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Chapter Text

Jaune straightened up his posture and adjusted his tie for what felt like the dozenth time today. The elevator felt insanely slow under his feet and kept looking at his reflection in his scroll's camera. Professional. He had to look professional. This was his second chance. A way for him to accomplish his dream. Sure, it was years late, but it was something. Better than just wallowing at home in the family winery never accomplishing anything at 21.

The door slid open with a soft ding. Jaune plastered on the friendliest smile he could and walked inside. Everyone was busy enough that they were ignoring him. He didn't hold it against them. This was the Huntsmen Dispatch unit. They coordinated Huntsmen all across Vale and Saunus. While a lot of Huntsmen chose to go independent - full wandering hero lifestyle only accepting contracts from the board - others preferred a bit more stability.

That was where this place came in. The HD unit made sure Huntresses went where they needed to be. Cause not everything was about fighting Grimm. Someone good at fighting a horde might not have been the best choice for disaster relief or taking down criminals. They had to decide which Huntress was best for the task. It was like those FBI analysts he watched all the time when he was younger. A lot of staring at screens and clicking on keyboards.

Was it glamorous? No. Was it necessary? Absolutely. He wasn't gonna pretend that he didn't want to be out there fighting Grimm by himself of instead of mannking a desk, but maybe that was his shot at getting there.

He was just about to ask for directions when a voice greeted, "Hello there!" The woman who called out was the very picture of a Huntress. Tall with vibrant red hair in a ponytail and striking green eyes. Her outfit screamed professional Grimm slayer. Bronze armor with a shield and javelin slung across her back. The outfit didn't do anything to hide her chiseled physique. Definitely someone who'd earned her bones fighting Grimm.

"Hi!" Jaune smiled and offered her a hand, which she shook happily, "Jaune Arc. You're Ms. Nikos, right?"

"Yes, but please call me Pyrrha. We'll be co-workers from now on." She nudged her head, "Come on, I'll introduce you to Weiss and then we can get started."

"Lead the way."

The office was a practice in organized chaos. All around them, Huntsmen and plain clothes workers chatted or agued while others manned the desk with robotic efficiency. One Huntsman was arguing about the game last night while sharing drinks in the water cooler while another mixed group were sharing Dispatch stories. He only caught the tail end of the conversation, but apparently it was about a new dispatcher sending a Huntress with electricity abilities to a coastal town. Bad idea.

"We're here." Pyrrha knocked on the door, "Weiss? I have Jaune with me."

"Come in."

Jaune followed his new coworker inside after a slightly nervous gulp. The woman at the end of the big desk just screamed ice queen. Snow white hair, pale skin, and eyes that seemed to look straight through him. The thin scar over her left eye added to the intimidation. Pretty but with an edge. The crisp white business suit felt way more intimidating than the dress shirt and slacks he and the rest of the employees wore. She looked even scarier than the Huntresses.

She definitely wasn't just some businesswoman though. He saw the elegant, customized rapier sheathed at the side of the desk with a personalized scabbard.

"So, you're the fraud," she said.

Jaune winced. Well, that was blunt, but he couldn't deny it. He'd tried to get into Beacon four years back with fake transcripts. He goes as far as making it to the courtyard before Deputy Headmistress Goodwitch literally held him upside down with her Semblance and read him the riot act. He wouldn't get arrested, but he wouldn't be allowed to enter any Huntsman Academy in Remnant. So he slinked back home with his head hung long.

That was 4 years ago now. He just worked the family winery and figured that he'd never get to accomplish his dream. At best, maybe he could man the walls with the militia. It wasn't a glorious life, but it was something. He told himself he was satisfied with it even though it was a total lie.

And then he got that call two months back. An offer to be part of the Huntress Dispatch unit on a special assignment. Half of him wanted to refuse. Watching Huntsmen wasn't the same as being Huntsmen, after all. And then they brought up his records. He was still banned from getting Huntsmen training. But if he succeeded in the job offer then they'd give him a second chance. He'd be older than other students, but it was still a chance. He took it with both hands.

"Uh, yes ma'am."

"Fine then. My name is Weiss Schnee. You'll call me Ms. Schnee or ma'am for the whole time you're working here. Please note that any attempt at trying to be unprofesional will have consequences. Are we clear?"

"Understood..."

"Weiss, please don't be rude." Pyrrha sighed.

"I'm being honest." She scoffed, "Well, Jaune Arc, I hope you'll last longer than the last person in your position."

"I think David did really well, actually," Pyrrha said.

"Pyrrha, he quit after three days."

"To be fair, Cinder did burn down his car..."

"I'm sorry, what?" Jaune cut in.

"You did read the information packet you were sent, correct?" At Jaune's reluctant nod, she continued, "You'll be working with Huntresses from the SC - Second Chance - Program. These are not the usual Huntsmen. They will be...test cases, you could say. Huntresses who've been acting out and this program is the last chance they have of making something of themselves. Succeed, and they can consider themselves redeemed and can gain proper Huntsmen licsenses."

"Yeah, no, I got that. I'm more curious about the 'setting the car on fire' bit?"

"Some of our participants can be...chaotic." She looked like she had to force the words out to be nicer, "Don't get me wrong, many of them do have the best of intentions, but intentions don't matter as much as results. And yes, this means they occasionally act out." Arson was 'acting out'? "However, their skillsets are valuable. When they succeed, they can perform very well. That's the entire reason they've been allowed to continue this far."

