Chapter 17 - A wise man's words

Seated within the hall of never ending delights, a plethora of rich fragrances permeated the air, sweet aromas wafting from nose to nose, sour tastes sticking to students' tongues like ethereal glue, some tastes so tantalizing the one subject to the meal would often moan with glee.

Amongst this feasting crowd two girls stood prominent, their voices piercing through the noise and chatter with the poor souls that had the unfortunate experience of being seated near them having been left no choice but to listen to the mockings and gloatings of-

"No one who challenges the great Nora wins! No one, Haha!" Grinning with her usual mad tinted enthusiasm, Nora stood proudly atop the cafeteria table, arms poised heroically at her hips with her chest puffed out proudly as the one she oh so effortlessly defeated grumbled in frustration; their peers chuckling at their antics as well.

"I WANT A REMATCH! It ain't fair, I ran outta ammo!" Slamming a closed fist on their table, Aria pouted for what felt like the 80th time that hour. Having lost to Nora in their little game and being forced to endure the humiliation of listening to her gloat!

"It just ain't fair!"

"Well, It's not my fault you can't manage your resources!" Nora shrugged, jumping down from off the table and into her with a lordly grin plastered across her features. Aria groaned, her frustration rapidly reaching a crescendo as she slammed her hands onto the table, shaking the tableware and pointing an accusatory finger at the ginger; continuing in her one sided defense against the great Valkyrie with most of those seated nearby eventually learning to tune out of their conversation as time went on.

To each side of the enthusiastic duo, Team RWBY and Team STAY went about their business. Ruby happily munched on her cookies; humming whilst rocking back and forth in her seat, occasionally taking in the chaotic duo's conversation. Somehow, Yang was deep in sleep despite Aria and Nora's ruckus, her black rimmed golden headphones clinging to her head as she snored.

Blake avidly perused through a book she brought from her room, sparing a quick glance to those around her before promptly sticking her nose back in with a hungry look in her eyes as she flipped to the next page, her expression not unlike man when he discovers treasure. Weiss stood by a nearby pillar a few feet away, her arms akimbo as she initiated conversation with the fuchsia themed twins; Toño propped himself against the pillar between the heiress and his sister, with Saya standing to his right, her arms crossed in front of her.

"You guys should've seen the way me and Magnhild crrrushed those Beowulves, it was carnage!" Nora rambled, slamming her arms on the table, roughly jerking Yang who was still sleeping, her eyes sweeping across the table in a crazed-languid motion as she grinned.

"Magnild is the best weapon ever made, hands down." Nora smirked, daring anyone to oppose her claim.

Aria nodded, sitting upright, her arms crossed as her chest swelled with pride, "Heh, Pelt is better though." She smirked, earning her an amused brow from the great Nora Valkyrie.

"Your baby might be good, but better?" She queried, leaning over the table and into the blonde's face with a menacing gaze, "I don't think so." Aria's grin matched that of the ginger, Turquoise gemstones with a mischievous glint crashing into feral fields bathed in proud cyan.

"Tsk, tsk, tsk." Aria began, chuckling to herself as she shook her head, "To think I respected you as a fellow eccentric, what a fool I was." The blonde's eyes snapped open as she burst to a stand, arms still crossed beneath her sizable bosom as she peered down into the wide eyes of the ginger Valkyrie.

Nora gasped, recoiling off of the table and onto the floor as Aria turned her head away, liquid speckles flowing from the corners of her eyes. The Valkyrie's hand clasped her mouth in shock at the sight before her, what had she done-

"Hmmm, hey...Which one of you would win in a fight without weapons?" Ruby spoke, stopping any and all conversation that not only happened at their table, but within the majority of the cafeteria itself, leaving the remaining students who hadn't heard the query confused as to why the place became a ghost town all of a sudden.

"Ruby.....what have you done?" That one rando uttered slowly, eyes widening just as fast; horror prominent within his and many other features...

"Well...." Nora's hand went to her nonexistent beard in what seemed to be serious contemplation. The huntsmen-to-be got up, each student taking a few strides back in preparation for the possible brawl to come.

