Confinement

Neptune opened his eyes to see the town of Argus in an apocalyptic ruins. Since when did he even traveled to the future? Or is this a dream?

Either way isn't a good sign. He keeps walking in the city in search for survivors. Calling out to anyone who might be in high buildings. "Hello?! Anybody there?!" But no one responded.

"What happened while I was away? I don't remember a forecast of earthquakes. I was only gone for two days. Or is it three?" He then remembered that Weiss was with him. "Weiss...hello?! If you can hear me, say something!"

"Neptune?" The blue-haired huntsman turned around to see a familiar man with a scar. Also blue-haired with visors. leather jacket, a sign that he is a Thunderbolt. "Who are you?! Did you do this?" The man isn't responding. But he took off his visors and revealed similar blue eyes as Neptune's. "It's been a while, bro."

"No, it can't be...J-Jupiter." He slightly gasped. "I thought you were dead! Am I dreaming this?" He shook his head.

"What the hell is going on? What happened to Argus? And why are you participating in criminal activities?! For the record, those visors do not look good on you." Neptune demanded.

"You don't get it, do you?" He asked, which confuses Neptune. "I've been playing dead for a while. I suggest you make a run for it before "she" finds you."

"Who's "she?"" Jupiter exits the scene before he could answer. "Hey wait!" He heard another voice.

"Neptune?" He turned to the Argus Park where a statue of the deceased Pyrrha Nikos was standing. It was Weiss. She then runs towards him.

"What's going on?! Who would do this?" Weiss inquired and Neptune wishes he has a answer, but no. "I don't know. Maybe we're dreaming." Then a tidal wave of flood rushes over. Cars, trees, broken glass and other vehicles are washed away. It was too late to escape as the water pulls them with it.

"Dah!"

"Wah!" Weiss grabs Neptune's hand and they held each other tight while trying to resurface from the water to gain air to breath. But then their grip didn't last long when Weiss and Neptune grab onto a lamppost. "Don't let go!" But then their hands slipped, separating them.

"Neptune!" Weiss cried out.

"Weiss!" Neptune shouts back struggling to swim, but the waves sucked him down to the bottom. The salt water has flown into his lungs and they got stuck. Having trouble to breath since it already got into his mouth.

No. I can't breath. Why can't I save anybody? I am a failure. I hated my semblance so much. How come I didn't use it wisely? Neptune thought closing his eyes. Waiting for his "death" to be over with.

Neptune snapped his eyes open with a grasp. "Ah!" Touching his throat like the water is still there. But it wasn't. Pushing his hair above. "Oh man, what a nasty nightmare." He then looked back at the dream where he saw his brother. He looked around to see that he is in the ferry where he was sleeping since he couldn't stand the sight of the ocean.

Jupiter, was that really you talking to me?

A door opened and Neptune looked up to see Weiss standing in front of it. He could tell that she couldn't help but worry for him. "Neptune?" She said softly. Slowly closing the door to move straight to him. She then stop by her tracks to asks, "Is it alright if I can sit beside you?" She blushed in nervousness. But Neptune taps the bed, letting her know that it's a yes.

"Bad dream again?" She asked again. She looked into his eyes. They are deep and beautiful as the ocean's depths. Something that Weiss couldn't keep her eyes off of. He slightly nodded. She placed her and above his. Making Neptune nervous, but he kept his cool.

"Don't worry, you're not the only one with those nightmares. Just woke up from one tonight." Weiss admitted.

"What is it then?" He asked.

"One where my sister challenged me. And in the end, I lost. Dying by her own hands. I wonder if she regrets it, if it really happens. I don't think I want to know at all. It keeps happening every night since I left Atlas the third time."

"Maybe those nightmares could mean something." Then Neptune changes the subject. "This got me thinking, why are you helping me from getting arrested earlier? You know this could mean you're a fugitive too, right?" Weiss smiled and nodded.

"The truth is, I don't believe you're responsible for the wreckage either. As much as l care for Winter, I also care about you. Losing some friends and family are the worse parts of life. Do you think I made the right choice?" Weiss asked. "Even if your brother is responsible, there has to be a reason why."

"That depends. I don't think it's not a right or wrong answer. I'm not sure how to put it this way."

