Life kicked my ass from here to Mars and back again, but finally I found the time to write this! We're nearing the end of the story, as to be honest, I don't really have many more ideas, but I do intend on at least a chapter or two more of fun insanity. That said, I hope you all enjoy. And just as a note, I started a Whiterose podcast with a fellow content creator, Gaymerkree! We interview various writers and artists, as well as just bullshit about our favorite WR couple. If you wanna give it a listen, feel free to look up Whiterose Schneenanigans on Spotify or Google Podcasts!

One thing could be said to be shared between both organizations: They knew what to do during a raid. As if by clockwork, every soldier dove behind cover as the eastern wall of the warehouse burst open from a series of breaching charges. Yang slammed her hand into the wooden table, flipping it up as Blake quickly grasped it's edge, bringing it down as temporary cover. Ruby and Weiss dove behind it, weapons drawn as Yang and Blake quickly scampered beside them, the staccato of bullets already slamming into the hardened wood.

Weiss' eyes narrowed ever so slightly, her mind wheeling with calculations. She turned to the Red Queen next to her, expression still as placid as the moment she walked in. "I believe our meeting has been interrupted in a most displeasing way. I propose a temporary cessation of hostilities until our uninvited guests have been removed."

Ruby's smile widened eerily as she thumbed the safety off on her signature handgun, her fingers gently caressing the rose inlay embedded in her handguns grip. "Alright White Queen, you got it. Let's get out of here and we'll continue our discussion somewhere else. Fine by you?"

Weiss nodded slowly, flipping the revolver chamber out and examining the ammunition, unflinching as another torrent of bullets slammed into the surprisingly solid table. She glanced back at Blake, the smile on Blake's face only second to Ruby's. "Stop grinning, Belladonna. This is not the situation to be joyous in."

"My dear Queen, this is exactly the time to be joyous! This is...well, alright, this is not exactly how I'd hoped today would go, but this is the perfect time to-" Blake's commentary was cut off by the corner of the table behind her being snapped off by another round, as the rumbling of a series of forklifts screeched to a stop between their table and the hail of bullets coming their direction, blocking most of the small arms fire headed their way.

"Ma'am! Uh, what're we-" James began to ask, stuttering over his words as he noticed the Red Queen and the Dragon glancing up at him, amusement dancing in one's eyes as the others began to burn a fiery red.

"Don't worry, soldier boy, you're safe from little ole me for now," Ruby drawled out, clambering to her feet now that the forklifts had blocked some of the bullets. "Your ladyship and me got a deal going, shoot the feds first, shoot each other later. Right?"

Weiss, rising to her feet with studied grace, did an unusually flashy twirl of her revolver, leaving Blake to stare at her in sheer confusion. "Yes, Red Queen, quite. We've come to an accord. Temporary though it may be."

Blake couldn't believe her eyes or her ears. It took all of her self control not to gape, as she stared at the very subtle smirk on the White Queen's face, the almost inaudible twinge of humor in her response to the Red Queen. Weiss didn't do smiles, much less humor. Likely no one else noticed it, but no one was as close to Weiss as Blake was. Blake had been by her side since long before Weiss had brought her father crashing down and taken the organization over from him. Not once in all that time had Blake seen Weiss' expression ever change, seen a single moment of emotion cross Weiss' expression. Yet within the past week Weiss had expressed being vexed, and now? Now she smiles?

Any further rumination was cut off as Yang's hand clasped around her arm and yanked her nearly off her feet, a broken board rocketing passed where her head had been. "Get your head in the game, Belladonna! We got some feds to burn!" Yang remarked, her smile nearly as wide as her sister's as she slammed her fists together.

Blake coughed lightly into her hand, attempting to restore normalcy to herself as everyone involved gave her a side-eyed look. Blake adjusted her tie with one hand, the other brushing through her hair and palming a knife hidden beneath. "Of course. James, be a dear and pass along the temporary truce to the others. Yang?"

