Viridian looked around the frigid wasteland. How had the people working in this place kept the Grimm away? He looked at the fire Dust Heaters Jason had set up, without them, this would have been next to impossible, now it was more of a nuisance.
He picked up a chunk of snow-covered stone, holding it in midair while Pyrrha used her Semblance to pull the nearly frozen metal out of the ground, placing it on the ground where Jason slipped it into his Shadow.
"How do Ya thin' they kept th' Grimm at bay?" He asked.
"Underground," Jason Said. "Encased in steel. I think the building acted like a Faraday Cage for emotions. Either that or they had a Semblance that made them invisible to the Grimm. Or it could have been drugs. Drug up the Faunus to the point that they don't feel emotion? That could work, right?"
"Aye, I suppose any o' those could work. How did ye get so diabolical?"
"I'm not a good person Viridian," Jason said, looking across the horizon. "I've killed people for no other reason than they were talking about hurting someone. I didn't even give them the chance to change. I've come it with ways to torture and maim people that would leave Coral impressed or terrified."
"Lad. Yer not tha' bad."
"But I am. I've lost track of the number of people I've killed. I've lost track of the people I've tortured. Both have to be in the hundreds by now. Can you honestly look me in the eye and tell me that I'm not a bad person?"
Viridian looked at his feet.
"That's what I thought," Jason said, putting another piece of steel into his shadow.
Pyrrha looked up at Jason. "You're not a bad person, but the road to hell is paved with the best of intentions."
"I've made my peace with it."
"Have you? Is Weiss okay with it?"
Jason looked at the devastation before he created an army of Shadow Clones and went to work digging up Metal.
Weiss looked at her reflection. She wasn't insecure about herself, after all she was an expectant mother, but she had to know... she called Jason on video chat.
"Hey Weiss." Jason Said. "What's wrong?"
"What's wrong with you?"
"Nothin' much, just feeling kind of..." He stopped, looking for the right word.
"Insecure?" Weiss asked.
"Not insecure. I know that I'm not a great person. I..."
"What's wrong?" Weiss asked, leaving no room for discussion.
"It's nothing. I'm fine."
"No, you're not. Talk to me. Please."
"What did you call for?"
"I know that I'm not Insecure, but I'm feeling kind of insecure right now."
"I'm on my way," Jason said, disappearing into a shadow, leaving a Clone in his place.
"Jason?" Weiss asked.
"I'm here." Jason said from behind her. "What's wrong?"
"What's wrong with you?" She asked.
Jason sighed. "I'm just thinking how much I would change if I got a second chance. I don't Even know how much blood is on my hands, but it's a lot. I'm going to be nineteen next year, and more than half my life has been filled with bloodshed. What's that going to tell our child?"
"Oh." Weiss said, realizing what the problem was.
"Why are you feeling insecure?" Jason asked. "Can I do something to make you feel less insecure?"
"All my life I've had to be the epitome of poise and grace, and now... I'm none of those things. I always had to eat a specific portion to keep my figure, and now I'm eating double or triple the food I used to. I had to walk gracefully, and now I have swollen ankles. I used to have a figure people would kill for, and now... now I'll have stretch marks and love handles."
Jason held Weiss. "I know, but do you know what you traded Poise and Grace for?"
"What?" She pouted into his chest.
"The Elegance and Beauty that comes with being a mother. Through all this, all that you're going through. It's making you something precious. Something that the gold diggers of Atlas will never be."
"What's that?"
"A mother. Not everyone is meant to be a mother, not everyone can be a mother, but you are proving that you are one of the people who can. The Gold-diggers have money, plastic surgery, and so many outfits that they only wear once and then put away never to be worn again, but you; you're not like them. You have a beauty that none of them can or will ever have. You're Not some trophy wife. You are Weiss Fucking Schnee, and that means more than a pair of fake breasts."
Weiss laid her head into Jason's chest.
"Did that make you feel better?"
"A little."
"Want me to make you feel a lot better?"
"How?"
"Waiting on you Hand and foot while you take a bath. I happen to have one last Valean Cherry Blossom Bath Bomb left, and afterwards..." Jason whispered something in her ear that had her cheeks darken with color before dragging him into the bathroom.
