It's the morning of the tournament between the top-ranked student in each class and I'm easily on mile number three of my ten-mile run. I was built for strength and endurance, I trained to be more capable and more insightful than any of my peers at Atlas. Beacon doesn't care what I was supposed to be, what I still will be. They raise Neela up onto a pedestal that the others chase after with their arms outstretched, but they can't hope of ever reaching it and by casting me aside in ignorance, I'll be forced to tear it down and bring her to our level. If Neela hunts three Grimm, I'll hunt four. If Neela gets all A's, I'll do the extra credit. If Neela fails just the slightest… I'll watch in satisfaction.

Titus took long strides, trying to place his mind on anything else but he couldn't escape the hatred he felt for Neela. He didn't want to hate her, but his mind wouldn't allow it to be any other way. He tried to focus his training on Atlas and strategies they'd use when they couldn't outsmart their enemy, but the problem with using such methods was the fact that it would be generally frowned upon to use them on a teammate, let alone a superior. That's what Neela was in his mind, his superior. But she shouldn't be. She'd never killed. She didn't work as hard as Titus. She didn't want it as bad as Titus.

"Aren't you getting tired?" Blake asked as she approached Titus treadmill and smiled at him, offering him a bottle of water. He shook his head and kept running, it was the most that he'd pushed himself to run all at once in months, but Beacon had made him drop his guard. Everyone was always convincing him that he should try and work together, as a team. Complacency would make him weak. He'd fallen back into the same mindset he'd held before he'd arrived and he was more than satisfied with it. "Will you take the water anyway? You look pretty red Titus, and I'd really hate for you to pass out."

"Thank you Ms. Xiao Long, but I'll be fine on my own," he told her. Her mind's eye dove deep into the shadows of her past and she remembered the conversations she'd had with Winter about Titus before he'd arrived. The Gargoyle. One girl even used to call him The One Man Army. It wasn't that he couldn't work with others, it was that he didn't want to admit that he needed them. His mind didn't accept that others could be better because it would mean admitting defeat. Was all of this for his father? Himself? Had Admon scarred his psyche so bad? "Don't you have a fight to prepare for?" Blake laughed thoughtfully.

"I'm not the one fighting in it, Neela is," she told him. "But I will be there to support her, and sometimes that in itself is enough to give people the strength they need." He continued running without turning or giving any sort of acknowledgment. "I used to be alone too Titus. Just like you, I chose to be alone, in hopes that I could keep people from harm by bearing the entire weight of their burdens. It almost got me killed on several occasions in addition to several of my closest friends." Titus tried blocking her out, the memory of Admon trying to kill his family rushed back in. He was the only one who could save them in that situation!

But that's not the way that it happened Titus.

"I thought that it would be easier to run off on my own every time something from my past reared its head," Blake explained further. "Maybe it's not exactly the same, you only choose solidarity because you feel the strength in it. I only chose it because it was easier than admitting I needed others. It was foolish of me to think that I'd be helping my friends by putting myself at a greater risk instead of letting them help me carry the burden." Titus slowed before coming to a stop, his chest heaving, eyes wide as he looked at Blake. "While you're here Titus, the Atlas Military is watching your family. The council is keeping threats at bay. We're teaching you how to become a better huntsman so that you can contribute in the best way possible." Blake handed him the water. "You're not alone."

"Right," he said quietly with a single nod. His mind raced, Neela, Ilia, Eliana, Winter, Kitsune, and his teachers filled his thoughts. They all relied on one another to keep the world safe. It had been there all along, but he had refused to admit it. What if, doing the best he could, was enough? What if measuring his worth in skill was fallible? Without Ilia they had no stealth, without Eliana there was no laughter, and without Titus… there was no strength. Titus sat on the equipment and stared hard out the window until Jaune came along and tapped him on the shoulder.

"You okay, Titus?" Jaune asked. Titus nodded as he stood.

Strength does not come from doing it on my own Admon. It comes from the knowledge of seeing the role that I was born to fill and playing it, even if that role is ever changing.

"Yeah," Titus said. He headed for the doors to the locker room. "I think I'm going to go cheer on Neela."

