Previously, on The Defenders of Remnant...

"You already seem particularly close with teams RWBY and JNPR. Am I wrong in assuming so?"

"They're good kids, even if it doesn't always come across with some." Peter replied.

"Well, if you really do feel so fondly of them, I ask that you look over these two teams during your time here. They show much promise, but everyone has their flaws. I ask that you guide them, help keep them on the right path." Ozpin requested. Peter looked up at him.

"So, I guess I finally got an answer to my question, Peter." Blake remarked.

"What question would that be?" Peter asked.

"About who was behind the mask." Blake replied.

"So what are you doing at Beacon? You're no Huntsman."

"Headmaster let me in, special case." Peter answered.

"If I promise to keep your identity a secret from the rest of Beacon, you have to answer all my questions."

"Russel Thrush, Cardin Winchester, Dove Bronzewing, Sky Lark."

"From this day forward, you will work together as… Team CRDL! Led by… Cardin Winchester."

"The faunus are the second race that populates our world besides humans. Faunus are humanoid people, each with an animal trait.

But of course, the world is cruel. Faunus are looked down upon for their differences. And since the last war in this world was between humans and faunus, the hatred is made worse by a very fresh wound."

"I believe life is life, no matter the form it takes, Mr. Parker. However, mankind has forgotten that ideal. And there's nothing even I can do to change that."

The Defenders of Remnant

Chapter 8: The Pecking Order

Blake found herself outside of Peter's lab, ready to get answers to her questions, which had been pushed even further to the front of her mind by the newscast she had watched just before making her way here. When she went to knock, however, she saw the door was cracked open already. She hesitated slightly, but then pushed the door open with her hand, and it swung open to reveal Peter passed out cold at one of the desks. Blake slightly scowled, since he promised to finally give her some straight answers, but silently closed the door behind her, then walked around the desk to him. She was about to shake Peter awake when she saw a photo next to his hand on the desk. She hesitated again, but carefully pulled the photo away to look at it, worried she might wake him as she did so. When she saw he didn't stir, she looked at the small photo in her hand, seeing it was Peter with a redheaded girl clinging to him, both with great big smiles. Blake then flipped it over to see text that made her heart sink a little.

Rest in Peace, Mary Jane Watson. 2002 - 2021.

Peter… Blake thought to herself, feeling sad for him. Then a hand gripped the top of the photo, making Blake jump, and she looked up to see Peter with an almost angered look in his eyes.

"That's not yours," He simply said. Blake quickly let go of it.

"I-I'm sorry, Peter…" She apologized. Peter didn't say anything else, just turned away with the photo, giving it one last look before putting it back into his pocket. It wasn't a look of anger, but one of pain, and sorrow. One Blake recognized all too well. Peter took a moment to gather himself, taking deep breaths. Blake was hesitant to do anything. She hadn't seen Peter show anger before, he'd always seemed so positive and caring. And yet, seeing Blake with that photo in her hand, it did something to him. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have-"

"It's alright, Blake. I'm not angry at you," Peter said as he turned back around, a small smile on his face. But Blake could see right through him; the smile Peter bore now was halfhearted, fake. But Blake knew expanding the matter would only hurt him more. "So, you want answers?" Peter asked. Blake gave a small nod. "Alright, I'll answer everything. But over food, because I'm kinda hungry."

After leaving Beacon and entering Vale, getting fast food along the way, Peter and Blake sat upon the edge of an apartment complex with the food bag between them, and drinks at their sides. Peter was halfway through his burger by the time Blake chimed back in. "So, you're from another universe?" She asked.

"I probably sound insane, don't I?" Peter replied as he took another bite of his burger.

"Normally, I'd say yes, but… you seemed so confused when I met you. You had no idea where you were. And besides, no one in our world goes around wearing weird masks to beat up the bad guys," Blake commented as she sipped her drink.

"Hey!" Blake giggled a bit, which made Peter genuinely smile. "Well would you look at that."

"What?" Blake asked.

"Imagine that, the dark and brooding Blake Belladonna, smiling!" Peter remarked.

Blake smiled wider and playfully punched Peter in the arm. "Shut up." The two laughed together, and continued to eat their food. They sat in silence for a good while, simply enjoying the night as they sat atop the building. Soon, though, Blake slightly eyed up Peter's pocket, the thoughts of the photo coming back to her mind. Though she only glanced at it slightly, Peter caught on quickly.

