Hey everyone, sorry for the long wait. Here's the next chapter of Sable Judge and after I post this I will also be posting a new spin-off short story based on a Tales from the Sable Library chapter. In regards to this story, I've based the power structure on Remnant to where it all amounts to a big game of rock, paper, scissors. Huntsman beat Grimm, Grimm beat judges, and Judges beat huntsman. This dynamic shifts in different situations I wanna explore further down the line but that's the basic idea. I hope you guys enjoy this new chapter and wanted to thank everyone for all the great feedback.

Hector knelt silent in the darkness of Ozpins tower, his master was mid-rant in the screen in front of him.

"You are lucky the Supreme Court seems to have other things to deal with. Otherwise there would have been grave consequences to your actions. If I had been in charge of your-Hector, are you even listening to me."

Hector had not really been paying attention to his master's words. His mind was elsewhere, on a question that had been plaguing his thoughts. "Master, do you know of an incident in Mistral involving Pyrrha Nikos?"

His master paused before his eyes narrowed, "The champion? The one you should have arrested for assault of a Sable Judge?"

Hector's own eyes narrowed at the clear misdirect, "Was I wrong in my decision?"

Mavros held his gaze for a few moments before breaking away with a huff, "No. The people need to know that our order is capable of taking down rogue huntsman, but their champions provide a different problem."

"My powers proved strong enough to best her, although she was emotionally unbalanced and unready for the encounter."

Mavros frowned, "Boy, the Sable Judges are honed to defeat huntsmen. Champion or not, that girl has an unlocked aura which put her at an automatic disadvantage against you. Fighting you wasn't the problem, the problem is that Nikhos is a household name in Mistral. This could have been the Schnee incident all over again if you had decided to actually do your job. We don't need tensions between Judges and huntsmen any more strained than they already are."

Hector didn't know whether to take the words as a compliment or insult so he decided to redirect the conversation, "She mentioned a friend of hers, a Patty. Ms. Nikos was angry, very angry. I believe she thinks our order had to do with something involving her friends…passing." He noticed that his master was not saying anything, " We did not have anything to do with it, did we?"

Mavros sighed, and Hector felt a chill run up his spine. "Master, please, this important. Tell me what you know."

Mavros looked down, looking almost…guilty. It was the most emotion he had ever seen out of the old man. "It is a sad story, Hector. One filled with misery and heartache."

"A Judge killed someone, didn't they?" His master nodded, "Were they an Accused?"

Macros ran his hands down his face, the wrinkled line seemed to cast shadows that truly made him look as old as he was. Sable energy did wonders for the body, helping judges ignore pain and the ravages of time. If a Judge ever survived until retirement, they could live for nearly hundred more years still.

But no one could live forever.

Hector was never more reminded of this fact than at the very moment when every year seemed to weigh on his master at once. "There was a tournament in Mistral many years ago. It was a small event where Sanctum academy would proudly test the mettle of its students. Some judges were sent to oversee it."

Hector nodded it made sense. It was standard procedure to have judges oversee such tournaments. It helped prevent any fights from breaking out between contestants and added another safety measure for the audience. "Something went wrong in the tournament then?"

Mavros shook his head, "It went perfectly well. The tournament was proceeding as planned with two very popular students rising through the brackets easily. Two friends, a new student named Pyrrha Nikos and a student in the same year named Patricia Clossun. They were impressive, too impressive."

Hector felt the chill run up his spine as Mavros' face fell into a deep scowl. "They faced off against one another in the finals. It was a fierce match between childhood rivals," Mavros scoffed, "or that's how the announcers made it out to be."

Hector instantly thought of himself and Ciaran, their matchups usually became particularly heated. Their history put too much weight behind every swing they launched at each other.

"Patricia ended up the winner after a grueling match. But during her award ceremony she included a bit where she called out against rampant Mistralian Judge brutality. The attending Judge did not take too kindly to the words."

Hector could imagine, it was highly frowned upon to speak out against a Kingdom's Judges. The girl must have been exceptionally brave, or incredibly foolish.

"The judge confronted withheld her prize and she took affront to the decision. The ensuing argument became one final match." Mavros let out a heavy sigh that already told Hector how this story ended.

Not every matchup with a Judge ended as well as it had with Weiss.