"Already done, sweetheart. Our peoples ain't gonna touch yours. But it's free for all on the feds. I think they already started placing bets on who gets more."

Ruby chuckled darkly. "We can't let our new friends be disappointed, can we? We know who they came here for. Weiss, was it?" Weiss arched an eyebrow at Ruby, expression placid. "Shall we go introduce ourselves?"

"You are a strange one, Red Qu-...Ruby," Weiss responded, cutting herself off mid sentence. Weiss peered around the corner carefully, ducking back as another hail of bullets passed by her face. She turned back to Ruby with a considering gaze. "But yes. Let's."

Like clockwork, the four women broke cover and bolted apart along the now scattered series of temporary cover that their varied people had placed. Forklifts, barrels, crates, even a couple SUV's driven through the walls had been placed to give enough cover for them to move along.

As Ruby slammed her back into her current stop, the opened door of an SUV, she took a quick glance around the edge. Narrowing her eyes as she saw how many agents were pouring in through the gap they'd created on the other end of the warehouse. Even under the withering hail of gunfire from both her and Weiss' organizations, they seemed to just be endless, almost like a horde. She scanned along, looking for someone in particular...there.

"Goddammit," Ruby hissed into her earpiece. "It's fucking Ironwood. Of course it is."

"Well shit," Yang replied. "Anyone got eyes on him? Can we get the shot off?"

Weiss skidded to a halt next to Ruby, her placid expression twisted as she heard the tail end of the conversation. Reaching into her pocket, she grabbed a quick loader and swiftly reloaded her revolver. "If it is Ironwood, he will be prepared. Do we have vision on what he has brought with him?"

Blake's voice echoed through Weiss' earpiece, as well as Ruby's, clueing the two of them into the fact the other two were together. "Don't freak out...but he has a tank. Actually, he has three."

"A fucking tank!?" Ruby swore, glancing over to see the wide eyes of Weiss. "Fucking hell, we can't fight that!"

"...speaking of the tank," Weiss stated, eyes wider as she glanced over Ruby's shoulder and above the edge of the SUV between them.

Ruby twisted her back and angled her head so she could glance over, her expression mirroring Weiss' as she saw the telltale gun begin to appear in a break in the enemy line. "Oh...fuck me," Ruby whispered.

As though in slow motion, the two women watched as the flash seemed to erupt from the end of the gun, the round exploding forwards. The air seemed to flare around it, flames following its movement as smoke billowed from the muzzle. And then...the impact.

Ruby was thrown forward as the SUV was smashed into, an explosion of flame, glass, and metal surrounding her. Curiously, she found it still moving in slow motion to her. Sound, touch, taste, scent all seemed to vanish from her as she found her vision focusing forward on every detail around her. The tinkling glass, spiraling in the bright lights around her. The shards of metal, flung every which way, some skidding along her skin or embedding within it, shredding her body. The flames, seeking and crawling along every exposed pathway and through the air, rushing towards her. A flash of white caught her attention, and as though moving through molasses she turned her vision towards the figure in white, flailing backwards as she was.

Time sped up quickly as they neared the ground, the sounds of rapid destruction echoing in her ears, deafening her as she smashed into the concrete painfully. Sliding along, she barely managed to keep enough of her wits about her to make sure she slid behind the nearest cover. The wrecked forklift would have to do, Ruby scrambling along the floor, her feet slipping as she stumbled behind it.

As she managed to get to safety, her ears still ringing and vision blurry, she spotted the figure in white, blood streaming down her forehead, crawling over towards where she was with an expression of pure, unadulterated determination. As Ruby glanced back, she saw the large bleeding gash in her leg and her eyes widened at the willpower within the woman before her, struggling to get to a safe location as well without a whimper or whine. Ruby glanced back, seeing nothing but smoke and floating silicate, cursing under her breath.

She dashed out and reached out to Weiss, the two women locking eyes for a brief moment before Weiss nodded, gripping Ruby's bloody hand with an almost painful grip. Ruby grabbed onto the back of Weiss' hand with her other hand, and with a grunt of exertion, pulled the other woman behind the broken forklift with her.