"Have they...killed anyone?"

"Not while in this program." Well, that wasn't reassuring in the least, "The worst was the car arson stunt, and we've made it clear to Cinder that repeating that is a one way ticket to Tartarus supermax, so you have nothing to worry about."

"I'm not so sure about that..."

"It'll be fine, Jaune." Pyrrha squeezed his right shoulder, "Like Weiss said, they're good people...mostly."

"Mostly?"

"Look." Ms. Schnee sighed and tapped the table. The sound was soft but felt deafening in the room, "You were suggested because you were 'unorthodox'. Someone who deliberately faked their way into a Huntsman Academy without training or Aura." Jaune winced again. Ugh, he was never gonna live that down, "You're not the most professional or the most qualified, but you do have motivation. You want to get a Huntsman license someday. No academy will ever accept you with your record, but the Schnee name opens many doors. Including ones closed by past mistakes."

"I got it." The words came out firmer than before. He'd do anything for a second chance.

"He can do this, Weiss," Pyrrha said.

"If you say so, Pyrrha. I still have my doubts." She picked up a tablet from her desk and tapped the screen, "The program participants are already heading out into the field, so there's no time for a proper orientation. You'll have to make do with a crash course. Their personell files, strengts, and weaknesses are here."

"Okay..." He took the tablet from her and looked at the eight photos.

The first one was of a beaming young woman with black-red hair, silver eyes shining as she grinned at the camera. File said she had a mix of a scythe and a .50 caliber sniper rifle. He was always tempted to say she was compensating for something. Her Semblance was all about speed.

"That's Ruby," Pyrrha said, leaning over his shoulder, "She's a sweetheart. Always tries to see the best in people and help others. She became a Huntress because she wanted to save as many people as possible."

"She's also a chronic rule breaker," Ms. Schnee said, "Four years at Beacon and she commited what must've been dozens of acts of vigilantism. Headmaster Ozpin tried to shield her, but even he couldn't hide how painfully obvious she was. So now she's in the Program. If she can show that she can follow orders and work within the rules, she can receive her license."

The next one was a stunning blonde looking at the camera with a cocky grin. Shotgun fists and a Semblance that let her hit harder the more damage she took. Perfect brawler build.

"That's Yang. She's, well..."

"She's a hothead," Ms. Schnee said, cutting Pyrrha off, "During her entire time at Beacon, she snuck out after hours, got into fights, and caused property damage the school had to pay for. Half the clubs in Vale have banned her permanently, and the other half are too scared to even try. She sees herself as some rebellious icon, but that's not what a good Huntress makes. This program is the last chance she has to shape up and get her license."

The third one was differnt. A cat Faunus with long dark hair and amber eyes. Unlike the last two, her face was expressionless. Apparently she had a 'variant ballistic chain scythe'. Semblance was making shadow clones and she had a particularly skill for stealth.

"Blake." This time, it was Ms. Schnee who spoke first, "Former White Fang member. Her background was found out only after she spent years at Beacon. As you can imagine, the council wasn't exactly happy that someone of her background hid her past to train among future Huntsmen. Headmaster Ozpin successfully negotiated a plea deal. If she gave away information and entered the program, she could get a license. As you can imagine, she's on thin ice."

White Fang? Weren't they terrorists? But then again, if she was that dangerous, they wouldn't have let her joined the program...right?

The next picture was of an oranged hared woman with maple syrup on her cheeks and an expression that screamed 'I regret nothing'. A warhammer and rocket launcher plus a Semblance that boosted her when she was hit with electricity. Perfect if they ever needed to fight in a power plant.

"That's Nora, an old friend," Pyrrha's voice was warm and she smiled fondly at the picture, "She's here because...because of..."

Jaune's brows furrowed and he looked at Ms. Schnee, expecting her to fill in the gaps. Instead, she pointedly started looking at her manicured hands, "Uh...what'd she do? Even her file doesn't say it." The others had a list - the same things Pyrrha and Ms. Schnee said. With Nora, all it said was one word: "Nora."

"Ahem, moving on!" Pyrrha clicked the next photo. She looked somewhat similar to Blake; dark hair and amber eyes. But while Blake's expression was calm and expressionless, the woman in the photo smiled dangerously. Cinder Fall. Jaune pursed his lips. Oh great, the car arsonist. It said she was skilled with dual blades, bow and arrow, and and even martial arts. Her Semblance allowed her to turn anything she could see into superheated projectiles. That explained the burning car, at least...

"Cinder. She's...troubled." Even Pyrrha sounded strained.

"She's a pyromaniac and a menace," Ms. Schnee said bluntly, "Why they insisted she be allowed in the program, I have no idea, but she's here now. Credit where it's due, she's probably the most skilled fighter among everyone in the group. Whether that makes up for her numerous flaws remains to be seen." She rubbed her temples. Jaune looked down at her list of crimes. Arson, assault, breaking and entering...it was a whole laundry list. It almost looked like a resume.

"She's had a...difficult life," Pyrrha said, trying desperately to be diplomatic.

