Chapter 19

"So, how long have you known the lad for?"

"Oh we go back a long way," the woman chuckled, taking a sip of her tea. Jaune's knuckles were white on the handle of his mug. And judging by the knowing look she sent his way, she was well aware of what she was doing. "Jaune was quite the trouble maker, we were very close."

"I wasn't that bad," he laughed as the other teachers turned to look at him. Peter looked amused at the whole situation, while Ozpin looked to be paying only the slightest attention. The real concern however was Glynda, who was sat stiffly opposite them at the staffroom table. The steaming mug in her hand hadn't once risen to her lips. Bright green eyes seem to stray between Cinder and him every few seconds.

He wished he could read the thoughts behind them.

Damn Cinder, damn her to Hell! Why hadn't Roman warned him about this? He'd been so shocked, so horrified to see her that he'd failed to react in any way. Just standing there with a dazed expression as she kissed him in front of so many people.

As she tied her fate to his… Oh Jaune knew full well what that had been about, there was no way anyone would believe him now if he said he didn't know her from Vacuo. Not after such a public display of affection, after he failed to react to it. The threat was clear in her eyes as she looked towards him.

If I'm going down, then it won't be alone.

"And what is your relationship with Mr Arc?" Glynda asked, voice steady but unfalteringly stern.

"We went out for a while," Cinder said first, her words coming out before his could, causing him to swallow back what he'd been about to say.

"But we never got together," Jaune added quickly, noticing full well the small frown that came to her lips for a brief second, before being washed away.

"Not officially, anyway," Cinder shrugged, letting the teachers make of that comment what they would. Jaune wanted to reach across the table and throttle her, except that he knew how that would end.

Instead he was stuck here… playing some ridiculous game of pin the backstory on the donkey, and he had no misconceptions as to who was the ass was in this scenario. Everything she said about him, he had to accept as fact, because wouldn't it look odd if these two old friends had conflicting stories? Mighty suspicious that would be…

It was like two people trying to build a house, laying one brick each. Except that neither of them had a plan or set of schematics, and he had no idea what his final backstory would look like. The only thing he was sure of however, was that whatever result Cinder wanted would probably be bad for him.

So he made sure to oppose her at every opportunity.

"How did the two of you come to meet?" Bart asked. "Mr Arc's records claim his team died at Vacuo, were you on another team?"

"She was a distant friend," Jaune cut in before she could, drawing all eyes to him. "Our teams didn't really know one another. In fact, we barely even interacted."

"True," Cinder nodded, glancing at him from the corner of one eye, "that said, once the disaster struck those who survived soon learned to band together. Jaune offered me comfort in those troubling times."

And of course she just had to leave out what comfort equated to, didn't she? He could already see the ideas floating through the heads of the other staff. This was an absolute disaster. She was weaving her life with his almost perfectly.

"It was only for a short while though, I left soon after – to try and become a Hunter officially."

"Though we always made sure to keep in touch, didn't we Jaune?" Damn it, damn it – damn it. No matter what he said, she seemed to be able to twist it to her benefit. To her posed question all he could do was nod and smile, ignoring the looks on his colleague's faces. "We fought side by side, and bonds forged in an endless fight for survival, are worth more than their weight in lien to me."

Bart and Peter nodded, accepting the words even as Jaune half-wished they would find some fault, some mistake – call her out on it. If he was a braver man, if he was a less selfish man… he'd take the fall, and bring her down with him.

But he wasn't.

Could it work both ways though? Could he twist this perverse game to his own advantage somehow? Taking a quick sip of coffee, the blond feigned a loud cough, drawing attention to him as he turned to his friend.

"What are you doing here though? You never told me about this." Yellow eyes narrowed briefly, though the pleased expression that slipped over her face told him he'd made a mistake. Well, another mistake, anyway. He'd stopped counting them a while back.

Going to Roman in the first place had been a mistake, and they'd soon racked up since then.

"With so many students from Haven here there's not as much of a need for teachers back at the school. The faculty mentioned this as an option and well…" she paused, glancing away and hiding a cough in her fist. It was such an out-of-character show of embarrassment from her that it instantly put him on edge. "I wanted to see you again. After all, it's been almost three months since we last saw one another."

Shit, that's a victory for her, he realised – even as her eyes danced. If the task of creating his backstory was a game, then she'd scored serious points there! If he'd been able to claim they hadn't seen one another in a few years, then it wouldn't be beyond suspicion for him to claim he didn't realise she was a criminal. Now however, with the knowledge that they had seen one another only a few months earlier?

Damn it… why didn't he think of that sooner? Oh right, he was running on fumes because Neo had just had him out in the forest all night.

