The Demonic Bounty Hunter and Winter Specialist
Unknown Location & Time
"I still don't like this." A tall, yellow, translucent humanoid being with a featureless face and horns on the head said, unsure. This figure is the God of Light. He's a humble, soft-spoken but strict and temperamental individual. The God of Light believes in upholding the balance and that it must remain undisturbed no matter the circumstance. He is also passive and prefers working things out peacefully rather than with violence.
"I know. I don't like this either. But if we want to move forward with this, we need his help." A lean, purple, slender humanoid being with ram horns on his head reminded. This figure is the God of Darkness. He is the younger brother of the God of Darkness and the exact opposite. He is spiteful and enjoys destruction and darkness.
These Deities are the Gods that created Remnant. The God of Light created forces of life, while the God of Darkness created agents of death, including the Creatures of Grimm. However, despite being brothers, they constantly argued with each other. Each time one of them made something, the other would destroy it. Yet, despite this, they were extremely loyal to each other, willing to help the other at a moment's notice. Recently, they agreed to stop fighting and create something together. After much debate, they decided to make humanity.
However, as the Brothers started creating humanity, it dawned on them that this would be more complex and long-lasting than anything they had made. Plus, they were planning on giving humanity free will and thought, something they had never added before to their creations. This realization caused fear and anxiety to rise in the Brothers. Nevertheless, they were undaunted and pressed forward. But they knew they would need help and guidance if they didn't want any unforeseen complications to arise in the future.
Unfortunately, the Brothers had to turn to outside sources as they were alone in their universe. Luckily, they could see outside their universe due to their Deity status. As a result, the Brothers could peer into dimensions and seek aid from others. But as they searched the different worlds and realms, they quickly realized that the only ones who could help them were other Deities, specifically Deities of the Underworld. Luckily, after years of searching, the Brothers found someone they thought would be the perfect candidate and were now on their way to meet him. Yet, despite this, both Brothers did not get a good feeling about him.
"The feeling is mutual." A new voice spoke, startling the Brothers. They turned toward where it came from and noticed an aged man with white hair and a frail body walking toward them. But what caught their attention was the cane the man held in his hands. It was incredibly ornate, with a diamond skull as the cane's handle. Yet it was clear to the Brothers that the cane was only for show, and the man did not need it.
"Mephistopheles." The Brothers simultaneously said while taking a few steps back. Despite having immense power and control over magic, they had an inkling that whatever they threw at him wouldn't surprise him at all.
"Ah, Mephistopheles. Familiar spirit of the Devil in late settings of the legend of Faust, still debated on who/what came up with the name, yet it has stuck to me for many years. Yet, it also has roots in German folklore. But please, let's keep everything simple. Just call me Mephisto." The man said with an eerie smirk that sent shivers down the brothers' spines.
"You are the devil of the universe you are from, correct?" The God of Light asked, concerned.
"Of my domain that resides in the dimension/universe of 616, yes." Mephisto answered as he began walking around the brothers in a circle. "And you are the Brothers, creations of Monty Oum, correct?"
"Yes." The Brothers answered, shifting their stances constantly to face Mephisto. Not even a minute in his presence, and they already did not trust him.
"Shall we get down to business then? You both looked across multiple dimensions for someone to help you create humanity as you have no experience." Mephisto stated, coming to a halt.
"Yes, we have created life before but never something on this scale nor giving it free will and thoughts." The God of Darkness answered.
"How many species are you planning on creating?"
"What?" The Brothers asked, confused.
"Hmmm. What do you plan to do with their souls when they die or are you not planning on giving them any?"
"We will give them souls, but what do you mean when they die?" The God of Darkness asked, confused.
"All mortal life will eventually die despite what they are. Well, their bodies will anyway. Their souls, however, do not die, and it's up to you to decide what to do with them. Send them up to a place to reward them for living a virtuous life or punish them for all eternity for living a vice life."
"But what did you mean by how many species we plan on making? We only want to make humanity, humans, people of male and female." The God of Light asked.
"Looks like we have much to cover should we agree to work together." Mephisto said with a sigh, yet the Brothers saw a glint in his eyes. "While I may not have created life directly, I have seen different species and races be made and become extinct. Some were created by humanity, some by gods, and some by machines. I have even seen new species rise from nothing, with no outside influence. So, tell me, how many races/species do you both plan on making, directly or not?"
"Considering how we plan on making humanity." The God of Light began.
"And taking into account what you told us." The God of Darkness continued.
"We'd say only humans. But we feel as if there will be another species that will rise later on, but not by our doing." The Brothers simultaneously answered.
"Two. Two. Hmmm. We'll see. As you'll both soon realize, anything with a soul or free will is unpredictable." Mephisto said with a thoughtful gaze. "Is there anything else before we seal the deal?"
"Yes." The God of Darkness answered, surprising his brother.
"Which is?" The God of Light asked, confused.
"He said that we need two locations for souls to go after the person dies. We can govern the good souls, but that would leave us without anyone to punish the bad ones. Perhaps he can rule over the other location." The God of Darkness explained before turning back to Mephisto. "If you are willing?"
"Hmmm. It will be nice to have a fresh start without anything getting in the way. But what's in it for me?" Mephisto asked.
"What would you like?" The God of Light asked cautiously.
"I would like to bring in a servant of mine and have it reside here. It won't cause either of you any inconvenience, yet that could change in the future. But for the most part, it'll remain in hell, keeping all the souls in order." Mephisto answered.
"I believe that's acceptable." The God of Light said after giving it some thought.
"But before we seal the deal, we must know if anything else from where you come from will try and cross over to here." The God of Darkness asked.
"Right. We don't want any unwanted guests crossing over that could potentially start unnecessary wars." The God of Light added.
"Yes. That would needlessly complicate things. But do not worry; I already have that covered. Only we would be able to cross dimensions." Mephisto assured in a tone that put the Brothers even more on edge. He then reached into his coat and pulled out a scroll that the Brothers immediately recognized as a contract. "Here, look it over, and we can get started."
"Not so fast. We're Gods, not idiots. We know trickery when we see it." The God of Darkness warned.
"So, you don't want people worshipping you, just as they would your brother?" Mephisto asked, smirking.
"Don't-" The God of Light began, knowing what was happening, but Mephisto cut him off.
"But what about humanity? As some from my universe would say, this could be the key to burying the hatchet between Brothers?" Mephisto asked, smirking when he sensed the hesitation coming from both Brothers. After a moment of silence, the Brothers finally spoke.
"Alright. Let us see the contact." The God of Light said while extending his hand. Nodding, Mephisto handed them the contract, which they opened, and began to look it over.
"Alright. Everything seems to be in order. How would you-ow." The God of Darkness began but stopped when he felt a sharp pain coming from his hand. He looked at it and noticed that he was bleeding from his index finger. "What?"
"Are you okay, broth-ow!" The God of Light began to ask while taking the scroll, only to feel the same pain his brother had just experienced.
"Oh, that will do just fine." Mephisto said, getting their attention. The Brothers looked toward the contract and noticed that their essence was on the scroll acting as their signature. However, before they could further ask or wonder, the scroll disappeared in a burst of flames.
"What was all that about?" The God of Light asked, worried.
"Don't worry. That's normal. When dealing with contracts as big as this, we need an equally powerful signature." Mephisto explained. "Anyway, shall we begin?"
