Fandom Distorted Mirror [IC]

[Gus Gungus]

"You heard her. We're leaving." The short-haired Raven added barely a second after Weiss's hysterical shrieking came to an end. Without hesitation, her gaze locked onto Yang, red and blue eyes both blazing with authority as she immediately tried to take charge. "All of us." She made even more clear, eyes narrowing further. "And I don't want to hear any objections from any of you. I did not wake up in some abandoned & broken home, spend days tracking you down and following you, retrieve the relic where all of you had failed, get dragged into many deadly fights time and time again, get forced to leave a daughter behind as a prisoner in this viper pit of a kingdom, have my finger almost bitten off by a tiny curmudgeon military woman, be confronted by a better version of myself who made all my failings stand out even more, get crippled by some twisted monstrosity and be forced to suffer the humiliation of a wheelchair, have my power and even a part of myself stolen by that white haired sociopath because I made the mistake of wanting to try to numb all of this for just a little while, fly myself across the world to track down these two in Mistral, come back after all of you had once again disastrously failed and once again got you the damn relic of knowledge and get us closer to returning to our own fucking world...I didn't go through all that, do all that, JUST FOR SOME OF YOU TO BE SO BLINDED BY A FAMILIAR FACE THAT YOU DON'T RECOGNIZE THE DIFFERENT PERSON UNDERNEATH! THAT YOU THINK YOU KNOW THEM, AND THAT STAYING ON THIS REMNANT IS MORE IMPORTANT THAN RETURNING TO OURS!"

She finished showing where exactly Yang had inherited that explosive anger from with a harsh glare at all of them, fully intent to cut off any objections before they even started. "Now you can either go, or I will make you go. One way or another, you're all going. No one is staying."

Oh hell no. Who did this woman think she was? Because as far as Weiss was concerned, she was a good-for-nothing lowlife who liked to disappear for long periods of time to indulge her moods then show up when it suited her so she could act like she was god's gift to the room and condescend the people who actually stuck around to fight the hard battles. If she thought she was going to get away with talking to Yang like that around her after everything she'd done simply because they were technically on the same side of the argument then she was sorely mistaken, and if she thought she wasn't going to catch any of these hyperventilating hands simply because she had no aura and lacked the energy to devastate her physically she was even wronger. For a thug like Raven Branwen, doing it verbally would more than suffice.

"DON'T YOU START TALKING DOWN TO HER YOU REPROBATE, YOU'RE THE LAST PERSON WHO SHOULD BE LECTURING ANYONE ABOUT MISTAKES! I CAUGHT YOU PASSED OUT DRUNK ON A ROOF NEAR MY HOUSE!!! FROM BEER!!!!" She spoke the word as though it was something pigs drink. "There you have it, everyone, RAVEN BRANWEN THE RENOWNED BANDIT WHO CAN'T GO FIVE MINUTES WITHOUT REMINDING EVERYONE HOW RUGGED and ASTUTE SHE IS MAXES OUT AT SIX BEERS!!!!!! I COULD DRINK RAVEN BRANWEN UNDER THE TABLE! DO WHAT YOU WANT WITH THAT INFORMATION!"​

 

[MyrtenRose]

Oh hell no. Who did this woman think she was? Because as far as Weiss was concerned, she was a good-for-nothing lowlife who liked to disappear for long periods of time to indulge her moods then show up when it suited her so she could act like she was god's gift to the room and condescend the people who actually stuck around to fight the hard battles. If she thought she was going to get away with talking to Yang like that around her after everything she'd done simply because they were technically on the same side of the argument then she was sorely mistaken, and if she thought she wasn't going to get any of this simply because she had no aura and lacked the energy to devastate her physically she was even wronger. Doing it verbally would more than suffice for a thug like Raven Branwen.

"DON'T YOU START TALKING DOWN TO HER YOU REPROBATE, YOU'RE THE LAST PERSON WHO SHOULD BE LECTURING ANYONE ABOUT MISTAKES! I CAUGHT YOU PASSED OUT DRUNK ON A ROOF NEAR MY HOUSE!!! FROM BEER!!!!" She spoke the word as though it was something pigs drink. "There you have it, everyone, RAVEN BRANWEN THE FEARED BANDIT WHO CAN'T GO FIVE MINUTES WITHOUT REMINDING EVERYONE HOW RUGGED and ASTUTE SHE IS MAXES OUT AT SIX BEERS!!!!!! I COULD DRINK RAVEN BRANWEN UNDER THE TABLE! DO WHAT YOU WANT WITH THAT INFORMATION!"​

"SHE'S LYING! DON'T LISTEN TO THIS KNOWN LIAR, IT ISN'T TRUE! BESIDES, WE HAVE LITERALLY GOT MORE IMPORTANT THINGS TO DEAL WITH! CAN YOU NOT BE SO DAMN PETTY FOR JUST TWO MINUTES, YOU BITCH?"

The other Raven averted her gaze then, inwardly doing the equivalent of innocently whistling and counting on the fact that everybody’s attention would be drawn to the two shouting at each other. That way she would avoid having to reveal that she was, more or less, as much of a lightweight.​

 

[Gus Gungus]

"SHE'S LYING! DON'T LISTEN TO THIS KNOWN LIAR, IT ISN'T TRUE! BESIDES WE HAVE LITERALLY GOT MORE IMPORTANT THINGS TO DEAL WITH, CAN YOU NOT BE SO DAMN PETTY FOR JUST TWO MINUTES YOU BITCH?"

The answer to her question was no.



"I'D JUST LIKE TO STRESS THAT THERE ARE ZERO REASONS I COULD P O S S I B L Y HAVE TO MAKE SOMETHING SO SPECIFIC AND RIDICULOUS UP, AND DON'T YOU DARE CALL ME A BITCH YOU'RE THE ONE WHOSE PERSONAL HYGIENE IS WORSE THAN MY DOG'S!!!!!!!!"
​

 

[MyrtenRose]

View attachment 821157

"I'D JUST LIKE TO STRESS THAT THERE ARE ZERO REASONS I COULD P O S S I B L Y HAVE TO MAKE SOMETHING SO RIDICULOUS AND SPECIFIC UP, AND DON'T YOU DARE CALL ME A BITCH YOU'RE THE ONE WHOSE PERSONAL HYGIENE IS WORSE THAN MY DOG'S!!!!!!!!"
​

“.............”

Even Vernal‘s and Qrow’s eyes widened at that one(for several reasons), eyes slowly turning to look at the one who’d dragged them into this. The short-haired Raven’s face twitched and she could have sworn she felt blood vessels pop just before she stomped over to where Weiss was and stood inches away from her, dark red and ice blue eyes glaring daggers into ice blue and dark red for several tense seconds, but she said nothing before turning away...only for that to be a feint as she spun right back far more quickly, aiming to catch Weiss off guard with a sucker punch uppercut right to her stupid, lying, petty jaw.
​

 

[Gus Gungus]

“.............”

Even Vernal‘s and Qrow’s eyes widened at that one(for several reasons), eyes slowly turning to look at the one who’d dragged them into this. The short-haired Raven’s face twitched and she could have sworn she felt blood vessels pop just before she stomped over to where Weiss was and stood inches away from her, dark red and ice blue eyes glaring daggers into ice blue and dark red for several tense seconds, but she said nothing before turning away...only for that to be a feint as she spun right back far more quickly, aiming to catch Weiss off guard with a sucker punch uppercut right to her stupid, lying, petty jaw.

