The rest of the day went by faster than Jaune expected.
Ren and Nora weren't cruel about it, but they did push him. Every drill, formation and basic movement was hammered into him with relentless repetition. Ren would correct his footwork with subtle nudges of his legs, and Nora barked encouragements and sometimes playful insults, whenever he lagged behind.
"Keep those arms up! Grimm don't wait for you to catch your breath!" Nora hollered as Jaune stumbled through another mock formation.
Jaune wheezed, sweat dripping down his temples. "I'm—huff—starting to think they should."
Ren didn't even blink as he countered smoothly, "Then you'd already be dead."
That shut him up quick.
Even Oscar, usually quiet and reserved, looked faintly entertained watching Jaune stumble through yet another set of sword drills against the grimm. Later, when Ren and Nora were distracted, Oscar leaned closer and whispered:
"I know it's rough. But… it's nice seeing someone else go through it for once."
Jaune groaned, dragging his shield across the floor like it weighed three tons. "Glad I can be your comic relief."
Oscar smirked faintly. "Trust me, I was in the exact same spot a few months ago. At least now it's not just me."
Jaune let out another groan, this one longer and more theatrical. He wasn't sure if the training was meant to build muscle memory or simply break him down into a puddle of exhausted compliance. Either way, it was working.
By the time they wrapped up, Jaune felt like his body had been wrung out like a rag. But, to his surprise, the tight knot of frustration he'd carried earlier had loosened. There was something about training with them—being corrected, encouraged, and even laughed at—that reminded him of sparring with Grise. Exhausting and humiliating sometimes, but not… lonely.
Dinner came early after, served in the LUCID's cafeteria. Nothing fancy, simply nutrient-dense meals that were designed more for energy. That didn't mean that they didn't taste good, however. The chefs here were certainly talented. Jaune wolfed it down like it was the best thing he'd ever eaten.
He wasn't the only one. Nora devoured her plate with frightening speed, then immediately swiped a roll off Oscar's tray before he could protest.
"Hey," Oscar muttered, trying and failing to look stern.
"You snooze, you lose," Nora said around a mouthful of bread.
Ren ate quietly, though he occasionally gave Nora a subtle look that said, don't you dare swipe my food. Spoiler alert, she did.
Jaune leaned back in his chair, letting his muscles relax for the first time all day. Conversation bubbled easily around the table. At first it was mostly about training—different formations, tactics, and scenarios—but soon it wandered into more casual territory.
Oscar admitted he was still trying to master his Rune skill, Dynamic. His was actually similar to Yang's in a sense, giving him the ability to manipulate kinetic energy. There were two major differences to his fighting style, however. Firstly, he could only store his own kinetic energy which was born from his own movements, rather than Yang's who could absorb blows and convert it to power. Secondly, unlike Yang, his weapons were dual short-swords rather than gauntlets.
Nora bragged about the time she'd hammered down a Rank 1 Ursa straight through a building. Ren, shared a few observations about how Grimm seemed to behave differently depending on whether they were in Nightmare zones or outside of it.
Somehow, the talk even drifted into normal, mundane things. Jaune found himself laughing along as Nora described a disastrous attempt at baking cookies at home, and Oscar sheepishly confessed that he'd once forgotten which side of his uniform pants was front-facing.
For a little while, it almost felt like sitting with friends at Beacon after a long day of classes. Almost normal.
Eventually, though, Ren set down his utensils and rose. "Come. There's something else we need to get done today."
Jaune nodded. "More training?"
"Nope," Ren said simply.
They left the cafeteria behind, the noise of clattering trays and chatter fading into the background as they walked deeper into the base. The halls grew quieter the further they went, until all Jaune could hear was the soft hum of the lights and the echo of their footsteps against polished floors.
It was a different part of the compound than Jaune had seen so far. No training rooms, and fewer bustling operatives. Smooth walls, muted lights, and an air of deliberate stillness.
"What now? If not more training and drills... are we... doing more lectures? Please, no more lectures. Goodwitch's lectures from before already melted my brain!"
"Don't be dramatic," Ren replied without looking back.