"Yes." The Brothers answered while simultaneously wondering if they had made a mistake by asking Mephisto for help. All three disappeared to another location to begin their work.
Years Later
Brothers' Temple
"Everything seems to be going smoothly." The God of Darkness said, yet anyone could tell he was worried despite the calm tone.
"They are growing faster with each day. Soon, we might not even need to help them as much, but we will continue to do so." The God of Light added, yet he was just as worried as his brother.
It was a few hundred years since they made their deal with Mephisto. And everything has been going smoothly with rarely any hindrance or troubles coming from humanity. However, they had not seen or heard from Mephisto since a year after signing the contract. Yet, despite the numerous years since then, Mephisto's words still ring in their heads. While there were no apparent signs yet, the Brothers could not deny that humanity was heading in that direction, which worried them. For a while, the Brothers tried to convince themselves that humanity was heading in the correct direction, not the one Mephisto predicted. Unfortunately, they could no longer make excuses after recent events and were making plans should everything continue without change.
"Have you heard anything from Mephisto?" The God of Darkness asked.
"No. But I am worried. While Mephisto has been keeping his side of the deal, I fear what servant he brought with him. When I went to hell to see if he was justly punishing the souls of the wicked, I felt a fearsome aura that nearly made me break down in fear."
"Perhaps that is his servant, someone or something powerful enough to restore order should everything collapse."
"Perhaps." The God of Light said, sighing. "Anyway, let's get back to watching over humanity and see if we should give them aura or not."
"Right. But what about dust?"
"We'll see, but I feel we should let humanity discover and learn how to control it themselves.
"How so?"
"I'm still coming up with ideas, but the best one seems to have it grow naturally on Remnant." With that said, the Brothers nodded before turning to continue watching over humanity.
Centuries Later Unknown Location
"WHY DID YOU DO THAT, BROTHER!?" The God of Light shouted, infuriated.
"I-I don't know. It was most likely a moment of weakness." The God of Darkness answered, trying his best to avoid facing his brother.
"YET, THAT WEAKNESS BROKE THE LAWS WE MADE! WE HAVE THEM FOR A REASON! TO KEEP EVERYTHING IN ORDER AND NOT ALLOW EVERYTHING TO FALL INTO CHAOS!"
"And yet, you may have very well sent all humanity down that road as well, so don't count yourself out." A voice interjected. Turning to the source, the Brothers found Mephisto walking towards them.
"You finally decided to show yourself." The God of Darkness said bitterly.
"Dealing with the dead in the Underworld is more cumbersome than dealing with those that reside in Monty Oum's kingdom. Something I figured you'd understand when you noticed my absence. Not to mention, I still do have work in my universe." Mephisto explained with a smirk.
"How did I send humanity down this road, Mephisto?" The God of Light growled.
"I had hoped that after all these years of watching over humanity, you would learn about them, but it doesn't seem like it." Mephisto said, confusing and infuriating the Brothers.
"DON'T SPEAK IN RIDDLES DEVIL!" The God of Light roared, transforming into his dragon form. Yet, Mephisto remained unfazed as he stared down the Brothers.
"Anything with a soul and free thought is unpredictable already. But, when you take something away from them that they care deeply about, especially when their sanity is already on edge, you get nothing but disaster. Some heroes from my dimension can attest to that." He explained.
"How did my brother do that?" The God of Darkness asked, confused as his brother changed back into his humanoid form.
"After you resurrected Ozma in your moment of weakness , your brother erased Ozma from existence and gave Salem immortality as a punishment." Mephisto answered.
"I still don't see how that is a problem." The God of Light said, unconvinced and annoyed.
"And here I thought Blackheart was the only one who could give me constant trouble." Mephisto said with an irritated sigh. "She was already on edge with all that's been happening in her life. But she remained stable because of her lover, Ozma. The very same man your brother brought back to life and that you erased afterward. Once Salem saw this, she became broken, hysterical, and angry at both of you. However, she would have gotten over it eventually had you both not acted like children."
"Children?!" The God of Darkness growled, not liking the insults, yet Mephisto remained unfazed.
"Instead of simply allowing her to leave and let Ozma stay dead, you both began arguing again. You brought Ozma back again, only for your brother to erase him from existence again, which could break many weak-willed people. Yet, as if that wasn't enough, your brother gave Salem immortality as punishment so she could never be with Ozma again. I wouldn't be surprised if she were on her way now to start a rebellion against you both."
"We doubt-" The Brothers began before Mephisto cut them off by banging his cane against the floor and releasing a small shockwave.
"As I said, anything with free will is unpredictable, even more so when they are driven over the edge by anything with power that acts as mere children. I suggest you fix this by either meeting with her, bringing Ozma back, or sending Salem to the afterlife." Mephisto growled, briefly showing his form's true devilish face. And before the Brothers could say anything, he disappeared back to hell.
"I hate that man. But he is right. We did act like children. Sorry, brother." The God of Darkness struggled to get out.
"It's okay. I also acted as a child and made some hasty moves." The God of Light admitted, feeling ashamed of how he acted.
"What should we do now? Mephisto is correct; we must fix this before it gets out of hand."
"I'd say we have a meeting between Ozma, Salem, Mephisto, and us. Perhaps, if we are lucky, we can fix everything without needing to make any drastic decisions." With that said and agreed upon, the Brothers returned to watching over humanity, mentally preparing themselves for their meeting with Salem and Ozpin.
Six Months Later
Desert Location
"Why have you brought me back?" Ozma asked, confused and intrigued as he observed the Brothers. But his most prominent feeling was fear. And its source was Mephisto.
"These two brothers have something to tell you and Salem." Mephisto explained with an exasperated sigh. He found no reason to be here when it was the Brothers' fault this was happening but eventually relented when he remembered the terms in the contract.
"Like what?" Salem asked, hopeful and curious. It was easy to see that she hoped they would allow Ozma and her to be together again. Yet, everyone present could also tell she was still angry at the Brothers and no longer trusted them.
"We wanted to apologize for how we acted the last time we met." The God of Light answered.
"And what we did was not acceptable by any standards. We cannot imagine how it must have felt to see Ozma being brought back alive only to be erased moments later." The God of Darkness added.
"It was pretty disorienting going back and forth between being alive and dead." Ozma said, looking towards Salem and smiling.
"How are you feeling, Ozma?" Salem asked, moving closer to his image. She would have hugged him but didn't as he had no physical form currently.
"Weird, but I'm feeling fine. It's great to see you again."
"And we'll soon be together again." Salem added, smiling. However, her smile changed into shock at what the brother said next.
"We're afraid that's not going to happen." The God of Light interjected.
"Why not?" Salem asked, shocked.
"That's because it was his time to pass on from this world. We did not take him early from this world." Mephisto explained, momentarily surprising the two as they forgot he was there.
"If that is the case, then I can say I had a comfortable life, albeit a bit disappointed at not being able to do everything I wanted." Ozma said, upset that his time had come but satisfied with his life nonetheless.
"But you can, dear, they can bring you back to life, and we can be together again." Salem said, turning to the Brothers, silently begging them to bring him back.
"As we explained earlier, it was his time. We cannot simply bring him back as-" The God of Darkness began, but Salem cut him off.
"But you did so before, and you can do it again."
