The airship was dead silent. Not a single soul made a noise amidst her cloud of grief. Weiss hadn't spoken a word since Jaune and Yang found her at the falls on Bumblebee.
She couldn't find the words to thank Jaune when he offered to carry Adam back to a more appropriate burial ground, couldn't show Yang her appreciation when she helped wash his blood off her hands and the charm, couldn't meet Blake's eyes when she offered to prepare the grave—couldn't appreciate Ruby's thoughtfulness when she shared the idea to lay him to rest by the cliffside where he could appreciate the sunrise from now until eternity.
Weiss kept the travelling cloak she'd bought for him, she couldn't bear to leave without taking something to remind herself of him.
Jaune and Ruby hadn't left her side since they left Argus. They both sat on either side of her, sandwiching her throughout the tense ride to Atlas. She kept herself curled up into a tight ball ever since she got on board, silently wishing for someone to wake her up from the neverending nightmare.
No one answered her wordless prayers.
Weiss wasn't a stranger to grief. Years of attending funerals had made her accustomed to the cold embrace of losing a loved one, but Adam's death was the first to leave her completely numb.
She figured it would be normal for her to feel sad—furious even at what the human-Faunus conflict had taken from her. She didn't expect to feel so empty. A part of her wondered if she would ever be able to feel anything ever again.
The emptiness she felt now made the Apathy Grimm feel like child's play.
"We're in Atlas," Qrow announced heavily.
It did little to ease the tension on the ship. She was home, but he would never make it back.
Did he ever consider Atlas home despite the hardships he faced?
'I'll never know.' The thought only made the chasm in her chest grow.
"Did you hear that, Weiss? We're almost there." Ruby addressed her softly. "Can you say something? We're all really worried about you."
'What's there to say?'
"We can find a spot for you to…recover before heading up to see Ironwood," Jaune suggested next. "I'm sure you could use the rest."
"No," Weiss murmured weakly. "I promised him I would fight for a better future. I'm not allowed to rest."
Despite her vow, in reality, all she really wanted to do was lay down and sleep. Sleep and never wake up to the cold world that wounded her so badly.
"That's not healthy." Ruby protested gently.
"I don't care. He risked everything for me, I can't let him down. I can't."
She heard someone across from her get up and walk up towards her. Ruby murmured something to them, but they didn't move.
"Weiss," Yang called her name. When she didn't respond she heard Yang sit down in front of her.
'Go away.'
"Weiss." She placed her mechanical hand on her shoulder. "I'll be blunt, I still don't like him and I still don't forgive him for what he's done to me."
"Yang." Ruby began sternly.
"Let me finish." Yang tightened her grip on Weiss' shoulder. "I don't like him, but I know he meant a lot to you."
'You don't know half of it.'
She felt Yang gently rest her head against her own. "I'm sorry he's gone. I wish it didn't end up this way."
Weiss wasn't sure why that was what made her completely lose her composure. The emptiness in her heart morphed into a wrenching pain that left her breathless. Her friends surrounded her with warm hugs and quiet words of condolences, but it did little to melt the ice imprisoning her heart.
Envy.
Of all the things she expected to feel, that was certainly not on the top of her list.
At first, her cloud of grief had briefly lifted when they noticed a small pack of Grimm attacking the streets of Mantle. Fighting at least reminded her that she was alive. When she had attacks thrown mercilessly at her, it forced her to move and think. The heavy pounding of her heart was a pleasant reminder of the life still coursing through her veins.
Of the life now absent from his.
Her momentary distraction ended when she saw Penny jumping in to help them fight, bringing along an uncontrollable wave of envy that took over her like a tidal wave. A part of her wanted to take out her frustration on the newly resurrected robot while another part silently wished for the Grimm to defeat her.
'It's not fair.' Was the only thought coursing furiously through her head.
