Jaune suggested they take a closer look at the state of the walls. Neither Yang nor Weiss had the energy to disagree with him. It was better than wandering in aimless circles. They followed Jaune's lead further into the abandoned neighbourhood without a word.
Telephone poles and broken billboards lay on the streets, retching sparks of electricity from their severed wires. Stores and apartment buildings stood forgotten, their walls and windows punctured with holes. Claw marks scarred the roads and brick walls. It was difficult to press further with so much rubbish and broken wires blocking their path.
"Shit," Jaune cursed when they got a clear vantage point of the distant wall. They didn't need to go up close to see how bad the situation was.
The wall stood before them like a black curtain, a jagged gash ran up to a third of the dark barrier. They were too far away to see the Grimm in detail, but from a distance, they coagulated into a black mass pressing against a flickering energy shield.
It's only a matter of time before the energy shield breaks. It wasn't like Ironwood was going to use his precious Amity resources to fix the gaping hole in Mantle's wall.
And once it breaks, who was going to stand between the Grimm and innocent citizens? The civilians?
Weiss' Scroll felt like a brick in her pocket. She wanted to shatter it on the ground, but that wouldn't be enough to disassociate from her Huntress License. Her name was still attached to the title even if her Scroll was in pieces. Given how quiet Jaune and Yang were, she suspected they had similar feelings about their licenses.
They didn't stay in the broken neighbourhood for long, choosing to venture somewhere more populated.
"We need to tell the others," Yang was the first to speak up. "This is horrible."
"But there's something I'm still curious about," Jaune said. "If those robots aren't protecting the citizens, then why are there so many in this part of the city?"
"Does it matter?" Weiss glared at the nth group of robots that marched passed them.
"How do we get back?" Yang studied their surroundings with a frown.
The street they found themselves in was bustling with noise. Dozens of election watchers crowded around store windows showing the live election footage. Bars and restaurants were now overflowing with election watchers.
"There has to be a bus nearby." Jaune pulled out his Scroll and searched for the nearest transit station. Yang and Weiss kept to themselves as he looked for a ride.
The crowds suddenly erupted into an uproar. Once cheerful parties and late-night celebrations dissolved into curses and angry shouts.
It wasn't hard to figure out what upset the crowds so much. Television screens from the electronics store showed Father had won the election. Some election watchers threw food and beverages at the display window. Others cursed at the television screens and demanded a recount. She had no doubt the Grimm was now clawing at Mantle's flickering shield with even more vigour.
"Okay, the nearest bus station is about an hour's walk," Jaune said, zooming out of the digital map to show them their route. "If we hurry, we can get there–"
A collective scream of terror cut him off. The crowd in front of the electronics store dispersed as a Sabyr Grimm charged straight for them. The monster was fast despite its bulky build, reaching the crowd within seconds.
Those who had their Auras unlocked survived the devastating strike from the monster's claws. Those without Auras lay bleeding on the street.
Some civilians charged at the Grimm with rusted swords, kitchen knives, and weathered bats. The Grimm didn't even flinch from their attacks. A single swipe from its claws was enough to throw the civilians off, shattering their Auras in the process. Weiss had never seen so many Auras break all at once.
The robots on guard didn't give the commotion a single glance, walking by as if nothing was happening.
"What the fuck?!" Yang's hair lit up gold.
Weiss drew her sword and rushed to the Grimm with Yang hot on her trail.
Weiss conjured up a wall of ice between the group of civilians and the Grimm's claws. Yang leapt over her barrier and pushed the Grimm back with a hard punch to its face.
The Sabyr snarled at Yang and pounced at her. Weiss assisted Yang's speed with her Glyphs as the beast retaliated.
"Get out of here!" she ordered the civilians. She was well aware of the attention her Glyphs were drawing. "Let us deal with them! GO!"
That shook them out of their daze. Several murmured a quick thanks while others ran without looking back.
The fight dissolved into chaos as more and more civilians flooded the streets in an attempt to flee. Jaune helped injured civilians escape, occasionally stopping to use his healing abilities on those too injured to get up.