General James Ironwood looked down at the pictures Geoff had sent to his Scroll. How had he let this happen? He knew the situation in Atlas was different than the situation in Vale or Vacuo, but he didn't realize it was THIS bad. How had things gotten THIS bad?
'I can help you.' 'Nature's Domain' Said. 'I can give you the power so that something like this never happens ever again.'
"No!" Ironwood yelled. "You're just trying to control me!"
'No. I want to help you. The people under your care are in trouble, in pain. I can help you ease their suffering.'
"How?"
'Pick me Up, Hold me. We have much work to do.'
Ironwood picked 'Nature's Domain' up and the final thing he heard was. 'Excellent. Now come on. We've got a world to save.'
Viridian shivered as he looked around the sinkhole. "Hey lad!? Can Yer Semblance Copy Semblance's?"
"Yes and no. It can, but the more copies I make, make the Semblances weaker by the number of copies. I make ten copies, that Semblance is now divided by ten."
"But ye could make a single copy, an' it would stay the same?"
"Yes."
"Good, can ye make a clone o' Pyrrha and I ta make th' work Go by faster?"
Jason created a clone of Pyrrha and Viridian. The Viridians began lifting rocks with their Semblances and the Pyrrha's began lifting the metal faster with two of them.
They worked throughout the bitter day late into the frigid night gathering all the metal from the sinkhole.
When they were done the clones disappeared, and they walked through a portal back to the manor.
Coco looked at Pico, lying on her stomach while he tried lifting his head.
"Hello Coco Bean," Rubé Said, walking in.
"Hi Uncle Rubé," Coco Said.
"So, how is Pico?"
"He's doing okay... I think."
"You're a Good Girl, you know that?"
"Am I?" Coco asked. "Fox is dead, Faunus have been tortured and turned into pets for fucking monsters. I've been here going on five months, and I never noticed."
"Language Coco Bean. You don't want to teach Pico harsh languages, do you? Also, why do you think it's your fault?"
Coco went quiet.
"Do you know that there were days that I blamed myself for your aunts death?"
"What? Why?"
"Because. I thought that if I had just been a little better, done more research, had more security at the wedding, done something, but I learned something."
"What?"
"If I live my life by what I could have done, could have been, I'd be too scared to leave my house. So, I live my life helping people, and maybe I can help them not make the same mistakes I did."
"Any advice for me?"
"Honor Fox's memory by doing what he would have wanted you to do in the event of his death."
"Okay," Coco Said. "Will you Watch Pico while I go talk to my team?"
"Of course."
Coco Left Pico with Rubé and ran out of the room, looking for Velvet and Yatsu.
Rubé looked down at Pico and rubbed the boys humped back. "I'm so sorry." He spoke. "You don't deserve this lot, you've already lost so much."
Pico looked up at Rubé, unaware of what he was saying.
Coco ran through the manor looking for Velvet and Yatsuhashi. She found Yatsu in the training room with Scott, both of whom were wielding two swords each, Yatsuhashi wielding Fulcrum and Guillotine.
Scott was Wielding his twin Shotgun/Katanas 'Fangs of Justice'.
"Yatsu." She said before they could start sparring, again. "Come on. We need to find Velvet."
"What's wrong?" He asked, taking in breaths to relax after a grueling workout.
"We haven't honored Fox's last wish, what he would have wanted us to do after his death."
They made their way towards the armory where Geoff was making a Mecha-Shifting weapon while Velvet stood watch.
"Velvet," Coco Said. "We have to honor Fox's last wish."
Velvet nodded and left the armory, leaving Geoff to his crafting.
Together, Team CVY headed for Fox's room. They closed the door and activated Fox's Scroll.
"I'm recording this on December 2nd, 2023. I'm not going to sugar coat it guys. There's a chance that I'll die, the world we thought we knew is more dangerous than ever. If and when I die, I want you guys to do one last thing for me. Do like we do in Vacuo and survive. I want you to survive. Also, kill whoever or whatever killed me, and after that's done, I want you to watch or listen to the Ultimate Smash Collection: Try Not to Laugh edition like we Did at Shade Academy. If this is my last day here, then I just want to say that I'm proud to call you my team, and even prouder to call you, my friends. Fox out."
