V1E7 - He, Worthy

Bile and blood mixed in Anon's mouth before spraying into the floor. He coughed as his knees hit the floor, clutching his stomach. He looked up, the same sneering smile looking back at him day after day. Cardin chuckled alongside the other members of his team, minus Russel. He winced as Anon was brought into a prone, Cardin's heel grinding Anon's face into his own bile.

"So easy." Cardin mocked. "I'm starting to feel like you're just a masochist at this point!"

Anon groaned, more out of annoyance rather than anger or even disgust.

"Of course it's easy for you, you bitch! It's four on one!"

"Well, what'd you expect? It's Team CRDL, after all."

"FIGHT ME LIKE A MAN, YOU COWARD!" He bellowed.

Cardin pensively rubbed his chin before grinning crookedly.

"Nah!" He said as he kept grinding his foot on his head.

Anon grabbed his ankle and pulled it forward. Cardin fell downward, his legs set into a split. His face scrunched in pain as lightning cracked around his head and his whole body turned white, hair and clothes included. The rest of his team winced and covered their eyes, sympathy pain coursing throughout the members of *RDL. Cardin fell to the side, curled up in a ball and holding his manhood. His team picked him up and rushed out of the changing room, probably toward the infirmary.

Anon struggled to get back to his feet, his side still aching from Cardin's blow.

"Asshole."

He heaved himself back up, wiping his face with his hand in disgust. He groaned before looking into the bars of a locker.

"Coast's clear." He declared as he unlocked the locker.

The door cracked open, a pair of green cat-like eyes peering from the darkness. The door slowly opened, revealing a cat Faunus wearing the first-year uniform. Alongside the cat was Jaune, who had been forced into the locker along with the poor Faunus.

"Thank you." The cat bowed gratefully.

"Yeah. Thanks, Hope." Jaune added awkwardly.

"No problem."

The cat waved as he left the two friends behind. Anon sniffed hard before spitting a bloody loogie into the puddle next to the lockers. Jaune held his friend's shoulder.

"You ok?" Jaune asked in worry.

"The inside of my cheeks are cut again, so Peach is gonna get on my case again." He joked.

He tried walking but gasped as he collapsed on one knee. Jaune rushed to aid him.

"What's wrong?!"

"Argh! My leg!" He cried out. "Dove, that rat! He kicked me hard in the calf!"

"Should I call doctor Peach?"

He shook his head.

"It hurts but it's not debilitating. Help me walk."

Jaune nodded and gave his shoulder to support Anon.

"Let's go, it's getting late."

"Right..."

Jaune helped the limping Anon into the dorm halls. After a short elevator ride, they arrived at the first-year floor.

"I think I can manage now." Anon groaned as he used the wall for support, clutching his leg with his hand.

"You sure?" Jaune worried.

"I'll live." Anon half-heartedly said. "Good night."

Anon limped to his dorm's door, leaving Jaune alone in the hallway. Jaune sighed dejectedly.

"Damnit..."

"Hey, Jaune!"

Startled, Jaune turned around. Ruby stood behind him wearing her pyjamas, giggling at his reaction.

"Long time, no see!" She chipperly beamed.

"Uh, yeah. Sorry about that. Glynda's been working me to the bone."

Ruby felt that something was off with Jaune recently. He was more distant and dour, very much unlike the awkward but optimistic doofus she was used to.

"Is something wrong?"

Jaune wanted to play it off but found out that he lacked the desire to basically lie to his friend. He let out a long sigh before leaning against the wall.

"I just... I don't know anymore."

"What'd you mean?"

He shook his head, unable to answer properly.

"I just don't know about... I guess, my place. Here, at Beacon."

Jaune ran a hand through his air, his expression dourer than before.

"I keep dodging Pyrrha and Anon. Every time I look at them, I just..."

"Feel jealous?" Ruby guessed.

He took a breath.

"Yeah... I feel like a jerk for even thinking like that but..."

Jaune slid down the wall.

