Chapter 35: The MomentYou've All Been Waiting For!

In all the time you've known Ruby, you can't remember a scenario where she wore her hood. The entire cloak, yeah, but rarely has she covered her head with the red fabric. But now she has. You and Ruby traverse the beautiful environment of Patch with a specific goal in mind. Tai said he'll catch up to see you off. To save him some lien, you offered to just teleport the two of you back. You could have just teleported to the grave but taking the extra time to walk and talk seemed to be preferable for Ruby and Tai. Finally, you reach the edge of a cliff where a headstone resides.

You and Ruby stop a few feet away. She takes a deep breath, preparing for this meeting.

"I'll wait here. You go ahead, okay?"

Ruby grabs your arm and shakes her head. "No... I want you to come with me," she looks up at you, her silver eyes glistening. "Please."

"Heh... yeah, of course," you nod. "Let's go."

With her arm wrapped around yours, you approach the headstone. The sun beams brightly overhead, birds happily chirp to one another, everything is just peaceful and proper for the scenario. Ruby takes her hand back and slip her hood down her hair and rest behind her head.

"Hey mom... sorry I haven't come by in a while," she moves her hands behind her waist. "Things have been... well things have been pretty busy. I brought someone," she looks over at you for a moment. "He's, eh... hehe... he's my boyfriend. Dad's given him a rough time this weekend. I think he enjoys this part of parenting, though... but I think he wanted to do it with you... I... miss you, mom..."

You keep silent, not wanting to interrupt Ruby speaking to her mother. She shifts her hands in front of her and starts swinging her hips forward. "Haven't gotten kicked out of Beacon yet... so that's cool. I think being on a team with Yang helps. I keep her in line." You refrain from scoffing at that statement, considering everything Yang ends up doing. "That was a joke. She's actually a really great fighter! You can tell she's learned a lot from dad. Well, so are Weiss and Blake. Oh! They're my teammates. Together we form team RWBY... and yes, before you ask, that does cause a lot of confusion."

By the tone of her voice and way her movements are, you can tell Ruby has drifted into her own little world. She doesn't even recognize you beside her anymore, which you can't blame her for. You've been in a similar situation, yet you don't tend to talk to your deceased parents. Perhaps that's something you'll try. Though, that's an acquired taste. Generally you just stare at names and contemplate their deaths and what they mean to you. Sometimes you don't think at all and just feel rain drops fall against your skin or wind dance along your clothes. This is a little more interactive and possibly cathartic. You're not one to spill your guts out to anyone, even close friends like Dylan or Ruby. Speaking your mind to your parents' grave might be-

Your train of thought is halted when Zwei's bark echoes from behind you. Both you and Ruby look back at him, both recognizing his interruption.

"Oh, looks like dad's back! He's gonna see us off before we start our tournament matches! Wish me luck!" She turns to you and nudges you.

"Oh, uh... it was nice meeting you, Ms. Rose. I, uh... um... yeah..."

Ruby huffs in a playful way. "You're silly. Come on!" She does her hood back up and starts jogging to Zwei and Tai. You leap there, standing beside Tai as Ruby runs to you both.

"You just teleported for a three-second walk?" Tai points out.

"Meh, I'll get my exercise soon," you say, watching Ruby turn back to whisper something.

"Are you two sure you don't want me to drop you off?" Tai asks as your small group starts walking into the forested area.

"It's okay, Tai," you shake your head. "We'll be fine. Besides, you got a mission to go to, right?"

"True, but I always make time for my girls," Tai rubs his hand on Ruby's hooded head.

"Ah, daaaad," she whines.

Tai laughs in response. "But I suppose you're right. But, I'll cherish the time it takes for us to walk to the docks. I do wish you both the best in your fights. I know you'll knock it out of the park!"

"Of course I will," Ruby puffs her chest with a prideful voice.

"You can't even beat me," you murmur.

"Gibigaba, shhh, I can so!"

You and Tai both share a glance. He trained with you last night, he saw some of what you're capable of. Couple that with what he's heard from Ozpin and, even if she's his little girl, he knows she isn't on your level just yet. Besides, your Semblance can completely counter hers and it takes less stamina and Aura to use.

"Jeez, you're hanging out with me too much, Little Red. You're starting to sound like me," you poke fun at.

"Well... that's not my fault!"

"How is that not your fault? I remember you'd be the one coming to my dorm."

"You came to my dorm too!"

"Not just for you."

"Hey!"

"I-I mean, of course just for you! But you never came for Dylan."

"Well, maybe I like him more than you now."

"WHAT? No way! Why? He's done nothing for you."

"He doesn't sass me."

"Your entire team sasses you!"

"They do not!"

"Do too!"

Tai shakes his head and chuckles at the petty squabble. In truth, you sound like boyfriend and girlfriend even when you don't mean it. He should be annoyed, maybe even over protective, but hearing this reminds him of his days at Beacon Academy all that time ago. Though now he sees how silly and unimportant it was compared to how severe he believed it was back then. But, he deals with it, even as you both go back and forth all the way through the forest and to the docks.

"Well I never said I didn't like dogs, I just haven't seen Zwei that much."

"But he's always in our room!"

"I'm not always in your room!"

"That's not what Weiss says."

"You're gonna believe her over me? How cold!"

"She's more trustworthy than you'll ever be!"

You gasp, placing your hand on your chest. "How dare you, vile Grimm! I'll have you know I'm THE most trustworthy person around."

"You leave everyone behind all the time!"

"Because I trust they'll be fine," you extravagantly say, head shaking and eyes closed.

"No, you don't!"

"We're here," Tai cuts in.

"Huh?" You both question as you take in your surroundings. "Oh, that's cool."

You both stop and look at each other, surprised you said the same thing. Seconds later you break out into laughter, entertained by the spontaneous event. Tai shakes his head with a smile.

"Well, Ruby, I'm happy I could see you. Say hello to your sister for me and good luck in the tournament!"

"Thanks, dad!" Tai kneels down and hugs his daughter, then kisses her head before standing up again.

"And you, (Y/N), it was good to see you all grown up."

"Same here, Tai. I have to thank you for the rounds. You got me used to my weight," you hop up and down then smile.

"Your weight?" Ruby cocks her head to the side.

"Nothing! Nothing!" You rapidly wave your hands before you. "Don't worry about it. I was just... getting fat?"

"That was a question."

"I don't know what you're talking about?" You shrug. "And that was definitely a statement."

Zwei responds in his own way, getting everyone's attention.

"See, even Zwei agrees with me – steak stealing thief," you mumble. "Anyway, we should go. The tournament starts in a few hours. Grab Zwei."

As Ruby kneels down to pick up her corgi you close your eyes and focus on Beacon. You slide across the water, soar in the air, graze across stone, and finally stand in your dormitory.

"Ready?" You whisper, eyes still closed.

Ruby places her hand on your shoulder. "Yep. See ya, dad! I love you!"

"Love you too, swe-" Before his sentence could finish you, Ruby, and Zwei disappear, leaving shadows behind that quickly dissipates. "Mm..."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

You appear right at your door.

"Eh, that's still weird. My spine's all tingly," Ruby shivers.

"Everyone says that," you chuckle. "I don't feel it, honestly. Or maybe I got used to it. Not sure. Anyway, I'll talk to you later, Little Red. We gotta get ready for the tournament!"

"Right!" Ruby sets Zwei down then looks up at you. "I'll... uh..."

Before she can react, you lean down and place a tender kiss on her lips. She completely melts into it, almost falling forward. You lean back and smile at her. "We'll chat later. Maybe celebrate our teams' victory?"

"But we haven't... ooooh, yeah! We will!" She says, her blood pumping.

"Perfect. Now skedaddle. I gotta get ready too," you wave to her before turning to your door.

Ruby and Zwei run down the hall as you enter your room. Conveniently, Dylan's preparing in your dorm. He isn't dressed for combat, but he rarely is. You can tell he ironed his red shirt and grey jacket, though. They're too crisp. Though, calling it a jacket is still insulting to yours as his ends at his elbows, but that's to make room for his weapon. It does make you smile when you see he's wearing brown jeans instead of khakis.

