People who study the Grimm for a living tend to be seen by the public as rather… odd. They'd have to be, for wanting to study the very beings bent on wiping mankind from existence.

"Step lively!" a mousy (though not literally) brunette in a green scarf called cheerfully. "And remember, we're in enemy territory now." The professor made her way through a cluster of barren, jet-black trees, a group of students following her.

And Haven's own Grimm expert, Professor May Moss, was no exception. But even amongst Grimm biologists, her admiration of the soulless beasts reached an entirely new level. It was commonly rumored that she found Grimm… attractive, and her analyses of Grimm and their features had more than once been described by her colleagues as "borderline-perverse." Still, she was an instructor at Haven, which meant she was not only a Huntress, but a damned good one at that.

All around the professor and her students, skeletal trees stripped of leaves stretched as far as the eye could see in every direction, their bark stained a jet-black due to pollution from the capital. In all, the Schwarzbaum Forest gave the impression that it was a place in which mankind was not welcome. But despite appearances, people made their lives in this seemingly forsaken place. And that was precisely why Team CYOT and the rest of the first-year teams were here.

According to the briefing Professor Moss had given them on the flight from Haven, a number of settlements along Mistral's northern border had reported sighting Grimm roaming through the Schwarzbaum Forest. Seeing an opportunity for its students to gain experience in the field, Haven elected to send its first-years on an excursion to the forest with a simple objective: Find and eliminate the Grimm. "Most likely," the professor said during the briefing, "the Grimm entered the kingdom by crossing the mountains along the northern border. The Snowcap Mountains along the border are an excellent natural barrier- make no mistake, but they can't stop every Grimm." A malicious smirk crossed her face. "And that's where we come in."

All of a sudden, the young professor stopped and turned to face her students. "And here we are. The most recent reported Grimm sighting was in this exact spot." She pointed at the ground for emphasis.

The students looked around- there was nothing here, aside from dead trees partially obscured by fog. "So where are they, then?" a blond boy with a longsword across his back asked. He would've been otherwise unremarkable, were it not for the fact that the boy's sword was nearly as long as he was tall.

"Ah, I thought someone might ask that," Professor Moss replied, tapping her temple. "You see, Mr. Gainsboro, Grimm may be drawn by negative emotions, but their movements may not always be so easy to predict. It may become necessary at times for a Huntsman to examine the environment, to search for signs of Grimm, follow the trail to their quarry, and strike a killing blow when the time is right. There is a reason we're called 'Huntsmen' after all. Now…"

Professor Moss's words faded as Callie's thoughts began to drift elsewhere. And soon, her thoughts- as they had numerous times already- guided her back to her sparring match with Traviss a few days before. To the moment when the battle had shifted- even if only briefly- in his favor. His movements played through her mind, slowly: him, dropping his weapon; then, him seizing her wrist with his now-free hand; and finally, him drawing back his elbow in the corner of her eye, before striking her with a blow that sent her reeling. …at least, she assumed it was his elbow- she'd been so surprised when he abandoned his weapon that she'd focused almost all her attention on his free hand. She'd already run through the match in her head well over a dozen times already… and yet, it made just as little sense as it had the first time around.

Traviss's counter had not been the last desperate ploy of a fighter on the ropes. It was precise, calculated, fully intended to stop her dead in her tracks. And his expression… all the fear and panic vanished instantly once his gun left his hand. He looked… impassive. Serene, even. As if he'd performed that maneuver countless times before. Sure, it could've just been a fluke- a one-off that would never happen again… but for some reason, Callie doubted that. It was possible- no, it was more than possible that until that moment, Traviss been holding back. Hiding the true extent of his skills.

But… why? Like Professor Braun said, pulling his punches wouldn't benefit anyone. And speaking of punches… could Traviss have been an unarmed specialist? Granted, Huntsmen who fought Grimm wit their bare hands were rare, but they did exist. And again, if that were the case, why hide it? Why restrict himself to guns that he seemed to struggle-

The black-haired leader jolted slightly when something tapped her shoulder. "Callie?" Yuki asked.

Callie took a short breath to calm herself, hoping the others hadn't noticed her lack of attention. "What is it?"

"Our teams are supposed to spread out. Professor Moss told us to check out the southwest."

The black-haired girl nodded. "Right." She glanced around to get her bearings. "Let's go." And she set out, the rest of her team following.