A small handful of civilians stayed back to help them fight despite Weiss' protests. Weiss spent more time protecting the recklessly brave civilians than fighting the Grimm herself.
Yang dealt a fatal blow to the monster with a well-aimed punch to its underbelly. The monster dissolved into black dust, leaving the streets in silence. It was impossible to celebrate their victory when blood stained the streets. No bodies remained on the battlefield. The wounded had all been escorted away, but that didn't guarantee they'll survive their injuries.
Weiss' hands trembled, and she wasn't sure if it was due to the remaining adrenaline or the atrocity of what happened.
"We had it handled! You guys should've left with the others! You all could've died!" Yang berated the remaining civilians.
"We don't need to rely on humans to defend our home!" one of the fighters snapped.
"Yeah! Especially not help from a Schnee!" another one piped in.
Weiss was aware of the hateful looks she was getting from them, but all that mattered was no one had died fighting alongside them.
"Guys, this isn't time for that," Jaune stepped between them. "We're all on the same side-"
"Stay out of this, Human brat! We never asked for your help, and we don't need it!"
"Hey! We're only trying to help!" Yang snapped.
"Yang, it's not worth-"
"Help?! Our neighbourhood doesn't need any more Human interference! Go back to Atlas, blondie, because your kind isn't welcome here!"
"That's not fair! Just because we're Human doesn't me-!"
The roar of gunfire blasted through their conversation. Burning pain erupted in Weiss' back.
She twisted around and summoned an ice barrier, blocking a second Dust-powered bullet from colliding with her chest.
The world held its breath as she stared into the gun barrel of a robot guard.
Weiss ducked as another gunshot went off on her left. Another fired to her right. Within seconds, bullets surrounded them. The civilians around them cursed and scattered. Yang and Jaune pushed forward to take out the robots. Weiss stayed back to create barriers for them all to take shelter behind.
"What the hell is wrong with these things?!" Yang exclaimed as she tore through the robots punch after punch.
"They're trying to arrest us!" one of the civilians answered her as they reloaded their gun. "I'm surprised they'd try to arrest a bunch of Humans and a Schnee brat."
"What do you mean they're arresting us? We did nothing wrong!" Weiss exclaimed.
"It's illegal to use unauthorised weapons in public!"
It didn't make any sense to her. Were they expected to let the Grimm pick them off?
She switched to her Red Dust and let loose a wave of fire at the robots closing in on them. Satisfaction welled in her throat as the androids burned and malfunctioned from her flames.
The battle ended when they dismantled the final robot attacking them. Their moment of peace didn't last long when another wave of robot soldiers rushed towards them at the end of the street.
"This is insane," Yang grunted, ducking behind one of Weiss' barriers.
"T-they're not usually this aggressive," one of the civilians stammered. "They don't attack unless someone refuses to surrender or hits them first."
The bullets started firing again, shattering some of the ice barriers she set up. Weiss replaced the fallen walls while her friends pressed forward. She cursed when she ran out of Light Blue Dust and switched to her Orange Dust.
At this rate, those androids were going to run her Dust supply completely dry.
"Is it just me, or are these assholes more difficult to fight?!" Yang complained over the gunfire.
"It's not just you! They feel more aggressive this time!" Weiss confirmed.
Everywhere they went, bullets trailed their path. No matter how many of them they dismantled, two more took its place. There wasn't a single moment for them to stop and catch their breaths.
"You're both right! They're targeting us!" Jaune cried out suddenly.
Weiss thought his claim was insane until she noticed how little attention the robots gave the civilians. They only attacked them when the civilians went out of their way to hit them first.
"We need to get out of here! People are going to get killed at this rate!"
"We can't leave the civilians like this!" Yang protested.
Yang was right. The civilians would likely get arrested for defending themselves if they retreated now.
"Jaune, tell the others to get out of here! I have an idea to keep the robots distracted!" Weiss ordered at once. "Yang, I need you to cover me for a moment!"
Her friends didn't question her plan. Jaune went off to talk with the civilians while Yang activated her Semblance and barreled through as many robots as she could.
