Chapter 2

The assembly hall sat as the center point for Beacon, with all of the class and dorm rooms surrounding the well-built structure. It was by far the largest location at the school, and certainly the grandest. There were marble pillars lining the sides, leading up to a stage that overlooked a large amphitheater, able to seat up to 400 guests. Most of these seats were filled, as the annual induction ceremony was held for the new students. After initiation, this ceremony would be held in front of the entire school, as the headmaster would appoint teams and their leaders.

The headmaster himself was professor Dartz. Although there was a lot of speculation on the man's decisions in the past-most of which were simply rumors around the school-he was an incredibly wise man, who had never lead the students astray. By his side, stood Ms Mazaki, one of the most skilled Huntresses in all of Vale. Though on the outside she came across as a harsh woman, she had her reasoning, and her number one priority were her students' well being.

Atem and Yusei were standing with the rest of their cohort side stage, waiting for their names to be called. A lot of the teams had been formed already, and they were the last of a few remaining students, which was worrying Atem. He did have high hopes though, considering Crow and Aki had not been called yet; perhaps those two would make a good team with he and Yusei. As the next team was called to the stage, Atem looked at the remaining students, and noticed something was off. There are only six of us...?

"Crow Hogan and Aki Izayoi," Dartz then announced, and the pair made their way onto the stage. "You two picked the Ace of Spades. That means your team mates shall be the pair who chose the Ace of Clubs; Jack Atlas and Kyosuke Kiryu." Atem could see Yusei's confusion as well, as now they were the only two left side stage. Did they not have a team? "You shall be team J.A.C.K., lead by Jack Atlas." There was an applause, as the newly formed team left the stage, and Atem and Yusei were left blinking at one another.

"Yusei Fudo and Atem Muran," Dartz then announced, and the pair slowly made their way to the stage. Yusei tried not to look at how many people there actually were out there, as he felt nauseous enough as it was. "You two chose the Queen of Hearts. As this cohort has just fallen short of 60 students, we are unable to form 15 complete teams, and as the Queen of Diamonds was left untouched, you two shall be your own team, lead by Atem Muran. As for your name...we'll leave that up to you." He then turned back to the audience-the rest of the school-as Yusei and Atem swiftly left the stage. "I'd like you all to give our first year students a warm welcome!"

The applause that rang out through the auditorium was barely heard by Atem as they joined the rest of their cohort on the other side of the stage. He'd never heard of their cohort being short on students. Well, he'd never thought of the possibility that there wouldn't be an adequate number to make all complete teams of four. That didn't put them at a disadvantage though, did it?

After the rest of the school had cleared out, Ms Mazaki assigned each team their lockers and dorm rooms, and the students were free to settle in for the rest of the afternoon. As well as everything seemed to be going though, Atem wasn't quite content with the induction ceremony, and as they left the hall, as soon as he spied Professor Dartz, he was moving after the man. Yusei blinked as his partner swiftly walked in the other direction without so much as a word, before he moved to follow silently. Yusei caught up just as Atem had began talking to the headmaster.

"I just wanted to know why you picked me as team leader," he was saying, "I'm not a leader in any form of the word." Yusei stood just behind his partner, not wanting to intrude, but still able to hear the conversation.

"And what makes you think that?" Dartz asked him.

Atem seemed baffled, "Well, for starters, Yusei was the one who was pushing us forward the whole time in the forest, that's the only reason we made it to the temple at all. And he's obviously the better fighter, if you didn't see that I almost got decapitated."

"While that may be true," Dartz answered, "Your partner showed too much hesitation in the forest," he glanced up at Yusei for a moment, who simply stared back at the headmaster. Atem was even more confused, for he hadn't seen Yusei hesitate once. Or had he not been paying attention? "A leader needs to be confident, and assurance is a strong quality of yours, which will benefit your team dynamic greatly. Don't get me wrong though, you're both very talented and have your own brilliant qualities; I think you'll work together quite well. I just don't think you should rule yourself out so quickly. Either way, there's a lot you could learn from each other. Give it time, and you'll see what I mean, but for now, perhaps you should focus on settling in." With a nod towards Yusei, Dartz turned and headed back down the hall, leaving Atem blinking behind him.