"She was killed in battled then?" The words came out but they were automatic and felt like someone else had said them.

Mavros nodded and Hector felt the disorientation muddle his thoughts and shift his focus. He could barely register that his masters next words.

"The incident was passed logged away and made into just another judgement. It was forgotten, and people moved on."

"What about the girl's family?"

Mavros shook his head, "They could say nothing. They could have spoken out against the Judge, but they would have been alone, and they would have faced their daughter's fate. It was better for everyone to move on."

But someone didn't. Pyrrha Nikos never got over the death of her friend, and she was willing to fight a Judge to prevent the same outcome as before. "Ms. Nikos remembers, and she still holds a grudge."

Mavros nodded, "Then I suggest you rescind your little decision to arrest the girl and deal with her before she becomes a problem. However you feel about the situation does not change the fact that attacking a Judge is a serious crime."

Hector locked eyes with his master and felt his emotions stirring. The cold fear of what he now faced seemed to overshadow everything. What was once an obstacle of communication and understanding now seemed like an impossible river of hate and blood to wade through.

So many years, and so much pain mounted against both sides. Hector was more lost than ever on how to proceed. He realized that there was nothing left to say in his report and gave his master a robotic nod. "Master, I will inform you of my progress soon."

"Wait," Mavros said causing Hector's hand to hover above the button to end the call. "What about the Arc boy, what do you plan for him?"

Hector suddenly realized that he did not actually plan that far ahead. The idea of a test had been one of impulse. He wanted a solution, any solution, to keep everyone happy. But if he made any mistakes in the boy's judgement then it could actually lead to worse problems than before. "I have some ideas, for now having Ms. Nikos training him to his fullest will keep him from falling to far behind his classmates."

Mavros nodded, "With her fear of you she will push him to the limit. Being trained by the champion in addition to the rigorous Beacon classes will either bring up to speed-"

"Or break him," Hector nodded. "He has little choice in the matter."

"Have you told him that?"

Hector paused, "I decided to let Ms. Nikos do things her way. She should be able to get through to him and handle the matter."

"Be careful Hector, you are treading on some very thin ice right now."

Hector nodded and ended the transmission. As soon as his master was gone he sighed and slumped forward, planting his hands on the desk. What a mess.

He straightened up as he heard the door to the office open. Turning around he saw Ozpin stroll in, coffee cup in hand. "I hope your meeting went well."

Hector found he couldn't answer, only look down in thought, the weight of his responsibilities to finally settle in. Ozpin raised an eyebrow as he noticed Hector's mood. "Not very well then I take it."

Hector nodded as he crossed his arms in thought, "My work here has become more complicated than I ever could have imagined."

Ozpin nodded, "It often feels that for those with responsibilities over others. When our every action could have dire effects the people around us it feels like every move is a mistake." Ozpin sighed as he walked around the desk to sit down. "I have been around for long time Hector, and I know that sometimes all you can do is your best."

"What if my best is not good enough?"

"You would be surprised at how good our best can really be, if we choose to truly commit. As for your next step, I believe that there is the matter of some certain Atlas representatives that require your attention."

Hector had almost forgotten about that matter. He gave Ozpin a respectful nod before heading down the tower elevator. He realized that the matter with Ms. Polendina and her father would need to be settled soon.

Judges never partnered with regular huntsman. It made no sense, but it was very clearly a political move to appease Atlas. Sending the girl away or defying the Supreme Court was out of the question, especially with all the concessions he had been given lately. He would need to handle the new situation himself. But he wondered how was going to handle the situation.

To his surprise it seemed like he would need to face his problems sooner than he thought when the elevator doors opened. "Salutations new partner, it is fantastic to see you!"

Penny was standing directly in front of the elevator doors giving Hector a wide smile. On the one hand it was a bit off-putting to have her simply standing there with a smile as if she had been waiting. In fact, he wasn't sure how long she had been waiting there at all. On the other hand having someone so happy to actually see him was a refreshing change of pace.

"It is good to see you as well, Ms. Polendina." She smiled at the words and he gestured for her to follow. Together they headed through the Beacon hallways. "Have you settled in alright?"

"Oh yes, it has been so wonderful coming to Beacon," Penny said joyfully. "I have never been around so many others my age before!"

