Chapter-7
Weiss
Truth be told, Weiss had not been expecting things to go so badly. She'd thought that once she'd escaped Atlas, it would be one calm trip to Mistral before she had to figure out her next move. But the disaster at Lake Matsu had put an end to that trip, sending her bullhead crashing.
Weiss had put up glyphs just in time before the bullhead crash, but she still felt the heat of the explosion and shrapnel flying about as she lay coughing on the ground.
The pilot's fine, right? Weiss thought. The man had done so much to help her, he had to be fine, right? Weiss coughed a bit more in the smoke before noticing someone arrive. They were a boy with blue eyes and yellow hair.
Jaune? Weiss thought before shaking her head. Jaune's hair is a lot longer an shaggier than the boy in front of her, and she was pretty sure Jaune didn't wear glasses. The boy wore a purple jacket with steel armor and blue jeans and black shoes under a tattered brown cloak. Weiss could see a sword sheathed on his hip and a gold spear on his back.
"Miss? Are you alright?" The boy spoke as Weiss stared at him.
Who is this? Weiss thought. She didn't expect someone to be passing by when the bullhead crashed. And that too someone who didn't even look older than a graduate of a combat school.
"Hold on, Miss! I'm here to help! You can trust me!" He spoke.
"The…pilot…?" Weiss spoke coughing as the boy shook his head.
"He's dead. I'm sorry." The boy spoke before kneeling to pick up Weiss.
Wait, hold on… Weiss thought before he grabbed onto her shoulder with surprising strength and wrapped her arm around her shoulders.
"It's going to be alright. What's your name?" He asked as Weiss stared at him with a frown.
Such a young boy by himself, wearing armor… Weiss thought. Most huntsmen didn't wear armor because aura already offered protection and did not create extra burden for the huntsmen. That, and the fact that he's alone at such a young age raised her suspicion.
But again, her being a Schnee was something he would notice, considering her white hair and schnee emblem being well-known among criminal circles. So, he could not possibly be a bandit.
"...Weiss." Weiss replied as the boy smiled.
"Alright, Weiss. Let's get you out of here." He spoke preparing to go when Weiss tapped his shoulder.
"Hm?"
"My weapon." Weiss spoke as the boy raised an eyebrow in momentary surprise before realization dawned. "Oh, oh…I didn't realize that. Alright then, can you tell me what it looks like?"
Weiss was silent as she scanned the site for anything before noticing Myrtenaster's hilt behind a chunk of metal.
"There…" Weiss spoke before Jason took her to the spot. As soon as Weiss noticed Myrtenaster, she took one last look at the boy.
I don't know how fast he is. But with that armor, not much. I can reach myrtenaster before him. Weiss thought.
She tried to get out of his grip but a sharp pain stabbed through her abdomen.
"Grk!" Weiss stumbled and Jason's grip tightened.
"Woah, woah!" Jason spoke not letting go of her. "Huh…I guess your stomach must have suffered some tissue damage."
Weiss grit her teeth. Jason was right. She had learnt some first aid at Beacon and knew what tissue damage looked like. It would take some time before her aura repaired the damage.
Which means I'm at his mercy. Weiss thought bitterly. It wasn't that Jason showed any ill intentions, but when it comes to the Animan countryside, which is rampant with bandits, one could not fully trust every random stranger that just happened to pass by.
He propped her against the chunk before picking up Myrtenaster. He examined the blade before handing it to her.
"I'm no smith, but I can tell that's a really good blade." Jason spoke before helping up Weiss and leading her away. Jason led her to a brown horse on the path.
"Uh…do you mind being picked up?" Jason asked as Weiss stared at him in confusion before her cheeks flushed.
"...N-No." Weiss spoke before Jason picked her up in a bridal fashion, again surprising her with his strength, and placing her on the horse. He got up himself before beckoning Weiss to wrap her arms around him and spurring his horse to ride in the south direction.
Weiss looked back at the plume of smoke rising as they rode before nodding in respect to the pilot.
"So, Weiss, where are you from?" Jason asked as Weiss shook her head.
