I own all of the characters in this story. Every single one of 'em. Anyone who says otherwise is someone I also own. Just like I own your attention right now.

If he was being honest, fighting close-quarters was never really his thing. He lacked the strength, skill and speed for it. The three main S' when it came to fighting. Oh, and style. Make that four S'.

No, his talent was strategy, the only S someone like him required. He was a thinker, the brains of the brawny bunch he had surrounded himself with. If he wasn't a hunter, he could have easily been a diplomat or a scientist with his intelligence. He was more suited to planning, taking down his opponents not with brute force, but with wits and cunning.

That's why betraying his friends wasn't so hard for him.

He knelt before Salem in the grand throne room. She was known by many names; Queen of the Grimm, the Pale Woman, Shadow Walker. Most recently, he had come to know her by one name - Mistress.

"You have done well, Jaune Arc," she said, laying a hand on his head. "Not only have you brought me the silver-eyed girl and her friends, but you did it in excellent time too. Your usefulness has excelled beyond even Cinder's."

"It was my pleasure, my Mistress," he dutifully said. Eyes glued to the ground, he would only look up if she commanded it.

"It seems I owe you an apology. I must admit, when we first met, I did not expect much from you. I even expected you to die from this ambitious plan of yours. I was wrong for judging you too soon. You've proven yourself more than capable to be in my service."

"No apology is required. I live to serve. I will follow all of your commands without question."

She tilted his head up, allowing him to gaze upon her visage. "Loyal and efficient," she smiled approvingly. "I know someone who could learn a thing or two from you."

A thin, almost invisible smile, graced his lips. Despite them technically working together, he was looking forward to seeing Cinder's reaction when she found out he was the current favourite. If only there was Maiden power to stop someone being completely useless.

"In any case," she continued, "If you have any parting words for your friends, I would suggest you say them now. This will be the last you will see of them."

"You mean to kill them already?" he asked. If the lady commanded it, so be it.

"Not exactly," she chuckled. "You went through such great lengths to bring them to me alive, I would hate to waste your efforts by ending their lives now. No, I mean that once the doors to the dungeon close, they won't reopen for a very long time. They will live dark, painful, miserable lives… but they will live."

"I see."

"So I will allow you to see them one last time. If anyone should visit them, it should be you - the friend that put them there in the first place."

If there was an insult in that statement, he felt nothing from it. He wasn't concerned with their future. Only with his own.

"One last thing," he said. "My reward for doing this…"

Salem tenderly stroked his cheek. "I have not forgotten," she cooed. "I always praise those who serve me well. You will get what you've wanted for so long, I promise you."

Jaune bowed his head again in gratitude. His mistress was an honourable person to those who pledged their life to her. Unlike Ozpin who was full of false promises and hope, Salem was true to her word. The only question he had in his head was why he hadn't decided to side with her sooner.

"Now go," she commanded. "See to your friends. I must make sure Tyrian isn't doing anything foolish. If I find that man injecting his tail with Deathstalker venom one more time…"

Jaune rose, bowed once, then left for the dungeon. Truth be told, Salem wasn't the only one excited to see his friends fall to despair when they saw him. He was looking forward to it too. He could already see their faces when he'd walk in, gloating about his freedom while they rotted in a cell for eternity.

As Jaune approached the dungeon's huge iron doors, he thought about how it had all come to this. Why he had betrayed the only people who weren't embarrassed to sit with him at lunch.

For as long as he could remember, Jaune was cursed. Not in a 'an old man's taking over my life, so let's go shopping' kind of way. No, his burden ran deeper than that. Suffering was his very existence. His life story could inspire emos to put the knife down and go outside for once. No charities could help him, no amount of money could cure his ailment. His curse wasn't like boobs, where he could just pay to have his heavy burden removed. He was born as broken as the moon.

He kept his curse mostly to himself, only sharing the truth with a select few people. His so-called friends understood his curse… and they laughed right in his face. They treated his burden like a joke, just like the rest of the world.

