Sweat dripped off Jaune's face and splashed silently on the floor. He and Vahlen started their nightly 'research sessions' a week ago, and the stress was finally starting to catch up to the fatigued hunter.

"Tell me we're making progress, doc."

He watched Vahlen tapped a button on her console before hearing her voice come through on the intercom, "We are, mister Arc. Probably a little too slow for your liking, but much faster than the meager progress I made on my own. Are you ready for more?"

Jaune shook his head, "No. I need another minute to catch my breath."

"You do realize that's counterproductive for our goals, don't you?" Vahlen asked, a hint of pity in her voice, "Resting will only give your body more time to return to a steady state."

"I know. I'll pay for it when we start up again, but I need a moment."

The doctor nodded and occupied herself with other work until Jaune deemed himself ready. The data they collected needed to be analyzed at some point, so she might as well briefly look it over for anything obvious while they waited. Her keyboard clicked as she tabbed through the lines of information won from Jaune's literal blood, sweat, and tears.

"I feel obligated to tell you this once more: we don't have to do this." Vahlen said as she worked.

"And so I will respond the same way once more: we do," Jaune countered, "Because until you get a better understanding of Aura, Ruby might not recover. Not only that, but we won't figure out why my friends are vulnerable to these Ethereals that have decided to join the fight. All this psionic stuff really raised the stakes, and it's making me truly worry for the first time since we got here." He looked up at Vahlen from within the interrogation chamber, a look of determination in his eye, "Somebody's gotta help you find answers, and it might as well be me. Let's get started."

Vahlen sighed, "Very well. All vital monitors are up and running. Beginning the simulation."

Jaune laughed to himself as the chamber's blinders closed and he became enveloped in darkness. What Vahlen called a simulation sure felt real for him. He waited, wondering what she would do this time to get his blood rushing. For obvious reasons, she couldn't discuss her plans with him beforehand. If she did, he would anticipate the technique and ruin the resultant adrenaline spike. She only promised him one thing: he'd be able to conceal the scars in order to keep their activities below board. While Jaune didn't relish the prospect of lying to his friends and superiors for a second time, he considered this situation to be far more important than something as silly as cheating his way into a hunter academy. Lives were on the line here, and he had the ability to protect them. He felt a jab in his neck and heard the tell-tale hiss of fluid injection hardware. He had no idea what Vahlen just pumped him with, but he assumed it wouldn't take long to find out.

Within seconds, he felt his blood catch fire, and he dropped to his hands and knees from the pain. His heart began to race, and his skin began to prickle. The searing flames, while fictional, still succeeded at restricting his airway and turning breathing into an arduous effort. Eventually, the pain became so great that Jaune could no longer support his own weight, and the suffering hunter collapsed to the floor. Shrouded in pain and darkness, Jaune clung to the only thought that had so far kept him sane throughout his time with Vahlen.

If he didn't suffer now, which of his friends would pay the price?

Pyrrha walked down the hallway towards XCOM's lounge. She came from the live fire facility, concerned when she didn't find Jaune there with Zhang. She came back to an empty bed after her workout this morning, so she knew he didn't oversleep and miss the scheduled start with his mentor, but Pyrrha could think of at least ten scenarios that might have resulted in Jaune not making it to the Armory in time. She knew that Zhang was not a patient man, and she felt worried that Jaune would suffer the Colonel's wrath for making him needlessly wait for a tardy (or worse, absent) student.

Scenario number one involved Jaune completely forgetting about practice, and so she set off for the lounge. Pyrrha prayed that she wouldn't find her partner there, but she already started formulating plans to help Jaune remain in Zhang's good graces should the worst come to pass. All of her worrying and planning came to an abrupt halt when she finally reached the lounge and looked inside.

There sat Jaune at a table, a small board before him with rows of black and red pieces on it, his face one of complete attention and concentration. Across from him, Pyrrha saw Zhang sitting back with a drink in his hand and… a smile on his face? Maybe Jaune did show up to training late, and this meeting constituted his punishment. Slowly, carefully, Pyrrha approached the pair, though the Colonel noticed her presence long before she reached them.

