A view of the Beacon Academy shows the student dorms, where Pyrrha Nikos looks out the window sadly as Ren loads his gun and Nora Valkyrie is jumping on her bed in the room for Team JNPR.
Nora: "How come Jaune gets home so late?"
Ren: "He's become rather scarce since he started fraternizing with Cardin."
Nora: "That's weird... Doesn't he know we have a field trip tomorrow? We need our rest" she proclaims this while twirling in midair so her back hits the covers
Pyrrha: "I'm sure our leader knows exactly what he's doing." She angrily stated
Nora and Ren confused exchange glances, not knowing that Jaune himself is looking in through the crack of the door.
Nora: "Mmmm... I guess so."
Jaune hangs his head and closes the door, just as a voice interrupts his thoughts.
Ruby: "Hey, Jaune!" She startles the young blond "Long time, no see! Did you lock yourself out again?"
Jaune: "Oh, uh, nope!" He raised his Scroll, letting out a dry laugh "Got it!"
Ruby: "So! Where have you been lately?"
Jaune: "uh..." he tried to come up with something, but he sighs and lowers his head "I messed up. I did something I shouldn't have, and now Cardin has me on a leash, and Pyrrha won't even talk to me, and.." he sighs once again "I'm starting to think coming to this school was a bad idea." He presses his back to his team's door and slides down to the floor in depression "I'm a failure."
Ruby: "Nope!"
Jaune: "Nope?' He asks surprised and confused
Ruby: "Nope! You're a leader now, Jaune. You're not allowed to be a failure."
Jaune: "But...what if I'm a failure at being a leader?"
Ruby: She starts to think about this but finally comes up with a idea "Nope"
Jaune: "You know, you're not the easiest person to talk to about this kind of stuff." He laughs as Ruby joins him on the floor
Ruby: "Nope!" She spoke as Jaune leans into the door some more "Jaune, maybe you were a failure when you were a kid" she said as Jaune groans "and you might've even been a failure the first day we met!" She and as jaune hangs his head even lower "But, you can't be one now. You know why?"
Jaune: "Uhhh, because...?"
Ruby: "Because it's not just about you anymore. You've got a team now, Jaune. We both do! And if we fail, then we'll just be bringing them down with us." She gets up and placing her hands on her hips as she speaks "We have to put our teammates first, and ourselves second. Your team deserves a great leader, Jaune. And I think that can be you." She starts to walk away but then suddenly waves back towards the blonde "Have a good night, Jaune!"
With new energy, Jaune pushes himself off the ground and faces the door, ready to turn the knob and talk to his team, but gets stoped by another voice emerged in darkness.
Y/n: "she's right Jaune" he leans on the wall while jaune jumps in the air "Even though she explained it in the stupidest way physically possible she's on the right path."
Jaune: "Y/n, you really need to stop scaring people."
Y/n: "Yeah yeah whatever" he rolls his eyes "But you need to straighten up. Your team is counting on you." he gets closer to Jaune "And I'm pretty sure you don't wanna disappoint your team. Do you now?" He asks basically in Jaunes face
Jaune: "No I don't, sir." he says slightly embarrassed
Y/n: "Sir?" He asks raising an eyebrow
Jaune: "Uhh" he scratches the back of his neck "Sorry Y/n"
Y/n: "Mhm, now go in there and apologize"
Jaune: "Right!" He exclaims enthusiastically
Y/n: "Good, i'll see you around Jaune" He mumbles while walking off.
Jaune: "Welp, i guess it's time to make u-" he gets stopped by his scroll going off
Cardin Scroll: "It's your buddy Cardin! I know you're probably busy with that Dust project I gave you, buuuut I'm gonna need you to go out and get me a bag of Rapier Wasps. And make sure they've got some really big stingers! It's important, so don't screw this up!"
Jaune closes his Scroll just when it begins to beep again. Sighing, he wearily heads down the hallway and away from his room.
———-
An overhead shot of a forest bustling with red leaves and gray trunks is seen as the camera descends and shows Glynda leading teams RWBY, JNPR, CRDL and KING through the area.
