Today was a beautiful, normal day. Well, at least, it was supposed to be.

Click Clack Click Clack

The sound of stilettos tapping on concrete echoed on the walls of the almost empty hallway. The owner of the heels, Professor Goodwitch, led four students down the hall to the infirmary. She had a sour look on her face. Then again, this was her normal expression every day. In the past, she used to worry if the stress would end up giving her wrinkles. Alas, there was no need to worry…

Well, not yet, at least.

That being the case, Goodwitch was already at a calm state of mind. Leading students to the infirmary didn't add to her stress levels compared to dealing with incidents. But despite it being quiet, the professor still busied herself. She had been fiddling with her scroll as she quietly continued down the halls, unlike the three younger ones trailing behind her.

"You're a second year here!?" a calm, yet surprised, young lady exclaimed behind the instructor.

"Yup!" replied another girl. More childish than the first yet jubilant all the same. "I skipped two grades after taking down a robbery single-handedly!"

Ruby Rose, the one who made a proud expression while saying so, puffed up her petite chest as if to inspire awe from her older juniors. Sheila Strega clapped her hands before her agape mouth, making an impressed expression.

"Hmmm, so they consider talent over age." Glaus Miles, who carried an unconscious Fran on his back, spoke in a soft tone as if he was taking notes. "Professor, is Beacon's educational system a meritocracy like Atlas Academy's?"

"No, Mr. Miles," Goodwitch replied politely. "At least, not all the time."

"So, it's a conditional thing then…"

To the teacher, it seemed that Glaus Miles was the type to prioritize learning about his surroundings before anything else so she simply left him to his mumbling. But, of course, not everyone had a wide comprehension for vocabulary.

"What's a merry orca sea?" Ruby had question marks above her head.

"Eheheh," Shei giggled at the clueless Rose.

Ruby was jumped two years ahead of her supposed academic level, so her lacking in terminology wasn't surprising for Goodwitch. As their trip down the halls continued, she finished up her report concerning the recent incidents in the cafeteria. Behind her, one of the Initiates began his explanation for his younger senior.

"A meritocracy is a governing system that rewards hardworking and talented people by letting them advance further in their studies or gives them seats of power over their peers." Glaus gave a clear-cut definition as if he memorized the contents of a dictionary. But, seeing as the little red still had questioning expression, he quickly added. "Put simply, the ones with bigger achievements get better treatment or is assigned to be the leader, even if they were originally younger or lower in rank than you are."

"Ooooh," Ruby said with a cute puppy-like expression of getting a bone for doing tricks. She was most likely proud of the fact for being accelerated in her studies.

"We're here."

Goodwitch finished her had stopped in front of a door with the sign 'Infirmary' just above the doorway.

"Peach, I have another patient for you."

Opening the door, Goodwitch gestured Glaus to bring the unconscious Fran in before anyone could reply. To note: Fran still had her hood pulled down. She didn't seem uncomfortable so no one took it off.

To describe the infirmary, it was like a small hospital wing. The nurse's desk was positioned right next to the entrance. Several beds covered in white sheets were placed perpendicular to the walls on both sides, each separated by white curtains. Two sets of double doors faced each other in the middle of the room, both centered on the left and right wall. They most likely led to an extended wing to accommodate more patients. As a side note, about five of the beds in the main room were already occupied with a few groaning and unconscious students.

By definition, the nurse's corner was the most out of place in the room. A terminal sat on top of the desk. A vase of peach-colored irises was precariously placed next to it. Several stacks of paper documents were placed here and there. What was more eye-popping was the number of glass jars and bottles littering the place. From full medicine containers to small, jarred, dissected animals to empty wine bottles. It was most definitely NOT the desk of a nurse. That being said, the owner of the desk was nowhere in sight.

Shei and Glaus both had their eyes focused on the desk with their jaws dropping. Ruby and Glynda, however, continued as usual, paying no heed to the empty alcoholic drinking bottles on the floor. Goodwitch told Glaus to place Fran in one of the beds. He took the nearest one to him, opposite the nurse's desk. Goodwitch, on the other hand, approached the one adjacent to it. The curtains were pulled back for only her to see and she spoke to the current owner of the bed.

"Just how long do you plan on dozing off?"

"Uuuugh… Glyn… (yawwwwwwn)… what time is it? Lunch already?"

"It's already past noon, Peach. You have another patient so wake up already."

"Hmmmmmnnnggggg … Another one? I thought you took measures to tone down the fights for the first day already!" Peach questioned while stretching an arm over her head. Her tone was that of someone only half awake.

"This one wasn't in a fight. She collapsed before a fight happened," Glynda replied promptly. "And besides, the first day isn't over just yet."

Adding that last bit with a firm expression, it was apparent that Goodwitch was still on guard for more incidents. Her colleague, on the other hand, seemed dead tired already.

"(Sigh) You're still expecting another fight? I swear, it's always the first semester that's the busiest. You should make yourself more famous, Glyn. That way, even the new arrivals would know better than to start a scuffle on their first day."

"You make it sound like I'm the school's demon that hunts down delinquents."

"Oh, come on. You know you were much more of a demon back in the good old− OWOWOWOWOOWOWOWWOWOWOWOOWOWOWW!"

"Are you awake now?"

"OK! I'll stop! Seriously! I'll do my job so let it go! Let go already!"

All three conscious students could hear the two's conversation from behind the curtains. Two of them glanced at each other, wondering what the hell was going on. The remaining red was busying herself by dancing on the balls of her heels while humming a tune reminiscent of her favorite song.

Well, to be frank, Ruby knows this scene to be a normal thing. It reminded her of how her dad and uncle always act when Qrow was dead drunk. Plus, this usually happened when someone, mainly Jaune as a victim to overtraining and Team RWBY (plus Nora's antics), was brought over to the infirmary under the watchful eyes of Goodwitch. (You should admit. The boy can't go from zero to hero without a trip or ten to the infirmary at least every month.)

Pulling back the curtains, they finally got a view of who Goodwitch was talking to. A gorgeous lady with short, black hair and luminous green eyes wore a white lab coat over a pink midriff V-neck t-shirt. Her top was, well, it was what they could call an 'obvious temptation'. Her assets were, well, they were on display. Below the clear view of her navel, she had black skin-tight jeans and a green snake belt while wearing black, low wedge heels. If an outsider were to describe her attire, one could call her a desperate single woman. (For certain reasons, I will not go into detail about describing this image. Moving on.) Her most catching features, other than the visible bellybutton and cleavage, were the pair of feline ears atop her head. Yes, Professor Peach was a Faunus.

"Damn, it still hurts," the nurse complained while whispering. "You always bully others when you don't get what you want. Just how exactly are you a good wi−"

"I see your other ear is doing fine. Should I do something about that or do you want me to dock your salary for the drinks you bought last semester with the budget reserved for medical supplies?"

"You− You wouldn't…?!"

"…. Try me…"

"NO! I'm begging you! Any more and I'll have to live in a dark alleyway for the next three months!"

With the curtain out of the way, Glaus and Shei could see that Goodwitch was still sour (but smiling in a scary way) and Peach was in a panic (out of fear for her future).

"If you get it already, hurry up. You have work to do."

"…"

Peach caressing her left cat ear as she moved towards her desk to fish out her own scroll from the mess. Goodwitch stood stock still beside the other bed. From the side, you would think that teasing her colleague was how she relieved her stress, but technically, this was her usual exchange with Professor Peach.

Despite many labeling her as a straight-laced woman, she wasn't really the type that separated personal from work. It is especially evident in her actions to cover up the nurse's mistake. Even a stranger could tell it was out of the goodness of her heart. Her history with Peach was a mystery as neither would speak of it, Glynda because she refuses for personal reasons and Peach because she feared the blonde. But while the mystery was worth noting, there was no doubt of Glynda's concern for her colleague.

"By the way," Goodwitch's voice made Peach jump for a moment as the Professor turned her gaze over to the occupied beds across the room. "How are your other patients?"

"The two closest to you are Winchester and Thrush. Winchester's got a concussion and two cracked ribs. Thrush has three, a slight fracture to the left leg and is still unconscious. But I'd say they'll be fine by tomorrow. The two next to them have bruises and sprains from the food fight a while ago and will rest there for a while. The last one drank a glass of spoiled milk on a bet last night. I had him take some stomach medicine for it this morning."

She quickly explained while scanning her tablet-sized scroll before she handed it to Goodwitch and turned towards Fran. A quick glance on the display revealed that this scroll had medical records for all the students and on the side, a window with Fran's file was attached.

Upon arriving to the foot of the bed, Peach noticed her patient sitting up with a confused look. Fran had her eyes open while she lay quietly on the bed. It seems that she was awoken by the conversation the two teachers were having.

"Hello, dear," Peach, sporting a gentle smile that wasn't there before, approached the patient. Contrary to her previous impression, the air around her had changed from a lazy, debt-heavy nurse to that of an actual doctor. "Fran Braunbar, is it? Now let's see what's wrong with you."

"Um…" Confused, Fran started. "… I believe I'm fine though…"

"You wouldn't be here if that were true, dear," gently replied Peach. "Just relax and let ol' Professor Peach take care of everything."

Fran tried to reassure the 'doctor', but Peach had an expression that said she wasn't letting a patient get away.

"You three, follow me, please."

The sudden switch caused the two new students to gape in silence until Goodwitch snapped them back to reality. She gestured over to the door as if to signal them to follow her. Taking the hint, they left the nurse to treat her new patient.

Once all three gathered, Goodwitch shut the door behind her and had them line up. Glaus to her left, Ruby to her right and Shei in the center. Before she could speak, however, she noticed that two gazes were still directed towards the closed door.

"Surprised? Despite her unpleasant habits, Professor Bellini Peach is a certified medical officer. And a responsible one at that. She also works part-time as a councilor." Goodwitch stated this with a relaxed expression on her face. But her features switched as a disappointed sigh followed. "Now, if only she worked seriously and stopped having money troubles, everything else would be fine."

"…"

"…"

"Hummm Hummm Hummm…"

Two remained silent. The Rose continued humming as if it wasn't her business.

"Now then," Goodwitch adjusted her pair of glasses up the bridge of her nose. "Please recount to me the events that happened in the cafeteria. Chronologically, if you will."

And thus, began Glynda's stress-free interrogation.

Meanwhile,

Somewhere else within the school, a certain auburn-haired youth walked along the corridors of Beacon in a steady pace. His shoes made minimal sound as he made his way down the empty hall. He wasn't dressed in the school's uniform nor was he a student of Beacon. Well, not yet, at least.

His features were of a slim, tall young teenage male with a plain-looking face. His pair of hazel-green eyes had a steady gaze, not serious but not aloof either. His attire consisted of a knee-length, dark-brown duffel coat, charcoal-colored pants and a pair of brown sneakers. His coat was buttoned up except for the waist down. The way he was pacing the corridors with stern eyes glancing around every now and then made him appear like he was looking for someone.

"Hmmm," he stopped in front of one of the many seemingly empty classrooms. "This was where the Doctor had last seen her heading to. Where could she have gone from here?"

Muttering to himself, he looked left and right. He quietly secured the plain tea brown beret atop his head in place while searching for anyone to inquire. But, standing in the hallway of empty classrooms during the weekends, there was hardly anyone around. In the first place, the person who told him where he could find Professor Goodwitch only had a momentary glance of her as he zipped passed down the corridors.

"Perhaps asking Doctor Oobleck wasn't the best idea. I wonder if Professor Port is available. Although getting caught up in one of his past achievements may only waste more time than randomly wandering, I could at least get her contact information from him."

Letting out a sigh, he had almost resumed his search down the hall.

(CRASH)

That is, if he didn't hear a loud noise from one of the nearby rooms.

(SAY THAT AGAIN, YOU BASTARD!)

(CRASH)

(Take it easy, Jeane! Just put the chair down!)

He approached the door. From just the voices he could tell there were at least three people inside, two of them were undoubtedly female. Judging by their words, one was attempting to stop the other. He couldn't identify the third who kept quiet from this side of the door, but whatever gender, that was irrelevant. More importantly, what he could understand was that they were arguing about something.

He hesitated to open it. Thinking about it, he understood that whatever may be happening within the room did not have anything to do with himself. As it was a private matter, he, as an outside party, was not involved and should respect the privacy of others. But before he could walk away,

(GUH!)

(CRASH)

(Jeane, stop! Anymore and you'll be in bigger trouble with Goodwitch when she gets back!)

"…" he stayed put.

If the person he was looking for was planning on returning to this place, there was no need for him to waste energy in fruitless searching. However, listening in on an argument wasn't exactly okay either. With that in mind, he made his decision.

Leaning against the wall, he took out a plain, paperback book from a worn-out, light-brown messenger bag that hung on his side and opened it to his bookmark. Resuming from where he left off, he waited. Despite the peaceful setting, he could still hear voices coming from the room behind him but continued reading in silence anyway.

One might say 'he isn't getting himself involved but is still rude by eavesdropping nonetheless'. It may be a reasonable assumption. However, it is a subjective one. If the observer knew him well, they could tell what he was thinking as he read his book.

'Their argument does not involve me. But that doesn't mean I should waste energy by wandering aimlessly. Their personal matters are theirs alone. So, to respect their privacy, all I have to do is keep quiet and ignore them while keeping others from insensitively listening in...'

And with that, Rudy Evergreen flipped a page in silence.

On the other side of the door, three blondes were having a stare-down.

With a condescending glint in his eyes, Reus steadily directed his gaze to the front of the room were two girls were entangled and squirming, not in the erotic sense. Yang had both her arms wrapped around Jeane as she kept the Arc from throwing anything else at the boy.

"Jeane, calm down! Do you want to get expelled?!"

"Kuh…"

At Yang's words, Jeane stopped her squirming while gritting her teeth in frustration. After confirming that the Arc wouldn't blow up again, Yang immediately released her bear hug. Jeane began to calm herself down, if breathing in and out in regular intervals can be called 'calming', before shooting a glare at Reus who unwaveringly stared back.

"Feel free to vent as much as you want. Getting yourself kicked out will be a blessing for all of us anyway."

Hearing his words, even Yang shot him a glare to try and shut him up before Jeane could assault him again.

'She almost fell for it.' Yang figured out his intentions from that statement alone. Reus had goaded Jeane to start a fight with him on her own. Indirectly speaking, he had almost gotten Jeane expelled through her own actions. 'What a jerk.'

The second blonde girl in question, however, had kept her calm and ignored his words. Even if she wanted nothing but to beat him down, she knew what he said was true so she stayed her hand.

As to how this standoff escalated, let us go back a few minutes before the third party outside the door overheard their fight.

"I said 'Go home, little girl.' You're not needed here."

Just from his tone, Yang could tell that it was his honest opinion and not a purposeful attack to Jeane.

