My Point of View

I yawned as I stepped into the kitchenette, the early morning silence wrapping around Beacon like a blanket. The sun hadn't even begun to rise yet, leaving the windows dark and the hallways outside quiet.

Making my way over to the coffee maker, I grabbed a mug and filled it to the brim with the blessed lifeblood that kept sleep deprived students functioning.

The rich aroma of fresh coffee filled the room.

"Morning, Alex."

I glanced over my shoulder as Yang shuffled into the kitchenette, suppressing a yawn. Despite looking half asleep, she was already dressed in workout clothes, her golden hair tied back into a ponytail.

I responded with a grunt and grabbed a second mug, sliding it across the counter toward her.

Without missing a beat, she caught it.

"Thanks."

"Mm."

It was five in the morning.

Most of Beacon was still asleep.

The only people likely awake right now were teachers, staff, a handful of upperclassmen, and a few poor souls who'd either stayed up all night studying or had insomnia.

Yang was one of the exceptions.

She usually got up around this time to exercise before classes started. Running, weight training, sparring, whatever caught her interest that morning.

Me?

I was awake because my body had long since forgotten what a normal sleep schedule looked like.

Years of bad habits, stress, and an inability to stay asleep had seen to that.

Most nights I passed out around two or three in the morning.

Then I'd wake up a few hours later and simply... stay awake.

I'd tried fighting it before.

Didn't work.

So nowadays I just accepted it.

Yang took a sip of her coffee and sighed happily.

"Man, I don't think I'll ever understand how you're always up before me."

I raised an eyebrow.

"Pretty sure severe sleep deprivation isn't something to be jealous of."

"Fair point."

She took another drink.

"Still, free coffee is a pretty good trade-off."

I snorted into my mug.

The two of us stood there in comfortable silence, watching the dark world outside the windows while the coffee slowly worked its magic.

For a few precious minutes, Beacon was quiet.

No Nora.

No Ruby.

No Weiss.

No Jaune.

No Andy.

Just two exhausted students enjoying the rare peace that came with being awake before everyone else.

"Want to join me on my morning workout?" Yang asked, taking another sip of coffee.

I glanced over at her.

"You asking me out on a date?"

The words came out accompanied by a yawn, my sleep deprived brain apparently deciding filters were optional this early in the morning.

Yang rolled her eyes and lightly punched my shoulder.

"Relax, Romeo." She said with a grin. "You're cute and all, but I still don't know you that well."

I snorted into my coffee.

"Fair enough."

"Besides..." Yang continued. "If I was asking you on a date, I'd be way smoother than that."

"That confidence is either admirable or concerning."

"It's both."

I shook my head.

For a moment, silence settled between us.

Then a mischievous grin crept across my face.

"Oh? Is that why you've been eyeing Blake?"

The effect was immediate.

Yang nearly choked on her coffee.

A faint blush appeared on her cheeks.

"I have no idea what you're talking about."

"Sure you don't."

"I don't."

"Mhmm."

Yang pointed a finger at me.

"Don't start."

"Start what?"

"That."

"That isn't an answer."

Yang groaned.

"You're impossible."

I took a sip of coffee.

"I've been told that before."

"Frequently?"

"More than you'd think."

Yang shook her head, though I could see the smile she was trying, and failing, to hide.

"Just admit you're deflecting because you don't want to exercise."

"That's only partially true."

"Oh?"

"The exercise part sounds fine."

Yang raised an eyebrow.

"Then what's the problem?"

I held up my coffee mug.

"I just got comfortable."

For a second she stared at me.

Then she laughed.

"Alright, that's actually a fair excuse."

"Thought so."

"Finish your coffee."

I narrowed my eyes suspiciously.

"Why?"

"Because once you're done, you're coming with me."

I sighed dramatically.

"See? This is why people think you're scary."

"Good."

"Pretty sure that wasn't the intended response."

"Too bad."

I sighed and took another drink from my mug.

Yang did the same.

For a few moments, neither of us spoke.

The silence wasn't awkward.

Just comfortable.

The kind that came from two people who were awake far earlier than any sane person should be.

Eventually, Yang finished her coffee and set the mug in the sink.

"Alright. Let's go."

I looked down at my half full cup.

Then at Yang.

Then back at my cup.

"Counterpoint."

"No."

"You don't even know what I was going to say."

"You were going to suggest staying here and drinking coffee."

I pointed at her.

"See? You already know it's a good idea."

Yang laughed.

"Move it, cowboy."

I grumbled something under my breath and drained the rest of my coffee.

A few minutes later we were outside.

The morning air was cool against my skin.

Beacon's grounds were quiet, the only sounds being the distant chirping of birds and the occasional rustle of leaves.

The eastern horizon was beginning to brighten, faint traces of orange appearing beyond the mountains.

Most students were still asleep.

Honestly, I envied them.

Yang stretched her arms over her head.

"So."

"So?"

"What kind of exercise do you normally do?"

"Hunting."

Yang stared at me.

"Hunting isn't exercise."

"Tell that to the cliff you have to climb."

"Fair point."

I shoved my hands into my pockets as we started down one of the academy's paths.

"Back home I walked a lot. Hiked. Chopped wood. Hauled feed bags. Stuff like that."

Yang blinked.

"You chopped wood?"

"Yeah."

"Why?"

"Because wood doesn't chop themselves."

Yang groaned.

"I walked right into that one."

"You really did."

She bumped her shoulder against mine.

"You know what I meant."

"Yeah, yeah."

We continued walking.

Eventually we reached one of Beacon's training fields.

Several upperclassmen were already there.

A few were running laps.

Others were stretching or sparring.

Yang immediately headed toward a set of pull-up bars.

"Alright."

I immediately became suspicious.

"Why'd you say that like that?"

"Like what?"

"Like you're planning something."

Yang's grin widened.

"I have no idea what you're talking about."

"That's a lie."

"It might be."

I sighed.

"Yang."

"Alex."

"Yang."

"Alex."

I pointed at her.

She pointed back.

For several seconds neither of us moved.

Then she broke first.

"You know, for someone who's supposedly sleep deprived all the time, you're surprisingly alert."

"Years of experience."

Yang rolled her eyes.

Then her grin returned.

"Oh! Before I forget."

"That's never a good start."

"How many pull-ups can you do?"

I narrowed my eyes.

"There it is."

"There what is?"

"The competition."

Yang looked offended.

"I would never."

"Yang."

"Okay, maybe a little."

"A little?"

"Maybe a lot."

I sighed.

She laughed.

The sound echoed across the quiet training field.

"Come on, cowboy." Yang said, hopping up onto the bar. "Let's see what you've got."

I looked at the pull-up bar.

Then at Yang.

Then at the slowly rising sun.

Sighing, I reached up and grabbed the pull-up bar.

"Let's get this over with." I grumbled.

Yang rolled her eyes.

"Don't sound so depressed."

