Chapter 9 – Punishment

Beta read by Levi Ackermanlet

"Of all the students I've seen over the years you have been by far the most difficult." Zuko listened disinterestedly as Glynda paced around the room. Ozpin was sat opposite him, studying the boy silently. "You've failed nearly all of your homework assignments, you speak back to everyone, and now you're fighting with other students in the lunch room."

Zuko said nothing, knowing that saying anything would merely anger her even more. Having usually been the one who was as mad at her, he knew that sometimes it was just better to let them vent.

"You don't cooperate with your team, you're barely even speaking to them, and to top it all off you insulted your team leader just an hour ago!"

She stopped, took a deep breath, and calmed herself. She stood by Ozpin's side as she waited for the young man to speak. He kept his silence, biting back the numerous snarky responses that he wanted to yell at her. Clearly, Glynda wasn't pleased as she opened her mouth to speak again, before being interrupted by Ozpin.

"I think it would be best if I spoke to Zuko in private, Glynda. Thank you for bringing him to me, please double check the fires are all out in the cafeteria, the last thing we need is the academy burning down."

She looked like she wanted to protest, but thought better of it. Giving a nod of understanding, she left his office, and soon the bender and the professor were left in silence, save for the ever present sound of clock tower gears moving around them.

"Royalty not used to being talked down to?"

Zuko growled. "I stand by what I did!"

"And do you really understand what you've just done? Had those boys not activated their auras in time then you would have severely injured them. As it stands, Mr Winchester is still down in the medical bay after you blew him into a wall."

"Well what was I supposed to do? Just let someone be turned into a punching bag?"

"Mr Winchester's activities were most certainly not violent."

"But they would have been! Sooner or later, he would have gone further, because nobody was doing anything to stop him."

"And you believe the person to stop him was you?"

"It should have been her team! But they weren't around, so somebody had to do something."

"Like set the cafeteria on fire? Or perhaps you think you should have gotten a teacher instead?"

"You're training us to fight monsters and stop bad guys."

"Training! But you are not yet trained. The damage that you did to those boys is precisely why you notify a teacher of the situation and let them handle it."

"I'm not stupid, I know how dangerous fire bending is!"

Ozpin glanced to the boys burned left eye. "Clearly."

Zuko's eyes shot open in anger and he stood up from his seat. He turned and began to storm towards the elevator.

"I didn't say you could leave Zuko, we are by no means finished."

He stopped and whirled on the headmaster, pointing an accusatory finger at him. "Why should I stay and listen to you!?"

"Because if you don't then you and your uncle may found yourselves out on the street!"

Zuko went silent. His lips curled into a snarl but he said nothing, forcing himself to calm down before he set fire to the room. After a short moment, he walked back to his seat and sat down.

Ozpin himself took a brief moment to calm down. It wasn't often he found himself angry at a student, but Zuko was very…agitating.

"I pulled a lot of favours and broke a great many more rules to let you come here Zuko. However, if you think that I will allow you to do whatever you feel like because of that then you are sorely mistaken."

Zuko's head sank as he continued to sit in silence.

"I've allowed you leniency because of your situation, but that-"

"Why? You don't believe a single word about my past."

"No, I don't. But I believe that you do."

"Then why bother? I'm clearly not worth the trouble."

"Because I stand by what I told you on the day you arrived. You have potential, Zuko. Not just for strength, but to become a better person as well. You are arrogant, rash, and short-tempered, but you are also good. You stepped in to help Miss Scarlatina because you saw a person in trouble. Not a chance for a fight, and not a Faunus who needed to be saved. I've seen you in your classes too. Combat classes you ignore unless it's something vital, and instead you focus on your academics. As much of a friend of mine as he is, you are also one of the few students to fully listen to Professor Port's classes…when relevant at least."

Zuko almost smirked.

"The point is, you are not a bad man Zuko, simply misguided. Tell me, what's really the issue?"

"…I hate this place."

"Beacon?"

"No, not the school. This…everything!"

Ozpin watched curiously as he stood up from his seat and began to pace around the room.

"Everything I see is different. It's all so new. You know it took me half an hour to get out of a closet the other day because I couldn't figure out how to use the door!? I didn't even have a time dial and the sun to tell me that, I just saw it on a clock! There's all this new technology that stops me every time I'm trying to do something. It may make your life easier but mine's become hell!

