Chapter 9

Team JNPR's Dorm ,

It had been some time since their talk and Pyrrha has been worrying more about what Jaune was doing with Cardin. Ever since he had rejected her offer to train with him, she had been seeing him less and less each day. Was it something she said? Was he actually displeased with her?

"How come Jaune always gets back so late?" Nora asked her team while bouncing up and down on her bed.

Ren, who was polishing his guns agreed with her, "He's become rather scarce ever since he's been fraternizing with Cardin."

"Yeah, weird. Doesn't he know about the field trip tomorrow? We need our rest!" Nora said as she pirouetted mid-jump and plopped down on her bed.

"I'm sure he knows exactly what he's doing." Pyrrha said with a slightly rougher voice.

"Speaking of which, you're acting up too, you know?" Nora pointed at the redhead.

Pyrrha flinched. "Pardon?"

"Since the night with Jaune, you haven't been in a good mood lately. Is it about him?" Ren asked Pyrrha.

Pyrrha blinked twice and then shook her head. "N-no, no. I'm fine."

But unbeknownst to the team, their leader was listening in from a barely open door. Jaune closed the door softly so they couldn't hear . "What have I gotten myself into? First Cardin blackmails me and now my team's suspicious of me! What the hell was I thinking?" Jaune thought to himself.

"Hey, Jaune!" He heard a voice call out behind him.

"Dah! H-hi, Ruby!" Jaune greeted the girl awkwardly.

"Long time no see! Did you lock yourself out again?" Ruby asked.

"Uh, no! I got it!" Jaune held out his scroll, showing her he still could get in.

"So, where have you been lately? I don't see you hanging out with Pyrrha and the others very often." Ruby asked the boy.

Jaune sighed in defeat and confessed, "I messed up. I said something I shouldn't have and now Cardin's got dirt on me and Pyrrha won't even talk to me… I'm beginning to think I shouldn't have come here."

Jaune then sat on the floor. "I'm a failure."

"Nope!"

"Nope?" Jaune looked up at Ruby.

"Nope!" Ruby repeated again.

"You're a leader now, Jaune. You can't be a failure." Ruby told him.

"But what if I'm a failure at becoming a leader?" He asked her.

"Hmmmm… Nope!" Ruby bluntly repeated.

Jaune laughed a bit from her response. "You know, you're not the best person to talk to about this kind of stuff."

Ruby sat down next to him. "Nope! Listen, Jaune. You may have been a failure when you were a kid…"

"Ughhh…" Jaune groaned and slumped down lower.

"You may have been a failure when we first met…"

"Uuughhhh…" Jaune groaned again and slid down on his back.

"…but you can't be a failure now. You know why?" Ruby asked the boy.

"Uhhh, why?" Jaune asked her.

"Because it's not just about you anymore. You've got a team now, Jaune! If we fail, they come down with us. We need to put them first, and us second." Ruby told him.

"Your team deserves a great leader, Jaune, and I think that could be you." Ruby told him before standing up and walking to her dorm room.

"You think so?" Jaune asked her, his blue eyes shining with hope.

Ruby smiled and answered him, "I know so. Have a good night, Jaune."

Jaune reached for his scroll to open his dorm room, until he heard it ringing. He pressed the answer button and Cardin's voice came from the device. "Hey, it's your buddy Cardin! I know you're probably busy with that dust project I gave you, but I'm gonna need you to nap a bag full of rapier wasps. And be sure they've got reaaaaally big stingers! It's important, so don't screw it up!"

Jaune sighed and headed down the hallway to the courtyard. I mean, did he really have a choice?

Forever Fall

The bullhead touched down in the crimson landscape of the forest of Forever Fall. As the students stepped down from the vehicle, most had their eyes and mouths open, gazing in awe at the beauty of the forest.

The sun's light shone through the canopy in a way that lit up the rich red of the leaves, creating a warm and soothing atmosphere that was pleasing to the eye in the way the golden rays shone through the treetops in narrow paths of light.

The students could hear the melody of birds tweeting in the distance and the crisp rustling of the leaves underneath their feet. But they could easily see where the forest earned its name. Rose-red leaves were always falling from the branches, creating a beautiful scene of red snowing onto the ground through the eternal autumn.

"Yes, students. The forest of Forever Fall is indeed beautiful, but we are not here to sight-see." Glynda informed the class walking behind her.

"Professor Peach has asked all of you to collect samples from the trees deep inside this forest, and I'm here to keep you alive while doing so." She instructed the group, and came to a stop, causing Jaune, who was hauling six glass jars and a briefcase to accidentally bump into Cardin.

"Each of you must collect one jar of red sap from the trees. However, be alert, for this forest is filled with creatures of Grimm, so remember your training and be on guard. We will rendezvous back at the bullhead by four o'clock. Have fun!" Glynda dismissed the class, causing the students to disperse, each carrying with them a single jar.

