Argh, this week has been kind of killer, lol. A lot going on at work. Anyway, here's the next chapter, though I wasn't able to get this one to College Fool to look at, sadly.

Beta: College Fool

Cover Art: Kegi Springfield

Chapter 8 – Like Herding Sheep

It was like the aftermath of a bomb going off. Silence hung in the air like a thick shroud, and it clogged their throats so that they couldn't speak. Weiss shook her head in some vain attempt to dispel her partner's words. "That's mad," she whispered, "That's insane. You can't force people to do what you want!"

"Of course you can," Jaune said, as though it were the most obvious thing in the world. "That's what being a leader is all about. Didn't you ask how to make people do what you want?"

"That's not what I meant!" Weiss denied. She looked to Pyrrha and Ruby too, in some desperate attempt to convince them of her sincerity. Pyrrha looked troubled and nervous, but it was Ruby who stared back with wide, open eyes. "I wouldn't do that," Weiss said again, "I wouldn't use force to get what I want!"

"I-I didn't say you would," Ruby stammered.

She stammered, which meant she thought about it, and the fact was enough to make Weiss feel sick. She rounded on her partner. "A leader doesn't rule through fear. That's not how any leader – any employer – should. Leadership is a position of responsibility; it's your job to look after those below you."

"It is," he nodded, "If something goes wrong then those below you die. Mom told me all about that. That's why it's important that they follow your instructions to the letter. That's why it's important they know they can never hesitate or doubt your words."

"But you don't have to make them afraid of what will happen…"

"Don't you?" he asked. "Then what happens if you give an order that would save Ruby's life and she doesn't follow it? What if it's a decision based on information you have but she doesn't – and if she ignores the order, she dies?" He looked to Ruby, who took a step back. "Isn't it better that she be afraid of you than dead?"

"I…" Weiss didn't have an answer.

Was that what it meant to lead? She could remember her father's lessons on the subjects, which coincided so easily with what her partner said. Jacques ruled by fear, though he never struck anyone but his own daughter. He held people's livelihoods over their head, imposing strict targets and deadlines and ensuring that any who failed to meet them were ruthlessly purged from the company. "There can be no mercy, Weiss," he would say, "Give one person an easy time and everyone will think you've gone soft. I don't care if their mother just died; if they can't leave their personal problems at home, they're out of a job."

She didn't want to be like her father.

Weiss looked to Ruby, lost and alone, half-hidden behind Pyrrha, and wondered what she could do to force her will on the girl. She could overpower her physically, perhaps even restrict her ability to talk with her sister – use that as a reward for good behaviour and impose her will on Ruby that way.

Something unpleasant rolled around in her gut.

"There has to be another way," she whispered. "I… I'm not willing to do that."

"Well I suppose there is one other way… mom always says it's not quite as effective, but it's definitely there."

"What is it?" She would take anything at this point.

"Love."

It felt like all the tension in the room drained away. The suffocating silence broke, with Ruby and Pyrrha letting out relieved sighs. Weiss wanted to join them, but found herself unable to.

"And your mother," Pyrrha asked with a small smile, "Do you love or fear her?"

"Well I love her, obviously," Jaune sounded affronted. "But that doesn't mean she isn't a little scary sometimes too."

It seemed to finally let them all relax.

Loving and scary at the same time; that was probably what a real mother was supposed to be like. For her, the family in her life had been controlling and strict, the very definition of `rule through fear` as Jaune put it.

"Well why didn't you say that first," Ruby whined, "You made us all think the worst!"

"I did?"

"Maybe that was the point," Pyrrha chuckled. "He wanted to teach us a valuable lesson about the difference between fear and love."

"I did?"

Weiss ignored the display, too lost in her own thoughts. She agreed with Pyrrha; his words were cleverly put, first to shock them into listening, then to deliver his wisdom at the end. His mother sounded like a good example too, strict and firm, but caring of her people.

But she didn't think she could be the same.

Her team didn't love her… they didn't even respect her; and without that, what could she do to lead them at all? They weren't beholden to follow her, they didn't respect her enough to listen, and she couldn't take the choice out of their hands.

"So where does that leave us?" she asked, drawing their attention to her. "What does this mean for Team WJRP?"

"What do you mean?" Pyrrha asked.

She felt tired. Her limbs were heavy, her mind even more so, and she just lacked the energy to try and whip them into shape. With a great breath, she let out a long sigh and looked towards the taller girl. "Every time I try to tell Ruby what she should do, you take her side. I'm aware that she's your partner, Pyrrha, but you're my teammate too. I'm not sure what I've done to warrant your passive-aggressive attitude, but I'd have you tell me."

