Oh, how I hate writer's block. I freaking hate it. It is driving me absolutely nuts. I'm currently working on so many different projects because any ideas I have for them come and go. Hope you enjoy this and sadly I still don't own RWBY.

Chapter 4 – Team Bonding

Jaune's POV

Bored, bored, bored… why isn't this more exciting.

"STAY STILL ALREADY!" I dodge another swing from Cardin's mace and yawn. This is the 3rd time I've had to fig… oh who am I kidding, this is the third time I've kicked his ass in a one-sided slaughter and he hasn't learned from the last two times. Cardin comes in charging for another strike and I swing at him while enhancing my strength and send him flying out of the arena while knocking him into the red.

"Mr. Arc wins. Mr. Winchester, learn to actually think during combat. Mr. Arc, never underestimate an opponent."

"I don't see an opponent only a fleshy punching bag, and just call me Jaune already." Honestly Fenrir thinks more in a fight than Cardin does. Glynda glares at me and then starts typing into her scroll. Once that's done the arena screen fills with a roulette. It starts spinning and after thirty seconds it stops spinning and Yang's name is on the screen.

"Since you think that you can face Ms. Xiao Long."

"YES!" Yang is already rushing to get her weapons. I feel a grin spread across my face and Pecus's excitement rises as well.

"Finally, we get a good fight. Let's go all out." Maybe not all out but Yang is an opponent worth using some of my more …unique… skills against. Yang soon returns with her gauntlets on her fists ready for action. Alright I know those things have shotguns in them and given she started smoking in front of me the first time we met I know she has a semblance that in some way produces fire.

"3..2…1 BEGIN!" Yang rushes at me and shoots several shots off at me but I slap one away and duck underneath the others. I can feel my blood pumping, I'm not afraid to admit I'm something of a fight junky, at least when I know my life isn't at risk, and Yang will be a great challenge. I can already tell that ABRN and RWYN are at the top of the first years with Yang, Nora, and myself being the strongest physically. Yang runs at me with a grin on her face and throws a punch at me. I match it with one of my own and we both get tossed back from the force of the shell she fires exploding. I look at the bone gauntlet and see that it's cracked.

"Nice Yang, that was pretty powerful." I then use a trick I learned from fighting a Nuckevalee and send one arm stretching out to attack from long range. Yang's eyes widen and she rolls to the side as my fist impacts where she once stood. I shoot a kick out in front of me and the leg does the same as my arm and shoots out at her. Yang isn't out of her roll yet and takes the kick to the gut and shoots back a few feet, so close to the ring's edge but not quite. Yang then sends me a wide grin and slams her fists together while flames shoot out behind her. Her gauntlets then fire and launch her forward towards me faster than I can react and I'm left to block with my arms while growing bone armor as quickly as I can. The blow hits even harder than the last one and I'm the one sent flying back. I manage to get myself to stop before I leave the ring, okay so what changed to make Yang so powerful.

"You hit her. Her aura surged right as you got her with that kick to the gut. Somehow that gives her a power boost." Okay three options, pain makes her stronger, she absorbs kinetic energy, or she simply can boost her strength and chose to get serious after that kick. I think the second option is the most likely, Yang isn't the type to hold back and if it was pain she simply would have punched herself.

"So, she's a physical version of Taurus."

"Sounds about right. Okay let's see if she can absorb this." I take a big breath of air and start altering my vocal cords, throat, and mouth while expanding my lung capacity to double my maximum air capacity as possible. While I do that Yang runs at me once more and comes down at me with her fist cocked back and ready to knock me around.

"AHHHHHHHHH!" I unleash a scream that can dent steel. I picked it up from killing a Banshee and it's one I rarely use due to how deadly it could be, Yang's tough though so I don't need to worry about killing her accidentally. Yang gets caught in mid-air before getting shot back and shot out of the ring and into the wall where she's pushed an inch or two into it. I close my mouth and shift my body back to normal. I collapse to one knee and take deep breaths. I forgot how tiring that trick is.

"Ms. Xiao Long, you need to stop charging in head first, if this wasn't a spar that could have been a fatal blow. Mr. Arc, why have you not used those abilities before?"

"Do you use a cannon to kill a fly? Winchester hasn't done anything that would make me need to dip into my bag of tricks. Yang however could probably kick my ass up and down the arena if I didn't go all out." Well if I used everything in my arsenal I think I would be the one kicking ass but you never know. Goodwitch can't truly fault my answer but still doesn't seemed pleased with it. Oh well, can't win them all.