"Taking notes from your good buddy (Y/N), huh?"

Dylan adjusts Zephyr Shale on his wrists, locking them into place. He doesn't bother looking at you when he responds. "It was all I had... and someone bought them for me."

"Blake?" You ask with a smirk, inching closer to him.

"That's not your concern. Are you prepared for the tournament? We're the first match."

"Wait, really?" Your eyes light up.

Dylan begins to turn but you step in front of him, eyes still glowing. "Who are we fighting? Is it RWBY?"

"You... want to fight them?"

"Well, I think it'd be kinda funny," you take a step back and cross your arms. "But I guess neither of us needs that. Do you know who we're fighting?"

Dylan shakes his head as he locks the last piece in place. "I do not. But we're supposed to be there earlier than the others. I'm taking the next flight to the stadium. You can make it there any time, so... do what you will."

"Sure. I might take a na-"

"No. You'll never make it if you sleep," he quickly says whilst walking to the door. "Perhaps some light exercises to warm yourself up would work?"

"I'll figure something out. I'll see you there, Dylan," you wave.

Your Faunus friend closes the door behind him and leaves you on your own. It's different to have a little alone time. At Ruby's, you had her, Zwei, or Tai with you all the time. Now you have peace and quiet... and you kinda hate it. It's so quiet that you can hear the buzzing sound of silence. It's almost maddening.

"Gah, this sucks," you stretch your arms out. "I need something to do. Something to relieve this boredom. I'm getting stressed... stressed from boredom. It's only been a few seconds. Am I going insane?" You rustle your own hair. "God, please, give me something-" Your eyes look to the bathroom as an idea pops into your mind. "Heh... hehe- no, bad (Y/N), you have a girlfriend. Wait, am I not allowed to when I'm dating? I never actually... then again I never took relationships seriously before now. Whoops, better not let Rogue hear that. She'll beat the crap outta me," you chuckle. "Hm... well, I'm back, so maybe I should see Ozpin. I wonder if he's busy."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

You appear in Ozpin's office, but unfortunately, you're the only one there. You place your hands on your hips and huff. "Well, that makes this harder. Wait..." You pass the desk and stop in front of the window. "Whoa..."

The grand coliseum hovers beautifully in the sky with various ships flying around it. Some of them are civilian while others are Atlas military.

"Wow... there's a lot of Atlas, actually. When did they all get here?" Your eyes follow the line of ships in the sky and your mind wanders. In truth, you don't know how long you end up watching each ship hover in place or soar through the air. You don't even notice the elevator's ring or the door's slow opening. Ozpin, cane and coffee in hand, immediately spots you.

"Ah, (Y/N), how wonderful to see you. How was your weekend?"

You keep one hand on the glass as you turn to face him. "Oh, jeez... hey, Ozpin. You kinda scared me," you chuckle. "Lots of fun, actually. I'm ready to win for Vale," you chuckle. "Though... this isn't what I expected to see," you look back out the window.

Ozpin saunters beside you, resting his cane in place as if it's an anchor. "Indeed, though it's not my decision."

"It was Ironwood's?" You look to Ozpin.

"It... was some political business you shouldn't worry about," he replies with a soft smile. "You should be focused on the tournament."

"Oh, I will be, but..." You tap your fingers on the glass. "Why so many ships? It looks like martial law or something... or we're preparing for war. I don't mind, I'm pretty sure I could outdo an army of robots so..." You trail off, not really having a point. "I mean, why are they here?" You look to Ozpin once more. "We have an army of Huntsmen, practically. Do they think we need more than that?"

Ozpin inwardly smiles at your analysis. Most people who don't know you like he, Glynda or other teachers at Beacon, see you and assume you're a loudmouth who charges in head first without thinking. While there is truth to that, you also have the capability to analyze and break down a situation both in and out of combat. You're a genius in your own twisted way, but that way works for you and that's all that matters. A strong arm, a savvy mind, and a kind heart.

"The qualities of a leader..." Ozpin thinks aloud.

"What?"

"Oh, my apologies. Lost in thought. You are correct, (Y/N). An army like this could raise panic in the citizens."

"Which brings Grimm. Well, at least we have an army," you shrug. "And me," you add with a snicker.

"So two armies?" Ozpin plays along.

"Hehe, exactly," you flash a smile. "But I guess it doesn't really matter. Those robots don't measure up to a Huntsmen. It'd take, like, a hundred to take down one of us. Besides, our Auras can take a shot or two."

"How do you know all this? Have you combatted them before?"

Your mind flashes back to two different scenarios where you battled Atlas robots. One was for training in Atlas, one was for training with... well, a teacher who wasn't too fond of them. Considering how easy they were to deal with back then, you can't imagine them even standing a chance against you now, especially thanks to your Semblance.

"Ah, you know... just guessing," you nervously laugh it off. "But, you know, whatever. Just thought it was strange. But that means more people can see just how great I'll be!" You proudly say.

"You do know it's broadcasted to all the kingdoms..."

"Oh... yeah, I remember!" You quickly cover up. "But still, I wanna show off a little bit. I got a few new tricks up my sleeve."

"Oh? Is that so?"

"Mhm. Mhm," you proudly nod. "Tai helped me out a bunch."

"Then why aren't you there?"

"I'm sorry, what?"

Ozpin chuckles before turning to his desk and clicking his computer. The screen lights up, showing Dr. Oobleck and Professor Port introducing everyone to the first round of the Vytal Festival. The camera pans to the first contestants... and Dylan is shown.

"GAH!? HOW LONG HAVE I BEEN HERE?" You jump in place. "I gotta go! I gotta- we'll talk later!"

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Dylan shakes head as his waits on stage. "I told him to be here..." He huffs under his breath.

The Faunus looks to the stands and spots RWBY, JNPR, and all his other friends. He can even hear a certain young Faunus cheering for him.

"YEAH! GO DYLAN! HE'S THE BEST! KICK THEIR BUTTS, DYLAN!" Anut cheers, throwing her hands around wildly and jumping.

This puts a smile on Dylan's face. Normally he doesn't like being the center of attention, but there's something about this setting. Hundreds, if not thousands, of people are cheering for the battle to begin. The varied colours of clothing all make a beautiful sight in the stands.

"Now, the first round of the Vytal Festival will begin... as soon as (Y/N) Slater arrives..." Port tiredly says.

"Why is it always (Y/N) that's late?" Yang asks.

"Or too early," Weiss sneers, her mind returning to the last time she saw you.

"He'll be here," Ruby confidently smiles.

Even Cinder's little group watches from the stands, including a disguised Neo. She's anticipating your arrival and fight just as much as Ruby is.

As the hooded girl predicted, a collection of shadows burst in the air. You fall down, laughing and shouting as you extravagantly flip your body. You curl up in a ball, spinning faster, then connect with the ground, slamming your fist on the solid metal to strike a pose.

"Hehe... that was so cool."

"No, it wasn't."

"SHUT UP, DYLAN!" You stand up and yell. "What would you know about arriving in a cool fashion?"

"You're not even fashionably late. There was nothing fashionable about that. Where were you?"

"Oh, hehe..." You rub the back of your head. "You know... Slater stuff."

"Don't you dare say it."

You cross your arms and pout. "Fine..."

"Aha! He's arrived! Now, you may notice this is a two on four! Yes, we're starting off with quite the odd match up!" Port starts.

"But don't think either has the advantage. Both Dylan Brine and (Y/N) Slater have proven to be most competent fighters. They've been given this chance to prove themselves against-"

"Oh yeah, who are we..." You look across the octagonal platform and notice your opponents. "GAH!" You ball back, causing Dylan to sigh.

"Team ORKD!"

Your four friends stand at the ready, Kin and Rogue have excited smiles on their faces while Onyx and Dior are either timid or uninterested. Kin is the only one with a different outfit – donning a traditional, sleeveless black gi instead of his suit.