The redhead recoiled, "What!? I didn't – I haven't…"

"And you," Weiss turned to Ruby, "I'm not trying to force you into not copying my partner because I want to see you struggle. I don't get entertainment from bossing you around." Ruby's shoulders slumped. "The team can't keep operating like this. I'm the leader but not a single one of my decisions has been so much as considered, let alone followed. At first I thought it because we were still getting used to one another, but it seems obvious that the problem is the two of you… or me." She looked between the two of them, expression flat. "So, which is it? Frankly, if the two of you are so determined to be against me then we might as well call this whole thing off. I can always talk to the headmaster and see about moving onto a different team. Perhaps they would respect my input enough to at least listen to what I say."

"I do listen," Ruby whispered. "It's just a single piece of homework, though. You're not telling the others off about it."

"Ruby," Weiss sighed. "Who lead the army against the faunus in the battle of Fort Castle?" The question was a simple enough one but Ruby's face twisted in dismay.

"That's not fair," Pyrrha interrupted. "Weiss, that's a topic people study in their final year of prep-school. Ruby couldn't possibly know the answer."

"No, she couldn't," Weiss agreed, "and yet that same question might come up on any test she does within Beacon – along with others she would have learned in her final two years. Exams and tests aren't going to go easy on her because she's younger, nor will the Grimm. If she doesn't know the answers, she might be expected to repeat the entire year again. Can you imagine being left behind while your friends and your sister move on?" Ruby's face looked queasy at the thought. It honestly looked like she might cry. Weiss sighed. "I am not trying to be cruel… I am trying to be honest. Ruby must study more than anyone else, because she must catch up. That is the unfortunate reality of being moved ahead. A reality you, Pyrrha, are doing your best to keep her from."

Pyrrha looked distraught. That wasn't what Weiss wanted, either, and she let out a long sigh.

"This is why I want you to pay attention in class," she went on, "This is why I am frustrated that you are so eager to copy my partner's homework and run off to play video games with your sister. This is why I made that order. I did it because I thought it best for the team… best for you… not because I wanted to be cruel or for some self-serving pleasure of being heeded." The heiress looked aside with a barely concealed frown. She felt too tired for this. With a long sigh, she pushed past them and towards the door. Not even one of them made to stop her. Before she left, she looked back and shrugged. "Decide for yourself if you want to follow it. You neither love nor respect me and I can't harden my heart enough to force or punish you. Do what you want."

/-/

Pyrrha watched with an agonised expression as Weiss left. Her parting words hung on the air and for the life of her, she couldn't find fault with them. Ruby did miss out on two years and she would be expected to know those things regardless. A far more personal problem gnawed away at her, however. One that filled her with shame.

Had she really been so against Weiss, just because of how they first met?

Was I really being so antagonistic to her? There was no denying she'd chosen Ruby over Weiss as her partner, but had she unconsciously sided with Ruby in everything else too, just to spite the heiress? Their first meeting hadn't been great, especially when Weiss clearly wanted her as a partner for her power and not her personality… but was that a good reason to treat her so?

It didn't feel like it. It felt petty… more so, now that she understood the reasons for Weiss' harsh discipline. She hadn't picked Ruby out because she was younger or easier, but because she needed it.

Ruby broke the silence by moving towards the door as well. Pyrrha reached out to touch her, but the younger girl dodged away with a fragile smile.

"I need some time to think… alone," she added when Pyrrha made to follow. "I'll see you guys later, okay?" She didn't want for an answer, and slipped out of the door a moment later.

"Did I… say something wrong?" Jaune Arc looked uncertain and even upset in his own way.

"Not wrong," Pyrrha sighed, "Just some… difficult truths, for all of us."

"Ah," Jaune nodded. "Uncle Watts says that's a common failing of mine. He says I need to lie more."

Pyrrha laughed, even if it felt a little bitter. She felt she could have stood for Jaune tempering his words, but… in a way, maybe they needed to hear his wisdom. It was so easy for me to blame Weiss, to judge her because of how she acted when we first met. Isn't that what I hate others doing to me, though? Am I that much of a hypocrite?

"You know a lot about leadership, Jaune… that and people's flaws. Do you… do you think Weiss will be a good leader?"

Jaune shrugged. "I don't see why not. Mom always tells me I could rule the world in the world in time; I just need to have some confidence and believe in myself. Well," he shrugged, "that and conquer the world."

Pyrrha smiled at the joke, and then laughed when he muttered something about his mother conquering the world before he could.

Still… it was food for thought. Had she ever given Weiss a chance to be a good leader?

I wish I could see what kind of person Jaune's mother is… someone who can inspire love in her people, who can rule firm and fair. She sounds wonderful.

/-/

"Cinder, dearest, if you are here to waste my time again I shall flay the flesh from your bones."

Cinder Fall swallowed and considered leaving entirely. Her master would just see that as cowardice, however, and so she forced her feet to carry her into the room and stand behind the deadly woman. Through the windows Salem looked out of, myriad Grimm could be seen below.

