Chapter Ten: Vengeance is Mine

Weiss blinked her eyes, groggily waking up and seeing the bright sun in her eyes. She felt that she was moving, but it wasn't clear why. She couldn't remember falling asleep or even feeling tired. She sat up, looking up and ahead to see that she was in a vehicle. Pyrrha was in the driver's seat, driving like mad down the street and toward the edge of the port city.

"Where are we going?" Weiss asked.

"Oh, good, you're awake. Mind telling me what the hell you were doing?"

"What are you talking about?"

"That dragon creature that was attacking the town back there."

"Dragon? Don't know what you're talking about."

"Are you serious?!" Pyrrha shouted, looking into the rearview mirror. "You summoned a dragon made of ice and you don't know what the hell I'm talking about?!"

"Yeah, I don't know what you're talking about. The last thing I remember is finding the bastard that killed my brother standing in front of me and then Blake…"

Weiss paused, reaching up to touch her hair tie, feeling it was different than it was before. She felt the bow, her breath hitching.

"Blake," She clenched a fist. "It's all my fault."

"Are you going to act like a rational human being and allow me to help you stop them?" Pyrrha asked.

"Yes," Weiss nodded. "Together we'll kill them both."

"Good." Pyrrha merely nodded before Milo Akoúo slammed its fist into Weiss nose.

"Gah, what the fuck?!" Weiss exclaimed.

"That," Pyrrha said. "Is for acting like a dumbass and getting Blake killed. "Now, we need a plan. What do you know of their abilities? I didn't get a good understanding."

"It seems his air manipulation extends beyond fog and lightning." Weiss held her nose, blowing it to remove any blood. It was pretty nearly broken. "Perhaps it's less air and more of the weather itself. It would make more sense."

"That's impossible. You can't control the weather like that. It's very localized to be controlling the weather. But, I don't think that it's too far off. It may be air manipulation in a small area to contrive the possible ways, such as friction to create lightning or manipulating a cold front, but there has to be something else to his tricks. What about the other one?"

"He seems to be able to use his limbs at rapid speed like a shotgun and they hit like a truck."

"Well, we should focus on them one at a time. There has to be a way to beat them. But, you can't be summoning that dragon creature. It's too powerful and dangerous to use to fight."

"I still don't know what you're talking about," Weiss huffed. "Now, let's just take these bastards out for killing Blake. Pyrrha?"

"Something is following us," Pyrrha glanced in the rearview mirror, watching the road behind them. There was something following, a strange zigzagging. There was a mysterious cloud that seemed to be moving a little too rapidly. Pyrrha floored it, zooming past both cops and pedestrians, zooming down the open road.

The cops tried to pursue them, sirens blaring. There was a sickening crunch as the sirens died out upon entering the cloud, which had overtaken them. Weiss looked with wide eyes as the cars were tossed out, shredded to pieces. Somehow, they had been shredded, but there was no sign of the officers inside.

"Wh-what the hell?!" Weiss exclaimed. "What could have destroyed those cars like that?"

"That's a good question," Pyrrha muttered. "Did you see a Semblance from him?"

"No, but I wish I had. I can't believe that I didn't get a chance to take those bastards out."

"Get off of that. We need to figure out how we're going to beat them."

"Unfortunately for them, my armor is gone. I may be weaker now, but those fools will now be able to taste my full power."

"That may be the edge we need." Pyrrha nodded. "But, the question is, if his Semblance is air manipulation, how is he doing that to those cars?"

"Maybe it has a more tangible form and isn't just a cloud or something. That's likely what it is. But, we need to figure out the source. Something is manipulating the air in a larger way than what he did earlier to cause that."

"Yeah… And maybe it has limits. Like, he can't make large clouds and shoot tons of lightning? Maybe it has to be more limited for certain damaging abilities?"

"We'll have to figure it out." Weiss said. "But, should we keep going or do we want to take him out here and now?"

"Let's stop here then," Pyrrha slammed on the brakes hard, spinning the vehicle around to face the cloud. Weiss jumped out, ten snowflakes appearing, all of them blue, a slight red tint to them. Icicles shot out at the cloud, piercing it. Oddly enough, the cloud kept the holes, which never closed as the cloud kept moving toward them, not stopping. Weiss kept letting icicles loose, puncturing holes into the cloud like Swiss cheese. Weiss stood there after she'd shot a hundred, many, many holes in the cloud that was less than fifty feet away.

"You need to do something," Pyrrha said. "Weiss, we need to move."

