Fandom Distorted Mirror [IC]

[Schnee Corp Lawyer]

"My hero."

The voice that came from the bed almost the second Yang sat down was very, very sour, less a stone's throw and more the flight of a comet away from the worried, apprehensive tone she had knocked on the room's door with. Apparently the heiress hadn't been quite as unconscious as she was letting on for the entirety of that. She was certainly still out of her senses when Yang picked her up, but judging by how quickly she recovered once she hit the bed there was no telling how long she'd been listening, pretending to be out cold; if one were to judge the councilwoman's intestinal fortitude based off her petite stature or prissy mannerisms, there was no way in hell she should've been conscious for another ten or so minutes at least.

But Yang knew those things were only the tip of the iceberg that was Weiss Schnee, so it probably wasn't too big a surprise to her that when she turned back around Weiss had already scooched herself over to sit awkwardly against the headboard with her hands cuffed, legs curled at the knees in a manner that still seemed quite sophisticated despite it all. She gave a deep, dissatisfied sigh at the inelegance of the situation, the gaze she leveled Yang with as skeptical as it was cautioning the girl to not breathe a word of whatever dumb nonsense her brain was probably already formulating at Weiss's expense.

That... had been embarrassing. But at least it hadn't been unprovoked.

"I'd ask you to get these things off me, but what's the point? Someone else will just be along to try and hurt me before long. Might as well give them a sporting chance."

*CRASH*

Three armed women in suits and sunglasses suddenly kicked in the room's door, all yelling over each other incomprehensibly and waving their sidearms' laser pointers in so many directions it was dizzying. "MISS SCHNEE, WE JUST ARRIVED AND HEARD A-"

"It's fine."

"...It's... fine?" The central bodyguard parroted, all three slowly lowering their weapons as they stared at Yang. Then over at Weiss. Handcuffed on the bed. The councilwoman appeared completely oblivious and more than a little irritated as to why all three were adopting those horrified, slow-dawning looks of comprehension as they drew their own conclusions rather than just getting out, and her tone carried an edge of impatience when she had to reiterate.

"Yes, fine! OBVIOUSLY nothing is amiss here!"

All three members of the Atlesian secret service were white as sheets, in equal parts mortified and contrite as they bowed their heads so rapidly they were in danger of whiplash. "OF COURSE, MISS SCHNEE! OUR MOST SINCERE APOLOGIES FOR DISTURBING YOUR PRIVACY, MISS SCHNEE!"

So hasty were all three to get out that they practically scrambled over one another to do so, making sure to shut the door all the way with a much softer slam than they had entered with. The whole display just left Weiss mystified, vocalizing her displeasure in the form of a terse, frustrated huff.

"Why is everyone I had guarding my manor tonight being so weird? You just can't get the staff these days."​

Whatever was going through Yang's head at the shift in tone or with the knowledge that Weiss had been awake for any of that, the tension was shattered by that display, and Weiss' huff was answered with the muffled sound giggles trying to escape past a hand.

It was nice to know that even for super brain Schnee, there were still things she was completely oblivious to.

"I-I'm sure they have their good d-days. And y-yea, yea sure, I uh, I don't have a key though so... huh."

She pushed herself back out of the chair and strode over to the bed, leaned over to inspect the cuffs, and reached over with her arm to grip it in a particularly thick spot where it'd be least likely to spray Weiss with shrapnel

*Crunch*

It didn't technically get the cuffs off, but it certainly broke whatever the components were that kept Weiss' aura at bay, and she felt safe assuming Weiss could figure it out from there and have an easier time of it than the one armed wonder ever could. She straightened back up and stepped to the back of the bed, giving them a good ten feet of personal space since this house didn't have a single normal sized bed in it. She gripped her knee and looked down at the floor with a frown as the weight of the evening finally boiled back over the brief bubbles of amusement.

"...You alright?" She asked.

 

[Indolent]

When Emerald got there, there was no trace of their pilot or anything else in the cockpit either, save for Tock's two swords resting against a wall. Blades that suddenly clattered to the floor as she and everybody else felt their craft swerve into a abrupt nosedive, thanks to their sudden lack of pilot. Before Cinder could even think about returning Hazel's hug, she felt herself fall even more to the floor with the sudden turbulence. "What the..."

"Oh, good--" Would have been the sarcastic words that departed her mouth were it not for the violent and abrupt shift in the plane's orientation as it plummeted unceremoniously. The thief, despite crying out amid attempting to brace herself, received a jarring knock to the head, her aura flashing as she stumbled and slid across the cockpit's flooring on her knees with a pained grunt. A transient thought became that of wondering if the aircraft had been spinning in its descent. Her still-functional faculties and senses informed her that was false, muttering a "yep, concussion" to herself, wrestling herself into the copilot's chair that swiveled left to right in an attempt to compensate their load.

"Anyone know how to fly a plane?!"

The siblings fared better, Hazel finding purchase all around him to brace himself, with the Fall Maiden kept safe as a result, when it'd happened, his broad right arm placed as a protective barrier for Cinder to rest against as his left clasped one of many ports inset within the interior. A check list of sorts was promptly run through his mind, enemy attack? There were no sounds or evidence otherwise substantiating it. A failure in the instruments or mechanical malfunction? He couldn't tell from back here so he left it as a probable. So then was the pilot incapacitated? In a way, Hazel was correct for arriving at that conclusion, bolstered by Emerald's cry.

Gretchen briefly flew forward, before staunching her forward momentum with the use of her shillelagh, pushing off against it in a bid to clamber back onto the seat she'd left earlier when she confronted Emerald. "I really am hating the fact every where we go everything just seems to go wroooooooooooooong." She groused, before realizing the absence of a familiar weight. "Hey, where's Brosel?"

Cinder had the answer, his tiny paws squarely clasped around curvature of her forearm with his body flattened against its length as he quivered, yipping relentlessly in his fright.

░I░ ░w░a░n░t░ ░t░o░ ░g░e░t░ ░o░f░f░ ░M░r░.░ ░B░o░n░e░s░ ░W░i░l░d░ ░R░i░i░i░i░i░i░i░i░i░d░e░

"*panicked mute noises*"

Whatever!

Neo quickly moved to try and take over the controls and get the ship steady again! If she messed this up then....

"Neo!-- oh you're here. Great, good. I'm spinning out here, you know the coordinates... gonna have to lead us there." Her words trailed off into muttering, her focus clearly shifting to nursing the throbbing sensation in her skull as she cast around towards the cabin. "Hey, are you okay???" Gretchen expressed her concern the millisecond she entered the cockpit, roving immediately over to the thief with her hand outstretched for a cursory inspection. Which was met by the thief's swatting her hand away in annoyance, insisting she'd be right as rain in short order. The huntress scowled and retrieved the first aid kit. If there was even one. Wait, had this been replaced by what was an... emergency alcohol stash???

"Where is Tock?" Hazel asked the pertinent question, noting the faunus's absence, taking care to not step on her bladed implements that had clattered across the floor, having released Cinder from his embrace presumably since Neo brought the craft back under their control.

 

[Gus Gungus]

Whatever was going through Yang's head at the shift in tone or with the knowledge that Weiss had been awake for any of that, the tension was shattered by that display, and Weiss' huff was answered with the muffled sound giggles trying to escape past a hand.

It was nice to know that even for super brain Schnee, there were still things she was completely oblivious to.

"I-I'm sure they have their good d-days. And y-yea, yea sure, I uh, I don't have a key though so... huh."

She pushed herself back out of the chair and strode over to the bed, leaned over to inspect the cuffs, and reached over with her arm to grip it in a particularly thick spot where it'd be least likely to spray Weiss with shrapnel

*Crunch*

It didn't technically get the cuffs off, but it certainly broke whatever the components were that kept Weiss' aura at bay, and she felt safe assuming Weiss could figure it out from there and have an easier time of it than the one armed wonder ever could. She straightened back up and stepped to the back of the bed, giving them a good ten feet of personal space since this house didn't have a single normal sized bed in it. She gripped her knee and looked down at the floor with a frown as the weight of the evening finally boiled back over the brief bubbles of amusement.

"...You alright?" She asked.

The faint ghost of a smile graced had graced Weiss's lips at Yang's fit of giggles, whether she knew more than she let on or just found the sunny blonde's mirth contagious sometimes impossible to say. The smirk became a small, incredulous scoff as Yang actually came over to help her, the heiress rolling her eyes with a glance to one side before Yang's journey all the way over to the other end of the valley that was her bed was permeated by the sound of ice crackling over the cuffs, rendering the metal brittle and easily snapped. Which Weiss did immediately following the query, almost demonstrative in how she held her wrists up and wiggled her fingers as though for Yang's benefit while holding her in a flat, unblinking stare.

"I was kidding, Yang. I could've easily handled those on my own. Just like I could've handled that faunus girl just now, and just like I handled Ozpin's abomination. After everything you witnessed in the cellar, you have to realize that."

She let her hand rest gingerly on the bedsheets, eyes a bit wistful in how they lingered on her porcelain knuckles.

"You keep dashing to my rescue anyway. It's... adorable, really. You truly are my little golden retriever."

There was a softer inflection that usual to how she unearthed the canine analogy from its grave and pulled it from its coffin for about the ten thousandth time, enough times now that it was starting to seem conceivable that it had actually been some strange, strange form of Weiss flattery from the very start. She did seem to be one of those people who loved dogs to an almost-but-not-quite-weird level. She let out a hushed, dainty sigh, tracing a finger around the satin sheets.