"My lady," Cinder whispered, "I wished to discuss the latest plan with you…"

"You wish to steer me away from invading Vale," Salem corrected. "Do not lie to me."

Cinder winced. "I do."

"Go on. I am not so obstinate that I would not listen to your words, my dear. Do choose them wisely, however."

Cinder bowed her head, mind racing at a mile a minute. Watts' interruption had been a disaster, and her master's plan even more so. If the Grimm invaded Vale, then the maiden would be lost to her. Ozpin would either move her away, forcing their plans back years, or she might even be killed in the invasion. There was no telling who the power would then go to. While there was a chance the maiden might still think of her, a chance wasn't something she was willing to risk all of this on. If it went to some random whelp in the world? That could not be allowed to happen.

"I believe a subtler approach might yet yield greater results," Cinder explained. "I understand your concern for your son, but he's both strong and resourceful." Salem's eyebrow rose, and Cinder stifled a cough. "Well… he is strong and uh… plucky? Regardless, we know he has not yet been captured and that means his disguise as held solid. If Grimm move close to the city, Beacon will be one of the first places expected to react. He might be placed in further danger."

"I am not so foolish as to have forgotten that, Cinder. Take care not to insinuate otherwise. All the Grimm I have created so far for this task have been imbued with a strong – nay, an obsessive desire to safely reclaim and return my son."

Damn it, damn it… her master had thought of everything it seemed, and with such Grimm at her command… no, wait. "Then why not use those now?" Cinder asked. "They could reclaim the young master without causing a ruckus at all. Wouldn't that have the lowest chance of causing him harm?"

"And you do not believe they might become suspicious when a Nevermore flies into Beacon to peacefully abduct a student?"

"There will be opportunities when he is out of the school. Perhaps on field trips or training in the wilderness nearby."

"And how long would that take?" Salem asked. "How would I be to know when these opportunities occur? Cinder, my dear, do exercise a little common sense, won't you?"

Common sense? Her master was about to invade a Kingdom to get her son back! Their plans were about to be thrown away, and of course she could feel Watts' blasted influence in this. It would be just like that self-serving fool to squander the opportunities the maiden's powers would give. Just because he's not a woman and so can't inherit it, the fool! If only Jaune hadn't been so stupid and run off… if only he'd not been so stubborn, so rebellious…

Wait!

"Master, please wait," Cinder begged, "Jaune… even if you reclaim him, won't he just run away again?"

Salem looked worried. "I could keep him here."

"But he would resent it. He would childishly refuse to do anything you say, to attend lessons or to work with us." Cinder kept her head low so that her smile couldn't be seen. Personally, she found his constant rebellion irritating, but for once it could work in her favour. "He might even be so upset that his freedom was taken away, that he refuses to even speak with you."

"This… teenage rebellion once more?" Salem grit out.

"I fear so, my master. Obviously, because it is you he rebels against, he will be unlikely to listen. Would it not be better to speak with him first, to change his mind? If we could convince him to return home, then it would ensure this doesn't happen again. It might even be enough to end this rebelliousness once and for all."

Salem turned away from the window at last, sitting down with crossed legs and one hand tapping a pattern on the stone throne. Her face was set in a grim frown, her eyes narrowed. "Your words make sense," she said, "as much as I might wish otherwise. Jaune is… he has a firm will, much like myself… much like my darling Nicky-poo."

Cinder shuddered again. "It might be even worse," she continued. "Jaune is… he may have made acquaintances at Beacon. Acquaintances he may grieve the loss of were we to kill them."

Salem's eyes widened. "You are right," she gasped, "With my genes, not to mention my husband's, he has probably already wormed his way into the hearts of several young women."

She resisted the urge to roll her eyes. It was said that a mother tended to think the best of their children, but really… the chances of Jaune having the nerve to even speak with girls was slim. The only one he really interacted with was her. Of course, she'd taken the time to wrap him around her finger, as it ought to be. "My advice would be to take care with this," Cinder went on. "If we could first change his mind, everything would then go better. Naturally, I already have agents in Vale who can-"

"You will go to Vale at once."

Cinder's eyes widened. "P-Pardon?"

"Your words ring true, and looking back now, it seems so obvious." Salem said. "My son is acting rebelliously against myself and so is unlikely to listen to me. Therefore, it should obviously be you to go and speak with him. This is convenient, since I recall you would be transferring there in time."

"I-In time, yes, my master," Cinder hurried, "but our plans are hardly in motion – there is still so muc-"

"And I'm sure you can handle much of that from Vale as easily as Mistral." The red-eyed woman waved one hand to dismiss her complaints. "My son's safety does, after all, come first."