"Pyrrha's Pyrrha." He shrugged. "She's a prodigy, she looks good in everything she does, she can't... Fail, really."

Held his hands out, looking incredulous.

"And Anon! The guy's so smart! The lowest note I've seen him have is a B+ and even then, Port changed it because he made an error in the question and Anon was right! So really A- is his lowest score!"

He looked to the ceiling, an admiring smile on his face.

"Every time I get in trouble with Cardin, he's there to help me and whoever else was there! He gets beat up, sure, but he always gives as good as he takes. He doesn't even use his Aura, he's so hardcore! And he's a support student on top of that! He never quits either, I just-"

Jaune caught himself fanboying and froze. He slowly lowered his gaze from the ceiling to Ruby, who grinned ear to ear.

"Sounds like someone's looking up to someone!" She teased lightly.

Jaune felt a warmth creeping across his cheeks.

"Y-yeah! So what?!"

Ruby giggled.

"No, I get you. I always said that Anon was a cool dude."

"Yeah..." Jaune returned to his sulking self. "Compared to them, I'm just..."

He sighed.

"I'm a failure."

Ruby hummed.

"Mmmmh... Nope!"

Jaune looked up at his friend in confusion.

"Nope?"

"Nope!" She reaffirmed. "You're a leader now, Jaune. You're not allowed to be a failure."

"...What if I'm a failure at being a leader?" He retorted.

She thought about it for exactly two seconds.

"Nope!"

Jaune smiled and chuckled.

"You know, you're not the easiest person to talk to about this kind of stuff."

"Nope! " She repeated as she joined him on the floor. "Jaune, maybe you were a failure when you were a kid-"

He groaned as he sunk lower to the floor.

"-And you might've even been a failure the first day we met!"

He groaned harder and sunk so far down that only his head touched the wall.

"But, you can't be one now. You know why?"

He shrugged.

"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."

Ruby got up from the ground and offered her hand to Jaune.

"We have to put our teammates first, and ourselves second. Your team deserves a great leader, Jaune. And I think that can be you."

Jaune felt a wave of earth going into his chest. A smile arced across his lips.

"Thanks, Ruby." He took her hand and hoisted himself up. "I needed that."

She hummed chipperly and went to leave, only to turn back.

"And Jaune?"

"Yeah?"

"I completely understand why you look up to him." She turned back around.

"Yeah. He's a cool dude."

She smirked to herself.

"I said it first!"

...

Anon removed his ear from his door, sighing heavily.

"The only failure here is me, mate."

He got up from the floor, sucking on his teeth as his calf acted up.

If you knew who I really was? The people I've hurt and let down? You'd probably hate me.

In the shadows of the hall, a figure eavesdropped on Ruby and Jaune's conversation. Sky Lark smiled cruelly as an idea burgeoned into his mind. His smile momentarily dropped when something else came to mind, the upcoming field trip at the red forest of Forever Fall. His smile widened as a new idea came to mind, one that was far worse.

"Two birds with one stone. Maybe Cardin I'll get off my back if this works..."

He thanked whatever devious part of his brain came up with this plan as he texted his team and gave them the rundown of the plan. Now, all he needed to do was get his hand on some rapier wasps...

He whipped his head back as a cold wind hit his nape.

"...Did someone leave a window open?"

As he left, a quiet laugh carried by the wind could be heard...

With red as far as the eye could see, truly Forever Fall was a sight to behold. Anon held his hand out, catching one of the wine red leaf riding on the warm breeze. For the first time in a long time, Anon was overwhelmed by nature's beauty. He etched the scene into his crowded memory. A good third of the class had a similar reaction as they left the bullhead. Glynda gave him a sideways glance before facing the students under her charge.

"Yes, students, the forest of Forever Fall is indeed beautiful." Unfortunately, she had to give them the bad news. "But we are not here to sight-see."

She took a small sealable jar from a small wooden crate, holding it in view for everyone to see.