Pyrrha turned to leave with her friends, but looked back at Jaune. He was being pulled by the arm by Cardin. "Come on buddy, let's go!" The larger boy sneered at Jaune.

Pyrrha sighed and went off into the forest. What had happened between them?

Around an hour later…

Jaune staggered to a patch of trees, where team CRDL were sitting around, doing nothing. He set down the six jars and face-planted down on the grass in fatigue.

"Hey, great work, Jauney-boy! That wasn't too hard, wasn't it?" Cardin laughed at him.

"I-I think I'm allergic to this stuff…" Jaune stammered with a nasal voice.

"Yeah, yeah. Anyways, I bet you're wondering, "Why did my buddy Cardin ask me to fill up six jars of sap, when there's only five of us?" Cardin said to the blonde.

"That is one thing I was wondering today, yes." Jaune answered.

Cardin sneered and dragged him by the arm. "C'mon. I'll show you!"

The group of five peeked over a small hill, overlooking the rest of the class filling their jars.

Jaune turned to Cardin worriedly. "Um Cardin, what's this?"

Cardin's eyes narrowed. "Payback."

Jaune followed his gaze to see a certain Spectre. "Hanzo?"

"That asshole thinks he's so high and mighty! "Standing up for that rabbit! And he has the balls to beat me up? I think it's time I make him heel." Cardin then reached behind him to bring out a box, with loud buzzing audible from the inside.

"Alright, guys. Last night, Jauney-boy here managed to round up a box full of rapier wasps. Now, according to an essay you kindly offered to write for me last week, these little monsters looove sweets! How's about you teach him a lesson?"

"M-me?" Cardin then yanked Jaune's arm up and slapped the jar into his hand.

"Hit 'em with the sap! Do it, or I'm having a chat with Goodwitch, and you're on an airship outta Beacon first thing next morning!" Cardin threatened him.

Jaune was stunned. How could Cardin make him hurt one of his friends? He raised his arm, but stopped. He remembered Ruby's words to him the other night.

"It's not just about you anymore. We need to put them first and ourselves second." Ruby's words repeated in his mind over and over. His eyes widened and realized what he had to do.

"No." Jaune said, lowering his arm.

"What did you just say?" Cardin asked him threateningly.

"I said… NO!" Jaune shouted out the last part as he threw the jar of sap at Cardin. Cardin looked down to see his armor stained with red sap. He laughed wickedly and glared at Jaune.

"Oh, you're in for it now. Grab him!" Cardin called to his team, who pulled Jaune in for a beating.

Jaune was thrown onto the ground, coughing he tried to push himself back up on his feet. But Cardin only picked him up by his neck and decked him across the face.

"You know that wasn't very smart, Jauney-boy. I'll be sure to send you back to mommy in teeny, tiny pieces." Cardin mocked him as he picked Jaune up by the collar of his hoodie.

Jaune coughed again as the sting of pain throbbed against his bruised cheek. "I don't care what you do to me. But you are not messing with my friends."

Cardin only scoffed. "What? You think talk like that makes you tough? Think you're a big, strong man now?"

To this, Jaune only gave a small, dorky grin. Cardin reeled back his fist again, but as he hit Jaune, a bright light burst from his body, causing Cardin's hand to throb. Jaune looked down on his wounds, only to see them gone and completely healed.

But he was immediately kicked down on his belly, and looked up to see Cardin cracking his knuckles. "Let's see how much of a man you really are."

But before they could get down to business, they heard a loud roar from the woods. The five teens looked behind them to see a massive Ursa Major bounding towards them. The creature was twice the size of any Ursa they've seen, with long bone spikes jutting from its back. The students stood there, frozen in fear and unable to move or run away.

The Grimm sniffed the air and looked down at Cardin, whose armor was splattered with sticky tree sap.

"That's a big Ursa!" Russel screamed in fear as he bolted off with the rest of his team. Cardin was about to get up and follow them, but he was smacked aside by the Ursa's paw. Jaune stared up in terror, but seemed to realize that the beast paid no attention to him as it turned to face Cardin. The boy raised his mace, but it was knocked out of his hand, leaving Jaune with a choice.

Elsewhere

Smoke perked up at the sound of loud roar in the distance. "Did any of you guys hear that?"

Just then, team CRDL ran past, but without their leader. "Ursa! Ursa!" Russel screamed as he ran.

Yang grabbed him by the collar as he passed by. "What? Where?!" Yang asked him.

Russel pointed behind him. "Back there! It's got Cardin!"

Pyrrha's eyes widened as she dropped her jar on the ground. "Jaune!"

"Yang, you and Blake get Professor Goodwitch! The rest of you, be on the lookout! There could be more!" Ruby ordered the group as she ran off with Pyrrha, Weiss and Scorpion.

The four of them ran up the hill until they saw Cardin trying to crawl away from a massive Ursa.

The Grimm raised its paw to slash down on the boy, but it only felt hard metal. Jaune pushed against the bear Grimm with his shield, trying to gain the upper hand. Weiss got ready to strike, but Pyrrha held her hand in front of her. "Wait!"

