Raven Branwen hadn't exactly been happy to receive the call, asking to meet in an informal setting, from Winter Schnee. In her experience, there was no such thing as an informal meeting, especially between women such as the two of them. The two were polar opposites; she was a former, and future, bandit leader, who lived by her wits and strength. Winter was a puppet of the Atlas government, working at the beck and call of her superiors. The fact that Winter's superiors hated people like Raven, and that Winter never questioned them, meant that Raven was automatically suspicious of the officer.
Of course, Winter suggested a bar. Raven had rolled her eyes at the invitation; undoubtedly the Atlesian thought that she would feel more comfortable in such a setting. After all, she was a bandit so of course she got drunk at every opportunity. The beliefs that the military had about the bandits were so predictable and so foolish that Raven honestly wondered if there was room in an officer's head for brain cells that weren't devoted to drill and ceremony.
No, that was an incorrect assessment. Raven had to admit that Winter was a capable huntress; every bit as good as she had been at that age, maybe better. The bandit chief soothed the ego she had just bruised by telling herself that she would have been even better back then if she had the backing of the Atlesian Military Complex. She soothed her ego even more at Winter's shocked tone when she countered with a suggestion to meet at a tea room.
So now she waited for a woman that she really didn't like, to discuss a topic she was sure would irritate her to no end. She had suggested a place fairly close, with multiple entrances, and had given herself enough time to scout the immediate area. She had selected a table that allowed her to see anyone approaching the main entrance before they saw her, and was close to a small window. If this turned into an ambush, she would take two steps towards the back door, then dive through the window and form a portal to Yang.
Winter strode purposefully in through the front door and surveyed the facility for a few moments, her hands behind her back in a position of crisp, parade-rest. Upon spotting Raven, she gave the establishment another careful once-over before striding to the table.
"No ambush," Raven concluded. "Her eyes are on me, not scoping the surroundings for anything wrong. On the other hand, she might be a better actress than I was at that age..."
The officer stopped at the table and offered a polite nod. Realizing that she was following some sort of cultured protocol, Raven gestured to the chair opposite her own, putting Winter's back to the rest of the customers. Winter offered her a ghost of a knowing grin, indicating that she was aware of the implications, before taking the chair. A server showed up and took her order, allowing Raven more time to study the other woman.
"She didn't straighten up before coming here," the bandit noted. "So she didn't return to her quarters before calling me. Whatever she wants to discuss, it's important to her."
"Thank you for meeting with me," Winter started the exchange.
"You're paying," Raven shrugged. "But why don't I save both of us a great deal of time? Is this going to be the 'someone with your skills is wasting her time as a bandit' speech, the 'keep your villainous activities away from my kingdom' speech, or the 'I'll give you a two week head start after this is all over, then I'm coming to hunt you down' speech? I've heard them all, from people who have scared me a great deal more than you do. None of them will get me to do what you want me to."
Winter simply fixed her with a cold, yet calm eye while the server brought her tea and a plate of crumpets.
"I have no intention of giving you any of those speeches," Winter stated, once the server was safely out of earshot. "I also didn't picture you as the type that would patronize an establishment such as this."
"A bandit doesn't live long as a drunk," Raven told her. "It's a very rare person who I feel safe getting my wits befuddled around, and you're not on that short list. Now, I'm sure you didn't ask to speak to me just to question my choice in recreational activities. We're both tired, so why don't we get to the point?"
"I wish to learn about your semblance," Winter admitted.
"That's a fairly sensitive question."
"Only between strangers," Winter told her. "We're not friends, but we are comrades. We've shed blood and faced hardships together. Your semblance is neither embarrassing nor intimidating. I...have a certain curiosity about it."
"You're not the sort to be curious just for knowledge's sake," Raven noted. "You're either looking to gain an advantage with my semblance or you're looking for leverage on me. Fine, I'll play along! What do you want to know?"
"How do you locate your exit point?" Winter asked.
"I can create a portal to any point in my line of sight."
"It goes beyond that," Winter countered. "Your daughter spoke to my sister about the White Fang plot to breach Vale. You created a portal to a moving train, underground. You were able to home in on Yang even in highly variable conditions."
"Guilty as charged," Raven told her.
"Why?"
"I don't fully understand it, myself," she admitted.
"Is there anyone else that you can create a portal to?" Winter demanded. "No line of sight, just jump to wherever they may happen to be."
For a long moment, Raven simply stared at her, debating if she should answer or not. "My brother and Tai," she finally answered.
"Were you able to select these people?"
"No," Raven shrugged, observing Winter for any reaction. "In the past, I've wanted to reach all three of them, quickly. I haven't had luck with anyone else."
"You have a genetic link to your brother and daughter," Winter mused. "As for Tai..."
"He's the father of my daughter," Raven rolled her eyes. "And before you speculate, it wasn't some silly, 'oops, tee-hee what did we just do' moment. We knew what we were doing...as much as any idiot kids right out of the academy could."
"So you can create a portal to those you have an emotional link with, as well as genetic."
"I just told you, I don't know for sure but I've considered that this is how I can lock on to certain people," she paused another moment. "So why are you so interested in my ability to select my destination...and why now?"
"I was trying to determine what use..." Winter began.
"Ron!" Raven thumped a fist on the table before snapping her fingers. "He just popped in during the first skirmish with the goliaths, then popped out during the second, that's very similar to my ability! But you wanted to know my limitations on selecting destinations or targets..."
Raven watched the other woman, considering the implications, while Winter clamped her jaw shut.
