Jaune stands in front of Cardin, out of breath. Despite having been thrown into a trashcan a week earlier and being severely injured Cardin seems to still be able to beat Jaune.
Cardin laughs as Jaune has his sword in the ground.
"Come on… come on…" he says quietly to himself. He then rushes Cardin, letting out a battle cry. He swings and Cardin dodges. Jaune turns and quickly raises his shield as he's sent flying and tumbling back. Jaune quickly gets back up. Dropping his shield and running at Cardin, both hands on the blade now. He lets out another war cry as he swings downward. Cardin blocks using his mace. Overpowering Jaune.
"This is the part where you lose" Cardin says with a smirk.
"Over my dead-" Cardin quickly knees Jaune in the nuts. Jaune is sent upward a few inches and drops his weapon. Grabbing his nuts as the pain radiating from there sends him to the floor. "Screw you…" Jaune says as he lays there. Cardin holds his mace over Jaune's head. Jaune through still in pain sees his shot as he stares up at Cardin. He jumps up and punches Cardin as hard as he can in the nuts. Cardin's eyes widen as he drops his weapon to the floor, making a loud thud. He falls down as a loud buzzer noises and the lights shut off. Jaune gets up and hears Goddwitch talk.
"That's enough." She says to Cardin and Jaune. "Students as you can see Mr. Arc's aura levels have dipped into the red. In a tournament style duel this would Indicate Jaune is no longer fit for battle and that the official may call the match." She addresses the students. "Mr. Arc it's been weeks now. Please try to refer to your scroll during combat." As Goodwitch says this Jaune pulls out his scroll, Vardin still lays on the floor from Jaune's surprisingly powerful but punch. "Gauging your aura will help you decide when it is appropriate to attack or when it is better to move to a more… defensive strategy. We wouldn't want you to be gobbled up by a Beowulf now would we?" Goodwitch asks as she looks at Jaune.
"Speak… for yourself…" Cardin says as he slowly gets up, despite having technically won most considered that a defeat for him. He picks up his weapons and walks away, his ego bruised.
"Remember everyone! The Vytal festival is only a few months away! It won't be long before students from other kingdoms start arriving in Vale. So keep practicing. Those who choose to compete in the combat tournament will be representing all of Vale."
Pyrrha looks to Jaune as he walks over to her. Despite having won in everyone else's eyes he still feels like he lost.
"So… there we were in the middle of the night." Nora says.
"It was day." Ren states.
"We were surrounded by Ursai…" Nora continues.
"They were Beowulves." Ren corrects again.
"Dozens of them!" Nora exclaims.
"Two of them." Ren corrects.
Nora continues on with her exaggerated story as Jaune simply picks at his food. Pyrrha, Ruby, and Cinder notice that he seems to feel down.
"Jaune are… you okay?" Pyrrha asks as Jaune picks at his food with his fork. Jaune stops as he hears her.
"Huh? Oh yeah. I'm fine, why?" Jaune asks, clearly lying.
"It's just that you seem a little… not okay." Ruby states. Worried for her friend.
"Yeah… it really seems Cardin defeating you has gotten to you. What's going on Jaune?" Cinder asks, concerned about her friend's mental well-being.
"Guys I'm fine. Seriously. Look!" Jaune gives an awkward smile and thumbs up. He hears Velvet yelp as he turns and sees Cardin having yanked on her ears.
"What's the matter? Big and stupid isn't here to protect you?" Cardin asks mockingly.
Cinder stands up and walks towards Cardin, fuming. Carin sees this and smiles.
"Oh hey look, it's one of your friends coming to defend you." He says to her as he lets her go and pushes her. Velvet falls down and smashes her face into her tray. At this Cinder is enraged. Emerald and Mercury look at this knowingly. They tap on Coco's and Neo's shoulders.
"Watch this, it's boutta get good." Mercury says as he smiles.
Cinder walks up to Cardin.
"Aww are you mad I-" before Cardin can get anymore words out Cinder quickly raises her fist and punches him in the face before he can even react. Then she grabs a meta tray laying on the labor and slams it into his nuts causing him to fall down.
"Are you stupid!?" Cinder asks rhetorically as she kicks him in the stomach. "I'll let you in on a little secret. If I'm fighting a guy IT'S NUTS OR NOTHING!" Cinder yells as she starts going apeshit, kicking him in the nuts repeatedly, Cardin try to cover them but Cinder keeps kicking until her legs get tired. She walks back to the table and sits down. Offering her food to Velvet.
