Hello everyone, hope you're all keeping well. Here is the latest chapter, might not quite be up to the same standards as the others but I hope you like it all the same. It was a bit of a ball-ache to write if I'm honest. I had the ideas just couldn't put it into words, but with a fair bit of swearing and several long breaks it is finally done. Dig in, its going to be a bumpy ride.

Jaune sighed as both his team and BRNY left Port's class. In truth, when he had heard that he would be studying under the illustrious Professor Peter Port, he had naturally been excited. The legendary huntsman famed for killing over three hundred Beowolves in a single encounter to save an entire town, single handedly, was going to be teaching them!

The professor was not, however, what he had expected. In fact the reality was about as far from the tall, dark and mysterious figure that the blonde leader had been expecting as was physically possible.

This legendary hero had turned out to be an ironically portly man in what Jaune guessed to be his mid fifties with greying hair and little left but his stellar moustache and tails of grandeur. Not the best start to the year to be certain. Even the fire in Ruby's eyes had seemingly dimmed at the mere sight of him. It would seem that even the little rose had been expecting something a little more.

Throughout his first lecture with the Professor, all Jaune could think about was when the bell would ring. At one point he managed to calculate, down to the second, exactly how long he had left. A part of him felt guilty for not giving Port a fair chance, but it was hard to given just how boring his lecture was. It had started out well with the senior huntsman giving a brief summary of what Grimm were, their origins and the various different classifications therein but had quickly devolved into a self promotional story of near ridiculous length.

There had been an audible sigh of relief when the bell had finally rung, after what seemed like an eternity, to signal the end of class. The rush for the door wasn't quite the mad dash he had expected, but rather a singular movement with an insistent sense of urgency.

Jaune checked his scroll for his timetable to see that their next lesson was combat studies with Professor Goodwitch in the training centre. In truth this was the one that Jaune had perhaps been looking forward to the most. Events in initiation had instilled a sense of self confidence the likes of which he hadn't felt in a long while. The prospect of being able to test his combat abilities in a sparring match against the other students excited him to say the least.

Teams JSPR and BRNY made their way out into the campus, bright sunlight warming them as the walked along. Jaune felt his neck begin to sweat under his shirt and tie. It didn't really make sense to him that even in the height of summer, all Beacon students had to wear the official uniform no matter how hot. Already there had been three cases of students being carried off to the infirmary with sunstroke.

After a short walk, Beacon's multi-million Lien training compound rose up before them. It was a gigantic building and a masterpiece of modern architecture. The complex had a futuristic look about it. It's walls were composed entirely of smart glass panes, gleaming brightly in the sun despite being tinted in reaction to the brilliant sunshine. Sweeping steel arches wrapped themselves around the structure providing both an unusual aesthetic appeal as well as additional structural integrity.

Jaune and his friends continued on and through the gigantic sliding doors and towards the sparring room. It was huge, easily big enough to comfortably accommodate for twenty five sparring partnerships, with plenty of room to spare. The eight first years made their way up into the stands to take their places with the other first years.

Goodwitch arrived not long afterwards, her heels click-clacking against the hard stone floor of the facility. She marched more than walked, her usual stern expression fixed in place. Jaune wondered why it was that she always seemed so impatient or angry.

"Good morning students, I am to be your combat studies Professor this year. In my class you shall further improve your skills through sparring with one another in order to better prepare you all for your future lives as huntsmen and huntresses. You have all been categorized and partnered off based on the skills you demonstrated during initiation. Please listen closely whilst I read out the pairings."

Jaune leant forward listening intently as Goodwitch read out a long list of names from her scroll. Excitement bubbled up within his gut. He looked to his team to see similar expressions on their faces. Even Weiss had a confident smirk playing about her lips, it seemed that even the 'Ice Queen' herself wasn't immune to excitement.

"Ruby Rose and Sky Lark, Cardin Winchester and Jaune Arc..."

Upon hearing his name Jaune's eyes darted from first year to first year seeking to identify his new sparring partner. It wasn't long before he found him and the smile faded from his face. Cardin was a much larger boy, easily a good two to three inches taller if not more and much broader in the shoulders. Two angry looking indigo eyes glared back at him with what looked to be disgust. The blonde's confidence took a nose dive and at that moment a whole horde of Beowolves might have actually been preferable to fighting Cardin.

