You two, you're gonna go far. But only if you keep learning, and only if you never stop moving forward.

Mercury's heel crashed into Yastuhashi's great blade, with a blow that would have dented any second rate pig metal on impact. The kind of hit that Ruben himself would have been winded by.

Not the dark skinned brute from Beacon. The Swordsman shoved his blade into the chest of the fighter, knocking the kick boxer back and into the tall grass. The gray haired fighter steadied his stance, before giving the man a stern look before he sunk into the plains behind him, disappearing from sight as the sound of Coco's Gatling gun tore through the woodland acre across from the great-swords man.

Brass casing littering the dirt and soil, deafening the crowd's cheers and cries. The bullets that didn't ricochet off of the the trees dug so deep into the wood that it would have shattered any armor by the sheer pressure.

Ruben admired Coco's weapon of choice. A large caliber minigun seemed perfect for a girl with twin hand scythes and boy who's half of a quarter of a tenth the fighter that Yin was. The greatswords man own blade was probably so large it didn't need to be sharpened. Just a heap of raw iron slapped onto a handle. The sight admirable and downright awesome to Ruben.

The Doubles contest was going on without a hitch. With Mercury and Emerald now facing off against Coco and Yastuhashi. A bout that kept the masses entertained and kept the other competitor's on their toes. Ruben, who's own physical ailments and aches and pains, kept him off the list by vote of W, B, and Y. Not that Ruben minded so much as annoyed by.

He would have enjoyed an opportunity to watch Mercury scramble at the sight of his shotgun blasts or watch Emerald try to keep up with his swings and kicks. But, Ruben would have to wait till another time to spar against them. For now, it would be Yin and Winter's turn to fight.

Yin, who sat right besides Ruben at this very moment, kept his eyes on Mercury's footwork and his fighting style. His vibrant eyes breathing in every swing and kick. Every recovery and stumble. Watched for calling signs and for subtle shifts in movement.

"It's me and him." Yin mumbled, his numb hand flexing and wrist rotating. His lips smacking together as he soaked in Mercury's moves. "Me and him."

Ruben watched Yin subtly shift in his seat with every swing and drop of Mercury's heel, duck and dodge with every punch and palm. Yin's mouth uttering what was either a silent prayer or the lyrics to one of his favorite cartoons. Ruben could never figure out.

But with every wasted bullet and sword swing, Ruben kept Velvet in his sight. Making sure to reach out to her and lend her a hand whenever the tides weren't raising her team's own ship. That gloved thumb of his was now rubbing against the back of her own hand. In soft, gentle circles. The kind that Yin would do to loosen the pressure in his own hands. Like he was right now.

"They're tough, but not very tough." Ruben mumbled, his hand resting along the armrest as he watched the bout. Eyes narrowing as he watched Coco begin to slowly circle the grasslands before her. Eyes watching out for anything. He could feel Velvet's hand shaking, her uneasy breath the only thing that Ruben didn't tune out or flat out ignore.

"B-but they are tough. Th-that's the problem." Velvet tightly gripped Ruben's hand as Yastuhashi's skull was met with the bone shattering force that was Mercury's heel. His eyes going blank for a moment, before the brute slumped over against the floor. Sword still firmly in his grasp. Velvet's blood ran cold, her jaw dropping as she watched probably the finest warrior she had ever known fall to a rather scary kick to the skull. The kind that would have crippled any run of the mill man.

"With that blow, Yatsuhashi has been eliminated!" The voice rang out, Ruben's eyes narrowing as he saw the way Mercury's knees locked as he stood tall over the fallen warrior. Not bend or shift after such a heavy blow. His eyes shifted over at Coco. Who was too busy circling in her one spot to notice Emerald's not so subtle strut over towards her. Her pale skin bleeding out a red blush in her cheeks as her hands began to shake. She was afraid.

By the time the beret wearing leader snapped out of her shock, the scythe blade snapped against her cheek and she was sent rolling into a nearby tree trunk. Shattering the great oak on sheer impact. Then another buzzer noise was sent.

