Disclaimer: Something a bit more lighthearted after the last two entries.
To the majority of the populace, it probably seemed like any other day, what with the sun shining overhead and a nice breeze twisting its way through downtown. Unfortunately, for Winter, it seemed to be a day that operated strictly under Murphy's Law. Her airship had touched down late that morning, forcing her to send her bags to the hotel while she attended the first in a series of long, drawn out security meetings between the kingdoms of Atlas and Vale, for which she'd somehow been chosen to act as Atlas' military representative. While it provided a high honor for a Specialist, it also came with a steep downside: she didn't quite have the rank of General Ironwood or even a Commander with which to make her suggestions, sound they may be. That lead to an argument between some pompous fool who seemed to enjoy the sound of his own voice, though it grated on hers to no end, and what should've taken an hour lasted nearly three.
To make matters even more frustrating, she'd also had to deal with checking in to the hotel over the phone- a convenience the staff seemed unwilling to offer her, much to her annoyance- while she attended an inspection of the defense capabilities Vale seemed eager to deploy. The majority consisted of Atlas technology she happened to be certified on but never had she seen them employed in… quite that fashion, and she silently cursed every big blockbuster for putting such strange ideas into the heads of civilians about the capabilities of military technology.
Once she'd dealt with that headache, she'd hoped to catch her breath at a lunch with her sister, who'd left to study in Vale two years ago. Yet again, fate conspired against her, as she first went to the wrong restaurant due to a miscommunication- how many noodle shops did this damn city have, anyway?- and then some manner of supervillain appeared and it was safer for Weiss to remain across the city until it resolved.
Winter reached up and rubbed at her temple, storming down the sidewalk and heading back to her hotel. Another thing she could hardly believe: that Vale, lacking in military strength as it was, had supervillains of all things. Heroes, too, sure, but what sort of kingdom became a hotbed for masked nutcases with powers but didn't have any means of ensuring a mass evacuation?
Atlas didn't have that problem… but it also didn't have the issue of super beings running around as well, primarily due to the government's strict control on such things. No one would dare showcase any abnormal talents, much less throw on a mask and run around a city showing them off.
Just as she crossed a street, now less than a block from her hotel, the delectable scent of freshly ground coffee hit her nose, managing to reach through and sooth the agitation rolling through her.
In all the rushing around, she'd missed out on one of her morning rituals. It hadn't even crossed her mind until now.
Pulling out her scroll, she checked the time. It might make her late to her next meeting, sure, but the whole day had that theme, and at least this way, she'd have something to show for her tardiness.
"What the hell," she said under her breath, turning to duck into the coffee shop. Were she back home in Atlas, a nice, warm cup of coffee would be perfect on a cool autumn day. But Vale ran much warmer than her home kingdom and she'd rather like one of her rarest indulgences: iced coffee.
Winter stood in line, mulling over some of the more… colorful offerings that seemed to be local favorites before opting to go all out. She needed a true treat.
"One double chocolate chip frappuccino." While it wouldn't be nearly as sweet as Atlesian chocolate, hopefully it would be enough to indulge her infrequent sweet tooth. "Tall- no, make it grande size."
After having her nerves so thoroughly frayed and her patience tested, Winter almost couldn't wait to have her prize in hand, and snatched it up from the counter before it could even be fully set down. Rude, perhaps, but she'd dumped the lien from her change into their tip jar, so they really didn't have much room to complain about a customer eager to be out of their hair as quickly as possible.
But the order of the day hadn't changed and she'd taken no more than two steps out of the coffee shop when she heard an alarmed shout and something slammed into her side with terrifying force, sending her stumbling to try and keep her balance. Whirling around, she found none other than one of the horribly disfigured beasts that seemed to serve one of the numerous supervillains running around the city- they were called Grimm, apparently, due to their terrible appearance- trying to get back to its feet as one of the various heroes landed on the sidewalk just a few feet away.
"Whoa! Are you okay?" As the Grimm tried to shake off the impact, wings beating to try and right itself, the self proclaimed hero came over, stomped on the thing's neck, and delivered an absolutely devastating punch to its head, crushing the pavement beneath. With her quarry dissolving into shadows, Winter took stock of the woman. Clad neck to toe in a yellow bodysuit with black trim and highlights and a yellow mask obscuring her eyes, the skin tight nature of the get up made it obvious that the hero possessed some manner of super strength. Either that or she worked out religiously. "These flying ones can really get away from ya, heh."
For a moment, she thought about brushing it off- although startled, she hadn't been injured by the beast- but then she noticed one crucial detail.
Her iced coffee now painted the sidewalk.
