46

As the training wrapped up for the day, a panting, sweaty Jaune looked up at his father from his spot on the ground.

He felt like he should say something. He just wasn't sure what.

Even if they'd… talked about things, there was still a good amount of awkwardness in the situation. They were getting along relatively normally at the moment, but what came next? His dad just goes home and everything is back to normal?

Yes? Second Thoughts suggested. What, do you think you're supposed to hate each other or something? You're father and son, things got a little heated but he seems calm now. I don't really know what counts as a normal baseline for him, but what I've seen so far seems like a normal parental relationship to me.

Jaune wasn't quite so sure of that though. But I ran away from home, and I caused all this trouble, and he was so upset about-

Jaune, look. Second interrupted him. I know you feel really guilty, but this isn't entirely your fault. You have some culpability for the situation, sure, but he fucked up too.

But I-

No. Listen to me. I'm not omnipotent or anything, but I'm fairly certain that running away from home isn't a spur of the moment thing. I didn't listen in on your conversations, and frankly I don't want all the details, but I suspect that there were lots of signs leading up to it that should have been noticed. I'm inclined to believe that if he'd focused more on you, like a responsible parent should, that the situation wouldn't have been so messy, Second Thoughts gently chided. However, even if this is maybe edging into territory that's best avoided, I don't think it's something that needs to become a huge wedge between the two of you. I don't know anything about Pyrrha's home life, but your situation is probably the best out of everyone else in this little group. If it's not dead parents, then they're negligent, or maybe they abandoned the family completely, or maybe they're trying their best but seriously struggled at a few points along the way. Well, I suppose there is one other exception there, where your friend is a moron who needs to patch things up with their parents, but even then I'm confident that they could have a solid relationship again if they just tried.

Who-

I'm not spilling their secrets. Though maybe I should push them on that when I get a chance… anyway, the point I was trying to make is that while this is a rough patch, you can get through it with relatively little trouble and go back to loving each other like normal. You already got past the hardest part, even if it wasn't something you intended to happen.

"I don't think I'm ever going to get used to seeing that," Aurelius interrupted, still put off by the silent communication with the voice in his head.

Stop framing it in a way that makes you sound like a schizo.

Shut up, Jaune cleverly rebutted.

Aurelius continued on, ignorant of their thoughts. "It's getting pretty late though, and I need to get back to the hotel I booked in Vale."

That made Jaune pause. "You're not going back home?"

Aurelius laughed. "It's the first time I've seen my son in months and you think it's over just like that? No, I'll be back tomorrow and maybe we can train some more. Besides, I'm not the only one you need to talk to. The rest of the family will be making the trip too, I just convinced them to let me go first, figure things out in a less chaotic fashion."

Jaune paled.

I take it back, Second corrected. You have not made it through the hardest part.

"Relax." Aurelius rolled his eyes. "I'll talk to them, make sure things don't get too out of hand when they show up. But your mother has been worried sick, she won't be able to calm down until she sees you with her own two eyes. And your sisters… well, they still refuse to admit it, but they were plenty worried, too."

His mother being worried, he could believe, but Jaune wasn't sure that his sisters actually cared. That was something for him to worry about later though. For now, he stood up, before hesitating. Should he-

Aurelius wrapped his arms around him in a tight hug. "I love you, son. I'll see you tomorrow." With a pat on the back, Aurelius walked off, leaving the arena and probably heading towards the airship docking area.

"That was so sweet!" Ruby cooed.

Jaune groaned as he was reminded of the fact that his friends had involved themselves in the entire ordeal.

"I'm glad that you were able to make up with your father," Pyrrha smiled.

Nora whispered something to the girl with a smirk that had her face turning as bright red as her hair, laughing as the invincible girl squeaked.

Huh. I wonder what she said? Not often that Pyrrha blushes like that…

I have some ideas, but you're on your own for this one, Second replied.

"I'm more interested in meeting the rest of the family." Yang redirected the conversation. "You have a ton of sisters, right?"

"Yeah, seven of them. I doubt Saphron will come though, she's busy with her family in Argus."

"Eight children?" Weiss shivered. "Your parents must be insane. Even the concept of one is frightening, but that many…"

Blake smirked. "Well, maybe Mr. Arc is just-"

"Nope!" Jaune interrupted her. "I don't need to know what someone who reads the sort of stuff you do thinks about the subject. My mind is clean and I'd like to keep it that way!"

Good, Second Thoughts affirmed. I don't need any of that getting sent to me by mistake. I'll be scarred for life.

Blake flushed. "What is that supposed to mean?!"

"Please, Blake, everyone knows about your little stash." Nora laughed. "You can admit that you're a degenerate, we'll still love you even through all the judgement!"

"How do you-" Blake's face was aflame as she struggled to get the words out.