"Good morning, Lance Corporal Nikos." He greeted with a respectful nod, "How may I help you?"

He sounded cheerful, which only served to confuse Pyrrha even more, "Umm… I was just looking for Jaune. I thought he'd be with you in the Armory, so when I couldn't find either of you…" She rubbed the back of her neck and laughed nervously.

"Ever the mother hen." Zhang said with a laugh, though Pyrrha did not share his light-hearted comparison. Neither did Jaune, apparently.

"Come on, Zhang, that wasn't nice. Pyrrha's helped me out in the past when I've screwed up something, so she was just trying to make sure I didn't pull a classic Jaune and sleep in or something."

Zhang glanced over at his student, "I understand, Jaune. Please get back to the game and let me know when you've found the correct path to victory." He returned his attention to Pyrrha, "Please do not misinterpret my comment, Miss Nikos. I have nothing but respect for you and your efforts to keep my student in line. The fact that you went to such great lengths to check on him speaks volumes of your character."

"Good volumes, I hope…" She muttered, still mildly annoyed with Zhang.

The Colonel nodded, "Indeed. Much as Jaune is learning right now, careful attention to details and possible problems is very important. While you may go a little too far in some cases, it is better to be overly attentive than overly apathetic."

"I found it!" Jaune exclaimed. Pyrrha and Zhang turned their attention to the board, where Jaune picked up a piece and moved it across the field. Zhang's smile told Pyrrha that her partner had, in fact, made the 'correct' move, and the Colonel proceeded to counter with a play of his own. Jaune seemed to expect this, because he responded almost immediately. The pair traded moves a few more times before Jaune triumphantly captured the most ornate piece on Zhang's side of the board.

"Very good," Zhang complimented, "It seems that your teammates did not overstate your aptitude as a tactician. If only the true battlefield was as simple as Chinese Chess, perhaps you would be as competent as me in the role of an officer. Still," He added upon seeing Jaune look slightly crestfallen, "The ability to assess a situation and determine the optimal plan of action is extremely important. You have done well in this lesson and have proven to me that I made the right choice in giving you a break from conditioning."

Pyrrha beamed at Jaune. After seeing her partner train endlessly under Zhang's critical eye for weeks, she felt a surge of pride upon hearing the compliment from Jaune's strict mentor. Perhaps it would help boost Jaune's confidence, since he seemed rather down and tired these days. An idea struck Pyrrha, and she decided to try and play off of the morale boost given by Zhang, "If you're all done here, would you like to join me at the shooting range? It'd be nice to spend some time training with you, since we don't really have the rooftop at Beacon anymore."

"Oh! Uh…" Jaune flashed an apologetic smile at Pyrrha, "Well, I think Zhang planned to run me through more of these chess challenges. Even though we're not training in the live fire course, I don't want to marginalize the work he's put into this lesson."

"Oh. I… see. Well, if you manage to finish early or something, you can find me at the range."

'Alone.' She thought miserably. She turned to Zhang, who had remained facing Jaune. With a sigh, she added, "See you around, Colonel."

As Pyrrha left their table, Zhang continued to stare incredulously at the young man in front of him. When Jaune finally turned back from watching Pyrrha leave, he raised an eyebrow at his mentor's expression, "What? Did I say something stupid?"

"When a woman like that asks to spend time with you, especially to train, you don't say no."

"But I'm still working with you right now…" He gestured to the board between them, "I'm honing my strategy skills, right?"

Zhang rolled his eyes, "We're playing chess. Miss Nikos wants to practice shooting a gun with you. While chess is certainly one way to gauge tactical aptitude, which form of practice do you think will be more beneficial when you're staring down the barrel of a Thin Man's Plasma Rifle?"

"… Shooting…" Jaune admitted.