Weiss tuned out of the chaos erupting around her and focused all her energy on summoning. Her Alpha Beowolf entered the field with its teeth bared. It wasted no time charging into the clump of robots, tearing them apart like a famished predator.
"We need to go," Weiss said breathlessly. Yang caught her when her legs caved in. "I don't know how long I can keep my Summon out."
"Get on my back. You're in no shape to run," Yang offered.
Weiss was too tired to protest. She thanked Yang for the help and climbed on her back. Jaune beckoned for the two of them to follow him down a narrow alleyway. They didn't get far when she lost connection with her Beowolf.
No matter where they went, the robots knew precisely where they were. They'd stumbled into random alleyways, hid in abandoned buildings, and collapsed in quiet parks, but each time those androids managed to track them down within minutes.
They didn't come in droves anymore, usually confronting them in pairs or groups of four. That didn't stop them from changing their hiding spots as Jaune feared more would try to corner them if they remained stationary.
They'd tried contacting Ruby and the others whenever they stopped to catch their breaths, but their calls went unanswered each time. Yang was particularly distressed when she discovered the message she'd sent Ruby earlier that day had failed to go through.
Their latest hiding spot was behind a neglected dumpster in a filthy alleyway. Weiss's lungs were on fire, and her legs felt heavy as rocks. It wouldn't be long before another pair of androids caught up to them.
Between all the running and adrenaline, she didn't have the time to register what they had seen tonight. The neglected job postings, the robots arresting people for fighting the Grimm, and the sheer number of Grimm at their doorstep. It all felt like a feverish nightmare.
The only thing that mattered now was surviving the night – a feat that felt utterly hopeless.
"I don't know how much longer I can keep running," Yang said between desperate gasps for air.
"I don't understand how they keep finding us." Jaune completely disregarded the dirty ground, laying flat on his back. "This is insane."
Weiss checked the time. It was just past 10 pm, but it felt like they'd been running for hours. If this marked the start of their night, she dreaded what the next few hours had in store for them.
"Do you think this is what Blake was running from that night?" Yang's question hung heavily in the air between them.
"It's likely," Jaune replied.
Weiss couldn't stop herself from picturing Adam and Blake in the very position they were in. Exhausted, scared, and completely cut off from everyone in Atlas. How many times did he try to reach her before realising none of his calls was ever getting through? How many of his messages did she miss?
But he never gave up trying to reach her. Weiss wished she was resourceful enough to figure out what he did to make that final call to them.
"S-she's dead, isn't she?" Yang whimpered.
The single question opened the floodgates to all her greatest fears. She imagined Adam's Aura shattering when he needed it the most, leaving him vulnerable to the bullets aimed at his heart and–
"No," Weiss answered at once, dispelling her awful thought as fast as she could.
It was the one conclusion Weiss refused to entertain any further right now. She couldn't afford to lose the last of her composure now - not when those things were still after them.
Mantle was enormous. Just because they couldn't find them in one section of the city didn't mean they weren't alive elsewhere. She conveyed her thoughts to Yang.
"We can barely survive a single night. Don't you think it's unrealistic to expect them to survive days of this shit?"
"I'm not going to assume the worst until I see their bodies with my own eyes," she replied without missing a beat. "Right now, we need to focus on surviving and nothing else."
"She's right," Jaune agreed, sitting back up. "Let's take this one step at a time."
They all tensed when sirens zoomed past the alleyway they were taking refuge in. No one made a single sound even as the noise faded into nothingness.
Weiss squealed when her Scroll vibrated with a new call. Her heart raced at the unknown number displayed on the screen. Yang and Jaune converged around her as she answered the call and put it on speaker.
Her heart clenched at the sound of gunfire on the other side of the line. It was muffled, but she recognised that noise anywhere.
"Adam?" she whispered, straining her ears to catch even a hint of his voice.
Fabric rubbed against the speaker on the other side. She whispered his name again, this time speaking louder in case he didn't hear her the first time.
"...h-help–" The line cut off.
The voice wasn't Adam. She tried to call back, but every time it failed to connect. Weiss hurled her Scroll into the opposing wall in frustration, wincing when the screen shattered upon impact.