"Yang told us." Ren explained, throwing the blonde under the bus. "But perhaps we should leave any potential gossip alone for now. I've no doubt that we'll get our fill and then some with six of Jaune's sisters coming to meet us."

Jaune ignored the way that their faunus friend was trying to strangle his fellow blonde as he realized what he was in for. The reunion with his family was going to be bad enough, and now he had to worry about what embarrassing stories would pass between family and friends?

Any ideas on how to stop that? He pleaded with Second.

A few, but they all involve danger and disaster, which we should probably avoid.

I was afraid of that…

"So what's the plan?" Qrow asked before taking a swig out of his flask. "Even if my bitch sister agreed to open the vault, it's not like we can just waltz on in there like we own the place. What did it take to get her to agree, anyway?"

"The terms of the agreement include you not learning those details," Winter remarked. "As for our cover for the operation, Lionheart's arrest conveniently gives us a good opportunity."

"The lazy bastards in the Mistral Council saw fit to involve me rather heavily in the paperwork side of arranging a new headmaster for the school," Jimmy continued. "The entrance to the vault is supposedly somewhere in the same building as the headmaster's office, so the running idea is that while I pay a visit to the new headmaster, that leaves a period of time in which nobody else in the school will want to disturb us, and I can keep him occupied."

"Hold on, you don't know where it is beyond somewhere in the same building?" Qrow probed.

"No," James deadpanned. "Oz never saw fit to mention that to me. And it seems that he never informed you either."

Irondick had him there. He'd viewed Oz's secrecy as a necessity for so long that he hadn't really stopped to think about important info like that…

"Although it might be more accurate that we don't have confirmation of its entrance. You were there the last time I was, Qrow. Doesn't a particular spot come to mind?"

Qrow thought back to Leo's arrest. The building had been pretty fancy looking, but there hadn't been too many spots to hide secret entrances. If Jimmy's boy scout had already found the hidden Seer behind the bookshelf…

"The statue?"

"That's what I'm thinking," Jimmy agreed. "The mechanism to open it will have to be discovered through trial and error, but I think I can keep him distracted long enough. Part of me wants to bring Clover and put his semblance to use, but I'd rather not involve him in things like this…"

"If we're considering semblances, is it really wise to allow him to come along?" Winter verbally jabbed at him.

"Hey!" Qrow frowned. "That's not… hmm… yeah, that's pretty fair, actually." He wasn't sure what he had done to deserve a semblance like Misfortune, but that was the hand he had been dealt in life, and he had to play with it.

"There's also Raven's willingness to cooperate to consider," Winter added. "We hadn't discussed who would be involved in the operation, but I have a suspicion that she would not welcome his presence."

Qrow took another swig. "Much as I hate to say it, you're probably right on that front. That bitch wants nothing to do with me. But if Jimmy is distracting the headmaster, and you don't want me there, who else could we bring? I don't think sending you down to the vault alone with her is a good idea."

"Do you think I can't handle her?" Winter narrowed her eyes.

"Stand down, Winter."

Goody two shoes stood at attention when her handler gave the order. Qrow didn't bother to hide his smirk.

"It would be the height of foolishness to believe that any one person could fight her on their own should she turn on us," James continued. "Even without the Maiden's power, what I've been told of her semblance…"

"It's a real bitch to deal with," Qrow agreed. "She could portal out of there any time she wanted, bring the entire tribe to fight along with her, push you through and dump you on a different continent… Though I doubt she'd try that last one, too much of a coward to risk whatever is on the other end coming through."

"And yet there isn't another option," Winter sighed. "Involving more people is a bad idea, and the only people who are already involved will be trapped at Beacon. We cannot expect Doctor Oobleck to suspiciously take a day off from teaching to visit Haven, and that's to say nothing of bringing Second Thoughts along."

Having to work in the shadows really sucked.

"If she is unwilling to work with you directly, then we'll just have you stationed nearby, Qrow. Far enough away that she can't be too bothered by your presence, but close enough that you could intervene should something go awry."

"She'll be able to tell that I'm there through her semblance…" Qrow rebutted, "but I guess that's about as good as we can get, given our working conditions." A heavy silence fell over the room for a moment as they considered what they were planning to do, but Qrow broke it as another thought crossed his mind. "You given any thought as to what questions we should ask?"

"Of course we have, do you think us fools?" Winter demanded.

Qrow smirked. "You sure you want me to answer that question?"

"We've come up with a few," Ironwood interrupted before they could descend into squabbling, "but I think it would be best to discuss things with Second before deciding anything firmly. There's not much point in asking for information that he could give us freely and waste a question."

"Not to be rude to the kid, but what makes you so sure we can trust him?"

"Well," James replied, "I suppose that will have to be one of our questions, won't it?"