Chapter 11

POV: Omniscient

Even more days later, in the JNPR common-room, the team was restless. Nora was jumping on her bed while Ren cleaned his gun for the 8th time that day. All the while, Pyrrha was angrily glaring out the window. Jaune was nowhere to be seen.

Nora: Man, Jaune sure does get back late, ever since he started talking to Cardin...

Ren: He has certainly made himself scarce.

Nora: Geez, doesn't he know we have a field trip tomorrow? We need our rest!

Nora flopped down on the bed as she said this. Silence filled the room. Suddenly, Pyrrha, who had become quite the quiet person after her conversation with Jaune, broke that silence.

Pyrrha: I'm sure our leader knows exactly what he's doing.

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Jaune sighed and moved away from the door. He leaned up against the wall, and slowly slid to the floor. He knew he was a terrible leader. He honestly, in the deepest part of his brain, hoped that Pyrrha would turn him in. He also got caught up in thought way too easily and didn't notice Ruby happily skipping down the hallway.

Ruby: Hey Jaune! Long time no see, huh?

Jaune: Uh, hi Ruby...

Ruby: Did you lock yourself out again? Your team could probably let you in if you knocked...

Jaune: N-not this time. I got my scroll right here!

Ruby: So... um... what are you doing out here, then?

Jaune: I've messed up. I said something I shouldn't have, and now Cardin has me on a leash. Pyrrha won't even speak to me. I'm starting to think... I don't belong here. Everyone here is so skilled. I'm just a failure-

Ruby: Nope!

Jaune: Excuse me?

Ruby: Nope!

Jaune: Nope?

Ruby: Jaune, you're a leader now. You can't be a failure.

Jaune: But what if I've failed at being a leader?

Ruby: Nope!

Jaune: You aren't exactly the easiest person to talk to about this, you know...

Ruby: Nope! Jaune, you may have been a failure when you were a kid. You might have even been a failure the first day we met. But you can't be a failure anymore. You know why?

Jaune: Uh, because-

Ruby: Because it isn't just about you anymore. You have a team now. We both do! And if we fail, we would just be bringing others down with us. Obviously, Ozpin thinks you can be the leader your team deserves. He did choose you, after all.

Jaune was silent. The silence was shattered by his scroll ringing loudly.

Ruby: I guess I'll leave you to it. Good night!

Jaune: Good night.

As soon as Ruby's door closed, Jaune opened his scroll and looked at the message he had gotten. It was from Cardin. It read:

Hey, it's your buddy Cardin!

I know you're probably busy with the last project I gave you, but I have another plan

I need a big box of Rapier Wasps

This is important, so don't mess it up

Jaune: This one's going to take all night...

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POV: Rocket

The next day, we were on the field trip. Jaune was carrying a big box, and all of the jars for his own team, and team CRDL. Glynda was walking ahead of us, briefing us on what we are about to start doing.

Glynda: You all will be collecting 1 jar each of the special sap that only appears here. It also tends to attract the Grimm, so be careful while collecting it. Well? Get to it!

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POV: Omniscient

Jaune, only barely able to stand, set down the 6 jars of sap. He collapsed to the ground, exhausted from the effort required to collect 6 jars all at once.

Jaune: I think I'm allergic to this stuff...

He heard an evil chuckle, and looked up to see Cardin smiling down at him.

Cardin: Very good, Jaune. Now, you might be wondering: 'Cardin, why did you make me collect 6 jars of sap, when there's only 5 of us'.

Jaune: That was one of the many questions running through my head...

Cardin: Follow me, and you will understand.

And with that, Cardin moved away. Jaune, after picking up the bottles again, ran after him. The woods around him thickened as they walked and he noticed that the path they were walking was the same one he had used to get to Cardin a few minutes ago. After a few minutes, Jaune heard chattering ahead of them. They came into a small clearing, with an almost wall-like rock facing at the other end. When he was on his tiptoes he could barely pear over its mossy surface. When he did look over it, he instantly saw team JNPR gathering sap around 30 feet away. Jaune could barely see the others gathering sap maybe 40 feet past them. He turned back to Cardin, who now had a devilish look on his face.

Jaune: Um, Cardin? What are you going to do?

Cardin: Payback.

Looking back at the group in front of him, Pyrrha had moved significantly closer to the rock that hid Jaune and Carding from them, now only 20 feet away at the most. The tree she had been gathering sap at had run out, and she had found a better supply in that unfortunate position, with her back towards Jaune.

Jaune: Against Pyrrha?

Cardin: That's the one! Redheaded know-it-all... She thinks she's so good. Well, we'll teach her a lesson.

He gave a quick hand signal, and Dove, who had been standing behind him as if at attention, handed him the buzzing box of wasps.

Cardin: You see, I needed this specific type of wasp for a reason. According to one of the essays you wrote for me, these wasps love sweets. And this sap is the perfect candidate. Just hit her with the jar, and the wasps will instantly be all over her.

Jaune: But-

Cardin: Oh, you'll do it. Or else I'll have a nice little chat with Goodwitch. And you will definitely be on the first bus out of Beacon.

Jaune looked down at the jar of sap in his hands; the weapon he now possessed. It's either her or him. Her future, or his possibility of one. He looked back over the rock at Pyrrha, who was still peacefully collecting sap. He moved his arm back and closed his eyes. He knew the shot was close enough that not even he could miss. He heard the buzzing in the box next to him. Just under that sound, he heard Pyrrha's humming. It was a familiar tune. The buzzing slightly crescendoed, the deadly racket completely covering her tune. Jaune's arm began to shake. He knew what he was going to do in his head. The motion was so simple. Now, he just had to act-

Jaune: No.