"Very well, please change into your combat equipment and ready yourselves for your fist sparring matches." Goodwitch's voice pulled him out of his thoughts. The first years made their way through into the locker rooms and changed, returning moments later. Jaune fiddled nervously with a knot in the leather strap connected to his right pauldron.

He felt a hand gently clasp his shoulder and wheeled round in surprise to see Ruby smiling brightly at him. He gave his best smile in return but it must have shown his nerves because she frowned a little.

"Don't worry about it Jaune, you fought really well in the forest. You'll be OK now." She said softly. Reaching up on her tiptoes she moved his hands away from the armour and undid the fastenings. Straightening out the knot with quick and deft fingers she re tightened the strap again.

"I'll be rooting for my leader out there!" She giggled. The little rose gave him a quick yet firm hug before darting away to one of the sparring enclosures wherein her partner was waiting for her, halberd in hand.

JSPR's leader shook off his doubts and slowly walked towards his own assigned enclosure, the familiar weight of Crocea Mors swinging into his leg as he walked. He stood over to once side of the ring and drew his weapons giving his sword a few practice swings and adjusting his grip. His fingers fell into well-worn grooves in the weapon's hilt. Formed through generations of use.

Cardin arrived not long after, a cocky smirk on his face. Jaune gulped at the sight of the hulking first year. Winchester was adorned all in thick plate armour with a golden eagle emblazoned proudly across the front of his breastplate. Slung across his shoulder was a gigantic mace, forged of blackened steel and cruel in design. Twelve bladed flanges splayed out from the haft and curled up and round to form a caged head with a large red gem set within. If there was one thing Jaune knew, it was that he couldn't afford to take any direct hits from that weapon. Aura or no, that would do some serious damage if he wasn't careful.

Goodwitch stepped over to them before long, she synced up their scrolls to their respective aura levels and called them both to the centre of the ring so that the two combatants stood on either side of her.

"Gentlemen, this will be a standard match. You will fight until one of your auras falls into the red, at which time the klaxon will sound and the match will be over. If either of you should continue the fight once one of you has lost then there shall be serious repercussions. Is this understood?" Both of them nodded and retreated to their own sides. The professor left their arena and headed off to set another pair off.

Jaune raised his shield so that he was just peering over the top lip, his blue eyes locked onto his opponent, occasionally flicking to the three lights at the side of the arena. The first light came on, a bright amber. The blonde fought to slow his breathing and calm his nerves. The second light came on. He adjusted his grip on his sword, feeling the circulation to his fingers cut out. The third light came on, green.

The knight sprinted forwards, his sword raised and poised to strike. Cardin's eyes widened in shock at the sheer audacity that the smaller leader was exhibiting. This surprise soon passed however, aggressively shrugging, he brought his mace up and off of his shoulder and into a wide arcing swing. The sheer weight of the weapon giving it momentum.

Jaune saw the strike coming and barely managed to raise his shield in time, The mace collided with the face of his shield with a loud metallic clang and a shower of sparks. The force of the strike alone launched the blonde backwards and to the other side of the arena onto his back. The air was forced out of his lungs and left him sprawling, gasping for air.

The sparring room around them had fallen silent, every one of the fighters turned to look at the two leaders battling it out. Jaune struggled to his feet once more, his lungs burning for air and his vision flickering. With a grunt of effort he raised his shield once more. Looking around to find over thirty pairs of eyes all watching him, his already red cheeks deepened in colour. One set in particular caught his attention, deep viridian in colour and filled with concern. Pyrrha's eyes bored into him and gave him renewed determination.

He re adopted his combat stance and glared at the mace-wielder once more, now a little more aware of his capabilities. He was relieved when the sounds of combat resumed around them, glad in the knowledge that attention had once again been diverted away from them.

Taking slow and cautious steps, Jaune circled around. Opposite him Cardin did the same, his fingers drumming against the haft of his mace. Looking for any weak points, any chinks in his armour that he might be able to take advantage of. The knight had previously been relying on the idea that the bigger leader's heavier armour and weapon would have slowed him right down. This was however not the case, rather it appeared that he had worn that plate armour for so long that it had become almost a second skin to him.

