge of Crocea Mors slicing through a couple of blue hairs that danced in the air between them. Stepping forward, Jaune brought his arm back around, backfisting Sky in the face with tremendous force. Aura flared as his head rocked back from the blow, stumbling as he was forced several feet back before he fell.

The entire exchange had only lasted a handful of seconds.

If this had been any other fight, Jaune would have pressed his advantage. His opponent was down, disorientated – there was no better time.

But he didn't. This was about making a statement, sending a message. He reset his feet and watched as Sky hurriedly scrambled to his feet, his expression the picture of enraged. A quick glance at the large screen suspended above their head showed that Sky's aura had been reduced by a little less than a quarter. A lot for a single punch but when Jaune's strength was amplified like that, it was akin to being hit by a blunt weapon like a hammer, not just a fist.

Getting hit seemed to have knocked a little caution into him.

Sky's weapon held the reach advantage by far. This time when he dashed in, he probed Jaune's defenses with lightning fast thrusts and sweeps, the heavy halberd head slamming into his shield much harder than Jaune remembered from their previous bouts. Whenever Jaune stepped forward to close the distance, he would disengage before continuing his constant barrage of attacks.

The problem was that Jaune could do this all day.

Jaune picked his moment.

He watched Sky carefully, waiting, eyes not on his weapon but on his shoulders and chest. Just when he began another thrust, Jaune saw the way his body tensed. Stepping in at the perfect moment, Jaune tanked the blow on his shield, directing it over his shoulder. Sky tried to back away but Jaune was inside his guard, stomping down with his foot and crushing Sky's toes.

Jaune placed all his weight behind his punch, his gloved hand slamming into Sky's jaw. This time it was like he'd been blasted from a cannon, aura saving his jaw from being caved in as he barreled across the stage, weapon falling from his grasp. He rolled several times and then off the stage, landing on the floor in a heap.

Normally, that would have been the end of the bout.

Looking up, his aura had been reduced to under half. That time he'd hit him so hard that he may as well have shot him in the face.

There was a long moment of silence before a hand rose up and grasped the stage, Sky pulling himself up. Jaune could see the seething resentment building, the bird faunus shaking as he regained his feet. Hooking a foot under Sky's weapon, Jaune kicked it across to him.

That only infuriated him more.

It was clear that his anger was affecting his performance. While Jaune had beaten him many times before, the fights had been closer than this. More competitive. But in his rage, he wanted to hurt Jaune and his strikes resembled that, putting too much power into each swing, falling into predictable patterns.

And it would only be more of the same.

They came together in a clash of steel, this time Jaune forgoing his shield and meeting him head on, blade to blade. Sky roared as he swung with everything he had, trying to finish him in a single strike but Jaune was a step ahead of him, meeting him with equal vigor. Sparks flew, blades rasping as they clashed together, Jaune landing minor slashes as Sky failed to utilize his advantage in reach and leverage.

Jaune whittled him down, little by little. A cut across his brow. A thrust at his hip. Sky buckled when he kicked his knee, shouting in pain. Feather's Edge lanced at Jaune's face but Crocea Mors met it, twisting to deflect it. Then with a horrible crunch, Jaune drove the pommel into Sky's face with a downward swing.

On the verge of red, it drove his aura into the negative. His aura shattered in a shower of light.

Sky crumpled to the ground, his weapon clattering as it slipped from limp fingers.

"The winner of this bout – Jaune Arc."

It had been one sided and brutal, and the silence after Goodwitch's declaration was deafening.

For all of two seconds…

"Hell yeah~!" Nora leapt to her feet, stomping the floor again. Several people rose up and started clapping, impressed with his showing.

Jaune wondered if this was what Pyrrha felt like every time she dominated an opponent.

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