Pyrrha Nikos sighed as she stood on the corner of the street, staring at her scroll, doing her best to figure out where the heck she was going. She knew Vale pretty well, but she hadn't heard of this shop before, and it wasn't on one of the main streets so it was a bit difficult to navigate to.

She was honestly a bit annoyed to have to make the trip at all. During her last fight, her opponent had frozen her weapon solid, freezing all the gears and parts in it. While she was still able to fight with it, the tough battle had resulted in some of the internal gears and springs being crushed or warped beyond repair. The boy had apologized profusely afterward, insisting on paying for the repairs, but she refused him. Pyrrha didn't blame him after all, it was an accident. The match had been very close, and they were both vying for victory, and it was only due to the hard fought battle that any damage had been sustained at all.

In Pyrrha's mind, a difficult battle was well worth the mild inconvenience of getting her weapon tuned up. Besides, it was about time for a tuning and polish anyway. Pyrrha took care of most of her own weapon's maintenance, but she lacked a certain finesse when it came to metal work that she found a professional could almost always do better.

The problem was, since she was now a student at beacon, her usual shop was so far away back at her home and sending her weapon away for repairs would be far too inconvenient. She was going to let the school handle the repairs, but the boy, Tyler, and his girlfriend had insisted that this local shop was far better and that she would get a discount if she mentioned their names and explained. Evidently it wasn't the first time his powers had caused a problem with fine machinery.

Adjusting her her hat, she moved her her braid over her shoulder. Due to being a champion, and being on the box of Pumpkin Pete's, she had a habit of being recognized so she was in disguise at this moment. While she was normally more than happy to greet her fans, the last thing she needed was to be held up while looking for some obscure shop in the middle of downtown vale. After heading down a few streets, and a few turns she thought was correct, she decided to give up. She had no idea where this shop was so she stopped the nicest looking person she saw on the street.

"Excuse me, do you happen to know where this mechanic shop is?" She asked, tugging her hat down a bit.

The man stopped and looked at her scroll, seeing the logo, before grinning. "Ah! Yes. Go down three streets, take a left, then a right and you'll see the shop. Can't miss it. Great choice there ma'am. Best mechanic in Vale, they'll take good care of you. Though, I'd wait for the dad to be in the shop. The son can be a bit, off." He said, offering a smile and a wave before heading off on his way.

Pyrrha thanked him, before following his directions. She felt awfully lucky that the one person she happened to stop knew the shop. Why the remark about the son though? A few minutes later though, she began to feel a little tricked. She hadn't seen the shop anywhere. Maybe the man was lying to her? With a sigh, she chose to stop another person, once again asking for help.

"Excuse me, I was told this shop was around here. Do you happen to know where it is?" Pyrrha asked again.

The woman stopped to look at her scroll, before beaming. "Ah! That shop. Yes, it is right around here actually. I'm surprised you missed it. It's back down that street, and go down the little alley half way down. It's right there."

Pyrrha thanked her, and was about to leave when the woman reached out, grabbing her arm gently.

"Oh, and just a friendly tip. It's a great place, but make sure to get the father to look at your weapon. The son is a little, new, to the game." She explained carefully, before smiling and moving on her way.

Pyrrha frowned. Two warnings now. Following the directions, she moved down the alley she had missed on her first pass down the street. Staring at the shop that had the sigh "Arc's Metalwork." she was a little taken aback. It was a rather small store, with just a single glass window peaking in it, down a side alley. Hardly "Hard to miss."

Shrugging, she took a deep breath and entered the shop. She had a feeling the owners there would recognize her and just hoped that she wasn't over charged or that she'd find herself unwillingly "sponsoring" the shop in the local news by being used as advertisement without her permission, as had happened before.

Stepping into the shop she immediately felt her worries and concerns melt away. The shop was small, and there was a soft fire going in a fire place to the right of the counter. The smell of a fresh baked pie drifted through the store as a sofa and couple of chairs served as a wait area near the fireplace. It felt like home, and Pyrrha felt a pang of homesickness from the atmosphere there.

