Chapter two and this one has a few more feels and sadtimes than the previous chapter, basically between Ruby and Weiss in this fic's version of Badge and Burden. A lot longer, but I think you guys will be fine with that, even if the next few ones are shorter or longer, depending on the topic matter. Hope you enjoy it.


A week had passed since the formation of Team JPWR and things were beginning to deteriorate for Weiss.

It had started out so well, despite the efforts of the Red Tyrant. A compromise on bed arrangements had been made, brought about by Jaune's fear of crushing someone, or being crushed himself, with a top bunk, wherein there was one bunk bed and the team would rotate beds each night. They agreed that it would prepare them for missions, where they may have to get used to lesser-quality beds, in the event that they weren't in the field but had to maintain cover.

Not even Jaune would buy that. Weiss admitted to herself, ready to think of where it all went wrong before Ruby cut her off.

"You don't respect me as a leader." Ruby said, in a tone that barely resembled her peppy self. They were in their dorm room and Weiss had been trying to work on her bit for JPWR's Grimm Studies' project and waiting for Pyrrha to get back from moulding Jaune into more than a sub-standard swordsman, when Ruby began insisting that she could help.

Attempts at polite dissuasion had failed miserably. Somehow, they made Ruby upset, rather than anything else.

"What are you talking about?" Weiss asked, trying to wave Ruby off with words alone, although it didn't stop her from glaring at her with defiance. The Schnee heiress could feel it, even from the other side of the room. "I give you all the respect someone in your position deserves. Pyrrha just has a better grip on the subject and we work better as a team on these p-"

"I'm your partner, not Pyrrha!" Ruby shouted, even if she sounded more frustrated than angry for some reason. "Why do you think she and Jaune are gone during these times? I asked Jaune to have more practices with Pyrrha so we can work as a team, instead of you just leaving me out in the cold." Ruby added, although she then moved to cover her mouth, as if trying to prevent more truths from pouring forth.

Weiss knew that there was a reason that the normally partner training-averse Jaune was eager to train with Pyrrha, but she had put it down to overconfidence being crushed by the sparring lessons. Seeing how Ruby had manipulated her own team like this just reminded Weiss of how young Ruby really was, to go to such measures just because she was jealous of the time Weiss and Pyrrha spent together. She's fifteen and inexperienced, such abuses of power should be expected.

"I do not leave you out in the cold. We've practised as a duo and a team numerous times, this week, and we sit together in most classes." Weiss said, trying to stay calm so that Ruby could see how childish she was being. It was the same in class, passing notes to Yang or taking up Jaune's already-small attention-span with her little antics.

If it wasn't for Pyrrha, Weiss wouldn't have made it passed the week.

"And with Pyrrha," Ruby replied, with more than a bit of grumbling. To Weiss, she resembled a child more than anything else. "I might as well be on the other side of the room, for all the times you listen to me."

"Should I just ignore her then?" Weiss asked, half-expecting Ruby to reply in the affirmative. "If it wasn't for her advice, that match with the Boarbatusk would have been drawn out for who knows how long."

I can't believe I forgot about its weak spot. It had been a great shame to Weiss' dignity that she allowed Ruby and Jaune's little chants to distract her from the task at hand, standing in stark constrat to Pyrrha's whisper before she prepared herself for the match against the Grimm.

"I gave that advice as well. You just ignored it, because it came from me." Ruby said, looking downcast and miserable. Spikes of pity went through Weiss' heart and she was going to apologise, mostly because she didn't want a crying Ruby to deal with, or a furious Yang rallying Team BRNY against her, only Ruby now looked angry. "As leader of Team JPWR, I'm ordering you to treat me like your teammate and partner, instead of some accident. As first part of that order, you're going to let me help you with our p-"

"Order?" Red flowed across the heiress' eyes, forcing hidden feelings out into the open. Weiss felt her hands throw themselves into the air, and her body soon began to enter an act of total surprise at Ruby's words, amazement oozing from each word. "My word! Is Ruby Rose going to act like a leader now? Could it be that she'll actually show a reason for her deserving to be leader above all others? Nope. It's just her using her authority to pretend that her little tantrum means something more than a brat playing at being a Huntress."