"You're still curious about the photo," Peter said. Blake quickly looked away, slightly embarrassed at being caught. She saw Peter's full smile start to fade away, and then she felt guilty on top of it. She didn't look him in the eyes.

"We all have histories, things we wish we could change. Things that make us who we are, and not always for the better. Whatever happened to you, whatever happened to her… I know you'll tell me when you're ready, if you ever feel you should. I shouldn't have even seen the photo to start with." Blake hoped that she had eased Peter even a little.

"Like I said, I'm not angry with you, Blake. You couldn't have known. You have nothing to be sorry for. Believe me, I wish I could talk about it, but… I-I just can't. Maybe someday I'll tell you, just… not today," Peter replied with a solemn tone as he looked down below. He was jolted out of his thoughts, though, when he felt Blake's fingers brush against his arm. He turned his head to her to see her arm reached out, her hand gently placed on his shoulder.

"I get it. Really, I do, Peter," She said to him. "We're a team now, all of us. So just remember you have us you can count on, whenever you need it."

"T-Thanks, Blake," Peter thanked her. Blake yet again smiled, which to Peter almost felt comforting to see, and he couldn't help but return with his own. The tension in the air was broken. The two looked at each other for a few moments before realizing what they were doing, and they broke their gaze as Blake quickly pulled her hand away with a blush on her cheeks. Peter nervously rubbed his neck and cleared his throat.

"S-So… Anyways," Blake said to move past the embarrassment, "Mind if I ask a weird question?"

"Sure. Go for it," Peter replied.

"Why 'Spider-Man'? Why go around in that mask with that name to fight criminals?" Blake asked. "And where do your powers come from?"

"Well, when I was fifteen, I was on a school trip to one of the most advanced science centers in New York. Well, one of their experimental radioactive spiders escaped. It crawled up on me and bit me, and whatever they'd done to it, its bite gave me powers. Increased strength, the ability to stick to walls, and a sort of sixth sense that warns me when there's danger around."

"What about your webs?" Blake asked.

"Well, I make those myself. I designed a formula for a web fluid, it creates webs stronger than steel. I can only carry so much on me at a time, though, so I always have to make more."

"So that's why Ozpin gave you a lab, to make more fluid."

Peter nodded. "Yeah. I asked him when we first met."

"And he let you pose as a student?"

"I needed a way to blend in and still be able to do the whole super hero thing. So he gave me a student role and two more of us teacher roles," Peter replied. Immediately, Peter could see Blake working things out in her head. "Look, I know it's weird, but we're thankful for Ozpin's help. And we'll need all the help we can get to bring down Kingpin, maybe even Torchwick if we're lucky."

"Well, what do you do then?" Blake asked.

"What do you mean?"

"When you catch this… Kingpin? What will happen then?" Blake clarified.

"Well… ideally, I could figure out a way home for us by then. Then we can put Fisk and his lackeys behind bars on our world, and he wouldn't ever touch Remnant again."

"And you'd be leaving with him?"

"Probably," Peter answered. "We're only here because of Kingpin, so once we arrest him, we can go home."

"Then what will you tell them?"

"Tell who?" Peter questioned.

"Ruby, Weiss, Yang. JNPR. And all the citizens that saw Spider-Man today. This city, this world just met a new hero, and us here at Beacon just met a new friend. I don't think either wants that to be gone so soon."

"And what do you think? About the idea of me leaving once this is all over?" Peter asked her.

"I don't know what to think. I'm still trying to wrap my head around it all. Universe hopping superheroes aren't exactly an everyday occurrence," Blake replied.

"So what you're saying is you'll miss me," Peter quipped, trying to keep the mood light, only to get a glare from Blake. "Okay, no jokes."

Blake sighs as she gets up. "Just be careful what you do, Peter Parker. You have two universes counting on you now."

"Yeah, that sure makes me feel better about it," Peter said sarcastically.

Blake's smirk returned slightly. "I'm calling it a night. You should too, if you want to make it to class on time tomorrow. Don't need Goodwitch being the death of you."

"Again, feeling so great at the thought of that."

Blake smiled before leaping off the roof of the building. Peter looked after her for a moment, then went back to finishing his food, but also thought about their conversation.