Weiss had no reservations about taking time out of whatever she was doing on the scroll to meet that glare head-on, every ounce of the steel, spite, and disdain paid back plus interest. She waited expectantly for Raven to think better of it before she dropped her focus back to her- Wait, surely she wasn't going to-

​

 

[Schnee Corp Lawyer]

When he sharply turned back on her with that fierce snarl, it was met only with one of teary resignation, any of her own anger that had been present had since evaporated away. The look on his face then was unlike any she'd ever seen, even in the most stressful of times, but she didn't falter. She didn't even move backwards as he began to stomp back towards her. Gwen stood her ground firmly, and by the time the gun clacked empty...he was right in front of her, dwarfing over her. Her head rose up to meet his haggard glare unflinchingly. Logic dictated that she retreat, fall back...but that would only delay the inevitable, now that she was without any aura. Beyond that...she owed it to him to look him straight in the eyes.

The first kick sent her weapon skidding off along the floor into a darkened corner, but still she remained staring back at him, unmoving. It was only with the second that she moved, striking her with enough force that she flipped over. More than that, a frustrated and angry kick from a man almost wholly made of metal? That was never gonna be good. The cracking sounds of multiple ribs breaking under the impact reached her ears split-seconds before the intense pain lanced through her, and the special operative yelled in pure agony, accompanied shortly thereafter by more than a few wheezing coughs. That was when her backup gun got knocked away too, leaving her both weaponless and auraless as she laid there, struggling to breathe.

Tear-filled eyes looked up at Ironwood then, and through the hazy wet nature of her eyes, she managed to zero in on his boot, already swinging in to slam into her skull and finish the job. Her eyes slid shut then in anticipation of the blow, accepting it as a consequence of the choice she had made, to stand for what she thought was right. But the kick never connected, and after a moment her eyes opened back up in confusion. Confusion that was quickly rectified as even with her less than ideal sight, she recognized the glyph that held him back. Her gaze quickly shot up to his face just in time to catch a glimpse of what seemed to be relief, but it was there and gone so swiftly she couldn't be sure her hopeful mind had not simply imagined it.

What was definitely not imaginary was the assault that decimated the former general's own aura and knocked him out the window once more, and it seemed to stick this time. Her attention was not on him by that point though, and through her visor she managed to pick up on that faint blue glow. The councilwoman, she was...well, she was decidedly not okay, but she was conscious and doing what she could. That brought a small relieved smile to her face, though she neither called out for Weiss or tried to move over there. Even in her current condition, she understood the councilwoman was doing her best to stay hidden.

Instead, she crawled over to the shattered window, not trusting in her ability to stand without sending more pain shooting through her. Even now, with her desperate crawling along the floor, one or two motions still managed to provoke lances of pain. But she gritted her teeth and endured it until she was by the window. She took in as good a breath as she could manage before she poked her head out and looked to the city below. A slow and shaky hand moved to tap on her wristpad and the magnification on her visor's sight zoomed in greatly, trying to find where the former general had landed. Despite her choice, despite what she saw as his huge mistake, despite the pain he left her in, despite it all...he had been someone she had idolized for a long time.

The tears fell far more freely then, running down her face and then down to the distant streets below, the wretched sobbing having little to do with the sting of her broken ribs.​

Ruby's eyes slowly drifted open.

The vision was blurry at first but after a couple of blinks, she smiled at the oh-so familiar face.

"Oh....it's you...Hi."

Ruby shivered a little.

"...Sorry about the mess....me. I'm a big messup....but I feel better. Better than I ever have."

As battle raged on around her, Ruby chuckled softly.

"....I could take a nap right here and let my problems fade away."

Her stump was looking worse and worse by the second, a misty trail that resembled an arm beginning to form ebbing from it.

"...Couldn't save Weiss....or stop my Yang....but that's okay. I'm okay. You don't need to worry about me....Nobody does...."



Ruby frowned and shook her head.

"....I'm not all that strong. I can barely throw a good punch..." Ruby mumbled. Her nose still stung after Yang punched her earlier. "Everything will be fine, me. You guys can go home and I'll stay here...with my Yang....like I always have." The end of the trail began absentmindely flicking it's 'fingers' but Masque didn't pay it any mind. "We'll be together forever. Just the two of us....and we'll be happy..."

....

It was an odd sight. Seeing her....well...kinda her own eyes glowing.

It was a beautiful sight. One you could paint a picture of.

'I wonder if I ever looked as nice when my eyes glowed'

Or did she always look like a monster?

"....Together, huh? I guess you're not giving me much choice..."

Ruby closed her eyes and tried to think.

It was only after the fact that Masque pondered.

'if the Grimm is a part of me...then will this hurt-'​

View attachment 821155

Oh hell no. Who did this woman think she was? Because as far as Weiss was concerned, she was a good-for-nothing lowlife who liked to disappear for long periods of time to indulge her moods then show up when it suited her so she could act like she was god's gift to the room and condescend the people who actually stuck around to fight the hard battles. If she thought she was going to get away with talking to Yang like that around her after everything she'd done simply because they were technically on the same side of the argument then she was sorely mistaken, and if she thought she wasn't going to catch any of these hyperventilating hands simply because she had no aura and lacked the energy to devastate her physically she was even wronger. For a thug like Raven Branwen, doing it verbally would more than suffice.

"DON'T YOU START TALKING DOWN TO HER YOU REPROBATE, YOU'RE THE LAST PERSON WHO SHOULD BE LECTURING ANYONE ABOUT MISTAKES! I CAUGHT YOU PASSED OUT DRUNK ON A ROOF NEAR MY HOUSE!!! FROM BEER!!!!" She spoke the word as though it was something pigs drink. "There you have it, everyone, RAVEN BRANWEN THE RENOWNED BANDIT WHO CAN'T GO FIVE MINUTES WITHOUT REMINDING EVERYONE HOW RUGGED and ASTUTE SHE IS MAXES OUT AT SIX BEERS!!!!!! I COULD DRINK RAVEN BRANWEN UNDER THE TABLE! DO WHAT YOU WANT WITH THAT INFORMATION!"​

"SHE'S LYING! DON'T LISTEN TO THIS KNOWN LIAR, IT ISN'T TRUE! BESIDES, WE HAVE LITERALLY GOT MORE IMPORTANT THINGS TO DEAL WITH! CAN YOU NOT BE SO DAMN PETTY FOR JUST TWO MINUTES, YOU BITCH?"

The other Raven averted her gaze then, inwardly doing the equivalent of innocently whistling and counting on the fact that everybody’s attention would be drawn to the two shouting at each other. That way she would avoid having to reveal that she was, more or less, as much of a lightweight.​

The answer to her question was no.

View attachment 821157

"I'D JUST LIKE TO STRESS THAT THERE ARE ZERO REASONS I COULD P O S S I B L Y HAVE TO MAKE SOMETHING SO SPECIFIC AND RIDICULOUS UP, AND DON'T YOU DARE CALL ME A BITCH YOU'RE THE ONE WHOSE PERSONAL HYGIENE IS WORSE THAN MY DOG'S!!!!!!!!"
​

“.............”