"When he popped out, he reappeared in your sister's hospital room. That's two times that he showed up near her and you wanted to know just who I could target!" Now, Raven's face took on an expression of glee. "You're wondering just what sort of connection your sister and this...young man...have! If his semblance works the same way mine does, it's a very powerful, emotional one, but I wouldn't worry..."
She leaned across the table to offer Winter a mock-whisper. "At that age, it's always true love."
Winter could only grind her teeth and glare at Raven.
"I can target three people in this world," Raven commented, leaning back and chuckling at the officer's obvious discomfort. "One of them, I shared a womb with for nine months, another I held in my womb for the same amount of time and the third one put her there! So I wonder...what kind of bond has your sister and that boy developed?"
Winter couldn't meet her eyes.
"What are you so shook up about?" Raven mock-consoled her. "You should be happy for your sister...and yourself! If I understand your family situation correctly, you Schnee women are determined to regain the family honor; one through military service and the other as a huntress...and that your brother has no interest in such selfless pursuits. If you're going to maintain the family honor, one of you reputable women is going to have to pop out the next Schnee heir. Your sister may have taken the first step, relieving you of the burden!"
If Winter Schnee's eyes had even a fraction of the destructive power that Ruby Rose's silver eyes had, and they affected humans, Raven Branwen would have been fried to a crisp. Even a fresh-faced kid on his first raid could have seen the fury behind the officer's iron control. With exaggerated gentleness, Winter set her cup on its saucer. With exaggerated posture and grace, she rose her her feet, slid her chair into place under the table, and set sufficient lien at her setting to pay for the refreshments and a gratuity.
"I am quite finished," she managed to not snarl. "And I have affairs that require my attention."
"I bet," Raven snorted.
The bandit watched, her smile growing by the second, as Winter spun on her heel in a maneuver more suited to a parade ground than a tea house and strode purposefully outside. Shrugging her shoulders, Raven poured herself another cup of tea and grabbed Winter's crumpets. After all, they were paid for and it looked like she wasn't going to come back to claim her share. It was really quite foolish; if what Raven had implied had actually happened, a few minutes wasn't going to make any difference...and the tea and crumpets were excellent.
Finishing her snack, Raven sauntered out into the Mistralean evening. As was her habit, she scanned her surroundings for any threat. After all, she was a wanted bandit and she had insulted a large group of faunas, who were now in this city, while on the road. Smiling again, she realized that there was one place where she could let her guard down...as much as she ever did. Still scanning her surroundings, she set her course towards her quarters.
When Colonel Arvaken hired such hunters as were available to him, he didn't neglect human nature. Such hunters liked to unwind when they had a chance, and that meant at least minimal recreation facilities. As such, he had encouraged the owner of a nearby pub to remain in Kuchinashi and keep his establishment open during the siege. The hunters frequented the place and didn't tolerate unnecessary violence. She would be safe from any justice-seekers there and after her conversation with Winter, she felt like tossing down a stiff one or two.
The pub wasn't exactly an imposing place, but it was clearly well-maintained. The exterior was honest to what a patron found on the inside. Rather than fancy, the place was homey. There were several screens showing sporting events, news shows and comedies. Most of the offerings were recordings, with the kingdom under attack and the CCTS still limited, but the diversion was welcome. In one corner, a band had set up and was playing what Raven assumed to be currently popular music. Several tables had a handful of patrons; men and women with callouses and scars that gave her neutral looks as she entered. However, her eyes were drawn to the blonde man sitting at the bar.
"I didn't expect to see a teacher in such a place," she quipped. Raven stood next to him, leaning against the bar. "What will it do to your reputation?"
"I'm not a teacher right now, am I?" Taiyang took a solid pull at his mug, which held a very dark lager. Deciding that it looked good, Raven ordered one for herself.
"So, why do you have that smile on your face?" He asked. "It doesn't fit with the mighty chief of the Branwen tribe."
"I'm not a chief at the moment, just like you're not a teacher right now," she pointed out, lifting the fresh mug. It was some good stuff. "Let's just say that a certain stick-up-her-nether-regions officer just found out that her precious little sister might have besmirched the family name."
"None of my business," he grumbled.
"Of course," she rolled her eyes. "A boy scout like you would never do anything that might damage anyone's reputation, would he? Avoiding learning about such gossip is the best way to avoid repeating it." Shaking her head, she continued. "After you demanded your payment from the colonel, and seeing you bending the elbow here, I thought there might be some hope for you."
"Did you just come here to cause trouble?" He asked her. "'Cause I thought that you had outgrown that stupid crap." Now he shrugged his shoulders, "maybe murdering, robbing and kidnapping make a person grow childish."
"Oh, nice shot!" She snorted. "I think that's only the fourth or fifth time I've ever heard you throw an insult back at someone who was mocking you. You're surprisingly good at it."
"The false praise doesn't answer my question," he fixed her with a weary eye. "Why are you here? Did you just get leverage on someone and decide to get into a fight to celebrate?"
"Okay, enough this," she waved her hands. "I came in here to have a drink around folks who know violence isn't a good idea. What I found was a very grouchy man who's usually a poster boy for the sunny side of life. What's got you so wound up?"
"I just got word that my daughter is going to be returning to Mistral."
"I thought she was already there," Raven looked at him curiously.
"I said my daughter, not our daughter," Taiyang corrected her. "Ruby does exist, you know."
"So I'm not seeing the problem," Raven shrugged. "Your girls are going to be together. Once this mission is done, you can go back and see both of them. Your happy family will be reunited."
"Yeah, my girls," he took a long pull at his mug before continuing. "My precious girls who have no problem running off across the world and leaving me behind with just a note. My precious girls who respect my drunken brother a whole lot more than they respect me."
