Chapter 31: By The Pain I See In Others

"Say the word, and I'll depart. Upon your lips dwells nothing but the meaning of my cause..."

"You did what?" Weiss hissed, her eyes snapping towards him.

Ruby lied on her bed, wrapped in a thin blanket while they sat beside her, the chairs from their dining table serving a new purpose. Her skin was tinged pink, but the angry, red spots on her face were already starting to recede.

Blake had a book on her lap, but her amber eyes were fixed on Ruby, shimmering under the lightbulb.

"Yang and I convinced Cardin to drop out of Beacon," Nex replied, stretching his arms over his head. He leaned into the back of his chair. "We were especially convincing."

Weiss frowned. "Isn't that a bit too much?"

No.

But there was definitely a reason why she saw it that way.

Weiss probably expected them to report Cardin. Maybe earn him a detention for the entire month. But it would have solved nothing. Not when Weiss planting him in the ceiling failed to stop him. Not when a detention with Oobleck failed to dissuade him. And certainly not when humiliating him in the ring failed to scare him off.

Strike three, as the saying went. Once was a coincidence, twice was unfortunate, but thrice was a pattern. Throwing that jar of sap only proved Cardin's intentions.

"Cardin didn't want to stop," Nex said, killing the sigh in his throat. "This time, he got Ruby. He could have done something far worse in the future."

Ruby nodded, the sheets on her pillow shifting. "Our team leader's right. Bullies don't stop. Not here. Not in Signal."

Ruby Rose was a member of the socially challenged elite. One of them, even. She probably had her share of bullies. A short girl, quiet and shy to those she did not know. Easy pickings for bigots like Cardin. Her older sister could not have protected her everyday. Not when Ruby had her own life, her own interests and quirks, while Yang had hers.

"Maybe it's better that the racist is gone," Blake said, smiling as she shot him a look. "He could have gotten someone killed."

Blake Belladonna was right, and they seemed to be of one mind on that front. That jar of sap could have attracted something more dangerous than a misplaced swarm of wasps. Maybe even a pack of Beowolves or Ursa.

With Ruby down, they would have been at a disadvantage. One of them could have died protecting her while they fled to the rendezvous point. Professor Goodwitch and Professor Oobleck were alone supervising more than sixty students. People spread out in a thick, giant forest.

There was no way their teachers could have made it to them in time. Certainly not when they failed to even check on everyone before they went up the bullheads.

Weiss heaved a sigh, rubbing her temples. "There's a process for this. But you did what you had to do. Winchester has been overstepping his bounds since day one, and I haven't forgotten his barbs against you and my family."

Well, the system did not work as intended. Remnant's vast underworld was proof of that, along with the packets of corruption among its elites—Jacques Schnee being case in point, despite his intentions.

Sometimes, they had to take it into their own hands. His partner was intelligent enough to acknowledge that. Fair enough to not waylay his decision. Certainly not when it was made in retaliation to an assault on his team.

"Then all of you stand by my decision?" Nex said, stifling a yawn. Fuck. Not now. "We're a team. We can't let anything divide us."

If his team fell apart—at their second bridge, even—then they would be no better than Team PWDS. The one now missing its W.

Pyrrha Nikos was always gone for a reason. Maybe she loathed her team. And maybe she even tried to curb their tendencies, only to fail because she was outnumbered. Maybe she avoided them because it was painful to see her failings as a leader.

In hindsight, Pyrrha Nikos could have been him in another world, if he did not build a hoverboard the night before initiation.

Strength in the ring differed from strength in the command of others—the sword alone could not lead an army. The person wielding the sword lead, not the blade itself—that way lead to the Great War.

Or so the history books claimed.

"You know, I wanted you to grow up ever since we met," Weiss said, chuckling as she flashed him a smile. "And I don't back out of my commitments."

Those memories still existed somewhere in the back of his brain. That semester when they were only lab partners in Dust Practical—strangers who got on each other's nerves. Maybe it was what she always wanted out of him. Growth. To try a little bit more. Help her do the lab work and stuff. Maybe even participate in class.

Now that they were here in Beacon, Atlas Primary seemed so long ago—a distant speck over the cloudless horizon.

Ruby grinned, raising her swollen thumb. "Yep. I'll follow your lead, team leader. I don't leave my friends behind."

Friends with a girl he almost crippled in a friendly match. A girl whose mother took away his own. Truly, the future brought about strange things. Not even Pareidolia could have predicted their friendship.

The B of their team leaned into the back of her seat, her hands pressed over her closed book.

"Blake?" Ruby said, staring at her partner.

Weiss frowned, shooting the ghost-ninja a look.

Blake sighed. "I don't have a speech lined up. But I'll follow your lead. I see you want the best for our team."

Nex chuckled. Of course, the ghost-ninja did not have a speech prepared. She rarely talked. If ever.

But still, he had to say something.

Something inspirational.

Something a good leader would say.

Thus, he opened his mouth. Hopefully, his speech would not be fit for the garbage bin. Or even a dumpster fire somewhere in Vale.