"...There are a couple of things I wanted to bring to your attention. First of all, and I don't intend to dwell on this so don't cut me off and please don't take a tone with me again, assistive cybernetics have been at the forefront of my philanthropic research pursuits for years. Do you have any idea how many military operatives sustain injuries that induce a loss of feeling in their legs? This is Atlas, dear; the pinnacle of scientific achievement. Endoskeletons designed to compensate for spinal damage are well within our purview. I don't know if the riffraff she's associating with can appropriate the technology or it'll have to wait until she's in custody, but your mother will walk again. Of that much I can assure you."

She pursed her lips, not looking back up just yet.

"Anyway, I wasn't... I apologize for attempting to explain as much with such insensitive phrasing earlier. I had every reason to think you were attempting to leave, and was simply relieved when that wasn't the case. But... why, Yang?"

Spoiler: You know what time it is babey

Her hand went up to cut off any initial reply, and a moment later Weiss's glacial eyes joined them to hold Yang's own in a hard, probing stare.

"Before you answer, let me explain something. I know what your angle in all this is. I read the transcripts of your chat with Blake, remember? I've always known, and I'm well aware I've let myself become attached to you regardless. You're refreshingly direct and you make me laugh, so I've had no trouble allowing it to continue this long. But allowing it to do so after what I saw tonight? It's just cruel. And I don't think anyone should be cruel to you, Yang. You're too kind."

She sighed, deep and mournful, eyes averting again to drop down and check the symmetry of her nails.

"A complete moron, but kind. And if you'd like to start not being a complete moron, then you'll zip that smart mouth for once and take some advice."

They flicked back up suddenly, the flash of steel in her pupils enough to send even the most seasoned of Atlesian politicians' blood running cold.

"I am NOT the girl you know. I'm a grown woman with over half a decade on you. I'm more sure of myself, more entrenched in my beliefs, I have far more experience living in the real world, and I am not about to compromise my vision or goals because I happen to find you endearing. If you continue down this path it is not going to go the way you expect it to; the only thing that's going to happen is you're going to be more and more disappointed the more you see of me, and eventually your fragile little heart is going to snap itself in two." She had settled into a rhythm now, whatever glimmers of affection occasionally poked through her frozen exterior from Yang's warming thaw seemingly effortlessly reburied. "And having heard all that, I'm going to offer you one final opportunity to leave, regardless of the risks that may pose, because I think it's fair and I think you deserve it. But if you do, and if you continue to insist on opposing me, then the next time we meet it'll be as enemies. I'll do everything in my power to prevent you from suffering the wrath of Ozpin or one of his degenerates, but beyond that it really is that simple."

The address was cool, neutral and detached, and her eyes clouded further as Weiss stood to clasp both hands behind her back and chart a calm, graceful stride for the window, gazing off distantly into the night. How could she just watch the girl kick and thrash and burn herself out appealing to something that simply wasn't there? It would've been barbaric.

Weiss Schnee's heart wasn't just frozen. It was made of stone, and it had been that way for a very, very long time.

"So?"​

 

[MyrtenRose]

"Hey, where's Brosel?"

Cinder had the answer, his tiny paws squarely clasped around curvature of her forearm with his body flattened against its length as he quivered, yipping relentlessly in his fright.

"I have him!" She contributed helpfully as she was held by Hazel in turn.​

"Where is Tock?" Hazel asked the pertinent question, noting the faunus's absence, taking care to not step on her bladed implements that had clattered across the floor, having released Cinder from his embrace presumably since Neo brought the craft back under their control.

"I dunno!" She contributed not so helpfully.​

 

[Schnee Corp Lawyer]

The faint ghost of a smile graced had graced Weiss's lips at Yang's fit of giggles, whether she knew more than she let on or just found the sunny blonde's mirth contagious sometimes impossible to say. The smirk became a small, incredulous scoff as Yang actually came over to help her, the heiress rolling her eyes with a glance to one side before Yang's journey all the way over to the other end of the valley that was her bed was permeated by the sound of ice crackling over the cuffs, rendering the metal brittle and easily snapped. Which Weiss did immediately following the query, almost demonstrative in how she held her wrists up and wiggled her fingers as though for Yang's benefit while holding her in a flat, unblinking stare.

"I was kidding, Yang. I could've easily handled those on my own. Just like I could've handled that faunus girl just now, and just like I handled Ozpin's abomination. After everything you witnessed in the cellar, you have to realize that."

She let her hand rest gingerly on the bedsheets, eyes a bit wistful in how they lingered on her porcelain knuckles.

"You keep dashing to my rescue anyway. It's... adorable, really. You truly are my little golden retriever."

There was a softer inflection that usual to how she unearthed the canine analogy from its grave and pulled it from its coffin for about the ten thousandth time, enough times now that it was starting to seem conceivable that it had actually been some strange, strange form of Weiss flattery from the very start. She did seem to be one of those people who loved dogs to an almost-but-not-quite-weird level. She let out a hushed, dainty sigh, tracing a finger around the satin sheets.

"...There are a couple of things I wanted to bring to your attention. First of all, and I don't intend to dwell on this so don't cut me off and please don't take a tone with me again, assistive cybernetics have been at the forefront of my philanthropic research pursuits for years. Do you have any idea how many military operatives sustain injuries that induce a loss of feeling in their legs? This is Atlas, dear; the pinnacle of scientific achievement. Endoskeletons designed to compensate for spinal damage are well within our purview. I don't know if the riffraff she's associating with can appropriate the technology or it'll have to wait until she's in custody, but your mother will walk again. Of that much I can assure you."

She pursed her lips, not looking back up just yet.

"Anyway, I wasn't... I apologize for attempting to explain as much with such insensitive phrasing earlier. I had every reason to think you were attempting to leave, and was simply relieved when that wasn't the case. But... why, Yang?"

Spoiler: You know what time it is babey

Her hand went up to cut off any initial reply, and a moment later Weiss's glacial eyes joined them to hold Yang's own in a hard, probing stare.

"Before you answer, let me explain something. I know what your angle in all this is. I read the transcripts of your chat with Blake, remember? I've always known, and I'm well aware I've let myself become attached to you regardless. You're refreshingly direct and you make me laugh, so I've had no trouble allowing it to continue this long. But allowing it to do so after what I saw tonight? It's just cruel. And I don't think anyone should be cruel to you, Yang. You're too kind."

She sighed, deep and mournful, eyes averting again to drop down and check the symmetry of her nails.

"A complete moron, but kind. And if you'd like to start not being a complete moron, then you'll zip that smart mouth for once and take some advice."

They flicked back up suddenly, the flash of steel in her pupils enough to send even the most seasoned of Atlesian politicians' blood running cold.

"I am NOT the girl you know. I'm a grown woman with over half a decade on you. I'm more sure of myself, more entrenched in my beliefs, I have far more experience living in the real world, and I am not about to compromise my vision or goals because I happen to find you endearing. If you continue down this path it is not going to go the way you expect it to; the only thing that's going to happen is you're going to be more and more disappointed the more you see of me, and eventually your fragile little heart is going to snap itself in two." She had settled into a rhythm now, whatever glimmers of affection occasionally poked through her frozen exterior from Yang's warming thaw seemingly effortlessly reburied. "And having heard all that, I'm going to offer you one final opportunity to leave, regardless of the risks that may pose, because I think it's fair and I think you deserve it. But if you do, and if you continue to insist on opposing me, then the next time we meet it'll be as enemies. I'll do everything in my power to prevent you from suffering the wrath of Ozpin or one of his degenerates, but beyond that it really is that simple."

The address was cool, neutral and detached, and her eyes clouded further as Weiss stood to clasp both hands behind her back and chart a calm, graceful stride for the window, gazing off distantly into the night. How could she just watch the girl kick and thrash and burn herself out appealing to something that simply wasn't there? It would've been barbaric.

Weiss Schnee's heart wasn't just frozen. It was made of stone, and it had been that way for a very, very long time.

"So?"​

She scoffed and rolled her eyes at the golden retriever comment with a dry "Woof woof. I know you can handle yourself Weiss. Doesn't mean you can't get hurt, or that I wanna see it happen."

By the end of Weiss' speech, The thin smirk was gone. Yang's eyes hadn't followed her to the window, instead still facing away from her towards the door with a quiet frown. She sighed and rubbed the back of her head as she slowly shook it. "Jeez. Kicking me out so soon huh? I know I can't afford the rent, but still, harsh."

She rested her hand on the bed so she could lean back, letting silence fill the room as she idly kicked her legs and looked up at the ceiling. Unlike the rest of the house, it wasn't an eerie and cold silence, at least for Yang. Just a quiet and thoughtful moment, a break in the flow of time for her to get her head in order without any real danger accosting her. When she finally broke it, her words were calm and level, undercut with warm steel.



"I'm not fragile Weiss. There might have been a point in my life where you could call me that, but not anymore. There isn't a single important person to me except one that hasn't abandoned me at least once. Not my moms, not my Blake, not even my baby sister. I know what its like to feel like its you against the world, with no one on your side." Her tone softened. "But I'm still here despite that, and I don't let it keep me from trying to form those connections. Maybe that does make me a moron-" she couldn't help but add, a bitter cut to her words despite herself "-but not fragile, and not naive. I just know that no matter what you're capable of, no matter how strong you are, everyone needs someone else, eventually. Maybe to lean on during the fight, or maybe just to help pick you up after its all over, but no one misses that day. Not me, not you, Not Salem or Oz. Even the Gods have their brother."