"Smart man. So here's what you will do." He held out his hand and began counting on his fingers as he made a list, "First, you will say 'Thank you Colonel for your time, but I have more important business to take care of.' "

"Thank you Col-"

"I'm not done yet, Lance Corporal." Zhang interrupted, "Second, you will get up and make your way to the shooting range where you will meet up with operative Nikos. When she asks why you've suddenly changed your mind, you tell her that you realized your priorities were mixed up, and that you convinced me to let you train together. Finally, you will remain at the range with your partner until she gets bored of shooting targets, and not a minute sooner." He looked up from his hand and Jaune felt like Zhang was staring directly into his soul, "Deviate from this plan, and I will inform Miss Nikos exactly why you look tired and injured all day, every day."

Jaune's eyes grew wide as saucers, and he felt his mouth go dry, "I… what are you… how…?"

"I have my ways, Jaune." Zhang answered evenly, "And even if I didn't, any competent mentor would have immediately suspected something was amiss when their student collapses after only the third lap around the training facility in a fifty pound weight jacket." He raised an amused eyebrow and the increasingly sheepish operative sitting across from him, "Or did you not notice the fact that I left that tidbit out of my explanation to Miss Nikos regarding why we were playing a board game and not training? It will suffice for you to know that I've been aware since the beginning, and I have made no effort to tell anyone about your secret."

Jaune swallowed, "Does… does anyone else know?"

Zhang shrugged, "Bradford, naturally. Other than him, no. Not even van Doorn knows."

The idea that the Central Officer knew of his experiments with Vahlen terrified Jaune, though he took a small measure of comfort in knowing that he hadn't blown the whistle on their operation either. Did Vahlen know that Bradford knew? At the very least, it seemed like Bradford shared Zhang's opinion of 'keep it on the down-low.'

Whatever combination of emotions the Colonel saw on Jaune's face, it provoked him to speak up and fill the silence left by the hunter's internal panic, "You're probably wondering why I haven't said a word to anyone about this, considering the ramifications it would have if your friends knew."

Jaune nodded, barely able to find his usual voice, "That is one of the many questions I have asked myself, yes."

Maybe Jaune imagined it, be he could've sworn he saw a fleeting look of pride on Zhang's face, "Because I find your actions to be extremely honorable."

"Uhh… sir? Maybe you forgot that I've been lying to my friends and superior officers."

"Well obviously that isn't what I'm referring to, but it was a choice born out of necessity, so I find it easy to ignore."

Jaune saw 'the look' in his eye that meant his next words would be deadly serious, "I've been watching you, my friend. You struggle to fit in here. You feel incompetent with your gunning skills, and you watch as all your Remnant allies have easily found a niche that they fill well. You spend countless hours at the range trying to prove your worth, because in your mind, you have nothing to offer. Then this fiasco with Sergeant Xaio Long and Lieutenant Rose happens, and you see a golden opportunity to make a difference."

Zhang leaned over the table so that his face was less than a foot away from Jaune's, "However, there's one minor detail that sets you apart. The way Miss Rose makes a difference is by drilling a Thin Man through the skull from halfway across the AO. The way Miss Valkyrie makes a difference is by possessing an uncanny aptitude for explosions of every shape and form." The Colonel lowered his voice to barely above a whisper, "The way Mister Arc decided to make a difference was by inflicting an unthinkable amount of pain upon himself for the sake of his comrades."

Returning to a reclined position in his chair, Zhang took another sip of his beer and continued, "A soldier who jumps on a grenade to save his squad is similarly heroic, yet his suffering is over in an instant. Day after day, you are forced to make the conscientious decision that what you are doing is right, and that you must continue to do so until you have succeeded. That is the sense of honor that has earned my respect."

Speechless, Jaune watched as his mentor chugged the rest of his drink, casually set the glass on the table, and closed his eyes to savor the flavor (and very likely the stunned silence following his monologue). Eventually, however, the old gunner peeked at Jaune with one eye, "You're still here." Zhang noted, mildly confused, "Do I need to repeat my instructions, or is there something else you wanted to ask me?"