"Many of us have, Pyrrha. It doesn't justify half the things she does." Ms. Schnee shook her head, "Speaking of, the next one on the list."

The next woman was obviously a foreigner. Vacuan by the looks of her. Dark skin with mint-green hair. Emerald Sustrai. Weapons were a pair of revolver-sickles and her Semblance was making illusions. Okay, wow, that sounded really versatile. Not just for combat.

"Emerald." Pyrrha's voice returned to its more pleasant tone, "She actually turned herself in. She's been making a 'living' being a thief. Her illussionary Semblance meant that she never had to worry about being caught or having to be violent. If she passes through the program, then she can receive a proper license."

"I think she's hiding something, but the program is made with the intention of giving certain Huntresses a second chance. At least she's not setting fires to buildings like Cinder," Ms. Schee said.

The last one was a grinning woman with pink and brown hair and similarly colored eyes. Her smile was all-teeth and didn't have a shred of warmth. Neopolitan. Weapon was a bladed parasol (surisingly without a gun attachment) and her Semblance was illusions too. Different than Emerald's. More for creating constructs for misdirection.

But it was her list of crimes that really drew the eye. It was bigger than even Cinder's. Stealing priceless artifacts, fighting Huntsmnen, stealing General Ironwood's personal flagship. He would've thought that last one would mark her for the deepest, darkest hole in the Solitas tundra.

"Neo's different from the others," Ms. Schnee said, "Think of her more as a permanent resident. In exchange for information that no one else could give, plus her particular brand of skills, she's given freedom of a sort. Oh, and she's mute as well. For the sake of convenience, she'll be using pre-recorded messages when responding."

"No offense, Ms. Schnee, but why wouldn't you assume she's planning to escape?"

"Because we have something - or rather, someone - she'd never leave behind." She steepled her hands together, "Neo isn't a lone wolf. Her partner, Roman, was captured alongside her and she knows that if she pushes too far then she's never going to see him again. That keeps her compliant, moreso than even Cinder. She'll follow orders if it means being able to see her precious partner in video calls. Though she may try to prank you at times. There'll be no permanent damage."

"And temporary damage?"

"Moving on," she said, completely ignoring him, "As I mentioned before, the Huntresses are already out in Vale. Your job is to deal with situations and send the appropriate Huntress for the job. That means not sending Yang to break up a bar brawl. She'll just drag every other customer into it. And do NOT, for the love of the Brothers, send Blake against any suspected White Fang sightings. She's been...obsessed every since they tried to bomb Vale a few years back."

"Got it..." He paused, "Wait, Vale? Don't Huntresses hunt Grimm?"

"Not these ones. First they need to show that they can be trusted before being sent out into the field where entire settlements could be depending on them. For now they'll be helping the community, solving crimes, and maybe dealing with lost cats stuck in trees. Once they've proven they can handle that, they can do more serious Huntress work." It seemed like a waste, but he couldn't disagree considering the group. He nodded, "Then you know what you have to do." She took the tablet back, "Pyrrha, please show him to his station."

"Right. Please follow me, Jaune." Pyrrha led him outside and closed the door behind her before speaking again, "I hope you don't think too badly of Weiss. She's stern, but she means well. She legitimately does want the program to succeed."

"Why?"

"Two reasons, actually." They started walking again, "First, her father sent her here as a sort of test. Rehabilitating less cooperative Huntresses is very good PR. There's a reason people here joke that SC stands for Schnee Company instead of Second Chance."

"And the second reason?"

"That one's more important. Weiss wants the program to succeed for her friends' sake. Ruby, Yang, and Blake used to be her team back at Beacon. I know she puts on a professional front, but she does feel guilty knowing she got her license while the rest of her friends didn't. She's just been burned because all the previous dispatchers have quit and she was starting to lose hope. If the program shuts down then that's it. They either lose their chances at a license or, in the case of Cinder and Neo, go to prison."

"I won't let you down."

"I know you won't." Pyrrha's smile was so sure that he almost felt guilty, "Well, here's your station. Good luck."

Jaune said his goodbyes and sat down on the wheeled chair. The cubicle was pretty small but the computer was state of the art. Ms. Schnee spared no expense. He turned on the screen and put on the headphones. The eight of them were already all around Vale, "Hey everyone, this is Jaune Arc, your new dispatcher. Let's get started.

Three days later and Jaune's sanity was on its last legs.

The blonde took a gulp from his fifth coffee of the day and looked at the screen again. The job seemed simple enough. He'd get pings and alerts to crimes in progress and directed the proper Huntress for a job. Thieves stealing art? Blake could sneak up and take them down quietly. Needed to stop someone from making a scene? Send Ruby and she'd use those big eyes to make them feel guilty. Criminal base in a warehouse without any civilians? Cinder or Yang to capture them all.

The problem was he felt like a circus ringleader.

"Bar brawl on fifth street."

"I can-"

"No, Yang," Jaune said, cutting the bruiser off, "You're still banned from the place. Emerald, go talk to them and try to minimize the damage."

"Got it." Emerald was the one bastion of sanity in this place. She wanted to keep her head down and earn her license and pardon. If only they were all like that.

"Just got a ping about a museum heist in progress. Looks like they're stealing Ozpin's cane."

"Oooh, ooh, I can go! Kicking bad guy butt's what I do best!"