"No, wait!" You hop back onto your feet. "This is great! Other than Rogue... Dylan, I may die here."

"I'll be sure to mourn you."

"Thanks," you pat his shoulder. "You're great. Anyway, I need a favour."

"Here we go," he rolls his eyes.

"Hey, don't be like that! Look, just give me a little time to... test the waters, you know? Don't want you going in there blind."

"You want me to stay back?" He clarifies with annoyance. "And let you do it on your own?

"Come on, Dylan, just let me fight them on my own! It'll be so much fun! Two minutes, please?" You clap your hands together and bow. "It's all I'm asking!"

In the stands, Blake starts laughing.

"What's funny?" Yang tilts her head.

"Oh, nothing... nothing at all."

Dylan shakes his head upon hearing Blake's laughter. "Very well. Two minutes. After that, I'll intervene."

"Haha, you're the best!"

The sides of your platform project holograms that present themselves like slot machines. They roll, pictures rapidly spinning as the environment is chosen. You start stretching from side to side, a smile on your face.

"It's been a while since we sparred," you shout to your friends.

"Indeed! You know I'm giving you my all!" Kin chuckles, rolling his shoulder. "We all will. You won't beat us, no matter how much time has passed."

You snicker at his comment.

Last time I went against them on my own it was a tie... well, the time ran out. But I'm definitely a lot stronger and have my Semblance. Plus I know exactly what you guys can do... no way I'm losing this.

The slots slow to a stop, showing a broken city on your side and a forest on theirs. The outskirts of the arena change accordingly to the choices, finally setting the stage.

"Now, let the first round of the Vytal Festival... begin!" Port sounds off.

Dylan immediately forms a small platform of water below him and lifts himself into the air, away from the fight.

"It seems that Dylan Brine has taken the high ground at the start! What plans do they have?"

At the same time, ORKD already has a plan they're following through with. Dior and Onyx retreat into the forest while Rogue and Kin run towards you. This is a predictable tactic for someone who knows their team.

Dior can't fight, so he'll take a position near the back and support everyone. Onyx will snipe me with his bow while Kin and Rogue keep my attention. Lucky for me, I'm not so easily distracted.

You attract your sheath to your hand and sprint towards the powerhouses of ORKD. Dylan crosses his arms and watches from above as a liquid hourglass slowly drains away.

"Let's see how you do, (Y/N)."

You dash from side to side, knowing Onyx will be trying to get a shot on you already. Your speed is noticeably increased since the last time anyone saw you, and, unlike your trails with Tai, you aren't tripping over yourself. Your movements are actually more precise than ever, and anyone who truly knows your fighting style can tell.

Rogue slows down to let Kin deal the first blow, then to follow up with him. You burst off your right foot and attack Kin. His arm metalizes as he clashes with your blade, your smiles radiating brightly as your eyes meet. As much as you'd love to sit here and fight Kin, you'd be at a major disadvantage if you tried to take on all four of them at once. It'd be a nice challenge, but you want to guarantee a win in the tournament. You push Kin's arm towards his body, then kick off his ribs, knocking him off balance and launching yourself towards Rogue. She twirls her sais in her hands as you roll across the ground then jump towards her. You tightly grip your blade, ready to slash. She goes to parry but before she can move your figure dissipates in shadow and a heel connects with her jaw. You follow through with your motion, kicking her to the ground and landing a few feet before her. Immediately, you lean back to avoid one of Onyx's arrows. You can't see him as he's slightly deeper in the forest, but you're sure his keen eyes have met with yours.

You spin your sword as you start running towards the forest.

"Heads up, (Y/N)!" Kin's booming voice warms as he drops down on you with his hardened fist.

You barely manage to kick back and avoid it, but the shockwave pushes you farther than you intended. In fact, it pushes you right into two Rogues. They arc their inner arms to impale your back. To counter, you straighten your body and slide right between the twins. You skid across the ground, sword at your side, then sprint forward to attack. They both turn around and ready themselves for your assault. You skip to the right then dash forward, spinning and kicking one of the Rogues. She blocks it with her forearm, stopping your momentum and giving the other one an opportunity to attack. Since she's thrusting, you toss your sword to your left hand and stab downwards, right between the main blade and one of the prongs. It, in turn, stops her momentum.

At the same time, Dior finds a small clearing near the edge of the forest.

"This should be fine," he mumbles as he kneels down.

He opens his briefcase and flattens it along the artificial grass. It takes root, forming a small computer, defenses, and weapon options for him. "Just like Onyx said... okay. Everyone, you should b-be able to hear me now," Dior speaks to his computer. "I have everyone's he-heat signature identified. They won't hide from us. I'll k-k-keep you covered from here."

As you hover in the air with the two Rogues, the rest of team ORKD hears Dior. None of them say a word, but they know the tactical advantage is theirs. Onyx, from the trees, pulls back an arrow and fires it at your suspended body. Hearing the object cutting through the air, you slide your palm onto the flat side of your hilt, grab it the best you can, and haul your body up as if you're doing a handstand. This moves yourself out of the way of the arrow, but the two Rogues and Kin are readying another attack. You pull your blade up, making yourself fall somewhat, then use your free hand to push off the closest Rogue's shoulder and push her, both knocking her off balance and flipping you onto your feet. You immediately slide to the right, avoiding another of Onyx's arrows. Three more fly at you which you expertly cut down mid-air, then rush towards the two Rogues. They've since recovered and are ready for your attack. You slash horizontally which incites a downward thrust from the both, spinning your blade slightly and locking it between four sets of sais.

"See, you were always holding me down," you lightheartedly chuckle.

"Realizations are gonna hit you hard," they say in unison, a smirk on each of their faces.

"Is that supposed to be a-" You hear footsteps from beside you and realize their meaning you instantly let go of your blade and step a foot to the right, passing Kin and his charged fist.

He swings at shadows, completely missing, which gives you the chance to step beside the girls, kneeling down, and grab your blade. You slide it out from their sais then spin around and sweep the closest Rogue's legs. You stand up to her level and, with your right arm already crossing your body, you tighten your arm and drive your elbow into Rogue's ribs. She slams into the other one, locking them both on the ground momentarily.

"My, my, it seems the young Slater is really holding his own against them!" Port announces.

"Yes, but how long can he last fighting four people at once. And why is his teammate simply watching? Many questions linger over this battle," Oobleck adds.

Of course, that leaves Kin open to attack you. He runs towards you, his arm charged, and swings. You slice at his metalized arm, clashing with such power that is shakes your surroundings. You and Kin smile at each other, sweat dripping down both of your faces. Your muscles are shaking as they're put up against his overwhelming might. This distracts you enough for Onyx to shoot two well-placed arrows into your shoulder and knee, completely ruining your stance.

"It seems that Onyx Nale has taken advantage of his teammate's opening! How will the bashful brute, Kin Maru, respond?"

Kin grabs your throat with his other arm, metalizing that hand to secure his grip. He lifts you into the air, your legs dangling, then slams you into the floor, drags you around then throws you towards the forest. Before you can recover, four more arrows are let loose from the forest and connect with your back. To make it worse, they all explode on contact. You slam against the ground, bouncing twice before stopping. You push off the ground and shake your head.

"Sheesh, who uses coordination nowadays?" You get to your feet then crack your neck.

Kin and Rogue reunite while Onyx has you in his sights.

"And I can imagine Dior's sitting in the ba-" You stop talking as you feel something grip your ankle. The four people before you smile as they know exactly what's going on. "What is- WHAAAAA!"

A large, metal tentacle shoots up from the ground, taking you with it.

"Now isn't this a development! A surprise attack from below!" Port exclaims.

The tentacle whips you around and around like a tornado, gaining speed and making you feel dizzy.

"We practiced this. Rogue, get Kin into position," Onyx orders.

"Right," both Rogues respond.