So, when Salem offered to free him of his curse in exchange for his friends, was it any wonder that he accepted? His future was bright while theirs was dark. Who was the one laughing now?

It wasn't them. That much was clear when he entered the dungeon and saw his former friends. They all lived in one cage in the darkest corner of the dungeon, where water dripped from the ceiling and through the bars constantly. They were unwashed, starving and miserable, living in their own filth. If it weren't for the cage, they could've been mistaken for college students. No, they were more like animals at the zoo, and he the gleeful spectator ready to throw peanuts at them. And he was all outta peanuts.

"Well, look what the Blake dragged in," Yang sneered. "Come to pay us a visit, have you? Sorry about the mess, you'd swear a close friend sold us out. Oh wait, that's exactly what happened!"

"Wait, who's there?" Ruby asked, looking around confused thanks to the blindfold over her eyes. Her silver eyes were a huge threat to his mistress, but it turns out ripping someone's eyes out is actually really gross and messy. So instead, they promised her a cookie if she promised to wear the blindfold. She was still waiting on that cookie.

"Don't worry, Rubes. It's no one important," Yang grunted.

Jaune smiled smugly. "Good to see you too, Yang," he said.

"Oh, it's Jaune. Hi, Jaune!" Ruby said, waving to a nearby wall.

"Ruby, don't talk to him!" Yang cried. "He's a good-for-nothing backstabber!"

"But I'm bored talking to you guys," Ruby whined. "It's the same thing every day. All you talk about is 'this is hell' this, and 'I'm gonna kill Jaune next time I see him' that. Even Port's more interesting than you lot."

"Well, we wouldn't have to talk about that if someone didn't sell us out to the literal devil!" Yang snapped. Her fiery gaze was locked on him again. "So, what now, huh? You here to laugh at us? Is that it? Go on then, tough guy! Laugh! I dare you!"

There was not a single thing Yang Xiao Long could do to get him to laugh. He continued to smile as he stepped closer to the cage. He wasn't concerned about Yang's temper. Nothing was getting past those bars. He looked down at her shoes, somehow still relatively clean despite her living conditions.

Then he stuck his finger down his throat and threw up all over them.

"Goddammit, not again!" Yang roared, quickly kicking off her ruined footwear. "I swear, when I get outta this dump, you're a fucking dead man, Arc!"

"See!" Ruby said. "There you go again. That's just what I'm talking about."

Jaune pulled out one of Watt's personal handkerchiefs and wiped his mouth. "I'm afraid this isn't a social visit," Jaune said. "My mistress has such plans for all of you, and she can't wait to get started. Unfortunately, this means this will be the last time we'll see each other."

"What's the matter? Worried that we'll miss you?" Weiss scoffed.

"I'd just hate to leave without saying goodbye," Jaune said. "We've all come a long way together, but for some of us - i.e. you guys - the road ends here. So, if you've got any last words to say to me, now's the time to speak up."

"Yeah, I've got a word for you: why?" Blake shouted. "Why would you do this to us? We were your friends! Friends don't betray each other like this!"

"Oh, you mean the same way you betrayed your team by abandoning them?" Jaune chuckled. "You know, Blake, we're not so different you and I-"

"No! Don't you dare start with that bullshit! I don't care how evil you are now, not even Adam pulled out cliched shit like that!"

"Funny how you call me evil, yet you guys betrayed me from the start." His eyes darkened as he recalled tragic memories. "I trusted you guys. You were the first friends I ever had. And then when I told you about my curse-"

"You really have to stop calling it that," Weiss groaned.

Jayne's eye twitched. There it was again. Mockery. His curse was always a joke to them. "As I was saying," he growled. "This curse has ruined my life. But not anymore. Salem has offered me a different path. In exchange for you lot, she's promised to remove my curse. She's helping me when no one else would."

"Wait, hold the scroll!" Nora cried. "You gave us to Salem… because of that? Oh, Jauney, Jauney, Jauney. You're making Ruby look like the smart leader."