Even Vernal‘s and Qrow’s eyes widened at that one(for several reasons), eyes slowly turning to look at the one who’d dragged them into this. The short-haired Raven’s face twitched and she could have sworn she felt blood vessels pop just before she stomped over to where Weiss was and stood inches away from her, dark red and ice blue eyes glaring daggers into ice blue and dark red for several tense seconds, but she said nothing before turning away...only for that to be a feint as she spun right back far more quickly, aiming to catch Weiss off guard with a sucker punch uppercut right to her stupid, lying, petty jaw.
​

Weiss had no reservations about taking time out of whatever she was doing on the scroll to meet that glare head-on, every ounce of the steel, spite, and disdain paid back plus interest. She waited expectantly for Raven to think better of it before she dropped her focus back to her- Wait, surely she wasn't going to-

View attachment 821158​

"OKAY LETS NOT DO THAT!"

Raven's fist was caught on the back swing by the strongest grip it had every been subjected to in her life, Yang's aura dangerously low but the beating she'd taken still thrumming through her soul until it was fully gone. She yanked her back a few steps and moved in the space between the former and current spring maiden of Remnant one, not letting go of her mom's arm as her other hand jabbed a finger into her chest. "Can you not be a terrible person for five mintues?! Okay? Thanks, great talk mom, love to hear you yell some more, but this-"

She strode over to the Lamp, snatched it up, pivoted on her heel "- needs to go over there-" and whipped it straight through the portal, where it disappeared to the other side and clocked her uncle square in the forehead.

"-And you-" she continued, not losing any momentum from her throw as she followed it through to walk back towards Weiss and firmly grip her shoulders "-Are also coming with us. ABABUBUBUBUP!" She put a finger against Weiss' lips at the start of the inevitable rebuttal. "Look Weiss, unless you have some way of tracking Blake down, the staff's gone. If you don't have some way of getting all these soldiers on your side instead of Carny's and Jimmy's, then Atlas is gone too. Not like, gone gone, but on team evil. The best thing for you to do, the most logical thing for you to do in your head chess game or shogi or whatever, is to come with us so Ozpin doesn't get his hands on another maiden."

"...Hrm."

Watts' visor had a hard light screen flicker into existence in front of him as he scanned their frozen surroundings. "Well... we- well no."

Spoiler: why was everyone like this

"Got somethin you wanna share with the class bud?"

Watts' helmet swept across the room, briefly stopping on CInder before he turned back to Yang and shook his head. "No, not particularly."

 

[Gus Gungus]

View attachment 821393

"OKAY LETS NOT DO THAT!"

Raven's fist was caught on the back swing by the strongest grip it had every been subjected to in her life, Yang's aura dangerously low but the beating she'd taken still thrumming through her soul until it was fully gone. She yanked her back a few steps and moved in the space between the former and current spring maiden of Remnant one, not letting go of her mom's arm as her other hand jabbed a finger into her chest. "Can you not be a terrible person for five mintues?! Okay? Thanks, great talk mom, love to hear you yell some more, but this-"

She strode over to the Lamp, snatched it up, pivoted on her heel "- needs to go over there-" and whipped it straight through the portal, where it disappeared to the other side and clocked her uncle square in the forehead.

"-And you-" she continued, not losing any momentum from her throw as she followed it through to walk back towards Weiss and firmly grip her shoulders "-Are also coming with us. ABABUBUBUBUP!" She put a finger against Weiss' lips at the start of the inevitable rebuttal. "Look Weiss, unless you have some way of tracking Blake down, the staff's gone. If you don't have some way of getting all these soldiers on your side instead of Carny's and Jimmy's, then Atlas is gone too. Not like, gone gone, but on team evil. The best thing for you to do, the most logical thing for you to do in your head chess game or shogi or whatever, is to come with us so Ozpin doesn't get his hands on another maiden."

"...Hrm."

Watts' visor had a hard light screen flicker into existence in front of him as he scanned their frozen surroundings. "Well... we- well no."

Spoiler: why was everyone like this

View attachment 821424

"Got somethin you wanna share with the class bud?"

Watts' helmet swept across the room, briefly stopping on CInder before he turned back to Yang and shook his head. "No, not particularly."

"I NEVER SAID THERE WASN'T A WAY DID I YOU GANGLY UNCOORDINATED BRUTE?!!?! GET YOUR GRUBBY FINGER OFF MY FACE!"

The barrage of frankly hilarious punches, kicks and slaps that failed to tickle Yang's aura did nevertheless tell her Weiss wasn't remotely finished breaking down enough to start being manhandled, eventually squirming her way free and hurling herself for Yang with the most vicious shove her slim, auraless frame could muster.

Which was to say she took a single step back.

"NO, YANG! YOU'RE NOT CUTE! THIS IS OVER! If Ozpin doesn't get something from this then it won't be enough to save Atlas, he'll put the city to the torch just to punish Ironwood's failure and HE IS NOT GETTING THE STAFF! DO YOU HEAR ME?! I HAVE TO FIX THIS! BUT I WILL NOT BE DOING SO UNTIL I KNOW YOU AND THE OTHER RELIC ARE SAFE, SO-SO JUST GO!"

Her next shrill demand was times with another prodigious, aggressive shove, Weiss fully intent on doing it all the way through the portal if she had to.

Qrow popped his head through the portal with the bleary eyes of someone only recently and involuntarily awake via blunt trauma, nevertheless raising his flask and slurring a thunderous roar in greeting. "HEEEEEEEEYYYYYYYYYY, I didn't know you guys were gonna be comin' early! Whoa. The hell happened here?"

Then he saw his double, the response immediate and eruptive.

​

 

[MidwayLives]

Ruby had stepped through the portal intent on staying away from the others.

There wasn't much they could do-if anything, really-to fix her without the staff. Which meant she would have been lugging around a Grimm arm with the group. The idea didn't sound too appealing all around. Ruby didn't know her way around Vacuo(which is to say she knew absolutely jack and shit about it)but better safe than sorry. Just go be alone and not somebody else's problem.
​

She strode over to the Lamp, snatched it up, pivoted on her heel "- needs to go over there-" and whipped it straight through the portal, where it disappeared to the other side and clocked her uncle square in the forehead.

The second the relic came sailing through, Ruby was gone in a trail of rose petals.

She didn't want to be here.

She definitely didn't want to be here with her dad and her dad's doppelganger.​

 

[MidwayLives]

Qrow popped his head through the portal with the bleary eyes of someone only recently and involuntarily awake via blunt trauma, nevertheless raising his flask and slurring a thunderous roar in greeting. "HEEEEEEEEYYYYYYYYYY, I didn't know you guys were gonna be comin' early! Whoa. The hell happened here?"

Then he saw his double, the response immediate and eruptive.

Perhaps it was only now dawning on Neo:

There were soooooooo many people in this room who had reason to hate her.

