Cornering Ruby alone was neither as difficult nor as predatory as it sounded. While Team RWBY were as close-knit as Team JNPR, that didn't mean they always got along. Slap four strong personalities in a room together and there were bound to be sparks, and while Yang and Weiss would fly into an argument, Blake and Ruby were the kinds of people to vacate the area. Blake would go bury herself in a book to push her feelings aside, and Ruby would go sulk or maintain her weapon or – when things got really bad – ask if she could bunk with them.

Tonight, it was a case of Ruby going for a walk outside. Jaune had heard the fight kick off, something about Yang using Weiss' shampoo and wasting it all without asking permission. Silly stuff, but problematic when you shared a room. Boundaries had to be set and respected and, to be fair, Yang had a lot of hair to wash, so he imagined she'd fully drained the bottle. It wouldn't have been enough for a fight in their dorm, but none of them were quite so conscious of their looks as Yang or Weiss were.

So, when Blake vacated for the library and Ruby stepped out to go for a walk, Jaune stepped out at the same time – with a quick nod to his teammates to let them know he was going to keep her company. It was a common enough occurrence.

"Heard the screaming?" Ruby asked, with an embarrassed smile. "Sorry."

"It's fine. At least they're only arguing about silly stuff. Better this than the White Fang."

"Hmmm. Blake's arguments tend to cause the most trouble but at least she only starts one every other month. Yang and Weiss are like bombs with lit fuses sometimes." Ruby let out a heavy sigh. "Both of them were in the mood to fight tonight."

"Really?"

"Yeah. It was obvious they were looking for something to get angry about."

"Know why?"

"Weiss went to talk with her father in the CCT Tower so I'm guessing that for her. As for Yang, it's... uh. You know."

"I know." He had seven sisters. He knew. "I guess she was already irritable from that and then Weiss started to kick off. Easier to be angry than uncomfortable. I actually wanted to have a chat with you anyway."

"Really? What about?"

"Not here. Outside in private."

Ruby ducked her head. "That's worrying."

"It's nothing bad, I promise. Nothing about Yang either. I... well, I guess you could say I need some advice."

It wasn't entirely true but Jaune knew she wouldn't react well if he came out and told her he knew about her image issues and wanted to fix them. For one, she'd probably deny they existed in the first place. Like Doctor Oobleck said, most people didn't want the help of others. Everyone felt they'd somehow be stronger if they dealt with their problems alone, like it was an achievement to suffer and struggle without help.

It was stupid.

And it was also the exact same thought process he'd had when Cardin was bullying him – so he knew how easy it was to fall into that rut without realising it. He wasn't immune to it, no one was, and it didn't make Ruby "stupid" for acting the same way. It was just as likely every member of her team was doing this in at least some way.

"You want advice from me!?" Ruby pointed at herself as if to make sure. "Me!?"

"Why not you?"

"Well... uh..."

Ruby ducked her head, unable to find the right words, or perhaps realising she couldn't say what she really felt because it would sound pathetic. He could hazard a guess as to why she was so surprised anyone would come to her for advice, and it was the reason he was here in the first place.

"You're a team leader like me," he continued, as Ruby squirmed. "And you've done a great job with your team, especially with how hot-headed they all are. You've probably got the most troublesome team in Beacon."

"Heh. Tell me about it."

"And yet it works. Team RWBY did great in the tournament—"

"Your team did better."

"Pyrrha did better. Let's not pretend there's any other reason." His deadpan expression made her giggle. "But the point is you're both the youngest team leader in Beacon and possibly also the most successful, which is even more impressive because of your age."

"Ah, uh, well, ahah."

He let Ruby squirm and fidget under the barrage of praise. Partly, it was to bolster her mood, but he was also curious as to whether she'd reject it outright or just flat-out not believe it. To see if her inferiority issues went so deep that she literally could not accept or believe anything good said about her. To his immense relief, she was embarrassed by the praise but didn't seem to dislike it.

"S—Shut up," she mumbled, tugging her hood up. "I'm not that special."

"I didn't say you were special or a freak of nature, you're just a really good team leader." They found a quiet spot in the lawns under a tree to plop down under. "I remember when we first started out, you said Ozpin made a mistake putting you in charge. You have to agree he didn't by now, right?"

"Well..."

"Oh, come on. Who would be better? Imagine Weiss as team leader!"

Ruby shuddered theatrically, or maybe even genuinely. The idea was that worrisome. "Uhhh. No way. I love Weiss and all, but she'd have us up every morning on a strict schedule. And I don't think Yang or Blake would be able to put up with her being in charge."