Coco and Velvet had tears rolling down their cheeks while Yatsu looked stoic.
They sat down and played through the Ultimate Smash Collection: Try Not to Laugh edition. Laughing their way through their sadness.
Loki and Coral were sitting in their room with their Scrolls open, looking at the various weddings that they could have.
"What about a Menagerie Style Wedding?" Coral asked, looking through the events of a Menagerie Style Wedding.
1. Auspicious Wedding Date
2. Engagement Photos
3. Engagement Ceremony
4. Wedding Processional
5. Prayer at the Altar
6. Important Colors and Attire
7. Meaningful Decor
8. Tea Service and Candle Lighting Ceremony
9. Honoring Elders
10. Cognac and Lots of Food
11. Thoughtful Wedding Gifts
12. No Officiant
13. Lion Dancers
"I don't know," Loki said. "What about a Vacuo Style Wedding?"
1. Special Wedding Church Meeting.
2. Godparents.
3. Silk Cord.
4. 13 coins.
5. Music.
6. Reception.
7. Dances.
8. Vacuan Wedding Cookies.
"I mean... what about Lochness or Cashel?" Coral asked.
They looked at the traditions for Cashel and Lochness.
Cashel
1. Handfasting.
2. Wearing Cashel Symbols.
3. Signet rings.
4. Lock the Venue doors.
5. Play traditional Cashel Music.
6. The Bride wears a blue wedding dress.
7. Incorporate 'Lucky' symbols.
8. Braid the brides hair.
9. Put wild flowers in the brides hair.
10. Have a 'Magic' handkerchief'.
11. Wedding bells.
12. Groom, Groomsman, and male wedding goers wear kilts based on their house or Clan.
13. Announce the Dowery.
14. Give blessing to the Bride and Groom.
15. Cashel Triples.
Lochness
1. Lucky Brooch.
2. Feet Washing.
3. Basket Carry.
4. Exchanging of the vows.
5. Bride stands on the left instead of the right.
6. Confetti.
7. The Oath Stone.
8. Pledges.
9. Loving Cup.
10. 'Eloping' to the Venue.
11. Silver coins.
12. Unity Candles.
13. Good Luck Charms.
14. The Wedding Walk.
15. Wedding rings.
16. Family Crests.
17. Bagpipes.
18. Wedding Cake.
Coral and Loki looked over the wedding traditions for the four weddings they could have. "Which on Looks Best?" Coral asked.
"First things first I think we need to decide which of us will take the title of Bride and who will take the title of Groom," Loki said.
"Oh. That's easy," Coral said. "You're the Bride, I'm the Groom."
"And you say you can't be dominate." Loki teased.
"No, it just makes sense," Coral teased back. "I'm taller, stronger, more masculine, and not as good looking. You on the other hand are smaller, weaker, more feminine, and better looking."
"Weaker, am I?" Loki asked before pouncing on Coral, and the two rolled around until Loki pinned Coral under her. "Who's weaker now?" She asked.
"Oh no." Coral laughed before saying in a deadpan. "I'm so much weaker than you. Please don't do anything untoward me in retaliation of besmirching your honor."
"There's an idea." Loki mused before Coral slipped out from under her and clothes went flying across their room as they became lost in their lust filled love making.
Weiss woke up and stretched only to feel a tingle in her stomach. She rolled over, feeling the bedding under her soaked. It brought a smile to her face.
"You made a mess," Jason Said.
"Only because of your ministrations," Weiss reminded him.
"Oh yeah. I did. So, I guess you could say that I made a mess."
"Yes, you did." Weiss wrapped her arms around his neck. "You made a mess, and you need to clean it up."
"First things first..." Jason picked Weiss up and walked into their bathroom.
Three Shadow Clones walked out and began cleaning up the bed. They took the bedding off, placed powder on the wet spots that absorbed the moisture before taking the bedding down to the laundry and laid out two new outfits for Jason and Weiss.