Neela and Eliana stood in the middle of the arena floor and watched as people flooded into the fieldhouse, camera crews setting up as well as the primp and proper looking interviewers from each kingdom fought each other for the better-looking shots and angles, all four of them interviewing Glynda about what made her decide that she wanted to hold something like this, and what they could expect to see during the event. Glynda answered all of the questions with a smile, Blake picking up on her becoming annoyed and brushed them away so the headmistress could get a quick breather. Eliana's eyes were wide as they swept the crowd and she waved to the rest of their team, as well as Team CBLT.

"How big is this event?" Eliana asked in awe.

"Well, we are Beacon, and this is the first time that we've done anything like this," Neela explained to her. One of the doors at the top of the building was open and someone surrounded by press made their way down the steps to try and take their seat, random journalists and cameramen stumbling back as Qrow became visible in the chaos, trying to clear a path for Ruby to get through. Neela smiled as her aunt waved to her and Eliana jumped up and down, waving back before calming for a moment to take a second look around the arena floor itself.

"Where are all of the other participants?" Eliana asked.

"Getting ready in the locker room," Blake said as she approached them. "You can join them if you'd like." Eliana strong-armed Neela and began to drag her into the tunnel.

"Let's go smack talk them!" Eliana declared. Neela found her feet again after a moment and followed Eliana into the locker room where the others were getting ready. Soya Kelly and Cerise Carver sat on one of the benches next to each other, glancing over at Neela and Eliana before returning to their scrolls and talking quietly to each other. Eliana watched them for a long moment as Neela continued on, spotting the final student, a wave of relief and excitement washing over her. Orin Akos looked up at her from his book, he sported a gentle smile as he closed it and brushed himself off, approaching her. Did he know that he was about to fight?

He wore a black suit with a white button up undershirt and gray tie, the tie periodically embroidered with the Vale Kingdom emblem. His soft, bright, light blue eyes pierced right through her but were inviting. His white hair was styled as a short cut faux hawk and Neela knew immediately that he must be a hit with the women. However, his one shining feature that instinctually allowed her to drop her guard was his large eagle wings. He extended his hand for what she assumed was a handshake, but he cautiously took her fingers and drew them in, kissing her knuckles as he looked up at her from kneeling on the floor. He was a bit forward, but he certainly knew what he was all about.

"And you must be the lovely Neela Xiao Long," Orin said as he stood. "You're the one that they've all been fussing about, and if everything that they say is true, they have very good reason to. Top marks for archery and decision-making during the regional tournaments the last couple of years before you came to Beacon. Your team is simply unrivaled among the first years. You should be very proud of yourself Neela, you've put your name out there and people are going to know that you're not to be taken lightly, like Ruby Rose or Winter Branwen."

"Someone's done their homework," she replied.

"Hardly. Trust me, word gets around quickly about you first years, even among us 'elders' as it were. You'll see once you reach the second year that despite the fact that the first years are more heavily segregated from us, you still have an impact on us and we still hear all about Team NITE and CBLT. I should look forward to it, perhaps our teams will be assigned to missions with each other," Orin told her. Eliana finally joined them and he nodded to her, taking her hand as well and kissing it. Neela felt a strange momentary pang of jealousy before letting it go. "And you must be Eliana." Eliana glanced at Neela.

"Did she mention me?" Eliana asked. Orin laughed.

"I've heard talk of your team. The four of you have something good going for you," Orin told Eliana. Eliana smiled and nudged Neela.

"See!? And you're always worried about something or other," Eliana told her.

*Will the students competing in today's event please report to the arena* The PA thundered, though it came out of the speakers considerably quieter in the locker room. Eliana smiled at Neela and squeezed her hand.

"Good luck," Eliana told her. Eliana turned around into a full-blown sprint and ran face first into Soya, bracing herself after bouncing off of the girl and hitting the floor.

"What are you doing in here?" Soya asked, Cerise standing just behind her.

"Who says that she can't be in here with me?" Neela asked. Soya gave a cocky smirk and took a step forward but Orin placed himself in the gap between the two parties.

"Ladies, I'd hate for anyone to be disqualified for starting the action too early," Orin told them. "Can't this wait just a few more minutes?" Soya's expression never changed, and she glanced back at Cerise.

"Look at the underclassmen sticking up for each other," Soya teased. She shoved Orin back into Neela and Eliana, flaunting as she turned sharply to the left and exited for the battlefield with Cerise.