"You're lying." Weiss giggled. And Neptune did the same. "Back in Poseidon Island, you weren't the same person I knew before. Then, I saw what you did to the water. That is your semblance, right?" She asked. Neptune sighed as he didn't want to talk about it. But Weiss' stern look convinced him otherwise.

"Do you remember, back at the Vytal Festival? My team and I fought Team NDGO?" How could Weiss even forget that she came there to cheer for him. Only to see Neptune flirting with the female team. And got angry with him. But she already forgave him for that. But there's something she had already forgotten. "Back then, I couldn't touch the water. Although, my semblance could've been useful." Now Weiss could see where this is coming from. Having an improved image to cover up the fear.

"This all happened when I was 4. I grew up in Argus before we moved to Mistral. It was a place where my family are skilled swimmers. But I was an exception." Neptune stood up and walked a few steps away from the bed. While Weiss remained sitting there as her eyes pointed at him. She is starting to have a feeling that he may not be the Neptune she knew anymore. Many people at Haven and Shade would described him as a goofball. But this time is different. But she is also moved by his mysterious personality.

"The reason why I have unlocked my semblance in the first place is because my traits are rare. The reason why my name is Neptune. My dad, and my siblings have water-based semblances. I don't know how I was afraid of water. But it bothered me when I see it. The day my semblance was awakened, my brother threw me from the pier and it was the most terrifying day of my life." Neptune said sadly. Remembering the images in his head that he couldn't get out. "When he did, my aura have reacted to the water and that's how my semblance came. It took half the ocean to be pulled within me. But the thing is, I couldn't breath, hear or see as it keep getting into my eyes, ears and lungs. Since then, I never go near the water ever again. That's why I have these goggles in the first place. Come to think of it, every time I touched the water, it was pulled into my body, like a magnet of some kind."

Weiss listened to him further, and sees why he was averted to the substance in the first place. It's not often that siblings pushed them around and her heart beats in every word. But one of those things is that her sister is the same for her to become a free woman. But out of concern of his side of the story. She never got near him since they were busy fighting Salem and her minions. Just like everyone else, despite the smiles and happy memories made. They all have a dark side of the past. Beneath a good-looking and flirty young man, is a sad and scared huntsman. "Couldn't blame Jupiter, he only did what he thought was for my own good. He has the ability to turn water into mist. My sister can turn water into ice, which is useful because now nobody would have to buy any more ice packs for her medical team to use. I called my semblance, "Water Attraction." Pretty useful, but also a curse. When I panicked, I pushed the water towards Jupiter. It could've killed him that day. But luckily, he's strong enough to turn it into steam." He then walks to stare at the window, with the ocean sparkling at the moonlight, despite the beauty of the seas, it's also a reminder of the bad memories.

"Two years after my awakening, Sun came along. He found out about my phobia, but he didn't care. It's like he understood me better than anyone else. We both agreed to keep it a secret. He's not only my best friend, but a brother in arms. Before that, Jupiter is the best bro any kid can ask for. We would hang out when our parents were too busy. He went to Haven since I was 14. And man, he's even good with the ladies."

Now I get where he even got his flirting style from. Weiss thought taking a deep breathe, but blushed also. Still how could I resist?

"And since then, he becomes a member of Team ZRVT. The other three members were Zerena Slithers, Roth Mandle, and Tyler Shepard. But things have been different, he spent more time with his team than me. After graduation, they came to my house for meetings. They seemed like really cool people. But one day, Sun and I snuck out of my house to help them on a undercover mission. They didn't know about it, until we arrived in a submarine that belonged to the White Fang. Everything was going good until..." Neptune looks back at the time he made a whirlpool, the same one where it apparently killed Team ZRVT. He and Sun were the only survivors of the accident. "I was thrown into the ocean by a member of the White Fang. While I was sure I was a goner. Jupiter jumps in to get me back into the surface. But when he got closed, my semblance went out of control and made a whirlpool, sucking us all in. Sun and I are the only ones to survive. But Team ZRVT, including my brother are gone. Their bodies weren't found, but the police decides to give up the search and declared them dead." This got Weiss shaken, to think he's was just an ordinary person with semblance, just like her and everyone else. "I was sure that I killed him. It haunted me for the rest of my life. Since then, I vowed to never again touch the water, nor to use my semblance. Until today, when you saw it. I was afraid I might hurt anyone, or even worse. Earlier, Ceres saw the news about the embargo sinking, she then sent me a link. To my surprise, one of the culprits was my brother. Or is it really my brother? That's why I took the mission, to find him and bring him back." Neptune recaps every memory he has, but then overwhelmed by the worse ones he put in his head. Getting lightheaded and fell next to the walls while clinging onto them. Weiss rushes to help him up. "I thought I've shed enough tears for years. Tears will always remind me of water, and the day I lost my brother. But in the end, how much I can hold them, after what happened to Jupiter?" He covered his eyes in shame, tears flown from his lids.