"Sorry Velvet. Here, have my food. Don't really feel like eating right now anyways." She says as Velvet accepts quietly. Jaune looks at her in stunned silence. Then speaks up.
"Remind me never to piss you off." He says as he looks at the writing mrs on the floor known as Cardin Winchester.
"That's what bullies get. He's clearly too stupid to learn any sort of lesson since last time he messed with Velvet he got launched into a trashcan." Cinder states as she looks at Jaune.
"Cardin has been picking on you since the start of school. He's a goddamn bully." Cinder says, her usual relaxed and friendly tone now filled with a slight anger and coldness.
"Nah h-he just likes to mess around, it's practical jokes and whatnot with me. And babe one time he's bullied me." Jaune states. Ruby, Pyrrha, and Cinder collectively sigh.
"When he knocked your scroll to the ground, activated your shield in a doorway, shoved you in a rocket locker and sent you all the way into Vale, tripped you down the stairs, tried to shave your head before Yatsu stopped him, tried to get you to ask out Coco, and that time he almost pantsed you before Pyrrha stopped him." Cinder lists and Jaune is left silent.
"Well those were just pranks." He says with a nervous laugh.
"Jaune you know if you ever need help you can just ask. We're always here for you." Pyrrha says putting her hand on his shoulders.
"Oh! We'll break his legs!" Nora says enthusiastically. Neo looks at Nora and nods enthusiastically, worryingly enthusiastically. Jaune stands up.
"Guys, really it's fine. Besides it's not like he's only a jerk to me, he's a jerk to everyone." Jaune says.
"And a disgusting racist." Blake adds. Jaune throws away his food then returns to his room.
Jaune pats asleep in Doctor Obleck's class. The incredibly hyper teacher zooms around the room giving his usual lesson on Faunus history.
"Now, have any of you been discriminated against because of your Faunus heritage?" Obleck asks the class. Velvet looks around nervously as a few other students raise their hands. She slowly dies the same.
"Dreadful simply dreadful! Now remember students it is precisely this kind of ignorance that breeds violence. I mean- I mean look at what's going on with the white fang! It's in a civil war! Now which one of you young scholars can tell me what many theorists believe to be the turning point in the third year of the war?" Obleck asks as he zooms around. Weiss raises her hand. Obleck calls on her and Weiss answers. "The battle at fort believer." Weiss answers.
"Precisely! Obleck responds "and who can tell me the advantage the faunus had over general Lagoon's forces?" Obleck asks. Cardin gets a piece of paper he crumpled up and flicks it into the back of Jaune's head.
"H-hey!" Jaune says as he's awaken, Obleck quickly zooms over to him.
"Mr. Arc! Finally contributing to class! This is excellent! Excellent! What is the answer?!" Obleck asks.
"Uh… the answer is…" Jaune pauses looking around then gives up instead of trying to bullshit it. "I'm probably wrong but I think it had something to do with eyesight." He admits as he sits back. Obleck zooms back to his desk. "You are partially right Mr. Arc! Now would anyone else like to explain what about thier eyesight gave the the advantage?" Obleck asks, he sees Cardin snickering to himself.
"Ah Mr. Winchester, perhaps you'd like to share your thoughts with the class?" Obleck asks as he see Cardin puts his feet on the table in front of him.
"Well I know it's a lot easier to train an animal than a solider." He states like it's some sort of fact.
"You're not the brightest of individuals are you, Cardin?" Pyrrha asks, her voice filled with annoyance.
"What? You got a problem?" Cardin asks as he looks at her.
"No. The answer is night vision. Many faunus are known to have nearly perfect vision in the dark." Purrha states. Cardin groans in frustration.
"General Lagoon was inexperienced and made the mistake of trying to ambush the faunus in their sleep. His massive army was outmatched and decimated and the general was forced to retreat." Blake adds . "Perhaps if you payed attention in class he wouldn't have been remembered as such a failure." Blake says to Cardin, who stands up in anger at being humiliated again.
"Mr. Winchester please take your seat."
Jaune gets the urge to laugh but instead he lets out a cough to disguise his laugh.
"You and Me. Arc can see me after class for additional readings." Obleck says to Cardin and Jaune as class continues.
When class ends everyone walks out excpet both Cardin and Jaune.
Purrha looks to Nora and Ren.
"You go on ahead, I'll wait for Jaune."