"You think I'm the better fighter?" Yusei suddenly asked, causing Atem to spin around.

"Well, yeah," he replied, walking back over, "You saved my ass back there."

Yusei was already heading towards the dorm rooms, "That's what team mates do. Need I remind you that it takes incredible skill to be a dual wielder?"

Atem was muttering to himself as he followed behind, "More like incredible idiocy."

Yusei hummed in question, turning his head to look over his shoulder, and Atem waved his hand dismissively while shaking his head. "Just something my Dad used to say, don't worry." Yusei eyed him for a moment, before shrugging and continuing their course to the living quarters. He still wasn't quite sure what to think of his new partner, but so far, it seemed they could work together, and that was all he needed.

...

Just over an hour later, and the two were settling into their room. There were two bunk beds, and both teens had chosen the bottom to sleep on. At least they didn't have to fight over sleeping arrangements with two other people. Actually, having only one room mate made Yusei feel slightly more at ease. He wasn't sure how he would deal with living in such close quarters with three other people. One though, he could handle, especially when said individual was one to spend most of the afternoon napping.

"Weren't you unpacking?" Yusei asked the teen who was sprawled out on his bed. All of Atem's belonging were strewn across the top bunk, so as to not cause a mess on the floor, but he hadn't managed to really unpack any further than that. Yusei however, had almost filled up the bookshelf in the corner, and half the dresser on his side of the room.

Atem, lying face down on the bed, lazily waved a hand at his room mate, before mumbling, "I'm getting there."

A slight chuckle sounded from Yusei, before he began to assess the school uniform he'd been given. He was quite happy with the outfit, actually, and after letting out a grateful sigh, he placed it with the rest of his clothes. Atem simply stayed in his position on the bed, until he heard footsteps approach the door, which was sitting open.

"Hey, look who it is!" Crow asserted as he leaned against the door frame, "We're right across the hall from you guys."

Atem rolled over so that he was lying on his back, and he placed his arms underneath his head. "Nice," he replied. "Good to know we have friendly neighbors."

Yusei nodded his head to the side wall, "I don't know about those guys though," he said, receiving questioning looks from the other two males. "Can't you hear them?" he asked. Ever sine they'd arrived, the team next door had been arguing about their bunks. "Never mind," he set back to sorting out the rest of his clothes, and Crow's eyes caught sight of the boots sitting beside Atem's bed.

He nodded his head at them, "Those look dangerous," he joked, "What have you got hiding in the bottom?" Crow had noticed the metal encasing the heel, obviously housing something, and Atem leaned to look over the edge of the bed at his boots.

"Ha," he lifted one of them up to show him the back, where the hatch opened. "I tried to put boosters in the heel, but when I tested them out this morning, I ended up crash landing into the trees."

Yusei looked up, as he closed one of the drawers. "Is that why you fell through the canopy?" an amused smile sat on his face, and this new information was entertaining Crow greatly.

Atem nodded, "And thus you became team mates with the screaming idiot," he finished, placing the boot back on the floor. Yusei laughed, moving to sit down on his own bed, as Atem pulled out one of his swords to admire, "I think I'll stick to the conventional stuff, though."

With the introduction of weapons, Crow turned to the other teen in the room, "What is your weapon, Yusei? I couldn't really see much while being dragged around by that King Taijitu." The man in question raised his right arm where the silver contraption sat, as he activated the blade, and it slid out of place. Crow raised his eyebrows, "Nice. What's that on your other hand, then?"

