Professor Arc

Chapter 58

Jaune's heart beat in his chest as he looked down the barrel of Roman's cane. He'd never expected to have it turned on him, and in a way that felt foolish. Before anything else, before a friend or a mentor, Roman was a criminal. This was what he did.

It still hurt.

"So this is it?" he asked. "You're going to kill me right here and now?"

"If I have to." Roman sighed. "I don't want to. Trust me, I don't."

Neo was silent. Well, she always was, but this was even worse. Her eyes were silent as well, facing away as though she couldn't bear to watch what took place before her. Jaune knew he was important to her, but much like with Roman, his importance would always play second fiddle to what the two felt for one another.

"Get it over with," Jaune said. "At least it'll be quicker than what the people down there are going through. I always knew you were a crook, Roman. Can't say I expected mass murder and genocide to be included in the list."

"You're trying to rile me up, kid. You can't do that to someone who invented the game. I'm not happy with the way things are going, you know what. You also know I don't want this, what's up here right now, or what's down there." He rolled his shoulders and reached for a cigar that wasn't there. It must have been a nervous habit. That Roman did it spoke volumes. "None of this is what I really imagined for myself. Not ten months ago, and definitely not ten years ago."

"Time for a history lesson, or a flashback?"

Roman laughed. "You're mouthy when you're mad. No, there's no time for that. Cinder has her plan, as much as I hate it, and if I'm late in implementing it, we'll all three of us be dead." Roman nodded his head to the side. "Neo. See to him."

Neo nodded and stepped forward, slipping under his arm when he tried to stop her. She pushed a hand to the back of his neck, and although she didn't do anything, the threat was clear. Their intention, however, was not.

"What are you doing?" Jaune asked. "If you want to kill me, kill me. Don't drag it out."

"Didn't I already tell you I don't want to?" Roman lowered his cane, but the bitter smile on his face didn't help Jaune relax any. "I hoped you'd find a way for us to get away from Cinder, but you didn't. That doesn't mean there aren't options here. Just none you'd be happy with."

"Meaning...?"

"I only have to kill you so long as we're enemies," Roman said. "If we're on the same side, it doesn't become an issue."

"If you think I'm going to turn on my friends, my students and the people I love, then you have another thing coming."

Roman sighed.

"Didn't I tell you before, Jaune? Sometimes we don't have any good choices in life. After this, you'll probably hate my guts, but at least you'll be alive."

"After what?"

"After you help us destroy Beacon."

Jaune growled. "I would never do that!"

"I'm afraid," Roman smiled, "You don't have a choice. Neo... bring him along. Once he's complicit, he'll have nowhere to go. He'll be stuck with the only people who won't kill him on sight. Us."

Jaune lunged forward. He tried to tackle Roman down, but a lithe arm slipped around his neck before he could and brought him to a stop. The tip of Neo's blade tickled the underside of his chin. Her face was next to his, cheek to cheek.

She didn't look nearly as pleased as she normally would to have him like this.

They were going to frame him for whatever happened. They were going to make him part of Cinder's plan, whether he liked it or not, and the worst part was that they were going to do it out of kindness. Because the only alternative for them was to kill him.