The Wilted Rose

Chapter 24: Quiet Night

Nora: He talks a big game but gets his ass handed to him in almost every fight!

Y/n: Almost? He can't fight for shit, who's he beating?

Jaune: U-uh...

I looked over at Jaune. He was looking away and like he wanted to be anywhere but here. So he's the one who's losing to Cardin. I had pegged him as someone who wasn't the best fighter from the start but him being worse than Cardin was something I didn't think possible. Roy always said that Cardin was a pushover, so what would that make Jaune? 

Y/n: You're a Huntsman and your losing to the one guy that you really shouldn't be losing too?

Jaune: Um, well...

*Sigh* I'm going to regret what I'm about to suggest....

Y/n: ...Would you like some help?

The group looked at me for a second. I think that they were trying to see if I was being serious. Unfortunately I was. This was a bad idea. Lets train the guys who's going to be gunning for me. I don't know why I even suggested it. Maybe its because I can see a part of myself in Jaune. The part from before this. Or maybe I just wanted to give him the best chance at beating Cardin. Either one works really.

Ren: Is that a genuine offer?

Y/n: Yes it is.

Nora: Do you even know how to fight?

I looked her dead in the face. Did she seriously just ask me that? I was a little offended. I have been able to keep up with Huntsmen since I was sixteen. If anyone here knew how to fight, it was me!

Y/n: Of course I do! I wouldn't be offering if I didn't.

Pyrrha: Are you a Huntsman?

Y/n: No. Just some guy who cant leave well enough alone.

The group all looked at each other. Jaune looked uncertain. Like he was tempted to accept but couldn't bring himself to say yes. His pride wasn't letting him. I already knew his answer in that moment. It didn't matter to me. Honestly, it worked better this way. 

Pyrrha: That's actually not a bad idea. I could even help.

Jaune: Uh... I-I'll think about it guys. Thanks for the offer Mr. Todd.

Y/n: Just Y/n. I'm only nineteen.

Nora: Really? You look older.

Ren: Nora!

Nora: What? Its true.

Y/n: *Chuckles* Yeah, I do look older than I am.

Our orders came and we all continued chatting. I actually found that I was having a nice time. Like for the first time in years, I was actually a normal guy. But like everything, it came to a end. We all finished with our orders and said our goodbyes. I headed back for my hideout. I needed to study up on the Winchesters. With the lack of anything else to do, maybe I should start looking into them. Who knows, maybe I'll get lucky and find something....

Timeskip

11:24 PM

325 Days to the Fall

The next night, I was headed for the police station in downtown. The research came up blank. Nothing that I found was anything of use much less incriminating. Though I did find something interesting about the police. There has been a string of disappearances that have been attributed to Grimm. You would think that reports like that were common, and you would be right. The problem I found with it was that these folk disappeared from the middle of the city. The more damning evidence of a cover up is the fact that all the missing people were Faunas or people who support Faunas.