PA57

Jaune made to step out, but was knocked back when Neo hit him. Both her arms wrapped around his neck, and her body hit his like a hammer. He stumbled and fell, back on his ass on the chair. She didn't seem to mind. Her arms simply clung a little tighter. "It's good to see you as well, Neo," he laughed. He hugged her back. "I'm glad you're safe."

"It's like a wonderful reunion," Roman said. "All we need now are some cigars, wine and a pack of cards. Then again, I'd settle for a hot bath and some steak. I'm giving this place one star out of five on my review. Customer service was simply terrible."

Jaune shook his head and tried to push Neo away. "We don't have time for that. We need to find a way to sto- Neo, let go, I can't move." He pushed a little harder, but she clung on, face buried in his shoulder. What was wrong with her? "Neo, I understand – and I'm glad to see you too, but we need to do something to stop Cinder before it's too late."

"What's the rush, kid? You've just been involved in a jail break. That's like a rite of passage for criminals like us. And hey, from under Ironwood's nose too. You sure don't do stuff the easy way. This is jumping in at the deep end."

"Yeah, and it'll all be for nothing if Cinder does whatever it is she needs to do. How can you be so calm and casual in a situation like this? Seriously Roman, the whole city is probably being overwhelmed by Grimm and you're sitting there smiling. How can you be so calm, how can this not bother you…"

The answer came to him in a flash. A way in which he wouldn't be affected, a way in which he wouldn't be upset – or even surprised. Jaune's hands froze, his mouth running dry.

"You knew," he whispered, eyes narrowed. "You knew this would happen."

Roman didn't answer.

Jaune tried to stand, but Neo kept him down again. Her grip no longer felt comforting. She didn't hurt him, but her arms kept his pinned to his side, and she had more strength than anyone her size ought. He raged against it, but was forced to settle for glaring at Roman over her pink hair.

"You knew this would happen!" he roared. "The only way you'd have known is if it was part of a plan, and this all feels scripted. Don't tell me you… no, you couldn't have." He refused to believe it, didn't want to believe it… had to believe it. The words hurt to get out. "You sided with Cinder!?"

"No," Roman said. "I've always sided with myself. I meant what I said earlier, kid. You were my final hope, my way out. I gave you every chance I could, even helped you when I could, all to find out if there was a way for us to get out from under her claws. You never found one, though. None of us did." Roman sighed and held his arms wide. "Sooner or later, a man has to read the writing on the wall. He's got to make a choice."

"And you chose her?"

"Officially, I never stopped." Roman paced to the side, shaking his head from side to side. He reached for a cigar before he realised he had none and scowled. A sigh escaped him. "You need to understand. Cinder had her hands around me long before you showed up. I had to play the same game you did, juggling loyalties to both myself and her – and even to you. I couldn't let her think I'd sell her out… that's why I'm here. Did you think I'd let myself get caught in some stupid train accident?"

The breach… the damn thing he'd missed because of his mission at Misenwood. That was where things had started to go wrong. They'd never improved since.

"She gave me an order… an order I couldn't find a way to weasel out of. She wanted me on this airship, needed me on it, and there was no changing her mind. What choice did I have?"

"There's always a choice, Roman."

"Idealistic garbage," Roman spat. He surged forwards but caught himself before he could do anything. "That's the kind of tripe people like Ozpin spout, and you know what? Yeah, there was a choice. I could have done as she said and ended up here, or I could have defied her, and ended up dead." Roman waved his hand dismissively. "Some choice. Couldn't run because she would have caught me, couldn't fight because she would have killed me – and it wasn't like you were around to offer any ideas. I made the best choice I could, given the situation. I made the best choice for me, the best for Neo – and the best for you too. Or did you think Cinder would have been merciful to you if I'd betrayed her? She knows we were allied. I made my choice, Jaune. That doesn't mean I like it… or that I want it." He sighed. "Neo!"

The girl lifted her head so that her eyes met Jaune's. They were upset, a little duller than normal, but she slowly disentangled herself from him and stepped back to stand beside Roman.