Weeks passed. Vale was only starting to grow accustomed to Spider-Man when the Heroes for Hire had made their presences known. Thwarting two White Fang robberies within the same week themselves, not long after Spider-Man made his debut, Vale was introduced to the Immortal Iron Fist and the bulletproof man known as Luke Cage. Much like Peter's reveal weeks prior, the two stayed to be briefly interviewed by VNN. It was this very video that Nora had on her Scroll, trying to show Ren and Pyrrha. Peter glanced at it as he sat in between teams RWBY and JNPR, with Ruby on his right and Pyrrha on his left, with the left continuing with Nora then Ren, and his right continuing with Weiss, then Yang and finally Blake. The news video title read, Bulletproof man and masked martial artist stop White Fang.

Guess they're getting their share of popularity, Peter thought.

"Ren, look at this guy!" Nora loudly whispered. "He can take gunshots like it's nothing!"

"Nora, we're in the middle of class," Ren said, "With Jaune fighting."

"Oh.. Right." Nora set her scroll aside and watched the fight in front of them. On one side of the circle was Jaune, while on the other side stood Cardin Winchester, a tall, built young man their age with short red hair, fair skin and blue eyes. He wore a large set of thick silver armor with gold highlights and the design of a golden bird spreading its wings across his torso. Slung over one of Cardin's shoulders was a large mace.

Jaune was panting heavily, hands on his knees as he was exhausted from the fight, sword in one hand and shield in the other. Cardin gave a small chuckle, which infuriated Jaune. Jaune rushed Cardin, and raised his sword high above his head, before bringing it down once he was close enough. Cardin, however, sidestepped the attack and swung his mace at Jaune. Even though Jaune blocked with his shield, he was sent flying in the air and landed hard on the floor, his shield escaping his grasp. He quickly recovered however, and did the same as before, but held his sword above his head with two hands before swinging it downwards, which Cardin blocked with the long hilt of his massive mace. Carden then used his size and strength to bear down on Jaune.

"This is the part where you lose," Cardin said.

"Over my dead-" Jaune started to say, but he was cut off when Cardin sent a strong knee to Jaune's stomach, causing him to crumple to the ground. Cardin raised his weapon to deal a final blow when an alarm sounded and the overhead lights on the fight turned off.

"That's enough," Goodwitch snapped as she stood between the two. Two large holographic screens on each side of the ring lit up, with the left showing Cardin with a full green bar, and Jaune with a much smaller one deep in the red, like a depleted health bar. "Students, as you can see, Mr. Arc's Aura has now dropped into the red. In a tournament-style duel, this would indicate that Jaune is no longer fit for battle, and that the official may call the match." Jaune weakly looked to Pyrrha in the risers as he started to sit up. "Mr. Arc, it has been weeks now. Please try to refer to your scroll during combat. 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 being gobbled up by a Beowulf, now, would we?"

"Speak for yourself…" Cardin sneered as he walked out of the ring. Peter scowled at Cardin for that comment.

"Now, I believe we have time for one more match before class ends. Is there anyone else willing to throw their hat into the ring?" Peter thought for a moment about challenging Cardin, but decided against it. "No? Alright then. Class will be excused. Remember everyone, the Vytal Festival is only a few months away! It won't be long before students from the 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 looked down to Jaune sympathetically. He met her gaze briefly, before hanging his head in embarrassing defeat.

Later in the day, at the Beacon cafeteria, both teams and Peter were eating lunch with Nora attempting to tell a nerve-gripping tale and failing. The only one enraptured was Yang, while Ren seemed almost annoyed. On one side from the corner inward, was Jaune, Pyrrha, Nora and then Ren on the end. On the opposite end was Ruby, then Weiss, Yang, Blake and Peter. Blake was ignoring the story completely, reading a book as Nora droned on.

"So… there we were, in the middle of the night," Nora told as she tried to make it sound suspenseful.

"It was day," Ren corrected.

"We were surrounded by Ursai…"

"They were Beowolves," Ren corrected again as he sipped a mug of tea.

"Dozens of them!" Nora exclaimed as she stood up with energy.

"Two of them," Ren said, sounding almost exasperated at this point.

"But they were no match! And in the end, Ren and I took them down, and made a boatload of Lien selling ursa skin rugs!" Nora finished as she sat back down with a triumphant smile on her face.