Sheesh.​

 

[Schnee Corp Lawyer]

"Apologies, miss Schnee, I was already adjusting volume but I will decrease it further-"

Gwen, in contrast to the councilwoman, bothered to answer those questions from Atlas's most advanced robot, that miracle of robotics and engineering all wrapped up as a frankly adorable girl. Pietro had a special gift in that regard. The special operative turned to Penny with a pained grimace and after a couple coughs, answered, albeit succinctly. "It's gone. They took it. As for the general...one fell from that window over there-" She nodded towards it. "-and the other took a trip down an elevator shaft." She jerked her head that way. "Both turned on us, on the councilwoman. They orchestrated the prison break of the Shadow Fang members we apprehended, stood alongside other killers and helped make this mess." She gestured at the frozen everything.

"Speaking of...if somebody could let me in on what is really going on here, what those things are, why they are so important, what exactly I got my ribs broken for...I would really appreciate knowing!"​

"WHAT?!"

Penny landed with a slight stumble as she found her footing on the chilled floor near the window, or where it had been, trying in vain to peer past the blockade of ice. "No... no, that is not true, General Ironwood would never do something so- there is no one on either Remnant who is more determined to defend Atlas than him, it must have been a disguise or, or a semblance that confused you all, this does not make any sense!" She declared as she turned back towards the group with her hands clasped and fidgeting together, her words becoming more flustered the longer the talked.

"I NEVER SAID THERE WASN'T A WAY DID I YOU GANGLY UNCOORDINATED BRUTE?!!?! GET YOUR GRUBBY FINGER OFF MY FACE!"

The barrage of frankly hilarious punches, kicks and slaps that failed to tickle Yang's aura did nevertheless tell her Weiss wasn't remotely finished breaking down enough to start being manhandled, eventually squirming her way free and hurling herself for Yang with the most vicious shove her slim, auraless frame could muster.

Which was to say she took a single step back.

"NO, YANG! YOU'RE NOT CUTE! THIS IS OVER! If Ozpin doesn't get something from this then it won't be enough to save Atlas, he'll put the city to the torch just to punish Ironwood's failure and HE IS NOT GETTING THE STAFF! DO YOU HEAR ME?! I HAVE TO FIX THIS! BUT I WILL NOT BE DOING SO UNTIL I KNOW YOU AND THE OTHER RELIC ARE SAFE, SO-SO JUST GO!"

Her next shrill demand was times with another prodigious, aggressive shove, Weiss fully intent on doing it all the way through the portal if she had to.

Qrow popped his head through the portal with the bleary eyes of someone only recently and involuntarily awake via blunt trauma, nevertheless raising his flask and slurring a thunderous roar in greeting. "HEEEEEEEEYYYYYYYYYY, I didn't know you guys were gonna be comin' early! Whoa. The hell happened here?"

Then he saw his double, the response immediate and eruptive.

View attachment 821441​

Yang grunted as she suddenly came under assault, but she didn't even bother putting up her aura and let Weiss get it out of her system outside of gently batting away anything that came for her face and setting her feet so she wasn't pushed back any farther. She wast still picking up on the rest of the room; Seeing her uncle for what felt like the first time in months, this world's Ruby slipping through the portal and still looking distraught, Penny's increasing distress, how much Watts still annoyed her by merely existing, but Weiss had all her focus as she kept her voice level and calm as she could.

"Weiss, just, its okay. We have at least have minute to get sorted here, alright ? You got a plan to get the relic back? Then we should stay" she said firmly as she moved to put a gentle hand on Weiss' shoulder. "We still need it, they still need it after we're done-" she added as she gestured to Cinder and Watts "-and, I dunno if you've noticed, but I don't think either of the Ravens are emotionally bonded to you or whatever, so once we go through we can't just come back."

She knew that only addressed half of what Weiss had said, but battering the poor woman over the head with more reasons Yang wasn't gonna listen to her until she stopped having a (totally understandable that witnessing was breaking Yang's heart but she was trying to turn on the big sister energies to their max settings to bring Weiss at least a little back out of it) panic attack.\

"We can help get it back before we go. Me and my sis are 2 for 3 now on keeping Kingdom governments from imploding, we got experience."


-----------------------------

Anyone standing near the elevator side of the impromptu ice dome felt a slight rumble

 

[MyrtenRose]

"OKAY LETS NOT DO THAT!"

Raven's fist was caught on the back swing by the strongest grip it had every been subjected to in her life, Yang's aura dangerously low but the beating she'd taken still thrumming through her soul until it was fully gone. She yanked her back a few steps and moved in the space between the former and current spring maiden of Remnant one, not letting go of her mom's arm as her other hand jabbed a finger into her chest. "Can you not be a terrible person for five minutes?! Okay? Thanks, great talk mom, love to hear you yell some more, but this-"

Raven didn't even object. She didn't even turn around initially. Even if she had not heard that shout, she would have known exactly who had intervened just then. There was no further yelling, at least not on her part. On the contrary she fell uncharacteristically quiet until her daughter had let go, some mix of guilt and disappointment and annoyance resulting in a scowl forming across her face. Mostly annoyance. She had made a pledge to try to be better, but in this case, she felt like she had been more than justified. The short-haired Raven's arms crossed over her chest and she looked away in frustration. "I agreed with her and she was the one to shout at me back. She mocked me, insulted me...she should count herself lucky I only went for a punch..." Raven continued to grumble away, but most of the rest was hard to pick up on unless one was straining their ears specifically to listen to her. Talk shit, get hit was the gist of most of it anyhow.​

"Got somethin you wanna share with the class bud?"

Watts' helmet swept across the room, briefly stopping on CInder before he turned back to Yang and shook his head. "No, not particularly."

"...but please do so regardless?" Cinder contributed, looking directly at her old partner. This wasn't the time to withhold things!​

Then he saw his double, the response immediate and eruptive.

"Weiss, just, its okay. We have at least have minute to get sorted here, alright ? You got a plan to get the relic back? Then we should stay" she said firmly as she moved to put a gentle hand on Weiss' shoulder. "We still need it, they still need it after we're done-" she added as she gestured to Cinder and Watts "-and, I dunno if you've noticed, but I don't think either of the Ravens are emotionally bonded to you or whatever, so once we go through we can't just come back."

She knew that only addressed half of what Weiss had said, but battering the poor woman over the head with more reasons Yang wasn't gonna listen to her until she stopped having a (totally understandable that witnessing was breaking Yang's heart but she was trying to turn on the big sister energies to their max settings to bring Weiss at least a little back out of it) panic attack.\

"We can help get it back before we go. Me and my sis are 2 for 3 now on keeping Kingdom governments from imploding, we got experience."

"Nope. We're not doing that." Both Ravens spoke up simultaneously and shut that down immediately. The two glanced at each other, giving each other some serious side-eye before they looked back at Yang.​

"WHAT?!"

Penny landed with a slight stumble as she found her footing on the chilled floor near the window, or where it had been, trying in vain to peer past the blockade of ice. "No... no, that is not true, General Ironwood would never do something so- there is no one on either Remnant who is more determined to defend Atlas than him, it must have been a disguise or, or a semblance that confused you all, this does not make any sense!" She declared as she turned back towards the group with her hands clasped and fidgeting together, her words becoming more flustered the longer the talked.

