That finale. Holy. Fuck. And gen:lock is really amazing so far!
Also 'Whats up Danger' really helped with Yang's fight scene in this chapter.
Her head hung low as she stared out the window. The city of Mistral stretched out before her, built around its great water canals, and lifts. The ship turned, and she saw her reflection in the glass. Winter's eyes trailed down her uniform; at her new rank, ribbons, and medals. She ran a hand over the newest medal, sighing.
She stood at attention in line with several others. A crowd of soldier's sat before her, General Ironwood at a microphone, speaking to the crowd, his back ruler straight, his dress blues crisp.
"-for without these brave soldiers, the Fall of Beacon may have been much worse."
The crowd clapped politely for a moment. The General turned, marching over to the line. A soldier stood beside him, carrying a box, the lid open. Winter stared ahead as she heard Ironwood make his way down the line.
He stopped before her, she saluted. He saluted back. He lowered the salute, reaching into the box as he spoke.
"For your outstanding bravery and valor on the field of battle, I award you the Atlas Star." He placed the medal on her uniform. "For standing with Vale during its Fall, I award you the Vale Theater." Another medal. "For the leadership displayed during the Battle of Beacon, you are promoted to Major."
The crowd clapped as General Ironwood placed the insignia's on her collar.
"Thank you, sir." She said.
"Thank you, Major," he responded.
The ship jolted, beginning to descend. Winter exhaled through her nose, lowering her hand.
Bravery.
Weiss' fear filled eyes as that man dragged her along.
Valor.
Sheathing her sword and letting her be taken back to hell.
Leadership.
Winter squeezed her eyes shut, gripping her knee.
"Major, we are beginning our descent. The Mistral Councilman will be meeting you upon arrival." She opened her eyes, looking back out the window. They were nearing an Atlesian base, soldiers and mechs bustling about. She got up from her seat, heading to the hanger as the ship descended. She felt the ship lurch as it landed. The hanger doors hissed open a moment later, its gangway lowering.
A man stood waiting on the tarmac, his face stern.
"Major Schnee, Operative in the Atlesian Specialist Corps." The Councilman said.
"Aye, sir." She said as she walked down the gangway. He rested his hands behind his back, and motioned with his head for her to follow before taking off at a brisk pace.
"You Atlesian's are beginning to overstay your welcome." He said. "The people of Mistral saw what happened in Vale, they don't trust the soldiers here. That Brothers damned Dust embargo your General imposed isn't helping matters either. The entire city is getting low; our Hunters are in dire need of more. Our hospitals are running low on aura boosters and other Dust based medicine. The black market down in the slums has just been growing as a result."
They passed a barracks, Winter glanced at the soldier's gawking at her as she passed.
"Councilman, with all due respect, the embargo is to ensure the safety of Atlas. General Ironwood-"
"Is a madman." He retorted. Winter kept her bearing. "And sending a high profile soldier like yourself to our city in the midst of all of this is a spit to our face." They reached the end of the base, guards standing at attention at the gate. The Councilman turned, moving his hands to his coats pockets. "The people of Argus may be okay with your governments actions, but we don't owe our lives to Atlas like they do. These soldiers and bases are a relic from a different era; we don't need Atlas forces here anymore, reconstruction from the Great War has long since ended, and your continued presence here is insensitive at best, and a play at imperialism at worst."
Winter stood at ease, her face blank as she looked at him.
"Will that be all, Councilman?" He narrowed his eyes.
"It is. The rest of the Mistral Council and I will be discussing the removal of Atlesian troops from our Kingdom. But until then, I want you to keep to yourself and not cause a panic in my city." He turned, walking through the gate. "We've had enough issues with Grimm as it is, we don't need even more of them getting in."
Winter turned from the gate, and head toward her quarters. This was going to be a long deployment.
She stood before her nightstand, looking down at the knife. She took a deep breath, closing her eyes, and exhaled. She opened her eyes, grabbing the knife. She looked into the mirror, staring at her reflection. At the long scar trailing down her left eye, at the scars littering her arms. At her icy blue eyes, her ivory white hair. The marks of a Schnee. She grabbed a hold of her ponytail, lifting it up as she raised the knife.
She ignored the pain as the blade cut through, watching her ivory hair fall as she hacked through it with the knife. Her tiara slid off, clattering to the ground. Weiss released the remains of her ponytail, grabbing at the spare ends, chopping, watching it all fall away.
She dropped the knife, hearing it fall. She looked at herself, at the person staring back at her. She ran a hand through the remains of her hair, smiling at her reflection.
For the first time in her life, Weiss liked what she saw.