"I thought Grimm dissipated when they died," Peter said.

Ren sighed. "She's been having this recurring dream for nearly a month now."

Pyrrha looked to her right to see Jaune absent-mindedly picking at his food. "Jaune? Are you ok?"

"Huh?" Jaune said as he came back to reality. "Oh, yeah. Why?"

"No offense, buddy, but it seems like you're just a little… not okay," Peter replied.

"Guys, I'm fine," Jaune replied. "Seriously! Look!" Jaune gave an uneasy smile and a thumbs up, then his attention turned to Cardin and his team harassing a Faunus girl with rabbit ears and long brown hair merely two or three tables down. Both teams caught his gaze, and all of them gave the same scowl at Cardin's actions.

"Jaune, Cardin has been picking on you since the first week of school," Pyyrha said.

"What? Who? Cardin Winchester? Nah, he just likes to mess around! Y'know, practical jokes!" Jaune denied.

"He's a bully," Ruby shot with furrowed brows.

Jaune scoffs. "Oh please! Name one time he's 'bullied' me."

"He keeps shoving books out of your hands," Ren suggested.

"He opened your shield as you were walking through a doorway, getting you stuck," Yang added.

"He locked you in your locker and set its coordinates so it would fly away," Blake continued.

"Hey, I didn't land far from the school!' Jaune defended.

"Jaune, you know if you ever need help, you can just ask," Pyrrha said.

"Oh, I know!" Nora chimed in with a mischievous look on her face. "We'll break his legs!"

"Guys, really, it's fine!" Jaune said, remaining unfazed. "Besides, it's not like he's only a jerk to me; he's a jerk to everyone."

"Ow! That hurts!" The rabbit girl cried in pain as Cardin yanked on her ears and his entire crew was laughing away. She had an accent Peter could only compare to Australian. "Please stop…"

"See? I told you they were real!" Cardin chuckled.

"Yang, I will pay you to punch him right here right now," Peter offered.

"How much we talkin?" Yang asked.

Cardin relented and let go of the Faunus girl's ears, and she ran off with teary eyes.

"Atrocious; I can't stand people like him," Pyrrha said in disgust.

"He's not the only one," Blake said with a similar look.

"I've unfortunately known people just as bad, and even worse," Peter noted.

"It must be hard to be a Faunus," Yang said. Peter saw a flicker of something in Blake's eyes, perhaps something of understanding, but it was there and gone too fast for him to think about.

"I'm gonna go make sure that girl is alright," Peter said as he stood up from the table and followed the rabbit Faunus girl out of the cafeteria. Cardin slightly scowled at Peter, watching him as he made his leave.

As Peter made it outside, he started to look for the faunus girl. Man, I do not want to deal with this Flash Thompson bullcrap again, he thought. He came around a corner to find the girl sitting against the wall alone, tear stains running down her cheeks. "Hey, you alright?" The girl looked up in surprise and covered her animal appendages. "Woah woah, easy. I'm not one of Cardin's lackeys or anything. It's alright. I'm Peter, Peter Parker." Peter crouches down and gently puts his hand out. The girl seemed hesitant, but slowly let her rabbit ears perk back up and wiped her eyes before taking his hand.

"Velvet. Velvet Scarlatina," The girl replied with a small smile coming to her face. Peter helped her up.

"I'm sorry about Cardin. Someone needs to put him in his place."

"It's alright, I guess. I'm used to this kind of thing, being a Faunus and all…" Velvet slightly looked down.

"You shouldn't be 'used to it'. This kind of treatment isn't right. You're different, but you're a good different. And you're still a person regardless of that," Peter replied.

"That's sweet of you to say, Peter. Unfortunately, the world doesn't see it that way," Velvet said while almost always avoiding eye contact. She seemed shy and quiet, timidly keeping her figure closed up.

"Who cares what the world thinks? Don't let people like Cardin Winchester choose who you are. No one can do that but you." Velvet looked up at him with a surprised and confused look, but after a moment smiled at him.

"I suppose you're right. Thank you, Peter." Velvet said as she wiped her eyes again.

"Well, first impressions are everything," Peter shrugged.

"And you've made quite the impression," Velvet slightly chuckled. "I should go wash my face before my next class, but it was nice to meet you!"