Jaune shook his head, "N-no, sir." He stood up and gave Zhang a slight bow, "Thank you Colonel for your time, but I have more important business to take care of."

As the young man spun around and practically ran out of the lounge, Zhang smirked at his student's retreating figure, "Indeed you do, Mister Arc."

Pyrrha didn't know why she bothered with her plan to go to the shooting range. While she was humble enough to know that she still had room for improvement with the Plasma Rifle, she also knew that progress would come from shooting live targets on the field of battle rather than tin cans off a wall at the Armory. She only liked the idea because of the chance to shoot with Jaune, but apparently he thought playing board games took priority over learning to shoot a gun.

It bothered Pyrrha how easily Jaune could infuriate her without even realizing it. She was positive he got the hint (more like a straight-up confession if Pyrrha was being honest with herself) after the school dance, since his behavior around her definitely changed in the weeks that followed. He didn't come out and say anything to her directly, but Pyrrha noticed little details in how he interacted with her. He took their rooftop training more seriously, always offered to accompany her on supply trips to Vale, and kept her company whenever she wanted to study in the library. She knew he usually hid an issue of X-ray and Vav behind the book he was supposedly reading, but his presence touched her all the same.

So why did he decide to return to his old, oblivious self? After all the progress they made together in their relationship as friends and partners? She gritted her teeth and fired another volley of low-power plasma at the targets propped up throughout the room, getting a small sense of satisfaction at hearing the sound of seven cans hit the ground after seven pulls of the trigger. A small part of her wanted to imagine Jaune's face on each can, but the rest of her argued that such thoughts were a little too harsh. She knew how much Jaune struggled at XCOM, and maybe he really thought that playing games with Zhang would help him improve.

She sighed as the last cell she checked out ran dry. Pyrrha collected her equipment and turned to leave for the Armory's quartermaster to return her borrowed gear. She was too busy thinking about how maybe she could go see what Nora and Ren were up to, and didn't notice the hurried footsteps of someone dashing from the other direction towards the firing range. In one moment, Pyrrha went from wondering if Ren finally won a game of Go Fish to laying in a daze on the concrete floor.

"Pyrrha? Oh, shoot, I'm really sorry!"

Oh, so the gamer decided to show up after all.

Pyrrha sat up, rubbing her head where it connected with the concrete, "Hello, Jaune."

"Hey Pyrrha. Glad to see I didn't miss you at the shooting range."

"Nope." Pyrrha answered tersely, "You definitely didn't miss me. In fact, I'd say your aim was pretty dead-on."

An outstretched gauntlet entered her field of view, and Pyrrha looked up to see Jaune standing over her, a nervous smile on his face. She also noticed he was completely dressed in his Titan Armor, which probably explained how he managed to knock Pyrrha off her feet so easily. Everything about the scene before her prevented Pyrrha from staying mad at the good-natured young man she called a partner, and a smirk found its way onto her face.

"You know, Jaune," She said as she let him help her up, "You don't have to be one-hundred percent combat ready if you're just going to shoot some targets at the range. You probably could have caught me before I was on my way out if you just grabbed a gun."

Jaune rolled his eyes, "Tell that to the Colonel." He drew himself up to his full height and did his best impression of Zhang, "To approach your training at fifty percent is to disrespect your implements of warfare. You will practice as you would fight, or you will fight as you would practice." He smiled as his joke earned him a giggle from Pyrrha.

"Sorry, I forgot for a moment who your mentor is."

"Hah, I don't blame you. I'd try to forget if I could." He nodded at Pyrrha's rifle, "So are you seriously done practicing, or can I join you for a bit?"

Pyrrha had also forgotten why she was mad at Jaune up until a minute ago, "All done with Zhang's tactical training, or am I taking 'valuable time' away from your education?"