Crow had pointed to Yusei's left hand, which had a mechanic skeletal structure over his glove, attached to a metal brace at his wrist. "This is how I control it. Like if I do this," he bent one of his fingers in a very particular way, and the blade popped out. "I get the blade, and if I do this," he then moved another finger, and a smaller set of blades popped out, like shark teeth along his arm, "I get these ones. Also gives me a mean left hook," he joked. Atem made note not to ever get Yusei angry, as being punched by a guy wearing metal bars on his hand was not something he wanted to experience.

Crow blinked at him, "That is so cool," he said, "But how does that control it? It's completely separate."

"Wireless signal," Yusei explained, tapping where the transmitter was concealed in the wrist brace. "The only thing that could disrupt this thing is if it were blown to bits." He then slid the blades back into place, "It's also a grappling hook and wire, and has a few other blades in it. I'm still working on making it better, though." He looked up at the teen standing in the doorway, "What about you? What's your weapon?" Crow held a finger up, before disappearing into his own room. A second later, he returned, grasping a bow in his hand. Of course, Yusei remembered, Aki had been holding it when she ran into the clearing, but Crow had taken it from her after the fight.

"A bow and arrows?" Atem asked, raising an eyebrow, "Isn't that a little...ancient?"

"Wait for it," Crow grinned, pulling out an arrow, and pointing it out the window. Atem and Yusei both moved so that they could see its path, and Crow shot it at a tree outside. As soon as it hit its target, bark exploded from the trunk and showered the footpath below. There was a decent indentation left on the tree afterwards. "Exploding arrows!" Crow grinned as he looked between the two teens, who gave him nods of approval.

"I still don't see its practicality though," Atem then argued, "You'd have to go through so many arrows. What if you ran out?"

Crow wasn't done yet though, "But it's not the actual arrow that explodes. Just the tip does, and the arrows are designed to withstand the blast." He then pulled a small lever on his bow, and Atem noticed the arrow still stuck in the tree had a small green light on the end of it, before it burst back through the window and back into the holder on Crows back.

"Okay," Atem said in finality, turning to Yusei, "That's pretty cool." His team mate simply nodded, before joining in with his own argument.

"What if you didn't want to blast your opponent to oblivion?" Yusei asked.

Crow was prepared for this question also, "Easy. I don't just have exploding arrows. I've got stunning arrows as well. I'm also thinking of trying to make some other kinds."

Then, there was a female voice from outside the door, "What if you just wanted to grab their attention?" The three teens turned as Aki approached behind her partner, and Crow gave her an incredulous look. Yusei had stood up once more to fill the small set of drawers beside his bed.

"Then I wouldn't shoot an arrow at them!" he replied, as if it were the most obvious thing in the world. Aki just laughed, joining him in the doorway, as she reassured him it was simply a joke. Crow then turned to the two teens in the room, "Settling in alright?"

Atem nodded, "This place seems pretty cool. But the rooms don't quite feel..." he moved his hands in a manner that showed he was trying to think of a specific word. "Like home," he finished. Yusei suddenly paused from what he was doing, before fumbling with the object in his hands, and dropping it into the draw. Atem noticed this, but decided not to voice his concern while Aki and Crow were in the room. Instead, he thought for a moment, before the teen's face lit up. "Oh, I know!" Aki and Crow watched on in amusement as Atem climbed up to the top bunk, throwing his belongings around in search of something. Finally, he jumped down, a grin on his face, and an object in his hands. "Do you like games, Yusei?" he asked.

The man in question nodded, eyeing the object in Atem's hands. "Sure I do."

"Perfect!" Atem all but slammed the gaming console down on the ground, glad that each room had a holographic TV box installed. "Who wants to play?" Crow practically bounded into the room, announcing his interest, before grabbing one of the four controllers attached to the console. Atem grinned, before grabbing a second one and holding it out to Yusei. "Come on," he said, "You've done enough for today, have some fun." Yusei looked at the controller for a moment, before letting out a sigh, followed by a smile.

"Yeah, alright," he agreed, taking it from Atem, before the three of them turned to the girl still by the door.

"Do you want a game, Aki?" Atem asked her, "There's a controller with your name on it." He nodded to the last one, a hopeful smile on his face.