He almost felt guilty saying no to Ruby. She was enthusiastic, and that caused issues. Her property damage wasn't as bad as Yang's, but it was still up there, "No. Neo knows the layout of that place better than anyone. Neo, go stop them. And for Brothers' sake, don't steal anything. I'll know."

"As you command," the synthesized voice chirped back. It somehow managed to sound sarcastic.

Jaune rubbed his temples. Even if the picked the right Huntress for the job, it was still a crapshoot on whether they'd succeed or not. Like the time he sent Yang to give some juvenile delinquents a pep-talk to turn their life around. Her profile said she was a big sister and good with kids, so he figured it made sense. Then she started talking to them about being 'real rebels' and now they were tagging Yang's emblem everywhere. The parents were furious.

Or the time he sent Ruby and Nora to deal with some criminals who stole a boat. He figured their speed and strength would make it simple. It somehow ended in a giant jetski chase that was all over the morning news. Nora was paragliding!

Ironically, Cinder ended up not being a problem in something he thought would be a disaster. He got a call about a cat stuck in a tree and everyone else was busy so he had to send her. He thought for sure it'd end with the tree burning down, but she got the cat back and escorted the kid back home. Half of him was still waiting for the other shoe to drop. Like maybe she took note of the address so she'd have something new to burn.

A new call hit his screen and he winced. Suspected White Fang spotted at the docks, "Got a situation at the docks. Cinder, Nora, you two-"

"The Docks? Is it White Fang?" Blake cut in with that tone of voice he'd learned to dread.

"No, just some regular criminals. Not terrorists."

"Then you won't mind if I come along. Just in case."

"Uh, no can do! You're gonna be busy..." He looked at the dispatch list, "Ooh, a donut shop's being robbed. Bob's Donuts are a community staple, Blake. Super important. Trust me, Cinder and Nora can handle it no problem."

"But-"

"Stop holding things up, Belladonna," Cinder cut in. Jaune didn't know whether he was thankful or annoyed, "Send us the coordinates, Arc. We'll make this quick."

"Remember to take them alive if you can."

"Broken legs still count as alive!" Nora said loudly.

"Try to minimize damage!" he amended. He learned not too far in that some of these women were literal genies.

Cinder and Nora zoomed to the docks on his screen while Blake went the opposite way to the donut shop, grumbling all the while. Jaune let out a sigh and looked for something to assign Ruby to. A bored Ruby was a a dangerous Ruby who went off looking for crimes to fight.

Just two years, he told himself. Two years and he'd get his chance at training. Then he'd be the one on the field instead of behind a desk. He could do this. And maybe he could even ask Pyrrha out to dinner later. She was nice.

Chapter Text

Another day, another dispatch...

Jaune looked at the screen with the alert eyes of someone who'd taken at least three espresso shots before his morning sandwich. He'd already had his doubts ever since he heard about the 'car on fire' incident, but he doggedly refused. This was his chance, he thought.

A month in and Jaune question that choice at least three times a day.

He figured that running Dispatch for the team wouldn't be too difficult. Sure there were only seven of them, but it wasn't like they were protecting all of Vale like the Justice Gang or something. The point was to show that these Huntsmen could be reformed and be trusted. So the program wasn't exactly picky with what jobs they considered. Stopping bank robberies? Sure. Intervening in gang wars? Fine. Finding lost puppies and acting as impromptu moving services? You better believe it.

It was part of the punishment detail. They weren't full Huntsmen yet, so they were expected to do things that were considered 'beneath' licensed professionals. Fair enough, he thought. If they acted like regular Huntsmen then this wasn't much of a penalty/rehab program.

The problem was that there were way too many dispatch requests!

His eyes scanned the screen again. He didn't know if it was Pyrrha's advertising or Ms. Schnee pushing the program so hard, but people seemed to take to it like a duck to water. He shouldn't have been surprised. Where else could you legally get Huntsmen to do busywork practically for free? Someone like Yang could do the work of a half a dozen moving men faster. Plus she was hot and she knew it. It probably wasn't a coincidence that the people who needed help moving furniture tended to be guys.

Jaune's right hand moved on autopilot as he clicked each icon in the city. Everything from stopping crimes in progress to getting someone a matcha coffee. His first thought was to ignore every single request that didn't seem crucial enough, but both Pyrrha and Ms. Schnee told him not to do that. This was a rehab program, Ms. Schnee reminded him. The point wasn't to be cheaper Huntsmen, it was to show that they could integrate into society and follow orders. Just fighting didn't prove anything.

"Alright, Ruby. Take this one." He assigned her to the coffee.

"Alrighty, Jau- wait, what?" There was a pause, "I'm getting coffee?! What the heck?!"

"You're the fastest and you know all the shortcuts in Vale," he said, the practiced response coming automatically. Each of his dispatchees had their own preferences. Ruby (to no one's surprise) liked stopping crime and saving people, Yang liked brawling with people, and Blake kept trying to assign herself to dispatches involving either the White Fang or anti-Faunus crimes and rallies. He was told by Ms. Schnee in no uncertain terms to NOT let her take any dispatches like that solo. If she had to go, she needed a partner who wasn't Yang. Apparently she was an enabler.

