The week passed without incident until Friday arrived, the day before they were set to talk to Blake. Knowing that Nora had his back made things a lot easier to shoulder, and while Blake was a little skittish with him following their talk during Dust Usage, things quickly returned to normal when he showed no signs of bringing it up. If Weiss noticed anything strange going on, she didn't show it, and their blissful school life went on as usual.

He hadn't spoken to Ruby yet and was waiting until the end of classes, but before he could approach her after the final bell, he was accosted by Professor Goodwitch.

"Mr. Arc, the Headmaster would like to speak with you."

Jaune froze, his books halfway into his book bag. He wasn't the only one startled by the sudden request, his friends shooting them quizzical glances.

"The Headmaster?" he questioned blankly.

Goodwitch nodded sternly. "That's right. I'm to escort you to him immediately."

Jaune tried to think of a reason why the Headmaster would want to talk to him and came up blank. There was no way he could know about Blake, could he? But then why would he want to talk to Jaune and not his teammate?

But whatever it was, it had to be important, right? Why else would he get summoned in this manner?

"Right," he said and waved off his friends. "I'll see you guys later."

"Want me to come with you?" Nora asked, frowning at Goodwitch.

"He has only asked for Mr. Arc," Goodwitch reiterated. "This meeting is for him and for him alone."

"It's fine, I'm sure it's nothing bad," he said, smiling. Nora nodded hesitantly before he turned to Goodwitch. "I'm ready."

Everyone knew that Headmaster Ozpin's office was at the very top of the tower that housed the beacon that gave the academy its name but Jaune had never had any reason to visit it, nor had any of his friends as far as he knew. Another thing well known about the man was that he was a bit… eccentric. His opening speech at orientation only reinforced that stigma, as did his policy of assigning partners during initiation, and so Jaune's mind ran wild as he tried to think of any reason why he'd want to speak with him.

Other than the stuff with Blake, nothing was out of the ordinary.

It didn't take them long to arrive at the tower, the foyer clean and tidy, the floors well polished to a fine shine. There wasn't much to speak of. There was a receptionist's desk, some chairs arranged in front for visitors and a few potted plants to make the room appear a little less cold and more inviting. Goodwitch led him over to a series of elevators, and one in particular.

Unlike the others, there were no floors numbering one through ten. It had a single green button, one that Goodwitch quickly pressed. They only had to wait a few moments before the doors opened and he was ushered inside. Alone.

"When you get to the top, Headmaster Ozpin will be waiting for you," she said before the doors closed.

Jaune couldn't help but feel nervous as the elevator began to ascend. Even though he knew he hadn't done anything wrong, being summoned to see the Headmaster out of the blue like this was a little stressful.

When he reached the top and the doors opened, he was greeted by a large circular room. The first thing he noticed was the large windows dominating much of the wall space on the opposite side of the room, affording a magnificent, wide view of the campus grounds below, and further still, the city of Vale. They were so high above the city that Jaune saw they were actually above many low hanging clouds. At first glance the room appeared empty and so Jaune slowly entered, taking note of the desk situated in the middle of the room. It was an interesting design, made of steel and glass, as was the chair seated behind it. Jaune heard something shift above him and glanced up, and saw massive cogs and gears within the ceiling, and above them, a series of green orbs that could only be the illumination powering the beacon itself.

The mechanical gears reminded Jaune of a clock, as did the strange designs on the walls and the desk and chair, only reinforced by the design of the window directly behind the desk; it resembled a clock face.

To his left, there were a series of bookshelves containing numerous books and various objects, items that Jaune could make neither heads nor tails of. He was about to walk over and take a closer look when he heard something tap the floor behind him, causing him to whip around.

"Mr. Arc," the Headmaster greeted, the sound coming from his cane. In his other hand he was holding a steaming mug. "Thank you for coming so swiftly. I hope my summons did not disrupt any plans."

"Uh," Jaune floundered briefly, wondering where the man had come from. There was nothing over there and he was positive he'd looked that way. It was almost like Ozpin had materialized out of nothing. "Um – no, they didn't."

"Excellent," Jaune watched as the older man made his way over to his desk, his cane tapping against the floor with each step. Placing his mug down on the desk, he pressed a hidden button and the floor opened up, another chair of similar design rising up. "Please, take a seat."

Jaune hesitated before slowly lowering himself into the new chair. Ozpin took a long sip of his coffee – or tea, or whatever it was – before joining him, seated behind his desk. There was a long bout of silence as the man looked him over and Jaune had to fight the urge to squirm.

