Chapter 5

Our return to Taiyang's house was silent, I still had our conversation at the ice cream shop in my head. The girls tried to talk to me, I did my best to respond with a smile... Although inside, I just wanted to think about new ways of training.

When we arrived, I saw my father and Taiyang outside waiting for us.

Taiyang: "I thought I said to wait here outside, where did you go with my daughters?" he said to me, raising an eyebrow...

Jaune: "Ruby and Yang invited me to go for ice cream..." I said.

Taiyang: "Oh, 'did they invite you? Boy, you're going to be here for three days…so let's set some boundaries –" he started to speak.

But soon my father interrupted.

Július: "Don't be a mother hen now Taiyang, they just went to have fun, they're just kids" He said with a laugh.

"And yet, age didn't stop you from asking Sarah out." Said an unknown voice.

It was then that I turned towards the voice, saw another man, and he had graying black, spiky hair, and slight stubble along his jawline; Along with a red, tattered cloak, he wears a gray dress shirt with a long tail, black dress pants, and black dress shoes; he seemed to have the age of my father, and he was leaning against a tree ... Drinking?

Ruby: "Uncle QROW!!!" she screamed, and then disappeared in a storm of roses, appearing clutching the man's arm, now identified as Qrow. "Did you miss me?! Did you miss me?!" She asked repeatedly, with an excited smile.

Qrow kept looking at her with a smile.

"... Nope"

It appeared that the answer didn't disappoint Ruby … or at least, she didn't seem affected.

Ruby: "I missed you too! What are you doing here? How long will you stay? Can you show me Harbinger again? I'm designing my baby—" Qrow soon cut her off.

Qrow: " Kiddo, calm down, I just stopped by at your father's request for a favor... you're Július' boy right? Jayce?" he asked looking at me.

Jaune: "Ah, my name is Jaune, Jaune Arc." I corrected him.

Qrow: "Right, that's Jaune ... Well, at least it's not James..." said mumbling the last part.

When I was about to ask what he meant by that, my father spoke to me.

Július: "Well Jaune, I'm going back to our village now... I may have been afraid you'd audition for prep school at first but... I really, hope you do well." he spoke with apprehension. "Good luck son." Saying the last part with a smile.

Jaune: "Thanks dad, I promise to make you proud."

My dad looked at me and then gave me a small hug goodbye, before walking off to Patch's village to pick up the next Bullhead.

But he said one last thing, his back turned to me.

Július: "It was never a matter of pride."

...

It was already night when I decided to go out a bit, I was excited for the audition, but nervous too, I thought that going out would be good to calm down a bit.

"... Where do you think you're going, brat?"

I turned and saw Qrow looking at me as he held up a small silver flask.

Jaune: "I was just going for a walk" I replied.

Qrow: "Oh a walk... Can I go with you?"

Jaune: "… Sure, why not..." I think I already knew he wanted to talk to me, he's like Taiyang...

So we got out and walked a little along a trail.

Qrow: "... I don't like to stall kid, Taiyang and Július told me about you, a boy who wants to be a hunter... but who is incapable of having an aura. Do you realize how crazy you are?" he asked me, taking a sip from the flask.

Jaune:" I know it might sound crazy –".

Qrow: "Wow, wait a minute... 'Crazy'? Boy correct yourself, it's suicide. I know that your father knows that, Taiyang knows that... You know that." He said staring at me.

Jaune: "It's my life –"

Qrow: "Just because it's your life doesn't mean you can throw it away... What about your parents and sisters? Did you not think of them when you chose this path?"

Jaune: "Of course I do."

Qrow: "And you skipped the part that you can die on your first day on the job?"

Jaune: "No, I know it's dangerous –"

Qrow: "Boy, you don't know anything, "Said to me coldly" You can talk freely, say you know the price, that you know what can happen to you or your family... But living that way, it's totally different."

I was silent... I don't think he was just referring to me.

Qrow: "An interesting fact about me boy... I didn't choose this hunter life, I didn't have a choice... My ideal life? Maybe I lived in a beach house, alone, carefree, admiring the ladies who were passing by ... and with a supply of whiskey enough to supply a kingdom." He said the last part after realizing the flask was empty. "Anyway, what I'm saying is that life is all about choices, some are totally out of our power to decide, while others we choose and await their consequences... Are you ready for the consequences brat? ".

Jaune: "...Yes, I am."

Qrow: "Then it's time to prove it." Said removed the gun that was in the back.

Jaune: "...What?"

Qrow: "...Another curiosity about me, I'm a Signal teacher, and because of the favor that Taiyang is charging me... I'm the second teacher who will administer the test of Signal. And since you're 'special', your combat test will be now, since you don't have aura it will be until one of us can't fight anymore; no holds barred brat, surprise me."

This was my chance, but...

Jaune: "...I don't have a gun..."

Qrow:"...Didn't you hear the 'no holds barred' part? Besides, you only assemble your weapon in the first year at the preparatory academy, this test that Taiyang and I will apply is intended to evaluate those who have some 'ability' to be hunters; the Test of Signal is purely combat, goes to show if you have any propensity to be a hunter or if you only have delusions to be a hunter, I think you already know that those who have delusions... Fail. "He paused, then continued "Enough talking brat, let's start this shit, just don't cry later," he said smiling.

I didn't know what to do as I hadn't been trained in any technique... so let's get to the basics, fists up.

POV' Qrow.

Honestly, I don't know what Taiyang and Július had in mind, so I decided to test the brat. Initially, I wasn't going to use Harbinger or take this little spar seriously ... But for some reason, my hunting instincts screamed: *DON'T DO IT*.