In the Beacon Academy student dorms, Pyrrha looks out the window sadly as Ren loads StormFlower, and Nora jumps on her bed in the room for Team JNPR.
"How come Jaune gets home so late?" Nora questions innocently.
"He's become rather scarce since he started fraternizing with Cardin," Ren states.
"That's weird... Doesn't he know we have a field trip tomorrow? We need our rest!" Nora proclaims this while twirling in midair so her back hits the covers.
Pyrrha angrily states, "I'm sure our leader knows exactly what he's doing,"
Nora and Ren exchange glances, not knowing that Jaune himself is looking in through the crack of the door.
"Mmmm... I guess so,"
Jaune hangs his head and closes the door, just as a voice interrupts his thoughts.
"Hey, Jaune!" Jaune startled turns around to see Ruby in pajamas and holding the most recent spoils of her cookie crimes, and she giggles at his reaction. "Long time, no see! Did you lock yourself out again?"
"Oh, uh, nope!" Jaune raises his Scroll, attempting to laugh, "Got it! wait... what's the bag for? It smells amazing,"
"Uhh don't worry about that...So! Where have you been lately?"
"I, uh..." Jaune tries to come up with something, but just 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 breathes heavily through his nose, "I'm starting to think coming to this school was a bad idea," Jaune presses his back to his team's door and slides down to the floor depressed, "I'm a failure,"
"Nope!"
Jaune looks at her surprised, "'Nope?'"
"Nope! You're a leader now, Jaune. You're not allowed to be a failure."
"But... what if I'm a failure at being a leader?"
Ruby thinks for a moment, then gives her answer, "Nope!"
Jaune laughs as she joins him on the floor, "You know, you're not the easiest person to talk to about this kind of stuff."
"Nope!" Jaune leans into the door some more, "Jaune, maybe you were a failure when you were a kid..." Jaune groans and sinks lower to the ground, "...and you might've even been a failure the first day we met!" he groans and goes lower, "But, you can't be one now. You know why?"
"Uhhh, because...?"
"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 places 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 walks over to her door and opens it as Jaune, now slightly inspired by her words, watches her wave, Have a good night, Jaune!" She goes inside.
With new energy, Jaune pushes himself off the ground and faces the door, ready to turn the knob and face his team, but his Scroll beeps and he pulls it off of his side to open it, seeing Cardin's contact relaying a message.
"Hey! 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." Jaune makes a terrified sound in response, "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 before he hears something from down the hall.
MY COOOKIES!!!??!!
Jaune quickens his pace fearfully not wanting to be on the receiving end of that rage. __________________________________________________
In a forest bustling with red leaves and gray trunks is seen as the camera descends and shows Glynda leading teams RWBY, JNPR, BURN, and CRDL through the area.
Glynda says to the group, "Yes, students, the forest of Forever Fall is indeed beautiful. But we are not here to sightsee. 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 eight 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 still instructs her group, holding up a full jar of their objective, "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 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!"
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.
Bryce notices what's going on, disappointed in Jaune before getting pulled along by his hood by Reina, "C'mon I will not get a bad grade because of you spacing out.
Ulrick was munching on cookies that Bryce made this morning while staying vigilant with Nyx by his side along with Natalia.
______________________________________________
Team CRDL is making themselves as comfortable as possible by leaning on stones, trees, and the ground while Jaune returns to the group with eight 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 states
Jaune still on the ground, going cross-eyed and sounding dizzy, "I think I'm allergic to this stuff..."
"Greeeeat, great, great. So, Jaune, I bet you're asking yourself, 'Why did my buddy Cardin ask me to collect eight 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."
As Jaune sits up Cardin commands him, "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 - peek their heads over the crest and watch as everyone retrieves 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.
Ulrick decides to copy Nora tasting the sap with his cookies before going starry-eyed, "Bryce you need to take some of this stuff back and make it into a jam with your cooking skill we may have found another culinary breakthrough."
The rest of Team BURN laughs at Ulrick's brain blast moment, "Sure dude I'll think about it but I think it's time you lay off the cookies or you're going to go out of shape."
"How could you say such a thing I'm a Grey Wolf Faunus, I have a high Metabolism," Ulrick stated proudly.
Bryce looked at Reina with a Deadpan expression, "Reina fact check that,"
"Sorry no service out here, but it may be true," The silverette shrugged.
"Alright, guys let's not bully Ulrick any longer you two," Natalia chimed in rushing to Ulrick's aid.
"Thank you, Natalia, finally a voice of reason." Ulrick's ears perked up.
"Buuut it would be best if you had a more balanced diet, I mean it's concerning you treat Bryce's cookies like they are drugs."
"Have you tasted them, I'm positive they're the best cookies in the world." Ulrick proclaimed.
"As much as I don't want to stroke our leader's ego, He is supernaturally gifted in the Kitchen." Reina sighed.
"Love ya to Maverick my ego appreciates your praise." Bryce teased.
Reina cringed, "Yeah nope still hate it."
Team BURN started laughing at each other's antics while they collected their sap showing their growing bond since the school year started.
Back with Jaune and the cuck squad-
Jaune turns to his left, "Cardin, wh-what's going on?"
Cardin still staring at the unsuspecting group sharply, "Payback."
