Let me start off by saying that I'm heartbroken to hear the news about Monty. I hope he makes a speedy and full recovery. As a soldier, these words helped me through any tough time I faced: Never accept defeat. Never quit.

On a story note: trigger warnings…please don't hate me.

I don't own anything.

Cardin tucked his lighter and smokes into the jacket of his uniform and slowly made his way off of the roof. He had given Jaune a few minutes head start as he contemplated his little outburst. In all honesty, Cardin had become increasingly disappointed with himself after the Ursa incident. He had basically been lying to himself about his actions and that's what hurt the worst. If there was to be any chance of this whole 'Shepherd' thing taking place, he would need to sit his team down in the morning and explain the situation. Start with baby steps…maybe pick up trash in the cafeteria or stop harassing people at lunch.

As Cardin reached for the handle on the door, he stopped and shuddered. Cutting back on bullying meant laying off everyone. That meant Faunus too. Cardin suddenly became acutely aware of the slight weight of the lighter in his pocket. He's feelings toward Faunus were not something he was up to discuss…at least not sober.

With an audible sigh, Cardin opened the maintenance door and began his decent of the dark, winding stairwell. There were no lights in the stairwell, just a sun/moon roof directly above. Cardin knew nothing of architecture or budgeting but he assumed that this was a way to cut power costs in a wing of the school he wasn't even allowed to be in. His current running theory though was that Ozpin was just fucking insane and had built the school based on his every mad whim. But that was just a theory.

Only a couple of flights down, he heard a scuffling/shuffling noise from one of the landings below him. He stopped and listened in with a smirk on his face. Cardin had been a real lady killer back in his Signal days and knew the sounds of hankey-pankey when he heard it.

Cardin chuckled softly as he thought to himself, 'What kind of shepherd lets two of his flock muck about in the dark? Guess I'll have to send them on their way.' Besides, this wasn't bullying; nope, not at all. He was simply…enforcing the school's PDA rule. Yeah, enforcing the PDA rule.

He crept down the last few flights separating him from the midnight redevous-ers. He stopped on the landing above and listened in. The plan was to wait for something good (the right sigh or groan) and then burst from the shadows wagging his finger in proper enforcement of school regulations…not because it was funny.

The smirk vanished from Cardin's face though as a voice drifted up to him, "Stop fighting it hun…you might actually enjoy yourself…"

Fifteen steps. There were fifteen steps between him and the…THING that was happening below him. Cardin had been an asshole, a bully, a douchebag extraordinaire…but he never, NEVER, would do…that. So it did not surprise him in the least when he felt his body coil and leap down those fifteen steps. He'd been launched off cliff into the Emerald Forest for fuck's sake. What were fifteen steps?

Cardin landed next to the pair with a growl. It was dark but he could just make out their forms in the shadows. One was on their back pinned to the floor by the bastard while he hovered above them. Without thinking, Cardin kick forward with all his might. The blow connected with the asshole's head sending him rolling into the wall. The wannabe rapist tried to get up, tried being the key word. Cardin quickly closed the gap, grabbed the attacker by his leg and threw him down the stairs onto the next landing.

Even in the poor light Cardin could see the shape of the attacker motionless on the floor. Satisfied that he wasn't going anywhere soon, Cardin turned his attention to the person he had just saved. He pulled out his scroll and activated the flashlight app he had installed. With a sudden flash the landing lit up. Cardin blinked a few times in bewilderment. Lying on the floor in front of him was the rabbit Faunus that he often bullied during lunch.

Her clothes were ruffled but otherwise intact. He got closer and was about to ask if she was alright when he stopped dead in his tracks. Her face was flushed, her breathing was ragged, and she was sweating profusely.

"Hey Rabbit…are…are you O.K.?"

The girl just laid on the floor, eyes closed. Cardin crouched down and gently shook her shoulder. Her only response was a soft grunt. Cardin ran his hand through his hair as he tried to figure out what to do.

Suddenly the sound of running feet greeted his ears. Cardin quickly peered over the railing at the spot where he had thrown Bunny Ear's attacker only to find that he had fled. After a quick moment of deliberation, Cardin knew what he had to do.

"Fuck my life, I just wanted a smoke!"

He scooped up the rabbit girl in his arms. She tried to squirm away but he only tucked her up against his chest. Then Cardin ran. He ran as fast as his legs would carry him. He ran down the stairs, through the dorms, across the vast emptiness that was Beacon during the night. He ran all the way to the school infirmary.

Since this was a combat school the infirmary operated more like a small hospital. He knew there would be, had to be, someone on duty that could help. Maybe it was the adrenaline or all the nicotine buzzing in his head but Cardin breach kicked the double doors yelling, "I think she's dying!"