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My name is Jaune Arc and tomorrow will be my first official day at Beacon Academy. Here, I will learn what it takes to become a true hero as a huntsman, just like my father, and his father, and his father, and- You get it; I come from a long line of heroes who risked their lives to save humanity from the evil known as the Grimm, monsters who attack and destroy humanity for some reason. Honestly, I just figured it's just how things are.
You might be wondering why I chose Beacon of the four academies? Well, for one thing, it's the closest, and for two, well, let's just say it was the only one that would probably accept my application. But we'll get to that later, because right now, I need to get another secret off my back. If I'm going to be trusting everyone else on my team to have my back, then they need to trust me, too, especially since I'm going to be their team leader. That means no secrets between us.
Well... LESS secrets between us.
"So, uh..." I confidently started. "You're, um, probably wondering why I asked you guys to meet me here tonight."
"Ooh~!" Nora Valkyrie, one of the girls on my team called out excitedly, bouncing in her seat on her bed. "You're gonna give us a heroic speech, aren't you~?!"
"Uh, no..." I didn't have any big speeches prepared. Heck, I didn't even have a little speech prepared!
"Then you're gonna tell us what the training plan is tomorrow!"
"Nora, I don't even know what classes are tomorrow." I said with groan.
"The class schedule is on the desk." Lie Ren, Nora's partner and the other guy on the team, answered while pointing at the study. He was also sitting with Nora, a hand on her shoulder to keep her calm. They seemed like close friends. "You should read it before bed." Not once did his voice shift in tone.
"Thanks." Gonna have to remember to look at it before bed. "No, the thing I'm... not exactly what I look like."
Nora gasped aloud. "YOU'RE BALD?!"
"NO, I'M NOT BALD!" I shouted back. "I'M A FAUNUS!" I slapped my hands over my mouth, eyes wide with fear. My team shared the same look of horror that I did, though I doubt it was actually fear. Or, at least, I hope so.
Glancing over the team, I gauged their reactions. To put it bluntly, it was not good. Nora covered her mouth with both hands, eyes wide at my outburst. Ren remained relatively neutral, though his eyes scanned me as if to find out where my trait was. From where he was sitting, though, he wouldn't be able to see it.
Last, but not least, was my partner, Blake Belladonna. I knew from the first second that we met, after tripping over myself in front of her while she was reading, I could tell she wasn't going to like me. But, just like how my luck always turns out, she and I were the first people we met in the Emerald Forest during initiation, so now we're partners. I happened to land on top of some Grimm she was killing, and she saved my life. From then on, I've always got the feeling I was dragging her down; she barely said anything, and when she did, it was usually something along the lines of "Watch where you're going!" and "Are you serious?" Needless to say, she hated my guts.
And yet the look she gave me... I don't know how to describe it, but she wasn't spiteful or angry or... anything. She might have been more neutral than Ren, to be honest. Then she asked me something that I'll never forget.
"Can you keep a secret?"
And with a tug of her ribbon, she revealed that she, too, was a Faunus. Little black cat ears twitched on top of her head. Nora gasped at the surprise, removing her hands to reveal a beaming smile. Ren blinked, giving a nod to the overall honesty. I smiled, glad to know I wasn't alone.
"So, what's your trait?" Nora asked. "Is it claws? I bet it's claws! Show me your claws!"
"It's not claws!" I groused, not as loud as before, thankfully. "I have a rabbit's tail."
"And you've been wearing jeans all day?" Ren asked. "That can't be comfortable."
"Well," I rubbed my neck, "it's not a big tail."
"Still." He shrugged.
"Are you going to tell the rest of the school, too?" I looked to Blake, who was already tying the ribbon back in place. "I... would rather keep mine a secret, still."
"Wait, why are you guys keeping secrets?" Nora asked. "It's not like you lied your way into Beacon." Blake and I looked to each other, then synchronized not looking at Nora. "Oh... my god..."
"We'll keep your secret, Blake, since you asked." Ren answered. "Do you want yours to be kept a secret, too, Jaune?"
I thought for a moment, lips pursed as I considered my options. The application I used said I was human, but it could be overlooked as an administrative mistake, right? But if they find out that mistake, what other mistakes would they find? What kind of trouble could I get into when they found out? My heart started pounding fast as ice ran down my spine and I could feel my legs giving out and-
"Jaune." Suddenly, things became clear. All it took was my hand being held by a true friend. "You can trust us."