Jaune, for whatever reason, took a sudden interest in her broken screen flickering on and off.
"Who was that?" Yang asked.
"My brother."
Yang asked her more questions, but she didn't catch any of them.
Those robots were going after Whitley. It was the only reason why he'd call her like this. The Manor was crawling with those things, and the Mantle Estate is likely under the same level of security.
There was no reason for the robots to attack Whitley. He was a defenceless kid who didn't even have his Semblance unlocked.
It didn't matter what the reason for the attack was. In the face of danger, he was a sitting duck.
"I need to go." Weiss forced herself up, stumbling backwards as her legs trembled beneath her weight.
Yang grabbed her by the wrist before she could leave their hiding spot. "Did you forget there's a bunch of murderous robots looking for us out there?"
"Those murderous robots are crawling all over the building my brother is staying in."
Weiss tried pulling her arm out of Yang's grasp, but her grip was solid.
"Let me go–!"
"You're going to get yourself killed if you run out like this!"
"Who cares?! Those things are after him! My brother needs me right now!"
"In case you forgot, we have an army of evil robots tracking our every move. Do you really think it's smart to lure them all towards your brother?"
"We won't have to worry about that," Jaune cut in, sounding more excited than he had all night. "I figured out how we keep getting caught. It's so simple I can't believe I didn't think of it until now!"
He pulled out his Scroll and smashed it into the wall as Weiss did with hers. The device fell beside Weiss', which was still flickering on the ground.
"It's Watts. He must've bugged our Scrolls when we gave them to him. That's why Adam could only reach us on an unknown number, and why none of us can connect with anyone on Atlas!
"He knows that we've seen too much now. That's why those things are trying to eliminate us!"
After destroying all three Scrolls, they snuck out of their hiding spot and searched for another way to orient themselves in the city. They were all on edge at first, ducking behind buildings whenever they heard a bump in the night, but Jaune's theory proved to be accurate as the robots could no longer track them down with pinpoint accuracy.
In their blind efforts to navigate to the Schnee Mantle Estate, they stumbled upon a bus station and got their hands on a city map.
Much like Atlas, the upper-class district was situated up North. The only downside to their situation was that it would take them at least an hour of walking to get to the Estate.
"I'll use my Semblance to get us there," Weiss decided at once.
Jaune and Yang disapproved of her plan almost immediately, claiming that she'd burn herself out from the strenuous journey.
"My brother doesn't have his Semblance unlocked! He can't wait for us to catch our breaths!"
She imagined their call cutting off wasn't doing him any good. While it wasn't her fault that the call ended so soon, it didn't stop the guilt from eating her alive.
"I'll help you," Jaune offered after a short pause.
That's how the three of them found themselves soaring through the night sky on her Queen Lancer. Yang shot down any robots that spotted them while Jaune focused all his efforts to help ensure their ride wouldn't vanish into thin air.
"Are you feeling alright?" Jaune asked when they landed on the perfectly cut grass of the Estate garden.
"Dizzy, but I'll live," she said truthfully. Weiss doubted she'd be able to Summon again that night, but that would be a problem for later.
Weiss knew something was wrong when they landed in the Estate Garden. It was quiet, with not a single guard patrolling the exterior. The building was completely swallowed by darkness, which was unusual given how late their servants worked. She made this information clear to the other two.
They gingerly walked up to the building, weapons drawn. She paused when they arrived at the back entryway of the Estate. The door was ajar. Weiss eased the door open with her sword.
The Estate in Mantle was about the same size as the Manor on Atlas. The only difference was the decor and architecture utilised early Solitas designs. Weiss had only visited the Estate during special occasions as the building served as a beautiful host for traditional balls and masquerade parties.
Hallways that once reminded her of ancient castles in fairytales were now flooded with shadows and stood abandoned. It was so still she could hear a pin drop. Everything about the scene felt wrong. The further they went in, the heavier the air grew.
They stumbled upon the bodies of the servants by chance. They spilt out of the dining hall. Bodies piled on top of each other as dark liquid pooled beneath them.