"What, you don't know where I'm from?" Weiss asked in surprise before biting her tongue.
Shut up, Weiss! You still don't know if Jason can be fully trusted! She chastised herself.
"Sorry, I grew up outside the kingdoms, so…"
That only made Weiss more concerned. It wasn't uncommon for bandits to have grown up outside the kingdoms.
But he might not be able to put two and two, if he doesn't even recognize that I'm from Atlas. Weiss thought.
"Atlas."
"Atlas? I see. But what are you doing so far away from your home?" Jason asked as Weiss scowled.
I could ask you the same thing. She thought with suspicion.
"...Travelling." She spoke with a little irritation. Jason didn't ask any questions after that.
"Where are you from, Jason?" Weiss asked.
"Northeastern anima."
Damn it! He's from a disjoint region! Now I can't verify his credentials within the CCT! Weiss thought in frustration.
"And where are you headed?"
"Oh, Shion. I'm returning there after completing a task in Kuroyuri." Jason spoke as Weiss' eyes widened.
"Kuroyuri?!" She exclaimed. Even if she was from Atlas, she was very well aware of the disasters at Oniyuri and Kuroyuri. It was well-known that it was a bad idea trying to use the road on which Kuroyuri and Oniyuri lie in Anima, even if it is the quickest route to Mistral from the south.
"Yep." Jason replied. "Now that its done. I'm going back to Shion, after that, I'm headed to Mistral."
Huh, so we're headed to the same spot. Weiss thought. Well, that was one good news of the situation.
Soon, night fell and Jason stopped his horse for resting. He took his horse off the road and into a grassland. Jason dismounted before Weiss followed.
"You're okay?" Jason asked as Weiss nodded. Her aura had by this time already repaired the tissue damage, so she was completely fine.
"Well, that's great. Is it okay if I leave you alone go get some firewood?" He asked as Weiss raised Myrtenaster with an irritated, sending a silent message.
"Ah, right. Sorry." Jason spoke before leaving as Weiss looked around. Now that she was much better, she didn't need to depend on Jason. As normal as his story might have sounded, he was hiding something. And Weiss wanted to make sure this wasn't a trap.
Weiss could hear the howls of the grimm and kept Myrtenaster ready, in case the grimm attacked.
Soon, Jason returned with some wood. He set them down before pulling out some twigs as Weiss walked up behind him and observed.
"Hold on, just a little bit more…" Jason stopped as Myrtenaster's blade touched the back of his throat as Weiss looked at him with a scowl.
"Raise your hands." She ordered as Jason was silent.
"I said raise your hands!" Weiss snapped as Jason's arms came up
"...Weiss." He spoke in a sudden wary tone. "What's going on?"
"I couldn't get the opportunity because of my injury." Weiss spoke. "But now, I think its time you answered some questions." She spoke.
"First, is it all true? You being from Northeastern Anima?" She asked as Jason was silent. "...Yes."
"Were you told to go to Kuroyuri?" Weiss asked as Jason shook his head. "No, I went there by my own choice."
"Alright then, last question. Are you a bandit?" Weiss asked in an icy tone.
Jason and Weiss were silent as the air grew heavy, both contemplating what to do next.
If he is a bandit, then I have to subdue him and escape with this horse. He said Shion is in that direction, so I'll head there. Weiss thought before going to press Myrtenaster further.
"Are you su…" Weiss gasped as she felt Myrtenaster actually prick Jason's skin, making blood come out.
Immediately, Weiss felt the wind get knocked out of her as Jason kicked his leg back to hit her in the stomach. Weiss staggered back and quickly recovered before assuming her stance, while Jason stood at the opposite side of the campfire with a gold sword in a defensive stance.
They circled each other warily, not breaking each other's gaze, although Weiss found herself getting uncomfortable at Jason's unblinking stare.
"Weiss, I swear on the river Styx I don't have any bad intentions." Jason spoke as Weiss tilted her head.
"River Styx? What's that?"
Jason sighed in frustration. "I mean, I swear on my life I'm not a bandit. I'm just a traveler, that's it."