The real Rogue closes her eyes and forms a third one of her, then the two kneel down and set their hands side by side. Rogue jumps, landing one foot on both their hands then getting launched into the air. She's thrown over the tallest building on the stage, close to Dylan. Kin follows Rogue's movements as you're finally slammed into something... that building. At the same time, Kin jumps towards Rogue who pushes him down to the building below and you are slammed onto the top of that building. The second your back connects with the concrete, Kin's haymaker follows suit. The entire crowd watches as the building cracks and falls in on itself with two Huntsmen-in-Training still inside. Dust and debris fly all over the area, even landing near the center.

"(Y/N)!" Ruby shouts from the sidelines, standing up and leaning over the railing.

"A hit like that would hurt," Blake adds.

"I'm not so sure..." Weiss taps her knee as her eyes switch from one place to another. "I think Dylan noticed too."

"That was an impressive show of teamwork from ORKD!" Oobleck compliments.

Dylan looks back to the jumbotron displaying everyone's Semblance gauge. Everyone but Onyx has lost at least some, but you... you've lost far less than you should have. He snickers, turning his gaze back to the arena. "Of course something like that wouldn't work. He's a slippery bastard."

Kin stumbles out of the dust, brushing off bits of debris as he approaches Rogue. She can tell by his eyes that he's fired up, that he's getting deeper and deeper into the fight every time he throws a punch or takes a hit. He's always been like this, but now that he's fighting someone far more intelligent and powerful than a Grimm she has no idea how far he'll go.

"Did you get him?" The three Rogues shout.

Kin shakes his head, clearly unsure. "I hit something..."

"Dior, where's (Y/N)?" Onyx whispers.

"Man, talk about a hit," your voice echoes across the stadium as you step out of a building on the opposite side. "I barely got out of the way of that one. Wait... wait! I got a joke for this!" You cough then step a few feet to the side to "reset" yourself. "Well, that attack was quite smashing, amiright?" You clap your hands and chuckle... with no real response. "Oh come on," you slouch your shoulders. "I guess it wasn't up to your standards. I should try something more... concrete!" You pun, a shining smile on your face. Again, no response. "None of you are fun today," you huff.

Using this calm before the storm, you check the Aura gauges for everyone. Dior's is significantly lower than it should be – hovering around 73 percent.

So that metal arm thingy was him. Guess that's another thing I'll have to watch out for.

Kin smiles at you. "Haha, you truly have improved, (Y/N)! You truly are a warrior!"

"Eh, you know, pretty sure I'd be dead otherwise," you chuckle back. "But we'll talk about that later. We have a lovely crowd to entertain... and a beautiful girl to show off to," you wink at the camera.

Blake and Yang look over at their teammates. Ruby believes you're strictly talking about her, while Weiss knows you were just flirting with every girl watching. Even Neo, from a distance, smirks at your comment.

"But, alas, we shall get back to the fi- not this time!" You flip backward, avoiding a metal tentacle.

The tentacles head turns to you and quickly glows red.

"What in the- WHOA!"

You barely dodge a red beam that burns a hole through the arena.

"WHERE WAS THAT AGAINST MERLOT, DIOR?" You desperately shout.

"Take this advantage. Attack at once!" Onyx calmly commands as he loads up an arrow.

Three more tentacles sprout from the arena, all at key points between the forest, the city, and Rogue. The first one retracts and scurries for you once more, putting another thing on your list of dangers. Three Rogues and Kin sprint at you, all coming in from different directions while you're pushed against a concrete wall by the lasers. You duck under one then step into the middle of the arena to get more ground. This does, however, bring you closer to your enemies – an unintentional gift and curse. Having three clones, Rogue quickly recognizes and reacts to your new location. The one farthest back throws her two sais forward, letting them loose at the other two. They turn around, grinding along the ground as they wait for the sais to reach them. They grab onto them and are quickly recalled.

"Kin, back here!" The two Rogues shout as they slide beside the man.

You deflect two arrows then flip to the right, dodging a laser. You immediately spin on your heel to turn yourself around and counter the two Rogue's initial assault. The two of them stop behind you, still facing you, and dash forward with the third one in tow.

"My, my, (Y/N)'s in a bind! What's the young man going to do now?" Port cheerfully says, genuinely enjoying the battle before him.

"You don't say?" You shout back.

You hop back, evading both a laser and an arrow, then immediately knock away one of Rogue's strikes. She stumbles behind you, quickly turning around and attempting to stab you. Ducking is the first thing you do, then hop right up to hover over an extended sai. You land right on it and grab the rope. "Ha, can't rope me into anything!" You grab the rope and pull jump back. You pull Rogue with you, then place your other hand father onto the rope and swing her into Kin.

The large man catches the woman, sets her down, and runs at you once again.

"Rogue, w-watch your Aura. You're using t-t-too much."

Rogue, nods to herself before calming down and taking in the two copies she made for herself. Dior is right, she's using too much Aura compared to the little damage she's inflicted on you. Besides, there's enough pressure on you as it is with the rest of her teammates.

You weave from left to right, avoiding lasers and arrows galore. You kneel down then spring towards one of the tentacles. With a precise and powerful slash, you cut the metallic enemy in half... the results don't go the way you planned. Instead of breaking, a new head pops out from where you cut it and lasers begin firing again.

"Oh, come on! I really don't like the tentacles! It's creepy!" You whine, backflipping away from three more lasers. On your last flip, you duck down, almost completely on the ground.

"Got you!" Kin laughs, coming down on your location from the sky.

You push to the right, his fist grazing your flowing coat. He breaks through the arena's floor, becoming the second person to do that within two minutes.

"Jesus, talk about finding loopholes... yeah, that wasn't my best. Hehe, but I enjoyed it," you chuckle, standing straight again. "Wait, lasers! LASERS!" You weave right, left, then dash forward to avoid incoming fire.

Kin and Rogue meet at your location – Rogue from the left while Kin's on the right. You toss your sword to your left hand and smirk. "Alright, dad, let's see if I can brace myself with your bracer!" You swing at Rogue while tightening your right arm. The pressure from the two hits threatens to crush anyone between them... anyone except you. You hold strong, arms shaking as you successfully hold off the two attackers from ORKD.

"I'd like it... if you gave me some space!" You drag both of them down a bit then jump and kick them both away. The two recover quickly and rush you once more, launching a coordinated combination attack that's only more deadly with Onyx and Dior's assistance.

"Oh no... he's being overwhelmed!" Ruby whines.

"Mm... no," Blake shakes her head. "I don't know how, but have you noticed he's just smiling and making jokes."

"Yeah, that's what he always does," Weiss replies.

"Yes, but we've seen him strained. This isn't how he's like. Look at his face, he's calm, he's having fun," she lists off as they all watch you bob and weave, duck and dodge through all the attacks thrown at you. "I don't know how... but he's not being pressured at all."

"Hm..." Weiss taps her arm. "I guess we'll just have to see."

"And young (Y/N) shows his mastery of battle!" Port laughs. "This is indeed an interesting match, wouldn't you say, Professor?"

"Doctor," Oobleck annoyingly corrects. "And you are correct. A four on one match is extreme unorthodox but it seems like the crowd is enjoying it."

To Oobleck's word, the crowd is cheering loud enough to hear across Remnant. Everyone, be it in the stadium or at home, are on the edge of their seats with anticipation. Well, everyone except a small Faunus girl.

"GET IN THERE, DYLAN! KICK THEIR BUTT! WOO! GO DYLAN!" Anut happily cheers.

Dylan chuckles upon hearing Anut. He checks his timer. It's been just over a minute at this point so there's still some time to go. He's excited to enter the fight. You can likely win on your own, but it'd be difficult to get things done when you're constantly being attacked. Numbers can overwhelm, after all.

You twirl your blade around your body, cutting an arrow down and parrying Rogue's attack. You slide to the right, slipping past Kin's attack and getting his blindside. You slash his ribs twice before he hardens that area. You back off, avoiding another arrow and slamming into a tree.