"I'm not depressed." I shot back. "I just suck at pull-ups."

That got a laugh out of her.

"Hold on." She said. "You're telling me you can jog for miles, box, do push-ups, haul feed bags around a farm, chop wood, hunt through the woods for hours, and somehow pull-ups are where your body draws the line?"

I shrugged.

"Laziness does weird things."

"That doesn't make any sense."

"Neither do I."

Yang snorted.

"Fair."

I adjusted my grip on the bar.

"Besides, I can do some of the weird stuff."

"Oh?"

"I can hold my chin above the bar for about three minutes."

Yang blinked.

"What?"

"Yeah."

"Three minutes?"

"Last time I checked."

"That's insane, but also very little time."

"Maybe."

I shrugged again.

"Actually doing pull-ups, though? Different story."

Yang stared at me for a moment.

"Alex, that makes absolutely zero sense."

"Welcome to my life."

She shook her head.

"How many can you do?"

"Won't get past twenty."

Yang nearly laughed.

"'Won't get past twenty,' he says."

"What?"

"Most people would kill to do twenty."

I paused.

"Huh."

"You seriously didn't know that?"

"Nope."

Yang looked genuinely concerned.

"How?"

"Never really paid attention."

She groaned.

"Sometimes I forget how weird you are."

"Only sometimes?"

"Good point. All the time."

I grinned.

"That's better."

Yang stepped back from the bar and crossed her arms.

"Well?"

"Well what?"

"Get pulling, cowboy."

I sighed dramatically.

"See, this is why I preferred the coffee."

"Less talking. More pull-ups."

"Yes, ma'am."

The grin Yang gave me told me she'd never let me live that one down.

"Oh, don't start that."

"Start what, ma'am?"

Her eye twitched.

"Alex."

"Yang."

"Pull-ups."

"Yes, ma'am."

Yang pointed threateningly.

I laughed and finally started.

One.

Two.

Three.

Four.

The motion felt awkward at first.

Not difficult.

Just unfamiliar.

It had been years since I'd used a pull-up bar for anything besides hanging from it.

Five.

Six.

Seven.

The rhythm came back quickly enough.

Eight.

Nine.

Ten.

Yang watched with her arms crossed.

"Those don't look very hard for someone who sucks at pull-ups."

"That's because the suffering comes later."

"Convenient excuse."

"Tried and tested."

Twelve.

Thirteen.

Fourteen.

My arms began to burn.

There it was.

The old familiar feeling.

Fifteen.

Sixteen.

Seventeen.

I could hear Yang counting along now.

Eighteen.

Nineteen.

Twenty.

I paused at the bottom.

"See?"

Yang blinked.

"See what?"

"I told you twenty."

Then I pulled myself up again.

Twenty one.

Yang stared.

"That's twenty one."

"Great, observation skills."

Twenty two.

Twenty three.

My shoulders were definitely feeling it now.

Twenty four.

Twenty five.

"Still going." Yang commented.

"Unfortunately."

Twenty six.

Twenty seven.

Twenty eight.

I finally dropped from the bar and landed on my feet.

"Ow."

Yang just stared.

"Ow?"

"Ow."

"You did twenty eight."

"And now my arms hurt."

She looked genuinely offended.

"That's not how this works."

"Pretty sure that's exactly how it works."

I stretched my shoulders.

Several pops echoed from my joints.

Yang visibly winced.

"Should your body make that noise?"

"Probably not."

"That's concerning."

"Story of my life."

Yang shook her head.

Then stepped forward.

"My turn."

I immediately moved aside.

"Be my guest."

She hopped onto the bar and began her own set.

One.

Two.

Three.

The difference was obvious.

Where I'd relied mostly on raw strength and stubbornness, Yang moved with practiced efficiency.

She'd clearly done this before.

Frequently.

Ten.

Fifteen.

Twenty.

She didn't even look tired.

Twenty five.

Thirty.

Thirty five.

I whistled.

"Show off."

"Jealous?"

"A little."

Forty.

Forty one.

Forty two.

Yang finally released the bar and landed smoothly.

Unlike me, she didn't immediately complain about her arms.

I found that mildly unfair.

"Forty two." I said.

"Forty two."

"Show off."

"Jealous."

"Still a little."

Yang laughed.

The sound carried across the training field.

"Come on."

"Where to?"

"Run."

I stared at her.

"No."

"Yes."

"No."

"Yes."

"No."

Yang pointed toward the track.

"Yes."

I sighed.

The coffee had betrayed me.

There was no other explanation.

Ten minutes ago I had been peacefully drinking coffee in a warm kitchenette.

Now I was being bullied into cardio by a blonde dragon.

Life was cruel.

"Move it, cowboy."

I muttered something under my breath and started jogging.

Yang immediately fell into step beside me.

The worst part?

She looked entirely too happy about this.

Despite all my complaining, long distance jogging wasn't exactly new to me.

Back in high school, my coach had a habit of marching us out to the football field and making us do laps around the track that circled it.

Sometimes we'd walk.

Most of the time we'd jog.

And somehow, without fail, I'd end up getting dragged into competitions with the football players, basketball players, track runners, and anyone else feeling competitive that day.

Who was the fastest.

Who could do the most laps.

Who would quit first.

Teenagers had a strange ability to turn literally anything into a contest.

Sure, I'd gotten a lot more laid-back over the last few years after transferring to alternative school, but that kind of conditioning didn't just disappear overnight.

The body remembered.

"You doing alright there, cowboy?" Yang asked as she jogged beside me.

"Why do you keep calling me that?" I asked. "Andy's the one with the cowboy loadout."

Yang shrugged.

"You seem more like a cowboy than Andy."

I looked over at her.

"Ah yes. Because when people think of cowboys, the first thing that comes to mind is a guy carrying an LMG, a fifty caliber revolver, a sword, and a pistol."

Yang snorted.

"Okay, fair."

"Glad we're in agreement."

"That's not what I meant."

"Then what did you mean?"

She thought about it for a moment.

"The way you carry yourself, I guess."

I raised an eyebrow.

"The way I carry myself?"

"Yeah."

Yang gestured vaguely.

"You've got that whole independent thing going on. You hunt. You cook. You fix your own gear. You spend half your time outdoors. You're stubborn as hell. You wear boots more than anyone I've ever met."

"Those are just practical."

"Cowboys say that too."

I opened my mouth to argue.

Then stopped.

Because, annoyingly enough, she had a point.

"I suppose that makes sense." I admitted.

Yang grinned triumphantly.

"Ha!"

"Don't get used to it."

"Too late."

I shook my head.

Truth be told, I was a country boy.

I grew up around farms, dirt roads, old trucks, and enough open land to disappear into for an entire day.

I hunted.

I fished.

I knew how to drive a tractor before I was legally allowed to drive a car.

So maybe Yang wasn't entirely wrong.

I just wasn't about to tell her that.

The blonde would never let me hear the end of it.