And why was she so damned determined to paint them as having some kind of romantic history? Was it just an attempt to put him off-guard, or was there something more to it? A chair scraped back, the sound drawing attention as Glynda suddenly stood up. There was a frown set on her lips as she pushed the chair back beneath the table, picking up her mug.

"I have work to do. I'll have a lesson plan arranged for tomorrow. Good day." She didn't wait for a response, turning away and striding towards the door.

"Wait, Glynda – I was go-"

"No!" Jaune paused as she snapped the word, his arm falling back down to the armrest. The woman let out a frustrated sigh, shaking her head before addressing him in a more normal tone. Normal for her anyway, though it still sounded colder than usual to him. "Why don't you show…" she seemed to pause, as though struggling to recall their new teacher's name, "her around. I'm sure you've got a lot of catching up to do."

"I-" Jaune tried, only to be interrupted by the Headmaster himself, who also climbed to his feet, mug in hand.

"I will adjourn with Miss Goodwitch, we have matters to discuss. Please do see Miss Fall around some of the more memorable locations of Beacon, Mr Arc." Ozpin hurried from the room, clearly seeking to catch up with the woman storming away.

"It was a pleasure to meet you gentlemen," Cinder nodded to Peter and Bart, who nodded back, before turning to Jaune. "Shall we?"

"I suppose we shall," he sighed, pushing his seat back and rising with her.

~~~~~Professor Arc~~~~~

"What the hell was that all about?" He hissed once the two were alone in an abandoned classroom, he pushed the door shut – leaning against it briefly to make sure no one was listening, before turning back to the woman.

It was only then, that he realised his mistake.

"What was what, exactly?" She was sat on a desk, one leg crossed over the other enticingly. But what really caught his attention was the flame dancing between her fingers – and the reflection it caused in her eyes. "Do remember who you're talking to here, old friend."

Ah… yeah, good point. Why had he locked them in a room together?

"I apologise," he said between gritted teeth, ducking his head to her. What was he supposed to say though? From what Roman had said she thought he was a contact, though with that last meeting between them all Jaune had gone and accidentally blurred the lines a little. Either way, that was the only thing keeping him alive at the moment.

If she caught wind of the fact that he was just a regular person?

He'd be dead. Almost instantly.

"I've spent some time building up my position here, you made me nervous with your sudden appearance – not to mention your… colourful tales about our shared past." Blue eyes stayed locked onto amber, the reflection from the fire causing them to almost glow. Before, with a brief narrow, the flames vanished.

It ought to have made him feel ashamed, how effortlessly he slipped into a new lie. Deceit spilling from his lips with ease. But instead, he simply praised it for his continued survival.

Roman would be proud…

No one else would be.

"You're forgiven, of course," she smiled, lifting one leg in a manner that had his dip down to the tantalising shadows hidden by her skirt, before the limb shifted, coming to rest beside her other. "I too apologise for my abrupt appearance. I wanted to tell you about it in advance, but you know how it is, work got in the way."

Utter bullshit. He knew that, and she knew that he knew it too. But they both knew he couldn't say anything against it. The smile on her face said as much.

"What're you after here?" He sighed, leaning against the door with crossed arms. "I realise that I owe you a favour, but we're just going to get in each other's way like this." If he could just find out what she was after, then he could adapt to suit – make sure she didn't get it.

While not looking like he was working against her, of course…

"A valid point," she conceded, and his eyes widened at hearing her surrender, "of course, your plans could just as easily clash with my own. So you will share your goals too, correct?"

"I'll show you mine if you show me yours. Is that what this is?"

"If that's what it takes," the woman laughed, one finger coming up to tug at the collar of her shirt, teasing the material open just the slightest bit. Enough to show a flash of smooth, alabaster skin beneath. "Is that the kind of deal you want, Professor?"

He was the one to break eye contact first, glancing aside in surrender as she pulled her hand away and rose to her feet. Heels clicked against the floor as she approached him, stopping a few scant inches away as she reached up to touch his face. This time he was fully aware of the warmth in her palm. Not enough to burn, but the heat from the fire she had extinguished still lingered. He knew better than to show it however, instead allowing her to tilt his face so that their eyes met once more.

Hers were full of promise, dark and terrifying – yet he maintained contact, knowing that to look away would be to show weakness.

"Those are strong eyes," she rubbed her thumb on his cheek, and he could feel the edge of her nail digging in slightly, "we need not be enemies here Jaune. I'm here for no other reason than to find something that belongs to me. Something I earned, which was cruelly taken away from me. Are you here to steal something?"

"No," he said, watching as her lips twitched upwards. He hadn't yet thought of what his fake story would be for sneaking his way into Beacon. It would have to be something to discuss with Roman… if that avenue was still open to him at all. Didn't Roman work for Cinder?

Did he have any allies left?

"Then I'm sure there won't be a problem. Have a little trust Jaune, we both gain nothing from making life difficult for one another."

Trust… said the Beowolf unto the child… But she was right about one thing; the only thing he was going to gain from going against her would be a brief cremation.

"I trust you," he said. In what was possibly the largest lie he'd ever told to date.

"And I trust you," she returned – the honesty just as absent, "we need not be enemies," she said finally, reaching up to lay the briefest kiss on his chin, her lips just touching the edge of his. "Remember that."

And then she was gone, slipping past him and out into the corridors of Beacon. Back in the room, Jaune could only groan as his head fell into his hands.