"Why... Why would I … not… needed here?"

However, the girl's voice trembled. Yang had noticed Jeane's gaze drop to the floor the moment she registered his words. After a brief pause, she gathered her thoughts and spoke once more, although still trembling.

"Why, exactly why, would I … not be needed … here at Beacon?"

Yang glanced towards the back of the room where Reus stood. Judging by the way he kept a straight face before the quivering girl in front, he wasn't going to retract his words.

"Oh? You took my words literally?" The boy sighed in disappointment before apologizing. "Sorry, let me rephrase that so you could understand it better."

He paused for a minute, leaving Jeane in a confused state. Yang, on the other hand, was hoping he wouldn't say anything even more insensitive. Of course, it was only wishful thinking once Reus broke his silence.

"It'd be better for everyone, especially your brother, if you just returned home."

"In what way… How would doing that benefit my brother?"

"'How'? Do you have to ask?" Reus said as if the answer was obvious. "One less nuisance to worry about is always a benefit, don't you think?"

"…"

"You think… I'm… I'm a nuisance? To my brother?" in an unbelieving tone, she asked.

"What else would you call unnecessary, heavy baggage?" scoffed Reus in reply.

"How dare you?!"

"What I said wasn't wrong. I'm just telling you what would benefit everyone. Your coming here to support your brother's dream is a waste of time as it is childish."

"What're you getting at?" Unable to keep herself an observer any longer, Yang butted in. "What right do you have to insult her wish?!"

"I speak based on experience," he curtly replied.

"That still doesn't give you any right to force your decisions on someone else," Yang shot back.

"I'm giving free advice, and you're just going to toss it aside? How rude."

"The rude one here is you."

He spoke in a mocking tone that Yang thought was going too far, she just had to counter.

"Whatever you may have experienced," Jeane interrupted with her own counter-argument. "It doesn't have anything to do with me or Jaune. That's why I have no obligation to listen to you."

"Then riddle me this, little sister," his tone shifted. From a mockery to pity. "Just exactly how would you be of help to your brother and his dream?"

"I… that's… It doesn't matter if I don't have an answer now. I will find one when the time comes."

She fumbled at first but answered in a firm tone. Yang momentarily believed that the girl's determination deserved praise.

"You haven't even given it a thought. Do you seriously want to help your brother in his dream?"

"What're you saying? Are you saying my resolve is half-hearted?" The Arc held a fist to her chest as she spoke. "I, alone, know how hard my brother worked to get to where he is now. I understand how determined he is to become a hero. Someone like you, who has no relation to either of us, have no right to question my resolve nor do you have the right to insult his."

"…"

Pressing on, Jeane's eyes shone with determination.

"Whatever your reasons are, your words will not make me falter. My brother gave me everything I am. To stand by his side to support him in return, that is how I want to live my life. And I will not let a stranger's words separate him from me ever again."

"…"

Reus didn't reply. He only glared back. Yang thought he had given up his verbal assaults after seeing how resolute Jeane stood for herself. But both girls failed to see the realization in his eyes as he studied the Arc standing before her very first enemy.

"No," he spoke. "I was wrong. You have a strong determination. I'm sorry for doubting your resolve."

"Then…" Jeane started. She felt relieved that they had started coming to an understanding. But that relief only lasted for a moment.

"But I was right. You are a nuisance."

Reus was smiling.

"Eh…"

"What...?"

"Heheheh. I just realized." He was laughing. "I was wrong about the strength of your willpower. But it's misdirected."

"…"

"What are you saying? 'Misdirected'?!"

"Hahahahah. The way I see it, you aren't here to 'support him'," Reus smiled devilishly, as if to insult Jeane's knightly pride. "You're here because you 'need him'."

"?"

"!"

"You said it so yourself. You were 'powerless' without him. You wanted to be 'right by his side' for as long as you live."

"!"

"…"

As he spoke, Yang gradually caught on to the meaning of his words. Jeane, however, had already understood the meaning behind them first and had her head low. Her long and messy blonde hair hid her face, but the sound of grinding teeth told Yang how she was taking it.

"How cute! A little girl with a brother complex couldn't take being separated from her dear twin that she did all she could to pass the entrance exams, going so far as to push her limits, all to have a shot at being together with him again." And so, Reus continued his taunting. "How would her poor brother react, seeing that his pitiful little sister is desperately trying to follow after him. I highly doubt he can take care of her and follow his dreams at the same time."

"'Take care of'… Are you implying that I'll 'just get in his way' again?! Why would you spout such baseless assumptions?!"

Her cries were pained, almost as if she couldn't believe what she was hearing. Reus, on the other hand, seemed to enjoy it.

"Baseless? Just where do you think we are?"

"Eh?!"

"This is Beacon, a Huntsmen school, where students are trained to fight Grimm, the scourge of our world. Do you think, for even a second, that those monsters will give a damn about your reasons for being here? NO! They don't."

"What are−"

"Still don't get it? Students who graduate here will be forced to work, risking their lives fighting Grimm, as Huntsmen. The job itself has the highest death toll compared to any other career. The way I see it, you aren't here for any of that. You're only here for your brother. The resolve you have for being here is for your brother. And you expect me to believe that you will stand by his side through all that?"

"Even if those monsters bare their fangs at him, I will fight for Jaune. I won't let them get in his way."

"'His way' or 'Your way'? All you want to do is live by his side for as long as possible. Am I right? Then have him quit and bring him back home. That way, he'll live longer. Even better, both of you will."

"…"

Jeane didn't reply. Yang, standing on the side, studied the logic behind his words.

It was true that Huntsman, especially the unprepared fresh graduates, lived very short careers. If it were someone she knew, she wouldn't, no, couldn't ignore the possibility of them dying on the field. She wasn't doubting Jaune's strength. Even if he was a pipsqueak at the start of their first year, he was a hard worker with a good head on his shoulders.

But even Jaune had his limits. If Jaune had to protect someone other than himself, more so, alone without his team to have his back, the possibility of living dwindles even further. You can't expect Pyrrha, Ren and Nora to always be by his side forever. Even the other students had dreams and lives of their own. This was common a fact for all Huntsmen and Huntresses that graduate from their school.

The indirect warning from Reus was conveyed perfectly. Just by the silence and the look on Jeane's face, it was obvious she was deeply contemplating whether what she was doing was contradictory to her brother's well-being.

"Still, it'll be more like he'll live his life longer being known as just a childish dreamer. A failure who never made his ideals a reality. A real quitter. After all, the reason would be his helpless little sister's selfish desire to monopolize−"

CRASH

"…"

"!"

"… say it again… I dare you…"

A chilling whisper from the front and a deafening clatter from the back. Without any warning, a chair flew towards the boy from the front. The wooden piece of furniture had barely missed Reus' head by a hair's breadth and shattered at the wall behind him on impact.

"SAY THAT AGAIN, YOU BASTARD!"

Jeane was angry. In a split second, her quiet countenance flipped into a raging visage. Contrary to her, who had lost all composure and was grabbing another seat, Reus calmly stood still with a hand to his hip, seemingly relaxed at the sudden assault, as if expecting it. But the pitying gaze he directed to the front in response had a dangerous glint in them. Receiving said gaze, Jeane returned her own with rage and picked up another chair to throw it at the boy. With all her strength, the seat took flight.

It soared towards his head, or it would have if not for Yang punching out of the air. She had finally chosen now to intervene. In all honesty, Yang had wanted to do so earlier, but the sheer bloodlust she felt from both the front and back of the room made her flinch for but a moment.

CRASH

"Take it easy, Jeane! Just put the chair down!"

Yang shouted out but was immediately ignored. Jeane had already grabbed another seat and prepared to fling it once more. That is, she tried.

As she was ignored by a rage-driven Arc, or rather, she was betting on it, Yang pounced into action. With a quick dash to the front, Yang tackled Jeane head-on with her outstretched left arm. On contact, she used her momentum to push her target back a few steps and moved behind the girl to bring her other arm around her.

"GUH!"

With her arms trapped in the bear-hug, Jeane struggled against Yang's bosom to no avail. After a while, she realized her legs were still free and attempted to change her method of attack.

CRASH

With a quick sweep, she sent another chair crashing to the back of the room. Fortunately, it missed by a mile, leaving Reus disappointedly staring her down.

"Jeane, stop! Anymore and you'll be in bigger trouble with Goodwitch when she gets back!"

Hence, where they were now.

Excluding Yang who wore a worried expression for Jeane, both sides glared at each other with contempt that could kill. The first to relax was Reus, who, with a sudden uninterested look, returned to his seat and rested the side of his head on the palm of his hand. He made a bored expression directed at Jeane before looking the other away. It seemed like he lost interest.

'Probably because Jeane had stopped trying to get herself expelled,' was Yang's assumption.

Dropping her glare, a moment later, Jeane took a seat at the front of the room without another word. With her head lowered, she avoided making eye-contact with either of the other two. Her sitting posture leaned over the desk, completely devoid of any lady-like air from before the argument.

Yang, free from restraining anyone, decided to lean back against the blackboard, watching out for any more violent or antagonistic actions from the other two blondes. She already knew that Aureus was doing it on purpose, however, she didn't have the slightest idea as to why he would provoke Jeane.

It was painfully obvious that the two had never met until today. Even though Yang wasn't exactly the sensitive type, just from her talk with Reus earlier, she had picked up that the guy wasn't one to pick a fight out of spite. Yang thought about what went wrong. The exchange between the two up till the argument was a simple conversation about their reasons for being here.

'At the time, I even thought he was slightly worried about how inexperienced she actually is. Was it my imagination?'

In her head, an avalanche of assumptions poured over her. Was he worried, is he just in a bad mood, or did she do something to piss him off. All of this thinking gave Yang a headache that she decided to think of something else to keep her cool.

She tried thinking of a way to cheer Jeane back up, but then noticed that, with Rex in the room, it seemed impossible. Well, if the person you hate was sitting right behind you while you tried to be happy, it was obvious that your mood would drop even lower. Yang could understand that feeling. What if she left and brought Jeane with her? Maybe a tour around Beacon could lift her spirit. Then again, they couldn't leave for fear of Goodwitch. Staying in the awkward atmosphere of the room was getting them nowhere either.

"Haaa…"

With nothing else to do, Yang let out a frustrated sigh. Her eyes drifted over to the depressed little sister sitting before her. Jeane was still depressed, or maybe she was even more depressed? She switched over to Aureus. He looked like he was trying to ignore both girls as he stared of into space.

"Haaaaaaaaaaaaaaa…"

Due to the ever so tensing atmosphere, Yang let out another sigh, oblivious to the faint sounds of voices and familiar stilts.

Outside, a teacher was being accompanied by another little sister while they returned from their trip to the infirmary. Trailing behind the little red, Glaus, Shei, and a well-rested Fran kept their silence. Goodwitch was back to her straight face as she leads the trio down the hall.

"Ms. Strega and Mr. Miles, I trust that the both of you will avoid any more trouble, at least until tomorrow? We wouldn't want to send you off before you pass Initiation, now wouldn't we?"

"Y−yes, Professor."

"I'll keep Reus from causing any more trouble."

"Good," Goodwitch smiled at their cooperative attitudes but quickly reverted to her standard stern-faced expression. "Ms. Braunbar?"

"Yes, Ms. Goodwitch?"

Fran, suddenly being called by the instructor, had a nervous expression on her face. Although Goodwitch wasn't reprimanding her, the girl appeared to be on edge. Glynda wondered whether it was just her timid nature.

"Thank you for giving me your papers directly. I was wondering if Professor Hrothgar had forgotten to pass them on to you."

"You know Verne?" she asked, a bit surprised.

To note, she hadn't yet decided on how to refer to her new guardian. But having something to refer him with was better than not. Calling him 'Uncle' didn't sound right and having a third 'Dad' seemed even more out of place. The guy didn't even act, let alone, present himself like a parent so she was unsure of what to do. For the time being, calling him 'Verne' was the best option she had.

"Professor Verne Hrothgar works as an instructor here at Beacon Academy. And please refer to him as "Professor" or "Sir" during class."

"Yes, Ma'am."

Chided by Goodwitch, Fran replied in a quieter tone. Although Glynda thought she overdid it, Fran didn't seem to take the scolding that badly.

"Also, while you're here at Beacon, make sure to take proper care of yourself. Collapsing because of hunger like you did a while ago is more dangerous when it occurs out on the field."

"I understand, Professor Goodwitch"

It wasn't Glynda's intention to berate the timid girl too much, but the sight of the girl pulling down the edge of her hood made the instructor think that Fran was not used to being scolded by a stranger. Despite that, she could see that the fault of this afternoon's fiasco lies not with the young girl trailing behind her.

"Anyway, it was most likely Verne's fault for not even letting you get a proper meal until you arrived. Honestly, he still hasn't learned how to handle his students properly."

"Well, Professor V did say he's never been a teacher before."

"Five months as one probably isn't enough for him to be called a professional instructor at this point."

"He did say he's cool with teaching the third years, but he's still struggling with how to handle us, especially Nora."

"Yes, well, Ms. Valkyrie might be too high of a level gap for someone of Verne's experience to handle. Make sure to remind your Team and Jaune's to hold her back in case of trouble. Her track record is even thicker than yours, Ruby."

"I'll make sure we do, ma'am!"

The sight of Goodwitch complaining about her colleague's unpleasant habits momentarily threw three teenagers off from their train of thought. Ruby, however, just giggled and spoke her own thoughts, making for a strange exchange between teacher and student. Well, in the eyes of the three older teens, it was obviously strange. You wouldn't really expect a troublemaker to get along with their disciplinarian, would you? (This only applies to exceptional cases, e.g. in RWBYverse and fandom XD)

"But, regardless of this being Verne's fault," the professor returned to her lecturing. "Ms. Braunbar, training yourself to be independent is one of the many skills required by Huntsman and Huntresses-in-training. Make sure you learned from this experience. That goes for all of you."

The three nodded unanimously. Despite the mean first impression of a stern, straight-laced office worker that Glynda gave off, everyone present could tell that Goodwitch was lecturing them not just because of her job, but that it was out of actual concern for them.

This was one of the many aspects of the teacher that Ruby had learned from having studied under the blonde instructor for the past year. Owing to this, her childish smile was also for Glynda, who obtained three more students that didn't see her as a complete terror. But such opinions were best kept secret from the professor herself.

"Now that the problems have been cleared up," Goodwitch cleared her throat as they walked past the empty classrooms. "Ms. Arc and Mr. Rex will be let off with a warning. I have already contacted Jeane's brother so that he may also be informed of his sister's wrongdoings. Make sure to remind them of my warnings, are we clear?"

Glaus immediately nodded in confirmation. Fran, paused for a second to register something before following suit. Shei also nodded although she didn't have any actual relations with either of the blondes in question except for Aureus saving her just a while back.