One of the Clones grabbed Weiss's midday vitamins and her midday dose of Fauna-slow and Semblene.
Another clone brought in the vacuum and vacuumed the floor.
After they had finished, they disappeared and Jason and Weiss walked out of the bathroom, Weiss with a towel wrapped around her hair with another around her body and Jason with a towel wrapped about his waist.
Weiss looked at the cleaned room with outfits laid out and her midday doses on the nightstand. Jason was really taking care of her, making sure that she took her medicine and other doses, waiting on her hand and foot. She dressed in the outfit that had been laid out for her; a pair of Pale Blue sweatpants and a frost colored oversized hoodie.
Jason wore a pair of grey tactical pants and a green, nearly skintight, shirt that left nearly nothing to the imagination.
Weiss shook the bottle of Semblene and drank it down fast, it didn't taste that good. She took her multivitamin next before drinking the Fauna-slow. It tasted better, but still not great. She washed it down with some water and a bag of chips Jason handed her. "Thanks," she said.
"You're Welcome," Jason Said, hugging her. "Do you feel better now?"
"Mm-hmm," Weiss sighed contentedly into his chest.
They stayed like that until Jason picked up the vacuum and cleaned off the bed. Next, he pulled out a box of baking soda and sprinkled it over the bed. "That needs to set for an hour," he said. "Should we go see how everyone else is doing."
"Okay," Weiss Agreed As they left their room.
Three Shadow Clones appeared in the room again and went back to cleaning.
Tyra and Jaune were in the game room playing Corgi Cart, a game where you chose a Corgi and raced against other Corgi's around four different tracks to see who won.
"Did you seriously just throw a Seashell at me?" Tyra asked.
"You threw a Dust shell at me!" Jaune countered.
"Touché."
They were about to cross the finish line when the doorbell rang.
Tyra got up and walked out to the Foyer, weapon drawn in case it was an attack.
Jason and Weiss met her at the door, Jason with a Kodachi in one hand and a Tanto Dagger in the other while Weiss stayed back, ready to support should the need arise.
Tyra opened the door, letting Pyrrha and Viridian in, followed by a Jason Shadow Clone.
"We got a lot o' metal ta work wit," Viridian explained. "We should be able ta make plenty o' prosthetics an' even more weapons now."
"Great." Jason said. "They need them, and we need them."
"Tha' we do lad," Viridian said as he and Jason's Shadow Clone headed for the armory.
Tyra walked back into the game room. "Oh! You Dick!" She shouted. "You're Not playing the next round!"
Jason and Weiss smiled at each other before heading to the kitchen so Jason could make lunch.
Geoff hammered away at the Mecha-Shifting wrapping he was working on. His thoughts drifting from Velvet to Awena to Harriet and back. He was thinking about how best to protect them, and that would send him on a tangent to the cursed weapons, Ironwood, Viridian, and Scott and back again.
He didn't even realize that he'd finished the weapon until he hit the anvil and it made a dense *COOM!* sound.
He looked down and saw all the completed pieces. He put it together, and when the final piece went into place, he felt strange. He felt... cool, almost... cold. He picked up the Weapon and it felt as though he'd been purified of all sins and wrongdoings. He thrust the weapon into the air letting its light shine out. He knew who this weapon belonged to, but first, this weapon needed a scabbard, and not just any scabbard. A scabbard worthy of a Paladin.
Forging like he'd never forged before he forged a scabbard as if in a trance, only stopping once the scabbard was done.
Sliding the weapon into the Scabbard he ran out of the armory with the weapon in his hands, nearly running into Viridian and Jason.
Dodging out of the way he ran until he found Jaune playing Corgi Cart in the game room with Tyra.
"Jaune," he said. "I have somethin' fer ye."
"What is it?" Jaune asked, not looking up for the screen.
Geoff held out the Sword and Jaune looked up when Tyra beat him and saw the sword. "But I already have a sword."
"I know, but this is a special sword. Try it out."
Jaune took the sword to the Foyer and piled the sword out of the scabbard, letting its purifying glow bathe everyone in the Foyer.