~~~~~Professor Arc~~~~~

Blake didn't know what to think about that little display between her benefactor and the mysterious new Professor. Unlike Ruby and Yang, who clearly had much more personal reasons to be frustrated, Blake's displeasure was infinitely more selfish.

Professor Arc and Miss Fall being together (unconfirmed, as Yang had repeatedly claimed) made their dorm feel incredibly tense. With Yang trapped in a perpetual argument with Weiss, and Ruby still silently fuming, what was supposed to be Blake's bastion of peace had turned into an asylum. Good luck on her getting any research done, what with them splitting their time between shouting and sulking.

And all the while the White Fang continued to operate in the shadows, unchecked.

"What do you think Blake?"

"What do I think about what?" The faunus sighed, putting her scroll down as she regarded the three girls now staring at her. "About that woman kissing our teacher? I think it's none of our damned business, that's what."

"How can you say that?" Yang sighed, throwing her arms in the air, "this is big news – like, huge news!"

"Highly inappropriate is what it was," Weiss said as she shook her head, "I can't believe they had the temerity to do that on stage. In front of so many people."

"Who even cares!?" Blake snapped finally, sick and tired of hearing them rant about something like that. "What does it matter if he's doing something like that, it's none of our business and there's much more important things for us to worry about."

"Like homework?" Yang raised one brow, face set in sarcasm. "Or like the White Fang, again?"

"What do you mean by that?" Was she honestly suggesting that homework of all things, was more important than finding out what a terrorist organisation was up to? She knew her team could be childish – but this was ridiculous.

"What I mean, dear partner," the blonde drawled, walking around Weiss to stand before Blake's bunk, "is that the White Fang's all you've been talking about for nearly a week! White Fang this, White Fang that – let's do more research on the White Fang."

"Oh, I'm sorry," Blake pushed herself to her feet, "I was under the impression that a notorious criminal was working with a terrorist organisation here. Clearly homework is much more important."

"I'm not saying it isn't important – I'm just saying you need to take a break. Keep pushing yourself like this and you're gonna explode."

Not this again, she'd heard it enough times from the lot of them. She got enough sleep to get by on, she attended lessons, what else was there to do? The White Fang was her responsibility, and she'd be damned if she let them continue down this path because she wanted to spend time socialising.