"I don't know who said that, but it sounded like Weiss," Ruby said. "Screw you, Weiss."

"Anyway," Jaune continued. "I don't expect you to understand my reasons for betraying you. None of you have been cursed, not like I have. So, I can understand you're all feeling bitter about this. That's why I'm giving you this opportunity to say any last words you want to me. Choose them wisely, this will be the last chance you get."

The finality of his statement gave him much satisfaction. Much like his curse, his friends were soon to be a thing of the past.

"What makes you think we have anything to say to you?" Yang leered. "Sorry, Arc, but you ain't getting any farewell wishes from me. Except maybe at your funeral after I blast your head off."

Jaune tenderly ran his fingers over the bars. "You know, Yang, despite what you say, some good has come out of this. We finally found a way to cage your anger."

Yang glared at him one last time before turning away, grumbling how that wasn't funny and she could do better if given more time.

Jaune turned his attention to Blake, who was staring at him equally as hatefully as her partner. "I was never attracted to you at Beacon," he said. "I'm still not now."

Blake bared her teeth. "Like hell you're not!" she yelled. "Everyone is! I'm the most attractive girl in the world! If I ever see you again, I better catch you looking at my ass!"

Jaune ignored her feline rage and moved on to Weiss. He had to give her credit, she still tried to look dignified even in such filthy conditions. Admirable, but pointless.

She raised an eyebrow. "If you're about to ask me to be your girlfriend in exchange for my freedom, you can forget it. The rats are better company than you, and more loyal."

Jaune chuckled. "Poor little Snow Angel. First you were your father's prisoner, then Raven's, and now Salem's. Tell me, was there ever a point in your life when you were actually free?"

"I'm free from you now, am I not?"

"W-Well, yeah, but…" Jaune pouted. "Your dress is dumb," he muttered, already making his way over to Ruby. Stupid feelings, getting him all hurt like that.

Ruby cocked her head to follow his footsteps, but ended up staring at the back of Blake's head. "I gotta say, I never thought you'd be the one to turn evil, Jaune," she said. "I always thought it was gonna be Ren. His face is really shifty."

Jaune sighed. Of all the people he had betrayed, seeing Ruby in the cage hurt him most of all. "I'm sorry it had to come to this, Ruby," he said sincerely. "You were a pal, and you helped me through some hard times. Sorry I made you and your team Salem's prisoner."

Ruby smiled at Blake's head. "Aww, that's okay, Jaune. Just don't do it again, okay?"

He nodded, then when he remembered she couldn't see, said he wouldn't. Now there were only two people left - the remainder of his former team. What kind of leader would he be if he didn't give them a proper send-off?

Nora stood up and approached him from behind the bars. She stared longingly at him. "I know there's still good in you, Jaune," she pleaded. "It's not too late. You can still do the right thing. Just let us out of here. Be the hero again."

Jaune leaned in closer and looked deep into those wide, aqua eyes. "I'm the one who ate the last pancake," he said.

He stepped back when she flung herself at the bars, clambering on them like a rabid monkey. "You're as dead as Pyrrha to me, you miserable maggot!" she roared, steam hissing out of her ears. "I'll kill you! I'll kill you! Illkillyouillkillyouillkillyouillkillyou!"

Last and least, there was Ren. The monk (or whatever he was) had been quiet the entire time. He was sitting cross-legged meditating or sleeping, both of which he did often.

"You should be thanking me, Ren," Jaune said. "I've locked you in a room with five girls to keep you company. Every man's dream, am I right?"

Ren said nothing.

"Whatever," Jaune sniffed. "Try not to get any of 'em pregnant while I'm gone." He had said all his goodbyes now. It was time to move on. He looked at everyone in the cage. "Welp, it's been fun everyone, but I've got a curse that needs lifting. Let's do this again sometime if Salem decides to bring you back as zombies or something."