Time Skip

Ahh lunchtime. I love the variety of food available here. Team RWYN has taken to sitting across from my team and I in the lunch room. The eight of us are perhaps the most promising 1st years. Weiss and Ruby have worked out whatever issues were plaguing them at the beginning and seem to be friends now. Ruby is more studious while Weiss has toned down enough to lose the nickname Ice Queen.

"I want a rematch." That's the first thing Yang says to me as soon as she walks in and it what I expected.

"I agree, that wasn't an actual fight after all." Blake and Ren are the only ones that don't look confused at that and so I elaborate.

"These matches are practically playground squabbles. In a real fight your opponent won't stop if you go out of a ring. If it was a real fight Yang would have gotten back in that ring and we would have kept fighting until one of us didn't get back up." The others seem concerned but I shrug it off. At least I'm not preaching that bandit clan's philosophy.

"Jaune… where did you get the idea for stretching your arms out." I look at Ren and make to open my mouth but stop when I hear a cry for help. Looking over I see Cardin yanking on the ears of a female rabbit Faunus, I'm pretty sure she's a 2nd year student.

"How pathetic."

"Disgusting."

"Let's break his legs." Guess who proposed the last comment. I can feel the fear coming off the girl. If she reacts she could be found at fault merely for her species but at the same time what's happening right now is incredibly degrading and crosses so many lines. I've met enough Faunus to know that the animal part of their body is something they only allow those incredibly close to them to touch. Everyone in the cafeteria can see it but none of the older kids make a move, some even look at the scene with hidden glee. I can't take it anymore and get up.

"Winchester, let go of the girl and go back to playing with your boyfriends." The whole of CRDL looks at me in anger but I simply drink it in with glee. Every dark thought they have can simply be turned against them.

"And what if I want to continue with this game." I shoot my hand out and grasp the wrist of the hand that's holding the ear of the girl.

"Then I'll play own game, I wonder how long it'll take to brake your wrist." I tighten my grip and hear bones creak. Cardin grits his teeth but tugs on the girl's ear again. Let's make it clear I'm serious.

"SNAP!" Cardin lets go and collapses to the ground in pain while his team stares in shock. The girl doesn't move for a second but I nudge her and she starts walking off. I kneel down next to Cardin and stare him right in his teary eyes.

"Let me know if you want to play again. I'm always up for a game of Kick a Prick's Ass." I walk away but stop when Goodwitch calls me out and drags me off. Shouting all the way about how horrible that was and that I would face severe punishment. Tch, pathetic. When it was a Faunus nothing happened but when a human got hurt she stepped in immediately.

Blake's POV

RDL has just taken Cardin to the infirmary and Jaune has been dragged off while Fenrir is sitting in my lap. He just jumped on me as soon as Jaune got up. I'm surprised at the level of brutality Jaune used, while also happy someone did something.

"What was that ruffian thinking?!" I glare at Weiss.

"He was doing the right thing. That girl can't defend herself because it be Human vs. Faunus and that rarely ends well for the Faunus." Weiss starts going on about how there were better ways but I tune her out. I'm more concerned about how far Jaune is willing to go. There are eerily similar characteristics that Adam and Jaune share. Drive, love of battle, a dislike for Humans. The last one is more intense for Adam but Jaune's made no effort to hide how he feels about humanity, and he includes Faunus in that, in general.

"I suggest we wait till Jaune gets back." I look over at Ren who's gone back to eating, he and Nora are the only other ones that don't look upset at what happened. "We can ask him about why he was willing to go so far then." Nora agrees with Ren and my unspoken agreement we let the subject drop, for now at least.

Jaune's POV

Goodwitch dragged me up to Ozpin's office and has just given her report on what was occurred. Ozpin is simply staring at me while drinking his coffee.

"Is there a reason you felt you could not come to a teacher?" I snort at the question.

"Goodwitch here was on me in an instant but when that girl was having her ear being tugged no help was to be found. You must know exactly how violating that is to a Faunus. If a teacher or older student wasn't going to do anything then I'll put the bastard in his place myself." Ozpin sips his coffee again but looks almost amused by my answer.

"That's Professor Goodwitch."

"When she earns the right to be called that I'll call her that. Until then she's Goodwitch, plain and simple." Goodwitch looks annoyed and also hurt by what I've said. Probably the fact I've accused her of racism. She speaks up but her voice isn't filled with anger this time.

"We teach students to look after themselves. If Ms. Scarlatina can't handle a few bullies that are weaker than her how will she function later on." I hold myself back from facepalming.

"Yes, why would a Faunus not beat four Humans up. It's not like the Faunus would get all the blame. We live in such a perfect world after all."