"I'm going out," she said as she pushed past Yang, ignoring the girl's cries as she stormed out the door.

~~~~~Professor Arc~~~~~

"God damn it all," Yang sighed as she pushed her way out the door and leaned against a nearby wall. "What a day…"

"Problems?" A voice enquired from nearby, drawing her attention to a mane of red hair.

"Hey P-money," the blonde waved weakly, "Rubes is inside if you're looking for her, but she's not in a very good mood."

"You don't look so good yourself," the other girl walked by the door and leaned beside Yang instead. Ruby's friendship with Pyrrha had been a strange thing… Yang wasn't sure the two had ever met, certainly not in her sight. But the next thing she knew, the two were close friends – always chatting. She couldn't say she disapproved… certainly P-money was a good role model for her sister – not as good as herself of course, but then who was?

"Problems in RWBY-dise," she shrugged, unable to even appreciate her own pun. Judging from the twisted expression on the redhead's face, she wasn't able to either. "A bit of friction came up… we're still trying to work through it."

"I know all about that," Pyrrha giggled lightly, bringing a sad little smile to Yang's face. Yeah, she supposed Pyrrha did.

"Your partner still acting up?"

"I wouldn't know," the girl shrugged, "I only briefly saw her this morning. I don't think we've actually spoken to one another for a week."

"Sheesh…" She had to count herself lucky she'd ended up with Blake in that regard… troublesome though the girl was, at least they'd become friends. Sort of… "What about the other two?"

"They're okay," Pyrrha paused after saying it, as though she was about to say something before she shook her head and sighed. "I think they've given up on the team to be honest. Ren used to try little things to open us up, team breakfasts and lunches. But nowadays he doesn't even say anything when it's just the three of us. We get on though, so I suppose that's good."

What was she supposed to say to that? Talk about putting her problems in perspective, but the thing was… she didn't want them in perspective. Blake was being a snappy little bitch, and call it childish, but Yang wanted to sulk, thank you very much. Not to come to an epiphany that others had it worse. Yes, they did – but this was her and she was in a mood.

"You've got us at least," she said instead, shrugging awkwardly. Pyrrha smiled happily.

"And you have me if you need me. Speaking of which, I couldn't help but see Blake storming off earlier. Is there anything I can do to help?"

"No, no – it's fine… I've got this." Sort of… maybe…

It was a work in progress.

"Hmm…" P-money sounded about as confident as she felt. "You know, when I had a problem I had a counselling session with Professor Arc?"

Was that so? Yang spared her a glance from the corner of one eye, humming to show she was listening, even as she considered the words. So it was Jaune who set P-money up with her sister, was it? That was an interesting titbit. Just one more thing he'd done to help their team.

"Maybe you should consider the same. He might be able to help."

"Maybe," the blonde hedged, closing her eyes and letting out a long sigh. She supposed she could talk to him about it, it would make a welcome excuse to spend time with him – maybe even get to know him a little better.

But it would be work for him… and that wasn't what she wanted him to associate her with. Plus, this problem was between Blake and her – or Blake and the team. She couldn't help but think it would be better for everyone involved if she was able to solve it herself. She didn't need to run off to an adult every time she had a problem, not when she was trying to portray herself as an adult.

I pretty much raised Ruby, and did a good enough job there… sort of… I mean, okay, totally my bad on the cookie addiction… but how hard can fixing this be?

"Well, think about it won't you? It can't hurt, and might even help."

"Yeah, I will P-money, thanks…" the redhead nodded as she slipped away, though before she left, she turned to offer one final comment.

"Don't worry Yang. I hear it's pretty normal to have hiccups in a relationship. I'm sure you and Blake will be back together in no time."

…

God damn it…

~~~~~Professor Arc~~~~~

"You seem tense, what's wrong?" The man walking beside her asked, drawing a frustrated sigh from her lips. She wasn't in the mood for this, not right now.

"Nothing is wrong, James," Glynda said, though she wasn't sure she accurately conveyed that sentiment, not with the way his blue eyes narrowed. Her frustration wasn't something she wanted to share with him however, no matter how good his ideals.

Jealousy wasn't exactly suitable for a woman in her position. Least of all to a woman ten years her junior. That didn't make it any less true however, nor did it lessen the burning anger in her heart.

Or the dull ache.

"The students should all be asleep by now," Ozpin cut in, the man walking beside the two of them with his cane in one hand, mug in the other. She wasn't exactly sure how he managed that, since with how fast he was drinking it – it should have run dry a few minutes ago. Did he have coffee stashed all over the school or something?

She'd need to figure that out. That much caffeine wasn't good for anyone.

"Even so, this is somewhat dangerous time James – couldn't you have waited until the students are on their missions?"

"So long as we are careful it shouldn't be an issue," the General replied as he pushed open the doors to the empty cafeteria, shadows spanning the normally crowded room. "Besides, didn't you say you have a new security measure installed? I'd like to see it. With the Festival coming up we need to be on guard."

"Is that why you've started to sneak armed forces onto the streets?" The Headmaster asked with a raised brow. Glynda's eyes widened as she spun towards James, the taller man simply coughed at her accusatory look.

"Ah, you noticed that did you?"

"Was I supposed to not notice of troops in Atlas regalia on the streets of Vale? I've warned you about this, you're being too heavy handed."

"I like to think of it as being cautious, something you apparently know nothing about."

"I have no idea what you mean," Ozpin sipped of his coffee, even as Glynda looked between the two in frustration. The disagreements between the two were often explosive… yet, neither was every wrong, really. It was just a difference of opinion.

In their own small way, both wanted the same thing for the people.

"I'm talking of your recent acquisitions, not only a Hunter from that destroyed school – but now you accept a second. Right before the Festival, are you mad? Anything could have happened at Vacuo, we don't know enough to trust them."

"Jaune?" Glynda cut in, eyes narrowing. "What reason would you have not to trust him? I think he's done well here."

"I'm not sure you're the most independent party to ask for a character appraisal," the General fired back, though he certainly regretted it a moment later when she levelled a fierce glare on him. What was that supposed to mean? Her judgement wasn't impaired in any way. Jaune was absolutely trustworthy, though she could hardly say the same for that other one… Miss Fall. "Either way, to have one appear so close to this incident… that might be considered coincidence, but now a second?"

"Mr Arc has my absolute trust," the Headmaster's eyes were firm, and Glynda was pleased that he supported her in the decision.

"And this other one?"