"Besides..." Yang continued. "...you even talk like one."

I groaned.

"Not you too."

"Oh, absolutely me too."

"Traitor."

"Cowboy."

"Dragon."

Yang laughed.

"See? That's exactly what I'm talking about."

I sighed dramatically.

The worst part was that I was starting to understand her logic.

The second worst part was that she knew it.

Yang's grin only widened.

"See? I won."

"You didn't win."

"I absolutely won."

"You made an observation."

"A correct observation."

"Still doesn't count."

Yang laughed and picked up the pace slightly.

I matched it without thinking.

The academy grounds slowly passed by as we ran.

The sun was finally beginning to peek over the horizon, painting the sky in shades of orange and gold.

For a few moments, neither of us spoke.

The steady rhythm of our footsteps filled the silence.

Then Yang glanced over.

"You know, you're faster than I thought you'd be."

"Gee, thanks."

"I mean it."

"So do I."

She rolled her eyes.

"Can you go five minutes without being a smartass?"

"No."

"Honest at least."

"Always."

Yang shook her head.

"That's debatable."

"Fair."

We rounded a corner of the track.

A few upperclassmen were running laps as well.

Most paid us no attention.

One guy actually sped up when he saw Yang.

I immediately noticed the competitive glint appear in her eyes.

Uh oh.

"Don't."

"Don't what?"

"You know exactly what."

Yang looked over at the runner.

Then back at me.

Then at the runner again.

The grin returned.

"Oh no."

"Oh yes."

Before I could say another word, Yang accelerated.

The poor upperclassman looked over just in time to realize he'd accidentally challenged the wrong person.

Within seconds she passed him.

Then kept going.

The guy stared after her in disbelief.

I couldn't help but laugh.

"Show off."

"Jealous?"

She somehow managed to say that while jogging.

"Still a little."

Yang nodded.

"Good."

A minute later she dropped back beside me.

"Feel better?"

"Yes."

"At least you're honest."

"Always."

We continued jogging.

One lap turned into two.

Two turned into three.

Soon enough we were simply running and talking.

Oddly enough, it was nice.

No missions.

No classes.

No teammates causing chaos.

Just a quiet morning run.

"So..." Yang said after a while. "What'd you want to do before all this?"

"All this?"

"Huntsman stuff."

I thought about it.

"Honestly?"

"Honestly."

"Probably travel."

Yang blinked.

"Travel?"

"Yeah."

"That doesn't sound like a job."

"Didn't say it was."

Yang laughed.

"Fair."

I shrugged.

"I always liked exploring. Seeing new places. Meeting new people. Learning things."

"You sound like an adventurer."

"Maybe."

"You say that like you're not sure."

"I like adventures." I admitted. "I just prefer knowing where I'm sleeping that night."

Yang barked out a laugh.

"Okay, that's fair."

"So is not getting eaten."

"Also fair."

We jogged in silence for another few moments.

Then Yang smiled.

"You know, that's probably the most normal thing I've ever heard you say."

I pointed at her.

"There it is."

"There what is?"

"You keep acting like I'm weird."

"You are weird."

"Rude."

"Accurate."

"Rude."

Yang laughed again.

The sound echoed across the training field.

As annoying as she could be sometimes, mornings like this made it easy to understand why people liked being around her.

She was loud.

Competitive.

Stubborn.

A menace before sunrise.

But she had a way of dragging people into conversations before they realized it.

Unfortunately for me, that meant she immediately asked another question.

"So what's the story with the sword?"

I groaned.

And Yang's grin somehow got even bigger.

"It's a bayonet sword." I told her. "If I take the suppressor off my M1918A1, I can mount it to the rifle. Besides, it feels comfortable in my hand, has a good balance to it, and it's long enough that I'm comfortable using it."

"Not a fan of larger swords?" Yang asked.

"Oh, I like large swords." I said. "Actually prefer them over short swords. The extra reach is nice."

"Then why not use one?"

I shrugged.

"Because I'm more of a gun guy than a swordsman. Doesn't mean I don't know how to use a sword, though."

Yang snorted.

"Yeah. I remember."

I grinned.

The memory was still fresh.

One of the combat classes had turned into a two versus two match.

Francine and I had been paired together.

Pyrrha and Jaune had drawn the short straw and ended up on the opposing team.

Things had gone well at first.

Then Francine got knocked out of the ring.

Which left me alone against Jaune and Pyrrha.

Not exactly ideal odds.

"Poor Jaune." Yang muttered.

"Poor Jaune nothing."

"Alex."

"What?"

"You punched him in the family jewels."

"Because it worked."

Yang covered her face.

"That's not a defense."

"It absolutely is."

The fight replayed in my mind.

Jaune had come at me first, trying to pin me down while Pyrrha pressured me from the side.

Smart plan.

Unfortunately for him, he was still inexperienced.

I knocked his blade aside, stepped inside his guard, and drove a fist into a very unfortunate location.

Yang winced.

"See? Even now that hurts."

"Fight smarter, not harder."

"That wasn't smart."

"It ended the fight, didn't it?"

"It ended his future bloodline."

I laughed.

"Anyways, after that I borrowed his shield."

"Borrowed?"

"Temporarily acquired."

"You stole it."

"Semantics."

Yang shook her head.

I continued.

"After that it was just me and Pyrrha."

Now that part had actually been difficult.

Pyrrha was one of the best fighters in Beacon.

Fast.

Technical.

Disciplined.

Every movement had purpose behind it.

Most people would have tried to beat her at her own game.

That sounded like a terrible idea.

So I didn't.

"I remember her looking confused for most of the fight." Yang said.

"Good."

"You actually did that on purpose?"

"Of course."

The easiest way to beat someone wasn't always to be better than them.

Sometimes it was to make them fight a battle they weren't used to fighting.

Pyrrha had spent years learning how Huntsmen fought.

Footwork.

Forms.

Technique.

What she wasn't prepared for was me using a shield like I was trying to win a bar fight.

Yang burst out laughing.

"That's probably the most accurate description you've ever given."

"Thank you."

"You're not supposed to take that as a compliment."

"Too late."

I grinned.

"Eventually I got tired of trying to get through her guard."

Yang already knew where this was going.

"Oh no."

"Oh yes."

"So I hit her with the shield."

"You uppercut her with the shield."

"Technically correct."

"She looked so confused."

I nodded.

"Apparently nobody had ever done that before."

"Because nobody sane thinks of using a shield as an uppercut."

"Sounds like a skill issue."

Yang laughed so hard she nearly lost her pace.

"Pyrrha spent years mastering combat."

"Yep."

"And your answer was to punch her with a shield."

"Yep."

"That's so stupid."

"Yet it worked."

Yang pointed accusingly at me.

"I hate that you're right."

"Most people do."

"Honestly, that's probably why you're so difficult to fight."

I raised an eyebrow.

"Oh?"

"Everyone else fights like Huntsmen."

"And I don't."

