Petrified Huntsmen

The huntsmen continue their trail the next morning. Drey had to put out the fire to not attract any enemies behind. It was very quiet on their trail. Neptune and Weiss at some point had left their teams for something personal. Since both of them are looking for their older siblings. The last thing they wanted is to greet them with welcome arms. Neptune keeps looking at her without paying attention to the path ahead. After what happened in the previous night, he felt the need to make up for scaring her.

He may be a flirt as a teenager, but his one goal is to find his brother and bring him back home. But the trouble is, is the man in the photo really Jupiter? Or is he just imagining things? Either way, he has to find out himself.

Both began to see their fellow huntsmen teaming up. But they don't where to blend in since they already took off from their teams. So Neptune walks over to Weiss to see if she can use some assistance. "Hey, Weiss." He spoke. She did not bother looking back at him as she remains at focus to finding the Black Thunderbolts. "I was thinking, how come you're not in a group or something?"

"This isn't a training mission, Neptune. This is serious, if the Thunderbolts are on the island according to rumor, then they must be up to something and I just have to find it. Besides, this is something personal so I can't tell yet."

"Didn't you say that because your sister is missing, they might have something to with her gone?" Neptune recalled.

"Oh, right. What about you? Is there any reason you left your team?" She asked.

"I have my reasons, but I can't say." He replied. Not wanting to reveal the fact that there is a possibility that Jupiter was hidden for a while and joined the Thunderbolts for any explanation. Weiss stared at him without a word.

Is this about the nightmares you're having last night? For all I know, Sun would look after him like a brother. But now that he's here alone. There's a chance that I can find out why going solo. Weiss thought back about the night Neptune waking up in a shock calling out the the name she never heard of. Jupiter? Just who is he? A relative, maybe? Poor Neptune, something must be bothering him.

"Look Weiss, I'm sorry about last night. Just having weird dreams. That's all." Neptune apologized. Not wanting to make it look like he's having personal problems.

"It's fine. I shouldn't have snoop around in the first place. I was just startled by you screaming."

"Do you really have to bring that up?" Neptune inquired grabbing the back of his head in embarrassment. Then roll his eyes to her. "Say, do you wanna team up with me? Because everyone else seem to know each other and we both left out teams." Weiss looked down to the ground to have second thoughts. She wanted to handle the mission alone, but never expected to have this many huntsmen to take the mission. But it could've been a fair share of lien. But why this many huntsmen. Usually only one or a team of huntsmen and huntresses can apply for a mission requests on their scrolls which is now an app. But she hated being alone in some ways. "Alright, you can come. At least it's better than tagging along with those dolts." She gestured at Rick and Drey who're busy punching each other's shoulders, which she finds them annoying. Even as adults, they still acted like children to find the way out of boredom.

"No kidding. Trust me, these are not the type of people you want to get friendly with." Neptune agrees. "When they throw you off the pier."

"I've taken you've known these two?" Weiss asked.

"Yeah, they tried to drown me once. And we were just kids."

"They did what?"

"They failed anyway. Sun already gave them a taste of their own medicine anyway." Neptune chuckled.

"Still, they shouldn't have done that a long time ago. You're lucky you're still here if Sun haven't came by." Weiss exclaimed. She then turned to Rick and Drey when they looked back with a death glare. Weiss began to notice something isn't right about the two. But she looks away to avoid suspicion and pulled Neptune along. "Come on, we have a lot of catching up to do." Walking faster away from their fellow huntsmen. Neptune is confused for why they're walking away. "Hey, wait a minute!" Weiss then found a private cave where nobody can see them. She checks outside if there's anybody listening or hidden. But no one. "Okay, listen. Can you keep this a secret?" She asked. Neptune was mentioned that he was too gullible to be keeping secrets. But this one, it seems to serious for her to keep it to herself. Since he's a nice guy, he'll have his chances of finding his brother for any theories.

"Sure." He nods.

"Have you seen Rick and Drey have been looking at us and the other huntsmen with us, lately?"

"Not that I know of. I tried not to cause a scene with any of them."

