A Cat In Need

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They spent days working their way through just the rooms on the left side of the hallway. For the most part it was more of the same, data-drives they couldn't access and broken weapons and armor they didn't recognize and certainly couldn't use. Ozpin's notes were of little help either, most filled with what few conclusions he could reach simply by looking at the armor, weapons and drives he'd collected.

Unsurprisingly, just looking at a gun of some kind didn't tell you much beyond that it was, in fact, a gun.

They reorganized things a bit with what little knowledge he already had, sorting Sith artifacts out from Jedi ones and labeling them as such. Weapons, armor, drives, he did his best to identify what he could and marked it out, reorganizing the rooms on the left side of the hallway entirely.

"What about this?" Pyrrha asked quietly, holding up a small, half-melted blaster that, even melted as it was, was still as long and thick as his forearm. "This one looks different, and feels different. Heavier, kind of. Do you think the Curator would be interested…?"

"Maybe." He shrugged unsurely, turning back to the notes he had been making and checking over the last near-weak. "It'd be one of the few blasters we're taking right now. I mean, assuming that was a blaster and not, like, an ion cannon or something."

"I don't really know the difference, but…"

"Ion cannons, even rifle ones, could disable robots and electronics." He explained quietly, noting the weapon's addition to their cargo idly as he went on. "Unless they were hardened against it, I mean. Up against a force that uses a lot of droids, or against vehicles full of electronics, ions were probably pretty useful."

"But not against people, I imagine."

"Dunno." He shrugged simply, "I don't imagine they would be, though. Or else why not just use those?"

Pyrrha only shrugged and moved off, toting the broken weapon and a small sack full of data-drives. At the open crate, she bent over to lean into the box, emptying the sack and stacking the data-drives carefully. A second passed and Pyrrha flicked a look over her shoulder and he coughed, turning around to get back to the work they'd been doing and pretending he hadn't been caught.

The way of embarrassment and amusement that hit him told him how well that went over, though.

"Almost a week, and we haven't found anything useful." He sighed, closing the little folder and tucking it under his arm. "Half the rooms down, too… Ozpin's collection is turning out a lot less impressive than I thought it would be."

"Assuming the Curator doesn't find anything of note." Pyrrha added as she rejoined him, smiling thinly. "You never know what he might catch for us, hm? Who knows, it might be quite interesting."

"Yeah." He grimaced, "Who, uh, who knows?"

"Jaune, you-" Whatever the woman wanted to say was cut off by her Scroll chiming loudly, the woman sighing and stepping back from his side as she fished it out of a hidden skirt pocket and flicked it open.

"What is it?" He asked, "Another ask for a press event?"

���No, my agent has been fielding and refusing those." She answered quickly, smiling and adding, "She's good about that. She has asked me to do a few charity events in a coupe weeks that we need to talk about, though."

"We do?"

"They want you there, too." She nodded, "You fought in the Battle of Beacon and saved my, and other's, lives. And we're, you know… Courting."

"Courting?" He chuckled, "Isn't that usually a precursor to marriage? Someone's ambitious."

"Shut up, Jaune." She laughed brightly, whacking his chest with a hand and shaking her head as she turned back to her Scroll. More seriously, though smiling still, she said, "It's a mail from Ruby, actually. She… Wants to see us. This says she needs our help, but doesn't want to put details into a text."

"Ah." He nodded, "Then it's about Ozpin's little secrets and schemes."

"Or perhaps it's about yours." She pointed out dryly, raising a single brow and cocking her head when he gave her a disbelieving look. "Your secrets are as kept as Ozpin's are, if not as involved in the matters to hand for the lot of us. Both of them are world altering, for us, and both of them you kept from us for a long while."

"I guess." He frowned, though, "But I do not like you comparing me to Ozpin, Pyr."

"I know. And I'm sorry for upsetting you, Jaune." She turned on her heel and leaned in, pressing a quick, chaste peck to his lips that had his eyes widening. Smirking as she pulled away, she asked, "Do you forgive me?"

"U-Uh…"

"I forgave you for something already." She prodded, laughing when he flushed brightly, his ears burning, and shaking her head. "Gods, I see why Yang enjoys teasing people… This is honestly rather fun. To the point, though, I suspect yours are more involved as Ozpin's aren't something you can probably help with."