"If I had to say...." The students shuffled back a bit further, their eyes darting from one eccentric to the next as they awaited the ginger's answer, "Maybe Aria?" stunning the cafeteria as a whole.

"Huh?! Nah, you'd wipe the floor with me! Just look at those guns!" Now stunning the girl before her, Nora raised an eager eyebrow.

"My biceps?! Look at your thighs! The gravity on those things would snap my neck if I got too close to 'em!"

"Mhm. I gotta side with Nora there, Aria does have nice legs." That one rando spoke with his arms crossed in front of him as he nodded, multiple heads turning to meet his eyes with a pitying gaze.

"You guys can test it but my money's on Nora!" Yang announced, pulling both Nora and Aria into a hug-wha, when did she wake up!? (Shhh the more 'pressing' matters come first.)

"Pendragon winning? Hn." Toño snorted, rolling his eyes as the aforementioned blonde snapped her own to where he stood, her hand reaching for a random tray.

[Target locked]

Toño grinned, subtly changing the plate's trajectory, causing it to whir off course and impact an unsuspecting Weiss in the head.

[Mission Failed Successfully]

Everyone froze as the tray clattered to the ground with a metallic jingle, pittering out as the cold gaze of the heiress swept across the room in silence, "Who threw that?"

A multitude of limbs found their way facing Aria who smiled awkwardly, "Haha...My bad?" She analyzed Weiss' face.

She was not impressed.

-.-

Golden streaks trickled in through the windowsill, phasing through the alabaster curtains and permeating the room. The clock above the door ticked ever so slowly, its robotic motion like a soothing metronome to the room's slumbering inhabitants-inhabitant.

A tall boy, blonde strands spread wildly about his pillow, was tucked neatly within the soft material of his bedsheets, sun starved eyes creaking open to a vaguely familiar scenery.

The boy winced, a dull thrum going through his skull as he shifted his face from the direction of the window with a grunt and observed the room. The room's interior was strung with medical equipment ranging from a ventilator, a heartbeat monitor and a few other things he didn't know. The walls were laden with a myriad of charts of different shapes and sizes, they housed diagrams of the human body along with rows of windows lining the room's top corners.

Next to him was a small cabinet where a white plate rested with a variety of fruits adorning it, next to that was an ordinary cup of water and another medical gadget towering just above that; a wires stretching from its plastic confines and slithering into his pale skin, drops of liquid flowing through the wire and into his arm.

This was not his dorm room and it definitely wasn't the Forever fall forest.

He was in the infirmary-

"Jaune, you're awake." A female voice sounded. The blonde shifted his gaze to the door to see a green eyed beauty with an almost strained smile as she stepped into the room. Her red locks glowing softly in the faint light as her boots cracked against the tile, each step in rhythm with the ticking of the clock as she advanced.

"Hello again." The amazon waved, stopping next to his bed and peering down at the boy with a smile that did little to hide her concern.

Jaune felt his lip quirk upwards into a grin as he raised his arm awkwardly in an attempt to return the gesture, "Hey Pyrrha. How's it going?" He rasped weakly, coughing as his hand returned to his side; the girl's concern softened into a gentle giggle as she settled beside him.

"How are you feeling, Jaune?" Pyrrha asked, watching as the boy moved to sit up on the bed with what seemed to be rather difficult, if the contortions on his face were anything to go by.

Jaune heaved a heavy breath, propping himself against the bedwall, grunting as he grinned, "I feel great."

Pyrrha's gaze almost dropped into one of pity as she took in the sight of her leader. It was the first time she had seen him in such a state and she hoped it would be the last.

"Jaune...." Pyrrha's brows furrowed, gripping at her crimson plaid skirt as she lowered her gaze, "Please, don't do something like that again."

Jaune's grin slowly faded as he looked to the Amazon, an arm subconsciously smoothing across his chest and brushing across his heavily bandaged torso, "Yeah...Sorry."