Cardin: What was that?

Jaune: I SAID NO!

Moving fast, knowing he would quickly lose the will to do it otherwise, he threw the jar straight at Cardin. That throw was, unfortunately, his only ever accurate throw. It hit Cardin square in the chest, splattering red sap all over his chest plate. Jaune brain could barely move to process the action he had just taken.

Slam

Cardin's punch sent Jaune spinning to the ground.

Cardin: You know that was a bad idea, Jauney boy. You've made me angry. And now, I'm going to make sure that they send you home to mommy in teeny tiny pieces.

With the last words, he picked Jaune up with one arm and slammed him into the rock. Jaune, once he recovered the ability to breathe, felt his feet struggling in midair.

Jaune: I... don't care... what you do to me... but I will not let you do anything to my team.

Cardin: Heh. You think talk like that makes you tough?

Smack

Cardin: Do you think you're tough now?

Smack

Cardin: News flash: It doesn't!

Cardin threw Jaune to the ground effortlessly. Jaune slowly stood up, knowing Cardin would be throwing a big one soon enough-

Slam

A white flash blind Jaune as Cardin backpedaled, off balance. He was clutching his hand. Jaune looked at himself and saw a white pulse glow around him for a second.

Jaune: My aura...?

He remembered Pyrrha's words, so many weeks ago.

Pyrrha: Aura is the manifestation of our soul. It protects us and bears our burdens.

Smack

The kick sent Jaune sprawling face first into the dirt.

Cardin: Alright, let's see how much of a man you really are.

Suddenly, they all heard a low rumble from the woods behind them. As they turned around the ground shook. A massive ursa lumbered out of the woods, its eyes fixed on Cardin. After all, Rapier wasps aren't the only creatures attracted to the red sap of Forever Fall. The group began running, but not fast enough. The beast swung it's arm at Cardin, launching him into the rock. Jaune hesitated, as Cardin pulled out his mace and was casually flung away. He hit the ground so hard that his mace spun out of his hand, rolling to a stop in front of Jaune. The others had already run away. He was the only one who could decide Cardin's fate.

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POV: Rocket

We had just found most of team JNPR to tell them it was time to go when I thought I heard the sound of breaking glass from behind a rock. I brushed it off as me imagining things, as I only barely heard it, with Ruby's endless dialogue drowned out almost everything else. Finally, as team JNPR was packing up, we all heard a roar from behind the rock, with team CRDL running out from behind the same.

Russel: Ursa, Ursa!

Nora: What?

He stopped, as he almost ran into Nora

Russel: Massive Ursa, back there! It got Cardin!

After that brief pause, he continued to run back towards the teachers. In a second Ruby's scythe was out.

Ruby: Yang, Blake, Ren, and Nora. You all go get a teacher. You guys will probably make it there faster than CRDL. Everyone else, follow me.

And so me, Weiss, Pyrrha, and Ruby ran over to save Cardin. We arrived at the scene with Cardin sprawled on the ground and Jaune facing the Ursa with his sword and shield at the ready.

Ruby: We need to go help him!

Pyrrha: Actually, I want to see how he handles this.

Weiss: WHAT?!

Jaune did not seem to be handling it well. He kept on rushing straight at the Ursa, and he kept getting knocked away. I noticed on Pyrrha's scroll that Jaune's aura was low. He went in for one last attack. The ursa's claws were about to hit him one last time. Pyrrha simply raised her hand. Her hand glowed black for a millisecond, and then Jaune's shield went up high enough to block the claws. Instead of the fatal blow, the claws bounced off his shield letting Jaune get close enough to behead the ursa. Jaune turned around and helped Cardin up.

Jaune: NEVER mess with my team.

Cardin just stood there stunned.

Ruby: What was THAT?!

Pyrrha: My semblance.

Ruby: What?

Pyrrha: You can burst into rose petals. Blake can clone herself. My semblance is Polarity.

Ruby: The ability to control poles?

Weiss: No, you dunce, in means she can control magnetism!

Ruby: Oh, that works too. We need to go tell a teacher!

Pyrrah: We could do that. Or, we could just keep this between us friends.

Ruby: Ok, that works too.

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POV: Omniscient

Jaune looked out at the city from the rooftop. He had already made sure Cardin's window was closed, for all the good that would do after the previous day. Now, Jaune could only wait to be expelled. He was so lost in thought, he didn't even notice Pyrrha come up behind him.

Pyrrha: No Cardin tonight? I thought you two were 'best buds' after all.

The toxicity in her voice stung, but Jaune knew he deserved every bit of it. And he also knew an apology was needed.

Jaune: Pyrrha, I'm sorry. I realize that I was a jerk. I mean, you were only trying to help and I just... had all this stupid macho stuff in my head... and, well-

Pyrrha: It's fine. What's done is done. But, you know, your team really misses their leader. You should come down sometime. Ren even made pancakes.

Pyrrha turned and began walking back towards the door, but Jaune still had one thing he needed.

Jaune: Pyrrha? I know I don't deserve it after everything I've done and everything I've said, but um... would you still be willing to train me?

Pyrrha stopped in her tracks, and it took everything she had to not let the goofy smile she could feel inside show through. She walked back over to Jaune and looked him in the eye for a second...

Then she kicked his feet out from under him.

Pyrrha: Your stance is all wrong. You need to keep your feet wider, and your center of mass should be closer to the ground.

She offered him a hand, letting that smile show only at the bare corners of her mouth.

Pyrrha: Let's try that again.