"That, we shall have to wait and see." The green suited man stepped into the cafeteria, moving their procession on once more, as the door slid shit behind them. "She seems to have a past with Mr Arc, which does lend credence to her story."

"Ah," the white-suited man said in sudden understanding, blue eyes shifting to her for a moment. "That explains a few things…"

She didn't rise to the bait. Besides, it was true, wasn't it?

"It doesn't explain why you've also allowed a White Fang operative into your school, or why she wasn't even interrogated."

"My…" Ozpin drawled as he lifted his mug up to toast the General, "your spies have been busy, haven't they? Should I be flattered you have so many watching me, or should I start closing my curtains at night?"

The General didn't respond to the bait, frowning instead.

"This isn't a laughing matter Ozpin. You know their movements are on the rise. Dust thefts across Vale, attacks on Schnee shipments. How long until they target innocents?"

"Not long," the other man sighed, "which is why we can't afford to turn away allies at this time, James. Leave this to me, I have it under control." Glynda wasn't sure if James knew they'd put Jaune in charge of the girl's rehabilitation… though judging from the scowl on his face, he might.

"You're playing a dangerous game old friend, just be careful." The mood became heavy, before the taller man coughed and gave off a forced laugh. "Enough doom and gloom however, show me this new security system you have – if we lose her then all is for naught."

The new secur- oh… despite all her discipline, Glynda couldn't help a small flush coming to her face at what was to come, even as she massaged the bridge of her nose.

"Here it is," Ozpin presented with a smile, patting his hand on the device. Glynda coughed and looked away, even as Ironwood let out a tired sigh. "The best security system is a good disguise as they say, and where better to hide than in plain sight?"

"In memory of how close we are, I'll refrain from speaking my initial thoughts," General James Ironwood sighed, shaking his head as he looked upon the obnoxious monstrosity. Bright, sparkling gold with a goofy grin – the bizarre looking animal watched over them like some kind of archaic God. "And how does this… security device work?"

Instead of answering Ozpin reached out and rubbed the cupcake in the statue's hands, opening a small hatch with an indentation inside. Inserting his thumb there was a loud click, the creature's manic grin sliding away – revealing a dark abyss.

And then, to Glynda's eternal humiliation, the Headmaster held his arms in the air, like a child awaiting a mother to put a shirt on them – even as the golden statue leaned down and seemingly ate him. The last thing she saw of him, was two legs kicking out of its mouth as it reared back up, before they too slid inside.

There was silence in the room for a few minutes, as neither of the last two sane people on Remnant knew quite what to say. Until, eventually, the tall man broke it – coughing lightly.

"You know… that job at Atlas is still open if you want it..."

"Don't tempt me," Glynda sighed, pushing the man towards the lemur statue. He looked as she felt, disgusted and mistrustful of the creature's leering grin. But discipline won out in the end, and with a world-weary sigh he stood still as its mouth came down once more.

"For the record Ozpin," the voice was muffled as the man's legs slipped into the abyss, "I hate you."

Glynda could only silently agree, as she stepped forward to also be devoured. Her last thought as the maw came down for her, was that James really wasn't going to like the exit method.

~~~~~Professor Arc~~~~~

Back in the cafeteria, the doors swung open as a whistling man in a janitor's uniform slipped inside, mop and bucket in tow. With a practiced eye he swept his vision across the room, noting the upright chairs, clean floors, person being eaten by a statue and stacked dishes.

All was right with the wo-

Wait…

He looked back, just in time to see a pair of feet vanish, before the creature's vacant eyes and grinning teeth faced him once more. Staring into his soul… watching him, as it had every night…

"Nope!" The man whelped, turning on his heel and walking out the door.

Time to find a new job!

~~~~~Professor Arc~~~~~

Ten at night… normally an early time for him. A period during which he could sit down and read through the text books, to get an advantage for his next set of classes. Yet on this night, after nearly forty hours without sleep?

It might as well have been the end of Remnant – he was going to sleep through it anyway. Of course, it would have been nice to interrogate Neo, ask her what she knew about Cinder, even if she couldn't really respond. But much like every time he actually needed her, she was gone.

Whatever. It was too late now anyway, for better or worse – though realistically just worse – Cinder Fall was in Beacon, disguised among the faculty, much like himself. That simple fact wouldn't change overnight. Not unless she found that thing she was looking for…

What would she be looking for in a school for children?

The question would have to go unanswered, as a knocking on the door interrupted his thoughts, drawing forth an aggrieved sigh as he looked down on the pyjamas in his hands. Brief calculations flashed through his mind, weighing the pros and cons of pretending he was asleep, to actually opening the door.