The most concerning thing was perhaps the lack of attendant there. The main desk was abandoned with a little bell near the register. Pyrrha stepped up to the counter, ringing the bell after a moment. "Hello?" She called gently. She leaned on the counter, looking left and right to see if anyone was in the shop, when her arm knocked the bell off onto the floor behind the counter.

She stepped back as she heard a cacophonous roar of metal, what sounded like pots and pans, crashing onto the floor, a panicked yelp and a hasty. "One minute!" coming from somewhere in the back. The sounds of metal pans being sliding out of the way from being kicked on the floor, heavy footsteps announced the arrival of someone.

Pyrrha raised an eyebrow, wondering who could deserve such a... dramatic heralding when a boy turned the corner, holding a steaming pie in a tin with his bare hands. Judging by the wincing on his face and the faint sizzle coming from the tin, he was in a lot of pain.

"Ow! Hot. Stupid... Pie..." He struggled as he moved to the counter, failing to notice the bell Pyrrha had accidentally knocked off as his foot stepped on it and slid out from underneath him, causing him to throw the pie and fall to the floor.

Pyrrha's eyes widened, her hand flying up as she used her polarity semblance to to make the metal tin float. "I'm sorry! Are you okay Mister?" She asked worriedly, watching him stand up.

The boy stood up, quickly moving a metal grate over near Pyrrha so she could set down the pie. "I'm fine! I'm so sorry to scare you like that. Thanks for catching the pie, I must have tripped on something." He offered.

Pyrrha shook her head, removing her hat, smiling apologetically. "I believe I accidentally knocked the bell of when looking for the cashier. I should have warned you, I'm sorry!" She said. She watched as a tint of red graced the cheeks of the boy, she finally got a good look at. The tall, blond, rather slim boy stood there, gently blowing on his hands wearing a "Date the cook." apron over his jeans and sweatshirt.

The boy smiled, wiping his hands off on the apron and offering his hand. "It's okay! I fall down a lot, so I'm used to it. Thank you for saving the pie though, my mom told me to take it out when it was done, and she makes the best ones. It'd be a real waste to have it all over the floor again. Anyway, I'm Jaune Arc, and welcome to Arc's Metalworks!" He said with a smile.

Pyrrha raised an eyebrow at "again." She had to admit the pie did smell amazing, so it would have been a shame. She took his hand, pausing for a moment. For some reason, she didn't feel the need to attempt to hide her name. Then again, her weapons and her semblance would be enough of a hint for an average person. "Pyrrha Nikos." As she shook his hands, she noticed them. Worn, a bit scarred, and firm. The hands of someone who worked hard with them.

Jaune just smiled. "Nice to meet you! So what can I do for you?" He asked curiously.

Pyrrha removed her weapon from her back. "Well it's my weapon you see. During my last battle it got damage, and a lot of the small parts have been warped or broken. I was recommended here by Tyler and Ashe, they said this shop is great for weapon repairs. I was hoping to get my weapon repaired and both it and my shield polished.

Jaune's eyes lit up at Tyler's name. "Ah! Let me guess, he froze your weapon in a battle and all the blunt trauma broke it. Again. It's amazing how many times that has happened. I swear he causes half our business." He said with a laugh.

Pyrrha merely smiled, and nodded.

Jaune thought for a moment. "Well no problem. Actually, my dad..." He paused. Thinking for a moment he turned and ran to the back of the shop, leaving Pyrrha standing there curiously. "Um..."

"One moment!" Jaune called out as she heard him scramble through some cabinets. Water was running and he returned a moment later with two plates, two forks, a knife, two glasses and a pitcher of milk.

He quickly dished up two servings of pie, offering one to Pyrrha. "Here, it's apple. I have to call and ask about a quick question before I can promise you anything, but you should try this pie. It's delicious."

