Professor Arc

Chapter 54

Jaune's back was stiff as he heard Cinder excuse herself and leave. Her words echoed in his mind, and no matter how hard he tried, there was no way to imagine them as anything other than a threat. No, a dark promise. There was no way he could hope to stand up against her, and Roman would have been disgusted at his stupidity in trying, but as he looked towards Yang, he couldn't help but think it was worth it.

"Thank you," the girl whispered, her voice choked with tears. Despite the situation, she leapt up from the bed she was sat at and wrapped her arms about his waist. He could feel her tears stain his shirt. "Thank you, thank you, thank you."

"This is ridic-"

"James," Glynda snapped, silencing the man. "Not here." The General drew a deep and audible breath through his nose, but didn't speak. Instead, he turned and stormed out of the room. Ozpin followed with a put-upon sigh. It left just the three of them, and more importantly, the three who supported Yang's continued presence here. The fact wasn't lost on her, for he could feel tension drain from the girl once the terrifying General left.

"It's okay," he said. "It's done now, Yang."

"I swear I told the truth." Her hands tightened in his shirt, even if her eyes never raised to meet his. "I would never do something like that, not even to my worst enemy."

"I know."

"S-Something happened..."

"I know."

"I didn't... I didn't..." Her words cut off as she buried her frustration in his chest. She didn't sob, but he felt angry or bitter tears against him. His arms came up to rest on her shoulders.

"I know, Yang. I know."

No more words were said, and they stayed like that for a few minutes with nothing but the sound of their breathing for company. Her face rubbed against him a little, no doubt wiping the tears away. It was still obvious she'd been crying when she leaned back. Her eyes were rimmed with red and her smile shaky. She was still beautiful, however, and more importantly, she was happy. It was that he'd traded his safety for, in a sense. The smile and his own pride... a refusal to take that final step and make an innocent person pay the price for his mistakes.

Was it worth the trade? It would have to be.

"Miss Xiao-Long," Glynda whispered, laying a hand on the girl's shoulder. "Why don't you return to Beacon and spend some time with your team. It might be for the best if you arrived there early... and if you chose to remain in your room, away from the other students."

"I... yeah, you're probably right." Yang remained brave, even in the face of the knowledge that every other student at Beacon would likely hate her. Even if he'd spared her expulsion, there was little he could do to change the minds of everyone else. "Thank you as well, Miss Goodwitch. I... can you thank the headmaster for me?" Glynda nodded.

"I will."

Yang disentangled herself from him and moved away. She paused by the door, as though to speak, but let herself out without a word. They both heard her steps run away, however. No doubt she wanted to sprint back to her dorm before people could find her. Jaune couldn't blame her that.

"Things will not be easy for her," Glynda said. "Even with your fast reactions, the footage was sent out across Remnant."

"I know. People are going to despise her."

"It will fade in time, as people move on and begin to look back on this as a foolish mistake. In the meanwhile, it would be wise to keep an eye on her."

Jaune's heart constricted. He turned to the older woman with a horrified expression. "You think she might hurt herself?"

"She's a strong girl, but even the strongest can be driven over the edge. It's not unheard of for those bullied in school to hurt themselves, or worse. What she will face could be greater than even that." Glynda sighed and looked him in the eyes. "Keep an eye on her, Jaune." He nodded.