"Fair point." He nodded, ignoring the burning in his ears and shaking his head. "And we've been down here for days, now…"

"We could use the break." She nodded, "Even if it is only a break to do a different kind of work, rather than a break from work outright."

"Yeah, I… I guess." He nodded, turning a look on the rooms on the right side of the hallway and frowning. They hadn't even opened any of them, yet… Still, he smiled and asked, "Maybe have her meet us in Vale? We can, uh, get dinner together after we see what she needs, maybe."

"My, my, Jaune." Pyrrha smirked, "Asking me out on a date, are we?"

"Yep." He nodded, popping the 'P' playfully and offering her a hand. "If you don't mind accompanying me, of course, my lady?"

"Oh my, how chivalrous you are when you aren't stealing kisses." She chuckled, taking his hand and nodding. More seriously, and emanating a contentedness that made even him smile, she said, "Very well, then. Let's go see what Ruby needs and then enjoy a night out on the town together."

Smiling, he nodded and they turned to leave, their work set aside for the moment.

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Since they were coming to her to talk secrets, Ruby had been more than happy to find a subtle, private place to talk. Just as they'd disembarked from their Bullhead in central Vale, she'd sent them an address in the upper districts where she said they'd have peace, quiet and privacy. He'd joked that the address was probably an arcade, or a comics store maybe, and then laughed when Pyrrha turned a playful little glare on him.

Instead, after ten minutes of quiet walking down mostly empty side-streets - to avoid anyone heckling Pyrrha, mainly - they found themselves at… A library.

"I mean…" Pyrrha mused, smiling, "It's quiet, at least."

"Yeah, I guess." he snorted, shaking his head and adding, amusedly, "And hey, it's not a comics store."

"Force, Jaune…" The woman murmured, shaking her head and batting him on the arm gently again as they slipped under a wide, circular second floor patio, towards the door it sheltered. He gave her a wry look, as the doors opened, and she slid the hand down to take his own, squeezing it comfortably while she chided, "You know that Ruby is far, far more adult than you give credit for."

"I know." He'd seen her in the Vault, after all. And no child could withstand everything that had happened since, besides. Quietly, as the heat inside hit them and they brought down the Aura they had used to keep them warm in the chill air, he murmured, "I'm only kidding."

"Hey." Pyrrha said, tugging him to a stop and meeting his eyes, "What's wrong, Jaune?"

"Nothing, Pyr. Nothing." He sighed, taking a deep breath and pushing the troublesome memories aside. "Just… Bad thoughts. Bad memories. You know?"

"Mhm." She nodded knowingly, "I know, Jaune. Believe you me, I know."

"Yeah." He sighed, running a hand through his hair and grumbling angrily, "I need to meditate… Attuning to the imprints, and being down there, it has me out of tune. Off balance. I should be better than this..."

"Jaune-"

"U-Um, excuse me." A small voice said from behind them, the two turning as the automatic doors closed and looking down at a girl at most ten. She was holding a folder and staring at the floor, and asked, voice weak and quiet, "A-Are you Pyrrha Nikos?"

"I am." And in spite of the fact that they were loitering in the entry atrium, and he knew she hated being recognized by fans, she smiled and knelt, her metal knee clanging on the floor gently. "And who are you?"

"A-Alex." She answered meekly, blinking startlingly bright, green eyes up at the two of them. "Alex Chartreuse, M-Miss Nikos."

"Well, Miss Chartreuse, it is good to meet you." Pyrrha smiled, offering a hand that, hesitantly, the young girl took. Squeezing it gently, Pyrrha nodded to the folder and asked, voice a perfect mask of diplomatic coolness and feigned happiness, "Let me guess… You want an autograph?"

"Y-Yes please, Miss Nikos!" The girl smiled eagerly, holding the notebook up for the Huntress to take. Taking it, Pyrrha flipped it open to an empty page and signed her name in excellent, practiced hand-writing, writing out a message for the girl. Before she could write 'Alex', though, she stammered, "N-Not for me."

"No?"

"For my sister, Alice." She nodded, "She, um… Lost her- I-in the… She has a hand like your legs, and I was hoping-"

"Of course, Alex." And this time, Jaune felt a more genuine pang of happiness from Pyrrha. She finished her letter to the first girl and then, below, with enough space to separate them if they wanted, she wrote a second, complete with a second signature. Holding it out, she smiled, "One for each of you brave little ones, hm?"