"Thanks," Eliana told him.

"They'll find out what we're capable of in a few moments," Orin assured her with a smile. "Just watch." Neela raised an eyebrow at him and smirked.

"Take care not to be overly confident," Neela told him. He chuckled and took her arm, nodding to Eliana who stepped out of the way.

"My confidence is never misplaced my dear Neela," he told her with a wink. Suave. If I wasn't so taken with Elli or had even the slightest interest in men, he wouldn't be a bad choice. They waved to the crowd as they left the tunnel, a new thundering roar of approval drowned out the announcement of their arrival and Neela spotted her friends again. Eliana was tearing her way up the stairs, flopping down next to Titus and screaming loudly which prompted Titus to lean away and cover one of his ears.

"There she is!" Eliana exclaimed.

"Who's the guy?" Titus asked.

"Orin Akos. He's the top second year. Seems really nice," Eliana told him. Titus looked next to him at Ilia and Vin.

"He's a looker," Ilia said slightly swooning.

"I'm right here," Vin stated. Ivory leaned forward, her head between the two of them as Rowan tried to pull her back.

"And if you had eyes that were that nice we'd say the same thing about you," Ivory said. Beside Vin was Team CBLT in order.

"Why did you wear your visor in here again?" Tawney asked across Lykos and Bái who were holding hands.

"I like analyzing fights," Cobalt replied. "Is it so wrong for me to act somewhat normal every now and then?" Lykos, Bái, and Tawney all nodded. "Haha, very funny."

"Do you think that Neela will win Lykos-kun?" Bái asked. Lykos gave half a shrug.

"I've never seen the others in action, so it's hard to say until they get started," Lykos replied. There was a whistling noise that rose over the rest of the cheers and they all glanced up and across the bleachers at Yang who was being pulled back onto her seat by Blake.

"Go Neela! Kick their asses!" Yang called out.

"Yang!" Blake scolded. "We're not allowed to show favoritism, remember?" Yang shot her a blank stare and looked her in the eyes.

"That's our daughter," Yang said. "Nothing is going to stop me from showing my support. Besides, I'm pretty sure that only applied to before the tournament. If it applies now, too bad!" Yang stood again, hoisting Shadow upon her shoulders. "Go, sissy!" Shadow laughed and threw her hands up.

"Go, sissy!" She parroted. A few rows up from the Xiao Longs sat Ruby, Qrow, and Glynda. Ruby smirked as she looked across Qrow at Glynda and interrupted their conversation.

"How long are you going to make them wait?" Ruby asked. Glynda smiled back.

"Long enough," Glynda said. "Patience is an important element in training and survival beyond the walls of Beacon, but I think you know how to survive better than any of the rest of us, so I'm really just preaching to the choir." Ruby laughed and waved her off.

"It's fine," Ruby told her. "While we have a moment, why don't you tell me about each of the students fighting today, with the exception of Neela. I know plenty about my niece already."

"Cerise Carver is representing the fourth years in today's contest," Glynda explained to her pointing the girl out among the two girls that wanted nothing to do with Orin or Neela. "She'll be turning twenty-one in a couple of months just before her graduation, and she's worked hard to get here, ever since her family died. Slightly more level-headed than Soya, Cerise and Soya grew up together on the northern coast of Mistral, where much of Atlas's influence still remained even after all this time, years beyond the Great War. The same technology that allows her to speak and breathe also almost killed her. An armed, primitive Dust bomb that detonated when she was playing on the playground claimed the lives of several friends and nearly killed Cerise. Her breathing is assisted as is her voice, her aura could only repair so much and the rest was left to science.

Beside her is Soya Kelly. Where Cerise took the high ground and sought to claim the power that she felt belonged to her, Soya climbed after her, feeling as though she was entitled to just as much as her best friend. Soya trained hard on the outskirts of Haven to ensure that she'd make it into Beacon, Cerise leaving a year before had left her with a void that she could only fill with violence. Brutality drives Soya to be the best of the third years more than anything despite putting very little effort in. On the outside, she acts like the perfect student, but from what Coco has expressed to me, she might need counseling, though I'm not sure what might have happened to her that would have caused so much trauma. She hasn't endured nearly as much as Cerise.