"Dust. Damn. It." She heaved a sigh, running a hand through her bangs. Really, she should've expected as much, considering the theme for the day.
"Uh… Ma'am?"
"Don't you have any sense of decency?" Winter leveled a scathing glare at the hero- Phoenix or some such.
"Hey, I wan't trying to ruin your day or anything; it was an accident!" Phoenix put her hands up in surrender. "The Nevermore got away from me! It wasn't intentional and- I mean, seriously, are you okay? It looked like it hit you pretty hard."
"Aside for the loss of the only good thing I had going for me today, I'm fine," she replied, turning around to walk back into the coffee shop. "And someone should give you a lesson on personal responsibility. Just because you, specifically, didn't bowl me over doesn't mean you aren't responsible for the situation."
"Wow, you're one tough customer, huh?" The hero seemed half annoyed, half amused by her diatribe, offering a shrug she could see in the coffee shop door's reflection. "Suit yourself. Hope your day gets better!"
Winter didn't pay the woman any further mind, storming her way back to the counter and asking for her order again. The staff tried giving it to her for free but she'd have none of it; it wasn't their fault she'd been assaulted upon exiting their shop and it probably wore heavier on the employees when the 'heroes' were so reckless. A few minutes later, as whatever battle had taken hold of the city began to die down, she once again had her treat and turned to leave the coffee shop- looking before she stepped out this time.
But all she saw was a blur of yellow that screamed bad news just before it crashed through the coffee shop's glass door and into Winter, knocking them both to the ground and spilling her drink for a second time.
"You must be joking," she said, staring up at the ceiling of the shop from the flat of her back.
"Ah, damn, now that hurt." Phoenix grumbled, slowly pushing herself up… and then realizing where she'd landed. "You ag- ah, crap." She drug a hand over her face. "Okay, this time, it's my fault."
"It was your fault last time!" Winter snapped, sitting up and forcing the woman off her out of pure shock. When she'd gained her feet, she started brushing off her military uniform, though some of the debris had torn holes through the fabric. "Honestly, how you can be so blind to the effects you have on the city is beyond me. On top of causing so much collateral damage, you've gone and spilled my drink a second time! Am I not allowed to treat myself?"
"How are you- ya know what, nevermind." Phoenix twisted her head to the side, cracking her neck in the process. "Look, I'm sorry about your coffee, but this isn't an easy gig! I'm trying, here."
"Try a little harder then!" Blue eyes flitted between the hero and yet another Grimm, this one looking like a wolf someone had twisted to resemble a man, not quite 'werewolf' material, what with all the jutting bone plates, but similar. And, frankly, Winter had had enough. "Would it truly be so difficult to admit you owe me a coffee?"
"I what?" Although frustrated- or perhaps truly angry, considering the waves of heat suddenly rolling off the woman's body- she turned to throw a punch at the Grimm, landing squarely on its jaw but hardly rocking it backwards in the process. "It's not enough I'm trying to save your life, now I gotta buy you a stupid coffee, too?"
She had to bite the inside of her cheek to keep from screaming, instead turning to pick up one of the chairs in the coffee shop's interior. "Obviously you need a demonstration."
Without waiting further, Winter stepped forward and jabbed with the chair, the legs of it hitting the Grimm in the gut. While it might not have quite the same physiology as any natural creature, it had weak spots, doubling forward to land on all fours, which made it much easier for her to lift the chair above her head and bring it down, crashing onto the beast's head. It slumped to the ground, not unconscious but certainly stunned, and then she sent a pointed glare at Phoenix to finish the job. Which she did, obviously taken aback by the woman's quick and efficient dispatch of the creature.
But defeating the damned thing wasn't the point of the exercise as she whirled around and slammed two hundred lien on the counter. "Does this cover the cost of that chair?"
"Uh, yeah." One of the employees nodded, clearly taken aback by both the events of the past few minutes and the forcefulness in her voice.
"Excellent." Reaching up, she smoothed out her collar and threw a withering glare back at Phoenix. "See? Even if you're attempting to accomplish a good goal, there's always the chance for negative repercussions. Take responsibility and offer to make amends; I honestly wouldn't have been so peeved with your flagrant disregard had you simply apologized in the first place."
"Hey, I-" Suddenly, she stopped, reaching up to scratch behind her head. "Wait… did I apologize?"
"No. You didn't." With that, Winter turned, stepping over the clutter caused by the debris and marching out of the coffee shop.