Once the knocking became more frantic however, he threw them down and stalked over – mumbling angrily to himself. He really should have taken Peter's approach, and just lied about how students could reach him…

"What?" Jaune demanded uncharitably as he yanked the door open, startling the small girl on the other side – who recoiled at his tone. Oh Gods, it couldn't have been a big brute of a man, could it? It just had to be a small girl, just to set off his guilt. "Sorry, I mean how can I help?"

"Ah… well…" the girl shuffled in place, eyes locked on her feet. It wasn't someone he recognised, though that should have been obvious from the grey uniform of Haven Academy. Great, he'd gone and snapped at one of the new students too. "Are you Professor Arc? I'm really sorry to disturb you, sir."

Pale green hair, tanned skin – and as she lifted her face to look into his eyes, her face filled with hope and worry, he couldn't help but notice her dark red eyes.

"It's not a problem, how can I help? I'm afraid if you're looking for counselling then it's a little late, though maybe I could fit you in tomorrow?"

"Ah, well – maybe…" she stammered, "sorry, no. What I mean is… I'm actually a little lost, y'know? We got a map of Beacon but… well the only places marked on it are where to reach the teachers. So I have no idea how to reach my room. I'm so sorry, I should have paid more attention but I was excited to be here and- and I'm waffling – sorry!"

The rapid-fire words were hard to follow, especially for his tired mind, but once she showed him the map on her scroll and told him what room she was supposed to be in, he got the message.

Weird that more of the new students hadn't gotten lost. At least she was polite and respectful, which was a nice change.

"Okay…" a loud yawn that he stifled with one hand, "let's go – what's your name anyway?"

"Oh I totally forgot to introduce myself," the girl said with a goofy expression, "my name's Emerald. Emerald Sustrai, of Haven."

"Nice to meet you," Jaune nodded, stepping from the room and leading her down the corridor. The girl chatted the entire way, keeping his eyes locked on her as his door swung shut.

Or, it would have done, were it not for a shoe blocking it, a hand settling on the wood as grey eyes watched the pair walk away. Huh… Emerald sure was laying it thick there, it was almost a miracle the man wasn't able to see through her act.

Then again, he did look a little out of it.

Lucky break for us, he grinned as he looked down the corridor, making sure no one was watching – before slipping into the unlocked room. Find out anything they could about Professor Jaune Arc… or as he might more accurately be known, the infiltrator Jaune Arc. Sneaking into Beacon had been a task, even for them – so to hear another guy had managed it before them? That had been pretty surprising.

Worse was that Cinder actually regarded him as a threat.

I'll need to be quick, if he comes back and finds me here… well, if he was even half as good as Cinder thought he was, then that would probably spell the end for him. Which was why the moment Emerald messaged to let him know she'd been delivered to their dorm, he was out. No risks, they had weeks to do this if they had to.

The question was… where would the man hide anything important in this mess of an office? Grey eyes scanned the room, noting the books across the coffee table, a few mugs on the kitchenette side… no, too obvious. The desk, perhaps? It seemed cliché, but where better to hide some potentially incriminating documents, then among other, more innocent ones?

One foot touched the floor, easing down onto the wood as it creaked. Mercury was a man who'd lived through the worst of times. He was used to trusting his instincts.

And right now they were screaming that he wasn't safe.

Throat dry, he moved on, one step after another. Pausing at each moment to see if anything happened, only to feel ever more tense when nothing did. A few long moments later he reached the desk, taking a deep breath as he slowly walked around it.

His fingers had barely touched the cool wood, when he leapt backwards – eyes narrowing as a carving knife slammed down where his hand had been but a moment before. His body ducked, eyes scanning for an assailant… yet… nothing.

He was the only one in the room…

Traps… the explanation settled into his mind at the same moment a fork settled into the carpet where he'd once stood – making a little vibrating noise as it wobbled in place. Crouched now, upon a fabric sofa, he paused to survey the room.

The man had trapped his office… that was… well, genius actually. A stupid move for just about anyone else, but killing any intruders was something he was sure Cinder would have approved of. No doubt there was some kind of safety switch near the door, that he could use to deactivate them. Mercury could see a wide range of objects that could have housed a switch… problem was; they could each just as easily house another trap.

The coat rack, with a long blue coat resting on it? How about the bookcase by the door… the light-switch, the globe of Remnant, the coffee table? What if it was scroll activated, some software system he could use to turn it off and on at will?

He'd never be able to find it. Not in the brief period of time Emerald could afford him.

A whistle sounded from behind. He didn't see it, didn't even turn to look. Instead he trusted that any trap would be aimed at his current location, and threw himself forward. Something stabbed the couch behind him, even as his back slammed into the coffee table, bouncing off it as he hit the floor. He didn't stop there however, growling as he rolled towards the door – a series of thunks sounding behind him.