"Mercury and Emerald are victorious!" The announcer shouted, leaving the crowd in a state of roaring and cheers. A great deal of boos and shouts of disappointment. Whether it was over the violence or the lack there of, Ruben had no idea. Velvet held onto Ruben as though he was going to disappear. His own hand holding onto hers as he watched the medics rush onto the scene. Velvet's cheeked drained of color, her hands ceasing to shake as she kept her eyes dead set on her teammates.

"Don't fret." Ruben glanced over at Velvet, flashing her a rather weak smile. "They'll be ok. Just...a little hurt."

"Kick, punch, it's all in the mind." Yin began bobbing his head, clicking his tongue against the backs of his teeth. His hand flexing and tightening into a fist over and over again. His heart thumping hard in his throat as he smiled a wicked smile. Taking in heavy breaths as he bobbed in his spot. The image of flashing spot lights and the ringing of round one bells echoing in his ears. "If you wanna test me I'm sure you'll find that all the things I'll teach ya is sure to beat cha."

"Explain." Ruben glanced up at Qrow, who leaning up against the doorway. His hands resting alongside his hips as he simply looked over Ruben. His eye cocked and his lip curled into a rather unimpressed smirk. "Now. You almost got into so much troubl-"

"Last time I heard from you, you were begging me for some materials to fix your peashooters. Saying you 'messed them up' on one of these 'covert missions.'" Qrow meandered in, sluggishly drifting from side to side as he entered the room. His breath smelling like a distillery and his eyes soaking in every blinding ray and shine from every bit of lamp light. "Now I show up like the lovable uncle that I am and I don't get so much as a 'how do you do? What gives, Ruben?'"

"You did pick a fight with Sara, To be fair." Yin piped in, throwing a shadow boxing right hook, a flying knee and spinning back elbow. Grunting a bit as he overstretched his arm. A hand resting on his aching bicep as he peered over at the two. Flashing them a big old smile. "Given Ms. Frost isn't exactly the...warmest...person...It would have been bad. She would have fought."

"She would have fought. You would have fought. It would and could have ended terribly. You were lucky Winter and I were there." Ruben stated, giving his uncle a shifty eye. His patience running thin as the smell of alcohol began to bleed into the room. Ruben threw up his arms, leaning in close to his uncle's face. "We are on thin ice as it is!"

"For being heroes?" Qrow rolled his eyes, glancing over the two of them and shook his head. Tongue clicking against the back of his teeth. "Heroes don't get suspended. They get medals. They get congratulated. They don't worry about getting into trouble! They don't run away when fighting the enemy! They don't give up on their mission! This is what Hunters do! This is what heroes do!"

"I am no hero!" Ruben stated, Yin's arm stopping mid punch to glance over at Ruben out the corner of his eye. His jaw dropping as he heard the words spill out of Ruben's mouth. Qrow's expression softened, his eyes losing their furrowed look and gently resting on his nephew. Ruben's hands locked into fists, his teeth barred as he stared at Qrow.

"All I am is a survivor. That's all. I wasn't heroic when the city was burning all around me. Wasn't a hero when Yin was slammed up full of steel and almost bleeding to death. I wasn't a hero when I watched the city burn before me and I couldn't summon the strength to fight the enemy back."

Qrow saw the glossy look in Ruben's eyes, his hands beginning to shake as he bowed his head and pushed past him. His uneasy breaths and shaky words rattling the older man to the core. He heard the defeat in his voice. The fear in his voice.

"I'm not a hero." Ruben rested a hand against the doorframe, knocking his fist into the wood before exiting the room. Leaving four little grooves in the painted oak. "Be gone by the time I get back. Or I'll kick you out myself." Ruben mumbled, shutting the door behind him with a slam.

"He's not taking this well, eh? Shame." Qrow mumbled, hands moving to his hips as he glanced over at Yin. Yin let his arms fall to his sides, nodding his head. "Not like I expected this to be easy."

Yin hung his head low as he shifted to sit upon Winter's bed. Arms resting along his knees.