Ruby now looked wounded, a dog that had been struck. At another point, Weiss might have calmed down and talked things out, only she was now on a roll and couldn't stop herself, frustrations burst forth and now every feeling she had about the leadership of Team JPWR. She needs to hear this. The thought soon became justification for her ranting. It's for her own good, and for the team's good.

"For the past week, you've acted like this is a game! All the training schedules have been designed by either myself or Pyrrha, along with most of the study notes that you enjoy half-reading and half-drooling on, while you just resist anything that ruins your little fantasy world where we all pretend that there's no issue with your leadership. You've done nothing to reach this point. I've had to train day and night, balance out education, business and family to meet Beacon's standards, endure constant doubts about whether I can be a Huntress. Only to find that it's all apparently worthless when a child impresses Ozpin enough."

Memories came back to her, of when she first expressed interest in going to Beacon, rather than just learning self-defence, and the scorn with which her father had poured onto such ideas. Of when she wanted to be more than just a pretty face and voice for albums and PR campaigns against the White Fang and how no one believed that she could do such things. Of the aftermath from her battle with the Black Knight, how the doctors told her of how the wound would scar, destroying her facial symmetry, whilst her father just looked at her with the same neutral expression as always.

His words cut through her mind like ice.

Weiss, you can slay any beast. I don't see why you need to waste your time trying to go further, in the name of some misguided attempt to make a name for yourself.

You have ample time to pursue any interest you like, focusing all of your efforts on this little project neglects other horizons. A Schnee needs to be able to adapt, especially if she is truly unable to meet proper standards. Better to grow many plants, rather than obsess over a tree that may not even grow.

How exactly do you know that you won't just die by the third year? You couldn't even defeat the Black Knight without nearly losing an eye. I hope you don't intend for me to explain to Winter why her sister became half-blind, or worse, because you need some sort of validation from this.

Father had always doubted her, thought her dream of becoming a Huntress was a mere attempt at forging her own identity. It wasn't until visiting Huntsmen were comparing her to Signal and Sanctum students in her favour, claiming that she was at Beacon level, owing to her dedication, that the great Frost Schnee began to see her talent. Amongst all the offers for her to be a private student, a second-year student at certain institutions and even an offer from General Ironwood himself to give her the best training possible, Weiss remained focused on Beacon.

Her father wanted the best, so she strived to be the best of the best.

Only now it seemed that she was stuck in group politics, contending with a leader who had no idea what true leadership was. All Ruby seems dedicated to doing is fighting Grimm. A good fighter does not make a good leader. Therein lied the problem. Ruby was skilled with her Crescent Rose and in practical lessons, but all else seemed to rarely interest her.

"Weiss, I thought you said we could work well together." A meek voice said, almost sounding as if she was asking if she had been lied to. "That we could be a team."

The heiress had to be straightforward, sighing before talking. "Not when it's led by you. Frankly, we all deserve better." Deciding that she needed air, Weiss decided to have a walk before night engulfed Beacon.

Before she left, leaving the project half-done, Weiss turned to see Ruby's lips quivering, her stance looking defeated and crushed. She had gone from standing to sitting on the bed, not even trying to stop her partner from leaving. It felt wrong, seeing the girl who once took to whistle-blowing in the morning appear tired and weak, almost nearing tears from the harsh words smashed upon her without a care.

I used to be like that, where no one could see. The constant barrage of news about the death of uncles, aunts, friends and other faces she knew had damaged Weiss' ability to truly hope. When she was told of how Winter wouldn't be unable to come home due to some complication, she'd often cry, and she knew the feeling of having cold, cutting words aim to destroy your hopes. A sinking feeling reached her stomach, now fearing she damaged Ruby's self-confidence beyond repair.I'll let her down gently.