"Oh, jeez, I was not situationally aware," you whisper, looking back at the tree. "Guess you got my back, huh? Hehe-" One of Dior's tentacles burst through the tree, grabbing your face and forcing you along the ground. "AH! TREE YOU TRAITOR!" You shout, breath immediately stopping at the cold metal grasping your face. You slash at it with your blade but the constant movement and weak stance makes you unable to cut through it completely. You're finally slammed against one of the few standing buildings. The shock and impact forces you to drop your sword into the rubble below.

"Well, that's not good," you mumble, turning your attention back to the metal clamp on your face. Luckily, you don't have to worry about it for very long as Kin jump towards and swiftly punches you through the wall. You roll across the floor but quickly bounce off and get to your feet. The dark colours and lack of light give this place a very unpleasant mood, and the raging Kin doesn't make it any better. He clamps his hands together and tries to slam you down, but you dash to the side then back at him, jumping and kneeing his jaw. He metalizes that area before you connect, making the attack completely pointless. You push off his chest and get some distance but he quickly closes it. You redirect each attack and counter with a shot to the nose, but, again, he hardens his face on contact.

His control definitely got better. I have to hit him with surprise attacks or I'll never get anywhere.

You weave past a few more of Kin's attacks while he just tanks all of your blows. You can see the fire in his eyes raging ever hotter. Though, you'll definitely be burned if you stay awhile. You're good at hand-to-hand, but Kin's on a whole other level. However, with your recent training, you might have closed the gap. You thought that, anyway, until Kin grabs both your arms then headbutts you so hard you falter to the ground. You push off one elbow and shake your head.

"Okay... head rush..."

Kin takes a few steps then jumps forward, metalizing his arm with the intent of punching you through the ground. You place both of your hands on either side of your head then spring up, legs completely straight. They connect with Kin's stomach, launching him through the ceiling and onto another floor entirely. You land in an arc, taking a breather.

"Have I done that before? I feel like I've hit Kin with that... at some point... huh... maybe it was back when-" Rogue and Onyx roll through the window, surprising you. "Oh, right, fight, quite... um... a delight! HAHA!" Of course, one of Dior's tentacles burst through the ground, almost grabbing your neck once again. "AH! What a fright!"

You jump diagonally twice, avoiding the metallic arms. Then lean back to barely avoid Witherbrand's blade state. Onyx twirls his weapon as his assault continues, but you manage to read each of his movements and effectively dodge it all. Even when Rogue hops in, putting the pressure on, you still keep your cool. Ducking under Onyx's attack then blocking his left kick, weaving past Rogue's sais only to block Witherbrand with your bracer, spinning around a tentacle, grabbing onto it, and kicking both Rogue and Onyx back. The cameras, and the people watch as you somehow hold your own against this overwhelming assault. Of course, the party wouldn't be complete without Kin. The bulky man breaks through the ceiling and attempts to hit you. A backflip keeps you safe, but it also ensures the destruction of your floor. It crumbles beneath your hands and everyone else's feet.

"Why me?" You holler, attempting to get back onto your feet.

Kin takes advantage of your weakened state and rushes you, slamming his fists into your stomach twice, grabbing your leg to lift you over him and hits you three more times, then twirls you in front of him with a final kick, sending you towards the wall. You break through the cement but recover before hitting the ground.

"Ow, ow, ow, ow- wait, Aura... right," you stand up straight and roll your shoulder. "Sheesh, that one caught me off guard. Good job."

Rogue, Kin, and Onyx leap out of the building and land on the other side of you, standing before the forest. Before you can rush at them again, Dylan lands in front of you. "Your two minutes are up... and you don't have your sword."

"Oh yeah, hehe... damn, I was having fun."

"Indeed," Dylan extends his hand towards the rubble. "But why are you messing around? You could've finished this already." Dylan flicks his hand towards you, throwing your sword with some water.

You catch the blade and quickly sheathe it. "But using my semblance makes it boring," you hunch over. "It's far more intense if I try to dodge it – or fail to. Makes it fun, you know?"

"You were always one to mess around too much. If you used your Semblance effectively you could have won through ring outs."

"Pfft, no," you wave your hand at him. "What does that prove?"

"It proves your strategy."

"It proves your strategy!" You repeat in a posh voice. "Indubitably, I consistently prove my intelligence through speech. Perhaps we could converse with the fabrications of mankind to-"

"You... are pathetic."

"No, no, no," you wave your finger at him. "I believe the proper term is, mhm, shut up," you end with a proud smile.

Dylan adjusts Zephyr Shale and sighs. "Whatever. Are we going to fight now?"

"Hehe, admit it, you're just as excited as I am!"

You both walk towards the three students, confident smiles on your faces.

"Indeed I am, Slater, indeed I am. Do you have a plan?"

"Of course. If you can find Dior in the forest then they'll lose their tactical advantage. He's been feeding them intel this whole time."

"You'll distract the others?"

"As many as I can."

"Then let's do this."

You both dash towards each other, Dylan hanging back a bit while you move in front of him. You burst off your back leg once more and clash with Kin's fist. You push him to the left, unsheathe your blade, and attack Rogue. She's pushed back by your assault, only saved by Onyx's arrow. You launch yourself off of Rogue to dodge the arrow then attack once again.

Because of your distraction, Dylan slips past the three fighters and enters the forest. Onyx notices him at the last second, but this distraction costs him.

"Eyes up!" You shout, appearing out of a shadow and kicking him down.

Before your feet even touched the ground you step before Kin, midair, and launch both heels into his head. You flip back then step above Rogue with your blade out, falling down and cutting her down. She slams against the ground, completely surprised by this attack.

"It seems (Y/N) has chosen to utilize his Semblance! A powerful one at that. The ability to move instantaneously is quite a game changer!"

"Very true, very true. Not only that, (Y/N) seems to move faster than I remember. What an astonishing student!"

"I don't think you wanna stroke my ego anymore, professors," you chuckle. "Now come on!"

Meanwhile, Dylan hears the professors speak highly of you as he jumps through the trees. "Hmph, whatever," he shakes his head. "I haven't even tried yet."

Dylan lands on the ground, slamming his hands into the grass. Small streams of water wriggle away from his hands, quickly covering ground. "I need to find Dior without looking through the whole forest. My water will work."

The moment the last word leaves Dylan's lips, three metal tentacles burst from the ground and attempt to beat on him like a drum. Once they reach a certain distance sudden spurts of water stop them dead in its tracks. The metallic arms continuously attempt to hit Dylan but his control over water makes him temporarily untouchable. During this time he feels one of his streams touch Dior's setup.

"Got you..."

Dylan stands up and fishes some yellow dust out of his back pocket. He places it in both gauntlets then slams his hands together. A whirlwind of water surrounding him. He slams his fists together to connect Zephyr Shale. The crystal glows with a light blue and faint yellow. It explodes with a beautiful flash of colour and wind, combined with the water he gathered around him. It breaks through trees, pushes grass and dirt out of the way with such power. Dior only recognizes the attack when it tears through the forest before him. It collides with his shield, putting a toll on his Aura.

The wind and water blows through the trees to such an extent that you and the other members of ORKD are pushed back.

"Jeez, Dylan, calm down a bit," you mumble.

Dylan feels the resistance from Dior's shield. "Curious... very well." Dylan disconnects Zephyr Shale and jumps through the blast. He charges Zephyr Shale and his own arm for the final punch. He throws his fist forward and clashes with Dior's shield. It slowly cracks under the pressure of air, water, lightning, and Dylan's punch. Dylan pushes his punch even more, firing the second gauntlet back to give him more momentum. His Aura finally gives out under Dylan's ferocious assault. His fist connects with Dior, sending the young man flying with the wind. He slams into the barrier, ensuring his defeat. A buzzer goes off, signifying his elimination from the match.

"And Dior Aurik has fallen from the stadium!" Port announces.

"What?" Rogue questions, looking up at the screen.

"Hehe, you gotta pay attention," you stretch your legs a bit. "I coulda hit you there. Now, come on, I thought you wanted me to use my Semblance too," you end with a smirk.

"Hm... Kin, come with me. We'll defeat his partner. Rogue, deal with Slater."