"T-Thank you." She beamed, taking the notebook and then, as Pyrrha rose and Jaune turned, stammering, "T-That would make you Jaune Arc, right?"

"Hm?" He hummed, turning and cocking his head at the girl.

"She's Pyrrha Nikos." Alex explained quietly, anxiety rolling off of her in titanic tides. She'd been nervous with Pyrrha, too, but this was as a gentle tide compared to a tsunami. Still, she managed, "T-That means you're Jaune Arc. I, um, recognize your chin-braid and your staff, o-on your back."

"I am, yeah." he nodded, asking, "Why do you ask?"

"Can I, um…" She held out the little notebook, "Please? J-Just for me, though. I-I know I'm being greedy, asking you b-both, but I only meant to get Alice Miss Nikos' and… It's my birthday, tomorrow, s-so…"

"Sure." He sighed, kneeling and taking the folder and pen she offered, using his knee as a pseudo-table to write on. Quietly, he warned her, "I don't have as good of writing as Pyr, though…"

"T-That's fine!" She smiled, bouncing on tiny heels and positively radiating a kind of energy and bright happiness that he found impossible to resist. "Thank you so much! Miss Nikos is awesome, too, but you're my favorite from the Battle of Beacon! How you took on that terrorist all on your own- So awesome!"

"Sure." He smiled, pushing away the darker feelings her words brought up and reading as he wrote, "To little Miss Alex. Stay strong, keep moving forward, and make the world just a bit brighter if you can."

"I-I will!" She beamed, bouncing excitedly as he handed the notebook back. Turning and rushing off, out the door to a pair of people he presumed were her parents, she called back, "Thank you!"

"I despise being recognized." Pyrrha murmured as the doors closed and she stepped close enough to him to take his hand again, and avoid being heard. Smiling, though, she added, "Sometimes, though… Sometimes it's not so bad."

"Yeah…." He grinned, cocking his head and turning to her, "I was her favorite, though."

"Oh, hush." She laughed, turning, "And come. We have to meet Ruby.

Entry into the library was made through two doors, layered almost like an airlock and lined by vents to cool and warm people coming in. Past the second set of doors, the library opened up in a wide atrium with another set of doors directly across from the ones they'd used to come in. To either side were long service desks, with doors into the children's wing that dominated the right of the bottom floor and, ironically, the adult section that dominated the opposite.

Though, it, at least, seemed to be watched by the people working at the service desk, to prevent any confusion.

"Excuse me, Miss?" Pyrrha started as she moved to the service desk, the middle-aged, weary looking man behind it blinking on seeing her. He could see the recognition in the man's old eyes, and knew Pyrrha could, too, but she ignored it. "We were supposed to meet a friend here for a talk. A-"

"Miss Rose, yes?" The man's accent was heavy and Vacuoan, "She said to expect you. Up the stairs and through the fiction side, on your right. There's a handful of private rooms on the far side, she's in number four."

"I see." Pyrrha nodded, smiling politely, "Thank you."

It turned out they didn't much need the room number, since only one was occupied.. They could see Ruby's back through the little window in the wall that let people see in, the young Huntress leaning side to side and bouncing in her seat as she played her game. Weiss was across from her, leaning an elbow on the table and resting her chin on her hand, watching the other woman with a small, warm smile.

Until, that is, she saw them approaching and flushed brightly, straightening and saying something to her partner.

"Gods, she is such a useless lesbian…" Pyrrha murmured, earning a surprised snort from him that had Pyrrha laughing. "What? Tell me I'm wrong."

"Can't, since I… Can't really say I don't agree." He smiled as they neared the door and the Schnee rose, slipping around the table and coming to meet them while Ruby turned in her seat to smile and wave.

Both were wearing new seemingly combat-rated clothes, if the weapons in the corner were anything to go by. Ruby's sported more grey than normal, with long, thick sleeves that could keep her warm without needing to exercise her Aura. Weiss had opted for a skirt that was not dissimilar to her normal one, lined in black and with more fitted and thickly insulated sleeves.

