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raebaekaedae · 1 year

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Volume One, Episode Thirteen: “Snow”

Series: SCWR Rating: PG-13 (Foul Language, Minor Violence, Violence Against Fantasy Monsters, Drug Use Mentioned, Themes of Racism) Summary: (5,026 words) “A look into the past shows what Hadrian’s first few days at Atlas Academy were like. Just how did he meet the other faunus of his grade and his greatest rival; Vince Delgatto? Did Solitude’s first fight go as well as Security’s?”

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He awoke with a start, shooting up as he looked around. He half-expected someone to jump out at him with a knife as he flung his arm around, frantically trying to silence the loud scream of his alarm clock. His ears were pinned to his hair as he snapped at the shrill, whining clock. He finally found purchase and hit the button to turn the annoyance off. With a sigh, he flopped back down in bed and pulled the blankets over his head.

Unfortunately, he could feel the eyes staring at him. With a huff, he rolled over with his back to the wall as he lowered the covers just enough so he could see out. The blurry form of Hads smiled at him, sitting up in his bed and already dressed, of course. He was almost jumping up and down as he sat cross-legged on his quilted blankets.

Leo groaned as he rolled back over and tried to ignore him. "Hadrian, I swear if you even think about dragging me out of here, I will shoot you."

"Awwwwww," Hads smirked, hopping down from his bed and flopping down right on top of Leon, "You can't tell me that you aren't even a little excited!"

His brother let out another groan as he feebly tried to push him off. Before the boys could start tusseling, their mom opened their door and peeked in. With a slight smile, she said, "Breakfast is almost on the table, boys. Come and eat."

Hadrian pushed off of his brother as Leon politely replied, "Thank you, Ms. Snow."

She smiled sweetly before ducking out of their room. Once she was out of sight, Hadrian cracked a devilish grin. He whipped around to Leo and jumped back on him, pinning his torso to the bed as he messed with his brother's hair, face, and ears. Leon howled with anger as he tried to fend off his terror of a brother. Once he was satisfied that Leo was too wound up to go back to bed, Hads snickered and rolled on to the floor with his tail wagging.

The supposed younger of the pair shrugged the covers off in a huff and got up, slipping his glasses on before moving towards the closet where his and Hadrian's clothes were stored. On his way, he ran a hand through his hair, pushing it out of his eyes as he secured it behind his ears with a clip. Hads turned around on his butt, pulling his weapon case from under his bed as he began to rummage through it for the remaining ammunition he had from their last hunt.

As Leo gathered his jacket and shirt, Hadrian sighed, "I hope the entrance exam isn't too bad. I've only got six shots left."

"That's better than me," his brother replied, pulling off his pajama shirt, "I've only got two..."

When he'd finished getting dressed and went to retrieve his own weapon, he found that Hads was holding out a set of cartridges. He smiled, "Four and four seems pretty fair to me."

Leo scoffed as he pushed his arms through his coat, "I'm not taking your ammo, Hads." When his brother pouted, he continued, "Seriously. It's my fault for not taking down that Sabyr quickly."

"Nah," Hadrian smirked, pushing the bullets into Leo's hand, "Without you pulling that caribou back, the whole trip wouldn't have been worth it. I should've been watching closer."

"We can't keep relying on my semblance to get large hauls back to Mantle when we go out far," he said, leaning down to pull his boots out from under the foot of his bed, "I don't like getting stuck out there at night."

"Hey, that's why we're gonna become Huntsmen!" Hadrian smiled, shifting Sleigh into its picks and clipping them to his belt.

"Yeah, yeah," Leo replied, rolling his eyes, "That's the reason."

When Hads deadpanned over to him with a frown, Leo conveniently turned back to getting ready. After another few minutes, the boys walked into the kitchenette where their mom was cooking eggs over the stove. Hadrian gathered plates and napkins while Leon placed the tarnished silverware. Once everything had been set, Ms. Snow came to the small, round table with two plates, one full of scrambled eggs and the other piled high with pancakes.

As she set the platters down and his nose was blessed with the pleasing smell, Hadrian exclaimed, "Wow! Mom!"

She chuckled as she gave him a kiss into his hair and replied, "Banana Egg pancakes for my two, handsome Huntsmen."

"Thank you, Ms. Snow!" Leo said with a toothy smile, almost immediately digging into his breakfast.

As Hadrian and Leo ate, she smiled softly. For a moment, he thought he saw the faintest of tears in her eyes, but when she blinked they were gone. Hads knew his mom wasn't a fan of them going to the Academy, but she wouldn't let them know that. She wanted them to be happy, even if it meant going away. Thankfully, Leo hadn't caught on. It'd break his heart just as much as hers.

After he finished chewing on a mouthful of eggs, Hadrian reached over and squeezed her hand gently. He half-smiled, "We'll write to you every day."

She squeezed back, "I know, sweetie."

In no time at all, they were waving down to her from a window on an actual Atlesian Airbus. Their packed bags and weapon cases were resting on the floor in between their legs. All of their neighbors had come out to wish them off. The brothers smiled as the ship's engines roared and started to ascend. The windy backlash rocketed his mom, but she stood firm, smiling up at them as she waved. Hadrian couldn't help but notice the wet sheen of a tear on her cheek as she called one last "I love you" up at both of them. Several of the faunus below cheered and cried for joy. He watched as his rundown neighborhood got smaller and smaller until his mom was nothing more than a graying dot on the landscape.

Reluctantly, he pushed away from the window, picking up his duffel of clothes and beat-up gun case. When he turned around, he saw Leo urgently ushering him over to another window on the opposite side of the aircraft. His ears were perked high as stars twinkled in his eyes. The boys awed at the Atlas skyline, seen from the air for the first time. Buildings as tall as cliffs that were made of glass and steel shone in the frosty, fall air. Lights of all colors sparkled from windows like crystals. There were towering pillars reaching up to protect the city with hard light shields, unlike the material ones down in Mantle. There was no snow on the ground, no smog in the air, and no grimm in sight.

