Pyrrha Nikos looks out the window sadly as Lie Ren loads StormFlower and Nora Valkyrie is jumping on her bed in the room for Team JNPR.

Nora: How come Jaune gets home so late?

Ren: He's become rather scarce since he started fraternizing with Cardin.

Nora: That's weird... Doesn't he know we have a field trip tomorrow? We need our rest! (she proclaims this while twirling in midair so her back hits the covers)

Pyrrha: *angrily* I'm sure our leader knows exactly what he's doing. 

Nora and Ren exchange glances, not knowing that Jaune himself is looking in through the crack of the door.

Nora: Mmmm... I guess so.

Jaune hangs his head and closes the door, just as a voice interrupts his thoughts.

Ruby: Hey Jaune! (startled, Jaune turns around to see her in her pajamas, and she giggles at his reaction) "Long time, no see! Did you lock yourself out again?"

Jaune: Oh, uh, nope! (raises his Scroll, attempting to laugh) "Got it!"

Ruby: So! Where have you been lately?

Jaune: I, uh...

He tries to come up with something, but just sighs and lowers his head.

Jaune: I messed up. I did something I shouldn't have, and now Cardin has me on a leash, and Pyrrha won't even talk to me, and... (breathers heavily through his nose) I'm starting to think coming to this school was a bad idea. (presses his back to his team's door and slides down to the floor in depression) I'm a failure.

Ruby: Nope!

Jaune: (looking at her in surprise) Nope?

Ruby: Nope! You're a leader now, Jaune. You're not allowed to be a failure.

Jaune: But... what if I'm a failure at being a leader?

Ruby: (thinks about it for a moment, then gives her answer) Nope!

Jaune: (laughs as she joins him on the floor) You know, you're not the easiest person to talk to about this kind of stuff.

Ruby: Nope! (As Jaune leans into the door some more) Jaune, maybe you were a failure when you were a kid... (Jaune groans and sinks lower to the ground) ...and you might've even been a failure the first day we met! (he groans and goes lower still) But, you can't be one now. You know why?

Jaune: Uhhh, because...?

Ruby: Because it's not about you anymore. You've got a team now, Jaune. We both do! And if we fail, then we'll just be bringing them down with us. (she gets up and places her hands on her hips as she speaks) We have to put our teammates first, and ourselves second. Your team deserves a great leader, Jaune. And I think that can be you.

Jaune: ......

Y/n appears walking to his room as he sees Ruby and Jaune.

Y/n: Hey, guys!

Ruby: Oh, hey Y/n!

Jaune: *sigh* Hey...

Y/n and Ruby look at Jaune with concerned looks on their faces, then faces each other.

Ruby: Well, have a goodnight! (she walks over to her door, waves at the both of them, then goes inside.)

Y/n is just staring at Jaune, concerned. A few seconds passes, until finally Y/n asks him a question.

Y/n: Seriously, dude. What's wrong?

Jaune: *irritated* Nothing's wrong...

Y/n notices Jaune's tone of voice.

Y/n: *calmly* Dude, you've been distant to me lately, clearly something is wrong. 

Jaune quickly stands up and gets close to Y/n's face, with an angered look.

Jaune: You don't know how it feels... (faces away)

Y/n: ...Jaune, what's going on?

Jaune: (faces back pointing at Y/n) You'll never understand!

Y/n: *irritated* What, Jaune?! What don't I understand?!

Jaune: BEING A FAILURE!

The atmosphere grows silent for a moment until Jaune continues.

Jaune: I mean how will you understand?! You're the 'average cool guy' most people like! Sitting on the cafeteria table, thinking that everything is fine, because "I can do everything" and "I have a wonderful life"!

Meanwhile in Team RWBY's room, they overhear Jaune and Y/n's argument, through the door.

Weiss: What was that?

Ruby: ......

Yang: Y/n and Jaune?

Meanwhile in Team JNPR's room, they also hear Jaune and Y/N's argument, through the door.

Pyrrha: Jaune?

Back to Y/N and Jaune in the hallway.

Y/N: Jaune, what the hell is this?!

Jaune: *chuckles* You just don't get it! I get to have these (shows sword and shield) pieces of shit! With no Semblance, whatsoever! While you get a sick ass katana, with multiple Semblances! Not to mention (poking Y/N's chest with each word) Healing Factors! *claps* HoHoHo! Your family must be so proud of you!

As Y/N heard that, he was becoming more irritated, while his right eye was flickering from his usual E/C to pure Blood Red. 