"Were we any different at that age?"
"Strange that you're defending them," he snorted.
"I take it they're not your favorite people at the moment."
"I love them more than my life," he told her. "But they don't think that's worth very much. The next time I see my precious girls, I'm going to be telling them that I'm not going home."
"What?" Raven was honestly shocked.
"Ever since we graduated from Beacon, I've been the...caretaker, the one to provide the home for everyone to come to when they're not saving the world and need a bed and a meal. You and Qrow have both shown up at my place, beat up and hungry and I always took you in and what have I gotten out of it? An empty house! I thought my daughters would be better, but now that they're old enough to be manipulated into running all over the world on stupid quests, I'm alone again! I've had enough of being the innkeeper."
"So, you're going to go the route I suggested all those years ago?"
"I'm not ready to become a bandit," he objected. "But I'm not going back to the way I was. I'll earn my lien and move on."
"Going it alone is a rough way to do it," she pointed out.
"Do you really think that anyone will take up with me?" He shook his head bitterly. "Qrow is in the headmasters' camp, you're looking to set up your tribe again, and the younger generation is too smart to take up with me. After all, what use is a schoolteacher?"
"Some of us know your value," Raven told him. Then flinched for actually having said that. Taiyang just looked at her.
"It was never about your fighting ability!" She growled at him. "You have some strange attitudes about training and fighting, but they work for you. If you hadn't had your head so far up your own backside back then, you would have realized just how much Ozpin was manipulating us! I did, so I got out of there."
"To murder and rob," Taiyang challenged her. "That's not the life for me."
"It's the only one that makes sense!" She snarled at him. "As a bandit, you can always move on when it gets too hot somewhere. If you're a hired huntsman, you're obligated to complete each mission, even the suicide missions. If you're in a kingdom's employment, you're tied to the location. A bandit is free!"
"So where's your tribe?" He shot back. "Wiped out! I haven't heard of many bandits retiring to a happy life."
"Tribes come and go," her eyes flashed red for a moment. "But so do towns...so do entire kingdoms. The four kingdoms weren't always here and they won't be here forever. Out between them, there are ruins everywhere, remains of cities that people thought would last forever. The bandit tribes just rise and fall faster, that's all."
"I still won't make my lien by stealing it from others."
"That's a truth that you've never accepted," she shook her head. "Stealing, demanding payment, it's all the same! You're getting lien because you're stronger than the other person. Whether you take it from him or he gives it to you for fighting something else, it makes no difference!"
He just glared at her.
"Fine! I'll make you an offer. I still need more lien if I'm going to reform my tribe, so why don't we team up? After we finish this current contract, let's hit the road as wandering hunters. I promise that we won't do banditry, but I'll give you a look at what's to be found out there. I'll show you that the towns and kingdoms aren't always the pure and honest organizations you seem to think they are. I'll show you how it's always been the survival of the fittest and you'll have another chance to teach me your altruism."
"That...actually makes sense," Tai finally admitted, after finishing off his mug. "You've lost your tribe and I'm all alone, so we both must be doing something wrong. Maybe it's time that I realized that."
"I didn't think of it that way, myself," Raven admitted. She too, tossed back her mug, threw some lien on the bar, got to her feet and took Taiyang's hand.
"What?" He asked.
"We might as well get some rest," she told him. "If we're going to make it as wandering hunters, we don't want to be hung over during the last phase of the siege. Our reputation, and that means our income, is at stake."
For a long moment, Taiyang just looked first at her hand on his and then at her eyes. She could sense the gears spinning in his head, contemplating the course of action, both spoken and unspoken, she had set before him. Finally, he shrugged his shoulders, tossed his own payment on the bar, and accompanied her out of the tavern.
"So it's just like the last time you went to...Earth?" Weiss asked the bandaged young man. His face and eyes were covered with dressings, so he couldn't see her.
"Yeah, except I knew what was happening," Ron told her. "That kind of made it better and worse at the same time."
"Well, since the doctors are able to draw from the earlier experience, your treatment is now patterned exactly for the injuries you suffered," she told him. "That should mean a quicker recovery."
"I hope so," he sighed, he seemed to shrink into his hospital bed, clearly not looking forward to rehabilitating from another trip to his home planet.
"You don't want to talk about everything during your mission to Earth," Weiss gave the back of his hand a very careful pat. "But what about your mission to scatter the goliaths? You said that Rufus scared them away again, but was it just a quick run out there? Did you run into anything on the way?"
"Yeah, I forgot to tell you, but a friend of yours, Blake, showed up with a bunch of faunus. She said something about trying to take the White Fang from some guy named Adam."
"Blake!" Weiss's eyes flew wide with excitement. "Blake is here?"
"I don't know," he admitted. "She was outside the city. We never saw her confront...the...you're working at your scroll, aren't you?"
"Yes!" Weiss was almost jumping with excitement. "I sent her a text and it went through! I didn't want to disturb her if she was busy, so I told her that she can call me any time!"
"Not doing anything important?" Ron asked, and she missed the edge to his voice.
"No! I'm just spending...time...with...you. Okay, that was kind of harsh, wasn't it? It's not that you're not important to me," she insisted, now taking his hand. "It's just that..."
"It's okay," he told her. "If I had a friend that I didn't know if she was well or not, and hadn't seen for close to a year, I'd be excited, too."
"I want to get all of my friends together," Weiss insisted. "I want to get all of Team RWBY and all of Team RNJR! I want my sister and mother there, as well. Maybe, when we get this all taken care of, I'll have everyone be guests at the mansion. You can even introduce Rufus to Pelz and Unscharf."