She couldn't bring herself to feel the slightest bit happy for Ruby when she burst into tears upon reuniting with Penny. Even those who weren't initially close to Penny brightened up when they greeted her.
Weiss forced on a smile when Penny eagerly addressed her and welcomed her home. On the inside, she wanted to storm away and never look back.
She finally let her false grin fall when Penny turned away to admire Yang's new arm. She grimaced and turned away from the group.
'Real people can't magically come back to life.' She thought bitterly. 'He can never come back to me.'
She would never be able to see him again, never be able to catch up with him; never be able to hear his voice or touch him again.
Not unless she followed him in death.
Weiss jumped in surprise when a hand suddenly rested on her shoulder.
"You okay?" Jaune whispered softly to her.
"I'm fine." She flushed, brushing off his hand.
Judging by the look on his face, he didn't seem to believe her.
"I'm here if you ever need to talk."
"Yeah. Sure." She murmured, pulling her hood up to hide her face.
She took a particular interest in staring at her feet as the others chatted on, allowing the numbness of her grief to overtake her once more.
Weiss could barely register what happened after they were apprehended by Atlas Military. It was like she was watching the events fold out from outside of herself.
Weiss should've been more distressed when she felt the heavy cuffs weigh down her wrists, but she was empty to the very core. She should've protested when Ruby chose to lie to Ironwood's face, but she couldn't find the words to speak up. Not even her older sister's worrying looks could shake her out of her numb daze.
She barely even heard Winter address her when they were dismissed to pick up their new equipment. It was only when Winter reached out for her hand that she finally found herself in control of her body again.
"Weiss, can I have a word?" Her sister requested with a polite smile.
Weiss tried to smile back, only to have it fall when she recalled the horrible way Cordovin treated the Faunus. If Winter noticed her strange demeanour she didn't show any obvious signs of concern.
Jaune and Ruby looked back at them with worry.
"I'll catch up," Weiss assured them softly.
"We'll wait for you," Ruby promised.
Winter led them to an empty classroom and ushered her inside.
"You bought new clothes," Winter noted lightly once the door had shut behind them. "They don't seem to fit your usual style."
"They're gifts from my friends." She said shortly.
"You have a lot of blood on your shirt." Winter pulled aside his cloak to see her bloodstained tunic. "How many times do I have to tell you to look after yourself? We have doctors at the Academy, you should get that checked out before—"
"It's not my blood." Weiss yanked the cloak out of her hand. "I'm not hurt."
'I'm alive because of him.'
"Weiss, are you okay?" Winter cupped her face and looked over her carefully. "I don't mean to offend you, but you look horrible."
"I'm fine."
"You're far from fine. You look like death."
"At least I'm not dead!" She snapped, overwhelmed with an unexpected burst of anger. She blushed from her sudden outburst and quickly looked away.
She was certain Winter would press her on the issue until she confessed everything, but her sister simply sighed and kissed her forehead.
"You know you can talk to me about anything, Weiss."
"Can I go now?"
Winter didn't look happy with her response but smiled regardless. "Of course."
Weiss practically threw the door open. To her surprise, Ruby and Jaune kept their promise and were indeed waiting for her outside the hall.
"Ready to see our new stuff?" Ruby beamed.
"I can't wait to wear something toasty warm!" Jaune added excitedly. "It's about time we stop freezing our butts off."
The unending storm deep in her core lightened just a bit from seeing Ruby's childish smile and Jaune's genuine excitement for warm clothes. Though Adam was no longer standing by her side, it was nice to see she wasn't completely alone.
"Yeah." She finally managed a genuine smile. "Let's go."
From the selection of clothes provided to her by the academy, Weiss chose to wear a white pea coat that ended just above her knees. She opted to keep the leggings Violet gave her and finished her look with high-knee boots.
Weiss stared blankly at the mirror for what felt like hours, completely lost in what she would do with her hair. Ruby and Jaune had both talked about getting new hairdos to mark their growth from the long journey, and she had a feeling the others had a similar line of thought.