Yang gripped the rail as she descended, her eyes slowly adjusting to the darkness. The all too familiar sound of strained grunting, and screams of pain grew louder the further down she went. She squinted at the light at the end of the stairs, blinking as she stepped into it.
A crowd was dispersing, some shaking their heads, grumbling to themselves, others looking smug. Someone in the crowd stopped, eyes widening at the sight of her.
"Little Sun Dragon?"
The crowd stopped, gaping at her, some running to the betting counter, others murmuring. Yang scanned the crowd, frowning.
"Where's that bear Faunus I fought." More people ran to the betting counter. The first person who noticed her chortled, and shouted over his shoulder.
"Polar!"
She heard a low grunt as he rose up from his seat at the wall on the other side of the room. He cracked his knuckles as he lumbered over, smirking as he looked at her.
"Long time no see, Sun Dragon." The smirk grew as he looked at her stump. "I made a pretty penny off that arm of yours." Roars of laughter from the crowd. He stopped at the crowd, crossing his arms. "Are you here for me to break your legs? Like you did to that kid?"
The crowd began to move, encircling them. Yang kept her eyes on him, she felt her hand tremble. She titled her chin up.
"Ten thousand on me."
Polar laughed, lowering his head, a murderous glint in his eyes.
"Twenty thousand on me."
Yang ran forward, hurling her fist with a yell. He caught her fist growling; Yang snarled, slamming her knee into his gut, retching her fist free, spinning and kicking his side.
He staggered back, grunting. He charged with a yell, Yang sidestepping, kicking the back of his knee. He fell, Yang slammed her fist in the back of his head, hurling him to the ground.
She yelped, her feet getting swiped out from underneath her. She hit the concrete, stars erupting in her vision. She gasped, rolling out of the way as Polar punched where she had been, bits of concrete flying up. She propped herself up, spinning her body, round kicking him, and landing nimbly on her feet. She backed up, raising her fist.
Blood ran from Polar's nose. He wiped at it, before charging, throwing a punch. Yang blocked, grunting as she blocked his other fist, crying out as his head slammed into hers. She staggered back, grasping her head. She yelled as his foot shot out, kicking her back.
She snarled, going for a hook. He dodged, grabbing her wrist, retching her arm behind her, his foot slamming into her back, hurling her forward. She spun around, crying out as his fist collided with her cheek.
She blocked his fist, her eyes going wide as his other hand grabbed the tied jacket around her stump. She screamed as he hefted her into the air, flinging him over her shoulder, feeling her jacket fly off. She hit the concrete, groaning, her head swimming. She tried to get up, yelling as she was thrown to the floor, a hand grabbing her head, a weight pinning her to the floor.
The Ursa stared down at her, flames surrounding them. Yang screamed, beginning to thrash, throwing a fist at the Ursa's face. The Ursa grunted, growling. Yang felt a tightening around her head, feeling it get lifted off the ground. She squeezed her eyes shut, her blood growing hot as she threw another punch. She felt the Ursa's paw get ripped off her head, hearing it yell, the pinning weight disappearing.
Yang opened her eyes; the fires were gone, Polar grunting as he staggered to his feet, blood running down the side of his head. Yang's heart hammered in her chest, her hand trembling violently. She swallowed, forcing her hand to steady.
Yang rose up.
She sprinted forward, leaping toward Polar. He growled, turning, his fist shooting out. Yang turned, feeling it brush past her, and stepped on his knee, spring boarding from it. She saw the realization in his eyes as she swung down. Her fist slammed into his face, hurling him to the ground, Yang landing on top of him. Her legs pinned him down, her fist slamming into his face again and again, pummeling him, blood spurting from his broken lips and nose. She grabbed a hold of his head, hefting it up before slamming it into the concrete. His body went limp, his breathing slowing.
Yang stepped off of him, blood dripping from her trembling hand. She turned toward the betting counter, scowling.
"Got my money?"
Winter kept her hands in her hoodie's pockets as the lift descended. Her pistol was cold as it sat against her hands. She glanced at the people around her; some were chatting with each other, others looking at their scrolls. A breeze blew, Winter's hair shifting with the wind. She pulled a hand free, and pulled her hood up. Letting her hair down was always so annoying when it was windy.
The lift slid to a stop, the other people climbing off. She glanced aside, seeing a crowd get on a lift next to her. It began to ascend after a moment, Winter's lift jolting as it began to descend. She was the only person on the lift. The air began to grow more stagnant the further down she went. The buildings grew dingier, the cobblestone roads and water canals disappearing, dirt roads filling their spaces.
The lift stopped, the air dead, a festering, rank odor in the air. She stepped off the lift, walking into the crowded streets of the slums.