Callie had to admit, before the "incident" in combat class, she'd been looking forward to this excursion. If nothing else, it was an excuse to get out of their school uniforms- in the heat of the capital, they were liable to broil a person alive. At the moment, Callie wore her usual combat attire, but with her black tank-top swapped for a similar black zip-up hoodie- outside the capital itself, Mistral tended to be rather cold.

She glanced back at her teammates. Olivia had donned her usual combat attire as well: her goggles, along with an olive drab bomber jacket paired with brown cargo pants and thick brown boots. Yuki shivered due to her outfit: a thick grey long-sleeved shirt paired with a white-and-gray plaid skirt over black tights. Beanie aside, Traviss's ensemble was rather subdued… for Traviss, at least: his white pants were now paired with a black leather jacket, worn over a light grey long-sleeved shirt.

"Ugh," Team CYOT's sole male member groaned. "Why's it so bright out here?" He was squinting so hard, Callie considered it a miracle he could even see where he was going.

"It's called 'the sun,' Traviss," Olivia replied, looking back. "I'm guessing you don't go outside the capital much, do you?"

Traviss shook his head. "Not really. I mean, I've heard you can see it in the morning if you go out to the Seawall, but-"

A strange sound emerged from the surrounding fog- a kind of skittering over the dirt. The group immediately fell silent and reached for their weapons. For several long seconds, there was only silence as the four scanned the surrounding mist for any moment, weapons in hand. But there was nothing- no movement, no sound.

"We did hear that, right?" Olivia asked.

Callie shot her a glare. "Quiet."

Yuki gripped her weapon tightly: a pump-action shotgun-sword hybrid with a sharp blade attached to the underside of the barrel. Then, she saw a small shadowy figure rush towards them. "Look out!" Without waiting, Yuki aimed and fired at the shadow- her shot struck the shadow and it flew back. It slid across the ground, before coming to a stop, laying motionless.

The group cautiously approached the thing, weapons ready. As they did, they saw black wisps rising from it as it began to dissipate. Which could mean only one thing… and the team's suspicions were confirmed when they had a clear look at the body: a black, rat-like creature the size of a small dog, with a red-and-white mask over its eyes.

A Hamelin- one of the countless varieties of Grimm that stalked Remnant. Their small size meant that individuals weren't especially threatening, but there was one thing a Huntsman had to remember about Hamelin (something that was true of all Grimm, to some extent)…

"Everyone, form up and keep your eyes open," Callie said. "Remember the Golden Rule."

The others did as ordered, standing in a circle with their backs to one another. "Uh… do unto others as they do to you?" Traviss asked.

"Wrong Golden Rule, Traviss," Yuki replied flatly.

Before the white-haired girl could say anything else, Olivia answered Traviss's question: "When it comes to Hamelin, there's never just one."

Within moments, the air was filled with a cacophony of high-pitched shrieks. From the fog in front of Olivia, a squirming black wave with dozens of glowing red eyes surged forward. "Over there!" Olivia raised her gun-halberd and fired into the black mass, killing a few before they closed the distance. Callie then stepped forward, swords swinging, slicing the mass of Hamelin apart.

"Yuki! Traviss! Stay behind us and cover our flanks!" she barked as she hacked at the endless stream of black bodies. At her side, Olivia spun her halberd rapidly in her hands, slicing apart any Hamelin that approached. Yuki covered their sides- any that tried to creep around were torn apart in a spray of buckshot.

But it took only moments for the team to realize that they were in trouble. For every Grimm cut down, another immediately took its place. Yuki swung her weapon at one of the beasts and cut it in two, having no time to reload her weapon. "There's too many!"

Callie shouted, "We have to fall back- try to find the professor or one of the other teams!"

"I'll give us some space!" Olivia raised her halberd over her head and focused for a brief moment, before she slammed its blade against the ground. A brilliant white shockwave erupted from the ground- her teammates staggered, but the blast knocked the swarming Hamelin away with ease.

"Nice work!" Callie called, "now come on!" As the Hamelin rose to their feet, the team began to fall back. But Callie quickly realized something was very wrong- she skidded to a stop, and looked back to their old position.

Traviss was still there, standing stock-still- as if frozen, save for a slight tremble. His eyes were wide, his mouth slightly agape as his chest rapidly rose and fell- he gripped his weapons in his hands tightly, but they were not aimed at the Grimm. Realizing he was alone, the Hamelin began to encircle him.

The black-haired girl screamed, "Traviss, run! Get out of there!"