"It's not your fault, Ruby," The voice was gentle, but Ruby's reaction was sharp, a look of amazement and even hope shone from her eyes. "Your combat skills match anyone's here and you did earn your place at Beacon. It's just that Ozpin made a mistake, in judging your leadership skills."

Weiss didn't know if she said that to cheer Ruby up, or if it was just to settle the bad feeling she had. Either way, she left not knowing if it really helped Ruby and began to make the way outside, once more hoping that some fresh air might cool her head, after that unexpected argument between the two partners.

A gale of laughter wash over Weiss, making her turn to see that Team BRNY, a.k.a Burgundy, was the exact opposite of her and Ruby. Yang and Nora seemed to be smiling and joking about something, Blake kept a smile hidden from the book she was reading and Lie Ren was trying to convince the two to not break someone's legs, which worried Weiss somewhat. It was just this morning that both Team JWPR and BRNY were at the lunch table, enjoying each other's company.

We were happy as well. Weiss thought to herself, before realising the difference between the two. No, we just hid our worries under a guise of lies and self-deceit. We didn't have Blake as a leader. Quiet, skilled, intelligent.

Ruby, on the other hand, was a classic victim of the Peter Principle, a talented young star who was promoted too fast and ended up suffering for it. Her skill in combat was amazing for someone of her age, her uncle apparently teaching her, but it seemed that the lack of age meant that Ruby didn't have the proper maturity for leadership, to the detriment of Team JPWR.

I might have been a bit harsh. The poor girl might just be cracking under pressure. Being the youngest student in Beacon must have been hard, alongside having to be a leader and to also meet a sudden increase in workload compared to Signal. She must have thought Beacon would be a barrel of laughs, compared to the intense pressure of the combat exams, and the argument served as a harsh wake-up call.

Weiss decided to see Jaune and Pyrrha, partly to see their progress and partly to warn Pyrrha that she may start venting tomorrow when they practised together, so that there wouldn't be any misunderstandings over any emotional changes. They had to work out formations for their style imbalance.

Or rather, that's what Weiss would have done, were it not the sight of a nervous Ruby speaking with Professor Ozpin. The words 'leadership' and 'mistake' were the only ones Weiss could hear, before she decided to rush away, choosing to respect the privacy of both in whatever they were discussing.

Ruby might have been asking for Ozpin to find a replacement for her as leader. If that was the case, Weiss wondered if she misjudged Ruby, who seemed to have taken her words close to heart quickly, and decided that either Pyrrha or Weiss should be the new leader. No, it wouldn't likely be me. I think I was a bit too harsh to gain any recommendations from Ruby.

Still, it was sensible of Ruby Rose to take Weiss' words to heart, she shouldn't be feeling guilty for telling her harsh truths. Now Team Jasper could find a new purpose, Ruby would be able to put her talents to good use and they would be safely led by-

"-Jaune Arc?" Weiss asked, looking horrified at Professor Port.

She had run into him whilst fleeing from Ruby and Professor Ozpin and had taken the time to ask him about the project on drawing out and labelling the differences between the same species of Grimm, separated by five hundred years. Weiss was finding the whole thing interesting and decided that an experienced Huntsman would know what to do about Weiss' doubts about the leadership, after he noticed her clear discomfort and how two members of the team might have been better equipped to take on the task.

Only her concerns was swiped away and she was now finding out that, in the case of Ruby stepping down, Jaune would be made leader.

"Should I just cover myself with barbecue sauce and let the Grimm eat me now? Or should I wait with the rest of my team?" Weiss asked, now wondering if Ozpin was one of the few unfortunate souls to be a victim of dementia before he turned sixty-five.

