AN: New Year IRL, New year in the fiction.

This is later than I planned, but my laptop f*cked itself with the latest update.

On the other hand, I have some bigger plans in the future for Dressed in DRAB. Also I think I have a personal cheerleader in CPF12 who's been checking up on me to make sure everything's okay.

Brain: I think I've found myself a cheerleader/ She is always right there when I need her.

Don't even like that song and its stuck in my head. F*CK!

Year 2: New Year, Same Games.

Haley's POV

I walk into Sanctum, grateful for the vacation from school. Getting to spend time with... Blushing, I shake off that line of thought.

We don't have classes till tomorrow, so I may as well find everybody and hang out with them. I pull out my scroll and message Azure, asking where she was. I quickly receive her response saying she was in the sparring room with the guys. I smirk at the unstated fact Rex and Jason were likely already fighting with each other.

I quickly head over to the sparing room and, seeing the fight in progress, go to the stands to watch. Azure simply appears right next to me. "you got inked over the break? It looks impressive."

I rub my exposed left arm, brushing my fingers over the intertwined dragons running down it and onto my hand. "Thanks." Watching Rex and Jason's weapons clash, I ask, "So how long have they been brawling?"

"About ten minutes. Rex won it in five."

"Jason seems to be fighting rather well for someone who lost already."

"Watch for the pattern." Every time one of them attacks, Azure starts to count, restarting after reaching five. Taking the hint, I start paying closer attention. After a few sets, I notice that when Azure hits five, Rex is always the one who strikes.

My eyes widen. "How did you see that? I would of missed it."

"I learned that life has a rhythm, so I started looking for patterns. Saved my ass a few times. Jason hasn't realized it, but he is letting Rex lead him through the steps. Rex could have ended this fight a while ago, but he choose not to. I've been trying to figure out why."

"Doesn't Rex like fighting? He may be flaunting his advantage over Jason."

Azure shakes her head. "Rex told me 'if you have been fighting long enough that someone places a bet, you took too long.'" She quotes Rex nearly pitch-perfect.

I chuckle at the thought. She continues, "Once Rex has the chance to win, he normally takes it. He thinks dragging it out simply leads to more chances of your opponent taking you by surprise. Unless..." She starts to ponder. "...Victory isn't his goal here."

"Then what is?" I turn back to the fight, Where Jason and Rex had locked blades and staring each other down. All of a sudden, Jason throws a kick into Rex's gut and he bends over in response.

Jason raises his arm to finally beat Rex, only for Rex to come back up with a gleam in his eyes, not bothered in the slightest by the kick. He quickly uses his free hand to grab Jason by the collar and swings his pommel into Jason's face. As Jason reels, Rex sweeps him and Jason soon has a sword point at his neck.

Rex calmly announces, "It's over, Breech." He slowly places his sword back into its sheath and turns to see me and Azure joining them. He raises his hand in acknowledgement before getting Jason off the ground.

Jason walks off grumbling and I barely hear Rex mutter, "Every time. Is it really that hard to stop for five seconds and talk?" His eyes focus on my left arm. "Nice tattoo. I take it that the dragons are a family thing?"

"Sort of. I wanted to get something to remember my parents, so I went with dragons."

Azure shakes her head. "I wouldn't have recommended putting it on your hand though. Its nearly impossible to hide there."

"Why would I hide it?"

"Getting recognized by the wrong people can be fatal. It nearly was for me." Azure starts to stare off into space while her hand starts sliding over to her daggers.

Looks like some bad memories. I wish she would explain what was wrong. Rex places a hand on her shoulder and gently pushes, snapping her out of her reminiscing.

"Sorry about that. Rex and I were going to check out the new blood later on. Wanna join in?"

"I don't exactly have anything else planned, so I guess I will."

"So Azure, how exactly does this work?"

"Basically, you simply people watch and look for people who look or just feel like they're not fitting in."

"That's it?"

Rex nods. "Its how we noticed you and Breech. We probably wouldn't have gotten involved with either of you if you didn't stand out as different."

In a weird way, that's kind of flattering.

Azure subtly points at someone. "Him." I take a closer look. He appears to a reptilian Faunus, judging by the patch of scales covering his hands, and was carrying an ax as big as he was across his back. "Despite the weight of his weapon, his steps are light; his eyes never stop moving, always watching."

Rex shakes his head. "There's no hardness to his features. He was trained by an Hunter. He's probably never needed to use it."

He can tell that from a glance?

Suddenly, Rex stands up and starts to walk away. I call out, "What's wrong?"

Without stopping he states, "Going to tear an asshole a new one. Azure, you may need to get my bail ready."

"He's joking, right?"

"With Rex, its hard to tell..."

Rex's POV

I casually walk towards the crowd of first years gathering in front of Boarius. He's repeating the same lines from last year. I draw Necessity with a flourish and stand behind him.

Seeing the eyes of his targets move towards me, he turns around and quickly has my saber pressed to his throat.

"You don't learn, do you? Leave, or I draw blood." Boarius starts to bring his hand to the sword at his waist, only to stop when the pressure on his neck increases. Deciding not to test my threat, he moves off.

I rub my own neck, having felt a strange pressure there near the end, before turning to see the new students looking at me with gratitude and adoration. That won't do at all.

"You should all be ashamed of yourselves." Shock rolls through the gathered students. "You are supposed to be training to become Huntsman and Huntresses, and the group of you couldn't deal with a single bully? We are warriors, you can't afford to be coddled. You all get one. If you can't stand on your own feet, I sure as Hell won't help you back up."

The freshmen are appropriately chastised, and most look down in shame. However, a few stare at me with defiant anger in their eyes. I turn around. "Some of you have already realized the lesson." I walk away.

Will is what calls forth our souls, what makes a Hunter powerful. The timid either need grow a spine or leave so they won't end up Grimm food.

Haley's POV

Azure brushes off Rex's abrupt departure and we get back to watching the new arrivals. I look around, and I noticed my gaze keep returning to a odd girl. Her eyes were covered by a white cloth wrapped around her head, but she walked with confidence. I signal Azure.

She nods. "I have seen blind fighters before. They usually have a Semblance that replaces our dependency on sight in a brawl. Probably enhanced hearing or something along the lines. Still, people underestimate them because they seem helpless. Good catch."

I turn back, only to notice the blinded student approaching us. She couldn't have heard us, could she?

She stops in front of us. Azure places a her face in her palm. "Keep moving, Missy. Not your friends here."

The girl turns her head to face Azure before gasping. She takes a large step back. "I understand now why I came here."

Excuse me? Azure clearly shares a similar sentiment.

"So few have a part in fate like you... but you two have an much-more open ended future. Will you play the part assigned to you, or will you compose your own future, Azure? Haley?"

She had no reason to know that!

Azure is similarly shaken. "Get the Hell away from me!" She draws a dagger and the girl walks away. "What the fuck is she?"

"I have no idea. I think I was too right on that one."

WN: Fun-times rejoice! Terra's addition to the Phoenix-verse timeline gives me so much enjoyment!

The Rex/Jason rivalry is still going strong. Suck it, Blu- er, Breech!

Rex is a very dickish helper. Prefers to trick people into helping themselves.

The mysterious blind girl is Ora, who is actually based off the Oracle of Delphi. Do I really need to explain her Semblance?

Originally this last bit was merely going to be implied at later points, but... I had a idea that requires it.

? POV

I'm still not strong enough.

I pull out my scroll and start messing around. I manage to infiltrate the student records and pull one file in particular.

If I get caught, it won't be good, but I need to know why he is so strong...