She genuinely liked the idea, but her mind was completely blank at what she could do to mark her personal growth. Trying to sort out her scattered thoughts and emotions was hard enough as it is. It also felt wrong to do nothing to commemorate her own journey and the people she met along the way.
"You should let your hair down more." She recalled what he'd once said with a painful twang in her chest.
Weiss didn't think twice when she let her hair down from its usual knot, only tying it back in a half ponytail to make combat easier. She finally topped off her new look with his black cloak. She kept their snowflake charm hidden in one of her interior pockets, like a secret she wanted to preserve from the world.
A secret only she and Adam knew about.
The rest of her friends were admittedly more creative with their winter get-ups. Weiss quietly observed them from the side as they awed at each other's updated clothes and managed to laugh with them at Jaune's new hairdo.
"I watched a video on how to cut it!" Jaune complained after Nora pointed out his uneven bangs. "They made it look easy!"
"Next time, leave it to the professionals." Yang clapped his back sympathetically.
"Leave what to the professionals?" Blake finally emerged from her room with a perfectly tailored haircut.
Yang did a double-take before awkwardly complimenting her on her new look. Jaune only seemed more embarrassed about his hair and muttered something about leaving a bad review for the person who created his tutorial.
"I like what you did with your outfit too, Weiss." Ruby joined her against the wall, watching as the rest of them chattered excitedly amongst themselves. "I don't think I've ever seen you go out with your hair down like that."
"I wanted a new change of pace." She smiled bitterly to herself.
'I wonder what he would've said if he saw me. Would he like it too?'
"I think you look great. It's all very classy." Ruby added.
"Thanks." She looked over Ruby's unusual hairdo. "Taking inspiration from Qrow?"
"I-is it that obvious?"
"I think it's cute." Weiss turned her attention back to the rest of the gang.
It was the happiest she'd seen them all since jumping out of that damned train, yet she couldn't even bring herself to feel half as elated as them. The numb void was only growing bigger by the second, sucking away all the colours of the universe.
"I'll be here if you need to talk." Ruby grabbed her hand and gave it a gentle squeeze. "l know what it's like to see a friend die."
Her compassion made that horrible, bitter pain return to her chest. The envy she felt earlier gave away to guilt.
"Weiss?"
"I-I know." She stammered. "Thank you."
She gently squeezed Ruby's hand back.
Blake seemed to catch on to her mixed emotions when they first stepped into the old Dust Mine.
The cave was smaller than she remembered it to be. Though its abandonment had done a number inside the cold cavern, she still knew it like the back of her hand.
Everywhere she looked she saw him. Memories she once had so much trouble recalling came rushing back like it all happened just yesterday. She remembered all the leftovers she used to sneak for him, the way she always leant him her scarf whenever they met; his cosy hugs whenever they met or said goodbye for the night—everything.
At some point, she swore she saw him just out of the corner of her eyes, but when she turned to look for him all she found were tiny Red Dust Crystals protruding from the cavern wall.
"Weiss." Blake's voice ripped her right out of her memories.
She blinked, clearing the tears quickly blurring her vision.
"Sorry." She quickly wiped her eyes dry and pulled her hood up. "I got distracted."
"You don't have to keep going if you're not feeling well."
"I'll be okay."
'Be brave.' She reminded herself of his final words.
He wouldn't want her to shrink away from the echoes of their past. She'd promised him to never let history repeat itself. There was no time to break down and feel sorry for herself.
Weiss was grateful to get into a fight soon after to distract herself from the ghosts of the past.
Fury.
It was what she felt the instant she found herself standing in front of Father at the entrance of the mines. She was vaguely aware of her team standing firmly beside her as he berated her for gods knows what this time.
It didn't matter. None of his vitreal could phase her after what he did to Adam, Violet, Clay, and so many other unnamed Faunus.