Although the saying 'the third time's the charm' rang in the back of her mind, she'd had enough of super powered fools in tights for one day. This sort of ridiculousness would never happen back in Atlas; no one would just crash through the city and expect to be seen favorably for it. That's why she had a job in the first place; the military could protect people just as effectively and with more accountability-
A few… particular incidents came to mind right then, stopping her mental rant dead in its tracks. Okay, so it wasn't a perfect system, admittedly, but it surely had to be better than getting bowled over by some stranger every other day.
However… in retrospect, she'd been curt with people before when she was on duty and trying to accomplish her missions. She hadn't knocked anyone down, of course… at least not that she could recall…
Perhaps they were both just having a bad day.
Just before reaching her hotel, Winter came to a sudden stop as Phoenix landed in front of her- far enough away that she didn't run face first into the woman. However, rather than look like an intentional road block, the hero had her shoulders slightly hunched with a small frown on her lips, a cup from the coffee shop in her hands.
"Hey, uh… look." She ducked her head slightly, blonde bangs falling in front of the eye holes of her mask. "I am really sorry about what happened to your coffee, and for, ya know, getting thrown into you earlier. I… was running kinda hot but that's really no excuse. I do owe you a coffee and I shouldn't have been so hardheaded about it. Sorry."
And then she held out the coffee, lifting her head enough to look at Winter.
To which, she could only sigh. "Let me guess… you have fire powers."
"Uh, yeah. Is… that a problem?" Meeting the hero halfway, she took the cup from Phoenix's hand and swirled it around, proving the iced coffee had turned far more liquid than would be normal. "… I just can't win today."
"Believe me when I say: my sentiments exactly." A sigh, one that released some of the tension in her shoulders. "And I shouldn't have been so short, so I will apologize for that. Even if you were being rude, I was no better the first time I ordered. I suppose karma works quicker in Vale than it does Atlas."
"Actually, I think it's just because my uncle's in town." Phoenix offered a small, placating smile. "His superpower is, uh, causing bad luck."
Winter blinked, slowly. "That is a terrible superpower."
"Yeah, he's not too crazy about it, either." She reached up, fiddling with her hair in its high ponytail. "Hey, listen… since obviously the coffee isn't working… how about I make this whole thing up to you another way? Say… dinner tonight? At seven?"
Immediately, she frowned. "I will not be seen out in public with you wearing that."
"What, not into dating a superhero?" Phoenix flashed a smile before shrugging. "But, no, I get where you're coming from, and I was gonna dress more… casual."
Although she really should dismiss the proposal out of hand on principle alone… Winter somehow found herself shifting her weight as she mulled the proposition over. "Don't you have a secret identity to consider?"
"With as often as my block gets torn up? I'm pretty sure everyone knows who I am." A shrug as she looked away. "I mean, if it's not your thing, I get it. I just thought-"
"I haven't rejected you yet." She straightened up. "Unfortunately, my schedule is rather packed today. Tomorrow night, on the other hand…"
"Tomorrow night at seven?" Phoenix gestured at the hotel. "I can pick you up here?"
"Very well. By the way." Winter held out a hand. "Do you often ask women out on dates before even learning their names?"
Considering the way she began… well, gently smoking, the answer seemed rather obvious. "Uh… well… I've made a real mess of this whole thing, huh?"
"Everyone has their off days, I suppose," she replied, moderately surprised at the hand that took hers- warm and solid. "Winter."
Another Grimm crashed into the streets as more superheroes appeared, leaping or flying over buildings. Apparently, the battle hadn't quite ended yet.
"Yang." A little smirk. "Although, it'd probably be better to call me Phoenix for now."
"PHOENIX!" Another hero appeared, wearing an almost pure white suit and gliding off what appeared to be a thin sheet of frost, her white hair whipping around her. "Where have you been?"
"Getting a date!" The woman shouted back, though she threw a smile over her shoulder. "See you tomorrow night!"
"Do not be late." Winter warned, a smirk curling her lips as she waved, noting the peculiar expression on the other's face- the one they called Dove, if memory served.
"You got a date? With her?" Something between incredulity and horror was evident in her tone.
"Yeah!" Fire briefly engulfed Phoenix's hands before she threw a series of punches, sending blasts of flames into the wounded Grimm. "Must be my lucky day!"
For a moment, Dove remained silent before muttering something under her breath and rejoining the fight.
Despite that… odd exchange, Winter didn't pay it too much mind, instead focusing on the iced coffee- well, the not-so-iced coffee. With a smile curling her lips, she turned, leaving the heroes to their fight and entering the hotel. Swirling the cup, she took the straw into her mouth and took a sip, letting out a pleased hum at the pleasingly cold temperature.
Just because Atlas didn't have heroes didn't mean they were without supers.
Author's Note: Yes, I used the names/designs from Dash's Miraculous AU