The boy jolted, as if suddenly awakened, just in time to spot a Hamelin leaping at him, jaws wide. He swung his revolver at it and knocked it away; but another leapt at him and sank its teeth into his arm, clawing at him furiously. He bashed its skull in with the butt of his semiauto, but another Hamelin latched onto his shoulder. He tried to knock it away, but another three grabbed onto his arm.

Callie didn't give any orders to her teammates. In fact, as far as she was concerned, they no longer existed. Her feet flew across the ground as every thought in her mind was replaced by a single overriding command: save her teammate. The Hamelin noticed her approach, but were given no chance to react as the black-clad girl mercilessly cut them down. The horde turned to face her, recognizing the new threat, but they soon joined their pack-mates in oblivion. Within seconds, over two dozen Grimm met their end on Callie's blades. But there were so many between him and her, and he was so far away… she'd never be able to reach him, not before the Hamelin stripped him to the bone…

But suddenly, a wave of flames erupted from behind Callie and swept over the area. The Hamelin latched onto Traviss let go and dropped to the ground, screeching as they curled up into charred husks. The rest of the black horde met a similar end as they were swallowed by the fire and incinerated completely. What few Hamelin that survived scattered and fled back into the woods- though whether it was simply instinctive fear of fire, or recognition that they'd lost this fight, Team CYOT couldn't say.

"Pity," an older woman's voice said. "I'd hoped to preserve at least one specimen."

The four looked over, to see a familiar woman in a green scarf, clutching a glowing red crystal. "That aside, I believe that takes care of the Grimm we were looking for." Professor Moss pocketed the crystal and stepped forward. "Ms. Quail, come with me, please- we should round up the other teams. Ms. Okuhotaka, Ms. Rangifer, please escort Mr. Rydinger to the landing zone. There should be a medic on standby."

Professor Moss began to head deeper into the woods, but stopped and looked back. "Also, if you happen to come across any more Grimm, could you… actually, never mind. I think it best if I do that myself." She turned again and disappeared into the surrounding trees, with Callie following. Once they were gone, Yuki and Olivia looked to the last member of their team.

Traviss had fallen to his hands and knees, sweating bullets and breathing shallow breaths. At first glance, he didn't appear badly injured- he had maybe a dozen bites and scratches, with little blood. Still, it would be best to have him looked at- the Grimm might have poisoned him, or infected him with some kind of Grimm-borne disease.

Olivia was the first to approach him. "Are you alright, Traviss?"

He didn't respond. So she grabbed his shoulder and shook him. "Traviss." But still, nothing. Olivia glanced back. "Yuki, take point. I've got him." She lifted the boy up, slinging his arm across her shoulder, and began to walk him back to the landing zone. Olivia glanced over at her teammate- while his feet were moving, Traviss's eyes were glassy, and he didn't acknowledge her or Yuki at all. If Olivia had to guess, he was in shock, and there was no way to know when he'd snap out of it.

But as the three walked, Olivia and Yuki jumped slightly when Traviss suddenly began to speak. "I…" he began. "…I'm… sorry. I shouldn't've let that happen."

"It's okay," Olivia said. "It can happen even to the best of Huntsmen."

"No," he snapped. "It's not okay. I almost got all of you killed. If Professor Moss hadn't been there…" Traviss fell silent once more.

Yuki glanced back at him, as if to say something. But Olivia looked to her, and silently shook her head. The brunette then turned her attention back to the boy. "What… what happened back there?"

He hesitated, as if uncertain about how to answer. "I… I'm not used to fighting Hamelin. And there were so many, I… I'm better at fighting things closer to my own height."

Traviss's words reminded the two of something Professor Moss had said in one of her lectures. She'd told the class that in the regions surrounding Mistral, the species of Grimm that claimed the most lives wasn't Beowolves, Ursai, or Krakens - that distinction belonged to the Hamelin. Their small size was their greatest asset- it rendered almost all conventional combat techniques useless against them, allowing them to easily swarm and devour a hapless victim in a matter of seconds. Even Huntsmen with decades of experience could suffer such a fate, if a swarm of Hamelin took them by surprise.

The three soon came to a large clearing. Parked in the center with its doors open was the airship that had brought them out this far- a Bullhead. And sitting at the edge of one of the Bullhead's open doors was a man in white: one of the medics Haven had sent with them on the excursion. He quickly took notice of the approaching trio. "Hey, you guy okay? What happened?"

"We ran into a pack of Hamelin- our teammate Traviss got the worst of it," Olivia replied. "He looks okay, but Professor Moss told us to bring him to you."