She waved a group of passing students, they waved back hesitantly as their eyes flickered to Hector. He instantly felt a wave of guilt. "Have you had any luck interacting with students today?"

"I have! I met a few students as I was waiting for you by the elevator. They were heading to the library and asked me why I was standing directly in front of the doors. I said I was waiting for you, my new partner, before they back away slowly and walked in the other direction."

"That…seems a bit rude."

Penny shook her head, "Oh not at all, I am sure they had studying to do." Her eyes narrowed and she suddenly became very serious looking, "As much as I enjoy being here I cannot forget my mission. As the Atlas representative chosen to stand by your side as the first ever huntress partner of a Sable Judge I must do my vest to match such high expectations."

"And how do you plan to do that?"

"I do not know," she said cheerfully. "But I relish the opportunity to try my best!"

Hector was not used to such unbridled enthusiasm, he especially didn't expect it from a huntress working with a Judge. He realized that their partnerships uniqueness had plenty of opportunities.

Since Hector was confined to the Beacon Academy grounds it meant he would not be heading into any serious danger. They would have the title of partners without any of the risks, which must have been a PR dream come true for the Supreme Council.

The thought of them brought his most recent conversation with Mavros to the forefront of his mind and he suddenly felt ill. He needed to get his mind off of tragedies and into the present. He decided to focus on his new...partner, for now. The word was so strange for him.

"Ms. Polendina, what do you know about the Sable Judges?"

Penny explained what she knew, which was pretty much what everyone knew. He listened to her go on about history and facts. The first hunter's rebellion, the Great War, the Mount Glenn Rebellion…

She was clearly well versed on the matter, she must have been if she had been chosen to partner with him. He let her go on but his attention wandered over to the other students who eyed them both warily. He knew that the general consensus was that when someone talked to a Judge, they were either in trouble or forced to be working with them.

In a school of hunters and huntresses he was the enemy, and associating with him would bring Ms. Polendina no favors. Things would only grow worse if they found out that she was his new partner.

"Ms. Polendina-"

"Judge Hector?"

The new partners looked and Hector saw that it was the members of team CDNL in front of him. Cardin was giving him a smirk. "I wanted to talk to you about that…issue I contacted you about."

Hector straightened up as he realized he was talking about Arc. "It is being handled, Mr. Winchester."

Cardin's brows furrowed in confusion, "Really, because last I saw the little nobody was still a student here. We were just wondering how long we would need to go to class with a fraud."

Hector looked to see the other members of the team nodding in agreement. Hector resisted the urge to react in frustration. "Your allegations have been noted-"

"I heard the little cheat myself, and I called you instead of acting on it. So far we haven't heard a peep out of the professors, my sister or you. It looks like a whole lot of nothing is getting done, and I haven't gotten so much as a thank you."

Hector strolled forward, the suddenness of the action causes Cardin's team to practically leap back. Cardin himself was frozen in place as Hector stood inches away. He was at eye level with Hector, but seemed to shrink under his gaze.

"Thank you Mr. Winchester, you help is appreciated." Hector stood there for a few moments and it took Cardin as long to realize that he had his hand out. The boy shook it slowly, as if holding a snake. Hector nodded, "I suggest you go to class now."

The team scurried off and Hector turned to see Penny giving him an odd look. "What was wrong with those boys? They seemed so frightened for some reason."

Hector held back a sigh, suddenly realizing that she had only told him the history of the Judges. She had not actually shown him that she had any knowledge outside of the history on the order. "Judges are…not perceived well by hunters and huntresses. We tend to put them on edge." After hearing what they did to Nikos and her friend his words felt like an understatement.

They only served to confuse Penny though, "Are you not both a type of protector, are we not all on the same side?"

"Yes, in a way. Hunters kill Grimm, and Judges stop Hunters. Civilians need us both to stay safe, Hunters do not. It creates tension, my order is not usually welcome by schools like these or its residents. Many with their aura try their best to avoid my kind."

"They do not seem to want to avoid you," Penny said pointing past Hector.

He turned to see two familiar faces rushing down the hall. It was Ren and Nora, and they looked nearly panicked. "What happened?"