Sure, they'd snuck aboard cramped, windowless shuttles to get to the city before, they had seen its underside constantly from Mantle, and they had caught far-off glimpses from their hunts in the wilds of Solitas, but this... this was different. Their first real look at the utopian metropolis. Honestly, it was a little overwhelming.

Soon after that, the base of the imposing tower of Atlas Academy came closer and closer. With a slight jostle, the airship touched down and landed. The brothers exchanged one last look before the sealed doors opened, flooding the cabin with bright light and dozens of new smells. Hadrian had to shield his eyes with his arm to keep from being blinded. When his eyes adjusted, he looked over to see Leo clutching the strap of his bag as he bit his lip into a thin frown.

With a confident smile, Hads shifted his pack up further on his shoulder and grabbed his weapon case before striding out of the airship.

"Wait!" he heard his brother call as he shuffled to get his things.

It was amazing. He'd never seen so many different people in one place before. Hundreds of students shuffled out of airships, greeting old friends and starting up conversations with the new. Everyone was wearing something unique, some were flashy while others were subdued. Some people wore colors and others just browns and blacks. So many new smells danced around in his nose. What really amazed him were the hundreds of weapons, each unique in their own way. The one thing he didn't notice was that there were no other faunus besides Leo.

As he walked towards a gaggle of girls, his eyes transfixed on crossbow and sickle hybrid, he stumbled into another student. They both hit the ground before either had the chance to recover. Quickly, Hadrian set his bag down and got to his feet to help the other boy up. However, as the black-and-white-haired teen reached up for his extended hand, his dark eyes ran across Hadrian's tail.

For a brief moment, he just stared before he smacked the husky's hand away and got to his feet. He stood a good, few inches over Hadrian's head as he sneered down, "Watch where you're going, mutt."

If there was one thing Hadrian hated, it was racist, Atlesian assholes. As he opened his mouth to snap back at the jerk, Leo's hand pulled on his shoulder as his brother quickly interjected, "Sorry, we're new here."

Hads shot his brother a dirty look, but the asshat crossed his arms and frowned, "I can see that. The help doesn't usually enter this way... servants' entrance is down a level." He smirked as he motioned down with his finger as if they couldn't understand.

"We're not 'the help'," Hadrian snapped, pulling his shoulder free and taking a bold step towards the Atlesian jerk, "We're students."

He laughed, angering Hads further, before he scoffed, "Wait. Are you serious?"

"Yes," the husky said proudly.

"Well, you're not now," he said with a smirk, "I'll have my parents pull some strings. You'll both be gone by noon."

Hadrian took in a sharp breath. He wasn't going to let this bastard take away everything he and Leo had worked so hard to get. However, as he inhaled, the sharp smell of tobacco invaded his nose. He looked up at the bully and took another subtle whiff; sure enough, the stench was wafting off of him in waves.

With a smirk of his own, Hadrian replied, "Oh yeah? I'll make sure that you come with us, skunky." He paused before he gestured to his nose and confidently added, "Smoking isn't allowed by students, especially those who are underage; and, it's punishable by expulsion according to the student handbook."

The monochrome Atlesian's eyes widened as his brows rose, which only got Hads smirking more. After a moment, the bully's eyes angered as he pushed a finger into Hadrian's chest and nearly snarled, "Are you threatening me, mutt?"

With the back of his hand, Hadrian smacked the finger away and puffed out his chest as he answered, "That depends. I don't think the Headmaster has to know, so long as you leave me and my brother alone."

He knew Leon was facepalming and that a small crowd was forming around them, but he never broke eye contact with this uppity, Atlas dick. Suddenly, with a snap of the lanky bully's fingers, Hadrian felt his arms being ripped behind his back. In a panic, he flicked his head around to see two more students-- just as tall but twice as bulky as the threatening Atlesian-- were pinning his wrists against his shoulders.

With a growl, Leo jumped forward to help. However, one of the new students elbowed him so hard in the chest that he was sent rocking backwards with the air thrown from his lungs. Hadrian could only watch as his brother caved forward, grabbing his torso as he fell to his knees. With a new found anger, he tried to break free from his grapple, but he couldn't fight against the combined strength of these jerks.

The Atlesian bastard rolled up one of his sleeves as he pulled back his fist. Hads pulled all his aura forward, hoping to lighten the blow, as he squeezed his eyes shut. Before the bully could plant his fist into the husky's gut, a sharp sound cracked through the air. He heard the bastard shout as he opened his eyes to see a rope-like whip wrapped around the pulled back wrist of his attacker.

The smell of fresh hay danced in his nose with the appearance of his savior.

He followed the rope back to a fiery-haired girl with anger written all over her scowling face. She was wearing a pair of thick, baby blue overalls over a pink plaid shirt with the sleeves rolled up past her elbows. She had on a pair of heavy-duty, winter boots that were caked in mud. A bandanna was tied into her ombre hair, cut to reveal her canine ears, both of which were pinned to her head.

Another faunus...

"Hey, asshole!" she snarled loudly, "Why don't'cha fight with some class, 'stead'a havin' y'ur cronies do it for you!"

When the Atlesian tried to yank his arm free, the rope tightened, causing him to sharply inhale. The collie girl snapped, "What's it gonna be, Delgatto..."

Hads took the opportunity to search for Leo. His blue eyes scanned the crowd of students until they rested on a towering figure with one of his brother's arms resting across his shoulders. Leon was gripping onto his chest, taking in a few ragged breaths as the pale-haired giant supported him. Hadrian was just as surprised to see this boy was also a faunus. An akita inu by the looks of his fluffy, curled tail.

As the skunk-haired bastard-- Delgatto, that's what she called him-- finally managed to wrestle his wrist free, the rope of the whip retracted back into the long shaft of a pitchfork, which the fiery girl twirled around and slammed onto the ground. The brutish, Altlesian bully pulled back and motioned for his goons to release Hadrian and circle the girl instead.

