The Soldier of Ice
Vega Manor
Weiss is being tried on for a sleeveless wedding dress by the maids who worked for Carlos Vega. Standing on a pedestal to be in front of a mirror. Despite that it was beautiful with white pearls on the top part and frills on the bottom.
It was still one of the saddest days in her life. Being forced to wed with the man she hates, even worse than her own father. And yet, she was about to meet the same fate as her mother had. Or worse, being put in a pod for experiments. Still, she gave up to save her beloved. Only to buy herself some time to escape. But there was no luck so far as every surrounding area is secured. And without her Myrtenaster, a toledo sword can't help much either. She gave it to Neptune to not let the two frauds take it away.
"I'll be honest with you Miss Schnee, you are becoming very lucky this year. Marrying the most handsomest man in Atlas." One maid commented. Which made Weiss disgusted to hear her referring to Carlos. Still, she kept quiet. Even some maids are brainwashed into doing his bidding.
"It's alright to be nervous. At least you'll have a private wedding in this manor. It's a bit of relief, am I right?" Another maid adds. Weiss silently nods. Not wanting to cause a scene. She knew all along that with her inheritance as a Schnee Dust heiress, she would've become one of the most powerful woman in Atlas had her father not taken it away from her. And with that inheritance, he knew she will not go through with the engagement. And he did it anyway to get his way.
Suddenly, Jacques enters the room. "Look at you, this reminds me of the day I have wed your mother." He then turned to the maids. Even if he is no longer the man in the Schnee Household, he still has his connections. "Leave us." They complied and formally exited the room. Weiss did not turn to see his face. Instead she looks at the floor. "I know this is all sudden. But it will work out in the end."
"Well, what are you waiting for? Why don't just go ahead and boast about your victory? I don't care about the luxuries anymore. Even for a criminal like you, you still may be one step ahead." Weiss remarks harshly. Clenching her fists in fit of silence.
"Such coldness coming from you. I'll bet your sister has taught you well." Jacques mocked. "But I doubt she will ever get a grip since the day I renounced her as an heir. So as my daughter, when you will embrace your fate?" Weiss knows her answer fine and clear.
"Never, the only thing I would give is hatred. I only did it because I am not going to let you threaten the people I care about." Weiss told him clearly. Jacques remains unaffected by her words. "I don't care if you're my father, you have already crossed the lines, even in prison, where you belong. I won't stay in this mansion forever, you'll see." Jacques, in response, grabbed Weiss' wrist, and squeezes it tighter to make thing clear for himself. "I am giving you the choice to go through with this or I swear your friends won't last long in this world if they dare to interfere. You might as well forget about that young man as well." He then releases his grip, leaving Weiss in silence. But he stopped in the middle of his path to exit. "Once the wedding had progressed, you might as well say your goodbyes to your sister. For this'll be the last time you ever see her."
"Her name is Winter. How can you forget her name this easily?" She growls slightly. "I'm warning you, Father. If you laid a hand on her, or Neptune, or anyone else again, I won't hesitate to being you down. Like I did before." She warns. And Jacques exits the room without another word. Weiss stood still until he left, then she breaks down into tears. Knowing she may never see her loved ones if this keeps up. She drowned in her sorrows. She is a huntress and she still clings into her fears. It was hard to escape the past. And just when her inheritance was revoked, she thought it was the end of it when she escaped her mansion. Instead, she was once again a scapegoat to her father's visions of greed and power. "Please don't come for me, Neptune! For your sake..." She said, tearfully. Despite the promise he made, Weiss knew there is a risk.
Mountain Glenn
Winter was making a stance against both Drey and Neptune. They all make stances in silence. "I don't want to do this to you both. But one of you is responsible for my father's escape from prison. And I will have to take you both in at once." Winter told them.
"Listen, Lady..." Drey began. But was cut off.
"General Schnee." Winter corrected him. And it annoys her when it reminds her of her old rival, Qrow Branwen. A fellow huntsmen graduate in from Beacon Academy. He always gets on her nerves by calling her "Ice Queen." And it's even more worse when she was addressed in the wrong way.
"Yeah, General Schnee. Clearly we are not the ones who let your dad escape from prison." Drey explains. But Winter wasn't buying it. But Winter notices the scroll that Drey was holding, she could tell it was stolen from his cousin, to whom she had no idea he has any relation to Rick. That's when she dashes at him, causing Drey to unintentionally jump and dropped the scroll and Winter catches it. "Something tells me this scroll doesn't have your name on it. Drey Brandwood, you are also hereby under arrest, for conspiracy of massacre in Vale Hospital."
"Hold on, General. Drey had nothing to do with this. If you want to know what really happened to the embargo sinking. And the break-out. Why don't you ask one of your men?" Neptune asked sternly.