"How on earth did a pipsqueak like you end up the leader of a team? A team containing Pyrrha Nikos of all people." Cardin's voice was snide and thick with malice. Jaune bit back a retort as he realised that he did in fact have a point.

"Ozpin seemed to think it was a good idea, who am I to argue with the Headmaster?" Jaune replied through gritted teeth.

"It would seem like he made a mistake. leaders need to be strong and dependable, not weak like you." He continued the smirk never once leaving his face. Jaune's anger rose up within him, burning brightly behind his eyes.

Without pausing to consider the consequences, he charged once more. Crocea Mors singing as it flew through the air. Jaune turned his body mid-strike to avoid another swing from the bastard mace. It struck the floor to his right with a loud report splintering the stone beneath their feet an sending shock-waves out in all directions. It took everything that Jaune had to keep his balance and continue his attack.

There was a metallic clang and a screech of metal on metal that set the blonde's teeth on edge. Before Jaune could fully assess the damage that his strike did, a fist connected with his face sending him back to the ground once again, the splinters of stone digging into his relatively unprotected back shooting lances of pain throughout his body as a few of them punctured his skin even through his clothes. He yelped in pain even as his aura kicked in to heal these new injuries.

Looking up to his opponent, Jaune caught his first glance of the damage he had wrought. He had opened up a huge diagonal rend had been torn through Cardin's breastplate from his left shoulder to his right hip, straight through the once-proud golden eagle. Pride bloomed in his heart at knowing that he had been responsible for such devastation. Cardin however looked a little less pleased.

"You... Look what you've done!" He growled, a savage look in his eyes. "This was my father's armour! You're in for it now..." He bellowed in rage. The hulking boy's feet sounded like the dirge of doom as he strode over to Jaune's prone form. The blonde scrambled backwards, his proud smile fading and shifting into an expression of horror.

Grabbing him roughly by the leather straps of his chest plate, Cardin hauled him up and off of his feet. The blondes legs hanging uselessly nearly a foot off of the ground. Jaune winced as the jagged metal from Cardin's sliced straight through his hoodie and cut his skin.

Cocking back a fist, CRDL's leader slammed it straight into Jaune's gut. The blonde coughed as stars danced before his eyes. A second punch winded him and caused his vision to flicker, darkness beginning creeping over him as he moved towards losing consciousness. The knight flailed and kicked against his armour in the hoped of breaking free but there was no chance. Cardin had him locked in his clutches and wasn't about to let go until he had finished venting.

The knight barely held onto his sword amidst the vicious beating he was receiving. Every time Cardin's fist connected his whole body would scream out in protest before his aura would wash over him mitigating the damage, only for the whole process to start anew moments later. Jaune frantically tried to think of a way out, to escape his opponent's relentless onslaught.

In a moment of desperation he switched his grip on Crocea Mors so that the blade hung parallel to the ground pointing behind him. Taking a moment to gather what strength he had left he swung his sword arm up and pommel struck his opposing leader in the side of the head.

Cardin cried out in pain and dropped the blonde to clamp both of his hands to his face. Jaune's legs crumpled under him as they struck the floor. With a series of pained grunts he staggered back to his feet, fighting to ignore the agony that his stomach cried out in.

Having retrieved his mace, the now thoroughly enraged Cardin once again swung at the knight, brining his gargantuan mace to bear on the wounded knight. Throwing his body into an agonising roll, he barely managed to dodge before the steel club smashed into the space he had only just occupied. Jaune back-pedalled feverishly, trying to put space between himself and the enraged mace user.

Casting a glance to his scroll he read his aura as being over half gone,and well into the amber whilst Cardin was still sitting comfortably in the green. With a growl of frustration he charged forward and launched a flurry of swings aiming to land at least one proper hit and take some of his opponent's aura down.

Cardin's face twitched angrily as he stepped out of the way of every slash Jaune tried. He gave ground steadily as the two crossed back over onto the ruined ground of their arena. The knight's arms grew numb, feeling heavier with each swing as he exhausted more and more energy with each passing moment.