"Pyrrha and Jaune," Ren gasped out, the names causing Hector to stand ramrod straight.

'What of them, are they alright?"

"They went into the Emerald Forest!" Nora cried out, only to have her mouth covered by Ren. He looked around conspiratorially but relaxed when he saw the hallway was empty.

"They went into the Emerald Forest," he said much more calmly. "She left a note saying something about training for some test you had for him."

Nora nodded, "She made it sound super important, like risk their lives in the forest important!"

"Test?" Penny said as she tilted her head. "I was not aware Sable Judges had the capacity to issue them here."

Hector shook his head, "They...do not." He had been a complete fool, giving a seventeen year old girl such an ultimatum. She had been backed into a corner and had acted accordingly. Now two students were in danger and it was his fault. "I have made a terrible mistake. We must go to them, quickly. Have you told the any of the teachers?"

Ren shook his head, "No, we were scared that if we told them it would mean severe punishment. The forest is absolutely off-limits to students. We came to you because-"

"You're super awesome!" Nora chipped in. "And our friend! And you're going to help us without getting them in trouble…right?"

Hector stared at the girl who looked increasingly nervous after the question. "Let us focus on finding them first. We need to get to the Emerald Forest."

Ren crossed his arms, "How do we get there fast enough? We cannot access the bullheads without alerting any of the staff."

Hector decided to handle things one at a time. "We must prepare first, you will need to arm…yourselves…"

The others looked at him in confusion as Nora poked his arm, "Uh, Judgy, are you alright?"

Hector had an idea. It was a terrible, foolish, completely suicidal idea. "Do either of you know the weight capacity for a Beacon rocket locker?"

Ren and Nora looked stumped, but Penny perked up after a few moments. "The weight capacity for the average Beacon locker is calculated to be roughly around 5,000 pounds." She noticed their stares and gave the others a smile. "Hello, I am Penny Polendina, nice to meet you."

Soon the group was at Ren and Nora's lockers. Hector was not surprised to see them side by side. He wasn't surprised at how quickly they had agreed to his plan either. He turned to Ren, "Do you have their coordinates?"

He nodded as he showed hector his scroll. "I have them right here. I can send the lockers straight to them."

"There's only two," Hector noted. "That means two of us will need to stay behind." The look on Ren and Nora's faced showed what their thoughts on the matter were. "This is my mistake, I will bring them back safely."

"You aren't going without us," Nora said sternly as she placed her hands on her hips. Ren nodded as he crossed his arms. "Their part of our team, and we stick together."

"Well how are we to get us all there then?"

"I am able to assist!" Penny said cheerfully. She walked over and read the coordinates off of Ren's phone. "We will meet you there!"

"How do you plan on-" Ren was cutoff as Penny grabbed him by the waist. A series of swords suddenly appeared behind Penny, floating in mid-air. They all pointed downwards and in a flash green light the two rocketed upwards through the roof.

Hector and Nora watched the flying Penny and a screaming Ren fly off towards the forest, the silence only broken by the sound of crumbling stone.

"So," Nora chimed in, "Friend of yours?"

"New partner."

"I like her."

"I do not doubt it, let us get going Ms. Valkyrie."

Nora nodded and entered her locker. Hector was unable to stuff himself into the one beside. He simply gripped the sides, his hands crushing the metal into handholds. "Ms. Valkyrie, let us go!"

Her locker rushed upwards as Hector imputed the coordinates into his. When he pressed enter Hector suddenly found himself flying upwards out of Beacon and into the open skies. The rumble of the locker in his grip threatened to throw him loose, but he continued to hold on with all his strength.

The rush of air came in through the slits in his helmet. It was freshness and freedom like he could not remember. For a few moment she enjoyed flight, looking around at the endless blue skies surrounding him. Nora's locker was a few meters away, while Ren and Penny were only a bursting green light miles off.

The forest came into view and Hector tensed as the locker angled downwards. The forest grew closer by the second and Hector braced himself with sable energy right before the moment of impact.

Normally the weight of the locker would implant it firmly in the ground. But Hector's additional weight caused it to tear through the forest floor like a meteor. Hector released his grip on the locker and reached inside to pull out Ren's weapons. The others came out of the forest nearby and Hector tossed a still shaking Ren his weapons.

