A/N: Sorry it took so long as a reward for your patience. An extra-long chapter enjoy.
RWBY belongs to Roosterteeth and the late Monty Oum.
Chapter 11: Leadership Issues
Slade noticed during all this Weiss kept glancing at Ruby seeming perturbed by something. 'Well I might try and figure something out to help them get over this before it blows up in everyone's faces.' Slade thought as the group made their way to Professor Port's class.
The group of teens walked into their last class of the day discussing what the teacher might be like, Slade putting in very little to the conversation due to his previous experiences with the professor in question. Blake turned to him over her book, "Slade, you mentioned earlier that you knew quite a few of the teachers here at Beacon. Do you have any idea what Professor Port is like, or what we can expect?"
"Well," Slade rubs his chin thoughtfully as they all sit down taking a seat between Weiss and Yang as had become the teams pattern throughout the day, "He knows his stuff and is a great Huntsman. Just know he can get carried away sometimes, pay attention and you will do fine in his class."
Just as Slade finished saying this a heavy-set man walked in to the classroom from a door at the front. "Hello, ladies and gentlemen I am Professor Port. I will be teaching you about Monsters, Demons, Prowlers of the Night, yes, the creatures of Grimm have many names, but I merely refer to them as Prey…." Slade began to tune Port out at this point knowing he was going to launch into one his stories soon. The wolf faunus did notice the professor tried to give a flirty look to Yang to which he suppressed a laugh. Slade also noticed that Ruby seemed to be falling asleep already.
He reached around the heiress sitting next to him and poked the diminutive reaper causing her to jump he mouthed, 'Stay awake,' and she nodded and started doodling to help herself not fall asleep. Slade laid his head on his crossed arms while staring absently towards the front of the class. He was studying the drawing of a Nevermore on the front board when he heard Ruby blow a raspberry to his left he looked and saw a cartoonish drawing of Port. The picture shown as basically a giant circle with stink lines coming off him, the picture was enough to get Slade and Yang laughing, although it obviously was not that amusing to Weiss who just scowled at the picture.
The professor cleared his throat at the disruption, and once the two offenders had silenced themselves he continued. Slade only half payed attention as the professor finished off his story barely noticing that his white-haired partner was shaking beside him for some reason, and only cared when she shouted, "I do, sir!" beside him making him jump and restrain his reflexes to knock her out for startling him. "Ow, my ears."
Port ignored the assassin's outburst and moved on, "Well then step up and face your opponent." He gestured towards a cage at the side of the classroom that was shaking and grunts could be heard from the inside.
Weiss went to locker room to change and grab her weapon. When she returned Slade sat back up to pay attention to the fight. "Well let's see how she does," he said watching as Weiss took her stance.
"Goooo Weiss," Yang cheered pumping her fist.
"Fight well," Blake said waving a little flag that had the team's name on it.
"Yeah, represent team RWWBY!" Ruby exclaimed throwing both fists in the air.
"Ruby! I'm trying to focus." Weiss snapped towards the young leader.
'Ok that settles it I'm going to have a talk with these two after class.' Slade thought as Port brought his axe up and cut the lock off the cage at the side of the class room.
A Boarbatusk charged of the cage once it caught sight of the heiress standing in the center of the class. Weiss side-stepped and slashed at the side of the Grimm hog to no effect. The beast turned around to face the huntress and paused for but a moment. Port chuckled abit, "Weren't expecting that now, were you?"
"Hang in there, Weiss," Ruby cheered on her partner.
"Surely you know about its weakness, Princess." Slade muttered to himself watching as the two combatants charged each other. The Boar tilted its head to intercept the incoming rapier, causing the blade to glance off the face plate and then it twisted its head to catch Weiss sword between its tusk. The white-haired girl managed to maintain a grip on her weapon of choice and flipped to cancel her momentum while trying to free Mrytenaster from Boars the grasp.
