Screw It, I'm Going Out to Find It!

Chapter XXXII: New Friends and Allies

In short, Pyrrha was panicking. No matter what she did, Jaune was unresponsive. "Jaune!" She continued calling his name in hopes that he would either wake up from his stupor or someone would arrive to help. She reached to shake him but hesitated with the seastone bars. After a while, she decided that he was slumped against them and she was only reaching for his shoulder. As long as she didn't reach far in, she should be fine.

Pyrrha grabbed his shoulder. "Jaune! Wake up, what's wrong?"

His mouth moved, but she couldn't really make anything out. Leaning closer, she was able to hear him murmur, "Training."

She shook him again, trying to angle his face toward her so she could wave her hand in front of his eyes. She gasped at his eyes. "Your pupils are so dilated. What happened?"

Scanning the cell, she caught the sight of an empty thermos on the floor. How had he gotten it and how did it do this? That didn't really matter now though, did it?

"Don't worry, Jaune. We'll get help and —" The door burst open and Pyrrha yelped. Surprised, she flinched forward and didn't even feel her hand slide up from Jaune's shoulder to his neck. She turned to see Miss Goodwitch enter the room. The woman froze at the sight in front of her, then sighed.

One second later, and Pyrrha was floating off the ground and away from the cell. Now midair, she could see a not-so-happy expression on Miss Goodwitch's face.

"I must say, Miss Nikos. When I heard shouting from here, I did not expect to walk in to see you with your hands around Mister Arc's throat."

Pyrrha paled. "What?"

Miss Goodwitch pinched the bridge of her nose. "I had heard the incident that Ozpin had walked in on, and now there are rumors being spread about you by a blog. I had hoped that these were misunderstandings and not part of some trend in your behaviors." She narrowed her eyes. "Now, I believe that I was right that none of you girls should have ever become part of this. I don't know what made you think that this is okay, but I believe that this entire experience has been a poor influence on you."

"You don't understand!" Pyrrha cried. "Jaune is — he — look at him!"

As Miss Goodwitch began to leave the room with Pyrrha in tow, she looked back at Jaune. "Yes, he seems very out of it now. Do you realize how severe your actions are? We will be discussing this at great length."

***

"Please!" Ruby begged, holding onto the bars of her cell. "I can't be here! Just look at him!"

The guard glared at her. "Nice try. You're in this cell for a reason." Ruby pouted, slouching slightly against the bars. Could they not see her holding onto them? She turned her gaze upward and hit the guard with puppy dog eyes. Instantly he stiffened, but he spun away from her. "I've been told about your powers. I won't let them work on me."

With those words, he left Ruby alone with the weird boy across from her. At least when he wasn't acting like that, he had that cool harmonica. After shuffling around her cramped cell, she plopped herself onto the small cot. Her eye darted along the hall for guards before she reached into a pocket. Nora had been kind enough to smuggle her some pixie sticks. She put the end in her mouth and let it hang out while she rested against the walls.

To Ruby's relief, Whitley pulled the small instrument out. It was a small, sleek, red and silver box that he cupped in his hands. During the pauses, Ruby would join in, adding some lyrics from a song that she heard once in a movie. She didn't stop when she heard tense voices at the end of the hall. It was just the guards arguing, something that they did way too often.