He slowly lowered his sword, although Weiss kept Myrtenaster firm. Jason's eyes then widened.
"Watch out!" He exclaimed as something knocked Weiss to the ground, a beowulf's claw passing through the air where her head was.
Weiss looked at the beowulf in surprise before Jason cut its head off. Weiss quickly got up to notice several Beowolves and Ursai appear from the grass along side a geist grimm.
"Weiss! We can talk later! First let's get through this!" Jason exclaimed before charging at the horde. Weiss blinked before reluctantly joining in. Even if she still didn't trust him, he was right. Although Weiss had to be careful in case Jason decided to leave her behind.
Weiss loaded her dust revolver to ice dust before engaging the grimm
Weiss put down glyphs on the ground and turned into a white blur, speeding past Beowolves as Myrtenaster cut them down. Some beowolves attempted to surround her, but Weiss switched to wind dust and stabbed down Myrtenaster, blasting them all away.
Weiss gasped as an Ursa suddenly appeared beside her and hastily placed a glyph to take the blow before dashing to side and stabbing it through the eyes.
Weiss then rushed at the recovering Beowolves who charged at her. Weiss placed glyphs around her and flowed into a ballet dance, cutting down the beowolves with fluid swings from Myrtenaster.
Out of the corner of her eye, she spotted Jason, who moved with surprising speed and agility, rolling under the paws of beowolves before beheading them with one swing from his golden blade.
Weiss' eyes widened as Jason's body bent and twisted at extreme angles to dodge the strikes the beowolves while his blade seemed to cut through their armor with no problem. A beowulf came up behind him, but Jason somehow cleaved it in half without looking back.
My goodness, Jason's agility is on par with Winter's, maybe even superior. Weiss thought in shock before shaking her head. Did she actually just think that some random traveller on the road was on par with the best Specialist of the Atlesian army?
Weiss was so distracted by her thoughts that she didn't notice a beowulf come up on her.
"WEISS!" Jason yelled as Weiss noticed the beowulf and hissed as its claws scraped against her aura. Weiss cut down the beowolf with an angry frown.
What are you doing, Weiss?! This is not the time for contemplation! Weiss chastised herself before glaring at the Beowolves and igniting Myrtenaster's blade with fire dust as well as placing down a time dilation glyph.
Weiss moved at blistering speeds, slashing Myrtenaster in flaming arcs as she vanished from one spot before cutting down a grimm with her fiery blade in another.
Soon, Weiss started to tire and dissipated the time dilation glyph before stabbing Myrtenaster into the ground in a summoning glyph. The spectral form of the queen lancer appeared and Weiss used it to fly up in the air, summoning fiery glyphs to rain fireballs down on the grimm.
"Woah!" She heard Jason exclaim as he cut down another grimm and stare at her in surprise. Weiss smirked in response before continuing to bombard the grassland with fireballs atop her lancer summon.
Hm, I do wonder though. Where did the geist go? Weiss thought before hearing the sound of rocks moving and noticed the geist's mask looking at her from a giant rocky golem.
…A Petra Gigas? Weiss thought before pointing her glyphs at the Petra gigas and firing. The fireballs hit the the Petra gigas, making it stumble. But despite smoke rising from the spots, it seemed mostly fine.
The Petra Gigas swung its massive arm to swat Weiss out of the air, forcing her to dodge. Weiss narrowed her eyes.
From what I remember, Professor Port said to never use dust that produces solid objects against a geist, so lightning and fire are my best options.
Weiss flew to the Petra Gigas' shoulder before switching to lightning dust and stabbing Myrtenaster into it, stunning the arm before returning to her lancer and firing fireballs to knock its arms off.
But before Weiss could plan further, the Geist sent its falling arm at Weiss, destroying her lancer summon and sending the girl plummeting.
Weiss placed a glyph to stop her fall before jumping as the Petra Gigas' arm smashed into it. Weiss did this until she reached the ground.
Weiss then went to create another summoning glyph, but the Petra Gigas smashed its fist into the ground, sending a shockwave and knocking Weiss back.