Glynda: "Yes, students, the forest of Forever Fall is indeed beautiful. But we are not here to sight-see. Professor Peach has asked all of you to collect samples from the trees deep inside this forest, and I'm here to make sure none of you die while doing so"
The group stops, and Jaune, grunting and carrying a large case with six empty glass jars on top, tries to catch up with them and ends up bumping into Cardin. The bully scowls at Jaune, who attempts to feign innocence by whistling tunelessly.
Glynda: "Each of you is to gather one jar's worth of red sap. However, this forest is full of the creatures of Grimm, so be sure to stay by your teammates. We will rendezvous back here at 4 o'clock. Have fun!"
While Yang Xiao Long and her sister smile at one another, Jaune attempts to very loudly "sneak" away from Cardin to his team, but the blackmailer sees this and grabs Jaune by the back.
Cardin: "Come on, buddy - let's go!"
Jaune miserably looks up at his team, where Nora and Ren are already walking into the forest's depths and Pyrrha is staring sadly at the scene. Dropping his gaze, Jaune turns and follows CRDL, to the disappointment of a sighing Pyrrha before she continues on.
——-
Team CRDL is making themselves as comfortable as possible by leaning on stones, trees, and the ground while Jaune returns to the group with six full jars, setting them down just as he collapses face-down. The surrounding team gets up in response.
Cardin: "Hey, great work, Jauney boy! Now that wasn't too hard, was it?"
Jaune: " I think I'm allergic to this stuff..." he says dazed
Cardin: "Greeeeat, great, great. So, Jaune, I bet you're asking yourself, 'Why did my buddy Cardin ask me to collect seven jars of tree sap when there's only five of us?'"
Jaune: "That is one of the many questions I have asked myself today, yes."
Cardin: "Well, come with me, and you'll find out."
Jaune gulps in worry.
———
Now perched on a hilltop overlooking the other students, team CRDL - plus Jaune, squeezed between Cardin and Russel Thrush - peak their heads over the crest and watch as everyone is retrieving their samples of sap. Ren, kneeling to collect it from a tree, passes a full jar to Nora, who "Mmmm!"s at the gift as Ren trades it for the other jar in her care. He turns back to the tree and starts filling it up while several licking sounds are heard off-screen until the camera pans back to Nora, now with an embarrassed smile covered in red and an empty jar in her hands.
While the teams are goofing off Y/n is laying on top of a tree, observing.
Jaune: "Cardin, wh-what's going on?" He asks turning his head to the left
Cardin: "Payback"
Jaune: "Pyrrha...? And Y/n? " he looks at the red head gathering more sap from a tree and looking at Y/n sitting on a tree "Wh-what are you-?l
Cardin: "That's the girl. Red-haired know-it-all, thinks she's so smart. And that Y/n, Ugh he gets on my nerves, he thinks he can just beat up the legendary team CDRL and get away with it, I don't think so pretty boy" he grits his teeth. "Alright boys Last night, old Jaune here managed to round up an entire box of Rapier Wasps, and now, we're gonna put him to work."
Russel grabs Jaune by the shoulder, who barely laughs in nervousness.
Cardin: "Now, according to one of the essays you wrote for me last week, these nasty things loooove sweets." Pyrrha is then seen finishing her sap collection "I'm thinking it's time we teach them thing or two."
The members of CRDL get up. Cardin offers his hand to Jaune, only to painfully yank him up on his feet and shove the jar into his grasp.
Cardin: "And you're going to do it."
Jaune: "Do what?"
Cardin: "Hit them with the sap!" leans in close to Jaune's face "Either that, or I'll have a chat with Goodwitch, and you'll be on the first airship out of Beacon."
Jaune looks down at the jar of sap in his hands and then up at the four grinning teammates waiting to see what happens. Jaune turns towards the group and aims his throw at an oblivious and smiling Pyrrha, trying to steel his nerves and shaking hand to do the deed, but ultimately steels himself for what he's about to do.
Jaune: "No."
Cardin: "What did you say?"
Jaune:" I said NO!" He says gripping the jar tightly
He turns and throws the jar at Cardin, instantly recoiling his hands to himself as he looks at Cardin's breastplate covered in sap. The other team leader, however, just looks at himself and laughs darkly.
Cardin: "Oh, you've done it now..."
Jaune humorously laughs to himself once more with his hands still raised in an attempt for defense as Dove and Sky grab Jaune's shoulders and pull him in so his terrified eyes are the last thing to be seen.