The only one who didn't complain or whine was Emerald. Sweet, sweet Emerald who gave every dispatch the old college try. She didn't always succeed, but she gave an honest attempt. It was nice. Ruby tried too, but she grumbled and complained about her missions if she wasn't saving people or helping kids. He'd pretty much learned to tune them out. As long as they were doing their jobs, it was all good.

...Well, sort of.

His eyes flicked to the percentage bar on the upper right. 41 percent. That was the success rate of the entire team. It was, quite frankly, sad. Maybe he didn't have much room to talk, but the dossiers he got weren't exactly living up to the legend. Ruby was a prodigy, Yang was the second best fighter in her year (right behind Pyrrha), Cinder Fall overpowered senior Huntresses while outnumbered, Neo was trained as both a Huntress and an assassin. And so on and so forth. All amazing on paper.

And yet somehow they had less of a success rate than Beacon first years.

Jaune clicked Cinder's icon and winced at the screen that greeted him. He'd sent her to help tidy up someone's house. Yes, that sounded like a horrible idea, but he didn't have a choice. Ignoring calls was worse than trying and failing, or so both Pyrrha and Ms. Schnee said. At least trying would've shown they made an honest effort. So when the call came in and everyone else was busy, he was forced to send Cinder because the only other option was ignoring the call.

A choice he was sorely beginning to regret.

"...Cinder?"

"Yes, Jaune?" she asked, voice sickly sweet. She always used that tone whenever she was about to, or just finished, making his life difficult.

"Why am I reading that there's a house on fire where you were assigned?"

"The woman was clumsy and left her stove on. By the time I realized it, half her house was on fire. She's lucky I managed to save her from that careless fire she caused." He couldn't see her face, but her voice sounded so sincere that he almost fell for it. Almost.

Yang snorted, "Please. Your pyromaniac ass burned her house down."

"That's a hurtful accusation, Xiao Long. You don't see me accusing you of destroying that club just because you happened to be there."

"That's cause I was there stopping bad guys! Property damage is better than a bunch of dead civvies, bitch!" Jaune sighed. That was another dispatch he preferred not to think about. It was a...partial success. The guys holding up the nightclub were stopped...and there were thousands of lien in damages to the nightclub itself. The owner didn't feel particularly grateful. Yang, of course, considered it a rousing success because obviously insurance would cover it.

"Correlation is not causation," an artificial voice rang. Neo's recorder. He'd only ever heard her real voice when she giggled over the comms. Usually after she did something horrible to someone who vaguely deserved it.

"I dunno, a lotta things tend to burn where Cinder is..." Nora said.

"Hm, I heard there's an SDC event asking for bodyguards. I could show up."

"No, Blake." Jaune ran a hand down his face. The last time she was anywhere SDC related, it ended with her inciting a rally. Ms. Schnee had to work overtime doing damage control.

"I got the coffee! Heading back!" Ruby cut in, "Still think this is a waste of time! Who needs a Huntress to deliver them coffee?"

"Technically, you're not a Huntress, Ruby. None of you are. That's kind of the whole point of the program." He danced around it that first week, but he'd stopped doing it at this point. It was the truth. The whole reason they were here was because they'd messed up somehow. Just like him, really. A wannabe-Huntress team with a dispatcher who took the job so he could have a second chance.

A second chance that was looking less and less likely judging by the success rate.

41 percent. It was barely anything. He'd lost count of the actual amount of failures and partial successes he'd seen the past month. He was already feeling pretty doubtful considering his introduction and the performance over the weeks hadn't done much to change that. Pyrrha said that they weren't expecting miracles but they were really hoping for them. Well, they'd have to keep hoping longer because there was no way they'd reach the projected 70 percent success rate the way they were going.

"Jaune, you okay? You're quiet," Emerald chimed in.

"Huh? Oh, yeah, sorry. Just drinking some coffee." He downed another espresso shot. So far Emerald's dispatches today had been...mixed. He'd sent her to try and inspire kids at a school since Ruby and Yang were busy earlier. She ended up talking about how the world was cruel and they needed to grow up quickly or else it'd swallow them up. The teacher wasn't happy when she called afterwards. The words 'restraining order' were being thrown around.

"Anything for me to do?"

"Uh...yeah, there's a bank robbery happening now. You and Neo go deal with that."

"I can join!" Ruby shouted.

"Ruby, you're delivering coffee."

"But I'm almost done!"

"Double check to make sure you got it right. This client is picky." Some councilor's girlfriend who was half the guy's age. The last thing they needed was someone like her filing a complaint, "I'll make sure you get the next crime in progress if you do it right."

"Promise?"

"Promise." He took off his headphones for a second and ran both hands across his face. He wasn't as stressed with Ruby as he was with the others (sans Emerald), but she was...enthusiastic. That wasn't even mentioning the fact that Ms. Schnee was especially invested in Ruby getting her license. From what Pyrrha told him, the two of them were partners during their time at Beacon. She was definitely playing favorites despite claiming this was all equal."

He put his headphones back on just in time to hear an explosion. A few weeks ago, he would've yelped or fallen over. Now he stared at the screen at Yang's icon, "Yang, what did you do?"

"Not my fault!"

"There's an explosition right where you are on the GPS." He took one of the cookies Ruby gave him and bit into it. Chocolate chip, "I sent you to go stop some smugglers. How did it end with an explosion at the docks?"