"That was me not thinking straight. Not to mention, you inadvertently caused my brother and me to argue again."
"THAT'S BECAUSE YOUR BROTHER ERASED OZMA!"
"Salem, please calm down. We can find another way, and if we can't, we can cherish the memories we do have." Ozma told her.
"I DON'T WANT ONLY TO HAVE MEMORIES! I WANT YOU BY MY SIDE!"
"We know you want to be together again, but we cannot bring him back." The God of Light interjected, hoping to calm her down. He did sympathize with her but knew it was wrong to bring Ozma back.
"I DON'T CARE WHAT EXCUSE YOU HAVE! I WANT OZMA BACK WITH ME OR TAKE AWAY MY CURSE SO I CAN BE WITH HIM IN THE AFTERLIFE!" Salem shouted, getting angrier with each passing second.
"No. We cannot and will not bring Ozma back. It was his time to pass away. And we will not remove your punishment." The God of Light declared, further infuriating Salem.
"Salem, please. We can figure something out so we can-" Ozma began but went quiet when Salem turned to him.
"NO! WE WILL BE TOGETHER AGAIN!" She shouted before turning back to the brothers. "YOU BOTH WILL REGRET THIS-"
"ENOUGH!" The Brothers shouted, forcing her back and making Ozma disappear.
"NO! ALL OF YOU WILL REGRET THIS! EVEN YOU!" Salem declared, pointing towards the brothers before turning to Mephisto.
"Careful who you threaten." Mephisto warned, his eyes becoming red as he adjusted his grip on his cane.
"IT DOESN'T MATTER WHO YOU ARE! YOU ALL WILL PAY FOR THIS!" Salam declared, her anger making her oblivious to everything around her. With one final glare, she turned around and left the location as fast as possible.
"That could have gone better." The God of Darkness sighed.
"Indeed." The God of Light said, nodding as they watched Salem's retreating form. While he stood his ground on not bringing Ozma back, he did feel sorry for Salem for not being able to reunite with her lover.
"And it will only get worse. Better prepare yourselves." Mephisto warned before disappearing.
"I'm starting to think we should have never asked for his help and done this ourselves, regardless of the outcome." The God of Darkness sighed.
"I feel the same, but honestly, I think we would have ended up here regardless if we did not ask for his help." The God of Light said, tired.
"Anyway, let's head back as I feel something unpleasant will happen soon, and we will need all our patience to deal with it." The God of Darkness said before disappearing back to his respective temple. The God of Light cast one final glance toward the horizon before returning to his temple.
One Year Later
"THERE THEY ARE!" Multiple voices shouted, getting the attention of the God of Light. He turned toward the entrance and saw thousands of people storming into his temple. Curious, he used some of his power to see exactly how many were there. And to his shock, nearly all of humanity was outside his temple. However, he became furious when he saw them wielding magic and weapons against him.
"WHAT IS THE MEANING OF THIS?!" He shouted.
"THERE! ATTACK THEM, AND WE CAN GAIN THEIR POWER!" The familiar voice of Salem shouted.
"SALEM! WHAT ARE YOU DOING!"
"REBELLION FOR EVERYTHING YOU AND YOUR BROTHER CAUSED! AND WE CAN GAIN YOUR IMMORTALITY!" She answered before ordering her followers to attack him.
Yet, despite having access to magic to bolster their forces and attack power, it proved futile as the God of Light blocked the attack. However, despite showing that he still clearly held the advantage, he had inner turmoil at the situation unfolding in front of him. Even though he could easily wipe them all out, he did not want to, as he still deeply cared for them and did not want to hurt them. Unfortunately, it seemed he might have to, as the humans were so entrenched in Salem's lies that it would be pointless to try reasoning with them. Luckily, it seemed that he did not have to attack them as his brother arrived.
"I HAVE YOU, BROTHER!" He shouted as he blocked the next attack before sending a shockwave that sent all the humans onto their backs. At that moment, he noticed who was leading the attack against his brother. "SALEM!"
"THEY ARE COWARDS AND WEAK! DON'T LET UP, AND YOU WILL HAVE POWER AND IMMORTALITY LIKE ME!" Salem shouted as everyone got back on their feet.
"I WILL GIVE YOU ALL ONE WARNING! LEAVE OR PERISH FOR ATTACKING MY BROTHER AND DESECRATING OUR TEMPLE!" The God of Darkness threatened.
"WE WILL NOT PERISH! YOU-" Salem began before being cut off by a new menacing voice.
"YOU WILL ALL DIE SCREAMING!" The voice declared in a voice that sent chills down everyone's spines. Looking around, they tried to find the source, only to become shocked when a pillar of flame erupted from the center of the room.
"What?" The Brothers asked, confused and worried. However, their confusion turned to anger when they saw Mephisto exit the pillar of flame with another entity next to him. The entity appeared to be a red human skeleton with fire covering its body that seemed ethereal rather than ordinary. "Mephisto."
"What are you doing here? This isn't your fight!" Salem seethed.
"I told you to be careful and think carefully about who you threaten." Mephisto told her as the creature next to him growled.
"AND I HAVE! AND IF YOU DON'T-" Salem began but stopped when she saw Mephisto nod to the mysterious figure. The figure nodded back before raising his hand to the sky. Everyone became confused when storm clouds suddenly appeared overhead. Yet, their confusion turned to fear when fire rained from above, incinerating everyone they hit. Yet, despite the chaos and numerous people dying, Salem realized that the fire was targeting everyone but her.
"What will you both be doing now?" Mephisto asked the Brothers. They looked at each other for a moment before looking down in disappointment.
"We will leave Remnant." They answered.
"Seeing after everything that happened, I cannot blame either of you for that decision. But what will happen to Salem and humanity?" Mephisto asked while pointing his cane towards Salem, paralyzed in fear.
"I will wipe out all of humanity and have it start over. As for Salem, her immortality will keep her alive to continue her punishment." The God of Darkness answered. He then raised his hand and created a massive wave of power that eradicated all humanity. Once done, The God of Darkness disappeared, leaving everything behind. But as a parting gift, he blasted a hole in the moon to serve as a reminder for future generations.
"And what is keeping you behind?" Mephisto asked the God of Light.
"I agree with my brother. I want humanity to start over and have them evolve by themselves. But I don't want them to go at it alone."
"Perhaps we can have Salem and Ozma lead by example of what happens should one step out of line."
"That would work. But I'll remove any access to magic so another incident like this will not happen. However, I would still need to make another failsafe. Anyway, what will you do?"
"Someone has to determine where souls go; it might as well be me." Mephisto answered before adding. "Besides, while I'm still under the contract, I do enjoy my work here as there are fewer nuisances."
"And what of your friend ?" The God of Light asked, motioning to the demon staring Salem down.
"That's Zarathos, my servant. The same one that I told you about when we first met. He'll remain with me in hell. The only reason I brought him here was to help restore order and show what happens when people don't think carefully."
"Well, then, I wish you luck. Also, should anything happen, feel free to use Zarathos to deal with the problem." The God of Light said before disappearing.
"I will." Mephisto said before he and Zarathos returned to hell, leaving behind a scarred Salem.
"What did I just witness?"
"What had I just witnessed?" Salem asked herself as she got onto her feet. Unsure of what to do next, she left the temple and headed to the nearest town, silently hoping never to see that creature again. Yet, little did she know she would see Zarathos again in the future, just not in the way she would expect.
