Chapter 4

-x-X-x-

In the end, it wasn't so hard, because the next thing Jaune knew, he and Pyrrha were joined by a bunch of other students, Ruby and Blake among them, and fighting off a massive Nevermore. Not really thinking, he grabbed the White Rook before moving to help. Of course, with eight aspiring hunters and huntresses there to handle it, they made quick work of the Nevermore, and in the end Jaune didn't have to do much. Which was good, he really didn't want to get in the way or anything.

Regardless, when all was said and done, the initiation finished with everyone still alive, and a big meeting inside of Beacon's main hall. As Jaune stood off to the side, listening to the Headmaster, he found himself wondering if he'd made something of a mistake, coming here. He couldn't rely on his aura for everything, and while he's done alright in the forest… well, he wanted to be better. He needed to be better, if he was going to keep up with the fighters, he'd seen out there.

"… From this day forward, you will be Team Cardinal, under the leadership of Camilla Winchester."

Jaune blinks and looks up just in time to see a team of three men and one woman standing at attention before Ozpin. Given the distinctly female name, the woman must be the new team leader… he's only got her back profile to go off of, but she certainly looks tough from what he can tell. Regardless, now that they're done with, it's him and his new teammates next. Picking the White Rook had apparently put him and Pyrrha with two of the people they'd actually fought the Nevermore with.

The more vocal of the two had introduced herself as Nora, and her friend as Ren. But Jaune hadn't failed to notice that she started off by almost calling this Ren fellow something that started with Mu… it was interesting, but he wasn't going to pry any time soon. Truth be told, Jaune was just happy to have another guy on the team for the time being.

"Jaune Arc, Lie Ren, Pyrrha Nikos, Nora Valkyrie. The four of you retrieved the White Rook pieces. From this day forward, you will work together as Team Juniper."

Nora, unable to contain her excitement, lets out a whoop of delight and embraces Ren. Jaune, meanwhile, is glancing over at Pyrrha. She's a natural shoehorn for leader, after all, and he's hopeful that once she's named team leader, he can just ask her for some extra training. She'll be obligated to help out, right?

"… Led by, Jaune Arc!"

It takes him a second to process what the Headmaster has just said, but when he finally does, Jaune's head whips towards Ozpin faster than might seem humanly possible.

"Uh… what?"

The Headmaster just smiles and gives him a nod.

"Congratulations, young man."

Pyrrha, meanwhile, can't seem to contain herself either anymore, because the next thing Jaune knows, he's being hugged around the arm, held tightly by the gorgeous red head who's giving him the biggest smile. They're ushered off the stage after that, everyone all happy and giddy with excitement. Even Pyrrha is, which Jaune doesn't quite understand. Shouldn't she have wanted to be leader?

He only vaguely hears it as Ozpin announces the team that ends up comprising all of the other huntresses, they fought the Nevermore with. Ruby Rose, Blake Belladonna… and then Weiss Schnee and Yang Xiao-Long. Only that last one was new information, though hearing that Ruby had also been declared a leader… don't get Jaune wrong, he was happy for his friend (or were they more than friends?) but even still, what was the Headmaster thinking? No, more importantly… what was he playing at?

They wouldn't let just any senile old fool be Headmaster of a place like Beacon, right? Hunter Academies were pretty damn important, given the general state of the world and the four Kingdoms, at the end of the day. Which meant Ozpin had to be up to something. Jaune just… he didn't know what. Not yet, anyways.

Still, with the formation of Team RWBY, they were summarily dismissed, and everyone was off to their dorm rooms. It didn't take long to get there and finding out that they were just across the hall from the RWBY girls WAS nice. Still, once they were all alone, Jaune couldn't help but look at the rest of his team and laugh sheepishly.

"Well, I guess I should say something. I've got no plans for trying to boss any of you around or anything, alright? I'm honestly not really sure about the Headmaster's decision to make me leader, or anything. Maybe Pyrrha here would be better suited for it. Pyrrha?"

"No."