Release is a nice word. He was shoved into the pavement and just barely managed to pull his arms in before they were stomped on.

Before they had gotten even halfway to her, the bell rang. The students who had stayed to watch the fight were hurried away by their friends who didn't want to be late for the Headmaster's speech. Delgatto grumbled under his breath and started off towards the auditorium, his friends at his side.

"This isn't over, bitch." He snapped at the girl as he passed. She, however, only stuck her tongue out at him and started off in a different direction.

Hadrian started to move after her to thank her, but was stopped by Leo, who grabbed his arm and started pulling him towards the school, saying, "C'mon! We'll see them later, but if we're late on our first day, that jerk will have all the more reason to get us kicked out."

He hated it when Leo was right. Together, the brothers quickly made their way towards the auditorium.

A few hours later, it was dark. As expected, the Headmaster's speech was little more than a boring explanation of things Hadrian already knew. He half expected that they would be put into dorms right away, but that wasn't the case. Apparently, each student would be put on a four person team and bunk with them. He would have been worried about being separated from Leo, but the Headmaster had met with them after and stated that they would be put on the same team since they were the only two applicants from the "Faunus Outreach Program".

That begged a question in the husky's mind though... if he and Leon were the only applicants, who were the other two faunus they'd met earlier? How did they get in without going through the red tape he had to fight against? Did they go to combat schools? Are their parents some kind of influential high risers or something? What are their names??

He stared up at the cloudless sky, watching the stars as airships passed by. Leon laid next to him, curled up on his side with one of his new school books open in front of him. They were outside in the courtyard. That Delgatto guy and his goons kept bothering them, so to prevent a fight, Leon ushered him outside so that they could sleep with their bed rolls and packs. It didn't surprise Hads at all to find that Atlas was never cold, even in what was supposed to be the chilling hours of the night.

After a moment, Hadrian sighed, "Y'know, I wanna complain about basically being kicked out like a stray dog, but... it's honestly warmer out here than it ever was back home."

"Yeah..." Leo replied, looking up from his book to see Hads still laying back and staring up at the sky, "But, hey. Just think about how amazing the dorms are gonna feel."

Optimistic as ever. Hadrian smiled half-heartedly.

They remained quiet for another few moments before a new voice called out, "Hey! Mind if we join ya?"

The brothers looked back to see the two faunus from before walking towards them with their bags thrown over the shoulder of the pale-haired goliath that helped Leo up earlier. They weren't wearing the same clothes as before, they changed into their pajamas as well. The collie girl was wearing a pink Pumpkin Pete tee with red shorts, and the akitu boy was wearing a plain black tank top and pale orange sweatpants.

"Sure," Leon replied, motioning them over, "Make yourselves at home."

The pair sat themselves down, unpacking some sleeping bags and blankets from their packs as the brothers watched. Hadrian spoke up, "Uh, thanks for earlier. I owe you guys one."

"Nah, don't worry 'bout it!" The girl smiled, fluffing a pillow before she threw herself down onto it, "I went t' tha same school 's Vince, so I know 'e's a jerkwad. I'm Ollie, by the way. Ollie Ombre."

Hads smiled, "I'm Hadrian Snow. This is my brother, Leon Onyx."

"It's nice to meet you, Haddy," Ollie smiled.

The husky raised a brow as he asked, "Haddy?"

"What? Has no one called you that before?" the collie replied, shrugging as Hadiran shook his head, "Well, I think it suits you."

He smiled as Leo reached over and softly punched his arm with a grin. They might have made an enemy of Delgatto, but it seemed that they were making friends as well.

Leo turned to the brutish akitu inu, who was rolling out his sleeping bag beside Ollie, and asked, "I didn't catch your name earlier?"

"It's Bēju, Tadashi Bēju..." he replied quietly without looking up.

As the group started to settle down to go to sleep, Ollie turned over on her stomach and exclaimed, "Hey! I got'an idea!"

The boys turned to look at her as she smirked, "We should totally make this'a trad't'n. Sleepin' under tha stars. Wherev'r we go; f'rst night, we have ta sleep outside."

From his other side, Leon scoffed, "What if we're put on different teams? We probably won't see much of each other."

Ollie rolled over on her back with a toothy smile, linking her fingers beneath her scalp as she stared up with the stars reflecting off her eyes, "I gotta feelin' we'll always b' togeth'r..."

The next morning was filled with hustling and bustling excitement. Because the group of faunus had slept outside, they woke up with the sun's rise and managed to slip into the locker room first to secure lockers right beside one another. Their first real day of class was reserved for team assignments according to the Headmaster's speech from yesterday. What that entailed was revealed to them only moments before.

The General addressed them and told them that the teams would be determined by a race to an Atlas Academy outpost four miles from where the students would be dropped off. Their times would be counted and the four students closest together would be teamed together. They would have to navigate using only their wits and whatever supplies they had brought with them when they arrived, fighting off grimm and the bitter cold.

So, Leo and Hads found themselves standing side-by-side towards the edge of an airship, soaring hundreds of feet in the air. They held onto handles secured to the roof, but were still nearly thrown out by the rushing winds that tore through the cabin. All of the first years had been split into small groups and pushed into ships, headed out towards the wilds of Solitas. The brothers found themselves with a group of eight other students that they hadn't had the chance to meet yet.

Soon enough, the airship descended and came to an abrupt halt. The entire cabin jerked as the pilot shouted back at them to jump out and start their trek. As the students filed out, they each took off in a different direction, eager to be first to this outpost so that they would be paired with other like-minded and high-scoring students. They didn't even take the time to look around.

Hadrian and Leon watched as they all scattered like snow in the wind, waiting until the airship was completely out of sight before pulling Sleigh and Sled from their backs with smirks. It was like this test was built for them. Hads took his eyes to the sky, determining the east from west as Leo examined the terrain. Steep, rocky walls on either side of them and a frozen stream running through the valley.

After a moment to gather their bearings, Leon smiled, "Looks like we're in Amphisbaena Gorge."