"The sarcasm is unnecessary." I give Ozpin a glance and then run a hand through my hair in frustration.

"Look, standing up for yourself is all fine and dandy but it's pointless if it'll merely come and bite you in the ass later on. The fact is life is unfair for Faunus and you all aren't even trying to deal with it." Goodwitch straightens her glasses and stares me dead in the eye.

"I understand you being upset one of your fellow Faunus was being hurt and that you feel this is unfair but that didn't give you the right to take matters into you own hands." Huh, Ozpin hasn't told her about my past. Given the fact she's his 2nd in command I figured she would know.

"I don't give a crap about some stupid fight based on some genetic differences. Cardin is a bully, scum that I still can't figure out why you let into this school. He was torturing an innocent girl that couldn't put him in his place for fear of retaliation. I simply don't fear the response of a human with only a few braincells to rub together."

"Be that as it may.."

"Look I get you see some potential in Cardin but all I see is someone with similar views to Raven Branwen." At once the temperature in the room drops and my instincts scream at me to run. I had forgotten how powerful Ozpin is.

"How do you know that woman." I give the two of them a stare.

"I've lived outside the kingdoms for years of course I know of her. I've already been offered a spot in her little band, not by her personally but one of her minions. Cardin seems to think those he deems weaker than him should bend to his whims, that's just a step below Raven's homicidal ideas." That seems to make them think.

"I'd ask you tell me if Ms. Branwen or her ilk ever contact you again." Odd request.

"Believe me I want nothing to do with the Bloody Raven." Ozpin nods and then gestures to the elevator. I get up and leave the room while Goodwitch seems to be thinking things over. I look at my scroll on the way down and see that I've missed my last class of the day. Well it's not like I can ever understand Oobleck anyway. I make my way to my dorm and literally run into Blake. I catch her when she falls back and pull her back up. No one is around so I use this chance to call her by her nickname.

"What's got you in a huff Kitty?" Blake rounds on me with narrowed eyes and I tense up.

"Oh, so I'm some kind of pet to you now. Just an animal that you keep around for a laugh." I glare back at her and growl.

"It's a nickname Blake, and don't you dare lump me in with trash like Cardin." Blake takes a step back and then takes a deep breath.

"I'm sorry, Cardin got a cast quickly and made it in time for Oobleck's class. He said some things that stuck with me." I lean back against the wall and watch the anger slowly leave her.

"It's fine, we're partners after all. Speaking of which where is Fenrir?" I notice she flinched when I said the word partners, she's done that every time I've said the word partners.

"Nora took him back to the dorm. I told them I was going for a walk."

"Well let's not keep them waiting." Together the two of us walk back to the dorms and find Nora playing with Fenrir while Ren reads a book.

"Well you two are finally back. Which closet were you in?" I choke on air while Blake turns red.

"Nora!" Nora turns sheepish at Ren's stare and she apologizes. We accept but I'm sure Blake and I are still blushing. I take a seat on my bed and Fenrir hops onto my lap where I begin petting him as her curls into a ball.

"Hey Leader how did you do that stretchy arm thing."

"Killed a Nuckelavee in Anima and decided it was a good trick to have in the future. It took me forever to figure out how to do it properly but as you can see I figured it out." I look up at the feeling of a piercing stare and see both Ren and Nora looking at me intensely.

"Where." That one word that comes out of Ren's mouth tells me everything I need to know.

"You guys used to live in that village didn't you." Blake looks confused and Ren begins to explain.

"Nora and I are from Kuroyuri. A town built by people that decided to live on their own. Nora and I are also the only survivors as far as I know, that one Grimm killed everyone else." I nod and rub my stomach where the Nuckelavee clawed me.

"I didn't win easily, I would have died if not for those arrows I found in its cave. I managed to throw four of them into its eyes and tricked it into running off a cliff, even that didn't kill it and I had to go down and snap the humanoid half's neck." I get up and pull my bag from under my bed. Reaching into the bottom I grab a bundle of cloth and pull it out. I then unwrap it and show Ren the four arrows.

"I kept them as a keepsake of my toughest fight at the time." Ren's eyes start watering as soon as he lays eyes on the arrows.

"Those are my Father's arrows." I look down at them and then toss them to Ren who catches them with extreme care.

"Looks like I owe your father my life. Guess it's true what they say, life has a sense of humor." Two bodies hit me and I nearly crash to the ground when Ren and Nora tackle me in a hug, Nora I can see but Ren is a shock.