I smiled at Blake. They knew my secret. Nobody else had to know, right?
----------
"Do what you're told and nobody else has to know."
That was deal Cardin Winchester made with me that brought me here. Living in Ansel, I never really had to face a whole lot of discrimination, not like Blake had, or Velvet Scarlatina, who was an upper classman Faunus two years my senior AND was recently picked on by Cardin. Blake told me she tried to help Velvet before but was apparently shooed away of "I'll take care of it" degrees. Well, I saw it and I decided to take care of it myself.
Yeah, I may not have had to deal with racists growing up, but bullies picking on my little sisters were a different story. And in our family, we looked out for each other, regardless how much we annoyed each other. So, I guess you could say my natural instincts kicked in and put me right in front the literal biggest bully I'd ever met, and I walked away with a target on my back.
Worse yet, he found out my secret! Not the Faunus one, thankfully, but the other one. Y'know, the "I broke into a school intended for Huntsmen" secret? Wait, did I not tell you that? No, no, I'm sure I did. Anyways, Cardin found out just after Blake did, when she pulled me aside and started chewing me out for sticking up for Velvet, someone not even on our team, but I was willing to let Cardin get away with everything else, including pummeling me into the ground during practice. A lot of heated words were said, including how I could take care of myself since I made it to Beacon after all with no training.
She just shook her head, walking away and leaving me by myself. Or, well, that's what she thought. Next thing you know, I'm here, in the Forever Fall, collecting enough sap for an entire team, and then some, only to be told it would be used to humiliate Blake for giving Cardin the stink-eye. Now, I don't exactly know what was going through my mind at the time, but for some reason the thought of Blake being coat head-to-toe in sap and being forced to remove her ribbon and reveal her biggest secret... that set me off. And I let Cardin have it.
The sap, I mean. And, well, a sap for a sap, because I suddenly became Team CRDL's biggest target. I was about to run away when they started running away. Cardin tripped and an Ursa came charging from the treeline. It was about to maul him when I jumped in and started hitting it with my sword on the head. And just like that, I became the target of an even bigger bully, taking attention away from Cardin for both me and the Grimm.
I'm not going to lie; I took a beating like you wouldn't believe. I kept my shield up, but every hit felt like I was being slammed into by a truck. But I kept getting back up, somehow with more energy than I thought I had, getting between Cardin and the Ursa a few times to keep its attention. It made for one final charge and I met it halfway. In that moment, I thought for sure I was going to die, but luck must've finally been on my side because when it hit me, I barely felt anything and was able to deal the killing blow.
So, here I am now, aching to my bones, turning my back on the dead Grimm three times my size, and offering a shaking hand to Cardin. He took it and I pulled him to his feet. He must've been at a loss for words because apparently I was doing all the talking. And it all started after I took a deep breath to come down from the adrenaline.
"Look, do whatever you want to me." I said. "Punch me. Kick me. Hit me with your mace... club... thing." I pulled him closer, narrowing my eyes. "But don't you EVER touch my friends. Got it?"
He gulped. He nodded. And when I smiled, he seemed to give me a genuine smile back. Not the "I'm better than you" kind of smile he always wore, but more of the "You're alright, man" kind.
Back at Beacon, everything slipping back into normal, Blake pulled me off to the side again, and I expected another chewing out. Instead what I got was a confession; she told me that she and Pyrrha Nikos found me fighting for my life and the "Champion of Mistral", which is Pyrrha's nickname for some reason, used her semblance to put me in that last stand moment that I somehow survived. I was about to feel down when she hooked her finger under my chin and made me look her in the eyes.
"If you keep this up, you are going to die." The way her golden eyes quivered, well... That broke my heart. But Blake, as my partner and good friend, helped mend it back together. "I'm going to help you. Starting with how you stand." I toppled over like a block tower. "Chin up, chest out, feet distanced enough to keep you stable."
"Ow..."
"You just fought an Ursa. I know that didn't hurt."
"Well, not physically-" Her finger pushed into me, stopping me from getting up. I didn't even hear her move to crouch down.
"And no more excuses." I could hear her teeth grind. "I've heard more than enough as it is."
"Alright." She stepped away, I stood up, and then we spent the next... hour, I guess? We spent a long time on the roof practicing my stances and movements. Then I decided to ask Blake something and the answer I got was more than enough of an answer for me at that time. "Where'd you learn all this stuff?"