He nodded to Penny, "Good work, Ms. Polendina." She gave him a wide smile and a salute. Hector looked around at the darkening forest. The sun was dipping below the horizon casting the area in a golden twilight. "It will be dark soon. We need to find them, now."

A howl in the distance caught the group's attention and Hector nodded to Ren and Nora. "Go." They nodded before disappearing with a burst of aura enhanced speed. Hector and Penny ran after them. He noticed that she slowed down to match his pace.

"Ms. Polendina, I haven't had the chance to thank you for helping with this. I know you did not have to."

Penny only looked at Hector in confusion, "Is this not what partners do? Help each other when needed?"

Hector nodded hesitantly, "That is true." He knew what she said was true, but having never had a partner before made this new territory for him. Probing this new situation would have to wait until after they saved Jaune and Pyrrha. He decided to change the subject. "So…you can fly?"

Penny suddenly looked intently at the ground, "I am a normal girl," she said hastily.

Hector did not have time to comment before they broke through the tree line into a small clearing. The two partners stopped as they too in the sea of black shapes ahead. The area was absolutely swarming with Beowolves, all collecting around the center of the area.

Hector could see shapes and colors through the throng of monsters. Team JNPR was in the middle of it all fighting off the horde. He needed to relieve the pressure, and fast. "We need to get in there and help them."

"Understood," Penny shouted as she blasted forward.

"Wait, Polendina no!" His protest died as the closest beowolves turned only for Penny to annihilate them in the hail of blades. It was like watching art in motion, her movements precise and fluid as the blades carved through the horde.

Hector watched for a few moments before leaping into the fray. He was near invisible to the monsters which let him get the first hit on a nearby beowolf. He slammed into the monster with his shoulder and sent it sprawling. It barely had time to snarl before he flipped his sword, grabbed the blade, and slammed the pommel against the side of its head.

The beast's bone mask cracked and it stumbled into a tree. Hector followed up with a kick to its stomach that doubled it over. It howled and he grabbed its open jaw, with a roar he tore it free before sending his blade through its skull and the tree behind.

He pulled the blade out as a group of Ursa broke through the tree line he could see things were only going to get worse. His sword was not going to be able to help him or the others in this quickly growing nightmare.

He decided to make a call.

His scroll rang twice before being answered, "Hello?"

"Ms. Adel, it is Judge Hector. We have met before." He heard the sound of screams and explosions. Nora's hysterical laughter mixed with the howls of dismembered beowolves to create a terrifying symphony.

"I remember, kind of hard to forget a Judge who partied with me and a bunch of pirates." The sound of a buzzsaws and lasers tore burning through grimm was only matched by the horrific screech of an incoming flock of nevermores. "…is something the matter, cause it sounds like-"

"I need your assistance," Hector said cutting right to the point. He ducked under a tree that went flying through the air. He turned to see that there were now boarbatusk rolling through the area, tearing across the field. One came close by and he managed to grab one by the tusk with one hand.

With a vicious swing he slammed it against a tree stunning it long enough to stomp its head in with his boot. "I know that it is a lot to ask, but I need you to send your weapon locker to my coordinates."

"You need my gun?"

"Yes, it is a matter of life and death." Hector winced as a vicious hiss cut through the air. A King Taijutu and its twin heads came slithering through the dark and entered the fray. Hector could not believe how bad things were getting. He was becoming very tempted to call the Beacon staff for help.

He looked to see Penny decimating grimm by the dozen. Her blades scything through their number like a hot knife through butter. But with every monster that died, more just took their place. It was like the horde was never ending. He could only imagine how difficult things were going for team JNPR. Without Penny to relieve the pressure he was sure they would have died already.

"Judge, my scroll says you're in the Emerald forest," Coco said, the concern clear in her voice. "That place is teeming with grimm year round, the teachers need to go in there at least twice a month to stop them from building up. It's night too, you need to get out of there before they swarm you."

"Too late for that, Ms. Adel," Hector said as he hurled his blade like a javelin in the leg of a nearby Ursa. It howled as he pulled the blade out and climbed onto its back. He slipped the point of the sword into the unarmored part of its neck and twisted with a loud nap.

"I can tell, locker is sent. Good luck Judge."