Nora, of course, leaned in close with a grin. "Or do be dramatic. It's funnier that way."
Jaune muttered something under his breath but kept walking.
They rounded a final corner, and Jaune stopped short.
The room before him was not what he expected.
After all the noise of the training simulations—clashing steel, roaring Grimm, Nora's whoops echoing off the walls—the silence here felt almost eerie. The chamber was relatively large and low-lit, with the walls being lined with rows of sleek, curved pods. Each one gleamed faintly in the dim light, inlaid with intricate etchings that glowed faintly blue, pulsing in time like a slow heartbeat.
Jaune glanced at them, then back at his teammates. "Hmm, Counselor Vex and I passed here before. So, what's this place supposed to be for?"
Nora flopped down onto one of the pods with a laugh. "Sleepy time, silly."
Jaune's brow furrowed. "Sleepy time? In this? You're kidding."
Ren shook his head. He stood by one of the pods, running a hand lightly along the mechanical inlays. His tone was, as usual, perfectly calm. "From this point forward, Jaune, we'll be configuring your spawn point."
"My… spawn point," Jaune repeated slowly. "Like my dream spawn point? I didn't know we could even do that? This dream thing, really works very similar to a video game, huh?
Oscar, who had been lingering quietly at the back of the group, gave a small nod. "That's… actually not far off."
Ren turned slightly toward Jaune. "Most LUCID bases are outfitted with these pods. They're special runed constructs which are designed to anchor your Dream-self to a specific location whenever you fall asleep. Until now, you've been waking up in areas where you sleep. That won't do for squad operations. From tonight on, you'll appear where we need you. Here."
Jaune crossed his arms, eyeing the pods like they might bite. "So you're saying… I climb into this thing, take a nap, and then, boom, the next time I fall asleep, I'll wake up in Dream-Beacon instead of… wherever?"
"Correct," Ren confirmed.
That should have made sense. But the way he said it so plainly only made the whole thing feel stranger.
Jaune tilted his head, frowning. "Right... Dream Beacon. You're still not gonna explain what's so special about it?"
Ren's expression didn't change, though Jaune thought he might've caught the faintest flicker of a smile. "Let's just say that you'll find it's… different from what you know."
"How different?" Jaune pressed.
Ren shook his head once. "Better you see it for yourself."
That did not make Jaune feel better. "That's ominous. You know that's ominous, right?"
Nora leaned over from her pod, grinning like it was the funniest thing in the world. "It's a surprise! You'll love it."
Jaune pinched the bridge of his nose. "Great. So instead of explaining, you're all just gonna let me wander blind into whatever creepy nightmare version of Beacon is waiting for me."
"Exactly!" Nora chirped.
Jaune groaned. "I hate that it doesn't even surprise me anymore."
He turned back to the pods, the glow of the mechanisms washing over his face. Despite his grumbling, he couldn't deny there was something strangely… alluring about them. The craftsmanship was intricate and the mechanisms inlaid into it was quite... precise. It felt like he was about to enter one of those specially designed VR pods from movies.
But then again, Jaune supposed that entering the Dream was similar to entering a virtual world of sorts, wasn't it?
Oscar stepped forward, his hands shoved into his pockets. "It's honestly a little weird at first. I remember when they did it for me." He gave Jaune a faint, almost sympathetic smile. "The first night I thought it wouldn't work. Then I woke up in the Dream and… there it was. Beacon, only… not."
"Not," Jaune echoed.
"You'll see," Oscar smiled. It seemed he was also interested in seeing Jaune's expression of how Beacon looked inside the Dream.
Jaune wanted to push further, but something in Oscar's tone suggested there was no shortcut here. No amount of asking would give him the answer he wanted. But perhaps he could bribe him? He sighed and scrubbed a hand through his hair.
"Okay. Fine. That still leaves me with one problem: how do I explain to my dad that I'm sleeping in a creepy sci-fi pod instead of my bed tonight?"
Nora leaned over again and patted him on the shoulder, her grin wide and reassuring. "Easy, silly. You don't. You just tell him you're having a sleepover."
Jaune blinked. "…That's it?"