Jason's Shadow Clone disappeared, and the others were bathed in a soft, cleansing light.
Viridian felt all his pain from the corruption ebb away, leaving him feeling whole.
Scott, Gale, and José appeared in Foyer, and they were bathed in the light as well.
Scott fell to his knees as pain he didn't know he was feeling dissipated.
José felt light, like he could be genuinely happy again.
Jason and Weiss appeared from the kitchen, Jason falling against the wall when he felt a part of himself, all of his doubts and fears dissolve, leaving him feeling... confident in himself again.
Weiss felt all of her insecurities wash away as if they had never existed, leaving her happy and excited.
Everyone was bathed in the light from the sword and felt warmth creep through their bones into their souls.
Jaune put the sword away, gasping and panting. Sweat covering his face, neck, and chest. "What is This Sword called?" He asked.
Geoff thought about it for a moment before saying: "Slánaitheoir maithiúnas."
As the words left his mouth, they appeared on the Swords blade.
"Whoa," Jaune Said.
"It also Mecha-Shifts."
"How?"
"The Scabbard is part o' it," Geoff explained. "Connect th' Scabbard ta th' pommel an' turn th' hilt a quarter turn ta th' right."
Jaune did so, bringing the calm, crisp light back to bathe the others, and the sword went from a 116.5 cm sword to a 7' spear from tip to pommel with the 19 inch long tip.
"Whoa," the group said.
"Hey Pyrrha?" Yang asked. "Do you think you can handle Jaune's spear?"
"I don't even think she could handle the tip." Gale said.
Scott and Summer slapped Gale and Yang upside their heads.
Pyrrha and Jaune blushed crimson at the remark.
Jaune Mecha-Shifted 'Slánaitheoir maithiúnas' back to Sword form and put it away.
"There is one test tha' we still need ta do," Geoff said.
"What's that?" Jaune asked.
"We need ta test th' effects against a cursed weapon."
"I've got this," Gale said drawing a Cutlass that changed his appearance from his normal look to that of a waterlogged look with barnacles on the left side of his face. Whenever he took a breath, he sounded asthmatic or like he was drowning.
"What the fuck?" Scott and José asked.
"Gale..." Geoff said, horrified. "Wha' happened?"
"I found..." Gale wheezed as water flowed from his lungs. "...the longer I... practiced... with the 'Jolly... 'Jolly Roger'... the more I... needed water... but... as you can... see... it took a toll... toll on my body..."
Jaune unsheathed 'Slánaitheoir maithiúnas' and Water gushed from Gales lungs. He ran at Gale with a battle cry and slashed upward.
There was the sound of metal sinking into stone and a gasp from Gale turned to gagging.
Everyone watched as Gale vomited a small lake from his body that covered the Foyer.
When he finished, he dropped to his hands and knees and looked at Geoff and Jaune. "Th-thank you." He wheezed.
Geoff, José, and Scott ran up to Gale and knelt down, putting their hands on his back and shoulders in solidarity and support.
"Th-thanks guys." He wheezed.
"So, this sword can break cursed objects?" Jaune asked.
"Try this." Logan said, stabbing at Jaune with 'Mob Mentality'.
Jaune blocked the pitchfork with 'Slánaitheoir maithiúnas' causing him to slide back due to the water and Logan's sheer strength.
To everyone's shock, 'Mob Mentality' didn't break.
"I guess it's not "cursed"." Whitley said.
"What about 'Berserker'?" Sun asked, swinging the battle axe at Jaune who blocked it with a resounding *CLANG!*
"Anyone else?" Jaune asked.
Jason took out 'Agony' and every Aura in the room went out; plunging the Foyer into cold.
Jaune and Jason walked towards each other and swung their swords.
The swords sparked but 'Slánaitheoir maithiúnas' wasn't able to cut through 'Agony'.
"Does this mean that 'Agony' isn't cursed?" Jaune asked.
"I thin' it has ta do wit th' wielder." Geoff said. "I thin' tha' if ye fought Adam wit 'Slánaitheoir maithiúnas' then it would definitely cut through 'Agony', but since Jason's wielding it, it won't."