By this time, the other matches around the arena had fizzled out save for a couple of die-hard fighters who still had the energy to go on. The free students gathered around to watch the two leaders have at one another.

The blonde's onslaught was stopped dead in its tracks as a knee connected with his stomach doubling him over driving the precious air from his lungs. He tried to climb back up when a fist connected with the side of his head sending him flying back to the ground unconscious just as the klaxon sounded signalling Cardin's victory.

Jaune groggily awoke several hours later in the most intense pain he had felt in his life. With the adrenaline having worn off since the bout, he could feel every single bruise throbbing in unison like hundreds of angry reminders. They seemed to be concentrated mostly around his torso and face, although some had reached his legs.

The first thing he noticed other than his own extensive injuries was the sound of voices and a gentle but firm pressure on each of his hands. He recognised the voices as those of the other three members of his team, and judging by the tone they were arguing about something.

"I don't see why that dolt didn't just yield!" that was Weiss, no doubt about it.

"Weiss, he couldn't yield! How would it look if he had yielded on the first day of school?" Countered a second voice, one which he recognised instantly as that of Ruby.

"Pyrrha, will you back me up here?!" Weiss cried out in demand. For a while afterwards the room was utterly silent. Jaune felt the pressure on his right hand increase ever so slightly for a fleeting moment before it relaxed once again.

"I don't see why it matters. What is done is done, all we can do now is wait for him to recover." Pyrrha said, her voice trembling a little with what sounded like concern.

"You won't be waiting long..." Jaune croaked, deciding to make his presence known. He tried opening his eyes but found the left one swollen beyond the point where he could. With his right eyes he briefly scanned around the room.

He was lying in a metal framed bed in a room painted a sterile white colour to match the sheets he lay under. Presumably this was the Beacon academy infirmary. Sat in chairs both on his left and right were Ruby and Pyrrha, each of them holding onto a hand tightly and to Jaune's surprise Ruby's eyes were red and puffy as though they had been crying. Across the room leant against the wall in the corner was Weiss, a scowl on her face although Jaune could have sworn their was a flicker of relief in her eyes at the sound of his voice.

"Jaune!" Ruby cried out in excitement, hugging him tightly. Jaune winced in pain at the contact and she soon shot back with a bright blush on her cheeks.

"Sorry... It's just we were worried about you."

"Thanks Ruby." He smiled weakly, reaching out with his now-free hand and ruffling her hair. The rose pouted adorably when he did and immediately set about trying to fix her locks back in their usual places when he finished.

Pyrrha responded in a much more subdued manner, smiling brightly at him with a film of tears in her eyes. Jaune blushed a little as his soft blue eyes met with her intense emerald ones.

"Hey partner." He grinned.

"Hey." She replied with a giggle. "How are you feeling?"

"Like a horde of Ursai decided to dance the fandango on my head." He winced. "What happened exactly, last thing I remember was combat studies and then... nothing."

"What happened? I'll tell you what happened! Cardin absolutely destroyed you!" Weiss snapped, stepping into the fray in her usual brusque manner. She seemed to exude pure rage and Jaune simply couldn't work out why.

"W-Weiss why are you mad at me? I did my bes-"

"Well your best wasn't good enough Jaune! How are you supposed to lead when you can hardly defend yourself? Well?"

"I-I don't know..."

"Neither do I... Ozpin made a mistake." She snarled and stormed out of the room leaving all three of her teammates in complete silence. Jaune's eyes welled up and tears began to roll steadily down his cheeks. Weiss had struck at his very core, targeting the part of him that was the most vulnerable.

"J-Jaune... are you alright?" Pyrrha asked, placing a hand reassuringly on his shoulder.

"She's right." He replied.

"What do you mean?" Ruby said, clasping his hand in between both of her own.

"She's right, I'm not right for leadership. Ozpin made a mistake." He sighed.

"Did I now? And what makes you say that Mr. Arc?" All three sets of eyes snapped onto the old headmaster as he stepped into the room, ever present coffee mug in hand.

"How am I meant to lead? It's like she said, I can barely protect myself let alone the others around me. Surely any of the other members of my team would be better suited for the role?"