"Jaune. Pyrrha. It's good to see you both." Shockingly, as they slipped in, the Schnee stepped in, tugging them both into warm hugs while Ruby smiled and bounced in her seat. Stepping back, she coughed to clear her throat and moved back to her seat, "I, um, have been told that people like warm hugs, when it is cold, so-"

"They do." Pyrrha cut the anxious woman off, drawing the chair at the head of the table for him and then moving to the opposite to sit in her own chair, smoothing out her own combat skirt and leaning on the table. Looking to Ruby, she mused, "You seem to be finally having an affect on her, Ruby."

"Excuse me?"

"Yeah, she's been pretty difficult." Ruby sighed, as if she'd been suffering for a long, long time, and closed her Scroll. Winking at the Schnee, she added, "But I think she's been warming up lately."

"I- We did not come here to make puns at my expense!" Weiss hissed, mindful enough of where they were, at least, not to shout. He could still read the same emotions on her face, though, and smiled for it as she grumbled. "Why does everyone pick on me, anyway? I didn't do anything to any of you."

"Your reactions are a lot of fun." Jaune answered, "You react so earnestly, and visibly, to everyone's teasing that they can't help but tease you. If you just kept from reacting so well then people would probably leave you alone."

"Wait, really?"

"One, no, teasing you is just to much fun, now." Ruby said brightly, sitting straight and grinning widely, holding up a finger as she counted. "Two, Jaaaaaune! Stop telling Weiss all of the classified anti-Weiss combat doctrines!"

"Why do you have anti-me combat doctrines?" Weiss hissed, eyes narrow and cheeks red. After Ruby only answered with giggles, the Schnee rolled her eyes and sighed exhaustedly, "Maybe you should tell them why you wanted to talk to them, Ruby? I imagine teasing me isn't something you needed them for."

"I mean, doing things in a group is always more fun…"

"Ruby." Weiss said, staring her down harder than before, earning a little 'eep' from the young leader. Again, Weiss sighed, saying quietly, "Focus, please. Why we're here is important, and I know you're just avoiding getting to the topic at hand."

"Am not…"

"Ruby." Weiss tried again, raising one eyebrow menacingly, "I will tell Yang to withhold your strawberries."

"Fiend!" Ruby didn't laugh, though, instead drumming the small fingers of both hands on the table anxiously. After a minute, Weiss leaned forward, reaching over the table to catch one of Ruby's hands in her own and smiling reassuringly. That, at least, seemed to tug the girl out of her thoughts and she sighed, turning to he and his partner, "Blake… Still hasn't woken up."

"I know." If only because Ruby would have come running to tell him if she'd woken up. Frowning, he said, "I'm going to assume that you have an idea related to that."

"Yeah, um…"

"Ruby wants to know if your… Powers could be used to help her." Weiss filled in when her partner looked to her nervously. Still holding the girl's hand with one of her own, Weiss leaned her chin on the other, her elbow on the table, and went on. "We were hoping that maybe the Force could hold some kind of answer."

"There isn't." He answered, feeling the disappointment that washed over him from both of the women. "At least," he rushed to add, "nothing that I can do, as I am."

"How do you mean?" Pyrrha asked.

"There are a lot of skills related to healing, mending, and the like." He answered, leaning his elbows on the table and lacing his fingers, resting his chin atop them gently. "Unfortunately, I am not trained in any of them. Hell. I don't even know which one would be the most useful. Would Force Healing even matter here, for instance?"

"I dunno…"

"I was being rhetorical, Ruby." he answered, smiling when she flushed embarrassedly, "The point is that while yes, the Force probably holds skills I could use to help her, I don't know them."

"The Curator might…"

"Yeah." He nodded, "But I don't know that we can pay him enough for it if he does, Pyr. What we've gotten out of the Vault so far probably isn't enough for ancient Scrolls, or even lessons, on Force techniques."

"But it might." Pyrrha pointed out firmly, adding, "And it cannot hurt to ask. Who knows? Perhaps he would simply take a few in trade for helping us. We wouldn't get what's on them ourselves-"

"Which could be very bad." He pointed out quietly, sitting up and arguing quietly, before his partner could make the first move, "Who knows what's on those data-drives? For all we know it could be coordinates and access codes to a warship, or a weapons foundry, or something else ludicrous like that."