"And, Ms. Rose," Glynda turned to Ruby who was skipping next to her. "Please tell your sister that your team will be forbidden from leaving the campus grounds until she has completed all of her punishments. She still owes the dorm staff for the mess she made last month in the public bathroom."

Little Ruby quickly lost the skip to her step and almost tripped into the nearest pillar as they rounded the corner.

"But, but, but…"

"No buts, young lady. I have already been too lenient to your team. Anymore would be considered favoritism. Until your teammates have been disciplined, your freedoms will be restricted."

Faced with the teacher's judgement, Ruby's mood dropped quickly. Her previous cheeriness seemed like a lie.

"Once we're there, you are all free to go−"

"Oh? Professor Goodwitch."

Just as they arrived at the room that three blondes where holed up in, a new face that stood in front of the door called out to the professor who−

"Good afternoon."

"Rudy?! What brings you here?"

−made a face that exhibited her surprise.

To the slumped Ruby, it was a rare surprise to see Professor Goodwitch speak this way towards a student. Sure, she uses her students' first names when she isn't angry but the way she spoke always felt like she was keeping them at a certain distance. However, a quick glance at the one who was receiving her friendly mannerisms made her droopy attitude morph into one of curiosity.

Probably around Ruby's age or older, the boy that spoke to Goodwitch wore a vacant expression on his face. Normally, anyone around Ruby's age that had a conversation with the instructor would always try to be as polite as possible. Even if they didn't personally know Goodwitch, they spoke with the teacher like, well, like one would speak to a teacher they were acquainted to (but were slightly wary of). It was easy to understand since Goodwitch gave the feeling that 'one wrong move' = 'fitting punishment for all those involved'.

However, the boy named 'Rudy' spoke not like she was his teacher. To Ruby, at least, she wondered whether they knew each other personally, outside of Glynda's job as a teacher.

"I have been looking for you, Professor. I came to deliver a letter."

"A letter?"

Rudy took out a brown envelope from his bag and held it out to her. Goodwitch received the thin packet with a raised eyebrow until Rudy spoke again.

"Doctor Holly would like to apologize for not being able to come to Beacon. Although she already accepted the job, her health unexpectedly took a turn for the worse and her physician strongly advised against traveling long distances."

The teacher furrowed her brows at the news before opening the envelope.

"I'm sorry to hear that. I hope she gets better, but this is quite the predicament. Classes were supposed to resume next week."

"Rest assured, Professor. Doctor Holly had already expected this to happen. It's why she sent two letters."

"Two?"

"An apology for having to turn you down." There was no change in his expression. "And a suggestion she wanted to forward to the Headmaster."

Goodwitch took a moment to comprehend by what he meant, but after taking a quick peak at the contents of the envelope, she sighed and unconsciously adjusted her glasses with a straight face.

"I understand. I'll make sure Ozpin receives the letter by tonight."

"Thank you. By the way, Professor."

"What is it?"

The switch in tone sounded like he wanted to ask something. Goodwitch quickly placed the envelope under her arm before turning back to the boy with an inquisitive gaze.

"I think you should let your students out now. I don't know how much longer they can take such a tense atmosphere."

While his gesture towards the door behind him made everyone else glance in curiosity, Goodwitch immediately swapped her figurative masks.

'Did they start fighting again?'

With a serious expression and a quick assumption of the situation, Goodwitch stepped towards the door and opened it without hesitation.

"…"

"…"

"… Ms. G?"

Yang was leaning her back on the blackboard when she called out to them. Jeane was slumped on the front row which appeared to be missing a few seats. Lastly, Aureus, positioned at the back of the class glanced at the open door with a bored look on his face.

A quick sweep and the Professor knew something was off. The awkward atmosphere could be felt from the door but without being able to pinpoint whether the cause came from the depressed Arc twin, the tensed Xiao Long, the defiant Rex, or all the above, Goodwitch could only sigh out in relief.

The four students that followed her here from the infirmary could only guess what was going on as they peeked over (or under in Ruby's case) her shoulder into the room.

There didn't seem to be anyone hurt inside the room which was the least of Glynda's worries. If she found them fighting it out again, she would need to expel the two Initiates and suspend the second year. Since there were no injuries or such, she needed to let them go for today.

"Mr. Rex and Ms. Arc, the both of you are free to go. Be warned, I am letting you off with a warning for your use of violence within the campus and there will be no next time. Until you finish Initiation, consider your next violation of the school rules as grounds for expulsion. Ms. Xiao Long, I need a quick word with you."

Just as she finished speaking, two of the three blondes approached the door. First to arrive was Jeane with a blank expression on her face.

"Jeane? Is something wrong?"

"…"

Fran, who stood behind Goodwitch, felt that something about the Arc girl was different and immediately came to her side. However, the blonde almost didn't respond as she shook her head slightly. Just as she was about to inquire further, Jeane started walking down the hall. After getting about ten meters, she broke into a run.

"Jeane?!"

"Ms. Braunbar."

Fran felt that she should follow, but before she could take a step forward, Goodwitch calls out to her. She had expected another lecture from the professor but found out she was wrong as soon as she faced Glynda.

"Next time, I will not tolerate running in the halls. And don't forget to gather at the ballroom by seven, later this evening. Please tell Ms. Arc as well."

Goodwitch gave her a look that said, 'Take care of her'. Fran was glad that the Professor was an understanding person and, after a quick nod to Goodwitch, she immediately took off, running in the direction where Jeane disappeared to.

"Reus, what did you do this time?"

Behind the teacher, another called out to his friend's back. From his words alone, one could tell he assumed that Aureus as the cause behind Jeane's strange behavior and had appeared to be making his escape. But,

"All I did was give her my opinion. If anything, she has a problem understanding my point." The blonde boy's reply carried no hint of remorse.

"It sounds like you aggravated her instead. What exactly did you do?"

"I only told her the truth," he spoke without facing Glaus. "That her 'way of living' is wrong. She's better off going back home."

"'Going back'?" Not grasping the vague explanation, he quickly realized that Reus had started walking away. "Hey! Where are you going?"

"Goin' to take a walk. Talking to that ignorant idiot made me remember some bad memories. If you got questions, ask the bimbo after her chat with Goodwitch. I need to vent my stress."

Without letting Glaus make any attempts to stop him, Reus walks away in the direction opposite Jeane's whilst waving a hand in the air. Such an irresponsible, carefree attitude could be taken as rude at face value. But Glaus didn't take it that way. This was the norm between the two when Reus didn't want to talk about the problem. Whatever made him so moody had most likely hit close to home, from the stoic boy's perspective. Reus had a stubborn streak well beyond his control anyways. Therefore, he was left with no other option but to inquire Yang Xiao Long.

"Professor Goodwitch, I will take my leave now."

"Thank you, Rudy. Now, Ms. Xiao Long, could you tell me exactly what happened while I was away?"

Fortunately, Goodwitch thought the same as Glaus and was already on it. Bidding farewell to the boy in the brown beret, the teacher turned to confront the busty blonde.

"Please tell me as well. I am responsible for Aureus and I need to know if he has done something he shouldn't have."

It may seem weird to anyone if he told them that he was 'responsible for' the blonde jerk, but Goodwitch didn't bat an eyelid at this. Instead, she pressed the bombshell for answers.

"Errr… Do I really have to?" She tried to laugh it off and change the topic. "Cuz, wouldn't that be an invasion of their privacy?"

"Be that as it may, that guy has always been terrible at resolving his own problems, even more so when he's forced to explain himself. That's why I need an unbiased observation, so that I can explain for him when need be."

"… Explain for him−?"

"Young lady," the teacher cut her off. "Either you explain to me now or I'll have you pay for the damaged seats in Professor Port's classroom."

How she found out about the seats being destroyed was beyond Yang's own imagination. Realizing that there was no running away from Goodwitch, Yang relented and explained from start to finish. Since she was asked by not just a fellow student but also by the teacher, her side was the most unbiased version of an outside observer.

"I see," Glaus had been stuck in a thinker's pose for the past few minutes as he listened intently to Yang's account of the situation. Before anyone else could break the silence, however, Glaus decided to move first. "Professor Goodwitch?"

"What is it Mr. Miles?"

Goodwitch, who had similarly been listening attentively next to him, raised an eyebrow.

"Could you please ignore this entire matter just this once?"

"And why exactly should I pardon Mr. Rex?" questioned the professor. "Based on Ms. Xiao Long's story, he blatantly provoked Ms. Arc into attacking him to get her into trouble."

Rather than daring him to challenge her authority, her tone was akin to demanding a reason as to why.

"I understand that, Ma'am," Glaus replied in a calm, yet serious, tone. "But I still ask you to excuse his actions. He's been under a lot of stress for a while now. The fight at the cafeteria and this incident too, both of which were caused by pent up mental pressure."

"…"

"As his former partner, I should've handled the situation sooner. If anything, it's my fault."

"Your pasts aside, a first year dared to provoke a fellow student to break the school rules just after being warned about violating them himself."

"…"

"There is a thin line between accidental and intentional, Mr. Miles. The brawl during lunch may have been a misunderstanding, but the use of violence on another student has not and never will be condoned as an intervention measure to bullying."

"…"

"Such behavior will never be tolerated in this school. Stress or no, owing up to your actions is something all students and staff members is required to do, regardless of circumstance."

"…"

Cold was her tone, icy was her gaze. The Goodwitch ('Good' should've been switched with 'Ice' here) stood, crossed-arms, as she lectured Glaus with an admonishing expression. Even the three other observers could feel the chill as they watched the exchange between the two. From the sidelines, the three girls couldn't say or do anything as the instructor had a point. Not that they wouldn't, it's just that they couldn't side with Glaus who was desperately covering for his friend.

"In the first place, no one should tell you the rules as you are obligated to−"

"Glynda," a calm voice had cut-in the blonde instructor's berating. "You shouldn't expend too much energy on a single incident. It's not good for your health."

""Professor Ozpin?!"" a couple of sisters called out in surprise.

"Headmaster?!" a startled Goodwitch called out in surprise.

""?!"" a couple of Initiates turned to face the newcomer in surprise.

Basically, everyone failed to notice the sudden appearance of the headmaster of Beacon Academy until he spoke up. His thin presence had allowed him to approach without alerting anyone, including the only Faunus in the group.

"Rules aside, you shouldn't overlook their circumstances immediately," turning to face Glaus, Ozpin's gaze made the boy absentmindedly straighten his posture. "Let today's incident be left as warning. Probing the matter any further would be unproductive. As you can see, stress can even get to my staff as well."

"Thank you for understanding, Professor Ozpin."

With his gratitude expressed in a firm nod, Glaus finally relaxed.

"Make sure to remind your fellow classmates about following the rules as well," Ozpin took a sip from his ever-present coffee mug. "Even if Professor Goodwitch lets you off with a warning, the same cannot be said for the rest of my staff. I allow them to exact discipline in the way they best see fit. This is a lesson for the both of you and a reminder to the two of you."

""Yes, sir.""

""Eheheh…""

"Good," Nodding at the two Initiates response and glancing with a smirk at the pair of sisters last, Ozpin tapped his cane to signal the end of his talk. "Run along now."

"Glynda," now with only his fellow colleague within earshot, Ozpin spoke in a more open tone than he did with the students. "You should forgive their actions for now. You know that they're only first years."

"(Sigh) I already have," snapped the lamenting Glyn. "But, aside from the fact that they are first years, according to the data, Rex, Miles and Arc are all at least the same ages as Ms. Xiao Long. They should know better than to blatantly disobey school rules."

"They may be older than the average first year," smiled Ozpin. "But the difference is still just a year, still within the bounds of children. You should be more understanding. Don't forget, you too were once their age."

"Stop talking about the past," Glynda irritably replied. "Things like that should be best left forgotten."

If anyone saw her reaction, they would make the crucial mistake of believing that Goodwitch was really embarrassed about her past and made sure to keep it buried. But Ozpin knew otherwise, causing his lips to form a nostalgic grin.

"By the way," Ozpin raised an eyebrow, expecting a question. "You said I 'shouldn't overlook their circumstances'. Exactly what did you mean by that?"

Ozpin took a long sip, seemingly emptying the mug as he stared off into the campus grounds. Goodwitch expected a serious answer. By experience, she knew that the longer the sip, the graver the answer. If he averted his gaze, even more so. Yet, for this day only, she was sorely disappointed.

"Did you know that James would drop by tomorrow evening?"

"What?" she asked with a stunned expression. "Wasn't he supposed to arrive together with his gifts to the Valean Navy?"

"Yes, but he notified me earlier yesterday that he'll be dropping by early. This could be his straightforward way of telling us that it's a personal visit. He must be anxious to see us again."

A groan came from Ozpin's side. A quick glance and he saw his fellow teacher quickly shift her expression. The annoyed face that preceded her currently calm visage was what Ozpin believed to be her true face that she'd been hiding from the students all day long. He was unbelievably right. The stress was getting to her. With a grin, Ozpin turned the other way and started walking.

"Wait a minute, Ozpin."

Or so he would have if Goodwitch didn't call out to him.

"This is for you. Holly couldn't make it, so she sent this for you."

A glance at the contents of the envelope was all Ozpin gave it before taking it under his arm.

"If the Doctor thinks this is the best course of action, I don't see why we shouldn't approve of it."

"But wouldn't it be better if−"

"We don't have the time to search for another instructor in this field. Having Bart do it would put a strain on his ever-busy schedule as it is and Peter is not exactly the best option for this subject. If Holly herself proposed it, then I will respect that decision. It's Holly we're talking about so there is no need to worry."

Glynda looked at him with cynical eyes. Ozpin's trusting nature was one of his best points, but it was also, most definitely, one of his weaknesses.

"You shouldn't be concerned about this topic for a while though."

His tone changed. Glynda picked it up almost immediately.

"Setting aside the fact that it's a personal visit, James has informed me that this appointment actually has something to do with your students. In this case, we should deal with it professionally and see what it's all about."

With the envelope under his arm and the mug and cane each in a hand, he continued to leave.

"And besides," he added. "Both will be under our care at Beacon so the best move right now is to prioritize investigating the most volatile."

The sounds of footsteps and a tapping cane echoed through the empty classrooms, which left Goodwitch sorely alone.

This is something our dear Professor Goodwitch learned after meeting Jaune Arc: The most suspicious of people deserved to be investigated, however, they must also be given a chance to explain themselves.

Just by her expression alone, anyone could tell that she was deeply pondering on something. A minute followed and soon, she was opening files and skimming through student data on her terminal. The privately-owned version of the scroll device wasn't designed to handle so much information in such a short span of time, something many teachers and instructors, particularly Oobleck, were grateful for in the design of the Beacon-distributed staff scrolls.