It wasn't what she wanted, not at all, but it was still better than destroying Vale entirely. At least she could still continue her plan and acquire the maiden. Her eyes drifted shut as she let out a long, suffering sigh. "I understand… I will do my best to ensure the young master's safety."

"I shall send the Grimm as well, however," Salem said, causing Cinder's eyes to widen. "You will have an opportunity to convince my son, but should he step foot outside Beacon, they shall acquire him for me. They will, however, not make any aggressive motions towards the city."

Cinder swallowed but didn't dare argue. She would just need to make sure her idiot little brother didn't fall for such a trap, and obviously that her master never realised her hand in such. "If I may be dismissed, I shall prepare documents for an early transfer from Haven for my team and I." Emerald and Mercury would be confused, but they would follow her instructions. They feared her too much to do otherwise.

"You are dismissed, my dear," Salem waved. Cinder stood and made to leave, only to pause as her master called out. "Don't forget to wear that uniform my daughter made for you."

Her cheeks darkened. "It's… rather short in the skirt…"

"Exactly," Salem smiled. "Coral worked so hard on that and she would be dreadfully upset if you didn't wear it. I'm sure Jaune would enjoy seeing you in it as well. Remember, my dear, there are more ways for a woman to convince a man to do what they want than just using your words. My Nicky becomes very pliable under the right… ministrations."

"I-I shall keep that in mind," Cinder said with a bow.

She would make him suffer for causing her this indignation.

/-/

Weiss struggled to find direction as she wandered the halls of Beacon. She didn't have a destination in mind, nor did one manifest itself through her journey. She wanted to think, but all that came to her mind were questions. How was she supposed to lead her team? What was he meant to do about their problems? Should she try at all?

She tried to think of how others led, but all that came to her mind was her father and sister. The less said about her father's techniques, the better, but thinking of Winter had failed to help either. Winter commanded her men, who followed because it was expected of them. They were all trained military soldiers and so had come to Winter already prepared and ready to follow her every instruction.

Her sister had proved herself worthy of that, of course, but only because her orders had no doubt been well thought out and successful. How can I prove myself to my team if they won't even consider mine, though?

Rule by love, or rule by fear… one of those seemed so obvious a choice and yet it wasn't that easy. Ruby and Pyrrha had no reason to love her, nor did they to fear her. How could she make either of them love or respect her when she couldn't even earn the same from her parents?

"Trouble, Miss Schnee?"

The voice caught her by surprise, so much so that she leapt back and a hand fell to her waist. Myrtenaster was not there, however, and that was fortunate for she doubted attacking the headmaster would be a wise choice. "I-I'm sorry, sir," she gasped and bowed her head, "You caught me by surprise."

"There is no harm," the man said with a wave of his mug. "You were clearly lost in thought and so the fault is my own."

"Thank you, sir…"

The man looked at her for a few moments. "I sense that there's something bothering you Miss Schnee. Perhaps you would like to ask me something?"

He saw through her, though perhaps that wasn't a difficult task with how distracted she was. A sigh escaped her and she nodded. "I wanted to ask… why it is you made me the leader of our team. Why choose me of all people?"

"Is that all?" The headmaster chuckled lightly. "I selected you, Miss Schnee, because you were the one who commanded your team in the battle against the Deathstalker. Mr Arc has strength in abundance, if his performance is to be believed, while Miss Nikos is a known fighter and Miss Rose is skilled, even if her young age belies that fact. You, however, were the one they chose to listen to at that moment."

That was true. Weiss' heart dared to hope for a moment as she remembered that. There hadn't been any arguments then, but at the same time she hadn't done anything different, either. She'd told them to do what she felt was best and they'd followed. Why was it any different now?

"Are you having problems with your team, Miss Schnee?"

The Schnee in her told her to deny it. A Schnee did not have problems, at least not in public. They were always in control, always calm and composed. Lesser people made mistakes… lesser people complained about them. "I am," she admitted with a sigh. "I… I do not believe I am fit to lead the team." It was a crushing thing to admit, and she felt like the worst of scum when she did. "I think something should be changed. I think Pyrrha should be made leader."

"Not Mr Arc?"

"He… Jaune said he wouldn't make a good leader. He said he doesn't have what it takes to lead." And somehow, from those words alone, she believed him. It wasn't that he was weak, for he clearly wasn't. He just seemed like the kind of person who knew his limits.

"I must say, I find myself quite surprised, Miss Schnee."

"I'm sorry…"

"In a good way," the headmaster rebuked, a small smile on his face. "It takes some people many more years to accept that they are not perfect at something. You would be surprised how long it takes for some to realise they need help. I will not, however, change the team assignments. You were chosen to lead for a reason, and by that same merit, there are reasons Miss Nikos was not chosen."

Weiss cursed internally and looked away. This was Ozpin, the headmaster, and so she couldn't argue with his decision. "I understand, sir. I'm sorry for wasting your time."