"This did not go as intended," Weiss remarked calmly, pulling out a handkerchief from her pocket and wiping down the bloody grip on her revolver.

Ruby snorted. "Ya think? Exciting though, innit?"

Weiss arched an eyebrow at Ruby. "It's true what they say...you are a thrill seeker."

"Adrenaline junkie, thank you very much," Ruby replied, craning her neck around the side of their cover to see if she could tell what was going on. She cursed as she realized that the shots had ignited some of the now scattered puddles of gas, causing flames to spread rapidly within the warehouse and blocking her view. "Fucking place is on fire. We're gonna have a time getting outta her."

"Does your communication device still function?" Weiss asked, her head tilted to the side as she studied the piece of metal sticking out of her left leg.

"Blew straight outta my ear when we landed. No clue where it's at. Yours?"

"I am afraid mine is also missing. That said, the destruction appears to have broken a small hole in the back of the warehouse," Weiss calmly stated, pointing behind Ruby. Ruby twisted about, noticing the 'small' hole Weiss referred to...which was large enough to drive one of the black SUV's through. Weiss nodded toward it. "I imagine there are plenty of vehicles out there that could be utilized for a quick escape. Ironwood would want to capture us over any of our people."

"Good point," Ruby mused. She glanced down at Weiss' leg, blood still oozing from the wound. "You gonna be able to run with that, though?"

"That is immaterial. You should go onward," Weiss said, as if she was ordering coffee. She methodically began reloading her revolver.

"Oh none of that hero shit, White Queen. You ain't cut out for it," Ruby snarled, eyes narrowing. Ruby reached forward, her fist curling in the lapel of Weiss' suit and pulling the other woman up to meet her eyes. "The only one who gets to kill you is me, White Queen."

Weiss arched an eyebrow, blood slowly staining the white hair red. "My my, how forward of you , Red Queen. Very well, if you intend on making good on that threat, then I will need assistance."

"Yup. Hold on and shoot the first fucking fed you see," Ruby remarked. Bending down, she swiftly lifted Weiss up onto her shoulder in a fireman's carry, her hand becoming stained with the blood from Weiss' leg as she gripped onto her tightly. "Ready, princess?"

Weiss cocked her revolver. "Onward, gutter trash."

Ruby snorted. "Oh you're just full of jokes, ain't ya?" Not waiting for a response, she began running full tilt towards the now obscured hole the tank had busted open. She heard the loud shouts of federal agents, the sounds of bullets whizzing by, and the load roar of Weiss' revolver behind her as she ran, ignoring all of it. Blinking rapidly as she bolted into the bright daylight, she glanced about frantically, spotting a nearby car across the street.

Without losing a step, she hefted Weiss on her shoulder once more and ran full tilt, pulling her pistol as she went. Firing three shots into the backseat window, breaking the glass, she skidded to a stop by it. Reaching through the back window, she quickly unlocked the drivers door and ripped it open. She glanced up at Weiss', pausing for a second as she realized there was no way Weiss could see her at this time.

"Princess, gonna have to shove you into the passenger seat, you good?"

"Do as you must. I assume you intend on hotwiring the vehicle, as I imagine it is not one of yours?"

Ruby unceremoniously threw Weiss across the seat, the other woman barely avoiding bashing her head into the vehicle's roof. Weiss ignored the treatment, lowering the window without hesitation and taking aim at the hole in the building they had used to escape. Ruby ignored her, getting to work hotwiring the car. A minute later, the engine roared to life and Ruby let out a jubilant hiss as she shoved it into gear, just as Weiss' revolver roared once more, firing at the agents now trying to follow them.

The car skid across the pavement as Ruby spun it about, the two women thrown to the side from the force as she floored it, tires squealing. The two women glanced back, seeing multiple lights flicker on as federal agents cars began to rev after them, giving chase.

"The plan, Red Queen? Assuming of course, you have one?" Weiss asked, leaning back in her seat as she reached into her pocket for more ammunition.