"You fight like someone who's trying to win."

I thought about that for a moment.

Then shrugged.

"Seems like a good strategy to me."

"What was it that you said to her when you kicked her out of bounds?" Yang asked as we continued jogging around the track.

I groaned.

Of course she was going to bring that up.

"I said, 'This is Sparta,' then kicked her out of bounds."

Yang stared at me for a moment.

Then burst out laughing.

"You actually said that?"

"I did."

"You are such a dork."

"Correct."

Yang shook her head, still laughing.

"No wonder she looked annoyed after the match."

"That wasn't why she was annoyed."

"Oh?"

I nodded.

"Sparta is one of the ancient city states of Mistral. Its ruins are located near where Argus stands today."

Yang blinked.

"Oh."

"Yeah."

The grin slowly spread across her face.

"Oh."

"Now you get it."

"You basically quoted a famous historical battle and then immediately kicked her out of the ring."

"Correct."

Yang laughed again.

"That is simultaneously hilarious and incredibly rude."

"I prefer culturally accurate."

"Of course you do."

We continued jogging for a few moments before Yang spoke again.

"She's the only person who understands you when you start speaking Ancient Mistralian, isn't she?"

"Latin." I corrected automatically. "But yes."

Yang rolled her eyes.

"You know what I meant." She said, used to me saying a different name for the other languages.

"Details matter."

"History nerd."

"Proudly."

Yang sighed dramatically.

"Fine. Latin."

I nodded approvingly.

"Much better."

"So Pyrrha understands it?"

"More or less."

"And Andy?"

"A little."

"How little?"

"Enough to recognize a few words and phrases. Not enough to hold a conversation."

Yang looked over at me.

"And you?"

I shrugged.

"Intermediate, maybe."

"Maybe?"

"Language learning is weird."

Yang snorted.

"That's not an answer."

"It is if you've ever tried learning a second language."

She gave me a look.

I continued anyway.

"I can read a decent amount. Hold a basic conversation. Understand most of what Pyrrha says."

"Most?"

"Ancient Mistralian has different dialects, regional variations, old vocabulary, cultural references..."

Yang immediately held up a hand.

"Nope."

"What?"

"I can physically feel the history lesson coming."

I looked offended.

"I wasn't going to give a history lesson."

"Alex."

"Okay, maybe a small one."

Yang groaned.

"Called it."

I couldn't help but grin.

"Look on the bright side."

"There is no bright side."

"You're getting a free education."

Yang pointed at me.

"That's exactly the kind of thing a history nerd would say."

"Again, correct."

The fact that I wasn't denying it only made her laugh harder.

"Nǐ shì gè báichī." Yang said after she finally stopped laughing.

I raised an eyebrow.

My Mandarin was terrible.

Actually, terrible was probably being generous.

I knew a handful of words and phrases, about as much as I knew Greek, Italian, or Spanish. Less than French.

Russian, German, Japanese, and Latin were the languages I was most comfortable with.

Scottish Gaelic and Irish were floating around somewhere in my head too, though not well enough to hold many proper conversation's.

Most of it came from a mixture of reading, video games, documentaries, and falling down random internet rabbit holes at three in the morning.

Korean was another one I knew bits and pieces of, though nowhere near enough to hold a conversation.

Truthfully, I never really understood the obsession people had with K-Pop.

Nothing against the language itself.

The music just wasn't my thing.

I mean, who hears a lyric like "Smooth like butter, like a criminal undercover" and thinks, Yeah, that's the one?

To each their own, I suppose.

"You called me an idiot." I replied.

Yang nearly missed a step.

"Wait. You understood me?"

"Just a little."

"Seriously?"

I nodded.

"I don't know much Mandarin. Just enough to recognize a few words, know what your name and Ren's name mean, and avoid accidentally insulting somebody."

"That's oddly specific."

"Experience."

Yang laughed.

"I have questions."

"And you're not getting answers."

"Rude."

"You started it."

Yang rolled her eyes.

"Anyways, it's not Mandarin."

"What?"

"The language."

She pointed at herself.

"The version I know comes from a village in Anima. Mountain village. Shanhua."

I blinked.

"Shanhua?"

"Yep."

"Never heard of it."

"Most people haven't."

Yang folded her arms behind her head as we continued jogging.

"It's one of those places that looks tiny on a map but everyone from there acts like it's the center of the world."

"Sounds familiar."

Yang looked over.

"Your hometown?"

"My hometown." I said, keeping to the cover story.

She laughed.

"Thought so."

"Still doesn't change the fact that it's basically Mandarin."

Yang pointed a finger at me.

"It is not."

"It absolutely is."

"It absolutely isn't."

"Agree to disagree."

"You're impossible."

"And yet you're the one giving me a history lesson."

Yang froze.

Then groaned.

"Oh no."

"Oh yes."

"You planned that."

"Not at all."

"You absolutely did."

I grinned.

"Now who's the history nerd?"

The look she gave me was worth every second of it.

"I'm starting to regret inviting you on this run."

"You invited me."

"Exactly."

"Sounds like a you problem."

Yang groaned.

"See? This is why people throw things at you."

"People throw things at me because they're jealous of my charm."

"That is absolutely not why."

"It could be."

"It isn't."

We continued jogging around the track.

The sun had climbed a little higher now, painting the academy grounds in gold and orange.

More students were beginning to appear as well.

Some were heading toward training fields.

Others were making their way toward the cafeteria.

A few looked like they hadn't slept at all.

Honestly, I could relate.

"So..." Yang said. "How many languages do you actually know?"

I immediately frowned.

"That's a loaded question."

"How?"

"Depends on what you mean by know."

Yang pointed at me.

"There it is again."

"There what is?"

"The history nerd answer."

"Language nerd."

"Same thing."

"It really isn't."

Yang rolled her eyes.

"Fine. How many languages can you speak?"

"Fluently?"

"Sure."

"Valeian."

Yang blinked.

"Just Valeian?"

"Fluently? Yeah."

She stared.

"After that?"

I thought about it.

"Allomenian's probably next."

"Really?"

"Yep."

"Why Allomenian?"

I shrugged.

"History stuff."

"That explains absolutely nothing."

"It explains everything."

Yang looked like she wanted to argue.

Then decided she didn't have enough energy.

"Okay, history nerd."

"Language nerd."

"Same thing."

"Not the same thing."

We ran another lap.

Then another.

By now, both of us had settled into a comfortable rhythm.

Yang wasn't even breathing hard.

I hated how athletic she was.

"So what about Kuroyurian?" She asked.

"What about it?"

"You said you know some."

"Enough to get myself into trouble."

"That sounds ominous."

"Most language learning is."

Yang laughed.

"You really learned all these from books and games?"

"Books. Games. Movies. Random internet searches."

"Random internet searches?"

"You'd be amazed how much useless information you can learn at three in the morning."

"Something tells me you have firsthand experience."

"Years of it."

Yang snorted.