Thousands of Years Later
Edge of Arc Town
"So you can really make me strong enough to live up to my family's legacy?" A young kid about thirteen asked in a hopeful tone. He had messy blond hair, blue eyes, and a relatively scrawny figure. But the most noticeable thing about the kid was the sword and shield at his waist. However, they were not real; instead, they were training variants as Jaune was secretly practicing to become a future huntsman. This was because Jaune's family did not want him to get hurt and forbade him from training.
"That and so much more, Jaune Arc. Not only will you live up to your family's legacy but surpass them if you so choose." Mephisto, currently in the form of an older man, answered, smiling. "Everyone will look up to you as the shining example for someone defending the light. You will go down in the history books. What do you think?"
"No. That's not me. And that's not what my dad told me being a hero is about." Jaune said after thinking over the offer. "It's about protecting everyone, not about fame or glory."
"I see. Protecting the others and not wanting fame." Mephisto said, smirking. "You are not like the others."
"What do you mean?"
"Others would jump at the chance for fame and glory. In all my years here, I've seen just about everyone jumping at the chance of having their wishes come true, regardless if it's what they really want. But you. You are not like the others. Why do you want to become a huntsman?"
"I want to live up to my family's legacy."
"A legacy full of people protecting others. And you want to continue that by becoming a huntsman to protect your family and others?"
"Yes."
"An admirable goal, for sure. But do you realize there are other ways to protect people? And I'm not talking about the military or the police, although they can, on occasion, save others."
"Then, what are you talking about?" Jaune asked, confused.
"There are other professions that allow people to protect others. One such profession is bounty hunting. And while they typically only go after people who escape bonds, I can make it, so you could go after everyone that's dangerous and ensure they never harm anyone ever again."
"I'm still not so sure. Let me-"
"Including the ones that harmed and scared your younger sisters. I know how much you care for them and wish for the men that hurt them to be put behind bars." Mephisto interjected with a smirk, knowing he had Jaune right where he wanted him.
"Well, when you put it like that. I guess being a bounty hunter wouldn't be so bad. But how can you make it so I can go after those kinds of men that hurt Azure and Bianca?"
"Oh, don't worry about that, Jaune. Leave all that to me. Now, do we have a deal?" Mephisto asked, handing Jaune a scroll.
"Yes, but what do you want from me?"
"Oh, don't worry about that, Jaune. It will come in time. Now, are you going to sign or not?"
"Do you have a pen or pencil, so I can-OW!" Jaune began but stopped when he felt something prick his finger.
"Oh, that will do just fine." Mephisto said. Jaune looked down at the contract and noticed some of his blood was on the signature line.
"So, what now?"
"Don't worry; everything will fall into place with time. Now, I'll take my leave. But first, a parting gift." Mephisto said before placing his hand on Jaune's right shoulder. And as soon as he did so, Jaune felt his insides burning as if his entire body was on fire. But as quickly as it appeared, it left. However, whatever had just happened left Jaune weak, causing him to fall to his knees.
"What? What did you... do?" Jaune asked before trailing off when he noticed that Mephisto wasn't there. But before he could try and find him, Jaune tensed when he heard thunder roar above. He looked at the sky and noticed that it had gotten dark with dark clouds in the sky.
"I better get home before it starts raining." Jaune said before running home.
Meanwhile
Atlas Kingdom Recruitment Office
'Finally. I can now get away from my so-called father.' An eighteen-year-old Winter Schnee thought as she looked over the paperwork. Today Winter had finally turned eighteen. But unlike most people who would want to celebrate, Winter rushed toward the nearest recruitment office.
"Are you sure about this, miss?" The recruitment officer nervously asked. She knew who Winter was, who her father was, and what he could do. And while she knew what really went on behind the scenes, she could say nothing without running the risk of mysteriously disappearing.
"Yes. I am." Winter answered, annoyed. She finally had the chance to leave and distance herself from her father, and she will not take no for an answer. "Here."
"Let me see." A new voice said, grabbing the paper.
"HEY!" Winter shouted, furious that someone else grabbed the paper. But before she could continue, she stopped when the recruitment officer stood up and saluted.
"General Ironwood, sir."
"At ease, soldier." Ironwood said with the officer relaxing her stance. He then turned to Winter. "Why are you here, Mrs. Schnee?"
"To enlist, sir. Why else?"
"Most would be enjoying their birthday or being with their family."
'What family? That man might have helped give birth to me, but he is not my father.' Winter thought with a growl. "You would be mistaken, sir. I came here to enlist. That's what I have been waiting to do for years."
"I can see that considering everything here seems to have been rehearsed." Ironwood said, looking over the information.
"Is something wrong?"
"No. Everything seems to be in order. But I have to ask, are you sure you want to join? This is not a game. It is a very serious profession."
"Yes. I want to join."
"Alright." Ironwood said before turning to the recruitment officer. "Take her inside and get her ready."
"Yes, Ironwood."
"Welcome to the military, Mrs. Schnee." Ironwood said before leaving.
"Thank you, sir." Winter said before saluting.
"Follow me, mam, and we'll get you set up." The recruitment officer said before motioning Winter to follow her. Winter nodded and followed her to the next room. But as she did, Winter felt a pang of guilt in her heart. While she had no problem abandoning Jacques Schnee, she regretted leaving behind her younger sister Weiss and younger brother Whitley. Winter just hoped they could forgive her at some point down the road.
Downtown Vale
Jaune POV
"In Nigrum Abyssum. I feel like that is something the Rider should know." I said as I observed the worn-down bar.
Letting out a deep breath, I zipped up my coat and entered the bar. At first glance, it seemed like any other bar in Remnant. There were the drunks already passed out, the friends chatting away, the business guy who was only half-committed to the evening, and the man who simply wanted to forget today's events. However, I knew that nothing was ever as it seemed. Not only was I a perfect example, but everyone in this bar was also. The 'drinking friends' were actually undercover White Fang agents talking about a potential robbery tonight. The business guy was a teacher from a nearby school for juvenile delinquents. The only patrons who are what they appear to be are the drunks and the guy trying to forget.
'Hopefully, I can join him.' I thought as I headed to the counter and sat on a bar stool.
"What can I- How old are you?" The bartender began before asking when she saw me. Instead of answering, I showed her my huntsman license. Typically, the law would prevent anyone under twenty-one from drinking. However, that rule does not apply to huntsmen or huntsmen-in-training. And due to the council relatively recently making some adjustments, the drinking law for huntsmen and huntsmen-in-training is now sixteen. "My bad. What can I get you?"
"Do you have an easy whiskey sour?"
"I sure do. One easy whiskey sour coming up." The bartender said as she effortlessly and efficiently made my drink before sliding the glass to me.
"Thanks." I said, taking the glass. The bartender nodded before heading to the back.
'HHHHHIIIIIIISSSSSSSS'
"I know, Zarathos. That's why I'm only going to have a few soft drinks."
The voice hissed again before going silent. Sighing, I took an experimental sip of my drink, and the tart flavor sent my senses buzzing. I never was a fan of tart or sour flavors and always preferred sweet foods. But this was an exception as the alcohol helped numb the pain and made the suffering from today bearable. I was by no means a drunk, but even I had my limit. Grabbing the glass, I spun in my chair to look at the rest of the bar. While not the prettiest, it was better and more sanitary than the others I had been to in recent years. Feeling a vibration in my pocket, I put down my drink and pulled out my scroll.