"He's not dealing with it well. Kid saw the town burn, we weren't exactly up to fighting form. It took a lot out of all of us." Yin glanced down at his arm, seeing the round dark healed over wounds lining his arm. His hand nonchalantly running over every bump and every darkened smudge. "All of us."

"I'm sorry about your arm, kid." Qrow piped up, shuffling over towards Yin and nodding his head. Looking down at his huge nephew with a smile. "Knew you'd bounce back though. You got that Branwen toughness."

Yin simply smiled back, nodding his head as well. He glanced up at Qrow, letting out a snicker. The smirk his uncle gave him reminded the blonde seventeen year old so much of Ruben whenever he'd make some sort of snide remark.

"Gonna take more than that." Yin stated, flexing his wounded hand into a tight fist. He shifted his gaze over the other beds, smirking. "I gotta protect these bozos from the big bad world."

"I know the feeling." Qrow reached into his back pocket, tossing a folded up piece of paper over towards Yin. The piece landed in his lap. "Had to watch those three like a hawk."

Yin opened the fold, finding it to be a picture of team STRQ. Made up of Summer Rose, Taiyang Xiao Long, Raven and Qrow Branwen.

"I figured you'd like to see the best team Beacon had to offer. Get inspired." Qrow noted, nodding his head. His hands curling around his knees as he peered over the gap between the beds. "Never seen the four of us look so happy except in that picture."

To the far left was dear old Summer Rose. Ruben's blood mother. She was a beauty to behold. If Ruben ever decided to shave that fur off of his face, Yin could see Summer's face hiding under the stoic stares and the trimmed short beard hair. Her hair a much longer and darker shade of black than Yin's mother's own locks. She was dressed in this white long robe that would blend perfectly in the snow. Except for those striking silver eyes. Something else Ruben inherited from her.

Yin wished the Cookie baking was genetic, or else Ruben would be forced to drop all ambitions to be a Hunter and become a cookie maker.

Then there was their father, Taiyang Xiao Long. The short blonde haired, blue eyed daddy. His tattoo appearing on his arm, something Yin could not see his father getting at this day and age. His armored shoulder guard and that leather vest he apparently never took off.

It was strange seeing the man who's stubble was trimmed and his lip curled into such a satisfied grin. A far cry from the tired old man who lost both loves of his life in such a quick succession.

Then there was Yin's mother, Raven. Who never seemed to have aged a day. With the same black hair and dark demeanor. Except she had that big goofy smile. The kind that Yin would see in the mornings when he brushed his teeth. Yin shifted his eyes over towards a younger and probably much more sober Qrow. Yin averted his eyes off of the picture, glancing up at the real Qrow.

"Did you tell mom? Where I was?" Yin asked, holding the picture up to him. Thumb resting atop of his mother's torso. "Did you tell her I was messed up?"

"She does what she does, kid. I got no control over her." Qrow stated, glancing at the picture. He let out a sigh, folding his hands together. "Kid, there are gonna be times-"

"She told me that I shouldn't expect a repeat." Yin pulled the picture into both of his hands, staring at the smiling young woman in the picture. The image Yin had of his mother whenever his father told him about her. He expected her to be just as heartless as she was to him today. "I guess being a hero means just treating your own child like a nuisance. Even if he almost lost his arm."

"Kid-" Qrow saw Yin's hands begin to twist, the edge just above Raven's profile tearing. Yin shook out his hands, handing the picture back to him.

"If you ever see her. Tell her next time, let me die instead of inconvenience her." Yin stated coldly, snaring a bit as he glared at the picture's edges. Lips curled into a crooked little smirk. "Who knows? Maybe she would rather attend a funeral service than a birthday party."

The gentle streaming of the fountain's water began to annoy Winter. The aging and cracked lion head looked as though it was made hundreds of years ago, and the age has finally caught up to the great beast.

His fingers slowly trailing around the edges of his cup of tea. Sitting across from Winter was Sera, who sat with her hands folded under her chin. The golden sun beating against her cheek as she kept her gaze matched with his own. The courtyard was one of the more beautiful places to rest on campus. Among the couples on their first dates and the people catching a quick naps upon one of the many benches, Winter found it to be pleasant enough. The trimmed hedges and the ivy hanging off of the banisters gave the area so much life and made it so vibrant. Something that reminded Winter of home. It made him sick.