"I got a safehouse on this end of the city, we just gotta lose them for a couple minutes and we can swap cars. We'll lay low and then call the others for pickup."

"Are you not concerned for your sister? Should you not call her sooner rather than later?" Weiss finished reloading her revolver, glancing over at the focused expression on Ruby's face as the red-haired woman concentrated intently, weaving between cars.

"Ain't nothing taking Yang down. Especially not if your crazy cats with her. I don't get those two, but I wouldn't wanna be between them and safety."

Weiss let out an indelicate snort, surprising herself for a moment before she regained her composure. "Blake..is an oddity, yes. I do not pretend to understand her mind or her...taste, either. No offense intended."

"I getcha. I don't get it either. I met your friend when she set this whole thing up, and lemme tell you, I normally can get a good read on people, but I still can't nail her whole schtick down." Ruby spun the wheel rapidly, taking a sharp turn down an alley too quickly for their nearest pursuers to follow. She began dipping through alleys at high speeds, barely avoiding the various dumpsters and other refuse laying about, trying to lose their pursuers.

"I doubt anyone understands her mind. Even her. But she is valuable to my cause," Weiss remarked. Seeing that she had no good targets, she began inspecting her wound on her leg. With a slight narrowing of her eyes, she ripped the bottom half of her shirt off, moving to wrap it tightly around the gash. A hand thrust in her face, holding a flask and startling her. Weiss' eye trailed up to look at Ruby, the other woman still focusing on the road.

"It ain't rubbing alcohol, but close enough to keep any infection from taking hold."
Weiss paused, nodded a moment later, and accepted the flask. Pouring the liquid out over her leg, she did not flinch at the burn, completely immobile as she methodically wrapped the cloth around her leg. She gently placed the flask in the center console, as Ruby's hands were occupied and leaned back in her seat. "You are an excellent driver at high speeds," Weiss remarked.

"I tried my hand at racing a few years back. Was okay, but got bored pretty quick. Won too often. No challenge, ya know?" Ruby remarked, the sound of sirens fading in the distance. They'd already had a good head start before even starting the escape, and it seemed like the officers couldn't keep up with Ruby's risky driving style.

"I am afraid I do not know, no. While I have perfected my driving skills, I have never attempted to utilize them in competitive arenas."

Ruby rolled her eyes. "Yeah yeah, too dirty for you or something."

"Not at all. I am not above getting my hands dirty, Red Queen. I simply prefer to compete in...other venues."

"Aaahhh, here we are. Now that we're safer, we're gonna talk about the elephant in the room?"

Weiss shrugged. "Seems we may as well. Although, are we switching vehicles still? I note we have passed into the outskirts of the city."

"Nah, no need. We lost em. Safehouse has a garage, we'll just shove the car in there. Assuming you wanna still hold this conversation?"

Weiss nodded. "Excellent idea. We'll finish our discussion at your safehouse then. Are we far out?"

Ruby shrugged. "ETA five minutes, give or take." She slowed the car down, seemingly trying to blend in to the suburban driving style that others around were doing, blending in easier with the nearby houses. Weiss and Ruby fell silent as Ruby navigated her way to the safehouse.

The two pulled up before a small, single story ranch-style pale blue house. Ruby drove up to the garage door, the door opening as the car approached. Seeing Weiss' questioning eyebrow, Ruby pointed at her bracelet which was blinking slowly. Weiss nodded as the garage door began to close behind them. Ruby opened her door, glancing back at Weiss. "You good to walk, Princess?"

Weiss unfolded herself from the passenger seat, standing up straight and adjusting her tie. "I am fine. Shall we?"

Ruby shrugged, stepping to the door separating the garage from the house. Tapping in a quick code, the door swung open silently, lights flickering on as the two women stepped into an open, plain kitchen. Ruby stood relaxed, hands casually resting in her pockets as Weiss stepped passed her, glancing about. Weiss turned to face Ruby, her hands behind her back as she stood in a stance similar to military at ease.