"Girls, would you mind giving us a moment?" Ozpin asked after a moment, Ruby and Pyrrha nodded and stood to leave the room. Both girls shooting him one last concerned glance before stepping outside and closing the door behind them. Once they were gone Ozpin sighed and took a seat at Jaune's bedside, resting his cane against the arm of the chair.

"Jaune." He began, surprising the knight by addressing him by his first name. "Being a leader isn't just a title that you carry with you into battle but a badge you wear permanently. You are always bound by the rules and responsibilities accompanying that position. What would you say those responsibilities are?"

"I-I guess to protect your team, and lead them in battle in the best way to stop them getting hurt?"

"I agree, that is part of it. But don't forget that your team isn't just limited to when you're in battle. You are always a team, at least while here at Beacon, both on the field of battle and off of it. You as a leader will be the one that your team will look to for guidance and support."

"But what if I can't give them that support?"

"Jaune it has only been one day, you're still settling into your new role as a leader. Give it time, I'm sure you'll come to terms with it soon enough."

"S-so it wasn't a mistake?"

"I have more mistakes than any man, woman or child on this earth, but I don't think that electing you as leader of your team is one of them. Give it time, you'll see." The Professor smiled standing up once again and heading for the door. "Now, I have taken up far too much of your time, and your teammates seemed to be eager to stay. A swift recovery to you Mr. Arc." The professor nodded opening the door.

"Thank you Professor." Jaune croaked. Ozpin smiled and left just as Pyrrha and Ruby shot back in and returned to their seats in a flurry of movement and a cloud of rose petals.

"What was that about?" Ruby asked.

"He uh... He just wanted to make sure I was alright." Jaune answered, a slight smile on his face as he wiped away the tears from his eyes.

Weiss' feet clacked against the worn stone floor, echoing down Beacon's long corridors. She was furious, both with Arc for appearing so weak and with herself for her own outburst. It all seemed so ridiculous that she, Weiss Schnee, had been cast aside for Jaune Arc to take the position of team leader. She had trained for a great many years in the best schools, under the best teachers and with the best equipment to be pipped to the post by that blonde buffoon.

She threw open the doors and stalked out into the gardens, seeking to calm herself amongst the buds, flowers and trees, just as she had always done at the Schnee family manor in Atlas. As she walked the paved pathways, bordered by well-kept flowerbeds filled with every colour of flora imaginable. Ever since she was small, Weiss had found solace walking in the gardens. Perhaps it was the order and organisation of it all, the sheer amount off effort and variation that the gardeners went to to create such slices of heaven or perhaps it was the feeling of being out in the open air and surrounded by all that was good and beautiful in the world.

The gravel path cork-screwed its way around a small hillock up to the very top where there stood an old oak tree with a bench carved out of its twisted mass of roots, the tree's mighty trunk was covered in a vast mat of lichens and mosses. Overhead its branches formed a solid umbrella of leaves shading the bench below and bathing it is green light as the bright sunlight shone through the canopy above.

She unsheathed Myrtenaster and jabbed it into the ground in front of the bench before taking a seat to look out over the gardens. The view was incredible and soon helped her forget all of her stresses and concerns. The various fragrances from the multitude of flowers below all blended together to form one perfume so pleasant that should Weiss have had a bottle of it she would have worn it every day.

She sat back with a sigh, content to watch the world go by around her. The flowers below waving gently in the breeze and the puffy clouds above wheeling over her. It was perhaps the most relaxing setting on the whole campus. The Heiress was brought back into reality by the sounds of gravel crunching underfoot, sitting upright and her frosty exterior returning she prepared to meet her visitor.

To her surprise it was the headmaster himself. Ozpin made his way up the slope at a steady pace despite using a cane. Weiss had assumed that he had an old hunting wound and needed his cane to walk properly and yet he showed no signs of a limp in his gait. He walked over towards the bench and motioned with his hand to the free space on the bench beside her.

"Mind if I join you?"

"Not at all." In reality, Weiss minded very much but years of etiquette training in Atlas had taught her to be polite despite everything. Ozpin thanked her and took a seat on the polished wood of the bench.

"Miss Schnee, I hear that you have had a bit of a dispute with Mr Arc and believe I made a mistake in appointing him. Is this true?" He asked after a while. His voice calm and neutral, neither swayed towards nor against the young Heiress. This didn't stop her from blushing in sheer embarrassment at the question.