"You too, Velvet." Velvet nods and leaves Peter alone as she walks away.

"Your friends have made quite an impact, Professor Murdock," Ozpin noted as he sat behind his desk. "VNN news coverage several times within the past few weeks for thwarting several robberies, muggings, and other misdemeanors. And more prominently, fighting off the White Fang's street forces."

"Well, I didn't expect them to stand by for long. I'm not surprised Peter made the first impression, but I honestly expected Luke and Danny to go public sooner," Matt replied.

"If I may ask, why haven't you joined your colleagues' crusade in my city yet? I have yet to hear of a devil-man jumping between my rooftops."

"They're doing well enough on their own. The White Fang, Torchwick, Fisk; they know we're all here, but they don't know we have your support. And while Fisk knows what he's up against, the others do not. It's best we keep them on their toes. If we show our whole hand, we may lose a key advantage," Matt said. "Besides, I think I'm actually growing fond of teaching your students."

"Already picking favorites, Professor?" Ozpin raised an eyebrow.

"You could say that. Though I do raise my concerns with one team in particular: Team CRDL."

"Ah, yes, Mr. Winchester and his team. I am well aware of their infamous reputation among my pupils."

"Then why not do something about this kid?" Matt asked. "From a lawyer standpoint, he's a criminal in the making, no offense to you. He consistently assaults students, and he has on more than one occasion made life particularly difficult for our Faunus students."

"Your point, Professor Murdock?" Ozpin questioned.

"My point is he's a racist and a bully, his team being no better. That being said, why allow him to stay on these grounds and learn the ways of a Huntsman? Because a grown man with that mentality and the ability to make the whole world know can be a very dangerous thing."

"Indeed it can. However, sometimes to cure a disease, you must give yourself a higher dose of the poison, which is not to say Mr. Winchester is said poison. I want you to look at something," Ozpin said as he picked up a tablet from the table and quickly pulled up a camera recording, which displayed itself in holographic form between Matt and Ozpin. It played Peter and Velvet's conversation from earlier in the day. After Matt watched the entire exchange, Ozpin closed the video. "Sometimes, Professor Murdock, the introduction of a necessary evil will make the shining lights of the forces of good shine even brighter. And I believe if given enough time, Mr. Winchester will find the light within himself."

"Yes! Yes, prior to the Faunus Rights Revolution - more popularly known as the Faunus War -" Oobleck was instructing in a speedy and almost incomprehensible tone. "Human-kind was quite, quite adamant about centralizing Faunus population in Menagerie." Oobleck used a stick to gesture to a small corner of the massive world map pinned to the wall behind him, where a single island resided. He then started zooming from place to place across his classroom as he continued lecturing. "Now! While this must seem like ancient history to many of you, it is imperative to remember these are relatively recent events! Why, the repercussions of the uprising can still be seen to this day! Now! Have any among you been subjected or discriminated against because of your Faunus heritage?" Peter saw a few students hesitantly raise their hands, with Velvet being the last Faunus in the room to do so. "Dreadful, simply dreadful! Remember students, it is precisely this kind of ignorance that breeds violence." Oobleck sipped his mug of coffee before continuing. "I mean, I mean, I mean just look at what happened to the White Fang! 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?" Weiss raised her hand from her seat. "Yes?"

"The battle at Fort Castle," Weiss answered.

"Precisely! And, who can tell me the advantage the Faunus had over General Lagune's forces?" Oobleck questioned. Jaune was sleeping soundly next to Peter when Cardin flicked a small tri-folded piece of paper to wake Jaune, but Peter caught it with lightning-fast reflexes. Cardin scowled.

"Parker…" Cardin growled under his breath, which did not go unnoticed by Doctor Oobleck.

"Mr. Winchester, finally contributing to class! This is excellent, excellent! What is the answer?" The teacher asked. Cardin wasn't expecting to be put on the spot, but spouted a reply anyway.

"Well, I know it's easier to train an animal than a soldier," Cardin answered, earning disappointed, if not angered, looks from many of his classmates and a disappointed head shake from Oobleck.

"You're not the most open-minded of individuals, are you Cardin?" Pyrrha retorted with a sense of almost disgust.

"What, you got a problem?" Cardin replied apprehensively.

"Doctor Oobleck, if I may?" Peter intervened.