"True enough." The Mistralian admitted, folding her prosthetic legs comfortably and resting her hands on a knee. She grimaced when she did but, after a second, the frown eased. "Even so, aiding our comrades must come first. Honor demands it be so."

"Right." He frowned, "Honor and duty. Because that has done us so well, right?"

"Honor is its own reward." She said simply, waving a hand as if to dismiss any ideas to the contrary. "I would pay any price to maintain mine, and have already done so, to an extent."

"Right." He sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. She was so damn stubborn, sometimes, and he still wasn't sure if he hated it or loved it… Finally, he forced himself to set the matter aside and said, quietly, "It still doesn't affect that I don't know what to trade for, though. Even if we trade the drives away-"

"Which we will."

"-it won't do us much good, without knowing what to trade for." He finished, shooting the woman an unamused look. She didn't respond, though, only smiling pleasantly as always. She was going to be the death of him, one of these days. "For now, I need to see her."

"Can I ask why?" Ruby asked, "I, um, will have to talk to Ironwood, or Weiss' sister, Winter, to get them to let you in. Security stuff, you know?"

"And having a reason will make that oh so much easier." Weiss added, "Not to mention, the General might provide his own, er, financial support on the matter if he knows what we're doing."

"I've spent the last week drawing emotional imprints out of objects in the Vault. Things Ozpin had been collecting and storing for who knows how long." He explained quietly, shrugging, "I've been fairly successful at that, so… The hope is that I can use the same power to draw Blake's feelings to the fore, and read them. If I can, I might find an obvious problem there."

"You want to experience Blake's emotions firsthand?" Weiss murmured, shaking her head slightly at the prospect, "I do not envy that…"

"Weiss, stop being racist." The Schnee spluttered even for the obviousness of the joke in her tone, and Ruby pushed on, ignoring her indignant murmuring and crossed arms. "You think that will really help, Jaune?"

"I don't know." He said simply, shrugging, "I'd be a liar if I said that I hadn't considered this idea a few times. I was just… Well, a bit hesitant to go poking around in Blake's head."

"Reasonable." Weiss murmured, glowering slightly at Ruby for her earlier teasing. In spite of it, though, the Schhnee spoke, "Poking around in anyone's head in such a manner is probably not exactly an ideal pursuit in and of itself. Add in the Maiden nonsense, what was done to her, and her present state…"

"Yikes."

"Yes, Ruby." Weiss sighed, "Yikes."

"It'll be risky, to be sure." Jaune said quietly, toying with his braid gently as he thought, "But… There's no real way around it. And if she's not woken up on her own by now, I guess we're worried enough to at least try. Weiss, Ruby, mind running to Ironwood for us tonight? Let us know when we can get this done?"

"Sure." Ruby nodded, "You want to come with, ooooor?"

"Can't." Jaune smiled, giving Pyrrha a look and watching her cheeks tint pink. "Pyr and I have a date, tonight. And if I'm going to risk stepping into your teammate's head, I'm going to be a bit greedy tonight and have date night."

"Fair." Ruby nodded, standing as Weiss did and adding a parting, "See ya when I see ya, I guess. And, uh, have fun at the, uh… The date place."

Nodding, Jaune stood and left, Pyrrha trailing just behind him while Ruby and Weiss gathered up their weapons and straightened the chairs. Grabbing the Mistralian's hand as they descended the steps, he shot her a smile. She only rolled her eyes, chuckling under her breath as they made their way back out and then south, headed into the nicer part of the commercial districts.

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Blaze 1992 :

I don't think Ozpin shared notes with the Temple Makers from Indiana Jones. XD

Real talk, the Vault is protected by an Academy full of hundreds of students, teachers and security. There's little need for such traps, and Glynda would have warned of any of them.

Kamen Rider Ebon :

Yes! Good catch!

Steel Rain 66 :

Happy surprise then! XD

And yeah, I'm being vague, for now, but soon that won't be the case anymore… *mysterious cackling*

Incognito 2019 :

Answering that would be spoilers, sorry!

Stallionwolf :

*angery plantoid noises*

Argus :

Someone earlier on guessed it, but it was an Order 66 reference.

And yes, for all the special aspects of Jaune's being in this, he is still a teenager. He can be petty, just like anyone else.