Jaune couldn't sleep. Not while the smoke billowing from Argus was still within their rear-view mirror. Not while he could imagine the screams of terror that would be the last things he'd hear from his sister and her family. Not while people are suffering… All because of him.

All because of him and his stupid idea. It wasn't even a good one! He wanted someone to talk him out of it, to suggest a better alternative. To poke holes in the problem and have it deflate. He warned them about how it was a "no-going-back" sort of plan and that he hadn't figured out the kinks. That should have been warning enough that they need to think of something better. Even Qrow, someone he doesn't like for being the drunken yes-man to Ozpin, was saying how bad it is.

But then Ruby decided to interject and encourage his crazy scheme. As much as he liked Ruby's optimism in the face of despair, it borders on naivety, especially when she arrogantly claimed that the only reason they're here in the first place was because they didn't need an adult to save them or tell them what to do.

All while ignoring the fact that she's talking to the person who saved her from Tyrian and that they're still following the orders of Ozpin.

And like that, Jaune was forced to plan, plan, and even counter plan. An idea that was meant to be so asinine that it would encourage the others to think of something better… And it's the one everyone took as their only plan. Even the Cotta-Arcs agreed with it. His own sister thought his plan was ingenious. Although Ruby took the reins and made that plan hers, it was Jaune who planted the seed. If anyone should be taking the blame for the events of Argus, it should be him.

To him, this was just another footnote of why everyone would be better off without him. He caused the attack at Argus. He failed to kill Cinder when she was at her most vulnerable and almost got Weiss killed as a result. But worst of all, he felt as though he was responsible for Pyrrha's death in more ways than one.

Even though his friends talked him out of his darker thoughts, the guilt he had still lingered. It made him think of the person who put her in that situation in the first place…

But worst of all… It made Jaune think of how he would have handled the Argus situation… and how it wouldn't have been any different to how it transpired.

This was a man who decided that it wasn't worth telling people that the Relic also attracted Grimm, who decided to walk into what was blatantly a trap with no means of back up, who decided to put the fate of Beacon… No… The entire world, on a bunch of overbearing and overemotional teenagers. It wouldn't be out of place for Ozpin to put another town on the line just to get from point A to point B.

That's when he looked to Oscar. While he took back what he said about Oscar being "the liar", he didn't take back the fact that he considered Ozpin a liar or even a bad guy. He still had anger towards the man who helped end Pyrrha's life and the recent troubles had only solidified his hatred. Not to the degree of that big hulking dude back at Haven, but enough for him to lose any and all faith in him.

But there was another problem. One that Oscar took notice of. Some time after Blake began to shout about some guy named Adam and how she was a horrible person for killing him, Oscar went over to Jaune's side.

"You okay?" Oscar asked Jaune.

"… What do you think?" Jaune looked away.

"Look, I might now have the knowledge of those who came before me, but I only had that for about two to three months. Even then, I just found out more than what I wanted to know. So, please, if there's any baggage about Ozpin you have, then let me know. I'm going to be him soon, so you might as well lay it on me as though I am. I'm not going to be scared this time." Oscar said. Jaune looked to Oscar and yet… He couldn't find the right words to say. He didn't want a repeat of what happened at the house, especially considering Saphron gave him shit for the damage he caused on the wall.

He decided to lay it straight.

"If you're thinking I'm mad at Ozpin… I'm not. At least, not right now." Jaune said.

"So, who are you mad at?" Oscar asked.

"Myself." Jaune sighed. He could see Ren across the room shaking his head, only for Nora to put a hand on his lap and giving him a comforting nod. "I warned everyone about how the mech was only meant to fight big threats, but everyone just fired at it like it was the major threat."

"… It was." Oscar said.

"Not what I mean. Like… We never asked ourselves what'd happen after we destroyed the Colossus. I mean, we had a Grimm-attracting Relic, for Pumpkin Pete's sake! It didn't help matters that we decided to make a huge fight with them within view of the entire town! We've caused enough panic in Argus to make a second Breach!" As Jaune groaned, Oscar took a moment and asked.

"Erm, breach?" Oscar asked.

"It's what we like to call that one time a bunch of Grimm attacked Vale but it ended in us pushing them back." Ruby interjected.