"How have you been enjoying my school? I hope things are going well?"

"Er – it's been great," Jaune answered, a little thrown off by the basic question. "I've never attended a place like it before. It's been an eye opener, for sure."

"Indeed," Ozpin smiled briefly. "You've come a long way, in many respects. Most students attend preparatory combat schools but you were recommended by a Huntsman, an alumni of this very academy. His letter was glowing, I must say. I cannot lie, I was surprised; the boy I knew was not one to hand out praise at all."

Jaune laughed awkwardly. "I guess he can be quite grumpy."

Ozpin nodded. "An understatement. But I am happy to see that you've adjusted well, and his praise was not unwarranted."

Jaune somehow doubted that Ozpin had invited him to speak about his mentor, and the small talk was only making him even more nervous.

"Tell me, Mr. Arc," Ozpin leaned forward, his hands steepled together as he rested on his elbows. "What do you think we do here at Beacon?"

Jaune stared. Was this a trick question?

"Um – train Huntsmen and Huntresses?" he said, though it came out as a question.

"You are correct, of course," Ozpin conceded. "But that isn't all we do here. Can you think of anything else? Take your time."

Jaune thought about it some more but he wasn't really sure what the man was getting at. He supposed Professor Peach developed medicines using many of the items they collected in class like the Grimmwort, and there was that horrible sap from Forever Fall that put him in the infirmary. Beacon was not much different from a regular university in many ways, it just had an emphasis in combat and Grimm. And what were universities known for beyond teaching?

"Research, sir?"

Ozpin nodded. "Correct. Here at Beacon, we conduct research on a wide field of subjects. Grimm, of course. Dust. Things that are uniquely suited towards our craft. But perhaps the most important research we conduct here is on Aura – and Semblance."

From his inner breast pocket, Ozpin retrieved his scroll and placed it down on the desk. At once, a hologram appeared between them and with surprise, Jaune saw his own face staring back at him, alongside a list of information. Age, height, weight, basic things – and then not so basic things.

"The scrolls you are provided with here at Beacon help us gather information on our students," Ozpin began, tapping away on a few buttons and highlighting a section detailing his semblance. "Important data about how our students fight, how their aura functions and the development of their semblance. Combat schools are unique in that we are the one place in the entire world where people gather with their aura unlocked, and it gives us ample time and opportunity to study this mysterious power that even now, we know so little about."

Jaune watched as he brought up a recording of his fight with Pyrrha.

"We largely allow our students to improve on their own," Ozpin tapped another button, and their battle with the Hydra during initiation was shown next. "In fact, we largely allow our students to govern themselves. There are rules, of course, and we will step in if things happen before our eyes, as we saw with Ms. Xiao Long, or if things are truly serious – but we put an emphasis on autonomy. Our facilities are shared in all aspects, regardless of gender. The rooms you live in are all shared. You could say it is a type of social experiment, to see how our students will react and solve perceived issues. We do much the same with the development of semblance. We provide classes and guidance but for the most part, you are left to your own devices."

Jaune frowned. He wasn't sure, but, "You knew who was stealing from the lockers, didn't you?"

Ozpin nodded. "Mr. Lark. Yes, we knew. His semblance is quite unique, and more than enough to circumvent the security on our lockers, among other things."

"You didn't do anything to stop him."

"No. But you did," Ozpin peered at him over his glasses. "Or rather, Ms. Rose did. That was quite smart of her, and things solved themselves quickly after that, did they not?"

Jaune felt a flare of frustration and anger, now knowing that they could have stopped them at any time. Ruby had to go through all of that and for what? Just how much did Ozpin know of what was happening in his school?

"They tampered with her weapon," Jaune said, trying to measure his tone. He didn't do a very good job of it. "If she'd been fighting Grimm and her weapon failed, she may have been hurt – or worse."

"Any Huntress worth her weight would have checked her weapon over before such an event could occur," Ozpin returned calmly. "Our profession is dangerous, Mr. Arc. If one should fall because of something so minor, this was not the path best suited for them."

That was an insane way to look at it. A complete lack of empathy. If it didn't happen in front of their eyes, they'd let it slide. If it did, they'd enforce their authority as a show of strength. That's why Velvet's team had been threatened with expulsion. They'd been too upfront with their retaliation. Jaune felt uneasy, and for the first time since this meeting started, he was beginning to understand why this man was the Headmaster of Beacon.

He was dangerous. In more ways than one.