After a few more minutes, she found the student file she was looking for and opened it. Skipping past the basic data like 'name', 'age' and 'gender', she searched the entries regarding 'past educations', 'guardians', and 'past instructors'. But as soon as her eyes found the entries, she winced.

Blank, empty, missing, whatever one could call it, she couldn't find any recognizable school under the 'preliminary combat training' category or the 'basic education' section. The entries concerning 'Aura data' and 'Semblance description' were blanks as well. Everything was left vacant except for the person responsible for his education. Regarding the target of her suspicion, too many blanks appeared here and there in his records, making it hard to believe he was an actual transfer student accepted at Beacon.

Regarding the incident with Jaune Arc in the past, Ozpin excused the boy for the actions he took during the Breach incident as well as recognition for his progressive growth. But those papers were recommendations. Simply put, the information required in them concerning the student were minimal at most. Having transfer papers filled with blanks was even more noteworthy than a disappointing recommendation.

'Who is he?' was her primary question. But obviously, she couldn't find an answer from the data available to her alone. Direct confrontation would only lead to an even greater conflict so another interrogation today wouldn't do. She did, however, know who to ask. No need to be impatient about it either. After all, he was coming to visit in a day's time. Listed as both his 'guardian' and 'instructor' was one man. Coincidentally, that man just so happened to own both the title of General and Headmaster of Atlas Academy.

"Haaah, James, about to ask another favor you can't repay again? I hope not…"

No one else heard the disgruntled growl aimed at said General/Headmaster.

Starting off a new perspective. To quote, the easiest way to find the truth in any scenario is to always remain unbiased and never stray from the facts. Regardless of the storyteller's position, the listener must only receive relevant and uninflated truths.

"That arrogant jerk doesn't understand! In fact, he did nothing but insult my brother's dreams and even dared to call it rubbish!"

On a side note, someone who only wants to be in the right might omit a few details and warp a few facts in their version of the story. Needless to say, a certain girl who had her beliefs ridiculed by a complete stranger would apparently do so. Why wouldn't she? Her feelings were hurt.

"Calm down, Jeane!"

"But…"

"If you make a scene again, you might cause problems for your brother. So please, calm down."

"Mm… ok…"

Reluctantly, the blonde in armor quieted down. Jeane embraced her knees together with her forehead resting on her arms, a sitting fetal position. Next to her under one of the many trees of the campus grounds, Fran sat back with her arms supporting her while her feet stretched forward lit out a sigh in relief.

The girl in the hood had caught up to her runaway companion and had her explain the reason for her actions while they sat in the shade. The moment she made eye contact with Jeane, though, she quickly regretted it. What followed were a series of insults and complaints about the boy they had left behind. Seemingly, Jeane sounded insulted by the fact that there was someone brave enough to deny her raison d'être. Maybe it's because she noted that Jeane's actions could get her twin in trouble, but Jeane had immediately fallen silent after her ranting.

"Basically," after a moment, Fran broke the silence. "He disagrees with how you want to live your life and, instead, decided to give you advise about it?"

"Mm," Jeane nodded in response.

"Then," Fran furrowed her brows under her hood. "Why did you have to throw a chair at him? All he did was point out what he believed to be wrong. Even if he did it rudely, did he do something to make you lash out at him?"

After taking in the story, this was the question that fluttered through Fran's thoughts. In her perspective, the boy simply offered his opinion. His methods were, according to Jeane's story, somewhat discourteous, but there was still truth in his words. Jeane reacting by assaulting him was beyond Fran's expectations. This led to a dubious conclusion. Reus had probably said something else besides rudely denying her way of living.

"… He−…"

Proving her point, Jeane raised her head to protest, only to hesitate and grit her teeth in frustration.

'Was it something really personal?' Fran waited in silence, letting the blonde collect her thoughts.

The campus was filled with the sound of bustling students here and there. Lunch break had already been long over and many of their fellow Initiates were touring the grounds. As they were situated under one of the trees far away from the paths, the chances of being eavesdropped was close to zero. Still, all this time, Fran had spoken to Jeane in a soft tone that only she could hear.

It was not in her nature to be loud. If anything, she preferred the quiet. One of the reasons being that her perception or awareness of other people's state of minds was more accurate when they were surrounded by silence. Previously, when they toured the school together, Fran had sensed an innocent excitement from her companion. Currently, Jeane was covered in an air akin to that of a child who ran away after losing an argument. Call it a sixth sense, instinct or girl's intuition, she could tell that Jeane needed some time to answer her question.

Jeane took a deep breath, clearing her mind.

"I said it a while ago, about how dependent I was on him throughout my childhood."

Fran didn't nod in response, but Jeane continued while slowly lifting her gaze up to the sky.

"Back then, I was the clumsiest of all our sisters. I easily gave up on trying anything I messed up in. Becoming friends with someone, trying out new hobbies. If my brother didn't already try and succeed, I would never follow his lead."

Self-deprecating thoughts were voiced. But then, a beautiful smile formed on the blonde's face.

"But even though Jaune was clumsier than I was, he never stopped trying. He had never once given up if he knew he could try again. I've always admired that persevering side of Jaune. He always believed he could do anything through effort alone and didn't care about what others said. I respect and love him for being able to do what I couldn't."

Fran quietly listened as Jeane spoke her honest feelings. A peaceful atmosphere surrounded the blonde, creating a dreamy-like, almost fairy tale, setting, so dreamy that it almost made the hooded girl jealous of the affectionate words she spoke for her brother. If such a setting persisted, even Fran wouldn't be surprised to see birds or butterflies land on the tip of Jeane's fingers. Guaranteed, that scenario would paint a romantic picture of a handsome knight basking in nature's blessings. But alas, such a picture was not to last long.

"That's why I will never forgive those that insult him and fail to recognize his efforts."

The atmosphere changed immediately when she added that phrase. A chill ran down Fran's spine as her instincts told her to stay as quiet as possible. A thick air of bloodlust emanated from the blonde knight as if the peaceful calm just moments ago was a lie.

"My brother, from the very beginning, has done all he could to get to where he is now through effort alone. I could never do anything for him except offer my support for his efforts. Anyone who dares dismiss Jaune's dream as nothing but a childish fantasy doesn't deserve my respect."

"Jeane, calm down."

Unable to take it anymore, Fran sought to bring the Arc back to her senses. Because she had let out quite an intense murderous intent, more than a handful students had turned their way out of caution. To Fran's relief, the moment she grabbed Jeane's shoulder, the thick atmosphere quickly dispersed as if it was also a lie.

"Ah… Sorry… I lost myself again…"

"It's alright."

"I must be a bother," Jeane hid her face as she spoke. Her slumped shoulders told Fran that she was being moody again. "Making someone I just met this morning listen to my problems, I really am pathetic without my brother."

"I don't mind. You shouldn't keep stuff like this bottled up anyways. At least, that's what I heard."

She spoke only her honest feelings. Having to hold on to one's anger was not healthy. Not to the one holding it in nor to those around them. However, although the words were meant to comfort the blonde, what followed was quite unexpected to the calm Fran.

"It's all because that jerk called Jaune 'useless'. MMGH! The next time I see him, I might completely lose it! But if that caused trouble for my brother, that jerk will make fun of Jaune even more. GAAAAAH! What should I do?!"

Frustrated out of her mind, Jeane held the sides of her head as she shook it in vexation. Her messily tied ponytail became even more of a mess as the thick black ribbon tails swayed in the air behind her. Perhaps it was her way of expressing herself, but Fran found it funny that the lady-like Jeane who introduced herself in such a polite manner just some time ago had quite a flustered side to her when she was frustrated on what to do. Fran only giggled in amusement.

"But wouldn't laughing at your brother only bother him slightly?" Fran posed a question. "You said so yourself. He's a persevering hard worker who only focused on his goal. If he had the whole-hearted support of his twin sister, wouldn't he be more worried about you rather than himself?"

"You think," Jeane returned her gaze up to the clouds. "That Jaune would be more worried about how people treat me?"

"If I had a sister like you, I know I would."

"… Thanks… for that…"

For the umpteenth time today, Jeane Arc switched expressions once more. Now back to one filled with gratitude, Fran was certain that the girl had finally achieved a peace of mind as the blonde seems to have forgotten all about 'that guy' and his 'words'.

"In any case, I'm just glad my first friend at Beacon wasn't expelled on her first day."

"… …Eh!−AH!?"

The phrase alone caused Jeane to twirl on the spot. Shifting her head to face Fran, her ribbon came undone and one of the black tails slapped her across the eyes, quite a self-triggered surprise attack. Though in pain, Jeane's cheeks flushed as a beautiful smile formed on her face. Not even Fran's low hood or the blonde's messy hair could hide Jeane's glowing expression from hearing the words 'my first friend'.

GGGGUUUUUUUUUURRRRRRRRRGGGGGGGGGGG!

Correction: Not even Fran's low hood or the blonde's messy hair could hide Jeane's embarrassed expression from hearing her belly cry out in indignation.

It seemed that the noontime incident had been keeping her too preoccupied from her own hunger. Fran, having collapsed and brought to the nurse's office for the very same reason, kept her hood in check as she snuck a peek at the sky overhead. The sun had already past its zenith and was between it and setting. Lunch break had ended over an hour ago at least. But as it was the weekends, the cafeteria was probably still open. Scraps and leftovers may be the only things they find there now, but feeding her friend was better than not.

'Is this what having a friend around my age feels like?' she smiled with the thought.

"Now," Fran got up, dusting her camo-print short pants, and quickly held out her hand. "Let's go search for your brother and grab a bite to eat."

"Mm," a hand, clad in a steel gauntlet, grasped the one in black gloves. The hooded ranger helped up the blonde knight.

GGGUUUUUUURRRRRRRGGGGGGGGGGGGGGG!

"We probably wouldn't do it in that order though."

"Eheheheh… ..."

The inconspicuous pair of Initiates left their spot under the tree and wandered the grounds, freely exploring the grounds more as they waited for the appointed gathering time. Of course, to avoid any more inconveniences, they had a proper meal before anything else this time.

Wandering the corridors, Reus kept a neutral expression. Although described as neutral, no one would dare approach someone with a natural glare plastered on his face. Hence, his lonesomeness as he roamed the hallway bustling with students with free time. But this didn't mean he had been wandering without purpose.

'Did I go overboard? No. In fact, I should've pushed her further. Self-expulsion would've been the quickest way of getting her out of Beacon.'

With his thoughts as his only company, he collected himself while trying to reassure himself.

'Not getting my hands dirty would also keep e under the radar. Playing the victim never catches anyone's attention, unlike playing the perpetrator. Glaus will probably scold me later for it, but this is for the best. I'm definitely sure of it.'

What is he so sure of, you ask?

'That girl isn't suited for becoming a Huntress.'

And there you have it.

For personal reasons, Aureus Rex had been entertaining thoughts about him being in the right. Mainly, about being right in provoking the blonde girl just a few minutes ago. Yes. He had intentionally done so to get Jeane Arc into trouble. Why you may ask. What could his reason for his treatment of the girl be? Out of spite? Out of personal distaste? A personal grudge? Nay. None of the above. Rather, he did it out of the goodness of his heart. At least, that's what he believes.

'She's better off living a normal life, away from Hunter schools or Grimm. At the very least, I wouldn't have to…'

(You? What would you wouldn't have to 'what' exactly?)

He stopped in his tracks. Not because he saw something, or someone caught his attention. No. He just realized the mistake he made within that train of thought and corrected himself.

'Her brother wouldn't have to cry over the dead …'

Such were his thoughts. And such was his reason.

BOOM CRASH BAM BAM

Unnaturally, the sounds of explosions, crashes and gunfire began to echo throughout the hallway as the floor shook beneath him. Coming back to reality, Reus noticed that it was suddenly rowdy in his immediate surroundings. Groups of second years and higher were rushing past him as they headed towards one of the open doors down the hall. Coincidentally, Reus overhears their conversation as they brushed past him.

"Hurry up, man! Verne's back from his vacation!"

"Who's his opponent today?"

"JNPR's up next. It's another 4-point-elimination match up."

"A 4PE game again? What's the betting pool lookin' like this time?"

"Fifty on the Nikos, forty on Valkyrie, ten on Lie. All for four points each."

"Nil on the Arc again? No surprise there." (XD)

"Tell me about it. The dude barely lasts ten minutes in there and Verney's already takin it easy on them."

"Oh! Oh! New bet. Sixty lien says that Arc gets kicked out under seven minutes."

"Seventy-five says he's out under five!"

"Double or nothing, out in three!"

"You're on!" (My boy Jaune gets bets. Just not the good ones… (^ o ^))

From the conversation alone, Reus perked his ears.

'A match? And Arc, they said. Her brother's participating?'

With his interest piqued, he followed his upperclassmen through the open door of the training arena.

Spacious was one way to put it. The room resembled the auditorium in that bleachers encircled the raised platform in the center where most of the lighting had been directed at. The seats weren't full but quite a number had already gathered. Some had positioned themselves around the arena floor themselves. The main attraction was the group of five clashing at the center of the raised platform, composed of one adult male and four teenagers.

Interested as he was, Reus took a free seat with an unobstructed view of the soon-to-be battlefield.

"You know the rules. One direct hit is a point. Disabling or blinding is two. Disarming is three and getting out of bounds is a null of your individually earned points. Anyone that gets eliminated while trying to take me out will have their points cut down to half. Each of you should score a minimum of four individual points on me to get a passing mark. Half of your earned points will be totaled up for a Team-Point-Win. A total of sixteen or kick me out of bounds, either condition wins you the match and gets everyone in your team a perfect score for the rest of this week's classes. Time limit is ten minutes. Don't disappoint me now, you hear."

The adult that spoke appeared to be a playboy type of character, with a handsome grinning face yet dressed in a suit like a slob. In one of his sunburned arms, he held an oddly-designed spear that was his height. The spearhead wasn't the standard knife-size tip. It had the length of a short sword and width of two palms next to each other. The shape was even more unorthodox. Triangular in nature, a smaller blade broke off the main one and another, even smaller blade breaks away from it. In summary, it had the shape of a fern leaf, a delicate serrated spear. The shaft was thick especially around the grip, forming a flat trigger. (FYI: Like the one on Ruby's scythe.)

A whistle blew to signal the start of the match.

"Pyrrha, on my left."

"On it!"

"Ren, cover fire."

"(Nod)"

"Nora, remember the plan?"

"(Nod)"

"On my signal, bring the rain."

"You got it!"

All four teens split up. The blonde that called the shots had a shield and sword at his side. His gear was akin to an atypical knight. The redhead followed his lead next to him. She had the same type of equipment, attire being bronze leather armor, sturdy yet light in nature. The first to attack was neither of them.

It was the spearman.