"Why should I believe you if you're the ones who took my sister?" Winter combats. "And what did you do to her? Where is she now?" She interrogates, they are a loss for words. Winter is too compassionate to her army, her dignity, and that's the reason why she was promoted as General, Ironwood's successor. What Weiss said was true, a prodigy in Atlas. "Let me ask you this. What choice do you have? Your career, or your sister?" Neptune counters. Winter too is at a loss for words. For she will not answer to the likes of those who question her goals, or her job as a soldier. But to Winter, she silently questions herself. Is she a huntress, or a soldier? That she cannot decide which side she is. Clung to her past. Like her own younger sister. Is her current post out of free will, or out of honor? "Enough talk, either you both come with me, or I'll have to use force." She warns, they not taking this for an answer, so fighting is the only option to escape. Neptune reaches back for his Tri-hard, Drey draws his daggers that were in a form of pistols, "Castor and Pollux."
"Fine then, if that's how you boys wanna go. The so be it." Neptune swung his Tri-hard to shift it into a trident to at least shock her into concussion. But to no avail when Winter uses all her might to sprint from the wall with her glyph in front to dashed at him. Drey lands in front of Neptune and clashes Pollux against Winter's sword. Where was her army? That's what confused them for why a one-soldier army to come all this way into Vale? Maybe in their thoughts, she is more of a solo player unless she has a team of her own. If she really has one. No one knows if she was on a team before she went solo. They split to get lost behind the pods to surround her. However, Winter caught up with Drey and swipes her sword at Castor. But Neptune also caught up with her to hit from behind.
Winter splits her sword in half to counter Neptune's attack. How smarter could she get? They say with the longer period of training, you're one step ahead of time. Which made his eyes widened. "Oh no." Winter slashes directly at him, Neptune uses his guandao to block her blade movements. But this was a distraction to mindfully summon an Earth version of Armored Gigas to aim for Drey. The projectile version of the Grimm sets its eyes on Drey and charges at him. But Drey seize this opportunity to take this fight outside by luring the Gigas to destroy the pods to give Neptune the opening space to finish the duel. "Over here you big ugly freak! Yeah, over here!" Drey taunted. "And I'm talking to a fake Grimm." He told himself. As he lets the Gigas attack the pods. Leading them to explode. Forcing the three to exit the basement.
The explosion had made a huge toll in the hospital, which again, is no longer in use. With the buildings that are now abandoned. Neptune then takes the rooftops to loot the electricity dust into his rifle to take the advantage. As he leapt to another building safely when the hospital have collapsed into pieces. Neptune then proceeds to target lock by putting on his goggles and trace on Winter. Which can lock on target by pinpointing at the person in sight. To draw the bullet easily. But when he shoots, Winter picks up her speed and avoids his shots. But then he accidently shots Drey with the dust shocking him and rendering him unconscious. Neptune jolted and called out. "Sorry! Didn't see you there!" Luckily he survived, since the dust isn't a real bullet. He gave a thumbs up to assure him he's alive. "You should've thought of that before you think about taking the shot on your friend." Winter spoke from behind, which scared the blue-haired huntsman. "Ah! How did you get here?!"
"Have my ways." She grinned, before Winter went forward to cross her blade. But Neptune have jumped back and clung onto a broken lamppost to slow his fall. But judging by the metal, his arm have ran aside of the pole and it's now painted with a bruise. "Ow, that hurt." Winter pursuits him in a similar action and cut the lamppost in half as Neptune jerked away. And landed on his back before rolling away to dodge her swords. Drey woke up from his short episode, only to find that the Armored Gigas is still active being emerged from the pile of what's left from the hospital, once again it sets its eyes on him. Drey also loaded his electricity dust to activate Castor and Pollux as whips to swing building to building as the object gives chase. It's like it has a mind of its own despite being buried by the destroyed obstruction. Until he reaches the rooftops as the Gigas is destroying each of the ruins while it still focusses on Drey. He looks back and shoots him with everything he can pull off. But to no avail as the Geist is proven powerful when armed in any physical matter such as using earth materials to form armor. Neptune kept up with his defense, colliding many slashes coming from Winter, as she is more in the offense.
"My brother, you knew he was alive. And you didn't say anything to my parents." Said Neptune. Winter then stops to look directly at his goggles, as she could tell that the eyes behind the pair are staring directly at her. Neptune took them off to reveal the eyes of a brother. "What are you talking about, not that there is anyone I knew outside of Atlas Academy."
"Just look into my eyes, his name is Jupiter. And like the graduates in your generation, he was subjected into an experiment that you have taken." Winter then looked into his eyes. The her eyes narrowed to take a closer look. The flash in her memory have hit her, the time in her 2nd year of the Vytyl Festival. She was once leader of her own group, Team WNND (pronounced: wind). In her first round in the tournament, they went up against Team ZRVT. She would mostly faced Zerena, since the leaders are rivals at times. The third member of the opposing team had the similar eyes, only a bit older than Neptune. "Wait a minute, now I remember. You're his brother." Neptune briefly lowered his guard for some explanation. "So you know him?"