"Well...they were smuggling Dust. And I fired a stray shot."

"And?"

"And it...blew up. But totally not my fault!" He could practically see her carefree shrug, "Look, they were shooting at me! I thought it was good. Why would they be shooting if there was volatile Dust everywhere?"

"Basic logic would tell you that shooting near Dust is a bad idea, Xiao Long," Cinder said dryly.

"I'm not getting shit on by the pyromaniac!"

"SC insurance is comprehensive but not infinite," Neo's recorded voice added. This time it was from one of Weiss' PSA's, "Remember. A prudent Huntress pays attention to their surroundings."

"Oh fuck off, Neo! They were throwing grenades! Fuck me for thinking it was fair game!"

"Please tell me the smugglers are still alive, at least?" Jaune said.

"Uh...sorta." He heard the sound of footsteps, "They're twitching, so I guess they're still alive?"

"Quick! Give them mouth to mouth, Yang! Kiss of life!" Nora shouted.

"What? No way! I'm not putting my lips anywhere near them!" Yang gagged, "I'm calling an ambulance. Cops can deal with them."

"I'm afraid to ask, but is there even any of their smuggled products left at this point?"

"Eh...does 30 percent count?"

"30 percent of a haul's a failure from my experience," Emerald said.

"At least Yang stopped the bad guys! They're not gonna be smuggling anymore!" Ruby added, cheerful as always.

...

Wait, where was Blake? His eyes scanned the screen and his mouth twitched when he saw where her icon was going, "Blake, turn around and walk away from the SDC building."

"But-"

"You already got written up. One more infraction and you'll be re-assigned to janitor duty for the next two weeks." Blake's icon stopped, and then with a grumble, it started going the opposite direction. Crisis averted. For now. He made sure to assign her to wait in line for someone who wanted to buy a game. Maybe some time would help her cool off.

He couldn't wait for lunch break.

Lunch time was his favorite part of the day. Not just because it gave him a break from the constant dispatch headaches, but because it gave him a chance to observe just how...larger than life this whole place was. The SC Program wasn't the only point of the building. This was a Dispatch network for all the Huntsmen across Vale. Seeing all of them around just...maybe it was lame, but he still felt impressed even a month later. Their weapons, their outfits, the casual stories about Grimm hunts.

That would be him one day. Later than when the others started, but still there. He could see it now. Riding in with gleaming armor and a sharp sword, saving people from the Grimm. He wouldn't just be behind a desk reading reports and getting complaints. He'd be out there.

"Daydreaming again?"

Jaune looked up and smiled slightly when Emerald sat across from him. She was pretty much the only one in the team he really spent time with outside of talking to them through an earpiece. Ruby's friendliness tended to dampen whenever he didn't send her out on dispatches she liked. Yang and Nora were friendly enough too, but they were...intense. Blake held a grudge since he kept her from SDC properties and anything involving Faunus.

Cinder and Neo...they scared him. The only reason his car hadn't been burned down was cause he didn't have a care to set fire to.

"The last Dispatch was..." he tried to find a more gentle phrase before deciding it didn't matter, "Look, why did you traumatize a bunch of kids?"

"I didn't! I was toughening them up!" She bit into her sandwich forcefully.

"By telling them that everyone dies and you can only rely on yourself?"

"It's a lesson I learned." She shrugged, "Kids need to learn that horrible things can happen any day. Harsh lessons are the best ones to understand early. I know that from experience."

"Okay, but you failed that call, so..."

"...Not my fault." Her next bite was even more forceful than the last. She wasn't angry at him. She understood that he was her Dispatcher. He was supposed to give feedback. She was pretty much the only one open to it no matter how much she grumbled. She'd turned herself in because she wanted a proper license. She even seemed to resent Ruby, Blake, and Yang somewhat since they were friends with Ms. Schnee. They'd get second chances, she said. But if she messed this up she was gone.

"You ever gonna tell me how you got your training?" Jaune asked again.

"You gonna tell me how Schnee suckered you into being dispatch for this team of disasters?"

"Come on, you guys aren't that bad." Emerald raised a brow. He sounded like he didn't believe it himself, "I mean...MOST of you are trying, at least."

"Jaune, the only reason we haven't been cut is because Schnee wants to make sure her team gets licenses." She sighed, "I figured they'd be sending us out for Grimm without support. You know, don't wanna risk the "real" Huntsmen so they send us? I get that, at least. You don't have to talk to the Grimm or play nice. Kill or be killed. Just like in the streets. None of this community service shit where I have to stand guard while guys look at my ass."

"Em, you're not in the streets anymore. You're in the SC program. This isn't a penal legion."

"Sure feels like it sometimes." She gulped down her coffee, "I mean, I guess I can't complain too much since they're still paying us, but I'm not really doing this to be a hero. I have the skills and I know what they're worth. Being a Huntress means I get to use them without looking over my shoulder for other Huntsmen."

"Come on, there's no way this is all about the money for you."

"What, you think I'm doing this cause I wanna be a hero?" She scoffed playfully and rolled her eyes, "Not everyone has their head in the clouds, Jaune. I grew up starving, managed to unlock my Aura, and it let me steal enough to not starve. Now I know how to fight and how it can get me food and a roof over my head. You can't feed yourself on fairy tales."