She says as Nora and Ren nods.
"Alright. We'll meet you in the dining hall then." Ren says.
"You two have been struggling in my class since day one. I don't know if it's just a lack of interest of your stubborn nature. But whatever it is it stops now. You've worked hard to gain entrance to this school and we only accept the best of the best. So I expect you to act like it. History is important gentlemen. If you can't learn from it you're destined to repeat it. Pages 51 to 91, I want an essay on my desk by next class. Now run along." Obleck says, then zooming out of class as Jaune and Cardin walk out. Cardin shoved Jaune to the ground and Pyrrha runs up to him and helps him up.
"You know, I really will break his legs." Purrha says, almost completely serious. Jaune sighs and closes his eyes. Pyrrha's light up. "I have an idea! Here come with me!" She says as she drags him with her to the roof. They walk to the edge and look out into the night.
"Pyrrha I know I'm going trough a hard time right now but I'm not that depressed." Jaune says as he looks over the edge and steps back. "I can always be a farmer or something." Jaune says.
"No!" Pyrrha says as she slightly shoves Jaune even further away from the edge. "Thats not why I brought you up here. Jaune, I know you're having a difficult time in class and that you're still not the strongest of fighters. So… I wanna help you." Pyrrha says, giving Jaune a smile.
"What?" Jaune asks giving Pyrrha a confused stare.
"We can train up here after class where no one can bother us." Pyrrha says, looking at Jaune.
"You think I need help?" Jaune asks.
"N-no! No. That's not what I meant." Pyrrha says, trying to reassure Jaune.
"But that's what you just said." Jaune responds.
"Jaune everybody needs a little help from time to time. It doesn't make you any different or any weaker than the rest of us. You made it to beacon! That speaks volumes of what you're capable of!" Pyrrha says as Jaune turns around.
"You're wrong. I-I don't belong here." Jaune states. The guilt and feeling of being a fraud eating up at him.
"That's a terrible thing to say! Of course you do!" Pyrrha says, trying to assure him until he quickly turns around.
"No I don't!" He says as he raises his voice. Pyrrha looks at him dumbfounded and shocked.
"I wasn't really accepted into beacon." He says and turns around. His voice back at its regular volume.
"W-what do you mean?" Pyrrha asks, confused by his words and actions.
"I mean I didn't go to combat school! I didn't pass any tests! I didn't earn my spot at this academy! I lied! I got my hands on some fake transcripts and I lied!" Jaune explains. Pyrrha looks at him, confused and baffled by this information.
"But why?" She asks.
"Because this is what I've always wanted to be! My father, my grandfather, and his father before him were all warriors! They were all heros! I wanted to be one too… I was just never good enough." Jaune says, the guilt consuming him.
Pyrrha puts her hand on Jaune's shoulder and speaks to him.
"Then let me help you!" She pleads. Jaune turns around and moves back.
"I don't want help! I don't want to be the damsel in distress! I wanna be the hero!" He says as he starts to tear up.
"Jaune I-" Pyrrha is cut off.
"I'm tired of being the lovable idiot stick in a tree while his friends fight for their lives! Don't you understand?" Jaune asks. "If I can't do this on my own then what good am I?" Jaune asks not just Pyrrha, but himself too. Pyrrha moves to hug Jaune but he moves back. She then moves back.
"Just… leave me alone… please…" Jaune says sitting down.
"If that's what you think is best…" Pyrrha responds as she slowly walks away. Jaune sits there for a bit until suddenly Cardin climbs up.
"Oh Ho Ho, Jaune. I couldn't help but overhear your conversation from my dorm room. So you snuck into beacon! Impressive!" Cardin says as he walks up to Jaune.
"Please Cardin don't tell anyone!" Jaune begs, at Cardin's mercy.
"Oh Jaune, I'd never eat out a friend like that!" He says as he walks close to Jaune.
"A friend?" Jaune asks before he's suddenly punched in the nuts.
"Of course! We're friends now Jauney boy! And as long as you're there for me when I need you I can see us being best friends for a long time." Cardin says as he kneels down to Jaune and picks him up. "That being said I don't have enough time to do that reading or essay Obleck gave us. I'd appreciate if you'd do it for me, since we're good friends now." Jaune slowly nods.
"Perfect." He lets go of Jaune and Jaune slowly stands up. "Don't worry Jaune, your secret is safe with Cardin Winchester." He says with his sisnter tone of voice as he climbs back into his dorm room.