"Due to the Grimm's curious attraction to it, doctor Peach has asked all of you to collect samples from the trees deep inside this forest. I am here to make sure none of you get into trouble while doing so."

Anon looked back to the rest of the class. Among the black silhouettes were team RWBY, JNPR and CRDL. the latter of which looked particularly awful. Russel looked seconds away from falling asleep, a smack from Cardin brought him back from the brink. Dove was covered in painful red sores.

Oh, don't fucking tell me these assholes actually did-

Jaune looked back nervously to a sour-looking Winchester. The low growl made Jaune turn around right back. Pyrrha inhaled frustratedly at that interaction. Glynda glared in their general direction.

"Each of you is to gather one jar's worth of red sap." She resumed her instruction. "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."

As in the show, Ruby and Yang grinned at each other and JNPR scattered. Anon couldn't help but feel uneasy as Jaune left on his own. He wasn't alone in his concern as Pyrrha shook her head sadly before departing with a jar and a tap.

"Damnit Jaune..." He muttered, heartbroken at Pyrrha's current state.

He gripped his shirt at the chest.

Why the hell am I 'heartbroken' over this? I already know things will get patched up... So why am I so worried? Why do I care about this?

He felt a hand softly grip his shoulder, Glynda's brow arched in worry.

"Is something the matter?" She asked kindly.

He shook his head.

"No. Just some... hard to grasp feelings is all."

"I see." she scowled. "Is it about CRDL?"

He shook his head again.

"I'd be angry if it was," He answered frankly. "No, I'm worried about Jaune."

He explained to her the situation with Jaune. From Cardin's obsession with making him miserable, his discouragement about his growth as a student and warrior and his avoidance of both Anon and Pyrrha. Glynda looked down.

"I see." She sighed before rubbing her eyes tiredly. "This is quite unacceptable."

She let out a frustrated grunt.

"I knew that we shouldn't have accepted him. He's not built to be a huntsman."

"I get where you're coming from but like me and Oz said: Give him time."

Anon turned toward where Jaune left.

"Today's the day anyways."

Glynda crooked an eyebrow.

"What do you mean?"

"The day that he'll prove to himself that he's worthy."

Anon walked around the forest, taking in the sight. Occasionally, the huntsmen students would ask for his help on how to tap into the tree for sap. It surprised him how often a team would call out for one of the support students to help set them up.

"Here, let me show you." He pointed to the bark with his pocket knife. "First you strip a little bit of the bark off until you reach the trunk."

The student carved a small inward pointing circle into the bark.

"Now, carve a small hole. It needs to be big enough for the tap but small enough for it to be jammed in there once you hammer it."

"Got it!" The student did as instructed and their eyes sparkled once the thick sap began to slowly dribble out. "Thanks, Hope!"

He waved the team goodbye before continuing his round. He found a small grove off the beaten path. The wind blew, bringing the sound of rustling leaves to his ears. He stared blankly, smiling bitterly.

"So pretty. It's just like you imagined it would have been," He told no one.

His bitterness fell, letting emptiness take its place.

"You would have loved it here."

An exclamation of pain resounded across from the quiet grove, startling him out of his trance.

"D'fuck?" He curiously swore.

He walked toward the sound, apprehensive at what's going to happen. The sound came from a small isolated clearing. Anon looked around until he found the source of the pained cry. Jaune was on the ground clutching his stomach, his face twisted in a pained grimace. Anon dashed to his friend, sliding into a crouch next to his friend.

"What happened?" He asked as he inspected Jaune's bruised abdomen.

Jaune's eyes were clenched shut in pain, he struggled to open them.

"It's-" He groaned as he clutched his kidney. "It's a-"

Anon felt a pair of arms clasping around his neck. He struggled, elbowing his attacker in the side as hard as he could. The assailant let go with a cough, only for two more to spear him and pin him down to the ground.

"Trap..." Jaune finished with a voice crack.

Anon struggled uselessly as he heard a chuckle, Cardin walking into view.

"Fancy seeing you here, Hope."

Anon sighed exasperatedly.