Her sword was drawn even before she could fully register what she was doing. Her Father's guards immediately pointed their guns and her friends desperately advised her to stand down, but their words proved meaningless to her rage.
"How dare you! I raised you to be better!" Father sneered.
"No, you slapped me around like I was your punching bag!" She snapped—her heart was pounding like drums in her ears. "I'll never forget what you did to me that night! And I'll never forgive you for what you did to his family!"
"What the hell are you going on about?!"
His ignorance further stoked her burning hatred.
"His name was Adam—remember it! He was my first friend but you tore us apart! You let Uncle murder innocent people without facing any consequences! You destroyed so many innocent lives!"
Her Father stared blankly at her for a minute before his eyes sparked with recognition. "Oh, so you still remember that cattle—"
"Stop treating him like an animal! He's a person, just like all the other innocent people you chose to brand!"
Yang and Ruby gasped aloud at her comment.
"I see you haven't learned anything from your history lessons. Pity." Father glared at her. "If you think I'm going to stand here and listen to my bitch of a daughter throw a tantrum then you're wrong."
Weiss would've stuck him with her sword had Blake not held her back.
At that moment she hated Blake for stopping her. She was tempted to turn her blade on Blake, only holding herself back when she knew the others would jump in to stop her. She had no intentions of fighting a losing battle against them.
"It's not worth the jail time." Blake reasoned with her. "We'll make sure he sees justice, but not like this."
"S-she's right, Adam wouldn't want you to land yourself in Atlas jail, right?" Ruby piped in. "Let's go."
'I'll never know what he wants at this point. No one will.' She thought furiously.
"Yes, go before I have you arrested for trespassing and attempted murder," Jacques warned.
"This isn't the last you've seen of me, Jacques," Weiss promised him. She saw his face harden at the use of his first name.
A familiar dread chilled her to the bone at his expression. She'd become well acquainted with that look whenever he wanted to personally teach her a lesson. Her cheeks and scar flared with pain from the memories that scarred her very soul.
'Be brave.' She clung to Adam's cloak with her free hand as if it was her lifeline.
"You don't scare me anymore." Her legs trembled beneath her weight. " Mark my words, I'm not going to stop until you have nothing left. This is not over."
She sheathed her sword and retreated back to where the rest of the Ace Ops were recollecting themselves.
"Weiss, you can't do that again!" She heard Ruby rushing to catch up with her.
"Do you mean I shouldn't be getting revenge for the hundreds of kids he's hurt? For branding innocent victims?! For condoning the murder of my friend's entire family?!"
Ruby stopped directly in front of her.
"Look, I know you're upset, and you have every right to be mad, but trying to hurt him like that won't change anything!"
"I wasn't going to kill him, I wanted to teach him a lesson. We can't just sit here and let him get away with his crimes!"
"We won't," Yang promised her. "But we can't just hurt him out of the blue like that."
"They were completely defenceless, Yang. Why should he have the luxury of not experiencing the same thing?!" Weiss protested.
"Because it's the legal thing to do. We need evidence before beating the shit out of him."
"Just because you hated Adam doesn't mean you can stop me from seeking justice!"
"This has nothing to do with that!" Her eyes flashed with red for a brief second. "I hate him, yes, but I don't think it's okay for him to be branded! It's not okay for anyone to be branded!"
"Then why are you so opposed to me seeking out real justice?! You don't know the power my father holds! Even if we have him arrested he'll buy his freedom before we could even celebrate! He'll never see justice unless we take it into our own hands!"
"Because if you do something stupid right now, you're never going to be able to keep your promise to Adam!" Blake cut in.
Her group went silent at that. Not even Yang seemed to be able to back up what Blake had just screamed at her.
"Guys…" Ruby looked nervously between them.
"You're free to attack him, Weiss, but his guards and the Military will only see that you hurt him out of nowhere. You'll be thrown in jail." Blake continued hotly.
"Jacques isn't innocent!"