"The animals are different! There's two species of people! And every night I can see the body of the moon spirit strewn across the sky! There's no great spirit I can pray to for guidance, no goal that I'm supposed to be working towards, every day I just wake up and do what I can to try and make sense of the world.

"Oh, and the combat part of my scholarship? I don't know what glowing recommendation this 'Qrow' guy gave you, but I've never felt so vulnerable in my life. I could let loose a Komodo-Rhino on any one of these kids and if they were really unlucky, they might get a bruise. Each and every one of them has some kind of weapon that would kill me in one hit unless I took them out first. I don't have any 'aura' to protect me from a bullet like they do."

"Funny, you don't look like a Grimm."

Zuko looked at him confused.

"Didn't reach that part in your studies yet? Every being that has a soul, has an aura. The only creatures that don't are the Grimm. I'd hardly call you soulless."

"Hmph, well I'm not exactly from here am I?"

Ozpin didn't answer, not that he should have. They were trapped at an impasse as far as that small topic was concerned. Zuko sighed and retook his seat.

"So what's going to happen to me? Are you going to kick me out?"

"That would be rather wasteful. Kids will be kids, and this is hardly the first time that a student has made a mistake. Regardless, you will be punished suitably. Given that it was team CRDL, and they will be unable to focus on their studies until they are healed, it seems only fair that you help them with their studies. Any and all homework assignments they receive this week will be completed by you, starting with those given today."

"What!? You know how bad I've been struggling, how could I possibly do that?"

"You are a very determined young man Zuko, I'm sure you will find a way. They will be dropped off at your dorm today. Until then, I suggest you take that time to apologise to your team. Like them or not, they will be with you for years to come. It is your best interests to make as many friends as you can."

Zuko looked away in shame. He hadn't really meant what he'd said to Ruby, it was just…

"That will be all Zuko, you may leave." Zuko stood and headed towards the elevator. "And please send your uncle in after you, he's waiting on the floor below." Zuko froze, then continued, a feeling of shame creeping up inside of him.

~RWBYZ~

The four ladies of team RWBYZ sat in silence in their dorm. After Glynda had come in and taken Zuko off to see Ozpin, they hadn't really known what to do. So they'd said their goodbyes to team JNPR and headed off to their dorm to study. Except…they hadn't really. They'd gotten their books out, their notes, made themselves comfortable on their beds and…

"So what's going to happen to him?" Ruby was the first to speak up, even if she kept her head low in shyness.

"I don't know Ruby. Don't exactly care much." Yang was still angry over Zuko's outburst to her sister.

"But, I mean…was he right?"

"Right about what?"

"…that we weren't doing anything?"

"Oh please, Zuko didn't know what he was doing." Weiss couldn't hold her tongue any longer. "If he had any sense then he would have gone to get a teacher. If we 'did something' like he'd wanted us to do then we'd all be in just as much trouble as him."

"And what would a teacher do?" Blake looked up from her book as she spoke. She still sounded disinterested, regardless of what she had asked.

"They would have stopped him and punished him appropriately, what kind of question is that?"

"Would they?"

"Of course they would! Why wouldn't they?"

"She was a Faunus, and this is a combat school."

"So what? We're still students, the teachers would know better than any of us what should be done. And besides, Faunus discrimination isn't that bad."

Blake narrowed her eyes but held her tongue begrudgingly, the last thing they needed was an argument, no matter how much a certain spoiled heiress needed a lesson in reality. Yang was the next one to speak up again, casting a glance over to the Faunus-in-hiding.

"It doesn't matter why he did it, it's how. He set fire to the cafeteria!"

"He said he was a fire bender."

"He also said he'd lost it Ruby. I guess he lied…"

The girls were silent again, each one deep in thought before they were interrupted as the door opened. Zuko took a few steps inside before he froze under their gazes at him. Some angry, some disappointed, others confused.

"Uh…hi."

"What do you want? Come to burn down our room too?"

Zuko visibly flinched at Weiss's accusation, but he didn't look angry. Just, ashamed.

"Yeah…sorry about that. I just…I've, been having a tough time since I came to Beacon and I kind of just…"

His apology was terrible, and none of his team looked ready to accept it.

"It's just…I had a pretty rough childhood, and just before I came to Beacon I…lost everything I had. I didn't really know who I was, or what I was doing anymore and I've been struggling ever since. I know that, it doesn't excuse what I did but… I wasn't thinking. About the consequences, or about what I said."