"...It's getting late." She turned away. "We should head back."
Neither of us would have guessed that the answer she was hiding was going to show itself the very next day.
----------
Today was supposed to be a fun outing between us and Team RWPY. Hang out, get lunch, maybe swap a couple of stories or two. Then things got ruined the same way things always do... Somebody decided to bring up politics. Me, I don't care about it that much, and neither did Nora, Ruby, Yang, or Pyrrha. Ren liked to keep his finger on the pulse just so he knows what's going on, but isn't dedicated to one side, the other, or any secret third options that I'm always out of the loop on. Unfortunately, the same could not be said for Blake or Weiss.
Weiss, I completely understand because, well, as Blake put it, she is THE Weiss Schnee, as in the heiress to the Schnee Dust Company, the largest dust supplier and provider in all of Remnant. I didn't really know a lot about dust, and I still don't really get it, but I got enough of the gist growing up that they're pretty much magic rocks that do element things, like make fire and electricity. The White Fang, who Weiss suspected were behind a recent robbery, are an organization of Faunus who REALLY don't like the SDC. She called them violent thugs no better than the animals they carry the traits of.
I didn't take offense to that. Blake does enough of that for the both of us. But the way she snapped at Weiss almost made it seem like she was speaking for the whole team. The White Fang were brought up as a topic in Prof- Sorry, DOCTOR Oobleck's history class, and he was pretty neutral on the subject, not at all getting as heated as Weiss OR Blake, but one fact remained clear in his lecture; the White Fang are terrorists, and the actions they've taken against humanity, including innocent civilians, are so awful that we have to take action to prevent it as huntsmen and huntresses.
I tried to play the mediator and worked with Ruby to calm down our teammates so nothing got too out of hand. Walking along, though, things got heated again as we watched a crime in progress. There was a Faunus playing around with dock security, throwing bananas while swinging from his monkey tail, before speeding off on foot in a getaway. Weiss insisted we chased after him while security continued to play clean-up. Ruby took the lead and bumped into a weird girl in suspenders while Weiss continued to make comments about the stowaway fleeing the scene. Really nasty comments.
And it was around that time that Blake snapped. And when she did, the unthinkable happened. She told me her secret. She told Weiss her secret. She told everyone on both teams her secret. She even told the total stranger Ruby bumped into her secret. Blake didn't just admit to being a Faunus; she told everyone she used to be in the White Fang. And before anyone could do anything, she ran away.
"Blake, wait!"
"I knew there was something weird about her!" Weiss huffed as I reached out to my partner. "Well, she won't get far."
"What do you mean?" Nora asked.
"Isn't it obvious?" Weiss didn't look up as she tapped on her scroll. "I'm calling the police and having that White Fang spy arrested."
"WHAT?!" Ruby and Nora shouted together.
"And with any luck, they'll get that stowaway, too."
"M-Maybe we should think on this first." Pyrrha offered, lifting a finger in docile protest.
"There's nothing to think about. There's a terrorist in our school. Hopefully she's the only one." She lifted her scroll to her ear, then huffed. "Almost two dozen law enforcement officers and I still get put on hold."
"Yang, do something!" Ruby whined, gesturing to Weiss.
"I mean... She's not wrong, Rubes." The older sister shrugged. "I like Blake, too, but what she said was totally serious. We can't really look the other way on this. We're training to be huntresses, and that means we have to make the tough calls."
"Hey, give that-"
"GET PRANKED, IDIOT~!" I shouted into the scroll before hanging up for the struggling Schnee swiping at the end of my arm. "Ren, Nora, let's split up to find Blake. I'll keep following the way she ran, you two ask around and see if anyone saw her. Try the teashops and bookstores."
"Aye aye, Leader Jaune~!" Nora saluted. Ren nodded, leaving with his partner.
"What do you think you're doing?" Weiss huffed and stomped at me. Funny, because I had a crush on her when I showed up, and now all I can see is my baby sister throwing a tantrum. "Do you realize you're abetting a wanted criminal?!"
"And how do we know she's wanted? I don't remember seeing any wanted posters for her."
"She was in the White Fang! She is, by association at least, a terrorist!"
"And what if she got out? What if she realized that she joined the wrong team and decided to live a better life? One without hate?"
