The first tournament matches of this second day were being held much earlier this morning. The sun had barely broken through the shadows of the night when everyone in Beacon started waking up and began getting ready for the events to come. Time flew by fast and before many knew it all the youngster's still competing were in their prep rooms while the first crowds started to trickle into the stadium eager for the matinee matches of the day.

Kad was loitering around one of the many ready areas, nodding to acquaintances while he once again trying to track down his two Faunus friends. Eventually finding them near the entrance to the fighting arena standing next to Cardin and Dove. And Kad swore he saw money exchanging hands.

Jaxon looked up and waved his leader over. "Finally got un-lost, eh?"

Kad only answered him with another question. "What are you four doing?"

"We're just doing some healthy speculation…"

"We?" Kad asked looking sideways at Co'Balt.

The bull Faunus shrugged, "Him."

"Thought so," The giant said nodding, "Anyway who's up?"

"Me." Cardin said swinging his mace up to rest on his right shoulder with a grin. Dove smirked at his leader's confidence. Co'Balt and Jaxon collectively rolled their eyes.

"Good match?" Kad asked.

Cardin grinned some more, "Get to finally show Jaune who's the boss."

Kad raised an eyebrow and crossed his arms, "Overconfidence is unbecoming of you Cardin."

"No," He shot back, letting his shoulders rise in question of Kad's criticism, "Come on? It's Jaune and besides it's only been like what? Six months since Pyrrha has had him training?"

Kad shook his head, "Key phrase Pyrrha Nikos has had him going… You know you're bigger then him, if you just go bash him you'll win easy."

"I don't need your advice."

"Yeah, you went to combat school."

"Allegedly…" Co'Balt chimed in cynically.

Cardin turned on the Faunus he held up his empty hand and shrugged, daring Co'Balt to continue "He still faked his way in here I can take him."

That was no longer a surprise to this majority of team APRC, Cardin had kindly shared that little fact with Kad who then shared it with his team several weeks ago. But same as before Kad knew it wasn't his problem.

And he didn't want anyone taking any closer looks at transcripts if he could help it, no matter the assurances from their forger.

"As long as you don't try dicking around with him. Focus." The giant said jabbing to fingers to the side of Cardin's head for emphasis.

With that Kad slapped Cardin's shoulder to try and encourage him to get going. Cardin walked to the doors but turned around to quickly flash a thumbs up at his friends. Kad just flicked his hands trying to usher Cardin through the great doors.

Jaune and Pyrrha were finishing their warm up routine. A well-rehearsed dance with their swords and shields that they had done many times since Pyrrha had agreed to train him. Striking their blades together and falling into their back and forth pattern hitting the other's shield and then blocking the return strike.

Again and again, faster and faster, until Jaune took a step back feeling all the muscles in his arms loose and ready. Pyrrha smiled at him while she brought her weapon back up onto her back.

"You've got nothing to worry about Jaune," She told him, "What's the worst that could happen?"

He scratched his chin and thought for a moment, "Broken arms, broken legs, broken ribs, bruises, cuts, beat downs, beat ups… Should I go on?"

Pyrrha didn't find him funny at all at the moment. Jaune laughed and tried to reassure her, "It's fine. I'm more worried about you at the moment."

She blinked in surprise and blushed fair bit, "Me? No, I've done all this before and I beat this guy before in training. Just seriously Jaune watch out. This is a real tournament, Cardin is going to take this as seriously as he can."

He collapsed his shield and took her hands in his own for a second, "It's alright, but still let's just get this over with. I owe you a real date remember?"

Cardin swung his mace down overhead again, Jaune caught the full force of it on his shield. When the bigger boy brought his arms back for another crushing blow Jaune tucked and rolled away crouching and waiting for his opponent to make a move.

But Cardin didn't press the initiative taking his mace in both hands and starting to circle left around Jaune who mirrored his movements step for step, planning and thinking about his next strike. He jumped forward and thrust at Cardin, who dodged then smashed the hilt of his mace straight into Jaune's head.

In reflex the swordsman blindly turned to slam the top of his shield into Cardin's stomach. Cardin lost his breath and stumbled back half a step.