Silence stretched into the air, the two standing and seeming willing to stay in the same position, barely a few feet separating them. The air itself seemed to still, silver eyes locked onto ice-blue. Though no sound could be heard, there was a sensation, a taste in the air of tension, of electricity, as if the heavens themselves would soon open up into a storm of catastrophic proportions.

A single bark in the distance, a dog letting its displeasure known broke the stalemate. Both women drew at once, their weapons in their hands so quickly as if by magic. A blue-lined revolver placed against the forehead of Ruby, a red lined pistol pressed to the head of Weiss. Fingers upon triggers, the two women stilled once more as Ruby's smile grew wider.

"You gonna do it, huh? Gonna pull the trigger?"

Weiss' cool gaze never left Ruby's as she responded. "Do you doubt that I would?"

Ruby's smile grew impossibly wide, madness creeping into the edge of her vision. "Not for a moment. But do you think I would...Weiss?"

The tiniest hint of a small, a bare twitch of her lips and the slightest glimpse of white teeth between her lips visible from Weiss, her own form of madness seeming to creep into her gaze. "I have full confidence you would pull that trigger...Ruby."

Though neither Ruby's head nor hands moved, her feet tapped about for a moment in a strange parody of a dance of excitement. Her entire body seemed to vibrate as she shuffled just an inch forward, pressing the barrel of Weiss' revolver further into her head, the metal almost painful against her flesh. "So then...this is how we end this, eh?"

Weiss let out an imperceptible nod, her own feet moving her forward an inch. "So it would seem. The only question that remains is...who will begin the end?"

Silence stretched into the kitchen once more, the fluorescent lights glare almost blinding off the meticulously kept guns glinting in the light. The only sounds in the room were the two womens breathing, coming out in excited gasps from Ruby and barely audible rapid breaths from Weiss. Fingers twitched upon the triggers, gazes never breaking from the other as they waited, waited for the right moment, for what could be their last moment.

Ruby wasn't sure who moved first. She wasn't sure she remembered either of them moving, but the next thing she knew Weiss' back had slammed into the wall and her lips were smashed into the other woman's mouth, her hands gripping Weiss' hips and pressing the two together as Weiss' hands were firmly tangled in Ruby's hair. Ruby could feel the warm, firm press of Weiss' body against hers, finding herself lost in the sensation for time she couldn't count, before something clicked in her mind and she realized what she was doing.

Ruby broke away for a second, eyes wide as she gazed into a similar gaze from the woman before her. She gulped, her ever present smile fading slightly in confusion as she felt her face warm. "Um…"

Weiss, eyes as wide as Ruby's in confusion, coughed slightly. The faintest tinge of pink came to her cheeks as she averted her gaze. "That...we...it appears… we have…"

"Yeah, we uh...we sure did," Ruby replied. She hadn't released her grip on Weiss' hips though, finding something in her simply didn't want to. She noted Weiss had not removed her hands from her hair either. Ruby gave a slight shake of her head and refocused her gaze on Weiss, remarking "I'm not the type to second guess myself, White Queen."

Weiss turned her gaze back to Ruby's, a calculating expression coming across her face as she seemed to be searching for something in Ruby's gaze. Cooly, Weiss replied, "Nor am I, Red Queen."

"Then my only question to you is, yes or no, White Queen?" Ruby asked, aware that Weiss knew what she was really asking.

For the first time since Ruby had met the White Queen, she was treated to a sight none others had ever seen...a small smirk crossed Weiss' face, and gods be damned if it wasn't the hottest thing Ruby had ever witnessed in her life. "Is this answer enough for you, Red Queen?" Weiss yanked Ruby's face back towards her, their lips meeting once more. A moment later, she broke the kiss. Taking a deep breath, she leaned forward and whispered in Ruby's ear. "Call me Weiss."

Ruby's smile softened. "And you can call me Ruby." Before Weiss could respond further, Ruby dove back in for another kiss, letting everything else fade away from the two of them, leaving them wrapped up in another, new world for the two women.