"Thank you, just thank you." I pat the both of them on the back while Blake looks at us with an odd look in her eyes. Eventually Ren and Nora untangle themselves from me and sit back down on their beds. An uncomfortable silence settles in but Nora soon breaks it by bringing up my confrontation with Cardin. The four of us soon start working on homework and with the others help I managed to get the history assignment done. Eventually we all get ready for bed and settle down. Fenrir curls up with Nora this time, he's begun a rotation of who he sleeps with, who absolutely adores the little guy. I close my eyes but sleep alludes me for the next few hours. At some point, I hear a bit more movement then normal and see Blake slip out the door. Getting out of bed I throw on a pair of jeans and my hoodie over my sleep clothes and slip out after her. It's easy enough to track Blake down using my senses, I find her in a tree planted in the courtyard starring up at the moon.

"The moon is an excellent representation of the people of this world don't you think?" Blake is shocked to see me and I climb up onto a neighboring branch. "One half shows what we could be if we worked together while the other half shows what we currently are like. We're cracked, fragile, drifting apart, all it would take is one more blow and we'll turn to dust." Blake stares at me for a second before giving a small chuckle.

"I never would have taken you for the philosophic type."

"Nah, I just got that from an old man I met in a town once. I do like the message though." Blake looks at me once more before laughter escapes her lips.

"Now that's like you." I nod before getting to the heart of the matter. I don't care about her sneaking out at night, we all need our private moments, but I don't like the discomfort she clearly feels around me.

"Blake, if this partnership isn't working out we can talk to Ozpin about it. I get I make you uncomfortable, hell I'm rarely comfortable in my own skin, so I understand if you'd rather I we just be done with it. I'm sure Ozpin could figure something out." Blake's eyes widen and she starts shaking her head.

"No, it's not that. I'll admit I was worried at first but you haven't done anything that would make me distrust you."

"And yet every time I call you partner you flinch, the same thing happens if someone else calls me your partner." Blake flinches again and then looks down at the ground. "See, that is what I'm talking about. This isn't going to work if your ashamed, or at the very least displeased, to have me as your partner." Blake frowns at me before looking at the moon.

"It's not you. Adam wasn't just a fellow member of the White Fang, he was my partner and we had something special at the time. But you saw what he's become, he slowly lost himself to bloodlust and started becoming what he is now." I'm astonished by her admission, it also paints a dark picture in my mind.

"Did he ever hurt you?" Blake looks at me questioningly and I narrow my eyes. "Did he ever abuse you Blake? He was abusive to some of the grunts with him when we met and it didn't look like something that was new." Blake's eyes widen and her face pales as she curls in on herself.

Blake's POV
Adam was abusing his comrades, the people he swore to fight alongside. I had some minor hope that he could be redeemed, that I could talk him down and make him see what he was doing was wrong. However, if he has started to hurt those he said he would protect his there any statement.

"Blake." I look up and see Jaune staring at me, waiting for my answer with worry in his eyes.

"No, he was colder and harsher as time passed but he never was laid a hand on me." Jaune sighs and leans back against the tree. "I was hoping I could get him to stop what he was doing, get him to just see that mindless violence wasn't the answer." Jaune looks at me and I keep talking. "I thought that if I could do it so could he, that there was some way he could go back to being the Adam I knew. I know he's so far gone but I still feel I should try at least once, that I owe him that much." Jaune's head twitches to the side and he seems to think carefully before his mouth opens.

"I don't really agree with the idea you can help him. You didn't feel the negative emotions pouring off of him in waves, and you wouldn't need any of my emotion-sensing capabilities either to do so. However, you are my partner and as such I'll back you up in this if you ever get the chance." I make to thank Jaune but he holds a hand up to stop me and then a skull like mask with glowing red marks grows out of the skin on his face and his eyes shift into those of a grim. "But if he so much as tries to hurt a hair on your head I will not hold back in the insuring fight. I won't leave him with just a missing eye that time, he'll be lucky if I leave him with the use of any of his limbs." I remember when Adam made a similar promise to me, he said that if any human dared to hurt me they would soon be burning in Hell. Whereas that promise scared me Jaune's makes me feel slightly warm and I can easily tell why. Adam's was made with bloodlust tinting his voice, he was praying he would get to follow through on that promise. Jaune's voice, though distorted and sounding rather rough, is only filled with protectiveness. He doesn't want to follow up on that threat/promise but he will in a heartbeat.

"I'd like that, it would be nice to know someone's watching my back." The mask sinks back into Jaune's face and he flashes his fanged grin at me.

"Like I said, you're my partner. I'm not going to let you run in alone."

Well hope you all like this chapter. Thoughts? Hopes? Ideas?