Jaune sighed. He instinctively wanted to pull his partner into a hug, but reminded himself that he was currently wearing top-of-the-line power armor while Pyrrha wore nothing more than combat fatigues, "Look, my priorities have been kinda screwed up lately, and I want to apologize for that. I've had a lot on my plate this last week, and it's been making me forget some of the more important things I have in my life."

Pyrrha's heart did a little flutter when he looked directly at her as he delivered that last bit, but she quickly pulled herself back under control. He couldn't be let off the hook after giving her puppy dog eyes and a few cheesy lines, "Bradford hasn't given us a mission all week, Jaune. What could possibly be keeping you so busy?"

He wanted to feed her his usual lie about late-night target practice, but remembered that he was here to try and make things right with his partner. So he opted to compromise with a vague truth while he avoided meeting her eyes, "A… side project. I can't tell you about it, though."

"Jaune Arc," Pyrrha started, her stern tone reminding Jaune of how scary his partner was when he made her angry, "You can be incredibly infuriating when you want to, and I honestly sometimes wonder why I put up with it."

"And I don't blame you," Jaune countered, "But this is important. Like, really important."

"Then why won't you tell me what it is?"

"Because you would be very cross with me?"

Pyrrha narrowed her eyes and put her hands on her hips, "I'm getting very cross with you right now, Mister Arc."

"Alright, alright. How about this: First," He held up one finger, "When this is all over, I will definitely tell you what I've been doing. Second," He held up a second finger, "If it drags on for more than three days after today, I will tell you what I've been doing before it's all over."

Jaune bent down and picked up Pyrrha's rifle, "I know it's not what you want to hear, and I know you're really mad at me right now, but I need you to trust me. I promise I'll tell you everything soon."

Pyrrha stared at him wordlessly while he held out her gun for her to take. For a while, she refused the weapon and continued to stare at him, and Jaune worried she would simply walk away and leave him standing there like an idiot. He almost breathed a sigh of relief when she relented and grabbed her rifle, "C'mon. I'm all out of ammunition, so I need to head back to the quartermaster for more."

"No need," Jaune said, "I already grabbed some for you, since I figured you'd be close to running out by the time I got here."

The huntress stopped walking and smiled, though she made sure Jaune couldn't see. She reminded herself that it was the little things that made her believe he finally got the hint after the dance.

At exactly one hour before midnight, Jaune strode into Vahlen's lab, "Alright, Doc. I screwed up and put us on a deadline of three days before World War Pyrrha breaks out, so now would be a fantastic time to tell me we're really close finishing up."

Vahlen walked past Jaune and secured all the locks and release mechanisms installed on the door before turning to face him. For the first time all week, she looked very excited, "We're less than three days away from finishing up. In fact, I would say that it's highly likely that we'll be done by tonight."

Jaune's eyebrows vanished beneath his messy hair, "Tonight?"

"Yes. Last night's session helped us gather a critical mass of data, so I took the day off from working in the lab and used the time to finish my analysis and rig up a prototype Auric Enhancer."

"You and I have very different definitions of 'taking the day off,' Vahlen." Jaune said with a chuckle, "What do you need me to do?"

Vahlen grabbed a small device off of her desk and held it up for Jaune to see. His excitement faltered when he saw three long needles attached to a small circuit board, "Uhhh, where is that going, doctor?"

"I told you it's a prototype. I only had a few hours to build it before your arrival tonight, so I didn't exactly have the luxury of making it comfortable." She answered, slightly annoyed, "It attaches to your nervous system at the base of your neck."

"Oooookay… please tell me it's not secretly some sort of mind control chip that will enslave me to your every whim until someone notices and yanks it out twenty years later."

Vahlen rolled her eyes, "Can we try and be professional about this? Obviously if tonight's test works, I'll develop a model that is much less invasive."

"Alright, alright! I was just making a joke to relieve some of the stress stemming from the fact that you're going to be jamming literal soul spikes into my neck in a minute."

"And I don't get any satisfaction from it, either, so let's just get the hard part over with, shall we? Shirt. Off."