"Some people count sheep."

"I read about Ancient Argoidian military logistics."

Yang nearly stumbled.

"What?"

"What?"

"That's not normal."

"Neither is being awake at five in the morning to go running."

"Okay, but mine is healthy."

"Debatable."

Yang pointed at me.

"You're impossible."

"You keep saying that."

"Because it's true."

I grinned.

Then something caught my attention.

A familiar figure was crossing one of the nearby training fields.

Tall.

Red hair.

Spear strapped to her back.

Pyrrha.

She was carrying what looked like a training bag over one shoulder.

Yang followed my gaze.

"Pyrrha?"

"Looks like it."

The redhead spotted us a few moments later.

Then raised a hand in greeting.

Yang waved back.

I gave a small nod.

"Think she's heading to train?" Yang asked.

"At this hour?"

"Fair point."

We watched as Pyrrha disappeared into one of the combat arenas.

Then Yang looked back at me.

A dangerous grin spread across her face.

"Oh no."

"Oh yes."

"I know that look."

"You know what's funny?"

"Nothing good ever follows that sentence."

Yang ignored me.

"You've sparred Weiss."

"Uh huh."

"You've sparred me."

"Unfortunately."

"You've sparred Pyrrha."

"Once."

Yang's grin widened.

I immediately became suspicious.

"Yang."

"Alex."

"Yang."

"Alex."

I sighed.

"What terrible idea have you come up with now?"

Her smile somehow got bigger.

"I think we should have a tournament."

I stopped jogging.

"Absolutely not."

Yang laughed.

That wasn't the answer she'd been hoping for.

Which meant she was definitely going to keep trying.

"Why not?"

"Because every time someone says tournament, somebody gets hospitalized."

"That is not true."

I pointed at her.

"You literally launched me through a wall."

"That was one time."

"It was last week."

Yang opened her mouth.

Then closed it.

"Okay, fair."

"Thank you."

"But hear me out."

"No."

"You haven't heard me out yet."

"Don't need to."

"Alex."

"Yang."

"Alex."

"Yang."

She groaned.

"You're impossible."

"You keep saying that."

"Because it's true."

We completed another lap.

Yang remained silent for nearly thirty whole seconds.

I knew that look.

She was thinking.

That was dangerous.

"Fine." She said.

I immediately became suspicious.

"Fine?"

"Fine."

"That's it?"

"That's it."

I narrowed my eyes.

"You're plotting."

"Maybe."

"Yang."

"Relax."

"I don't trust that smile."

"You shouldn't."

"Glad we're in agreement."

Yang laughed.

The sound carried across the field.

For a few moments we simply jogged.

Then another familiar figure appeared.

This one was much shorter.

Silver eyes.

Black and red cloak.

Messy black hair.

And running toward us at an alarming speed.

"Oh no."

Yang followed my gaze.

"Oh yes."

Ruby skidded to a stop beside us.

"Morning!"

"How are you awake?" Yang asked.

Ruby looked offended.

"Rude."

"It's five thirty in the morning."

"Technically it's almost six."

"That doesn't help your argument."

Ruby ignored her.

She turned toward me.

"Alex!"

"Ruby."

"Alex!"

"Ruby."

"Alex!"

"Ruby."

Yang pinched the bridge of her nose.

"I feel like I'm watching two children."

"Probably because you are." I said.

"Hey!"

Ruby pointed at me.

"I'm a mature and responsible young woman."

Yang barked out a laugh.

I snorted.

Even a few nearby students looked amused.

Ruby pouted.

"You guys are mean."

"You once tried to modify Crescent Rose using kitchen utensils." Yang said.

"That happened one time."

"It happened three times."

"Details."

I looked at Yang.

"She really is your sister."

"I know."

Ruby gasped.

"I can hear you."

"That was the point."

Ruby looked personally attacked.

Then she immediately brightened.

"Hey, what're you guys doing?"

"Running." Yang answered.

Ruby blinked.

"Oh."

A pause.

"Why?"

"Exercise."

"Oh."

Another pause.

"You know there are easier ways to suffer, right?"

I immediately pointed at her.

"See? That's what I've been saying."

Yang rolled her eyes.

"Neither of you are helping."

Ruby grinned.

"Can I run with you guys?"

"You're already doing it." Yang pointed out.

Ruby looked down.

She was, in fact, jogging alongside us.

"Huh."

There was a brief silence.

"Can we get pancakes after this?" Ruby then asked.

"Why not waffles?" I asked. "They're superior to pancakes."

Ruby and Yang both gasped.

Actually gasped.

I looked between them.

"What?"

Ruby looked around nervously.

"Don't let Nora hear you say that."

"Seriously." Yang agreed. "She'll hit you with Magnhild."

I rolled my eyes.

"Please."

"I'm serious." Yang said.

"So am I."

Ruby pointed at me.

"You don't understand. Nora takes pancakes very seriously."

"Which is weird, because waffles are objectively better."

Both sisters looked horrified.

"You can't just say that." Ruby whispered.

"Why not?"

"Because it's wrong."

"It isn't."

"It is."

"Waffles have little syrup pockets."

Ruby froze.

Yang froze.

I pressed my advantage.

"Think about it. Better texture. Better syrup distribution. Better structural integrity."

Ruby looked like I'd personally insulted her family.

"Structural integrity?"

"That's right."

"It's breakfast!"

"Exactly. Waffles are engineered."

Yang groaned.

"Oh no. He's using logic."

"It's a dangerous weapon."

"Against Nora, it won't help."

I snorted.

"Lady, I told her that straight to her face."

Both sisters blinked.

"You what?" Yang asked.

"Told her waffles were better."

Ruby looked horrified.

"You survived?"

"Barely."

Yang immediately pointed at me.

"That's why she wasn't talking to you last month!"

I nodded.

"Bingo."

Ruby stared.

"Wait."

"Yep."

"The entire week?"

"Whole week."

Yang suddenly started laughing.

"No way."

"Way."

"You actually started a breakfast war."

"I didn't start it."

"You absolutely started it."

"I stated a fact."

"You declared war."

"Semantics."

Ruby buried her face in her hands.

"I can't believe this."

"Believe it."

Yang was practically wheezing now.

"What happened?"

I shrugged.

"She called me a heretic."

Ruby nodded.

"That sounds like Nora."

"Then she challenged me to a cook-off."

Yang nearly tripped.

"A cook-off?"

"A cook-off."

"Who won?"

I grinned.

"Me."

Ruby stopped running.

Yang stopped running.

Both stared.

"No."

"Yes."

"No way."

"I made waffles."

"That doesn't explain anything!"

"It explains everything."

Yang groaned.

"Now I know why she was glaring at you all month."

"Worth it."

The looks of disbelief on their faces made it completely worth reliving.

Ruby was the first to recover.

"I still don't believe you."

"You don't have to."

"I was there!"

"Then you should know I'm telling the truth."