"We know that, but the people in power don't! How exactly are you going to help my people as a wanted criminal?! If you really give a damn about your promise to him then you'll wait and strike when we have the evidence or support to lay a hand on him!"
Weiss desperately searched her head for a rebuttal, cursing out loud when she came up empty-handed. She shot Blake one last icy glare before storming off before anyone could stop her.
She didn't speak a word to anyone for the rest of the day, deciding to isolate herself to burn in anger and grief. By the end of the day, she felt like she burnt through a lifetime's worth of energy, leaving her only an empty shell of apathy and weariness.
Insomnia had become her new best friend.
Weiss dreaded the end of the day as she had no distractions to keep her grief away, no fights to keep her constantly on her toes; nothing. Heartache was her only companion in her darkest hours.
Weiss spent most nights wide awake, despite the exhaustion plaguing her every second of the day, recalling all the memories they'd shared as kids and adults. Sometimes she swore she could still hear his voice as clear as day, but when she opened her eyes to look for him all she found were shadows.
Tonight was particularly bad. Maybe her insomnia was finally breaking the last of her sanity or maybe it was some form of divine punishment. Whatever the case may be, she couldn't stop reliving his death, from the moment the bullet shattered his Aura to his final words—she saw it all in vivid detail.
She clawed angrily at her hands, shivering as she still felt the warmth of his blood seeping through her fingertips—the feel of his life slipping away from her hands.
And there was nothing she could've done to stop it.
There was nothing she could've done to save him one last time.
It was all her fault.
'I can't do this anymore.'
She rolled out of bed, grabbed his black cloak, their snowflake charm, and tip-toed out of the dorm. Weiss wasn't sure where she was going, but anywhere was better than being trapped in bed.
She wandered the halls aimlessly, fingers playing idly with the tiny charm. The rough edges of the charm not only kept her grounded in the present but also made her feel closer to him. At some point, the tiny snowflake was held by him, possibly even protected by him from guards or White Fang members who would've wanted to destroy it.
She wondered if he ever fiddled with it as she did. Did he feel closer to her when he held it? Did it help him the same way it helped her?
Her unanswered questions made her eyes sting.
She gasped when she unknowingly bumped into someone in the dark. She murmured a quick apology and tried to walk around them, stopping only when they grabbed her by the shoulder.
"Weiss?" It was Jaune.
"Oh. Hi." She greeted him dumbly, staring down at her feet.
"Couldn't sleep?"
"…"
"Yeah, same." He paused for a second. "Hey, I found this really neat place a few nights ago. Want to check it out?"
"Not really."
"It'll be worth your time." He insisted. "I promise I'll leave you alone if you think it's lame."
She relented and followed him up a series of confusing staircases and winding halls. Eventually, they found themselves in what appeared to be an empty classroom. The classroom was situated in one of the many towers on campus, with walls made of glass to let in a stream of pale moonlight.
"The view is great." Jaune led her inside. He was wearing his goofy animal sweater tonight, with Pyrrha's scarf still hanging from his hip.
Weiss didn't admit it out loud, but she agreed with his verdict. They were so high up that she noticed a thin layer of cloud obscuring the glowing streetlights below them. They each found a desk to sit on top of and admired the view in silence.
'I wonder if he has a similar view...wherever he is.' She mused, recalling old legends and myths about paradise after death.
'I wonder if there's a way for me to join him.' She felt sick at her morbid thought, but she'd be lying to herself if she denied the appeal of being able to see him again. To finally stop the endless pain from his departure.
"When I can't stop thinking about her, I like to keep myself busy." Jaune began softly. "It used to be midnight training sessions, but recently I've been doing a lot of sightseeing. It's less draining."
Weiss wasn't surprised he could pick up the source of her turmoil so easily. Still, she couldn't find the right words to respond to him.