"Uh...who?" Although bundled in dressings, Ron managed to look extremely nervous.
"The rats you made friends with!" She reminded him. "That you paid in peanuts to spy for you! Don't you remember?"
"I...uh..." he stammered, only to fall silent when Rufus, who had been riding in Weiss' pocket, emerged and stalked up his chest to stand directly in front of his face. While Weiss couldn't understand everything the rat squeaked at the boy, she was sure she heard the words 'other rats' and 'without me'.
"Look, buddy," he told his small friend. "I just needed some help and they were there! It wasn't anything other than paid assistance!"
More squeaks answered him.
"Okay, we played a few games of checkers!"
Still more squeaks.
"And there might have been the occasional backgammon night."
The squeaks became more of a scolding that went on and on.
"Look, it was only polite!" Ron protested. "Was I supposed to just give them their peanut payments and send them on their way? I like to be at least a little friendly!"
To Weiss' amazement, she understood when Rufus went onto a tirade about the limits of friendship and upsetting the nature of the nuclear, human/rodent relationship. Fortunately, a distraction came her way.
"Weiss."
She spun at her name being spoken from outside of the room to see...
"Winter!" She gasped. "I didn't realize that you were back! I was just keeping Ron company...he re-appeared here!"
"Yes," the older Schnee seemed to grimace about that. "Could I speak to you, in private, for a short time?"
"Well..." Weiss looked back to the bed, where Rufus was chittering something about devoting the best years of his life to Ron. "I think that Ron has all the company he needs for right now."
Winter usually kept her emotions in check, but Weiss swore she saw a little bemusement on her sister's face as they walked down the hall and to a consultation room...the type of room that was usually reserved for the medical staff to give people bad news.
"Winter!" Weiss gasped. "Has something happened to our family...or one of my teammates?"
"No," the older Schnee told her. "This is strictly between the two of us...at least for the moment...and it's a delicate subject. Please be seated."
Weiss did as requested and watched as Winter sat next to her. The usually straightforward military officer seemed to fidget just a little, as if she were preparing to do something painful.
"Weiss, could you describe your relationship with Mr...Stuffable...is it?" She finally requested.
"It's Stoppable," Weiss corrected her. "And could you be more specific in your request?"
"Of course. Do you consider him a teammate, a partner, or something beyond this?"
"He's my friend as well," Weiss informed her sister.
"Is that all?" Winter stressed.
"I believe you are requesting to know something that is both very specific and none of your concern," Weiss' voice was icy when she spoke to her sister.
"Before you judge my concern, hear me out," Winter snapped at her. "But first, tell me this; does Mr. Stuff...er, Stoppable control his teleporting?"
"No."
"What are the circumstances that cause him to teleport?" Winter asked.
"He has been teleported twice. On both occasions, his...fiance...was in grave danger. On both occasions, he returned to Rem..." She suddenly stopped, a look of horror on her face.
"I have already guessed that he doesn't originate from our world," Winter informed Weiss, when the younger woman trailed off. "Please continue."
"On both occasions, he returned to Remnant," Weiss told her. "And on both occasions, he was badly injured. His home world...Earth...is hostile to an active aura. While his injuries are shallow, they are extensive."
"He teleported a third time," Winter pointed out. "During the goliath attack on Kuchinashi, did he not suddenly appear near you?"
"Yes," Weiss answered, looking thoughtful. "I failed to consider that incident. I was in grave danger at the time."
"On the first occasion that he teleported," Winter continued. "Describe the circumstances that he vanished from Remnant and returned."
"He was in his suite in Mistral," Weiss answered. "He vanished and several minutes later, he re-appeared in the same place."
"Were you present?"
"Yes." Weiss now had a more curious look on her face.
"Yet when he vanished from the glade, he re-appeared in your room," Winter pointed out. "Did he return to Remnant, or did he return to you?"
"That would explain why he didn't vanish after assisting me," Weiss nodded. "If his semblance returns him to me, he was already there."
"So he is pulled to his fiance and to you whenever one of you is in imminent danger," Winter concluded. "When the danger is averted, he returns to you."
"Or so we theorize," Weiss pointed out.
"What similarities exist between you and his fiance?" Winter demanded. "What similarities exist between his relationship with her and his relationship with you?"
"I do not know!" Weiss snapped back.
"Very well," Winter's face held the expression of someone who was about to do something very unpleasant. "Raven Branwen has a similar semblance, only it is active. She can create a portal to any point that she can directly observe, and to three people. Those three people are her twin brother, her daughter, and the man who impregnated her. Now I ask again, what similarities exist between Mr. Stoppable's relationship with his fiance, and his relationship with you?"
"I find such allegations both insulting and irrelevant!" Weiss snapped at her. "You are not our mother! I am a legal adult and the CEO of the Schnee Dust Company! I do not answer to you!"
"But you answer to Atlas," Winter retorted. "You know how sensitive our folk are to propriety and custom! If rumors started, bolstered with some form of evidence, that you were..."
"Pregnant?" Weiss asked, when her sister seemed reluctant to continue. "Go ahead and say it!"
"If you had a certain...complication," Winter suggested. "And it was due to an inappropriate relationship with someone..." She left the statement hanging.
"Go ahead and say it," Weiss repeated, her voice a snarl. "You're saying that if I had and affair with someone that the good folk of Atlas didn't approve of, I could be outed as the CEO?"
"It can happen," Winter pointed out. "Like it or not, dear sister, you now belong to the Schnee Dust Company. Your personal life is open to public scrutiny. While you have some very good board members, they are undoubtedly ambitious and would prefer someone more...malleable...to be the CEO. If you were to provide them with some sort of public scandal, they could legitimately call for a vote of no confidence. Father made quite sure that I understood this."