She shook with anger. "Are you aware of how many of my friends she probably killed? How many times I had to go to bed with tears in my eyes because of people like her?"
"People... or Faunus?" She wanted to argue. I could tell by the way her jaw clenched, but she couldn't find the right words. "Blake is my partner, and when I find her and ask her if she's still in the White Fang, I'll make the decision to handcuff her myself if she is. But if you think that just because she's a Faunus, you can scream 'White Fang' to get your way, then you're going to learn just how much of an issue your racism really is." I snorted. She didn't back away, but I could tell that she wasn't going to go running to Mom just yet. "And you can take the word of a Faunus for it."
"Wait..." Pyrrha blinked. "Are you...?"
"I'll see you guys back at Beacon. And Weiss," I didn't turn to look at her, "I thought you were better than this. I guess I was wrong."
I'm not really sure how I'm going to find Blake, or even if my heightened senses would be enough, but if my partner was in danger, then I had to find her. Whatever it takes.
----------
Six hours. I spent six hours looking for Blake, and I couldn't find her. I looked in every tea shop in the city, peered into every bookstore on every corner, but my partner was nowhere to be found. Until Nora called me on Ren's scroll, I was losing hope, and she lit the fire in me again by telling me about a rumor they heard from some of the dock workers close by getting coffee. Apparently, there was a big shipment of dust coming in, which wouldn't interest students of Beacon like us, but it might be interesting to whoever was doing the robberies.
Ren said it was just a coincidence, but at this point in time, that was all we had to go on. So, we set up the plan to investigate; Nora and I would sit outside the docks until Ren gave us the signal from inside. If he came back with nothing, then it really was a coincidence and we would have to accept Blake was gone. If he found her, then he'd get our attention and we'd move in. That was the plan...
...but plans unfortunately change, since Ren decided I would be better off sneaking in than him. Blake and I came forward about our nightly training, which Nora took to mean we were dating, which we are not, and said that tonight was perfect to use what she taught me. And despite my bulky frame, chubby as Nora calls it, I can move pretty quietly. So, Ren and I swapped positions.
From the outside looking in, dock security brought a sense of comfort. As a trespasser sneaking around behind their backs, I felt only concern for my well-being. Those weapons looked real. Sneaking past a pair, I overheard their conversation.
"Is it just me, or is it a little crowded around here?"
"Schedule says we're supposed to say sitting here."
"What about the shipping bay?"
"Boss says we've got nothing to worry about there."
"Really? Mr. Ank said that?"
"Nah, nah, nah." The man leaned in. "THE BOSS."
"Ohhh..."
Something seedy was going on here, and I was the only one inside to get to the bottom of it. If Blake wasn't here, then it'd be a waste of effort looking for her, but if there's some kind of criminal activity, I can do what I can to put a stop to it~!
...Or get enough evidence to present a case, if you want to be realistic.
Making my way to the shipping bay, which was easy at first because there were no dock workers here, I bumped into some guys that weren't dock workers. Not literally, though, because what I actually bumped into was a steel drum that fell over and rolled against a container. I could hear their guns click as they stalked towards me. I was crouched down, hand over my mouth as my heart tried to come out of it. A rat scurried from under me, making me jump a bit, thankfully not too high, and took the fall for me.
"Just a rat." The gunman sneered. "I hate this place."
"What, not a fan of docks?"
"Docks, wharfs, even ports give me the creeps. Something about them just makes me feel unsafe."
"All those pirate stories, right?"
"Shut up." The scream of an engine finished the conversation as a bullhead began descending not too far away. "Let's go."
Peeking out from my spot, I watched as the various Faunus worked together to move dust crates to the bullhead. There must have been hundreds, maybe thousands of lien worth of dust being brought in. Worst of all, everyone working on this heist was wearing black, armored vests and white masks. I'd never seen the White Fang before in my life except for their symbols during history class, and as these Faunus hefted and dolly'd crated over, their backs showing me that exact same symbol, I knew that I'd finally seen one. And they looked just as dangerous as I was warned. There was just one thing that didn't make sense, though...
"Hey! What's the hold up?!" A man came down the ramp, wearing a white coat and a black bowler, waving a cane around for emphasis as he spoke. "We're not exactly the most inconspicuous bunch of thieves at the moment, so why don't you animals pick up the pace?"