"Then we're Team Snowbear," Nex said, managing his best smile. "And it's time for a trip to the cafeteria."

Three pairs of eyes blinked, staring at him.

Admittedly, he could have said something better. Something more inspirational and leader-like. But none of them had dinner. Or even lunch.

They spent most of the day in Forever Fail, and the round trip took a few hours, made even longer by Jaune's allergy and motion sickness. Yang was taking care of him in their room while they took care of Ruby in theirs. He was already used to the fires licking his stomach, but it was doubtful his team members were.

"Terrible," Weiss said, breathing a world-weary sigh. She placed her hand on his arm. "I'm willing to impart some of my diplomacy training, if you desire, Mr Shade."

Well, shit.

Nex shrugged, acid gnawing at the back of his throat. "You'll have to make do. I'm not very good with words, Miss Schnee."

"Our leader has a point though," Blake said, cracking her neck. "None of us have eaten since breakfast. My partner needs food to heal."

Nex nodded. Thank you, ghost-ninja. Really. At least someone else preferred action over flowery words.

Ruby sneezed, holding her blanket to her pig-swelled nose. "I can't go to the cafeteria like this. You guys go on ahead."

Weiss shook her head. "No. It's my fault. Winchester was aiming for me, remember?"

Ruby grinned. "I couldn't stand by and watch you get hurt. You're the best teammate ever, Weiss."

Weiss smiled, reaching out to rub the silver-eyed girl's hair. "Thank you."

"I'm just chopped liver then," Blake said, breathing a sigh—one that lifted her chest and her shoulders. It was definitely exaggerated. "Good to know."

"You're the best partner ever, Blake," Ruby said, pouting as she pointed at the ghost-ninja. The finger turned to him. "And Nex is the best leader ever. Everyone wins."

Nex chuckled, patting her extended arm. "Nice save, Rubes. But we still need to get you something."

"Why don't the two of you bring back some food and drinks? We can eat here," Blake said, smiling as she snapped her book open. "I'll stay here and watch over her."

It was a good suggestion—probably the first time Blake shared a plan. It could only mean good things for their team.

Right?

"Yes. It's a good plan," Weiss said, pushing herself to her feet. "My partner and I will be back as soon as possible."

Blake smirked, rolling her eyes. "Don't end up on a bench somewhere. We still need to eat."

Weiss scowled, flushing as she snatched his hand. "How inappropriate. Nex and I know how to stay focused on our objective, and not be distracted by other things."

Other things like coffee and chess.

But still, she had a point.

"Right," Nex said, standing up and dragging her towards the door. Before she and the ghost-ninja could start a bickering session. "Brb, team."

The door clicked shut.

Shadows hung over the corners, reminiscent of that other time they left their counterpart alone in their dorm. But his eyes could pierce through the darkness, and he could definitely guide his partner through it.

Weiss smirked, her fingers lacing around his. "Brb, Mr Shade? Perhaps you do need some of my diplomacy training."

"I don't see the need for fancy words," Nex whispered, shaking his head. "You'll have to make do, Miss Schnee."

She sighed and leaned against him, her warmth seeping through his side.

They strolled through the hallway, sharing the silence. Their feet took the familiar path towards the cafeteria, the twists and the turns blurring into a singular road.

Moonlight glinted through the glass of the windows, clashing against the warm, overhead lights.

His skin tingled under his jacket, even as Weiss rested her head on his shoulder.

Other students passed through the halls, but no one really paid them any mind. There were throngs of others like them, sneaking time outside their rooms. Some stuck against the back of the tall, marble-white pillars, doing who knows what in the dark avenue. Maybe sharing their own cup of coffee. Others sat on the green benches, looking up at the stars twinkling in the black sky, while some walked hand in hand towards the cafeteria.

Right beside them, even.

The familiar notes of an acoustic guitar flitted through his extra pair of ears—some sort of alternative love song in C flat minor. Hell, there was even some sort of incense floating through the air—a mix of lavenders loitering in his nose.

To be fair, coupling was probably common in a school with co-ed dorms. Placing huntsmen and huntresses in one team strengthened their bonds, with some even going beyond the call of duty.

And really, it was the perfect night for some poetry and music, as some of their schoolmates already did, if not for the fact that Ruby was stuck in her bed.

But he had to look on the bright side, as strange as it seemed.

At least Cardin was gone. Just another face to be forgotten by history. Or at least, if nothing unexpected happened.

"So, why'd you really do it?" Weiss mumbled. Huh. "My boyfriend's not the type of guy who makes bold decisions."

Nex chuckled. She was probably right. But still. "He's your boyfriend, right?"

Weiss hummed, the grin on her face practically audible. "I'm being serious. You didn't have to do it."

She was right, of course. He did not have to do it. But then again, no one was really required to do anything.

Right?

"I wanted to do it, I guess," Nex said, taking a long drag—like knives ripping into his stomach. "Or maybe I was just ashamed."

"Ashamed?" Weiss said, shooting him a look. She frowned. "It's not your fault."

Nex sighed. It probably was. "I was supposed to be there. I'm your team leader."