"While we let the development of skills largely rest with the individual, sometimes there are circumstances that require a more guided hand," Ozpin continued, leaning back. "Individuals that are special, be that because of their mastery of a certain discipline, or perhaps, their possession of a unique semblance."

Jaune was beginning to see what this was about.

"I must admit, Mr. Arc – your semblance is unlike anything I've ever witnessed before. We have years upon years of data, a vast library of abilities that have passed through these halls. Aura Amplification – while not unheard of, semblances that directly interact with aura are very, very rare. And your ability has a potential that even I cannot fathom."

"Sir?"

"What is semblance?" he posed the question. "What is aura? A manifestation of the soul, we tell our students. That is the accepted answer, even though science can not prove it. It is knowledge passed down from ages past. We can measure aura, perceive it, interact with it – but where it comes from, we cannot explain with any verifiable data."

"Are you saying they're wrong?"

Ozpin shook his head. "No, I believe they have the right of it, Mr. Arc. But if it is our soul, and semblance is the ultimate manifestation of it, then what does that tell us about your semblance? The ability to enhance it, to make it greater than it already is. Some may say you are amplifying their very soul itself."

Jaune had never thought about it like that before. The idea that he was touching and enhancing something so intimate, something so ingrained in a person's very being, it was a little intimidating when put in such terms.

"If this is our soul, what does it influence within ourselves? Our emotions? Our health? What other things can our souls do?" Ozpin smiled. "These are questions that may be answered through you and your ability, with extensive research and development on part of Beacon Academy, and dedication on your behalf. That is, if you wish to accept my offer."

Ozpin stood, taking a long pull from his mug before setting it down. "There are few places on Remnant that have the resources we have, the technology and the minds and experience with aura. Doctor Oobleck is at the forefront of aura science, and Professor Peach is unmatched when it comes to semblances, specifically. I am offering you a chance to better understand your ability, for your benefit and ours. If you choose to accept, your time will be compensated with extra credit for any research you undertake."

It was a little shocking, having all of this dumped on him out of nowhere. The chance to improve and understand his semblance better was not something he was willing to pass up, especially when he could have the backing of Beacon behind him to help develop it. It almost felt too good to be true.

"So what do you say, Mr. Arc?"

There really was only one answer.

"I accept," Jaune answered.

Ozpin nodded, appearing pleased. "Excellent. You will be forwarded all of the details in the coming week, and a schedule will be drawn up to minimize interference with your already busy timetable. You can notify your team, there is no reason to keep this a secret. In fact, we would also request their help if they are so inclined. Ms. Schnee in particular, we would also like to extend a similar proposal to her."

When Jaune left his office, he felt a little dazed. It was a sudden turn of events but this was a chance to get stronger, and he wasn't about to pass it up. He carried some paperwork he needed to fill out, and a letter of invitation for Weiss to meet with the Headmaster so he could offer the same deal to her.

His team were waiting for him when he returned to the dorm, their expressions anxious. Weiss stood as soon as he opened the door, and Nora practically flew across the room.

"Are you trouble?" his partner asked at once, almost frantic. She calmed at once when he shook his head, smiling.

"No, nothing like that."

"See? I told you that it couldn't be anything like that," Weiss chided. "Jaune has been an exemplary student. He has done nothing to invite punishment."

"Nora wasn't the only one worked up," Blake said dryly. Weiss scoffed.

"I was not worked up. Just… concerned."

"But Jaune has been an exemplary student," Blake repeated, smirking. "What was there to be concerned about?"

Weiss scowled. "For your information, there are a variety of things."

"Such as?"

"Such as sensitive news," Weiss snapped, hands on hips. "His family lives on the frontier. But it doesn't seem to be the case, for which I am glad."

Blake turned somber, conceding the point.

"So what did Ozpin want?" Nora asked, glancing down at the large manilla envelope he was carrying, and the smaller white one. "It must have been important, right? You got summoned by the big cheese!"

Weiss frowned. "The what?"

"Ya know, the head honcho," Weiss stared at her. "Bigwig? Kingpin? El Supremo?"

Blake snorted. "I don't think the Headmaster is a mob boss, Nora."

Nora crossed her arms. "He sent his henchwoman to collect him, how can you say that?"

Jaune fought a smile. "I don't think you should let Professor Goodwitch hear you call her a henchwoman. You'll end up serving a detention longer than Yang."

Weiss rolled her eyes. "Ridiculous."

"So, so," Nora bounced up and down cutely. "What did he want? Tell us."