Decrepit building's surrounded the dirt streets, garbage and filth caking the alleyways. She saw people laying in the allies, flies buzzing around them. She gripped her pistol as she saw patched up stalls replace the buildings.
The black market was overflowing with people, hundreds of loud voices talking over one another. She saw weapons, spirits, rice, fruit, bread, meat, narcotics, Dust crystals, vials of purified Dust.
She stopped at a booth, looking down at the vials of Dust, glancing over at the bags of drugs next to it.
"You look rather tense." She looked up. The vendor smiled, his teeth rotten. "That shit you were looking at? I can guarantee it'll make you feel better." He chuckled. "It'll fuck you up, won't even know who you are. All your worries," he made a bursting bubble motion "Gone, like that."
"Not interested," Winter said. She moved on from the vendor, making her way through the crowd. Building's began to appear further into the market, slumped together, stalls in front of the buildings.
Winter passed a building before pausing, and backing up, looking down the slim alleyway.
Painted in black paint, partially covered by a poster, was Salem's Eye.
Winter scowled, gripping her pistol. She squeezed into the alleyway, stepping around the filth. She walked for several minutes, the alleyways a maze, growing tighter and tighter the further in she went. The sounds of the black market faded, replaced by the sound of nothing.
She reached a dead end, garbage blocking off both ends of the alleyway. Winter craned her neck, pulling her pistol from her pocket, scanning the walls. She narrowed her eyes, near the roof on the left, 'mother' was written in faded paint. She looked at the building on the left; that garbage seemed to be stacked in a specific manor. She went over to it, crouching down and examining it. She noticed footprints in the grime, a large amount of them, she lifted her head, the garbage moved as if people had been climbing over it.
She pocketed her pistol, and climbed the wall of filth, grunting as she landed on the other side, pulling out her pistol.
She continued down the labyrinth of alleyways. Her ears perked up… was that… chanting?
She saw shadows dancing at the end of the alley, the chanting growing louder. She stopped at the building, gripping her pistol as she peaked around the edge.
A mass of people were on their knees, praying, a man in a black robe standing before the mass. A woman was tied to a pole. Winter squinted; brown, dried blood surrounded the pole.
"How blessed we are to have found another Hunter. To be able to appease our Mother." The Robed Man said. "Sable has taught us the way to salvation, and we must ensure that the people of Mistral learn of our Mother's ways."
"Let me go you sick fuck!" The Huntress screamed, thrashing against the pole and chains. The Robed Man turned to her, and laughed.
"You have hunted our brethren. We cannot allow you to continue to corrupt this world." He looked out at the crowed, cocking his head to the side. Ice shot through Winter as his eyes connected with hers. He smiled. "Ahhh, another person has come to join our flock."
The mass of people turned, Winter swallowed, feeling sweat trickle down her neck. She pocketed her pistol before stepping out from behind the building. She tried to keep her voice steady, praying her hood hid her face.
"I saw the Eye, and wanted to find my salvation."
The Robed Man smiled, motioning for Winter to join the crowd. She hung in the back as the Robed Man turned back to the Hunter, drawing a dagger from his sleeve. Winter steeled her nerves as a quiet cry sounded behind her. She didn't look behind her, hearing it claw its way past her. A twisted, winged creature made its way forward, fear shooting through the Huntresses eyes.
"It is time for the Hunter to be the Hunted."
The Robed Man stabbed the dagger into the Huntresses arm, blood spurting as she screamed. The Manananggal's torso ripped apart, lurching forward, its fangs wrapping around the Huntresses throat, its claws ripping through the chains, and into her stomach. Her screams became garbled cries as it ripped her throat open, its claws tearing out her intestines. Blood pooled around her as the Grimm released her, looking up, sniffing at the air.
Winter stiffened as the Manananggal looked back at her, its orange eyes beady. It reconnected its body before making its way through the crowd.
Happy thoughts, happy thoughts.
"Ahhh, I see that a member has not accepted the Grimm as their brother."
Weiss' smiling face.
The Grimm stopped in front of her, sniffing at her, blood soaking its fangs. She squeezed her eyes shut.
Weiss' adoring eyes.
She heard the Manananggal's quiet cry, and a scream of pain. She opened her eyes as the person next to her thrashed on the ground, the Grimm tearing into him. She heard the Robed Man click his tongue.
"Such a waste," he said.
Winter watched the Grimm feed, her body unable to move, images of Weiss and Whitley playing through her mind.
The General has to learn about this.
I thought I could combine the contents of the Winter chapter with V4E11 but I wasn't very pleased with it and thought it might work better as a solo chapter like I originally intended. If y'all disagree I can combine this with V4E11 once it's uploaded .