"Child, your determination to allow a few innocent compliments from the lad distort your view of him is worrying." Professor Port's words might have had a great impact on Weiss had his attempts at covering up laughter not been so obvious. It was when he discussed Professor Ozpin's judgement, and Weiss' lack of faith in it, that he became serious. "I've known Professor Ozpin for decades now and he's never once led me astray."

"But-"

"In fact, we were going to make Mr Arc the leader, originally." Port's words had stunned Weiss into silence, wondering when she was going to see Yang and Blake dance their way towards the two of them. "Why do you think we named you Team JPWR?"

"Because the letters J, P, R and W don't mix well?" Weiss snapped.

Silence ruled the two, Professor Port's static expression making Weiss wonder if this had been the first time that Beacon's naming system had encountered such an issue. Unfortunately, Weiss was beginning to realise that Professor Port seemed the type to blindly obey such inane rules without a single word of protest.

"Regardless, I find your words worrying for a different reason." Port said, his voice now carrying more than a hint of reproach towards Weiss' conduct, for reasons she couldn't imagine. "How long did you believe that ignoring the leader of your team would work out? Did you think that seeing the structure as you prefer it, rather than how it is, would be sustainable?"

Anger made Weiss try to fight back against these accusations. "How-"

"I'd say I see a girl who refuses to shift her mind on anything, or anyone, once she has made a judgement, no matter what." Port's scolding seemed different from her father's, he seemed more disappointed in her, in comparison to a cold evaluation of what she had done wrong. "A trait that is admirable in small doses, when directed against injustice or focusing on moral righteous, but Professor Oobleck can tell you a few hundred stories on what happens to those who refuse to change their views. Your refusal to see your team leader as anything but a usurper of your destiny is one such example."

Weiss felt chastened. There were a fair few occasions where Ruby did try and focus in lessons, give Jaune advice about weapon maintenance and approaching Weiss about the two of them training together. On top of that, Pyrrha did seem confident in Ruby's abilities, whenever Weiss took it upon herself to complain about the two being passed over. Now, she was wondering if she would have accepted Pyrrha being team leader, had she the same skill and none of the name recognition and gained the leadership.

Or would Weiss have written her off as too weak to be a Huntress?

Whether he was noticing her thoughts or not, Professor Port carried on with his lecture. "Do you believe that crushing the self-belief of an aspiring Huntress is the proper way to manage a team when arguments start? That those in power would applaud a campaign to take control of a team, based on your own perception of what you deserve? That Ms Nikos, assuming she gained the leadership, would be grateful for your actions?"

His voice was barely different from when he was telling stories of his hunt for Grimm, but Weiss knew she was being scolded. It brought back memories of when she was starting her own training, a slight understanding of the risks, but it had been buried under a mountain of joy and excitement, a certainty that everything was going to be fun. It reminded her of how Team BRNY were acting before she encountered Professor Port, comfortable with each other's presence and a feeling of camaraderie about them, no question of how they worked well as a unit.

They're better together than us because they acknowledge each other's existence. Weiss admitted to herself, now looking to the ground in shame, realising how she must have sounded to Ruby, who only wanted to make the team work.

When did Weiss Schnee become her father?

"I see great potential in you, Ms Schnee. You could be a fine Huntress, but only if you stop thinking about being the best leader or wishing that things were different, and more on being the best person you can be and work to make the situation fair for all. Hone your skills, perfect every technique and help your leader become the ideal for your team, instead of replacing her with what you see as the ideal." Professor Port said, Weiss felt her spirits rise again, a new inspiration taking hold and lighting her up, even if evening was approaching.

"Thank you, Professor Port." She said with genuine appreciation, as she then turned to search for her partner. "I need to stop Ruby from making a terrible mistake."

"My dear child, night is approaching us now and Professor Ozpin rarely accepts such requests in great speed. Your dorm room may be the best place for such talks, I have faith in your ability to rally a team spirit." Port replied, nodding as he said those words.