"He made sure that I understood this, as well," Weiss sighed. "You can relax, sister. While I freely admit to having an attraction to him that goes beyond friendship, it is biologically impossible for me to be in that state that has you so concerned."
"Just as well," Winter sighed as well. "I didn't want to pry..."
"You probably didn't want to," Weiss interrupted her. "But I'm sure that you were more than curious about how your little sister was handling herself."
"I admit to a certain familial concern."
"But won't admit to the curiosity," Weiss countered.
"I simply don't want to see you get into a situation for which you are not prepared."
"I can displace father as the CEO and radically alter the company's business practices to something more in line with a huntress's honor," Weiss quipped. "I can face an oncoming goliath and seize bombs capable of destroying an entire city, but I may not be prepared for an adult relationship?"
"Maturing is not always done at an even level," Winter informed her. "I have led and commanded men and women who were capable, responsible soldiers, but couldn't conduct their private life with any semblance of responsibility. We have grown apart, dear sister, and I have no way of knowing if you are capable of navigating a personal relationship with the same aplomb you show on a skirmish field or in the boardroom. I can assure you that any curiosity I express is motivated by a concern for my sister, not some voyeuristic curiosity."
"So, will you consider it acceptable for me to express the same concern and make the same inquiries into your personal life?" Weiss sniffed.
"Of course not," Winter informed her. The ghost of a smile formed on the older woman's face. "I am the elder, therefore I am allowed to make such inquires into your life, but you are not allowed to make such into mine."
"I wasn't aware of such a custom."
"You are now," Winter rose to her feet, which prompted Weiss to follow suit. "Sister, I am fatigued. It has been a long day and I must gain some rest or risk being unable to react effectively when needed. We will be attacked again but we are in a much better position to meet such an assault. I hope to see you again soon, but will make my farewells in case we do not see each other again."
"And I make my farewells to you," Weiss murmured, embracing her sister.
"Be well in all of your endeavors," Winter whispered to her. "Professionally and personally." Without another word, she spun on her heel and left.
For a few minutes, Weiss remained in the room, debating how to approach her next conversation. Finally having a plan...or at least the bare outlines of a plan, she returned to Ron's room. For a moment, she stood in the doorway and took in the improbable scene of a naked mole rat lecturing a bandage-swaddled young man. She couldn't understand a great deal of what was being said, but she did pick out the words "infidelity" and something about a sacred bond between rodent and primate.
"Rufus," she interrupted the tirade. "Could I have a word with Ron?"
The rodent glared at her, clearly not finished letting the young man know what he thought of him associating with other rodents, but he finally nodded. To Weiss' amazement, the little guy formed a nest in the blankets by Ron's feet and was quickly asleep.
"Er...what's on your mind?" Ron asked. Clearly, he was still a little shook up over the haranguing he had just received.
"I...want to talk about your semblance," Weiss' voice was quiet, hesitant. "When you showed up in this city and fought the goliaths, was it your semblance that brought you here?"
"I...think so," while Weiss couldn't see his expression under his dressings, his voice sounded thoughtful. "It felt the same as it did when I wound up on Earth."
"I was in extreme danger," she told him. "Much like...Kim...was during the two times that your semblance took you to Earth."
He tilted his head as if in thought, but didn't speak.
"When we first deduced that your semblance took you to Earth, I assumed that it was to assist Kim in a time of extreme stress," Weiss continued. "And that it brought you back to Remnant in order to save your life. I thought that the bond you shared with Kim must have linked you across the realities and I thought that was because you and she...were intimate with each other."
Again, Ron didn't speak, although his covered gaze directed itself downwards. Weiss struggled with her own sorrow, a feeling of sympathy towards this young man who had worked so hard for a life that he would never have.
"But that can't be the case," she continued, before she lost her determination to see this through. "Your semblance brought you to me when I was in danger and we...well...we didn't."
"You...don't have to say it," he whispered.
"On both occasions that you were pulled to Earth, you returned to Remnant," she continued, feeling much better now that she could treat this in a clinical, detached manner. "But it wasn't just to Remnant, it was to me. The first time it happened, we both assumed that you had returned to where you were when you left but the second time, you clearly returned to me."
Ron could only nod.
"I guess it makes sense," she told him. "I woke your aura so maybe that link we created...when our souls merged for a moment...made your aura see me as a point of safety. It also makes sense that I gained the ability to...well...call you for help."
"That makes sense to me," Ron told her. "But it sort of makes me wonder how Kim can call me."
"You're thinking what I was thinking," she offered a small chuckle. "Perhaps it's something more than the fact that you were...are...intimate. Is there anything you can think of, something that the two of you went through where you somehow linked in a way that went beyond physical?"
"We went through so much," he whispered. "We were hit by all sorts of weird rays, strange machines and odd magical items. She was turned into a monkey once and this sick machine turned me back and forth from a teenager to a baby several times. I was once nearly deleted from existence and she was hit by a ray that only allowed her to tell the truth but I can't think of anything that..."
"I take it you just thought of something," she commented, when he stopped speaking in mid sentence.
"There was this one time," he answered. "One of our usual foes, a mad-scientist type, came up with a machine that made two people swap bodies. We got caught by it. For a couple of days, I had her body and she had mine. Saying it was a learning experience is an understatement but maybe that was it! We actually were each other for a short time."
"That could be it," Weiss nodded, somewhat sadly. "There's no way of knowing if that's true, but not every question about aura and semblance has a definitive answer." She sighed. "If true, it takes away some of the romance, doesn't it?"