Without moving away from his spot, he lifted his weapon and aimed the spear tip at the two. A squeeze of his wrist and half of the bladed tip shot out with a shrill sound. Like an arrowhead attached to a wire, it flew at the advancing pair. Quick to react, the blonde in the lead deftly let the serrated blade bounce off his shield while continuing to advance.

Pulling the projectile back via the attached wire, the tall man reattached his weapon and immediately swung it in a huge arc, spinning counterclockwise in the same spot. The length of the spear was still too far for a normal strike to reach, but distance was irrelevant when the wire could be used to extend the weapon itself. Pulling the trigger ahead of time, the blade was sent flying like a deadly flail at the pair. Normally, such an attack method would be too swift to intercept as the end of a flail would carry too much weight to block and snagging the wire could easily sever a limb, leaving the only solution of pulling out of the enemy's reach or, in this case, kill zone. But,

"Jaune?"

"Let it bounce."

The pair didn't do that. Instead, they locked shields. Slanting at an angle, the two created a sloped wall using their shields, forcing the tip to glance over them. Then, they resumed their advance. Only this time, they had a counter attack and rear support.

"Advancing fire."

His partner's shield in hand, Jaune stowed his sword and raised a wall. Pyrrha flawlessly switched weapon form and began popping shots, using her rifle between the gaps of Jaune's defenses as they advanced.

DON DON DON

"Oh? A mini phalanx? Not bad."

With the spear tip touching the ground under his left arm and his right hand at his side, the man quickly side-stepped to avoid the shots the spartan aimed at him. Ripples appeared on the hard-light barrier behind him as he continued to dodge the oncoming rifle fire. Dashing back a few steps, he immediately rolled to the side, forcefully retreating even further than he had originally planned. Before anyone noticed, the number of shots had tripled. Following from behind the two, Lie Ren was spraying their lone opponent with submachinegun fire.

WOOOOOOOO

Cheers came from the bleachers as his dodging suddenly became an acrobatic performance. Ren's weapon wasn't as effective as it should be at their current range. But getting hit by stray shots would spell embarrassment for any pro Huntsman. Therefore, he danced, deflected a few, and dodged the rest of the rapid-fire spray.

DON DON

The shielded duo had gotten closer, leading to a mid-range confrontation. To defend himself, the man used his spear's shaft and flat of the blade to deflect several more shots from the redhead, an impressive display of insane reaction time, then shifted to counterattack.

Lifting the tip of his spear to his side, he swung at the advancing pair's legs. The aim was to trip them before they charged him to a sword fight, a scenario the length of a spear couldn't work in. The first target, Jaune Arc. Before it could come into contact, however, the boy jumped vertically to avoid the blade. This was a bad move as it left him vulnerable in the air. Using right hand, he struck the part of the shaft between the blade and the point he gripped it with his left hand. This would send the serrated edge flying at the boy's flank and, with the right amount of force, be enough to send him careening of the edge of the battlefield, thus reducing the number of opponents.

CLICK CLICK CLANG

Correction: It would have.

Just as Jaune had anticipated the leg sweep, Pyrrha had expected their opponent to target her partner the moment he was left defenseless. In the moment that Jaune had leapt into the air, Pyrrha Nikos had switched Milό from a rifle to a xiphos and impaled her weapon between the spear's multi-blades. The sword form's small blade was enough to stop him from retracting the spear.

CLUNK

Before the spearman could react, however, Jaune included his sword into the mesh of blades, completely locking it in place. Unable to break away, all three stood still for a good three seconds.

"Hm, so you've pinned me down. But that leaves both of you stuck too," the man says in an impressed tone. If you think you're gonna score a hit with just a fist, you'd better be prepared to get knocked down.

"It wouldn't work if it was just the two of us."

The two smiled in reply before raising their shields up again. This time, one was raised up high, the other slanted forward, creating a barrier that protected from above and the front.

"NOW!"

DA DA DA DA DA

BOOM BOOM BOOM

DA DA DA DA DA

BOOM BOOM BOOM

Everyone in the room fell silent as a hail of bullets and shells suddenly fell from on high, engulfing the spearman in smoke and shrapnel. Then, from the side of the smoke pillar, a single figure shot out and rolled on the ground. His clothes were even more of a mess now than he was before the explosion, disheveled and dusty all over, some singed fabric here and there. His hair was also messed up but in a more bad-boy-looking way. On his face was an impressed expression. Side note: He's weaponless now. The sudden assault forced him to abandon his weapon as the pair had it locked between theirs, leaving him disarmed.

"Hoooowee," he exclaimed while dusting himself. "So that's the rain? Damn, you four impress me every time."

WOOOOOOOO

Cheers erupted from the crowds once more. Apparently, it was more of a show than it was a training exercise to everyone else in the audience. Overhearing things about gambling bets from the upperclassmen had already convinced Reus that this was more for entertainment than learning from their peers.

"Go get em, Professor!"

"Kick them out already, Verney!"

Cliques of cheering fan girls and booing jocks were of no surprise. However, the content of their cries was quite odd to Reus.

"We love you, Professor Hrothgar!"

"Sensei wa kakkoi!"

"You suck, Arc! Get out of the ring!"

"Kick his butt, Nikos!"

"Valkyrie, drop out in five minutes. We'll pay you with five feet's worth of pancakes!"

"Do it in three and we'll give you all the cakes you want for a month instead!"

"I love you, Ren!"

BOOOOM

"WHO SAID THAT?! GET YOUR BUTT DOWN HERE RIGHT NOW, MISSY!" (Nora, ganbare!( o ))

'Looks like her twin isn't as popular as the teacher and his teammates are with the other students…'

Ignoring the explosion directed at the hard-light barrier protecting the audience and cries caused by a distracted, grenade-launcher-toting Valkyrie, Reus made a quick deduction of the situation. Based on what he heard from his twin sister a while ago to what he was hearing from the crowd now, he understood that Jaune Arc was an underdog at Beacon.

'Admired by your sister to the extremes, but exactly why would others look down on you?'

If it was a lack of talent or inexperience in combat, it was too early for Reus to know. And besides, he wasn't close enough personally to make that assessment of the guy. So, it would be rude of him to assume things about Jaune Arc.

'But forcing his enemy to disarm himself in just the first clash, he may be more impressive than others think. After locking down their opponent, they had the option to knock him out or accumulate points by taking free shots at the guy.'

Crossing his arms, he collected his thoughts. Forming a battle plan wasn't his strong suit but Reus tried to understand Team JNPR's nonetheless.

'While they held their enemy in a weapon lock, they took a preemptive, danger-close bombardment from their own teammates. They probably took into consideration that their opponent was underestimating them and took him by surprise. Meaning, they plan to follow up in either of two ways: They understand that their opponent is a pro who can't be taken out quickly with such a direct method, so they're opting to rack up points by assaulting him from afar. A win-by-point plan which is just playing safe. Or: They will soften him up in a drawn-out fight, choosing to either tire or disarm, then eliminate him by ring out once he's open. In other words, a weaken-then-win strategy.'

More cheers erupted from the audience, but Reus watched in silence as he had since coming in the room. The five fighters, on the other hand, readied themselves for another exchange, completely ignoring the crowd. Weaponless, the adult distanced himself equally from each of the four teenagers. Tossing the spear out of the ring, the blonde leader signaled his teammates to surround the enemy. Their formation was the hammer girl and dual-wielding boy flanking on either side and the two shields side-by-side in the middle. Once in place, the adjustable weapons took on melee forms as they began a slow advance towards the man, causing him to back away each step. Once he reached the edge, the air around him changed. He had taken a stance against the four. Team JNPR must've expected their opponent to resist since, instead of stopping, they cautiously continued their advance.

'But there are drawbacks to those plans.'

Reus winced at the thought. His immediate assumption was as follows: The first option sounded easy but required everyone to contribute all their points within the time limit. The fault being one of the four not having any firearm or ranged weapon on his person (Classically-equipped Jaune is Best Jaune). The second, however, was a standard way to win the match but the time limit is too short to wear down a veteran fighter, meaning defeat for the opposition in the long run.

"That man seems more like the type to switch to bare-fisted combat rather than restrain himself to a spear in CQC. That leaves them with the win-by-point option. But, the difficulty of a melee is higher than a shootout. Even more dangerous, that guy was willing to let go of his weapon in exchange for a fist-fight, meaning he has confident in his skill even while unarmed."

(CQC stands for 'close-quarters-combat', refers to fist brawls, knife fights or similar within the range of one's arms) (For all of you that were as clueless as I was before opening the dictionary. XD)

"Good eyes, kid. You a new student?"

Suddenly being spoken to as he voiced his observation, Reus shifted his gaze over to his left side. Standing next to him was a fair-skinned girl in fashionable, brown attire. To say fashionable might be an understatement though as Aureus had never seen a girl casually wear so many accessories all at once. Matching black scarf and bracelet with black roses for design, a few black beaded necklaces, a side-draped skirt, a waist clincher, and black aviator shades.

As the cherry on top, a few locks on the side of her face had been dyed a light shade of caramel. If it weren't for the bullet-riddled bandolier straps that acted as her belt and handbag strap, even Reus would've mistaken her for a rich fashionista or a chic model.

"Yeah," he bluntly responded. "How'd you figure?"

"You aren't cheering for either side and you don't look like you made bets either." Adjusting her beret, she introduced herself. "The name's Coco. Coco Adel. You got a name?"

"Aureus Rex." Switching his attention back to the match, he replied with a cold tone.

"Then, Rex." She didn't sound offended. If anything, she seemed impressed that someone would reply with such an unfriendly attitude. "Are you a gambling man?"

"Not unless I'm sure who'll win."

Coco smiled at his answer. Not a second later, she had pulled out her wallet.

"So? Who and how?"

"Excuse me?!"

"Make a bet, kid. Who'll win and how. Minimum of thirty lien."

Normally, anyone would be taken aback from the statement alone. Random strangers introducing themselves to gamble was, most definitely, on the top of every children's Reasons-To-Call-The-Cops list. But finding the girl interesting, Reus decided to play along. After a minute, he drew a few cards from his back pocket and raised one towards Coco.

"Fifty on the teacher's win. Ring-out elimination for JNPR."

Raising her own card of lien, Coco replied but shouted the following so that the surrounding students could hear.

"Fifty on JNPR for a new best time and a new monthly high score against Professor Hrothgar!"

"Wha−?!"

"What's up?"

"Adel betted against Verney!"

"That's a first!"

"She thinks the professor will lose?!"

"Hey, change my sixty to JNPR!"

"My seventy-five for JNPR too!"

"A hundred lien says Verne losses his top next!"

"No switching! And no nudity bets either! The betting pool is now closed!"

"Hm?" Aside from Reus who remained quiet while scrutinizing Coco with a gaze, his surroundings had suddenly grown into an uproar. Apparently, the opinion of this one girl was enough to rattle the entire arena. The upperclassmen were either franticly begging to change their bets or whispering in doubt.

Coco, on the other hand, kept an expectant gaze on the arena. She had taken off her shades to get a better view of the fight. Though, why she wore the shades indoors was beyond anyone's comprehension. Reus, however, decided to watch the match till the end instead of asking anymore questions.

"Seems kinda noisy today. I wonder who made the winning bid?" Verne Hrothgar held both hands up in a defensive stance while remarking. His left, in a fist held horizontally before him, and his right, hidden behind his back. "So, I guess you kids have a better plan for today compared to last time."

"You bet on it, tough guy!" Nora cried out.

"Nora, now!"

Breaking the encirclement on Ren's signal, the pair of pink and green sprang into action. Ren raised his guns and opened fire while charging. With nothing to intercept with, Verne dodge-rolled to the side, specifically towards Nora. Marking her target, Nora swung Magnhild in a wide horizontal sweep at the man, forcing him to dive to her left to avoid the hammer. As if expecting him to do so, she switched forms mid swing, turning her sweep to a vertical strike from above.

BOOM CRACK

With no time to dodge again, Verne blocked with a cross-arm guard, connecting with the shaft of the giant warhammer. The floor around them fractured from the force.

ZZZT ZZZT

Sparks of electricity zapped from where Nora gripped her hammer. The air around Verne's arms glowed a dark shade of green for a moment. With a triumphant smile on her face and overbearing weight she exerted on his arms, she could tell. Verne had failed to intercept the attack. From the corner of his eye, he caught a flash of green and immediately felt the kick in his gut. The sudden strike pushed him out of under the hammer, but a complete mid-air recovery wasn't possible, and he ended up sliding on the arena floor.

DON DON

Backup wasn't far behind. Due to the range, Jaune couldn't assist his team in attacking the instructor, but that didn't mean his partner wasn't going to help them out. Back on the offensive, Pyrrha had switched back to advancing rifle fire.

Verne was now back to performing flips and rolls just to avoid getting hit. But they were not done. Ren, having recovered from his previous attack, followed up with two more kicks before jumping back and had pushed his target to the edge of the field. Two more steps back and Verne would be eliminated. To end it, a burst of bullets and two grenades were fired in his direction, but Verne was too close to the edge to avoid the volley in time.

Therefore, he chose to intercept.

Dropping the left arm which he used to block the follow-up kicks, he thrust forward his relaxed right palm. The result: A powerful gust of wind that cleared all the dust from the arena as well as deflected Ren's bullet spray. Nora's shells were also pushed aside and immediately detonated on the hard-light barrier just behind Verne, effectively clearing the area of any visual disturbances.

"Look…"

"He used it…?"

"Holy crap?!"

"Verne was forced to use his Semblance!"

WOOOOOOO

At first, the crowd went silent in disbelief, then, they cheered for the rare occurrence that was Verne Hrothgar's Semblance: Wind Flow Manipulation. To be completely accurate, he could control the flow of wind with his hands or anything he held with his hands, using the wind for offense or defense or more. As he was being pushed to the brink without a weapon, the Professor had run out of options to keep his opponents from kicking him out.

"Ren, Nora, next phase, go!"

The two on offense only glanced at their leader for a moment and nodded to each other the next. At their signal, Nora took out a canister from her skirt pocket and threw it on the ground. The container instantly detonated and the pair disappeared in a cloud of pink smoke. Supposedly, this resembled how ninjas prepared an ambush or made their escape (minus the flashy pink).

Verne, however, didn't wait for either to happen. Forming a blade with his left palm, he lashed out at empty space and a gust of wind blew away the smoke. Before it could be completely cleared up, four more canisters of assorted colors flew out of the cloud and popped more smoke. Now the entire stage was obscured by the colorful clouds.

Verne changed his stance and held his arms before his chest like he was holding a ball. Slowly, the air around him began to shift and gather around him. After a few seconds, a small cyclone surrounded him. Then, he released the tempest. Pushing his arms forward like one would when passing a ball, the cyclone dispersed in a wide angle in front of him. The clouds and their canister sources were immediately pushed back to the latter half of the arena, but not one of Team JNPR remained where they stood. The encirclement had vanished.