"Oh for fu-"

He cut himself mid-sentence.

Wait, if we're here... but Pyrrha isn't anywhere near here! What is he playing?

"The fuck'd you want now?!"

Cardin smiled sinisterly.

"Y'see, Hope, I don't very much like how you've been treating me and my..." He looked to the rest of his team. "Colleagues... And I like to think of myself as a problem solver!"

Russel stood to the side nervously, a jar of sap in his hands.

"Cardin, don't you think that this is going a bit far?"

Cardin glared furiously at his partner.

"Stop being a coward! Now give me that."

He extended his hand to Russel expectantly. Russel was obviously uncomfortable, looking side to side for an escape. Cardin, sick of waiting for his partner, snatched the jar out of Russel's hands. Anon struggled harder knowing what awaited him, all the while screaming bloody murder.

"GET OFF ME, YOU BLOODY NONCES!"

Dove and Sky pinned him as steady as they could, their combined huntsmen strength easily overpowering Anon's. Cardin cracked the jar open and poured the thick sap all over Anon's head and chest. In one final act of spite, Cardin tossed the jar at Anon's head. He cried out at the jar bounced off his forehead.

"You cunt!"

"So much foul language!" Cardin mocked. "You kiss your mother with that mouth?"

"Go to hell!"

Cardin spat in Anon's face, who groaned in disgust.

"You first. Wasps."

He held out his hand to Russel once more. Looks like he had enough.

"No!" he cried out in defiance. "Beating someone up is one thing, this is-"

Cardin pushed Russel in the stomach. He fell to one knee as Cardin pointed down at him.

"You useless scumbag!" He admonished. "What did I tell you?! I'm the boss! I got your name, I GOT YOUR ASS! I tell you what to do and you do it!"

Cardin kneed Russel in the sternum, sending him on his back.

"Never forget who holds the leash!"

Cardin scooped the jar of wasps. The little bastards buzzed around, their long stingers reminiscent of the sword they are named after. Cardin smiled sinisterly.

"You are about to be in a world of hurt, bucko. Now tell me." Cardin crouched down to Anon's level. "Who's the bitch now?"

Anon remained defiant.

"You. And it will always be you."

Cardin shook his head in disappointment.

"Well, too bad." His shit-eating smirk disappeared. "Let's see how much of a man you really are..."

Cardin gripped the jar's top.

Jaune had stayed quiet throughout. What could he say or do? Cardin was stronger and more skilled. They were four against two. More like one, considering how useless he felt. The pain in his kidney disappeared but in its place was a heartache. He felt a tear fall from his eye.

"Anon..." He choked out silently. "I'm so sorry..."

But before Cardin could make Anon wish he was dead...

A low growl.

Oh no...

The brush shook and as CRDL turned to see what it was, a large Ursa Minor crashed its paws into the ground in front of them. Dove and Sky scrambled away to rejoin with their leader. Russel quaked in his boots.

"That's a big Ursa!" He squeaked in fear.

The Ursa bore its teeth as it approached menacingly. It stood on its hind legs, towering over the huntsmen in training and roared. Cardin was the first to hit the deck and scramble away from the Grimm.

"Run away!" He yelled in terror.

Dove and Sky didn't need to be told twice and fled as well.

"Wait, Cardin!" Russel yelled out.

The Ursa landed back on all four with a heavy thud. It sniffed the air, the sickly sweet aroma of sap made it salivate. Its eyes rested on Anon, who looked like a deer caught in a headlight.

"Fuck..." He swore.

Anon crawled backward as the Ursa approached, licking its chop in anticipation.

Jaune had lifted himself off the ground, holding his side. He stared wide-eyed as Anon backed away from the Grimm. The feeling of worthlessness worsened but slowly, another feeling took hold of him. Fear, but not the same fear he had felt when the Ursa showed up.

The fear of losing a friend.

Adrenaline rushed through his system as he dashed to his stuff, heaped beside a tree. He strapped his shield on and swung his sword from its scabbard. He turned to Russel, who had stayed behind, paralyzed by fear.

