ReRWBY: With Bumblebee

Chapter 7 - Forever Fall

*RWBY and its characters belong to Roosterteeth and Mounty Oum. This is simply a fanfiction written to honour their works.*

Inside Team JNPR's dorm room, Pyrrha looks out the window sadly as Ren loads StormFlower and Nora is jumping on her bed.

"How come Jaune gets home so late?" Nora asks.

"He's become rather scarce ever since he's been fraternising with Cardin." Ren admits stoically, yet inwardly dismayed.

"That's weird... Doesn't he know we have a field trip tomorrow? We need our rest!" Nora proclaims this while twirling mid-air as she lands on her bed.

Pyrrha continues looking out the window. "I'm sure our leader knows exactly what he's doing." She narrows her eyes.

Nora hums in suspicion sitting on her bed, as she and Ren exchange glances. "I guess so." Nora says.

Outside the dorm room, Juane is peeking through a crack in the door, listening to their conversation.

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

"Hey, Jaune!" Ruby greets the knight.

Startled, Juane truns to see Ruby in her pajamas, and she giggles at his reaction. "Long time, no see! Did you lock yourself out again?"

"Oh, uh, nope!" Jaune raises his Scroll, attempting to laugh. "Got it!"

"So! Where have you been lately?" Ruby asks.

"I, uh..." Jaune tries to come up with something, but just sighs and lowers his head. "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." He sighs. "I'm starting to think coming to this school was a bad idea." He presses his back to his team's door and slides down to sit on the floor in depression. "I'm a failure."

"Nope!" Ruby deadpans.

Jaune looks up at Ruby in surprise. "Nope?"

"Nope!" Ruby repeats, taking a step forwards. "You're a leader now, Jaune. You're not allowed to be a failure."

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

Ruby thinks about it for a moment, then gives her answer. "Nope!"

Jaune laughs as Ruby sits next to him on the floor. "You know, you're not the easiest person to talk to about this kind of stuff."

"Nope!" Ruby repeats one again, as Jaune leans into the door some more. "Jaune, maybe you were a failure when you were a kid..." Jaune groans at this and sinks lower to the ground.

"... and you might've even been a failure the first day we met!" Ruby continues, making Jaune groan and go lower still.

"But, you can't be one now. You know why?" Ruby asks.

"Uhh, because...?"

"Because it's not just about you anymore." Ruby points at him. "You've got a team now, Jaune. We both do! And if we fail, then we'll just be bringing them down with us."

Ruby 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." She walks over to her door and opens it as Jaune, now slightly inspired by her words, watches her wave. "Have a good night, Jaune!" She leaves to her room.

With new energy, Jaune pushes himself off the ground and faces the door, ready to turn the knob and face his team, but his Scroll beeps and he pulls it off of his side to open it, seeing Cardin's contact relaying a message.