"Not if tonight is any indication. I personally feel like a team leader shouldn't get roped into fights or let their temper get away from them." Jaune paused, and Ruby nodded along. "I mean, I know it's not always possible but you definitely shouldn't have someone prone to losing their temper in command. You're good like that."

"I lose my temper," she said, almost a little defensively. "I'm not some placid lake of calm, Jaune."

"Really?"

"Yeah. I just... uh..."

"Bottle it up inside?"

"Not like that," she said, squirming. "It's more I'm not... uhh... outward? Is that the right word?"

"Probably not but I know what you mean. You don't project it."

"Yeah. I fight a bit meaner in spars and give nasty looks – and I rant in my head all the time, especially when Weiss is being mean. Sometimes I imagine kicking her butt, but I'm not like Yang who'll just say it out loud." Ruby laughed. "I'm not as bold as her."

"Who is?"

Ruby giggled. "No one. Yang's one of a kind."

"Thank goodness for that. What about Blake? Can you imagine her as team leader?"

"Hmmm." Ruby thought about it, leaning back on the tree trunk. "Blake would be good at making calm decisions and giving out instructions – unless the White Fang is involved – but I think she'd be a decent leader."

"Really?"

His shock seemed to surprise her. "You don't...? Ignore the White Fang. I agree she's useless whenever they're around, but in every other situation she'd be great."

"Really? Then do you think she'd have had the patience to put up with Weiss' leadership grab and make peace with her like you did?" That caught Ruby off-guard. "Blake is a good thinker, but she doesn't do so well at communication. And with her bias against Weiss, I feel like she'd have blown Weiss off or just called her a selfish, arrogant Schnee."

"Well... maybe... but that's related to the White Fang thing."

"I don't know that it is. What about if there were team cohesion issues. Do you think Blake would bother to step in if two people hated one another? Or would she just tell them to deal with it on their own while she goes off to read a book? Would you like that if she was your leader and instead of helping you deal with an issue, she just vanished to do her own thing?"

"No... but I don't do any better."

"But you would, right? If Weiss came to you for help, you'd give it."

"Totally!"

"There you go. You're a better choice than Blake."

Ruby looked away again and tugged at her cloak, but he could see her chin turning pink, and caught the tiny dimple as she smiled. It was obvious she didn't dislike being praised like this, which hopefully meant she wouldn't resist too hard when they got to tackling the meat of the problem.

And it wasn't hard to see what this was leading up to.

"Okay, sure, I'll admit I'm a better leader than Weiss or Blake would be – as long as you never say I said that!"

"I swear."

"Good. But Yang would be a way better leader than me."

"Oh?" Jaune feigned surprise but didn't push back immediately. He decided to let Ruby talk without suggesting he was going to argue with her. "You sound pretty sure of that but I suppose you know her the best. Go on, then. Sell me on the idea."

"First of all, Yang is strong. And I know strength alone doesn't make a good leader, but it's one good point in her basket. Yang is the strongest member of the team and also the best at taking damage, and you'd want your leader to be the last one to go down. I know Pyrrha is stronger than you, but your aura reserves are obscene and you use a shield, so you probably will last longer than her in most fights."

"Unless I'm against her."

Ruby rolled her eyes. "No one lasts against her. That's not exactly a fair comparison."

"Ha. Sure. Okay, that's one point for Yang, but I'm guessing you have more."

"Of course." Still all smiles from Ruby. "Yang is waaay more outgoing and confident than I am, and that's important for a leader. You said I'm good because I'd help anyone who asks – and I agree – but Yang is the kind of person who can push through to people who won't ask." Ruby smiled proudly. "Yang is amazing like that, and she isn't even forceful about it. She's just able to make people like her and get to know them, and she knows the right and wrong things to say when I trip over my own tongue."

"You did a great job befriending me."

Ruby giggled. "Jaune, we're both awkward dorks."

"Huh. I mean... well..." Shit. Ruby had him there. "Shut up, crater-face."

"Sure thing, vomit boy." Ruby leaned on him a little. "But it's not a bad thing. I'm okay talking to people who are already my friends, it's just talking to new people that's hard. Yang doesn't have that problem. Imagine if I had to give a speech as team leader. I'd be a nervous wreck!"

"You'd do it, though."

"Yeah, and Weiss would help me write it and Yang would help me practice, but I'm not saying I'm bad, I'm saying Yang is better."

And that was the issue, even if Ruby didn't realise it was a problem. All these points were tiny thorns in Ruby's side that she'd just gotten used to and accepted as a part of her life. It was to the point that she didn't even see them as painful anymore, just facts of life. Grass was green, the sky was blue, and Yang was better than her.