"I'm standing right here," Weiss didn't even look back. "I know what I'm doing."

Pyrrha watched as the cloud reached twenty five feet. The heiress made no movements, save lifting up her hand and snapping her fingers. The cloud exploded with ice, little tiny fragments of the icicles that had riddled the cloud before.

As the cloud dissipated, it turned out, there was nothing there. Weiss looked all around, trying to find the source of the cloud, but to no avail.

"Looks like he's not here," Pyrrha said. "But, how does he have the power to do that from not even being here."

"It's because he is here," Weiss narrowed her eyes. "Or, should I say his Semblance is."

"How can you tell?" Pyrrha asked.

"Look over there," Weiss pointed to a small section of the cloud that hadn't disappeared. It was small, about the size of a basketball and resembled an eye with four orbs surrounding it, each orb the size of a baseball. It glared at the heiress, a small trickle of blood dripping down from one of the orbs.

"You're pretty good, but do you really think that that's enough to kill me?" It spoke, a raspy, cackling voice. "You're pathetic if you think that's all it will take. My Semblance is the Wizard card, represented by chaotic patterns of the weather."

"Well, now that you've dropped your little cloud cover, you're vulnerable," Weiss aimed her rapier. "Now, I don't have to worry about missing."

With that, twenty blue snowflakes lined up, all in a line. A snowflake emerged from the first one, firing straight for the orb. Immediately after, the next fired as the first snowflake disappeared. All twenty shot in a straight line toward the Semblance.

The orbs began rotating in a rapid fashion, like a spinning fan blade. All of the icicles melted, just before they reached the eye. The eye blinked, laughing as the orbs stopped spinning.

"You can't beat me with such a weak attack! I manipulate air, remember. That means I can essentially manipulate the weather. But, I suppose you're too stupid to fully comprehend that. But, considering your brother, I suppose it doesn't fall far."

In a flash, Weiss rushed forward toward the eye, rapier pulled back to strike. Pyrrha quickly waved her hand, Weiss moving to the side by her shoe. It was a good thing she did, because where she had been just a second before, a lightning bolt shot forward, threatening to cut through her like it had Blake. She summoned Milo Akoúo to her aid. The magnet handed warrior held its hands together, summoning a rain of weapons.

The eye blinked, the lightning bolt coming from it bouncing around and striking every weapon, knocking it off course before it headed straight for Pyrrha. Pyrrha gasped and tried to dive out of the way. One bolt struck her, hitting her left arm. It went limp, Pyrrha clutching it.

"You bastard!" Weiss shouted.

"No, Weiss, don't sully yourself like that," Pyrrha said, holding her arm and hissing. "When you want to say something, say something victorious like 'I, Pyrrha Nikos, defender of the honor of Blake Belladonna, will stop you. I learned that from watching anime as a kid. The cool heroes have catchphrases like that."

"You don't get it, do you?" The Semblance scoffed. "I'm untouchable. The very weather is at my fingertips. I can kill you without any problems."

"It seems that you have some problems."

"Oh?" The large eye turned to Weiss.

"Yes," Weiss held Myrtenaster pointed at the Semblance, the tip glowing blue. "As a large eye, you will inevitably be unable to see from all directions. And, with that, which way will our attacks be coming from?"

Pyrrha looked at Weiss with confusion. Why was she giving that away? Why would she tell the enemy their plans? Surely she couldn't be that arrogant?

"And, with that knowledge, die," Weiss sliced through the air, dozens of snowflakes appearing in the air, one third of them red, one third of them blue, and another third black. The blue ones shot their icicles straight for the black ones. They were caught in the pull of the black snowflakes, shooting off a moment later in a chaotic, yet coordinated pattern. The eye watched all of them, watching as the icicles touched the red snowflakes. Each one that touched a red snowflake exploded, sending smaller shards of ice shooting down toward the orb at incredible speed.

It heated the air around it with the spinning orbs, but eventually, it couldn't keep it up and took several shards. Cuts appeared all over its structure, causing blood to drip on to the ground. With that, it turned to see Weiss having moved over to it in a flash, impaling one of the orbs with her rapier.

The Semblance shrieked in a raspy voice of pain, another being heard somewhere nearby, Weiss wrenching the orb away from it and crushing it in her hand.

"And, now, for the rest of you," The heiress said, throwing the piece of the Semblance away, where it crumbled to dust.