"Ah… So… Things might not be so different in Argus!" Despite saying that, he noticed Jaune didn't grin.

"Yeah, but that's because we had a bunch of Huntsmen and Military show up and clean up the mess. We heavily crippled one of Argus's major defenses and only killed one Grimm. It's a large one, sure, but it doesn't amount to the swarm of Grimm that were flying in. And then there's the continued string of panic. Face it, Oscar. We doomed Argus. Everyone there will die." As Jaune said that, Ruby walked over.

"Don't say that! They'll be fine." Ruby said.

"WILL THEY!?" Jaune shouted. "Tell me, why were we treating Cordovin like she was the bad guy?"

"Well, she was mean…" Ruby said.

"What if we were someone like Roman?" Ruby backed away as Jaune said that. She hadn't heard that name in a long time. "Different story, right?"

"You mean that criminal? Wasn't he trying to cause a bunch of terrorist attacks with the White Fang?" Oscar asked.

"You say that like we're any different. Roman stole tech, we stole tech. Roman caused Grimm to attack, we caused Grimm to attack. Suddenly we're not so different, right?" Jaune asked. Ruby glared at him.

"We were trying to get to Atlas and secure the Relic." Ruby said.

"That's what separates us from Roman? Because we viewed Argus as a stepping stone for something else? We committed treason, Ruby! You're telling me that it's 'for the greater good' or whatever? Isn't that what Ozpin insisted whenever he wants to justify the crap he does!? Isn't the entire reason we put Argus in peril because we were following his instructions? What the hell do we do after we put the Relic in Atlas… If we put the Relic in Atlas?" Jaune asked. Ruby became silent.

"Well… I…" Jaune scoffed.

"Figured. We have no aim other than to step over people in order to get our way. We're just like Ozpin." Jaune said. He sighed and looked outside. The smoke that came from Argus was nothing more than a cloud now. He wanted to change the topic, as he knew that Ruby wouldn't be happy with what he was saying. "… I should have stayed at Argus to help fight the Grimm." As Jaune said that, it caused Ren and Nora to take notice and come over to him.

"What? What are you saying?" Nora asked.

"It's my fault that Argus is being attacked. I should have stayed behind to atone for that." He said.

"But… all those Grimm… There'd be no way you'd survive…" Ren muttered.

"And yet, it feels right. If I could save the people of Argus, even just a few, then I'd fight to my last brea-" Ren slapped Jaune soon after.

"Jaune! This. Has. To. Stop." Ruby rarely saw Ren this angry. The only other time was back at Kuroyuri. "Your life isn't something to throw away."

"And what? Pyrrha's life was?" The group froze in silence. Oscar felt the tension rise and saw fit to stay behind Nora. "You know what sickens me? The fact that we all view Pyrrha's death as something noble or something to be proud of. We should treat it as what it really is: suicide. Though, it doesn't sound like a word that should be glorified, right? Yet, we do it anyways, masking it as 'fighting a battle she knew she couldn't win'. However, if someone else decides to jump in and try to fight to the bitter end, then we start becoming concerned. Then we start calling it suicide." Despite the anger in his voice, he was far from angry. Afterwards, he began to break down into tears. Ren and Nora comforted Jaune while Oscar went to Ruby.

"He brings a good point. As soon as we finish up in Atlas, unless the situation calls for us to be somewhere else, we should check back with Argus and atone, if we're not punished in Atlas." Oscar said. Ruby, however, couldn't find an answer. Her only hope was that Jaune forgot about this tirade… But deep down, she knew full well that he'll never let go of the pain in his heart. The anger he has towards Ozpin and himself for not only what transpired at Beacon, but also Haven and now Argus.

The most she can do now is hope it doesn't become a factor in Atlas. She went back and rested for a bit. After this, it seemed everyone needed the rest. About an hour later, Maria managed to wake up Ruby with a rather reassuring line…

"We should have just enough fuel to make it." Ruby went to the cockpit to thank her as the others began to wake up as well.

The only thing in Ruby's mind now was to make sure they accomplish their mission at Atlas… It was probably the thing most of the people in the airship had thought.

And yet, the things in both Blake and Jaune's heads heavily occupied their mind. Both of them were the same, and yet different in context…

"We're just like him…"