Jaune pushed his shield up and swiped at the Ursa's neck. He then rolled aside to dodge a downwards slam from the Grimm's paw, and jumped up, missing a sweeping claw. But as he was in the air, the Ursa struck him in the torso, sending him flipping backwards. But undeterred, he lunged at the Ursa again, but it managed to hit him in the back, sending him rolling on the ground.

Jaune looked at his scroll to see that his aura was in the red. Nonetheless, he got up and charged, raising his sword. The Ursa charged him too, arm swinging down for a powerful strike.

However, Pyrrha raised her arm and shifted it, her hand glowing with a dim aura. Jaune's shield glowed the same way, causing the shield to independently move up with Jaune's arm. The Ursa's paw struck the shield with hard impact, letting Jaune finish the beast with a clean upwards strike at the neck, beheading the creature and killing it.

Pyrrha smiled and lowered her arm, her friends, save Scorpion were stunned with open jaws.

"Uhhh…what?" Ruby asked with bewilderment.

"Is that…?" Scorpion tried to ask but Pyrrha beat him to it

"Well, Ruby has her speed, you have your flames. My semblance is polarity." She said with a smile

Ruby gasped in awe. "Whoooaaa… you can control poles…"

"No, you dunce! That means she has control over magnetism!" Weiss corrected her partner.

"Ohhh… magnets are cool too." Ruby gasped again.

Pyrrha turned to leave, causing Ruby to grab her arm. "Wait! Where are you going? We gotta tell them what happened!"

"We could… or perhaps, we could keep it our little secret." Pyrrha answered her, gazing at Jaune sheathing his sword in victory.

Jaune reached out an arm to Cardin, which he took. "Holy shit, Jaune?"

Jaune only glared at him. "Don't mess with my friends… ever again. Got it?"

Cardin only responded with an expression of guilt written on his face. Jaune looked into his eyes, and saw sincerity in them, causing him to brighten up inside. He then walked off to join the others, meeting Scorpion leaning on a tree trunk.

"You did well." Scorpion said to him.

"Yeah, thanks! But right now… I have an apology to make." Jaune sighed, looking to Pyrrha walking in the distance.

Beacon Academy

Jaune gazed at the campus in the beautiful moonlight. He was standing on the balcony from before, his blonde hair catching a subtle breeze. He heard footsteps behind him and smiled.

"No Cardin tonight? I thought you two were best buds?" Pyrrha asked him.

Jaune sighed. "Pyrrha, I'm sorry. I was being such a jerk. You were only trying to be nice and I-I had all this stupid macho bull in my head-"

Pyrrha then cut him off with a bright gleam across her face. "Jaune, it's okay. Your team really misses their leader, you know?"

Pyrrha then turned to leave. "You should come down. Ren made pancakes! But no syrup though, you can thank Nora for that."

But Jaune wasn't done and raised his hand. "Wait! I-I know I probably don't deserve this after what happened, but… would you still be willing to help me? To train me to fight better."

Pyrrha smirked and pushed Jaune down on his feet. "Your stance is all wrong. You need to be wider and lower to the ground."

"It keeps you from falling over and gives you more power in your attacks and defense." They heard a voice behind them say.

They caught sight of Sub Zero leaning by the balcony.

"I hope you don't mind, Hanzo told me of your fight and asked if I can help you train. So how would you like a second trainer?" Sub Zero asked the two with a smile.

Pyrrha raised an eyebrow and said, "Well first, we need to see if you're qualified. You and me. Now."

"As you wish." Sub Zero said.

School Balcony

Scorpion has been trying to pinpoint the location of Shinnok's amulet for some time now but it seemed no matter how hard he tried he couldn't find it. It was like something was preventing his senses from locating it "This is taking longer than I expected." He thought with a sign just before turning around to face Blake approaching him.

"I guess Johnny was right in telling me you would be here." Blake said.

"Is there a reason you were looking for me?" Scorpion asked

"I just wanted to thank you for helping Velvet out the other day and also for saving me from Kuai Liang's brother." She said after a while.

"Even though I don't remember much after passing out, I still remember you." Blake added.

Signing Scorpion said "You don't need to thank me. Besides it was a personal issue so I would have still faced him had you been there or not."

"Okay. Though I'm curious, what did you do to him?" Blake asked

"I killed him." Scorpion said casually

"What?!" Blake asked shocked "Doesn't that bother you? Like you're teammates with his brother."

"We've already been over this. Plus my time with Kuai Liang has shown me that he's completely different from his brother. He is not as cold blooded as his brother, which I'm honestly still getting used to."

"True, but still I feel guilty as he was only there because of me and Adam. Did he survive?" Blake asked referring to Adam

"The man who left you? He survived. Also if you feel guilty, you can always talk to Kuai Liang. Knowing him he won't hold it against you." Scorpion said

"I'll do that. Thanks Hanzo" Blake said while leaving.