Pyrrha had once asked him if he believed in destiny. And while he was still debating the answer to that on a general basis, he absolutely believed in his. Because his one was actually good and didn't involve him being a martyr. No, his involved turning other people into martyrs, and he didn't even need their consent. His destiny was sweeter than Ruby's diet.

As he made his way out of the dungeon, Ren's voice echoed in the dark hallway. "Where will you go now, Jaune?" he asked.

Jaune smiled to himself. He already had his destination in mind. It was a forbidden land where screams could be heard echoing in the wind. It filled him with fear and nausea every time he ventured through that accursed place.

This time, though… this time, things would be different.

[/]

"Welcome to Fantasy World. How can I help you today, sir?"

Fantasy World; the biggest theme park in Vale, and a name that used to make past Jaune quiver in fear. But today, he had lighting surging through his blood. There would be no quivering today.

He fearlessly met the ticket guy's eyes. "One fast-pass please, my good man."

"Sure thing. You here alone, sir?"

"Yup. I had friends, but I sold their body and souls to the Queen of Darkness."

"Fair enough." A little whirring sound was heard as the printer finished printing out his ticket. The ticket guy handed it to him. "Enjoy yourself, sir."

Jaune wasn't even looking at him anymore. His eyes were too busy looking up at the thing that drowned most of the park in its foreboding shadow. It had been the first thing he saw when he was still ten miles away from the park. A colossal structure built from iron and thrills, complete with loops, corkscrews, and more ups and downs than his life.

The largest rollercoaster in the world - the Whirligig Shredder 9000

"Thank you, I intend to," he smiled, taking his ticket and heading towards his destiny.

It wasn't so much a rollercoaster as it was a ritual, a test, a right of passage. As a kid growing up in civilian school, it was a rule that you couldn't call yourself a man until you rode it - or a woman if that's how you chose to live your life.

For years, Jaune had watched everyone he knew ride it and walk away as heroes. When he last came here, it was all his team and Team RWBY did for the entire day. As always, he stood in the sidelines watching longingly, like a starving orphan in front of a bakery's window.

His curse had held him back all those times. He was a puppet to its cruel strings. But no longer!

His fast-pass allowed him to breeze past the line of eager thrill-seekers waiting to get on the ride. When the next cart arrived, he took his rightful place at the front. A faunus sat next to him, but even that wasn't enough to ruin his mood. The bars came over him and the ride started to move.

CLANK CLANK CLANK CLANK

The cart slowly crawled up the gargantuan hill that reached so far into the heavens, Jaune swore he could see Pyrrha's angel chilling with Ruby's mom. He didn't have time to say hi though, as the cart quickly plummeted back down to Remnant.

G-force battering his face pried out the scream of joy from his mouth. His hair flew behind him, his body rattled back and forth. He was travelling so fast, it was difficult to breathe. And he loved every second of it. This must have been how Ruby felt everytime she used her semblance. The adrenaline was incredible.

He lost count of how many times the cart went upside down. They had done so many twists and turns, his eyes were rolling in the back of his head. Every time they dropped, it felt like he had left his stomach at the top of the hill. He stuck his arms out and embraced the wild craziness of it all.

"WOOOOOHOOOOO!"

But like all fast things, it was over too quickly. He got off the ride with shaking legs, still dizzy from the whole experience. He stood by the photo booth to get his bearings straight. That was amazing. His body felt floaty, like he was resting on a blanket of air.

But he didn't want to say it was perfect just yet. There was still one final test to be done.

He waited five seconds. Then another five. Then another. In the past, this was when his curse would activate and summon its dark powers to the surface.

He closed his eyes and waited another ten seconds just to be safe.

Nothing.

His stomach did not churn. His throat didn't tighten. He didn't feel the need to urgently locate the nearest trash can. He opened his eyes and for the first time in his life, his mind, body and spirit were completely at peace.

Salem had made good on her word. His curse had finally been lifted.

His motion sickness was gone.

Jaune felt bubbly with joy. He immediately turned around to get back on the ride. Time for round two.

A friend of mine once told me I should use my writing powers for good. Trust me, I'm very good at using them.