"Huntsmen aren't fairy tales, Em. Look around." He gestured to the cafateria, "Huntsmen are...they're a community. Heroes."

"They're well-paid mercenaries who go where the money is. They're not fighting Grimm out of the kindness of their hearts. But hey, I'm not judging. I'm in it for the lien too." She leaned forward, "Besides, I'm not really feeling the sense of community around here. I see how they look at me and the rest of the group. We're the rejects and fuck-ups. There's a betting pool on which of us is gonna tank the whole program first. Nora and Cinder are at the top."

"Yeah, that tracks..." Cinder made it obvious that she didn't care about ingratiating herself to anyone and seemed to think her skills would be enough to keep giving her passes. He had no idea if she was right or not. Somehow she kept getting away with "little" acts of arson. He hated to admit it, but she had the highest mission success rate whenever she was actually trying. He didn't even have to send her with partners if the dispatch called for taking people down.

"So, you gonna tell me why you're stuck with this team of rejects or not?"

"It's...nothing really interesting."

"I'm a street rat who used powers to steal groceries. Try me."

"I...I always wanted to be a Huntsman." He looked down at his spaghetti and stirred the noodles, "Problem was, we didn't really have combat schools where I lived. They were expensive unless you had the right connections. Mom and Dad owned a winery. We weren't exactly swimming with Huntsmen friends."

"Wine's a good business. They could afford to send you."

"Yeah, but they didn't want to. Dad thinks it's better for us to stay at home and learn a trade. Best case scenario he'd let me join in with the militia. You know, patrolling the walls and taking potshots at stray beowolves." All while the real heroes did the fighting. Kind of reminded him of his current job, now that he thought about it, "So I...got desperate." Emerald raised a brow, "Uh...I got my hands on some fake transcripts. Figured I could use it to get into Beacon and learn on the job. On the school. Whatever."

"Huh...guessing that didn't go well."

"They found out pretty much immediately. Barred from ever getting a license." His shoulders sagged.

There was a pause before Emerald laughed under her breath. He gave her a look of betrayal, "Sorry, sorry! Just...wow, that was way stupider than I thought it'd be." She coughed into her right hand, "I thought you were here cause you owed Weiss money or that maybe you figured you'd get lucky with a Huntress. Didn't expect it was cause you got fake records from the back of a truck!"

"It wasn't a truck! It was on the CCT!"

"Oh, so much better. Cause no one ever lies online." She rolled her eyes playfully, "Well, guess you fit right in with us then. A team of fuck-ups and criminals with a fraud for a dispatcher. Birds of a feather flock together and all that."

"Hey, we're not always gonna be like that. Once you do your service, you can get a proper license and I can get training."

"Ah, so that's the carrot. A second chance. Not a lot of people get those nowadays." She crossed her arms, "Guess that explains why you're still here after dealing with our shit for a whole month. The last guy lasted a week, and he was the longest."

"Didn't Cinder burn down his car?"

"Yeah. She's crazy. Thinks she's the strongest and smartest person in the room. Always gotta get the last word in. And when she can't, she burns your stuff." She took another drink, "Careful with her. She's behaving herself more now, but you know what happens with her type. She'd cut off her eye to spite her face."

"Uh, think that's supposed to be nose."

"Nah, it's an eye. She's definitely that petty." She stretched her arms above her head and groaned. Jaune did his best not to look. Emerald's outfit was...generous. Another thing the teacher complained about. When he brought it up before in passing, she said she grew up in Vacuo and she wasn't gonna change now. Besides, it wasn't any weirder than what every other Huntsman wore. Outlandish fashion was practically the norm in Huntsman culture.

"Heh, point." He looked down at the food. Lunch in the office was...adequate, but he missed home cooked meals. Gods, he'd been so tired recently that he was living off of fast food and way too expensive coffee. He'd cook tonight, he told himself. Something nice that reminded him of home. Better than his overflowing trash bin filled with Vale Fried Chicken.

...

"Hey, Em. You hungry?"

"Uh...kinda? I'm still eating."

"No, not what I meant." He laughed and rubbed the back of his head, "I've been on autopilot the whole month. Just go home, eat whatever I can order, then crash. I need to vary things up. I'm thinking of cooking my mom's lasagna. Little taste of home. But with the portions in Vale, it's gonna be pretty big. Can't eat it myself. Wanna have dinner with me?"

"Like...at your home?" For the first time since he knew her, Emerald suddenly looked unsure. Well, not counting the time had to send her to act as an assistant priest for the Church of the Silver Eyes. It was either her or Ruby, and for some reason, he had a bad feeling about sending Ruby there.

"It's just an apartment, but yeah." Part of the SC Program package. It wasn't exactly the lap of luxury, but he'd never been picky, "Come on, I make a mean lasagna."

"Do you normally invite women to your apartment?" she raised a brow.

"Not particularly." Dad always said all you needed was confidence. Yeah. Confidence, his butt. Not a single Huntress here gave him the time of day and he still found it awkward to talk to Pyrrha since she was technically sorta his boss alongside Ms. Schnee.

"Right..." Emerald shuffled in her seat, "I...sure, yeah. Just send me the address on my scroll." She paused, "This isn't a prank, right?"