Jaune widens his eyes in understanding, "Pyrrha...?" He watches her gather more sap from a tree, "Wh-what are you-?"
Cardin pounds his fist on the ground, "Not just her, Pretty boy Rosfield and his dog as well. Alright, boys..." Cardin pulls 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. 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 states.
"Do what?" Jaune asks
"Hit them with the sap!" he 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."
"What did you say?" Cardin says confused.
Jaune grips 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 says angrily.
Jaune humorously laughs to himself once more with his hands still raised in an attempt for defense as Cardin's lackeys grab Jaune's shoulders pushing him to the ground. Jaune groans as he looks up and sees 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 picks up a bruised Jaune again while the rest of Team CRDL watches, "I'm gonna make sure they send you back to mommy in teeny tiny pieces,"
Jaune's head hangs back, "I don't care what you do to me..." He looks at Cardin with fury, "... but you are not messing with my team or friends,"
Cardin looks momentarily shocked, "What? You think talk like that makes you tough? 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 before Cardin cries 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, though, 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..." Cardin states.
Just as he 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!"
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 as it towers over Cardin, who pulls out his mace 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, BURN, and JNPR, still collecting sap on the other side of the forest.
Ruby gets up, concerned, "Did you guys hear that?"
"Yep." Bryce bluntly stated.
Suddenly, the remaining members of Team CRDL are seen running the other way from the roar into the other students.
Russel looks back, "Ursa! Ursa!" He runs into Yang accidentally.
"What?!" Yang was completely unfazed by his collision, she picked him up by the front of his shirt, "Where?"
Russel struggles still running in the air but, points back from where they came, "Back there! It's got Cardin!"
Pyrrha drops her jar of sap, "Jaune!"
"Yang! You and Blake, go get Professor Goodwitch!" Yang drops Russel, she and Blake nod before following the orders.
Pyrrha says to Ren and Nora as she and Ruby activate their weapons, "You two, go with them! There could be more!"
"Need a perimeter sweep go Nat and Ulrick." Bryce commands.
"Right!" Ulrick fuses with Nyx turning into the large wolf made of black miasma before Natalia hops on Ulrick's back.
They speed off into the woods.
_____________________________________________
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 panics.
Pyrrha, Ruby, Weiss, Bryce, and Reina come onto the scene, Pyrrha says, "Oh, no!"
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 and Bryce prepare their weapons to go help.
Pyrrha says to both of them, "Wait!"
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 is immediately back on his feet and passes 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.
As Pyrrha's hand stops glowing Ruby says, "Uhhh... What?"
Weiss looked equally amazed, "How did you...?"
"Ah, that's your semblance," Bryce states.
"Well, Ruby has her speed, Reina has her Ice constructs, and you have your glyphs. My Semblance is polarity."
"Whoa, you can control poles..."
Bryce and Reina both facepalm at this.
Weiss annoyed says, "No, you dunce! It means she has control over magnetism!"
Ruby still impressed, whispered, "Magnets are cool, too..."
Weiss notices Pyrrha start to leave, "Wait, where are you going?"
"Yeah! We gotta tell them what happened!" Ruby chimed in.
"We could... Or perhaps we could keep it our little secret?" Pyrrha walks away again as the group smiles 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 says in shock.
Jaune threatens, "Don't ever mess with my team - my friends - ever again, "Jaune stares 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.
____________________________________________
Later that night, on top of the dorm building, a uniformed Jaune stands on the edge and looks into the distance at the green lights of Beacon.
"No Cardin tonight?" Pyrrha asked walking to his side, "I thought you two were best buds."
Jaune turns to her, "Pyrrha... I'm sorry. I was a jerk! You were only trying to be nice, and... I had all this stupid macho stuff in my head-"
"Jaune! It's okay!" They smile at one another, she adds, "Your team really misses their leader, you know," she begins to walk to the exit, "You should come down! Ren made pancakes! No syrup, though - you can thank Nora for that!"
Jaune smiles, but holds out his hand and calls out, "Wait!" Pyrrha turns around, and Jaune looks sheepish, I know I don't deserve it after all that happened, but... would you still be willing to help me... to help me become a better fighter?"
Pyrrha turns around so a worried Jaune won't see her satisfied smile. She goes up to Jaune and suddenly pushes her leader to the ground.
Jaune whining, "Hey!"
Pyrrha standing over him with her arms on her hips and an evaluating tone, "Your stance is all wrong. You need to be wider and lower to the ground," she offers him her hand, which he graciously accepts, and they continue to hold on to and grin at each other, "Let's try that again but this time you can come out Bryce,"
"Bryce?" Jaune questions.
Pyrrha smiles as Bryce walks onto the roof clapping his hands, "Glad to see you two make up."
"Uh, Pyrrha what's Bryce doing here?"
"He's an experienced Swordsman so he's also here to help along with other things."
Jaune gulps fearfully causing Bryce to chuckle whipping a tear from his eye, "Don't worry Jaune we'll make a man out of you."
"Why do I feel like hell is coming my way..." Jaune sweated a bit.
"Because it is now let's get started on your long journey young grasshopper because we have a long road ahead of us."
Jaune being trained by two prodigies what could possibly go wrong?
__________________________________________________________________