As a Faunus, even one as sheltered as I was, I'd sometimes hear the occasional hurtful word thrown my way. Not as much growing up as since I'd arrived at Beacon. 'Animal' was one such word, and even that made me feel a little angry. But these people, the White Fang, they're supposed to be way more hardcore than I am. So why were they letting someone, I'm assuming human, talk down to them like that? But now wasn't the time for questions. Now was the time for evidence.
Pulling up my scroll, I began recording the White Fang working with the man in the white coat. Various Faunus shoved crate after crate while the man continued to insult them. He zoomed in as he was shouting at one of the White Fang holding a coil of rope. He was about to zoom out when a shadow dropped from above and put a blade to the man's neck, shouting "Nobody move!" Blake!
White Fang began closing in, weapons raised while Blake continued to plead to them. It seemed like they weren't going to listen. If there was a conversation being held between Blake and the mysterious man in the black hat, Jaune couldn't hear it. Especially with the sound of more bullheads arriving from above. Jaune craned his neck as they passed over him, ready to lift his scroll with his vision until he heard an explosion. Looking ahead, Jaune dropped his scroll and rushed to help his partner.
I wasn't able to reach Blake, but I did catch the attention of the Faunus who were looking for me earlier. I didn't have much time to think, so I hit their face as hard as I could with my shield. Gunfire roared in response, peppering my shield as I kept my guard up, looking for any sign of Blake. There was nothing but White Fang all around, with more coming in from the bullheads, though they all seemed focused less on him and more on... was that the stowaway from before? Maybe he was a good guy after all.
The White Fang changed their tactics, shifting from guns to swords, and began charging at me. Blake's lessons seemed to have more of an effect on me as I thought. Rather than tanking the blows like I normally would before training, I let my opponents swing, wasting their efforts while I countered with I either a pommel strike, a slash from my sword, or a shield bash. I also kept light on my feet as I shifted around my opponents before charging in with shield raised to use my weight to knock them over. Looking around at the results of three against one, I was impressed with the turnout.
It was here that I saw Blake make her move against the guy in the white coat. If I was fighting these White Fang on easy mode, then her moves were like something on hard. I'm stocky with armor while she moved like a leaf in the wind, undeterred and ever moving, even as the current pushed against her. But if Blake was playing on hard mode, the white coat was on expert; he kept coming until Blake got just close enough for him to overwhelm her with a cheap shot to her side. Luckily, Blake didn't come here alone as the stowaway joined in and pushed white coat onto the backfoot. I took my chance.
"BLAKE!"
"Jaune?!" I pulled her to her feet. "What are you doing here?!"
"Uh... Would you believe me if I said I was looking for you?"
"You shouldn't be here!" I swung behind her and caught bullets from more White Fang with my shield.
"As your team leader, I'm going to say that's my line!"
"Jaune, this isn't-" A small explosion sounded from above. "LOOK OUT!" She pulled me backwards, saving me from becoming a Jaune sandwich by a suspended container. She quickly got to her feet and ran around. "Sun!"
"Sun?" Another gunshot rang out, this one much louder, but also from farther away.
"HEY!"
"Well, hello, Little Red~!" White Coat called out, like he was greeting an old friend. I knew better, though; there's no way this guy had friends. "Isn't it past your bedtime?"
Squinting my eyes, I could see a faint, red blur on the horizon. Next to her was someone wearing green, and two people wearing white with orange hair. I thought it might have been Ruby with Ren and Nora, but before I could confirm it, a fireball hurtled towards them and erupted the rooftop into flames and smoke! I reached out, as if I could somehow undo what just happened, save a few more people, but it was all in vain. Four people, possibly my friends, were just killed right in front of me.
Suddenly, I felt very sick. I braced myself against the container, hand over my mouth as a chill spread from my spine. Was this the reality of becoming a huntsman? I could become a hero, but what happens when the hero fails? When innocent people die because of you, how do you live with yourself? My mind raced endlessly until I felt hands force me to look up.
In that moment, I could only focus on one thing that wasn't me... and that was a pair of golden amber eyes, shining with a wetness that came from within. Blake's voice called to me from the din of battle that erupted around us. She kept giving me simple commands; 'Look at me', 'Listen to me', and I obeyed every single one of them. Her hands drifted to my shoulders and the commands became more elaborate. 'Look at three things.' 'Listen for three things.' 'Smell three things.'