Pyrrha sighed, pursing her lips together as her eyes sunk downwards. She knew she shouldn't beat herself up over it but it was hard not to feel felt guilty, 'This could have all been avoided if I had just stepped in instead of just watching...Luckily Yosuke arrived just in time.' She felt queazy, what would she have done if he actually died?

The Arc observed his partner seated in the gentle silence of the infirmary. She looked like she was on the verge of tears... It made him wince and scold himself. She always had his best interest at heart even when they were on bad terms but because of his stupid pride he kept refusing her help again and again.

Now just look where that got him?

If he had just swallowed his pride and accept her help instead of being such a jerk then she wouldn't be here biting back tears.

'Way to go Jaune,' He sighed, 'You're an idiot...'

"Pyrrha." Jaune suddenly spoke prompting the girl to slowly look up and meet his gaze, "I...I want to apologize...f-for what I said before. It was insensitive."

Taking a deep breath, he continued, "It's just that I felt so inadequate as a team leader. Sometimes I sit and wonder why Ozpin chose me to be leader when anyone else is just a better pick. I know I'm not as smart as Ren, I'm definitely not strong like Nora and I'll never be as good as you."

"...But I still wanted to believe he made the right choice, I wanted to overcome my own obstacles by myself and prove that I could be useful, that I was worth something...But that didn't give me the right to be such a jerk to you especially since you did nothing wrong. You're one of the few people who actually believed in and supported me wholeheartedly...and I...I just pushed you away because of my stupid pride..."

"How stupid is that?" His voice cracked as he averted his eyes with a hollow grin plastered across his face.

A few minutes passed by, the silence being broken by the faint beeps of the heartbeat monitor. The Mistralian Champion slowly reached forward and held Jaune's hand. He didn't pull away but he refused to look in her direction, too afraid to meet her gaze.

"Jaune..." Pyrrha began, her eyes softening whilst tightening her hold on his hand the slightest bit, "You don't have to apologize. Your feelings are valid, and I understand where you're coming from."

"But you're not alone in this. We're a team, Jaune, and we're here to support each other through thick and thin." Reaching up, she cupped the blonde's cheek and slowly turned his head to face hers as she stared into the muddy blues of her team leader.

"Don't doubt yourself, Jaune. You've shown courage and determination time and again despite your inadequacies, and that's what makes you a great leader. So don't let your insecurities overshadow your strengths. We'll overcome any obstacle together, as a team."

Jaune did his best not to cry placed his hand atop her's, "Thanks alot Pyrrha...I really needed that."

Pyrrha smiled as her heartbeat quickened just a bit, her cheeks heating up as she pulled back her hand, "D-Don't mention it."

The young Arc felt his chest swell with gratitude as he observed his redheaded teammate. She was a great friend.

Wincing, a dry cough erupted from his throat as he lurched forward. Pyrrha immediately placed a soothing hand on his bandaged back as she rubbed it gently, "Don't push yourself, lay down and get some rest." Jaune coughed again as Pyrrha propped him up against the bedwall before slowly feeding him some water to wet his mouth.

"Pyrrha." "Yes, Jaune?" The girl queried, dipping a hand into the fruit basket nestled atop the cabinet and retrieving an apple.

Pyrrha picked up a knife out from the basket and began cutting the apple into small bites while Jaune cleared his throat and positioned himself more comfortably on the bed, "Thanks...for being there for me." The Amazon paused as a small smile crept up her lips, "It's fine, really."

Taking a piece, she raised it to Jaune's mouth, "Friends should always look out for each other." Opening his mouth and slightly blushing in embarrassment, Jaune ate the apple slice, carefully chewing it before taking another sip of water to help it down.

"Then, if the offer still stands, would you to train me?"

Pyrrha's smile widened, "I thought you'd never ask."

The door of the infirmary slid open, as two individuals entered, the former donning an expression of relief upon the sight of his team leader while the other donned a warm smile, "Hello, Jaune, Pyrrha."

Pyrrha turned in her seat, staring back at the two boys as a soft smile tugged at her lips, "Hello again."