"St-Stay back," The Semblance let out a burst of lightning shooting in all directions. Weiss blocked it with her rapier, being pushed back at the force of the lightning, which was constantly shooting out at her with incredible force. Pyrrha was dodging the lightning, using Milo Akoúo's magnetism to redirect the lightning.

When the lightning did finally die down, the Semblance was nowhere to be seen, the two looking around.

"Looks like the coward fled," Weiss growled. "We need to follow him."

"How are we supposed to find him?" Pyrrha asked. "We don't know where he even could be."

"Are you kidding?" Weiss scoffed. "I ripped off and destroyed one of those orbs. That's got to have dealt him a lot of damage. Maybe even a lost limb. We just follow that sound we heard and find someone who has a grievous injury. Besides, he's wearing a mask and is quite tall."

"That's not too bad of an idea," The redhead nodded. "Good thinking."

"But, we need to make sure we're quick," Weiss took off running in that direction. "There's no telling what he'll do and we don't need him regrouping with that other prick."

"Right."

"Is your arm going to be alright?"

"Yeah, I think. I should regain use soon, but if not, Mrs. Rose will probably be able to use her Aura to cause it to work again."

"I'm so sorry, Pyrrha."

"Forget it," Pyrrha shook her head. "We would have had to fight them eventually, and this way I don't feel like dead weight just watching as Ruby mops up our opponents."

"Rather violent that one," Weiss said, the two sharing a chuckle. "But, not so violent as I'm going to be once I get my hands on that bastard."

Weiss started walking and Pyrrha followed her, the two looking around through the area. They came to a small area where a café stood. It was a small thing, quaint and with a fountain in the middle of its courtyard. The two warriors walked around, looking around for anyone with a severe injury.

They scanned each of the five patrons in the courtyard carefully, noting any physical differences. All seemed scared of something.

They noticed a man with a tall build, an attire similar to the one Weiss had seen on Lieutenant. He was also clutching his arm, which seemed to be limp. Blood dripped down from it and he seemed to be trying his hardest not to say anything. It really looked like his arm was mangled.

"Is that him?" Pyrrha asked. "I didn't get a good look at him before."

"Hey you!" Weiss stabbed her rapier through his leg. He screamed in pain, falling backward. He scrambled to get away from Weiss, but the heiress was stalking over to him with murderous intent in her eyes. He tried to say something, but when he opened his mouth, garble speech, along with a lot of blood, poured from his mouth.

Pyrrha glanced up, gasping as she saw the white cloud behind the man, above the two of them. It had spikes protruding from all around it, the large eye staring down at Weiss.

"Weiss, that's not him!" Pyrrha shouted, tackling Weiss to the ground as the lightning bolts struck. The entire bottom of the cloud shot down white hot lightning, searing the ground and cooking the poor innocent that had been caught up in this. His eyes had melted from the shocks and he was slumped over, a dead look in his eyes.

"You two are such fools," Lieutenant stepped out from behind the column at the back. His arm was also a mangled mess, hanging limply, blood dripping over his tattoos. "But, you two don't really seem to get just how outplayed you are. I just damaged that idiot to look like me and cut out his tongue so he couldn't warn you. These other guys were so scared that they didn't even flinch or move the entire time."

"Well, now your dumb ass has exposed itself, so I think I'll be taking your head now." Weiss pointed her rapier at him.

"Idiot," Lieutenant scoffed. "I've begun to use the full power of my Semblance, showing its true form. Here, its air manipulation reaches its peak. But, you two will never survive for it to matter."

"There has to be a weakness to his abilities," Pyrrha said as they dove to the side to avoid the cloud.

"He doesn't use much but the lightning," Weiss said. "Perhaps the other abilities are only defensive at best. Heating the air and making clouds and warm fronts must be something it can only do if it's the air immediately around it."

"I see," Pyrrha said. "But, how do we stop it? Your icicles were less than effective and even my Rain of Blades can't get past that lightning."

"I think I have an idea," Weiss said as the cloud moved closer, lightning crackling around it. Can you make a metal spear that's completely metal?"

"I… I think so," Pyrrha nodded.

"Then do it," Weiss said. "Make two of them and hand them to me."

"R-Right," Pyrrha nodded, deciding to trust Weiss on this one. She summoned Milo Akoúo, the magnet warrior creating the requested items out of various ferromagnetic metal around the courtyard. They were ten feet long and one inch thick with points that were eight inches long. Weiss held them, staring at the Semblance.