Pyrrha took the plate, her stomach greedily growling in desire as she smelled it. Still, just accepting food from somewhere she just went for the first time made her a little uneasy. Jaune was already calling on his scroll though, when he looked over and saw her hesitating.

"Sorry. It's good, trust me!" He said, taking his clean fork and scooping off a tiny bit at the end of her slice, quickly eating it before taking a sip of milk he had poured for himself. "See? Safe!" He said, flashing her a warm smile before taking another sip when he heard his dad's voice. In a panic he spit out some of the milk. "Dad! A customer came in and-"

Pyrrha just gently laughed at the boy's antics, this shop seemed as lively as her friends. Taking a hesitant bite, she felt her mouth explode in joy. It was amazing, he wasn't lying.

She took a seat in one of the arm chairs near the fire as she quietly ate her slice of pie and sipped her milk, doing her best not to eavesdrop on the conversation Jaune seemed to be having with his dad in the backroom. She closed her eyes and relaxed, feeling the warm fire just melt the stress off her body. She liked it here, she could see why the locals loved it here. She was a bit concerned about why they told her to avoid him though. Though, clearly he was a bit clumsy. Maybe having him around dust and high powered weaponry wasn't the safest place for him.

A few moments later Jaune cleared his throat standing next to her, making her jump a bit. She stood up quickly, brushing away some crumbs. "Sorry, I was lost in thought."

Jaune just smiled, stepping back behind the counter. "No worries. Well we would love to help, but I'm afraid my dad will be out of town until next week." He said, looking crestfallen.

Pyrrha frowned. "Oh I see. Is he the only one who repairs weapons here?" Pyrrha asked. She watched Jaune open his mouth, before sighing. "Uh... yeah. He does most of the repairs here."

Pyrrha furrowed her brow. Why was he acting so different from before? "Well, that's no good. I don't think I can wait a week for the repairs to start. Not with classes and everything." She explained. "It's getting late too, I doubt another shop will be open by the time I find it." She said, mostly to herself.

Jaune stared at the ground, his hands clenched at his side.

Pyrrha turned to face him, smiling warmly. "Thank you very much for the pie Jaune! It was very delicious, tell your mom she is a great chef. I'm sorry the timing was bad." She said, picking up her sword and shield again. Part of her really didn't want to leave this place. She had a feeling if she did, she might not see him again. Which for some reason, made her sad. She turned around to leave, taking a step when she felt someone grab her wrist.

"Wait!" Jaune said, holding her wrist as he stared at her desperately. "I'll do it!"

Pyrrha's eyes widened. "What?" She asked, shocked by his sudden outburst, glancing down at his hand and blushing slightly.

Jaune's eyes widened as he stepped back, raising his hands in surprise. "Sorry! I didn't mean to grab you, I just panicked. I meant, I'll repair your weapon."

Pyrrha stared at him, confused. "But I thought you said your dad was the only one who worked here."

Jaune stared past her, looking out the window. "I work here too." He said, though Pyrrha had a feeling he wasn't just talking to her.

Jaune stared at her, a look of determination in his eyes. "I've been in a shop since I was a kid. I've seen my dad work on every project, and I've helped him for years before he moved here. I've repaired stuff on my own before. Though they are usually small projects..." He hesitated. "But I can do it! I can have your stuff repaired and polished in no time."

Pyrrha looked him in the eyes, seeing a burning determination in them, a look she often saw in the eyes of her opponents in the finals of a tournament. Someone not willing to give up. Someone determined to do what is needed. She felt a warmth in her chest, until she saw his eyes change.

The fire in them dimmed a bit as he looked down. "I'm sorry. You came here for a professional, not a student. I shouldn't stick my nose where it doesn't belong."

Pyrrha saw Jaune looking like a kicked puppy, and felt the warmth in her chest turn into a coal of anger. Why would someone with such determination also seem so defeated. It pained her to see the look of defeat in his eyes after a glimpse at his determination, and it reminded her of all her years of struggle to climb the ranks.

"Okay." She said firmly.