Weiss squeezed his hand, lifting her head from his shoulder. "You couldn't have known."

"If I didn't talk to Yang..." Nex said. And it would have been probably for the better. "I could've reacted in time..."

Pareidolia would have detected the jar of sap, just like it did with Weiss and the White Fang's improvised bomb. By then, it would have been easy enough to use Vigilance to block it, or maybe even shoot it out of flight with Hrunting. And then the rapier wasps could not have been attracted to Ruby.

Ergo, she would not have been injured.

Injured because of his inattention.

Injured because he was stuck talking and thinking about his father.

Nex sighed, his shoulders slouching. "I'm a crappy leader, aren't I?"

"Nexus Shade," Weiss said, dragging him to the side. She pushed him against the back of a pillar, the shadow falling over her face. Her hands lingered on his shoulders. She stepped closer, her breath warming his chin. Her eyes stared into his. "Stop drowning yourself."

Nex shuddered, her fingers curling over his uniform. "Drowning?"

"You're always beating yourself up," Weiss said, her knee nudging his leg. "Always so hard on yourself. Everyone commits mistakes, don't they?"

Not everyone committed mistakes that got their teammate stuck under her blanket.

"I can't let this one slide," Nex said, managing a smile. A smile struggling against the pull of gravity. "Ruby's there. Stuck in her bed because I was irresponsible."

"Winchester was aiming for me," Weiss said, tugging at his tie. And she adjusted the damned thing. Again. "I could have reacted better."

To be fair, she was right—in a perfect world, at least. If none of them were taken by surprise, then they would have returned to Beacon with no one puking their guts out or stuck in a bed for a day or two.

But shit went wrong. And it would probably not be the last time.

"We're both at fault," Weiss said, smiling as she parked her hands on his shoulders. "So stop blaming yourself."

Nex rolled his eyes, grabbing her firm hips. He pulled her close, her thighs hugging his leg. "Is this supposed to be the part where we kiss?"

Weiss arched an eyebrow, smirking as she tilted her head. Her palms pressed on his shoulders, the pillar digging into his back. "Why, Mr Shade. This is highly inappropriate."

She leaned in, her lips moulding over his, like silken sheets flushed against his skin. Warm pillows smothered his brain. The ones on his crotch squirmed, sending sparks through his core. Flowers and sweat tickled his nose, even as his hands rode up the arch of her back. He kneaded her tight rear, his fingers dancing over her rough skirt. She moaned, her nails biting into his shoulders, even as she nibbled on his upper lip. Her tongue snaked its way through. Salt lapped along the back of his teeth, together with the sweet, cloying sap of Forever Fail.

Evidently, she got a taste as well.

So much for not being distracted by coffee or chess.

By the time they came back—after a few more rounds of chess—it was with the baskets of food secured.

Unofficial, minor injuries were apparently common enough that the cafeteria was used to providing take-out. There was an addendum about not letting Goodwitch know and that Ozpin would probably encourage it. But that was already expected. The relationship between the headmaster and his deputy probably mirrored the one between him and Weiss.

Well, except for the couple part.

Probably.

He really had to stop thinking about that particular rabbit hole. His teacher's love life was none of his business.

"You're back!" Ruby said, their door slamming shut. "Did you bring cookies?"

Weiss glanced at the silver-eyed girl. The one already sitting on her bed. "No. You have to eat your meats and vegetables. Cookies aren't a good source of nutrients."

Ruby pouted, even as the ghost-ninja looked up from her book, giving her shoulder a comforting pat. "Awwww..."

"You're in luck, Rubes," Nex said, placing down the baskets on their table. He smirked. "It just so happens that I have cookies and milk. Don't tell Weiss."

Ruby's pout flipped into a grin, giving him a discreet thumbs-up, her finger poking through her blanket. "Yey. It's going to be our little secret, team leader."

Weiss crossed her arms, her baskets already beside his. "Just so you know, Nexus Shade. I'm right here."

"Semantics," Nex said, grinning at the flat look on her face. "Let's eat."

His team gathered around their table.

Blake slung Ruby's arm over her shoulders, propping her foot as she led the pink-faced girl towards a chair.

Weiss smiled, leaning against him as she watched the duo.

Well, Ruby's injures did not warrant a stay in the infirmary. The nurse told her to get a good night's sleep and her aura would take care of the rest. It was probably the truth. Aura did make the average huntsman tougher than the strongest civilian.

The light of their souls, the old books said.

The research on the subject bordered on pseudoscience, conjectures made through observing the effects of aura and semblances on the physical world. But still, there had to be a sliver of truth in the numerous studies. Or at least, their own versions of the truth.

Nex shook his head, biting into the bagel in his hand. His team was here, eating and laughing as Blake placed a cookie in Ruby's waiting mouth. The silver-eyed girl bit down, grinning as she took the half-eaten cookie from her partner's hand. Weiss stifled a snort. Underneath the table, her warm hand slipped into his—hidden from the rest of the world.

In hindsight, he could have dozed off or buried himself in his thoughts, but if he did, then he would have missed an entire meal with his team.