"Russel!" Jaune yelled, shaking him out of his stupor. "Go get professor Goodwitch, quick!"

"R-right!"

Russel sprinted away. Jaune ran toward the Grimm, sword at the ready.

Anon felt the Grimm's breath hit his neck as it cornered him against a tree. It bore its teeth and its neck tensing, ready to lunge for his jugular.

This is it, isn't it...

Anon closed his eyes, resigned to his fate. Until...

"GET AWAY FROM HIM, YOU DAMNED MONSTER!" Jaune bellowed.

Jaune's strike was clumsy but effective, hitting the monster at the neck. With a cry, the Ursa backed off. Anon looked up in incredulity as a shacking Jaune stood between him and the Grimm, his shield held up defensively.

"Y-you won't get near him! Not on my watch!"

The bear Grimm snarled before swiping at Jaune with its paw. Jaune held his shield up, blocking the strike but forcing him into a crouch. The Grimm leaned into the shield to topple the Paladin-to-be. Jaune sprang backward, dislodging his shield from the clash and destabilizing the Grimm's balance. Having lost its footing, the Grimm couldn't do anything as Jaune slashed at its stomach, wisps of black smoke emanating from the wound. Enraged, the beast lashed out at Jaune by attempting to crush him with all its weight. Jaune rolled away from the overhead strike and jumped over a leg-swiping strike. Jaune held his shield up just in time for the Grimm's mid-air strike. Jaune tumbled past his friend.

Anon held his head where Cardin had thrown the jar, a headache thumping in his skull.

And probably a concussion. Yeah, definitely a concussion.

Anon struggled to get to his feet, his vision blurring and darkening around the edges. His legs shook as he tried to walk, only for his legs to fail and for him to fall next to Jaune. The two groaned from the pain. Anon managed to hold himself up on his knees. He gripped Jaune by the arm.

"Get up..." He managed to say.

Jaune got up on one knee.

"I don't know if I can do this, Hope."

Anon held Jaune's shoulder, gripping it tightly.

"Of course you can Jaune. It's that, or we both die." Anon swallowed. "And I don't think I can bear to watch you die..."

"Anon..."

"You can do this, Jaune, I know you can!" Anon grunted at the effort as he lifted Jaune up to his feet. "Now go!"

Jaune panted, looking down at his shield's scroll mount. His aura was in the red. He shook his head with an angry frown before rushing at the Grimm with a war cry. The Ursa stood on its hind leg, lifting its front paw for a devastating overhead smash. Anon's eyes widened as Jaune lifted his shield all on his own to block the strike.

"Thank you, Glynda!" Anon thanked under his breath. "Your training's paying off!"

Speak of the devil.

"Mister Arc, Mister Hope!" Anon heard her voice outside the grove. "Are you there?!"

"Over here!" He yelled over.

Jaune, using a burst of anger-induced strength, leaned into his shield before pushing it upward with all his might.

Into the grove came Glynda, Russel and the rest of Team JNPR. Just in time to witness Jaune striking at the Ursa's defenceless neck. The blade got caught midway through and with a mightily yell, Jaune wrenched the sword out; decapitating the beast. The beast fell over headlessly as its noggin' bounced off the ground. Jaune panted heavily as he stared at the Grimm's rapidly sublimating corpse.

"Holy crap." He fell to his knees.

Jaune began laughing as the euphoria of victory slowly replaced the fading adrenaline.

"I did it!"

Anon chuckled lightly.

"Told you you could do it."

The group ran over to the hurt pair.

"Jaune!" Pyrrha cried out as she joined Jaune. "Are you ok?"

Jaune grinned ear to ear, still euphoric.

"Better than ok, I killed a freaking Ursa!"

Pyrrha smiled happily.

"Yeah, we saw that. You were incredible!"

"Yeah, that was awesome, chief!" Nora squealed. "And the coolest part is, you get to have a trophy!"

