It was a rainy day in Vale and Jaune was once again despairing over his life.

He sat under an overpass on a pile of old, crumpled cardboard boxes. He held his trusty weapon, Croceo Mors, in an anxious grip. He was scared. He hated facing the world these days. So until team RWBY, and by extension him and Ren, were called upon by the councils, this was how he preferred to spend his off days. Away from the HOO-RA mentality of his peers. Away from civilization, here the world hadn't changed, the rats didn't hate the Faunus, the weeds didn't want to see the racists hang, here nothing hated anything else. Compared to the fully outfitted barracks which his peers adored, this was heaven.

RWBY preferred to still sleep in the same room. And that room had no place for questions about ethics.

Jaune was closing in on 33. Those years weren't his though; they belonged to the war. The Long War. After people learned that the creatures of Grimm were not natural. That someone was using them as a weapon, people immediately wanted them dead. Headmaster Ozpin said, or rather a kid claiming to be the vessel for former Headmaster Ozpin said, that her name was Salem and she hated all life. The kingdom's raced to see who could kill her first, and he willingly joined in. He had joined so ready to bring good back into the world, he was going to make Pyrrha proud. At least that was part of It, he also wanted revenge. He thought it was right that he get it. It wasn't fair that she died, and he would make it fair by killing her killer. He thought: past tense; that was an important distinction. He now saw where he was wrong.

*Ring Ring*

Jaune easily flipped open his scroll and begrudgingly accepted the call.

"Hey Jaune," Ruby's shining smile broke through his shell and made him smile in turn.

"Yalow, Rubes what's the plan?"

She looked down and Jaune heard beeps and boobs, she brought up a second scroll and talked while scrolling through some sort of list. "There's a town over by Kuro-Yuri, that command thinks has a large but unfortified group of White Fang stopping in for the week, Adam isn't there but command is on my ass about neutralizing the monsters, so I want to do this ASAP." Jaune grimaced, her swearing only reminded him how little she used to be.

The war grew her into someone who didn't care about anyone except for her "family." She was a hypocrite, seeing evil in every terrible act except for those she and her team committed. He wished for the days when Ruby felt uncomfortable saying hell, he liked it when she believed she couldn't call anyone a monster. He missed those days.

But those days were passed, and Ruby didn't want to go back. These days only Jaune wanted to go back.

"Yes ma'am, I'll tell Ren about it, send us both the details when you get a chance would you?" Jaune knew what that night would hold, but he didn't want to talk about strategies right then, especially not in his special place.

Ruby looked from the list into his eyes, "sure thing, and afterword's, drinks are on me."

She could think about drinks? Jaune nodded and closed his scroll.

He didn't want to get Ren but he would anyways, he knew he would see what he and Nora had. And that turned his stomach; he had always wanted kids. And so far the only person he could ever really picture having them with was dead. She died a heroes death, which is just about as empowering as a wet rag.

Hero's death, pfft, what a bunch of bologna, death is death. Pyrrha shouldn't have died period.

Well, that wasn't completely true.

Honestly, Jaune didn't want her alive anymore than he was glad she wasn't. At least her pain was over and he couldn't see her go down the same path as his other friends. Or rather the acquaintances he used to call friends.

He stood from his special place under the overpass and walked towards his small car. He had been offered better, but he refused. He wanted the small punishment that owning the junk forced upon himself. He may have been disgusted by the joy his friends could enjoy after the … things they had done. But he absolutely hated the idea that he would ever turn out the same way, so he tried to punish himself to never forget.

That he wasn't the good guy, not anymore.

…

Jaune turned the key and pulled it from the ignition. Looking over he smiled faintly as he looked at his friend's house. Ren bumped open the front door and walked out towards him, Nora stood behind in the frame, her oldest sleeping on her hip. She waved at Jaune and he smiled back, He heard Ren step in through the passenger side door and Nora walked back into the house. Ren clapped his hands on his knees and looked at Jaune expectantly.

Jaune stared out onto the hood of the car silently. He didn't want it to get awkward so he spoke up eventually. "This one is going to be near your old village; are … you going to be OK?" He kind of all ready knew the answer. Ren chuckled, "I will; are you?" Jaune started to drive, "Never am."

Jaune always felt a little closer to Ren than he did any of his other friends. He didn't really know why other than the fact that they were both men. Maybe it was because they used to match better, Jaune had liked to talk when he was a young man and Ren had liked to listen.