'Okay. That's good. Hopefully, with this check, Saphron and Terra can finally move to a better location where Terra can get a job that's better than being a CCT Technician. Those asses were clearly taking advantage of her.' I thought, after reading the message the bank sent me, telling me that the check went through.
Smiling, I put away my scroll before turning around. Grabbing the glass, I finished the remainder of my drink before calling out to the bartender for another. And as the bartender made my drink, I pulled out a notepad and pen from my coat's pocket. Clicking the pen, I crossed out the name of my most recent bounty.
"Alright. There are only three bounties left, and each has a decent reward. Hopefully, I can do them before the end of next week. But knowing Beacon, my teammates, and friends, that's going to be difficult." I sighed as I put away my notepad.
"You a bounty hunter, kid?" The bartender asked, surprised as she gave me my drink.
"Yeah."
"Do your parents know?"
"Yes."
"Do they approve?"
"They don't like it and are still coming to terms with it." I answered with a chuckle. The Arc Family did not like what I had become. But it was not what most would think. They took me becoming the Rider in stride and offered to help me befriend the spirit and control my new powers. But they became hysteric when I said I wanted to become a bounty hunter to bring in more money. It might seem backward and strange, but that's the Arc Family for you.
"But your training to become a huntsman?"
"To keep money flowing at a steady pace." I answered, annoyed. "Listen. Can you leave me alone? I need some space."
"Alright. Just call out if you need anything." The bartender said before leaving to check on a few of the drunks to see if they were still alive.
"I will." I muttered before taking a sip of my drink.
'HHHHHIIIIIIISSSSSSSS'
"I know, Zarathos. I meant that I wanted us to be alone. I don't want anybody bothering us."
'HHHHHIIIIIIISSSSSSSS'
Rolling my eyes, I ignored the spirit and focused on enjoying my drink. But it wasn't helping as much as I had hoped. I briefly thought about ordering whatever the teacher next to me had ordered but decided against it. No matter how shitty my day was, I didn't want to get drunk again. It wasn't fun the first few times, and it sure as hell wouldn't be fun this time.
'No matter how tempting it is to forget everything for a few hours.' I thought as I took another sip of my drink.
No matter who you are or what you do, you will have shitty days every now and then. And today just happened to be one of those crappy days for me. I was the leader of my team at Beacon Academy. I initially didn't think it was too bad, aside from the leadership classes and Professor Port's stories. The classes were a bit tough as I had never been in a leadership position before going to Beacon. But Professor Port's stories can make anyone fall asleep, including Mephisto and Zarathos. Everything seemed fine for the first three months, aside from the occasional urge to Penance Stare Team CRDN and a few other students.
But everything changed at the beginning of the fourth month. First, I learned that my father had died when Grimm attacked the Bullhead he was riding. And as much as I wanted to drop everything and head home to comfort the others and attend the funeral, I couldn't. I was on a supervised mission on the opposite side of Vale. And unless I wanted to expose myself, I couldn't transform into the Rider and go home. But this was only the first thing that caused everything to go downhill.
The second came the week after. As soon as my team returned to Beacon, I received a heartwrenching message from my mother. Two of my seven sisters developed a rare but deadly disease that caused their aura to attack themselves and their bodies. And while there is a cure, it is costly, and no insurance company is willing to cover it. But since money was tight, my family couldn't afford it. However, I was. Well, mostly. I was only three thousand lien short of covering the entire cost. So, against my family's wishes, I took up bounty hunting again. There was another reason why I was training to become a huntsman besides having a more steady income. And that was to have a more respectable job, at least in my parents' eyes.
But to get the last amount of lien needed for the treatment proved more challenging than I initially thought. And not for the reasons one might think at first. The bounties and the people I had to chase down didn't put up too much of a fight, if at all, but then again, not many would after seeing the Rider. It was because of Beacon, my team, and my 'friends.' They became a bit too curious for their own good and quickly discovered that I was and still am a licensed bounty hunter. Most students instantly 'turned their backs' on me as if we were friends in the first place. Thankfully, not everyone did the same. My friends were a different story. Weiss, Blake, Pyrrha, and Ruby said they needed time to process everything. But I knew their opinion of me dropped a lot. However, Ren, Nora, Yang, and surprisingly Team Cfvy remained by my side. Although, I think the reason Team Cfvy didn't turn their back on me was that I stood up for Velvet and helped her multiple times in the past. And Yang probably only stayed because she wanted to become a bounty hunter as well, which was the primary reason she came to Beacon in the first place.
"Hopefully, everything gets better soon."
'HHHHHIIIIIIISSSSSSSS'
"You're right, Zarathos. And if it doesn't, I still have you and my family." While it was insanely challenging at first, I did eventually befriend Zarathos. Chuckling, I downed the last of my drink before pulling out my scroll to play a game to pass the time. But as I scrolled through some of the games I downloaded, I heard the doors open. Yet, I didn't pay it any attention as it was most likely another patron looking to get drunk.
"Mrs. Schnee. I didn't expect to see you here today." The bartender said as someone sat on the stool next to me.
"Neither did I. But after what happened these last few days, I need some time alone with a strong drink." The lady answered. Looking at her, I noticed she was wearing a white long-sleeved coat with a single dark blue clasp around the center waist, holding it shut alongside a red jeweled brooch on the collar. She also had a white pleated sleeveless blouse, a dark blue waistcoat, and a pair of gray thigh boots. But what caught my attention were her snow-white hair and light blue eyes.
'She reminds me of Weiss. She's probably her sister, considering they have the last name.' I thought before going back to my scroll.
"I can't blame you. Being a specialist is hard work and having a thick-headed man like Ironwood in charge and all those other men nearby certainly doesn't help. So what would you like to drink?"
'That's putting it lightly.'
'HHHHHIIIIIIISSSSSSSS'
"You can say that again. But it was what my father told me that caused me to come here." Mrs. Schnee said in disgust. "And I'll take a Death in the Afternoon, please."
"It must have been pretty bad for you to order this drink. Okay, it'll be out in a moment." The bartender said before heading to the back to get the ingredients.
'I know it's none of my business, but I wonder what her father told her. Then again, it could be anything seeing as it's Atlas. And the pigs there would do anything to remain in power or to keep business relations healthy. And that includes 'arranging' a marriage between their children.' I thought with a light growl as I finally found a game I felt like playing. But before I could tap on it, a message popped up. 'Another bounty? Let's see who I'm hunting this time.'
"Death in the Afternoon. Here you go, Mrs. Schnee." The bartender said as she returned and gave Mrs. Schnee her drink.
"Thank you. And please, Coraline, call me Winter." Winter said, taking her drink and nodding her thanks.
'Wonder how many times people made jokes about her name.' I thought, smirking as I continued looking over the details of the bounty target. 'Okay. The target is a lady about 5'2". Her real name is unknown, but she goes by Gelorum. Her left arm is mechanical, and her face has green markings. She has no powers but is deceptive and cunning and constantly has drones nearby to protect her. She shouldn't be a problem. And the last place anyone saw her was near the border of Mt. Glenn.'
"If you don't mind me asking, Winter, what did your father say?" Coraline asked.