"There's something not right about them. Just when we left the camp, they started to write things down every time they're observing us. Just last night after we woke up, I noticed them taking notes on their next move. And these notes, is the list of names of those taking the mission, including us. Then reading our huntsmen licenses."

"Whoa. Talk about an invasion of privacy."

"Clearly. I think they're up to something, which is why I am telling you this. All of us could be at risk if we keep going."

"I never took them for a couple of spies. Now that you've mentioned it, I don't like the looks of things. We should tell somebody. Anybody."

"We're not sure who to trust, yet. Unless somebody is selling us out, you're the only one I can count on, can I trust you on this one?" Now Neptune began to grow suspicious of Rick and Drey since they arrived at the island. They gave him the same glare since they were in their early teens, and they also have given the same look like he's their primary target. Saving the other huntsmen to say the least.

10 years ago.

In Mistral Hospital, a young Neptune was bedridden after fainting, and still hasn't woken up. While his mother, Lydia, and his father, Saturn, are sitting in the waiting room. Saturn holds Lydia into his arms as she not only worried for their younger son, but also mourning for the loss of their oldest. Sun was forced to wait outside of the room since he's not a family member, but keeps pacing back and forth, lamenting himself of how he has talked his best friend into sneaking out on a mission. And caused him to inadvertently create a disaster. While Neptune's sister, Ceres, a doctor who graduated from a medical school, cares for her unconscious little brother. She then saw her brother opening his eyes, while his heart rate is still normal.

"C-Ceres?" He began. While still feeling lightheaded as he had been passed out for 6 days. Not having eaten enough, but having a tube to keep him alive.

"How're you feeling, buddy?" She asked in concern.

"I don't know. How long had I been out?"

"6 days. Do you remembered what happened before you got here?"

Neptune thought back about the mission he and Sun snuck into. Then the image dawned to him when he remembered the cold feeling in the depth of the seas where Jupiter tried to reach him. The snapped back to reality.

"No, Jupiter!" Neptune tries to get up to look for him, but Ceres held him down to keep still. "Neptune, no. You need some rest." Said Ceres. But he keeps fighting it to be released from her grip. But Ceres isn't giving up this easily.

"I have to, he could be alive! He has to be! This is all my fault, I'm the one who messed everything up! I'm the reason he's gone!" He shouted.

"Somebody get the sedatives, stat!" Ceres called out to the staff. As one of the nurses hands her a needle while two other staff held him back down. Ceres gently injected the sedative onto his right arm. "Calm down, Neptune!" She pleaded while still injecting until she pulls off the needle.

Neptune keeps pushing his arms out until the drug have seeped into his veins, giving him a headache. His eyes are giving up to stay opened. His vision got all blurry. That is when his whole body limp from the injection.

"Jupiter..." He said before passing out once again.

10 years after.

Survivor's guilt, that's what everybody have been told when one individual or two survives and the other doesn't. That's what psychiatrists can say to one after the other patient. Neptune would always deny that he isn't afraid of the water, but when near it, he cannot touch it. Whenever he sees it, he gets taken aback. Other times, he sees his older brother. But was he really here, or is it a figment of his imagination. Either way, he was always here, giving him the silent treatment. And a single glare into his eyes. The same eyes that he and Neptune would eventually turn away. A reminder of the day he made a mistake. While he and Weiss are still walking to the east side of the island, Neptune looks up and sees the same blue-haired man with the scar, just as he remembers. But he still isn't sure if it's him standing on a rock. He then shook his head and looked up again, to find him gone.

"What's wrong?" Weiss asked.

"Must be my imagination. Thought I saw something." He replied.

"Maybe you're right..." Weiss paused when she bumped into something, or rather someone without looking. "Ow! Watch where you going, you..." She paused again when she saw a statue of a man with hair tied down, a cowboy robe, hat and black boots. They both immediately recognized him as one of the huntsmen who joined the mission. But how did he get petrified into stone in the first place? What did he saw in his moments before this happened? It frightened Weiss very high, she screamed in terror. Neptune then looked at the statue and looked horrified as well. "What the?!" It's not just him, but four more of them have been turned to stone.