"Time spent teaching is never wasted. What appears to be the problem? I might be able to help."

It was a long shot, but right now she was desperate. She laid out the problem as it faced her, the words Jaune had said and how she wasn't willing to try and control her team through such heavy-handed methods. She never once mentioned her father, but she had a feeling the headmaster knew. Her father's reputation was legendary… it tainted everything about their family. Once she was done, the headmaster hummed and tapped one finger against his mug.

"A difficult problem indeed," he said. "I applaud your decision not to try and force the issue. While Mr Arc is accurate in saying that fear can be a potent motivator, I believe he chose to express his tale that way so to push you away from it."

Weiss nodded. She had come to much the same conclusion. He'd shocked her into despising the idea, then reversed it by pointing out what he wanted her to do. "But I don't know how to rule by love," she sighed. "I get that he means think of my team's safety and do what's best for them, but I thought I was with Ruby. How can I do what's best for them if they won't even listen to what I say?"

"Giving orders can be a difficult task," the headmaster agreed, "Even I, with my employees below me, find myself faced with that problem. I can order Miss Goodwitch to do whatever it is I wish, but she has the freedom to interpret those instructions as she sees fit. Naturally, she might also choose to ignore them, should I order something she found abhorrent." He smiled down on her for a moment and tilted his head, "Not that I have, of course. You can rest assured Miss Goodwitch would take me to task if I did. The point I am trying to make, Miss Schnee, is that sometimes a leader needs to convince people to follow their orders. You must make them wish to follow you, or at least make them believe they do."

"Make them wish to follow?"

"Consider if you will a starving man and a man who is full. If you ordered them both to eat a large meal, you would find one more willing to listen to you than the other." He waited for her to nod in understanding before he continued. "Sometimes, it's important to think of what your team wish – or are willing – to do, and to phrase your instructions in such a way that they agree with them. My example is a bit optimistic, perhaps, but you can at least make sure you never give an order your companions would feel reluctant to follow."

His example with Miss Goodwitch and abhorrent orders… she caught the message. "What about Ruby and studying, then?" she asked. "I'm not sure how to make her want to do something like that."

"Sometimes you won't be able to," Ozpin admitted, "In those cases, although it might sound callous, it may be necessary to let people make mistakes. In this case, the mistake is quite harmless. Miss Rose will receive a bad grade on an assignment and you can then use that as an example to show her why she needs to study more."

"And what if it's in the field?" Weiss asked. She recalled Jaune's example, and the weight of having a life on the other end of her orders. "What if the mistake is big?"

"Much like they did in initiation, I believe you'll find your team much more willing to listen to you in such a situation. Naturally, it is human instinct to wish to live, and so they'll happily work with you. After all, Miss Rose followed your instructions first about charging in and again on how to attack the Deathstalker, did she not? I don't recall her ever questioning or rejecting your orders."

"You're right…" Maybe it was just because this was a non-combat situation… maybe Ruby would still listen to her if they were fighting Grimm. Did that mean the best way to build trust was to go out and fight together? "Thank you for your advice, headmaster."

"You're welcome, Miss Schnee. Just remember, as a leader it's important to think not only of what you want, but what your team desires as well. Make your orders coincide with those desires, and you'll find people far more willing to work with you."

She nodded as the older man walked away. Make people want to follow your orders? It sounded nice… far nicer than forcing someone and so much less oppressive than what her father did… but was it, really?

If I tailor my instructions to make the team want to follow them, then aren't I just manipulating them? It might sound friendly and nice, but I'm still forcing them to do what I want – except with a carrot instead of a stick.

The donkey might follow its stomach, but did that breed trust and respect between either of them? "I don't want to have a team I have to lead around by the nose, nor one that I have to threaten into action. Isn't there a different way?"

Her father was autocratic… from what the headmaster had advised, he was paternalistic. Perhaps that made sense, given his position at the head of a school for children, but her team wasn't bound to obey her orders and likely never would be.

Perhaps a trip to the library would offer inspiration.

/-/

Roman looked down at his scroll and made sure the call had ended before he tossed it aside. He slumped back on the couch with a sigh, smirking a little when a cigar was pushed into his vision. "You're a lifesaver, Neo," he said, taking and lighting it. They never failed to calm him down, a must-have for a job as stressful as his.

His partner looked on from where she was sat, a bowl of ice-cream on her lap. As silent as ever, she'd remained perfectly still while Cinder… discussed their change in plan.

"That was the boss," he explained needlessly, "and as lovely as ever a conversation with her." Neo raised an eyebrow and made a few quick motions that had him shaking his head. "No, you know her, all threats and veiled words." He wished he could put Melodic Cudgel to the back of her head, but that would assuredly lead to his death. "Sounds like things are going to be going through a little change, and lucky us, she's going to be coming here in person early."