"That's it," Nora said with a shrug. "The pods work like anchors. Once you use one, your Dream-self gets synced to the corresponding locator rune. You don't have to keep sleeping here every night—it sticks. One and done."
"Unless you, you know, die in the Dream," Oscar added helpfully.
Jaune stared at him. "…You're terrible at reassurance."
Oscar gave a sheepish shrug. "Sorry. Just… thought you should know."
Jaune exhaled, long and slow. "So basically, all I have to do is tell Dad, 'Hey, I'm crashing at a friend's place tonight,' climb into this sci-fi coffin, and let it reprogram my… spawn point." He gestured vaguely at the pods. "And then I'm stuck with Beacon-Dream forever."
"Exactly!" Nora said again, this time with even more cheer.
Oscar chuckled softly. "Yep, pretty much. You get used to all of this after a while. I was just as confused at first too, but after three months…" He trailed off, his gaze lingering on the runes. "It feels normal now. Almost."
That last word carried a quiet weight with it. Jaune heard it, but he didn't push.
Instead, he let himself imagine it—lying back in one of those pods, closing his eyes, and then waking not in his bed, not in his neighborhood, but in the dream version of Beacon. Whatever Beacon looked like over there.
The thought was a little exciting to him. Almost like fast travel from video games, in a sense.
And when Oscar glanced his way again, a small smile tugging at his mouth, Jaune realized he wasn't the only one wrestling with that strange mix.
"Besides," Oscar added, voice lighter now, "if it helps, you can think of it like… well, a sleepover. Essentially, that's what this is. The four of us syncing our spawn points together. Fostering team spirit."
Nora perked up immediately. "Ooooh, yeah! Squad sleepover!"
Ren, at last, allowed the barest sigh, though Jaune swore he saw his lips twitch.
Jaune laughed weakly, rubbing the back of his neck. "Right. Team spirit. Sleepover. Just four kids climbing into sci-fi dream coffins together. Totally normal. Also, aren't the three of you already set to spawn in the... Dream version of Beacon?"
Ren nodded. "Yes. Our spawn points are already configured to Beacon so we don't really need to sleep here. However, team spirit, remember. Lets consider this as... our first bonding activity."
Jaune shrugged, but a hint of gratitude could be felt form him. "Fair enough. And thanks, I guess."
"No problem Jauney! Ohh, I'm so excited for us to finally get started!" Nora exclaimed, hitting his back friendly.
It hurt, however.
This little ginger girl was truly a monstrously strong individual.
Jaune pulled out his phone, thumb hovering over the screen for a moment as he glanced at the others. Ren and Nora were quietly chatting near the pods, and Oscar was fiddling with his dual-swords, humming some tune under his breath. It wasn't like he needed to call, but if he didn't, his dad was bound to wonder why he hadn't come home. Jaune sighed and dialed.
The line picked up after two rings.
"Jaune?" His dad's voice came through, curious.
"Hey, Dad," Jaune said quickly, forcing a casual tone. "Uh, just letting you know—I'm having a sleepover tonight."
There was a pause. "…A sleepover?"
"Yeah," Jaune nodded, glancing nervously at his squadmates. "At Ren's place."
Ren, who had been mid-sentence with Nora, blinked, looking faintly startled. He tilted his head at Jaune with a silent me? but didn't say anything.
"A sleepover at Ren's," his dad repeated slowly over the phone. "Why all of a sudden? You've never asked me for one before. Though, I suppose you never did have one before."
Jaune rubbed the back of his neck. "Well, uh, y'know… figured it'd be nice to, uh, bond. Friend stuff. School projects. That sort of thing."
"Mmhm." His dad sounded unconvinced but not suspicious—more curious than anything else. "And who else is going to be there? Just Ren?"
Jaune hesitated. "…Ren and Nora."
His dad made a thoughtful noise. "Any other girls? That girl who gave you the book, from the Occult Club?"
Jaune flushed red immediately. "Dad! No! It's not like that."
"I'm just asking," his dad said innocently, though Jaune could practically hear the smirk through the phone. "You've been… busier than usual lately. Wandering off after classes. Joining clubs. Meeting mysterious girls. Now suddenly, a sleepover?"