"I'll be sure to properly say goodbye to you once you decide to hop on the boat out of here soon." Winter picked up his tea, blowing into it softly as he peered into the cup and staring at his sister's reflection. Raising his eyebrows before taking a sip. "I'd leave you with a farewell present but I've seemed to have misplaced my crayons."

"If Father wasn't so desperate for me to come home, I'd have personally thanked you for the parting gift you left back at Frost manor." She curled her hands into fists, smirking a bit. "An art lesson or two would be beneficial."

"You'd find that I did an exaggerated piece. Your fangs aren't nearly as jagged on paper." Winter argued, returning the smile.

"If only Vale had competent men and women watching the streets. We wouldn't need to issue more troops and I'd be at home away from this foul place and you." Sera stated, crossing one leg over the other.

"Funny, if I recall, they were no match to that little incident months ago. The Hunters and Huntresses of Vale took care of those beasts, if I do remember correctly." Winter stated, shrugging his shoulders. "Though, if they belonged to you, I'm sure they would have had a better chance. They would have lasted ten, twenty, maybe even thirty seconds more."

"Father would be thrilled to hear how his son is doing. Being battered around like a punching bag, reopening scars across his face, being hunted by the very organization that deems to hurt us." Sera could see the color drain from Winter's face the more she spoke. "He would be thrilled."

"If you dare-"

"If I told Father of every cut, bruise, insult, and chipped nail I got when I joined the military, he would have never let me go." Sera stated, nodding her head. Recalling the late nights and the pain she herself had to go through. "I'm actually proud of you."

"Please, tell me this leads to some joke." Winter grumbled, rolling his eyes as he slumped into his seat. He wasn't ready to have a heart to heart with one of the people he hates how much he loves. Or was it the opposite? It was as manic as the wind. "I'd rather not hear this-"

"You dug your boots into the dirt and kept your pace. I'm proud of that. Not many people would after what you've gone through." Sera let her hands fall, reaching over to rest them atop of Winter's own. Holding her brother's firm but soft hands against her coarse but gentle ones. "But you need to be careful. One slip, and Father will dig those claws into you and you'll never escape."

"I know." Winter stated, barring his teeth as he pulled his hands away. He jammed up onto his feet as he shifted over towards the bushes beside him. "He tried numerous times to get me to either see him and talk. But the moment I even tell him about anything..." Sera made a cat scratching motion with her hand. Winter dragged his nails across the scruff of his neck, gulping. "Exactly."

"He plans on cancelling your cards you know? Leave you barren like a desert or an undisciplined hound." Sera stated, her eyes shifting up towards him before turning towards the lion headed fountain. Recalling the times he would do the same to her to goad a reaction. "Give you a reason to call home and confront him."

"The Old man will starve me out before leaving me alone?" Winter rested a hand against his mouth as he shook his head. "I've heard stories about how our ancestors beheaded traitors. That seems more humane than starving me."

"Then call him." Sera offered, only to hear Winter groan. The kind that made her own eyes roll and her hands fold together.

"If I call, he'll want me to go to Atlas. He'll ask me about all these things that I'd rather not go into detail about, and I just don't want to talk to him." Winter flat out stated, hands coiling into fists as he barred his teeth. "I just...I don't know what to do. I'm being backed into a corner here."

"Either call him and explain. Or explore Remnant like you did before." Sera offered, shrugging her shoulders as she let out a sigh. "Find out more about the world. More about yourself. But it's a call you need to make."

"I know myself." Winter stated, squinting his eyes as he stared his sister down. Seeing her smirk a bit as he lowered his voice. "And I know tomorrow I got to work with one of my best friends to win a tournament for my team."

Sera licked her lips, blinked a few times, before reaching over and picking up her glass of tea.

"Some advice." Shes said, blowing the steam that rose from the cup a bit. "Work on your aiming rather than your tongue. If your shot's as sharp as your wit, you wouldn't hit the broad side of a barn."