Hector hung up and looked up as a weapons locker flew through the air and crushed a boarbatusk upon landing. It was set to open, so he reached inside and pulled out a small black designer handbag. Penny landed next to him and eyed the weapon while decapitating some beowolves.

"Oh, what a nice bag," she said without a hit of sarcasm. "It matches your armor!"

Hector decided to take the compliment, "…thank you Ms. Polendina." He pressed a button on the handle and watched as the bag shifted into its minigun form.

"Oh, what a nice weapon, it matches your armor!"

"Ms. Polendina, we need to get team JNPR out of that mob, now." Penny nodded and he watched as her blades formed a circle mid-air.. He began stirring the minigun barrel as they walked towards the dark mass of grimm. "Come Ms. Polendina, we have students to save."

He released a storm of bullets as Penny's blade circle shot out a beam of pure green energy. The collective blasts sliced through the grimm line and the ash they produced began to cloud the air. Hector did not release the minigun trigger, letting the shells spray around him and the bullets cut through fur and bone alike.

Penny's beam melted the monsters, cutting through their ranks as easily as a flashlight through shadow. Any and all doubts Hector had of her being partnered to a Sable Judge were washed away completely.

The grimm count in the clearing lowered quickly soon enough. The last few were mopped up by a very tired, extremely battered team JNPR. Once they were clear Hector walked forward. The whole team was gasping for breath, bite marks and clashes covered their clothing. Jaune and Pyrrha wore their combat gear which could be repaired but Ren and Nora's school clothing were completely ruined.

The group straightened up as he approached. They eyed him tired, but alertly, as he approached Pyrrha. She was drenched in sweat and bruised, but the hatred in her eyes was unyielding. He walked up to her and forced herself to stand up straight and lock eyes with him with a guarded expression.

It was a tense few moments before he spoke. "I am sorry." Shock overrode her other emotions as Pyrrha stared at him open mouthed. He looked over at the rest of the team who were watching the scene with wide eyes. "I owe you all an apology."

A howl cut through the night cutting Hector off. Jaune groaned and the rest of his team followed. "Are you kidding me? How may grimm are in this forest?"

Hector turned to Jaune and pointed towards the school, "You and your team need to get out of here."

"How," he asked in confusion, "we can't go on foot."

"The same way we came in, take your lockers and use the return function. Me and Penny will be able to cover you while you make your retreat, then follow behind."

Pyrrha was still in shock but another series of roars snapped her back into action. "He's right. That should work."

"Ooh, ooh," Nora said excitedly, "Judgy messed up Renny's locker on the way in. We only have three now. Two of us will have to share one!" She absolutely beamed towards Ren who didn't seem to notice the look, while Hector noticed Pyrrha and Jaune's faces blush a deep red. "I volu-"

"That is unnecessary," Penny said cheerfully. Ren suddenly shot up and waved his hands in panic.

"Um, no offense but I would rather go into the locker."

Somehow Nora managed to beam even brighter before Penny shook her head. "No, I mean we have an extra locker. Judge Hector called in one and used the weapon inside to help save you all."

The team all looked at Hector and down to the minigun he had changed back to its handbag form. Most of the team gave him an odd look while Nora 'oohed'. "What a nice bag! It really matches your armor."

"…thank you Ms. Valkyrie. Now get to your locker." The team shuffled past him and he didn't fail to notice Nora's grumpiness before getting in her locker. The others did the same as Ren entered Coco's and together the team blasted off towards Beacon.

Hector's eyes widened as he watched them fly way only to be trailed by a fluttering black mass. It was a murder of nevermore, cawing and hungry for blood. But in the lockers it would be impossible for the team to defend themselves. Hector quickly looked to Penny who had noticed the monsters too.

"Go, fly after them and keep them safe."

"But-"

"No arguing, I will be fine but they will not. I will meet you back at Beacon."

She looked to argue before nodding and blasting off into the sky. Hector helped by firing at the nevermore's from the ground with the minigun. The sky was filled with the sound of steel slicing through feathers and the occasion green blast. Once they were out of sight Hector turned the gun back into a bag and attached it magnetically to his back.

The grimm rushed past him like a dark wave, the sable energy masking his presence like a veil. The trip back was long, and the moon was rising, forcing him to stumble his way through the dark. After a few minutes he received a call on his scroll.