Neo pulled a funny face that had him chuckling.

"My thoughts exactly. Gods, remind me again why we're in league with her?"

Neo mimed a gun to the side of her head and it going off.

"Rhetorical question, Neo. Trust me, I know." It was life in the underworld, and a life he figured he'd escaped long ago. It was a dog eat dog world but when you were at the top of the food chain, you didn't have to worry about someone pushing a little leverage on you. Oh, there were favours and deals will, but those could always be dealt with diplomatically enough.

He'd thought himself quite pretty and safe up there, until she arrived.

"She's coming early but our deadlines aren't being changed, which I guess is one silver lining." Neo wiped a hand on her brow. "Yeah, I know… she's a bitch but she's not dumb. Life would be easier if she was."

Neo cocked her head to the side and mimed once to the door and then to his scroll.

"She didn't say why she's coming early," he answered, "but I've got a feeling it involves that guy I got involved with a week back. You remember the one I told you about?" Neo nodded, though she made sure to roll her eyes. "Hey, I told you it was the truth! I know it sounds crazy but you know I wouldn't rob even a dinky dust store drunk. I saw what I saw."

Neo, the smart ass, patted his leg condescendingly. Only she could have gotten away with it, and not only because she was dangerous in her own right. He grinned and ruffled her hair before she could get away. When she did, she pouted and worked to straighten it.

"That brat showed up and it wasn't until I mentioned him to her that she decided to come. What's more, she's asked me to try and get some more intel on him by the time she gets here. She also made one other mistake." Neo raised an eyebrow. "She called him Jaune Arc. See, when I told her about him, I don't remember giving her his name, which means she knew it. Cinder knows him… and I've got a feeling with how strong he is, that he knows her too."

Neo made a throat-slitting motion and tilted her head to the side in question.

"Not from what I'm getting," he said. "If Cindy wanted to kill the guy, she'd have probably had us try first; you know we're expendable to her. No… I think he's important somehow."

Neo frowned and leaned forward, as did he. For all that she couldn't speak, only a fool would consider her foolish. There was a reason she was his most trusted companion, after all. If that guy was important to Cinder, then why would he be out here on his own? Something obviously went wrong, otherwise she wouldn't need to change her plans.

He was important enough for her to change their plans for… that was a big deal. A flicker of an idea crossed his mind; mad, desperate – but they were desperate people, weren't they?

"Neo," he whispered, catching her attention immediately. "This guy… he's a pretty big deal for Cinder as far as we can tell. If she's willing to put things on the line to make sure she has him, then that means he's important – integral-" Roman grinned, "- not expendable..." Neo's eyes widened as she caught onto his line of thought. "Obviously, Cindy intends to get rid of us once we've outlived our usefulness, that's as clear as day, but if she needs him, then we can tie our fate to his, can't we?"

It was a risk, of course. There was no telling if Cinder's intent with the guy was only limited, or if he would be expendable too once his part in her plan was done. It was better than doing nothing, however, since right now they weren't getting any more important to her.

"We need to get the guy on our side," he said, "We need to make him consider us important, whether that means finding us useful, liking us, whatever – I don't care. We just need him to make it clear to her that we can't be thrown away like used shoes. Get it?"

Neo nodded her head quickly. She knew as well as he how unsecure their tenure with Cinder Fall was. Both of them had been looking for an out for a while, but there was no telling how far Cinder's influence stretched. She had the White Fang on her side too, and those animals were based all across Remnant. Neo tilted her head to the side, as though to ask how they'd go about it.

Roman leaned back with a smug smile. "That's where you come in," he said with a nod towards her. "Cindy called to say she has to come early like I said, but she also mentioned that her team is going to have to transfer into Beacon too to make it legit. You remember how you were going to act as their fourth when the festival came around?" Neo nodded. "Well she wants you in earlier. Says the only way she can make this look real is if the whole team transfers as Beacon students. That means she can't claim you wanted to stay behind for whatever reason."

Neo's face twisted in agony. No doubt she knew what school of all things would be like. No late-night raids, no alcohol, no abundance of ice-cream and very little opportunity for mindless violence. He pitied her already, but their survival was more important.

"Get close to him," he said, "Do whatever you need to in order to make him like you. I'll work on the side to try and get his trust if I can, but you'll have access to him almost every day."

Neo crossed her arms and pouted at him.

"I'm not saying you have to sleep with the guy," he sighed. "Just… do what you think is best. Befriend him, help him with his homework, hell – get him to think of you as a cute little sister or something, I don't know. But if you're into that crazy tentacle stuff then well… I won't judge… much."

She bounced the ice-cream bowl off his head but sighed and nodded, as he'd known she would. It wasn't like either of them had the freedom to say no to Cinder anyway, so Neo would be going to Beacon whatever she wanted.