"Believe me, I don't think there's anybody in the room who would want it to be not true more than me. But it is, sadly...I have the cracked ribs courtesy of him to prove it. Also, hey...don't mind me, nobody tell me anything about what the hell you're all going on about...that's all fine...one hundred percent...yes..." It was quite evidently not.​

Anyone standing near the elevator side of the impromptu ice dome felt a slight rumble

"Hey not to interrupt your shouting back and forth matches but did anyone else feel that or..."

Ruby did clearly, given how she had turned in that direction as well with a curious and slightly worried expression. "..."

Nora unconsciously groaned in shared concern. Or it might have just been the pain.​

 

[MidwayLives]

"Believe me, I don't think there's anybody in the room who would want it to be not true more than me. But it is, sadly...I have the cracked ribs courtesy of him to prove it. Also, hey...don't mind me, nobody tell me anything about what the hell you're all going on about...that's all fine...one hundred percent...yes..." It was quite evidently not.

Oh hey! It was this chick again!

Neo strode over and knelt down beside Gwen.

From what little she'd been able to comprehend, it seemed as though Ironwood had turned traitor. Guess the tin man wasn't without a few scruples here and there. Neo for her part had worked with Ozpin(not willingly)and didn't like what it'd got her. Patting the soldier on the back, Neo waited to see if Gwen acknowledged her.

Then she promptly wiped at her eyes in a mocking 'aw, boo-hoo' manner.

What was Neo supposed to do? Act like she was buddies with anyone here? If things hadn't gone to shit, this chick would have had Neo arrested or executed or who knows what.
​

 

[MyrtenRose]

Then she promptly wiped at her eyes in a mocking 'aw, boo-hoo' manner.

What was Neo supposed to do? Act like she was buddies with anyone here? If things hadn't gone to shit, this chick would have had Neo arrested or executed or who knows what.
​

“You’re a real piece of work.”​

 

[MidwayLives]

“You’re a real piece of work.”

Huh.

That wasn't really the reaction Neo had expected. She'd been hoping for more of a 'you bitch' or 'fuck off'. This...was just kinda real.

Come to think of it...

Neo glanced around. The place was a frozen wonderland.

Neo threw up her hands and created a small illusion of one of Gwen's mechs.

Sure, Ironwood was probably no slouch blah blah, but what happened to all those bots Gwen had been willing to sic on Neo?​

 

[MyrtenRose]

Huh.

That wasn't really the reaction Neo had expected. She'd been hoping for more of a 'you bitch' or 'fuck off'. This...was just kinda real.

Come to think of it...

Neo glanced around. The place was a frozen wonderland.

Neo threw up her hands and created a small illusion of one of Gwen's mechs.

Sure, Ironwood was probably no slouch blah blah, but what happened to all those bots Gwen had been willing to sic on Neo?​

“What.”​

 

[Gus Gungus]

"Apologies, miss Schnee, I was already adjusting volume but I will decrease it further-"



"WHAT?!"

Penny landed with a slight stumble as she found her footing on the chilled floor near the window, or where it had been, trying in vain to peer past the blockade of ice. "No... no, that is not true, General Ironwood would never do something so- there is no one on either Remnant who is more determined to defend Atlas than him, it must have been a disguise or, or a semblance that confused you all, this does not make any sense!" She declared as she turned back towards the group with her hands clasped and fidgeting together, her words becoming more flustered the longer the talked.




Yang grunted as she suddenly came under assault, but she didn't even bother putting up her aura and let Weiss get it out of her system outside of gently batting away anything that came for her face and setting her feet so she wasn't pushed back any farther. She wast still picking up on the rest of the room; Seeing her uncle for what felt like the first time in months, this world's Ruby slipping through the portal and still looking distraught, Penny's increasing distress, how much Watts still annoyed her by merely existing, but Weiss had all her focus as she kept her voice level and calm as she could.

"Weiss, just, its okay. We have at least have minute to get sorted here, alright ? You got a plan to get the relic back? Then we should stay" she said firmly as she moved to put a gentle hand on Weiss' shoulder. "We still need it, they still need it after we're done-" she added as she gestured to Cinder and Watts "-and, I dunno if you've noticed, but I don't think either of the Ravens are emotionally bonded to you or whatever, so once we go through we can't just come back."

She knew that only addressed half of what Weiss had said, but battering the poor woman over the head with more reasons Yang wasn't gonna listen to her until she stopped having a (totally understandable that witnessing was breaking Yang's heart but she was trying to turn on the big sister energies to their max settings to bring Weiss at least a little back out of it) panic attack.\

"We can help get it back before we go. Me and my sis are 2 for 3 now on keeping Kingdom governments from imploding, we got experience."


-----------------------------

Anyone standing near the elevator side of the impromptu ice dome felt a slight rumble

As she listened, Weiss's state grew a bit less unsettled; for a few long, pensive seconds she looked at Yang like she wanted to slap her as much as hug her. It was a conflicted look, emphasized by Weiss chewing on the tip of her ponytail in nervous thought as for the first time since they'd started talking her brain started to slow down. Oh gods. She'd found it, hadn't she?

The one argument she was never going to win.

"Yang..."

She hissed, rubbing her temple. It was a defeated sound, one that went hand in hand with her stare crumbling away into something else. A calmer, less panicky mask of resignation dawned, one rife with sadness but also the utter gratitude she couldn't stop herself feeling towards Yang just for being her. For still refusing to leave, even now, after everything she'd said and done. For sticking by her more unwaveringly and persistently than she honestly even thought human beings were capable of. Weiss was a gifted orator, but in this one area she had so little functional experience in she was confident it was a look that conveyed how she felt about Yang better than her speech ever could.

That was why she had to go. Weiss couldn't afford to give the wolves at the gate any more tools to hurt her.

She stepped forward, more passively this time, and put her hand on Yang's collar as she leaned up to give her a timid kiss on the cheek.

"...Thanks."

Then the underside of her palm glowed, and if all went as planned a beam of blue flame blasted Yang towards and through the portal at high speeds, upturning her from the icy prism in Atlas into a grimy Vacuo alleyway. Weiss was already turning towards the elevator with an expectant glare, a vacant nod of permission given to the Ravens to do what they had to when everyone was on the right side of the portals.​

 

[MidwayLives]

What

Neo narrowed her eyes
​

She stepped forward, more passively this time, and put her hand on Yang's collar as she leaned up to give her a timid kiss on the cheek.

Gross.

​

Then the underside of her palm glowed, and if all went as planned a beam of blue flame blasted Yang towards and through the portal at high speeds, upturning her from the icy prism in Atlas into a grimy Vacuo alleyway. Weiss was already turning towards the elevator with an expectant glare, a vacant nod of permission given to the Ravens to do what they had to when everyone was on the right side of the portals.

Ugh, all this constant back and forth was so annoying.

She nudged Gwen and gestured to the portal.​

 

[MyrtenRose]

"...Thanks."

Then the underside of her palm glowed, and if all went as planned a beam of blue flame blasted Yang towards and through the portal at high speeds, upturning her from the icy prism in Atlas into a grimy Vacuo alleyway. Weiss was already turning towards the elevator with an expectant glare, a vacant nod of permission given to the Ravens to do what they had to when everyone was on the right side of the portals.