"He gave me away to the son of a business partner to keep their relationship strong. And the son is a disgusting pig and pervert just like his father."
'Called it. If only it wouldn't cause a political shitstorm, I would have Penance Stare her father.' I thought as I continued looking through the details.
"Is there any way out of it?" Coraline asked.
"A few like the son dying, the relationship falling, myself getting married to someone else, or my father dying." Winter answered.
"Well, while none of them seem likely, no offense on the getting married to someone else part-"
"None taken."
"The only option I see is your father or the son dying, as I doubt their business relationship will fail anytime soon."
"It is unlikely. And it is more unlikely my father or the son would die."
"Maybe not be natural means. Perhaps some outside influence can speed things up."
"As much as I hate him, I will not kill my father . And I don't even know who the son is, and even if I did, I would still not kill him." Winter said with a light glare.
"Who said you have to kill them?" Coraline asked before nodding toward me. "Kid here is a bounty hunter."
"Not for hire." I automatically said with a groan. "And I'm a bounty hunter. What you're thinking of is a hitman."
"You are a bounty hunter?" Winter asked, turning to me. Almost reflexively, I took out my wallet to show her my bounty hunting license. She took it and carefully examined it before her eyes widened in shock. "You're only eighteen?"
"Yes."
"Are you-" Coraline began, but I cut her off as I knew what she was going to say.
"I'm only licensed to work as a bounty hunter in Vale, not the other kingdoms. And bounty hunters do not go needlessly killing others. We round up people who escape bond or anything similar."
"Winter here might-"
"Bounty hunting is illegal in Atlas. And I will not make up something so he can arrest my father." Winter interjected before mumbling. "No matter how much I want to."
"Vale and Vacou allow bounty hunting while the Mistral council are still debating on whether it should be legalized or not. But none of the kingdoms will ever legalize hitman." I added, tired as I had gone through this conversation multiple times. You would be surprised how often people confuse bounty hunters and hitmen. Although, Zarathos and I certainly didn't help in that regard, as we killed anyone who deserved it, regardless if they had a bounty on their head.
"That sucks." Coraline said before turning back to Winter. "When is the marriage scheduled?"
"Two months. Right before the start of the Vytel Festival."
"Well, the only advice I can give now is to make the most of it before the date arrives, as I don't see any other way out of it at the moment."
"That's why I came here to Vale. I managed to convince Ironwood to give me a few days off."
"He couldn't give you any more?"
"The man is stubborn and doesn't care about anything aside from his agenda and what he thinks would be good to keep the people safe. I was lucky to get a few days."
"In that case, do you want something stronger to forget what happened, at least for tonight?" Winter looked at her glass for a few seconds before turning to Coraline.
"Yes. Give me the strongest drink you have."
"That would be the Mistral Iced Tea. That's the strongest drink I have."
"I'll take one then."
"What about you, kid?"
"Okay. I'll take one as well." I said with a sigh while ignoring Zarathos's growling.
"Alright. Two Mistral Iced Teas, coming right up." Coraline said before leaving to get the ingredients.
"Wait a minute. You're eighteen. You're not allowed to drink yet." Winter said, remembering the info she saw on my license. "Unless there is a rule I'm not aware of."
"There isn't. But I'm also a huntsman-in-training, and the oh-so-wise council recently lowered the age requirement for us to drink."
"Figures." Winter said with a huff. "But why are you training to become a huntsman when you are already somehow a bounty hunter?"
"My family wasn't too thrilled when I became a bounty hunter. They wanted me to have a more 'respectable' job."
"So you decided to become a huntsman as a result."
"Yes. And aside from wanting my parents to be happy, being a huntsman would allow me to have a more steady income. Bounty hunting is great, but it's not too consistent with its paychecks."
"A job as a huntsman would allow that. But you know you don't have to appease your family constantly."
"I know. But I like seeing my family happy. And the additional lien is a nice bonus considering money is always tight."
"Two Mistral Iced Teas. Enjoy." Coraline said before placing our drinks in front of us.
"Thanks."
"Having an additional income is always nice considering how expensive everything has become. And when you take into account the expenses having a family with one or two children can bring, it is almost mandatory." Winter said before taking a sip of her drink.
"It is mandatory when you have seven sisters." I said, smirking and barely able to contain my laughter when Winter did a spit take.
"SEVEN SISTERS!" She said before wiping her mouth. "Didn't your parents ever hear of protection?"
'Everyone becomes surprised when they learn I have a big family. Even Zarathos and Mephisto became shocked.' I thought with a chuckle. "They did. But my parents always wanted to have a big family."
"I can't imagine it was easy."
"It wasn't. But it wasn't terrible. Aside from being my sisters' test subject or being subjected to their teasing, it was great."
"Sounds like you have a great relationship with your family."
"I do. I'd do anything for my family. In fact, I sent most of my lien to them so they could afford the treatment for my sisters."
"What happened?"
"Two of my sisters contracted a rare but deadly disease. And while there is a cure, it is costly, and no insurance company is willing to cover even a fraction of it. Thankfully, I was only short three thousand lien from being able to cover the entire expense. So, I took another bounty and sent everything I had to them so they could afford the treatment."
"That is admirable. Not many would do that." Winter said, smiling. But it faded a moment later. "Unfortunately, it seems like insurance companies are the same no matter where you go in Remnant."
"Didn't Coraline say you are a specialist? Don't they give excellent healthcare in Atlas?"
"I am. But even then, I hardly get decent healthcare. Even Ironwood doesn't get good healthcare, and he is the head of Atlas Academy."
"Wow." I muttered.
"Speaking of which. You said you were a huntsman-in-training. What academy do you attend?"
"Beacon Academy."
"By chance, do you know-"
"Your sister, Weiss Schnee. Yes." I said before I could stop myself.
"How do you know my sister?" Winter asked with a glare.
"You two have the same white hair and light blue eyes. But it was when Coraline said your last name that I made the connection." I nervously explained.
"Right. Sorry." Winter said, clearing her throat.
"It's fine. It's natural for the older sibling to be protective of their younger sibling."
"Right. Protective." Winter said, looking down at her drink. "Are you on her team?"
"No. Weiss is on my sister team, Team Rwby."
"I didn't realize there were now sister teams at Beacon, nor did that Professor Ozpin change the naming rules."
"The sister team is something the other students came up with as my team, and Team Rwby hang out a lot. But what do you mean by the naming rules?"
"I was under the impression that the Team name starts with the leader's name."
"Um. Weiss isn't the leader of her team." I said, confused.
"That's... surprising. I will need need to talk to Weiss when I get the chance. If I get the chance." Winter said, mumbling the last part. But I managed to hear it. "Does she at least support her leader and teammates?"
"Not at first. Weiss and the rest of the team argued a lot. But after a few missions, they learned to get along. She now occasionally helps Ruby and the others with anything they need help with when it comes to academics."
"That's good."
"Sorry if this is a bit personal, but why do you think you might not get a chance to speak with Wiess?"
"We are not on the best of terms, to put it lightly."
"What happened?" I asked, turning to face her fully.
"I'm sorry. It is a bit-" Winter began but stopped when someone placed their hand on her shoulder.
"Hey, sweetcheeks. What's a lady like you doing here all by yourself? Why don't you come back to our table, and we can get to know each other better?" The man said, and from his breath alone, we could tell he was drunk.