The medic nodded, waving over someone within the Bullhead, and was joined by a second man in white. "We'll take things from here. Just help us get him onboard."

The bright rays of the afternoon sun were soon smothered by the dark clouds surrounding Mistral. Once the Bullhead had landed at Haven and its passengers disembarked, Team CYOT went their separate ways: Traviss was carted off to the infirmary for a full examination, Callie left to make a full report of the excursion to Professor Braun with the other team leaders, and with no other plans for the day, Yuki and Olivia returned to their room.

And almost the moment they stepped into the room, Yuki finally said the words she'd been holding in ever since the incident in Schwarzbaum: "So… is anyone gonna talk about what happened back there? Because if no one else is going to do it, then I will."

Olivia tried to stop her: "Yuki-"

Yuki held up a hand. "No, Olivia. I know what you're going to say. But what happened back in Schwarzbaum was not okay." The white-haired girl walked to her bed and began searching for something beneath it. "The only reason we got through that was because Professor Moss was there. But what if she hadn't been? What would've happened to Callie, to the rest of us?"

"Yuki, we're a team," Olivia replied, crossing her arms over her chest. "All of us should've done what Callie did."

"And if we did that, all of us could've died. I know that we're a team, that we're supposed to have each other's backs…" Yuki pulled out her signature notebook. "…but sometimes, a Huntsman has to recognize that there's a point when a person can't be saved. Even when it's their own teammate."

Olivia could only stare at her friend. "Yuki, I can't believe what I'm hearing. Are you telling me that we should've just hung back and let Travis get eaten?"

Yuki was silent as she took a seat at her desk.

Olivia felt her jaw drop. "…oh my God, that is what you're saying, isn't it?"

"I never said that." Yuki refused to look at her teammate.

"You don't need to," she spat. "You've already said enough."

Yuki's shoulders slumped as she let out a long exhale. "…Olivia. He froze up. You and I both saw it."

"So? That doesn't mean anything, Yuki. We're all going through this training for a reason," Olivia replied curtly as she sat down on her bed. "Did you ever consider the possibility that might've been the first time Traviss ever faced the Grimm?" She leaned forward. "Not everyone is like us- not everyone had the chance to go to a combat school before coming here."

"I'm just saying. It takes a certain kind of person to become a Huntsman. And I don't think Traviss is that kind of person." Yuki's nose was, once again, buried in her notes.

"And I'm saying that you should have more faith in him. He can fight- I've seen it."

Yuki scoffed and looked back. "When?"

"Didn't you see his initiation test?"

Yuki shook her head. "No. I had my own test to take care of."

At that moment, there was a click from the door, before it swung open to reveal Callie. "Hey guys," she said as she stepped inside. "Sorry I took so long."

"It's fine," Olivia replied. "I know your stuff as the team leader is important." She leaned back and forth, trying to peer past Callie. "…is Traviss with you?"

The black-haired girl crossed her arms and gave a sullen gaze. "What do you think?"

"Is he still at the infirmary?" the brunette asked.

Callie shook her head as she closed the door behind her. "The nurse said his injuries weren't that serious, so they released him." She glanced to the brunette. "…He hasn't stopped by here, has he?"

Olivia took a glance to her right- the curtain hanging around Traviss's bed was open, and the bed itself empty. "Nope, sorry." She looked back to her leader. "By the way, did you happen to see Traviss's initiation test?"

Callie sat down on her own bed. "I didn't. My test at the same time." She raised an eyebrow curiously. "…why?"

"Olivia seems to think that his performance during his initiation will override what happened back in Schwarzbaum," Yuki replied.

Olivia's attention snapped to her partner, and her mouth opened as she prepared to trade barbs with her again… but she was interrupted by Callie asking, "Did you really see it, Olivia?"

The brunette's thoughts came to a screeching halt. But she quickly collected herself, and replied, "Uh, yeah. I was in the stands with the rest of the new students…"

Haven's colosseum buzzed with activity as it filled to the bursting point. Haven's entire student body must have been assembled there, along with its newly accepted students, and applicants hoping to get their chance to prove themselves. A brunette with goggles resting on her forehead sat with the rest of Haven's newest batch of students- she'd passed her test the day before with flying colors, and like many others, she was interested in seeing the capabilities of her future classmates.