This was bullshit! Who the hell trapped their room to such a degree?

A madman? Or a dangerous man… with not only something to hide, but the willingness to kill to protect it.

"This is out of my league," he whispered, pushing up onto his feet and diving to the left as a fresh knife struck the wall behind him. The firing mechanisms… he couldn't even make them out, there hadn't even been a click of his weight settling on a switch. Motion activated, heat activated?

AI? Was this some variant of Atlas technology?

His thoughts were cut off as a new trap sprung, a fork burying itself into the wall between his legs. So close that he swore he could almost feel the wind against his crotch.

"Okay, I'm out – fuck this…" operation breaking into the mark's room was definitely a no-go. They'd have to go with something subtler… perhaps aimed at the target himself. Either way… it wasn't a complete loss.

At least they now knew the guy was legit.

"Cinder will want to know about this," he said as he slipped from the room.

Back within the office, a knife shimmered – twisted, and vanished. The other weapons began to break into particles of light, even as the damage they had caused disappeared as though it had never been. White heels clicked lightly against the floor as mismatched eyes narrowed on the closed door.

A second later she too vanished, the room left exactly as it had always been.

~~~~~Professor Arc~~~~~

(Omake: From Coeur Al'Aran)

"You know," Jaune said slowly as he looked between Blake and Yang. "When I said I was available for relationship counselling. This isn't what I had in mind."

"And what did you have in mind?" Yang leaned forward to ask, eyes flashing red for a moment. Jaune wisely swallowed his response, laughing as he looked towards his other guest. Blake looked… well, she looked tied up to be honest.

Because she was. And quite displeased by it too, if the glower was any indication.

"Well… I just mean, I'm not the best at this kind of thing. I normally work with human psychology."

"What!?" Blake yelled, somehow forgetting that she was supposed to be against this – the bound girl's ears flattened as she glared at him. "I didn't think you would be like that Professor, I thought you weren't racist."

"I'm not!" The man argued, letting out a long sigh as he pointed to the third person, sat beside Blake. "That is not a faunus, Blake… it's a dog. A corgi to be exact."

"Arf!" Said corgi agreed.

And that seemed to remind Blake once more, who's eyes went wide as she continued to struggle against the bindings.

The adorable corgi seemed to notice, bounding up so that he was resting with his paws on her leg – as though asking what was wrong. Sadly, the sympathetic action didn't help any, as the girl flailed wildly with her legs.

"Prof, this is serious!" Yang cried, as she tried to get a hold of the wild girl's legs. To further destroy the image that this was indeed, serious, the corgi was chasing the blonde around like a toy – jumping up and down to try and catch her as she swung back and forth on the end of Blake's legs. "Blake says she won't stay in a room with Zwei!"

"He jumped on my bed!" Blake growled out, trying to displace Yang by kicking one foot into her face. Jaune could only shake his head at the naivety. If that had been all it would have taken to force Xiao-Long off, then he'd have been free of her a long time ago. "Not to mention the other day he tried to hump my leg! Much like my partner is right now – get off!"

"Right…" Jaune sighed, resting his cheek in one hand as he waited for them to tire out. Eventually Blake's motions slowed, and Yang soon slipped from her legs – ignoring the dog as it gnawed on the back of her elbow.

What the hell was he supposed to do here?

"Couldn't you just… I don't know… let Blake have the top bunk, and then Zwei couldn't climb up?" Surely that would be the most obvious solution, right?

"But I called Dibbs on top at the start of school."

God damn it Yang…

"You can't make me choose," the blonde cried – her wild mane flying about as she shook her head, "not between Blake, Zwei and the top bunk. It's an impossible decision."

"Gee, thanks…" Blake sniped from the sofa, where she was panting in exhaustion.

Jaune could only sigh, wandering over to a bookshelf to try and find something that might help. This definitely wasn't something he could solve with human psychology… since that normally worked around mediation. A little difficult since the dog couldn't exactly speak.

A certain book caught his eye, before he looked back to Blake. She wasn't watching him, instead glowering at the dog as it tried to jump onto her lap. Somehow, even bound as she was, the girl had managed to perch herself atop the back of his sofa, and was hissing angrily.

Right, well… maybe in that case, this would be a good idea.

~~~~~Omake~~~~~

"Okay," Jaune read, flicking the page with one hand. "First of all, we need to let Zwei get used to Blake's smell. Blake, do you have something you could give him for a few minutes, just to sniff?"

The girl raised one brow, yellow eyes looking down to her bound arms. Yang laughed nervously, reaching over and snatching the bow from the girl's hair. Blake hissed, but couldn't do anything as the blonde gave the small piece of ribbon to the dog.