She took a step into the room hesitantly, "I haven't really played any video games before," she admitted.

"Doesn't matter," Crow said, throwing the last controller to her, "You'll catch on pretty quickly."

After a brief game of scissors paper rock to decide what game they should play, the four teens all sat around the holo-tv, coaching Aki along and enjoying each other's company. Yusei sat up on his bed, enjoying the game, but still staying fairly silent during the whole ordeal. Atem had gotten the impression that the guy wasn't all too sociable in large groups, but the slight smile he held said that he was enjoying himself, which was enough for Atem.

After an hour or so, they were alerted to the fact that it was dinner time. Despite how heavily invested they had gotten in their game, they put it aside and all trudged over to the eating hall. If the food they had been served so far in Beacon was anything to go off of, they were going to have some damn good meals. Entering the hall, Crow soon caught sight of Jack, who waved at them, and Aki encouraged Atem and Yusei to sit with them and meet their team mates. When they made their way over, Kiryu raised his eyebrows, and Crow quickly jumped into introductions.

"Jack, Kiryu, this is Atem and Yusei, their room is right across from us." Atem waved, Yusei nodded, and Jack casually folded his arms.

"So you're the two man team," he said curiously, "Don't you think that would give you guys a disadvantage?"

Atem shrugged, "I'm not sure, but I'm just glad I didn't have to fight over the bottom bunk," he joked. Yusei chuckled as Aki let out a laugh, and Crow smiled.

Kiryu nodded, "I was unfortunate enough to lose that battle," he sent a glare to his partner, and Jack simply laughed, glad that he had been triumphant in their game of paper scissors rock.

The group of six sat and chatted as they ate, wondering what their first day of classes would bring. Yusei wasn't all too interested in the conversation, as his eyes scanned the room for any faces he might know. It was highly doubtful, but it still made him feel more at ease. As much as meeting new people made him nervous, seeing someone he already knew would make him feel worse.

About half way through the meal, another team walked past their table that Atem somewhat recognised from the induction ceremony.

"Hey look, it's the team of two," The one with dark red hair sneered, stopping by their table. "Ready to get your butts kicked in the annual tournament?"

That's something that hadn't crossed either of their minds, and would indeed put them at a disadvantage. Not wanting to answer the question, Atem turned to the four people standing by their table, "And you are?"

"Allister," he announced proudly, before indicating the three people next to him, "And this is my team." There was suddenly a loud cough behind him, where the tallest of the group stood. He recoiled ever so slightly, "...uh, Rafael's team." Yusei looked over to the two who hadn't made a sound yet, a girl with long curly blonde hair, and a guy wearing goggles, who instantly jumped forwards upon noticing Aki.

"Hey there sweet cheeks," he said with a grin. Aki simply rolled her eyes, and continued to eat, not bothering giving him a response. The girl next to him though certainly did.

"Valon honey, I'm right here," she said, crossing her arms.

He didn't seem fazed by her obvious annoyance, "You know I'm kiddin', Mai."

Jack then cleared his throat, "Do you mind moving along? Your presence isn't exactly welcomed."

Yusei sat and pushed his food around the plate as the banter continued. He wasn't really listening, and couldn't be bothered putting in the effort to join in, as Jack, Crow and Atem were doing a good enough job at retaliating to their comments as it was. It wasn't until a certain sentence caught his ears though, that he'd had enough.

"The only chance you guys would have at winning, is facing up against the failure of a Faunus parade," Valon sneered, pointing to one of the tables behind him.

Yusei stood from his chair. "I've had enough to eat," he said, "I think I'll go finish un-packing." Atem was confused, he was sure that Yusei had already un-packed all of his stuff before.

Rafael then spoke up, "What, are you afraid that you'll get beaten by animals?" Yusei had already been in the process of walking away, but he stopped dead in his tracks. Keep walking, he thought to himself. Keep. Walking.