Jaune did as Vahlen instructed, standing with his back facing the doctor while he tried not to think about how painful the next few seconds would be.

"Alright, five count. Five…"

Jaune knew this trick. She always initiated the painful action a second before she finished her countdown.

"Four-"

"GAH!"

Jaune winced as the needles jammed into the back of his neck and he felt the baseboard press firmly against his skin. Beyond the initial shock, only some dull pain lingered after she inserted the enhancer. All in all, he decided that things could have gone a lot worse.

"Well that… wasn't exactly awful. Now what?"

Vahlen gestured towards the interrogation chamber, "The usual. We push your limits until your nervous system triggers the Auric Enhancer. It will map the nervous pathways that open when your Aura flares, and tune itself to that configuration. This means we need to spike your adrenaline to begin with, and then maintain that level while the device does its work. The sooner we finish, the faster we can put this nightmare of a week behind us."

Jaune hesitated on his way to the chamber. He turned around and solemnly nodded at Vahlen, "I want you to know that I appreciate everything you've done. I know this hasn't been easy on your conscience, but you've gone and pulled off a miracle here. If there's anything I could do as a return favor, all you ever need to do is ask."

The doctor snorted, "Considering that I've been torturing you on a nightly basis, it's a bit hard to believe you're grateful. But you're welcome, Jaune. It's obvious that this means a great deal to you. Let's finish what we've started."

A few minutes later, Jaune found himself on the far side of the glass once more. Vahlen pushed a button on her console, and he heard her voice come in through the intercom, "Can you hear me, Jaune?"

"Yes, doctor. I'm ready to begin."

Without another word, the blinders lowered and Jaune once again found himself enveloped in darkness. He heard the whirring of the two mechanical arms Vahlen used to restrain alien prisoners. She'd never used these for their little tests before, so Jaune didn't know what she had planned for him this time. He knelt down and assumed the meditative position Ren taught JNPR so long ago. Maybe it would help him endure the next hour or two.

Jaune felt a quiet, high-pitched noise begin to ring inside his ears. As he tried to examine the sound with his senses, he also felt the air itself begin to vibrate inside the chamber. Whatever method Vahlen planned to use to get his blood pumping, the sound proved little more than an annoyance.

"You're gonna have to do more than that, Doc. This just tickles, to be honest."

No response, not that Jaune expected one. Vahlen never talked with him during experiments. Instead, the shrill sound became even more piercing, and Jaune winced slightly at the increased pitch. Perhaps he spoke too soon when he told Vahlen to crank it up. Within a minute, any attempt Jaune had made at remaining calm and collected broke down, and the leader of JNPR found himself laying on the floor, panting. He wanted so badly to cover his ears, but he knew that Vahlen could simply up the intensity to compensate.

"My head…" He groaned, "Dust, my head feels like it's going to split open."

With extreme effort, Jaune staggered to his feet. He regretted his decision to daydream during Vahlen's explanation of adrenaline, and his subsequent decision to not ask for a re-explanation out of embarrassment, but he hoped that standing up would help generate the stuff faster than laying down. The air pulsed and hummed with energy, and he could feel pressure building up behind his eyes. The hairs on his arms stood on end, as if electrified.

After a minute of staggering around in the chamber while trying to remain standing, Jaune needed answers, "Okay, Doc. Tell me we're getting close."

To his surprise and mild concern, an answer followed his request, "Something's wrong."

Jaune gritted his teeth called back, "Not the response I… was hoping for."

"The enhancer should have triggered by now."

"Is… is it broken?"

"Nein. The device is operational. I have it keyed to activate when your nervous system's energy is high enough to provide a clear path along your Auric pathways."

"Then… punch up… the energy."

Jaune felt one of the mechanical arms power down and sighed. Apparently Vahlen didn't share his same desire to make the enhancer work. He was just about to yell at her through the intercom again when he felt himself get launched through the room before slamming against the glass at the back of the chamber.