Cardin roared and swung his mace right to left across at shoulder height, Jaune blocked and cut at Cardin's arm. Crocea Mors scraped across his aura and Cardin stepped forward and punched Jaune in the stomach, lifting him inches off the floor before Jaune collapsed gasping on the ground.

Cardin grinned and swung his mace up from his ankle. Jaune rolled backwards, narrowly dodging being punted out of their ring. He crouched and turned to slash his sword across Cardin's knees.

Jaune sprang to his feet, their fight dissolved into a swirling melee, mace and sword going for outstretched limbs and pulling back. Jaune pushed with his shield where he could, Cardin kept trying to land hits with his elbows and feet when he leaned close enough while both of their auras slowly whittled down into yellow.

Jaxon held out his scroll with a live link to all of the camera feeds covering the duels. Co'Balt was watching too on his partner's right with Dove crowded close on Jaxon's left as stood Kad towering behind all of them.

Cardin was almost evenly matched with Arc. Which was a surprise to all four of them,

"He's over extending…" Kad said, mostly to himself.

Co'Balt spoke up a little bit, "If Arc beat's him I'm gonna be pissed."

"Why?" Kad asked, "Did you put money on Cardin?"

"No, but I can already hear the smugness when Jaune tries to brag," He laid his hand on Keila strapped to his right hip, "Makes me want to start chewing on thing's I'm not supposed to."

All four of them flinched back a little, when Cardin swept Jaune's legs out from under him and was able to follow through quickly and smash him hard to the ground with his mace in his stomach.

Dove grinned and laughed "That's not gonna be good tomorrow,"

"Or in the next two minutes," Jaxon added,

A falling flash of red and gold almost off screen caught Kad's eye, he reached his right hand down to grab the screen to try and get a closer look.

Jaxon shrugged him off, "Come on man," he pleaded, "This is just getting good."

"Who else is fighting?" Kad asked him,

"Does it matter?"

"Well I think Pyrrha is getting her shit pushed in, how about that?"

The three shorter boy's looked up at each other in a quick double take, Jaxon swiped back through menus and found the link to the appropriate duel.

Co'Balt blinked in surprise "Well that's not good."

Pyrrha's semblance wasn't working,

Kad knew polarity and anything else wouldn't work on Mercury or in his vicinity if he concentrated.

She didn't know how, she didn't know why,

His untouchable semblance came in handy like that.

But her semblance wasn't working. She couldn't move the metal she still sensed and the champion of Mistral was starting to panic.

Pyrrha tried to stay calm, but with her nimble opponent flipping and kicking at her shield pressing her into a corner she felt fears she was unaccustomed to as she tried to find room,

She was losing,

Kad knew Mercury never did anything unless Cinder had told him too. And he could guess why she had told him to do this.

Their duel had started out much like before. Mercury charged and spun kicking high and flipping back out of her reach before she could counter. He tried to work around her shield. Pyrrha knew she could take some stray hits here and there and still not be in danger.

Until once more Mercury kicked Milo from her hand which went numb from the force of his strike. The spun and snapped his heel high at her head. She brought up her empty hand to try and deflect the boot just like she had done before.

But nothing happened when she focused, her hand tingled and Mercury kicked her in the head.

She stumbled a few paces touching her forehead and gold band in shock.

Mercury spun again, Pyrrha crouched down and let his foot sail over her. She blocked his knee when he came back swinging with momentum. Pyrrha jabbed at him with a closed fist, he side stepped grabbed her wrist pushed her shoulder then threw her past him down to the ground.

Jaune leaned to the right under the upper cut from Cardin. He struck back left and jammed the hilt of his sword into Cardin's ribs, then pushed again with his shield. And Cardin retaliated with a clumsy downward blow with both his elbows hammering on Jaune's shoulders.

Both their auras flickering on red, Jaune brought his sword back. He knew he could cut through the last of his old bully's protection quick as a whip,

But he stopped,

At a sound,

A familiar female voice, and a shout of surprise and pain from it.

Jaune turned away for a fraction of a second. And Cardin knocked him to the ground and out with another fast round house swing.

Jaune fell hard and rolled on his stomach coughing and winded. But he didn't care at the moment all his attention was focused on Pyrrha nearly next to him. So close but so far only a few squares away.