A chance for them to secure their lives at the end of this disaster, though? That was worth gunning for.

Neo sighed.

She followed it up with a nod, however.

/-/

Weiss was reading in the library when her scroll went off. She put down the book on leadership styles, not at all impressed with what it described as laissez-faire. Leaving her team to their own devices wouldn't fix anything. She fished out the warbling scroll with one hand and flicked it open.

"Weiss!" Pyrrha's voice came through. "Have you seen Ruby anywhere? It's late and she still hasn't come back."

Weiss checked the time on the scroll, eyes widening as she realised it was indeed half past ten at night. Have I really been reading for so long? The stack of books nearby said she might have been. To make it worse, she hadn't even come to a decision yet.

"Weiss?" Pyrrha prodded.

"Oh, sorry… no, I haven't seen her. I've been reading in the library. Have you tried her sister's dorm?"

"I sent a message to Ren but he says they haven't seen her either. I'm sure she's fine but it's very late. Jaune is out looking for her and I'm waiting here in case she comes back."

Weiss sighed and stood up. She would take anything over further reading any further. "I'll look for her as well."

"Thank you, Weiss."

The scroll went dead a second later and Weiss tucked it back into her combat skirt with a sigh. Now then, Ruby… if I were you, where would I be hiding?

The kitchens immediately came to mind, but she doubted those would be open and it wasn't like Ruby was going to break into them. The training area was another thought, but this late she doubted anyone would have the energy to train. Perhaps the forges, where weapons were repaired and modified… that was Ruby's forte and something of an obsession from what she had seen. With a nod, she decided to try there first.

She didn't make it that far, however. In fact, she didn't make it out of the library at all.

Ruby Rose sat on a seat in one corner, and were it not for her red hood, Weiss would have missed her entirely. "There you are," she sighed and walked over. "But what are you doing in the library?"

She reached down to touch the girl's shoulder. Ruby smacked her lips and mumbled something but didn't wake up, even when Weiss gently pushed the book under her arms to one side. It wouldn't do for her teammate to drool on it, after all. Not when it might get her in trouble. She picked it up and looked at the cover.

The Faunus War, it read.

Weiss blinked and turned it over, looking at the page Ruby had been reading. "The battle of Fort Castle," she whispered. The very page was about General Lagune and his mistake that led to their defeat. More than that, it was the answer to the question Weiss asked Ruby earlier. She looked down on her young teammate, eyes wide. "Did you study all of this?" she asked.

Ruby's answer came in the form of a quiet, muffled, snore.

We had our argument hours ago, she thought, looking at the books arrayed across the table. She put the first one down and reached to the notepad beside it. Ruby's handwriting was terrible but she could just about make out a list of subjects. There are what she would have learned in her last two years at Signal.

Something clogged in Weiss' throat, an uncertain feeling that felt both good and bad at the same time. Had… had Ruby done all of this because of what she said?

Was this Ruby's way of listening to her instructions?

"You're so silly," Weiss whispered, and she wasn't sure whether she addressed that to Ruby or herself. "You didn't have to go this far. I would have helped you if you asked. I just didn't want you to copy Jaune's and not learn anything."

"Mrbll… cookies…"

An uncharacteristic giggle escaped her. "You can have some tomorrow. It's not like anyone can stop you. Now wake up…" Weiss pushed and prodded the girl, but she just moaned and snuggled deeper into her arms. With a sigh, she tried again – harder.

Ruby continued to sleep through it.

"Seriously?" Weiss sighed. "It was cute a moment ago, but now you're just annoying." She was too heavy to lift as well. Then again… maybe Ruby was only too heavy for her to lift.

/-/

Jaune arrived at the library a few minutes later, just in time to catch Pyrrha arriving. "She called you too?" he asked. He wondered why. He was strong enough to lift Ruby on his own. Maybe Weiss didn't realise that, though.

"I heard Ruby fell asleep," Pyrrha said with a little smile. "I'm just glad Weiss found her. She would have been stiff if she slept here all night."

That was true. Cinder often fell asleep in positions like that too, and would have horribly sore muscles in the morning. Whenever he was around, she had him massage her shoulders. Never in mom's line of sight, of course, since his father did that to her, and as such Salem considered shoulder massage to be one level below marriage.

Weiss looked up as they walked over. The white-haired girl was stood by Ruby, one hand on the slumbering girl's shoulder. "She's fast asleep," she said, "Though at this point I doubt you need to whisper. I think she'd stay asleep even if I broke a chair over her head."

"Didn't Hazel do that to wake you up once?" Remy piped up.

"Yeah… luckily my head proved stronger. I remember mom was pretty angry."

"Yeah, she liked that chair."