Lastly, we have Orin Akos, the lady killer of the sophomores. He's the dark horse if there ever was one. Born on Menagerie, his parents spent what little money that they had to send him to the mainland once he was old enough to seek employment. At only thirteen years of age, Orin had trekked halfway across Remnant and worked in one of the many Dust mines littered across Atlas, determined to show the world that Faunus were no different than anyone else. In his free time, he traveled to the city, watching the Atlas students train, mimicking their movements. He bought a weapon, took the entrance exam, and now he's here." Ruby nodded as she watched Neela laughing at something that Orin said. "But this isn't a trip for rest and relaxation, is it Ms. Rose-Schnee?"

"You got me there," Ruby replied. She sat in silence for a long moment before sighing. "I can't say much about it, and not even the council knows."

"It has to do with Ozpin?" Glynda inquired. Ruby's face said everything. "Say no more, I understand."

*Good afternoon ladies and gentlemen! Welcome to the first ever tournament of the top-ranked students for Beacon Academy. It's best if we just keep things brief and let them do their thing, right? As mentioned before to the students and everyone else involved in setting up the event, the teachers were not allowed to give the fighters an edge over any other student, and the format was left unknown so that these aces would have to plan everything on the fly. Random luck of the draw would give us quite the pairing for our warm up, exhibition match. Orin and Neela against Cerise and Soya. Your aura breaks and you're out!*

"That's all the prep we get!?" Soya shouted. Orin smirked as he flipped out his three-part staff. He stepped back so that he stood behind Neela who pulled her bow off of her shoulder and formed her sword.

"Scared?" Orin asked. Soya flipped her hair.

"As if!" She declared.

3…

Neela steadied her breath as she glanced away from her opponents and found Eliana who was waving and cheering like mad, much to the annoyance of the others in the group. Eliana trained her hard enough for this, it might as well had been Vytal. Neela cast a side glance at Orin who stood unflinchingly.

2…

Yang's voice rang out to Neela as she took another deep breath. The room slowly faded except for the things that mattered. Her teammate, the two across from her, and her family. The work she'd put in wasn't only for this moment, but for every moment after as well. She could take on the White Fang. She would stop Athena.

1…

Neela closed her eyes, crouching slightly as she activated her semblance and prepared for the first move. Orin was already preparing beside her, his staff flipping together and snapping into place, forming a semi-automatic rifle and he aimed for Cerise. Her mask made her appear unamused and Neela listened closely as the start of the match was called out followed by another noise that was close to inaudible, but she recognized it from the Vytal Festival arena. The environment was about to change.

Go!

A fog set in instantly and Neela leapt back with Orin, grappling quickly to one of the trees that had sprung up in the swamp-like setting before perching and hooking Orin. He took her hand, nodding to her in thanks and placing two fingers to his lips.

Quick thinking. She looked at him in shock for a moment before determining that he was a telepath, and she replied with a single nod. Do that trick again with your eyes, could you? Neela activated her power and Orin stared blankly for a moment before pointing to where Cerise was. She's using her shockwaves as echolocation. She'll find us if we don't keep moving…

"Foolish of you to take to the trees," Soya's voice rang out as the tree's limb swatted them away.

"You'll have to run that by me again, I didn't quite hear you," Orin replied as he grabbed Neela and shoved her to the ground, diving under two Dust laced whips that extended from straps on Soya's wrists. Orin leaped to his feet in a sprint at Soya, disconnecting his rifle and meeting her attacks with his staff, alternating arms as he blocked her swings. Explosive arrow directly at my back. Don't hesitate. Neela did as she was told while dodging the end of what appeared to be a medieval flail that was connected to its handle by a laser, and she hit the ground. A split second before the arrow met Orin's back he flew directly up, the arrow exploding in Soya's chest and throwing her back. Cerise was distracted, worried about her lover which gave Orin an opening to drive her back into the trees with a hail of bullets that she shot down with her shock waves. Neela heard the sound again and leapt back as the swamp was replaced with the actual arena.

The change was distracting enough and she backflipped away as vines burst from the floor, nearly catching her twice as she sliced them apart with her sword, but one of Soya's whips made contact and tore through her right side, lighting up her aura. Neela crashed against the floor, sliding away as she fired an arrow past Soya. Soya created a wall of vines to protect herself from any unexpected explosions, the exact reaction that Neela had hoped for. She grappled the wall and pulled herself with alarming speed towards Soya, batting her whips away with her bow limbs before planting her feet in Soya's chest. Soya tumbled back, another wall of greenery stopping her and scooping her up, making sure she found her feet. Soya glared at Neela for a moment as they tried to read each other before Cerise slid to a stop next to Soya.