She hummed as she lifted her one knee to hug it to her chest and rest her chin atop it, her words drifting towards thoughtful.

"...You tell me that you're not gonna change your goals, your view. Why do you have to? Nothing I've seen of your goals so far makes me think we're destined to be enemies because of some dumb cosmic force or whatever. You think Oz needs to go, so do all of us. If you think Salem needs to go too well..." She shrugged. "We didn't trust our Ozpin in the end either. We still think that was the right call. There's a lot of stuff in this world that sucks, Weiss, and ours wasn't much better. You're not the only one that sees it, and you're not the only one that wants it fixed. You seem to think that if I stay I'm gonna end up thinking your the monster under the bed, but we both saw what that looked like tonight, and its not you. I'm not stupid enough to underestimate Weiss Schnee; you had everyone in that room against the ropes, and the only one that ended up a corpse was the creep with a grimm or ten in her soul. You want me to believe that was an accident? That with all your power you keep bragging about, they all just got lucky? No other broken backs, no kill shots?" She scoffed again and shook her head. "Nah. That's a bad bet, and I still refuse to lose a game to any Weiss Schnee."

She let her knee go and pushed herself off the bed to stand

"We're only enemies if we gotta be, Weiss. You've got the power to make that not the case, and we've got way too many real enemies in common for me to think its that bad of a choice. Even if you don't agree though, if you think you really do have to put the whole world on your shoulders and lead it somewhere better on your own and damn the rest of us for trying, I'm not giving up on you. Because in another world, you're that one person who's never given up on me"

She finally turned to look at Weiss herself with a wry grin as she put up a hand to cut off the almost inevitable frustrated snap at Yang directly contradicting her. "I know, I know, you're not the same person. I get that, trust me. You two'd probably hate each other, honestly. But you have more in common than you'd think, and if there's anyone who should know better than to underestimate Weiss Schnee, I'm a little shocked that its you I gotta convince. Maybe I will take you up on that offer to go; I've given my sister and uncle enough to worry about, and Ruby's liable to do something crazy if she doesn't hear from me, even though I told her I'd be fine and then you two would have to fight and that's a whole different can of worms. But I'm not leaving to fight you if I do. Just to do what's right. Maybe that'll involve cracking some Atlas skulls, but they won't be yours. And if you ever decide that you don't want this, or even if you just want some help-"

She crossed about half the distance to the window and stuck out a hand, smile as firm and confident as Yang Xiao Long could muster.

"-Then I'll be there. I promise."

 

[Indolent]

Colonel Ector's dark eyes peered through the tempered glass framed within the arched window, divided equidistant by the grilles that framed it, out over the grounds of Atlas Academy which served as the headquarters for the military. His back was to his desk, a varnished oak that stood in contrast with the muted, borderline depressive, colors of his office of adequate size allotted for an officer with his rank. His posture was the epitome of militarial, standing with both arms crossed behind his back, both legs nary spaced apart, the ideal form a recruit dreamed one day to strike perfectly, the very icon of supreme surety in oneself brimming with authority more than earned. He donned an attire not unlike that of General Carnelian, clothed in a blue that dominated much of his officer's uniform, with the edges a gold as the secondary color.

His features were defined, the aforementioned eyes upon closer inspection affixed in an caustic glare as if they aimed to melt the glass they looked past, their intensity undiminished by the locks of his unkempt hair lingering. His mouth was drawn into a tightly, thin line, his lips almost devoid of color by the act, with his dark brows etched in a disapproving angle. All elements brought together on a canvas to illustrate a disdainful remembrance of something from the not so distant past.



The Faunus Rights Revolution, a bloody conflict lasting that of three years, brought to a head by a push on humanity's part to corral the faunus within the continent of Menagerie. Though with no definitive victor on either side of history, least not that either were willing to profess such, it came to a conclusion with the necessity of curtailing the loss of life with the recession of the faunus' rights being eliminated. The time during was a brutal affair, neither side relenting in their personal affirmations and goals, leaving a stain on the relations between faunus and humanity that persists to the current day, the dissent of the minority against the rule of the majority corporealizing into a faction in the form of the White Fang, the Shadow Fang and other iterations, though those two were the most extreme examples to date. One other notable instance was the Talons, originally fighters of the faunus that arose during the revolution cementing themselves as something of legends; now they walked alongside the Shadow Fang. Legends become real, on the bloody field of battle in several encounters across documented history and elsewhere. It was the latter that was more a crucial, personal matter to Llewellyn Ector.

A verbal report reached the ears of the then Lieutenant Colonel Ector, instigating the prompt departure from his office amid an impersonal briefing of the on-goings within Atlas. The next instance saw his arrival before a homely townhouse atypical of an analysis specialist's income. Local authorities and military police had sectioned the street and sidewalk adjacent off, diverting traffic and errant eyes away as investigators started to work in the crime scene inside, working from the outside. The husband was distraught, bundled in thick blankets, and grieved cacophonously, clasping his sobbing daughter close who could only repeat a single line ad nauseam.

"She was fine, said good night to me... why did Mommy? Why..."

The agonizing scene struck a blow to Ector like no other, not preparing him not one iota for when he rounded the ambulance towards the scene officials were working to obscure from view. The scene of Analysis Specialist Cristex impaled upon the wrought iron fence that enclosed her home's lawn, spiked from the lower right flank to by the left armpit. Her body was slack, almost effecting a semi-circle with the sloping of limbs and head, her expression affixed in what looked to be a placid one instead of horror or agony. The surrealness of it all made his blood go cold, time creeping to a crawl as he digested a bite of reality that was more than he could handle. Cristex had been a classmate alongside him in the academy, talented in the way of deduction and reading people while he had tended towards more the leadership and political games. Regardless of their differing aspirations, they'd become best friends and remained largely in contact in both casual and professional capacity. He hadn't realized the impenetrable facade he emitted on the regular had been shattered, his form quivering with his digits grinding into the flesh of his palms, his breaths shallow. Ector entertained and arrived at a decision within the next instant.

The gawping horror in his face slowly shifted to a steely resolve, mouth kitting shut tightly with the brows furrowing above focused eyes remaining fast on the scenery before him. A voice from behind summoned Ector's focus and he turned, his gaze wrested from the remembrance into a glance beyond the shoulder to his adjutant Liza, a taciturn blonde who elected for action over words. A trait she emphasized in the next second, delivering a report with its placement upon a stack of documents on his desk followed by a simple query.

"Preliminary report from the Schnee Manor incident, sir. Is there anything I can do for you, Colonel?" Her voice carried a husky cadence to it, professional in its tone, as Liza awaited Ector's answer expectantly, almost as if she knew what he was going to ask regardless.



His presence by the window lingered a scant second longer than was necessary before it finally migrated, the Colonel shifting to by his chair with this left grasping its back as he peered over the report. That was not all that had shifted, his composure becoming amicable, far more approachable than he had been seconds past, in the presence of a trusted subordinate and friend. His order arrived without missing a beat, a solemness to their tone as he made it, "Submit a formal appointment request with Councilwoman Schnee, Liza. Reports are valuable but they can only convey the story so well. Perhaps Miss Schnee and her guest might elucidate me where it might not."

The reticent adjutant proffered a curt nod and departed, leaving the Colonel to his paperwork which seemed to be the source of the grimness to his demeanor then. He replaced the topmost, newest report, squaring it against the only empty corner of his desk in its lonesome before turning to the mound before him. Flicking through the first revealed the subject of interest, cleanly denominated as Alias: Fox (1) (2). It repeated through the following reports, speaking to a pattern.

 

[Gus Gungus]

She finally turned to look at Weiss herself with a wry grin as she put up a hand to cut off the almost inevitable frustrated snap at Yang directly contradicting her. "I know, I know, you're not the same person. I get that, trust me. You two'd probably hate each other, honestly. But you have more in common than you'd think, and if there's anyone who should know better than to underestimate Weiss Schnee, I'm a little shocked that its you I gotta convince. Maybe I will take you up on that offer to go; I've given my sister and uncle enough to worry about, and Ruby's liable to do something crazy if she doesn't hear from me, even though I told her I'd be fine and then you two would have to fight and that's a whole different can of worms. But I'm not leaving to fight you if I do. Just to do what's right. Maybe that'll involve cracking some Atlas skulls, but they won't be yours. And if you ever decide that you don't want this, or even if you just want some help-"

She crossed about half the distance to the window and stuck out a hand, smile as firm and confident as Yang Xiao Long could muster.

"-Then I'll be there. I promise."

What an absurd young woman.

About a third of the way through Yang's rebuttal Weiss had turned back around, a furrow to her brow and purse to her lips as she eyed the brawler in icy displeasure. Yang had to weather a seriously disencouraging blizzard of a stare from the councilwoman throughout the bulk of her words, Weiss even opening her mouth sharply at about four or five different points with the apparent intent to interject. But the stare was as far as it went, and every one of those attempts led to no more than a soft huff and lips reverting to their pursed state until Weiss eventually just turned back around to look out over her grounds again with a clouded expression. There was... absolutely nothing there to argue with, no clash of egos to be had with the sunny huntress whose only offer was unconditional warmth and support. Anything Weiss tried to shut down, deny, or talk over was just going to have Yang doubling down, affirming it more vehemently, growing gentler and gentler and kinder and kinder. That was just the type of person she was.

