AN: So I got another shoutout from the Commander on Legion 205's Podcast. I love the insanity in it, mainly because that's a slow Tuesday for one of my friends.

However, SOMEONE (not naming names) called the Dressed in DRAB works a spin-off.

My live reaction to this: IT IS NOT! A SPINOFF HAS NO CANON INFLUENCE ON THE ORIGINAL! THIS DOES! IT IS A COMPANION PIECE! CONNECTED BUT SEPARATE! I WORK WITH THE COMMANDER TO MAKE THIS FIT! *Precedes to flip off the computer screen* ...Wait, he can't see that.

*looking at what I just wrote.* If this ends up in the Podcast... *laughing fit*

Anyway, onto the story.

Haley's POV

How did Rex make it worse? For the last week, Azure has been actively avoiding us, to the point of using her Semblance if we get too close. Her attendance in class has also slipped. Me, Jason, and Rex have all been attempting to explain away her absences, but its clear the teachers are getting upset about it.

As it stands, Jason and I are using our free period to spar again. This time, we're more focused on training then fighting each other. There are about a dozen students also training here, including Pyrrha. A few people are watching her train.

All of a sudden, Rex burst into the training room "Nikos, I'm challenging you to a fight; here and now!"

Wait, where are his weapons?

He charges straight at Pyrrha and she barely manages to get her shield up in order to protect herself. Everyone is stunned by Rex's rashness. He's willing to attack Pyrrha out of the blue like this?

Pyrrha manages to put some distance between Rex and herself. "Don't you need to get your weapons?"

Rex gives an unnerving smile. "I see no purpose in bringing weapons I do not intend to use to defeat you. All I need are my fists!" He enters a combat stance, allowing me to see he's wearing a pair of black gloves over his hands.

I turn over to Jason, and he's fiddling with his scroll. "What are you doing?"

"One sec... Done!" He looks up and shows me his scroll. "I tapped into Pyrrha and Rex's Scroll so we can see their aura meters. Someone has to be responsible and pull them off each other when they hit the red." He then taps a few more buttons. "There." My scroll vibrates, and I see the Jason's program showing up on mine.

I guess that it is just going to happen then.

Pyrrha switches her weapon to gun form and fires a bullet at Rex. He twists out of its path before running straight towards her. Pyrrha raises her shield to block his punch. He quickly launches a snap-kick into her ribs. Her weapon back in sword form, she swipes at his chest.

Rex ducks under the sword, going for a sweep kick. Pyrrha dances back to dodge. Rex speaks with a malicious edge. "What's wrong Pyrrha? Your little skill not helping you?"

Pyrrha swings downward at Rex's head. He raises one hand and catches it. "Got to love these gloves." His free hand glows black and he punches Pyrrha in the gut, sending her sliding back.

He charges forward and ducks under her arm. He reaches out as he passes, catching her wrist and using his forearm to apply pressure to her elbow. Pyrrha raises her other arm to her shoulder from the pain. He mutters something I couldn't hear, but Pyrrha goes pale at hearing it. He breaks his own hold and slams his foot into her back. She gets her distance and starts firing at him. He uses his gloved palms to block the shots. However, his aura is still draining from each shot.

Rex starts to smile and runs forward. He has her on the ropes and he knows it.

Pyrrha swings her shield around at Rex's head. That's the move that took me out in the tournament.

Rex makes an attempt to stop and avoid the strike but it still clips him hard, sending him sprawling out on the floor. He gets back up, but he looks dizzy and he stumbles instead of holding his stance.

Wait a second. I see Rex's eyes, but they are clearly focused on Pyrrha and they look like... he's amused?

Pyrrha charges Rex and swings her sword at him. Rex backs up in order to dodge it, but it's clumsy and he's barely standing up.

He throws a punch at Pyrrha, but it goes wide. In an attempt to dodge her next strike, he slips and falls to the floor. Pyrrha places her sword over Rex "I win."

Rex gets his arms under himself and pushes off the ground. He walks away rubbing his forehead. Pyrrha seems disappointed and walks out herself. Jason and I look at each other.

Jason is just as confused as I was. "As much as I'm glad someone took Rex down a peg, something's off about the fight."

I agree, but I can't figure out what just occurred.

Rex's POV

I go to my locker and grab Necessity and Invention before slipping them back into their rightful places.

"Why did you throw the match?"

And Nikos appears. "I was worried for a second that you missed it."

"That doesn't answer my question."

I turn to face her. She looked upset, which filled me with a dark satisfaction. "Simply put, it was the best outcome. After you beat me the first time, I started paying attention. I saw your Semblance and pieced it together." I raise my hands, showing off my gloves. "That is why I fought with these instead of a weapon. You can't use your little talent when I don't bring metal to fight you."

Now Nikos is angry. "That doesn't explain why you threw the fight!"

"I was getting to that. I watched you to figure out how to beat you. However, I started to notice that people were treating you differently. Because of your title, people saw you as an idol, not a person. It hurt you to be separated from everyone else. That's when I realized that, deep down, you want someone to surpass you. If someone defeats you at your peak, you won't be the Invincible Girl; you'll be just another student."

As I speak her emotions switch to anger to outrage to shock, ending in a self-reflective tranquility. I press on. "I wanted to hurt you, but if I won, you would benefit as well. That is why I decided to have you win after making it clear to you that you shouldn't have. Now you still are the Invincible Girl, still the champion of Mistral, but you know just how empty those titles are."

"What did I do that made you this mad?"

I draw Necessity and Invention. "These are all I have left of my family. You do not fuck with my weapons. You're lucky you did it in ignorance. I would have been much less merciful."

With that I wandered off, leaving her behind to contemplate my words.

WN: Yeah, thats a thing.

I am just going to say this. Rex did this because Pyrrha accidently hit an emotional wound. He went overboard, becuase he's still a teenager.

I finally got the gloves in! In Phoenix Rose's Orientation and Reunion, the Commander actually hinted at their existence when he mentions the dust gloves. While in-universe, they have no name, I occasionally refer to them as the Memento Mori. They are made of borbatusk hide, so they can take some abuse.

I loved how trollish I made Jason in this. He was probably wishing for popcorn.

Azure's POV

"Dagger, I am not playing to your vanity, I actually do respect your capabilities."

"Miss Raptor, your heart is in the right place. That concern for others is a sign of a true Huntress."

"If you invest that energy into being a Huntress, I have no doubt you'd become a legend for the next generation. That is why you were given this second chance. Make the most of it."

I don't belong here. Everyone... I'm sorry.

"Goodbye." With tears rolling down my face, I walk out the gates of Sanctum and disappear into the night.