"I like to believe she's up there looking after us." He went on. "I think that's why I like waking up early now. I like it when the sky is red, it really feels like she's there. I-I know it sounds silly, i-it's not like sunrises are red just for my sake–"
"How do you do it?" She asked him so quietly she was surprised he'd even heard her.
"Do what?" He asked after a pause.
"How are you able to be so strong after Pyrrha's death?"
He leapt off the desk he was sitting on and approached her. When she gave no indication of discomfort, he sat on it beside her.
"I'm not always strong. I guess it just gets better with time. Sometimes I can live my life normally, but sometimes I see her in everything I do." He looked down at her empathically. "I bet you see him everywhere right now."
His observation alone was enough to overwhelm her with tears. It felt like a knife had just dug into her heart.
"I miss him so much i-it hurts." She breathed, clutching at her chest. The dull ache only seemed to grow worse.
"I know."
"I'm not sure how long I can take it, Jaune. I-it's too much, I-I'm so tired." She trembled at her own confession. It was almost surreal to hear herself say such a thing.
"I know it's cliche to say, but I promise it'll get better." He wrapped an arm around her. "One day you'll realize that you aren't always grieving over him. It'll be okay one day, I promise."
"I don't want to forget him."
"You'll never forget him, that's not what I meant. I meant you won't always be in pain."
A part of her doubted it. How could she feel better when the pain was burned so deep into her?
"He was the one who said memories are what keeps them alive, right? If you think of it that way, he's not completely gone." Jaune added. "He's still with you, so don't give up now."
'It's not the same.'
"I wish there was more I could've done, Jaune." She buried her face in her hands. "I-I wish I could've helped him more."
Jaune pulled her into a hug. She couldn't seem to find the strength to hold him back.
"For what it's worth, I think you did plenty. He seemed like a cool guy when we talked. It wasn't like anything Yang described. I might not have known him for very long, but I honestly think he was happy."
"It's not enough. A-after everything he's been through it's not enough." She stammered as the tears overwhelmed her. "It's my fault. I-if I was just a bit stronger–"
"It's not your fault. Don't say things like that." He interrupted. "Thinking like that will drive you insane. Trust me."
"But–"
"He wouldn't want to see you blame yourself. I know he wouldn't."
"Don't you dare blame yourself—it was never your fault. Never." She recalled his words with a shiver.
"He only said that to be nice." She disagreed.
"Would you blame him if that lady killed you instead?"
"No."
"Then why are you assuming he'd blame you?"
She buried her face into his shoulder, hoping maybe that would stop the tears from flooding her eyes.
He held her tighter. "You can let it out. I know how much it sucks to have to keep on a brave face."
"I-I'm just having a bad night…it's fine."
"You don't have to lie to me. I understand." He insisted. "Don't go through this alone. Let me help you."
"Jaune..."
"Let me be here for you. Please."
Once the tears started falling they wouldn't stop. She held onto him and cried harder than she ever did before. The pain, anger, loneliness, and hatred in her heart were suffocating, but it felt so free to finally let herself experience them in all their wrath.
They stayed there until songbirds sang just outside their window.
"Thank you." She murmured weakly into his chest.
"Are you feeling better?" He breathed.
She turned her head to get a better view of the sunrise. The sky was painted in a brilliant combination of reds, magentas, and purples. Weiss hadn't noticed it much before, but the sun's glow was incredibly crimson in the early morning hours, much like the protective glow of his Semblance.
'He's still with me.'
"Yeah. I'm alright." She finally answered him.
And for the first time since she arrived at Atlas, she felt alive.
The movie Jaune and Oscar dragged her to wasn't as bad as she thought. Aside from the lumpy seat, she had a relatively good time with the guys.
Jaune was the one who suggested they grab some food before heading back to Atlas Academy. After scouring the streets for something appetizing, they found themselves at a small bakery that sold the cutest little macaroons and cupcakes she'd ever seen.
"Do you think we could get one of everything?" Jaune asked the two of them in a completely serious voice.