Weiss gave a nod of her own and began to run as if her life depended on it, determined to make the most of her new purpose and make things up with her partner. From afar, towards their dorm room, Weiss saw the briefest flicker of red and bolted forward, determined to catch up to her in time, all the while listing a mantra in her mind. Alright, be the best person you can be, Weiss. The best person.

The evening was still early, meaning that there was still time to work on the Grimm Studies project together, if the two worked on half now and half tomorrow. Even then, Weiss had fallen behind on it, waiting for Pyrrha instead of using her own partner, so they were going to need coffee to function. Thankfully, coffee machines littered the campus for some strange reason, which Weiss now assumed was the universe rewarding her for her decision to make things right with her team leader.

A sudden realisation dampened Weiss' mood somewhat, as it became clear that she was going to have to tell her father about the team composition. By now, he'd be with Winter, but he would be in his special office tomorrow, which was just enough time for Weiss to use her Scroll to send a message to him about how Team JPWR was set up..

Just stay cool, Weiss. You lost ou-No. Weiss scolded herself harshly for what she was about to do. She wasn't going to adopt a negative mindset to this and she wasn't going to let negative thoughts about this rule her. She had to be the best person she could be and that meant acknowledging the talents of all the team. A prodigy who moved up two years was chosen to lead you, Pyrrha Nikos and an Arc.

Jaune's talent might have needed refinement, but his family had a history of being great Huntsmen for four generations, his great-grandfather having fought in the Faunus War and rescued General Lagume from captivity. Not only that, but his mother was distantly related to the de Rais line, known for their noble deeds over time. With Pyrrha as well, there was no way that her father could say that Weiss had failed in any way, if Ruby was judged as more fit for leadership than the three of them.

Speaking of those two, Weiss could see a slightly tired Pyrrha and exhausted Jaune heading to their dorm room as well, only the former seemed concerned with something. It was unlikely to be that, but Weiss soon realised that the time needed on the Grimm Studies project meant that she needed to cancel something she had arranged with Pyrrha, something that she hoped the prodigy would take well.

"Pyrrha," She called out, getting the two's attention, although they seemed confused with how apologetic she sounded. "I'm afraid I'll need to delay combat practise tomorrow. I couldn't find the time to finish my part of the project for Grimm Studies and Ruby offered to help, and I thought it would be a good thing for partners to-"

"I understand." Pyrrha said, raising a hand to silence Weiss. "We already booked the room though, so do you mind if I take Jaune instead?"

"What?" Jaune asked, looking shocked, but not upset, with Pyrrha's request.

"Of course, it's important for partners to spend time together. Builds up that team bond." Weiss replied, trying to sound as enthusiastic for the two as she could, in the hopes that the two would see how committed she was to building Team JPWR up.

"You seem different than before." Jaune said, looking confused with Weiss' change in attitude, before he looked far too confident for her liking. "You know, the Spruce Willis film isn't out yet, but if you wanted to see the new-"

Best person, best person. Weiss' mental mantra managed to drown out the inspid offer she was being given, even Pyrrha looking a bit sad for Weiss, until the petite rapier-wielder noticed a rather important tool missing. "Where's Crocea Mors?"

Jaune's face turned as white as Weiss' dress. "Oh no." He murmured to himself, before he rushed back the way the two had came, screaming from the top of his very lungs. "Professor Goodwitch! I need to be let back into Training Room 5!"

"Jaune, wait! It's Training Room 4 that we last practised in!" Pyrrha called out, moving toward him, only to turn back to Weiss. "Do you-"

"Of course not, go right ahead." Weiss realised that a screaming Jaune Arc was not something people would welcome, and that Pyrrha would be necessary to justify Professor Goodwitch not leaving Jaune out to dry for his own forgetful memory. All for the good of the team.