Y/N: DON'T Go there Jaune!

Jaune: Why?! What is it about your life that you don't want to talk about?!

(Y/N POV)

An image flashes before my eyes.

Jaune: I mean, you're perfect!

Another image.

Jaune: Brave!

And another.

Jaune: A friend to everyone!

And another.

Jaune: Surely, your family is happy FOR you!

And another.

Jaune: While your family gives you everything you want and need, I get to have this shit! Must BE NICE to be you, HUH?! Your family is cool, while mine FUCKING SUCKS!

When I heard that, I grabbed Jaune by the throat and made him look into my face, which was covered up by the hood. However, my eye was pure Blood Red, with red aura pulsing around me. My mined filled with nothing but anger. I then take the time to take off my hood, removing the artificial skin, reveling my TRUE face.

Once I showed Jaune my true face under the hood, I pulled him closer to my face, yelling at him, with my voice changing from my normal voice, to my Ripper voice, to my System voice.

Y/N: AT LEAST YOU STILL HAVE A FAMILY AND ARE COMPLETELY HUMAN! I HAD TO WATCH MINE DIE! AND HAVE MY HUMANITY RIPPED AWAY FROM ME!!!

(3RD POV)

The atmosphere grew silent again, after what Y/N had said, but this time, it's a little longer. As for Team RWBY and JNPR, everyone of them were shocked and almost into tears when they heard it, especially Jaune, who was horrified when he saw Y/N's actual face, being all robotic and his left eye bearing a horrifying scar. Jaune felt guilty of what he just said.

Jaune: I...

Y/N pushes Jaune against Team JNPR's door, Jaune looks down at the floor, while Y/N, who still has his hood down, has his right eye closed, while looking away and is breathing at a rapid pace,  angrily, trying to avoid eye contact.

Jaune: ........Who?

Y/N: (eye still closed) All of them.

Jaune: (looking up to Y/N) I-

Y/N: (tightening his grip) FUCKING......ALL......OF THEM.......

Y/N is now looking down to the ground. A tear drops out of his right eye, dropping onto Jaune's shoe. Y/N's grip on Jaune losses, letting go of the blonde boy, before backing up, pressing his back to Team RWBY's door and slides down to the floor, finally making eye contact, as he breathes deeply to calm himself down and making his Ripper mode deactivated. Seconds passes until Jaune speaks.

Jaune: I'I'm... I'm so sorry...

Y/N: ......Don't be......

Jaune: I'I mean... things jus- 

Y/N: Yeah.... I know....

Seconds passes until Jaune finally tells Y/N what's wrong.

Jaune: It's Cardin.

Y/N: I see...

Jaune: He ordered me to do something, and..... I..... I don't want to do it.

Y/n: What is it that he wants you to do?

Jaune: I-I can't tell you...

Y/n: Jaune!

Jaune: Look if I told you, he'd kill me....

Another seconds passes, until Y/n speaks

Y/n: *sigh* "You. Little. Pussy"

Jaune: Huh?

Y/n: That's what someone said to me back when I was a soldier told me. It stuck with me for awhile. And I proved him right, by killing all the wrong people.

Y/n stands up, walks towards Jaune, drops down on one knee, and puts a hand on Jaune's shoulder.

Y/n: Your my friend, Jaune. I'll never call you anything, but your name. Now what my mom told me: (let's go of his shoulder) There are times that you gotta stand your ground, and fight to the death.

Jaune grew silent of what Y/n just said.

Y/n: And even though I'm not a hundred percent human, I still have a heart and I'll fight for what I believe in. Now I'm not gonna ask again what Cardin wants you to do, but you gotta decide: Are you gonna lay there, swallow that blood in your mouth? Or, are you gonna stand up, spit it out, and go spill theirs?

Y/n extends his hand to help Jaune stand up. Jaune, with new energy, grabs Y/n's hand to stand back up and faces the door, ready to turn the knob and face his team, then turns back to Y/n, and also extends a hand for a handshake.

Jaune: I'm really glad your my friend, Y/n.

Y/n: (shakes Jaune's hand) Feeling's mutual.

As Jaune faces the door again, ready to turn the knob and face his team, his Scroll beeps and he pulls it out of his side to open it, seeing Cardin's contact relying message.

Cardin (on-Scroll): Hey! It's your buddy Cardin! I know you're probably busy with that Dust project I gave you, buuuut I'm gonna need you to go out and get me a bag of Rapier Wasps. (as Jaune makes a terrified sound in response) And make sure they've got some really big stingers! It's important, so don't screw this up!

