No One's Pov
A forest bustling with red leaves and gray trunks is seen as the camera descends and shows Glynda leading teams RWBY, JNPR, and CRDL through the area.
"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." Glynda said to the group.
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.
"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!" Glynda said, still instructing her group, holding up a full jar of their objective
While Yang Xiao Long and her sister smile at one another then Ruby smile at Kanji who smiles back, Jaune attempts to noisily sneak away from Cardin to his team, but the blackmailer sees this and grabs Jaune by the back.
"Come on, buddy - let's go!" Cardin orders.
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.
"Hey, great work, Jauney boy! Now that wasn't too hard, was it?" Cardin asked.
Jaune was still on the ground, cross-eyed and sounding dizzy. "I think I'm allergic to this stuff…"
"Greeeeat, great, great. Cardin said. "So, Jaune, I bet you're asking yourself, 'Why did my buddy Cardin ask me to collect six jars of tree sap when there's only five of us?'
Jaune nodded, still exhausted. "That is one of the many questions I have asked myself today, yes."
"Well, come with me, and you'll find out."
Jaune moans and 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.
Jaune then turned to his left. Cardin, "wh-what's going on?"
Cardin was still staring at the unsuspecting group sharply. "Payback."
Jaune widens his eyes in understanding.
Pyrrha… Kanji? " He asked as he watched her gather more sap from a tree, and Kanji and Ruby shared a laugh. "Wh-what are you -?"
Cardin pounds his fist on the ground. "That's the girl and freak. Red-haired know-it-all thinks she's so smart and that freak thinks he is top dog Alright, boys... " They pull out a buzzing cardboard box with a large "W" written on its sides. "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.
'Now, according to one of the essays you wrote for me last week, these nasty things loooove sweets. Pyrrha and Kanji are seen finishing their sap collection. "I'm thinking it's time we teach them a 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.
"And you're gonna do it." Cardin said
"Do what?" Jaune asked.
"Hit them with the sap!" Cardin orders then 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.
"No." Jaune said.
"What did you say?" Cardin asked
Jaune was gripping the jar tightly. "I said... NO!"
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.
"Oh, you've done it now…" Cardin said.
Jaune humorously laughs to himself once more with his hands still raised in an attempt for defense as Dove Bronzewing and Sky Lark grab Jaune's shoulders and pull him in.
Jaune was groaning as he looked up and saw a sap-covered Cardin looming over him. The bigger warrior picks Jaune up by his front and grins while punching him back to the ground.
"You know that wasn't very smart, Jauney boy. Cardin said as he picked up a bruised Jaune again while the rest of Team CRDL watched. "I'm gonna make sure they send you back to Mommy in teeny tiny pieces."
Jaune's head was hanging back. "I don't care what you do to me... " Jaune said as he looked at Cardin with fury. " ... but you are not messing with my team."
Cardin was looking momentarily shocked. "What? You think talking like that makes you think. Do you think you're a big, strong man now?"
Jaune smiles in defiance. An enraged Cardin roars and raises his fist again, but just as the hit connects, a bright light shines from Jaune, and when the white fades from the screen, Cardin is crying out in pain as he holds his hand. Jaune, now back on the ground but completely healed, looks confusedly at his hands as they faintly glow white. While he stares, Sky Lark kicks Jaune in the back and gets him on his stomach, but he looks up and glares at the approaching Cardin.
"Let's see how much of a man you really are…" Just as Cardin was about to says this, a low growl is heard, and a surprised Team CRDL turns around and sees a large paw crash onto the scene, belonging to a huge Ursa Major with dozens of jagged spikes sticking out from its wide back. It leaps forward and stands over the terrified students, lifting its head in the air to smell the sap on Cardin's breastplate. It lands back on its forelegs and roars at Cardin while his teammates heroically flee.
"That's a big Ursa!" Russel said.
Cardin is rooted to the spot when the Grimm swings its claws and knocks him sideways, revealing Jaune cowering behind him. The Ursa continues to sniff, uninterested in Jaune and following its nose to Cardin. He watches at it towers over Cardin, who gets his wits and pulls out The Executioner only for the monster to swipe it away to Jaune's feet. He looks conflicted, wondering whether to fight or run away.