"No, it'll go bad before the end of the week." She said.
"It won't if we eat it all."
"You're going to get yourself sick." Oscar laughed.
"I agree. We can always come back again if you really like it." Weiss added. That seemed to cheer Jaune up at least.
"Fine. I guess let's tackle the cupcakes this time."
After agonizing over which flavours to choose from, they all left with a big box of desserts to their name.
"But mommy, I want one!" A small kid with the fluffiest cat ears was pointing at the bakery display window.
"I told you we're not allowed in there." His mother frowned. "We can buy some cake mix at the supermarket."
"But I don't want the yucky stuff from the market! I want to try this stuff!"
Weiss frowned. She hadn't seen any signs forbidding Faunus from entering, but then again there seemed to be many unwritten restrictions the Faunus faced in Mantel—even more than Mistral. She couldn't recall seeing a single Faunus in the movie theatre or the restaurant they went to for dinner beforehand.
"You can have one of mine." She offered the small family.
The woman paled the moment she saw Weiss but her son looked like he'd just struck gold.
"Really?!" The boy exclaimed excitedly.
"Honey, we can't—"
"I don't mind. Everyone deserves to enjoy some dessert." She knelt down to the boy's eye level and opened her box of cupcakes. "Choose whichever you want."
"You're the best, lady!"
"I-I don't have anything to pay you back." The mother tried to pull her son back from the box of sweets to no avail.
"I don't need anything in return." Weiss smiled. "You can have one as well if you'd like."
The woman looked at her in utter disbelief.
"Can I have the chocolate one?" The boy's question drew her attention away from his mother.
"Of course."
He carefully plucked the chocolate cupcake from the box and immediately took a large bite before his mother could protest.
"This is so good! Thank you!" He spoke with a faceful of icing.
"I'm glad you like it." She smiled, remembering the similar reaction Adam had when he first tasted chocolate. "Chocolate is…was my friend's favourite flavour as well. I used to give him a ton of chocolate cake when we were your age."
"Your friend sounds super lucky! Mommy only lets me have chocolate when it's my birthday. I need to find a cool chocolate buddy too!"
She laughed and closed the cupcake box. Standing back up she handed the desserts to his mother.
"Here, you can have the rest of it."
"I-I really can't! You bought it—"
"I think your son will get more out of it than me." She said, earning a hearty nod from the young child. "Go on and enjoy the rest of them."
The woman looked at the box with great apprehension. She finally relented after seeing the pure joy on her son's face.
"Thank you. I-I don't know how I'll ever pay you back."
"Don't worry, it's my treat."
After waving goodbye to the small family, she returned to her friends and they resumed their journey back to Atlas.
"We're never buying from that bakery ever again." Jaune voiced the thought in her head.
"I agree." Oscar nodded adamantly. "Next time, we need to do more research before going shopping."
"Jacques Schnee, you're under arrest." She didn't bother holding back a smile when Jacques looked at her completely dumbfounded.
'I dare you to run.' She thought, already resting one hand on the hilt of her sword.
"C-come on, Weiss. I-I'm you father–"
"I'm going to expose all the crimes you've committed, there won't be a single person in Remnant who'll be ignorant to the lives you destroyed."
'Force me to draw my sword. Do it.'
He didn't make a move for what felt like hours. Weiss felt her heart quicken when he made a mad dash for the door. She purposefully let him leave the room for going after him.
It wasn't difficult to catch up to him with the aid of her Glyphs. She launched herself ahead of him, landing directly in front of his path.
She quickly drew her sword, activating as much of her Red Dust as she possibly could. Even the hilt of her sword burned from the raging fire dancing on her blade.
'This is for all the people you hurt. For him. For me.'
Jacques attempted to turn around and retreat, but she was faster than him. The hall echoed with his pained cries and stunk of burnt flesh. He stumbled back, cradling the left half of his face where her blazing sword had made contact.