"Stand back," She said, using her incredible speed to move behind the cloud. She leapt into the air, landing on a black snowflake. It held her for a second before launching her upward. Another one launched her higher before she took the spears by the middle. She dove into the cloud, which was turning a dark blackish purple.

Lieutenant shrieked as two large holes opened up on his body, leaking blood, exit wounds following after. Weiss' screams could be heard over the sound of the crackling electricity, the heiress landing below the cloud, slamming the spears into the ground. All the electricity from the cloud ran through those metal spears into the ground, causing the cloud to shrink. Weiss was flung backward when the electricity had discharged, slamming into the column of the overhang providing shade to the café. By this point, the patrons had all left, fleeing in terror at the battle they couldn't see.

"Looks like I at least managed to take her out," Lieutenant panted, gripping his body as best he could with one arm to try to stem the bleeding. "Her old man should pay enough to fix this an then some."

"Y-You bastard!" Pyrrha said. "You won't get away with this!"

"I thought you said you knew how cool catchphrases worked," Pyrrha heard the voice behind her. She turned to see Weiss standing there, rapier clutched in her hand, limping over to them. There were various electrical burns on her body, and there was a nasty scar over her left eye, which was squeezed shut. "You have to say something like this; I am Weiss Schnee, avenger of Blake Belladonna! Prepare to die for your crimes, you vagabond, for my vengeance is swift!"

"H-How are you alive?" Lieutenant gasped.

"I've survived more dangerous things in honing my Semblance," Weiss stalked closer. "I used my Gravity Glyphs to destroy the column and cushion me. But, you mentioned something about my father earlier. Start talking or your death will be even slower."

"Wh-Why should I tell you?" Lieutenant backed away, but several spears dropped from the sky, courtesy of Pyrrha, landing beside him and barring his exit.

"Oh, I've got plenty of strength left to finish you off," Weiss spit blood onto him, stabbing Myrtenaster through his stomach. "Now talk, or I'll make it nice and slow."

Pyrrha considered stopping Weiss, but thought better of it. Her brother had suffered at this monster's hands and she was going to do the same to Cinder for Jaune's sake. She needed to get him out, and if they had to kill everyone in their way… perhaps she could loosen her morals a bit.

"Like I'd tell you anything, you bitch," Lieutenant coughed up blood. "Not about your father, not about Cinder's Semblance, nothing."

"Oh, so you know that, huh? Well, I suppose you better tell us that as well, seeing as how we're heading there to give her a stern beating too."

"Fuck you," The downed Wielder coughed as Weiss pierced his ribs, coming dangerously close to a lung.

"I have people to do that for me," Weiss glared down at him. "But, about you, you look in bad shape. When you die, you're going straight to hell for your actions. But, the devil's gonna have to wait because I have first dibs on your blood."

Fifty blue snowflake Glyphs with red centers formed around Weiss, all of them aiming an icicle at Lieutenant.

"You might want to look away," Weiss looked over at Cinder. "This will be messy."

Pyrrha, out of respect for Weiss, turned away. Weiss thrust forward with her sword, impaling Lieutenant's lung. As she did, the icicles all shot at him. Weiss danced around her attacks, repeatedly thrusting him with Myrtenaster. As all fifty icicles embedded themselves in his body, he didn't even have the capability to scream.

"Rot in hell," With those three words, Weiss drove her rapier into his brain, wrenching it free with a disgusting squelch. The icicles all exploded, a red mist spraying into the air as the utterly mutilated and mangled corpse of Lieutenant lay there, unmoving.

Emerald stood with Adam, discussing the interior of the dark domain they resided in. The blueprints showed each entrance and exit, even the more well-hidden ones. They daily went over this list to prepare themselves in case of attack so they did not have to leave it to Cinder.

Emerald twitched, screaming as she dropped to the ground, blood spurting out of wounds that opened up all over.

"Lieutenant, what happened to you?!" She shrieked. "Who did this?! Who murdered you so?!"

"What are you doing?" Adam asked, staring down at her.

"Lieutenant has been murdered!" Emerald looked up at him with horrified eyes. "Murdered by that foul fool, Weiss!"

"Well, then, we shall prepare," Adam said calmly. "If he hadn't taken that contract, perhaps it would have been unnecessary."

"It was fated that the youngest Schnee must die," Emerald gripped her face, bowing as Cinder walked in. "Thus, my ideal to obtain the backing of the entire Schnee family would be complete."

"But, Weiss has defected back to their side," Adam looked at the Grimm.