"Oh."
Jason put 'Agony' into his shadow.
"I'm next." Scott said, running upstairs and coming back down with 'Life' and 'Death'.
Jaune and Scott circled each other, waiting for the moment to strike.
Scott spun the Khopesh and Shotel in his hands before swinging the Khopesh at Jaune.
Jaune blocked, deflecting the Sword, and Scott swung at him with the Shotel, and was shocked when 'Slánaitheoir maithiúnas' cut through the Shotel like a hot knife through butter.
The Shotel dissolved into dust and mixed in the water making part of it black.
"So..." Scott Said. "I guess that 'Death' was cursed."
"What did it do?" Summer asked.
"If I cut Someone with it, it would take some of their life energy, and when I cut someone with 'Life'..." he held up the Khopesh; "...I would heal myself."
"Um, yeah..." Creed Said. "...I'd say that's cursed."
Scott cut Jason who healed leaving Scott the same. "Looks like it's useless without 'Death'.
"Maybe Not." Geoff said. "I think tha' I could reforge it inta somethin' new. Somethin' ta remind ya o' th' balance between life an' death."
"Knock yourself out." Scott said, handing Geoff the blade.
"I suppose that I'm next." José said, drawing Hel's Scythe.
Everyone watched in reverence as José walked over to face Jaune.
José Swung and Jaune parried.
The room remained breathless until José showed that the Scythe was perfectly fine.
Everyone let out the breath they didn't realize they were holding.
"Ima get back ta th' armory." Geoff said, taking 'Life' with him.
"Come on Gale." Scott Said as He and José grabbed Gale under an arm and took him up to his room.
Jaune put 'Slánaitheoir maithiúnas' back in its sheath and slumped against the wall.
"Are you okay Jaune?" Pyrrha asked.
"I'm tired." Jaune said.
"Here. Let me help you get upstairs."
They walked upstairs with Pyrrha pulling Jaune's arm over her shoulders.
"So?" Yang asked. "What Are they odds of them getting freaky?"
"Low." Creed said. "Unless you've got an aphrodisiac in their room."
Yang thought about that but stopped when she felt Summer's presence behind her. "Oh shit." She spoke.
Winter walked through a bitter Atlas towards Todd Manor, she didn't stop until she got there because the Atlas that she saw Now wasn't the Atlas She remembered, but maybe Atlas hadn't changed, maybe it was her who'd changed.
She walked up to the door and knocked.
When the door opened, water flowed out of the house and Neptune appeared in the doorway. "Whoops. Sorry." He said with a cheeky smile.
"I'm here to see Geoffrey Patrick and my siblings."
"Sure. C'mon in," He waved her in.
Winter walked in and saw the others drying the floor with mops and rags. "What happened here?"
"We found a few more corrupted," Neptune explained. "Don't worry, we took care of them."
"I see."
Jason and Weiss appeared in front of Winter. "Do you have to go?" Weiss asked Jason.
"Yes. I need to check in with Torchwick and Neo. What if what we found was happening in Mistral too? I need to know."
"And you're sure that I can't come with you?" Weiss pouted.
"I'd feel better if you were here. You can spend time with Winter."
"Hello Sister," Winter said.
"Hello Winter," Weiss replied. "How are you today?"
"I'm well, thank you. How are you?"
"I was feeling a little insecure, but Jason helped me through it."
"From what I've heard, pregnant women often face insecurities about themselves."
"I see. Let's grab Whitley and we can talk over tea."
"That sounds lovely."
The sister walked through the house looking for their missing brother.
They found him in the training room with Gabby and Onyx. Winter looked away when she saw that Whitley was naked from the waist up while Gabby wore a sports bra and Onyx wore a Tank top.
Whitley blocked Gabby and ducked under Onyx's swing before turning invisible and kicked Gabby into Onyx.
Gabby got up and snarled at open air before she swung around only to be stopped midair by something invisible. She grabbed it and swung it away.
Winter and Weiss were knocked to the floor by an invisible Whitley.
Weiss was pulled into the floor and sat safely on a chair.
"Whitley!" Winter snapped.