"Yang!" Ruby blurted out, tearing her gaze away from the vague direction of that rumbling and immediately speeding through that portal after her sister to make sure she was alright. "Come on you two!" The short-haired Raven blurted out at Vernal and the Qrow she'd freed, striding through the portal without another word, ready to hold her daughter back if it was needed. The two followed shortly thereafter. Cinder glanced from Watts to Penny before apparently coming to terms with what had to be done. Weiss wanted this done, and she could respect that choice, at the very least. She only paused long enough to pick up the unconscious Nora Valkyrie before the teenage maiden stepped through in turn.​

Ugh, all this constant back and forth was so annoying.

She nudged Gwen and gestured to the portal.

Gwen shook her head, reddened eyes already looking away from the ice cream themed criminal and focused on Weiss. "I'm not leaving. My duty...is to Atlas." She stated with finality. She was a soldier. She wasn't loyal to any one man or woman, but to the laws of the kingdom and the lives of everybody living within it. She would do everything she could to fight for it, without crossing the lines that Ironwood or Carnelian had seen fit to. There was always another way. "You should go though, criminal scum." The last two words were said less harshly than might have been expected, and a shadow of a grin briefly appeared on her face as she pushed back with the limited strength she had to usher Neo towards that portal. She forced herself to stand then, taking the steps closer to stand beside the councilwoman. Pain lanced with every step but she bit down and endured it with boundless determination.

Come what may, this was her home. She was not about to abandon it.

The Raven still present waited until the rest who were going to go went through as well, stare lingering on the councilwoman. Despite all the harsh words traded between them, right now Raven only gave a respectful nod. "Good luck." She simply said in farewell before she jogged up to go through the portal quickly, willing it disappear behind her before Yang could get through to the other side again.​

 

[MidwayLives]

Gwen shook her head, reddened eyes already looking away from the ice cream themed criminal and focused on Weiss. "I'm not leaving. My duty...is to Atlas." She stated with finality. She was a soldier.

Neo couldn’t really understand it.

Atlas was just a place. Sure, destruction could and would definitely happen but it could always be rebuilt. Why lay down your life for anything other than yourself?

....

Thinking back to Emerald, Neo sighed.

Maybe the soldier did have a point.
​

There was always another way. "You should go though, criminal scum." The last two words were said less harshly than might have been expected, and a shadow of a grin briefly appeared on her face as she pushed back with the limited strength she had to usher Neo towards that portal. She forced herself to stand then, taking the steps closer to stand beside the councilwoman. Pain lanced with every step but she bit down and endured it with boundless determination

Neo wasn’t going to be much use without Hush and she had no idea where it was by this point.

But before she left, Neo tapped Gwen on the shoulder once more. Handcuffs appeared on Neo’s wrist as the criminal grinned.

Their score wasn’t settled yet.

With that, Neo left. Feeling that Gwen would be a thorn in her side again at some point~​

 

[Schnee Corp Lawyer]

"Believe me, I don't think there's anybody in the room who would want it to be not true more than me. But it is, sadly...I have the cracked ribs courtesy of him to prove it. Also, hey...don't mind me, nobody tell me anything about what the hell you're all going on about...that's all fine...one hundred percent...yes..." It was quite evidently not.

"...No! You must be wrong!"

Penny's rebuttal to Gwen was the closest to purposefully rude she'd ever been to anyone ever, a forceful and almost childish snap as she shook her head and once again tried to press her head against the ice, her eyes glowing green as she activated her scanners.

It made absolutely no sense. They'd been separated for not five minutes, and she was just supposed to accept that the disaster they'd returned to had been the general's fault? That he'd willingly sided with the likes of Ozpin and his minions? It just couldn't be right. The general would die before hurting Atlas, she was sure of it. He'd lied to them about Weiss, but that was so much different! He thought he was protecting them as much as doing the correct tactical choice, or so she believed.

"We can't just leave, what if he's hurt? Miss Schnee, remove this ice!"

Pietro was her father, and Weiss may have funded her in this world, but she existed because of the general. She'd been working with him from the moment she was combat ready, and even before that. Back home, she'd always... wondered, what he thought of Penny, how he saw her. Whether she was a friend or just a tool. It troubled her slightly, how he steered her away from friends, from unecessary enjoyment. But... she had memories from this world now too, and not just the ones from before beacon. She... she'd felt that, least here, maybe...

He stepped forward.

"Penny..."

The sound of groaning, warping metal filled the room, and no one was entirely sure who it belonged to.

"It's alright. Thank you for bringing them here. It's good to see you weren't hurt."

...maybe she'd been thought of as more than just a weapon to point at the darkness.

When weiss obviously didn't comply with the request that would expose them to who knew how many enemies and horrors, Penny made a distressed, frustrated hum and turned around with a look that was a mixture of determined and terrified "I said-"

She jolted in surprise as someoned rocketed straight past into the ice wall next to her hard enough to crack it halfway through.

As she listened, Weiss's state grew a bit less unsettled; for a few long, pensive seconds she looked at Yang like she wanted to slap her as much as hug her. It was a conflicted look, emphasized by Weiss chewing on the tip of her ponytail in nervous thought as for the first time since they'd started talking her brain started to slow down. Oh gods. She'd found it, hadn't she?

The one argument she was never going to win.

"Yang..."

She hissed, rubbing her temple. It was a defeated sound, one that went hand in hand with her stare crumbling away into something else. A calmer, less panicky mask of resignation dawned, one rife with sadness but also the utter gratitude she couldn't stop herself feeling towards Yang just for being her. For still refusing to leave, even now, after everything she'd said and done. For sticking by her more unwaveringly and persistently than she honestly even thought human beings were capable of. Weiss was a gifted orator, but in this one area she had so little functional experience in she was confident it was a look that conveyed how she felt about Yang better than her speech ever could.

A bit of hope broke through the forced calm as Weiss got that look on her face. She knew she was being a stubborn ass, but she'd sit here till Remnant fell into the sun before she just... left Weiss to die. Because that's what this was.

'Ozpin needs something, or he burns atlas, and he's not getting the staff'

What the hell was Weiss gonna give him other than herself? Thats what Weiss was telling them, and Yang couldn't tell if everyone was either missing the obvious implication or just didn't care, and she couldnt' tell which of those options ticked her off more. This was her fault, honestly; whatever Weiss' plan had been had gone to shit because she'd been stubborn, and maybe she really was just excaberating the problem by continuing that, but she, she couldn't just... let it happen. Like hell she was gonna. Like hell was she gonna let that be the end of this Weiss. She'd fought too hard and hurt herself too many times for her to martyr herself over Yang's mistake.

"Weiss, please just-"

She stepped forward, more passively this time, and put her hand on Yang's collar as she leaned up to give her a timid kiss on the cheek.

"...Thanks."

"-buh???"

? ? ? ? ?

????????

? ? ??? ? ? ? ??? ?? ???

Then the underside of her palm glowed, and if all went as planned a beam of blue flame blasted Yang towards and through the portal at high speeds, upturning her from the icy prism in Atlas into a grimy Vacuo alleyway. Weiss was already turning towards the elevator with an expectant glare, a vacant nod of permission given to the Ravens to do what they had to when everyone was on the right side of the portals.