"I think it's time to stop messing around," Cerise said. Orin landed beside Neela as Soya threw up an even larger wall between them and Orin looked at her.

"I have an…" Orin began.

"I have one too!" Neela said cutting him off. "Shoot my arrow out of the sky and then fire at the middle of the wall. Fire Dust." Without giving him a moment to think about it she fired an arrow into the air, his bullet causing it to explode which Neela hoped was enough of a distraction for her second part of the plan to work. Orin quickly fired his second shot, Neela's arrow immediately behind it and as the bullet tore open the wall, Neela's arrow erupted, the ice preventing Soya from resealing the hole. Neela launched another arrow as Orin took to the sky, her arrow stopped quickly by Cerise's shockwaves, but she'd expected as much.

Neela charged as Orin landed in front of them, holding off Soya as Neela slid past the plant barrier and fired at Cerise. Cerise turned her attention to Neela, the head of the flail crashing into her hand with precision and unbelievable reach, forcing Neela to drop her weapon. A shockwave sent the bow sliding away, and the terrain became rocky, Neela's weapon lodged in the artificial landscaping. She caught her breath for a moment. What were her options? She was cut off from Orin and was facing an opponent that still had their weapon, the only thing that Neela still had to her advantage was her recent training, her grappling hook, and her arrows.

"Orin!" Neela called out. Soya gripped the ends of the staff with her whips, her vines crawling up his body and constricting him, wings included.

"You two aren't going to make it to the finals, much less do anything noteworthy during this match," Soya taunted him.

I'd love to help, but I am a bit preoccupied. Neela ran serpentine towards her bow, Cerise assisting her by throwing her away with her shockwaves and Neela came to a stop as she crashed against a boulder, hitting all fours as she coughed hard. Her aura wasn't doing well, and the upperclassmen were better than she anticipated. It was either time to get creative, or time to give up. Neela skittered around the rock as quickly as she could, using her semblance to watch as Cerise crept closer, Orin still struggling to break free but holding his own. The flail struck the side of her cover as she was concentrating on Orin and she stumbled away, her weapon pinned on the other side near Cerise.

"You can do it Neela!" Eliana's voice broke the silence. The light flickered on in Neela's head as the flail struck the rock again and Neela grabbed her Dust thread, quickly adhering it to the spiked ball with ice from one of her arrowheads, holding fast to it and using her hook to grapple Cerise as she struggled to draw the end of her weapon back in. Cerise quickly found herself dragged towards the boulder, smashing it with her semblance as she careened through the now open space and stumbled past Neela who grappled her bow as the Dust line broke. She fired an arrow that tore through the shoulder of Orin's jacket, narrowly avoiding his skin as it struck Soya.

She was taken off guard, unable to summon more vines to stop the next two arrows that struck the plants binding Orin, they writhed in pain and allowed Orin to escape, flying straight up into the air as the terrain was once again restored to that of the regular training floor. Cerise charged Neela from behind who blocked a few empty swings with her sword as the buzzer sounded with a deafening screech.

*That's it for the exhibition round! Was that impressive or what?!* The crowd lost their minds as Orin landed next to Neela and patted her on the back.

"I think they get that we're not giving up now," he said. He let out an exhale of relief and glanced at his suit. "You really are something else."

"Did you think I was going to hit you?" She asked. He laughed.

"Not for a moment," he replied.

*We'll give the kids a moment to hydrate and catch their breaths, but first up once we return is Cerise versus Orin! You won't want to miss this one!*

Orin and Neela aren't by any means ready to give up. Next week, Chapter 67 - The Best of the Best!

A big thank you to Carlomontie, Nliast, Y8ay8a, Sa-Dui, Diyaru4500, Demize00Zero, TheCipherNine, SketchHungry, Ookaminoki, Lightning-in-my-Hand, and Dishwasher1910. All of their artwork can be found at Deviantart, you can search Silent-Celica and under my favorites tab, I have a collection for NITE.

Until next week, stay classy!