Nowadays, Jaune didn't want to talk anymore and Ren didn't care to listen to his sullen silence. So while still friends, they both knew it was only really because of their history that the two still talked much outside of work.

Ren was at a loss of why though.

He had a faint idea that Jaune was unhappy, but as always his old friend kept to himself. So he figured it was just a growing up thing coupled with the fighting. And plus Jaune always did what he was told, so Ren never made to big of a fuss about the once cheerful boy's now empty smile. They all had problems, he could deal with them in his own way.

Jaune kept silent aside from asking small details about the mission here and there. He could trust Ren to always read up ahead of time. Finally they arrived at the base, he drove around back to where the smaller bulkheads were kept. Stopping by where he could see Ruby laying out her paper work for the briefing. She smiled at Jaune and Ren as they approached and found a seat. Jaune did a quick once over of the group, seeing Yang's fiery hair falling over the back of one chair her shades covering her eyes, she looked up at him and he broke eye contact quickly. Blake sat next to her, sharpening her blade, and muttered a hello to the boys. Weiss clip-clapped over to them from a much fancier car in what looked like 3 inch heels. They all sat together and said their pleasantries. Which really weren't necessary for the amount of time they spent together those days.

Jaune breathed a sigh of relief, he hated the missions; but he hated them more when he didn't know the people involved. Ruby looked up after everyone quieted down, and stood up in front of a map on the board behind her. She put her finger on a little patch of green , "According to high altitude imaging this is where the camp is," she paused for effect, "we are going to neutralize it completely."

Jaune looked down at his shoes and shut out the rest, he had heard enough. And it didn't really matter, his role was always the same in these things. He caught snippets about how it would be an easy in-and-out. And how much this will hurt the terrorist pigs.

He stayed that way until it was actually time to go. They all clambered into the bulkhead, Weiss and Ruby talking about the latest fashion. Yang excitedly talked to Ren about his son: how was he, had he asked for Auntie Yang yet? Blake tried to catch a few zzz's on his shoulder and Jaune did his best to help her. The bullhead flew out over the base's fence.

He looked around. How could these people be his friend's, they all knew what they were about to do and yet they gave no troubled looks, no guilty shuffles. They saw no evil in what they were about to do.

He couldn't stomach their blindness for very long so he unbuckled and cautiously walked up towards the cabin. Finding a steady place behind the captain's chair where his world wasn't so hate filled. There he sat for an hour or so.

He wanted to be back at his special place. He liked the cardboard, he liked the rats, he liked the sounds of cars. He filled his mind with that place, the sights, the smells, the complete and utter lack of his once friends telling him to attack that base, neutralize that target, scare those enemies. But like always reality was too

harsh to be pushed away for long.

Jaune didn't cry often, which was surprising for the lack of happiness in his life. But for some reason he did then. He didn't bawl, but just sat pinching the bridge of his nose as tears welled and fell down his cheeks. The sheer amount of bad had hit him and now it had him, it truly was all he could see.

No.

NO!

NO LONGER!

He decided there, hiding behind the pilot, that he officially had no dog in this war. He couldn't do it anymore, he couldn't watch his friends commit evil acts then be welcomed by the world for doing good. He wouldn't help their war along any longer.

He saw evil in what they were about to do that night, and after it was finished, so would he be. He hated it all, so he was going to leave.

For the longest time, as the bulkhead rattled, Jaune wondered. Stuck on that idea, could he … do that … just leave. It took awhile for the years of fighting to add up in his mind and push him over the edge.

YES! One way or another, after tonight Jaune was going to leave the pain and hate his friends called a Hunters duty. He may even be able to live permanently in his special place. That brought a smile to the boy's face.

As the pilot opened up the intercom, Jaune stumbled back down to his seat, true happiness adorned his face. Which hadn't happened to him for at least 12 years. He sat down as the bullhead landed, Ruby gave them all her typical I'll-see-you-on-the-other-side smile and the loading ramp dropped. The harsh cut of the engines whipped against their ears.

…

Their mission was a typical hard and fast invasion. The White Fang had set up their tents in such a way that you could walk down a wide aisle in the center of their camp. Canvas and wooden pole tents were the spread across the field.

Those types of tents burnt easily, a fact Yang liked … a lot.

She liked to just attack head on and almost always a fire would start soon after. The fear induced by those two made for easy fighting for the rest of their posse.