"This is Judge-"

"Hector," the frigid tone of the voice caused Hector to wince. Canary spoke calmly, but the underlining fury was obvious. "Is there any reason why I just found your partner waiting at the front gates?"

"I-"

"And does that reason have to do with saving a team of students that recently went into the Emerald Forest?"

"They-"

There was an explosive sigh, "Stay right there, I'm coming to get you."

"You do not have to-"

" ."

The call ended and Hector weighed the danger of staying in a grimm filled forest and disobeying a very angry Canary. He decided for the safer option and found a nearby stump to sit on. It was a pleasant night, there were plenty of stars to see and the quiet was only occasionally broken by the howls of grimm in the distance.

It was not long before he heard the roar of a bullhead overhead. He looked up to see it's silhouette against the shattered moon. The dropship lowered enough for a series of ropes to drop down. He grabbed several to hold his weight and used them to climb up into the aircraft. The ship took off and Hector found himself face to face with a very cross Canary.

"Tell me everything."

The sun was rising when they returned to Beacon. The bullhead touched down on the Beacon runway and Hector thanked the yawning pilot before exiting. Canary hopped off after him and together they headed back to the school.

Canary was not in the best mood. "When I get my hands on that cereal peddling-"

"No," Hector said simply. "The fault was mine. I acted out of emotion and made a mistake that could have cost lives."

Canary crossed her arms, "You didn't send her into the dangerous grimm filled forest, Hector."

"Did I not? I forced her to take drastic action because she thought I might murder her leader and friend." Hector glared at Canary, "Do the other staff members know about any of this?"

"No, I'm the only one. I have half a mind to tell the rest of the staff though."

"Do what you need to, but I will take full responsibility for my actions and this mess."

Canary sighed as she ran her hands down her face. "We can keep this between us…but I'm making their team run laps. So many laps."

Hector nodded, "Fair enough." He paused, "Make Arc run a few extra, he needs to training."

Canary nodded and split off to get some sleep before classes started. Hector headed to the schools front gate to find Penny still standing there attentively. "Ms. Polendina."

She turned with a gasp, "Judge Hector, I am glad to see you have returned unharmed!"

"It was quite the night."

"Yes, it was amazing to be part of such an adventure and on my second day here as well!"

Hector held back a wince, "Yes, well, things are not usually this hectic." The words felt like a lie as soon as he said them. "We still have something important to do." They headed to the dorms and entered.

Penny smiled as she took in the details of the halls and Hector walked carefully to avoid waking anyone. He was reminded that it was Saturday when he knocked lightly on team CFVY's door only to have it opened immediately by Coco. She swiped her weapon from his hand and slammed the door shut without a word.

With that out of the way he headed down the hall to where he knew team JNPR's dorm was. He knocked lightly on the door and waited. The door was opened and Hector barely had time to react as Nora tackled him in a hug.

He patted her lightly on the back, "Hello, Ms. Valkyrie." She only giggled and looked up, which let him see the bags under her eyes. "Have you slept at all? Are any of you injured?"

"Nope," she giggled. "I mean Jaune threw up a few times in his locker and had to take a few showers, but we're all fine. We just needed to make sure you were alright."

Pyrrha walked up behind her, "Yes, we did."

Hector was at a loss for words. He recovered when he realized they were still in the hall. "May we talk about this inside?"

He was guided into the dorm room by Nora, Penny following close behind. He entered and enjoyed the sight of the living area. Posters of comic book heroes, a small library of philosophy books in the corner, an abandoned board game at the table, and the smell of pancakes wafting through the air.

Nora broke away from him and went to sit on the couch next to Ren who smiled at him. He elbowed a sagging Jaune who bolted awake with a snort. Pyrrha stood a few feet away, her expression guarded with some curiosity shining in her eyes. "Hello Judge Hector…and friend?"

"Hello," Penny said smiling and giving the group a wave that Nora excitedly returned. "Salutations, I am Penny Polendina, official partner to Minor Sable Judge Hector."

The words caused all their eyes to widen as Pyrrha looked Penny over, "Partner? A Judge has never partnered with any huntsman before. Why now?"