Both Onyx and Rogue look to Kin, worried how deep into the fight he's become. He's got a reputation for becoming too engrossed by the fight. It started happening during the battle with the Hydra and if it happened now...

"I... very well, Onyx!" Kin slightly twitches. "Save some for me, Rogue!" He requests before turning and sprinting into the forest.

Onyx follows, leaving you to deal with Rogue. You place your hands on your hips and cock your head to the side. "Why do I feel like this'll end weirdly? I mean, we've barely talked since seeing each other again and now we're fighting? Seems weird."

"Tsk, how can you be so calm? You abandoned us!" She dashes forward and attacks, completely missing her mark. "Abandoned me!" She slashes back and misses once more. "How can you laugh it off like it's nothing? How can they not care?" She furiously shouts, letting her arms move in all directions to hit you.

You keep backing up, dodging every attack she throws. They're unfocused and wild, making them predictable and easy to avoid. You bring her to the city, then jump onto a piece of rubble.

"Yeah, I guess I did. You have more of a reason to be mad than they do... and I guess I have avoided you most of this time," you chuckle, rubbing the back of your head. "And that's unfair to you. Guess my timing isn't great either, considering where we are..." You look around at the arena and cameras focusing on both battles unfolding in the stadium. "But, you know... I-" You jump off the rubble as Rogue's sai connects with it.

She flicks her wrist to retract the blade then follows you once more. She watches you run into a two-story building then slide around to face her. You want her to follow you. You want to both defeat and apologize to her. It's been on your mind for a while since meeting her and, when taking a bigger look at everything, it's something you have to do... even with a bunch of people watching.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Dylan takes a breath to reward himself for defeating one of ORKD's members. A feat you failed to achieve in the two minutes. It's clear to him you don't take these battles as seriously as he does. He'll use his entire arsenal at once to swiftly eliminate enemies while you mess around for fun. His ears pick up two sets of legs coming to his location, meaning you're taking on only one person. Considering how heavy they sound, it's likely the two men are coming for him. He looks towards the sound and readies himself. The sounds get louder and louder... then become only one set of feet. This one sound makes itself known when Kin runs through a tree like paper. His smile is wide and his heart is pounding for a great fight. Dylan readies himself, eyes quickly looking around the forest.

The second set of footsteps stopped. Onyx must be hiding in the trees. I'll keep an eye out.

Dylan blocks Kin's initial attack with the right half of Zephyr Shale. He slides back, hand faltering at the attack.

This attack... it's so heavy. I can't be hit by this.

"GO DYLAN! WASH'EM AWAY!"

The Faunus punches Kin's stomach, the air pressure pushing the large man back. Kin rolls his shoulders and rushes him again, throwing two hooks which Dylan ducks and leans back to avoid, then Dylan spins around, summoning a small tendril of water to trip Kin then kick him into a nearby tree. He throws his hand forward, wrapping the man with water like a rope. Kin struggles to break out of the water, but he manages to get to his feet. Dylan's hands shake a bit as he restrains the man, but he can easily throw him off the stag-

An arrow whips through the air and collides with Dylan's hands. This sudden attack breaks his concentration enough for Kin to break free. "I knew it!" Dylan sneers, turning and firing two shots of air towards that location.

To his surprise, he hears movement but fails to see it. Dylan can't focus on that though since Kin is ready to battle yet again.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Rogue's sais flash each time they're swung. The tight quarters would give her an advantage but your speed and reaction time make that advantage null. You're not even using your blade at this point, which aggravates Rogue even further.

"You know, I think we're both different people," you duck under her sai then tilt your head to avoid the other. "And I know I was wrong to leave you all... I left a lot of people behind... but you... maybe," you slide your fingers between the blade and its guards, holding Rogue back as she angrily looks at you. "Maybe if I was more mature then we would've worked out... but I wasn't and that's my fault," you casually speak as you hold back Rogue's full strength. "But I'm happy at Beacon now," you say with a smile. "I have a family, more friends, I've found out more... a lot more... look," you shake your head. "I just want to say that... I'm sorry. You didn't deserve what I did to you... and I understand why you're mad. I would be too. Even if you don't forgive me I want to say I'm sorry."

Rogue pulls back her sais and stares into your eyes, a certain pain emanating from her. "You..." She looks away, clenching her fists around her weapons. "I could never truly be angry at you... especially after you... damnit," she wipes a tear from her eye. "Why are you like this?" She shouts.

You shrug with a smile. "I ask myself that every day. I think a lot of people do too," you snicker. "But... I don't know, I just don't like things left unfinished. Heh, that's new for me too, I think. But I can tell you're fighting with hatred and anger. I want to fight you with a clear head – a true fight. So, what do you say? Friends?" You offer your hand, smiling.

"Hmph... I... fine," she looks away.

"Heh... that reminds me of old Rogue... which, come to think of it, reminds me of Weiss. Huh... actually..." Gears start to turn in your head. "Nah, probably a coincidence."

"Why not tell me this sooner? Why during a fight?"

"Hehe, I don't know," you shrug. "Cause I had nowhere to run this time? Maybe to throw you off with emotions rather than jokes? I don't really know, myself. It does feel like a weight off my chest, though. I actually gotta-" A sudden sound reaches your ear. You turn to look out the door and notice impending doom.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Kin's heavy punches push Dylan back foot after foot until he eventually reaches the edge of the stage. He looks back, seeing the grey floor which marks doom, then sharply turns his gaze on Kin. Between his constant assault and the annoying arrows from Onyx, Dylan hasn't had a moment to counter-attack. However, he's gathered the fact that Kin can only harden one of his limbs at a time. If he times it properly, he may be able to deal kill two birds with one stone. Dylan hears an arrow be shot while Kin rushes at him, a battle-consumed smile on his face, prepared for the final hit. Dylan dodges to the left and accurately reflects the arrow off of Zephyr Shale and into Kin's leg. Of course, his Aura protects him, but this does knock the man off balance. Dylan punches behind him to unleash wind and accelerate him behind his bulky opponent.

"It's over!" Dylan shouts, launching two, wide waves of air that pushes Kin off the edge.

Onyx instantly reacts, loading a special arrow and firing it at his teammate. When close enough, the arrow's head explodes into a net that catches Kin. The butt end of the arrow glows a dull steel colour – a similar colour to Onyx's left glove. It attracts the arrow and Kin back to the stage and above Dylan's current position. Kin's released, falling upon Dylan with a heavy smash the sends the Faunus hurling into the ground. He slams against the grass and dirt, bouncing once before firing both arms to fling himself away from Kin's follow-up attack. Dylan rolls across the ground for a few cycles until he pushes himself off the grass and skids to a halt.

"Clearly I can't hold back here..." Dylan slams his hands together before his face. "I'll wash you all away!"

Water spirals around Dylan once more as he concentrates on his attack. Water builds up extremely quickly above him, which Kin and Onyx can see. What they don't realize is that he's distracting them with that small amount. A far larger, far more dangerous collection is amassing on the edge of the arena. Before the two can formulate a plan, Dylan's attack is ready. He pulls both hands to his side, clenching his fists to direct and speed up the flow of water. A massive torrent crashes against the arena, knocking over trees and damaging a few cameras that were a little too close to the battlefield.

"What?" Onyx can only say this before the waves take him away, slamming him into trees both in the way and caught by the water.

Kin metalizes his arm and slams it into the arena, breaking it once again. The water passes by Dylan as if he's a vacuum of space – untouchable. He crosses his arms and closes his eyes. "I'm not called 'Son of the Waves' for nothing."

The water rushes across the arena, passing by the open area and hitting the broken city. You spot this, completely thrown off and in a slight panic. You leap high above the arena but not out of bounds, leaving poor Rogue to be washed up like Onyx. The water adopts the buildings into its current, leaving only two left standing.

"My, my! What a move from Dylan Brine! He's no slouch!" Port laughs.

"That attacks sure to leave a ripple in team ORKD!" Oobleck adds.

"No fair, I was gonna make that joke!" You shout whilst falling back to the watered arena.