And that was the cruelest thing for both of them at this point.

"It's a nice picture. It really is."

Her voice was muted, unusually so for the commanding heiress who liked to control the room and everyone in it whether it was through glyphs, sword or words. But her petite shoulders sagged, and the tone she spoke the words with was one tinged with an undeniable sadness. For all her bold talk and declarations, for as truly masterful as she had become at disciplining her emotional state as necessary to ensure the continued success of her goals, Weiss had never claimed to be a robot. She had feelings. She had never learned to cope with, manage or express them in a way that was conventional, but deep within the flickering recesses of a heart that still beat red blood, she had them. She felt no closeness or rapport for any of the people in her life here in Atlas, and it had led to those sparks being buried deep, very nearly snuffed out altogether, but to her present chagrin it appeared as though all it took to stoke them was some of the warmth she'd spent so much of her formative years pining for from someone whose character she really, truly held in esteem.

In other words, something productive had actually come from all this in the end; An honest-to-goodness rarity. Weiss Schnee had unearthed a weakness in herself.

And she was going to have to work on that.

She turned.

"...But I'm going to make you eat those words, Yang."

It wasn't any kind of a barb, boast or taunt. It wasn't an effort to cement her will as stronger than the other woman's. Weiss looked upset; it looked like something she didn't want to have to admit aloud, to bring this little charade they'd been living out screeching to its inevitable end. But she did.

"Do you remember the conversation we had when you first arrived here?" Blue eyes softened. "I told you my mother and Whitley had been sent away for their own protection. That... wasn't true. They left, Yang. I don't know where they went. I simply returned home one evening and neither of them were here anymore. That wasn't long before you..."

She didn't finish that sentence, crossing her slender arms with a huff.

"They both stood by my father, even at his very worst. And neither of them could bring themselves to stand by me now. My mother, she... she used to say I was empty. And she was right. Because when I noticed them missing?"

The heiress looked small beyond her stature in that moment, but it didn't keep the ice from crystallizing back over her voice when she spoke again.

"I didn't feel a thing. Before them, it was Winter. Nobody who's ever really gotten to know me has stood by the promises they made, Yang. They all knew it. The thing you're looking for in me... I'm sorry, but it isn't here. And I don't consider that a shortcoming."

The words were almost at odds with the way she took Yang's hand suddenly, though not for the handshake she was going for. She just held it for a few seconds, and gave it a single, solitary squeeze before she let her fingers slip away, brushed past Yang and moved for the door. She opened it and hovered just before the threshold, silhouetted by the light streaming in from the corridor as she touched her hand to the frame and weighed the cost of turning around and decided against it.

"I'm going to let the guards know you're free to leave. Thank you for the last month and a half, dear. I know it's been horrendous for you, so I hope you won't judge me too harshly when I say I'll always cherish it. I'm sorry for the way this all has to play out, and I... I hope you can forgive me for who I am one day."

She lingered no more than a moment longer, giving the frame a small stroke before the hand fell away. She took a brisk step out into the hallway and was gone.




















Her head actually did pop back around a second later though, because with her mind processing all that nonsense Yang spewed she'd forgotten to mention something important.

"Oh, and poke your head into my study before you go. There's something on my desk for you. My specialist had some very... colorful ideas, but I insisted it was kept in line with the original specifications. I think you'll find it's a functional improvement in just about every way, though; After all, I'm the richest person you know."

She winked coyly, then truly was gone.​

 

[Schnee Corp Lawyer]

What an absurd young woman.

About a third of the way through Yang's rebuttal Weiss had turned back around, a furrow to her brow and purse to her lips as she eyed the brawler in icy displeasure. Yang had to weather a seriously disencouraging blizzard of a stare from the councilwoman throughout the bulk of her words, Weiss even opening her mouth sharply at about four or five different points with the apparent intent to interject. But the stare was as far as it went, and every one of those attempts led to no more than a soft huff and lips reverting to their pursed state until Weiss eventually just turned back around to look out over her grounds again with a clouded expression. There was... absolutely nothing there to argue with, no clash of egos to be had with the sunny huntress whose only offer was unconditional warmth and support. Anything Weiss tried to shut down, deny, or talk over was just going to have Yang doubling down, affirming it more vehemently, growing gentler and gentler and kinder and kinder. That was just the type of person she was.

And that was the cruelest thing for both of them at this point.

"It's a nice picture. It really is."

Her voice was muted, unusually so for the commanding heiress who liked to control the room and everyone in it whether it was through glyphs, sword or words. But her petite shoulders sagged, and the tone she spoke the words with was one tinged with an undeniable sadness. For all her bold talk and declarations, for as truly masterful as she had become at disciplining her emotional state as necessary to ensure the continued success of her goals, Weiss had never claimed to be a robot. She had feelings. She had never learned to cope with, manage or express them in a way that was conventional, but deep within the flickering recesses of a heart that still beat red blood, she had them. She felt no closeness or rapport for any of the people in her life here in Atlas, and it had led to those sparks being buried deep, very nearly snuffed out altogether, but to her present chagrin it appeared as though all it took to stoke them was some of the warmth she'd spent so much of her formative years pining for from someone whose character she really, truly held in esteem.

In other words, something productive had actually come from all this in the end; An honest-to-goodness rarity. Weiss Schnee had unearthed a weakness in herself.

And she was going to have to work on that.

She turned.

"...But I'm going to make you eat those words, Yang."

It wasn't any kind of a barb, boast or taunt. It wasn't an effort to cement her will as stronger than the other woman's. Weiss looked upset; it looked like something she didn't want to have to admit aloud, to bring this little charade they'd been living out screeching to its inevitable end. But she did.

"Do you remember the conversation we had when you first arrived here?" Blue eyes softened. "I told you my mother and Whitley had been sent away for their own protection. That... wasn't true. They left, Yang. I don't know where they went. I simply returned home one evening and neither of them were here anymore. That wasn't long before you..."

She didn't finish that sentence, crossing her slender arms with a huff.

"They both stood by my father, even at his very worst. And neither of them could bring themselves to stand by me now. My mother, she... she used to say I was empty. And she was right. Because when I noticed them missing?"

The heiress looked small beyond her stature in that moment, but it didn't keep the ice from crystallizing back over her voice when she spoke again.

"I didn't feel a thing. Before them, it was Winter. Nobody who's ever really gotten to know me has stood by the promises they made, Yang. They all knew it. The thing you're looking for in me... I'm sorry, but it isn't here. And I don't consider that a shortcoming."

The words were almost at odds with the way she took Yang's hand suddenly, though not for the handshake she was going for. She just held it for a few seconds, and gave it a single, solitary squeeze before she let her fingers slip away, brushed past Yang and moved for the door. She opened it and hovered just before the threshold, silhouetted by the light streaming in from the corridor as she touched her hand to the frame and weighed the cost of turning around and decided against it.

"I'm going to let the guards know you're free to leave. Thank you for the last month and a half, dear. I know it's been horrendous for you, so I hope you won't judge me too harshly when I say I'll always cherish it. I'm sorry for the way this all has to play out, and I... I hope you can forgive me for who I am one day."

She lingered no more than a moment longer, giving the frame a small stroke before the hand fell away. She took a brisk step out into the hallway and was gone.




















Her head actually did pop back around a second later though, because with her mind processing all that nonsense Yang spewed she'd forgotten to mention something important.

"Oh, and poke your head into my study before you go. There's something on my desk for you. My specialist had some very... colorful ideas, but I insisted it was kept in line with the original specifications. I think you'll find it's a functional improvement in just about every way, though; After all, I'm the richest person you know."

She winked coyly, then truly was gone.​

"...Okay."

That was all Yang said as she squeezed the hand Weiss offered her back with a wan smile. She didn't try to to argue back, or push Weiss anymore than she had. Feeling alone wasn't the only part of this she could relate to; you couldn't pull someone up unless they wanted you to. It looked like Weiss wasn't there yet. She kept up the smile as Weiss moved past her despite the beginnings of frustration and sadness seeping into her bones, a stellar actor as ever of keeping a positive face despite how much she wore her heart on her sleeve. But as she turned to watch Weiss go, before she disappeared past the door, she couldn't help but add

"But I don't break my promises Weiss. You can hold me to it."

Her head actually did pop back around a second later though, because with her mind processing all that nonsense Yang spewed she'd forgotten to mention something important.

"Oh, and poke your head into my study before you go. There's something on my desk for you. My specialist had some very... colorful ideas, but I insisted it was kept in line with the original specifications. I think you'll find it's a functional improvement in just about every way; After all, I'm the richest person you know."

She winked coyly, then really was gone.

"...Ooookay."

Yang was utterly baffled by that last interjection, though it didn't quite push past the weight that was sitting so heavy on her shoulders. She took one last look around the room that had been her glorified prison cell for a month, and realized with more ease than she expected that she wasn't going to miss it in the slightest. It could catch fire for all she cared. This whole evil building honestly needed to be burned to the ground.

But she didn't think she was gonna forget this month either.


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


As Yang stood in the study, the absurdly fancy wooden box open beneath her hand, there was a look of deep, deep concern etched on her face as she stared at the thing pretending to be an arm, red, viscious liquid pumping through its innards and a shell of sleek black metal.

"I am not sticking that on me."

... except...