"What the hell…?"

He had enough time to stand up again before another wave of compressed air knocked him off his feet once more. The second throw did a number on his head, and he sat on the floor in a daze before the intercom rang out.

"Get up, Jaune."

"Wha…?"

"Get up, Jaune."

He staggered to his feet, and a third blast knocked him back against the wall. He bounced off the glass, and as he fell forward, a blast from behind sent him tumbling towards the front. He raised his arms in time to prevent his face from smashing into the glass, and steadied himself, trying to figure out what just happened. Before he even had a chance to think, another blast rocked him sideways.

Finally, the pin dropped, and Jaune figured out Vahlen's angle. Steady pain didn't seem to be doing the trick, so Vahlen decided to improvise and do her best to simulate a fight and keep him off-balance. If combat against an invisible, invincible foe wasn't enough to get Jaune's heart racing, he didn't know what she could do to force a reaction out of him.

Despite the ringing in his ears, despite the pain and disorientation, despite the fact that Vahlen was literally blasting him to death with her mechanical arms, Jaune cracked a grin, "Bring it."

And bring it, Vahlen did. Her mechanical arms sent blows to Jaune's chest, back, legs, and even his face. He winced at each one, yet picked himself up again and again every time he fell. He tasted the metallic tang of blood in his mouth, and he was certain his physical appearance would frighten small children in its current state. And yet, despite all the abuse, Vahlen didn't stop. Whatever the reason, her little toy wasn't triggering, and she apparently didn't know why.

Minutes went by, and Jaune's stamina started flagging. He fell flat from the compressive blows far more often, and struggled more to stand back up each time. He didn't know how much longer he could keep this up. What if they didn't get the enhancer to trigger before he gave out? What if all this ended up being for nothing? He would be a failure.

Again.

Jaune steeled himself against his inner demons. He couldn't be a failure again. He wouldn't. Jaune couldn't do anything else right, and he would be damned if the one thing he felt sure of wouldn't be enough, either. He'd been putting up with the pain and suffering for a week straight so that he could finally see his friends, his team look proudly at him and appreciate his victory.

As if to tell him "No, you're a failure and always will be," more compressive air struck him, and Jaune found himself tumbling head over heels, smashing into the back wall. Even though Jaune knew Vahlen likely hadn't changed the strength of her bursts, the assaults felt more and more like an authoritative boot crushing him down into accepting defeat. A lash to remind him that he could never compare to his friends in terms of ability and skill.

"No…" He whispered. No, he wouldn't fail. He had to see this through to the end. He saw Pyrrha, the look of disappointment on her face that he knew all too well. She did her best to hide it from him, but every flop, every defeat, every screw up hurt her. He'd have to be a blind fool not to notice how much effort and compassion she poured into him, hoping to see success yet resigned to accept failure. This would just be another in a long line of disappointments he brought before his partner.

The hairs on Jaune's neck began to bristle. If there was any reason to succeed, it was Pyrrha. He owed everything to her, and yet he managed to give her nothing in return. She saved him in the Emerald Forest, picked him (of all people!) to be her partner, bared her heart and soul to him, and he gave her nothing in return. He couldn't even tell her the truth about his nightly activities, because he didn't trust her enough to let him continue. What kind of partner did that make him? He didn't like the kind of answers that rose to his mind. He failed her in as many ways as she tried to support him, and this would be the straw that broke the Ursa's back.

Again, a blast washed through him, and Jaune screamed in impotent rage. He was useless as a hunter, useless as an operative, and tonight's events proved he was useless as a lab rat. He fell to his knees and screamed again, punching the floor with his fist over and over again. Though he was weakened from Vahlen's relentless attacks, Jaune's self-loathing and hatred provided more than enough energy for a second wind. He felt the bones fracture in his hand as he continued pounding away. Once more, Jaune raised his raw and ragged hand high into the air and hammered it into the ground.

"DUST DAMN IT." He roared.

And the glass cage around him cracked.