While Ron's eyes were covered, he turned his face towards her, clearly questioning what she meant.
"It's so sweet to think that two people could belong with each other so much that they can bridge the gap between realities," Weiss explained. "It makes it so much more dull if there's a scientific explanation behind it."
Ron snorted, although it was a bitter laugh. "I just can't picture you as someone who prefers romance over reason."
"I think that if you scratch even the most dedicated scientist, you'll find a romantic underneath," she murmured. After a pause, she continued. "I'm so very sorry for you."
"You didn't cause it," he assured her. "When you awakened my aura, when Qrow suggested you do it, none of us could have known what it would do. That little weasel Dementor is the one whose responsible for this."
"And Salem, whomever she is," Weiss added. "Of course, Qrow suggested that there was some sort of other side effect to aura...something that he knew about."
"But it wasn't my issue," Ron pointed out.
"I'd still like to know what it is."
"Yeah," Ron sighed. "I guess I do, too. I'm here for good now."
"But not alone," Weiss pointed out. She gently took his hand. "It's your own fault; you've been here less than a year and you've already helped defeat a bandit attack on a farmstead, cleared ruins outside of Atlas, disarmed two of these nuclear warheads and helped throw back a grimm attack on Kuchinashi."
"Rufus did most of the last one."
"But you were there," she smiled a somewhat sad smile that he couldn't see. "You're not alone."
"Thanks," he murmured, a quiet, yet heartfelt expression of appreciation.
It was a tender moment. Despite his sadness, she knew he was taking comfort in her just being with him...and she basked in the knowledge that she made it easier for him to accept his current situation. She wanted to say something more but couldn't find the words and was pretty sure that he was in the same situation.
"I left a message behind," he finally told her. "It was Yang's idea. I bought another scroll and used it just to record messages. I recorded messages to Kim, to my parents, to my sister and to my other friends. It wasn't easy; it was hard to start and once I got started, it was hard to stop. I put the scroll in a pouch and kept the pouch with me wherever I went. During the fight against Gill and the grimm, I gave the pouch to her."
Weiss had no answer, so she gave his hand a gentle squeeze and hoped it was more reassuring than painful for him.
"I...left the ring behind, as well." Ron started sobbing. "I'll never give it to her the way I was supposed to, but maybe she can give it to one of her brothers...or if she has a son someday...he'll be able to use it if he pops the question."
Weiss didn't know what to say to him. Fortunately, the awkward moment didn't last very long.
"Weiss!" A familiar, but long unheard voice, hailed her from the hallway.
"Blake!" She spun to see the friend that she hadn't seen in far too long. Moments later, the two young women were in a close embrace. However, upon seeing the faunus, Rufus shrieked in terror and dove under Ron's blanket.
"Ron," Sun, who had accompanied Blake, rushed to the Earth-man's bedside. "I came as soon as I heard you were here! What happened to you? Can I get you anything?"
"I...uh..." Ron was more than a little put off.
"Sun," Blake pulled herself away from Weiss. "What's with you? You've only met this guy and you're acting like he's some...rock star or something."
"I dunno," Sun admitted. "It's just...I get this idea that he's really important."
"No, I'm ordinary," Ron assured him. "In fact, I'm extra-ordinary."
"Okay, I'll tone it down," Sun told everyone. "But is everyone cool if I hang here for awhile? Ron probably doesn't like being alone when he's blind..."
"Hey!" Rufus protested, jumping out from under the blankets...only to take one look at Blake and dive back into his hiding place.
"Okay, he probably wants more than one friend around him," Sun corrected himself, looking towards Weiss and Blake. "That will give the two of you a chance to catch up."
It seemed a wonderful idea to Weiss, and Blake's expression clearly indicated that she would like to catch up, as well. The clincher came when Rufus poked his head out from under the blankets. Weiss didn't catch the entire statement, but the gist of it seemed to urge her to take her friend to another room.
"I haven't eaten since lunch," she told Blake. "Care to see if this place has a cafeteria?"
"I'd love to," Blake smiled at her shorter friend.
"Yes!" Rufus squeaked his encouragement. "Feed her! Feed her!"
The rat continued to watch, intently, as Blake and Weiss left the room.
"So," Sun pulled up a chair next to Ron's bed. "Tell me about where you're from."
Even in a crowded aircraft, privacy was possible.
Kim had learned this from countless trips during her teenage years. While some people would talk to pass the time, most would eventually retreat into themselves, either falling asleep or letting their minds wander to another place and time, ignoring the dull reality of a dull flight. Since she, Hirotaka and Shego didn't have much in common, there wasn't any reason to talk. There had been quite a bit of activity when the tactical aircraft flew them from Kongsoya to Norway. Once there, Kim hadn't bothered to learn the name of the city or the base, they transferred onto a strategic aircraft for the long flight to the U.S. This was where the boredom kicked in, which would allow Kim some private time. Still, itt wasn't easy for her, because she was deceiving Dr. Director.
The redhead didn't know what was in the bag that Ron had given her, but since it was from another reality, Dr. Director would surely want to carefully investigate it. Since Ron gave it to her, Kim was determined to have first crack at the contents before, or even if, she turned it over to the older woman. For this reason, she stuffed the bag into a cargo pocket and did her best to not think about it.
Now it was a waiting game. While Dr. Director had turned over Dementor's henchmen to local authorities in Norway, she kept the small scientist with her for the trip to Middleton. She had a couple of fresh agents with her, so neither Kim, Hirotaka, Shego, or Dr. Director herself had to keep a watch on the prisoner. Unfortunately, it meant that Dr. Director was free to pay an irritating amount of attention to the quasi-agents that had just completed the mission.