The buzzer goes off as the water smashes against the stadium's barrier. Rogue and Onyx's pictures go grey, signaling a knockout. You land on the stage, splashing in some of the leftover puddles. Dylan casually walks out of what's left of the forest.

"I defeated three of them in less than two minutes. What did you do in that time?" He says with a coy smile.

"I had fun!" You cross your arms and look away.

"What a childish response."

"Hey, I was trying to apologize to Rogue! You ruined it!"

"You apologized during a fight?" He raises his brow.

"I don't know! When was I ever good with timing? Ask Weiss! I....." You stop and look around, remembering your audio is being broadcasted across Vale and beyond.

Weiss facepalms as her teammates giggle.

"You what, Slater?" He says with the same smile. "What exactly did you do with Weiss?"

"I respected her and always arrived to social events on time."

"Why do I not believe that? Even with the ability to teleport you're late."

"It's called Shadow Transmission, Dylan! You could at least call it by its proper name!"

"You don't call my Semblance by its proper name."

"Who's gonna call you, 'Wielder of H2O,' or whatever?" You throw your hands around.

"I'm almost surprised you know the term H2O," he snickers.

"You highly overestimate me."

"Underestimate."

"You highly underestimate me," you correct. "Shut up, I was caught up in the moment."

"And the world can see your idiocy," he gestures to the stands.

"I'm sure they can relate to being overwhelmed!"

"But not being an idiot," he remarks.

Dylan's confidence is quickly shattered when a metal punch connects with his jaw, sending him barreling into some leftover debris. You see Kin slide to a halt, his eyes quickly looking for his next target.

"Ha, who's the idiot now," you chuckle. Kin locks into you, his eyes barely resembling his casual self. "Oh... me."

Kin sprints towards you, arms out and smile wide as he attempts to grab hold of you. Instinctively, you attempt to jump over him but he's ahead of the game this time. He grabs your right food and slams you against the ground.

"Ah, head!" You moan.

He tightens his grip on your foot then begins to slam you on either side, denting the arena with each hit.

"Shoulder, knee, head, head, STOP IT WITH MY- OW!"

He spins you in a circle over his head then throws you at Dylan. The Faunus gets himself onto his feet and rubs his jaw. "What the hell hit-" Your body connects with his, forcing him back on the ground.

"Eeh... so this is what they were talking about," you moan as you push off Dylan.

"Why didn't you teleport out of the way?" Dylan scorns, pushing off the ground.

"I was dizzy, Dylan!"

"You flip all the time!"

"Voluntarily! It's different when someone else does it! You know, like, when-"

"I don't care about your metaphors. What's up with that guy?" Dylan stands up and starts firing pressurized air at Kin.

"It's... well, think of it as a... battle frenzy, I guess. Onyx told me about it. He gets really into fights which usually isn't a problem since he has partners to keep him in line. But with everyone knocked and us being his enemy... well, we'll have a tough time."

"Of course... Christ, he's even recovering Aura!"

"You can do that?"

"With a strong enough willpower, yes."

"Huh... news to me."

"MOVE!"

You and Dylan jump opposite directions as Kin's fist connects with your previous location. You both slide to a halt and charge him at the same time. Kin, even in his frenzied state, can tell you're going to double team him. Instead of waiting, Kin turns on his heel and charges Dylan.

"No!" You sprint even faster, watching as the two get closer and closer. "Dylan! His stomach!"

Putting trust in you, he readies for an abdominal attack. Before the two collide, you appear in a burst of shadow, spinning and driving your shin into Kin's face. Dylan slides in and shoves both hands into his chest, releasing air to carry the man high into the air. You step above him and kick him right back down to the ground.

"Dylan!" You step beside him. "Blood rain. We're gonna finish this in one shot."

"I... right. Give me a moment to prepare."

"No problem. I'm gonna wear him down a bit in preparation. Take your time!"

You sprint towards the recovering Kin, who's in the wastelands of the city. You hop over a few foundations of buildings as you sheath your blade. You burst off the last one and charge a punch, which Kin sees. He leans to the right to charge his own fist. The two clash, but his overpowers yours instantly. You topple back a few meters but manage to catch yourself rather quickly.

"Right, one more time!"

You repeat the process again, running towards your opponent as he laughs maniacally. You each charge up your punch and throw it, but this time you purposefully miss his fist and face, instead hooking your arm into his. With this brief moment, you slam your other fist into his ribs three times before he gets the chance to metalize that area. The moment you see steel, you cross your arm over the other two and hook him. He stumbles back but catches himself on his left leg. He smiles, charging his fist and throwing it again. You do the same, but this time you feel his fist graze across your cheek, missing, while your hits him square in the face... his metalized face.

"What? When did he learn to-" Kin grabs your face and slams you on the ground, shaking the entire platform. He grabs your throat and holds you in the air, slowly strangling you as you struggle to break free.

"Slater!" Dylan shouts.

"Come on, (Y/N)! YOU CAN DO IT!" Ruby screams from the sidelines.

You can feel your breath running low. You might not die, but you'll fall unconscious at this rate. You need to find a way out of his grip, but it's far too much for even your strength. You look to one of the two standing buildings and step both you and Kin overtop of it, with you on top and Kin falling into it. He quickly recognizes the change in scenery and the punch to the face you deliver. He lets go of your neck and drives his fist into your stomach then grabs your arm to pull you in for another attack. You twist and turn in the air, giving each other a variety of punches and kicks.

The rest of ORKD watches from the sidelines, unable to do anything as their friend succumbs to his violence.

"We have to do something."

"We c-c-can't."

"We can talk to him or-"

"Rogue, calm down," Onyx cuts it. "Everything will be fine. Just watch the fight."

"But-"

"Watch the fight."

Kin gets the upper hand, grabbing your throat once more and slamming you into the rooftop of the building. You both break through each floor, having the previous one crumble on itself until the whole building is piled on top of you. Dylan looks up to the Aura gauge. Kin's is slowly increasing from 63% while yours has dropped to 32%.

Your body is thrown out from the rubble and into one of the few standing walls. You break through it and slide across the ground. Your breathing is heavy but you manage to get back to your feet in no time, a wide smile on your face.

"Kin... you're one hell of a guy... but so am I."

You grab the hilt of your blade and wait... and wait... just for the moment when Kin burst out from the rubble towards you. In a flash you slash his face, disorienting him, then grab his body and toss him into the final standing building, following up with seven sonic waves that bury him even deeper. The shock from his entry and your attacks collapse this building as well, leaving barely anything taller than a human standing. Instead of bursting out he throws everything off of him with an ear-piercing scream. He stands still for just a moment, taking a breath from all the fighting. You place your left hand on the pommel and smile. "Alright, Kin, I'll get a little more serious. Get ready, Dylan... this will finish it!"

You grip the hilt and throw the blade towards Kin at a breakneck speed. You wait for it to get closer before disappearing into shadow and appearing behind your opponent. You slam your knee right in the back of his skull, forcing him forward and closer to the incoming sword. You step in front of him, hand already in position to grab the sword. You unleash a flurry of blows that the majority of the crowd can't even see. Flashes of black, a blur of arms, and Kin's reaction makes it clear you're attacking.

You jump over him, still unleashing your slashes until you land behind him, then dash through Kin, step to his left and dash through, and repeat and repeat and repeat from every direction. The area fills with shadow as you completely overwhelm Kin and surprise everyone who knows you. They knew you could teleport, but the speed, accuracy, and power you're using are beyond what they know. Even teachers like Port, Oobleck, Glynda, and Ozpin are pleasantly surprised at your performance.

"You were... holding back this whole time? Tsk, show off," Dylan says under his breath.