"Ugh!" Weiss flew back and tumbled across the ground, myrtenaster flying out of her hands and landing away from her.
Weiss blinked the spots out of her eyes and groaned in pain, before attempting to crawl to Myrtenaster. Weiss then noticed a red glow and looked up to see the Petra Gigas staring down at her.
No! She thought in terror as the Petra Gigas raised its foot to crush her.
But before it could bring it down, a massive lightning bolt struck it in the chest, actually knocking it down.
Weiss clutched her ears, which were ringing from the loud roar of the lightning bolt.
What? Where did that… Weiss then noticed Jason standing to the side, dripping with grimm blood as he had his right arm raised, sparking with lightning.
"Now! It's stunned!" Jason exclaimed as Weiss quickly reached Myrtenaster and completed her summoning glyph before the Arma Gigas emerged.
The Petra gigas rose up shakily, with chunks of its rocky body blasted off by Jason's lightning bolt and staring at Weiss' Arma Gigas before attempting to swing its arm. Weiss swung Myrtenaster as The Arma Gigas swung its sword and cut off the arm before shoulder-checking the Petra gigas to the ground.
Weiss cast a thankful look at Jason before stabbing Myrtenaster down as the Arma Gigas raised its sword and drove it through the Petra Gigas' Geist mask, killing it.
The Arma Gigas dissipated as Weiss breathed heavily.
"Are you alright?" She heard Jason ask and looked at him. "Y-Yes." She spoke.
"..."
"Jason?"
"Yes?"
"...T-Thank you for saving me." She spoke, bowing her head.
He actually helped me out. Weiss thought. He was genuine in all the help he'd offered her. And she'd treated him with suspicion and hostility.
Shame filled her, and Weiss could do nothing but bow down to him in apology for her harsh treatment of him.
Jason smiled. "You're welcome." He spoke.
"I'm sorry for my behaviour earlier."
"It's fine. I'm not mad." Jason spoke. "I guess now you trust me?" He spoke as Weiss nodded. "Good. Now let's get that campfire going."
Jason lit the camp fire and the two sat down. Weiss looked at Jason's sword.
"Where did you get that sword?" She asked.
"My matron gave it to me." Jason spoke.
"Does it have any mechashift features?" Weiss asked. She actually didn't see it do anything besides cut down grimm like a regular sword.
"No. It's just a sword."
Ah, so it's like Jaune's. Weiss thought.
"Does it have a name?" Weiss asked as a contemplative look crossed Jason's face.
"...Now that I think of it, no. I don't think I've actually named a weapon ever since I lost my old one, IVLIVS."
"I see." Weiss spoke before addressing the elephant in the room. "That lightning…was that your semblance?"
Jason shrugged. "You could say so."
Weiss shivered. "It's a bit terrifying."
Jason snorted in amusement. "Well, lightning bolts have always been a symbol of power. Most of the time people are afraid of power. It tends to lower their self-esteem and make them feel inadequate in front of it."
Weiss hummed. It was an interesting thought, and one she could find examples of. She had been afraid of her father precisely because of his power over her.
"I agree." Weiss spoke before yawning.
Weiss! What are you doing, yawning like an undignified savage?! Weiss' mind screamed at her.
"Yeah, I think that's enough talk. You rest. I'll keep watch." Jason spoke as he gave his cloak to her.
"Oh, I don't want to be a burden…"
"It's alright. I've done this many times, even in snow without a fire to warm me up." Jason replied before propping his spear against his shoulder.
"You're going to stay up all night?" Weiss asked in concern.
"I'll stay awake until I feel sleepy. Then I'll fall asleep. Don't worry about any sneak attacks, I'm a very light sleeper so I'll wake up before any grimm come close."
Jason honestly sounds like a soldier with those statements. Weiss thought.
"Oh well, if you say so." Weiss spoke before laying on the ground and covering herself in Jason's cloak. It felt uncomfortable for her head to be touching the uneven surface of the ground, but soon she found herself drifting off to sleep.