Kim was sure that this was a trait of good leadership; making sure that none of them were injured or psychologically scarred by the violent experience. However, it was irritating now. Kim knew that she should keep the bag in her pocket until she was clear of all Global Justice personnel...but she wanted to know what was so vital that Ron would give it to her in the middle of a fight.
Finally, everyone's adrenaline seemed to wear off. Dr. Director went forward to the cockpit, while the guards took Dementor to a holding area aft. Shego and Hirotaka settled in to sleep and Kim pretended to do the same. Finally, she was able to open the bag and look inside. The first thing she found was a battered, but recognizable small box. Deciding that she couldn't bear to see what she was sure she would find, she placed the box to one side and examined the other object that the bag held.
It looked like a thin piece of white metal, roughly the size of her palm, with a diamond-shaped piece of yellowish metal in the center of one face. Curious, she touched the diamond shape and watched in amazement as the device opened up, telescoping until it was a little larger than a dollar bill. In the space between the ends, a screen came to life with several icons.
It was clearly a smart phone of some sort, but one that was much more advanced than any she had ever seen; it was even more advanced than her Kimmunicator. One of the icons had a different color than the others, and was labeled 'messages'. Clearly, this was what Ron meant for her to have, so she touched the icon. The screen changed, showing a list of additional icons; one was labeled 'KP', one labeled 'Hana', 'Parents', 'Felix', and 'Monique'. Obviously, one was meant for her, so she pressed 'KP'.
Again, the screen changed and showed three additional icons; labeled 1, 2 and 3. Again, it was obvious what to do. She glanced around, made sure that nobody was observing her, and pressed number 1.
"Hey, KP," Ron's voice sounded from the device, prompting her to find a control that lowered the volume. His face looked out at her, with some minor abrasions on his face, as he spoke. "I don't know when you'll get this message, but it's been three days since I saw you in Drakken's lab. If I ever see you again, I'll try to get this device...it's called a scroll, by the way...to you. I'll be recording messages for other people, so please get these to the right people."
"Where to begin..." he mused. With a sigh, he delved in. "This world I'm in is called Remnant and it's close enough to Earth for me to get along, but there are some really strange things about it. For one thing, your soul can be awakened to give you a kind of spiritual armor and other abilities. This is called aura and with it, a person becomes stronger, faster, and can take hits without taking an injury. When I got my aura activated, it was awesome...but Earth doesn't seem to agree with it. My aura, my own soul, turned on me while I was on Earth."
Kim continued to listen; she learned about aura and semblances. She learned that Remnant had no elements more dense than lead and there was no such thing as radiation. She watched as Ron focused on the broken moon, when showed her the City of Mistral. She listened to him tell about a scientist's efforts to use the Pan Dimensional Vortex Inducer, and his ability to manipulate the Lotus Blade, to tune in on Earth. She learned that the scientist doubted that an opening large enough for a person could ever be created. She listened as he told her about summoning the blade and disabling first one nuclear warhead and then another. She learned that Rufus was alive and safe with Ron, and had told him about her efforts to reach him. Finally, she learned that Ron's semblance drew him to her when she was in intense danger, but then returned him to Remnant when the danger was over.
"...so that's the sitch, KP," he said, his voice trembling a bit. "Even if the scientists here can somehow open a doorway back to Earth; even if your team manages to send that compartment here, I can't come home. This is going to be hard to say, but I think you should know. I...I...bought the ring before our mission to stop Dementor. I was going to pop the question when we reached the resort in the Alps. I love you KP, and I'll love you until the day I die, but there's just no way that we can make this work."
"It's not fair for you to wait for me," he was now sobbing. "So I want you to move on with your life. I once said that you were destined for the stars while I was going to be stuck on Earth. I...I guess I had the right idea but I just got who was going to leave wrong. I'd give anything to come back to you, to be your husband until death takes us apart, but something bigger than us saw to it that we couldn't be together. Please, never stop doing what you do, Earth needs you and I'll just have to muddle on as best I can, here."
"If I could ask you a couple of favors, please look in on my parents and Hana whenever you get a chance. I'll record messages for them, as well. If you ever get this, please record a message of your own, and have my family and any of the old gang do the same. If we see each other again, maybe we can swap scrolls and sort of keep in touch. Right now, I don't know what else to say but goodbye."
The screen went dark.
Kim sobbed, but managed to look around and make sure that nobody was observing her. This was only the first of three messages listed for her. Even though she felt crushed she realized that she couldn't turn over this...scroll...until she had recorded all of the messages, and distributed them to those they were intended for. She had no doubt that once she gave the scroll to Dr. Director, and she eventually would, it would wind up with the NSA, and it would never be returned to her. Wiping her eyes, she opened the box and looked at the ring that could have...should have...been hers. She resisted the urge to put it on her finger. Only one boy...one man...had the right to place this ring on her finger and it looked like he would never be able to do so. Unless that day came, she would never consider it truly hers.
With a shuddering breath, she placed both the scroll and the ring back in the bag. Ron could never return to Earth...at least not for more than a few minutes at a time. Since even that caused him extensive injuries, she swore to herself to limit the times she was in danger. However, there was another possibility. While she knew that she wouldn't be able to sleep, she attempted to rest. Decisions had to be made, and those decisions would result in some major efforts in the near future.
"Miss Xiao Long, thank you for coming here as quickly as you did." The doctor ushered Yang in through the emergency entrance and deeper into the institution.
"I don't understand," Yang confessed. "I'm not a doctor of any sort and I'm not in any sort of danger. Do I have a rare blood type that you need?"
"No," he told her. "And there's a sacrifice I'm going to request of you that's far more serious than a unit or two of blood."