He collapsed onto the floor with a grunt. Still, he managed to look up at her with the same level of malice as when she was a kid despite having part of his face burnt off and an eye cut cleanly through.
'He looks pathetic.' Was the first thing that came to mind now that he was at her mercy.
Her hands were shaking despite holding all the power in the situation. Weiss wasn't sure if she was angry or scared or both.
She internally cursed when she spotted reinforcements rushing in to help her.
"You're lucky that the people here want to do things the official way." She reluctantly lowered her sword. In a much quieter voice, she added," remember this, they're the only ones standing between you and what you really deserve."
Ironwood was not too impressed with the permanent damage she left on her father's face. It didn't help that Jacques was angrily accusing her of blackmail.
"It was an honest accident," Weiss said innocently when Ironwood confronted her about it. "He was squirming a lot and my hand must've slipped. I have no idea what he's going on about."
Ironwood didn't appear to buy her story completely, but he also didn't seem too interested in pursuing the matter any further. Salem was a much bigger threat than her father's sorry state.
"Make sure this doesn't happen again." That was all he said in response.
"Understood."
She pulled her hood up when he turned his back on her. Try as she might, she couldn't hold back the triumphant grin on her face.
She may not have been able to give Jacques the justice he deserved, but she at least left a permanent reminder of his sins. No amount of money could completely reverse the damage she left on his face. That, at least, satisfied the raging beast in her heart somewhat.
Weiss found the Dust Crystal almost immediately. While Ruby and the others were recollecting themselves in her sitting room, Weiss retreated to her bedroom to look for her most treasured gift.
Like the snowflake charm, it was smaller than she remembered it to be, but the warmth it gave off was just as strong as her memories. She sat with her back against the wall, cradling the tiny crystal close to her chest.
It felt like a part of him was still somehow alive.
"It's been so long since we last saw each other." She whispered. "I miss you."
She could imagine him teasing her about being a big softie all the while greeting her with the warmest hug. It brought a smile to her face.
"The world's gotten so much messier, Adam. I wish you were still here to give me advice. You always seem to know what to do when we're in a bind.
"Father was arrested. Believe it or not, I was able to leave him a…permanent reminder of what he did to you and so many others. I-I know it isn't enough, but I'll find a way to make it up to you—to all the people he hurt."
She could already see the smug grin on his face from hearing her story. She imagined he'd either tease her for acting so heroically or ask why she didn't take her justice one step further. Either way, he would be elated by the news.
'If only I could see you smile in person again.'
She dabbed her damp eyes dry with the back of her hand.
"I'm scared, Adam. The enemies we're facing are so much bigger than we ever imagined. If we lose there won't be a world for Faunus or humans to exist in."
She squeezed the crystal so tightly it hurt.
'Be brave.' She remembered his voice loud and clear in her head.
"I'll try to keep fighting. I honestly don't know if I'll live long enough to even see the world after Salem is gone–-i-if there's even a world left after this is over.
"Ruby always goes on about having hope, and maybe I should take a page out of her book. If I live after this whole mess is over, I promise I'll do everything in my power to fight for Faunus equality. I'm going to use our money to help back up the Belladonnas with their cause, and I'll fight the next Sienna who tries to lead the movement astray or whoever wants to hurt the Faunus like J-Jacques did."
Her heart was pounding with every word of her vow.
"But if I somehow end up killed in battle…if I don't have enough time to carry out everything I want to do…promise me you'll be there to catch me?"
She didn't need to hear his voice to know his response.
'Be brave.'
She heard someone approaching from the hall. Giving his crystal one last squeeze, she quickly hid it in the same pocket as the snowflake charm.
"Weiss?" Ruby popped her head in after a quick knock. "Blake's made some really delicious tea. Do you want some?"
"Sure." She smiled and joined her in the hallway.
"Are you…okay?" Ruby asked her gently.
'Be brave.'
"I've never been better."