"What the−?!"

"UP THERE!"

At the shout of the wary audience, Verne's sights were directed to the ceiling. Immediately, he averted his gaze as the spotlights directed at the stage momentarily blinded him. Instinctively, he took a sudden step back just as a red-and-gold javelin pierced the floor and a girl wearing the same colors deftly landed on the ground next to her weapon. Catching sight of his attacker, Verne quickly moved to counterattack. Pyrrha raised javelin and, with a twirl of her wrist, used its xiphos form to block the punch. She returned the attack by shield-bashing Verne in the gut. The man pulled back and skillfully dodged the stabs from the javelin as Pyrrha chased after him. Little by little, he was being pushed to the edge. At just about fifteen steps away, he caught Pyrrha's weapon by the shaft. As she was trying to attack midway through, Verne diverted her aim and forced the tip to stab the ground, leaving her right side exposed as she tried to pull her weapon out of the ground.

"Pyrrha, back out!"

Ren dove in, weapons aimed. He jumped above his teammates head and struck the professor at the shoulder. He almost landed another kick at the man's unshaven face but was blocked by an arm, forcing Ren to pull back. Twirling in mid-air as he retreated, he opened fire. Verne immediately tensed up and blasted wind around his torso, shredding his shirt and rolled-up sleeves in the process. This revealed his large pecs and well-toned abs but also had another effect. The bullets never hit. Instead, they travelled parallel to Verne's skin. Merely averted by the winds, the bullets never even so much as grazed their target.

"""…"""

The hall became silent.

"He's…"

"HE'S STRIPPED!"

"VERNE'S LOST HIS TOP!"

"OH, MY, GAHD!"

"KYAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!"

And suddenly burst out in cheers. Mostly female squeals, but, still. It counts as a cheer. By this moment, Aureus had already forgotten that this was supposed to be a training match between professor and students and not an exhibition show. (Man-service anyone?)

Verne, shirtless and muscled, returned his arms to his sides. Ren had fallen back a few feet away with Pyrrha next to him. Glancing at each other, they made confident smiles. Confused by their expressions, Verne paused for a moment, trying to read their actions. But the pair didn't give him the time to rest. They charged. Pyrrha, with her full strength, threw a shield bash. Before Verne could intercept, he spotted Ren's leg sweep from below, forcing the shirtless professor to dodge backwards instead of blocking either attack. The two didn't let up. Ren followed with a dance of his dual bladed guns, firing and slicing directed at Verne's head, while Pyrrha attempted to trip him by stabbing at his legs with her javelin.

The professor was hard-pressed, losing ground faster than he could dodge. It didn't take long for all three to reach the edge of the playfield. For the final push off the arena, the tired red and green pair quickly assaulted his flanks. Pyrrha shield bashes with her left side while Ren performed a palm strike with his right. However, both were intercepted, one hand each. Ren's strike was blocked by Verne and had the boy's arm locked in a vice-like grip. The same happened to Pyrrha's shield with Verne pushing it back with his forearm. Both wore a surprised expression. It seems they never expected their teacher to have any strength left.

"Haaah. You guys sure are a handful today." Verne sighed while making an entertained smile on his face. In a pinned state, neither could reply as they panted in exhaustion. "What was the point of getting rid of my spear if you're gonna have a tough time knocking me down anyway?"

"Wasn't it obvious?"

Ren asked with a tired smile, confusing Verne even more.

"So that you wouldn't have anything to grab on to!"

Pyrrha answered for them both. That's when they made their move. Using Verne's iron grip to their advantage, they jumped off the ring along with the professor. His surprise was more apparent than the crowd's. The surprise attack laxed his grip on the two and they quickly used his torso as footholds to jump back inside the ring.

As a last-ditch effort, Verne threw both his arms out and directed a full-powered blast of air at the outside of the ring and below himself. The burst was powerful enough to stop him from falling out of the ring and soon, he was flying back into the safe zone.

"Whew, that was tooooo close…"

Verne had saved himself from elimination. He let out a sigh of relief as he was about to make a safe landing.

"Nora, Shooting Star."

That relief was short-lived, though.

"I BELIEVE YOU CAN FLY!"

"OH no wait! I'm not ready−gah−aaaaaaaaaaaAAAAAAAGGGGGGGHHHHHHHH!"

A golden white object flew like a meteor. Its course: the professor who wore a wide-eyed expression while hovering at the edge of the arena.

"LOOK OOOUUUT!"

"WHAT THE FU−GUHOO!"

CRAAAASSSSHHHHHHH

"… W-w-Winner by elimination, Team JNPR! Time remaining: Two minutes and twenty-two seconds!"

It took them a while, but someone from the stands cried out the announcement as soon as he stopped stuttering. But what followed was the whispering of disbelief emanating from the audience.

"Two, twenty-two?"

"They beat CFVY's record of one minute and forty-two seconds…"

"But that doesn't mean they won… did they…?"

"Yeah, unless they get past CFVY's score of twelve points, the only thing they got beat was the time record..."

"Yeah, there's no way… right?"

"…"

Such talk filled the atmosphere. Reus noticed the tension almost instantly. Most of the audience began whispering back and forth, growing even louder as the combatants gathered together. Verne Hrothgar dusted himself off before catching up with Team JNPR who all lined up at his side. Well, at least tried to. Jaune was being supported by Pyrrha's shoulder as he limped next to her. The hall was abuzz with restless chatter until the teacher took the center stage.

"Alright, listen up!" After clearing his throat, the entire place had gone quiet. Smiling devilishly to accentuate his fine-looking visage, he continued. "Every one of you kids know the rules and the score requirements. To prevent biased opinion, I'll announce the scores as always. The results for Team JNPR's match are as follows−"

NORA VALKYRIE
-Two hits landed (2), a smoke blind (2), contribution to a disarm (3)
Individual Score: 7 points
Team Contribution: 3.5 points

LIE REN
-Three hits landed (3), a smoke blind (2), contribution to a disarm (3)
Individual Score: 8 points
Team Contribution: 4 points

PYRRHA NIKHOS
-Also three hits landed (3), disable by weapon lock (2), using the light to blind (2), also a smoke blind (2), and a disarm (3)
Individual Score: 12 points
Team Contribution: 6 points

JAUNE ARC
-A hit (1), disable by weapon lock (2), smoke blind (2), and a disarm (3)
-Out of bounds/Eliminated (Divide total by two)
Individual Score (8/2): 4 points
Team Contribution: 2 points

TEAM POINTS TOTAL: 15.5 points

"Well, I hate decimals, so I'm rounding up their score to sixteen. This means they take the top spot starting today. As for their reward for beating CFVY's high score, Team JNPR gets the entire month off, including homework and daily sparring. If anyone can do better, I'm giving the victor the "special treatment" after this month is over. Well, that would mean getting a better time than they did while also having a perfect team score. This concludes today's match. Good luck, kiddos."

The professor ended the announcement with a wink along with the mischievous grin he started with, getting some swooning moans from his personal fan club. (+Man-service…) Then, he and Team JNPR decided to vacate the arena. Just as the four victors and the adult left the ring,

"BOOOOOO!"

"Screw it! That new high score is impossible to beat!"

"Kill joy JNPR!"

"Dammit! We were so close to beating CFVY's too!"

"Sensei wa suteki desu!"

"I still love you Ren!"

Jeers, boos and some other nonsensical things were thrown into the stage. As well as a few cans of sodas and some food wrap from the disappointed ones that spectated the event.

"What… the hell… just happened?"

Snatching away the card he held in his hand, Coco smiled as she tossed her winnings into her purse.

"Professor Hrothgar finds it more entertaining to pit students against each other. Actual fighting between teams is fun, but having them compete in scores makes the games even more interesting. Plus, the rewards are much more appealing than good grades. Besides," she glanced over her shoulder. "I ever said that Team JNPR was facing Verne to win against him. They did it for the scores at the end of the match."

Reus watched as she walked away, or he would've until he noticed a card fly towards his face. Catching it with one hand, he recognized that Coco threw back a twenty-lien card at him.

"Hey, what's your deal? You said fifty, didn't you?"

Putting aside the fact that he lost, getting money that he didn't earn went against Reus' character. Hence the question.

"I only needed thirty so consider this as your novice-gambler advice fee. Fun tip: You can easily tell who'll win the match not by who fights but by who watches and makes the bets. The better they know both fighters, the more accurate their observations. See you around, Rex."

"Coco! There you are. Guys, I found her!" Just as she walks away, a student with bunny ears approaches her. "Have you been gambling again? We should've left for Vale over an hour ago."

"Chill out, Vel," Coco seemed a bit flustered but smiled at the new arrival. Her composure when talking to Reus was more of a façade compared to her current state. "I was short thirty, so I made a quick buck. Nothing to get riled up on, Eheheh…"

"I really don't recommend doing that. The act alone is a bad example for the new students," another, even larger student made his appearance and agreed with the bunny. On a side note, he was so tall, Reus noticed him from across the seats even before Velvet called out to Coco. "If you were short on money, we could've covered for you just this once."

"Yatsu's really a stickler for the rules…"

"Yatsuhashi's right. Quit causing trouble at a whim already. You're one of the reasons Goodwitch has a lot of shit to deal with when it comes to misled first years."

"Ahahah…"

A third, one added in a cold tone. Dark-skinned, average build and covered in scars, his words were blunter than the pair before him, indicating that he seemed to know Coco on a personal level. Reus then assumed that they were all friends, if not teammates. Their exchange made the scene feel all the more casual.

"When Fox puts it that way, somehow, I feel even worse," Coco says while making a defeated expression.

"So," the girl named Velvet started to walk alongside her team as they made their exit. "Who won?"

"JNPR did. Jaune went with our original plan."

"But didn't the four of us agree that hand-to-hand against Professor Verne wasn't any better than when he was armed?"

"Yeah, well," Coco scratched the back of her head in frustration. "They added some tricks of their own. They even decided to throw the pipsqueak at Verne. Plus, the point count is beyond ours. Aw dammit, it'll be hard to earn back all the perks too with such a good high score."

"We can just do better next time."

Velvet consoled her friend with a pat on the back.

"Although we lost the top placement, it is reassuring to know that our underclassmen are improving as well."

"You're just happy that Ren took your advice, aren't you, Yatsu?"

"Lie only asked for my advice. His performance was due to his own diligence and his competent teammates."

"At least, they do a better job of it than Coco."

Yatsuhashi made a proud face while Fox jabbed at their leader.

"Foxy, baby, is that a challenge?"

"If it's gonna be entertaining, then bring it. I'll make sure you land flat on your ass in the mud again this time."

"Don't ruin the training area again, you two."

"Guys, seriously, let it go."

Ignoring the four's banter as they walked out the door, Reus returned his focus to the arena, specifically, towards the entrance that led to the resting area. It was located at the edge of the arena but within eye-view. He was currently evaluating everything that just happened.

The fight he just observed wasn't one that he expected from a Huntsman school. The way Team JNPR approached their opponent may have been an acceptable method if the target was something they had experienced fighting before. But the way they finished the fight was, without a doubt, the most reckless method he had ever seen. Not even his former instructors from Atlas would accept a victory won through such a ridiculous strategy. Well, there was one exception though, but that man wasn't of the 'normal' category anyway so including him would just complicate matters. However, if he guessed wrong, then Jaune Arc, his teammates, and, most likely, everyone else at Beacon Academy could have been trained to be included in that exception.

Speaking of complicated, Reus suddenly noticed. A grin formed on his face.

'If there was a problem, the best solution would be a direct approach, wouldn't it?'

With that thought, he made his way.

"Haaaaaaaaah. No more. I'm beat."

Jaune sat on the chair, letting out a sigh. Well, less than sat, collapsed is more like it. Pyrrha smiled back in reply while opening her locker door.

"Here, you deserve it," she said, handing out a bottle. "Your plan was a success."

Taking the bottle, Jaune immediately took a gulp of the warm water. This was a bad choice as he ended up with a coughing fit.

"Slowly, Jaune. No need to rush since we don't have classes for the day anyway."

Ren had given his leader a pat on the back, attempting to reassure his friend. Afterwards, he too opened his locker and propped his twin machine guns inside. Taking out a long pink towel, the boy proceeded to wipe himself of his own sweat while Nora assisted him with her own matching pink towel, much to Ren's displeasure. (Not that he could do anything except accept Nora's love. GO NORA ( o )!)

"Don't you mean 'No classes for the rest of the month'? Yeah! We are so awesooooome!"

"Hahahahah," Quite suddenly, a man's laugh entered the room. Looking over to the entrance of the locker room, their instructor leaned against the wall. "If you think it was ever that easy to get away from school, don't you think your upperclassman would've already done that by now?"

"What's up, Verney? Here to congratulate us? Or are you just gonna whine about us kicking your butt really good today?"

"Hahahah," The instructor laughed back as he closed the door behind him. "If you think I'm gonna fall for that again, don't bother. Besides, your strategy today has improved compared to your last few attempts. Even better, it's more blood boiling than the one I had with Team RWBY's. That last attack really got me by surprise. You four deserve the timeout."

"Eheheh," most of Team JNPR chuckled nervously at that memory.

Well, if a certain someone hadn't tried to hit-on his own students AND accidentally shred their beloved hair by accident, then another certain someone could've kept their calm and stuck to the plan before losing her cool and getting eliminated almost immediately. Sad to say, but without someone taking the brunt of the damage, neither Weiss nor Ruby could get a clean shot on their instructor. Blake was most definitely down for the count when she got thrown out of the ring with her partner, leaving the other pair helpless to the more battle-hardened fighter.

"But don't forget that I can only let you guys off my class. If you wanna get another vacation, convincing Goodwitch is the least of your worries."

"What? Why?" asked a confused Nora. "Guys, what's he talking about?"

It seemed that not everyone was on the same page. But, having grown used to Nora's absentmindedness, Ren was quick on the follow-up.

"Nora, I know you wanna cut lose and relax. But we're only exempted from Verne's class. We still have Professor Oobleck and Port to worry about."

"Aw, dang it!"

Nora made a disappointed face. But she immediately changed back to 'cheery mode' as she tried to help Ren change out his shirt that was covered in dust and sweat. This annoyed the stoic boy leading him to always attempt it behind her back. But as Nora was naturally equipped with a Rendar (Ren radar), his attempts were in vain.

"Jaune, don't you mean 'Dr. Oobleck'?" corrected Pyrrha. "You wouldn't want him to give you extra assignments just so you will remember his professional title, now would you?"

"Eheheh. Good point."

Everyone may have already heard about that man's profession, but that didn't mean they would remember it.