Kin's body is pushed back through the broken city by your attacks, then he's suddenly teleported above the stage. You stop for a moment, casually holding your sword as you stare Kin in the eyes. He tries to throw a punch but the moment his arm moves you've attacked and disappeared once again. Your assault begins again, but this time only for a few moments. You appear above him and lodge your fist into his cheek. The boy hurls down to the arena where you're patiently waiting. As his eyes meet with yours you unleash another powerful, near invisible slash. Kin's unwillingly sent in a completely different direction, which you jump to follow. You step above him, grab his face, and force it into the ground. His skin grinds along the metal of the stadium until he adopts a similar composition, but by that time you step in front of him and kick him straight back into the air only to appear over him and cut him back down. Kin bounces off the floor, hovering for a moment as you circle him, attacking with every step you make.

The crowd quickly notices that the blur they're seeing has changed to red. In a short time, you've added blood to your sword, amplifying its attack potency to new heights. Kin's body isn't even close to you anymore. It's a foot away and few inches above you while your body is practically motionless.

"Dylan, now!" You shout, slashing horizontally to send the boy into the air.

Dylan throws his hands towards the airborne opponent, sending a wave of water to surrounding and suspend him mid-air. He moves his right hand to you, grabbing you in another set of water to finish the plan. He accelerates the water pressure to form a makeshift cannon that fires you at the helpless Kin. You slam your blade into the sheath and watch as you approach your enemy. With your eyes closed, you think...

Wait... wait... NOW!

Your eyes open the same moment you slash through the water. The blood on your sword mixes with it, making it impossible to see Kin in the small circle of water. You slowly sheath your blade and exhale.

"... it's over."

The ball explodes, raining blood over the entire fighting stage. You land on the ground just before Kin crashes. The buzzer rings to signal his Aura being below necessary levels.

"And there we have it! The first match of the Vytal Festival tournament goes to (Y/N) Slater and Dylan Brine of Beacon Academy!" Port announces.

The crowd goes wild, students and civilians of all parts cheer for the fantastic bout. You, however, are more concerned about your friend. Blood stops flowing from your hand and your persona returns to a chipper one. You run over to your friend, sliding to your knee as you approach him.

"Kin, are you okay?

Kin rubs his head as he lifts his chest off the ground. "Oh... I did it again, didn't I?" He looks to you with a bit of sorrow in his eyes. "I'm sorry, (Y/N)."

"Psh, don't worry about it. You were amazing!" You pat his shoulder. "Got me a few times, let me tell you."

Kin smiles at your demeanor and joins you. "Indeed! Twas a fight for the ages!" He stands up and looks to the crowd. "Thank you for hosting me, all of you! This was the greatest fight of my life! You," he looks to you once more. "Are amazing."

"Ah, nah, I'm just pretty good," you end with a snicker, looking up at the man. "To be honest, if I didn't have my Semblance or my... special training, I woulda lost. Seriously, you've been stronger than me this whole time and refused to tell me. I feel insulted."

"Sounds like we need to go another round!" He smiles, raising his hands.

You do the same, both with your hands and your mouth. "Sounds like it!"

"Perhaps later," Dylan intrudes. "Other matches will be taking place... eventually. I assume they'll have to fix our mess," he looks around at the broken cameras and torn up floor.

"The signs of a good fight, my good man!" Kin pats Dylan's back. "You were a formidable opponent! I see why (Y/N) likes you."

"You were too, Kin. It was a pleasure to fight you and your team," Dylan nods.

"YOU DID IT!" Ruby screams as she runs towards you.

"How did she get here?"

"You think anything could keep her from getting to you," Dylan whispers.

"Good point."

You open your arms for Ruby to leap into. You spin around once before setting her down. "I did indeed. Wasn't easy, though."

You look over at Rogue, Onyx, and Dior who're walking towards you. Rogue squints at the sight of you and Ruby... but eventually gives-in to a smile. She turns her attention to Kin.

"You dummy! You let yourself get too into the fight again," she scolds.

"With opponents like these, how could I not!" He cheers. "You're smiling too, Rogue!"

She leans against his chest and sighs. "You had me worried..."

Kin wraps his hand around her. "I thank you for the concern, Rogue."

"(Y/N), that was an excellent battle. You've improved immensely," Onyx offers his hand.

"You too, Onyx. But Dylan's right, we should get off the stage. I bet Glynda's gonna fix it and I'm sure she'll find some reason to hit me with that demonic stick of hers."

"It's a riding crop," Dylan corrects.

"It's an instrument of terror, that's what it is!"

Many people watch as your little group bickers. Most talk about the quality of the fight but some say nothing, some formulate their own opinions from their past experience with you. Past teacher smile at your progress, two specific ones being at a bar and in an airship. Both intend on coming to Beacon and both have very different things to say.

Okay, first off, this fight blew RWBY vs. ABRN. That was one of my main goals since that fight was... pretty poo. I actually really like this fight. Like... REALLY like this fight. I had a ton of fun writing and choreographing it. Plus, seeing ORKD fight was fun. Kin's battle frenzy was hinted at during the Hydra battle but I doubt anyone expected it to run that deep. Makes you wonder how he'll deal in a possible future situation?

Anyway, I have a couple things to say this time around. First, Volume 3 may not be as long as you guys think. I'd be surprised if it was 12 chapters. I'm not rewriting fights that don't change and since the majority of Volume 3 is tournament fights... I mean, nobody wants me to rewrite that. Just watch the show. So, you guys can either see it as good or bad. I see it as good because I get to the Volume 3 finale, 3.5, and Volume 4 a lot faster. I don't have it all planned out yet but, honestly, 10 chapters is being generous.

Also, OC contest! Yes, today is the day I announce the OCs that made it! First off, thank you everyone who submitted. Obviously, I can't choose all of them so... sorry if yours didn't make it. Anyway, the winners are... Logan Whitelatch, Mackenzie Allen, and Kdoggy007! I want to give a few shout outs to Thomas Cowart, Lycan, Rainspecial, Aren Lore, SSJC J, Company Inc, Energy Dragon Slayer, Boredguy999 and Rain106! These were probably the ones I looked over the most. I enjoyed all the OCs! Just because yours isn't there doesn't mean I didn't like them. I'd have a LOT of names if I listed off everyone. I do feel bad that I can't include everyone. There are so many good OCs with colourful designs and interesting backstories, but I did say only three were allowed and I have to keep with that. Again, thank you to everyone who submitted an OC. At least you're still in the story, right! Also, to the winners, I did have to make changes to your OC. Don't take that personally. Every OC I was given needed changes in one way or another. Some of it was names, actually. I have a specific team name in mind so I have to kinda alter it for that. If you want some info on what was changed then I'll try to tell you unless it's a bit of a spoiler. Actually, if you want to give me a specific name that goes with the team then feel free to message me about that. If not I'll assume you're fine with whatever name is given. When they appear, I will make sure to point out who they were and their original names. I just don't want to make it too obvious at the moment. A little surprise for the other readers, you know?

Lastly, there have been changes to my Pa treo n! Yeah, that thing. I barely talk about it so at least let me tell you what's different. For starters, it's now a per month payment which means it's more stable. Plus, I added some new rewards! Since this is the only one I think people will want, I actually have a Discord server which I'm very active in. It's the $1 reward so... I mean, it's not that much. It helps me out a little and I get to talk to all you lovely readers. Again, Pa treo n is never mandatory but it helps and I thought adding this very simple and low-cost reward would kill two birds with one stone. It's there if you're interested. (Yes, I know the website is spaced out oddly but that's because Fanfiction literally deletes the word if I leave it as is. It's finicky like that.)

Anyhow, I'll see you all next time! Let's get that Volume 3 hype going!

Want to keep up with me? Know what chapter's coming out next and the progress of them? Follow me on Twitter! Twitter . com (slash) Chinsangan

I recently revamped my Patreon to include a few more rewards with a steadier donation price. Things like one-shots, short stories, and full stories are a thing now! Plus there's a Discord reward for a dollar, so that's sort of neat. You can check it out yourself if you're interested. It's completely optional, of course! Pat reon . com (slash) Chinsangan

Questions? Comments? Concerns? Advice? Send me a message! See ya!

A special thank you to Patreon supporters: Manuel Garcia, James Tubbs, and Sassylemons

Extra special thanks to Ride The Lightning!