"Then what?" She demanded. "A kidney?"
"Perhaps you should see the prospective recipient, first."
Yang was more than a little upset, more than a little nervous, as she followed the man still deeper into the building. Finally they entered the Intensive Care Department, where the doctor gestured for her to look through a window and into a unit. Yang did so and gasped when she saw...
"General Ironwood?"
"He arrived from BatiKiyisi earlier today," the doctor told the young woman. "You can see that the general's right side is robotic."
Yang nodded.
"This extends inside of him, as well," the doctor continued. "Some of his internal organs are robotic. I don't know anything about the super weapon that was used in BatiKiyisi, but it appears to have rendered his robotic body parts non functional."
"So, why bring me in on this?" Yang demanded. "Do you need me to donate...things?"
"Yes," he sighed. "But it isn't as dire as you many think...or perhaps it is more so. You see, the general has a human heart and lungs, but they must work in tandem with his robotic components in order for him to have full function. As it is, his artificial components are not only not helping his organic organs, they are causing them to be less efficient. As it is, despite our best efforts, he is slowly dying. He will not even survive a trip to Atlas...nor will he last long enough for replacement components to be delivered here."
"I still don't understand..."
"It appears that the reason his robotic organs are not functioning is that the neural interface...the component that allows his organic brain to control his robotic organs, is not functional." The doctor explained. "While the organs themselves appear functional, this interface was destroyed by a massive burst of energy. It's this lack of coordination that has doomed him to death and as much as it pains me to admit it, building such an interface is beyond Mistral's science."
Yang just looked at him, waiting for him to explain what he wanted.
"In all of Mistral, there is only one such operational interface."
Slowly, Yang understood.
"It's in my robotic arm," she concluded. "It's what allows me to control my right arm, and you need it to save him."
"And I'm not about to have it seized by force," the doctor assured her. "Even if you donate it, the general will not regain full motor function; there are several such additional interfaces needed for that and they've been destroyed, as well. However, we could re-establish his organs' function, which will allow him to survive a trip to Atlas, where more are either available or can be fabricated."
"Take it," Yang stated, her voice was flat.
"I appreciate your offer," he told her. "But I have to remind you that it could be a great deal of time before whomever made yours is able to create another for you, if they will do so at all. You could permanently lose..."
"His life is more important than my arm," Yang decided. "Just please, let my friends know what I'm doing. I'd like them to be near me if I'm n-n-not going to have the arm again."
All through the night, men and women worked at the breach in Kuchinashi's walls while exhausted soldiers rested, others kept watch and still others scrambled to prepare the siege weapons for the inevitable assault. In the headquarters, Colonel Arvaken maintained his vigil while several of his staff managed a few hours of precious sleep. Screens were set up around his office, allowing him to see likely routes of advance and the blurry images of the gathering grimm horde, simultaneously. As the hours passed, he received reports of the preparations, allowing him to make slight adjustments to the priorities throughout the night. A few hours before dawn, the grimm started to move. Taking a deep breath, he pressed a button on his scroll that sent several messages, putting several assets into motion.
One of the messages went to Winter Schnee, startling her out of bed, shocked that she had slept for so long. Chiding herself for being soft, she noted that she had a couple of hours before the enemy would arrive, but hurried to prepare herself anyway. She would be at her post and correcting any deficiencies she noted, well before the enemy arrived.
Another message reached Winter's sister, Weiss. The younger woman also prepared herself for the day, knowing that she represented her kingdom, her family and Beacon Academy. Once dressed and armed, she rushed to the hospital; she had to pick up Rufus and get to the headquarters so that she could carry the rat, whom she was reluctantly growing fond of, to wherever the goliaths attacked.
More messages reached the leaders of the faunus band that had sought to overthrow the White Fang leadership. Blake, Sun, Ghira and Kali roused their folk so they could be fed and prepared for the day's trials.
Yet another message reached Raven Branwen, who turned off both her own and Taiyang Xaio Long's scrolls. She was surprised to find herself reluctant to rise, as she had slept better than usual, even better than she usually did with her tribe around her. A bandit can never afford to let her guard down but as much as her companion's over-inflated morality irritated her at times, she had to admit that it had its uses. Taiyang would never stab someone in the back or take advantage of a vulnerable situation, like Raven had placed herself in with him.
While she occasionally wondered why he didn't take advantage of the fact that mankind had mastered the art of forging weapons, the fact that he could never actually be disarmed came in handy at times. If she were separated from her sword, her capabilities were vastly decreased while he could be stripped naked, as he was now, and still be a deadly force. His altruism, mastery of his own body, and the activities they had indulged in had given her a very restful night's sleep.
Their eyes only briefly met as they prepared for the day. They needed to talk, but such a discussion could wait. If they survived the day's trials, they would need to work out just where they were going to go and just what they wanted to be to each other. If they didn't, then the discussion wouldn't be necessary.
Finally, a message also reached the soldiers stationed at the breach site. They informed the workers, who picked up their tools and marched to the nearest gate. They could no longer get in through the breach itself, as they had made significant progress patching the damage. Now, a newly constructed wall, roughly a quarter the height of the previous structure, filled the gap and stood ready to inhibit an attack upon the city.
While the workers took their tools and other equipment with them, they didn't have time to take the building materials that had been delivered to the work site. Among the stone blocks, aggregate, mortar and other materials, a piece of rock, shaped like a human heart and emitting a faint, red glow, was left just outside of the walls, waiting for the oncoming attack.
As always, thanks to Joe Stoppinghem for his ever-patient beta-reading.
Until next time, best wishes;
daccu65.