True to form Zwei started to sniff it, and Jaune nodded as he read the next part of the instructions.

Uh… no… if he said that, Blake might kill him. Exercise the dog? Well… he supposed it had been exercised chasing after Yang, though it hardly looked tired.

"Okay, Yang – let Zwei near Blake, but keep him at a distance. If he tries to run up to her, stop him. He needs to learn not to always try and get in her face." That made sense, and the girl nodded as she pulled out a leash and attached it to the dog's collar – following the instructions.

Blake seemed slightly more relaxed too, no doubt since she knew he wouldn't actually be coming near. Jaune read the rest of the instructions idly.

"You're doing really well Blake," he complimented – giving her a quick smile. "Really well."

"Uh… thanks?"

"Okay, is Zwei calming down?" Jaune turned to the blonde once more, who nodded. "Good, when he shows that he's ready not to harass her, make sure to praise him."

"Good boy Zwei!" Yang cooed, rubbing her hand over his head. The dog's tongue lolled happily, as it rolled over and accepted a belly rub. "Who's a good boy? You are!"

"Good, good," Jaune nodded, reading further. This was actually going pretty damn well actually… who knew? He was better at this counselling thing than he'd thought. "Now then, it's time to take him off the leash – but again, be ready to stop him if he tries to be too friendly with her. Blake will still be shy and-"

"Ahem?" The girl in question coughed, "I'm right here you know?"

"Ah, uh… right," Jaune laughed, "what I mean is… well, it's about teaching him control."

She didn't buy it.

"What book are you getting this from? Can I see the title?"

"Right, let Zwei go!" Jaune shouted, dodging the question as the dog slowly approached the girl once more. Yang hovered nearby, clearly ready to intervene should anything go wrong. Blake, for her part, simply continued to glare daggers.

"Good job Blake, you're doing really well," Jaune complimented again, turning to Yang, "isn't she doing well, Yang?"

"Oh, uh – yeah, you're doing really well Blake."

"Okay, you're sounding really weird," the faunus girl muttered, eyes narrowing in their direction. "What exactly is that book saying?"

"The next stage," Jaune ignored her words, sidling over to sit by Yang, "is to get them used to the scent of one another. Here he reached out, rubbing his hand against Blake's scalp, gently massaging her hair. The girl seemed to freeze, a bit of colour coming to her cheeks even as her eyes widened in shock. "You're doing really good Blake."

"Uhh… you too?"

Jaune removed his hand from her hair after a few seconds, trying to ignore the forlorn expression on her face, before he knelt down and stroked the dog instead. The corgi seemed to pause, as though recognising a different scent being rubbed on him. It sniffed the air, but didn't react aggressively.

Once he'd stroked it a few times, he moved over once more, stroking Blake's hair again. This time however, the girl's eyes narrowed into pinpricks.

"You're petting me."

"I'm getting you used to the scent of Zwei, and vice versa," he argued.

"Wait! You're stroking me, then hi- IS THAT A BOOK ON PETS!?" The girl screeched angrily, writing in her binds as the book fell from his lap. True to form it fell pages down, showing the cover for all to see.

Cat meet Dog, how to introduce a new pet into the home.

"I'LL KILL YOU BOTH!" Blake raged, eyes flicking back and forth as she tried to kick and bite them in equal measure.

~~~~~Omake~~~~~

"Umm…" Ruby Rose tried to ask, balancing on the edge of the top bunk of her bed, staring down at the floor. She didn't dare actually leave the bunk… for their seemed to be almost a miasma of murder down there. "Why is Blake on the floor?"

"And why is she gagged?" Weiss added, balancing against the bed with one arm raised to defend herself.

"Ah well," her sister explained, panting as she dabbed at a few scratch marks on her face. "The uh… mediation went well initially, but she got a bit… uncooperative at the end. Anyway, we thought we'd try the next stages anyway – since they seemed to work at first."

"And would the next stage explain why Blake is laying on the floor, and Zwei has her bed?" Weiss pointed out, all eyes slipping to the corgi, who was happily snuggled into Blake's soft blankets and pillows.

"Well, the book said that we should switch their bedding so they'd get used to one another."

"And you…" Ruby hesitated, silver eyes meeting Blake's golden orbs for a brief second, before looking away in terror. She swallowed loudly. "You think that's a … good idea?"

"I think untying Blake right now is a worse idea," Yang responded, not quite answering her question but making a damned good point regardless.

"Ah… well… um, goodnight Blake?"

"Mrbl-hssss!" The girl seemed to screech, hair rising aggressively.

"Ruby," Weiss whispered, "can I sleep up there with you tonight? I don't want to be on the bottom floor if she gets loose."

"Yes Weiss," Ruby sighed, shifting over.