She sighed and gingerly picked the prosthetic up in her hand with a look somehow both unsure and resolved. This was probably just the latest in a long line of stupid, stupid decisions. But she'd never been one not to put her money where her mouth is, and turning down Weiss' goodbye gift(?) seemed too cruel. For all her 'rawr i'm an evil heartless bitch' acting, Yang genuinely doubted Weiss wanted to see her hurt, so the chances of this being dangerous were low, right?

Yang left Schnee manor with one more arm than she entered it with, giving the nearest guard a pair of finger guns on the way out. Her presence was going to be hard for the wretched place to forget, at least for a while; the hallway of her room at the very least, had at least four or five person sized holes in it from tonight, courtesy of her, and at least one Corgi had lost its second favorite playmate. But for Weiss herself there was only one remaining reminder that Yang had been there; a single folded up piece of paper left on top of Weiss' desk.


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



Yang meandered down the Schnee manor's absurdly long driveway, down their private lane, onto the streets of Atlas richest district. She stood there on the corner for a few seconds, looked both ways, and proudly declared the truth

"I have no idea where to go!"

 

[MyrtenRose]

Yang meandered down the Schnee manor's absurdly long driveway, down their private lane, onto the streets of Atlas richest district. She stood there on the corner for a few seconds, looked both ways, and proudly declared the truth

"I have no idea where to go!"

And nobody was coming to help her figure that out.

 

[Schnee Corp Lawyer]

And nobody was coming to help her figure that out.

 

[MyrtenRose]

Yang meandered down the Schnee manor's absurdly long driveway, down their private lane, onto the streets of Atlas richest district. She stood there on the corner for a few seconds, looked both ways, and proudly declared the truth

"I have no idea where to go!"

"Good. You deserve to be lost." A voice suddenly responded as a until then unnoticed observer stepped out of the shadows and revealed herself. If she actually, genuinely, believed what she had just said, only she knew. Only she could say. But the look of frustration and anger as she glared at Yang, it didn't inspire much confidence in those words being hollow. A look that got more and more harsh as the seconds passed, until it boiled over completely. "The hell is WRONG with you, huh? What the crap was that back there?! Look, I get you don't know me all that well. I understand that. But you hit me in the gut and kick me through a wall?? Why??? For her???? Are you REALLY THAT MUCH OF A DUMBASS?????" Ilia shook her head in disbelief after hissing out all those questions in rapid succession, voice rising in intensity with each word.

"So what is it, just because she looks like your friend, you lose all of your sense? Because she batted her eyelashes at you?? Or whatever the hell she did to make you side with your captor. I don't really care what earned her that support from you. I'll just say this, and hopefully drag that withered part of your brain that clearly isn't thinking back into a place where it can properly do so. That piece of work back there?" Ilia jabbed a finger in the direction of Schnee manor as her mind flashed back.
​

She lazily flicked the sword's tip towards her captive, and the last thing Ilia recalled seeing was a row of six glyphs spin into existence behind Weiss before each one fired off its own miniaturised burning meteor towards her face.

"She isn't your friend. She's an enemy that needs to be taken down. If you don't have the stomach for that, stay the hell out of the way."



There was a deep exhale of breath as Ilia willed herself to relax a bit. "Listen, I get that initial feeling." The chameleon continued more softly. "When I first laid eyes on the Blake from here, I wanted to help her like that too. But after a lot of thinking about each time we met, I realized something. Something that you need to get through that skull of yours. Guess you're even slower on the uptake than I am. That person back there isn't the Weiss you know, just like how the Blake somewhere in this world is not the Blake I know. My friend, she wouldn't try to choke me out with a pair of handcuffs. She wouldn't have severed my hand without hesitation. She wouldn't have stabbed me like she did. She wouldn't keep trying to kill me, she'd try to find another way. Do you hear me? This Blake isn't Blake. She's just a twisted, evil person wearing her face." It hurt to point out, a flash of pain running across Ilia's face in that moment.

"I know you want to help. I get it, really. Maybe more than anybody else does. But you aren't going to be helping anybody if you let them use that face to their advantage, if you let them pull the wool over your eyes. No, the best way either of us can help them now, is in taking them down. We beat them down, stop them, make sure they aren't in a position where they can continue to hurt anybody else, and only maybe then can we help them in better ways. As well as others that have been tricked, led astray, like the other me." She reckoned her Shadow Fang duplicate was watching this but she didn't much mind. Not like there was anything she could do about it even if she did.

"Not saying it will be easy, and as my Blake reminded me more than once..." There was a faint look of longing present, the young faunus wishing said cat was here. "...that the right thing to do is very rarely the easy one. Yes, I don't really like having to fight Blake, any Blake, but she won't give me a choice in the matter. Not while she's out there, not only participating in these terrible actions but leading them. Not when she's standing side by side with a monster. A monster she kneels in loyalty to. I saw it, saw her bow to that inhuman...thing. Weiss is no different in that regard. She was there too. More than that...look at the kingdom around us right now. Take a real good look." Ilia shook her head in sorrow.

"Don't let whatever act she's putting on fool you. She still chose to stand with that man, and she is guilty by association with every twisted act they do. Maybe she thinks differently, maybe she thinks the cost is worth it...but I don't. I personally know very well how the road to hell is paved with good intentions. I..." Ilia faltered, unsure for a moment if she should proceed with what she was about to say. After a couple seconds she decided on yes. "...back when I was with the White Fang, our leader, Sienna...someone who fought tirelessly for a noble cause...I signed off on her death. Didn't object when Adam revealed he was going to murder her, because I believed in what he did. Stood with him. So much so that I...came this close to going through with killing Blake's parents." She held her index finger and thumb about an inch apart. "I made mistakes. Big ones."

"Don't make the same mistakes. Don't let yourself be fooled by someone telling you that doing bad things is all for the greater good. I've been down that road. It doesn't lead anywhere good. It only makes you more and more open to doing worse and worse things." She finished with a extra-pronounced sigh. "Like punching and kicking a pretty cool girl." That was more meant as a bad joke meant to ease up the situation after saying all that, but there was enough of a frustrated pout just barely poking through on her face that it was clear that Ilia did resent that attack. Nevertheless, after a beat she added.

"Oh, and I know where they've been hiding out. If you...want a hand to get there, anyhoo." Ilia offered despite the unprovoked attack of earlier.​

 

[MidwayLives]

Ever since he'd taken him on as his assistant and given him a new name(and lease on life!), Magenta had been taking Paradise with him on training sessions. The purpose of which was to see if either of their skills were growing rusty and what could be done to further chances for improvements. Or at least that's what Paradise was told every time and he didn't complain because more time with Magenta? Who would ever complain about that? As the two stood apart from eachother, Magenta gave the signal and the training began in earnest. The two had only known the other a relatively short time given how Paradise had just been another cog in the machine before catching Magenta's wandering eye. As Paradise ducked and weaved in between Magenta's attempted swipes, Paradise didn't return any of the blows that'd been thrown his way.

Noticing the seeming hesitance, Magenta came to a stop and folded his arms across his chest.

"What's the reason for the hesitance, Paradise? You're not coming down with a case of cold feet are you?"

Paradise frowned. He didn't like telling Magenta things he knew he wouldn't like hearing. It upset him and that always felt like a dagger thrust straight into his heart.

"I...It's just that I'm scared to test out 'Twisted Love.' I know, I'm sorry Magenta."

Paradise waited for the punishment that'd come as a result of displeasing Magenta but it never came.

"I understand, my sweet Paradise.I do. It's okay to be scared. This is your first time using it in over a week. Anybody would be scared going back to something after they'd put it down for a while. It might seem intimidating to try and get back into the swing of it or your interests might have left it behind. But you know what Atlas dislikes most of all, right?"

"Quitters..."

"Exactly, and you're not a quitter are you?"

"No..."

"Good. Now hold your arm out and activate 'Twisted Love.' It might seem difficult but it's like riding a bicycle! You've done that before haven't you? You never forget how to sit yourself up on that seat and push those pedals when it counts. All it takes is concentration and commitment. You're a proud soldier of Atlas, I know you've got what it takes within you, my little slice of Paradise.~" Magenta cooed and Paradise slowly stuck out his right arm. Apart from the canine-like mask he wore over his head to try and hide his faunus features, Paradise was decked out in an Atlas soldier's finest. He was proud to serve and even prouder to work with a great man like Magenta. He'd felt so honored when Magenta had asked him to be his assistant...

...Well, he wasn't going to disappoint him now.

He just had to focus....

See, the thing about 'Twisted Love' is that it wasn't your typical idea of a weapon. Having had the idea for a while but lacking the trust in which to pitch it to someone he believed strong enough to be able to undergo the process and endure it through the trial periods, it wasn't until he'd met the soldier formerly known as '#13' and had him wrapped thoroughly around his finger that Magenta could finally put his plans in place. An entire weapon's system organically combined with a soldier's own body. The process had been rigorous even with a medically inclined semblance like his 'Angel of Death', there had been some minor complications that he just couldn't work out. Like how badly it'd hurt for the first few runs.

Sweat ran down Paradise's forehead and down the length of his neck as he continued to focus-

*SHUNK* *RRRRRIIPPPP*

Multiple metal protrusions erupted from Paradise's hand and down the length of his limb, tearing holes in his flesh and sleeve. He shrieked and stumbled down onto a knee, desperately wanting to clutch at his arm but knowing it'd be a bad idea. "Ugh!!! It hurts, Magenta! It still..."