"Yang!" Ruby blurted out, tearing her gaze away from the vague direction of that rumbling and immediately speeding through that portal after her sister to make sure she was alright. "Come on you two!" The short-haired Raven blurted out at Vernal and the Qrow she'd freed, striding through the portal without another word, ready to hold her daughter back if it was needed. The two followed shortly thereafter. Cinder glanced from Watts to Penny before apparently coming to terms with what had to be done. Weiss wanted this done, and she could respect that choice, at the very least. She only paused long enough to pick up the unconscious Nora Valkyrie before the teenage maiden stepped through in turn.

Whichever member of the bandit trio made it to the portal first made it halfway through before they faceplanted directly into a fist that was still incredibly supercharged on semblance, which meant the only reason they didn't go all the way through the ice wall was because Yang held back.

It took her about .2 seconds of air time to make her decision. She'd righted herself before she'd even hit the ground with a pair of blasts from Ember Celica, planted her feet right outside the portal, and threw the punch that she knew was gonna connect, because she knew what her mom considered 'parenting'-

A portal that tossed Yang right back through over here and right into:

Truly the best way to handle this.

-and how she was gonna handle this continued little young-adult rebellion.

Which of course meant she almost blasted her poor sister into the stratosphere instead if it wasn't for her semblance letting her pass through Yang's fist like so many rosepetals, but sometimes you just got lucky, and one of the other three got extremely unlucky and probably blamed Qrow for the knuckle sandwhich they ate

Yang immediately bullrushed through the portal after her victim and roared at the top of her lungs, intent on keeping the show of strength going, since that was the only language that lunatic side of her family ever listened to. "YOU KNOW WHATS HAPPENING?!"

She gave a fiery red warning glare to anyone who got in her way as she strode forward, Weiss for the first time ever really having Yang's anger seemingly pointed at her. "I'll tell you all what's happening"

She knocked on the side of her own head.

"That Schnee manipulation mind control you guys kept warning me about is finally kicking in! Dang, I just can't fight it off, oh well! I'm a victim of my own weak will here guys, and this-" Her inevitable gait reached Weiss, and while not viciously, far less gently than she'd ever touched her outside of the first time they met through a portal wrangled the maiden like a sack of potatoes and hefted her over her shoulder"-is what that weak will is making me do, the secret command Weiss has been giving me this entire time to just turn me into a pawn or whatever, oh noooooooooo."

And with that she walked right back towards the portal.

 

[MyrtenRose]

Whichever member of the bandit trio made it to the portal first made it halfway through before they faceplanted directly into a fist that was still incredibly supercharged on semblance, which meant the only reason they didn't go all the way through the ice wall was because Yang held back.

It took her about .2 seconds of air time to make her decision. She'd righted herself before she'd even hit the ground with a pair of blasts from Ember Celica, planted her feet right outside the portal, and threw the punch that she knew was gonna connect, because she knew what her mom considered 'parenting'-

Which of course meant she almost blasted her poor sister into the stratosphere instead if it wasn't for her semblance letting her pass through Yang's fist like so many rosepetals, but sometimes you just got lucky, and one of the other three got extremely unlucky and probably blamed Qrow for the knuckle sandwhich they ate

There was something almost beautifully ironic about how the person with the semblance who blinded people absolutely didn't see anything like that coming.

There was probably a good joke to be made about it too.

"OW GODDAMN WHAT THE FUCK BASTARD SON OF A BITCH WHAT THE FUCK OW GODDAMMIT MOTHERFUCKIN' ASSHOLE FUCK FUCK FUCK OW WHAT IN THE GODDAMN SHIT, FUCKING FUCK-"

Enough profanity to impress even a sailor continued to shoot out of Vernal's mouth as she rolled around on the icy floor in absolute pain, her aura going from near full to absolutely nothing from one goddamn SUPERPOWERED blow, her nose feeling like it had broken entirely and dripping, no more like gushing, with blood.

"-FOR FUCK'S SAKE, GODDAMMIT RAVEN YOUR FUCKING DAUGHTER--NO FUCKING HOLD ON, QROW, YOUR DAMN SEMBLANCE PROBABLY HELPED TOO BITCH, FUCK, SHIT, YOUR WHOLE FREAKING FAMILY GODDAMMIT FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK SHIT FUCK--"

It seemed likely that string of frustrated and angry cursing would go on for some time.

Both the short-haired Raven and bandit king Qrow were utterly silent, refraining from making any comment on it. But one shared look between them and both knew that they were thinking the same thing.​

 

[MyrtenRose]

Yang immediately bullrushed through the portal after her victim and roared at the top of her lungs, intent on keeping the show of strength going, since that was the only language that lunatic side of her family ever listened to. "YOU KNOW WHATS HAPPENING?!"

She gave a fiery red warning glare to anyone who got in her way as she strode forward, Weiss for the first time ever really having Yang's anger seemingly pointed at her. "I'll tell you all what's happening"

She knocked on the side of her own head.

"That Schnee manipulation mind control you guys kept warning me about is finally kicking in! Dang, I just can't fight it off, oh well! I'm a victim of my own weak will here guys, and this-" Her inevitable gait reached Weiss, and while not viciously, far less gently than she'd ever touched her outside of the first time they met through a portal wrangled the maiden like a sack of potatoes and hefted her over her shoulder"-is what that weak will is making me do, the secret command Weiss has been giving me this entire time to just turn me into a pawn or whatever, oh noooooooooo."

And with that she walked right back towards the portal.

The other Raven facepalmed, a quiet sigh hissing out between her fingers, but she didn't say anything or try to do anything to stop Yang or prevent her from acting on her chosen action. Her not-daughter was impossibly stubborn, an absolute pain to deal with...but she had plenty of compassion and the desire to protect. That, in and of itself, was something to be admired. Not punished. Also, there was no denying she didn't want to end up like that bandit thug right now. She just tapped her foot, waiting and counting down the seconds until either Yang got through the portal with her passenger in tow or Weiss did whatever she would do to stop that from happening.​

 

[Gus Gungus]

"Forget about Ironwood, Penny. He made his choice," came the councilwoman's tired, vague, and above all dismissive murmur in reply, whatever feelings she had about the man she had known for so long and (at one time) looked up to demonstrating his lack of faith in her the way he had entirely inscrutable now that she had repossessed herself. She had already turned and strode away from the portal the moment she carried out her ambush, as if-

Whichever member of the bandit trio made it to the portal first made it halfway through before they faceplanted directly into a fist that was still incredibly supercharged on semblance, which meant the only reason they didn't go all the way through the ice wall was because Yang held back.

-as if she knew something like that was coming. Only the most intense mental conditioning, fortitude and simple discipline this side of Solitas prevented the sigh Weiss gave from descending into a full-fledged, palms-to-face moan of frustration, Weiss frankly getting less and less concerned about hurting Yang's feelings as she spun back around, primed to blast Yang back through the portal with the volume of her voice alone.

"Yang. Xiao. Long, get BACK-"

Yang immediately bullrushed through the portal after her victim and roared at the top of her lungs, intent on keeping the show of strength going, since that was the only language that lunatic side of her family ever listened to. "YOU KNOW WHATS HAPPENING?!"

Weiss was no stranger to employing that particular branch of persuasion herself, and she was certainly no stranger to being shouted at. Impotent rivals, gotcha journalists, puffed-up little peacocks and their exaggerated shows of self-importance. It was all quite dull, really. She had learned to be rather adept at disarming them through and through, at helping either themselves or the room at large realize exactly how enormous an idiot they were.