Today, Haven's students were in for a special treat- as part of the initiation tests, a number of would-be students would not be facing one another in the colosseum, but rather, they would square off against a few of the academy's current students. Although Olivia had not been chosen to participate in these particular tests, she understood they followed standard tournament rules: two applicants, or an applicant and a Haven student, would battle in the arena until one's aura fell to the point they were unable to continue.

However, as many hopeful students were surprised (and sometimes dismayed) to learn, victory did not guarantee entry into Haven, due to potential differences in skill level- particularly in duels between applicants and current students. Rather, an applicant's acceptance or rejection would be based on their performance in the battle- endurance, finesse, tactical decisions, and a number of other factors known only to the evaluating professors.

Because of the poor economic status for Mistral as a whole, recruitment for Haven worked a little differently when compared to the academies of other kingdoms. Where other kingdoms would have aspiring Huntsmen and Huntresses attend combat school before moving onto the academy of their choice (if their grades were acceptable), to get into Haven, all one had to do was either be recommended by a graduate Huntsman, or send in an application and hope for the best. Experience in one of Mistral's three combat schools could tilt the odds in one's favor a little in the latter case, but ultimately, being accepted came down almost entirely to chance.

But of course, just being recommended or having your application accepted didn't mean you became a student at Haven- at least, not right away. First, there came an extensive, and exhaustive background check conducted by Haven's previous graduates- if criminal ties of any kind were found, the applicant was rejected outright. Understandable, considering the climate around Haven at the time. Next, was an interview with a panel of the school's professors. No one was sure exactly what its purpose was, but most assumed it to be some sort of psychological evaluation. Assuming one made it through that, the final hurdle was the initiation test.

And as many prospective students learned, the test could be almost anything; from a written exam, to an elimination-style tournament, to assisting nomads outside the kingdom, to killing Grimm. Some were more dangerous than others, but all were unpredictable- intended to reflect how a situation could change at any moment for a Huntsman, and to gauge how well a prospective student could adapt.

The chatter in the colosseum died down as a massive bald man with a thick brown mustache stepped into the center of the colosseum floor. "Students, applicants, welcome to the second phase of this year's initiation tests." His voice was loud- loud enough to echo through the colosseum without having to use a microphone. "We have a large number of applicants to go through, so let's not waste any time getting started. We'll begin with the first pair of combatants…"

A board above the colosseum floor lit up- names and photos began cycling on its many screens, until coming to a stop on two in particular. The mustached man read the names aloud: "Third-year student, Jean Cobalt, versus applicant, Traviss Rydinger."

From opposite gates on the colosseum floor, two young men entered the arena. One was clad in blue armor, a rifle with an axe head embedded in the hilt slung across his shoulder, standing tall with a confident smile on his face. A few cheers went up from the crowd- that one must have been Jean. Opposite him emerged a boy in a white long-sleeved shirt, black shorts, and- curiously- a bright orange beanie; Traviss, presumably.

The two came to a stop at a pair of white lines near the center of the arena floor. "Man," Jean began, "it must really suck to be you right now. I almost feel bad about what's gonna happen to you." He turned his weapon around in his hands, to use it as a rifle. "Almost."

Traviss said nothing in reply, simply cracking his fingers, leaving his weapon- a black revolver- in the holster on his hip.

A few whispers went up in the crowd, and Olivia raised her eyebrows in surprise. Was he insane? He had a weapon right there on his belt- why hadn't he drawn it? Or was he that arrogant to think he didn't need it?

The smile rapidly faded from Jean's face. "What, nothin'? You should show your upperclassmen some respect! At least, that's what I would say, 'cuz you're never setting foot in this school again!" He pointed his rifle at Traviss. "I'll make sure of that!" Jean's words riled up the crowd- some hurled jeers at Traviss, while others encouraged Jean to hurt him in various ways. But the calm expression on Traviss's face never wavered.

But soon enough, the crowd fell silent once again when a black-haired man in green, seated at a box near the arena floor, rose to his feet.

Olivia didn't know the man personally, but she did recognize him: Forrest Wald, Headmaster of Haven.

"Gentlemen," he said, in a calm- if tired- voice. "Are you ready?"

"Let's do this already!" Jean called.

Traviss simply nodded.

"Take your positions," the mustached man said, stepping back to the edge of the arena.

The two young men did as they were ordered.

The mustached man crossed his arms over his chest. "…Begin."

Jean immediately fired at Traviss- but the boy in the orange beanie threw himself to the side to avoid his fire before charging his opponent. He closed the distance with ease- and with no space to fire, Jean swung the butt of his gun at his opponent. Traviss slid to the side, before leaping up to deliver a quick kick to Jean's side.