He looked over to Ruby, who was looking back at him in a way he couldn't quite figure out. "I didn't mean what I said, if it hurt you. And, I shouldn't have handled it how I did. It only made things worse, I…I should have just gotten a teacher."

"Right you are Mr Lee."

Zuko turned around to see Glynda stood in the doorway with a massive pile of papers in one hand. "Here's team CRDL's work. Make sure you hand in all their assignments on time and with passing grades."

She dumped the stack of work in his hands. "Yes Miss Goodwitch."

"And make sure you don't neglect your own work either. You can't afford to fail any more of your assignments."

"Yes…"

Glynda left after that, leaving Zuko to sigh in resignation and collect his books and pens. He left and headed off to the library without another word, knowing that if he didn't get started soon, then there was no way he could finish it all on time.

The room was silent for a while, before Yang spoke up.

"Well. That happened."

"Who'd have thought Zuko would ever apologise?"

"Easy Weiss, it's not like we really know him. Or…know anything about him really."

"That's the point. In the weeks that we've been a team he's hardly ever spoken to any of us."

Ruby cut in nervously. "Well I mean, that's not entirely true." Ruby awkwardly tapped her fingers together as the team turned to face her in surprise. "Well we've uh, kinda been getting along in some of our other classes when it's just us. I mean, he doesn't talk much but, he's…nicer, y'know?"

"Really?" Yang cupped her chin in thought. "Well that's…pretty good I guess."

"What? I thought you were angry at him for being mean to your sister?"

"I was. But, he's said sorry, and he admitted he made a mistake. Besides, you've said worse before."

"I have not!"

"You kinda have." Ruby awkwardly interjected.

"What!? Well I-…whatever."

"And he apologised for not thinking, so I don't know what you're still moody about." Blake didn't exactly look like she was smirking, but Weiss could practically hear it in her voice.

"I-…ugh, oh fine. He's forgiven. Now what do we do?"

There was a knock at the door, and Ruby opened it to reveal Iroh stood awkwardly outside.

"Oh, uh, hello. I was looking for my nephew. Is he…?"

"He left to do some homework."

"Ah, I'd better leave him to that then. Thank you!"

He turned to leave but Ruby grabbed him by the shoulder. "Uh Mr Lee? Before he left, Zuko was saying sorry for starting the fight." Iroh's eyebrows raised in surprise. "Well I was wondering, what's Zuko's…um…"

"Problem?" Iroh smiled mischievously, remembering the phrase he'd heard so many other students using. "I love my nephew very much, but I'm very aware of his attitude. He...has had a very difficult childhood, and it has forced him to become not as…kind as he once was."

"Yeah, he mentioned something like that…what does that really mean though?"

Iroh watched as the four girls all looked towards him with interest. He sighed, having hoped he'd never have to tell the story again.

"It's probably best that Zuko tells you himself when he's ready. But, you should know that because he has had to become so, thick-skinned, he has had to reject any sign of friendship he is offered. However, my nephew is not one to apologise lightly, and if he has, then I believe that extending an arm of friendship to him now may be your best chance."

The girls all looked towards each other, silently asking their question as Iroh took his leave. The elderly fire bender had been feeling very down indeed after his talk with Ozpin, but he hoped that just maybe, there could be something good gained from everything that had happened.

~RWBYZ~

'Okay, so the Faunus War hit a turning point during the battle of…something, because the Fanus could see in the night. And then they stormed the castle as a manifestation of the soul and… wait what?'

Zuko looked over what he had just written, and then slammed his fist on the table in anger. He'd been so tired he'd moved onto an entirely different textbook. He let his head bang on the table in embarrassment. The sun had may have only just gone down but he was already mentally exhausted. It didn't change the fact that he was still monstrously behind on his work load however.

"I'm never going to get this done."

"Not alone you're not."

He sat up straight, ignoring the sheet of paper which had stuck itself to the side of his face. Ruby stepped into view from behind him, grabbing one of the books of the pile by his side. Yang, Weiss, and Blake all followed her lead and grabbed one themselves.

"Since we're your team, it wouldn't be fair to let you do it all on your own."

Zuko was speechless as each one of his teammates opened the book and began to write down answers.

'Nobody's ever…helped me. Nobody but uncle…'

"Thank you. All of you."