Jaune looked back to Anon as Ren and Nora shouldered him. Anon locked eyes with his friend.

"Told you so." He quipped with a smile, pride shining in his eyes.

Anon had just left Ozpin's office, a dark smile on his face. Cardin was in big trouble. Along with testimony from him, Russel, Jaune and a few others, all of his past behaviour came to bite him right in the ass. Anon had been surprised when Cardin's parents came and were the complete opposite of their son. His father especially was basically on his knees, begging for forgiveness.

Ultimately, the charges against CRDL were dropped on Jaune's demand. However, CRDL still had to be punished for what they've done. Anon, struck with an evil idea, suggested they be transferred to a military academy. Specifically, Fort Castle. Cardin blanched at the suggestion because Fort Castle was known for two things: The Battle that ended the Faunus War and for being the strictest, most hardcore military academy in the entire continent. It's rumoured that it's also where certain criminals are sent when traditional prisons just don't cut it. In the end, Cardin, Dove and Sky were shit out of luck and would be sent to Fort Castle. Russel was let go because he came around and got help. However, because of CRDL's reputation and his own, he'll have to transfer out of Beacon.

Despite all of the hardship and nonsense, things were good now. Anon's smile turned benevolent as he stalked his way to the roof access door, where Pyrrha and Jaune had their heart to heart. He leaned against the door, his head against the cold metal.

"Pyrrha... I'm sorry." Jaune admitted. "I was a jerk, I kept avoiding you... I was being a macho idiot!"

"Jaune, it's ok."

"No, it's not. You were just trying to be nice and kept pushing you and Anon away. I should have been a better friend."

"Well then, better late than never, right?" Pyrrha said flippantly. "C'mon. Ren's made pancakes and they won't be warm forever. No syrup though, you can thank Nora for that."

Anon heard Pyrrha's footstep before they abruptly stopped.

"Hey, wait." Jaune sounded sheepish. "I know I don't deserve it after all that happened, but..."

He paused.

"Would you still be willing to help me train? To be a better fighter?"

Anon could just hear Pyrrha smile. This was followed by a hollow thud and a complaint from Jaune.

"Your stance is all wrong, you need to be wider and lower to the ground. Let's try that again."

Anon smiled widely.

The shipping begins~.

Anon left his hiding spot, whistling upbeatly as the seed of romance burgeoned.

Anon walked through the dorm hall, his hands cradling the back of his head. In the darkness of the night, he could make out a white pair of pants dotted with strawberries.

"Anon?"

"Sup, rosebud." he greeted.

Ruby smiled.

"How are you holding up? Heard you got a hit in the head bad."

He shrugged.

"Meh, it'll get better in a few days."

Ruby tilted her head slightly before grinning.

"Did something good happen~?"

He played along.

"I dunno~. Why you askin'~?"

"Because you've got a big grin on your face!"

Surprised, Anon touched his mouth and sure enough; a big natural-looking curve greeted his fingers. He tried whipping the smile off his face.

"Sorry, it must look weird."

"No, not really," she said chipperly. "I think I prefer you with a big smile, instead of looking morose all the time."

Anon stared pensively into the void.

"Really?"

"Yeah! You look good with a smile!"

Anon chuckled as he gripped her face and began gently squeezing her cheeks.

"Mweep?!"

"Aren't you cheeky?" He teased. "Complementing me out of nowhere? You're too young to be flirting with older men."

Ruby became flustered.

"I-I-I didn't mean to-" She cut herself off. "I-I mean not that there's anything wrong with-"

She stopped talking as he gave her a big teasing smile.

"You're mean." She pouted adorably.

"What can I say? I like teasing cute girls."

Ruby flushed harder.

"I-I'm not cute!"

"You're right," He pondered. "You're goddamned adorable."

Anon laughed at Ruby's embarrassment. He patted her on the head as he walked past her.

"Sweet dreams, Rosebud."

Yeah... Today was a good day.

V1E7: END!

NEXT ON PLAYLIST: V1E8 - PLAY?