"If we were to lose," Atem then said, "It would be to people. They're no different to us, so you can get off of your arrogant high horse." Still standing facing away from the group, Yusei's shoulders relaxed slightly, before he continued to leave the building. After finishing his argument with Rafael, Atem stood as well. "I'm done with this," he said, before turning to his new friends, "I'll see you guys later."

It took Atem only a couple of minutes to reach their dorm room, and when he did, he saw Yusei sitting on his bed, fiddling with his weapon. Atem stepped in and closed the door behind him, watching as his partner tweaked various parts inside the arm guard. "You alright?" Atem asked, sitting down on his own bed. He knew that Yusei left much too abruptly for it to be a coincidence, but he barely knew the guy, and wanted to get his head around Yusei's mannerisms before jumping to too many conclusions.

"Hm?" Yusei hummed, not looking up from his work, before he registered Atem's words and responded, "Yeah. I wasn't inclined to sit and listen to those guys run their mouths."

Atem watched him carefully as he worked, re calibrating the transmitter on his left wrist. "I'm guessing you've had a bit of practice keeping yours shut." Yusei looked up then, slightly confused, as that was indeed true. Atem saw the look on his partner's face, and moved to continue, "Look, we've known each other for just under a day, but I really want to...understand you." Yusei had paused from his work, and he looked at Atem, letting him speak. "Now, I'm just gonna list off the random things I've picked up today, you can tell me to shut up if you want." Yusei made no such noise, and so Atem continued. "When we met in the Emerald forest, you were really easy to talk to," and make fun of. "But as soon as more people are around, you tend to back off a bit. Now, I'm not sure if thats an introverted thing or whatever, but either way I don't care, that's just what I noticed. And then there was just before-" Atem's eyes had wandered a bit while he was talking, but now they focused on Yusei once more. "You were happy to ignore the jackass comments, until it hit something that must have bothered you. But, you didn't say anything." Atem, being the kind of person to always voice his annoyances, was confused by this. "Why's that?"

Yusei knew he had to reveal at least a small amount to satisfy Atem, because damn he was good at reading people. Yusei looked out the window, "You're pretty spot on with all of that," he said, his nausea threatening to return, "But yes, it did bother me." It took him a moment's pause, but Yusei finally forced the words out, "Because...someone quite close to me was a Faunus." If it weren't for Atem's comment back in the hall, Yusei wouldn't have even hinted to that fact, but this was his last ounce of trust he could give out, and thankfully, Atem did not disappoint. He simply sat there without a hint of judgement on his face. "But I didn't say anything, because where I grew up, keeping your mouth shut was more of a benefit than retaliating." Yusei moved to keep fiddling with the transmitter, "At least, I learned that the hard way. From then on, you get used to it."

"I see," Atem said, watching as his partner continued fiddling with his wrist brace, the arm guard still sitting by his side. He then thought over Yusei's words. "Wait, was?" He questioned the man's choice of words when speaking of the Faunus friend, but Yusei didn't respond, and he decided it was best left for another time. Atem cast his eyes down to the object Yusei had placed aside a moment ago. "So, does your weapon have a name?" he asked.

Yusei blinked, before his eyes focused on his arm guard once more. "Uh, no, it doesn't."

Atem shook his head, "Everyone gives their weapon a name, you'll have to think of one." Yusei wasn't exactly familiar with this, but he went along anyway, asking Atem what his was. The man pointed to each sword that protruded over his shoulders, "Soul, and Shadow," he said.

They continued to chat for a little longer, until Aki and Crow returned, complaining that their team mates were 'being boring' and Atem suggested they pull out their game from before. The other three were quite happy with that idea, so they all sat down once more, as the room was filled with curses, laughter, and playful threats. As the night wore on, the teenagers finally relaxed after a hectic day of fighting Grimm and meeting new people. They knew that there was a lot that lay ahead of them this semester, but despite the obstacles they knew they all had to face, they seemed to silently agree to continue the ritual of video games and laughter, no matter how stressful things got.