The outright refusal catches Jaune completely off guard, as does the surprisingly angry tone that the red head takes with him. Blinking, Jaune looks over at his partner in shock, only to find her frowning and crossing her arms under her chest.

"You need to have more confidence in yourself, Jaune. If the Headmaster wanted you to be team leader, than that's exactly what you are. Not me, not Nora, and not Ren. You're in charge of Team JNPR, and don't let anyone tell you otherwise."

The intensity with which Pyrrha is glaring at him, even as she tries to bolster his confidence (is that what she's doing) is a little bit much. Jaune just stares for a moment, looking back into those bright green eyes, trying to figure out exactly what's going through Pyrrha's head. Maybe she just really doesn't want to be team leader, to the point that she's willing to let him fail at it rather than be forced to succeed at it herself?

Jaune isn't sure that's accurate though, given their experiences in the forest. Pyrrha had singled him out. He wasn't stupid, he knew she'd wanted him as her partner for some reason. And now she wanted him as the team's leader, probably for the same reason. Still, Pyrrha was only one quarter of Team JNPR. Looking over at the other two members of the team, Jaune tries to gauge their reactions, while beseeching them with his gaze.

So far, what he'd seen had made it clear that Nora wasn't… well, she wasn't exactly leadership material either. Way too rambunctious and immature. But Ren seemed pretty stoic and put together. Maybe the other guy on the team could be the leader. Except, when Jaune looks over at them, he finds both Nora and Ren staring. At him. Unabashedly.

Had they been doing that the entire time? Finally realizing he's staring back at them, the two jolt out of their trances and blush in unison. Then, in what he was coming to believe was typical Nora fashion, the bombastic girl grins widely and glomps Ren.

"Rennie and I both think you'll make an excellent leader, Jaune! Right, Rennie?"

Still blushing up a storm, 'Rennie' just nods.

"Yeah, we do…"

Then she immediately clams up again. Wait, she? Jaune blinks once, and then twice. Ren was a guy. HE clammed up again, returning to HIS normal sort of quiet as quickly as HE'D left it. Why the hell was something pinging on Jaune's radar right now? Sure, his voice was a bit feminine, and there was that shock of pink hair among the black, but Ren was a dude, so why had he even for a second referred to him as a her?

Ah well, it didn't matter. What mattered was their responses. They'd sided with Pyrrha, which meant Jaune was all alone in the 'make someone else leader' camp. He'd been overruled by his own team, like he'd hoped, but for the exact opposite reason that he'd been expecting. Not only did none of them want to be leader, they were willing to accept him instead. That was… terrifying. But also, a little heartwarming?

Sighing, Jaune turns back to Pyrrha and lets his shoulders slump, hanging his head and missing the way that her face lights up, knowing she's got him right where she wants him.

"Alright then, I guess I'll have to do what I can then."

However, here he then straightens up, directing a look at the other three members of HIS team.

"That said, if I am going to lead this team, you're all going to help me, got it? You'll follow my orders, and you'll do what I tell you to do, when I tell you to do it. Is that understood?"

"Yes sir."

"Yes sir!"

"… yes sir…"

The three girls- no, the two girls and one GUY all have a different tone they take, from Pyrrha's professionalism to Nora's enthusiasm to Ren's quiet stoicism, but in the end, their answers are effectively the same. And honestly, having them all call him 'sir' like that… it does cause Jaune to swell with just a bit of pride. Smiling, he claps his hands together.

"Alright then, good. Then, given the time of day, my first order as team leader is this. Let's go get some dinner!"

Nora cheers, openly fist pumping at the declaration. Pyrrha just laughs a little and smiles, her frown gone but the intensity not quite missing. Ren smiles and that's about all Ren does, and Jaune resolves to eventually get closer to his fellow male teammate, because sh- HE seems shy for some reason, like shyer than any hunter in training should be.

One way or another, Jaune is going to make this work. He's going to prove his dad wrong.