"Of course, Mr. Parker. What is your answer?"

"The answer is night vision. Many Faunus are known to have nearly perfect sight in the dark," Peter answered, which made Cardin growl again.

"General Legume was inexperienced and made the mistake of trying to ambush the Faunus in their sleep," Blake added. "His massive army was outmatched and the general was captured."

"Maybe if he paid more attention in class, he wouldn't have been remembered as such a failure," Peter finished as he eyed Cardin above and behind him, putting as much emphasis on the word "failure" as possible. Cardin finally snapped and stomped as he stood up from his seat with his fists clenched tightly.

"Mr. Winchester! Please take your seat…" Oobleck said in an exasperated tone. "You and Mr. Arc can see me after class for additional readings."

Once the class session had ended, Peter was walking out with Pyrrha, Nora and Ren when Pyrrha stopped just after going through the doorway. "You go on ahead, I'll wait for Jaune," She said.

"I'll wait with you," Peter said. Pyrrha nodded with a small smile.

"Guess we'll see you back at the dorms," Nora waved as she and Ren continued on. Peter and Pyrrha didn't have to wait long, as after only a minute or two, both Jaune and Cardin emerged from the lecture hall, with Cardin pushing Jaune to the ground. Pyrrha quickly went to her teammate to help him up, while Peter put himself between Jaune and Cardin.

"Hey, back off, Cardin! Don't you ever get tired of this?" Peter defended.

"Don't think you're so tough, Parker. Why you defend a nobody like Jaune Arc is beyond me, but you three need to remember the pecking order around here." Cardin snapped before stomping off.

"Y'know, I really will break his legs," Pyyrha remarked.

"Unfortunately, we'd be no better than him in that scenario," Peter replied. Jaune simply sighed. Peter and Pyrrha traded glances, and Peter simply shrugged. Pyrrha's eyes then lit up as her gears started turning.

"Here, I have an idea! Come with me!" Pyrrha grabbed Jaune by his arm and sprinted around a corner while dragging him behind her.

"Hey! Wait up!" Peter called as he ran to catch up.

When he did reunite with them, they were on top of a roof of one of the dorms, with a wide view of the massive campus. "Pyrrha, I know I'm going through a hard time right now, but I'm not that depressed," Jaune remarked as he looked over the edge. "I could always be a farmer, or something…"

Pyrrha's eyes widened and she quickly pulled Jaune away from the edge. "No! That's not why I brought you up here. Jaune, I know you're having a difficult time in class, and you're still not the strongest of fighters, so, I want to help you!" Peter watched as the conversation unfolded, then his Spider-Sense pounded his skull. He raised an eyebrow, looking around, unsure of where the danger was.

"W-What?" Jaune muttered.

"We can train up here after class, where no one can bother us."

"You think I need help?" Jaune asked in an almost hurt tone.

"Woah, bud, I don't think she meant it like that," Peter intervened.

"But she just said it."

"Jaune," Pyrrha continued, "Everybody needs a little push from time to time. It doesn't make you any different from the rest of us. You made it to Beacon. That speaks volumes about what you're capable of."

Jaune turned around and slightly hung his head. "You're wrong… I-I don't belong here."

"That's a terrible thing to say, of course you do!"

"No I don't!" Jaune snapped at her as he spun back around in anger. When seeing Pyrrha's shocked expression, he took a deep breath and calmed himself. "I wasn't really accepted into Beacon…"

Both Peter and Pyrrha's eyes widened in surprise. "What do you mean?" Peter asked.

"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 confessed.

"But… why?" Pyrrha asked in disbelief.

"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 heroes, like the Huntsman here and even those superhero guys on the news! And I wanted to be one too… but I was just never good enough."

Pyrrha started to reach for Jaune, but Peter placed his hand on her shoulder and shook his head, then approached Jaune. "Look, Jaune… I know exactly what you're feeling. When I was younger, I was in exactly your place. I wasn't cut out for anything, I doubted myself and everything I did, and I felt trapped and alone, always feeling like I was meant for more, always wanting to do more. That is what you're feeling, right?" Jaune looked over at Peter in surprise.

"How would you know?" Jaune asked. "Peter, you're a star student like Pyrrha, or Weiss. You made it here with no team, you helped us during initiation, and single-handedly stopped team RWBY from breaking apart. I refuse to believe you were like me."