"I-it is sir." She admitted.

"And what is it that led you to that belief?" He locked her with his deep brown eyes.

"Well he can barely look after himself! His combat is amateurish at best and he is completely incapable in the field! He has no self restraint, is a completely irresponsible dolt and has no idea how to lead!" She explained, her voice rising in volume as she went on. Ozpin waited patiently until she was finished completely.

"Miss Schnee, Mr Arc may well be all of those things but he is still your team leader. As his teammate, your strengths fuel his strengths and your downfalls are his. As his team you must all support him just as he must support you. Think of your team as four pieces of wood, individually you are easily broken and scattered to the four winds, but together you present a much stronger force than if you were apart. Leadership isn't based of physical strength, being able to swing a sword doesn't make you a leader. A leader must have a tactical mind. Mr Arc demonstrated that when he proposed his plan to bring down the Nevermore."

"But what about his academic abilities? Won't he bring the team down?" She continued, seeking to drive her point home.

"What about them? If he falls down, you as his team should pull him up. A team is a symbiotic circle with the team supporting their leader wherever possible and vice versa. It is only the first day Miss Schnee, give Mr Arc a chance to settle into his new role and adapt. You never know, he may pleasantly surprise you."

Weiss fell silent as she digested all that the headmaster had said. Perhaps he was right, she had been rather hasty is casting her aspersions on him as a leader. Well, if it was true that as a member of team JSPR she had to support her leader, then she would do just that. She was going to be the very best teammate that Jaune could have.

"I think I'll take my leave, Professor Goodwitch has likely noticed that I have snuck out by now. I had best get back, enjoy the rest of your afternoon." He smiled, standing up and walking away again.

Roman leant back in his small chair with his feet on the nearby table, taking long drags on his cigar and blowing clouds of smoke. A single lantern lit up a fair sized area around the table and was otherwise his only real source of illumination. In his free hand he had an uncorked bottle of the finest Mistralian wine, an excellent vintage to be sure.

All around him were stacked cargo containers some three high and two deep. Every one of them was marked with a large white snowflake and the words Schnee Dust Company as well as numerous hazard signs explaining the explosive nature of their respective contents. All in all it had been an excellent haul, one for the record books.

The warehouse he was situated in made for the best place to stash the dust, it was one of the SDC's disused and abandoned properties by the docks, dating back to when dust was shipped by sea. After numerous pirate attacks, they were forced to transport the crystals directly from the quarries to their destination by both rail and air. As such, the dock storehouses were abandoned and left to rot.

"Ah, Roman. Are you quite comfortable enough?" A sultry female voice asked from beyond the lit circle. Golden eyes glowed ominously in the dark as a tall and slender woman stepped into view. She was wearing a long sleeved red silk dress which fell to her mid thigh. It was decorated with fantastical patterns is golden thread all the way up the arms

"Cinder!" He cried out in surprise, bringing his feet off the table and almost dropping the bottle in his hand.

"Oh I'm sorry, did I interrupt your little...celebration?" She chuckled.

"Well, yeah... We now own most of the dust in Vale. I've got this whole town running scared." He smirked holding his arms out wide proudly showing off his haul.

"That's very nice Roman. But mostly pointless, your robberies were just a distraction after all. A plot to keep everyone's eyes away from the real threat. We're ready to move onto phase two, I need you to be prepared to go when I give the signal."

Before Roman could even answer she was gone again leaving him wondering if she had ever been there at all. With a resigned sigh he sat back down taking a long draught from the bottle. Events had been set in motion that could not been reversed, events that Vale would likely never forget.

So what did you think? Be sure to let me know in the reviews. One of you mentioned that Jaune might be a little OP which was true. It was pretty interesting to write the disputes within the team, as well as Ozpin's intervention. He strikes me as the type to play god with the teams to try and open their eyes and get them thinking differently.

Please follow and favourite if you liked it, I'll try and get the next chapter written within the week since next weekend is my 18th birthday party and lord knows what state I'll be in the day afterwards. If I don't get it written by then I'm sorry.

I have been TheFlagshipArkos, you have been my awesome readers and as always; I'll see you all in the next chapter.