Jaune stood with Ruby within a crop of trees. He could faintly hear the members of her team communicating through an earpiece. Ren these days was basically an honorary member of RWBY so he also talked with them.

Jaune's mind was elsewhere before Ruby tapped him on the shoulder.

"I'm going to need you to take the attention of the guards." Ruby had her serious face on and was already pointing towards where she wanted him to go. "Tank for me and I'll take out everyone you can't."

Jaune nodded, but he couldn't look her in the eyes. He wasn't going to be killing anyone tonight, not even for her. And after that night no-one in their group would see or hear from him again.

He loved the idea more and more each time he said it in his head. But still there was some small part of him that was sad about leaving them.

So he didn't give that part of him anymore power by looking at the woman he used to know. But to avoid suspicion, this one last time he would she told him to.

…

Jaune had such an amazing well of aura that he could handle huge amounts of damage before he even got tired.

His peers convinced him to use this to their advantage.

It helped especially to push every eye onto one spot for a long period of time.

Like what he was doing at the camp right then. Jaune still used his sword every time he had to go on a mission. He just rarely used the blade part. He preferred to use the handle and pommel. It was a non-lethal, if crazy-terrifying, method of combat.

Coupled with his extremely hardy aura, Jaune could quite literally walk into a White Fang battalion or Grimm hideout and individually knock out every single member before he was In any actual danger. Just, stip-step bonk, and repeat until everyone was sleeping.

He was doing that now.

And like always, while he worked hard to maintain what little unbloodied skin he had left on his hands. Ruby was sniping people left and right. A teen with donkey ears ran at him screaming her lungs out, he wasn't fazed.

He let her come to him, it made for a less soreness in the morning the less he moved.

But she never even got within hitting distance, her head jerking back in a cloud of red mist about ten feet from him.

Ruby's sniper shot dropped her in front of him. And yet again his beliefs were hardened.

This was the wrong way to do this.

And yet team RWBY continued: Yang was fighting in from the west, he and Ruby from the east, Blake and Ren had the south covered while Weiss took the north.

He could hear grunts of pain. And the breath of the dying over the wind. He moved in towards the center aisle, trying not to listen too closely. Masked men and women, some who looked like teens, burst from almost every tent as he trudged along.

Those who were close enough got a pommel to the head. They were the lucky ones. Many were dropped before they got away from their tent. He could hear Ruby's shots whizzing through the air. The dull thump of metal hitting meat surrounded him.

Yang was cracking wise loud enough for everyone in the camp to hear her. He could hear her getting closer to him.

Finally, she burst through a particularly fiery patch of grass. Her smirk was the brightest thing on that field despite the flames though. She caught his eyes staring and brushed over to him.

"Hey Vomit-man, what a night, am-I-right?" She chuckled to herself. Then, when Jaune didn't reciprocate her joke, she went quiet. They stared at each other while the camp was destroyed.

Eventually Yang got bored and walked off. Jaune stared at her diminishing form. Wondering about how and why Yang could find any of this funny.

Not that surprised it surprised him, he knew what Yang had done. He knew her.

…

It didn't take as long as he thought it would to break the camp. After everyone met up in the center, Ruby approached the head of the camp. An old man with ram horns and quiet eyes.

She walked up to him. "Why do you continue to fight, you terrorists are losing."

He said nothing, but began to look at the posse who beat him.

"Why can't you see the amount of pain your causing?" He kept looking. Jaune could see his eyes searching for something within them.

"Do you like the fighting?" Ruby pulled her weapon out and let it fall into scythe mode.

The man didn't look afraid, at least not when he met Jaune's gaze. Jaune looked into his eyes and saw … something.

Not fear.

Ruby was still talking. Weiss hmmph'd.

Not loathing.

She raised her weapon high. Ren's breath audibly caught.

He saw recognition. A same spirit. The man tensed, then spoke.

Ruby just barely stopped her blade in time.

"I keep going because I must!" He said firmly. Jaune, without really thinking about, knew what he meant. He nodded slightly.

The man spoke up again. "I have tried so many times to stop this war." Jaune knew he hadn't exactly tried to stop the war, but he knew he had tried to forget all about it. So kind of the same.

"It's you people, the warriors who keep the war going."

Jaune liked this guy.

"And now I will try again." The man dropped his head.