"It is a long story, involving Atlas and some changes for the future for Judges and huntsman alike. But that is a story for another day. Now, I have come to fix a mistake that nearly cost you your lives."

The others looked at Hector with open curiosity, but Hector focused on Pyrrha. "I had no right to issue such an ultimatum to you. I am not a teacher, nor am I a huntsman. I acted out of emotion and blind disregard for your emotions and what my actions would cause."

He turned towards Jaune who shirked under his gaze, "What you did was wrong and should never have been allowed." Jaune seemed to somehow sink lower into the couch as Hector continued, "It was foolish, dangerous, and risks both your life and the lives of those around you unnecessarily." He sank lower with every word, his expression pained with guilt.

Pyrrha walked up to Hector angrily, "How dare you-"

"No," he said sternly casing her to stop, "He needs to hear this, and so do you. I understand that he is your teammate, that he is your friend. But he is also your leader, who is both unexperienced and completely unused to the rigors of your lifestyle." He paused for a few moments to let the words sink in. "That being said, it is not up to me whether or not he stays or goes. That is your Headmasters decision, and he has made his position clear on the matter."

Jaune stared at him in shock, "Ozpin knows...how I got in?"

"Apparently," Hector said coldly casing the boy to wince. "I do not agree with his decision, but I will not interfere since it is not mine to make." Jaune marginally relaxed at the words. Pyrrha instead shot him a cold glare.

"That is news to me," Pyrrha said spitefully. "From my experience the judges do whatever they want, whenever it suits them. You could have your order force Ozpin to expel him."

Hector felt a stab of guilt and pain at the words, it scythed through his body and left him drained. "I know, and I am sorry for what happened to your friend all that time ago," he poured all the sincerity he had into the words. "What happened to you both was wrong, and I am sorry. But I will not throw my weight around to get what I want, especially in a field I am not well versed in."

"I forced you into a corner with a test I had no right to give, and you tried to train Jaune with any tools you had available." Pyrrha looked away, guilt flickering across her face. Hector took the chance to look over at Jaune. "I do not know what Ozpin sees in you, or why he chose you to lead this team. But he is the one who trains huntsmen, not me."

He walked over to Jaune who tensed as Hector knelt and placed a hand on his shoulder. He looked at Hector in confusion as he took a deep breathe. "I can only have faith in him, and in you."

Jaune made a fantastic impression of a fish as his mouth continued to open and close in shock. Hector squeezed his shoulder before standing. He looked to see Ren and Nora giving him warm smiles, he nodded before walking back to the room's entrance. He turned back to address the team one more time.

"Tonight will not happen again, understood?" The all nodded and he released a breath he didn't even know he had been holding. "Jaune, you will succeed or fail based on this school's standards, not mine. But considering that it is Beacon, it is not much of an improvement for your situation."

Jaune nodded, "I understand, I-thank you. I promise, I am going to try my hardest. You won't regret believing in me."

"See that I do not. While I cannot impose a test I will administer judgement, to you and your teachers, should your continued presence risk your life or the lives of those around you."

Jaune stood up and looked Hector in the eyes through his helmet. He was still nervous, but there was determination in his eyes. "I would drop out myself before I put my team in danger."

Hector stared him down as he crossed his arms, "Words are easy, Mr. Arc."

"An Arc never goes back on their word," Hector noticed the resolve in his voice. The determination in the words caused him to let out a breath he didn't even know he had been holding. He realized that he actually believed Jaune.

"You and your team should get some sleep. You all will be reporting to Mrs. Duff later today for a special remedial lesson."

Jaune rubbed the back of his neck. He was suddenly back to his awkward self. "Oh, um, cool? Is this, you know, punishment or training?"

"Yes." Hector saw them exchanging concerned looks before he stepped out into the hallway and closed the door behind him.

"I thought you handled that very well," Penny said. Hector blinked, she had been so quiet that he had forgotten that she was there.

"Thank you Ms. Polendina, it was not an easy situation." He paused before turning back to her. "Ms. Polendina, you have proven a valorous and steadfast companion. Your actions saved lives, and for that I thank you."

Penny smiled as she rocked on her feet, "Well, I did not want to disappoint my new partner. I am glad we managed to get all the students back safe."

"I am glad as well…partner."