"Hurts?"



"Oh, no no nononono. I'm afraid this just won't do."

Magenta looked down upon his assistant, not a shred of sympathy within his eyes.

"What kind of message do you thinks it sends to the enemy when you're whimpering in pain, Paradise? I'll tell you..." Magenta held up his pointer finger and held it to the side of his head. "It says to them 'I'm weak. Please make a hostage out of me or kill me. I'm clearly no threat to you.' You don't want those kind of things to happen to you, do you, Paradise? You and I are going to be better than that aren't we? We're some of Atlas's finest, yes?"

The spikes currently poking out of his flesh like a reverse porcupine certainly had lit all of Paradise's pain factors but Magenta was right. He'd been trained from childhood to be able to accept the risks and tribulations that came from being a soldier in the military. This hurt, it'd likely keep on hurting for quite some time. He'd just have to suck it up and get used to the pain that's all. It'd been terrifying at first, y'know? The idea of having your entire body turned into a weapon with all the gruesome details that something like that procedure entailed.

"Use your semblance, Paradise."

"Huh?"

"Use. Your. Semblance.' Magenta repeated, this time slowly for Paradise's perceived benefit.

"But...But I won't remember what-"

"You don't need to." Magneta's gaze had never broken away from Paradise from the moment they'd stepped into this room and it'd only seemed to grow more intense and personal the longer this training session went on. "I'll do the remembering for both of us." Pulling out his scroll and setting it to record, Magenta's silence was the actual signal that Paradise needed to work his shit out and keep the ball rolling. He'd gotten well enough acquainted with 'Twisted Love' that he could pull the spikes in and out at his leisure and with enough practice, he'd be able to bring them out without turning his arm into chunky salsa everytime.

For now, he'd just have to trust Magenta.