Ruby pointed accusingly at me.

"You cheated."

"I did not."

"You absolutely cheated."

"How?"

Ruby opened her mouth.

Then paused.

Then opened it again.

"I don't know yet, but I'll figure it out."

"That's not how evidence works."

"It is when I'm right."

Yang laughed.

"Unfortunately, that's exactly how Ruby's brain works."

Ruby looked offended.

"My brain works perfectly fine."

"Your weapon is also a high caliber sniper rifle disguised as a scythe."

"See? Perfectly fine."

Yang and I exchanged a glance.

Neither of us had a response to that.

"That's fair." I admitted.

"Thank you."

We rounded another corner of the track.

The academy was noticeably more awake now.

Students were beginning to appear all over the grounds.

Some were jogging.

Some were heading toward the cafeteria.

Others looked like they'd only recently crawled out of bed.

A few waved at Ruby and Yang as they passed.

Both returned the greetings.

"So how'd you actually win?" Yang asked.

"With waffles."

"That's not an answer."

"It is."

"No."

"Yes."

Yang groaned.

"Alex."

"Yang."

"Explain."

I sighed dramatically.

"Fine."

Ruby immediately perked up.

"Story time."

"That's never a good sign." Yang muttered.

I ignored her.

"Nora made pancakes."

"Obviously."

"Obviously."

Ruby nodded.

That part needed no explanation.

"Nora's pancakes were actually pretty good."

"Actually?" Ruby repeated.

"Ruby, I'm not stupid. If the woman likes pancakes that much, she's gonna learn how to make them."

"Fair."

"So she made pancakes."

"And you?"

"I made waffles."

"Groundbreaking." Yang deadpanned.

"Thank you."

"That wasn't a compliment."

"I choose to believe it was."

Yang sighed.

I continued.

"Then I added strawberries."

Ruby nodded.

"Okay."

"Whipped cream."

"Still okay."

"Chocolate chips."

"Reasonable."

"Powdered sugar."

Ruby narrowed her eyes.

"Now you're just showing off."

"I wasn't done."

Yang groaned.

"Oh no."

"Fresh fruit."

"Alex."

"Homemade syrup."

"Alex."

"Bacon."

Ruby stumbled.

"Bacon?"

"Bacon."

Yang stared.

"That's not fighting fair."

"I wasn't aware there were rules."

"There are absolutely rules."

"Then Nora should've read them."

Ruby looked horrified.

"You weaponized breakfast."

"Correct."

Yang buried her face in her hands.

"You turned waffles into an entire military operation."

"History nerd."

"That doesn't explain anything!"

"It explains everything."

Ruby looked thoughtful.

Then suspicious.

Then thoughtful again.

"You know..."

"That expression worries me."

"I think Nora's still planning revenge."

I nodded.

"Probably."

Yang immediately agreed.

"Definitely."

The three of us jogged in silence for a few moments.

Then Ruby looked at me.

"Would you do it again?"

"Without hesitation."

"Wow."

"I stand by my convictions."

"You are unbelievably stubborn."

"Says the girl running around with a scythe bigger than she is."

"That's different."

"Is it?"

"Yes."

"How?"

"Because mine is cool."

I thought about it.

"Fair."

Yang laughed.

Ruby beamed.

And for a few moments, the three of us simply enjoyed the morning air as Beacon slowly came to life around us.

Then a distant voice echoed across the training fields.

"Ruby!"

All three of us froze.

Ruby froze most of all.

Slowly, she turned her head.

In the distance, a very familiar orange-haired girl was marching toward the track.

Magnhild resting on her shoulder.

Looking entirely too awake for this hour.

Ruby pointed.

"Nora."

"I can see that."

"She heard us."

"Probably."

Ruby looked at me.

Then at Nora.

Then back at me.

"This is your fault."

"Objectively false."

"She's carrying the hammer!"

"That's her default setting!"

Yang was already laughing.

Hard.

And judging by the grin on Nora's face as she approached, things were about to get a lot more interesting.

"Traitor." Ruby hissed.

I looked around.

"Who?"

"You."

"On what grounds?"

"You brought up the waffles."

"That sounds like a you problem."

Ruby gasped.

"Yang!"

Yang was already laughing too hard to be of any assistance.

"Don't drag me into this."

"Coward."

"Survivor."

There was a difference.

Nora closed the distance surprisingly quickly.

Which was concerning.

The girl carried a war hammer.

She shouldn't have been able to move that fast.

"Morning!" Nora called.

"Morning, Nora." Yang replied.

"Hi, Nora." Ruby said carefully.

"Good morning." I added.

Nora's eyes immediately locked onto me.

Uh oh.

There was recognition there.

Recognition and mischief.

The worst combination.

"Alex."

"Nora."

"Alex."

"Nora."

She narrowed her eyes.

I narrowed mine.

Yang looked between us.

"Oh, this is gonna be good."

Ruby looked like she wanted to be literally anywhere else.

Nora pointed dramatically.

"You."

I pointed back.

"You."

"The Heretic."

"The Pancake Cultist."

Ruby made a strangled noise.

Yang nearly fell over laughing.

Nora placed a hand over her chest.

"How dare you."

"How dare you."

"I'll have you know pancakes are a sacred breakfast food."

"And waffles are superior in every measurable category."

"Lies."

"Facts."

"Lies."

"Facts."

"Lies."

"Facts."

"Would one of you stop?" Ruby pleaded.

Neither of us acknowledged her.

Nora pointed toward the sky.

"Pancakes are fluffy."

"Waffles have structural integrity."

"Breakfast doesn't need structural integrity!"

"Yes it does."

"No it doesn't!"

"What happens when you put too much syrup on a pancake?"

"It gets delicious."

"It falls apart."

"That's part of the experience."

"That's poor engineering."

Yang was wheezing.

Actually wheezing.

Nora looked offended.

"Breakfast isn't engineering."

"Everything is engineering."

"That's not true."

"It absolutely is."

Nora looked at Yang.

"Make him stop."

"Nope."

"Ruby."

"Nope."

"Traitors."

I pointed at Nora.

"See? Even your allies have abandoned you."

"They fear the truth."

"Or maybe they like waffles."

The horror that crossed Nora's face was immediate.

"Yang?"

Yang raised her hands.

"Don't involve me."

"Yang."

"No."

"Yang."

"I like both."

The declaration shocked both of us into silence.

Nora stared.

I stared.

Yang immediately realized her mistake.

"Oh no."

"You like both?" Nora asked.

"You fence-sitter." I added.

"Guys."

"You have to choose." Nora said.

"You absolutely have to choose." I agreed.

"Why are you both united on this?"

"Because some things are bigger than our differences."

"Exactly."

Ruby buried her face in her hands.

"This is the dumbest conversation I've ever heard."

"Wrong." Nora said.

"This is one of the most important conversations in human history." I agreed.

Ruby looked at Yang.

"Help."

"Can't."

"Why?"