Weiss couldn't help but wanting to keep him away from the bad memories. But none of this is going to stop without any closure. Weiss holds him close. Wanting to tell him some things to assure him. Holding her hand onto his cheek. Neptune uncovered his eyes to look at her. He thought nobody but his best friend could understand what he's going through. But to his surprise, she comforted him with some of the things they have in common. He places his hand on her back.

"Fears are nothing to be ashamed of. But in the end, they became a shell from the environment. You're not the only one who's been going through the dark. You want to know something? You're lucky to have a loving family. But mine was never in a best place, my father only married my mother for her name, my name. He would do anything to manipulate us. But my sister broke free when she entered Atlas Academy. She's the only person who's been there for me, cared for me. Something I wished my mother would've done instead of trying to drink her life away. After my father gave my heir status of the company to my brother, he's making him suffer also. No matter if he sided with him. But with my father in jail, he's been doing better. He just can't talk to me yet. And my mother began to bond with him again. She seems to have forgotten about the past. When my team and I went to Atlas, she was about to become the next Winter Maiden. But it failed when Penny acquired the maiden's powers. But it was a good thing, cause then Winter would've been killed by an assailant. But then my father caused the generator in Mantle to be shut down after making a deal with a madman to gain the victory to the council's seat. But luckily, my mother has evidence. And he went to jail. It devastated my brother as he was the only person he could talked to, despite his sly and cunning smug on his face. What I regretted that day was never protecting my brother when he needed me. Just when Ironwood was about to engage Martial Law to abandoned Mantle in a panic, I could see that Winter believed that her loyalties to her superiors comes first. Since then, we evacuated the people of Mantle. Afterwards, Winter got promoted in Ironwood's place since he resigned. I understood that she has a path she felt the need to follow. So do I."

"I'm sorry. I guess your life wasn't as easy."

"Believe me, it wasn't. I never regret siding with you. But I do regret betraying her." After Neptune feels better from the nightmares. He went back to sleep as Weiss covered him with a bedsheet. She still sat there looking at him, sleeping peacefully. She has the thought about kissing him on the cheek. Leaning her head to place her lips. But she refrain before it happens. No, not now. What am I doing?

Meanwhile, back in Poseidon Island. Winter and her men remained there in search for her younger sister and the supposed "suspect." Now she is worried that Weiss will end up a fugitive again. "Have you found them yet?" She asks two of her searchers. They saluted in response. "No, sir. No sign of the suspect or Ms. Schnee!" She groaned with her palm on the eyes. "How hard is it to find two individuals?! Find them again, and bring them back, right now!" Winter demanded, she didn't mean to be hard on her comrades, but she got extremely worried for her sister. "Y-yes, sir!" They said frantically, scared at the tone of her voice.

She is then met by another soldier, who also saluted her. "Sir, there's no sign of them left. Our trackers on their scrolls indicate that they're no longer on the island."

"What does this mean?" Winter glared.

"They took a ferry and left for Argus, sir." He responded.

"I see." Winter turned away. Not looking at her comrade for a second. "Call Mistral forces. We need Vasilias locked up behind bars. Only he has the information about the Thunderbolts." She ordered. She then closed her eyes. I'm sorry, Weiss. But I cannot let her harm you, not now, not ever. And I can't let that boy be a danger to you. She thought. Then a pilot ran out of the ship. "Bomb! There's a bomb! Get down!" Then they all ducked down as the ship exploded into flames and pieces.

"General Schnee, sir, are you alright?!"

"Forget me, call for back up!"

"Sir! This is Delta-7, our ships' been destroyed! We need assistance!" Another soldier then radioed for help.

Author's note: Based on Winter's frantic expression. Something has happened to her while Weiss was away from Atlas. But it is an effort to protect her sister from the big entity. Meaning she was up to something.