"Sir. Remove your hand." Winter warned with a growl. "Or I'll be forced to remove it from you."
"Come on, cutie. Don't be like that. We can show you a great time better than anyone else." The man said, sliding his hand down from Winter's shoulder to her upper arm. But as soon as he reached it, I gripped his wrist tightly.
"You must not like that hand." I growled. And as I stared at the man, I could feel Zarathos growling and wanting to come out, but I held him back.
"And what-" The man snarled as he turned to me, but as soon as he did, he froze. I had used some of the Rider's powers to briefly turn my eyes into bottomless pits with fire in them. Thankfully, Winter didn't see it, as that would have been hard to explain. "You know what, I'm sorry. I'll just leave."
"I could have handled that." Winter said as we watched the man scurry back to his table.
"Oh, I know. I just hate those kinds of men." I said as I felt Zarathos calm down.
"Unfortunately, they are everywhere. But I take it you had experience with those kinds of pigs." Winter said, glancing at the man and noticing how violently he was shivering.
"Indirectly. Some drunks did hit on my sisters before I came to Beacon. Sometimes in front of their significant others. There were even two times some guys flirted with my younger sisters, who are underage."
"What did you do?" Winter asked, curious.
"Let's just say they will need to use a colostomy bag for the rest of their lives." I said while smirking as Zarathos chuckled. What I purposely left out was that I used a hellfire shotgun to castrate those men.
"That... I was not expecting that. You are really protective of your sisters." Winter said, shocked.
"I am. My family means the world to me. That's one of the reasons I took up bounty hunting. To keep them safe."
"I wish my family was this close." Winter said before taking a rather large sip of her drink.
'Maybe I could track down her father and Penance Stare his ass. It seems like he's causing everyone else's life to be a living hell just for fun.' I thought. "Maybe it can be. I might not know what happened between you and Weiss, but if there is one thing I do know is that it is never too late to make amends. My youngest sister and I were never on the greatest of terms, but we did eventually make amends and became pretty close. The same can happen with you and Weiss."
"You're right. I should at least try to make amends instead of thinking our relationship can never be fixed and keeping my distance."
"That's the spirit." I said before taking my first sip of my Mistral Iced Tea. 'Huh. It tastes like orange and lemon cola. Weird.'
"Thank you, um. Sorry, what was your name again?"
"Jaune."
"Thank you, Jaune."
"No problem." I said as I took another sip.
"How's everything going here?" Coraline asked as she moved to stand in front of us.
"Everything is fine. For now, anyway." Winter answered.
"Do you want another drink?"
"Yes, please."
"Alright. It will be ready in a minute." Coraline said before leaving.
"Jaune." Winter said, getting my attention.
"Yes."
"Do you think you can show me where my sister's team dorm is?"
"That's going to be a bit difficult." I answered as I finished my drink.
"How so?"
"I can show you. But your sister and the rest of Team Rwby are out on a mission now and won't be back until tomorrow afternoon."
"Well, I have a few days off, so I can wait until tomorrow."
"In that case, sure. I can take you to their dorm." Even though I might get a rapier to the face along with a few glyphs, it would be worth it if Winter and Weiss could fix their relationship.
"Here's your Mistal Iced Tea, Winter." Coraline said as she gave Winter her drink. "How about you, kid? Do you want another?"
"Not a Mistal Iced Tea. I would prefer another easy whiskey sour." I answered after eyeing the glass. Even though it tasted like soda, I could easily tell it contained lots of alcohol.
"Alright."
"A lightweight, huh?" Winter asked with a smirk.
"Not really. I just don't like getting drunk."
"That's a good quality to have."
"I guess."
"Here you go. Your easy whiskey sour." Coraline said as she gave me my drink.
"Thanks."
"So, what brings you here?" Winter asked.
"What do you mean?" I asked.
"You know how I came to try and forget what my father did. You must be trying to forget something as well."
"Yes and no. I'm not necessarily trying to forget, just trying to make the headache go away."
"What happened?"
"Just a small fallout I had with my team and friends."
"Because?"
"They discovered I was a bounty hunter and didn't take too well to it. But it's nothing major. Everything will be better soon." I answered, hoping I was correct.
"How did Weiss take the news?"
"She was shocked and said she needed some time to process that."
"Understandable, considering not many people look at bounty hunters with admiration."
'Especially demonic bounty hunters.' I mentally added.
"But hopefully, everything works out in the end. If they truly are your friends, then you have nothing to worry about."
"Thanks, Winter." She smiled before downing nearly half her drink in one go. Surprised, I silently took my drink and had a small sip. Feeling my scroll vibrate, I set my glass down before taking it out and groaning.
"Everything alright?" Winter asked.
"Yeah, everything is fine. An old acquaintance messaged me. He wanted to remind me that I have a meeting with him next weekend. And I got a message from my teammate reminding me we have a test for Professor Port soon." I answered. I wasn't lying, as Mephisto messaged me to remind me to meet up with him next week.
"Isn't professor Port the teacher that tells lots of exaggerated stories while trying to shine the light only on him?"
"Yes. Did Weiss tell you about him?"
"In one of the few messages, she sent me, yes. And I guess she wasn't exaggerating."
"No. Professor Port does exaggerate his stories while trying to highlight only himself. But the thing is, he is a terrible storyteller. He can put the entire class to sleep in minutes."
"Then maybe a slightly stronger drink is in order." Eyeing my glass, I nodded before calling Coraline over to order a more potent drink. And ignoring Zarathos, I downed it in one go. Winter smirked before downing the rest of her glass. And the last thing I remembered before everything went black was Winter and me ordering another round.
Some Hotel Room
Third POV
"Ugh, my head." Jaune groaned as he slowly sat up. But he instantly wished he didn't as he felt his head pounding against his skull. Pushing past the pain, Jaune opened his eyes but immediately closed them afterward when the morning sun nearly blinded him. "What the hell happened?"
'YOU GOT DRUNK!' Zarathos shouted inside Jaune's head before groaning in pain.
Let it be known that even a Spirit of Vengence can suffer from a hangover.
"Right. Sorry, Zarathos." Jaune said as his eyes finally adjusted to the light. It surprised Jaune when he learned that getting drunk would also affect Zarathos. And both would suffer a hangover the next day, which is why Jaune doesn't like to get drunk.
Letting out a deep breath, Jaune looked around to try and figure out where he was. However, he became confused when he realized he was in a hotel room. But Jaune's confusion grew when he realized he wasn't wearing any clothes.
"Why am I naked? Where are my clothes?" Jaune asked as he tossed the blanket off him and stood up.
Jaune looked around the room again for his clothes. And after a few minutes, he finally found them haphazardly thrown in a chair. Although, he won't ask why his underwear and belt were on the curtain. He then quickly got dressed before making sure he still had his possessions.
"Okay, everything is here. But where am I, and what happened last night?" Jaune asked, confused. But he froze in place when he heard a familiar voice.
"Will you keep it down? It's too early, and I have a headache." The voice complained, causing sweat to go down his face while a shiver went down his spine.
'Please, Oum. Don't tell me what I think happened actually happened.' Jaune thought as he slowly turned back to the bed.
And next to where he woke up was Winter. While the blanket covered her body, Jaune could tell she was naked under the cover. Knowing only one option was left, Jaune slowly made his way to the door. But with each step he took, Jaune felt his nerves and anxiety increase as the floor creaked. After a couple of tense seconds, Jaune reached the door and carefully grabbed the door knob.