Jaune could see the curiosity written upon all of their faces and thought about teasing them, drawing it out like he might do with his sisters but thought better of it. Instead he handed the small white envelope he was carrying to Weiss. She blinked in surprise, staring at it for a moment before carefully opening it.

Nora peered over her shoulder eagerly and the heiress shied away, annoyed. "Didn't anyone ever tell you that it's rude to read over a person's shoulder?"

"Nope~!" Nora said cheerfully and Weiss sighed, shaking her head before reading the letter within.

"Ozpin wishes to see me," she said before frowning. "He speaks of research possibilities. What is this about, Jaune?"

He told them everything about his meeting with the Headmaster, detailing the opportunity he was being offered, that Weiss was being offered. The heiress appeared shocked at first, her eyes lighting up as he continued.

When he was finished, Nora was pouting.

"Aw, what's so great about you two?" she sulked.

Weiss tilted her face up haughtily. "If you must know, the Schnee family semblance is a hereditary ability that is passed down through our bloodline. It isn't a surprise that an esteemed academy such as Beacon would wish to study it. My sister, Winter – she was offered a similar expression of interest from Atlas Academy."

Blake stared at Weiss in surprise. "Wait a minute. Your semblance is what?"

"Hereditary," Weiss said proudly. "I share the same semblance with my sister, whom we share with our ancestors. It is passed down through our family through my mother's line and is cause for great speculation, and great envy."

Jaune had never heard of a semblance passing down through a family before and it appeared neither had Blake.

Nora scratched her head. "Aren't semblances meant to be unique?"

Weiss' smile widened. "Indeed. One of the greater mysteries shrouding my family."

Jaune watched Blake carefully but she just seemed shocked, and didn't rise to the bait Weiss so purposefully dangled in front of her.

"So are you gonna let them study you?" Nora asked her. "I know this guy has already said yes," she thumped him on the chest, and almost sent him reeling. "But you don't have any rules or something, right?"

Weiss tilted her head in question. "Rules?"

"Since it's like – a family thing?" Nora shrugged. "I thought maybe you guys might want to keep it as secret as possible or something, I don't know."

Weiss shook her head. "No, there are no such rules. We are free to pursue the improvement of our semblance however we see fit. Having Bacon's vast resources at my disposal is beyond anything I could have hoped for."

She appeared even more for it than Jaune was.

"You seem excited," he said and she nodded, smiling at him.

"I am. I've long wished to push my capabilities. My sister has advanced beyond the scope of my current abilities and this can only help me close the gap. Summoning glyphs is only one facet of our semblance. There are more to be mastered."

Her semblance was already incredibly versatile. What else could it do?

He didn't say it aloud but she must have seen the question on his face, for she said, "One such ability that I have failed to master is summoning."

"Summoning?" Nora asked.

Weiss nodded. "Any enemy that I defeat, I can summon forth to come to my aid in battle."

"What?" Blake asked incredulously. "How does that work?"

"Oh, oh – so if you beat us up in Combat Class, does that mean you can summon copies of us?" Nora clapped, looking excited. "That'll be so cool. Kinda like Blake's clones but of other people, not just yourself."

"Perhaps I used too loose of a term," Weiss shook her head before hesitating. "When I said defeat, I meant kill."

That took the wind out of Nora's sails. "Aww."

Jaune had a morbid thought. "If you killed a person, could you summon them?"

Weiss opened her mouth and shut it again, thinking it over. "...That is a possibility I wish never to discover."

"So that means you can summon all the Grimm you've slayed?" Nora steered the conversation away from that dark path. "That's pretty cool."

It was pretty cool – and it added a whole new dimension to what Weiss could do in a battle, if she were able to master this ability of hers. Jaune wasn't sure what the limits were but being able to summon Grimm to fight on your behalf, to instantly increase the number of combatants on your side… this was an ability that could easily turn the tide of a battle in their favor. Combine that with Blake's clones and you could very easily create widespread chaos.

Nora suddenly gasped, stars in her eyes as something profound occurred to her. "You have to master it, Weiss!"

Weiss leaned away as Nora invaded her space. "W-What? Nora, not so close!"

"I want to ride a Grimm into battle!" Nora grabbed her by the shoulders, giving her a vigorous shake. "No – I need to ride a Grimm into battle!"

"U-Unhand me," Weiss attempted to escape Nora's hold but it was a futile effort, her head rocking back and forth as Nora shook her harder. "Nora, stop!"

"A Beowolf – no, an Ursa~!"

"Someone help me!"