Yosuke nodded, closing the door behind him as Ren trudged up to Jaune's bed, his voice stern as he spoke, "What you did was very dangerous and it could have ended badly if you were alone."

Yosuke nodded, "I agree." Jaune looked at the two with a sheepish grin, "C'mon guys, it's not that bad."

"Jaune, the Grimm almost ripped out your stomach, it's a miracle you got away with just a few scratches." Ren hissed at the boy, his smile not fading in the slightest.

"I did win though!" Smiling at his antics, Pyrrha's gaze leveled at the two, a calm, genuine smile now present on her features.

"It is true, he did come out victorious. Though I have to admit it was quite a rollercoaster." Levelling a neutral gaze, Ren sighed.

"Pyrrha, he needlessly endangered his and Cardin's life with his actions....Yosuke, assistance?"

The aforementioned boy kept his gaze fixated on Jaune, who shrunk even further into his bed as his guilt slowly got the better of him. "Really guys, I know it was dumb, but I'm fine. Give it a few weeks and good ol' Jaune's gonna be back better than ever!" Trying his hardest to speak from his chest, the blonde wheezed and instinctively clutched onto his bandages, the smile Pyrrha wore faltering for a moment.

The Amazon sighed at the sight, placing a soothing hand onto her leader's back, rubbing it gently, "We'll come visit you later, get some rest."

Jaune wheezed, slowly catching his breath as he nodded. Pyrrha rose to her feet, helping Jaune fix himself into a comfortable position. She smiled softly, resting his head into his pillow before turning and taking her leave with Ren following behind her.

Yosuke stood in the empty infirmary, looking down at Jaune, noting his strained face as he regulated his breathing. The blue haired teen took a seat next to the boy and regarded with concern, "...Are you sure you're alright?"

Jaune took a few deep breaths, his breathing finally returning to normal before his lips stretched into a warm smile, "Yeah. I'm fine." Yosuke analyzed the boy's expression, seeing not a hint of untruth in his eyes before nodding and taking his leave.

-.-

Cardin stood by his dorm room window, indigo beacons sweeping across the campus with a prevalent ire, his brows furrowed into as he watched the students smiling and going about their day.

He glanced back to see the three traitors, each sitting with varying degrees of expressions.

"Of all the things I took my team for, traitors wasn't one of them. I had low expectations, but never that low..."

"Ey man, what were we supposed to do? Stay and die?!" Russel spoke, seated beside Sky who only gave a neutral stare.

"Hmmm, I don't know, maybe do what you came to this shitty academy for and HELP?!"

"Ohhhhh," Making an 'x' with his arms, an extremely genuine tone of voice came from the shorter man, sympathy rolling off his frame in waves (lie), "No can do big guy. You saw the size of that thing right? I like having my torso and hip attached, thank you very much."

Sky looked up at Cardin, his arms crossed as he spoke, "As far as I could tell, it was everyman for himself. It's not like you'd do the same for us anyway." Cardin's eyes narrowed before sighing and massaging his head. Taking a deep breath, he exhaled-slamming his fist against the wall, the sudden noise by the group's 'leader' affected the three in varying degrees.

"I beg your fucking pardon? EVERY MAN FOR THEMSELVES?! You pussies did jack shit other than cry and hide under Glynda's tit! When that Major came, Jaune! Fricking JAUNE did more than you bitches!"

Oddly rubbing his neck, Russel spoke with an averted gaze, his voice so low even a pin drop overshadowed its mellow sound, "I mean.....when you say it like that...."

"You're all traitors." Cardin scoffed.

Sky face palmed, "For the love of the gods, piss off!" He groaned, pointing to the bed across from him, "Shout at the snitch over there instead of us, you brute!"

The way Dove barely acknowledged the obvious jab at himself would have been missed if Russell hadn't eagerly made his way over to the boy, standing a few feet away from Dove whose eyes remained fixed to the floorboards, the silence that once run prevalent returning once more.

Tapping the side of Dove's head, Russel prodded the smaller boy, repeating the action over and over.