"How did this happened?!" Weiss exclaimed. Neptune observes the petrified huntsmen, and began to realize something.

"Call me crazy, but I think there has to be someone on this island. Someone with a semblance capable by turning people into stone."

"How can you be so sure?"

"Like I said, it's going to sound crazy. But there's somebody I knew when I was younger. Somebody who I thought was dead."

"You're right. That does sound crazy." She sighed. Then they heard rattling like a snake's rattle tail. They then pull out their weapons. "Who's there?! Show yourself!" She demanded. Then landed a woman with green hair, with a rattlesnake tail on her bottom back. Her lips seem to possess some fangs while her tongue hissed with delight for more victims. She has black visors, a leather jacket with a lightning bolt emblem on, and a leotard underneath. "If you're not careful, that's where you'll also die." She said cunningly.

"Who are you?!" Neptune demanded. Then another huntsman charged at her without thinking of what she's capable of. "I've got you now, Thunderbolt! Argh!" He yelled, letting his pride get the best of him. But she turned to him and lifted her visors up to her forehead. Her eyes glowed red, staring at him dead in the eye before he can slash her with a sword. Just 7 inches close, and the huntsman. He gasped when he saw death have came, but not in a real way. Instead he was turned to stone. She then called on her scroll for another person to call. "Roth, you're up."

"Wait a minute...Roth?" Neptune then began to put his finger around his chin, as the name "Roth" came back to him. He may not know him much, but someone his brother knew for a time being as a Haven Student. Then he put two and two together. The real reason for why she wears sunglasses in the first place. Jupiter have warned him about looking into her eyes. Red as death and blood itself, once you saw her eyes, you'll see nothing but black. "It can't be...Zerena?" Weiss glanced at him with shock that he managed to recognized the mysterious woman. "You know her?!"

"How surprising, you have us all figured it out." Said Zerena. Roth then attacked from behind. Before he could hit, Weiss bounced him out of the way with a glyph. Zerena then lifts off her visors again. "Watch out, look at her and you'll be turned too! Shield your eyes!" He warns, Weiss did not hesitate to cover her eyes, and so does Neptune. She have been blindfolded before when her sister had her to practice her senses by hearing. "Well then, it looks like I'll have to teach you both a lesson." Zerena stretched out her whip and lashed it at Neptune then tumbled out of the way and does it again when she came at him way too fast. Her whip isn't just any other whip, but it can break anything harder then stone. Which is what men feared most about her. Roth then moves at the same speed as Weiss. Neither of them would wince an inch of a scratch. Making zig-zag moves to cross blades. When Roth lunges forward to put his sword in the ground to make a huge blow. But Weiss uses her glyph to leap high from the attack before it can strike.

Knocking him out with a slash from the air. Neptune still tries to figure it out on how to take Zerena down without getting struck or be turned to stone. So he managed to get close to her in order to knock her away, but she already recovered back to her feet. Putting her whip back and blocks every swing he makes and jumps back to grab her whip again and swung it on his Tri-hard. Wrapping it around very strongly as she pulls with with her might. But Neptune pulls back while the fight continues.

"What's the matter, coward?! All you need to do is fight back!" Zerena shouts.

"No! This isn't you! Whatever it is you're doing, it ends today!" Neptune said.

"That's what they all say, but face it, it doesn't end here!" Zerena snapped.

"Tell us, did Drey and Rick have anything to do with you?!" Weiss said. While avoiding Roth. But they aren't answering.

"Why would we give a damn, when we're being used? You don't know what it was like the whole world." Snarled Roth.

"Looks like they aren't giving up this easily."

"What happened to you guys over a few years? You have to tell us!" Pleaded Neptune. "Is my brother, with you?! Is he involved in this?!" Weiss is shocked to hear that he has a brother and never mentioned this to anyone else. She could see why he took this mission without Sun, Scarlet, Sage and Nolan. "Answer!" But they aren't responding. That is, until a spotlight appeared. Forcing Zerena to cover her eyes. Putting her shades back on. "Dammit! They found us! Roth, call Jupiter and Tyler! We need to retreat at once!" Ordered Zerena.