"Not much, fought his leader once during my 2nd year in the Academy. While my team and I compete in the Vytyl Festival. Pretty competitive if you ask me." Winter recaps her backstory. "Good people, it's ashamed for what happened to them. Or rather, what they have become after being declared dead." Winter then crossed her arms, the sounds of raindrops fell from the grey clouds. Thunder boomed across the air. Neptune then puts on the hood of his jacket, as water still gets on his nerves. Winter then notices the innocence in his eyes. She thought to herself if this is a trick. Or is he actually innocent from the crime he never committed? The way Neptune talks about his brother is how he looks up to him. She even realizes that she sees her sister in him. The way how Jupiter cared for the youngest sibling. The same way how she cares for Weiss. But her eyes squinted to keep herself focus on the task. She once again draws her sword. "You know what, forget it. I am not leaving until you tell me where Weiss is." Winter demands.
"She's not here. She was taken before we got here." Neptune replies.
"What?!"
"That's what we're trying to tell you. One of your men abducted her, to use her as a debt your father was trying to settle." He explains. "And why should I believe you?" She asks while countering his attacks. "Because according to Flynt and Neon, you wrongfully arrested the huntsmen for participating in the missions they accomplished. Is this true?" The names of her former students came back to her. "Whatever you're threatened with, we can end this easily." Drey adds. As Winter once again block the swipes behind her. "Are you suggesting that I betrayed my own sister? You have no idea what was happening underneath our noses. I cannot say anything, but I'm doing this for the sake of the other huntsmen's safety." Winter deduces. They stopped, dead in their tracks but too late to prevent Drey and Neptune from bumping into each other as Winter springs away from them with her glyph, to bounce off. "Ow!" They winced in unison. "Neither of you would understand, I have to take in every last huntsmen in prison in order to prevent any more abductions. And that would include my sister." She then turns to the pair to clarify the reasons for multiple arrests. "Tell me, Vasilias. The way you spoke about your brother, is he responsible for the embargo sinking?" Neptune turned away in reluctance. But the General can read his silent expression, not because it is conformed. But for who he thought was responsible for the sinking ships.
"Judging by your reluctance, I can tell you thought he did it." Winter clarifies. "I'm sorry to say this, but if you said your brother is behind this, then I'll have no choice then to take you both in, if he's still alive." Suddenly a sting of pain stuck Winter on her back shoulder. She wasted no time to inject a vaccine to prevent any more pain. It scares the huntsmen to see her in a state. They walked forward to check her for what she is suffering from. But she lashed them off for them to step away. "Get back!" Her pain fell into an ease. Winter stood back up. "Drey?" Neptune glanced.
"I know, it's the vaccine. How long have you've been holding it?" Drey asked.
"6-7 years. At least that's what I thought. I don't know how much time I have left, but I knew I am not going to last long. I am giving you two a head start." Winter then picks up her scroll as it rings by one of her soldiers. "Yes? I see, wait for my orders." Winter requested. She puts away her scroll. "Now do you see it, not only the entire military is being blackmailed, but they're planning to do the same thing to Weiss if I don't cooperate with them. Vale, Vacuo, and Mistral are under the influence of corruption. I never wanted this, but if it means my sister, brother, and mother are safe, that's how it goes."
"Hey, we have families too you know. Did you ever stop to think that maybe you should've listen to your sister before you can even think about your career? It's no wonder why you abandoned Mantle when they needed you most." Neptune lectured. "You know what you're problem is, you're letting your pride get the best of you, and push away Weiss. She'll hate you for this, keeping this from her. Not to mention some of her friends will end up in a prison cell." Winter never said a word, but she cannot deny the fact that she let her career pull her away from her own sister. Weiss never fights this fact wither, but wants Winter to be happy for what she actually wants. As Drey would put it, all in the name of militia loyalty. But she wasn't having this and said, "You know what, maybe you're right. I won't deny the fact that I have abandoned Mantle and drive my sister away. You were like her, clinging into the past, not letting go the fear. However, I still wouldn't let you go easily." Winter clarifies. Unbeknownst to Neptune, the raindrops are being absorbed into his hand, like they are magnetized. That is when he felt wet on his palm. "Hmm?" He looked down to his hand to see the water rising from his palm. "What the?! No! Get off of me! Not now!" He tried to rub off the water from absorbing any further.
"Brandwood, what's happening to him?!" Winter demands. Drey is at a loss for words, Neptune is once again in a state of panic when the raindrops formed a humongous bubble around him. "Oh no, it's his semblance, Water Attraction! He can't control it unless he pushes away!" The bubbles formed around him was proven to be blotting the sky. No sunlight, but enough to create an enormous shadow above Mountain Glenn. Neptune's jaw dropped grabbing his throat, looking like he was about to cough. His lungs are now seeped with water. His hear was about to stop. At the moment he reached pout his hand in a scarce. Then all went black.
Author's note: The reason I wrote this chapter, because it was about a sibling's beliefs. When one older sibling have been keeping constant watch on their younger ones 24/7, it would annoy them. But that doesn't stop the fact that all they have role models, even if somewhat distant. But with the differences people can have, it can create a rift. Taking the dependence in their older siblings. Having siblings wasn't easy, as they grew older, they might have talents, whether it was better or not. But it's the point of their independence. But it won't excuse the fact that you're pushing them away. Letting dignity get the better of you is the worst to deteriorate the bond of siblings. If you have an older or a younger sibling, try to be encouraging to each other and find the ways to reconcile. That was my advice to those who have siblings.