"Come on, Weiss, show it who's boss." Ruby shouted trying to offer more encouragement.
Weiss turned towards Ruby giving the boar just enough time to rip her weapon away from her grip and throw her away. "Oh-ho, now what will you do without your weapon?" the professor asks waiting to see Weiss response.
Weiss looks up from where she fell to see the Boar charging her. She somersaults out of the way and sprints to her sword sliding to a stop and grabbing her weapon as she faces her opponent in a kneeling position.
"Weiss go for belly there is no armor underneath," Ruby shouts trying to help her partner.
"STOP TELLING ME WHAT TO DO!" Weiss shouts back.
"Sorry," Ruby mutters shrinking in on herself.
"Not cool, Weiss," Slade says stonily noting that he needs to have a talk with his partners before this tension can get out of hand.
The Boarbatusk had recover from its impact with the wall after missing Weiss and jumped in the air to start spinning. Once it hit the ground it shot off towards Weiss intent on flatting her under its charge. Weiss realizing that she needed to end this fight quickly projected a glyph in front of her to block the Grimm's charge and another behind and above her. The first glyph stopped the rolling hog flipping it on its back. Once that was done she jumped on the glyph behind her and propelled herself down at the beast piercing its underbelly before it could recover.
'She ended up taking Ruby's advice. All the more reason to nip this in the bud before it gets out of hand,' Slade thought as he watched the Grimm dissipate. Weiss withdrew her weapon from the beast body a stood tall appearing to give off an air of ease. Anyone looking close enough though would notice her heavy breathing and slight shake of her hand due to adrenaline. Slade noticed these and made a mental note to help Weiss with her stamina, if she would let him that is.
"Bravo, it appears that we are in the presence of a true huntress-in-training," Port proclaimed to the class, "I'm afraid that's all the time we have for today. Be sure to cover the assigned readings, and remember stay vigilant. Class dismissed."
Weiss straightened up more (if that's even possible) a stormed out of the room. 'Now would be an appropriate time to handle this.' Slade thought a stood to follow her.
'Yeah, let's put her in her place,' Shadow whispered in Slade's mind.
'Not now Shadow I don't have time for you,' Slade snarked back to the voice in his head. Slade turned to his team leader as he walked, "Come on, Ruby, let's go handle the Princess."
When the two catch up with their partner she is rounding the corner in one of Beacons many hallways.
"Weiss!" Ruby shouts.
"What!" the heiress says harshly.
"What is wrong with you? Why are you being…" Ruby starts only to be interrupted.
"What's wrong with me? What's wrong with you? You're supposed to be a leader and all you've been is a nuisance." Weiss shoots back.
"What did Ruby do to you Weiss?" Slade enters the conversation trying to deflect Weiss rage to himself.
"That's just it she has done nothing to earn her position," Weiss turns back to Ruby. "Back in the forest you acted like a child and you have only continued to do so."
"Weiss, where is this coming from? What happened to all the talk of working together? I thought you believed in working as a team." Ruby seemed to deflate while saying this.
"Not a team led by you. I've studied, and trained, and quite frankly I deserve better." Weiss turned to walk away after this only to feel a large hand grip her shoulder. She spun around ready to lash out at the wolf faunus she knew had grabbed her. That is until she saw his expression. The look Slade was giving her could have sent most people running, but Weiss was frozen on the spot.
"You're right you know. You don't deserve Ruby as a team leader." Weiss thought she had won over the assassin until he started speaking again, "she is far too good a person to be held back by your over pompous attitude. Honestly when I met you I hoped you were more like your sister. I could work with that and we could even be friends. You've proven me wrong. You are acting to much like your father so unless you plan on changing your outlook a little, talk to Ozpin about getting off our team." Slade turned around and pulled Ruby behind him, "if you want to try and be better than him we will see you later, if not, oh well, I don't care. Bye, Ice Princess." With that Slade and Ruby left Weiss to reconsider her actions.