-x-X-x-

Later that evening, with Remnant's broken moon hanging in the sky above, a figure stands in a warehouse, hands pressed to a table as they look at a map of the city of vale. Said map has red marker all over it, put there by the figure themselves. Dressed in a black bowler hat and a white suit with red inner-lining, the figure is listening to someone else talk on a scroll they have up to their ear.

After a moment, they bring it away, and press it down into the table, before letting out a truly disgruntled sigh. The cigar comes out, as does the lighter. Not the healthiest of habits but try telling them that. They weren't about to get rid of their sole source of stress relief because of something as silly as their health.

While they're lighting the cigar, someone else enters the warehouse from the side, wheeling in a large case. Turning around to face the masked individual, the orange-haired woman that is now revealed gives him a glim stare. Her dark green eyes, circled with eyeshadow, fix on the case for a moment, even as her new position reveals curves galore, a busty chest, wide, flaring hips, and legs that go on for days.

After a moment, Roma Torchwick nods.

"Open it."

The crowbar that the thug is wielding is put to use, and soon enough the case is open. Within lies row after row of dust crystal, all different types, from wind to water to fire, as well as lightning and earth and ice. Nodding in appreciation, Roma steps forward and reaches out, picking up a lightning dust crystal and examining it for a moment before tucking it between her breasts, slipping it down her cleavage.

Hearing a nervous swallow from the side, the criminal mastermind behind Vale's recent spat of dust robberies just smiles seductively as she looks over at the man who brought in the dust. The femme fatale is all sex, really, from the way her leggings hug her ass to the fact that she never wears her white coat closed. It's always unbuttoned, and always showing off plenty of her hot body.

If you've got it, use it. Roma had learned that early on in life, and she'd never ever forgotten it. Still, while it's nice to tease… nostrils flaring, Roma Torchwick pulls her eyes off of the henchman and looks over at the map of Vale, frowning slightly.

"… We're going to need more men."

-x-X-x-

The next day, Jaune wakes up bright and early. He wants to… no, he NEEDS to make a good impression. He might have gotten into Beacon via fraud, but because of that, he could never ever slack off. He needed to give one hundred and ten percent in everything he did from this point on. He had to show that he deserved his spot in Beacon, that he'd earned his place here.

His drive to succeed sees Team JNPR to breakfast with plenty of time to spare, and to class ten minutes before they even need to be there. Pyrrha seems rather pleased with him, if the approving nods he's gotten are anything to go off of. Team RWBY it seems, does not have the same sense of urgency, because they rush into class with only seconds before they'd be late.

Even still, Jaune finds his eyes going to Ruby, and then Blake. Ruby's silver gaze makes contact with his own, and she smiles sheepishly and gives him a nod, but Blake… Blake is steadfastly ignoring him. He wasn't sure how to feel about that. Actually, to be perfectly honest, Jaune wasn't sure how to feel about most of the things that had happened so far. But all he could really do was look forward and plan his next move.

As far as he could see it, he had a few options at this point. He needed to get stronger, one way or another. The most obvious way to do so would be to follow up with Ruby about maybe getting a better weapon than the one he had now. Hunter's Weapons were force multipliers, and the fact that he was still using Crocea Mors… well, like Ruby had said, he really shouldn't be using an heirloom as a weapon.

On the other hand, he now had other options as well. He could stick with Crocea Mors for a little while longer, and maybe go to Pyrrha for some private tutoring. One on one, he was sure that he could learn a lot from her… and the more he learned, the stronger he would become. But then, why stop there? Sure, he could go to Pyrrha for training… or he could use his authority as team leader to make everyone on Team JNPR do daily lessons, probably also learning at Pyrrha's feet.

What better way to make them realize he probably shouldn't be leader, then to cut into their free time, right? Nora and Ren might be all for it at first, but he got the idea that Pyrrha would be something of a taskmaster. They'd either come out the other side stronger as a more cohesive team, or she'd end up team leader whether she liked it or not, as best as he could figure.

To be perfectly honest, getting a new weapon and getting training from his partner probably weren't mutually exclusive. He'd eventually need to do both. But for the time being, he had to decide what he wanted to do FIRST.