~ After class ~

Yay, my first class finished, what an achievement, I think I might even treat myself, hm... Ice Cream or... Ice Cream. Cool, ice cream it is. Now, what flavor.

''Crystal'' I turn around to the voice calling me, only for me to bump into the person calling me, to be more precise, the voice bumped into me with petals disappearing.

''Careful, Little Ruby, it's too early to fall for me'' I say as I look at the girl in my arms, who seems to be a little bit dazed.

''Rubs, look at you go, barely any time in Beacon and you already have somebody to snuggle to'' I look at Yang who's smirking at her little sister.

Ruby, jumps away, flustered with red ear tips, fake coughing.

''Ahem... Crystal, want to visit our dorm room? It's pretty cool, the coolest room you can imagine'' Ruby says with puppy eyes, making it hard to decline.

I look at her teammates ''The coolest room?'' I ask them.

''Yep, the best'' Yang answers for all of them, while Weiss only rolls her eyes at the antics.

''Sur-'' I don't get to finish my agreement, as I see Jaune and Pyrrha going somewhere together, but what made me stop, is that Cardin seems to be following them. I need to talk with him.

''Maybe next time, Little Ruby, I got somewhere to be'' I say as I look at her.

No, don't look at me all sad, it makes this more difficult.

''But'' Ruby starts but I interrupt her.

''How about we all go for ice cream tomorrow? My treat, I really have something to do right now''

''Okay... Fine, don't be mad when team RWBY runs you out of your money'' Ruby answers with a smile returning.

''Oh? I don't think you and your team have what it takes for that to happen'' I challenge her head-on.

''Of course, we do, it will be easy'' Yang answers for Ruby.

''Right, right. Well I am looking forward to it, but now, gotta go, bye'' I say as I finally follow the Trash.

''BYE!'' Is the last thing I hear, I shake my head a little at Ruby's antics.

Narrator POV:

On the rooftop, we see Crystal, secretly, looking at the scene in front of her eyes.

''I-I don't belong here." Is the first thing Crystal hears, but while looking around she doesn't see Cardin.

"That's a terrible thing to say! Of course, you do!" Pyrrha emotionally says back at him.

"No, I don't!" Jaune angrily yells, his emotions getting the better of him, he sighs as he sees Pyrrha looking bewildered.

"I wasn't really accepted into Beacon..." He turns his back on her.

"Wh-what do you mean?"

"I mean I didn't go to combat school, I didn't pass any tests. I didn't earn my spot at this Academy!" His voice goes higher with every word he says, after some time he finally looks back at Pyrrha. "I lied! I got my hands on some fake transcripts, and I lied!"

"What? But... why?"

"'Cause this is always what I've wanted to be!" Jaune says as he turns back again. "My father, my grandfather, and his father before him were all warriors! They were all heroes! I wanted to be one, too. I was just never good enough."

"Then let me help you!" Pyrrha remarks while she puts her hand on his shoulder for extra support.

"I don't want help! I don't want to be the damsel in distress! I want to be the hero!" He screams at her with heavy anger.

"Jaune, I-" Pyrrha gets interrupted.

"I'm tired of being the lovable idiot, stuck in the tree while his friends fight for their lives! Don't you understand? If I can't do this on my own... then what good am I?"

Pyrrha attempts to reach out for his arm and console him, but he backs away from her touch. Which instantly makes Pyrrha adopt a sad look.

"Just... leave me alone. Okay?"

Pyrrha head bowed down, sad, with a quiet and almost broken voice says as she starts walking away.

''If that's what you think is best...''

Her footsteps getting softer and softer until she leaves the roof, without seeing that there's Crystal looking at her with pity, she starts walking to her, so she could comfort Pyrrha for her attempt, at what she assumes, of her try to help him, but Jaune being too far up inside his own head, to accept any truth that he needs help. But just as she starts walking away, so she could catch up to Pyrrha, she hears, the voice, that she followed them here for, the voice of the Trash.

"I couldn't help but overhear you two from my dorm room. So, you snuck into Beacon, huh? I gotta say, Jaune, I never expected you to be such a rebel!" Cardin says with faux pleasantry.

"Please, Cardin, please, don't tell anyone!" Jaune begs him.

"Jaune, come on! I'd never rat on a friend like that!" Cardin answers him.

"A... a friend?" Jaune asks approaching.

"Of course!" Cardin traps Jaune in a headlock and his arm, without care of Jaunes' struggle to get out of it.

"We're friends now, Jauney boy! And the way I see it, as long as you're there for me when I need you, we'll be friends for a long time." Cardin finally releases him, making Jaune gasp as he leans on the ground.

"That being said, I really don't have time to do those extra readings Dr. Oobleck gave us today. Think you could take care of that for me, buddy?" He rubs Jaune's hair and backs away with a grin.

"That's what I thought." Carding goes to hang on the edge. "Don't worry, Jaune, your secret's safe with me."

Crystal watches with a blank, empty look as Cardin drops down to his room and now only sees Jaune rubbing his neck with a worried look.

Crystal POV

Oh, trash, trash, trash... How sad, I do have to give you some respect though, you actually have some balls to blackmail somebody, but sadly, that's all you have.

No brain whatsoever, you got perfect blackmail material and a relatively 'easy' target, but I don't know the whole context, but it seems Jaune didn't get to attend Beacon on the school terms, but there's no way, that Ozpin doesn't know that, besides if you compare the way I got in with you Jaune...

Well let's just say your idea to forge documents, looks pathetic to me threatening the headmaster with a kidnapped victim. Well, Cardin, you want to blackmail somebody, you have to have the ability to back it up.

You got yourself one chance left after that last chance is done... Well... I think, next time, your parents will see you in a coffin

Everybody gets two chances from me, after that, they are just another hurdle for me to deal with. And you're not any different. But I have to make it fair for him. I will warn him, so at least he knows, if he still doesn't change his ways, so be it. It will be his downfall.

~ End of Chapter 3 ~