"C'mon you rat, why won't you talk?" Rocking the teen over and over from where he sat, Dove just took it, his eyes barely lifting from the floor...that was until his head began to sting, Russel now lightly (lie) slapping him in the head as he continued to prod the boy to speak.

"C'mon Dove! Cat got ya lung?!" Slapping his hand away, Dove moved to a stand, now directly before the smirking frame of Russell

"Piss off Russell! What would you have done?!-And It's cat got ya tongue!"

Mocking himself with a mock thinking pose, Russel's grin never faded, trying real hard to stick to his bit.

"Maybe not talk." Sky spoke for the boy.

"I only did it because you were taking things too far!"

"Shut it snitch!" Cardin echoed from the window, to which sky snorted, peeking at Russel who met his gaze, shrugging not long after.

Dove however, Dove was livid.

"Can you stop with that?! You should be grateful that I even went to her in the first place! At least now we might not get expelled with all the crap we pulled!" Dove screamed for all the world to hear. Russel moved to a seat nearby opting to be comfortable whilst this shit storm brewed before him.

Sky just played Tekken on his scroll.

"Keep on yapping bozo, no-one asked you to." Cardin replied, now leaning on the window sill.

Dove snarled, his teeth grinding against the other as his breathing gradually quickened, "You know what? Screw you! You call yourself our leader but all you think about is yourself, never once did you stick your neck out for us! Just because your family is-" Cardin clocked Dove in the jaw, staggering the teen and stunning those present, "I said, Shut.UP."

Dove held his face in disbelief as he looked up at the ginger giant, a thin trail of crimson from his nose. Russell paused, not expecting Cardin to start throwing hands while Sky glanced over from his game; his expression hardening just a tad as he lowered his scroll and stared at the duo.

Wiping the blood from his nose, Dove stared at the red smear for a while before scoffing and grabbing Cardin's collar with the taller boy doing the same as they locked eyes in an intense stare down.

Russell and Sky readied themselves to separate the two if ever they were to start a fight. Cardin scowled, tightening his grip as Dove's face reddened with anger.

That was until a distinct knock emanated from the door prompting Russell to sigh in reluctance.

"Try not to kill each other, yeah?" Russell opened the door, curious to see who it was. Maybe a hot chick?

It was Professor Goodwitch.

Adjusting her spectacles, Glynda regarded the boy before her....only to glance over his shoulder and into the dormroom, seeing Cardin and Dove staring each other down like they were about to brawl.

If disappointed was a woman, she'd be the embodiment.

"Headmaster Ozpin has called for you," She announced with Russell stepping out of the way and Sky slowly getting up from his seat and making his way to the door. Glynda narrowed her eyes at the remaining two members and spoke once again in a more stern tone, "All of you."

Cardin glared menacingly as he hovered over Dove who responded in kind, he considered beating the shit out of him but decided against it as it would only cause more problems. Releasing the shorter boy, Cardin brushed past him and made his way to the door.

-.-

As the elevator ascended, the only sound was a soft hum emanating from its corners, enveloping the passengers in a cocoon of quiet anticipation. Dove Bronzewing's nervous energy was palpable as he anxiously picked at his nails, his movements betraying his inner apprehension. Standing next to him, Russell Thrush seemed preoccupied with something entirely different, his gaze drifting towards the woman in front of him. His eyes darted, stealing quick glances at her figure, a mix of admiration and distraction evident on his face as he whistled softly, lost in his own thoughts.

His eyes found its way trailing the woman's form once more before glancing up to marvel at her surprisingly well kept hair-

Crap

The woman had been giving him the mean eye the whole time. The boy resumed his whistling, quickly averting his gaze as he began sweating bullets.

Leaning against the elevator was a rather nonchalant Sky Lark whose arms were safely stashed in his pockets with a gaze that lingered on the floor. At first glance, he might seem unconcerned, but in actuality he was quite the opposite, if one were to look close enough they could see the beginnings of a frown lining his brows and tiny beads of sweat taking form. Cardin, however, simply stood with his arms crossed in front of him with his face set in a deep knit scowl.

