Chapter 4: Hands Off

Disclaimer: I don't own RWBY.

Jaune (3rd Person)

Well, this could be worse, Jaune thought as he worked on Cardin's fourth - maybe fifth? - paper. At least he stopped shoving me into lockers. No, now he was just doing the larger student's classwork. And homework. And random tasks. As was, he was sitting in the nearly empty library at a quarter to Midnight, trying to find information on the different types of Dust for Professor Acano's class, and trying to write it two different ways so that they wouldn't get in trouble. The library was a big room with two floors and wide windows. The bookshelves were not very tall, but densely packed together. On the second floor there were U-shaped gaps in the shelves for tables like the one Jaune was working at.

"Hello Joan."

"GAH!" Jaune jumped a foot in the air. Azure walked out from between the bookshelves, an important-looking book in his hand. "Azure, what-" At that moment, Jaune realized what he was about to say to a teacher and shut his mouth. He hurriedly pulled a book over Cardin's paper.

"Am I doing here?" He held up the book. The title read Intermediate Dust Physics. "Looking up stuff for a pet project. I'm trying to work Dust into sword blades and stuff, without the blades exploding as soon as they get hit."

"Why?" Then Jaune realized something. "And wouldn't your semblance just tell you?"

Azure looked startled for a second, then relaxed, and started talking chipperly. "Because it would be cool to have a fire sword or something that would always work without needing more Dust." His voice became more controlled and level. "The reason my semblance doesn't work is because it tells me need-to-know information, not want-to-know. Really useful when you need a job, less useful for projects you do just for shi-laughs." He grinned at Jaune. "Anyway, nice talk." He started walking away hurriedly, the two or three students in the library giving him weird looks. Jaune sighed. He should probably go back to his room soon…

"Yes, students, the forest of Forever Fall is indeed beautiful. But we are not here to sight-see. 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." Professor Goodwitch said.

It was the next day. The class was walking through Forever Fall. The vibrant red leaves were falling all around them. Everyone was suited up in combat gear, as the forest was full of Grimm. Professor Goodwitch was leading the group, while Professor Azure was bringing up the rear. Apparently he hadn't planned to, but was going to get a Nevermore for Grimm studies and had, in his words, 'decided to tag along so he was in the area if someone was forking stupid enough to attract a Grimm.'

Jaune was carrying all of team CRDL's supplies in a big box, along with his own It was mostly glass jars. When the class stopped, he didn't stop in time and staggered and bumped into Cardin. The older boy glowered. Jaune whistled innocently, looking away from Cardin.

Professor Goodwitch turned and faced the class while holding up a jar. "Alright class, each of you is to gather one jar of red sap. However, the forest is full of Grimm, so stick close to your teammates. We will rendezvous back here at 4:00. Have fun." She said the last bit slightly cheerfully.

Jaune tried to head over to his teammates, but the jars clanked, so Cardin noticed. "Come on, buddy. Let's go!" He said, as he grabbed Jaune by the back. They walked for a while, before finding a small clearing.

"All right boys. Jaune here is going to go get us sap." Cardin said. He sat down and leaned back against a tree. "While we get some relaxing time done."

Jaune sighed, and grabbed the jars.

Four Minutes Later

Jaune sniffled as he gathered sap. Huh. Weird.

Twenty Minutes Later

"Achoo!" Jaune sneezed, nearly dropping the bottle of sap. His hands were puffy. Maybe I'm allergic to something here? He thought.

A While Later

Jaune staggered back into the clearing. After he set down the jars he collapsed groaning on the ground. Team CRDL stood up.

"Well now, Jauney boy. That wasn't so hard, was it?" Cardin leered.

"I think I might be allergic to this stuff." Jaune groaned weakly.

"Greeeeat, great, great. So, Jaune, I bet you're asking yourself, 'Why did my buddy Cardin ask me to collect six jars of tree sap when there's only five of us?'"

"That is one of the many, many questions I have asked myself today." Jaune was starting to feel better, as his aura started to fix the swelling and congestion.

"Well, come with me and you'll find out."

Jaune could swear he heard a voice whispering in his mind.

'Come with me, and you'll be, in a world of pure imagination'.

It also sounded a lot like Professor Azure. Eh, it was probably nothing.

After a lot of walking, some swearing from Dove when he tripped over a tree root, and Cardin making everyone crawl on their hands and knees for a bit, Jaune found himself squished between Russel and Cardin, watching the rest of his team collect sap. I should be down there with them, Jaune thought. Ren and Nora were working together - or, rather, Ren was trying to collect sap while Nora ate it all - while Pyrrha, waiting for them, was talking to Professor Azure about… something. He thought he heard his name at one point?

He turned to Cardin. "What's going on?"

The bully sneered. "Payback."

Jaune's eyes widened as he realized what was going on. "Pyrrha?"

"And Azure. The redheaded know-it-all who thinks she's so smart, and the interfering professor who isn't old enough to be a first-year." Jaune's brain was, for some reason, more fixated on the 'Pyrrha' part.

"Alright boys," Cardin addressed the group as he pulled out a cardboard box. "Last night, Jaune grabbed us a box of rapier wasps, and now we're gonna put 'em to work."

Russell grabbed Jaune's shoulder. He forced out a laugh.

"According to one of those essays you wrote for me last week, these things love sweets. I'm thinking it's time we teach them a thing or two."

Jaune was scared. This was bad. Even with her aura, the rapier wasps might be able to hurt Pyrrha badly. If she was allergic, it would be worse.

Team CRDL stood up. Cardin offered a hand to Jaune. Jaune took it, but he was pulled up violently and had the jar shoved into his hands.

"And you're gonna do it." Cardin said menacingly.

"Do what?" Jaune said, trying to delay. He already knew.

"Throw the sap at them. Aim for Pyrrha. Do it, or I'll have a chat with Goodwitch and you'll be on the next airship out of Beacon."

Jaune looked at the faces of the bigger boys around him, and turned towards Pyrrha. She was oblivious, and smiling happily. He raised his arm to throw, and something clicked.
The fear he had been feeling was replaced by rage. They were trying to hurt his teammate. They were trying to make him hurt the kindest person on his team. He would not let them do that.

"No."

"What did you say?" Cardin said, somewhat menacingly.
"I… said… NO!" Jaune yelled, as he turned and smashed the jar into Cardin's chest.

Azure (1st Person)
I heard some yelling from over the hill. That would be Jaune throwing the sap at Cardin.

"Professor Azure?"

"Oh, uh, sorry Pyrrha. Got distracted. Thanks for the tips. Tournament fighting seems a lot harder than I thought." Well, considering what I thought was 'it's normal fighting, just don't go for the head or nuts and don't kill the other guy,' that isn't hard. "Remember what I said about Jaune. I need to go find that Nevermore now. See you soon."

I walked away from the class, still busily filling jars. I encountered a couple Beowolves, but they were swiftly dispatched with a couple bullets. I finally found a giant Nevermore, sitting on an equally large rock.

"Alright," I addressed the giant demon bird for no real reason than I felt like it. "We can do this the easy way," I held up the portal spell matrix ready in my left hand, "or the hard way." I held up my right hand, and activated my 'demonstrative lightning' spell.

The Nevermore, not really caring about much aside from 'squishy human to kill', took off and dived at me.

"Fine." I dropped the lightning spell and pressed a button on my wrist control unit.

Armor Initialized.

A/N: I would like to state that, for the record, this is not a crossover. All will be explained in time. Also, I got this out on time. Technically.