Their servants did nothing to deserve this treatment.
"Weiss…"
She ignored Yang and approached the bodies. Swallowing the bile in her throat, she lit her sword on fire. Their dark uniforms disguised the blood soaking into their clothes, though it could not hide the jagged velvet gashes in their bodies. Their flesh glistened in the light of her fire.
Jaune knelt by one of the bodies, attempting to breathe life into it with his Semblance. Weiss couldn't bring herself to watch.
She extinguished the fire on her blade and studied the inside of the dining hall. The long dining table lay on its side amidst the wreckage of shattered ornaments and splintered chairs. Blood splatters stained the walls and windows and dripped from lighting fixtures. What surprised her was the broken remains of robots scattered on the floor.
Weiss didn't think the servants were responsible for the robots' remains. They wouldn't have died if they were strong enough to defeat the androids like this. Whoever did this completely ripped them apart, leaving their internal components exposed like entrails.
"I-I don't understand. I thought the robots were behind the attacks," Yang breathed.
"We should keep looking." Weiss hurried down the hall. She didn't wait for the others to catch up, moving briskly without letting herself slow down for a second.
Her heart drummed so loudly in her ears that it drowned her friends' footsteps. Shadows that were insignificant to her upon first entering now seemed to stretch forever. Every empty room and dead servant they found tightened the winding anxiety around her neck.
It wasn't long before her mind conjured up gruesome images of Whitley's body laying somewhere in the Estate.
The sound of something banging on the second floor made all three of them freeze on the spot. Weiss led them up the nearest staircase and followed the noise down the hall.
They found the perpetrators in front of Whitely's room. It was a group of Altesian robots armed with old swords, kitchen knives, and wooden bats. It was strangely reminiscent of the Faunus fighters they met earlier that night.
The only thing keeping the robots from breaking into his room was the White Glyph glowing in front of the door.
Why was Winter here?
She didn't have the time to question her sister's presence when the robots spotted them and charged.
They defeated the robots quickly. Their victory was difficult to savour when their opponents only used the crude weapons they had on hand. Not a single one of those androids pulled out their guns or swords to fight with. Were their Altesian weapons defective?
Her brother's muffled cries pushed aside any further questions she had about the fight. The White Glyph blocking the entrance flickered weakly. The fact that Winter hadn't stepped out to face the poorly armed robots worried Weiss. How badly was she hurt?
"Winter, it's me," Weiss said. "We took care of all the robots."
The White Glyph flickered out at the sound of her voice. She threw the door open. The first thing she saw was Whitley collapsed in front of the doorway. He was breathless but unharmed.
Winter was nowhere in sight.
"Whitley!" Weiss dropped to her knees, wrapping her arms tightly around him. He hugged her back, crying.
She apologised profusely for the call dropping, diving into a summarised version of what happened. Whitley didn't acknowledge anything she said, continuing to bawl into her shoulder
"We need to get out of here," Yang said urgently. "I see more of those robots approaching down the street."
"W-we can't leave," Whitley whimpered. "M-Mother…"
Whitley withdrew from Weiss and pointed into his bedroom. The room was pitch black save for a speck of moonlight bleeding through the sliver between his drawn curtains. Someone was breathing heavily in the room. She let her brother go and ventured further inside, activating her Red Dust.
Her sword slipped from her fingers. The fire on her blade snuffed out as it collided with the cold floor.
Mother laid on her back, a red gash in the centre of her chest stained her clothes red. Weiss and was by Mother's side in a split second. Jaune dropped down beside her, merging his Aura with Mother's. Whitley collapsed on her other side without saying a word. The soft glow of Jaune's Semblance stirred Mother awake.
She was weaker than Weiss had ever seen her, her ghostly complexion exasperated by the light hue of Jaune's Aura. Shadows clung beneath her pale eyes like bruises. Her face was devoid of all life.
Weiss swallowed the lump at the back of her throat. She remembered the grief Adam had expressed when his mother was dying in front of him, but she felt not even a fraction of what he went through. Her mind had completely gone quiet. Perhaps it was a blessing in disguise. With a steady head, she could think straight and get them out safely.