Yang pointed at Nora and me.

"They've formed a temporary alliance."

"That sounds bad."

"It is."

Nora nodded.

"It really is."

I nodded too.

"It won't last."

"Definitely won't."

We exchanged a glance.

Then immediately pointed at each other again.

"Heretic."

"Cultist."

Yang completely lost it.

This time she actually had to stop running.

The rest of us weren't much better.

Even Ruby was laughing now.

"Hey, Nora..." I started casually. "I heard a second-year's gotten interested in Ren."

Nora's expression immediately shifted from amusement to suspicion.

"Oh?"

"Yeah." I continued. "Apparently she's been talking about asking him out."

For a moment, Nora simply stared.

Then her eyes widened.

Then narrowed.

Then widened again.

The transition from confusion to disbelief to murderous intent happened so fast it was honestly impressive.

"Ren is mine." She declared.

The words left her mouth before her brain could stop them.

Nora immediately froze.

A bright blush spread across her face.

"I-I mean..." She stammered. "Not mine-mine."

Ruby snorted.

Yang immediately looked away, shoulders shaking.

I bit the inside of my cheek to keep from laughing.

"Uh huh."

"We're not together-together!" Nora insisted.

"Of course not."

"We're teammates!"

"Mmhm."

"We've just known each other forever!"

"Sure."

Nora pointed at me.

"Stop making that face."

"What face?"

"That face!"

I had absolutely no idea what face she was talking about.

Yang lost the battle and started laughing.

"Yang!"

"Sorry!" Yang wheezed. "I'm really not!"

Nora groaned.

Then she crossed her arms.

"Anyways. Who is she?"

I pretended to think about it.

"Hmmm."

"Alex."

"She was talking about taking Ren out to eat."

Nora's eye twitched.

"Oh?"

"Yeah."

"Where?"

"Pancake Palace."

The reaction was immediate.

Nora's eyes widened.

"Pancake Palace?"

"That's what I heard."

"She can't take Ren to Pancake Palace!"

"Why not?"

"Because that's our place!"

The words escaped before she could stop them.

Again.

Nora immediately buried her face in her hands.

Ruby was openly laughing now.

Yang wasn't even trying to hide it anymore.

I nodded solemnly.

"I see."

"You see nothing."

"I see everything."

"You see too much."

"That sounds like a you problem."

Nora pointed at me.

"I'm starting to understand why people throw things at you."

"Join the club." Yang said.

"Already a member." Ruby added.

I looked between them.

"Y'all are rude."

"Accurate." Yang replied.

"Very accurate." Ruby agreed.

Nora looked toward the academy buildings.

Then back toward us.

Then toward the academy again.

Clearly debating whether or not she should investigate.

I decided to make things worse.

"Well..." I said. "If she's planning on asking him out, she's probably heading there pretty soon."

Nora gasped.

Then took off like a missile.

"Ren is mine!"

There was a brief pause.

"Not mine-mine!"

Another pause.

"You know what I mean!"

The three of us watched her disappear toward the dormitories.

Silence followed.

Then Yang looked at me.

"That was evil."

I considered it.

"Maybe a little."

Ruby stared.

"A little?"

"Okay, a lot."

"That's what I thought."

"Oh, woe is thy heart, a broken mirror." I said dramatically.

Yang blinked.

"What does that even mean?"

I shrugged.

"I have absolutely no idea."

"Then why'd you say it?"

"Because it sounded neat."

Yang stared at me for several seconds.

"You really do just say things sometimes."

"Frequently."

"That's concerning."

"Probably."

Ruby looked between us.

"Was that supposed to be poetry?"

"Maybe."

"It wasn't very good."

"Rude."

"Accurate." Yang added.

I placed a hand over my chest.

"Wounded."

"Your heart is a broken mirror?" Ruby suggested.

"See? Somebody gets it."

"I don't get it."

"Neither do I."

"Life and death, love and hate. Two faces of one coin, which speaketh the selfsame word, yet never in the selfsame breath. For what is life, unwed from death? A thing unwhole, a half-soul wandering, bereft of its other self. So too is love but hate's own shadow, cast long where the light of the heart doth fall. Strike the coin upon its edge, and watch; it spinneth, and for one breath thou canst not say which face is shown. So spinneth the heart of man. Love into hate, life into death, and back again, ere it doth settle. Know this, then: he who would have life and spurn death, or love and forswear hate, doth ask the coin to bear but one face only, and no coin in this world was ever minted so."

The words left my mouth with practiced ease.

Years may have passed since I'd written it, but I still remembered every line.

Beside me, Yang and Ruby had gradually slowed their pace.

By the time I'd finished, both were simply staring at me.

I blinked.

"Well?"

Neither answered.

Instead, the sisters slowly looked at each other.

Then back at me.

Then at each other again.

The silence stretched on.

"That better for poetry?" I asked.

Ruby pointed at me.

"What?"

"That's exactly what I'm trying to figure out."

Yang narrowed her eyes suspiciously.

"Who said that?"

"Me."

The skepticism on her face somehow intensified.

"No."

"Yes."

"No."

"Yes."

"Alex."

"Yang."

"You did not write that."

I looked offended.

"I absolutely did."

"When?"

"Years ago."

Yang continued staring at me.

"You're telling me the same guy who started a breakfast war over waffles wrote that?"

"People can be more than one thing."

Ruby looked thoughtful.

"That's actually a fair point."

"Thank you."

"Still don't believe you."

"Rude."

Yang folded her arms.

"You used to write poetry?"

"A little."

"A little?"

I shrugged.

"Poetry, short stories, random thoughts. Stuff like that."

Ruby blinked.

"Wait."

"What?"

"You write?"

"Occasionally."

The look of disbelief somehow returned.

"Why does everybody keep reacting like that?"

"Because..." Yang said slowly. "...you somehow keep getting weirder."

"I take that as a compliment."

"I'm not sure it is."

"Still taking it."

Ruby pointed at me again.

"You're a history nerd."

"Correct."

"A language nerd."

"Also correct."

"You read military logistics for fun."

"Allegedly."

"And now you're telling us you're a poet?"

I nodded.

"Yep."

The sisters exchanged another glance.

Then Yang sighed.

"You know, at this point I don't even know why I'm surprised anymore."

"Character growth."

"That's not what that means."

"It is today."

Ruby groaned.

Yang groaned.

I grinned.

The look on their faces made reciting the poem completely worth it.

"Gold burneth bright in the heart of the dragon, while crimson followeth in the wake of the reaper. Separate their paths may seem, yet seldom doth one wander far from the other." I said.

For a moment, neither sister spoke.

Ruby stared at me.

Yang stared at me.

Then they looked at each other.

Then back at me.

Ruby pointed accusingly.

"Stop."

"What?"

"The poetry."

I blinked innocently.

"The poetry?"

"Yes. The poetry."

"I don't know what you're talking about."

"You absolutely do."

Yang snorted.