I took a deep breath and shivered. "Blake?"
"Jaune..." She smiled. "We need to leave."
"Wait, but what about the White Fang?" As if on cue, one of them flew between us and slammed into the container.
"Being handled."
"Okay, but I still need my scroll."
"Your scroll?"
"I was recording the White Fang and that guy in the white coat. If I can bring that to the headmaster, then-"
"Just go." She clasped my shoulder.
I pursed my lips. "Ren and Nora-"
"I'll check on them. Go." I gave a nod, and I ran across the battlefield. Well, it wasn't so much of a battle as it was like something out of a superhero movie; one girl, the same girl in suspenders from before, was treating the White Fang like they were nothing. At some point, I think I even saw a laser, but that wasn't important right now. Right now, I had to grab my scroll, and when I did, the fight was over.
White Coat escaped. The White Fang were defeated. The shipping bay was in shambles. And yet the girl in the suspenders had disappeared. On a more positive note, though, Blake was waiting with Ruby, Ren, and Nora. I was so worried that, I'll admit it, I cried when I hugged everyone close to me. Nora cooed that I was a big softie, Ren patted my back, and Blake... Well, she didn't give much of a response except she smiled at me.
----------
Back at Beacon, people were waiting for us. And not just any people; the Headmaster, Professor Goodwitch, and even the head of Atlas security were standing by! Professor Ozpin was nice enough to give us a light reprimand, noting that we should have been more aware of the danger we were facing and how we should have returned to Beacon with the concerns we had. I would have argued that we didn't have time if Professor Goodwitch wasn't already hammering in the second point by threatening to have us expelled for acting so recklessly and putting people's lives in danger while breaking the law.
After that ear thrashing, I wasn't sure what to expect from the woman from Atlas. However, what she did say wasn't any kind of reprimand, but rather she asked if we gathered any evidence from the incident.
"Uh, yeah, I recorded the whole thing."
"Give it to me."
"H-Huh?"
"The recording. Hand it over."
"Uh..." I looked to my team, who all gave me a concerned look, then to the headmaster and Professor Goodwitch. Their reactions were neutral, though Professor Ozpin looked a little more exhausted than I'd expect.
"I do not have all day." Her voice was so... sterile and monotonous, I'd almost thought she was a robot. Maybe under her beret was an antenna? But that was just fantasy. The reality was that this woman from Atlas wasn't taking no for an answer. In fact, the next words out of her mouth made it clear that she wasn't leaving, speaking slowly to emphasize that, if I was playing stupid, then even someone stupid would be able to understand. "Hand. Over. Your. Scroll."
"Um, here?" I extended my scroll out and she ripped it away like an Ursa with sap.
"Thank you for your cooperation." She turned away. "You will receive your scroll at 0800 tomorrow morning." And then she left.
Professor Ozpin sighed. "I will see to it that it is returned sooner, Mr. Arc." He followed her, leaving us alone with Professor Goodwitch.
"You five shall follow me to your dorms." Translation: You're all going to detention. "I will ensure that there are no more runaways and unneeded heroics for the rest of the evening." There would be no escape.
----------
"I have an urgent matter to attend to, but it will not take longer than 30 minutes." Professor Goodwitch warned as we were left outside our dorms. "I will return and I will not see anyone leaving their dorms for any reason. Am I understood?"
"Yes, Professor Goodwitch." We sounded off together, watching as she turned and left.
"This is bunk! Bunk, I say!" Nora was the first to speak up, not even waiting for the professor to be fully down the stairs.
"Well, I'll see you guys later."
"Hey, Ruby." I called out. She turned to look at me before opening her door. "Thanks again for your help."
She smiled. "Anytime, Jau-"
"RUUUBYYY~!" The door to Team RWPY's dorm opened and Yang immediately swallowed her sister into her embrace, swaying back and forth. "I was so worried about you! Where did you and Penny go?! Do you have any idea what time it is?!"
"It's, uh... late?" Ruby answered, pulling away from her sister.
"Not just late." Pyrrha added. "It's after curfew! We tried waiting as long as we could, but we had no choice but to come back here and-"
"AHEM!" The team stepped aside to reveal Weiss, looking as annoyed as usual. She took one step outside the dorm, then glanced at Ruby. "Welcome back, Ruby. I see you were able to find Blake."