Whitley became visible and looked at Winter who looked away at his nakedness.
"Oh! Shit! Sorry!" He ran over to his shirt and pulled it on.
"Language!" Winter snapped.
"THANK YOU!" Summer yelled from somewhere in the Manor.
"Now! What is all this?" Winter asked.
"Sparring," Whitley Explained. "I'm working on my technique. Whenever Jason is Alone, I attack him to check how much better I've gotten. I can usually get one cut on him before he finds me. I've taken to coating my blades in poison."
"You WHAT!"
"Yeah. It's not like the poison can hurt him. He's got Ozzy Oyster levels of resistance to that stuff?"
"Excuse me? Who is Ozzy Oyster?"
"Ozzy Oyster?" Gabby asked. "He Did That song called 'Crazy Train'?"
"Crazy Train?" Winter asked.
Gabby took out her Scroll and played a song.
"What is That Noise!?" Winter demanded, covering her ears.
"That. Is Ozzy Oyster," Whitley said. "Rumor has it that he ripped a bat out of the air and..."
"Whitley!" Weiss snapped.
"Oops. Sorry Weiss," he apologized.
"Come," Winter ordered. "Let us have tea."
The group followed Winter to the kitchen where she made a pot of tea.
Tyra came in a short while later and began making dinner. "Will you stay for dinner Winter?" She asked. "We usually have more than enough... unless people decide to take fourths."
"One time!" Whitley snapped. "What can I say. That Lasagna was amazing. Ten out of ten. Would eat again."
"You're just trying to flatter me, so I'll make Lasagna again."
"Is it working?"
"No," Tyra teased. "Better luck next time. Tonight, we're having curry."
"Ooh," Onyx moaned, practically salivating. "I love curry."
"Are you going to stay for dinner?" Whitley asked Winter.
"I have some work to do, so I'll pass."
"More for us then," Gabby said.
Winter Finished steeping the tea and poured it into six identical cups. Weiss, Whitley, Gabby, and Onyx took one while Winter took one and handed the final cup to Tyra who tasted it.
"Oh my," Tyra said. "This tea is amazing. What did you use?"
"It's an herbal tea that you can pick up in the market."
"So long as you're a human!" Gabby pointed out. "Or can pass as human."
Winter went to say something, but realized they were right.
A Shadow Clone of Jason appeared from Weiss's shadow. "I was right," it said. "I found more in Mistral. I'm getting them to Haven, and then I'll get them to Atlas." The clone looked around. "Whitley. I need you in the medical room so I can open a portal to you when I'm ready. We don't need to be parading them through the house."
"Right," Whitley nodded, looking far more composed than Winter had ever seen him.
"What's going on Jason?" She asked.
"Ask Geoff to show you the pictures he showed Ironwood. You'll understand then but be forewarned. It's not pretty."
Whitley finished his tea and left for the medical room with Gabby and Onyx.
Winter looked at Weiss who was holding her stomach. "I won't be going with you to talk to Geoff," she said as she walked into her shadow. "I'll be in my and Jason's room."
Winter looked around at Tyra. "What is going on?" She asked, confused.
"I suggest you ask Geoff," Tyra said. "It's not a Pretty sight."
Winter walked around the manor looking for Geoff. She finally found him in the armory with Viridian and a Shadow Clone of Jason.
"Wha' can we do fer ya lass?" Viridian asked.
"I need to talk to Mister Patrick."
"Wha's Up?" Geoff asked.
"Originally I came over to ask you to come in for a debriefing when you're up for it."
"Sure thin' lass. I'll stop by when I get a chance."
"Thank you."
"Yer Welcome."
"The second thing I wanted to know was; what are these pictures everyone wants me to look at?"
"Oh," Geoff gulped. "Are ye sure?"
Jason just said that he found another group and told Whitley to get to the medical room. What is my brother involved in?!"
"Fine lass, but ye asked fer it." He held up his scroll with pictures on it. Pictures that made her sick. A pale skinned Faunus that had been mutilated and forced to walk on all fours like an animal, the body type was female, but that didn't mean they were female. They had a tail grafted into the base of their spine. Whiskers were poking out of their very infected cheeks, and claws were protruding from their nails.