So shocked to see Pyrrha nearly on her knee's her Akouo moving up painfully slow. And Mercury wearing a psychotic grin, as he leapt and smashed his boots into the side of her head. And Pyrrha fell, her aura gone, limp and unconscious on the ground.

Jaune scrambled to his feet, dropped Crocea Mors and ran to kneel next to his friend. He gently lifted her head up a few inches onto his lap.

Pyrrha opened her eyes slowly, they rolled around un-focused for a minute, before she closed them again. But she reached up and gently grabbed Jaune's wrists for comfort.

Jaune was on the verge of panic, "Pyrrha? Pyrrha, talk to me."

She held on tighter for a moment so at least she heard. Jaune couldn't believe it. The audience was rather quiet at the moment. He didn't know much about head injuries, but it was starting to look like Pyrrha had a concussion.

A few thought's fueled by panic floated through the haze of fear in his head,

Brain injury, spine trauma, aura strength when taxed.

This can't be happening…

Jaune didn't see where the guy who beat her went. He sat there holding Pyrrha until he heard more boot steps approaching him. Two medics in white uniforms came up silently. One pulled Jaune away and the other helped lay Pyrrha's head back, forcing one of her eye lids open and flicked a small flashlight on and off of her pupil. And he spoke trying to see if she knew what day it was or where they were.

Jaune slowly backed away, he wasn't listening to what the other medic was telling him.

He stood by hoping and praying that everything would be alright.

Ruby, Weiss and Blake all turned in unison looking back and forth at each other. Their front row seats in the stands had given them a perfect view of what had just happened and now the aftermath of it.

The invincible Pyrrha Nikos, finally down and beaten.

Ruby leaned closer to the rail concern all across her face. The announcer called out the times for the next bouts in what seemed to them a far too cheerful tone of voice. But none of the girls really heard him. By some unspoken agreement the three of them rose from their seats and turned to the stair well.

Their friends would need them.

Weiss took the lead, followed close behind by Blake and Ruby. The red and black pair started throwing ideas back and forth.

"She couldn't block him…"

"Pyrrha wouldn't panic like that…"

"Her head must be ringing…"

"Jaune looked so stunned…"

Blake and Ruby were lost deep in speculation. far too distracted to notice that Weiss had frozen dead in her tracks, causing her teammates collide and stumble. They looked up to see the Ice Queen locked in place by the sight of her twin sister standing directly in her path.

Winter's facial features were the mirror image of her elder sister's but absent any scars. Her pure white hair was cut shorter than Weiss's, the pony tail sticking up from the top of her head ran down straight between her shoulder blades to the middle of her back. Held together by a tiara matching her sister's and a band composed of many small and multicolored crystals.

She wore a light grey all in one dress and jacket, with a concealed zipper up her left side. The sleeves and skirt kept tight to her body as they moved to her extremities. The color shifted to a more white tone the further to her slender wrists and hands which she held behind her back at the moment. Tight black leggings and small low heeled white shoes completed her outfit. What a well to do young lady from Atlas would wear for a day out on the town.

Or to ambush her older sister when she least expected it.

Weiss's surprise only showed for a moment when she stopped, "Winter?!" she stuttered before composing herself. Straightening up and laying her hands atop one another, as her practiced, polished, well-mannered tone of voice took over on instinct.

"What brings you here?"

Winter bowed slightly both to Weiss and the others, "I am here to collect you sister."

Weiss's left eyebrow rose a fraction of an inch in suspicion for a moment before brought up her half practiced rebuttal. "Not now, I have things to attend to."

Winter smiled, "Sorry, but no you do not. You don't have another duel today and anything else can wait."

"You can't seriously believe you…"

"Father wishes it. Now Weiss."

Ruby edged up around her partner on the left, she raised a hand in greeting at Winter, "Hi. Sorry but could you give us a moment?"

It was not really a question, Ruby took Weiss by the arm and pulled her back. Blake crossed her arms and looked undaunted right at the other rich girl. Winter tilted her head up and her pale blue eyes returned the stare with all the warmth of the tip of an Atlesian mountain.

"You have to go," Ruby whispered to her partner.

Weiss scowled, "No this can wait, you saw,"

Ruby interrupted her, "Weiss just go, the sooner you put in an appearance the sooner they'll leave you alone. Right?"