'Okay. I just need to leave the hotel and get as far away from here before... why can't I open the door?' Jaune thought as he turned the knob and tried to open the door but found it wouldn't budge. It was then he noticed there was a glyph on the door. Jaune briefly wondered why as Weiss was still away. But then Jaune remembered who he apparently slept with and how she was related to Weiss. And the fact that said person threw a sword that embedded itself into the door mere inches from his face only reinforced that. 'Oh, no.'
"WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING IN MY ROOM!?" Winter shouted, surprising Jaune as she quickly turned him around and pinned him to the wall while gripping his throat.
"Uh, um." Jaune stuttered while closing his eyes as Winter was still naked.
"ANSWER ME!" She shouted as she tightened her grip on his neck.
"Uh-"
"OPEN YOUR EYES AND ANSWER OR SO HELP ME, YOU WON'T HAVE KIDS!"
"Not until you put some clothes on." Winter looked down and blushed before letting go of Jaune's neck, causing him to fall on the floor hard.
"Stay here while I get dressed in the bathroom." She ordered before quickly grabbing her clothes and entering the bathroom.
"Wow, she's got a strong grip." Jaune said, rubbing his throat. But as he did so, he noticed something rubbing against his throat. Yet, before he could even check to see what it was, Jaune immediately stood up when he heard the bathroom door open. "So..."
"I'll give you one last chance, Jaune. Why are you in my room?"
"I don't know. I don't know why I'm here or why you were naked. In fact, I can't remember anything past our conversation at the bar last night."
"Do not lie, Jaune." Winter warned.
"I'm not. I'm telling the truth. Arc's Word." Jaune said, gulping. Winter stared into his eyes for a few moments before sighing.
"Alright, I believe you. Not to mention, you don't seem like the kind of person to do something like this."
'Oh, thank Oum.' Jaune thought in relief.
"But I will be keeping my eye on you."
"That's fair." Jaune said, rubbing the back of his head. "So, um-"
"You will not utter a single word of this to anyone. We will carry whatever happened here to our graves. Do you understand?"
"Yes." Jaune answered before mentally adding. 'Technically, Zarathos knows about this.'
"Good. Now, can you leave? I need to gather my wits before figuring out my schedule. I want to make the most of the next few days."
"Can you remove the glyph first? It's still blocking the door." Jaune reminded.
"Right." Winter said before removing the glyph and then pulling her sword out of the door.
"Do you still want me to take you to Beacon so you can meet Weiss?"
"Yes. Do you have an ideal place we can meet? Preferably a place away from any alcohol?"
"There's a ramen shop near the airstrip that takes the students to Beacon. We can meet there if you want."
"That would be ideal. Meet me there at-" Winter began before trailing off.
"Um, is everything alright, Winter?" Jaune asked, concerned when Winter suddenly stopped. But he became nervous when she turned to stare at him.
"I will only ask this once, Jaune. Do you have a ring on your finger?"
"A ring. I don't have- wait. Where did this ring come from?" Jaune began before becoming shocked when he saw a gold wedding band on his left ring finger.
"It appears that we had gotten married during our drunken state." Winter said, annoyed.
"If that's the case, shouldn't there be a wedding certificate or something like that?" Jaune asked, making Winter's head snap up.
"Right. After any type of marriage, at least here in Vale and Atlas, the newlyweds receive a marriage certificate. Let's see if we can find it. And if we can't, that would mean we didn't actually get married."
Nodding, the two began searching the hotel room. Winter searched on the left side while Jaune searched on the right side. But after nearly a half hour of meticulously looking through the room, it seemed like there wasn't a marriage certificate. Relief filled both Winter and Jaune as it meant they didn't have to deal with the hassle of getting an annulment. Unfortunately, it went away when they discovered the certificate behind the desk.
"Is that it?" Jaune asked as Winter examined the paper.
"Unfortunately, it is."
"Great. Does it say where we got married?"
"Yes, but it's smudged." Winter answered with a sigh.
'Damn it.' Jaune thought. "What now?"
"We continue as if nothing happened. I will try to find the place where we got married and have the person in charge perform an annulment."
"Alright. I will be roaming around Vale until it's time to bring you to Beacon so you can see Weiss."
"Very well. But I don't need to remind you that we will be addressing each by our last name, which means calling me Mrs. Schnee."
"I figured. But out of curiosity, whose name did either of us take?"
"We didn't take each other's name but instead combined it. We are Jaune and Winter Arc-Schnee."
"Huh. I wasn't expecting that, to be honest."
"Me neither." Winter said before placing her hand on her forehead. "I need some time to think."
"Okay. I'll see you later then." Jaune said with Winter nodding before heading to her bed and laying down.
Without saying another word, Jaune left the room and soon exited the hotel. But he didn't stop and continued walking to the nearest diner to get some breakfast.
"Are you okay, Zarathos? You hadn't said anything since I woke up." Jaune asked after placing his order.
'HHHHHIIIIIISSSSS!'
"Right, still hung over. Sorry." Jaune said before placing his head in his hands.
"Rough day, Jonathan?" A familiar voice asked, followed by the sounds of a chair moving.
"Mephisto." Jaune glared as Mephisto got comfy and rested his cane against the table. "What do you want?"
"Nothing much. I just came to check on my favorite deal."
"I doubt that."
"As absurd as it might seem, I do tell the truth from time to time without any hidden catches behind them."
"I can see why considering some of the stories you told me about yourself."
"Most of them are fabricated. Very few even have some accurate facts about myself, but even then, they are rudimentary at best."
'HHHHHIIIIIISSSSS!'
"Good to see you, Zarathos. How's your new host?"
'HHHHHIIIIIISSSSS!'
"Heh. That's good. Anyway, Jonathan, I have to get going now. I need to ensure the souls are justly punished and the portals remain closed. We can't afford Blackheart or some other creature worming its way into Remnant." Mephisto said before getting up and grabbing his cane. "Good day, you two. Oh, and Jaune."
"What?"
"Congratulations on the marriage. You and specialist Winter Schnee make a lovely couple. Just don't forget to introduce her to your family and Zarathos." With a smirk, Mephisto left before Jaune could say anything.
"I hate that guy sometimes." Jaune muttered with Zarathos growling in agreement. "How did my life get to this point?"
'HHHHHIIIIIISSSSS!'
"Good point."
"Here you go, sir." The waitress said as she returned with Jaune's food.
"Thank you."
"You're welcome." The waitress said before leaving.
"Well, we have about seven hours before we need to meet Winter at the ramen shop. What do you want to do until then, Zarathos?"
'HHHHHIIIIIISSSSS!'
"Alright. Let me finish eating, and we can check if there are any new bounties." Jaune said before eating his food.
But as he did, Jaune wondered how Winter would find the location of where they got married so they could annul the marriage. Yet, for some reason, Jaune felt saddened when he thought about that. But Jaune knew it would be for the best as he is the Ghost Rider, and Winter is a respected specialist for the Atlas Kingdom. They led two entirely different lives and only got married because they were drunk. Plus, they had only met yesterday. With that in mind, Jaune returned to his food, unaware of what life had in store for him and Winter. And how drastically their lives were about to intertwine and for the better.