In RWBY's Shadow

Relationships

"Why'd it have to be Ruby?" Lilly pouted as her team shuffled onto a bullhead.

"You've been asking that since the banquet," Randi sighed. "Not sure it really helps the matter."

Lilly didn't bother glaring the girl down, too busy trying to draw up more plans for their fight on Monday. Seeing as how the announcement was made a day and a half ago, maybe she had been going on too long about it, but RWBY might be one of their worst matchups. Not only did the pairing favor their opponent, RWBY knew their team's capabilities better than anyone else. They'd trained together at times, sparred at others, and hung out in between. The element of surprise had been torn away, meaning it would be a test of strength and intellect.

While Lilly felt confident she could outthink their opponents, RWBY clearly held the power advantage. Sure, Randi was the second-best fighter in their class, but Yang held a close third. Add in the skill of her teammates and incredible teamwork, and Lilly felt justified in her concern.

For the past day and a half, she'd spent every free moment running through ideas for their upcoming match. Yesterday, she'd had the good sense to pull Smit aside and talk to him about her need to focus, unwilling to make the mistake of only a few days ago. Perhaps knowing it was coming, Smit had readily agreed, on the condition they put the scheming aside for a bit on Saturday to enjoy the weekend as a team. Her compromise of leaving the evening open for planning had been accepted, but only if they worked together on plans rather than her locking herself away for hours on end again. Forget to eat a couple of meals, and they never let you live it down.

They just didn't understand. This fight – it meant more than any other matchup to Lilly. Sure, the old spat with Yang was long dead and buried, but a subtler struggle had soon taken its place. LHSR had worked hard all year. They'd steadily risen in the team rankings, fought off terrorists at the docks, and even took down a White Fang base within Vale. Yet it seemed like no matter wat they accomplished, they would always be eclipsed by RWBY. For once, they had the chance to finally rise above the stars of Beacon and make a name for themselves. All they had to do was win this fight and they'd steal the spotlight from Yang's team, at least for a while.

Of course, that was easier said than done. Even if she'd promised to lay off the planning for the morning, she couldn't help it if her mind wandered again during the cramped bullhead ride. Every seat was filled by students from all four academies, with a line of more stuck waiting at the bullhead docks for the next shuttle. The relative discomfort also meant silence from her team for a few minutes, which let Lilly continue her designs in peace.

No matter how she sliced it, the advantage always went to RWBY. Dozens of plans had been mercilessly cast aside as each failed to improve their odds in her mind. After hours of jumping from plan to plan, she'd limited herself to focusing on a single key aspect and building around that. Really, the fight could boil down to one thing.

Who does Randi face?

As their strongest fighter, Randi would pose a huge threat to any member of RWBY, but that would still leave three to deal with. Each opponent presented a unique challenge that would need to be accounted for, even before considering what would happen if any of them teamed up. Ruby's speed would obviously be an issue, but with proficiencies in both short and long range, trapping her wouldn't be easy. Weiss wouldn't be too difficult at melee, given how adept three quarters of her team was at that range, but her dust manipulation would be a hassle by itself. Blake wasn't as fast as Ruby, but she still boasted an agile quickness that made it hard to keep up with the faunus. Her unique weapon style would be a tough matchup, especially with her penchant for misdirection and evading courtesy of her Semblance. Then there was the real problem...