"Weiss is not the only Schnee with a Semblance," Cinder's glowing eyes stared back. "Their family has nearly as much potential as the Roses in this generation. But, I don't need Weiss if my plans are to come to fruition. In the end, they shall all fall anyway.

"And, what plan is that?" Adam asked.

"You will know when it is time for your role," The shadows covering Cinder's face seemed to twitch, her eyes glowing. "Do not let your soul be troubled with this, Adam. I will succeed in my plan, with or without Weiss."

Weiss turned around wordlessly, walking past Pyrrha. "Come on. We need to regroup with the others and discuss our next plan of action."

"R-Right," Pyrrha didn't dare look back. But, the blood all over Weiss was a sign she had finished her work, having repaid the monster for all his actions. They walked forward to their car, looking to see if they could use it for anything.

"Well, well, well, looks as if we've caught you," Mercury stood there, looking at them with arms crossed as he leaned against their vehicle.

"Because you weren't there for my brother's murder, I'm going to let you go this time, and only this time," Weiss stared him down. "As for your partner, he's getting gang raped in hell at the moment."

"Wow, that's a little dark," Mercury chuckled. "If it were true."

His foot shot for Weiss, but Pyrrha deflected it with Milo Akoúo.

"Your fight is with me now," She narrowed her eyes. "And, his corpse is actually a little ways behind us. Right under the overhang of the café. Can't miss it."

"Well, uh, I think I'll go check," Mercury took off down the road. But, before he could get far, a fist slammed into his face. "Ow, who the fu—"

His words caught in his throat as he looked up and saw Ruby standing there, Sundragon standing right behind her, having driven over in their own car. Maria was also there, Beholder of Life and Death wrapping around her like a strangling vine, hanging down as if ready to be used as a weapon.

"Going somewhere?" Ruby asked. "Seems you've got some explaining to do, considering how you're here with these two. I mean, one who understands what we're doing here could simply just expect you to have a Semblance. Right?"

"I-I don't know what you're talking about," Mercury stammered.

"You can't lie on the inside," Ruby grabbed him by the shirt. "No one can, not deep in their soul. And, your emotions get splayed out like a canvas painting. And, you know what your emotions tell me? You're really afraid. But, why would you need to be afraid if you're innocent?"

"Y-You punched me," Mercury stammered. "I-I was afraid because I assumed you would rob me."

"You know what I can see now?" Ruby asked. "I can see you're lying."

Mercury gulped, but before he could do anything, a girl reached over to grab Ruby.

"No, please stop!" She exclaimed. "Mercury isn't a bad guy!"

"Lil' Miss, wait," Mercury stared, but the girl tugged on Ruby's arm with her feeble strength. The crimsonette growled, pulling back her fist to hit the girl.

"Ruby, don't hit her, she's just a girl!" Maria grabbed Ruby's fist. "She's just got misplaced love."

"Thanks, Lil' Miss," Mercury said as he managed to slip from Ruby's grasp and take off. "I'll come back for you later."

"Great, now he's gone," Ruby said, turning to the girl. "I hope you're happy."

The girl, who definitely couldn't be older than sixteen, looked a little puny, but there was an odd look in her eyes.

"I wanted him to be safe," She said. "I know it's all a big misunderstanding."

"Whatever," Ruby turned to Weiss and Pyrrha. "We heard about Blake. We gave her a burial."

"We'll discuss it more later," Maria looked at the girl. "More privately, we'll discuss where her grave is."

The girl's eyes shifted to Maria, something not unnoticed by Ruby, who said nothing.

"If… If you guys are going to the airport a few cities over, I would like to request a ride, if it's not too much trouble," The girl begged. "You… despite your actions, you seem like you're trustworthy and you seem to be concerned with justice."

"I guess we can take you with us for a short distance," Maria said. "The nearest airport is in Emerald Forest City near Vale, which is on our way. I suppose we can take you."

"You better not be a freeloader," Ruby said as Maria ran over to Weiss, using what she knew of her Aura to try and heal Weiss.

"Jeez, Weiss, what did you do?" Maria asked.

"I avenged them both," A single, frozen tear flowed down Weiss' left eye, the scar not healing. "We may continue together. I apologize for my actions. They were rash and cost us much."

"It's alright, Weiss," Maria gave her a wink. "Things always work out for the best, no matter how bleak they seem. But, for now, I'm hungry, so let's go get food before we get back on the road. We've got a long journey ahead of us."


And, it looks like Weiss has earned her revenge. But, what could be in store for our crusaders now? I suppose we'll find out.