The elevator hummed gently as it slowed to a halt, having reached its destination. A resounding ding sounded from within the confines of the metallic container, the steel doors pulled apart with a slow yet smooth motion, allowing the passengers to see Ozpin at his desk a ways away.

Wordlessly, Glynda led the troublemaking quartet through the door and directly into the Headmaster's office where the silver haired man sat silently, appraising each and every one of the students with maroon eyes hidden behind darkened lenses.

As the group halted just before Ozpin's desk, Glynda gracefully walked to his side, turning on her heels to face the assembled miscreants whose eyes roamed the interior like searchlights.

The quartet found themselves in awe of the grandeur before them. The room exuded an aura of majesty and authority, with its lofty ceilings littered with silver cogs of various sizes and expansive windows welcoming an endless stream of natural light. And, at the heart of it all sat the Headmaster's desk, a stack of paperwork neatly arranged atop its mahogany surface. The Headmaster's presence could be likened to that of an old wiseman who had seen all there was to see about the world.

And in a way, it was true.

Untwining his fingers, Professor Ozpin reached for his mug, his face tightening a tad as he rose to his feet; his cane tapping against the tiles in a smooth rhythm before stopping just a few paces away from the enormous glass panel and taking in the world below, "I am sure you are all well aware of why you are here." The silver haired man began as he watched the students hurry about the campus grounds.

Cardin scoffed, commenting with a heavy deal of venom, "We're here because of the loser and the snitch, what about it?" Earning him a glare from the blonde instructor, "Mr Winchester, that is no way to speak to an adult, especially your Headmaster."

"Spare me the lecture." Glynda narrowed her gaze even further at the defiant ginger, growing more irritated at the boy's utter lack of respect when talking to his elders.

"Mr Winchester-"

"Glynda. Please, calm yourself."

The green eyed woman would clench her mouth shut as she closed her eyes and took a deep breath, "I think some fresh air might do you some good." Ozpin recommended, looking back at the woman with a tinted gaze prompting a nod from the bespectacled beauty as she stalked out of the room and into the elevator, clicking the button to begin her descent; leaving the Headmaster to deal with the four miscreants on his own.

Glancing back, Ozpin locked eyes with the ginger haired bully, his sagely auburn eyes clashing with indigo stars that blazed with defiance. Cardin's mouth twisted into a smirk as he watched the professor take a sip of his beverage.

"Now, Gentlemen." Ozpin began, turning fully to face the group, "As you all know, I am your Headmaster, which means I am responsible for the safety of my students. Your behavior since the start of the semester has been rather... egregious. While you do exceptionally well in combat training, you use your skills as a tool to intimidate and bully others; for example: Mr. Arc and Ms. Scarlatina."

"Hmph, it's their fault for being so weak in the first place." Cardin scowled with a cruel smirk. Ozpin looked at the boy with a blank expression before closing his eyes as he replied, "Need I remind you that one of those 'weaklings' had saved your life a day prior."

Reopening his eyes, he saw Cardin scoffing with his arms crossed in front of him, "So? Not like I asked him to."

Ozpin nodded, walking a few paces to his right, "Indeed, and while that might be true, the fact of the matter is, the one you classified as a 'weakling' acted like a huntsman should."

"Psshhh, that loser? Yeah right."

"...One of the basic prerequisites to being a huntsman is that you have to put the lives of others before that of yourself. Mr Arc, despite all you had done to him, did just that and came to your aid within a moment's notice even though he had the option to do otherwise."

Cardin's frown deepened even further as he glared at a particular section of the room. As much as he hated to admit, the man was right, that 'weakling' helped him even though he could have chosen not to, and...that same 'weakling' helped him when his teammates didn't... His eyes trailed off down to the forms of the traitors before gritting his teeth and looking away, "Whatever..."

Ozpin took a prolonged sip of his mug as he strode up to the side of his desk before suddenly slamming the cup down, startling the youths with the sudden noise. His mug rested peacefully on top of the desk, not a single crack visible despite the force behind the man's motion.