"Weiss-" Ruby was about to argue but was immediately silenced by the equally smaller girl's hand.
"And as for you, Blake," Weiss approached our dorm, and Team ANBL protected our teammate, "I would like to say... I'm sorry."
"Huh?" The teams said together. Apparently, Pyrrha and Yang were also out of the loop.
"I am sorry that I made assumptions about your affiliations based upon your race. That was wrong of me, and I apologize for my behavior."
"...Former affiliations." Blake answered. "The White Fang... It's not easy for me to talk about."
"Are you still with them?"
"No, but I-"
"Then I have nothing more to say to you on this matter. You are not a member now, and you will not become a member in the future, is that correct?"
"No, but-"
"Then I don't care." Weiss turned away, walking back to her dorm. "Oh, and Jaune...?"
"Y-Yeah?" Curse my little bunny heart, I got so excited to hear her say my first name~! I think even my tail started to wiggle.
She shot me an icy glare. "If you ever touch my scroll again, you WILL be sleeping in a freezer." She then left me in the cold of her heartless words.
"You okay?" Nora asked, patting my shoulder.
"Um, goodnight, everyone." Pyrrha waved as she left.
"See ya, guys~!" Yang called. "And you are sleeping with me tonight, young lady!"
"Yang, stop! I haven't needed to do that since I was-" With the door shut, my team and I were left to call it a night.
Nora stretched and yawned. "C'mon, Ren~! Only a few hours until pancake time~!"
"See you inside, you two." Ren and Nora went inside to get ready for bed.
"I'm glad that it's all over." Blake sighed.
"...Except it isn't."
"Huh?"
"The White Fang, they're..." I swallowed a lump in my throat. "They're still out there, doing something. Working with that guy in the white coat."
"Yeah..." Blake rubbed a thumb over her opposite knuckle. "They are."
"You... said you used to be with them. And you said you're not anymore, but... Well, you said but."
She blinked. "Butt?"
"When Weiss asked you if you were still with them and when she asked you if you would join them in the future, you said 'no, but'." I looked to her. "What does that but mean?" She leaned against the wall, looking away. "I mean, if you don't want to talk about it, then-"
"No, no, I... I do want to talk about it." She rubbed her arm, still not looking to me. "It's... a long story and there's a lot to talk about."
"Well," I put my arm on her shoulder, "I'm here for any long story you might have." She smiled at me. It was the kind of smile that warms you up inside, y'know? The kind of smile that says I can trust you and you can trust me. ...Okay, I know that part sounds really bad, but I meant it in a good way, and well, with how Blake was smiling at me, I started to feel a little warmer inside. Blake wasn't just my partner; she's my best friend, and I wouldn't have it any other way because with best friends like us, we don't have, or need any secrets between us.
"Jaune... I-"
"MR. ARC! MS. BELLADONNA!" We both turned to see Professor Goodwitch storming down the hall. "GET INTO YOUR DORM NOW!"
"Ack!" I shouted, whirling to the door. It won't open. It won't open and Professor Goodwitch is going to kill us! "REN! NORA! OPEN THE DOOR!" I start beating on it with my fist. "PLEASE OPEN THE DOOR OR ELSE PROFESSOR GOODWITCH WILL-"
"Will what, Mr. Arc?" Death gripped my heart through my shoulder. With her free hand, she unlocked the door with the master key. Inside, I could see Nora snoring loudly while Ren wore earmuffs. "Two weeks detention, Mr. Arc. Ms. Belladonna." Blake bolted into her bed the second it opened. "GOOD NIGHT."
I fell inside, still feeling the Grimm's touch on my shoulder. Quivering, I jumped into my bed and curled under the sheets. Sleep came very easy, which should be expected after a near-death experience, right? Still, I only got about twenty minutes of sleep when I woke up to the sound of something heavy hitting the floor. Peering into the dark, I could see Blake reaching down for her book.
"Blake?" She froze at my whisper, looking up with a sheepish grin. "You okay?"
"I'm fine." She answered in her own whisper. "I just... dropped my book."
"Okay." I sat up and stretched. "Do you need to talk?"
"If... If you want to."
"Only if you want to." She smiled. Even in the dark, I could see her perfectly smiling at my gesture. Something about that smile made my tail twitch. Probably from helping a good friend. So, I sat myself next to my good friend, and I listened to her tell me everything about her.
Between us, there would be no secrets.