This was different. Weiss tended to dislike humanity as a rule; she had built walls around herself, so dense and so high that a majority of people she dealt with meant about as much to her as the common ant. Being shouted at by someone who—either by right of birth or of being annoying, affectionate, and SO insufferably easy on the eyes—held a residency behind those walls, on the other hand? Whose respect and validation she secretly yearned for, no matter how much she tried to inform herself otherwise? That was a ballpark she held an entirely different sort of season ticket in.

She faltered somewhat as the roar swallowed up her own, a not quite scared but definitely taken aback look of apprehension on her face when Yang started for her. Her instincts judged a swift, prudent step back to be the most appropriate course of action, wracking her brain as to why Yang might be taking such purposeful strides towards her. With such a... no-nonsense look in her eye.

She put all thoughts of what she was secretly hoping it was out of her mind, coughing and focusing on how much she hoped it wasn't that instead. When her voice returned to her it was a far cry from the commanding boom her first attempt had been; instead it had that tactful, self-assured luster of diplomacy to it, Weiss's sentences such a smooth glide she could've sold water to the ocean.

"C-come now, Yang. You know as well as I do that it's in both our interests to refrain from making this some prolonged sentimental affair- WHAT IN THE WORLD DO YOU THINK YOU'RE DOING-"

"That Schnee manipulation mind control you guys kept warning me about is finally kicking in! Dang, I just can't fight it off, oh well! I'm a victim of my own weak will here guys, and this-" Her inevitable gait reached Weiss, and while not viciously, far less gently than she'd ever touched her outside of the first time they met through a portal wrangled the maiden like a sack of potatoes and hefted her over her shoulder"-is what that weak will is making me do, the secret command Weiss has been giving me this entire time to just turn me into a pawn or whatever, oh noooooooooo."

Weiss, being the prominent heiress-turned-politician and figure of immense popularity in some circles and absolute loathing in others that she was, was no stranger to people trying to get her to go places with them against her will. She liked to believe she dealt with them rather well, when she wasn't auraless, deprived of her semblance and weapon and the perpetrator wasn't someone she was worryingly soft for.

Which was to say she screeched, flailed, and pounded her dainty fists down on Yang's back with the relentless force of a mild hail, the fearsome magic-hoarding semblance technician who had stymied them at every turn for months looking hilariously powerless in that moment pitted against the larger frame and stronger arms.

"Unhand me this INSTANT you, you unrefined DELINQUENT! HAVE YOU ENTIRELY LOST YOUR MIND?! Look, there isn't—TIME for this you don't, you don't know what you're doing just— HELP! WOULD ONE OF YOU MORONS STOP GAWKING AND HELP ME!"

She changed tactics in the face of Yang doing her very best impersonation of a brick wall, flashing a helplessly pleading look around for Ector probably off saving his future wife, Helios, Penny, essentially anyone even slightly law-abiding.

"T-this can't, someone, THIS IS A KIDNAPPING LEGALLY SHE IS KIDNAPPING ME! AND YOU'RE ALL COMPLICIT! STOP HER AT ONCE OR EACH AND EVERY ONE OF YOU WILL BE RECEIVING A LETTER FROM MY LEGAL TEAM AND, and, PUT ME DOWN YANG I'M SERIOUS!" She demanded once more of her chief oppressor, voice lowered to an imploring whine. "I'll do awful things to you! Unforgivable things, Yang, I'll, I'll—"

Except she would never allow harm to come to Yang on pain of death and for some reason she felt like they both probably knew it. Her distress grew more and more pronounced the closer they got to the portal, breathing starting to take on that panicked, ratcheting quality of before as her eyes flitted around for the closest leverage point.

"—I'LL... KILL YOUR UNCLE! I'LL DO IT RIGHT NOW!"

She leveled her hand flat towards Qrow where he was standing with a sudden flare of light from her eyes and palm, giving a fistful of the bushy mane she was having to work very hard not to get in her mouth a sharp, demanding yank for attention; as though it were a bridle she could pull to force Yang to stop.



"Whoa, what? Why me?" Ruby was right there. And come to think of it, what was even going on right now?​

 

[Gus Gungus]

There was something almost beautifully ironic about how the person with the semblance who blinded people absolutely didn't see anything like that coming.

There was probably a good joke to be made about it too.

"OW GODDAMN WHAT THE FUCK BASTARD SON OF A BITCH WHAT THE FUCK OW GODDAMMIT MOTHERFUCKIN' ASSHOLE FUCK FUCK FUCK OW WHAT IN THE GODDAMN SHIT, FUCKING FUCK-"

Enough profanity to impress even a sailor continued to shoot out of Vernal's mouth as she rolled around on the icy floor in absolute pain, her aura going from near full to absolutely nothing from one goddamn SUPERPOWERED blow, her nose feeling like it had broken entirely and dripping, no more like gushing, with blood.

"-FOR FUCK'S SAKE, GODDAMMIT RAVEN YOUR FUCKING DAUGHTER--NO FUCKING HOLD ON, QROW, YOUR DAMN SEMBLANCE PROBABLY HELPED TOO BITCH, FUCK, SHIT, YOUR WHOLE FREAKING FAMILY GODDAMMIT FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK SHIT FUCK--"

It seemed likely that string of frustrated and angry cursing would go on for some time.

Both the short-haired Raven and bandit king Qrow were utterly silent, refraining from making any comment on it. But one shared look between them and both knew that they were thinking the same thing.

She could've sworn she heard pitched laughter from the block of ice the Dragon was encased in, which incidentally had started to steam.

​

 

[MyrtenRose]

"...No! You must be wrong!"

Penny's rebuttal to Gwen was the closest to purposefully rude she'd ever been to anyone ever, a forceful and almost childish snap as she shook her head and once again tried to press her head against the ice, her eyes glowing green as she activated her scanners.

It made absolutely no sense. They'd been separated for not five minutes, and she was just supposed to accept that the disaster they'd returned to had been the general's fault? That he'd willingly sided with the likes of Ozpin and his minions? It just couldn't be right. The general would die before hurting Atlas, she was sure of it. He'd lied to them about Weiss, but that was so much different! He thought he was protecting them as much as doing the correct tactical choice, or so she believed.

"We can't just leave, what if he's hurt? Miss Schnee, remove this ice!"

Pietro was her father, and Weiss may have funded her in this world, but she existed because of the general. She'd been working with him from the moment she was combat ready, and even before that. Back home, she'd always... wondered, what he thought of Penny, how he saw her. Whether she was a friend or just a tool. It troubled her slightly, how he steered her away from friends, from unnecessary enjoyment. But... she had memories from this world now too, and not just the ones from before beacon. She... she'd felt that, least here, maybe...

Unfortunately for councilwoman Schnee, Helios' attention was focused more on Penny in that moment. That and she seriously doubted she would have been able to stop Yang for even half a second in her current condition. She understood Penny's inner conflicted feelings, not because she had a special connection to technology of all types, but because she had greatly admired, looked up to the man. There was no denying how much it hurt to have to fight against him, and how much more every blow from him stung, simply because it was him behind the attack. "I'm sorry, Penny, but it is true." ​