The next morning, they were back on the road. For most of the time, they were silent, although Jason did crack some bad jokes to lighten up the mood.
"Sorry, I'm still trying this out. Leo's much, much better at this than I am." He replied whenever Weiss commented on the poor quality of his jokes.
Jason did mention this 'Leo' and another person 'Piper' many times, but mostly as offhand comments and didn't seem like he wanted to talk about them. Weiss didn't pry further, since it wasn't her business to begin with.
"Alright, Weiss. We're getting close." Jason spoke. "I'll take you to the inn I'm staying at. I'll sort out some last things before we leave for Mistral." Jason spoke before Weiss noticed the sky getting darker.
"Uh…Jason?" Weiss spoke in worry as Jason looked up with a frown. "I see it too. This is a bit odd."
"I have a bad feeling." Weiss spoke before hearing the sounds of screaming. Her eyes widened.
Is Shion…?
"It's under attack!" Jason exclaimed as he beckoned his horse to increase its speed. As they came closer, they came upon a familiar sight.
Bandits were pouring into the city, plundering and burning whatever they could see. Weiss covered her mouth in horror as the streets were littered with corpses as the horse walked through a pool of blood. Screams echoed in the houses and Weiss could only imagine what was happening inside.
Weiss closed her eyes, as unpleasant memories of Beacon came rushing back. Weiss took deep breaths to calm herself before Jason dismounted onto the bloodstained street. He looked at Weiss, who stared at the blood in revulsion before reluctantly dismounting herself.
"Well, well, well. If it isn't golden boy." A man's voice came as bandits appeared from the houses, some of them panting with a relaxed look on their face as Weiss and Jason looked at a long-haired man grinning at them alongside two other people. One was a short-haired woman with blue eyes while the other was a taller woman with spiky black hair with her face covered by a grimm mask.
"Raven." Jason spoke in a cold voice as Weiss' eyes widened in fear.
Raven? As in Raven Branwen?! She thought as her body froze up. Of all the things that could happen, this was possibly the worst one.
"Welcome back to the tribe, Jason. I see you've brought someone with you."
A/N: So, I thought I would make this the finale of Volume - 1, but with all the things I planned out with Jason and Weiss, the chapter was getting very long and I would be rushing the final battle. So, the Battle of Shion commences next chapter, with Jason, Weiss and Shion's huntsmen vs The Branwen Tribe.
After Ruby's non-existent character development, the second gripe I have with the Mistral arc is how much it nerfed Weiss. With the shit Weiss has done in earlier volumes, its unbelievable how she devolved into just placing glyphs and occasionally summoning stuff. Atlas arc partially redeems that, but still not enough. So, I did the best I could to write Weiss' combat to at least match some part of her canon self's.
Hope you guys enjoyed and constructive criticism is appreciated!
Response to reviews:
DARK WRAITH 2001: Yes, I agree Jason can take down professional huntsmen by himself. But Jason was holding back against RNJR, because he was being attacked on the basis of a misunderstanding. If I Jason wanted to be lethal, I would have had him kill all four of them within a few lines of the fight.
RWBY villains will stand a chance for some time until I bring in more PJO elements. Then I'll see how I can keep them relevant in the story.
Also, for your review on Fall of Heaven, its been set up to be a massive story, which trying to write requires some special attention. Right now, I'm on a break from my main story 'Remnant: The Soulless Plains'. I'm going back to it after I finish volume-1 of this story and place Rowan's Shade as a secondary story. So, Fall of Heaven won't come until Soulless Plains is done.
Devin Devin: I actually originally wanted Shion already destroyed before Jason arrived and then write the final confrontation in the Branwen camp. But your review gave me a much better idea for the final confrontation so I'm going with it. Thanks for the review!
Also, since you don't know much about RWBY, just think of it as 'Teenage girls with force fields and superpowers with weapons that have guns slapped onto them fighting soulless creatures and some bad guys'. It's produced by RoosterTeeth.
Cchang3: Let me clarify that too. I'm not following the Canon placement of villages to maintain consistency with my plot.