After they had walked for a minute Ruby looked at Slade, "why did you do that?"
"Better she hear it from me than someone who wouldn't try to help," Slade said without missing a beat. He looked at Ruby and saw her confused look so he started to explain. "If she decides to rethink her stance on you be our leader I'll be more than willing to be gentler in my approach when I correct her. If she refuses to try and accept that Oz made you our team leader then at the very least her and myself are going to butt heads. A team at odds is a weak team and a weak team is a team that gets killed."
"In other words, you are trying to get through to her now before this destroys our team." Ruby ponders.
"Yes and no," Slade sighs, "What she said was too much of her letting her pride control her, she should have tried to talk to you instead or blowing up like that. Although I do agree with her on one thing."
"And what would that be?" Ruby asked thinking the giant of a man was about to insult her even more.
"You do act a lot like a child, Red." Slade said a teasing smile creeping across his face. "Are you sure you are old enough to be here?"
Ruby puffed out her cheeks and crossed her arms, "Not my fault I got moved ahead two years."
Slade laughed at the look, "Come on Ruby, let's get back to the dorm. Besides you are an awesome leader, after all, I've never seen anyone decapitate a Nevermore like that."
Weiss was walking the halls of Beacon the sun had gone down hours ago and she had been thinking about what Slade had said to her as well as her conversation with Professor Port after Slade had dragged Ruby away earlier. She had decided to give Ruby a chance and had resolved to try and be a better friend to her younger partner. The heiress was still up in the air on her faunus partner, he had insulted her harshly. Not that she could say she didn't deserve it after the way she had treated her leader. 'I need to apologize above anything else,' Weiss thought to herself as she reached her dorm's door. When she opened it, she walked in and noticed Slade was standing in the corner donning his full combat attire. "What are you...?"
"Getting ready for work, if you are looking for Ruby I think she passed out while studying." Slade answered putting on his gloves and picking up his arm plates.
"Look I'm sorry for…"
"Let me stop you there Princess. It is Ruby you need to talk to not me, ok. As long as you two are good, you and I are good." Slade sat in a chair to put on his shin guards.
Weiss nodded her head and turned towards Ruby's bunk. Standing on her own bunk she lifted the sheets above Ruby's to see that Slade was right. Across the bed were notes and text books. Weiss had apparently shaken the bed because Ruby woke with a start, "Weiss I'm sorry I, I was studying and I fell asleep, I…"
Weiss placed a hand over Ruby's mouth and shushed her. "How do you take you coffee?" Weiss asked quietly.
"I-I don't..."
"Answer the question."
"A cream and five sugars!"
Weiss got down from the bed and turned to the coffee pot in the room. To see Slade adding the last sugar to a mug before stirring it. He turned towards them and held the mug out to Weiss. "I heard you ask her and noticed what she put in it earlier." He said answering the unspoken question.
Weiss grabbed the mug and held it out to Ruby, "Here."
"Thanks, Weiss."
"Ruby I think you have what it takes to be a good leader just know that I will be the best teammate you could ever have. Good luck studying." Weiss stepped back down from the bed only to step back up and point to a page on Ruby's bed. "That's wrong by the way."
When she was done from the bed Weiss went to thank Slade, only to notice he had disappeared. "Where did he go?" Weiss asked.
Ruby looked around the room from her bed, "I don't know Weiss."
Somewhere in down town Vale, "Sorry again ladies, but our enemies won't stop and wait on me." Slade said as he turned into an alleyway a few seconds later clashing blades and grunts could be heard from the alley. The noise stopped for a second only for two gunshots to ring out in to the night.
A/N: This chapter was a challenge, I was trying not to drag out the conflict between Weiss and Ruby for too long. I like how the story elements turned out but I think my grammar and the like still need work also I should work on pulling away from the original story some more. Anyways let me know what y'all think.
Thanks for reading; reviews are welcome. Brazenark.