"Then that goes to show what you are capable of, Jaune. I was a nobody. I couldn't stand up for myself. I was bullied, and I couldn't do anything about it even if I wanted to. But I got to where I'm at today because I had help from friends and family. And right now, you have a team at your back willing to help you, but that team needs its leader. Like I told Ruby, you were chosen as leader for a reason. Ozpin made no mistake, and they would have no one else stand in your place. I saw for myself what you could do during initiation, and you led your team like no one else could. Whether you earned that place or not doesn't matter anymore, just that you are here, and that if you fail, your team fails. And heroes don't leave their friends out to dry. So tell me, do you really want to be a hero?"

"Yes. More than anything," Jaune replied.

"Then start by being part of your team, even if that means accepting help. Because whether you're a hero or not, everyone needs help," Peter said. Jaune took a few moments to register Peter's words, then nodded, turning around and facing Pyrrha.

"I-I'm sorry Pyrrha… I-I shouldn't have snapped at you. And for what I said. I hope you don't think less of me for it…" Jaune apologized.

Pyrrha gently placed her hand on his shoulder. "Jaune… it's alright. You're being open, and that's good. We're teammates, so let's stick together."

"Right," Jaune replied with a small smile. Peter's Spider-Sense kicked in again, and he finally figured out where it was pointing him. Peter quickly crouched over the edge, grabbed Cardin Winchester by the collar of his shirt, and hauled him from the window he was eavesdropping from before throwing him up to the roof, not even trying to give him an easy landing.

"Enjoying the show, Cardin?" Peter remarked.

"Wait till Goodwitch hears about this! You, Jauney Boy, will be out of Beacon if I blow the whistle and show her that recording!" Cardin exclaims.

Peter picks up Cardin's scroll and crushes it in his hand with ease. "What recording?" Cardin found himself between a rock and a hard place now, as all three of the other students looked down at him. "Y'know, Cardin, you should really remember the pecking order around here. That being said, here's my ultimatum;" Peter then picked up Cardin with only one hand and held him over the edge of the roof. "You're going to forget everything about Jaune you heard tonight. You're going to stop harassing everybody, and you are going to apologize to Jaune, Velvet, and every other person you've bullied the entire time you've been at Beacon."

"Or what?" Cardin replied.

"I could drop you. Or, I could tell Ozpin that you tried to blackmail another student for personal gain. You would be on the first airship out of Beacon at best. And that's without mentioning anything about your several assaults and accounts of racism. So, do I make myself clear?"

"Screw you, Parker!" Cardin exclaimed. Peter slightly loosened his grip, which made Cardin start to slip. "A-Alright, alright! I'm sorry!" Peter then tossed him aside back on the roof. As Cardin tried to recover, Jaune looked down at him.

"Don't ever mess with my friends; got it?" Jaune said to him. Cardin only hung his head in defeat before silently nodding. The trio of Jaune, Pyrrha and Peter then left the roof to Cardin, who was steaming with embarrassment and anger.

"Parker…" He deeply growled, clenching his fists and digging his fingernails into his skin.

Before Peter fell asleep, he looked up at his dorm room ceiling, thinking about what he and Blake had discussed, the task Ozpin had assigned him concerning the Huntsmen and Huntresses, and how the day's events with Cardin and Jaune fit into both. Peter didn't believe he could do what Ozpin wanted him to do. But then he became an inspiration for the leaders of both teams, perhaps for the better. When Ruby and Jaune doubted themselves, Peter was able to make those doubts disappear. He figured it was too much of the Ben Parker in him, but he just couldn't let these teams fall apart.

And what happens to them if he leaves? Could it all fall apart without him there? Is the reason he's on Remnant not purely to apprehend Wilson Fisk, but to ensure this world has their own heroes to count on? And why him? Why, out of every universe, is Peter Parker important to all this? He couldn't stop thinking about it until he began to fall asleep for the night, unsure of what he should expect.

New Cast Members!

Cardin Winchester: One of the current first years at Beacon and well known bully, Cardin is the Huntsman that leads Team CRDL

Velvet Scarlatina: Second year huntress at Beacon Academy and member of Team CFVY. She is a rabbit faunus often assaulted for her physical differences, leading her to develop an introverted nature.