The older girl sighed in resignation, she bowed her head and closed her eyes but Ruby squeezed her arm in support.

"Who knows?" She said with a smile, "You may even have fun."

"Obviously I haven't told you enough about my family…"

Ruby just smiled some more, she turned tapped Blake on the arm and the two of them quietly walked away. Leaving Weiss with her sister.

Her sister who was suddenly smiling ear to ear. Winter's business tone of voice rose a few octaves and she threw her arms around Weiss in a bear hug.

"It's so good to see you sis!"

Weiss was mad this little side tunnel was empty otherwise her hyperactive sister would have kept up her façade for at least another nano-second or two. Winter grabbed her hand and started to pull Weiss along, babbling about what a great day they were going to have.

At the main entrance door Winter slowed down and took a few calming breaths. Weiss could see the big white limousine outside which her father had requisitioned for their day out on the town. The two of them looked at each other quickly silently checking the other to make sure that they both were presentable before they walked outside.

A servant slash bodyguard in a suit was standing by the front passenger door. He moved back and opened the rear compartment for the two heiresses. Winter stepped in first followed closely by Weiss.

The engine came to life and the family began their drive out into Vale.

Their father was sitting directly to the right of the door, Jacques Schnee wore a pressed white suit and overcoat. His once curly black hair graying and thinning, aside from the light facial hair that had escaped his attention this morning below his bushy white mustache. Dark shoes down on the white carpet, and a bright blue tie perfectly centered on his chest.

His daughter's settled in but he didn't immediately put down the clipboard and report he had been reading. Nearly half an hour passed in uncomfortable silence before he finally turned to both of them.

He smiled at least, but Weiss knew how quickly his moods could change so she remained reserved for a moment. She thought she sense a note of sarcasm in his voice, "I'm so glad that you decided to join us Weiss."

She tried to smile, "You really shouldn't have gone to all this trouble,"

"What?" He asked, "I can't still spoil my eldest daughter when I'm in town?"

"…I didn't say that." Weiss admitted

He laughed for a moment, "How have you been?"

"Well, Beacon has been… Enlightening." Weiss said after a moment's pause.

"I'm glad to hear that," Jacques Schnee leaned back into his leather seat. "Do you get along with your team?"

"So far," Weiss replied "Some can be pests but I appreciate them, and they value my skills."

"Do they listen to you?"

"Well enough,"

"Good, I wouldn't expect anything less from my daughter."

"Nothing less maybe something more," she thought to herself.

Weiss steeled herself and spoke in a small voice, "Do you really think I'm doing good?"

Her father frowned for a moment, "What do you mean?"

"You're not going to try and convince me to come back and learn the ropes of the company. I remember some implied things when I left. Why this change of mood?"

Winter flinched a little next to Weiss, she had seen a lot of arguments between these too start for a lot less. All in the rather polite ways that their family always had their arguments. Nobles didn't yell, that was for the animals and lower classes.

Jacques Schnee sucked in a breath and sighed through clenched teeth, "Let me be frank with you Weiss, I realize that-"

When Weiss tried to recall this moment later when their conversation was suddenly interrupted in thunder and fire, she couldn't exactly describe what it had felt like,

First there was the flash.

Not really a flash outside just her eye's playing tricks on her as the ground suddenly rose up beneath the wheels of their car, and then sank down into the void left behind by the Atlas made bomb, left in the path of the limo. Other people reported hearing a loud noise all the way across town.

The only thing Weiss could hear was ringing,

All three Schnees unsecured in their vehicle hit the ceiling and then crashed back down and around the cabin as their car rolled and came to a stop in the pit.

Weiss's head snapped around crashing against the blast resistant windows and the armored ceiling before she fell out of her over designed car seat. To weak and battered to do anything but let herself fall unconscious.

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A/N So figured before volume three Mercury was going to try something else with Pyrrha after he figured out her semblance. And now actually putting some thought into my own story, Cinder secretly had Mercury taking out a few other trainees to make things easier for Kad to win the tournament, even though yes I could have him win the whole thing on his own against anyone.

Or this is just one of those things I just plain fumbled during my long school terms or when I was working eighty hours a week.