"Bart's always been obsessive about his title. Of course, his main reason would be how hard he worked for it. But don't let it get to ya, kids. Even I feel it easier calling him 'Professor'."

"Verney, you knew Doctor Oobleck before starting here?"

Jaune, who had asked, sat up with his back straight. Just as curious as their leader, Pyrrha paused while she stowed away her shield atop her weapon in gladius form. The pink-green duo also listened in. Mainly Ren was as Nora was too busy drying his hair in her towel. (Not that he would notice later as they had similar towels. XD)

"We have our history. In fact, he was one of the ones who asked me out for this job."

"He got you to work at Beacon?"

Intrigued, the whole team directed curious gazes at Beacon's Live Combat Instructor. As he was fairly new to the post, having only started a few months back, they were all fairly interested on his history with another, well-acquainted professor.

"Well, we once cooperated together in a past job. So, you could say I owe him one."

"Really? Doesn't seem like you two would fit well in a team."

"You could say that again, kiddo," Verne merely shrugged his shoulders as he replied to Nora's words. "During the time, we ran out of time waiting for volunteers, so we had no choice but to go it alone, just the two of us."

"What kind of mission was it?"

"Ah, just a quick search-and-rescue gig just around the borders of South Vale. I think it was around seven years ago. We've known each other ever since the job."

"That means you used to work beyond the walls?"

"If you mean 'living life dangerously', yeah."

Saying so with an over-confident, and yet handsome, grin would make it seem like he was trying to show off with a cheap pick-up line.

"… so cool…"

But then again, Jaune had a soft spot for badass Huntsman with badass stories about their heroic badassery. Pyrrha had grown used to this childish side of her leader that she simply chuckled at the sight.

(Reserved Nikos) '… He's so cute…'

(Aggressive Nikos) '… Girl, you know it…'

"My past with Bart aside, what're you guys planning to do with all the free time you have? It's all month, you know? Better make it worthwhile."

"Well, we were planning on just having some fun, like hang out in Vale, eat some cakes, prank a few teachers, break a few legs, not get caught by Goodwitch. Stuff like that."

A very Nora-like answer filled with very Nora-like activities replies Nora as Nora answers for Nora's team.

"We will be avoiding most of that though. Since we are now second years, I believe it is best for us to catch up on our studies. Just because we have fewer classes compared to last year, it does NOT entitle us to slack off."

Ren replies, raining on Nora's parade.

Although he may say this, it won't actually affect Nora negatively. As a matter of fact,

"Aw, come on! One pancake (covered in whip cream, coco-sprinkles, N&N's, Skits, maple syrup, and topped with a bunch of cherries) paired with a hot cup of coffee every day never hurt nobody. I'll let you have a cherry! What do you say?"

This is Nora, negotiating.

"No."

This is Ren, declining.

"Come on! Pleeeeeeaaaasssssseeeee!"

This is Nora, puppy-dog begging.

"You can have the cherries. But no coffee. At all."

This is Ren, compromising.

"Pretty please with just one cup of sweet, sweet caffeine!"

"Nora, I'm serious."

"Aw…"

(Gee, we wonder why… Ren was probably doing this for the sake of NOT ending the world. And maybe we don't have to go through that psychedelic multiverse chibi episode again… (XD))

Fourth-wall breaking aside, only a single thought floated in the minds of the three others in the room.

'So, the diabetic breakfast is okay with you then?'

KNOCK KNOCK

"Excuse me. Is Jaune Arc in? I'd like to talk with him for a bit."

Accompanying the sound of knocking on the door, the unfamiliar male voice called out Team JNPR's clueless leader. Three people all turned questioning gazes at Jaune. The 'questioning' here describes pure curiosity. If the voice was female, and a complete stranger at that, then 'inquisitive' would best describe a certain Spartan's fierce glare. But today was different. Ren and Nora's gazes were particularly curious as it was rare for someone other than their circle of friends to ask for Jaune by name unless he was in trouble. Pyrrha's was filled with a slight worry for that very reason. But, apparently not recognizing the voice, all Jaune could respond with was a shrug of his own.

He got up and opened the locker room's door and came face to face with a pair of beautiful crimson. The owner, an unfamiliar blonde dude with tanned skin, did not have Beacon's uniform on. He didn't seem familiar at first glance before Jaune suddenly remembered. Today was the scheduled arrival of first years. This meant that seeing one could expect several to a few dozen fresh faces freely wandering about before dinnertime. But one calling out to him was beyond abnormal. Even more so as the stranger wore a polite smile like what a businessman would during negotiations.

"I'm Jaune. Can I help you?"

"Aureus Rex. Call me Reus. Do you mind if we chat somewhere else?"

"Uh, what is it about? Is Ms. Goodwitch looking for me again?"

"…" Silence, then, "Ahahaha. No, man. You're not in trouble. Hahah."

Laughing in amusement, it seems that, to the new guy, 'Ms. Goodwitch looking for you' equated to 'you're in trouble'. It was the general thought process of most Beacon students so it was considered the norm.

"Eheheheh. Whew…" Chuckling, Jaune exhales in relief and gives his team a thumbs-up to reassure them. "It's cool. I'm not in trouble this time. Eheheh"

"Ahahaha, haaa, nope. You're not," Aureus calmed himself, then continued in a serious tone. "But your sister is."

"Ehehehe… I'm sorry, what?"

"Jaune, can I call you Jauney?"

"Wait, wha−what are you talking about? Do you know a sister of mine?"

Not answering the Arc's question, Reus pressed on.

"Would you like to hear a story I heard from your twin? It might take a while so could we do it somewhere else?"

"Hey, wait!"

"Jaune?"

Leaving his confused teammates in the room, Jaune quickly followed the guy he just met. He was curious about what the boy called Reus was talking about, but he was even more concerned as to how the guy knew his sister. He may have told his friends that he had seven of them but not once had he mentioned about having a twin. With his back to the Arc, Jaune failed to notice the change in Reus' expression. A cold smile curled itself on his lips.

Evening, inside the ballroom, first year students here and there prepared their sleeping bags. Some inspected their gear for the following morning while others were already asleep. However, tucked away in a small corner of the girls' side, a blonde in bunny-print, sky-blue pajamas had her face buried in a pillow. Sitting next to her, another girl of the same age wearing a brown hooded sweater was nervously fiddling with her thumbs while making a worried face. In an outsider's perspective, one can assume that the hooded one was trying her best to calm down the pillow-strangling one.

"Mmmmmmm…"

"Er, Jeane?"

"MmmMmmm…"

"Are you really alright?"

"MmmmMmmMmmmMmmm…"

"Are you that disappointed that we didn't get to meet your brother today?"

"… … Mmm…"

"Did you really want to see him before Initiation that badly?"

"… … … … Mmm…"

"Eheheh, that's so cute of you Jeane."

"Puha, don't laugh! It's already embarrassing to admit it."

Breaking her strangle-hold on her pillow, Jeane pouted in dismay as Fran struggled to suppress her giggling. When Fran was done, Jeane returned to strangle her pillow once more but, this time, kept half of her face revealed instead of whole-heartedly burying it in the cotton.

The obvious explanation to Jeane's behavior was summarized in the short exchange. Yes, they failed to find Jaune throughout the entire day.

"Why is it so hard to find him today? Mom should've contacted him before I left."

"Maybe he's just a bit busy today."

"Mmmmmmmm… This would've been faster if I had just stolen my sister's scroll before she dropped me off at the station."

'She means to say 'borrowed', right? Right?!' (Wrong XD)

Fran tried to comfort her friend while nervously smiling. It was true that she wanted to meet her friend's dear brother, but there was really no need to rush. If she had to be frank, she, like the many other Initiates in the ballroom, also wanted to get some rest. Considering all that had happened throughout the day, she felt that she needed the shut-eye for tomorrow's main event. However, understanding that Jeane was frustrated and already well beyond Fran's control, she kept smiling while keeping quiet.

"… MmmmmmmMmmmmmmm…"

"The day's not over yet. You just might see him before we set out tomorrow."

"… Mmmmm… But I waited so long…"

"Then can you hold it in, at least, until tomorrow?"

"…"

"Jeane? Your reply?"

"… but I wanna see him…"

"… Eheheh… Haaah…" Fran could do nothing but sigh as she nervously scratched the freckles on her face. She couldn't help it as Jeane was already begging with a puppy-eyed expression while pouting.

Incessant whining aside, Jeane also understood that her behavior was unbecoming for a girl her age. Fortunately for her, as they chose a small corner to place their sleeping bags, not one stranger bothered to notice. On the other hand, Fran's patience was approaching its limit. It was her first time comforting someone and trying to get someone like her new friend to compromise was surprisingly difficult for the tired girl.

Then, her unexpected savior appeared.

"Excuse me, by any chance, is your friend there named 'Jeane Arc'?"

Fran turned to face the unfamiliar girl. Standing behind her, a young beautiful lady with long black hair smiled back in reply to Fran's stare. She would've inquired why the stranger was asking, however, Fran was taken aback. For a moment, she held her breath as she realized how unbelievably elegant this new girl appeared.

'Breathtaking' was one way of putting it, another would be 'transcendent'. Skin as fair as can be, Hair, dark and straight, was tied in a tail by a beautiful ribbon. It was tied so that it covered the left side of her face while flowing down her left shoulder. Not to mention, her eyes, or rather the only visible one, her right eye, glowed royal blue, the same as her ribbon.

It was as if the princess that dwelled on the moon had descended upon the mortal world while still enveloped in her godly radiance. Such a sight was too much to behold for the plain-looking Fran. It wasn't as if Fran was jealous of the girl's features, no. She had grown up and lived her life under the code of efficiency. Such things as looks and presentation were almost of no concern to her. But somehow, at the face of such grandeur, she couldn't stop but admire the girl's beauty. Rather, her current state of mind was more of awe and admiration.

"Um, is there something on my face?"

Apparently concerned as to why the girl in the hoodie only stared back in reply, the stranger's second question brought Fran back to reality.

"Uh, no. There's nothing. Sorry."

Flustered was Fran's reply, eliciting a chuckle from the stranger.

"Akanohi Seika."

"?"

Only when she held out a hand did Fran realize she was introducing herself.

"I'm Fran. Fran Sanctis."

Politely, she returned the gesture.

"Then, Fran," Seika politely asked. "Perhaps you could help me out. I'm looking for a girl named Jeane Arc. She's a blonde with very beautiful ice-blue eyes."

"Can I ask why?"

It was a proper question. Normally, one shouldn't expose the identity of someone they knew to someone they didn't. It might be obstructive or unhelpful in some perspectives or cases. But to introduce a friend to a stranger you just met on their own behalf, it would be an act too intimate for someone she just met. In Fran's case, she believed that pointing at Jeane who sat next to her and saying the words 'that's her' to Seika would be the same as reading the contents of Jeane's diary out loud in the middle of a classroom.

It might be an extreme way of putting it, but Fran was against introducing someone she didn't know to someone she had just met unless she had a reason why she should. Seika must've understood this fact as, instead of getting mad, she obliged to answer while smiling back.

"One of the upperclassmen is waiting outside. He says he needs to have a word with his sister, but since he's a guy, there's no way he could enter the girl's half of the−Uwoaah!"

"Is it true?! Is my brother really looking for me right this instant?!"

"Jeane! Don't attack the stranger!"

Seika couldn't finish her explanation. Why? Because a wild Jeane had halfway pounced onto her and had clung to the new girl's waist. Sorry. 'Clung' may not be the best word. 'Attached herself' is more fitting.

"Eheheh. There's no need to cry. If your brother is named Jaune, then yes, he's outside waiting for you."

Seika could do nothing only smile back as she answered. In the world of normalcy, one would expect a scolding for Jeane's actions especially from a girl her age. But as the blonde's current expression resembled that of a lost child crying out for her mama, Seika did the most reasonable thing she could think of. She made a reassuring smile as she comforted the crybaby with kind words.

Seika used 'Kindness'.

It was super effective. (To Jeane)

"Thank you!" says the blonde as she rushes out to meet her older brother.

However, as Seika had smiled naturally, it had another effect on those who observed from the sidelines.

'Is that an angel?'

'No, she's a goddess.'

'A goddess has descended.'

'I must be dreaming or dead.'

'Did I fall asleep and go to Heaven?'

It was beyond super effective. (To every other girl in the vicinity. No Homo. Or Yuri.)

If Fran had the Semblance of mind-reading or telepathy, these words would've been all she heard. Well, she probably wouldn't notice anyway. Why? Because she, like all the other nearby female students that had been roused by the noisy Jeane, were captivated by a beauty that trespassed into divine territory.

Snapping back into reality, Fran remembered that Jeane had just taken off. Left to watch their stuff, all she could do was sit back and wait for her friend. But before the stranger could leave,

"Uh, thank you, Miss Akanohi," she unwittingly called out to the divine beauty. "For passing the message to my friend, I mean."

"Seika."

"Huh?"

Smiling at the dumbfounded expression she had got in reply, she continued.

"Call me Seika. Akanohi is my surname."

"Ah, I'm sorry."

"Don't be. Most people make the same mistake every now and then."

Fran could only smile back in reply.

"Well, I must be going. I still need to find an open spot to turn in for the night. Sweet dreams to you, Fran."

As she wished Fran a good night, the amused grin Seika returned caused the hooded girl to feel butterflies fluttering within her stomach. Perhaps the immaculate beauty of the girl known as Seika was too much for a recluse like Fran to handle, but having grown up far away from the big city, seeing someone as stunning as her was almost too rare. This was probably the cause for the feelings she currently felt bubbling within herself. Either that or she was hungry again. But before she could figure out which, Seika had already moved quite a bit away from their spot. It would've been rude to pester the elegant beauty anymore for the night and calling out to her while everyone else tried to sleep would just be impolite.

With nothing to do and no one to talk to, Fran just laid down and tucked herself in while waiting for her friend.

'Well, I hope Jeane gets the reunion she's been waiting for. It would be nice if we could both get some rest.'

As the day had taken its toll on her, she entertained such thoughts while drifting away to sleep.

While one child immediately falls asleep, another was bouncing with excitement and joy. Carefully, Jeane tiptoed around the sleeping bags of her fellow female Initiates, quietly making her way to the ballroom's half-open door. Speaking of which, as she got closer, she started to hear voices from beyond the doorway.

"… rules are rules. It's almost curfew, and you know what happens to second-time offenders."

Just as she reached her destination, her excitement almost fizzled out like a sparkler under the rain. Through the visible crack of the open door, Jeane saw her. Standing just outside like a guard dog, the queen of quietness, the teacher of terror, the educator of hell… (Too much?) (Yep.)

Glynda Goodwitch, was reprimanding another student. Terrified that her brother might get in trouble if she was caught again, Jeane snuck up to the door and listened in on the conversation.