Pyrrha leaned down to try and wake her partner, only to give up a moment later and look at the books. "She was studying?" she asked.

"She was," Weiss agreed, looking almost proud. "I guess in the end, she took what I said to heart. Jaune, can you and Pyrrha carry Ruby between you? I'd offer to help but I don't think I would be much use."

Jaune hummed in agreement, but knelt down and placed his hands beneath Ruby's legs and shoulders before Pyrrha could come near. The girl was light in his arms and her head fell against his chest with a muffled snore. "I've got her," he said. "I think we'd just drop her if we both tried to carry her." He didn't quite understand why they both stared at him, nor why Pyrrha's cheeks darkened and she looked away.

"Right…" Weiss coughed awkwardly. "Well… I suppose you would do that. Back to the dorm, I guess…"

"Weiss, wait." Pyrrha caught his partner's sleeve in one hand. Weiss stopped to listen, but Pyrrha froze. It seemed like both wanted to say something, yet neither knew where to start. The silence dragged on, and when Pyrrha let go awkwardly, Weiss made to leave once more.

Jaune tilted his head to the side. "Didn't you have something to say?" he asked. "Why grab her if you didn't?"

"I-I did," Pyrrha nodded. She took a deep breath and readied herself. "Weiss, I'd like to apologise for how I acted to you before. I judged you without getting to know you, and you were right, I did favour Ruby over you. It was inexcusable of me and I should have trusted that you had reasons behind your orders. I should have at least listened to them, and for that I'm sorry."

Oh, she wanted to apologise to Weiss? That was nice of her.

"I'm sorry too," Weiss sighed and slumped before them. "I didn't communicate properly with you and I acted like I had a given right to expect your obedience. I never once considered what you both wanted and instead sought to make decisions for you. I've had time to think about it… and to think about what kind of leader I want to be."

"You don't need to change," Pyrrha protested, "We didn't give you a chance, we could-"

"No. I want to change. I want to be the kind of leader you can all respect. I want to be someone whose orders you follow because you trust them." Weiss took a deep breath. "And I realise that trust isn't going to come easy. You can't trust my judgment until you've experienced it a few times… so until you can trust me, I'm going to do what I did here with Ruby, since that seemed to work." Weiss nodded to the girl in his arms. "Ruby studied like I asked her to, but she did it because she understood why I wanted her to. She understood and she agreed with it. From now on, if I want us to do something, I'll try and give the reasons for why I want us to and why I think it's a good idea," she promised. "I might make mistakes, and I might forget at times, but if you ever don't understand why I'm asking something or think it's a bad idea… tell me. I'll do my best to explain and I'll also do my best to listen."

"Weiss…" Pyrrha breathed.

"I'm not perfect," Weiss said, "and I'm not claiming I'll be the perfect leader… but if you'll give me a chance, I'll try my best."

"I will as well," Pyrrha promised. "I'll try to be the best teammate I can be. I'm sure Ruby will as well."

Weiss nodded. She moved past Pyrrha without looking at her, cheeks a little red. On the way, however, she paused by him. Her eyes reached up to meet his. "Thank you," she whispered to him.

Jaune blinked as she walked off, shoulders held high.

"Jaune," Pyrrha said. She smiled and stepped before him, eyes bright and cheery. "I… I suppose you were trying to teach me a lesson as well as Weiss. Thank you so much. You were right about what you said and I… I was at fault too." She looked like she might step forward and hug him, but for Ruby in his arms. Instead she simply smiled even wider and stepped back. "Thank you so much," she said.

He blinked again, watching with a blank expression as she nodded to him and left.

"Why are they thanking me?" he asked. "I didn't even do anything. What lesson!?" All he'd done was give them some half-made up stories about his mom so they didn't get suspicious and guess what she – and by extension him – truly was. "What were they even talking about?"

"I've no idea… honestly, Jaune, we've lived with your sisters for seventeen years. I think by this point we just need to write women off as crazy."

"I'm doing my best to fit in, but these people make no sense whatsoever," Jaune sighed. "You're still normal though, right Ruby?"

"Hmm. Cookie." Ruby agreed, fastening her lips – and her teeth – onto his neck. She made an appreciative sound as she started to chew against his aura.

"Never mind…"

Wow, a white sheep chapter with very little Jaune. In a sense this is both tying up the first Beacon arc and setting the stage for future ones, which will obviously include Jaune a lot more. The PoV leapt around a lot here, but I did it to try and almost show the different leadership styles being used in each one. For instance, Weiss thinks about autocratic and then we see Salem and Cinder. She then talks to Ozpin about paternalistic, asks if there's another and we see Roman and Neo, who have a more laissez-faire style going on between them. Basically, Roman saying "Do whatever you think will work" which is kind of the definition of the hands-off style.

Next Chapter: 8th March

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