"Look, it's nothing weird, okay?" Jaune groaned. "We just thought—it's Tuesday, so why not? I'm fine, Dad."
His father chuckled softly. "Alright, alright. I'm not trying to stop you. Just surprised, that's all. Don't stay up too late, and don't do anything stupid. Call me tomorrow."
"I will," Jaune promised quickly. "Thanks, Dad."
When the call ended, Jaune lowered his phone with a long sigh of relief. He looked over to see Ren raising an eyebrow.
"Ren's house?" the boy asked dryly.
Jaune rubbed at his cheek, sheepish. "First name that came to mind. Sorry."
"Right..."
Nora giggled and gave Jaune's head a gentle bop with her knuckles. "Relax, Jauney. He bought it, didn't he?"
"…Yeah," Jaune admitted, though his ears were still pink.
Ren gestured to one of the pods lined along the wall. "In any case—this one's yours."
Before Jaune could move, a man in a LUCID uniform seemed to appear out of thin air, clipboard in hand. He gave a brisk rundown, pointing out where Jaune should store his weapon inside the pod, how to position himself so he wouldn't accidentally jab an arm or leg into his sword, and the general rules of safety. His tone was practiced, clipped, as though he'd given the same speech a hundred times already.
Jaune tried to keep up, nodding earnestly. "Right. Weapon over chest. No flailing around. Got it."
The man checked something off on his clipboard, then disappeared just as quickly as he'd come, blending back into the staff who worked quietly at the terminals toward the far end of the room. Jaune hadn't even noticed them before—rows of LUCID personnel monitoring screens, checking patterns, and typing into glowing keyboards.
He leaned closer to Nora, lowering his voice. "Are there… other people who sleep in these pods too?"
Nora shook her head. "Nope. Most teams already got their spawn points linked to Beacon ages ago. Once that's done, there's no reason to keep using these pods unless something really goes wrong."
Ren added, "This room is mainly for new operatives, or in rare cases when a squad's spawn point has to be reset. You won't see much traffic here otherwise. However, non-awakened staff also use these pods."
"Ah." Jaune looked back toward the pods, suddenly more aware of the quiet hum filling the room. It felt oddly clinical, sterile—like a hospital, but more high tech.
Suddenly he paused, wrapping his head around what Ren said last.
"Wait, non-awakened staff use these pods too?"
Ren smiled, faintly amused. "Yep. I'll explain later, once we're inside the Dream."
Jaune sighed and nodded. He had to admit that he hated this drip-feed information that his new squad seemed to enjoy dangling over his head, but he knew they were just having a bit of fun.
He ran his hand across the rim of his assigned pod, taking in the faintly pulsing lines. "Guess this is it, then."
Nora grinned and gave him a reassuring pat on the shoulder. "Yup. Don't worry, Jauney. We'll be right beside you."
Oscar, already leaning back in his own pod, chimed in. "You know... this technically, really is a sleepover. Just, y'know, one with dangerous dream monsters waiting on the other side."
"Comforting," Jaune muttered, though the corner of his mouth twitched into a smile despite himself.
He carefully placed his new blade over his chest then lowered himself into the pod. The cool metal pressed against his back, the faint vibration of the runic energy beneath him pulsed like a heartbeat. The lid slid down with a soft hiss, sealing him in darkness.
For a moment, Jaune stared into the void, listening to the sound of his own breathing. Strangely enough, sleep tugged at him almost instantly—smooth and easy, like slipping into warm water. Ever since his Awakening, he'd noticed it: no matter how wound up he was, the moment he wanted to sleep, he could. A perk of being Awakened, maybe.
Within a minute, his eyelids shut and his body drifted away.
And when he opened his eyes again, he was no longer in the pod.
Instead, he stood in a strange place—it was certainly the dream realm—he could recognize that odd sensation of strength once again permeating through his being. The very essence of his body stat. But the surroundings were different. It wasn't a ruinous place of broken things and shadows any longer.
No.
This was something else entirely.
It was a... futuristic military bunker?
.
.
AN: Power stones? Give me?
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