Hadrian shifted his weapon into its picks and replied with a grin, "And the nearest Atlesian outpost just happens to be four miles from here. I'd bet that's where we're headed."

With their route planned out in their heads, they took to their climb. With no effort at all, the pair gritted their teeth and scaled the icy cliff. Once they reached the top, it was easy to see the snaking trail of the creek leading the rest of the students in either the opposite direction of the outpost or straight to a dead-end. The gorge had gotten its namesake from its multiple river heads slithering and interconnecting through the region. It was nearly impossible to navigate from the valleys below.

"Hey," Hads asked, "Do you think that with our scholarships, we could create some kind of retractable climbing spikes in our boots?"

"Dunno," Leo replied with a smirk, "But if they will, I'm totally tinkering around with a heated jacket."

The brothers clinked their picks together before Hads took Leo's hand in his, activating his semblance through them both to slide off towards the outpost. It drained his aura to do this, and he couldn't do it for long, but it would be worth it if they were the first students back, proving that they did deserve to be here.

After about an hour of hiking and skating, Hadrian was too drained to continue, so the brothers walked alongside one another. Traveling on top of the cliffs meant that they hadn't run into any grimm yet. They had heard plenty of shots fired throughout their trek and the smell of gunpowder practically wafted off the crevasses below them, meaning that their classmates hadn't been as lucky. If he had to bet, he'd guess they had been dealing with Centinels.

By the Brothers, he hated Centinels.

However, they hadn't heard anything in a while. That was either a really good sign or a very bad one. He hoped that it meant that they were so far ahead of the other students that the brothers would sweep them off their feet and secure the best teammates possible. In the back of his head though, he knew it could mean trouble.

As Leo and Hads came to another crevasse they would have to pass through to continue, they heard a cry that shook the ground from below. They both immediately looked down to see Ollie backed into a dead-end with Bēju beside her and a massive serpent grimm snaking towards them. Its head was shaped like a bony knife and marked with red. Sharp spines arched down its back and sparked with electricity. It was nearly twenty feet long and rising up.

A Haietie.

It opened its maw and a bolt of lightning burst down its back and from its head to strike the cliffs above the faunus, sending a slew of rocky debris raining down on them. The pair ducked and dodged, avoiding the boulders as the serpentine grimm snapped at them with its jaws. Hadrian and Leo exchanged a quick nod before diving into the gorge.

Using the iced walls as stepping stones, the brothers shot down the crevasse on opposite sides. They used the momentum of their fall and bladed picks to tear four long lines in the beast's sides, two mirrored on each side, causing the grimm to cry out in agony. They tumbled to the powdery snow below and knelt in front of Ollie and Bēju. The Haietie screamed in pain but was undeterred.

Hadrian smiled as he jumped up, "Need a hand?"

Before anyone could reply, the snake struck forward, splitting the group apart with its body. Hads caught a glimpse of Bēju's bladed katars as the goliath stood above him and deflected the scaled grimm's teeth from impaling him. Curiously, as soon as the Haietie's fangs came into contact with the akitu's weapon, it was sent flying back. Hadrian studied him for just a moment as he fought, before bringing Sleigh up into its rifle.

He lined up a shot with the grimm's eyes, pulling back the trigger and flicking the guard down twice, each time the bullets ricocheting off into the gorge's walls. Hads stopped himself from wasting any more ammo as he shouted, "We need to regroup! Make a break for the tail, but watch out for the spines!"

"Roger that!" Leo called back, presumably making his escape.

The grimm seemed to be focused on him and Bēju for the moment. The blond brute nimbly rolled into a dodge as the Haietie's scales burst with another electrical shock, taking Hadrian with him as he tucked the lighter faunus into his chest. He gave Bēju a brief nod before he shifted his rifle into picks and used his semblance to skate directly up to the beast's torso.

Hadrian sunk his picks, one after the other, into the serpent's chest, climbing its body until he was firmly sticking into its faceplate.

As he nearly slipped, he harshly whispered to himself, "C'mon, Hads. They need you. You're not gonna let them down. You can do this."

From his vantage point, he could see Bēju sprinting towards the tail end where Leo and Ollie were slashing and whipping into the Haietie's side, trying to draw its attention. Knowing that his brother was safe beside the collie gave Hadrian enough time to look around and come up with an idea.

His eyes scanned the cliff, spotting a rocky bridge linking the two sides of the plateaus together. That was their best chance.

The husky pulled his pick free, skating down the back of the colossal serpent as he danced around the charged spines and upturned scales. As he crested the remainder of the beast and flew through the air, he flipped around and landed with a flourish. He didn't have time to react as the snake tried to whip him into the wall with a flick of its tail. Thankfully, Leo pulled Sled up and shot the beast off target just in time.

Before the Haietie could slither around in the cramped crevasse, Haddy turned to his friends, pointing up at the rocky pathway, and shouted, "We can use the bridge to crush it; but, we have to get on the other side first!"

The group took off towards the other end of the gorge, desperately trying to race back before the serpentine grimm could rearrange itself. They weren't quick enough as the beast flipped around and fired another burst of lightning at them. The faunus were nearly struck as the bolt exploded in the snow at their feet, throwing them all to the ground. As they picked themselves up, they could only watch as the Haietie dashed for them.

"It's too far!" Ollie exclaimed, pushing herself into a sprint, "We ain't gonna make it!"

"I got it! I got it! Just be ready to bust that bridge!" Haddy cried back, slowing and grabbing hold of everyone by their backs.

Just as the collie was about to object, Hadrian pulled his aura past his limits and used his semblance to push them along. His lungs felt like they were on fire and his legs were going to give out. Leo must have realized because he linked his arms with Ollie and Bēju and began to sprint forward, relieving some of the work from his brother as he activated his own super-powered semblance. With this new burst of speed, the team tumbled past the bridge and into the snow once again as Hadrian's aura broke into pieces, causing him to crash into the snow unceremoniously.