"What? Why would this be a prank?" It sounded like a pretty crappy one too. Hey, let's go get dinner. Psyke/

"Well, we never really talked outside of work."

"Huh..." Jaune blinked. Now that she said it, yeah, "That wasn't intentional. Just took me a while to really get used to...all this." He still wasn't completely used to it. Some part of him still hoped that the week would end without Cinder burning something or Yang causing irate insurance calls. So far, that wish hadn't been granted, "Anyway, we can make it a celebration then."

"Celebrating what?" Emerald laughed softly.

"My most successful Dispatch-ee. That's a word, right?"

"Pretty sure I fail half the calls you send me on."

"Yeah. You're pretty much taking the lead." He wasn't even being completely sarcastic. It was really between her and Neo. Neo was competent and didn't have Cinder's pyromania issues, but he also needed to keep a close eye on her to make sure she didn't swipe anything valuable. Bad habits, she told him once. Well, the recorded voice she used did.

"Then it's a celebration." She raised her almost empty cup and Jaune did the same. They clicked the glass and downed the coffee.

Jaune felt nervous as he walked into Pyrrha's office. She wasn't intimidating or cold like Ms. Schnee, but she was still his superior. Despite how young she was, she was apparently some sort of prodigy in both the tournament and Huntsmen circuit. Plus she was friends with Ms. Schnee. That gave her a lot of power in the Huntress Dispatch Unit. Especially since she was invested in making sure the SC Program worked despite how...difficult it was.

"Jaune! Please sit." Pyrrha looked up from her scroll with a smile.

"Hey, Pyrrha. What's going on?"

"Well, I've been looking at the statistics of the team for the past four weeks. And, well..." she paused, clearly trying to find a nicer way to say her next words, "It wasn't...exactly the improvement Weiss was hoping for, but slow and steady wins the race, right?"

"Right..." The atmosphere was heavy, "Uh...is something wrong?"

"Not...wrong per se, but we're planning a sort of...incentive program." She tapped her scroll and showed him the screen, "We're thinking of starting a leaderboard between the seven of them. For the next week, there'll be a ranking system." He looked down at the screen. Neo was at the top with Ruby right behind her while Blake and Nora were neck in neck for the bottom, Well, he wasn't surprised there. What did it say when the kleptomaniac former(?) assassin had the best score?

1. Neo

2. Ruby

3. Cinder

4. Emerald

5. Yang

6. Blake

7. Nora

"Guessing these are based on their successful dispatches for the month?"

"Past week, actually. We figured it'd be more fair." Pyrrha's smile was strained, "We're hoping that a prize will encourage good behavior."

"The prize being?"

"One request of their choice. Within reason, of course." She pulled the scroll back, "We already told the team about it before lunch ended. Think of the afternoon shift as a sort of...test run, I suppose. We're hoping to see some improvement now that they have more than the baseline incentives of getting a license or not going to jail."

"You really think this is gonna work?"

"Well...that's the hope." Not even the plan; just the hope, "The boost might be good enough to show that the program is working when people are properly incentivized." He remembered Emerald's words from earlier. Huntsmen weren't heroes, they were mercenaries. He shook the thought away.

"I'm guessing there's a penalty for the people in last place?"

"Well...yes. Weiss insisted." Pyrrha's pleasant smile twitched, "Nothing as critical as being cut, of course, but there needs to be an incentive to push past your limits. So, the one who ends up in last place is going to be reassigned to the...factory district for the next two weeks."

They both shared a collective wince. The factory district was the worst patrol area inside Vale. Nothing but factories (duh), loud noises, and breaking up fights between drunks and angry factory workers. Day in and day out. The threat of it was enough to make even Blake back down, "Are...you sure that's a good idea?"

"I...no, not really, but Weiss said they need a push to stop being satisfied with last place. Nora treats this all like a game and Blake...well, you know what she's like." She sighed, "Just...please do your best Jaune. This team can do great things, they just need the correct motivation."

"...Why do I get the feeling this is gonna go horribly wrong?"

Pyrrha just smiled.

The feeling only got worse when he made his way to his desk and saw Blake giving an emergency ping. He sat down and put on his headphones, "Blake, why are you giving an SOS? The shift hasn't started yet."

"Nora trapped me in a room full of red syrup!" she shouted, sounding more emotional than he'd ever heard, "You're gonna pay for this, Valkyrie!"

"All's fair in love and war, Blake!" Nora shouted, "I'm not going in last place!"

"Where did you even find this much syrup in 30 minutes?!"

"You'll never know!"

"We shouldn't be doing this!" Ruby cried, "We're supposed to be Huntresses! Heroes!"

Cinder scoffed, "Don't be naive, Rose. Schnee dangles a prize and a punishment and you think we won't compete? If you care so much about keeping the peace, tank your ranking. Go patrol that cesspit Vale considers a district."

"What?! No! I earned that spot by doing my calls correctly!"

"Must be easy to pad your score when you spend most of the shift delivering coffee."

"Why you-?!"

Jaune sighed, "Guys-"

"FUCK, someone put laxatives in my drink! When I get out of here, you're fucking dead!" Yang shouted.

"Hmhmhm." Neo giggled.

"...Jaune, any calls?" Emerald asked.

Jaune looked at the screen with dead eyes. This was gonna be a long shift.