Meanwhile, the roar of the giant Ursa is heard by the members of Teams RWBY and JNPR, still collecting sap on the other side of the forest.
Ruby was getting up, concerned. "Did you guys hear that?"
"Yeah." Kanji answered.
Suddenly, the remaining members of Team CRDL are seen running the other way from the roar through the other students.
Russel was looking back. "Ursa! Ursa! he runs into Yang accidentally.
"What?!" Yang asks, completely unfazed by his collision. She picks him up by the front of his shirt. "Where?"
Russel was struggling and still running in the air but pointed back from where they came. "Back there! It's got Cardin!"
Pyrrha dropped her jar of sap. "Jaune!"
Ruby was going into leader mode. "Yang! You and Blake, go get Professor Goodwitch!" Yang drops Russel, both Yang and Blake nod before following the orders.
"You two, go with them! There could be more!" Pyrrha said to Lie Ren and Nora Valkyrie as she and Ruby activate their weapons
Cardin is attempting to run from the following Ursa, but it leaps over its prey and claws him away. He tries to get up and crawl away.
"Crap! Crap, crap!" Cardin yelled.
"Oh, no!" Pyrrha said as she, Ruby, Weiss, and Kanji, came on to the scene
"Let the Ursa have him one less dumbass to worry about." Kanji said.
They watch as the Ursa leans over the helpless victim, raising its paw and swiping it down... only to be blocked by Jaune's shield, Crocea Mors. He struggles to defend a stunned Cardin from its attempts to lean on him, but Weiss lifts Myrtenaster as she prepares to go help.
"Wait!" Pyrrha called out to Weiss.
Jaune takes the shield out from the Ursa's paw and slashes at its stomach, causing it to lash out and try to crush him. He rolls out of the way and jumps over its swipe at his feet, but he is unprepared for when it launches a claw at him in midair. He lands far away, yet he is immediately back on his feet and passing Cardin as he charges again. The Ursa knocks Jaune behind it when he tries for a leaping attack, and he looks at the Scroll in his shield to find out that his Aura level is in the red. He grows angry again and starts to run at the Ursa as it also begins to dash towards him.
As they are just about to clash in slow-motion, Pyrrha sees that Jaune has left himself completely open to the Ursa's attack, and lifts her hand out to him, gathering dark red energy in her arm. Just as the Ursa is about to hit him, the glow surrounds Jaune's shield and makes it lift up to block the swipe. Jaune uses the surprise defensive move to lean on the ground, push his shield back up, and swing his blade right through the Ursa's neck. The head falls to the ground as the body slams onto the ground.
"Uhhh... What?" Ruby asked as Pyrrha's hand stopped glowing, and she smiled."
Weiss was equally amazed. "How did you...?"
"Well, Ruby has her speed, You have your glyphs, Kanji has his abilities, my Semblance is polarity." Pyrrha explained.
"Whoa, you can control poles…" Ruby replied.
"Awesome." Kanji replied.
"No, you dunce! It means she has control over magnetism!" Weiss corrected.
Ruby was still impressed, whispering. "Magnets are cool, too…" While Kanji nodded.
Weiss then notices Pyrrha start to leave. "Wait, where are you going?"
"Yeah! We gotta tell them what happened!" Ruby said.
"We could... Or perhaps we could keep it our little secret?" Pyrrha asks as she walks away again as Ruby, Weiss, and Kanji smile at each other in understanding, and a bruised Jaune sheathes his weapon before going over to Cardin
Cardin, still covered in sap, looks up at Jaune as his savior offers a hand. Cardin smiles as he takes it and is lifted back up on his feet.
" Holy crap, Jaune!" Cardin said in surprise.
"Don't ever mess with my team - my friends - ever again." Jaune said threateningly as he stared Cardin dead in the eye. "Got it?"
Cardin looks intimidated, possibly even apologetic. With his order spoken, Jaune turns and walks away from a frozen Cardin, then Kanji glares at him, his eyes glowing blue, and he walks away.