"Yang is also super smart," she continued. "Trust me, she got top marks on almost all her exams back in Signal. I think she likes not having to be the smartest one now that dad isn't around to be on her case, but if she was the team leader then she'd definitely know what to do and be good at giving orders. And she'd also step in between any arguments and force people to make up."

"Except when she causes them. Like tonight."

"Okay... sure..." Ruby squirmed and frowned. It was such a tiny point in her favour, and yet she was already defensive on her sister's behalf. "But Yang doesn't hold grudges and knows when to step down. The only reason she's pushing back tonight is because Weiss is going on the offensive. Yang is making it clear Weiss can't just roll over the whole team when she's in a bad mood."

"I think a better leader would find another way to fix it."

"Well that's not me either, is it?" she snapped. "I'm out here with you!"

Silence reigned between them for a long moment, broken by the stuttering inhale of breath as Ruby realised just how angry she'd gotten at him. He was too. He'd seen Ruby worked up plenty of times, but she'd never gone from cheerful to snappy like this.

"S—Sorry, I didn't... I..." Ruby swallowed and looked away. "I don't like it when people pick on Yang," she mumbled. "I didn't mean to snap."

"It's fine. But you know I wasn't picking on her, right? I was just pointing out she isn't as perfect as you make her sound."

"Yeah, but I'm not either. It doesn't make sense to say Yang would be a bad leader because she doesn't solve team fights peacefully when I'm not doing it either. I'm just as bad, running away to escape it and let them burn their tempers out. It's... It's not a fair comparison."

"Alright." He let it go. "What about back in Signal, then? You said Yang got good grades. How well did you do?"

Ruby relaxed into the safer topic. "I did good as well, really good on subjects like engineering and weapon design." He snorted, as if to say that was no surprise, and Ruby punched his leg with a grin. "Shut up, you. Anyway, I did good. It's hard to do bad when you have a dad and uncle working as teachers. It's hard to be allowed to do bad. One bad report card and suddenly they're both looming over you."

"At least they'd help with homework, right?"

Ruby snorted.

"No?"

"Asking dad for help means being sat down at a table and forced to research through ten times as many textbooks as necessary to write out a theoretical perfect piece. So, yeah. He helps. But only if you're willing to be made to work on it all night."

"You'd get an A though, right?"

"Yeah, but it'd take thirty minutes in my room to scrape an A compared to two hours with dad to get full marks. Both are the same grade but one takes four times as long as the other."

Jaune laughed. It sounded rough, but also kinda nice. His own father had loved him, that he knew, but having eight children meant splitting his time up, and Nicholas was also often on jobs and missions to bring in enough money to support such a brood. He knew from Yang how their father had retired from being an active huntsman to make sure they weren't left alone; that was doable for him since the salary at Signal would fit two kids. Nicholas would struggle to find work well-paying enough in Ansel to stay home more often.

"If you and Yang got straight-A's, then aren't you both as smart as one another?"

"Nope." Ruby shook her head. "Because Yang did better in exams and physical classes. Plus, she was way better at making friends. Yang was the most popular girl in Signal – and she wasn't some queen bee picking on other girls, either. Yang was nice to everyone."

Ruby preened as she said it, genuinely proud of her big sister. It was so strange to think that Yang was both a rock supporting Ruby and also a rock tied to her feet dragging her under the water.

More proof if I needed any that dealing with psychological issues isn't going to be easy...

"You got into Beacon two years early, though," he pointed out. "Yang didn't."

Ruby squirmed.

It was like before, except that there was no pleased blush this time. No shy smile. Only a deep uncomfortableness that seemed to spread through her body at what should have been naked praise.

"That's not the same," she mumbled.

"Why isn't it?"

"Ozpin invited me for stepping in with Torchwick. Yang could have done that – and she'd have captured him, too. Maybe he'd have been in prison and not able to do what he did at the docks, and then Blake wouldn't have been in danger."

Jaune panicked. "You can't be telling me you think that's your fault!?"

"What!? No, no, no." Ruby laughed awkwardly. "No way, I'm not crazy." Good. Jaune relaxed. "I mean, it's good I stepped in to stop him robbing the place. I'm just saying Yang would have stepped in even better than I did."

"And that makes her a better leader than you?"

"No. That's all the other ways she's better, like I said. The fact she's more outgoing, confident, charismatic, stronger, smarter, better at talking to people, better at making friends, better at... at..." Ruby threw her hands in the air. "Better at just about everything!"