Leo and Bēju quickly flipped around on their backs, aiming up at the supports on the rock walls of the cavern before Ollie jumped up between them and let out a long scream. Her voice reverberated off the gorge, a ripple of sound waves visible as the boys grabbed onto their ears. The sonic wave of energy boomed through the air as it tore into the bridge, collapsing it just as the grimm was about to strike at them one more time.

As the echoing faded away, the Haietie gasped and sputtered beneath its rocky tomb. It buckled and fell to the ground, quickly dispersing into black ash as the team watched on.

After a moment to catch their breath, Ollie shouted, "Dude, that was awes'me!"

"What??" Leo called back, just as loud, rubbing his canine ears.

They helped each other up, wiping the snow off themselves as they smiled. It wasn't long before Hadrian navigated them to the outpost. There weren't any other students present, just like he'd predicted. The four of them walked up to the timer, placing their hands on top of one another and pushing down simultaneously-- registering the same times and scores, guaranteeing that they would be placed on the same team together.

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raebaekaedae · 1 year

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Volume One, Episode Eleven: “Pedigree and Proposal”

Series: SCWR Rating: PG-13 (Foul Language, Minor Violence, Subtle Themes, Themes of Minor Internalized Acephobia, Prominent Themes, Themes of Racism) Summary: (4,390 words) “As teams from other schools start to arrive, Hadrian becomes unusually distant. With Ryder dealing with conflicting feelings, Robyn unintentionally making things worse, and Monroe trying to keep the peace... there’s only one person who can help the former Atlesian now. But can he get to Haddy before it’s too late?”

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It was well past midnight. With his team already knee-deep in trouble with Headmaster Ozpin, he really shouldn't be sneaking around... but this had been his only shot at being alone for a few hours so he could finish his project. After weeks of studying and re-wording, he'd finally completed it... now all he needed to do was present it... which was much easier said than done.

As he crept down the hall towards his dorm, he could hear the faintest of conversations through the door. He had hoped that they would be asleep, not waiting up on him. As he reached the door, he hesitated and listened.

"I dunno, Rob," that was Haddy's voice, "I'm not really one for fancy pants dances."

There was a long groan from the redhead as she replied, "C'mon, I'm sure you went to, like, a thousand Atlas shindigs while you were up there! It's not rocket science! I just need help picking out a dress!"

His heart skipped a beat as he continued to wait. Haddy sighed, "They both look the same to me. 'Roe! Help me out here..."

"Oh nuh-uh," Robyn sassed, "I asked you."

He could hear the smirk in Cadie's voice as she replied, "Robyn doesn't like my style. She says it's 'retro'."

Haddy chuckled as the blonde pirate snickered. He heard fabric fall against fabric as Robyn whined, "C'mon... this is serious! This is our last Vytal festival! They're only held every two years, and we're graduating next year! This one has to be special! Romantic and steamy! I want someone to see me and think: 'Damn, she's hot!' and then sweep me off my feet!"

His heart sank. The hand-written proposal in his hand felt like it was burning a hole through his skin. He didn't hear the rest of the conversation as he swallowed hard. He stuffed the note deep into his pocket along with his hand. Subconsciously, he fiddled with one of the blond ends of his dreads, before he sighed and pushed the door open.

Robyn was standing at the end of her bed with two dresses in her hands. Haddy was sitting on the floor with his back up against Peri's bed across from her, one knee bent up so his elbow could rest on it. Cadie was in her bed, flicking through her scroll absently until he walked in. Ryder forced a soft smile as he walked towards his bed.

Before he got too far, Robyn had already jumped up with her big, goofy grin as she hustled over to him. She was showing off both dresses as she asked, "R! Perfect timing! Which one of these screams, 'Badass Huntress waiting to be swooned'?"

The armored faunus swallowed hard, but-- against his better judgment-- looked over the dresses.

The first one, held in her right hand, was a full-length gown. Its crimson red torso was adorned with an intricate embroidered pattern, held up on the hanger with clear spaghetti straps. The skirt portion reached the ground and had two layers; the underside was made of opaque, red satin with a top layer made of translucent, glittery fabric that shimmered.

The second was a burgundy dress with an asymmetrical skirt that was longer in the back. It gave off the illusion that she had a long, mermaid's tail. The torso was cut the same way as the other, although its sleeves were thicker and rested on her upper arms instead of shoulders. Its embroidered pattern was different and laced with white instead of red.

Ryder looked back and forth between the dresses before he hesitantly replied, "I, uh, think tha one on y'ur r'ght looks good?"

The redhead examined the dress scrupulously, and after a long moment, she shrugged and merrily exclaimed, "That's the one I was thinking too!"

He breathed a sigh of relief, turning to go back towards his bed. However, before he got more than an inch, Robyn had flung the dresses over her arm as she caught him with her other. Ryder looked down at her with another wave of nervousness.

She smirked up at him as she asked, "So... Who are you going to ask to the dance?"

His head immediately whipped up to Cadie. Robyn's back was to her, so she was making a desperate attempt to urge him on while still trying to get the message across that it wasn't her who spilled the beans. His eyes turned to Haddy, who just shrugged, agreeing with their blonde leader.

Ryder felt a bead of sweat roll down the side of his face as he cautiously lied, "No one..."

He watched as both Cade and Hadrian silently facepalmed. Robyn pulled him down slightly as she replied sassily, "Oh no. You're not pulling that on me. You're my best friend, so I know you haven't been sneaking off to do some midnight reading..." she paused just long enough for Ryder's face to begin to feel hot, "C'mon, I wanna see what you've been working on!"

He looked back at Cadie and Haddy again. They had joined forces, standing beside one another and giving him silent cheers and pushes. With one last deep breath, he hesitantly pulled out the proposal he'd written out on a beautiful, pale red letter.

With glee, Robyn took the note and flipped it open to read it aloud, "Aw, Ryder this is beautiful. 'A little birdie told me that you didn't have a date to the dance. That's unacceptable, so I was hoping you'd go out on a limb and jump from the nest with me?'. Oh, the little feather drawing is perfect!"