"She's got a point."

"Traitor."

"You brought this on yourself."

Ruby groaned and covered her face.

"Please stop turning everything into poetry."

I placed a hand over my chest.

"A cruel fate indeed."

"Alex."

"A tragedy most profound."

"Alex."

"A wound from which I may never recover."

Ruby looked ready to throw something at me.

"As you wish, my lady." I said, giving an exaggerated bow as we jogged.

Ruby groaned even louder.

Yang, meanwhile, had completely lost it.

The blonde was laughing so hard she nearly missed a step.

"Oh, that's staying." Yang managed between laughs.

"No." Ruby immediately said.

"Yes." Yang replied.

"No."

"Yes."

Ruby pointed at me.

"If you ever call me 'my lady' again, I'm hitting you with Crescent Rose."

I considered that.

"Worth it."

"Alex!"

Yang's laughter echoed across the track.

And judging by Ruby's expression, I was dangerously close to finding out whether she was bluffing.

"You're lucky I didn't bring Crescent Rose."

I looked around dramatically.

"Truly, fortune smiles upon me this day."

Ruby groaned.

"See? That's exactly what I'm talking about."

Yang was still laughing.

"You've created a monster."

"I was like this before I met him."

"That somehow makes it worse." Yang replied.

Ruby pointed at me again.

"You can't just say things like that."

"Like what?"

"Like the poetry!"

"It was a compliment."

"I know!"

"Then what's the problem?"

Ruby opened her mouth.

Then paused.

Then opened it again.

"I don't know."

"An excellent argument."

"Stop talking like that!"

"Talking like what?"

"Like you're about to challenge somebody to a duel."

Yang nearly doubled over.

"I can hear it too."

"Et tu, Brute?" I asked.

Ruby stopped.

Yang stopped.

Both stared at me.

"What?"

"Nothing."

"What'd you say?"

"Nothing."

"That wasn't Valeian."

"Correct."

Yang narrowed her eyes.

"You did that on purpose."

"Maybe."

"You absolutely did."

I shrugged.

"Language nerd."

"History nerd."

"Language nerd."

"Same thing."

"It really isn't."

Ruby looked between us.

"Do you two just argue about random things all day?"

"Yes." Yang and I answered simultaneously.

Ruby sighed.

"That explains a lot."

We continued around the track.

The sun was fully above the horizon now, bathing Beacon in warm golden light.

Students were beginning to fill the grounds.

A few waved as they passed.

Others gave us strange looks.

Probably because Yang was still laughing.

Or because Ruby kept threatening me.

Or both.

"So..." Yang said after finally calming down. "How many poems have you written?"

"Couldn't tell you."

"More than ten?"

"Yes."

"More than fifty?"

"Probably."

Ruby blinked.

"Seriously?"

"Yeah."

"Where are they?"

I immediately pointed at my head.

"Stored safely where nobody can read them."

"Oh no." Yang said.

"What?"

"You actually remember them."

"Some of them."

"That's dangerous."

"I've been saying that all morning." Ruby added.

"Rude."

"Accurate." Yang said.

"Very accurate." Ruby agreed.

I sighed dramatically.

"Betrayed by those I once called allies."

"We've known you for like a month." Yang replied.

"A tragic betrayal all the same."

Ruby made a strangled noise.

"See! There he goes again!"

I couldn't help but grin.

The reactions were entirely too entertaining.

Yang noticed.

"Oh, he enjoys this."

"Of course he does."

Ruby pointed at me.

"That's a villain smile."

"It is not."

"It absolutely is."

I thought about it.

"Maybe a little."

"See!"

Yang laughed.

"Okay, now I want to hear another poem."

"No." Ruby immediately said.

"Yes." Yang immediately said.

"No."

"Yes."

"No."

"Yes."

I looked between them.

"Y'all done?"

"No." They answered simultaneously.

That only made me laugh.

Apparently, I wasn't the only one who enjoyed annoying people.

The three of us continued jogging for another lap.

Then another.

By now, Beacon was fully awake.

Students filled the paths between buildings, heading toward classes, training grounds, and the cafeteria.

The smell of breakfast occasionally drifted through the morning air whenever the wind shifted.

Unfortunately, that reminded me of something.

Namely that I was hungry.

Very hungry.

I glanced at Ruby.

Then Yang.

Then Ruby again.

An idea came to mind.

"Y'all hungry?"

Ruby looked at me as if I'd asked whether breathing was optional.

"Alex."

"What?"

"I'm always hungry."

"Fair."

Yang laughed.

"She's got a point."

"I'm aware."

Ruby crossed her arms.

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"You ate half a tray of cookies yesterday."

"They were good cookies."

"That wasn't the point."

"It was to me."

Yang snorted.

I shook my head.

Then gestured toward the academy.

"Come on."

"Where?" Ruby asked.

"Breakfast."

Ruby froze.

The word had an immediate effect.

Yang noticed it too.

"Oh no."

"Oh yes."

Ruby's eyes lit up.

"Breakfast?"

"That's what I said."

"Actual breakfast?"

I stared at her.

"What other kind of breakfast is there?"

The silver eyed menace ignored the question entirely.

"Can we get pancakes?"

"No."

"Waffles?"

"Maybe."

"Hash browns?"

"Maybe."

"Bacon?"

"Probably."

"Eggs?"

"Definitely."

Ruby gasped.

"Yang."

"I heard him."

"Yang."

"I heard him the first time."

Ruby pointed dramatically at me.

"Lead the way."

I looked at Yang.

Yang looked at me.

"She's somehow more food motivated than Nora." Yang said.

"That's a terrifying thought."

"It really is."

Ruby had already started walking.

"Slow down." Yang called.

"No."

"You don't even know where we're going."

"I know where food is."

"That isn't an answer."

"It doesn't need to be."

I laughed and fell into step beside her.

The track was behind us now as we headed back toward the dorms and the main campus.

Students passed us in small groups.

Some were carrying books.

Others looked half asleep.

One unfortunate soul was already buried beneath what looked like three textbooks.

I silently wished them luck.

"What's the plan?" Yang asked.

"Cafeteria."

"Boring."

"You got money?"

Yang paused.

"Cafeteria sounds great."

"Thought so."

Ruby nodded.

"I like the cafeteria."

"You like anywhere that serves food."

"Also true."

We reached the main path leading toward Beacon's dining hall.

The closer we got, the more students appeared.

And the stronger the smell became.

Fresh bread.

Coffee.

Eggs.

Bacon.

The scent hit Ruby like a freight train.

The girl immediately accelerated.

"Ruby." Yang warned.

"I'm walking fast."

"You're speed walking."

"I'm speed hungry."

I looked at Yang.

"That's not a thing."

"It is now."

Ruby was already halfway to the cafeteria doors.

I sighed.

Yang laughed.

And together, we followed the hungry reaper toward breakfast.
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A/N: And done. kuwebby2, what do you think?