Jean staggered but regained his balance. Turning, he quickly turned his weapon around, and swung the axe blade at Traviss wildly. But the boy in the orange beanie hopped back to avoid the swing, before rapidly circling behind the blue-clad boy again. Jean spun to face Traviss, letting out another powerful swing, but Traviss ducked under it, before retaliating with a few quick jabs.

Even from Olivia's place in the stands, the bewilderment on Jean's face was evident as Traviss weaved around his attacks with ease. The newcomer was fast- much faster than someone at his skill level should've been. Could he have been using a semblance to boost his speed? Or to predict Jean's movements? There were no rules against it, but with his weak counterattacks all Traviss was doing was aggravating his opponent. With the differences in their strength, if Jean could get in even just one good hit, the fight was as good as over.

"Hold still!" Jean roared. He brought his axe back behind his head, before swinging But Traviss grabbed Jean's weapon, before he leapt up and struck with a powerful roundhouse kick. Jean stumbled back, clutching his head, not realizing he'd let go of his weapon. Traviss's hands flew across the weapon- various parts dropped to the ground as the boy disassembled it, rendering its firing mechanism useless. He then tossed the rest of the weapon aside, far outside of Jean's reach.

Despite being disarmed, Jean charged, pulling back his fist. "You son of a bit-"

Jean was cut off when Traviss hit him with a quick but powerful jab to the stomach. But before he could even double over in pain, the boy in the orange beanie spun, and struck Jean in the face with his forearm. The blow knocked Jean off his feet, and his head slammed against the ground, back-first.

The entire colosseum fell silent. Jean laid on the ground, motionless. Traviss looked down at his unmoving opponent, arms raised, but he lowered his guard and stepped back as the mustached man and a pair of medics rushed to the fallen boy. They examined him for a few moments, before the mustached man looked up to the headmaster's box and gave a thumbs-down.

Murmuring erupted amongst the stands. While the newcomers and hopefuls could only watch in confusion, the students of Haven understood what the signal meant- Jean was unfit to continue the match.

Headmaster Wald nodded, and he motioned to the other professors. They convened and spoke amongst themselves for a minute or two as Jean was carried out of the arena on a stretcher. Then, Headmaster Wald stood and looked down at the boy left standing.

"Traviss Rydinger. After evaluating your performance, the professors and have concluded in a 4-to-1 vote that you have passed your initiation test. Congratulations, and welcome to Haven."

All at once, the colosseum erupted in a chorus of boos and jeers. But strangely, Traviss didn't seem at all bothered by it. He simply nodded up at the headmaster in acknowledgement, before he turned and walked back to the gate he'd entered from. He showed no reaction, even when some of the students in the stands began throwing things at him as he approached the gate.

Amidst the jeering crowd, Olivia sat in silence. A new applicant, a virtual unknown, had just defeated a third-year student. And he made the older boy look like a fool while doing it. She brought a hand up to her chin as she watched the boy leave the arena. Interesting… she thought to herself. And his movements- it was almost like…

Yuki crossed her arms, unconvinced. "…he did all that?" She'd turned away from her desk, to face her other teammates.

Olivia looked to the white-haired girl. "If you don't believe me, you can ask any of the upperclassmen. And from what I've heard, that Cobalt guy still has it in for Traviss for making him look bad in front of the whole school."

Yuki brought a hand up to her chin in thought for a moment, before turning her attention back to her desk. "I won't deny that fighting people and fighting Grimm are two different things. But, if he's really as good as you say, then he wouldn't be doing so badly in combat class."

Olivia opened her mouth to reply, but Callie cut her off: "Alright you two, that's enough." She looked to Olivia. "Olive, Yuki's right. Even if Traviss did all that during initiation, he definitely isn't showing that same level of skill now." The team leader paused for a moment. "I… I think we need to have a team meeting. To try and figure out what his problem is."

Yuki breathed a sigh of relief. "Finally. Maybe now we can finally put a proper team together." Olivia simply glowered at the white-haired girl in silence.

Callie continued, "But if we do this, we do it right. We're trying to help him work better with us- we're not trying to replace him, or get him kicked out of Haven." She shot a glance at Yuki as she said this. "And, we do it ourselves. We only bring in the professors if we absolutely have to."

"I suppose that's fair enough," Yuki said, setting her notebook aside. "So when do we get started?"

"Well…" Callie began, rising to her feet. "…would now be a good time?"