Ryder felt his face burning as his dark skin bloomed with blush. He was standing rigidly, arms at his sides as he passed a glance behind Robyn again. Both of his teammates were giving him praise and thumbs pointed high. Haddy was making a whistle motion with his fingers in his mouth, but, thankfully, he wasn't making any sound. His face felt like it was on fire.

The redhead reread the note in her head once or twice, before she cocked her head and said, "It doesn't say who you wanted to ask though..."

He swallowed hard as the cogs turned in her head, "Wait... 'little birdie'... 'jump from the nest'... a feather..."

Tension rose for a brief moment, the air so thick it could be served on a platter, before Robyn's eyes lit up and met Ryder's. He felt his heart pounce as the biggest smile crossed her face and she shouted, "You're gonna ask Raven!"

He swore he heard something shatter, possibly inside him. Haddy groaned, dragging his hands down his face as he turned and banged his forehead on the wall a few times. Beside him, Cade burst out into a peal of cackling laughter, grabbing her side as she nearly doubled over.

In an instant, Robyn had whipped around and snapped, "Cadie! He can ask whoever he wants to the dance! Stop laughing at him!"

The pirate wiped a tear from her eye as she giggled, "Robyn! I'm not laughing at him! He's trying to ask--"

"RAVEN!" Ryder shouted, interrupting her. When all eyes turned to him, he clarified, "Yeah... I w's gonna ask... Rav'n."

Robyn turned back to Monroe with a triumphant smirk, completely missing the almost unreadable look of tender sympathy directed at the faunus. As she turned away, Ryder took a deep breath, letting his mask go for just a moment too long, allowing Hadrian and Cascade to see the grief in his eyes. They exchanged a glance before Haddy stepped forward, a hand outstretched as if he was about to say something.

Before he could, Ryder regained his composure and put a hand on Robyn's shoulder with a smile, "Don't'chu all wanna g't one last run 'n tha morning, 'fore ev'ryone shows up?"

The husky's hand lowered slowly as he sighed, but he tried to smile as he replied, "Yep. Everyone up at oh-six-hundred... three miles..."

Ryder smiled back as he turned to grab his pajamas and replied, "Bett'r sleep th'n... G'night."

He had already ducked into the bathroom to change before anyone could object. The redhead went back to her preening like nothing had even happened, putting her chosen dress out on her plushie stuffed bed as the other was tossed to the side. Monroe and Hadrian shared one last, uneasy look before also getting ready for bed.

In the morning, the husky rounded the final bend of the sidewalk as he came to a jogging halt at the end of the pathway encircling the academy and framing the courtyard. He continued to run in place as he waited for the rest of the team to catch up. After a moment, they also came around the edge of the building and eventually made it to the finish line, almost collapsing as Haddy smiled and clicked the timer on his scroll. Deciding against snapping a picture, but only barely.

He looked down, and joked, "C'mon guys, only fourteen minutes twenty-four seconds? We could do better than that."

Monroe flipped him the bird as she leaned over with her hands on her knees, struggling to catch her breath. Ryder had sweat pouring down his face and sides as he slowly walked in a circle with his hands intertwined behind his head to try to cool off. Robyn completely gave up the facade of trying to appear unwinded as she fell firmly on her butt and panted mercilessly.

After a moment of air, Monroe breathed out, "Fuck off... Snow..."

He laughed as Robyn fanned her face and slowly remarked, "I can't believe... you're not even... slightly... out of breath... What... are you made of!?"

It was nearing seven in the morning. The beautiful, pink sun had risen over the horizon during their workout and hid behind clouds that were painted in the same orange hues as the trees. The crisp air smelled like it had been dusted with dew. Other students from Beacon had begun to congregate in the main courtyard, eagerly awaiting the airbuses that carried teams from the other schools. Some to greet new friends and others to scope out the competition. Even STRQ was sitting under one of the autumnal trees dotted around the court.

He watched for a moment with a smile as Qrow danced through some elaborate story and the others laughed. However, he turned his attention back to his teammates as he reached down and gathered up three waters that he had left in the shade earlier. They were still crisp and cold, condensation rolling down their sides. As he handed out the bottles, the roar of an airbus broke through the witty banter and conversations.

Everyone turned to look as a few of the planes touched down on the landing pads. Haddy could feel everyone getting excited.

Robyn, now re-energized, jumped up and stated, "Alright! Who's first this year? Place your bets people!"

The blonde, still worn out, mumbled, "Mistral..."

"Aw, you're no fun," Robyn pouted, given that everyone knew Monroe had already scoped out the transport before it had even landed.

The faunus boys chuckled as students in Haven Academy uniforms began to file out of the airbuses, stretching and taking in the view of Beacon. As they became more comfortable, students from both schools began to approach and greet one another. SCWR watched from the corner of the final pillar on the open wall, happily enjoying the morning as they relaxed after their workout.

However, the jovial nature didn't last as Hadrian watched an Atlesian airship descend towards the landing pads. He heard Robyn joking around beside him, pointing out that Raven was close by and that Ryder had every opportunity to go talk to her, but he wasn't paying any attention... his eyes scanned the ship as he felt his heart beat in his chest. The doors slowly opened, almost misting with morning fog, revealing the dimly lit interior. He could almost smell the snow and dust.

As he watched the first leg of a student step out, he ripped his head away. He grumbled under his breath as he started making his way back towards the locker rooms. He didn't get too far before Monroe caught his arm and looked at him with a raised brow.

He assuredly smiled as he threw a thumb over his shoulder towards the school, "I'm gonna go hit the showers before people start filing in to register their temporary lockers."

"Aw, you going modest on us, Haddy?" Robyn quipped, taking a break from pestering Ryder to pester him.

The husky pulled his arm free and half-mumbled back, "Yeah, I guess... See you guys later."