Like he always did.~

~~~Some numerous attempts later~~~

Paradise was exhausted, both sleeves absolutely torn to shreds by the repeated activation of 'Twisted Love.' The reason being that while his semblance: 'Eternal Rest' worked wonders in keeping him from receiving startling wounds or avoiding attacks that would otherwise be life threatening, there were quite a number of disadvantages to it as well. For one although his body was reset, his clothes didn't 'reset' with him leaving him only with only context clues in the state of his clothes as to what might have attacked him.

The other was that every use of 'Eternal Rest' erased Paradise's memory of the wound that he was resetting to heal in the first place. If an enemy had stabbed him in the stomach and he used his semblance, he'd be left right as rain but with a hole in his shirt and no idea as to how it got there. If his throat had been slit or if he'd been struck in the head grievously but not to the point where it'd been an instant kill, he'd have no recollection at all as to what may have transpired unless someone who bore witness to the events could have pointed it out to him.

In this case, everytime that he reset, Magenta informed him that he'd done a poor job and needed to try again.

Until that look of pain had vanished completely from the boy's face.

"Alright, that's enough."

"Huh? But, Magenta! I think I-"

"No. I said that's enough for today."

Magenta ceased his recording and knelt down and gently held both of Paradise's hands and looked up and down the pale complexion of his exposed arms.

"It almost feels like our semblances play off eachother perfectly, doesn't it? Almost too perfectly I'd say. Your semblance has allowed you to avoid any and all of the most deadliest attacks that our world, fraught with conflict, has to offer. You've not a scar to your name. If it's an injury you don't want then it's gone, erased, as is your memory of it. Do you remember what I said about riding a bike, Paradise? Sometimes when learning to ride it, children fall and scrape their knees and elbows. It teaches them to do better to avoid that pain in the future. But you can avoid that future of pain altogether with your semblance. It's...just so remarkable.' His grip on the rabbit faunus's hands grew tighter.

Before Paradise could say anything or bask in the moment, the medic had already let go of his assistant's hands and rose back to his feet.

"My semblance is one in a million. It's the kind that most would have killed for. Any doctor or medical professional would have been jealous of what I can do with my semblance." Holding his hands up and turning them from side to side, Magenta's gaze only seemed to grow more laser-focused on Paradise. "I can't reset the figurative clock like you can but any injury I've been given? I can stitch up the wounded area or close it up entirely and let the healing begin. There's nary a blemish or other natural mark scattered around my body." The amounts of patchwork of Magenta testing his own semblance on himself and what he could 'use' it for in his earlier years notwithstanding of course. "We're the perfect team, you and I. You keep on doing as I say, Paradise?"

The call duck faunus splayed his arms out to the side in a grandiose manner.

"Atlas's enemies will never know what hit them. You and I hide our features not because we're ashamed of who we are but because we know the reluctance others share to confront. The elephant in the room tha they want to address but know that they can't. That people like us may indeed be superior to them. In my heart, I know there's no 'may', it's a 'definitely.' " Magenta gazed upon Paradise.

"What do you think, my sweet little rabbit?"

When he'd first enlisted, he'd deliberately made a personal effort to try and hide his long bunny ears. He wasn't an idiot, he'd seen the stares they'd garnered from human and fellow faunus alike. The former probably had all kinds of hurtful comments and jokes in store for him whenever the mood struck them and the latter probably just wished he wouldn't be so open about who he was or what he was, make things easier on all of them. Paradise just wanted to serve his kingdom and if going through the pain of stuffing his ears inside a mask helped make others comfortable enough that they wouldn't bother him achieved that? Then he'd do it in a second.

Ever since meeting Magenta, his reasoning had been different.

He hid his ears not because he didn't want to bust anybody's balls but because now it'd felt like his choice. if he wanted them to be seen, he'd take off his mask and them free and in times of privacy he most certainly did! But now that he knew there were definitely humans out there who felt uncomfortable at the notion of a faunus outshining them? He'd let them stew in that frustration for as long as he could.

"I think we're going to do a great job, Magenta."

Magenta leaned forward and wrapping up his assistant in a quasi headlock, he began to gently rustle his hair.

"Good boy.~"

​

 

[Gus Gungus]

More than that...look at the kingdom around us right now. Take a real good look.

Crime rates were near zero

 

[MyrtenRose]

Crime rates were near zero

Some say personal freedoms were on the decline too

 

[Gus Gungus]

Some say personal freedoms were on the decline too

Or that the kingdom responded appropriately to threat of war

 

[MyrtenRose]

Or that the kingdom responded appropriately to threat of war

Spoiler

 

[Schnee Corp Lawyer]

"Good. You deserve to be lost." A voice suddenly responded as a until then unnoticed observer stepped out of the shadows and revealed herself. If she actually, genuinely, believed what she had just said, only she knew. Only she could say. But the look of frustration and anger as she glared at Yang, it didn't inspire much confidence in those words being hollow. A look that got more and more harsh as the seconds passed, until it boiled over completely.

Yang practically jumped out of her skin when the voice came from beside her, as ever never the most observant person unless someone actively had her focus. She shifted away from the sound with her fists already starting to raise (She was so glad it was fists with an s again T-T), only to lower one of them immediately as she saw who it was as her other hand went to the back of her head. "O-oh. Uh, Hey again, Ilia! looong time no see! I... I uh... I-"

"The hell is WRONG with you, huh? What the crap was that back there?! Look, I get you don't know me all that well. I understand that. But you hit me in the gut and kick me through a wall?? Why??? For her???? Are you REALLY THAT MUCH OF A DUMBASS?????" Ilia shook her head in disbelief after hissing out all those questions in rapid succession, voice rising in intensity with each word.

Yeeaaaah, she deserved that, but she still winced as the decibels climbed with an apologetic frown. "...I-"

"So what is it, just because she looks like your friend, you lose all of your sense? Because she batted her eyelashes at you?? Or whatever the hell she did to make you side with your captor. I don't really care what earned her that support from you. I'll just say this, and hopefully drag that withered part of your brain that clearly isn't thinking back into a place where it can properly do so. That piece of work back there?" Ilia jabbed a finger in the direction of Schnee manor as her mind flashed back.


"She isn't your friend. She's an enemy that needs to be taken down. If you don't have the stomach for that, stay the hell out of the way."


There was a deep exhale of breath as Ilia willed herself to relax a bit. "Listen, I get that initial feeling." The chameleon continued more softly. "When I first laid eyes on the Blake from here, I wanted to help her like that too. But after a lot of thinking about each time we met, I realized something. Something that you need to get through that skull of yours. Guess you're even slower on the uptake than I am. That person back there isn't the Weiss you know, just like how the Blake somewhere in this world is not the Blake I know. My friend, she wouldn't try to choke me out with a pair of handcuffs. She wouldn't have severed my hand without hesitation. She wouldn't have stabbed me like she did. She wouldn't keep trying to kill me, she'd try to find another way. Do you hear me? This Blake isn't Blake. She's just a twisted, evil person wearing her face." It hurt to point out, a flash of pain running across Ilia's face in that moment.

"I know you want to help. I get it, really. Maybe more than anybody else does. But you aren't going to be helping anybody if you let them use that face to their advantage, if you let them pull the wool over your eyes. No, the best way either of us can help them now, is in taking them down. We beat them down, stop them, make sure they aren't in a position where they can continue to hurt anybody else, and only maybe then can we help them in better ways. As well as others that have been tricked, led astray, like the other me." She reckoned her Shadow Fang duplicate was watching this but she didn't much mind. Not like there was anything she could do about it even if she did.

"Not saying it will be easy, and as my Blake reminded me more than once..." There was a faint look of longing present, the young faunus wishing said cat was here. "...that the right thing to do is very rarely the easy one. Yes, I don't really like having to fight Blake, any Blake, but she won't give me a choice in the matter. Not while she's out there, not only participating in these terrible actions but leading them. Not when she's standing side by side with a monster. A monster she kneels in loyalty to. I saw it, saw her bow to that inhuman...thing. Weiss is no different in that regard. She was there too. More than that...look at the kingdom around us right now. Take a real good look." Ilia shook her head in sorrow.

"Don't let whatever act she's putting on fool you. She still chose to stand with that man, and she is guilty by association with every twisted act they do. Maybe she thinks differently, maybe she thinks the cost is worth it...but I don't. I personally know very well how the road to hell is paved with good intentions. I..." Ilia faltered, unsure for a moment if she should proceed with what she was about to say. After a couple seconds she decided on yes. "...back when I was with the White Fang, our leader, Sienna...someone who fought tirelessly for a noble cause...I signed off on her death. Didn't object when Adam revealed he was going to murder her, because I believed in what he did. Stood with him. So much so that I...came this close to going through with killing Blake's parents." She held her index finger and thumb about an inch apart. "I made mistakes. Big ones."

"Don't make the same mistakes. Don't let yourself be fooled by someone telling you that doing bad things is all for the greater good. I've been down that road. It doesn't lead anywhere good. It only makes you more and more open to doing worse and worse things." She finished with a extra-pronounced sigh. "Like punching and kicking a pretty cool girl." That was more meant as a bad joke meant to ease up the situation after saying all that, but there was enough of a frustrated pout just barely poking through on her face that it was clear that Ilia did resent that attack. Nevertheless, after a beat she added.

"Oh, and I know where they've been hiding out. If you...want a hand to get there, anyhoo." Ilia offered despite the unprovoked attack of earlier.​

Apparently Ilia had a lot of frustration in her system, and Yang huffed with that same apologetic frown and let her get it out. Well, she tried to keep that expression, but Ilia's second to last comment had her failing to cover up a snort, both at the words and the frankly adorable angry pout she had going on, no matter how genuine and deserved that anger was.

When it was done, Yang let out a quiet sigh. "Really let me have it, huh?" She asked with a dry smirk as she side eyed Ilia. It faded as she started to really answer though, her gaze going back towards the road

"...I'm sorry Blake did all of that. I can relate, kinda. My first meeting with her here didn't go so great either. Well-" She added with a rueful grin "-honestly my first meeting with our Blake didn't go great either, but nothing like this. You're right that she's in a bad, bad way. But, if its okay, can I ask you a question?"

She turned to face Ilia with a frown, her hand twitching towards her prosthetic before she fought the urge to grab at it down. "That person who led you down that bad road... It was Adam, yeah?" She didn't feel it was necessary to wait for an answer, and she broke the gaze as soon as it started so she didn't hit Ilia with the dark glare that instinctively crossed her eyes " He was a monster, at least as far as I'm concerned. If he ever had a noble bone in his body, it got up and left a long time ago. But... you still worked with him. You said yourself you did some bad things, let people die and almost did something unspeakable to a friend."

The words themselves might've been harsh, but there wasn't any judgement in them, and Yang's frown wasn't remotely hostile as she turned back. "But you didn't, right? You were in a bad place too, but someone reached out for you." She smiled. "A friend was. You and everyone else thinks I'm just seeing something that's not there; but I'm positive that I'm not. Weiss had no reason to just let me go, and about a dozen different reasons to keep me locked up or just put a bullet in me. and she didn't."

She shrugged "I know that she's in a bad place too. Ozpin's way more of a monster than Adam was, with much nastier goals. But she hates him too, if you'd believe it. She just thinks the path's she's on is the best way to beat him, and any kneeling she's doing with gritted teeth behind some acting chops. Even if I don't even the ittiest bittiest agree with her decisions up till now, I'm not willing to completely give up on someone who's had such an awful life and is still fighting. I don't have any intention of letting her use me for evil or anything, but I won't stop trying to be there for her like Blake was for you."

Her next words finally lightened in tone as she shrugged with a sheepish grin. "Well. Nothing evil except punching and kicking a 'pretty cool girl' anyways. I really am sorry about that. I just didn't want you getting caught trying to pull her out, or her waking up and taking it out on you and like, but, there were definitely better ways to handle it. I panicked, full stop. So-"

She stuck her chin out and tapped it with one of her prosthetic's fingers with a sharp smirk.

"-go ahead. Tip the scales back. I did you dirty, I deserve it, there's about thirty people waiting in line to do it, including every family member I've got here, so might as well start paying my dues with you, yea? Gimme your best shot."

 

[Gus Gungus]

She jabbed him harder.

"What?" Qrow eventually answered, groggy at being prematurely awoken from head trauma. :|​

 

[Gus Gungus]

"-Mercury!"

Mercury jolted out of his thoughts when his partner's increasingly loud vocal prompts and hand waving back and forth in front of his face finally snapped him out of whatever weird trance he appeared to have slipped into, after about twenty full seconds of it. "Hwuzzat?"

"What's with these weird, like, mini-episodes you keep having where you totally space out in the middle of stuff and don't react to anything? It's always important, too!"

"I just start thinkin' bout stuff. Hey, you guys know that thing where you get hit in the head enough times and it starts affecting, like, the way you behave? You think I might have that?"

"...Do we think you might have brain dam-"

"What were we doing again?"

"THE BOUNTY! THERE'S A DUDE IN THE TRUNK OF OUR CAR!"

"Riiiiiiiiiight." He drawled, about all he could do not to bust his gut laughing as he glanced back over his shoulder to make sure Neo was buckled in and offer a confirmatory fistbump. These dweebs were so gullible. "Hey, what do you ladies say we make some noise in this thing?!"

VRRRRRRRMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM



The hot rod made a noise no motorized vehicle should really have been making as Mercury gunned it off at speeds no one should've been driving around the circumference of a mountain at.​

 

[Gus Gungus]

"...Miss Schnee? Hello?"

How had Weiss handled the tumultuous events of the night, the attacks, the contempt, the violation of her privacy and sanctity of home by everything from Grimm-infused monstrosities to insurgents to the military units showing up to redouble her own private security as they trawled through the aftermath? It wasn't difficult to guess for anyone who knew her, really.

She got back to work. Weiss Schnee never wasted time, never skipped a beat.

So it was unusual indeed that the operator on the other end of the line had to repeat her question to provoke a response, the councilwoman's attention occupied by something else as she stood in her study with attire fully donned and hair tied up to reaffirm the regal image of Atlas's ice queen once more. Her tone was distant, but she did field the question a moment later, without shifting her gaze from what it was focused on.

"Tell the colonel my business hours are booked for the day, but he's quite welcome to call at the manor this evening."

She hung up without waiting for confirmation, scroll slotted back into her coat pocket as she narrowed her eyes a bit at what her thumb and forefinger held. A piece of paper she definitely couldn't recall leaving on her desk. Her eyes flickered to Zwei in the corner, but she rolled them when all he offered was a small whine, ears drooped.

How did she just know that girl was going to force the last word somehow?

Her sigh was terse, but she elegantly unfolded the paper to read it a moment later, honestly already holding it like it was a remnant of something that should never have been.​

 

[Schnee Corp Lawyer]

"-Mercury!"

Mercury jolted out of his thoughts when his partner's increasingly loud vocal prompts and hand waving back and forth in front of his face finally snapped him out of whatever weird trance he appeared to have slipped into, after about twenty full seconds of it. "Hwuzzat?"

"What's with these weird, like, mini-episodes you keep having where you totally space out in the middle of stuff and don't react to anything? It's always important, too!"

"I just start thinkin' bout stuff. Hey, you guys know that thing where you get hit in the head enough times and it starts affecting, like, the way you behave? You think I might have that?"

"...Do we think you might have brain dam-"

"What were we doing again?"

"THE BOUNTY! THERE'S A DUDE IN THE TRUNK OF OUR CAR!"

"Riiiiiiiiiight." He drawled, about all he could do not to bust his gut laughing as he glanced back over his shoulder to make sure Neo was buckled in and offer a confirmatory fistbump. These dweebs were so gullible. "Hey, what do you ladies say we make some noise in this thing?!"

VRRRRRRRMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM



The hot rod made a noise no motorized vehicle should really have been making as Mercury gunned it off at speeds no one should've been driving around the circumference of a mountain at.​

Mercury's fistbump was absently returned as Neo settled into her seat, which was way more than anyone could've gotten out of her a month ago.

Haven had broken her, but it took the confrontation at the Branwen camp for the pieces to actually fall apart. She'd been a horrific mess of emotions, miserably depressed and furious at everything and everyone somehow at the same time, all the time, and yet it was hard to not see that as some kind of improvement over the vapid, empty void she'd been in the week between losing Roman and seeing Vernal. It didn't however, make her any good at hunting grimm, except maybe as bait; she couldn't even leave the city walls without drawing every single monster within a five mile radius on top of them, and it had been a harrowing trip back to Mistral because of it.

Even once they got settled in, for those first few weeks she didn't communicate, she barely ate, and any sleep she got was fitful and short. There were days when Mercury could just feel her eyes burning into the back of his head, unable to scream whatever frustration or memories that were accosting her that she she wanted to, and there were days she followed him around like a lost puppy. There were days where she was uncomfortably affectionate even for her with her two remaining teammates, and days she was absolutely, undeniably, unbearably petty and obnoxious for seemingly no reason, with nonsense like snagging peoples ankles with invisible parasol handles and immediately vanishing like some oversized fae or particularly dangerous toddler, or leaving illusionary jumpscares in the bathroom at 2am that were a level of grotesque and bizarre that could only be sculpted by a deeply troubled insomniac with just way, way too much free time.

The worst part was that she knew she was being awful, and yet she couldn't get herself to stop. The hurt had come out, and it wouldn't stop pouring no matter how long the days went. Knowing it just made it worse; She was pratically waiting for the day the two said fuck it and decided she wasn't worth the hassle.

She didn't actually remember who suggested the first job; whether it was Em or Merc after getting completely fed up with her or if she badgered them into doing it, but that first bounty hunt was an epiphany of sorts. All the work they trained for at Beacon, no need to kill if you wanted to make the biggest payout, and without the danger inherent of being a hurricane of bad thoughts in Remnant's wilds. It was... nice, feeling like she was actually achieving something. In a lot of ways, the battle at Beacon and the fight for the relic had been the only two tasks team MTEN had as hunters; one hard fought win, and one devastating loss, a complete and utter failure. She didn't know what happened to WTCH after they parted ways, and as much as she hated Ozpin and his monsters for all that they'd took from her, that loss shook Neopolitan to her core in more ways than the obvious. Team MTEN, to be blunt, kind of breezed through Beacon. Between Neo, Em, and Merc, with Torchwick's emotional grounding, there wasn't a grimm or sparring match that could keep them down. It was hard to feel like you were over-confident when you never lost.

Until the day you did lose, and paid the worst price for it.

That overconfidence had shattered like one of her illusions at Haven and then ground into dust at the camp. So while she worried about what might've happened to WTCH... she didn't know whether she was ready to jump back into that fight, against the biggest evils in the world. Not when it might cost one of the few people in the world she had left.

But this? Busting heads in Mistral? Outfoxing criminals and murderers and getting paid for it, with the only real stakes being their clients and themselves? She could handle that. In fact, she could even like it. Those awful feelings were still oozing from her heart like blackened tar, but little specks of joy slipped through on occasion. Small joys, like the high of victory over a foe (not that this Lupin jackass had exactly been a vicious, dangerous opponent), or, as the illusion of the seatbelt shattered and she grabbed the seat in front of her while she stood up, feeling the wind blasting through her hair and dangerous speeds on a mountain road.


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


Neo flopped back into her seat as they pulled to a stop in front of the bar that was listed as the bounty issuer's agent of contact. She tilted her head up at the sign, and as she read it again she really couldn't help but feeling she'd heard the name Malachite before...

Oh well!

 

[MyrtenRose]

Apparently Ilia had a lot of frustration in her system, and Yang huffed with that same apologetic frown and let her get it out. Well, she tried to keep that expression, but Ilia's second to last comment had her failing to cover up a snort, both at the words and the frankly adorable angry pout she had going on, no matter how genuine and deserved that anger was.

Well at least the humor was just the right amount of bad to actually work.​

When it was done, Yang let out a quiet sigh. "Really let me have it, huh?" She asked with a dry smirk as she side eyed Ilia. It faded as she started to really answer though, her gaze going back towards the road

"Kicked. Me. Through. A. Wall."​

"...I'm sorry Blake did all of that. I can relate, kinda. My first meeting with her here didn't go so great either. Well-" She added with a rueful grin "-honestly my first meeting with our Blake didn't go great either, but nothing like this. You're right that she's in a bad, bad way. But, if its okay, can I ask you a question?"

She turned to face Ilia with a frown, her hand twitching towards her prosthetic before she fought the urge to grab at it down. "That person who led you down that bad road... It was Adam, yeah?" She didn't feel it was necessary to wait for an answer, and she broke the gaze as soon as it started so she didn't hit Ilia with the dark glare that instinctively crossed her eyes " He was a monster, at least as far as I'm concerned. If he ever had a noble bone in his body, it got up and left a long time ago. But... you still worked with him. You said yourself you did some bad things, let people die and almost did something unspeakable to a friend."

"............Yeah." She replied to all of it in confirmation, though there was no pride in it obviously. Tons of regret, rather. For Sienna, for what she'd put Blake through, for what they'd be about to do to Ghira and Kali, for not taking a stand against Corsac earlier...a whole giant ball of regret, honestly.​

The words themselves might've been harsh, but there wasn't any judgement in them, and Yang's frown wasn't remotely hostile as she turned back. "But you didn't, right? You were in a bad place too, but someone reached out for you." She smiled. "A friend was. You and everyone else thinks I'm just seeing something that's not there; but I'm positive that I'm not. Weiss had no reason to just let me go, and about a dozen different reasons to keep me locked up or just put a bullet in me. and she didn't."

"...I...no. She and I, we're...we're not alike." Ilia stammered out. Though it was not said with any degree of certainty. Even she couldn't say exactly what it was that Blake saw in her back then, that got her to try reaching out. "You're ignoring what I just said." Ilia pointed out, trying to steer away from that complicated mess. "Yeah, Blake was there for me. A friend was there for a friend. That Weiss back there, no matter what you think you saw, whatever she talked to you about...she's not your friend Weiss. She's a different Weiss entirely. If she let you go, I'm sure it is because there's some pragmatic reason for you to be out here instead of wasting away in there. She's probably working out a long con." ​

She shrugged "I know that she's in a bad place too. Ozpin's way more of a monster than Adam was, with much nastier goals. But she hates him too, if you'd believe it. She just thinks the path's she's on is the best way to beat him, and any kneeling she's doing with gritted teeth behind some acting chops. Even if I don't even the ittiest bittiest agree with her decisions up till now, I'm not willing to completely give up on someone who's had such an awful life and is still fighting. I don't have any intention of letting her use me for evil or anything, but I won't stop trying to be there for her like Blake was for you."

"The road where somebody does whatever they think is right, no matter the cost, it isn't going to take them anywhere good." Ilia repeated the sentiment. "And she doesn't have to force you into evil to make use of you. Any hesitation she can stir, any feelings she could exploit....I don't think for a second that she wouldn't take advantage of those to manipulate and use you." ​

Her next words finally lightened in tone as she shrugged with a sheepish grin. "Well. Nothing evil except punching and kicking a 'pretty cool girl' anyways. I really am sorry about that. I just didn't want you getting caught trying to pull her out, or her waking up and taking it out on you and like, but, there were definitely better ways to handle it. I panicked, full stop. So-"

"If you're worried about what she'd do, so much so that assaulting me is preferable, then what else do you need to see to recognize that she isn't your friend? What--"​

She stuck her chin out and tapped it with one of her prosthetic's fingers with a sharp smirk.

"-go ahead. Tip the scales back. I did you dirty, I deserve it, there's about thirty people waiting in line to do it, including every family member I've got here, so might as well start paying my dues with you, yea? Gimme your best shot."

"...What?" She repeated, far more taken aback. "I'm...I'm not about to indulge some kind of revenge attack here. Er...not physically, anyhow." Especially against somebody that good looking...and who was probably the right type to be receptive to that. Judging from...well, pretty much everything. ​

 

[MyrtenRose]

"What?" Qrow eventually answered, groggy at being prematurely awoken from head trauma. :|​

"I said we need to TALK."​

 

[Schnee Corp Lawyer]

Well at least the humor was just the right amount of bad to actually work.



"Kicked. Me. Through. A. Wall."



"............Yeah." She replied to all of it in confirmation, though there was no pride in it obviously. Tons of regret, rather. For Sienna, for what she'd put Blake through, for what they'd be about to do to Ghira and Kali, for not taking a stand against Corsac earlier...a whole giant ball of regret, honestly.



"...I...no. She and I, we're...we're not alike." Ilia stammered out. Though it was not said with any degree of certainty. Even she couldn't say exactly what it was that Blake saw in her back then, that got her to try reaching out. "You're ignoring what I just said." Ilia pointed out, trying to steer away from that complicated mess. "Yeah, Blake was there for me. A friend was there for a friend. That Weiss back there, no matter what you think you saw, whatever she talked to you about...she's not your friend Weiss. She's a different Weiss entirely. If she let you go, I'm sure it is because there's some pragmatic reason for you to be out here instead of wasting away in there. She's probably working out a long con."



"The road where somebody does whatever they think is right, no matter the cost, it isn't going to take them anywhere good." Ilia repeated the sentiment. "And she doesn't have to force you into evil to make use of you. Any hesitation she can stir, any feelings she could exploit....I don't think for a second that she wouldn't take advantage of those to manipulate and use you."



"If you're worried about what she'd do, so much so that assaulting me is preferable, then what else do you need to see to recognize that she isn't your friend? What--"



"...What?" She repeated, far more taken aback. "I'm...I'm not about to indulge some kind of revenge attack here. Er...not physically, anyhow." Especially against somebody that good looking...and who was probably the right type to be receptive to that. Judging from...well, pretty much everything. ​

"Ooh, come on, you know you want to! I spent like all week on the trip to haven with your girlfriend telling me I have a very punchable face. I think you're completely wrong about Weiss. I'm too well adjusted for you to get any emotional revenge( :| ). It'll feel good, I won't even mind!" Yang teased with a snicker, still tapping her chin expectantly.

 

[MyrtenRose]

I spent like all week on the trip to haven with your girlfriend-"

"...my...my what???"​