Jaune was breathless, he … knew what this man was talking about. He was like him. He could not stand by when one of the federal who could ever agree with him was killed or imprisoned.

Jaune spoke his mind.

"Hey, um, Rubes I don't think that we should-."

She didn't let him finish. "You, terrorist, are evil. You kill innocents." The man tensed up. Ruby brought her scythe up again.

"I am making the world a better place." She swung down.

Jaune had stood by before. He had seen his friends be swept up by the whirlpool that is a kingdom at war. He watched as his friends fell down the wrong path.

If he was going to leave them, he would leave being true to himself.

He rushed out.

"Ruby, STOP!"

He grabbed at the man and tried to pull him out of the way.

But Ruby wasn't a huntress for nothing, her strike was already half way through the man neck by the time Jaune reached him.

He pulled a headless corpse away, blood pumping from the wound.

Jaune looked at the girl he used to think kind and loving. He closed his eyes as his shoulders and spirits fell.

He opened them.

Or at least he thought he did. It was still pitch black.

He tried to blink, but the darkness persisted.

He called for Ruby, but nothing called back.

"Ren, you out there buddy, … anyone?" His voice drifted off into the darkness. Nothing came back.

Jaune was used to a lot, his travels forced him into many a situation where he was scared and confused, but he rarely had to face them alone. He had so many situations to pull from, but nothing had ever felt like this.

The darkness was comforting, not alienating. He was at ease when he knew he should be afraid for his life.

He subconsciously knew that he was safe there. Where ever he was, it was a sanctuary.

Ah man, he could live there forever.

…

"How?"

A booming voice ripped through the shadows. It held malice, but Jaune still felt no fear. Something innate to that place was secure, gentle, and safe.

He easily replied, "where am I?"

The voice came back angrier. "I said: HOW ARE YOU HERE!"

Jaune didn't know, so he told the truth.

The voice hesitated, stuttered a little, then came back. "I know your voice."

He heard something that sounded like snapping fingers. "That's right, you're the boy, the human with yellow hair."

Jaune waited for anything else, then spoke. "Uh, yeah, that describes me, but how do you know that."

The voice came back, "I saw you agreed with me … you tried to save me."

Jaune wanted more, "I have saved many people in my time and had agreements with many more, how do you know me?"

By now neither of their voices held anger or malicious intent.

"Can you keep a secret, sympathizer?" The voice asked.

Jaune had been called a sympathizer before, he didn't think it fit him.

"That depends on the secret, mysterious voice from the blackness." Jaune quipped sarcastically.

That stopped the voice for awhile.

Jaune waited for a couple minutes in the darkness. "Are you still there?"

The darkness was once again silent.

…

Finally the voice came back. "I am going out on a limb telling you this."

Jaune cried a yell of relief that the voice had returned.

"We're almost there, but this should do for now." Jaune heard a sigh, then the voice started talking again. "I am the Fang leader the Huntress in red killed, and this is my semblance."

…

Hmm, well, Jaune didn't really know what secret he had been waiting for, but he wasn't expecting that.

He could handle it, though. After all, he could faintly recall the Fang leader's voice and it was scarily close to the voice from the darkness.

He still responded slowly.

"So, then what exactly is 'this' place?" Jaune asked.

"It's, um, well It's kind of like a train."

Again not what he was expecting.

"Train to where?"

"Not to where, son, but when."

Uh-huh, that made sense.

"I don't understand, what do you mean? Where am I being taken?"

Even then Jaune wasn't scared. His mind and body were at ease in the darkness.

The voice, or he guessed, the old Fang member spoke up again.

"We're here … tell me son, have you ever wanted to do it all over again?"

Jaune was stumped and didn't speak.

"I guess you don't have much of a choice, … good luck, sympathizer."

Then the darkness went quiet. Jaune called out for him, but the old man didn't respond.

Jaune stopped when something else caught his attention. A sound.

It was a … hum. A hum of engines. The quiet power of the large passenger airships. Then something else joined in.

It was faint but getting steadily louder. The chatter of crowds.

With a soft hissing noise, shadowy figures started to emerge from the darkness.

They were all sitting in a row opposite him. The people's faces were clearing up, like the forest does as the sun rises.

He could see they were all sitting or standing in a flying airship. Eventually none of the darkness remained, and the boy could see everything.

He heard a familiar sound over the crowd's noise.

"I just want to be a normal girl with normal knees."