Pyrrha seemed thankful, from the few seconds worth of an expression Weiss saw, before she quickly ran after Jaune and left the Schnee's sight. The team atmosphere was already lightening up, or rather Weiss was less likely to mope around about the leadership, and it made everything seem far more relaxed and steady, compared to the slow-burning tension of the past.

How much of that was in the team and how much was just Weiss was a fair question to ask.

Entering the building containing her dorm room, Weiss managed to find the ground floor coffee machine, only to see Yang Xiao Long panicking in front of it. Deciding to be friendly, Weiss gave a gentle wave to Yang, who seemed to see Weiss' arrival as some sort of blessing, as a welcome change to their usual dialogue.

"Yang, I don't suppose you know if that machine still has enough sugar in it?" Weiss asked, even if she began to doubt if the machine still worked. It looked as if someone had hit it, or chose to press the buttons too many times, and the poor thing seemed to be on the fritz. Judging from Yang's presence, it seemed to be that Team BRNY had already taken their fair share of coffee, before it would be replaced in the morning. Nora, Devourer of Sugar and Caffeine had struck again, it seemed.

Say what you will about Team CRDL, they gave the Rules of Coffee Etiquette the deference it deserved, in contrast to the anarchy that was Nora Valkyrie.

"I don't know. This scrap of junk keeps flashing lights at me. Ugh, why did Blake and Ren leave me to do this?" Yang asked, probably to no one, only for Weiss to take it upon herself to try and help Ruby's sister figure out how the machine worked.

"That's a Schnee Coffee Machine." Weiss pointed to the flashing white circle, indicating sugar, placed just above the flashing brown circle to signify caffeine and next to the blue circle screen that read '20%', the blue standing for water. "They flash if you take more than double the recommended amount of caffeine or sugar. Just press it and they'll stop."

"Oh. I hadn't thought of that." Yang said, pressing the white and brown buttons, thus bringing peace and quiet to the room, and leaving the two of them in an awkward silence. "By junk, I meant not-junk." She explained, desperately trying to cover up her tracks.

"I know. The machine isn't as simple as I made it out to be, by the way. The mechanism involved in measuring the amount of sugar and caffeine inside is actually one of the more complex parts of the Schnee product line, including-"

"It has four sugars." Yang responded, interrupting Weiss's sales pitch. "Now that I know the machine isn't going to blow up, no thanks to Nora," Yang grumbled, Weiss giving all the sympathy that she could, before the blonde made to leave the room, waving her farewell to the Schnee. "I'll let you make the apology coffee."

Weiss Schnee did not blush or stutter. She was merely taken by surprise by how quick Yang was to the punch. "How did you-"

"You're being nice. Either the world's about to end or you removed the stick in your butt and decided to accept the fact that Ruby exists." Yang sounded serious as she spoke, Ruby having probably come to her sister for comfort before, to Weiss' shame. Her open look of repentance might have been what made Yang sound friendly again. "Ah, it's alright. Just make sure you don't let Myrtenaster get up there again, I might start to like this new you, rather than you being full of Schneet."

Be the best person. Murdering your partner's older sister is not something the best person would do. Weiss kept her breath steady and maintained a positive image, even if she was now imaging Yang's body with a few more holes in it, leaving her without the ability to make absolutely inappropriate puns.

It was best to look on the bright side. No one was probably going for coffee in the middle of the night, and four pieces of sugar should be ample enough for even Ruby Rose.

The past week had been awkward and filled with denial and simmering tensions, because of Weiss, and she intended to make the next four years the exact opposite. She and Ruby were going to be the best partners ever, Team Jasper would be recorded as amongst the finest teams to grace Beacon Academy and Weiss Schnee would ensure that she was the best teammate possible.

First things first, she had to take Ruby's coffee order, if she was still up for working with Weiss on their Grimm Studies project. Hopefully, that girl's endless supply of joy and happiness was enough to forgive Weiss for what she told the younger girl earlier.

Four sugars is enough for an apology coffee, right? She asked her own mind. Of course it was. Who needs more than four?