"S-she saved me when those things started attacking," Whitley explained softly. "I-I'm the reason she—"
"Enough, Whitley," Mother whispered.
"B-but you're hurt because—"
"You bought us both enough time for Weiss to arrive. You've done more than you know, Whitley."
"You're going to be okay," Weiss said. Her voice came out steady, devoid of all emotion. "Jaune's going to heal you and–"
"I'm sorry, Weiss," Mother cut her off quietly.
"Don't be sorry, we'll do everything we can to help you. You–"
"I'm sorry I failed you as a mom."
Weiss could only stare at her. She'd always wanted Mother to come back to her senses and apologise for abandoning her. Now that she was finally hearing it, Weiss felt nothing.
"I'm so sorry, honey. I—"
"Don't talk like that!" Weiss snapped. Why did she have to say it now? Why couldn't she have said it sooner?
"I can't change what happened in the past, but maybe I can still protect your future." Mother's voice grew softer by the second.
"You need to save your strength," Weiss demanded. Why couldn't she save her energy for later? They can talk once Jaune has healed her.
"No, you need to hear this." The sudden urgency in Mother's voice rendered her speechless. "I saw your father meeting with someone from the Military before the election. They always met in his study at the end of the week. I don't know what they discussed, but that man scared him, Weiss. He–!"
Mother coughed. Blood spurted out of her mouth, rolling down the side of her face like a drop of wine. Weiss wiped the blood off with her hand. Her mind remained numb while nausea crawled up her throat.
"Listen to me, dear," Mother reached for Weiss' hand. She instinctually grabbed hold of Mother's cold bony hand and squeezed gently. It felt like the right thing to do. "You need to get into his office. I don't know if it has to do with these new guards or what, but something doesn't feel right."
"Okay," Weiss promised. Mother smiled, and for the first time in years, she resembled the loving woman who once cared for her. The bile in her throat hardened into a lump.
"I'm so happy you came back for us. Please take care of your brother…do a better job than me, Weiss."
"Stop talking like that. We're leaving together once Jaune gets you healed."
"S-she's right," Whitley cried. "Once you're better, we'll go home. W-we'll go home together."
"I'm so proud of what you did back there, Whitley," Mother went on. "You're as brave as your sister…I couldn't be more proud of you…of the both of you."
"This isn't over." Weiss blinked back the burning in her eyes. "You're going to be okay, Mama."
"I wish I could've loved you three better." Mother's hand went slack in Weiss'. Though her eyes remained open, they weren't looking at Weiss or Whitley anymore.
Jaune cursed beside her, yet he continued to try and heal Mother. He never stopped even when she no longer responded to Whitley's desperate pleas to wake up again.
Weiss apologised for the harsh words she threw at her and promised to visit more, hoping Mother would wake up at the prospect of seeing her come home again, but her voice fell on deaf ears. They were too late.
Yang rushed in to remind them of the danger they were still in, claiming the Altesian robots were entering the Estate's front gates.
"There's too many for us to fight off," Yang explained hastily. "We need to go while we have the chance."
Weiss clutched onto Mama's lifeless hand. No matter how tightly she held it, she knew it was pointless.
"Come on. We're all going to end up dead if we stick around any longer." Jaune rested a hand on her back.
Mother wouldn't want Whitley to die. Weiss promised to never fail Whitley again. She couldn't let him die like this.
Weiss reached down, closing Mother's eyes. She helped herself up to her feet, legs still trembling.
"Come on, Whitley," she said, gently shaking his shoulder.
Whitley remained still as a statue. In the dark, it was difficult to see whether he'd even heard her or not.
"I know you're upset with me, but there's more of those things coming. I'm not leaving without you."
Not again.
Even if he chooses to remain at the Estate, she'll stay with him. She'll fight off an entire army of robots to protect him.
Whitley surprised her by reaching out for her hand. He never let her go as they followed Yang's lead out of the Estate.
A busy chapter that probably brings up more questions than answers, at least for now~
Thanks to AlexusAP, Gleaming Onyx, BrazeRancor, and a Guest reader for the reviews!