"You students are being trained to become huntsmen in order to protect and help others not to intimidate and cause them harm." Ozpin told his gaze hardening, "While I do understand that you harbor a dislike for your fellow classmates, I have only turned a blind eye to your actions thus far in hopes of you resolving such childish issues yourselves...." The man's auburn gaze swept across the room, slowly moving from face to face, noting each and every one of their reactions.

"However, it is rather upsetting to know that was not the case." Raising a finger, the man adjusted his glasses a little lower so as to get a better read on the group's expressions before sighing as he turned and walked back to the window pane; staring down at the barely visible form of the Academy students with a slight frown, "Unfortunately I cannot condone such acts any longer."

Ozpin took a breath and tapped his cane against the marble tile, his frown deepening ever so slightly, "Your team's recent actions have been even more disheartening, it makes me consider expulsion being the best course of action."

"Headmaster Ozpin, I'm really sorry for my actions!" Dove suddenly blurted out, closing his eyes tight as he clenched his fist until his knuckles became the literal definition of white, "I'm sorry!"

Sky glanced at Dove before looking back to the silver haired Professor who watched them behind a tinted screen. Sky winced, taking a slow breath before bowing his head slightly and speaking, "...I sincerely apologize for my behavior. Please sir, reconsider."

Russell looked at the two with surprise, he kinda expected it from Dove but Sky?

Scratching his head, the mohawk bully looked up to his team leader, his eyes lingered on the boy for a while before glancing at a stationary Ozpin then back to Cardin and whispering, "Ey...Shouldn't we apologize too?" his tone being the slightest bit antsy.

The mohawk bully watched his leader, expecting a response from the ginger giant but Cardin only remained silent, biting into his lip and clenching his fist until it was a shade reminiscent of the clouds.

Sighing with a slight shrug, the shorter boy looked back to the Headmaster and scratched his head rather awkwardly as he spoke, "I'm...uhh, sorry, for what I did...could you maybe rethink your decision, sir?"

Ozpin stood silent for a moment longer, his tinted gaze lingering on the group of troublemakers before furrowing his brows as he picked up his mug and took another sip. Turning on his heels, he walked back to the glass pane once more, his cane tapping against the tile every two steps, "...While expulsion would be the most viable course of action in this scenario, fortunately for you...it is not the only option."

Silence permeated the room as the eyes of the four bullies elevated at different levels. With Cardin being the most surprised of the bunch.

"Y-you mean-" Dove spoke, a shaky smile creeping up his face as he looked on with a semblance of hope.

"Indeed," Ozpin nodded, not looking back as he took another sip from his mug, "There is a chance for you to redeem yourselves."

Sky lifted his head and stared at the headmaster's back, "...And how do we do that?"

Closing his eyes for a moment, the silver haired man breathed before turning and striding back to his seat, resting his mug on the desk and lowering into his chair, "That will be decided after Mr Arc's recovery."

"Why do we gotta wait for him?" Russell asked, confused.

Interlocking his fingers, the maroon eyed professor eyed the quartet, his gaze lingering on the unusually silent ginger, who now had a rather guilty yet angry look at the mention of Jaune, "You will know when the time comes, until then, you are to return to your dorm room and stay out of trouble. You will be exempt from attending classes until a decision regarding your stay at Beacon is made."

"And make no mistake, even one slip up from either of you will result in you all being expelled, regardless of your pleas or familial ties."

As Ozpin said this, his gaze remained particularly fixated on the still unresponsive ginger, who's eyes finally met the headmaster's with a heated glare.

Sipping from his ever present mug, Ozpin leaned back in his chair. Sighing gently, he spoke, ensuring that they took notice as he met the gazes of each and every one of them.

"I will see you again in a week's time, during that time, please, reflect on your actions thus far and be sure to stay out of trouble."

"You are dismissed."

The group of teens slowly filed out of the office, each member of the troublesome quartet with varying expressions on their faces; Cardin's being the most ambiguous of the bunch. Stepping into the metal box, they stared ahead into the muddy orbs of Ozpin who still sat behind his desk with his fingers intertwined. He locked eyes with Cardin one final time before the elevator door snapped shut.