"That's not true, though. There are things you're better than her at."

"Oh, yeah, sure." Ruby rolled her eyes sarcastically. "I'm better at maintaining our weapons and better at hitting targets with a sniper rifle. Of course there are some things I'm better than her at, but she's better than me at the important stuff. Personality, mentality, attitude, skill, strength, looks—"

"You're plenty cute!"

Ruby shot him a glower. "You're dating my sister."

"Yeah, but... I mean... if I weren't, then I'd totally be into you."

"I'm fifteen."

"Uh..."

Ruby let out a sigh. "Jaune, I appreciate the effort, I really do. You're one of my best pals. But you don't need to try and butter me up like this." Ruby pushed herself up and brushed her skirt down. "It sounds weird, especially from you."

"But you keep acting like Yang is better than you."

"She is!" Ruby shot him a stern glare. "And I'm fine with that. It's not like it hurts me or anything. Yang is my sister and I love her, and she loves me. I also know she doesn't want to be team leader, so it's not like I'm giving the spot up to her. You're acting like this is a big deal."

Jaune fumbled for a response. "I just don't like you talking yourself down."

Ruby sighed, glanced away, and then looked back to offer him a small smile. It was forced, polite, and didn't reach her eyes. "I'm not talking myself down, Jaune. I'm talking Yang up. There's a difference. Anyway, I need to go stop them fighting."

"But what about my advice?"

"You should ask Yang if it's about team cohesion stuff. She'll know better."

Ruby sped off using her Semblance so that he couldn't hope to keep up with her. In a matter of seconds, she was gone, and Jaune was left alone to thunk his head back against the bark and groan out, "Well that didn't go as I planned it to."

A branch rustled above him. "Tell me about it."

The shock was so powerful that Jaune spasmed and kicked out, falling away from the tree and landing on his back looking up. There, Blake was perched on a low bough, a book held against her chest and her eyes glinting down on him.

"Geez!" he rasped. "A little warning, maybe? Wait, were you spying—"

"I was reading in a tree when two noisy people came over to have a heart-to-heart under me." Blake rolled her eyes. "People never look up." Blake shifted her weight so she was sat on the bough with her legs off the side, then pushed off to drop the six feet to the ground. Landing agilely, she crossed her legs and sat down next to him. "So," she said, "That was a thing, wasn't it? Surprised even me."

Groaning, Jaune sat back up next to her. "Which bit? Ruby snapping at me, running away, or the way she feels?"

"All three. I never realised she felt that useless compared to her sister."

"Hmmm."

"No, really." Blake put her book away. "I thought I knew her well enough, I thought... well, I was wrong. I never even noticed this. Ruby is either an incredible actress or—"

"She's not acting." He felt Blake's eyes settle on him. "Ruby doesn't act any different around you than she did now. It's just that she's gotten used to feeling inferior to Yang and so you never see her feeling sad or upset. She's used to it."

Blake was silent for a long while. "Is that good...?" she finally asked. "It doesn't feel like it's good a thing."

"It isn't. Ruby shouldn't have to feel this way at all but she does and it's become such a big part of her that it's her standard now. It's her normal. Every day, without meaning it, she reminds herself how much better than her Yang is, and how much better a job Yang would do at just about anything she does."

"Poor Ruby..." Blake's eyes widened. "Poor Yang! Does she know!?"

"No."

"I... I don't think we should tell Yang. This would hurt her a lot and... and she might try and fix it, and I have no idea how she would. I'm not sure if she'd confront Ruby and argue with her over it, which would be bad, or if she'd try and separate herself from Ruby to force her to do things without her. Which would also be bad."

"Hmm. Maybe Yang knows in some way deep inside," he replied. "She did try and force Ruby to be on her own team before, didn't she? And to make friends. In fact, the only reason Ruby knows me, you, and Weiss is because Yang abandoned her before initiation and forced Ruby to interact with us on her own."

"That's... I guess that's true... huh." Blake tilted her head. "And Yang and Ruby only approached me at the sleepover because Ruby pointed me out. I never thought about it that way, but maybe Yang was right to abandon Ruby."

"Maybe abandon is the wrong word. I'm sure Yang was hanging around keeping an eye on her."

"Probably. When I met Yang in the forest, she all but admitted she was looking for Ruby, so I think she originally planned to force Ruby to go it alone, then panicked and changed her mind. Yang worries too much about her."

He knew that. And it was part of the reason why Yang would feel compelled to act if she knew about Ruby's issues here. That, and it'd hurt her deeply. This wasn't Yang's fault in any way and yet she'd think it was. And if Yang tried to help by acting out and being more useless to try and give Ruby some free wins, Ruby would notice and be furious. Plus, she'd trace it back to him.