"No matter what your reasons may be, you'll have to postpone your meeting with anyone inside until tomorrow."

"But Professor, I−"

"No 'but's. And lower your voice."

Jeane couldn't exactly understand what they were talking about. But she understood one thing. As long as Goodwitch remained on standby at the one and only exit, there was no way Jeane would be able to meet up with her dear brother.

'Tch, if only she would leave.'

Clicking her tongue out of frustration was her first response. But before Jeane could do anything else about it, the conversation outside continued.

"But I already asked someone to help me contact her just a while ago. Can't I wait for just a little while longer, please?"

"… … Oh, all right. We'll wait here for five minutes, but no more than that. Just stay put and don't raise your voice. You can't go inside either. Whoever it is you need to talk to has to come out instead, so you don't bother the ones already asleep."

"Thanks, Ms. Goodwitch!"

"…"

"Oh! Sorry..."

That last bit sounded like Glynda glared at the student for shouting his thanks. Other than that, it seemed that the Professor had given up trying to convince her student and decided to let him be. For what, though, Jeane did not know. Maybe they were waiting for someone? What she did know was that Goodwitch wasn't leaving anytime soon. Oh, also, she felt like she recognized the voice that belonged to the student too. As she wondered where she heard it from, the talk outside resumed.

"Really now. After that disturbance just the other day, I thought for sure your and Ms. Rose's Teams would behave for just a few more days. Not a day later and yet another incident occurs."

"Eheheheh, we're sorry about that, Ma'am. Really, really sorry."

"I know that you kids can't help but cause trouble every now and then, but the least you could do is think about the ones affected by the trouble you get involved with."

"Yes, Ma'am. Sorry, Ma'am."

"I'm not just talking about the staff, either. People you're close to, friends, especially families. No matter the circumstance, your actions affect them too. Be it worry or shame."

"Eheh, does that mean I need to apologize to them too?"

"Saying 'sorry' too many times makes the expression lose its meaning, Jaune. Do you understand that? I'm not going to write to your family and tell them about any shenanigans you are involved in. Unless you have done something extremely concerning or are involved in something that extends beyond Professor Ozpin's jurisdiction, your actions are your responsibility alone. Tattling about you to your families is like throwing a box of dust in a raging bonfire."

"… … … … Uh… …"

"It's a metaphor for 'it'll only make things worse', Jaune. Do you understand?"

"Yes, Ma'am. I'll be sure to tell the others to be careful too− "BROOOTHER!" −AGAH!"

As soon as she heard that name, the name of the one she had wanted to meet again for so long, she lost it. Jumping out to him, clad only in her blue pajamas and crying out loudly, a pair of blondes crashed to the floor in the most not-quiet way.

"Dear brother, oh, how I've missed you so, brother!"

"Jeane?! AAAAGH! MMMMmmmMMMmmmMMMMM!"

Due to the uncontrollable feelings within her chest, Jeane, realizing that it was Jaune all along, did the most natural thing that popped in her mind: She enveloped her elder twin brother in an embrace. Tightly. Against her chest. She was suffocating him. (This is not meant to be fanservice.) Jaune's muffled cries is because his mouth had been blocked. Pushing against her, Jaune tried to free himself from the sudden ambush by pushing her away with his hands to her shoulders.

"I get it! I get it, so could you please?! Pipe down! Pipe down and let go!"

TAP TAP TAP

Jaune was panicking. He wasn't the type to get flustered nor get a nosebleed from having his sibling press herself against his face. Only actual perverts would do that, or so he believed. However, there was another, more pressing matter that he was more concerned about. To be specific, it was the blonde lady standing right next to the sibling pile on the floor.

TAP TAP TAP

Did I mention how cold it was outside? It was really chilly. The seasons shifted from summer to fall, causing the air around Beacon Academy, that rested near the edge of a cliff, to drop several degrees. As it was evening, the night air had become frigid. Maybe this was the reason for the eerie appearance of Glynda Goodwitch.

TAP TAP TAP

"(Sigh) what did I just say, Mr. and Ms. Arc?"

Glynda, cold from the frosty night air, let out a sigh that turned into a white cloud as it left her lips. The tapping of her foot, her ever-stern gaze that burned holes into Jaune's, the ominously glared directed at the pair. What's more, her posture as she crossed her arms in disappointment, all of the above, made her image of 'the Frozen Witch of the North' ever more apparent.

TAP TAP TAP

"How many times must I repeat myself?" Such a cold countenance caused the twins' spines to feel a chill as she spoke again. "Well, Arc siblings?"

""Hiii! No, Ma'am! We'll stay quiet now!"" "We're sorry!" "Really!"

Quick to sense the danger, the two replied in sync. Well, almost in sync. Just like how many expect of the case between stereotypical twins. It wasn't that they could read each other's minds, though. They just both knew that a mad Goodwitch is the last thing they want for the night. Or any time of the day. No, for an eternity, for that matter.

"Five minutes. Do I make myself clear?"

""Yes. Yes, Ma'am!""

Ending her death glare, Goodwitch left the twins and slowly closed the entrance after stepping inside. Obviously, she was going in to resume her patrol as well as 'handle' any miscreants that would dare cause trouble in the middle of the night. As Jeane was still outside, she closed it but left the doors unlocked.

""Wheeeeeew…""

Simultaneously letting out a sigh of relief, the twin blondes glanced at each other and burst out, laughing… or so they would have. If not for the thought that there was an even more terrifying being than Grimm that currently resided inside the building next to them, the pair would've caused another ruckus.

""Eheheh Eheheh…""

They couldn't help but chuckle quietly instead. Neither could help it although they weren't sure why. Maybe the thought of both of them being scolded by an older, parental figure was enough to rouse the nostalgia within their hearts. Then again, it may just be because it had been a year since they last saw each other.

"I missed you, brother."

"You too, sister."

Jaune replied so, all the while, being enveloped in his twin's loving embrace. This time, he wasn't being choked, but rather, Jeane's gentle embrace felt as fragile as glass. It was the same old feeling that Jaune completely recognized as Jeane's. Delicate and trembling in his arms, just like how she always was when she was afraid. Her messy hair tickled his nose, just like old times, as she held back tears while leaning on his shoulder.

"I've waited so long to see you again."

"Yeah. I know you have."

Jeane cried silently. But, although tears streaked down her cheeks, she was smiling. Holding on to her brother as if scared he would fly away, she smiled. Needless to say, she was happier than anyone else in the school, if not, the world, if only for this moment alone.

Jaune gently hugged his sister back. But, although he wore a smile on his face, his eyes were downcast, unnoticed by Jeane who held on to his chest. As if scared to return the gesture, he pulled away from the embrace. Sensing a change in her brother, she faced him… only to see his smirking expression.

"Wha− What are you laughing at, brother?"

Jaune had a hand hiding his face, however, it wasn't enough to conceal the smirk he directed to his twin.

"Eheheh… I'm sorry…"

Busted, he could only apologize while pulling out a handkerchief. Before Jeane could ask what it was for, Jaune had already started wiping her tears. First her left cheek, then the right. This was the norm between the two. Jaune had always wiped her tears for her when they were kids and Jeane's dependence on him only continued from there. She became quite the spoiled baby once her brother was around.

Once she thought he was done, Jaune pinched her nose with the cloth.

"Blow."

(Okay, she isn't that much of a baby anymore, right? She's already eighteen, right?)

"Pffffft…"

(…. (0 _0 )\\(- _ - ) ….)

Jeane casually blew her nose while her brother held the handkerchief. Like it was normal. Having missed her brother for so long (to be precise, approximately a year), Jeane just went with the flow and allowed herself to be pampered, like always.

After she had calmed down, the pair currently sat on the nearby bench under the shattered moonlight. Jeane twiddled with her fingers, unsure as what to do now that her goal having already been accomplished: seeing Jaune again. Jaune, on the other hand, sat next to his twin. Relaxed with his back to the bench and his hands at his sides, he seemed to be at peace next to his twin. Both siblings were currently staring at the stars in the sky in silence.

It might be a bit late, but to describe their current appearance, Jaune wore a simple V-neck, T-shirt and his jeans. His black bunny-hoodie was currently being worn by Jeane. Clad only in her silk pajamas, the chilly air caused her breaths to become clouds.

"It's been a year, huh..."

Breaking the silence first… was Jaune.

"It has, brother…"

"How have you been while I was away? Did you learn to help out with mom and dad?"

"I could never replace you, brother. But I did my best to help mother and father while you were away. I had Lily teach me a lot, including laundry and cooking. Of course, I'm still not on the same level as dear brother, but Lily says that, with a year's worth of practice, I'll be able to reach Phia's level."

'That last bit is not something to be proud of, little sister. Well, maybe in your case, it can be considered as a 'great improvement'.'

Jaune thought as much but refrained from saying it out loud. A year ago, before he left home, Jeane was, put bluntly, a walking disaster. Cleaning up after her was difficult in that you needed at least one person trailing after her to collect her discarded clothes. If it was cooking, there was one incident in which the house had almost burned to the ground. While cleaning ended up with a flood in the bathroom.

Due to all that, Jaune and the three eldest of the siblings could only let her be, spoiling her rotten, so to speak. Their parents were too busy, and even when they tried, well, results speak for themselves. Let's just say that if Arc Senior wasn't so lucky, Crocea Mors would've accidentally beheaded a human being before Jaune's first Grimm.

Now, comparing to their other sisters, Lilian Arc was the most responsible and hardworking of the seven. Although younger than the twins by two years, she was already considered to be the 'unbreakable willpower' of the Arc children by the time she was twelve, pushing her other siblings to work past their limits simply by showing her support.

She also had a lot of patience. Meaning that, if Lily took it upon herself to teach Jeane, there was no way results wouldn't show. Seeing his twin brimming with confidence as she answered him, he wouldn't dare shatter her hope now. However, being told that she would attain the current level of the second worst sister of the bunch, that wasn't saying much. To describe Phia, otherwise known as Sephia Arc, the Arc household wouldn't be standing if she carelessly opened her mouth.

.

.

.

(Moving on…)

"Also, our sisters taught me many things. Most of them were in preparation for my coming here, but they also helped me convince father to train me. Father was amazed. He said I learned fast and was surprised that I had never put so much effort into something other than following after you, dear brother."

Jaune winced at the words but Jeane failed to notice.

"My little sister… you passed the rigorous entrance exams… on your own…?"

It was a quiet question. Jeane thought that he, being mindful of Goodwitch, opted to ask in a low tone.

"Yes…"

"You never even wanted to be a Huntress… but in the year that I was gone, you pushed yourself to be able to enroll at Beacon?"

"Yes… However,… I was only able to come this far because… because it was for big brother…"

"Why…?"

"Eh…?"

"Getting into this school means you're only going to be able to apply for the job of a Huntress. If you do that, it'll be hard to get a different job when you get tired of it, you know?"

"Such a thing… it's no trouble for me, brother."

"But it's still a dangerous job. There's criminals and Grimm. You might get hurt, or worse… …"

Jaune didn't finish. She already knew what he was going to say. Jeane's thoughts drifted to the conversation she had this afternoon. But, almost immediately, she shook the memory off and replied with confidence as she always has.

"If I'm with you, brother, I don't care how dull or dangerous the job may be."

"Why… would you go so far?"

"…"

Jeane became silent. It wasn't that she didn't have an answer. It was just that she found it hard to form the word for it. And that she felt slightly embarrassed.

"If big brother hadn't left home so suddenly, I would never have poured in so much effort, just so I could get into Beacon. But now that I have, I was able to return to your side again."

"Why…?"

Lowering her gaze from the sky to face Jaune, tears had started to well up in her eyes once more as her cheeks turned red. She took Jaune's hand in her own and brought it close to her chest.

"Isn't it obvious, Jaune? You're all I need. As long as I'm by my dear brother's side, there is nowhere else I'd rather be."

From a bystander's perspective, it would seem as if she was trying to convey her heartfelt feelings, akin to a confession.

Jaune didn't let go of his twin's hand. Instead, he had gotten up and helped his sister to her feet and proceeded to hug her again.

"It's good to see you again, Jeane," whispered Jaune.

"You as well, brother," replied Jeane.

Jeane reciprocated the gesture and felt a calm wash over her soul. She wished that the moment could last longer. That such a peaceful scene could stay as it was.

"Sis."

"Yes, brother?"

But alas. Reality had other plans.

"I'll ask one last time. Promise me you'll give me your honest answer. Are you ready?"

"I promise, brother."

"Why did you come here?"

Pulling away from the hug, Jeane stared back at her twin's beautiful cobalt-blue eyes. With the same determination as her answer to that red-eyed jerk this afternoon, she replied.

"To be with you and no one else, Jaune. I came to Beacon so that I would never be apart from you ever again."

Jaune smiled at her reply…

Jeane smiled back…

But underneath the shattered moon's light…

One smile revealed her innocence and joy…

The other buried his jealousy and frustration…

AUTHOR'S NOTES: FINALLY! Initiation next! Then, I can focus on the future!...

Reeeeeal sorry about that huge delay. Revising took a while as thesis season pelts me with papers and projects like there's no tomorrow. Fixing things here and there during my free time is especially difficult as most of the free time I have is spent in either my dreams or at church. Fun fact: It is during those moments that I get to contemplate on the actual workings of my characters. Thinking about how to create an awesome action sequence or design a weapon functionality while the dude down in front discusses his place I our religion is… how to say… invigorating. (Don't do that at church kiddos. Ya might go down under if ya don't pay attention.)

Back to this delayed update, I pretty much intensified the hostilities between my two main characters, as well as emphasize the problems they carry within themselves. More on that in the next chapters, but for now, I can only give this much. As I am swamped with a ton of other priorities until New Years, this chapter is pretty much it for the year… Disappointing? Yes. I'm really sorry.

Writing at my own pace lets me flesh out the characters a bit more. As you can probably tell from my writing, I use conversations and exchanges between characters to outline their personalities. Actions and descriptions come second to define their roles and or purpose in the scene while giving the personality some life. If it isn't obvious, Goodwitch is everywhere on this chapter. And I mean EVERYWHERE. Strict as can be, yet caring all the same. Also, due to the severe lack of staff characters, she's an overused trope as 'that teacher ya don't wanna mess with'. I'm planning on fixing this a bit more by using the new teachers I designed.

If words create personality and actions give it life, the reverse is what I use for action sequences. In this chapter is a heavily-rewritten fight between teacher and students. I spent a lot of time scripting that fight, and it only comes down to less than ten minutes IF someone decides to make it into an actual video. Pretty bad, huh?

Well, that's all from me for now. I'll find a way to redirect all my energy into creating free time so as to finish at least one chapter by the end of the year… Wish me luck ( _ )

Review as always so I can improve what's bad and rewrite what's really, really bad. See ya!