The next picture was a report that more or less said how many times the Faunus had been impregnated and how many abortions they'd had. It also explained the many forms of abuse they'd undergone, and how long it was excepted for them to recover.
Name: Misty Cedar
Sex: Female
Age: 23-27
Expected Lifespan: 30 years
Time to Recover: N/A. Victim is expected to die before recovery is possible.
Winter looked up from the phone, horrified.
"There's another one lass."
Winter swallowed and scrolled to the next picture. It showed a dark skinned human with horns sticking out of its head, a bulls tail sticking out of the base of its spine, and a large golden ring in its nose. The next picture showed the horned were screwed into the humans head and the tail stapled into his tailbone.
Name: Lavender Taboo
Sex: Male
Age: 30-34
Expected Lifespan: 34 years
Time to Recovery: N/A. Victim is expected to die before recovery is possible.
Winter felt like she was going to be sick, but she had trained herself to be composed and to compose herself in times of Crisis... she wasn't going to make it. She ran for the nearest bathroom and emptied the contents of her stomach.
She knew that humans treated Faunus poorly, but this went way beyond that. This was the most cruel thing she could imagine.
She rinsed her mouth out and left the bathroom.
As she left, she saw a herd of Faunus and humans being moved to the Armory. Following them she found Geoff and Viridian leading them through a doorway she had never seen before.
"I really wish you hadn't see that," Jason sighed, causing Winter to jump, and spin around.
"Why?" She asked.
"Because. Now I can't let you leave the manor."
"Why not?" She tried hiding a gulp.
"Because. If Ironwood or anyone found out about that place, the Faunus we're protecting would be caught and returned to their shitty lives as slaves for humanities whims."
Winter wanted to Argue, but she couldn't. She knew that Jason was telling the truth. "What are my options?" She asked.
"You can stay here, you can have Weiss's room, but I'll keep a clone on you at all times so I can keep an eye on you."
"What are the other options. I know killing me is an option."
"I don't want to, since you're Weiss and Whitley's sister, but it is an option. Another option is that we "kidnap" you and take you with the others to where we're keeping them. You can't leave or visit Ironwood or even see Weiss or Whitley whenever you want to. I can give you an alibi so Ironwood thinks you're dead, but the last option is that I let you leave with a Shadow Clone that will kill you if it even thinks you're telling anyone about this place before you can even talk about it."
Winter winced. She didn't Like any of those options.
"How would you kill me?"
General James Ironwood walked the frozen streets of Atlas. He had just left one household on the list of humans how had others mutilated and kept them as pets. He was walking to the next house when he saw Winter Schnee stagger out of a shadow.
"Schnee!" He yelled.
Winter staggered towards him, dropping her sword.
Ironwood ran towards her and caught her as she fell to the ground. "Schnee! What happened?"
"Jacques..." Winter choked out before coughing blood onto Ironwood's uniform.
"Schnee! What did Jacques do!"
A final shuddering breath came from Winter's throat, and she went limp in his arms.
"NOO!" Ironwood shouted. "JACQUES!" He shouted into the sky.
Jacques Schnee stepped out of the hospital bed. He wasn't fully healed. That would take a few more weeks, but he would have his revenge on all those who had betrayed him. He would take his company back, and he would kill Jason Todd and his family. Then he could live out the rest of his life comfortably, killing as many Faunus as that took. They were only Faunus after all.
"I'm glad to see you up..." Watt's greasy voice rang through the air. "...but don't you think that you should rest up for the assault?"
"I've been lying in a bed for the last three months Watts!" Jacques snapped. "Let me Stretch my legs!"
"Very well but let me introduce you to our companions." He moved out of the way to show three people standing in the doorway.
Two were pale and pasty with green hair, the other was pale and looked deranged.
"Do we need them?" Jacques asked.
"Do you want to kill Jason Todd?"
"Yes."
"Then Yes."
"Very well. When shall we kill them?"
"Soon," Watts explained. "Very soon."
"Excellent," Jacques said, looking out the window. "Excellent."