He pretended that he didn't see the confused and concerned looks in the girls' eyes before he haphazardly waved behind him and made his way back to the school.

An hour later, he was showered and dressed in the locker room. He knew he shouldn't have left the girls and Ryder to deal with visiting students on their own, but... he had a lot on his mind. As he was pulling Sleigh out of his assigned locker he felt a chill run up his spine. Cigarette smoke stung his nostrils.

He shuddered when he heard the long, drawn-out, "Well, if it isn't Haddy Snow."

He really didn't want to do this right now. With a deep breath, Hadrian continued to rummage around in his locker as he slowly replied, "Vince..."

"Aw, you remember me..." he drew out again, leaning onto the locker next to Haddy's, "Thought you might have forgotten all your friends back in Atlas when you downgraded."

Vince Delgatto was a spoiled rich kid who grew up with a silver spoon in his mouth and money in his diaper. Heir to one of Atlas's lead fashion developers, practically drowning in lien since he could walk. Ever since Hadrian met him, the guy has had it out for the husky and his team. He didn't think a faunus could do the job of a human without messing up somehow, and he made sure everyone knew it. Little to say, he wasn't a big fan of Team Solitude.

Haddy took another slow breath before he clipped his picks to his belt and closed the locker door, doing his best to ignore the skunk-haired bully as he turned to walk past. Unfortunately, Vince had brought his goons; Rouge and Kaleb. They were blocking his way out of the now cramped aisle of lockers. This wasn't going to end well.

"Look," Hadrian said, turning his head back to Vince, "I'm not gonna cause you guys any trouble. So let me pass."

The domino-haired Atlesian mocked surprise as he took a few steps towards the husky. He had always towered over Hadrian. He sneered, "Hear that, boys? Little Haddy Snow isn't so high and mighty without his team backing him up. What happened? Now that Ollie isn't around, you don't have anyone to do your bidding?"

He bit back an insult as a low growl started in his gut. Haddy refused to stoop to his level, or maybe that was Leo's logic screaming to get his attention in the back of his mind. Without another word, he turned his head and marched straight past Vince's cronies. He did his best to shove them as hard as he could while he pushed through, slamming them both into the rows of lockers they'd tried to block off. He could hear Vince cackling as he continued his long walk to the other end of the locker room. Just when he thought it was over, Haddy heard footsteps following him.

"You can't hide behind Bēju anymore, Snow!" The Atlesian called, "No big, strong men to protect you!"

He was almost there. As his hand ghosted the knob, he heard one final holler, "Can't believe anyone as soft as Leo even made it into Atlas Academy. But with you as a brother? I can see why he was such a loser... Hads."

Hadrian froze. That low growl turned into a snarl in an instant. Without even realizing it, he'd pulled Sleigh, shifting it into its rifle form automatically, and aimed it high at Vince's stupid hair. His eyes trained on the bully as they contracted into pin pricks. His finger was pulling back when someone grabbed his arms and threw them down. He hadn't realized that his blood was pounding in his ears until he turned and saw Qrow talking, but no words could be heard over the thumping.

The gothic teen grabbed him by his jacket sleeves and pulled him through the door towards the dorms. Only once they'd gotten two hallways away, did the red in Hadrian's vision start to fade. Qrow yanked him along until he had the sense to pull himself free and walk alongside his closest friend.

The crow-haired teen looked him up and down twice before he stated, "Dude. What the Hell?"

Comfortable with the distance they'd made from the locker room, Haddy paused and leaned up against the wall with his hands in the small of his back. At some point, Sleigh had been taken from him and flung over his best friend's shoulder. Qrow stopped with him, crossing his arms as he leaned his weight on one leg. After a minute to compose himself, Hadrian drew out a long, irritated sigh.

"He's just an uppity, Atlas dick, Q," he grumbled.

Qrow pouted and said, "That you were going to shoot."

He mumbled something along the lines of deserving it before his friend sighed and asked, "Haddy, what's wrong?"

The husky shook his head and tried to explain, "He's just an ass. They all are. Everyone at Atlas Academy. Well, maybe there were a couple good ones, but not a lot, and they never actually stood up for us. I never cared when it was just me; but, he always brings everyone else into it! Leo, Ollie, Tadashi... I was supposed to make a difference there, y'know. Show racism who's boss and serve my fellow faunus. Instead, I ran here... they only see me as proof that my kind... that I was never cut out for this job..."

Qrow listened. No quips, no jokes. He was silent as Haddy continued to vent for just over half an hour. By the end of it, the husky wasn't sure how he'd held it together and kept the waterworks from flowing. When he was done, his best friend leaned over and gave him a tight hug. Haddy was almost taken aback by it; but after a moment, he reached around and clutched onto Qrow's back, burying his face into the crook of his friend's shoulder. He always smelled faintly of cinnamon and gunpowder.

After a moment, the gothic teen softly spoke, "I'm sorry, man. I really am. I can't imagine how hard everything has been..." he paused before smiling, "But, you're one of the greatest students at this Academy... and you're gonna prove it in the tournament and during your first official mission as Team Security. Who cares what some jackass from Atlas thinks? I think you're pretty damn amazing, and so does everyone else here. I don't think anyone could bounce back from what you have."

He might not believe it all himself, but he was glad someone did.

Haddy sniffled before he squeezed Qrow a little harder and pulled back from the reassuring embrace. He wiped his wetted eyes with his sleeve.

The husky was just about to thank his thoughtful friend when they heard a chuckle behind them, "Well, I would have to agree with Mr. Branwen..."

Both boys jumped as they whipped around, nearly knocking into one another, to see their young Headmaster standing there. He had his cane in one hand and a cup of coffee in the other.

"Professor Ozpin!" Qrow managed to choke out as he scrambled to get suited more casually, "What are you doing here?"

The silver-haired professor took a long sip of his coffee, letting the boys calm before he replied, "I'd heard there was an altercation in the locker room involving one of my students and one of our guests from Atlas and came to investigate..."