"Or a Nevermore~!"

Blake covered her mouth to hide her smile, and Jaune may have let Nora have her way a little longer than he should have before breaking them up. Weiss glared at Nora furiously as she fixed her clothes but the ginger haired girl took no notice, completely in her own world as she thought of all the possibilities.

"At least you have someone to test your semblance on," Blake suggested. Weiss huffed, though it appeared that the thought appealed to her if the evil glint in her eyes was anything to go by.

It was a nice moment and Jaune tried not to let what he suspected about Blake bring down his mood, but seeing her side-by-side with Weiss, smiling as the two conversed, coming up with ways in which Weiss might get back at Nora…

It reminded him of what he needed to do.

"Where are you going?" Nora said at once, snapping out of her delusions as he approached the door. Weiss and Blake took note, pausing their discussion.

"I need to speak to Ruby about something," he said, and he saw the acknowledgement in Nora's eyes. "I won't be long."

Jaune stepped across the hall and knocked, and Ren answered the door.

"Jaune," he greeted, "is everything well?"

Ren wasn't the most emotive person around but even Jaune could hear the curiosity in his voice.

"Yeah, Ozpin just wanted to offer me something. Is Ruby here?"

Ren opened the door wider and Jaune peered inside. Ruby was sitting crosslegged on the floor, beaming from ear to ear as Pyrrha lay face down on the floor next to her. It was a strange sight to be confronted with until he noticed the controller in Ruby's hand, and the discarded one by Pyrrha's head.

"I win again," Ruby announced proudly.

Pyrrha made some type of sound that was unidentifiable, somewhere between a growl and the noise a pissed off cat would make. Yang was lazily flipping through a magazine on her bunk, completely ignoring what was happening below her.

"Oh, I see," Jaune said in amusement. "Should I come back later?"

Ruby finally noticed him and perked up, waving. "Hey Jaune~! What did the Headmaster want?"

Yang set down her magazine and sat up. "Hey. You still enrolled or what?"

Jaune laughed. "Yeah, I'm still enrolled. Sorry to disappoint."

She vaulted down from her bed, and Jaune caught a flash of her creamy thighs as her skirt flew up. Stretching her arms above her head, she grinned. "Hey, it's not like that. We were all worried about ya, that's all."

Pyrrha finally rolled over, her expression of distress fading away as green eyes met blue.

He could see that they were all curious so he spilled the beans, telling them what he'd told his team. They were surprised at first, and then excited and happy for him.

"I suppose it makes sense," Pyrrha nodded. "Your semblance is very powerful, Jaune. A better understanding of how it works can only be beneficial for not just yourself."

Not powerful enough to defeat you, a small, petty voice echoed in the depths of his mind. He brutally stifled it, annoyed that he was still sore about that defeat.

"You're like an experimental dummy," Yang joked. "Think they'll tie you down and prod you until something interesting happens?"

Jaune pulled a face that made her laugh, "I hope not. That sounds unpleasant."

"Want to play games with us?" Ruby waved her controller. "It'll be nice to have some competition."

Pyrrha scowled at her leader.

"Actually, I wanted to talk to you," he said to Ruby. "If you've got a minute?"

She quickly stood. "Sure."

They went for a walk and Jaune bought her a drink from a vending machine before finding a place to sit in one of the many courtyards that Beacon boasted. Sitting down on a bench, Ruby plopped down beside him, happily sipping on her cola.

"So what did'ya wanna speak to me about?"

Jaune thought about his words carefully. "This might sound a little strange but I was wondering if you could keep Weiss busy tomorrow."

Silver eyes blinked at him. "That does sound a little strange."

He tried not to grimace. "I need to speak to Blake about something. It's a little sensitive and – well, you know how they can be with each other sometimes. I just want it to go as smoothly as possible. Nora will be with me, and we were going to invite Blake down to the city, so I thought of you."

He could tell she wanted to ask him what this was all about. Who wouldn't? What he was asking was very odd.

But instead, she smiled. "Okay."

For a second, Jaune thought he misheard her. "Okay?"

"Yup. Okay."

Just like that.

"You don't want to know why?"

"I mean, of course I do," she rolled her eyes, nudging him playfully. "But I know you wouldn't have asked me if this wasn't super important, Jaune."

Jaune felt a swelling of affection for his friend. "Thank you, Ruby."

"No problem," she chirped. "As payment, you can bring me back the latest volume of Gun Girl Stigma."

Jaune laughed and held out his hand, and she slapped it with a solid clap.

"Deal."

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