"And those two?"

"We'll let them be...for now." They escaped before the authorities from Atlas arrived. "Hey, wait! Get back here!" Neptune tries to go after them, but Weiss pulls him back. The ship has landed and six of the Atlesian soldiers including a militarized woman with white hair tied to a lower bun and icy blue eyes, just like Weiss. With a stylized cap with a silver pin of the symbol representing Atlas. And a trench suit. To her surprise, it was her sister, Winter. But how was she present after the rumor was spread? Did she make that up to lure any criminals in sight?

"Winter, you're alive. I am so glad you're safe. I was beginning to worry. When I heard that you ran from Atlas. I was worried something bad must've happened to you." Weiss sighed in relief. But Winter didn't seem to react to those words. She may be a serious type of person, but not in a coldly manner. Since the battle in Atlas. But she then glared at Neptune and turns back to her younger sister. "Weiss, I am sorry that I worried you. But the mission you took right now is a trap set for the individuals responsible for the embargo sinking. This however led me to him." She then walks over to the blue-haired huntsman. Which made him nervous considering how female soldiers have a streak of dignity. Weiss is confused for why she is talking about him.

Winter then pulled out a hair sample in a plastic bag that has a similar color. And show it to him. "Are you certain it was him?" She asked to one of the soldier and nodded. "DNA evidence doesn't lie, sir." Then looks back at him.

"Very well. Neptune Vasilias, you are hereby under arrest." This shocks them both.

"Wait what?! What for?!"

"For the interference of the dust exportation, 12 counts of kidnapping. And 178 counts of murder. Including thievery." Winter replied. Weiss stands in front of him for his defense. "Winter, wait. You can't just accuse someone for something he didn't know. Why would you think it was him?" Asked Weiss.

"Stand aside, sister. This hair sample has his DNA left behind in one of the sunken ships for the delivery to Vale. On top of it. It was a match." She then turned to one of the soldiers.

"Restrain him." She orders pointing at Neptune. "And escort my sister to the ship."

"Yes, sir." Before they can handcuff him, Weiss grabs Neptune's wrist and formed multiple platforms to speed up and escape. Saving themselves from conflict. "Weiss!" Winter calls but it was too late.

They stopped by another bay in hopes to escape. They stopped to catch their breathe before Weiss glares at him. "So that's why you took this mission alone. You never mentioned you have a brother. Now he's out there making you the fall guy here! If you have had your team with you, none of this would've have happened!" She scolded. But Neptune isn't listening. He walks away, but she catches up with him grabbing his wrist once again to stop him from getting himself killed. "Where do you think you're going?!" She demands, but he didn't look back.

"Going to find my brother." He replied without a second thought and tried to pull away. "Alone. I cannot risk anyone else I cared about, not you, not my team. Or our friends. It's best if you can go back to Atlas with your sister."

"No way, I am not going to let you get yourself killed!"

"I have to! It's my problem, not yours!"

"Let me help you!"

"No!"

"Why not?!"

Neptune then snaps back turning to her. "Because I'm a coward! Okay?! Everything that Jupiter has done, was because of me! I'm the reason he's been declared dead and him going rogue!" This shocks Weiss as she steps back in response to the tone of his voice. He panted for exhaustion of rage and anguish. "What has happened to you?" Weiss teared up. He then calms down for a second time. Then looks at her sympathetically, "I'm sorry. I don't want to put anyone in danger because of me. Just do me a favor and go back to Atlas, for your sake." He turns away and never looks back again. Weiss stares at him, worried that something will happened to him if he doesn't refrain himself without thinking.

Author's note: Zerena can be an allusion to Medusa from Greek Mythology. Which is the reason she wears sunglasses. Once she removes them, her semblance will activate when her eyes will glow red and anybody who looks into her eyes, will be petrified. I called it, Petrification.