Jaune was rubbing the back of his neck when he looked up. "What?"

Pyrrha smiled, handing him her sword and shield. "I said okay. I'll leave them to you."

Jaune held them, looking shocked. "I. Uh..."

Pyrrha just smirked. "You said you've repaired stuff on your own before right? You said you can do it, and it'd be fixed in no time. That sounds lovely." She offered in a bit of a challenging tone.

Jaune stared at her, not finding the usual hint of malice in the challenge, but rather a playful competitiveness. She was giving him a chance.

He quickly moved her stuff to the counter as he inspected it, sizing it up for an estimate.

Pyrrha watched him carefully as he looked over her weapon. His hands were careful and his eyes were sharp. He was figuring out the specifics very quickly. He obviously knew what he was doing, and the focus was not the same as the goof who tripped burning his hands on a pie tin. Her instinct wasn't wrong about him. She knew he could do it.

A moment later Jaune slid her a work form, showing her the expected cost for time and labor. Pyrrha raised an eyebrow.

"Is that too much?" Jaune asked worriedly.

Pyrrha shook her head smiling. "Cheaper than I thought actually."

Jaune smiled. "Well this is Arc's Metalworks. There are no finer weaponsmiths and we stake our pride on every job. We're here to support every hunter and huntress with fine, affordable service." He said, a little rehearsed.

Pyrrha smirked. "Is that so? May I have a pen and paper?" She asked as Jaune handed her one with a confused look. Was she going to barter?

Pyrrha slid the paper and pen back after scribbling something down. "Here, there's my number so you can contact me when it's done."

Jaune nodded, carefully storing the number near the register to not lose it.

Pyrrha raised an eyebrow. It was her professional number that was safe to give out, but usually people tended to over react when they got it, or give it out. Jaune didn't seem interested in it at all more than a client's number. Maybe he didn't know who she was?

Jaune gave her a copy of the receipt as she paid half upfront, as she saw before on the form.

"Satisfaction guaranteed, or we promise you your money back. An Arc never goes back on his word."

Pyrrha nodded. "I'm looking forward to it." Her eyes drifted to the pie which was still smelling as amazing as ever.

Jaune followed her gaze and smiled. "Here, one second." He said, disappearing to the back before returning with a small cardboard box. He quickly put a slice in the small box, before handing it to her. "Here. One for the road." Pyrrha's eyes lit up as she took it. "Thank you!"

"It's getting a little late. Will you be fine getting back without any weapons?" Jaune asked, a little worried.

Pyrrha just smiled, it was cute he was worried. "I'll be fine. The rest of my team is out shopping anyway, so I'll meet up with them before I head back. Don't worry."

Jaune let out a sigh of relief. "That's good then. Well I'll let you know when the repair is done..." He paused, leaning over to see the name on the number she gave him. "Pyrrha Nikos. Wait. The Pyrrha Nikos?"

Pyrrha froze, putting her hat back on. This trip had been lovely, he wasn't going to ruin it was he? "Yes, that's me."

Jaune froze. He stared at her in awe for a moment. "Your last fight was amazing! You were so cool. I... uh. Good job." He ended a bit awkwardly, realizing he was about to ramble.

"Thank you." Pyrrha said with a soft smile. He seemed to be a little starstruck, but didn't seem to want more money or advertisement.

"Are you sure you want to trust me with your weapon?" He asked a bit nervously, staring down at it, finally realizing why it seemed familiar.

Pyrrha raised an eyebrow. "You said you'd do it. I thought an Arc never goes back on his word?" She challenged.

Jaune stared at her, slowly getting that fire back in his eye as he smirked. "That's right! Leave it to me."

Pyrrha smirked, glad to see that warm fire in his eye. That was why she trusted him. That was why she knew her weapon was in good hands." She left the shopping after waving to him one last time. "I'll leave it to you!" She said, walking out into the street, pulling out her scroll to tell the rest of her team she was done.

Jaune Arc, huh? She thought to herself.