Haddy swallowed hard before the Headmaster followed with, "I trust the issue has been resolved?"

When the husky didn't initially say anything, Qrow nodded and replied, "Yes sir. Just a weapon's malfunction. Everything is just peachy!"

Ozpin turned to the dark-haired faunus for confirmation, which he hastily gave with a rigorous nod. He examined the pair critically for a moment longer before he faintly smiled.

"Very well then..." the professor said, turning to head back down the hall from which he came.

The boys momentarily breathed a sigh of relief before the Headmaster turned his head back to them and called, "Oh, and Mr. Snow..."

Haddy had already jumped back into a rigid attention as he replied, "Y-Yes sir?"

"Your team has suffered quite enough punishment..." Ozpin smiled, "You can resume your normal extracurriculars down in Vale if you so choose. Enjoy the Festival."

With that final message, the silver-haired mystery known as Professor Ozpin turned and walked around the corner, out of the dorm hall, leaving only the lingering smell of coffee behind. Hadrian let his shoulder slump as Qrow chuckled. The gothic teen lightly punched his arm as he smiled. At least one good thing came out of today.

As the pair started walking back towards their dorms, and his rifle was finally returned to him, Qrow said, "Hey, if you guys are free after the dance, there's this party that's going on downtown for students. Gene said that they'd be partying until dawn."

"Eh..." the husky replied, sticking his hands in his pockets, "We've got our mission that morning. But, I'll see what the R's and 'Roe think though."

As the pair continued to banter, they took the last turn towards their dorm and were met with the hulking figure of Ryder with his arms outstretched against either side of Team STRQ's door. Robyn was pushing against his back, trying to force him through the closed door as they argued. The pair cocked their heads to the side in unison as they watched on.

Finally, Qrow asked, "So... what's going on with them?"

Haddy sighed as he motioned for the gothic teen to follow him, "Man, you don't wanna know..."

Just when they'd just gotten close enough to hear, Robyn had finally gotten enough attention that Tai had opened the door. In an instant, the redhead jumped up so that her body was horizontal to the floor and summoned up a whirlwind powerful enough to break Ryder's hold on the wall. As they were flung into the room, Haddy heard both Tai and Ryder yell as Robyn cackled.

The dark-haired duo quickly ran up to see the scaled faunus sprawled out on top of Tai. Robyn's skirt fluttered as she gently came to a floating drop. Raven and Summer were doing their nails on one of the girls' beds, just staring in disbelief. As everyone gathered the bearings, Haddy facepalmed.

Ryder quickly jumped up, dusting himself off before he picked up the blond by his biceps and did the same. Poor Taiyang was disheveled as he gave a shaky thumbs up. The Stark girls looked from Haddy and Qrow to Robyn to Ryder and Tai.

"Are you guys done?" The raven-haired teen asked as she pulled her painted nails back from Summer.

The armadillo shot Robyn a dirty glare as she smiled on and said, "Well, Ryder just had a question."

"No," he sharply said, "I didn't."

With a pout, Robyn turned to Raven and asked, "Hey, do you have a date to the dance?"

"Robyn!" He snapped.

Before the pair could start to argue again, Raven simply answered, "Yes."

"You do??" Everyone shouted at once, whipping around to the raven-haired girl.

Offended, she stated, "Of course I do! I asked Taiyang to go with me, and he accepted."

Everyone looked to Tai, whose face was a fiery red. With everyone's eyes on the martial artist, Haddy spared a glance towards Summer. He felt bad for her, knowing just how much she'd been hoping to get the blond's invitation. She sheepishly turned away. If things kept up, both she and Ryder would be out of dates to the dance.

Internally, Ryder breathed a sigh of relief until Robyn started up again, "What if someone else asked you?"

"I'd decline," Raven answered, a little annoyed.

"What if--" the redhead started, but was cut off when Ryder nearly shouted.

"Seri'sly, R! Cut 't out!"

Everyone went quiet... because when Ryder Flaxen speaks up, it's important. Haddy could tell that he was ready to run from the room and forget the whole thing, but Ryder stayed. He took a calming breath and sighed.

"Th's 's all just a big misund'rstandin'..." he quietly started, "Robyn. I wasn't gonna ask Rav'n ta tha dance."

The redheaded Huntress-in-training pouted, "Then who were you gonna ask??"

When everyone exchanged a knowing glance, Raven deadpanned and blankly stated, "Really? He was gonna ask you."

Ryder's face lit up with blush as his lips formed into a tight line and his head whipped around to where the dark-haired assassin was sitting, fanning her nails. She clearly did not care for any kind of social graces, nor his pending anxiety. When his eyes finally retreated back to his best friend's, he saw the same redness across her cheeks.

He sighed, taking the letter out of his pocket and handing it to Robyn, who was positively red. She managed to stammer out, "But, you-- I thought-- Ryder--"

"I didn' wanna..." he started, rubbing the back of neck, "ruin... I guess 's tha right word... y'ur night..."

He had turned away from everyone by now, resting his palm against his dreads as he stared at the ground. So, he didn't expect Robyn's soft hand to land gently on his cheek and guide him to look down at her with a heartfelt smile.

"R... you wouldn't be ruining my night by asking me to the dance..." she explained, "My night would be ten thousand times better if you were my date."

Ryder frowned, "But'chu said y'u want'd an... intim'te night an' I-- I--"

"Don't like me-- or anyone for that matter-- that way," the redhead finished for him. When he nodded, she continued, "Ryder, that's okay. I'd rather spend my night doing crappy karaoke and dancing with you than some rando who was just hitting on me to get laid. R, you're so much better than those losers... you're my best friend..."

After a moment, the armadillo buckled and smiled sweetly. He leaned down and gently hugged her as she squeezed him tightly back. Suddenly, cheers and hollers whooped through the room, startling them out of the tender moment. Security and Stark were watching from the sidelines, now suspiciously joined by Monroe and a bowl of popcorn. Little to say, both R's faces burst with beet red blush.

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