Jaune closes his Scroll just when it begins to beep again. Sighing, he wearily heads down the hallway and away from his room, as Y/n blocks his path. Still exposing his cyborg body, he merely says:

 Y/n: Now may not be the right time (faces Jaune) but it will be soon.

Jaune nods at him, as Y/n unblocks Jaune's path, allowing him to walk pass him. When Jaune rounds the corner, Y/n looks at his left hand, clenching it into a fist.

Y/n: Even though I fight for what I believe in, I can't let 'him' out. Not. Even. Once.

With that, Y/n walks off to his dorm, preparing for tomorrow.

(Time Skip)

An overhead shot of a forest bustling with red leaves and gray tree trunks is seen as the camera descends and shows Glynda Goodwitch leading teams RWBY, JNPR, and CRDL through the area.

Glynda: (to the group) Yes, students, the forest of Forever Fall is indeed beautiful. But we are not here to sight-see. Professor Peach has asked all of you to collect samples from the trees deep inside this forest, and I'm here to make sure none of you die while doing so.

The group stops, and Jaune, grunting and carrying a large case with six empty glass jars on top, tries to catch up with them and ends up bumping into Cardin. The bully scowls at Jaune, who attempts to feign innocence by whistling tunelessly.

Glynda: (still instructing the group, holding up a full jar of their objective) Each of you is to gather one jar's worth of red sap. However, this forest is full with the creatures of Grimm, so be sure to stay by your teammates. We will rendezvous back here by 4 o'clock. Have fun!

While Yang Xiao Long and her sister smile at one another, Jaune attempts to (noisily) sneak away from Cardin to his team, but the blackmailer sees this and grabs Jaune by the back.

Cardin: Come on, buddy - let's go!     

Jaune miserably looks up at his team, where Nora and Ren are already walking into the forest's depths and Pyrrha is starring sadly at the scene. Jaune then gazes at Y/n, who has his fake skin on, both sharing a nod, then turns and follows team CRDL.

Jaune POV

Now perched on a hilltop overlooking the other students, team CRDL - plus Jaune, squeezed between Cardin and Russel - peak their heads over the crest and watch as everyone is retrieving their samples of sap. Ren, kneeling to collect it from a tree, passes a full jar to Nora who "Mmmm!"s at the gift as Ren trades it for the jar in her care. He turns back to the tree and starts filling it up while several licking sounds are heard off-screen until the camera pans back to Nora, now with an embarrassed smile covered in red sap and an empty jar in her hands.

Jaune: (turning to his left) Cardin, wh-what's going on?

Cardin: (still starring at the unsuspecting group sharply) Payback.

Jaune: (widens his eyes in understanding) Pyrrha...?" (watches her gather more sap from a tree) "Wh-what are you-?"

Cardin: (pounds his fist on the ground) That's the girl. Red-haired know-it-all, thinks she's so smart. Alright, boys... (pulls out a buzzing cardboard box with a large "W" written on its sides) Last night, old Jaune here managed to round up an entire box of Rapier Wasps, and now, we're gonna put him to good use.

Russel grabs Jaune by the shoulder, who barely laughs in nervousness.

Cardin: Now, according to one of the essays you wrote for me last week, these nasty things loooove sweets. (Pyrrha is seen finishing her sap collection) I'm thinking it's time we teach her a thing or two. 

The members of team CRDL get up. Cardin offers his hand to Jaune, only to painfully yank him up on his feet and shove the jar into his grasp.

Cardin: And you'e going to do it.

Jaune: Do what?

Cardin: Hit her with the sap! (leans in close to Jaune's face) Either that, or I'll have a chat with Goodwitch, and you'll be on the first airship out of Beacon.

Jaune looks down at the jar of sap in his hands and then up at the four grinning teammates waiting to see what happens. Jaune turns towards the group and aims his throw at an oblivious and smiling Pyrrha, trying to to steel his nerves and shaking hand to do the deed, but ultimately steels himself for what he's about to do.

Jaune: No.

Cardin: What did you say?

Jaune: (gripping the jar tightly) I said... NO!

He turns and throws the jar of sap Cardin, instantly recoiling his hands to himself as he looks at Cardin's breastplate covered in sap. The other team leader, however, looks at himself and laughs darkly.

Cardin: Oh, you've done it now...

Jaune humorously laughs at himself once more with his hands still raised in an attempt for defense as Dove and Sky grab Jaune's shoulders and pull him in so his terrified eyes zoom in close on the camera, as it fades to black.

To Be Continued...