Ruby might feel she was inferior to Yang but she damn well knew she could kick his ass.

"I really wish I didn't overhear this..."

"Perils of eavesdropping."

Blake scowled at him. "You came to my tree!"

"I don't see your name on it."

Blake pointed, and, indeed, there was a B.B scratched into the bark.

"Okay, I didn't see your name on it. Not everyone has your night vision. Besides, you could have announced yourself and left. I know for a fact you stuck around because you were curious and wanted to listen in."

Blake's cheeks heated up. "No, I didn't," she lied.

"Hmmmmmmm."

"Well, you were talking about me for a while! And what's that about me being a bad leader?"

"Hypothetically."

"You still said I'd be a hypothetically bad leader."

"You would be." Blake's ears flattened and she hissed at him. "You can hiss all you like but you wouldn't be as good a leader as Ruby."

"Better than Weiss, though. Right...?"

"I'll give you that." Blake relaxed, satisfied as long as she wasn't being compared unfavourably to Weiss. "But this was more about me trying to cheer Ruby up and stop her comparing herself so poorly to Yang. And now all I've done is upset her."

Blake hummed. "Luckily, it looks like she's upset because she thinks you were putting Yang down, rather than that you've figured out her issues. I'm not even sure Ruby understands there is an issue in the first place."

"Probably not. Are you going to help me?"

Blake looked horrified. "How? I can't do this. And I'm on her team, so it'll be so much more awkward if she finds out!"

"You're on her team and should therefore do your best to look after her, especially when she tries her hardest to be a good team leader for you."

"Gnh... But... this... I... I wasn't even involved in this conversation."

"You eavesdropped." His accusation had her hunching up. "Are you really telling me you're going to be able to ignore this? That you won't feel a flinch inside whenever Ruby says a comment that sounds normal but, with this context, is obviously a dig aimed at herself? Will you be able to act like nothing is wrong when Ruby makes a suggestion, Yang counters it, and Ruby just instantly accepts Yang's idea as the best one?"

Blake flinched with every example. He knew her, perhaps better in some ways than she knew herself.

You're not without your own problems, Blake, but one of them is a deep desire to make amends for what you put people through – and I know for a fact you're thinking you'll be just as bad as Adam if you ignore someone in need.

That wasn't healthy either, but one step at a time. He wasn't going to be able to fix everyone at the same time. He'd achieved nothing with Ruby giving her his whole focus, so splitting attention was going to go nowhere.

"I... well... I..." Blake staggered over her words like Yang after a night out. "I... ugh. Damn it," she hissed. "I really, really, really wish I hadn't chosen this tree."

"Welcome to Team Fix-Ruby's-Insecurity. FRI for short. You're the first honorary member, let's hope we don't have to induct Weiss or Yang because then things will get messy and Ruby will hate us both."

"I already hate you, Jaune."

"Thanks Blake. We'll get to your deep-rooted issues later."

"I don't have any issues."

"Hmhm."

"I don't!"

"Sure. Didn't you hear me hum? That was the sound of me believing you."

"It didn't sound like it..."

"I'd accuse you of being paranoid, but that'd be an issue. Wouldn't it? And you don't have any."

Blake crossed her arms, pressed her lips into a thin line, and scowled.

"Great!" Jaune looped an arm around her shoulder, ignoring the aura of violence with all the ignorance he could muster. "Now, then. We need to plan a way to prove to Ruby once and for all that she isn't stuck in her sister's shadow. I'm open to ideas."

"We could get her a boyfriend or girlfriend."

"I'm open to ideas that won't end up with us buried in a shallow grave."

"I'm out of ideas."

"Damn." Jaune sighed. "Then I think the first thing we should do is keep track of her and list down examples of how and when she puts herself down. Make a list of the things she says Yang is better at, including the ones she said today, and then meet back up for a super-secret meeting tomorrow night. Agreed?"

Blake looked miserable. "... yeah..."

"You don't have to do this if you don't want to, Blake. I can struggle along on my own, and I'm sure you can sleep easily knowing Ruby is constantly putting herself down in her head and her teammates are ignorant of it."

"You're kind of an asshole..." Blake marvelled. "Like, wow. I always thought you were soft and passive and a bit useless, but you have some genuine Grade-A manipulative asshole in you."

"Only when I'm concerned about someone close to me. Someone cute and young and wracked with insecurity—"

"Okay! Yes! I'm in! Arghhhh!"

Minion acquired.